bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategies to optimize phosphate removal from industrial anaerobic effluents by magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) production
Authors: Carballa Marta , Moerman Wim , De Windt Wim , Grootaerd H , Verstraete Willy
Published: August 2008

BACKGROUND: Owing to more stringent phosphate discharge requirements and the increasing prices of fertilizers, beneficial recovery and reuse of phosphate from industrial anaerobic effluents is becoming an important issue. Phosphate recovery by struvite or magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) permits its recycling in the fertilizer industry because struvite is a valuable slow release fertilizer. Two different approaches to MAP crystallization depending on initial levels of phosphate in the wastewaters were tested and compared.

RESULTS: For low‐phosphate‐containing anaerobic effluents (<30 mg PO43−‐P L−1), a novel approach using ureolytic induced MAP formation with MgO addition appeared to be suitable. The residual phosphate concentrations in the effluent ranged from 5 to 7 mg PO43−‐P L−1 and the separated matter contained residual amounts of Mg(OH)2. High‐phosphate‐containing anaerobic effluents (100 to 120 mg PO43−‐P L−1) were treated efficiently using air stripping combined with MgCl2 and NaOH reagents, yielding residual phosphate levels of 8 to 15 mg PO43−‐P L−1 and spherical pure MAP crystals of 0.5 to 2 mm.

CONCLUSION: Results show that depending on the initial phosphate concentrations in the wastewaters and the ammonium and magnesium levels, the strategy selected for struvite crystallization is a determinative factor in achieving a cost effective technology. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Effects of chromium (VI) on the activities of ureolytic mixed culture
Authors: Altaş Levent
Published: August 2008

BACKGROUND: Ureolytic microbial carbonate precipitation (MCP) is a novel process for removing excess calcium from industrial effluents. This process is based on the hydrolization of urea to provide a suitable medium for the precipitation of Ca as CaCO3.

RESULT: A toxicity identification evaluation was conducted on synthetic wastewater simulating wastewater from paper recycling to determine the inhibition or toxicity of chromium(VI) ions on the activities of a ureolytic mixed culture (UMC) with respect to the removal rate of COD and removal of Ca2+ in batch reactors. The 50% inhibiting concentration (IC50) and the 25% inhibiting concentration (IC25) values of Cr(VI) on UMC were determined as 40 and 18 mg L−1, respectively, for an exposure time of 1 day. The inhibitory effects of Cr(VI) were lower on UMC after longer exposure times of 3, 4 and 5 days. COD removal rate, ammonium production and Ca removal of samples with 512 mg Cr(VI) L−1 were significantly inhibited.

CONCLUSION The present study has shown that the effects of different metallic species, organic toxicants and other environmental factors should be taken into account when removing problematic Ca and other possible elements from the environment using UMC. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Virulence factors and bacteriocins in faecal enterococci of wild boars
Authors: Poeta Patricia , Igrejas Gilberto , Costa Daniela , Sargo Roberto , Rodrigues Jorge , Torres Carmen
Published: August 2008

The production of antimicrobial, haemolytic and gelatinase activities was tested in 67 enterococci (39 E. faecium, 24 E. hirae, 2 E. faecalis, and 2 Enterococcus spp.), recovered from faecal samples of wild boars. In addition, the presence of genes encoding bacteriocin and virulence factors was also analysed by PCR and sequencing. Production of antimicrobial activity was checked in all enterococci against 9 indicator bacteria and it was detected in 11 E. faecium isolates (16.5%); eight and two of them harboured the genes encoding enterocin A + enterocin B and enterocin L50A/B, respectively. Sixty‐seven per cent of our enterococci harboured different combinations of genes of the cyl operon, but none of them contained the complete cyl LLLSABM operon, necessary for cytolysin expression. The presence of gel E gene, associated with the fsr ABC locus, was identified in 4 E. faecium and two E. faecalis isolates, exhibiting all of them gelatinase activity. β ‐hemolytic activity was not found in our isolates. Both cpd and ace genes, encoding respectively the accessory colonisation factor and pheromone, were detected in two E. faecalis isolates, and the hyl gene, encoding hyalorunidase, in two E. faecium isolates, one of them gelatinase‐positive. Genes encoding bacteriocins and virulence factors are widely disseminated among faecal enterococci of wild boars and more studies should be carried out to know the global distribution of these determinants in enterococci of different ecosystems. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Genotypic and phenotypic diversity of Anabaena isolates from diverse rice agro‐ecologies of India
Authors: Nayak Saswati , Prasanna Radha , Prasanna Boddupalli Maruthi , Sahoo Dinabandhu
Published: August 2008

The genus Anabaena is one of the commonly observed genera in the rice fields in South‐east Asia. Diversity analyses of a set of 70 Anabaena strains (including 67 strains isolated from diverse rice agro ecologies of India, and three International Reference/Type strains), was carried out using morphological and molecular datasets. The pattern of growth in liquid and solid medium and microscopic observations revealed tremendous diversity in the Anabaena germplasm analysed. The species wise distribution in different soil types and soil pH revealed that Anabaena iyengarii was present at pH ranging from 5.5–8.5 and all the species of Anabaena except A. oscillarioides were present in alluvium soils. Molecular profiling using primers based on HipTG, STRRmod and STRR1A sequences generated specific fingerprints for individual isolates. STRR1A was observed to be the most informative and useful for differentiating the isolates. Analyses of a combined dataset, including both morphological and molecular data, proved highly effective in discerning the genetic relationships among the 70 Anabaena strains. The present study provided useful information for the development of a comprehensive database based on the distribution of Anabaena strains in diverse agro ecologies of India and identified useful primers for PCR based differentiation of isolates. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Upscaling European surface temperatures to North Atlantic circulation‐pattern statistics
Authors: Orlowsky B. , Fraedrich K.
Published: August 2008

This paper examines reversal of the common downscaling path from large‐scale circulation patterns to local surface weather: Can changes of near‐surface temperature be used to predict changes in circulation‐pattern statistics? A re‐sampling (RS) scheme is applied, which generates ensembles of future series by assembling segments from past (or training) time series. The RS scheme is only constrained by known linear regression parameters of future annual mean temperatures. As circulation patterns, represented by the generalized patterns obtained by a cluster analysis, are part of the past series, the RS scheme also provides future time series of these patterns, conditioned only on the prescribed temperature evolution. In order to test whether changing statistics of temperature and circulation patterns are related to one another, a cross‐validation experiment using global circulation model (GCM) data is conducted: Two independent 30‐year periods are extracted from an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)‐simulation (ECHAM5), the first of which serves as a training sample (2001–2030) for the RS scheme to simulate the temperature regime of the second (2071–2100). The estimates by the RS scheme and the GCM simulation for the second period are analysed with respect to circulation‐pattern statistics. It is found that much of the changes from the first to the second period can be attributed to the temperature evolution. Future applications are discussed in the conclusions. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Varied climatic and topographic influences on Late Pleistocene mountain glaciation in the western United States
Authors: Thackray Glenn D.
Published: August 2008

The timing of Late Pleistocene mountain glacier fluctuations varied widely across the western United States. Glaciers in the maritime Olympic Mountains reached local maxima 125–60 ka and 34–31 ka, and were far less extensive during the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Glaciers in the Cascade Mountains showed a similar general pattern but with contrasts in detailed timing. Most mountain glacier systems further inland exhibited maximum ice extent during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2. In the Wallowa, Wind River, and possibly the Sawtooth Mountains, maximum ice extent occurred ca. 20–23 ka. Mountain glacier systems of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet (Puget Lobe), greater Yellowstone region and Uinta Mountains reached maximum extent ca. 19–16 ka, and those in the Wallowa, Sawtooth and Wind River Ranges were at near‐maximum positions ca. 17 ka. The variable timing of maximum and near‐maximum ice advances appears to be related to climatic setting and glacier mass balance characteristics. Mountain glacier systems under the strongest maritime influences reached maximum extent at times of strong westerly atmospheric flow. Olympic and Cascades glaciers appear to have been negatively influenced by weakened westerly flow at the time of the global LGM, perhaps associated with ice‐sheet‐induced anticyclonic flow. Glacier systems with maximum advances correlative with the global LGM appear to have responded more strongly to depressed temperature. The ca. 17 ka ice advances of several glacier systems are broadly correlative with Heinrich Event 1 in the North Atlantic region, and imply a cooling event and reinvigoration of moisture transport into the region. Post‐LGM advances of Uinta Mountain glaciers appear to have arisen from moisture influences of pluvial Lake Bonneville. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Late Quaternary glaciations in northeastern Russia
Authors: Stauch G. , Gualtieri L.
Published: August 2008

A summary of the extent and chronology of Quaternary glaciations in NE Russia is presented in this paper. The complex timing and style of glaciations include asynchronous development of alpine glaciers in the western and eastern part of the area. While in the eastern part of NE Russia well‐preserved moraines have been dated to the global Last Glacial Maximum (18–24 ka), in the westernmost part of the area no glacial advance took place at this time. In general, glacial advances were more extensive earlier rather than later, in the last glacial cycle. Although only a handful of studies with reliable absolute ages in the vast area of NE Russia exist, it is clear that the number of advances throughout the region varies. Variable glacial response to global climate patterns is attributable to contrasting sources of precipitation. An Atlantic moisture source dominates in the western part of NE Russia, while a Pacific source influences the eastern part of the region. The glacial advances in the interior of NE Russia are largely unexplored and further research is needed in order to understand Quaternary climate change in the region. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Timing of glaciation in the Mediterranean mountains during the last cold stage
Authors: Hughes Philip D. , Woodward Jamie C.
Published: August 2008

Recent research in the mountains of the Mediterranean has attempted to establish the timing of the maximum extent of glaciers during the last cold stage. Several dating methods have been utilised and new dating frameworks have emerged in key areas. In several places, multiple dating techniques (radiocarbon, optically stimulated luminescence, U‐series) applied to glacial and associated sediments suggest that local glacier maxima preceded the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ca. 18 14C ka BP/ 21 cal. ka BP) by at least several thousand years. Studies in Spain, the Pyrenees, the Maritime Alps and Turkey utilising cosmogenic isotope analyses (10Be and 36Cl), have yielded glacial geochronologies with maxima that correlate closely with the marine isotope record of ice volume and the global LGM. In some cases, the use of different geochronological techniques has led to conflicting evidence for the timing of the local last glacier maxima in the same area. From a palaeoclimate perspective, glacier–climate reconstructions for the local last glacier maxima in the mountains of central Italy, northern Greece and western Turkey indicate that climate was wet and cold. In Italy and Greece the local glacier maxima preceded the driest part of the last cold stage – as indicated by palaeoecological records – by several thousand years. For western Turkey, however, recent cosmogenic exposure ages combined with glacier modelling suggest a local last glacier maximum characterised by cold and wet conditions coinciding with the global LGM. The available evidence indicates that a dichotomy is emerging, not only in our understanding of the timing of glaciation across the Mediterranean, but also in the palaeoclimatic interpretations derived from glacial and palaeoecological records. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quaternary glaciation in Africa: key chronologies and climatic implications
Authors: Mark Bryan G. , Osmaston Henry A.
Published: August 2008

Multiple episodes of Quaternary glaciation are evidenced on >10 distinct mountain localities throughout Africa, with the best dated sites from Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya in equatorial East Africa. A general paucity of radiogenic dates constrains the glacial chronology, and regional sequences have largely been based on correlations by relative weathering of features. Excellent glacial moraine preservation and other features of erosion put limits on the spatial extent of palaeoglaciers, and have facilitated advances in palaeo‐equilibrium line altitude (ELA) analyses. All radiocarbon dates (n < 30) provide minimum ages of deglaciation, and are consistent with a widespread synchronous advance during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 ± 2 ka). K–Ar dates on Kilimanjaro lava flows initially recognised up to three glaciations prior to the LGM. Over 100 cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) 36Cl exposure ages on glacial erratics and bedrock from Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya date 16 landforms, confirming maximum glacial extent prior to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 10. No glacial geological features have been dated to MIS 6. While on Kilimanjaro the CRN ages confirm a clear LGM (MIS 2) maximum, Mt Kenya lacks definitive LGM moraines. Lateglacial advances or stillstands on both mountains are suggested by low‐relief moraines dating to 14.6 ± 1.2 ka (two boulders) on Mt Kenya and 16.3 ± 1.9 ka and 15.8 ± 2.5 ka on Kilimanjaro. Multiple moraines upvalley have early Holocene ages ranging from 11.2 ± 0.8 to 8.6 ± 0.2 ka. Isolated and equivocal dates on both mountains also provide speculative evidence that the maximum extent since MIS 5e may have occurred close to 30 ka, similar to sites in South America. New palaeoclimatic understanding from lake and ocean proxies suggests hypotheses for the source of low‐latitude climate changes causing the advances that can be tested with improved dates. A high degree of intra‐regional variance in ELA is observed, with differences by aspect reflecting precipitation gradients. Future work should include more CRN dates, improved mapping and inverse climate–mass balance modelling. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Review of Holocene glacial chronologies based on radiocarbon dating in Tibet and its surrounding mountains
Authors: Yi Chaolu , Chen Hualiang , Yang Jianqiang , Liu Bin , Fu Ping , Liu Kexin , Li Shijie
Published: August 2008

A compilation of 53 14C ages on moraines constrains the Holocene glacial history of Tibet and the surrounding mountains. Several Holocene glacial stages are identified. The Little Ice Age had three substages at 1.0–0.13 cal. ka BP. However, the glacial advances may have occurred 200–600 a earlier in southern and eastern bordering mountains than in the northern bordering mountains. The earlier glacial advance might have been driven by humid conditions in bordering areas of Tibet. Most glacial advances in the Neoglaciation occurred at 3.5–1.4 cal. ka BP. They can be identified in almost every mountain range. An early Holocene glacial advance occurred 9.4–8.8 cal. ka BP, in both central Tibet and bordering mountains. The timings of Holocene glacial advances are synchronous with the cooling periods in the δ18O record from ice cores and with the results of optically stimulated luminescence dating and cosmogenic exposure dating in Tibet. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photoinduced electron transfer in glucose oxidase: a picosecond time‐resolved ultraviolet resonance Raman study
Authors: Fujiwara Akiko , Mizutani Yasuhisa
Published: August 2008

Picosecond time‐resolved ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy has been applied to photoinduced electron transfer (ET) of glucose oxidase (GOD). In this study, we succeeded in directly observing changes in the aromatic amino acid residues in the photoinduced ET of GOD for the first time. UVRR spectra excited at 226 nm showed bands from Trp and Tyr residues. An intensity decrease of the Trp UVRR bands and the appearance of the UVRR bands attributable to Trp•+ were observed in the time‐resolved spectra. In the time‐resolved UVRR spectra excited at 240 nm, the intensity decrease of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) bands was also observed on the same time scale. These results showed that the Trp residue(s) serves as an electron donor to excited‐state FAD in the photoinduced ET of GOD. The comparison of the temporal changes of the Trp and FAD band intensities suggested that the ET from the Trp residue(s) to the FAD occurs with a time constant of ∼1.5 ps. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Micro‐Raman spectroscopy and SEM/EDX applied to improve the zircon fission track method used for dating geological formations
Authors: Dias Airton Natanael Coelho , Tello Saenz Carlos Alberto , Constantino Carlos José Leopoldo , Soares Cleber José , Novaes Felipe Ponciano , Balan Ana Maria Osório Araya
Published: August 2008

The zircon mineral is widely studied in geochronology. In the case of the fission track method (FTM), the age is determined by the density of fission tracks at the zircon surface, which can be observed with an optical microscope after an appropriate chemical treatment (etching). The etching must be isotropic at the zircon grain surface to be used in the FTM, which leads those zircon grains whose etching is anisotropic to be discarded. The only reason for this discarding is the nonuniform morphology of the surface grain seen by optical microscopy, that is, no further physicochemical analysis is performed. In this work, combining micro‐Raman and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study the etching anisotropy, it was shown that zircon grains that present at least one area at the surface where the density of fission track is uniform can be used in the FTM. The micro‐Raman showed characteristic spectra of the standard zircon sample either from the areas where there are tracks or from where there are not. The only difference found was in the Raman bandwidths, which were broader for the areas with higher density of fission tracks. This suggests simply a decrease in the relative percentage of the crystalline/amorphous phases at these areas. The SEM/energy dispersive spectrometry (EDX) showed that there were no significant differences in the principal chemical composition at the areas with and without fission tracks. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Raman spectroscopic study of the tellurite minerals: graemite CuTeO3·H2O and teineite CuTeO3·2H2O
Authors: Frost Ray L. , Keeffe Eloise C.
Published: August 2008

Tellurites may be subdivided according to formula and structure. There are five groups based upon the formulae (a) A(XO3), (b) A(XO3)·xH2O, (c) A2(XO3)3·xH2O, (d) A2(X2O5) and (e) A(X3O8). Raman spectroscopy has been used to study the tellurite minerals teineite and graemite; both contain water as an essential element of their stability. The tellurite ion should show a maximum of six bands. The free tellurite ion will have C3v symmetry and four modes, 2A1 and 2 E.

Raman bands for teineite at 739 and 778 cm−1 and for graemite at 768 and 793 cm−1 are assigned to the ν1 (TeO3)2− symmetric stretching mode while bands at 667 and 701 cm−1 for teineite and 676 and 708 cm−1 for graemite are attributed to the ν3 (TeO3)2− antisymmetric stretching mode. The intense Raman band at 509 cm−1 for both teineite and graemite is assigned to the water librational mode. Raman bands for teineite at 318 and 347 cm−1 are assigned to the (TeO3)2−ν2(A1) bending mode and the two bands for teineite at 384 and 458 cm−1 may be assigned to the (TeO3)2−ν4(E) bending mode. Prominent Raman bands, observed at 2286, 2854, 3040 and 3495 cm−1, are attributed to OH stretching vibrations. The values for these OH stretching vibrations provide hydrogen bond distances of 2.550(6) Å (2341 cm−1), 2.610(3) Å (2796 cm−1) and 2.623(2) Å (2870 cm−1) which are comparatively short for secondary minerals. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of L‐carnitine supplementation to diets with different fat sources and energy levels on fatty acid composition of egg yolk of laying hens
Authors: Corduk Muzaffer , Sarica Senay , Calikoglu Eda , Kiralan Mustafa
Published: August 2008

BACKGROUND: The present study was carried out to determine the effects of feeding diets with two different levels of metabolisable energy (ME) (11.51 or 10.88 MJ ME kg−1 diet) and three different sources of fat (palm oil, sunflower oil or fish oil) with or without supplemental L‐carnitine (0 or 500 mg kg−1 diet) on the fatty acid (FA) composition of egg yolk and the passage of n3 polyunsaturated FAs to egg yolk in laying hens.

RESULTS: The ∑n3, particularly C22:6n‐3, FA contents of egg yolk were significantly reduced by adding of L‐carnitine (C2) to different fat sources (P < 0.01). The ratio of n6/n3 was reduced from 53.77 to 17.72 in eggs yolks when ME was lowered in the diet with C2‐sunflower oil (SFO) whereas it was enhanced from 2.19 to 9.31 in C2‐E2 (low energy) diet with fish oil (FO) (P < 0.001). The diet with E2 or C2 containing FO resulted in a decrease of the C22:5n‐3, C22:6n‐3 and ∑n3 FA contents of egg yolk (P < 0.001). On the other hand, supplementation of C2 to diets with SFO or palm oil (PO) caused to a decrease in the C22:6n‐3 and ∑n3 FA contents of egg yolk (P < 0.01). A significant increase of the ratio of n6/n3 in egg yolk can be seen by feeding with E2 diet by adding of C2 to all fat sources like in E1 (normal energy) diet (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Dietary treatments resulted in major changes in FA composition of egg yolk. The supplemental C2 in diet decreased the C22:5n‐3, C22:6n‐3 and ∑n3FA contents in egg yolk. The use of FO in diets with E2 significantly reduced the passage rate of C22:6n‐3 FA to egg yolk. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Delphinidin, an anthocyanidin in pigmented fruits and vegetables, induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human colon cancer HCT116 cells
Authors: Yun Jung‐Mi , Afaq Farrukh , Khan Naghma , Mukhtar Hasan
Published: August 2008

Because of unsatisfactory treatment options for colon cancer, there is a need to develop novel preventive approaches for this malignancy. One such strategy is through chemoprevention by the use of non‐toxic dietary substances and botanical products. Delphinidin, an anthocyanidin in pigmented fruits and vegetables, possesses strong anti‐oxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties. In the present study, we investigated the antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties of delphinidin in human colon cancer HCT116 cells. We found that treatment of cells with delphinidin (30–240 µM; 48 h) resulted in (i) decrease in cell viability (ii) induction of apoptosis, (iii) cleavage of PARP, (iv) activation of caspases‐3, ‐8, and ‐9, (v) increase in Bax with a concomitant decrease in Bcl‐2 protein, and (vi) G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. NF‐κB provides a mechanistic link between inflammation and cancer, and is a major factor controlling the ability of both pre‐neoplastic and malignant cells to resist apoptosis‐based tumor surveillance mechanisms. We therefore, determined the effect of delphinidin on NF‐κB signaling pathway. The immunoblot, ELISA and EMSA analysis demonstrated that the treatment of HCT116 cells with delphinidin resulted in the inhibition of (i) IKKα, (ii) phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα, (iii) phosphorylation of NF‐κB/p65 at Ser536, (iv) nuclear translocation of NF‐κB/p65, (v) NF‐κB/p65 DNA binding activity, and (vi) transcriptional activation of NF‐κB. Our results suggest that delphinidin treatment of HCT116 cells suppressed NF‐κB pathway, resulting in G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis. We suggest that delphinidin could have potential in inhibiting colon cancer growth. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Motor cortical physiology in patients and asymptomatic carriers of parkin gene mutations
Authors: Schneider Susanne A. , Talelli Penelope , Cheeran Binith J. , Khan Naheed L. , Wood Nicholas W. , Rothwell John C. , Bhatia Kailash P.
Published: August 2008

Autosomal recessive parkin (PARK2) gene‐related parkinsonism may be phenotypically and pathophysiologically distinct from idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Furthermore, asymptomatic subjects carrying a single parkin mutation (“parkin carriers”) may show striatal dopaminergic dysfunction and increased cortical movement‐related activation. Here, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to study corticospinal and intracortical excitability in manifesting parkin patients and asymptomatic carriers. We studied resting and active motor thresholds (RMT/AMT), central motor conduction time (CMCT), active recruitment curves, short‐interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and facilitation (ICF), SICI recruitment curve, and cortical silent period (CSP) in 8 patients “off” medication, 7 carriers, and two groups of age‐matched controls (n = 21). Patients had longer CMCTs compared to controls with a significant negative correlation between CMCT duration and onset age (r = −0.83, P = 0.04). Carriers had increased RMT/AMT; the time course of SICI/ICF and the duration of CSP were normal in both patients and carriers; however slight abnormalities in the recruitment of SICI were found in the carriers. Prolonged CMCT and normal cortical inhibitory mechanisms in parkin patients may be of value in the differentiation from idiopathic PD. The subclinical electrophysiological abnormalities found in carriers may represent underlying compensatory mechanisms. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Complete 1H and 13C data assignments of two new guaianolides isolated from Ainsliaea fragrans
Authors: Li Xingshang , Liu Jiangyun , Cai Jinna , Cai Peilie
Published: August 2008

Two new guaianolides, 8α‐hydroxy‐11α,13‐dihydroglucozaluzanin C and 11α,13‐dihydroglucozaluzanin C, were isolated from Ainsliaea fragrans, along with two known guaianolides, 8α‐hydroxy‐11α,13‐dihydrozaluzanin C and glucozaluzanin C. The structures of the new compounds were unambiguously established by HR‐ESI‐MS, one‐dimensional (1D) (DEPT), two‐dimensional (2D) (1H1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, ROESY) NMR experiments and by comparison with structurally related compounds. The known compounds were identified by comparison of spectral data with published references. Some NMR data of the known compounds were reported for the first time. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential regulation of human and mouse telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter activity during testis development
Authors: Weise J.M. , GüneŞ Ç.
Published: August 2008

In adult testis, telomerase activity is exclusively detectable during the early steps of spermatogenesis and is downregulated during differentiation to spermatozoa. Knowledge about telomerase activity during testis development from birth to adulthood is still scarce. Telomerase activity is regulated primarily via the transcriptional initiation of TERT expression which encodes its catalytic subunit. We used the hTERTp‐lacZ transgenic mouse model that expresses the bacterial lacZ reporter gene under the control of an 8.0‐kbp human TERT promoter fragment to analyze simultaneously endogenous mouse Tert gene expression as well as human TERT promoter activity during mouse testis development. We show that human TERT promoter activity increased during puberty and was highest in adult mouse testis whereas mouse Tert expression and telomerase activity were found to be high in testis from the earliest time point tested (6 days postpartum). Histological analysis revealed that β‐galactosidase expression, encoded by the lacZ reporter gene, is present in all seminiferous tubules in adult testis, but in a subset of tubules before puberty. We further analyzed the expression of SCF/ c‐KIT, which was described to regulate spermatogonia proliferation and mouse Tert expression, in prepubertal and adult testis by immunohistochemistry. Whereas SCF and c‐KIT were detectable in all seminiferous tubules, a spatial and preclusive expression pattern of human TERT promoter activity and activated c‐KIT (p‐c‐KIT Tyr 567/569) was observed in prepubertal testes. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 309–317, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation and treatment of thyroid nodules: a clinical guide
Authors: Galofré Juan C. , Lomvardias Stylianos , Davies Terry F.
Published: August 2008

Thyroid nodules are inexplicably frequent and affect approximately one‐third of the adult population. The appropriate clinical management is focused primarily on excluding thyroid cancer and also on evaluating thyroid dysfunction and mechanical obstruction. There remains no evidence that a benign thyroid nodule, once diagnosed appropriately, will progress to a malignant lesion. The initial evaluation should include a complete clinical review, a thyroid sonogram by an experienced sonographer, a laboratory assessment of thyroid function, and, where indicated, a cytological assessment of the nodule(s) by fine needle aspiration under ultrasound guidance. Only patients with suppressed serum thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels, indicating hyperthyroidism, may need further evaluation by radioactive iodine uptake and scanning. Optimal treatment depends on the patient as well as the nodule characteristics. The usual options remain a simple annual follow‐up to detect changes in nodule size and thyroid function and surgical removal. Levothyroxine therapy is now seldom indicated because of poor efficacy in nodule suppression and its inability to differentiate benign lesions from thyroid carcinoma. Clinical guidelines have a very arbitrary recommendation of aspiration biopsy in all lesions greater than 1 cm in size, but this proposal has no scientific basis and should always be viewed in the clinical context. Mt Sinai J Med 75:299–311, 2008. © 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Experimental therapeutics for refractory obsessive‐compulsive disorder: translational approaches and new somatic developments
Authors: Berlin Heather A. , Hamilton Holly , Hollander Eric
Published: August 2008

Significant advances over the past 20 years in our understanding of the phenomenology and pathophysiology of obsessive‐compulsive disorder, made in part from structural and functional neuroimaging and genetics research, can guide treatments that target brain regions, circuits, and neurotransmitter systems specific to obsessive‐compulsive disorder, the disruption of which may alleviate obsessive‐compulsive disorder symptoms. We discuss here our current understanding of the underlying neurobiology and heritability of obsessive‐compulsive disorder and integrate that understanding with a review of the current pharmacological, neurosurgical, and brain stimulation treatments of refractory obsessive‐compulsive disorder. Expanding on these studies, we hope that new pharmacological and psychological treatment strategies and research‐driven targets for lesioning, stimulation, or other types of focal neuromodulation can be identified that could lead to future research directions. Cross‐species translational research and neuroimaging of the physiological and anatomical pathways implicated in the pathophysiology and treatment response in obsessive‐compulsive disorder will advance our understanding of the neural basis of obsessive‐compulsive disorder and lead to more targeted and effective treatment options. Mt Sinai J Med 75:174–202, 2008. © 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Immunology and genetics of type 1 diabetes
Authors: Morran Michael P. , Omenn Gilbert S. , Pietropaolo Massimo
Published: August 2008

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most well‐characterized autoimmune diseases. Type 1 diabetes compromises an individual's insulin production through the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β‐cells. Although much is understood about the mechanisms of this disease, multiple potential contributing factors are thought to play distinct parts in triggering type 1 diabetes. The immunological diagnosis of type 1 diabetes relies primarily on the detection of autoantibodies against islet antigens in the serum of type 1 diabetes mellitus patients. Genetic analyses of type 1 diabetes have linked human leukocyte antigen, specifically class II alleles, to susceptibility to disease onset. Environmental catalysts include various possible factors, such as viral infections, although the evidence linking infections with type 1 diabetes remains inconclusive. Imbalances within the immune system's system of checks and balances may promote immune activation, while undermining immune regulation. A lack of proper regulation and overactive pathogenic responses provide a framework for the development of autoimmune abnormalities. Type 1 diabetes is a predictable and potentially treatable disease that still requires much research to fully understand and pinpoint the exact triggering events leading to autoimmune activation. In silico research can aid the comprehension of the etiology of complex disease pathways, including Type I diabetes, in order to and help predict the outcome of therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving β‐cell function. Mt Sinai J Med 75:314–327, 2008. © 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Past, present, and future of insulin pump therapy: better shot at diabetes control
Authors: Sherr Jennifer , Tamborlane William V.
Published: August 2008

With the advent of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy and the findings of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, the management of type 1 diabetes has changed drastically. Over the past 30 years since its development, the effectiveness of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion has been assessed in comparison with other modes of intensive treatment. Additionally, improvements in pump delivery systems have been made. Here, the findings of the studies on pump therapy are reviewed. Selection criteria of patients for pump use and how to initiate pump therapy are presented. Finally, newer findings on continuous glucose sensors are discussed as the next era of pump therapy continues to focus on the goal of developing an artificial pancreas. Mt Sinai J Med 75:352–361, 2008. © 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Kidney and pancreas transplantation in type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Lerner Susan M.
Published: August 2008

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is characterized by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, leading to a state of absolute insulin deficiency. Glycemic control via the use of exogenous insulin injections is often imperfect, resulting in multiple long‐term complications, such as retinopathy, neuropathy, vasculopathy, and nephropathy. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial has provided conclusive evidence that better glycemic control by intensive insulin treatment effectively delays the onset and slows the progression of diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy in patients with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus. At this moment, the only reliable option for achieving long‐term insulin independence is whole‐pancreas transplantation. The proposed benefits of pancreas transplantation are clear: improved quality of life, prevention of recurrent diabetic nephropathy, freedom from exogenous insulin with euglycemia and normalization of glycosylated hemoglobin, less stringent dietary restrictions, less frequent blood glucose monitoring, and stabilization of or improvement in secondary complications. The trade‐offs to the patient are the operative risk, the need for chronic immunosuppression, and the inherent side effects of chronic immunosuppression. Mt Sinai J Med 75:372–384, 2008. © 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Complications of type 1 diabetes: new molecular findings
Authors: Stirban Alin , Rösen Peter , Tschoepe Diethelm
Published: August 2008

Interventions targeting the treatment of diabetic complications have not been nearly as successful as initially estimated, despite a marked improvement in therapeutic options for diabetes. The need for understanding why some very promising interventions have failed demands a closer look at the pathomechanisms of the complications. Great strides have been made in understanding the pathology, and several important hypotheses have emerged in recent years. On this basis, Brownlee and coworkers suggested a unifying hypothesis integrating various mechanisms discussed in past years with an overproduction of reactive oxygen species as an initiating cause. This hypothesis and further hypotheses, as well as mechanisms, are highlighted in this article. The field of pathomechanisms of diabetic complications is very wide, and any attempt to completely cover it within a single article is unrealistic. Therefore, our purpose is to present the most relevant concepts underlying diabetic complications in an attempt to contribute to a better understanding and pinpoint areas that warrant further research. Mt Sinai J Med 75:328–351, 2008. © 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Displacement and stress distributions under a uniform inclined rectangular load on a cross‐anisotropic geomaterial
Authors: Wang Cheng‐Der , Ye Zhi‐Qi , Ruan Zheng‐Wei
Published: August 2008

In practical engineering, an applied rectangular area load is not often horizontally or vertically distributed but is frequently inclined at a certain angle with respect to the horizontal and vertical axes. Thus, the solutions of displacements and stresses due to such a load are essential to the design of foundations. This article yields the analytical solutions of displacements and stresses subjected to a uniform rectangular load that inclines with respect to the horizontal and vertical axes, resting on the surface of a cross‐anisotropic geomaterial. The planes of cross‐anisotropy are assumed to be parallel to the horizontal ground surface. The procedures to derive the solutions can be integrated the modified point load solutions, which are represented by several displacement and stresses elementary functions. Then, upon integrations, the displacement and stress integral functions resulting from a uniform inclined rectangular load for (1) the displacements at any depth, (2) the surface displacements, (3) the average displacements in a given layer, (4) the stresses at any depth, and (5) the average stresses in a given layer are yielded. The proposed solutions are clear and concise, and they can be employed to construct a series of calculation charts. In addition, the present solutions clarify the load inclinations, the dimensions of a loaded rectangle, and the analyzed depths, and the type and degree of geomaterial anisotropy profoundly affect the displacements and stresses in a cross‐anisotropic medium. Parametric results show that the load inclination factor should be considered when an inclined rectangular load uniformly distributed on the cross‐anisotropic material. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A duality‐based relaxation and decomposition approach for inventory distribution systems
Authors: Kunnumkal Sumit , Topaloglu Huseyin
Published: August 2008

We propose a new method for making the inventory replenishment decisions in distribution systems. In particular, we consider distribution systems consisting of multiple retailers that face random demand and a warehouse that supplies the retailers. The method that we propose is based on formulating the distribution problem as a dynamic program, and relaxing the constraints that ensure the nonnegativity of the shipments to the retailers, by associating Lagrange multipliers with them. We show that our method provides lower bounds on the value functions, and a good set of values for the Lagrange multipliers can be obtained by maximizing a concave function in a relatively straightforward manner. Computational experiments indicate that our method can provide significant improvements over the traditional approaches for making the inventory replenishment decisions, in terms of both the tightness of the lower bounds on the value functions and the performance of the policies. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008
Optimal sensor placement for underwater threat detection
Authors: Pashko Sergei , Molyboha Anton , Zabarankin Michael , Gorovyy Sergei
Published: August 2008

The optimization framework for optimal sensor placement for underwater threat detection has been developed. It considers single‐period and multiperiod detection models, each of which includes two components: detection algorithm and optimization problem for sensor placement. The detection algorithms for single‐period and multiperiod models are based on likelihood ratio and sequential testing, respectively. For the both models, the optimization problems use the principle of superadditive coverage, which is closely related to energy‐based and information‐based approaches. An algorithm for quasi‐regular sensor placement approximating solutions to the optimization problems has been developed based on corresponding continuous relaxations and a criterion for its applicability has been obtained. Numerical experiments have demonstrated that the algorithm consistently outperforms existing optimization techniques for optimal sensor placement.© 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008
Explosion‐induced dynamic soil–structure interaction analysis with the coupled Godunov–variational difference approach
Authors: Karinski Y. S. , Feldgun V. R. , Yankelevsky D. Z.
Published: August 2008

The paper presents a coupled 2D Godunov–variational difference approach for soil–structure interaction due to a nearby explosion. Owing to the high‐intensity dynamic loads, complex processes take place, including transient separation of the buried structure from the surrounding soil, large deformations of the buried structure including loss of stability, and so on. The approach takes into account the irreversible bulk compaction of the soil medium and is based on the relationships of the shock and rarefaction waves with finite‐difference equations of the shell motion, using a simple iteration method. The model reduces the contact problem to the self‐similar symmetric Riemann problem.

The proposed approach is demonstrated by the solution of a buried explosion in the proximity of a lined tunnel buried in soil. The peak contact pressure envelope along the lining was studied. It was found that for an explosion in the proximity of a relatively rigid shell, the maximum value of this envelope is located at some distance from the lining's axis of symmetry. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Convergence, adaptive refinement, and scaling in 1D peridynamics
Authors: Bobaru Florin , Yang Mijia , Alves Leonardo Frota , Silling Stewart A. , Askari Ebrahim , Xu Jifeng
Published: August 2008

We introduce here adaptive refinement algorithms for the non‐local method peridynamics, which was proposed in (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 2000; 48:175–209) as a reformulation of classical elasticity for discontinuities and long‐range forces. We use scaling of the micromodulus and horizon and discuss the particular features of adaptivity in peridynamics for which multiscale modeling and grid refinement are closely connected. We discuss three types of numerical convergence for peridynamics and obtain uniform convergence to the classical solutions of static and dynamic elasticity problems in 1D in the limit of the horizon going to zero. Continuous micromoduli lead to optimal rates of convergence independent of the grid used, while discontinuous micromoduli produce optimal rates of convergence only for uniform grids. Examples for static and dynamic elasticity problems in 1D are shown. The relative error for the static and dynamic solutions obtained using adaptive refinement are significantly lower than those obtained using uniform refinement, for the same number of nodes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced high‐dimensional model representation for reliability analysis
Authors: Rao B. N. , Chowdhury Rajib
Published: August 2008

This paper presents a new and alternative computational tool for predicting failure probability of structural/mechanical systems subject to random loads, material properties, and geometry based on high‐dimensional model representation (HDMR) generated from low‐order function components. HDMR is a general set of quantitative model assessment and analysis tools for capturing the high‐dimensional relationships between sets of input and output model variables. It is a very efficient formulation of the system response, if higher‐order variable correlations are weak, allowing the physical model to be captured by the lower‐order terms and facilitating lower‐dimensional approximation of the original high‐dimensional implicit limit state/performance function. When first‐order HDMR approximation of the original high‐dimensional implicit limit state/performance function is not adequate to provide the desired accuracy to the predicted failure probability, this paper presents an enhanced HDMR (eHDMR) method to represent the higher‐order terms of HDMR expansion by expressions similar to the lower‐order ones with monomial multipliers. The accuracy of the HDMR expansion can be significantly improved using preconditioning with a minimal number of additional input–output samples without directly invoking the determination of second‐ and higher‐order terms. The mathematical foundation of eHDMR is presented along with its applicability to approximate the original high‐dimensional implicit limit state/performance function for subsequent reliability analysis, given that conventional methods for reliability analysis are computationally demanding when applied in conjunction with complex finite element models. This study aims to assess how accurately and efficiently the eHDMR approximation technique can capture complex model output uncertainty. The limit state/performance function surrogate is constructed using moving least‐squares interpolation formula by component functions of eHDMR expansion. Once the approximate form of implicit response function is defined, the failure probability can be obtained by statistical simulation. Results of five numerical examples involving elementary mathematical functions and structural/solid‐mechanics problems indicate that the failure probability obtained using the eHDMR approximation method for implicit limit state/performance function, provides significant accuracy when compared with the conventional Monte Carlo method, while requiring fewer original model simulations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.