bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thymus‐resident memory CD8+T cells mediate local immunity
Authors: Hofmann Maike , Oschowitzer Anna , Kurzhals Stefan R. , Krüger Caroline C. , Pircher Hanspeter
Published: May 2013

The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ responsible for production and selection of T cells. Nonetheless, mature T cells and in particular activated T cells can reenter the thymus. Here, we identified memory CD8+ T cells specific for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus or vaccinia virus in the thymus of mice long‐time after the infection. CD8+ T cells were mainly located in the thymic medulla, but also in the cortical areas. Interestingly, virus‐specific memory CD8+ T cells in the thymus expressed the cell surface markers CD69 and CD103 that are characteristic of tissue‐resident memory T cells in a time‐dependent manner. Kinetic analyses and selective depletion of peripheral CD8+ T cells by antibodies further revealed that thymic virus‐specific memory CD8+ T cells did not belong to the circulating pool of lymphocytes. Finally, we demonstrate that these thymus‐resident virus‐specific memory CD8+ T cells efficiently mounted a secondary proliferative response, exhibited immediate effector functions and were able to protect the thymus from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus reinfection. In conclusion, the present study not only describes for the first time virus‐specific memory CD8+ T cells with characteristics of tissue‐resident memory T (TRM) cells in a primary lymphoid organ but also extends our knowledge about local T‐cell immunity in the thymus.
Unprecedented Formation of cis‐ and trans‐Di[(3‐chloropropyl)isopropoxysilyl]‐Bridged Double‐Decker Octaphenylsilsesquioxanes
Authors: Ervithayasuporn Vuthichai , Sodkhomkhum Rapheepraew , Teerawatananond Thapong , Phurat Chuttree , Phinyocheep Pranee , Somsook Ekasith , Osotchan Tanakorn
Published: May 2013

Silsesquioxane formation competing with the deprotonation of alcohol solvents in the presence of a strong base to form alkoxides is reported for the first time. Evidently, sodium isopropoxide is formed during the synthesis of the sodium salt of a double‐decker octaphenylsilsesquioxane tetrasilanolate in 2‐propanol as the solvent, which leads to the formation of unexpected cis‐ and trans‐di[(3‐chloropropyl)isopropoxysilyl]‐bridged double‐decker octaphenylsilsesquioxanes after in situ coupling with 3‐chloropropyltrichlorosilane. The desired products were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and 29Si NMR spectroscopy; ESI‐MS; and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction.
When the powerful feels wronged: The legitimization effects of advantaged group members' sense of being accused for harboring racial or ethnic biases
Authors: Saguy Tamar , Chernyak‐Hai Lily , Andrighetto Luca , Bryson Jeff
Published: May 2013

In this research, we investigated the psychological sense of feeling wronged as an advantaged group member. By feeling wronged, we refer to advantaged group members who experience themselves being unfairly accused for harboring racial or ethnic biases. Drawing on research on moral threat to the ingroup, we predicted that feeling wronged would lead advantaged group members to legitimize the social hierarchy they are benefiting from, which in turn can undermine their intentions to redress group‐based inequality. Study 1 demonstrated that to the extent advantaged group members (both in Italy and the USA) felt wronged predicted their perceptions of group‐based disparities as more legitimate, which in turn weakened their intentions to act for promoting social change. Study 2 replicated the effect using an experimental manipulation of unfair blame among a sample of Israeli‐Jews. Results are discussed in light of relevant work on competitive victimhood and inverted relative deprivation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rescue of cardiomyopathy through U7snRNA‐mediated exon skipping in Mybpc3‐targeted knock‐in mice
Authors: Gedicke‐Hornung Christina , Behrens‐Gawlik Verena , Reischmann Silke , Geertz Birgit , Stimpel Doreen , Weinberger Florian , Schlossarek Saskia , Précigout Guillaume , Braren Ingke , Eschenhagen Thomas , Mearini Giulia , Lorain Stéphanie , Voit Thomas , Dreyfus Patrick A. , Garcia Luis , Carrier Lucie
Published: May 2013

Exon skipping mediated by antisense oligoribonucleotides (AON) is a promising therapeutic approach for genetic disorders, but has not yet been evaluated for cardiac diseases. We investigated the feasibility and efficacy of viral‐mediated AON transfer in a Mybpc3‐targeted knock‐in (KI) mouse model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). KI mice carry a homozygous G>A transition in exon 6, which results in three different aberrant mRNAs. We identified an alternative variant (Var‐4) deleted of exons 5–6 in wild‐type and KI mice. To enhance its expression and suppress aberrant mRNAs we designed AON‐5 and AON‐6 that mask splicing enhancer motifs in exons 5 and 6. AONs were inserted into modified U7 small nuclear RNA and packaged in adeno‐associated virus (AAV‐U7‐AON‐5+6). Transduction of cardiac myocytes or systemic administration of AAV‐U7‐AON‐5+6 increased Var‐4 mRNA/protein levels and reduced aberrant mRNAs. Injection of newborn KI mice abolished cardiac dysfunction and prevented left ventricular hypertrophy. Although the therapeutic effect was transient and therefore requires optimization to be maintained over an extended period, this proof‐of‐concept study paves the way towards a causal therapy of HCM.
Pilot‐scale sequential anaerobic–aerobic biological treatment of waste streams from a paper mill
Authors: Lin Che‐Jen , Zhang Pengchong , Pongprueksa Pruek , Liu James , Evers Simon A. , Hart Peter
Published: May 2013

The pulp and paper industry produces a large quantity of wastewater containing recalcitrant organic compounds. In this study, a pilot‐scale anaerobic–aerobic sequential system was employed to treat four different waste streams produced in a kraft pulp and paper mill. The system consisted of a 2.3 m3 packed‐bed anaerobic digester and a completely mixed activated sludge process. Under the applied organic loading rate to the anaerobic digester (0.2 to 4.8 kg‐COD m−3 d−1), a COD removal efficiency of 50–65% was achieved. After the anaerobic treatment, the BOD/COD ratio of the effluent was low (0.12 ± 0.03), suggesting that additional pretreatment is necessary for the digester effluent to be further polished aerobically. Combined with the aerobic treatment, the overall COD removal efficiency was up to 70% for the substrates evaluated. Air purging before feeding sulfide‐containing substrate was shown to be effective for removing sulfide toxicity in the digester. Kinetic analysis showed that the pseudo‐first‐order degradation rate constants of the evaluated substrates are 0.28–0.46 d−1 in the anaerobic digester, with a methane production yield of 0.22–0.34 m3‐CH4 kg‐COD−1 at standard temperature and pressure (0°C, 1 atm). These values are comparable to those found for other industrial substrates, indicating that an anaerobic process is a sound treatment alternative for the evaluated waste streams. The quality of biogas produced by the substrates was excellent, containing ∼80% of methane. The application of anaerobic treatment has the potential of significantly improving the energy footprint of the pulp and paper industry. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 359–368, 2014
Dynamics of inelastic base‐isolated structures subjected to analytical pulse ground motions
Authors: Vassiliou Michalis F. , Tsiavos Anastasios , Stojadinović Božidar
Published: May 2013

Structural design code provisions worldwide prescribe relatively small seismic force reduction factors for seismically base‐isolated structures, making their response to design‐level earthquake excitation essentially elastic. This paper uses the method of dimensional analysis to prove that; in most cases, this is not a conservative design approach but a necessity that emerges from the dynamics of base‐isolated structures. It is shown that allowing typical base‐isolated structures to yield results in large displacement ductility demands for the structure. This phenomenon is caused by the change in the nature of the ground motion excitation as it is transmitted to the structure through the seismic base isolation system as well as by the change in the distribution of displacements between the structure and the isolation bearings caused by yielding of the isolated structure. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using caesium‐134 and cobalt‐60 as tracers to assess the remobilization of recently‐deposited overbank‐derived sediment on river floodplains during subsequent inundation events
Authors: Greenwood P. , Walling D. E. , Quine T. A.
Published: May 2013

River floodplains act as sinks for fine‐sediment and sediment‐associated contaminants. Increasing recognition of their environmental importance has necessitated a need for an improved understanding of the fate and residence times of overbank sediment deposits over a broad range of timescales. Most existing investigations have focused on medium‐term accretion rates, which represents net deposition from multiple flood events over several decades. In contrast, the fate of recently‐deposited sediment during subsequent overbank events has received only limited attention. This paper presents a novel tracing‐technique for documenting the remobilization of recent overbank sediment on river floodplains during subsequent inundation events, using the artificial radionuclides, caesium‐134 (134Cs) and cobalt‐60 (60Co). The investigation was conducted within floodplains of the Rivers Taw and Culm in Devon, UK. Small quantities of fine‐sediment (< 63 µm dia.), pre‐labelled with known activities of either 134Cs or 60Co, were deposited at 15 locations across each floodplain. Surface inventories, measured before and after three consecutive flood events, were used to estimate sediment loss (in g m–2). Significant reductions provided evidence of the remobilization of the labelled sediment by inundating floodwaters. Spatial variations in remobilization were related to localized topography. Sediment remobilized during the first two events for the River Taw floodplain were equivalent to 63 · 8% and 11 · 9%, respectively, of the original mass. Equivalent values for the River Culm floodplain were 49 · 6% and 12 · 5%, respectively, of the original mass. Sediment loss during the third event proved too small to be attributed to remobilization by overbank floodwaters. After the third event, a mean of 22 · 5% and 35 · 2% of the original mass remained on the Taw and Culm floodplains, respectively. These results provide evidence of the storage of the remaining sediment. The findings highlight the importance of remobilization of recently‐deposited sediment on river floodplains during subsequent overbank events and demonstrate the potential of the tracing‐technique. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of critical body residue data for acute narcosis in aquatic organisms
Authors: McCarty L.S. , Arnot J.A. , Mackay D.
Published: May 2013

The Environmental Residue Effects Database was evaluated to identify critical body residues of organic chemicals causing acute baseline neutral narcosis in aquatic organisms. Over 15 000 records for >400 chemicals were evaluated. Mean molar critical body residues in the final data set of 161 records for 29 chemicals were within published ranges but varied within and among chemicals and species (∼3 orders of magnitude), and lipid normalization did not consistently decrease variability. All 29 chemicals can act as baseline neutral narcotics, but chemicals and/or their metabolites may also act by nonnarcotic modes of action. Specifically, nonnarcotic toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and/or their biotransformation derivatives may be a significant source of variability. Complete testing of the narcosis-critical body residue hypothesis was confounded by data gaps for key toxicity modifying factors such as metabolite formation/toxicity, lipid content/composition, other modes of toxic action, and lack of steady-state status. Such problems impede determination of the precise, accurate toxicity estimates necessary for sound toxicological comparisons. Thus, neither the data nor the chemicals in the final data set should be considered definitive. Changes to testing designs and methods are necessary to improve data collection and critical body residue interpretation for hazard and risk assessment. Each of the toxicity metrics discussed—wet weight and lipid weight critical body residues, volume fraction in organism lipid, and chemical activity—has advantages, but all are subject to the same toxicity modifying factors. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:2301–2314. © 2013 SETAC
Two‐way communication with adaptive data acquisition
Authors: Ahmadi Behzad , Simeone Osvaldo
Published: May 2013

Motivated by computer networks and machine‐to‐machine communication applications, a bidirectional link is studied in which two nodes, Node 1 and Node 2, communicate to fulfill generally conflicting informational requirements. Node 2 is able to acquire information from the environment, for example, via access to a remote database or via sensing. Information acquisition is expensive in terms of system resources, for example, time, bandwidth and energy, and thus should be carried out efficiently by adapting the acquisition process to the needs of the application. As a result of the forward communication from Node 1 to Node 2, the latter wishes to compute some function, such as a suitable average, of the data available at Node 1 and of the data obtained from the environment. The forward link is also used by Node 1 to query Node 2 with the aim of retrieving suitable information from the environment on the backward link. The problem is formulated in the context of multi‐terminal rate distortion theory and the optimal trade‐off between communication rates, distortions of the information produced at the two nodes and costs for information acquisition at Node 2 is derived. The issue of robustness to possible malfunctioning of the data acquisition process at Node 2 is also investigated. The results are illustrated via an example that demonstrates the different roles played by the forward communication, namely data exchange, query and control.Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from Indian rice paddies, agricultural soils and crop residue burning
Authors: Bhatia Arti , Jain Niveta , Pathak Himanshu
Published: May 2013

Agricultural soils contribute toward the emission of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), the two important greenhouse gases (GHGs) causing global warming. A state‐wise inventory of CH4 and N2O emissions from agricultural soils of India was prepared for the base year 2007 using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) national inventory preparation guidelines. For CH4 inventory, state‐specific emission coefficients were used for rice grown under upland, rain‐fed, irrigated, and deepwater, the four major rice ecosystems of the country. In case of N2O, both direct and indirect emissions from agricultural soils in different states were calculated using indigenous country specific emission factors. The change in annual emission of CH4 and N2O during the period 1980 to 2007 was estimated using the same emission coefficients. Indian rice fields covering an area of 43.86 million ha under the different rice ecosystems emitted 3.37 million tons of CH4 (84.25 Tg CO2 equivalents) in 2007. The annual direct and indirect N2O‐N emissions from Indian agricultural soils was estimated to be 118.67 Gg (55.5 Tg CO2 equivalent) and 19.48 Gg (9.1 Tg CO2 equivalent), respectively. The global warming potential of the agricultural soils was estimated to be 148 Tg for the year 2007. Emissions from field burning of agricultural residues resulted in an annual emission of 250 Gg of CH4 (6.2 Tg CO2 equivalent) and 6.5 Gg of N2O (1.9 Tg CO2 equivalent). Emission of CH4 from Indian rice fields has remained almost constant during this period whereas there has been an increase of 176% in N2O emissions from agricultural soils due to increased inorganic fertilizer application, however the greenhouse gas emission intensity has declined over the years due to increase in food production.
Case of malignant transformation of vagus nerve schwannoma to angiosarcoma
Authors: Ogawa Tetsuya , Kato Takashige , Ikeda Atsuhiko , Nishimura Kunihiro , Tsuchiya Yoshimasa , Okamoto Hiroki , Takahashi Emiko , Yokoi Toyoharu , Ueda Hiromi
Published: May 2013

Background

It is known that benign tumors have the potential for malignant transformation. Malignant transformation of vagus nerve schwannoma to angiosarcoma is very rare.

Methods

We report a case of malignant transformation in which the initial diagnosis was subsequently altered to angiosarcoma originating from the vagus nerve. We compared the findings of MRI and fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) at initial diagnosis with those after malignant transformation.

Results

MRI revealed that the mass property had been changed from the initial tumor; also the FNA findings were significantly different from those in the previous ones. The patient had significant clinical progression with multiple cranial neuropathies and died.

Conclusion

Schwannomas sometimes undergo malignant transformation; therefore, surgery should be recommended. If follow‐up observation is chosen, MRI and FNA should be regular and patients should sign a statement acknowledging awareness of the potential for malignant transformation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: E17–E20, 2014
Helix 69: A Multitasking RNA Motif as a Novel Drug Target
Authors: Jiang Jun , Sakakibara Yogo , Chow Christine S.
Published: May 2013

High‐resolution structures have shown that helix 69 (H69) of the large ribosomal subunit can assume variable conformational states during translation. Solution studies on small model RNAs, isolated subunits, and complete ribosomes also revealed a variety of H69 conformations. Specific nucleotides of H69 that undergo changes in their relative orientations within the ribosome structure play important roles in both translation and ribosome rescue. Furthermore, the presence of multiple pseudouridines influences the global conformational states of H69, and these highly conserved modifications play a role in regulating the positioning of key functional residues. Helix 69 has recently been identified as a novel antibiotic target site. Small molecules such as aminoglycosides bind to specific conformational states of H69 in bacterial ribosomes and affect the translation process. A variety of techniques have been employed to study H69, ranging from chemical synthesis to X‐ray crystallography, highlighting the importance of a detailed evaluation of the underlying principles of RNA conformational dynamics and drug targeting.
IMPACT OF PITCHER MATERIAL AND SALINITY OF WATER USED ON FLOW RATE, WETTING FRONT ADVANCE, SOIL MOISTURE AND SALT DISTRIBUTION IN SOIL IN PITCHER IRRIGATION: A LABORATORY STUDY
Authors: Naik B.S. , Panda R.K. , Nayak S.C. , Sharma S.D. , Sahu A.P.
Published: May 2013

Three types of pitchers made of different materials were used with saline waters of varied concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 20 dS m‐1) separately to study the effect on flow rate, wetting front advance, moisture and salt distribution in the wetted zone of soil around pitchers. It was found that the pitcher made of clay and sand yielded the lowest flow rate, ranging from 0.42 to 0.62%, followed by the pitcher made of clay, sand and resin, 0.51–0.69% and the pitcher made of clay, sand and sawdust, 0.91–1.02% .The wetting front advance was highest for the pitcher made of clay, sand and sawdust, followed by the pitcher made of clay, sand and resin, and the pitcher made of clay and sand. The mean soil moisture content around the pitcher made of clay and sand was found to be the minimum and varied from 8.53 to 13.3%, followed by the pitcher made of clay, sand and resin, and the pitcher made of clay, sand and sawdust with 9.56–13.7% and 14.5–20.8%, respectively. In the case of the pitcher made of clay and sand, and the pitcher made of clay, sand and resin, the maximum salt concentration in the soil profile ranged between 1.09 and 3.88 dS m‐1 and in the pitcher made of clay, sand and sawdust, it ranged from 2.30 to 6.07 dS m‐1. The initial salinity of water was found to be substantially reduced around the pitcher made of clay and sand, and the pitcher made of clay, sand and resin in comparison to the pitcher made of clay, sand and sawdust. In all cases, salinity levels around the pitchers were well within the safe limit of growing crops. The study reveals that pitcher irrigation may be a promising option for growing plants using highly saline waters, sustaining hardly any salinity hazard or moisture stress. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DISENTANGLING DEMAND AND SUPPLY SHOCKS IN THE CRUDE OIL MARKET: HOW TO CHECK SIGN RESTRICTIONS IN STRUCTURAL VARS
Authors: Lütkepohl Helmut , NetŠunajev Aleksei
Published: May 2013

Sign restrictions have become increasingly popular for identifying shocks in structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) models. So far there are no techniques for validating the shocks identified via such restrictions. Although in an ideal setting the sign restrictions specify shocks of interest, sign restrictions may be invalidated by measurement errors, data adjustments or omitted variables. We model changes in the volatility of the shocks via a Markov switching (MS) mechanism and use this device to give the data a chance to object to sign restrictions. The approach is illustrated by considering a small model for the market of crude oil. Earlier findings that oil supply shocks explain only a very small fraction of movements in the price of oil are confirmed and it is found that the importance of aggregate demand shocks for oil price movements has declined since the mid 1980s. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
STRATEGIC ASSET ALLOCATION FOR LONG‐TERM INVESTORS: PARAMETER UNCERTAINTY AND PRIOR INFORMATION
Authors: Hoevenaars Roy P. P. M. , Molenaar Roderick D. J. , Schotman Peter C. , Steenkamp Tom B. M.
Published: May 2013

We study the effect of parameter uncertainty on the long‐run risk for three asset classes: stocks, bills and bonds. Using a Bayesian vector autoregression with an uninformative prior we find that parameter uncertainty raises the annualized long‐run volatilities of all three asset classes proportionally with the same factor relative to volatilities that are conditional on maximum likelihood parameter estimates. As a result, the horizon effect in optimal asset allocations is much weaker compared to models in which only equity returns are subject to parameter uncertainty. Results are sensitive to alternative informative priors, but generally the term structure of risk for stocks and bonds is relatively flat for investment horizons up to 15 years. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Carboxymethyl cellulose—hydroxyapatite hybrid hydrogel as a composite material for bone tissue engineering applications
Authors: Pasqui Daniela , Torricelli Paola , De Cagna Milena , Fini Milena , Barbucci Rolando
Published: May 2013

Natural bone is a complex inorganic–organic nanocomposite material, in which hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals and collagen fibrils are well organized into hierarchical architecture over several length scales. In this work, we reported a new hybrid material (CMC‐HA) containing HA drown in a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)‐based hydrogel. The strategy for inserting HA nanocrystals within the hydrogel matrix consists of making the freeze‐dried hydrogel to swell in a solution containing HA microcrystals. The composite CMC‐HA hydrogel has been characterized from a physicochemical and morphological point of view by means of FTIR spectroscopy, rheological measurements, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). No release of HA was measured in water or NaCl solution. The distribution of HA crystal on the surface and inside the hydrogel was determined by time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) and FESEM. The biological performance of CMC‐HA hydrogel were tested by using osteoblast MG63 line and compared with a CMC‐based hydrogel without HA. The evaluation of osteoblast markers and gene expression showed that the addition of HA to CMC hydrogel enhanced cell proliferation and metabolic activity and promoted the production of mineralized extracellular matrix. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 1568–1579, 2014.
A comparison of 40 years of SBUV measurements of column ozone with data from the Dobson/Brewer network
Authors: Labow Gordon J. , McPeters Richard D. , Bhartia Pawan K. , Kramarova Natalya
Published: May 2013

Total column ozone data from the Nimbus‐4 Backscatter UltraViolet (BUV) instrument, Nimbus‐7 Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) instrument, as well as from seven NOAA SBUV/2 instruments have been newly reprocessed with the Version 8.6 ozone retrieval algorithm. This yields a coherent data set that, unlike the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer ozone record, has no data gaps or significant time periods with large uncertainties due to calibration issues from 1979 to the present. The column ozone data from the first 3 years of the BUV record (1970–1972) is of high quality and can be used to extend the satellite ozone record back over 40 years. With the new algorithm, an improved total column ozone value is calculated by summing up the profile information as opposed to a single direct column measurement, and the algorithm is optimized for the detection of long‐term trends. The results from this processing of these data have been systematically compared to total ozone data from Brewer and Dobson spectrophotometers for many individual ground stations as a function of time, satellite solar zenith angle, and latitude. The time series comparisons show an agreement within ± 1% over the past 40 years with the bias approaching zero over the last decade. The aerosols associated with the eruption of Mt Pinatubo in 1991 produced an underestimation of ozone for our retrievals at high slant columns while the near‐nadir values were relatively unaffected. There is very little systematic offset between the satellite and ground‐based measurements as a function of latitude with the Nimbus‐4 BUV data (1970–1976) showing the largest offsets. The comparisons as a function of satellite solar zenith angle show consistent behavior for all instruments. Comparisons with ozonesonde data show good agreement in the integrated column up to 25 hPa with differences of no more than 5%.
Improving outcomes of screening breast MRI with practice evolution: Initial clinical experience with 3T compared to 1.5T
Authors: Lourenco Ana P. , Donegan Linda , Khalil Hanan , Mainiero Martha B.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

To determine if changing from 1.5T to 3T breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is associated with a change in BI‐RADS categories, positive predictive value of biopsy recommendation, or cancer detection rates in high‐risk screening breast MRI.

Materials and Methods

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained for this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)‐compatible retrospective review. Prior to October 2010, breast MRI was performed at 1.5T and after October 2010 breast MRI was performed at 3T. Reports of 495 consecutive screening 3T breast MRI exams from October 2010 through October 2011 were reviewed. Comparison was made to previously collected data on 650 screening breast MRI exams at 1.5T. Data were analyzed for statistical significance using the two‐sample test of proportions.

Results

There were 495 screening breast MRI exams. There were 419 (84.6%) BI‐RADS 1/2 results, 35 (7.1%) BI‐RADS 3 results, and 41 (8.3%) BI‐RADS 4/5 results. BI‐RADS 4/5 results increased at 3T (P = 0.04). The positive predictive value for BI‐RADS 4/5 was 29.3% (12/41) at 3T, compared with 17.6% at 1.5T (P < 0.001). Cancer detection rate was 2.6% at 3T, compared with 0.9% at 1.5T (P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Transition to 3T breast MRI in a screening population resulted in increased BI‐RADS 4/5 interpretations, positive predictive value of biopsy recommendations, and cancer detection rate. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:535–539. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sodium adduct formation efficiency in ESI source
Authors: Kruve Anneli , Kaupmees Karl , Liigand Jaanus , Oss Merit , Leito Ivo
Published: May 2013

Formation of sodium adducts in electrospray (ESI) has been known for long time, but has not been used extensively in practice, and several important aspects of Na+ adduct formation in ESI source have been almost unexplored: the ionization efficiency of different molecules via Na+ adduct formation, its dependence on molecular structure and Na+ ion concentration in solution, fragmentation behaviour of the adducts as well as the ruggedness (a prerequisite for wider practical use) of ionization via Na+ adduct formation. In this work, we have developed a parameter describing sodium adducts formation efficiency (SAFE) of neutral molecules and have built a SAFE scale that ranges for over four orders of magnitude and contains 19 compounds. In general, oxygen bases have higher efficiency of Na+ adducts formation than nitrogen bases because of the higher partial negative charge on oxygen atoms and competition from protonation in the case of nitrogen bases. Chelating ability strongly increases the Na+ adduct formation efficiency. We show that not only protonation but also Na+ adduct formation is a quantitative and reproducible process if relative measurements are performed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of two novel butanol dehydrogenases involved in butanol degradation in syngas‐utilizing bacterium Clostridium ljungdahlii DSM 13528
Authors: Tan Yang , Liu Juanjuan , Liu Zhen , Li Fuli
Published: May 2013

Syngas utilizing bacterium Clostridium ljungdahlii DSM 13528 is a promising platform organism for a whole variety of different biofuels and biochemicals production from syngas. During syngas fermentation, C. ljungdahlii DSM 13528 could convert butanol into butyrate, which significantly reduces productivity of butanol. However, there has been no any enzyme involved in the degradation of butanol characterized in C. ljungdahlii DSM 13528. In this study two genes, CLJU_c24880 and CLJU_c39950, encoding putative butanol dehydrogenase (designated as BDH1 and BDH2) were identified in the genome of C. ljungdahlii DSM 13528 and qRT‐PCR analysis showed the expression of bdh1 and bdh2 was significantly upregulated in the presence of 0.25% butanol. And the deduced amino acid sequence for BDH1 and BDH2 showed 69.85 and 68.04% identity with Clostridium acetobutylicum ADH1, respectively. Both BDH1 and BDH2 were oxygen‐sensitive and preferred NADP+ as cofactor and butanol as optimal substrate. The optimal temperature and pH for BDH1 were at 55 °C and pH 7.5 and specific activity was 18.07 ± 0.01 µmol min−1 mg−1. BDH2 was a thermoactive dehydrogenase with maximum activity at 65 °C and at pH 7.0. The specific activity for BDH2 was 11.21 ± 0.02 µmol min−1 mg−1. This study provided important information for understanding the molecular mechanism of butanol degradation and determining the targets for gene knockout to improve the productivity of butanol from syngas in C. ljungdahlii DSM 13528 in future.
Separation optimization of aniline and seven 4‐substituted anilines in high‐submicellar liquid chromatography using empirical retention modeling and Derringer's desirability function
Authors: Hadjmohammadi Mohammad Reza , S. J. Nazari S. Saman
Published: May 2013

The separation optimization of aniline and seven 4‐substituted derivatives in high‐submicellar LC was performed using an interpretive optimization strategy and Derringer's desirability function. Description of the retention of solutes was carried out through several hyperbolic and logarithmic retention models using the retention data of five mobile phases of SDS (0.06–0.12 M) and methanol (50–70% v/v) at pH 3. Among the investigated models, a logarithmic retention model showed the best prediction capability and was used to predict the solute retention factors. A grid search program was used to calculate the retention times of each solute, based on the best retention model, for all combinations of SDS and methanol concentrations in the factor space. Two different chromatographic goals, analysis time and retention differences between adjacent peaks, were evaluated simultaneously using Derringer's desirability function for each mobile phase conditions in the grid search. Optimal mobile phase composition for separation of eight anilines was found to be 0.119 M SDS and 53% v/v methanol. Under these conditions, full resolutions with a reasonable analysis time (22 min) were obtained. At the optimal condition, a good agreement was observed between predicted and experimental values of the retention times.
Evaluating internet health resources in ear, nose, and throat surgery
Authors: Goslin Ross A. , Elhassan Hassan A.
Published: May 2013

Objectives/Hypothesis

To assess the quality, accessibility, usability, reliability, and readability of Web sites that provide information on common ear, nose, and throat conditions.

Study Design

Several standardized and validated appraisal instruments and questionnaires designed to rate Web sites providing online health information were used to evaluate the content of online ear, nose, and throat health information.

Methods

The terms “cholesteatoma,” “sinusitis,” “tonsillitis,” “acute otitis media,” “epistaxis,” and “quinsy” (peritonsillar abscess), representing six common ear, nose, and throat conditions, were entered separately into the Internet search engine Google. Web sites satisfying the inclusion criteria from the first 30 results of each search were evaluated for content quality using the DISCERN rating instrument, for accessibility, usability, and reliability using the LIDA rating instrument, and for readability using the Flesch Reading Ease score.

Results

Of the 180 Web sites identified, 124 (68.9%) satisfied the inclusion criteria. The mean overall DISCERN score for quality was “poor,” at 39/80 (range, 16–70). The DISCERN instrument rated 2 (1.6%) Web sites as “excellent,” 14 (11.3%) as “good,” 40 (32.3%) as “fair,” 38 (30.6%) as “poor,” and 30 (24.2%) as “very poor.” The mean overall LIDA score for accessibility, usability, and reliability was “moderate,” at 114/165 (69.3%; range, 61–142). The mean Flesch Reading Ease score for the readability of Web sites was 42.3/100 (range, 10.7–71.9).

Conclusions

The use of validated instruments is necessary to reduce the risks from patients accessing misinformation. They can guide health care professionals with their role in directing patients to high‐quality sources of information and endorsing Web sites that meet high standards.
Water Sorption Thermodynamics and Mass Transport in Poly(ϵ‐Caprolactone): Interactional Issues Emerging from Vibrational Spectroscopy
Authors: Musto Pellegrino , Galizia Michele , Scherillo Giuseppe , Mensitieri Giuseppe
Published: May 2013

Water sorption and transport in poly‐(ϵ‐caprolactone) (PCL) is studied by FTIR spectroscopy in transmission mode, providing information at the molecular level on equilibrium sorption and the diffusion mechanism. Coupling of spectroscopic and gravimetric data allows the equilibrium absorbance to be correlated with the water concentration in PCL. The analysis of the ν(OH) spectral region reveals the presence of two species of absorbed water (i.e., molecules directly interacting with the carbonyl group of PCL and self‐associated water). Sorption thermodynamics are interpreted using an equation of state approach routed on a compressible lattice fluid framework, accounting for self‐ and cross‐hydrogen‐bond formation. Assuming that only the carbonyl group acts as a proton acceptor group on the polymer backbone, theoretical predictions are found to be in close agreement with the experimental results.

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Krasnoselskii‐type fixed point theorems with applications to Hammerstein integral equations in spaces
Authors: Cai Gang , Bu Shangquan
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we study fixed point theorems and new variants of some nonlinear altenatives of Krasnoselskii type in Banach spaces by using measures of weak noncompactness. Then we give an application to solve a nonlinear Hammerstein integral equation in L1 spaces.
Atomic Force Microscopy of Polymer/Layered Silicate Nanocomposites (PLSNs): A Brief Overview
Authors: Adhikari Rameshwar
Published: May 2013

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used frequently in polymer research in particular for imaging topography and phase morphology of multi‐component systems. In this work, we review the application of different techniques of the AFM for the structural characterization of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites (PLSNs) with various classes of polymers (such as glassy and semicrystalline polymers, thermosetting resins etc.) as matrix. We demonstrate that AFM can be conveniently used to image not only the morphology of the composites materials with nanometer resolution but also to gain insight into their nanomechanical properties.
Synthetic Polymer Composites Reinforced by Bamboo Fibers
Authors: Saiter Jean‐Marc , Esposito Antonella , Dobircau Larisa , Turner Joseph A , Adhikari Rameshwar
Published: May 2013

Composites made of a thermoplastic matrix reinforced by bamboo fibers were obtained by extrusion and injection methods. It was found that the lignin of the bamboo fibers protects them from thermal exposure and prevents their degradation. As a consequence, in spite of the relatively high processing temperatures required for polymer melting, it is possible to obtain composite materials with acceptable properties for specific low‐tech applications.
An experimental investigation on interactive behavior of thin walled cylindrical shells
Authors: Ghanbari Ghazijahani T. , Showkati H.
Published: May 2013

Cylindrical shells are widely used in many kinds of applications under different cases of load combination. Nevertheless, only a small number of researches have been executed on cylindrical shells under pure bending in combination with external pressure. The present experimental research studies the buckling behavior of long cylindrical steel shells under combined pure bending and peripheral pressure. This study shows that initial sectional deformation developed by preloading considerably affects the buckling capacity of such shells. Moreover, it was found that primary load appreciably expedites the initiation of the buckling by activating the possible geometrical imperfections once shells are exposed to secondary load.
Low friction MoS2TiW coatings manufactured on X38CrMoV5‐1 steel using PVD method
Authors: Golabczak M. , Jacquet P. , Nouveau C. , Fliti R.
Published: May 2013

In this article the friction coefficients and the wear resistances of MoS2TiW protective coatings manufactured on X38CrMoV5‐1 steel samples by using PVD technology are studied. The investigations based on tribometer tests which were carried out in different temperature conditions. The process of deposition of PVD coatings was realized by using multisource, hybrid factory‐scale equipment of type URM 079. This equipment allows for deposition of coatings by the physical method. The tribological tests were performed using a precision high temperature tribometer under ambient and high temperature conditions with a steel and corundum balls as counter‐samples. In this paper the results of these tribological tests are presented. It is shown that the measured friction coefficient of steel samples with PVD coatings is significantly lower than the friction coefficient of uncoated steel. It is also shown that X38CrMoV5‐1 steel samples with manufactured MoS2TiW coatings are characterized by very low friction coefficient and high wear resistance.
Effect of horizontal ring beams on the ultimate bearing capacity of masonry walls
Authors: Radnic J. , Smilovic M. , Harapin A. , Sunara M.
Published: May 2013

This paper presents the results of numerical tests on the effect of horizontal ring beams on the behaviour of masonry walls under static and dynamic load. Two‐storey walls without and with openings were analyzed, with good and poor quality of masonry, with different boundary conditions at the foundation‐base interface. The effect of the longitudinal bars profiles of horizontal ring beams on the behaviour of walls under horizontal static load, as well as under harmonic and seismic base acceleration was studied. Previously developed numerical model by the authors for static and dynamic analysis of planar masonry structures was used. It was concluted that walls without horizontal ring beams had a significantly smaller strength capacity than equal walls with horizontal ring beams, and that greater longitudinal bars profiles of horizontal ring beams contributes to a higher limit strength capacity of masonry walls.
Laser beam welded sandwich structures with hollow sphere core
Authors: Riegel H. , Merkel M. , Öchsner A. , Araújo M. , Thiede R. , Fruhstuck J.
Published: May 2013

Metallic hollow sphere structures (MHSS) are advanced composite materials characterised by a high geometrical reproducibility with relatively constant mechanical and physical properties. The success of such new developed materials depends not only on the production itself. The techniques for further processing and joining are essential. Joining technologies like brazing or gas metal arc welding influence the hollow sphere structures bulk material with a considerable amount of heat. The laser beam welding is a highly efficient technique with a comparatively small heat input. The laser beam ensures only local heat influences and allows individual structures for specific sandwich geometries. The joining of blanks with hollow sphere structures expands the applications and possibilities for them. The challenge of welding hollow sphere structures, for example with blanks to a sandwich structure, lies in the low density of hollow spheres. The surface tension of the molten hollow sphere structures forces the melt to form droplets out of bulk material. The metallic hollow sphere structure vanishes. The missing material can be balanced by feeding massively a wire into the welding bath. However, the additional mass is not suitable for light weight constructions. A joint between the molten feeding wire and a hollow sphere can still not be ensured. Classical joining technologies with a big amount of heat would dissolve the complete hollow sphere structures and are not suitable. In this paper the mechanical properties of laser beam welded hollow sphere structures sandwich structures are presented. The welding was done by a CO2‐laser with a wave length of 10.6 μm and a maximum power of 1.5 kW. Different geometries of joints have been investigated. The specimens are tested for shear and bending strength. The strength of the weld lines depend on the density of the hollow sphere structures. Higher density raises the strength. Eigenfrequencies have been simulated by modal analysis. Results of simulated and measured values show comparable results, starting by 2 kHz for 1 mm thick blanks and 3 kHz for 2 mm blanks.
“Atypical” atypical parkinsonism: New genetic conditions presenting with features of progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, or multiple system atrophy—A diagnostic guide
Authors: Stamelou Maria , Quinn Niall P. , Bhatia Kailash P.
Published: May 2013

Recently, a number of genetic parkinsonian conditions have been recognized that share some features with the clinical syndromes of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and multiple system atrophy (MSA), the classic phenotypic templates of atypical parkinsonism. For example, patients with progranulin, dynactin, or ATP13A gene mutations may have vertical supranuclear gaze palsy. This has made differential diagnosis difficult for practitioners. In this review, our goal is to make clinicians aware of these genetic disorders and provide clinical clues and syndromic associations, as well as investigative features, that may help in diagnosing these disorders. The correct identification of these patients has important clinical, therapeutic, and research implications. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society
On the transversally isotropic pressure effect on avascular tumor growth
Authors: Kariotou Foteini , Vafeas Panayiotis
Published: May 2013

A typical mathematical formulation for describing avascular tumor growth is considered in the present work, in the frame of oblate spheroidal geometry focusing on the kind of exterior conditions under which such a geometrical structure is attainable. It turns out that given a transversally isotropic pressure field, an avascular tumor can exhibit an oblate spheroidal growth, only if the nutrient supply is provided in a specific form related to the pressure and following the tumor evolution. A geometrical reduction to the prolate geometry and recovering of existing results for the sphere are included. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Joint spatial‐spectral reconstruction and k‐t spirals for accelerated 2D spatial/1D spectral imaging of 13C dynamics
Authors: Gordon Jeremy W. , Niles David J. , Fain Sean B. , Johnson Kevin M.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

To develop a novel imaging technique to reduce the number of excitations and required scan time for hyperpolarized 13C imaging.

Methods

A least‐squares based optimization and reconstruction is developed to simultaneously solve for both spatial and spectral encoding. By jointly solving both domains, spectral imaging can potentially be performed with a spatially oversampled single echo spiral acquisition. Digital simulations, phantom experiments, and initial in vivo hyperpolarized [1‐13C]pyruvate experiments were performed to assess the performance of the algorithm as compared to a multi‐echo approach.

Results

Simulations and phantom data indicate that accurate single echo imaging is possible when coupled with oversampling factors greater than six (corresponding to a worst case of pyruvate to metabolite ratio < 9%), even in situations of substantial
decay and B0 heterogeneity. With lower oversampling rates, two echoes are required for similar accuracy. These results were confirmed with in vivo data experiments, showing accurate single echo spectral imaging with an oversampling factor of 7 and two echo imaging with an oversampling factor of 4.

Conclusion

The proposed k‐t approach increases data acquisition efficiency by reducing the number of echoes required to generate spectroscopic images, thereby allowing accelerated acquisition speed, preserved polarization, and/or improved temporal or spatial resolution. Magn Reson Med 71:1435–1445, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.