bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phenolic composition of virgin olive oils from cross breeding segregating populations
Authors: El Riachy Milad , Priego‐Capote Feliciano , Rallo Luis , Luque‐de Castro María Dolores , León Lorenzo
Published: January 2012

The evaluation and characterization of segregating populations is a critical step in olive breeding programs. In this work, phenolic profiles of virgin olive oils (VOOs) from segregating populations obtained by cross breeding in Cordoba (Spain) have been evaluated. Genotypes obtained from open pollination of the cultivar Manzanilla de Sevilla, and from crosses between the cultivars Arbequina × Arbosana, Picual × Koroneiki and Sikitita × Arbosana were tested. The phenolic composition was determined after liquid–liquid extraction with 60:40 v/v methanol–water and subsequent chromatographic analysis with ultraviolet (UV) detection of both absorption and fluorescence in a sequential configuration. Results for all studied compounds showed high degree of variability between genotypes, with a higher range of variation than the observed for the genitors. Most of the observed variability was attributable to differences in genotypes within crosses rather than among crosses. Some issues related to breeding strategies are discussed.

Practical applications: Phenolic compounds are considered to be of paramount importance for the assessment of virgin olive oil quality due to their contribution to the nutraceutical and sensory profile of this natural food. This study focuses on the evaluation of the content of phenolic compounds in olive oils originated from cross breeding in an olive breeding program (Cordoba, Spain). This step is crucial to determine the range of variation of phenolic compounds and the selection of interesting genotypes with higher composition in total phenols or in an individual phenol targeted at a breeding program.
Virgin olive oil in preventive medicine: From legend to epigenetics
Authors: Caramia Giuseppe , Gori Alessandro , Valli Enrico , Cerretani Lorenzo
Published: January 2012

Among vegetable oils, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has nutritional and sensory characteristics that make it unique and a basic component of the Mediterranean diet. EVOO has always been used over the centuries for its preventive and therapeutic properties, as well as precious and valuable dietary lipidic condiment. Benefic effects of a diet rich in EVOO on the human health, especially in prevention and/or reduction of hypercholesterolaemia, serum lipoprotein levels and atherosclerosis, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and thrombotic risk, oxidation and oxidative stress, obesity and type 2 diabetes, inflammatory processes and cancer are discussed in these review. Recent studies suggest also its role in regulating the sense of satiety. The chemical compounds of EVOO that may contribute to its overall therapeutic characteristics, the epigenetic and physiological mechanisms involved are focused, taking into account the most important studies in the literature of the last years.

Practical applications: Many studies on various aspects of nutrition indicated that many human diseases are influenced by lifestyle, in which the diet has an important aspect. The use of extra virgin olive oil is especially important from early childhood and throughout adult life to contribute to hinder the aging process. The importance of preventive and sometimes curative action, carried out by its various components in several pathological conditions has emerged from clinical, experimental, and epidemiological studies which, in many cases, are accompanied by indisputable scientific evidences. Taking into account the most important studies in the literature of the last years, the chemical compounds of extra virgin olive oil and the physiological mechanisms involved in their curative/health effects are the focus of this article.
Simultaneous quantification of serum phytosterols and cholesterol precursors using a simple gas chromatographic method
Authors: García‐Llatas Guadalupe , Vidal Carmen , Cilla Antonio , Barberá Reyes , Lagarda María Jesús
Published: January 2012

Determination of the main phytosterols (Ps, β‐sitosterol and campesterol) and cholesterol precursors (desmosterol and lathosterol) in human serum using a simple GC‐FID method has been validated. Direct saponification, without lipid extraction, sterols extraction, and further derivatization was applied to samples prior to GC analysis. To evaluate the method, a pool of serum samples from eight healthy women was used. Good linearity (r>0.99) was found in the assay range: β‐sitosterol (0.99–17.82 µg/mL), campesterol (0.14–10.8 µg/mL), desmosterol (0.17–2.6 µg/mL), and lathosterol (0.6–5.97 µg/mL). Limits of detection (ng/mL) were: 86 (β‐sitosterol), 42 (campesterol), 4 (desmosterol), and 44 (lathosterol). Accuracy, estimated by recovery assays (%), were: 113 (β‐sitosterol), 114 (campesterol), 111 (desmosterol), and 102 (lathosterol). Within and between precision values (%), expressed as the relative SD (RSD), were: 2.6 and 8.1 (β‐sitosterol), 1.6 and 7.2 (campesterol), 2.1 and 7.9 (desmosterol), and 4.1 and 5.8 (lathosterol), respectively. The developed methodology allowed fast (1‐day analysis) and reliable quantification of sterols in serum, required a small volume of sample and reduced use of solvents. It therefore could be used in clinical assays for the determination of serum sterols, as in evaluating the pharmacological response to lipid‐lowering agents, and in assessing biological responses to Ps‐enriched diets.

Practical applications: This methodology allows fast and reliable quantification of sterols in serum, requiring a small volume of sample and reduced use of solvents. It can be used as a routine method for the quantification of phytosterols and cholesterol precursors in clinical assays, and it is also suitable for monitoring biological responses to health‐promoting phytosterol‐enriched diets.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Tandem Reactions of β‐(2‐Bromophenyl)‐α,β‐Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds with 2‐Hydroxyphenylboronic Acid: A New Route to Benzo[c]chromenes
Authors: Zhu Qihua , Wang Xuyan , Xu Yungen
Published: January 2012

Palladium‐catalyzed tandem reactions of β‐(2‐bromophenyl)‐α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds with 2‐hydroxyphenylboronic acid for the synthesis of benzo[c]chromenes are presented. This mild reaction allows formation of onecarbon–carbon bond and one carbon–oxygen bond in one pot.
Investigation of a Biosensor Based on Phenylalanine Dehydrogenase Immobilized on a Polymer‐Blend Film for Phenylketonuria Diagnosis
Authors: Naghib Seyed Morteza , Rabiee Mohammad , Omidinia Eskandar , Khoshkenar Payam
Published: January 2012

We investigated aL‐phenylalanine (L‐phe) biosensor, functionalized through enzyme immobilization on a polymer‐blend film. The electron mediator 3,4‐dihydroxybenzaldehyde (3,4‐DHB) was employed at the electrode surface to improve direct oxidation of NADH to NAD+and no additional reagents is required to be added to the sample solution. The bioactivated electrode was coated with a semi‐permeable cellulose acetate membrane in order to prevent dissolution of biofunctionalized polymer‐blend film. This constructed enzyme electrode is the first selective biosensor for phenylketonuria (PKU) detection. The sensitivity of the enzyme electrode was determined as 12.014 mA/M cm2. The Michaelis–Menten and current responses as well as sensitivity of the electrode showed improved values than those of previous works. This selective biosensor presented an excellent electroanalytical response forL‐phe, with a high steady‐state current being obtained after 20 s. The sensitivity of our biodevice is quite sufficient for the purpose of PKU detection because the reference range of clinical concern forL‐phenylalanine concentration isCL‐phe>0.5 mM. This surface‐bioactivated enzyme electrode retained more than 80 % of its electrocatalytic activity after 16 days.
DNA – Cyanobacterial Hepatotoxins Microcystin‐LR and Nodularin Interaction: Electrochemical Evaluation
Authors: Santos Paulina V. F. , Lopes Ilanna C. , Diculescu Victor C. , Oliveira‐Brett Ana Maria
Published: January 2012

Microcystin‐LR (MC‐LR) and nodularin (NOD), two potent cyanotoxins with strong hepatotoxic, genotoxic and carcinogenic potential have been associated with the induction of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in vitro and in vivo. Electrochemical studies were performed to understand the DNA interaction mechanisms with MC‐LR and NOD using a dsDNA‐electrochemical biosensor and incubated solutions. The decrease of the dsDNA oxidation peaks with increasing incubation time due to aggregation of DNA strands and the liberation of adenine free residues, causing the occurrence of DNA abasic sites, was observed, which may introduce mutations in the dsDNA during the replication process.
Gold Electrode Modified with Self‐Assembled Monolayer of Cysteamine‐Functionalized MWCNT and Its Application in Simultaneous Determination of Dopamine and Uric Acid
Authors: Shahrokhian Saeed , Mahdavi‐Shakib Akbar , Ghalkhani Masoumeh , Saberi Reihaneh‐sadat
Published: January 2012

The voltammetric behavior of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA) on a gold electrode modified with self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) of cysteamine (CA) conjugated with functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated. The film modifier of functionalized SAM was characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and also, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using para‐hydroquinone (PHQ) as a redox probe. For the binary mixture of DA and UA, the voltammetric signals of these two compounds can be well separated from each other, allowing simultaneous determination of DA and UA. The effect of various experimental parameters on the voltammetric responses of DA and UA was investigated. The detection limit in differential pulse voltammetric determinations was obtained as 0.02 µM and 0.1 µM for DA and UA, respectively. The prepared modified electrode indicated a stable behavior and the presence of surface COOH groups of the functionalized MWCNT avoided the passivation of the electrode surface during the electrode processes. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of DA and UA in urine samples with satisfactory results. The response of the gold electrode modified with MWCNT‐functionalized SAM method toward DA, UA, and ascorbic acid (AA) oxidation was compared with the response of the modified electrode prepared by the direct casting of MWCNT.
DNA damage profiles induced by sunlight at different latitudes
Authors: Schuch André Passaglia , Yagura Teiti , Makita Kazuo , Yamamoto Hiromasa , Schuch Nelson Jorge , Agnez‐Lima Lucymara Fassarella , MacMahon Ricardo Monreal , Menck Carlos Frederico Martins
Published: January 2012

Despite growing knowledge on the biological effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on human health and ecosystems, it is still difficult to predict the negative impacts of the increasing incidence of solar UV radiation in a scenario of global warming and climate changes. Hence, the development and application of DNA‐based biological sensors to monitor the solar UV radiation under different environmental conditions is of increasing importance. With a mind to rendering a molecular view‐point of the genotoxic impact of sunlight, field experiments were undertaken with a DNA‐dosimeter system in parallel with physical photometry of solar UVB/UVA radiation, at various latitudes in South America. Onapplying biochemical and immunological approaches based on specific DNA‐repair enzymes and antibodies, for evaluating sunlight‐induced DNA damage profiles, it became clear that the genotoxic potential of sunlight does indeed vary according to latitude. Notwithstanding, while induction of oxidized DNA bases is directly dependent on an increase in latitude, the generation of 6‐4PPs is inversely so, whereby the latter can be regarded as a biomolecular marker of UVB incidence. This molecular DNA lesion‐pattern largely reflects the relative incidence of UVA and UVB energy at any specific latitude. Hereby is demonstrated the applicability of this DNA‐based biosensor for additional, continuous field experiments, as a means of registering variations in the genotoxic impact of solar UV radiation. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
International Evidence on GFC‐Robust Forecasts for Risk Management under the Basel Accord
Authors: McAleer Michael , Jiménez‐Martín Juan‐Ángel , Pérez‐Amaral Teodosio
Published: January 2012

A risk management strategy designed to be robust to the global financial crisis (GFC), in the sense of selecting a value‐at‐risk (VaR) forecast that combines the forecasts of different VaR models, was proposed by McAleer and coworkers in 2010. The robust forecast is based on the median of the point VaR forecasts of a set of conditional volatility models. Such a risk management strategy is robust to the GFC in the sense that, while maintaining the same risk management strategy before, during and after a financial crisis, it will lead to comparatively low daily capital charges and violation penalties for the entire period. This paper presents evidence to support the claim that the median point forecast of VaR is generally GFC robust. We investigate the performance of a variety of single and combined VaR forecasts in terms of daily capital requirements and violation penalties under the Basel II Accord, as well as other criteria. In the empirical analysis we choose several major indexes, namely French CAC, German DAX, US Dow Jones, UK FTSE100, Hong Kong Hang Seng, Spanish Ibex 35, Japanese Nikkei, Swiss SMI and US S&P 500. The GARCH, EGARCH, GJR and RiskMetrics models as well as several other strategies, are used in the comparison. Backtesting is performed on each of these indexes using the Basel II Accord regulations for 2008–10 to examine the performance of the median strategy in terms of the number of violations and daily capital charges, among other criteria. The median is shown to be a profitable and safe strategy for risk management, both in calm and turbulent periods, as it provides a reasonable number of violations and daily capital charges. The median also performs well when both total losses and the asymmetric linear tick loss function are considered Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Shrinkage‐Based Tests of Predictability
Authors: Brown Pablo Matias Pincheira
Published: January 2012

In this paper we derive a test of predictability by exploring the possibility that forecasts from a given model, adjusted by a shrinkage factor, will display lower mean squared prediction errors than forecasts from a simple random walk. This generalizes most previous tests which compare forecast errors of a benchmark model with errors of a proposed alternative model, not allowing for shrinkage. We show that our test is a particular extension of a recently developed test of the martingale difference hypothesis. Using simulations we explore the behavior of our test in small and moderate samples. Numerical results indicate that the test has good size and power properties. Finally, we illustrate the use of our test in an empirical application within the exchange rate literature. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phylogenetic analysis of the late Cambrian–early Ordovician genus Parabolinella Brøgger (Trilobita, Olenidae)
Authors: Monti Daniela S. , Confalonieri Viviana A.
Published: January 2012

Phylogenetic relationships among species of the family Olenidae (Trilobita, Ptychopariida) were traditionally established by the direct comparison of morphological features and the evaluation of stratigraphic placement. In this study, a cladistic analysis of Parabolinella Brøgger is conducted in order to test the supposed monophyly of the genus and to determine the relationships of its species. Twenty‐one taxa (sixteen of this genus) from the late Cambrian and Tremadocian of Baltica, Avalonia, Laurentia, South China and the western margin of Gondwana were revised. Forty non‐ordered characters were considered in the analysis, 34 belonging to the cephalon, four to the pygidium, and two to the thorax. Some of these characters were specially defined for this study. The phylogenetic analysis was performed under unweighted parsimony. The obtained tree is partially consistent with the stratigraphic record of the studied species and shows correspondence with global late Cambrian and early Ordovician palaeogeography. Parabolinella may have originated in deep water sites of the Oaxaca region, Mexico and then migrated to other regions. The genus diversified in outer shelf facies of the Baltica Province during the late Cambrian and Tremadocian, whereas it would have dispersed to the South China Province in early Tremadocian times. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Probing tissue microstructure with restriction spectrum imaging: Histological and theoretical validation
Authors: White Nathan S. , Leergaard Trygve B. , D'Arceuil Helen , Bjaalie Jan G. , Dale Anders M.
Published: January 2012

Water diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is a powerful tool for studying biological tissue microarchitectures in vivo. Recently, there has been increased effort to develop quantitative dMRI methods to probe both length scale and orientation information in diffusion media. Diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) is one such approach that aims to resolve such information based on the three‐dimensional diffusion propagator at each voxel. However, in practice, only the orientation component of the propagator function is preserved when deriving the orientation distribution function. Here, we demonstrate how a straightforward extension of the linear spherical deconvolution (SD) model can be used to probe tissue orientation structures over a range (or “spectrum”) of length scales with minimal assumptions on the underlying microarchitecture. Using high b‐value Cartesian q‐space data on a rat brain tissue sample, we demonstrate how this “restriction spectrum imaging” (RSI) model allows for separating the volume fraction and orientation distribution of hindered and restricted diffusion, which we argue stems primarily from diffusion in the extraneurite and intraneurite water compartment, respectively. Moreover, we demonstrate how empirical RSI estimates of the neurite orientation distribution and volume fraction capture important additional structure not afforded by traditional DSI or fixed‐scale SD‐like reconstructions, particularly in gray matter. We conclude that incorporating length scale information in geometric models of diffusion offers promise for advancing state‐of‐the‐art dMRI methods beyond white matter into gray matter structures while allowing more detailed quantitative characterization of water compartmentalization and histoarchitecture of healthy and diseased tissue. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Brain functional connectivity of male patients in remission after the first episode of schizophrenia
Authors: Kasparek Tomas , Prikryl Radovan , Rehulova Jitka , Marecek Radek , Mikl Michal , Prikrylova Hana , Vanicek Jiri , Ceskova Eva
Published: January 2012

Objectives: Abnormal task‐related activation and connectivity is present in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was the analysis of functional networks in schizophrenia patients in remission after the first episode. Experimental design: Twenty‐nine male patients in remission after the first episode of schizophrenia and 22 healthy controls underwent examination by functional magnetic resonance during verbal fluency tasks (VFT). The functional connectivity of brain networks was analyzed using independent component analysis. Results: The patients showed lower activation of the salience network during VFT. They also showed lower deactivation of the default mode network (DMN) during VFT processing. Spectral analysis of the component time courses showed decreased power in slow frequencies of signal fluctuations in the salience and DMNs and increased power in higher frequencies in the left frontoparietal cortex reflecting higher fluctuations of the network activity. Moreover, there was decreased similarity of component time courses in schizophrenia—the patients had smaller negative correlation between VFT activated and deactivated networks, and smaller positive correlations between DMN subcomponents. Conclusions: There is still an abnormal functional connectivity of several brain networks in remission after the first episode of schizophrenia. The effect of different treatment modalities on brain connectivity, together with temporal dynamics of this functional abnormality should be the objective of further studies to assess its potential as a marker of disease stabilization. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A generalized procedure for calibrated MRI incorporating hyperoxia and hypercapnia
Authors: Gauthier Claudine J. , Hoge Richard D.
Published: January 2012

Calibrated MRI techniques use the changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) signal evoked by a respiratory manipulation to extrapolate the total BOLD signal attributable to deoxyhemoglobin at rest (M). This parameter can then be used to estimate changes in the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO2) based on task‐induced BOLD and CBF signals. Different approaches have been described previously, including addition of inspired CO2 (hypercapnia) or supplemental O2 (hyperoxia). We present here a generalized BOLD signal model that reduces under appropriate conditions to previous models derived for hypercapnia or hyperoxia alone, and is suitable for use during hybrid breathing manipulations including simultaneous hypercapnia and hyperoxia. This new approach yields robust and accurate M maps, in turn allowing more reliable estimation of CMRO2 changes evoked during a visual task. The generalized model is valid for arbitrary flow changes during hyperoxia, thus benefiting from the larger total oxygenation changes produced by increased blood O2 content from hyperoxia combined with increases in flow from hypercapnia. This in turn reduces the degree of extrapolation required to estimate M. The new procedure yielded M estimates that were generally higher (7.6 ± 2.6) than those obtained through hypercapnia (5.6 ± 1.8) or hyperoxia alone (4.5 ± 1.5) in visual areas. These M values and their spatial distribution represent a more accurate and robust depiction of the underlying distribution of tissue deoxyhemoglobin at rest, resulting in more accurate estimates of evoked CMRO2 changes. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Decoding abstract and concrete concept representations based on single‐trial fMRI data
Authors: Wang Jing , Baucom Laura B. , Shinkareva Svetlana V.
Published: January 2012

Previously, multi‐voxel pattern analysis has been used to decode words referring to concrete object categories. In this study we investigated if single‐trial‐based brain activity was sufficient to distinguish abstract (e.g., mercy) versus concrete (e.g., barn) concept representations. Multiple neuroimaging studies have identified differences in the processing of abstract versus concrete concepts based on the averaged activity across time by using univariate methods. In this study we used multi‐voxel pattern analysis to decode functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data when participants perform a semantic similarity judgment task on triplets of either abstract or concrete words with similar meanings. Classifiers were trained to identify individual trials as concrete or abstract. Cross‐validated accuracies for classifying trials as abstract or concrete were significantly above chance (P < 0.05) for all participants. Discriminating information was distributed in multiple brain regions. Moreover, accuracy of identifying single trial data for any one participant as abstract or concrete was also reliably above chance (P < 0.05) when the classifier was trained solely on data from other participants. These results suggest abstract and concrete concepts differ in representations in terms of neural activity patterns during a short period of time across the whole brain. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The neural substrate for working memory of tactile surface texture
Authors: Kaas Amanda L. , van Mier Hanneke , Visser Maya , Goebel Rainer
Published: January 2012

Fine surface texture is best discriminated by touch, in contrast to macro geometric features like shape. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and a delayed match‐to‐sample task to investigate the neural substrate for working memory of tactile surface texture. Blindfolded right‐handed males encoded the texture or location of up to four sandpaper stimuli using the dominant or non‐dominant hand. They maintained the information for 10–12 s and then answered whether a probe stimulus matched the memory array. Analyses of variance with the factors Hand, Task, and Load were performed on the estimated percent signal change for the encoding and delay phase. During encoding, contralateral effects of Hand were found in sensorimotor regions, whereas Load effects were observed in bilateral postcentral sulcus (BA2), secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), pre‐SMA, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and superior parietal lobule (SPL). During encoding and delay, Task effects (texture > location) were found in central sulcus, S2, pre‐SMA, dlPFC, and SPL. The Task and Load effects found in hand‐ and modality‐specific regions BA2 and S2 indicate involvement of these regions in the tactile encoding and maintenance of fine surface textures. Similar effects in hand‐ and modality‐unspecific areas dlPFC, pre‐SMA and SPL suggest that these regions contribute to the cognitive monitoring required to encode and maintain multiple items. Our findings stress both the particular importance of S2 for the encoding and maintenance of tactile surface texture, as well as the supramodal nature of parieto‐frontal networks involved in cognitive control. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Letters persistence after physical offset: Visual word form area and left planum temporale. An fMRI study
Authors: Barban Francesco , Daniele Zannino Gian , Macaluso Emiliano , Caltagirone Carlo , Carlesimo Giovanni A.
Published: January 2012

Iconic memory is a high‐capacity low‐duration visual memory store that allows the persistence of a visual stimulus after its offset. The categorical nature of this store has been extensively debated. This study provides functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence for brain regions underlying the persistence of postcategorical representations of visual stimuli. In a partial report paradigm, subjects matched a cued row of a 3 × 3 array of letters (postcategorical stimuli) or false fonts (precategorical stimuli) with a subsequent triplet of stimuli. The cued row was indicated by two visual flankers presented at the onset (physical stimulus readout) or after the offset of the array (iconic memory readout). The left planum temporale showed a greater modulation of the source of readout (iconic memory vs. physical stimulus) when letters were presented compared to false fonts. This is a multimodal brain region responsible for matching incoming acoustic and visual patterns with acoustic pattern templates. These findings suggest that letters persist after their physical offset in an abstract postcategorical representation. A targeted region of interest analysis revealed a similar pattern of activation in the Visual Word Form Area. These results suggest that multiple higher‐order visual areas mediate iconic memory for postcategorical stimuli. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prescription profiles for pharmacological treatment of Japanese inpatients with schizophrenia: comparison between 2007 and 2009
Authors: Yoshio Takashi , Inada Toshiya , Uno Junji , Miwa Takaichi , Kitagawa Kohei , Miyahara Yoshiki , Umeda Kenta , Kato Tsuyoshi , Inagaki Ataru , Nabeshima Toshitaka
Published: January 2012

Background and Objective

Pharmacological treatment of schizophrenic patients in Japan is characterized by polypharmacy with high doses of antipsychotics. In this study, we examined the profiles of antipsychotic drug therapy in 2007 and 2009 to determine if there have been any recent shifts in treatment strategy.

Method

The subjects were schizophrenic inpatients (ICD‐10‐F20) admitted to 100 hospitals in 2007 and 152 hospitals in 2009. Information on the psychotropic agents prescribed on specified days in November 2007 and 2009 was acquired for each patient.

Results

Although no changes were observed in the rate of antipsychotic medications being prescribed, the rate of antipsychotic monotherapy in 2009 increased significantly. In 2007, among 15,761 patients, 4977 (31.6%) received antipsychotic monotherapy (i.e., administration of a single antipsychotic medication). In 2009, among 22,911 patients, 7741 (33.8%) received antipsychotic monotherapy.

Conclusion

The rate of use of antipsychotic monotherapy has gradually increased, although the total dose has not changed significantly. The increase in the concomitant use of two or more second‐generation antipsychotics is a recent trend in Japan, despite the lack of information on the efficacy and safety of this treatment strategy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temporal Granger Causality and the Dynamics Relationship Between Real Tourism Receipts, Real Income and Real Exchange Rates in Malaysia
Authors: Tang Chor Foon
Published: January 2012

This study applies the bounds testing approach, error‐correction modelling and persistence profile to analyse the dynamic relationship between real tourism receipts, real income and real exchange rates in Malaysia. The present study covers the annual sample period from 1974 to 2009. The results reveal that a long‐run relationship exists between the variables. In the short run, this study finds no Granger causality between real tourism receipts and real income, whereas there is bidirectional causality in the long‐run. Moreover, we also find unidirectional causality running from real exchange rates to real tourism receipts and real income in both short‐ and long‐run. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prostate‐Cancer‐Targeted N‐(2‐Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide Copolymer/Docetaxel Conjugates
Authors: Liu Jihua , Kopečková Pavla , Pan Huaizhong , Sima Monika , Bühler Patrick , Wolf Philipp , Elsässer‐Beile Ursula , Kopeček Jindřich
Published: January 2012

Biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of prostate‐cancer‐targeted HPMA copolymer/DTX conjugates are evaluated in nude mice bearing prostate cancer C4‐2 xenografts. PSMA‐specific monoclonal antibodies 3F/11 are used as the targeting moiety. Control conjugates contain either non‐specific IgG or no IgG. The ratios of tumor accumulation to total background organs (heart, lung, kidney, liver, spleen and blood) accumulation increase substantially with time for the targeted conjugate, and the ratio at 48 h is 7‐fold higher than that at 6 h. Preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of the conjugates in vivo show tumor growth inhibition for all HPMA copolymer/DTX conjugates.

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Injectable Hydrogel for Sustained Protein Release by Salt‐Induced Association of Hyaluronic Acid Nanogel
Authors: Nakai Takashi , Hirakura Tai , Sakurai Yuji , Shimoboji Tsuyoshi , Ishigai Masaki , Akiyoshi Kazunari
Published: January 2012

A hyaluronic acid‐based anionic nanogel formed by self‐assembly of cholesteryl‐group‐bearing HA is designed for protein delivery. The HA nanogel spontaneously binds various types of proteins without denaturation, such as recombinant human growth hormone, erythropoietin, exendin‐4, and lysozyme. The HA nanogel shows unique colloidal properties, in particular that an injectable hydrogel is formed by salt‐induced association of the HA nanogel. A pharmacokinetic study in rats shows that an in situ gel formulation, prepared by simply mixing rhGH and HA nanogel in phosphate buffer, maintains plasma rhGH levels within a narrow range over one week. Therefore, HA nanogels offer a simple method for easy formulation of therapeutic proteins and are effective for sustained protein release systems.

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Measuring changes in muscle stiffness after eccentric exercise using elastography
Authors: Green M. A. , Sinkus R. , Gandevia S. C. , Herbert R. D. , Bilston L. E.
Published: January 2012

Muscle stiffness has been reported to increase following eccentric muscle exercise, but to date only indirect methods have been used to measure it. This study aimed to use Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE), a noninvasive imaging technique, to assess the time‐course of passive elasticity changes in the medial gastrocnemius and soleus muscles before and after a bout of eccentric exercise. Shear storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G′′) measurements were made in eight healthy subjects for both muscles in vivo before, one hour after, 48 hours after and 1 week after eccentric exercise. The results show a 21% increase in medial gastrocnemius storage modulus following eccentric exercise with a peak occurring ~48 hours after exercise (before exercise 1.15 ± 0.23 kPa, 48 hours after 1.38 ± 0.27 kPa). No significant changes in soleus muscle storage modulus were measured for the exercise protocol used in this study, and no significant changes in loss modulus were observed. This study provides the first direct measurements in skeletal muscle before and after eccentric exercise damage and suggests that MRE can be used to detect the time course of changes to muscle properties. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessment of the dentin‐pulp complex response to caries by ADC mapping
Authors: Vidmar Jernej , Cankar Ksenija , Nemeth Lidija , Serša Igor
Published: January 2012

The prognostic potential of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping was studied as complemented by high‐resolution 3D T1‐weighted MRI in the assessment of dentin‐pulp complex response to caries. Twenty‐six extracted human teeth, with or without caries lesions of different grades in accord with the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), were analyzed by high‐resolution MRI at 2.35 T. A signal rise in demineralized hard dental tissues in high‐resolution T1‐weighted MR images enabled assessment of the demineralization depth over the whole range of ICDAS scores. ADC maps of the teeth were calculated from corresponding diffusion‐weighted images of four different b values: 0, 132, 317, 635 s/mm2. These maps enabled reliable differentiation between intact (ADC > 1.0·10‐9 m2/s) and affected (ADC < 1.0·10‐9 m2/s) regions of dental pulp. Linear regression analyses of demineralization depth in relation to ICDAS score and then also to average ADC of dental pulp showed that a demineralization depth increase of one millimeter corresponds to an ICDAS score increase of 1.2 and an average ADC decrease of 0.07·10‐9 m2/s. Results of the study indicate that the average ADC value of dental pulp could be used as a potential marker to assess tissue response to caries comparable to that of ICDAS scoring. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antinociceptive Effects of Eugenol Evaluated in a Monoiodoacetate‐induced Osteoarthritis Rat Model
Authors: Ferland Catherine E. , Beaudry Francis , Vachon Pascal
Published: January 2012

The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether eugenol, the main constituent of clove oil, has the capacity to provide analgesia in the monoiodoacetate‐induced rat model of osteoarthritis. Animals (n = 6/group) received either eugenol (20 or 40 mg/kg) or a vehicle by gavage. Daily administrations were initiated 2 days post osteoarthritis induction and continued for the duration of the study (4 weeks). Gait analysis was performed using the CatWalk method and secondary mechanical allodynia was assessed with von Frey filaments. Selected spinal cord peptides (substance P, calcitonin gene‐related peptide and dynorphin) were quantified by mass spectrometry. Significant changes were identified in dynamic gait parameters (swing speed, swing phase duration and duty cycle) of the affected limb following 40 mg/kg eugenol treatment compared with the vehicle (p < 0.05). Von Frey results revealed significant differences between the 40 mg/kg treatment and the vehicle group during the first and the third week of the study (p < 0.02). Spinal pain‐related peptide analysis revealed a decreased content of substance P and CGRP accompanied by an increase of dynorphin in animals treated with 40 mg/kg eugenol. These results suggest a therapeutic potential of eugenol to alleviate osteoarthritis‐related pain. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Korean Version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale: An Extended Validation
Authors: Jung Young‐Eun , Min Jung‐Ah , Shin A Young , Han Su Yeon , Lee Kyoung‐Uk , Kim Tae‐Suk , Park Joo‐Eon , Choi Sam‐Wook , Lee Seung‐Hwan , Choi Kyeong Sook , Park Young Min , Woo Jong‐Min , Bhang Soo‐Young , Kang Eun‐Ho , Kim Won , Yu Jeong Jin , Chae Jeong‐Ho ,   Positiveness Research Team of Korea
Published: January 2012

The Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC) is a brief self‐rating questionnaire for measuring resilience. The aims of the present study were to describe the development of a Korean version of the CD‐RISC (K‐CD‐RISC) and to more firmly establish its psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity. The participants consisted of a general population sample (n = 194) and psychiatric outpatients (n = 127) with non‐psychotic mood or anxiety disorders. The K‐CD‐RISC score means (standard deviation) were 65.9 (13.6) in the general population and 50.4 (20.5) in the psychiatric outpatients. The mean score of the general population was significantly higher than that of the psychiatric outpatients. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors, and the obtained factor structure was verified through confirmatory factor analysis. In the general population, the Cronbach's α coefficient of the K‐CD‐RISC was found to be 0.92. Greater resilience was found to be associated with less perceived stress, anxiety and depression and with higher levels of positive affect and purpose in life. Taken together, our findings suggest that the K‐CD‐RISC has good psychometric properties and is a valid and reliable tool for assessing resilience. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultrafine Grained Steels with Improved Ductility Fabricated by Repetitive Thermo‐Mechanical Processing
Authors: Lan Huifang , Du Linxiu , Wang Xiaonan , Liu Xianghua
Published: January 2012

Ultrafine grained (UFG) steels with bimodal grained microstructure consisting of ultrafine grains in the size of 400 nm and micrometer‐sized grains were obtained by repetitive thermo‐mechanical processing. The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties were studied. It was revealed that the formation of the bimodal grained microstructure is attributed to the combination of continuous and discontinuous recrystallization. Compared with the uniform UFG steel with average grain size of about 400 nm, the ductility was remarkably improved by introducing micrometer‐sized grains into the UFG microstructure, providing better strength‐ductility balance.
Integration of the Blast Furnace Route and the FINEX®‐Process for Low CO2 Hot Metal Production
Authors: Thaler Christoph , Tappeiner Tamara , Schenk Johannes L. , Kepplinger Werner L. , Plaul Jan Friedemann , Schuster Stefan
Published: January 2012

The blast furnace is the most important process for the production of hot metal. An integral part of this process route is the coking of coal and sintering of fine ore. The FINEX®‐process is a new technology for hot metal production which uses untreated fine ores and coal instead of sinter and coke. This paper deals with the investigation of integration concepts of the blast furnace and FINEX®. Low reduced iron (LRI) and/or reducing gas are/is produced in FINEX® and are/is considered as substitute/s of burden and fuel in the blast furnace, respectively. In the article the overall fuel demand and CO2 emissions for the integration of the blast furnace and FINEX® are shown. For that reason two case studies for the integration are carried out and compared with the base case, that is, the two‐independent processes. The CO2 emissions are calculated considering the fuel and electric power consumption of the different cases.
Earthquake behavior of a 150‐m thermal power plant reinforced concrete stack
Authors: Nateghi‐A Fariborz , Rezaei‐Tabrizi Ali
Published: January 2012

Seismic evaluation of power plants is an extremely vital task in Iran. Iran is a seismically active region, and experience of major earthquakes in recent years has created an environment that requires special attention to all major and important structures throughout the country. In this project, a 150‐m reinforced concrete stack in a thermal power plant in the western province of Hamedan was investigated. This study of course included all different sections of the power plant; however, in this paper, only the seismic behavior of this tall stack will be presented. The main document used for the evaluation of this stack was ACI 307. According to the recommendation of this manual, bar elements and concentrated mass were utilized for the analysis. Also, to further investigate the true behavior and compare the results by the recommendations, a finite element analysis was performed. In finite element analysis, due to modeling capabilities, all of the openings were considered. In this study, by using both methods, periods, displacements, modal participation factors, base shear and overturning moments were studied and compared. This paper is to present the procedures used, comparisons made and results obtained. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonlinear finite element analysis of behaviors of steel beam–continuous compound spiral stirrups reinforced concrete column frame structures
Authors: Li Wei , Li Qing‐Ning , Jiang Wei‐Shan
Published: January 2012

Many tests and numerical research for RCS frame consisted of reinforced concrete (RC) column and steel (S) beam have been conducted in the USA and Japan over the past decades; they showed that the performance of the RCS system is superior to traditional concrete frame and steel frame. Up to the present, no research reports on composite CCSHRCS frame structure consisted of high‐strength concrete columns confined with continuous compound spiral stirrups (CCSHRC) and steel (S) beam. Herein, an accurate finite element model of composite CCSHRCS frame is developed; the finite element model is investigated in order to fully include important factors such as local buckling of steel beam and nonlinear behavior of confined concrete; the validity of the proposed models is examined by comparing with the results of cyclic loading experiments on the RCS frame in reference. With the proposed model, the effect of composite CCSHRCS frame is discussed in detail. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
IEEE 802.11 medium access control enhancements based on simultaneous multiple‐input multiple‐output bandwidth sharing
Authors: Ashtaiwi Abduladhim , Sulyman Ahmed Iyanda , Hassanein Hossam S.
Published: January 2012

The demand for higher data rate has spurred the adoption of multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) transmission techniques in IEEE 802.11 products. MIMO techniques provide an additional spatial dimension that can significantly increase the channel capacity. A number of multiuser MIMO system have been proposed, where the multiple antenna at the physical layer are employed for multiuser access, allowing multiple users to share the same bandwidth. As these MIMO physical layer technologies further evolve, the usable bandwidth per application increases; hence, the average service time per application decreases. However, in the IEEE 802.11 distributed coordination function‐based systems, a considerable amount of bandwidth is wasted during the medium access and coordination process. Therefore, as the usable bandwidth is enhanced using MIMO technology, the bandwidth wastage of medium access and coordination becomes a significant performance bottleneck. Hence, there is a fundamental need for bandwidth sharing schemes at the medium access control (MAC) layer where multiple connections can concurrently use the increased bandwidth provided by the physical layer MIMO technologies. In this paper, we propose the MIMO‐aware rate splitting (MRS) MAC protocol and examine its behavior under different scenarios. MRS is a distributed MAC protocol where nodes locally cooperate with one another to share bandwidth via splitting the spatial channels of MIMO systems. Simulation results of MRS protocol are obtained and compared with those of IEEE 802.11n protocol. We show that our proposed MRS scheme can significantly outperform the IEEE 802.11n in medium access delay and throughput. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance modeling and analysis of emergency message propagation in vehicular ad hoc networks
Authors: Zhang Jinsong , Ma Xiaomin , Wu Tong
Published: January 2012

Reliability and timeliness are two critical requirements of vehicle safety‐related communication services in VANETs. In this paper, we develop an analytical model to analyze the packet reception rate and end‐to‐end delay of emergency message delivery operation in a VANET environment when multihop broadcast communications are used. The model is applied to derive closed‐form expressions of the end‐to‐end delay of two popular multihop message propagation methods, that is, the farthest‐distance method and the counter‐based method. Extensive simulations are conducted to validate the correctness of the theoretic results and compare the performance of the two message propagation methods. Observations are provided for the design of efficient and robust emergency message propagation methods for vehicular wireless communication networks. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects of wireless communication failures on group behavior of mobile sensors
Authors: Zheng Jianying , Huang Yan , Wang Yiming , Xiao Yang
Published: January 2012

In social groups, complex group behavior often emerges from the local interaction among simple individuals. Throughout this study, we assume that individuals can access information by way of wireless communication. In this case, individuals are able to exchange accurate information with each other as long as wireless communication links between them are allowed. Subsequently, we propose a consensus decision‐making model for studying the consistency of group behavior considering both the wireless communication range and the probability of successful communication. Our simulation results show the following conclusions: (i) consistency of the group behavior is absolutely achieved, when the wireless communication range is large enough and the probability of successful communication p = 1; (ii) when the wireless communication range is large enough, the consistency of the group behavior is still achieved as long as p is bigger than some small constant; and (iii) the law in (iii) remains applicable when the number of individuals in the group changes. Therefore, one may infer that consistency of group behavior in mobile sensors is much more related to the extent of distribution of obtainable information than the amount of information, where the extent of distribution of obtainable information means that each individual can obtain information from wider area or from those individuals who are not only in its local area. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.