bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Latin Squares with Restricted Transversals
Authors: Egan Judith , Wanless Ian M.
Published: May 2012

The original article to which this erratum refers was correctly published online on 1 December 2011. Due to an error at the publisher, it was then published in Journal of Combinatorial Designs 20: 124–141, 2012 without the required shading in several examples. To correct this, the article is here reprinted in full. The publisher regrets this error.

We prove that for all odd there exists a latin square of order 3m that contains an latin subrectangle consisting of entries not in any transversal. We prove that for all even there exists a latin square of order n in which there is at least one transversal, but all transversals coincide on a single entry. A corollary is a new proof of the existence of a latin square without an orthogonal mate, for all odd orders . Finally, we report on an extensive computational study of transversal‐free entries and sets of disjoint transversals in the latin squares of order . In particular, we count the number of species of each order that possess an orthogonal mate. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Combin. Designs 20: 344–361, 2012
Preparing globally competent leaders through innovative study abroad experiences
Authors: Montgomery John F. , Arensdorf Jill
Published: May 2012

No one could argue with the fact that our world is changing at an exponentially rapid pace. As leadership educators, it is our role to prepare students for change in the global workplace and communities. This article will focus on one university's experiences taking leadership students abroad and using unique activities/discussions to study and build global leadership competencies.
New look at renal vasculature: 7 tesla nonenhanced T1‐weighted FLASH imaging
Authors: Umutlu L. , Maderwald S. , Kraff O. , Kinner S. , Schaefer L.C. , Wrede K. , Antoch G. , Forsting M. , Ladd M.E. , Lauenstein T.C. , Quick H.H.
Published: May 2012

Purpose:

To investigate the feasibility of 7 Tesla (T) nonenhanced high field MR imaging of the renal vasculature and to evaluate the diagnostic potential of various nonenhanced T1‐weighted (T1w) sequences.

Materials and Methods:

Twelve healthy volunteers were examined on a 7T whole‐body MR system (Magnetom 7T, Siemens Healthcare Sector) using a custom‐built eight‐channel radiofrequency (RF) transmit/receive body coil. Subsequent to RF shimming, the following sequences were acquired (i) fat‐saturated two‐dimensional (2D) FLASH, (ii) fat‐saturated 3D FLASH, and a (iii) fat‐saturated 2D time‐of‐flight MR angiography (TOF MRA). SNR and CNR were measured in the aorta and both renal arteries. Qualitative analysis was performed with regard to vessel delineation (5‐point scale: 5 = excellent to 1 = nondiagnostic) and presence of artifacts (5‐point scale: 5 = no artifact present to 1 = strong impairment).

Results:

The inherently high signal intensity of the renal arterial vasculature in T1w imaging enabled moderate to excellent vessel delineation in all sequences. Qualitative (mean, 4.7) and quantitative analysis (SNRmean: 53.9; CNRmean: 28.0) demonstrated the superiority of TOF MRA, whereas 2D FLASH imaging provided poorest vessel delineation and was most strongly impaired by artifacts (overall impairment 3.7). The 3D FLASH MRI demonstrated its potential for fast high quality imaging of the nonenhanced arterial vasculature, providing homogeneous hyperintense vessel signal.

Conclusion:

Nonenhanced T1w imaging in general and, TOF MRA in particular, appear to be promising techniques for good quality nonenhanced renal artery assessment at 7 Tesla. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:714–721. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pharmacokinetic analysis based on dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI for evaluating tumor response to preoperative therapy for oral cancer
Authors: Chikui Toru , Kitamoto Erina , Kawano Shintaro , Sugiura Tsuyoshi , Obara Makoto , Simonetti Arjan W. , Hatakenaka Masamitsu , Matsuo Yoshio , Koga Shoichi , Ohga Masahiro , Nakamura Katsumasa , Yoshiura Kazunori
Published: May 2012

Purpose:

To evaluate whether a pharmacokinetic analysis is useful for monitoring the response of oral cancer to chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Materials and Methods:

Twenty‐nine patients were included. They underwent dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) before and after CRT. The DCE‐MRI data were analyzed using a Tofts and Kermode (TK) model. The histological evaluation of the effects of CRT was performed according to Ohboshi and Shimosato's classification.

Results:

None of the pre‐CRT parameters were significantly different between the responders and nonresponders. The post‐CRT volume of the extravascular extracellular space (EES) per unit volume of tissue (ve) of responders (0.397 ± 0.080) was higher than that of nonresponders (0.281 ± 0.076) (P = 0.01). The change of the ve between the pre‐ and post‐CRT of the responders (0.154 ± 0.093) was larger than that of the nonresponders (0.033 ± 0.073) (P = 0.001). Therefore, the increase in the ve strongly suggested a good tumor response to CRT, which reflected an increase of the EES secondary to the destruction of the cancer nest. The changes in the volume transfer constant (Ktrans) were significantly different between the responders and nonresponders (P = 0.018).

Conclusion:

Both the increase of the ve and the elevation of permeability (Ktrans) were indicative of a good tumor response to CRT. The pharmacokinetic analysis had potential for monitoring the histopathological response to CRT. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:589–597. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the characterization of axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer
Authors: Fornasa Francesca , Nesoti Maria Vittoria , Bovo Chiara , Bonavina Maria Giuseppina
Published: May 2012

Purpose:

To assess prospectively the accuracy of diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) in differentiating between metastatic and benign axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer.

Materials and Methods:

In all, 215 patients with histologically proven breast cancer, prior to axillary dissection, underwent breast and axillary 1.5 T MRI. In 102 patients in whom at least one axillary lymph node with a short axis of 6 mm or more was found the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured in one lymph node per patient by means of an echo planar, parallel imaging DWI sequence. Forty‐three lymph nodes were finally included which, on histological examination, either contained a metastasis larger than 5 mm or were metastasis‐free; nodes with metastases smaller than 5 mm were excluded.

Results:

From histological examination, 19/43 lymph nodes had a metastasis at least 5 mm, while in 24/43 no malignant cells were found. The ADC values of the lymph nodes with metastases (mean: 0.878 × 10−3 mm2/s; range: 0.30 –1.20) were significantly lower (P < 0.001) than those of the benign lymph nodes (mean: 1.494; range: 0.60 –2.50). Adopting a threshold value of 1.09 × 10−3 mm2/s DWI resulted in 94.7% sensitivity, 91.7% specificity, and 93.0% accuracy in the identification of metastasis in this series of lymph nodes.

Conclusion:

From these preliminary data DWI seems a promising method in the differential diagnosis between metastatic and benign axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:858–864. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Higher‐order CN‐FETD method for analysis of microwave circuit structures
Authors: Ding Dazhi Z. , Ye Zhenbao B. , Zhu Xiaoying Y. , Du Lei
Published: May 2012

In this paper, the hierarchical high‐order basis functions on tetrahedrons are introduced to the Crank–Nicolson (CN) finite‐element time‐domain (FETD) with the 3D Maxwell equations for analysis of the microwave circuit structures. Whitney 1‐form high‐order hierarchical basis functions are used to expand the electric field and Whitney 2‐form high‐order hierarchical basis functions for the magnetic field. The CN scheme is employed in the FETD method to lead to an unconditionally stable algorithm. Numerical results were presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed high‐order CN‐FETD method. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Circulation weather types and wildland forest fires in the western Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Rivas Soriano Luis , Tomás Clemente , de Pablo Fernando , García Eulogio
Published: May 2012

The use of six indices associated with geostrophic wind and vorticity has allowed a classification of circulation weather types to be determined. This classification was employed to study the impact of low‐level circulations at low levels on the daily number of forest fires over the western Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and the Spanish region of Galicia). It was found that easterly circulations [east (E), northeast (NE), and hybrid anticyclonic northeast (HANE)] were associated with an increase in the number of forest fires in the domain studied. The number of forest fires per day was 549, 357, and 309 for the E, NE, and HANE, respectively, whereas the average value was 299 fires per day. It was seen that this effect is the result of the low‐level heating and drying caused by easterly circulations. The possible impact of easterly circulations on the low‐level wind was also analysed, although in this case the results were not clear. The indices used to classify the circulation weather types were also employed to develop a statistical model for the daily number of forest fires. Stepwise multiple regression showed that only two indices are necessary (correlation coefficient 0.5, significant at the 0.01% level): the western component of geostrophic wind and geostrophic wind intensity. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Water vapour over the western maritime Arctic: surface inversions, intrusions and total column
Authors: Raddatz R. L. , Galley R. J. , Candlish L. M. , Asplin M. G. , Barber D. G.
Published: May 2012

A composite year of hourly microwave radiometric water vapour (WV) density profiles from November 2007 to July 2008 and August to November 2009 over the unconsolidated sea‐ice surface of the southeastern Beaufort Sea–Amundsen Gulf region was analysed. The annual cycle of monthly median total column precipitable water (PW) ranged from 1.4 mm in January to 16.8 mm in August. For all months, greater than 92% of the PW was below 5000 m. Peak PW in WV intrusions ranged from 3.4 mm in November to 37.3 mm in August. An L‐shaped relationship was found between the monthly percentages of PW in near surface WV inversions and the median total column PW. This suggested that WV inversions have a greater impact on atmospheric downwelling longwave radiation, and in turn on the climate of the western maritime Arctic, in the winter early spring and late autumn when the median PW is low than in warmer months when it is relatively high. This result, consistent with the results of others, was supported by an analysis of hourly profiles for January (low PW month), and July (high PW month); 89% of the variability in the percentage of PW in near surface inversions was explained by the height of the top of the highest inversion which was generally much higher in the January than in July. In addition, near surface WV inversions occurred more frequently in the lower PW month than in the higher PW month. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Heavy rainfall occurrences in northeast India
Authors: Mahanta Rahul , Sarma Debojit , Choudhury Amit
Published: May 2012

In operational meteorology, forecasting heavy rainfall (HRF) events has been a long‐standing challenge in India. This is especially true in certain regions where the physical geography lends itself to the creation of such HRF events. Northeast India (NEI) is one such region within the Asian monsoon zone, which receive very HRF during the pre‐monsoon and summer monsoon season and the summer–autumn transition month of October. These events cause flooding, damage crops and bring life to standstill. In the present work, the characteristics of HRF events in NEI are studied. The seasonal and spatial variations of HRF occurrences are analysed using 31 year (1971–2001) of daily rainfall data from 15 rainfall stations. Using the daily data obtained from the Indian Meteorological Department, the most favorable locations were found for the stations between 27.5°N and 28.1°N. The most favorable time of occurrence of these events are between 10 June and 5 August. July records the largest number of HRF events followed by June and August. The aggregate of extreme rain events over the region has a significant decreasing trend over the region. Before the monsoon sets in, there is considerable thunderstorm (TS) activity in this region in the month of April and May that are also the cause of HRF events. While many of these HRF events occur associated with the pre‐monsoon Nor'westers (tornadoes), some severe TSs may occur during the monsoon season. So, we present a climatology of severe TS days. Also we present the annual and seasonal variation of convective available potential energy (CAPE) and convective inhibition energy (CINE) at Guwahati as the index of the thermal instability. Between 1973 and 2001, CAPE shows a decreasing trend whereas CINE shows an increasing trend which seems reasonable due to the HRF events' decreasing trend. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Significance of palliative gastrectomy for late‐stage gastric cancer patients
Authors: Chen Shi , Li Yuan‐Fang , Feng Xing‐Yu , Zhou Zhi‐Wei , Yuan Xiu‐Hong , Chen Ying‐Bo
Published: May 2012

Purpose

To investigate the significance of palliative gastrectomy for different types of metastatic gastric cancer patients displaying peritoneal dissemination, hepatic metastasis, distant lymph node metastasis occurring locally during late‐stage disease, and multi‐organ metastases.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of 862 patients who were histologically diagnosed as late‐stage gastric cancer who could not undergo radical surgery at the Sun Yat‐sen University Cancer Center between January 1993 and December 2008. The follow‐up lasted until December 2010. Chi‐square tests and Kaplan–Meier methods were employed to compare the adverse events and prognoses.

Results

In the peritoneal dissemination and multi‐organ metastases groups, palliative gastrectomy has no survival benefit (P = 0.705, 0.331, respectively). In the patients with distant lymph‐node metastases, liver metastasis and locally late‐stage gastric cancer patients, palliative gastrectomy was a prognostic factor (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.010, respectively). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that palliative gastrectomy was an independent prognostic factor for distant lymph‐node metastases, liver metastasis, and local late‐stage gastric cancer patients. Palliative gastrectomy combined with hepatectomy proved to be an independent prognostic factor to improve the overall survival of patients with liver metastases who underwent palliative gastrectomy (P = 0.008).

Conclusion

For late‐stage gastric cancer patients, palliative gastrectomy should be considered for locally late‐stage, distant lymph node metastasis, and resectable liver metastasis patients. Especially among patients with liver metastasis, transfer medicine is essential for potentially curable patients to obtain access to radical surgery to improve the prognosis. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 106:862–871. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using a delphi process to develop an effective train‐the‐trainers program to train health and social care professionals throughout Europe
Authors: Pearce Jennifer , Jones Caryl , Morrison Sinead , Olff Miranda , van Buschbach Susanne , Witteveen Anke B. , Williams Richard , Orengo‐García Francisco , Ajdukovic Dean , Aker A. Tamer , Nordanger Dag , Lueger‐Schuster Brigitte , Bisson Jonathan I.
Published: May 2012

Research has shown that developing a Train‐the‐Trainers (TTT) program is important if agencies are to implement guidelines, but the most effective way to deliver a TTT program remains unanswered. This article presents data from a 3‐round Internet‐based Delphi process, which was used to help develop consensus‐based guidelines for a TTT programme to deliver to health and social care professionals throughout Europe a curriculum on traumatic stress. In Round 1, 74 experts rated the importance of statements relating to the TTT field and then reassessed their scores in the light of others' responses in subsequent rounds. Forty‐one (67%) of 61 statements achieved consensus (defined as having a mean score >7 or < 3 on the 0–9 rating scales used and 70% of participants scoring 7 and above or 3 and below) for inclusion. Key TTT components included interactive and practical presentations, delivery to groups of 7–12 people over 2 days, external and local expert facilitation, course manuals, refresher courses, and supervision. The Delphi process allowed a consensus to be achieved in an area in which there are limitations in the current evidence.
Fulminant epstein‐barr virus‐associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Bohne Silvia , Kentouche Karim , Petersen Iver , Fritzenwanger Michael , Pletz Mathias W. , Lehmberg Kai , La Rosée Paul , Guntinas‐Lichius Orlando
Published: May 2012

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, severe, and often fatal disorder. Its hereditary and sporadic form can present as a significant diagnostic challenge to the otolaryngologist. This report describes two fatal cases of adult patients with HLH initially presented as infectious mononucleosis to an otorhinolaryngologist. The clinical presentation, serological and histological features, and management are discussed.
Release Profiles of Tricalcium Phosphate Nanoparticles from Poly(L‐lactic acid) Electrospun Scaffolds with Single Component, Core–Sheath, or Porous Fiber Morphologies: Effects on hASC Viability and Osteogenic Differentiation
Authors: Asli Mahsa Mohiti , Pourdeyhimi Behnam , Loboa Elizabeth G.
Published: May 2012

Functional PLA scaffolds are created with single component, core–sheath, or porous fiber morphology and doped with TCP nanoparticles to study the release profiles for use in bone tissue engineering applications. Pharmacokinetic analyses are performed for the three different nanofibrous structures after doping with TCP. Results indicate that single component and porous fiber scaffolds exhibit an initial‐burst release profile whereas core–sheath fibers show a steady release. All scaffolds are then seeded with human adipose‐derived stem cells (hASC), which remain viable and continue proliferation on all nanofibrous morphologies for up to 21 d. Osteogenic differentiation of hASC and cell‐mediated calcium accretion are largest on porous fibers.

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Enzymatic Mineralization of Hydrogels for Bone Tissue Engineering by Incorporation of Alkaline Phosphatase
Authors: Douglas Timothy E. L. , Messersmith Philip B. , Chasan Safak , Mikos Antonios G. , de Mulder Eric L. W. , Dickson Glenn , Schaubroeck David , Balcaen Lieve , Vanhaecke Frank , Dubruel Peter , Jansen John A. , Leeuwenburgh Sander C. G.
Published: May 2012

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), an enzyme involved in mineralization of bone, is incorporated into three hydrogel biomaterials to induce their mineralization with calcium phosphate (CaP). These are collagen type I, a mussel‐protein‐inspired adhesive consisting of PEG substituted with catechol groups, cPEG, and the PEG/fumaric acid copolymer OPF. After incubation in Ca‐GP solution, FTIR, EDS, SEM, XRD, SAED, ICP‐OES, and von Kossa staining confirm CaP formation. The amount of mineral formed decreases in the order cPEG > collagen > OPF. The mineral:polymer ratio decreases in the order collagen > cPEG > OPF. Mineralization increases Young's modulus, most profoundly for cPEG. Such enzymatically mineralized hydrogel/CaP composites may find application as bone regeneration materials.

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Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Negative‐CTE ZrW2O8 Nanoparticles for Electrical Applications
Authors: Badrinarayanan Prashanth , Rogalski Mark , Wu Hongchao , Wang Xiaofeng , Yu Wonjong , Kessler Michael R.
Published: May 2012

The potential for incorporating negative‐CTE zirconium tungstate (ZrW2O8) nanoparticles in an epoxy matrix with the aim of developing epoxy/ZrW2O8 nanocomposites with tailored CTE values for electrical applications is investigated. The ZrW2O8/epoxy nanocomposites are prepared through incorporation of up to 20 vol% unfunctionalized nanoparticles or silane‐functionalized nanoparticles containing either epoxy or amine end groups. Improvements in thermomechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of the epoxy matrix are achived with no detrimental effect on the dielectric strength, which suggests that these nanocomposites could be viable candidates for a wide range of electrical applications.

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Biomimetic Modification of Polymeric Surfaces: A Promising Pathway for Tuning of Wetting and Adhesion
Authors: Shahsavan Hamed , Arunbabu Dhamodaran , Zhao Boxin
Published: May 2012

Progress in using biomimetic micropatterning of surfaces for tuning of wetting and adhesion properties of polymeric materials is reported. Surface patterning with low aspect ratios and low surface energy leads to superhydrophobicity and low adhesion while surface patterning with high aspect ratios leads to high adhesion. The condition of high aspect ratio and/or high number density creates the risk of fibril bundling owing to the adhesion between fibrils. A thin film‐terminated structure can help overcome this problem and increase adhesion. In contrast to the spatular contacts, the conformal adhesion at interface can be enhanced significantly by creating micropatterns; the enhancement monotonically increases with the aspect ratios, where the side‐wall friction plays an important role.

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Cauchy problem for a model of nonlinear waves generated in viscous films
Authors: Esfahani Amin
Published: May 2012

This work studies a two‐dimensional version of the Korteweg–de Vries equation, which is the so‐called anisotropic dissipation‐modified Boussinesq–Korteweg–de Vries equation. The local well‐posedness for the Cauchy problem associated with this equation is proven when the initial value belongs to the Sobolev space , for all s > − 1 ∕ 6. A global existence result will be obtained under suitable conditions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Annatto prevents retinal degeneration induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Tsuruma Kazuhiro , Shimazaki Hiroki , Nakashima Ken‐ichi , Yamauchi Mika , Sugitani Sou , Shimazawa Masamitsu , Iinuma Munekazu , Hara Hideaki
Published: May 2012

Scope

Annatto (Bixa orellana) seeds have been used as a colorant in butter and in a variety of other foods. In this study, we investigated the amelioration of retinal damage by an acetone extract of annatto (A‐ext.), bixin (a main component of annatto), and four bixin derivatives (Bx‐1, Bx‐2, Bx‐3, and Bx‐4) that we have synthesized.

Methods and results

We used cultured retinal ganglion cells (RGC‐5) to examine in vitro effects of A‐ext. on stress pathways, focusing on intracellular oxidation induced by reactive oxygen species, expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‐related proteins, caspase‐3 activation, and cell membrane damage. In vivo retinal damage in mice following intravitreous injection of tunicamycin was evaluated by counting the cell numbers in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and measuring the thickness of outer nuclear layer (ONL). A‐ext., bixin, and Bx‐1 treatment inhibited both tunicamycin‐ and H2O2‐induced cell death. Bixin derivatives also inhibited tunicamycin‐induced cell death. Treatment with A‐ext., bixin, and Bx‐1 reduced tunicamycin‐induced caspase‐3 activity and inhibited the inversion of phosphatidylserine, an early apoptotic event without antioxidant effect or reduction of ER stress itself. A‐ext., bixin, and Bx‐1 significantly inhibited the tunicamycin‐induced loss of cells from the GCL, and these materials also suppressed the tunicamycin‐induced thinning of ONL.

Conclusion

A‐ext., its main component bixin, and bixin derivatives may therefore be useful for preventive and therapeutic treatment of retinal‐related diseases.
Lycopene attenuates LPS‐induced TNF‐α secretion in macrophages and inflammatory markers in adipocytes exposed to macrophage‐conditioned media
Authors: Marcotorchino Julie , Romier Beatrice , Gouranton Erwan , Riollet Celine , Gleize Beatrice , Malezet‐Desmoulins Christiane , Landrier Jean‐François
Published: May 2012

Scope

Adipose tissue is infiltrated by an increasing number of macrophages during the development of obesity. These immune cells are suspected to be a major source of TNF‐α that interferes with adipocyte function. Because lycopene possesses anti‐inflammatory properties, we hypothesize that lycopene could reduce the production of TNF‐α by macrophages and thus interfere in the cross‐talk between macrophages and adipocytes.

Methods and results

We demonstrated that physiological concentrations of lycopene were able to attenuate the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐mediated induction of TNF‐α in RAW 264.7 macrophages, at both the mRNA and protein levels. The molecular mechanism was studied. It appeared that the LPS‐activation of both JNK and NF‐κB signaling pathways was modulated by lycopene. The anti‐inflammatory effects of lycopene on macrophages were accompanied by a decrease in LPS‐stimulated macrophage migration in the presence of lycopene. Furthermore, lycopene decreased macrophage conditioned medium‐induced proinflammatory cytokine, acute phase protein, and chemokine mRNA expression in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes.

Conclusion

These data indicate that lycopene displayed an anti‐inflammatory effect on macrophages that beneficially impacted adipocyte function. Thus, these results suggest that lycopene could block the vicious cycle that occurs between adipocytes and macrophages in adipose tissue during obesity.
Consumption of a grape extract supplement containing resveratrol decreases oxidized LDL and ApoB in patients undergoing primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: A triple‐blind, 6‐month follow‐up, placebo‐controlled, randomized trial
Authors: Tomé‐Carneiro Joao , Gonzálvez Manuel , Larrosa Mar , García‐Almagro Francisco J. , Avilés‐Plaza Francisco , Parra Soledad , Yáñez‐Gascón María J. , Ruiz‐Ros José A. , García‐Conesa María T. , Tomás‐Barberán Francisco A. , Espín Juan Carlos
Published: May 2012

Scope

The cardioprotective role of resveratrol as part of the human diet is not yet clear. Our aim was to investigate the effect of a grape supplement containing 8 mg resveratrol in oxidized LDL (LDLox), apolipoprotein‐B (ApoB), and serum lipids on statin‐treated patients in primary cardiovascular disease prevention (PCP).

Methods and results

A triple‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial was conducted. Seventy‐five patients (three parallel arms) consumed one capsule (350 mg) daily for 6 months containing resveratrol‐enriched grape extract (GE‐RES, Stilvid®), grape extract (GE, similar polyphenolic content but no resveratrol), or placebo (maltodextrin). After 6 months, no changes were observed in the placebo group and only LDL cholesterol (LDLc) decreased by 2.9% (p = 0.013) in the GE group. In contrast, LDLc (−4.5%, p = 0.04), ApoB (−9.8%, p = 0.014), LDLox (−20%, p = 0.001), and LDLox/ApoB (−12.5%, p = 0.000) decreased in the Stilvid® group, whereas the ratio non‐HDLc (total atherogenic cholesterol load)/ApoB increased (8.5%, p = 0.046). No changes were observed in hepatic, thyroid, and renal function. No adverse effects were observed in any of the patients.

Conclusion

This GE‐RES reduced atherogenic markers and might exert additional cardioprotection beyond the gold‐standard medication in patients from PCP. The presence of resveratrol in the GE was necessary to achieve these effects.
Leucine induces myofibrillar protein accretion in cultured skeletal muscle through mTOR dependent and ‐independent control of myosin heavy chain mRNA levels
Authors: Haegens Astrid , Schols Annemie M. , van Essen Anon L. , van Loon Luc J. , Langen Ramon C.
Published: May 2012

Scope

Nutritional intervention during muscle wasting aims to attenuate net muscle protein loss. Branched chain amino acids, especially leucine, are able to stimulate the anabolic mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling cascade and protein synthesis. It has been suggested that muscle myofibrillar protein expression is more responsive to amino acid supplementation compared to cytoplasmic proteins, although accretion of myofibrillar proteins has not extensively been investigated. We hypothesized that leucine specifically increases myofibrillar protein synthesis in skeletal muscle.

Methods and results

This hypothesis was investigated in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells using physiologically relevant culture conditions. Leucine supplementation specifically increased myofibrillar protein accretion, including myosin heavy chain‐slow and ‐fast and myosin light chain 1 and ‐3 in C2C12 cells. Neither total protein content, nor de novo protein synthesis was affected, despite leucine‐induced increased 4E‐BP1 and S6K1 phosphorylation. Leucine supplementation did not affect myogenesis, measured by creatine kinase activity and myoblast fusion, either. Remarkably, leucine‐induced increased myofibrillar protein accretion was accompanied by elevated MyHC mRNA levels, which involved mTOR‐dependent and ‐independent regulation of MyHC‐4 and MyHC‐7 gene‐expression, respectively.

Conclusion

This study clearly demonstrates myofibrillar and not generic protein accretion in skeletal muscle following leucine supplementation, and suggests this involves pre‐translational control of MyHC expression by leucine.
β‐Glucans are involved in immune‐modulation of THP‐1 macrophages
Authors: Chanput Wasaporn , Reitsma Marit , Kleinjans Lennart , Mes Jurriaan J. , Savelkoul Huub F. J. , Wichers Harry J.
Published: May 2012

Scope

We aimed to examine different immunological aspects of β‐glucans derived from different food sources (oat, barley and shiitake) on phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)‐differentiated THP‐1 macrophages. Commercially purified barley β‐glucan (commercial BG) and lentinan were included to compare β‐glucans from the same origin but different degree of purity and processing.

Methods and results

Chemical composition and molecular weight distribution of β‐glucan samples were determined. Inflammation‐related gene expression kinetics (IL‐1β, IL‐8, nuclear factor kappa B [NF‐κB] and IL‐10) after 3, 6 and 24 h of stimulation with 100 μg/mL β‐glucan were investigated. All tested β‐glucans mildly upregulated the observed inflammation‐related genes with differential gene expression patterns. Similar gene expression kinetics, but different fold induction values, was found for the crude β‐glucan extracts and their corresponding commercial forms. Pre‐incubation of THP‐1 macrophages with β‐glucans prior to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure decreased the induction of inflammation‐related genes compared to LPS treatment. No production of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was detected in β‐glucan stimulated THP‐1 macrophages. Phagocytic activity was not different after stimulation by β‐glucan samples.

Conclusion

Based on these in vitro analyses, it can be concluded that the analysed β‐glucans have varying levels of immunomodulating properties, which are likely related to structure, molecular weight and compositional characteristic of β‐glucan.
Group sparse reconstruction using intensity‐based clustering
Authors: Prieto C. , Usman M. , Wild J. M. , Kozerke S. , Batchelor P. G. , Schaeffter T.
Published: May 2012

Compressed sensing has been of great interest to speed up the acquisition of MR images. The k‐t group sparse (k‐t GS) method has recently been introduced for dynamic MR images to exploit not just the sparsity, as in compressed sensing, but also the spatial group structure in the sparse representation. k‐t GS achieves higher acceleration factors compared to the conventional compressed sensing method. However, it assumes a spatial structure in the sparse representation and it requires a time consuming hard‐thresholding reconstruction scheme. In this work, we propose to modify k‐t GS by incorporating prior information about the sorted intensity of the signal in the sparse representation, for a more general and robust group assignment. This approach is referred to as group sparse reconstruction using intensity‐based clustering. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated for static 3D hyperpolarized lung images and applications with both dynamic and intensity changes, such as 2D cine and perfusion cardiac MRI, with retrospective undersampling. For all reported acceleration factors the proposed method outperforms the original compressed sensing method. Improved reconstruction over k‐t GS method is demonstrated when k‐t GS assumptions are not satisfied. The proposed method was also applied to cardiac cine images with a prospective sevenfold acceleration, outperforming the standard compressed sensing reconstruction. Magn Reson Med 69:1169–1179, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ultrasound echoes as biometric navigators
Authors: Schwartz Benjamin M. , McDannold Nathan J.
Published: May 2012

We demonstrate a new method of using ultrasound data to achieve prospective motion compensation in MRI, especially for respiratory motion during interventional MRI procedures in moving organs such as the liver. The method relies on fingerprint‐like biometrically distinct ultrasound echo patterns produced by different locations in tissue, which are collated with geometrical information from MRI during a training stage to form a mapping table that relates ultrasound measurements to positions. During prospective correction, the system makes frequent ultrasound measurements and uses the map to determine the corresponding position. Results in motorized linear motion phantoms and freely breathing animals indicate that the system performs well. Apparent motion is reduced by up to 97.8%, and motion artifacts are reduced or eliminated in two‐dimensional spoiled gradient‐echo images. The motion compensation is sufficient to permit MRI thermometry of focused ultrasound heating during respiratory‐like motion, with results similar to those obtained in the absence of motion. This new technique may have applications for MRI thermometry and other dynamic imaging in the abdomen during free breathing. Magn Reson Med 69:1023–1033, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structural‐acoustic coupling on non‐conforming meshes with quadratic shape functions
Authors: Peters Herwig , Marburg Steffen , Kessissoglou Nicole
Published: May 2012

Fully coupled finite element/boundary element models are a popular choice when modelling structures that are submerged in heavy fluids. To achieve coupling of subdomains with non‐conforming discretizations at their common interface, the coupling conditions are usually formulated in a weak sense. The coupling matrices are evaluated by integrating products of piecewise polynomials on independent meshes. The case of interfacing elements with linear shape functions on unrelated meshes has been well covered in the literature. This paper presents a solution to the problem of evaluating the coupling matrix for interfacing elements with quadratic shape functions on unrelated meshes. The isoparametric finite elements have eight nodes (Serendipity) and the discontinuous boundary elements have nine nodes (Lagrange). Results using linear and quadratic shape functions on conforming and non‐conforming meshes are compared for an example of a fluid‐loaded point‐excited sphere. It is shown that the coupling error decreases when quadratic shape functions are used. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Duality‐based adaptive model reduction for one‐way coupled thermoelastic problems
Authors: Jakobsson Håkan , Bengzon Fredrik , Larson Mats G.
Published: May 2012

In this paper, we derive a discrete a posteriori error estimate for a thermoelastic model problem discretized using a reduced finite element method. The problem is one‐way coupled in the sense that heat transfer affects elastic deformation but not vice versa. A reduced model is constructed using component mode synthesis in each of the heat transfer and linear elastic finite element solvers. The error estimate bounds the difference between the reduced and the standard finite element solution in terms of discrete residuals and corresponding dual weights. A main feature with the estimate is that it automatically gives a quantitative measure of the propagation of error between the solvers with respect to a certain computational goal. The analytical results are accompanied by a numerical example. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comparison of swarm intelligence algorithms for structural engineering optimization
Authors: Parpinelli Rafael S. , Teodoro Fábio R. , Lopes Heitor S.
Published: May 2012

This paper compares the performance of three swarm intelligence algorithms for the optimization of hard engineering problems. The algorithms tested were bacterial foraging optimization (BFO), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and artificial bee colony (ABC). Besides the regular BFO, two other variants reported in the literature were also included in the study: adaptive BFO and swarming BFO. Both PSO and ABC were tested using the regular algorithm and variants that include explosion (mass extinction). Three optimization problems of structural engineering were used: minimization of the cost of a welded beam, minimization of the construction cost of a pressure vessel, and minimization of the total weight of a 10‐bar plane truss. All problems are strongly constrained. The algorithms were evaluated using two criteria: quality of solutions and the number of function evaluations. The results show that PSO presented the best balance between these two criteria. For the optimization problems approached in this paper, we can also conclude that the explosion procedure resulted in no significant improvements. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Application of the uniform source‐and‐sink scheme to molecular dynamics calculation of the self‐diffusion coefficient of fluids
Authors: Dong Ruo‐Yu , Cao Bing‐Yang
Published: May 2012

A uniform source‐and‐sink scheme was developed by Cao and Li [J. Chem. Phys. 133 (2010), 024106] to calculate the thermal conductivity of solid argon. Now, we aim to apply this scheme to the calculation of the self‐diffusion coefficient. We divide the particles into equal halves, and label them with A or B. By exchanging the labels of individual atoms from the right and left half systems, we can produce an internal matter flux, and hence the internal matter source and sink can be realized. The density profile is piecewise quadratic throughout the system and the self‐diffusion coefficient can be easily extracted from the mean densities of the right and left half systems rather than by fitting the density profile. In particular, this is a nonequilibrium molecular dynamics method but established on an equilibrium system. The scheme is applied to calculate the self‐diffusion coefficient by taking a Lennard–Jones fluid as a case, examining its homogeneity, convergence, label exchange interval, and dependence on density, temperature, and system size. The uniform source‐and‐sink scheme is demonstrated to be able to give accurate results with fast convergence. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relapsed hepatoblastoma
Authors: Trobaugh‐Lotrario Angela D. , Feusner James H.
Published: May 2012

Successful treatment of recurrent hepatoblastoma (HB) relies largely on surgical resection. When tumors are responsive, chemotherapy can be used to render patients resectable. Various chemotherapeutic regimens studied in small numbers of patients on phase I/II trials have shown few responses. The best available data indicate that doxorubicin, if not given during intial treatment, and irinotecan are the most active agents in recurrent HB. Stem cell transplantation and radiation therapy have been reported in several patients with unclear successes. Advances in therapy for relapsed patients require concentrating enrollment in one or two phase I/II trials utilizing agents with promising preclinical data. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 59: 813–817. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spin–lattice correlations in Pr0.55Sr0.45MnO3 studied by electron paramagnetic resonance
Authors: Fan Jiyu , Tong Wei , Zhang Lei , Shi Yangguang , Zhu Yan , Hu Dazhi , Zhang Weichun , Ying Yao , Ling Langsheng , Pi Li , Zhang Yuheng
Published: May 2012

Electron paramagnetic resonance studies have been performed on the perovskite manganite Pr0.55Sr0.45MnO3. The various spectrum parameters including line width, effective g‐value and double‐integrated intensities have been analyzed in detail. The changes of g‐value and linewidth are indicative of the presence of strong spin–lattice interaction in the paramagnetic regime. The lattice distortion causes the appearance of localized carriers and the formation of a small polaron. Therefore, the large activation energy obtained from two different methods implies that a strong spin–lattice correlation exists in Pr0.55Sr0.45MnO3.
Test models for filtering and prediction of moisture‐coupled tropical waves
Authors: Harlim John , Majda Andrew J.
Published: May 2012

The filtering/data assimilation and prediction of moisture‐coupled tropical waves is a contemporary topic with significant implications for extended‐range forecasting. The development of efficient algorithms to capture such waves is limited by the unstable multiscale features of tropical convection which can organize large‐scale circulations and the sparse observations of the moisture‐coupled wave in both the horizontal and vertical. The approach proposed here is to address these difficult issues of data assimilation and prediction through a suite of analogue models which, despite their simplicity, capture key features of the observational record and physical processes in moisture‐coupled tropical waves. The analogue models emphasized here involve the multicloud convective parametrization based on three cloud types (congestus, deep, and stratiform) above the boundary layer. Two test examples involving an MJO‐like turbulent travelling wave and the initiation of a convectively coupled wave train are introduced to illustrate the approach. A suite of reduced filters with judicious model errors for data assimilation of sparse observations of tropical waves, based on linear stochastic models in a moisture‐coupled eigenmode basis is developed here and applied to the two test problems. Both the reduced filter and 3D‐Var with a full moist background covariance matrix can recover the unobserved troposphere humidity and precipitation rate; on the other hand, 3D‐Var with a dry background covariance matrix fails to recover these unobserved variables. The skill of the reduced filtering methods in recovering the unobserved precipitation, congestus, and stratiform heating rates as well as the front‐to‐rear tilt of the convectively coupled waves exhibits a subtle dependence on the sparse observation network and the observation time. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
A novel azocompound, 2‐(4‐phenylazoaniline)‐4‐phenylphenol: Spectroscopic and quantum‐chemical approach
Authors: Nicolás‐Vázquez Inés , Pérez‐Caballero Guadalupe , Jiménez Annia Galano , Rangel Georgina Guzmán , Ruvalcaba René Miranda
Published: May 2012

A novel azocompound with two nonequivalents azo groups, 2‐(4‐phenylazoaniline)‐4‐phenylphenol, was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and computational analysis. An intramolecular hydrogen bonding (HB), O1H1···N1, involving the N1N2 group and the proton in a neighbor hydroxyl moiety, was identified. It was found responsible for a characteristic π‐conjugated H1O1C18C13N2N1 six‐membered cyclic fragment. It is worth noting that this azo group is involved in an azo‐hydrazo equilibrium, being the azo form the most stable one. This resonance‐assisted HB was characterized using the OH‐related infrared bands and the corresponding signals in 1H NMR. In addition, conformational studies and geometrical and electronic parameter calculations were performed using the density functional theory, at B3LYP/6‐311++G** level. Bond and ring critical points were identified using the atoms in molecules theory, which allowed confirming the intramolecular HB. The second azo‐group cannot be involved in HB, but it also presents two stereoisomerics forms corresponding to cis (Z) and trans (E) configurations, with the later being the one with the lowest energy. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Automated three‐dimensional coded contrast imaging hysterosalpingo‐contrast sonography: feasibility in office tubal patency testing
Authors: Exacoustos C. , Di Giovanni A. , Szabolcs B. , Romeo V. , Romanini M. E. , Luciano D. , Zupi E. , Arduini D.
Published: May 2012

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of transvaginal hysterosalpingo‐contrast sonography (HyCoSy) with new automated three‐dimensional coded contrast imaging (3D‐CCI) software in the evaluation of tubal patency and visualization of tubal course.

Methods

Patients undergoing HyCoSy with automated 3D‐CCI software were evaluated prospectively. First, to evaluate the feasibility of 3D visualization of tubal course, we performed consecutive volume acquisitions while injecting SonoVue contrast agent. We then performed conventional two‐dimensional (2D) real‐time HyCoSy to confirm tubal patency status by detection of saline and air bubbles moving through the Fallopian tubes and around the ovaries. We also evaluated visualization with CCI of the contrast agent around the ovaries, side effects and pain during and after the procedure, by visual analog scale (VAS) (ranging from 0 to 10, with 0 corresponding to no pain and 10 corresponding to maximum pain).

Results

A total of 126 patients (252 tubes) underwent 3D‐CCI HyCoSy followed by 2D real‐time HyCoSy. According to the final 2D real‐time evaluation, bilateral tubal patency was observed in 111 patients, bilateral tubal occlusion in four patients and unilateral tubal patency in 11 patients. The concordance rate for tubal patency status between the first 3D volume acquisition and the final 2D real‐time evaluation was 84% and that between the second 3D volume acquisition and the final 2D real‐time evaluation was 97%. A pain score >5 on VAS was recorded in 58% of patients during the procedure, but a pain score ≤ 5 was recorded in 85.7% of patients immediately after the procedure.

Conclusions

HyCoSy with automated 3D‐CCI technology retains the advantages of conventional 2D HyCoSy while overcoming the disadvantages. 2D HyCoSy is highly observer‐dependent and is only accurate in the hands of experienced investigators; by obtaining a volume of the uterus and tubes, automated 3D volume acquisition permits visualization of the tubes in the coronal view and of the tubal course in 3D space, and should allow less experienced operators to evaluate tubal patency status relatively easily. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.