bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Composition and Processing Conditions on the Structure Development in Injection Molded Dynamically Vulcanized PP/EPDM Blends
Authors: Cakmak M. , Cronin S. W.
Published: February 2011

The effect of composition and processing conditions on the spatial structural variation in dynamically vulcanized injection molded poly(propylene)/ethylene—propylene—diene rubber (PP/EPDM) was investigated using matrixing microbeam X-ray system and transmission optical microscopy techniques. The structure gradient in the thickness direction in these samples is composed of very thick, highly oriented, skin regions followed by core regions of lower preferential chain orientation. In these samples, the shear-crystallized layers are observed to be much thicker than the comparably processed pure PP. The nucleation densities in the PP phase were too high to allow for observation of individual crystallites in most of the regions except near the very core, where sparsely distributed PP crystallites, that appear bright under cross polars, were observed. The wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) patterns taken at different distances from the skin indicate that chain axes are mostly oriented in the flow direction, and distinct bimodal c-axis and a* axis oriented dual population of orientation is observed in the PP phase. c-axis orientation factors, fc, start at intermediate values at the skin and increase steadily and after showing a maximum roughly in the middle of the shear crystallized region, decrease towards the core, and in most cases never achieve a state of isotropy. In the blends that contain very small polypropylene fractions (ca ∼ 15%), unusually high orientation levels were observed. This was attributed to the “shear amplification” phenomena that dominates the thin PP regions between the rubber particles and causes significant orientation levels in the thin layers of PP coating, the rubber particles with the relative motion of the particles in the shear flow field.
High-Speed Fracture of Elastomers: Part I
Authors: Lake G. J. , Lawrence C. C. , Thomas A. G.
Published: February 2011

The fracture behavior of elastomers has been studied in the high speed region immediately above a transition region where a change in the nature of the fracture surface occurs. A video camera operating at up to 6000 frames/s was used to follow the progress of failure. The test pieces employed were of the pure shear or tensile strip (with edge crack) varieties employed in earlier tear studies; in order to attain the high energy release rates required they were usually pre-strained and then cut to initiate the crack growth. The materials studied included various strain crystallizing and non-crystallizing elastomers, with different glass-transition temperatures, including natural rubber in normal, cis—trans isomerized or partially-epoxidized forms, a butadiene—acrylonitrile copolymer, a styrene—butadiene copolymer and ethylene—propylene co- and ter-polymers. The use of a fracture mechanics approach based on the strain energy release rate enables results for different test piece geometries to be brought into agreement in the region above the transition. Fracture energies in this region correlate well with viscoelastic properties, but the potential for strain crystallization to strengthen is not exhibited. This is presumably because at the high failure rates involved, the loading time at the crack tip is insufficient to allow significant crystallization to occur. The correlation with viscoelastic behavior suggests that the material around the propagating tip is still essentially rubbery in its behavior, although the fracture surfaces in the high speed region have a smooth, “glassy” appearance. Further evidence of this is provided by effects of crosslink type and density and filler type and loading, where again the effects seen in the high speed failure region parallel those observed below the transition. An effect of thickness on fracture properties appears to be absent in the high speed region, by contrast with behavior at lower energies and at the transition itself. This supports the view that the fracture surface roughness that develops in the lower energy region is due to the initiation of a process akin to cavitation by through-the-thickness stresses near the crack tip. The transition is found to vary with pressure and temperature, as well as thickness, in a way that does not correlate with viscoelastic changes but may reflect changes in the through-the-thickness stresses. The existence of a limiting crack speed is illustrated and discussed. Fracture under large biaxial deformations, where higher crack speeds are observed, will be discussed in Part II.
A New Class of Thermoplastic Elastic Polypropenes Prepared with a High Activity “Dual-Side” Zirconocene Catalyst
Authors: Dietrich Ulf , Hackmann Martijn , Rieger Bernhard
Published: February 2011

It is well known that the mechanical properties of highly isotactic polypropene depend on the crystalline structure of the material. Up to now, the polymer properties were modified by varying either the processing conditions—e.g., extrusion, annealing etc.—or the composition—e.g., blending, nucleation. Highly active ethylene bridged C1-symmetric zirconocene catalysts can be used to design the material properties by varying the crystallinity of thermoplastic (elastic) polypropenes. With the new unsymmetric catalyst rac−dichloro[1−(9−fluorenyl)−2−(R,S)−(5,6−cyclopenta−2−methylinden−1−η5−yl)ethane]zirconium (IV)/MAO (1) polypropenes of variable isotacticities are accessible. The variable and thus defined use of two different sides of the catalytically active species allows the placement of single, cumulated and consecutive [rr]-triads within an isotactic polymer chain. The formation of these stereoerrors is adjusted in an arbitrary manner by the polymerization conditions temperature and monomer concentration. The mechanical properties of polypropenes produced with 1/MAO vary from tough thermoplastic to excellent elastic. Stress—strain behavior of these physically crosslinked elastomers can be designed similar to the ones of polyisoprene or partly crosslinked natural rubber.
Crystallization in Natural Rubber. II. The Influence of Impurities
Authors: Gent A. N.
Published: February 2011

Experiments are described in which the effect of the presence of foreign substances on the rate of crystallization of natural rubber at −26° C is examined. It is shown that small amounts of suitable impurities, some of which are present in smoked sheet and other plantation rubbers, accelerate the crystallization process markedly at this temperature, presumably by promoting crystal nucleation.
Benzofuroxans as Rubber Additives
Authors: Graves Daniel F.
Published: February 2011

Benzofurazan 1-oxide, commonly called benzofuroxan (BFO), was shown to decrease hysteresis of carbon black-filledrubber vulcanizates by as much as 30%. Presumably, BFO promotes increased bonding between the elastomerand carbon black resulting in reduced “Payne Effect” in the vulcanizate. BFO was added during the mixing of themasterbatch at various temperatures. It was found that high temperature mixing was necessary to achieve maximumhysteresis reduction and that more effect was noted with high surface area blacks. Nickel salts were found to modifythe reaction between BFO and the elastomer/black.
An iterative method for design of water‐using networks with regeneration recycling
Authors: Pan Chunhui , Shi Jing , Liu Zhi‐Yong
Published: February 2011

Both freshwater consumption and wastewater discharge can be reduced significantly when wastewater regeneration recycling is introduced in the design of the water‐using networks (WUNs). However, it is often difficult to design the WUNs involving regeneration recycling. This article presents an iterative method to design the WUNs involving regeneration recycling. The final designs can be obtained without iteration for the networks with known regenerated concentrations, and in a few iterations for the networks with known removal ratios of the contaminants. The method proposed can reduce the following parameters simultaneously, the consumptions of freshwater and the regenerated water, and the concentrations of the stream before regeneration, and all of them reflect the cost of the network involving regeneration recycling. The results of a few literature examples show that the designs obtained in this work are comparable to that obtained in the literature. The proposed method is simple and effective. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012
Rheology, crystallization behaviors, and thermal stabilities of poly(butylene succinate)/pristine multiwalled carbon nanotube composites obtained by melt compounding
Authors: Wang Guoli , Guo Baohua , Xu Jun , Li Rui
Published: February 2011

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/pristine raw multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were prepared in this work via simple melt compounding. Morphological observations indicated that the MWCNTs were well dispersed in the PBS matrix. Moreover, the incorporation of MWCNTs did not affect the crystal form of PBS as measured by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The rheology, crystallization behaviors, and thermal stabilities of PBS/MWCNT composites were studied in detail. Compared with neat PBS, the incorporation of MWCNTs into the matrix led to higher complex viscosities (|η*|), storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), shear thinning behaviors, and lower damping factor (tan δ) at low frequency range, and shifted the PBS/MWCNT composites from liquid‐like to solid‐like, which affected the crystallization behaviors and thermal stabilities of PBS. The presence of a very small quantity of MWCNTs had a significant heterogeneous‐nucleation effect on the crystallization of PBS, resulting in the enhancement of crystallization temperature, i.e., with the addition of 0.5 wt % MWCNTs, the values of Tc of PBS/MWCNT composites could attain to 90°C, about 6°C higher than that of neat PBS, whereas the values of Tc increased slightly with further increasing the MWCNTs content. The thermogravimetric analysis illustrated that the thermal stability of PBS was improved with the addition of MWCNTs compared with that of neat PBS. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Study on the flame retardancy of EVM/magnesium hydroxide composites optimized with a flame retardant containing phosphorus and silicon
Authors: Wang Lichun , Wu Xinfeng , Wu Chao , Yu Jinhong , Wang Genlin , Jiang Pingkai
Published: February 2011

A novel phosphorus‐silicon‐containing flame retardant, spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphorate disphosphoryl chloride/9, 10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphanthrene‐10‐oxide/vinyl methyl dimethoxysilane (SPDV), was synthesized successfully and used for optimizing the flame retardancy of ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVM) rubber/magnesium hydroxide (MDH) composites. The microstructure of SPDV was characterized and determined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that SPDV had good charring effect in air even at high temperature (800°C). The flame retardancy of the optimized EVM/MDH composites by SPDV was investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI), cone calorimeter, and UL‐94 vertical burning tests. A higher LOI value (29.4%) and better UL‐94 rating (V‐0) can be achieved for the optimized EVM/MDH composite (EVM‐7) than EVM/MDH composite without SPDV (EVM‐3) with the total loading of additives. The HRR decreased and residual mass increased gradually as the loading of SPDV increased for the optimized EVM/MDH composites. There existed distinct synergistic intumescent flame‐retardant effect between SPDV and MDH in EVM matrix. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Surface characterization of quaternized polysulfone films and biocompatibility studies
Authors: Ioan Silvia , Albu Raluca Marinica , Avram Ecaterina , Stoica Iuliana , Ioanid Emil Ghiocel
Published: February 2011

A novel quaternized polysulfone with N‐dimethyloctylammonium groups was investigated with respect to its surface properties, hydrophobicity, interactions with blood, and morphology. The history of the films formed from N,N‐dimethylformamide/methanol and N,N‐dimethylformamide/water solutions and the compositions of the solvent/nonsolvent mixtures influenced the surface morphology. Thus, atomic force microscopy investigations of the films showed pores and nodules of different sizes and intensities, which depended on the content of methanol or water in the solvent mixtures. Hydrophilicity modification, evidenced by the apolar components and the electron‐acceptor and electron‐donor parameters of the polar components of the surface tension parameters, was correlated with atomic force microscopy data. Surface wettability trends were analyzed on the basis of the free energy of hydration between the prepared films and water and the work of adhesion. The adhesion of red blood cells to the modified polysulfone showed the influence of the hydrophobic properties. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Effect of glutaraldehyde on electrical properties of arrowroot starch + NaI electrolyte system
Authors: Tiwari Tuhina , Pandey K. , Srivastava Neelam , Srivastava P. C.
Published: February 2011

A biopolymer based electrolyte system has been developed using NaI as dopant salt and Arrowroot starch as polymer matrix. Problem of fungal growth in such system has been removed by the addition of Glutaraldehyde (GA). The conductivity of the Arrowroot + NaI electrolyte system is of the order of 6.7 × 10−4 S cm−1. Starch without crosslinker GA seems to be highly unstable and prone to fungal growth whereas the GA crosslinked electrolyte is quite stable. Color of the material as well as its conductivity data indicate that presence of GA affects the salt dissociation and multiplets formation. Ionic transference number of system is ≥0.95 indicating that prepared system is ionic conductor/electrolyte. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Decision‐making Competence, Executive Functioning, and General Cognitive Abilities
Authors: Del Missier Fabio , Mäntylä Timo , de Bruin Wändi Bruine
Published: February 2011

Although previous studies investigated the relationship between general cognitive abilities and decision making, few have characterized specific cognitive abilities underlying decision‐making competence. In this paper, we focus on executive functions—control processes involved in the regulation of cognition. Specifically, we report on an individual‐differences study that investigated the relationship of executive functioning (EF) and general cognitive abilities (fluid intelligence and numeracy) with different aspects of decision‐making competence. Individual differences in EF components explained aspects of decision‐making competence even after controlling for fluid intelligence and numeracy. However, different aspects of decision‐making competence varied in the extent to which they relied on different executive functions. In particular, resistance to framing effects, the ability to apply decision rules, and successful engagement in cognitive reflection partially depend on individual differences on the monitoring/inhibition dimension of EF. The ability to provide consistent judgments in risk perception is related to the shifting aspect of EF. The ability to recognize social norms and resistance to sunk costs were not significantly related to EF, thus supporting the idea that executive control is not a major determinant of these aspects of decision‐making competence. Finally, substantial variance in some of the decision‐making tasks remained unexplained, suggesting that other cognitive or non‐cognitive abilities need to be considered in future studies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mutation detection in plasmid‐based biopharmaceuticals
Authors: Oliveira Pedro H. , Prather Kristala L. J. , Prazeres Duarte M. F. , Monteiro Gabriel A.
Published: February 2011

As the number of applications involving therapeutic plasmid DNA (pDNA) increases worldwide, there is a growing concern over maintaining rigorous quality control through a panel of high‐quality assays. For this reason, efficient, cost‐effective and sensitive technologies enabling the identification of genetic variants and unwanted side products are needed to successfully establish the identity and stability of a plasmid‐based biopharmaceutical. This review highlights several bioinformatic tools for ab initio detection of potentially unstable DNA regions, as well as techniques used for mutation detection in nucleic acids, with particular emphasis on pDNA.
Chitosan molecular structure as a function of N‐acetylation
Authors: Franca Eduardo F. , Freitas Luiz C. G. , Lins Roberto D.
Published: February 2011

Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to characterize the structure and solubility of chitosan nanoparticle‐like structures as a function of the deacetylation level (0, 40, 60, and 100%) and the spatial distribution of the N‐acetyl groups in the particles. The polysaccharide chains of highly N‐deacetylated particles where the N‐acetyl groups are uniformly distributed present a high flexibility and preference for the relaxed two‐fold helix and five‐fold helix motifs. When these groups are confined to a given region of the particle, the chains adopt preferentially a two‐fold helix with ϕ and ψ values close to crystalline chitin. Nanoparticles with up to 40% acetylation are moderately soluble, forming stable aggregates when the N‐acetyl groups are unevenly distributed. Systems with 60% or higher N‐acetylation levels are insoluble and present similar degrees of swelling regardless the distribution of their N‐acetyl groups. Overall particle solvation is highly affected by electrostatic forces resulting from the degree of acetylation. The water mobility and orientation around the polysaccharide chains affects the stability of the intramolecular O3‐HO3(n)···O5(n +1) hydrogen bond, which in turn controls particle aggregation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 95: 448–460, 2011.
Simultaneous determination of fluoxetine and its major active metabolite norfluoxetine in human plasma by LC‐MS/MS using supported liquid extraction
Authors: Li Yu , Emm Thomas , Yeleswaram Swamy
Published: February 2011

A rapid, sensitive and selective bioanalytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of fluoxetine and its primary metabolite norfluoxetine in human plasma. Sample preparation was based on supported liquid extraction (SLE) using methyl tert‐butyl ether to extract the analytes from human plasma. Chromatography was performed on a Synergi 4 μ polar‐RP column using a fast gradient. The ionization was optimized using ESI (+) and selectivity was achieved by tandem mass spectrometric analysis using MRM functions, m/z 310 → 44 for fluoxetine, m/z 296 → 134 for norfluoxetine and m/z 315 → 44 for fluoxetine‐d5 (internal standard). The method is linear over the range of 0.05–20 ng/mL (using a human plasma sample volume of 0.1 mL) with a coefficient determination of greater than 0.999. The method is accurate and precise with intra‐batch and inter‐batch accuracy (%bias) of <±15% and precision (%CV) of <15% for both analytes. A run time of 4 min means a high throughput of samples can be achieved. To our knowledge, this method appears to be the most sensitive one reported so far for the quantitation of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine and can be used for routine therapeutic drug monitoring or pharmacokinetic studies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐performance liquid chromatographic determination of anti‐ hypertensive drugs on dried blood spots using a fluorescence detector – method development and validation
Authors: Rao R. Nageswara , Bompelli Sravan , Maurya Pawan K.
Published: February 2011

A selective and sensitive high‐performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection for simultaneous determination of irbesartan, losartan and valsartan on dried blood spots (DBS) has been developed and validated. It involves solvent extraction of a punch of DBS followed by reversed‐phase liquid chromatography on a Lichrospher® 100 RP‐18e column. Fluorescence detection was performed at 259 and 385 nm as excitation and emission wavelengths, respectively. The detection limits of irbesartan, losartan and valsartan were 1.8, 3.6 and 1.8 ng/mL respectively. The mean recoveries of irbesartan, losartan and valsartan were 98.68, 98.42 and 97.81%, respectively. The mean inter‐day and intra‐day precisions of irbesartan, losartan and valsartan were 2.07 and 1.34%, 1.42 and 1.48%, and 3.20 and 2.15% respectively. The proposed method was simple and rapid. Design of experiments was used to evaluate the robustness of the method. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bewertung der Umweltverträglichkeit von Bauprodukten im Rahmen von bauaufsichtlichen Zulassungen
Authors: Pawel Angela , Strathmann Brigitte
Published: February 2011

Nachdem in den letzten Jahren die Auswirkungen von Baumaßnahmen auf das Grundwasser stärker in den Fokus der Öffentlichkeit gerückt sind, wird mittlerweile bei der Erteilung von allgemeinen bauaufsichtlichen Zulassungen für spezielle Bauprodukte eine Bewertung der Umweltverträglichkeit vorgenommen. Da Umweltschutz eine wesentliche Anforderung an Bauprodukte im Rahmen der europäischen Bauproduktenrichtlinie ist, werden auch genormte Bauprodukte zukünftig in dieser Hinsicht stärker überprüft werden müssen. In dem Artikel wird vorgestellt, nach welchem Bewertungsschema das DIBt die Beurteilung der Auswirkungen auf Boden und Grundwasser für welche Bauprodukte vornimmt und welche zukünftige Entwicklung sich bei genormten Bauprodukten abzeichnet.

Assessment of the environmental compatibility of constructions products within the scope of technical approvals. During the last years the effects of construction works on groundwater have moved more and more into the public spotlight. An assessment of the environmental compatibility has since then been carried out when granting technical approvals for specific construction products. Since environmental protection is an essential requirement for construction products within the scope of the European Construction Products Directive, in future also standardized construction products will have to be checked much stronger in this respect. This article introduces the assessment scheme according to which DIBt performs the evaluation of the effects on soil and groundwater for which construction products and which future development begins to emerge on standardized construction products.
Bronchoscopic and transthoracic cytology and biopsy for pulmonary nonsmall cell carcinomas: Performance characteristics by procedure and tumor type
Authors: Tochigi Naobumi , Dacic Sanja , Ohori N. Paul
Published: February 2011

Recent advances have increased the demand for the accurate diagnosis of pulmonary nonsmall cell carcinoma (NSCLC) rendered by biopsy or cytology. However, precise classification is not possible in all cases. In this study, we investigated the performance characteristics of preresection bronchoscopic and transthoracic procedures for the diagnosis of NSCLC. The pathology files were searched for resected NSCLCs and carcinoid tumors with corresponding preresection cytology and/or biopsy cases. The preresection diagnoses were correlated with the resection diagnosis and the type of bronchoscopic or transthoracic procedure. Among the bronchoscopic procedures, endobronchial/transbronchial biopsy (ETBX) had the highest yield for obtaining a positive (malignant) diagnosis and was the best procedure for obtaining precise classification. For transthoracic procedures, fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) and needle core biopsy (NCB) were similar in providing a positive (malignant) diagnosis; however, NCB was better than FNA in obtaining precise classification. From the perspective of the neoplasms, carcinoid tumors yielded a positive (malignant) specimen with accurate classification most often (e.g., 100% by ETBX). This was followed by squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. In contrast, precise classification was not possible for adenosquamous carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Bronchoscopic and transthoracic procedures have different performance characteristics. Furthermore, the diagnostic yield is dependent on the histologic type of the neoplasm. While carcinoid tumors are accurately classified in most cases, some other neoplasms are difficult to diagnose and subclassify due to histologic complexity, poor differentiation, or sampling limitations. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chordoid glioma in suprasellar location with extension into the third ventricle: Smear preparation morphology of a rare tumor
Authors: Ghosal Nandita , Thakar Sumit , Kumaran Sunitha P. , Hegde A. S.
Published: February 2011

We report a rare case of recurrent chordoid glioma in suprasellar region with extension into the third ventricle diagnosed peroperatively. On MRI, a brilliantly contrast enhancing lesion in the suprasellar region extending superiorly into the third ventricle and measuring 2.5 × 3 × 3.5 cm was identified. Patient had a previous history of subtotal removal of the tumor 8 months back and had received 56 Gy of postoperative radiotherapy. On smear preparation the tumor was composed of cells arranged in chords and rows in a myxoid background with sprinkling of lymphocytes. The individual cells were polygonal with moderate amount of faintly eosinophilic cytoplasm with cytoplasmic vacoules in few cells. The nuclei showed fine chromatin with small prominent nucleoli. Paraffin sections confirmed the diagnosis and on immunohistochemistry the tumor cells showed strong positivity for GFAP and focal weak positivity for EMA with low MIB‐1 labeling index (<1%). To the best of our knowledge this is the first documented case of chordoid glioma described on crush cytology. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012; © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Expression of Epstein‐Barr virus and granzyme B in cytologic smears of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis
Authors: Kim Jung Yeon , Shin Eunah , Kim Hyun‐Jung , Park Kyeongmee
Published: February 2011

Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (HNL) is a non‐neoplastic disease of the lymph nodes that is self‐limiting in its clinical course. In this study, the expression of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV), granzyme B, and other phenotypic markers of HNL was investigated in fine needle‐aspirated (FNA) cytologic smears obtained from 38 patients with HNL. The smear were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for granzyme B, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, and CD68 in addition to in‐situ hybridization for EBV to determine whether marker expression could be correlated with disease pathogenesis. The mean age of 28 female and 10 male patients was 22.8 years. CD8‐positive cytotoxic T cells were noted in 65.0% of the smears (13/20 cases), whereas CD4 and CD68 were rarely observed. Granzyme B reactivity was seen in lymphocytes, especially in apoptotic areas, and in histiocytes, with positive rates of 25.0% (9/36) and 11.1% (4/36), respectively. Most FNA smears showed immunoreactivity to both CD3 and CD20, with a predominance of CD3‐positive cells. In‐situ hybridization for EBV was positive in 22.9% (8/35) of the cases. The immunohistochemical staining and EBV in‐situ hybridization results obtained in bleached FNA smears were similar to those in histologic sections. Overall, our results implicate that even though EBV positivity and granzyme B immunoreactivity are noted in HNL, they do not appear to have any apoptosis‐associated role. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cytomorphology of giant cell glioblastoma: Report of a case and brief review of literature
Authors: Jaiswal Sushila , Vij Mukul , Pandey Rakesh , Jaiswal Awadhesh Kumar , Srivastava Arun Kumar , Behari Sanjay
Published: February 2011

Giant cell glioblastoma is a histological variant of glioblastoma that accounts for less than 1% of intracranial tumors and to 5% of glioblastoma. They occur at any age and are likely to affect the younger as well the older age group unlike the conventional glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). They are often located subcortically in the temporal and parietal lobes. Cytological descriptions of giant cell glioblastoma are extremely rare. We describe squash cytomorphology of giant cell glioblastoma of left posterior frontal region in 35‐year‐old male. The squash smears were moderately cellular displaying malignant astrocytic tumor cells disposed in cohesive clusters and dispersed population on a necrotic background. Most striking feature was numerous multinucleated giant cells. We also discuss the differential diagnosis in light of relevant literature. Diagn. Cytopathol.
2012;40:440–443. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neural correlates of visual recognition in 3‐month‐old infants: The role of experience
Authors: Moulson Margaret C. , Shannon Robert W. , Nelson Charles A.
Published: February 2011

Early experiences contribute powerfully to the development of neural systems that underlie various perceptual and cognitive abilities in humans. In one of the first studies to systematically control infants' exposure to a familiar object, we examined the effects of controlled experience on the neural correlates of visual recognition in two groups of infants. One group received 1 month of in‐home familiarization to a 3D model of a female face. Another group received 1.5 min of in‐lab familiarization to the 3D model of a female face, creating two conditions that differed in the amount and, importantly, the context of exposure to a familiar stimulus. Following familiarization, event‐related potentials (ERPs) were recorded at 3 months of age while infants viewed pictures of the familiar face and an unfamiliar face. Results demonstrated that while both groups of infants discriminated between the familiar and unfamiliar faces, the pattern of neural processing was reversed for the two groups. Thus, the amount and context of visual exposure altered the neural correlates of recognition processes in young infants. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 53:416–424, 2011.
Analysis of methylene blue and its metabolites in blood by capillary electrophoresis/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Yang Fang , Xia Shifei , Liu Zhencai , Chen Jian , Lin Yonghui , Qiu Bin , Chen Guonan
Published: February 2011

A method for the determination of methylene blue (MB) and its metabolites (azure A, azure B and azure C) in rat blood by CE‐electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (CE‐ESI‐MS) was developed in this paper. Different analytical parameters were investigated in detail such as pH and concentration of separation buffer, and ESI‐MS instrumental parameters. Under the optimum conditions, MB and its metabolites were separated and detected in 27.3 min. LODs (defined as S/N=3) of this method were 0.22, 0.25, 0.10 and 0.30 μg/mL for MB, azure A, azure B and azure C, respectively. To get a satisfactory extraction efficiency of MB and its metabolites in rat blood, different extraction solutions were studied. By using this method, MB and its metabolites (azure A, azure B and azure C) were successfully analyzed in rat blood samples.
Biosorption and growth inhibition of wetland plants in water contaminated with a mixture of arsenic and heavy metals
Authors: Park Soyoung , Kang Daeseok , Kim Youngyun , Lee Suk Mo , Chung Yonghyun , Sung Kijune
Published: February 2011

The potential of wetland plants as an onsite biosorbent and a biomonitor for combined pollution of arsenic and four heavy metals from non‐point sources was investigated in this study. Ceratophyllum demersum, Hydrilla verticillata, Hydrocharis dubia, and Salvinia natans were exposed to a water containing mixture of As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Growth inhibition and biosorption potential of the wetland plants in artificially contaminated conditions were studied. These contaminants significantly reduced the growth of the plants. The tested wetland plants accumulated appreciable amounts of the contaminants in the following order: Pb>Cr>Cu>Zn>As. H. verticillata showed distinct visual change and a high biosorption factor (BSF) rank for As and heavy metals among the plants used in the study. As an unspecific collector of contaminants, it might be useful as a biomonitor and biosorbent in the As and heavy metal‐contaminated aquatic system.
Bridging the gap between turbulence and larger scales of flow motions in rivers
Authors: Marquis Geneviève A. , Roy André G.
Published: February 2011

Although flow turbulence in rivers is of critical importance to earth scientists, ecologists and engineers, its relations with larger flow scales are not well understood, thus leaving a fundamental gap in our knowledge. From an analysis of a long time series of the streamwise and vertical flow velocity fluctuations measured in a gravel‐bed river, we show that the signature of the fundamental turbulent flow structures (e.g. ejections and sweeps) is embedded within increasingly larger flow scales in a self‐similar manner. The imbrication of turbulent structures into large flow pulsations of flow acceleration and deceleration covers more than two‐orders of magnitude from a few seconds to nearly 10 minutes. This property is explained by the clustering of turbulent events creating an emergent pattern at larger scales. The size of the larger flow pulsations scales with the spacing of the pools and riffles in the river. This implies a mutual adjustment between turbulence generation mechanisms and long pulsations of flow acceleration and deceleration controlled by the bed morphology. These results bridge a gap in our understanding of flows in rivers and offer a new perspective on the interactions between the turbulent flow with larger scales of flow motion that are critical for sediment transport, habitat selection and fish behaviour. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Confounded by sequencing depth in association studies of rare alleles
Authors: Garner Chad
Published: February 2011

Next‐generation DNA sequencing technologies are facilitating large‐scale association studies of rare genetic variants. The depth of the sequence read coverage is an important experimental variable in the next‐generation technologies and it is a major determinant of the quality of genotype calls generated from sequence data. When case and control samples are sequenced separately or in different proportions across batches, they are unlikely to be matched on sequencing read depth and a differential misclassification of genotypes can result, causing confounding and an increased false‐positive rate. Data from Pilot Study 3 of the 1000 Genomes project was used to demonstrate that a difference between the mean sequencing read depth of case and control samples can result in false‐positive association for rare and uncommon variants, even when the mean coverage depth exceeds 30× in both groups. The degree of the confounding and inflation in the false‐positive rate depended on the extent to which the mean depth was different in the case and control groups. A logistic regression model was used to test for association between case‐control status and the cumulative number of alleles in a collapsed set of rare and uncommon variants. Including each individual's mean sequence read depth across the variant sites in the logistic regression model nearly eliminated the confounding effect and the inflated false‐positive rate. Furthermore, accounting for the potential error by modeling the probability of the heterozygote genotype calls in the regression analysis had a relatively minor but beneficial effect on the statistical results. Genet. Epidemiol. 35: 261‐268, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A review of advances in flash flood forecasting
Authors: Hapuarachchi H. A. P. , Wang Q. J. , Pagano T. C.
Published: February 2011

Flash flooding is one of the most hazardous natural events, and it is frequently responsible for loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure and the environment. Research into the use of new modelling techniques and data types in flash flood forecasting has increased over the past decade, and this paper presents a review of recent advances that have emerged from this research. In particular, we focus on the use of quantitative precipitation estimates and forecasts, the use of remotely sensed data in hydrological modelling, developments in forecasting models and techniques, and uncertainty estimates. Over the past decade flash flood forecast lead‐time has expanded up to six hours due to improved rainfall forecasts. However the largest source of uncertainty of flash flood forecasts remains unknown future precipitation. An increased number of physically based hydrological models have been developed and used for flash flood forecasting and they have been found to give more plausible results when compared with the results of conceptual, statistical, and neural network models. Among the three methods for deciding flash flood occurrence discussed in this review, the rainfall comparison method (flash flood guidance) is most commonly used for flash flood forecasting as it is easily understood by the general public. Unfortunately, no existing model is capable of making reliable flash flood forecasts in urban watersheds even though the incidence of urban flash flooding is increasing due to increasing urbanisation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Variation in the level of protection afforded to birds and crustaceans exposed to different pesticides under standard risk assessment procedures
Authors: Luttik Robert , Hart Andy , Roelofs Willem , Craig Peter , Mineau Pierre
Published: February 2011

First-tier risk assessment for pesticides is often based on the quotient of the toxicity divided by the predicted environmental concentration or dose. This ratio is compared to a fixed assessment factor (AF) to decide whether the pesticide is to be allowed on the market or whether further research is needed. Often, a high value (e.g., the 90th percentile) is assumed for the predicted environmental concentration, and the lowest available value is chosen to represent toxicity; yet, the real level of protection is not known. Therefore, it is also not known whether the first tier is conservative enough or too conservative. By using 2 large toxicity databases and assuming a log-logistic species sensitivity distribution for each pesticide, the percent of species not covered by the AF is estimated in the scenario, where exposure is at the maximum level allowable in the first tier. In the case of crustaceans, the median estimate of the fraction of species not covered by the AF of 100 in the first-tier scenario is 3.4%, on average, for 72 pesticides. In other words, on average, 3.4% of the crustacean species will be exposed above their median lethal concentration (LC50) and median lethal dose (LD50) value in 10% of receiving surface waters that receive the maximum allowable exposure to an individual pesticide. The estimated level of protection varies widely between pesticides. For 10% of the pesticides, the estimated fraction of species not covered is ≥10% (maximum = 41.4%). For 28% of the pesticides, 99.9% of the species will have the assumed level of protection. For birds, the median estimate of the fraction of species exposed above their median lethal dose for the first-tier scenario (AF = 10) is 3.0% on average, when the AF is applied to the lower of the toxicity values for the 2 standard test species. For 11% of the pesticides, the median estimate is ≥10% (maximum = 15.7%). When the AF is applied instead to the geometric mean of the toxicity values for the 2 standard species, the median estimate of the fraction of species not covered by the AF is increased to 7.4% on average; for 31% of the pesticides, this fraction is ≥10% (maximum = 33.4%). This variation in the level of protection should be considered when defining the assumptions, assessment factors, and decision criteria in regulatory risk assessment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2011;7:459–465. © 2011 SETAC
Long‐term clinical and immunological effects of p53‐SLP® vaccine in patients with ovarian cancer
Authors: Leffers Ninke , Vermeij Renee , Hoogeboom Baukje‐Nynke , Schulze Ute R. , Wolf Rinze , Hamming Ineke E. , van der Zee Ate G. , Melief Kees J. , van der Burg Sjoerd H. , Daemen Toos , Nijman Hans W.
Published: February 2011

Vaccine‐induced p53‐specific immune responses were previously reported to be associated with improved response to secondary chemotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer. We investigated long‐term clinical and immunological effects of the p53‐synthetic long peptide (p53‐SLP®) vaccine in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. Twenty patients were immunized with the p53‐SLP® vaccine between July 2006 and August 2007. Follow‐up information on patients was obtained. Clinical responses to secondary chemotherapy after p53‐SLP® immunizations were determined by computerized tomography and/or tumor marker levels (CA125). Disease‐specific survival was compared to a matched historical control group. Immune responses were analyzed by flow cytometry, proliferation assay, interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) ELISPOT and/or cytokine bead array. Lymphocytes cultured from skin biopsy were analyzed by flow cytometry and proliferation assay. Of 20 patients treated with the p53‐SLP® vaccine, 17 were subsequently treated with chemotherapy. Eight of these patients volunteered another blood sample. No differences in clinical response rates to secondary chemotherapy or disease‐specific survival were observed between immunized patients and historical controls (p = 0.925, resp. p = 0.601). p53‐specific proliferative responses were observed in 5/8 patients and IFN‐γ production in 2/7 patients. Lymphocytes cultured from a prior injection site showing inflammation during chemotherapy did not recognize p53‐SLP®. Thus, treatment with the p53‐SLP® vaccine does not affect responses to secondary chemotherapy or survival, although p53‐specific T‐cells do survive chemotherapy.
Combining 33 genetic variants with prostate‐specific antigen for prediction of prostate cancer: Longitudinal study
Authors: Johansson Mattias , Holmström Benny , Hinchliffe Sally R. , Bergh Anders , Stenman Ulf‐Håkan , Hallmans Göran , Wiklund Fredrik , Stattin Pär
Published: February 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate if a genetic risk score including 33 common genetic variants improves prediction of prostate cancer when added to measures of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA). We conducted a case–control study nested within the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Cohort (NSHDC), a prospective cohort in northern Sweden. A total of 520 cases and 988 controls matched for age, and date of blood draw were identified by linkage between the regional cancer register and the NSHDC. Receiver operating characteristic curves with area under curve (AUC) estimates were used as measures of prostate cancer prediction. The AUC for the genetic risk score was 64.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 61.4–67.2], and the AUC for total PSA and the ratio of free to total PSA was 86.2% (95% CI = 84.4–88.1). A model including the genetic risk score, total PSA and the ratio of free to total PSA increased the AUC to 87.2% (95% CI = 85.4–89.0, p difference = 0.002). The addition of a genetic risk score to PSA resulted in a marginal improvement in prostate cancer prediction that would not seem useful for clinical risk assessment.
Selective and efficient retardation of cancers expressing cytoskeleton‐associated protein 2 by targeted RNA replacement
Authors: Ban Guyee , Jeong Jin‐Sook , Kim Areum , Kim Sung Jin , Han Sang‐Young , Kim In‐Hoo , Lee Seong‐Wook
Published: February 2011

Human cytoskeleton‐associated protein 2 (hCKAP2) is upregulated and highly expressed in various human malignances. hCKAP2 has microtubule‐stabilizing characteristics and potentially regulates the dynamics and assembly of the mitotic spindle and chromosome segregation, indicating that hCKAP2 plays important functions during mitosis. In this study, we evaluated hCKAP2 as a plausible anticancer target through development and validation of a targeted cancer gene therapy strategy based on targeting and replacement of hCKAP2 RNA using a trans‐splicing ribozyme. This targeted RNA replacement triggered transgene activity via accurate trans‐splicing reaction selectively in human cancer cells expressing the hCKAP2 RNA and simultaneously reduced the expression level of the RNA in the cells. Adenoviral vector encoding the hCKAP2‐specific trans‐splicing ribozyme selectively induced cytotoxicity in tumor cells expressing hCKAP2. Moreover, intratumoral injection of the virus produced selective and efficient regression of tumor that had been subcutaneously inoculated with hCKAP2‐positive colon cancer cells in mice with minimal liver toxicity. Furthermore, orthotopically multifocal hCKAP2‐positive hepatocarcinoma established in mice were efficiently regressed by systemic delivery of adenoviral vector encoding the specific ribozyme under the control of a liver‐selective phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase promoter with least hepatotoxicity. The results indicate that hCKAP2 RNA is a promising target for anticancer approach based on trans‐splicing ribozyme‐mediated RNA replacement.
Intake of vegetables, fruits, carotenoids and vitamins C and E and pancreatic cancer risk in The Netherlands Cohort Study
Authors: Heinen Mirjam M. , Verhage Bas A.J. , Goldbohm R. Alexandra , van den Brandt Piet A.
Published: February 2011

Epidemiological data investigating the relation between fruit and vegetable consumption and pancreatic cancer risk have shown inconsistent results so far. Most case‐control studies observed an inverse association with total fruit and vegetable consumption, whereas results from most cohort studies have largely been null. We examined prospectively the relation between pancreatic cancer risk and intake of vegetables, fruits, carotenoids and vitamins C and E. The Netherlands Cohort Study consisted of 120,852 men and women who completed a questionnaire at baseline in 1986, including a validated 150‐item food‐frequency questionnaire. After 16.3 years of follow‐up, 423 cases were available for analysis. Total vegetable and total fruit consumption were not associated with pancreatic cancer risk (highest vs. lowest quintile, multivariable‐adjusted hazard rate ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval: 0.86‐1.75 and multivariable‐adjusted hazard rate ratio = 0.90, 95% confidence interval: 0.66‐1.24, respectively). Also, for cooked vegetables, raw vegetables and vegetables and fruits classified into subgroups, no associations were observed. Dietary carotenoids, vitamin C and E intake and supplements containing vitamin C or E were not associated with pancreatic cancer risk. The results were not modified by sex, smoking status and body mass index. In conclusion, we observed no association between a high consumption of vegetables and fruits and pancreatic cancer risk in this large cohort study, which is in agreement with previous prospective studies. Furthermore, we observed no association between the intake of carotenoids, vitamins and vitamin supplements and pancreatic cancer risk.