bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Afferent Loop Syndrome After Subtotal Gastrectomy With Billroth-II Reconstruction: Etiology and Treatment
Authors: Kim Sung-Heun , Oh Jong-Young , Kim Ki-Han , Kim Min-Chan
Published: June 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of afferent loop syndrome (ALS) following radical subtotal gastrectomy with B-II reconstruction in gastric cancer patients. ALS is an infrequent mechanical complication, which occurs after reconstruction of Billroth-II (B-II) gastrojejunostomy or Roux-en-Y esophagojejunosotomy. From 2002 through 2010, 672 patients who had undergone subtotal gastrectomy with B-II reconstruction for gastric cancer were enrolled. Clinical data, symptom interval, cause, and treatment of 13 ALS patients were reviewed. The body mass index (BMI) of patients who suffered ALS was significantly less than that of patients who did not (P = 0.0244). And, there were significant differences in rates of recurrence (P = 0.0032) and follow-up duration (P = 0.0119) between the two groups. Acute ALS within 1 month occurred in 5 patients (38.5%). Obstructive jaundice or acute pancreatitis occurred in 4 patients (30.1%). The most frequent cause was anastomosis inflammation (6 patients). Only 2 patients required surgery. Most patients with ALS were treated conservatively with or without percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD). Clinical suspicion is of significant importance because ALS is not common and the symptoms are nonspecific. ALS occurs more frequently in low BMI patients than high. PTBD can be considered as a primary treatment option for ALS if rupture of the afferent loop is not present.
Mn2+ transport by Ca2+‐ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Yonekura Shin‐Ichiro , Toyoshima Chikashi
Published: June 2016

Ca2+‐ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum is known to pump Mn2+ in addition to Ca2+, but whether its transport mechanism is identical to that of Ca2+ is ambiguous. To clarify, we examined, by atomic absorption spectroscopy, competition between Mn2+ and Ca2+ in active transport using vesicles of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Here, we demonstrate that Ca2+‐ATPase transports Ca2+ and Mn2+ concomitantly but has a much lower affinity for Mn2+ (apparent Kd ~ 0.5 mm). Stoichiometries of transported ions per ATP hydrolysed, Vmax values and activation energies are very similar. Altogether, Ca2+‐ATPase appears to use the same mechanism for transporting Mn2+ as that for Ca2+.
Role of finite ionospheric conductivity on toroidal field line oscillations in the Earth's magnetosphere—Analytic solutions
Authors: Bulusu Jayashree , Sinha A. K. , Vichare Geeta
Published: June 2016

An analytic solution has been formulated to study the role of ionospheric conductivity on toroidal field line oscillations in the Earth's magnetosphere. The effect of ionospheric conductivity is addressed in two limits, viz, (a) when conductance of Alfvén wave is much different from ionospheric Pedersen conductance and (b) when conductance of Alfvén wave is close to the ionospheric Pedersen conductance. In the former case, the damping is not significant and standing wave structures are formed. However, in the latter case, the damping is significant leading to mode translation. Conventionally, “rigid‐end” and “free‐end” cases refer to eigenstructures for infinitely large and vanishingly small limit of ionospheric conductivity, respectively. The present work shows that when the Pedersen conductance overshoots (undershoots) the Alfvén wave conductance, a free‐end (rigid‐end) mode gets transformed to rigid‐end (free‐end) mode with an increase (decrease) in harmonic number. This transformation takes place within a small interval of ionospheric Pedersen conductance around Alfvén wave conductance, beyond which the effect of conductivity on eigenstructures of field line oscillations is small. This regime of conductivity limit (the difference between upper and lower limits of the interval) decreases with increase in harmonic number. Present paper evaluates the damping effect for density index other than the standard density index m = 6, using perturbation technique. It is found that for a small departure from m = 6, both mode frequency and damping rate become a function of Pedersen conductivity.
Quantifying the inversion accuracy of simplified physical models for the nighttime OI 135.6 nm emission
Authors: Qin Jianqi , Kamalabadi Farzad , Makela Jonathan J.
Published: June 2016

A comprehensive statistical analysis is performed to investigate the effects of plasma and neutral density variability on the OI 135.6 nm emission in the nighttime ionosphere. Typical and extreme cases obtained from climatological models are incorporated into a radiative transfer model recently developed by Qin et al. (2015) to systematically quantify the production and loss of the nighttime 135.6 nm emission, as well as to understand their dependence on the ionospheric and thermospheric conditions. It is shown that mutual neutralization can contribute ∼8%–40% of the 135.6 nm emission. Radiative transfer effects due to scattering and absorption reduce the peak brightness measured from a satellite platform in the limb direction by ∼0.3% to 22%. The reduction is more significant for a larger observing zenith angle, typically by ∼45% for lines of sight that go through altitudes below ∼150 km. Furthermore, inversion results show that ignoring radiative transfer effects lead to a maximum ∼12% underestimation of the NmF2, while ignoring mutual neutralization leads to a maximum ∼30% overestimation of the NmF2. In the presence of measurement noise, the estimation accuracy decreases with a decreasing signal‐to‐noise ratio, and the errors introduced by simplified physical models lead to a significant bias in the inversion results.
Numerical modeling of intrinsically and extrinsically forced seasonal circulation in the China Seas: A kinematic study
Authors: Gan Jianping , Liu Zhiqiang , Liang Linlin
Published: June 2016

We developed a new three‐dimensional, high‐resolution ocean circulation model for the entire China Seas (CS) region. The model considered the linked physics associated with the western boundary current, monsoonal wind, and tidal forcings, and topography in both the CS and the adjacent oceans. From this well‐validated model, we derived new insights into the three‐dimensional seasonal circulation of the CS in response to the intrinsic forcing of monsoonal winds and extrinsic forcing of flow exchange with adjacent oceans through the straits and over the slope around the periphery of the CS. Besides the East Asian monsoon forcing, we found that the extrinsic forcings interact coherently with each other and with the interior circulation to jointly shape the CS circulation. Specifically, we revealed rotating layered circulation in the CS. The circulation in the South China Sea has a vertical cyclonic‐anticyclonic‐cyclonic pattern in the upper‐middle‐lower layers, which we relate to the inflow‐outflow‐inflow transport in those layers in the Luzon Strait. The circulation in the East China Sea (ECS) is characterized by a vertically variable cyclonically rotating flow, and the circulation in the Yellow Sea (YS) is represented by a cyclonic movement in the upper layer and an anticyclonic movement in the lower layer. We attribute the cross‐shelf variation of the along‐shelf current to the ECS circulation pattern, while the vertically variable intrusive current at the central trough, together with the seasonally varied west and east coastal currents, shape the two‐layer circulation in the YS.
Disentangling functions of online aggression: The Cyber‐Aggression Typology Questionnaire (CATQ)
Authors: Runions Kevin C. , Bak Michal , Shaw Thérèse
Published: June 2016

Aggression in online contexts has received much attention over the last decade, yet there is a need for measures identifying the proximal psychological drivers of cyber‐aggressive behavior. The purpose of this study was to present data on the newly developed Cyber‐Aggression Typology Questionnaire (CATQ) designed to distinguish between four distinct types of cyber‐aggression on dimensions of motivational valence and self‐control. A sample 314 undergraduate students participated in the study. The results confirmed the predicted four‐factor structure providing evidence for distinct and independent impulsive‐aversive, controlled‐aversive, impulsive‐appetitive, and controlled‐appetitive cyber‐aggression types. Further analyses with the Berlin Cyberbullying Questionnaire, Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire, and the Behavior Inhibition and Activation Systems Scale provide support for convergent and divergent validity. Understanding the motivations facilitating cyber‐aggressive behavior could aid researchers in the development of new prevention and intervention strategies that focus on individual differences in maladaptive proximal drivers of aggression. Aggr. Behav. 43:74–84, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Intersection of Black Lives Matter and Adult Education: One Community College Initiative
Authors: Miller Brian , Schwartz Joni
Published: June 2016

This chapter is a call to action for adult educators to critically engage the Black Lives Matter Movement through pedagogy, community engagement and scholarly activism. It explores the intersection of the Black Lives Matter movement and adult education by highlighting the response of one community college initiative.
Black Men and the Digital Divide
Authors: Conceição Simone C. O. , Martin Larry G.
Published: June 2016

This chapter focuses on the role adult educators can play in assisting Black men to overcome the challenges faced in accessing and using digital technology and acquiring appropriate skills in a digital society.
Black Males in Black Churches
Authors: Hodges Traci L. , Rowland Michael L. , Paulette Isaac‐Savage E.
Published: June 2016

The educational role of the Black church is explored along with its role in educating Black males and preparing them for leadership in the community and society.
Robust particle filter formulations with application to terrain‐aided navigation
Authors: Teixeira Francisco Curado , Quintas João , Maurya Pramod , Pascoal António
Published: June 2016

The work described in this paper is motivated by the need to develop efficient and robust estimation filters with application to terrain‐aided navigation of underwater robotic vehicles. One of the main problems addressed is the development of navigation particle filters that can deal with the scarcity of landmarks and the terrain ambiguity that characterize vast regions of the ocean floor. As a contribution to solve this problem, the paper proposes three novel particle filter algorithms and assesses their estimation efficiency and robustness to non‐informative measurements using two well‐known benchmarking tests. The performance of the new filters in these tests demonstrates their potential to solve a class of nonlinear problems that include, but are not limited to, the type of underwater navigation problem that motivated the present work. Our study concludes by examining the performance of the filters in terms of determining the position and velocity of an autonomous underwater vehicle in the presence of unknown ocean currents. When applied to terrain‐aided navigation, the novel particle filter formulations formulations mitigate filter divergence issues frequently caused by terrain symmetries and are more robust than other well‐known versions when used in scenarios with poor terrain information. The theoretical developments presented and the results obtained in simulations are validated using real data acquired during tests with an autonomous marine robot. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Void Engineering in Metal–Organic Frameworks via Synergistic Etching and Surface Functionalization
Authors: Hu Ming , Ju Yi , Liang Kang , Suma Tomoya , Cui Jiwei , Caruso Frank
Published: June 2016

The rational design and engineering of metal–organic framework (MOF) crystals with hollow features has been used for various applications. Here, a top‐down strategy is established to construct hollow MOFs via synergistic etching and surface functionalization by using phenolic acid. The macrosized cavities are created inside various types of MOFs without destroying the parent crystalline framework, as evidenced by electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The modified MOFs are simultaneously coated by metal–phenolic films. This coating endows the MOFs with the additional functionality of responding to near infrared irradiation to produce heat for potential photothermal therapy applications.
Graphene Nanopores for Protein Sequencing
Authors: Wilson James , Sloman Leila , He Zhiren , Aksimentiev Aleksei
Published: June 2016

An inexpensive, reliable method for protein sequencing is essential to unraveling the biological mechanisms governing cellular behavior and disease. Current protein sequencing methods suffer from limitations associated with the size of proteins that can be sequenced, the time, and the cost of the sequencing procedures. This study reports the results of all‐atom molecular dynamics simulations that investigated the feasibility of using graphene nanopores for protein sequencing. The study is focused on the biologically significant phenylalanine‐glycine repeat peptides (FG‐nups)—parts of the nuclear pore transport machinery. Surprisingly, FG‐nups are found to behave similarly to single stranded DNA: The peptides adhere to graphene and exhibit stepwise translocation when subject to a transmembrane bias or a hydrostatic pressure gradient. Reducing the peptide's charge density or increasing the peptide's hydrophobicity is found to decrease the translocation speed. Yet, unidirectional and stepwise translocation driven by a transmembrane bias is observed even when the ratio of charged to hydrophobic amino acids is as low as 1:8. The nanopore transport of the peptides is found to produce stepwise modulations of the nanopore ionic current correlated with the type of amino acids present in the nanopore, suggesting that protein sequencing by measuring ionic current blockades may be possible.
Phosphorus‐Doped Perovskite Oxide as Highly Efficient Water Oxidation Electrocatalyst in Alkaline Solution
Authors: Zhu Yinlong , Zhou Wei , Sunarso Jaka , Zhong Yijun , Shao Zongping
Published: June 2016

Developing cost‐effective and efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of paramount importance for the storage of renewable energies. Perovskite oxides serve as attractive candidates given their structural and compositional flexibility in addition to high intrinsic catalytic activity. In a departure from the conventional doping approach utilizing metal elements only, here it is shown that non‐metal element doping provides an another attractive avenue to optimize the structure stability and OER performance of perovskite oxides. This is exemplified by a novel tetragonal perovskite developed in this work, i.e., SrCo0.95P0.05O3–

δ
(SCP) which features higher electrical conductivity and larger amount of O2
2−/O− species relative to the non‐doped parent SrCoO3–

δ
(SC), and thus shows improved OER activity. Also, the performance of SCP compares favorably to that of well‐developed perovskite oxides reported. More importantly, an unusual activation process with enhanced activity during accelerated durability test (ADT) is observed for SCP, whereas SC delivers deactivation for the OER. Such an activation phenomenon for SCP may be primarily attributed to the in situ formation of active A‐site‐deficient structure on the surface and the increased electrochemical surface area during ADT. The concept presented here bolsters the prospect to develop a viable alternative to precious metal‐based catalysts.
3D Bioprinting of Developmentally Inspired Templates for Whole Bone Organ Engineering
Authors: Daly Andrew C. , Cunniffe Gráinne M. , Sathy Binulal N. , Jeon Oju , Alsberg Eben , Kelly Daniel J.
Published: June 2016

The ability to print defined patterns of cells and extracellular‐matrix components in three dimensions has enabled the engineering of simple biological tissues; however, bioprinting functional solid organs is beyond the capabilities of current biofabrication technologies. An alternative approach would be to bioprint the developmental precursor to an adult organ, using this engineered rudiment as a template for subsequent organogenesis in vivo. This study demonstrates that developmentally inspired hypertrophic cartilage templates can be engineered in vitro using stem cells within a supporting gamma‐irradiated alginate bioink incorporating Arg‐Gly‐Asp adhesion peptides. Furthermore, these soft tissue templates can be reinforced with a network of printed polycaprolactone fibers, resulting in a ≈350 fold increase in construct compressive modulus providing the necessary stiffness to implant such immature cartilaginous rudiments into load bearing locations. As a proof‐of‐principal, multiple‐tool biofabrication is used to engineer a mechanically reinforced cartilaginous template mimicking the geometry of a vertebral body, which in vivo supported the development of a vascularized bone organ containing trabecular‐like endochondral bone with a supporting marrow structure. Such developmental engineering approaches could be applied to the biofabrication of other solid organs by bioprinting precursors that have the capacity to mature into their adult counterparts over time in vivo.
Analyzing the 22‐item Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test using item response theory
Authors: Crump R. Trafford , Liu Guiping , Janjua Arif , Sutherland Jason M.
Published: June 2016

Background

The 22‐item Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22) is a widely applied patient‐reported outcome instrument used to assess the severity of symptoms associated with chronic rhinosinusitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the measurement performance of the SNOT‐22 instrument on an item‐level basis, in a sample of patients awaiting elective surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis.

Methods

This study involved secondary analysis of SNOT‐22 data that was prospectively collected from patients diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis and awaiting endoscopic sinus surgery in Vancouver, Canada. This study used classic test theory and a 2‐parameter graded‐response model to evaluate the SNOT‐22 items’ abilities to measure the severity of chronic rhinosinusitis in terms of patients’ self‐reported symptoms. This approach models each item's discriminability and difficulty, which provides insight into how well they respectively measure symptoms related to chronic rhinosinusitis.

Results

Factor analyses indicated that there are 5 domains of measurement in the SNOT‐22. The majority of items demonstrated strong discriminability between symptom severities. Likewise, most of the items demonstrated strong difficulty measuring the symptoms across their range of levels. The exception was those items related to psychological symptoms. Differential item functioning demonstrated that very few of the SNOT‐22 items were answered significantly differently by gender or age subgroups.

Conclusion

This item‐level analysis demonstrates that, in general, the SNOT‐22 is a strong instrument. Items related to psychological symptoms require further investigation and warrant a supplemental patient‐reported outcome instrument.
Normalization of network connectivity in hemispatial neglect recovery
Authors: Ramsey Lenny E. , Siegel Joshua S. , Baldassarre Antonello , Metcalf Nicholas V. , Zinn Kristina , Shulman Gordon L. , Corbetta Maurizio
Published: June 2016

Objective

We recently reported that spatial and nonspatial attention deficits in stroke patients with hemispatial neglect are correlated at 2 weeks postonset with widespread alterations of interhemispheric and intrahemispheric functional connectivity (FC) measured with resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging across multiple brain networks. The mechanisms underlying neglect recovery are largely unknown. In this study, we test the hypothesis that recovery of hemispatial neglect correlates with a return of network connectivity toward a normal pattern, herein defined as “network normalization.”

Methods

We measured attention deficits with a neuropsychological battery and FC in a large cohort of stroke patients at, on average, 2 weeks (n = 99), 3 months (n = 77), and 12 months (n = 64) postonset. The relationship between behavioral improvement and changes in FC was analyzed both in terms of a priori regions and networks known to be abnormal subacutely and in a data‐driven manner.

Results

Attention deficit recovery was mostly complete by 3 months and was significantly correlated with a normalization of abnormal FC across many networks. Improvement of attention deficits, independent of initial severity, was correlated with improvements of previously depressed interhemispheric FC across attention, sensory, and motor networks, and a restoration of the normal anticorrelation between dorsal attention/motor regions and default‐mode/frontoparietal regions, particularly in the damaged hemisphere.

Interpretation

These results demonstrate that abnormal network connectivity in hemispatial neglect is behaviorally relevant. A return toward normal network interactions, and presumably optimal information processing, is therefore a systems‐level mechanism that is associated with improvements of attention over time after focal injury. Ann Neurol 2016;80:127–141
Germaniumbasierte Nanomaterialien für wiederaufladbare Batterien
Authors: Wu Songping , Han Cuiping , Iocozzia James , Lu Mingjia , Ge Rongyun , Xu Rui , Lin Zhiqun
Published: June 2016

Germaniumbasierte Nanomaterialien haben sich wegen ihrer einzigartigen chemischen und physikalischen Eigenschaften zu wichtigen Kandidaten für die nächste Generation von Energiespeichersystemen entwickelt. In diesem Aufsatz stellen wir den aktuellen Stand der Forschung hinsichtlich des Designs, der Synthese, der Verarbeitung und der Anwendung von germaniumbasierten Materialien in der Batterietechnologie vor. Außerdem fassen wir die jüngsten Fortschritte im Bereich der Ge‐basierten Nanokomposit‐Elektrodenmaterialien und Elektrolyte für Festkörperbatterien zusammen. Schließlich diskutieren wir die Grenzen von Ge‐basierten Materialien für Energiespeicheranwendungen und stellen – mit Schwerpunkt auf kommerziellen Produkten und theoretischen Untersuchungen – Überlegungen an, in welche Richtung sich die Forschung weiterbewegen könnte.
Synthesis of Discrete Alkyl‐Silica Hybrid Nanowires and Their Assembly into Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Membranes
Authors: Yi Deliang , Xu Chenglong , Tang Ruidie , Zhang Xuehua , Caruso Frank , Wang Yajun
Published: June 2016

We report the synthesis of highly flexible and mechanically robust hybrid silica nanowires (NWs) which can be used as novel building blocks to construct superhydrophobic functional materials with three‐dimensional macroporous networks. The hybrid silica NWs, with an average diameter of 80 nm and tunable length of up to 12 μm, are prepared by anisotropic deposition of the hydrolyzed tetraethylorthosilicate in water/n‐pentanol emulsions. A mechanistic investigation reveals that the trimethoxy(octadecyl)silane introduced to the water‐oil interface in the synthesis plays key roles in stabilizing the water droplets to sub‐100 nm and also growing a layer of octadecyl groups on the NW surface. This work opens a solution‐based route for the one‐pot preparation of monodisperse, hydrophobic silica NWs and represents an important step toward the bottom‐up construction of 3D superhydrophobic materials and macroporous membranes.
Facile preparation of highly stable and active hybrid palladium nanoparticles: effectual, reusable and heterogeneous catalyst for coupling reactions
Authors: Adib Mehdi , Yasaei Zahra , Karimi‐Nami Rahman , Khakyzadeh Vahid , Veisi Hojat
Published: June 2016

Palladium nanoparticles were supported on a bed of Fe3O4@‐NH2@Murexide using a simple and efficient method, and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The catalytic system showed great efficiency in cross‐coupling reaction of aryl iodides and arylboronic acid and in Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction in the green solvent EtOH–H2O (1:1). The isolation and recovery of the catalyst were simple and facile and it could be used for several successive Suzuki–Miyaura coupling and Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A review on the important aspects of lipase immobilization on nanomaterials
Authors: Shuai Weitao , Das Ratul Kumar , Naghdi Mitra , Brar Satinder Kaur , Verma Mausam
Published: June 2016

Lipase is one of the most widely used enzymes and plays an important role in biotechnological and industrial processes including food, paper, and oleochemical industries, as well as in pharmaceutical applications. However, its aqueous solubility and instability make its application relatively difficult and expensive. The immobilization technique is often used to improve lipase performance, and the strategy has turned out to be a promising method. Immobilized lipase on nanomaterials (NMs) has shown superiority to the free lipase, such as improved thermal and pH stability, longer stable time, and the capacity of being reused. However, immobilization of lipase on NMs also sometimes causes activity loss and protein loading is relatively lowered under some conditions. The overall performance of immobilized lipase on NMs is influenced by mechanisms of immobilization, type of NMs being used, and physicochemical features of the used NMs (such as particle size, aggregation behavior, NM dimension, and type of coupling/modifying agents being used). Based on the specific features of lipase and NMs, this review discusses the recent developments, some mechanisms, and influence of NMs on lipase immobilization and their activity. Multiple application potential of the immobilized lipases has also been considered.
Determination of rifampicin in human plasma by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection after automatized solid–liquid extraction
Authors: Louveau B. , Fernandez C. , Zahr N. , Sauvageon‐Martre H. , Maslanka P. , Faure P. , Mourah S. , Goldwirt L.
Published: June 2016

A precise and accurate high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification method of rifampicin in human plasma was developed and validated using ultraviolet detection after an automatized solid‐phase extraction. The method was validated with respect to selectivity, extraction recovery, linearity, intra‐ and inter‐day precision, accuracy, lower limit of quantification and stability. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Chromolith RP8 column using a mixture of 0.05 m acetate buffer pH 5.7–acetonitrile (35:65, v/v) as mobile phase. The compounds were detected at a wavelength of 335 nm with a lower limit of quantification of 0.05 mg/L in human plasma. Retention times for rifampicin and 6,7‐dimethyl‐2,3‐di(2‐pyridyl) quinoxaline used as internal standard were respectively 3.77 and 4.81 min. This robust and exact method was successfully applied in routine for therapeutic drug monitoring in patients treated with rifampicin.
A transient increase and subsequent sharp decrease of chemo‐refractory liver‐metastasized uterine cervical small cell carcinoma to autologous formalin‐fixed tumor vaccine plus anti‐PD‐1 antibody
Authors: Miyoshi Tatsu , Kataoka Tatsuji , Asahi Atsuko , Maruyama Takashi , Okada Rika , Uemae Yoji , Ohno Tadao
Published: June 2016

Key Clinical Message

Uterine cervical small cell carcinoma is rare and aggressive with no standardized therapy. A patient bearing the advanced chemo‐refractory carcinoma, treated with a tumor vaccine combined with 1 mg/kg of pembrolizumab, showed a transient increase and subsequent sharp decrease of the liver‐metastasized lesion to less than half its maximum diameter.
Numerical study on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of R410A condensation in horizontal circular mini/micro‐tubes
Authors: Zhang Jingzhi , Li Wei
Published: June 2016

Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of condensation for R410A inside horizontal circular tubes with inner diameters ranging from 0.25–4 mm were investigated numerically. The effects of mass flux, vapour quality, tube diameters, and gravity on heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics were discussed. Liquid‐vapour interfaces and stream‐traces were also presented to give a better understanding of these effects on the condensing flow. Numerical heat transfer coefficients and pressure gradients fitted well with the empirical correlations. The results indicate that local heat transfer coefficients and pressure drop increase with increasing mass flux, vapour quality, and with decreasing tube diameters. A thin liquid film is formed at the upper part of the tube in mini‐channels, while a symmetrical annular flow is observed in microchannels. A vortex with its core lying at the bottom of the tube is formed in the tubes with an inner diameter of 4 mm, while the stream‐traces start from the z‐axis and point to the liquid‐vapour interface when dh is 0.25 mm. The gravity effect on heat transfer is important in larger tubes at lower vapour quality, where stratified flow may occur.
New Disaccharide‐Based Ether Lipids as SK3 Ion Channel Inhibitors
Authors: Berthe Wilfried , Sevrain Charlotte M. , Chantôme Aurélie , Bouchet Ana Maria , Gueguinou Maxime , Fourbon Yann , Potier‐Cartereau Marie , Haelters Jean‐Pierre , Couthon‐Gourvès Hélène , Vandier Christophe , Jaffrès Paul‐Alain
Published: June 2016

The SK3 potassium channel is involved in the development of bone metastasis and in the settlement of cancer cells in Ca2+‐rich environments. Ohmline, which is a lactose‐based glycero‐ether lipid, is a lead compound that decreases SK3 channel activity and consequently limits the migration of SK3‐expressing cells. Herein we report the synthesis of three new ohmline analogues in which the connection of the disaccharide moieties (1→6 versus 1→4) and the stereochemistry of the glycosyl linkage was studied. Compound 2 [3‐(hexadecyloxy)‐2‐methoxypropyl‐6‐O‐α‐d‐glucopyranosyl‐β‐d‐galactopyranoside], which possesses an α‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→6)‐β‐galactopyranosyl moiety, was found to decrease SK3 current amplitude (70 % inhibition at 10 μm), displace SK3 protein outside caveolae, and decrease constitutive Ca2+ entry (50 % inhibition at 300 nm) and SK3‐dependent cell migration (30 % at 300 nm) at a level close to that of the benchmark compound ohmline. Compound 2, which decreases the activity of SK3 channel (but not SK2 channel), is a new drug candidate to reduce cancer cell migration and to prevent bone metastasis.
Widely linear channel estimation for LD‐STBC MB‐OFDM UWB systems
Authors: Hajjaj Moufida , Chainbi Walid , Bouallegue Ridha
Published: June 2016

The combination of Linear Dispersion Space‐Time Block Codes (LD‐STBCs) and Multiband Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Ultra‐WideBand (MB‐OFDM UWB) technologies has been proposed in the literature to improve the error performance and data rate. Recently, it has been shown that the LD codes allow the repetitions of data symbols conjugates. They cause a transformation of the Multiple‐Input Multiple‐Output (MIMO) channel that requires a Widely Linear (WL) filtering. However, proposed LD‐STBC MB‐OFDM UWB system does not take this issue into account. In this paper, we propose a Widely Linear Minimum Mean Square Error (WLMMSE) channel estimator for LD‐STBC MB‐OFDM UWB systems. The proposed channel estimator proceeds to WL estimation instead of linear one. Via simulation results, we prove that the LD‐STBCs provide significant performance gain for MB‐OFDM UWB system compared to Single‐Input Single‐Output (SISO) configuration. We show also that the proposed WLMMSE channel estimator outperforms the LMMSE one. This performance improvement is observed for both proper and improper signal constellations. Additionally, the computational complexity of our proposal is comparable with that of LMMSE estimator. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultrasonographic and cytopathological features of an inflammatory pseudonodule in the thyroid gland
Authors: Jung Soo Jin , Kim Dong Wook
Published: June 2016

Objective

No previous study has investigated the ultrasonography (US) and cytopathological features of an inflammatory pseudonodule (IFP) associated with underlying thyroiditis. This study aimed to evaluate and identify the characteristic US features of IFP in patients who underwent US‐guided fine‐needle aspiration (US‐FNA).

Methods

From January 2012 to December 2014, 899 patients underwent US‐FNA for a solid thyroid nodule that was ≥5 mm in diameter, by a single radiologist. Among them, 49 nodules showed lymphocytic thyroiditis on cytological analysis. Based on cytohistopathological and follow‐up US results, 28 IFP cases were included. The same radiologist and a cytopathologist retrospectively analyzed all the US images and the cytology slides, respectively.

Results

The locations of 28 IFPs were from the right lobe (n = 13), left lobe (n = 13), and isthmus (n = 2). The echogenicity of 28 IFPs was hypoechoic (n = 5) or marked hypoechoic (n = 23). The common US features of IFP were marked hypoechogenicity, no calcification, smooth margin, ovoid shape, and the same vascularity as adjacent parenchyma. However, no IFP cases showed calcification, spiculated margin, taller‐than‐wide shape, and central or peripheral vascularity. The common cytopathological feature of IFP was lymphocyte infiltration, but the intensity of this was variable, with mild, moderate, and severe intensity observed in 8 (28.6%), 11 (39.2%), and 9 (32.1%) of cases, respectively.

Conclusion

IFP rarely showed malignant US and cytopathological features, except for marked hypoechogenicity, and these findings may be helpful for US and cytopathological diagnoses. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:725–730. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Watch out for a revival of peginesatide in sports
Authors: Jelkmann Wolfgang
Published: June 2016

The erythropoietin‐mimetic peptide (EMP) peginesatide belongs to the group of erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs) that are prohibited when misused in sports. Peginesatide is a synthetic pegylated homodimer of two cyclic 21‐amino acid chains. It was approved for the treatment of anaemic patients with chronic kidney disease in the USA in 2012, but recalled in 2013 due to prevalent cases of acute severe anaphylactoid reactions and associated fatalities (0.02%). The drug was considered obsolete for athletes and part of the anti‐doping scene lost sight of it. However, recent research indicates that the adverse events were not caused by the drug substance, but by the drug product formulated in multi‐use vials. These vials contained comparably high levels of subvisible particles. Phenol was identified as a critical component of the drug formulation, which caused the release of histamine from mast cells. Tricky athletes might consider peginesatide a pharmacologically safe ESA in an appropriate formulation. In addition, other EMPs may get a second wind for therapy including misuse in sports. Therefore, it is very important to proceed in developing electrophoretic, immunological, and mass spectroscopic methods for detecting peginesatide and other EMPs in human urine and blood samples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TIL 2.0: More effective and predictive T‐cell products by enrichment for defined antigen specificities
Authors: Schober Kilian , Busch Dirk H.
Published: June 2016

Adoptive transfer of in vitro‐expanded T cells derived from tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in melanoma patients started the era of tumor immunotherapy three decades ago. The approach has demonstrated remarkable clinical responses in several studies since. Reinfusion of TIL‐derived T cells represents a highly personalized form of immunotherapy, taking into account the enormous interindividual tumor heterogeneity. However, despite its successes, TIL therapy does not lead to objective clinical responses in all cases. It is thus crucial to find out which tumor antigens are particularly valuable targets and to develop strategies to enhance the reactivity of T‐cell products toward them. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Kelderman et al. [Eur. J. Immunol. 2016. 46: 1351–1360] present a platform for the generation of antigen‐specific TIL therapy. Combining recently developed technologies for clinical identification and enrichment of antigen‐specific CD8+ T cells, such as MHC Streptamers and UV‐mediated peptide exchange, the authors could enrich T‐cell populations with defined antigen specificities from melanoma‐derived TILs. This T‐cell product showed higher reactivity against autologous tumor cell lines than bulk TIL‐derived T cells. The novel platform might enable the generation of more effective and predictable TIL‐derived T‐cell products for future clinical applications.
Redox Properties on the Surfaces of Silica Networks Encapsulating Clusters of Superparamagnetic Magnetite Nanoparticles
Authors: Le The Son , Ko Young‐Seon , Do Vandung , Cho Won Il , Woo Kyoungja
Published: June 2016

Clusters of superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles encapsulated by thick silica shells (SiO2/cFe3O4) have been recognized as useful only in the role of a magnetically separable supporter. In this report, SiO2/cFe3O4 colloids based on a cFe3O4 core (367 nm) and a series of silica shell thicknesses (24, 47, 91, and 134 nm) were prepared and their charge transfer resistances (Rct) and the redox reactions of Ag+/AgNP on their surfaces were investigated. The Rct values of the SiO2/cFe3O4 series increased linearly as the silica shell thickness increased. The reductive elaboration of Ag+ to AgNPs by formaldehyde on the surfaces in the SiO2/cFe3O4 series was very poorly manageable in the case of the 24 nm shell but readily controllable as the silica thickness increased. The oxidative dissolution of AgNPs to Ag+ was more resistive as the silica shell thickness decreased. The surface plasmon band (ca. 405 nm) in the AgNP‐decorated SiO2/cFe3O4 series was progressively blue‐shifted (ca. 10 nm) as the silica thickness decreased, indicating a higher electron density on the AgNPs on the thinner silica shell. Overall results indicate that the cFe3O4 cores exhibit reductive properties through porous silica up to quite a long distance of over ca. 100 nm.
Preparation and characterization of aluminum hypophosphite/reduced graphene oxide hybrid material as a flame retardant additive for PBT
Authors: Qi Yanxia , Wu Weihong , Liu Xiaowei , Qu Hongqiang , Xu Jianzhong
Published: June 2016

Aluminum hypophosphite/reduced graphene oxide (AHP/RGO) hybrid flame retardant with high thermal stability was successfully prepared by a one‐step method consisting of the simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide and the deposition of AHP on graphene. The as‐prepared sample was characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The obtained sample was used as a flame retardant for polybutylene terephthalate, and the flame retardancy of the composites was investigated by a limiting oxygen index test, a UL‐94 test, and cone calorimetry. The results showed that AHP/RGO exhibited improved flame retardancy when compared with bare AHP. The addition of AHP/RGO to polybutylene terephthalate led to a significant reduction in the heat release rate and resulted in excellent anti‐dripping properties for the composites. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal solution error quantification in variational data assimilation involving imperfect models
Authors: Shutyaev V. , Gejadze I. , Vidard A. , Le Dimet F.‐X.
Published: June 2016

The problem of variational data assimilation for a nonlinear evolution model is formulated as an optimal control problem to find the initial condition. If the model is ‘perfect,’ the optimal solution (analysis) error rises because of the presence of the input data errors (background and observation errors). Then, this error is quantified by the covariance matrix, which can be approximated by the inverse Hessian of an auxiliary control problem. If the model is not perfect, the optimal solution error includes an additional component because of the presence of the model error. In this paper, we study the influence of the model error on the optimal solution error covariance, considering strong and weak constraint data assimilation approaches. For the latter, an additional equation describing the model error dynamics is involved. Numerical experiments for the 1D Burgers equation illustrate the presented theory. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐Resolution Photography for Soil Micromorphology Slide Documentation
Authors: Carpentier Frank , Vandermeulen Bruno
Published: June 2016

It is common practice today in soil micromorphology to scan slides with a flatbed scanner for slide documentation as well as for mesoscopic scale observation. However, the imagery produced by flatbed scanners often results in boundaries becoming diffuse when zooming in, a side effect of the continuously changing refraction of light caused by the moving scan head. This can be restricting or even unsatisfactory to specialists who rely on such imagery and while alternatives exist, their availability or suitability is not always guaranteed. This paper describes two variations on a static high‐resolution image acquisition method using a professional camera and common attributes of a standard photography studio. Minor postphotography processing too can be done with commonly used software packages. The presented method results in pictures with a resolution of 36 million pixels per image, providing high enough quality and resolution (approximately 4200 dpi) to allow the soil micromorphology practitioner to navigate the entire mesoscopic spectrum and as such offers a continuum of observation from the macroscopic scale to the optical microscopic observation at low (40×) magnification.
Distribution and diffusion of surface suspended matter off the East China Shore, 2010
Authors: Liu Xue , Li Guangxue , Ma Yanyan , Ding Dong , Dada Olusegun A. , Xu Jishang , Qiao Lulu , Li Jianchao , Liu Shidong
Published: June 2016

It is a question whether the suspended sediment from the China continent could enter the Kuroshio Current and Pacific Ocean. Surface suspended matter (SSM) and sea surface temperature (SST) in the East China Seas from December 2009 to November 2010 has been extracted from the satellite NOAA‐19 AVHRR/3. We have monitored the change of the SSM diffusion during summer half‐year and winter half‐year. High SSM areas occur in the inshore of the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, Yellow River Delta, Shandong Peninsula, Jiangsu Coast and Yangtze Estuary, especially blooming in winter half‐year. Going by our findings, the sediment provenance influences the SSM distribution, and the current system and monsoon are important factors that drive the SSM diffusion all year round. In winter half‐year, the ocean colour images show that the current system is well developed. The SSMs are transported southeastward, and a part reaching the outer continental shelf is captured by the Kuroshio Current before it finally reaches the open Pacific Ocean through the Tokara Strait. Some SSMs are transported by the Yellow Sea and Tsushima Warm Current into the Yellow Sea and Japan Sea. In summer half‐year, most of the SSM could not reach the continental shelf break and only little SSM could be captured by the Kuroshio Current into the open ocean. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Curcumin inhibits aerobic glycolysis in hepatic stellate cells associated with activation of adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase
Authors: Lian Naqi , Jin Huanhuan , Zhang Feng , Wu Li , Shao Jiangjuan , Lu Yin , Zheng Shizhong
Published: June 2016

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is characterized by expression of extracellular matrix and loss of adipogenic phenotype during liver fibrogenesis. Emerging evidence suggests that HSCs adopt aerobic glycolysis during activation. The present work aimed at investigating whether the anti‐fibrogenic effects of curcumin was associated with interfering with glycolysis in HSCs. Primary rat HSCs were cultured in vitro. We demonstrated that inhibition of glycolysis by 2‐deoxyglucose or galloflavin reduced the expression of α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) and α1(I)procollagen at both mRNA and protein levels, and increased the intracellular lipid contents and upregulated the gene and protein expression of adipogenic transcription factors C/EBPα and PPAR‐γ in HSCs. Curcumin at 20 μM produced similar effects. Moreover, curcumin decreased the expression of hexokinase (HK), phosphofructokinase‐2 (PFK2), and glucose transporter 4 (glut4), three key glycolytic parameters, at both mRNA and protein levels. Curcumin also reduced lactate production concentration‐dependently in HSCs. Furthermore, curcumin increased the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK), but AMPK inhibitor BML‐275 significantly abolished the curcumin downregulation of HK, PFK2, and glut4. In addition, curcumin inhibition of α‐SMA and α1(I)procollagen was rescued by BML‐275, and curcumin upregulation of C/EBPα and PPAR‐γ was abrogated by BML‐275. These results collectively indicated that curcumin inhibited glycolysis in an AMPK activation‐dependent manner in HSCs. We revealed a novel mechanism for curcumin suppression of HSC activation implicated in antifibrotic therapy. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(7):589–596, 2016
Loving‐Kindness Meditation and Empathy: A Wellness Group Intervention for Counseling Students
Authors: Leppma Monica , Young Mark E.
Published: June 2016

The effect of a 6‐week loving‐kindness meditation (LKM) on the multidimensional empathy of 103 master's‐level counseling students was evaluated, in addition to the correlation between reported levels of time spent meditating and empathy. Statistical analyses indicated that participants who received the LKM intervention experienced gains in dimensions of empathy. A significant relationship between quantity of meditation and perspective taking was noted. Implications and suggestions for future research are explored.
Synthesis and evaluation of a 18F‐labeled 4‐phenylpiperidine‐4‐carbonitrile radioligand for σ1 receptor imaging
Authors: Ye Jiajun , Wang Xia , Deuther‐Conrad Winnie , Zhang Jinming , Li Jianzhou , Zhang Xiaojun , Wang Liang , Steinbach Jörg , Brust Peter , Jia Hongmei
Published: June 2016

We report the design and synthesis of several 4‐phenylpiperidine‐4‐carbonitrile derivatives as σ1 receptor ligands. In vitro radioligand competition binding assays showed that all the ligands exhibited low nanomolar affinity for σ1 receptors (Ki(σ1) = 1.22–2.14 nM) and extremely high subtype selectivity (Ki(σ2) = 830–1710 nM; Ki(σ2)/Ki(σ1) = 680–887). [18F]9 was prepared in 42–46% isolated radiochemical yield, with a radiochemical purity of >99% by HPLC analysis after purification, via nucleophilic 18F‐ substitution of the corresponding tosylate precursor. Biodistribution studies in mice demonstrated high initial brain uptakes and high brain‐to‐blood ratios. Administration of SA4503 or haloperidol 5 min prior to injection of [18F]9 significantly reduced the accumulation of radiotracers in organs known to contain σ1 receptors. Two radioactive metabolites were observed in the brain at 30 min after radiotracer injection. [18F]9 may serve as a lead compound to develop suitable radiotracers for σ1 receptor imaging with positron emission tomography.