bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electric‐field response behaviors of chitosan/barium titanate composite hydrogel elastomers
Authors: Gao Ling‐Xiang , Chen Jian‐Li , Han Xue‐Wu , Zhang Jian‐Lan , Yan Shu‐Xian
Published: March 2015

Chitosan/barium titanate (BaTiO3) composite hydrogel elastomers were prepared in the presence or absence of an applied direct‐current (dc) electric field. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the microstructure of the elastomers and the dispersion of particles in it. Tests of the storage moduli (Gs) of the elastomers were investigated with a dynamic mechanical analyzer. On this basis, the G increment and increment sensitivity were explored. The results show that the particles were sequentially dispersed, and the values of the G values for the elastomer were higher under an external applied dc electric field; this indicated that the composite elastomers exhibited excellent electric field response. Furthermore, the electric‐field response of the composite elastomers changed with the particle concentration, and the maximum response occurred when the mass fraction of BaTiO3 was 2.0%. The G value of the composite elastomer with a BaTiO3 weight percentage of 2.0 increased with increasing electric field; this revealed that the composite elastomer had a positive electric field response. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42094.
Investigation of new composite materials based on activated EPDM rubber waste particles by liquid polymers
Authors: Lepadatu Ana‐Maria , Asaftei Simona , Vennemann Norbert
Published: March 2015

Despite of the variety of existing techniques, there is still a continuous demand in the development of more efficient recycling technologies, for economic and environmental reasons. A new approach for recycling EPDM rubber waste has been recently introduced utilizing a solvent free activation process by addition of liquid polymers (LP). The present study investigates the influence of the content and varying types of activated rubber waste particles (RWP‐LP) in new composites. By varying the proportion of RWP‐LP in the range from 25 up to 75 v/v % information about optimized compositions of new compounds were obtained. It was found that the ratio and type of RWP‐LP induce significant differences in terms of cure characteristics, mechanical properties, crosslink density and morphology. Promising results with high potential application for the production of seal and sealing systems on the industrial scale were obtained by using up to 50 v/v % of RWP‐LP with low ethylene amount. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42097.
Morphology and thermal degradation studies of melt‐mixed PLA/PHBV biodegradable polymer blend nanocomposites with TiO2 as filler
Authors: Mofokeng Julia P. , Luyt Adriaan S.
Published: March 2015

The morphology and thermal stability of melt‐mixed poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(hydroxybutyrate‐co‐valerate) (PHBV) blends and nanocomposites with small amounts of TiO2 nanoparticles were investigated. PLA/PHBV at 50/50 w/w formed a co‐continuous structure, and most of the TiO2 nanoparticles were well dispersed in the PLA phase and on the interface between PLA and PHBV, with a small number of large agglomerates in the PHBV phase. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and TGA–Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy was used to study the thermal stability and degradation behavior of the two polymers, their blends, and nanocomposites. The thermal stability of PHBV was improved through blending with PLA, whereas that of the PLA was reduced through blending with PHBV, and the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles seemingly improved the thermal stability of both polymers in the blend. However, the degradation kinetics results revealed that the nanoparticles could catalyze the degradation process and/or retard the volatilization of the degradation products, depending on their localization and their interaction with the polymer in question. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42138.
Niche processes and conservation implications of fish community assembly in a rice irrigation system
Authors: Ohira Mitsuru , Tsunoda Hiroshi , Nishida Kazuya , Mitsuo Yoshito , Senga Yutaro
Published: March 2015

Riparian fluvial systems are used for the irrigation of rice. This practice has led to an increasing need to conserve biodiversity of these riparian systems against intensification of rice　irrigation systems. This study examined the underlying processes that structure fish community assemblages in a traditional rice irrigation system and how these processes might inform conservation programmes.

Sampling was conducted at 26 reaches of a permanent irrigation channel in September and December 2007 and May 2008. The relative roles of niche versus dispersal processes were determined by examining species richness across the local environment, such as habitat complexity (diversity of depth and velocity) and size (volume of water) or proximity from the river as potential source of species, and deterministic versus stochastic processes. Non‐random or random patterns of species co‐occurrence were also compared across the sites.

Each site's species richness was mainly associated with habitat complexity and size, but not proximity to the river. Also, species co‐occurred non‐randomly in segregated patterns. Therefore, the fish community was deterministically structured by niche processes and local extinction, but not by stochastic and external immigration processes. In addition, the observed relative abundance distributions primarily fitted a log–normal distribution, indicating a ‘low stress’ condition for the fish community.

To enhance co‐existence of fish species, high conservation priority should be given to local factors such as hydraulic complexity and volume of water at reach scale in the rice irrigation system. Fish species preferring slow and shallow environments co‐occurred less frequently among reaches, demonstrating the need to conserving hydraulic variability. The effectiveness of local factors and deterministic patterns is thought to derive from stable water flow and high internal and external connectivity, which in turn would safeguard the processes that structure fish community assemblages. Such hydrological connectivity might be the key for conservation in intensified rice‐farming landscapes.

Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Text Matrix as a tool to increase the cohesion of extensive texts
Authors: De Sordi José Osvaldo , Meireles Manuel , de Oliveira Osvaldo Luiz
Published: March 2015

The significant amount of time needed to prepare concise and cohesive texts is among the reasons why extensive texts proliferate in organizations. Extensive documents are more likely to have low cohesion among their various sections, which may lead the reader to perceive the information as being of low quality. This research addresses this issue by presenting a tool (Text Matrix) composed of procedures and algorithms coded in software, with the aim of analyzing cohesion between the text sections in extensive documents. A design science research approach was applied to develop, test, and prove the usefulness of the Text Matrix. A total of 127 academic advisors and advisees were trained to use the Text Matrix and apply it in the development of the extensive text of dissertations. An analysis both of those users' perceptions and of variations in network density among 41 extensive texts that they improved through the analyses performed by the artifact proposed in the present study demonstrated the ease of operation and effectiveness of the Text Matrix to identify parts of extensive texts associated with cohesion failures that could be connected by cohesion devices or even excluded from the extensive text.
Experimental Tests of Risk Ladders in the Elicitation of Perceived Likelihood
Authors: Persoskie Alexander , Downs Julie S.
Published: March 2015

Risk ladders have the potential to improve numeric judgments of low‐likelihood events by providing information about the likelihoods of comparison risks, thereby letting respondents make risk estimates “in context.” However, to date this tool has been studied systematically only in communication of risk, not in elicitation of perceived likelihoods. In three studies, we evaluated the benefits of risk ladders on the consistency, validity, and mean‐level accuracy of elicited likelihood judgments. When estimates for low‐likelihood hazards were elicited using different numeric response scales (e.g., “1 in x” and “x in 100,000”), scale type had a strong effect on the magnitudes of the elicited estimates, and viewing a risk ladder (Experiment 1) or comparison risks (Experiments 2 and 3) did not attenuate this effect of scale type. Similarly, we found no evidence that risk ladders or comparison risks improved the convergent validity of numeric estimates, as measured using correlations with risk ratings made on alternative scale types. Finally, viewing comparison risks tended to reduce gross overestimation of rare events, with relatively less change in estimates for mid‐likelihood and high‐likelihood hazards. This suggests that comparison risks can spread responses to cover a wider range of values but do not ameliorate scale effects. In the elicitation of numeric risk estimates, how you ask matters, even if you let people make estimates “in context” through the use of comparative risk information. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
X‐ray structure analysis reveals β‐turn mimicry by N‐amino‐imidazolidin‐2‐ones†
Authors: Doan Ngoc‐Duc , Lubell William D.
Published: March 2015

The conformation of the N‐amino‐imidazolidin‐2‐one (Aid) peptidomimetic was investigated using NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. In solution, the tetrapeptide model p‐bromobenzoyl‐Aid‐l‐Phe‐N′‐iso‐propylamide (1) exhibited shielded and solvent exposed amide protons indicative of a turn conformation. In the crystal lattice of 1, four turn conformers were present in the unit cell differing primarily by the ring puckering of the Aid residue. Two pairs of β‐turn conformers were observed each possessing an intramolecular ten‐member hydrogen bond between the benzamide carbonyl and iso‐propylamine NH moieties. The pairs had types II and II′ β‐turn geometry that differed slightly about the ϕ and ψ torsion angles. Moreover, the X‐ray analysis of 1 has been compared with that of the related unsaturated N‐amino‐imidazolin‐2‐one (Nai) analogs indicating the influences of ring flattening and substituents on conformation. Insertion of the preorganized Aid structure into biologically active peptides has thus been shown to offer a potentially valuable means for exploring the importance of turn geometry for activity, particularly in drug discovery. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 104: 629–635, 2015.
Coupling limonene formation and oxyfunctionalization by mixed‐culture resting cell fermentation
Authors: Willrodt Christian , Hoschek Anna , Bühler Bruno , Schmid Andreas , Julsing Mattijs K.
Published: March 2015

Metabolic engineering strategies mark a milestone for the fermentative production of bulk and fine chemicals. Yet, toxic products and volatile reaction intermediates with low solubilities remain challenging. Prominent examples are artificial multistep pathways like the production of perillyl acetate (POHAc) from glucose via limonene. For POHAc, these limitations can be overcome by mixed‐culture fermentations. A limonene biosynthesis pathway and cytochrome P450 153A6 (CYP153A6) as regioselective hydroxylase are used in two distinct recombinant E. coli. POHAc formation from glucose in one recombinant cell was hindered by ineffective coupling of limonene synthesis and low rates of oxyfunctionalization. The optimization of P450 gene expression led to the formation of 6.20 ± 0.06 mg gcdw−1 POHAc in a biphasic batch cultivation with glucose as sole carbon and energy source. Increasing the spatial proximity between limonene synthase and CYP153A6 by a genetic fusion of both enzymes changed the molar limonene/POHAc ratio from 3.2 to 1.6. Spatial separation of limonene biosynthesis from its oxyfunctionalization improved POHAc concentration 3.3‐fold to 21.7 mg L−1 as compared to a biphasic fermentation. Mixed‐cultures of E. coli BL21 (DE3) containing the limonene biosynthesis pathway and E. coli MG1655 harboring either CYP153A6, or alternatively a cymene monooxygenase, showed POHAc formation rates of 0.06 or 0.11 U gcdw−1, respectively. This concept provides a novel framework for fermentative syntheses involving toxic, volatile, or barely soluble compounds or pathway intermediates. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1738–1750. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determinants of improved survival after oesophagectomy for cancer
Authors: Talsma A K , Damhuis R A M , Steyerberg E W , Rosman C , van Lanschot J J B , Wijnhoven B P L
Published: March 2015

Background

Survival after oesophagectomy for cancer seems to be improving. This study aimed to identify the most important contributors to this change.

Methods

Patients who underwent oesophagectomy from 1999 to 2010 were extracted from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Four time periods were compared: 1999–2001 (period 1), 2002–2004 (period 2), 2005–2007 (period 3) and 2008–2010 (period 4). Hospital type, tumour location, tumour type, tumour differentiation, neoadjuvant therapy, operation type, (y)pT category, involvement of surgical resection margins, number of removed lymph nodes and number of involved lymph nodes were investigated in relation to trends in survival using multivariable analysis.

Results

A total of 4382 patients were identified. Two-year overall survival rates improved from 49·3 per cent in period 1 to 58·4, 56·2 and 61·0 per cent in periods 2, 3 and 4 respectively (P < 0·001). Multivariable survival analysis revealed that the improvement in survival between periods 3 and 4 was related to the introduction of neoadjuvant therapy. The improvement in survival between periods 1 and 2 could not be explained completely by the factors studied. The number of examined lymph nodes increased, especially between periods 2 and 3, but this increase was not associated with the improvement in survival.

Conclusion

The observed increase in long-term survival after surgery for oesophageal cancer between 1999 and 2010 in the Netherlands is difficult to explain fully, although the recent increase seems to be partly attributable to the introduction of neoadjuvant therapy.
Pretreatment health measures and complications after surgical management of elderly women with breast cancer
Authors: Lavelle K , Sowerbutts A M , Bundred N , Pilling M , Todd C
Published: March 2015

Background

Elderly patients with breast cancer are less likely to be offered surgery, partly owing to co-morbidities and reduced functional ability. However, there is little consensus on how best to assess surgical risk in this patient group.

Methods

The ability of pretreatment health measures to predict complications was investigated in a prospective cohort study of a consecutive series of women aged at least 70 years undergoing surgery for operable (stage I–IIIa) breast cancer at 22 English breast units between 2010 and 2013. Data on treatment, surgical complications, health measures and tumour characteristics were collected by case-note review and/or patient interview. Outcome measures were all complications and serious complications within 30 days of surgery.

Results

The study included 664 women. One or more complications were experienced by 41·0 per cent of the patients, predominantly seroma or primary/minor infections. Complications were serious in 6·5 per cent. More extensive surgery predicted a higher number of complications, but not serious complications. Older age did not predict complications. Several health measures were associated with complications in univariable analysis, and were included in multivariable analyses, adjusting for type/extent of surgery and tumour characteristics. In the final models, pain predicted a higher count of complications (incidence rate ratio 1·01, 95 per cent c.i. 1·00 to 1·01; P = 0·004). Fatigue (odds ratio (OR) 1·02, 95 per cent c.i. 1·01 to 1·03; P = 0·004), low platelet count (OR 4·19, 1·03 to 17·12: P = 0·046) and pulse rate (OR 0·96, 0·93 to 0·99; P = 0·010) predicted serious complications.

Conclusion

The risk of serious complications from breast surgery is low for older patients. Surgical decisions should be based on patient fitness rather than age. Health measures that predict surgical risk were identified in multivariable models, but the effects were weak, with 95 per cent c.i. close to unity.
Chemometrics‐enhanced laser‐induced thermal emission detection of PETN and other explosives on various substrates
Authors: Figueroa‐Navedo Amanda M. , Galán‐Freyle Nataly J. , Pacheco‐Londoño Leonardo C. , Hernández‐Rivera Samuel P.
Published: March 2015

Infrared emissions (IREs) of samples of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) deposited as contamination residues on various substrates were measured to generate models for the detection and discrimination of the important nitrate ester from the emissions of the substrates. Mid‐infrared emissions were generated by heating the samples remotely using laser‐induced thermal emission (LITE). Chemometrics multivariate analysis techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), soft independent modeling by class analogy (SIMCA), partial least squares‐discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA), support vector machines (SVMs), and neural network (NN) were employed to generate the models for the classification and discrimination of PETN IREs from substrate thermal emissions. PCA exhibited less variability for the LITE spectra of PETN/substrates. SIMCA was able to predict only 44.7% of all samples, while SVM proved to be the most effective statistical analysis routine, with a discrimination performance of 95%. PLS‐DA and NN achieved prediction accuracies of 94% and 88%, respectively. High sensitivity and specificity values were achieved for five of the seven substrates investigated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Theoretical Investigation on the Chemistry of Entrapment of the Elusive Aminoborane (H2NBH2) Molecule
Authors: Malakar Tanmay , Bhunya Sourav , Paul Ankan
Published: March 2015

Aminoborane (H2NBH2) is an elusive entity and is thought to be produced during dehydropolymerization of ammonia borane, a molecule of prime interest in the field of chemical hydrogen storage. The entrapment of H2NBH2 through hydroboration of exogenous cyclohexene has emerged as a routine technique to infer if free H2NBH2 is produced or not during metal‐catalyzed ammonia borane dehydrogenation reactions. But to date, the underlying mechanism of this trapping reaction remains unexplored. Herein, by using DFT calculations, we have investigated the mechanism of trapping of H2NBH2 by cyclohexene. Contrary to conventional wisdom, our study revealed that the trapping of H2NBH2 does not occur through direct hydroboration of H2NBH2 on the double bond of cyclohexene. We found that autocatalysis by H2NBH2 is crucial for the entrapment of another H2NBH2 molecule by cyclohexene. Additionally, nucleophilic assistance from the solvent is also implicated for the entrapment reaction carried out in nucleophilic solvents. In THF, the rate‐determining barrier for formation of the trapping product was predicted to be 16.7 kcal mol−1 at M06 L(CPCM) level of theory.
Impact of the Nature of the Organic Spacer on the Crystallization Kinetics of UiO‐66(Zr)‐Type MOFs
Authors: Ragon Florence , Chevreau Hubert , Devic Thomas , Serre Christian , Horcajada Patricia
Published: March 2015

The influence of the constitutive dicarboxylate linkers (size, functional group) over the crystallization kinetics of a series of porous Zr metal–organic frameworks with the UiO‐66 topology has been investigated by in situ time‐resolved energy dispersive X‐ray diffraction (EDXRD). Both large aromatic spacers (2,6‐naphthalene‐, 4,4′‐biphenyl‐ and 3,3′‐dichloro‐4,4′‐azobenzene‐dicarboxylates) and a series of X‐functionalized terephthalates (X=NH2, NO2, Br, CH3) were investigated in dimethylformamide (DMF) at different temperatures and compared with the parent UiO‐66. Using different crystallization models, rate constants and further kinetic parameters (such as activation energy) have been extracted. Finally, the impact of the replacement of the toxic DMF by water on the crystallization kinetics was studied through the synthesis of the functionalized UiO‐66‐NO2 solid.
Negatively Charged Metallacarborane Redox Couples with Both Members Stable to Air
Authors: Lupu Marius , Zaulet Adnana , Teixidor Francesc , Ruiz Eliseo , Viñas Clara
Published: March 2015

The metallacarborane [3,3′‐Co(1,2‐closo‐C2B9H11)2]− has been synthesized. This species allows the formation of redox couples in which both partners are negatively charged. The E1/2 potential can be tuned by adjusting the nature and number of substituents on B and C. The octaiodinated species [3,3′‐Co(1,2‐closo‐C2B9H7I4)2]− is the most favorable, as it is isolatable and stable in air. A DFT study on stability and redox potentials of complexes has been performed.
meso‐Ester Corroles
Authors: Canard Gabriel , Gao Di , D'Aléo Anthony , Giorgi Michel , Dang Florian‐Xuan , Balaban Teodor Silviu
Published: March 2015

The introduction of ester groups on the 5‐ and 15‐meso positions of corroles stabilizes them against oxidation and induces a redshift of their absorption and emission spectra. These effects are studied through the photophysical and electrochemical characterization of up to 16 different 5,15‐diester corroles, in which the third meso position is free or occupied by an aryl group, a long alkyl chain, or an ester moiety. Single‐crystal X‐ray structure analysis of five 5,15‐diestercorroles and DFT and time‐dependent DFT calculations show that the strong electron‐withdrawing character of the 5,15 ester substituents is reinforced by their π overlap with the macrocyclic aromatic system. The crystal packing of corroles 2, 4, 6, 9, and 15 features short distances between chromophores that are stacked into columns thanks to the low steric hindrance of meso‐ester groups. This close packing is partially due to intermolecular interactions that involve inner hydrogen and nitrogen atoms, and thereby, stabilize a single, identical corrole tautomeric form.
Postsynthetic Exterior Decoration of an Organic Cage by Copper(I)‐Catalysed A3‐Coupling and Detection of Nitroaromatics
Authors: Acharyya Koushik , Mukherjee Partha Sarathi
Published: March 2015

A new synthetic protocol based on one‐pot, copper(I)‐catalysed multicomponent reaction of formaldehyde, secondary amine and terminal alkyne has been employed to postsynthetically modify a self‐assembled nanoscopic organic cage. By employing this synthetic strategy, three new cages appended with phenyl‐, xylyl‐ and naphthyl‐acetylene moieties have been synthesised. The resulting modified cages were characterised by using a range of spectroscopic techniques. The synthesised cages were fluorescent and thus one of them was tested to explore the potential use of such compounds as chemosensors for the detection of nitroaromatics. Experimental findings suggest a high selective quenching of initial fluorescence intensity in the presence of nitroaromatic compounds. Furthermore, it has been observed that among the various nitroaromatics tested, nitrophenolic compounds have better quenching ability.
Immobilized Catalysts for Iridium‐Catalyzed Allylic Amination: Rate Enhancement by Immobilization
Authors: Malakar Chandi C. , Helmchen Günter
Published: March 2015

The first immobilized catalyst for Ir‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic aminations is described. The catalyst is a cationic (π‐allyl)Ir complex bound by cation exchange to an anionic silica gel support. Preparation of the catalyst is facile, and the supported catalyst displayed considerably enhanced activity compared with the parent homogeneous catalyst. Up to 43 consecutive amination runs were possible in recycling experiments.
The First Lutetacyclopentadienes: Synthesis, Structure, and Diversified Insertion/CH Activation Reactivity
Authors: Xu Ling , Wang Yu‐Chen , Wei Junnian , Wang Yang , Wang Zitao , Zhang Wen‐Xiong , Xi Zhenfeng
Published: March 2015

The first well‐defined lutetacyclopentadienes are synthesised from pentamethylcyclopentadienyl lithium (Cp*Li), 1,4‐dilithio‐1,3‐butadienes, and LuCl3. The lutetacyclopentadiene shows excellent reactivity towards some small molecules, such as pivalaldehyde, Se, carbon dioxide, and isonitrile to efficiently construct 3‐, 5‐, 7‐, 8‐, and 9‐membered rare‐earth metallacycles. Both monoinsertion and double‐insertion of two LuC bonds are observed. Specially, the reaction between lutetacyclopentadiene and isonitrile afforded [3,5,5]‐fused metallacycles. The distinguished reactivity can be attributed to the highly ionic character and the cooperative reactivity of two LuC bonds.
Enhancing Phosphate Diester Cleavage by a Zinc Complex through Controlling Nucleophile Coordination
Authors: Tirel Emmanuel Y. , Williams Nicholas H.
Published: March 2015

Metal‐ion complexes are the most effective artificial catalysts capable of cleaving phosphate diesters under mild aqueous conditions. A central strategy for making these complexes highly reactive has been to use ligand‐based alcohols that are coordinated to the ion, providing an ionised nucleophile under neutral conditions but at the expense of deactivating it. We have created a highly reactive Zn complex that is 350‐fold more reactive than an alcohol analogue by preventing the nucleophile binding to the metal ion. This strategy successfully delivers the benefits of efficient nucleophile delivery without strongly deactivating the metal ion Lewis acidity nor the oxyanion nucleophilicity. Varying the leaving group reveals that the transition state of the reaction is much further advanced than the reaction with hydroxide.
Novel 1,4‐Substituted‐1,2,3‐Triazoles as Antitubercular Agents
Authors: Altimari Jarrad M. , Hockey Samantha C. , Boshoff Helena I. , Sajid Andaleeb , Henderson Luke C.
Published: March 2015

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a pressing unmet medical need, particularly with the emergence of multidrug‐resistant and extensively drug‐resistant tuberculosis. Here, a series of 1,4‐substituted‐1,2,3‐triazoles have been synthesized and evaluated as potential antitubercular agents. These compounds were assembled via click chemistry in high crude purity and in moderate to high yield. Of the compounds tested, 12 compounds showed promising antitubercular activity with six possessing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values <10 μg mL−1, and total selectivity for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) growth inhibition. A second set of 21 compounds bearing variations on ring C were synthesized and evaluated. This second library gave an additional six compounds displaying MIC values ≤10 μg mL−1 and total selectivity for Mtb growth inhibition. These compounds serve as an excellent starting point for further development of antitubercular therapies.
Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) Guidelines for CYP3A5 Genotype and Tacrolimus Dosing
Authors: Birdwell KA , Decker B , Barbarino JM , Peterson JF , Stein CM , Sadee W , Wang D , Vinks AA , He Y , Swen JJ , Leeder JS , van Schaik RHN , Thummel KE , Klein TE , Caudle KE , MacPhee IAM
Published: March 2015

Tacrolimus is the mainstay immunosuppressant drug used after solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Individuals who express CYP3A5 (extensive and intermediate metabolizers) generally have decreased dose‐adjusted trough concentrations of tacrolimus as compared with those who are CYP3A5 nonexpressers (poor metabolizers), possibly delaying achievement of target blood concentrations. We summarize evidence from the published literature supporting this association and provide dosing recommendations for tacrolimus based on CYP3A5 genotype when known (updates at www.pharmgkb.org).
Development of a cognitive testing apparatus for socially housed mother‐peer‐reared infant rhesus monkeys
Authors: Dettmer Amanda M. , Murphy Ashley M. , Suomi Stephen J.
Published: March 2015

Though cognitive testing of infant monkeys has been practiced for the past 40 years, these assessments have been limited primarily to nursery‐reared infants due to the confounds of separating mother‐reared infants for assessments. Here, we describe a pilot study in which we developed a cognitive testing apparatus for socially housed, mother‐peer‐reared rhesus macaques under 1 year of age (Macaca mulatta) that allowed the infants to freely return to their mothers for contact comfort. Infants aged 151.2 ± 18.3 days (mean ± SEM; n = 5) were trained and tested on an object detour reach task. Infants completed training in 5.0 ± 0.2 days, and completed testing in 6.2 ± 0.9 days. Across 4 days of testing, infants improved to nearly errorless performance (Friedman test: χ2 = 13.27, df = 3, p = 0.004) and learned to do the task more quickly (Friedman test: χ2 = 11.69, df = 3, p = 0.009). These are the first cognitive data in group‐housed, mother‐peer‐reared rhesus monkeys under 1 year of age, and they underscore the utility of this apparatus for studying cognitive development in a normative population of infant monkeys. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Dev Psychobiol :349–355, 2015.
Decreased Bdnf expression and reduced social behavior in periadolescent rats following prenatal stress
Authors: Berry Alessandra , Panetta Pamela , Luoni Alessia , Bellisario Veronica , Capoccia Sara , Riva Marco Andrea , Cirulli Francesca
Published: March 2015

Prenatal stress (PNS) is a risk factor for the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. This study was aimed at assessing, in a rodent model, changes in gene expression profiles and behavioral output as a result of PNS, during periadolescence, a critical developmental period for the onset of psychopathology. Social behavior was studied in a standardized social interaction paradigm and the expression of Brain‐Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf), a marker of neuronal plasticity, and of inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms (Na+–K+–2Cl−and K+–Cl− cotransporters ratio, NKCC1/KCC2) was analyzed. Results indicate that PNS reduced Bdnf transcripts while increasing the NKCC1/KCC2 ratio, primarily in the hippocampus. In the prefrontal cortex, changes in Bdnf were found to be gender‐dependent. These effects were accompanied by reduced levels of affiliative and investigative social behaviors. Interestingly, interaction with non‐stressed subjects was able to improve sociality in PNS rats suggesting that the social environment could be exploited for therapeutic intervention. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 57: 365–373, 2015.
“It takes two”: The interaction between parenting and child temperament on parents' stress physiology
Authors: Merwin Stephanie M. , Smith Victoria C. , Dougherty Lea R.
Published: March 2015

The biological basis of parenting has received recent attention given the profound effects of parenting on both child and parent health outcomes. This study examined the moderating role of child temperamental effortful control on the association between observed parental hostility and parents' cortisol awakening response (CAR), a critical index of stress system functioning. Participants included 149 parents and their preschool‐aged children. Parents obtained salivary cortisol samples at waking, and 30 and 45 min post‐waking across two consecutive days. Parental hostility was assessed during an observational parent–child interaction task, and child effortful control was assessed using parent report. Parental hostility was associated with parents' lower cortisol levels at 30 and 45 min post‐waking and lower CAR. Moreover, results demonstrated an interaction between parenting and child temperament on parent CAR. The findings highlight the need to examine the interplay between parenting and child temperament on parents' stress physiology. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 57: 336–348, 2015.
Neuronal plasticity in the mushroom body calyx during adult maturation in the honeybee and possible pheromonal influences
Authors: Muenz Thomas S. , Groh Claudia , Maisonnasse Alban , Le Conte Yves , Plettner Erika , Rössler Wolfgang
Published: March 2015

Honeybee workers express a pronounced age‐dependent polyethism switching from various indoor duties to foraging outside the hive. This transition is accompanied by tremendous changes in the sensory environment that sensory systems and higher brain centers have to cope with. Foraging and age have earlier been shown to be associated with volume changes in the mushroom bodies (MBs). Using age‐ and task‐controlled bees this study provides a detailed framework of neuronal maturation processes in the MB calyx during the course of natural behavioral maturation. We show that the MB calyx volume already increases during the first week of adult life. This process is mainly driven by broadening of the Kenyon cell dendritic branching pattern and then followed by pruning of projection neuron axonal boutons during the actual transition from indoor to outdoor duties. To further investigate the flexible regulation of division of labor and its neuronal correlates in a honeybee colony, we studied the modulation of the nurse‐forager transition via a chemical communication system, the primer pheromone ethyl oleate (EO). EO is found at high concentrations on foragers in contrast to nurse bees and was shown to delay the onset of foraging. In this study, EO effects on colony behavior were not as robust as expected, and we found no direct correlation between EO treatment and synaptic maturation in the MB calyx. In general, we assume that the primer pheromone EO rather acts in concert with other factors influencing the onset of foraging with its effect being highly adaptive. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 75: 1368–1384, 2015
MicroRNAs in the axon locally mediate the effects of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and cGMP on axonal growth
Authors: Zhang Yi , Chopp Michael , Liu Xian Shuang , Kassis Haifa , Wang Xinli , Li Chao , An Guangning , Zhang Zheng Gang
Published: March 2015

Axonal miRNAs locally regulate axonal growth by modulating local protein composition. Whether localized miRNAs in the axon mediate the inhibitory effect of Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) on the axon remains unknown. We showed that in cultured cortical neurons, axonal application of CSPGs inhibited axonal growth and altered axonal miRNA profiles, whereas elevation of axonal cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels by axonal application of sildenafil reversed the effect of CSPGs on inhibition of axonal growth and on miRNA profiles. Specifically, CSPGs elevated and reduced axonal levels of miR‐29c and integrin β1 (ITGB1) proteins, respectively, while elevation of cGMP levels overcame these CSPG effects. Gain‐of‐ and loss‐of‐function experiments demonstrated that miR‐29c in the distal axon mediates axonal growth downstream of CSPGs and cGMP by regulating axonal protein levels of ITGB1, FAK, and RhoA. Together, our data demonstrate that axonal miRNAs play an important role in mediating the inhibitory action of CSPGs on axonal growth and that miR‐29c at least partially mediates this process. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 75: 1402–1419, 2015
The effect of biogeographic and phylogeographic barriers on gene flow in the brown smoothhound shark, Mustelus henlei, in the northeastern Pacific
Authors: Chabot Chris L. , Espinoza Mario , Mascareñas‐Osorio Ismael , Rocha‐Olivares Axayácatl
Published: March 2015

We assessed the effects of the prominent biogeographic (Point Conception and the Peninsula of Baja California) and phylogeographic barriers (Los Angeles Region) of the northeastern Pacific on the population connectivity of the brown smoothhound shark, Mustelus henlei (Triakidae). Data from the mitochondrial control region and six nuclear microsatellite loci revealed significant population structure among three populations: northern (San Francisco), central (Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina, Punta Lobos, and San Felipe), and southern (Costa Rica). Patterns of long‐term and contemporary migration were incongruent, with long‐term migration being asymmetric and occurring in a north to south direction and a lack of significant contemporary migration observed between localities with the exception of Punta Lobos that contributed migrants to all localities within the central population. Our findings indicate that Point Conception may be restricting gene flow between the northern and central populations whereas barriers to gene flow within the central population would seem to be ineffective; additionally, a contemporary expansion of tropical M. henlei into subtropical and temperate waters may have been observed.
Sensing of Audience Excitation and Boredom Emotion Based on the Synchrony of Sitting Body Sway
Authors: WATAYA RYO , IWAI DAISUKE , SATO KOUSUKE
Published: March 2015

More and more recent studies of emotion estimation have taken the approach of ambient sensing, where users are monitored without constraining their bodies and without being aware of the sensing system. Few of them, however, focus on audience emotions. We attempted to examine audience emotions, which are difficult to estimate when using only individual data, and which come to be estimated more easily when using ambient sensing of synchrony among multiple users. We developed an ambient sensing chair, which employs wireless sensors to determine the center of force of the seated user, and designed an experiment for an audience watching a soccer game on TV or a technical presentation in order to examine the relationship between audience body sway and emotional states in a natural situation. We found that synchrony could be well correlated with audience excitement and boredom, something not observable in the individual data. These results indicate the possibility of development of service marketing systems that evaluate TV content, and feedback systems that give notice of the emotional state of an audience to a presenter.
Development of a One‐Dimensional Fluxgate Array and Its Application to Magnetocardiogram Measurements
Authors: HARADA SHOUMU , SASADA ICHIRO , HANG FENG
Published: March 2015

We have designed an excitation part of the driving circuit of the fundamental mode orthogonal fluxgate (FG) to avoid an interference problem between fluxgates that may occur when individually operating fluxgates are placed closely. In this new design, three sensor heads are driven by a common excitation current while their outputs are processed separately to yield their own outputs. With magnetometers of this design, we have built a 6‐channel FG array of a linear arrangement with the spacing of 3 cm, as a step to a 6 × 6 fluxgate array. The excitation frequency was shared by two excitation circuits, each of which provides a set of three sensor heads with the excitation current. A magnetocardiogram (MCG) was measured with the 6‐channel FG array by repeatedly sliding the top plate of a bed carrying a healthy volunteer by 3 cm. The distribution of the QRS complex observed on a 5 × 6 of array measurement points resembles with that observed by a SQUID MCG measurement system.
Rare‐Earth Plasma Beyond Extreme Ultraviolet (BEUV) Sources at 6.x nm
Authors: OTSUKA TAKAMITSU , HIGASHIGUCHI TAKESHI , YUGAMI NOBORU
Published: March 2015

We have studied self‐absorption effects of a laser‐produced plasma (LPP) source at 6.x nm as a function of laser pulse duration and viewing angle. The spectral profiles are shown to have a strong dependence on the viewing angle. Absorption effects are less pronounced when a 150‐ps pulse duration is used due to reduced opacity resulting from plasma expansion. Conversion efficiencies and ion energies are also measured as a function of laser pulse duration and laser power density. A maximum conversion efficiency of 0.4% within a 0.6% bandwidth was measured, and lower ion kinetic energy was observed. It is concluded that in order to reduce self‐absorption effects and ion yields, and increase conversion efficiencies, a short pulse duration should be used.
Molecular Rectangles with Rod‐Shaped Disulfonic Acids
Authors: Zitzer Christina , Muesmann Thomas W. T. , Hunfeld Karina , Christoffers Jens , Wickleder Mathias S.
Published: March 2015

Polysulfonic acids and their compounds have been scarcely investigated, despite the huge knowledge that we have of the respective polycarboxylic acids and polycarboxylates. This is because of the limited availability of polysulfonic acids, for which reliable synthetic protocols are often lacking. Here, we present the first compound of the recently reported disulfonic acid 1,4‐bis(4‐sulfophenyl)butadiyne (H2DPBDS) prepared in our groups and a new compound of the commercially available 4,4′‐biphenyldisulfonic acid (H2BPDS). The zinc sulfonates [Zn2(BPDS)2(NMP)6]·2NMP [I, NMP = N‐methylpyrrolidone; triclinic, P$\bar {1}$, Z = 2, a = 972.8(2), b = 981.5(2), c = 1915.2(2) pm, α = 87.73(3)°, β = 77.68(3)°, γ = 89.36(3)°, V = 1785.0(6) Å3] and [Zn2(DPBDS)2(DMA)6]·2DMA [II, DMA = dimethylacetamide; triclinic, P$\bar {1}$, Z = 2, a = 973.79(2), b = 1347.53(2), c = 1411.08(2) pm, α = 110.531(1)°, β = 92.445(1)°, γ = 101.931(1)° V = 1683.11(5) Å3] display rigid molecular rectangles constructed from two zinc atoms and two sulfonate ligands. The rectangles are assembled through weak interactions to form soft host lattices that incorporate the solvent DMA or NMP molecules, partly through Zn2+ coordination. Thermal analysis shows that the solvent molecules can be completely removed without decomposition of the coordination polymers.
Electrochemical Sensing Performances for Uric Acid Detection on Various Amine Adlayers Used in Immobilizing Reduced Graphene Oxide
Authors: Park Sumi , Hwang Shinjae , Takenaka Shigeori , Kim Kyuwon
Published: March 2015

We investigated an influence of amine adlayer on electrochemical sensing performances for uric acid detection on reduced graphene oxide (RGO)‐decorated indium‐tin oxide electrode surfaces. Various amine‐terminated molecules including aminoethyl aryldiazonium cation, 2,2′‐(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine), 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane, polyethyleneimine were introduced as adlayers to electrostatically immobilize RGO on the electrode surfaces. The anodic oxidation current of uric acid was observed on the various surfaces with differential pulse voltammetry. The current was highly enhanced by electrocatalytic activity of RGO. The sensing performances including linearity, sensitivity, limit of detection, and correlation coefficient were measured and compared. The adlayer with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane showed the best performances on the RGO‐modified surface.
Genomic instability: Crossing pathways at the origin of structural and numerical chromosome changes
Authors: Russo Antonella , Pacchierotti Francesca , Cimini Daniela , Ganem Neil J. , Genescà Anna , Natarajan Adayapalam T. , Pavanello Sofia , Valle Giorgio , Degrassi Francesca
Published: March 2015

Genomic instability leads to a wide spectrum of genetic changes, including single nucleotide mutations, structural chromosome alterations, and numerical chromosome changes. The accepted view on how these events are generated predicts that separate cellular mechanisms and genetic events explain the occurrence of these types of genetic variation. Recently, new findings have shed light on the complexity of the mechanisms leading to structural and numerical chromosome aberrations, their intertwining pathways, and their dynamic evolution, in somatic as well as in germ cells. In this review, we present a critical analysis of these recent discoveries in this area, with the aim to contribute to a deeper knowledge of the molecular networks leading to adverse outcomes in humans following exposure to environmental factors. The review illustrates how several technological advances, including DNA sequencing methods, bioinformatics, and live‐cell imaging approaches, have contributed to produce a renewed concept of the mechanisms causing genomic instability. Special attention is also given to the specific pathways causing genomic instability in mammalian germ cells. Remarkably, the same scenario emerged from some pioneering studies published in the 1980s to 1990s, when the evolution of polyploidy, the chromosomal effects of spindle poisons, the fate of micronuclei, were intuitively proposed to share mechanisms and pathways. Thus, an old working hypothesis has eventually found proper validation. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 56:563–580, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
High‐order implicit Runge–Kutta time integrators for fluid‐structure interactions
Authors: Cori Jean‐François , Etienne Stephane , Garon Andre , Pelletier Dominique
Published: March 2015

This paper presents an approach to develop high‐order, temporally accurate, finite element approximations of fluid‐structure interaction (FSI) problems. The proposed numerical method uses an implicit monolithic formulation in which the same implicit Runge–Kutta (IRK) temporal integrator is used for the incompressible flow, the structural equations undergoing large displacements, and the coupling terms at the fluid‐solid interface. In this context of stiff interaction problems, the fully implicit one‐step approach presented is an original alternative to traditional multistep or explicit one‐step finite element approaches. The numerical scheme takes advantage of an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian formulation of the equations designed to satisfy the geometric conservation law and to guarantee that the high‐order temporal accuracy of the IRK time integrators observed on fixed meshes is preserved on arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian deforming meshes. A thorough review of the literature reveals that in most previous works, high‐order time accuracy (higher than second order) is seldom achieved for FSI problems. We present thorough time‐step refinement studies for a rigid oscillating‐airfoil on deforming meshes to confirm the time accuracy on the extracted aerodynamics reactions of IRK time integrators up to fifth order. Efficiency of the proposed approach is then tested on a stiff FSI problem of flow‐induced vibrations of a flexible strip. The time‐step refinement studies indicate the following: stability of the proposed approach is always observed even with large time step and spurious oscillations on the structure are avoided without added damping. While higher order IRK schemes require more memory than classical schemes (implicit Euler), they are faster for a given level of temporal accuracy in two dimensions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effects of Margin Changes on the Composition of Traders and Market Liquidity: Evidence from the Taiwan Futures Exchange
Authors: Chou Robin K. , Wang George H. K. , Wang Yun‐Yi
Published: March 2015

We examine the effects of margin changes on futures trading activity, the composition of traders, and market liquidity using an account‐level data set from the Taiwan Futures Exchange. We find that margin increases reduce trading activity for all trader types, which indicates that higher margins increase trading costs. Institutional trading is more sensitive to changes in margin requirements than individual traders. This, in turn, leads to increases in market price volatility and decreases in market liquidity. These results imply that margin requirements are not an effective policy tool for limiting the trading activity of noise speculators to reduce market volatility. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 35:894–915, 2015