bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pd‐Catalyzed Enantiodivergent and Regiospecific phospha‐Michael Addition of Diphenylphosphine to 4‐oxo‐Enamides: Efficient Access to Chiral Phosphinocarboxamides and Their Analogues
Authors: Chew Renta Jonathan , Li Xi‐Rui , Li Yongxin , Pullarkat Sumod A. , Leung Pak‐Hing
Published: February 2015

The palladacycle‐catalyzed asymmetric PH addition of 4‐oxo‐enamides has been developed, which provides efficient access to phosphinocarboxamides and their analogues. Solvent‐mediated reversal of stereoselectivity (ee from +96 % to −92 %) was observed, and the underlying mechanism that allows facile access to both enantiomers of the product by judicious choice of solvents is revealed.
Hypervalent‐Iodine‐Mediated Cascade Annulation of Diarylalkynes Forming Spiro Heterocycles under Metal‐Free Conditions
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Yang Chao , Zhang‐Negrerie Daisy , Du Yunfei
Published: February 2015

An unusual reaction featuring the cascade annulation of internal alkynes to afford spiro heterocycles as the products has been realized for the first time with a hypervalent iodine reagent as the only oxidant. This unprecedented process encompasses not only two sequential CN/CO‐bond formations, but also the insertion of a carbonyl oxygen, all in one pot under metal‐free conditions.
Improving evidence developed from population‐level experience with targeted agents
Authors: McClellan MB , Daniel GW , Dickson D , Perlmutter J , Berger DP , Miller V , Nussbaum S , Malin J , Romine MH , Schilsky RL
Published: February 2015

Off‐label drug use is common in oncology, due in part to significant unmet medical need, the rarity of many cancers, and the difficulty of conducting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to support labeling of every drug in every disease setting. As new drugs are developed for use in tumors defined by genomic aberrations, it may be scientifically reasonable to expect that a targeted anti‐cancer agent with efficacy in a biomarker‐defined population within one tumor type may also have activity in another tumor type expressing the same biomarker. Such expectations also fuel off‐label prescribing. However, the current approach to prescribing targeted agents off‐label does not capture patient outcomes, thus missing an opportunity to gather data that could validate this approach. We explore the potential for collecting such data, highlight two proposals for oncology‐specific patient registries, and put forward considerations that should be addressed to move toward better evidence development around off‐label use.
Joint carrier frequency offset and channel estimation for OFDM systems with two receive antennas
Authors: Al‐Bayati A. K. S. , Smadi M. A. , Saraereh O. A. , Nimrat A.
Published: February 2015

Carrier frequency offset (CFO) in OFDM systems results in loss of channel orthogonality and hence degrades the system's performance. In this paper, we propose a new method for joint CFO/channel estimation for OFDM systems with two receive antennas. Our method avoids the complexity of full search methods in one or two dimensions. Using one training OFDM symbol and utilizing the knowledge of the structure of the inter‐channel interference that results from CFO, we develop a two‐stage estimation procedure. The first stage derives an initial CFO/channel estimate based on a one shot minimization step. The second stage refines this joint estimate by conducting a small CFO search in the vicinity of the initial estimate. This procedure provides CFO estimates over a full range of −N/2–N/2, (N: number of subcarriers), as well as the channel estimates. Computer simulations show an excellent performance that is very close to the Cramer–Rao lower bound and superior to some existing methods. The effect of antenna correlation on performance is also investigated through computer simulations, showing small performance degradation even at medium correlation coefficients (0.3–0.6). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Challenges in optimizing sample preparation and LC‐MS/MS conditions for the analysis of carglumic acid, an N‐acetyl glutamate derivative in human plasma
Authors: Sharma Primal , Shah Priyanka A. , Sanyal Mallika , Shrivastav Pranav S.
Published: February 2015

This paper describes a systematic approach to overcoming challenges in developing a robust and selective liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method for reliable and precise determination of carglumic acid in human plasma. Sample extraction was tested on several reversed‐phase solid‐phase extraction (SPE) sorbents with different chemistries, such as hydrophobic C18, hydrophilic‐lipophilic balance, and mixed‐mode cation and anion exchange. The best recovery under the optimized extraction conditions was obtained with Oasis MAX (30 mg, 1cc) mixed‐mode anion exchange (~ 50%) cartridge, compared to other sorbents from 100 μL plasma sample. Complete analytical separation of carglumic acid and carglumic acid‐13C5 15N as an internal standard (IS) from endogenous plasma components was achieved on ACE 5CN (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column under isocratic conditions using acetonitrile:methanol (50:50, v/v) ‒ 0.1% acetic acid in water [80:20, v/v] as the mobile phase. The deprotonated precursor → product ion transitions for carglumic acid (189/146) and IS (195/152) were monitored in the negative ionization mode on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The regression curves were linear over a concentration range of 6.00‐6000 ng/mL (r2 ≥ 0.9987). Matrix effect was evaluated in terms of IS‐normalized matrix factors, which ranged from 0.95 to 1.01 across four quality control levels. Intra‐ and inter‐batch accuracy and precision, and the stability of carglumic acid in spiked plasma samples were assessed under different conditions. The method was applied to assess the pharmacokinetics of 100 mg/kg body weight carglumic acid in a healthy Indian subject. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detection of Trypanosoma cruziDNA in blood by PCR is associated with Chagas cardiomyopathy and disease severity
Authors: Sabino E. C. , Ribeiro A. L. , Lee T. H , Oliveira C. L. , Carneiro‐Proietti A. B. , Antunes A. P. , Menezes M. M. , Ianni B. M. , Salemi V. M. , Nastari L. , Fernandes F. , Sachdev V. , Carrick D. M. , Deng X. , Wright D. , Gonçalez T. T. , Murphy E. L. , Custer B. , Busch M.P. ,   for the Chagas Study Group of the NHLBI Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study‐II (REDS‐II), International Component
Published: February 2015

Background

The significance of detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in blood of antibody‐positive patients for risk of development of Chagas heart disease is not well established. The objective of this study was to compare detection of T. cruzi DNA with known clinical and laboratory markers of Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC) severity.

Methods

This is a case–control study nested within a retrospective cohort developed in Brazil to understand the natural history of Chagas disease. The study enrolled 499 T. cruzi seropositive blood donors (SP‐BD) and 488 frequency matched seronegative control donors (SN‐BD) who had donated between 1996 and 2002, and 101 patients with clinically diagnosed CC. In 2008–2010 all enrolled subjects underwent a health questionnaire, medical examination, electrocardiograms and echocardiograms and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses. A blinded panel of three cardiologists adjudicated the outcome of CC. Trypanosoma cruzi kinetoplast minicircle sequences were amplified by real‐time PCR using an assay with a sensitivity of one parasite per 20 mL of blood. All testing was performed on coded samples.

Results

Rates of PCR detection of T. cruzi DNA were significantly (P = 0.003) higher in CC patients and SP‐BD diagnosed with CC (79/105 [75.2 %]) compared with SP‐BD without CC (143/279 [51.3%]). The presence of parasitaemia was significantly associated with known markers of disease progression such as QRS and QT interval duration, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, higher left ventricular index mass, and elevated troponin and NTpro‐BNP levels.

Conclusion

Trypanosoma cruzi PCR positivity is associated with presence and severity of cardiomyopathy, suggesting a direct role of parasite persistence in disease pathogenesis.
Homogeneity Range of the Zirconium Phosphide Telluride Zr2+xPTe2 and the High‐Temperature Phase Transformation to Zr2PTe
Authors: Scholz Tanja , Schmidt Peer
Published: February 2015

The synthesis of the phosphide telluride Zr2+xPTe2 was accomplished by a solid‐state reaction from the elements. Le Bail refinements of the data from the as‐synthesized crystalline powders as well as the thermal decomposition of Zr2PTe2 along the homogeneity range Zr2+xPTe2 with the release of P4(g) and Te2(g) evidence a maximum zirconium content corresponding to the composition Zr2.5PTe2. The thermal decomposition product of Zr2.5PTe2 undergoes a phase transformation to “Zr2PTe”, which adopts the structural motif of the binary phases ZrTe and ZrTe2. The new phase “Zr2PTe” has a wide homogeneity range Zr2–xP1–yTe1+y and tolerates a deficit in the cation position and a mixed occupation of the anions. The composition of the crystalline decomposition product was determined to be Zr1.95P0.84Te1.16 by Rietveld refinement and by analysis of the elemental composition by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‐OES). Zr1.95P0.84Te1.16 crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P63/mmc (no. 194) with lattice constants a = 3.8726(1) Å and c = 13.008(1) Å.
Isolation and Asymmetric Total Synthesis of Fungal Secondary Metabolite Hygrophorone B12
Authors: Bette Eileen , Otto Alexander , Dräger Tobias , Merzweiler Kurt , Arnold Norbert , Wessjohann Ludger , Westermann Bernhard
Published: February 2015

Hygrophorone B12, a new antifungal constituent from the fruiting bodies of Hygrophorus abieticola, has been isolated and subsquently synthesized in enantiomerically pure form. The total synthesis includes a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation protocol as the stereodifferentiating step, followed by two diastereoselective aldol‐type reactions. The approach allows the unambiguous control of all three stereogenic centres, and, furthermore, unequivocal determination of the relative and absolute configuration of antibiotic hygrophorones B for the first time.
A Predictive Model for Locating Early Holocene Archaeological Sites Based on Raised Shell‐Bearing Strata in Southeast Alaska, USA
Authors: Carlson Risa J. , Baichtal James F.
Published: February 2015

A predictive model for locating early Holocene archaeological sites in southern Southeast Alaska was developed based on shell‐bearing raised marine deposits. Fieldwork included coring of select‐raised marine strata, measuring their elevations, and radiocarbon dating the associated shell samples within the cores. A subset of the data was used to produce a relative sea‐level curve spanning the Holocene. The relative sea‐level curve suggests that sites favorable for habitation between 9200 and 7000 14C yr B.P. should be found 16–22 ± 1 m above present zero tide. The sea‐level curve and new high‐resolution digital elevation models allowed reconstruction of past shorelines at various elevations. Surveys to test the model found and recorded over 70 archaeological sites from present sea level up to 32 m above present zero tide. Eleven new sites were within the targeted elevation range and radiocarbon dated to 9280–6890 14C yr B.P. Initial investigations indicate these older sites are rich in microblade and pebble tool technology. The new early Holocene sites indicate more extensive early maritime settlement of Alaska than implied by previous studies and contribute to our understanding of the early movement of people into North America.
Ambulance services as part of the district health system in low‐income countries: a feasibility study from Cambodia
Authors: Jacobs Bart , Men Cheanrithy , Sam Oeun Sam , Postma Sjoerd
Published: February 2015

Background

Emergency referral care is considered an essential component of the district health system. Nevertheless, the establishment of effective and durable transport arrangements of such referral care by use of an ambulance is considered controversial in low‐income countries.

Objective

We aim to assess the extent to which an ambulance service as part of the district health system is feasible in rural Cambodia.

Methods

In a rural health district, we assessed the population's perception of the ambulance service, its recurrent costs requirements, government financial contribution to its operations, profile and medical conditions of ambulance (non)users, reasons for (non)use of the ambulance and contextual factors required for the ambulance services to operate. This observation was obtained through nine key informant interviews, five focus group discussions, structured interviews with 225 caretakers of admitted patients, a 1‐month census of admitted emergency cases and assessment of annual recurrent costs for the ambulance services.

Results

The ambulance services were well received by the population and authorities and appeared to reinforce an appreciation of the hospital. Ambulance services were mainly used by the poor and by women, especially for emergency obstetric care. Less than half the number of transported patients, 44%, was considered a medical emergency. The direct cost to the hospital per collected emergency case was $34.4.

Conclusion

When certain conditions are met, effective ambulance services can be an integral part of the district health system and positively contribute to the population's appreciation of the hospital services and respective district health system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Chinese Approach Toward Cross‐Border Bankruptcy Proceedings: One Progressive Step Ahead
Authors: Tu Guangjian , Li Xiaolin
Published: February 2015

The birth of the law on enterprise bankruptcy of the People's Republic of China in 2006 was highly acclaimed. It was generally regarded as a modernized comprehensive legislative work at home and abroad. The “territorialism” approach adopted therein respecting foreign bankruptcy proceedings, however, has received floods of criticism ever since. It has left a great legal vacuum for the protection of foreign bankrupt debtor's assets in China. Foreign investors, however, may see dawn and have their confidence restored after the recent decision of the Supreme People's Court in the well‐known case of Thumb Environmental Technology Group v Sino‐Environment Technology Group, which was made on 11 June 2014. From this case on, with some limitations, the legitimate powers of foreign bankruptcy administrators might normally be ensured once foreign bankruptcy proceedings are initiated in the place of registration or place of principal business of the foreign debtor, whereby foreign administrators will be able to take effective measures to investigate, protect and dispose of the bankrupt's assets located within the Chinese territory.
Handheld photoacoustic probe to detect both melanoma depth and volume at high speed in vivo
Authors: Zhou Yong , Li Guo , Zhu Liren , Li Chiye , Cornelius Lynn A. , Wang Lihong V.
Published: February 2015

We applied a linear‐array‐based photoacoustic probe to detect melanin‐containing melanoma tumor depth and volume in nude mice in vivo. This system can image melanomas at five frames per second (fps), which is much faster than our previous handheld single transducer system (0.1 fps). We first theoretically show that, in addition to the higher frame rate, almost the entire boundary of the melanoma can be detected by the linear‐array‐based probe, while only the horizontal boundary could be detected by the previous system. Then we demonstrate the ability of this linear‐array‐based system in measuring both the depth and volume of melanoma through phantom, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments. The volume detection ability also enables us to accurately calculate the rate of growth of the tumor, which is an important parameter in quantifying the tumor activity. Our results show that this system can be used for clinical melanoma diagnosis and treatment in humans at the bedside.

Linear‐array‐based PA images of melanoma acquired in vivo on day 3 (a) and day 6 (b).

magnified image

Linear‐array‐based PA images of melanoma acquired in vivo on day 3 (a) and day 6 (b).
New couplings, old problems: Is there a role for ceramic‐on‐metal hip arthroplasty?
Authors: Cadossi Matteo , Mazzotti Antonio , Baldini Nicola , Giannini Sandro , Savarino Lucia
Published: February 2015

Ceramic‐on‐metal (CoM) total hip arthroplasty (THA) theoretically combines both the advantages of ceramic‐on‐ceramic (CoC) and metal‐on‐metal (MoM) bearings: negligible rupture risk of the liner with a limited ion release. As primary endpoint, we asked whether serum cobalt, chromium and molybdenum concentrations in 20 CoM‐THA patients at an average of 3‐years follow‐up were higher than those measured in the pre‐operative population and correlate with clinical/radiological parameters. As secondary endpoint, we wanted to verify whether ion levels in CoM‐THA patients were different from those obtained in a similar cohort of 29 MoM‐THA patients at the same average follow‐up. Ion values were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Functional outcome was assessed with Harris Hip Score and UCLA scale. Presence of radiographic radiolucencies around the implant, and acetabular inclination angle were evaluated. Chromium and cobalt levels in CoM‐THA patients were significantly higher (p < 0.001) at 3‐years follow‐up than before surgery. Molybdenum concentrations were not significantly different (p = 0.45). No signs of implant loosening were recorded. Functional outcome was excellent with HHS and UCLA scale rising from 50 and 3.6 pre‐operatively to 90.8 and 6.3, respectively at 3‐years follow‐up (p < 0.001). Chromium serum levels were significantly lower in CoM‐THA than in MoM‐THA group (p = 0.02) while cobalt values, even if lower, did not reach statistically significance (p = 0.054). Our results show that CoM‐THA patients achieve excellent clinical outcome with a limited chromium release at 3‐years follow‐up. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 204–209, 2016.
Monoamine oxidase: radiotracer chemistry and human studies
Authors: Fowler Joanna S. , Logan Jean , Shumay Elena , Alia‐Klein Nelly , Wang Gene‐Jack , Volkow Nora D.
Published: February 2015

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) oxidizes amines from both endogenous and exogenous sources thereby regulating the concentration of neurotransmitter amines such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine as well as many xenobiotics. MAO inhibitor drugs are used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and in depression stimulating the development of radiotracer tools to probe the role of MAO in normal human biology and in disease. Over the past 30 years since the first radiotracers were developed and the first positron emission tomography (PET) images of MAO in humans were carried out, PET studies of brain MAO in healthy volunteers and in patients have identified different variables that have contributed to different MAO levels in brain and in peripheral organs. MAO radiotracers and PET have also been used to study the current and developing MAO inhibitor drugs including the selection of doses for clinical trials. In this article, we describe the following: (1) the development of MAO radiotracers; (2) human studies including the relationship of brain MAO levels to genotype, personality, neurological, and psychiatric disorders; and (3) examples of the use of MAO radiotracers in drug research and development. We will conclude with outstanding needs to improve the radiotracers that are currently used and possible new applications.
Silent information regulator 1 modulator resveratrol increases brain lactate production and inhibits mitochondrial metabolism, whereas SRT1720 increases oxidative metabolism
Authors: Rowlands Benjamin D. , Lau Chew Ling , Ryall James G. , Thomas Donald S. , Klugmann Matthias , Beart Philip M. , Rae Caroline D.
Published: February 2015

Silent information regulators (SIRTs) have been shown to deacetylate a range of metabolic enzymes, including those in glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, and thus alter their activity. SIRTs require NAD+ for their activity, linking cellular energy status to enzyme activity. To examine the impact of SIRT1 modulation on oxidative metabolism, this study tests the effect of ligands that are either SIRT‐activating compounds (resveratrol and SRT1720) or SIRT inhibitors (EX527) on the metabolism of 13C‐enriched substrates by guinea pig brain cortical tissue slices with 13C and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Resveratrol increased lactate labeling but decreased incorporation of 13C into Krebs cycle intermediates, consistent with effects on AMPK and inhibition of the F0/F1‐ATPase. By testing with resveratrol that was directly applied to astrocytes with a Seahorse analyzer, increased glycolytic shift and increased mitochondrial proton leak resulting from interactions of resveratrol with the mitochondrial electron transport chain were revealed. SRT1720, by contrast, stimulated incorporation of 13C into Krebs cycle intermediates and reduced incorporation into lactate, although the inhibitor EX527 paradoxically also increased Krebs cycle 13C incorporation. In summary, the various SIRT1 modulators show distinct acute effects on oxidative metabolism. The strong effects of resveratrol on the mitochondrial respiratory chain and on glycolysis suggest that caution should be used in attempts to increase bioavailability of this compound in the CNS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simultaneous separation and detection of anions and thiophilic cations using capillary‐size anion exchange chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection
Authors: Sötz Veronika Anna , Kochmann Sven
Published: February 2015

In this fundamental study, the simultaneous separation and detection of anions and thiophilic cations in anion exchange chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection is investigated. Mercury(II) and cadmium(II) served as model analytes. Separation and detection was performed by introducing 2‐mercaptoethanesulfonate, which forms complexes with both mercury and cadmium with a strong metal–sulfur bond, into the KOH eluent. Additional to the separation on the column, these complexes were able to pass the suppressor. Subsequently, they could be detected as negative peaks. A simple model for the separation mechanism was developed based on these results. Furthermore, the effect of the eluent concentration on the retention factors of both cation complexes and standard anions was examined and quantified. It revealed that the concentration of 2‐mercaptoethanesulfonate has more influence on the cations than the KOH concentration. Also, 2.0 mM of 2‐mercaptoethanesulfonate had about the same effect on the anion separation as 60 mM KOH. Finally, selectivity and detection limits were investigated. The detection limits were 4.9 μM for mercury and 2.2 μM for cadmium.
Orthoptic and video‐oculographic analyses in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy
Authors: Renard Dimitri , Ferraro Adelaide , Lorenzini Marie‐Celine , Jeanjean Luc , Portal Marie‐Claire , Llinares Elisabeth , Labauge Pierre , Castelnovo Giovanni
Published: February 2015

Introduction: Mild ophthalmoparesis can be seen in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). Methods: Orthoptic analysis included assessment of phoria/tropia, eye excursion, saccades, pursuit, stereoacuity, and Hess–Lancaster screen test. Video‐oculography included fixation, horizontal and vertical saccades, and pursuit. Results: Orthoptic abnormalities were: tropia (4 of 6); abnormal eye excursion (4 of 6, 78% involved lateral or superior rectus muscles); abnormal horizontal or vertical saccades (2 of 6); abnormal pursuit (0 of 6); abnormal stereoacuity (2 of 6); and pathological Hess–Lancaster screen (4 of 6). Video‐oculographic abnormalities were present for: fixation (1 of 6); saccade latency (1 of 6); horizontal pursuit (3 of 6); and vertical pursuit (0 of 6). For horizontal saccades, mean velocity, peak velocity, and gain were pathological in 5 of 6, 5 of 6 (61% of pathological mean and peak velocities involved abducting eye movements), and 3 of 6, respectively. For vertical saccades, mean velocity, peak velocity, and gain were pathological in 4 of 6, 4 of 6 (53% involved upward movements), and 3 of 6, respectively. Conclusion: The data indicate preferential involvement of lateral and (to a lesser degree) superior rectus muscles in OPMD. Muscle Nerve 52: 554–558, 2015
Soleus and lateral gastrocnemius H‐reflexes during standing with unstable footwear
Authors: Friesenbichler Bernd , Lepers Romuald , Maffiuletti Nicola A.
Published: February 2015

Introduction: Unstable footwear has been shown to increase lower extremity muscle activity, but the reflex response to perturbations induced by this intervention is unknown. Methods: Twenty healthy subjects stood in stable and unstable footwear conditions (presented randomly) while H‐reflex amplitude and background muscle activity were measured in the soleus and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles. Results: Wearing unstable footwear resulted in larger H‐reflexes (normalized to the maximal M‐wave) for the LG (+12%; P = 0.025), but not for the soleus (+4%; P > 0.05). Background activity of both muscles was significantly higher in the unstable condition. Conclusions: The H‐reflex facilitation observed with unstable footwear was unexpected, as challenging postural conditions usually result in reflex depression. Increased muscle activity, decreased presynaptic inhibition, and/or more forward postural position may have (over‐)compensated the expected reflex depression. Differences between LG and soleus H‐reflex modulation may be due to diverging motor unit recruitment thresholds. Muscle Nerve 51:764–766, 2015
Densitometric Validation and Optimisation of Polyphenols in Ocimum sanctum Linn by High Performance Thin‐layer Chromatography
Authors: U.K. Ilyas , Katare Deepshikha P. , Aeri Vidhu
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Ocimum sanctum Linn (Sanskrit: Tulasi; family: Libiaceae), popularly known as holy basil or Ocimum teinufolium, is found throughout the semitropical and tropical parts of India. In Ayurveda, Tulasi has been well known for its therapeutic potentials.

Objective

To optimise and develop a standard method to quantify seven polyphenols simultaneously by HPTLC.

Methods

A three‐level factor Box–Behnken statistical design was used for optimisation, where extraction time (min), temperature (°C) and methanol:water ratio (% v/v) are the independent variables with polyphenols as the dependent variable. The separation was archived on a silica‐gel 60 F254 HPTLC plate using toluene:ethyl acetate:formic acid:methanol (3:3:0.8:0.2 v/v) as the mobile phase. Densitometric analysis of polyphenols was carried out in the absorbance mode at 366 nm.

Results

The quantification of polyphenols was carried out based on peak area with a linear calibration curve at concentration ranges of 60–240, 20–200, 100–1600, 40–200, 200–1400, 10–160, 200–1400, 100–5000 ng/band for caffeic acid, ellagic acid, rutin, kaempferol, catechin, quercetin, eupalitin and epicatechin respectively. The method was validated for peak purity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ). Method specificity was confirmed using the retention factor value and visible spectra correlation of marker compounds.

Conclusions

A validated HPTLC method was newly developed for simultaneous quantification of seven polyphenols in an Ayurvedic preparation of O. sanctum. The proposed method is simple, precise, specific, accurate, cost‐effective, less time consuming and has the ability to separate the polyphenols from other constituents. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Homogeneous esterification of cellulose in room temperature ionic liquids
Authors: Zhang Jinming , Chen Weiwei , Feng Ye , Wu Jin , Yu Jian , He Jiasong , Zhang Jun
Published: February 2015

Homogeneous esterification of cellulose, which can control the molecular structure of the resultant cellulose esters and facilitate the versatility of cellulose‐based materials, has drawn much attention. Recently, the advent of room temperature ionic liquids (ILs) capable of dissolving cellulose has provided a new and versatile platform for the efficient and homogeneous esterification of cellulose. A variety of conventional, novel and functional cellulose esters have been successfully synthesized in ILs. Meanwhile, development of esterification techniques, utilization of agricultural residues and up‐scaling of pilot schemes of esterification in ILs have been in progress. This review summarizes the advances and developments in homogeneous synthesis of cellulose esters in ILs in recent decades. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Atmospheric Pressure Plasma as an Activation Step for Improving Protein Adsorption on Hydroxyapatite Powder
Authors: Ozhukil Kollath Vinayaraj , Put Sofie , Mullens Steven , Vanhulsel Annick , Luyten Jan , Traina Karl , Cloots Rudi
Published: February 2015

Protein adsorption on inorganic surfaces involves a complex mechanism which could be controlled by surface functionalization methods. A dry surface functionalization method for powders could be beneficial as compared to wet‐chemical methods, since aspects like suspension preparation and subsequent drying can be avoided. This paper focuses on atmospheric pressure plasma technology for surface activation of hydroxyapatite powder as a carrier in oral administration applications, aiming at increasing the loading capacity of proteins. Hydroxyapatite powder is treated in N2 and N2H2 atmospheric plasma processes within a static and a dynamic reactor. The influence of plasma activation on the protein adsorption isotherms, powder characteristics: particle morphology, specific surface area, and particle size distribution; have been discussed. The nature and amount of functional groups are studied by zeta potential measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, and titration analysis. Atmospheric plasma treatment increases the protein loading up to 37% when hydroxyapatite powder is treated in pure N2 plasma whereas that of powder activated using N2H2 plasma increased by 13%. The increased protein loading can be attributed to the creation of nitrogen and oxygen containing moieties which cause an increased hydrophilicity after plasma treatment.
A comparative study of software process improvement implementation success factors
Authors: Niazi Mahmood
Published: February 2015

Context

It has been observed that software process improvement (SPI) initiatives have been around for more than a decade, yet many companies are still facing SPI implementation challenges.

Objective

In this paper, a systematic literature review (SLR) has been conducted, and the results are compared with the previously collected data of SPI implementation success factors. The overarching objective of this research is to gain an in‐depth understanding of success factors that play a positive role in SPI implementation; this will assist SPI managers in better designing and managing SPI programs. We are interested to discover if there are any differences in the success factors identified by the three research strategies used, that is, informal literature review, SLR, and interviews.

Method

Data were collected and analyzed using the three research strategies. For informal literature review, the snowballing technique was used. The SLR was conducted for formal literature reviews. For an empirical study, interviews were conducted with Australian SPI practitioners.

Results

Results show that (i) senior management commitment and (ii) staff involvement are the frequently cited common SPI success factors in all three research strategies. The results also uncover similarities and differences among the three research strategies regarding the importance of the SPI success factors: (i) SPI awareness is a frequently cited common SPI success factor in interviews and formal literature review, and the Spearman's rank‐order correlation is rs(37) = 0.413, p = 0.011; (ii) reviews are a frequently cited common SPI success factor in formal and informal literature reviews, and the Spearman's rank‐order correlation is rs(37) = 0.517, p = 0.001; and (iii) training and mentoring is a frequently cited common SPI success factor in interviews and an informal literature review, and the Spearman's rank‐order correlation is rs(37) = 0.195, p = 0.247.

Conclusions

The understanding of these factors can help both researchers and software development organizations in successfully planning and implementing SPI initiatives. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trilobites from the Giles Creek Dolostone (Cambrian Series 3, Stage 5; Templetonian) Amadeus Basin, central Australia
Authors: Smith Patrick M. , Paterson John R. , Brock Glenn A.
Published: February 2015

Twelve trilobite species, plus rare agnostid arthropods, are described from the Giles Creek Dolostone (Cambrian Series 3, Stage 5; Templetonian) at Ross River Gorge and Gaylad Dam in the north‐eastern Amadeus Basin, Northern Territory, central Australia. Amphoton krusei sp. nov., Nepea ommacrada sp. nov., Penarosa oepiki sp. nov. and Schopfaspis shergoldi sp. nov. are described in association with Deiradonyx toddi Öpik, 1982, Dinesus sp., Kootenia sp., Pagetia silicunda Jell, 1975, Solenoparia sp., Tonkinella? sp., Xystridura filifera Öpik, 1975a, and Xystridura gayladia Öpik, 1975a, in addition to indeterminate agnostids. Pagetia silicunda and Xystridura filifera suggest an early Templetonian age, within the Pentagnostus anabarensis or Pentagnostus praecurrens Zone. This is supported by the co‐occurrence of Amphoton Lorenz, 1906, Deiradonyx, Öpik, 1982, Dinesus Etheridge, 1896 and Kootenia Walcott, 1889, all of which occur in Templetonian successions in the Georgina Basin (Northern Territory and Queensland), Gnalta Shelf (western New South Wales) and the Heathcote Greenstone Belt (Victoria). We argue that the Tempe Formation (central Amadeus Basin) and the Giles Creek Dolostone are not contemporaneous as previously suggested, indicating that regional stratigraphical schemes need to be amended.
Daytime mother–calf relationships in reticulated giraffes (Giraffa cameloparadalis reticulate) at the Kyoto City Zoo
Authors: Nakamichi Masayuki , Murata Chisa , Eto Ryo , Takagi Naoko , Yamada Kazunori
Published: February 2015

The present study quantitatively assesses the relationships between a reticulated giraffe mother and her first‐ and second‐born calves during the first 22 months of the older calf's and the first 12 months of the younger calf's life at the Kyoto City Zoo, Japan. The mother permitted her calves to suckle at over 70% of their suckling attempts in the first month after their births, and the calves ceased suckling spontaneously in 65 to 70% of the suckling bouts. From the second month on, she showed a clear tendency to reject the calves' suckling attempts and terminated almost all of their suckling bouts, which resulted in approximately 60 sec or less of suckling duration per bout. The frequency of proximity between the mother and her calves remained at 20 to 30% throughout the first year, with no apparent developmental changes being evident. The mother was mainly responsible for terminating proximity by walking away from her calves throughout their first year after birth, while both calves were mainly responsible for attempting proximity by approaching their mother after reaching 2 months of age. Our study also showed that the giraffe mother became pregnant again while nursing her calves and ceased lactation (i.e., weaned the calves) before the fetus's growth started accelerating. Zoo Biol. 34:110–117, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
The Clinical Risk Score Predicts the Effectiveness of Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colorectal Liver Metastasis
Authors: Nakai Takuya , Ishikawa Hajime , Tokoro Tadao , Okuno Kiyotaka
Published: February 2015

Background

Hepatectomy is the most effective treatment for patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). However, the procedure is also associated with a high risk of recurrence, and adjuvant chemotherapy for postoperative recurrence remains controversial. We investigated the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy for CRLM with the clinical risk score (CRS) proposed by Fong et al.

Methods

Patients with CRLM who were treated, without preoperative chemotherapy, between 1992 and 2012 were classified as having low CRS (score of 0–1), intermediate CRS (2–3), or high CRS (4–5). The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy was retrospectively analyzed for each CRS subgroup.

Results

Of the 161 patients who underwent hepatectomy, 100 received adjuvant chemotherapy (group A) and 61 did not (group N). For intermediate CRS, 5‐year disease free survival (DFS) was significant different between the groups (group A: n = 61; 33.9 % vs. group N: n = 39; 23.2 %, P = 0.008) and 5‐year overall survival (OS) of group A was higher than group N (53.5 vs. 36.5 %, P = 0.048), respectively. For both low CRS and high CRS, 5‐year DFS and OS were similar between the groups. Multivariate analysis of DFS identified prognostic factors as major resection for low CRS (P = 0.02) and adjuvant chemotherapy for intermediate CRS (P = 0.015). Similarly, multivariate analysis of OS identified major resection for low CRS (P = 0.05) and adjuvant chemotherapy for intermediate CRS (P = 0.05). High CRS was not identified prognostic factor.

Conclusions

Adjuvant chemotherapy for CRLM was effective in intermediate CRS patients. In low CRS patients, adjuvant chemotherapy may not be necessary, but adequate surgical resection is important.
The Weight of the Resected Gland Predicts Rate of Success After Image‐Guided Focused Parathyroidectomy
Authors: Norlén Olov , Glover Anthony , Zaidi Nisar , Aniss Adam , Sywak Mark , Sidhu Stan , Delbridge Leigh
Published: February 2015

Background

A recent study of focused minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (FPTX) in sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) using intraoperative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) measurements shows that inadequate ioPTH drop and multiglandular disease are more commonly found when a first gland <200 mg is resected. Our aim was to study if a resected gland that weighed <200 mg was associated with an increased persistence rate after FPTX.

Methods

This is a cohort study of FPTX for pHPT performed in the period 1998–2013. FPTX was performed in patients with pHPT where Sestamibi and Ultrasound imaging localized single‐gland disease, only one gland was excised and the weight recorded. IoPTH was not used routinely. Two groups were composed according to the weight of the resected gland: Group A <200 mg and Group B ≥200 mg. Persistent or recurrent disease was defined if it occurred within, or after 6 months. The primary outcome measure was the rate of persisting pHPT.

Results

A total of 3,511 parathyroidectomies were performed, and a total 1,745 FPTX (1,347 female) met inclusion criteria. There were 245 and 1,500 patients in groups A and B, respectively. The rate of persistent pHPT was higher in Group A, 6.1 versus 2.0 % (p < 0.001). Findings at re‐operative surgery showed that the ipsilateral gland was diseased in 47 % (7/15) of persistent cases in group A.

Conclusion

The risk of persistent disease after MIP was higher if the resected gland weighed ≤200 mg, and this corroborates the findings of a recent study. A heightened awareness of the possibility of multigland disease should be raised, and ioPTH monitoring, identification of the ipsilateral gland or bilateral exploration may be advisable in such cases.
Capitulum and rosette leaf avoidance from grazing by large herbivores in Taraxacum
Authors: Fujita Noboru , Koda Ryosuke
Published: February 2015

Plants defense against herbivore damage is achieved through resistance and tolerance, of which resistance is composed of avoidance and antibiosis. Plants have developed various adaptations that facilitate escape from herbivory. We hypothesized that post‐anthesis prostrate scapes in Taraxacum is an adaptation for avoidance of capitulum grazing by large herbivores. To test this hypothesis, we divided flowering into the following four stages based on the external appearance of the capitulum: green bud, yellow corolla, brown corolla, and white pappus stages. We conducted an experiment in natural pasture in Mongolia to artificially raise capitula and rosette leaves of T. collinum. We measured the natural height of capitula and rosette leaves of the Mongolian pasture and urban species, T. collinum and T. ceratophorum, respectively, and of the Japanese rural and exotic urban species, T. japonicum and T. officinale, respectively. We investigated natural grazing by livestock in the field of the capitula and rosette leaves of the two Mongolian species. In Mongolia, naturally short capitula at the green bud and brown corolla stages and rosette leaves of T. collinum were not grazed. However, artificially raised capitula and rosette leaves of T. collinum and the naturally high capitula and leaves of T. ceratophorum were grazed. Short capitulum and leaf height was shown to be effective for avoidance of livestock grazing in Mongolia. In Japan, T. japonicum and T. officinale showed similar scape behavior to T. collinum and T. ceratophorum, respectively. We discuss the reasons for the capitulum behavior differences in Japan.
Biodegradable Poly(ε‐Caprolactone)‐Based Graft Copolymers Via Poly(Linoleic Acid): In Vitro Enzymatic Evaluation
Authors: Allı Sema , Tığlı Aydın R. Seda , Allı Abdülkadir , Hazer Baki
Published: February 2015

Well‐defined graft copolymers based on poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) via poly(linoleic acid) (PLina), are derived from soybean oil. Poly(linoleic acid)‐g‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PLina‐g‐PCL) and poly(linoleic acid)‐g‐poly(styrene)‐g‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PLina‐g‐PSt‐g‐PCL) were synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone initiated by PLina and one‐pot synthesis of graft copolymers, and by ring‐opening polymerization and free radical polymerization by using PLina, respectively. PLina‐g‐PCL, PLina‐g‐PSt‐g‐PCL3, and PLina‐g‐PSt‐g‐PCL4 copolymers containing 96.97, 75.04 and 80.34 mol% CL, respectively, have been investigated regarding their enzymatic degradation properties in the presence of Pseudomonas lipase. In terms of weight loss, after 1 month, 51.5 % of PLina‐g‐PCL, 18.8 % of PLina‐g‐PSt‐g‐PCL3, and 38.4 % of PLina‐g‐PSt‐g‐PCL4 were degraded, leaving remaining copolymers with molecular weights of 16,140, 83,220 and 70,600 Da, respectively. Introducing the PLina unit into the copolymers greatly decreased the degradation rate. The molar ratio of [CL]/[Lina] dramatically decreased, from 21.3 to 8.4, after 30 days of incubation. Moreover, reduced PCL content in PLina‐g‐PSt‐g‐PCL copolymers decreased the degradation rate, probably due to the PSt enrichment within the structure, which blocks lipase contact with PCL units. Thus, copolymerization of PCL with PLina and PSt units leads to a controllable degradation profile, which encourages the use of these polymers as promising biomaterials for tissue engineering applications.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Structural and contact analysis of a three-dimensional disc-pad model with and without thermal effects
Authors: Belhocine Ali , Duzgun Mesut , Ghazaly Nouby Mahdi , Abdullah Oday Ibraheem.
Published: February 2015

This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-chief, since substantial parts of this article were previously published in Tribology in Industry: A. Belhocine , N.M. Ghazali, O.I. Abdullah. Structural and Contact Analysis of a 3-Dimensional Disc-Pad Model with and without Thermal Effects. 2014. Tribology in Industry 36(4): 406—418 (2014).
Why is interregional inequality in Russia and China not falling?
Authors: Remington Thomas F.
Published: February 2015

In large and heterogenous countries, cross-regional inequality often fuels political conflict over redistributive demands. Standard economic theory holds that initial inequality in incomes across subnational regions of a country should eventually give way to convergence. However, economic liberalization in Russia and China has not produced cross-regional convergence. The paper demonstrates that interregional inequality remains high in both countries and grounds explanation for this finding in their communist institutional legacies. Their common institutional history complements country-specific explanations for the observed trends in cross-regional inequality.
Azimuthal shear instability of a liquid jet injected into a gaseous cross-flow
Authors: Behzad M. , Ashgriz N. , Mashayek A.
Published: February 2015

We investigate azimuthal instabilities which exist on the periphery of a non-turbulent liquid jet injected transversely into a gaseous cross-flow. We predict that the temporal growth of such instabilities may lead to the formation of interface corrugations, which are eventually sheared off of the jet surface (known as the jet ‘surface breakup’). In this study we employ temporal linear stability analyses to understand the nature of these instabilities. The analysis is based on a continuous formulation of momentum equations in which the jet and cross-flow are considered to be slightly miscible at the vicinity of the interface. We identify the shear instability as the primary destabilization mechanism in the flow. This inherently inviscid mechanism opposes the previously suggested mechanism of surface breakup (known as ‘boundary-layer stripping’), which is based on a viscous interpretation. The results show that the wavelengths of instabilities increase by moving away from the jet windward stagnation point toward the leeward point. We also investigate the influence of the jet-to-cross-flow density ratio on the flow stability and find that a higher ratio leads to formation of instabilities with higher wavenumbers on the jet surface. The results show that the density may have a non-monotonic stabilizing/destabilizing effect on the flow.
Finite-amplitude acoustic-gravity waves: exact solutions
Authors: Godin Oleg A.
Published: February 2015

We consider strongly nonlinear waves in fluids in a uniform gravity field, and demonstrate that an incompressible wave motion, in which pressure remains constant in each fluid parcel, is supported by compressible fluids with free and rigid boundaries. We present exact analytic solutions of nonlinear hydrodynamics equations which describe the incompressible wave motion. The solutions provide an extension of the Gerstner wave in an incompressible fluid with a free boundary to waves in compressible three-dimensionally inhomogeneous moving fluids such as oceans and planetary atmospheres.