bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tocilizumab, a humanized anti‐interleukin‐6 receptor antibody, for the treatment of autoimmune disorders
Authors: Tanaka Toshio , Hagihara Keisuke , Shima Yoshihito , Narazaki Masashi , Ogata Atsushi , Kumanogoh Atsushi
Published: December 2011

The cytokine interleukin (IL)‐6 has a wide range of biological activities. It contributes to host defense against pathogens by inducing immune responses, hematopoiesis, and acute‐phase reactions. However, dysregulation of IL‐6 production plays a significant pathological role in various autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders. Because IL‐6 blockade was anticipated to provide a novel strategy for the treatment of such diseases, tocilizumab, a humanized anti‐IL‐6 receptor antibody, was developed. Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of tocilizumab for patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, resulting in approval in more than 90 countries worldwide of this innovative biologic for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Tocilizumab was also approved in Japan for the treatment of Castleman's disease and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Results of recent pilot or case studies have indicated that tocilizumab may become a novel drug for various other autoimmune disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis, and vasculitis syndrome, as well as inflammatory disorders such as adult‐onset Still's disease, Crohn's disease, amyloid A amyloidosis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and spondylarthritides. It has been demonstrated that an imbalance of CD4‐positive T‐helper subsets [Th17 and/or Th1 >> regulatory T cells (Treg)] plays a major role in the development of several autoimmune disorders. In murine models of autoimmune disorders, the anti‐IL‐6 receptor antibody induced Treg and inhibited Th17 and/or Th1 differentiation, indicating that tocilizumab treatment may be able to repair this imbalance in human diseases as well. Drug Dev Res 72:717–732, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predictors of medication adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Salt Elizabeth , Frazier Susan K.
Published: December 2011

Medication adherence is a significant problem in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a prevalent autoimmune disease. Because of the equivocal results reported in the research, consistent predictors of medication adherence in patients with RA are undetermined. A cross‐sectional descriptive, predictive study of 108 patients with RA was used to: (1) describe self‐reported medication adherence to disease‐modifying anti‐rheumatic drugs (DMARDs); (2) compare demographic (age, residence, marital status, employment status, years of education, and ethnicity) and clinical (duration of disease and number of medications) factors of adherent and nonadherent individuals; and (3) determine the predictive power of demographic and clinical factors for DMARD adherence using various cut‐points (research‐based, mean, and median) on a validated, self‐report scale measuring medication adherence. Independent samples t‐tests, Chi‐square analyses, and logistic regression modeling were used to analyze these data. Approximately 90% of the individuals with RA reported adherence with their prescribed DMARD prescriptions. The only demographic and clinical difference between the adherent and nonadherent group was ethnicity (P = 0.04); non‐Caucasian individuals reported significantly less adherence with their prescribed DMARDs when compared with Caucasian individuals. Logistic regression models identified ethnicity (OR = 3.34–10.1; P<0.05) and the number of medications taken (OR = 1.7; P<0.05) as predictors of medication nonadherence. These data provide evidence that ethnicity and taking an increased number of prescribed medications are independent predictors of medication adherence in patients with RA. These findings confirm the presence of a health disparity and an area in which further research is needed to optimize patient outcomes. Drug Dev Res 72:756–763, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Inverse vaccination with islet autoantigens to halt progression of autoimmune diabetes
Authors: Hinke Simon A.
Published: December 2011

The incidence of autoimmune diabetes mellitus is growing worldwide; currently the only treatment is injection of insulin formulations to maintain glycemic control. Islet transplantation has been examined as a potential cure for diabetes. However, it has several limitations, including side effects of immunosuppressive agents required to prevent graft rejection. Other approaches have been to examine immune modulation to halt or prevent the autoimmune attack, with the hope that by preventing tissue damage, it will eventually regenerate and permit patients to be free from insulin injections. The focus of the current review is the three major antigen‐based vaccines, insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65; Diamyd), and heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60; DiaPep277), with respect to their mechanism of action, preclinical results, and published results from clinical trials. Despite promising results with these three antigens in mice and humans, efficacy has been limited in clinical trials. Drug Dev Res 72:788–804, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diarylheptanoid Glucosides from Pyrostria major and Their Antiprotozoal Activities
Authors: Beniddir Mehdi A. , Grellier Philippe , Rasoanaivo Philippe , Loiseau Philippe M. , Bories Christian , Dumontet Vincent , Guéritte Françoise , Litaudon Marc
Published: December 2011

Eight new diarylheptanoid glucosides 1–8 have been isolated from the leaves of Pyrostria major (A. Rich & DC.) Cavaco [syn. Canthium major (A. Rich & DC.)] Cavaco. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic and HRMS analyses. The absolute configurations of the diarylheptanoids 1–4 were determined to be 3S and 5S by the application of the CD exciton chirality method to the corresponding 3,5‐bis(p‐bromobenzoyl) (1–3) and 3,5‐bis(p‐dimethylaminobenzoyl) (4) derivatives. Their antiparasitic activities against Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania donovani (amastigote forms), and Trypanosoma brucei (trypomastigote bloodstream forms) as well as their cytotoxic activities against the HL‐60, KB, and MRC5 cell lines of naturally occurring diarylheptanoid glucosides and their derivatives are reported.
A Lead Film Electrode for Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetric Analysis of Ultratrace Tungsten(VI) in Acidic Medium
Authors: Tyszczuk‐Rotko Katarzyna , Maj Joanna
Published: December 2011

For the first time an in situ plated lead film electrode was applied to adsorptive stripping voltammetry at relatively strong acidic conditions of, e.g., pH 2. As an example of the application of such electrode a procedure for ultratrace W(VI) determination by adsorptive stripping voltammetry was elaborated. The procedure is based on the preconcentration of the W(VI)‐Alizarin Red S complex at an in situ plated lead film electrode held at −0.575 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), followed by a negatively sweeping square wave voltammetric scan. The proposed voltammetric procedure was applied to W(VI) determination in natural water samples.
Carbon dioxide fluxes and DOC concentrations of eroding blanket peat gullies
Authors: Clay Gareth D. , Dixon Simon , Evans Martin G. , Rowson James G. , Worrall Fred
Published: December 2011

UK peatlands are affected by severe gully erosion with consequent impacts on ecosystem services from these areas. Incision into the peat can damage the vegetation and hydrology and lead to increases in carbon loss and sediment transfer downstream. Gullies represent then a conduit for and a hotspot of carbon loss but the relatively high water tables of gullies have meant that they have been identified as areas with a high restoration potential because of easily restored peat‐forming conditions. This study uses a series of gully sites, subject to different restoration interventions, to investigate differences in carbon pathways (DOC, CO2) and hydrology between restoration strategies and gully position. The results show that the position within the gully (interfluve, gully side, or gully floor) does not significantly affect water quality but that it plays a significant role in CO2 exchange. Gully floors are areas of high photosynthesis and ecosystem respiration, though net ecosystem exchange is not significantly different across the gully. While gully position plays a role in the cycling of some carbon species, this study highlights the importance of vegetation as a key control on carbon cycling. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The origins of mechanical conservation principles and variational calculus in the 17th century
Authors: Stein Erwin
Published: December 2011

The 17th century is considered as the cradle of modern natural sciences and technology as well as the begin of the age of enlightenment with the invention of analytical geometry by R. Descartes (1637), infinitesimal calculus by I. Newton (1668) and G. W. Leibniz (1674), and based on the rational mechanics by I. Newton (1687), initiated by G. Galilei (1638). In 1696, Johann Bernoulli posed the so‐called brachistochrone problem in Acta Eruditorum, asking for solutions within a year's time. Seven solutions were submitted and published in 1697, the most famous one by his brother Jacob Bernoulli, anticipating L. Euler's idea of discrete equidistant support points and triangular test functions between three neighboured points, followed by the infinitesimal limit. Johann Bernoulli himself presented two intelligent solutions by joining geometrical and mechanical observations. G.W. Leibniz submitted a geometrical integration method for the differential equation of the cycloid and, what is important for this article, a short draft of a discrete or “direct variational” numerical approximation method, also using triangular test functions between neighboured support points with finite distances. This can be considered as a precursor of the finite element method. In connection with the brachistochrone, more general tautochrony problems were investigated, e.g. by Ch. Huygens and I. Newton. In conclusion many important developments of energy methods in mechanics using variational methods were already invented in the 17th century (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Die Entwicklung der Analytischen Mechanik von Euler, Lagrange und Hamilton aus studentischer Sicht
Authors: Gerstner Maximilian , Schmitt Patrick R. , Steinmann Paul
Published: December 2011

Die mit der Analytischen Mechanik entwickelten Techniken und Methoden spielen gerade heute immer noch eine entscheidende Rolle in vielen Bereichen der Physik, der Ingenieurwissenschaften und für zahlreiche technische Anwendungsfälle. Im vorliegenden Beitrag soll die historische Entwicklung dieser Theorie durch Leonhard Euler (1707–1783), Joseph‐Louis Lagrange (1736–1813) und Sir William Rowan Hamilton (1805–1865) kurz dargestellt und anhand des einfachen Beispiels des Fadenpendels oder auch mathematischen Pendels illustriert werden. In der Zusammenfassung wird kurz die weitere Entwicklung dieser Theorie in der modernen Mathematik und Physik geschildert und auf wenige ausgewählte Anwendungsfälle eingegangen (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
UNDERSTANDING HETEROGENEITY IN PRICE ELASTICITIES IN THE DEMAND FOR ALCOHOL FOR OLDER INDIVIDUALS
Authors: Ayyagari Padmaja , Deb Partha , Fletcher Jason , Gallo William , Sindelar Jody L.
Published: December 2011

This paper estimates the price elasticity of demand for alcohol using Health and Retirement Study data. To account for unobserved heterogeneity in price responsiveness, we use finite mixture models. We recover two latent groups, one is significantly responsive to price, but the other is unresponsive. The group with greater responsiveness is disadvantaged in multiple domains, including health, financial resources, education and perhaps even planning abilities. These results have policy implications. The unresponsive group drinks more heavily, suggesting that a higher tax would fail to curb the negative alcohol‐related externalities. In contrast, the more disadvantaged group is more responsive to price, thus suffering greater deadweight loss, yet this group consumes fewer drinks per day and might be less likely to impose negative externalities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Late and very late mortality in 5‐year survivors of childhood cancer: Changing pattern over four decades—Experience from the Nordic countries
Authors: Garwicz Stanislaw , Anderson Harald , Olsen Jørgen H. , Falck Winther Jeanette , Sankila Risto , Langmark Frøydis , Tryggvadóttir Laufey , Möller Torgil R. ,   for the Association of the Nordic Cancer Registries (ANCR) and the Nordic Society for Pediatric Hematology Oncology (NOPHO)
Published: December 2011

Long‐term survivors of childhood cancer suffer from a higher mortality than the general population. Here we evaluate late and very late mortality, and patterns of causes of death, in 5‐year survivors after childhood and adolescent cancer in cases diagnosed during four decades in the five Nordic countries. The study is population‐based and uses data of the nationwide cancer registries and the cause of death registers. There were in all 37,515 incident cases, diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20 years, between 1960 and 1999. The 5‐year survivor cohort used in the mortality analyses consisted of 21,984 patients who were followed up for vital status until December 31, 2005 (Norway, Sweden) or 2006 (Denmark, Finland, Iceland). At the latest follow‐up, 2,324 patients were dead. The overall standardized mortality ratio was 8.3 and the absolute excess risk was 6.2 per 1,000 person‐years. The pattern of causes of death varied markedly between different groups of primary cancer diagnosis, and was highly dependent on time passed since diagnosis. With shorter follow‐up the mortality was mainly due to primary cancer, while with longer follow‐up, mortality due to second cancer and noncancer causes became more prominent. Mortality between 5 and 10 years after diagnosis continued to decrease in patients treated during the most recent period of time, 1990–1999, compared to previous periods, while mortality after 10 years changed very little with time period. We conclude that improvement of definite survival demands not only reducing early but also late and very late mortality.
Selective photothermolysis to target sebaceous glands: Theoretical estimation of parameters and preliminary results using a free electron laser
Authors: Sakamoto Fernanda H. , Doukas Apostolos G. , Farinelli William A. , Tannous Zeina , Shinn Michelle , Benson Steve , Williams Gwyn P. , Gubeli Joseph F. , Dylla H. Frederick , Anderson R. Rox
Published: December 2011

Background and Objectives

The success of permanent laser hair removal suggests that selective photothermolysis (SP) of sebaceous glands, another part of hair follicles, may also have merit. About 30% of sebum consists of fats with copious CH2 bond content. SP was studied in vitro, using free electron laser (FEL) pulses at an infrared CH2 vibrational absorption wavelength band.

Methods

Absorption spectra of natural and artificially prepared sebum were measured from 200 to 3,000 nm, to determine wavelengths potentially able to target sebaceous glands. The Jefferson National Accelerator superconducting FEL was used to measure photothermal excitation of aqueous gels, artificial sebum, pig skin, human scalp, and forehead skin (sebaceous sites). In vitro skin samples were exposed to FEL pulses from 1,620 to 1,720 nm, spot diameter 7–9.5 mm with exposure through a cold 4°C sapphire window in contact with the skin. Exposed and control tissue samples were stained using H&E, and nitroblue tetrazolium chloride staining (NBTC) was used to detect thermal denaturation.

Results

Natural and artificial sebum both had absorption peaks near 1,210, 1,728, 1,760, 2,306 and 2,346 nm. Laser‐induced heating of artificial sebum was approximately twice that of water at 1,710 and 1,720 nm, and about 1.5× higher in human sebaceous glands than in water. Thermal camera imaging showed transient focal heating near sebaceous hair follicles. Histologically, skin samples exposed to ∼1,700 nm, ∼100–125 milliseconds pulses showed evidence of selective thermal damage to sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands were positive for NBTC staining, without evidence of selective loss in samples exposed to the laser. Epidermis was undamaged in all samples.

Conclusions

SP of sebaceous glands appears to be feasible. Potentially, optical pulses at ∼1,720 or ∼1,210 nm delivered with large beam diameter and appropriate skin cooling in approximately 0.1 seconds may provide an alternative treatment for acne. Lasers Surg. Med. 44:175–183, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Light‐activated sutureless closure of wounds in thin skin
Authors: Yang Penggao , Yao Min , DeMartelaere Sheri L. , Redmond Robert W. , Kochevar Irene E.
Published: December 2011

Background and Objectives

Closing lacerations in thin eyelid and periorbital skin is time consuming and requires high skill for optimal results. In this study we evaluate the outcomes after single layer closure of wounds in thin skin with a sutureless, light‐activated photochemical technique called PTB.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Dorsal skin of the SKH‐1 hairless mouse was used as a model for eyelid skin. Incisions (1.2 cm) were treated with 0.1% Rose Bengal dye followed by exposure to 532 nm radiation (25, 50, or 100 J/cm2; 0.25 W/cm2) for PTB. Other incisions were sutured (five 10‐0 monofilament), exposed only to 532 nm (100 J/cm2), or not treated. Outcomes were immediate seal strength (pressure causing leakage through incision of saline infused under wound), skin strength at 1, 3, and 7 days (measured by tensiometry), inflammatory infiltrate at 1, 3, and 7 days (histological assessment), and procedure time.

Results

The immediate seal strength, as measured by leak pressure, was equivalent for all PTB fluences and for sutures (27–32 mmHg); these pressures were significantly greater than for the controls (untreated incisions or laser only treatment; P < 0.001). The ultimate strength of PTB‐sealed incisions was greater than the controls at day 1 (P < 0.05) and day 3 (P < 0.025) and all groups were equivalent at day 7. Sutures produced greater inflammatory infiltrate at day 1 than observed in other groups (P = 0.019). The average procedure time for sutured closure (311 seconds) was longer than for the PTB group treated with 25 J/cm2 (160 seconds) but shorter than the group treated with 100 J/cm2 (460 seconds).

Conclusion

PTB produces an immediate seal of incisions in thin, delicate skin that heals well, is more rapid than suturing, does not require painful suture removal and is easy to apply. Lasers Surg. Med. 44:163–167, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tunable Nanometer‐Scale Architecture of Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Nanostructured Materials for Structural and Functional Applications
Authors: Misra R. Devesh K. , Jia Zhiyong , Huang Haizhen Z. , Yuan Qiang , Shah Jinesh S.
Published: December 2011

Direct crystallization of polymer crystals along the long axis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to produce a hybrid nanostructured material is expected to retain the properties of CNTs and has the advantage of a strong polymer/CNT interface. Three different polymer systems are selected to elucidate the fundamental principles that govern the processing of organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructured materials with nanometer‐scale architecture. The tunable character of the nanometer‐scale hybrid architecture is investigated as a function of undercooling and polymer concentration. It is observed that while polyethylene and nylon 6,6 crystallize in a periodic manner as disk‐shaped crystals along the long axis of the CNTs, the polypropylene–CNTs result in conventional spherulites. The reasons for these differences are analyzed.
Photodegradable Polymers for Biotechnological Applications
Authors: Pasparakis George , Manouras Theodore , Argitis Panagiotis , Vamvakaki Maria
Published: December 2011

Photodegradable polymers constitute an emerging class of materials that finds numerous applications in biotechnology, biomedicine, and nanoscience. This article highlights some of the emerging applications of photodegradable polymers in the form of homopolymers, particles and self‐assembled constructs in solution, hydrogels for tissue engineering, and photolabile polymers for biopatterning applications. Novel photochemistries have been combined with controlled polymerization methods, which result in well‐defined photodegradable materials that exhibit light mediated and often controlled fragmentation processes.
Quantitative ultrasound of the tongue and submental muscles in children and young adults
Authors: Engel‐Hoek Lenie Van Den , Van Alfen Nens , De Swart Bert J.M. , De Groot Imelda J.M. , Pillen Sigrid
Published: December 2011

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of quantitative muscle ultrasound (QMUS) to visualize oral muscles and to establish normative data for muscle thickness and echo intensity of submental and tongue muscles in healthy children and young adults. The data were compared with those of 5 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods: Ultrasound images from the suprahyoid region and from the surface of the tongue were made in 53 healthy subjects aged 5 to 30 years. Results: All measurements were feasible in all subjects and patients with good reproducibility except for the mylohyoid muscle. Muscle thickness depended on height, and echo intensity depended on weight. Our findings suggest gradual involvement of oral muscles in DMD. Conclusions: QMUS in oral muscles is feasible in healthy children, adults and patients with DMD. These data show that it is possible to differentiate between healthy persons and patients with DMD. Muscle Nerve 46:31–37, 2012
Inverse problems for unilevel block α‐circulants
Authors: Trench W.
Published: December 2011

We consider the following inverse problems for the class of unilevel block α‐circulants , where k > 1, C0, C1, …, , α ∈ {1,2, … ,k −1}, gcd(α,k) = 1, and ∥ ⋅ ∥ is the Frobenius norm.

Problem 1 Find necessary and sufficient conditions on and for the existence of such that CZ = W, and find all such C if the conditions are satisfied.

Problem 2 For arbitrary and , find
urn:x-wiley:10705325:media:nla832:nla832-math-0009 characterize the class
urn:x-wiley:10705325:media:nla832:nla832-math-0010 and find C in this class with minimum norm.

Problem 3 If is given, find
urn:x-wiley:10705325:media:nla832:nla832-math-0012 and find such that ∥ C −A ∥ = σα(Z,W,A).

We also consider slightly modified problems for the case where gcd(α,k) > 1. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advective Heat Transport in Frozen Rock Clefts: Conceptual Model, Laboratory Experiments and Numerical Simulation
Authors: Hasler Andreas , Gruber Stephan , Font Marianne , Dubois Anthony
Published: December 2011

Advective heat transported by water percolating into discontinuities in frozen ground can rapidly increase temperatures at depth because it provides a thermal shortcut between the atmosphere and the subsurface. Here, we develop a conceptual model that incorporates the main heat‐exchange processes in a rock cleft. Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations based on the model indicate that latent heat release due to initial ice aggradation can rapidly warm cold bedrock and precondition it for later thermal erosion of cleft ice by advected sensible heat. The timing and duration of water percolation both affect the ice‐level change if initial aggradation and subsequent erosion are of the same order of magnitude. The surplus advected heat is absorbed by cleft ice loss and runoff from the cleft so that this energy is not directly detectable in ground temperature records. Our findings suggest that thawing‐related rockfall is possible even in cold permafrost if meltwater production and flow characteristics change significantly. Advective warming could rapidly affect failure planes beneath large rock masses and failure events could therefore differ greatly from common magnitude reaction‐time relations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Brief mechanical ventilation impacts airway cartilage properties in neonatal lambs
Authors: Kim Minwook , Pugarelli Joan , Miller Thomas L. , Wolfson Marla R. , Dodge George R. , Shaffer Thomas H.
Published: December 2011

Ultrasound imaging allows in vivo assessment of tracheal kinetics and cartilage structure. To date, the impact of mechanical ventilation (MV) on extracellular matrix (ECM) in airway cartilage is unclear, but an indication of its functional and structural change may support the development of protective therapies. The objective of this study was to characterize changes in mechanical properties of the neonatal airway during MV with alterations in cartilage ECM. Trachea segments were isolated in a neonatal lamb model; ultrasound dimensions and pressure–volume relationships were measured on sham (no MV; n = 6) and MV (n = 7) airways for 4 hr. Tracheal cross‐sections were harvested at 4 hr, tissues were fixed and stained, and Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT‐IRIS) was performed. Over 4 hr of MV, bulk modulus (28%) and elastic modulus (282%) increased. The MV tracheae showed higher collagen, proteoglycan content, and collagen integrity (new tissue formation); whereas no changes were seen in the controls. These data are clinically relevant in that airway properties can be correlated with MV and changes in cartilage ECM. MV increases the in vivo dimensions of the trachea and is associated with evidence of airway tissue remodeling. Injury to the neonatal airway from MV may have relevance for the development of tracheomalacia. We demonstrated active airway tissue remodeling during MV using an FT‐IRIS technique which identifies changes in ECM. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2012. 47:763–770. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
HISTORIC CHANGES (1941–2008) IN SIDE CHANNEL AND BACKWATER HABITATS ON AN UNCHANNELIZED REACH OF THE MISSOURI RIVER
Authors: Yager L. A. , Dixon M. D. , Cowman T. C. , Soluk D. A.
Published: December 2011

Flow regulation has had pervasive effects on aquatic ecosystems within the world's large rivers. While channelization on the lower Missouri River has led to major changes in the river and its floodplain, including the loss of shallow water habitats, effects of upstream dams on unchannelized reaches on the Missouri have not been formally assessed. We quantified changes in the number and size of off‐channel habitats, specifically backwaters and side channels, on the 95‐km unchannelized reach of the Missouri below Gavins Point Dam (Yankton, South Dakota) using historical (1941, 1983–1985, 2008) aerial imagery. Total and mean areas of side channels declined by 77% and 37% and total and mean length decreased by 79% and 42% from 1941 to 2008. Total area of backwaters increased by 40% from 1941 to 2008, whereas mean area decreased by 36%. Our findings suggest that sharp declines in the area and length of side channels have occurred on this unchannelized remnant reach of the Missouri River, with likely significant impacts on aquatic ecosystem processes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Highly Wrinkled Cross‐Linked Graphene Oxide Membranes for Biological and Charge‐Storage Applications
Authors: Tang Lena A. L. , Lee Wong Cheng , Shi Hui , Wong Ethel Y. L. , Sadovoy Anton , Gorelik Sergey , Hobley Jonathan , Lim Chwee Teck , Loh Kian Ping
Published: December 2011

Inspired by the amphiphilicity of graphene oxide (GO), the surface of water is used as a template for the assembly of a GO film. Methacrylate‐functionalized GO sheets can be cross‐linked instantaneously at the water–air interface to form a highly wrinkled membrane spreading over an extended area. The multiple covalent linkages amongst the GO sheets enhances the in‐plane stiffness of the film compared to noncovalently bonded GO films. The highly convoluted GO membrane can be used in two applications: the promoting of spontaneous stem‐cell differentiation towards bone cell lineage without any chemical inducers, and for supercapacitor electrodes. Due to reduced van der Waals restacking, capacitance values up to 211 F g−1 can be obtained. The scalable and inexpensive nature of this assembly route enables the engineering of membranes for applications in regenerative medicine and energy‐storage devices where secondary structures like nanotopography and porosity are important performance enhancers.
The influence of Cu(II) ions on physicochemical properties of potato starch oxidised by hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Pietrzyk Sławomir , Juszczak Lesław , Fortuna Teresa , Łabanowska Maria , Bidzińska Ewa , Błoniarczyk Katarzyna
Published: December 2011

The study investigates the influence of Cu(II) ions used as a catalyst on the effectiveness of potato starch oxidation by hydrogen peroxide, and compares the physicochemical properties of the modified starches. The starch was oxidised by H2O2 alone and with the addition of Cu(II) ions at three concentrations: 0.1, 0.2 or 0.3 g per 100 g d.m. of starch. The oxidised starches were examined for the content of carboxyl groups, carbonyl groups, amylose and copper, and for water‐binding capacity and water solubility at temperatures of 60 and 80°C. Colour parameters (L*a*b*), susceptibility to retrogradation, thermodynamic characteristics of pasting, intrinsic viscosity and pasting characteristic by RVA were also determined. The results indicate that the concentration of Cu(II) ions added as a catalyst has an effect on both the effectiveness of the oxidation process and the physicochemical properties of starch.
Electroconvulsive seizures stimulate the vegf pathway via mTORC1
Authors: Elfving Betina , Wegener Gregers
Published: December 2011

Electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) is considered the most effective treatment of depression. Recent studies demonstrate that electroconvulsive seizures (ECS), the animal variant of ECT, robustly stimulate hippocampal cell proliferation. However, the mechanisms underlying the cellular and molecular responses to ECS are not yet fully understood. A leading hypothesis of depression suggests that neurotrophic factors/growth factors play a critical role. Particularly the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered important, as it has been demonstrated that hippocampal VEGF expression is induced by ECS and that signaling through the VEGF receptor, Flk‐1 (VEGFR2), is required for cell proliferation. VEGF expression is believed to be regulated by two distinct mTOR (mammalian Target of Rapamycin)‐containing multiprotein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, respectively. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of ECS on the expression of VEGF, cognate receptors, mTORC1, and mTORC2 in the frontal cortex and the hippocampus. Using male Sprague‐Dawley rats, the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were measured by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (real‐time qPCR) in three groups: Sham, acute (after one ECS), and repeated (ECS every day for 10 days). VEGF, VEGFR2, and components from mTORC1 were affected by repeated ECS, indicating that mediation of VEGF via mTORC1 is important for the effect of ECS. Synapse 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sucrose‐predictive cues evoke greater phasic dopamine release than saccharin‐predictive cues
Authors: McCutcheon James E. , Beeler Jeff A. , Roitman Mitchell F.
Published: December 2011

Cues that have been paired with food evoke dopamine in nucleus accumbens (NAc) and drive approach behavior. This cue‐evoked dopamine signaling could contribute to overconsumption of food. One manner in which individuals try to restrict caloric intake is through the consumption of foods containing artificial (non‐nutritive) sweeteners. We were interested in whether cues paired with a non‐nutritive sweetener (saccharin) would evoke similar dopamine release as cues paired with a nutritive sweetener (sucrose). We trained food‐restricted rats to associate distinct cues with sucrose or saccharin pellets. In the first group of rats, training sessions with each pellet took place on different days, maximizing the opportunity for rats to detect nutritional differences. After training, voltammetry recordings in NAc core revealed that sucrose cues evoked greater phasic dopamine release than saccharin cues. In a second group of rats, on each training day, sucrose and saccharin pellets were presented in pseudorandom order within the same session, to mask nutritional differences. In this condition, the difference in dopamine between sucrose and saccharin cues was attenuated, but not abolished. These results suggest that sucrose‐paired cues will more powerfully motivate behavior than saccharin‐paired cues. The differing responses to each cue seem to be driven by overall preference with both the nutritional value that the pellets predict as well as other factors, such as taste, contributing. Synapse 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Epidemiology of Upper Extremity Injuries Presenting to the Emergency Department in the United States
Authors: Ootes Daan , Lambers Kaj T. , Ring David C.
Published: December 2011

Background

The epidemiology of upper extremity injuries presenting to emergency departments in the USA is not well studied. The purpose of this investigation was to estimate the incidence rates of upper extremity injuries presenting to emergency departments.

Methods

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)—a database of emergency department visits based on a sample of hospitals selected and weighted to represent the entire US population in order to allow estimates of overall incidence—was queried for all upper extremity injuries presenting to US emergency departments in 2009. Injury types were analyzed for each region of the upper extremity, and incidence rates were calculated based on population estimates from the US Census.

Results

A query of the NEISS resulted in 92,601 records of upper extremity injury treated at an emergency department in the USA in 2009, which translates to an estimated total of 3,468,996 such injuries that year. This corresponds to an incidence of 1,130 upper extremity injuries per 100,000 persons per year. The most common region injured was the finger (38.4%). The most common upper extremity injury was a fracture (29.2%). Specific injuries with high incidence rates (all per 100,000 per year) included finger lacerations (221), wrist fractures (72), finger fractures (68), and lower arm fractures (64). Home is the most common setting for an upper extremity injury.

Conclusions

The NEISS provides estimates of the incidences of upper extremity injuries that may be useful for public health initiatives.
Generic Distinguishing Characteristics and Stratigraphic Ranges of Fossil Corallines: An Update
Authors: Kundal P.
Published: December 2011

Corallines or coralline algae are carbonate secreting and strongly calcified red algae of the order Corallinales of division Rhodophyta. Architecturally, the corallines have two groups, the nongeniculate and geniculate coralline forms. Corallines are used as a potential tool for paleoecology, paleoenvironments and paleobathymetry. Coralline algae are builder of porous and permeable carbonate reservoir rocks for hydrocarbon and reefs rich in hydrocarbon. The old approach, ca. prior to 1977, of taxonomy of fossil coralline genera has been replaced by the modern approach that established during the last decade using certain distinguishing features such as arrangement of basal filaments, cell fusions, conceptacle perforations and orientation of filaments around conceptacles of living corallines. The earliest confirmed fossil record of coralline algae is from the Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous) and from the Hauterivian to the Pleistocene 9 nongeniculate coralline genera, namely Distichoplax, Lithophyllum, Lithoporella, Lithothamnion, Mesophyllum, Neogoniolithon, Phymatolithon, Spongites and Sporolithon and 7 geniculate genera, viz. Amphiroa, Arthrocardia, Calliarthron, Corallina, Jania, Metagoniolithon and Subterraniphyllum having different stratigraphic ranges are unequivocally known as fossils. After 1977, we do not have a comprehensive publication giving the generic distinguishing characteristics and stratigraphic ranges of both nongeniculate and geniculate corallines. The present paper gives an update of distinguishing characteristics of fossil coralline algal genera and their stratigraphic ranges.
The effect of a non-zero Lagrangian time scale on bounded shear dispersion
Authors: Spydell Matthew S. , Feddersen Falk
Published: December 2011

Previous studies of shear dispersion in bounded velocity fields have assumed random velocities with zero Lagrangian time scale (i.e. velocities are$\delta $-function correlated in time). However, many turbulent (geophysical and engineering) flows with mean velocity shear exist where the Lagrangian time scale is non-zero. Here, the longitudinal (along-flow) shear-induced diffusivity in a two-dimensional bounded velocity field is derived for random velocities with non-zero Lagrangian time scale${\tau }_{L} $. A non-zero${\tau }_{L} $results in two-time transverse (across-flow) displacements that are correlated even for large (relative to the diffusive time scale${\tau }_{D} $) times. The longitudinal (along-flow) shear-induced diffusivity${D}_{S} $is derived, accurate for all${\tau }_{L} $, using a Lagrangian method where the velocity field is periodically extended to infinity so that unbounded transverse particle spreading statistics can be used to determine${D}_{S} $. The non-dimensionalized${D}_{S} $depends on time and two parameters: the ratio of Lagrangian to diffusive time scales${\tau }_{L} / {\tau }_{D} $and the release location. Using a parabolic velocity profile, these dependencies are explored numerically and through asymptotic analysis. The large-time${D}_{S} $is enhanced relative to the classic Taylor diffusivity, and this enhancement increases with$ \sqrt{{\tau }_{L} } $. At moderate${\tau }_{L} / {\tau }_{D} = 0. 1$this enhancement is approximately a factor of 3. For classic shear dispersion with${\tau }_{L} = 0$, the diffusive time scale${\tau }_{D} $determines the time dependence and large-time limit of the shear-induced diffusivity. In contrast, for sufficiently large${\tau }_{L} $, a shear time scale${\tau }_{S} = \mathop{ ({\tau }_{L} {\tau }_{D} )}\nolimits ^{1/ 2} $, anticipated by a simple analysis of the particle’s domain-crossing time, determines both the${D}_{S} $time dependence and the large-time limit. In addition, the scalings for turbulent shear dispersion are recovered from the large-time${D}_{S} $using properties of wall-bounded turbulence.
Emancipative Values and Non-Violent Protest: The Importance of ‘Ecological’ Effects
Authors: Welzel Christian , Deutsch Franziska
Published: December 2011

This article examines the impact of values on a key phenomenon of modern politics: non-violent protest. Previous studies have examined only the individual-level effects of values. Studying in addition the ‘ecological’ effects – how the socialprevalenceof values affects protest – generates new insights. Focusing on ‘emancipative values’, two ecological effects are shown: (1) the prevalence of emancipative values lifts people's protest above the level that their own emancipative values suggest (elevator effect); (2) the prevalence of these values enhances the impact of people's own emancipative values on protest (amplifier effect). We conclude that examining values in models of protest (and possibly of other activities), not only as individual attributes but also as ecological properties, gives ‘culture’ its full weight in explaining behaviour.
Collusion and Competition in Colonial Economies: Banking in British West Africa, 1916–1960
Authors: Austin Gareth , Uche Chibuike Ugochukwu
Published: December 2011

This article examines the collusion between the only two major banks to operate in British West Africa for most of the colonial period after 1916, Barclays and the Bank of British West Africa. The companies' records reveal that the alliance was more far-reaching than has previously been shown, escalating to include not only comprehensive price-fixing but also restrictions on the products offered. The article considers the reactions of African and European customers and the colonial governments, and analyzes the motives that sustained the collusion for so long and the political circumstances that permitted it. The arrangement was partly a defensive response to a perception that the market was too small for full rivalry, but there was a rent-seeking element too. Finally, the article explores the implications of the bank alliance for the broader economies, reflecting on the relation between the security that the banks achieved through their agreements and their very cautious lending policies.
Gender, the Service Sector, and U.S. Business History
Authors: Kwolek-Folland Angel
Published: December 2011

Despite the importance of service-sector activities, both to women and to the U.S. economy, services have not figured prominently in business history. A consideration of the usefulness of this subject to business history is followed by a case study of household services in the nineteenth century, showing their social and economic value and the ways in which they exemplified the integral relations between women's work and business.
Selecting Risks in an Anonymous World: The Agency System for Life Insurance in Antebellum America
Authors: Ann Murphy Sharon
Published: December 2011

Early American life insurers found themselves facing the problem of asymmetric information, as they needed to rely on applicants themselves to provide truthful, complete answers to a standard set of questions. In an attempt to repersonalize the relationship between their boards of directors and the individual applicants, firms selected highly respected local citizens to act as their agents. These agents were expected to evaluate the appearance of candidates, unearth evidence of unhealthy family histories or questionable habits, and attest to the respectability of people writing testimonial letters on an applicant's behalf. In short, the initial purpose of the agency system was not to actively solicit customers, but rather to recreate the glass-bowl mentality associated with small towns or city neighborhoods.
“Ambassadors of Commerce“: The Commercial Traveler in British Culture, 1800–1939
Authors: French Michael , Popp Andrew
Published: December 2011

This paper presents a reading of British literary representations of commercial travelers between 1800 and 1939. Three forms of representation are used: nonfiction representations by others, travelers' self-representations, and fictional representations. We find remarkable continuity in representations of commercial travelers across this long time period, particularly in terms of a sustained tension between the image of the disreputable “drummer” and the more respectable “model” salesman. These readings and findings are used to address two debates: one concerned with the timing of any transition to “modern” selling and salesmanship in Britain; and the second having to do with the processes whereby British society accommodated itself to modernity, commercialization, and the birth of a consumer society.
Diverging Paths: Accounting for Corporate Governance in America and Germany
Authors: Fear Jeffrey , Kobrak Christopher
Published: December 2011

American and German accountancy took different paths in the early part of the twentieth century. In Germany, a persistent disconnect arose between relatively sophisticated managerial accounting practices for insiders and the methods used in public financial accounting. The “equity revolution” America experienced—an enormous shift in the number and expectations of shareholders—prompted new demands for financial statements designed to help evaluate the future earning power of companies. In contrast, the effects of World War I retarded equity–market development in Germany. Political frictions reinforced the Germans's; discomfort with equity markets and increased their resistance to revising accounting principles. Banks, tax law, courts, and lawyers, instead of professional accountants, became the primary source of accounting principles. Only in past decades, under pressure from the European Union and global capital markets, have the accounting systems begun to reconverge.
Container Shipping and the Decline of New York, 1955–1975
Authors: Levinson Marc
Published: December 2011

The introduction of container shipping in the late 1950s and early 1960s has received little attention from historians, but it represents a major technological advance with significant economic consequences. By dramatically lowering the cost of freight handling, the container reduced the need for factories to be near suppliers and markets and opened the way for manufacturing to move out of urban centers, first domestically and then abroad. This impact was particularly intense in New York City, where the container revolution began. Containerization had a devastating impact on New York City's economy, and was a major contributor to the collapse of its industrial base between 1967 and 1975.
Commercializing High-Technology Industries
Authors: Chandler Alfred D.
Published: December 2011

In his article “From Firm to Networked Systems,” Thomas Hughes introduces concepts, such as “infrastructure” and “networking,” that are critical to today's managerial system, but, by focusing on electric utilities, the story he tells does not go beyond the arrival of the new science of electronics in the early twentieth century. Professor Hughes, therefore, does not consider the critical role of high-technology industries–that is, those that commercialized and brought to market new products based on new scientific learning—in exploring the evolution of managerial systems.
The use of albendazole and diammonium glycyrrhizinate in the treatment of eosinophilic meningitis in mice infected withAngiostrongylus cantonensis
Authors: Li Y. , Tang J.-P. , Chen D.-R. , Fu C.-Y. , Wang P. , Li Z. , Wei W. , Li H. , Dong W.-Q.
Published: December 2011

Angiostrongylus cantonensis(A. cantonensis) infection causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans. Eosinophilia and a Th2-type immune response are the crucial immune mechanisms for eosinophilic meningitis. CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells (Treg) are involved in the pathogenesis ofA. cantonensis. Diammonium glycyrrhizinate (DG) is a compound related to glycyrrhizin (GL), a triterpene glycoside extracted from liquorice root. We investigated the curative effects and probable mechanisms of therapy involving a combination of albendazole and DG in BALB/c mice infected withA. cantonensis, and compared these with therapy involving albendazole and dexamethasone. We analysed survival time, body weight, signs, eosinophil numbers, immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin-5 (IL-5), and eotaxin concentrations, numbers and Foxp3 expression of CD4+CD25+Treg, worm recovery and histopathology. The present results demonstrated that the combination of albendazole and DG could increase survival time more efficiently and relieve neurological dysfunction; decrease weight loss, eosinophil numbers, concentrations of IgE, IL-5 and eotaxin, the number and expression of Foxp3 of CD4+CD25+Treg; and improve worm recovery and histopathology changes in treated animals, compared with the combination of albendazole and dexamethasone. The observations presented here suggest that the albendazole and dexamethasone combination could be replaced by the combination of albendazole and DG.