bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of human albumin in serum and urine samples by constant‐energy synchronous fluorescence method
Authors: Madrakian Tayyebeh , Bagheri Habibollah , Afkhami Abbas
Published: November 2014

A sensitive spectrofluorimetric method using constant‐energy synchronous fluorescence technique is proposed for the determination of human albumin without separation. In this method, no reagent was used for enhancement of the fluorescence signal of albumin in the solution. Effects of some parameters, such as energy difference between excitation and emission monochromators (ΔE), emission and excitation slit widths and scan rate of wavelength were studied and the optimum conditions were established. For this purpose factorial design and response surface method were employed for optimization of the effective parameters on the fluorescence signal. The results showed that the scan rate of the wavelength has no significant effect on the analytical signal. The calibration curve was linear in the range 0.1–220.0 µg mL–1 of albumin with a detection limit of 7.0 × 10–3 µg mL–1. The relative standard deviations (RSD) for six replicate measurements of albumin were calculated as 2.2%, 1.7% and 1.3% for 0.5, 10.0 and 100.0 µg mL–1 albumin, respectively. Furthermore the proposed method has been employed for the determination of albumin in human serum and urine samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous determination of a novel oral Janus kinase inhibitor ASP015K and its sulfated metabolite in rat plasma using LC‐MS/MS
Authors: Oda Kazuo , Mera Katsumi , Nagasaka Yasuhisa , Tokoro Kazumi
Published: November 2014

A sensitive and selective liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) was developed for determining the concentrations of novel Janus kinase inhibitor ASP015K and its sulfated metabolite M2 in rat plasma. This method involves solid‐phase extraction (SPE) from 25 μL of rat plasma. LC separation was performed on an Inertsil PH‐3 column (100 mm L ×4.6 mm I.D., 5 µm) with a mobile phase consisting of 10 mM ammonium acetate and methanol under linear gradient conditions. Analytes were introduced to the LC‐MS/MS through an electrospray ionization source and detected in positive‐ion mode using selected reaction monitoring. Standard curves were linear from 0.25 to 500 ng/mL (r ≥0.9964). This assay enabled quantification of ASP015K and M2 at a concentration as low as 0.25 ng/mL in rat plasma. Validation data demonstrated that the method is selective, sensitive and accurate. Further, we also successfully applied this method to a preclinical pharmacokinetic study in rats. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling and optimization of phospholipase A1‐catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine using response surface methodology for lysophosphatidylcholine production
Authors: Lim Chang Wan , Kim Byung Hee , Kim In‐Hwan , Lee Moon‐Won
Published: November 2014

Modeling the phospholipase A1 (PLA1)‐catalyzed partial hydrolysis of soy phosphatidylcholine (PC) in hexane for the production of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and optimizing the reaction conditions using response surface methodology were described. The reaction was performed with 4 g of PC in a stirred batch reactor using a commercial PLA1 (Lecitase Ultra) as the biocatalyst. The effects of temperature, reaction time, water content, and enzyme loading on LPC and glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC) content in the reaction products were elucidated using the models established. Optimal reaction conditions for maximizing the LPC content while suppressing acyl migration, which causes GPC formation, were as follows: temperature, 60°C; reaction time, 3 h; water content, 10% of PC; and enzyme loading, 1% of PC. When the reaction was conducted with 40 g of PC under these conditions, the reaction products contained 83.7 mol % LPC and were free of GPC. LPC had a higher total unsaturated fatty acid content than original PC had and was mainly composed of linoleic acid (78.0 mol % of the total fatty acids). © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:35–41, 2015
Rationale and study design of the RESERVOIR trial: A randomized trial comparing reservoir‐based polymer‐free amphilimus‐eluting stents versus everolimus‐eluting stents with durable polymer in patients with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Romaguera R. , Brugaletta S. , Gomez‐Lara J. , Pinar E. , Jiménez‐Quevedo P. , Gracida M. , Roura G. , Ferreiro J.L. , Teruel L. , Gómez‐Hospital J.A. , Montanya E. , Alfonso F. , Valgimigli M. , Sabate M. , Cequier A.
Published: November 2014

Background

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) remain at high risk for stent restenosis and adverse cardiovascular events in the drug‐eluting stent era. The amphilimus‐eluting stent (AES) is a third generation reservoir‐based polymer‐free drug‐eluting stent that has shown promising preliminary results in patients with DM. It has been suggested that the formulation of the drug with fatty acids could not only modulate the drug release in a timely manner but also achieve convenient levels of drug concentration in diabetic cardiac cells. The aim of this trial is to assess the efficacy of the AES in patients with DM compared with the cobalt chromium everolimus‐eluting stent with non‐erodible polymer (EES).

Study Design

This is an investigator‐initiated, multicenter, randomized clinical trial, performed in patients with DM. A total of 112 diabetic patients receiving glucose‐lowering agents and requiring percutaneous revascularization of a de novo lesion will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to receive AES or EES. The primary endpoint is the neointimal volume obstruction at 9 months, evaluated by optical coherence tomography. Secondary endpoints will include strut coverage, angiographic in‐stent late loss and clinical endpoints such as target vessel revascularization or probable/definite stent thrombosis. This study completed the inclusion in October 2013.

Conclusions

The RESERVOIR trial is an investigator‐initiated trial that will evaluate whether the polymer‐free AES is not inferior to the EES inhibiting the neointimal hyperplasia in patients with DM. These results are also expected to improve our knowledge of the neointimal healing process in this population (Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT01710748). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Rhodium Triphenylphosphine Catalyst for Alkene Hydrogenation Supported on Neat Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Dehe Daniel , Wang Lei , Müller Melanie K. , Dörr Gunder , Zhou Zhou , Klupp‐Taylor Robin N. , Sun Yu , Ernst Stefan , Hartmann Martin , Bauer Matthias , Thiel Werner R.
Published: November 2014

A phosphonic acid functionalized triphenylphosphine rhodium complex was synthesized and grafted onto neat superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The material was investigated by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, XRD, N2‐physisorption analyses, and TEM measurements. The obtained hybrid material could be used as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of alkenes with excellent yields and a broad substrate scope. The catalyst can be reused ten times without any loss of activity. According to the results from X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, it is likely that formation of Rh nanoparticles occurs during the reaction.
Strategy for Scaling‐up of a Microsieve Dispersion Reactor
Authors: Wang Kai , Lu Yangcheng , Luo Guangsheng
Published: November 2014

For the application of microreactors in industrial processes, more scaling‐up strategies are still required except of the original concept, the numbering‐up. A more maneuverable and economic approach, combining both similarity‐up and numbering‐up, is introduced as an example for an innovative strategy. CFD simulation is also applied to assist analysis and optimization of fluid distribution. Based on this concept, named similarity‐up + numbering‐up + simulation, a pilot‐plant microsieve dispersion minireactor used to proceed the reaction of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid and oleum is designed and tested experimentally. With the contribution of similarity‐up, the treating capacity of the core unit is significantly increased. Ten parallel units are integrated to form a correspondingly enhanced capacity of the microreactor which exhibits low pressure drop, stable operating performance, and excellent main product selectivity.
A Fluorescent Indicator for Imaging Lysosomal Zinc(II) with Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)‐Enhanced Photostability and a Narrow Band of Emission
Authors: Sreenath Kesavapillai , Yuan Zhao , Allen John R. , Davidson Michael W. , Zhu Lei
Published: November 2014

We demonstrate a strategy to transfer the zinc(II) sensitivity of a fluoroionophore with low photostability and a broad emission band to a bright and photostable fluorophore with a narrow emission band. The two fluorophores are covalently connected to afford an intramolecular Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) conjugate. The FRET donor in the conjugate is a zinc(II)‐sensitive arylvinylbipyridyl fluoroionophore, the absorption and emission of which undergo bathochromic shifts upon zinc(II) coordination. When the FRET donor is excited, efficient intramolecular energy transfer occurs to result in the emission of the acceptor boron dipyrromethene (4,4‐difluoro‐4‐bora‐3a,4a‐diaza‐s‐indacene or BODIPY) as a function of zinc(II) concentration. The broad emission band of the donor/zinc(II) complex is transformed into the strong, narrow emission band of the BODIPY acceptor in the FRET conjugates, which can be captured within the narrow emission window that is preferred for multicolor imaging experiments. In addition to competing with other nonradiative decay processes of the FRET donor, the rapid intramolecular FRET of the excited FRET‐conjugate molecule protects the donor fluorophore from photobleaching, thus enhancing the photostability of the indicator. FRET conjugates 3 and 4 contain aliphatic amino groups, which selectively target lysosomes in mammalian cells. This subcellular localization preference was verified by using confocal fluorescence microscopy, which also shows the zinc(II)‐enhanced emission of 3 and 4 in lysosomes. It was further shown using two‐color structured illumination microscopy (SIM), which is capable of extending the lateral resolution over the Abbe diffraction limit by a factor of two, that the morpholino‐functionalized compound 4 localizes in the interior of lysosomes, rather than anchoring on the lysosomal membranes, of live HeLa cells.
A Combined “Electrochemical–Frustrated Lewis Pair” Approach to Hydrogen Activation: Surface Catalytic Effects at Platinum Electrodes
Authors: Lawrence Elliot J. , Blagg Robin J. , Hughes David L. , Ashley Andrew E. , Wildgoose Gregory G.
Published: November 2014

Herein, we extend our “combined electrochemical–frustrated Lewis pair” approach to include Pt electrode surfaces for the first time. We found that the voltammetric response of an electrochemical–frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) system involving the B(C6F5)3/[HB(C6F5)3]− redox couple exhibits a strong surface electrocatalytic effect at Pt electrodes. Using a combination of kinetic competition studies in the presence of a H atom scavenger, 6‐bromohexene, and by changing the steric bulk of the Lewis acid borane catalyst from B(C6F5)3 to B(C6Cl5)3, the mechanism of electrochemical–FLP reactions on Pt surfaces was shown to be dominated by hydrogen‐atom transfer (HAT) between Pt, [PtH] adatoms and transient [HB(C6F5)3]⋅ electrooxidation intermediates. These findings provide further insight into this new area of combining electrochemical and FLP reactions, and proffers additional avenues for exploration beyond energy generation, such as in electrosynthesis.
High Relaxivity Mn2+‐Based MRI Contrast Agents
Authors: Regueiro‐Figueroa Martín , Rolla Gabriele A. , Esteban‐Gómez David , de Blas Andrés , Rodríguez‐Blas Teresa , Botta Mauro , Platas‐Iglesias Carlos
Published: November 2014

Stable Mn2+ mono‐ and binuclear complexes containing pentadentate 6,6′‐((methylazanediyl)bis(methylene))dipicolinic acid coordinating units give remarkably high relaxivities due to the presence of two inner‐sphere water molecules. The mononuclear derivative binds human serum albumin (HSA) with an association constant of 3372 M−1, which results in the replacement of the coordinated water molecules by donor atoms of protein residues. The dinuclear analogue also binds HSA while leaving one of the Mn2+ centres exposed to the solvent with two coordinated water molecules. Thus, this complex shows remarkably high relaxivities upon protein binding (39.0 mM−1 s−1 per Mn, at 20 MHz and 37 °C).
Photoinduced Charge Transfer in a Conformational Switching Chlorin Dimer–Azafulleroid in Polar and Nonpolar Media
Authors: Nikkonen Taru , Oliva María Moreno , Kahnt Axel , Muuronen Mikko , Helaja Juho , Guldi Dirk M.
Published: November 2014

In the present study, a biomimetic reaction center model, that is, a molecular triad consisting of a chlorin dimer and an azafulleroid, is synthesized and its photophysical properties are studied in comparison with the corresponding molecular dyad, which consists only of a chlorin monomer and an azafulleroid. As evidenced by 1H NMR, UV/Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy, the chlorin dimer–azafulleroid folds in nonpolar media into a C2‐symmetric geometry through hydrogen bonding, resulting in appreciable electronic interactions between the chlorins, whereas in polar media the two chlorins diverge from contact. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy studies reveal longer charge‐separated states for the chlorin dimer–azafulleroid; ≈1.6 ns in toluene, compared with the lifetime of ≈0.9 ns for the corresponding chlorin monomer–azafulleroid in toluene. In polar media, for example, benzonitrile, similar charge‐separated states are observed, but the lifetimes are inevitably shorter: 65 and 73 ps for the dimeric and monomeric chlorin–azafulleroids, respectively. Nanosecond transient absorption and singlet oxygen phosphorescence studies corroborate that in toluene, the charge‐separated state decays indirectly via the triplet excited state to the ground state, whereas in benzonitrile, direct recombination to the ground state is observed. Complementary DFT studies suggest two energy‐minima conformations, that is, a folded chlorin dimer–azafulleroid, which is present in nonpolar media, and another conformation in polar media, in which the two hydrophobic chlorins wrap the azafulleroid. Inspection of the frontier molecular orbitals shows that in the folded conformation, the HOMO on each chlorin is equivalent and is shared owing to partial π–π overlap, resulting in delocalization of the conjugated π electrons, whereas the wrapped conformation lacks this stabilization. As such, the longer charge‐separated lifetime for the dimer is rationalized by both the electron donor–acceptor separation distance and the stabilization of the radical cation through delocalization. The chlorin folding seems to change the photophysical properties in a manner similar to that observed in the chlorophyll dimer in natural photosynthetic reaction centers.
Water‐Soluble Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticles (MINPs) with Tailored, Functionalized, Modifiable Binding Pockets
Authors: Awino Joseph K. , Zhao Yan
Published: November 2014

Construction of receptors with binding sites of specific size, shape, and functional groups is important to both chemistry and biology. Covalent imprinting of a photocleavable template within surface–core doubly cross‐linked micelles yielded carboxylic acid‐containing hydrophobic pockets within the water‐soluble molecularly imprinted nanoparticles. The functionalized binding pockets were characterized by their binding of amine‐ and acid‐functionalized guests under different pH values. The nanoparticles, on average, contained one binding site per particle and displayed highly selective binding among structural analogues. The binding sites could be modified further by covalent chemistry to modulate their binding properties.
Stereo‐ and Regioselective Phyllobilane Oxidation in Leaf Homogenates of the Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii): Hypothetical Endogenous Path to Yellow Chlorophyll Catabolites
Authors: Vergeiner Clemens , Ulrich Markus , Li Chengjie , Liu Xiujun , Müller Thomas , Kräutler Bernhard
Published: November 2014

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Bernhard Kräutler at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. The image depicts the autumnal “disappearance” of chlorophyll and the ensuing rapid formation of colorless phyllobilins. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201404783.
Benzimidazole‐Linked Porous Polymers: Synthesis and Gas Sorption Properties
Authors: Cui Yi , Zhao Yanchao , Wang Tao , Han Baohang
Published: November 2014

A series of benzimidazole‐linked porous polymers are obtained by the condensation reaction between the o‐aminobenzol end groups of building blocks (2,3,6,7,10,11‐hexaaminotriphenylene, 3,3′‐diaminobenzidine or 1,2,4,5‐benzenetetraamine) and the aldehyde groups of building blocks [terephthalicaldehyde, 4,4′‐biphenyldicarboxaldehyde, 1,3,5‐tris(4‐acetylphenyl)benzene or 1,3,5‐tris(4‐formylbiphenyl)amine] in one‐pot synthesis without employing any catalyst or template. The existence of the imidazole ring in the obtained polymers could be identified by Fourier transform infrared and solid‐state 13C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. The sphere‐shaped morphology of the obtained polymers is observed through scanning electron microscopy. The polymers possess Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller specific surface area values over 600 m2·g−1, showing hydrogen storage (up to 1.6 wt%, at 77 K and 1×105 Pa) and carbon dioxide capture (up to 12.6 wt%, at 273 K and 1×105 Pa) properties. Such polymers would possess good performance in the applications of gas storage and separation.
Ultrasensitive and Signal‐on Electrochemiluminescence Aptasensor Using the Multi‐tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II)‐β‐cyclodextrin Complexes
Authors: Zhao Yingying , Chen Hong , Chen Qiong , Qi Yantao , Yang Fan , Tang Jie , He Pingang , Zhang Fan
Published: November 2014

An ultrasensitive and signal‐on electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor to detect target protein (thrombin or lysozyme) was developed using the host‐guest recognition between a metallocyclodextrin complex and single‐stranded DNA (ss‐DNA). The aptasensor uses both the photoactive properties of the metallocyclodextrins named multi‐tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II)‐β‐cyclodextrin complexes and their specific recognition with ss‐DNA, which amplified the ECL signal without luminophore labeling. After investigating the ECL performance of different multi‐tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II)‐β‐cyclodextrin (multi‐Ru‐β‐CD) complexes, tris‐tris(bipyridine)‐ruthenium(II)‐β‐cyclodextrin (tris(bpyRu)‐β‐CD) was selected as a suitable host molecule to construct an atasensor. First, double‐stranded DNA (ds‐DNA) formed by hybridization of the aptamer and its target DNA was attached to a glassy carbon electrode via coupling interaction, which showed low ECL intensity with 2‐(dibutylamino) ethanol (DBAE) as coreactant, because of the weak recognition between ds‐DNA and tris(bpyRu)‐β‐CD. Upon addition of the corresponding protein, the ECL intensity increased when target ss‐DNA was released because of the higher stability of the aptamer‐protein complex than the aptamer‐DNA one. A linear relationship was observed in the range of 0.01 pmol/L to 100 pmol/L between ECL intensity and the logarithm of thrombin concentrations with a limited detection of 8.5 fmol/L (S/N=3). Meanwhile, the measured concentration of lysozyme was from 0.05 pmol/L to 500 pmol/L and the detection limit was 33 fmol/L (S/N=3). The investigations of proteins in human serum samples were also performed to demonstrate the validity of detection in real clinical samples. The simplicity, high sensitivity and specificity of this aptasensor show great promise for practical applications in protein monitoring and disease diagnosis.
Carbon‐bridged Tri(cyclopentadiene): Synthesis and Coordination with Ytterbium
Authors: Sha Lin , Li Li , Yuan Fugen
Published: November 2014

Reaction of a mixture of 1,1‐bis(cyclopentadienyl)cyclohexane and pentamethylenefulvene with metallic sodium in THF led to a mixture of cyclohexylidene‐bridged bis(cyclopentadienyl) sodium and two‐cyclohexylidene‐bridged tri(cyclopentadienyl) sodium. Reaction of the salt solutions with anhydrous YbCl3 in THF afforded a ytterbium complex mixed‐ligated by bridged bis(cyclopentadienide) and bridged tri(cyclopentadienide).
Connectivity of pacemaker neurons in the neonatal rat superficial dorsal horn
Authors: Li Jie , Kritzer Elizabeth , Ford Neil C. , Arbabi Shahriar , Baccei Mark L.
Published: November 2014

Pacemaker neurons with an intrinsic ability to generate rhythmic burst‐firing have been characterized in lamina I of the neonatal spinal cord, where they are innervated by high‐threshold sensory afferents. However, little is known about the output of these pacemakers, as the neuronal populations that are targeted by pacemaker axons have yet to be identified. The present study combines patch‐clamp recordings in the intact neonatal rat spinal cord with tract‐tracing to demonstrate that lamina I pacemaker neurons contact multiple spinal motor pathways during early life. Retrograde labeling of premotor interneurons with the trans‐synaptic pseudorabies virus PRV‐152 revealed the presence of burst‐firing in PRV‐infected lamina I neurons, thereby confirming that pacemakers are synaptically coupled to motor networks in the spinal ventral horn. Notably, two classes of pacemakers could be distinguished in lamina I based on cell size and the pattern of their axonal projections. Whereas small pacemaker neurons possessed ramified axons that contacted ipsilateral motor circuits, large pacemaker neurons had unbranched axons that crossed the midline and ascended rostrally in the contralateral white matter. Recordings from identified spino‐parabrachial and spino‐periaqueductal gray neurons indicated the presence of pacemaker activity within neonatal lamina I projection neurons. Overall, these results show that lamina I pacemakers are positioned to regulate both the level of activity in developing motor circuits and the ascending flow of nociceptive information to the brain, thus highlighting a potential role for pacemaker activity in the maturation of pain and sensorimotor networks in the central nervous system. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:1038–1053, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Childhood and adolescent obesity and long‐term cognitive consequences during aging
Authors: Wang Jun , Freire Daniel , Knable Lindsay , Zhao Wei , Gong Bing , Mazzola Paolo , Ho Lap , Levine Samara , Pasinetti Giulio M.
Published: November 2014

The prevalence of childhood/adolescent obesity and insulin resistance has reached an epidemic level. Obesity's immediate clinical impacts have been extensively studied; however, current clinical evidence underscores the long‐term implications. The current study explored the impacts of brief childhood/adolescent obesity and insulin resistance on cognitive function in later life. To mimic childhood/adolescent obesity and insulin resistance, we exposed 9‐week‐old C57BL/6J mice to a high‐fat diet for 15 weeks, after which the mice exhibited diet‐induced obesity and insulin resistance. We then put these mice back on a normal low‐fat diet, after which the mice exhibited normal body weight and glucose tolerance. However, a spatial memory test in the forms of the Morris water maze (MWM) and contextual fear conditioning at 85 weeks of age showed that these mice had severe deficits in learning and long‐term memory consolidation. Mechanistic investigations identified increased expression of histone deacetylases 5, accompanied by reduced expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, in the brains 61 weeks after the mice had been off the high‐fat diet. Electrophysiology studies showed that hippocampal slices isolated from these mice are more susceptible to synaptic impairments compared with slices isolated from the control mice. We demonstrated that a 15‐week occurrence of obesity and insulin resistance during childhood/adolescence induces irreversible epigenetic modifications in the brain that persist following restoration of normal metabolic homeostasis, leading to brain synaptic dysfunction during aging. Our study provides experimental evidence that limited early‐life exposure to obesity and insulin resistance may have long‐term deleterious consequences in the brain, contributing to the onset/progression of cognitive dysfunction during aging. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:757–768, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
HKE‐BC: hierarchical key exchange for secure scheduling and auditing of big data in cloud computing
Authors: Liu Chang , Beaugeard Nick , Yang Chi , Zhang Xuyun , Chen Jinjun
Published: November 2014

Big data is one of the most referred key words in recent information and communications technology industry. As the new‐generation distributed computing platform, cloud environments offer high efficiency and low cost for data‐intensive storage and computation for big data applications. Cloud resources and services are available in pay‐as‐you‐go mode, which brings extraordinary flexibility and cost‐effectiveness as well as minimal investments in their own computing infrastructure. However, these advantages come at a price—people no longer have direct control over their own data. Based on this view, data security becomes a major concern in the adoption of cloud computing. Authenticated key exchange is essential to a security system that is based on high‐efficiency symmetric‐key encryptions. With virtualisation technology being applied, existing key exchange schemes such as Internet key exchange become time consuming when directly deployed into cloud computing environment, especially for large‐scale tasks that involve intensive user–cloud interactions, such as scheduling and data auditing. In this paper, we propose a novel hierarchical key exchange scheme, namely hierarchical key exchange for big data in cloud, which aims at providing efficient security‐aware scheduling and auditing for cloud environments. In this novel key exchange scheme, we developed a two‐phase layer‐by‐layer iterative key exchange strategy to achieve more efficient authenticated key exchange without sacrificing the level of data security. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that when deployed in cloud environments with diverse server layouts, efficiency of the proposed scheme is dramatically superior to its predecessors cloud computing background key exchange and Internet key exchange schemes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Server‐side prefetching in distributed file systems
Authors: Liao Jianwei
Published: November 2014

This paper presents a proactive data prefetching mechanism on storage servers for distributed file systems to achieve better input/output (I/O) performance. This mechanism requires keeping tracks of what blocks were accessed and the information about client I/O requests to predict which blocks will be accessed in the future. Except for showing a linear access tendency, I/O access operations on blocks also reveal a random or similar‐random tendency but with certain access patterns. Thus, to address the prediction for future possible read operations, a linear regression algorithm and a chaotic prediction algorithm have been proposed to forecast the future access requests according to different access patterns. As a result, by employing the information, that is, offsets and request sizes, about the predicted future read requests on disk blocks, the storage servers in our newly presented mechanism can prefetch block data more precisely and then send it to associated client file system proactively. The experimental results illustrate that our proposed mechanism is able to shorten read latency to a great extent and then contribute to better read throughput significantly in certain application contexts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Large Ultrathin Shelled Drops Produced via Non‐Confined Microfluidics
Authors: Chaurasia Ankur S. , Josephides Dimitris N. , Sajjadi Shahriar
Published: November 2014

We present a facile approach for producing large and monodisperse core–shell drops with ultrathin shells using a single‐step process. A biphasic compound jet is introduced into a quiescent third (outer) phase that ruptures to form core–shell drops. Ultrathin shelled drops could only be produced within a certain range of surfactant concentrations and flow rates, highlighting the effect of interfacial tension in engulfing the core in a thin shell. An increase in surfactant concentrations initially resulted in drops with thinner shells. However, the drops with thinnest shells were obtained at an optimum surfactant concentration, and a further increase in the surfactant concentrations increased the shell thickness. Highly monodisperse (coefficient of variation smaller than 3 %) core–shell drops with diameter of ∼200 μm–2 mm with shell thickness as small as ∼2 μm were produced. The resulting drops were stable enough to undergo polymerisation and produce ultrathin shelled capsules.
Periodic Current Oscillation Catalyzed by δ‐MnO2 Nanosheets
Authors: Fan Xing , Yang Dianpeng , Ding Lifeng , Du Jun , Tao Changyuan
Published: November 2014

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of wide interest for both fuel and hydrometallurgy applications. Different types of nanoscale MnO2, varying from nanosheets to nanoneedles, are synthesized and assembled on the anode to investigate their catalytic effect on the nonlinear kinetics of the MnO2‐catalyzed OER at high current. For δ‐MnO2 nanosheets, periodic current oscillations (PCO) occurr and occupy up to 40 % of the total energy consumption. The PCO can help to reduce the energy consumption under constant current conditions. Its amplitude could be twice of that for the previously reported MnO2 grown by an in situ electrochemical method. If the amount of γ‐MnO2 nanoneedles increases, the oscillation disappears. For different Mn oxides, the rate constants of H2O2 decomposition differ, resulting in changes in oscillation features. The results of this study may enable new ideas to improve the efficiency of industrial electrolysis and charging–discharging of supercapacitors.
Integrated, Cascading Enzyme‐/Chemocatalytic Cellulose Conversion using Catalysts based on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
Authors: Lee Yi‐Chun , Dutta Saikat , Wu Kevin C.‐W.
Published: November 2014

Invited for this month′s cover is the group of Kevin Wu at the National Taiwan University. The image show the globe illuminated through the power of a platform molecule obtained via a novel cellulose deconstruction process that involves an integrated enzyme cascading chemocatalytic strategy with functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles as host materials. The Full Paper itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.201402605.
Preliminary associations between childhood neglect, MIF, and cortisol: Potential pathways to long‐term disease risk
Authors: Bick Johanna , Nguyen Victoria , Leng Lin , Piecychna Marta , Crowley Michael J. , Bucala Richard , Mayes Linda C. , Grigorenko Elena L.
Published: November 2014

The study examined Hypothalamus‐Pituitary‐Adrenal (HPA) axis and inflammatory signaling in 206 youth with histories of prenatal drug exposure and self‐reported histories of maltreatment. Youth with histories of severe neglect showed elevated levels of cortisol, the end product of the HPA axis, in comparison to youth with lower or minimal levels of neglect. Histories of severe neglect also were associated with increased levels of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF), a cytokine known to be intricately involved in HPA axis regulation. Salivary MIF levels also were positively associated with youth age and prenatal drug exposure. These MIF and cortisol alterations may signal pathophysiological disruptions in the neuro‐endocrine and immune systems, which may lead to trajectories of increased disease risk among vulnerable youth. Our findings also provide preliminary support for the validity and reliability of a noninvasive salivary assessment of MIF. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 57: 131–139, 2015.
Does the addition of visceral manipulation alter outcomes for patients with low back pain? A randomized placebo controlled trial
Authors: Panagopoulos J. , Hancock M.J. , Ferreira P. , Hush J. , Petocz P.
Published: November 2014

Background

This study aimed to investigate whether the addition of visceral manipulation, to a standard physiotherapy algorithm, improved outcomes in patients with low back pain.

Methods

Sixty‐four patients with low back pain who presented for treatment at a private physiotherapy clinic were randomized to one of two groups: standard physiotherapy plus visceral manipulation (n = 32) or standard physiotherapy plus placebo visceral manipulation (n = 32). The primary outcome was pain (measured with the 0–10 Numerical Pain Rating Scale) at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes were pain at 2 and 52 weeks, disability (measured with the Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire) at 2, 6 and 52 weeks and function (measured with the Patient‐Specific Functional Scale) at 2, 6 and 52 weeks. This trial was registered with the Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12611000757910).

Results

The addition of visceral manipulation did not affect the primary outcome of pain at 6 weeks (−0.12, 95% CI = −1.45 to 1.21). There were no significant between‐group differences for the secondary outcomes of pain at 2 weeks or disability and function at 2, 6 or 52 weeks. The group receiving addition of visceral manipulation had less pain than the placebo group at 52 weeks (mean 1.57, 95% CI = 0.32 to 2.82). Participants were adequately blinded to group status and there were no adverse effects reported in either group.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that visceral manipulation in addition to standard care is not effective in changing short‐term outcomes but may produce clinically worthwhile improvements in pain at 1 year.
Towards more systematic perceptual model development: a case study using 3 Luxembourgish catchments
Authors: Wrede Sebastian , Fenicia Fabrizio , Martínez‐Carreras Núria , Juilleret Jérôme , Hissler Christophe , Krein Andreas , Savenije Hubert H. G. , Uhlenbrook Stefan , Kavetski Dmitri , Pfister Laurent
Published: November 2014

The synthesis of experimental understanding of catchment behaviour and its translation into qualitative perceptual models is an important objective of hydrological sciences. We explore this challenge by examining the cumulative understanding of the hydrology of three experimental catchments and how it evolves through the application of different investigation techniques. The case study considers the Huewelerbach, Weierbach and Wollefsbach headwater catchments of the Attert basin in Luxembourg. Subsurface investigations including bore holes and pits, analysis of soil samples and Electrical Resistivity Tomography measurements are presented and discussed. Streamflow and tracer data are used to gain further insights into the streamflow dynamics of the catchments, using end‐member mixing analysis and hydrograph separation based on dissolved silica and electrical conductivity. We show that the streamflow generating processes in all three catchments are controlled primarily by the subsolum and underlying bedrock. In the Huewelerbach, the permeable sandstone formation supports a stable groundwater component with little seasonality, which reaches the stream through a series of sources at the contact zone with the impermeable marls formation. In the Weierbach, the schist formation is relatively impermeable and supports a ‘fill and spill’‐type of flow mechanism; during wet conditions, it produces a delayed response dominated by pre‐event water. In the Wollefsbach, the impermeable marls formation is responsible for a saturation‐excess runoff generating process, producing a fast and highly seasonal response dominated by event water. The distinct streamflow generating processes of the three catchments are represented qualitatively using perceptual models. The perceptual models are in turn translated into quantitative conceptual models, which simulate the hydrological processes using networks of connected reservoirs and transfer functions. More generally, the paper illustrates the evolution of perceptual models based on experimental fieldwork data, the translation of perceptual models into conceptual models and the value of different types of data for processes understanding and model representation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Drought projection based on a hybrid drought index using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Yang Tao , Zhou Xudong , Yu Zhongbo , Krysanova Valentina , Wang Bo
Published: November 2014

The Tarim River Basin is a special endorheic arid drainage basin in Central Asia, characterized by limited rainfall and high evaporation as common in deserts, while water is supplied mainly by glacier and snow melt from the surrounding mountains. The existing drought indices can hardly capture the drought features in this region as droughts are caused by two dominant factors (meteorological and hydrological conditions). To overcome the problem, a new hybrid drought index (HDI), integrating the meteorological and hydrological drought regimes, was developed and tested in the basin in the work. The index succeeded in revealing the drought characteristics and the ensemble influence better than the single standardized precipitation index or the hydrological index. The Artificial Neural Network approach based on temperature and precipitation observations was set up to simulate the HDI change. The method enabled constructing scenarios of future droughts in the region using climate simulation of the GCMs under four RCP scenarios from the latest CMIP5 project. The simulations in the study have shown that the water budget patterns in the Tarim River Basin are more sensitive to temperature than to precipitation. Dominated by temperature rise causing an accelerating snow/glacier melt, the frequency of drought months is projected to decrease by about 14% in the next decades (until 2035). The drought duration is expected to be shortened to 3 months on average, with the severity alleviated. However, the region would still suffer more severe droughts with a high intensity in some years. The general decrease in drought frequency and intensity over the region in the future would be beneficial for water resources management and agriculture development in the oases. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temporal trends in δ18O composition of precipitation in Germany: insights from time series modelling and trend analysis
Authors: Klaus Julian , Chun Kwok Pan , Stumpp Christine
Published: November 2014

Temporal and spatial variations of stable oxygen (18O) and hydrogen (2H) isotope measurements in precipitation act as important proxies for changing hydro‐meteorological and regional and global climate patterns. Temporal trends in time series of the stable isotope composition in precipitation were rarely observed, and they are poorly understood. These might be a result of a lack of proper trend detection tools and effort for exploring trend processes. Here, we investigate temporal trends of δ18O in precipitation at 17 observation stations in Germany between 1978 and 2009. We test if significant trends in the isotope time series from different models can be observed. Mann–Kendall trend tests are applied on the isotope series, using general multiplicative seasonal autoregressive integrate moving average (ARIMA) models, which account for first and higher order serial correlations. Effects of temperature, precipitation, and geographic parameters on isotope trends are also investigated in the proposed models. To benchmark our proposed approach, the ARIMA results are compared with a trend‐free pre‐whitening procedure, the state of the art method for removing the first order autocorrelation in environmental trend studies. Moreover, we further explore whether higher order serial correlations in isotope series affects our trend results. Overall, three out of the 17 stations show significant changes when higher order autocorrelation are adjusted, and four show a significant trend when temperature and precipitation effects are considered. The significant trends in the isotope time series generally occur only at low elevation stations. Higher order autoregressive processes are shown to be important in the isotope time series analysis. Results suggest that the widely used trend analysis with only the first order autocorrelation adjustment may not adequately take account of the high order autocorrelated processes in the stable isotope series. The investigated time series analysis method including higher autocorrelation and external climate variable adjustments is shown to be a better alternative. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Healthy lifestyle and risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort study
Authors: McKenzie Fiona , Ferrari Pietro , Freisling Heinz , Chajès Veronique , Rinaldi Sabina , de Batlle Jordi , Dahm Christina C , Overvad Kim , Baglietto Laura , Dartois Laureen , Dossus Laure , Lagiou Pagona , Trichopoulos Dimitrios , Trichopoulou Antonia , Krogh Vittorio , Panico Salvatore , Tumino Rosario , Rosso Stefano , Bueno‐de‐Mesquita H. B(as) , May Anne , Peeters Petra H , Weiderpass Elisabete , Buckland Genevieve , Sanchez Maria‐Jose , Navarro Carmen , Ardanaz Eva , Andersson Anne , Sund Malin , Ericson Ulrika , Wirfält Elisabet , Key Tim J , Travis Ruth C , Gunter Marc , Riboli Elio , Vergnaud Anne‐Claire , Romieu Isabelle
Published: November 2014

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and prevention strategies are needed to reduce incidence worldwide. A healthy lifestyle index score (HLIS) was generated to investigate the joint effect of modifiable lifestyle factors on postmenopausal breast cancer risk. The study included 242,918 postmenopausal women from the multinational European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, with detailed information on diet and lifestyle assessed at baseline. The HLIS was constructed from five factors (diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and anthropometry) by assigning scores of 0–4 to categories of each component, for which higher values indicate healthier behaviours. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated by Cox proportional regression models. During 10.9 years of median follow‐up, 7,756 incident breast cancer cases were identified. There was a 3% lower risk of breast cancer per point increase of the HLIS. Breast cancer risk was inversely associated with a high HLIS when fourth versus second (reference) categories were compared [adjusted HR = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66–0.83]. The fourth versus the second category of the HLIS was associated with a lower risk for hormone receptor double positive (adjusted HR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67–0.98) and hormone receptor double negative breast cancer (adjusted HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.40–0.90). Findings suggest having a high score on an index of combined healthy behaviours reduces the risk of developing breast cancer among postmenopausal women. Programmes which engage women in long term health behaviours should be supported.
Recent cancer survival in Germany: An analysis of common and less common cancers
Authors: Jansen Lina , Castro Felipe A. , Gondos Adam , Krilaviciute Agne , Barnes Benjamin , Eberle Andrea , Emrich Katharina , Hentschel Stefan , Holleczek Bernd , Katalinic Alexander , Brenner Hermann ,   for the GEKID Cancer Survival Working Group
Published: November 2014

The monitoring of cancer survival by population‐based cancer registries is a prerequisite to evaluate the current quality of cancer care. Our study provides 1‐, 5‐ and 10‐year relative survival as well as 5‐year relative survival conditional on 1‐year survival estimates and recent survival trends for Germany using data from 11 population‐based cancer registries, covering around one‐third of the German population. Period analysis was used to estimate relative survival for 24 common and 11 less common cancer sites for the period 2007–2010. The German and the United States survival estimates were compared using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results 13 database. Trends in cancer survival in Germany between 2002–2004 and 2008–2010 were described. Five‐year relative survival increased in Germany from 2002–2004 to 2008–2010 for most cancer sites. Among the 24 most common cancers, largest improvements were seen for multiple myeloma (8.0% units), non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (6.2% units), prostate cancer (5.2% units) and colorectal cancer (4.6% units). In 2007–2010, the survival disadvantage in Germany compared to the United States was largest for cancers of the mouth/pharynx (−11.0% units), thyroid (−6.8% units) and prostate (−7.5% units). Although survival estimates were much lower for elderly patients in both countries, differences in age patterns were observed for some cancer sites. The reported improvements in cancer survival might reflect advances in the quality of cancer care on the population level as well as increased use of screening in Germany. The survival differences across countries and the survival disadvantage in the elderly require further investigation.
A Dynamic Fuzzy Money Management Approach for Controlling the Intraday Risk‐Adjusted Performance of AI Trading Algorithms
Authors: Vella Vince , Ng Wing Lon
Published: November 2014

The majority of existing artificial intelligence (AI) studies in computational finance literature are devoted solely to predicting market movements. In this paper we shift the attention to how AI can be applied to control risk‐based money management decisions. We propose an innovative fuzzy logic approach which identifies and categorizes technical rules performance across different regions in the trend and volatility space. The model dynamically prioritizes higher performing regions at an intraday level and adapts money management policies with the objective to maximize global risk‐adjusted performance. By adopting a hybrid method in conjunction with a popular neural network (NN) trend prediction model, our results show significant performance improvements compared with both standard NN and buy‐and‐hold approaches. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cells producing their own nemesis: Understanding methylglyoxal metabolism
Authors: Chakraborty Sangeeta , Karmakar Kapudeep , Chakravortty Dipshikha
Published: November 2014

Methylglyoxal, which is technically known as 2‐oxopropanal or pyruvaldehyde, shows typical reactions of carbonyl compounds as it has both an aldehyde and a ketone functional group. It is an extremely cytotoxic physiological metabolite, which is generated by both enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions. The deleterious nature of the compound is due to its ability to glycate and crosslink macromolecules like protein and DNA, respectively. However, despite having toxic effects on cellular processes, methylglyoxal retains its efficacy as an anticancer drug. Indeed, methylglyoxal is one of the well‐known anticancer therapeutic agents used in the treatment. Several studies on methylglyoxal biology revolve around the manifestations of its inhibitory effects and toxicity in microbial growth and diabetic complications, respectively. Here, we have revisited the chronology of methylglyoxal research with emphasis on metabolism of methylglyoxal and implications of methylglyoxal production or detoxification on bacterial pathogenesis and disease progression. © 2014 IUBMB Life, 66(10):667–678, 2014