bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical Initiated C‐N Coupling of 3‐Methylcatechol and n‐Hexylamine in a Flow Cell Monitored with ESI‐MS
Authors: Kummer Sina , Ruth Wolfgang , Kragl Udo
Published: April 2016

The electrochemical initiated heterocoupling of 3‐methylcatechol and n‐hexylamine was investigated. The oxidation of 3‐methylcatechol was performed in an electrochemical flow cell with glassy carbon as the working electrode. As a result, the two‐electron, two‐proton oxidised chinone intermediate undergoes a C‐N coupling reaction in the presence of an amine (Michael addition). This mono coupling product can undergo a second two‐electron, two‐proton oxidation depending on acidic or basic conditions and substrate ratios. This flow cell was coupled on‐line with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry to identify the possible coupling products. Higher substrate concentrations were performed off‐line as first scale‐up experiments in a two‐step procedure.
Proteomic changes in the liver of Channa striatus in response to high temperature stress
Authors: Mahanty Arabinda , Purohit Gopal Krishna , Banerjee Sudeshna , Karunakaran Dhanasekar , Mohanty Sasmita , Mohanty Bimal Prasanna
Published: April 2016

The present study was undertaken to investigate the proteomic changes in the liver of murrel Channa striatus exposed to high temperature stress. Fishes were exposed to 36°C for 4 days and liver proteome changes were analyzed using gel‐ based proteomics, i.e. 2DE, MALDI‐TOF/TOF‐MS, and validation by transcript analysis. The study showed, besides others, increased abundance of two sets of proteins, the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), ferritin, cellular retinol binding protein (CRBP), glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST), and the chaperones HSP60 and protein disulfide isomerase; this was validated by transcript analysis. The proteome data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002608. Further, gene expression analysis was also carried out in the fishes exposed to thermal stress for longer durations (30 days experimental exposure in laboratory and for 30 days beyond, taking Channa collected from a hot spring runoff at 36–38°C); sod, gst, crbp, and hsp60 were found to continue to remain upregulated at eight‐, 2.5‐, 2.4‐, and 2.45‐fold, respectively, in the hot spring runoff fish. Pathway analysis showed that the upregulations of the antioxidant enzymes as well as molecular chaperones are induced by the transcription factor Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2). Thus, while short‐term heat stress tolerance involves the antioxidative enzymes SOD, ferritin, CRBP, GST, and chaperones HSP60 and protein disulfide isomerase, adaptation under chronic heat stress is associated with SOD, CRBP, GST, and HSP60.
Genetic and epigenetic variation in the DNMT3B and MTHFR genes and colorectal adenoma risk
Authors: Ho Vikki , Ashbury Janet E. , Taylor Sherryl , Vanner Stephen , King Will D.
Published: April 2016

Polymorphisms in DNMT3B and MTHFR have been implicated in cancer etiology; however, it is increasingly clear that gene‐specific DNA methylation also affects gene expression. A cross‐sectional study (N = 272) investigated the main and joint effects of polymorphisms and DNA methylation in DNMT3B and MTHFR on colorectal adenoma risk. Polymorphisms examined included DNMT3B c.−6‐1045G > T, and MTHFR c.665C > T and c.1286A > C. DNA methylation of 66 and 28 CpG sites in DNMT3B and MTHFR, respectively, was quantified in blood leukocytes using Sequenom EpiTYPER®. DNA methylation was conceptualized using two approaches: (1) average methylation and (2) unsupervised principal component analysis to identify variables that represented methylation around the transcription start site and the gene coding area of both genes. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with the main and joint effects of polymorphisms and DNA methylation. DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) TT versus GG/GT genotypes was associated with increased colorectal adenoma risk (OR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.03–4.34). In addition, increasing DNA methylation in the gene‐coding area of DNMT3B was associated with higher risk of colorectal adenomas (OR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.01–1.79 per SD). In joint effect analyses, synergistic effects were observed among those with both the DNMT3B TT genotype and higher DNMT3B methylation levels compared to those with GT/GG genotypes and lower methylation levels (OR = 4.19; 95% CI: 1.45–12.13 for average methylation; OR = 4.26; 95%CI: 1.31–13.87 for methylation in the transcription start site). This research provides novel evidence that genetic and epigenetic variations contribute to colorectal adenoma risk, precursor to the majority of colorectal cancer (CRC). Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:261–268, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Populus nigra L. establishment and fluvial landform construction: biogeomorphic dynamics within a channelized river
Authors: Corenblit Dov , Steiger Johannes , Charrier Gaspard , Darrozes José , Garófano‐Gómez Virginia , Garreau Alexandre , González Eduardo , Gurnell Angela M. , Hortobágyi Borbála , Julien Frédéric , Lambs Luc , Larrue Sébastien , Otto Thierry , Roussel Erwan , Vautier Franck , Voldoire Olivier
Published: April 2016

Populations of the riparian pioneer species Populus nigra L. which establish on alluvial bars within river channels modulate sediment dynamics and fluvial landforms. Dense cohorts of P. nigra have colonized gravel point bars along the channelized River Garonne, France, during the last 20 years and have enhanced the vertical, lateral and longitudinal development of the bars. For this period, the geomorphic characteristics of two wooded point bars on this laterally stable river are closely linked to the spatial distribution and intensity of establishment and resistance of different cohorts of P. nigra. Furthermore, P. nigra colonization dynamics were controlled by engineer effects of this same species. This relationship is illustrated by a significant correlation between key geomorphic and biological variables measured in situ and characterized with a set of four aerial photographs taken between 2000 and 2010. The development of wooded point bars, which are discrete biogeomorphic units, over the studied period, appear to result from a specific biogeomorphic positive feedback of matter aggregation and vegetation establishment related to sediment trapping and stabilization by pioneer engineer plants. We propose a conceptual model of biogeomorphic unit construction for channelized, lateral stable rivers. We consider the resultant biogeomorphic units as functional from an ecological point of view because P. nigra enhances at the cohort scale (i) its own inherent capacity to resist hydrogeomorphic disturbances, and (ii) its resilience capacity as a result of successful colonization, especially downstream of mature poplar stands. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimization and preparation of Methylcellulose edible film combined with of Ferulago angulata essential oil (FEO) nanocapsules for food packaging applications
Authors: Esmaeili Akbar , Ebrahimzadeh Fazel Monireh
Published: April 2016

The films based on methylcellulose with biodegradable and antioxidant activity incorporated with nano capsule suspension containing F. angulata essential oil were developed. Oil extraction and identification of F. angulata essential oil compounds was done. Nano capsule suspension containing F. angulata essential oil was prepared by ultrasonic bath. The films were prepared by a casting method in three different ratios. The mechanical properties, colour, light transmission, antioxidant activity and release rate characteristics of the films were studied. The addition of nano capsule suspension to methylcellulose films decreased the thickness, tensile strength but increased the percentage elongation at break (%E) and lightness. High antioxidant activity and a prolonged release of F. angulata essential oil were also reported. Five factors design of Response Surface Methodology were used to optimize the thickness, holding time and anti‐oxidant effect of edible film based on methylcellulose incorporated with nano capsule suspension containing F. angulata essential oil. Design of experiments was carried out by the software: Minitab 17 (Sigma package). Optimization of thickness, 2, 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and holding time would yield the best mixture proportions of methylcellulose and nano capsule suspension 30%, 30% and 70%; oil<0.05, 0.07 and 0.05 mg; at 20, 24 and 24 min; 50°, 40°, 50° C were obtained respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulation of anisotropic diffusion processes in fluids with smoothed particle hydrodynamics
Authors: Tran‐Duc Thien , Bertevas Erwan , Phan‐Thien Nhan , Khoo Boo Cheong
Published: April 2016

Anisotropic diffusion phenomenon in fluids is simulated using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). A new SPH approximation for diffusion operator, named anisotropic SPH approximation for anisotropic diffusion (ASPHAD), is derived. Basic idea of the derivation is that anisotropic diffusion operator is first approximated by an integral in a coordinate system in which it is isotropic. The coordinate transformation is a combination of a coordinate rotation and a scaling in accordance with diffusion tensor. Then, inverse coordinate transformation and particle discretization are applied to the integral to achieve ASPHAD. Noting that weight function used in the integral approximation has anisotropic smoothing length, which becomes isotropic under the inverse transformation. ASPHAD is general and unique for both isotropic and anisotropic diffusions with either constant or variable diffusing coefficients. ASPHAD was numerically examined in some cases of isotropic and anisotropic diffusions of a contaminant in fluid, and the simulation results are very consistent with corresponding analytical solutions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Forecasting Aggregates with Disaggregate Variables: Does Boosting Help to Select the Most Relevant Predictors?
Authors: Zeng Jing
Published: April 2016

Including disaggregate variables or using information extracted from the disaggregate variables into a forecasting model for an economic aggregate may improve forecasting accuracy. In this paper we suggest using the boosting method to select the disaggregate variables, which are most helpful in predicting an aggregate of interest. We conduct a simulation study to investigate the variable selection ability of this method. To assess the forecasting performance a recursive pseudo‐out‐of‐sample forecasting experiment for six key euro area macroeconomic variables is conducted. The results suggest that using boosting to select relevant predictors is a feasible and competitive approach in forecasting an aggregate. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
P‐ and S‐wave angle‐domain common‐image gathers (ADCIGs) based on elastic‐wave reverse‐time migration
Authors: Bingshou He , Haibo Mou , Nan Hu
Published: April 2016

Elastic‐wave reverse‐time migration is an important imaging strategy because of its ability to image complex geologic structures and to efficiently extract elastic‐wave angle‐domain common‐image gathers (ADCIGs), which is an important task for amplitude‐versus‐angle (AVA) analysis and migration velocity analysis (MVA) in multicomponent exploration. Based on the characteristics of Poynting vectors in an elastic medium, we derive the wavefield‐separation imaging conditions for elastic reverse‐time migration (RTM) and establish the method of calculating the incident angle of source P‐wavefield using the propagation angle of source P‐wavefield and local dip angle of the reflector. Accurate ADCIGs can then be extracted based on the estimated incident angles with small computational cost. Two numerical examples show that the proposed method for extracting elastic‐wave ADCIGs can provide clear and accurate image and image gathers for elastic‐wave imaging tasks and therefore can provide reliable amplitude information for AVA and MVA. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Myopericytoma arising adjacent to the common carotid artery: Case report and systematic review of deep located neck myopericytomas
Authors: Prado–Calleros Héctor M. , Galarza–Lozano David , Arrieta–Gómez José R. , Pombo–Nava Alejandro , Parraguirre–Martínez Sara , Gutiérrez Carlos Jiménez
Published: April 2016

Background

Myopericytoma is a perivascular tumor of the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the extremities, it is a rare finding in the head and neck, and even rarer is its deep location.

Methods

A 38‐year‐old woman presented with a slowly growing mass at the right carotid triangle. Contrast‐enhanced CT scan revealed a moderately enhancing mass. At surgery, the tumor was firmly attached to the common carotid artery, making it necessary to excise a small portion of the vessel wall.

Results

The histopathologic report was myopericytoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, without tumor recurrence.

Conclusion

The very few deep located myopericytomas at the head and neck region show a predilection to appear near the great neck vessels with a possibility to require vascular repair, or at the parotid space where they can be multicentric. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2479–E2482, 2016
Factors influencing the incidence and prognosis of second primary tumors in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ko Hui‐Hsin , Cheng Shih‐Lung , Lee Jang‐Jaer , Chen Hsin‐Ming , Wang Chun‐Wei , Cheng Shih‐Jung , Kok Sang‐Heng
Published: April 2016

Background

Although second primary tumors are common in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), their predisposing factors and treatment guideline remain uncertain.

Methods

Three hundred ninety‐four patients with OSCC who received radical surgery from January 2002 to December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

Forty‐five patients developed oral second primary tumors. Areca quid chewing, tongue tumors, and nodal metastasis were risk factors for second primary tumors. Multivariate analyses revealed that no second primary tumor (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.046; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.704–12.246; p = .003), contralateral neck dissection for ipsilateral second primary tumors (HR = 6.254; 95% CI = 3.027–13.365; p = .007), and postoperative radiotherapy (RT; HR = 3.987; 95% CI = 1.099–10.381; p = .040) were independent favorable prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Areca quid chewing, tongue tumors, and nodal metastasis predisposed patients with OSCC to second primary tumor development. Elective dissection of the contralateral neck in patients with second primary tumors ipsilateral to index tumors and postoperative RT for eligible patients should always be considered in the management of oral second primary tumors. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: First–1466, 2016
5‐Substituted Benzothiophenes: Synthesis, Mechanism, and Kinetic Studies
Authors: Cerminara Iole , D'Alessio Luciano , D'Auria Maurizio , Funicello Maria , Guarnaccio Ambra
Published: April 2016

The kinetics of the reaction of 4‐methoxythiophenoxyacetaldehyde diethyl acetal, 4‐nitrothiophenoxyacetaldehyde diethyl acetal, and 3‐methoxythiophenoxyacetaldehyde diethyl acetal in polyphosphoric acid has been explained. The kinetic behavior has been explained on the basis of aided simulation and on the basis of density functional theory calculations showing a different pathway for 4‐nitrothiophenoxyacetaldehyde diethyl acetal and for 4‐methoxythiophenoxyacetaldehyde diethyl acetal. In this last case, a very fast competing reaction to the dimerization product was observed.
Genetic mechanisms of electroconvulsive therapy response in depression
Authors: Benson‐Martin Janine J. , Stein Dan J. , Baldwin David S. , Domschke Katharina
Published: April 2016

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is known to be one of the most effective treatments for managing depression and other severe mental illnesses. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms underlying response to ECT remain uncertain. This mini‐review presents clinical findings regarding the role of genetic factors in the aetiology of the ECT response. Studies on the role of variation in the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) gene; other dopamine‐, serotonin‐, and G‐protein‐related genes; brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); apolipoprotein E (APOE); angiotensin I‐converting enzyme (ACE) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) genes in mediating response to ECT are summarized. The existing data support the notion that some genetic factors—particularly the functional COMT val158met polymorphism—may play a role in the magnitude of clinical response to ECT, and thus could serve as potential biomarkers for future personalized treatment approaches. However, much of the work to date is preliminary, and large‐scale confirmatory studies are still needed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SSRI‐antipsychotic combination in psychotic depression: sertraline pharmacokinetics in the presence of olanzapine, a brief report from the STOP‐PD study
Authors: Davies Simon J. C. , Mulsant Benoit H. , Flint Alastair J. , Meyers Barnett S. , Rothschild Anthony J. , Whyte Ellen M. , Kirshner Margaret M. , Sorisio Denise , Pollock Bruce G. , Bies Robert R. ,   for the STOP‐PD study group
Published: April 2016

Objective

We recently reported an unexpected interaction between olanzapine and sertraline in a population being treated for psychotic depression. Contrary to knowledge of cytochrome p450 interactions sertraline increased apparent clearance of olanzapine by 30%. Here we examined the pharmacokinetics of sertraline in the same population. Existing studies suggest that sertraline apparent clearance is significantly increased in male subjects and suggested an age/sex interaction.

Methods

We studied subjects undergoing combination of sertraline/olanzapine treatment for psychotic depression in the Study of the Pharmacotherapy of Psychotic Depression. Nonlinear mixed effect modelling software was used to examine the sertraline pharmacokinetics, evaluating age, sex, race, and olanzapine exposure as covariates.

Results

Eighty‐seven subjects (median age 62 years, 28 male subjects, 11 African‐Americans) provided 138 samples for sertraline concentration. Olanzapine exposure had a 14.8‐fold range. A one compartment model with combined residual error described the sertraline concentration data adequately. Half‐life and sex effect on sertraline apparent clearance (males averaging 50% higher (p < 0.005); 96.6 l/h vs 64.8 in female subjects) were similar to previous reports. No other covariate (age, race or olanzapine exposure) had a significant impact on apparent clearance, and no age/sex interaction emerged.

Conclusion

Sertraline pharmacokinetics were similar to historical descriptions in populations not taking antipsychotics. Unlike our unexpected finding that sertraline increases olanzapine apparent clearance, olanzapine exposure had no impact on sertraline pharmacokinetics. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Implications of decadal to century scale glacio‐hydrological change for water resources of the Hood River basin, OR, USA
Authors: Frans Chris , Istanbulluoglu Erkan , Lettenmaier Dennis P. , Clarke Garry , Bohn Theodore J. , Stumbaugh Matt
Published: April 2016

In glacier‐fed rivers, melting of glacier ice sustains streamflow during the driest times of the year, especially during drought years. Anthropogenic and ecologic systems that rely on this glacial buffering of low flows are vulnerable to glacier recession as temperatures rise. We demonstrate the evolution of glacier melt contribution in watershed hydrology over the course of a 184‐year period from 1916 to 2099 through the application of a coupled hydrological and glacier dynamics model to the Hood River basin in Northwest Oregon, USA. We performed continuous simulations of glaciological processes (mass accumulation and ablation, lateral flow of ice and heat conduction through supra‐glacial debris), which are directly linked with seasonal snow dynamics as well as other key hydrologic processes (e.g. evapotranspiration and subsurface flow). Our simulations show that historically, the contribution of glacier melt to basin water supply was up to 79% at upland water management locations. We also show that supraglacial debris cover on the Hood River glaciers modulates the rate of glacier recession and progression of dry season flow at upland stream locations with debris‐covered glaciers. Our model results indicate that dry season (July to September) discharge sourced from glacier melt started to decline early in the 21st century following glacier recession that started early in the 20th century. Changes in climate over the course of the current century will lead to 14–63% (18–78%) reductions in dry season discharge across the basin for IPCC emission pathway RCP4.5 (RCP8.5). The largest losses will be at upland drainage locations of water diversions that were dominated historically by glacier melt and seasonal snowmelt. The contribution of glacier melt varies greatly not only in space but also in time. It displays a strong decadal scale fluctuations that are super‐imposed on the effects of a long‐term climatic warming trend. This decadal variability results in reversals in trends in glacier melt, which underscore the importance of long‐time series of glacio‐hydrologic analyses for evaluating the hydrological response to glacier recession. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Elevated expression of the centromere protein‐A(CENP‐A)‐encoding gene as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in human cancers
Authors: Sun Xia , Clermont Pier‐Luc , Jiao Wenlin , Helgason Cheryl D. , Gout Peter W. , Wang Yuzhuo , Qu Sifeng
Published: April 2016

Centromere protein‐A (CENP‐A), a histone‐H3 variant, plays an essential role in cell division by ensuring proper formation and function of centromeres and kinetochores. Elevated CENP‐A expression has been associated with cancer development. This study aimed to establish whether elevated CENP‐A expression can be used as a prognostic and predictive cancer biomarker. Molecular profiling of CENP‐A in human cancers was investigated using genomic, transcriptomic and patient information from databases, including COSMIC, Oncomine, Kaplan–Meier plotter and cBioPortal. A network of CENP‐A co‐expressed genes was derived from cBioPortal and analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and Oncomine protocols to explore the function of CENP‐A and its predictive potential. Transcriptional and post‐transcriptional regulation of CENP‐A expression was analyzed in silico. It was found that CENP‐A expression was elevated in 20 types of solid cancer compared with normal counterparts. Elevated CENP‐A expression highly correlated with cancer progression and poor patient outcome. Genomic analysis indicated that the elevated CENP‐A expression was not due to alterations in the sequence or copy number of the CENP‐A gene. Furthermore, CENP‐A can be regulated by key oncogenic proteins and tumor‐suppressive microRNAs. CENP‐A co‐expression network analysis indicated that CENP‐A function is associated with cell cycle progression. Oncomine analysis showed a strong correlation between elevated CENP‐A expression and oncolytic response of breast cancer patients to taxane‐based chemotherapy. In conclusion, elevated CENP‐A expression is coupled to malignant progression of numerous types of cancer. It may be useful as a biomarker of poor patient prognosis and as a predictive biomarker for taxane‐based chemotherapy.
Complicating Understandings of Students' Multiliterate Practices With Practitioner Inquiry
Authors: Sandretto Susan , Tilson Jane
Published: April 2016

This article presents findings from a research project into multiliteracies pedagogy in Aotearoa New Zealand. In one phase of the multilayered project, participating teachers conducted an investigation of the in‐ and out‐of‐school literacy practices of one of their students using an ethnographic approach. In this article, the authors share themes that the teachers identified after reflecting on the practitioner inquiries to critically consider the question, How can practitioner inquiry into the multiliterate practices of one student complicate understandings of literacy? The rich, co‐constructed portraits of students' multiliterate practices challenged (mis)conceptions about the role of traditional literacies and the assumption that all students are digital natives, complicated understandings of literacy, illustrated the potential to deficit theorize nontraditional literacy practices, and illuminated implications for literacy pedagogy. The authors argue that when shared, practitioner inquiry is a powerful means to challenge assumptions and extend our understandings of literacy.
Activity assessment of root caries lesions with thermal and near‐IR imaging methods
Authors: Lee Robert C. , Darling Cynthia L. , Staninec Michal , Ragadio Antonio , Fried Daniel
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate thermal and near‐infrared (NIR) reflectance imaging methods for the assessment of the activity of root caries lesions. In addition, changes in the lesion structure were monitored with polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS‐OCT). Artificial bovine and natural root caries lesions were imaged with PS‐OCT, and their dehydration rate was measured with thermal and NIR cameras. The lesion activity of the natural root caries samples was also assessed by two clinicians by conventional means according to ICDAS II guidelines. The thickness of the highly mineralized transparent surface layer measured using PS‐OCT increased and the area enclosed by the time‐temperature curve, ΔQ, measured with thermal imaging decreased significantly with longer periods of remineralization in simulated dentin lesions, but the NIR reflectance intensity differences, ΔI, failed to show any significant relationship with the degree of remineralization. The PS‐OCT algorithm for the automated assessment of remineralization successfully detected the highly mineralized surface layer on both natural and simulated lesions. Thermal imaging provided the most accurate diagnosis of root caries lesion activity. These results demonstrate that thermal imaging and PS‐OCT may be ideally suited for the nondestructive root caries lesion activity during a clinical examination.

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Wear of composite ceramics in mixed‐material combinations in total hip replacement under adverse edge loading conditions
Authors: Al‐Hajjar Mazen , Carbone Silvia , Jennings Louise M. , Begand Sabine , Oberbach Thomas , Delfosse Daniel , Fisher John
Published: April 2016

Ceramic composites have performed very well under adverse edge loading conditions when used in like‐on‐like configurations, where the femoral head and acetabular cup are of the same material. The aim of this study was to determine the wear of pure alumina (Al2O3), alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ) and zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) when used in mixed bearing combinations, under edge loading conditions due to translational mal‐positioning. The head‐on‐cup configurations of three ceramic materials were ATZ‐on‐ZTA, ZTA‐on‐ATZ, Al2O3‐on‐ATZ, ATZ‐on‐Al2O3, Al2O3‐on‐ZTA, and ZTA‐on‐Al2O3. They were tested on the Leeds II hip simulator under microseparation conditions. The bedding in and steady state wear rates of ATZ‐on‐ZTA were 1.16mm3/million cycles and 0.18mm3/million, respectively, and for ATZ‐on‐Al2O3 were 0.66 mm3/million cycles and 0.20 mm3/million, respectively. The wear rates of the other bearing combinations under these adverse microseparation conditions, Al2O3‐on‐ATZ, Al2O3‐on‐ZTA, ZTA‐on‐ATZ and ZTA‐on‐Al2O3 were very low with no clear bedding in and steady state phases, and with steady state wear rates lower than 0.11 mm3/million. The mixed material combinations tested in this study have shown slightly higher wear rates when compared to ATZ in like‐on‐like configuration reported previously, but superior wear resistance when compared to alumina‐on‐alumina bearings tested previously under the same adverse microseparation conditions. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1361–1368, 2017.
Plasmonic effects and the morphology changes on the active material P3HT:PCBM used in polymer solar cells using Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Yang Yuzhao , Sun Lu , Ou Jiemei , He Yiting , Lin Xiaofeng , Yuan Zhongke , Lin Wensheng , Hong Wei , Yu Dingshan , Chen Xudong , Qiu Zhiren
Published: April 2016

There is no consensus yet that the enhancement effects of plasmonic device are predominantly caused by plasmonic effects or induced morphology changes in the optoelectronic `materials. Herein, we present a detailed Raman characterization of a typical organic P3HT:PCBM system comprising silver nanowires (Ag NWs) with different size, which can simultaneously study the plasmonic effects and the morphology changes. The direct comparison of the Raman spectra of non‐annealed and annealed samples indicates that the morphology of plasmonic samples has changed before annealing and the morphology of plasmonic samples and reference sample after annealing is not distinguishable. This indicates that the interaction between P3HT and Ag NWs with different size can be explained by plasmonic effects after annealing. Moreover, in‐situ Raman spectroscopy is used to study the morphology changes in plasmonic samples with different diameters of Ag NWs during heating process. This method can distinguish the plasmonic effects and morphology changes of plasmonic device. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Polarized Raman spectra of brushite (CaHPO4.2H2O) crystal. Investigation of the phosphate stretching modes, study of the LOTO splitting
Authors: Quillard Sophie , Mevellec Jean‐Yves , Deniard Philippe , Bouler Jean‐Michel , Buisson Jean‐Pierre
Published: April 2016

Polarized Raman measurements were recorded on a monoclinic brushite (CaHPO4.2H2O) crystal in the 800–1200 cm−1 spectral range, corresponding to the PO stretching modes. This study is a continuation of the investigation of the phosphate stretching modes observed in polarized infrared reflectance spectra of brushite crystal. In such ionic non‐centrosymmetric crystals, the splitting between the transverse and longitudinal components of the optic vibrations was observed in the polarized Raman spectra recorded at several scattering geometries. A″ symmetry modes of the brushite crystal were measured. Using a simple model based on the symmetry of the PO4 group, the Raman intensities of the stretching modes are calculated and compared with experimental bands. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Different classification algorithms and serum surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for noninvasive discrimination of gastric diseases
Authors: Li Xiaozhou , Yang Tianyue , Li Siqi , Wang Deli , Song Youtao , Yu Kedong
Published: April 2016

In this study, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used to investigate the spectral characteristics of blood serum for the purpose of diagnosing stomach diseases. SERS spectral data was collected from patients with atrophic gastritis, both pre‐operation and post‐operation gastric cancer, and from healthy individuals. Visual differences in the SERS spectra were observed between the four groups which indicate corresponding biomolecule concentration changes in blood. To further investigate the diagnostic ability of human serum, the spectral data was analyzed with three chemometric processes. These three methods extracted features and classified from the spectral data. Principal component analysis (PCA) was first performed to reduce the dimensionality of the original spectral data. Then, the classification methods support vector machine (SVM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and classification and regression tree (CART) were used for the evaluation of diagnostic ability. Accuracies of 96.5%, 88.8% and 87.1% were obtained for PCA‐SVM, PCA‐LDA and PCA‐CART, respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Raman and surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy on horns and their correlation with biomechanical properties
Authors: Zhou Ping , Pan Yan‐Ting , Wang Zhuo , He Chun‐Lan , Huang Yao‐Xiong
Published: April 2016

Recently horns are considered as potential candidates for various biomedical applications because of their distinct biomechanical properties. We therefore performed Raman spectral analysis and mechanical test on the horns of buffalo, cattle and sheep to obtain information about the molecular compositions in various parts of the horns and their correlation with biomechanical properties. We also developed a surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to trace their degradation products. We found that various parts of the horns have similar overall molecular compositions, but have differences in the bands of C–C–S–S–C–C conformation, α‐helix and β‐sheet conformation, especially in the bands of 507–515 cm−1 which reflect the relative sulfur content and the structural conformation of the disulfide linkages. The Raman intensities at the region are highly correlated with the Young's modulus and tensile strength of the horns, indicating that the biomechanical properties of the horns are mainly determined by their disulfide bonds. It also suggests that Raman spectroscopy has the potential to perform non‐destructive detection on the mechanical strength of horns. The SERS measurements verified that the main constituents of the degradation products from both the buffalo and sheep horns were amino acids and polypeptides, suggesting that the horns are suitable candidates for biomaterial scaffolds. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparative performance of heterogeneity variance estimators in meta‐analysis: a review of simulation studies
Authors: Langan Dean , Higgins Julian P. T. , Simmonds Mark
Published: April 2016

Random‐effects meta‐analysis methods include an estimate of between‐study heterogeneity variance. We present a systematic review of simulation studies comparing the performance of different estimation methods for this parameter. We summarise the performance of methods in relation to estimation of heterogeneity and of the overall effect estimate, and of confidence intervals for the latter. Among the twelve included simulation studies, the DerSimonian and Laird method was most commonly evaluated. This estimate is negatively biased when heterogeneity is moderate to high and therefore most studies recommended alternatives. The Paule–Mandel method was recommended by three studies: it is simple to implement, is less biased than DerSimonian and Laird and performs well in meta‐analyses with dichotomous and continuous outcomes. In many of the included simulation studies, results were based on data that do not represent meta‐analyses observed in practice, and only small selections of methods were compared. Furthermore, potential conflicts of interest were present when authors of novel methods interpreted their results. On the basis of current evidence, we provisionally recommend the Paule–Mandel method for estimating the heterogeneity variance, and using this estimate to calculate the mean effect and its 95% confidence interval. However, further simulation studies are required to draw firm conclusions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Image intensive soft tissue sarcoma surveillance uncovers pathology earlier than patient complaints but with frequent initially indeterminate lesions
Authors: Richardson Kyle , Potter Michael , Damron Timothy A.
Published: April 2016

Introduction

Post‐treatment surveillance follow‐up soft‐tissue sarcomas is controversial. Protocols are highly variable. This study retrospectively evaluates an image intense protocol to assess benefits of identifying true pathology compared to incidental findings.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted on a single orthopedic oncologist's soft tissue sarcoma patients under a consistent protocol (TAD). Study population included patients who underwent resection of non‐metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (AJCC stages I–III) and either died within surveillance period or completed 5 years of follow‐up.

Results

Thirty‐nine patients met the strict study criteria. 24/39 (61.5%) patients were identified to have a local recurrence (6), chest metastasis (6), isolated distant recurrence (9), or new primary tumor (3). Of those 24 patients with true pathology, 13 (54%) or 33% (13/39) of all patients potentially benefited from discovery via imaging before patient complaint. Chest CT was the first to reveal all lung metastases. For balance, 32/39 (82%) patients had at least 1 initially “indeterminate” lesion on imaging. Of those, 91% (29/32)—74% of all patients (29/39)—proved to be inconsequential by final follow up.

Conclusion

Of the true pathology identified, over half were not evident on clinical presentation, emphasizing the importance of a routine surveillance. However, an image intense surveillance program has a high rate of initially indeterminate findings. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:818–822. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Green approach using monolithic column for simultaneous determination of coformulated drugs
Authors: Yehia Ali M. , Mohamed Heba M.
Published: April 2016

Green chemistry and sustainability is now entirely encompassed across the majority of pharmaceutical companies and research labs. Researchers’ attention is careworn toward implementing the green analytical chemistry principles for more eco‐friendly analytical methodologies. Solvents play a dominant role in determining the greenness of the analytical procedure. Using safer solvents, the greenness profile of the methodology could be increased remarkably. In this context, a green chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of phenylephrine, paracetamol, and guaifenesin in their ternary pharmaceutical mixture. The chromatographic separation was carried out using monolithic column and green solvents as mobile phase. The use of monolithic column allows efficient separation protocols at higher flow rates, which results in short time of analysis. Two‐factor three‐level experimental design was used to optimize the chromatographic conditions. The greenness profile of the proposed methodology was assessed using eco‐scale as a green metrics and was found to be an excellent green method with regard to the usage and production of hazardous chemicals and solvents, energy consumption, and amount of produced waste. The proposed method improved the environmental impact without compromising the analytical performance criteria and could be used as a safer alternate for the routine analysis of the studied drugs.
Simultaneous analysis of gemfibrozil, morphine, and its two active metabolites in different mouse brain structures using solid‐phase extraction with ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry with a deuterated internal standard
Authors: Yang Zizhao , Wang Lu , Xu Mingcheng , Gu Jingkai , Yu Lushan , Zeng Su
Published: April 2016

A rapid and sensitive bioassay was established and validated to simultaneously determine gemfibrozil, morphine, morphine‐3β‐glucuronide, and morphine‐6β‐glucuronide in mouse cerebrum, epencephalon, and hippocampus based on ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The deuterated internal standard, M6G‐d3, was mixed with the prepared samples at 10 ng/mL as the final concentration. The samples were transferred into the C18 solid‐phase extraction columns with gradient elution for solid‐phase extraction. The mobile phase consisted of methanol and 0.05% formic acid (pH 3.2). Multiple reaction monitoring has been applied to analyze gemfibrozil (m/z 249.0 → 121.0) in anion mode, and M6G‐d3 (m/z 465.1 → 289.1), morphine (m/z 286.0 → 200.9), and M3G and M6G (m/z 462.1 → 286.1) in the positive ion mode. The method has a linear calibration range from 0.05 to 10 ng for gemfibrozil, morphine, and M3G and M6G with correlation coefficients >0.993. The lower limit of quantitation for all four analytes was 0.05 ng/mL, relative standard deviation of intra‐ and interday precision was less than 10.5%, and the relative error of accuracy was from −8.2 to 8.3% at low, medium, and high concentrations for all the analytes. In conclusion, gemfibrozil can influence the morphine antinociception after coronary heart disease induced chronic angina by the change in one of morphine metabolites', M3G, distribution in mouse brain.
Affinity purification of metalloprotease from marine bacterium using immobilized metal affinity chromatography
Authors: Li Shangyong , Wang Linna , Yang Juan , Bao Jing , Liu Junzhong , Lin Shengxiang , Hao Jianhua , Sun Mi
Published: April 2016

In this study, an efficient affinity purification protocol for an alkaline metalloprotease from marine bacterium was developed using immobilized metal affinity chromatography. After screening and optimization of the affinity ligands and spacer arm lengths, Cu‐iminmodiacetic acid was chosen as the optimal affinity ligand, which was coupled to Sepharose 6B via a 14‐atom spacer arm. The absorption analysis of this medium revealed a desorption constant Kd of 21.5 μg/mL and a theoretical maximum absorption Qmax of 24.9 mg/g. Thanks to this affinity medium, the enzyme could be purified by only one affinity purification step with a purity of approximately 95% pure when analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography and reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The recovery of the protease activity reached 74.6%, which is much higher than the value obtained by traditional protocols (8.9%). These results contribute to the industrial purifications and contribute a significant reference for the purification of other metalloproteases.
Development and validation of a multiresidue method for the simultaneous determination of organophosphorus insecticides and their toxic metabolites in sugarcane juice and refined sugar by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection
Authors: Ramasubramanian Thirumalaiandi , Paramasivam Mariappan
Published: April 2016

A multiresidue method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of organophosphorus insecticides and their toxic metabolites in sugarcane juice and refined sugar by gas chromatography with flame photometric detection. Limits of quantification of the method varied between 0.007 and 0.01 μg/g. Ethyl acetate based extraction followed by dispersive solid‐phase extraction cleanup with primary secondary amine yielded internationally acceptable recoveries of acephate, chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, monocrotophos, malathion, malaoxon, phorate, phorate‐sulfoxide, phorate‐oxon, phorate‐sulfone, and quinalphos from selected matrices. The recoveries of target analytes from cane juice were 75.55 ± 0.5–102.57 ± 4.2, 77.45 ± 4.7–103.33 ± 3.3, and 80.55 ± 6.6–105.82 ± 9.8% at 0.01, 0.02, and 0.1 μg/g levels of fortification, respectively. The recoveries from cane sugar were 73.24 ± 3.5–104.47 ± 1.9, 75.23 ± 1.5–116.10 ± 3.7, and 70.75 ± 5.7–110.15 ± 2.7%, respectively at 0.01, 0.02, and 0.1 μg/g levels of fortification. Matrix effect and measurement uncertainty were within the permissible limit (less than 20%) as prescribed for pesticide residue analysis.
A simplified biomimetic temperature logger for recording intertidal barnacle body temperatures
Authors: Chan Benny K. K. , Lima Fernando P. , Williams Gray A. , Seabra Rui , Wang Hui‐Yu
Published: April 2016

Monitoring the thermal environment and responses of indicator species is fundamental for understanding and predicting ecological consequences of ongoing and future environmental changes. With the recent development of miniaturized temperature sensors (e.g., iButtons), which can be incorporated into biomimetic loggers (e.g., robolimpets), it is possible to routinely obtain long‐term estimates of body temperatures of intertidal organisms. A crucial step in the assembly of these biomimetic devices involves removing the circuit board from an iButton, a process which is not simple and often results in damage to the electronics or loss of calibration. In this study, we describe a simplified process to assemble biomimetic loggers, and use it to build robobarnacles (mimicking tropical and subtropical barnacles of the genus Tetraclita). The process involves copper‐coating the stainless steel case of iButtons through an electroplating process, allowing solder joints to be made to the surface casing, thus avoiding opening the iButton to make a connection with its circuit board. This approach makes the manufacturing process simpler, faster, and prevents calibration loss, but is only suitable for species large enough to accommodate a complete iButton.
Backscattering in silicon microring resonators: a quantitative analysis
Authors: Li Ang , Van Vaerenbergh Thomas , De Heyn Peter , Bienstman Peter , Bogaerts Wim
Published: April 2016

Silicon microring resonators very often exhibit resonance splitting due to backscattering. This effect is hard to quantitatively and predicatively model. This paper presents a behavioral circuit model for microrings that quantitatively explains the wide variations in resonance splitting observed in experiments. The model is based on an in‐depth analysis of the contributions to backscattering by both the waveguides and couplers. Backscattering transforms unidirectional microrings into bidirectional circuits by coupling the clockwise and counterclockwise circulating modes. In high‐Q microrings, visible resonance splitting will be induced, but, due to the stochastic nature of backscattering, this splitting is different for each resonance. Our model, based on temporal coupled mode theory, and the associated fitting method, are both accurate and robust, and can also explain asymmetrically split resonances. The cause of asymmetric resonance splitting is identified as the backcoupling in the couplers. This is experimentally confirmed and its dependency on gap and coupling length is further analyzed. Moreover, the wide variation in resonance splitting of one spectrum is analyzed and successfully explained by our circuit model that incorporates most linear parasitic effects in the microring. This analysis uncovers multi‐cavity interference within the microring as an important source of this variation.

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Seshadi constants via functions on Newton–Okounkov bodies
Authors: Dumnicki M. , Küronya A. , Maclean C. , Szemberg T.
Published: April 2016

The aim of this note is to establish a somewhat surprising connection between functions on Newton–Okounkov bodies and Seshadri constants of line bundles on algebraic surfaces.
Austempered ductile iron heat treatment for machine hammer peening of milled tool surfaces
Authors: Scheil J. , Steitz M. , Müller C.
Published: April 2016

Austempered ductile iron (ADI) has become a competitive material to conventional steels. In addition to its favorable price the main reasons are its mechanical properties can be adjusted over a wide range via heat treatment. Austempered ductile iron consists of ferrite, graphite and metastable austenite. Tailoring its microstructure (phase fractions, stability) with regard to the application is an important challenge.

A cast iron used for forming dies is EN‐JS2070. In earlier studies it could be shown that EN‐JS2070 can be transformed into austempered ductile iron [1]. Machine hammer peening, causes martensitic transformation of the metastable austenite and leads to hard and smooth surfaces. Focus of this study is to optimize the microstructure with regard to machine hammer peening process. Before and after machine hammer peening the sample surfaces were characterized using optical and laser microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and hardness measurement. It could be shown that a combination of high amount of metastable austenite with a high carbon content leads to the best results in surface roughness and hardness.