bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of global SST gradients on the Mediterranean runoff changes across the Plio‐Pleistocene transition
Authors: Colleoni Florence , Cherchi Annalisa , Masina Simona , Brierley Christopher M.
Published: May 2015

This work explores the impact of the development of global meridional and zonal sea surface temperature (SST) gradients on the Mediterranean runoff variability during the Plio‐Pleistocene transition, about 3 Ma. Results show that total annual mean Pliocene Mediterranean runoff is about 40% larger than during the preindustrial period due to more increased extratropical specific humidity. As a consequence of a weakened and extended Hadley cell, the Pliocene northwest Africa hydrological network produces a discharge 30 times larger than today. Our results support the conclusion that during the Pliocene, the Mediterranean water deficit was reduced relative to today due to a larger river discharge. By means of a stand‐alone atmospheric general circulation model, we simulate the separate impact of extratropical and equatorial SST cooling on the Mediterranean runoff. While cooling the equatorial SST does not imply significant changes to the Pliocene Mediterranean hydrological budget, the extratropical SST cooling increases the water deficit due to a decrease in precipitation and runoff. Consequently, river discharge from this area reduces to preindustrial levels. The main teleconnections acting upon the Mediterranean area today, i.e., the North Atlantic Oscillation during winter and the “monsoon‐desert” mechanism during summer already have a large influence on the climate of our Pliocene simulations. Finally, our results also suggest that in a climate state significantly warmer than today, changes of the Hadley circulation could potentially lead to increased water resources in northwest Africa.
Neutron Stars
Authors: Schaffner‐Bielich Jürgen
Published: May 2015

The role of nuclear physics is outlined for the properties of neutron stars. The outer crust of a neutron star consists of a lattice of neutron‐rich nuclei immersed in a sea of electrons, which extends up to the neutron dripline. Beyond the neutron‐drip density, a neutron superfluid forms within a lattice of nuclei, which can build up geometric phases, the nuclear pasta of the crust. The equation of state of the outer core of a neutron star, which consists of neutrons, protons, and leptons only, can be constrained by modern calculations of pure neutron matter. The inner core of a neutron star can harbor exotic dense‐matter phases with strangeness, which can be explored by studying massive pulsars. There emerges a growing interplay of the observations of neutron star properties with the study of the nuclear equation of state and the
quantum chromodynamics
(
QCD
)‐ phase diagram by relativistic heavy‐ion collisions.
Cancer Therapy with Ion Beams
Authors: Kraft Gerhard
Published: May 2015

The main purpose of any radiation therapy is to deliver a dose high enough to kill all tumor cells but to spare the normal tissue around to a maximum extent. In conventional therapy, the tolerance of the normal tissue around the target limits the maximum possible dose to the tumor because of the depth dose profile of photons depositing the highest dose close to the surface. In contrast, all ions are characterized by an inverse depth dose profile with a dose maximum (Bragg maximum) at the end of the range. Therefore, a greater ion dose can be given to a deep‐seated target volume than using X‐rays. In addition, the heavier ions, such as carbon, have a smaller lateral scattering and an increased biological effectiveness at the end of the range that can be restricted to the tumor. Heavy ion beams are therefore more precise and can deliver a greater and biologically more efficient dose to the target volume than any other radiation.

Monitoring the coincident γ‐decay of a few positron‐emitting nuclear fragments, the primary beam can be followed inside the patient's body without any additional radiation burden. But the treatment planning for the high‐precision ion‐beam therapy is more complex than that in conventional photon therapy.
Fundamentals of Controlled Nuclear Fission and Essential Characteristics of Pressurized‐Water Reactors
Authors: Lauer Hartmut
Published: May 2015

Among the nuclear power plants of large capacity currently operating worldwide, the light‐water reactor (LWR) is the dominating technology either as boiling‐water reactors (BWR) or as pressurized‐water reactors (PWR), with the latter being the most frequently operated design. The fundamentals of controlled nuclear fission and the essential characteristics of a nuclear reactor are explained in the chapter. Design, function, and safety concepts of a nuclear power plant are explained taking aPWRas the example.
A numerically stable, finite memory, fast array recursive least squares filter for broadband active noise control
Authors: van Ophem S. , Berkhoff A. P.
Published: May 2015

For broadband active noise control applications with a rapidly changing primary path, it is desirable to find algorithms with a rapid convergence, a fast tracking performance, and a low computational cost. Recently, a promising algorithm has been presented, called the fast‐array Kalman filter, which uses rotation matrices to calculate the filter parameters. However, when this algorithm is implemented, it can show unstable behavior because of finite precision error propagation. In this paper, a novel algorithm is presented, which exhibits the fast convergence and tracking properties and the linear calculation complexity of the fast‐array Kalman filter but does not suffer from the mentioned numerical problems. This is accomplished by running two finite length growing memory recursive least squares filters in parallel and using a convex combination of the two filters when the control signal is calculated. A reset of the filter parameters with proper re‐initialization is enforced periodically. The mixing parameters will be chosen in such a way that the total available information used for the calculation of the control signal will be approximately equal at every time instance. The performance of the filter is shown in numerical simulations and real‐time lab experiments. The numerical experiments show that the algorithm performs better numerically than the fast‐array sliding window recursive least squares filter, while achieving a comparable convergence rate and tracking performance. The real‐time lab experiments confirm the behavior shown in the simulations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Disorder‐Induced Localization in Crystalline Pseudo‐Binary GeTe–Sb2Te3 Alloys between Ge3Sb2Te6 and GeTe
Authors: Jost Peter , Volker Hanno , Poitz Annika , Poltorak Christian , Zalden Peter , Schäfer Tobias , Lange Felix R. L. , Schmidt Rüdiger M. , Holländer Bernd , Wirtssohn Matti R. , Wuttig Matthias
Published: May 2015

Disorder has a tremendous impact on charge transport in crystalline compounds on the pseudo‐binary line between Sb2Te3 and GeTe. Directly after crystallization, the pronounced disorder on the cation sublattice renders crystalline Ge1Sb2Te4—a composition with a carrier density of the order of 1020 cm−3—an Anderson insulator. Annealing, however, induces the reduction of disorder and eventually triggers an insulator‐to‐metal transition. This study presents data on the electrical properties, the optical conductivity, and structural properties of the pseudo‐binary compositions between Ge3Sb2Te6 and GeTe. In contrast to the preceding investigations, which rely on the annealing temperature for tuning the electrical properties, this study elucidates the impact of stoichiometry and demonstrates that the stoichiometry may be employed as an alternative control parameter for the metal‐to‐insulator transition. The combination of annealing temperature and stoichiometry, therefore, provides a rich playground for tailoring disorder and, as a consequence, the transport of charge.
Three Dimensional Graphene Foam/Polymer Hybrid as a High Strength Biocompatible Scaffold
Authors: Nieto Andy , Dua Rupak , Zhang Cheng , Boesl Benjamin , Ramaswamy Sharan , Agarwal Arvind
Published: May 2015

Graphene foam (GrF)/polylactic acid–poly‐ε‐caprolactone copolymer (PLC) hybrid (GrF‐PLC) scaffold is synthesized in order to utilize both the desirable properties of graphene and that of foams such as excellent structural characteristics and a networked 3‐D structure for cells to proliferate in. The hybrid scaffold is synthesized by a dip‐coating method that enables retention of the porous 3D structure. The excellent wettability of PLC with graphene foam along with the formation of PLC bridges leads to a ≈3700% enhancement in strength and a ≈3100% increase in ductility in the GrF‐PLC scaffold. Biocompatibility of both graphene foam and GrF‐PLC scaffold is demonstrated by culturing of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) for 28 days, a period over which cell proliferation is robust. The hMSCs are differentiated in chondrogenic media and supported chondrogenesis in both scaffolds. The demand for aggrecan extracellular matrix protein synthesis is reduced in hybrids due to improved bearing of cell‐induced loads, this may be critical for ensuring adequate cellular distribution and layering of extracellular matrix. Hence, the unique mechanical and biotolerant properties of the GrF‐PLC scaffold are suited for musculoskeletal tissue engineering applications, such as the growth of de novo cartilage to replace cartilage lost due to injury or osteoarthritis.
Uncovering the Structure of Nafion–SiO2 Hybrid Ionomer Membranes for Prospective Large‐Scale Energy Storage Devices
Authors: Davis Eric M. , Kim Jenny , Oleshko Vladimir P. , Page Kirt A. , Soles Christopher L.
Published: May 2015

Nafion nanocomposite membranes are attractive candidates for the ion conducting phase in energy storage devices such as vanadium redox flow batteries. Herein, vanadium crossover and Nafion–SiO2 nanostructure are quantified in a series of hybrid membranes created via solution‐casting Nafion films with discrete SiO2 nanoparticles, as well as membranes created using an in situ silica sol–gel condensation process. The crossover of vanadium ions is suppressed in all Nafion membranes with the SiO2 inorganic phase when compared to unannealed, neat Nafion membranes. However, it is also observed that annealing the neat Nafion membranes is equally as effective at suppressing vanadium crossover. Small‐angle neutron scattering measurements show that no significant changes to the Nafion structure occurred in membranes with discrete nanoparticles. In contrast, drastic changes in the scattering profiles of the Nafion–SiO2 membranes created via sol–gel chemistry are observed, where the SiO2 nanoclusters are determined to be on the order of 10 nm in diameter. These scattering length scales are verified through real space images using transmission electron microscopy. Insights from this investigation help elucidate the structure of the Nafion–SiO2 membranes and suggest that the current hypothesis by how vanadium crossover is reduced may not be fully accurate.
Supramolecular Surface Chemistry: Substrate‐Independent, Phosphate‐Driven Growth of Polyamine‐Based Multifunctional Thin Films
Authors: Marmisollé Waldemar A. , Irigoyen Joseba , Gregurec Danijela , Moya Sergio , Azzaroni Omar
Published: May 2015

The ability to engineer surfaces at the supramolecular level by controlled integration of specific chemical units through substrate‐independent methodologies represents one of the new paradigms of contemporary materials science. Here, a method is reported to form multifunctional supramolecular coatings through simple dip‐coating of substrates in an aqueous solution of polyamine in the presence of phosphate anions. The chemical richness and versatility of polyamines are exploited as phosphate receptors to form thin functional films on a broad variety of substrates, ranging from metal to carbonaceous surfaces. It is shown that the simple derivatization of pendant amino groups of polyallylamine precursors with different chemical groups can endow films with predefined responsiveness or multiple functions—this translates into one‐pot and one‐step preparation of substrate‐adherent films displaying built‐in functions. It is believed that the flexibility, speed, and versatility with which this method provides such robust functional films make it very attractive for preparing samples of fundamental and technological interest.
Polyethylene Glycol Coatings on Plastic Substrates for Chemically Defined Stem Cell Culture
Authors: Schmitt Samantha K. , Xie Angela W. , Ghassemi Raha M. , Trebatoski David J. , Murphy William L. , Gopalan Padma
Published: May 2015

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are a widely available and clinically relevant cell type with a host of applications in regenerative medicine. Current clinical expansion methods can lead to selective changes in hMSC phenotype potentially resulting from relatively undefined cell culture surfaces. Chemically defined synthetic surfaces can aid in understanding the influence of cell–material interactions on stem cell behavior. Here, a thin copolymer coating for hMSC culture on plastic substrates is developed. The random copolymer is synthesized by living free radical polymerization and characterized in solution before application to the substrate, ensuring a homogeneous coating and limiting the sample‐to‐sample variations. The ability to coat multiple substrate types and cover large surface areas is reported. Arg–Gly–Asp‐containing peptides are incorporated into the coating under aqueous conditions via their lysine or cysteine side chains, resulting in amide and thioester linkages, respectively. Stability studies show amide linkages to be stable and thioester linkages to be labile under standard serum‐containing culture conditions. In addition, chemically defined passaging of hMSCs using only ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid on polystyrene dishes is shown. After passage, the hMSCs can be seeded back onto the same plate, indicating potential reusability of the coating.
Enhanced Crystallinity, Dielectric, and Energy Harvesting Performances of Surface‐Treated Barium Titanate Hollow Nanospheres/PVDF Nanocomposites
Authors: Cho Sunghun , Lee James Sangmin , Jang Jyongsik
Published: May 2015

Enhancement of the energy harvesting performance and dielectric constants of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)‐based capacitors is realized by incorporating 16 wt% of surface‐treated BaTiO3 hollow nanospheres (HNSs) in comparison with the pristine PVDF. The fabricated BaTiO3 HNSs with particle sizes of ≈20 nm and BET surface area of 297 m2 g−1 are treated by three different surface modifiers. The changes in crystallinity of the PVDF containing the surface‐treated BaTiO3 HNSs are induced by both enlarged surface areas and increased surface functionality of the HNSs. Effects of such surface functionalities on the crystalline, dielectric, and energy harvesting performances of the nanocomposites are systematically investigated to identify the optimal surface modifier to enhance the energy density of the nanocomposites. Consequently, these changes in crystallinity lead to higher dielectric constants (ε′ ≈ 109.6) and energy density (Ue ≈ 21.7 J cm−3) with highly retained breakdown strength (E = 3.81 × 103 kV cm−1) compared to pristine PVDF (ε′ ≈ 11.6 and Ue ≈ 2.16 J cm−3 at 3.98 × 103 kV cm−1), indicating their potential as high energy density capacitors.
A simplified kinetics model of natural and iron complex catalysed hydrogen peroxide oxidation of starch
Authors: Kumoro Andri Cahyo , Ratnawati R. , Retnowati Diah Susetyo
Published: May 2015

Hydrogen peroxide is well known as one of environmentally benign reagents for the oxidation of starch. The aim of this work was to develop a simplified model for the describing of mass transfer and reaction kinetics phenomena of non‐catalytic and iron complex catalysed starch oxidation using hydrogen peroxide under alkaline condition. The model was composed based on hydrogen peroxide consumptions for its decomposition and reaction with starch molecules as well as mass transfer between liquid–solid reactants. Effects of starch‐water ratio (S/L), catalyst concentration and pH were evaluated. The results show that both non‐catalytic and iron complex catalysed hydrogen peroxide starch oxidation follows pseudo‐first‐order reaction with respect to hydrogen peroxide concentration. The proposed model satisfactorily describes the overall reaction, where very good agreement with experimental data was obtained. Mass transfer between liquid–solid reactants was likely to be the controlling step for the iron complex catalysed starch oxidation using hydrogen peroxide. © 2015 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synergistic effect of organoclay fillers based on fluorinated surfmers for preparation of polystyrene nanocomposites
Authors: Benbayer Chahinez , Saidi‐Besbes Salima , Taffin de Givenchy Elisabeth , Amigoni Sonia , Guittard Frédéric , Derdour Aicha
Published: May 2015

Novel fluorinated reactive surfactants were used for the organic modification of monmorillonite clays. These organoclays were used for the preparation of polystyrene−clay nanocomposites by in‐situ free radical polymerization. Reference systems based on hydrocarbon homologous surfmer and nonpolymerizable surfactants were also used to deduce the effect of the fluorine moiety and the polymerizable function on the morphology and thermal stability of the prepared nanocomposites. Different structural parameters of the surfactants were investigated and modulated for the clay modification including: the nature of surfactant (surfmer/classical surfactant, fluorinated, or hydrocarbonated), the length of the fluorinated chain as well as the length of the hydrocarbon spacers linking the ammonium head to the fluorine chain or the polymerizable acrylic function. Wide angle‐X‐ray scattering (WAXD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and electronic microcopies (TEM and SEM) were used to establish a structure‐morphology, thermal properties relationships, and to highlight the key parameters governing the exfoliation process. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42347.
Polyaniline self‐assembled with DTPA: Facilely tuned morphology and properties
Authors: Gibreel Mohammed , Jing Xinli , Li Yu , Liu Yongzhong
Published: May 2015

The effects of pH profile and “soft template” during aniline chemical oxidative polymerization (COP) were investigated and evaluated simultaneously with diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) as a structural directing agent. Formation of PANI nanotubes and nanoparticles, smooth microspheres, and urchin‐like microspheres were illustrated by evaluating the pH profile during aniline COP while considering the “soft template” effects of DTPA. PANI nanosheets with two semicurled edges were found in the system producing nanotubes, which provides an evidence for the “curling mechanism” of PANI nanotube formation. With different pH profiles, chemical structures and aggregation structures of the as‐synthesized PANI micro/nanostructures are similar, whereas their conductivity, wettability, Cr (VI) adsorption, and electrochemical behaviors are distinct. The present study indicates that if properly conducted, pH profile adjustment is more effective than “soft template” to control the morphology and to optimize the performance of PANI micro/nanostructures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42403.
Dielectric studies of composite paper reinforced with polypyrrole coated pulp fibers from wasted egg holders
Authors: Razaq Aamir , Idrees Muhammad , Malik Adeel , Mushtaq Nafeesa , Nadeem Muhammad , Hussain Irshad , Yar Muhammad
Published: May 2015

Development of thin, flexible, light‐weight, renewable, low‐cost, and environmentally friendly electrode materials are highly feasible in era of modern disposable electronic technology. This article presents the synthesis and dielectric studies of polypyrrole (PPy) coated pulp fibers, directly collected from wasted egg holder's tray. PPy coated pulp fibers converted into compact sheet for the development of potential renewable and low‐cost electrode materials. The morphology, chemical structure, and thermal stability of naked and PPy coated pulp fibril sheets were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. PPy coated pulp fibers revealed better thermal stability and compactness of sheet morphology. Impedance measurements showed a high value of dielectric constant of 1.15 × 106 at 0.5 Hz and conductivity of 7.45 × 10−4 S/cm at room temperature for PPy coated pulp fibril sheet. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42422.
Increasing mechanical strength of electrospun gelatin nanofibers by the addition of aluminum potassium sulfate
Authors: Siimon Kaido , Mõisavald Karol , Siimon Hele , Järvekülg Martin
Published: May 2015

Increasing mechanical strength of gelatin‐based materials is required to expand the range of their applications, which is desirable because of biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low cost of gelatin. The effect of aluminum potassium sulfate on preparation and properties of nanofibrous gelatin were investigated. Samples were electrospun from 10M aqueous acetic acid and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared microscopy (FTIR), energy‐dispersive x‐ray analysis (EDX), and tensile test. The addition of AlK(SO4)2 considerably increases the elastic modulus of the material up to about 10% salt content. The elastic modulus of electrospun gelatin meshes prepared as described in the present work increased from 20 MPa to 70 MPa and the elastic modulus of the fiber material increased from 150 MPa to 620 MPa as the salt content in the fibers increased from 0% to 9.6%. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42431.
In Silico Profiling of the Potentiality of Curcumin and Conventional Drugs for CagA Oncoprotein Inactivation
Authors: Srivastava Akhileshwar K. , Tewari Mallika , Shukla Hari S. , Roy Bijoy K.
Published: May 2015

The oncoprotein cytotoxic associated gene A (CagA) of Helicobacter pylori plays a pivotal role in the development of gastric cancer, so it has been an important target for anti‐H. pylori drugs. Conventional drugs are currently being implemented against H. pylori. The inhibitory role of plant metabolites like curcumin against H. pylori is still a major scientific challenge. Curcumin may represent a novel promising drug against H. pylori infection without producing side effects. In the present study, a comparative analysis between curcumin and conventional drugs (clarithromycin, amoxicillin, pantoprazole, and metronidazole) was carried out using databases to investigate the potential of curcumin against H. pylori targeting the CagA oncoprotein. Curcumin was filtered using Lipinski's rule of five and the druglikeness property for evaluation of pharmacological properties. Subsequently, molecular docking was employed to determine the binding affinities of curcumin and conventional drugs to the CagA oncoprotein. According to the results obtained from FireDock, the binding energy of curcumin was higher than those of amoxicillin, pantoprazole, and metronidazole, except for clarithromycin, which had the highest binding energy. Accordingly, curcumin may become a promising lead compound against CagA+ H. pylori infection.
Investigations on the interactions between naphthalimide‐based anti‐tumor drugs and human serum albumin by spectroscopic and molecular modeling methods
Authors: Cheng Huiyuan , Zou Ting , Xu Yongliang , Wang Ying , Wu Aibin , Dai Jie , Zhang Yezhong , Liu Yi
Published: May 2015

The interactions between the three kinds of naphthalimide‐based anti‐tumor drugs (NADA, NADB, NADC) and human serum albumin (HSA) under simulated physiological conditions were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy and molecular modeling. The results of the fluorescence quenching spectroscopy showed that the quenching mechanisms for different drugs were static and their affinity was in a descending order of NADA > NADB > NADC. The relative thermodynamic parameters indicated that hydrophobic force was the predominant intermolecular force in the binding of NAD to HSA, while van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonds could not be ignored. The results of site marker competitive experiment confirmed that the binding site of HSA primarily took place in site I. Furthermore, the molecular modeling study was consistent with these results. The study of circular dichroism spectra demonstrated that the presence of NADs decreased the α‐helical content of HSA and induced the change of the secondary structure of HSA. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of the MLL1 morphemes on codon utilization and preservation in CpG Islands
Authors: Bina Minou , Wyss Phillip
Published: May 2015

Previous studies have shown that Mixed Lineage Leukemia 1 (MLL1 or MLL) binds a group of CpG‐rich motifs known as morphemes. To examine whether occurrences of MLL1 morphemes in genomic DNA may influence codon utilization, we analyzed the frequency of various 9‐mers in human cDNAs and in total human genomic DNA. We uncovered preferential utilization of GGC for Gly, GCG for Ala, CCG for Pro, and TCG for Ser, in coding sequences (CDSs) that included MLL1 morphemes. We also examined weighted occurrences of CDS 9‐mers in a 30‐base window that moved along each human chromosome. In plots, we observed peaks with fluctuating intensities. High intensity peaks appeared within promoter and exons localized in CpG islands, encompassing sequences that included MLL1 morphemes. High intensity peaks included CCG/GGC repeats, whose expansion may cause neurological disorders and congenital malformations. Such repeats are generated from overlap of a morpheme (CGCCG/CGGCG), which depending on reading frame and orientation would produce runs of Ala, Gly, or Pro in proteins. Overall, our results point to a role for morpheme occurrences on synonymous codon utilization in human genomic DNA and indicate that regulatory instructions are dispersed not only in promoters but also in exons of human genes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 103: 480–490, 2015.
Type III secretion as a generalizable strategy for the production of full‐length biopolymer‐forming proteins
Authors: Azam Anum , Li Cheng , Metcalf Kevin J. , Tullman‐Ercek Danielle
Published: May 2015

Biopolymer‐forming proteins are integral in the development of customizable biomaterials, but recombinant expression of these proteins is challenging. In particular, biopolymer‐forming proteins have repetitive, glycine‐rich domains and, like many heterologously expressed proteins, are prone to incomplete translation, aggregation, and proteolytic degradation in the production host. This necessitates tailored purification processes to isolate each full‐length protein of interest from the truncated forms as well as other contaminating proteins; owing to the repetitive nature of these proteins, the truncated polypeptides can have very similar chemistry to the full‐length form and are difficult to separate from the full‐length protein. We hypothesized that bacterial expression and secretion would be a promising alternative option for biomaterials‐forming proteins, simplifying isolation of the full‐length target protein. By using a selective secretion system, truncated forms of the protein are not secreted and thus are not found in the culture harvest. We show that a synthetically upregulated type III secretion system leads to a general increase in secretion titer for each protein that we tested. Moreover, we observe a substantial enhancement in the homogeneity of full‐length forms of pro‐resilin, tropo‐elastin crosslinking domains, and silk proteins produced in this manner, as compared with proteins purified from the cytosol. Secretion via the type III apparatus limits co‐purification of truncated forms of the target protein and increases protein purity without extensive purification steps. Demonstrating the utility of such a system, we introduce several modifications to resilin‐based peptides and use an un‐optimized, single‐column process to purify these proteins. The resulting materials are of sufficiently high quantity and yield for the production of antimicrobial hydrogels with highly reproducible rheological properties. The ease of this process and its applicability to an array of engineered biomaterial‐forming peptides lend support for the application of bacterial expression and secretion for other proteins that are traditionally difficult to express and isolate from the bacterial cytoplasm. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2313–2320. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Serial type‐specific human papillomavirus (HPV) load measurement allows differentiation between regressing cervical lesions and serial virion productive transient infections
Authors: Depuydt Christophe E. , Jonckheere Jef , Berth Mario , Salembier Geert M. , Vereecken Annie J. , Bogers Johannes J.
Published: May 2015

Persistent high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is strongly associated with the development of high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or cancer. Not all persistent infections lead to cancer. Viral load measured at a single time‐point is a poor predictor of the natural history of HPV infections. However the profile of viral load evolution over time could distinguish nonprogressive from progressive (carcinogenic) infections. A retrospective natural history study was set up using a Belgian laboratory database including more than 800,000 liquid cytology specimens. All samples were submitted to qPCR identifying E6/E7 genes of 18 HPV types. Viral load changes over time were assessed by the linear regression slope. Database search identified 261 untreated women with persistent type‐specific HPV DNA detected (270 infections) in at least three of the last smears for a average period of 3.2 years. Using the coefficient of determination (R²) infections could be subdivided in a latency group (n = 143; R² < 0.85) and a regressing group (n = 127; R² ≥ 0.85). In (≥3) serial viral load measurements, serial transient infections with latency is characterized by a nonlinear limited difference in decrease or increase of type‐specific viral load (R² < 0.85 and slopes between 2 measurements 0.0010 and −0.0010 HPV copies/cell per day) over a longer period of time (1553 days), whereas regression of a clonal cell population is characterized by a linear (R² ≥ 0.85) decrease (−0.0033 HPV copies/cell per day) over a shorter period of time (708 days; P < 0.001). Using serial HPV type‐specific viral load measurements we could for the first time identify regressing CIN2 and CIN3 lesions. Evolution of the viral load is an objective measurable indicator of the natural history of HPV infections and could be used for future triage in HPV‐based cervical screening programs.
Breast cancer incidence and menopausal hormone therapy in Norway from 2004 to 2009: a register‐based cohort study
Authors: Suhrke Pål , Zahl Per‐Henrik
Published: May 2015

In Norway, the breast cancer incidence increased by 50% in the 1990s, during a period with initiation of mammography screening as well as a fourfold increase in use of menopausal hormone therapy (HT). After 2002, the HT use has dropped substantially; however, the breast cancer incidence has declined only marginally. How much mammography screening contributed to the breast cancer incidence increase in the 1990s compared with HT use and specifically different types of HT use, has thus been discussed. Whether HT affects the incidence of subtypes of breast cancer differently has also been questioned. We have linked individual data from several national registries from 2004 to 2009 on 449,717 women aged 50–65 years. 4597 cases of invasive cancer and 681 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were included in the analysis. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratio (HR) as a measure of the relative risk of breast cancer associated with use of HT. The HRs associated with prescriptions of HT for more than 1 year were 2.06 (1.90–2.24) for estrogen and progesterone combinations, 1.03 (0.85–1.25) for systemic estrogens, and 1.23 (1.01–1.51) for tibolone. Invasive lobular carcinoma was more strongly associated with use of estrogen and progesterone combinations, HR = 3.10 (2.51–3.81), than nonlobular carcinoma, HR = 1.94 (1.78–2.12). The corresponding value for DCIS was 1.61 (1.28–2.02). We estimated the population attributable fraction to 8.2%, corresponding to 90 breast cancer cases in 2006 indicating that HT use still caused a major number of breast cancer cases.
Focus on 3 T's for an effective campus safety unit
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2015

One of Steven Moore's favorite parts of being police chief at Florida Gulf Coast University is the sense of community officers enjoy on a campus. Moore came to FGCU after retiring as chief of the police department in Naples, Fla. His municipal department used a community‐oriented policing style. So when he retired from that job and came to FGCU, the transition was easy. And he was pleased to find that other units on campus were eager to work with his department and support its work.
Synchronous adenomyomas of the ileum in an adult‐an exceptional cause of intussusception
Authors: Khmou Mouna , Znati Kaoutar , Zouaidia Fouad , Jahid Ahmed , Bernoussi Zakiya , Mahassini Najat
Published: May 2015

Key Clinical Message

In this article, we report a case of two synchronous ileal adenomyomas leading to intussusception. This rare occurrence has never been reported in the literature. Our case is noteworthy, because the lesion is rare and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intussusception in adults.
In Situ Techniques to Study the Effects of Anode or Cathode Gas‐Exchange Cycles on the Deterioration of Pt/C Cathode Catalysts in PEFCs
Authors: Samjeské Gabor , Higashi Kotaro , Takao Shinobu , Nagamatsu Shin‐ichi , Nagasawa Kensaku , Sekizawa Oki , Kaneko Takuma , Uruga Tomoya , Iwasawa Yasuhiro
Published: May 2015

Repeated, quick anode gas‐exchange (AGEX) or cathode gas‐exchange (CGEX) cycles were applied to polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) with Pt/C cathode catalysts to simulate start‐up/shut‐down conditions and to examine a possible countermeasure for their effects on MEA cathode catalyst degradation. The peak height of the white line during in situ time‐resolved X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) spectra at the Pt LIII‐edge decreased with an increasing number of AGEX cycles and only in the top region of the MEA cathode layer (close to the gas inlet of the fuel cell), not in the whole MEA area. End‐of‐life analysis after AGEX by using SEM and TEM revealed isolated Pt nanoparticles in micro‐cracks and voids produced in the top region of the MEA cathode layer. The nanoparticle sizes remained almost unchanged for top, middle, and bottom regions of the MEA cathode layer. In the case of CGEX, a small increase in the Pt nanoparticle sizes in the top and bottom positions of the MEA cathode layer was observed. These findings support the role of carbon corrosion, leaving isolated, electrochemically inactive Pt nanoparticles as a consequence of the harsh reaction conditions caused by the reverse current decay mechanism during the start‐up/shut‐down phase, as in the case of AGEX cycles, to be the main cause for the cathode catalyst deterioration close to the anode gas inlet. On the other hand, the hydrogen gas feed to both the anode and cathode during start‐up and shut‐down processes seems to effectively suppress carbon corrosion and prevents a decrease in the performance.
Simultaneous Enantioseparation of Aldohexoses and Aldopentoses Derivatized With L‐Tryptophanamide by Reversed Phase HPLC Using Butylboronic Acid as a Complexation Reagent of Monosaccharides
Authors: Shou Mirei , Terashima Hiroyuki , Aizawa Sen‐Ichi , Taga Atsushi , Yamamoto Atsushi , Kodama Shuji
Published: May 2015

Three aldohexoses, glucose, galactose, and mannose, and three aldopentoses, arabinose, xylose, and ribose, were derivatized with L‐tryptophanamide (L‐TrpNH2) under alkaline conditions. Using a basic mobile phase (pH 9.2), the three aldohexoses or the three aldopentoses were simultaneously enantioseparated, respectively, but all the six monosaccharides could not be simultaneously enantioseparated. A large amount of nonreacted L‐TrpNH2 was detected after the derivatized monosaccharides. In order to widen the separation window, a large portion of nonreacted L‐TrpNH2 could be eliminated by liquid–liquid extraction with ethylacetate, and elution order of the derivatized monosaccharides and nonreacted L‐TrpNH2 was found to be reversed using a neutral mobile phase. All of the six monosaccharides were simultaneously enantioseparated by reversed phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using InertSustainSwift C18 column (4.6 mm i.d. × 150 mm) and a mobile phase containing 180 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.6), 1.5 mM butylboronic acid, and 5% acetonitrile at 40 °C. Nomenclature of D and L for monosaccharides is based on the configurations of the asymmetric C4 center for aldopentoses and C5 center for aldohexoses. It was found that the enantiomer elution order of these six monosaccharides and fucose in the proposed method conformed to be the absolute configuration of the C2 center. Chirality 27:417–421, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Where does it FIT? The roles of fecal testing and colonoscopy in colorectal cancer screening
Authors: Hillyer Grace Clarke , Neugut Alfred I.
Published: May 2015

Although colonoscopy is predominant among the selection of colorectal cancer screening tests, stool testing (particularly fecal immunochemical testing) has also carved out an important niche for itself. Its simplicity and low cost make it ideal for mass population screening both in the United States and abroad, and it is an alternative choice for those reluctant to undergo endoscopy.
HybridMR: a new approach for hybrid MapReduce combining desktop grid and cloud infrastructures
Authors: Tang Bing , He Haiwu , Fedak Gilles
Published: May 2015

This paper introduces HybridMR, a novel model for the execution of MapReduce (MR) computation on hybrid computing environment. Using this model, high performance cloud resources and heterogeneous desktop personal computers (PCs) in Internet or Intranet can be integrated to form a hybrid computing environment. Thanks to HybridMR, the computation and storage capability of large scale desktop PCs can be fully utilized to process large scale datasets. HybridMR relies on two innovative solutions to enable such large scale data‐intensive computation. The first one is HybridDFS, which is a hybrid distributed file system. HybridDFS features reliable distributed storage that alleviates the volatility of desktop PCs, thanks to fault tolerance and file replication mechanism. The second innovation is a new node priority‐based fair scheduling (NPBFS) algorithm has been developed in HybridMR to achieve both data storage balance and job assignment balance by assigning each node a priority through quantifying CPU speed, memory size, and input and output capacity. In this paper, we describe the HybridMR, HybridDFS, and NPBFS. We report on performance evaluation results, which show that the proposed HybridMR not only achieves reliable MR computation, reduces task response time, and improves the performance of MR, but also reduces the computation cost and achieves a greener computing mode. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Science gateways today and tomorrow: positive perspectives of nearly 5000 members of the research community
Authors: Lawrence Katherine A. , Zentner Michael , Wilkins‐Diehr Nancy , Wernert Julie A. , Pierce Marlon , Marru Suresh , Michael Scott
Published: May 2015

Science gateways are digital interfaces to advanced technologies that support science/engineering research/education. Frequently implemented as Web and mobile applications, they provide access to community resources such as software, data, collaboration tools, instrumentation, and high‐performance computing. We anticipate opportunities for growth within a fragmented community. Through a large‐scale survey, we measured the extent and characteristics of the gateway community (reliance on gateways and nature of existing resources) to understand useful services and support for builders and users. We administered an online survey to nearly 29,000 principal investigators, senior administrators, and people with gateway affiliations. Nearly 5000 respondents represented diverse expertise and geography. The majority of researchers/educators indicated that specialized online resources were important to their work. They choose technologies by asking colleagues and looking for documentation, demonstrated reliability, and technical support; adaptability via customizing or open‐source standards was another priority. Research groups commonly provide their own resources, but public/academic institutions and commercial services also provide substantial offerings. Application creators and administrators welcome external services providing guidance such as technology selection, sustainability planning, evaluation, and specialized expertise (e.g., quality assurance and design). Technologies are diverse, so flexibility and ongoing community input are essential, as is offering specific, easy‐to‐access training, community support, and professional development. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A high‐performance distributed file system for large‐scale concurrent HD video streams
Authors: Duan Hancong , Zhan Wenhan , Min Geyong , Guo Hui , Luo Shengmei
Published: May 2015

With the rapid development of intelligent transportation technology, high‐definition data storage, and processing of massive amounts of video surveillance have become key issues. When thousands of high‐bit‐rate video streaming concurrently writes, disk I/O throughput becomes a bottleneck. In addition, this leads to serious energy consumption and disk abrasion. To solve these problems, a new distributed file system for high concurrent and high‐bit‐rate writing is designed. It combines an optimized data storage model, efficient metadata management, and exquisite disk schedule mechanism. The optimized data storage model uses a file pre‐allocation strategy and multiple‐stream input modulating technology to convert the randomly concurrent writes on the disk into sequential writes; the metadata management provides an efficient means of retrieving the specified data; and the dual‐partition schedule mechanism can ensure the disk stability with less abrasion. Through this distributed file system, the disk I/O throughput can be saturated in a high concurrent writing environment. The performance evaluation results demonstrate that the I/O throughput of a normal 7200RPM SATA III disk in our scheme can be stabilized at 150MB/s, easily to support 300 concurrent high‐definition video streams (4Mbit/s each). The distributed file system with eight commodity servers can afford the ability of supporting 8000 high‐definition video streams concurrently writing, which is far greater than the existing video surveillance storage solutions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance tuning and sparse traversal technique for a cell‐based fetch length algorithm on a GPU
Authors: Murtojärvi Mika , Nevalainen Olli S. , Leppänen Ville
Published: May 2015

For determining distances (fetch lengths) from points to polygons in a two‐dimensional Euclidean plane, cell‐based algorithms provide a simple and effective solution. They divide the input area into a grid of cells that cover the area. The objects are stored into the appropriate cells, and the resulting structure is used for solving the problem. When the input objects are distributed unevenly or the cell size is small, most of the cells may be empty. The representation is then called sparse. In the method proposed in this work, each cell contains information about its distance to the nonempty cells. It is then possible to skip over several empty cells at a time without memory accesses. A cell‐based fetch length algorithm is implemented on a graphics processing unit (GPU). Because control flow divergence reduces its performance, several methods to reduce the divergence are studied. While many of the explicit attempts turn out to be unsuccessful, sorting of the input data and sparse traversal are observed to greatly improve performance: compared with the initial GPU implementation, up to 45‐fold speedup is reached. The speed improvement is greatest when the map is very sparse and the points are given in a random order. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Araport: an application platform for data discovery
Authors: Hanlon Matthew R. , Vaughn Matthew , Mock Stephen , Dooley Rion , Moreira Walter , Stubbs Joe , Town Chris , Miller Jason , Krishnakumar Vivek , Ferlanti Erik , Pence Eleanor
Published: May 2015

Araport is an open‐source, online community resource for research on the Arabidopsis thaliana genome and related data. Araport is developed through a partnership between J. Craig Venter Institute, the Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and The University of Cambridge. Part of the open architecture of Araport is the Science Applications Workspace. Taking an ‘app store’ approach, users can choose applications developed both by the Araport team and community developers to create a customized environment for their work. Araport also provides tooling and support for developing applications for Araport, including an application generator, a rapid development and testing tool, and a straightforward deployment path for publishing applications into the Araport workspace. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Energy Aspects of Thermal Molecular Switching: Molecular Thermal Hysteresis of Helicene Oligomers
Authors: Shigeno Masanori , Kushida Yo , Yamaguchi Masahiko
Published: May 2015

Molecular switching is a phenomenon by which a molecule reversibly changes its structure and state in response to external stimuli or energy. Herein, molecular switching is discussed from thermodynamic and kinetic aspects in terms of energy supply with an emphasis on the thermal switching exhibited by helicene oligomers. It includes the inversion of relative thermodynamic stability induced by temperature changes and molecular thermal hysteresis in a closed system. The thermal phenomenon associated with the oligomers involves population/concentration changes between metastable states under nonequilibrium thermodynamic control.
Is the statement of Murphy's law valid?
Authors: Chatterjee Atanu
Published: May 2015

Murphy's Law is not a law in the formal sense yet popular science often compares it with the Second Law of Thermodynamics as both the statements point toward a more disorganized state with time. In this article, we first construct a mathematically equivalent statement for Murphy's Law and then disprove it using the intuitive idea that energy differences will level off along the paths of steepest descent, or along trajectories of least action. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 374–380, 2016
Dimethylaminopyridine‐Supported Graft Polymer Catalyst and its Flow System
Authors: Okuno Yoshinori , Isomura Shigeki , Kamakura Takahiro , Sano Fumiaki , Tamahori Kaoru , Goto Takahiro , Hayashida Takahiro , Kitagawa Yuuichi , Fukuhara Ami , Takeda Kazuyoshi
Published: May 2015

Invited for this month’s cover is the group of Prof. Kazuyoshi Takeda at Yokohama University of Pharmacy. The image shows continuous acylation catalyzed by using a graft polymer catalyst together with parallel fixed bed reactors. The Full Paper itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.201500092.