bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Herbicide Tank Mixtures for Broad-Spectrum Weed Control in Florida Citrus
Authors: Jhala Amit J. , Ramirez Analiza H. M. , Knezevic Stevan Z. , Van Damme Patrick , Singh Megh
Published: March 2013

Weed control in Florida citrus is primarily based on herbicides. Saflufenacil, a POST-applied herbicide is recently registered for broadleaf weed control in citrus. Saflufenacil has very limited grass activity; therefore, it should be tank mixed with graminicides or broad-spectrum herbicides to increase the spectrum of weed control. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted at two locations (Polk County and Orange County, FL) to evaluate the efficacy and potential antagonism or synergy of saflufenacil and sethoxydim applied alone or tank mixed, and various two- and three-way mixes with glyphosate or pendimethalin. The results suggested that tank mixing saflufenacil and sethoxydim had neither synergistic nor antagonistic effect on broadleaf and grass weed control, respectively. Tank mixing pendimethalin with saflufenacil and sethoxydim improved broadleaf and grass weed control and reduced weed density and biomass, compared with saflufenacil or sethoxydim applied alone or tank mixed at 45 and 60 d after treatment (DAT). Glyphosate tank mixed with saflufenacil and sethoxydim provided > 90% control of broadleaf and grass weeds at 15 DAT, reduced density ≤ 8 plants m−2, and reduced biomass < 95 g m−2at 60 DAT. Glyphosate applied alone was less effective than it was when tank mixed with saflufenacil and sethoxydim or pendimethalin for broadleaf and grass weed control, indicating an additive effect of tank mixture on glyphosate efficacy. It is concluded that saflufenacil can be tank mixed with sethoxydim for control of broadleaf and grass weeds without antagonism on the efficacy of either herbicide; however, tank mixing saflufenacil and sethoxydim with glyphosate or pendimethalin provided long-term, broad-spectrum weed control in Florida citrus.
The LLC Controversy: Classifying LLC Members as Limited Partners under Proposed Treas. Reg. §1.1402(a)-2
Authors: Nash Claire Y. , Parker James O.
Published: March 2013

The LLC entity form continues to be popular, and LLCs continue to seek definitive guidance regarding the classification of LLC members for purposes of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §1402. Although a series of recent judicial decisions and Proposed Treas. Reg. §1.469-5(e), issued in November 2011, address when an individual will be treated as a limited partner for purposes of IRC §469, they exacerbate the uncertainty surrounding how LLC members should be classified for other purposes of the Internal Revenue Code. They do not address how LLC members should be classified for purposes of IRC §1402, or whether deference should be afforded Proposed Treas. Reg. §1.1402(a)-2. Through an analysis of the relevant statutes and related regulations, recent judicial decisions, and other recent developments, we show that Proposed Treas. Reg. §1.1402(a)-2 provides limited authority to support classifying LLC members as limited partners.
Permutations preserving sums of rearranged real series
Authors: Wituła Roman
Published: March 2013

The aim of this paper is to discuss one of the most interesting and unsolved problems of the real series theory: rearrangements that preserve sums of series. Certain hypothesis about combinatorial description of the corresponding permutations is presented and basic algebraic properties of the family $\mathfrak{S}_0 $, introduced by it, are investigated.
Fractional order modelling of zero length column desorption response for adsorbents with variable particle sizes
Authors: Machado J. , Zaman Sharif , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: March 2013

This manuscript analyses the data generated by a Zero Length Column (ZLC) diffusion experimental set-up, for 1,3 Di-isopropyl benzene in a 100% alumina matrix with variable particle size. The time evolution of the phenomena resembles those of fractional order systems, namely those with a fast initial transient followed by long and slow tails. The experimental measurements are best fitted with the Harris model revealing a power law behavior.
Water content estimates of a first-year sea-ice pressure ridge keel from surface-nuclear magnetic resonance tomography
Authors: Nuber André , Rabenstein Lasse , Lehmann-Horn Jochen A. , Hertrich Marian , Hendricks Stefan , Mahoney Andy , Eicken Hajo
Published: March 2013

The porosity of a sea-ice pressure ridge keel is an important but poorly known variable, relevant for determining the mass budget and evolution of the Arctic sea-ice cover. Determination of keel porosity from drillholes is time-intensive and only yields limited information because of their limited lateral extent. Since the porosity within a keel equals its liquid water content, surface-nuclear magnetic resonance (surface-NMR) methods can be used to estimate porosity within such features. Surface-NMR tomography measurements were made in April 2011 using seven surface coil positions across a first-year pressure ridge on landfast sea ice near Barrow, Alaska, USA. The inversion results indicate water contents of 30 ± 7% and 40 ±10% in the ridge’s shallow and deep parts, respectively. These values are much higher than those obtained from drillholes, which are ∼10% and ∼27%, respectively. In contrast to drilling, surface-NMR tomography yields average porosity values for the entire subsurface volume. However, the inversion process is sensitive to the electrical conductivity distribution; uncertain conductivity estimates limit the reliability of the inverted water contents. Nevertheless, the results suggest that ridge porosities obtained from invasive measurements such as drilling may lead to substantially overestimated sea-ice volume.
An ultra-wideband, microwave radar for measuring snow thickness on sea ice and mapping near-surface internal layers in polar firn
Authors: Panzer Ben , Gomez-Garcia Daniel , Leuschen Carl , Paden John , Rodriguez-Morales Fernando , Patel Aqsa , Markus Thorsten , Holt Benjamin , Gogineni Prasad
Published: March 2013

Sea ice is generally covered with snow, which can vary in thickness from a few centimeters to >1 m. Snow cover acts as a thermal insulator modulating the heat exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere, and it impacts sea-ice growth rates and overall thickness, a key indicator of climate change in polar regions. Snow depth is required to estimate sea-ice thickness using freeboard measurements made with satellite altimeters. The snow cover also acts as a mechanical load that depresses ice freeboard (snow and ice above sea level). Freeboard depression can result in flooding of the snow/ice interface and the formation of a thick slush layer, particularly in the Antarctic sea-ice cover. The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) has developed an ultra-wideband, microwave radar capable of operation on long-endurance aircraft to characterize the thickness of snow over sea ice. The low-power, 100 mW signal is swept from 2 to 8 GHz allowing the air/snow and snow/ ice interfaces to be mapped with 5 cm range resolution in snow; this is an improvement over the original system that worked from 2 to 6.5 GHz. From 2009 to 2012, CReSIS successfully operated the radar on the NASA P-3B and DC-8 aircraft to collect data on snow-covered sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic for NASA Operation IceBridge. The radar was found capable of snow depth retrievals ranging from 10 cm to >1 m. We also demonstrated that this radar can be used to map near-surface internal layers in polar firn with fine range resolution. Here we describe the instrument design, characteristics and performance of the radar.
Knowledge and Practices of Wound Care Among Animal Bite Cases Attended at Institute of Public Health
Authors: Ara Rowshan , Uddin Md Nasir , Wahab Md Abdul , Ferdousi Shahneela , Khondker Lubna , Khan Md Shirajul Islam
Published: March 2013

Animal bite is common in Bangladesh. A cross sectional  type of descriptive study was carried out at the Institute of  Public Health (IPH), Dhaka to find out the knowledge and  practices related to wound care among animal bite cases  during the month of February, 1998. A total of 200 patients  were interviewed, 55% of them came from urban area.  Maximum (65.5%) patients were teenagers and adult (above  13 yrs.) with mean age 22.15 yrs. Male and female ratio  was 80.5:19.5. Majority of cases were poor (76.5%) and  only 12% attained educational level of SSC pass or above.  In 92.5% cases dog was the biting animal, 60% of which  were stray. Only 91(45.5%) patients took immediate  measures for wound care. Of them only 11 patients knew  and washed the wound by soap and water and 3 patients did  it after getting advice from physicians. 134 (67%) patients  consulted with physicians one hour to several days after,  whereas 33% within one hour. Among the attending  physicians 31.5% were MBBS doctors but 57.5% were  Kabiraz, Fakir, Moullana and others. In 50 present animal  bite cases, Fold remedies or herbal medicine were advised  in comparison to 42% for vaccination. But only 3 (1.5%)  patients got the message of wound care by washing with  soap and water. Emphasis on planning on educational  programme on "What people should do after an animal  bite" has been recommended. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v24i1.14111 Medicine TODAY Vol.24(1) 2012 pp.27-30
Management of a Perforating External Infection Related Resorptive Defect: A Case Report
Authors: Hussain SM Iqbal , Farzana Farhad , Chowdhury AFM Almas , Mahmud Abdullah Al
Published: March 2013

This case report describes the treatment of an external infection related root resorption in a maxillary left central incisor which perforated the root canal apical to the cervical area. Since the resorptive perforation was large with concomitant bony lesion, treatment with a combination of nonsurgical and surgical approach was chosen. After a surgical flap was reflected, the pathologic defect was curetted, root canal space was dried and the resorptive defect was repaired with light-cured glass ionomer cement. At the same visit, root canal filled with gutta percha by lateral condensation technique and the bony cavity was filled with calcium hydroxyappatite crystal. After 18 months, the patient remained asymptomatic and the tooth was functional. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v24i1.14117 Medicine TODAY Vol.24(1) 2012 pp.48-51
Interstitial lung disease: A case report
Authors: Kamal SM , Bakar Md Abu , Ahad MA
Published: March 2013

A 65 years old farmer was admitted in Medicine ward with the complaints of progressive exertional breathlessness, non-productive cough and recurrent episodes of fever. The patient had clubbing and chest examination revealed end inspiratory crackles. Chest x-ray, CT scan of chest and spirometry revealed the features of interstitial lung disease (ILD). So we diagnosed the case as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis variety of ILD. We reported this rare case for developing awareness among the clinicians. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v24i1.14118 Medicine TODAY Vol.24(1) 2012 pp.52-54
9G DNAChip Technology: Self-Assembled Monolayer (SAM) of ssDNA for Ultra-Sensitive Detection of Biomarkers
Authors: Nimse Satish , Song Keum-Soo , Kim Junghoon , Sayyed Danishmalik , Kim Taisun
Published: March 2013

A 9G DNAChip obtained by allowing the formation of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of oligonucleotides appended with nine consecutive guanines on the chip surface has been applied in the detection of biomarkers. Using a 9G DNAChip, biomarker in the concentration range of 4 pg/mL to 40 fg/mL can be easily differentiated in the buffer matrix. Moreover, it is the first time that a biomarker with a concentration of 40 fg/mL has been detected in a mixture of proteins without use of any signal amplification technique.
The CHROMEVALOA Database: A Resource for the Evaluation of Okadaic Acid Contamination in the Marine Environment Based on the Chromatin-Associated Transcriptome of the Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis
Authors: Suárez-Ulloa Victoria , Fernández-Tajes Juan , Aguiar-Pulido Vanessa , Rivera-Casas Ciro , González-Romero Rodrigo , Ausio Juan , Méndez Josefina , Dorado Julián , Eirín-López José
Published: March 2013

Okadaic Acid (OA) constitutes the main active principle in Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins produced during Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), representing a serious threat for human consumers of edible shellfish. Furthermore, OA conveys critical deleterious effects for marine organisms due to its genotoxic potential. Many efforts have been dedicated to OA biomonitoring during the last three decades. However, it is only now with the current availability of detailed molecular information on DNA organization and the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of genome integrity, that a new arena starts opening up for the study of OA contamination. In the present work we address the links between OA genotoxicity and chromatin by combining Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies and bioinformatics. To this end, we introduce CHROMEVALOAdb, a public database containing the chromatin-associated transcriptome of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (a sentinel model organism) in response to OA exposure. This resource constitutes a leap forward for the development of chromatin-based biomarkers, paving the road towards the generation of powerful and sensitive tests for the detection and evaluation of the genotoxic effects of OA in coastal areas.
Inhibition of Telomerase Activity by Oleanane Triterpenoid CDDO-Me in Pancreatic Cancer Cells is ROS-Dependent
Authors: Deeb Dorrah , Gao Xiaohua , Liu Yongbo , Varma Nadimpalli , Arbab Ali , Gautam Subhash
Published: March 2013

Methyl-2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oate (CDDO-Me) is a synthetic derivative of oleanolic acid, a triterpene, with apoptosis-inducing activity in a wide range of cancer cells. Induction of apoptosis by CDDO-Me is associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibition of telomerase activity. In the present study, we investigated the role of ROS in inhibition of telomerase by CDDO-me. Treatment of MiaPaCa-2 and Panc-1 pancreatic cancer cell lines with CDDO-Me induced the production of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions and inhibited the telomerase activity. Pretreatment of cells with N-acetylcycsteine, a general purpose antioxidant or overexpression of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) or superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) blocked the telomerase inhibitory activity of CDDO-Me. Furthermore, blocking ROS generation also prevented the inhibition of hTERT gene expression, hTERT protein production and expression of a number of hTERT–regulatory proteins by CDDO-Me (e.g., c-Myc, Sp1, NF-κB and p-Akt). Data also showed that Akt plays an important role in the activation of telomerase activity. Together, these data suggest that inhibition of telomerase activity by CDDO-Me is mediated through a ROS-dependent mechanism; however, more work is needed to fully understand the role of ROS in down-regulation of hTERT gene and hTERT-regulatory proteins by CDDO-Me.
Continuous Transmission Frequency Modulation Detection under Variable Sonar-Target Speed Conditions
Authors: Wang Yang , Yang Jun
Published: March 2013

As a ranging sensor, a continuous transmission frequency modulation (CTFM) sonar with its ability for range finding and range profile formation works effectively under stationary conditions. When a relative velocity exists between the target and the sonar, the echo signal is Doppler-shifted. This situation causes the output of the sensor to deviate from the actual target range, thus limiting its applications to stationary conditions only. This work presents an approach for correcting such a deviation. By analyzing the Doppler effect during the propagation process, the sensor output can be corrected by a Doppler factor. To obtain this factor, a conventional CTFM system is slightly modified by adding a single tone signal with a frequency that locates out-of-sweep range of the transmitted signal. The Doppler factor can be extracted from the echo. Both verification experiments and performance tests are carried out. Results indicate the validity of the proposed approach. Moreover, ranging precision under different processing setups is discussed. For adjacent multiple targets, the discrimination ability is influenced by displacement and velocity. A discrimination boundary is provided through an analysis.
Fragment Merger: An Online Tool to Merge Overlapping Long Sequence Fragments
Authors: Bell Trevor , Kramvis Anna
Published: March 2013

While PCR amplicons extend to a few thousand bases, the length of sequences from direct Sanger sequencing is limited to 500–800 nucleotides. Therefore, several fragments may be required to cover an amplicon, a gene or an entire genome. These fragments are typically sequenced in an overlapping fashion and assembled by manually sliding and aligning the sequences visually. This is time-consuming, repetitive and error-prone, and further complicated by circular genomes. An online tool merging two to twelve long overlapping sequence fragments was developed. Either chromatograms or FASTA files are submitted to the tool, which trims poor quality ends of chromatograms according to user-specified parameters. Fragments are assembled into a single sequence by repeatedly calling the EMBOSS merger tool in a consecutive manner. Output includes the number of trimmed nucleotides, details of each merge, and an optional alignment to a reference sequence. The final merge sequence is displayed and can be downloaded in FASTA format. All output files can be downloaded as a ZIP archive. This tool allows for easy and automated assembly of overlapping sequences and is aimed at researchers without specialist computer skills. The tool is genome- and organism-agnostic and has been developed using hepatitis B virus sequence data.
Regio- and stereoselective carbometallation reactions of N-alkynylamides and sulfonamides
Authors: Minko Yury , Pasco Morgane , Chechik Helena , Marek Ilan
Published: March 2013

The carbocupration reactions of heterosubstituted alkynes allow the regio- and stereoselective formation of vinyl organometallic species. N-Alkynylamides (ynamides) are particularly useful substrates for the highly regioselective carbocupration reaction, as they lead to the stereodefined formation of vinylcopper species geminated to the amide moiety. The latter species are involved in numerous synthetically useful transformations leading to valuable building blocks in organic synthesis. Here we describe in full the results of our studies related to the carbometallation reactions of N-alkynylamides.
Using Evidence to Enhance the Recovery of Patients Undergoing Colorectal Surgery: Part 1
Authors: Maxson Pamela M. , Lovely Jenna K. , Wrobleski Diane M. , Isaacson Emily Carver
Published: March 2013

This is the first part of a three-part series describing how an enhanced recovery clinical pathway uses a multidisciplinary team to reduce postoperative stress and complications, improve recovery, and decrease hospital length of stay without affecting patient safety for patients undergoing colorectal surgery. This part discusses patient education and discharge planning. Next month, pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting will be discussed.
Impact of different Moodle Course Designs on Students' Performance
Authors: Alves Gustavo R. , Viegas Maria C. , Marques Maria A. , Costa-Lobo Maria C. , Silva Antonio A. , Formanski Francieli , Da Silva Juarez B.
Published: March 2013

This work describes the impact of different teachers’ approaches in using Moodle, for supporting their courses, at the Polytechnic of Porto - School of Engineering. The study covers five different courses, from different degrees and different years, and includes a number of Moodle resources especially supporting laboratory classes. These and other active resources are particularly analyzed in order to evaluate students’ adherence to them. One particular course includes a number of remote experiments, made available through VISIR (Virtual Instrument Systems in Reality) and directly accessible through links included in the Moodle course page. The collected data have been correlated with students’ classifications in the lab component and in the exam, each one weighting 50% of their final marks. This analysis benefited from the existence of different teachers’ approaches, which resulted in a diversity of Moodle-supported environments. Conclusions point to the existence of a positive correlation factor between the number of Moodle accesses and the final exam grade, although the quality of the resources made available by the teachers seems to be preponderant over its quantity. In addition, different students perspectives were found regarding active resources: while some seem to encourage students to participate (for instance online quiz or online reports), others, more demanding, are unable to stimulate the majority of them.
Self-Regulated Learning Strategies Applied to Undergraduate, Graduate and Specialization Students from Civil Engineering
Authors: Redaelli Jose Carlos , Lima Jr Orlando Fontes
Published: March 2013

<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; layout-grid-mode: line; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" lang="EN-GB">The current demand for civil engineering work requires new skills and knowledge and calls for new and effective learning methods. This paper shows self-regulated learning strategies applied to undergraduate, graduate and specialization students from Civil Engineering in a Brazilian University. A Scale of Evaluation of Learning Strategies was administered with a view to identifying students´ cognitive, metacognitive and dysfunctional learning strategies.
Project Based Learning Activities in Engineering Education
Authors: Andrade Tiago Faustino
Published: March 2013

In the present work, the author reports examples of his involvement in different teaching/learning methodologies during his five years of the Integrated Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto. The aim is to explain how useful those experiences have been, allowing him to explore many techno-scientific activities within his engineering education while student as well as other transferable skills and later, up to the present, as a professional in academic environment. The author wishes to underline the excellent opportunity he had to practice reflection processes as an essential methodology of his engineering education.
Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering
Authors: Szeto Andrew Y. J.
Published: March 2013

The interdisciplinary fields of Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering focus on understanding the impact of disability, seeking to ameliorate the impact through the employment of appropriate technology. Aided by numerous illustrations, tables, and charts, this chapter provides the reader with an overview of this field in terms of its history, main concepts and principles, major activity areas, and some of the exciting current research and development projects. The chapter also covers the key psycho-social and technical challenges associated with various handicapping conditions, the employment outlook for this field, the training and educational programs that are available, and the professional societies and organizations that hold conferences, publish research reports, and seek to advance the field. Lastly, numerous references have been provided so that a reader can pursue his/her topics of interest.
Biomedical Sensors
Authors: Grimnes Sverre , Høgetveit Jan Olav
Published: March 2013

This chapter addresses biomedical sensors, which are important factors for the quality of measurement of biological and physiological variables, and thus deserve close attention both with respect to the medical functions and the technical requirements. There are special demands for biomedical sensors, particularly for invasive sensors that must pass sterilization by temperature or radiation at much higher levels than the rest of the medical equipment. On the other hand, miniaturization, mechanical strength, electrical safety, and sterility are important elements of the sensor design process. The sensor determines the accessibility, spatial resolution, accuracy, sensitivity, selectivity, and response time of the measurement. In order to convert the parameter of interest into an electrical signal suited for medical use, a transducing element is necessary. Knowledge of the complete chain of transducer materials, their electrical properties, and integration with bio-amplifiers are therefore necessary to design high-quality biomedical sensors.
Medical Imaging
Authors: Wang Ge , Cong Alex , Gao Hao , Zhang Jie , Weir Victor J. , Xu Xiaochen , Bennett James
Published: March 2013

Medical imaging is both an indispensable tool and a highly interdisciplinary field. Over the past decades, progress in medical imaging theory and technology has dramatically accelerated. This chapter provides a comprehensive study of the fundamental and advanced principles behind each of the major imaging modalities. It also presents topics related to the vision of the future of each modality. The chapter is intended for upper level or graduate biomedical engineering/bioengineering/medical physics students, researchers, and faculty.
Prosthetic and Orthotic Devices
Authors: Frigo Carlo A. , Pavan Esteban E.
Published: March 2013

Prostheses and orthoses are devices intended to improve motor function in amputated patients or patients with different kinds of motor disorders, respectively. Thanks to a multidisciplinary approach that has evolved along the years, prosthetics and orthotics are really two disciplines in which biomechanical and clinical aspects are integrated and take advantage of new materials and technologies. Artificial limb components, limb supporting braces, and many other devices are already available, and can provide effective solutions for locomotion, upper limb function, and posture. Within a clinical/theoretical framework, this chapter addresses the main principles of application and the technical issues related to the use of prostheses and orthoses. These include among others, problems of manufacturing, adaptation to the patient, functional assessment, and the role of advanced technologies. The aforementioned concepts are all to be considered if the objective is to obtain good functional results and to improve the quality of life of disabled people.
Existence of Taut Foliations on Seifert Fibered Homology 3-spheres
Authors: Shanti Caillat-Gibert  , Matignon Daniel
Published: March 2013

This paper concerns the problem of existence of taut foliations among 3-manifolds. From the work of David Gabai we know that a closed 3-manifold with non-trivial second homology group admits a taut foliation. The essential part of this paper focuses on Seifert fibered homology 3-spheres. The result is quite different if they are integral or rational but non-integral homology 3-spheres. Concerning integral homology 3-spheres, we can see that all but the 3-sphere and the Poincaré 3-sphere admit a taut foliation. Concerning non-integral homology 3-spheres, we prove there are infinitely many that admit a taut foliation, and infinitely many without a taut foliation. Moreover, we show that the geometries do not determine the existence of taut foliations on non-integral Seifert fibered homology 3-spheres.
Linearisation of the effects of spectral shift and stretch in DOAS analysis
Authors: Beirle S. , Sihler H. , Wagner T.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) is a widely used method to quantify atmospheric trace gases from spectroscopic measurements. While DOAS can, in principal, be described by a linear equation system, usually nonlinearities occur, in particular as a consequence of spectral misalignments. Here we propose to linearise the effects of a spectral shift by including a "shift spectrum", which is the first term of a Taylor expansion, as pseudo-absorber in the DOAS fit. The effects of a spectral stretch are considered as additional wavelength-dependent shifts. Solving the DOAS equation system linearly has several advantages: the solution is unique, the algorithm is robust, and it is very fast. The latter might be particularly important for measurements with high data rates, like for upcoming satellite missions.
Antioxidant and antiproteinase effects of buckwheat hull extracts
Authors: Danihelová Martina , Šturdí­k Ernest
Published: March 2013

Buckwheat is known not only due to its appropriate nutritional composition but the content of prophylactic compounds, too. These are responsible for buckwheat beneficial impact on human health. Most of them are concentrated in outer layers of buckwheat grain. The subject of this work was to screen hulls of nine common and one tartary buckwheat cultivar for the content of flavonoids and its antioxidant and antiproteinase effects. The highest content of total flavonoids was determined for tartary buckwheat cultivar Madawaska (0.6% of hulls weight). Among common buckwheat cultivars the best values reached samples Bamby (0.23%) and KASHO-2 (0.11%). Antioxidant activity as detected via binding radical ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) and monitoring reducing power was the most effective for samples with highest flavonoid content. Buckwheat hulls effectively inhibited pathophysiological proteases thrombin and urokinase, whereas only little effects were seen to trypsin and elastase. In this testing there were again the best samples with highest flavonoid content. Only tartary buckwheat Madawaska effectively inhibited elastase at tested concentrations. No significant correlation was determined between flavonoid content and measured antioxidant or protease inhibitory action. Obtained results allow us to commend tartary buckwheat cultivar Madawaska as well as common buckwheat cultivars Bamby and KASHO-2 for further experiments.
Zinc Uptake by Lactic Acid Bacteria
Authors: Leonardi Alan , Zanoni Simona , De Lucia Marzia , Amaretti Alberto , Raimondi Stefano , Rossi Maddalena
Published: March 2013

The study aims to investigate zinc biosorption by strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria with a view to exploit them as organic matrixes for zinc dietary supplementation. Sixteen human strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were assayed for zinc uptake. The minimum inhibitory concentration of zinc salts differed among the strains, but was never below 15 mmol L−1. When cultured in MRS broth containing 10 mmol L−1 ZnSO4, all the strains were capable of accumulating zinc in the range between 11 and 135 μmol g−1. The highest amount of cell-bound zinc was obtained in L. acidophilus WC 0203. pH-controlled batch cultures of this strain revealed that zinc uptake started in the growth phase, but occurred mostly during the stationary phase. Pasteurized and viable cultures accumulated similar amount of zinc, suggesting that a nonmetabolically mediated mechanism is involved in zinc uptake. These results provide new perspectives on the specific use of probiotics, since L. acidophilus WC 0203 could function as an organic matrix for zinc incorporation. The bioavailability of Lactobacillus-bound zinc deserves to be investigated to provide a future basis for optimization of zinc supplementation or fortification.
Hip, hip, hooray!
Authors: Pewsey Emma
Published: March 2013

X-rays are best known for showing where bones have fractured, but researchers can also use X-rays to investigate why bones break, which could lead to treatments that reduce the number of elderly people who suffer broken hips.
In their own image? a comparison of doctoral students' and faculty members' referencing behavior
Authors: Larivière Vincent , Sugimoto Cassidy R. , Bergeron Pierrette
Published: March 2013

This article compares doctoral students' and faculty members' referencing behavior through the analysis of a large corpus of scientific articles. It shows that doctoral students tend to cite more documents per article than faculty members, and that the literature they cite is, on average, more recent. It also demonstrates that doctoral students cite a larger proportion of conference proceedings and journal articles than faculty members and faculty members are more likely to self‐cite and cite theses than doctoral students. Analysis of the impact of cited journals indicates that in health research, faculty members tend to cite journals with slightly lower impact factors whereas in social sciences and humanities, faculty members cite journals with higher impact factors. Finally, it provides evidence that, in every discipline, faculty members tend to cite a higher proportion of clinical/applied research journals than doctoral students. This study contributes to the understanding of referencing patterns and age stratification in academia. Implications for understanding the information‐seeking behavior of academics are discussed.
Turn‐On Fluorogenic Probes for the Selective and Quantitative Detection of the Cyanide Anion from Natural Sources
Authors: Gómez Teresa , Moreno Daniel , Díaz de Greñu Borja , Fernández A. Cristina , Rodríguez Teresa , Rojo Josefa , Cuevas José V. , Torroba Tomás
Published: March 2013

We report new indene derivatives that are good fluorogenic probes for the cyanide anion, one of which is a highly selective and sensitive fluorogenic probe for the fluorescent detection—as well as reliable quantification—of the cyanide anion in water or buffer, with a 103‐fold increase of fluorescence and low detection limit. It is therefore useful for the quantification of natural cyanide from aqueous extracts of green almond seeds, thus proving that the system is suitable for fast detection and quantification of cyanide from natural sources.
Structure, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of (PPN+)2(C702−)⋅2 C6H4Cl2, which Contains Dianionic Polymeric (C702−)n Chains
Authors: Konarev Dmitri V. , Troyanov Sergey I. , Khasanov Salavat S. , Otsuka Akihiro , Yamochi Hideki , Saito Gunzi , Lyubovskaya Rimma N.
Published: March 2013

A new salt, (PPN+)2(C702−)⋅2 C6H4Cl2 (1), which contains C702− dianions, has been obtained as single crystals (PPN+=bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium cation). The C702− dianions form polymeric zigzag (C702−)n chains, in which the fullerene units are bonded through single CC bonds of length 1.581(5)–1.586(6) Å. The distance between the centers of neighboring C702− units is 10.441 Å. The optical and magnetic properties of (C702−)n have also been studied. Decreasing the symmetry of C70 in the polymer activate about 20 new IR bands in addition to the 10 IR‐active bands of the starting C70. The polymeric structure shows absorptions in the visible and NIR regions, with three main bands at 890, 1200, and 1550 nm, instead of one band of isolated C702− dianions at 1165–1184 nm. We concluded that the (C702−)n polymer was diamagnetic, with a negative molar magnetic susceptibility of −3.82×10−4 emu mol−1 per C702− dianion. The polymer is EPR silent and a weak narrow EPR signal in salt 1 is due to impurities, which only constitute 0.84 % of spin S=1/2 of the total amount of fullerene C70.
Packet‐Loss‐Dependent Stabilization of Model‐Based Networked Control Systems
Authors: Song Yan , Wang Jingcheng , Shi Yuanhao , Fang Xiaosheng
Published: March 2013

In this paper, the stabilization problem and controller design of model‐based networked control systems (MB‐NCSs) with both arbitrary and Markovian packet dropouts are discussed via the switched system approach. Different from the common way of using the last successfully transmitted information, the approximate state produced by the explicit plant model is applied to deal with the packet loss problem in our method. Based on the Lyapunov functional methodology and inequality techniques, some sufficient stabilization conditions are derived and stabilizing state feedback controllers are constructed. Moreover, by using the cone complementary linearation (CCL) method, a non‐linear minimization problem subject to some linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) is provided here to help find a sub‐optimal solution. Numerical examples and accompanying simulations illustrate the effectiveness and validity of our techniques, and also evidence of improvements over the existing literature.
On Detectability and Observability of Discrete‐Time Stochastic Markov Jump Systems with State‐Dependent Noise
Authors: Zhang Weihai , Tan Cheng
Published: March 2013

This paper mainly studies the notions of detectability and observability for discrete‐time stochastic Markov jump systems with state‐dependent noise. Two concepts, called “W‐detectability” and “W‐observability,” for such systems are introduced, and are shown to coincide with the other concepts on detectability and observability reported recently in literature. Moreover, some criteria and interesting properties for both W‐detectability and W‐observability are obtained.
Maternal overweight and obesity and the risk of neural tube defects: A case–control study in China
Authors: Gao Li‐Jie , Wang Zhi‐Ping , Lu Qing‐Bin , Gong Rui , Sun Xi‐Hong , Zhao Zhong‐Tang
Published: March 2013

BACKGROUND

Studies have suggested that being obese before pregnancy is a risk factor for neural tube defects (NTDs), while results of many studies are controversial. This study aims to explore the association between maternal overweight and obesity before pregnancy and risk of NTDs.

METHODS

A 1:1 matched case–control study was conducted. Cases were 459 women who delivered infants or conceived fetuses with NTDs in two provinces of China and controls were 459 women with live‐born infants, without an apparent congenital malformation, matched with cases by region, delivery hospital, and year of childbirth.

RESULTS

Compared with normal body weight, maternal obesity (body mass index, BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2) before pregnancy had a significant increased risk for NTDs as a group after adjusting for age, occupation, educational level, family income, parity, and use of folic acid (odds ratio, OR = 2.45; p < 0.05). No significant increase in NTD risk was found for maternal underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) and overweight (BMI from 24 to 28 kg/m2). For three subtypes of NTDs, anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele, no significant increase in risk was found with maternal underweight, overweight, or obesity (all, p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Maternal obesity before pregnancy is associated with risk of NTDs and should be considered in maternal reproductive health care. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neurotoxicity Assessment of Artemether in Juvenile Rats
Authors: Beckman David A. , Youreneff Maureen , Butt Mark T.
Published: March 2013

BACKGROUND

Oral administration of artemether in combination with lumefantrine is approved for the treatment of malaria in adults and children. In adult animals, artemether can produce neurotoxicity with intramuscular, but not oral, administration. Herein, the potential of orally administered artemether to produce neurotoxicity in juvenile rats was investigated.

METHODS

In the first study, the toxicity of artemether was evaluated in juvenile rats dosed with 0, 10, 30, and 100mg/kg/day on postpartum days (ppds) 7 to 21. In‐life, clinical pathology, anatomic pathology, behavioral, and toxicokinetics evaluations were performed. The second study focused on neurotoxicity during different dosing intervals, with doses of 0, 30, and 80mg/kg/day on ppds 7 to 13, and doses of 0, 30, and 120mg/kg/day on ppds 14 to 21, 22 to 28, and 29 to 36. For each dosing interval, in‐life, extensive histology, toxicokinetics, and behavioral evaluations were performed. In the third study, toxicokinetics evaluations in the adult were conducted at 20 and 200mg/kg/day.

RESULTS

The first study demonstrated increased mortality, renal necrosis, and brain hemorrhage at ≥30mg/kg/day with no persistent effects in surviving animals. In the second study, increased mortality, body weight effects, and a trend toward increased exposure were observed in the ppd 14 and younger animals. Neither specific neurotoxicity nor persistent effects were seen. The toxicokinetic study in adults revealed lower exposures as compared to those in the younger juvenile rats.

CONCLUSIONS

As in the adult rat, oral administration of artemether in the juvenile rat is not associated with the neurotoxicity produced by intramuscular administration.
Pharmacokinetics, protein binding and metabolism of a quinoxaline urea analog as an NF‐κB inhibitor in mice and rats by LC‐MS/MS
Authors: Gautam Nagsen , Bathena Sai Praneeth R. , Chen Qianyi , Natarajan Amarnath , Alnouti Yazen
Published: March 2013

13–197 is a novel NF‐κB inhibitor that shows promising in vitro efficacy data against pancreatic cancer. In this study, we characterized the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, protein binding and metabolism of 13–197 in mice and rats. A valid, sensitive and selective LC‐MS/MS method was developed. This method was validated for the quantification of 13–197, in the range of 0.1 or 0.2‐500 ng/mL in mouse plasma, liver, kidney, lung, heart, spleen, brain, urine and feces. 13–197 has low bioavailability of 3 and 16% in mice and rats, respectively. It has faster absorption in mice with 12‐fold shorter Tmax than in rats. Tissue concentrations were 1.3–69.2‐fold higher in mice than in rats at 72 h after intravenous administration. 13–197 is well distributed to the peripheral tissues and has relatively high tissue–plasma concentration ratios, ranging from 1.8 to 3634, in both mice and rats. It also demonstrated more than 99% binding to plasma proteins in both mice and rats. Finally, <1% of 13–197 is excreted unchanged in urine and feces, and metabolite profiling studies detected more than 20 metabolites in mouse and rat plasma, urine and feces, which indicates that 13–197 is extensively metabolized and primarily eliminated by metabolism rather than by excretion. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparative pharmacokinetic studies of andrographolide and its metabolite of 14‐deoxy‐12‐hydroxy‐andrographolide in rat by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry
Authors: Yang Tao , Xu Chong , Wang Zheng Tao , Wang Chang Hong
Published: March 2013

Andrographolide (AND), one of the major diterpenoids from Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees, can be metabolized as a phase two metabolite of 14‐deoxy‐12‐hydroxy‐andrographolide‐19‐O‐β‐d‐glucuronide in human. The aim of this study is to characterize and synthesize the phase one metabolite of 14‐deoxy‐12‐hydroxy‐andrographolide (DEO‐AND) after gavage feeding of AND in rats, and to compare the pharmacokinetics of AND and DEO‐AND after intravenous administration. DEO‐AND was first discovered existing in rat serum by HPLC‐MSn after administration of AND. Furthermore, the target metabolite was synthesized and elucidated by NMR. In addition, a rapid, selective and sensitive UPLC‐ESI/MS method was developed for the first time to determine the content of AND and DEO‐AND in rats serum. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats after a single intravenous dose of 5 mg/kg AND and DEO‐AND, respectively. In comparison, the pharmacokinetic parameters of metabolite DEO‐AND, including distribution rate constant, elimination rate constant, half‐life and mean residence time, were significantly less than those of AND (p < 0.05). However, the AUC0→720 min value after intravenous administration of DEO‐AND was 781.59 ± 81.46 µg min/mL, which was 17.71 times higher than that of AND (44.13 ± 10.45 µg min/mL; p < 0.05). These results show the pharmacokinetic profile of AND to be significantly different from that of DEO‐AND by intravenous administration. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bioactivity‐integrated ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry for the identification of nuclear factor‐κB inhibitors and β2 adrenergic receptor agonists in Chinese medicinal preparation Chuanbeipipa dropping pills
Authors: Dong Linyi , Luo Yi , Cheng Binfeng , Zhang Yaoshu , Zhang Ning , Hou Yuanyuan , Jiang Min , Luo Guoan , Bai Gang
Published: March 2013

A simple and dual‐target method based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry combined with dual‐bioactive [nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) and β2‐adrenergic receptor] luciferase reporter assay systems was developed to rapidly characterize the chemical structure of various bioactive compounds of TCM preparations. Chuanbeipipa dropping pills, a traditional Chinese medicine preparation used for the clinical therapy of chronic obstructive lung disease and cough caused by bronchial catarrh, was analyzed with this method. Potential anti‐inflammatory and spasmolytic constituents were screened using NF‐κB and β2‐adrenergic receptor activity luciferase reporter assay systems and simultaneously identified according to the time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry data. One β2‐adrenergic receptor agonist (ephedrine) and two structural types of NF‐κB inhibitors (platycosides derivatives and ursolic acid derivatives) were characterized. Platycodin D3 and E were considered new NF‐κB inhibitors. Further cytokine and chemokine detection confirmed the anti‐inflammatory effects of the potential NF‐κB inhibitors. Compared with conventional fingerprints, activity‐integrated fingerprints that contain both chemical and bioactive details offer a more comprehensive understanding of the chemical makeup of plant materials. This strategy clearly demonstrated that multiple bioactivity‐integrated fingerprinting is a powerful tool for the improved screening and identification of potential multi‐target lead compounds in complex herbal medicines. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis Over Cobalt Supported On Silica‐Incorporated Mesoporous Carbon
Authors: Karandikar Prashant R. , Park Jo‐Yong , Lee Yun‐Jo , Jun Ki‐Won , Ha Kyoung‐Su , Kwak Geun Jae , Park Hae‐Gu , Cheon Joo Yeong
Published: March 2013

The influence of carbon–silica hybrid supports on cobalt catalysts in Fischer–Tropsch synthesishas been investigated. Mesoporous carbon–silica hybrid supports were synthesized through a hydrogen‐bonding‐assisted self‐assembly route by loading different amounts of silica (0 to 45 %) as a framework composition with mesoporous carbon. These carbon and hybrid supports were then impregnated with 15 wt. % cobalt and the resulting catalysts were characterized by various physicochemical, gravimetric, and spectroscopic methods. The dispersion of silica in the framework of mesoporous carbon modified the surface chemistry and enhanced the wetting properties of the support. Hence, the dispersion and reducibility of cobalt over the hybrid supports increased compared to those of the carbon‐supported catalyst. However, above the optimum silica incorporation of 34 %, the possibility of phase separation and structural transformation of silica at the high carbonization temperature decreased the dispersion and reducibility of the supported Co catalysts. The carbon‐supported catalyst showed a quick drop in the activity during the initial stages of the reaction due to the migration of cobalt particles over the hydrophobic and inert support surface. On the contrary, carbon–silica hybrid supports inhibited the mobility of cobalt particles and produced a higher density of active Co0 sites, leading to a higher initial activity. Carbon–silica‐supported catalysts with a silica content of up to 34 % were found to exhibit excellent steady state Fischer–Tropsch synthesis activity and C5+ selectivity compared to only carbon and carbon–silica‐supported catalyst with >34 % silica incorporation.