bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Catalytic thionine photodecolorization kinetics in the presence of nanostructure zinc oxide at buffer and non‐buffer solutions
Authors: Montazerozohori Morteza , Malekhoseini Ameneh
Published: October 2014

Photocatalytic decolorization of thionine using nanostructure zinc oxide suspensions in various buffer and non‐buffer pHs under 400 W high pressure mercury lamp irradiation under aerobic condition has been performed. Some parameters such as, amount of nanophotocatalyst, irradiation time, buffer and non‐buffer initial pHs effect and initial concentration of dye in photoreactor cell have been investigated to obtain the optimum conditions at each buffer and non‐buffer initial pHs. Kinetic study suggested pseudo‐first‐order behavior for photodecolorization of dye at all considered pHs. The plots based on resultant data also showed that the photocatalytic processes obey from Langmuir‐Hinshelwood kinetic model. Ultimately, the observed rate constants (kobs) in the range of 1.20 × 10−2 − 1.15 × 10−1 and 1.46 × 10−2 − 7.69 × 10−2 min−1, photodecolorization rate constants (kr) in the range of 1.39–26.12 and 1.04–149.25 mg min−1 L−1, and adsorption constants (KA) in the range of 3.60 × 10−3 − 7.39 × 10−3 and 6.16 × 10−4 − 2.43 × 10−2 L. mg−1 were evaluated for non‐buffer and buffer media, respectively. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 34: 689–696, 2015
Social determinants of health in selected slum areas in Jordan: challenges and policy directions
Authors: Ajlouni Musa T.
Published: October 2014

Background

The unplanned urbanization in Jordan has over time created many informal settlements “slums” around big cities as Amman, Zerka and Aqaba.

The purpose of this study was to highlight the most common challenges related to social determinants of health in two selected slum areas in Amman and Aqaba and suggest policy directions and interventions to meet these challenges.

Methods

In addition to a prestructured interview with all household heads living in the two slum sites, focus group meetings with a purposefully selected sample of 12 slum dwellers in each site were used to assess the structural and intermediary determinants of health as perceived by slum residents in the two study locations.

Results

The study found that slum residents in the two locations suffer from many challenges as severe poverty; unemployment; illiteracy and low education attainments; gender discrimination; insufficient and poor diet; social and official exclusion; unhealthy environment; lack of water supply, electricity and basic sanitation facilities; high prevalence of diseases; and insufficient and inappropriate health services. Specific policy directions to meet these challenges were recommended and grouped into three main clusters: social protection, social inclusion and empowerment.

Conclusion

New plans and tools should be developed by local authorities in Jordan to understand, protect, include and empower those vulnerable people who are forced to live in these unhealthy and inhuman environments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Fragility of Two Monetary Regimes: The European Monetary System and the Eurozone
Authors: De Grauwe Paul , Ji Yuemei
Published: October 2014

We analyse the similarities and the differences in the fragility of the European Monetary System (EMS) and the Eurozone. We test the hypothesis that in the EMS, the fragility arose from the absence of a credible lender of last resort in the foreign exchange markets; whereas in the Eurozone, it was the absence of a lender of last resort in the long‐term government bond markets that caused the fragility. We conclude that in the EMS, the national central banks were weak and fragile, and the national governments were insulated from this weakness by the fact that they kept their own national currencies. In the Eurozone, the roles were reversed. The national central banks that became part of the Eurosystem were strengthened. This came at a huge price, that is, the fragilization of the national governments that could be brought down by the whims of fear and frenzy in financial markets. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The 21st-Century Landscape of Adult Fractures: Cohort Study of a Complete Adult Regional Population
Authors: Rosengren Björn E , Karlsson Magnus , Petersson Ingemar , Englund Martin
Published: October 2014

Recent reports on adult fracture epidemiology have focused mainly on the hip in the elderly, in whom increasing rates lately have changed to a decline. New reports of the preponderance of nonhip fractures in health expenditure call for a wider scope. We therefore examined current overall and site-specific fracture epidemiology in adults. We ascertained all fractures diagnosed in inpatient and outpatient care in all men and women aged 20 years or older in Skåne County, Sweden, from 1999 to 2010 (10 million person-years). For each fracture type, we estimated age-specific and sex-specific rates and evaluated potential time trends. We found 205,908 fractures yielding an overall fracture rate of 192 per 10,000 person-years. The age-standardized overall fracture rate increased by 1.2 per 10,000 and year (95% confidence interval, 0.8 to 1.5), but time trends were different for different fracture types, age strata, and for men and women. For example, in both women and men aged ≥50 years the rates of proximal humerus fracture increased (0.6 and 0.2 per 10,000 and year, respectively) while hip fracture rates declined (−1.0 and −0.3 per 10,000/year, respectively). Overall age-specific number of fractures increased with age in women but was stable in men. The increasing overall fracture rate is a major concern in the context of a growing and aging population. Effective and affordable preventive strategies and treatments should be an urgent priority to meet the challenges, especially in older women in whom most fractures occur. Comprehensive current detailed data, as provided in this study, may serve as reference for projections and for cost calculations of fracture care in other settings before results of similar examinations are available there. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Comparison of LUMIPULSE® G1200 With Kryptor and Modular E170 for the Measurement of Seven Tumor Markers
Authors: Marlet Julien , Bernard Maguy
Published: October 2014

Background

Tumor marker measurements are becoming essential for prognosis and follow‐up of patients in oncology. In this context, we aimed to compare a new analyzer, Lumipulse® G1200 (Fujirebio group, distributed in Europe by the Innogenetics group) with Kryptor® (Thermo Fisher Scientific B.R.A.H.M.S, Asnières, France) and Modular® Elecsys E170 (Roche Diagnostics, Meylan, France) for the measurement of seven tumor markers: PSA, AFP, CEA, CA 15‐3, CA 125, CA 19‐9, and Cyfra 21‐1.

Methods

A total of 471 serum samples from patients with elevated tumor markers and 100 serum from healthy patients were analyzed with Lumipulse® G1200 and either Kryptor® (for AFP) or Modular® (for the six other markers).

Results

The good precision of Lumipulse® G1200 assays was confirmed with CVs < 2.5% and < 5.0%, obtained, respectively, for within‐run imprecision and intermediate imprecision (except for Cyfra 21‐1: CV < 13%). For all markers, Lumipulse results were well correlated with Modular or Kryptor results (r ≥ 0.94). Concordance of results interpretation was > 95% and tumor marker kinetics were all similar.

Conclusion

We confirmed the analytical performances of Lumipulse® tumor marker assays except for the CYFRA 21‐1 assay for which performances were poor in this study. We noticed a few discrepancies for the CEA assay. Besides, values obtained for CA 19‐9 were higher with Lumipulse leading to a bias (slope = 1.5). But for the four other tumor markers assays (PSA, AFP, CA 125, CA 15‐3), the results were directly transferable between Lumipulse and Kryptor or Modular, thus facilitating an eventual substitution of one system by another.
Pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic modeling of fostamatinib efficacy on ACR20 to support dose selection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Authors: Maringwa John , Kågedal Matts , Hamrén Ulrika Wählby , Martin Paul , Cox Eugène , Hamrén Bengt
Published: October 2014

R788 (fostamatinib) is an oral prodrug that is rapidly converted into a relatively selective spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitor R406, evaluated for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This analysis aimed at developing a pharmacodynamic model for efficacy using pooled ACR20 data from two phase II studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (TASKi1 and TASKi2), describing the effect of fostamatinib as a function of fostamatinib exposure (dose, R406 plasma concentration) and other explanatory variables. The exposure–response relationship of fostamatinib was implemented into a continuous time Markov model describing the time course of transition probabilities between the three possible states of ACR20 non‐responder, responder, and dropout at each visit. The probability of transition to the ACR20 response state was linearly (at the rate constant level) related to average R406 plasma concentrations and the onset of this drug effect was fast. Further, increases of fostamatinib dose resulted in increased dropout and subsequent loss of efficacy. This analysis provided an increased understanding of the exposure–response relationship, and provided support for fostamatinib 100 mg BID an appropriate dose regimen for further clinical evaluation.
Electron backscatter diffraction applied to lithium sheets prepared by broad ion beam milling
Authors: Brodusch Nicolas , Zaghib Karim , Gauvin Raynald
Published: October 2014

Due to its very low hardness and atomic number, pure lithium cannot be prepared by conventional methods prior to scanning electron microscopy analysis. Here, we report on the characterization of pure lithium metallic sheets used as base electrodes in the lithium‐ion battery technology using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and X‐ray microanalysis using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) after the sheet surface was polished by broad argon ion milling (IM). No grinding and polishing were necessary to achieve the sufficiently damage free necessary for surface analysis. Based on EDS results the impurities could be characterized and EBSD revealed the microsctructure and microtexture of this material with accuracy. The beam damage and oxidation/hydration resulting from the intensive use of IM and the transfer of the sample into the microscope chamber was estimated to be <50 nm. Despite the fact that the IM process generates an increase of temperature at the specimen surface, it was assumed that the milling parameters were sufficient to minimize the heating effect on the surface temperature. However, a cryo‐stage should be used if available during milling to guaranty a heating artefact free surface after the milling process. Microsc. Res. Tech., 78:30ȓ39, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antifungal properties of an actinomycin D‐producing strain, Streptomyces sp. IA1, isolated from a Saharan soil
Authors: Toumatia Omrane , Yekkour Amine , Goudjal Yacine , Riba Amar , Coppel Yannick , Mathieu Florence , Sabaou Nasserdine , Zitouni Abdelghani
Published: October 2014

An actinomycete strain named IA1, which produced an antimicrobial compound, was isolated from a Saharan soil in In Amenas, Algeria. The study of the 16S rDNA sequence of this strain permitted to relate it to Streptomyces mutabilis NBRC 12800T (99.93% of similarity). Strain IA1 exhibited strong activity against a wide range of plant pathogenic fungi. One bioactive compound produced in large amounts (46.7 mg L−1 day−1), named YA, was isolated and purified by TLC and reverse phase HPLC. The structure elucidation of the pure substance, using combined data from UV visible, NMR spectra, and mass spectrometry, permitted to identify it as actinomycin D, and was thus found for the first time in S. mutabilis related species. The biocontrol abilities of the strain IA1 and compound YA were evaluated through two diseases, i.e., chocolate spot of field bean and Fusarium wilt of flax. The occurrence of the two fungal diseases was effectively reduced. The reduction of chocolate spot disease symptoms reached 80 and 91.7% with IA1 and YA seedlings pretreatments, respectively. Soil pretreatment with IA1 or YA also allowed to reduce Fusarium wilt disease impact by almost 60%.
AHL‐type quorum sensing and its regulation on symplasmata formation in Pantoea agglomerans YS19
Authors: Jiang Jing , Wu Suisui , Wang Jieru , Feng Yongjun
Published: October 2014

Pantoea agglomerans YS19, an endophytic diazotrophic bacterium isolated from rice, is characterized by the formation of multicellular aggregate structure called symplasmata, which not only bestow the strong stress‐resistance of the bacterium, but also contribute to the specific adaptation in the endophyte–host association. Acyl‐homoserine lactones (AHLs), as the important signal molecule in the quorum sensing (QS) system of gram‐negative bacteria, were demonstrated to regulate motility, cell‐aggregation, and other bacterial behaviors. Here, the production of AHL by P. agglomerans YS19 and its regulation on the symplasmata formation were studied. It was revealed that the production of AHL by YS19 was initiated at the exponential growth stage and from then on, reached the peak values at the stationary growth stage in LB medium. The AHL was identified as N‐3‐oxooctanoyl‐L‐homoserine lactone (OOHL) by MALDI‐TOF‐MS analysis. The AHL synthesis gene pagI and receptor gene pagR in YS19 were cloned and phylogenetic analysis showed that they were high conservative among strains in species of P. agglomerans. It was revealed that AHL promoted the bacterial growth and symplasmata formation of YS19. Meanwhile, the colonization ability and growth‐promoting effect of YS19 on the host plant were also enhanced by AHL. These results strongly suggest the pleiotropic effects of the AHL‐type QS system in endophytic life of the strain.
Functional characterization of a cadmium resistance operon in Staphylococcus aureus ATCC12600: CadC does not function as a repressor
Authors: Hoogewerf Arlene J. , Dyk Lisa A. Van , Buit Tyler S. , Roukema David , Resseguie Emily , Plaisier Christina , Le Nga , Heeringa Lee , Griend Douglas A. Vander
Published: October 2014

Sequencing of a cadmium resistance operon from a Staphylococcus aureus ATCC12600 plasmid revealed that it is identical to a cadCA operon found in MRSA strains. Compared to plasmid‐cured and cadC‐mutant strains, cadC‐positive ATCC12600 cells had increased resistance to cadmium (1 mg ml−1 cadmium sulfate) and zinc (4 mg ml−1 zinc sulfate), but not to other metal ions. After growth in media containing 20 µg ml−1 cadmium sulfate, cadC‐mutant cells contained more intracellular cadmium than cadC‐positive ATCC12600 cells, suggesting that cadC absence results in impaired cadmium efflux. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed with CadC proteins encoded by the S. aureus ATCC12600 plasmid and by the cadC gene of pI258, which is known to act as a transcriptional repressor and shares only 47% protein sequence identity with ATCC12600 CadC. Mobility shifts occurred when pI258 CadC protein was incubated with the promoter DNA‐regions from the pI258 and S. aureus ATCC12600 cadCA operons, but did not occur with S. aureus ATCC12600 CadC protein, indicating that the ATCC12600 CadC protein does not interact with promoter region DNA. This cadCA operon, found in MRSA strains and previously functionally uncharacterized, increases resistance to cadmium and zinc by an efflux mechanism, and CadC does not function as a transcriptional repressor.
Men's Experiences of Living with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Madsen Mette , Jensen Kim Vilbek , Esbensen Bente Appel
Published: October 2014

Background

The majority of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are male, although potential gender differences have not been investigated in relation to disease management. Moreover, men's perceptions of experiencing AS have not been reported in the literature.

Aims

This study sought to develop an understanding of how men experience AS and the challenges related to living with AS as a chronic disease.

Methods

A purposive sample of 13 men diagnosed with AS, with a median age of 44 years (range 32–58) was recruited from a rheumatology outpatient clinic. The median duration of disease was 12 years (range 0.3–28 years), and the median time from the first symptom to final diagnosis was seven years (range 2–20 years). Semi‐structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide, and the interviews were analysed using content analysis inspired by Graneheim qualitative methodology.

Results

The analysis revealed four categories: (1) ‘Approaching a diagnosis’; (2) ‘Ill in a social context’; (3) ‘Challenged as a man’; and (4) ‘The importance of remaining physically well’. Based on these categories, the overall category of ‘An invisible companion for life’ emerged, which captures the experience of living with an invisible, life‐long disease.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that AS impacts men's perceptions of themselves as men, relationships as a partner and father, social lives, and masculine identity. Physical activity was highlighted as an important part of being a man, and not being able to exercise challenged the men's masculine identity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison the properties of PVA/Na+‐MMT nanocomposite hydrogels prepared by physical and physicochemical crosslinking
Authors: Karimi Ali , Wan Daud Wan Mohd Ashri
Published: October 2014

A novel physicochemical crosslinked nanocomposite hydrogel based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and natural Na‐montmorillonite (Na+‐MMT) was synthesized by chemical crosslinking of nanocomposite hydrogel followed by a freezing‐thawing process. The effects of physical crosslinking, as well as physicochemical crosslinking, on the structure, morphology, and properties (thermal, mechanical, swelling, and deswelling) of nanocomposite hydrogels were investigated and compared with each other. The structure and morphology of nanocomposites were studied by Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites that were affected by physical and physicochemical crosslinking were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter, dynamic mechanical analysis, hardness test, and Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) experiments. The results showed that the physicochemical crosslinking of a PVA nanocomposite leads to a reduction in crystallinity and melting temperature, as well as an increase in the Hardness and WVTR compared to a physically crosslinked PVA nanocomposite hydrogel. The swelling and deswelling experiments were performed using a gravimetric method, and it was shown that controlled crosslinking of PVA nanocomposite hydrogel with glutaraldehyde causes the swelling ratio to increase and the cumulative amount of water loss to decrease. The swelling (sorption) and deswelling (desorption) kinetics data for physically and physicochemical crosslinking of nanocomposite hydrogels were fitted with a fickian model. It is concluded that through control crosslinking of PVA nanocomposite can lead to a hydrogel with higher swelling capacity than that is in conventional PVA nanocomposite hydrogel. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:897–906, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Air processed P3HT:PCBM photovoltaic cells: Morphology correlation to annealing, degradation, and recovery
Authors: Wu Qi , Bhattacharya Mithun , Moore Levi M. J. , Morgan Sarah E.
Published: October 2014

Systematically varied annealing, encapsulation, and solvent vapor treatments are conducted to produce stable OPV devices with controlled film morphology and high performance when produced in air. Active layer films are analyzed by AFM, nanomechanical mapping, UV–vis spectroscopy, and XRD. Devices prepared with isopropanol solvent vapor annealing (SVA) combined with thermal annealing (TA) show the highest environmental resistance and performance. Such devices yield average PCE of 3.3%, with stability to atmospheric exposure of up to 60 min prior to encapsulation. Encapsulated devices exposed to the laboratory environment for 30 days exhibit a decrease in PCE of ∼15%. On application of a second TA step PCE is recovered to over 90% of the original value. The unprecedented air stability of the cells is attributed to the formation of an active layer with a stable, favorable morphology during the SVA process, which is associated with lower oxygen content films. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 1511–1520
Evaluation of the photooxidation of galactosyl‐ and lactosylceramide by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Santinha Deolinda , Ferreira‐Fernandes Emanuel , Melo Tânia , Silva Eduarda M. P. , Maciel Elisabete , Fardilha Margarida , Domingues Pedro , Domingues M. Rosário M.
Published: October 2014

RATIONALE

Glycosphingolipids are important lipid molecules namely as constituents of the plasma membrane organized in lipid rafts, in signal transduction, and cell‐cell communication. Although many human diseases are associated with oxidative stress and lipid oxidation, a link between oxidative stress and modification of glycosphingolipids has never been addressed.

METHODS

In this study, the structural changes caused by UVA‐induced photooxidation of galactosyl‐ (GalCer) and lactosylceramide (LacCer) molecular species were studied by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS and MS/MS), using a quadrupole time‐of‐flight (QTOF) mass spectrometer and high‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with a C5 stationary phase (C5 HPLC/MS/MS) using a linear ion trap.

RESULTS

ESI‐MS spectra of GalCer and LacCer after photooxidation showed new ions with a mass shift of +32 Da when compared with the ions of the non‐modified glycosphingolipids. These new species were assigned as hydroperoxyl derivatives, confirmed by HPLC/MS/MS and through FOX 2 assay. In the ESI‐MS and LC/MS of lactosylceramide a new ion with lower m/z value, assigned as glucosylceramide (GlcCer) + 32 Da, was also detected and proposed to be formed due to oxidative cleavage of lactosyl moieties. ESI‐MS/MS of the oxidized species allowed us to infer the presence of isomeric hydroperoxyl derivatives, with the hydroperoxyl moiety either linked to the sphingosine backbone or in the unsaturated acyl chain. Oxidation in the sugar moieties was observed in the case of LacCer, suggesting an oxidation via radical reactive oxygen species that can induce the oxidative cleavage of the lactosyl moiety.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that glycosphingolipids are prone to oxidation and the identified mass spectrometry fingerprint of oxidized galactosyl‐ and lactosylceramide species will support their future identification in lipidomic studies of biological samples under oxidative conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of Slag Chemistry by FTIR‐RAS and Raman Spectroscopy: Effect of Water Vapor Content in H2H2OCOCO2 Mixtures Relevant to a Novel Green Ironmaking Technology
Authors: Mohassab Yousef , Sohn Hong Yong
Published: October 2014

In an effort to develop a novel green ironmaking process with the potential of steelmaking in a single continuous process the chemistry of selected slag systems were investigated. The novel process uses gaseous fuels and reductants that help reduce energy consumption and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Amongst the proposed reductants and fuels are H2, natural gas (NG), and coal gas (CG). In different ironmaking processes, the molten bath (iron–slag bath) is expected to be at equilibrium with gas atmospheres of mainly H2/H2O, and CO/CO2/H2/H2O corresponding to the use of H2 and NG/CG, respectively. CO/CO2 gas mixture was studied for comparison. Based on the FTIR‐RAS (reflection absorption spectroscopy) and Raman analyses, it is expected that H2O stabilizes the more polymerized silicates anions rather than the depolymerized monomers. For the investigated slag compositions, slags under H2 and NG/CG at 1550 °C had values of ψ = (Q0 + Q1)/(Q2 + Q3) (a measure of depolymerization) 75 and 55 less than slags under the CO/CO2 atmosphere. It was concluded that the higher the water content in the gas atmosphere the more polymerized the silicates in the slag. The results of this study will, for the first time, provide new insights into the slag chemistry under H2O containing atmospheres.
Leaping forward in amphibian health and nutrition
Authors: Olea‐Popelka Francisco , Ferrie Gina M. , Morris Cheryl , Pessier Allan P. , Schad Kristine , Stamper M. Andrew , Gagliardo Ron , Koutsos Elizabeth , Valdes Eduardo V.
Published: October 2014

The Epidemiology Working Group, a subgroup of the participants of the Disney's Animal Kingdom Workshop on “Ex situ Amphibian Medicine and Nutrition,” identified a critical need to design and implement approaches that will facilitate the assessment and evaluation of factors impacting amphibian health. In this manuscript, we describe and summarize the outcomes of this workshop with regards (a) the identified gaps in knowledge, (b) identified priorities for closing these gaps, and (c) compile a list of actions to address these priorities. Four general areas of improvement were identified in relation to how measurements are currently being taken to evaluate ex situ amphibian health: nutrition, infectious diseases, husbandry, and integrated biology including genetics and endocrinology. The proposed actions that will be taken in order to address the identified gaps include: (1) identify and quantify major health issues affecting ex situ amphibian populations, (2) identify and coordinate laboratories to conduct analyses using standardized and validated protocols to measure nutritional, infectious diseases, genetic, and hormonal parameters, (3) determine in situ baseline distribution of parameters related to amphibian health, and (4) establish an inter‐disciplinary research approach to target specific hypotheses related to amphibian health such as the effects of population genetics (e.g., relatedness, inbreeding) on disease susceptibility, or how environmental parameters are related to chronic stress and hormone production. We think is important to address current gaps in knowledge regarding amphibian health in order to increase the probability to succeed in addressing the issues faced by in situ and ex situ amphibians populations. We are confident that the recommendations provided in this manuscript will facilitate to address these challenges and could have a positive impact in both the health of in situ and ex situ amphibian populations, worldwide. Zoo Biol. 33:586–591, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
“Is it Going to Hurt?”: The Impact of the Diagnostic Odyssey on Children and Their Families
Authors: Carmichael Nikkola , Tsipis Judith , Windmueller Gail , Mandel Leslie , Estrella Elicia
Published: October 2014

The pediatric diagnostic odyssey is a period of uncertainty and emotional turmoil for families, often characterized by multiple minor medical procedures (such as venipuncture) that children may find distressing. Interventions to reduce distress are rarely offered, despite evidence that this is crucial both for avoiding anticipatory anxiety before future procedures and for improving healthcare compliance in adulthood. We interviewed ten mothers of children with neuromuscular disorders, asking about their perceptions of their child's experiences with different medical procedures, the emotional impact of the diagnostic odyssey, implications of obtaining a diagnosis, and interactions with healthcare providers. We coded interviews in ATLAS.ti (version 7.0) based on a priori and emergent themes, and analyzed them based on the principles of interpretive description. We found that predicting and assessing children's reactions to procedures is challenging; parents reported non‐invasive procedures such as x‐rays were distressing for some children, and that providers did not detect subtle indicators of distress. Parents valued obtaining a diagnosis because it validated their concerns, enabled planning for the child's future healthcare needs, and allowed access to established support networks. This study suggests that healthcare providers can improve the experience of the diagnostic odyssey by validating family concerns and connecting them to support services that are available without a diagnosis.
Synthesis of Linoleic Acid Hydroperoxides as Flavor Precursors, Using Selected Substrate Sources
Authors: Aziz Marya , Ben Akacha Najla , Husson Florence , Kermasha Selim
Published: October 2014

The objective of the research was the synthesis of linoleic acid hydroperoxides (HPOD) and their recovery, using selected sources of linoleic acid (LA) as substrate. This is part of on‐going work aimed at the development of an economically viable biotechnological process for the production of natural flavors. The investigated sources included pure (100 %) LA and commercial (67 %) LA as well as safflower oil (SO) and its hydrolyzed product. A model describing commercial LA oxidation by lipoxygenase, based on Michaelis–Menten kinetics, was developed. The conversion of pure LA and commercial LA resulted in insignificant differences in HPOD yield of 69.7 and 68.9 %, respectively. However, there was a significant difference in the HPOD yield, obtained from the SO (2.0 %) and that from the hydrolyzed SO (58.0 %) in comparison to that from pure LA (69.7 %). The ratios of the different 9‐ and 13‐HPOD isomers were insignificantly different for the sources containing free LA, with 13‐(9Z,11E)‐HPOD was the highest relative percentage. Using optimized conditions, HPOD yields were 85.9 and 74.0 % for the commercial LA and the hydrolyzed SO, respectively. Based on experimental findings, commercial (67 %) LA was selected as the most appropriate alternative to pure LA for the production of HPOD. An efficient extraction procedure for the recovery of HPOD was also developed.
Obatoclax potentiates the cytotoxic effect of cytarabine on acute myeloid leukemia cells by enhancing DNA damage
Authors: Xie Chengzhi , Edwards Holly , Caldwell J. Timothy , Wang Guan , Taub Jeffrey W. , Ge Yubin
Published: October 2014

Resistance to cytarabine and anthracycline‐based chemotherapy is a major cause of treatment failure for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Overexpression of Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xL, and/or Mcl‐1 has been associated with chemoresistance in AML cell lines and with poor clinical outcome of AML patients. Thus, inhibitors of anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 family proteins could be novel therapeutic agents. In this study, we investigated how clinically achievable concentrations of obatoclax, a pan‐Bcl‐2 inhibitor, potentiate the antileukemic activity of cytarabine in AML cells. MTT assays in AML cell lines and diagnostic blasts, as well as flow cytometry analyses in AML cell lines revealed synergistic antileukemic activity between cytarabine and obatoclax. Bax activation was detected in the combined, but not the individual, drug treatments. This was accompanied by significantly increased loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Most importantly, in AML cells treated with the combination, enhanced early induction of DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) preceded a decrease of Mcl‐1 levels, nuclear translocation of Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xL, and Mcl‐1, and apoptosis. These results indicate that obatoclax enhances cytarabine‐induced apoptosis by enhancing DNA DSBs. This novel mechanism provides compelling evidence for the clinical use of BH3 mimetics in combination with DNA‐damaging agents in AML and possibly a broader range of malignancies.
Standortfaktor Gesundheit – der Beitrag des ÖGD
Authors: Schmolz Günter
Published: October 2014

Einleitung

Der Begriff Standortfaktor ist in der Wirtschaftsgeografie geläufig und bezeichnet eine definierte standortspezifische Eigenschaft, die für ein Unternehmen oder eine Einzelperson bei der Standortwahl relevant sein kann. Aktuell wird folgende Unterscheidung zwischen weichen und harten Standortfaktoren vorgenommen: Steuern, Bildungssysteme, Infrastruktur, Absatzmärkte u.v.a. gelten als harte, Innerstadtattraktivität, physisches Klima, Wohnwert und soziale Kohärenz als wichtige weiche Standortfaktoren; Gesundheit wird selten genannt, am ehesten noch als Qualität medizinischer Dienstleistungen. Entscheidende Impulse gehen auch vom Gesunde Städte-Netzwerk aus. Es wird immer deutlicher, dass Kommunen, d.h. Stadt- und Landkreise, Städte, Gemeinden, Stadtteile und Quartiere, diejenigen Sozialräume bilden, in denen Gesundheit gut aufgehoben ist. Hier muss der ÖGD initiierend, konzeptionell und koordinierend tätig werden. Dies soll auch mit einer staatlichen Initiative in Baden-Württemberg geschehen.
The Return of Civilization—and of Arnold Toynbee?
Authors: Kumar Krishan
Published: October 2014

After a period of neglect, civilization as a concept seems once more to have regained popularity among a number of historians and social scientists. Why? What is the appeal of civilization today? And might the return of civilization also herald a return to the work of Arnold Toynbee, once regarded as the towering figure of civilizational analysis? This paper considers the history of the concept of civilization, and argues for the continuing importance and relevance of Toynbee's multi-volumeA Study of Historywithin that tradition. The claim is that, whatever the weaknesses of Toynbee's general approach, the civilizational perspective he adopts allows him to cast an illuminating light on many important historical questions. Moreover his belief in the “philosophical contemporaneity” and equal value of all civilizations should make him peculiarly attractive to those many today who reject Eurocentrism and who are increasingly persuaded of the need to consider the total human experience from earliest times up to the present.
“I serve therefore I am”: Youth and Generative Politics in India
Authors: Jeffrey Craig , Dyson Jane
Published: October 2014

This paper uses qualitative research in Uttarakhand, India to highlight the vitality of civil society and the involvement of young people in everyday “civic” politics. Much recent academic literature emphasizes the ubiquity of narrowly self-interested patronage politics in South Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as captured in the saying sometimes attributed to politicians in Cameroon: “I graze therefore I am.” But in specific moments or conjunctures, more “civic” forms of politics come to light, perhaps especially among youth. Building on intensive, qualitative field research, we show that a new generation of educated, underemployed youth in the village of Bemni serve their community in key ways. They also make strong arguments about the nature of “politics” and how it might be re-imagined as “generative”—concerned with building resources—rather than “allocative”—a zero-sum game of competition for power. We draw attention to the potentials of this practice and discourse of politics as well as its limits, particularly that it is dominated by young men and tends to reproduce caste and gender inequalities. We also call for more concerted study of youth community activism in contexts of predatory clientelism.
Mourning the Archive: Middle Eastern Photographic Heritage between Neoliberalism and Digital Reproduction
Authors: Ryzova Lucie
Published: October 2014

The past decade and a half have seen the founding of new archival initiatives in the Middle East devoted to collecting and preserving photographs. This article examines critically the constitution of photographic heritage in the region ethnographically and historically. I look first at how historical photographs are understood in Egypt by their custodians old and new. Publics and institutions overwhelmingly see photographs as “images of something,” and appreciate them for their visual content rather than as social and cultural objects. This facilitates their transfer from public collections into private hands in Egypt and abroad. I examine in detail key actors currently involved in shaping photographic heritage: the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, the Arab Image Foundation in Beirut, and private collectors in Egypt. I look at how these actors assign value to historical photographs in their custody and their strategies for collecting and curating them. They often define their actions negatively, “against others,” historically against a state that they believe has failed to care for national heritage. Yet these very actors, and their rivals, often perpetuate such narratives and associated fears. Two models of photographic heritage-making are currently emerging in the region: a “digital” model that destroys artifacts in order to produce data, and a model of private cultural institutions that provide unclear and selective access to their collections.
An efficient route scheduling mechanism for WiMAX network
Authors: Guo Ming-Huang , Deng Der-Jiunn , Liaw Horng-Twu , Park Jong Hyuk
Published: October 2014

WiMAX was proposed as the new wireless network standard in recent years. In the wide cover area of WiMAX environment, there are many nodes and interference. In order to obtain the efficiency, the avoidance to the interference is important. In this paper, we propose a two-tier cluster-based route scheduling mechanism on WiMAX Mesh mode. It achieves both fairness and efficiency inside and outside the cluster. The simulation result shows that our mechanism provides great improvement in average delay time and throughput than other research.
Functional inequalities for modified Struve functions
Authors: Baricz Árpád , Pogány Tibor K.
Published: October 2014

By using a general result on the monotonicity of quotients of power series, our aim is to prove some monotonicity and convexity results for the modified Struve functions. Moreover, as consequences of the above-mentioned results, we present some functional inequalities as well as lower and upper bounds for modified Struve functions. Our main results complement and improve the 1998 results of Joshi and Nalwaya.
Explanations: Aesthetic and Scientific
Authors: Liao Shen-yi
Published: October 2014

In recent years, aesthetics – like many other philosophical areas – has gradually replaced conceptual analysis projects with theory construction projects. For example, in a presidential speech of the American Society for Aesthetics, Kendall Walton advocates for the theory-construction methodology, which does not primarily aim to capture the meaning of aesthetic terms in ordinary English. Instead of trying to define what beauty or art is, philosophers have shifted their focus to explaining aesthetic phenomena that arise from our interactions with narratives and artworks. We are experiencing a shift from what Jonathan Weinberg and Aaron Meskin call the ‘traditional paradox-and-analysis model’ to a new paradigm, the ‘phenomenon-and-explanation model’. The methodology of the new paradigm explicitly takes its cue from the sciences: look for observable data, propose theories that aim to explain the data, adjudicate competing theories, and repeat.
Aesthetic Disgust?
Authors: Robinson Jenefer
Published: October 2014

In paragraph 48 of theCritique of Judgment, Immanuel Kant claimed that ‘only one kind of ugliness cannot be represented in accordance with nature without destroying all aesthetic satisfaction, hence artistic beauty, namely that which arouses disgust.’ However, from Baudelaire to Damien Hirst, there have been artists who delight in arousing disgust through their works, and many of these disgusting works, such as Baudelaire'sUne Charogne, have high aesthetic merit. In her splendid new book,Savoring Disgust, Carolyn Korsmeyer rejects Kant's suggestion and argues that there is something called ‘aesthetic disgust,’ that is, ‘the arousal of disgust in an audience, a spectator, or a reader, under circumstances where that emotion both apprehends artistic properties and constitutes a component of appreciation.’
Aesthetic Autonomy and Self-Aggrandisement
Authors: Robson Jon
Published: October 2014

You're not as clever as you think you are. Nor for that matter are you as good a driver, teacher or romantic partner as you take yourself to be and, as if that wasn't bad enough, you are also considerably less popular than you have hitherto believed. Finally – and crucially for the argument of this paper – I contend that your abilities as an aesthetic judge are considerably less impressive than you take them to be. To avoid descending into name calling it's worth pointing out that such claims apply to the vast majority of people – myself, somewhat paradoxically, included.
Functional ultrasound imaging of intrinsic connectivity in the living rat brain with high spatiotemporal resolution
Authors: Osmanski Bruno-Félix , Pezet Sophie , Ricobaraza Ana , Lenkei Zsolt , Tanter Mickael
Published: October 2014

Long-range coherences in spontaneous brain activity reflect functional connectivity. Here we propose a novel, highly resolved connectivity mapping approach, using ultrafast functional ultrasound (fUS), which enables imaging of cerebral microvascular haemodynamics deep in the anaesthetized rodent brain, through a large thinned-skull cranial window, with pixel dimensions of 100 μm × 100 μm in-plane. The millisecond-range temporal resolution allows unambiguous cancellation of low-frequency cardio-respiratory noise. Both seed-based and singular value decomposition analysis of spatial coherences in the low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) spontaneous fUS signal fluctuations reproducibly report, at different coronal planes, overlapping high-contrast, intrinsic functional connectivity patterns. These patterns are similar to major functional networks described in humans by resting-state fMRI, such as the lateral task-dependent network putatively anticorrelated with the midline default-mode network. These results introduce fUS as a powerful novel neuroimaging method, which could be extended to portable systems for three-dimensional functional connectivity imaging in awake and freely moving rodents.
Epothilones
Authors: Schiess Raphael , Altmann Karl-Heinz
Published: October 2014

Epothilones A and B are naturally occurring microtubule stabilizers with nanomolar or even sub-nanomolar activity against human cancer cells in vitro and potent in vivo antitumor activity against multidrug-resistant tumors. Over the last decade, ten epothilonetype agents have entered clinical trials in humans; of these, the epothilone B lactam ixabepilone (BMS-247550; Ixempra®) was approved by the FDA for breast cancer treatment in 2007. Numerous synthetic and semisynthetic analogs of epothilones have been prepared and their in vitro and (in selected cases) in vivo biological activity has been determined, producing a wealth of SAR information on this compound family. This chapter will provide a brief summary of the in vitro and in vivo biological properties of epothilone B (Epo B). The major part of the discussion will then be organized around those epothilone analogs that have entered clinical development. For each analog the underlying synthetic chemistry and the most important preclinical features will be reviewed, together with the properties of some important related structures.
Macrocyclic α-Helical Peptide Drug Discovery
Authors: Sawyer Tomi K. , Guerlavais Vincent , Darlak Krzysztof , Feyfant Eric
Published: October 2014

Macrocyclic α-helical peptides have emerged as a promising new drug class and within the scope of hydrocarbon-stapled peptides such molecules have advanced into the clinic. The overarching concept of designing proteomimetics of an α-helical ‘ligand’ which binds its cognate ‘target’ relative to α-helical interfacing protein-protein interactions has been well-validated and expanded through numerous investigations for a plethora of therapeutic targets oftentimes referred to as “undruggable” with respect to other modalities (e.g., small-molecule or proteins). This chapter highlights the evolution of macrocyclic α-helical peptides in terms of target space, biophysical and computational chemistry, structural diversity and synthesis, drug design and chemical biology. It is noteworthy that hydrocarbon-stapled peptides have successfully risen to the summit of such drug discovery campaigns.
The Synthesis of Macrocycles for Drug Discovery
Authors: Peterson Mark L.
Published: October 2014

Despite the attractive nature of macrocyclic compounds for use in new pharmaceutical discovery, applications have been hindered due to the lack of appropriate synthetic methods, in particular for the construction of libraries of such molecules. However, over the last decade, a number of effective and versatile methodologies suitable for macrocyclic scaffolds have been developed and applied successfully. These include classical coupling and substitution reactions, ring-closing metathesis (RCM), cycloaddition (“click”) chemistry, multicomponent reactions (MCR), numerous organometallic-mediated processes and others. This chapter presents a comprehensive compilation of these strategies and provides examples of their use in drug discovery, along with a description of those approaches that have proven effective for the assembly of macrocyclic libraries suitable for screening.
Glyconanoparticles for colorimetric bioassays
Authors: Marín María J. , Schofield Claire L. , Field Robert A. , Russell David A.
Published: October 2014

This tutorial review focusses on the design and application of glyconanoparticles for the colorimetric detection of lectins, toxins and viruses.
Visible-light-induced chemoselective reductive decarboxylative alkynylation under biomolecule-compatible conditions
Authors: Yang Jie , Zhang Jing , Qi Li , Hu Chenchen , Chen Yiyun
Published: October 2014

A visible-light-induced chemoselective reductive decarboxylative alkynylation for C(sp3)–C(sp) bond formation under biomolecule-compatible conditions.
Practical synthesis of pyrazoles via a copper-catalyzed relay oxidation strategy
Authors: Tang Xiaodong , Huang Liangbin , Yang Jidan , Xu Yanli , Wu Wanqing , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: October 2014

An efficient Cu-catalyzed cascade reaction involving N–O bond cleavage and C–C/C–N/N–N bond formations is developed to afford various 1,3- and 1,3,4-substituted pyrazoles.
Revisiting electroaccepting and electrodonating powers: proposals for local electrophilicity and local nucleophilicity descriptors
Authors: Morell Christophe , Gázquez José L. , Vela Alberto , Guégan Frédéric , Chermette Henry
Published: October 2014

It is shown that the electrophilicity index is also a rational choice for measuring nucleophilicity.
Strain-induced phase transition of a C58 solid
Authors: Yang L. , He H. Y. , Hu J. , Pan B. C.
Published: October 2014

The C58 solid of T-I exhibits a semiconductor–metal phase transition under the isotropic strain.
Crystal structures and magnetic properties of chiral heterobimetallic chains based on the dicyanoruthenate building block
Authors: Ru Jing , Gao Feng , Yao Min-Xia , Wu Tao , Zuo Jing-Lin
Published: October 2014

Two pairs of 1D enantiomers based on the dicyanoruthenate building block were prepared and characterized. Compounds 1-(RR) and 1-(SS) show metamagnetic behavior with a critical field of about 7.2 kOe at 1.9 K.
Heterodinuclear (Sm, Tb) lanthanide pivalates with heterocyclic N-donors: synthesis, structure, thermal behavior, and magnetic and photoluminescence properties
Authors: Fomina Irina G. , Dobrokhotova Zhanna V. , Ilyukhin Andrey B. , Zhilov Valery I. , Bogomyakov Artem S. , Antoshkov Andrey A. , Zavorotny Yury S. , Gerasimova Vasilisa I. , Novotortsev Vladimir M. , Eremenko Igor L.
Published: October 2014

The PL color evidently changes from red at 300 K to bright green at 77 K.
Assembly of a CdS quantum dot–TiO2 nanobelt heterostructure for photocatalytic application: towards an efficient visible light photocatalyst via facile surface charge tuning
Authors: Zhang Junyu , Xiao Fang-Xing , Xiao Guangcan , Liu Bin
Published: October 2014

CdS QD sensitized TiO2 nanobelt nanostructures were fabricated by a facile self-assembly approach and the photocatalytic performance of the well-defined hybrid heterostructure was systematically probed.