bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive exposure versus avoidance in patients with chronic pain: Adherence matters
Authors: Nicholas M.K. , Asghari A. , Sharpe L. , Brnabic A. , Wood B.M. , Overton S. , Tonkin L. , de Sousa M. , Finniss D. , Beeston L. , Sutherland A. , Corbett M. , Brooker C.
Published: August 2013

Background

Behavioural exposure methods can reduce pain‐avoidance behaviours, but outcomes vary. One possible explanation is that patients employ cognitive (experiential) avoidance during behavioural exposure. If so, reducing cognitive avoidance during behavioural exposure should help. One option is interoceptive exposure (IE), which involves sustained exposure (via attention) to pain sensations. In order to test if IE could improve outcomes from behavioural exposure, this study with mixed chronic pain patients compared outcomes from a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) pain management programme incorporating either IE or distraction from pain.

Methods

One hundred forty chronic pain patients were randomly assigned to CBT + IE or CBT + distraction. Outcome measures included pain, disability, depression and medication. Measures reflecting degree of threat of pain were also employed (catastrophizing, fear‐avoidance, pain self‐efficacy and pain acceptance). An intention‐to‐treat approach, using mixed‐effects model repeated measures, as well as conventional inferential statistical tests, effect sizes and reliable change indices were employed to evaluate the outcomes up to 1‐year post‐treatment.

Results

Significant improvements were achieved by both treatment conditions on all outcome measures and on measures reflecting the threatening nature of pain, with no differences between treatment conditions.

Conclusions

The addition of IE to behavioural exposure did not improve outcomes. However, higher adherence to either attentional strategy was associated with larger effect sizes on all measures, suggesting factors shared by the two treatments could have contributed to the outcomes. Taken as a whole, the results suggest that increasing adherence to treatment strategies, possibly by motivational measures, would improve the overall outcomes of these interventions.
Preclinical Studies of Noncharged Oxime Reactivators for Organophosphate Exposure
Authors: Okolotowicz Karl J. , Dwyer Mary , Smith Emily , Cashman John R.
Published: August 2013

A countermeasure that protects the brain from organophosphate toxicity is an unmet need. Few small molecule reactivators that can cross the blood brain barrier and reactivate brain acetyl cholinesterases have been reported. Herein, we describe preclinical investigations of a new class of amidine–oxime reactivator of cholinesterases with improved potency and blood brain barrier permeability. (Z)‐N‐((E)‐1‐(Dimethylamino)‐2‐(hydroxyimino)ethylidene)butan‐1‐aminium chloride, 1, is zwitterionic at physiological pH but possesses increased oxime nucleophilicity because of the adjacent amidine functionality. The amidine–oximes reported herein were observed to be nontoxic (up to 200 mg/kg in vivo) and are chemically and metabolically stable. The results presented herein show that uncharged amidine–oxime reactivators such as 1 can penetrate the blood brain barrier in animals and protect from the toxicity of nerve agent model compounds.
A computational methodology for accurate predictions of rate constants in solution: Application to the assessment of primary antioxidant activity
Authors: Galano Annia , Alvarez‐Idaboy Juan Raúl
Published: August 2013

The accurate prediction of rate constants for chemical reactions in solution, using computational methods, is a challenging task. In this work, a computational protocol designed to be a reliable tool in the study of radical‐molecule reactions in solution is presented. It is referred to as quantum mechanics‐based test for overall free radical scavenging activity (QM‐ORSA) because it is mainly intended to provide a universal and quantitative way of evaluating the free radical scavenging activity of chemical compounds. That is, its primary antioxidant activity. However, it can also be successfully applied to obtain accurate kinetic data for other chemical reactions in solution. The QM‐ORSA protocol has been validated by comparison with experimental results, and its uncertainties have been proven to be no larger than those arising from experiments. Further applications of QM‐ORSA are expected to contribute increasing the kinetic data for free radical‐molecule reactions relevant to oxidative stress, which is currently rather scarce. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Merged Basins of Signal Transduction Pathways in Spatiotemporal Cell Biology
Authors: Hou Yingchun , Hou Yang , He Siyu , Ma Caixia , Sun Mengyao , He Huimin , Gao Ning
Published: August 2013

Numerous evidences have indicated that a signal system is composed by signal pathways, each pathway is composed by sub‐pathways, and the sub‐pathway is composed by the original signal terminals initiated with a protein/gene. We infer the terminal signals merged signal transduction system as “signal basin”. In this article, we discussed the composition and regulation of signal basins, and the relationship between the signal basin control and triple W of spatiotemporal cell biology. Finally, we evaluated the importance of the systemic regulation to gene expression by signal basins under triple W. We hope our discussion will be the beginning to cause the attention for this area from the scientists of life science. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 287–291, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Population pharmacokinetics of empagliflozin, a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Riggs Matthew M. , Staab Alexander , Seman Leo , MacGregor Thomas R. , Bergsma Timothy T. , Gastonguay Marc R. , Macha Sreeraj
Published: August 2013

Data from five randomized, placebo‐controlled, multiple oral dose studies of empagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM; N = 974; 1–100 mg q.d.; ≤12 weeks) were used to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model for empagliflozin. The model consisted of two‐compartmental disposition, lagged first‐order absorption and first‐order elimination, and incorporated appropriate covariates. Population estimates (interindividual variance, CV%) of oral apparent clearance, central and peripheral volumes of distribution, and inter‐compartmental clearance were 9.87 L/h (26.9%), 3.02 L, 60.4 L (30.8%), and 5.16 L/h, respectively. An imposed allometric weight effect was the most influential PK covariate effect, with a maximum effect on exposure of ±30%, using 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of observed weights, relative to the median observed weight. Sex and race did not lend additional description to PK variability beyond allometric weight effects, other than ∼25% greater oral absorption rate constant for Asian patients. Age, total protein, and smoking/alcohol history did not affect PK parameters. Predictive check plots were consistent with observed data, implying an adequate description of empagliflozin PKs following multiple dosing in patients with T2DM. The lack of marked covariate effects, including weight, suggests that no exposure‐based dose adjustments were required within the study population and dose range.
Atmospheric forcing intensifies the effects of regional ocean warming on reef‐scale temperature anomalies during a coral bleaching event
Authors: Zhang Zhenlin , Falter James , Lowe Ryan , Ivey Greg , McCulloch Malcolm
Published: August 2013

We investigate how local atmospheric conditions and hydrodynamic forcing contributed to local variations in water temperature within a fringing coral reef‐lagoon system during the peak of a marine heat wave in 2010–2011 that caused mass coral bleaching across Western Australia. A three‐dimensional circulation model Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) with a built‐in air‐sea heat flux exchange module Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Experiment (COARE) was coupled with a spectral wave model Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) to resolve the surface heat exchange and wave‐driven reef circulation in Coral Bay, Ningaloo Reef. Using realistic oceanic and atmospheric forcing, the model predictions were in good agreement with measured time series of water temperature at various locations in the coral reef system during the bleaching event. Through a series of sensitivity analyses, we found that the difference in temperature between the reef and surrounding offshore waters (ΔT) was predominantly a function of both the daily mean net heat flux (
) and residence time, whereas diurnal variations in reef water temperature were dependent on the diurnal fluctuation in the net heat flux. We found that reef temperatures were substantially higher than offshore in the inner lagoon under normal weather conditions and over the entire reef domain under more extreme weather conditions (0.7°C–1.5°C). Although these temperature elevations were still less than that caused by the regional ocean warming (2°C–3°C), the arrival of peak seasonal temperatures in the summer of 2010–2011 (when net atmospheric heat fluxes were positive and abnormally high) caused substantially higher thermal stresses than would have otherwise occurred if offshore temperatures had reached their normal seasonal maxima in autumn (when net atmospheric heat fluxes were negative or cooling). Therefore, the degree heating weeks calculated based on offshore temperature substantially underestimated the thermal stresses experienced by the reef in the period leading up to the observed bleaching event (3 versus 11°C‐weeks).
Seasonal variations in 35S and Δ17O of sulfate aerosols on the Antarctic plateau
Authors: Hill‐Falkenthal Jason , Priyadarshi Antra , Savarino Joel , Thiemens Mark
Published: August 2013

The first reported seasonal Δ17O anomaly in sulfate aerosols and measurements of radioactive 35SO42− activities collected from Dome C, Antarctica, are reported. Δ17O values exhibit minima during summer (as low as 0.91‰) when tropospheric oxidation patterns are dominated by OH/H2O2 mechanisms. Significant enrichment during autumn and spring is observed (up to 2.40‰) as ozone oxidation increases in the troposphere relative to summer and both stratospheric sources and long‐range transport become more significant to the total sulfate budget. An unexpected decrease in Δ17O is seen as winter progresses. This decline is concluded to potentially arise due to a reduction in vertical mixing in the troposphere or linked to variations in the long‐range transport of sulfur species to Antarctica. 35SO42− activities exhibit maxima during summer (up to 1219 atoms 35S/m3) that correlate with the peak in stratospheric flux and minima during winter (as low as 146 atoms 35S/m3) when the lack of solar radiation substantially reduces photochemical activity. It is shown that 35S offers the potential to be used as an additional tracer to study stratospheric and tropospheric interactions and is used to estimate stratospheric input of sulfur (combination of SO2 and SO42−). Stratospheric sulfur input produces maxima during summer/autumn with an upper limit of 5.5 ng/m3 and minima during winter/spring with an upper limit of 1.1 ng/m3. From these results, it is concluded that the variation in Δ17O is more reliant upon shifts in tropospheric oxidation mechanisms and long‐range transport than on changes in the stratospheric flux.
Multiple satellite observations of cloud cover in extratropical cyclones
Authors: Naud Catherine M. , Booth James F. , Posselt Derek J. , van den Heever Susan C.
Published: August 2013

Using cloud observations from NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer, and CloudSat‐CALIPSO, composites of cloud fraction in southern and northern hemisphere extratropical cyclones are obtained for cold and warm seasons between 2006 and 2010, to assess differences between these three data sets, and between summer and winter cyclones. In both hemispheres and seasons, over the open ocean, the cyclone‐centered cloud fraction composites agree within 5% across the three data sets, but behind the cold fronts, or over sea ice and land, the differences are much larger. To supplement the data set comparison and learn more about the cyclones, we also examine the differences in cloud fraction between cold and warm season for each data set. The difference in cloud fraction between cold and warm season southern hemisphere cyclones is small for all three data sets, but of the same order of magnitude as the differences between the data sets. The cold‐warm season contrast in northern hemisphere cyclone cloud fractions is similar for all three data sets: in the warm sector, the cold season cloud fractions are lower close to the low, but larger on the equator edge than their warm season counterparts. This seasonal contrast in cloud fraction within the cyclones warm sector seems to be related to the seasonal differences in moisture flux within the cyclones. Our analysis suggests that the three different data sets can all be used confidently when studying the warm sector and warm frontal zone of extratropical cyclones but caution should be exerted when studying clouds in the cold sector.
Multiplug filtration clean‐up with multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the analysis of pesticide residues using LC–ESI‐MS/MS
Authors: Zhao Pengyue , Fan Sufang , Yu Chuanshan , Zhang Junyan , Pan Canping
Published: August 2013

A novel design for a rapid clean‐up method was developed for the analysis of pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables followed by LC–ESI‐MS/MS. The acetonitrile‐based sample extraction technique was used to obtain the extracts, and further clean‐up was carried out by applying the streamlined procedure on a multiplug filtration clean‐up column coupled with a syringe. The sorbent used for clean‐up in this research is multiwalled carbon nanotubes, which was mixed with anhydrous magnesium sulfate to remove water from the extracts. This method was validated on 40 representative pesticides and apple, cabbage, and potato sample matrices spiked at two concentration levels of 10 and 100 μg/kg. It exhibited recoveries between 71 and 117% for most pesticides with RSDs < 15%. Matrix‐matched calibrations were performed with the coefficients of determination >0.995 for most studied pesticides between concentration levels of 10–500 μg/L. The LOQs for 40 pesticides ranged from 2 to 50 μg/kg. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of pesticide residues in market fruit and vegetable samples.
Hollow‐fiber liquid‐phase microextraction combined with capillary HPLC for the selective determination of six sulfonylurea herbicides in environmental waters
Authors: Gure Abera , Lara Francisco J. , Megersa Negussie , García‐Campaña Ana M. , del Olmo‐Iruela Monsalud
Published: August 2013

A three‐phase hollow‐fiber liquid‐phase microextraction combined with a capillary LC method using diode array detection was proposed for the determination of six sulfonylurea herbicides, triasulfuron, metsulfuron‐methyl, chlorsulfuron, flazasulfuron, chlorimuron‐ethyl, and primisulfuron‐methyl, in environmental water samples. Different factors that can affect the extraction process such as extraction solvent, acidity of the donor phase, composition and pH of the acceptor phase, salt addition, stirring speed, and extraction time were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, detection and quantitation limits between 0.1–1.7 and 0.3–5.7 μg/L, respectively, and enrichment factors ranging from 71 to 548 were obtained. The calibration curves were linear within the range of 0.3–40 μg/L. Intra‐ and interday RSDs were <6.3 and 8.4%, respectively. The relative recoveries of the spiked ground and river water samples were in the range of 69.4–119.2 and 77.4–111.7%, respectively. The results of the study revealed that the developed methodology involves an efficient sample pretreatment allowing the preconcentration of analytes, combined with the use of a miniaturized separation technique, suitable for the accurate determination of sulfonylurea herbicides in water.
Design of k‐space channel combination kernels and integration with parallel imaging
Authors: Beatty Philip J. , Chang Shaorong , Holmes James H. , Wang Kang , Brau Anja C. S. , Reeder Scott B. , Brittain Jean H.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

In this work, a new method is described for producing local k‐space channel combination kernels using a small amount of low‐resolution multichannel calibration data. Additionally, this work describes how these channel combination kernels can be combined with local k‐space unaliasing kernels produced by the calibration phase of parallel imaging methods such as GRAPPA, PARS and ARC.

Methods

Experiments were conducted to evaluate both the image quality and computational efficiency of the proposed method compared to a channel‐by‐channel parallel imaging approach with image‐space sum‐of‐squares channel combination.

Results

Results indicate comparable image quality overall, with some very minor differences seen in reduced field‐of‐view imaging. It was demonstrated that this method enables a speed up in computation time on the order of 3–16X for 32‐channel data sets.

Conclusion

The proposed method enables high quality channel combination to occur earlier in the reconstruction pipeline, reducing computational and memory requirements for image reconstruction. Magn Reson Med 71:2139–2154, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantitative magnetization transfer MRI of desmoplasia in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma xenografts
Authors: Li Weiguo , Zhang Zhuoli , Nicolai Jodi , Yang Guang‐Yu , Omary Reed A. , Larson Andrew C.
Published: August 2013

Quantitative assessment of desmoplasia in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) may be critical for staging or prediction of response to therapy. We performed quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) MRI measurements in 18 mouse xenograft tumors generated from three PDAC cell lines. The qMT parameter bound proton fraction (BPF) was found to be significantly higher in tumors grown using the BxPC‐3 cell line (5.31 ± 0.87, mean ± standard deviation) compared with the BPF measured for tumors grown from Panc‐1 (3.65 ± 0.60) and Capan‐1 (1.50 ± 0.58) cell lines (P < 0.05 for each comparison). Histologic measurements demonstrated a similar trend; BxPC‐3 tumors had significantly higher fibrosis levels (percentage of fibrotic tissue area, 6.21 ± 2.10) compared with Panc‐1 (2.88 ± 1.13) and Capan‐1 (1.69 ± 1.01) tumors. BPF was well correlated with quantitative fibrosis levels (r = 0.77, P < 0.01). Our results indicate that qMT measurements offer the potential to noninvasively quantify fibrosis levels in PDAC mouse xenograft models and thus serve as a valuable in vivo biomarker of desmoplasia in PDAC. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design of energy‐efficient cloud systems via network and resource virtualization
Authors: Kantarci Burak , Foschini Luca , Corradi Antonio , Mouftah Hussein T.
Published: August 2013

Data centers play a crucial role in the delivery of cloud services by enabling on‐demand access to the shared resources such as software, platform and infrastructure. Virtual machine (VM) allocation is one of the challenging tasks in data center management since user requirements, typically expressed as service‐level agreements, have to be met with the minimum operational expenditure. Despite their huge processing and storage facilities, data centers are among the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions of IT services. In this paper, we propose a holistic approach for a large‐scale cloud system where the cloud services are provisioned by several data centers interconnected over the backbone network. Leveraging the possibility to virtualize the backbone topology in order to bypass IP routers, which are major power consumers in the core network, we propose a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation for VM placement that aims at minimizing both power consumption at the virtualized backbone network and resource usage inside data centers. Since the general holistic MILP formulation requires heavy and long‐running computations, we partition the problem into two sub‐problems, namely, intra and inter‐data center VM placement. In addition, for the inter‐data center VM placement, we also propose a heuristic to solve the virtualized backbone topology reconfiguration computation in reasonable time. We thoroughly assessed the performance of our proposed solution, comparing it with another notable MILP proposal in the literature; collected experimental results show the benefit of the proposed management scheme in terms of power consumption, resource utilization and fairness for medium size data centers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Outcome and etiologies of fetal megacystis according to the gestational age at diagnosis
Authors: Bornes Marie , Spaggiari Emmanuel , Schmitz Thomas , Dreux Sophie , Czerkiewicz Isabelle , Delezoide Anne‐Lise , El‐Ghoneimi Alaa , Oury Jean‐François , Muller Françoise
Published: August 2013

Objective

To investigate the gestational age‐specific outcomes and the different etiologies of megacystis diagnosed at screening ultrasound.

Methods

A retrospective single‐center study was conducted between 1989 and 2009. We identified all consecutive cases of megacystis prenatally diagnosed during routine ultrasound screening. Outcome, final diagnosis, and renal function were recorded.

Results

Eighty‐four patients were included. An isolated lower urinary tract obstruction was observed in 38/84 (45.2%), ureterovesical reflux in 9/84 (10.7%), an associated congenital abnormality in 32/84 (38.1%) and a normal bladder in 5/84 (6%). Increased gestational age at diagnosis was correlated with an increased rate of live born children (P < 0.01). No cases of megacystis diagnosed in the first trimester were born alive. When diagnosis of posterior urethral valves (PUV) was made in the third trimester, the ultimate survival rate was 11/13 (84.6%) compared with 3/12 (25%) for a diagnosis made in the second trimester (P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Lower urinary tract obstruction is the main etiology of megacystis. Megacystis can also be part of more complex malformations. Outcome of megacystis detected in the first trimester is poor. PUV detected in the third trimester had a better overall survival rate than PUV detected in the second trimester. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perinatal grief following a termination of pregnancy for foetal abnormality: the impact of coping strategies
Authors: Lafarge Caroline , Mitchell Kathryn , Fox Pauline
Published: August 2013

Objective

Pregnancy termination for foetal abnormality (TFA) can have significant psychological repercussions, but little is known about the coping strategies involved in dealing with TFA. This study examined the relationships between women's coping strategies and perinatal grief.

Method

A total of 166 women completed a survey online. Coping and perinatal grief were measured using the Brief COPE and Short Perinatal Grief Scales. Data were analysed through multiple regression analyses.

Results

Despite using mostly adaptive coping strategies, women's levels of grief were high and varied according to obstetric and termination variables. Grief was predicted by behavioural disengagement, venting, planning, religion, self‐blame, being recently bereaved, being childless at the time of TFA, not having had children/being pregnant since TFA and uncertainty about the decision to terminate the pregnancy. Acceptance and positive reframing negatively predicted grief.

Conclusion

Identifying women vulnerable to poor psychological adjustment and promoting coping strategies associated with lower levels of grief may be beneficial. This could be addressed through information provision and interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evidence of subgroup‐specific treatment effect in the absence of an overall effect: is there really a contradiction?
Authors: Abrahamowicz Michal , Beauchamp Marie‐Eve , Fournier Pierre , Dumont Alexandre
Published: August 2013

Purpose

Interaction and subgroup analyses remain controversial topics in epidemiology. A recent theoretical paper suggested that a combination of no overall treatment‐outcome association and treatment effect limited to a single subgroup would imply a clinically implausible interaction, with opposite treatment effects in the two subgroups. However, this argument was based entirely on point estimates and ignored sampling error and statistical inference.

Methods

We simulated hypothetical studies in which treatment truly affected the outcome in only one subgroup, with no effect in the other subgroup. We generated 1000 random samples for three study designs (small clinical study, case–control, and large cohort), and different values of total sample size (N), relative size of the affected subgroup, and treatment effect. We estimated the frequency of significant results for tests of overall and subgroup‐specific treatment effects, and treatment‐by‐subgroup interaction.

Results

Combination of statistically non‐significant overall treatment effect and significant treatment‐by‐subgroup interaction occurred frequently, especially if the affected subgroup was proportionally smaller, even in studies with high power to detect the overall effect (e.g. in 37.1% of samples with N = 20 000, with 600 outcomes, and an effect (odds ratio of 1.5) limited to 30% of subjects). Furthermore, in most samples with a significant interaction, subgroup analyses correctly indicated that the significant effect was limited to one subgroup.

Conclusion

In studies where the treatment truly affects the risks in only one subgroup, a non‐significant overall effect will often coincide with a statistically significant treatment‐by‐subgroup interaction. Thus, a non‐significant overall effect should not prevent testing plausible interactions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and properties of poly(aryl ether ketone)‐based phthalonitrile resins
Authors: Liu Tao , Yang Yanhua , Wang Tingting , Wang Haibin , Zhang Hang , Su Yu , Jiang Zhenhua
Published: August 2013

A series of poly(aryl ether ketone) oligomers containing phthalonitrile were synthesized by a direct solution polycondensation, and characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed the oligomers had low melting points and large processing windows (103–124°C) in the presence of bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]sulfone. The uncured synthesized oligomers had good solubility while the cured samples became insoluble in common organic solvents. Isothermal rheometric analysis showed the rate of phthalonitrile polymerization could be controlled easily by varying concentration of curing additive and curing temperature, which indicated that the oligomers possessed good processability. Gel content measurements demonstrated that the cured oligomers had high crosslinking density with the significantly high gel content over 90.1%. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated the oligomeric phthalonitrile resins according to our curing procedure possessed good thermal mechanical properties. Thermogravimetric analysis of cured resins showed the highest temperature for 5% weight loss reached 515 and 516°C under nitrogen and air, respectively, and the char yield was over 67% at 800°C, revealing that the phthalonitrile resins possessed excellent thermal and thermo‐oxidative stability. This kind of the oligomeric phthalonitrile resins may be used as a good candidate for high‐performance polymeric materials. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:1695–1703, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Thermoreversible crosslinking of maleic anhydride grafted butyl rubber with multiple hydrogen bonding arrays
Authors: Li Lin , Zhang Jin , Chen Qi , Boonkerd Kanoktip , Kim Jin Kuk
Published: August 2013

Thermoreversible crosslinking supramolecular rubber with multiple hydrogen bonds are prepared via reaction of maleic anhydride grafted butyl rubber (MAn‐g‐IIR) with 3‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole catalyzed by tetrabutyl ammonium bromide. Then, the hydrogen bonding arrays are introduced via the reaction between the obtained amide triazole‐carboxylic acid groups. Microphase‐separated aggregates that acts as physical crosslinks in the MAn‐g‐IIR is significantly tightened and strengthened after introducing multiple hydrogen bonds, resulting in increasing of X‐ray powder diffraction intensity and drastically improvement of tensile strength. After heating‐cooling treatment up to three cycles, no evidence of chemical change is observed from Fourier transform infrared spectra, and the tensile strength of thermoreversible crosslinking IIR was still much higher than that of the MAn‐g‐IIR. The reprocessability of this material was due to the thermoreversibility of hydrogen bond at elevated temperature, while the maintenance of tensile properties is due to the recovery of hydrogen bond during cooling. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:1783–1790, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Room‐Temperature Synthesis of High Surface Area Anatase TiO2 Exhibiting a Complete Lithium Insertion Solid Solution
Authors: Patra Snehangshu , Davoisne Carine , Bruyère Stéphanie , Bouyanfif Houssny , Cassaignon Sophie , Taberna Pierre‐Louis , Sauvage Frédéric
Published: August 2013

The synthesis of highly divided anatase TiO2 nanoparticles displaying 300 m2 g−1 surface area is achieved by following a two‐step synthetic process at room temperature. The particles exhibit a needle‐like morphology composed of self‐assembled 4 nm nanoparticles. The crystallization process from amorphous TiO2.1.6H2O to oriented aggregation of anatase TiO2 proceeds according to a slow solid dehydration process taking place in a large range of pH in deionized water (1 < pH < 12) or alternatively when including a low amount of NH4F(aq) in solution. Driven by their high surface area enhancing the chemical/electrochemical reactivity, it is reported in the case of the anatase TiO2 that a modification in the lithium insertion mechanism is no longer attributable to a two‐phase reaction between the two‐end members LiεTiO2 and Li0.5±αTiO2 when downsizing the particle size, but instead through a complete solid solution all along the composition range.
Electrical penetration graph studies to investigate the effects of cyantraniliprole on feeding behavior of Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Capsicum annuum
Authors: Jacobson Alana L. , Kennedy George G.
Published: August 2013

BACKGROUND

The anthranilic diamide insecticide cyantraniliprole has been shown to suppress aphid and whitefly populations as well as reduce transmission of plant viruses by thrips and whiteflies when taken up systemically by the plant. In this study, electrical penetration graphing (EPG) was used to compare effects of cyantraniliprole on feeding behavior of Myzus persicae with those of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid applied as a soil drench to pepper plants two‐, six‐, and ten‐days post‐treatment.

RESULTS

Significant reductions in the total amount of time spent probing, mean number of phloem feeding events, and mean number of intracellular punctures were observed on both cyantraniliprole‐ and imidacloprid‐treated plants, compared to aphids that fed on plants treated only with water. Imidacloprid treatment also caused a significant reduction in the total number of probes relative to the water treated control. The effects of cyantraniliprole were statistically significant only in assays conducted at ten‐days post‐treatment, whereas the effects of imidacloprid on aphid feeding were significant in assays conducted at two‐, six‐, and ten‐days post‐treatment.

CONCLUSION

These findings document significant effects of cyantraniliprole on feeding by Myzus persicae. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Innovative developments for long‐term mammalian pest control
Authors: Blackie Helen M , MacKay Jamie W.B , Allen Will J , Smith Des H. V , Barrett Brent , Whyte Belinda I , Murphy Elaine C , Ross James , Shapiro Lee , Ogilvie Shaun , Sam Shona , MacMorran Duncan , Inder Shane , Eason Charles T
Published: August 2013

BACKGROUND

Invasive mammalian pests have inflicted substantial environmental and economic damage on a worldwide scale.

RESULTS

Over the last 30 years there has been minimal innovation in the development of new control tools. The development of new vertebrate pesticides, for example, has been largely restricted due to the costly and time‐consuming processes associated with testing and registration.

CONCLUSION

In this article we discuss recent progress and trends in a number of areas of research aimed to achieve long‐term population suppression or eradication of mammalian pest species. The examples discussed here are emerging from research being conducted in New Zealand, where invasive mammalian pests are one of the greatest threats facing the national environment and economy. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Force and conductance spectroscopy of second‐layer tin‐phthalocyanine on Ag(111)
Authors: Hauptmann Nadine , Berndt Richard
Published: August 2013

The conductance, frequency shift, and energy dissipation are measured during the formation of a contact to a single tin‐phthalocyanine (SnPc) molecule. The molecule is located on top of a first SnPc layer on Ag(111). The data show that subtle changes of the adsorption geometry cause drastic differences of the conductance, force, and dissipation signals.

Site‐dependent averaged conductance shift versus piezo displacement.
Mapping the protein‐binding sites for novel iridium(III) anticancer complexes using electron capture dissociation
Authors: Qi Yulin , Liu Zhe , Li Huilin , Sadler Peter J. , O'Connor Peter B.
Published: August 2013

RATIONALE

Application of Fourier transform ion cyclotron (FT‐ICR) tandem mass spectrometry reveals the binding sites for novel cyclopentadienyl IrIII anticancer complexes on calmodulin. The conventional fragmentation methods, collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) and infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD), failed to define the Ir modification, but these binding sites were located via electron capture dissociation (ECD).

METHODS

A combination of top‐down and bottom‐up methods was used to generate detailed information about the reaction of these compounds with a common signalling protein, calmodulin.

RESULTS

The research shows that such Ir‐based complexes preferentially bind to methionine sites in the protein, and interestingly, the very low efficiency of the Ir modification is different compared to reactions of PtII complexes, which can lead to protein crosslinking.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report on reactions of novel Ir‐based anticancer complexes with proteins, which provides helpful information for studying the protein targets of this category of metallodrug and the transportation mechanisms which allow them to inhibit cancer cell growth. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Caspase-3 Modulates Regenerative Response After Stroke
Authors: Fan Wenying , Dai Yiqin , Xu Haochen , Zhu Ximin , Cai Ping , Wang Lixiang , Sun Chungang , Hu Changlong , Zheng Ping , Zhao Bing–Qiao
Published: August 2013

Stroke is a leading cause of long-lasting disability in humans. However, currently there are still no effective therapies available for promoting stroke recovery. Recent studies have shown that the adult brain has the capacity to regenerate neurons after stroke. Although this neurogenic response may be functionally important for brain repair after injury, the mechanisms underlying stroke-induced neurogenesis are not known. Caspase-3 is a major executioner and has been identified as a key mediator of neuronal death in the acute stage of stroke. Recently, however, accumulating data indicate that caspase-3 also participates in various biological processes that do not cause cell death. Here, we show that cleaved caspase-3 was increased in newborn neuronal precursor cells (NPCs) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the dentate gyrus during the period of stroke recovery, with no evidence of apoptosis. We observed that cleaved caspase-3 was expressed by NPCs and limited its self-renewal without triggering apoptosis in cultured NPCs from the SVZ of ischemic mice. Moreover, we revealed that caspase-3 negatively regulated the proliferation of NPCs through reducing the phosphorylation of Akt. Importantly, we demonstrated that peptide inhibition of caspase-3 activity significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of SVZ NPCs and resulted in a significant increase in subsequent neuronal regeneration and functional recovery after stroke. Together, our data identify a previously unknown caspase-3-dependent mechanism that constrains stroke-induced endogenous neurogenesis and should revitalize interest in targeting caspase-3 for treatment of stroke. Stem Cells  2014;32:473–486
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Microvesicles for Treatment of Escherichia coli Endotoxin-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice
Authors: Zhu Ying-gang , Feng Xiao-mei , Abbott Jason , Fang Xiao-hui , Hao Qi , Monsel Antoine , Qu Jie-ming , Matthay Michael A. , Lee Jae W.
Published: August 2013

We previously found that human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) or its conditioned medium restored lung protein permeability and reduced alveolar inflammation following Escherichia coli endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in an ex vivo perfused human lung in part through the secretion of soluble factors such as keratinocyte growth factor (KGF). Recently, MSC were found to release microvesicles (MVs) that were biologically active because of the presence of mRNA or miRNA with reparative properties. MVs are circular fragments of membrane released from the endosomal compartment as exosomes or shed from the surface membranes. These studies were designed to determine if MVs released by human bone marrow derived MSCs would be effective in restoring lung protein permeability and reducing inflammation in E. coli endotoxin-induced ALI in C57BL/6 mice. The intratracheal instillation of MVs improved several indices of ALI at 48 hours. Compared to endotoxin-injured mice, MVs reduced extravascular lung water by 43% and reduced total protein levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid by 35%, demonstrating a reduction in pulmonary edema and lung protein permeability. MVs also reduced the influx of neutrophils and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 levels in the BAL fluid by 73% and 49%, respectively, demonstrating a reduction in inflammation. KGF siRNA-pretreatment of MSC partially eliminated the therapeutic effects of MVs released by MSCs, suggesting that KGF protein expression was important for the underlying mechanism. In summary, human MSC-derived MVs were therapeutically effective following E. coli endotoxin-induced ALI in mice in part through the expression of KGF mRNA in the injured alveolus. Stem Cells  2014;32:116–125
Transplants of Adult Mesenchymal and Neural Stem Cells Provide Neuroprotection and Behavioral Sparing in a Transgenic Rat Model of Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Rossignol Julien , Fink Kyle , Davis Kendra , Clerc Steven , Crane Andrew , Matchynski Jessica , Lowrance Steven , Bombard Matthew , DeKorver Nicholas , Lescaudron Laurent , Dunbar Gary L.
Published: August 2013

Stem cells have gained significant interest as a potential treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease (HD). One source of these cells is adult neural stem cells (aNSCs), which differentiate easily into neuronal lineages. However, these cells are vulnerable to immune responses following transplantation. Another source is bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which release neurotrophic factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines following transplantation, and are less vulnerable to rejection. The goal of this study was to compare the efficacy of transplants of MSCs, aNSCs, or cotransplants of MSCs and aNSCs for reducing deficits in a transgenic rat model of HD. HD rats received intrastriatal transplantations of 400,000 MSCs, aNSCs, or a combination of MSCs/aNSCs, while wild-type and HD controls were given vehicle. Rats were tested on the rotarod over the course of 20 weeks. The results indicated that transplants of: (a) aNSCs produced a strong immune response and conferred short-term behavioral benefits; (b) MSCs elicited a relatively weak immune response, and provided a longer term behavioral benefit; and (c) combined MSCs and aNSCs conferred long-term behavioral benefits and increased survival of the transplanted aNSCs. The finding that cotransplanting MSCs with aNSCs can prolong aNSC survival and provide greater behavioral sparing than when the transplants contains only aNSCs suggests that MSCs are capable of creating a more suitable microenvironment for aNSC survival. This cotransplantation strategy may be useful as a future therapeutic option for treating HD, especially if long-term survival of differentiated cells proves to be critically important for preserving lasting functional outcomes. Stem Cells  2014;32:500–509
Wnt5a Regulates Hematopoietic Stem Cell Proliferation and Repopulation Through the Ryk Receptor
Authors: Povinelli Benjamin J. , Nemeth Michael J.
Published: August 2013

Proper regulation of the balance between hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation is necessary to maintain hematopoiesis throughout life. The Wnt family of ligands has been implicated as critical regulators of these processes through a network of signaling pathways. Previously, we have demonstrated that the Wnt5a ligand can induce HSC quiescence through a noncanonical Wnt pathway, resulting in an increased ability to reconstitute hematopoiesis. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the Ryk protein, a Wnt ligand receptor that can bind the Wnt5a ligand, regulated the response of HSCs to Wnt5a. We observed that inhibiting Ryk blocked the ability of Wnt5a to induce HSC quiescence and enhance short-term and long-term hematopoietic repopulation. We found that Wnt5a suppressed production of reactive oxygen species, a known inducer of HSC proliferation. The ability of Wnt5a to inhibit ROS production was also regulated by Ryk. From these data, we propose that Wnt5a regulates HSC quiescence and hematopoietic repopulation through the Ryk receptor and that this process is mediated by suppression of reactive oxygen species. Stem Cells  2014;32:105–115
FGFR1 Signaling Stimulates Proliferation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Inhibiting the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors p21Waf1 and p27Kip1
Authors: Dombrowski Christian , Helledie Torben , Ling Ling , Grünert Martin , Canning Claire A. , Jones C. Michael , Hui James H. , Nurcombe Victor , van Wijnen Andre J. , Cool Simon M.
Published: August 2013

Signaling through fibroblast growth factor receptor one (FGFR1) is a known inducer of proliferation in both embryonic and human adult mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and positively regulates maintenance of stem cell viability. Leveraging the mitogenic potential of FGF2/FGFR1 signaling in stem cells for therapeutic applications necessitates a mechanistic understanding of how this receptor stimulates cell cycle progression. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) depletion, antibody-inhibition, and small molecule inhibition, we establish that FGFR1 activity is rate limiting for self-renewal of hMSCs. We show that FGFR1 promotes stem cell proliferation through multiple mechanisms that unite to antagonize cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors. FGFR1 not only stimulates c-Myc to suppress transcription of the CDK inhibitors p21Waf1 and p27Kip1, thus promoting cell cycle progression but also increases the activity of protein kinase B (AKT) and the level of S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2), resulting in the nuclear exclusion and reduction of p21Waf1. The in vivo importance of FGFR1 signaling for the control of proliferation in mesenchymal progenitor populations is underscored by defects in ventral mesoderm formation during development upon inhibition of its signaling. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that FGFR1 signaling mediates the continuation of MSC growth and establishes a receptor target for enhancing the expansion of mesenchymal progenitors while maintaining their multilineage potential. Stem Cells  2013;31:2724–2736
The Emerging Role of SOX2 in Cell Proliferation and Survival and Its Crosstalk with Oncogenic Signaling in Lung Cancer
Authors: Chou Yu-Ting , Lee Chih-Chan , Hsiao Shih-Hsin , Lin Sey-En , Lin Sheng-Chieh , Chung Chih-Hung , Chung Chi-Hsiu , Kao Yu-Rong , Wang Yuan-Hung , Chen Chien-Tsun , Wei Yau-Huei , Wu Cheng-Wen
Published: August 2013

Tumor cells have long been observed to share several biological characteristics with normal stem/progenitor cells; however, the oncogenic mechanisms underlying the lung stem/progenitor cell signaling remain elusive. Here, we report that SOX2, a self-renewal factor in lung stem/progenitor cells, is highly expressed in a subclass of lung cancer cells, the proliferation, survival, and chemoresistance of which are dependent on SOX2 signaling. Overexpression of SOX2 promotes oncogenic phenotypes in lung cancer cells; knockdown of SOX2 attenuated cell proliferation. We observed that SOX2 increased the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and EGFR activation further upregulated SOX2 levels, forming a positive feedback loop. SOX2 expression promoted chemoresistance, and silencing of SOX2 perturbed mitochondrial function, causing marked apoptosis and autophagy. SOX2 induced BCL2L1, the ectopic expression of which rescued the effects of SOX2 silencing on apoptosis, autophagy, and mitochondrial function. SOX2 promoted tumor formation, along with increased cell proliferation in a xenograft mouse model. SOX2 expression is associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients; moreover, SOX2, EGFR, and BCL2L1 expression levels were significantly correlated in lung tumors. Our findings support the emerging role of SOX2 in cell proliferation and survival by eliciting oncogenic EGFR and BCL2L1 signaling with potential applications as a prognosis marker and a therapeutic target in lung cancer. Stem Cells  2013;31:2607–2619
Invertebrate learning and cognition: relating phenomena to neural substrate
Authors: Perry Clint J , Barron Andrew B , Cheng Ken
Published: August 2013

Diverse invertebrate species have been used for studies of learning and comparative cognition. Although we have gained invaluable information from this, in this study we argue that our approach to comparative learning research is rather deficient. Generally invertebrate learning research has focused mainly on arthropods, and most of that within the Hymenoptera and Diptera. Any true comparative analysis of the distribution of comparative cognitive abilities across phyla is hampered by this bias, and more fundamentally by a reporting bias toward positive results. To understand the limits of learning and cognition for a species, knowing what animals cannot do is at least as important as reporting what they can. Finally, much more effort needs to be focused on the neurobiological analysis of different types of learning to truly understand the differences and similarities of learning types. In this review, we first give a brief overview of the various forms of learning in invertebrates. We also suggest areas where further study is needed for a more comparative understanding of learning. Finally, using what is known of learning in honeybees and the well‐studied honeybee brain, we present a model of how various complex forms of learning may be accounted for with the same neural circuitry required for so‐called simple learning types. At the neurobiological level, different learning phenomena are unlikely to be independent, and without considering this it is very difficult to correctly interpret the phylogenetic distribution of learning and cognitive abilities.WIREs Cogn Sci2013, 4:561–582. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1248

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Comparative Psychology

Psychology > Learning