bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced creative thinking under dopaminergic therapy in Parkinson disease
Authors: Faust‐Socher Achinoam , Kenett Yoed N. , Cohen Oren S. , Hassin‐Baer Sharon , Inzelberg Rivka
Published: May 2014

Objective

Creative thinking requires a combination of originality, flexibility, and usefulness. Several reports described enhanced artistic creativity in Parkinson disease (PD) patients treated with dopaminergic agents. We aimed to examine PD patients' ability to perform creativity tasks compared to healthy controls and to verify whether creativity is related to an impulse control disorder (ICD) as a complication of dopaminergic therapy.

Methods

Right‐handed PD patients treated with dopamine agonists and/or levodopa, and age‐ and education‐ matched neurologically healthy controls were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, semantic verbal fluency, Beck Depression Inventory, and Questionnaire for Impulsive–Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (QUIP‐RS). Creativity assessment included Comprehension of Novel Metaphors (CNM), Remote Association Test, and Tel Aviv Creativity Test (TACT). Groups were compared using analyses of variance, t tests, and correlation analyses.

Results

Twenty‐seven PD patients (age, mean ± standard deviation = 62 ± 7 years; education = 16 ± 3 years; disease duration = 5.8 ± 3.9 years) and 27 controls (age = 59 ± 9 years; education 17 ± 3 years) participated. PD patients performed significantly better than controls in divergent thinking tasks; specifically, the TACT‐Visual for both fluency (33.48 ± 11.83 vs 25.59 ± 10.27, p = 0.034) and quality (15.78 ± 7.6 vs 11.19 ± 6.22, p = 0.025). Comprehension of Novel Metaphors was better in PD patients vs controls (0.71 ± 0.23 vs 0.55 ± 0.29, p = 0.04). QUIP‐RS scores did not correlate with creativity measures.

Interpretation

PD patients treated with dopaminergic drugs demonstrated enhanced verbal and visual creativity as compared to neurologically healthy controls. This feature was unrelated to ICD. Dopaminergic agents might act through the reduction of latent inhibition, resulting in widening of the associative network and enriched divergent thinking. Ann Neurol 2014;75:935–942
Arginine‐Containing Ligands Enhance H2 Oxidation Catalyst Performance
Authors: Dutta Arnab , Roberts John A. S. , Shaw Wendy J.
Published: May 2014

Hydrogenase enzymes use Ni and Fe to oxidize H2 at high turnover frequencies (TOF) (up to 10 000 s−1) and low overpotentials (<100 mV). In comparison, the fastest reported synthetic electrocatalyst, [NiII(PCy2NtBu2)2]2+, oxidizes H2 at 60 s−1 in MeCN under 1 atm H2 with an unoptimized overpotential of ca. 500 mV using triethylamine as a base.1 Here we show that a structured outer coordination sphere in a Ni electrocatalyst enhances H2 oxidation activity: [NiII(PCy2NArg2)2]8+ (Arg=arginine) has a TOF of 210 s−1 in water with high energy efficiency (180 mV overpotential) under 1 atm H2, and 144 000 s−1 (460 mV overpotential) under 133 atm H2. The complex is active from pH 0–14 and is faster at low pH, the most relevant condition for fuel cells. The arginine substituents increase TOF and may engage in an intramolecular guanidinium interaction that assists in H2 activation, while the COOH groups facilitate rapid proton movement. These results emphasize the critical role of features beyond the active site in achieving fast, efficient catalysis.
Enantioselective Copper‐Catalyzed Carboetherification of Unactivated Alkenes
Authors: Bovino Michael T. , Liwosz Timothy W. , Kendel Nicole E. , Miller Yan , Tyminska Nina , Zurek Eva , Chemler Sherry R.
Published: May 2014

Chiral saturated oxygen heterocycles are important components of bioactive compounds. Cyclization of alcohols onto pendant alkenes is a direct route to their synthesis, but few catalytic enantioselective methods enabling cyclization onto unactivated alkenes exist. Herein reported is a highly efficient copper‐catalyzed cyclization of γ‐unsaturated pentenols which terminates in CC bond formation, a net alkene carboetherification. Both intra‐ and intermolecular CC bond formations are demonstrated, thus yielding functionalized chiral tetrahydrofurans as well as fused‐ring and bridged‐ring oxabicyclic products. Transition‐state calculations support a cis‐oxycupration stereochemistry‐determining step.
Selective adsorption and degradation of rhodamine B with modified titanium dioxide photocatalyst
Authors: Bao Lanlan , Meng Minjia , Sun Kaiyong , Li Weibing , Zhao Dexiang , Li Huaming , He Minqiang
Published: May 2014

A new highly selective photocatalyst (RhB‐MIP/TiO2) was successfully prepared by surface molecular imprinting technique using rhodamine B (RhB) as template molecule. The adsorption kinetics show RhB‐MIP/TiO2 possessed fast adsorption rate, and adsorption behavior followed the pseudo‐second‐order kinetics. The static binding experiments revealed RhB‐MIP/TiO2 displayed strong affinity and high adsorption capacity for RhB. Moreover, the equilibrium adsorption rate of RhB‐MIP/TiO2 for RhB can be well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model. The thermodynamics parameters indicated that the binding system of RhB‐MIP/TiO2 was endothermic and spontaneous. Compared with non‐imprinted photocatalyst (NIP/TiO2), RhB‐MIP/TiO2 exhibited excellent selectivity toward RhB, whose selectivity coefficient for RhB relative to rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) was 2.99. Selective photocatalytic degradation experiments indicated that the apparent rate constant for the photodegradation of RhB over RhB‐MIP/TiO2 is 0.0212 min−1, being 216% of that over NIP/TiO2 (0.0098 min−1). Therefore, RhB‐MIP/TiO2 exhibited higher photocatalytic selectivity toward RhB. The prepared photocatalyst RhB‐MIP/TiO2 has a promising perspective in industrial wastewater treatment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40890.
Effect of low‐content carbon nanotubes on the dielectric and microwave absorption properties of graphite/polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Khurram A. A. , Rakha Sobia A. , Ali Naveed , Zhou Peiheng , Munir Arshad
Published: May 2014

Honeycomb cores (HCs) coated with graphite and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) filled in a thermoplastic resin are proposed as microwave absorbers. The MWCNT contents varied from 0.2 to 0.6 wt % in a graphite‐filled (15 wt %) thermoplastic resin. The HCs were coated with three different types of coating materials for the sake of comparison: graphite, MWCNTs, and graphite plus MWCNTs. The dielectric properties [the real and imaginary parts of complex permittivity (ε′ and ε″, respectively)] and reflection loss (RL) of all of the coated HCs were measured and compared. We observed that the permittivities and RL increased significantly with increased weight percentage of the MWCNTs in the graphite‐filled thermoplastic resin. The RL measurements showed a maximum loss of −20 dB around 7 GHz and a bandwidth of 2.7 GHz at −10 dB in the HCs coated with the 0.4 wt % MWCNT plus graphite. There was also a shift in the RL peak position from the x band to the c band after the increase of MWCNT content. We also observed from the measurements that a combination of graphite and MWCNTs resulted in a broadband microwave absorber; a bandwidth of 13 GHz was observed for 80% RL when the MWCNT content increased to 0.6 wt % in the graphite‐incorporated resin. The possible mechanism that increased RL with the incorporation of MWCNTs in the graphite‐mixed thermoplastic resin is discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40891.
High‐Tg, heat resistant epoxy–silica hybrids with a low content of silica generated by nonaqueous sol–gel process
Authors: Ponyrko Sergii , Kovářová Jana , Kobera Libor , Matějka Libor
Published: May 2014

The epoxy‐silica hybrids showing high Tg and thermal stability are prepared by the non‐aqueous sol–gel process initiated with borontriflouride monoethylamine. Tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) is used as a precursor of silica and 3‐glycidyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane as a coupling agent to strengthen the interphase interaction with an epoxy matrix. The basic factors governing the nonaqueous sol–gel process are studied in order to reveal the formation–structure–properties relationships and to optimize the hybrid composition as well as conditions of the nonaqueous synthesis. The formation of the hybrid, its structure, thermomechanical properties and thermal stability are followed by chemorheology experiments, NMR, DMA and TGA. The most efficient reinforcement of the epoxy network is achieved by the combination of both alkoxysilanes, showing synergy effects. The hybrids with a low content (∼10 wt %) of the in situ generated silica exhibit dramatic increase in Tg and the high modulus, 335 MPa, up to the temperature 300°C. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40899.
Detection of the Grímsvötn 2011 volcanic eruption plumes using infrared satellite measurements
Authors: Cooke Michael C. , Francis Peter N. , Millington Sarah , Saunders Roger , Witham Claire
Published: May 2014

Infrared satellite measurements were used to track the volcanic plume from Grímsvötn, Iceland in 2011. Following the explosive eruption, the plume was sheared by the atmosphere into two distinct volcanic clouds, one was ash‐rich and the other was mainly composed of sulphur dioxide (SO2) gas. Satellite retrievals of the volcanic ash were found to be consistent with an andesitic/basaltic composition, providing a framework for composition evaluation immediately following an eruption. SO2 was detectable for several weeks following the eruption highlighting the importance of monitoring volcanic clouds for a prolonged period to manage the associated risk of air traffic.
Quantification of homoegonol in rat plasma using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and its pharmacokinetics application
Authors: Jeong Hyeon‐Uk , Kwon Soon Sang , Hwang Deok‐Gyu , Kim Eun Nam , Lee Kyeong , Ahn Kyung‐Seop , Oh Sei‐Ryang , Lee Hye Suk
Published: May 2014

Homoegonol is a biologically active neolignan isolated from Styrax species with cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory and anti‐asthma activities. For the quantification of homoegonol in rat plasma, a selective and sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method was developed and validated for the first time using protein precipitation with methanol as a sample clean‐up procedure. The analytes were separated in an Atlantis dC18 column using a gradient elution of methanol and 0.1% formic acid, and mass‐to‐charge ratios were determined in selective reaction monitoring mode using tandem mass spectrometry with m/z 343.12 > 296.97 for homoegonol and m/z 517.30 > 282.90 for udenafil (internal standard). The standard curve was linear over the concentration ranges of 1 − 500 ng/mL using a 30 μL rat plasma sample. The coefficient of variation and relative error for intra‐ and inter‐assay at four quality control levels were 3.9–10.0 and ‐3.3–2.7%, respectively. The overall recovery of homoegonol from rat plasma using protein precipitation was 99.7 ± 7.7%. The pharmacokinetics parameters of homoegonol were dose‐independent after both intravenous (1, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg doses) and oral (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg doses) administration in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
LC‐MS/MS determination of cinacalcet enantiomers in rat plasma on Chirobiotic V column in polar ionic mode: application to a pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Ramisetti Nageswara Rao , Bompelli Sravan
Published: May 2014

A simple and selective polar ionic liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method for separation and determination of cinacalcet enantiomers in rat plasma was developed and validated. The chromatographic separation was accomplished on a Chirobiotic V column packed with vancomycin as a chiral stationary phase using 2.5 mm ammonium formate in 100% methanol as a mobile phase in an isocratic mode of elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The analytes were extracted from rat plasma by precipitating the proteins with acetonitrile. The developed method exhibited a linear dynamic range over 0.5–500 ng/mL in rat plasma for both enantiomers. The method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics after a single dose by oral administration of 10 mg/kg of cinacalcet enantiomers to healthy male Wistar rats. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recent applications and developments of capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE‐C4D) in capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Elbashir Abdalla A. , Aboul‐Enein Hassan Y.
Published: May 2014

Capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D) has emerged as a powerful technique for the detection of compounds lacking any distinct chromophores or fluorophores. This review provides an update of the most recent application in CE‐C4D for pharmaceutical, biomedical and food covering the period from January 2012 to January 2014. The present review is an update of two previous review papers covering the years 2000–2010 (Biomedical Chromatography 2010; 24: 1038–1044 and Biomedical Chromatography 2012; 26: 990–1000). Representative examples illustrate the applicability of CE‐C4D in the fields of pharmaceutical, biomedical and food. Finally, general conclusions and perspectives are provided. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chirality and Chiroptical Properties of Amyloid Fibrils
Authors: Dzwolak Wojciech
Published: May 2014

Chirality of amyloid fibrils‐linear beta‐sheet‐rich aggregates of misfolded protein chains‐often manifests in morphological traits such as helical twist visible in atomic force microscopy and in chiroptical properties accessible to vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). According to recent studies the relationship between molecular chirality of polypeptide building blocks and superstructural chirality of amyloid fibrils may be more intricate and less deterministic than previously assumed. Several puzzling experimental findings have put into question earlier intuitive ideas on: 1) the bottom‐up chirality transfer upon amyloidogenic self‐assembly, and 2) the structural origins of chiroptical properties of protein aggregates. For example, removal of a single amino acid residue from an amyloidogenic all‐L peptide was shown to reverse handedness of fibrils. On the other hand, certain types of amyloid aggregates revealed surprisingly strong VCD spectra with the sign and shape dependent on the conditions of fibrillation. Hence, microscopic and chiroptical studies have highlighted chirality as one more aspect of polymorphism of amyloid fibrils. This brief review is intended to outline the current state of research on amyloid‐like fibrils from the perspective of their structural and superstructural chirality and chiroptical properties. Chirality 26:580–587, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Highly Sensitive Ratiometric Chemosensor for Selective ′Naked‐Eye′ Nanomolar Detection of Co2+ in Semi‐Aqueous Media
Authors: Patil Smita , Fegade Umesh , Sahoo Suban K. , Singh Amanpreet , Marek Jaromir , Singh Narinder , Bendre Ratnamala , Kuwar Anil
Published: May 2014

An easy‐to‐prepare chemosensor, (E)‐1‐(phthalazine‐4‐yl)‐2‐(1‐(pyridine‐2‐yl)ethylidene) hydrazine (3), structurally characterized by single X‐ray crystallography, is developed for the selective and sensitive detection of Co2+ in aqueous media. Chemosensor 3 shows both absorption and fluorescence responses to Co2+ by forming a 1:1 complex (among the surveyed metal ions) with a detection limit down to 50 nM. It can also be used as a ′naked‐eye′ sensor due to the outstanding visible and emission color changes from yellow to red and blue to orange, respectively.
Efficacy of real‐time continuous glucose monitoring on glycaemic control and glucose variability in type 1 diabetic patients treated with either insulin pumps or multiple insulin injection therapy: a randomized controlled crossover trial
Authors: Tumminia Andrea , Crimi Salvatore , Sciacca Laura , Buscema Massimo , Frittitta Lucia , Squatrito Sebastiano , Vigneri Riccardo , Tomaselli Letizia
Published: May 2014

Background

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of real‐time continuous glucose monitoring in T1D patients treated with insulin pump therapy or multiple daily insulin therapy.

Methods

Twenty adult patients (ten insulin pump therapy and ten multiple daily insulin) with poor glycaemic control (HbA1c > 8.0%) were randomized into two groups for 6 months: the continuous glucose monitoring arm (using real‐time continuous glucose monitoring) and the SMBG arm. After 2 months of wash‐out, the participants crossed over. The primary outcome was HbA1c reduction. The secondary outcomes were hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia risk assessment (area under the curve < 70 mg/dL/day and AUC > 200 mg/dL/day, respectively) and glucose variability.

Results

Fourteen patients (eight multiple daily insulin, six insulin pump therapy) used continuous glucose monitoring appropriately (at least 40% of the time). In these patients, the improvement in glycaemic control was more evident during the real‐time continuous glucose monitoring period (7.76% ± 0.4 vs 8.54% ± 0.4, p < 0.05) than during the self‐monitoring of blood glucose period (8.42% ± 0.4 vs 8.56% ± 0.5, p = 0.2). Better results with continuous glucose monitoring were observed in patients using multiple daily insulin with greater improvement in both glycaemic control (7.71% ± 0.2 vs 8.58% ± 0.2, p < 0.05) and glucose variability and with a marked reduction in the risk of both hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia.

Conclusions

Appropriate use of real‐time continuous glucose monitoring improved glycometabolic control in T1D patients. The effects of continuous glucose monitoring were more evident in patients under multiple daily insulin treatment, compared with insulin pump therapy. Glucose variability, in addition to glycaemic control, was improved in compliant diabetic patients. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Constitutive notch signaling in adult transgenic mice inhibits bFGF‐induced angiogenesis and blocks ovarian follicle development
Authors: Liu Ju , Deutsch Urban , Jeong James , Lobe Corrinne G.
Published: May 2014

Notch signaling is important in angiogenesis during embryonic development. However, the embryonic lethal phenotypes of knock‐out and transgenic mice have precluded studies of the role of Notch post‐natally. To develop a mouse model that would bypass the embryonic lethal phenotype and investigate the possible role of Notch signaling in adult vessel growth, we developed transgenic mice with Cre‐conditional expression of the constitutively active intracellular domain of Notch1 (IC‐Notch1). Double transgenic IC‐Notch1/Tie2‐Cre embryos with endothelial specific IC‐Notch1 expression died at embryonic day 9.5. They displayed collapsed and leaky blood vessels and defects in angiogenesis development. A tetracycline‐inducible system was used to express Cre recombinase postnatally in endothelial cells. In adult mice, IC‐Notch1 expression inhibited bFGF‐induced neovascularization and female mice lacked mature ovarian follicles, which may reflect the block in bFGF‐induced angiogenesis required for follicle growth. Our results demonstrate that Notch signaling is important for both embryonic and adult angiogenesis and indicate that the Notch signaling pathway may be a useful target for angiogenic therapies. genesis 52:809–816, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pollinators visit related plant species across 29 plant–pollinator networks
Authors: Vamosi Jana C. , Moray Clea M. , Garcha Navdeep K. , Chamberlain Scott A. , Mooers Arne Ø.
Published: May 2014

Understanding the evolution of specialization in host plant use by pollinators is often complicated by variability in the ecological context of specialization. Flowering communities offer their pollinators varying numbers and proportions of floral resources, and the uniformity observed in these floral resources is, to some degree, due to shared ancestry. Here, we find that pollinators visit related plant species more so than expected by chance throughout 29 plant–pollinator networks of varying sizes, with “clade specialization” increasing with community size. As predicted, less versatile pollinators showed more clade specialization overall. We then asked whether this clade specialization varied with the ratio of pollinator species to plant species such that pollinators were changing their behavior when there was increased competition (and presumably a forced narrowing of the realized niche) by examining pollinators that were present in at least three of the networks. Surprisingly, we found little evidence that variation in clade specialization is caused by pollinator species changing their behavior in different community contexts, suggesting that clade specialization is observed when pollinators are either restricted in their floral choices due to morphological constraints or innate preferences. The resulting pollinator sharing between closely related plant species could result in selection for greater pollinator specialization.
Multiple paternity is a shared reproductive strategy in the live‐bearing surfperches (Embiotocidae) that may be associated with female fitness
Authors: LaBrecque John R. , Alva‐Campbell Yvette R. , Archambeault Sophie , Crow Karen D.
Published: May 2014

According to Bateman's principle, female fecundity is limited relative to males, setting the expectation that males should be promiscuous, while females should be choosy and select fewer mates. However, several surfperches (Embiotocidae) exhibit multiple paternity within broods indicating that females mate with multiple males throughout the mating season. Previous studies found no correlation between mating success and reproductive success (i.e., a Bateman gradient). However, by including samples from a broader range of reproductive size classes, we found evidence of a Bateman gradient in two surfperch species from distinct embiotocid clades. Using microsatellite analyses, we found that 100% of the spotfin surfperch families sampled exhibit multiple paternity (Hyperprosopon anale, the basal taxon from the only clade that has not previously been investigated) indicating that this tactic is a shared reproductive strategy among surfperches. Further, we detected evidence for a Bateman gradient in H. anale; however, this result was not significant after correction for biases. Similarly, we found evidence for multiple paternity in 83% of the shiner surfperch families (Cymatogaster aggregata) sampled. When we combine these data with a previous study on the same species, representing a larger range of reproductive size classes and associated brood sizes, we detect a Bateman gradient in shiner surfperch for the first time that remains significant after several conservative tests for bias correction. These results indicate that sexual selection is likely complex in this system, with the potential for conflicting optima between sexes, and imply a positive shift in fertility (i.e., increasing number) and reproductive tactic with respect to the mating system and number of sires throughout the reproductive life history of females. We argue that the complex reproductive natural history of surfperches is characterized by several traits that may be associated with cryptic female choice, including protracted oogenesis, uterine sac complexity, and sperm storage.
Elucidating multidecadal saltwater intrusion and vegetation dynamics in a coastal floodplain with artificial neural networks and aerial photography
Authors: Wan Yongshan , Wan Christopher , Hedgepeth Marion
Published: May 2014

Saltwater intrusion has been recognized as a major driver of ecological regime shifts in coastal wetlands, but few studies have incorporated long‐term salinity modelling data into the understanding of vegetation dynamics. This study uniquely combined artificial neural network (ANN) modelling and time series of aerial photographs to elucidate saltwater intrusion and mangrove encroachment into the freshwater floodplain of the Loxahatchee River over a period of six decades. Three ANN models were developed to simulate river salinity on a daily time step using freshwater inflow, rainfall and tide as inputs. With 8 years of measured data for training and testing, the ANN models demonstrated comparable or superior model performance for salinity simulation to their hydrodynamic counterparts. Modelling of historical salinity (1948–2011) using the ANNs indicated that the intensity of saltwater intrusion clearly correlated with watershed hydrology, which, in turn, was linked to historical watershed alterations and regional rainfall variability. Interpretation of the 1940, 1953, 1964, 1979, 1985 and 1995 aerial photographs revealed the progressive encroachment of mangroves and displacement of bald cypress and freshwater communities in the floodplain. The spatial extent of mangrove encroachment was related to the increasing mortality of bald cypress under the chronic effect of cumulative salinity exposure. The ecohydrological controls over vegetation changes in the Loxahatchee River support the ongoing ecosystem restoration programme, which aims to achieve incremental freshwater flow targets to protect and restore the floodplain ecosystem. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FGF23 regulates renal sodium handling and blood pressure
Authors: Andrukhova Olena , Slavic Svetlana , Smorodchenko Alina , Zeitz Ute , Shalhoub Victoria , Lanske Beate , Pohl Elena E , Erben Reinhold G
Published: May 2014

Fibroblast growth factor‐23 (FGF23) is a bone‐derived hormone regulating renal phosphate reabsorption and vitamin D synthesis in renal proximal tubules. Here, we show that FGF23 directly regulates the membrane abundance of the Na+:Cl− co‐transporter NCC in distal renal tubules by a signaling mechanism involving the FGF receptor/αKlotho complex, extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), serum/glucocorticoid‐regulated kinase 1 (SGK1), and with‐no lysine kinase‐4 (WNK4). Renal sodium (Na+) reabsorption and distal tubular membrane expression of NCC are reduced in mouse models of Fgf23 and αKlotho deficiency. Conversely, gain of FGF23 function by injection of wild‐type mice with recombinant FGF23 or by elevated circulating levels of endogenous Fgf23 in Hyp mice increases distal tubular Na+ uptake and membrane abundance of NCC, leading to volume expansion, hypertension, and heart hypertrophy in a αKlotho and dietary Na+‐dependent fashion. The NCC inhibitor chlorothiazide abrogates FGF23‐induced volume expansion and heart hypertrophy. Our findings suggest that FGF23 is a key regulator of renal Na+ reabsorption and plasma volume, and may explain the association of FGF23 with cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease patients.
Simultaneous analysis of the gene expression profiles of cancer and stromal cells in endometrial cancer
Authors: Iguchi Yoko , Ito Yoichi M. , Kataoka Fumio , Nomura Hiroyuki , Tanaka Hideo , Chiyoda Tatsuyuki , Hashimoto Shiho , Nishimura Sadako , Takano Masashi , Yamagami Wataru , Susumu Nobuyuki , Aoki Daisuke , Tsuda Hiroshi
Published: May 2014

To address the role of cancer‐stroma interactions, we performed gene expression profiling of both cancer and stroma, using matching samples of endometrial cancer (EC), and analyzed the relationship between the gene expression pattern and prognosis in EC. Sixty EC cases were included in this study (38 nonrecurrent and 22 recurrent). Cancer and stroma were separated by performing laser capture microdissection, and microarray analysis was performed separately on cancer and stromal cells. Genes related with progression‐free survival (PFS) in cancer and stroma were analyzed using the Cox regression model, and we established a formula, based on the gene expression pattern of cancer and stroma, to predict recurrence using logistic regression. We estimated the accuracy of the formula using the 0.632 method. All cases were classified based on the 79 selected genes of cancer and stroma related to PFS, based on unsupervised clustering. A total of 143 genes in cancer, and 79 genes in stroma were significantly related with PFS. The estimated area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics curve in cancer and stroma to predict recurrence were 0.800 and 0.758, respectively. Based on the 79 genes of cancer, the 22 recurrent cases were divided into two groups, which generally correlated with the histological grade. In contrast, based on the 79 genes of stroma, the 22 recurrent cases displayed homogeneous gene expression, unrelated to the histological grade. We conclude that gene expression profiles of cancer and stroma can predict the recurrence of EC and stromal that gene expression does not depend on the cancer grade. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Digital Transformation
Authors: Funke Peter
Published: May 2014

Big data, digitisation, open access — research libraries are facing some major challenges, which must be taken into account in DFG infrastructure programmes. The introduction of specialised information services is a further step in this direction.
Spatial relationship of groundwater–phosphorus interaction in the Kissimmee river basin, South Florida
Authors: Assegid Y. , Melesse A. M. , Naja G. M.
Published: May 2014

Fluctuations of groundwater levels were used to predict soluble phosphorus concentrations. In‐situ observations showed a decrease in soluble phosphorus during groundwater recession and an increase with groundwater rise. A spatial analysis of the simulated soluble phosphorus and groundwater levels indicated similarity of patterns (spatial correlation) 99% of the time. A geographically weighted multivariate analysis of soluble phosphorus using groundwater levels, phosphorus levels of the Kissimmee River, and distance from the Kissimmee River as predictors showed a goodness of fit (R2) ranging from 0.2 to 0.7. Results indicated no significant difference between the simulated and observed soluble phosphorus levels at a p value of 0.01. Among the parameters, the groundwater level explained 70% of the soluble phosphorus variability. The distance to surface waterbodies and their phosphorus levels had significant weights only within a 5‐km range from the waterbody. A model generalization is further required to simulate the spatiotemporal groundwater–phosphorus dynamics over meaningful temporal ranges – at least for 3 to 5 years – for conclusiveness of the data. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A linear systems approach to watershed transport simulation
Authors: Carleton James N.
Published: May 2014

Models that simulate loadings of pollutants from agricultural landscapes to surface waters often operate at time scales that are relatively coarse (e.g. daily) compared with how fast water moves in streams, suggesting a commensurate physical scale that is substantially larger than typical agricultural fields. In general, as pollutants enter water and move downstream, longitudinal dispersive effects and travel time de‐synchronization tend to cause flattening and broadening of concentration peaks—an effect with implications for potential impacts on ecological and human health, and for which adequate representation is thus important for risk assessment. In‐stream transport is often approximated in practice using numerical implementation of the one‐dimensional advection–dispersion equation (ADE), with streams discretized into linked homogeneous segments. However, when a daily time step is employed, limitations inherent in the finite difference methodology may constrain simulated dispersion in lotic waters to unrepresentative or unrealistic magnitudes. In this paper, a convolution‐based approach to surface water transport is suggested as an alternative to the ADE, for use in combination with daily input loading models. This approach offers the advantage of greater flexibility in representing longitudinal mixing by using impulse response functions (IRF) to represent inter‐segment transport. Networks of stream segments are represented using nested convolutions, implemented using forward and inverse discrete Fourier transform to simplify calculations. Enhanced representational flexibility arises from the freedom afforded the modeller in selecting each segment's IRF, which may be chosen to represent dispersive regimes ranging from pure advection (plug flow) to compete mixing, and beyond to the sort of long‐tailed mixing characterized by fractal inverse frequency power‐law scaling. The approach is explored in proof‐of‐concept exercises that make use of atrazine monitoring data sets collected over common time periods from upstream and downstream locations within the same watersheds. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The role of crust thickness in runoff generation from microbiotic crusts
Authors: Kidron Giora J.
Published: May 2014

Contrary to humid areas where runoff takes place following the saturation of the soil column, runoff in arid and semiarid zones takes place when rain intensities exceed the infiltration capability of the upper soil crust, whether physical crust or microbiotic crust (MC). This type of overland flow, known as Hortonian overland flow (HOF), is not fully understood, especially in the case of MC. In particular, little is known regarding the effect of crust thickness and its fine (silt and clay) content on runoff generation, with some scholars claiming that runoff generation is positively correlated with crust thickness and fine content. In an attempt to determine the effect of crust thickness and to assess the role played by the silt and clay on runoff generation, a set of field and lab experiments were undertaken on MCs inhabiting sand dunes in the Negev Desert (Israel). These included sprinkling experiments coupled with measurements of the physical (thickness, silt and clay) and biological (chlorophyll, protein, total carbohydrates) properties of 0.5–10‐mm‐thick crusts. The data showed that runoff generation took place on surfaces as thin as ~0.5–0.7 mm only, and was not correlated with the fine (silt and clay) content. The implications for HOF and for arid ecosystems are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrological sensitivity of a northern mountain basin to climate change
Authors: Rasouli Kabir , Pomeroy John W. , Janowicz J. Richard , Carey Sean K. , Williams Tyler J.
Published: May 2014

The hydrological sensitivity of a northern Canadian mountain basin to change in temperature and precipitation was examined. A physically based hydrological model was created and included important snow and frozen soil infiltration processes. The model was discretized into hydrological response units in order to simulate snow accumulation and melt regimes and basin discharge. Model parameters were drawn from scientific studies in the basin except for calibration of routing and drainage. The model was able to simulate snow surveys and discharge measurements with very good accuracy. The forcing inputs of the hourly air temperatures and daily precipitation were scaled linearly to examine the model sensitivity to conditions included in a range of climate change scenarios: warming of up to 5 °C and change in precipitation of +/− 20%. The results show that peak seasonal snow accumulation, snow season length, evapotranspiration, runoff, peak runoff, and the timing of peak runoff have a pronounced sensitivity to both warming and precipitation change, where the impact of warming is partly compensated for by increased precipitation and dramatically enhanced by decreased precipitation. The snow regime, including peak snow accumulation, snow‐free period, intercepted snow sublimation, and blowing snow transport, was most sensitive to temperature, and the impact of a warming of 5 °C could not be compensated for by a precipitation increase of 20%. However, basin discharge was more sensitive to precipitation, and the impact of warming could be compensated for by a slight increase in precipitation. The impacts of 5 °C warming with a +/−20% change in precipitation resulted in snow accumulation, runoff, and peak streamflow decreasing by from one half to one fifth and the snow‐free period lengthening by from 46 to 60 days; in both cases, the smaller change is associated with increased precipitation and the larger change with decreased precipitation. These results show that mountain hydrology in Northern Canada is extremely sensitive to warming, that snow regime is more sensitive to warming than streamflow and that changes in precipitation can partly modulate this response. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antidiabetic activity of Sedum dendroideum: Metabolic enzymes as putative targets for the bioactive flavonoid kaempferitrin
Authors: Da Silva Daniel , Casanova Livia Marques , Marcondes Mariah Celestino , Espindola‐Netto Jair Machado , Paixão Larissa Pereira , De Melo Giany Oliveira , Zancan Patricia , Sola‐Penna Mauro , Costa Sônia Soares
Published: May 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of a leaf extract and flavonoids from Sedum dendroideum (SD). Additionally, our goals were to establish a possible structure/activity relationship between these flavonoids and to assess the most active flavonoid on the glycolytic enzyme 6‐phosphofructo‐1‐kinase (PFK). SD juice (LJ), a flavonoid‐rich fraction (BF), and separately five flavonoids were evaluated intraperitoneally for their acute hypoglycemic activity in normal and streptozotocin‐induced diabetic mice. First, the major flavonoids kaempferol 3,7‐dirhamnoside or kaempferitrin (1), kaempferol 3‐glucoside‐7‐rhamnoside (2), and kaempferol 3‐neohesperidoside‐7‐rhamnoside (3) were tested. Then, the monoglycosides kaempferol 7‐rhamnoside (5) and kaempferol 3‐rhamnoside (6) were assayed to establish their structure/activity relationship. The effect of 1 on PFK was evaluated in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue from treated mice. LJ (400 mg/kg), BF (40 mg/kg), and flavonoid 1 (4 mg/kg) reduced glycemia in diabetic mice (120 min) by 52, 53, and 61%, respectively. Flavonoids 2, 3, 5, and 6 were inactive or showed little activity, suggesting that the two rhamnosyl moieties in kaempferitrin are important requirements. Kaempferitrin enhanced the PFK activity chiefly in hepatic tissue, suggesting that it is able to stimulate tissue glucose utilization. This result is confirmed testing kaempferitrin on C2C12 cell line, where it enhanced glucose consumption, lactate production, and the key regulatory glycolytic enzymes. The hypoglycemic activity of kaempferitrin depends on the presence of both rhamnosyl residues in the flavonoid structure when intraperitoneally administered. Our findings show for the first time that a flavonoid is capable of stimulating PFK in a model of diabetes and that kaempferitrin stimulates glucose‐metabolizing enzymes. This study contributes to the knowledge of the mechanisms by which this flavonoid exerts its hypoglycemic activity. © 2014 IUBMB Life, 66(5):361–370, 2014
Site‐directed analysis on protein hydrophobicity
Authors: Chong Song‐Ho , Ham Sihyun
Published: May 2014

Hydrophobicity of a protein is considered to be one of the major intrinsic factors dictating the protein aggregation propensity. Understanding how protein hydrophobicity is determined is, therefore, of central importance in preventing protein aggregation diseases and in the biotechnological production of human therapeutics. Traditionally, protein hydrophobicity is estimated based on hydrophobicity scales determined for individual free amino acids, assuming that those scales are unaltered when amino acids are embedded in a protein. Here, we investigate how the hydrophobicity of constituent amino acid residues depends on the protein context. To this end, we analyze the hydration free energy—free energy change on hydration quantifying the hydrophobicity—of the wild‐type and 21 mutants of amyloid‐beta protein associated with Alzheimer's disease by performing molecular dynamics simulations and integral‐equation calculations. From detailed analysis of mutation effects on the protein hydrophobicity, we elucidate how the protein global factor such as the total charge as well as underlying protein conformations influence the hydrophobicity of amino acid residues. Our results provide a unique insight into the protein hydrophobicity for rationalizing and predicting the protein aggregation propensity on mutation, and open a new avenue to design aggregation‐resistant proteins as biotherapeutics. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sonographic diagnosis of primary hydatid disease in the breast: The scroll sign
Authors: Jha Abhishek , Gupta Prakhar , Wahab Shagufta , Chauhan Narendra , Haroon Mohd. , Raghuwanshi Rajkumar Singh , Gupta Gagan , Gupta Ajay , Shah Gaurav , Raghav Deepak , Mittal Somit
Published: May 2014

Primary hydatid disease of breast is a rare entity and is caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. The disease is more commonly seen in sheep‐rearing populations and imaging plays a pivotal role in its diagnosis. Several imaging signs have been described in relation to hydatid cysts. However, the “scroll sign,” due to the infolding of the endocyst, has rarely been encountered, with only one similar case in literature, in which the imaging findings were inconclusive. We present a case of primary hydatid disease of breast in a young Asian woman, with the sonographic scroll sign. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:502–504, 2014
Assessing climate change impacts on Upper Grande River Basin hydrology, Southeast Brazil
Authors: Viola M. R. , de Mello C. R. , Chou S. C. , Yanagi S. N. , Gomes J. L.
Published: May 2014

Brazilian electric power is mostly based on hydraulics sources through hydropower plant reservoirs that are fed by rivers located in Southeast Brazil. Possible changes in climate can affect the energy supply of the country. The objective of this work is to assess the possible changes in the hydrology of the Upper Grande River Basin (UGRB) under a future climate change scenario, using the Lavras Simulation of Hydrology (LASH) model forced by the outputs of the Eta model, a regional climate model, which was driven by HadCM3 A1B scenario for three time slices in the period between 2011 and 2099. Owing to the surface heterogeneity of the region, the hydrologic model was previously calibrated for four watersheds of the UGRB, which are located in its headwater region and evaluated against observational time series of the present climate period, 1961–1990. In the first future time slice, 2011–2040, the results showed a small reduction in the annual run‐off, but for the other time slices, the trend changed to strong increase in most of the watersheds. The water budget in the region calculated from the Eta model agreed with the run‐off trends, as water excess reduced in the first time slice and gradually increased towards the end of the century. The run‐off components showed intraseasonal variability. The reduction of rains in the end of winter, the dry period in the region, and in the beginning of spring, may cause a change in the dynamics of the groundwater recharge, affecting the base flow, which can extend and intensify the flow recession period, and therefore affect the availability of water resources. On the other hand, the increase of rains during the summer, the rainy season of the region, caused an increase of the direct surface run‐off, which can modify the flood regimes of the rivers in the region.
Assessing changes in observed and future projected precipitation extremes in South Korea
Authors: Seo Yun Am , Lee Youngsaeng , Park Jeong‐Soo , Kim Maeng‐Ki , Cho ChunHo , Baek Hee‐Jeong
Published: May 2014

Attempts to assess the changes between the observed (or historical) and future projected daily rainfall extremes for 59 stations throughout Korea have been made with descriptive statistics and extreme value analysis. For the comparison, three different periods and four different data sets are considered: observation and historical data from 1976 to 2005 (period 0), simulation from 2021 to 2050 (period 1) and from 2066 to 2095 (period 2). The historical and projected rainfalls are obtained fromRCP4.5 andRCP8.5 scenarios, which are based on a regional climate modelHadGEM3‐RA. For the comparison of extreme values, the 20‐ and 50‐year return levels and the return period estimates are obtained by using the best one between two extreme value distributions, the method of L‐moments and the regional frequency analysis. From the descriptive statistics, we find that the numbers of heavy rainfall events will increase in the future. The total precipitation is projected to remain unchanged or slightly increased, compared to the observation. From the extreme value analysis, we realize that a 1‐in‐20 year and a 1‐in‐50 year annual maximum daily precipitation will likely become a 1‐in‐10 year and a 1‐in‐16 year event, respectively, when compared to the observation (a 1‐in‐5 year and a 1‐in‐7 year event, compared to the historical data), by the end of the 21st century. But this finding is based on only one simulation model, which confines the confidence of the result and suggests an ensemble approach based on multiple models to get more reliable result.
Micro‐Raman spectroscopy analysis of the 17th century panel painting ‘Servilius Appius’ by Isaac van den Blocke
Authors: Pięta Ewa , Proniewicz Edyta , Szmelter‐Fausek Bożena , Olszewska‐Świetlik Justyna , Proniewicz Leonard M.
Published: May 2014

Micro‐Raman spectroscopy and optical microscopy under visible and ultraviolet light were applied to characterize the pigments, state of conservation, and painting techniques used in the 17th century panel painting ‘Servilius Appius’, attributed to Isaac van den Blocke. This Golden Age work of art is located at the Gdańsk History Museum.

Briefly, individual layers of six samples from different parts of the aforementioned painting were analyzed. A rich palette of white, yellow, red, blue, and black pigments was identified using micro‐Raman spectroscopy. Optical microscopy was also employed to observe and analyze these layers. The obtained results were compared with the art history knowledge of the painting. Consequently, these studies enabled precise characterization of the type of lead tin yellow, the admixture of pigments used in the painting layers, and the type of ground layers, as well as the determination of the pictorial technique used in the process of creating this work of art. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation of monodisperse bimetallic nanorods with gold nanorod core and silver shell and their plasmonic property and SERS efficiency
Authors: Dong Xu , Zhou Jianfeng , Liu Xiaoyun , Lin Danli , Zha Liusheng
Published: May 2014

In this study, monodisperse bimetallic nanorods with gold (Au) nanorod core and silver (Ag) shell (Au@AgNRs) were synthesized through seed‐mediated growth process by reduction of AgNO3 using Au nanorods with narrow size and shape distribution as seeds. With increasing the used amount of AgNO3, the Ag shell thickness of their lateral facets is raised faster than that of their two tips, leading to a decrease of their aspect ratios. Four plasmon bands are observable on the extinction spectra of Au@AgNRs, which are attributed to the longitudinal dipolar plasmon mode, transverse dipolar plasmon mode, and octupolar plasmon mode of the core‐shell structured bimetallic nanorods, respectively. As their Ag shell thickness increases, their longitudinal plasmon band blue‐shifts notably with the transverse plasmon band blue‐shifting and the two octupolar plasmon bands red‐shifting slightly, due to the decrease of their aspect ratios and enhancement of Ag plasmon resonance contribution. When used as surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for probing minute amounts of 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid in aqueous solution, Au@AgNRs have much stronger SERS activity than Au nanorods, and the obtained Raman signals are highly reproducible arising from their excellent monodispersity. Their SERS activity is remarkably increased with their Ag shell thickness thanks to the enhancing surface electric field and the chemical enhancement associated with electronic ligand effect. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.