bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of bone marrow adipocytes on osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation
Authors: Muruganandan Shanmugam , Sinal Christopher J.
Published: March 2014

Throughout life, bone is constantly remodeled through the complementary processes of bone resorption and bone formation. Highly coordinated regulation of these activities is essential for maintaining consistent bone quality and quantity. Normally, the development and function of bone‐forming (osteoblast) and bone‐resorbing (osteoclast) cells are tightly regulated by signaling molecules secreted by these two cell types. Within the bone marrow microenvironment, osteoblasts arise from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are in close contact with the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) precursors that differentiate into mature osteoclasts. Signaling molecules secreted by osteoblasts (e.g., receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand and osteoprotegerin) and osteoclasts (e.g., bone morphogenetic protein 6, wingless‐type MMTV integration site family member 10B, sphingosine‐1‐phosphate, and ephrin‐B2) play a key role in bone remodeling by guiding the differentiation, localization, and function of bone cells. In addition to osteoblasts, bone marrow MSCs can also differentiate into adipocytes that affect bone remodeling by competitively suppressing intracellular osteogenic signals, including runt‐related transcription factor 2, osterix, and beta‐catenin, while simultaneously promoting the secretion of adipogenic signaling molecules such as leptin, adiponectin, chemerin, omentin‐1, resistin, and visfatin. Secreted adipogenic factors have also been shown to affect the osteoclastogenic differentiation of HSCs. Herein, we discuss the impact of bone marrow adipocytes on the coupling of osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation, and the relevance to bone‐loss disorders such as osteoporosis. © 2014 IUBMB Life, 66(3):147–155, 2014
ST‐analyzer: A web‐based user interface for simulation trajectory analysis
Authors: Jeong Jong Cheol , Jo Sunhwan , Wu Emilia L. , Qi Yifei , Monje‐Galvan Viviana , Yeom Min Sun , Gorenstein Lev , Chen Feng , Klauda Jeffery B. , Im Wonpil
Published: March 2014

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation has become one of the key tools to obtain deeper insights into biological systems using various levels of descriptions such as all‐atom, united‐atom, and coarse‐grained models. Recent advances in computing resources and MD programs have significantly accelerated the simulation time and thus increased the amount of trajectory data. Although many laboratories routinely perform MD simulations, analyzing MD trajectories is still time consuming and often a difficult task. ST‐analyzer, http://im.bioinformatics.ku.edu/st‐analyzer, is a standalone graphical user interface (GUI) toolset to perform various trajectory analyses. ST‐analyzer has several outstanding features compared to other existing analysis tools: (i) handling various formats of trajectory files from MD programs, such as CHARMM, NAMD, GROMACS, and Amber, (ii) intuitive web‐based GUI environment—minimizing administrative load and reducing burdens on the user from adapting new software environments, (iii) platform independent design—working with any existing operating system, (iv) easy integration into job queuing systems—providing options of batch processing either on the cluster or in an interactive mode, and (v) providing independence between foreground GUI and background modules—making it easier to add personal modules or to recycle/integrate pre‐existing scripts utilizing other analysis tools. The current ST‐analyzer contains nine main analysis modules that together contain 18 options, including density profile, lipid deuterium order parameters, surface area per lipid, and membrane hydrophobic thickness. This article introduces ST‐analyzer with its design, implementation, and features, and also illustrates practical analysis of lipid bilayer simulations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cytotoxicity of Imidazole Ionic Liquids in Human Lung Carcinoma A549 Cell Line
Authors: Chen Hsiu‐Liang , Kao Hui‐Fang , Wang Jiu‐Yao , Wei Guor‐Tzo
Published: March 2014

Due to the unique property of ionic liquids (ILs), they have become attractive media for various types of chemical processes recently. ILs have become one of the hottest areas in chemistry recently. It is necessary to have a good understanding of the toxicity and environmental impact of ILs before employing them in industry on a larger scale. To enlarge the limited knowledge regarding the potential risk posed by ILs to the environment and the public, the cytotoxicities of 21 imidazole ILs were evaluated by sensitive colorimetric assay with Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8), WST‐8 2‐(2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐phenyl)‐3‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐5‐(2,4‐disulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium monosodium salt) in human lung carcinoma A549 cell line. The data indicated that the toxicity of 1‐alkyl‐3‐methylimidazolium entities was dominated by the side chain length, with the longer alkyl chain of the compound having a higher toxicity. Similar results were also found for the 1‐vinylimidazole cation. At the same time, the toxicity of 1‐alkyl‐3‐methylimidazolium and 1‐vinylimidazole ionic liquid also depends on the associated anion species. The EC50 values are largest for tetrafluoroborate, whereas bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide results in the lowest EC50 value.
Block copolymers as sequestering phases in two‐phase biotransformations: effect of constituent homopolymer properties on solute affinity
Authors: Dafoe Julian T. , Parent J. Scott , Daugulis Andrew J.
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

Block copolymers can be effective extractants in solid–liquid two‐phase partitioning bioreactors (TPPBs) when selected on the basis of their partition coefficient toward target solutes, and their thermo‐mechanical properties. A series of Pebax® block copolymers, containing varying proportions of soft poly(tetramethylene oxide) and hard poly(amide‐12), was evaluated to determine the effect of hard segment proportion on solute affinity toward two biotransformation target molecules, carveol and carvone. Subsequently, representative homopolymers comprising the copolymers' soft segment were examined individually for the effects of molecular weight, crystallinity, and polymer end group polarity on affinity.

RESULTS

Partition coefficients decreased with greater proportions of copolymer hard segments and homopolymer crystallinity, both of which act as non‐absorptive domains, but which impart mechanical strength to the polymer. Partition coefficients increased with decreasing homopolymer molecular weight, which was ascribed to increased entropy of mixing. Hydroxyl vs. ether end group functionality had a variable effect on the partitioning of polar and non‐polar solutes, providing a basis for the rational design of selective oligomeric absorbents.

CONCLUSION

Block copolymers can provide an attractive, low‐cost option for polymeric sequestering phases in TPPBs, but commercial grades of these materials are not optimized for these applications. TPPB performance can be improved by selecting/fabricating polymers that minimize the molecular weight of the soft component, the proportion of hard segment, and by considering the effects of end group composition. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Efficient One‐Pot Syntheses of 7‐Alkyl‐6H,7H‐naphtho[1,2:5,6]pyrano‐[3,2‐c]chromen‐6‐ones by 1‐Methyl‐3‐(2‐(sulfooxy)ethyl)‐1H‐imidazol‐3‐ium Chloride
Authors: Wan Yu , Wang Chao , Wang Hai‐ying , Zhao Ling‐ling , Zhang Xiao‐xiao , Shi Jing‐jing , Huang Shu‐ying , Liu Gui‐Xiang , Wu Hui
Published: March 2014

An efficient synthesis of 7‐alkyl‐6H,7H‐naphtho‐[10,20:5,6]pyrano[3,2‐c]chromen‐6‐ones by three‐component condensation reaction of β‐naphthol, aromatic aldehydes, and 4‐hydroxycoumarin catalyzed by 1‐methyl‐3‐(2‐(sulfooxy)ethyl)‐1H‐imidazol‐3‐ium chloride is reported in good to excellent yields and short reaction times.
Efficient Synthesis and Antibacterial Activities of Some Novel 1,2,3‐Triazoles Prepared from Propargylic Alcohols and Benzyl Azides
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Rahman , Abolfazli Mohammadreza Khadem , Mohseni Mojtaba , Mohadjerani Maryam , Lasemi Zahra
Published: March 2014

A simple and effective procedure for regioselective preparation of 1,2,3‐triazoles from benzyl azides and propargylic alcohols is described using CuSO4.5H2O and sodium ascorbate. To screen the antibacterial activity of some newly synthesized triazole derivatives, minimum inhibitory concentration of 3d and 3k was evaluated against gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and gram negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Microwave‐Assisted One‐Pot Synthesis of Substituted 3‐Bromoimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines and Imidazoheterocycles
Authors: Patil Shashikant M. , Mascarenhas Malcolm , Sharma Rajiv , Mohana Roopan S. , Roychowdhury Abhijit
Published: March 2014

Herein, an efficient, one‐pot microwave‐assisted synthesis of a diverse set of 3‐bromoimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines is being reported with good yields (40–85%). The method involves electrophilic aromatic bromination using bromodimethylsulfonium ion generated in situ via oxidation of HBr salt by DMSO. This methodology was also applied to the synthesis of related imidazoheterocycles. Copyright © 2014 HeteroCorporation
Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation of Bis‐intercalators with Varied Linkers between Aminochloropyrimidine Rings
Authors: Zhao Y. , McCarthy P. J. , Párkányi C.
Published: March 2014

The synthesis of two groups of aminochloropyrimidine bis‐intercalators with different lipophilicity or limited flexibility of linkers as potential DNA intercalators is described. The lipophilic linkers in the synthesized bis‐intercalators are represented by alternating methylene groups and oxygen atoms in a chain, with a pyrimidine ring containing an amino group and a chloro group at each end (10, 11, 12, 13). The bis‐intercalators with limited flexibility contain chains with two benzene rings (15, 16, 17, 18, 19). All these compounds were obtained by nucleophilic substitution of 2‐amino‐4,6‐dichloropyrimidine (1). The spectral data and other physical properties of the new compounds are presented. The anticancer activity of these newly synthesized compounds is also reported. Compounds 7 and 8 described in one of our previous publications display good anticancer activity against murine lymphoma.
Synthesis of Pyrido[2′,3′: 3,4]pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine, Pyrido[2′,3′:3,4]pyrazolo[5,1‐c][1,2,4]triazine, and Pyrazolyl Oxadiazolylthieno[2,3‐b]pyridine Derivatives
Authors: Rateb Nora M.
Published: March 2014

6‐(2‐Thienyl)‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)‐1H‐pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine‐3‐amine reacted with different active methylene compounds to afford pyridopyrazolopyrimidine derivatives. On the other hand, it reacted with some halo compounds to give the imidazo[1′,2′:1,5]pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine derivatives. Also, it diazotized to give the corresponding diazonium chloride that is coupled with several active methylene compounds to give the corresponding triazine derivatives. Furthermore, compound 3‐amino‐6‐(2(thienyl)‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)thieno[2,3‐b]pyridine‐2‐carbohydrazide reacted with some β‐dicarbonyl compounds and some sulfur‐containing compounds to afford the corresponding pyrazolyl oxadiazolylthieno[2,3‐b]pyridine derivatives.
A Selective Method for the Synthesis of N,N’‐diarylbenzene‐1,4‐diamine and Dispirocyclic Quinazolinone Derivatives Catalyzed by Iodine
Authors: Zhang Mei‐Mei , Lu Lian , Wang Xiang‐Shan
Published: March 2014

The same iodine‐catalyzed reaction of 2‐aminobenzamides with cyclohexane‐1,4‐dione in THF, selectively gives N,N’‐diarylbenzene‐1,4‐diamine and dispirocyclic quinazolinone derivatives. The former or latter depends on the 2‐aminobenzamides.
Studies on Synthesis of Novel Triazole Tagged Pyrazole Fused Naphthalene 5‐Thiazine‐5,5‐dioxide Derivatives, Their Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Malla Reddy G. , Nagender P. , Naresh Kumar R. , Ahn J. H. , Pranay Kumar K. , Kanugula A. K. R. , Rama Krishna K. V. S. , Kotamraju S. , Narsaiah B.
Published: March 2014

A series of novel triazole tagged pyrazole fused naphthalene‐5‐thiazine‐5,5‐dioxide derivatives 8 and 9 were synthesized starting from sodium salt of saccharin 1. The structure of each intermediate and products was established on the basis of spectroscopy data. All the synthesized compounds 8 and 9 were screened against various bacterial and fungal strains but found to show no activity up to 150‐µg/mL concentration. Further screening for antioxidant property resulted promising compounds.
Container Systems II: An Experimental Study of the High‐Pressure Intramolecular Cycloaddition of Tethered Furans and Anthracenes onto Norbornane Cyclobutene‐1,2‐diesters
Authors: Margetić Davor , Warrener Ronald N.
Published: March 2014

A new class of container molecules is described and the first steps in producing protypes are reported. Central to the approach is the formation of polynorbornanes with cyclobutene‐1,2‐difurfuryl esters at the terminus or similar functionality at the bridgehead of a central norbornane subunit. The synthesis of the furfuryl starting materials is described as well as their anthracenyl counterparts. Conversion to the container systems involved the intermolecular linking of the furfuryl or anthracene by treatment with dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD) in a Diels–Alder (DA) protocol under thermal or high‐pressure (HP) conditions. In practice, no intermolecular linking occurred between the norbornane substrates and only products from DA 1:1‐addition with DMAD were produced. Intramolecular addition of one of the furfuryl units onto the cyclobutene π‐bond was detected under HP conditions, and this intermolecular product was capable of isolation and characterization by working at room temperature or below, but reverted to starting material above room temperature. When conducted in the presence of DMAD, a single 1:1‐adduct was obtained in which one furfuryl moiety was intramolecularly cyclized and the other present as the DMAD adduct; again this product underwent retro‐DA reaction at 40°C. Similar intermolecular cyclization was observed with the bis‐anthracenyl esters. The stereoselectivity of the intermolecular attack of the furfuryl diene with the dienophilic cyclobutene gave a single adduct by endo‐face attack in which the oxa‐bridge is endo‐positioned. Quantum chemical DFT calculations (B3LYP) predict that the formation of the endo‐isomer is kinetically favored and that relief of ring strain enhances the rate of retro‐Diels–Alder in the tethered system.
An Efficient Synthesis of Isoxazoles and Pyrazoles under Ultrasound Irradiation
Authors: Huang Zhi‐Bin , Li Li‐Li , Zhao Yan‐Wei , Wang Hui‐Yuan , Shi Da‐Qing
Published: March 2014

A series of 5‐arylisoxazole and 5‐aryl‐1H‐pyrazole derivatives was synthesized by the reaction of 3‐(dimethylamino)‐1‐arylprop‐2‐en‐1‐one with hydroxylamine hydrochloride or hydrazine hydrate under ultrasound irradiation without using any catalyst. This method has the advantages of easier work‐up, mild reaction condition, high yields, shorter reaction time, and environmentally benign procedure.
Biofortification of soybean sprouts with zinc and bioaccessibility of zinc in the sprouts
Authors: Zou Tao , Xu Na , Hu Guanglin , Pang Jinwei , Xu Hangdan
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

Soybean sprouts are a very popular vegetable in Southeast Asian countries and regions. Zinc‐rich soybean sprouts can help to improve Zn deficiency in humans. The aim of this study was to prepare Zn‐enriched soybean sprouts through agronomic biofortification (germination with ZnSO4 solution) in order to provide consumers with a dietary material for Zn supplementation.

RESULTS

A suitable Zn concentration in ZnSO4 solution used for cultivation of Zn‐enriched soybean sprouts was found to be less than or equal to 20 µg mL−1. Upon biofortification with 10 and 20 µg Zn mL−1 ZnSO4 solutions, Zn content (102 and 163 vs 32 mg kg−1 dry weight (DW)), bioaccessible Zn content (3.86 and 8.53 vs 1.11 mg kg−1 DW) and Zn bioaccessibility (3.8 and 5.2 vs 3.5%) in edible portions of Zn‐enriched soybean sprouts were significantly enhanced compared with those of water‐germinated soybean sprouts. Meanwhile, no significant differences were observed in Fe, Mn and Cu contents of edible portions of soybean sprouts between ZnSO4 solution and water germinations, although soaking leakages of minerals (Fe, Mn and Cu) from soybean seeds to steeping media occurred to some degree.

CONCLUSION

Soybean sprouts biofortified with ZnSO4 solution at 10 or 20 µg Zn mL−1 contained appreciable quantities of Zn and had good Zn bioaccessibility, indicating that Zn‐enriched soybean sprouts may serve as a suitable dietary Zn source to improve the Zn intake of Zn‐deficient populations. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
PTSD Symptoms and Pain in Canadian Military Veterans: The Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Depression, and Alcohol Use
Authors: Irwin Kara C. , Konnert Candace , Wong May , O'Neill Thomas A.
Published: March 2014

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and pain are often comorbid among veterans. The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent symptoms of anxiety, depression, and alcohol use mediated the relationship between PTSD symptoms and pain among 113 treated male Canadian veterans. Measures of PTSD, pain, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and alcohol use were collected as part of the initial assessment. The bootstrapped resampling analyses were consistent with the hypothesis of mediation for anxiety and depression, but not alcohol use. The confidence intervals did not include zero and the indirect effect of PTSD on pain through anxiety was .04, CI [.03, .07]. The indirect effect of PTSD on pain through depression was .04, CI [.02, .07]. These findings suggest that PTSD and pain symptoms among veterans may be related through the underlying symptoms of anxiety and depression, thus emphasizing the importance of targeting anxiety and depression symptoms when treating comorbid PTSD and pain patients.
Leading for the Long Future
Authors: Goleman Daniel
Published: March 2014

Leaders with courage and foresight, Goleman contends, make decisions “with the long horizon in mind.” This requires consideration of such areas as public health and safety, the environment, and the common good. And the horizon can stretch to a century or even 500 years. “Reinventing business for the long future,” he writes, “could mean finding shared values supported by all stakeholders, from stock owners to employees and customers to communities where a company operates—to generations as yet unborn.” On an individual level, Goleman cites Jefferson, Lincoln, Gandhi, Mandela, Buddha, and Jesus as those leaving legacies far into the future.
What's Your Ripple Effect?
Authors: Jen Su Amy , Maignan Wilkins Muriel
Published: March 2014

Leaders must recognize the “ripple effect” of what they say and do each day. Su and Wilkins contend that “the more senior you are, the more visible you are, and the higher your performance, the greater the impact of your ripple and the wake that you leave.” Pay attention to such techniques as framing, stories, analogies or metaphors, and bridging (using language that shows you are aware of what people care about, and that you can link their day‐to‐day work with the big picture). In addition, be serious about genuine “open door policies,” as well as 360‐degree feedback on yourself.
Creative Leadership
Authors: Miguel Messianu Luis
Published: March 2014

Messianu describes himself as a “writer by conviction and a brand builder by definition, and I am a passionate believer that creativity is the most powerful force in business.” His field is advertising, but his core leadership principles apply across the board, such as establishing a vision, leading by example, empowering your people, recognizing that you are not perfect, staying current, staying humble, and giving back to your industry and community. Successful leaders are driven by high‐level passions and goals, and his is to elevate the image of Hispanics in the United States, particularly in the advertising world.
High‐order asymptotics for the electromagnetic scattering by thin periodic layers
Authors: Delourme Bérangère
Published: March 2014

This work deals with the scattering of electromagnetic waves by a thin periodic layer made of an array of regularly spaced obstacles. The size of the obstacles and the spacing between two consecutive ones are of the same order δ, which is much smaller than the wavelength of the incident wave. We provide a complete description of the asymptotic behavior of the solution with respect to the small parameter δ: we use a method that combines matched asymptotic expansions and homogenization techniques. We pay particular attention to the construction of the near‐field terms. Indeed, they satisfy electrostatic problems posed in an infinite 3D strip, which require a careful analysis. Error estimates are carried out to justify the accuracy of our expansion. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
G1 fitting with clothoids
Authors: Bertolazzi Enrico , Frego Marco
Published: March 2014

A new algorithm for the solution to the problem of Hermite G1 interpolation with a clothoid curve is herein proposed, that is, a clothoid that interpolates two given points in a plane with assigned unit tangent vectors. The interpolation problem is formulated as a system of three nonlinear equations with multiple solutions, which is difficult to solve even numerically. In this work the solution of this system is reduced to the computation of the zeros of only one single nonlinear function in one variable. The location of the relevant zero is tackled analytically: it is provided the interval containing the zero where the solution is proved to exist and to be unique. A simple guess function allows to find that zero with very few iterations in all of the possible instances. Computing clothoid curves calls for evaluating Fresnel‐related integrals, asymptotic expansions near critical values are herein conceived to avoid loss of precision. This is particularly important when the solution of the interpolation problem is close to a straight line or an arc of circle. The present algorithm is shown to be simple and compact. The comparison with literature algorithms proves that the present algorithm converges more quickly and accuracy is conserved in all of the possible instances, whereas other algorithms have a loss of accuracy near the transition zones. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Admissible frequency domain response functions of dielectrics
Authors: Caputo Michele , Fabrizio Mauro
Published: March 2014

Few empirical formulae produced to represent the complex dielectric constant in the frequency domain are discussed here from the view point of the possibility of their representation in the time domain. Because a generic function of the frequency does not necessarily admit an inverse Fourier transform, it is not always possible to obtain the corresponding time domain representation of the constant defined in the time frequency. With the use of the fractional derivatives, we introduce a tentative model of the dielectric constant including a linear term, the complex dielectric constant with its loss, and the loss of the direct current electrical conductivity. With appropriate values of the parameters, the system reproduces in the frequency domain the K. Cole and R. Cole model, without the contribution of the loss of the direct current electrical conductivity, which is studied by an autonomous constitutive equation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonclassical diffusion with memory
Authors: Conti Monica , Marchini Elsa M. , Pata Vittorino
Published: March 2014

We consider the nonclassical diffusion equation with hereditary memory
urn:x-wiley:1704214:media:mma3120:mma3120-math-0001
on a bounded three‐dimensional domain. Setting the problem in the past history framework, and with very general assumptions on the memory kernel κ, we prove that the related solution semigroup possesses a global attractor of optimal regularity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimized three‐dimensional sodium imaging of the human heart on a clinical 3T scanner
Authors: Gai Neville D. , Rochitte Carlos , Nacif Marcelo S. , Bluemke David A.
Published: March 2014

Purpose

Optimization of sequence and sequence parameters to allow three‐dimensional (3D) sodium imaging of the entire human heart in vivo in a clinically reasonable time.

Theory and Methods

A stack of spirals pulse sequence was optimized for cardiac imaging by considering factors such as spoiling, nutation angles, repetition time, echo time, T1/T2 relaxation, off‐resonance, data acquisition window, motion, and segmented k‐space acquisition. Simulations based on Bloch equations as well as the exact trajectory used for data acquisition provided the basis for choice of parameter combinations for sodium imaging. Sodium phantom scanning was used to validate the choice of parameters and for corroboration with simulations. In vivo cardiac imaging in six volunteers was also performed with an optimized sequence.

Results

Phantom studies showed good correlation with simulation results. Images obtained from human volunteers showed that the heart can be imaged with a nominal resolution of 5 × 5 × 10 mm3 and with a signal‐to‐noise ratio >15 (in the septum) in about 6–10 minutes. Long axis views of the reformatted human heart show true 3D imaging capability.

Conclusion

Optimization of the sequence and its parameters allowed in vivo 3D sodium imaging of the entire human heart in a clinically reasonable time. Magn Reson Med 73:623–632, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lipid elimination with an echo‐shifting N/2‐ghost acquisition (LEENA) MRI
Authors: Lu Lan , Donnola Shannon B. , Koontz Michaela , Griswold Mark A. , Duerk Jeffrey L. , Flask Chris A.
Published: March 2014

Purpose

The Dixon techniques provide uniform water‐fat separation but require multiple image sets, which extend the overall acquisition time. Here, an alternative rapid single acquisition method, lipid elimination with an echo‐shifting N/2‐ghost acquisition (LEENA), was introduced.

Methods

The LEENA method utilized a fast imaging with steady‐state free precession sequence to obtain a single k‐space dataset in which successive k‐space lines are acquired to allow the fat magnetization to precess 180°. The LEENA data were then unghosted using either image‐domain (LEENA‐S) or k‐space domain (LEENA‐G) parallel imaging techniques to reconstruct water‐only and fat‐only images. An off‐resonance correction technique was incorporated to improve the uniformity of the water‐fat separation.

Results

Uniform water‐fat separation was achieved for both the LEENA‐S and LEENA‐G methods for phantom and human body and leg imaging applications at 1.5T and 3T. The resultant water and fat images were qualitatively similar to conventional 2‐point Dixon and fat‐suppressed images.

Conclusion

The LEENA‐S and LEENA‐G methods provide uniform water and fat images from a single MRI acquisition. These straightforward methods can be adapted to 1.5T and 3T clinical MRI scanners and provide comparable fat/water separation with conventional 2‐point Dixon and fat‐suppression techniques. Magn Reson Med 73:711–717, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nonconforming finite element approximation of time‐dependent Maxwell's equations in Debye medium
Authors: Shi Dongyang , Yao Changhui
Published: March 2014

In this article, a new nonconforming mixed finite element method (FEM) for approximating the Maxwell's equations with Debye medium in three‐dimension are developed. By employing traditional variational formula, without adding “stability” or “penalty” terms, we show that the discrete scheme is robust. With the help of the element's typical properties, interpolation and derivative transfer skills, the convergence analysis is presented and error estimates for semidiscrete and leap‐frog fully‐discrete schemes are obtained, respectively. Numerical example shows the validity of the proposed method. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 1654–1673, 2014
Relation between PVM schemes and simple Riemann solvers
Authors: Morales de Luna Tomás , Castro Díaz Manuel J. , Parés Carlos
Published: March 2014

Approximate Riemann solvers (ARS) and polynomial viscosity matrix (PVM) methods constitute two general frameworks to derive numerical schemes for hyperbolic systems of Partial Differential Equations (PDE's). In this work, the relation between these two frameworks is analyzed: we show that every PVM method can be interpreted in terms of an approximate Riemann solver provided that it is based on a polynomial that interpolates the absolute value function at some points. Furthermore, the converse is true provided that the ARS satisfies a technical property to be specified. Besides its theoretical interest, this relation provides a useful tool to investigate the properties of some well‐known numerical methods that are particular cases of PVM methods, as the analysis of some properties is easier for ARS methods. We illustrate this usefulness by analyzing the positivity‐preservation property of some well‐known numerical methods for the shallow water system. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 1315–1341, 2014
Thermally stable electromagnetic interference shielding material from polysulfone nanocomposites: Comparison on carbon nanotube and nanofiber reinforcement
Authors: Nayak Lalatendu , Pradhan Ranjan R. , Khastgir Dipak , Chaki Tapan K.
Published: March 2014

The present investigation aims to develop thermally stable electromagnetic interference shielding materials from polysulfone (PSU) nanocomposites filled with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) or carbon nanofibers (CNF). The effect of filler type and their structural features such as aspect ratio (length/diameter) and wall integrity on the different properties of nanocomposites has been investigated. Nanocomposite filled with MWCNT/CNF exhibits higher thermal stability compared with the neat PSU matrix. The onset degradation temperature of PSU at 532°C enhances to 537 and 538°C at 3 wt% MWCNT and 3 wt% CNF loading, respectively. CNFs filled nanocomposite shows higher electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMISE) compared with MWCNT filled one at the same filler loading. Compared with MWCNT, CNF imparts lower electrical percolation threshold. Nanocomposite filled with MWCNTs possesses percolation threshold at 1.5 wt%, whereas nanocomposite filled with CNFs possesses the same at 0.9 wt%. The EMISE of 20–45 dB are obtained from only 1 mm thick CNF filled nanocomposites from the filler loading 3 to 10 wt%. This value of EMISE above 40 dB suggests that the prepared nanocomposite can be used as an effective lightweight EMI shielding material for high frequency (8.2–12.4 GHz) applications, where high thermal stability is required. POLYM. COMPOS. 36:566–575, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Project Management–Related Software Systems and Their Legal Protection: Emergence, Distribution, and Relevance of Business Method Patents
Authors: Niemann Helen , Moehrle Martin G. , Meyer Mey Mark
Published: March 2014

The legal protection of project management–related software systems has changed recently, as patenting is spreading to the area of business methods. We investigate which parts of project management are especially confronted with this form of legal protection and how software system providers deal with this topic. Almost all the tasks of project management are permeated by business method patents but the intensity of these tasks differs remarkably. Their assignment–-related to major project management software system providers–-is unbalanced. While patenting-experienced companies have already learned how to use business method patents to gain advantages in project management environments, many others have not.
Preparation of macrodiols and polyols by chopping high‐molecular‐weight aliphatic polycarbonates
Authors: Jeon Jong Yeob , Hwang Eun Yeong , Eo Seong Chan , Lee Bun Yeoul
Published: March 2014

High‐molecular‐weight poly(1,4‐butylene carbonate) (PBC) (Mn: 40,000−90,000) was prepared through the condensation polymerization of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and 1,4‐butanediol (BD) in the presence of 0.05 mol % sodium alkoxide catalyst. The subsequent feeding of 15 mol % HOAOH, such as 1,6‐hexanediol, 1,5‐pentanediol, 1,4‐cyclohexanedimethanol, or 1,4‐benzenedimethanol and stirring at 190–150 °C converted the extremely thick high‐molecular‐weight polymer to low‐molecular‐weight macrodiols with GPC‐measured Mn ∼2000. The analysis of the 1H NMR spectra indicated that the –A– units and 1,4‐butylene units were randomly distributed in the resulting oligomers. The chopping of the high‐molecular‐weight PBC using either triols or tetraols such as glycerol propoxylate, 1,1,1‐tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane, or pentaerythritol also afforded macropolyols containing branched chains with GPC‐measured Mn ∼2000. When the chopped polymers were genuine PBCs, the resulting macrodiols or polyols were in a waxy state at room temperature. However, permanently oily compounds were obtained when the chopped polymers were prepared using 0.90 mole fraction of BD admixed with various other diols. The macrodiols and polyols synthesized in this study may have potential applications in the polyurethane industry. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 1570–1580
Iwasawa nilpotency degree of non compact symmetric cosets in \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$ \mathcal{N} $\end{document}‐extended supergravity
Authors: Cacciatori S.L. , Cerchiai B.L. , Ferrara S. , Marrani A.
Published: March 2014

We analyze the polynomial part of the Iwasawa realization of the coset representative of non compact symmetric Riemannian spaces. We start by studying the role of Kostant's principal SU(2)P subalgebra of simple Lie algebras, and how it determines the structure of the nilpotent subalgebras. This allows us to compute the maximal degree of the polynomials for all faithful representations of Lie algebras. In particular the metric coefficients are related to the scalar kinetic terms while the representation of electric and magnetic charges is related to the coupling of scalars to vector field strengths as they appear in the Lagrangian. We consider symmetric scalar manifolds in ��‐extended supergravity in various space‐time dimensions, elucidating various relations with the underlying Jordan algebras and normed Hurwitz algebras. For magic supergravity theories, our results are consistent with the Tits‐Satake projection of symmetric spaces and the nilpotency degree turns out to depend only on the space‐time dimension of the theory. These results should be helpful within a deeper investigation of the corresponding supergravity theory, e.g. in studying ultraviolet properties of maximal supergravity in various dimensions.
Strain control in germanium nanowires: the use of a silicon nitride shell
Authors: Dupré Ludovic , Buttard Denis , Gentile Pascal , Benoit à la Guillaume Quentin , Gorisse Thérèse , Renevier Hubert
Published: March 2014

The core–shell geometry is a strong tool for inducing and controlling strains in nano‐objects in order to tune their optoelectronic properties. We synthesized and characterized core–shell nanostructures by depositing a non‐epitaxial silicon nitride shell around germanium nanowires. Scanning electron microscopy as well as energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy confirms the structural integrity of the heterostructures, and grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction measurements reveal the presence of a radial tensile strain in the Ge nanowires. A control of this strain is then demonstrated up to 0.3% by adjusting the SiNx shell thickness versus Ge nanowire diameter. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Phytoremediation of a Petroleum‐Hydrocarbon Contaminated Shallow Aquifer in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA
Authors: Nichols Elizabeth Guthrie , Cook Rachel L. , Landmeyer James E. , Atkinson Brad , Malone Donald R. , Shaw George , Woods Leilani
Published: March 2014

A former bulk fuel terminal in North Carolina is a groundwater phytoremediation demonstration site where 3,250 hybrid poplars, willows, and pine trees were planted from 2006 to 2008 over approximately 579,000 L of residual gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Since 2011, the groundwater altitude is lower in the area with trees than outside the planted area. Soil‐gas analyses showed a 95 percent mass loss for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and a 99 percent mass loss for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). BTEX and methyl tert‐butyl ether concentrations have decreased in groundwater. Interpolations of free‐phase, fuel product gauging data show reduced thicknesses across the site and pooling of fuel product where poplar biomass is greatest. Isolated clusters of tree mortalities have persisted in areas with high TPH and BTEX mass. Toxicity assays showed impaired water use for willows and poplars exposed to the site's fuel product, but Populus survival was higher than the willows or pines on‐site, even in a noncontaminated control area. All four Populus clones survived well at the site. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.*
Aerobic Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons in High Temperature and Saline Groundwater
Authors: Kashir Mansor , Barker Jim , McGregor Rick , Shouakar‐Stash Orfan
Published: March 2014

A series of laboratory microcosm experiments and a field pilot test were performed to evaluate the potential for aerobic biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons and methyl tert‐butyl ether (MtBE; a common oxygenate additive in gasoline) in saline, high temperature (>30° C) groundwater. Aquifer, sediment, and groundwater samples from two sites, one in Canada and another in Saudi Arabia, were incubated for 106 days to evaluate the changes in select hydrocarbon and MtBE concentrations and microbial community structure. Almost complete biodegradation of the aromatic hydrocarbons was found in the Saudi Arabian microcosm samples whereas the Canadian microcosm samples showed no significant biodegradation during the laboratory testing. MtBE degradation was not observed in either set of microcosms. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analyses showed that, while the Canadian microorganisms were the most diverse, they showed little response during incubation. The microbial communities for the Saudi Arabian sample contained significant numbers of microorganisms capable of hydrocarbon degradation which increased during incubation.

Based on the laboratory results, pilot‐scale testing at the Saudi Arabian field site was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced aerobic biodegradation on a high temperature, saline petroleum hydrocarbon plume. Dissolved oxygen was delivered to the subsurface using a series of oxygen diffusion emitters installed perpendicular to groundwater flow, which created a reactive zone. Results obtained from the seven‐month field trial indicated that all the target compounds decreased with removal percentages varying between 33 percent for the trimethylbenzenes to greater than 80 percent for the BTEX compounds. MtBE decreased 40 percent on average whereas naphthalene was reduced 85 percent on average. Examination of the microbial population upgradient and downgradient of the emitter reactive zone suggested that the bacteria population went from an anaerobic, sulfate‐reducing dominated population to one dominated by a heterotrophic aerobic bacteria dominant population.

These studies illustrate that field aerobic biodegradation may exceed expectations derived from simple laboratory microcosm experiments. Also, high salinity and elevated groundwater temperature do not appear to inhibit in situ aerobic biorestoration. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Integrating Groundwater Conservation and Reuse into Remediation Projects
Authors: Lenker Carl , Harclerode Melissa , Aragona Keith , Fisher Angela , Jasmann Jeramy , Hadley Paul W.
Published: March 2014

Groundwater remediation projects generally involve extraction and treatment of contaminated groundwater. The current state of the practice does not include an emphasis on conservation and reuse of groundwater. Consequently treated groundwater is typically disposed in sanitary or storm sewers. Longstanding water conservation and reuse practices in the municipal wastewater industry provide a body of experience available to the remediation industry. Case studies of conservation and reuse options for groundwater at remediation sites have been found across a broad range of geographic settings and regulatory jurisdictions. The intent of this article is to stimulate a more holistic view of the groundwater associated with remediation projects and to promote conservation and beneficial reuse of a vital natural resource. © 2014 US Sustainable Remediation Forum
Security analysis of SM2 key exchange protocol in TPM2.0
Authors: Zhao Shijun , Xi Li , Zhang Qianying , Qin Yu , Feng Dengguo
Published: March 2014

The new released trusted platform module (TPM) specification, TPM2.0, adds cryptographic support for key exchange by providing SM2 authenticated key exchange (AKE) application programming interface (API) commands. Xu analyzed the SM2 AKE protocol and found that it was insecure in common computing environment by presenting two types of unknown key share attacks. Here, we present another design weakness of the SM2 AKE protocol, which might cause that the protocol cannot be proven secure in modern security models. We also analyze the security of SM2 AKE protocol in TPM2.0, whose running environment is very different and find that (i) it indeed gets some security improvements through the protection capability provided by the two SM2 AKE commands of TPM2.0 but (ii) it still has some weaknesses, which might lead to unknown key share and key‐compromise impersonation attacks because of the bad design of the TPM2.0 application programming interface. We solve the weaknesses of SM2 AKE protocol in TPM2.0 by slightly modifying one SM2 AKE command and finally give a formal proof of our solution in the Canetti and Krawczyk model. Our work shows that TPM2.0 could provide a proven secure SM2 AKE by slightly modifying one command. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exact approaches for testing hypotheses based on the intra‐class kappa coefficient
Authors: Wilding Gregory E. , Consiglio Joseph D. , Shan Guogen
Published: March 2014

Testing involving the intra‐class kappa coefficient is commonly performed in order to assess agreement involving categorical ratings. A number of procedures have been proposed, which make use of the limiting null distribution as the sample size goes to infinity in order to compute the observed significance. As with many tests based on asymptotic null distributions, these tests are associated with problematic type I error control for selected sample sizes and points in the parameter space. We propose and study a collection of exact testing approaches for both the one‐sample and K‐sample scenarios. For the one‐sample case, p‐values are obtained using the exact distribution of the test statistic conditional on a sufficient statistic. In addition, unconditional approaches are considered on the basis of maximization across the nuisance parameter space. Numerical evaluation reveals advantages with the exact unconditional procedures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Co@Co3O4 Core–Shell Three‐Dimensional Nano‐Network for High‐Performance Electrochemical Energy Storage
Authors: Zhang Junli , Fu Jiecai , Zhang Junwei , Ma Hongbin , He Yongmin , Li Fashen , Xie Erqing , Xue Desheng , Zhang Haoli , Peng Yong
Published: March 2014

An alternative routine is presented by constructing a novel architecture, conductive metal/transition oxide (Co@Co3O4) core–shell three‐dimensional nano‐network (3DN) by surface oxidating Co 3DN in situ, for high‐performance electrochemical capacitors. It is found that the Co@Co3O4 core–shell 3DN consists of petal‐like nanosheets with thickness of <10 nm interconnected forming a 3D porous nanostructure, which preserves the original morphology of Co 3DN well. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy by polishing the specimen layer by layer reveals that the Co@Co3O4 nano‐network is core–shell‐like structure. In the application of electrochemical capacitors, the electrodes exhibit a high specific capacitance of 1049 F g−1 at scan rate of 2 mV/s with capacitance retention of ∼52.05% (546 F g−1 at scan rate of 100 mV) and relative high areal mass density of 850 F g−1 at areal mass of 3.52 mg/cm2. It is believed that the good electrochemical behaviors mainly originate from its extremely high specific surface area and underneath core‐Co “conductive network”. The high specific surface area enables more electroactive sites for efficient Faradaic redox reactions and thus enhances ion and electron diffusion. The underneath core‐Co “conductive network” enables an ultrafast electron transport.
Analysis of transmit antenna selection/orthogonal space‐time block coding with receive selection and combining in the presence of feedback errors
Authors: Coşkun Ahmet F. , Kucur Oğuz
Published: March 2014

Examining the effect of imperfect transmit antenna selection (TAS) caused by the feedback link errors on the performance of hybrid TAS/orthogonal space‐time block coding (OSTBC) with single receive antenna selection (i.e., joint transmit and receive antenna selection (JTRAS)/OSTBC) and TAS/OSTBC (with receive maximal‐ratio combining‐like combining structure) over slow and frequency‐flat Nakagami‐m fading channels is the main objective of this paper. Under ideal channel estimation and delay‐free feedback assumptions, statistical expressions and several performance metrics related to the post‐processing signal‐to‐noise ratio are derived by defining a unified system model concerning both JTRAS/OSTBC and TAS/OSTBC schemes. Exact analytical expressions for outage probability (OP) and bit/symbol error rates of M‐ary modulations are presented in order to provide a detailed examination on the OP and error performances of the unified system that experiences feedback errors. Also, the asymptotic diversity order analysis, which shows that the diversity order of the investigated schemes is equal to the diversity order provided by OSTBC transmission itself, is included in the paper. Moreover, we have validated the theoretical results via Monte Carlo simulations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Construction of Two New Mixed‐ligand Coordination Polymers based on 2,2′‐Dimethylbiphenyl‐4,4′‐dicarboxylic Acid
Authors: Xie Yan , Wang Tingting , Zeng Heping
Published: March 2014

Two mixed‐ligand coordination polymers (CPs) based on a biphenyl‐based dicarboxylate ligand and 4,4′‐bipyridine or imidazole co‐ligand, namely, [Co(DMBDA)(bpy)]n (1) (H2DMBDA = 2,2′‐dimethylbiphenyl‐4,4′‐dicarboxylic acid, bpy = 4,4′‐bipyridine) and [Zn(DMBDA)(Im)]n (2) (Im = imidazole), were obtained under hydrothermal conditions. Compound 1 exhibits a new (4,6)‐connected network with a {44·610·8}{44·62} Schläfli symbol, whereas compound 2 shows a 4‐connected NbO‐type topology. These coordination polymers represent two rare examples of CPs based on 2,2′‐dimethylbiphenyl‐4,4′‐dicarboxylic acid. The solid‐state luminescent behaviors of the novel CPs were also investigated at room temperature.