bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on crystallization of calcium carbonate from calcium sulfate and ammonium carbonate in the presence of magnesium ions
Authors: Zhao Jingcai , Song Xingfu , Sun Yuzhu , Chen Bo , Yu Jianguo
Published: April 2015

Batch reactive crystallization of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from ammonium carbonate ((NH4)2CO3) and calcium sulfate (CaSO4) was investigated in the presence of magnesium (Mg2+) ions. It was observed that Mg2+ ions partly inhibited the conversion of CaSO4 into CaCO3. When the content of Mg2+ was less than 2%, the reduction in conversion rate of CaSO4 was less than 2%, and the effect of Mg2+ ions could be ignored. Effect of impurity on crystallization kinetics of CaCO3, including the growth rate and nucleation rate, was investigated. The results revealed that when Mg2+ ions content was less than 1%, Mg2+ could promote the growth of CaCO3 and inhibit the nucleation process, which was favorable for the filtration of CaCO3.When the content of Mg2+ ions was greater than 1%, Mg2+ inhibited the growth of CaCO3, which resulted in explosion nucleation and led to a large number of particles in the solution, which was unfavorable for the filtration of CaCO3. Based on the Bransom model, the particle size distribution equations of CaCO3 were established. X‐ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscopy images exhibited the existence of spherical vaterite of CaCO3 due to the reaction of CaSO4 with (NH4)2CO3 under the effect of Mg2+ ions, which was inconsistent with the results reported in the literatures.
Effects of Synthesis Parameters on Silicon Nanopowders Produced by CO2 Laser‐Driven Pyrolysis of Silane
Authors: Kong Junli , Li Xuegeng , Yu Pingrong , Wang Dong , Zhang Sen , Xu Ziqi
Published: April 2015

A well‐designed and assembled apparatus for producing silicon nanoparticles by CO2 laser‐driven pyrolysis of SiH4 is shown. The effects of process parameters (chamber pressure, laser power, gas composition) on the nano‐silicon characteristics (average particle size, size distribution and shape) are systematically investigated. The produced silicon nanopowders are characterized and analyzed, demonstrating the produced particles are much smaller and much more uniform in size than the commercial products and those previously reported. The impressive productivity and yield are also discussed. This research allows a better understanding of the influences of processing parameters on silicon nanopowders, shows a controllable way of producing the desired powders, and paves the way to commercialization.
Evapotranspiration over artificially planted shrub communities in the shifting sand dune area of the Tengger Desert, north central China
Authors: Gao Yanhong , Liu Lichao , Jia Rongliang , Yang Haotian , Li Gang
Published: April 2015

Revegetation is a common method to combat desertification in arid and semi‐arid areas worldwide. The objective of this study was to characterize the evapotranspiration (ET) of a 20‐year‐old revegetated area of the Tengger Desert. During the measurement period from 2009 to 2012, ET was measured by the eddy covariance technique. The result showed that the values for mean daily ET were 0.43, 0.39, 0.43 and 0.59 mm d−1 in 2009–2012, respectively. In the non‐growing season, the diurnal ET variation showed a normal distribution with a maximum value occurring at noon, while it showed multimodal distribution trend occurred in a dry day and a unimodal trend in a wet day with a maximum value occurring at noon in the growing season. During the 4‐year measurements, despite the large inter‐annual variation of precipitation (annual mean precipitation of 164.4 ± 33.5 mm), the water loss through ET (667.5 mm) was almost equal to rainfall (657.8 mm), and the mean of ET/P was 1.01.The annual ET amounts were 153.6, 143.3, 156.2 and 214.4 mm y−1 in 2009–2012, respectively, with corresponding ratio between accumulated ET and precipitation (ET/P) of 1.03, 1.14, 0.82 and 1.12. This indicated that the annual ET amounts can be modified by the soil water storage, which led to water loss through ET exceeding the water input by precipitation in a drier year, and soil water can be replenished in a wetter year. Thus, the vegetation protection system using plantations of xerophyte shrubs in the present study area is a success with a trade‐off of acceptable hydrological consequences that deserve to be popularized. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed [2+2+2] Cyclotrimerization of Diynes with Maleic Anhydrides as Alkyne Equivalents
Authors: Matsuda Takanori , Suzuki Kentaro
Published: April 2015

Substituted maleic anhydrides function as synthetic equivalents of alkynes in a rhodium(III)‐catalyzed reaction with 1,6‐diynes to achieve a formal [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization. This approach is useful for reactions involving alkynes with low boiling points or severe ring strain. Hard‐to‐access [2+2+2] cycloadducts are available through this new cycloaddition strategy by employing easy‐to‐handle alkyne equivalents.
Copper(I)‐Catalysed Domino Coupling and Cyclisation Reaction: A Mild, Expedient Route for the Synthesis of Indene and Dihydronaphthalene Derivatives
Authors: Kumaraswamy Gullapalli , Balakishan Guniganti
Published: April 2015

A substoichiometric copper iodide catalysed synthesis of indene and dihydronaphthalene derivatives has been accomplished. This protocol is compatible with functional groups, and results in various scaffolds of indene and dihydronaphthalene derivatives in good to high yields. By employing this protocol, a functionalised cyclohexenone derivative is also achieved.
Suffering as an independent component of the experience of pain
Authors: Bustan S. , Gonzalez‐Roldan A.M. , Kamping S. , Brunner M. , Löffler M. , Flor H. , Anton F.
Published: April 2015

Background

Pain has consistently been viewed as containing two dimensions, a sensory (intensity) and an emotional (unpleasantness). It has been suggested that pain involves higher order cognitive processes that go beyond unpleasantness. We therefore aimed at extending the assessment of pain by introducing an additional dimension of pain‐related suffering and identifying noxious stimulation protocols that are most adequate for its psychophysical and psychophysiological characterization.

Methods

Twenty‐four healthy volunteers received separate series of tonic and phasic noxious mechanical stimuli. Visual analogue scales were used to rate intensity, unpleasantness and suffering and psychophysiological measurements such as heart rate, skin conductance and corrugator electromyography were recorded. Acoustically evoked startle responses were measured in part of the assessments to obtain additional indicators of pain aversiveness.

Results

Spearman's correlation coefficients and partial correlations analyses as well as principal component analyses confirmed that suffering constitutes an integral component of pain processing that is distinct from intensity and unpleasantness. Tonic, rather than phasic, stimulation method was more effective in eliciting pain and suffering and under this condition startle responses where higher during long compared to short stimuli.

Conclusions

These results suggest that in acute pain, suffering is a constitutive dimension that might even be more crucial in clinical states of pain.
Changes in the Temperament and Character Inventory dimensions after paroxetine treatment in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Tomita Tetsu , Kaneda Ayako , Nakagami Taku , Kaneko Sunao , Yasui‐Furukori Norio
Published: April 2015

Previous studies have reported changes in the dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) after patients with major depressive disorder are treated. We aimed to investigate the changes in the TCI dimensions after paroxetine treatment in patients with major depressive disorder. Forty‐eight patients were enrolled in this study and were treated with 10–40 mg/day of paroxetine for 6 weeks. The TCI was completed twice, at weeks 0 and 6. We used the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to evaluate patients. The participants were divided into three groups (responders, non‐responders, and early responders) based on treatment response. The scores of each dimension of the TCI were compared before and after treatment using repeated‐measures two‐way analyses of variance. In the responders group (n = 24), no TCI dimension scores changed significantly during treatment, but the interaction between sex and MADRS score change was significantly associated with the results. In the non‐responders group (n = 15), the self‐directedness score increased significantly during the treatment period (p = 0.000), and the change in MADRS score significantly affected the results. In the early responders group (n = 9), no TCI dimension scores changed significantly during treatment. The results of the present study may reveal a possible correlation between paroxetine treatment and changes in personality traits. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Schizotypal, Dissociative, and Imaginative Processes in a Clinical OCD Sample
Authors: Paradisis Stella‐Marie , Aardema Frederick , Wu Kevin D.
Published: April 2015

Objective

Previous research in a nonclinical sample has suggested that schizotypal, dissociative, and imaginative processes may play a role in obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms (Aardema & Wu, ). The present study aims to extend these findings in a clinical sample.

Method

N = 75 adults (mean age = 37.99; 61.3% female), meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, diagnostic criteria for OCD completed a battery of self‐report questionnaires measuring schizotypal, dissociative, and imaginative processes.

Results

Hierarchical regression analyses revealed inferential confusion and dissociation to be the strongest predictors of OCD symptoms, replicating and extending the findings by Aardema and Wu ().

Conclusion

Results support the notion that inferential confusion and dissociation are important variables to consider in understanding symptoms of OCD independently from obsessive beliefs and negative mood states.
Synthesis, Dissociation Constants, and Antimicrobial Activity of Novel 2,3‐Disubstituted‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one Derivatives
Authors: Popiołek Łukasz , Stefańska Joanna , Kiełczykowska Małgorzata , Musik Irena , Biernasiuk Anna , Malm Anna , Wujec Monika
Published: April 2015

In this article, a new series of 2,3‐disubstituted‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one derivatives have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated as antimicrobial agents. New compounds were prepared by the cyclization reaction of N‐substituted carboxylic acid hydrazide derivatives with mercaptoacetic acid. The structures of the obtained compounds were confirmed by means of IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectra. The dissociation constants were determined using spectrophotometric method. All synthesized compounds were tested for their in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities using the broth microdilution method.
Asymmetric Cycloaddition: An Efficient Synthesis of Enantiopure Isoxazolines Substituted with Carbohydrate Analogues
Authors: Al‐Duaij Omar K. , Ben Hamadi Naoufel , Khezemi Lotfi
Published: April 2015

A simple and convenient method for the synthesis of heterocycles substituted with carbohydrate analogs is described. The chiral optically pure five‐membered glycoconjugates containing the isoxazoline unit were obtained by an aromatic nitrile oxides cycloaddition with 1‐phenyl‐1,2‐dihydro‐pyridazine‐3,6‐dionyl N‐glycoside derivatives.
Synthesis of Indeno[1,2‐d]pyrimidin‐5‐Ones and Their Fluorescence in Solid State
Authors: Hagimori Masayori , Yokota Kenichirou , Fukuda Ai , Nishimura Yasuhisa , Satodani Ryousuke , Wang Bo‐Cheng , Wei Ho‐Hsiang , Wang San‐Lang , Shigemitsu Yasuhiro , Tominaga Yoshinori
Published: April 2015

New fluorescent compounds, 2‐substituted indeno[1,2‐d]pyrimidin‐5‐ones (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) were synthesized in good yield by the reaction of 2‐[bis(methylsulfanyl)methylene]indan‐1,3‐dione (1) with the respective amidine derivatives [guanidine carbonate (2a), acetamidine hydrochloride (2b), S‐methylisothiourea sulfate (2c), and S‐benzylisothiourea sulfate (2d)]. 4‐Substituted amino‐2‐aminoindeno[1,2‐d]pyrimidin‐5‐ones (7b, 7c, 7d) were synthesized by a one‐pot reaction of 1, 2a and the respective amine compounds (4b, 4c, 4d) in pyridine. These fused pyrimidine derivatives showed fluorescence in the solid state.
A Qualitative Analysis to Determine the Domains and Skills Necessary to Lead in Public Health
Authors: Grimm Brandon L. , Watanabe‐Galloway Shinobu , Britigan Denise H. , Schumaker Alice M.
Published: April 2015

Leadership programs in public health have been declining in numbers since 2012. The decline in training programs could be due to the lack of outcome‐based results and the lack of a manageable set of standardized skills needed for public health leadership. A comprehensive study was completed in two phases to determine if the current model of public health leadership institutes is effective at generating outcome‐based results. The following paper will focus on the first phase of the study. The first phase included a qualitative analysis to determine the domains, definitions, and skills needed to lead. An analysis of the skills, domains, definitions, and traits included in five established and commonly used leadership models/theories in public health leadership development (Transformational, Servant, Appreciative, Collaborative, and Emotional Intelligence leadership) plus the National Public Health Leadership Development Network (NLN) Leadership for Community Health, Safety & Resilience Competency Framework was completed. Of the 161 different skills, definitions, traits, and/or competencies from the five leadership models and the NLN competency framework, 123 were determined to be related to one of six domains needed for leadership and were defined into 21 skills. The findings could lead to more uniformity in public health leadership development and evaluation.
Persistence in Leader Selection Rescues Arrow Electronics in Its Darkest Hours
Authors: Grossman Robert J.
Published: April 2015

When a flash fire swept through the conference center at the Stouffer's Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Harrison, NY, on December 4, 1980, killing two of Arrow's three top executives, one the CEO, along with 11 other executives, it fell to the sole surviving leader, John Waddell, to hold the grieving company together. His most pressing challenge was finding a new leader with the right vision, values, and leadership style to take the helm. For Waddell, the experience was laced with highs and lows, including a decision destined to be a serious error in judgment. But 2 years later, the charismatic leader he wooed, Stephen P. Kaufman, was moving decisively to implement reforms that would change the modus operandi of the electronics distribution industry and make Arrow bigger and better than before.
Intraoperative acupuncture for posttonsillectomy pain: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Tsao Gabriel J. , Messner Anna H. , Seybold Jeannie , Sayyid Zahra N. , Cheng Alan G. , Golianu Brenda
Published: April 2015

Objectives/Hypothesis

To evaluate the effect of intraoperative acupuncture on posttonsillectomy pain in the pediatric population.

Study Design

Prospective, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial.

Methods

Patients aged 3 to 12 years undergoing tonsillectomy were recruited at a tertiary children's hospital between February 2011 and May 2012. Participants were block‐randomized to receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture during anesthesia for tonsillectomy. Surgeons, staff, and parents were blinded from treatment. Tonsillectomy was performed by one of two surgeons using a standard technique (monopolar cautery), and a single anesthetic protocol was followed. Study endpoints included time spent in the postanesthesia care unit, the amount of opioids administered in the perioperative period, and pain measures and presence of nausea/vomiting from postoperative home surveys.

Results

Fifty‐nine children aged 3 to 12 years were randomized to receive acupuncture (n = 30) or sham acupuncture (n = 29). No significant demographic differences were noted between the two cohorts. Perioperative data were recorded for all patients; 73% of patients later returned home surveys. There were no significant differences in the amount of opioid medications administered or total postanesthesia care unit time between the two cohorts. Home surveys of patients but not of parents revealed significant improvements in pain control in the acupuncture treatment‐group postoperatively (P = 0.0065 and 0.051, respectively), and oral intake improved significantly earlier in the acupuncture treatment group (P = 0.01). No adverse effects of acupuncture were reported.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that intraoperative acupuncture is feasible, well tolerated, and results in improved pain and earlier return of diet postoperatively.

Level of Evidence

1b. Laryngoscope, 125:1972–1978, 2015
Towards More Efficient Incentives for Agri‐environment Measures in Degraded and Eroded Vineyards
Authors: Galati Antonino , Gristina Luciano , Crescimanno Maria , Barone Ettore , Novara Agata
Published: April 2015

Evaluating the economic damage caused by soil erosion is important. In addition to increasing the awareness of the problem among farmers and policy makers, evaluation of the economic damage caused by erosion can promote the implementation of more sustainable soil management practices. In the present study, we describe a new approach to evaluate incentives for the adoption of agri‐environment measure (AEM) in degraded and eroded vineyards. To estimate this incentive, the replacement cost (RC) and the loss of income are calculated when the vineyard is managed with conventional tillage versus a cover crop (AEM). Our findings show that the incentive could range from the loss of income due to AEM adoption to the ecosystem service benefit (RCC − RCAEM). In our case study, the incentive ranged from 315 € ha−1 (loss of income) to 1,088 € ha−1 (ecosystem service benefit). Within this range, the incentive amount is determined according to efficiency criteria based on vineyard slope. We also present a conceptual model of public spending efficiency that should help policy makers decide how to allocate the incentives so as to maximize the economic return associated with ecosystem services. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Verunreinigungen und Hauptkomponente detektieren
Authors: Liedschulte Anna Vanessa , Giegold Sascha
Published: April 2015

Bei Verunreinigungsanalysen mit HPLC helfen Photodiodenarray‐Detektoren mit ausreichend langen Flusszellen, Substanzen im Spurenbereich zu detektieren. Den quantifizierbaren Konzentrationsbereich des Detektors erweitert ein Softwaretool.
First trimester screening for Down syndrome using nuchal translucency, maternal serum pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A, free‐β human chorionic gonadotrophin, placental growth factor, and α‐fetoprotein
Authors: Huang Tianhua , Dennis Alan , Meschino Wendy S. , Rashid Shamim , Mak‐Tam Ellen , Cuckle Howard
Published: April 2015

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the screening performance for Down syndrome using first trimester combined screening (FTS) and two additional markers, serum placental growth factor (PlGF) and α‐fetoprotein (AFP).

Methods

This is a retrospective case‐control study of 137 pregnancies affected by Down syndrome and 684 individually matched unaffected pregnancies. Stored serum samples were tested for all four markers, and results were expressed as multiples of the gestation‐specific median (MoM). Multivariate Gaussian modeling was used to calculate risks for different combinations of markers and to predict the detection rate (DR) and false positive rate (FPR). The predicted performance of enhanced FTS (FTS plus PlGF and AFP) was compared with FTS; the performance without nuchal translucency (first trimester quad) was assessed.

Results

For affected pregnancies, the median PlGF level was 0.622 MoM and median AFP 0.764 MoM. Adding PlGF and AFP improved the screening performance. At 3% FPR, DR increased by 4.4% from 83.8% to 88.2% using enhanced FTS; at 95% DR, FPR decreased by 8.3%, from 19.3% to 11.0%. At 3% FPR, DR using first trimester quad test was 76.4%.

Conclusions

The performance of FTS can be enhanced by adding PlGF and AFP. Even without nuchal translucency, the test would perform well. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of co‐solvents on the photovoltaic performance of an inverted organic solar cell
Authors: Nair Sarita S. , Kumar D. , Majumdar Amitava
Published: April 2015

We investigated the effect of varying polymer crystallinity, morphology, and optical property, produced by adding four different co‐solvents in to the poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT): [6,6]‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) active layer blend solution, on the functioning of an inverted polymeric solar device. Photovoltaic devices primed with cyclohexanone co‐solvent showed the best performance with power conversion efficiency (PCE) reaching a value of 3.01 ± 0.04%. Improvement in efficiency is related to an increase in photocurrent which is due to a combined result of ordered P3HT crystallite growth, as well as of the precise size and phase separation of domains. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1382–1388, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
NHLBI viewpoint: Lung health and disease prevention research starting in childhood
Authors: Blaisdell Carol J. , Weinmann Gail G.
Published: April 2015

Lung health begins in utero when the complex structure of the airway, alveolar, and vascular structures are formed. To really impact the United States and global burden of chronic lung diseases in both adults and children, we must understand normal and abnormal development, the outcomes of disrupted development, and the effects of in utero and postnatal exposures on lung health. With increasing recognition of early life origins of adult diseases,1 it is important to know what early events and interventions can alter the trajectory of lung development, growth, and decline to help promote lung health and reduce chronic lung disease. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2015; 50:604–606. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evidence of charge‐density waves in the optical properties of SmNiC
Authors: Ahmad D. , Min Byeon Hun , Min Gyeon Im , Kimura Shin‐Ichi , Seo Jungpil , Kwon Yong Seung
Published: April 2015

[94pt]In this study, we have measured the optical reflectivity spectra of low‐dimensional SmNiC ( K and  K) in the terahertz to ultraviolet frequency range at various temperatures. The optical conductivity spectra were transformed from the reflectivity data using the Kramers–Kronig relation. The optical conductivity of the normal state is well described by the Drude–Lorentz model assuming two bands. In nonmagnetic states below , two clean gaps opening on top of the Drude response are observed at around 500 and 750 cm−1. In the ferromagnetic state, the higher‐side gap opening remains at the same frequency but the lower‐side gap opening disappears, instead an additional absorption due to magnon gap formation is observed at around 70 cm−1.
Effect of arsenic cracking on In incorporation into MBE‐grown InGaAs layer
Authors: Iha Hiromu , Hirota Yujiro , Yamauchi Masatsugu , Yamamoto Nao , Maruyama Takahiro , Naritsuka Shigeya
Published: April 2015

The effect of arsenic cracking on In incorporation in MBE‐grown InGaAs selective growth was systematically studied with changing the cracking cell temperature. Incorporation of In was greatly enhanced by the use of As2 molecular beam during the selective growth at 600 °C. On the other hand, almost no In was incorporated into the grown layer by the use of a conventional As4 molecular beam. The relation between InAs mole fraction and the cracking cell temperature was found to monotonously increase with the cracking cell temperature. It is probably because the ratio of As2 molecules increases with the cracking cell temperature. Not only at 600 °C but also at 580 °C, a selective growth was also successfully performed using As2 molecular beam by the formation of the “denuded zone”, with the InAs mole fraction of 10%. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effect of Silymarin Administration on Cisplatin Nephrotoxicity: Report from A Pilot, Randomized, Double‐Blinded, Placebo‐Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Shahbazi Foroud , Sadighi Sanambar , Dashti‐Khavidaki Simin , Shahi Farhad , Mirzania Mehrzad , Abdollahi Alireza , Ghahremani Mohammad‐Hossein
Published: April 2015

Despite several introduced preventive modalities, cisplatin nephrotoxicity remains a clinical problem. Some in vitro and in vivo studies have addressed the protective effects of silymarin against cisplatin nephrotoxicity. This study evaluated the effects of silymarin administration on cisplatin nephrotoxicity as the first human study. During this pilot, randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled clinical trial, the effect of oral silymarin 420 mg daily in three divided doses starting 24–48 h before the initiation of cisplatin infusion and continuing to the end of three 21‐day cisplatin‐containing chemotherapy courses on cisplatin‐induced renal electrolytes wasting and kidney function were assessed. Cisplatin‐associated acute kidney injury (AKI) occurred in 8% of the patients. Urine neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin to urine creatinine ratio (NGAL/Cr) and urinary magnesium and potassium wasting increased significantly after cisplatin infusion in both groups. Significant positive correlation was found between cumulative dose of cisplatin and urine NGAL/Cr after three courses of cisplatin infusion. Incidence of AKI and the magnitude of urinary magnesium and potassium wasting did not differ between silymarin and placebo groups. No adverse reaction was reported by silymarin administration. Prophylactic administration of conventional form of silymarin tablets could not prevent cisplatin‐induced urine electrolyte wasting or renal function impairment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of interference and availability between satellite and ground components in an integrated mobile‐satellite service system
Authors: Kang Kunseok , Park Jong Min , Kim Hee Wook , Hong Tae Chul , Ku Bon Jun , Chang Dae‐Ig
Published: April 2015

An integrated mobile‐satellite service (MSS) system is one of the most promising infrastructures for the efficient use of satellite frequency, and the satellite coverage can be extended by reusing the satellite frequency in its ground components. However, the co‐channel interferences caused by the frequency reusing technique may lead to the performance degradation. This paper presents the interference analysis for an integrated MSS system that is composed of a multi‐beam satellite, complementary ground components (CGCs), and mobile earth stations, by using statistical simulations. These statistical results are then used to evaluate the availability of the system. Our simulation results reveal that the satellite frequency reuse in the CGCs of the integrated MSS system can increase efficiency of satellite spectrum utilization with a tradeoff between CGC network capacity and intra‐system interferences. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The SCL/TAL1 Transcription Factor Represses the Stress Protein DDiT4/REDD1 in Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells
Authors: Benyoucef Aissa , Calvo Julien , Renou Laurent , Arcangeli Marie-Laure , van den Heuvel Anita , Amsellem Sophie , Mehrpour Maryam , Larghero Jerome , Soler Eric , Naguibneva Irina , Pflumio Francoise
Published: April 2015

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) are regulated through numerous molecular mechanisms that have not been interconnected. The transcription factor stem cell leukemia/T-cell acute leukemia 1 (TAL1) controls human HSPC but its mechanism of action is not clarified. In this study, we show that knockdown (KD) or short-term conditional over-expression (OE) of TAL1 in human HSPC ex vivo, respectively, blocks and maintains hematopoietic potentials, affecting proliferation of human HSPC. Comparative gene expression analyses of TAL1/KD and TAL1/OE human HSPC revealed modifications of cell cycle regulators as well as previously described TAL1 target genes. Interestingly an inverse correlation between TAL1 and DNA damage-induced transcript 4 (DDiT4/REDD1), an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, is uncovered. Low phosphorylation levels of mTOR target proteins in TAL1/KD HSPC confirmed an interplay between mTOR pathway and TAL1 in correlation with TAL1-mediated effects of HSPC proliferation. Finally chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments performed in human HSPC showed that DDiT4 is a direct TAL1 target gene. Functional analyses showed that TAL1 represses DDiT4 expression in HSPCs. These results pinpoint DDiT4/REDD1 as a novel target gene regulated by TAL1 in human HSPC and establish for the first time a link between TAL1 and the mTOR pathway in human early hematopoietic cells. Stem Cells 2015;33:2268–2279
Concise Review: Prospects of Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Treating Status Epilepticus and Chronic Epilepsy
Authors: Agadi Satish , Shetty Ashok K.
Published: April 2015

Mononuclear cells (MNCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the bone marrow and other sources have received significant attention as donor cells for treating various neurological disorders due to their robust neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, it is relatively easy to procure these cells from both autogenic and allogenic sources. Currently, there is considerable interest in examining the usefulness of these cells for conditions such as status epilepticus (SE) and chronic epilepsy. A prolonged seizure activity in SE triggers neurodegeneration in the limbic brain areas, which elicits epileptogenesis and evolves into a chronic epileptic state. Because of their potential for providing neuroprotection, diminishing inflammation and curbing epileptogenesis, early intervention with MNCs or MSCs appears attractive for treating SE as such effects may restrain the development of chronic epilepsy typified by spontaneous seizures and learning and memory impairments. Delayed administration of these cells after SE may also be useful for easing spontaneous seizures and cognitive dysfunction in chronic epilepsy. This concise review evaluates the current knowledge and outlook pertaining to MNC and MSC therapies for SE and chronic epilepsy. In the first section, the behavior of these cells in animal models of SE and their efficacy to restrain neurodegeneration, inflammation, and epileptogenesis are discussed. The competence of these cells for suppressing seizures and improving cognitive function in chronic epilepsy are conferred in the next section. The final segment ponders issues that need to be addressed to pave the way for clinical application of these cells for SE and chronic epilepsy. Stem Cells 2015;33:2093–2103
Cytotoxic response of platinum‐coated gold nanorods in human breast cancer cells at very low exposure levels
Authors: Ahamed Maqusood , Akhtar Mohd Javed , Khan M. A. Majeed , Alhadlaq Hisham A. , Alrokayan Salman A.
Published: April 2015

Because of unique optical behavior gold nanorods (GNRs) have attracted attention for the application in biomedical field such as bio‐sensing, bio‐imaging and hyperthermia. However, toxicological response of GNRs is controversial due to their different surface coating. Therefore, a comprehensive knowledge about toxicological profile of GNRs is necessary before their biomedical applications. First time, we investigated the toxic response of GNRs coated with platinum (GNRs‐Pt) in human breast carcinoma (MCF‐7) cells. Platinum coating further improves the optical and catalytic properties of GNRs. Assays such as 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT), neutral red uptake (NRU) and lactate dehydroganase (LDH) assays have shown that GNRs‐Pt induced cytotoxicity at very low exposure levels (0.1–0.8 μg mL−1). Accumulation of cells in SubG1 phase and low mitochondrial membrane potential (JC‐1 probe) in treated cells suggest that GNRs‐Pt induced cell death via apoptotic pathway. Quantitative real‐time PCR data demonstrated that mRNA expression of apoptotic genes (bax, caspase‐3 and caspase‐9) were up‐regulated while anti‐apoptotic gene bcl‐2 was down‐regulated in cells exposed to GNRs‐Pt. We further observed the higher activity of caspase‐3 and caspase‐9 enzymes in GNRs‐Pt treated cells supporting mRNA data. Moreover, N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC) significantly attenuated the ROS generation and cytotoxicity induced by GNRs‐Pt in MCF‐7 cells suggesting that ROS might plays a crucial role in GNRs‐Pt induced toxicity. This study warns of possible toxicity of GNRs even at very low exposure levels. Further investigations needed to explore potential mechanisms of this low dose toxicity phenomenon. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1344–1356, 2016.
Fest/Gas‐Reaktion zur Darstellung von geträgerten inter­metallischen Ga‐Pd Katalysatormaterialien
Authors: Schmidt Marcus , Kovnir Kirill , Deichsel Jörg , Binnewies Michael , Grin Yuri , Armbrüster Marc
Published: April 2015

The reaction between Ga‐containing gas‐phase species and palladium nanoparticles was investigated systematically concerning the possibility of a controlled formation of supported intermetallic Ga‐Pd compounds. As the gallium‐richest compound, GaPd can be prepared by this approach and also the compound GaPd2 can be obtained. The limited accessibility in the Ga‐Pd system can be understood considering the thermodynamic data of the involved species. Synthesised materials were tested for their catalytic properties in the semi‐hydrogenation of acetylene. GaPd2/C exhibits considerably inferior catalytic properties directly after synthesis due to the presence of iodine‐containing species on the surface. However, those iodine‐containing species can be removed by subsequent washing of the material with aqueous EDTA or formic acid to yield a highly active and selective material.
Analytical and numerical results for a dynamic contact problem with two stops in thermoelastic diffusion theory
Authors: Aouadi Moncef , Copetti Maria I. M.
Published: April 2015

In this paper we investigate the dynamic behaviour of a thermoelastic diffusion rod clamped at one end and moves freely between two stops at the other. The contact is modelled with the Signorini or normal compliance conditions. The coupled system of equations consists of a hyperbolic equation and two parabolic equations. This problem poses new mathematical difficulties due to the nonlinear boundary conditions. The existence of a weak solution is proved using a penalization method and compensated compactness. Moreover, we show that the weak solution converges to zero exponentially as time goes to infinity. We describe the discrete finite element method to our numerical approximations and we show that the given solution converges to the weak solution. Finally, we give an error estimate assuming extra regularity on the solution and we give some results of our numerical experiments.
The structure of extremely long mouthparts in the aphid genus Stomaphis Walker (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aphididae)
Authors: Brożek Jolanta , Mróz Ewa , Wylężek Dominika , Depa Łukasz , Węgierek Piotr
Published: April 2015

Scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy were used to elucidate the morphology of labium and mandibular and maxillary stylets of the aphids Stomaphis quercus (L.) and S. graffii Cholodkovsky. The mechanism of labium shortening associated with feeding process was described as well. Stomaphis quercus and S. graffii have cone-shaped labium of 13 and 10 mm in length, respectively, that strongly extend behind the abdomen. The stylets bundle comprises a pair of mandibular and maxillary stylets which are on average as long as labium. Serial cross sections of labium revealed that the first segment is inverted inside and the second is pulled into it; both segments are shifted into abdomen. This study provides new information on S. quercus and S. graffii mouthparts that may help to understand their feeding behavior.
Atypical Coxa Saltans Due to Partial Proximal Hamstring Avulsion: A Case Presentation Highlighting the Role for Dynamic Sonography
Authors: Spencer‐Gardner Luke S. , Pourcho Adam M. , Smith Jay , Krych Aaron J.
Published: April 2015

Painful hip snapping can present as a rare sequela of proximal hamstring injury. We present a case of painful snapping of the conjoint tendon of the semitendinosus and biceps femoris over the ischial tuberosity in the setting of a partial proximal hamstring disruption. Dynamic ultrasonography identified the source of snapping and a persistent attachment of the conjoint tendon to the sacrotuberous ligament, which prevented retraction and allowed subluxation of the tendons across the ischial tuberosity. Following surgical transection of the persistent sacrotuberous ligament attachment to the conjoint tendon and tendon reattachment, the patient's symptoms resolved with full return of function.
Percutaneous Ultrasonic Fasciotomy for Refractory Plantar Fasciopathy After Failure of a Partial Endoscopic Release Procedure
Authors: Pourcho Adam M. , Hall Mederic M.
Published: April 2015

Plantar fasciopathy is a painful, degenerative condition of the plantar fascia that affects 2 million people annually and has an estimated 10% lifetime prevalence. When both nonoperative and operative management fails, patients have limited therapeutic options. We present a case of an active 47‐year‐old male runner who was successfully treated with songraphically guided percutaneous ultrasonic fasciotomy after undergoing a prolonged course of nonoperative management and an endoscopic plantar fascia release procedure. Percutaneous ultrasonic fasciotomy may be considered in patients with chronic, refractory plantar fasciopathy, including those for whom a prior operative release procedure has failed.
Ghosts in Australian Environmental Education
Authors: Gough Annette
Published: April 2015

The Australian Journal of Environmental Education (AJEE), first published in 1984, is a rich source for investigating the history of environmental education in Australia, as it has sampled research and writings in the field since the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) was established in 1980.
Ibsen's Houses
Authors: Sandberg Mark B.
Published: April 2015

Henrik Ibsen's plays came at a pivotal moment in late nineteenth-century European modernity. They engaged his public through a strategic use of metaphors of house and home, which resonated with experiences of displacement, philosophical homelessness, and exile. The most famous of these metaphors - embodied by the titles of his plays A Doll's House, Pillars of Society, and The Master Builder - have entered into mainstream Western thought in ways that mask the full force of the reversals Ibsen performed on notions of architectural space. Analyzing literary and performance-related reception materials from Ibsen's lifetime, Mark B. Sandberg concentrates on the interior dramas of the playwright's prose-play cycle, drawing also on his selected poems. Sandberg's close readings of texts and cultural commentary present the immediate context of the plays, provide new perspectives on them for international readers, and reveal how Ibsen became a master of the modern uncanny.
The Monstrous New Art
Authors: Zayaruznaya Anna
Published: April 2015

Late medieval motet texts are brimming with chimeras, centaurs and other strange creatures. In The Monstrous New Art, Anna Zayaruznaya explores the musical ramifications of this menagerie in the works of composers Guillaume de Machaut, Philippe de Vitry, and their contemporaries. Aligning the larger forms of motets with the broad sacred and secular themes of their texts, Zayaruznaya shows how monstrous or hybrid exempla are musically sculpted by rhythmic and textural means. These divisive musical procedures point to the contradictory aspects not only of explicitly monstrous bodies, but of such apparently unified entities as the body politic, the courtly lady, and the Holy Trinity. Zayaruznaya casts a new light on medieval modes of musical representation, with profound implications for broader disciplinary narratives about the history of text-music relations, the emergence of musical unity, and the ontology of the musical work.
Egypt in Italy
Authors: Swetnam-Burland Molly
Published: April 2015

This book examines the appetite for Egyptian and Egyptian-looking artwork in Italy during the century following Rome's annexation of Aegyptus as a province. In the early imperial period, Roman interest in Egyptian culture was widespread, as evidenced by works ranging from the monumental obelisks, brought to the capital over the Mediterranean Sea by the emperors, to locally made emulations of Egyptian artifacts found in private homes and in temples to Egyptian gods. Although the foreign appearance of these artworks was central to their appeal, this book situates them within their social, political, and artistic contexts in Roman Italy. Swetnam-Burland focuses on what these works meant to their owners and their viewers in their new settings, by exploring evidence for the artists who produced them and by examining their relationship to the contemporary literature that informed Roman perceptions of Egyptian history, customs, and myths.
Limits of Islamism
Authors: Islam Maidul
Published: April 2015

This book focuses on Islamism as a political ideology by taking up the case study of Jamaat-e-Islami in contemporary India and Bangladesh. The book will address how, in a contemporary globalized world, Islamism constructs an antagonistic frontier and how it mobilizes people behind its political project. The book also deals with the Islamist critique of neoliberal economic policies and 'western cultural globalization'. The book examines the dynamics from the formation of Islamist politics for the struggle for hegemony to failure to become a hegemonic force in Bangladesh. The contradiction between Islamic universalism/Islamist populism, on one hand, and a politics of Muslim particularism in India, on the other, is revealed in this study. Finally, this book traces the contemporary crisis of Islamist populism in providing an alternative to neoliberalism.
Napoleon and the Struggle for Germany
Authors: Leggiere Michael V.
Published: April 2015

This is the first comprehensive history of the campaign that determined control of Germany following Napoleon's catastrophic defeat in Russia. Michael V. Leggiere reveals how, in the spring of 1813, Prussia, the weakest of the great powers, led the struggle against Napoleon as a war of national liberation. Using German, French, British, Russian, Austrian and Swedish sources, he provides a panoramic history that covers the full sweep of the battle for Germany from the mobilization of the belligerents, strategy, and operations to coalition warfare, diplomacy, and civil-military relations. He shows how Russian war weariness conflicted with Prussian impetuosity, resulting in the crisis that almost ended the Sixth Coalition in early June. In a single campaign, Napoleon drove the Russo–Prussian army from the banks of the Saale to the banks of the Oder. The Russo–Prussian alliance was perilously close to imploding, only to be saved at the eleventh-hour by an armistice.
Why Religions Matter
Authors: Bowker John
Published: April 2015

What are religions? Why is it important to understand them? One answer is that religions and religious believers are extremely bad news: they are deeply involved in conflicts around the globe; they harm people of whom they disapprove; and they often seem irrational. Another answer claims that they are in fact extremely good news: religious beliefs and practices are universal and so fundamental in human nature that they have led us to great discoveries in our explorations of the cosmos and of who we are. The sciences began as part of that religious exploration. John Bowker demonstrates that there is truth in both answers and that we need both to understand what religion is and why it matters. He draws on many disciplines - from physics, genetics and the neurosciences to art, anthropology and the history of religions - to show how they shed entirely new light on religion in the modern world.
Understanding National Identity
Authors: McCrone David , Bechhofer Frank
Published: April 2015

We live in a world in which being a 'citizen' of a state and being a 'national' are by no means the same. Amidst much scholarly debate about 'nations' and 'nationalism', comparatively little has been written explicitly on 'national identity' and a great deal less is solidly evidence-based. This book focuses on national identity in England and Scotland. Using data collected over twenty years it asks: does national identity really matter to people? How does 'national identity' differ from 'nationality' and having a passport? Are there particular people and places which have ambiguous or contested national identities? What happens if someone makes a claim to a national identity? On what basis do others accept or reject the claim? Does national identity have much internal substance, or is it simply about defending group boundaries? How does national identity relate to politics and constitutional change?
Community areas of prehistoric farmers in Bohemia
Authors: Neustupný Evžen
Published: April 2015

In most periods of European prehistory population was organized into local segments which can be called communities irrespective of what meaning is ascribed to this concept. The reality of prehistoric communities is best born out by the discontinuous distribution of both cemeteries and habitation sites in the country. The fact that the archaeological records seem to suggest spatial continuity in some regions is mostly due to our inability to classify the finds in accordance with a sufficiently fine chronological scheme. In cases where fine chronology can be applied – and Bohemia is one of the possible examples – it becomes clear that the seeming spatial continuity of the record is a consequence of our projecting many discontinuous patterns into one plane – the landsc ipe of today as archaeologists perceive it.
The African aqualithic
Authors: Sutton J. E. G.
Published: April 2015

During the early post-Pleistocene there flourished right across the middle belt of the African continent a highly distinctive way of life intimately associated with the great rivers, lakes and marshes. This belt–or arc, to be more precise, corresponding roughly with the drought zone of the early 1970s–comprises the southern Sahara and the Sahel from the Atlantic to the Nile and there bends up-river to the East African rift valleys and the equator. Traceable as early as the eighth millennium BC, the zenith of this ‘aquatic civilization’ was achieved in the seventh millennium, being a time when higher rainfall made rivers longer and more permanent and caused lakes to swell and burst their basins (Butzer et al., 1972; Zinderen Bakker, 1972). Around 7000 BC, for instance, fish populations as well as hippos and crocodiles reached the central Saharan highlands, while, to their south, Lake Chad expanded enormously till it overflowed via the Benue and Lower Niger into the Atlantic. In East Africa at the same time the small lakes in the Kenya rift valley rose to combine or to create riverain links over the normal watersheds, while to their north Lake Rudolf reached a height sufficient to help feed the White Nile system.