bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural and functional effects of metastases in rat brain determined by multimodal MRI
Authors: Serres Sébastien , Martin Christopher J. , Sarmiento Soto Manuel , Bristow Claire , O'Brien Emma R. , Connell John J. , Khrapitchev Alexandre A. , Sibson Nicola R.
Published: August 2013

Metastasis to the brain results in significant impairment of brain function and poor patient survival. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is under‐utilised in monitoring brain metastases and their effects on brain function. Here, we sought to establish a model of focal brain metastasis in the rat that enables serial multimodal structural and functional MRI studies, and to assess the sensitivity of these approaches to metastatic growth. Female Berlin–Druckrey‐IX rats were injected intracerebrally with metastatic ENU1564 cells in the ventroposterior medial nucleus (VPM) of the thalamus, a relay node of the whisker‐to‐barrel cortex pathway. Animals underwent multimodal structural and vascular MRI, as well as functional MRI of the cortical blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) responses to whisker pad stimulation. T2, diffusion, magnetisation transfer and perfusion weighted MRI enabled differentiation between a central area of more advanced metastatic growth and penumbral regions of co‐optive perivascular micrometastatic growth, with magnetisation transfer MRI being the most sensitive to micrometastatic growth. Areas of cortical BOLD activation in response to whisker pad stimulation were significantly reduced in the hemisphere containing metastases in the VPM. The reduction in BOLD response correlated with metastatic burden in the thalamus, and was sensitive to the presence of smaller metastases than currently detectable clinically. Our findings suggest that multimodal MRI provides greater sensitivity to tumour heterogeneity and micrometastatic growth than single modality contrast‐enhanced MRI. Understanding the relationships between these MRI parameters and the underlying pathology may greatly enhance the utility of MRI in diagnosis, staging and monitoring of brain metastasis.
DNA fragmentation induced by all‐trans retinoic acid and its steroidal analogue EA‐4 in C2C12 mouse and HL‐60 human leukemic cells in vitro
Authors: Alakhras Raghda S. , Stephanou Georgia , Demopoulos Nikos A. , Grintzalis Konstantinos , Georgiou Christos D. , Nikolaropoulos Sotirios S.
Published: August 2013

We have recently shown that retinoic acid induces micronucleation mainly via chromosome breakage (Alakhras et al. Cancer Lett 2011; 306: 15–26). To further study retinoic acid clastogenicity and evaluate DNA damaging potential we investigated the ability of (a) all‐trans retinoic acid and its steroidal analogue EA‐4 to induce DNA fragmentation by using Comet assay under alkaline unwinding and neutral condition electrophoresis, and (b) the retinoids under study to induce small (0–1 kb) DNA fragments. Two cell lines, C2C12 mouse cells and HL‐60 human leukemic cells were used in this study. We found that all‐trans retinoic acid and its steroidal analogue EA‐4 (a) provoke DNA migration due to DNA fragmentation as it is shown by the increased values of Comet parameters, and (b) induce significantly small‐size fragmented genomic DNA as indicated by the quantification of necrotic/apoptotic small DNA segments in both cell systems. A different response between the two cell lines was observed in relation to retinoid ability to increase the percentage of DNA in the tail as well as break DNA in to small fragments. Our findings confirm the ability of retinoic acid to provoke micronucleation by disrupting DNA into fragments, among which small pieces of double‐stranded DNA up to 1 kb are identified. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acceleration of robust “biotube” vascular graft fabrication by in‐body tissue architecture technology using a novel eosin Y‐releasing mold
Authors: Nakayama Yasuhide , Tsujinaka Takahiro
Published: August 2013

A novel eosin Y‐releasing mold was designed to accelerate the fabrication ofin vivotissue engineered autologous vascular prosthetic tissues, called the “biotubes.” The mold was prepared by addition of an aqueous solution of eosin Y (1∼6 w/v%) to the agar gel (0.3%), which was attached to the luminal surface of the microporous acrylate tube (diameter, 5 mm; length, 28 mm; pore size, 0.5 mmϕ). The eosin Y release period was controlled by the number of pores (3∼160). On embedding the molds into dorsal, subcutaneous pouches of rats for 1 week, completely encapsulated biotubes, mainly consisting of collagen, with thick walls (418.2 ± 173.4 μm) and robust mechanical properties (elastic modulus, 956.2 ± 196.5 kPa; burst pressure 5850 ± 2383 mmHg) were formed. These values were, respectively, more than 4.3, 3.8, and 5.6 times greater than the corresponding controls (acrylate rods). The high elastic modulus of the biotubes was obtained even with a small number of micropores (3), and a low concentration of eosin Y (1%) within a very short embedding period (5 days), irrespective of rat weights. This innovative method for rapid production of vascular grafts with thick walls and robust mechanical properties may be adaptable for the sub‐emergency clinical use of biotubes in regenerative medicine. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 231–238, 2014.
A Novel FGFR2 Mutation in Tyrosine Kinase II Domain, L617F, in Crouzon Syndrome
Authors: Suh Ye‐Jin , Bae Han‐Sol , Choi Jin‐Young , Lee Jong‐Ho , Kim Myung‐Jin , Kim Sukwha , Ryoo Hyun‐Mo , Baek Seung‐Hak
Published: August 2013

The purposes of this study were to find a novel mutation of FGFR2 in Korean Crouzon syndrome patients and to identify the functional consequences of this mutation. The samples consisted of 16 Crouzon patients. Peripheral venous blood was collected from the patients. FGFR2 mutation screening was performed by direct PCR sequencing of all exons and part of the introns. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was performed to confirm the novel mutation. For functional studies, we performed luciferase assay for Runx2 transcriptional activity, real‐time PCR for the bone markers (osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase), and Western blot for phosphorylated FGFR2 and ERK1/2‐MAPK protein. Among 16 patients, 10 showed FGFR2 mutations that had already been reported elsewhere. A novel FGFR2 mutation associated with tyrosine kinase II (TK‐II) domain, L617F, was found in one Crouzon syndrome patient by direct PCR sequencing. Presence of this mutation was confirmed using RFLP analysis. Runx2 transcriptional activity and expression of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase significantly increased in L617F‐transfected cells compared to wild‐type cells. FGFR2 autophosphorylation in L617F‐transfected cells increased in 1% serum, but ERK1/2‐MAPK protein was not activated. The FGFR2‐L617F mutation associated with the TK domain is potentially related to premature suture closure in Crouzon syndrome patient. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 102–110, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Finite‐field method with unbiased polarizable continuum model for evaluation of the second hyperpolarizability of an open‐shell singlet molecule in solvents
Authors: Inui Tomoya , Shigeta Yasuteru , Okuno Katsuki , Baba Takeshi , Kishi Ryohei , Nakano Masayoshi
Published: August 2013

The static second hyperpolarizability γ of the complexes composed of open‐shell singlet 1,3‐dipole molecule involving a boron atom and a water molecule in aqueous phase are investigated by the finite‐field (FF) method combined with a standard polarized continuum model (PCM) and with a newly proposed unbiased PCM (UBPCM). On the basis of the comparison with the results calculated by the FF method using the full quantum and the quantum‐mechanical/molecular‐mechanical and molecular‐dynamics (QM/MM‐MD) treatments, the present FF‐UBPCM method is demonstrated to remedy the artificial overestimation of the γ caused by standard FF‐PCM calculations and to well reproduce the FF‐QM/MM‐MD and FF‐full‐QM results with much lower costs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Batch tautomer generation with MolTPC
Authors: Will Thorsten , Hutter Michael C. , Jauch Johann , Helms Volkhard
Published: August 2013

Besides all their conformational degrees of freedom, drug‐like molecules and natural products often also undergo tautomeric interconversions. Compared to the huge efforts made in experimental investigation of tautomerism, open and free algorithmic solutions for prototropic tautomer generation are surprisingly rare. The few freely available software packages limit their output to a subset of the possible configurational space by sometimes unwanted prior assumptions and complete neglection of ring‐chain tautomerism. Here, we describe an adjustable fully automatic tautomer enumeration approach, which is freely available and also incorporates the detection of ring‐chain variants. The algorithm is implemented in the MolTPC framework and accessible on SourceForge. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Accurate relativistic adapted gaussian basis sets for francium through ununoctium without variational prolapse and to be used with both uniform sphere and gaussian nucleus models
Authors: Teodoro Tiago Quevedo , Haiduke Roberto Luiz Andrade
Published: August 2013

Accurate relativistic adapted Gaussian basis sets (RAGBSs) for 87Fr up to 118Uuo atoms without variational prolapse were developed here with the use of a polynomial version of the Generator Coordinate Dirac‐Fock method. Two finite nuclear models have been used, the Gaussian and uniform sphere models. The largest RAGBS error, with respect to numerical Dirac‐Fock results, is 15.4 miliHartree for Ununoctium with a basis set size of 33s30p19d14f functions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
New Infinite Families of 2‐Edge‐Balanced Graphs
Authors: Caliskan Cafer , Chee Yeow Meng
Published: August 2013

A graph G of order n is called t‐edge‐balanced if G satisfies the property that there exists a positive λ for which every graph of order n and size t is contained in exactly λ distinct subgraphs of isomorphic to G. We call λ the index of G. In this article, we obtain new infinite families of 2‐edge‐balanced graphs.
Integration of biostatistics and pharmacometrics computing platforms for efficient and reproducible PK/PD analysis: A case study
Authors: Ou Ying C. , Lo Arthur , Lee Brian , Liu Phillip , Kimura Karen , Eary Charisse , Hopkins Alan
Published: August 2013

Results of pharmacometric analyses influence high‐level decisions such as clinical trial design, drug approval, and labeling. Key challenges for timely delivery of pharmacometric analyses are the data assembly process and tracking and documenting the modeling process and results. Since clinical efficacy and safety data typically reside in the biostatistics computing area, an integrated computing platform for pharmacometric and biostatistical analyses would be ideal. A case study is presented integrating a pharmacometric modeling platform into an existing statistical computing environment (SCE). The feasibility and specific configurations of running common PK/PD programs such as NONMEM and R inside of the SCE are provided. The case study provides an example of an integrated repository that facilitates efficient data assembly for pharmacometrics analyses. The proposed platform encourages a good pharmacometrics working practice to maintain transparency, traceability, and reproducibility of PK/PD models and associated data in supporting drug development and regulatory decisions.
Enhanced nitrobenzene biotransformation by graphene‐anaerobic sludge composite
Authors: Wang Jing , Wang Di , Liu Guangfei , Jin Ruofei , Lu Hong
Published: August 2013

BACKGROUND

Traditional anaerobic bioprocesses have failed to achieve the efficient biotransformation of nitrobenzene. Thus, graphene‐anaerobic sludge composite as a novel biocatalyst was proposed for the enhancement of nitrobenzene biotransformation.

RESULTS

Reduced graphene oxide/anaerobic sludge (RGO/AS) composite presented good settling performance when graphene oxide (GO) was added into an AS system for 24 h cultivation. The presence of RGO resulted in enhanced nitrobenzene biotransformation by AS, and the highest removal efficiency of nitrobenzene was observed with initial GO (3–5 µm) vs sludge ratio of 0.075 (w/w). Dehydrogenase activity in the RGO/AS system increased approximately 2‐fold over that in the AS system and redox active species appeared in supernatant from the RGO/AS system. The ratio of acetate to propionate increased in the RGO/AS system during glucose fermentation, and nitrobenzene biotransformation by both AS and RGO/AS systems was independent of methanogenesis, but dependent on acetogenesis. Moreover, bound and free extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from RGO/AS composite were involved in direct biotransformation of nitrobenzene, and bound EPS might interact with secreted redox active species to accelerate nitrobenzene biotransformation by extracellular electron transfer.

CONCLUSION

RGO/AS composite was efficient for the treatment of nitrobenzene wastewater. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
The usefulness of gestational sac and placental sonographic morphology in differentiating between second‐trimester tubal and abdominal pregnancy: Case report and a review of literature
Authors: Liu Joseph , Khan Ambereen , Johnson Samuel , Grigorian Cheryl , Li Tao
Published: August 2013

Second‐trimester tubal pregnancy is rarely encountered and published cases are limited. There are no established sonographic criteria to differentiate it from abdominal pregnancy; however, differences in their medical management make this distinction important. We report a case of a 14‐week 5‐day tubal pregnancy that presented near rupture. Sonography demonstrated many overlapping features with abdominal pregnancy. In addition, the extrauterine gestational sac was rounded and well defined and the placenta was crescent‐shaped. We propose that these sonographic features represent a second‐trimester tubal pregnancy rather than an abdominal pregnancy. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:162–168, 2014
Investment choices in post‐embryonic development: Quantifying interactions among growth, regeneration, and asexual reproduction in the annelid Pristina leidyi
Authors: Zattara Eduardo E. , Bely Alexandra E.
Published: August 2013

Animals capable of multiple forms of post‐embryonic development, such as growth, regeneration, and asexual reproduction, must make choices about which processes to invest in. What strategies guide post‐embryonic resource allocation investments? We investigated this question in the annelid Pristina leidyi, which can grow continuously, regenerates well, and reproduces asexually by fission. We found that in this species growth is concentrated in three zones: a subterminal posterior zone (forming new segments), a mid‐body zone (forming fission zones), and a previously undescribed subterminal anterior zone at the base of the prostomium (which we suggest continually builds the prostomium through a “conveyor‐belt” like process). Body‐wide counts of proliferating cells are greater under high food than low food conditions but proliferation patterns themselves are independent of feeding level. Proliferation patterns are strongly affected by amputation, however, with proliferation rapidly shutting‐down throughout the body, except at the wound site, following injury. Relative investment to fission and regeneration is highly context‐dependent, being sensitive to the position of the cut and the stage of fission. Outcomes range from fission acceleration and regeneration stalling (high fission:regeneration investment) to resorption of fission zones and progression of regeneration (low fission:regeneration investment). Our findings reveal strong interactions between growth, regeneration, and fission and demonstrate a particularly important effect of injury on resource allocation patterns. Patterns of resource investment in P. leidyi show similarities to those described in two other groups that evolved fission independently (naidine annelids and catenulid flatworms), suggesting that similar developmental and physiological contexts may drive convergent evolution of resource allocation strategies. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 320B: 471–488, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Variations of electric field and electric resistivity of air caused by dust motion
Authors: Seran E. , Godefroy M. , Renno N. , Elliott H.
Published: August 2013

We report results of a field campaign conducted in the Nevada desert with a suite of electric field instruments consisting of a field mill (FM) and a short dipole antenna (SDA). Furthermore, we show that a combination of the measurements of these two instruments allows the estimation of the electric resistivity of air, an important quantity that is extremely difficult to measure near the Earth's surface. The electric resistivity of air is found to vary between 1.5 · 1013 and 6 · 1013 Ω m and to correlate with changes in electric field. Vertical DC electric fields with amplitudes up to 6 kV m−1 were observed to correspond to clouds of dust blowing through the measurement site. Enhanced DC and AC electric fields are measured during periods when horizontal wind speed exceeds 7 m s−1, or around twice the background value. We suggest that low‐frequency emissions, below ~200 Hz, are generated by the motion of electrically charged particles in the vicinity of the SDA electrode and propose a simple model to reproduce the observed spectra. According to this model, the spectral response is controlled by three parameters, (i) the speed of the charged particles, (ii) the charge concentration, and (iii) the minimum distance between the particle and the electrode. In order to explain the electric fields measured with the FM sensors at different heights, we developed a multilayer model that relates the electric field to the charge distribution. For example, a nonlinear variation of the electric field observed by the FM sensors below 50 cm is simulated by a near‐surface layer of tens of centimeters that is filled with electrically charged particles that carry a predominantly negative charge in the vicinity of the soil. The charge concentration inside this layer is estimated to vary between 1012 and 5 · 1013 electrons m−3.
Residual circulation in western Long Island Sound
Authors: Fribance Diane Bennett , O'Donnell James , Houk Adam
Published: August 2013

Current, salinity and temperature measurements from repeated ship transects, complemented by observations from long duration current profilers, are used to characterize the variability and structure of subtidal flow in western Long Island Sound, a region prone to seasonal hypoxia. Subtidal flow plays a leading role in the transport of oxygen and organic matter and must, therefore, be simulated as accurately as possible. We show that during periods of light wind in March and July, the subtidal along‐sound flow is vertically and horizontally sheared with lower salinity water in the top 7 m moving eastward toward the ocean at approximately 10 cm s−1 with a counterflow of similar magnitude elsewhere. Velocity contours were found to slope downward to the south, and maximum eastward velocities were found near the surface on the southern half of the section. We find that there is a net transport in the direction of the East River (westward.) The velocity distribution is broadly consistent with theoretical predictions for the steady, frictional, baroclinic pressure gradient driven flow modified by Coriolis acceleration, despite its neglect of advective effects which were found to be important in the present observational analysis. Our estimates of the pressure gradient, the Coriolis acceleration and stress divergence have similar magnitudes. Observation‐based estimates of terms in the momentum balance suggest that advection is more important to along‐estuary momentum than across‐estuary momentum. Along‐estuary advection is overestimated in recent hydrodynamic simulations when compared to observed values at sampling locations.
Effects of receive‐only inserts on specific absorption rate, B1+ field, and Tx coil performance
Authors: Krishnamurthy Narayanan , Zhao Tiejun , Ibrahim Tamer S.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of different cylindrical and close‐conforming receive‐only array designs on spin excitation and specific absorption rate (SAR) of a 7 T transmit‐only head coil.

Materials and Methods

We developed finite difference time domain (FDTD) models of different receive‐only array geometries. Cylindrical and close‐fitting helmet arrays with varying copper trace widths, a TEM Tx coil model, and two head models were used in numerical simulations. Tx coil coupling was experimentally measured and validated with FDTD modeling.

Results

Changing copper trace width of loops in array models caused subtle changes in radiofrequency (RF) absorption (<5%). Changes in SAR distribution were observed in the head models with Rx‐only inserts. Peak SAR increased (−1 to +15%) in different tissues for a mean B1+ in the brain of 2 μT. Total absorption in the head models for 1 W forward power increased (5%–21%) in the heads with Rx‐only inserts. Changes in RF absorption with different Rx inserts indicate a change in RF radiation of the Tx coil even when changes in B1+ and coupling between ports of Tx coil were minimal.

Conclusion

Changes in local/global SAR and subtle changes in B1+ field distributions were observed in the presence of Rx‐only inserts. Thus, incorporation of the receive‐only array effects are needed when evaluating SAR and designing RF transmit pulse waveform parameters for shimming and/or Tx‐SENSE for 7 T MRI. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:475–484. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MRI of the petromastoid canal in children
Authors: Koral Korgun , Vachha Behroze , Gimi Barjor , Zhang Song , Ulualp Seckin O. , Suter Edgar , Fernandes Neil , McMenamy John , Booth Timothy N.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

To characterize the MRI features of the petromastoid canal in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and in normal infants.

Materials and Methods

High resolution MRI examinations of 564 children who were evaluated for SNHL and brain MRI examinations of 112 infants who had normal studies were studied independently by two reviewers.

Results

In SNHL group, visibility of the PMC decreased for right and left PMC (P < 0.001). The width of the right PMC significantly decreased as age increased (P < 0.0001). There was no relation between abnormalities of membranous labyrinth and cochlear nerve and PMC visibility in children with SNHL (p > 0.05). In the normal group, the PMC visibility decreased with increasing age (right P = 0.0001, left P = 0.001). In the normal group also, as age increased, the PMC width decreased for both PMCs (right, P = 0.0006; left, P = 0.03).

Conclusion

The PMC is more frequently visualized in young children. Its visibility and width are not associated with abnormalities of membranous labyrinth and cochlear nerves. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:966–971. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
European isotherms move northwards by up to 15 km year−1: using climate analogues for awareness‐raising
Authors: Beniston Martin
Published: August 2013

Little use has been made up till now of the concept of climate analogues to link the present and the past, i.e. places whose current climate (‘target’ locations) is similar to that experienced some decades ago at distant locations (‘reference’ sites). Indeed, most research up till now has focused on analogues between present and future climates. Here we assess at what period of time the climate at a target station in Europe has reached—or will reach—that of a reference location, and show that the velocity of northward‐moving isotherms can attain 15 km year−1. Such displacements in space imply that temperatures at many target sites in Europe have already exceeded those experienced by stations located 300–500 km to the south in the last half‐century. Such results can serve to better portray what a rapidly changing climate means to a lay audience, and can provide useful information to the policy‐making community.
Impact of direct cell co‐cultures on human adipose‐derived stromal cells and nucleus pulposus cells
Authors: Sun Zhen , Liu Zhi‐Heng , Zhao Xu‐Hong , Sun Lu , Chen Yu‐Fei , Zhang Wei‐Lin , Gao Yang , Zhang Yong‐Zhao , Wan Zhong‐Yuan , Samartzis Dino , Wang Hai‐Qiang , Luo Zhuo‐Jing
Published: August 2013

Biologic and cellular treatment strategies aiming for curing intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) have been proposed recently. Given the convenient availability and expansion potential, adipose‐derived stromal cells (ADSCs) might be an ideal cell candidate. However, the interaction between ADSCs and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells still remains ambiguous, especially in direct co‐cultures of the two types of cells. Nevertheless, NP markers in ADSCs after co‐cultures were unidentified. Here, we addressed the interaction of human ADSCs and NP cells in a direct co‐culture system for the first time. As a result, ADSCs could differentiate to the NP cell phenotype with a significant up‐regulated expression of multiple genes and proteins in extracellular matrix (ECM) (SOX9, COL2A1, ACAN, and COL6A2), relative NP markers (FOXF1, PAX1, CA12, and HBB) and pertinent growth factors (CDMP‐1, TGF‐β1, IGF‐1, and CTGF). Moreover, the gene expression of COL2A1, ACAN, and COL6A2 of degenerate NP cells was also up‐regulated. Collectively, these results suggest that direct co‐cultures of ADSCs and NP cells may exert a reciprocal impact, that is, both stimulating ADSCs differentiation to the NP cell phenotype and inducing NP cells to regain functional phenotype. Accordingly, ADSCs might be a potential candidate in the development of cellular treatment strategies for IDD. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:1804–1813, 2013
Holocene river and slope activity in the Visoko Basin, Bosnia‐Herzegovina – climate and land‐use effects
Authors: DREIBRODT S. , LUBOS C. , HOFMANN R. , MÜLLER‐SCHEEßEL N. , RICHLING I. , NELLE O. , FUCHS M. , RASSMANN K. , KUJUNDŽIĆ‐VEJZAGIĆ Z. , BORK H.‐R. , MÜLLER J.
Published: August 2013

Alluvial and colluvial deposits were investigated at prehistoric tells close to the Bosna River. The chronology is based on ten radiocarbon ages, five optically stimulated luminescence ages, and on the archaeological record. Fluvial activity of the Bosna River is indicated by overbank fines [ca. 5000 (±1000) BC, 500 BC until today] and a phase of lateral displacement of the river bed with subsequent channel fills ca. 2000–500 BC. Early Holocene fluvial activity was probably triggered by climatic variability but might have promoted the expansion of Neolithic societies into the Visoko Basin. Mid‐ to late Holocene river activity occurred under increased climatic aridity but coincided with the expansion of prehistoric settlements to a wider area of the river basin on hard rocks in the adjacent mountainous areas. The destruction of the thin soil cover in the mountains is discussed as a probable trigger for enduring subsequent river activity. This is also indicated by a change in the geochemical signature of the alluvial sediments. The proposed mechanism might explain the mid to late Holocene river history in other regions. The potential of geochemical analyses and diachronous high‐resolution archaeological records to make inferences regarding sediment sources and geomorphological processes is demonstrated. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing fatty acid biostatus: Red blood cells or plasma?
Authors: Harris William S.
Published: August 2013

Omega‐3 fatty acid (n‐3 FA) biostatus can be estimated using red blood cell (RBC) membranes or plasma. The sample type that exhibits the lower within‐person variability and is less affected by an acute dose of n‐3 FA is preferred in clinical practice. The experiments described here indicate that RBC‐based metrics are superior to plasma‐based for use in patient care.
Differential migration of passenger leukocytes and rapid deletion of naive alloreactive CD8 T cells after mouse liver transplantation
Authors: Tay Szun S. , Lu Bo , Sierro Fred , Benseler Volker , McGuffog Claire M. , Bishop Alex G. , Cowan Peter J. , McCaughan Geoffrey W. , Dwyer Karen M. , Bowen David G. , Bertolino Patrick
Published: August 2013

Donor passenger leukocytes (PLs) from transplanted livers migrate to recipient lymphoid tissues, where they are thought to induce the deletion of donor-specific T cells and tolerance. Difficulties in tracking alloreactive T cells and PLs in rats and in performing this complex surgery in mice have limited progress in identifying the contribution of PL subsets and sites and the kinetics of T cell deletion. Here we developed a mouse liver transplant model in which PLs, recipient cells, and a reporter population of transgenic CD8 T cells specific for the graft could be easily distinguished and quantified in allografts and recipient organs by flow cytometry. All PL subsets circulated rapidly via the blood as soon as 1.5 hours after transplantation. By 24 hours, PLs were distributed differently in the lymph nodes and spleen, whereas donor natural killer and natural killer T cells remained in the liver and blood. Reporter T cells were activated in both liver and lymphoid tissues, but their numbers dramatically decreased within the first 48 hours. These results provide the first unequivocal demonstration of the differential recirculation of liver PL subsets after transplantation, and show that alloreactive CD8 T cells are deleted more rapidly than initially reported. This model will be useful for dissecting early events leading to the spontaneous acceptance of liver transplants. Liver Transpl 19:1224–1235, 2013. © 2013 AASLD.
Stability analysis of a self‐cycling fermentation model with state‐dependent impulse times
Authors: Córdova‐Lepe Fernando , Valle Rodrigo Del , Robledo Gonzalo
Published: August 2013

A self‐cycling fermenter is a batch fermenter subject to recurrent emptyings of liquid volume followed by the refilling with new fresh substrate. This article constructs a modified model of self‐cycling fermenter, which is described by an impulsive differential equation at impulse‐dependent times, which have been recently introduced. The main result is a set of conditions depending of the fraction of removed volume, the concentration of new substrate introduced, and the maximal length between two impulses, which ensure the existence and attractiveness of a periodic cycle. A second result provides alternative conditions for the biomass extinction. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Corner asymptotics of the magnetic potential in the eddy‐current model
Authors: Dauge Monique , Dular Patrick , Krähenbühl Laurent , Péron Victor , Perrussel Ronan , Poignard Clair
Published: August 2013

In this paper, we describe the magnetic potential in the vicinity of a corner of a conducting body embedded in a dielectric medium in a bidimensional setting. We make explicit the corner asymptotic expansion for this potential as the distance to the corner goes to zero. This expansion involves singular functions and singular coefficients. We introduce a method for the calculation of the singular functions near the corner, and we provide two methods to compute the singular coefficients: the method of moments and the method of quasi‐dual singular functions. Estimates for the convergence of both approximate methods are proven. We eventually illustrate the theoretical results with finite element computations. The specific nonstandard feature of this problem lies in the structure of its singular functions: They have the form of series whose first terms are harmonic polynomials, and further terms are genuine nonsmooth functions generated by the piecewise constant zeroth order term of the operator. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effectiveness of three types of alternating pressure air mattresses in the prevention of pressure ulcers in Belgian hospitals
Authors: Demarré Liesbet , Verhaeghe Sofie , Van Hecke Ann , Grypdonck Maria , Clays Els , Vanderwee Katrien , Beeckman Dimitri
Published: August 2013

To compare the effectiveness of multi‐stage and one‐stage alternating low‐pressure air mattresses (ALPAM) and alternating pressure air mattress (APAM) overlays in preventing pressure ulcers among hospitalized patients, data were pooled (N = 617) from a study of patients allocated to multi‐stage ALPAM (n = 252) or one‐stage ALPAM (n = 264), and another study of patients allocated to APAM overlay (n = 101). Cumulative pressure ulcer incidence was 4.9% (n = 30) over 14 days. Fewer ulcers developed on multi‐stage ALPAM compared with APAM overlay (OR = 0.33; 95% CI [0.11, 0.97]), but no difference was found between one‐stage ALPAM and APAM overlay (OR = 0.40; 95% CI [0.14, 1.10]). Time to develop ulcers did not differ by mattress type. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 36: 439–452, 2013.
Polyamine Ligand‐Mediated Self‐Assembly of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles into Chainlike Structures in Aqueous Solution: Towards New Nanostructured Chemosensors
Authors: Fernández‐Lodeiro Adrián , Fernández‐Lodeiro Javier , Núñez Cristina , Bastida Rufina , Capelo José Luis , Lodeiro Carlos
Published: August 2013

Polyamine ligands are very versatile compounds due to their water solubility and flexibility. In the present work, we have exploited the binding ability of a polyamine molecular linker (L2−) bearing different functional groups, which favors the self‐assembling of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into 1D nanochains in aqueous solution. The chainlike assemblies of AuNPs and AgNPs were structurally stable for a long period of time, during which their characteristic optical properties remained unchanged. The mechanism of AuNPs and AgNPs chain assembly associated with the induction of electric dipole–dipole interactions arising from the partial ligand exchange of surface‐adsorbed citrate ions by (L2−) was investigated. UV/Vis spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to determine timedependent structural changes associated with formation of the 1D nanoparticle structures. Finally, the sensing of Hg2+ in aqueous solution using AgNPs@(L)2− and AuNPs@(L)2− assemblies was also carried out in aqueous solution.
Data visualization in environmental proteomics
Authors: Mehlan Henry , Schmidt Frank , Weiss Stefan , Schüler Julia , Fuchs Stephan , Riedel Katharina , Bernhardt Jörg
Published: August 2013

From raw data to gene expression profiles, from single cultures to complex microbial communities, environmental proteomics works with data of different complexity levels that need to be interpreted in detail or in its entirety. Although data visualization is closely connected with data analysis approaches, this work will solely focus on data visualization. Complementing traditional tools such as bar charts or line graphs, scientists and visualization professionals have been provided sophisticated visualization tools. Many rules and concerns regarding the display of single but also complex data will be reviewed and discussed. Visual approaches such as microcharts, heat maps, stream graphs, and tree maps will be brought to the reader's attention and demonstrated by utilizing real data sets.
Project Leadership Influences Resistance to Change: The Case of the Canadian Public Service
Authors: Lundy Valerie
Published: August 2013

This article analyzes how leadership affects resistance to change in projects. Using Dulewicz and Higgs' (2005) leadership framework in the context of the Canadian Public Service, types of resistance and factors influencing them were listed, leading to the identification of competence areas for the project manager. It was found that an engaging leadership style, developed through proper training, effectively reduced resistance to change. Other factors, such as the inclusion of affected people in the decisions, as well as a formal project management methodology, were instrumental in reducing resistance. Finally, upper management support was identified to be a mandatory success factor.
A Systematic Study of Change Management during CMMI Implementation: A Modified Activity Theory Perspective
Authors: Shih Sheng-Pao , Shaw Ruey-Shiang , Fu Ta-Yu , Cheng Che-Pin
Published: August 2013

This study proposed a modified activity theory framework, complemented by a dynamic time axis, to analyze each organizational change stage of a two-phase capability maturity model integration (CMMI) maturity level adoption case. The study revealed the following results: At the planning stage, the involvement of senior executives determined the positive attitude toward change. At the getting started stage, employees' clear recognition of change objectives determined the change effectiveness. At the letting go stage, department heads got involved, understood, and provided both support and mediating activities to achieve the actual benefits. At the completion stage, performance was used as a measurement tool to help internalize the change into new capabilities.
Quantitative evaluation method for electroluminescence images of a‐Si:H thin‐film solar modules
Authors: Tran T. M. H. , Pieters B. E. , Schneemann M. , Müller T. C. M. , Gerber A. , Kirchartz T. , Rau U.
Published: August 2013

This work presents a method for extracting the absolute local junction voltage of a‐Si:H thin‐film solar cells and modules from electroluminescence (EL) images. It is shown that the electroluminescent emission of a‐Si:H devices follows a diode law with a radiative ideality factor nr larger than one. We introduce an evaluation method that allows us to determine the absolute local junction voltage in cases of nr > 1, while existing approaches rely on the assumption of nr = 1. Furthermore, we find that the experimentally determined values of nr vary from sample to sample. It is also explained why the derived radiative ideality factor is influenced by the spectral sensitivity of the camera system used in the experiment. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Potentiating Therapeutic Effects by Enhancing Synergism Based on Active Constituents from Traditional Medicine
Authors: Zhang Aihua , Sun Hui , Wang Xijun
Published: August 2013

Shifting current drug discovery tide from ‘finding new drugs’ to ‘screening natural products’ may be helpful for overcoming the ‘more investment, fewer drugs’ challenge. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), relying on natural products, has been playing a very important role in health protection and disease control for thousands of years in Asia, whose therapeutic efficacy is based on the ‘synergism’, that is, the combinational effects to be greater than that of the individual drug. Based on syndromes and patient characteristics and guided by the theories of TCM, formulae are designed to contain a combination of various kinds of crude drugs that, when combined, generally assume that a synergism of all ingredients will bring about the maximum of therapeutic efficacy. The increasing evidence has shown that multiple active component combinations of TCM could amplify the therapeutic efficacy of each agent, representing a new trend for modern medicine. However, the precise mechanism of synergistic action remains poorly understood. The present review highlights the concept of synergy and gives some examples of synergistic effects of TCM, and provides an overview of the recent and potential developments of advancing drug discovery towards more agile development of targeted combination therapies from TCM. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced radiance bias correction in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction's Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation data assimilation system
Authors: Zhu Yanqiu , Derber John , Collard Andrew , Dee Dick , Treadon Russ , Gayno George , Jung James A
Published: August 2013

Radiance bias correction is an important and necessary step in the proper use of satellite observations in a data assimilation system. The original radiance bias‐correction scheme used in the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) data assimilation system consists of two components: a variational air‐mass dependent component and a scan‐angle component. The air‐mass component is updated within the GSI, while the scan‐angle component is updated outside the GSI.

This study examines and enhances several aspects of the radiance bias‐correction problem. First, a modified pre‐conditioning is applied to the bias‐correction coefficients and the analysis variables to speed up convergence of the minimization process. A new procedure for applying the modified pre‐conditioning in the GSI is utilized. Second, capabilities for detecting any new/missing/recovering radiance data and initializing the bias correction for new radiance data are implemented. A new scheme is proposed and employed to adjust the background‐error variances for the bias‐correction coefficients automatically, using an approximation of the analysis‐error variances from the previous cycle, and to remove the pre‐specified predictor scaling parameters. Finally, the capability to perform bias correction for passive channels within the GSI is developed with a new approach.

The two‐step bias‐correction procedure originally used is replaced with a one‐step variational bias‐correction scheme within the GSI. Experiment results with the GSI‐based hybrid ensemble‐variational system show that using the modified pre‐conditioning leads to a better convergence rate. Moreover, with the one‐step scheme, the anomaly correlation of geopotential height at 500 mb is neutral in the Northern Hemisphere but improved in the Southern Hemisphere. The root‐mean‐square (RMS) error of wind is comparable to that of the two‐step scheme and the biases of the global temperature 24 h and 48 h forecasts fitted to the rawinsonde are reduced.
A spatial transformation scheme supporting data privacy and query integrity for security of outsourced databases
Authors: Kim Hyeong‐Il , Hossain Al‐Amin , Chang Jae‐Woo
Published: August 2013

Outsourcing database to a third‐party data provider is becoming a common practice for data owners to avoid the cost of managing and maintaining the database. Meanwhile, because of the popularity of location‐based services, the need for spatial data is increasing dramatically. However, the most important challenge in database outsourcing is how to meet privacy requirements and guarantee the integrity of the query result as well. Unfortunately, most of the existing techniques support either data privacy or integrity on spatial databases. To carry on both privacy and integrity for outsourced spatial data, we propose a spatial transformation scheme that makes use of shearing transformation with rotation shifting. We describe attack models measuring the data privacy of our transformation scheme. Finally, our extensive experiments have demonstrated that our scheme has adequate strength for data privacy by showing outstanding performance against different kinds of attack models and efficiently handles the query integrity of the query result sets. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimation of the effect of interventions that modify the received treatment
Authors: Haneuse S. , Rotnitzky A.
Published: August 2013

Motivated by a study of surgical operating time and post‐operative outcomes for lung cancer, we consider the estimation of causal effects of continuous point‐exposure treatments. To investigate causality, the standard paradigm postulates a series of treatment‐specific counterfactual outcomes and establishes conditions under which we may learn about them from observational study data. While many choices are possible, causal effects are typically defined in terms of variation of the mean of counterfactual outcomes in hypothetical worlds in which specific treatment strategies are ‘applied’ to all individuals. For example, one might compare two worlds: one where each individual receives some specific dose and a second where each individual receives some other dose. For our motivating study, defining causal effects in this way corresponds to (hypothetical) interventions that could not conceivably be implemented in the real world. In this work, we consider an alternative, complimentary framework that investigates variation in the mean of counterfactual outcomes under hypothetical treatment strategies where each individual receives a treatment dose corresponding to that actually received but modified in some pre‐specified way. Quantification of this variation is defined in terms of contrasts for specific interventions as well as in terms of the parameters of a new class of marginal structural mean models. Within this framework, we propose three estimators: an outcome regression estimator, an inverse probability of treatment weighted estimator and a doubly robust estimator. We illustrate the methods with an analysis of the motivating data. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Field Emission Characteristics of Contact Printed Graphene Fins
Authors: Hallam Toby , Cole Matthew T. , Milne William I. , Duesberg Georg S.
Published: August 2013

Carbon nanostructures have been much sought after for cold‐cathode field emission applications. Herein a printing technique is reported to controllably nanostructure chemical vapor deposited graphene into vertically standing fins. The method allows for the creation of regular arrays of bilayer graphene fins, with sharp ridges that, when printed onto gold electrodes, afford a new type of field emission electron source geometry. The approach affords tunable morphologies and excellent long term and cyclic stabilities.
Effects of environmental organochlorine pesticides on human breast cancer: Putative involvement on invasive cell ability
Authors: Pestana Diogo , Teixeira Diana , Faria Ana , Domingues Valentina , Monteiro Rosário , Calhau Conceição
Published: August 2013

Human exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is a certainty, even to long banned pesticides like o,p′‐dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (o,p′‐DDT), and its metabolites p,p′‐dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p′‐DDE), and p,p′‐dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (p,p′‐DDD). POPs are known to be particularly toxic and have been associated with endocrine‐disrupting effects in several mammals, including humans even at very low doses. As environmental estrogens, they could play a critical role in carcinogenesis, such as in breast cancer. With the purpose of evaluating their effect on breast cancer biology, o,p′‐DDT, p,p′‐DDE, and p,p′‐DDD (50–1000 nM) were tested on two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines: MCF‐7 expressing estrogen receptor (ER) α and MDA‐MB‐231 negative for ERα, regarding cell proliferation and viability in addition to their invasive potential. Cell proliferation and viability were not equally affected by these compounds. In MCF‐7 cells, the compounds were able to decrease cell proliferation and viability. On the other hand, no evident response was observed in treated MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Concerning the invasive potential, the less invasive cell line, MCF‐7, had its invasion potential significantly induced, while the more invasive cell line MDA‐MB‐231, had its invasion potential dramatically reduced in the presence of the tested compounds. Altogether, the results showed that these compounds were able to modulate several cancer‐related processes, namely in breast cancer cell lines, and underline the relevance of POP exposure to the risk of cancer development and progression, unraveling distinct pathways of action of these compounds on tumor cell biology. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 30: 168–176, 2015.