bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
« 53 jours » de Georges Perec : la génétique, mode d'emploi
Authors: Decout Maxime
Published: January 2013

Résumé « 53 jours » , le dernier roman inachevé de Perec, se construit sur deux parties en miroir, la seconde partie défaisant la première. Perec propose ainsi à son lecteur de rechercher les principes dissimulés qui fondent le texte. Car « 53 jours » n’est pas seulement un roman policier, c’est aussi une enquête génétique dont de nombreux indices se trouvent dans des avant-textes. Mais, si les personnages d’herméneutes aident à déchiffrer le sens, ils affrontent sans cesse le risque de l’erreur. Le roman se dresse ainsi contre une génétique mythifiée où tous les sens de l’œuvre se programmeraient de façon intangible et absolue. Il propose un mode d’emploi lucide quant à une juste utilisation de la lecture génétique des œuvres.
Seasonal evolution of cholorophyll-a and cyanobacteria (Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus) on the northeast continental shelf of the Gulf of Cádiz: relation to thermohaline and nutrients fields
Authors: Anfuso Eleonora , Debelius Bibiana , Castro Carmen G. , Ponce Rocio , Forja Jesus M. , Lubian Luis M.
Published: January 2013

The seasonal evolution of nutrients, chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and cyanobacteria (Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus) on the northeast continental shelf of the Gulf of Cádiz was observed during four cruises in summer and autumn 2006 and winter and spring 2007. Samples were collected to determine the distribution of chl-a and cyanobacteria abundance and to analyse their coupling with thermohaline and chemical properties in the gulf region. Surface nutrient distributions showed clear seasonal variability. Maximum levels were recorded for the entire study region during winter due to winter mixing and the strong influence of the Guadalquivir River and Bay of Cádiz outflow. Maximum chl-a levels were reached during spring for the entire region and for the entire water column. Minimum values of chl-a were observed during summer, under prevailing oligotrophic conditions, and winter when in spite of relatively high nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton growth was probably light-limited. The distribution of both cyanobacteria populations also varied seasonally in association with the oceanographic conditions. Prochlorococcus maximum cell abundance was observed at the sea surface during the four cruises, except in the northern region during summer. However, Synechococcus showed a maximum concentration at the sea surface in autumn and winter and at the subsurface chlorophyll maximum in autumn and spring.
Mise en œuvre opérationnelle d’un projet de compensation carbone de foyers améliorés au Niger
Authors: Joubert Fanny , Begovic Milena
Published: January 2013

L’utilisation de foyers « ouverts » traditionnels utilisés au Niger a de lourdes conséquences au niveau environnemental, sanitaire et économique. Le projet de compensation carbone de foyers améliorés présenté ici consiste à remplacer ces foyers traditionnels par des foyers améliorés plus performants (appelés Kiva-Hybride) permettant de réduire la consommation de bois d'origine non renouvelable. La mise en œuvre d’un tel projet nécessite un travail préalable conséquent afin d’assurer sa pérennité sur le terrain : études statistiques, élaboration de différents prototypes de foyers avec tests de performance énergétique, réunions de consultations publiques avec les parties prenantes. Répondant à la méthodologie Gold Standard, ce projet permet non seulement de réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre à l’échelle mondiale, mais aussi d’améliorer les conditions de vie des populations locales (lutte contre la déforestation, amélioration de la qualité de l’air intérieur, économies des dépenses et de temps liés à la collecte du bois). En effet, le Kiva-Hybride permet de réduire les besoins en bois d’environ 1,5 tonne/foyer/an en moyenne conduisant à 2,79 teqCO2 d’émissions évitées par an et à l’économie de 47 500 FCFA/an par ménage.
Proteolysis Breaks Tolerance toward Intact α345(IV) Collagen, Eliciting Novel Anti–Glomerular Basement Membrane Autoantibodies Specific for α345NC1 Hexamers
Authors: Olaru Florina , Wang Xu-Ping , Luo Wentian , Ge Linna , Miner Jeffrey H. , Kleinau Sandra , Geiger Xochiquetzal J. , Wasiluk Andrew , Heidet Laurence , Kitching A. Richard , Borza Dorin-Bogdan
Published: January 2013

Goodpasture disease is an autoimmune kidney disease mediated by autoantibodies against noncollagenous domain 1 (NC1) monomers of α3(IV) collagen that bind to the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), usually causing rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (GN). We identified a novel type of human IgG4-restricted anti–GBM autoantibodies associated with mild nonprogressive GN, which specifically targeted α345NC1 hexamers but not α3NC1 monomers. The mechanisms eliciting these anti–GBM autoantibodies were investigated in mouse models recapitulating this phenotype. Wild-type and FcγRIIB−/− mice immunized with autologous murine GBM NC1 hexamers produced mouse IgG1-restricted autoantibodies specific for α345NC1 hexamers, which bound to the GBM in vivo but did not cause GN. In these mice, intact collagen IV from murine GBM was not immunogenic. However, in Col4a3−/− Alport mice, both intact collagen IV and NC1 hexamers from murine GBM elicited IgG Abs specific for α345NC1 hexamers, which were not subclass restricted. As heterologous Ag in COL4A3-humanized mice, murine GBM NC1 hexamers elicited mouse IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b autoantibodies specific for α345NC1 hexamers and induced anti–GBM Ab GN. These findings indicate that tolerance toward autologous intact α345(IV) collagen is established in hosts expressing this Ag, even though autoreactive B cells specific for α345NC1 hexamers are not purged from their repertoire. Proteolysis selectively breaches this tolerance by generating autoimmunogenic α345NC1 hexamers. This provides a mechanism eliciting autoantibodies specific for α345NC1 hexamers, which are restricted to noninflammatory IgG subclasses and are nonnephritogenic. In Alport syndrome, lack of tolerance toward α345(IV) collagen promotes production of alloantibodies to α345NC1 hexamers, including proinflammatory IgG subclasses that mediate posttransplant anti–GBM nephritis.
Chlamydia pneumoniae Impairs the Innate Immune Response in Infected Epithelial Cells by Targeting TRAF3
Authors: Wolf Katerina , Fields Kenneth A.
Published: January 2013

Type I IFNs are induced during microbial infections and have well-characterized antiviral activities. TRAF3 is a signaling molecule crucial for type I IFN production and, therefore, represents a potential target for disarming immune responses. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a human pathogen that primarily infects respiratory epithelial cells; the onset of symptoms takes several weeks, and the course of infection is protracted. C. pneumoniae has also been associated with a variety of chronic inflammatory conditions. Thus, typical C. pneumoniae infections of humans are consistent with an impairment in inflammatory responses to the microorganism. We demonstrate that infection of epithelial cells with C. pneumoniae does not lead to IFN-β production. Instead, infected cells are prevented from activating IFN regulatory factor 3. This effect is mediated by C. pneumoniae–dependent degradation of TRAF3, which is independent of a functional proteasome. Hence, it is likely that C. pneumoniae expresses a unique protease targeting TRAF3-dependent immune effector mechanisms.
Metastasis to left scapula with unknown primary: Approach to pathological diagnosis
Authors: Vasenwala Shaista M , Ansari Hena A , Haider Nazima , Sabir Amir bin , Rehman Aseeb Ur
Published: January 2013

Bony metastasis is a frequent occurrence in malignancy. However, the clinical presentation and pathological findings may sometimes be more in favor of a primary bone lesion. In such cases, immunochemistry has a very important role to play in reaching a final diagnosis. We present the case of a 35 year male patient who was investigated for a lytic lesion in the left scapula and was finally diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma with the help of immunostaining.
Computed tomogram guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of lung mass with histological correlation: A study in Eastern India
Authors: Mondal Santosh Kumar , Nag Dipanwita , Parikh Biren , Shah Manoj , Davara Kajal
Published: January 2013

Background: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an important and useful investigation, and is considered next to imaging in the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary mass lesion for the last few decades. Aims: To assess the role of Computed Tomogram (CT) guided FNAC in pulmonary mass lesions; to analyze the results; and to compare with histopathological findings. Materials and Methods: The clinical, radiological, and cytological data of 130 patients were prospectively studied who underwent CT guided FNAC from October 2009 through September 2011. Thereafter these patients underwent bronchoscopic/trucut biopsy/ lobectomy, whatever clinically indicated. Smears and tissue sections were evaluated simultaneously to reach at a definite diagnosis. Results: Out of 130 cases, we found adequate FNAC smear and histopathology reports only in 124 cases. The age range varied from 35 to 73 years with the peak in the fifth to sixth decades. The benign lesions were 10 (8.07%) and malignant lesions were114 (91.93%) shown by cytology. The most common tumor was adenocarcinoma (51.72%) followed by squamous cell carcinoma (22.41%) and small cell carcinoma 6.89%. Diagnostic accuracy of CT guided FNAC was 95%. Post procedural complications such as hemorrhage and chest pain were minimal and were noted only in three cases. Conclusion: CT guided FNAC of pulmonary masses provides simple, easy, and reliable method for reaching rapid tissue diagnosis with minimal complication.
Configuration spaces of rings and wickets
Authors: Brendle Tara E. , Hatcher Allen
Published: January 2013

The main result in this paper is that the space of all smooth links in

\mathbb{R}^3

isotopic to the trivial link of

n

components has the same homotopy type as its finite-dimensional subspace consisting of configurations of

n

unlinked Euclidean circles (the ‘rings’ in the title). There is also an analogous result for spaces of arcs in upper half-space, with circles replaced by semicircles (the ‘wickets’ in the title). A key part of the proofs is a procedure for greatly reducing the complexity of tangled configurations of rings and wickets. This leads to simple methods for computing presentations for the fundamental groups of these spaces of rings and wickets as well as various interesting subspaces. The wicket spaces are also shown to be aspherical.
Some groups of mapping classes not realized by diffeomorphisms
Authors: Bestvina Mladen , Church Thomas , Souto Juan
Published: January 2013

Let

\Sigma

be a closed surface of genus

g\ge 2

and

z\in\Sigma

a marked point. We prove that the subgroup of the mapping class group

\mathrm{Map}(\Sigma,z)

corresponding to the fundamental group

\pi_1(\Sigma,z)

of the closed surface does not lift to the group of diffeomorphisms of

\Sigma

fixing

z

. As a corollary, we show that the Atiyah–Kodaira surface bundles admit no invariant flat connection, and obtain another proof of Morita’s non-lifting theorem.
A cyclonic gyre in an ice‐covered lake
Authors: Forrest Alexander L. , Laval Bernard E. , Pieters Roger , S. S. Lim Darlene
Published: January 2013

Observations of a cyclonic gyre in an ice‐covered, midsize (< 5 km2), temperate lake are presented. Horizontal and vertical measurements of temperature and electrical conductivity measurements were collected using a conductivity‐temperature‐depth logger mounted on an autonomous underwater vehicle and additional instrumentation. These measurements revealed a cylindrical density anomaly with a radius of ∼110 m extending from the surface to ∼14 m depth. The observed radius is smaller than the internal Rossby radius of deformation (∼ 200 m), which suggests a cyclogeostrophic balance between centripetal, Coriolis, and pressure forces. The maximum azimuthal velocity, calculated assuming this balance, was ∼ 2.1 cm s−1 at 6–8 m depth. The Rossby number associated with this velocity was 1.7; this is consistent with the cyclogeostrophic assumption (i.e., Rossby number > 1) and nearly twice that of similar under‐ice eddies in the Arctic Ocean. The estimated Ekman spin‐down timescale is 1.5–15 d, but despite this, the gyre appeared to be relatively unchanged over 6 d of field observations. This persistence implies the gyre was forced over the course of the field study; however, the source of the forcing is unknown. Horizontal temperature transects at and below the bottom of the gyre revealed coherent temperature fluctuations suggestive of vertical transport associated with the gyre.
Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis treatment with selected biological drugs
Authors: Kowalik Krzysztof , Krysiński Jerzy , Białecka Urszula , Kolossa Katarzyna , Jeka Sławomir
Published: January 2013

Cel pracy: Retrospektywne porównanie dwóch schematów leczenia reumatoidalnego zapalenia stawów (RZS) lekami biologicznymi: infli-ksymabem i etanerceptem, pod względem kosztów oraz skuteczności leczenia.

Materiał i metody: Dane do analizy farmakoekonomicznej uzyskano z dokumentacji choroby 70 pacjentów leczonych na Oddziale Klinicznym Reumatologii i Układowych Chorób Tkanki Łącznej Szpitala Uniwersyteckiego nr 2 w Bydgoszczy. Retrospektywne badanie wykonano z perspektywy usługodawcy i uwzględniono tylko bezpośrednie koszty medyczne. Zastosowano analizę efektywności kosztów. Do oceny wyników leczenia wykorzystano różnicę wartości DAS28 przed rozpoczęciem leczenia i po 24 miesiącach stosowania leków lub po uzyskaniu remisji choroby. Zgodnie z Wytycznymi Dobrej Praktyki Farmakoekonomicznej wykonano analizę wrażliwości, sprawdzając wpływ zmian kluczowych parametrów na końcowy wynik analizy.

Wyniki: Tańszym i bardziej skutecznym lekiem okazał się etanercept. Średni koszt leczenia jednego pacjenta etanerceptem oraz infliksymabem wynosi odpowiednio: 62 876,78 zł vs 66 361,03 zł. Po terapii etanerceptem u chorych zaobserwowano obniżenie wartości DAS28 o 3,38, natomiast po leczeniu infliksymabem wartość DAS28 zmniejszyła się do 3,11. Największy udział w kosztach całkowitych w obu schematach leczenia miały koszty leków biologicznych (97,3% dla etanerceptu i 86,02% dla infliksymabu). W terapii infliksymabem koszty hospitalizacji stanowiły 11,38% kosztów całkowitych. Koszt ten nie występował w przypadku terapii etanerceptem, ponieważ lek podawany jest ambulatoryjnie. Koszty badań diagnostycznych oraz koszty innych leków były wyższe w przypadku infliksymabu i wynosiły na jednego pacjenta odpowiednio 1365,63 zł i 293,63 zł, natomiast w przypadku etanerceptu odpowiednio 809,37 zł i 176,07 zł. Koszty badań lekarskich były wyższe w przypadku etanerceptu (713,00 zł dla etanerceptu i 69,19 zł dla infliksymabu) (tab. I i II). W jednokierunkowej analizie wrażliwości nie stwierdzono istotnych zmian w zakresie ± 10% podstawowej wartości kosztów (tab. III).

Wniosek: Z farmakoekonomicznego punktu widzenia leczenie etanerceptem jest terapią dominującą, ponieważ jest tańsze i z klinicznego punktu widzenia skuteczniejsze.
Oedema, infiltration and drainage of connective tissue in rheumatoid arthritis – a preliminary report
Authors: Rovenská Emília , Rovenský Jozef
Published: January 2013

Cel pracy: Zobrazowanie włosowatych naczyń limfatycznych w błonie maziowej pobranej podczas synowektomii u pacjentów z reumatoidalnym zapaleniem stawów (RZS) oraz młodzieńczym idiopatycznym zapaleniem stawów (MIZS).

Materiał i metody: Do zdjęć obrazujących wyspecjalizowane połączenia między komórkami śródbłonka (np. mikrozastawki śródbłonka) wykorzystano zarówno transmisyjny mikroskop elektronowy (ryc. 1 a, b), jak i podmikroskop świetlny (ryc. 1 c, d). Omawiane połączenia, otwierając się, umożliwiają przemieszczanie się komórek odpornościowych i drenaż nadmiaru płynu tkankowego z przestrzeni śródmiąższowej tkanki łącznej błony maziowej do chłonki przedwęzłowej i mają istotne znaczenie dla funkcji drenującej kapilar limfatycznych w stawach maziówkowych.

Wyniki: W świetle włosowatych naczyń limfatycznych badanych pod mikroskopem świetlnym stwierdzono obecność limfocytów, makrofagów oraz pewną ilość resztek komórkowych (ryc. 2). Zaobserwowano liczne nacieczenia komórkami układu odpornościowego w przestrzeni śródmiąższowej błony maziowej, przeważnie umiejscowione wokół żylnych naczynek pozawłosowatych oraz w pobliżu kapilar limfatycznych (ryc. 3).

Wniosek: Określenie roli mikrozastawek śródbłonka w drenażu nacieków zapalnych do włosowatych naczyń limfatycznych wymaga dalszych badań.
Nitrogen isotope dynamics and fractionation during sedimentary denitrification in Boknis Eck, Baltic Sea
Authors: Dähnke K. , Thamdrup B.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. The global marine nitrogen cycle is constrained by nitrogen fixation as a source of reactive nitrogen, and denitrification or anammox on the sink side. These processes with their respective isotope effects set the marine nitrate 15N-isotope value (δ15N) to a relatively constant average of 5‰. This value can be used to better assess the magnitude of these sources and sink terms, but the underlying assumption is that sedimentary denitrification and anammox, processes responsible for approximately one third of global nitrogen removal, have little to no isotope effect on nitrate in the water column. We investigated the isotope fractionation in sediment incubations, measuring net denitrification and nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope fractionation in surface sediments from the coastal Baltic Sea (Boknis Eck, Northern Germany), a site with seasonal hypoxia and dynamic nitrogen turnover. We found tremendously high denitrification rates, and regardless of current paradigms assuming little fractionation during sediment denitrification, we measured fractionation factors of 18.9‰ for nitrogen and 15.8‰ for oxygen in nitrate. While the input of nitrate to the water column remains speculative, these results challenge the current view of fractionation during sedimentary denitrification and imply that nitrogen budget calculations may need to consider this variability, as both preferential uptake of light nitrate and release of the remaining heavy fraction can significantly alter water column nitrate isotope vales at the sediment-water interface.
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Gallium(III) Bis(selenoureato) Complex
Authors: Molter Anja , Mohr Fabian
Published: January 2013

In an attempt to prepare the tris(selenoureato)gallium(III) complex [Ga(4-O2NC6H4C(O)NC(Se)NEt2)3] from the reaction of the nitro-substituted acylselenourea 4-O2NC6H4C(O)NHC(Se)NEt2 with [Ga(NO3)3] in EtOH we obtained a crystalline compound from a CH2Cl2 solution which was identified as the bis(selenoureato)gallium(III)chlorido complex [GaCl(4- O2NC6H4C(O)NC(Se)NEt2)2] by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This compound is a rare example of a metal complex containing chelating selenoureato ligands in a trans arrangement.
The Review on Electrospun Gelatin Fiber Scaffold
Authors: Zhan Jianchao , Lan Ping
Published: January 2013

The fabrication of the Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR) membrane materials have become the key technique of the tissue engineering scaffold study. The cells adhere well on the fibers whose dimension is below their own so that the porous three dimension scaffold material can mimic the strueture of the natural extracellular matrix better and have the potential to be an ideal GTR membrane material. Gelatin, a kind of protein obtained from hydrolyzed and denatured animal skin, is a condensation polymer of a variety of amino acids and so it is a kind of bio-polymer with good water-solubility. Gelatin fiber mats with submicro and nanometer scale can simulate extracellular matrix structure of the human tissues and organs and can be used widely in the tissue engineering field because of their excellent bio-affinity. Electrospinning is a very attractive method for preparing polymer or composite nanofibers and so electrospinning technique was developed to prepare nanofibrous gelatin matrix. The electrospun of gelatin to fabricate the scaffold material has obtained more attention recently because of its biocompatibility, high surface area-to-volume ratio, degradability and less immunogenic property. The structure and performance of the electrospinning gelatin fiber mats which were manufactured by different solvents, electrospinning process, cross-linking process were reviewed. The properties and application of the two-component and multicomponent gelatin fiber mats were analyzed.
Thermoplastic-Thermosetting Merged Polyimides Derived from Furan-Maleimide
Authors: Patel Yogesh S. , Patel Hasmukh S.
Published: January 2013

Novel thermoplastic-thermosetting merged polyimide system has been developed via Diels-Alder intermolecular reaction of bisfuran A namely, 2,5-bis(furan-2-ylmethyl carbamoyl)terephthalic acid with a series of bismaleimides B1-3 containing aliphatic chain in the backbone. The intermediate Furan - maleimide Diels-Alder adducts C1-3 were aromatized and imidized (i.e. cyclized) through carboxylic and amide groups to afford thermoplastic-thermosetting merged polyimides D1-3. Synthesized polyimides were characterized by elemental analysis, spectral features, number average molecular weight (Mn) and thermal analysis. Bulk polymerization was also carried out. Proof of structures was based mainly on a comparison of infrared spectra of polyimides with those of the corresponding model compound 4 prepared from 2-(furan-2-ylmethylcarbamoyl) benzoic acid in the similar way. FTIR spectral features of polyimides D1-3 were quite identical with the model compound 4. The ‘in situ’ void - free glass fiber reinforced composites GFRC1-3 were prepared and characterized by mechanical, electrical and chemical properties. The ‘in situ’ produced polyimides show good adhesion to glass fibers. All the composites depicted good mechanical and electrical properties and good resistance to organic solvents and mineral acids.
Deferiprone (GPO‐L‐ONE®) monotherapy reduces iron overload in transfusion‐dependent thalassemias: 1‐year results from a multicenter prospective, single arm, open label, dose escalating phase III pediatric study (GPO‐L‐ONE; A001) from Thailand
Authors: Viprakasit Vip , Nuchprayoon Issarang , Chuansumrit Ampaiwan , Torcharus Kitti , Pongtanakul Bunchoo , Laothamatas Jiraporn , Srichairatanakool Somdet , Pooliam Julaporn , Supajitkasem Siriwat , Suriyaphol Prapat , Tanphaichitr Voravarn S. , Tuchinda Soodsarkorn
Published: January 2013

Accessibility to iron chelators including deferoxamine and deferasirox remains obscured in many developing countries. To provide an alternative, the government pharmaceutical organization of Thailand (GPO) manufactured deferiprone which has similar bioequivalent to the standard product. Seventy‐three pediatric patients with severe β thalassemias, age range 3.2–19 years, were recruited to a 1‐year multicenter prospective, single arm, open label, dose escalating Phase III study of deferiprone to determine its clinical efficacy and safety. Sixty‐four patients (87.6%) completed the study with good compliance (>94%). Average deferiprone dose was 79.1±4.3 mg/kg/day. Overall, mean serum ferritin (SF) levels at 1 year were not significantly changed from baseline. However, 45% of patients (response group) had SF reduced >15% from baseline at 1 year with a median reduction of 1,065 ng ml−1. Baseline SF was the major factor that predicts clinical efficacy; patients with baseline SF>3,500 ng ml−1 had the most significant fall of SF at 1 year. A subgroup analysis by MRI‐T2* confirmed that the response group had higher baseline liver iron and deferiprone could significantly reduce liver iron overload and normalize levels of ALT at 1 year. Although, gastrointestinal irritation (20.5%) was the most common drug‐related adverse events (AEs) followed by transaminitis (16.4%) and neutropenia (6.8%), all patients were well tolerated. There was no mortality and agranulocytosis found in this trial. Monotherapy of deferiprone with appropriate dose adjustment and monitoring for adverse events appeared to be an effective chelation therapy in some patients with good compliance and acceptable safety profiles. Am. J. Hematol. 88:251–260, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Individual tooth macrowear pattern guides the reconstruction of Sts 52 (Australopithecus africanus) dental arches
Authors: Benazzi Stefano , Kullmer Ottmar , Schulz Dieter , Gruppioni Giorgio , Weber Gerhard W.
Published: January 2013

The functional restoration of the occlusal relationship between maxillary and mandibular tooth rows is a major challenge in modern dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. Similar technical challenges are present in paleoanthropology when considering fragmented and deformed mandibular and maxillary fossils. Sts 52, an Australopithecus africanus specimen from Sterkfontein Member 4, represents a typical case where the original shape of the dental arches is no longer preserved. It includes a partial lower face (Sts 52a) and a fragmented mandible (Sts 52b), both incomplete and damaged to such an extent to thwart attempts at matching upper and lower dentitions. We show how the preserved macrowear pattern of the tooth crowns can be used to functionally reconstruct Sts 52's dental arches. High‐resolutiondental stone casts of Sts 52 maxillary and mandibular dentition were mounted and repositioned in a dental articulator. The occlusal relationship between antagonists was restored based on the analysis of the occlusal wear pattern of each preserved tooth, considering all dental contact movements represented in the occlusal compass. The reconstructed dental arches were three‐dimensional surface scanned and their occlusal kinematics tested in a simulation. The outcome of this contribution is the first functional restoration of A. africanus dental arches providing new morphometric data for specimen Sts 52. It is noteworthy that the method described in this case study might be applied to several other fossilspecimens. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Concurrent functional endoscopic sinus surgery and septorhinoplasty: using evidence to make clinical decisions
Authors: Patel Zara M. , Setzen Michael , Sclafani Anthony P. , Del Gaudio John M.
Published: January 2013

Background

Concurrent septorhinoplasty (SRP) and functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) has been a controversial topic in the literature over the last decade. Warnings and admonitions about the risks of performing these procedures together in a single surgery are both published and voiced at national meetings. Although pros and cons have been discussed in the literature, there have been no guidelines published based solely on a review of the level of evidence.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was performed and the Clinical Practice Guideline Manual, Conference on Guideline Standardization (COGS), and the Appraisal of Guidelines and Research Evaluation (AGREE) instrument recommendations were followed. Study inclusion criteria were an adult population >18 years old, description or implication of study design available, concurrent FESS and SRP performed without additional procedures, and report of complications included in the study.

Results

We identified and evaluated the literature meeting those criteria: 11 retrospective studies. The literature was reviewed for both quality of research design as well as benefit and harm of the proposed interventions.

Conclusion

If a patient is in need of FESS and SRP, either for functional or cosmetic reasons, and is found on the risk matrix to either have low or moderate risk, that patient is a good candidate for a concurrent procedure. If the patient is found to have higher risk, it is not an absolute contraindication, but the surgeon must use best clinical judgment when deciding to move forward and must counsel the patient preoperatively about possible increased risks.
Comparing use of the Sonopet® ultrasonic bone aspirator to traditional instrumentation during the endoscopic transsphenoidal approach in pituitary tumor resection
Authors: Baddour H. Michael , Lupa Michael D. , Patel Zara M.
Published: January 2013

Background

The Sonopet® ultrasonic bone aspirator (Stryker®, Kalamazoo, MI) has been used within neurosurgery, otolaryngology and in other fields, but to our knowledge has not been reported in the literature for use in endoscopic transsphenoidal approaches (TSAs) to the skull base. The study objective was to compare use of the ultrasonic bone aspirator (UBA) vs traditional cold steel instrumentation during TSA in terms of operative time and blood loss.

Methods

The study design was a prospective, randomized, single‐blinded controlled clinical trial. The population included patients who presented to a tertiary care skull base center with pituitary tumors amenable to endoscopic resection. Participants were randomized to either an endoscopic approach using the ultrasonic bone aspirator (n = 66) or traditional steel instrumentation (n = 64). Outcomes measured were operative time and blood loss for the approach and exposure portion of the procedure.

Results

The use of the UBA resulted in a significant reduction in both operative time (31.92 ± 3.04 minutes vs 41.32 ± 2.75 minutes, p < 0.0001) and blood loss (16.5 ± 5.37 milliliters vs 22.57 ± 3.09 milliliters, p < 0.0001) compared to traditional steel instrumentation.

Conclusion

This study is, to our knowledge, the first prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparatively demonstrating the speed, safety and efficacy of the ultrasonic bone aspirator for endoscopic TSA to the skull base. Although the UBA offers surgical benefits, the cost of disposables may limit its usefulness to use in tertiary care institutions where operative cost can be shared across departments and with the hospital.
Calculating reference points for anthropogenic mortality of marine turtles
Authors: Curtis K. Alexandra , Moore Jeffrey E.
Published: January 2013

Human‐caused mortality threatens many marine turtle populations worldwide, with fisheries interactions being a primary cause for population declines. National and international management of fisheries interactions with marine turtles are rarely tied to turtle population biology. Quantitative tools tied to population‐based objectives can provide insight into the effectiveness and urgency of bycatch mitigation.

A management approach is proposed based on a bycatch control rule called Reproductive Value Loss Limit (RVLL), generalized from the Potential Biological Removal management model for marine mammal populations. For RVLL, population size is scaled by reproductive value to account for strongly age‐structured population dynamics and age‐dependent fisheries mortality rates in marine turtle populations.

RVLL is an estimate of maximum sustainable mortality for a population, calculated from estimates of maximum population growth rate, total reproductive value in the population, and an uncertainty factor. RVLL estimates correspond to specified management goals and risk tolerances. For demonstration, simultaneous goals of maintaining populations above the maximum net productivity level (analogous to the population size that produces maximum sustainable yield) and preventing a decrease in adults are assumed, both with 95% probability. A management‐strategy‐evaluation‐like process was used to explore parameterization of the RVLL equation for robust performance over a range of plausible life history characteristics and uncertainties in abundance and bycatch mortality estimates for marine turtle populations.

The RVLL‐based management approach presented here proved robust to several important sources of uncertainty and to violation of several key underlying assumptions, and can be adapted to account for important sources of bias. The architecture presented, including tailored management strategy evaluation, provides a useful basis for further development of reference‐point‐based management of human‐added mortality in populations that experience large changes with age in reproductive value and human‐caused mortality rates, as is the case for marine turtles.

Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple Fuzzy Relation and Its Application to Coupled Fuzzy Control
Authors: Feng Jun‐e , Lv Hongli , Cheng Daizhan
Published: January 2013

Using semi‐tensor product (STP) of matrix, this paper investigates the fuzzy relation of multiple fuzzy and uses this to design coupled fuzzy control is designed. First of all, under the assumption that the universe of discourse is finite, a fuzzy logical variable can be expressed as a vector, which unifies the expression of elements, subsets, and fuzzy subsets of a universe of discourse. Then, the matrix expression of set mappings is naturally extended to fuzzy sets. Second, based on STP, logic‐based matrix addition and product are proposed. These are particulary useful for the calculation of compounded fuzzy relations. Third, a dual fuzzy structure is introduced, which assures the finiteness of the universe of discourse, and is used for fuzzification and defuzzification. Finally, using the results obtained, a new technique is developed to design a coupled fuzzy controller for multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO) systems with coupled multiple fuzzy relations.
Sensitive determination of DNA based on the interaction between prulifloxacin–terbium(III) complex and DNA
Authors: Wu Ting , Fang Biyun , Chang Lin , Liu Min , Chen Fang
Published: January 2013

A simple spectrofluorimetric method is described for the determination of DNA, based on its enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of prulifloxacin (PUFX)–Tb3+. The luminescence intensity of the PUFX–Tb3+ complex increased up to 10‐fold after adding DNA. The excitation and emission wavelengths were 345 and 545 nm, respectively. Under optimum conditions, variations in the fluorescence intensity showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of hsDNA in the range of 3.0 × 10‐9 to 1.0 × 10‐6 g/mL, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.997, and the detection limit was 2.1 × 10‐9 g/mL. The method was successfully applied to the determination of DNA in synthetic samples, and recoveries were in the range 97.3–102.0%. The mechanism of fluorescence enhancement of the PUFX–Tb3+ complex by DNA is also discussed. The mechanism may involve formation of a ternary complex mainly by intercalation binding together with weak electrostatic interaction, which will increase the energy transition from ligand to Tb3+, increasing the rigidity of the complex, and decreasing the radiationless energy loss through O–H vibration of the H2O molecule in the PUFX–Tb3+ compl+osed method is not only more robust and friendly to the environment, but also of relatively higher sensitivity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hypoxia induces osteogenic/angiogenic responses of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stromal cells seeded on bone‐derived scaffolds via ERK1/2 and p38 pathways
Authors: Zhou Yi , Guan Xiaoxu , Wang Huiming , Zhu Zhuoli , Li Chiquan , Wu Shu , Yu Haiyang
Published: January 2013

Osteogenesis and angiogenesis are tightly coupled processes during bone development and formation. It is thus well known that the enhancement of vascularization is of great importance in bone tissue engineering. As a potential approach for repairing bone defects, bone tissue constructs should therefore replicate the essential components in vivo microenvironments to promote cell osteogenic differentiation while at same time induce angiogenic response. In light of standpoint above, a combination of human bone‐derived scaffolds and BMSCs that subjected to hypoxia was used to mimic in vivo conditions. Also the underlying cellular/molecular regulation was fully investigated. The results showed that hypoxia (5–10% O2) greatly enhanced the proliferation of BMSCs seeded in scaffolds, although the hypoxia (5% O2)‐induced proliferative effect on BMSC cellular scaffolds was not apparent to those cultured in plates. However, such a kind of model was able to significantly induce the osteogenic/angiogenic responses of BMSCs as reflected by osteogenesis or angiogenesis‐related highly expressed genes or proteins, such as alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α and vascular endothelial growth factor. Moreover, ERK1/2 and/or p38 pathways were demonstrated to play essential roles in hypoxia‐induced osteogenic/angiogenic responses. Our results indicated that the combination of bone‐derived scaffolds, a material that has a three dimensional network structure, and hypoxia, an environment that replicates in vivo BMSCs hypoxic living conditions, may be a potential approach for creating functional tissue‐engineered bone. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1794–1804. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Engineering Escherichia coli for renewable production of the 5‐carbon polyamide building‐blocks 5‐aminovalerate and glutarate
Authors: Adkins Jake , Jordan Justin , Nielsen David R.
Published: January 2013

Through metabolic pathway engineering, novel microbial biocatalysts can be engineered to convert renewable resources into useful chemicals, including monomer building‐blocks for bioplastics production. Here we describe the systematic engineering of Escherichia coli to produce, as individual products, two 5‐carbon polyamide building blocks, namely 5‐aminovalerate (AMV) and glutarate. The modular pathways were derived using “parts” from the natural lysine degradation pathway of Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Endogenous over‐production of the required precursor, lysine, was first achieved through metabolic deregulation of its biosynthesis pathway by introducing feedback resistant mutants of aspartate kinase III and dihydrodipicolinate synthase. Further disruption of native lysine decarboxylase activity (by deleting cadA and ldcC) limited cadaverine by‐product formation, enabling lysine production to 2.25 g/L at a glucose yield of 138 mmol/mol (18% of theoretical). Co‐expression of lysine monooxygenase and 5‐aminovaleramide amidohydrolase (encoded by davBA) then resulted in the production of 0.86 g/L AMV in 48 h. Finally, the additional co‐expression of glutaric semialdehyde dehydrogenase and 5‐aminovalerate aminotransferase (encoded by davDT) led to the production of 0.82 g/L glutarate under the same conditions. At this output, yields on glucose were 71 and 68 mmol/mol for AMV and glutarate (9.5 and 9.1% of theoretical), respectively. These findings further expand the number and diversity of polyamide monomers that can be derived directly from renewable resources. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1726–1734. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regeneration and control of human fibroblast cell density by intermittently delivered pulsed electric fields
Authors: Golberg Alexander , Bei Marianna , Sheridan Robert L. , Yarmush Martin L.
Published: January 2013

Proliferative scarring is a human disease with neither available effective treatment nor relevant animal model. One of the hypotheses for scar formation involves deregulation of fibroblast signaling and delayed apoptosis. Here, we introduce a new chemical‐free method for fibroblast density control in culture by intermittently delivered pulsed electric fields (IDPEF), which cause irreversible damage to cell membranes. Using 5–100 pulses with electric field strength of 150 V/mm, pulse duration 70 µs, and frequency of 1 Hz, we investigated the effects of PEF application on growth, death, and regeneration of normal human dermal fibroblasts in culture. We found that the fraction of fibroblasts that survive depends on the number of pulses applied and follows a Weibull distribution. We have successfully developed an IDPEF protocol that controls fibroblasts density in culture. Specifically, through application of IDPEF every 72 h for 12 days, we maintain a normal human dermal fibroblast density in the 3.1 ± 0.2 × 105–1.4 ± 0.2 × 105 cell/mL range. Our results suggest that IDPEFs may prove useful as a non‐chemical method for fibroblast density control in human wound healing. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1759–1768. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Isolation and characterization of lignin‐degrading bacteria from rainforest soils
Authors: Huang Xing‐Feng , Santhanam Navaneetha , Badri Dayakar V. , Hunter William J. , Manter Daniel K. , Decker Stephen R. , Vivanco Jorge M. , Reardon Kenneth F.
Published: January 2013

The deconstruction of lignin to enhance the release of fermentable sugars from plant cell walls presents a challenge for biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass. The discovery of novel lignin‐degrading enzymes from bacteria could provide advantages over fungal enzymes in terms of their production and relative ease of protein engineering. In this study, 140 bacterial strains isolated from soils of a biodiversity‐rich rainforest in Peru were screened based on their oxidative activity on ABTS, a laccase substrate. Strain C6 (Bacillus pumilus) and strain B7 (Bacillus atrophaeus) were selected for their high laccase activity and identified by 16S rDNA analysis. Strains B7 and C6 degraded fragments of Kraft lignin and the lignin model dimer guaiacylglycerol‐β‐guaiacyl ether, the most abundant linkage in lignin. Finally, LC–MS analysis of incubations of strains B7 and C6 with poplar biomass in rich and minimal media revealed that a higher number of compounds were released in the minimal medium than in the rich one. These findings provide important evidence that bacterial enzymes can degrade and/or modify lignin and contribute to the release of fermentable sugars from lignocellulose. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1616–1626. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A multi‐dimensional approach for fractionating proteins using charged membranes
Authors: Sorci Mirco , Gu Minghao , Heldt Caryn L. , Grafeld Elizabeth , Belfort Georges
Published: January 2013

In an effort to increase selectivity among proteins with crossflow ultrafiltration, we offer and demonstrate a comprehensive approach to fractionate proteins of similar molecular weight and relatively close pI values. This multidimensional approach involves optimizing membrane charge type and density together with operating conditions such as precise control of pH, ionic strength, and transmembrane pressure for reduced membrane fouling. Each filtration experiment was performed in cross‐flow configuration for ∼20 min, allowing fast screening for optimal separation as determined by maximum selectivity, Ψ, and purity, P. Using our comprehensive approach for fractionating mixtures RNase A–lysozyme and BSA–hemoglobin, we obtained values of Ψ = 9.1, P = 95.7%, and Ψ = 6.5, P = 62.1%, respectively. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1704–1713. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Risk Assessment in Mental Health Care: Values and Costs
Authors: Szmukler George , Rose Nikolas
Published: January 2013

Risk assessment has assumed increasing salience in mental health care in a number of countries. The frequency of serious violent incidents perpetrated by people with a mental illness is an insufficient explanation. Understandings of mental illness and of the role of those charged with their care (or control) play a key role. “Moral outrage”, associated with an implied culpability when certain types of tragedy occur, is very significant. This leads to tensions concerning the role of post‐incident inquiries, and contributes to a flawed conception of what such inquiries can offer. At the same time, understanding of probability and prediction is generally very poor, among both professionals and the public. Unrealistic expectations for risk assessment and management in general psychiatric practice carry a variety of significant costs, taking a number forms, to those with a mental illness, to mental health professionals and to services. Especially important are changes in professional practice and accountabilities that are significantly divorced from traditional practice, implications for trust in patient–clinician relationships and the organisations in which mental health professionals work, and practices that often breach the ethical principle of justice (or fairness) and heighten discrimination against people with mental illness. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chromatographic peak alignment using derivative dynamic time warping
Authors: Bork Christopher , Ng Kenneth , Liu Yinhan , Yee Alex , Pohlscheidt Michael
Published: January 2013

Chromatogram overlays are frequently used to monitor inter‐batch performance of bioprocess purification steps. However, the objective analysis of chromatograms is difficult due to peak shifts caused by variable phase durations or unexpected process holds. Furthermore, synchronization of batch process data may also be required prior to performing multivariate analysis techniques. Dynamic time warping was originally developed as a method for spoken word recognition, but shows potential in the objective analysis of time variant signals, such as manufacturing data. In this work we will discuss the application of dynamic time warping with a derivative weighting function to align chromatograms to facilitate process monitoring and fault detection. In addition, we will demonstrate the utility of this method as a preprocessing step for multivariate model development. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 394–402, 2013
Computational modeling of nutrient utilization in engineered cartilage
Authors: Lin Tze‐Hung , Jhang Han‐Yun , Chu Feng‐Cheng , Chung C. A.
Published: January 2013

This study presents a mathematical model for simulating cartilaginous culture of chondrocytes seeded in scaffolds and for investigating the effects of glucose and oxygen concentration and pH value on cell metabolic rates. The model can clearly interpret the unexplained experimental observation (Sengers BG, Heywood HK, Lee DA, Oomens CWJ, Bader DL. Nutrient utilization by bovine articular chondrocytes: A combined experimental and theoretical approach. J Biomech Eng. 2005;127:758–766.), which showed that the oxygen concentration within the scaffold may increase instead of continuously decreasing in static cartilaginous culture of chondrocytes. Results from simulation demonstrate that when cells metabolize glucose and form lactate under high glucose concentration conditions, the acidity in the culture environment increases, inhibiting cell metabolic rates in the process. Consequently, the rate of oxygen consumption decreases in later stages of cell culture. As oxygen can be replenished through the free surface of the culture medium, oxygen concentration within the scaffold increases rather than decreases over time in the acidic environment. Different initial glucose concentration yields different results. In low glucose concentration conditions, oxygen concentration basically keeps decreasing with culture time. This is because the pH in the environment does not significantly change because of slower glycolysis rate in low glucose concentration cases, forming less lactic acid. From the simulation results, additional information regarding in vitro culture of chondrocytes is obtained. The correlations between nutrient consumption, lactate secretion, and pH changes during cell culture are also understood and may serve as a reference for in vitro cell culture research of tissue engineering. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 452–462, 2013
Biomass as Feedstock in the Chemical Industry – An Examination from an Exergetic Point of View
Authors: Frenzel P. , Fayyaz S. , Hillerbrand R. , Pfennig A.
Published: January 2013

Crude oil is the most important raw material for the chemical industry. Due to the continually rising price of crude oil, alternative carbon sources are becoming increasingly important. Biomass is basically the only available renewable carbon source. Because the chemical composition of biomass differs from fossil raw materials, the raw‐material change also offers many chances for new product properties and applications. At the same time, the chemical processes have to be redesigned if the feedstock changes to biomass. Here, the effects of a raw‐material change are examined on a rather generic level. The study is based on exergy balances and indicates that it is exergetically advisable to reconsider the previously established system of platform and basic chemicals. In general, exergy losses can be minimized if the synthesis pathways leading to the final products are adapted to the chemical structure of biomass.