bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Critical Role Played by the Catalytic Moiety in the Early‐Time Photodynamics of Hydrogen‐Generating Bimetallic Photocatalysts
Authors: Pan Qing , Mecozzi Francesco , Korterik Jeroen P. , Vos Johannes G. , Browne Wesley R. , Huijser Annemarie
Published: June 2016

The effect of the catalytic moiety on the early‐time photodynamics of Ru/M (M=Pt or Pd) bimetallic photocatalysts is studied by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. In comparison to the Ru/Pd photocatalyst described earlier, the Ru/Pt analogue shows complex excited‐state dynamics with three distinct kinetic components ranging from sub‐ps to 102 ps, requiring a more sophisticated photophysical model than that developed earlier for the Ru/Pd complex. In the Pu/Pt photocatalyst, an additional lower‐lying excited state is proposed to quench the hot higher‐lying triplet metal‐to‐ligand charge‐transfer states. Furthermore, a strong excitation wavelength dependence on the population of excited states is observed for both the Ru/Pt and Ru/Pd complexes, indicating a non‐equilibrated distribution even on the 102 ps timescale. These insights shed light on the significant impact of the catalytic moiety on the fundamental early‐time photophysics of Ru‐based photocatalysts.
Palladium Immobilized on Thiol‐Modified Silica Gel for Effective Direct C−H Arylation
Authors: Hayashi Shotaro , Takigami Atsushi , Koizumi Toshio
Published: June 2016

A palladium catalyst immobilized on thiol‐modified silica gel (PITS) was developed for the efficient synthesis of various π‐conjugated oligomers and polymers. Direct arylation of 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) gave not only the corresponding oligomeric compounds in high yields but also high‐molecular‐weight π‐conjugated polymers in high yields. Moreover, the polycondensation of the β‐unprotected bithiophene monomer with dibromoarenes was also achieved. This solid‐supported Pd catalyst was used to conduct regioselective direct arylation polycondensation, giving high‐molecular‐weight π‐conjugated polymers in high purity (low levels of residual Pd impurities and structural β‐defects).
Positioning control for a linear actuator with nonlinear friction and input saturation using output‐feedback control
Authors: Wang Nan , Yu Jinyong , Lin Weiyang
Published: June 2016

This article deals with the positioning control problem via the output feedback scheme for a linear actuator with nonlinear disturbances. In this study, the proposed controller accounts for not only the nonlinear friction, force ripple, and external disturbance but also the input saturation problem. In detail, the energy consumption for conquering friction and disturbance rejection is estimated and used as compensation based on the hybrid controller includingand sliding‐mode‐based adaptive algorithms, which ensures the tracking performance and robustness of electromechanical servo system. Moreover, to confront the input saturation, a saturation observer and an anti‐windup controller are designed. The global robustness of the controller is guaranteed by an output feedback robust law. Theoretically, the designed controller can guarantee a favorable tracking performance in the presence of various disturbance forces and input saturation, which is essential for high accuracy motion plant in industrial application. The simulation results verify the robustness and effectiveness for the motion system with the proposed control strategy under various operation conditions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 191–200, 2016
High power factor electronic ballast using resonant converter for compact fluorescent lamp
Authors: Ramadas Geetha , Nadesan Manoj Kumar , Yesuraj Sukhi , Yesuraj Jeyashree
Published: June 2016

This paper proposes a novel single stage single switch resonant inverter with high power factor for electronic ballast. The power factor correction circuit is at the input side. It is designed to operate at discontinuous conduction mode. The lamp power is controlled by adjusting the duty ratio of the active switch of the power factor correction circuit. The circuit operation is analyzed in detail to derive the design equations. Circuit parameters are designed based on design considerations. Finally, prototype electronic ballast for a 40‐W compact fluorescent lamp is built and tested. The efficiency and the performance of the proposed converter are verified for the designed prototype. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conditioned breathing depression during neonatal life as a function of associating ethanol odor and the drug's intoxicating effects
Authors: Macchione A. F. , Anunziata F. , Culleré M. E. , Haymal B. O. , Spear N. , Abate P. , Molina J. C.
Published: June 2016

Fetal and neonatal ethanol‐related alterations upon the respiratory system have been described in different mammals. Studies also indicate that perinates learn about the sensory attributes of ethanol and associate them with diverse physiological effects of the state of intoxication. The present study was conducted in rat neonates during a developmental stage equivalent to the third human gestational trimester. The major goal was to analyze the consequences of ethanol odor exposure, the state of intoxication, or the temporal contiguity between these factors upon breathing patterns. The main findings were as follows: (a) a conditioned breathing depression was observed following few trials defined by the association between ethanol odor and the state of intoxication and (b) sequential exposure to ethanol sensitizes the organism to the drug's respiratory depressant effects without affecting ethanol metabolism. These results indicate that early breathing disruptions caused by ethanol can be determined or modulated via learning processes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58:670–686, 2016.
Applicability of traditional and advanced methods for oxidative quality and stability on marine phospholipids
Authors: Mozuraityte Revilija , Kristinova Vera , Standal Inger Beate , Evensen Henning , Rustad Turid
Published: June 2016

The objective of this study was to evaluate oxidative status and stability measurements of cod roe phospholipid (PL) extracts obtained by different extraction methods, and of two refined fish oils. The oxidative status varied depending on the method and on the extraction methods for the PL extracts. Peroxide value (PV) and anisidine value (AV) were not measurable in PL extracted by ethanol due to dissolution issues and precipitation occurring in the reaction mixture, the latter were attributed to co‐extracted compounds. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were significantly lower for determinations in the presence of an antioxidant in the reaction mixture for both fish oils and PL indicating that marine lipids may become oxidized in the course of the analysis. The accelerated oxidation revealed major differences in the pattern of oxidation in bulk fish oil and bulk PL. While for fish oils, the level of omega‐3 fatty acids decreased and the level of both peroxides and aldehydes increased, PL showed minor loss of omega‐3 fatty acids, minimal presence of the oxidation markers accompanied by disappearance of phosphatidylethanolamine group. This study shows that the applicability of classical oxidation status methods on marine phospholipids is limited. Variations in the methods, such as the choice of lipid solvent/reaction medium, may also lead to different results. 1H high resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopy NMR proved to be a valuable tool to study the different oxidation patterns of fish oils and PLs.

Practical applications: The oxidative status and stability of marine omega‐3 lipids are important quality parameters. The marine lipid industry usually relies upon two standard analyses to describe the quality of their products: PV by the AOCS Official method Cd 8b‐90 and AV by the AOCS Official Method Cd 18–90. This work studies the applicability of these traditional and other methods to describe oxidative status and stability of marine phospholipids compared to classical fish oils. The results show that depending on the processing and composition, some of the methods are not applicable for phospholipids and, therefore, can give a misleading picture of the quality of the product. Moreover, the paper also shows that oxidative pathway for phospholipids are different compared to triacylglycerides and that an analytical tool like NMR can be used to describe the quality of marine phospholipids.

1H NMR results show that different oxidation patterns are involved during oxidation of marine phospholipids compared to marine oils (cod liver oil) and this can also limit acceptability of standard oxidative quality and stability methods for marine phospholipids.
Dynamic and equivalent static procedures for capacity design of controlled rocking steel braced frames
Authors: Steele Taylor C. , Wiebe Lydell D. A.
Published: June 2016

Controlled rocking steel braced frames (CRSBFs) have been proposed as a low‐damage seismic force resisting system with reliable self‐centring capabilities. Vertical post‐tensioning tendons are designed to self‐centre the system after rocking, and energy dissipation may be provided to limit the peak displacements. The post‐tensioning and energy dissipation can be designed using simple methods that rely primarily on the first‐mode response. However, the frame member forces are highly influenced by the higher‐mode response, resulting in more complex methods to design the frame members. This paper examines previous proposals and also proposes two new capacity design methods for CRSBFs. The first is a dynamic procedure that requires a truncated response spectrum analysis on a model of the frame with modified boundary conditions to consider the rocking behaviour. The second is an equivalent static method that does not require any modifications to the elastic frame model, instead using theory‐based lateral force distributions to consider the higher modes of the rocking structure. Neither method requires empirical calibration. The dynamic procedure is used to design two sets of CRSBFs with three, six, nine, twelve and eighteen stories, one set using a response modification factor of R = 8 and the other using up to R = 20. Based on the results of 800 nonlinear time history analyses, both methods are generally more accurate than the previous capacity design methods and at least as simple to implement. Finally, the displacement results suggest that taller CRSBFs designed using
could still limit interstorey drifts to approximately 2.5% at the maximum considered earthquake level in the cases considered. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Response evaluation of interconnected electrical substation equipment using real‐time hybrid simulation on multiple shaking tables
Authors: Mosalam Khalid M. , Günay Selim , Takhirov Shakhzod
Published: June 2016

In an attempt to quantify the conductor cable effect on substation electrical equipment, real‐time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is conducted on interconnected equipment using two shaking tables. For this purpose, the existing RTHS system with advanced control capabilities at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center structural laboratory is enhanced to accommodate the simultaneous use of two shaking tables. An experimental parametric study is conducted to investigate the conductor cable effect using this system with a two‐table RTHS setup. Post insulators of disconnect switches, important components of substations that are usually tested with conventional methods for evaluating their seismic performance, are utilized as experimental substructures for realistic representation of the electrical equipment. Various global and local response parameters, including accelerations, forces, displacements, and strains, are considered to evaluate the effect of the tested conductor cable configuration for a wide range of support structure configurations, which are modeled in the computer as analytical substructures. The experimental parametric study results indicate that the conductor cable has a significant effect on the response of the interconnected equipment over the whole range of investigated support structures and needs to be explicitly considered for seismic testing of electrical equipment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The performance of wood and tile roofing assemblies exposed to continuous firebrand assault
Authors: Suzuki Sayaka , Nii Daisaku , Manzello Samuel L.
Published: June 2016

The performance of tile roofing assemblies as well as untreated cedar shake roofing assemblies exposed to continuous firebrand showers were compared. Specifically, experiments were conducted for two types of concrete tile roofing assemblies (flat and profiled), one type of terracotta tile roofing assembly (flat) and an untreated (without any fire retardant) cedar shake roofing assembly. The design of the roofing assemblies was based on construction guidelines in the USA. The duration of the firebrand flux was fixed at 20 min, and the wind speed was varied from 6 m/s to 9 m/s. These wind speeds were chosen to be able to compare roofing assembly performance to similar assemblies exposed to a batch‐feed firebrand generator which had limited duration of firebrand exposure (6 min). The average firebrand mass flux that arrived at the surface of the roofing assemblies was 0.3 g/m2s Results indicated that for the untreated cedar shake assemblies, ignition occurred easily from the firebrand assault, and this type of roofing assembly generated their own firebrands after ignition. To attempt to quantify the degree of penetration, the number of firebrands that penetrated the tile roofing assemblies, and deposited onto the underlayment/counter‐batten system was counted as function of wind speed for each assembly. Firebrand penetration was observed, even for the flat tile assemblies. It is believed that these are the first‐ever experiments described in the peer‐reviewed literature to expose wood and tile roofing experiments to continuous wind‐driven firebrand showers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Price Discovery on the International Soybean Futures Markets: A Threshold Co‐Integration Approach
Authors: Li Chao , Hayes Dermot J.
Published: June 2016

This paper investigates the lead‐lag relationships among soybean prices in United States, Brazilian, and Chinese futures markets. We focus on both long‐run price co‐movements and on short‐run price relationships. Various co‐integration methodologies and causality tests are applied to examine the changes in price relationships over time. The empirical results indicate the following: (a) the soybean futures market in the U.S. is still the most important and influential market, and the U.S. price, in the long‐term, leads price changes in Brazil and China; (b) in the short‐term, the overnight return of U.S. soybean futures and the daytime return of Chinese No. 1 soybean futures contemporaneously affect each other, but there is no significant causality between U.S. overnight return and the daytime return of Chinese No. 2 soybean futures; and, (c) a weak temporal seasonal causality between U.S. and Brazilian soybean futures price exists and more often than not Brazilian futures lead U.S. futures during the Brazilian growing season. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 37:52–70, 2017
Meta‐Analysis of Genome‐Wide Association Studies with Correlated Individuals: Application to the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
Authors: Sofer Tamar , Shaffer John R. , Graff Mariaelisa , Qi Qibin , Stilp Adrienne M. , Gogarten Stephanie M. , North Kari E. , Isasi Carmen R. , Laurie Cathy C. , Szpiro Adam A.
Published: June 2016

Investigators often meta‐analyze multiple genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) to increase the power to detect associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a trait. Meta‐analysis is also performed within a single cohort that is stratified by, e.g., sex or ancestry group. Having correlated individuals among the strata may complicate meta‐analyses, limit power, and inflate Type 1 error. For example, in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), sources of correlation include genetic relatedness, shared household, and shared community. We propose a novel mixed‐effect model for meta‐analysis, “MetaCor,” which accounts for correlation between stratum‐specific effect estimates. Simulations show that MetaCor controls inflation better than alternatives such as ignoring the correlation between the strata or analyzing all strata together in a “pooled” GWAS, especially with different minor allele frequencies (MAFs) between strata. We illustrate the benefits of MetaCor on two GWASs in the HCHS/SOL. Analysis of dental caries (tooth decay) stratified by ancestry group detected a genome‐wide significant SNP (rs7791001, P‐value = , compared to in pooled), with different MAFs between strata. Stratified analysis of body mass index (BMI) by ancestry group and sex reduced overall inflation from (pooled) to (MetaCor). Furthermore, even after removing close relatives to obtain nearly uncorrelated strata, a naïve stratified analysis resulted in compared to for MetaCor.
G‐STRATEGY: Optimal Selection of Individuals for Sequencing in Genetic Association Studies
Authors: Wang Miaoyan , Jakobsdottir Johanna , Smith Albert V. , McPeek Mary Sara
Published: June 2016

In a large‐scale genetic association study, the number of phenotyped individuals available for sequencing may, in some cases, be greater than the study's sequencing budget will allow. In that case, it can be important to prioritize individuals for sequencing in a way that optimizes power for association with the trait. Suppose a cohort of phenotyped individuals is available, with some subset of them possibly already sequenced, and one wants to choose an additional fixed‐size subset of individuals to sequence in such a way that the power to detect association is maximized. When the phenotyped sample includes related individuals, power for association can be gained by including partial information, such as phenotype data of ungenotyped relatives, in the analysis, and this should be taken into account when assessing whom to sequence. We propose G‐STRATEGY, which uses simulated annealing to choose a subset of individuals for sequencing that maximizes the expected power for association. In simulations, G‐STRATEGY performs extremely well for a range of complex disease models and outperforms other strategies with, in many cases, relative power increases of 20–40% over the next best strategy, while maintaining correct type 1 error. G‐STRATEGY is computationally feasible even for large datasets and complex pedigrees. We apply G‐STRATEGY to data on high‐density lipoprotein and low‐density lipoprotein from the AGES‐Reykjavik and REFINE‐Reykjavik studies, in which G‐STRATEGY is able to closely approximate the power of sequencing the full sample by selecting for sequencing a only small subset of the individuals.
Low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 1 is a novel modulator of radial glia stem cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation
Authors: Safina Dina , Schlitt Frederik , Romeo Ramona , Pflanzner Thorsten , Pietrzik Claus U. , Narayanaswami Vasanthy , Edenhofer Frank , Faissner Andreas
Published: June 2016

The LDL family of receptors and its member low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 1 (LRP1) have classically been associated with a modulation of lipoprotein metabolism. Current studies, however, indicate diverse functions for this receptor in various aspects of cellular activities, including cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival. LRP1 is essential for normal neuronal function in the adult CNS, whereas the role of LRP1 in development remained unclear. Previously, we have observed an upregulation of LewisX (LeX) glycosylated LRP1 in the stem cells of the developing cortex and demonstrated its importance for oligodendrocyte differentiation. In the current study, we show that LeX‐glycosylated LRP1 is also expressed in the stem cell compartment of the developing spinal cord and has broader functions in the developing CNS. We have investigated the basic properties of LRP1 conditional knockout on the neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) from the cortex and the spinal cord, created by means of Cre‐loxp‐mediated recombination in vitro. The functional status of LRP1‐deficient cells has been studied using proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis assays. LRP1 deficient NSPCs from both CNS regions demonstrated altered differentiation profiles. Their differentiation capacity toward oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), mature oligodendrocytes and neurons was reduced. In contrast, astrocyte differentiation was promoted. Moreover, LRP1 deletion had a negative effect on NSPCs proliferation and survival. Our observations suggest that LRP1 facilitates NSPCs differentiation via interaction with apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Upon ApoE4 stimulation wild type NSPCs generated more oligodendrocytes, but LRP1 knockout cells showed no response. The effect of ApoE seems to be independent of cholesterol uptake, but is rather mediated by downstream MAPK and Akt activation. GLIA 2016 GLIA 2016;64:1363–1380
Evidencing a place for the hippocampus within the core scene processing network
Authors: Hodgetts C.J. , Shine J.P. , Lawrence A.D. , Downing P.E. , Graham K.S.
Published: June 2016

Functional neuroimaging studies have identified several “core” brain regions that are preferentially activated by scene stimuli, namely posterior parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and transverse occipital sulcus (TOS). The hippocampus (HC), too, is thought to play a key role in scene processing, although no study has yet investigated scene‐sensitivity in the HC relative to these other “core” regions. Here, we characterised the frequency and consistency of individual scene‐preferential responses within these regions by analysing a large dataset (n = 51) in which participants performed a one‐back working memory task for scenes, objects, and scrambled objects. An unbiased approach was adopted by applying independently‐defined anatomical ROIs to individual‐level functional data across different voxel‐wise thresholds and spatial filters. It was found that the majority of subjects had preferential scene clusters in PHG (max = 100% of participants), RSC (max = 76%), and TOS (max = 94%). A comparable number of individuals also possessed significant scene‐related clusters within their individually defined HC ROIs (max = 88%), evidencing a HC contribution to scene processing. While probabilistic overlap maps of individual clusters showed that overlap “peaks” were close to those identified in group‐level analyses (particularly for TOS and HC), inter‐individual consistency varied across regions and statistical thresholds. The inter‐regional and inter‐individual variability revealed by these analyses has implications for how scene‐sensitive cortex is localised and interrogated in functional neuroimaging studies, particularly in medial temporal lobe regions, such as the HC. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3779–3794, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using ventricular modeling to robustly probe significant deep gray matter pathologies: Application to cerebral palsy
Authors: Pagnozzi Alex M. , Shen Kaikai , Doecke James D. , Boyd Roslyn N. , Bradley Andrew P. , Rose Stephen , Dowson Nicholas
Published: June 2016

Understanding the relationships between the structure and function of the brain largely relies on the qualitative assessment of Magnetic Resonance Images (MRIs) by expert clinicians. Automated analysis systems can support these assessments by providing quantitative measures of brain injury. However, the assessment of deep gray matter structures, which are critical to motor and executive function, remains difficult as a result of large anatomical injuries commonly observed in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Hence, this article proposes a robust surrogate marker of the extent of deep gray matter injury based on impingement due to local ventricular enlargement on surrounding anatomy. Local enlargement was computed using a statistical shape model of the lateral ventricles constructed from 44 healthy subjects. Measures of injury on 95 age‐matched CP patients were used to train a regression model to predict six clinical measures of function. The robustness of identifying ventricular enlargement was demonstrated by an area under the curve of 0.91 when tested against a dichotomised expert clinical assessment. The measures also showed strong and significant relationships for multiple clinical scores, including: motor function (r2 = 0.62, P < 0.005), executive function (r2 = 0.55, P < 0.005), and communication (r2 = 0.50, P < 0.005), especially compared to using volumes obtained from standard anatomical segmentation approaches. The lack of reliance on accurate anatomical segmentations and its resulting robustness to large anatomical variations is a key feature of the proposed automated approach. This coupled with its strong correlation with clinically meaningful scores, signifies the potential utility to repeatedly assess MRIs for clinicians diagnosing children with CP. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3795–3809, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structural and functional integration between dorsal and ventral language streams as revealed by blunt dissection and direct electrical stimulation
Authors: Sarubbo Silvio , De Benedictis Alessandro , Merler Stefano , Mandonnet Emmanuel , Barbareschi Mattia , Dallabona Monica , Chioffi Franco , Duffau Hugues
Published: June 2016

The most accepted framework of language processing includes a dorsal phonological and a ventral semantic pathway, connecting a wide network of distributed cortical hubs. However, the cortico‐subcortical connectivity and the reciprocal anatomical relationships of this dual‐stream system are not completely clarified. We performed an original blunt microdissection of 10 hemispheres with the exposition of locoregional short fibers and six long‐range fascicles involved in language elaboration. Special attention was addressed to the analysis of termination sites and anatomical relationships between long‐ and short‐range fascicles. We correlated these anatomical findings with a topographical analysis of 93 functional responses located at the terminal sites of the language bundles, collected by direct electrical stimulation in 108 right‐handers. The locations of phonological and semantic paraphasias, verbal apraxia, speech arrest, pure anomia, and alexia were statistically analyzed, and the respective barycenters were computed in the MNI space. We found that terminations of main language bundles and functional responses have a wider distribution in respect to the classical definition of language territories. Our analysis showed that dorsal and ventral streams have a similar anatomical layer organization. These pathways are parallel and relatively segregated over their subcortical course while their terminal fibers are strictly overlapped at the cortical level. Finally, the anatomical features of the U‐fibers suggested a role of locoregional integration between the phonological, semantic, and executive subnetworks of language, in particular within the inferoventral frontal lobe and the temporoparietal junction, which revealed to be the main criss‐cross regions between the dorsal and ventral pathways. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3858–3872, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Down‐regulation of glutamatergic terminals (VGLUT1) driven by Aβ in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Rodriguez‐Perdigon Manuel , Tordera Rosa María , Gil‐Bea Francisco Javier , Gerenu Gorka , Ramirez Maria Javier , Solas Maite
Published: June 2016

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized phenotypically by memory impairment, histologically by accumulation of pTau and β‐amyloid peptide and morphologically by a loss of nerve terminals in cortical and hippocampal regions. As glutamate is the principle excitatory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system (CNS), the glutamatergic system may play an important role in AD. To date, not many studies have addressed the deleterious effects of Aβ on glutamatergic terminals; therefore the aim of this study was to investigate how Aβ affects glutamatergic terminals and to assess the extent to which alterations in the glutamatergic neurotransmission could impact susceptibility to the illness. The present study shows that Aβ caused a loss of glutamatergic terminals, measured by VGLUT1 protein levels, in Tg2576 primary cell cultures, Tg2576 mice and AD patient brains, and also when Aβ was added exogenously to hippocampal cell cultures. Interestingly, no correlation was found between cognition and decreased VGLUT1 levels. Moreover, when Aβ1–42 was intracerebroventricularlly administered into VGLUT1+/‐ mice, altered synaptic plasticity and increased neuroinflammation was observed in the hippocampus of those animals. In conclusion, the present study not only revealed susceptibility of glutamatergic nerve terminals to Aβ induced toxicity but also underlined the importance of VGLUT1 in the progression of AD, as the decrease of this protein levels could increase the susceptibility to subsequent deleterious inputs by exacerbating Aβ induced neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity disruption. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pro‐cognitive action of CART is mediated via ERK in the hippocampus
Authors: Bharne Ashish P. , Borkar Chandrashekhar D. , Bodakuntla Satish , Lahiri Mayurika , Subhedar Nishikant K. , Kokare Dadasaheb M.
Published: June 2016

Although cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript peptide (CART) is detected in several cortical and subcortical areas, its role in higher functions has been largely ignored. We examined the significance of CART in memory formation and tested if the downstream actions of CART involve N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) activated extra‐cellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK). Newly formed memory was evaluated using novel object recognition test consisting of familiarization (T1) and choice trials (T2). The choice trials were performed at two time points: 30‐min (T230‐min) and 24‐h (T224‐h) postacquisition. In choice trial (T230‐min), vehicle control rats explored the novel object for significantly longer duration than the familiar object indicating intact memory formation. However, CART‐antibody, U0126 [ERK antagonist, both via intracerebroventricular (icv) or intrahippocampal (ih) route] or MK‐801 (NMDA antagonist; intraperitoneal) treated rats spent less time exploring novel objects; CART peptide (icv or ih) was ineffective. During choice trial at T224‐h, a significant decrease in novel object exploration time was noticed in vehicle control rats suggesting amnesia. However, treatment with CART, prior to familiarization trial (T1), promoted exploration of the novel object even at T224‐h. Pretreatment with U0126 or MK‐801 blocked pro‐cognitive‐like effect of CART suggesting involvement of NMDA‐ERK pathway in CART's action. Animals subjected to the object familiarization trial showed a drastic increase in the CART‐immunoreactivity in the cells of cornu ammonis 3 and polymorph layer of dentate gyrus, and fibers within ento‐ (ENT) and peri‐rhinal (PRH) cortices. Western blot analysis revealed that CART treatment significantly up‐regulated the expression of phospo‐ERK1/2 in hippocampus, ENT and PRH. This effect was attenuated following pretreatment with U0126 or MK‐801, suggesting the activation of ERK signaling cascade through NMDA receptors. Thus, CART system seems to play an important role in recognition memory and that these effects may be mediated by NMDA receptors‐ERK signaling in the ENT/PRH‐hippocampal circuit. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adult onset hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis prognosis is affected by underlying disease and coexisting viral infection: analysis of a single institution series of 35 patients
Authors: Cattaneo Chiara , Oberti Margherita , Skert Cristina , Passi Angela , Farina Mirko , Re Alessandro , Tozzi Paola , Borlenghi Erika , Rossi Giuseppe
Published: June 2016

Adult onset hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a hyperinflammatory syndrome, which can develop as a complication of many disorders. Early diagnosis is essential in order to avoid a fatal outcome. To confirm the diagnosis of acquired HLH made in a single institution series of adult patients with HLH‐04 criteria, we applied the HScore and evaluated prognostic factors associated with clinical outcome.

The median age of 35 patients was 54 (range 17–81), M/F ratio was 20/15. In 26/35 (74.3%) patients, an underlying haematological disease was present (2 Multicentric Castleman Disease, 10 B‐cell Non‐Hodgkin Lymphoma [NHL] and 14 T/NK‐cell NHL); an autoimmune disorder was observed in four (11.4%) patients (one Still Disease, one undifferentiated connective tissue disease and two haemolytic anaemia); in five (14.3%), no underlying disease was identified. A concomitant infection by EBV was observed in 10 patients (28.6%), CMV in 8 (22.9%), HHV8 in 6 (17.1%) and HIV in 1 (2.9%). Hyperferritinemia, fever and splenomegaly were present in more than 90% of patients, whereas bone marrow hemophagocytosis in 51% of cases only. According to HScore, 34/35 patients had a >75% and 32/35 >93% probability of HLH. Four‐year overall survival and HLH‐free survival were 17.8% (CI 1.9–33.8) and 23.8% (CI 7.3–40.3), respectively. By multivariate analysis, presence of oedema and hyperbilirubinemia were predictors of death, whereas there was a statistically significant trend for viral infection as predictor of poor prognosis. B‐NHL diagnosis was confirmed as associated to a better prognosis in comparison with T/NK lymphoma (4‐year HFS 53.3% vs. 0%, p = 0.09) and similar to other aetiologies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Different methods of dentin processing for application in bone tissue engineering: A systematic review
Authors: Tabatabaei Fahimeh Sadat , Tatari Saeed , Samadi Ramin , Moharamzadeh Keyvan
Published: June 2016

Dentin has become an interesting potential biomaterial for tissue engineering of oral hard tissues. It can be used as a scaffold or as a source of growth factors in bone tissue engineering. Different forms of dentin have been studied for their potential use as bone substitutes. Here, we systematically review different methods of dentin preparation and the efficacy of processed dentin in bone tissue engineering. An electronic search was carried out in PubMed and Scopus databases for articles published from 2000 to 2016. Studies on dentin preparation for application in bone tissue engineering were selected. The initial search yielded a total of 1045 articles, of which 37 were finally selected. Review of studies showed that demineralization was the most commonly used dentin preparation process for use in tissue engineering. Dentin extract, dentin particles (tooth ash), freeze‐dried dentin, and denatured dentin are others method of dentin preparation. Based on our literature review, we can conclude that preparation procedure and the size and shape of dentin particles play an important role in its osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties. Standardization of these methods is important to draw a conclusion in this regard. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2616–2627, 2016.
Chronic Exposure to Bisphenol A Exacerbates Dental Fluorosis in Growing Rats
Authors: Jedeon Katia , Houari Sophia , Loiodice Sophia , Thuy Tran Thu , Le Normand Manon , Berdal Ariane , Babajko Sylvie
Published: June 2016

Enamel defects resulting from environmental conditions and way of life are public health concerns because of their high prevalence. Because their etiology is unclear, the aim of this study was to analyze the various forms of enamel hypomineralization, and to characterize the genes involved in this process to determine the mechanisms involved in disruptions of amelogenesis. We used bisphenol A (BPA) and fluoride as models; both are commonly encountered in human populations and utilized in dentistry. Wistar rats were chronically exposed to 5 μg/kg/day BPA from day 1 of gestation to day 65 after birth (P65) and 5 mM fluoride from P21 to P65. Resulting enamel defects were comparable to the human enamel pathologies molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) and dental fluorosis (DF) respectively, and were more severe in rats exposed to both agents than to each agent alone. Large-scale transcriptomic analysis of dental epithelium showed a small group of genes the expression of which was affected by exposure to BPA or NaF. Among the most modulated, many are directly involved in amelogenesis (Amelx, Enam, Klk4, Mmp12, Slc26a4, and Slc5a8), and can be regrouped as forming the “hypomineralization enameloma.” Each of these gene expression perturbations may contribute to enamel defects. Exposure to BPA weakens enamel, making it more prone to generate frequent mineralization defects MIH and DF. Our study identifies hypomineralization genes that may enable the use of dental enamel as an early marker of exposure to environmental toxicants because of its unique ability to retrospectively record ameloblast pathophysiology. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Favorable efficacy of daclatasvir plus asunaprevir in treatment of elderly Japanese patients infected with HCV genotype 1b aged 70 and older
Authors: Akuta Norio , Sezaki Hitomi , Suzuki Fumitaka , Kawamura Yusuke , Hosaka Tetsuya , Kobayashi Masahiro , Kobayashi Mariko , Saitoh Satoshi , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Arase Yasuji , Ikeda Kenji , Kumada Hiromitsu
Published: June 2016

The combination of daclatasvir and asunaprevir is efficacious in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but its efficacy and predictors of efficacy in the elderly (≥70 years) remain unclear. In this study, 844 patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection, were treated with daclatasvir (60 mg once daily) plus asunaprevir (100 mg twice daily) for 24 weeks. Using the intention‐to‐treat analysis, the sustained virological response (SVR) rates were 87% and 88% for all 844 patients and 411 elderly (>70 years of age), respectively. In both groups, multivariate analysis identified NS5A‐Y93H mutation (<20%), pretreatment (failure of treatment except for triple therapy with simeprevir, or treatment naive), and level of viremia (<6.0 log IU/ml) as independent predictors of SVR. Direct sequencing showed a significantly higher rate of NS3‐D168 mutation at baseline in non‐responders to triple therapy with simeprevir (44%) than others (2%). Alfa‐fetoprotein (AFP) level and liver stiffness were significantly lower after end of treatment than at baseline, in both the SVR and non‐SVR groups. In conclusion, daclatasvir–asunaprevir combination achieved high SVR in HCV genotype 1b patients, including elderly patients. Viral factors negatively influenced the response to treatment. Treatment improved AFP level and liver stiffness (surrogate markers of hepatocellular carcinoma), regardless of treatment efficacy. J. Med. Virol. 89:91–98, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cell wall composition plays a key role on sensitivity of filamentous fungi to chitosan
Authors: Aranda‐Martinez Almudena , Lopez‐Moya Federico , Lopez‐Llorca Luis Vicente
Published: June 2016

Chitosan antifungal activity has been reported for both filamentous fungi and yeast. Previous studies have shown fungal plasma membrane as main chitosan target. However, the role of the fungal cell wall (CW) in their response to chitosan is unknown. We show that cell wall regeneration in Neurospora crassa (chitosan sensitive) protoplasts protects them from chitosan damage. Caspofungin, a β‐1,3‐glucan synthase inhibitor, showed a synergistic antifungal effect with chitosan for N. crassa but not for Pochonia chlamydosporia, a biocontrol fungus resistant to chitosan. Chitosan significantly repressed N. crassa genes involved in β‐1,3‐glucan synthesis (fks) and elongation (gel‐1) but the chitin synthase gene (chs‐1) did not present changes in its expression. N. crassa cell wall deletion strains related to β‐1,3‐glucan elongation (Δgel‐1 and Δgel‐2) were more sensitive to chitosan than wild type (wt). On the contrary, chitin synthase deletion strain (Δchs‐1) showed the same sensitivity to chitosan than wt. The mycelium of P. chlamydosporia showed a higher (ca. twofold) β‐1,3‐glucan/chitin ratio than that of N. crassa. Taken together, our results indicate that cell wall composition plays an important role on ­sensitivity of filamentous fungi to chitosan.
Use of pre‐clinical surgically induced models to understand biomechanical and biological consequences of PTOA development
Authors: Barton Kristen I. , Shekarforoush Mehdi , Heard Bryan J. , Sevick John L. , Vakil Paria , Atarod Mohammad , Martin Ryan , Achari Yamini , Hart David A. , Frank Cyril B. , Shrive Nigel G.
Published: June 2016

Post‐traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) development is often observed following traumatic knee injuries involving key stabilising structures such as the cruciate ligaments or the menisci. Both biomechanical and biological alterations that follow knee injuries have been implicated in PTOA development, although it has not been possible to differentiate clearly between the two causal factors. This review critically examines the outcomes from pre‐clinical lapine and ovine injury models arising in the authors’ laboratories and differing in severity of PTOA development and progression. Specifically, we focus on how varying severity of knee injuries influence the subsequent alterations in kinematics, kinetics, and biological outcomes. The immediate impact of injury on the lubrication capacity of the joint is examined in the context of its influence on biomechanical alterations, thus linking the biological changes to abnormal kinematics, leading to a focus on the potential areas for interventions to inhibit or prevent development of the disease. We believe that PTOA results from altered cartilage surface interactions where biological and biomechanical factors intersect, and mitigating acute joint inflammation may be critical to prolonging PTOA development. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:454–465, 2017.
Detection of the Askja AD 1875 cryptotephra in Latvia, Eastern Europe
Authors: Stivrins Normunds , Wulf Sabine , Wastegård Stefan , Lind Ewa M. , Alliksaar Tiiu , Gałka Mariusz , Andersen Thorbjørn Joest , Heinsalu Atko , Seppä Heikki , Veski Siim
Published: June 2016

We report the first geochemically confirmed findings of the Askja volcano (Iceland) AD 1875 eruption cryptotephra in Eastern Europe. The cryptotephra finding in Latvia is the easternmost finding of the Askja AD 1875 so far, providing an important time marker in the sediments. Although low concentrations of Askja AD 1875 rhyolitic glass shards were recorded, our findings suggest the possibility of also tracing other historical cryptotephras in lacustrine and peat sediments in Eastern Europe. We use the Askja AD 1875 tephra isochrone to synchronize pollen data of human activities, i.e. rye (Secale cereale) cultivation. Our comparison of Secale pollen from two sites reveals that there were minor dissimilarities in the timing of highest rye cultivation, and that a synchronous decrease of rye cultivation occurred at both sites few years after the Askja eruption at AD 1875.
High temperature O2 vibrational CARS thermometry applied to a turbulent oxy‐fuel combustion process
Authors: Tröger Johannes W. , Meißner Christian , Seeger Thomas
Published: June 2016

An O2 vibrational coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering system for the temperature analysis of industrially relevant staged oxy‐fuel jet burners with a thermal load of 400 kW is presented. The equivalence ratio for both investigated burners was set to ϕ = 0.9 using a mixture of pure oxygen and natural gas H (high calorific value). Temperature profiles were achieved in the mixing region of the turbulent diffusion type burners at a selected downstream position. Temperature distributions and scatter plots show local temperature variations between 447 and 3085 K and demonstrate the turbulent behavior of the combustion process. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of ionic strength on the interfacial viscoelasticity and stability of silk fibroin at the oil/water interface
Authors: Tang Xiaoxiao , Qiao Xiuying , Miller Reinhard , Sun Kang
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND

The amphiphilic character and surface activity endows silk fibroin with the ability to reside at fluid interfaces and effectively stabilize emulsions. However, the influence of relevant factors and their actual effect on the interfacial viscoelasticity and stability of silk fibroin at the oil/water interface has received less attention. In the present study, the effect of ionic strength on the interfacial viscoelasticity, emulsification effectiveness and stability of silk fibroin at the oil/water interface was investigated in detail.

RESULTS

A higher ion concentration facilitates greater adsorption, stronger molecular interaction and faster structure reorganization of silk fibroin at the oil/water interface, thus causing quicker interfacial saturation adsorption, greater interfacial strength and lower interfacial structural fracture on large deformation. However, the presence of concentrated ions screens the charges in silk fibroin molecules and the zeta potential decreases as a result of electrostatic screening and ion‐binding effects, which may result in emulsion droplet coalescence and a decrease in emulsion stability.

CONCLUSION

The positively‐charged ions significantly affect the interfacial elasticity and stability of silk fibroin layers at the oil/water interface as a result of the strong electrostatic interactions between counter‐ions and the negatively‐charged groups of silk fibroin. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Safety assessment of a natural tomato oleoresin containing high amounts of Z‐isomers of lycopene prepared with supercritical carbon dioxide
Authors: Honda Masaki , Higashiura Takuma , Fukaya Tetsuya
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND

Z‐isomers of lycopene, which are abundantly present in processed tomato products, are more bioavailable than (all‐E)‐lycopene found predominantly in raw tomatoes. Despite extensive studies on the bioavailability and biological activities of Z‐isomers of lycopene, detailed studies on their safety and toxicology are limited.

RESULTS

The geno‐, acute and subacute toxicities of tomato oleoresin that contained high amounts of lycopene Z‐isomers (10.9% lycopene with 66.3% Z‐isomer content) and had been prepared with supercritical carbon dioxide were investigated. The oleoresin was non‐mutagenic in the Ames test with and without metabolic activation (S9 mix). The medial lethal dose (LD50) of the oleoresin in rats, as determined by a single‐dose oral test, was more than 5000 mg kg body weight−1 (bw) [361 mg (Z)‐lycopene kg bw−1]. In the 4‐week repeated‐dose oral toxicity test, rats were administered oleoresin at 4500 mg kg−1 day−1 [325 mg (Z)‐lycopene kg bw−1 day−1]. There were no clinically significant changes with respect to vital signs, physical examination outcomes and laboratory test values during the test period.

CONCLUSION

Based on our findings and as supported by its long history of consumption, tomato oleoresin that contains high amounts of Z‐isomers of lycopene prepared with supercritical carbon dioxide can be considered as safe for human consumption. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry