bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polypoid Endometriosis of the Ovary: A Case Report
Authors: Berkes Eniko , Oehmke Frank , Csapo Zsolt , Gattenlöhner Stefan , Tinneberg Hans-Rudolf , Rigo Janos
Published: May 2013

Polypoid endometriosis is a very rare form of endometriosis, mostly affecting perimenopausal women and causing different symptoms than the usual type. It forms polypoid masses that can be misdiagnosed as malignant tumors during patient management. Polypoid endometriosis arising from a cyst wall is even more rare. Here, we present a case of a 47-year-old perimenopausal patient with a large cystic tumor in the left adnexal region and an inhomogenous tissue in the uterine cavity. Hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy was performed. The histology showed a polypoid endometriosis growing in an endometriotic cyst and, simultaneously, a large endometrial polyp with similar structure in the uterine cavity.

Our case is unique because of the extreme rarity of polypous endometriosis in an endometriotic cyst and its even more rare association with an intrauterine endometrial polyp.
Cancer Screening Among U.S. Medicaid Enrollees with Chronic Comorbidities or Residing in Long-Term Care Facilities
Authors: Michael T. Halpern  , Susan G. Haber  , Florence K. Tangka  , Susan A. Sabatino  , David H. Howard  , Sujha Subramanian
Published: May 2013

Background: Ensuring appropriate cancer screenings among low-income persons with chronic conditions and persons residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities presents special challenges. This study examines the impact of having chronic diseases and of LTC residency status on cancer screening among adults enrolled in Medicaid, a joint state-federal government program providing health insurance for certain low-income individuals in the U.S. Methods: We used 2000-2003 Medicaid data for Medicaid-only beneficiaries and merged 2003 Medicare-Medicaid data for dually-eligible beneficiaries from four states to estimate the likelihood of cancer screening tests during a 12-month period. Multivariate regression models assessed the association of chronic conditions and LTC residency status with each type of cancer screening. Results: LTC residency was associated with significant reductions in screening tests for both Medicaid-only and Medicare-Medicaid enrollees; particularly large reductions were observed for receipt of mammograms. Enrollees with multiple chronic comorbidities were more likely to receive colorectal and prostate cancer screenings and less likely to receive Papanicolaou (Pap) tests than were those without chronic conditions. Conclusions: LTC residents have substantial risks of not receiving cancer screening tests. Not performing appropriate screenings may increase the risk of delayed/missed diagnoses and could increase disparities; however, it is also important to consider recommendations to appropriately discontinue screening and decrease the risk of overdiagnosis. Although anecdotal reports suggest that patients with serious comorbidities may not receive regular cancer screening, we found that having chronic conditions increases the likelihood of certain screening tests. More work is needed to better understand these issues and to facilitate referrals for appropriate cancer screenings.
Relaxing the Conductivity/Transparency Trade‐Off in MOCVD ZnO Thin Films by Hydrogen Plasma
Authors: Ding Laura , Nicolay Sylvain , Steinhauser Jérôme , Kroll Ulrich , Ballif Christophe
Published: May 2013

Increasing the conductivity of polycrystalline zinc oxide films without impacting the transparency is a key aspect in the race to find affordable and high quality material as replacement of indium‐containing oxides. Usually, ZnO film conductivity is provided by a high doping and electron concentration, detrimental to transparency, because of free carrier absorption. Here we show that hydrogen post‐deposition plasma treatment applied to ZnO films prepared by metalorganic low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition allows a relaxation of the constraints of the conductivity/transparency trade‐off. Upon treatment, an increase in electron concentration and Hall mobility is observed. The mobility reaches high values of 58 and 46 cm2V−1s−1 for 2‐μm‐ and 350‐nm‐thick films, respectively, without altering the visible range transparency. From a combination of opto‐electronic measurements, hydrogen is found, in particular, to reduce electron trap density at grain boundaries. After treatment, the values for intragrain or optical mobility are found similar to Hall mobility, and therefore, electron conduction is found to be no longer limited by the phenomenon of grain boundary scattering. This allows to achieve mobilities close to 60 cm2V−1s−1, even in ultra‐transparent films with carrier concentration as low as 1019 cm−3.
High Efficiency White Organic Light‐Emitting Devices Incorporating Yellow Phosphorescent Platinum(II) Complex and Composite Blue Host
Authors: Lai Shiu‐Lun , Tong Wai‐Yip , Kui Steven C. F. , Chan Mei‐Yee , Kwok Chi‐Chung , Che Chi‐Ming
Published: May 2013

A new class of charge neutral, strongly luminescent cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes supported by dianionic tetradentate ligand are synthesized. One of these platinum(II) complexes, Y‐Pt, displays a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 86% and electroluminescence efficacy (ηpower) of up to 52 lm W−1, and is utilized as a yellow phosphorescent dopant in the fabrication of white organic light‐emitting devices (WOLEDs). WOLEDs based on conventional structures with yellow emission from Y‐Pt in combination with blue emission from bis(4,6‐difluorophenyl‐pyridinato‐N,C2′) (picolinate) iridium(III) (FIrpic) show a total ηpower of up to 31 lm W−1. A two‐fold increase in ηpower by utilizing a modified WOLED structure comprising of a composite blue host is realized. With this modified device structure, the total ηpower and driving voltage at a luminance of 1000 cd m−2 can be improved to 61 lm W−1 and 7.5 V (i.e., 10 V for control devices). The performance improvement is attributed to an effectively broaden exciton formation‐recombination zone and alleviation of localized exciton accumulation within the FIrpic‐doped composite host for reduced triplet‐triplet annihilation, yielding blue light‐emission with enhanced intensity. The modified device structure can also adopt a higher concentration of Y‐Pt towards its optimal value, leading to WOLEDs with high efficiency.
Longitudinal monitoring of cardiac siderosis using cardiovascular magnetic resonance T2* in patients with thalassemia major on various chelation regimens: A 6‐year study
Authors: Ambati Srikanth R. , Randolph Rachel E. , Mennitt Kevin , Kleinert Dorothy A. , Weinsaft Jonathan W. , Giardina Patricia J.
Published: May 2013

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and hepatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have become reliable noninvasive tools to monitor iron excess in thalassemia major (TM) patients. However, long‐term studies are lacking. We reviewed CMR and hepatic MRI T2* imaging on 54 TM patients who had three or more annual measurements. They were managed on various chelation regimens. Patients were grouped according to their degree of cardiac siderosis: severe (T2*, <10 msec), mild to moderate (T2* = 10–20 msec), and no cardiac siderosis (T2*, >20 msec). We looked at the change in cardiac T2*, liver iron concentration (LIC) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at years 3 and 5. In patients with severe cardiac siderosis, cardiac T2* (mean ± SD) improved from 6.9 ± 1.6 at baseline to 13.6 ± 10.0 by year 5, mean ΔT2* = 6.7 (P = 0.04). Change in cardiac T2* at year 3 was not significant in the severe group. Patients with mild to moderate cardiac siderosis had mean cardiac T2* of 14.6 ± 2.9 at baseline which improved to 26.3 ± 9.5 by year 3, mean ΔT2* = 11.7 (P = 0.01). At baseline, median LICs (mg/g dry weight) in patients with severe, mild–moderate, and no cardiac siderosis were 3.6, 2.8, and 3.3, whereas LVEFs (mean ± SD) (%) were 56.3 ± 10.1, 60 ± 5, and 66 ± 7.6, respectively. No significant correlation was noted between Δ cardiac T2* and Δ LIC, Δ cardiac T2*, and Δ LVEF at years 3 and 5. Throughout the observation period, patients with no cardiac siderosis maintained their cardiac T2* above 20 msec. The majority of patients with cardiac siderosis improve cardiac T2* over time with optimal chelation. Am. J. Hematol. 88:652–656, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Paternal inheritance of classic X‐linked bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia
Authors: Kasper Burkhard S. , Kurzbuch Katrin , Chang Bernard S. , Pauli Elisabeth , Hamer Hajo M. , Winkler Jürgen , Hehr Ute
Published: May 2013

Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) is a developmental disorder of the central nervous system, characterized by heterotopic nodules of gray matter resulting from disturbed neuronal migration. The most common form of bilateral PNH is X‐linked dominant inherited, caused by mutations in the Filamin A gene (FLNA) and associated with a wide variety of other clinical findings including congenital heart disease. The typical patient with FLNA‐associated PNH is female and presents with difficult to treat seizures. In contrast, hemizygous FLNA loss of function mutations in males are reported to be perinatally lethal. In X‐linked dominant traits like FLNA‐associated PNH the causal mutation is commonly inherited from the mother. Here, we present an exceptional family with paternal transmission of classic bilateral FLNA‐associated PNH from a mildly affected father with somatic and germline mosaicism for a c.5686G>A FLNA splice mutation to both daughters with strikingly variable clinical manifestation and PNH extent in cerebral MR imaging. Our observations emphasize the importance to consider in genetic counseling and risk assessment the rare genetic constellation of paternal transmission for families with X‐linked dominant inherited FLNA‐associated PNH. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Consistency of dominance rank order: A comparison of David's scores with I&SI and Bayesian methods in macaques
Authors: Balasubramaniam K.N. , Berman C.M. , De Marco A. , Dittmar K. , Majolo B. , Ogawa H. , Thierry B. , De Vries H.
Published: May 2013

In nonhuman primate social groups, dominance ranks are usually assigned to individuals based on outcomes of dyadic agonistic encounters. Multiple approaches have been used, but currently there is no consensus. One approach, David's Scores (DS), offers dual advantages of yielding cardinal scores that may in turn be used to compute hierarchical steepness. Here we correlate rank orders yielded by DS with those yielded by both the traditionally used I&SI approach and the recently proposed parametric Bayesian approach. We use six datasets for female macaques (three despotic and three tolerant groups), and 90 artificially generated datasets modeling macaque groups. We also use the artificial datasets to determine the impact of three characteristics (group size, interaction frequency, and directional asymmetry of aggression) on the magnitude of correlation coefficients, and assess the relative utility of two indices used to compute DS: Dij versus Pij. DS‐based rank orders were strongly positively correlated with those yielded by the other two approaches for five out of the six macaque datasets, and for the majority of artificial datasets. Magnitudes of correlation coefficients were unrelated to group size or interaction frequency, but increased with directional asymmetry, suggesting methodological inconsistencies were more likely when dyads had more frequent reversals in directions of aggression. Finally, rank orders calculated using the Dij and Pij indices were similarly consistent with orders from other methods. We conclude that DS offers consistent estimates of rank orders, except perhaps in groups with very low levels of aggression asymmetry. In such “tolerant” groups, we suggest that the relatively greater methodological variability in rank orders may reflect behavioral characteristics of tolerant groups rather than computational inconsistencies between methods. We hypothesize that this quality may be quantified using posterior probability scores of Bayesian rank orders and may also index macaque social styles. Am. J. Primatol. 75:959–971, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A comparison of antemortem tooth loss in human hunter‐gatherers and non‐human catarrhines: Implications for the identification of behavioral evolution in the human fossil record
Authors: Gilmore Cassandra C.
Published: May 2013

Middle and Late Pleistocene fossil hominin specimens with severe antemortem tooth loss are often regarded as evidence for the precocious evolution of human‐like behaviors, such as conspecific care or cooking, in ancient hominin species. The goal of this project was to ask whether the theoretical association between antemortem tooth loss and uniquely human behaviors is supported empirically in a large skeletal sample of human hunter‐gatherers, chimpanzees, orangutans, and baboons. Binomial regression modeling in a Bayesian framework allows for the investigation of the effects of tooth class, genus, age, and sex on the likelihood of tooth loss. The results strongly suggest that modern humans experience more antemortem tooth loss than non‐human primates and identify age in years as an important predictor. Once age is accounted for, the difference between the humans and the closest non‐human genus (chimpanzees) is less pronounced; humans are still more likely on average to experience antemortem tooth loss though 95% uncertainty envelopes around the average prediction for each genus show some overlap. These analyses support theoretical links between antemortem tooth loss and modern human characteristics; humans' significantly longer life history and a positive correlation between age and antemortem tooth loss explain, in part, the reason why humans are more likely to experience tooth loss than non‐human primates, but the results do not exclude behavioral differences as a contributing factor. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:252–264, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Die neue ZTV‐W LB 215 (2012) für massive Wasserbauwerke – Eurocodes inbegriffen
Authors: Kunz Claus
Published: May 2013

Die Zusätzlichen Technischen Vertragsbedingungen Wasserbau für Wasserbauwerke aus Beton und Stahlbeton, ZTV‐W LB 215, wurden in 2012 wegen zwischenzeitlich neuerer Erkenntnisse, aber auch wegen der Umstellung von Normen auf Eurocodes überarbeitet. Die ZTV‐W LB 215 baut auf die Grundlagennormen des konstruktiven Ingenieurbaus für Bemessung, Betonherstellung, der Ausführung von Betonbauwerken sowie auf die spezifische Norm für massive Wasserbauwerke auf. Im Beitrag werden die wesentlichen Änderungen gegenüber der Vorgänger‐Ausgabe von 2004 vorgestellt. Wesentliche Änderungen finden sich bei wasserbauspezifischen Beispielen für Expositionsklassen, bei Anforderungen an den Beton hinsichtlich Hydratationswärmeentwicklung, bei Ausbildung und Behandlung von Arbeits‐ und Bewegungsfugen sowie Regelungen zu Planiebetonen. Der zugehörige Standardleistungskatalog, StLk LB 215, wurde ebenfalls überarbeitet.

New ZTV‐W LB 215 (2012) for hydraulic concrete structures – including Eurocodes

The additional technical contract conditions for hydraulic (reinforced) concrete structures, ZTV‐W LB 215, have been revised in 2012 due to recent experiences and knowledge, but also because of changing standards to the new Eurocodes. The ZTV‐W LB 215 is based on the basis of structural engineering standards for design, manufacturing of concrete and execution of concrete structures as well as on the specific standard for concrete hydraulic structures. The article clarifies the main changes from the previous version of ZTV‐W LB 215 which dates from 2004. Relevant changes are the hydraulic specific examples of exposure classes, the demands on the concrete concerning hydration, design and aftertreatment of construction and movement joints and regulations for surface concrete. The associated catalogue for the concrete construction works, StLk LB 215, has also been revised.
Sicherung 100‐jähriger Uferböschungen am Teltowkanal in Berlin
Authors: Haupt Katharina , Grothe Jens , Hempel Nils
Published: May 2013

Der im Jahr 1906 in Betrieb genommene Teltowkanal stellt einen Abschnitt der “Südtrasse” der Berliner Wasserstraßen dar. Im Zuge des Ausbaus der Wasserstraßenverbindung Hannover – Magdeburg – Berlin als Verkehrsprojekt Deutsche Einheit (VDE) Nr. 17 soll der Teltowkanal auf eine Wassertiefe von 4,0 m erweitert werden. Das ca. 2,4 km lange Baulos 2 zwischen dem Hafen Tempelhof und dem Autobahnkreuz Neukölln stellt mit seinen bestehenden Uferböschungen eine besondere Herausforderung dar. Der Kanal verläuft hier in einem Einschnitt mit für Berliner Verhältnisse ungewöhnlichen Böschungshöhen von bis zu 17 m. Die mit dem Kanalbau verbundenen Gewerbeansiedlungen reichen z. T. bis an den Kopf der Böschungen heran. Darunter befinden sich auch zahlreiche als Industriedenkmäler geschützte Bauwerke. Daher war beim Ausbau des Kanals insbesondere die Sicherung der dort befindlichen standsicherheitsgefährdeten Uferböschungen zu berücksichtigen. Nachfolgend werden die Standsicherheitsuntersuchungen für die vorhandenen Böschungen sowie ausgewählte Sicherungssysteme vorgestellt.

Securing of 100 years old bank slopes at the Teltow Canal in Berlin

The channel Teltowkanal forms part of the waterway system in Berlin and was opened in 1906. In connection with the traffic project “German Unity no. 17” for the development of the waterway between Hannover, Magdeburg and Berlin the Teltowkanal is going to be extended to a water depth of 4.0 m. The contract section of approximately 2.4 km between Tempelhof harbor and the motorway interchange Neukölln shows existing slopes with a special challenge. In this section the channel runs in an insection with unusual high slopes of up to 17 m. During construction of the channel commercial buildings were built along the slope heads with many of them today considered industrial monuments. In many parts of the contract section the analysis of slope stability did not prove safe. Therefore it was required to secure the existing slopes before starting with the bank walls. The following article describes the analysis of slope stability and presents selected construction systems for improving the structural safety.
Cell proliferation and cell sheet detachment from the positively and negatively charged nanocomposite hydrogels
Authors: Liu Dan , Wang Tao , Liu Xinxing , Tong Zhen
Published: May 2013

The charged nanocomposite hydrogels (NC gels) were synthesized by copolymerization of positively or negatively chargeable monomer with N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) in the aqueous suspension of hectorite clay. The ionic NC gels preserved the thermo‐responsibility with the phase‐transition temperature below 37°C. The L929 cell proliferation was sensitive to charge polarity and charge density. As compared to the PNIPAm NC gel, the cationic NC gels with <5 mol % of 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) showed improved cell proliferation, whereas the cells grew slowly on the gels with negatively charged 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPSNa). By lowering temperature, rapid cell sheet detachment was observed from the surface of ionic NC gels with 1 mol % of ionizable monomers. However, lager amount of AMPSNa or DMAEMA did not support rapid cell sheet detachment, probably owing to the adverse swelling effects and/or enhanced electrostatic attraction. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 101: 58–65, 2014.
Repeat liver resection for colorectal metastases
Authors: Kulik U , Bektas H , Klempnauer J , Lehner F
Published: May 2013

Background

Following resection of colorectal liver metastases (CLMs) up to 75 per cent of patients develop recurrent liver metastases. Although repeat resection remains the only curative therapy, data evaluating the outcome are deficient. This study analysed postoperative morbidity, mortality and independent predictors of survival following repeat resection of CLMs.

Methods

Data on surgical treatment of primary and recurrent CLMs between 1994 and 2010 were collected retrospectively, and compared with those for single hepatic resections carried out during the same period. Independent predictors of survival were evaluated by means of univariable and multivariable Cox regression models.

Results

In this interval 1026 primary resections of CLMs were performed and 94 patients underwent repeat CLM excision. Overall postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were low (15·8 and 1·3 per cent respectively), with no statistical difference in patients undergoing repeat surgery (P = 0·072). Compared with single liver resections, overall survival was improved in repeat resections (P = 0·003). Multivariable analysis revealed that size of primary CLM over 50 mm was an independent predictor of survival (hazard ratio (HR) 2·61; P = 0·008). Only major hepatic resection was associated with poorer outcome following repeat surgery (HR 2·62; P = 0·009). International Union Against Cancer stage, number of CLMs, age at surgery and need for intraoperative transfusion had no impact on survival after repeat resection.

Conclusion

Recurrent CLM surgery is feasible with similar morbidity and mortality rates to those of initial or single CLM resections.
Synthesis of Fragrance Compounds from Biorenewables: Tandem Hydroformylation–Acetalization of Bicyclic Monoterpenes
Authors: de Freitas Marina C. , Vieira Camila G. , dos Santos Eduardo N. , Gusevskaya Elena V.
Published: May 2013

The Rhodium‐catalyzed tandem hydroformylation–acetalization of the terpenes 3‐carene, 2‐carene, α‐pinene, and β‐pinene was studied in ethanol solutions in the presence of PPh3 or tris(O‐tert‐butylphenyl)phosphate, P(O‐o‐tBuPh)3, ligands. All these terpenes are constituents of turpentine oils obtained commercially from coniferous trees. β‐Pinene gave the corresponding aldehyde and acetal in excellent combined yields in both systems. 3‐Carene, 2‐carene, and α‐pinene, which contain sterically encumbered endocyclic double bonds, showed an extremely low reactivity with PPh3. The use of P(O‐o‐tBuPh)3 not only accelerated the hydroformylation of all four substrates remarkably but also increased the acetalization activity of the catalyst. In the Rh/P(O‐o‐tBuPh)3 system, various fragrance acetals and aldehydes were obtained from these renewable substrates in nearly quantitative combined yields. The process was performed under mild conditions, in environmentally friendly ethanol as a solvent, and in the absence of acid cocatalysts.
Structure–Activity Relationships of Quinoxaline‐Based 5‐HT3A and 5‐HT3AB Receptor‐Selective Ligands
Authors: Thompson Andrew J. , Verheij Mark H. P. , van Muijlwijk‐Koezen Jacqueline E. , Lummis Sarah C. R. , Leurs Rob , de Esch Iwan J. P.
Published: May 2013

Until recently, discriminating between homomeric 5‐HT3A and heteromeric 5‐HT3AB receptors was only possible with ligands that bind in the receptor pore. This study describes the first series of ligands that can discriminate between these receptor types at the level of the orthosteric binding site. During a recent fragment screen, 2‐chloro‐3‐(4‐methylpiperazin‐1‐yl)quinoxaline (VUF10166) was identified as a ligand that displays an 83‐fold difference in [3H]granisetron binding affinity between 5‐HT3A and 5‐HT3AB receptors. Fragment hit exploration, initiated from VUF10166 and 3‐(4‐methylpiperazin‐1‐yl)quinoxalin‐2‐ol, resulted in a series of compounds with higher affinity at either 5‐HT3A or 5‐HT3AB receptors. These ligands reveal that a single atom is sufficient to change the selectivity profile of a compound. At the extremes of the new compounds were 2‐amino‐3‐(4‐methylpiperazin‐1‐yl)quinoxaline, which showed 11‐fold selectivity for the 5‐HT3A receptor, and 2‐(4‐methylpiperazin‐1‐yl)quinoxaline, which showed an 8.3‐fold selectivity for the 5‐HT3AB receptor. These compounds represent novel molecular tools for studying 5‐HT3 receptor subtypes and could help elucidate their physiological roles.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Water‐Soluble Prodrugs of Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA), an Anti‐apoptotic Bile Acid
Authors: Dosa Peter I. , Ward Tim , Castro Rui E. , Rodrigues Cecília M. P. , Steer Clifford J.
Published: May 2013

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a bile acid with demonstrated anti‐apoptotic activity in both in vitro and in vivo models. However, its utility is hampered by limited aqueous solubility. As such, water‐soluble prodrugs of UDCA could have an advantage over the parent bile acid in indications where intravenous administration might be preferable, such as decreasing damage from stroke or acute kidney injury. Five phosphate prodrugs were synthesized, including one incorporating a novel phosphoryloxymethyl carboxylate (POMC) moiety. These prodrugs were highly water‐soluble, but showed significant differences in chemical stability, with oxymethylphosphate prodrugs being the most unstable. In a series of NMR experiments, the POMC prodrug was bioactivated to UDCA by alkaline phosphatase (AP) faster than a prodrug containing a phosphate directly attached to the alcohol at the 3‐position of UDCA. Both of these prodrugs showed significant anti‐apoptotic activity in a series of in vitro assays, although the POMC prodrug required the addition of AP for activity, while the other compound was active without exogenous AP.
Biosynthesis of (R)‐epichlorohydrin at high substrate concentration by kinetic resolution of racemic epichlorohydrin with a recombinant epoxide hydrolase
Authors: Jin Huo‐Xi , Liu Zhi‐Qiang , Hu Zhong‐Ce , Zheng Yu‐Guo
Published: May 2013

The substrate concentration and yield were shown to be very low in the production of (R)‐epichlorohydrin by hydrolysis of racemic epichlorohydrin using epoxide hydrolases in previous studies. In this work, we synthesized an epoxide hydrolase gene from Agrobacterium radiobacter and expressed it in Escherichia coli by the PCR assembly method. The recombinant A. radiobacter epoxide hydrolase (ArEH) was applied in the preparation of (R)‐epichlorohydrin and, a yield of 42.7% with ≥99% enantiomeric excess (ee) from 25.6 mM racemic epichlorohydrin was obtained. However, the ee of (R)‐epichlorohydrin was not able to reach 99% due to substrate and product inhibition when the substrate concentration was over 320 mM. Inhibition studies revealed that (S)‐3‐chloro‐1,2‐propanediol displayed non‐competitive inhibition in the conversion of (S)‐epichlorohydrin but non‐significant inhibition for (R)‐epichlorohydrin. Moreover, ArEH was successfully applied in the preparation of (R)‐epichlorohydrin at high substrate concentration by eliminating the substrate inhibition. The substrate concentration increased to 448 mM by intermittent feeding of the substrate and to 512 mM by using a two‐phase reaction system, with a high yield (>27%) and ee (>98%) of (R)‐epichlorohydrin. This is the first report of high‐yield production of (R)‐epichlorohydrin at high substrate concentration, laying the foundations for its application on the industrial scale.
Proline addition increases the efficiency of l‐lysine production by Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: van Ooyen Jan , Noack Stephan , Bott Michael , Eggeling Lothar
Published: May 2013

The wild type of Corynebacterium glutamicum does not excrete l‐lysine, but mutants are developed to use C. glutamicum for the large‐scale production of this amino acid. l‐lysine is derived from oxaloacetate and pyruvate. A reduced entry of these precursors into the citric acid cycle triggers l‐lysine synthesis, but there is simultaneously an unfavorable reduction in growth rate. Here, we further investigated strains with reduced citrate synthase activity and observed that proline supplementation partly reversed the growth rate reduction, and simultaneously increased l‐lysine accumulation by 10%. The combined effect of faster growth and higher l‐lysine formation lead to an increase in l‐lysine productivity of about 14%. Small scale bioreactor cultivations showed an increase of the glucose uptake rate from 3.96 to 5.12 mmol gCDW−1 h−1 as the effect of proline addition. Deletion of the proline‐utilization gene putA demonstrated that proline did not serve to refill the citric acid cycle. The combined data show that proline addition has a favorable effect on l‐lysine formation and sugar uptake, which indicates that engineering sugar uptake is a future option for increased product formation.
Gene expression responses for detecting sublethal effects of xenobiotics and whole effluents on a Xenopus laevis embryo assay
Authors: San Segundo Laura , Martini Federica , Pablos M. Victoria
Published: May 2013

In the present study, the authors investigated the effects of bisphenol A, chlorpyrifos, methylparaben, and 2 effluent samples from wastewater treatment plants located in the province of Madrid, Spain, on the messenger RNA expression of specific genes involved in early development (ESR1, pax6, bmp4, and myf5) and a gene involved in the general stress response (hsp70) during Xenopus laevis embryo development. Gene expression was analyzed after 4 h, 24 h, and 96 h of exposure by semiquantitative reverse‐transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. Concentration ranges of the compounds and dilutions for the samples were selected to cause morphological alterations in embryos after 96 h of exposure. Transcript levels of ESR1, pax6, and hsp70 were differentially altered at early developmental stages with patterns specific to the contaminant and the exposure time. However, further studies are needed to establish transcript levels of specific genes as biomarkers of sublethal effects in an environmental risk‐assessment framework. Besides, studies including more generic responses, such as genes encoding antioxidant enzymes, together with genes related to embryonic development have to be developed to look for a battery of mechanistic endpoints for the evaluation of chemical exposure at the molecular level in a first‐tier assessment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:2018–2025. © 2013 SETAC
Questions concerning the potential impact of glyphosate-based herbicides on amphibians
Authors: Wagner Norman , Reichenbecher Wolfram , Teichmann Hanka , Tappeser Beatrix , Lötters Stefan
Published: May 2013

Use of glyphosate-based herbicides is increasing worldwide. The authors review the available data related to potential impacts of these herbicides on amphibians and conduct a qualitative meta-analysis. Because little is known about environmental concentrations of glyphosate in amphibian habitats and virtually nothing is known about environmental concentrations of the substances added to the herbicide formulations that mainly contribute to adverse effects, glyphosate levels can only be seen as approximations for contamination with glyphosate-based herbicides. The impact on amphibians depends on the herbicide formulation, with different sensitivity of taxa and life stages. Effects on development of larvae apparently are the most sensitive endpoints to study. As with other contaminants, costressors mainly increase adverse effects. If and how glyphosate-based herbicides and other pesticides contribute to amphibian decline is not answerable yet due to missing data on how natural populations are affected. Amphibian risk assessment can only be conducted case-specifically, with consideration of the particular herbicide formulation. The authors recommend better monitoring of both amphibian populations and contamination of habitats with glyphosate-based herbicides, not just glyphosate, and suggest including amphibians in standardized test batteries to study at least dermal administration. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1688–1700. © 2013 SETAC
Microbial community structure and functioning along metal pollution gradients
Authors: Azarbad Hamed , Niklińska Maria , van Gestel Cornelis A.M. , van Straalen Nico M. , Röling Wilfred F.M. , Laskowski Ryszard
Published: May 2013

Toxic effects of heavy metals on soil microorganisms have been confirmed in a number of laboratory studies. However, most real-field studies do not allow for strong general conclusions due to a range of problems, such as pseudoreplication and confounding factors, which are almost impossible to control for with the most commonly used polluted versus unpolluted or random sampling designs. Effects of metal contamination on soil microbial community traits were measured along 2 pollution gradients in southern Poland. Employing an experimental regression design, using 2 separate gradients, the authors aimed to control for effects of soil properties and beta-diversity of microbial communities. General microbial activity was measured as soil basal respiration rate and substrate-induced respiration, while microbial functional and structural diversity were analyzed with community-level physiological profiles and phospholipid fatty acid patterns, respectively. Metal concentrations were normalized to their toxicity and integrated in a toxicity index (TI). Microbial activity (basal and substrate-induced respiration) decreased in both gradients with increasing TI. Community-level physiological profiles for fungi correlated positively with TI, but no impact of TI on the community-level physiological profiles of bacteria was observed. The phospholipid fatty acids a:15 and i:17 were positively correlated with TI, whereas 16:1ω9 and 18:2ω9 were negatively correlated with TI. The use of 2 gradients (Olkusz and Miasteczko Śląskie) allowed the authors to reveal a clear effect of pollution on general microbial structure and activities, even though they were not able to control completely for all confounding factors. Soil pH, organic matter content, and nutrient level appeared to be at least as important as TI in determining microbial community structure and activities. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1992–2002. © 2013 SETAC
QoS provisioning performance of IntServ, DiffServ and DQS with multiclass self‐similar traffic
Authors: Guo Mian , Jiang Shengming , Guan Quansheng , Liu Mei
Published: May 2013

Quality of service (QoS) provisioning, especially delay guarantee, is particularly important to the explosive growth of Internet applications. Traditional QoS schemes include the per‐flow integrated services (IntServ) and per‐class differentiated services (DiffServ) as well as their variants. To address the scalability problem of IntServ and the coarse QoS granularity of DiffServ, we proposed the per‐packet differentiated queueing service. Although the three schemes all aim to provide delay guarantee, the network resource in terms of bandwidth and buffer required by them will vary because of their distinct service disciplines. Indeed, network resources are so precious especially in wireless networks, whereas QoS provisioning is so important that it is necessary to investigate the resource consumption of these schemes to find better QoS solutions for different kinds of networks. Therefore, QoS provisioning performance of the previous schemes should be modelled analytically. To this end, this paper derives the delay bound violation probability for these QoS schemes with the self‐similar and long‐range dependent traffic model because this traffic model can well approximate the Internet traffic, especially delay‐sensitive traffic. The minimum bandwidth and the buffer size suitable for delay guarantee are further derived. Numerical results show that differentiated queueing service consumes the least bandwidth resources and DiffServ can minimise the buffer size whereas IntServ can provide exactly QoS in per‐flow granularity. In this sense, there is a trade‐off between QoS granularity and bandwidth as well as buffer requirements for QoS provisioning. The analytical results are also studied through simulations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Static Hedging with Traffic Light Options
Authors: Schmutz Michael , Zürcher Thomas
Published: May 2013

It is well known that sufficiently regular, one‐dimensional payoff functions have an explicit static hedge by bonds, forward contracts, and options in a continuum of strikes. An easy and natural extension of the corresponding representation leads to static hedges based on the same instruments along with traffic light options, which have recently been introduced in the market. It is well known that the second strike derivative of non‐discounted prices of vanilla options is related to the risk‐neutral density of the underlying asset price in the corresponding absolutely continuous settings. Similar statements hold for traffic light options in sufficiently regular, bivariate settings. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 34:690–702, 2014
Providing activity for people with dementia in care homes: a cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Wenborn Jennifer , Challis David , Head Jenny , Miranda‐Castillo Claudia , Popham Carolyn , Thakur Ruchi , Illes Jacqueline , Orrell Martin
Published: May 2013

Background

Activity levels remain low in care homes, but activity engagement can enhance residents' quality of life.

Aim

This study aimed to assess an occupational therapy programme designed to enable care home staff to increase activity provision.

Method

A cluster randomised controlled trial with blinded assessment of outcome was conducted. A total of 210 residents with dementia in 16 care homes were recruited. Intervention homes received the programme, and control homes were provided usual care. Primary outcome is quality of life; secondary measures are dependency, challenging behaviour, depression, anxiety, severity of dementia and number and type of medication.

Results

Quality of life decreased overall with statistically significant change in staff ratings (p < 0.001). At follow‐up, staff‐rated quality of life was slightly lower in the intervention group (mean difference in staff ratings = −1.91, 95% CI −3.39 to −0.43, p = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups for self‐rated quality of life or secondary outcomes.

Conclusion

The results may be related to the following: wide variability in how the intervention was implemented, such as low staff attendance at the education and coaching sessions, and patchy provision of additional activities to residents; or the residents' severity of dementia or the choice of outcome measures. Future studies need to pay more attention to process measures such as implementation and fidelity strategies, and outcome measures that better capture the focus of the intervention such as level of engagement and activity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vascularized free forearm flap versus free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps for reconstruction in patients with head and neck cancer: Assessment of quality of life
Authors: Li Wenlu , Xu Zhongfei , Liu Fayu , Huang Shaohui , Dai Wei , Sun Changfu
Published: May 2013

Background

This study investigated the quality of life of Chinese patients with malignant tumors who had undergone immediate free flap reconstruction surgery. In addition, we compared 2 groups of patients: those who had received radial forearm free flap surgery and others who had received free anterolateral thigh perforator flap surgery.

Methods

Quality of life was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study‐Short Form‐36 (MOS SF‐36) and the University of Washington Quality of Life (UW‐QOL) questionnaires 12 months after reconstruction.

Results

A total of 121 of 163 questionnaires were returned (74.2%). There were significant differences between the 2 groups in the T classification (p < .005). Patients reconstructed with free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps performed better in the appearance and shoulder domains, and the role emotion and social functioning domains.

Conclusions

Using either radial forearm free flaps or free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps for reconstruction of head and neck defects after cancer resection significantly influences a patient's quality of life. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 35: 1808–1813, 2013
EHSM: a conceptual ecohydrological model for daily streamflow simulation
Authors: Viola F. , Pumo D. , Noto L. V.
Published: May 2013

A parsimonious conceptual lumped model is here presented with the aim of simulating daily streamflow in semi‐arid areas. The model, processing daily rainfall and reference evapotranspiration at basin scale, reproduces surface and subsurface runoff, soil moisture dynamics, and actual evapotranspiration fluxes. The key elements of this numerical model are the soil bucket, where rainfall, evapotranspiration, and leakage drive soil moisture dynamics, and two linear reservoirs working in parallel with different characteristic response times. The surface reservoir, able to simulate the fast response of the basin, is fed by rain falling on impervious area and by runoff generated with excess of saturation mechanism, whereas the deep reservoir, which simulates the slow response, is fed by instantaneous leakage pulses coming from the soil bucket. Seven model parameters, which summarize soil, vegetation, and hydrological catchment properties, are assessed on a Sicilian basin, first using simple basic ecohydrological knowledge and then Monte Carlo simulations as well.

The proposed model provides reliable estimate of daily runoff, accurate reproduction of flow duration curve, and physically consistent traces of soil moisture and evapotranspiration fluxes. Model performances are comparable in the two cases of calibrated and ecohydrologically driven parameters, emphasizing how basic descriptors are able to provide runoff estimation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Environmental exposure assessment of engineered nanoparticles: Why REACH needs adjustment
Authors: Meesters Johannes AJ , Veltman Karin , Hendriks A Jan , van de Meent Dik
Published: May 2013

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) possess novel properties making them attractive for application in a wide spectrum of fields. These novel properties are not accounted for in the environmental risk assessment methods that the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) proposes in their guidance on environmental exposure estimation, although ENMs are already applied in a variety of consumer and industrial products. It is thus necessary to evaluate the guidance document REACH provides on environmental exposure estimation on its applicability to ENMs. This is most urgently the case for engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), as the novel properties are most often only applicable to them. The environmental fate of ENPs was reviewed and compared to the environmental fate of chemicals according to the REACH guidance. Major deviations between the fate of ENPs and predicted fate by REACH were found. They were related to at least 1 of 3 major assumptions made in REACH guidance: 1) in REACH, environmental alteration processes are all thought of as removal processes, whereas alterations of ENPs in the environment may greatly affect their properties, environmental effects, and behavior, 2) in REACH, chemicals are supposed to dissolve instantaneously and completely on release into the environment, whereas ENPs should be treated as nondissolved nanosized solids, and 3) in REACH, partitioning of dissolved chemicals to solid particles in air, water, and soil is estimated with thermodynamic equilibrium coefficients, but in the case of ENPs thermodynamic equilibrium between “dispersed” and “attached” states is generally not expected. The environmental exposure assessment of REACH therefore needs adjustment to cover the specific environmental fate of ENPs. Incorporation of the specific environmental fate processes of ENPs into the environmental risk assessment framework of REACH requires a pragmatic approach. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2013;9:e15–e26. © 2013 SETAC
The receptor tyrosine kinase Axl in cancer: Biological functions and therapeutic implications
Authors: Paccez Juliano D. , Vogelsang Matjaz , Parker M. Iqbal , Zerbini Luiz F.
Published: May 2013

The receptor tyrosine kinase Axl has been implicated in the malignancy of different types of cancer. Emerging evidence of Axl upregulation in numerous cancers, as well as reports demonstrating that its inhibition blocks tumor formation in animal models, highlight the importance of Axl as a new potential therapeutic target. Furthermore, recent data demonstrate that Axl plays a pivotal role in resistance to chemotherapeutic regimens. In this review we discuss the functions of Axl and its regulation and role in cancer development, resistance to therapy, and its importance as a potential drug target, focusing on acute myeloid leukemia, breast, prostate and non‐small cell lung cancers.
Structure of the zooplankton communities in macrophytes stand of a Neotropical floodplain (the Paraná River, Brazil)
Authors: Colares Maria Alice Mendes , Bonecker Cláudia Costa , Simões Nadson Ressyé , Alves Geziele Mucio , Lansac‐Tôha Fábio Amodêo
Published: May 2013

This study evaluated the structure of the invertebrate community in plankton of the littoral region of three backwaters of the Upper Paraná River floodplain close to macrophyte stands during different hydrological periods. Samplings were conducted using vertical hauls with a plankton net (68 μm). A total of 81 rotifer taxa and 78 microcrustacean taxa were identified. Both rotifer and microcrustaceans presented higher richness and abundance during the high water period. On the other hand, the highest species diversity for both groups was observed in the low water period. The dissimilarities in composition between sampling sites within each backwater were greater in the high water period. However, the results for beta diversity highlighted a higher dissimilarity of composition and abundance between backwaters in the low water period. The results suggested a stronger temporal influence on the attributes of rotifer and microcrustacean communities, thus stressing the preponderance of the flood pulse in these environments.
Brivaracetam Disposition in Mild to Severe Hepatic Impairment
Authors: Stockis Armel , Sargentini‐Maier Maria Laura , Horsmans Yves
Published: May 2013

Brivaracetam is a high‐affinity synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) ligand in clinical development for epilepsy. This open‐label, single‐dose study evaluated brivaracetam disposition in participants with different degrees of hepatic impairment versus matched healthy controls. Twenty‐six participants (38–72 years; 19 males and 7 females) with hepatic impairment classified by Child‐Pugh score (mild, n = 6; moderate, n = 7; severe, n = 7) or normal hepatic function (n = 6) received a single oral dose of 100 mg brivaracetam. The pharmacokinetics of brivaracetam and its three main metabolites (acid, hydroxy, hydroxyacid) were determined and correlated with impairment severity. Dynamic liver function tests correlated with hepatic impairment severity. The plasma half‐life of brivaracetam was 9.8, 14.2, 16.4, and 17.4 hours and the area under the plasma concentration‐time curve was 29.7, 44.6, 46.7, and 47.1 µg h/mL in healthy controls and participants with mild, moderate, and severe liver impairment, respectively. Production of the acid metabolite was increased and the hydroxylated metabolites were decreased in participants with hepatic impairment versus healthy controls. Exposure to brivaracetam increased by 50–60% in patients with hepatic impairment, irrespective of severity. The relative importance of biotransformation pathways was altered; cytochrome P450 (CYP)‐dependent hydroxylation decreased; CYP‐independent acid metabolite formation increased concomitantly.