bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promiscuous Zinc‐Dependent Acylase‐Mediated One‐Pot Synthesis of Monosaccharide‐Containing Pyrimidine Derivatives in Organic Medium
Authors: Wu Qi , Xu Jian‐Ming , Xia Li , Wang Jun‐Liang , Lin Xian‐Fu
Published: July 2009

A facile one‐pot synthesis route to monosaccharide‐containing pyrimidine derivatives was developed by combining the two types of catalytic activities of one enzyme in an organic medium, i.e., the Michael addition/acylation activities of zinc‐dependent D‐aminoacylase (DA) from Escherichia coli. First, the stepwise approach was investigated. DA showed higher activity towards the Michael addition than acylation in this reaction system. The enzymatic Michael additions of pyrimidines to vinyl acrylate proceeded very rapidly and the initial reaction rates for the Michael addition of pyrimidines to vinyl acrylate were 7.2–16.5 mM min−1. The catalytic specificity of aminoacylases toward Michael addition was demonstrated by the combination of different control experiments. Then, the two steps could be performed in one pot and a single aminoacylase catalyzed one‐pot biotransformation was constructed. Using this strategy, a series of saccharide‐pyrimidine complexes with potentially biological and pharmacological applications was prepared efficiently. This high Michael addition activity of zinc‐dependent aminoacylases and the novel single aminoacylase‐catalyzed one‐pot synthesis combining two catalytic activities in vitro is of practical significance in expanding the application of enzymes and in the evolution of new biocatalysts.
Improved Chiral Olefin Metathesis Catalysts: Increasing the Thermal and Solution Stability via Modification of a C1‐Symmetrical N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand
Authors: Savoie Jolaine , Stenne Brice , Collins Shawn K.
Published: July 2009

Four new ruthenium‐based olefin metathesis catalysts that possess an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand with benzyl (Bn) or or n‐propyl (n‐Pr) N‐alkyl groups have been prepared. The synthetic routes developed for the synthesis of the required dihydroimidazolium salts are general. Catalysts bearing larger NHC ligands with larger N‐alkyl groups displayed improved thermal and solution state stability up to 80 °C. The reactivity of the new catalysts in ring‐closing metathesis is directly related to the increased steric bulk of the NHC ligand. The new catalysts have been evaluated in desymmetrization reactions and the nature of the N‐alkyl group of the NHC ligands has been shown to have an important effect on the observed enantioselectivities.
Quality in clinical genetics
Authors: Williams Marc S.
Published: July 2009

Application of quality improvement techniques to medical care has the potential to improve the quality of care, reduce variability in practice, and optimize medical and service outcomes and cost. While becoming more common in other specialties, clinical genetics is only beginning to address these issues. There are a number of challenges to the application of quality improvement to a specialty where rare and ultra‐rare disorders are the rule rather than the exception. This article briefly reviews some of these challenges while introducing the articles in this issue of Seminars. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Improving service delivery by evaluation of the referral pattern and capacity in a clinical genetics setting
Authors: McCann Emma , Baines Elizabeth A. , Gray Jonathon R. , Procter Annie M.
Published: July 2009

Quality improvement in specialist services such as clinical genetics is challenging largely due to the complexity of the service and the difficulty in obtaining accurate, reproducible, and measurable data. The objectives were to evaluate the pattern of referrals to the All Wales Medical Genetics Service (AWMGS) North Wales Genetics team based in three separate hospitals, define the capacity of the team and implement change to improve equity, timeliness and efficiency of care delivery to patients. The methodology required collating the monthly referral rates retrospectively for each center over a 2.5‐year period and plotting on statistical process control charts. Process mapping of the referral process in each center was undertaken, differences documented and a common pathway implemented. “Did not attend” and “time to first appointment” rates were also measured in one center. PDSA methodology was used to implement “patient focused booking.” The results show that the range for referral rates in any given month for each center was 3–33 referrals. The range for referral rate for the whole team was 18–64 per month. Since January 2004 the average number of monthly referrals to the North Wales service has increased by 50%. The potential range in monthly referrals varies between centers and the range of the variability has also increased also in two out of the three centers. Introduction of Patient Focused Booking reduced the “Failed to Attend” rate and 100% of patients were offered a choice of appointments. In addition 100% had a first face‐to‐face contact within 6 weeks if they chose. The measurement of improvement involved firstly introducing a series of continuous measures to provide a baseline for the process prior to the implementation of any changes and secondly to indicate the impact of the changes following implementation. The measures implemented included process (referrals numbers, percentage of patients offered a choice of appointments), outcome (percentage of patients seen within 6 weeks and the percentage failing to attend), and balancing measures (percentage declining the service or failing to respond). It was concluded that general tools of quality improvement can be used to good effect within specialist services. Good processes and accurate, reproducible and measurable data are essential. Small changes can have a major impact both on the quality of the service offered and the ability to deliver the service. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preparation and properties of wheat straw fiber‐polypropylene composites. I. Investigation of surface treatments on the wheat straw fiber
Authors: Pan Ming‐Zhu , Zhou Ding‐Guo , Deng James , Zhang S. Y.
Published: July 2009

Effects of alkalization, acetylation, and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) treatments on the thermal and chemical properties of the wheat straw fiber were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectrophotometer, X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electric microscopy techniques. It was found that the wheat straw fiber was not prone to weight loss at 170°C and the treated wheat straw fiber exhibited more thermal stability than the untreated wheat straw fiber. Alkalization increased relative cellulose content and exhibited more crystalline due to a rearrangement of the crystalline regions. It also prolonged the degradation of the wheat straw fiber at higher temperatures due to the increased crystallinity of cellulose. Compared with alkalization, acetylation had more effect on the thermal and chemical stability in the wheat straw fiber contributing to a formation of ester bonding. MAPP improved the thermal stability partly because of a lower grafted ratio of maleic anhydride. Acetylation and MAPP treatment both decreased the crystallinity of the wheat straw fiber. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Cell biology of molybdenum
Authors: Mendel Ralf R.
Published: July 2009

The transition element molybdenum (Mo) is an essential micronutrient that is needed as catalytically active metal during enzyme catalysis. In humans four enzymes depend on Mo: sulfite oxidase, xanthine oxidoreductase, aldehyde oxidase, and mitochondrial amidoxime reductase. In addition to these enzymes, plants harbor a fifth Mo‐enzyme namely nitrate reductase. To gain biological activity and fulfill its function in enzymes, Mo has to be complexed by a pterin compound thus forming the molybdenum cofactor. This article will review the way that Mo takes from uptake into the cell, via formation of the molybdenum cofactor and its storage, up to the final insertion of the molybdenum cofactor into apometalloenzymes. © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
A predictive high‐throughput scale‐down model of monoclonal antibody production in CHO cells
Authors: Legmann Rachel , Schreyer H. Brett , Combs Rodney G. , McCormick Ellen L. , Russo A. Peter , Rodgers Seth T.
Published: July 2009

Multi‐factorial experimentation is essential in understanding the link between mammalian cell culture conditions and the glycoprotein product of any biomanufacturing process. This understanding is increasingly demanded as bioprocess development is influenced by the Quality by Design paradigm. We have developed a system that allows hundreds of micro‐bioreactors to be run in parallel under controlled conditions, enabling factorial experiments of much larger scope than is possible with traditional systems. A high‐throughput analytics workflow was also developed using commercially available instruments to obtain product quality information for each cell culture condition. The micro‐bioreactor system was tested by executing a factorial experiment varying four process parameters: pH, dissolved oxygen, feed supplement rate, and reduced glutathione level. A total of 180 micro‐bioreactors were run for 2 weeks during this DOE experiment to assess this scaled down micro‐bioreactor system as a high‐throughput tool for process development. Online measurements of pH, dissolved oxygen, and optical density were complemented by offline measurements of glucose, viability, titer, and product quality. Model accuracy was assessed by regressing the micro‐bioreactor results with those obtained in conventional 3 L bioreactors. Excellent agreement was observed between the micro‐bioreactor and the bench‐top bioreactor. The micro‐bioreactor results were further analyzed to link parameter manipulations to process outcomes via leverage plots, and to examine the interactions between process parameters. The results show that feed supplement rate has a significant effect (P < 0.05) on all performance metrics with higher feed rates resulting in greater cell mass and product titer. Culture pH impacted terminal integrated viable cell concentration, titer and intact immunoglobulin G titer, with better results obtained at the lower pH set point. The results demonstrate that a micro‐scale system can be an excellent model of larger scale systems, while providing data sets broader and deeper than are available by traditional methods. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 1107–1120. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enhanced hydrogen and 1,3‐propanediol production from glycerol by fermentation using mixed cultures
Authors: Selembo Priscilla A. , Perez Joe M. , Lloyd Wallis A. , Logan Bruce E.
Published: July 2009

The conversion of glycerol into high value products, such as hydrogen gas and 1,3‐propanediol (PD), was examined using anaerobic fermentation with heat‐treated mixed cultures. Glycerol fermentation produced 0.28 mol‐H2/mol‐glycerol (72 mL‐H2/g‐COD) and 0.69 mol‐PD/mol‐glycerol. Glucose fermentation using the same mixed cultures produced more hydrogen gas (1.06 mol‐H2/mol‐glucose) but no PD. Changing the source of inoculum affected gas production likely due to prior acclimation of bacteria to this type of substrate. Fermentation of the glycerol produced from biodiesel fuel production (70% glycerol content) produced 0.31 mol‐H2/mol‐glycerol (43 mL H2/g‐COD) and 0.59 mol‐PD/mol‐glycerol. These are the highest yields yet reported for both hydrogen and 1,3‐propanediol production from pure glycerol and the glycerol byproduct from biodiesel fuel production by fermentation using mixed cultures. These results demonstrate that production of biodiesel can be combined with production of hydrogen and 1,3‐propanediol for maximum utilization of resources and minimization of waste. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 1098–1106. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Catechin and Catechin Fractions as Biochemical Markers to Study the Diversity of Indian Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) Germplasm
Authors: Gulati Ashu , Rajkumar Subramani , Karthigeyan Subramanian , Sud Rakesh K. , Vijayan Deepu , Thomas Jibu , Rajkumar Rajagopal , Das Suresh C. , Tamuly Pradip , Hazarika Mridul , Ahuja Paramvir S.
Published: July 2009

The heterogeneous Indian tea germplasm includes ‘China’, ‘Assam’, ‘Cambod’, and their hybrids which were evaluated using biochemical markers viz., total catechin and their fractions, for varietal identification and characterization. Principal component analysis (PCA) of biochemical characters showed that the total catechin and trihydroxylated catechin has higher eigenvalues. The first two principal components (PCs) could differentiate more than 90% of the clones studied. This grouping based on first two principal component matrices differentiated ‘China’, and their hybrids with ‘Assam’ and ‘Cambod’ variety. Morphologically indistinct large‐leaved ‘Cambod’ variety and ‘Assam’ varieties could not be differentiated using biochemical markers, since both varietal types taxonomically belong to a single species. Clones of ‘China’ type showed low total catechin content and catechin ratio which are distinctly grouped. The ‘China–Assam’ and ‘China–Cambod’ hybrids formed intermediate groups between ‘China’ PC group and ‘Cambod’/‘Assam’ PC groups, providing evidence for genetic control of catechin ratio variation. Tea clones which are differentially positioned in the PC group could be explained based on the genetic contribution by other varietal type as parents. This biochemical characterization will be a useful tool in the development of quality‐tea clones with different proportion of total catechin and their fractions.
Regulation of Survivin and Bcl‐2 in HepG2 Cell Apoptosis Induced by Quercetin
Authors: Tan Jun , Wang Bochu , Zhu Liancai
Published: July 2009

Quercetin, a widely distributed bioflavonoid, has been shown to induce growth inhibition in a variety of human cancer cells. However, the regulation of survivin and Bcl‐2 on the quercetin‐induced cell‐growth inhibition and apoptosis in cancer cells remains unclear. In the present study, we report that quercetin can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells in dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Hoechst 33258 and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining showed that HepG2 cells underwent the typical morphologic changes of apoptosis characterized by nuclear shrinkage, chromatin condensation, or fragmentation after exposure to quercetin. Cell‐cycle analysis reveals a significant increase of the proportion of cells in G0/G1 phase. We also demonstrate that the levels of survivin and Bcl‐2 protein expression in HepG2 cells decreased concurrently, and the levels of p53 protein increased significantly after treatment with quercetin by immunocytochemistry analysis. Relative activity of caspase‐3 and caspase‐9 increased significantly. These data clearly indicate that quercetin‐induced apoptosis is associated with caspase activation, and the levels of survivin and Bcl‐2. Our results indicate that the expression of survivin may be associated with Bcl‐2 expression, and the inhibition expression of survivin, in conjunction with Bcl‐2, might cause more pronounced apoptotic effects. Together, concurrent down‐regulated survivin and Bcl‐2 play an important role in HepG2 cell apoptosis induced by quercetin.
HPLC Profiles and Biomarker Contents of Australian‐Grown Salvia miltiorrhiza f. alba Roots
Authors: Li Chun Guang , Sheng Shu Jun , Pang Edwin C. K. , May Brian , Xue Charlie Chang Li
Published: July 2009

Salvia miltiorrhiza f. alba (Baihua Danshen) is a Chinese medicinal herb commonly used for treating cardiovascular disease. It has been grown in Australia, although the quality of its main medicinal part (dried root) has not been assessed. In this study, we investigated HPLC profiles and biomarker contents of Australian‐grown S. miltiorrhiza f. alba roots. Patterns of HPLC profiles were established in MeOH, and aqueous extracts in terms of number of common characteristic peaks and their relative retention times. The contents of three tanshinone biomarkers (cryptotanshinone (3), tanshinone I (1), and tanshinone IIA (2)) were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the roots of one‐year‐old plants than those of two‐year‐old plants. In contrast, salvianolic acid B (4) content was significantly higher in the roots of two‐year‐old plants than in those of one‐year‐old plants. The findings suggest that the biomarker contents in Australian‐grown S. miltiorrhiza f. alba roots vary with the growth periods of the plants, which may be important in determining the optimal harvest time for the plant roots with targeted levels of tanshinones and salvianolic acid B (4).
Improvement of an Acid Phosphatase/DHAP‐Dependent Aldolase Cascade Reaction by Using Directed Evolution
Authors: van Herk Teunie , Hartog Aloysius F. , Babich Lara , Schoemaker Hans E. , Wever Ron
Published: July 2009

To enhance the phosphorylating activity of the bacterial nonspecific acid phosphatase from Salmonella enterica ser. typhimurium LT2 towards dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a mutant library was generated from the native enzyme. Three different variants that showed enhanced activity were identified after one round of epPCR. The single mutant V78L was the most active and showed an increase in the maximal DHAP concentration to 25 % higher than that of the wild‐type enzyme at pH 6.0. This variant is 17 times more active than the wild‐type acid phosphatase from Salmonella enterica ser. typhimurium LT2 in the acid phosphatase/aldolase cascade reaction at pH 6.0 and is also six times more active than the phosphatase from Shigella flexneri that we previously used.
Tuning Reactivity and Selectivity for Olefin Oxidation through Local O Bonding on Au
Authors: Min Byoung Koun , Deng Xingyi , Liu Xiaoying , Friend Cynthia M. , Alemozafar Ali Reza
Published: July 2009

The reactivity and selectivity for the oxidation of propene and acrolein on oxidized Au nanoparticles on Au(111) depend on the local bonding, the particle size, and the degree of order. The local bonding of O and the particle size distribution and order are controlled by the rate and temperature for oxygen deposition using ozone, which forms O‐containing gold particles on the surface. On small, disordered particles, oxygen is bound in sites with local threefold coordination, based on measured vibrational energies. The O on these small disordered nanoclusters, formed by O3 decomposition on Au(111) at 200 K, is highly reactive and yields partial oxidation products of propene, for example, acrolein and acrylic acid. In contrast, atomic oxygen present in ordered 2D islands formed at 400 K is relatively unreactive and only produces CO2 and H2O. All pathways involve initial CH activation. These results indicate that local bonding of O is an important factor to consider in understanding the effect of particle size in gold‐based catalysis involving hydrocarbons.
On the Dichotomic Reactivity of Lithiated Styrene Oxide: A Computational and Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation
Authors: Capriati Vito , Florio Saverio , Perna Filippo Maria , Salomone Antonio , Abbotto Alessandro , Amedjkouh Mohamed , Nilsson Lill Sten O.
Published: July 2009

A multinuclear magnetic resonance investigation, supported by density functional theory calculations, has been synergically used to investigate the configurational stability, reactivity and aggregation states of α‐lithiated styrene oxide in THF at 173 K. NMR studies on α‐lithiated [α,β‐13C2]styrene oxide (also in an enantiomerically enriched form) proved that in THF this oxiranyllithium is mainly present as a solvated monomeric species in equilibrium with a complex mixture of stereoisomeric dimeric aggregates, as well as with bridged and tetrameric aggregates. The fact that some CαLi bonds are partially broken in some stereoisomers reduces their symmetry and complicates the NMR spectra: two diastereoisomers each having a pair of diastereotopic carbon atoms slowly inverting at the lithium atom in absence of tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) have been detected. A (13C,7Li)‐HMQC experiment to correlate 7Li and 13C resonances of the various aggregates has been performed for the first time. From natural bond analysis, the monomeric aggregate was proven to have a lower carbenoid character with respect to bridged O‐coordinated dimeric aggregates. The employment of suitable experimental conditions in terms of concentration, temperature and the presence or not of TMEDA are crucial to mitigate at the best the “carbene‐like” reactivity of lithiated styrene oxide toward intermolecular CLi insertions, eliminative dimerisation reactions and ring‐opening reactions. A two‐step mechanism for the deprotonation of styrene oxide by sBuLi in THF has been proposed and discussed as well as competitive side reactions.
Effect of annealing on the structural, electrical and optical properties of nanostructured TiO2 thin films
Authors: Sankar S. , Gopchandran K. G.
Published: July 2009

Nanostructured titanium dioxide thin films were prepared using reactive pulsed laser ablation technique. Effects of annealing on the structural, morphological, electrical and optical properties are discussed. The structural, electrical and optical properties of TiO2 films are found to be sensitive to annealing temperature and are described with GIXRD, SEM, AFM, UV‐Visible spectroscopy and electrical studies. X‐ray diffraction studies showed that the as‐deposited films were amorphous and at first changed to anatase and then to rutile phase with increase of annealing temperature. Optical constants of these films were derived from the transmission spectra and the refractive index dispersion of the films, subjected to annealing at different temperatures, is discussed in terms of the single oscillator‐Wemple and Didomenico model. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Low temperature powder diffraction and DFT solid state computational study of hydrogen bonding in NH4VO3
Authors: Smrčok Ľ. , Bitschnau B. , Filinchuk Y.
Published: July 2009

The crystal structure of NH4VO3 was refined by the geometry optimization done by total energy minimization in solid state using DFT/plane waves approach. The lattice parameters were derived by the Le Bail technique from the low temperature X‐ray (40‐293 K) and synchrotron (100‐293 K) powder diffraction data. The structure is formed by the infinite chains of irregular VO4 tetrahedra running approximately parallel to the c‐axis, which are interlinked by the ammonium ions placed between them. The ammonium ions link to the [VO4]∞ chains through one linear, one bifurcated and two trifurcated N‐H…O hydrogen bonds. Considering their stability there are six distinct N‐H…O hydrogen bonds: two strong with the N‐H…O bond angles close to the straight, two medium with the bond angles of 123° and 148° and two very bent (105° and 107°) and hence weak hydrogen bonds. There is a reasonable agreement between the energies of the stretching ν(NH) modes estimated using the optimised N…O contact distances and those obtained experimentally. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effect of AlN doping on the growth morphology of SiC
Authors: Singh N. B. , Jones E. , Berghmans A. , Wagner B. P. , Jelen E. , McLaughlin S. , Knuteson D. J. , Fitelson M. , King M. , Kahler D.
Published: July 2009

AlN doped SiC films were deposited on on‐axis Si‐face 4H‐SiC (0001) substrates by the physical vapor transport (PVT) method. Thick film in the range of 20 μm range was grown and morphology was characterized. Films were grown by physical vapor deposition (PVD) in a vertical geometry in the nitrogen atmosphere. We observed that nucleation occurred in the form of discs and growth occurred in hexagonal geometry. The X‐ray studies showed (001) orientation and full width of half maxima (FWHM) was less than 0.1° indicating good crystallinity. We also observed that film deposited on the carbon crucible had long needles with anisotropic growth very similar to that of pure AlN. Some of the needles grew up to sizes of 200 μm in length and 40 to 50 μm in width. It is clear that annealing of SiC‐AlN powder or high temperature physical vapor deposition produces similar crystal structure for producing AlN‐SiC solid solution. SEM studies indicated that facetted hexagons grew on the top of each other and coarsened and merged to form cm size grains on the substrate. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Xwnt8 directly initiates expression of labial Hox genes
Authors: In der Rieden Paul M. J. , Vilaspasa Ferran Lloret , Durston Antony J.
Published: July 2009

Hox transcription factors play an essential role in patterning the anteroposterior axis during embryogenesis and exhibit a complex array of spatial and temporal patterns of expression. Their earliest onset of expression in vertebrates is during gastrulation in a temporally collinear sequence in the presomitic/ventrolateral mesoderm, and it is not clear which upstream signal transduction events initiate this expression. Using Xenopus, we present evidence that Xwnt8 is necessary for initiation of this collinear sequence by activating Hox‐1 expression in three Hox clusters: hoxd, hoxa, and hoxb. All three labial genes appear to be direct targets of canonical Wnt signaling through Tcf/Lef. In addition, Xwnt8 loss‐ and gain‐of‐function leads to indirect regulation of other Hox genes: Hoxb4, Hoxd4, Hoxa7, Hoxc6, and Hoxc8. These findings shed new light on the early role of Wnt8 as well as of a proposed WNT gradient in patterning the Xenopus central nervous system (Kiecker and Niehrs [2001] Development 128:4189–4201). Developmental Dynamics 239:126–139, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Periphilin is strongly expressed in the murine nervous system and is indispensable for murine development
Authors: Soehn Anne S. , Pham Thu‐Trang , Schaeferhoff Karin , Floss Thomas , Weisenhorn Daniela M. Vogt , Wurst Wolfgang , Bonin Michael , Riess Olaf
Published: July 2009

Periphilin is involved in multiple processes in vivo. To explore its physiological role from an organismic perspective, we generated mice with a gene trap insertion in the periphilin‐1 gene. Based on β‐gal reporter activity, a widespread periphilin expression was evident, especially in the developing somites and limbs, the embryonic nervous system, and the adult brain. In accordance with this broad expression, homozygous deficiency of periphilin was lethal in early embryogenesis. Mice with a heterozygous deficiency did not show any abnormalities of brain morphology and function, neither histologically nor regarding the transcriptome. Interestingly, the reduction of the periphilin‐1 gene dosage was compensated by an increased expression of the remaining wild‐type allele in the brain. These results point to an indispensable function of periphilin during murine development and an important role in the nervous system, reflected by a strong and tightly regulated expression in the murine brain. genesis 47:697–707, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The validity and clinical utility of night eating syndrome
Authors: Striegel‐Moore Ruth H. , Franko Debra L. , Garcia Jennifer
Published: July 2009

Objective:

To review the empirical literature for evidence in support of inclusion of Night Eating Syndrome (NES) in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Method:

Based on a literature search using PubMed, 47 empirical studies of NES were identified.

Results:

The literature reflects use of varying definitions; progress has been made toward reliable measurement of night eating symptoms; evidence regarding a differentiation of NES from “normalcy” or from other eating disorders is based largely on samples of convenience; only one controlled treatment study has been published.

Discussion:

There are limited data supporting the clinical utility and validity of NES; several options regarding the inclusion of NES in DSM‐V are discussed. © 2009 American Psychiatric Association.
Design of an e‐learning system for technical Chinese courses using cognitive theory of multimedia learning
Authors: She Jin‐Hua , Wu Chun , Wang Hui , Chen Shumei
Published: July 2009

This paper describes an e‐learning system for technical Chinese that integrates sounds, pictures, videos, and Flash animation into a Web‐based multimedia course to optimize learning efficiency. The design employs the ADDIE (analyze, design, develop, implement, evaluate) model of instructional design and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 92(8): 1–10, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10204
Optimum insulating design of asymmetrical structure GCB
Authors: Tanigaki Shuichi , Yoshioka Yoshio
Published: July 2009

An asymmetrical structure GCB that employed the closing resistor method has an interrupter and a closing resistor contact in one shield, and so the shield diameter becomes large. In this study, we investigated the optimum tank diameter and major radius of shield electrode of asymmetrical structure GCB by three‐dimensional electric field calculation. We also investigated these optimum structures of symmetrical structure GCB and compared the result with that of the asymmetrical structure GCB. We found that the tank diameter of asymmetrical structure GCB becomes larger than the tank diameter of symmetrical structure GCB by 24%. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 169(2): 14–20, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20741
Influence of magnetization characteristics of materials on the iron loss of wound‐core‐type three‐phase transformers
Authors: Shinya Kunihiro , Saito Koichi
Published: July 2009

This paper describes the influence of the magnetization characteristics of the materials on the iron loss of a wound‐core three‐phase transformer. In the analysis, the magnetization characteristics are approximated by a Fourier series, and it is assumed that the eddy current factor is proportional to the time‐varying magnetic flux. Furthermore, the harmonic balance method, in which the zero‐phase‐sequence and third harmonic components of flux density are taken into consideration, is used. From the results of numerical analysis, it is shown that iron loss decreases as the ratio of the eddy current loss to the iron loss of the material declines. The importance of nonlinearity of the magnetization characteristics of the materials in reducing the iron loss of a wound‐core‐type three‐phase transformer is also shown. The analytical results agree roughly with the experimental results. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 169(2): 48–55, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20767
Trajectory planning and control of one‐legged hopping robot at thrusting phase
Authors: Sakaino Sho , Ohnishi Kouhei
Published: July 2009

One of the most important events for hopping robots is lift‐off (the end of thrusting phase) since hopping motions often become unstable during the lift‐off. Therefore, we focus on the thrusting phase. In this research, we propose a new controller, which combines two controllers. We also propose a trajectory planning so that a hopping robot follows command value of the vertical velocity. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is confirmed by simulation and experiments. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 169(2): 29–36, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20831
A New Robust and Versatile Tetradentate Linker for Amides To be Cleaved under Mild Conditions by Unusual Complexation of the Amide Nitrogen to Cu++
Authors: Kramer Rolf A. , Bröhmer Manuel C. , Forkel Nina V. , Bannwarth W.
Published: July 2009

The concept of weakening amide bonds by the rather unusual forced complexation of nitrogen to Cu++ is not limited to tridentate ligands and was extended in this work to tetradentate ligands as well. The use of cyclic tetradentate ligands was to no avail, but an open‐chain and more‐flexible tetradentate ligand allowed mild cleavage by methanolysis after complexation. The principle was applied to the development of a new linker for solid‐phase chemistry, which was proven to be extremely robust, yet allowed mild cleavage after activation by Cu++ complexation. Its stability and versatility was demonstrated by the successful application to a whole plethora of different types of reactions. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Stereocontrolled Total Synthesis of (+)‐1‐Deoxynojirimycin
Authors: Danoun Gregory , Ceccon Julien , Greene Andrew E. , Poisson Jean‐François
Published: July 2009

A highly efficient non‐chiral‐pool synthesis of (+)‐1‐deoxynojirimycin has been realized (24 % overall yield, 11 steps, complete stereocontrol). A novel one‐pot enol ether metathesis/hydroboration/oxidation sequence is used for the selective formation of the all‐trans cyclic triol. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Market timing of CTAs: An examination of systematic CTAs vs. discretionary CTAs
Authors: Kazemi Hossein , Li Ying
Published: July 2009

This study uses a set of return‐based factors to explore market (return and volatility) timing ability of commodity trading advisors (CTAs). Unlike previous research, we use return‐based factors that are related to the futures markets in which most CTAs trade. This leads to higher explanatory power for our multifactor model. Our approach allows us to test for the presence of market timing in multiple markets. Accordingly, we are able to identify the markets in which CTAs may have market timing ability. We find that systematic CTAs are generally more skilled at market timing than discretionary CTAs, with the latter having slightly better overall risk‐adjusted performance during our study period: January 1994 to December 2004. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 29:1067–1099, 2009
Do volatility determinants vary across futures contracts? Insights from a smoothed Bayesian estimator
Authors: Karali Berna , Dorfman Jeffrey H. , Thurman Walter N.
Published: July 2009

We apply a new Bayesian approach to multiple‐contract futures data. It allows the volatility of futures prices to depend upon physical inventories and the contract's time to delivery—and it allows those parametric effects to vary over time. We investigate price movements for lumber contracts over a 13‐year period and find a time‐varying negative relationship between lumber inventories and lumber futures price volatility. The Bayesian approach leads to different conclusions regarding the size of the inventory effect than does the standard method of parametric restrictions across contracts. The inventory effect is smaller for the most recent contracts when the inventory levels are larger. In contrast, the Bayesian approach does not lead to substantively different conclusions about the time‐to‐delivery effect than do traditional classical methods. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 30:257–277, 2010
Option prices and risk‐neutral densities for currency cross rates
Authors: Taylor Stephen J. , Wang Yaw‐Huei
Published: July 2009

The theoretical relationship between the risk‐neutral density (RND) of the euro/ pound cross rate and the bivariate RND of the dollar/euro and the dollar/pound rates is derived; the required bivariate RND is defined by the dollar‐rate marginal RNDs and a copula function. The cross‐rate RND can be used by banks, international businesses, and central bankers to assess market expectations, to measure risks, and to value options, without relying on over‐the‐counter markets, which may be either non‐existent or illiquid. Empirical comparisons are made between cross‐rate RNDs estimated from several data sets. Five one‐parameter copula functions are evaluated and it is found that the Gaussian copula is the only one‐parameter copula function that is ranked highly in all of the comparisons we have made. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 30:324–360, 2010
Persistent inhibition of hippocampal long‐term potentiation in vivo by learned helplessness stress
Authors: Ryan Benedict K. , Vollmayr Barbara , Klyubin Igor , Gass Peter , Rowan Michael J.
Published: July 2009

The persistent cognitive disruptive effects of stress have been strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and post‐traumatic stress disorder. Here we examined factors influencing the time course of recovery from the inhibitory effect of acute inescapable stressors on the ability to induce long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the dorsal hippocampus in vivo. We tested different forms of LTP, different stressors and different inbred strains of rats. Acute elevated platform stress completely, but transiently (<3 h), inhibited induction of both NMDA receptor‐dependent LTP induced by a standard high frequency (200 Hz) conditioning stimulus and an additional LTP that required voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channel activation triggered by strong (400 Hz) conditioning stimulation. In contrast, acute inescapable footshock stress, used to study learned helplessness, inhibited LTP for at least 4 weeks. Contrary to expectations, there was no clear relationship between the ability of the footshock to trigger helpless behavior, a model of stress‐induced depression, and the magnitude of LTP inhibition. Moreover, LTP did not appear to be affected by genetic susceptibility to learned helplessness, a model of genetic vulnerability to depression. This long‐lasting synaptic plasticity disruption may underlie persistent impairment of hippocampus‐dependent cognition by excessive acute inescapable stress. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The antidepressant effects of running and escitalopram are associated with levels of hippocampal NPY and Y1 receptor but not cell proliferation in a rat model of depression
Authors: Bjørnebekk Astrid , Mathé Aleksander A. , Brené Stefan
Published: July 2009

One hypothesis of depression is that it is caused by reduced neuronal plasticity including hippocampal neurogenesis. In this study, we compared the effects of three long‐term antidepressant treatments: escitalopram, voluntary running, and their combination on hippocampal cell proliferation, NPY and the NPY‐Y1 receptor mRNAs, targets assumed to be important for hippocampal plasticity and mood disorders. An animal model of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rat, was used and female rats were chosen because the majority of the depressed population is females. We investigated if these treatments were correlated to immobility, swimming, and climbing behaviors, which are associated with an overall, serotonergic‐like and noradrenergic‐like antidepressant response, in the Porsolt swim test (PST). Interestingly, while escitalopram, running and their combination increased the number of hippocampal BrdU immunoreactive cells, the antidepressant‐like effect was only detected in the running group and the group with access both to running wheel and escitalopram. Hippocampal NPY mRNA and the NPY‐Y1 receptor mRNA were elevated by running and the combined treatment. Moreover, correlations were detected between NPY mRNA levels and climbing and cell proliferation and NPY‐Y1 receptor mRNA levels and swimming. Our results suggest that increased cell proliferation is not necessarily associated with an antidepressant effect. However, treatments that were associated with an antidepressant‐like effect did regulate hippocampal levels of mRNAs encoding NPY and/or the NPY‐Y1 receptor and support the notion that NPY can stimulate cell proliferation and induce an antidepressant‐like response. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lysophosphatidic acid in vascular development and disease
Authors: Teo Siew T. , Yung Yun C. , Herr Deron R. , Chun Jerold
Published: July 2009

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a small signaling lipid that is capable of stimulating a plethora of different cellular responses through the activation of its family of cognate G protein‐coupled receptors. LPA mediates a wide range of biological effects in many tissue types that have been recently reviewed; however, its effects on vasculature development and function have received comparatively less examination. In this review, literature on the actions of LPA in three main aspects of vascular development (vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and vascular maturation) is discussed. In addition, evidence for the roles of LPA signaling in the formation of secondary vascular structures, such as the blood brain barrier, is considered, consistent with significant roles for LPA signaling in vascular development, function, and disease. © 2009 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 61(8): 791–799, 2009
Evolutionary significance of self‐acylation property in acyl carrier proteins
Authors: Misra Ashish , Surolia Namita , Surolia Avadhesha
Published: July 2009

Acyl carrier protein is an integral component of many cellular metabolic processes. A number of studies have reported self‐acylation behavior in acyl carrier proteins. Although ACPs exhibit high levels of similarity in their primary and tertiary structures, self‐acylation behavior is restricted to only some ACPs that can be classified into two major families based on their function. The first family of ACPs is involved in polyketide biosynthesis, whereas the second family participates in fatty acid synthesis. Facilitated by the growing number of genome sequences available for analyses, large‐scale phylogenetic studies were used in these studies to uncover as to how self‐acylation behavior of acyl carrier proteins is linked with the evolution of metabolic pathways in organisms. These studies show that self‐acylation behavior in acyl carrier proteins was lost during the course of evolution, with certain organisms and organelles viz. plastids, retaining it for specified functions. © 2009 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 61(8): 853–859, 2009
Molecular cold‐adaptation: Comparative analysis of two homologous families of psychrophilic and mesophilic signal proteins of the protozoan ciliate, Euplotes
Authors: Alimenti Claudio , Vallesi Adriana , Pedrini Bill , Wüthrich Kurt , Luporini Pierangelo
Published: July 2009

Unique opportunities are provided by phylogenetically closely related organisms thriving in stably cold, or temperate milieus to study adaptive modifications of structurally homologous molecules. These modifications are of keen interest in basic science as well as in biotechnology. This review highlights structural and functional specificities that differentiate two homologous families of psychrophilic and mesophilic water‐borne proteins (designated as pheromones) that signal mitotic growth and sexual mating in two marine species of the protozoan ciliate Euplotes, i.e., E. nobilii, which is distributed in Antarctic and Arctic waters, and E. raikovi, which inhabits temperate waters. The two protein families show strict conservation of a common three‐helix bundle in a compact core of the molecular structure, which provides long‐lasting integrity and biological activity to these molecules in their natural environment. In the psychrophilic pheromone family, cold‐adaptation appears to have been achieved by superimposing an integrated complex of structural modifications on this conserved scaffold. Functionally most relevant appear to be extensions of polypeptide segments devoid of regular secondary structures, a specific distribution of polar and hydrophobic amino acids, the presence of solvent‐exposed clusters of negatively charged amino acid side chains, and a unique role of aromatic residues in anchoring the molecular architecture. Due to these modifications, the psychrophilic pheromones are an example of an elegant combination of high stability of the three‐dimensional structures with sufficient structural plasticity for efficient functioning at their physiologically low temperatures. © 2009 IUBMB IUBMB Life 61(8): 838–845, 2009
A comparison of degradable synthetic polymer fibers for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Authors: Tovar Nick , Bourke Sharon , Jaffe Michael , Murthy N. Sanjeeva , Kohn Joachim , Gatt Charles , Dunn Michael G.
Published: July 2009

We compared mechanical properties, degradation rates, and cellular compatibilities of two synthetic polymer fibers potentially useful as ACL reconstruction scaffolds: poly(desaminotyrosyl‐tyrosine dodecyl dodecanedioate)(12,10), p(DTD DD) and poly(L‐lactic acid), PLLA. The yield stress of ethylene oxide (ETO) sterilized wet fibers was 150 ± 22 MPa and 87 ± 12 MPa for p(DTD DD) and PLLA, respectively, with moduli of 1.7 ± 0.1 MPa and 4.4 ± 0.43 MPa. Strength and molecular weight retention were determined after incubation under physiological conditions at varying times. After 64 weeks strength decreased to 20 and 37% of the initial sterile fiber values and MW decreased to 41% and 36% of the initial values for p(DTD DD) and PLLA, respectively. ETO sterilization had no significant effect on mechanical properties. Differences in mechanical behavior may be due to the semicrystalline nature of PLLA and the small degree of crystallinity induced by mesogenic ordering in p(DTD DD) suggested by DSC analysis. Fibroblast growth was similar on 50‐fiber scaffolds of both polymers through 16 days in vitro. These data suggest that p(DTD DD) fibers, with higher strength, lower stiffness, favorable degradation rate and cellular compatibility, may be a superior alternative to PLLA fibers for development of ACL reconstruction scaffolds. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2010
Proteomic analysis of proteins differentially expressed in uterine lymphocytes obtained from wild‐type and NOD mice
Authors: Li Cui , Wang Wenjing , Wang Huiqi , Zhong Yanmin , Di Jingfang , Lin Yi
Published: July 2009

Non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice exhibit impaired fertility and decreased litter size when compared to wild type (WT) mice. However, it is unclear why allogeneic pregnant NOD mice are prone to spontaneous embryo loss. Herein, two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE) and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to detect differentially expressed proteins in the uterine lymphocytes isolated from these mice and WT BALB/c controls. We found 24 differentially expressed proteins. The differential expression of 10 of these proteins was further confirmed by Western blot analysis. Out of the 24 identified proteins, 20 were expressed in uterine lymphocytes of WT mice at a level at least 2 times higher than in NOD mice, whereas 4 were down‐regulated. Western blot analysis confirmed that 8 proteins were up‐regulated and 2 proteins were down‐regulated in WT mice compared with NOD mice, consistent with the results of 2‐DE and MS. Additionally, most of the highly expressed proteins in WT uterine lymphocytes were expressed at a significantly lower level in the corresponding splenic group (17/20). These results suggest that up‐regulated expression of these proteins may be specific to uterine lymphocytes. Reported functions of the highly expressed proteins affect key functions during pregnancy, including cell movement, cell cycle control, and metabolisms. Finally, we analyzed the constitutional ratio of CD3+ and CD49b+ cells in the isolated lymphocytes by flow cytometry. Our results suggest that the differentially expressed proteins may participate in the modulation of embryo implantation and early‐stage development of embryos, and subsequently influence pregnancy outcome. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 447–457, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.