bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Analysis of a Bio-Inspired Wire-Driven Multi-Section Flexible Robot
Authors: Li Zheng , Du Ruxu
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a bio-inspired wire-driven multi-section flexible robot. It is inspired by the snake skeleton and octopus arm muscle arrangements. The robot consists of three sections and each section is made up of several identical vertebras, which are articulated by both spherical joints and a flexible backbone. Each section is driven by two groups of wires, controlling the bending motion in X and Y directions. This design integrates the serpentine robots' structure and the continuum robots' actuation. As a result, it is more compact than traditional serpentine robots and has a higher positioning accuracy than typical continuum soft robots, such as OctArm V. A Kinematics model and a workspace model of the robot are developed based on the piece wise constant curvature assumption. To evaluate the design, a prototype is built and experiments are carried out. The average distal end positioning error is less than 4%. Characteristics of the wire-driven robot are also discussed, including the leverage effect and the manipulability under constraint. These features makes the proposed robot well suited to confined spaces, especially for working in minimally invasive surgery, nuclear reactor pipelines, disaster debris, etc.
Vliv institucionálního zapojení nevládních organizací na volbu strategií
Authors: Pinková Aneta
Published: April 2013

The article explores institutional platforms used to incorporate non-governmental groups into the decision making process and the possible impacts of such incorporation on their choice of strategy. The paper starts with an overview of relevant theories and concepts, such as the political opportunities structures, the concept of access points to the political system and, most importantly, the insider – outsider typology of interest groups. The empirical part of the paper focuses on the Czech Republic and the two institutional platforms available to NGOs within its political system: participation in advisory committees and formal commenting procedure. The article further presents a case study of employer and business groups in the Czech Republic, using a scale of institutional incorporation as an independent variable influencing the groups’ strategy choice. The scale roughly indicates the level of the organizations’ institutional incorporation, based on their involvement in both advisory committees and formal commenting procedure. On the basis of the findings from the case study, possible impacts of institutional incorporation on strategy choice are outlined, indicating that the so-called insider strategies are more often used by more incorporated groups. This suggests a continuing relevance of Grant’s insider – outsider typology, which has been questioned by political scientists in recent years. While the article focuses on a relatively narrowly defined category of organizations, the findings also suggest that the role and influence of institutionalized platforms on the overall strategy choice of traditional interest groups should not be ignored by researchers, as it is often the case both in the Czech Republic and internationally.
Michal Kubát: Současná česká politika: Co s neefektivním režimem?
Authors: Svačinová Petra
Published: April 2013

Knižní recenze
Biodiversity and ecological classification of cryptogamic soil crusts in the vicinity of Petunia Bay, Svalbard
Authors: Pushkareva Ekaterina , Elster Josef
Published: April 2013

The objective of this study was to describe various types of Arctic soil crust that were collected in the vicinity of Petunia Bay, Svalbard in the 2012 summer season. The photosynthetically active area of different soil crust samples was estimated by a chlorophyll fluorescence imaging camera. Biodiversity of cyanobacteria and microalgae from the collected soil crusts was analyzed using a stereomicroscopy and light microscopy. In most cases, cryptogamic crusts were dominated by cyanobacteria such as Gloeocapsa sp., Nostoc sp., Microcoleus sp., Scytonema sp., and Chroococcus sp. The dominant green microalgae were Coccomyxa sp., Hormotila sp., and Trebouxia sp. which commonly occurred in a lichenised soil crust. Soil crusts that were located in conditions with high water content were dominated by Nostoc sp. Cryptogamic soil crusts from the studied area can be divided into three different types and classified: (1) black-brown soil crusts (with low diversity of cyanobacteria and microalgae), (2) brown soil crusts (with high diversity of cyanobacteria and microalgae) and (3) grey-brown soil crusts (with low diversity of cyanobacteria and algae). The occurrence of similar soil crust types were compared at different altitudes. Altitude does not affect the biodiversity of cyanobacteria and microalgae. However, cyanobacteria and microalgae abundance increases with altitude.
Temperature-dependent growth rate and photosynthetic performance of Antarctic symbiotic alga Trebouxia sp. cultivated in a bioreactor
Authors: Balarinová Kateřina , Váczi Peter , Barták Miloš , Hazdrová Jana , Forbelská Marie
Published: April 2013

Optimum growth temperature of Trebouxia sp. (re-classified as Asterochloris sp. recently), a symbiotic lichenized alga was evaluated using a batch culture cultivated in a bioreactor. The algae were isolated from lichen thalli of Usnea antarctica collected at the James Ross Island, Antarctica in February 2012. The algae were isolated under laboratory conditions and then cultivated on agar medium at 5°C. When sufficiently developed, the algae were suspended in a BBM liquid medium and cultivated in a photobioreactor for 33 days at either 15, or 10°C. During cultivation, optical density (OD) characterizing culture growth, and effective quantum yield of photosystem II (FPSII) characterizing photosynthetic performance were measured simultaneously. Thanks to higher FPSII values, faster growth was achieved at 10oC than 15oC indicating that Trebouxia sp. might be ranked among psychrotolerant species. Such conclusion is supported also by a higher specific growth rate found during exponential phase of culture growth. The results are discussed and compared to available data on temperature-dependent growth of polar microalgae.
Wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) resources use in the Taimyr peninsula: Aspects of the principle of ecological law
Authors: Malygina Natalia , Vlasova Elisabeth , Bogdanova Valeriya
Published: April 2013

Rapid development of modern industry on the Taimyr peninsula together with global changes of environmental conditions and great anthropogenic pressure have caused observable disruption of some Arctic and sub Arctic tundra ecosystems. These changes have several effects on the animal populations, Wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) in particular, that are the resources of living for the indigenous people of the Taimyr peninsula. Many problems are eliminated by existing environmental, health, housing and civil rights laws, research and educational activities. In future, they should be developed and advanced so that R. tarandus resources could be balanced according to the indigenous people demands.
Increased Thickness of Abdominal Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Occurs More Frequently in Steatohepatitis Than in Simple Steatosis
Authors: Fiel M. Isabel , Sima Hamid Reza , Desman Garrett , Azarian Amirabbas , Lento Patrick , Schiano Thomas D.
Published: April 2013

Context.—The incidence of obesity is increasing and contributes to the rising incidence of fatty liver. Body mass index (BMI) is used to assess the degree of obesity but does not take into account the pattern of body fat distribution.

Objectives.—To confirm the increasing incidence of fatty liver in an autopsy study. We hypothesized that a standardized measurement of abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT) might be a good noninvasive method for differentiating steatohepatitis from steatosis.

Design.—Consecutive complete adult postmortem cases were studied and liver sections were assessed with a steatohepatitis scoring system. Spleen weight, ASAT, and clinical information were obtained. Spleen histology was assessed in a subset of patients having splenomegaly in the absence of cirrhosis.

Results.—Patients with human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, and appreciable alcohol use were excluded. Of 306 cases, the frequency of fatty liver was 51.6% with 33.3% having simple steatosis and 18.3%, having steatohepatitis. Mean ASAT was 3.7 cm in the steatohepatitis group versus 2.6 cm in the steatosis group (P < .001); this difference was greater in patients with a BMI less than 25 kg/m2 (P = .05). Fibrocongestive splenomegaly was noted in 9 of 38 patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (24%) in the absence of cirrhosis.

Conclusions.—In this series of autopsy cases, a dramatic increase in the prevalence of fatty liver disease is demonstrated. Thicker ASAT is associated more with steatohepatitis than with simple steatosis, especially in patients with BMI below 25 kg/m2. Fibrocongestive splenomegaly may occur in the absence of cirrhosis in the presence of steatohepatitis.
Fire or Ice? A Critical Assessment of the Underlying Views
Authors: Burns Kelly , Moosa Imad
Published: April 2013

Abstract: A debate is raging on whether the U.S. is likely to experience hyperinflation (fire) or deflation (ice) as a result of post-crisis policies, particularly quantitative easing. Views have been put forward to suggest that the U.S. is heading towards ice, while others suggest that fire is the destination. There are also those who envisage either fire or ice, depending on how much is done to combat deflation. These views are assessed critically to reach the conclusion that, on the balance of probabilities, it seems that the U.S. is more likely heading towards fire.
Cockney Cities
Authors: Cox Jeffrey N.
Published: April 2013

We normally associate writing about the city with a line of continental writers from Baudelaire to Benjamin and beyond. However, there was an earlier account of the city in the writers identified with the Cockney School and in particular Leigh Hunt. Hunt’s Wishing Cap Papers are a striking instance of an attempt to write about the city from the perspective of someone who is, on the one hand, below the circles that control the city, and, on the other hand, capable of imagining a world beyond the city as it exists in the present. While our image of Hunt in the city might begin and end with Dickens’ Skimpole, we can recover behind that savage portrait an engaged city-dweller trying to imagine the urban space remade by pleasure. This is part of the Cockney attempt to create a cosmopolitanism that moves from the local to the global in order to bypass the nation.
Leigh Hunt, Sport, and the Cockney Controversy Revisited
Authors: Strachan John
Published: April 2013

This essay examines Leigh Hunt’s attitude towards sport, a subject about which he had mixed feelings. On the one hand Hunt strongly denounced violent and death-dealing sports such as boxing, shooting and angling, and on the other he idealised those pastimes which seemed to him to call back a lost world of ‘Merry Old England’: cricket, quarterstaff and bowls. Hunt saw sports as ethics-in-action; to him they offered moral lessons, some malign (the corrupting effects of pugilism) others benign (the healthy influence of the sports of the village green). The essay also examines how Hunt’s examination of sport was made in gendered terms of ‘manliness’ and ‘effeminacy’, and concludes by arguing that Blackwood’s attack on Hunt and the so-called ‘Cockney’ school might usefully be read in the context of the contemporary satirical tradition of the ‘Cockney sportsman’.
Hunt, Byron, and The Story of Rimini - A Literary Challenge to “the Public Mind”
Authors: Bowers Will
Published: April 2013

This article situates the genesis of second generation Romanticism around the writing, publication, and reception, of Leigh Hunt'sThe Story of Rimini. It will focus on the period 1814-1816, to find the first expressions of the experimentation which characterise this group. This development has been analysed in Jeffrey Cox's influential Hunt-centred work. Taking a later chronology for his study, Cox claims that these writers were “questing for a position beyond the hegemony of the official culture”. This article disagrees with Cox's positioning of these poets, their works, and “hegemony” (Cox 12). I do not view the poetical works questing for a position “beyond the hegemony”, because of theseparationfrom “official culture” which this articulates. I instead believe that in 1814-1816 Hunt and Byron were constructing poems toconfrontofficial culture. Byron's neglectedParisinawas written at the same time asRimini,and I believe that this work was influenced by Hunt. It is a relationship about which criticism is conspicuously silent, preferring instead the “Turkish” tales andChilde Harold.1This influence provides a reason for Byron's move from the successful tales, to the more formally and thematically radical work of his exile. There will then be a close-reading of both poems’ experiments in genre (the metrical romance) and form (the heroic couplet). The aim is to view Hunt's poem as a confrontation with two established, and establishment, literary modes while appreciating the social repercussions of such a move. The final section will analyse the organs of “public opinion”, by studying the works’ reception in conservative periodicals. The aim of this analysis will be to challenge critical praxis and appreciate the texts, rather than just their authors' politics, as a threat to the newly formed “public mind”.2
The Religion Of Art, Art For Art’s Sake: Dante Gabriel Rossetti And Walter Pater
Authors: Cheeke Stephen
Published: April 2013

This article assesses the meaning of the phrase “the religion of art” in the nineteenth century, taking “art” to denote literature, painting and sculpture, and focuses this question in relation to two central ideas: to the Coleridgean “Symbol” (his famous tautegorical figure), and to the conceptual provenance and meaning of the phrase “art for art’s sake” (an apparent tautology). From the former it traces contrasting paths for the idea of the “translucence of the Eternal through and in the Temporal” (The Statesman’s Manual30). One is via the “art for art’s sake” movement and aestheticism (with close attention to Walter Pater’s writings), drawing upon Romantic Hellenism in order to challenge Christian ideas of transcendence. The other is through the writings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, in which a relationship is posited between the Victorian poet and his Catholic antitype. The religion of art as it manifested itself in the 1840s and 50s is, I shall argue, significantly different from the religion of art as it emerged in Paterian aestheticism later in the century.
Parody, Terror and the Making of Forms: Blake’s Aesthetics of the Sublime in The Book of Urizen
Authors: Ibata Hélène
Published: April 2013

In The Book of Urizen, Blake’s subversion of authoritative discourses includes a critique of Enlightenment aesthetics, and in particular a parody of the contemporary conception of the sublime. At the same time, however, the aesthetics of terror are displaced onto new grounds, as the artist draws attention to creative anxiety and the endless and laborious production process. This new emphasis, we show, is one of Blake’s most significant contributions to the debate on the sublime. As the self-reflexive dimension of The Book of Urizen attests, it is anchored in his own practice and in his awareness of the incommensurability of formal intentions and execution.
Legacies of Tortured Sensibility; or, what Shakira learned from Sade
Authors: Wennerstrom Courtney
Published: April 2013

Apropos of the title, this essay traces the surprising connections between the eighteenth-century pornographer and the contemporary Latina superstar’s portrayals of eroticized torture, as well as elucidates the cultural significance of what I am calling a legacy oftortured sensibility. By illuminating how the gendered spectatorial politics of sensibility—particularly in its fetishization of the (female/feminized) body in pain—continues to inform the numerous interlocking discourses of race, gender, and sexuality we have inherited from Sade’s Europe, and especially from the early sentimental novel, this paper demonstrates how the transnational artist taps into a Sadean resistance to figurations of distressed hearts and flayed skin as sites of geopolitical and individual transcendence. Finally, examining120 Days of Sodomand “La Tortura” side by side revitalizes attention to the ethical crisis surrounding aesthetic voyeurism: where does the anguish of reading Sade—with his relentless scenes of corporeal torment—go?
La Franciade de Le Brun : poétique ovidienne de l’exil en Nouvelle-France
Authors: O’Brien Peter
Published: April 2013

Dans son oeuvre intitulée Franciados libri duo, le jésuite Laurent Le Brun personnifie la Nouvelle-France (Nova Gallia). La déesse adresse quatorze élégies rédigées en latin à de puissantes personnalités françaises : ces lettres-poèmes présentent les difficultés auxquelles doivent faire face les Premières Nations en Nouvelle-France, en décrivant la vie des autochtones d’un point de vue topographique et ethnographique. L’ouvrage n’a jusqu’à présent reçu que peu d’attention. Pourtant, la manière dont l’auteur utilise les figures latines classiques et les topoï afin de rendre cet « autre » Canadien compréhensible à un public européen et humaniste mérite d’être étudiée. Parmi ses nombreuses allusions aux poètes classiques, la Franciade entretient un long dialogue intertextuel avec les Tristes et les Pontiques d’Ovide. Ce dialogue permet à Le Brun de transformer l’appel individuel d’un exilé à la clémence impériale en un plaidoyer pour la rédemption universelle d’un monde non civilisé.
Bis (2‐mercapto‐ethyl) amine modification of macroporous sulfonic resin catalyst in bisphenol‐a synthesis
Authors: Wang Baohe , Sun Hao , Zhu Jing , Wang Lili , Chen Shuang
Published: April 2013

A novel catalyst for bisphenol‐A synthesis was prepared by bis (2‐mercapto‐ethyl) amine adsorbed on macroporous sulfonic resin through neutralization reaction. The physicochemical properties of two resin catalysts before and after bis (2‐mercapto‐ethyl) amine absorption were compared by scanning electron microscope and nitrogen adsorption. The kinetic of the new catalyst preparation process was studied and it was found that this is a chemical adsorption and endothermic process. The adsorption rate is mainly controlled by the intraparticle diffusion, affected by boundary layer diffusion and chemical reaction as well. The thermodynamic activation parameters were calculated. Compared with unmodified catalyst, the modified resin catalyst showed higher selectivity and acetone conversion in the continuous bisphenol‐A synthesis process. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3816–3823, 2013
A Response to the Critical Comments on “One Molecule, Two Atoms, Three Views, Four Bonds?”
Authors: Danovich David , Shaik Sason , Rzepa Henry S. , Hoffmann Roald
Published: April 2013

The criticism expressed by Frenking and Hermann on the notion of quadruple bonding in C2 is answered using hard facts. Both experimental and computational data gauge the strength of the fourth bond as 16 kcal mol−1. The authors agree that chemical research goes profitably beyond “synthetic” chemistry.
Organosilicate polymer e‐beam resists with high resolution, sensitivity and stability
Authors: Lee Sung‐Il , Sim Jae Hwan , Lee Hae‐Jeong , Kasica Richard , Kim Hyun‐Mi , Soles Christopher L. , Kim Ki‐Bum , Yoon Do Y.
Published: April 2013

Hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) is an attractive electron‐beam (e‐beam) resist for sub‐20 nm lithography owing to its high resolution, excellent line‐edge roughness (LER) and good plasma etch resistance. However, the sensitivity and long‐term stability of HSQ need to be significantly improved to have HSQ resists adopted for volume manufacturing. Here we develop novel organosilicate e‐beam resists with improved e‐beam sensitivity and stability as an alternative to HSQ resists. Copolymers of norbornene ethyltrimethoxysilane (NETMS) with 1,2‐bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane, synthesized via acid‐catalyzed sol–gel reactions, show excellent e‐beam sensitivity with around a sixfold reduction in the critical dose as compared with HSQ but poor LER characteristics. Terpolymers were then synthesized using p‐chloromethylphenyl trimethoxysilane (p‐CMPTMS), NETMS and tetraethoxysilane, which exhibit significant improvement in sensitivity as compared with previously reported materials, together with high‐resolution patterns and long‐term stability. High‐resolution patterns of features as small as 20 nm with excellent LER were successfully fabricated employing organosilicate terpolymers using a 100 keV e‐beam. The dose for patterning 20 nm lines was reduced from 4000 μC cm−2 for HSQ to 900 μC cm−2 for an optimized terpolymer resist. FT‐IR measurements suggest that the main reason for the increased e‐beam sensitivity is chain transfer reaction between the norbornene moieties, which provide an efficient cross‐linking mechanism by the e‐beam generated radicals. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conservation status of the inland aquatic crustaceans in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: shortcomings of a protection strategy
Authors: Mercado‐Salas Nancy F. , Morales‐Vela Benjamín , Suárez‐Morales Eduardo , Iliffe Thomas M.
Published: April 2013

The Yucatan Peninsula (YP), Mexico, is a large karstic Neotropical system hosting a highly diverse crustacean fauna related to epigean and subterranean aquatic habitats. There are more than 40 hypogean endemic species, thus qualifying as a subterranean biodiversity hotspot.

In view of the relevance of both the YP karstic aquifer and its related crustacean fauna, the spatial distribution of 212 species from 1165 geo‐referenced records of the inland aquatic crustaceans were analysed in relation to the geographic coverage of protected natural areas (PNAs) of the YP. The data analysed were obtained from sources including the authors' own observations, published literature, and institutional and government databases.

The YP is an area with ​​a high biodiversity of continental crustaceans and is also an important area of endemism worldwide. However, most of the crustacean fauna is at risk. Only 18.5% of the crustacean species recorded in the YP and only 3.2% of the endemic forms are distributed within the limits of a protected area. In addition, only five of the 48 endemic species are listed in the Mexican Official Standard (NOM‐059‐2010) and none of them occurs in a protected area.

The groups with the highest endemism are the Remipedia and Ostracoda, each with two known YP endemic species. Peracarids are also highly endemic in the YP (62%), followed by Copepoda (27%), Decapoda (18%), and Branchiopoda (1.5%).

Currently, the areas of most concern, owing to high tourist pressures, are the ‘Corridor Tulum ‐ Puerto Morelos’ and the ‘Ring of Cenotes’, both having significant numbers of endemic forms. A revision of the PNAs' management programmes to incorporate aquatic ecosystems and biota, the expansion of selected PNAs to provide protection to critical unprotected areas, and increased research activities focused on the aquatic fauna are recommended actions.

Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Colorless to Purple–Red Switching Electrochromic Anthraquinone Imides with Broad Visible/Near‐IR Absorptions in the Radical Anion State: Simulation‐Aided Molecular Design
Authors: Chen Fengkun , Zhang Jie , Jiang Hong , Wan Xinhua
Published: April 2013

The large redshift of near‐infrared (NIR) absorptions of nitro‐substituted anthraquinone imide (Nitro‐AQI) radical anions, relative to other AQI derivatives, is rationalized based on quantum chemical calculations. Calculations reveal that the delocalization effects of electronegative substitution in the radical anion states is dramatically enhanced, thus leading to a significant decrease in the HOMO–LUMO band gap in the radical anion states. Based on this understanding, an AQI derivative with an even stronger electron‐withdrawing dicyanovinyl (di‐CN) substituent was designed and prepared. The resulting molecule, di‐CN‐AQI, displays no absorption in the Vis/NIR region in the neutral state, but absorbs intensively in the range of λ=700–1000 (λmax≈860 nm) and λ=1100–1800 nm (λmax≈1400 nm) upon one‐electron reduction; this is accompanied by a transition from a highly transmissive colorless solution to one that is purple–red. The relationship between calculated radical anionic HOMO–LUMO gaps and the electron‐withdrawing capacity of the substituents is also determined by employing Hammett parameter, which could serve as a theoretical tool for further molecular design.
Epoxiconazole‐Induced Degeneration in Rat Placenta and the Effects of Estradiol Supplementation
Authors: Rey Moreno Maria Cecilia , Fussell Karma C. , Gröters Sibylle , Schneider Steffen , Strauss Volker , Stinchcombe Stefan , Fegert Ivana , Veras Mariana , van Ravenzwaay Bennard
Published: April 2013

Epoxiconazole (CAS‐No. 133855‐98‐8) was recently shown to cause both a marked depletion of maternal estradiol blood levels and a significantly increased incidence of late fetal mortality when administered to pregnant rats throughout gestation (GD 7–18 or 21); estradiol supplementation prevented this epoxiconazole effect in rats (Stinchcombe et al., 2013), indicating that epoxiconazole‐mediated estradiol depletion is a critical key event for induction of late fetal resorptions in rats. For further elucidation of the mode of action, the placentas from these modified prenatal developmental toxicity experiments with 23 and 50 mg/kg bw/d epoxiconazole were subjected to a detailed histopathological examination. This revealed dose‐dependent placental degeneration characterized by cystic dilation of maternal sinuses in the labyrinth, leading to rupture of the interhemal membrane. Concomitant degeneration occurred in the trophospongium. Both placentas supporting live fetuses and late fetal resorptions were affected; the highest degree of severity was observed in placentas with late resorptions. Placental degeneration correlated with a severe decline in maternal serum estradiol concentration. Supplementation with 0.5 and 1.0 μg of the synthetic estrogen estradiol cyclopentylpropionate per day reduced the severity of the degeneration in placentas with live fetuses. The present study demonstrates that both the placental degeneration and the increased incidence of late fetal resorptions are due to decreased levels of estrogen, since estrogen supplementation ameliorates the former and abolishes the latter. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 98:208–221, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Potential Teratogenicity of Methimazole: Exposure of Zebrafish Embryos to Methimazole Causes Similar Developmental Anomalies to Human Methimazole Embryopathy
Authors: Komoike Yuta , Matsuoka Masato , Kosaki Kenjiro
Published: April 2013

While methimazole (MMI) is widely used in the therapy for hyperthyroidism, several groups have reported that maternal exposure to MMI results in a variety of congenital anomalies, including choanal and esophageal atresia, iridic and retinal coloboma, and delayed neurodevelopment. Thus, adverse effects of maternal exposure to MMI on fetal development have long been suggested; however, direct evidence for the teratogenicity of MMI has not been presented. Therefore, we studied the effects of MMI on early development by using zebrafish as a model organism. The fertilized eggs of zebrafish were collected immediately after spawning and grown in egg culture water containing MMI at various concentrations. External observation of the embryos revealed that exposure to high concentrations of MMI resulted in loss of pigmentation, hypoplastic hindbrain, turbid tissue in the forebrain, swelling of the notochord, and curly trunk. Furthermore, these effects occurred in a dose‐dependent manner. Precise observation of the serial cross‐sections of MMI‐exposed embryos elucidated delayed development and hypoplasia of the whole brain and spinal cord, narrowing of the pharynx and esophagus, severe disruption of the retina, and aberrant structure of the notochord. These neuronal, pharyngeal, esophageal, and retinal anomalous morphologies have a direct analogy to the congenital anomalies observed in children exposed to MMI in utero. Here, we show the teratogenic effects of MMI on the development of zebrafish and provide the first experimental evidence for the connection between exposure to MMI and human MMI embryopathy. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 98:222–229, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Social marketing, parental purchasing decisions, and unhealthy food in developing countries: A Nigerian typology
Authors: Mcleay Fraser James , Oglethorpe David
Published: April 2013

Developing nations are emerging from food poverty and overcoming associated externalities such as malnutrition. However, there is a growing possibility that due to the globalization of food markets and widespread use of different marketing approaches, children immediately then become exposed to a new set of externalities associated with unhealthy food choices, such as obesity. In this article, we explore the relatively under‐researched area of the influence that marketing and packaging may have on parents' food purchasing behaviour in developing countries. We present the results of a multivariate analysis of a survey of parents in Nigeria as a case study, exploring the characteristics and attitudes of parents to develop a typology of consumers whose young children may be at risk from eating unhealthy food. In addition, we consider the role that social marketing could play in encouraging segments of parents to purchase more healthy food for their children and changing children's purchasing behaviour. While older parents appear to be more susceptible to children's food purchasing requests, younger households appear to be vulnerable to forming unhealthy consumption habits, which could create further economic, social, and humanitarian development issues as countries try to raise national incomes. The importance of segmented social marketing and globalized versus local marketing differentiation is emphasized A social marketing approach may not only reduce worrying trends relating to childhood obesity but also play a role in reducing malnutrition, as it is important that corporations and governments ensure that developing nations do not emerge from one food‐health crisis only to encounter another. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel approach to treat residual peridevice leakage after left‐atrial appendage closure
Authors: Wunderlich Nina , Wilson Neil , Sievert Horst
Published: April 2013

Left atrial appendage (LAA) device closure has emerged as an alternative treatment to conventional anticoagaluation therapy for the prevention of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation. In 8–10% of patients with interventional LAA obliteration, relevant residual flow into the LAA persists due to incomplete seal. We present two cases in whom for the first time two different devices were placed to complete occlusion after residual leak with a first device.© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Total Synthesis, Proof of Absolute Configuration, and Biosynthetic Origin of Stylopsal, the First Isolated Sex Pheromone of Strepsiptera
Authors: Lagoutte Roman , Šebesta Petr , Jiroš Pavel , Kalinová Blanka , Jirošová Anna , Straka Jakub , Černá Kateřina , Šobotník Jan , Cvačka Josef , Jahn Ullrich
Published: April 2013

The asymmetric total synthesis of the diastereomers of stylopsal establishes the absolute configuration of the first reported sex pheromone of the twisted‐wing parasite Stylops muelleri as (3R,5R,9R)‐trimethyldodecanal. The key steps for the diastereo‐ and enantiodivergent introduction of the methyl groups are two different types of asymmetric conjugate addition reactions of organocopper reagents to α,β‐unsaturated esters, whereas the dodecanal skeleton is assembled by Wittig reactions. The structure of the natural product was confirmed by chiral gas chromatography (GC) techniques, GC/MS and GC/electroantennography (EAD) as well as field tests. An investigation into the biosynthesis of the pheromone revealed that it is likely to be produced by decarboxylation of a 4,6,10‐trimethyltridecanoic acid derivative, which was found in substantial amounts in the fat body of the female, but not in the host bee Andrena vaga. This triple‐branched fatty acid precursor thus seems to be biosynthesized de novo through a polyketide pathway with two consecutive propionate‐propionate‐acetate assemblies to form the complete skeleton. The simplified, motionless and fully host‐dependent female exploits a remarkable strategy to maximize its reproductive success by employing a relatively complex and potent sex pheromone.
Total Synthesis, Stereochemical Assignment, and Biological Activity of Chamuvarinin and Structural Analogues
Authors: Florence Gordon J. , Morris Joanne C. , Murray Ross G. , Vanga Raghava R. , Osler Jonathan D. , Smith Terry K.
Published: April 2013

A highly stereocontrolled synthesis of (+)‐chamuvarinin has been completed in 1.5 % overall yield over 20 steps. The key fragment coupling reactions were the addition of alkyne 8 to aldehyde 7 (under Felkin–Anh control), followed by the two step activation/cyclization to close the C20–C23 2,5‐cis‐substituted tetrahydrofuran ring and a Julia–Kocienski olefination at C8–C9 to introduce the terminal butenolide. The inherent flexibility of our coupling strategy led to a streamlined synthesis with 17 steps in the longest sequence (2.2 % overall yield), in which the key bond couplings are reversed. In addition, a series of structural analogues of chamuvarinin have been prepared and screened for activity against HeLa cancer cell lines and both the bloodstream and insect forms of Trypanosoma brucei, the parasitic agent responsible for African sleeping sickness.
(4‐Ferrocenylethyne) phenylamine on Graphene as the Signal Amplificator to Determinate Dopamine and Acetaminophen Simultaneously
Authors: Wang Linping , Liu Meiling , Meng Yue , Li Haitao , Zhang Youyu , Yao Shouzhuo
Published: April 2013

A novel (4‐ferrocenylethyne) phenylamine functionalized graphene sheets (FEPA‐GR), coupling with chitosan (CS) were used as a signal amplification platform for simultaneous and sensitive determination of dopamine (DA) and acetaminophen (AC). In this work, FEPA used as electron transfer mediator can be immobilized on GR surface via strong π‐π stacking interaction between the conjugate chain of FEPA and GR, which effectively prevents FEPA electron mediator leaking from the electrode surface and amplified the signal. Transmission electron microscopy, FT‐IR spectroscopy, UV‐vis spectroscopy and electrochemical experiments results are all demonstrated the strong π‐π stacking interaction between FEPA and GR. The resulted biosensor exhibited a fast response, remarkable electrocatalytic activity, perfect anti‐interference ability and good stability for simultaneous detection of DA and AC. Under the optimum conditions, the oxidation peak currents of DA and AC were linearly correlated to their concentrations in the range of 2.0–135.0 µmol·L−1 and 0.3–80.0 µmol·L−1, respectively. The lower detection limits for DA and AC were 0.30 and 0.05 µmol·L−1, respectively. The feasibility of the proposed method was validated by successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of DA and AC in serum samples with the standard addition method.
Morphology Control of Bi2S3 Nanostructures and the Formation Mechanism
Authors: Kim HeeJin , Park Ji‐eun , Kim Kyung , Han Mi‐Kyung , Kim Sung‐Jin , Lee Wooyoung
Published: April 2013

Bismuthinite (Bi2S3) nanostructures were prepared by a hydrothermal method with sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA‐Na2). The morphology of Bi2S3 nanostructures was changed from a nanorod to a nanoplate by presence of the EDTA‐Na2. The altered morphology was caused by the capping effect of EDTA‐Na2 with Bi3+ ions, which induces the suboptimal growth direction due to partially blocking the preferential orientation direction. When the EDTA‐Na2/Bi3+ molar ratio=1, the growth of Bi2S3 nanostructures was not allowed due to the chelating effect of EDTA‐Na2. The obtained Bi2S3 nanorods, stacked nanorods, nanoplates and nanoparticles were characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern. A possible formation mechanism of these morphologies was proposed. The successful synthesis of various morphologies of nanostructured Bi2S3 may open up new possibilities for thermoelectric, electronic and optoelectronic uses of nanodevices based on Bi2S3 nanostructure.
Platelet Inhibitory Effect of Clopidogrel in Patients Treated With Omeprazole, Pantoprazole, and Famotidine: A Prospective, Randomized, Crossover Study
Authors: Arbel Yaron , Birati Edo Y. , Finkelstein Ariel , Halkin Amir , Kletzel Hanna , Abramowitz Yigal , Berliner Shlomo , Deutsch Varda , Herz Itzhak , Keren Gad , Banai Shmuel
Published: April 2013

Background

Concerns about an inhibitory effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on clopidogrel metabolism have been raised. Because the pharmacological effect of clopidogrel is dependent on genetically determined activity of the hepatic cytochrome P450 isoenzymes system, it is important to examine the interaction between different PPIs and high on‐treatment platelet reactivity (HPR) after controlling for genetic variability. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of 2 PPIs and a histamine‐2 (H2) receptor‐blocker on platelet reactivity in a crossover trial where each patient was alternately treated with each drug.

Hypothesis

Omeprazole reduces HPR more than other PPI or H2 blockers.

Methods

Patients treated with aspirin and clopidogrel for at least 1 month were assigned to 3 consecutive 1‐month treatment periods during which they were treated with each of the 3 study medications twice daily: omeprazole 20 mg, famotidine 40 mg, and pantoprazole 20 mg. At the end of each treatment phase, platelet function was evaluated with the Verify Now system using 2 cutoff values (>208 P2Y12 reaction units [PRUs] and >230 PRUs) for the definition of HPR.

Results

Patients with HPR were older than those without HPR (62 ± 10 vs 55 ± 8 years, respectively, P = 0.03). HPR was more prevalent during omeprazole therapy compared to famotidine or pantoprazole (48%, 33%, and 31%, respectively, for the 208 PRU cutoff, P= 0.04; and 37%, 17%, and 23%, respectively, for the 230 PRU cutoff, P= 0.003).

Conclusions

After eliminating the effects of interindividual variability in clopidogrel metabolism, omeprazole therapy was associated with substantially more HPR than famotidine or pantoprazole.
The multiplicity of human formins: Expression patterns in cells and tissues
Authors: Krainer Elisabeth C. , Ouderkirk Jessica L. , Miller Eric W. , Miller Matthew R. , Mersich Akos T. , Blystone Scott D.
Published: April 2013

Formins are actin‐binding proteins conserved across species from plants to humans. The formin family is defined by their common formin homology (FH2) domains. The 15 distinct human formins are involved in a broad range of cellular functions, including cell adhesion, cytokinesis, cell polarity, and cell morphogenesis. Their commonality is actin polymerization activity inherent to FH2 domains. Although still requiring much study, biochemical activity of formins has been carefully described. In contrast, much less is known of their activities in complex living systems. With the diversity of the formin family and the actin structures that they affect, an extensive future of study beckons. In this study, we report the expression level of all 15 formins in 22 different human cell and tissue types using quantitative real‐time PCR. Identification of major themes in formin expression and documentation of expression profiles should facilitate the cellular study of formins. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adsorption of Water on an MgSO4(100) Surface: A First‐Principles Investigation
Authors: Luo Jin‐Hua , Zhang Yun‐Hong , Li Ze‐Sheng
Published: April 2013

The adsorption properties of water molecules on an MgSO4(100) surface were investigated by using density functional theory (DFT) and supercell models. Optimized stable geometries of one and more than one water molecules adsorbed on an ideal MgSO4(100) surface were obtained. The configurations with water molecules adsorbed on atoms of the second and third atomic layers of the MgSO4(100) surface are quite stable. After adsorption, the separations between both the adjacent Mg atoms (RMgMg) and the adjacent O atoms of the surface (ROO) increase, which indicates that the MgSO4(100) surface starts to deliquesce. In addition, water molecules are more likely to adsorb onto a defective surface rather than an ideal surface. Mulliken population analysis suggests that fewer charges transfer to the water molecule from the Mg atom of a defective substrate. Finally, Raman spectra were calculated for 0.5, 1, and 2 ML (ML=monolayer) water adsorbed on an MgSO4(100) surface, which is helpful for further related experiments.
An image information hiding algorithm based on grey system theory
Authors: Huang Haiping , Huang Shichao , Chen Jiutian , Wang Ruchuan , Xiong Jianhui
Published: April 2013

On the basis of grey system theory, an image information hiding algorithm is proposed in this paper. First, to choose the blocks of rich texture, a method based on two‐dimensional grey relational analysis is designed; making use of the improved GM(1,1) prediction model, the secret image is compressed losslessly, and then scrambled by means of time‐division multiplexing method in communication theory. Block discrete cosine transform is applied to the chosen blocks, and coefficients of mid frequencies are chosen as the embedded data, whereas the embedding intensity is determined on the basis of human visual system, and the embedding capacity of sub‐blocks can be controlled by its two‐dimensional grey relational grade adaptively. The experiment results show that the algorithm cannot only achieve satisfactory invisibility and robustness, but also improve the payload of the cover image, and meanwhile solve the problem that the small capacity of traditional algorithms in transform domain efficiently. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eating disorder risk behavior and dental implications among adolescents
Authors: Hermont Ana Paula , Pordeus Isabela Almeida , Paiva Saul Martins , Abreu Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães , Auad Sheyla Márcia
Published: April 2013

Objective

To compare the occurrence of tooth erosion (TE) and dental caries (DC) in adolescents with and without risk behavior for eating disorders (EDs).

Method

A controlled cross‐sectional study involving 1,203 randomly selected female students aged 15–18 years was conducted in Brazil. Risk behavior for EDs was evaluated through the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh and dental examinations were performed.

Results

The prevalence of risk behavior for EDs was 6%. Twenty adolescents (1.7%) were identified with severe risk behavior for EDs and matched to 80 adolescents without such risk. Among the severe risk group, 45% of adolescents were affected by TE and 80% by DC compared with 8.8 and 51.3%, respectively, in the matched group. Adolescents with severe risk had higher chances for TE (OR = 10.04; 95% CI = 2.5–39.4).

Discussion

In this study, a severe risk behavior for EDs was significantly associated with TE, but not with DC. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2013; 46:677–683)
Mechanistic Studies on the Reaction of Nitrocobalamin with Glutathione: Kinetic Evidence for Formation of an Aquacobalamin Intermediate
Authors: Walker David T. , Dassanayake Rohan S. , Garcia Kamille A. , Mukherjee Riya , Brasch Nicola E.
Published: April 2013

The essential but also toxic gaseous signaling molecule nitric oxide is scavenged by the reduced vitamin B12 complex cob(II)alamin. The resulting complex, nitroxylcobalamin [NO–‐Cbl(III)], is rapidly oxidized to nitrocobalamin (NO2Cbl) in the presence of oxygen; however, it is unlikely that nitrocobalamin is itself stable in biological systems. Kinetic studies on the reaction between NO2Cbl and the important intracellular antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), are reported. In this study, a reaction pathway is proposed in which the β‐axial ligand of NO2Cbl is first substituted by water to give aquacobalamin (H2OCbl+), which then reacts further with GSH to form glutathionylcobalamin (GSCbl). Independent measurements of the four associated rate constants k1, k–1, k2, and k–2 support the proposed mechanism. These findings provide insight into the fundamental mechanism of ligand substitution reactions of cob(III)alamins with inorganic ligands at the β‐axial site.
Macrocyclic Effects in the Mesomorphic Properties of Liquid‐Crystalline Pillar[5]‐ and Pillar[6]arenes
Authors: Nierengarten Iwona , Guerra Sebastiano , Holler Michel , Karmazin‐Brelot Lydia , Barberá Joaquín , Deschenaux Robert , Nierengarten Jean‐François
Published: April 2013

Whereas the reaction of 1,4‐bis(2‐bromoethyloxy)benzene (4) with paraformaldehyde in the presence of BF3·Et2O afforded exclusively the cyclopentameric pillar[5]arene derivative (5), both cyclopenta‐ and cyclohexameric macrocycles 5 and 6 were obtained when the reaction of 4 with paraformaldehyde was performed at 45 °C in CHCl3 with FeCl3 as the catalyst. Treatment of compounds 4–6 with sodium azide provided the corresponding polyazides, to which a cyanobiphenyl building block was subsequently grafted to generate model compound 1, pillar[5]arene 2, and pillar[6]arene 3, bearing two, ten and twelve mesomorphic subunits, respectively. The liquid‐crystalline and thermal properties of the compounds were investigated by polarized optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Comparison of the liquid‐crystalline properties of macrocycles 2 and 3 with those of 1 revealed the strong influence of the macrocyclic pillar[n]arene core on the mesomorphic properties. Whereas only a monotropic mesophase was observed for 1, a broad enantiotropic mesophase was evidenced for both pillar[n]arene derivatives.
Passive sampling for target and nontarget analyses of moderately polar and nonpolar substances in water
Authors: Allan Ian J. , Harman Christopher , Ranneklev Sissel B. , Thomas Kevin V. , Grung Merete
Published: April 2013

The applicability of silicone rubber and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as passive sampling materials for target and nontarget analyses of moderately polar and nonpolar substances was assessed through a field deployment of samplers along a small, polluted stream in Oslo, Norway. Silicone and LDPE samplers of identical surface area (but different volumes) were deployed at 6 sites in the River Alna for 49 d. Quantitative target analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (quadrupole, single-ion monitoring mode) demonstrated that masses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine compounds absorbed in the 2 polymeric materials were consistent with the current understanding of the control and mode of accumulation in these sampler materials. Some deviation was observed for decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) and may be linked to the large molecular size of this substance, resulting in lower diffusivity in the LDPE. Target and nontarget analyses with gas chromatography coupled to high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry allowed the identification of a wide range of chemicals, including organophosphate compounds (OPCs) and musk compounds (galaxolide and tonalid). Semiquantitative analysis revealed enhanced quantities of the OPCs in silicone material, indicating some limitation in the absorption and diffusion of these substances in LDPE. Overall, silicone allows nontarget screening analysis for compounds with a wider range of log octanol–water partition coefficient values than what can be achieved with LDPE. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1718–1726. © 2013 SETAC