bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of morusin from Ramulus mori and its effects on mice with transplanted H22 hepatocarcinoma
Authors: Wan Liang‐Ze , Ma Bin , Zhang Yu‐Qing
Published: November 2014

In this study, we used branches Ramulus mori from cultivated mulberry Husang‐32 (Morus multicaulis Perry) as the experimental material and anhydrous ethanol as the extraction solution to obtain the crude extract from the branch bark. The ethanolic extract was successively purified through a macroporous resin, Sephadex LH‐20, and semipreparative reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC). The high‐purity monomer was identified as morusin by HPLC with diode array detection (HPLC‐DAD) and its UV spectrum. The contents of morusin exhibited almost no difference between the root and branch bark in Husang‐32, and morusin was not detected in the leaves. Morusin is able to inhibit the tumor growth of transplanted H22 hepatocarcinoma in mice and has no side effects. The fluorescence quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) results indicate that morusin has a marked inhibitory effect on liver cancer cells through a mechanism that may be related increases in the expression of p53, Survivin, CyclinB1, and Caspase‐3 and a decrease in NF‐κ B gene expression. The influence of this compound is more apparent in the Caspase‐3 and the NF‐κ B genes. © 2014 BioFactors, 40(6):636–645, 2014
pH control in biological systems using calcium carbonate
Authors: Salek S.S. , van Turnhout A.G. , Kleerebezem R. , van Loosdrecht M.C.M.
Published: November 2014

Due to its abundance, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) has high potentials as a source of alkalinity for biotechnological applications. The application of CaCO3 in biological systems as neutralizing agent is, however, limited due to potential difficulties in controlling the pH. The objective of the present study was to determine the dominant processes that control the pH in an acid‐forming microbial process in the presence of CaCO3. To achieve that, a mathematical model was made with a minimum set of kinetically controlled and equilibrium reactions that was able to reproduce the experimental data of a batch fermentation experiment using finely powdered CaCO3. In the model, thermodynamic equilibrium was assumed for all speciation, complexation and precipitation reactions whereas, rate limited reactions were included for the biological fatty acid production, the mass transfer of CO2 from the liquid phase to the gas phase and the convective transport of CO2 out of the gas phase. The estimated pH‐pattern strongly resembled the measured pH, suggesting that the chosen set of kinetically controlled and equilibrium reactions were establishing the experimental pH. A detailed analysis of the reaction system with the aid of the model revealed that the pH establishment was most sensitive to four factors: the mass transfer rate of CO2 to the gas phase, the biological acid production rate, the partial pressure of CO2 and the Ca+2 concentration in the solution. Individual influences of these factors on the pH were investigated by extrapolating the model to a continuously stirred‐tank reactor (CSTR) case. This case study indicates how the pH of a commonly used continuous biotechnological process could be manipulated and adjusted by altering these four factors. Achieving a better insight of the processes controlling the pH of a biological system using CaCO3 as its neutralizing agent can result in broader applications of CaCO3 in biotechnological industries. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 905–913. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Integration of biological kinetics and computational fluid dynamics to model the growth of Nannochloropsis salina in an open channel raceway
Authors: Park Stephen , Li Yebo
Published: November 2014

Microalgal growth and systemic productivity is not only affected by environmental conditions such as temperature, irradiance, and nutrient concentrations, but also by physical processes such as fluid flow and particulate sedimentation. Modeling and simulating the system is a cost‐effective way to predict the growth behavior under various environmental and physical conditions while determining effective engineering approaches to maximize productivity. Many mathematical models have been proposed to describe microalgal growth, while computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have been used to model the behavior of many fluid systems. Integrating the growth kinetics into a CFD model can help researchers understand the impact of a variety of parameters and determine what measures can be taken to overcome some obstacles in the aquaculture industry – self‐shading, biomass sedimentation, and contamination – which prevent the production of high biomass yields. The aim of this study was to integrate physical and environmental effects to predict space‐ and time‐dependent algal growth in industrial scale raceways. A commercial CFD software, ANSYS‐Fluent 14.5, was used to solve the proposed models in regards to fluid flow, heat transfer, and nutrient balance. User‐defined functions written in C language were used to incorporate the kinetic equations into a three‐dimensional standard k‐ε turbulence model of an open channel raceway system driven by a single paddlewheel. Simulated results were compared with light intensity, temperature, nutrient concentration, and algal biomass data acquired for 56 day from an industrial scale raceway pond constructed for the growth of Nannochloropsis salina and were observed to be in good agreement with one another. There was up to a 17.6% increase in simulated productivity when the incoming CO2 concentration was increased from 0.0006 to 0.150 g L−1, while the effect of paddlewheel velocity was not significant. Sensitivity analysis showed that the model was particularly sensitive to the species‐specific maximum growth rate, light attenuation coefficient, optimal growth temperature, half‐saturation constant for growth based on irradiance, and death coefficient. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 923–933. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determining the flow regime in a biofilm carrier by means of magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Herrling Maria P. , Guthausen Gisela , Wagner Michael , Lackner Susanne , Horn Harald
Published: November 2014

Biofilms on cylindrical carrier material originating from a lab‐scale moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) were investigated by means of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The aim of this study was to determine the local flow velocities at the inner face of the biofilm carrier. To get an insight into the mass transport processes, flow velocity maps of blank and with biofilm cultivated carriers were measured. A single carrier was placed in a tube in three different orientations and exposed to flow velocities of 0.21, 0.42, and 0.64 mm/s. The interplay of the biofilm morphology and the local flow pattern was then analyzed including the effect of the orientation of the carrier in relation to the upstream flow angle. Within this study, the biofilm carrier can be understood as an interconnected system of four sections in which the incoming fluid volume will be distributed depending on the biomass occupation and morphology. In sections with high biofilm occupation, the flow resistance is increased. Depending on the orientation of the carrier in the flow field, this effect leads to flow evasion through less covered sections showing higher flow velocities and consequently the risk of biofilm detachment. However, there was no clear correlation between biofilm coverage and flow ratio. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1023–1032. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determination of breath gas composition of lung cancer patients using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with monolithic material sorptive extraction
Authors: Ma Wen , Gao Peng , Fan Jun , Hashi Yuki , Chen Zilin
Published: November 2014

A gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric method with monolithic material sorptive extraction (MMSE) pretreatment was developed to determine the breath gas composition in lung cancer patients. MonoTrap silica monolithic and hybrid adsorbent was selected as the extraction medium during MMSE, given its strong capacity to extract volatile organic compounds (VOC) from exhaled gas. Under the appropriate conditions, high extraction efficiency was achieved. Using the selected ion‐monitoring mode, the limit of detection (signal‐to‐noise ratio 3) for the benzene series was 0.012–2.172 ng L−1. The limit of quantitation (signal‐to‐noise ratio, 10) was 0.042–7.24 ng L−1. The linearity range of the method was 4–400 ng L−1. Average recovery of the benzene series at lower concentrations was 65–74% (20 ng L−1). The relative standard deviation of benzene series contents determined within the linear range of detection was <10% of the mean level determined. Our proposed method is simple, rapid and sensitive, and can be competently applied to determine the breath gas composition of lung cancer patients. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Demystifying DBT with adolescents
Authors: Zervas Natalie
Published: November 2014

One of the benefits of working in the mental health field today is that the availability of evidence‐based treatments has greatly increased in recent years. This increase can be a double‐edged sword, however. With this greater variety of effective treatments comes the need for increased training on the part of providers and increased understanding of the treatments by consumers. This understanding can be particularly difficult to achieve in the treatment of less studied mental health problems faced by our children and adolescents. Non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) and suicidality are examples of such problems. Seen with growing frequency by schools, families, pediatricians, and mental health care providers, detailed information about effective treatments for these presenting problems has not been adequately disseminated to either the professional community treating these youth or the families who love and care for them.
To tweet or not to tweet … is that even the question?
Authors: Schleifer Justin
Published: November 2014

The above was written in reference to the arrival of the telephone in 1876 and its impact on society, and yet it applies equally well today as we are confronted with the rapid and mass adoption of social media. The mere mention of social media has the tendency to enthrall the young, who have been born into a world suffused with its presence, while provoking anxiety in parents and mental health professionals, who were not. This discrepancy is so evident in the fact that today's youth don't bother to refer to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the like as a distinct form of communication labeled “social media,” as their preceding generations have become accustomed to, but rather see them as plain old communication. This generational division has presented a significant challenge for parents of children who live in a world dominated by social media, as well as many mental health providers tasked with guiding them.
Asymmetric Modification of TiO2 Nanofibers with Gold by Electric‐Field‐Assisted Photochemistry
Authors: Ongaro Michael , Roche Jerôme , Kuhn Alexander , Ugo Paolo
Published: November 2014

The front cover artwork is provided by the groups of Prof. Paolo Ugo (University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, Italy) and Prof. Alexander Kuhn (Université de Bordeaux, France). The cover image shows gold‐modified fibres that are produced by the synergy of an electric field and photochemistry. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/celc.201402161.
A study on the differential strategy of some iterative trilinear decomposition algorithms: PARAFAC‐ALS, ATLD, SWATLD, and APTLD
Authors: Zhang Shu‐Rong , Wu Hai‐Long , Yu Ru‐Qin
Published: November 2014

This study presents an in‐depth discussion of the differential properties of various iterative trilinear decomposition algorithms, including Parallel Factor Analysis‐Alternating Least Squares (PARAFAC‐ALS), Alternating Trilinear Decomposition (ATLD), Self‐Weighted Alternating Trilinear Decomposition (SWATLD), and Alternating Penalty Trilinear Decomposition (APTLD). The shape of each algorithm's objective function (“convex” or “strictly convex”) is related to the algorithm's sensitivity to the estimated component number of the trilinear system. Different situations near the objective solution are analyzed both theoretically and numerically. The wall of perturbation generated by deviations in the iterative steps prevents the PARAFAC algorithm from achieving the objective solution when the component number is overestimated. This may explain, from a calculational perspective, why the PARAFAC algorithm could not obtain the objective solution or any equivalent thereto (although equivalents might still be chemically meaningful optimal solutions). The different effects of deviation and residual on the algorithms are demonstrated by numerical analysis in this paper. The convergence rate can be improved by the use of high‐performance computing strategy of the specific algorithm. The concept of solution set discussed in this paper complements the theory of the uniqueness of trilinear decomposition. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stereoselective Formation and Metabolism of 20(S)‐Protopanaxadiol Ocotillol Type Epimers in Vivo and in Vitro
Authors: Wang Wenyan , Wang Li , Wu Xiangmeng , Xu Lixiao , Meng Qingguo , Liu Wanhui
Published: November 2014

(20S,24S)‐epoxy‐dammarane‐3,12,25‐triol (24S‐epimer) and (20S,24R)‐epoxy‐ dammarane‐3,12,25‐triol (24R‐epimer), a pair of ocotillol type epimers, were identified as the main metabolites of 20(S)‐protopanaxadiol (PPD). The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the formation and metabolism of this pair of epimers in vivo and in vitro and to elucidate the isoforms of cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for the stereoselective metabolism of both epimers. The result showed that 24S‐epimer was a more predominant ingredient in rat plasma after oral administration of PPD with higher area under the curve (AUC) values. Both the enzyme kinetic evaluations of the formation and elimination of 24S‐epimer and 24R‐epimer in rat liver microsomes (RLM) and human liver microsomes (HLM) indicated that 24S‐epimer had a higher formation rate and a lower oxygenation metabolism rate than 24R‐epimer, and the stereoselective differences were more obvious in HLM than in RLM. The chemical inhibition and recombinant human P450 isoforms assay showed that CYP3A4 was the predominant isoform responsible for the further metabolism of 24R‐epimer in HLM. The biliary excretion ratio of the 24S‐epimer glucuronide was more than 28‐fold higher than that of 24R‐epimer glucuronide after intravenous administration to rats, which also indicated 24S‐epimer was more preferential to be metabolized as the glucuronide conjugate than 24R‐epimer. Chirality 27:170–176, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterization of a dedicated double loop, endoluminal coil for anal sphincter MR imaging at 1.5 T and 3 T
Authors: Verret J.‐M. , Pilleul F. , Rabrait C. , Malher E. , Piranda S. , Delforge J‐F. , Saint‐James H. , Beuf O.
Published: November 2014

MRI has proven its usefulness in the prediction of surgical anterior anal repair that cannot be done with the reference endosonographic exam. Conventional endorectal coils are often based on a single loop coil design and do not possess satisfactory radial uniformity which could impede the correct assessment of the anal sphincter. In this study, several double loop endorectal coils were designed, built, and assessed in simulations, on phantoms and in vivo. The optimum was found for a 50°–70° double loop endorectal coil which presents a better radial uniformity especially at close distance from the coil where the SNR is the highest. First in vivo experiments proved enhanced readability of the MR exam for the radiologist. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 44B: 39–49, 2014
A case‐matched study of toxicity outcomes after proton therapy and intensity‐modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Authors: Fang Penny , Mick Rosemarie , Deville Curtiland , Both Stefan , Bekelman Justin E. , Christodouleas John P. , Guzzo Thomas J. , Tochner Zelig , Hahn Stephen M. , Vapiwala Neha
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND

The authors assessed whether proton beam therapy (PBT) for prostate cancer (PCa) was associated with differing toxicity compared with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using case‐matched analysis.

METHODS

From 2010 to 2012, 394 patients who had localized PCa received 79.2 Gray (Gy) relative biologic effectiveness (RBE) delivered with either PBT (181 patients) or IMRT (213 patients). Patients were case‐matched on risk group, age, and prior gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) disorders, resulting in 94 matched pairs. Both exact matching (risk group) and nearest‐neighbor matching (age, prior GI/GU disorders) were used. Residual confounding was adjusted for by using multivariable regression. Maximum acute and late GI/GU Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events‐graded toxicities were compared using univariate and multivariable logistic and Cox regression models, respectively.

RESULTS

Bladder and rectum dosimetry variables were significantly lower for PBT versus IMRT (P ≤ .01). The median follow‐up was 47 months (range, 5‐65 months) for patients who received IMRT and 29 months (range, 5‐50 months) for those who received PBT. On multivariable analysis, which exploited case matching and included direct adjustment for confounders and independent predictors, there were no statistically significant differences between IMRT and PBT in the risk of grade ≥2 acute GI toxicity (odds ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06‐1.24; P = .09), grade ≥2 acute GU toxicity (odds ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.32‐1.51; P = .36), grade ≥2 late GU toxicity (hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.22‐1.41; P = .22), and grade ≥2 late GI toxicity (hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.53‐2.94; P = .62).

CONCLUSIONS

In this matched comparison of prospectively collected toxicity data on patients with PCa who received treatment with contemporary IMRT and PBT techniques and similar dose‐fractionation schedules, the risks of acute and late GI/GU toxicities did not differ significantly after adjustment for confounders and predictive factors. Cancer 2015;121:1118–1127. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Metformin for primary colorectal cancer prevention in patients with diabetes: A case‐control study in a US population
Authors: Sehdev Amikar , Shih Ya‐Chen T. , Vekhter Benjamin , Bissonnette Marc B. , Olopade Olufunmilayo I. , Polite Blase N.
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence from observational studies has suggested that metformin may be beneficial in the primary prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, to the authors' knowledge, none of these studies was conducted in a US population. Because environmental factors such as Western diet and obesity are implicated in the causation of CRC, a large case‐control study was performed to assess the effects of metformin on the incidence of CRC in a US population.

METHODS

MarketScan databases were used to identify diabetic patients with CRC. A case was defined as having an incident diagnosis of CRC. Up to 2 controls matched for age, sex, and geographical region were selected for each case. Metformin exposure was assessed by prescription tracking within the 12‐month period before the index date. Conditional logistic regression was used to adjust for multiple potential confounders and to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs).

RESULTS

The mean age of the study participants was 55 years and 57 years, respectively, in the control and case groups (P = 1.0). Approximately 60% of the study participants were male and 40% were female in each group. In the multivariable model, any metformin use was associated with a 15% reduction in the odds of CRC (AOR, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.76‐0.95 [P = .007]). After adjusting for health care use, the beneficial effect of metformin was reduced to 12% (AOR, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.77‐1.00 [P = .05]). The dose‐response analyses demonstrated no significant association with metformin dose, duration, or total exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Metformin use appears to be associated with a reduced risk of developing CRC among diabetic patients in the United States. Cancer 2015;121:1071–1078. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Divergent innervation of the olfactory bulb by distinct raphe nuclei
Authors: Steinfeld Raphael , Herb Jan T. , Sprengel Rolf , Schaefer Andreas T. , Fukunaga Izumi
Published: November 2014

The raphe nuclei provide serotonergic innervation widely in the brain, thought to mediate a variety of neuromodulatory effects. The mammalian olfactory bulb (OB) is a prominent recipient of serotonergic fibers, particularly in the glomerular layer (GL), where they are thought to gate incoming signals from the olfactory nerve. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and the median raphe nucleus (MRN) are known to densely innervate the OB. The majority of such projections are thought to terminate in the GL, but this has not been explicitly tested. We sought to investigate this using recombinant adeno‐associated viruses (rAAV)‐mediated expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐synaptophysin targeted specifically to neurons of the DRN or the MRN. With DRN injections, labeled fibers were found mostly in the granule cell layer (GCL), not the GL. Conversely, dense labeling in the GL was observed with MRN injections, suggesting that the source of GL innervation is the MRN, not the DRN, as previously thought. The two raphe nuclei thus give dual innervation within the OB, with distinct innervation patterns. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:805–813, 2015. © 2015 The Authors The Journal of Comparative Neurology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pharmacokinetic drug–drug interaction study of ranolazine and metformin in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zack Julia , Berg Jolene , Juan Axel , Pannacciulli Nicola , Allard Martine , Gottwald Mildred , Zhang Heather , Shao Yongwu , Ben‐Yehuda Ori , Jochelson Phil
Published: November 2014

Ranolazine and metformin may be frequently co‐administered in subjects with chronic angina and co‐morbid type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The potential for a drug–drug interaction was explored in two phase 1 clinical studies in subjects with T2DM to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of metformin 1000 mg BID when administered with ranolazine 1000 mg BID (Study 1, N = 28) or ranolazine 500 mg BID (Study 2, N = 25) as compared to metformin alone. Co‐administration of ranolazine 1000 mg BID with metformin 1000 mg BID resulted in 1.53‐ and 1.79‐fold increases in steady‐state metformin Cmax and AUCtau, respectively; co‐administration of ranolazine 500 mg BID with metformin 1000 mg BID resulted in 1.22‐ and 1.37‐fold increases in steady‐state metformin Cmax and AUCtau, respectively. Co‐administration of ranolazine and metformin was well tolerated in these T2DM subjects, with no serious adverse events or drug‐related adverse events leading to discontinuation. The most common adverse events were nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness. These findings are consistent with a dose‐related interaction between ranolazine and metformin, and suggest that a dose adjustment of metformin may not be required with ranolazine 500 mg BID; whereas, the metformin dose should not exceed 1700 mg of total daily dose when using ranolazine 1000 mg BID.
PARP activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes as a predictive biomarker for PARP inhibition in tumor tissues – A population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis of rucaparib
Authors: Wang Diane D. , Li Chunze , Sun Wan , Zhang Shuzhong , Shalinsky David R. , Kern Kenneth A. , Curtin Nicola J. , Sam Wai‐Johnn , Kirkpatrick Tanya R. , Plummer Ruth
Published: November 2014

Purpose

Rucaparib is a potent Poly (ADP‐ribose) Polymerase (PARP) inhibitor currently under clinical development. The objectives of this analysis were to establish population PK and PK/PD models for rucaparib, and to evaluate the predictability of PARP activity in PBL for PARP activity in tumor tissues.

Experimental Design

Rucaparib concentrations and PARP activity in human PBLs and tumor issues were obtained from 32 patients with solid tumors in a Phase 1 First‐in‐Patient study. Simulations were conducted to evaluate different dosing regimens.

Results

A 3‐compartment PK model best described the PK of rucaparib. An Emax model best described the exposure and PARP inhibition relationship. The maximum PARP inhibition (Imax) achieved in PBLs and in tumors were 90.9% and 90.0% of the baseline PARP activity, and the IC50 values were 1.05 ng/mL and 1.10 ng/mL, respectively. PAR polymer baseline value was found to be a covariate of Emin.

Conclusion

Population PK and PK/PD models have been established to describe population PK of rucaparib and the relationship between rucaparib plasma concentration and PARP inhibition in both PBLs and tumor issues. Results from this trial indicated that PARP inhibition in PBLs can be used as a substitute for PARP inhibition in melanoma tumor tissues.
Revisiting the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of Magnesium with Online Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy
Authors: Shkirskiy Viacheslav , King Andrew D. , Gharbi Oumaïma , Volovitch Polina , Scully John R. , Ogle Kevin , Birbilis Nick
Published: November 2014

The electrochemical impedance of reactive metals such as magnesium is often complicated by an obvious inductive loop with decreasing frequency of the AC polarising signal. The characterisation and ensuing explanation of this phenomenon has been lacking in the literature to date, being either ignored or speculated. Herein, we couple electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with online atomic emission spectroelectrochemistry (AESEC) to simultaneously measure Mg‐ion concentration and electrochemical impedance spectra during Mg corrosion, in real time. It is revealed that Mg dissolution occurs via Mg2+, and that corrosion is activated, as measured by AC frequencies less than approximately 1 Hz approaching DC conditions. The result of this is a higher rate of Mg2+ dissolution, as the voltage excitation becomes slow enough to enable all Mg2+‐enabling processes to adjust in real time. The manifestation of this in EIS data is an inductive loop. The rationalisation of such EIS behaviour, as it relates to Mg, is revealed for the first time by using concurrent AESEC.
Copper‐Doped Dual Phase Li4Ti5O12–TiO2 Nanosheets as High‐Rate and Long Cycle Life Anodes for High‐Power Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Chen Chengcheng , Huang Yanan , An Cuihua , Zhang Hao , Wang Yijing , Jiao Lifang , Yuan Huatang
Published: November 2014

Cu‐doped Li4Ti5O12–TiO2 nanosheets were synthesized by a facile, cheap, and environmentally friendly solution‐based method. These nanostructures were investigated as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries. Cu doping was found to enhance the electron conductivity of the materials, and the amount of Cu doped controlled the crystal structure and content of TiO2. In addition, the samples, which benefit from multiphases and doping, exhibited much improved capacity, cycle performance, and high rate capability over Cu‐free Li4Ti5O12–TiO2. The discharge capacity of the 0.05 Cu‐doped sample was 190 mAh g−1 at 1C, and even 144 mAh g−1 was obtained at 30C after 100 cycles. Moreover, after 500 cycles at 30C, the discharge capacity remained at approximately 130 mAh g−1. The excellent electrochemical performance of the cell demonstrated that Cu‐doping was able to adjust and control the Li4Ti5O12–TiO2 system appropriately.
2‐matrix‐based finite element linear solver for fast transient thermal analysis of high‐performance ICs
Authors: Chen Hai‐Bao , Tan Sheldon X.‐D. , Shin David H. , Huang Xin , Wang Hai , Shi Guoyong
Published: November 2014

In this article, we propose
2‐based finite element (FE) solver for transient thermal analysis of high‐performance integrated circuits (ICs).
2‐matrix is a special subclass of hierarchical matrix or
‐matrix, which was shown to provide a data‐sparse way to approximate the matrices and their inverses with almost linear space and time complexities. In this work, we show that
2‐based mathematical framework can also be applied to FE‐based transient analysis of thermal parabolic partial differential equations. We show how the thermal matrix can be approximated by
2‐representations with controlled error. Then, we demonstrate that both storage and time complexities of the new solver are bounded by
, where N is the matrix size. The method can be applied to any thermal structures for both steady and transient analysis. The numerical results from 3D ICs demonstrate the linear scalability of the proposed method in terms of both memory footprint and CPU time. The comparison with existing product‐quality LU solvers, CSPARSE and UMFPACK, on a number of 3D IC thermal matrices, shows that the new method is much more memory efficient than these methods, which however prevents the demonstration of the potential speedup of the proposed method over those methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GABA modulation of SVZ‐derived progenitor ventral cell migration
Authors: Hsieh Yi‐Chun , Puche Adam C
Published: November 2014

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is a proliferative region that provides neurons to olfactory bulb throughout life. The new neurons undergo cell migration from SVZ and travel until they reach their final destination. We previously showed in the early postnatal mouse a ventral migratory subpopulation from SVZ targets the Islands of Calleja (ICC) in the basal forebrain. However, unlike the well‐characterized rostral migratory stream, little is known about the guidance mechanisms operating in the ventrally directed migratory pathway. In this study, we examined the role of neurotransmitter γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) in SVZ‐derived progenitor ventral migration and the involvement of this neurotransmitter in the cytoarchitectual organization of dispersed cells into the tight clusters of the ICC. Our results show that the ventral SVZ cell migration rate was enhanced by GABA acting through a GABAA receptor and that GABA acts as a directional guidance cue for ventral migrating cells. Furthermore, disruption of GABA signaling inhibited the formation of Island clusters in vitro. Taken together, these data suggest that GABA is an important guidance and organizational cue for the Island of Calleja. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 75: 791–804, 2015
Metal Complexes of Very Bulky N,N′‐Diarylimidazolylidene N‐Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Ligands with 2,4,6‐Cycloalkyl Substituents
Authors: Savka Roman , Plenio Herbert
Published: November 2014

1,3,5‐Tricycloalkylbenzene (cycloalkyl = C5H9, C6H11) was converted into the respective anilines (by means of nitration and reduction) and then into the corresponding diimines (with glyoxal), the cyclization of which with (HCHO)n/ZnCl2 provided the respective 1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐tricyclopentylphenyl)imidazolium salt in modest yields. An analogous reaction sequence that employed acenaphthene‐1,2‐dione instead of glyoxal yielded the two azolium salts in good yields, which were converted into the respective N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes [(NHC)AgCl], [(NHC)AuCl], [(NHC)RhCl(cod)] (cod = cyclooctadiene), and [(NHC)RhCl(CO)2].
24 Y‐chromosomal STR haplotypic polymorphisms for Chinese Uygur ethnic group and its phylogenic analysis with other Chinese groups
Authors: Liu Wen‐Juan , Pu Hong‐Wei , Yang Chun‐hua , Meng Hao‐Tian , Zhang Yu‐Dang , Zhang Li‐Ping , Yan Jiang‐Wei , Wang Hong‐Dan , Ren Jian‐Wen , Sun Jun‐Yi , Liu Chao , Wang Hui , Zhu Bo‐Feng
Published: November 2014

The Uygur ethnic minority is the largest ethnic group in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, and is a precious resource for the study of ethnogeny and forensic biology. Previous studies have focused on the genetic background of the Uygur group, however, the patrilineal descent of the group is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity of 24 Y‐STR loci in the Uygur group and analyzed the population differentiations as well as the genetic relationships between the Uygur group and other previously reported populations using 17 Y‐filer loci. According to haplotypic analysis of the 24 Y‐STR loci in 109 Uygur individuals, 104 different haplotypes were obtained, 99 of which were unique. The haplotypic diversity and discrimination capacity of these 24 Y‐STR loci in Uygur group were 0.9992 and 0.9541, respectively. An additional 7 loci (DYS388, DYS444, DYS447, DYS449, DYS522, and DYS527a,b) showed high genetic diversity and improved the overall discrimination capacity of the 24 Y‐STR system. Pairwise Fst and neighbor‐joining analysis showed that the Uygur group was genetically close to the Han populations from different regions.
Ferric chloride flocculation plus carbon adsorption allows to reuse spent culture medium of Arthrospira platensis
Authors: Morocho‐Jácome Ana Lucía , Mascioli Guilherme Favaro , Sato Sunao , de Carvalho João Carlos Monteiro
Published: November 2014

Arthrospira platensis cultivation produces a saline spent medium that must be treated to allow its reuse, thus saving water and avoiding environmental pollution. This study evaluates the association of flocculation followed by adsorption to treat the spent medium by applying different concentrations of granular activated carbon (GAC) and ferric chloride (F), and using different residence times (T). The simultaneous optimization of the independent variables GAC, F, and T was performed using both a 23 central composite design and a response surface methodology. The cells cultivated in the medium obtained after the optimal conditions of treatment (GAC = 54.2 g L−1, F = 10.0 mg L−1, and T = 30.8 min) provided the highest maximum cell concentration, Xm = 3140 ± 77 mg L−1 in 0.5 L Erlenmeyer flasks with the highest protein biomass content (44.9%). The treated medium in such conditions was also used in a 3.5 L tubular photobioreactor (PBR), reaching Xm = 4033 ± 110 mg L−1 and biomass with high contents of both protein (47.3 ± 2.6%) and chlorophyll (9.7 ± 0.3 mg g dry cell−1). Therefore, this study can contribute to diminishing costs of A. platensis production by reusing its culture medium and improving its biomass quality in PBRs.
Turbine design and field development concepts for tidal, ocean, and river applications
Authors: Zeiner‐Gundersen Dag Herman
Published: November 2014

This paper discusses tidal, ocean, and river free turbine functional design parameters and general considerations associated with tidal field developments. A particular focus is on the importance of considering mechanical fatigue and the associated calculation method when designing a turbine for the challenging hydrodynamic environment. The balance between high‐fatigue resistances, costs associated with designing components, and potential for reduced turbine efficiency is discussed in regards to the potential energy extracted from a field site. A novel flexible foil vertical turbine concept with high‐fatigue resistance, and simple installation and retrieval methods is shown to have a low kWh cost per production output compared to other hydrodynamic turbine concepts. Three possible field development concepts for the flexible foil turbine are described herein for river, ocean current, and tidal applications.
Rheological characteristics of foamed gel for mine fire control
Authors: Zhang Leilin , Qin Botao
Published: November 2014

Foamed gel as a new type of fire extinguishing material is used to prevent the spontaneous combustion of coal. In order to make a comprehensive study on rheological characteristics of foamed gel for mine fire control, by using type NDJ‐5s digital viscometer, the factors such as mass concentration of the mixture mixed by thickener and crosslinker, foaming multiple, added salts (NaCl, CaCl2, AlCl3), pH value and temperature having influences on the rheological properties of foamed gel have been investigated in this paper. It can be found that foamed gel shows the characteristic of non‐Newtonian fluids and has shear‐thinning properties. With increasing of mass concentration of the mixture, the thixotropy response becomes more significant. When the foaming multiple reaches 20, the apparent viscosity gets the maximum value. The obvious viscosity characteristic of ‘polyelectrolyte solution’ is observed in aqueous salt solutions when added salts are put into the solution. Under different conditions of pH values, foamed gel has higher sensitivity to acid than alkaline. Zero shear viscosity, depending on temperature, decreases with the temperature increasing. Meanwhile, the fire performances of foamed gel are studied experimentally and theoretically. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Layered Perovskite EuBaCo2O5+δ for Intermediate‐Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathode
Authors: Shi Z. , Xia T. , Meng F. , Wang J. , Lian J. , Zhao H. , Bassat J.‐M. , Grenier J.‐C. , Meng J.
Published: November 2014

A layered perovskite EuBaCo2O5+δ (EBCO) has been prepared by a solid‐state reaction, and evaluated as potential cathode for intermediate‐temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Structural characterizations are determined at room temperature using powder X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy technique. The good fits to the XRD data by Rietveld refinement method are obtained in the orthorhombic space group (Pmmm). The lower average thermal expansion coefficient, 14.9 × 10–6 °C–1 between 100 and 800 °C, indicates its better thermal expansion compatibility with conventional electrolytes, compared with the other cobalt‐containing cathode materials. The high electrical conductivity and large oxygen nonstoichiometry at intermediate temperatures suggest the effective charge transfer reactions including electron conduction and oxide‐ion motion in cathode. As a result, a highly electrochemical activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction is achieved between 600 and 700 °C, as evidenced by low area‐specific resistances, e.g. 0.14–0.5 Ω cm2. In addition, cathodic overpotential and oxygen reduction kinetics of the EBCO cathode have also been studied.
Moisture Effect on La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 Cathode Behaviors in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Shen F. , Lu K.
Published: November 2014

Moisture effect on cathode behaviors is a major issue for solid oxide fuel cells servicing under severe high temperature environments. This work studies the effect of dry air and moist air on La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSM821) and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF6428) cathodes at 800 °C by investigating the interfacial reaction and degradation through an AISI 441 interconnect/LSM821 (LSCF6428) electrode/yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte tri‐layer structure. Under the same processing condition, the grain size of the LSCF6428 cathode is smaller than that of the LSM821 cathode. Ohmic resistance and polarization resistance of the cathodes are analyzed by deconvoluting the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results. The LSCF6428 cathode has much smaller resistance than the LSM821 cathode. Moisture produces a larger effect on the ohmic resistance and polarization resistance of the LSM821 cathode than on those of the LSCF6428 cathode. More chromium diffuses from the interconnect to the cathode for both LSM821 and LSCF6428 electrodes thermally treated in moist air. Based on the structure, elemental distribution, and EIS analysis, the interaction mechanisms between the electrodes and the AISI 441 alloy interconnect are proposed.
Evaluation of Low‐Cost Separators for Increased Power Generation in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells with Membrane Electrode Assembly
Authors: Moon J. M. , Kondaveeti S. , Min B.
Published: November 2014

We compared novel size‐selective separators, namely the textile fabrics of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and sulfonated polyphenylene sulfide (S‐PPS), and the nonwoven fabrics of polypropylene80 (PP 80) and PP 100, with commonly used ion exchange separators (Nafion 117 and cation exchange membane‐7000; CMI‐7000) in terms of power generation, oxygen diffusion, and biofilm formation in a single chamber microbial fuel cell. Size‐selective separators exhibited more power generation than ion selective separators. MFC operation with size‐selective separators generated power output ranging 0.407 to 0.591 V (1000 Ω), whereas with Nafion it was 0.272 V. In polarization analysis, S‐PPS resulted in the highest power density of 190 mW/m2, whereas it was 24 mW/m2 with Nafion‐117. Size selective separators showed similar or higher proton conductivity than Nafion 117. Oxygen mass transfer coefficients of size‐selective separators (KO = 3.7 ∼ 7.5 × 10−5) were lower or similar to Nafion (KO = 7.5 × 10−5). Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that all separators (PP80, S‐PPS, and Nafion) contained proteins or carbon chain compounds after 300‐day operation, and however, Nafion 117 seems to be more susceptible to biofouling than the other separators.
A Performance Prediction Tool for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells after Single Redox Cycle
Authors: Timurkutluk B. , Mat M. D.
Published: November 2014

The effects of anode support fabrication parameters on the cell performance and the redox behavior of the cell are investigated experimentally and theoretically. In the experimental program, an yttria stabilized zirconia based anode supported membrane electrode group (MEG) is developed via the tape casting, co‐sintering and screen printing methodologies. For comparison, various anode supported cells with different electrolyte thickness and anode support porosities are also fabricated. In the theoretical study, a mathematical model is developed to represent the fluid flow, the heat transfer, the species transport and the electrochemical reaction in solid oxide fuel cells. In addition, a redox model representing the mechanical damage in the electrochemical reaction zones due to redox cycling is developed by defining a damage function as a function of strain and a damage coefficient. The effects of anode support porosity and the electrolyte thickness on the cell performance and redox stability of the cells are numerically investigated. The experimental results are compared with the numerical results to validate the mathematical model. Finally, a predictive tool, which is valid for the ranges of the cell fabrication parameters investigated, is developed to estimate the electrochemical performance after single redox cycle.
Comparative Study of the Leak Characteristics of Two Ceramic/Glass Composite Seals for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Dev B. , Walter M. E.
Published: November 2014

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have the potential to play a significant role in a future clean energy economy. However, SOFCs still face major obstacles before they can be commercialized, with efficient sealing being among the most prominent. The present research focuses on the comparative study of microstructure, crystal phase evolution, and leak rates, for two ceramic/glass seals used in an SOFC. The leak test apparatus is a controlled facility designed to incorporate different mechanical loading, stack configurations, and thermal cycles. Simultaneous leak testing with an acoustic emission (AE) sensor was also used to identify any micro‐damage in seals. A two‐level factorial design was applied to the first sealing composition to identify the main and the interactive factors for leak rates. MINITAB® was also used to determine a linear regression‐based leak rate model. The second seal formulation employed a more stable glass which led to reduced leak rates. Additional factors in a two‐level factorial design were investigated for the second seal formulation. Based on multiple experiments with different stack components, it was determined that the number of interfaces is most critical for leak rate, showing that even in the presence of thermal cycling, leakage is an interfacial dominated phenomenon.
Re‐Compression Model for SOFC Hybrid Systems: Start‐up and Shutdown Test for an Emulator Rig
Authors: Damo U. M. , Ferrari M. L. , Turan A. , Massardo A. F.
Published: November 2014

This paper reports a new innovative re‐compression technology for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) hybrid systems necessary to increase pressure at compressor outlet level (as required by fuel cell systems for managing cathodic recurculation and to increase SOFC efficiency). This work was based on a collaboration between the University of Manchester (United Kingdom) and the University of Genoa (Italy). The re‐compression study will be performed with the hybrid system emulator rig by TPG. This device is composed of the following technology: a microturbine package able to produce up to 100 kWe which was modified for external connections, external pipes designed for several purposes (by‐pass, measurement or bleed), and a high temperature modular vessel necessary to emulate the dimension of an SOFC stack. For the purpose of re‐compression, this test rig is planned to be equipped with a turbocharger capable of increasing pressure using part of recuperator outlet flow. Theoretical activity was considered before carrying out the real experimental tests to avoid plant risky conditions. So, it was necessary to develop a transient model (Matlab®‐Simulink® environment) to simulate the hybrid system emulator including the re‐compression system. The results obtained with the model were carried out considering the start‐up/shutdown phases of the turbocharger device.
Geometry processing from an elastic perspective
Authors: Rumpf Martin , Wardetzky Max
Published: November 2014

Triggered by the development of new hardware, such as laser range scanners for high resolution acquisition of complex geometric objects, new graphics processors for realtime rendering and animation of extremely detailed geometric structures, and novel rapid prototyping equip‐ment, such as 3D printers, the processing of highly resolved complex geometries has established itself as an important area of both fundamental research and impressive applications. Concepts from image processing have been picked up and carried over to curved surfaces, physically based modeling plays a central role, and aspects of computer aided geometry design have been incorporated. This paper aims at highlighting some of these developments, with a particular focus on methods related to the mechanics of thin elastic surfaces. We provide an overview of different geometric representations ranging from polyhedral surfaces over level sets to subdivision surfaces. Furthermore, with an eye on differential‐geometric concepts underlying continuum mechanics, we discuss fundamental computational tasks, such as surface flows and fairing, surface deformation and matching, physical simulations, as well as spectral and modal methods in geometry processing. Finally, beyond focusing on single shapes, we describe how spaces of shapes can be investigated using concepts from Riemannian geometry. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Shearlets: Theory and Applications
Authors: Kutyniok Gitta , Lim Wang‐Q , Steidl Gabriele
Published: November 2014

Many important problem classes are governed by anisotropic features such as singularities concentrated on lower dimensional embedded manifolds, for instance, edges in images or shock fronts in solutions of transport dominated equations. While the ability to reliably capture and sparsely represent anisotropic structures is obviously the more important the higher the number of spatial variables is, the principal difficulties arise already in two spatial dimensions. Since it was shown that the well‐known wavelets are not capable of efficiently encoding such anisotropic features, various directional representation systems were suggested during the last years. Of those, shearlets are the most widely used today due to their optimal sparse approximation properties in combination with their unified treatment of the continuum and digital realm, leading to faithful implementations. This article shall serve as an introduction to and a survey about shearlets. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)