bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of bubble–liquid two‐phase turbulent hydrodynamics on cell damage in sparged bioreactor
Authors: Liu Yang , Li Fanxing , Hu Weiwei , Wiltberger Kelly , Ryll Thomas
Published: August 2013

According to recent experimental studies on sparged bioreactors, significant cell damage may occur at the gas inlet region near the sparger. Although shear stress was proposed to be one of the potential causes for cell damage, detailed hydrodynamic studies at the gas inlet region of gas–liquid bioreactors have not been performed to date. In this work, a second‐order moment (SOM) bubble–liquid two‐phase turbulent model based on the two‐fluid continuum approach is used to investigate the gas–liquid hydrodynamics in the bubble column reactor and their potential impacts on cell viability, especially at the gas inlet region. By establishing fluctuation velocity and bubble–liquid two‐phase fluctuation velocities correlation transport equations, the anisotropy of two‐phase stresses and the bubble–liquid interactions are fully considered. Simulation results from the SOM model indicate that shear and normal stresses, turbulent energy dissipation rate, and the turbulent kinetic energy are generally smaller at the gas inlet region when compared with those in the fully developed region. In comparison, a newly proposed correlation expression, stress‐induced turbulent energy production (STEP), is found to correlate well with the unusually high cell death rate at the gas inlet region. Therefore, STEP, which represents turbulent energy transfer to a controlled volume induced by a combination of shear and normal stresses, has the potential to provide better explanation for increased cell death at the sparger region. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:48–58, 2014
Different types of aqueous two‐phase systems for biomolecule and bioparticle extraction and purification
Authors: Molino João Vitor Dutra , Viana Marques Daniela de Araújo , Júnior Adalberto Pessoa , Mazzola Priscila Gava , Gatti Maria Silvia Viccari
Published: August 2013

Upstream improvements have led to significant advances in the productivity of biomolecules and bioparticles. Today, downstream processes are the bottleneck in the production of some biopharmaceuticals, a change from previous years. Current purification platforms will reach their physical limits at some point, indicating the need for new approaches. This article reviews an alternative method to extract and purify biomolecules/bioparticles named aqueous two‐phase system (ATPS). Biocompatibility and readiness to scale up are some of the ATPS characteristics. We also discuss some of ATPS applications in the biotechnology field. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29:1343–1353, 2013
Finite element analysis on longitudinal and radial functionally graded femoral prosthesis
Authors: Oshkour Azim Ataollahi , A Abu Osman N. , Davoodi M. M. , Yau Y. H. , Tarlochan F. , B Wan Abas W. A. , Bayat M.
Published: August 2013

This study focused on developing a 3D finite element model of functionally graded femoral prostheses to decrease stress shielding and to improve total hip replacement performance. The mechanical properties of the modeled functionally graded femoral prostheses were adjusted in the sagittal and transverse planes by changing the volume fraction gradient exponent. Prostheses with material changes in the sagittal and transverse planes were considered longitudinal and radial prostheses, respectively. The effects of cemented and noncemented implantation methods were also considered in this study. Strain energy and von Mises stresses were determined at the femoral proximal metaphysis and interfaces of the implanted femur components, respectively. Results demonstrated that the strain energy increased proportionally with increasing volume fraction gradient exponent, whereas the interface stresses decreased on the prostheses surfaces. A limited increase was also observed at the surfaces of the bone and cement. The periprosthetic femur with a noncemented prosthesis exhibited higher strain energy than with a cemented prosthesis. Radial prostheses implantation displayed more strain energy than longitudinal prostheses implantation in the femoral proximal part. Functionally graded materials also increased strain energy and exhibited promising potentials as substitutes of conventional materials to decrease stress shielding and to enhance total hip replacement lifespan. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PAR‐3D‐BLAST: A parallel tool for searching and aligning protein structures
Authors: Salah Ahmad , Li Kenli
Published: August 2013

Protein structure comparison is a vital process in several tasks like the prediction of protein structures and functions and detecting the proteins evolutionary relationships. The expansion of both the parallel computational hardware and the discovered protein structures stimulates the growth of the parallel computational tools to handle this massive data of proteome. Here, we present a parallel tool, parallel 3D‐BLAST (PAR‐3D‐BLAST), which lists the similar structures to the query protein. Each protein in the result list has a structural similarity score and an alignment to the query structure. The presented tool is implemented to fit both the standalone multi‐core computers and clusters of multi‐core nodes. The achieved speedup is linear and scalable. The experimental results outline that the speedup increases as the size of the database increases. Using a cluster of 35 computing cores, the tool constructs the database of the entire structural classification of proteins dataset, 108,116 protein entries, in less than 6min and with average query time of 1.45s. The obtained speed up is 20 times for database construction and 17 times for searching the query. The tool is an open source and free to use, distribute, and share; it is available at http://aca.hnu.cn/par3dblast. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adsorption and co‐precipitation reactions at the mineral‐fluid interface: natural and anthropogenic processes
Authors: Wogelius Roy A.
Published: August 2013

The processes of adsorption and co‐precipitation at mineral surfaces during reactions with aqueous fluids play a critical role in controlling the mass transfer and bioavailability of nutrients and contaminants. Significant advances have been made in our understanding of these two processes through the application of synchrotron‐based analytical techniques including X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), X‐ray surface scattering methods, X‐ray fluorescence, and glancing incidence diffraction. Along with these methodologies, a wide range of other techniques involving infra‐red spectroscopy, atomic‐force microscopy, electron and particle beams have also contributed to understanding atomic‐scale processes at mineral surfaces. Here, the basics of each of these synchrotron methods are introduced along with an illustrative example from the literature. The allied techniques are also discussed. After this introduction, two case studies dealing with major contemporary environmental problems that involve adsorption and co‐precipitation are presented. The first concerns the mobility of arsenic in groundwater. Currently, dissolved arsenic species pose an environmental threat to millions of people. The second case study considers the speciation and uptake of uranium within UK radioactive waste sludge. Clean‐up of these sludges is expected to be a challenging technological problem, and the insights provided through understanding the attachment of the uranium to the sludge minerals may be critical to devising a successful remediation strategy.
Channel estimation for multi‐antenna mobile worldwide interoperability for microwaves access downlink partial usage of subchannels systems
Authors: Wang D. , Yang L.
Published: August 2013

In order to improve channel estimation performance, a new time domain least square method is proposed for the multi‐antenna worldwide interoperability for microwaves access system at the downlink partial usage of subchannels mode. We show that the pilots in the proposed method double those of the regular time domain least square method by establishing a hypothetical channel estimation model instead of increasing the additional pilots, in which the frequency outputs of virtual pilots in the current symbol are reconstructed at the positions where the actual pilots of the adjacent symbol are located. We also show that the border effect incurred by the uneven limited pilots, which degrades the performance of channel estimation, can be reduced by using SVD as effectively as regularization. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed method using SVD or regularization can perform better than the conventional approaches, and especially over the pedestrian‐B channel for four transmits, it only incurs the performance loss of about 2.5 dB at a 0.001 of BER compared to the ideal case, whereas the regular methods cease to be effective due to too rare pilots allocated for each transmit and cannot approach this BER value over the considered Eb ∕ N0 range. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Picking or nibbling: Frequency and associated clinical features in bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder
Authors: Conceição Eva M. , Crosby Ross , Mitchell James E. , Engel Scott G. , Wonderlich Stephen A. , Simonich Heather K. , Peterson Caroline B. , Crow Scott J. , Le Grange Daniel
Published: August 2013

Objective

Picking or ribbling (P&N) is a newly studied eating behavior characterized by eating in an unplanned and repetitious manner in between meals and snacks. This behavior seems to be related to poorer weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery for weight loss in severely obese patients, but clarification is still required regarding its value in other clinical samples. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of P&N across different eating disorder samples, as well as to examine its association with psychopathological eating disorder features.

Method

Our sample included treatment‐seeking adult participants, recruited for five different clinical trials: 259 binge eating disorder (BED); 264 bulimia nervosa (BN), and 137 anorexia nervosa (AN). Participants were assessed using the Eating Disorders Examination interview before entering the clinical trials.

Results

P&N was reported by 44% of the BED; 57.6% of the BN; and 34.3% of the AN participants. No association was found between P&N and BMI, the presence of compensatory behaviors, binge eating, or any of the eating disorder examination subscales.

Discussion

This study suggests that P&N behavior is highly prevalent across eating disorder diagnoses, but it is not associated with psychopathology symptoms or other eating disordered behaviors. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2013; 46:815–818)
Ensuring the health and safety of fried foods
Authors: Stier Richard F.
Published: August 2013

The fast food and restaurant industry, plus several food industry segments, such as the snack food industry, have been under fire because of issues such as obesity and the production of foods deemed unhealthy by many. Statistics show that people, and children especially, in the United States and the world over are simply carrying too much weight. Frying and fried foods are often cited as a cause of this problem, yet frying does not seem to want to go away. Why? Fried foods taste great. They are crisp, have wonderful flavors and aromas and fulfill a basic need … enjoyment of your food. There is another reason, however, that foods will continue to be fried. Frying is a very efficient means of transferring heat and cooking foods. The frozen potatoes that may accompany an evening meal take 15 min in a pre‐heated oven at 375°F (190°C) yet are done in minutes in hot oil. Restaurants and fast food operations can serve more people using a fryer than a conventional oven or microwave. In the food industry, whether it is at the industrial level or in foodservice, efficiency and speed means money.

So, let us explore deep‐fat frying. How many people have taken the time to understand what constitutes quality and safety in this unit operation that is used throughout the world at in all levels of society and industry.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation during chronic norovirus infection
Authors: Salvador Christina , Meister Bernhard , Larcher Heike , Crazzolara Roman , Kropshofer Gabriele
Published: August 2013

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a macrophage activating syndrome that is known to develop in patients with autoimmune disease, malignancies or infection, for example with Epstein–Barr virus, cytomegalovirus or varicella zoster virus. We describe a 24‐month old boy with acute myelogenous leukaemia relapse and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, who developed HLH on day +40 during chronic infection with norovirus. Here, we report for the first time the development of HLH in combination with chronic norovirus infection after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a hematopoietic malignancy. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of alcohol on attentional mechanisms involved in figure reversals
Authors: O'Brien Claire , Harris Mike , Higgs Suzanne
Published: August 2013

Objective

The impairing effects of alcohol on attention are well documented and are thought to involve inhibitory mechanisms. We used ambiguous figures (Face‐Vase and Necker cube) to test whether the intentional control mechanism is more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol than the automatic mechanism. Method: Participants were assigned to an alcohol (Study 1,N = 15; Study 2,N = 18), placebo (Study 1,N = 15; Study 2,N = 20) or control (Study 1 only,N = 10) group. The doses of alcohol were 0.8 g/kg for men and 0.75 g/kg for women. Participants were shown the Face‐Vase and Necker cube figures and two variants of each, which were biased in varying degrees towards one interpretation. Study 1 assessed the automatic control mechanism by asking participants to report spontaneous reversals. Study 2 assessed the intentional control mechanism by asking participants to increase reversal rate. Results: In Study 1, reversal rate was similar for all groups, whereas in Study 2, the alcohol group reported more reversals than the control group, although this was true only for the biased versions of the Face‐Vase illusion. Conclusions: The effect of alcohol on reversal rate is observed only during intentional reversals of semantically meaningful stimuli and only when the stimulus is biased. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maternal and Infant Temperament Characteristics as Contributors to Parenting Stress in the First Year Postpartum
Authors: Oddi Kate B. , Murdock Kyle W. , Vadnais Sarah , Bridgett David J. , Gartstein Maria A.
Published: August 2013

Although prominent models emphasize that maternal, child, and situational variables are associated with parenting stress, previous research has often neglected to examine associations between maternal and infant temperament characteristics and stress experienced in the parenting role. Additionally, while predictors of global parenting stress have been examined, predictors of stress related to specific aspects of the parenting role have been largely unexplored. The present study examined maternal and infant temperament characteristics as predictors of parenting stress, both globally and specifically. Mothers (n = 159) completed measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms and a measure of adult temperament when their infants were 4 months old. At 6 months postpartum, caregivers completed a measure of infant temperament, and at 8 months postpartum, a measure of parenting stress. Results indicated that maternal effortful control and infant negative emotionality predicted global maternal parenting stress. Additionally, all maternal and infant temperament variables, with the exception of maternal negative affectivity and infant surgency/extraversion, were uniquely predictive of at least one specific aspect of parenting‐related stress. Findings emphasize the importance of considering maternal and infant temperament characteristics as contributors to parenting stress in the first year postpartum. Implications of these findings for future research and intervention are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Smoking and smoking cessation in relation to the development of co‐existing non‐small cell lung cancer with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Zhai Rihong , Yu Xiaojin , Wei Yongyue , Su Li , Christiani David C.
Published: August 2013

Previous studies have identified a mixed‐phenotype of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with co‐existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although NSCLC and COPD share a common risk factor in smoking, whether and how smoking may contribute to the coexistence of NSCLC with COPD (NSCLC‐COPD) is unclear. Our study suggests that cigarette smoking is the major risk factor for the development of NSCLC‐COPD, especially in females and among patients with squamous cell carcinoma subtype.
CpG oligodeoxynucleotide as immune adjuvant enhances photodynamic therapy response in murine metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Xia Yumin , Gupta Gaurav K. , Castano Ana P. , Mroz Pawel , Avci Pinar , Hamblin Michael R.
Published: August 2013

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in women. The side effects and complications following current breast cancer therapy can be devastating. Moreover, the prognosis in late stages of the diseases is usually poor. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment modality that is capable of both local tumor destruction and immune stimulation. However, treatment with PDT alone is often non‐curative due to tumor‐induced immune cell dysfunction and immune suppression. This phenomenon has motivated a new approach by combining immunostimulants with PDT to enhance anti‐tumor immunity. In the present study, we investigated PDT mediated by verteporfin and 690 nm light delivered 15 min later, in combination with an immunomodulation approach using CpG oligodeoxynucleotide for the treatment of 4T1 metastatic breast cancer in a BALB/c immunocompetent mouse model. In vitro, CpG primed immature dendritic cells (DC) via toll like receptor 9 to phagocytose PDT killed tumor cells leading to DC maturation and activation. Peritumoral injection of CpG after PDT in mice gave improved local tumor control and a survival advantage compared to either treatment alone (p < 0.05). CpG may be a valuable dendritic cell targeted immunoadjuvant to combine with PDT. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cost‐effectiveness of hematopoietic stem cell mobilization strategies including plerixafor in multiple myeloma and lymphoma patients
Authors: Tichopád Aleš , Vítová Veronika , Kořístek Zdeněk , Lysák Daniel
Published: August 2013

Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) are preferred source of hematopoietic stem cells for autologous transplantation. Mobilization of PBSCs using chemotherapy and/or granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) however fails in around 20%. Combining G‐CSF with plerixafor increases the mobilizations success. We compared cost‐effectiveness of following schemes: the use of plerixafor “on demand” (POD) during the first mobilization in all patients with inadequate response, the remobilization with plerixafor following failure of the first standard mobilization (SSP), and the standard (re)mobilization scheme without plerixafor (SSNP). Decision tree models populated with data from a first‐of‐a‐kind patient registry in six Czech centers (n = 93) were built to compare clinical benefits and direct costs from the payer's perspective. The success rates and costs for POD, SSP and SSNP mobilizations were; 94.9%, $7,197; 94.7%, $8,049; 84.7%, $5,991, respectively. The direct cost per successfully treated patient was $7,586, $8,501, and $7,077, respectively. The cost of re‐mobilization of a poor mobilizer was $5,808 with G‐CSF only and $16,755 if plerixafor was added. The total cost of plerixafor “on‐demand” in the sub‐cohort of poor mobilizers was $17,120. Generally, plerixafor improves the mobilization success by 10% and allows an additional patient to be successfully mobilized for incremental $11,803. Plerixafor is better and cheaper if used “on demand” than within a subsequent remobilization. J. Clin. Apheresis 28:395–403, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MRT Letter: High resolution SEM imaging of nano‐architecture of cured urea‐formaldehyde resin using plasma coating of osmium
Authors: Park Byung‐Dae , Singh Adya P. , Nuryawan Arif , Hwang Kiju
Published: August 2013

Nanoarchitecture of cured urea‐formaldehyde (UF) resins was examined with a field‐emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM) after coating samples with osmium, which is considered to produce particles of considerably smaller size compared to other metal coatings used in SEM studies. This method enabled comparison of the nanoarchitecture of UF resins of low (1.0) and high (1.6) formaldehyde/urea (F/U) mole ratios to be made, based on imaging of extremely small size particles as part of UF resin architecture, not described before. Imaging revealed presence of relatively large globular particles (148.084–703.983 nm size range) as well as smaller substructures (28.004–39.604 nm size range) as part of the architecture of 1.0‐mole UF resin. Globular particles were also present in 1.6 mole UF resin, but of considerably smaller size (14.760–50.269 nm). The work presented demonstrates usefulness of osmium coating in unraveling the intricacies of the nanostructural organization of cured UF resins, prompting wider application of this immensely useful but grossly underutilized metal coating type in high resolution SEM examination of biological and materials samples. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:1108–1111, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The AWOL tool: Derivation and validation of a delirium prediction rule
Authors: Douglas Vanja C. , Hessler Christine S. , Dhaliwal Gurpreet , Betjemann John P. , Fukuda Keiko A. , Alameddine Lama R. , Lucatorto Rachael , Johnston S. Claiborne , Josephson S. Andrew
Published: August 2013

BACKGROUND

Risk factors for delirium are well‐described, yet there is no widely used tool to predict the development of delirium upon admission in hospitalized medical patients.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate a tool to predict the likelihood of developing delirium during hospitalization.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study with derivation (May 2010–November 2010) and validation (October 2011–March 2012) cohorts.

SETTING

Two academic medical centers and 1 Veterans Affairs medical center.

PATIENTS

Consecutive medical inpatients (209 in the derivation and 165 in the validation cohort) over age 50 years without delirium at the time of admission.

MEASUREMENTS

Delirium assessed daily for up to 6 days using the Confusion Assessment Method.

RESULTS

The AWOL prediction rule was derived by assigning 1 point to each of 4 items assessed upon enrollment that were independently associated with the development of delirium (Age ≥ 80 years, failure to spell “World” backward, disOrientation to place, and higher nurse‐rated iLlness severity). Higher scores were associated with higher rates of delirium in the derivation and validation cohorts (P for trend < 0.001 and 0.025, respectively). Rates of delirium according to score in the combined population were: 0(1/50, 2%), 1(5/141, 4%), 2(15/107, 14%), 3(10/50, 20%), and 4(7/11, 64%) (P for trend < 0.001). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the derivation and validation cohorts was 0.81 (0.73–0.90) and 0.69 (0.54–0.83) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The AWOL prediction rule characterizes medical patients' risk for delirium at the time of hospital admission and could be used for clinical stratification and in trials of delirium prevention. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:493–499. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
Multi‐Shape‐Memory Property Study of Novel Poly(ε‐Caprolactone)/Ethyl Cellulose Polymer Networks
Authors: Bai Yongkang , Jiang Cheng , Wang Qihua , Wang Tingmei
Published: August 2013

Multi‐shape‐memory polymers (MSMPs) are a novel kind of shape‐memory polymer that can fix two or more temporary shapes and recover from the first temporary shape to the other temporary shapes one by one, and finally to a permanent shape. The key factor to realize multi‐shape‐memory effects (MSMEs) is the integration of two or more reversible phases into a polymer network, which is extremely challenging work. Here, a novel strategy is used to achieve MSMEs with just one reversible phase. The polymer networks are prepared based on poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and ethyl cellulose (EC); two graft polymers with different lengths of PCL chains are combined to prepare MSMPs by three methods. All of them exhibit well triple‐shape‐memory effects and that of direct mixing of EC‐PCL even shows quadruple‐shape‐memory effects. Moreover, the effects of the thermomechanical conditions on the MSMEs are also investigated and the results demonstrate that the programming conditions have a great impact.

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Optically Active Conjugated Polymer from Solvent Chirality Transfer Polymerization in Monoterpenes
Authors: Kim Hyojin , Lee Daehoon , Lee Seul , Suzuki Nozomu , Fujiki Michiya , Lee Chang‐Lyoul , Kwak Giseop
Published: August 2013

Disubstituted acetylene monomers [1,2‐diphenylacetylenes (DPAs: DPA‐pC1, DPA‐mC1, DPA‐pC8); 1‐phenyl‐2‐hexylacetylene (PHA‐pC1)] are tested for asymmetric polymerization in chiral monoterpenes used as solvents and compared with the corresponding monosubstituted acetylene monomer [1‐phenylacetylene (PA‐pC1)]. DPA‐pC1 containing a trimethylsilyl group in the para‐position of the phenyl ring produces an optically active polymer with a large Cotton effect, despite the absence of a stereogenic center. The polymer sample obtained by polymerization in 87% ee (–)‐α‐pinene shows the strongest CD signal (gCD value at 385 nm: ∼3.2 × 10−3). The Cotton bands of the polymers obtained in (–)‐ and (+)‐α‐pinenes show the opposite sign in the CD signals. Theoretical calculations show that only the cis‐cisoid model adopts a helical conformation. A time‐correlated single photon counting experiment shows that the emission of the chiral polymer originates from a virtually single excited species with a 98% component fraction. This polymer solution does not show any significant decrease in gCD value over a wide temperature range of 20 to 80 °C. No noticeable decrease in the gCD value is detected when the polymer solution is kept at relatively low temperatures for a prolonged period (35 d). In contrast, the other polymers show no CD signal.

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Framework for understanding balance dysfunction in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Schoneburg Bernadette , Mancini Martina , Horak Fay , Nutt John G.
Published: August 2013

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) suffer from progressive impairment in their mobility. Locomotor and balance dysfunction that impairs mobility in PD is an important cause of physical and psychosocial disability. The recognition and evaluation of balance dysfunction by the clinician are an essential component of managing PD. In this review, we describe a framework for understanding balance dysfunction in PD to help clinicians recognize patients who are at risk for falling and impaired mobility. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Comparative study on thermal decomposition and combustion behavior of glass‐fiber reinforced poly(1,4‐butylene terephthalate) composites containing trivalent metal (Al, La, Ce) hypophosphite
Authors: Yang Wei , Song Lei , Hu Yuan
Published: August 2013

High fire hazards of glass‐fiber reinforced polymer composites have greatly limited their development and application. To reduce their flammability, the composites have to be treated with flame retardants. This work examines the use of three trivalent metal (Al, La, Ce) hypophosphites as halogen‐free flame retardants for glass‐fiber reinforced poly(1,4‐butylene terephthalate) (GRPBT) composites. The aim of this study is to quantitatively investigate the effect of metal hypophosphites on the thermal decomposition and combustion behavior of GRPBT composites by means of cone calorimeter and thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG‐FTIR) techniques. The peak heat release rate and total smoke production of GRPBT/cerium hypophosphite (CHP) composite evaluated by cone calorimeter are reduced, respectively, by around 76 and 44% compared to the results of GRPBT. The volatilized esters measured by TG‐FTIR in the decomposition of GRPBT/CHP are decreased by about 69%. The results showed that rare earth hypophosphites can effectively inhibit the thermal decomposition and combustion behaviors of GRPBT in comparison with aluminum hypophosphite. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1832–1839, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Pharmacokinetics of Tedizolid Following Oral Administration: Single and Multiple Dose, Effect of Food, and Comparison of Two Solid Forms of the Prodrug
Authors: Flanagan Shawn D. , Bien Paul A. , Muñoz Kelly A. , Minassian Sonia L. , Prokocimer Philippe G.
Published: August 2013

Objectives

The single‐ and multiple‐dose pharmacokinetics (PK) of tedizolid were examined after oral administration of tedizolid phosphate disodium (TPD), including the effect of food on PK. The relative bioavailability of TPD to the free acid tedizolid phosphate was determined to bridge the results of these and other studies to the solid form of the prodrug selected for further development.

Design

Randomized placebo‐controlled, double‐blind single‐ and multiple‐ascending dose studies and randomized open‐label, crossover food effect and relative bioavailability studies.

Setting

Clinical Research Units.

Participants

Healthy subjects.

Intervention

Study TR701‐101 enrolled 40 subjects in single‐ascending dose (200–1200 mg TPD or placebo) and 40 subjects in 21‐day multiple‐ascending dose (200, 300, or 400 mg TPD once/day; 600 mg linezolid twice/day; or placebo) arms. Study TR701‐103 was a food‐effect study in 12 subjects administered 600 mg TPD. Study TR701‐108 was a relative bioavailability study in 12 subjects administered 150‐mg tedizolid equivalents as TPD or tedizolid phosphate.

Measurements and Main Results

Plasma concentrations of the prodrug tedizolid phosphate, its active moiety tedizolid, and/or linezolid were collected. After administration of 200 to 600 mg TPD, tedizolid values increased approximately dose proportionally in area under the concentration‐time curve (AUC) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax). Tedizolid half‐life values were approximately 2‐fold greater compared with linezolid. TPD administration with food delayed tedizolid absorption and reduced Cmax relative to the fasted state but did not alter AUC. Minimal accumulation was predicted and observed for tedizolid, whereas observed accumulation of linezolid exceeded predictions based on single‐dose PK. Comparable PK of tedizolid was observed following oral administration of either TPD or tedizolid phosphate. In the multiple‐ascending dose study, 3 of 24 tedizolid subjects were withdrawn under prespecified stopping rules (one each of elevated alanine aminotransferase, low reticulocyte count, or low white blood cell count), as was 1 of 8 linezolid subjects (low reticulocyte count).

Conclusions

Overall, tedizolid has a favorable PK profile, a half‐life that supports once daily administration, and no nonlinearities at steady state. Tedizolid phosphate can be administered without regard to food.
Analytical models for the series resistance of selective emitters in silicon solar cells including the effect of busbars
Authors: Mäckel Helmut , Micard Gabriel , Varner Kenneth
Published: August 2013

A theoretical analysis of the power loss and series resistance of the front side emitter in silicon solar cells is presented. Existing 1D models (infinitely long finger) and 2D models (including the effect of busbars) of emitter series resistance contribution are extended to the case of selective emitters. The general case of different current densities for both emitters in the selective emitter scheme is considered in these extensions. The resulting models depend on the individual sheet resistances and current densities in both emitters and the device's overall grid geometry. The models are corroborated by finite element simulation of the potential in the emitter. An excellent agreement is found between the analytical models, and the simulations for a wide range of sheet resistances typically encountered in silicon solar cells. Grid simulations using the 2D model are applied to solar cells with selective emitters, where the width of the low‐resistive emitter was varied. The simulations demonstrate that the 2D model can explain the absolute change in fill factor observed in these cells. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incarcerated youth with personality disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity and convergent validity
Authors: Kaszynski Katie , Kallis Diana L. , Karnik Niranjan , Soller Marie , Hunter Scott , Haapanen Rudy , Blair James , Steiner Hans
Published: August 2013

Objective

The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence and comorbidities of personality disorders among incarcerated juveniles and to investigate the validity of these results.

Method

A sample of 790 incarcerated youth (650 boys and 140 girls; mean age = 16.8 years) completed an assessment of Axis II diagnoses (Structured Interview for DSM‐IV Personality). Subjects also completed secondary questionnaires assessing anger–irritability (Youth Self‐Report (YSR)), aggression (YSR), delinquency (Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument‐2), and distress and restraint (Weinberger Adjustment Inventory).

Results

Personality disorders can be found among incarcerated youth at high rates. Many meet the criteria for more than one personality disorder. Those with personality disorders have significant elevations of anger–irritability, aggression, delinquency, and distress and reduced restraint compared with incarcerated youth without a personality disorder.

Conclusions

Results indicate that personality disorders can be found in incarcerated youth at high rates. These findings further our understanding of chronic psychiatric illness and possibly criminal recidivism in this at‐risk population. Addition of personality measures in the assessment of delinquents may assist in the development of more effective interventions. Furthermore, the supportive convergent validity of these findings in a population younger than 18 years may indicate a need to reassess the current rationale for the diagnosis of Axis II disorders. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inactivation Effect of Argon Atmospheric Pressure Low‐Temperature Plasma Jet on Murine Melanoma Cells
Authors: Shi Xing‐Min , Chang Zheng‐Shi , Wu Xi‐Li , Zhang Guan‐Jun , Peng Zhao‐Yu , Dong Zhuo‐Yuan , Shao Xian‐Jun
Published: August 2013

An argon atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is used to generate low‐temperature plasma (LTP) for the treatment of B16 murine melanoma cells cultured in vitro. Experimental results reveal that argon APPJ significantly decreases the cell viability, melanin synthesis, and tyrosinase activity of melanoma cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Based on the exploration of related mechanisms, it is suggested that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in LTP may decrease cell viability, melanin content, and tyrosinase activity of melanoma cells via inducing cell apoptosis, cell necrosis, and down‐modulating the expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase‐related protein 1, and 2.
Aerosol Synthesis and Reactivity of Thin Oxide Shell Aluminum Nanoparticles via Fluorocarboxylic Acid Functional Coating
Authors: Kaplowitz Daniel A. , Jian Guoqiang , Gaskell Karen , Ponce Aldo , Shang Panju , Zachariah Michael R.
Published: August 2013

There is currently a need for low oxide content nanoaluminum as a component in high‐energy‐density fuels. A gas‐phase passivation coating of perfluoropentanoic acid on in situ generated bare nanoaluminum accomplished in an aerosol stream and resulting in an air‐stable product is demonstrated. Transmission electron microscopy inspection demonstrates a 1–2 nm coating layer, and thermogravimetric analysis reveals an 80% active fuel content, an increase of 17% from untreated product. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms both the presence of the fluorocarboxylic acid on the aluminum surface and the thinner coating layer compared with the untreated case. A bridge bonding coordination between the carboxylate group and aluminum is indicated via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The coated product demonstrates reduced ignition temperature in thermite combinations for temperature‐jump fine wire combustion tests and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy verifies formation of AlF3 in burned product.
Deformation‐induced bonding evolution of iron tetraboride and its electronic origin
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Qin Jiaqian , Xue Yanan , Zhang Shiliang , Jing Qin , Ma Mingzhen , Liu Riping
Published: August 2013

First‐principles density functional calculations are employed to provide a fundamental understanding of the structural features, mechanical properties, deformation behaviours and its electronic origin for the new synthesized FeB4. The calculated elastic moduli suggest that FeB4 has a low compressibility, but results of ideal shear strength and theoretical hardness indicate that FeB4 is a hard material, not a superhard material. We find that the collapse of the unique corrugated B6 units ring in FeB4 under deformation is responsible for the failure under tensile and shear deformation based on the calculated charge density distribution and bonding evolution. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Improved optimization of the Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry phase correction function using a genetic algorithm
Authors: Kilgour David P. A. , Neal Mark J. , Soulby Andrew J. , O'Connor Peter B.
Published: August 2013

RATIONALE

Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance mass spectra exhibit improved resolving power, mass accuracy and signal‐to‐noise ratio when presented in absorption mode; a process which requires calculation of a phase correction function. Mass spectrometric images can contain many thousands of pixels; hence methods of decreasing the time required to solve for a phase correction function will result in significant improvements in this application.

METHODS

A genetic algorithm approach for optimizing the phase correction function has been developed and compared with a previously described convergent iteration technique.

RESULTS

The genetic algorithm method has been shown to offer a five‐fold improvement in processing speed compared with the previous iterative approach used in the Autophaser algorithm, while maintaining the levels of accuracy. This translates to an 11 hour improvement in processing for a 20 000 pixel mass spectrometric image.

CONCLUSIONS

The genetic algorithm method described in this manuscript offers significant processing speed advantages over the previously described convergent iteration technique. This improvement is key to allowing the future routine use of absorption mode mass spectrometric images. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reprogramming of two somatic nuclei in the same ooplasm leads to pluripotent embryonic stem cells
Authors: Pfeiffer Martin J. , Esteves Telma C. , Balbach Sebastian T. , Araúzo-Bravo Marcos J. , Stehling Martin , Jauch Anna , Houghton Franchesca D. , Schwarzer Caroline , Boiani Michele
Published: August 2013

The conversion of the nuclear program of a somatic cell from a differentiated to an undifferentiated state can be accomplished by transplanting its nucleus to an enucleated oocyte (somatic cell nuclear transfer [SCNT]) in a process termed “reprogramming.” This process achieves pluripotency and occasionally also totipotency. Exploiting the obstacle of tetraploidy to full development in mammals, we show that mouse ooplasts transplanted with two somatic nuclei simultaneously (double SCNT) support preimplantation development and derivation of novel tetraploid SCNT embryonic stem cells (tNT-ESCs). Although the double SCNT embryos do not recapitulate the expression pattern of the pluripotency-associated gene Oct4 in fertilized embryos, derivative tNT-ESCs have characteristics of genuine pluripotency: in vitro they differentiate into neurons, cardiomyocytes, and endodermal cells; in vivo, tNT-ESCs form teratomas, albeit at reduced rates compared to diploid counterparts. Global transcriptome analysis revealed only few specific alterations, for example, in the quantitative expression of gastrulation-associated genes. In conclusion, we have shown that the oocyte's reprogramming capacity is in excess of a single nucleus and that double nucleus-transplanted embryos and derivative ESCs are very similar to their diploid counterparts. These results have key implications for reprogramming studies based on pluripotency: while reprogramming in the tetraploid state was known from fusion-mediated reprogramming and from fetal and adult hepatocyte-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, we have now accomplished it with enucleated oocytes.
Direct enrichment of perchlorate-reducing microbial community for efficient electroactive perchlorate reduction in biocathodes
Authors: Mieseler Maren , Atiyeh Mays N , Hernandez Hector H , Ahmad Farrukh
Published: August 2013

Biological reduction of perchlorate (ClO4−) has emerged as a promising solution for the removal of perchlorate in contaminated water and soils. In this work, we demonstrate a simple process to enrich perchlorate-reducing microbial communities separately using acetate as electron donor and the municipal aerobic membrane bioreactor sludge as inoculum. Inoculation of cathodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with these enrichments, and further electrochemical enrichment at constant resistance operation of the MFCs, led to perchlorate-reducing biocathodes with peak reduction rates of 0.095 mM/day (2 mg/m2/day). Analysis of the microbial diversity of perchlorate-reducing biocathodes using PCR-DGGE revealed unique community profiles when compared to the denitrifying biocathode communities. More importantly, the total time taken for enrichment of the electroactive communities was reduced from several months reported previously in literature to less than a month in this work.
Why do ants shift their foraging from extrafloral nectar to aphid honeydew?
Authors: Katayama Noboru , Hembry David H. , Hojo Masaru K. , Suzuki Nobuhiko
Published: August 2013

When aphids parasitize plants with extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and aphid colony size is small, ants frequently use EFNs but hardly tend aphids. However, as the aphid colony size increases, ants stop using EFNs and strengthen their associations with aphids. Although the shift in ant behavior is important for determining the dynamics of the ant–plant–aphid interaction, it is not known why this shift occurs. Here, we test two hypotheses to explain the mechanism responsible for this behavioral shift: (1) Extrafloral nectar secretion changes in response to aphid herbivory, or (2) plants do not change extrafloral nectar secretion, but the total reward to ants from aphids will exceed that from EFNs above a certain aphid colony size. To judge which mechanism is plausible, we investigated secretion patterns of extrafloral nectar produced by plants with and without aphids, compared the amount of sugar supplied by EFNs and aphids, and examined whether extrafloral nectar or honeydew was more attractive to ants. Our results show that there was no inducible extrafloral secretion in response to aphid herbivory, but the sugar concentration in extrafloral nectar was higher than in honeydew, and more ant workers were attracted to an artificial extrafloral nectar solution than to an artificial aphid honeydew solution. These results indicate that extrafloral nectar is a more attractive reward than aphid honeydew per unit volume. However, even an aphid colony containing only two individuals can supply a greater reward to ants than EFNs. This suggests that the ant behavioral shift may be explained by the second hypothesis.
Neurophysiologic Monitoring Can Predict Iatrogenic Injury during Acetabular and Pelvic Fracture Fixation
Authors: Porat Manny , Orozco Fabio , Goyal Nitin , Post Zachary , Ong Alvin
Published: August 2013

Background

Nerve injury during acetabular and pelvic fracture fixation can have devastating consequences for trauma patients already in a compromised situation.

Questions/Purposes

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of multimodality intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring during acetabular and pelvic fracture fixation in identifying emerging iatrogenic nerve injury.

Methods

Sixty patients were retrospectively identified after surgical fixation following acetabular or pelvic fracture. Neuromonitoring during surgery was performed using three different modalities, transcranial electric motor evoked potential (tceMEP), somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP), and electromyographic (EMG) monitoring. Each modality was evaluated for sensitivity and specificity of detecting an intraoperative nerve injury.

Results

tceMEP monitoring was found to be 100% sensitive and 86% specific at detecting an impending nerve injury. The sensitivity and specificity of SSEP were 75% and 94%, while EMG sensitivity was unacceptably low at 20% although specificity was 93%.

Conclusions

Multimodality neuromonitoring of transcranial electric motor and peroneal nerve somatosensory evoked potentials with or without spontaneous EMG monitoring is a safe and effective method for detecting impending nerve injury during acetabular and pelvic surgery.
Evaluation of oxygen consumption in human vitrified and warmed pre‐antral follicles after prolonged low temperatures
Authors: Kyoya Toshihiko , Nakamura Yusuke , Miyatani Shizue , Miyagawa Tomoko , Tomiyama Tatsuhiro , Kyono Koichi
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of transportation at prolonged low temperatures on the survival of pre‐antral follicles.

Methods

Ovarian tissue was removed from six women with gender identity disorder. Tissues were stored in an icebox at 4 °C for 6 or 18 h prior to vitrification. After warming, ovarian tissues were cultured for 24 h and follicle survival was assessed via a viability/cytotoxicity kit. Morphological features and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) were evaluated by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM).

Results

Survival rate of isolated primordial follicles was 95.7 and 100 %, and that of primary follicles was 91.7 and 81.8 % in the 6‐ and 18‐h groups respectively. There was no difference in morphology between the 6‐ and 18‐h storage groups. In comparison with OCR of vitrified‐warmed follicles and OCR of 24‐h culture after vitrified‐warmed follicles, OCR of 24‐h culture after vitrified‐warmed primordial follicles was significantly higher in both 6‐hour (0.02 ± 0.02 vs 0.07 ± 0.04, P < 0.05) and 18‐h groups (0.02 ± 0.02 vs 0.11 ± 0.10, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

This strongly suggests that prolonged transportation of ovarian tissue at low temperatures is useful when there are no available local systems for fertility preservation.