bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Tuei Vivian C. , Maiyoh Geoffrey K. , Ha Chung‐Eun
Published: July 2010

While communicable diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, malaria, and tuberculosis have continued to pose greater threats to the public health system in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), it is now apparent that non‐communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus are undoubtedly adding to the multiple burdens the peoples in this region suffer. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common form of diabetes (90–95%), exhibiting an alarming prevalence among peoples of this region. Its main risk factors include obesity, rapid urbanization, physical inactivity, ageing, nutrition transitions, and socioeconomic changes. Patients in sub‐Saharan Africa also show manifestations of β‐cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. However, because of strained economic resources and a poor health care system, most of the patients are diagnosed only after they have overt symptoms and complications. Microvascular complications are the most prevalent, but metabolic disorders and acute infections cause significant mortality. The high cost of treatment of T2DM and its comorbidities, the increasing prevalence of its risk factors, and the gaps in health care system necessitate that solutions be planned and implemented urgently. Aggressive actions and positive responses from well‐informed governments appear to be needed for the conducive interplay of all forces required to curb the threat of T2DM in sub‐Saharan Africa. Despite the varied ethnic and transitional factors and the limited population data on T2DM in sub‐Saharan Africa, this review provides an extensive discussion of the literature on the epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, complications, treatment, and care challenges of T2DM in this region. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improvement of particle swarm optimization based on the repetitive search guideline
Authors: Hiraoka Sodo , Okamoto Takashi , Aiyoshi Eitaro
Published: July 2010

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), which has attracted a great deal of attention as a global optimization method in recent years, has the drawback that continuous search based on its excellent dynamic characteristics cannot be performed stably until the end of computation due to its very strong tendency to convergence. In this paper, we propose a ARepetitive Search Guidelinewhich differs from the common guidelines in the improved methods which have since been proposed and by which the continuous search in PSO is achieved without losing PSO's excellent dynamic characteristics due to repetitive search in a promising area where the objective function values are expected to be small. We consider four improved methods based on the proposed guidelines, then confirm their effectiveness by application to 100‐variable multipeaked benchmark problems. 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 173(2): 42–54, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ eej.20964
A new weakly basic amino‐reactive fluorescent label for use in isoelectric focusing and chip electrophoresis
Authors: Schulze Philipp , Link Martin , Schulze Marcel , Thuermann Sebastian , Wolfbeis Otto S. , Belder Detlev
Published: July 2010

In this study, we present a novel amino‐reactive fluorescence marker (referred to as UR‐431), which is well suited for electrophoretic techniques. A main feature of this marker is its weakly basic behavior when conjugated to analytes. Labeled primary amines exhibit a positive net charge and accordingly a cathodic mobility below a pH of 2.4. The label features a pH‐independent fluorescence emission and is thus very interesting for electrophoretic applications such as IEF. The absorption maximum of this yellow daylight chromophore is at 431 nm, whereas fluorescence emission peaks at 537 nm (quantum yield≈0.1). The label was successfully conjugated to amines, peptides and proteins and separated via CE and MCE. The on‐chip detection limit of labeled lysine using a mercury‐lamp‐based fluorescence microscope was determined as 12 nM. An important feature of the new label is that it effects only a subtle change of the pI of proteins compared with common anionic labels, e.g. FITC. pI values of proteins were investigated by comparing native proteins and labeled proteins in CIEF. UR‐431 was also applied to sensitive detection of amines and peptides in MCE.
Throughput enhancement through femto‐cell deployment
Authors: Bharucha Zubin , Haas Harald , Saul Andreas , Auer Gunther
Published: July 2010

This paper studies the impact of a femto‐cell underlay deployment that shares radio frequency resources with urban macro‐cells. Due to their random and uncoordinated deployment, femto‐cells potentially cause destructive interference to macro‐cells andvice versa. On the other hand, femto‐cells promise to substantially enhance the spectral efficiency due to an increased reuse of radio resources. The performance of networks with indoor Home Evolved NodeB (HeNB) deployment is compared to a system where all users, including indoor users, are served by the outdoor macro Evolved NodeB (eNB). In addition, the impact of closed‐access and open‐access femto‐cell operation is examined. It is demonstrated that significant capacity gains can be achieved through such HeNB deployment, regardless of whether closed‐access or open‐access is considered. Results clearly indicate that the capacity gains through femto‐cell deployment outweigh the additional interference they introduce. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The paradox of 20q11.21 amplification in a subset of cases of myeloid malignancy with chromosome 20 deletion
Authors: MacKinnon Ruth N. , Selan Carly , Wall Meaghan , Baker Elizabeth , Nandurkar Harshal , Campbell Lynda J.
Published: July 2010

Deletion of the long arm of one chromosome 20 (del(20q)) is a well‐recognized abnormality in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and is presumed to cause loss of a tumor suppressor gene at 20q12. In a previously published series of MDS and AML cases, which had lost this region via unbalanced translocation, around 40% of cases were shown to have additional copies of the chromosome 20 abnormalities, with resulting gain or amplification of the retained parts of chromosome 20, most often 20q11.2. We have used FISH and array comparative genomic hybridization, to define further the retained and amplified regions. We now report targeted amplification of 20q11.21 in four of the 22 cases selected for further study and in one new case. The shortest amplified region of 250 kb in a series of five patients with three to ten copies of the 20q11.21 region contained the complete HCK, TM9SF4, PLAGL2, and POFUT1 genes. By RT‐PCR we have shown that there is correlation between amplification and increased expression of these four genes in most cases. Localized and high level amplification of the common 250 kb region is evidence for activation of an oncogene in this region in these MDS and AML cases. Cases with 20q11.21 amplification tended to have a high proportion of erythroblasts in the marrow, with two cases diagnosed as erythroleukemia (AML‐M6). Chromosome sub‐band 20q11.21 amplification may therefore prove to be a marker of a specific subset of AML/MDS with a significant erythroid component. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Contribution of P2X7 receptors to adenosine uptake by cultured mouse astrocytes
Authors: Okuda Hiroto , Higashi Youichirou , Nishida Kentaro , Fujimoto Sadaki , Nagasawa Kazuki
Published: July 2010

Nucleotides and nucleosides play important roles by maintaining brain homeostasis, and their extracellular concentrations are mainly regulated by ectonucleotidases and nucleoside transporters expressed by astrocytes. Extracellularly applied NAD+ prevents astrocyte death caused by excessive activation of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1, of which the molecular mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Recently, exogenous NAD+ was reported to enter astrocytes via the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R)‐associated channel/pore. In this study, we examined whether the intact form of NAD+ is incorporated into astrocytes. A large portion of extracellularly added NAD+ was degraded into metabolites such as AMP and adenosine in the extracellular space. The uptake of adenine ring‐labeled [14C]NAD+, but not nicotinamide moiety‐labeled [3H]NAD+, showed time‐ and temperature‐dependency, and was significantly enhanced on addition of apyrase, and was reduced by 8‐Br‐cADPR and ARL67156, inhibitors of CD38 and ectoapyrase, respectively, and P2X7R knockdown, suggesting that the detected uptake of [14C]NAD+ resulted from [14C]adenosine acting as a metabolite of [14C]NAD+. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of P2X7R with brilliant blue G, KN‐62, oxATP, and siRNA transfection resulted in a decrease of [3H]adenosine uptake, and the uptake was also reduced by low concentration of carbenoxolone and pannexin1 selective peptide blocker 10panx. Taken together, these results indicate that exogenous NAD+ is degraded by ectonucleotidases and that adenosine, as its metabolite, is taken up into astrocytes via the P2X7R‐associated channel/pore. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Measurement of variation in the human cerebral GABA level by in vivo MEGA‐editing proton MR spectroscopy using a clinical 3 T instrument and its dependence on brain region and the female menstrual cycle
Authors: Harada Masafumi , Kubo Hitoshi , Nose Ayumi , Nishitani Hiromu , Matsuda Tsuyoshi
Published: July 2010

The objectives of this study were to examine the reproducibility of the MEGA‐editing J‐difference technique and to determine the normal variation in the γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) level depending on the cerebral region and its fluctuation according to the menstrual cycle as baseline data for clinical application. The participants consisted of 15 normal adult volunteers (eight men and seven women), and all measurements were repeated twice in all participants. The MEGA‐editing pulses were incorporated into point‐resolved spectroscopy on a 3 T instrument to obtain the J‐difference editing spectra from a voxel located in the lentiform nuclei (LN), left frontal lobe (FL), and anterior cingulate cortex (AC). The GABA levels in the gray matter (GM) were compensated by the fraction ratios of the gray and white matters and cerebrospinal fluid in the measurement volume. The extent of the variation in GABA was almost the same as that observed in the major metabolites, and its reproducibility was also maintained (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.7). GABA level was highest in LN and lowest in AC. A difference in the GABA level between the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle was found in both LN and FL, but not in AC. This technique showed the differences in the GABA levels in the GM and the region‐specific decrease in the GABA levels during the women's luteal phase. Hum Brain Mapp, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sublingual gland tumors: Clinical, pathologic, and therapeutic analysis of 13 patients treated in a single institution
Authors: Zdanowski Rafael , Dias Fernando Luiz , Barbosa Mauro Marques , Lima Roberto Araújo , Faria Paulo Antônio , Loyola Adriano Mota , Nascimento Souza Kellen Christine
Published: July 2010

Background.

Sublingual gland tumors are rare, although frequently malignant. This study describes the clinicopathologic features and treatment results and reviews the literature.

Methods.

Thirteen cases treated between 1996 and 2007 were reviewed with interest on clinical, pathologic, and therapeutic information. Survival data were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results.

Malignancies represented 92.3% of cases. Adenoid cystic carcinoma was the most common malignant type (66.7%). Most patients (83.3%) presented in advanced pathologic TNM stages (III or IV). All cases underwent surgical treatment. Neck dissection was performed in 69.2% with no metastases detected. Ten patients (83.3%) had adjuvant radiotherapy. Distant metastases occurred in 3 patients (25%). The 5‐year overall and disease‐free survival rates were 78.7% and 87.5%, respectively.

Conclusions.

Tumors of the sublingual gland are rare and are usually malignant. Radical surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy seems to offer adequate local and regional control. Unlike distant failure, local recurrence and regional metastases are not common. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011
Evaluating the effect of using artificial pore water on the quality of laboratory hydraulic conductivity measurements of peat
Authors: Kettridge Nicholas , Binley Andrew
Published: July 2010

Pore dilation, the compaction of humic acids on peat fibres due to the process of flocculation, causes the hydraulic conductivity of peat to increase with increasing pore water electrical conductivity. This is a reversible process and a reduction in the pore water conductivity produces a decrease in the hydraulic conductivity due to the constriction of pores. We verify how this dilation and constriction of pores, resulting from the application of artificial pore water (primarily deionized water), affects laboratory measurements of the hydraulic conductivity of peat. Repeat measurements of the hydraulic conductivity were performed on samples of Sphagnum peat. It is shown that the application of deionized water during constant head permeameter tests causes a significant decrease in the hydraulic conductivity. Between tests, the hydraulic conductivity of the peat continues to decline without an associate decrease in the pore water electrical conductivity because of a lagged pore constriction effect. We suggest that the use of artificially high or low pore water electrical conductivities, during laboratory hydraulic conductivity measurements, is likely to lead to significant errors. Experimental protocols must, therefore, be revised to take better account of the pore water chemistry. The ionic concentrations of the natural pore fluid should be replicated during hydraulic conductivity tests, either by using pore fluid extracted from the study site or by artificially replicating the major ionic composition of the natural pore fluid. In addition, prior to the hydraulic conductivity measurements, peat samples should be flushed with this solution until the hydraulic conductivity stabilizes and the samples subsequently allowed to equilibrate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of weather forecast improvements on large scale hydrology: analysing a decade of forecasts of the European Flood Alert System
Authors: Pappenberger Florian , Thielen Jutta , Del Medico Mauro
Published: July 2010

The European Flood Alert System (EFAS) provides early flood alerts on a pre‐operational basis to National hydrological services. EFAS river discharge forecasts are based on probabilistic techniques, using ensemble system and deterministic numerical weather prediction data. The performance of EFAS is regularly analysed with regard to individual flood events and case studies. Although this analysis provides important insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the forecast system, it lacks statistical and independent measures of its long‐term performance. In this paper, an assessment of EFAS results based on European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) weather forecasts over a period of 10 years is presented. EFAS river discharge forecasts have been rerun every week for a period of 10 years using the weather forecast available at the time. These are evaluated for a total of 1025 river gauging stations distributed across Europe. The selected stations are sufficiently separated in space to avoid autocorrelation of station time series. Also, analysis is performed with a gap of 3 days between each forecast which reduces the temporal correlation of the time series of the same station. The data are analysed with regard to skill, bias and quality of river discharge forecast. The 10‐year simulations clearly show that the skill of the river discharge forecasts has undergone an evolution linked to the quality of the operational meteorological forecast. Overall, over a period of 10 years, the skill of the EFAS forecasts has steadily increased. Important hydrological extreme events cannot be clearly identified with the skill score analysis, highlighting the necessity for event‐based analysis in addition to statistical long‐term assessments for a better understanding of the EFAS system and large scale river discharge predictions in general. The predictability is shown to depend on catchment size and geographical location. It can be shown that performance tends to increase with catchment size and is influenced by the underlying topography in Europe. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimation of soil hydraulic properties and their uncertainty: comparison between laboratory and field experiment
Authors: Kumar S. , Sekhar M. , Reddy D. V. , Mohan Kumar M. S.
Published: July 2010

Often the soil hydraulic parameters are obtained by the inversion of measured data (e.g. soil moisture, pressure head, and cumulative infiltration, etc.). However, the inverse problem in unsaturated zone is ill‐posed due to various reasons, and hence the parameters become non‐unique. The presence of multiple soil layers brings the additional complexities in the inverse modelling. The generalized likelihood uncertainty estimate (GLUE) is a useful approach to estimate the parameters and their uncertainty when dealing with soil moisture dynamics which is a highly non‐linear problem. Because the estimated parameters depend on the modelling scale, inverse modelling carried out on laboratory data and field data may provide independent estimates. The objective of this paper is to compare the parameters and their uncertainty estimated through experiments in the laboratory and in the field and to assess which of the soil hydraulic parameters are independent of the experiment. The first two layers in the field site are characterized by Loamy sand and Loamy. The mean soil moisture and pressure head at three depths are measured with an interval of half hour for a period of 1 week using the evaporation method for the laboratory experiment, whereas soil moisture at three different depths (60, 110, and 200 cm) is measured with an interval of 1 h for 2 years for the field experiment. A one‐dimensional soil moisture model on the basis of the finite difference method was used. The calibration and validation are approximately for 1 year each. The model performance was found to be good with root mean square error (RMSE) varying from 2 to 4 cm3 cm−3. It is found from the two experiments that mean and uncertainty in the saturated soil moisture (θs) and shape parameter (n) of van Genuchten equations are similar for both the soil types. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Apure River: geochemistry of major and selected trace elements in an Orinoco River tributary coming from the Andes, Venezuela
Authors: Mora Abrahan , Baquero Juan Carlos , Alfonso Juan A. , Pisapia Daniel , Balza Laura
Published: July 2010

The analysis of physicochemical variables and selected dissolved elements was performed on the Apure River waters for 15 months. The variables pH, alkalinity, dissolved O2, conductivity and Na, Ca, Mg and Cd concentrations showed maximum values during low water, whereas K, Si, Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed maximum concentrations during rising and high water. Five important factors were found to control the amount and temporal variability of the dissolved elements: lithology, hydrology, vegetation–floodplain processes, redox conditions and organic complexation. Weathering of silicates, carbonates and evaporites in the Andes provides most of the proportion of Na, Ca, Mg and HCO3− to waters. The temporal variability of these ions is controlled by a dilution process. Although Si can be taken up by the biomass, Si and K can be leached from the floodplain by weathering of clays. Microbial decay of the submerged plants in the floodplain during the inundation periods provides DOC and K to river waters and changes the redox conditions in water. The changing redox conditions control the solubility of Mn, Zn and Fe. Dissolved Mn is a function of pH‐dependent redox process, whereas Zn solubility is controlled by scavenging of Zn during the oxidation of Mn2+ to MnO2. Positive relationships between Al, Fe, Cu, Cr and DOC suggest that these elements are complexed by organic colloids generated in the floodplain. Moreover, the binding capacity of Fe with DOC increases under reducing conditions. Although Cd seems to be provided by weathering in the Andes, several processes can affect the mobility of Cd during transport. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Shape and size effects in π–π interactions: Face‐to‐face dimers
Authors: Zhang Chaoyang
Published: July 2010

The shape and size effects in π–π interactions of face‐to‐face dimers are discussed, by taking three typical groups of π‐systems with different shapes (wave‐linear, WL; ladder‐shaped, LS; and regular‐hexagonal, RH) and sizes (2 to 216 π‐electrons) as samples, and carrying out a series of static scanning forcefield calculations. These effects are: (1) for differently shaped π‐systems with a same quantity of π‐electrons, the denser π‐electrons lead to the stronger π–π interactions; (2) the interaction orientation, such as the interplanar distance, is controlled by not only van der Waals (vdW) but also electrostatic potential, even though the former is much stronger and has more contributions to total interaction energy than the latter. Furthermore, these interplanar distances are in a range determined by only monomer shapes, i.e., 3.6–4.1 Å for WL, 3.5–3.7 Å for LS, and 3.4–3.7 Å for RH; (3) a centroid‐centroid distance corresponding to the global lowest vdW potential point of a dimer with two identical monomers is only determined by the monomer shape, i.e., 3.6, 3.5, and 3.4 Å, for WL, LS, and RH, respectively; (4) rotation will change the interaction energy when both two monomers with big sizes and low symmetries, and vice versa. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010
Trends in indices for extremes in daily temperature and precipitation over Utah, USA
Authors: dos Santos Carlos A. C. , Neale Christopher M. U. , Rao Tantravahi V. R. , da Silva Bernardo B.
Published: July 2010

The main objective of this study was to analyse the trends in 20 annual extreme indices of temperature and precipitation for Utah, USA. The analyses were conducted for 28 meteorological stations, during the period from 1930 to 2006, characterized by a long‐term and high‐quality dataset. The software used to process the data was the RClimdex 1.0. The analyses of extreme temperature indices have identified an increase in air temperature in Utah during the last century. Meanwhile, the analyses of precipitation indices showed a large variation throughout the studied area and time period, and, in general, with few statistically significant trends. Thus, it was not possible to conclude that significant changes in precipitation have occurred in this region over the last century. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
Pluronic F‐127 as the buffer additive in capillary entangled polymer electrophoresis: Some fundamental aspects
Authors: Křížek Tomáš , Coufal Pavel , Tesařová Eva , Sobotníková Jana , Bosáková Zuzana
Published: July 2010

Polymeric macromolecules of well‐designed structures and specific properties open promising directions in the capillary entangled polymer electrophoresis. Pluronic F‐127, as a thermoassociating polymer, possesses some unique properties that can be utilized in capillary entangled polymer electrophoresis of amino acids, peptides and proteins. In this study, we studied properties of Pluronic F‐127 polymer as an additive to BGE for the separation of peptides and proteins. The influence of the thermoassociation on separation selectivity was studied. The addition of Pluronic caused severe instabilities of the electrical current and the signal of the UV detector. This study reveals remarkable positive effect of a low pressure applied to the inlet buffer vial during the analysis, which apparently stabilizes the electrical current and the detector signal. The effect of hydrodynamic flow induced by the pressure applied on the separation efficiency was studied and the significance of this effect was discussed. Pluronic F‐127, as a representative of synthetic macromolecules, was compared with dextran, as a representative of natural polymers, in terms of separation power, selectivity and repeatability of migration times.
Differentiation among various kinds of cheese by identification of casein using HPLC‐chip/MS/MS
Authors: Franc Martin , Křížek Tomáš , Coufal Pavel , Štulík Karel
Published: July 2010

In proteomics, proteins can be identified by enzymatic cleavage of the target protein using an enzyme of the known specificity (primarily trypsin), sequencing the obtained specific peptides by MS and comparing the amino acid sequence of the peptides with a protein database. The sophisticated approach described above was used in this study to determine and verify the original species of cheeses. Proteins were extracted from three different cheese samples which were produced from cow, sheep and goat milks. The isolated proteins were cleaved with trypsin and the peptides obtained were sequenced and identified by a HPLC‐chip/MS/MS microfluidic system. Two different extraction methods and two various chromatographic sorbents packed in plastic chips were studied. β‐Lactoglobuline and four kinds of casein were found in the cheese samples. The species of κ‐casein were identified unambiguously in all the three cheese samples and, thus, κ‐casein can be used to determine the origin of milk of the cheese. The other proteins found in the samples show very similar primary structures and cannot be recommended for identification of the cheese milk origin.
Fast CE analysis of adrenergic amines in different parts of Citrus aurantium fruit and dietary supplements
Authors: Mercolini Laura , Mandrioli Roberto , Trerè Teria , Bugamelli Francesca , Ferranti Anna , Raggi Maria Augusta
Published: July 2010

A CE method has been developed for the simultaneous analysis of the adrenergic amines synephrine, octopamine and tyramine in Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) fruit extracts and in dietary supplements. The analytes were separated on a fused silica capillary (50 μm id, 40.0 cm effective length, 48.5 cm total length) using a BGE composed of phosphate buffer (pH 2.5, 50 mM) and applying a 30 kV potential. The samples were injected hydrodynamically at 50 mbar for 25 s. The use of photodiode array detection (λ=195 nm) allowed the quantification of the analytes and the control of peak purity. The method has been fully validated, obtaining satisfactory values of precision and extraction yield. The analytes are extracted with water from the dried whole fruits or fruit parts (endocarp, mesocarp and exocarp) or from the commercial formulations and directly injected into the CE apparatus. The results obtained were satisfactory in terms of precision (RSD < 5.7%) and accuracy (recovery > 89%). Thus, the method has demonstrated to be suitable for the qualitative and quantitative determination of synephrine, octopamine and tyramine in C. aurantium extracts, for dietary supplement quality control and for food adulteration identification.
Methacrylate ester‐based monolithic columns for nano‐LC separation of tocopherols in vegetable oils
Authors: Lerma‐García María Jesús , Cerretani Lorenzo , Herrero‐Martínez José Manuel , Bendini Alessandra , Simó‐Alfonso Ernesto Francisco
Published: July 2010

The separation and determination of tocopherols (Ts) in vegetable oils by nano‐LC chromatography with UV–vis detection using lauryl methacrylate ester‐based monolithic columns has been developed. The separation of Ts was optimized in terms of mobile phase composition on the basis of the best compromise among efficiency, resolution and analysis time. Using a mobile phase composed of ACN/methanol/water, an excellent resolution between Ts was achieved within 18 min. The LODs were lower than 0.26 μg/mL, being repeatability values of retention time and peak area below 0.15 and 3.1%, respectively. The method was applied to the quantification of Ts and tocotrienols present in several vegetable oils from different botanical origins.
Correlation between Morphology and Mechanical Properties in Zn‐Neutralized Sulfonated Polystyrene Ionomer/Poly(ethylene glycol) Blends: Contribution of EFTEM
Authors: Dalmas Florent , Vonet Jean‐François , Randriamahefa Solo , Gaillet Christine
Published: July 2010

Relationships between microstructure and mechanical properties in SPS‐Zn/PEG blends are investigated. Ion/dipole interactions induce the miscibility of both blend components for PEG content up to 10 wt.‐% as evidenced by DSC and TEM observations. Elemental mapping by EFTEM was used to investigate the ionic cluster microstructure and the phase structure in the blends. PEG chains do not hinder the formation of ionic multiplets but modify the microstructure of the clusters. Moreover, a PEG‐rich layer is observed in the vicinity of the aggregates surface. As a consequence, no cluster glass transition is observed in DMA experiments for these blend systems and besides, the absence of ionic plateau is assigned to the decrease in the ionic clusters' stability.

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Morphology and Thermomechanical Properties of Melt‐Mixed Polyoxymethylene/Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Nanocomposites
Authors: Sánchez‐Soto Miguel , Illescas Silvia , Milliman Henry , Schiraldi David A. , Arostegui Asier
Published: July 2010

The influence of the functionalization of fully condensed POSS cages on the properties of POM‐based nanocomposites is studied. POSS with different organic substituents [glycidylethyl, aminopropylisobutyl, and poly(ethylene glycol)] are taken into account and melt mixed with POM. Good dispersion was achieved upon the addition of amino functionalized POSS, leading to an increase on the thermal decomposition temperature under nitrogen atmosphere up to 50 °C. However, µm‐size aggregates were observed for other nanocomposites. There is no significant change in other thermal properties of the nanocomposites. The relationships among these effects and the morphological characteristics of the systems were analyzed.

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Effect of Nanoclay Incorporation on the Thermal Properties of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Liquid Crystal Polymer Blends
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Jayita , Ray Suprakas Sinha , Bousmina Mosto
Published: July 2010

The effect of OMLS incorporation on the thermal properties of PET/LCP blends is studied. Pure and OMLS‐modified PET/LCP blends were prepared by melt‐extrusion using twin‐screw extruder. The morphological analyses of PET/LCP blends show that OMLS addition enhances the phase‐separated structure of the pure blend. A detailed study on the thermal properties of the pure and OMLS‐modified PET/LCP blends were carried out by means of DSC in both conventional and modulation modes. Results show a complex melting behaviour comprises of successive melting and re‐crystallisation. Finally, non‐isothermal crystal‐growth kinetics of pure and OMLS‐modified blends were investigated.

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Autosomal dominant restless legs syndrome maps to chromosome 20p13 (RLS‐5) in a Dutch kindred
Authors: Sas Antonetta M.G. , Di Fonzo Alessio , Bakker Stef L.M. , Simons Erik J. , Oostra Ben A. , Maat‐Kievit Anneke J. , Boon Agnita J.W. , Bonifati Vincenzo
Published: July 2010

Six chromosomal loci have been mapped for restless legs syndrome (RLS) through family‐based linkage analysis (RLS‐1 to RLS‐6), but confirmation has met with limited success, and causative mutations have not yet been identified. We ascertained a large multigenerational Dutch family with RLS of early onset (average 18 years‐old). The clinical study included a follow‐up of 2 years. To map the underlying genetic defect, we performed a genome‐wide scan for linkage using high‐density SNP microarrays. A single, strong linkage peak was detected on chromosome 20p13, under an autosomal‐dominant model, in the region of the RLS‐5 locus (maximum multipoint LOD score 3.02). Haplotype analysis refined the RLS‐5 critical region from 5.2 to 4.5 megabases. In conclusion, we provide the first confirmation of the RLS‐5 locus, and we reduce its critical region. The identification of the underlying mutation might reveal an important susceptibility gene for this common movement disorder. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Conformational analysis of cis‐3, 5‐dioxa‐bicyclo[5.4.0]undecane and its 4‐substituted derivatives by DNMR, molecular modeling, and GIAO/DFT methods
Authors: Migda Wojciech , Stankiewicz Anna , Szneler Edward , Ulman Lucyna , Rys Barbara
Published: July 2010

Temperature‐dependent 1H and 13C‐NMR spectra of the title compounds are presented. Coalescence effects are discussed and assigned to dynamic process—the interconversion of bicyclic system. The free energies of activation covered the range 39–52 kJ/mol. The dioxepane ring adopts twist‐chair (TC) conformation. GIAO/DFT calculation of isotropic shieldings for the set of low‐energy conformations showed that only one conformer is present at 298 K in solution that matched well with experimental data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Signs and symptoms versus nerve conduction studies to diagnose diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy: Cl vs. NPhys trial
Authors: Dyck Peter J. , Overland Carol J. , Low Phillip A. , Litchy William J. , Davies Jenny L. , Dyck P. James B. , O'Brien Peter C. ,   (Coordinating Committee) for the Cl vs. NPhys Trial Investigators (see Appendix for additional authors)
Published: July 2010

The purpose was to test whether physicians can validly and reproducibly diagnose diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN). Twelve physicians assessed 24 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) on consecutive days (576 examinations) with physical features and voice disguised. Results were compared to gold standard 75% group diagnosis (dx) and a nerve conduction score (Σ5 NC nds). Masking of patients was achieved. Reproducibility measured by the kappa coefficient and compared to Σ5 NC nd varied considerably among physicians: median and ranges: signs 0.8 (0.32–1.0); symptoms 0.79 (0.36–1.0), and diagnoses 0.47 (0.33–0.84), both low and high scores indicating poor performance. There was substantial agreement between 75% group dx and confirmed NC abnormality (abn). As compared to Σ5 NC, individual physicians' clinical dx was excessively variable and frequently inaccurate. Study physician dx from signs and symptoms were excessively variable, often overestimating DSPN. Specific approaches to improving clinical proficiency should be tested. Muscle Nerve 42:157–164, 2010
Organische Chemie 2006
Authors: Bräse Stefan
Published: July 2010

Die organische Chemie zeigt einmal mehr ihre Vielseitigkeit: Stereoselektive Synthesen in ionischen Flüssigkeiten, Diels‐Alder‐Reaktionen in Containermolekülen, metallorganische Reaktionen mit schweren Erdalkalimetallen, eine organokatalytische Kaskade. Kohlendioxid schaltet Emulgatoren, der Naturstoff Platensimycin wirkt gegen Staphylokokken, Acetyl‐CoA‐Carboxylase dient als Target im Pflanzenschutz. Kristallstrukturen von Fettsäuresynthasen und einer Nicht‐Häm‐Eisenhalogenase erregen Aufsehen.
Biochemie und Molekularbiologie 2006
Authors: Mootz Henning , Schwarzer Dirk
Published: July 2010

Methoden zur Herstellung synthetischer und semisynthetischer Proteine mit fast beliebigen chemischen Modifikationen sind unentbehrlich, wenn es um die Klärung von Fragen zur Proteinfunktion geht. Die Strukturaufklärung des Hammerhead‐Ribozyms hilft, katalytisch aktive RNA zu verstehen. Immer häufiger werden auch komplexere RNA‐Schalter entdeckt. Es gelang der Blick auf die atomaren Details der Wechselwirkung zwischen mRNA und tRNA.
Physikalische Chemie 2006
Authors: Havenith‐Neven Martina , Kleinermann Karl , Koop Thomas
Published: July 2010

Wasser hält immer wieder Überraschungen bereit, sei es in molekularen Clustern, als Hydrationswasser an der Oberfläche von Proteinen und Zuckern oder als Eiskristalle in Wolken. Damit wird Wasser auch für die biochemische Forschung und für Klimastudien interessant. Immer vielfältiger werden die Einsatzfelder spektroskopischer Methoden (NMR, EPR, Raman).
Technische Chemie 2006
Authors: Gläser Roger , Kamm. Birgit , Turek Thomas , Wach Wolfgang
Published: July 2010

Der Wandel der Rohstoffbasis in der chemischen Industrie spielte 2006 eine dominierende Rolle für die technische Chemie. Dazu kommen Entwicklungen in der Reaktionstechnik, der Prozessintensivierung, der heterogenen Katalyse und der industriellen Biotechnologie.
Makromolekulare Chemie 2006
Authors: Börner Hans G. , Schlaad Helmut , Taubert Andreas
Published: July 2010

Makromoleküle sind “intelligent” geworden, bilden anspruchsvolle Strukturen und erfüllen immer komplexere Funktionen. Besonders stark entwickeln sich in der Grundlagenforschung biologisch inspirierte Polymere und Biohybride. Sie bieten enormes Anwendungspotential.
Chemiedidaktik 2006
Authors: Becker Hans‐Jürgen , Labahn Bettina
Published: July 2010

Die schulchemische Bildungslandschaft wird vom Pisa‐Geist gestaltet. Output‐Kontrollen, Schul‐ und Unterrichtsinspektionen, Kompetenzexpertisen, Standarddiskussionen liegen als Kräfte einer geforderten Qualitätsoffensive im Trend. Chemiedidaktik ist herausgefordert, die Effektivität ihrer Lehre zu überprüfen. Dieser Anspruch ist hoch.
Festkörperchemie 2006
Authors: Kienzle Lorenz
Published: July 2010

Die präparative anorganische Festkörperchemie überrascht mit einer Vielfalt an Wegen zu neuen Strukturen. Die Charakterisierung schlägt die Brücke von der lokalen Struktur zu repräsentativen Modellen komplexer Feststoffe. Trotz neuer Erkenntnisse ist das Rätsel um den Mechanismus der Hochtemperatursupraleitung noch ungelöst.
Von der Umweltanalytik zur medizinischen Diagnostik
Authors: Gauglitz Günter , Kaeppel Nina
Published: July 2010

Das vollständig automatisierte Biosensorsystem Awacss prüft Gewässer auf schädliche organische Substanzen. Für das Projekt Care‐man entwickelt sich der optische Sensor zum Diagnosegerät in der Klinik.
Wörter filtrieren, destillieren, kondensieren und drucken
Authors: Rabe Christiane
Published: July 2010

Den Abschluss in Chemie in der Tasche; eine langwierige, manchmal Kraft zehrende Promotion drangehängt; anschließend eine Postdoc‐Stelle im Ausland angetreten – um dann das Labor zu verlassen und ein neues Leben im Verlag anzufangen?
Mit kleinem Einsatz große Gewinne machen
Authors: Amouretti Xavier , Lovrinovic Marina
Published: July 2010

Forschungslabors spielen solange mit verschiedenen Substanzen, bis sie neue Wirkstoffe gefunden haben. Dabei helfen sowohl automatisiertes Hochdurchsatzscreening als auch möglichst flexibel einsetzbare Geräte.
Automatisch präzise pipettieren
Authors: Campbell Neial , Kettler Axel
Published: July 2010

In der Hochdurchsatztechnik ist das Dosieren der Proben oft der geschwindigkeitsbestimmende Schritt. Diesen zu automatisieren, spart Zeit und Geld und erhöht die Prozesssicherheit.
Software verbindet effizient Analyse und Probenvorbereitung
Authors: Deußing Guido
Published: July 2010

Manuelle Festphasenextraktionen lassen sich jetzt ohne gravierende Änderungen der Methodenparameter automatisieren, wie die Analyse von Chloramphenicol zeigt.
Global space–time multiquadric method for inverse heat conduction problem
Authors: Li Zi , Mao Xian‐Zhong
Published: July 2010

In this paper, a radial basis collocation method (RBCM) based on the global space–time multiquadric (MQ) is proposed to solve the inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP). The global MQ is simply constructed by incorporating time dimension into the MQ function as a new variable in radial coordinate. The method approximates the IHCP as an over‐determined linear system with the use of two sets of collocation points: one is satisfied with the governing equation and another is for the given conditions. The least‐square technique is introduced to find the solution of the over‐determined linear system. The present work investigates two types of the ill‐posed heat conduction problems: the IHCP to recover the surface temperature and heat flux history on a source point from the measurement data at interior locations, and the backward heat conduction problem (BHCP) to retrieve the initial temperature distribution from the known temperature distribution at a given time. Numerical results of four benchmark examples show that the proposed method can provide accurate and stable numerical solutions for one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional IHCP problems. The sensitivity of the method with respect to the measured data, location of measurement, time step, shape parameter and scaling factor is also investigated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stale in the pulpit? Leader tenure and the relationship between market growth strategy and church performance
Authors: Davis Justin L. , Bell R. Greg , Payne G. Tyge
Published: July 2010

Taking a strategic choice perspective, the current study examines leader tenure and the growth implications of pursuing a market penetration versus market development strategy in a church setting. Using cross‐sectional time series regression analyses of 1415 church organizations over a period of 6 years, study findings demonstrate the influence of leader tenure on both financial and non‐financial church performance, but provide minimal evidence supporting the argument that the selected market strategy matters to organizational performance outcomes in churches.

Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exceptional rates of dental caries in a scandinavian Early Iron Age population—A study of dental pathology at Alvastra, Östergötland, Sweden
Authors: Liebe‐Harkort Carola
Published: July 2010

The dental status of Early Iron Age agricultural populations in Sweden has not been extensively documented. The aim of this study was to record caries status in human remains from an Early Iron Age burial ground, Smörkullen, at Alvastra, Östergötland, Sweden. The study included 96 adults and 50 subadults and comprised 1794 permanent teeth in the adults and 468 permanent and 221 deciduous teeth in the subadults. The caries frequency was exceptionally high, afflicting most of the adults (92.6%): 46.2% of the teeth examined showed signs of caries disease. Most of the lesions were shallow. However, around 60% of the adult individuals had moderate and severe lesions, which probably had an immediate impact on health. Lesions were most common in the cervical region and this is probably related to dietary patterns where the starchy, sticky food tended to accumulate around the necks of the teeth. Children showed low caries frequency, whereas most juveniles (91.7%) were affected. Most of the teeth with alveolar bone loss showed no signs of cervical or root caries lesions. However, in cases of moderate and severe loss of alveolar bone, seen mostly in the older age group, the frequency of cervical and root lesions was higher. Few initial caries lesions were observed, indicating an aggressive pattern of disease in this population. The lack of gender‐related differences suggests that the diet was similar for both sexes, across all age groups. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rear side passivation of PERC‐type solar cells by wet oxides grown from purified steam
Authors: Benick J. , Zimmermann K. , Spiegelman J. , Hermle M. , Glunz S. W.
Published: July 2010

To considerably improve the conversion efficiency of industrial solar cells, the effective passivation of the rear surface is a prerequisite. Thermal grown silicon oxides provide an excellent level of surface passivation on lowly doped p‐type surfaces. However, dry thermal oxidation processes require relatively high temperatures (∼1000°C) and, due to the low growth rate, long process times. To decrease both oxidation temperature and process time, the dry oxidation process can be replaced by a wet oxidation. The most common way to introduce high purity water vapor into the oxidation tube is the pyrolytic generation from high purity gases (H2 and O2). A more easy and cost effective option for the supply of water vapor that was applied within this work is the direct purification of steam. The passivation quality of dry and wet oxides, the latter grown from pyrolytic generated water vapor and purified steam was compared within this work. The passivation quality obtained for the wet oxides grown from purified steam was found to be comparable to those oxides grown from pyrolytic generated water vapor. On laser fired contacts (LFC) solar cells conversion efficiencies well above 20% could be achieved independent of the oxide that was applied for the rear side passivation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential metabolic response of cultured rice (Oryza sativa) cells exposed to high‐ and low‐temperature stress
Authors: Gammulla Chumithri Gayani , Pascovici Dana , Atwell Brian J. , Haynes Paul A.
Published: July 2010

Global mean temperatures are expected to rise by 2–4.5°C by 2100, accompanied by an increase in frequency and amplitude of extreme temperature events. Greater climatic extremes and an expanded range of cultivation will expose rice to increasing stress in the future. Understanding gene expression in disparate thermal regimes is important for the engineering of cultivars with tolerance to nonoptimal temperatures. Our study investigated the proteomic responses of rice cell suspension cultures to sudden temperature changes. Cell cultures grown at 28°C were subjected to 3‐day exposure to 12 or 20°C for low‐temperature stress, and 36 or 44°C for high‐temperature stress. Quantitative label‐free shotgun proteomic analysis was performed on biological triplicates of each treatment. Over 1900 proteins were expressed in one or more temperature treatments, and, of these, more than 850 were found to be responsive to either of the temperature extremes. These temperature‐responsive proteins included more than 300 proteins which were uniquely expressed at either 12 or 44°C. Our study also identified 40 novel stress–response proteins and observed that switching between the classical and the alternative pathways of sucrose metabolism occurs in response to extremes of temperature.
Assessment of downstream effectors of BCR/ABL protein tyrosine kinase using combined proteomic approaches
Authors: Lee Chia Fang , Griffiths Stephen , Rodríguez‐Suárez Eva , Pierce Andrew , Unwin Richard D. , Jaworska Ewa , Evans Caroline A. , J. Gaskell Simon , Whetton Anthony D.
Published: July 2010

Leukaemic transformation is frequently associated with the aberrant activity of a protein tyrosine kinase (PTK). As such it is of clinical relevance to be able to map the effects of these leukaemogenic PTKs on haemopoietic cells at the level of phosphorylation modulation. In this paradigm study we have employed a range of proteomic approaches to analyse the effects of one such PTK, BCR/ABL. We have employed phosphoproteome enrichment techniques allied to peptide and protein quantification to identify proteins and pathways involved in cellular transformation. Amongst the proteins shown to be regulated at the post‐translational level were cofilin, an actin‐severing protein thus linked to altered motility and Cbl an E3 ubiquitin ligase integrally linked to the control of tyrosine kinase signalling (regulated by 5 and 6 PTKs respectively). The major class of proteins identified however were molecular chaperones. We also showed that HSP90 phosphorylation is altered by BCR/ABL action and that HSP90 plays a crucial role in oncogene stability. Further investigation with another six leukaemogenic PTKs demonstrates that this HSP90 role in oncogene stability appears to be a common phenomenon in a range of leukaemias. This opens up the potential opportunity to treat different leukaemias with HSP90 inhibitors.