bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using International Videoconferencing to Provide Staff Training on Functional Behavioral Assessment
Authors: Alnemary Faisal Mohammad , Wallace Michele , Symon Jennifer B. G. , Barry Leasha M.
Published: January 2015

Videoconferencing has been successfully implemented to teach functional analysis (FA) procedures to service providers who support individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the acquisition of the competencies for implementing FA methodology for special education teachers after participation in a group‐format workshop via a videoconferencing program in which the training site and the remote site were located on different continents, connected through the internet. Four special education teachers in Saudi Arabia who did not have previous exposure to functional behavior assessment participated in the study. Teachers received 3 h of group‐format training via Skype followed by individualized feedback. Training involved role‐playing, video modeling, and reading materials. Results indicate that all four participants mastered the skills across at least two of the conditions with one participant demonstrating mastery across all four conditions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surgical complications after open and laparoscopic surgery for perforated peptic ulcer in a nationwide cohort
Authors: Wilhelmsen M , Møller M H , Rosenstock S
Published: January 2015

Background

Surgery for perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) is associated with a risk of complications. The frequency and severity of reoperative surgery is poorly described. The aims of the present study were to characterize the frequency, procedure-associated risk and mortality associated with reoperation after surgery for PPU.

Methods

All patients treated surgically for PPU in Denmark between 2011 and 2013 were included. Baseline and clinical data, including 90-day mortality and detailed information on reoperative surgery, were collected from the Danish Clinical Register of Emergency Surgery. Distribution frequencies of reoperation stratified by type of surgical approach (laparoscopy or open) were reported. The crude and adjusted risk associations between surgical approach and reoperation were assessed by regression analysis and reported as odds ratio (OR) with 95 per cent c.i. Sensitivity analyses were carried out.

Results

A total of 726 patients were included, of whom 238 (32·8 per cent) were treated laparoscopically and 178 (24·5 per cent) had a laparoscopic procedure converted to laparotomy. Overall, 124 (17·1 per cent) of 726 patients underwent reoperation. A persistent leak was the most frequent cause (43 patients, 5·9 per cent), followed by wound dehiscence (34, 4·7 per cent). The crude risk of reoperative surgery was higher in patients who underwent laparotomy and those with procedures converted to open surgery than in patients who had laparoscopic repair: OR 1·98 (95 per cent c.i. 1·19 to 3·27) and 2·36 (1·37 to 4·08) respectively. The difference was confirmed when adjusted for age, surgical delay, co-morbidity and American Society of Anesthesiologists fitness grade. However, the intention-to-treat sensitivity analysis (laparoscopy including conversions) demonstrated no significant difference in risk. The risk of death within 90 days was greater in patients who had reoperation: crude and adjusted OR 1·53 (1·00 to 2·34) and 1·06 (0·65 to 1·72) respectively.

Conclusion

Reoperation was necessary in almost one in every five patients operated on for PPU. Laparoscopy was associated with lower risk of reoperation than laparotomy or a converted procedure. However, there was a risk of bias, including confounding by indication.
Effect of resveratrol on restoring spermatogenesis in experimental cryptorchid mice and analysis of related differentially expressed proteins
Authors: Li Enzhong , Guo Yuping , Wang Gailing , Chen Fujia , Li Qingwang
Published: January 2015

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of trans‐Resveratrol on spermatogenesis. Male Kunming suckling mice (10 days old) were surgically rendered cryptorchid and subcutaneously injected with trans‐Resveratrol at doses of 5, 10, 20, and 40 µg/g/day as groups I, II, III, and IV, respectively, for 35 days. Animals in the control group received 10 µL/mouse/day of olive oil. Serum estradiol, testosterone, FSH, and LH levels were measured on day 45. Tissue analysis and sperm morphological abnormalities analysis were done. Results showed that in the control group and group I only spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes were present, whereas spermatogenesis was totally restored in groups II, III, and IV. Sperm counts in groups III and IV were remarkably higher than the control group (P < 0.05). The morphological abnormalities in resveratrol‐treated groups were higher than the mature mice. Serum estradiol levels in the resveratrol‐treated groups were not significantly different from the control group, but were lower than the mature mice (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum testosterone levels between the resveratrol‐treated groups and mature mice, but the levels in the resveratrol‐treated groups was significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05). No significant influence of trans‐Resveratrol was observed on serum FSH levels in all cryptorchid mice. Serum LH levels in groups I, II, and III were higher than the control group. These results indicate that trans‐Resveratrol restores spermatogenesis in cryptorchid mice. In addition, proteomic analysis between the 20 μg/g/day resveratrol‐treated group and the control group was carried out, and five kinds of proteins (BAF250, ZFP261, CHD1L, RBBP9, and SOHLH2) were identified. The expression of SOHLH2 increased, while that of BAF250, ZFP261, CHD1L, and RBBP9 decreased in the 20 µg/g/day resveratrol‐treated group, indicating that SOHLH2 may contribute to testicular germ cell differentiation.
Stromal derived factor‐1α in hippocampus radial glial cells in vitro regulates the migration of neural progenitor cells
Authors: Ding Hui , Jin Guo‐Hua , Zou Lin‐Qing , Zhang Xiao‐Qing , Li Hao‐Ming , Tao Xue‐Lei , Zhang Xin‐Hua , Qin Jian‐Bing , Tian Mei‐Ling
Published: January 2015

Stromal derived factor‐1α (SDF‐1α), a critical chemokine that promotes cell homing to target tissues, was presumed to be involved in the traumatic brain injury cortex. In this study, we determined the expression of SDF‐1α in the hippocampus after transection of the fimbria fornix (FF). Realtime PCR and ELISA showed that mRNA transcription and SDF‐1α proteins increased significantly after FF transection. In vitro, the expression of SDF‐1α in radial glial cells (RGCs) incubated with deafferented hippocampus extracts was observed to be greater than in those incubated with normal hippocampus extracts. The co‐culture of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and RGCs indicated that the extracts of deafferented hippocampus induced more NPCs migrating toward RGCs than the normal extracts. Suppression or overexpression of SDF‐1α in RGCs markedly either decreased or increased, respectively, the migration of NPCs. These results suggest that after FF transection, SDF‐1α in the deafferented hippocampus was upregulated and might play an important role in RGC induction of NPC migration; therefore, SDF‐1α is a target for additional research for determining new therapy for brain injuries.
An (R)‐Imine Reductase Biocatalyst for the Asymmetric Reduction of Cyclic Imines
Authors: Hussain Shahed , Leipold Friedemann , Man Henry , Wells Elizabeth , France Scott P. , Mulholland Keith R. , Grogan Gideon , Turner Nicholas J.
Published: January 2015

Although the range of biocatalysts available for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure chiral amines continues to expand, few existing methods provide access to secondary amines. To address this shortcoming, we have over‐expressed the gene for an (R)‐imine reductase [(R)‐IRED] from Streptomyces sp. GF3587 in Escherichia coli to create a recombinant whole‐cell biocatalyst for the asymmetric reduction of prochiral imines. The (R)‐IRED was screened against a panel of cyclic imines and two iminium ions and was shown to possess high catalytic activity and enantioselectivity. Preparative‐scale synthesis of the alkaloid (R)‐coniine (90 % yield; 99 % ee) from the imine precursor was performed on a gram‐scale. A homology model of the enzyme active site, based on the structure of a closely related (R)‐IRED from Streptomyces kanamyceticus, was constructed and used to identify potential amino acids as targets for mutagenesis.
Gold‐ and Silver‐Catalyzed Intramolecular Cyclizations of Indolylcyclopropenes for the Divergent Synthesis of Azepinoindoles and Spiroindoline Piperidines
Authors: Zhu Peng‐Long , Zhang Zhen , Tang Xiang‐Ying , Marek Ilan , Shi Min
Published: January 2015

Gold‐ and silver‐catalyzed novel intramolecular cycloisomerizations of nitrogen or carbon‐tethered indolylcyclopropenes to furnish biologically and pharmaceutically valuable azepino‐[4,5‐b]indole and spiro[indoline‐3,4′‐piperidine] derivatives have been developed. Both reactions exhibit high chemoselectivity and stereospecificity through completely different reaction pathways. Based on mechanistic studies, it is well demonstrated that gold and silver catalysts act differently to promote the anti‐ and syn‐addition and the steric effect of the catalysts play an important role to switch the addition mode, affording the catalyst‐controlled‐divergent synthesis.
Chemisorption, Morphology, and Structure of a n‐Type Perylene Diimide Derivative at the Interface with Gold: Influence on Devices from Thin Films to Single Molecules
Authors: Ciccullo Francesca , Savu Sabine‐Antonia , Gerbi Andrea , Bauer Maximilian , Ovsyannikov Ruslan , Cassinese Antonio , Chassé Thomas , Casu Maria Benedetta
Published: January 2015

We have investigated thin films of a perylene diimide derivative with a cyano‐functionalized core (PDI‐8CN2) deposited on Au(111) single crystals from the monolayer to the multilayer regime. We found that PDI‐8CN2 is chemisorbed on gold. The molecules experience a thickness‐dependent reorientation, and a 2D growth mode with molecular stepped terraces is achieved adopting low deposition rates. The obtained results are discussed in terms of their impact on field effect devices, also clarifying why the use of substrate/contact treatments, decoupling PDI‐8CN2 molecules from the substrate/contacts, is beneficial for such devices. Our results also suggest that perylene diimide derivatives with CN bay‐functionalization are very promising candidates for single‐molecule electronic devices.
Subclass‐Specific Labeling of Protein‐Reactive Natural Products with Customized Nucleophilic Probes
Authors: Rudolf Georg C. , Koch Maximilian F. , Mandl Franziska A. M. , Sieber Stephan A.
Published: January 2015

Natural products represent a rich source of bioactive compounds that constitute a large fraction of approved drugs. Among those are molecules with electrophilic scaffolds, such as Michael acceptors, β‐lactams, and epoxides that irreversibly inhibit essential enzymes based on their catalytic mechanism. In the search for novel bioactive molecules, current methods are challenged by the frequent rediscovery of known chemical entities. Herein small nucleophilic probes that attack electrophilic natural products and enhance their detection by HPLC‐UV and HPLC‐MS are introduced. A screen of diverse probe designs revealed one compound with a desired selectivity for epoxide‐ and maleimide‐based antibiotics. Correspondingly, the natural products showdomycin and phosphomycin could be selectively targeted in extracts of their natural producing organism, in which the probe‐modified molecules exhibited superior retention and MS detection relative to their unmodified counterparts. This method may thus help to discover small, electrophilic molecules that might otherwise easily elude detection in complex samples.
New Energetic Polynitrotetrazoles
Authors: Kettner Marcos A. , Klapötke Thomas M.
Published: January 2015

This combined experimental, theoretical and comparative study details the syntheses and chemical characterisation of two new energetic polynitromethyl tetrazole derivatives, namely, 2‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐(trinitromethyl)‐2 H‐tetrazole and its fluorine‐containing analogue 2‐(2‐nitro‐2‐azapropyl)‐5‐(fluorodinitromethyl)‐2 H‐tetrazole. Their crystal structures and energetic behaviour are compared to those of their starting materials, the ammonium salts of the corresponding 5‐(polynitromethyl)‐2 H‐tetrazoles. Additionally, the crystal structures of two further related polynitrotetrazoles are presented.
Synthesis of the Antimicrobial S‐Linked Glycopeptide, Glycocin F
Authors: Brimble Margaret A. , Edwards Pat J. , Harris Paul W. R. , Norris Gillian E. , Patchett Mark L. , Wright Tom H. , Yang Sung‐Hyun , Carley Sarah E.
Published: January 2015

The first total synthesis of glycocin F, a uniquely diglycosylated antimicrobial peptide bearing a rare S‐linked N‐acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) moiety in addition to an O‐linked GlcNAc, has been accomplished using a native chemical ligation strategy. The synthetic and naturally occurring peptides were compared by HPLC, mass spectrometry, NMR and CD spectroscopy, and their stability towards chymotrypsin digestion and antimicrobial activity were measured. This is the first comprehensive structural and functional comparison of a naturally occurring glycocin with an active synthetic analogue.
RhI‐Catalyzed Benzo/[7+1] Cycloaddition of Cyclopropyl‐Benzocyclobutenes and CO by Merging Thermal and Metal‐Catalyzed CC Bond Cleavages
Authors: Fu Xu‐Fei , Xiang Yu , Yu Zhi‐Xiang
Published: January 2015

A Rh‐catalyzed benzo/[7+1] cycloaddition of cyclopropyl‐benzocyclobutenes (CP‐BCBs) and CO to benzocyclooctenones has been developed. In this reaction, CP‐BCB acts as a benzo/7‐C synthon and the reaction involves two CC bond cleavages: a thermal electrocyclic ring‐opening of the four‐membered ring in CP‐BCB and a Rh‐catalyzed CC cleavage of the cyclopropane ring.
Iron‐Catalyzed Trifluoromethylation of Enamide
Authors: Rey‐Rodriguez Romain , Retailleau Pascal , Bonnet Pascal , Gillaizeau Isabelle
Published: January 2015

Herein the first example of the iron(II)‐catalyzed trifluoromethylation of enamide using mild and simple reaction conditions is reported. The method is cost‐effective and uses the easy‐to‐handle Togni’s reagent as the electrophilic CF3 source. This transformation is totally regioselective at the C3 position of enamides and exhibits broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance and thus demonstrates its useful application in a late‐stage fluorination strategy.
A Short Scalable Route to (−)‐α‐Kainic Acid Using Pt‐Catalyzed Direct Allylic Amination
Authors: Zhang Ming , Watanabe Kenji , Tsukamoto Masafumi , Shibuya Ryozo , Morimoto Hiroyuki , Ohshima Takashi
Published: January 2015

An increased supply of scarce or inaccessible natural products is essential for the development of more sophisticated pharmaceutical agents and biological tools, and thus the development of atom‐economical, step‐economical and scalable processes to access these natural products is in high demand. Herein we report the development of a short, scalable total synthesis of (−)‐α‐kainic acid, a useful compound in neuropharmacology that is, however, limited in supply from natural resources. The synthesis features sequential platinum‐catalyzed direct allylic aminations and thermal ene‐cyclization, enabling the gram‐scale synthesis of (−)‐α‐kainic acid in six steps and 34 % overall yield.
Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of Diesel Carbon Soot Combustion under Simulated Catalytic‐Reaction Conditions
Authors: Mori Kohsuke , Watanabe Keitaro , Sato Takeshi , Yamashita Hiromi
Published: January 2015

Environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM) is used to monitor the catalytic combustion of diesel carbon soot upon exposure to molecular oxygen at elevated temperatures by using a gas‐injection specimen heating holder. The reaction conditions simulated in the ETEM experiments reconstruct real conditions effectively. This study demonstrated for the first time that soot combustion occurs at the soot–catalyst interface for both Ag/CeO2 and Cu/BaO/La2O3 catalysts.
Thermally Stable Positive Electrolytes with a Superior Performance in All‐Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
Authors: Flox Cristina , Rubio‐Garcia Javier , Skoumal Marcel , Vázquez‐Galván Javier , Ventosa Edgar , Morante Joan Ramon
Published: January 2015

A new positive electrolyte formulation for all‐vanadium redox flow batteries (VFRB) with a significant improvement in electrochemical properties is reported in this communication. A 5 KDa poly(ethyleneimine)‐based dendrimer (dPEI) demonstrates enhanced performance when used as an additive for positive electrolytes in VFRB. A thermal stability test at 40 °C shows that the dPEI additive prevents the precipitation of VO2+ over 720 h. The optimum concentration of the dPEI additive was as low as 0.6 % (weight per volume of electrolyte), leading to a cost‐effective solution in terms of a 38 % increase in energy density (18 Wh L−1) with respect to the additive‐free system (ca. 13 Wh L−1). Moreover, this innovative electrolyte performance remains stable at 88 % in energy efficiency over a wider operational temperature (up to 60 °C) while retaining the energy density.
Tin‐containing Silicates: Alkali Salts Improve Methyl Lactate Yield from Sugars
Authors: Tolborg Søren , Sádaba Irantzu , Osmundsen Christian M. , Fristrup Peter , Holm Martin S. , Taarning Esben
Published: January 2015

This study focuses on increasing the selectivity to methyl lactate from sugars using stannosilicates as heterogeneous catalyst. All group I ions are found to have a promoting effect on the resulting methyl lactate yield. Besides, the alkali ions can be added both during the preparation of the catalyst or directly to the solvent mixture to achieve the highest reported yield of methyl lactate (ca. 75 %) from sucrose at 170 °C in methanol. The beneficial effect of adding alkali to the reaction media applies not only to highly defect‐free Sn‐Beta prepared through the fluoride route, but also to materials prepared by post‐treatment of dealuminated commercial Beta zeolites, as well as ordered mesoporous stannosilicates, in this case Sn‐MCM‐41 and Sn‐SBA‐15. These findings open the door to the possibility of using other preparation methods or different Sn‐containing silicates with equally high methyl lactate yields as Sn‐Beta.
The Accessible Cellulose Surface Influences Cellulase Synergism during the Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Substrates
Authors: Hu Jinguang , Gourlay Keith , Arantes Valdeir , Van Dyk J. S. , Pribowo Amadeus , Saddler Jack N.
Published: January 2015

Effective enzymatic hydrolysis of insoluble cellulose requires the synergistic action of a suite of cellulase components. Most previous studies have only assessed cellulase synergism on model cellulosic substrates. When the actions of individual and combinations of cellulases (Cel7A, Cel6A, Cel7B, Cel5A) were assessed on various pretreated lignocellulosic substrates, Cel7A was shown to be the major contributor to overall cellulose hydrolysis, with the other enzymes synergistically enhancing its hydrolytic efficiency, at least partially, by facilitating Cel7A desorption (assessed by a double‐sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay). When the influences of various substrate physicochemical characteristics on the effectiveness of enzyme synergism were assessed, a strong relationship was observed between cellulose accessibility (as determined by the cellulose binding module technique) and the degree of synergism, with greater synergy observed on the more disorganized/accessible cellulose surface.
Artificial neural network in diagnosis of urothelial cell carcinoma in urine cytology
Authors: Muralidaran Chandrasekaran , Dey Pranab , Nijhawan Raje , Kakkar Nandita
Published: January 2015

Aims and objective

To build up an artificial neural network (ANN) model in the diagnosis of urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) in urine cytology smears.

Material and methods

We randomly selected a total of 115 urine cytology samples, out of which 59 were histopathology proven UCC cases and remaining 56 were benign cases from routine cytology samples. All the carcinoma cases were proven on histopathology. Image morphometric analysis was performed on Papanicolaou's stained smears to study nuclear area, diameter, perimeter, standard deviation of nuclear area, and integrated gray density. Detailed cytological features were also studied in each case by two independent observers and were semi‐quantitatively graded. The back propagation ANN model was designed as 17‐11‐3 with the help of heuristic search. The cases were randomly partitioned as training, validation, and testing sets by the program. There were 79 cases for training set, 18 cases for validation set and 18 cases for test set.

Result

In the training set, ANN was able to diagnose all the malignant and benign cases. In the test set, all the benign and malignant cases were diagnosed correctly. However, one of the low grade cases was diagnosed as high grade UCC by ANN model.

Conclusions

We successfully built an ANN model in urine from the visual and morphometric data to identify the benign and malignant cases. In addition, the system can also identify the low grade and high grade UCC cases. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:443–449. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spectrum of fungal and parasitic infections on fine needle aspiration cytology
Authors: Gochhait Debasis , Dey Pranab , Rajwanshi Arvind , Nijhawan Raje , Radhika Srinivasan , Gupta Nalini
Published: January 2015

Background

The incidence many fungal and parasitic lesions are on the rise over the decades. In this study, we have analyzed the spectrum of fungal and parasitic lesions diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in a tertiary health care center.

Methods

This is a retrospective study conducted in the period three years and included all cases of fungal and parasitic lesions in the body (superficial and deep) identified on FNAC.

Results

There were total of 125 cases comprising of 59 parasitic cases and 66 fungal infections over this period. The various organisms were confirmed by special stains whenever required. In the parasitic group a cysticercosis (43), hydatid (8), filariasis (5), toxoplasmosis (1), leishmaniasis (1), and amoebiasis (1) were identified. The fungal infections included aspergillosis (36), mucormycosis (6), histoplasmosis (3), cryptococcus (4), and candidiasis (2). About a total of 15 cases were broadly classified as fungal infection only.

Conclusions

FNAC is an easy, reliable, and minimally invasive method to diagnose and categorize the various fungal and parasitic lesions in the body for early and definitive treatment. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:450–455. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Salivary cytokines as a minimally‐invasive measure of immune functioning in young children: Correlates of individual differences and sensitivity to laboratory stress
Authors: Riis Jenna L. , Granger Douglas A. , DiPietro Janet A. , Bandeen‐Roche Karen , Johnson Sara B.
Published: January 2015

There is growing interest in minimally‐invasive measures of environmentally‐responsive biological systems in developmental science. Contributing to that endeavor, this study explores the intercorrelations, correlates, and task‐sensitivity of proinflammatory salivary cytokines in childhood. Saliva was sampled from 125 healthy five‐year old children (49% male) across a series of cognitive and emotional challenge laboratory tasks. Samples were assayed for cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, TNFα), and markers of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation (salivary cortisol and alpha‐amylase [sAA]). Cytokines were positively intercorrelated and task‐sensitivity varied. Except IL‐8, cytokines were elevated in children with oral health issues and tobacco smoke exposure. Among boys, cytokines were positively related to sAA and negatively related to cortisol. The findings suggest that in healthy children, salivary cytokine levels reflect compartmentalized oral immune activity. Associations between ANS and HPA activity and cytokines in saliva may present opportunities for minimally‐invasive methods to explore neuroendocrine–immune interactions during development. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 57: 153–167, 2015.
Improving care for patients with acute heart failure: before, during and after hospitalization
Authors: Cowie Martin R. , Anker Stefan D. , Cleland John G. F. , Felker G. Michael , Filippatos Gerasimos , Jaarsma Tiny , Jourdain Patrick , Knight Eve , Massie Barry , Ponikowski Piotr , López‐Sendón José
Published: January 2015

Acute heart failure (AHF) is a common and serious condition that contributes to about 5% of all emergency hospital admissions in Europe and the USA. Here, we present the recommendations from structured discussions among an author group of AHF experts in 2013.

The epidemiology of AHF and current practices in diagnosis, treatment, and long‐term care for patients with AHF in Europe and the USA are examined. Available evidence indicates variation in the quality of care across hospitals and regions. Challenges include the need for rapid diagnosis and treatment, the heterogeneity of precipitating factors, and the typical repeated episodes of decompensation requiring admission to hospital for stabilization.

In hospital, care should involve input from an expert in AHF and auditing to ensure that guidelines and protocols for treatment are implemented for all patients. A smooth transition to follow‐up care is vital. Patient education programmes could have a dramatic effect on improving outcomes. Information technology should allow, where appropriate, patient telemonitoring and sharing of medical records. Where needed, access to end‐of‐life care and support for all patients, families, and caregivers should form part of a high‐quality service.

Eight evidence‐based consensus policy recommendations are identified by the author group: optimize patient care transitions, improve patient education and support, provide equity of care for all patients, appoint experts to lead AHF care across disciplines, stimulate research into new therapies, develop and implement better measures of care quality, improve end‐of‐life care, and promote heart failure prevention.
Alkynated and azidated octadecane as model compounds for kinetic studies of Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition in vegetable oils
Authors: Hong Jian , Radojčić Dragana , Hairabedian Djavan , Wan Xianmei , Petrović Zoran S.
Published: January 2015

Alkynated and azidated octadecane, synthesized from 9‐octadecene, were used as model compounds for alkynated and azidated vegetable oils to study the kinetics of thermal Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition. Alkyne and azide groups of alkynated and azidated octadecane possess low reactivity as they are branched in the middle of an 18‐carbon chain. Reaction kinetics was studied by GPC, 1H NMR, and DSC. Detailed kinetic analysis revealed that the reaction of alkynated and azidated octadecane required 24 h to reach 90% conversion at 100°C. The activation energy of the reaction is 55 kJ/mol.

Practical applications: The kinetics study of this model reaction is necessary for estimating the extent of reaction and necessary curing time of the thermal polycycloaddition of alkynated and azidated vegetable oils whose main components are triglyceride‐containing aliphatic chains of 16–22 carbons.

Kinetics of thermal Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of alkynated and azidated octadecane (A‐OCD and Az‐OCD) as model compounds for alkynated and azidated vegetable oils was studied by GPC, DSC, and spectroscopic methods.
Fevered Decisions: Race, Ethics, and Clinical Vulnerability in the Malarial Treatment of Neurosyphilis, 1922–1953
Authors: Gambino Matthew
Published: January 2015

Syphilis occupies a unique position in the history of U.S. medicine and medical ethics. Given its widespread prevalence and variable presentation, syphilis was a major professional concern among late nineteenth‐ and early twentieth‐century physicians. Syphilis was also at the center of perhaps the most famous example of medical racism in our history, the U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee, in which officials followed the natural history of the disease in a cohort of black men for forty years without offering treatment, even once penicillin became available. In this essay, I call attention to a less well‐known aspect of syphilis and its history. I examine one of the disease's most dreaded manifestations, neurosyphilis (also known as general paresis or general paralysis of the insane), and its treatment via malarial inoculation from the 1920s into the 1950s. The goal of this treatment, dramatic even to observers at the time, was to produce spiking fevers that would kill the syphilitic spirochete and arrest the disease process. My focus will be on developments at St. Elizabeths Hospital, a large‐scale federal psychiatric facility in the District of Columbia that served the city's residents and members of the U.S. military. Physicians at St. Elizabeths were the first in the United States to experiment with malarial fever therapy, treating their initial cohort of patients in December of 1922.

Malarial fever therapy raised a host of ethical questions, rendered all the more complex from today's vantage point by efforts to understand them within the context of the time. What sorts of risks, both from malaria and via indirect exposure, might be deemed acceptable in the treatment of a devastating and almost invariably fatal disease? How ought researchers and clinicians to have approached the question of consent, itself an evolving concept in the early decades of the twentieth century, when the disease they were targeting impaired a patient's ability to reason effectively? Finally, at a time when segregated and inferior care for black Americans was the norm and when the black community bore a disproportionate burden of disease, who would have had access to malarial fever therapy, and at what cost?
Degradation in the fatigue strength of dentin by diamond bur preparations: Importance of cutting direction
Authors: Majd B. , Majd H. , Porter J. A. , Romberg E. , Arola D.
Published: January 2015

The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the degradation in fatigue strength of dentin by diamond bur preparations and to identify the importance of cutting direction. Three groups of coronal dentin specimens were prepared from unrestored third molars, including a flaw free “control,” and two groups that received a diamond bur cutting treatment performed parallel or perpendicular to the specimen length. The specimens were subjected to static or cyclic flexural loading to failure and the results were compared with data for carbide bur cutting. Under static loading diamond bur cutting resulted in significantly lower flexure strength (p ≤ 0.05) than the control for both cutting directions (from 154 to ∼124 MPa). However, there was no significant difference in the strength between the control and carbide bur treated specimens. Similarly, the fatigue strength of the diamond bur treated specimens was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.0001) than that of the control for both cutting directions. Cutting in the perpendicular direction resulted in nearly 60% reduction to the endurance limit (from 44 to 19 MPa). Based on the results, diamond bur cutting of cavity preparations causes a reduction in the fatigue strength of dentin, regardless of the cutting direction. To maintain the durability of dentin, cavity preparations introduced using diamond burs must be performed with appropriate cutting direction and followed by a finishing pass. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 39–49, 2016.
Shrimp wastewater as a source of astaxanthin and bioactive peptides
Authors: Amado Isabel Rodríguez , González Mª Pilar , Murado Miguel Anxo , Vázquez José Antonio
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

Ultrafiltration (UF) has led to the recovery of valuable products from seafood processing wastes. However, the use of crustacean process wastewaters as a source of bioactive compounds with application in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries has been scarcely studied to date.

RESULTS

This study reports the recovery of high concentrations of astaxanthin (10–13 µg mL−1) by 300 kDa ultrafiltration of shrimp cooking wastewater, indicating that astaxanthin is associated with high MW retained proteins. Individual UF with 300, 100 and 30 kDa MWCO membranes and the sequential UF 100 → 30 kDa were the most effective configurations for protein concentration. Hydrolysates from these three protein‐concentrated fractions showed very potent ACE‐inhibitory (1.98, 9.87 and 23.10 µg mL−1 IC50 values) and ß‐carotene bleaching activities compared with hydrolysates from other fish and seafood species.

CONCLUSIONS

According to these results, shrimp cooking wastewater is a good source of astaxanthin and bioactive peptides. This approach based on the ultrafiltration of shrimp cooking wastewaters contributes towards the depuration of this by‐product, while enabling the recovery and production of high value‐added products. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Claudin‐1 gene variants and susceptibility to hepatitis C infection in HIV‐1 infected intravenous drug users (an ANRS case‐control study)
Authors: Ghosn Jade , Fouquet Baptiste , Quertainmont Yann , Salmon Dominique , Sahali Sabrinel , Rioux Christophe , Duvivier Claudine , Mole Martine , Delfraissy Jean‐François , Misrahi Micheline
Published: January 2015

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalence is highly diverse among human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1) infected patients, ranging between 10% of HIV‐1 infected homo‐bisexuel men, to >92% in patients infected with HIV‐1 who acquired HIV‐1 through intravenous drug use. Thus, being HCV‐free while having acquired HIV‐1 via intravenous drug use is a rare situation. Claudin‐1 is a protein involved in intracellular tight‐junctions and has been identified as a major cellular co‐receptor for HCV infection. Our objective was to determine whether Claudin‐1 gene (CLDN1) mutations might be involved in natural resistance to HCV infection. We conducted a case‐control study. All recruited patients acquired HIV‐1 infection via intravenous drug use route before 1995. The case study patients remained free from HCV infection (negative anti‐HCV antibodies and HCV‐RNA). The control study patients was co‐infected with HCV (positive anti‐HCV antibodies). Direct genomic sequencing of the CLDN1 gene coding region and adjacent intron/exons junctions was performed from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A total of 138 Caucasian patients were enrolled. Twenty‐two patients (cases) were free from HCV infection and 116 (controls) were co‐infected with HCV. We found single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) described previously with no significant differences in allele frequencies between cases and controls. In conclusion, despite being a major cellular co‐receptor for HCV entry in vitro, we did not identify any specific substitution in CLDN1 gene coding region in our study patients highly exposed but resistant to HCV infection in vivo. Other cellular co‐factors involved in HCV infection should be investigated in this highly‐exposed intravenous drug users patients. J. Med. Virol. 87:619–624, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
‘Human bocavirus in Pakistani children with gastroenteritis'
Authors: Alam Muhammad Masroor , Khurshid Adnan , Shaukat Shahzad , Sharif Salmaan , Suleman Rana Muhammad , Angez Mehar , Nisar Nadia , Aamir Uzma Bashir , Naeem Muhammad , Zaidi Syed Sohail Zahoor
Published: January 2015

Human Bocaviruses (HBoV) have been detected in human respiratory and gastrointestinal infections worldwide. Four genotypes of HBoV (HBoV1–4) have been described; HBoV‐1 is associated with respiratory tract infections while HBoV‐2, ‐3, and ‐4 genotypes are considered as entero‐pathogenic although the exact role largely remains unclear. The global prevalence of HBoV has been reported, but the epidemiological data from Pakistan is largely unavailable to date. This study was conducted to understand the genetic diversity and disease prevalence of HBoV in hospitalized Pakistani children with acute diarrhea. During 2009, a total of 365 stool samples were collected from children hospitalized with gastrointestinal symptoms (as per WHO case definitions) at Rawalpindi General Hospital, Pakistan. Demographic and clinical data were recorded using a standardized questionnaire. The samples were tested for HBoV and rotavirus using real‐time RT‐PCR and ELISA, respectively. There were 47 (13%) samples positive for HBoV with 98% (n = 46) showing co‐infection with rotavirus. HBoV‐1 was the most frequently detected and was found in 94% samples followed by HBoV‐2 and HBoV‐3 genotypes. The mean age of infected children was 7.57 ± 5.4 months while detection was more frequent in males (n = 32, 68%). All cases recovered after 2.43 ± 1.0 mean days of treatment. On phylogenetic analysis, HBoV strains from Pakistan clustered closely with viruses from neighboring Bangladesh and China. These findings represent the first known epidemiological study in Pakistan to investigate the role of HBoV in acute gastroenteritis. The clinical data demonstrates that HBoV is not significantly associated with gastroenteritis alone and predominantly co‐infections with rotavirus are found. J. Med. Virol. 87:656–663, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hepatitis B outbreak in a nursing home associated with reusable lancet devices for blood glucose monitoring, Northern Germany 2010
Authors: Diercke Michaela , Monazahian Masyar , Petermann Holger , Gerlich Wolfram H. , Schüttler Christian G. , Wend Ulrike , Dehnert Manuel , Dreesman Johannes
Published: January 2015

In September 2010, an outbreak of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in a nursing home was notified to public health authorities in Northern Germany. To identify the route of transmission and prevent further cases a retrospective cohort study was conducted. Blood samples of residents were tested for serologic markers of HBV infection and HBV subgenotypes and sequences were analyzed. Outbreak‐related cases were defined as residents of the nursing home with detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and the HBV DNA sequence of the outbreak strain in 2010. Information on possible risk factors as patient care, invasive diagnostic, and therapeutical procedures was collected using a standardized questionnaire. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with exact Poisson regression and binomial regression. Sixty‐four residents were included in the study, 5 of them were outbreak‐related cases, 12 had a past HBV infection. The outbreak strain belonged to HBV genotype D2 (HBsAg subtype ayw3, Ala118) which is not prevalent in Germany but in Eastern Europe. All cases (median age 81) were female, had diabetes, blood glucose monitoring, and chiropody. In multivariable analysis only blood glucose monitoring was associated with HBV infection (RR = 22, 95%CI 3.0−∞). Blood glucose monitoring was reported to be done by nursing home staff with patient‐based reusable lancet devices. In nursing home settings the use of single use lancets for blood glucose monitoring is recommended strongly to prevent transmission. National guidelines on the handling of point‐of‐care devices and reusable equipment in long‐term care facilities should be developed. J. Med. Virol. 87:583–588, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Human herpesvirus 8 seroconversion in a population‐based cohort of men in Tobago
Authors: McDonald Alicia C. , Jenkins Frank J. , Bunker Clareann H. , Wilson John W. , Patrick Alan L. , Weissfeld Joel L.
Published: January 2015

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV‐8) is the causal agent of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). In Tobago, KS is not common; however, HHV‐8 seropositivity has been reported to be 39.9% in men with prostate cancer compared to <22.9% in healthier women and men. To understand HHV‐8 transmission, we examined HHV‐8 seroconversion and seroreversion, and risk factors for these changes in Tobago men.

Serum specimens from a sub‐cohort of Tobago Prostate Survey men, aged 40–81 years (n = 381/442), were collected at baseline and a subsequent visit between 3 and 9 years and tested for HHV‐8 seropositivity using an immunofluorescence assay for antibodies against HHV‐8 lytic antigens. Poisson distribution was used to calculate HHV‐8 seroconversion and seroreversion rates and their 95% confidence intervals. Differences in baseline characteristics between HHV‐seroconverters versus persistent HHV‐8 seronegative men and HHV‐8 seroreverters versus HHV‐8 seropositive men were examined.

HHV‐8 seropositivity was 12.3% (N = 381) at baseline, with HHV‐8 seropositivity significantly higher in increasing age groups, 40–49 (4.0%) to 70–81 (37.5%) years (P‐value trend <0.0001). HHV‐8 seroconversion and seroreversion rates were 0.23 per 100 person‐years (95% C.I., 0.06–0.58) and 2.42 per 100 person‐years (95% C.I., 0.89–5.26), respectively. There were significantly more HHV‐8 seroconverters who reported “ever smoked cigarettes of >6 months” at baseline compared to HHV‐8 persistent seronegative men (P‐value = 0.03). Baseline characteristics of HHV‐8 seroreverters did not differ from persistent seropositive men.

Low HHV‐8 seroconversion and seroreversion rates were found. Data suggest that HHV‐8 transmission occurred at earlier ages, <40 years, in Tobago men. J. Med. Virol. 87:642–647, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The hydrogen‐bond effect on the high pressure behavior of hydrazinium monochloride
Authors: Jiang Shuqing , Duan Defang , Li Fangfei , Huang Xiaoli , Yang Xue , Li Wenbo , Huang Yanping , Bao Kuo , Zhou Qiang , Liu Bingbing , Cui Tian
Published: January 2015

The first high pressure study of solid hydrazinium monochloride has been performed by in situ Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X‐ray diffraction (XRD) experiments in diamond anvil cell (DAC) up to 39.5 and 24.6 GPa, respectively. The structure of phase I at room temperature is confirmed to be space group C2/c by the Raman spectral analysis and Rietveld refinement of the XRD pattern. A structural transition from phase I to II is observed at 7.3 GPa. Pressure‐induced position variation of hydrogen atoms in NH3+ unit during the phase transition is attributed to the formation of N―H…Cl hydrogen‐bonds, which play a vital role in the stability and subsequent structural changes of this high energetic material under pressure. This inference is proved from the abnormal pressure shifts and obvious Fermi resonance in NH stretching mode of N2H5+ ion in the Raman experiment. Finally, a further transition from phase II to III accompanied with a slight internal distortion in the N2H5+ ions occurs above 19.8 GPa, and phase III persists up to 39.5 GPa. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Resonance Raman spectroscopic study for radial vibrational modes in ultra‐thin walled TiO2 nanotubes
Authors: Antony Rajini P. , Dasgupta Arup , Mahana Sudipta , Topwal D. , Mathews Tom , Dhara Sandip
Published: January 2015

The study reports the observation of radial vibrational modes in ultra‐thin walled anatase TiO2 nanotube powders grown by rapid breakdown anodization technique using resonant Raman spectroscopic study. The as‐grown tubes in the anatase phase are around 2–5 nm in wall thickness, 15–18 nm in diameter and few microns in length. The Eg(ν1,ν5,ν6) phonon modes with molecular vibrations in the radial direction are predominant in the resonance Raman spectroscopy using 325 nm He–Cd excitation. Multi‐phonons including overtones and combinational modes of Eg(ν1,ν5,ν6) are abundantly observed. Fröhlich interaction owing to electron–phonon coupling in the resonance Raman spectroscopy of ultra‐thin wall nanotubes is responsible for the observation of radial vibrational modes. Finite size with large surface energy in these nanotubes energetically favor only one mode, B1g(ν4) with unidirectional molecular vibrations in the parallel configuration out of the three Raman modes with molecular vibration normal to the radial modes. Enhanced specific heat with increasing temperatures in these nanotubes as compared to that reported for nanoparticles of similar diameter may possibly be related to the presence of the prominent radial mode along with other energetic phonon mode. The findings elucidate the understanding of total energy landscape for TiO2 nanotubes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural evolution in CVD graphene chemically oxidized by sulphuric acid
Authors: Wang Y. Y. , Jiang J. , Lin T. H. , Nan H. Y. , Gao C. W. , Ni Z. H. , Gao R. X. , Zhong B. , Wen G. W.
Published: January 2015

The role of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) in fabrication graphene oxide besides as intercalant has not been well addressed. In this work, Raman spectroscopy is used to monitor structural evolution in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene chemically oxidized by dilute H2SO4. From the analysis of Raman spectra of oxidized graphene, we propose that oxidation first initiates at preexisting defects, and vacancy‐like defects are formed. Following is the radial growth of the vacancy, and oxidation pits appear in graphene. This assumption is further confirmed by atomic force microscope measurement. It is also found that with increase of amounts of defects, G peak is blue shift, and this is explained by defect and hole doping effect. Hole doping in graphene is much stronger at hexagon regions near the oxidation pits. This work helps in understanding the role of H2SO4 in fabrication graphene oxide as oxidizer as well as helps in obtaining structure information of graphene oxide. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple summability properties for Cohen ‐summing operators
Authors: Popa Dumitru
Published: January 2015

We prove that Cohen p‐summing operators satisfy multiple summability properties. Some of these multiple summability properties are new even in the linear case. For example, we prove that the multilinear functional associated to a Cohen p‐summing n‐linear operator is multiple ‐summing.
Pyrosequencing analysis of a bacterial community associated with lava‐formed soil from the Gotjawal forest in Jeju, Korea
Authors: Kim Jong‐Shik , Lee Keun Chul , Kim Dae‐Shin , Ko Suk‐Hyung , Jung Man‐Young , Rhee Sung‐Keun , Lee Jung‐Sook
Published: January 2015

In this study, we analyzed the bacterial diversity in soils collected from Gyorae Gotjawal forest, where globally unique topography, geology, and ecological features support a forest grown on basalt flows from 110,000 to 120,000 years ago and 40,000 to 50,000 years ago. The soils at the site are fertile, with rocky areas, and are home to endangered species of plants and animals. Rainwater penetrates to the groundwater aquifer, which is composed of 34% organic matter containing rare types of soil and no soil profile. We determined the bacterial community composition using 116,475 reads from a 454‐pyrosequencing analysis. This dataset included 12,621 operational taxonomic units at 3% dissimilarity, distributed among the following groups: Proteobacteria (56.2%) with 45.7% of α‐Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria (25%), Acidobacteria (10.9%), Chloroflexi (2.4%), and Bacteroidetes (0.9%). In addition, 16S rRNA gene sequences were amplified using polymerase chain reaction and domain‐specific primers to construct a clone library based on 142 bacterial clones. These clones were affiliated with the following groups: Proteobacteria (56%) with 51% of α‐Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria (7.8%), Actinobacteria (17.6%), Chloroflexi (2.1%), Bacilli (1.4%), Cyanobacteria (2.8%), and Planctomycetes (1.4%). Within the phylum Proteobacteria, 56 of 80 clones were tentatively identified as 12 unclassified genera. Several new genera and a new family were discovered within the Actinobacteria clones. Results from 454‐pyrosequencing revealed that 57% and 34% of the sequences belonged to undescribed genera and families, respectively. The characteristics of Gotjawal soil, which are determined by lava morphology, vegetation, and groundwater penetration, might be reflected in the bacterial community composition.