bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plant Defences against Herbivore Attack
Authors: Kessler André
Published: March 2017

Different from animals, plants can usually not run away from their attackers, such as herbivores, and have thus evolved a diverse arsenal of defences. These defences can be constitutive or inducible, they can be directly affecting the attacker or be mediated by a third organism (indirect defence) and span from physical structures, such as thorns, and reinforced cell walls to chemical defences (plant secondary metabolites) with toxic, antidigestive and antinutritive mechanisms of action. Plant secondary metabolite production is characterised by a very high diversity within and between compound classes, high functional redundancy, and multifunctionality. Moreover, they do not only mediate direct defensive functions by poisoning their attackers, but are the language with which information is transferred between organisms and that meditates complex interactions within the plants' associated communities. Biotechnological, plant breeding and biological control approaches can use the power of natural plant defences to control pests in agriculture, sustainably.

Key Concepts

Plants employ various direct and indirect mechanisms to defend against herbivores.

Direct defences include chemical defences and physical defences.

Plant secondary metabolites can mediate direct defences but also function as a vehicle of information transfer between organisms and so mediate complex interactions within the plant‐associated communities.

Direct chemical defences can function as toxins, antidigestive or antinutrive agents and so reduce the nutritive value of the plant tissues for an attacking herbivore.

Some secondary metabolites and physical structures can facilitate the presence and prey‐search behaviour of natural enemies of herbivores and so mediate indirect resistance.

Plant defensive traits, in particular resistance‐mediating metabolites, tend to be functionally redundant, while individual compounds have multiple functions on different levels.

Chemical and physical traits can be combined or function synergistically to reduce herbivore pressure.

According to optimal defence theory, young tissues of high value to plant fitness tend to be chemically defended, whereas older tissues have relatively strong physical defences.

Chemical defences, especially induced chemical defences, are tightly regulated by a complex interaction between endogenous and external elicitors and a subsequent signalling pathway crosstalk.

Natural plant defences provide multiple sustainable options for pest control in agriculture.
Architecture and the Sciences
Authors: Long Pamela O.
Published: March 2017

This essay suggests that the more recent historiography of the history of science, with its focus on practice, opens up a field of investigation into the many interrelationships between the early modern “new sciences” and activities undertaken by early modern individuals called “architects,” whose range of activities was wider than that of their modern counterparts. Concerning the latter, it gives examples of the activities of Francesco di Giorgio, Vignola, Palladio, and Juan de Herrera, among others. It also discusses individuals who practiced both architecture and one or more of the new sciences – including Christopher Wren, Robert Hooke, Gérard Desargues, Guarino Guarini, Teofilo Galluccini, and François Blondel. Finally, it explores the practices and values common to both disciplines in the early modern period, including an emphasis on the visual and the practice of mathematics.
Architects’ Libraries
Authors: Thomas Robin L.
Published: March 2017

Architects read for many reasons. Some regard books as practical tools like the compass and rule, to be consulted for narrow professional needs. Vitruvius instead believed an architect should know science, history, mathematics, medicine, music, and philosophy. He was a learned builder, and his successors responded by expanding their libraries to buttress their education in remote fields. A leviathan collector like Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (1654–1728) amassed a bounty of drawings, prints, and books in order to represent all provinces in the realm of knowledge. In 1712 he published an inventory that reflected Vitruvius’ prescription, with multiple titles in all subjects. Yet Tessin's collection was the swansong of the seventeenth century. The Age of Enlightenment presented new challenges to the bibliophile. Knowledge raced in all directions, bringing new light to poorly understood realms of science and mathematics, new rigor to the study of politics, and new fervor to discourses on art and architecture. Learned men struggled to keep abreast of rapid advances, from Lavoisier's isolation of the elements to Herschel's discovery of Uranus. And the republic of letters grew more populous, accelerating the exchange and dissemination of information. Books fueled this explosion of knowledge. Titles poured forth in growing numbers, making information more accessible as they simultaneously made the ideal of universal knowledge more remote. Even though a number of architects owned, and contributed to, Diderot and d'Alembert'sEncyclopédie, buying books in order to possess all knowledge was no longer possible for even the most dedicated bibliophile. With the Vitruvian standard out of reach, the question arises as to how books were collected and used by architects of the eighteenth century. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of reading patterns and habits during the century, discuss the comparative sizes of architects’ libraries, how these books contributed to an architect's education, and explore how they used them in their professional practice. While many architects will be mentioned, the discussion will return to three of the best‐documented: John Soane (1753–1837), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), and Luigi Vanvitelli (1700–73).
Hospital Architecture: Foundation, Funding and Form: The body natural as well as the body politic stands indebted1
Authors: Akehurst Ann‐Marie
Published: March 2017

The term “hospital” was traditionally a broad category, encompassing almshouses, public foundations, infirmaries dedicated to specific conditions, and asylums for the care and containment of psychiatrically disordered people. Michel Foucault pinpointed modern hospital origins at the end of the eighteenth century, yet infirmaries had existed from antiquity, so this chapter examines their architectural reinvention from caring religious foundations to agents of scientific cure. New perceptions of social problems—endemic disease, infant abandonment, or mental illness—required innovative approaches. Starting in seventeenth‐century France, hospital design was increasingly influenced by contemporary understandings of illness. As epidemiological knowledge was constructed and shared internationally, such medico‐scientific discourse shaped designs. Additionally, in Europe's maritime empires, warfare and alien environments combined with the commercial, strategic, and diplomatic imperative for healthy mariners, stimulating clinical innovation. These Enlightenment hospitals became normalized asfociof corporate philanthropic activity, morally legitimating emerging urban elites thereby aiding the construction of shared and personal identity. Their impact was political, economic, and social, for great hospitals came to symbolize scientific advancement in an enlightened benevolent society.
Monuments
Authors: Delbeke Maarten
Published: March 2017

The French Revolution instigated a lively debate about monuments and monumentality, firmly rooted in older views while pointing forward to ideas about monumental architecture and heritage that remain influential today. Artifacts and buildings of the past were deemed of keen interest, both as the repudiated material traces of a political and religious system the new state wanted to eradicate, and as the shared “patrimoine” put into the care of the new collective. The same sense of historical rupture that shaped the notion of the “historical monument”—buildings deemed worthy of preservation and restoration because of their combined historical and artistic value—raised the question of how the new regime would eternalize its own achievements after the monumental forms of the past had been discredited. Building on the traditions of honorific monuments, of monumental historiography as practiced by antiquarians, and the Vitruviuan notion that good architecture is a monument to the society that builds it, theoreticians and practitioners devised multiple proposals for a new monumental architecture. Key questions they addressed concerned the exact purpose of the monument (commemoration, education, or improvement of the city), its most apposite medium (sculpture, architecture or, perhaps, the printed book), and finally its intended effect on the viewer.
Grand Théâtre De Bordeaux (1773–1780)
Authors: Armstrong Christopher Drew
Published: March 2017

The Theater of Bordeaux occupies a prominent site on what was originally the glacis of a seventeenth‐century fortress adjacent to the core of the city. Designed by the academically trained architect Victor Louis, the theater was a major public amenity, one of a sequence of urban “embellishments” that were part of the modernization and expansion of Bordeaux. The theater is a masterpiece of stone construction and a major example of late‐eighteenth‐century neoclassical architecture.
Revivalism
Authors: Bressani Martin
Published: March 2017

The chapter seeks to define the specific character and originality of nineteenth‐century revivalism in architecture, arguing that it is an inherently “modern” phenomenon, despite its appeal to the past. It thus emphasizes revivalism's paradoxical nature whereby the historical glance alone is thought capable of founding an authentic modern creative act, nourished by deep‐seated cultural roots. The relationship with the past in the nineteenth century is never naturally given and is subject to hauntings, rather than being a synthetic process of assimilation.
Universal Expositions, Utopias, and Architecture
Authors: Picon Antoine
Published: March 2017

The chapter explores the influence of early nineteenth‐century utopias upon later world expositions held in Paris starting in 1855. Key figures of the utopian movements were present in the organization of these international events, and many conceptual links can be established between utopian themes and exposition architecture: the cult of industry embodied in the religious overtones of its buildings and their polychrome ornaments; the concern for and display of product labor and workers’ living conditions; the fusion of didactic goals with entertainment, merging education and spectacle; and the vision of an alternative, idealized network city.
Canadian Architecture in the Nineteenth Century: Identities in Tension
Authors: Grignon Marc , Thomas Christopher
Published: March 2017

This chapter examines how architectural forms were used to address the question of Canadian identity during the nineteenth century. At every stage, architecture participated in the process of nation building by proposing cultural references, by adapting European and American models, and by elaborating critical responses to existing situations, quite varied from east to west. The chapter is divided into three historical periods, corresponding to the political development of the country: first the “colonial” times and the separation between Upper Canada and Lower Canada; then the “Union era” inaugurated by the Act of Union of 1841; and, finally, the beginnings of the nation‐state “Canada,” grounded in the British North America Act of 1867. In each of these periods, architectural forms can be interpreted as “identity” projects, emphasizing cultural affiliations, regional traits, or hypothetical common denominators. In this manner, the chapter demonstrates that a focus on the question of identity, and on the tensions it implies, promotes a clearer understanding of the specificity and the originality of architectural forms appropriated by architects in Canada. Moreover, it reveals how the identity paradox became a defining problem of nineteenth‐century architecture in Canada.
Multiple Modernisms in Khedivial Egypt
Authors: Volait Mercedes
Published: March 2017

The heterogeneity of nineteenth‐century architecture in modern Egypt reflects the variety of cultures, societies, and powers that shaped its history. Late Ottoman structures infused with Mediterranean aesthetics coexisted with Italianate buildings, Mitteleuropa influences or wooden architecture in the colonial style. A characteristic phenomenon is the naturalization of European typologies and styles in Egyptian building culture, in response to innovation and local lifestyles, eventually resulting in anachronistic designs and overly ornate architecture. The ambivalences of historicism (in the form of the Mamluk Revival) are another salient feature: references to historic architecture were used for a wide array of commissions and were charged with diverse meanings. The process of selective borrowing was sustained by the early development of architectural education and the rise of local professionals.
Villa Müller: Adolf Loos
Authors: Long Christopher
Published: March 2017

The Villa Müller, completed in Prague in 1930, is among Adolf Loos’ signature works and one of the epochal buildings of the modern movement. With its tight, interlocking volumes positioned on multiple levels, the house remains perhaps the best illustration of Loos’ Raumplan, or space‐plan, conception. It is a
tour de force
of modern space‐making, an essay on how to foster complex volumes and how to connect them. It is the key building of Loos’ later years, a summation of all he sought to achieve as an architect and a
précis
of his idiosyncratic ideas of form and living. It has become one of the most oft‐studied and discussed buildings of those years, an object lesson in three‐dimensional design.
Vanna Venturi House: Robert Venturi
Authors: Stierli Martino
Published: March 2017

The Vanna Venturi House in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, lovingly known as the “Mother's House,” was arguably Robert Venturi's quintessential architectural statement. It was planned and built between 1959 and 1964, a wide time span that is telling of the exceedingly large amount of thought and intellectual work that went into its realization. A house of modest scale, commissioned by the architect's widow mother, is a typical brief for a young architect's first commission, for obvious social and economic reasons. In many ways, little houses are a testing ground for the young architect to consider, evaluate, modify, and adjust his theoretical knowledge against the requirements of reality. Given the special relationship between architect and client, such early projects for a small house often are more daring and experimental than larger buildings for corporate clients. Ideally, they expand the known limitations of construction, excel on the level of aesthetics, and enhance contemporary discourse by exemplifying the theoretical standpoint of an emerging voice. For these reasons, such houses bear great potential for the discipline of architecture, being capable of transcending current standards and opening up new horizons for this specific form of knowledge.
Experimental verification of Advanced Collapsed‐cone Engine for use with a multichannel vaginal cylinder applicator
Authors: Cawston‐Grant Brie , Morrison Hali , Menon Geetha , Sloboda Ron S
Published: March 2017

Model‐based dose calculation algorithms have recently been incorporated into brachytherapy treatment planning systems, and their introduction requires critical evaluation before clinical implementation. Here, we present an experimental evaluation of Oncentra® Brachy Advanced Collapsed‐cone Engine (ACE) for a multichannel vaginal cylinder (MCVC) applicator using radiochromic film. A uniform dose of 500 cGy was specified to the surface of the MCVC using the TG‐43 dose formalism under two conditions: (a) with only the central channel loaded or (b) only the peripheral channels loaded. Film measurements were made at the applicator surface and compared to the doses calculated using TG‐43, standard accuracy ACE (sACE), and high accuracy ACE (hACE). When the central channel of the applicator was used, the film measurements showed a dose increase of (11 ± 8)% (k = 2) above the two outer grooves on the applicator surface. This increase in dose was confirmed with the hACE calculations, but was not confirmed with the sACE calculations at the applicator surface. When the peripheral channels were used, a periodic azimuthal variation in measured dose was observed around the applicator. The sACE and hACE calculations confirmed this variation and agreed within 1% of each other at the applicator surface. Additionally for the film measurements with the central channel used, a baseline dose variation of (10 ± 4)% (k = 2) of the mean dose was observed azimuthally around the applicator surface, which can be explained by offset source positioning in the central channel.
Practice Pattern of Hepatitis B Testing in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Cross‐National Comparison Between the US and Taiwan
Authors: Lin Tzu‐Chieh , Hashemi Nikroo , Kim Seoyoung C. , Yang Yea‐Huei Kao , Yoshida Kazuki , Tedeschi Sara , Desai Rishi , Solomon Daniel H.
Published: March 2017

Objective

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) testing rates and patterns in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients starting disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have not been well studied. We describe and compare the practice patterns of HBV testing among RA patients in the US and Taiwan.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study, including RA patients starting a first DMARD in the US or Taiwan. The first date patients newly received any DMARD was defined as the index date, and the 1‐year period before the index date was the baseline period. HBV testing was defined as any of the following tests 1 year before or after the index date: hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B surface antibody, hepatitis B core antibody, hepatitis B envelope antigen, hepatitis B envelope antibody, or HBV DNA. We calculated the HBV testing rate by year and used Poisson regression to calculate the testing rate ratio.

Results

We identified 14,568 RA patients in the US and 46,265 in Taiwan. The overall testing rate was 20.3% in the US and 24.5% in Taiwan, and gradually increased over the study period from 13.1–23.0% in the US and 16.8–30.0% in Taiwan. More than one type of HBV test was used in 43.4% of patients in the US and 16.3% of patients in Taiwan receiving tests. Results of Poisson regression found Taiwan had a 17% higher testing rate over the US during the followup period (crude rate ratio 1.17 [95% confidence interval 1.12–1.22]).

Conclusion

We found small differences in the HBV testing rates across the US and Taiwan. Although the rate gradually increased in the past decade, it remained low in both countries.
Concept of Quantum Geometry in Optoelectronic Processes in Solids: Application to Solar Cells
Authors: Nagaosa Naoto , Morimoto Takahiro
Published: March 2017

The concept of topology is becoming more and more relevant to the properties and functions of electronic materials including various transport phenomena and optical responses. A pedagogical introduction is given here to the basic ideas and their applications to optoelectronic processes in solids.
Chiral N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Michael–Intramolecular Aldol‐Lactonization Cascade for Enantioselective Construction of β‐Propiolactone‐Fused Spiro[cyclopentane‐oxindoles]
Authors: Zhang Jun‐Qi , Li Nai‐Kai , Yin Shao‐Jie , Sun Bing‐Bing , Fan Wei‐Tai , Wang Xing‐Wang
Published: March 2017

A cascade asymmetric Michael–intramolecular aldol‐lactonization of enals with oxindolyl β,γ‐unsaturated α‐keto esters was developed. An optically pure aminoindanol‐derived triazolium‐based N‐heterocyclic carbene was used as the catalyst. The corresponding desired β‐propiolactone‐fused spiro[cyclopentane‐oxindoles] were obtained in moderate yields with excellent diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. Notably, the obtained enantio‐enriched highly functionalized complex molecules contain four contiguous stereocenters, including a spiro all‐carbon center and a quaternary carbon center.

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Nickel Catalysis Enables Hetero [2+2+1] Cycloaddition between Yne‐Isothiocyanates and Isonitriles with Low Catalyst Loading
Authors: Liu Rui‐Juan , Wang Peng‐Fei , Yuan Wen‐Kui , Wen Li‐Rong , Li Ming
Published: March 2017

Nickel(II) can be used to catalyze the hetero [2+2+1] cycloaddition of 2‐alkynylaryl isothiocyanates and isonitriles in 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran (2‐MeTHF) to give a wide array of thieno[2,3‐b]indoles in excellent yields. The reaction is featured by employing as little as 0.3 mol% nickel(II) acetylacetonate [Ni(acac)2] under air conditions in the absence of any additives (additional reducing agents and external ligands). This is the first successful example to apply nickel(II) directly in hetero [2+2+1] cycloadditions.

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Thomas H. Shepard, M.D., pioneer in embryology and teratology
Authors: Fantel Alan G. , Polifka Janine E. , Oakley Godfrey P.
Published: March 2017

Dr. Thomas H. Shepard died on October 3, 2016 at the age of 93. He was a major figure in the fields of teratology, embryonic and fetal pathology, and pediatrics. He was beloved by his colleagues as he was by the many students and fellows whom he taught, mentored and befriended. His contributions to teratology are extraordinary and he is greatly missed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Distinct expression of NK2 homeobox 1 (NKX2‐1) and goblet cell hyperplasia in nasal polyps with different endotypes
Authors: Du Jintao , Ba Luo , Li Bo , Liu Feng , Hu Xianting , Zhang Jie , Liu Yafeng , Xian Junming , Liu Sixi , Li Huabin
Published: March 2017

Background

Decreased expression of airway epithelial‐specific transcription factor NK2 homeobox 1 (NKX2‐1) was associated with allergic inflammation in asthma patients. However, the expression and role of NKX2‐1 in nasal polyps (NPs) with different endotypes were undefined yet.

Methods

We examined the expression of key cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐4 IL‐5, IL‐13, and IL‐17A, etc.) and NKX2‐1 in NPs with different endotypes and control tissues by immunohistochemistry staining, qualitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot analysis.

Results

We found 23% of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with NP (CRSwNP) patients had IL‐5+ eosinophilic NPs, 40.7% of NPs were key cytokines negative NPs (KCN NPs) with less eosinophil accumulation. The expression of NKX2‐1 in IL‐5+ NPs was significantly lower than KCN NPs and normal controls (p < 0.05). The expression of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) and MUC5B, as well as goblet cells hyperplasia, were significantly elevated in IL‐5+ NPs, which correlated with the decreased expression of NKX2‐1 (p < 0.05). Moreover, “SAM pointed domain containing ETS transcription factor” (SPDEF) was significantly elevated, while expression of Forkhead Box A2 (FoxA2) was significantly decreased in IL‐5+ NPs (p < 0.05). The expression of chemokine (C‐C motif) ligand 17 (CCL17) and IL‐4 was significantly increased in IL‐5+ NPs, which was associated with eosinophil accumulation(p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The downregulation of NKX2‐1 in IL‐5+ NPs may be associated with tissue eosinophilia and goblet cells hyperplasia.
Chromium(0), Molybdenum(0), and Tungsten(0) Isocyanide Complexes as Luminophores and Photosensitizers with Long‐Lived Excited States
Authors: Büldt Laura A. , Wenger Oliver S.
Published: March 2017

Arylisocyanide complexes based on earth‐abundant Group 6 d6 metals are interesting alternatives to photoactive complexes made from precious metals such as RuII, ReI, OsII, or IrIII. Some of these complexes have long‐lived 3MLCT excited states that exhibit luminescence with good quantum yields as well as nano‐ to microsecond lifetimes, and they are very strongly reducing. Recent studies have demonstrated that Cr0, Mo0, and W0 arylisocyanide complexes have great potential for applications in luminescent devices, photoredox catalysis, and dye‐sensitized solar cells.
Synthesis, characterization and biological activities of two novel orthopalladated complexes: Interactions with DNA and bovine serum albumin, antitumour activity and molecular docking studies
Authors: Karami Kazem , Hashemi Sara , Lipkowski Janusz , Mardani Fatemeh , Momtazi‐borojeni Amir Abbas , Lighvan Zohreh Mehri
Published: March 2017

[Pd(L1)(C,N)]CF3SO3 and [Pd(L2)(C,N)]CF3SO3 (L1 = 2,2′‐bipyridine, L2 = 1,10‐phenanthroline and C,N = benzylamine) novel orthopalladated complexes have been synthesized and characterized using various techniques. The binding of the complexes with native calf thymus DNA (CT‐DNA) was monitored using UV–visible absorption spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy and thermal denaturation studies. Our results indicate that these complexes can strongly bind to CT‐DNA via partial intercalative mode. In addition, fluorescence spectrometry of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with the complexes shows that the fluorescence quenching mechanism of BSA is a static process. The results of site‐competitive replacement experiments with specific site markers clearly indicate that the complexes bind to site I of BSA. Notably, the complexes exhibit significant in vitro cytotoxicity against two human cancer cell lines (Jurkat and MCF‐7) with IC50 values varying from 37 to 53 μM. Finally, a molecular docking experiment effectively proves the binding of the Pd(II) complexes to DNA and BSA.
Mild and eco‐friendly chemoselective acylation of amines in aqueous medium using a green, superparamagnetic, recoverable nanocatalyst
Authors: Miraki Maryam Kazemi , Yazdani Elahe , Ghandi Leila , Azizi Kobra , Heydari Akbar
Published: March 2017

Copper‐grafted guanidine acetic acid‐modified magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4@GAA‐Cu(II)) as a green, superparamagnetic and recoverable nanocatalyst is found to promote quantitative N‐acylation of various amines in a very short time with an equimolar amount of thioacetic acid in water at room temperature. This method is found to be highly selective for amines and not sensitive to other functional groups. Mild reaction condition, high selectivity, efficiency, simple workup and excellent yields are some of the major advantages of the procedure.
New polyurea MWCNTs nanocomposite films with enhanced mechanical properties
Authors: Toader Gabriela , Rusen Edina , Teodorescu Mircea , Diacon Aurel , Stanescu Paul O. , Damian Celina , Rotariu Traian , Rotariu Adrian
Published: March 2017

Polyurea nanocomposites represent a promising option in the development of advanced materials for applications that require high mechanical resistance. This article describes an optimized synthetic route for obtaining polyurea nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties by employing epoxy‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as reinforcing agent. The experimental measurements revealed that these functionalized nanofillers have a positive effect on the properties of the composite only until they reach a certain concentration; therefore, the optimal composition was reported (the samples containing 0.2 weight % functionalized MWCNTs). The functionalization of the MWCNTs was confirmed through RAMAN, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, while the polyurea nanocomposites obtained have been characterized by thermal (differential scanning calorimetry and TGA) and mechanical (dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile tests) analyses. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45061.
Comparison of bacterial cellulose production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus on bagasse acid and enzymatic hydrolysates
Authors: Qi Gao‐Xiang , Luo Mu‐Tan , Huang Chao , Guo Hai‐Jun , Chen Xue‐Fang , Xiong Lian , Wang Bo , Lin Xiao‐Qing , Peng Fen , Chen Xin‐De
Published: March 2017

To fulfill the comprehensive utilization of cellulose and hemicellulose components in bagasse for bacterial cellulose (BC) production, both bagasse acid and enzymatic hydrolysates were used for BC production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus. Although the BC accumulation rate was slower during the early period of fermentation in the bagasse acid hydrolysate than in the enzymatic hydrolysate, the highest BC yield (1.09 vs. 0.42 g/L) was higher in the bagasse acid hydrolysate. The substrate utilization was evaluated in both bagasse acid and enzymatic hydrolysates, and glucose, xylose, and acetic acid were better carbon sources than arabinose and cellobiose for G. xylinus. The structure of the BC samples obtained from bagasse acid and enzymatic hydrolysates, including the microscopic morphology, functional groups, and crystals, was similar especially in the later phase of fermentation, which was analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. Thus, both bagasse acid and enzymatic hydrolysates could be promising substrates for BC production. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45066.
Preparation and evaluation of chitosan/β‐cyclodextrin magnetic nanoparticles as a photodegradable and hydrophobic drug delivery carrier
Authors: Shi Xu , Xiang Cuncheng , Liu Yuehua , Lin Huihuan , Xu Yi , Ji Jingou
Published: March 2017

In this study, novel tumor targeting nanocarriers comprised of chitosan (CS)/β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) magnetic nanoparticles were prepared to improve the photodegradable stability and bioavailability of hydrophobic drug. Resveratrol (Res) with photodegradable and hydrophobic properties was selected as a model drug. The photodegradation rate of Res in Fe3O4 nanoparticles solution was 7.8 times lower than that in the ethanol solution. In addition, the value of the saturation magnetization of CS/β‐CD nanoparticles was found to be 19.56 emu/g with characteristic of superparamagnetism. Approximately 90% Res was entrapped into the CS/β‐CD magnetic nanoparticles with the size distribution ranging from 200 to 359 nm, and the nanoparticles were spherical in shape with high zeta potentials. Furthermore, the formation of CS/β‐CD nanoparticles showed a sustained release in vitro. These results indicated that the obtained CS/β‐CD magnetic nanoparticles were a promising magnetic targeting carrier for photodegradable and hydrophobic drugs. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45076.
Effects of Treadmill Exercise on Advanced Osteoarthritis Pain in Rats
Authors: Allen Joshua , Imbert Ian , Havelin Joshua , Henderson Terry , Stevenson Glenn , Liaw Lucy , King Tamara
Published: March 2017

Objective

Exercise is commonly recommended for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) pain. However, whether exercise is beneficial in ameliorating ongoing pain that is persistent, resistant to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and associated with advanced OA is unknown.

Methods

Rats treated with intraarticular (IA) monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) or saline underwent treadmill exercise or remained sedentary starting 10 days postinjection. Tactile sensory thresholds and weight bearing were assessed, followed by radiography at weekly intervals. After 4 weeks of exercise, ongoing pain was assessed using conditioned place preference (CPP) to IA or rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM)–administered lidocaine. The possible role of endogenous opioids in exercise‐induced pain relief was examined by systemic administration of naloxone. Knee joints were collected for micro–computed tomography (micro‐CT) analysis to examine pathologic changes to subchondral bone and metaphysis of the tibia.

Results

Treadmill exercise for 4 weeks reversed MIA‐induced tactile hypersensitivity and weight asymmetry. Both IA and RVM lidocaine D35, administered post‐MIA, induced CPP in sedentary but not exercised MIA‐treated rats, indicating that exercise blocks MIA‐induced ongoing pain. Naloxone reestablished weight asymmetry in MIA‐treated rats undergoing exercise and induced conditioned place aversion, indicating that exercise‐induced pain relief is dependent on endogenous opioids. Exercise did not alter radiographic evidence of OA. However, micro‐CT analysis indicated that exercise did not block lateral subchondral bone loss or trabecular bone loss in the metaphysis, but did block MIA‐induced medial bone loss.

Conclusion

These findings support the conclusion that exercise induces pain relief in advanced, NSAID‐resistant OA, likely through increased endogenous opioid signaling. In addition, treadmill exercise blocked MIA‐induced bone loss in this model, indicating a potential bone‐stabilizing effect of exercise on the OA joint.
Regional Differences Between Perisynovial and Infrapatellar Adipose Tissue Depots and Their Response to Class II and Class III Obesity in Patients With Osteoarthritis
Authors: Harasymowicz Natalia S. , Clement Nick D. , Azfer Asim , Burnett Richard , Salter Donald M. , Simpson A. Hamish W. R.
Published: March 2017

Objective

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA), which is postulated to be secondary to adipose tissue–dependent inflammation. Periarticular adipose tissue depots are present in synovial joints, but the association of this tissue with OA has not been extensively explored. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in local adipose tissue depots in knees with OA and characterize the changes related to class II and class III obesity in patients with end‐stage knee OA.

Methods

Synovium and the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) were collected during total knee replacement from 69 patients with end‐stage OA. Histologic changes, changes in gene and protein expression of adiponectin, peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR‐4), and immune cell infiltration into the adipose tissue were investigated.

Results

IPFP and synovium adipose tissue depots differed significantly and were influenced by the patient's body mass index. Compared to adipocytes from the IPFP and synovium of lean patients, adipocytes from the IPFP of obese patients were significantly larger and the synovium of obese patients displayed marked fibrosis, increased macrophage infiltration, and higher levels of TLR4 gene expression. The adipose‐related markers PPARγ in the IPFP and adiponectin and PPARγ in the synovium were expressed at lower levels in obese patients compared to lean patients. Furthermore, there were increased numbers of CD45+ hematopoietic cells, CD45+CD14+ total macrophages, and CD14+CD206+ M2‐type macrophages in both the IPFP and synovial tissue of obese patients.

Conclusion

These differences suggest that IPFP and synovium may contain 2 different white adipose tissue depots and support the theory of inflammation‐induced OA in patients with class II or III obesity. These findings warrant further investigation as a potentially reversible, or at least suppressible, cause of OA in obese patients.
Ultra‐high pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of omarigliptin in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats
Authors: Li Meng‐Fang , Hu Xiao‐Xia , Ma Ai‐Qun
Published: March 2017

Omarigliptin is a novel long‐acting dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In this work, a sensitive and selective ultra‐high pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of omarigliptin in rat plasma. Sample preparation was performed by protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation of analytes was achieved on an RRHD Eclipse Plus C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.8 μm), using gradient mobile phase (0.1% formic acid–acetonitrile) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Detection was performed in multiple reaction monitoring mode, with target fragment ions m/z 399.1 → 152.9 for omarigliptin and m/z 237.1 → 194 for the internal standard. The total run time was 4 min. Retention time of omarigliptin and internal standard was 1.25 and 2.12 min, respectively. Relative standard deviation (%) of the intra‐ and inter‐day precision was below 10.0%, and accuracy was between 97.9% and 105.3%. Calibration curve was established over the range 2–5000 ng/mL with good linearity. The lower limit of quantification and limit of detection of omarigliptin were 2 and 0.25 ng/mL, respectively. Mean recoveries were in the range 87.3–95.1% for omarigliptin. No matrix effect was observed in this method. This novel method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of omarigliptin in rats. The absolute bioavailability of omarigliptin was identified as high as 87.31%.
Environmental Behavior and MNEs: A Strategy Pulled by Stakeholder Engagement
Authors: Delgado‐Márquez Blanca L. , Pedauga Luis Enrique
Published: March 2017

This research attempts to examine how multinational enterprises (MNEs) from regulated and non‐regulated industries shape their environmental strategies with regard to environmental disclosure and performance. Results reveal that regulated (non‐regulated) MNEs display worse (better) environmental performance levels and disclose less (more) environmental information than MNEs operating in non‐regulated (regulated) environments. We argue that this strategy is set as an answer to cope with legitimacy problems faced by MNEs as well as to respond to increased demands from stakeholder groups. We contend that our findings may contribute to existing literature and be of relevance for practitioners. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of site‐specific cancers: a long‐term prospective cohort study
Authors: Robsahm Trude E. , Falk Ragnhild S. , Heir Trond , Sandvik Leiv , Vos Linda , Erikssen Jan , Tretli Steinar
Published: March 2017

Based on self‐reported physical activity, there is epidemiologic evidence for a beneficial relation between physical activity and colon cancer in men, but findings for other cancers are inconclusive. Measured cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can provide knowledge about the cancer‐preventive value of physical activity. We aimed to assess relationships between CRF and risk of site‐specific cancers. A cohort of 1997 healthy Norwegian men, aged 40–59 years at inclusion in 1972–1975, was followed for cancer throughout 2012 using data from the Cancer Registry of Norway. CRF was measured by a maximal exercise bicycle test at inclusion. Relationships between CRF and site‐specific cancers were estimated using Cox regression, adjusted for age, body mass index, and smoking. During follow‐up, 898 cancer cases were diagnosed in 758 men. When comparing men in CRF tertile 1 with men in tertiles 2 and 3, respectively, we found decreased risk of proximal colon cancer in tertile 2 (HR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.13–0.73) and decreased risk of cancers of lung (0.39 95% CI: 0.22–0.66), pancreas (0.32 95% CI: 0.10–1.00), and bladder (HR: 0.40 95% CI: 0.21–0.74) in tertile 3. Furthermore, a significant trend for lower risk by increasing CRF tertile was found for cancers of proximal colon, lung, and bladder (P‐value for trend <0.05). For other cancer sites, no significant association was found. Our results indicate that high midlife CRF may have cancer‐preventive value.
Design and Synthesis of Galactosylated Bifurcated Ligands with Nanomolar Affinity for Lectin LecA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Angeli Anthony , Li Muchen , Dupin Lucie , Vergoten Gérard , Noël Mathieu , Madaoui Mimouna , Wang Shuai , Meyer Albert , Géhin Thomas , Vidal Sébastien , Vasseur Jean‐Jacques , Chevolot Yann , Morvan François
Published: March 2017

Lectin A (LecA) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an established virulence factor. Glycoclusters that target LecA and are able to compete with human glycoconjugates present on epithelial cells are promising candidates to treat P. aeruginosa infection. A family of 32 glycodendrimers of generation 0 and 1 based on a bifurcated bis‐galactoside motif have been designed to interact with LecA. The influences both of the central multivalent core and of the aglycon of these glycodendrimers on their affinity toward LecA have been evaluated by use of a microarray technique, both qualitatively for rapid screening of the binding properties and also quantitatively (Kd). This has led to high‐affinity LecA ligands with Kd values in the low nanomolar range (Kd=22 nm for the best one).
Safety and efficacy of 6‐month versus 12‐month dual antiplatelet therapy in patients after implantation of multiple biodegradable polymer‐coated sirolimus‐eluting coronary stents: Insight from the I‐LOVE‐IT 2 trial
Authors: Qi Jing , Li Yi , Li Jing , Jing Quanmin , Xu Kai , Gao Chuanyu , Ma Likun , Zhang Zhi , Xu Bo , Han Yaling
Published: March 2017

Objective

This study sought to compare the clinical outcomes of 6‐month versus 12‐month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients receiving multiple biodegradable polymer‐coated sirolimus‐eluting stents (BP‐SES) implants.

Background

The clinical outcomes for patients who undergo multiple BP‐SES implantation with different DAPT durations are uncertain.

Methods

In the I‐LOVE‐IT 2 trial, 907 patients treated with multiple BP‐SES (total stent number ≥2) were assigned to receive 6‐month (n = 440) or 12‐month (n = 467) DAPT. The primary endpoint was 12‐month target lesion failure (TLF), which is a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (MI) or clinically indicated target lesion revascularization. The major secondary endpoints were 12‐month net adverse clinical events, a composite of all causes of death, MI, stroke, any revascularization and bleeding.

Results

The number of stents per patient between the 6‐month and 12‐month DAPT group was similar (2.4 ± 0.7 vs. 2.4 ± 0.7, P = 0.47). The incidence of 12‐month TLF was comparable in the 6‐month and 12‐month DAPT groups (9.3% vs.7.5%, Log‐rank P = 0.33). However, landmark analysis showed that 12‐month DAPT, compared to 6‐month DAPT, was associated with a significantly lower risk of TLF (4.8% vs. 2.4%, Log‐rank P = 0.049) at a cost of a slightly increased risk of all bleeding events (0.5% vs. 1.7%, Log‐rank P = 0.07) between 6 and 12 months.

Conclusions

In patients treated with multiple BP‐SES, 6‐ and 12‐month DAPT had similar impacts on 12‐month clinical outcomes. Additionally, 12‐month DAPT might reduce TLF between 6 and 12 months at the cost of a slightly increased risk of all bleeding events. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chronic total occlusion is associated with a higher incidence of malapposition and uncovered stent struts: OCT findings at 6 months following DES implantation
Authors: Jia Haibo , Hu Sining , Liu Huimin , Zhu Yinchun , Zhe Chun‐yang , Li Lulu , Mustafina Irina , Hou Jingbo , Zhang Shaosong , Yu Bo
Published: March 2017

Objectives

To compare stent coverage and malapposition in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions and non‐CTO lesions (including lipid‐rich plaque [LRP] and non‐lipid‐rich plaque [non‐LRP]) after drug‐eluting stent (DES) implantation by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Background

Different initial lesion characteristics may be related to heterogeneous vessel responses after DES implantation. However, the vessel response in patients with CTO and non‐CTO lesions after stenting is unclear.

Methods We retrospectively enrolled 64 patients with 68 target lesions. All of the patients underwent OCT imaging immediate after stenting and 6 months after stenting. LRP was defined as the plaque with lipid content in ≥2 quadrants. Non‐LRP consisted of fibrous, fibrocalcific plaque, and lipid plaque with less than 2 quadrants lipid content.

Results

The malapposition (3.0%, 2.6% vs. 0.6%, P = 0.022), tissue protrusion (15.0% vs. 11.0% vs. 6.4%, P < 0.001), and intrastent thrombus (3.8% vs. 2.4% vs. 1.1%, P = 0.012) were more frequent in the CTO and LRP groups. At 6‐month follow‐up, malapposition (5.0% vs. 1.0% and 0.4%, P = 0.002) and cross sections with uncovered struts (23.4% vs. 8.2% and 6.6%, P < 0.001) were most frequently observed in the CTO group. Although the incidence of stent thrombosis was non‐significantly higher in the CTO group than the other two groups, no events were observed in patients with CTO.

Conclusions

Patients with CTO lesions showed unfavorable responses to DES in the acute phase as well as at the 6‐month follow‐up, indicating the important pathological link between the original lesion morphology underneath the stents and heterogeneous artery healing. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Unrecognized coronary vasospasm in patients referred for percutaneous coronary intervention: Intracoronary nitroglycerin, the forgotten stepchild of cardiovascular guidelines
Authors: Vishnevsky Alec , Julien Howard M. , Fischman David L. , Walinsky Paul , David Ogilby J. , Ruggiero Nicholas J. , Jasti Babu , Savage Michael P.
Published: March 2017

Objective

The goal of this study was to demonstrate the importance of intracoronary nitroglycerin (IC NTG) administration during diagnostic coronary angiography and prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background

PCI has been a mainstay treatment for patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease. While current guidelines emphasize the importance of periprocedural antithrombotic medications, they fail to mention the use of nitroglycerin prior to PCI.

Methods

Retrospective chart and angiographic review was performed to identify patients referred for PCI who had significant angiographic stenoses that resolved after administration of IC NTG.

Results

The study group consisted of 6 patients (3 men, 3 women) with mean age 52 ± 4years (range 46–57 years). All had anginal symptoms and significant (>70%) stenosis on diagnostic coronary angiography. None had documented ST segment elevation. The median interval between diagnostic and staged PCI procedures was 3 days. IC NTG was not administered to any of the patients at the time of diagnostic coronary angiography. In each case, repeat coronary angiography following administration of IC NTG (155 ± 46 mcg) before planned PCI demonstrated resolution of the target stenosis. PCI was deferred and all patients were successfully managed medically.

Conclusion

Coronary artery spasm is an under‐recognized cause of chest pain in patients with significant angiographic lesions. Coronary spasm should be suspected especially in younger patients (less than 60 years old) with apparent single vessel disease. IC NTG should be routinely administered during diagnostic angiography and before PCI to avert unnecessary coronary interventions. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Oleylamine‐Stabilized Copper(0) Nanoparticles: An Efficient and Low‐Cost Catalyst for the Dehydrogenation of Dimethylamine Borane
Authors: Duman Sibel , Özkar Saim
Published: March 2017

Copper(0) nanoparticles, in situ generated from the reduction of copper(II) 2‐ethylhexanoate during the dehydrogenation of dimethylamine borane (DMAB) at 50.0±0.1 °C in toluene solution, are active catalysts in hydrogen generation from DMAB, but not very stable against agglomeration. Addition of 5.0 equivalents of oleylamine (OAm) was found to stabilize copper(0) nanoparticles noticeably, while maintaining high catalytic activity. Oleylamine‐stabilized copper(0) nanoparticles could be isolated from the solution and characterized by XRD, TEM, UV/Vis, attenuated total reflectance (ATR)‐FTIR, and 11B NMR spectroscopies. Our report also includes (i) comparative catalytic activities of copper(0) nanoparticles in the absence and presence of OAm depending on the initial [OAm]/[Cu] ratio, catalyst concentration, substrate concentration, and temperature, (ii) the catalytic lifetime of copper(0) nanoparticles in the absence and presence of OAm in the dehydrogenation of DMAB at 50.0±0.1 °C, (iii) testing the ease of isolation and reusability of copper(0) nanoparticles in the absence and presence of OAm in the dehydrogenation of DMAB, (iv) the results of quantitative kinetic poisoning experiments by using 1,10‐phenanthroline, showing that copper(0) nanoparticles are kinetically competent catalysts in the dehydrogenation of DMAB.