bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kinetik der freien, integralen Quellung von chemisch modifiziertem Holz entlang der Wasserdampf‐Sorptionsisotherme unter luftfreien Bedingungen
Authors: Popper Rudolf , Eberle Gerhild , Niemz Peter
Published: February 2010

Die kinetischen, dreidimensionalen Messungen der freien, integralen Quellung wurden an unbehandeltem und an acetyliertem (Acetylgehalt 8,56 %, 20,14 % und 28,63 %) Tannenholz (Abies alba Mill.) entlang der Sorptionsisotherme unter luftfreien Bedingungen durchgeführt. Der zeitliche Verlauf der Quellung in den drei anatomischen Hauptrichtungen und in der transversalen Richtung wurde für das unbehandelte und das acetylierte Holz aufgezeigt sowie der maximale Dimensionsstabilisierungseffekt (ASE) für die jeweilige Modifizierung geschätzt. Die Auswirkung des Partialdruckgradienten des Wasserdampfes auf die mittlere Quellungsgeschwindigkeit wurde behandelt.

Kinetic of free integral swelling on chemically modified wood along the water vapour sorption isotherm under air‐free conditions. The kinetic, three‐dimensional measurements of the free integral swelling were accomplished at the untreated and at the acetylated (acetyl content 8.56 %, 20.14 % and 28.63 %) fir wood (Abies alba Mill.) along the sorption isotherm under air‐free conditions. The course of the swelling in the three anatomical main directions and in the transversal direction was presented for the untreated and the acetylated wood. The anti‐swelling efficiency (ASE) for the accomplished modifications was estimated. The effect of the partial pressure gradient of the water vapour on the mean swelling speed was presented.
Verlustfaktor‐Korrektur der Schalldämmung bei gefülltem Ziegelmauerwerk
Authors: Schneider Martin , Weber Lutz , Fischer Heinz‐Martin , Müller Simon , Gierga Michael
Published: February 2010

In einem gemeinsamen Forschungsvorhaben der Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart und des Fraunhofer‐Instituts für Bauphysik wurden die akustischen Eigenschaften von mit Dämmstoffen gefüllten Lochziegeln systematisch untersucht. Hierbei zeigte sich, dass sich die gefüllten Steine in ihrem Verhalten nicht wesentlich von ungefüllten Ziegeln unterscheiden. Der wichtigste Unterschied besteht in einer größeren inneren Dämpfung und als Folge davon einer gegenüber gleichartigen ungefüllten Ziegeln um etwa 1 bis 2 dB erhöhten Schalldämmung. Auf Grundlage der Untersuchungsergebnisse wurde ein modifiziertes Verfahren zur Verlustfaktor‐Korrektur der Schalldämmung von Hochlochziegel‐Mauerwerk entwickelt, das für gefüllte und ungefüllte Steine gleichermaßen anwendbar ist.

Loss factor correction for hollow bricks filled with insulation material. The acoustic properties of hollow bricks filled with insulation material were systematically investigated in a joint research project by the University of Applied Sciences in Stuttgart and the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics. The findings showed that the acoustic performance of filled bricks differs only slightly from that of non‐filled bricks. The main difference is greater inner damping and a resulting increase in sound insulation of about 1 to 2 dB compared to non‐filled bricks of the same type. Based on the results of the investigation a modified procedure for the loss factor correction of the sound insulation of vertically perforated hollow brick masonry was developed, which applies equally to filled as well as non‐filled bricks.
A multivariate calibration approach for determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in water by means of IR spectroscopy
Authors: Ruiz María Dolores , Bustamante Isneri Talavera , Dago Angel , Hernández Noslen , Núñez Ana C. , Porro Diana
Published: February 2010

The goal of this paper is the development of a multivariate calibration method for the quantitative determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in water and waste water by using FT‐IR spectroscopy and PLS as a regression method to improve the results attained at the present time through the univariate standard method. In order to evaluate the performance of the regression model, four experimental responses obtained from an independent validation set prepared with spiked samples were examined: Root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), average recovery, standard deviation, and relative standard deviation. In order to compare final results, the univariate model was developed together with the multivariate approach. The results show that the multivariate calibration method outperforms the univariate standard method. The accuracy of the results, capability of detection, and the high index of recovery obtained show that a multivariate calibration approach for the determination of petroleum hydrocarbons in water and waste water by means of IR spectroscopy can be seen as a very promising option to improve the current univariate standard method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of Mexican hat and dual‐tree complex wavelet transforms on multivariate evaluation of image texture properties
Authors: Engelbrektsson Johan , Abrahamsson Katarina , Breitholtz Johan , Nicholas Mark , Svensson Olof , Wikström Håkan , Josefson Mats
Published: February 2010

In the present paper, we apply the Mexican hat wavelet and the dual‐tree complex wavelet transform (DT‐CWT) on five sets of images: synthetic randomly positioned Gaussian peaks, synthetic randomly positioned triangular pillars, compressed score images from NIR, AFM images and images from a time‐dependent process, i.e. tablet dissolution. The shift invariant stationary wavelet transform (SWT) was also compared for the synthetic images. After the transforms, the energy levels of the wavelet scales were calculated as the mean of the absolute values in each part of the 2D wavelet scales. These energy values were used as inputs in principal components analysis to estimate the relative changes in texture. It was shown that the energy values from the Mexican hat wavelet transform have a more repeatable response for high frequency features than DT‐CWT, which implies that the Mexican hat wavelet transform used in this way have the potential to yield better repeatability than DT‐CWT for texture analysis, especially at high spatial frequencies. However, examples are shown where the shift invariant property does not have a major impact on performance for real life samples. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Time‐shared NMR experiments
Authors: Parella Teodor , Nolis Pau
Published: February 2010

Details on the implementation of the simultaneous evolution of multiple frequencies into the same time period of a NMR pulse sequence are introduced. Time‐shared (TS) versions of the most useful inverse 2D NMR experiments (TS‐HMBC, TS‐HSQC, TS‐HSQC‐TOCSY, and TS‐HSQMBC) are presented and illustrated for simultaneous acquisition of 1H/13C and 1H/15N NMR spectra. The major benefits associated to the parallel acquisition of multiple spectra from a single NMR experiment are spectrometer time savings and the achievement of multiple and complementary information with improved sensitivity gains per time unit. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 36A: 1–23, 2010.
New solenoidal microcoil NMR probe using zero‐susceptibility wire
Authors: Kc Ravi , Henry Ian D. , Park Gregory H.J. , Aghdasi Abdollah , Raftery Daniel
Published: February 2010

We present the construction and performance of a 20‐μL active volume probe that utilizes zero‐susceptibility wire for the detection transceiver coil and a 3.5‐mm outer diameter thin‐wall bubble flow cell to contain the sample. The probe shows good RF homogeneity, resolution, line shape, and sensitivity. The sensitivity and resolution of the 20‐μL probe was compared to those for several other coil configurations, including smaller detection volumes, a thin wire copper coil immersed in susceptibility matching perfluorocarbon FC‐43 (fluorinert) fluid, and a standard 5‐mm probe. In particular, the 1H mass sensitivity, Sm (SNR per micromole), was 3–4‐fold higher than that for the standard 5‐mm probe. Finally, the use of the zero‐susceptibility wire in smaller volume probes is discussed along with potential future improvements and applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 37B: 13–19, 2010
Circulating endothelial cells in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Rigolin Gian Matteo , Maffei Rossana , Rizzotto Lara , Ciccone Maria , Sofritti Olga , Daghia Giulia , Cibien Francesca , Cavazzini Francesco , Marasca Roberto , Cuneo Antonio
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND:

In patients with cancer, circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are increased and are correlated with an aggressive disease course. However, the clinical and biologic significance of CECs in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains uncertain.

METHODS:

In 170 patients with CLL, CEC levels were quantified by flow cytometry and were correlated with clinical and biologic data. In addition, CECs were characterized by immunophenotypic, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and gene expression profile analyses.

RESULTS:

In patients with CLL, CECs were increased compared with controls. A higher level of CECs (>20/μL) identified a subset of patients with a more aggressive disease course characterized by a shorter time to first treatment both in univariate and multivariate analyses. In FISH analysis, 7 patients had a significant proportion of CECs and presented with the same cytogenetic lesion of neoplastic lymphocytes and immunophenotypic features of endothelial progenitor cells. The gene expression profile of sorted CECs revealed a molecular pattern, suggesting a derivation from CLL leukemic cells with increased cell survival and proliferation, diminished cell adhesion to extracellular matrix, and enhanced proangiogenic function compared with their normal counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS:

The current data suggest that, in CLL, CECs may represent a biologic marker of aggressiveness and disease progression to be considered for new, targeted antiangiogenic treatments. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Phase 2 trial of weekly intravenous 1,25 dihydroxy cholecalciferol (Calcitriol) in combination with dexamethasone for castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Chadha Manpreet K. , Tian Lili , Mashtare Terry , Payne Valencia , Silliman Carrie , Levine Ellis , Wong Michael , Johnson Candace , Trump Donald L.
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND:

Preclinical data indicate that there is substantial antitumor activity and synergy between calcitriol and dexamethasone. On the basis of these data, the authors conducted a phase 2 trial of intravenous (iv) calcitriol at a dose of 74 μg weekly (based on a recent phase 1 trial) and dexamethasone in patients with castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

METHODS:

A 2‐stage Kepner‐Chang design was used. Oral dexamethasone at a dose of 4 mg was given weekly on Days 1 and 2, and iv calcitriol (74 μg over 1 hour) was administered weekly on Day 2 from 4 to 8 hours after the dexamethasone dose in patients with CRPC. Laboratory data were monitored weekly, and renal sonograms, computed tomography scans, and bone scans were obtained every 3 months. Disease response was assessed by using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and standard criteria for prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) response. The calcitriol dose was delineated by from the authors' recent phase 1 trial.

RESULTS:

Of 18 evaluable patients, 15 patients were Caucasian (83%). No patients had a complete or partial response by either RECIST or PSA response criteria. Fourteen patients had progressive disease, 2 patients refused to continue treatment (after 64 days and 266 days), and 2 patients remain on the trial (for 306 days and 412 days).The median time to disease progression was 106 days (95% confidence interval, 80‐182 days). Fourteen episodes of grade 3 or 4 toxicity were noted in 7 patients (hyperglycemia, hypocalemia, chest pain, dyspnea, hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, cardiac arrhythmia, and pain). Only 1 episode of grade 3/ 4 toxicity was related definitely to calcitriol (hypercalcemia). No treatment‐related deaths were noted.

CONCLUSIONS:

High‐dose, iv calcitriol at a dose of 74 μg weekly in combination with dexamethasone was well tolerated but failed to produce a clinical or PSA response in men with CRPC. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Association of diabetes duration and diabetes treatment with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Hassan Manal M. , Curley Steven A. , Li Donghui , Kaseb Ahmed , Davila Marta , Abdalla Eddie K. , Javle Milind , Moghazy Dalia M. , Lozano Richard D. , Abbruzzese James L. , Vauthey Jean‐Nicolas
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND:

Despite the observed association between diabetes mellitus and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), little is known about the effect of diabetes duration before HCC diagnosis and whether some diabetes medications reduced the risk of HCC development. This objective of the current study was to determine the association between HCC risk and diabetes duration and type of diabetes treatment.

METHODS:

A total of 420 patients with HCC and 1104 healthy controls were enrolled in an ongoing hospital‐based case‐control study. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to adjust for HCC risk factors.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 33.3% in patients with HCC and 10.4% in the control group, yielding an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 4.2 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 3.0‐5.9). In 87% of cases, diabetes was present before the diagnosis of HCC, yielding an AOR of 4.4 (95% CI, 3.0‐6.3). Compared with patients with a diabetes duration of 2 to 5 years, the estimated AORs for those with a diabetes duration of 6 to 10 years and those with a diabetes duration >10 years were 1.8 (95% CI, 0.8‐4.1) and 2.2 (95% CI, 1.2‐4.8), respectively. With respect to diabetes treatment, the AORs were 0.3 (95% CI, 0.2‐0.6), 0.3 (95% CI, 0.1‐0.7), 7.1 (95% CI, 2.9‐16.9), 1.9 (95% CI, 0.8‐4.6), and 7.8 (95% CI, 1.5‐40.0) for those treated with biguanides, thiazolidinediones, sulfonylureas, insulin, and dietary control, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Diabetes appears to increase the risk of HCC, and such risk is correlated with a long duration of diabetes. Relying on dietary control and treatment with sulfonylureas or insulin were found to confer the highest magnitude of HCC risk, whereas treatment with biguanides or thiazolidinediones was associated with a 70% HCC risk reduction among diabetics. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Plasma cell‐free DNA in ovarian cancer
Authors: Kamat Aparna A. , Baldwin Mathew , Urbauer Diana , Dang Diana , Han Liz Y. , Godwin Andrew , Karlan Beth Y. , Simpson Joe L. , Gershenson David M. , Coleman Robert L. , Bischoff Farideh Z. , Sood Anil K.
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND:

Cell‐free DNA reflects both normal and tumor‐derived DNA released into the circulation through cellular necrosis and apoptosis. The authors sought to determine the role of preoperative total plasma cell‐free DNA levels in predicting clinical outcome in patients with ovarian cancer.

METHODS:

After institutional review board consent, DNA was extracted from plasma of 164 women with invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC), 49 with benign ovarian neoplasms, and 75 age‐matched controls. The samples were randomly divided into training (n = 144) and validation (n = 144) sets. Quantification of cell‐free DNA was performed using real‐time polymerase chain reaction for β‐globin, and the number of genome equivalents (GE) per milliliter of plasma was determined. Cell‐free DNA was correlated with clinicopathologic parameters.

RESULTS:

The training and validation sets were similar in terms of demographic features. In the training set, EOC patients had a median preoperative cell‐free DNA level of 10,113 GE/mL, compared with patients with benign ovarian neoplasms (median, 2365 GE/mL; P < .0001) and controls (median, 1912 GE/mL, P < .0001). Cell‐free DNA >22,000 GE/mL was significantly associated with decreased patient survival (P < .001). After adjusting for other clinical variables, preoperative cell‐free DNA >22,000 GE/mL was an independent predictor (P = .02) for disease‐specific survival. Analysis of the validation set confirmed significantly higher cell‐free DNA levels in EOC (median, 13,672 GE/mL) and that cell‐free DNA >22,000 GE/mL was associated with a 2.83‐fold increased risk of death from disease (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Preoperative plasma total cell‐free DNA levels are significantly elevated in patients with EOC. Elevated plasma cell‐free DNA is an independent predictor for death from disease in ovarian cancer. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
The treatment of recurrent/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) with everolimus results in clinical responses and mobilization of CLL cells into the circulation
Authors: Zent Clive S. , LaPlant Betsy R. , Johnston Patrick B. , Call Timothy G. , Habermann Thomas M. , Micallef Ivana N. , Witzig Thomas E.
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND:

Patients with recurrent/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) often have chemotherapy‐resistant disease, resulting in poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to learn if inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) would produce tumor responses.

METHODS:

This was a phase 2 study of oral single‐agent everolimus (10 mg/day) for recurrent/refractory indolent lymphoid malignancies including CLL.

RESULTS:

Four of 22 patients with CLL (18%; 95% confidence interval, 5%‐40%) achieved a partial remission to therapy. An unanticipated finding in this study was an increase in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) associated with a decrease in lymphadenopathy in 8 (36%) patients. ALC increased a median of 4.8‐fold (range, 1.9‐ to 25.1‐fold), and the clinically measurable lymphadenopathy decreased a median of 75.5% (range, 38%‐93%) compared with baseline measurements.

CONCLUSIONS:

Everolimus has modest antitumor activity against CLL and can mobilize malignant cells from nodal masses into the peripheral circulation in a subset of CLL patients. Because CLL cells in lymphatic tissue and bone marrow can be more resistant to therapy than circulating CLL cells, the ability of everolimus to mobilize CLL cells into the circulation could be used in combination therapeutic regimens. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Error performance for relaying protocols with multiple decode‐and‐forward relays
Authors: Xu Wenbo , Lin Jiaru , Niu Kai , He Zhiqiang
Published: February 2010

This paper investigates the error performance of three relaying protocols with multiple decode‐and‐forward relays. In the first protocol, relays that can decode correctly will forward the signals from source. Nevertheless, selection cooperation (SC) and opportunistic relaying (OR) are adopted to select only a single relay to forward in the other two protocols, respectively. At sufficiently high signal‐to‐noise ratio, the upper bounds on bit error probability are derived for three protocols, where the developments apply for various channel fading models. Simulation results are provided to verify the tightness of the analytical bounds, and the performance comparisons among different relaying protocols are presented. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A mathematical technique for approximating the values of melting points of diacylglycerols
Authors: Maruzeni Shoji
Published: February 2010

A method of correlating the values of melting points of diacylglycerols (DAG) with the values of the melting points of the two fatty acids constituting the DAG as its acyl radicals was studied by making use of the least squares method. The method was applied to the set of values of melting points of the β crystal form of DAG with acyl radicals comprising decanoyl, lauroyl, myristoyl, palmitoyl, stearoyl, and oleoyl. The melting point of the β crystal form of DAG is approximated by the prediction equations in which the values of the melting points of the two fatty acids are contained as variables. Furthermore, the prediction equations indirectly contain a variable parameter that reflects the physical effect due to the free hydroxyl group in the molecule of DAG. The best‐fit equations can finally be fixed by varying the parameter while satisfying the criterion of least squares. The least squares method with concomitant variable parameter enables us to estimate the melting points of possible molecular species of DAG comprising the acyl radicals above, and will certainly be helpful for designing oleo materials including DAG for industrial use.
Study of variables affecting the synthesis of biodiesel from Madhuca Indica oil
Authors: Kapilan Natesan , Babu T. P. Ashok , Reddy Rana Pratap
Published: February 2010

Biodiesel derived from non‐edible Madhuca Indica oil (MIO) seems to be a better alternative to diesel oil in India. In the present work, effects of reaction variables such as mass ratio of methanol to oil, catalyst concentration, reaction time and reaction temperature on biodiesel yield were studied. The acid value of the commercially available MIO is high, and hence a two‐step process was used to produce biodiesel from MIO. In the first step, the acid value of the MIO was reduced to less than 1 mg KOH/g, using acid‐catalyzed transesterification. In the second step, the pretreated MIO was converted to biodiesel using alkaline‐catalyzed transesterification. From the experimental results, it is observed that the optimized conditions for biodiesel production are a 1 : 4 mass ratio of methanol to oil, 55 °C reaction temperature, 120 min of reaction time, and 1% sodium hydroxide catalyst. The properties of the MIO biodiesel were found to be within the biodiesel limits of the European Union. Hence, the MIO biodiesel can be used as a substitute for diesel for the sustainable development of rural areas and as a renewable fuel.
High‐fat diet based on trienantin has no adverse metabolic effects in rats
Authors: de Melo Lucena Ana L. , Lima de Oliveira Suzana , da Rocha Ataide Terezinha , Ximenes da Silva Adriana , Rêgo Cabral Cyro , de Almeida Rabello Oliveira Marcela , Martins Porto de Souza Thaisa , Rodrigues de Mendonça Clara , Fernandes Lima Carindja M. , do Carmo Lins Vasconcelos Balwani Maria
Published: February 2010

The present study was designed to evaluate the metabolic effects of a high‐fat diet based on trienantin, an uncommon medium‐odd‐chain triacylglycerol. Male Wistar rats (33.37 ± 5.69 g) (n = 3×10) were maintained for 6 weeks on a control diet (7 g soya oil/100 g) or a high‐fat diet based on trienantin (40 g margarine, 4 g soya oil and 25.79 g trienantin/100 g), or a high‐fat diet based on soya oil (40 g margarine and 29.79 g soya oil/100 g). The serum lipid profile, hepatic function and injury markers, and renal function and injury markers were determined. Samples of liver, stomach, kidney and small intestine were collected for histological analysis. The animals fed the high‐fat diet based on trienantin exhibited a lower body weight gain in relation to the control group, between the second and fifth week of the experiment. There were no differences amongst the biochemical markers of the three groups (p ≥0.05). Lipid infiltration of the hepatocytes was detected in a similar manner in all groups (p ≥0.05). These data demonstrate that the high‐fat diet based on trienantin did not promote adverse metabolic effects under the conditions of this study. This could serve as a reference parameter in the evaluation of the safety of its therapeutic application.
Kinetics of commercial olive oil oxidation: Dynamic differential scanning calorimetry and Rancimat studies
Authors: Ostrowska‐Ligeza Ewa , Bekas Witold , Kowalska Dorota , Lobacz Marta , Wroniak Malgorzata , Kowalski Boleslaw
Published: February 2010

Four samples of olive oil were oxidized under polythermal (dynamic) conditions in the cell of a normal‐pressure differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and in the Metrohm Rancimat apparatus. The DSC experiments were carried out in an oxygen flow atmosphere using different linearly programmed heating rates in the range of 4–20 °C/min. Through DSC exotherms, the extrapolated onset temperatures were determined and used for the assessment of the thermal‐oxidative stabilities of the samples. Using the Ozawa‐Flynn‐Wall method and the Arrhenius equation, the activation energies (Ea), pre‐exponential factors (Z) and reaction rate constants (k) for oil oxidation under DSC conditions were calculated. The Rancimat measurements of oxidation induction times were carried out under isothermal conditions in an air atmosphere at temperatures from 100 to 140 °C with intervals of 10 °C. Using the Arrhenius‐type correlation between the inverse of the induction times and the absolute temperature of the measurements, Ea, Z, and k for oil oxidation under Rancimat conditions were calculated. The primary kinetic parameters derived from both methods were qualitatively consistent and they help to evaluate the oxidative stabilities of oils at increased temperatures.
Influence of monoacylglycerols on growth inhibition of micromycetes in vitro and on bread
Authors: Buňková Leona , Krejčí Jiří , Janiš Rahula , Kašpárková Věra , Vltavská Pavlína , Kulendová Lucie , Buňka František
Published: February 2010

The antifungal activity of monoacylglycerols with 8, 10 and 12 carbon chains (1‐monocaprylin, 1‐monocaprin and 1‐monolaurin) against filamentous fungi isolated from contaminated bread (Penicillium piceum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium sp. and Monascus ruber) as well as against the selected microorganisms (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium roqueforti, Penicillium jensenii, Alternaria sp. and Phoma sp.) was investigated. All the tested monoacylglycerols showed antifungal efficacy at concentrations equal to or higher than 32.5 mg/L. Monolaurin shows a better inhibition effect against M. ruber, and the growth of Penicillium species was better inhibited with monocaprin and monocaprylin. Application of aqueous solutions of monoacylglycerols on the surface of freshly baked bread prevents its deterioration for at least 14 days, even during the storage in an environment strongly contaminated with tested microorganisms. Protection of bread loaf surfaces using monoacylglycerols solutions seems to be suitable procedure for treatment of bakery products with a prolonged storage period.
Preparation of stearidonic acid‐enriched triacylglycerols from Echium plantagineum seed oil
Authors: Rincón‐Cervera Miguel Á. , Guil‐Guerrero José L.
Published: February 2010

HPLC analysis of Echium plantagineum seed oil shows a complex triacylglycerol (TAG) profile. TAG species were separated on an analytical scale by HPLC and their fatty acid (FA) composition is reported. GLC analyses showed that some TAG fractions reached a stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n‐3) percentage significantly higher than that in the original oil. TAG separation on a bigger scale was also essayed, by means of a gravimetric normal‐phase chromatographic column, using silver ion‐silica gel as stationary phase. Gradient elution with solvents of increasing polarity was applied, allowing the separation of valuable TAG species containing γ‐linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n‐6), α‐linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n‐3) and SDA as the main constituents (more than 85% of the total FA). An enzymatic hydrolysis reaction showed the distribution of FA in the isolated species of TAG. SDA was the major FA in the sn‐2 position (more than 50% of total FA), followed by ALA (19%) and GLA (18.5%).
Phosphoproteome analysis of human liver tissue by long‐gradient nanoflow LC coupled with multiple stage MS analysis
Authors: Han Guanghui , Ye Mingliang , Liu Hongwei , Song Chunxia , Sun Deguang , Wu Yifeng , Jiang Xinning , Chen Rui , Wang Chunli , Wang Liming , Zou Hanfa
Published: February 2010

Reversible protein phosphorylation plays a critical role in liver development and function. Comprehensively cataloging the phosphoproteins and their phosphorylation sites in human liver tissue will facilitate the understanding of physiological and pathological mechanisms of liver. Owing to lacking of efficient approach to fractionate phosphopeptides, nanoflow‐RPLC with long‐gradient elution was applied to reduce the complexity of the phosphopeptides in this study. Two approaches were performed to further improve the coverage of phosphoproteome analysis of human liver tissue. In one approach, ten‐replicated long‐gradient LC‐MS/MS runs were performed to analyze the enriched phosphopeptides, which resulted in the localization of 1080 phosphorylation sites from 495 proteins. In another approach, proteins from liver tissue were first fractionated by SDS‐PAGE and then long‐gradient LC‐MS/MS analysis was performed to analyze the phosphopeptides derived from each fraction, which resulted in the localization of 1786 phosphorylation sites from 911 proteins. The two approaches showed the complementation in phosphoproteome analysis of human liver tissue. Combining the results of the two approaches, identification of 2225 nonredundant phosphorylation sites from 1023 proteins was obtained. The confidence of phosphopeptide identifications was strictly controlled with false discovery rate (FDR)≤1% by a MS2/MS3 target‐decoy database search approach. Among the localized 2225 phosphorylated sites, as many as 70.07% (1559 phosphorylated sites) were also reported by others, which confirmed the high confidence of the sites determined in this study. Considering the data acquired from low accuracy mass spectrometer and processed by a conservative MS2/MS3 target‐decoy approach, the number of localized phosphorylation sites obtained for human liver tissue in this study is quite impressive.
Laccase production from oil palm industry solid waste: Statistical optimization of selected process parameters
Authors: Annuar M. Suffian M. , Murthy Sangeetha Sammantha , Sabanatham Vikineswary
Published: February 2010

Oil palm frond parenchyma tissue was used as a solid substrate for the production of laccase via solid‐state fermentation using the white rot fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus. With a rectangular aluminium tray as solid‐state fermentation bioreactor, process parameters such as bed height, moisture and supplemented nitrogen (as urea solution) levels were studied and optimized using a statistical design of experiment. The moisture level exerted a significant effect on the process. The interaction effect observed between bed height and supplemented nitrogen level suggested that uniform distribution of supplemented nitrogen into the substrate bed was important. The proposed regression model sufficiently predicted the process response over the experimental range tested. The optimum parameter combination for laccase production was a 3‐cm bed height, 72% w/w moisture and 0.21% w/v supplemented nitrogen. Laccase productivity remained constant when the tray size was increased from 1.4 to 3.4‐fold.
A multimedia activity model for ionizable compounds: Validation study with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, aniline, and trimethoprim
Authors: Franco Antonio , Trapp Stefan
Published: February 2010

Fugacity models are widely adopted for the environmental exposure assessment of organic chemicals but are inconvenient for nonvolatile substances, such as ionizable chemicals. The activity approach is a robust alternative to the fugacity concept and provides the thermodynamically exact equations to describe the behavior of neutral and ionizable molecules in nonideal systems. A multimedia activity model applicable to neutral and ionizable molecules (MAMI) was developed and tested for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and the bases aniline and trimethoprim. The model features pH and ionic strength dependence and species-specific estimations of partition coefficients from physicochemical properties. Sorption estimates consider both lipophilic and electrical interactions. A realistic regional exposure scenario was simulated for the three test compounds, and model results were compared with results obtained with a conventional fugacity model and with monitoring data. The better performance of MAMI indicates that the activity approach can enlarge the applicability domain and improve model predictions of existing regional models. Model results, supported by experimental evidence, showed the importance of dissociation, electrical interactions in solids, humidity in air, and to a lesser extent salinity in seawater to describe the environmental fate of ionizable organic chemicals. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:789–799. © 2009 SETAC
Contaminant pattern and bioaccumulation of legacy and emerging organhalogen pollutants in the aquatic biota from an e-waste recycling region in South China
Authors: Zhang Ying , Luo Xiao-Jun , Wu Jiang-Ping , Liu Juan , Wang Jing , Chen She-Jun , Mai Bi-Xian
Published: February 2010

Legacy pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), and some emerging organhalogen pollutants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromobenzene (HBB), pentabromotoluene (PBT), 2,3,4,5,6-pentabromoethyl benzene (PBEB), 1,2-bis (2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), and dechlorane plus (DP), were detected in an aquatic food chain (invertebrates and fish) from an e-waste recycling region in South China. Polychlorinated biphenyls, DDTs, PBDEs, and HBB were detected in more than 90% of the samples, with respective concentrations ranging from not detected (ND)–32,000 ng/g lipid weight, ND–850 ng/g lipid weight, 8 to 1,300 ng/g lipid weight, and 0.28 to 240 ng/g lipid weight. Pentabromotoluene, PBEB, BTBPE, and DP were also quantifiable in collected samples with a concentration range of ND–40 ng/g lipid weight. The elevated levels of PCBs and PBDEs in the organisms, compared with those in non-e-waste regions in South China, suggest that these two kinds of pollutants derived mainly from e-waste recycling practices. Hexabromobenzene was significantly correlated with PBDEs, implying that HBB come from the release of e-waste along with PBDEs and/or the pyrolysis of BDE209. Most of the compounds whose trophic magnification factor (TMF) could be calculated were found to biomagnify (TMF > 1). Hexabromobenzene was also found, for the first time, to biomagnify in the present food web, with a TMF of 2.1. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:852–859. © 2010 SETAC
α, β-Unsaturated sulfophenylcarboxylates as degradation intermediates of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates: Evidence for Ω-oxygenation followed by β-oxidations by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
Authors: Eichhorn Peter , Knepper Thomas P.
Published: February 2010

Liquid chromatography with an electrospray interface to a mass spectrometer (LC-ES-MS) and LC-ES coupled to a tandem MS (LC-ES-MS/MS) were used to detect and identify intermediates excreted transiently during the aerobic degradation of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates (LAS) in fixed-bed bioreactors (FBBR). The inoculum for the FBBR was the microflora of the River Rhine, Germany. Two major phenomena were observed on the addition of 100 mg/L LAS to the system, sorption and then biodegradation. Disappearance due to sorption was followed in an inhibited FBBR. Biodegradation of LAS started on day 7 and was accompanied by the transient excretion of intermediates, which were later largely degraded. We detected not only the sulfophenylcarboxylates (SPCs) observed previously but also the α, β-unsaturated SPCs (SPC-2H), which have not been reported before. Experiments with the (4-sulfophenyl)dodecanes (C12-LAS), which had minor contaminants of C11-LAS, showed C12-, C10-, C8-, C6-, and C4-SPCs when LAS was degraded as well as traces of C9-, C7-, and C5-SPCs. Signals from the SPC-2H species were usually some 10% of those from the corresponding SPCs. Samples from these experiments were also examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), but no desulfonated intermediates were detected. We interpret the data to mean that the only attack on LAS was by ω-oxygenation; there was no visible initial desulfonation. The products of ω-oxygenation were oxidized to the corresponding SPC and subject to β-oxidation, as evidenced not only by the pattern of C-2 units in the excreted SPCs but also in the corresponding series of SPC-2H, representing the intermediates in β-oxidation.
Comparative toxicity of two azadirachtin-based neem pesticides to Daphnia pulex
Authors: Goktepe Ipek , Plhak Leslie C.
Published: February 2010

Aadirachtin(AZA)-basedpesticides(Neemix™ and Bioneem™) demonstrated toxicity in 48-h nonrenewal toxicity assays using Daphnia pulex at levels that were comparable with several organophosphate pesticides. The median lethal concentration (LC50) values for the two neem pesticides were found to be 0.028 and 0.033 μl/ml, respectively. The LC50 value for nonformulated (95% pure) AZA was determined to be 0.382 μg AZA/ml. Neemix and Bioneem were exposed to air and northern sky daylight in a light box at 24 and 37°C for 1, 3, 6, and 9 d. Standard 48-h acute toxicity tests were used to determine the effect of aging in these dry environmental conditions. Neemix and Bioneem were also fractionated into volatile and nonvolatile fractions, and the toxicity of each was tested. Compared with Neemix, Bioneem remained toxic longer when exposed to light and air at 37°C, indicating that this pesticide may be less prone to environmental degradation. When fractionated, the nonvolatile fractions for both pesticides exhibited significantly lower LC50 values than the full formulations. These results suggest that, depending on the application rate and environmental fate, AZA-based pesticides may have direct adverse effects on aquatic organisms and that the toxicity and stability of formulated pesticides depend on factors other than only the AZA concentration.
Integrated condition indices as a measure of whole effluent toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Smolders Roel , Bervoets Lieven , De Boeck Gudrun , Blust Ronny
Published: February 2010

Toxic exposure of organisms interferes with organismal integrity at the biochemical level and ultimately gives rise to effects at the individual level. These effects may result in reductions in ecologically relevant characteristics such as growth, reproduction, and survival. A chronic toxicity test with zebrafish (Danio rerio) was conducted where fish were exposed to 50, 75, and 100% effluent for 28 d under flow-through conditions. Effects of effluent exposure were determined using endpoints of physiological (respiration during swimming), growth (condition, length, and weight), and reproductive (spawning and hatching) processes within the same population. Results clearly indicate that the condition and growth of zebrafish is depressed by exposure to the effluent. Also, increased oxygen consumption was found after 14, 21, and 28 d of exposure. Reproduction proved to correlate well with the condition of the motherfish in the control, and spawning and hatching were significantly depressed by effluent exposure. These results indicate that the evaluation of endpoints describing different ecologically relevant processes provides a rational assessment of the cause–effect relationships of effluent toxicity. This approach can quantify effects on different biological processes and can determine the interactions that occur between these different processes.
Population response to toxicants is altered by intraspecific interaction
Authors: Liess Matthias
Published: February 2010

Ngative interaction between individuals is a distinctive feature of populations. The question is addressed whether the population response to toxicants (e.g., the pyrethroid pesticide fenvalerate) is altered by the strength of negative intraspecific interaction. Larvae of the trichopteran Limnephilus lunatus Curtis were exposed for 1 h to fenvalerate, then larval survival and adult emergence were monitored in outdoor stream microcosms over eight months. Degree of interaction was varied by changing larval densities. No survival was observed after 15 d at 100 μg/L. Survival decreased slightly at 10 μg/L when strong interaction was present. Survival in the range of 0.001 to 1 μg/L was similar to that in the control, regardless of the strength of interaction. In contrast, chronic effects differed widely according to the degree of interaction. Weak interaction resulted in high survival of controls, a lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) (mortality) of 0.1 μg/L, a delay in development at 0.001 to 0.01 μg/L, and reduced weight of adults from 0.01 μg/L on. Strong interaction resulted in low survival of controls, a LOEC (mortality) of 100 μg/L, and a delay in development at 0.1 μg/L. The suggestion was made that these differences in chronic effects are caused by a toxicant-induced reduction of negative intraspecific interaction at high concentrations (≥1 μg/L). Hence, direct effects of the toxicant are partly compensated because of indirect reduction of negative interaction compared to the control. Interaction is not decreased at low concentrations (≤0.1 μg/L) and, thus, effects of the toxicant are not compensated. Accordingly, the response to toxicants at the population level when negative interaction is present differs from the response at individual level.
Wading birds as bioindicators of mercury contamination in Florida, USA: Annual and geographic variation
Authors: Frederick Peter C. , Spalding Marilyn G. , Dusek Robert
Published: February 2010

Mercury contamination in wetland biota is often dynamic, difficult to predict, and costly to track. In this paper, we present results from a six-year study of growing feathers of piscivorous birds as monitors of wetland Hg exposure in Florida, USA, wetlands. Between 1994 and 2000, we collected feathers of growing great egret (Ardea alba) nestlings from colonies in the freshwater Everglades of southern Florida, and during 1998, feathers were collected from chicks of both great egrets and white ibises (Eudocimus albus) at a variety of colonies throughout peninsular Florida. Coastal colonies showed significantly lower feather Hg concentrations than did inland sites. Within the Everglades, we found significant effects of both geographic location and year on age-adjusted mean total Hg concentrations in feathers. Over the course of our study, Everglades colonies maintained their Hg concentration rankings relative to one another, but all showed strongly declining Hg concentrations (mean of 73% averaged across colonies, between 1994 and 2000). Using a previously established predictive relationship between Hg consumption in food and feather Hg for great egrets, we estimated that Hg concentrations in the aggregate diet of egrets have been reduced by an average of 67%. We conclude that the Everglades has undergone a biologically significant decline in Hg availability in the wetland food web, possibly because of decreased local inputs.
Extinction risk to herring gull populations from DDT exposure
Authors: Nakamaru Mayuko , Iwasa Yoh , Nakanishi Junko
Published: February 2010

The impact of toxic chemicals on wild animals and plants can be quantified in terms of the enhanced risk of population extinction. To illustrate the method, we estimated it for herring gull (Larus argentatus) populations in Long Island (NY, USA) exposed to DDT (p, p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and its metabolites (abbreviated as DDTs) with a strong biomagnification effect. The method is based on a formula of the mean time to population extinction derived for a stochastic differential equation (the canonical model). The intrinsic rate of natural population growth was estimated from the doubling time of an exponentially growing population and the intensity of the environmental fluctuation from the magnitude of population size fluctuation. The effect of exposure to DDTs in reducing the population growth rate was evaluated based on an age-structured population model by assuming that age-specific fertilities (including chick survivorship) are density dependent and sensitive to DDTs exposure but age-specific survivorships are not. The results are expressed in terms of the risk equivalent—the decrease in the carrying capacity K that causes the same enhancement of extinction risk as chemical exposure at a given level. The high concentration reported in Long Island in the 1960s corresponds to the equivalent loss of carrying capacity by 30.5% when K is 100 (the number of breeding females), and coefficient of variation (CV) = 0.2 (σ 2e = 0.0298). Risk equivalent allows us to compare different risk factors and is useful in mitigation banking.
Dynamic root uptake model for neutral lipophilic organics
Authors: Trapp Stefan
Published: February 2010

In current European risk assessment, an equilibrium approach is used to estimate chemical uptake from soil into root vegetables. Here a dynamic model for uptake of neutral lipophilic compounds from soil into roots is presented. Using experimental results, it is compared with the equilibrium approach. Very lipophilic compounds (e.g., DDT) diffuse very slowly into plant tissue, so they are likely to remain in the peel of root vegetables. In addition, a dynamic (steady-state) flux model for uptake with transpiration water into thick roots is presented. The model considers input from soil and output to stem with the transpiration stream plus first-order metabolism and dilution by exponential growth. For chemicals with low or intermediate lipophilicity (log KOW < 2), there was no relevant difference between dynamic model and equilibrium approach. For lipophilic compounds, the dynamic model gave concentrations far below the thermodynamic equilibrium. The approach was tested against experimental uptake data of benzo[a]pyrene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and chlorobenzenes from soil into carrots. Measured concentrations in carrot peels were up to 100 times higher than in the core. The equilibrium approach can predict concentrations in the peels, but for carrot cores and for the whole carrot, the flux model is superior and should be preferred for a more realistic risk assessment.
Running unstructured grid‐based CFD solvers on modern graphics hardware
Authors: Corrigan Andrew , Camelli Fernando F. , Löhner Rainald , Wallin John
Published: February 2010

Techniques used to implement an unstructured grid solver on modern graphics hardware are described. The three‐dimensional Euler equations for inviscid, compressible flow are considered. Effective memory bandwidth is improved by reducing total global memory access and overlapping redundant computation, as well as using an appropriate numbering scheme and data layout. The applicability of per‐block shared memory is also considered. The performance of the solver is demonstrated on two benchmark cases: a NACA0012 wing and a missile. For a variety of mesh sizes, an average speed‐up factor of roughly 9.5 × is observed over the equivalent parallelized OpenMP code running on a quad‐core CPU, and roughly 33 × over the equivalent code running in serial. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tests for the Use of La2Mo2O9‐based Oxides as Multipurpose SOFC Core Materials
Authors: Jacquens J. , Farrusseng D. , Georges S. , Viricelle J.‐P. , Gaudillère C. , Corbel G. , Lacorre P.
Published: February 2010

The mixed ionic–electronic conductivity under dilute hydrogen, the stability and the catalytic activity under propane:air type mixtures of a series of LAMOX oxide‐ion conductors have been studied. The effect of exposure to dilute hydrogen on the conductivity of the β‐La2(Mo2 – yWy)O9 series at 600 °C depends on tungsten content: almost negligible for the highest (y = 1.4), it is important for La2Mo2O9 (y = 0). In propane:air, all tested LAMOX electrolytes are stable at 600–700 °C, but get reduced when water vapour is present. La2Mo2O9 is the best oxidation catalyst of the series, with an activity comparable to that of nickel.

The catalytic activity of other tested LAMOX compounds is much lower, (La1.9Y0.1)Mo2O9 showing a deactivation phenomenon. These results suggest that depending on composition, La2(Mo2 – yWy)O9 compounds could be either electrolytes in single‐chamber SOFC and dual‐chamber micro‐SOFC (y = 1.4) or anode materials in dual‐chamber SOFC (low y) or oxidation catalysts in SOFCs operating with propane (y = 0).