bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cocrystal Assembled by 1,2‐Diiodotetrafluorobenzene and Acridine via CI···N Halogen Bond and π‐hole···F Bonds
Authors: Gao Haiyue , Zhao Xiaoran , Wang Hui , Pang Xue , Jin Weijun
Published: October 2013

The concepts on σ‐hole and π‐hole bonds are suggested. A cocrystal with repeated 8‐F‐atom unit as basic structural motif is assembled based on bifurcated CI···N···IC halogen/σ‐hole bond and antiparallel double π‐hole···F bonds by 1,2‐diiodotetrafluorobenzene and acridine and characterized well by XRD, powder XRD and solid 19F NMR, etc. Also the calculated interaction energies are −26.8 and −31.5 kJ/mol for bifurcated CI···N sp2 halogen bonds, and −14.3 kJ/mol for a pair of π‐hole···F bonds. In this system CI···N halogen bond has stronger competitive ability to CI···π halogen bond due to stronger basicity of N than π‐system in acridine. The combination of the halogen/σ‐hole and π‐hole bonds or together with other weak interactions could play a key role in assembling function materials, molecular recognition and design of drugs and so on.
Trace Determination of Petroleum Pollutants in Water Samples by Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Method
Authors: Hasheminasab Kobra Sadat , Fakhari Ali Reza , Baghdadi Majid
Published: October 2013

Since there is not any report about simultaneous microextraction of 42 petroleum pollutants (n‐alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in water, in the present study dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) using organic solvents lighter than water was applied for simultaneous determination of these compounds in water samples by GC‐flame ionization detection (GC‐FID). In order to achieve the best extraction efficiency, optimization of variables affecting DLLME method was carried out. In this method, an appropriate mixture of extraction and disperser solvents is injected into an aqueous sample, which led to formation of a cloudy solution. The analytes become enriched in the extraction solvent, which is dispersed throughout the bulk aqueous sample. After centrifugation, quantification of the analytes in the organic phase can be performed by GC‐FID. The main advantage of this technique is its quite large surface area between the fine droplets of the extraction solvent and water sample, and the accordingly fast extraction kinetics that results in the rapid achieving of a state of equilibrium and the high enrichment factors (EFs). Under the optimum conditions, EFs in the range of 280–446 were obtained. The proposed method provided low limits of detection (0.1–0.98 µg L−1) and acceptable extraction repeatabilities. It was linear over two orders of magnitude. Finally, petroleum pollutants have been determined in different type of water samples by this method.
Ni Promoted Pt and Pd Catalysts for Glycerol Oxidation to Lactic Acid
Authors: Li Yanbin , Chen Sha , Xu Jilei , Zhang Hongye , Zhao Yanfei , Wang Yingbin , Liu Zhimin
Published: October 2013

The conversion of glycerol as a renewable feedstock into value‐added chemicals is of great significance from a viewpoint of the sustainable development. In this work, a series of Ni promoted noble metal catalysts including PtmNinOx/TiO2, Pd1Ni1Ox/TiO2 with various metal compositions were prepared for glycerol oxidation in aqueous solution in the presence of NaOH. It was found that Ni significantly improved the activity of the noble metals to catalyze glycerol conversion, and lactic acid (LA) was the predominant product. The influence of the metal composition on the glycerol conversion and LA yield was investigated, and it was demonstrated that Pt1Ni1Ox/TiO2 displayed the best performance, giving a LA selectivity of 62.6% at the glycerol conversion of 99.1%.
Crop Residue Ashes as Adsorbents for Basic Dye (Methylene Blue) Removal: Adsorption Kinetics and Dynamics
Authors: Ghosh Rakesh Kumar , Reddy D. Damodar
Published: October 2013

In the quest for identifying low‐cost, locally available and effective adsorbents, pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) residue ash (PRA) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) residue ash (SRA) were evaluated as adsorbents for sequestering a basic dye, methylene blue (MB), from aqueous solution. Effects of contact time, initial solution pH and adsorbent dose on MB adsorption were investigated. MB adsorption onto PRA and SRA was dependent on initial solution pH, with adsorption being greater at higher pH. Percent MB removal increased with increase in adsorbent's dose. Adsorption followed pseudo‐second order kinetics. Intraparticle diffusion was not the sole rate‐controlling step. Both film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion controlled the adsorption process. The equilibrium data fitted well to Langmuir isotherm as compared to Freundlich isotherm, on the basis of coefficient of determination and error analysis. The maximum MB adsorption capacities of PRA and SRA were found as 58.8 and 62.5 mg g−1, respectively. The free energy change and dimensionless equilibrium parameter revealed spontaneous and favorable nature of MB adsorption onto crop residue ashes. Results demonstrate that the PRA and SRA have high adsorptive potential as compared to many previously reported ash based adsorbents, and hence can be used for treating water contaminated with cationic dyes.
Biocontrol of Meloidogyne javanica on Tomato Plants by Hypocrea lixii (the Teleomorph of Trichoderma harzianum)
Authors: Elgorban Abdallah M. , Abdel‐Wahab Mohamed A. , Bahkali Ali H. , Al‐Sum Basheer A.
Published: October 2013

In the present study, we studied the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma harzianum (its teleomorph is Hypocrea lixii) against the root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica. T. harzianum used in this study was confirmed using the phylogenetic analyses of the LSU rDNA sequence. T. harzianum was grouped consistently with its teleomorph H. lixii in a highly supported clade within the family Hypocreaceae. Eggs treatment with H. lixii at 107 colony forming unit per mL (cfu/mL) infected 89.2% of eggs compared with 0.4% in the control. In addition, the fungus decreased the egg‐hatching rate by 8.8%. Treatment of M. javanica second stage (J2) with culture filtrates of H. lixii caused 64.5% mortality of J2 in after 72 h of exposure. Under greenhouse conditions, all treatments reduced disease severity and enhanced plant growth compared with the untreated control. H. lixii reduced the number of galls (49), the number of egg masses (32.8), and the number of eggs per egg mass (399.8) compared to the inoculated control. Plant height, root length, and the fresh and dry plant weights were significantly reduced by infection with M. javanica; however, prior application of H. lixii prevented this reduction. Application of the fungus not only had a toxic effect on the nematode but also enhanced plant growth, supplying many nutritional elements and inducing systemic resistance in the plants. We demonstrated that application of H. lixii to the soil at a concentration of 106 or 107 cfu/mL is required for sufficient biocontrol of M. javanica.
A real‐time capable coherent data cache for multicores
Authors: Pyka Arthur , Rohde Mathias , Uhrig Sascha
Published: October 2013

In multicore systems, the concurrent access to shared data generates a bottleneck for the system performance. Cache coherence techniques have been introduced to enable fast access while preserving the data coherence, but these coherence protocols are critical in hard real‐time systems. Because the frequent inter‐cache communication leads to unpredictable interferences between the cores, the system's timing behaviour is hard to analyse. In this paper, we propose a new, hard real‐time capable strategy for multicore systems called on‐demand coherent cache (ODC2). The technique is based on marginal hardware extensions compared with noncoherent caches and the use of common synchronisation techniques. ODC2 provides coherent accesses to cached shared data as well as caching of private data. Because the presented strategy does not induce interferences between local caches, ODC2 is capable for hard real‐time systems. We present an evaluation of performance and scalability of ODC2 compared with two standard coherence protocols using a bus‐based multicore system. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nuclear translocation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) as a quantitative pharmacodynamic parameter for tacrolimus
Authors: Maguire Orla , Tornatore Kathleen M. , O'Loughlin Kieran L. , Venuto Rocco C. , Minderman Hans
Published: October 2013

Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) is a family of transcription factors involved in regulating the immune response. The canonical NFAT pathway is calcium‐dependent and upon activation, NFAT is dephosphorylated by the phosphatase, calcineurin. This results in its translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and transcription of downstream target genes that include the cytokines IL‐2, IL‐10, and IFNγ. Calcineurin inhibitors including tacrolimus inhibit the NFAT pathway and are used as immunosuppressants in transplant settings to prevent graft rejection. There is, as yet, no direct means to monitor tacrolimus pharmacodynamics. In this study, a rapid, quantitative, image cytometry‐based measurement of nuclear translocation of NFAT1 is used to evaluate NFAT activation in T cells and its tacrolimus‐induced inhibition. A strong dose‐dependent correlation between NFAT1 inhibition and tacrolimus dose is demonstrated in vitro. Time kinetic analysis of NFAT1 inhibition in plasma from stable renal transplant recipients before and after an in vivo dose with tacrolimus correlated with the expected pharmacokinetic profile of tacrolimus. This was further corroborated by analysis of patients' autologous CD4 and CD8 T cells. This is the first report to show that the measurement of NFAT1 activation potential by nuclear translocation can be used as a direct, sensitive, reproducible and quantitative pharmacodynamic readout for tacrolimus action. These results, and the rapid turnaround time for this assay, warrant its evaluation in a larger clinical setting to assess its role in therapeutic drug monitoring of calcineurin inhibitors. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
The Effectiveness of a 2‐year Supplementary Tutor‐assisted Computerized Intervention on the Reading Development of Beginning Readers at Risk for Reading Difficulties: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Regtvoort Anne , Zijlstra Haytske , van der Leij Aryan
Published: October 2013

Children with low (pre‐)literacy skills may benefit from individual tutoring during the early phases of learning to read. Dutch at‐risk students from 13 schools received in first and second grade a computerized reading intervention, delivered by non‐professional tutors at school. Digital logs indicated that treatment integrity was lower than intended; therefore, the intervention group was subdivided using a completion criterion. Third grade assessments revealed that the subgroup that had finished the program successfully (IF, N = 40) was able to read as fluent as the average reader, outperforming the subgroup that had not completely finished the program (InF, N = 31) as well as the group that had not worked with the program (controls, N = 66) on all reading measures. This study demonstrates that a well‐implemented tutoring model can serve as a (cost‐)effective complement to the classroom practice for beginning readers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dyslexia and Early Intervention: What Did We Learn from the Dutch Dyslexia Programme?
Authors: van der Leij Aryan
Published: October 2013

Part of the Dutch Dyslexia Programme has been dedicated to early intervention. The question of whether the genetically affected learning mechanism of children who are at familial risk (FR) of developing dyslexia could be influenced by training phoneme awareness and letter–sound associations in the prereading phase was investigated. The rationale was that intervention studies reveal insights about the weaknesses of the learning mechanisms of FR children. In addition, the studies aimed to gather practical insights to be used in the development of a system of early diagnosis and prevention.

Focused on the last period of kindergarten before formal reading instruction starts in Grade 1, intervention methods with comparable samples and designs but differences in delivery mode (use of computer or manual), tutor (semi‐professional or parent), location (at school or at home), and additional practices (serial rapid naming or simple word reading) have been executed to test the hypothesis that the incidence and degree of dyslexia can be reduced. The present position paper summarizes the Dutch Dyslexia Programme findings and relates them to findings of other studies. It is discussed that the Dutch studies provide evidence on why prevention of dyslexia is hard to accomplish. It is argued that effective intervention should not only start early but also be adapted to the individual and often long‐lasting educational needs of children at risk of reading failure. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the link between media coverage of anorexia and pro‐anorexic practices on the web
Authors: Yom‐Tov Elad , Boyd Danah M.
Published: October 2013

Objective

Links between media portrayals of celebrities and participation in activities related to anorexia are of interest to both researchers and practitioners but are difficult to study over long time periods and in large populations. Here we aim to determine the links between media portrayals of celebrities and online practices related to anorexia.

Method

We examined the Internet searching activities of 9.2 million people, focusing on searches related to known celebrities, especially those perceived by the public as suffering from anorexia, and on searches indicative of anorexic practices. Additionally, we tracked media attention of individual celebrities by monitoring all messages from Twitter related to those celebrities.

Results

We found that a subset of users focus their browsing activities on celebrities perceived as anorexic. There was an increase of 14% in the hazard of performing anorexia‐related searches after searching for information on the celebrities most perceived as anorexic. Media attention of a celebrity was a trigger for search activity, and when focused on a celebrity perceived as anorexic, resulted in a 33% increase in hazard for carrying out anorexic searches. Strikingly, when media attention included a reference to anorexia, the hazard decreased by 22%.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that it would be beneficial for media, when reporting on those celebrities who are known to suffer from anorexia, to include this information in their reporting. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:196‐202)
Degradable polyurethane nanoparticles containing vegetable oils
Authors: Valério Alexsandra , da Rocha Sandro R. P. , Araújo Pedro H. H. , Sayer Claudia
Published: October 2013

Abstracts

The development of colloidal delivery systems from degradable polyurethanes (PU) has attracted increasing interest as the highly variable synthetic chemistry of PU may be exploited to generate polymers having properties ranging from very soft elastomers to very rigid plastics. In this work, the synthesis of PU nanoparticles using isophorone diisocyanate, castor oil, and poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) as monomers and containing high amounts of vegetable oils as açaí oil and crodamol GTCCwas studied. The effect of surfactants Tween 80 and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and of poly(ethylene glycol) molar masses 400, 600, and 1000 g/mol on the stability, size, and nanoparticle morphology was evaluated. Stable dispersions with sizes between 50–70 nm and 170–250 nm were achieved when, respectively, SDS and Tween 80 were used as surfactant. The polyol type used in the step polymerization in miniemulsion had a major effect on the molar mass of the resulting PU nanoparticles. The effect of poly(ethylene glycol) molar masses was more pronounced when Castor oil and Tween 80 were employed. Increasing the molar mass of PEG increased the average particle size and the molar mass of the PU. Finally, a strong reduction of the molar mass of the PU nanoparticles was observed in degradation assays when those were maintained during 30 days at 37°C and pH 7.0.

Practical applications: Using natural renewable oil as polyol to obtain polyurethane nanoparticles combined with incorporation of other vegetable oil therein showed good results in terms of molar mass and nanoparticle size. The simple and straightforward procedure to prepare polyurethane nanoparticles containing vegetable oils by step polymerization in miniemulsion contributes to improve the application range of these polymers.
Performance of palm olein and modified rapeseed, sunflower, and soybean oils in intermittent deep‐frying
Authors: Aladedunye Felix , Przybylski Roman
Published: October 2013

The frying performance of rapeseed, soybean, and sunflower oils with modified fatty acid composition, and palm olein (PALMO) was compared during a rotational frying operation. The frying was conducted at 185 ± 5°C for 6 days where French fries, battered chicken, and fish sticks were fried in succession. At the end of the frying period, high‐oleic rapeseed and sunflower oils exhibited a significantly higher frying stability than PALMO and other modified oils, based on total polar components (TPC), polymers, and non‐volatile carbonyl compounds formation (anisidine value (AV)). The rate of TPC formation was 2.9, 2.9, 3.2, 3.2, and 3.4% per frying day for high‐oleic low‐linolenic rapeseed (HOLLRAP), high‐oleic sunflower (HOSUN), mid‐oleic sunflower (MOSUN), low‐linolenic soybean (LLSOY), and PALMO, respectively. Although the contents of free fatty acids (FFA) in the used oils were significantly below the regulatory discard level, in PALMO formation of these compounds was 1.7 times higher compared to the modified oils. Color component formation and tocopherol degradation were also observed to be the highest in palm olein. A 15‐member consumer panel awarded HOLLRAP and HOSUN the highest overall sensory acceptance scores, while for LLSOY and PALMO the lowest.

Practical applications: Although several frying oils are available in today's market, only a few of them can deliver satisfactory performance during extended frying operation. Thus, the search for the ideal frying oils/fats is an ongoing task. The present study assessed frying performance in the quest for the appropriate frying oils/fats in order to deliver healthy fried products with optimized nutritional qualities.
Reduction of high oleic sunflower oil to glyceryl trioleyl ether
Authors: Biermann Ursula , Metzger Jürgen O.
Published: October 2013

“High oleic” sunflower oil was converted into the respective triether using InBr3 or GaBr3 as catalysts and triethylsilane or 1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (TMDS) as reducing agent in solvent‐free reactions. GaBr3/TMDS was found to be the most efficient reduction system enabling to carry out the reduction at room or moderately elevated temperature using stoichiometric amounts of TMDS and low amounts of the catalyst (0.005–0.01 eq. Ga/ester functionality). The conversion of the starting material was 100% yielding 80% of glyceryl trioleyl ether 2.
Iridium Catalysts with Chiral Bicyclic Pyridine–Phosphane Ligands for the Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Olefins
Authors: Quan Xu , Parihar Vijay Singh , Bera Milan , Andersson Pher G.
Published: October 2013

New bicyclic pyridine–phosphane ligands were prepared, and their iridium complexes were evaluated in asymmetric hydrogenation of trisubstituted olefins with non‐coordinating and weakly coordinating substituents. The iridium catalysts showed high reactivity and enantioselectivity for both types of olefins.
Factors affecting particle collection by electro‐osmosis in microfluidic systems
Authors: Mohtar Mohd Nazim , Hoettges Kai F. , Hughes Michael P.
Published: October 2013

Alternating‐current electro‐osmosis, a phenomenon of fluid transport due to the interaction between an electrical double layer and a tangential electric field, has been used both for inducing fluid movement and for the concentration of particles suspended in the fluid. This offers many advantages over other phenomena used to trap particles, such as placing particles at an electrode centre rather than an edge; benefits of scale, where electrodes hundreds of micrometers across can trap particles from the molecules to cells at the same rate; and a trapping volume limited by the vortex height, a phenomenon thus far unstudied. In this paper, the collection of particles due to alternating‐current electro‐osmosis driven collection is examined for a range of particle concentrations, inter‐electrode gap widths, chamber heights and media viscosity and density. A model of collection behaviour is described where particle collection over time is governed by two processes, one driven by the vortices and the other by sedimentation, allowing the determination of the maximum height of vortex‐driven collection, but also indicates how trapping is limited by high particle concentrations and fluid velocities. The results also indicate that viscosity, rather than density, is a significant governing factor in determining the trapping behaviour of particles.
The impact of pH control on the volumetric productivity of mixed culture PHA production from fermented molasses
Authors: Oehmen Adrian , Pinto Fátima V. , Silva Vera , Albuquerque Maria G. E. , Reis Maria A. M.
Published: October 2013

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production via mixed microbial cultures (MMCs) can potentially decrease process operational costs as compared to conventional pure culture techniques. However, the volumetric productivity of PHA by MMCs must be augmented to increase its cost competitiveness. For this purpose, a three‐stage bioreactor system was operated in this study, with (i) anaerobic fermentation of molasses, (ii) culture selection, and (iii) PHA accumulation and harvesting stages. In stage 2, bioreactor operation with pH control at 8 led to twice the biomass concentration (up to 8 g VSS L−1, where VSS is the volatile suspended solids) as compared to operation without pH control (maximum pH 9). No loss in the specific PHA storage efficiency was observed (PHA content up to 57.5% and PHA storage rate up to 0.27 Cmol PHA Cmol X−1 h−1, where X is the active biomass), thereby resulting in twice the volumetric PHA production rate. The limited biomass growth at the higher pH level was not due to nutrient limitation, but likely to a shift in the microbial community. It is hypothesized that the increased enrichment of Azoarcus at pH 8 led to higher PHA productivity. pH control in the culture selection stage can lead to enhanced PHA production from MMCs, improving the viability of the process.
The environmental Kuznets curve: functional form, time‐varying heterogeneity and outliers in a panel setting
Authors: Martinez‐Zarzoso Inmaculada , Maruotti Antonello
Published: October 2013

This paper contributes to extend the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) literature by introducing a new estimation technique able to deal with the issue of slope heterogeneity, functional form issues, the role of unobserved time‐dependent factors and the presence of outliers in the data. A robust hidden Markov model is used to estimate an Environmental Kuznets Curve for a sample of 28 Organisation of Economic Co‐operation and Development countries over the period 1968 to 2006. Dependent mixture models provide more flexibility than single‐distributions do by assuming the existence of a latent process that follows a finite state first‐order Markov chain and affects the distribution of the response variable. The main results indicate that the relationship between emissions and income is country‐specific and changes over time. By using robust estimation, five homogeneous groups of countries are identified and country‐membership transition dynamics are shown. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Visualization tools for assessing the Markov property: sojourn times in the forest Fire Weather Index in Ontario
Authors: Albert‐Green Alisha , John Braun W. , Martell David L. , Woolford Douglas G.
Published: October 2013

In Canada, the Fire Weather Index (FWI) provides forest fire managers with an overall measure of fire danger. Specifically, the FWI is a numerical rating of the potential intensity of a forest fire based on its potential spread rate and the amount of vegetation available for combustion. In our analyses, we consider daily FWI time series, recorded over 42 fire seasons from a sample of fire‐weather stations in Ontario, Canada. Graphical exploratory analyses of the data, including stalagmite plots (a new interactive, three‐dimensional visualization tool), show that the FWI switches between epochs of nil and non‐nil behaviour. This paper develops a framework for assessing sojourn times in these two phases. At some sites, the FWI process appears to begin each year as an approximate Markov process before gradually losing its Markovian character. However, a time‐homogeneous discrete time Markov chain model is insufficient overall, because those sojourn times are not found to be geometrically distributed. Instead, the duration of epochs in each of these phases can be more accurately modelled using beta‐geometric random variables which incorporate seasonality of phase‐specific run length behaviour using local likelihood methods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antioxidant assays – consistent findings from FRAP and ORAC reveal a negative impact of organic cultivation on antioxidant potential in spinach but not watercress or rocket leaves
Authors: Payne Adrienne C. , Mazzer Alice , Clarkson Graham J. J. , Taylor Gail
Published: October 2013

Watercress (Rorippa nasturtium‐aquaticum), wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) are commercial crops reported to have high concentrations of antioxidants, possibly contributing to disease prevention following human consumption. Following analysis of supermarket‐purchased salad leaves, we report the antioxidant content potential of these species using two comparable techniques assessing the consistency between the assays – by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The leaves were harvested from both conventionally and organically managed crops, to investigate whether organic agriculture results in improved crop quality. Watercress had the highest FRAP and ability to scavenge free radicals, followed by spinach and rocket. For watercress and rocket, there was no significant effect of organic agriculture on FRAP and ORAC, but for spinach, the antioxidant potential was reduced and this was significant at the 5% level of probability for FRAP but not ORAC, although the trend was clear in both tests. We conclude that there is variation in salad crop antioxidant potential and that FRAP and ORAC are useful techniques for measuring antioxidants in these salad crops with similar ranking for each salad crop studied.
Case–control study of genus‐beta human papillomaviruses in plucked eyebrow hairs and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Iannacone Michelle R. , Gheit Tarik , Pfister Herbert , Giuliano Anna R. , Messina Jane L. , Fenske Neil A. , Cherpelis Basil S. , Sondak Vernon K. , Roetzheim Richard G. , Silling Steffi , Pawlita Michael , Tommasino Massimo , Rollison Dana E.
Published: October 2013

Cutaneous human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been reported in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We conducted a clinic‐based case–control study to investigate the association between genus‐beta HPV DNA in eyebrow hairs (EBH) and SCC. EBH from 168 SCC cases and 290 controls were genotyped for genus‐beta HPV DNA. SCC tumors from a subset of cases (n = 142) were also genotyped. Viral load was determined in a subset of specimens positive for a single HPV type. Associations with SCC were estimated by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for age and sex using logistic regression. Statistical tests were two‐sided. EBH DNA prevalence was greater in cases (87%) than controls (73%) (p < 0.05), and the association with SCC increased with the number of HPV types present, (≥4 types vs. HPV‐negative: OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.07–3.80; ptrend = 0.02). Type‐specific associations were observed between SCC and DNA in EBH for HPV23 (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.10–3.30) and HPV38 (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.04–3.24). Additionally, when compared with the controls, the DNA prevalence in EBH was significantly higher among cases for 11 of the 25 genus‐beta types tested, when accounting for DNA for the same HPV type in the tumor (ORs = 3.44–76.50). Compared to controls, the mean viral DNA load in EBH among the selected cases was greater for HPV5, HPV8 and HPV24, but lower for HPV38. SCC cases were more likely than controls to have HPV DNA+ EBH for single and multiple HPV types, providing additional support for the potential role of genus‐beta HPV infections in SCC development.
Long term recovery of median nerve repair using laser‐activated chitosan adhesive films
Authors: Barton Matthew J. , Morley John W. , Stoodley Marcus A. , Shaikh Sumaiya , Mahns David A. , Lauto Antonio
Published: October 2013

Sutures remain the standard peripheral nerve repair technique, whether applied directly or indirectly to nerve tissue. Unfortunately, significant postoperative complications can result, such as inflammation, neuroma formation and foreign body reactions. Photochemical‐tissue‐bonding (PTB) using rose Bengal (RB) integrated into a chitosan bioadhesive is an alternative nerve repair device that removes the need for sutures. Rats were arranged into three groups: RB‐chitosan adhesives‐repair, end‐to‐end epineural suture‐repair (surgical standard) and sham laser‐irradiated control. Groups were compared through histological assessment, electrophysiological recordings and grip motor strength. RB‐chitosan adhesive repaired nerves displayed comparable results when compared to the standard suture‐repair based on histological and electrophysiological findings. Functionally, RB‐chitosan adhesive was associated with a quicker and more pronounced recovery of grip force when compared to the suture‐repair. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Improved protocols for vibrational spectroscopic analysis of body fluids
Authors: Bonnier Franck , Petitjean François , Baker Matthew J. , Byrne Hugh J.
Published: October 2013

The applications of vibrational spectroscopy to the examination of human blood serum are explored. Although FTIR spectra can be recorded in aqueous solutions at (gelatin) concentrations as low as 100 mg/L, the high‐wavenumber region remains obscured by water absorption. Using Raman spectroscopy, high quality spectra of gelatine solutions as low as 10 mg/L can be achieved, also covering the high‐wavenumber regions. In human serum, spectral profiles are weak and partially obscured by water features. Dried deposits are shown to be physically and chemically inhomogeneous resulting in reduced measurement reproducibility. Concentration of the serum using commercially available centrifugal filter devices results in an improvement in the spectral intensity and quality. Additionally, in Raman spectroscopy, reduced background and significantly enhanced signal collection is achievable by measurement in an inverted geometry. The improved protocols for spectroscopic measurement of human serum are applicable to a range of bodily fluids and should accelerate potential clinical applications. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Waveguide evanescent field scattering microscopy: bacterial biofilms and their sterilization response via UV irradiation
Authors: Nahar Qamrun , Fleißner Frederik , Shuster Jeremiah , Morawitz Michael , Halfpap Christopher , Stefan Mihaela , Langbein Uwe , Southam Gordon , Mittler Silvia
Published: October 2013

Waveguide Evanescent Field Scattering (WEFS) microscopy is introduced as a new and simple tool for label‐free, high contrast imaging of bacteria and bacteria sensors. Bacterial microcolonies and single bacteria were discriminated both by their bright field images and by their evanescent scattering intensity. By comparing bright field images with WEFS images, the proportion of planktonic: sessile (i.e., “floating”: attached) bacteria were measured. Bacteria were irradiated with UV light, which limited their biofilm forming capability. A quantitative decrease in attachment of individual, sessile bacteria and in attached, microcolony occupied areas was easily determined within the apparent biofilms with increasing UV dose. WEFS microscopy is an ideal tool for providing rapid quantitative data on biofilm formation. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The effect of hyaluronic acid on biofunctionality of gelatin–collagen intestine tissue engineering scaffolds
Authors: Shabafrooz Vahid , Mozafari Masoud , Köhler Gerwald A. , Assefa Senait , Vashaee Daryoosh , Tayebi Lobat
Published: October 2013

The creation of engineered intestinal tissue has recently stimulated new endeavors with the ultimate goal of intestinal replacement for massive resections of bowel. In this context, we investigated the effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) on the physicochemical characteristics of gelatin–collagen scaffolds and its cytocompatibilty to the human intestinal epithelial Caco‐2 cell line in vitro. Gelatin/collagen hybrid scaffolds with different concentrations of HA were prepared by solvent casting and freeze‐drying techniques and subsequent chemical crosslinking by genipin. The morphologies of the scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In vitro tests were carried out in phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) solution to study the swelling ratio and the biostability of the scaffolds. It was found that the porous structure of the scaffolds could be tailored by further addition of HA. Moreover, both the swelling ratio and the degradation rate of the scaffold increased by addition of HA. A resazurin‐based cell viability assay was employed to determine the viability and estimate the number of scaffold‐adherent Caco‐2 cells. The assay indicated that the scaffolds were all cytocompatible. We concluded that addition of less than 15% HA to scaffolds with a composition of 9:1 gelatin:collagen results only in incremental improvement in the structural characteristics and cytocompatibility of the gelatin–collagen scaffolds. However, the scaffolds with 25% HA exhibited remarkable enhancement in physicochemical characteristics of the scaffolds including cell viability, growth, and attachment as well as their physical structure. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 3130–3139, 2014.
Natural history and pregnancy outcome in patients with placental chorioangioma
Authors: Liu Haiyan , Gu Weirong , Li Xiaotian
Published: October 2013

Purpose

To evaluate the natural history and outcome of pregnancies in patients with placental chorioangioma.

Methods

A total of 16 placentas with a histologic diagnosis of chorioangioma were identified, and the natural history and outcome of pregnancy were evaluated. This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committees of our unit, and written informed consent was obtained from all study participants.

Results

Thirteen of the 16 cases were associated with a wide variety of fetal complications. Two‐thirds of the cases developed complications that either required elective delivery because of fetal distress (n = 4), fetal heart failure (n = 1), oligohydramnion (n = 1), and premature labor of dichorionic twins (n = 1) or resulted in intrauterine fetal death and termination of pregnancy (n = 2).

Conclusions

Placental chorioangioma was associated with the development of polyhydramnios, fetal growth restriction, and fetal distress in a significant number of cases. The size, vascularity, and location of the chorioangioma may be three independent factors of maternal and fetal complications. Any of these three factors can influence the outcome of pregnancy. Close antenatal examination should be routinely practiced to allow the timely diagnosis of early fetal heart failure. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:74–80, 2014
Renal carcinomas associated with Xp11.2 translocations/TFE3 gene fusions: Findings on MRI and computed tomography imaging
Authors: Liu Kefu , Xie Ping , Peng Weijun , Zhou Zhengrong
Published: October 2013

Purpose

To retrospectively analyze MRI and computed tomographic (CT) findings from renal carcinomas associated with Xp11.2 translocations/TFE3 gene fusions (Xp11‐RCC).

Materials and Methods

Institutional review board permission was obtained to review patient medical records, and the requirement for informed consent was waved . The clinical and MRI/CT features of five cases with Xp11‐RCC that were confirmed by pathology were analyzed retrospectively. The image characteristics included the lesion location and size, contribution of cystic and solid components, intratumoral necrosis or hemorrhage, invasion of perinephric tissue and renal sinus, lymphadenopathy, major venous or arterial vascular invasion, pattern of the tumor growth, intratumor calcification and lipids, homogeneity of SI on T2‐weighted images, attenuation and SI of the mass with respect to the normal renal cortex on precontrast and contrasted CT/MRI images, tumor SIs, tumor attenuations and tumor‐to‐cortex indices, homogeneity of enhancement on the contrasted images.

Results

The mean age was 32 years (range, 15–47 years). Most patients (4/5) were women. All tumors showed a cortical location. The average tumor size was 9 cm (range, 4–18 cm). Four tumors comprised a predominantly solid lesion with focal necrosis, and one tumor comprised a solid lesion with significant necrosis. All tumors showed intertumor hemorrhage, infiltrative growth and invasion of the perirenal adipose/renal sinus. Four cases showed retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, of which one case showed simultaneous mediastinal and supraclavicular lymphadenopathy. All tumors from four cases showed mild hyperintensity on T1‐weighted MRI images, and three tumors showed hypointensity on T2‐weighted MRI images relative to the renal cortex except for 1 tumor that showed significant hemorrhage and a relative hyperintensity. For 3 cases who were imaged with CT, two tumors imaged using nonenhanced CT images showed mild hyperdensity relative to the renal cortex. Calcification was noted in all three tumors. All tumors showed mild, persistent enhancement.

Conclusion

Typical Xp11‐RCC manifests as an advanced, solid renal mass with mild persistent enhancement, a prevalence of intertumor hemorrhage/calcification, and a cortical epicenter location. The predilection for children and young adults is a useful clinical feature when confirming a diagnosis of Xp11‐RCC. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;40:440–447. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against adeno‐associated virus capsids is reduced in young Japanese individuals
Authors: Mimuro Jun , Mizukami Hiroaki , Shima Midori , Matsushita Tadashi , Taki Masashi , Muto Shinji , Higasa Satoshi , Sakai Michio , Ohmori Tsukasa , Madoiwa Seiji , Ozawa Keiya , Sakata Yoichi
Published: October 2013

Pre‐existing antibodies against adeno‐associated virus (AAV), caused by natural AAV infections, interfere with recombinant AAV vector‐mediated gene transfer. We studied the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against AAV serotypes 1, 2, 5, 8, and 9 in healthy subjects (n = 85) and hemophilia patients (n = 59) in a Japanese population. For healthy subjects, the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against AAV serotypes 1, 2, 5, 8, and 9 was 36.5%, 35.3%, 37.6%, 32.9%, and 36.5%, respectively, while that in hemophilia patients was 39.7%, 28.8%, 35.6%, 32.9%, and 27.4%, respectively. There was no difference in the prevalence of neutralizing antibody against each AAV serotype between the healthy subjects and the hemophilia patients. The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against all AAV serotypes increased with age in both healthy subjects and hemophilia patients. High titers of neutralizing antibodies against AAV2 (≥1:224) and AAV8 (≥1:224) were more evident in older individuals (≥42 years old). Approximately 50% of all screened individuals were seronegative for neutralizing antibodies against each AAV tested, while approximately 25% of individuals were seropositive for each AAV serotype tested. The prevalence of seronegativity for all AAV serotypes was 67.0% (healthy subjects, 68.6%; hemophilia patients, 65.0%) and 18.6% (healthy subjects, 20.5%; hemophilia patients, 15.7%) in young (<42 years old) and older subjects (≥42 years old), respectively. The findings from this study suggested that young subjects are more likely to be eligible for gene therapy based on AAV vectors delivered via an intravascular route because of the low prevalence of antibodies to AAV capsids. J. Med. Virol. 86:1990–1997, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In situ diagnostics of catalytic materials using tunable confocal Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Nitsche David , Hess Christian
Published: October 2013

A new Raman spectroscopic setup for in situ characterization of catalytic materials based on a tunable laser system and a confocal Raman microscope is described. The laser excitation wavelength is variable over a broad range from deep ultraviolet (UV) to near‐infrared allowing for targeted use of Raman diagnostics for catalyst characterization. By utilization of resonance effects, the sensitivity of the method can be strongly increased. The potential of the setup is illustrated by new in situ Raman results on dispersed vanadium oxide catalysts obtained at 217.5 and 280 nm UV laser excitation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pediatric liver transplantation for urea cycle disorders and organic acidemias: United Network for Organ Sharing data for 2002-2012
Authors: Perito Emily R. , Rhee Sue , Roberts John Paul , Rosenthal Philip
Published: October 2013

Decision making concerning liver transplantation is unique for children with urea cycle disorders (UCDs) and organic acidemias (OAs) because of their immediate high priority on the waiting list, which is not related to the severity of their disease. There are limited national outcome data on which recommendations about liver transplantation for UCDs or OAs can be based. This study was a retrospective analysis of United Network for Organ Sharing data for liver recipients who underwent transplantation at an age < 18 years in 2002-2012. Repeat transplants were excluded. Among the pediatric liver transplants, 5.4% were liver-only for UCDs/OAs. The proportion of transplants for UCDs/OAs increased from 4.3% in 2002-2005 to 7.4% in 2010-2012 (P < 0.001). Ninety-six percent were deceased donor transplants, and 59% of these patients underwent transplantation at <2 years of age. Graft survival improved as the age at transplant increased (P = 0.04). Within 5 years after transplantation, the graft survival rate was 78% for children < 2 years old at transplant and 88% for children ≥ 2 years old at transplant (P = 0.06). Vascular thrombosis caused 44% of the graft losses, and 65% of these losses occurred in children < 2 years old. Patient survival also improved as the age at transplant increased: the 5-year patient survival rate was 88% for children with UCDs/OAs who were <2 years old at transplant and 99% for children who were ≥2 years old at transplant (P = 0.006). At the last-follow-up (54 ± 34.4 months), children who underwent transplantation for UCDs/OAs were more likely to have cognitive and motor delays than children who underwent transplantation for other indications. Cognitive and motor delays for children with UCDs/OAs were associated with metabolic disorders, but they were not predicted by age or weight at transplant, sex, ethnicity, liver graft type (split versus whole), or hospitalization at transplant in univariate and multivariate analyses. In conclusion, most liver transplants for UCDs/OAs occur in early childhood. Further research on the benefits of early transplantation for patients with UCDs/OAs is needed because a younger age may increase posttransplant morbidity. Liver Transpl 20:89-99, 2014. © 2013 AASLD.
Combined lung and liver transplantation: Analysis of a single-center experience
Authors: Yi Stephanie G. , Burroughs Sherilyn Gordon , Loebe Matthias , Scheinin Scott , Seethamraju Harish , Jyothula Soma , Monsour Howard , McFadden Robert , Podder Hemangshu , Saharia Ashish , Asham Emad H. , Boktour Maha , Gaber Osama A. , Ghobrial Mark R.
Published: October 2013

Patients with end-stage lung disease complicated by cirrhosis are not expected to survive lung transplantation alone. Such patients are potential candidates for combined lung-liver transplantation (CLLT), however few reports document the indications and outcomes after CLLT. This is a review of a large single-center CLLT series. Eight consecutive CLLT performed during 2009-2012 were retrospectively reviewed. One patient received a third simultaneous heart transplant. Mean age was 42.5 ± 11.5 years. Pulmonary indications included cystic fibrosis (CF) (n = 3), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (n = 2), α1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) (n = 1) and pulmonary hypertension (n = 2). Liver indications were CF (n = 3), hepatitis C (n = 2), AATD (n = 1), cryptogenic (n = 1), and cardiac/congestive (n = 1). Urgency was reflected by median lung allocation score (LAS) of 41 (36.0-89.0) and median predicted FEV1 of 25.7%. Median donor age was 25 (20-58) years with median cold ischemia times of 147 minutes and 6.1 hours for lung and liver, respectively. Overall patient survival at 30 days, 90 days and 1 year was 87.5%, 75.0% and 71.4% respectively. One patient had evidence of acute lung rejection, and no patients had liver allograft rejection. Early postoperative mortalities (90 days) were caused by sepsis in 2 recipients who exhibited the highest LAS of 69.9 and 89.0. The remaining recipients had a median LAS of 39.5 and 100% survival at 1-year. Median length of stay was 25 days (7-181). Complications requiring operative intervention included bile duct ischemia (n = 1) and bile leak (n = 1), ischemia of the bronchial anastomosis (n = 1), and necrotizing pancreatitis with duodenal perforation (n = 1). This series reflects a large single-center CLLT experience. Sepsis is the most common cause of death. The procedure should be considered for candidates with LAS < 50. Liver Transpl 20:46–53, 2014. © 2013 AASLD.
One‐Pot Synthesis of PTFEMA‐b‐PMMA‐b‐PTFEMA by Controlled Radical Polymerization with a Difunctional Initiator in Conjugation with Photoredox Catalyst of Ir(ppy)3 Under Visible Light
Authors: Zhang Xianhong , Zhao Changwen , Ma Yuhong , Chen Haochuan , Yang Wantai
Published: October 2013

Visible‐light‐induced free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 1,1,1‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA) with a difunctional initiator, dimethyl 2,6‐dibromoheptanedioate (DMDBHD), conjugated with a photoredox catalyst, tris(2‐phenylpyridinato)iridium(III) (fac‐[Ir(ppy)3]), is investigated. Kinetic studies demonstrate that homopolymerizations of both MMA and TFEMA are controlled radical polymerizations. The linear increase of molecular weights with monomer conversion and the narrow PDIs (1.2–1.4) reveal a good living character. In addition, PTFEMA‐b‐PMMA‐b‐PTFEMA triblock copolymer is prepared by a one‐pot process with sequential monomer addition. The of the triblock copolymers increases linearly with monomer conversion and the PDI of block copolymers is still maintained around 1.2–1.4. Experimental data confirm that the products are pure block polymers. Furthermore, the molar fraction of the TFEMA monomeric unit in the block copolymer is about 21.96%, close to the theoretical value 21.00% calculated from the monomer conversion.

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