bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence diffusion detection using the influence style (INFUSE) model
Authors: Tan Luke Kien‐Weng , Na Jin‐Cheon , Ding Ying
Published: April 2015

Blogs are readily available sources of opinions and sentiments that in turn could influence the opinions of the blog readers. Previous studies have attempted to infer influence from blog features, but they have ignored the possible influence styles that describe the different ways in which influence is exerted. We propose a novel approach to analyzing bloggers' influence styles and using the influence styles as features to improve the performance of influence diffusion detection among linked bloggers. The proposed influence style (INFUSE) model describes bloggers' influence through their engagement style, persuasion style, and persona. Methods used include similarity analysis to detect the creating−sharing aspect of engagement style, subjectivity analysis to measure persuasion style, and sentiment analysis to identify persona style. We further extend the INFUSE model to detect influence diffusion among linked bloggers based on the bloggers' influence styles. The INFUSE model performed well with an average F1 score of 76% compared with the in‐degree and sentiment‐value baseline approaches. Previous studies have focused on the existence of influence among linked bloggers in detecting influence diffusion, but our INFUSE model is shown to provide a fine‐grained description of the manner in which influence is diffused based on the bloggers' influence styles.
Imitating CoPs: Imposing formality on informality
Authors: Dessne Karin , Byström Katriina
Published: April 2015

The aim of this article is to explore the claim that communities of practice (CoPs) can be designed and managed. The concept of CoPs was originally developed as a social learning theory, and CoPs were defined by their informal emergent nature. This informal nature has been recognized to be of value to organizations, resulting in a desire to design CoPs. In this article, the nature of CoPs is addressed by focusing on aspects of formality and informality in relationships and learning; CoPs are described as emergent and designed practices. Furthermore, it is questioned whether a designed CoP may realize the essential characteristics attributed to an emergent CoP. It is argued that it is crucial to recognize the informal nature of CoPs in order to either encourage them as informal phenomena or to use the concept of CoPs as inspiration for designing imitations of them. However, when attempting to design them, the original meaning of a CoP is lost, even though, in some cases, the consequences of such a design may be beneficial to organizations. Nevertheless, when not taking the nature of a CoP into account, a designed construct may have a negative impact on learning and knowing.
A comparison between the g‐index and the h‐index based on concentration
Authors: Bartolucci Francesco
Published: April 2015

I discuss how, given a certain number of articles and citations of these articles, the h‐index and the g‐index are affected by the level of concentration of the citations. This offers the opportunity for a comparison between these 2 indices from a new perspective.
Science communication and dissemination in different cultures: An analysis of the audience forTEDvideos inChina and abroad
Authors: Pan Xuelian , Yan Erjia , Hua Weina
Published: April 2015

Disseminated across the world in more than 100 languages and viewed over 1 billion times,TED Talks is a successful example of web‐based science communication. This study investigates the impact ofTED Talks videos onYouKu, aChinese video portal, andYouTube using 6 measures of impact: number of views; likes; dislikes; comments; bookmarks; and shares. In particular, we study the relationship between the topicality and impact of these videos. Findings demonstrate that topics vary greatly in terms of their impact: Topics on entertainment and psychology/philosophy receive more views and likes, whereas design/art and astronomy/biology/oceanography attract fewer comments and bookmarks. Moreover, we identify several topical differences betweenYouKu andYouTube users. Topics on global issues and technology are more popular onYouKu, whereas topics on entertainment and psychology/philosophy are more popular onYouTube. By analyzing the popularity distribution of videos and the audience characteristics ofYouKu, we find that women are more interested in topics on education and psychology/philosophy, whereas men favor topics on technology and astronomy/biology/oceanography.
Atom‐Precise Polyoxometalate–Ag2S Core–Shell Nanoparticles
Authors: Li Xiao‐Yu , Tan Yuan‐Zhi , Yu Kai , Wang Xing‐Po , Zhao Ya‐Qin , Sun Di , Zheng Lan‐Sun
Published: April 2015

Atomically precise polyoxometalate–Ag2S core–shell nanoparticles were generated in a top‐down approach under solvothermal conditions and structurally confirmed by X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction as an interesting core–shell structure comprising an in situ generated Mo6O228− polyoxometalate core and a mango‐like Ag58S38 shell. This result demonstrates the possibility to integrate polyoxometalate and Ag2S nanoparticles into a core–shell heteronanostructure with precisely controlled atomical compositions of both core and shell.
Elevated GFAP Protein in Anterior Cingulate Cortical White Matter in Males With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Crawford Jessica D. , Chandley Michelle J. , Szebeni Katalin , Szebeni Attila , Waters Brandon , Ordway Gregory A.
Published: April 2015

Based on evidence of abnormalities in axon thickness and neuronal disorganization, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is commonly considered to be a condition resulting from neuronal dysfunction. Yet, recent findings suggest that non‐neuronal cell types also contribute to ASD pathology. To investigate the role of glial cells in ASD, a combination of protein and gene expression analyses were used to determine levels of two glial markers, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), in the postmortem brain tissue from control and ASD donors. Levels of GFAP immunoreactivity (ir) were significantly elevated (P = 0.008) in anterior cingulate cortex (Brodmann area 24; BA24) white matter of ASD donors compared to control donors. In contrast, GFAP‐ir levels were similar in BA24 gray matter from ASD and control donors. MOG‐ir was also similar in both BA24 white and gray matter from ASD and control donors. In anterior prefrontal cortex (BA10), there were no significant differences in GFAP‐ir or MOG‐ir in either white or gray matter comparing ASD to control donors. Levels of expression of the genes GFAP and MOG also showed no differences between control and ASD donors in BA24 and BA10 white and gray matter. Collectively, these data imply that ASD is associated with an activation of white matter astrocytes in the anterior cingulate cortex as a result of a yet undefined cellular insult. Research is needed to investigate the molecular pathways that underlie this astrocyte reaction and such research may yield important clues regarding the etiology of ASD. Autism Res 2015, 8: 649–657. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex Differences in Psychological Factors Associated with Social Discounting
Authors: Olson Elizabeth A. , Rosso Isabelle M. , Demers Lauren A. , Divatia Shreya , Killgore William D. S.
Published: April 2015

The social discounting paradigm is a powerful means of quantifying altruism in humans, who are typically willing to forgo some amount of personal earnings in exchange for increased earnings for another person. The amount of money that people are willing to forgo decreases with increasing social distance. In this study, we examined variables related to sex, intolerance of uncertainty, and empathy, all of which are theorized to affect the social discounting rate. Participants (27 men and 28 women) completed measures of intolerance of uncertainty, empathy, and social discounting. We found sex differences in psychological predictors of social discounting: in women, empathy (but not intolerance of uncertainty) predicts the social discounting rate, while in men, social discounting is associated with intolerance of uncertainty (but not empathy). Possible neurobiological, social, and cognitive explanations for this sex difference are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hexasomy 13q31.3q34 due to two marker chromosomes with inverted duplication in a fetus with increased nuchal translucency
Authors: Stembalska Agnieszka , Jagielska Gizela , Laczmanska Izabela , Szmida Elzbieta , Jarczynska Alicja , Gil Justyna
Published: April 2015

Background

Small supernumerary marker chromosomes are structurally rearranged chromosomes that can be formed from different chromosomal fragments and cannot be identified using chromosomal banding analysis. Their examination has to be complemented by additional analyses like fluorescent in situ hybridization or array comparative genomic hybridization.

Methods

We report on partial hexasomy of chromosome 13q in a fetus of a pregnant woman referred to genetic counseling because of increased fetal nuchal translucency and increased risk of trisomy 21 and trisomy 18 in first‐trimester combined prenatal screening. Using chromosome banding analysis, in situ hybridization and array comparative hybridization we revealed the presence of two marker chromosomes with inverted duplication resulting in hexasomy of a 22.6 Mbp fragment in chromosomal region 13q31.3‐13q34 with the lack of chromosome 13 centromere.

Results

The fetus presented dysmorphic facial features, head and body disproportion, wide neck, ambiguous genitalia, incorrect position of the anus, and symmetrical shortening of the long bones were present in our described case. Some of these features were in accordance with other published cases. Other most often described features in tetrasomy were: microphtalmia or other major eye defects, ear abnormalities and deafness, hemangiomata, hypotelorism, severe learning disability and seizures. Despite a low risk of recurrence for small supernumerary marker chromosomes the possibility of germ line mosaicism exists, thus genetic counseling was offered to the examined family.

Conclusion

A full characterization of small supernumerary marker chromosomes in fetal karyotype is necessary for pregnancy prognosis and genetic counseling. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 103:255–259, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simple synthesis of luminescent CdSe quantum dots from ascorbic acid and selenium dioxide
Authors: Wang Yilin , Yu Meihua , Yang Kun , Lu Jianping , Chen Linqing
Published: April 2015

A simple, low‐cost and convenient method was developed for the synthesis of highly luminescent CdSe quantum dots (QDs) in an aqueous medium. Compared with previous methods, this synthesis was carried out in one pot using ascorbic acid (C6H8O6) to replace NaBH4 or N2H4 · H2O as a reductant, and selenium dioxide to replace selenium or its other hazardous, expensive and unstable compounds as a precursor. The mechanism of CdSe QDs formation was elucidated. The influence of various experimental variables, including refluxing time, Cd/MSA and Cd/Se molar ratios, on the luminescent properties of the QDs were systematically investigated. X‐Ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy characterization indicated that the QDs had a pure cubic zinc‐blended structure with a spherical shape. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation and in vitro antioxidant activities of 6‐amino‐6‐deoxychitosan and its sulfonated derivatives
Authors: Yang Jianhong , Xie Qinyue , Zhu Jianfeng , Zou Chang , Chen Lingyun , Du Yumin , Li Dinglong
Published: April 2015

The 6‐amino‐6‐deoxychitosan (NC) and their 2, 6‐di‐N‐sulfonated derivatives were prepared via N‐phthaloylation, tosylation, azidation, hydrazinolysis, reduction of azide groups and N‐sulfonation, and their structures were systematically characterized by FT‐IR, 2D HSQC NMR, XRD, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and elemental analysis. The 6‐amino‐6‐deoxychitosan showed effect in three selected antioxidant essays, including reducing power, superoxide anion radical scavenging ability, and hydroxyl radical scavenging effect. But the factors affecting each activity were different. The reducing power and the superoxide anion radical scavenging ability of NC were strong and closely related to the amino groups in the molecular chains. Both introducing N‐sulfonated groups into NC and the concentration reduction of NC and its sulfonated derivatives decreased these activities. For the superoxide anion radical, the molecular charge property was also a significant influence factor. For the hydroxyl radical, NC only showed weak scavenging activity in a special inverse concentration‐dependent manner. However, the incorporation of N‐sulfonated groups significantly improved the scavenging activity, and the more N‐sulfonated groups, the higher the concentrations, the stronger the activity was. The results could be due to the different conformations of NC and its sulfonated derivatives in aqueous solution. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 103: 539–549, 2015.
Temporal characterization of protein production levels from baculovirus vectors coding for GFP and RFP genes under non‐conventional promoter control
Authors: George Steve , Jauhar Altamash M. , Mackenzie Jennifer , Kieβlich Sascha , Aucoin Marc G.
Published: April 2015

The ease of use and versatility of the Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS) has made it one of the most widely used systems for recombinant protein production However, co‐expression systems currently in use mainly make use of the very strong very late p10 and polyhedron (polh) promoters to drive expression of foreign genes, which does not provide much scope for tailoring expression ratios within the cell. This work demonstrates the use of different Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) promoters to control the timing and expression of two easily traceable fluorescent proteins, the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), and a red fluorescent protein (DsRed2) in a BEVS co‐expression system. Our results show that gene expression levels can easily be controlled using this strategy, and also that modulating the expression level of one protein can influence the level of expression of the other protein within the system, thus confirming the concept of genes “competing” for limited cellular resources. Plots of “expression ratios” of the two model genes over time were obtained, and may be used in future work to tightly control timing and levels of foreign gene expression in an insect cell co‐expression system. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1822–1831. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimization and automation of an end‐to‐end high throughput microscale transient protein production process
Authors: Bos Aaron B. , Luan Peng , Duque Joseph N. , Reilly Dorothea , Harms Peter D. , Wong Athena W.
Published: April 2015

High throughput protein production from transient transfection of mammalian cells is used in multiple facets of research and development studies. Commonly used formats for these high number expressions are 12‐, 24‐ and 96‐well plates at various volumes. However there are no published examples of a 96‐deep well plate microscale (1,000 μL) suspension process for mammalian transient expression. For this reason, we aimed to determine the optimal operating conditions for a high producing, microscale HEK293 transient system. We evaluated the hydrodynamic flow and measured the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) and transient protein expression for 96‐deep well plates of different well geometries filled at 600–1,000 μL working volumes and agitated at various speeds and orbital diameters. Ultimately, a round well‐round bottom (RR) 96‐deep well plate with a working volume of 1,000 µL agitated at 1,000 RPM and a 3 mm orbital diameter yielded the highest and most consistent total transient protein production. As plate cultures are subject to evaporation, water loss from different plate seals was measured to identify an optimal plate sealing method. Finally, to enable higher capacity protein production, both expression and purification processes were automated. Functionality of this end‐to‐end automation workflow was demonstrated with the generation of high levels of human IgG1 antibodies (≥360 µg/mL) with reproducible productivity, product quality and ≥78% purification recovery. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1832–1842. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of phosphate limitation on soluble microbial products and microbial community structure in semi‐continuous Synechocystis‐based photobioreactors
Authors: Zevin Alexander S. , Nam Taekgul , Rittmann Bruce , Krajmalnik‐Brown Rosa
Published: April 2015

All bacteria release organic compounds called soluble microbial products (SMP) as a part of their normal metabolism. In photobioreactor (PBR) settings, SMP produced by cyanobacteria represent a major pool of carbon and electrons available to heterotrophic bacteria. Thus, SMP in PBRs are a major driver for the growth of heterotrophic bacteria, and understanding the distribution of SMP in PBRs is an important step toward proper management of PBR microbial communities. Here, we analyzed the SMP and microbial communities in two Synechocystis sp. PCC6803‐based PBRs. The first PBR (PBRP0) became phosphate limited after several days of operation, while the second PBR (PBRP+) did not have phosphate limitation. Heterotrophic bacteria were detected in both PBRs, but PBRP0 had a much higher proportion of heterotrophic bacteria than PBRP+. Furthermore, PBRP+ had greater biomass production and lower SMP production per unit biomass than PBRP0. Carbohydrates that were most likely derived from hydrolysis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) dominated the SMP in PBRP0, while products resulting from cell lysis or decay dominated the SMP in PBRP+. Together, our data support that maintaining phosphate availability in Synechocystis‐based PBRs is important for managing SMP and, thus, the heterotrophic community. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1761–1769. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using Adobe Flash Animations of electron transport chain to teach and learn biochemistry
Authors: Teplá Milada , Klímová Helena
Published: April 2015

Teaching the subject of the electron transport chain is one of the most challenging aspects of the chemistry curriculum at the high school level. This article presents an educational program called “Electron Transport Chain” which consists of 14 visual animations including a biochemistry quiz. The program was created in the Adobe Flash CS3 Professional animation program and is designed for high school chemistry students. Our goal is to develop educational materials that facilitate the comprehension of this complex subject through dynamic animations which show the course of the electron transport chain and simultaneously explain its nature. We record the process of the electron transport chain, including connections with oxidative phosphorylation, in such a way as to minimize the occurrence of discrepancies in interpretation. The educational program was evaluated in high schools through the administration of a questionnaire, which contained 12 opened‐ended items and which required participants to evaluate the graphics of the animations, chemical content, student preferences, and its suitability for high school biochemistry teaching. © 2015 by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 43(4):294–299, 2015.
Ultrasensitive Molecular Beacon Designed with Totally Serinol Nucleic Acid (SNA) for Monitoring mRNA in Cells
Authors: Murayama Keiji , Kamiya Yukiko , Kashida Hiromu , Asanuma Hiroyuki
Published: April 2015

An artificial nucleic acid based on acyclic serinol building blocks and termed “serinol nucleic acid” (SNA) was used to construct a fluorescent probe for RNA visualization in cells. The molecular beacon (MB) composed of only SNA with a fluorophore at one terminus and a quencher at the other was resistant to enzymatic digestion, due to its unnatural acyclic scaffold. The SNA‐MB could detect its complementary RNA with extremely high sensitivity; the signal‐to‐background (S/B) ratio was as high as 930 when perylene and anthraquinone were used as the fluorophore and quencher pair. A high S/B ratio was also achieved with SNA‐MB tethering the conventional Cy3 fluorophore, and this probe enabled selective visualization of target mRNA in fixed cells. Thus, SNA‐MB has potential for use as a biological tool capable of visualizing RNA in living cells.
2015 SCAI/ACC/HFSA/STS clinical expert consensus statement on the use of percutaneous mechanical circulatory support devices in Cardiovascular Care (Endorsed by the American heart association, the Cardiological society of India, and Sociedad Latino Americana de Cardiología Intervencionista; Affirmation of value by the Canadian association of interventional Cardiology–association Canadienne de Cardiologie d'intervention)
Authors: Rihal Charanjit S. , Naidu Srihari S. , Givertz Michael M. , Szeto Wilson Y. , Burke James A. , Kapur Navin K. , Kern Morton , Garratt Kirk N. , Goldstein James A. , Dimas Vivian , Tu Thomas ,   From the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), Society for Thoracic Surgeons (STS), American Heart Association (AHA), and American College of Cardiology (ACC)
Published: April 2015

This article provides a brief summary of the relevant recommendations and references related to percutaneous mechanical circulatory support. The goal was to provide the clinician with concise, evidence‐based contemporary recommendations, and the supporting documentation to encourage their application. The full text includes disclosure of all relevant relationships with industry for each writing committee member. A fundamental aspect of all expert consensus statements is that these carefully developed, evidence‐based documents can neither encompass all clinical circumstances, nor replace the judgment of individual physicians in management of each patient. The science of medicine is rooted in evidence, and the art of medicine is based on the application of this evidence to the individual patient. This expert consensus statement has adhered to these principles for optimal management of patients requiring percutaneous mechanical circulatory support. © 2015 by The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, The American College of Cardiology Foundation, the Heart Failure Society of America, and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Simple Resolution of Enantiomeric NMR Signals of α‐Amino Acids by Using Samarium(III) Nitrate With L‐Tartarate
Authors: Aizawa Sen‐Ichi , Kidani Takahiro , Takada Sayuri , Ofusa Yumika
Published: April 2015

Readily available L‐tartaric acid, which is a bidentate ligand with two chiral centers forming a seven‐membered chelate ring, was applied to the chiral ligand for the chiral nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shift reagent of samarium(III) formed in situ. This simple method does not cause serious signal broadening in the high magnetic field. Enantiomeric 13C and 1H NMR signals and enantiotopic 1H NMR signals of α‐amino acids were successfully resolved at pH 8.0 and the 1:3 molar ratio of Sm(NO3)3:L‐tartaric acid. It is elucidated that the enantiomeric signal resolution is attributed to the anisotropic magnetic environment for the enantiomers induced by the chiral L‐tartarato samarium(III) complex rather than differences in stability of the diastereomeric substrate adducts. The present 13C NMR signal resolution was also effective for the practical simultaneous analysis of plural kinds of DL‐amino acids. Chirality 27:353–357, 2015.© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Azofarbstoffe in Textilien – eine kompetenzorientierte und experimentelle Unterrichtseinheit
Authors: Zajonc Stefan , Schwarz Aaron , Ducci Matthias
Published: April 2015

Im Beitrag wird eine Unterrichtsreihe beschrieben, die die stets aktuelle Problematik von Gefahrstoffen in Bedarfsgegenständen am Beispiel von Azofarbstoffen in Textilien aufgreift. Der fachliche Schwerpunkt der Konzeption liegt auf der Betrachtung von Redoxprozessen zwischen Azofarbstoffen, die von Textilien auf die Haut übertragen werden, und reduktiv wirkenden Hautbakterien sowie der anschließenden Hautpermeation der Reaktionsprodukte. Hierzu haben die Autoren ein neues Modellexperiment entwickelt, das im Beitrag vorgestellt wird. Es wird aufgezeigt, dass sich diese Thematik hervorragend dazu eignet, einen Beitrag zur Entwicklung der Bewertungskompetenz von Schülerinnen und Schülern zu leisten.
Fetal MRI: A technical update with educational aspirations
Authors: Gholipour Ali , Estroff Judith A. , Barnewolt Carol E. , Robertson Richard L. , Grant P. Ellen , Gagoski Borjan , Warfield Simon K. , Afacan Onur , Connolly Susan A. , Neil Jeffrey J. , Wolfberg Adam , Mulkern Robert V.
Published: April 2015

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations have become well‐established procedures at many institutions and can serve as useful adjuncts to ultrasound (US) exams when diagnostic doubts remain after US. Because of fetal motion, however, fetal MRI exams are challenging and require the MR scanner to be used in a somewhat different mode than that employed for more routine clinical studies. Herein we review the techniques most commonly used, and those that are available, for fetal MRI with an emphasis on the physics of the techniques and how to deploy them to improve success rates for fetal MRI exams. By far the most common technique employed is single‐shot T2‐weighted imaging due to its excellent tissue contrast and relative immunity to fetal motion. Despite the significant challenges involved, however, many of the other techniques commonly employed in conventional neuro‐ and body MRI such as T1 and T2*‐weighted imaging, diffusion, and perfusion weighted imaging, as well as spectroscopic methods remain of interest for fetal MR applications. An effort to understand the strengths and limitations of these basic methods within the context of fetal MRI is made in order to optimize their use and facilitate implementation of technical improvements for the further development of fetal MR imaging, both in acquisition and post‐processing strategies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 43A: 237–266, 2015.
Measuring observer metamerism: The Nimeroff approach
Authors: Fairchild Mark D. , Heckaman Rodney L.
Published: April 2015

In a color matching experiment, the colors of two stimuli might match perfectly to one observer. However, to another, those same two stimuli might not match depending on the spectral characteristics of the two stimuli and each of the observers' visual responses. This phenomenon, that any two observers perceive color matches differently, is termed observer metamerism. Only recently have differences in the factors that affect the spectral response of the human eye been quantified to a degree such that observer metamerism can be realistically modeled over a representative population of human observers. From the statistics of these factors, a large, representative group of such observers—each said to be metameric to a standard—was created in terms of LMS cone spectral responses. Using analysis of variance and error propagation, as suggested by Nimeroff, this sample set was reduced to a complete colorimetric description that includes mean color matching functions along with variance and covariance functions. This simplified representation is then applied to creating arbitrary sets of color matching functions, such as the CIE 1931 and 1964 observers, and their covariance functions to allow the practical characterization of observer‐metameric mismatch gamuts for any nominally metameric stimulus pair. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 115–124, 2016
An attempt to reconstruct the meaning of al‐Tusi's color words
Authors: Kirchner Eric , Gorji Kandi Saeideh , Saeedi Hosein
Published: April 2015

In a text dating between 1259 and 1277, the Persian scholar al‐Tusi presented a systematic arrangement of 26 color terms. We propose a reconstruction of all color terms from al‐Tusi's scheme, in terms of preferred translation, mean CIEL*a*b* coordinates and digital representation. This reconstruction is based on a visual experiment with 30 subjects, who identified the Munsell chip best representing each color term. Persian words for which the meaning changed since the time of al‐Tusi were substituted by direct translations. The results show considerable interobserver variability in the colors selected when identifying color terms. This relatively large variation was shown to be a characteristic for memory matching experiments in general. Several specific color terms for which the resulting color variation was particularly large are discussed in more detail, and possible explanations for these variations are proposed. The proposed reconstruction suggests that al‐Tusi's list is largely consistent in modern colorimetric terms, although some large hue shifts are observed for color terms corresponding to green. We found no evidence for blue‐green (“grue”) confusion. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 206–216, 2016
Characterization of Circulating Tumor DNA for Genetic Assessment of solid Tumors
Authors: Dorner AJ , Badola S , Niu H
Published: April 2015

Personalized cancer therapy requires characterization of the current status of an individual's cancer, necessitating invasive tumor tissue biopsies at diagnosis, during treatment and at progression. Serial acquisition of solid tumor biopsies during treatment to characterize mutations related to acquired resistance may not be medically feasible. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in plasma offers a possible noninvasive “real time” tool for tumor characterization, providing accessible genetic biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and response to therapy.
immunoClust—An automated analysis pipeline for the identification of immunophenotypic signatures in high‐dimensional cytometric datasets
Authors: Sörensen Till , Baumgart Sabine , Durek Pawel , Grützkau Andreas , Häupl Thomas
Published: April 2015

Multiparametric fluorescence and mass cytometry offers new perspectives to disclose and to monitor the high diversity of cell populations in the peripheral blood for biomarker research. While high‐end cytometric devices are currently available to detect theoretically up to 120 individual parameters at the single cell level, software tools are needed to analyze these complex datasets automatically in acceptable time and without operator bias or knowledge. We developed an automated analysis pipeline,immunoClust, for uncompensated fluorescence and mass cytometry data, which consists of two parts. First, cell events of each sample are grouped into individual clusters. Subsequently, a classification algorithm assorts these cell event clusters into populations comparable between different samples. The clustering of cell events is designed for datasets with large event counts in high dimensions as a global unsupervised method, sensitive to identify rare cell types even when next to large populations. Both parts use model‐based clustering with an iterative expectation maximization algorithm and the integrated classification likelihood to obtain the clusters. A detailed description of both algorithms is presented. Testing and validation was performed using 1) blood cell samples of defined composition that were depleted of particular cell subsets by magnetic cell sorting, 2) datasets of the FlowCAP III challenges to identify populations of rare cell types and 3) high‐dimensional fluorescence and mass‐cytometry datasets for comparison with conventional manual gating procedures. In conclusion, theimmunoClust‐algorithm is a promising tool to standardize and automate the analysis of high‐dimensional cytometric datasets. As a prerequisite for interpretation of such data, it will support our efforts in developing immunological biomarkers for chronic inflammatory disorders and therapy recommendations in personalized medicine.immunoClust is implemented as an R‐package and is provided as source code fromwww.bioconductor.org.
An amphetamine isomer whose efficacy and safety in humans has never been studied, β‐methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA), is found in multiple dietary supplements
Authors: Cohen Pieter A. , Bloszies Clayton , Yee Caleb , Gerona Roy
Published: April 2015

The amphetamine isomer β‐methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA) was first synthesized in the early 1930s, but its efficacy and safety in humans has not been studied. Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detected BMPEA in dietary supplements labelled as containing Acacia rigidula. Over a year after the FDA reported its findings, we analyzed Acacia rigidula dietary supplements to determine if BMPEA had been removed. Supplements were analyzed using liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Diluted methanolic extract from each supplement was run three times and each data set obtained was analyzed using Agilent MassHunter Qualitative Analysis. The presence of BMPEA was confirmed by accurate mass, retention time and mass spectra match against a reference standard. Quantification of BMPEA was determined using an eight‐point calibration curve of spiked standard to a matrix blank. Twenty‐one brands of Acacia rigidula supplements were analyzed. More than half (11/21; 52.4%) of the Acacia rigidula supplement brands contained BMPEA. The stimulant was present at quantities such that consumers following recommended maximum daily servings would consume a maximum of 93.7 mg of BMPEA per day. Consumers of Acacia rigidula supplements may be exposed to pharmacological dosages of an amphetamine isomer that lacks evidence of safety in humans. The FDA should immediately warn consumers about BMPEA and take aggressive enforcement action to eliminate BMPEA in dietary supplements. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fine scale temporal variations of surface moisture in topographically controlled Muhly grass seeps
Authors: Llado Leslie , Slattery Michael C.
Published: April 2015

Groundwater seeps are characteristic hydrological and ecological features of many landscapes, yet their hydrology remains poorly understood. Here, we provide the first detailed measurements of near‐surface soil moisture dynamics in a Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia riverchonii) seep system developed in soils over interbedded limestone and marl. These features are characteristic of, and prevalent within, the North Central Texas Grand Prairie Ecoregion. The data were collected during the most severe drought in Texas history. We quantify the spatial‐temporal variability of volumetric soil moisture (θv) and matric potential (ψm) along a slope containing a seep upslope, with a view to assessing whether the seep qualifies as an isolated wetland under the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed changes to Section 404 legislation for wetland determination. We found the Muhly seep to consistently be the wettest portion of the hillslope, with a statistically distinguishable drying trend downslope into a barrens environment with the thinnest soils. ψm within the seep remained at or above field capacity (θfc) 37% of the time during pre‐drought conditions and was at all times wetter than lower sections of the slope between the seep and barrens. The seep responded rapidly to rainfall and remained at or close to saturation for 5 to 7 days following storm events. Saturation is controlled by fractured limestone sitting on top of a subsurface marl layer, resulting in water easily percolating through the limestone, ponding, and then moving laterally as interflow above the marl. Although the wetland characteristics of Muhly seeps could not be conclusively assessed because of extreme drought conditions, our data suggest that under normal rainfall conditions, these systems might likely qualify as isolated wetlands. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
One‐Pot Synthesis of N‐Aryl‐Nicotinamides and Diarylamines Based on a Tunable Smiles Rearrangement
Authors: Liu Shihui , Zhu Shaofan , Wu Ying , Gao Jiayu , Qian Pengfei , Hu Yanwei , Shi Linsen , Chen Shaohua , Zhang Shilei , Zhang Yinan
Published: April 2015

A one‐pot Smiles rearrangement has been developed as a useful protocol for the straightforward synthesis of diverse N‐aryl‐nicotinamides. This method also provides chemoselective access toward diarylamines based on the different substitutions of the amide group. The potential application of the transformation is exemplified by the synthesis of an on‐market succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor, boscalid.
Synthesis of Multisubstituted Dihydroquinoxaline Derivatives by Tandem N‐Alkylation and Addition Reactions of 3‐Oxoquinoxaline‐2‐carboxylates
Authors: Miyamaru Satoru , Umezu Kazuto , Ito Akinori , Shimizu Makoto
Published: April 2015

This report describes a one‐pot synthesis of multisubstituted dihydroquinoxalin‐2‐ones using an umpolung N‐alkylation followed by oxidation and C‐alkylation reactions. Moreover, the synthesis of tricyclic compounds containing a dihydroquinoxaline skeleton was carried out by ring closing metathesis (RCM) of the resulting N,C‐bis‐addition products containing olefins.
nBu4NI‐Catalyzed α‐Benzoxylation of Ketones with Terminal Aryl Alkenes
Authors: Mondal Buddhadeb , Sahoo Subas Chandra , Pan Subhas Chandra
Published: April 2015

A metal‐free protocol for the α‐benzoxylation of ketones has been developed by using terminal aryl alkenes as an arylcarboxy surrogate. Moderate to good yields were attained for a variety of propiophenones and acetophenones by using tetra‐n‐butylammonium iodide (TBAI) as the catalyst and tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as the oxidant under ambient reaction conditions.
Disposable Heater Arrays Using Printed Silver Patterns on Polyethylene Terephthalate for Multipurpose Applications
Authors: Walia Sunil , Gupta Ritu , Kulkarni Giridhar U.
Published: April 2015

Flexible, semitransparent and robust heating arrays have been designed by grayscale printing as ready‐to‐use devices for point‐of‐care application. A perforated Ag mesh is first fabricated with tunable features by controllably varying the toner grayscale value during laser printer on PET. The resistance could be varied between 1 to 2 Ω by tuning the Ag fill factor from 50 to 70 %. The Ag/PET heater based on joule heating is able to attain highly stable temperatures upto ∼135 °C maintained over long hours. Since temperature is directly related to resistance, this provides a fine temperature knob without any cumbersome processing steps. The merit of design allows individual heating elements to attain stable temperatures at low voltages (∼1.5 V) without any interference from neighboring heaters of the array, thus resulting in a thermal library. A laptop USB with 5.1 V output is able to power the thermal library for temperatures in the range of 30–60 °C, useful in many practical applications. It is a multipurpose disposable chip for in‐situ transmission microscopy that can be utilized for bioassay and point‐of‐care diagnostics, as demonstrated in the study.
Sea‐level fall implicated in profound societal change about 2570 cal yr bp (620 bc) in western Pacific island groups
Authors: Nunn Patrick D , Carson Michael T
Published: April 2015

During the warmest time of the last 10 000 years (Holocene Thermal Maximum), approximately 6000–4000 cal yr bp in the western Pacific, sea level is known to have reached as much as 2.1 m above its present mean level before declining subsequently. Records throughout the region show that sea level fell an average 0.7 m in the period 3500–2000 cal yr bp during which the earliest (culturally distinct) period of human occupation occurred in five western Pacific island groups [Bismarck Archipelago (Papua New Guinea), Fiji, Mariana Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu]. In the interest of testing whether there is evidence for climate forcing of cultural change in this region, dates are presented for the archaeologically conspicuous termination of early‐period settlement in these island groups which show that it ended in each around 2570 cal yr bp. From the contemporaneity of this, it is argued that sea‐level fall was the principal driver of this cultural transformation, forcing coastal peoples who had previously depended (largely) on foraging from nearshore‐marine ecosystems to reconfigure their subsistence economy, something that invariably involved moving their settlements to places where horticulture and agriculture could be practiced more successfully. This research provides an example of where insights into causation of cultural change can be gleaned from comparing precise chronologies of human occupation to equally precise palaeoclimate chronologies.
A contemporary decennial examination of changing agricultural field sizes using Landsat time series data
Authors: White Emma V. , Roy David P.
Published: April 2015

Field size distributions and their changes have not been studied over large areas as field size change datasets are not available. This study quantifies agricultural field size changes in a consistent manner using Landsat satellite data that also provide geographic context for the observed decadal scale changes. Growing season cloud‐free Landsat 30 m resolution images acquired from 9 to 25 years apart were used to extract field object classifications at seven sites located by examination of a global agricultural yield map, agricultural production statistics, literature review, and analysis of the imagery in the US Landsat archive. High spatial resolution data were used to illustrate issues identifying small fields that are not reliably discernible at 30 m Landsat resolution. The predominant driver of field size change was attributed by literature review. Significant field size changes were driven by different factors, including technological advancements (Argentina and USA), government land use and agricultural policies (Malaysia, Brazil, France), and political changes (Albania and Zimbabwe). While observed local field size changes were complex, the reported results suggest that median field sizes are increasing due to technological advancements and changes to government policy, but may decrease where abrupt political changes affect the agricultural sector and where pastures are converted to arable land uses. In the limited sample considered, median field sizes increased from 45% (France) to 159% (Argentina) and decreased from 47% (Brazil) to 86% (Albania). These changes imply significant impacts on landscape spatial configuration and land use diversity with ecological and biogeochemical consequences.
Facies mosaic and diagenetic patterns of the early Devonian (Late Pragian–Early Emsian) microbialite‐dominated carbonate sequences, Qasr Member, Jauf Formation, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Koeshidayatullah Ardiansyah , Al‐Ramadan Khalid , Hughes Geraint Wyn
Published: April 2015

The Al‐Jawf area of northern Saudi Arabia provides spectacular outcrops of Early Devonian carbonate bioherms in the Wadi Murayr and Dumat Al‐Jandal areas. These carbonate bioherms belong to the Qasr Member of the Late Pragian–Early Emsian Jauf Formation (~405 Ma) and are surrounded by a bioclastic carbonate succession. The Qasr Member is the first major carbonate unit of the Palaeozoic succession in Saudi Arabia that mainly consists of microbialite carbonates and metazoan reefs exhibiting distinct mound features. These bioherm complexes and their associated carbonate facies are pervasively dolomitized. Stratigraphic, petrographic and geochemical analyses were conducted to determine the facies distribution and interpret their depositional and diagenetic processes. A total of 11 facies are identified from a range of depositional environments within a carbonate platform system, ranging from tidal flats, lagoon, shoal, patch reefs to reef front. The main diagenetic processes are carbonate cementation and dolomitization. Dolomitization occurred as both fabric preserved (mostly in grain‐dominated facies) and fabric destructive (mud‐dominated facies). The microbialites and coralline sponges facies show poor reservoir with visual porosity less than 5%, but this succession may have a potential to serve as a good source for the underlying and overlying facies. Ooid and peloidal grainstone facies show fair to good visual porosity that locally exceeds 10% with intergranular porosity as the dominant type. However, in the most studied samples, vuggy and intraparticle porosities are observed as the dominant type. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous fingerprint and high‐wavenumber fiber‐optic Raman spectroscopy enhances real‐time in vivo diagnosis of adenomatous polyps during colonoscopy
Authors: Bergholt Mads Sylvest , Lin Kan , Wang Jianfeng , Zheng Wei , Xu Hongzhi , Huang Qingwen , Ren Jian‐lin , Ho Khek Yu , Teh Ming , Srivastava Supriya , Wong Benjamin , Yeoh Khay Guan , Huang Zhiwei
Published: April 2015

Colorectal cancer can be prevented if detected early (e.g., precancerous polyps‐adenoma). Endoscopic differential diagnosis of hyperplastic polyps (that have little or no risk of malignant transformation) and adenomas (that have prominent malignant latency) remains an unambiguous clinical challenge. Raman spectroscopy is an optical vibrational technique capable of probing biomolecular changes of tissue associated with neoplastic transformation. This work aims to apply a fiber‐optic simultaneous fingerprint (FP) and high wavenumber (HW) Raman spectroscopy technique for real‐time in vivo assessment of adenomatous polyps during clinical colonoscopy. We have developed a fiber‐optic Raman endoscopic technique capable of simultaneously acquiring both the FP (i.e., 800–1800 cm–1) and HW (i.e., 2800–3600 cm–1) Raman spectra from colorectal tissue subsurface (<200 µm) for real‐time assessment of colorectal carcinogenesis. In vivo FP/HW Raman spectra were acquired from 50 patients with 17 colorectal polyps during clinical colonoscopy. Prominent Raman spectral differences (p < 0.001) were found between hyperplastic (n = 118 spectra), adenoma (n = 184 spectra) that could be attributed to changes in inter‐ and intra‐cellular proteins, lipids, DNA and water structures and conformations. Simultaneous FP/HW Raman endoscopy provides a diagnostic sensitivity of 90.9% and specificity of 83.3% for differentiating adenoma from hyperplastic polyps, which is superior to either the FP or HW Raman technique alone. This study shows that simultaneous FP/HW Raman spectroscopy technique has the potential to be a clinically powerful tool for improving early diagnosis of adenomatous polyps in vivo during colonoscopic examination.

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Biological activation of zirconia surfaces by chemical modification with IGF‐1
Authors: Ito Daisuke , Kado Takashi , Nagano‐Takebe Futami , Hidaka Tatsuhiro , Endo Kazuhiko , Furuichi Yasushi
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this study was to improve the adhesion and extension of human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) to the yttria‐stabilized zirconia polycrystal (Y‐TZP) surfaces by immobilization of insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1). Surface analyses by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that IGF‐1 was successfully immobilized on the Y‐TZP surfaces. There was no significant difference between the number of cells attached to the IGF‐1‐immobilized Y‐TZP surfaces and on the as‐polished Y‐TZP surfaces either at 3 or 72 h. However, IGF‐1‐immobilized Y‐TZP surfaces yielded a significantly higher expression of integrin β4 mRNA and laminin‐5 mRNA, and enhanced adhesion strength of HGECs after 72 h of incubation. There was no difference between the amount of adhered Streptococcus gordonii (S. gordonii) found on the IGF‐1‐immobilized Y‐TZP surfaces and on the as‐polished Y‐TZP surfaces. These results suggested that the IGF‐1‐immobilized Y‐TZP surfaces developed using the method reported herein enhanced the adhesion and extension of HGECs to the Y‐TZP surfaces without enhancing S. gordonii adhesion. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 3659–3665, 2015.