bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lithium Storage in Heat‐Treated SnF2/Polyacrylonitrile Anode
Authors: Shen Lian , Shen Lanyao , Wang Zhaoxiang , Chen Liquan
Published: April 2015

Tin(II) fluoride (SnF2) has a high Li‐storage capacity because it stores lithium first by a conversion reaction and then by a Li/Sn alloying/dealloying reaction. A polyacrylonitrile (PAN)‐bound SnF2electrode was heat‐treated to enhance the integral electrical contact and the mechanical strength through its cross‐linked framework. The heat‐treated SnF2electrode showed reversible capacities of 1047 mAh g−1in the first cycle and 902 mAh g−1after 100 cycles. Part of the excess capacity is due to lithium storage at the Sn/LiF interface, and the other part is assumed to correspond to the presence of reduced SnF2with protons released during the thermal cross‐linking of PAN.
From‐Core and From‐End Direct CH Arylations: A Step‐Saving New Synthetic Route to Thieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (TPD)‐Incorporated D‐‐π–A–π–D Functional Oligoaryls
Authors: Lin Po‐Han , Liu Kuan‐Ting , Liu Ching‐Yuan
Published: April 2015

In contrast to the traditional multistep synthesis, herein an efficient and fewer‐steps new synthetic strategy is demonstrated for the facile preparation of organic‐electronically important D–π–A–π–D‐type oligoaryls through sequential direct CH arylations. This methodology has shown that the synthesis of thieno[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (TPD)‐ or furano[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (FPD)‐centred target molecules could be accessed step‐economically either from the core structure (acceptor) or from the end structure (donor), which supplied a more flexible and succinct new synthetic alternative to the preparation of the π‐functional small‐molecule semiconducting materials. In addition, optical and electrochemical properties of the synthesized oligoaryls were examined.
Radical‐Induced Metal‐Free Alkynylation of Aldehydes by Direct CH Activation
Authors: Liu Xuesong , Yu Linqian , Luo Mupeng , Zhu Jidong , Wei Wanguo
Published: April 2015

A direct C(sp2)H alkynylation of aldehyde C(O)H bonds with hypervalent iodine alkynylation reagents provides ynones under metal‐free conditions. In this method, 1‐[(triisopropylsilyl)ethynyl]‐1,2‐benziodoxol‐3(1H)‐one (TIPS‐EBX) constitutes an efficient alkynylation reagent for the introduction of the triple bond. The substrate scope is extended to a variety of (hetero)aromatic, aliphatic, and α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes.
Development and validation of the Penn Arthralgia Aging Scale among breast cancer survivors
Authors: Brier Moriah J. , Chambless Dianne L. , Lee Laura , Mao Jun J.
Published: April 2015

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors often experience joint pain as a side effect of their treatment; qualitative investigations suggest that this arthralgia may cause women to feel that they are aging faster than they should be. To facilitate further study of this experience, the Penn Arthralgia Aging Scale (PAAS) was developed. This report describes the development and validation of the PAAS in a racially diverse sample of breast cancer survivors suffering from joint pain.

METHODS

The items of the scale were developed from a content analysis of interviews with patients. The scale was pilot‐tested, and modifications were made on the basis of patient feedback. Subsequently, 596 breast cancer survivors who endorsed joint pain completed the 8‐item PAAS. The factor structure (with exploratory factor analysis), the internal consistency, and the convergent, divergent, and incremental validity were examined.

RESULTS

The resulting scale had a 1‐factor structure with strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .94) and demonstrated both convergent and divergent validity: the PAAS was significantly correlated with joint pain severity (rs = 0.55, P < .01) and had a small and nonsignificant correlation with actual age (rs = –0.07, P = .10). The PAAS was also found to explain incremental variance in anxiety, depression, and pain interference outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the PAAS produces reliable and valid scores that capture perceptions of aging due to arthralgia among breast cancer survivors. With further research, the PAAS may advance our understanding of how perceptions of aging may affect breast cancer survivors' emotional, behavioral, and clinical outcomes. Cancer 2015;121:2808‐2813. © 2015 American Cancer Society
Use and impact of intermittent versus continuous systemic treatment strategies in metastatic colorectal cancer in routine practice
Authors: Kay Amin , Yun Lingsong , Taback Nathan , Krzyzanowska Monika K.
Published: April 2015

BACKGROUND

Randomized trials have shown that intermittent treatment may reduce toxicity without compromising survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). A population‐based study examined patterns of use of chemotherapy‐free intervals (CFIs) in routine practice in Ontario and their impact on survival and toxicity.

METHODS

Patients treated with first‐line intravenous chemotherapy for mCRC in Ontario between 2007 and 2009 were identified from administrative data. A CFI was defined as more than 56 days between 2 chemotherapy doses. A propensity score analysis was used to compare the survival of patients with CFIs and patients without CFIs, stratified by the type of first‐line treatment: irinotecan (IRI), irinotecan plus bevacizumab (IRI‐B), and oxaliplatin (OX). Toxicity was estimated on the basis of the rate of emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

RESULTS

There were 1989 patients who started first‐line chemotherapy for mCRC in Ontario between 2007 and 2009, and 489 (25%) had at least 1 CFI. The median time to the first CFI was 155 days (interquartile range, 82‐217 days). There was no difference in survival for the propensity score–matched patients with or without CFIs in the IRI (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93; P = .70) and OX groups (HR, 0.73; P = .06). Survival was worse in the CFI group for patients treated with IRI‐B (HR, 1.28; P = .03). Toxicity was lower for patients with at least 1 CFI (0.17 vs 0.25 acute visits per person‐month of treatment, P = .007), although the magnitude varied with the treatment type.

CONCLUSIONS

Intermittent treatment strategies are being used in routine practice for patients with mCRC. The impact on survival and toxicity varies with the type of first‐line chemotherapy. Cancer 2015;121:2791‐2798. © 2015 American Cancer Society
Molecular analysis of residual ThinPrep material from thyroid FNAs increases diagnostic sensitivity
Authors: Krane Jeffrey F. , Cibas Edmund S. , Alexander Erik K. , Paschke Ralf , Eszlinger Markus
Published: April 2015

BACKGROUND

Molecular testing for genetic alterations associated with malignancy is a potential triage approach for thyroid fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) samples with indeterminate cytology. Because liquid‐based FNA material allows for efficient RNA extraction, the authors analyzed residual material for common point mutations and rearrangements.

METHODS

Thyroid FNAs were classified according to The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology after routine ThinPrep slide preparation. Residual samples from malignant and indeterminate cases were submitted for molecular analysis, along with a random cohort of nondiagnostic and benign aspirates. Blinded analysis of BRAF and RAS point mutations and RET/PTC and PAX8/PPARγ rearrangements was correlated with subsequent follow‐up.

RESULTS

Adequate results were obtained in 402 of 597 cases (67%). Mutations or rearrangements were detected in 24 of 117 cytologically indeterminate specimens (21%) (17 RAS rearrangements, 6 BRAF rearrangements, and 1 PAX8/PPARγ rearrangement). BRAF mutations were preferentially associated with malignant cytologic diagnoses (22 of 42 cases; 52%), with less frequent detection in the suspicious for malignancy category (4 of 27 cases; 15%) and very low detection in all other categories (1%‐4%). Surgical follow‐up confirmed malignancy in all 21 BRAF‐mutated cases, 42% of RAS‐mutated cases (10 of 24 cases), and 37% of cases with no detected mutation (39 of 105 cases).

CONCLUSIONS

Molecular analysis is feasible on residual ThinPrep material with the advantage of not requiring additional FNA procedures. The majority of BRAF mutations are identified in cases classified cytologically as malignant, and, to a lesser extent, as suspicious for malignancy. The usefulness of BRAF testing is limited by the low rate of BRAF‐positive cases in other categories, thereby highlighting the need to identify other genetic drivers of clinically aggressive thyroid cancers. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2015;123:356–61. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Sociality and the telencephalic distribution of corticotrophin‐releasing factor, urocortin 3, and binding sites for CRF type 1 and type 2 receptors: A comparative study of eusocial naked mole‐rats and solitary Cape mole‐rats
Authors: Coen Clive W. , Kalamatianos Theodosis , Oosthuizen Maria K. , Poorun Ravi , Faulkes Christopher G. , Bennett Nigel C.
Published: April 2015

Various aspects of social behavior are influenced by the highly conserved corticotrophin‐releasing factor (CRF) family of peptides and receptors in the mammalian telencephalon. This study has mapped and compared the telencephalic distribution of the CRF receptors, CRF1 and CRF2, and two of their ligands, CRF and urocortin 3, respectively, in African mole‐rat species with diametrically opposed social behavior. Naked mole‐rats live in large eusocial colonies that are characterized by exceptional levels of social cohesion, tolerance, and cooperation in burrowing, foraging, defense, and alloparental care for the offspring of the single reproductive female. Cape mole‐rats are solitary; they tolerate conspecifics only fleetingly during the breeding season. The telencephalic sites at which the level of CRF1 binding in naked mole‐rats exceeds that in Cape mole‐rats include the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus, hippocampal CA3 subfield, and dentate gyrus; in contrast, the level is greater in Cape mole‐rats in the shell of the nucleus accumbens and medial habenular nucleus. For CRF2 binding, the sites with a greater level in naked mole‐rats include the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus and dentate gyrus, but the septohippocampal nucleus, lateral septal nuclei, amygdalostriatal transition area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and medial habenular nucleus display a greater level in Cape mole‐rats. The results are discussed with reference to neuroanatomical and behavioral studies of various species, including monogamous and promiscuous voles. By analogy with findings in those species, we speculate that the abundance of CRF1 binding in the nucleus accumbens of Cape mole‐rats reflects their lack of affiliative behavior. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:2344–2371, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Constructing scalable Internet of Things services based on their event‐driven models
Authors: Zhang Yang , Chen Jun‐liang
Published: April 2015

Even though many IoT (Internet of Things) applications have been implemented based on distributed events, how to construct scalable IoT services is still unclear. In this paper, we first discuss representing physical entities as IoT resources in the cyber world and integrate them into IoT services and then use an event session mechanism to express the coordination logic in an IoT service system. Given their event‐driven models, the scalable IoT services are constructed through decoupling one service at behavior from others, where running atomic service instances with high concurrency is our first focus, and distributed execution of an IoT business process is our second focus. Our last focus is to make each distributed business process execution unit hold its properties in the whole process, which requires modeling the environment as a prerequisite to compute its properties, and some assume‐guarantee rules for composing the services from the environment's perspective. We then propose a platform to support the construction, where according to the behavior decoupling features, one IoT business process is decomposed into pieces of event composition logic and business computation logic, together with separating the data dependency of computation functions in each process fragment, such that it can be concurrently executed and distributed. A practical application is implemented to concept‐prove our work. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Globus Galaxies platform: delivering science gateways as a service
Authors: Madduri Ravi , Chard Kyle , Chard Ryan , Lacinski Lukasz , Rodriguez Alex , Sulakhe Dinanath , Kelly David , Dave Utpal , Foster Ian
Published: April 2015

The use of public cloud computers to host sophisticated scientific data and software is transforming scientific practice by enabling broad access to capabilities previously available only to the few. The primary obstacle to more widespread use of public clouds to host scientific software (‘cloud‐based science gateways’) has thus far been the considerable gap between the specialized needs of science applications and the capabilities provided by cloud infrastructures. We describe here a domain‐independent, cloud‐based science gateway platform, the Globus Galaxies platform, which overcomes this gap by providing a set of hosted services that directly address the needs of science gateway developers. The design and implementation of this platform leverages our several years of experience with Globus Genomics, a cloud‐based science gateway that has served more than 200 genomics researchers across 30 institutions. Building on that foundation, we have implemented a platform that leverages the popular Galaxy system for application hosting and workflow execution; Globus services for data transfer, user and group management, and authentication; and a cost‐aware elastic provisioning model specialized for public cloud resources. We describe here the capabilities and architecture of this platform, present six scientific domains in which we have successfully applied it, report on user experiences, and analyze the economics of our deployments. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Communication‐aware thread mapping using the translation lookaside buffer
Authors: Cruz Eduardo H. M. , Diener Matthias , Navaux Philippe O. A.
Published: April 2015

Threads of parallel applications need to communicate in order to fulfill their tasks. The communication performance between the cores in modern multi‐core architectures differs because of the memory and interconnection hierarchies. In these architectures, it is important to map the threads of parallel applications by taking into account the communication between them, to improve their performance and energy consumption. In parallel applications based on shared memory, communication is implicit, which makes it difficult to detect the communication pattern between the threads.

In this paper, we introduce a new lightweight mechanism to detect the communication pattern between threads of shared memory applications using the translation lookaside buffer. Our mechanism relies on hardware features, which make it transparent to the programmer and allow the detection to be performed by the operating system during the execution of the application. We also developed a heuristic mapping algorithm that uses the detected pattern to dynamically map the threads to cores. Experiments were performed with applications from the NAS‐OMP and PARSEC parallel benchmark suites in a simulated machine as well as a real machine. Results show that our mechanism can substantially improve parallel application performance, as well as processor and DRAM energy consumption. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling and analysis of performances for concurrent multithread applications on multicore and graphics processing unit systems
Authors: Cerotti D. , Gribaudo M. , Iacono M. , Piazzolla P.
Published: April 2015

The capabilities of multicore processors lead them to be widely adopted in systems at any scale, since their are able to provide more computing power at a lower consumption and dissipation cost. System designers are challenged to a deeper understanding of multicore functioning in order to fully exploit them while keeping the optimal balance between cores utilization and optimal throughput, response time and energy usage.

Besides the advancement of general purpose CPUs, the same technological evolution leads to the rise of GPUs, dramatic evolution of graphical coprocessors, that are now affordable, efficient, dedicated computing units, capable of parallel computing and equipped with facilities that make them suited for supporting the main CPU of a system in running ordinary applications. The availability of commercial off‐the‐shelf (COTS) multicore computers, eventually equipped with one or more GPUs, makes them the basic building block of data centers devoted to cloud applications or scientific computing.

The way to optimal exploitation of such a wide amount of computing power passes through the ability of matching the best scheduling of hardware resources with the software characteristics of the applications. This requires appropriate models and evaluation methods.

Simulation and analytical techniques are essential tools to support the design and the management process of such architectures, but a sound characterization of the workloads is required. Typical workloads consist in multithreaded applications, with different characteristics, that dynamically span over the cores of multiple machines, connected by fast networks.

In this paper we propose several parametric performance models for different configurations of multicore machines, with or without GPU support, running multiple class multithreaded applications, aiming to supply a detailed modeling help for complex data centers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Semantic analysis in location privacy preserving
Authors: Xiong Ping , Zhang Lefeng , Zhu Tianqing
Published: April 2015

With the increasing use of location‐based services, location privacy has recently started raising serious concerns. Location perturbation and obfuscation are most widely used for location privacy preserving. To protect a user from being identified, a cloaked spatial region that contains other k − 1 nearest neighbors of the user is submitted to the location‐based service provider, instead of the accurate position. In this paper, we consider the location‐aware applications that services are different among regions. In such scenarios, the semantic distance between users should be considered besides the Euclidean distance for searching the neighbors of a user. We define a novel distance measurement that combines the semantic and the Euclidean distance to address the privacy‐preserving issue in the aforementioned applications. We also present an algorithm kNNH to implement our proposed method. Moreover, we conduct performance study experiments on the proposed algorithm. The experimental results further suggest that the proposed distance metric and the algorithm can successfully retain the utility of the location services while preserving users' privacy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient Synthesis of Amides and Esters from Alcohols under Aerobic Ambient Conditions Catalyzed by a Au/Mesoporous Al2O3 Nanocatalyst
Authors: Chng Leng Leng , Yang Jinhua , Ying Jackie Y.
Published: April 2015

An efficient heterogeneous Au/mesoporous alumina nanocatalyst has been successfully developed for the synthesis of amides and esters from simple building blocks of readily available alcohols and amines. The processes were simple and were performed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure of O2 to form the desired products with up to 97 % isolated yield. The ability of Au/mesoporous alumina to catalyze these reactions under ambient conditions further enhances the sustainability of these chemical processes. Furthermore, the nanocatalyst was stable to air and water and could be recovered and reused easily. The enhanced catalytic activity of Au/mesoporous alumina might be attributed to the presence of negatively charged Au nanoparticles that could promote oxidation processes as well as the stability of the mesoporous alumina support calcined at a high temperature of 800 °C.
Improving the Thermochemical Energy Storage Performance of the Mn2O3/Mn3O4 Redox Couple by the Incorporation of Iron
Authors: Carrillo Alfonso J. , Serrano David P. , Pizarro Patricia , Coronado Juan M.
Published: April 2015

Redox cycles of manganese oxides (Mn2O3/Mn3O4) are a promising alternative for thermochemical heat storage systems coupled to concentrated solar power plants as manganese oxides are abundant and inexpensive materials. Although their cyclability for such a purpose has been proved, sintering processes, related to the high‐temperature conditions at which charge–discharge cycles are performed, generally cause a cycle‐to‐cycle decrease in the oxidation rate of Mn3O4. To guarantee proper operation, both reactions should present stable reaction rates. In this study, it has been demonstrated that the incorporation of Fe, which is also an abundant material, into the manganese oxides improves the redox performance of this system by increasing the heat storage density, narrowing the redox thermal hysteresis, and, above all, stabilizing and enhancing the oxidation rate over long‐term operation, which counteracts the negative effects caused by sintering, although its presence is not avoided.
The effect of drainage ditches on vegetation diversity and CO2 fluxes in a Molinia caerulea‐dominated peatland
Authors: Gatis Naomi , Luscombe David J. , Grand‐Clement Emilie , Hartley Iain P. , Anderson Karen , Smith David , Brazier Richard E.
Published: April 2015

Peatlands are recognized as important carbon stores; despite this, many have been drained for agricultural improvement. Drainage has been shown to lower water tables and alter vegetation composition, modifying primary productivity and decomposition, potentially initiating peat loss. To quantify CO2 fluxes across whole landscapes, it is vital to understand how vegetation composition and CO2 fluxes vary spatially in response to the pattern of drainage features. However, Molinia caerulea‐dominated peatlands are poorly understood despite their widespread extent.

Photosynthesis (PG600) and ecosystem respiration (REco) were modelled (12 °C, 600 µmol photons m−2 s−1, greenness excess index of 60) using empirically derived parameters based on closed‐chamber measurements collected over a growing season. Partitioned below‐ground fluxes were also collected. Plots were arranged ⅛, ¼ and ½ the distance between adjacent ditches in two catchments located in Exmoor National Park, southwest England.

Water table depths were deepest closest to the ditch and non‐significantly (p = 0·197) shallower further away. Non‐Molinia species coverage and the Simpson diversity index significantly decreased with water table depth (p < 0·024) and increased non‐significantly (p < 0·083) away from the ditch. No CO2 fluxes showed significant spatial distribution in response to drainage ditches, arguably due to insignificant spatial distribution of water tables and vegetation composition. Whilst REco showed no significant spatial variation, PG600 varied significantly between sites (p = 0·012), thereby controlling the spatial distribution of net ecosystem exchange between sites. As PG600 significantly co‐varied with water table depths (p = 0·034), determining the spatial distribution of water table depths may enable CO2 fluxes to be estimated across M. caerulea‐dominated landscapes. © 2015 The Authors. Ecohydrology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Porphyrinoid Aromaticity Induced by the Interaction between Oxidized and Reduced Pyridine Subunits
Authors: Neya Saburo , Suzuki Masaaki , Mochizuki Tomomi , Hoshino Tyuji , Kawaguchi Akira T.
Published: April 2015

The coupling of 3‐hydroxypyridine‐2,6‐dicarbaldehyde with a tripyrrane‐like precursor bearing a central pyridine ring afforded a new porphyrinoid with two pyridine‐related subunits. The sharp Soret‐like band at 421 nm in the electronic spectrum and the pyrrole NH signal at δ = –2.98 ppm in the NMR spectrum indicated that the product is aromatic with an 18π‐electron circuit. The proton and carbon NMR spectra further suggested that the electron circuit is produced not only by the keto‐enol isomerization of the 3‐hydroxypyridine unit but also by the local hydrogenative dearomatization in the other pyridine unit at the diagonal site. Single‐crystal X‐ray structure analysis revealed that the carbon atom in the latter pyridine unit is indeed dearomatized to exhibit sp3 character. These observations, taken together, provide a rare example showing that aromaticity of porphyrinoids is accomplished by the cooperative interaction between oxidized and reduced pyridine rings.
Isolation and characterization of bacteriocinogenic lactic bacteria from M‐Tuba and Tepache, two traditional fermented beverages in México
Authors: de la Fuente‐Salcido Norma M. , Castañeda‐Ramírez José Cristobal , García‐Almendárez Blanca E. , Bideshi Dennis K. , Salcedo‐Hernández Rubén , Barboza‐Corona José E.
Published: April 2015

Mexican Tuba (M‐Tuba) and Tepache are Mexican fermented beverages prepared mainly with pineapple pulp and coconut palm, respectively. At present, reports on the microbiota and nutritional effects of both beverages are lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine whether M‐Tuba and Tepache contain cultivable lactic acid bacteria (LAB) capable of producing bacteriocins. Tepache and M‐Tuba contain mesophilic aerobic bacteria, LAB, and yeast. Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium, and Salmonella spp, were the microorganisms most susceptible to metabolites produced by bacterial isolates. M‐Tuba and Tepache contain bacteria that harbor genes coding for nisin and enterocin, but not pediocin. The presence of Lactococcus lactis and E. faecium in M‐Tuba and Tepache, was identified by 16S rDNA. These bacteria produced bacteriocins of ~3.5 kDa and 4.0–4.5 kDa, respectively. Partial purified bacteriocins showed inhibitory effect against Micrococcus luteus, L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, Str. agalactiae, S. aureus, Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, E. faecalis, and K. pneumoniae. We characterized, for the first time, cultivable microbiota of M‐Tuba and Tepache, and specifically, identified candidate lactic bacteria (LAB) present in these beverages that were capable of synthesizing antimicrobial peptides, which collectively could provide food preservative functions.
New insights on schwann cell development
Authors: Monk Kelly R. , Feltri M. Laura , Taveggia Carla
Published: April 2015

In the peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells are glial cells that are in intimate contact with axons throughout development. Schwann cells generate the insulating myelin sheath and provide vital trophic support to the neurons that they ensheathe. Schwann cell precursors arise from neural crest progenitor cells, and a highly ordered developmental sequence controls the progression of these cells to become mature myelinating or nonmyelinating Schwann cells. Here, we discuss both seminal discoveries and recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive Schwann cell development and myelination with a focus on cell–cell and cell–matrix signaling events. GLIA 2015;63:1376–1393
Viability of dental implants in head and neck irradiated patients: A systematic review
Authors: Zen Filho Edson Virgílio , Tolentino Elen de Souza , Santos Paulo Sérgio Silva
Published: April 2015

Background

The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the safety of dental implants placed in irradiated bone and to discuss their viability when placed post‐radiotherapy (RT).

Methods

A systematic review was performed to answer the questions: “Are dental implants in irradiated bone viable?” and “What are the main factors that influence the loss of implants in irradiated patients?”

Results

The search strategy resulted in 8 publications. A total of 331 patients received 1237 implants, with an overall failure rate of 9.53%. The osseointegration success rates ranged between 62.5% and 100%. The optimal time interval between irradiation and dental implantation varied from 6 to 15 months.

Conclusion

The interval time between RT and implant placement and the radiation doses are not associated with significant implant failure rates. The placement of implants in irradiated bone is viable, and head and neck RT should not be considered as a contraindication for dental rehabilitation with implants. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2229–E2240, 2016
From synaptic plasticity to spatial maps and sequence learning
Authors: Mehta Mayank R.
Published: April 2015

The entorhinal–hippocampal circuit is crucial for several forms of learning and memory, especially sequence learning, including spatial navigation. The challenge is to understand the underlying mechanisms. Pioneering discoveries of spatial selectivity in this circuit, i.e. place cells and grid cells, provided a major step forward in tackling this challenge. Considerable research has also shown that sequence learning relies on synaptic plasticity, especially the Hebbian or the NMDAR‐dependent synaptic plasticity. This raises several questions: Are spatial maps plastic? If so, what is the contribution of Hebbian plasticity to spatial map plasticity? How does the spatial map plasticity contribute to sequence learning? A combination of computational and experimental studies has shown that NMDAR‐mediated plasticity and theta rhythm can have specific effects on the formation and experiential modification of spatial maps to facilitate predictive coding. Advances in transgenic techniques have provided further support for these mechanisms. Although many exciting challenges remain, these findings have brought us closer to solving the puzzle of how the hippocampal system contributes to spatial memory, and point to a way forward. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An estrogen‐associated dietary pattern and breast cancer risk in the Swedish Mammography Cohort
Authors: Harris Holly R. , Bergkvist Leif , Wolk Alicja
Published: April 2015

High endogenous hormone levels have been associated with breast cancer and dietary factors have the potential to influence breast cancer risk through effects on hormone levels. Dietary patterns derived from reduced rank regression provide a way to identify food groups correlated with hormones and subsequently examine food patterns that may be associated with breast cancer risk. We investigated whether a dietary pattern previously correlated with estradiol and estrone sulfate was associated with breast cancer in the prospective Swedish Mammography Cohort. Among 37,004 primarily postmenopausal women diet was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). During 15 years of follow‐up 1,603 cases of breast cancer were identified. A higher estrogen dietary pattern score was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Women in the highest quartile of estrogen pattern score had a 29% (95% CI = 1.08–1.55) increased risk of breast cancer compared to women in the lowest quartile (ptrend = 0.006). When the association was examined by estrogen‐receptor status, it was only significant for those with estrogen‐receptor‐positive tumors; however, in the competing risk analysis there were no significant differences in the effect estimates by receptor subtype (pheterogeneity = 0.65). Our findings suggest that a dietary pattern associated with higher estrogen levels may increase breast cancer risk. However, whether the influence of this dietary pattern is through a direct effect on estrogen levels deserves further study.
Functional research and cognitive‐process research in behavioural science: An unequal but firmly connected pair
Authors: Fiedler Klaus
Published: April 2015

Drawing on illustrative examples of the functional and cognitive psychology in contemporary research, the present article emphasizes the primacy of functional relationships, which provide the fundament for all attempts to uncover invisible cognitive processes. Cognitive research is not only inherently more difficult and much more ambitious than functional research. It also suffers from several home‐made problems, such as unwarranted inferences from model fitting, the mediation‐analysis cult and the failure to take environmental influences into account. However, despite the primacy of functional psychology and the problems associated with the ambitious goals of cognitive research, the two partners in this unequal pair are firmly connected and jointly responsible for the most impressive examples of progress in behavioural science.
The role of simultaneous and successive processing in EFL reading
Authors: Filickova Marta , Kovalcikova Iveta , Ropovik Ivan
Published: April 2015

This study examines the relationship between simultaneous and successive processing (the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous and Successive processing [PASS] theory processes) and reading skills in English as a foreign language (EFL). A group of 81 children were administered two batteries of tests. One was used to measure EFL reading skills, while the other one assessed simultaneous and successive processing. We hypothesised (a) cognitive processes to predict reading ability, as well as (b) the presence of a significant relationship between (c) simultaneous processing and reading comprehension and (d) successive processing and letter and word decoding. The findings confirmed that the anticipated relationships between these domains exist and are of moderate effect size. The research has helped to contribute to the understanding of how simultaneous and successive processing can affect EFL reading skills both on the level of basic word and letter decoding and reading comprehension.
A simple approach for non‐invasive transcranial optical vascular imaging (nTOVI)
Authors: Kalchenko Vyacheslav , Israeli David , Kuznetsov Yuri , Meglinski Igor , Harmelin Alon
Published: April 2015

In vivo imaging of cerebral vasculature is highly vital for clinicians and medical researchers alike. For a number of years non‐invasive optical‐based imaging of brain vascular network by using standard fluorescence probes has been considered as impossible. In the current paper controverting this paradigm, we present a robust non‐invasive optical‐based imaging approach that allows visualize major cerebral vessels at the high temporal and spatial resolution. The developed technique is simple to use, utilizes standard fluorescent dyes, inexpensive micro‐imaging and computation procedures. The ability to clearly visualize middle cerebral artery and other major vessels of brain vascular network, as well as the measurements of dynamics of blood flow are presented. The developed imaging approach has a great potential in neuroimaging and can significantly expand the capabilities of preclinical functional studies of brain and notably contribute for analysis of cerebral blood circulation in disorder models.

An example of 1 × 1.5 cm color‐coded image of brain blood vessels of mouse obtained in vivo by transcranial optical vascular imaging (TOVI) approach through the intact cranium.

magnified image

An example of 1 × 1.5 cm color‐coded image of brain blood vessels of mouse obtained in vivo by transcranial optical vascular imaging (TOVI) approach through the intact cranium.
In situ Analysis of Smoothelin‐like 1 and Calmodulin Interactions in Smooth Muscle Cells by Proximity Ligation
Authors: Ulke‐Lemée Annegret , Turner Sara R. , MacDonald Justin A.
Published: April 2015

The smoothelin‐like 1 (SMTNL1) protein is the newest member of the smoothelin family of muscle proteins. Two calmodulin (CaM)‐binding domains (CBD1 for Ca‐CaM; CBD2 for apo‐CaM) have been described for the SMTNL1 protein using in vitro assays. We now demonstrate in situ associations of SMTNL1 and CaM in A7r5 smooth muscle cells using the proximity ligation assay (PLA). We quantified CaM‐SMTNL1 proximity events accurately after taking into account variations in protein expression levels. The refined method allows quantification of in situ proximity after transient transfection with an associated error of <10%. The proximity of SMTNL1 and CaM in A7r5 cells could be reduced by scrambling the amino acid sequence and mutation of large hydrophobic amino acids of CBD1. The truncation of CBD2 did not influence SMTNL1 proximity to CaM. Ultimately, we conclude that SMTNL1 forms complex interactions with CaM in smooth muscle cells, with a role for CBD1 and possibly the intrinsically disordered region. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 2667–2675, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Light and electron microscopy study of the spermatheca of Eupholidoptera chabrieri bimucronata (Ramme, 1927) and Uromenus brevicollis trinacriaeLa Greca 1964 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)
Authors: Viscuso Renata , Camiolo Giuseppina , Vitale Danilo G.M.
Published: April 2015

ABSTARCT

A study by both optical and electron microscopy has been carried out on the spermatheca of Eupholidoptera chabrieri bimucronata and Uromenus brevicollis trinacriae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae). In both the examined species, the spermatheca consists of a sac/kidney‐shaped seminal receptacle and a more or less tortuous spermathecal duct that opens into the common oviduct. The wall of both the organs consists of a pseudostratified epithelium surmounted by a cuticular intima; the latter is made up of a thicker endocuticle and an epicuticle. The epithelium shows two different cell types, irregularly arranged and with well differentiated functions: cuticle‐forming and gland cells. In both the species, the cuticle‐forming cells perform other functions, in addition to producing the cuticular intima. The gland cells never come in contact with the cuticular intima, have inside the reservoir a secretion whose appearance can diversify also in contiguous zones of the seminal receptacle. Based on our findings in both the species, the functions of the seminal receptacle would differ from those of the spermathecal duct. In the latter, some areas of the wall of the connecting tract show an activity of lysis, by contiguous epithelial cells, that could play a role in control and selection of spermatozoa. As for the feather‐shaped spermatodesms, similar in both the species, freeze‐fracture observations have shown that the acrosome of each spermatozoon regularly covers three‐quarters of the extension of the acrosome of the following spermatozoon. Finally, the significance of our findings, compared with what is known in literature, is discussed. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:577–586, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ultrasound Assisted Pictet–Spengler Synthesis of Tetrahydro‐β‐Carboline Derivatives
Authors: Muscia Gisela C. , De María Leonardo O. , Buldain Graciela Y. , Asís Silvia E.
Published: April 2015

The synthesis of twelve tetrahydro‐β‐carboline derivatives 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i, 3j, 3k, 3l prepared via the Pictet–Spengler reaction is described. The reaction of tryptamine and a variety of arylaldehydes were carried out under ultrasonic irradiation and trifluoracetic acid catalysis at room temperature. These tetrahydro‐β‐carbolines have been synthesized in higher yields and shorter reaction times compared to the conventional method. Moreover, the reaction proceeded successfully even employing arylaldehydes with electron‐donating or electron‐attracting substituents which did not react under conventional method.
N‐terminal truncation contributed to increasing thermal stability of mannanase Man1312 without activity loss
Authors: Zhou Haiyan , Yang Wenjiao , Tian Yun , Peng Hanhui , Wu Yongyao
Published: April 2015

BACKGROUND

The disordered residues on distal loops affect the molecular structural stability and on some occasions have regulatory roles in catalytic reaction. To increase understanding of the influence of distal residue mutation, this study explored the thermostability and enzymatic activity of mannanase Man1312 deletion mutants. The focus was on residues located on the N‐terminal region because they are more disordered and changeable. The effects of N‐terminal truncation on enzymatic activity and thermal dynamics were investigated by spectrophotometry, circular dichroism and differential scanning calorimetry assays.

RESULTS

The deletion mutants on V3, N7 and Q11 showed a marked increase in stability, while the enzymatic activity was significantly improved when triplet deletion was carried out. Triplet deletion MandVNQ showed around double the stability of its corresponding single‐site and double‐site deletion mutants. The Tm value of MandVNP was about 8 °C higher than that of Man1312. MandVNP had improved characteristics of Topt by 10 °C, t1/2 by 10 min and catalytic activity by 11% in comparison with Man1312. Analysis of spectra and modeling showed that MandVNQ had increased helix and strand contents.

CONCLUSION

N‐terminal truncation had positive effects on the thermostability and activity of mannanase. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Functionality of kumquat (Fortunella margarita) in the production of fruity ice cream
Authors: Çakmakçı Songül , Topdaş Elif Feyza , Çakır Yusuf , Kalın Pınar
Published: April 2015

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of kumquat (Fortunella margarita) on the quality characteristics of ice cream. Kumquat paste (KP) was added to an ice cream mix at four concentrations, 0 (control), 5, 10 and 15% (w/w), for ice cream production.

RESULTS

The increment of KP level caused an increase in acidity, vitamin C content, b* value and overrun value compared with the control ice cream. The apparent viscosity of samples decreased with the addition of KP at concentrations of 5 and 10% compared with the control. Results indicated that lyophilized water extract of KP (LKE) contained remarkable phenolic compounds. It was observed that LKE exhibited moderate in vitro antioxidant capacity. KP enhanced the color, flavor, vitamin C content and Mg and K contents of the ice cream. The addition of KP positively affected the sensory properties.

CONCLUSION

KP may be used as a suitable source of natural color and flavor agent in ice cream production. KP enhanced the vitamin C content and Mg and K contents of ice cream and improved its sensory properties. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Triplet State Formation in Photovoltaic Blends of DPP‐Type Copolymers and PC71BM
Authors: Ochsmann Julian R. , Chandran Deepak , Gehrig Dominik W. , Anwar Husna , Madathil Pramod Kandoth , Lee Kwang‐Sup , Laquai Frédéric
Published: April 2015

The exciton dynamics in pristine films of two structurally related low‐bandgap diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)‐based donor–acceptor copolymers and the photophysical processes in bulk heterojunction solar cells using DPP copolymer:PC71BM blends are investigated by broadband transient absorption (TA) pump‐probe experiments covering the vis–near‐infrared spectral and fs–μs dynamic range. The experiments reveal surprisingly short exciton lifetimes in the pristine poly­mer films in conjunction with fast triplet state formation. An in‐depth analysis of the TA data by multivariate curve resolution analysis shows that in blends with fullerene as acceptor ultrafast exciton dissociation creates charge carriers, which then rapidly recombine on the sub‐ns timescale. Furthermore, at the carrier densities created by pulsed laser excitation the charge carrier recombination leads to a substantial population of the polymer triplet state. In fact, virtually quantitative formation of triplet states is observed on the sub‐ns timescale. However, the quantitative triplet formation on the sub‐ns timescale is not in line with the power conversion efficiencies of devices indicating that triplet state formation is an intensity‐dependent process in these blends and is reduced under solar illumination conditions, as free charge carriers can be extracted from the photoactive layer in devices.

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Il10 and poly‐dl‐lactide‐ɛ‐caprolactone conduits in critical size nerve defect bridging—An experimental study
Authors: Leibig Nico , Boyle Veronika , Kraus Daniel , Stark Gerhard Bjoern , Penna Vincenzo
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Aim of this study is to evaluate if regeneration in repair of nerve defects can be improved by combination of a poly‐dl‐lactide‐ɛ‐caprolactone conduit (PLC) with long‐term release of anti‐inflammatory Interleukin 10 (IL10), which is known to reduce intraneural scarring in nerve regeneration through its anti‐inflammatoric properties.

Method

Experiments were performed at 30 female Lewis rats. Conduits filled with fibrin (PLC‐group n = 10) and fibrin loaded with IL10 (IL10‐group n = 10) were compared to autologs nerve grafts (NG‐group n = 10) in a 15 mm sciatic nerve gap lesion. Sciatic function index (SFI) and electrophysiological analyses were performed 16 weeks after surgery prior to histological evaluation. In histological analyses total nerve count, total nerve area, myelination index, and N‐ratio were measured. Additionally, gastrocnemius muscle was weighed.

Results

SFI (NG‐group:‐50.68
7.03%; PLC‐group:‐56.48
2.30%; IL10‐group:‐56.54
8.22%) and nerve conduction velocity (NG‐group: 92.52
4.64 m/s; PLC‐group: 92.77
5.07 m/s; IL10‐group: 93.78
3.63 m/s) showed no significant differences after 16 weeks (P > 0.05). Significant higher axon count (17.592
483) were observed in the NG‐group compared to PLC‐ (6.722
553) and IL10‐group (6.842
681) (P < 0.001). NG‐group had significant highest nerve cross sections (604.214
±15.217 µm2) as compared to PLC‐ (245.669
±28.034 µm2) and IL10‐group (244.698
26.772 µm2) (P < 0.001). Comparison of myelination index showed significant higher values for NG‐group (0.46
0.02) than PLC‐ (0.64
0.01) and IL10‐group (0.62
0.01) (P < 0.001). N‐ratios in PLC‐group (0.21
0.01) and IL10‐group (0.24
0.01) were lower than in NG‐group (0.51
0.03) (P < 0.001). Between PLC‐ and IL10‐group no differences were observed (P > 0.05). Gastrocnemius muscle was heavier in NG‐group (0.86
0.21g) as compared to PLC‐ (0.26
0.05g) and IL‐10 group (0.29
0.06 g) (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Bridging critical nerve defects through fibrin‐filled PLC conduits is possible. Although, autologs nerve graft showed superior histological results. Long‐term release of IL10 in the conduit did not improve regeneration of critical nerve defects. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 36:410–416, 2016.
Fourth‐order dual mode substrate integrated waveguide filter
Authors: Rezaee Morteza , Attari Amir Reza
Published: April 2015

In this letter, a simple approach for design and realization of dual mode substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) bandpass filter of order higher than two is presented. The dual mode resonators are square SIW cavities perturbed by corner cut perturbation. In the coupling configuration of the proposed filter, the odd and even modes of the perturbed cavities are used as basis modes. Different paths are provided for the odd modes and the even modes from input to output port and, therefore, the sensitivity of filter with respect to the fabrication tolerance is reduced. Using this approach, a fourth‐order dual mode bandpass filter is designed and realized and a filter prototype is fabricated on a single layer substrate using PCB technology. The measured results are in a good agreement with the simulated results. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:1550–1553, 2015