bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disentangling basal and accumulated body mass for cross‐population comparisons
Authors: Hruschka Daniel J. , Hadley Craig , Brewis Alexandra
Published: December 2013

Measures of human body mass confound 1) well‐established population differences in body form and 2) exposure to obesogenic environments, posing challenges for using body mass index (BMI) in cross‐population studies of body form, energy reserves, and obesity‐linked disease risk. We propose a method for decomposing population BMI by estimating basal BMI (bBMI) among young adults living in extremely poor, rural households where excess body mass accumulation is uncommon. We test this method with nationally representative, cross‐sectional Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) collected from 69,916 rural women (20–24 years) in 47 low‐income countries. Predicting BMI by household wealth, we estimate country‐level bBMI as the average BMI of young women (20–24 years) living in rural households with total assets <400 USD per capita. Above 400 USD per capita, BMI increases with both wealth and age. Below this point, BMI hits a baseline floor showing little effect of either age or wealth. Between‐country variation in bBMI (range of 4.3 kg m−2) is reliable across decades and age groups (R2 = 0.83–0.88). Country‐level estimates of bBMI show no relation to diabetes prevalence or country‐level GDP (R2 < 0.05), supporting its independence from excess body mass. Residual BMI (average BMI minus bBMI) shows better fit with both country‐level GDP (R2 = 0.55 vs. 0.40) and diabetes prevalence (R2 = 0.23 vs. 0.17) than does conventional BMI. This method produces reliable estimates of bBMI across a wide range of nationally representative samples, providing a new approach to investigating population variation in body mass. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:542–550, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A benzoxazole sulfenamide accelerator: Synthesis, structure, property, and implication in rubber vulcanization mechanism
Authors: Rong Guangzhuo , Chen Yusheng , Wang Lei , Li Joanne , Wang Junfeng , Panzer Matthew J. , Pang Yi
Published: December 2013

A benzoxazole sulfenamide and its related zinc compound were synthesized and characterized, which are shown to be useful accelerators for sulfur vulcanization. In comparison with the benzothiazole accelerator, the benzoxazole sulfenamide revealed nearly no reversion, an improved feature that is desirable for tire industry. Through the synthesis of the zinc complex 9, which was assumed to be an accelerator‐activator for vulcanization, the study aimed to shed some light on the vulcanization mechanism. The crystal structure of the zinc complex 9 showed that two benzoxazole‐2‐thiol ligands were attached to the zinc center in different isomeric forms, with one in the thio form (linked via sulfur atom) while the other in thio–keto form (linked via nitrogen atom). Lack of the vulcanization accelerator activity from 9 led to the assumption that the sulfurating species might be zinc complexes containing only one benzoxazole‐2‐thiol ligand. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 39699.
Modification of β‐cyclodextrin for rapidly decolorizing the dye‐containing wastewaters by flocculation
Authors: Tian Xiuzhi , Zhang Jing , Jiang Xue
Published: December 2013

To strengthen the role of polymer bridging during the flocculation process and thus raise the speed of decolorizing the dye‐containing wastewaters, β‐cyclodextrin–acrylamide–[2‐(Acryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethyl ammonium chloride copolymer (poly[AM(β‐CD)‐AETAC]) with relatively high intrinsic viscosity (84.3 mL g−1) and cationicity (24.5%) was prepared by solution polymerization. The successful preparation of copolymer was demonstrated by FT‐IR and 1H‐NMR characterizations. Its excellent decolorization performances as a new flocculant were evaluated with the C.I. reactive orange 5 (RO 5) and C.I. reactive blue 19 (RB 19) solutions using a jar test method. Both the nature of anionic dyes and the pH of dye solutions influence the decolorization effectiveness. For both the RB 19 and RO 5 solutions (0.10 g L−1), it can be rapidly decolorized in a wide range of pH (2–7) and flocculant concentration (0.12–0.26 g L−1). For the given dye/flocculant solution system, both charge neutralization and polymer bridging contribute to the decolorization mechanism. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 39940.
In situ control of co‐continuous phase morphology for PS/PS‐co‐TMI/PA6 blend
Authors: Zhang Cai‐Liang , Zhang Tao , Feng Lian‐Fang
Published: December 2013

The emulsification efficiency of PS‐co‐TMI, a copolymer polymerized by styrene and 3‐isopropenyl‐α,α‐dimethylbenzene isocyanate (TMI), for polystyrene (PS)/polyamide 6 (PA6) blend was studied. During the mixing process, an effective emulsifier PS‐g‐PA6 was generated, which was demonstrated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. PS‐g‐PA6 generated by PS‐co‐TMI with high TMI content was found to contain some unreacted isocyanate active groups which reduced using efficiency of PS‐co‐TMI. Irrespective of TMI content in PS‐co‐TMI, the dosage of PS‐co‐TMI reached 20 wt %, unreacted PS‐co‐TMI was detected. These results indicated that reactive emulsification limits for both active groups' content and reactive precursors' dosage. After the rational addition of PS‐co‐TMI into PS/PA6 system, phase sizes of co‐continuous structure were reduced conspicuously. However, co‐continuous structure was evolved into matrix‐dispersed structure while the dosage of PS‐co‐TMI reached 20 wt %. Emulsification efficiencies of PS‐co‐TMI with different TMI contents, 2.2, 4.1, and 7.5 wt %, were compared. The results revealed PS‐co‐TMI with 2.2 wt % TMI content had the highest reactive emulsification efficiency because of the block‐copolymer‐inclined emulsifier generated in the mixing process. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 39972.
Temperature‐, pH‐, and ion‐stimulus‐responsive swelling behaviors of poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) gel containing cholic acid
Authors: Li Cancan , Wang Guojie , Gao Hongyi , Zhai Maolin , Li Jiuqiang
Published: December 2013

Poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) hydrogels containing cholic acid (PDMAEMA–CA) were synthesized by radiation crosslinking. The introduction of 10 and 20 mol% cholic acid (CA) into the poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) hydrogel decreased the maximum swelling ratio (SR) of the gel from 40 to 6 and 5, respectively. The incorporation of CA with dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate led to a decrease in the lower critical swelling temperature of the gel from 44 to 42°C but did not exert big influence on the ion‐stimulus‐responsive properties of the gel. However, the pH sensitivity of the PDMAEMA–CA gel was quite different from that of PDMAEMA gel. The SR of PDMAEMA gel decreased at pH 2.5, whereas the SRs of the PDMAEMA–CA gels showed a convex‐upward function of pH; that is, SR of the PDMAEMA–10% CA gel first increased (pH 1.2–3.2) and then decreased (pH 3.2–11.9) with increasing pH. The pH‐stimulus‐responsive swelling behavior of the PDMAEMA–20% CA gel was similar to that of the PDMAEMA–10% CA gel except for the unique swelling behavior exhibited in the lower pH region. The unique decrease in SR in strong acidic solutions was attributed to aggregations driven by the hydrophobic interactions between CA molecules. Phase separation of the gel in strongly acidic solutions was observed; that is, the margin of the swollen gel was transparent and elastic (cellular structure), whereas the core of it was opaque (aggregated structure) as recorded by scanning electron microscopy. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 39998.
NMR water self‐diffusion and relaxation studies on sodium polyacrylate solutions and gels in physiologic ionic solutions
Authors: Bai Ruiliang , Basser Peter J. , Briber Robert M. , Horkay Ferenc
Published: December 2013

Water self‐diffusion coefficients and longitudinal relaxation rates in sodium polyacrylate solutions and gels were measured by NMR, as a function of polymer content and structure in a physiological concentration range of monovalent and divalent cations, Ca2+and Na+. Several physical models describing the self‐diffusion of the solvent were applied and compared. A free‐volume model was found to be in good agreement with the experimental results over a wide range of polymer concentrations. The longitudinal relaxation rate exhibited linear dependence on polymer concentration below a critical concentration and showed non‐linear behavior at higher concentrations. Both the water self‐diffusion and relaxation were less influenced by the polymer in the gel state than in the uncrosslinked polymer solutions. The effect of Na+on the mobility of water molecules was practically undetectable. In contrast, addition of Ca2+strongly increased the longitudinal relaxation rate while its effect on the self‐diffusion coefficient was much less pronounced. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.,2014,131, 40001.
Mechanical, dielectric, and electromechanical properties of silicone dielectric elastomer actuators
Authors: Kim Il Jin , Min Kyoungho , Park Hyunchul , Hong Soon Man , Kim Woo Nyon , Kang Seung Hyun , Koo Chong Min
Published: December 2013

Silicone elastomer actuators were investigated to develop a simple and industrially scalable product with improved mechanical properties, such as a low modulus, high tearing strength, and good resilience, and enhanced electromechanical actuation properties. Silicone elastomers were fabricated via a hydrosilylation addition reaction with a vinyl‐end‐functionalized poly(dimethyl siloxane) (V), a multivinyl‐functionalized silicone resin, and a crosslinker in the presence of a platinum catalyst. For the larger electromechanical actuation response, the silicone dielectric elastomer actuator had to have a larger molecular weight of poly(dimethyl siloxane), a smaller hardener content, and a resin‐free composition. However, the silicone elastomer actuators needed to include a small amount of resin to improve the tearing strength. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 40030.
Adsorption behaviors of Cr(III) on carboxylated collagen fiber
Authors: Qiang Taotao , Bu Qiaoqiao , Ren Longfang , Wang Xuechuan
Published: December 2013

Carboxylated collagen fiber (CCF) was prepared by modifying collagen fiber with glyoxylic acid. The structure of CCF was characterized and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. CCF was an effective adsorbent for the removal of Cr(III) from aqueous solutions, and the adsorption capacity of Cr(III) increased by 74.13% after modification. The adsorption isotherm, as well as the kinetics of the adsorption of Cr(III) on CCF, was studied. The results showed that the adsorption isotherm of Cr(III) could be well described by the Freundlich equation, and the adsorption capacity increased slightly with increasing temperature, but the influence was not so obvious. The adsorption kinetic investigations indicated that the adsorption rate of Cr(III) on CCF could be well described by the pseudo‐second‐order rate model, and that the adsorption capacity calculated using the pseudo‐second‐order rate model was close to that from actual measurements. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40285.
The investigation of the interaction between orientin and bovine serum albumin by spectroscopic analysis
Authors: Toprak Mahmut , Arık Mustafa
Published: December 2013

In this paper, the interaction between orientin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was examined using fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy. The analysis of the quenching mechanism was done using Stern–Volmer plots which exhibit upward (positive) deviation. A linear response to orientin was shown in the concentration range between 3 and 50 μM. The experimental results showed the presence of a static quenching process between orientin and BSA. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS and ΔG were also calculated and suggested that the hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions played an important role in the interaction between orientin and BSA. Furthermore, the distances between BSA and orientin were determined according to Förster non‐radiation energy transfer theory. In addition, the results of the synchronous fluorescence obtained indicated that the binding of orientin with BSA could affect conformation in BSA. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toll‐like receptors: Role in inflammation and therapeutic potential
Authors: Kay Emma , Scotland Ramona S. , Whiteford James R.
Published: December 2013

Inflammation is an essential process in response to injury and infection. However, under certain circumstances dis‐regulation of this process can lead to pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, lupus, and is a contributory factor in the progression of many cancers. The Toll‐like family of receptors (TLRs) has major roles in the initiation of the inflammatory response and as such has attracted much focus for their potential as therapeutic targets. Here we review the role of TLRs in the inflammatory response and associated disease and examine how this important family of molecules might be targeted for therapeutic benefit. © 2013 BioFactors, 40(3):284–294, 2014
Using an ePortfolio system as an electronic laboratory notebook in undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology practical classes
Authors: Johnston Jill , Kant Sashi , Gysbers Vanessa , Hancock Dale , Denyer Gareth
Published: December 2013

Despite many apparent advantages, including security, back‐up, remote access, workflow, and data management, the use of electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs) in the modern research laboratory is still developing. This presents a challenge to instructors who want to give undergraduate students an introduction to the kinds of data curation and notebook keeping skills that will inevitably be required as ELNs penetrate normal laboratory practice. An additional problem for the teacher is that ELNs do not generally have student‐administrative functions and are prohibitively expensive. In this report, we describe the use and impact of an ePortfolio system as a surrogate ELN. Introduction of the system led to several pedagogic outcomes, namely: increased preparedness of students for class, encouragement of creativity and reflection with respect to experimental methods, greatly enhanced engagement between students and tutors, and it gave instructors the ability to scrutinize original data files and monitor student‐tutor feedback cycles. However, implementation led to a disruption of tutor workloads and incurred new levels of accountability that threatened to undermine the initiative. Through course evaluations and other reflective processes, we reached an appreciation of how an ELN should be introduced into practical class teaching so that it not only becomes an appropriate aid for teaching the laboratory experience, but also becomes a life‐long resource for students. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(1):50–57, 2014
Remembering the forest while viewing the trees: Evolutionary thinking in the teaching of molecular biology
Authors: Saraswati Sitaraman , Sitaraman Ramakrishnan
Published: December 2013

Given the centrality of evolutionary theory to the study of biology, we present a strategy for reinforcing its importance by appropriately recontextualizing classic and well‐known experiments that are not explicitly linked with evolution in conventional texts. This exercise gives students an appreciation of the applicability of the theory of evolution in diverse contexts, including those where it is not explicitly mentioned. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(2):162–164, 2014.
A molecular genetic lab to generate inclusive and exclusive forensic evidence: Two suspects, a victim, and a bloodstained T‐shirt
Authors: Smit Julie , Heath Daniel D. , Walter Ryan P.
Published: December 2013

Molecular genetic laboratory exercises can be ineffective due the student's lack of connection to the complex and sequential protocols. In this inquiry‐based molecular genetic laboratory exercise, we harness students' fascination with human forensics and provide a real‐life scenario using biomolecular techniques to identify “whose blood is on the t‐shirt.” We use fish blood to create realistic blood stains on clothing and challenge the students to use DNA analyses to clear or implicate suspects. Safety concerns are minimized through the use of fish blood, while maximizing both realism and the likelihood of student success due to fishes' nucleated red blood cells. The goal in designing this laboratory exercise was to create a feasible protocol for large (over 300 students) second year university courses. During two 3 hour laboratory sessions, students learn and apply clean/sterile technique, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, restriction fragment length polymorphisms, and agarose gel electrophoresis. The students also learn to interpret the resulting gel bands in terms of inclusive or exclusive evidence. Students have consistently ranked this lab as their favorite of five taken as part of a second year Genetics course. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(3):XXXXX–XXXXX, 2014.
Commentary: PhDs in biochemistry education—5 years later
Authors: Offerdahl Erika G. , Momsen Jennifer L. , Osgood Marcy
Published: December 2013

In this commentary, the discussion of PhDs in biochemistry education research is expanded to explore a number of diverse pathways leading to a competitive research program in biochemistry education research. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(2):103–105, 2014.
Determination of nifedipine in dog plasma by high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection
Authors: Pan Xigui , Zhou Shunchang , Fu Qinqin , Hu Xianming , Wu Jianhong
Published: December 2013

Nifedipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker used widely in the management of hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders. In this work, a simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to determine nifedipine in dog plasma using nimodipine as the internal standard. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a C8 column. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile, water and formic acid (60:40:0.2, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in selected reaction monitoring mode via an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source. The method has a lower limit of quantification of 0.20 ng/mL with consumption of plasma as low as 0.05 mL. The linear calibration curves were obtained in the concentration range of 0.20–50.0 ng/mL (r = 0.9948). The recoveries of the liquid extraction method were 74.5–84.1%. Intra‐day and inter‐day precisions were 4.1–8.8 and 6.7–7.4%, respectively. The quantification was not interfered with by other plasma components and the method was applied to determine nifedipine in plasma after a single oral administration of two controlled‐release nifedipine tablets to beagle dogs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel two‐stage fermentation process for bioethanol production using Saccharomyces pastorianus
Authors: Gowtham Yogender Kumar , Miller Kristen P. , Hodge David B. , Henson J. Michael , Harcum Sarah W.
Published: December 2013

Bioethanol produced from lignocellulosic materials has the potential to be economically feasible, if both glucose and xylose released from cellulose and hemicellulose can be efficiently converted to ethanol. Saccharomyces spp. can efficiently convert glucose to ethanol; however, xylose conversion to ethanol is a major hurdle due to lack of xylose‐metabolizing pathways. In this study, a novel two‐stage fermentation process was investigated to improve bioethanol productivity. In this process, xylose is converted into biomass via non‐Saccharomyces microorganism and coupled to a glucose‐utilizing Saccharomyces fermentation. Escherichia coli was determined to efficiently convert xylose to biomass, which was then killed to produce E. coli extract. Since earlier studies with Saccharomyces pastorianus demonstrated that xylose isomerase increased ethanol productivities on pure sugars, the addition of both E. coli extract and xylose isomerase to S. pastorianus fermentations on pure sugars and corn stover hydrolysates were investigated. It was determined that the xylose isomerase addition increased ethanol productivities on pure sugars but was not as effective alone on the corn stover hydrolysates. It was observed that the E. coli extract addition increased ethanol productivities on both corn stover hydrolysates and pure sugars. The ethanol productivities observed on the corn stover hydrolysates with the E. coli extract addition was the same as observed on pure sugars with both E. coli extract and xylose isomerase additions. These results indicate that the two‐stage fermentation process has the capability to be a competitive alternative to recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae‐based fermentations. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:300–310, 2014
Optimization of sugar release from sweet sorghum bagasse following solvation of cellulose and enzymatic hydrolysis using response surface methodology
Authors: Yesuf Jemil N. , Liang Yanna
Published: December 2013

To release sugars effectively from sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB), a cellulose solvent and organic solvent‐based lignocellulose fractionation pretreatment approach was studied using response surface methodology (RSM). Based on RSM's central composite design, a batch experimental matrix was set up to determine the effects of reaction time (20–60 min) and temperature (40–60 °C) on delignification, total reducing sugar yield, glucan digestibility, and overall glucose yields following a pretreatment‐hydrolysis process. The optimum pretreatment conditions of 50 °C and 40 min led to 51.4% delignification, 86% overall glucose yield, and 61% overall xylose yield. An effort has also been made to obtain predictive models to illustrate the correlation between independent and dependent variables using RSM. The significance of the correlations and adequacy of these models were statistically tested for the selected objective functions. The optimum pretreatment condition predicted by the model was 49.1 °C and 39.2 min which matched the experimental data well. Results from this study can be applied to large scale biorefineries using sugars released from SSB for producing various biofuels. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:367–375, 2014
Detection and structural characterization of insulin prefibrilar oligomers using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Kurouski Dmitry , Sorci Mirco , Postiglione Thomas , Belfort Georges , Lednev Igor K.
Published: December 2013

In vitro fibril formation typically exhibits a lag phase followed by a rapid elongation phase. Soluble prefibrilar oligomers form as multiple assembly states occur during the lag phase and, after forming a nucleus, rapidly propagate into amyloid aggregates and fibrils. The structure and morphology of amyloid fibrils have been extensively characterized over the last decades, while little is known about the structural organization of the prefibrilar oligomers or their multiple assembly states. The main difficulty in structural characterization of prefibrilar aggregates is their low concentration (pmolar) and their continual reactive conversion. Herein we overcome these difficulties by utilizing Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) with a model amyloid peptide, insulin. SERS is a powerful analytic tool that is able to provide detection of small molecules down to a single‐molecule level. Using SERS we found that during the 3 lag phase before the onset of insulin fibril formation, the amount of insulin oligomers increased more than twice after the first hour of incubation under fibrillation conditions (pH 1.6, 65°C) and then slowly decreased with time. The latter finding is kinetically linked to the conversion of the prefibrilar oligomers into fibril species. This study provides valuable new information about the time‐dependent structural organization of insulin oligomers and demonstrates the power and potential of SERS for detection and structural characterization of biological specimens present at low concentrations. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical EngineersBiotechnol. Prog., 30:488–495, 2014
Simultaneous increases in specific growth rate and specific lipid content of Chlorella vulgaris through UV‐induced reactive species
Authors: Balan Ranjini , Suraishkumar G. K.
Published: December 2013

A challenge in algae‐based bio‐oil production is to simultaneously enhance specific growth rates and specific lipid content. We have demonstrated simultaneous increases in both the above in Chlorella vulgaris through reactive species (RS) induced under ultraviolet (UV) A and UVB light treatments. We postulated that the changes in photosystem (PS) stoichiometry and antenna size were responsible for the increases in specific growth rate. UVB treatment excited PSII, which resulted in a twofold to sevenfold increase in PSII/PSI ratio compared to control. An excited PSII caused a 2.7‐fold increase in the specific levels of superoxide and a twofold increase in the specific levels of hydroxyl radicals. We have established that the increased specific intracellular RS (si‐RS) levels increased the PSII antenna size by a significant 10‐fold as compared to control. In addition, the 8.2‐fold increase in specific lipid content was directly related to the si‐RS levels. We have also demonstrated that the RS induced under UVA treatment led to a 3.2‐fold increase in the saturated to unsaturated fatty acid ratio. Based on the findings, we have proposed and demonstrated a UV‐based strategy, which achieved an 8.8‐fold increase in volumetric lipid productivity. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:291–299, 2014
Optimization of alkaline pretreatment of coffee pulp for production of bioethanol
Authors: Menezes Evandro G. T. , do Carmo Juliana R. , Alves José Guilherme L. F. , Menezes Aline G. T. , Guimarães Isabela C. , Queiroz Fabiana , Pimenta Carlos J.
Published: December 2013

The use of lignocellulosic raw materials in bioethanol production has been intensively investigated in recent years. However, for efficient conversion to ethanol, many pretreatment steps are required prior to hydrolysis and fermentation. Coffee stands out as the most important agricultural product in Brazil and wastes such as pulp and coffee husk are generated during the wet and dry processing to obtain green grains, respectively. This work focused on the optimization of alkaline pretreatment of coffee pulp with the aim of making its use in the alcoholic fermentation. A central composite rotatable design was used with three independent variables: sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide concentrations and alkaline pretreatment time, totaling 17 experiments. After alkaline pretreatment the concentration of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin remaining in the material, the subsequent hydrolysis of the cellulose component and its fermentation of substrate were evaluated. The results indicated that pretreatment using 4% (w/v) sodium hydroxide solution, with no calcium hydroxide, and 25 min treatment time gave the best results (69.18% cellulose remaining, 44.15% hemicelluloses remaining, 25.19% lignin remaining, 38.13 g/L of reducing sugars, and 27.02 g/L of glucose) and produced 13.66 g/L of ethanol with a yield of 0.4 g ethanol/g glucose. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:451–462, 2014
Investigation of expression and activity levels of primary rat hepatocyte detoxication genes under various flow rates and cell densities in microfluidic biochips
Authors: Baudoin Régis , Alberto Giulia , Legendre Audrey , Paullier Patrick , Naudot Marie , Fleury Marie‐José , Jacques Sébastien , Griscom Laurent , Leclerc Eric
Published: December 2013

We investigated the behavior of primary rat hepatocytes in biochips using a microfluidic platform (the integrated dynamic cell culture microchip). We studied the effects of cell inoculation densities (0.2–0.5 × 106 cells/biochip) and perfusion flow rates (10, 25, and 40 µL/min) during 72 h of perfusion. No effects were observed on hepatocyte morphology, but the levels of mRNA and CYP1A2 activity were found to be dependent on the initial cell densities and flow rates. The dataset made it possible to extract a best estimated range of parameters in which the rat hepatocytes appeared the most functional in the biochips. Namely, at 0.25 × 106 inoculated cells cultivated at 25 µL/min for 72 h, we demonstrated better induction of the expression of all the genes analyzed in comparison with other cell densities and flow rates. More precisely, when primary rat hepatocytes were cultivated at these conditions, the time‐lapse analysis demonstrated an over expression of CYP3A1, CYP2B1, ABCC1b and ABCC2 in the biochips when compared to the postextraction levels. Furthermore, the AHR, CYP1A2, GSTA2, SULT1A1, and UGT1A6 levels remained higher than 50% of the postextraction values whereas values of HNF4α, CEBP, and PXR remained higher than 20% during the duration of the culture process. Nevertheless, an important reduction in mRNA levels was found for the xenosensors CAR and FXR, and the related CYP (CYP2E1, CYP7A1, CYP3A2, and CYP2D2). CYP1A2 functionality was illustrated by 700 ± 100 pmol/h/106 cells resorufin production. This study highlighted the functionality in optimized conditions of primary rat hepatocytes in parallelized microfluidic cultures and their potential for drug screening applications. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:401–410, 2014
Age‐ and gender‐related variations in morphometric characteristics of thoracic spine pedicle
Authors: Morales‐Avalos Rodolfo , Leyva‐Villegas Jorge , Sánchez‐Mejorada Gabriela , Cárdenas‐Serna Marcela , Vílchez‐Cavazos Félix , De León Ángel Martínez‐Ponce , Elizondo‐Riojas Guillermo , Martínez‐García Jorge , De La Garza‐Castro Oscar , Elizondo‐Omaña Rodrigo , Guzmán‐López Santos
Published: December 2013

Transpedicular spinal fusion is the most commonly used fixation technique for the surgical treatment of vertebral disorders. However, the instrumentation of the thoracic spine using this technique continues to be controversial. The objective of the present study was to determine the morphometric characteristics of the thoracic pedicle and to establish how these characteristics vary with gender and age. Two hundred thoracic spines (4800 thoracic pedicles) from individuals of known gender and age were analyzed (in accordance with the order of vertebrae). The spines were divided into six groups according to age and gender. The horizontal and vertical diameters of the thoracic pedicle were determined for each piece. The mean and standard deviation of each variable were determined, and differences between age groups for each gender were evaluated using parametric correlation tests. The pedicle diameters of men and women differed significantly for most groups (P < 0.05). The horizontal diameters decreased from T1 to T5 and increased up to T12. The vertical diameter followed a cephalocaudal pattern of development from T1‐T12. The pedicle diameters decreased with increasing age in women, while the opposite trend was observed in men. In men, the dimensions of the thoracic spine pedicle increase with increasing age; in women, they decrease. These differences should be taken into account when selecting the appropriate pedicle screw. Clin. Anat. 27:441–450, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Nonequilibrium Statistical Model of Spectrally Truncated Burgers‐Hopf Dynamics
Authors: Kleeman Richard , Turkington Bruce E.
Published: December 2013

Exact spectral truncations of the unforced, inviscid Burgers‐Hopf equation are Hamiltonian systems with many degrees of freedom that exhibit intrinsic stochasticity and coherent scaling behavior. For this reason recent studies have employed these systems as prototypes to test stochastic mode reduction strategies. In the present paper the Burgers‐Hopf dynamics truncated tonFourier modes is treated by a new statistical model reduction technique, and a closed system of evolution equations for the mean values of themlowest modes is derived form ≪ n. In the reduced model them‐mode macrostates are associated with trial probability densities on the phase space of then‐mode microstates, and a cost functional is introduced to quantify the lack of fit of paths of these densities to the Liouville equation. The best‐fit macrodynamics is obtained by minimizing the cost functional over paths, and the equations governing the closure are then derived from Hamilton‐Jacobi theory. The resulting reduced equations have a fractional diffusion and modified nonlinear interactions, and the explicit form of both are determined up to a single closure parameter. The accuracy and range of validity of this nonequilibrium closure is assessed by comparison against direct numerical simulations of statistical ensembles, and the predicted behavior is found to be well represented by the reduced equations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nonlinear Instability Theory of Lane‐Emden Stars
Authors: Jang Juhi
Published: December 2013

We establish a nonlinear instability of the Euler‐Poisson system for polytropic gases whose adiabatic exponents take value in around the Lane‐Emden equilibrium star configurations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Automation‐assisted cervical cancer screening in manual liquid‐based cytology with hematoxylin and eosin staining
Authors: Zhang Ling , Kong Hui , Ting Chin Chien , Liu Shaoxiong , Fan Xinmin , Wang Tianfu , Chen Siping
Published: December 2013

Current automation‐assisted technologies for screening cervical cancer mainly rely on automated liquid‐based cytology slides with proprietary stain. This is not a cost‐efficient approach to be utilized in developing countries. In this article, we propose the first automation‐assisted system to screen cervical cancer in manual liquid‐based cytology (MLBC) slides with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain, which is inexpensive and more applicable in developing countries. This system consists of three main modules: image acquisition, cell segmentation, and cell classification. First, an autofocusing scheme is proposed to find the global maximum of the focus curve by iteratively comparing image qualities of specific locations. On the autofocused images, the multiway graph cut (GC) is performed globally on the a* channel enhanced image to obtain cytoplasm segmentation. The nuclei, especially abnormal nuclei, are robustly segmented by using GC adaptively and locally. Two concave‐based approaches are integrated to split the touching nuclei. To classify the segmented cells, features are selected and preprocessed to improve the sensitivity, and contextual and cytoplasm information are introduced to improve the specificity. Experiments on 26 consecutive image stacks demonstrated that the dynamic autofocusing accuracy was 2.06 μm. On 21 cervical cell images with nonideal imaging condition and pathology, our segmentation method achieved a 93% accuracy for cytoplasm, and a 87.3% F‐measure for nuclei, both outperformed state of the art works in terms of accuracy. Additional clinical trials showed that both the sensitivity (88.1%) and the specificity (100%) of our system are satisfyingly high. These results proved the feasibility of automation‐assisted cervical cancer screening in MLBC slides with H&E stain, which is highly desirable in community health centers and small hospitals. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Fine‐needle aspiration of squamous‐lined cysts of the pancreas
Authors: VandenBussche Christopher J. , Maleki Zahra
Published: December 2013

Squamous‐lined cysts (SLC) in the pancreas are rare and include lymphoepithelial cysts (LEC), dermoid cysts (DC), and epidermoid cysts in heterotopic spleen (EC). Previously only rare case reports and small case series have been published describing the FNA findings in these entities. The departmental archives were searched for surgically excised SLC from the pancreas. Twenty‐five specimens were identified: 20 LEC, four EC, and one DC. Eight corresponding FNA specimens taken prior to resection were identified and available for review: seven LEC and one EC. A junior and senior pathologist reviewed the cases individually and then together for consensus. On morphological review, all lesions contained single nucleated and anucleated mature squamous cells, macrophages, and varying amounts of lymphocytes. Benign squamous fragments were found in half of all specimens. Amorphous debris was found in all cases. Keratin was found in all but two cases and its appearance varied among cases. Half of all cases contained cholesterol crystals. No nuclear atypia or necrosis was noted. Inspissated mucin, a potentially misleading finding, was seen in three cases. The most important goal in evaluating pancreatic cystic lesions is to exclude a mucin‐producing neoplasm. If features of a SLC are present, the differential diagnosis should include LEC, DC, and EC. Only 38% (3/8) cases had the most specific features of an SLC present (squamous fragments, cholesterol crystals, keratin, and squamous cells), which suggests that most cases will not be specifically identified on FNA even by experienced cytopathologists. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:592–599. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fine‐needle aspiration in pediatric patients 12 years of age and younger
Authors: Cole Cristina D. , Wu Howard H.
Published: December 2013

Fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) is a well‐established diagnostic tool in adult patients, and while in recent years it has gained popularity in the pediatric population, it is still far less universally accepted in children than in adults.

A computerized search of our tertiary medical center's laboratory information system was performed for the 20‐year period from 1992 to 2012. All FNAs in children 12 years of age and younger and all related surgical pathology reports were identified. Cytologic and histologic diagnoses were stratified into six diagnostic categories—benign, atypical, suspicious, malignant, cyst contents, and nondiagnostic—and then compared to determine the utility of FNA in this patient population.

Four hundred and three FNAs in 389 patients were included in this study, of which there were 288 benign (71.5%), 8 atypical (2.0%), 10 suspicious (2.5%), 42 malignant (10.4%), 12 cyst contents (3.0%), and 43 nondiagnostic (10.6%) cases. The most common benign diagnoses were reactive lymph node and inflammatory infiltrate/abscess, while the most common malignant diagnoses were leukemia/lymphoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and neuroblastoma. Of the 127 FNAs (31.5%) with histologic follow‐up, we identified just one false positive and one false negative case.

Like FNA in adults, this study shows that the technique is both sensitive (97.2%) and specific (98.5%), and has high positive predictive (97.2%) and negative predictive (98.5%) values for diagnosing malignancy in childhood. As FNA is a simpler, less invasive, and more cost‐effective procedure when compared with surgical biopsy, it represents a valuable diagnostic tool in the pediatric population. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:600–605. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Brush cytology of acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas with intraductal growth
Authors: Toyonaga Yasuhiro , Yamazaki Kazuto , Yamada Masatoshi , Koyasu Takayoshi , Koyama Yoshinori , Ishida Yasuo
Published: December 2013

We describe a rare case of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) with intraductal growth in a 77‐year‐old man, which was diagnosed by endoscopic brush cytology. Preoperative imaging revealed an ill‐defined mass involving the main pancreatic duct of the body, which was suspected to be an invasive ductal carcinoma. Endoscopic brush cytology showed several thick, small to large clusters of tumor cells. However, a loosely cohesive or individual cell arrangement was more prominent. Singly dispersed naked nuclei, occasionally with crush artifact, were frequently observed. The nuclear contour was smooth and chromatin was finely clumped. The cytoplasm contained many coarse D‐PAS‐positive granules. Histologically, the tumor expansively invaded to parenchyma and expanded to fill the pancreatic ducts. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells were less cohesive with scarce tight junctions, and their cytoplasm contained numerous zymogen granules and filamentous inclusions. Although ACCs usually show expansive growth, the incidence of intraductal extension may be higher than previously considered. A few of the characteristic cytomorphological features described here may be useful for differential diagnosis of this tumor from malignant epithelioid neoplasms involving the large pancreatic ducts. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42:321–324. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Age‐related face processing bias in infancy: Evidence of perceptual narrowing for adult faces
Authors: Macchi Cassia Viola , Bulf Hermann , Quadrelli Ermanno , Proietti Valentina
Published: December 2013

Recent data demonstrate a perceptual processing advantage for adult faces in both adults and young children, suggesting that face representation is shaped by visual experience accumulated with different face‐age groups. As for species and race, this age bias may emerge during the first year of life as part of the general process of perceptual narrowing, given the extensive amount of social and perceptual experience accumulated with caregivers and/or other adult individuals. Using infant‐controlled habituation and visual‐paired comparison at test, two experiments were carried out to examine 3‐ and 9‐month‐olds' ability to discriminate within adult and infant faces. Results showed that, when they are provided with adequate time to visually compare the stimuli during test trials (Experiment 2), 3‐month‐olds exhibit above‐chance discrimination of adult and infant faces. Instead, 9‐month‐olds discriminate adult faces but not infant faces (Experiments 1 and 2). Results provide the first evidence of age‐related face processing biases in infancy, and show that by 9 months face representations tune to adult human faces. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 238–248, 2014.
Contribution of ventricular assist devices to the recovery of failing hearts: a review and the Berlin Heart Center Experience
Authors: Dandel Michael , Knosalla Christoph , Hetzer Roland
Published: December 2013

Ventricular assist‐device (VAD) implantation is a life‐saving therapy which will later become either a bridge‐to‐transplantation or definitive therapy if heart transplantation (HTx) is not possible. VAD‐supported failing hearts often recover at the molecular and cellular level, but translation of these changes into functionally stable cardiac recovery allowing long‐term HTx/VAD‐free outcomes after VAD removal is relatively rare, related to the aetiology, severity, and duration of myocardial damage. The reason for the discrepancy between high recovery rates on cellular and molecular levels and the low rate of cardiac recovery allowing VAD explantation is unknown. For selected patients VAD explantation is feasible. HTx/VAD‐free outcomes for >15 years are possible even if recovery remains incomplete and the underlying cause for VAD implantation was idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Echocardiography and right heart catheterization are necessary to assess clinically relevant cardiac recovery. Certain echo parameters appeared highly predictive for post‐weaning cardiac function and reliable for weaning decisions. The elective therapeutic use of VADs for heart failure (HF) reversal in its earlier stages is a future goal possibly achievable by development of tools to predict HF reversibility already before VAD implantation and increase the number of weaning candidates by improvement of adjunctive therapies to optimize unloading‐promoted recovery. The present article summarizes the knowledge about unloading‐promoted myocardial recovery and reviews the available data on its clinical relevance, its post‐explant stability, and its assessment for decision‐making in favour of or against VAD explantation. The review also aims to provide a theoretical and practical basis for clinicians intending to be engaged in this field.
Production and characterization of multinuclear microcapsules encapsulating lavender oil by complex coacervation
Authors: Xiao Zuobing , Liu Wanlong , Zhu Guangyong , Zhou Rujun , Niu Yunwei
Published: December 2013

The aim of this work was to encapsulate lavender oil by complex coacervation using gelatin and gum Arabic as encapsulants. The effects of various factors including pH value, the core/wall ratio, wall material concentration, stirring speed, cross‐linkers and homogenization rate on the appearance, mean particle size, yield, loading capacity (LC) and encapsulation efficiency (EE) were investigated. The optimal conditions (pH 3.5, core/wall 3:2, wall material concentration 1%, stirring speed 450 rpm, homogenization rate 19 000 rpm and glutaraldehyde as cross‐linker) for preparing spherical multinuclear microcapsules were obtained. At the optimal conditions, the highest yield is 65.8 ± 1.0%; the maximum LC is 61.3 ± 0.7%; the highest EE is 66.0 ± 0.3%. The effect of three different cross‐linkers on the hardening effectiveness of multinuclear microcapsules containing lavender oil was investigated. Glutaraldehyde and transglutaminase exhibit similar microcapsule hardening effectiveness. When tannic acid was used instead of glutaraldehyde and transglutaminase, the mean particle size and EE remained the same as that when hardening with glutaraldehyde or transglutaminase, but the morphology obviously changes, while the yield and LC significantly decrease. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Oxygen tension controls the expression of the monocarboxylate transporter MCT4 in cultured mouse cortical astrocytes via a hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α‐mediated transcriptional regulation
Authors: Rosafio Katia , Pellerin Luc
Published: December 2013

The monocarboxylate transporter MCT4 is a high capacity carrier important for lactate release from highly glycolytic cells. In the central nervous system, MCT4 is predominantly expressed by astrocytes. Surprisingly, MCT4 expression in cultured astrocytes is low, suggesting that a physiological characteristic, not met in culture conditions, is necessary. Here we demonstrate that reducing oxygen concentration from 21% to either 1 or 0% restored in a concentration‐dependent manner the expression of MCT4 at the mRNA and protein levels in cultured astrocytes. This effect was specific for MCT4 since the expression of MCT1, the other astrocytic monocarboxylate transporter present in vitro, was not altered in such conditions. MCT4 expression was shown to be controlled by the transcription factor hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) since under low oxygen levels, transfecting astrocyte cultures with a siRNA targeting HIF‐1α largely prevented MCT4 induction. Moreover, the prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) induced MCT4 expression in astrocytes cultured in presence of 21% oxygen. In parallel, glycolytic activity was enhanced by exposure to 1% oxygen as demonstrated by the increased lactate release, an effect dependent on MCT4 expression. Finally, MCT4 expression was found to be necessary for astrocyte survival when exposed for a prolonged period to 1% oxygen. These data suggest that a major determinant of astrocyte MCT4 expression in vivo is likely the oxygen tension. This could be relevant in areas of high neuronal activity and oxygen consumption, favouring astrocytic lactate supply to neurons. Moreover, it could also play an important role for neuronal recovery after an ischemic episode. GLIA 2014;62:477–490