bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Photoreversible Color Switching of Redox Dyes Catalyzed by Barium‐Doped TiO2 Nanocrystals
Authors: Wang Wenshou , Ye Yifan , Feng Ji , Chi Miaofang , Guo Jinghua , Yin Yadong
Published: January 2015

Colloidal barium‐doped TiO2 nanocrystals have been developed that enable the highly reversible light‐responsive color switching of redox dyes with excellent cycling performance and high switching rates. Oxygen vacancies resulting from the Ba doping serve as effective sacrificial electron donors (SEDs) to scavenge the holes photogenerated in TiO2 nanocrystals under UV irradiation and subsequently promote the reduction of methylene blue to its colorless leuco form. Effective color switching can therefore be realized without relying on external SEDs, thus greatly increasing the number of switching cycles. Ba doping can also accelerate the recoloration under visible‐light irradiation by shifting the absorption edge of TiO2 nanocrystals to a shorter wavelength. Such a system can be further casted into a solid film to produce a rewritable paper on which letters and patters can be repeatedly printed using UV light and then erased by heating; this process can be repeated for many cycles and does not require additional inks.
Orchestrated Triple CH Activation Reactions Using Two Directing Groups: Rapid Assembly of Complex Pyrazoles
Authors: Yang Weibo , Ye Shengqing , Fanning Dewey , Coon Timothy , Schmidt Yvonne , Krenitsky Paul , Stamos Dean , Yu Jin‐Quan
Published: January 2015

A sequential triple CH activation reaction directed by a pyrazole and an amide group leads to the well‐controlled construction of sterically congested dihydrobenzo[e]indazole derivatives. This cascade reaction demonstrates that the often problematic competing CH activation pathways in the presence of multiple directing groups can be harvested by design to improve step economy in synthesis. Pyrazole as a relatively weak coordinating group is shown to direct CH activation for the first time.
Crystal violet dye sorption and transport in/through biobased PVA cryogel membranes
Authors: Papancea Adina , Patachia Silvia , Dobritoiu Rodica
Published: January 2015

Cryogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol) [PVA] and three types of bioinsertions such as scleroglucan, cellulose microfibers, and zein, respectively, have been prepared using capacity of PVA to crosslink by repeated freezing–thawing cycles. The effect of the incorporation of biopolymers on the properties of PVA cryogel has been studied by using several techniques such as: scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared studies. The obtained biobased cryogel membranes were subjected to sorption and to diffusion experiments using Crystal Violet (CV), a dye commonly used in the textile industry and in medicine. Image analysis with CIELAB system was used both to monitor the cryogels loading with CV and to gain insight in the dye state into the gel, in correlation with the bioinsertion type and gels morphology. Dye diffusion but also sorption capacity of the cryogels was found to be closely related to the type of biopolymer. In this article the equilibrium (sorption isotherms) and transport properties (diffusion and permeability coefficients) of CV, in/through physical cross‐linked PVA hydrogel membranes with bioinsertions has been reported. The highest efficiency for the CV removal from aqueous solutions was obtained for the PVA/Scl cryogels. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41838.
Chitosan/gelatin porous bone scaffolds made by crosslinking treatment and freeze‐drying technology: Effects of crosslinking durations on the porous structure, compressive strength, and in vitro cytotoxicity
Authors: Lou Ching‐Wen , Wen Shih‐Peng , Lin Jia‐Horng
Published: January 2015

In this study, freezing was used to separate a solute (polymer) and solvent (deionized water). The polymer in the ice crystals was then crosslinked with solvents, and this diminished the linear pores to form a porous structure. Gelatin and chitosan were blended and frozen, after which crosslinking agents were added, and the whole was frozen again and then freeze‐dried to form chitosan/gelatin porous bone scaffolds. Stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, compressive strength testing, porosity testing, in vitro biocompatibility, and cytotoxicity were used to evaluate the properties of the bone scaffolds. The test results show that both crosslinking agents, glutaraldehyde (GA) and 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide, were able to form a porous structure. In addition, the compressive strength increased as a result of the increased crosslinking time. However, the porosity and cell viability were not correlated with the crosslinking times. The optimal porous and interconnected pore structure occurred when the bone scaffolds were crosslinked with GA for 20 min. It was proven that crosslinking the frozen polymers successfully resulted in a division of the linear pores, and this resulted in interconnected multiple pores and a compressively strong structure. The 48‐h cytotoxicity did not affect the cell viability. This study successfully produced chitosan/gelatin porous materials for biomaterials application. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41851.
Performance of PAM/PEI gel system for water shut‐off in high temperature reservoirs: Laboratory study
Authors: ElKarsani Khalid S. M. , Al‐Muntasheri Ghaithan A. , Sultan Abdulla S. , Hussein Ibnelwaleed A.
Published: January 2015

A polymer gel is one of the common remediate methods to either reduce or totally block excessive water production in oilfields. Some systems demonstrated an excellent performance in treating the problem like polyacrylamide tert‐butyl acrylate (PAtBA)/polyethylenimine (PEI). In this study, polyacrylamide (PAM) was introduced as a cheap alternative to PAtBA that can tolerate high salinity reservoirs. The thermal stability of the PAM/PEI polymeric gel in saline water was examined at 150°C (302F). Samples prepared in sea water showed better stability compared with distilled and field water. Dynamic rheology and core‐flooding experiments were used to evaluate the PAM / PEI gel system at high temperatures. NaCl and NH4Cl were evaluated as a possible retarders for delaying the gelation time in order to achieve a successful placement. NH4Cl was found to be more effective retarder. Core‐flooding tests were conducted in sandstone and carbonate cores. The subject polymer gel was injected at rates typical of those in field applications. The injectivity of PAM/PEI was tested in Berea sandstone cores with initial permeability of ∼45 mD. The post‐treatment of the system showed a permeability reduction of ∼94% for a period of two weeks. The injectivity in low permeability carbonate cores required more retardation compared with the injectivity in sandstone cores. The gel reduced the permeability to brine in Indiana limestone core by 99.8% for more than 5 months. Rheology of cured gel samples indicated that the gel strength needs about one day of curing in the core for the strength to stabilize. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41869.
Preparation and characterization of benzoxazine based nanocomposites: Comprehensive study in curing kinetics and enhanced thermal stabilities
Authors: Lin Yue , Stone Corinne A. , Shaw Steve J. , Song Mo
Published: January 2015

Several bisphenol‐A benzoxazine (BEN) based nanocomposites incorporated with several polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and clays, were prepared successfully. The influences of the nanofillers on curing kinetics, network formation, and thermal stability of the BEN were investigated comprehensively. The addition of the nanofillers showed different influence on curing kinetics of BEN. Furthermore, the incorporation of the nanofillers showed good improvement on thermal stability of BEN. An increase of 70 and 336°C at the onset and the half‐life decomposition temperature were observed with the addition of 5 wt % 30B clay in nitrogen atmosphere. With the incorporation of 5 wt % POSS, the half‐life of decomposition and char yield enhanced by 280°C and 13 wt % in nitrogen atmosphere. For the 4 wt % MWCNT‐COOH/BEN nanocomposite, the half‐life of decomposition and char yield at 800°C increased by 286°C and 14 wt % in nitrogen atmosphere, respectively. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2015,132, 41903.
Ultraviolet–ozone surface cleaning of injection‐molded, thermoplastic microcantilevers
Authors: Urwyler Prabitha , Pascual Alfons , Müller Bert , Schift Helmut
Published: January 2015

Ultraviolet–ozone (UVO) is used for the cleaning of labware from organic contamination and includes sterilization, surface roughening, and activation. A range of polymers has been treated without major effects on surface topography and surface chemistry. Even for those, which are subject to physical and chemical aging, a trade‐off between damages and surface cleaning was often found. This communication presents a comprehensive overview on how to UVO‐treat selected polymers known from applications in biology and medicine, in particular microcantilevers used for biosensing. The study provides well‐defined thresholds below which degradation and surface damages are avoided. The impact of UVO treatments on the surface and bulk properties of the injection‐molded polymers was examined by means of differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41922.
The Cyber Self: Facebook as a Predictor of Well‐being
Authors: Whitman Chassitty N. , Gottdiener William H.
Published: January 2015

Growing research suggests that Facebook may relate to users’ self‐esteem, identity perceptions, and cognitive function by facilitating identity exploration and minimizing self‐deception. The present study empirically investigated this possibility. A cross‐sectional correlational design with a web‐based survey was utilized. Participants (N = 446) were 24.3% male (N = 118), 67.2% female (N = 326), 2% transgender/in transition (N = 2). 59.6% of participants were ages 18–32 (N = 289) while 13.6% were age 23–27 (N = 66) and 18.3% over age 28 (N = 89). High frequency Facebook use significantly positively correlated with mature defense style (p < 0.05, r = 0.13). High self‐esteem significantly positively correlated with mature defense styles (p < 0.01, r = 0.24) and negatively with immature styles (p < 0.05, r = −0.13). High frequency Facebook use also significantly positively correlated with Actualization Potential (p < 0.01, r = 0.20). In summary, higher levels of Facebook use appear to correlate with positive attributes such as low self‐deception, mature coping, high self‐esteem, and high actualization potential. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dissecting through barriers: A mixed‐methods study on the effect of interprofessional education in a dissection course with healthcare professional students
Authors: Fernandes Alisha Rebecca , Palombella Andrew , Salfi Jenn , Wainman Bruce
Published: January 2015

Healthcare delivery is reliant on a team‐based approach, and interprofessional education (IPE) provides a means by which such collaboration skills can be fostered prior to entering the workplace. IPE within healthcare programs has been associated with improved collaborative behavior, patient care and satisfaction, reduced clinical error, and diminished negative professional stereotypes. An intensive interprofessional gross anatomy dissection course was created in 2009 to facilitate IPE at McMaster University. Data were collected from five cohorts over five years to determine the influence of this IPE format on the attitudes and perceptions of students towards other health professions. Each year, 28 students from the medicine, midwifery, nursing, physician's assistant, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy programs were randomly assigned into interprofessional teams for 10 weeks. Sessions involved an anatomy and scope‐of‐practice presentation, a small‐group case‐based session, and a dissection. A before/after design measured changes in attitudes and perceptions, while focus group data elaborated on the student experience with the course. Pre‐ and postmatched data revealed significant improvements in positive professional identity, competency and autonomy, role clarity and attitudes toward other health professions. Qualitative analysis of intraprofessional focus group interviews revealed meaningful improvements in a number of areas including learning anatomy, role clarity, and attitudes towards other health professions. Anat Sci Educ 8: 305–316. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.
DNA topoisomerase‐directed anticancerous alkaloids: ADMET‐based screening, molecular docking, and dynamics simulation
Authors: Singh Swati , Das Tamal , Awasthi Manika , Pandey Veda P. , Pandey Brijesh , Dwivedi Upendra N.
Published: January 2015

Topoisomerases (Topo I and II) have been looked as crucial targets against various types of cancers. In the present paper, 100 anticancerous alkaloids were subjected to in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) analyses to investigate their pharmacokinetic properties. Out of 100 alkaloids, only 18 were found to fulfill all the ADMET descriptors and obeyed the Lipinski's rule of five. All the 18 alkaloids were found to dock successfully within the active site of both Topo I and II. A comparison of the inhibitory potential of 18 screened alkaloids with those of selected drugs revealed that four alkaloids (oliveroline, coptisine, aristolactam, and piperine) inhibited Topo I, whereas six alkaloids (oliveroline, aristolactam, anonaine, piperine, coptisine, and liriodenine) inhibited Topo II more strongly than those of their corresponding drugs, topotecan and etoposide, respectively, with oliveroline being the outstanding. The stability of the complexes of Topo I and II with the best docked alkaloid, oliveroline, was further analyzed using 10 nSec molecular dynamics simulation and compared with those of the respective drugs, namely, topotecan and etoposide, which revealed stabilization of these complexes within 5 nSec of simulation with better stability of Topo II complex than that of Topo I.
An examination of class size reduction on teaching and learning processes: a theoretical perspective
Authors: Harfitt Gary James , Tsui Amy B. M.
Published: January 2015

The question of how class size impacts on student learning has been debated for some time, not least because it has substantial financial implications for educational policy. The strength of this debate notwithstanding, results from numerous international studies have been inconclusive. The study from which this paper stems sought to conceptualise the effects of class size on teaching and learning processes, an under‐researched area in this field. To do that, the study explored qualitative differences in learning processes in large and small classes, drawing on social learning theory and the conceptual framework of community of practice to elucidate any differences. The data set includes classroom observations and interviews with students and teachers in four pairs of large and reduced‐size English language classes in four Hong Kong secondary schools. Findings show that students were more motivated and engaged in their learning in the small classes studied. They also showed that the characteristics of a community of practice were more evident in the smaller classes. This paper concludes that it is the conditions that foster the development of a community of practice that have a critical role in bringing about high quality learning and that these conditions tend to be more easily met in smaller classes although there is no necessary relationship between the two.
Influence of trial duration on the bias of the estimated treatment effect in clinical trials when individual heterogeneity is ignored
Authors: Cécilia‐Joseph Elsa , Auvert Bertran , Broët Philippe , Moreau Thierry
Published: January 2015

In randomized clinical trials where the times to event of two treatment groups are compared under a proportional hazards assumption, it has been established that omitting prognostic factors from the model entails an underestimation of the hazards ratio. Heterogeneity due to unobserved covariates in cancer patient populations is a concern since genomic investigations have revealed molecular and clinical heterogeneity in these populations. In HIV prevention trials, heterogeneity is unavoidable and has been shown to decrease the treatment effect over time. This article assesses the influence of trial duration on the bias of the estimated hazards ratio resulting from omitting covariates from the Cox analysis. The true model is defined by including an unobserved random frailty term in the individual hazard that reflects the omitted covariate. Three frailty distributions are investigated: gamma, log‐normal, and binary, and the asymptotic bias of the hazards ratio estimator is calculated. We show that the attenuation of the treatment effect resulting from unobserved heterogeneity strongly increases with trial duration, especially for continuous frailties that are likely to reflect omitted covariates, as they are often encountered in practice. The possibility of interpreting the long‐term decrease in treatment effects as a bias induced by heterogeneity and trial duration is illustrated by a trial in oncology where adjuvant chemotherapy in stage 1B NSCLC was investigated.
Indole generates quiescent and metabolically active Escherichia coli cultures
Authors: Chen Chih‐Chin , Walia Rupali , Mukherjee Krishna J. , Mahalik Subhashree , Summers David K.
Published: January 2015

An inherent problem with bacterial cell factories used to produce recombinant proteins or metabolites is that resources are channeled into unwanted biomass as well as product. Over several years, attempts have been made to increase efficiency by unlinking biomass and product generation. One example was the quiescent cell (Q‐Cell) expression system that generated non‐growing but metabolically active Escherichia coli by over‐expressing a regulatory RNA (Rcd) in a defined genetic background. Although effective at increasing the efficiency with which resources are converted to product, the technical complexity of the Rcd‐based Q‐Cell system limited its use. We describe here an alternative method for generating Q‐Cells by the direct addition of indole, or related indole derivatives, to the culture medium of an E. coli strain carrying defined mutations in the hns gene. This simple and effective approach is shown to be functional in both shake‐flask and fermenter culture. The cells remain metabolically active and analysis of their performance in the fermenter suggests that they may be particularly suitable for the production of cellular metabolites.
Nanoarchitecture of scaffolds and endothelial cells in engineering small diameter vascular grafts
Authors: Sankaran Krishna Kumar , Subramanian Anuradha , Krishnan Uma Maheswari , Sethuraman Swaminathan
Published: January 2015

Regeneration of functional small diameter blood vessels still remains a challenge, as the synthetic vascular grafts fail to mimic the complex structural architecture and dynamic functions of blood vessels and also lack with the lack of non‐thrombogenicity. Although, the existence of nanofibrous extracellular matrix components in the native tissue promotes many physical and molecular signals to the endothelial cells for the regulation of morphogenesis, homeostasis, and cellular functions in vascular tissue, poor understanding of the structural architecture on the functional activation of appropriate genes limits the development of successful vascular graft design. Hence, the present review outlines the functional contributions of various nanofibrous extracellular matrix components in native blood vessels. Further, the review focuses on the role of nanofiber topography of biomaterial scaffolds in endothelial cell fate processes such as adhesion, proliferation, migration, and infiltration with the expression of vasculature specific genes; thereby allowing the reader to envisage the communication between the nano‐architecture of scaffolds and endothelial cells in engineering small diameter vascular grafts.
Emotion recognition specialization and context‐dependent risk of anxiety and depression in adolescents
Authors: Oldehinkel Albertine J. , Hartman Catharina A. , Van Oort Floor V. A. , Nederhof Esther
Published: January 2015

Background

Some adolescents function poorly in apparently benign environments, while others thrive despite hassles and difficulties. The aim of this study was to examine if adolescents with specialized skills in the recognition of either positive or negative emotions have a context‐dependent risk of developing an anxiety or depressive disorder during adolescence, depending on exposure to positive or harsh parenting.

Methods

Data came from a large prospective Dutch population study (N = 1539). At age 11, perceived parental rejection and emotional warmth were measured by questionnaire, and emotion recognition skills by means of a reaction‐time task. Lifetime diagnoses of anxiety and depressive disorders were assessed at about age 19, using a standardized diagnostic interview.

Results

Adolescents who were specialized in the recognition of positive emotions had a relatively high probability to develop an anxiety disorder when exposed to parental rejection (Bspecialization*rejection = 0.23, P < 0.01) and a relatively low probability in response to parental emotional warmth (Bspecialization*warmth = −0.24, P = 0.01), while the opposite pattern was found for specialists in negative emotions. The effect of parental emotional warmth on depression onset was likewise modified by emotion recognition specialization (B = −0.13, P = 0.03), but the effect of parental rejection was not (B = 0.02, P = 0.72). In general, the relative advantage of specialists in negative emotions was restricted to fairly uncommon negative conditions.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that there is no unequivocal relation between parenting behaviors and the probability to develop an anxiety or depressive disorder in adolescence, and that emotion recognition specialization may be a promising way to distinguish between various types of context‐dependent reaction patterns.
A web‐based virtual laboratory for electron probe microanalysis
Authors: Lu Xia , Tian Di , He Yu‐Tong , Yao Li , Fan Run‐Long
Published: January 2015

This paper introduces a novel web‐based virtual laboratory to support teaching electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), specifically operations of the instrument. The virtual lab includes favorable animations to facilitate understanding characteristics of EPMA, the virtual experimental platform for instructive simulations, and quizzes to measure the students’ achievements in learning. To illustrate the instrumental operations, typical experimental processes have been simulated with 3 modules and 34 windows. Students responded to the survey that the virtual lab was very effective in promoting understanding of EPMA and helping them to familiarize with the operations of the instrument and improve the skills before performing the experiment in real lab. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 23:489–498, 2015; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21620
A commercial, benefit driven and secure framework for elearning in cloud computing
Authors: Sandhu Rajinder , Sood Sandeep K.
Published: January 2015

Today's industry demands well‐equipped engineers with practical as well as theoretical knowledge. Providing specialization courses is need of an hour but decline in teacher to student ratio in universities and educational institutions is big hurdle in this vision. Elearning is an ideal solution to this engineering education problem. Traditional elearning platforms are less efficient and prone to sudden failures. In this paper, a cloud‐based commercial and benefit driven elearning system is proposed which has multiple education service providers and separate end user's needs. Proposed system designing and initial assessment is done using Design Science Research (DSR) approach. DSR studies already available knowledge base and formulate requirements of a commercial elearning system. Proposed framework has layered structure consisting of five layers where each layer is dedicated for a specific task. User layer handles all user interactions, management layer manages cloud resources by accurate prediction and cost calculation, security layer provides secure access to data stored on archive layer, archive layer is responsible for proper indexing and storage of data, finally resource layer manages underline hardware of cloud system. Proposed framework is tested against MyGuru2, results indicates that proposed framework is cost effective and provides better QoS requirements. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 23:499–513, 2015; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21621
Prepare to investigate employee misconduct allegations
Authors: Sievert Justin P.
Published: January 2015

All employers will eventually face an allegation or rumor of employee misconduct. This reality is no different for higher ed professionals. In fact, your department may receive a complaint of misconduct from a number of sources, ranging from an anonymous tip to your own staff members or students.
Collaborate with registrars to ensure quality FERPA training
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: January 2015

Many higher ed officials lack the knowledge needed to properly apply the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations in day‐to‐day professional situations.
Did charging seat fee violate agreement with donor?
Authors: Tee Virginia
Published: January 2015

George M. Lee, a longtime member of the South Carolina Gamecock Club, was given the opportunity to elevate his Full Scholarship level to “Lifetime Full Scholarship” in exchange for maintaining a life insurance policy for eight years in the amount of $100,000 naming the university as the sole, irrevocable beneficiary. Lifetime Full Scholarship allowed Lee the lifetime “opportunity to purchase tickets.”
Chemical Composition of Pinus sibirica (Pinaceae)
Authors: Rogachev Artem D. , Salakhutdinov Nariman F.
Published: January 2015

Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica), also known as Siberian cedar pine and Siberian cedar, is an important plant that has been long used as a source of natural compounds and materials (wood, needles, soft resin, turpentine, colophony). Its chemical composition has been studied well enough; however, to our surprise, no articles that compile the phytochemical data have been published so far. Presumably, this is due to the fact that most of the studies were published in journals difficult to access and not indexed by search systems. This review, for the first time, presents a systematic compilation of available data of secondary metabolites occurring in the needles, shoots, bark, wood, seeds, and oleoresin of Pinus sibirica.
Essential‐Oil Variability of Juniperus deltoides R.P.Adams along the East Adriatic Coast – How Many Chemotypes Are There?
Authors: Rajčević Nemanja , Janaćković Peđa , Dodoš Tanja , Tešević Vele , Marin Petar D.
Published: January 2015

The composition of the essential oils isolated from twigs of ten Juniperus deltoides R.P. Adams populations from the east Adriatic coast was determined by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses. Altogether, 169 compounds were identified, representing 95.6–98.4% of the total oil composition. The oils were dominated by monoterpenes (average content of 61.6%), which are characteristic oil components of species of the Juniperus section. Two monoterpenes, α‐pinene and limonene, were the dominant constituents, comprising on average 46.78% of the essential oils. Statistical methods were deployed to determine the diversity of the terpene classes and the common terpenes between the investigated populations. These statistical analyses revealed the existence of three chemotypes within all populations, i.e., a α‐pinene, limonene, and limonene/α‐pinene type.
Profiling and Elucidation of the Phenolic Compounds in the Aerial Parts of Gynura bicolor and G. divaricata Collected from Different Chinese Origins
Authors: Chen Jian , Mangelinckx Sven , Lü Han , Wang Zheng‐Tao , Li Wei‐Lin , De Kimpe Norbert
Published: January 2015

Gynura bicolor and G. divaricata are not only known to be nutritive as cultured vegetables, but also beneficial as folk medicines in East Asia. As demonstrated by the current phytochemical knowledge, the genus Gynura is a promising source of phenolics with multiple medicinal activities. To expand this phytochemical knowledge, the phenolic secondary metabolites of G. bicolor and G. divaricata were studied. From the aerial parts of these two species, collected in five different Chinese locations, two fractions of phenolic compounds with different polarity were obtained by extraction and chromatographic separation. Using UPLC/MS/MS analysis, a total of 53 phenolics were either identified by comparison with respective reference compounds or tentatively characterized by their chromatographic behavior, UV‐absorption patterns, and MS fragmentations. Some naturally existing positional isomers of O‐caffeoylquinic acid, O‐p‐coumaroylquinic acid, O‐feruloylquinic acid, and dicaffeoylquinic acid as well as their methyl esters were qualitatively characterized by their specific fragmentation patterns in targeted MS/MS. In addition, the aerial parts of the two Gynura species contained kaempferol, quercetin oligoglycosides, and a variety of derivatives of benzoic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, and caffeic acid. Furthermore, the distribution of phenolic compounds in the two species from different Chinese origins was discussed. Finally, an investigation of the total phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant activity of the various phenolic fractions was completed, to evaluate the potential of the extracts of these species for medicinal development. The free‐radical‐scavenging activities of the extracts derived from plants originating from Nanjing were proven to be higher than those of the other extracts, which correlated well with their total phenolic content.
Discovery and Pharmacophore Studies of Novel Pyrazole‐Based Anti‐Melanoma Agents
Authors: Li Qing‐Shan , Lü Xian‐Hai , Yang Yang , Ruan Ban‐Feng , Yao Ri‐Sheng , Liao Chen‐Zhong
Published: January 2015

Due to the rising incidence and lack of effective treatments, malignant melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, so that new treatment strategies are urgently needed. Several recent developments indicate that the V600E mutant BRAF (BRAFV600E) is a validated target for antimelanoma‐drug development. Based on in silico screening results, a series of novel pyrazole derivatives has been designed, synthesized, and evaluated in vitro for their inhibitory activities against BRAFV600E melanoma cells. Compound 3d exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.63 μM for BRAFV600E and a GI50 value of 0.61 μM for mutant BRAF‐dependent cells. Furthermore, the QSAR modeling and the docking simulation of inhibitor analogs provide important pharmacophore clues for further structural optimization.
Two New Hydronaphthoquinones from Sinningia aggregata (Gesneriaceae) and Cytotoxic Activity of Aggregatin D
Authors: Verdan Maria Helena , Mera de Souza Lauro , Ernesto de Carvalho João , Vendramini Costa Débora B. , Salvador Marcos José , Barison Andersson , Alves Stefanello Maria Élida
Published: January 2015

Two new hydronaphthoquinones, aggregatins E and F (1 and 2, resp.) were isolated from the tubers of Sinningia aggregata (Ker‐Gawl.) Wiehler (Gesneriaceae), along with twelve known compounds aggregatin D (3), tectoquinone (4), 1‐hydroxy‐2‐methylanthraquinone (5), icosyl ferulate (6), pustuline (7), 1,6‐dihydroxy‐2‐methylanthranquinone (8), 6‐hydroxy‐2‐methylanthraquinone (9), 7‐hydroxy‐2‐methylanthraquinone (10), tyrosol (11), halleridone (12), calceolarioside B (13), and cornoside (14). All compounds were identified by analysis of spectroscopic and spectrometric data. Compounds 3, 4, and 10 had already been reported in this species. Compounds 2 and 3 were evaluated against several tumor cell lines, but only 3 exhibited activities against UACC‐62, 786‐0 and OVCAR‐3 cell lines, with IC50 values of 12.3, 12.8 and 0.3 μg/ml, respectively, without toxic effects on non‐cancer cell line HaCat (human keratinocyte).
Severe mitral regurgitation: A common occurrence in the aging patient with secundum atrial septal defect
Authors: Liberthson R. R. , Boucher C. A. , Fallon J. T. , Buckley M. J.
Published: January 2015

Severe mitral valve regurgitation (MR) which necessitated mitral valve replacement was identified in 19 (3.9%) of 498 consecutive patients (age range 1–83 years) with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD). The incidence of severe MR was significantly higher in patients older than age 50 years, 15 of 98 (15%), than in patients either below 21 years, 1 of 213 (0.4%), or between ages 21 to 49 years, 3 of 187 (2%). The higher frequency and severity of MR in the older ASD patient has not previously been appreciated.

The morphology of severe MR in the older ASD patient consists of fibrous thickening and deformity of the mitral leaflets with shortening and thickening of the chordae tendineae. Because of the rarity of severe MR in the young patient with ASD, the mitral valve pathology is still poorly defined.
Neuroleptanalgesia in acute myocardial infarction: Effects of hemodynamic parameters and plasma catecholamines
Authors: Magometschnigg D. , Hörtnagl H. , Gassner A. , Hammerle A. F. , Kleinberger G. , Lenzhofer R. , Lochs H. , Pall H. , Pichler M.
Published: January 2015

The use of neuroleptanalgesia in acute myocardial infarction offers the possibility of reducing pain and emotional stress. The influence of such treatment on hemodynamic parameters (heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume, peripheral resistance, systemic blood pressure, and pulmonary pressure) and on the plasma level of adrenaline and noradrenaline has been studied in 6 patients with acute myocardial infarction. The results demonstrate that during neuroleptanalgesia the already elevated levels of noradrenaline and adrenaline further increase. This increase was most pronounced in the patients with the highest initial levels of catecholamines. Since the peripheral resistance and systolic and diastolic blood pressures decrease concomitantly, it is concluded that the increase in plasma catecholamines is due to a reaction of the sympathetic nervous system to the alpha‐adrenergic receptor blocking activity of droperidol causing vasodilation. The data indicate that pain, emotional stress, and anxiety in the acute phase of myocardial infarction do not play the expected essential role for the activation of the sympathetic nervous system generally observed in acute myocardial infarction. Additionally, the data demonstrate that drugs producing a vasodilation can have a deteriorating effect on the hemodynamic situation and that a reduction of the afterload by vasodilating drugs can result in a further increase in the release of catecholamines.
Effects of molsidomine on global and regional left ventricular function at rest and during exercise in patients with angina pectoris
Authors: Nechwatal W. , Stauch M. , Sigel H. , Kress P. , Bitter F. , Geffers H. , Adam W. E.
Published: January 2015

Although the antianginal properties of molsidomine are well‐established, little is known about its effects on global and regional left ventricular dysfunction secondary to myocardial ischemia. In the present study, left ventricular performance was assessed by radionuclide ventriculography at rest and during exercise in 15 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and angina pectoris before and after the administration of 2 mg molsidomine sublingually. Gated blood pool studies were performed for evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and regional wall motion by analyzing amplitudes and phases of the first Fourier coefficient of regional time–activity curves.

In contrast to normal subjects, during the control study period LVEF in patients with CAD decreased from 50.9% at rest to 42.7% during exercise (p<0.01). After molsidomine the resting values of LVEF increased slightly from 50.9% to 55.7% (p<0.05). Exercise values of LVEF increased from 42.7% to 51.3% (p<0.01). This is usually associated with amelioration of anginal pain and ischemic ST depression in the precordial ECG (0.15 mV vs. 0.09 mV; p<0.01). Before molsidomine, regional wall motion deteriorated from rest to exercise in 11 of 15 patients. These wall motion abnormalities usually expressed themselves as newly developed regions of left ventricular dysfunction (8 patients) or as accentuation of pre‐existing contraction disturbances (3 patients). After molsidomine, regional wall motion did not show consistent changes at rest. Comparison during exercise showed enhanced regional function in 10 of the 15 patients after administration of the drug. At rest a slight but significant increase in heart rate was measured following molsidomine, whereas exercise heart rate remained unchanged. Only minor changes in systolic blood pressure occurred after molsidomine (rest, 143 mmHg vs. 134 mmHg; p<0.05; exercise, 177 mmHg vs. 174 mmHg; p>0.10).

In conclusion, assessment of left ventricular performance at rest and during exercise in patients with CAD revealed significant improvement of global and regional left ventricular function, indicating reduction of myocardial ischemia. These effects may result primarily from reduction of left ventricular wall tension.
Standard ECG versus 24‐hour holter monitoring in the detection of ventricular arrhythmias
Authors: Møller M.
Published: January 2015

A total of 386 corresponding registrations of standard ECG and 24‐h Holter monitoring were compared in order to elucidate the information obtainable from a 60‐s standard ECG with regard to ventricular arrhythmias. Ventricular ectopic beats (VEB) were present on 17% of the standard ECGs against 90% of the monitorings (p < 0.001). The corresponding figures for complicated VEB (multiform, repetitive, R on T) were 2% and 41%, respectively (p < 0.001). The presence of VEB on the standard ECG was associated with a significantly increased incidence of all types of ventricular arrhythmias during Holter monitoring performed within the same day. The number of VEBs on the standard ECG did not predict the number during monitoring, but to some extent did predict the occurrence of complicated types. In 52 patients free from VEB on four consecutive standard ECGs, Holter monitoring showed complicated ectopic activity in 32 (62%). Thus standard ECG is an insensitive method for the detection of ventricular arrhythmias.
Hemodynamic assessment of prenalterol: A cardioselective beta agonist in patients with impaired left ventricular function
Authors: Klein W. , Brandt D. , Maurer E.
Published: January 2015

The hemodynamic effects of a new cardioselective beta agonist, prenalterol, were evaluated in 12 patients with moderate or severe impairment of left ventricular function due to coronary heart disease or primary cardiomyopathy. In doses up to 7 mg the drug led to a substantial increase of left ventricular pressure rise (+55%) and mean circumferential fiber shortening (+59%) and a decrease of left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure (–52%), mean pulmonary artery pressure (–24%) and pulmonary vascular resistance (–37%) indicating augmented myocardial contractility and reduced left ventricular preload. Cardiac output was increased only in 4 of 12 patients, heart rate, left ventricular systolic and mean right atrial pressures and the pressure‐rate product as an index for myocardial oxygen demand remained essentially unchanged. The same is true for stroke index, stroke work index, total peripheral resistance, left ventricular end‐diastolic and end‐systolic volume and ejection fraction. The positive inotropic effect was achieved with good tolerance and without arrhythmogenic or other side effects. Prenalterol may be especially useful in patients with low sympathetic activity and hypotension. In patients with diffuse congestive cardiomyopathy, high sympathetic activity, pronounced peripheral vasoconstriction and normal blood pressure, vasodilator therapy alone or in combination with prenalterol should be considered.
Retrograde aortic dissection during cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Eugene J. , Aronow W. S. , Stemmer E. A.
Published: January 2015

Femoral artery perfusion for cardiopulmonary bypass is still employed for reoperation, procedures involving the thoracic aorta, and partial bypass in critical patients. Retrograde aortic dissection is the most significant complication of femoral perfusion. The reported incidence is from 0.6% to 14% with a mortality of 66%. Most of the deaths occurred in patients in whom the dissection was not recognized, or in whom the dissection was recognized but not treated appropriately. Our experience with retrograde dissection totals six patients of 640 (0.9%) in whom femoral inflow was used. Four of the six patients survived the dissection. Sudden increase in extracorporeal line pressure shortly after beginning cardiopulmonary bypass associated with decreased venous return, dampened radial arterial pressure, and the abrupt appearance of a bluish, bulging ascending aorta establishes the diagnosis. Survival is enhanced if cardiopulmonary bypass is promptly discontinued, aortic cannulation established, and bypass reinstituted with the induction of profound hypothermia. Circulatory arrest may then be employed to repair the false passage. In this series the proposed operation was completed in all six patients.
Heparin effect on blood viscosity
Authors: Ruggiero H. A. , Castellanos H. , Caprissi L. F. , Caprissi E. S.
Published: January 2015

The effect of heparin on blood viscosity was investigated in a group of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and preinfarction angina (PA), whose blood viscosity was elevated. Viscosity was measured with Cannon, Fenske, and Routine viscometers. Kinematic viscosity, bath and whole blood, plasma, and serum viscosity were determined as well as dependent parameters (fibrinogen, serum proteins, number of platelets, and hematocrit). All of them were found to increase, and it was significantly proved that intravenous heparin immediately decreased plasma viscosity, but has a lesser effect on serum and whole blood viscosity. A dose of 1 cc = 50 mg = 5000 IU intravenous heparin, will maintain this decrease for a month. In our four‐week study, 1 cc i.v. heparin was administered at 6‐hour intervals for the first 2 weeks, and 2 cc heparin subcutaneous injections were administered at 12‐hour intervals for the next 2 weeks. We found that heparin also decreased fibrinogen, hematocrit, serum alpha2 globulin, and number of platelets. Hyperviscosity, hypercoagulability, and the increase of platelet adhesiveness are some of the most important physiopathological alterations of AMI and PA. The decrease of blood viscosity due to heparin is one of the most important and beneficial effects of it in this pathology.
Coronary spasm associated with urticaria: Report of a case mimicking anaphylaxis
Authors: Bristow M. R. , Ginsburg R. , Kantrowitz N. E. , Baim D.S. , Rosenbaum J. T.
Published: January 2015

Recent investigations suggest that the vasoactive substances, histamine, prostaglandin E2, and thromboxane A2 are mediators of coronary artery spasm. These substances may be released during an episode of urticaria. We report here a case of coronary artery spasm associated with an episode of acute urticaria. The coronary spasm may have been mediated by the vasoactive substances released from basophils and secondary platelet aggregation, known to occur with urticaria.
Patient profile and follow‐up in medically and surgically treated elderly adults with myocardial infarction
Authors: Yamour B. , McMartin D. , Masden R. , Sohi G. , Gralnick D.
Published: January 2015

We followed 23 elderly patients (age 75 years or older) with previous myocardial infarctions for an average of 22.4 months after cardiac catheterization. The mortality rate for the medically treated patients was 13%, and 28% for the surgically treated patients. Improvement in anginal symptoms over the follow‐up period from the time of catheterization for the entire group was 50%. However, 100% of the surviving surgically treated patients were symptomatically improved with a mean improvement of 1.6 New York Heart Association functional class levels. The medically treated patients remained unchanged in their functional activity level. Catheterization mortality and morbidity were both zero in this group of 23 elderly patients.
A case of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia with ventricular fibrillation
Authors: Olsson S. B. , Edvardsson N. , Emanuelsson H. , Eneström S.
Published: January 2015

A case of repeated attacks of ventricular fibrillation is described. The patient suffered from an arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) documented by right and left ventriculograms and myocardial biopsies obtained during surgical treatment of the arrhythmia. The histological changes were interpreted as being signs of fresh myocardial damage of unknown origin in addition to a replacement of the normal myocardium by adipose and fibrotic tissue. The repeated attacks of ventricular fibrillation in this patient contrast to the arrhythmia spectrum noted in the available literature on ARVD, mostly stable chronic ventricular tachycardias.
Acquired nonsurgical complete atrioventricular block in a child with endocardial cushion defect
Authors: Mehta A. V. , O'Riordan A. C. , Sanchez G. R. , Black I. F. S.
Published: January 2015

Acquired nonsurgical complete atrioventricular block is uncommon in children. We report an 11‐year‐old asymptomatic girl with endocardial cushion defect who gradually developed progressive conduction abnormality and complete atrioventricular block prior to open heart surgery. To our knowledge, a gradual progressive, nonsurgical, acquired atrioventricular block in endocardial cushion defect has not been described before. This report discusses the possible pathogenesis of acquired nonsurgical complete atrioventricular block in endocardial cushion defect and reviews the literature.
Prediction of in‐hospital ventricular fibrillation from admission data in acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Flugelman M. Y. , Hasin Y. , Tur‐Caspa I. , Friedlander Y. , Gotsman M. S.
Published: January 2015

We studied retrospectively 26 readily obtainable clinical and electrocardiographic variables in 22 consecutive patients who experienced primary ventricular fibrillation in association with an episode of acute myocardial infarction. Twenty‐eight consecutive patients who had an uncomplicated course after acute myocardial infarction served as controls. The clinical profile of the two groups was similar except that patients who had primary ventricular fibrillation smoked more and had a higher peak creatinine phosphokinase level at the time of infarction. The data was evaluated using univariate and stepwise logistic regression analysis. This analysis demonstrated that patients who developed primary ventricular fibrillation had, on admission (1) more evidence of congestive heart failure (Killip classification), (2) a lower diastolic blood pressure, (3) greater ST‐segment elevation, (4) a longer QTc interval, and (5) a less distinguishable J point on the electrocardiogram. This method of logistic analysis that utilizes easily obtainable hospital admission data serves as a preliminary model for prediction of the relative risk of primary ventricular fibrillation in a patient with acute myocardial infarction. The ability to identify patients at risk has important therapeutic implications.