bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INTIMATE RELATIONS BETWEEN YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN: INDICATORS OF DISHARMONY
Authors: Mikhailova Olga , Girina Anna
Published: June 2024

The article presents a theoretical and empirical analysis of the characteristics of sexual behavior and indicators of disharmony of intimate relationships of young men and women of student age. The purpose of the study is to identify the correlations of the manifestations of intimate relationships and sexual behavior among young people. The content will consider various approaches to the analysis of intimate and sexual relations from the standpoint of sexology and psychology. The main problems and contradictions will be explained on the basis of which the strategy of empirical research is based are substantiated. The respondents were 62 people (32 young women and 30 young men aged 18 - 23 years) studying at different faculties of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in bachelor's and master's degrees. To diagnose the parameters of disharmony of intimate relationships, the author's modification of the methodology «Subjective assessment of interpersonal relationships» by S.V. Dukhnovsky and the methodology «Experience of close relationships» by K. Brennan and R.K. Fraley in the adaptation of T.V. Kazantseva were used, to assess the characteristics of sexual behavior – «Eysenk inventory of attitudes to sex» by H.J. Eysenck and «Assessment of the sexual profile» by O.F. Potemkina. In general, in sexual behavior, the subjects show favorable sexual attitudes, note sexual satisfaction and fulfillment, as well as sexual neuroticism, indicating the difficulties in young people in creating intimate relationships. As a result of the correlation analysis, the study revealed indicators of sexual behavior characterizing disharmony in intimate relationships of young men and women, which indicate insufficient psychological readiness for intimate relationships of young people. The characteristics of disharmony in intimate relationships presented in the study allowed the authors to formulate conclusions and recommendations to specialists in the field of education on the organization of psychological and pedagogical technologies for the formation of sexual culture among modern youth.
Prediction of HIV drug resistance through in silico approach
Authors: Bhajantri Tammanna , Pushkala S.
Published: June 2024

The development of drug resistance continues to be one of the most significant obstacles in the fight against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Due to its exceptional replication kinetics, HIV is able to evade the selection pressure of the human immune system and the current combination drug therapy. Given that there are so many distinct mutations and mutational patterns that may confer drug resistance, it can be challenging to interpret the results of genotypic assays designed to detect them. The quantitative evaluation of resistance or susceptibility at the phenotypic level is made possible by cell culture studies. Nevertheless, the procedure is time-consuming and expensive. This study concentrates on the prediction of HIV drug resistance using an innovative “in silico” method that employs three potent resistance prediction tools: HIVdb, HIV-GRADE, and Geno2pheno[resistance]. These tools play a crucial role in the evaluation of HIV drug resistance, enabling clinicians and researchers to make informed decisions regarding antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. This study investigates the integration of these tools, emphasizing their individual strengths and collective utility in providing accurate and exhaustive HIV drug resistance predictions. Through a comprehensive analysis of genotypic data, this study seeks to improve our understanding of HIV drug resistance profiles, ultimately contributing to the optimization of ARV treatment strategies for HIV-positive individuals.
Identification of novel myelodysplastic syndromes prognostic subgroups by integration of inflammation, cell-type composition, and immune signatures in the bone marrow
Authors: Gerlevik Sila , Hama Shan , Seymen Nogayhan , Mumtaz Warisha , Thompson I. Richard , Jalili Seyed R. , Kaya Deniz E. , Iacoangeli Alfredo , Pellagatti Andrea , Boultwood Jacqueline , Napolitani Giorgio , Mufti Ghulam J. , Karimi Mohammad M.
Published: June 2024

Mutational profiles of Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have established that a relatively small number of genetic aberrations, including SF3B1 and SRSF2 spliceosome mutations, lead to specific phenotypes and prognostic subgrouping. We performed a Multi-Omics Factor Analysis (MOFA) on two published MDS cohorts of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) and CD34+ cells with three data modalities (clinical, genotype, and transcriptomics). Seven different views, including immune profile, inflammation/aging, Retrotransposon (RTE) expression, and cell-type composition, were derived from these modalities to identify the latent factors with significant impact on MDS prognosis. SF3B1 was the only mutation among 13 mutations in the BMMNC cohort, indicating a significant association with high inflammation. This trend was also observed to a lesser extent in the CD34+ cohort. Interestingly, the MOFA factor representing the inflammation shows a good prognosis for MDS patients with high inflammation. In contrast, SRSF2 mutant cases show a granulocyte-monocyte progenitor (GMP) pattern and high levels of senescence, immunosenescence, and malignant myeloid cells, consistent with their poor prognosis. Furthermore, MOFA identified RTEs expression as a risk factor for MDS. This work elucidates the efficacy of our integrative approach to assess the MDS risk that goes beyond all the scoring systems described thus far for MDS.
Resting natural killer cells promote the progress of colon cancer liver metastasis by elevating tumor-derived stem cell factor
Authors: Mao Chenchen , Chen Yanyu , Xing Dong , Zhang Teming , Lin Yangxuan , Long Cong , Yu Jiaye , Luo Yunhui , Ming Tao , Xie Wangkai , Han Zheng , Mei Dianfeng , Xiang Dan , Lu Mingdong , Shen Xian , Xue Xiangyang
Published: June 2024

The abundance and biological contribution of natural killer (NK) cells in cancer are controversial. Here, we aim to uncover clinical relevance and cellular roles of NK cells in colon cancer liver metastasis (CCLM). Here, we integrated single-cell RNA-sequencing, spatial transcriptomics (ST), and bulk RNA-sequencing datasets to investigate NK cells’ biological properties and functions in the microenvironment of primary and liver metastatic tumors. Results were validated through an in vitro co-culture experiment based on bioinformatics analysis. Useing single-cell RNA-sequencing and ST, we mapped the immune cellular landscape of colon cancer and well-matched liver metastatic cancer. We discovered that GZMK+ resting NK cells increased significantly in tumor tissues and were enriched in the tumor regions of both diseases. After combining bulk RNA and clinical data, we observed that these NK cell subsets contributed to a worse prognosis. Meanwhile, KIR2DL4+ activated NK cells exhibited the opposite position and relevance. Pseudotime cell trajectory analysis revealed the evolution of activated to resting NK cells. In vitro experiments further confirmed that tumor-cell-co-cultured NK cells exhibited a decidual-like status, as evidenced by remarkable increasing CD9 expression. Functional experiments finally revealed that NK cells exhibited tumor-activating characteristics by promoting the dissociation of SCF (stem cell factor) on the tumor cells membrane depending on cell-to-cell interaction, as the supernatant of the co-culture system enhanced tumor progression. In summary, our findings revealed resting NK cells exhibited a clinical relevance with CCLM, which may be exploited for novel strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes for patients with CCLM.
Synaptic mechanisms modulate the spatiotemporal dynamics of striatal direct pathway neurons and motor output
Authors: Marshall John J , Xu Jian , Yeh Nai-Hsing , Yun Seongsik , Nomura Toshihiro , Armstrong John N , Parker Jones G , Contractor Anis
Published: June 2024

Striatal spiny-projection neurons (SPNs) integrate glutamatergic inputs from the motor cortex and thalamus with neuromodulatory signals to regulate motor output.
In vivo
Ca
2+
imaging has demonstrated that ensembles of direct and indirect pathway SPNs (dSPNs, iSPNs) are coactive during spontaneous movement. Co-activity is statistically greater among nearby neurons, correlates with behavioral state, and undergoes plasticity in an SPN-type-specific manner under pathological conditions. This spatially clustered co-activity could reflect shared excitatory inputs. However, whether and how synaptic mechanisms generate this distinctive spatiotemporal activity is unknown. Here, we show that the Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), which regulates synaptic strength at corticostriatal synapses, is a key mediator of spatially clustered SPN co-activity. Pharmacological modulation of mGluR5 signaling bidirectionally altered movement and spatially clustered dynamics, but not the absolute level of activity of dSPNs. Targeted deletion of mGluR5 in dSPNs recapitulated the effects on spatiotemporal neural dynamics and movement demonstrating a striatum-specific effect of mGluR5. Targeted deletion of mGluR5 also produced changes in the synaptic properties of dSPNs. These results show that properties of excitatory synapses influence motor function by shaping the characteristic spatially clustered patterns of co-activity that typify dSPN activation
in vivo
.
Unveiling the influence of tumor and immune signatures on immune checkpoint therapy in advanced lung cancer
Authors: Kim Nayoung , Park Sehhoon , Jo Areum , Eum Hye Hyeon , Kim Hong Kwan , Lee Kyungjong , Cho Jong Ho , Ku Bo Mi , Jung Hyun Ae , Sun Jong-Mu , Lee Se-Hoon , Ahn Jin Seok , Lee Jung-Il , Choi Jung Won , Jeong Dasom , Na Minsu , Kang Huiram , Kim Jeong Yeon , Choi Jung Kyoon , Lee Hae-Ock , Ahn Myung-Ju
Published: June 2024

This study investigates the variability among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in their responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Recognizing that patients with advanced-stage NSCLC rarely qualify for surgical interventions, it becomes crucial to identify biomarkers that influence responses to ICI therapy. We conducted an analysis of single-cell transcriptomes from 33 lung cancer biopsy samples, with a particular focus on 14 core samples taken before the initiation of palliative ICI treatment. Our objective was to link tumor and immune cell profiles with patient responses to ICI. We discovered that ICI non-responders exhibited a higher presence of CD4+ regulatory T cells, resident memory T cells, and TH17 cells. This contrasts with the diverse activated CD8+ T cells found in responders. Furthermore, tumor cells in non-responders frequently showed heightened transcriptional activity in the NF-kB and STAT3 pathways, suggesting a potential inherent resistance to ICI therapy. Through the integration of immune cell profiles and tumor molecular signatures, we achieved an discriminative power (area under the curve [AUC]) exceeding 95% in identifying patient responses to ICI treatment. These results underscore the crucial importance of the interplay between tumor and immune microenvironment, including within metastatic sites, in affecting the effectiveness of ICIs in NSCLC.
Unveiling the influence of tumor and immune signatures on immune checkpoint therapy in advanced lung cancer
Authors: Kim Nayoung , Park Sehhoon , Jo Areum , Eum Hye Hyeon , Kim Hong Kwan , Lee Kyungjong , Cho Jong Ho , Ku Bo Mi , Jung Hyun Ae , Sun Jong-Mu , Lee Se-Hoon , Ahn Jin Seok , Lee Jung-Il , Choi Jung Won , Jeong Dasom , Na Minsu , Kang Huiram , Kim Jeong Yeon , Choi Jung Kyoon , Lee Hae-Ock , Ahn Myung-Ju
Published: June 2024

This study investigates the variability among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in their responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Recognizing that patients with advanced-stage NSCLC rarely qualify for surgical interventions, it becomes crucial to identify biomarkers that influence responses to ICI therapy. We conducted an analysis of single-cell transcriptomes from 33 lung cancer biopsy samples, with a particular focus on 14 core samples taken before the initiation of palliative ICI treatment. Our objective was to link tumor and immune cell profiles with patient responses to ICI. We discovered that ICI non-responders exhibited a higher presence of CD4+ regulatory T cells, resident memory T cells, and TH17 cells. This contrasts with the diverse activated CD8+ T cells found in responders. Furthermore, tumor cells in non-responders frequently showed heightened transcriptional activity in the NF-kB and STAT3 pathways, suggesting a potential inherent resistance to ICI therapy. Through the integration of immune cell profiles and tumor molecular signatures, we achieved an accuracy rate exceeding 95% in predicting patient responses to ICI treatment. These results underscore the crucial importance of the interplay between tumor and immune microenvironment, including within metastatic sites, in affecting the effectiveness of ICIs in NSCLC.
Ga-RBP: A Rule-based Parser for the Syntactic Analysis of the Ga Language of Ghana
Authors: Otto Christian , Nakpih Callistus Ireneous
Published: June 2024

This research presents a Parts of Speech (POS) corpus and a static rule-based technique, which we refer to as Ga Rule-based Parser (Ga-RBP), for the syntactic analysis and the parsing of sentences for the Ga language of Ghana. The technique is developed to parse sentences by utilising the POS tagged corpus; the corpus was developed by manually tagging the Ga words with their corresponding POS tags following a standard Ga-English dictionary and custom Tagset for the language. The syntax rules were computationally defined using production rules, which establish how a word should follow the other in the right sequence to form a correct grammatical statement based on their POS. The model generally analyses the sentence structure of the language to assert its syntactic state for correctness or otherwise.
Enhancing Crop Resilience to Climate Change through Biochar: A Review
Authors: Kundu Bidisha , Kumar Rajesh
Published: June 2024

Crop resilience is crucial in the face of climate change, as agricultural regions face unprecedented challenges such as rising global temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and increased extreme weather events. These changes impact food security, crop yields, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers worldwide. Crops face threats from heat stress, changing pest and disease dynamics, water scarcity, and unpredictable growing seasons. Crop resilience involves a complex interplay of genetics, environmental factors, and agricultural practices. Researchers and agricultural scientists are exploring innovative approaches like selective breeding, genetic modification, and precision agriculture to enhance crop resilience. Integrating traditional knowledge and indigenous farming practices into modern agricultural strategies is essential for securing food production, ensuring the sustainability of agricultural systems, conserving biodiversity, and supporting community resilience in an uncertain climate future. Crop resilience is central to ensuring global food security, supporting rural livelihoods, preserving ecosystems, and advancing sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change challenges. Biochar, a climate-resilient agricultural amendment, is gaining attention for its role in enhancing agricultural sustainability and mitigating climate change. Its porous structure and high carbon content sequester carbon dioxide, improve soil health, and reduce nutrient leaching. Biochar's porous nature fosters a rich microbial community, aids in nutrient cycling, and aids in rehabilitating degraded soils. It also reduces synthetic fertilizer requirements and environmental pollution. Climate change significantly impacts crop agriculture, disrupting traditional growth patterns and threatening global food security. High temperatures cause heat stress, while droughts and floods cause soil desiccation, impairing crop yields. Increased plant diseases and pests spread, while higher CO2 levels stimulate photosynthesis but reduce essential nutrients. Rising temperatures disrupt vegetative and reproductive growth phases, pollination, and seed formation, compromising crop quality and market value. Biochar is a porous material formed through pyrolysis, a process where organic biomass is decomposed under limited oxygen conditions. It is primarily carbon-rich but contains hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and minerals. As a soil amendment, biochar is a stable carbon sink with a high carbon content of 70-90%. Its porous structure allows it to efficiently adsorb and retain water, nutrients, and organic compounds. Its large surface area facilitates interactions with soil microbes and nutrient ions, and its high CEC helps in nutrient retention and soil fertility.
Uses of Gibberellic Acid for Increasing Grape Production
Authors: Sawant N. V. , Ramteke S. D. , Mirza A. , Kokare H. D.
Published: June 2024

Grapes are one of the most delicious fruit and have been farmed from thousands of years, growing from wild vine. Plant hormone is used for increase size and yield. This study goes into the significance influence of Gibberalic Acid (GA3) on grape farming, showing the ways in which this plant hormone has transformed the agricultural industry. Gibberellic acid is a hormone that is found naturally in plants and is essential for controlling several physiological functions. Many studies have been conducted on its use in grape cultivation. The main factor is growth and development of grape is vine. In grapes GA3 affects everything from flowering to fruit ripening. Enhancing yield is one of the main ways that GA3 helps with grapes production. GA3 encourage the growth of cluster by inducing cell elongation and division, which leads to increasing yield. In addition to satisfying consumers demand, the rise in grape yield helps for grape grower’s bottom line. Roles of application of GA3 on grape vine are different depends on their stages of flowering and fruit setting. It is also gave positive effect on rachis elongation which helps to get Healthy and export quality production. Overall, this review concluded that the Gibberellic Acid (GA3) is an important component linked with improving quality, size of berry, higher production.
Clinical decision rule to predict the presence of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Steele Russell , Hudson Marie , Lo Ernest , Baron Murray ,   The Canadian Scleroderma Research Group
Published: December 2011

Objective

To develop a clinical decision rule to predict the presence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) and to estimate the prevalence of SSc‐ILD.

Methods

Patient data were extracted from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group registry. Three algorithms for the clinical decision rule were considered based on lung auscultation, chest radiography (CXR), and % predicted forced vital capacity (FVC). High‐resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans were used as the gold standard to determine the diagnostic properties of the 3 algorithms. Multiple imputation was used to impute HRCT data when missing, thereby avoiding bias due to differential referral for HRCT.

Results

This study included 1,168 patients. Of the patients with HRCT scans, 65% had evidence of ILD, compared to 26% by physical examination and 22% by CXR. The FVC of those who did not have HRCT was 8.8% greater than those who did (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 6.0–11.6%). Algorithm A, which identified the presence of ILD based on crackles on lung auscultation and/or findings on CXR, had a likelihood ratio of 3.9, compared to 3.2 for Algorithm B (which included patients with FVC <70%) and 2.2 for Algorithm C (which included patients with FVC <80%). The prevalence of ILD in the cohort was estimated to be 52% (95% CI 46–59%).

Conclusion

We developed a simple clinical decision rule to predict SSc‐ILD with good test characteristics. The prevalence of ILD in a large, unselected SSc cohort was estimated to be 52%.
Distribution of finger nodes and their association with underlying radiographic features of osteoarthritis
Authors: Rees Frances , Doherty Sally , Hui Michelle , Maciewicz Rose , Muir Kenneth , Zhang Weiya , Doherty Michael
Published: December 2011

Objective

To determine the distribution of clinically palpable hand interphalangeal (IP) nodes at each finger and thumb joint in a population with nodes, the influence of left or right hand dominance and sex on the development of nodes, and the association between nodes and underlying radiographic features of osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional analysis of participants in the Genetics of Osteoarthritis and Lifestyle (GOAL) study who had ≥1 Heberden's nodes or Bouchard's nodes on clinical examination. Frequencies (%) of nodes were described for each IP joint in the hand. Associations between nodes and underlying radiographic OA were shown with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. A logistic regression model was used to adjust for the following confounding factors: age, sex, body mass index, left or right hand dominance, hand trauma, occupation with heavy manual activity, and participation in sports.

Results

Of the 3,170 GOAL participants, 1,939 had ≥1 nodes (mean age 68 years, 54% women). The distal IP joints of the index finger were the most frequently affected, followed by the thumb IP joint. Nodes were more common in dominant hands and women. There was a significant association between nodes and underlying radiographic OA (OR range 2.26–21.23). This association was stronger for joint space narrowing than for osteophytes. A dose‐response relationship was found between clinical severity of Heberden's nodes and underlying radiographic change.

Conclusion

Our study supports the positive association between nodes and radiographic OA, especially narrowing, and the influence of sex and left or right hand dominance on development of nodes. In this age group, presence of nodes may be taken as an indication of underlying small joint OA.
Optimal case definitions of upper extremity disorder for use in the clinical treatment and referral of patients
Authors: Palmer Keith T. , Harris E. Clare , Linaker Cathy , Ntani Georgia , Cooper Cyrus , Coggon David
Published: December 2011

Objective

Experts disagree about the optimal classification of upper extremity disorders. To explore whether differential response to treatments offers a basis for choosing between case definitions, we analyzed previously published research.

Methods

We screened 183 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of treatments for upper extremity disorders identified from the bibliographies of 10 Cochrane reviews and 4 other systematic reviews, and a search in Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar to June 2010. From these, we selected RCTs that allowed estimates of benefit (expressed as relative risks [RRs]) for >1 case definition to be compared when other variables (treatment, comparison group, followup time, outcome measure) were effectively held constant. Comparisons of RRs for paired case definitions were summarized by their ratios, with the RR for the simpler and broader definition as the denominator.

Results

Two RCT reports allowed within‐trial comparison of RRs and 13 others allowed between‐trial comparisons. Together these provided 17 ratios of RRs (5 for shoulder treatments, 12 for elbow treatments, and none for wrist/hand treatments). The median ratio of RRs was 1.0 (range 0.3–1.7, interquartile range 0.6–1.3).

Conclusion

Although the evidence base is limited, our findings suggest that for musculoskeletal disorders of the shoulder and elbow, clinicians in primary care will often do best to apply simpler and broader case definitions. Researchers should routinely publish secondary analyses for subgroups of patients by different diagnostic features at trial entry to expand the evidence base on optimal case definitions for patient management.
Galvanostatic Anodic Polarization Curves and Galvanic Corrosion of AZ31B in 0.01 M Na2SO4 Saturated with Mg(OH)2
Authors: Shi Zhiming , Jia Jimmy Xueshan , Atrens Andrej
Published: December 2011

Measured polarization curves were used in a BEM model of the galvanic corrosion of the Mg alloy AZ31B. The AZ31B galvanostatic anodic polarization curves indicated: (i) the existence of the uni‐positive Mg+ ion, (ii) some hydrogen dissolved in the AZ31B metal, and (iii) self corrosion was more important than the applied current density in causing weight loss. Galvanic corrosion of the AZ31B consisted of: (i) corrosion that decreased in depth from the 2024–AZ31B interface, and (ii) heterogeneous corrosion that was denser closer to the 2024–AZ31B interface. There was good agreement between the BEM model and the experimental measurements.
Reactions in solid particles—A reappraisal of models
Authors: Shashidhara Reddy Kancharla , Suresh Akkihebbal K.
Published: December 2011

Models such as the Ishida–Wen, or even more commonly the shrinking core models (Ginstling–Brounshtein being an important example), have long been used in the analyses of reactions in particles, particularly in solid–solid systems. There have been a few analyses of the validity of the assumptions made in these models, but to date, no comparison has been undertaken of these models against a general model to delineate their regions of applicability in the parameter space. In this article, we present a general unsteady‐state model that subsumes the earlier models as special cases. Nondimensionalization leads to the identification of two governing parameters in the model, a diffusion‐reaction parameter, and a relative abundance parameter. By solving the general model and comparing the solutions with those of the approximate models in the parameter space, conditions under which the approximate models apply, and the errors that result from their application in other situations, have been identified. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 58: 3161–3166, 2012
PLA2G6 mutations in PARK14‐linked young‐onset parkinsonism and sporadic Parkinson's disease
Authors: Lu Chin‐Song , Lai Szu‐Chia , Wu Ruey‐Meei , Weng Yi‐Hsin , Huang Chia‐Ling , Chen Rou‐Shayn , Chang Hsiu‐Chen , Wu‐Chou Yah‐Huei , Yeh Tu‐Hsueh
Published: December 2011

Mutations of PLA2G6 gene have been lately proposed to be the causative gene for PARK14 in patients with autosomal recessive young‐onset parkinsonism (YOPD). The role of PLA2G6 mutations as a risk factor for Parkinson's disease is not clear. To study the PLA2G6 mutations in PARK14‐linked patients and its association with the onset of sporadic Parkinson's disease (sPD), sequencing and gene dosage analyses were carried out in 25 patients (onset age ≦30 years) then the identified variants were assessed in 956 sporadic PD (sPD) patients and 802 age‐matched healthy controls. Four genetic variants were identified; one patient had homozygous c.991G > T (p.Asp331Tyr) mutation, two had compound heterozygous c.991G > T/c.1077G > A (p.Met358IlefsX) mutation, one had single c.1976A > G (p.Asn659Ser) mutation, and one patient had an exon 1 hetero‐deletion. The c.1077G > A mutation resulted in a 4‐bp deletion in leukocyte mRNA by activating a cryptic splice site in exon 7. Only p.Asp331Tyr was identified in four sPD patients and four controls. The onset age for PLA2G6 mutation carriers was younger than that for sPD (29.86 ± 8.59 vs. 56.84 ± 11.33 years, P = 0.0002). The analysis of previously reported PARK14 patients revealed that those who carried a truncated mutation tended to have a complicated phenotype and atrophies of cortex and cerebellum. In conclusion, PLA2G6 mutation was the second common genetic cause after PRKN mutation in our YOPD patients and might be a risk factor for early‐onset PD in Han Chinese. Additionally, mutation data should be interpreted carefully because even a synonymous mutation could cause abnormal mRNA splicing. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hyperbranched polyurethane‐urea‐imide/o‐clay‐silica hybrids: Synthesis and characterization
Authors: Mishra Aswini K , Narayan Ramanuj , Aminabhavi Tejraj M. , Pradhan S. K. , Raju K. V. S. N.
Published: December 2011

Hyperbranched polyurethane‐urea‐imide/o‐clay‐silica (HBPUI/o‐clay‐silica) hybrid coatings were prepared using organically modified clay (o‐clay) in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and tributylhexadecylphosphonium bromide (TBHPB) cationic surfactants and were further surface‐grafted by 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxy silane (APTMS). Hybrid polyesters were prepared by incorporating into the first generation hyperbranched polyester polyol (HBP‐G1) at various concentrations. The NCO‐terminated hybrid prepolymers and chain extensions were achieved by imide chain extender. The modified clays were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction and Fourier transform spectroscopy. Viscoelastic, thermomechanical, and surface topology studies were performed by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), thermogravimetric analyser (TGA), universal testing machine (UTM), atomic force microscopic (AFM), and contact angle measurements. TGA and DMTA indicated higher thermal stability and glass transition temperature (Tg) of TBHPB‐modified hybrid coatings compared with the CTAB counterparts, which increased with increasing silane‐modified o‐clay content. Water contact angle suggested increasing hydrophobicity of higher silane‐modified o‐clay containing coatings, while AFM confirmed the dispersibility of silane‐modified o‐clay into polymer matrix; the extent of dispersion increased with increasing silane‐modified o‐clay content in the hybrid formulation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Study of the thermal and mechanical properties of blown films of high‐ and low‐density polyethylene blends
Authors: Mohammadi Mohsen , Yousefi Ali Akbar , Ehsani Morteza
Published: December 2011

The miscibility of the blown film of low‐ and high‐density polyethylene blends and its implications on melting, crystallization, and mechanical behavior throughout the full composition range and the possible role of blending on the miscibility of the binary pair system have been investigated. Using differential scanning calorimetry it was inferred that the films of blends in solid state are miscible in HDPE‐rich compositions, partially miscible at 95% LDPE and completely immiscible at other compositions. The thermal analysis revealed that blending has insignificant effect on lamella thickness of LDPE phase but strong influence on the lamella thickness of HDPE phase. Moreover, analysis of crystallization exotherms was also discussed. XRD measurements also revealed qualitatively similar trend in crystallinity and lamella thickness to DSC results. Measurements on tensile properties in the machine direction of the films showed both positive and negative deviation from linear additivity and improvement of the mechanical properties was found in the film blends containing low amount of LDPE. Especially the strain at break and tensile strength for the film of 5% LDPE blend was higher than that of neat HDPE, which suggests synergistic effects. This supports its larger lamella thickness and better miscibility. Nonetheless, there was negative deviation from the additivity rule in the entire range of composition for the mechanical properties in the transverse direction of the films. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Melt viscoelasticity, electrical conductivity, and crystallization of PVDF/MWCNT composites: Effect of the dispersion of MWCNTs
Authors: Ke Kai , Wang Yu , Zhang Kai , Luo Yong , Yang Wei , Xie Bang‐Hu , Yang Ming‐Bo
Published: December 2011

The melt viscoelasticity, electrical conductivity, and crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composites prepared by melt blending with different shear effects were examined. Rheological characterization indicated that the incorporation of MWCNTs substantially affected the viscoelastic behavior of the composites. A visible rheological network of CNTs was detected in the composites with relatively high content of MWCNTs. The electrical conductivity of the composites differed substantially for the composites prepared with different shear effects because of the different dispersion states of the MWCNTs in the composites. The nonisothermal crystallization of the composites revealed that the samples prepared with high shear intensity and long shear time exhibited a higher crystallization peak temperature and crystallinity. Besides, the heterogeneous nucleation effect of the MWCNTs was found to be significantly dependent on the dispersion state, which dominated the crystallization even when the confinement effect of the nanotube network existed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Dynamic viscoelastic behavior of polypropylene/polybutene‐1 blends and its correlation with morphology
Authors: Ardakani Farzaneh , Jahani Yousef , Morshedian Jalil
Published: December 2011

In this study the rheology, morphology, and interfacial interaction of polypropylene (PP)/polybutene‐1 (PB‐1) blends in different percentages of PB‐1 are investigated. The morphology of cryo‐fractured surfaces of samples was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images showed a droplet‐matrix structure in all range of compositions and the size of dispersed phase increased proportionally with PB‐1 content. The miscibility of blends at various compositions is evaluated by viscoelastic parameters determined by dynamic oscillation rheometry in the linear viscoelastic region. A distinct Newtonian plateau at low frequencies is observed and the variations of complex viscosity (η*) against angular frequency (ω) for all blends are in agreement with Cross model. The complex viscosity of samples at various percentages of PB‐1 showed the log‐additivity mixing rule behavior in low frequencies and positive‐negative deviation behavior (PNDB) at high shear rates. The phenomena such as decrease in the sensitivity of storage modulus to shear rate in the terminal region, the deviation of Cole–Cole plots from the semi‐circular shape, and the tail in relaxation spectrums at high relaxation times are the evidences of two phase heterogenous morphology. The effect of time–temperature on the phase behavior is studied and the interfacial tension between matrix and dispersed phase was evaluated by using emulsion theoretical models. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Porous exfoliated poly(ε‐caprolactone)/clay nanocomposites: Preparation, structure, and properties
Authors: Istrate Oana M. , Chen Biqiong
Published: December 2011

Porous biodegradable poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)/clay nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating a blowing agent into the galleries of an organoclay, followed by mixing the pretreated organoclay and PCL to give partially intercalated and exfoliated nanocomposites and subsequently degrading the blowing agentin situto increase the exfoliation degree in the porous nanocomposites. The blowing agent played dual roles in the foaming process: formation of bubbles and facilitation of clay exfoliation, which were confirmed by X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Such porous nanocomposites possessed significantly more uniform porous structures and smaller pore sizes compared to their polymer counterparts, which were characterized by X‐ray micro computed tomography. They also exhibited increases of the thermal degradation temperature by 41°C, the compressive modulus by 152%, and the compressive stress at 10% strain by 177%. The relative modulus‐relative density relationship of the porous nanocomposites was found to follow the Mills–Zhu model for closed cells. Such porous biocompatible and biodegradable nanocomposites will find potential applications in, for example, carriers of chemicals, drugs, and medical and diagnostic devices. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of low‐density polyethylene inside percolating network of ZnO nanoparticles
Authors: Liang Guo‐Dong , Qin Wang‐Ping , Liu Ting‐Ting , Zhu Fang‐Ming , Wu Qing
Published: December 2011

The nonisothermal crystallization of low‐density polyethylene inside percolating network of ZnO nanoparticles (LDPE/60 vol % ZnO) was investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and compared to that of LDPE bulk (pristine LDPE and LDPE/1.15 vol % ZnO). The results revealed that crystallization behavior of LDPE inside ZnO percolating network was quite different from that of LDPE bulk. The former showed ∼ 4°C higher crystallization onset temperatures contrasting to the latter, demonstrating nucleation effect of ZnO on LDPE crystallization. On the other hand, much longer half‐crystallization times were observed for the former, illustrating that crystallization of LDPE is retarded by the continuous ZnO network to some extent. Moreover, LDPE embedded inside ZnO network has by far larger crystallization activation energy and smaller specific free energy of the folding surface in contrast to LDPE bulk. Finally, nonisothermal crystallization kinetics study illustrated that both modified Avrami and Liu methods could be used to describe satisfactorily nonisothermal crystallization kinetics for all the samples investigated. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Biological Plasticity in Penguin Heat‐Retention Structures
Authors: Thomas Daniel B. , Fordyce R. Ewan
Published: December 2011

Insulation and vascular heat‐retention mechanisms allow penguins to forage for a prolonged time in water that is much cooler than core body temperature. Wing‐based heat retention involves a plexus of humeral arteries and veins, which redirect heat to the body core rather than to the wing periphery. The humeral arterial plexus is described here for Eudyptes and Megadyptes, the only extant penguin genera for which wing vascular anatomy had not previously been reported. The erect‐crested (Eudyptes sclateri) and yellow‐eyed (Megadyptes antipodes) penguins both have a plexus of three humeral arteries on the ventral surface of the humerus. The wing vascular system shows little variation between erect‐crested and yellow‐eyed penguins, and is generally conserved across the six extant genera of penguins, with the exception of the humeral arterial plexus. The number of humeral arteries within the plexus demonstrates substantial variation and correlates well with wing surface area. Little penguins (Eudyptula minor) have two humeral arteries and a wing surface area of ∼ 75 cm2, whereas emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) have up to 15 humeral arteries and a wing surface area of ∼ 203 cm2. Further, the number of humeral arteries has a stronger correlation with wing surface area than with sea water temperature. We propose that thermoregulation has placed the humeral arterial plexus under a strong selection pressure, driving penguins with larger wing surface areas to compensate for heat loss by developing additional humeral arteries. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enantioselective degradation of tebuconazole in cabbage, cucumber, and soils
Authors: Wang Xinquan , Wang Xuesong , Zhang Hu , Wu Changxing , Wang Xiangyun , Xu Hao , Wang Xiaofu , Li Zhen
Published: December 2011

The enantioselective degradation of tebuconazole has been investigated to elucidate the behaviors in agricultural soils, cabbage, and cucumber fruit. Rac‐tebuconazole was fortified into three types of agricultural soils and sprayed foliage of cabbage and cucumber, respectively. The degradation kinetics, enantiomer fraction and enantiomeric selectivity were determined by reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) on a Lux amylose‐2 chiral column. The process of the degradation of tebuconazole enantiomers followed first‐order kinetic in the test soils and vegetables. It has been shown that the degradation of tebuconazole was enantioselective. The results indicated that the (+)‐S‐tebuconazole showed a faster degradation in cabbage, while the (−)‐R‐tebuconazole dissipated faster than (+)‐S‐form in cucumber fruit and the test soils. Chirality, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel method to improve the efficiency of a cooking device via thermal insulation
Authors: Ganguli Arijit A. , Gudekar Ajitkumar S. , Pandit Aniruddha B. , Joshi Jyeshtharaj B.
Published: December 2011

We propose a method of finding the transient temperature variation in an insulated cooking device. We also report a means of optimising the thickness of insulation. The cooking device is a double walled cylindrical vessel with spacing of 5–20 mm between the vertical walls (width) and spacing of 560 or 870 mm between top and bottom surfaces (height). The height to width ratio (H/L) is between 28 and 174 and Rayleigh number (Ra) is between 907 and 2.61 × 105. First, an energy balance for the cooking device is established. A correlation is developed to predict the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) as a function of Ra and H/L. The method developed for finding the transient variation in temperature has been tested on two cooking device volumes: 120 and 700 lit. Using the optimised parameters, a reduction in heat loss of 22% and 30%, respectively, is observed. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
Drag reduction in turbulent pipeline flow of mixed nonionic polymer and cationic surfactant systems
Authors: Mohsenipour Ali Asghar , Pal Rajinder
Published: December 2011

Turbulent drag reduction behaviour of a mixed nonionic polymer/cationic surfactant system was studied in a pipeline flow loop to explore the synergistic effects of polymeric and surfactant drag reducing additives. The nonionic polymer used was polyethylene oxide (PEO) at three different concentrations (500, 1000, and 2000 ppm). The surfactant used was cationic octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (OTAC) at concentration levels of 1000 and 2500 ppm. Sodium salicylate (NaSal) was used as a counter‐ion for the surfactant at a molar ratio of 2 (MR = Salt/OTAC = 2).

Relative viscosity and surface tension were measured for different combinations of PEO and OTAC. While the relative viscosities demonstrated a week interaction between the polymer and the surfactant, the surface tension measurements exhibited negligible interaction.

The pipeline results show a considerable synergistic effect, that is, the mixed polymer–surfactant system gives a significantly higher drag reduction (lower friction factors) as compared with pure polymer or pure surfactant. The addition of surfactant to the polymer always enhances drag reduction. However, the synergistic effect in mixed system is stronger at low polymer concentrations and high surfactant concentrations. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
Study of transition velocity from bubbling to turbulent fluidisation by recurrence plots analysis on pressure fluctuations
Authors: Tahmasebpour M. , Zarghami Reza , Sotudeh‐Gharebagh Rahmat , Mostoufi Navid
Published: December 2011

Recurrence plot (RP) and recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) have been used for studying the dynamic behaviour of gas–solid fluidised beds. RQA variables (recurrence rate, determinism, laminarity and entropy) were calculated for the bubbling fluidised bed at different superficial gas velocities (ranging 0.1–1.5 m/s) and aspect ratios (1, 1.5 and 2). Patterns within RP changed with these various conditions, and subsequently RQA parameters changed accordingly. These changes can be potentially useful to study the bed hydrodynamic. It was shown that transition from bubbling to turbulent velocity can be determined by the variation of recurrence rate and entropy. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
Potential of Oil Palm Trunk Sap as a Novel Inexpensive Renewable Carbon Feedstock for Polyhydroxyalkanoate Biosynthesis and as a Bacterial Growth Medium
Authors: Lokesh Bhadravathi Eswara , Hamid Zubaidah Aimi Abdul , Arai Takamitsu , Kosugi Akihiko , Murata Yoshinori , Hashim Rokiah , Sulaiman Othman , Mori Yutaka , Sudesh Kumar
Published: December 2011

Utilization of cheap renewable carbon feedstock for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production not only brings down its production cost but also ensures sustainability. The scope of this study was to evaluate the potential of sap extracted from felled oil palm trunk (OPT) as a novel inexpensive renewable carbon source for PHA production. OPT sap was found to be nutritionally rich and contained various fermentable sugars (5.5% w/v) as its major constituent. Termite gut isolate, Bacillus megaterium MC1 grew profoundly in mineral medium with OPT sap as carbon source and a cell density of 10.9 g/L was attained after 16 h of cultivation in shake flask cultures. A maximum poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate [P(3HB)] content (% cell dry weight; CDW) of 30 wt% and a P(3HB) concentration of 3.28 g/L was recorded. Additionally, OPT sap extracted from younger tree trunks with prolonged storage had higher sugar content (10.8% w/v) and, when used as a growth medium without the addition of any nutrients, supported bacterial growth comparable to commercially available media.
Forced extension of delipidated red blood cell cytoskeleton with little indication of spectrin unfolding
Authors: Afrin Rehana , Nakaji Masato , Sekiguchi Hiroshi , Lee David , Kishimoto Kikuo , Ikai Atsushi
Published: December 2011

Force‐extension curves obtained on intact human red blood cells (RBC) were compared with those of delipidated RBCs to assess the contribution of cytoskeletal flexibility to the extensibility of the intact membrane skeleton. The RBCs were first delipidated by treatment with phospholipase A2; tensile properties of the exposed cytoskeletal structures were measured using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The AFM probes were modified either with the Band 3 specific lectin, concanavalin A, (Con A) or anti‐F‐actin antibody, to localize the point of interaction between the probe and the cytoskeleton. Extension of the spectrin‐based cytoskeleton reached up to 2–3 μm with a force less than 70 pN without showing any force peaks before the final rupture of the adhesive bonds. Our interpretation of the result is that the spectrin‐based network was slack enough to allow the observed degree of extension without unfolding the tetrameric spectrin molecules. The force‐extension curves obtained either on Band 3‐ankyrin loci or on junction nodes of the cytoskeleton were not significantly different. Experimental results were verified by computer simulation of pulling mechanics of a network model of the RBC cytoskeleton. Our experimental results are also in agreement with the theoretical prediction of Mirijanian and Voth [2008; Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:1204–1208]. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Plus‐end directed myosins accelerate actin filament sliding by single‐headed myosin VI
Authors: Ramamurthy Bhagavathi , Cao Wenxiang , De La Cruz Enrique M. , Mooseker Mark S.
Published: December 2011

Myosin VI (Myo6) is unique among myosins in that it moves toward the minus (pointed) end of the actin filament. Thus to exert tension on, or move cargo along an actin filament, Myo6 is working against potentially multiple plus (barbed)‐end myosins. To test the effect of plus‐end motors on Myo6, the gliding actin filament assay was used to assess the motility of single‐headed Myo6 in the absence and presence of cardiac myosin II (Myo2) and myosin Va (Myo5a). Myo6 alone exhibited a filament gliding velocities of 60.34 ± 13.68 nm/s. Addition of either Myo2 or Myo5a, at densities below that required to promote plus‐end movement resulted in an increase in Myo6 velocity (∼100–150% increase). Movement in the presence of these plus‐end myosins was minus‐end directed as determined using polarity tagged filaments. High densities of Myo2 or Myo5a were required to convert to plus‐end directed motility indicating that Myo6 is a potent inhibitor of Myo2 and Myo5a. Previous studies have shown that two‐headed Myo6 slows and then stalls in an anchored state under load. Consistent with these studies, velocity of a two headed heavy mero myosin form of Myo6 was unaffected by Myo5a at low densities, and was inhibited at high Myo5a densities. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals Inc.