bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural stability and aggregation behavior of the VEALYL peptide derived from human insulin: A molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Lin Yeh‐Fon , Zhao Jian‐Hua , Liu Hsuan‐Liang , Liu Kung‐Tien , Chen Jenn‐Tzong , Tsai Wei‐Bor , Ho Yih
Published: October 2009

The VEALYL peptide from B chain (residues 12–17) of insulin has been shown to form amyloid‐like fibrils. Recently, the atomic structure of the VEALYL oligomer has been determined by X‐ray microcrystallography and reveals a dry, tightly self‐complementing structure between the neighboring β‐sheet layers, termed as “steric zipper.” In this study, several molecular dynamics simulations with all‐atom explicit water were conducted to investigate the structural stability and aggregation behavior of the VEALYL peptide with various sizes and its single glycine replacement mutations. The results of our single‐layer models showed that the structural stability of the VEALYL oligomers increases significantly with increasing the number of β‐strands. We further suggested that the minimal nucleus seed for VEALYL fibril formation could be as small as three or four peptides. Our results also revealed that the hydrophobic interaction between E2 and Y5 plays an important role in stabilizing the adjacent β‐strands within the same layer, whereas the hydrophobic steric zipper formed via the side chains of V1, A3, L4, Y5, and L6 locks the two neighboring β‐sheet layers together. Mutation simulations showed that the substitution of a single glycine residue directly disrupts this steric zipper, resulting in the destabilization of the VEALYL oligomers. This study provides the atomic insights into understanding the aggregation behavior of the VEALYL peptide. It may also be helpful for designing new or modified capping peptides able to break the driving force for aggregation and to prevent the fibril formation of the VEALYL peptide and the insulin protein. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 94: 269–278, 2010.

This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Thermal stability and conformational structure of salmon calcitonin in the solid and liquid states
Authors: Lee Ting‐Huei , Cheng Wen‐Ting , Lin Shan‐Yang
Published: October 2009

Salmon calcitonin (sCT) was selected as a model protein drug for investigating its intrinsic thermal stability and conformational structure in the solid and liquid states by using a Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) microspectroscopy with or without utilizing thermal analyzer. The spectral correlation coefficient (r) analysis between two second‐derivative IR spectra was applied to quantitatively estimate the structural similarity of sCT in the solid state before and after different treatments. The thermal FT‐IR microspectroscopic data clearly evidenced that sCT in the solid state was not effected by temperature and had a thermal reversible property during heating–cooling process. Moreover, the high r value of 0.973 or 0.988 also evidenced the structural similarity of solid‐state sCT samples before and after treatments. However, sCT in H2O exhibited protein instability and thermal irreversibility after incubation at 40°C. The temperature‐induced conformational changes of sCT in H2O was occurred to transform the α‐helix/random coil structures to β‐sheet structure and also resulted in the formation of intramolecular and intermolecular β‐sheet structures. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 93: 200–207, 2010.

This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Investigating the role of native propionyl‐CoA and methylmalonyl‐CoA metabolism on heterologous polyketide production in Escherichia coli
Authors: Zhang Haoran , Boghigian Brett A. , Pfeifer Blaine A.
Published: October 2009

6‐Deoxyerythronolide B (6dEB) is the macrocyclic aglycone precursor of the antibiotic natural product erythromycin. Heterologous production of 6dEB in Escherichia coli was accomplished, in part, by designed over‐expression of a native prpE gene (encoding a propionyl‐CoA synthetase) and heterologous pcc genes (encoding a propionyl‐CoA carboxylase) to supply the needed propionyl‐CoA and (2S)‐methylmalonyl‐CoA biosynthetic substrates. Separate E. coli metabolism includes three enzymes, Sbm (a methylmalonyl‐CoA mutase), YgfG (a methylmalonyl‐CoA decarboxylase), and YgfH (a propionyl‐CoA:succinate CoA transferase), also involved in propionyl‐CoA and methylmalonyl‐CoA metabolism. In this study, the sbm, ygfG, and ygfH genes were individually deleted and over‐expressed to investigate their effect on heterologous 6dEB production. Our results indicate that the deletion and over‐expression of sbm did not influence 6dEB production; ygfG over‐expression reduced 6dEB production by fourfold while ygfH deletion increased 6dEB titers from 65 to 129 mg/L in shake flask experiments. It was also found that native E. coli metabolism could support 6dEB biosynthesis in the absence of exogenous propionate and the substrate provision pcc genes. Lastly, the effect of the ygfH deletion was tested in batch bioreactor cultures in which 6dEB titers improved from 206 to 527 mg/L. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010; 105: 567–573. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determination of dopamine, serotonin, and their metabolites in pediatric cerebrospinal fluid by isocratic high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection
Authors: Hubbard K. Elaine , Wells Amy , Owens Thandranese S. , Tagen Michael , Fraga Charles H. , Stewart Clinton F.
Published: October 2009

A method to rapidly measure dopamine (DA), dihydroxyindolphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid, serotonin (5‐HT) and 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has not yet been reported. A rapid, sensitive, and specific HPLC method was therefore developed using electrochemical detection. CSF was mixed with an antioxidant solution prior to freezing to prevent neurotransmitter degradation. Separation of the five analytes was obtained on an ESA MD‐150 × 3.2 mm column with a flow rate of 0.37 mL/min and an acetonitrile–aqueous (5 : 95, v/v) mobile phase with 75 mM monobasic sodium phosphate buffer, 0.5 mM EDTA, 0.81 mM sodium octylsulfonate and 5% tetrahydrofuran. The optimal electrical potential settings were: guard cell +325 mV, E1 −100 mV and E2 +300 mV. Within‐day and between‐day precisions were <10% for all analytes and accuracies ranged from 91.0 to 106.7%. DA, 5‐HT, and their metabolites were stable in CSF with antioxidant solution at 4°C for 8 h in the autoinjector. This method was used to measure neurotransmitters in CSF obtained from children enrolled on an institutional medulloblastoma treatment protocol. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bioanalysis of pentoxifylline and related metabolites in plasma samples through LC‐MS/MS
Authors: Sora Daniela Iuliana , Cristea Elena , Albu Florin , David Victor , Medvedovici Andrei
Published: October 2009

Analytical aspects related to the assay of pentoxifylline (PTX), lisofylline (M1) and carboxypropyl dimethylxanthine (M5) metabolites are discussed through comparison of two alternative analytical methods based on liquid chromatography separation and atmospheric pressure electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry detection. One method is based on a ‘pure’ reversed‐phase liquid chromatography mechanism, while the second one uses the additional polar interactions with embedded amide spacers linking octadecyl moieties to the silicagel surface (C‐18 Aqua stationary phase). In both cases, elution is isocratic. Both methods are equally selective and allows separation of unknowns (four species associated to PTX, two species associated to M1) detected through specific mass transitions of the parent compounds and owning respective structural confirmation. Plasma concentration–time patterns of these compounds follow typical metabolic profiles. It has been advanced that in‐vivo formation of conjugates of PTX and M1 is possible, such compounds being cleaved back to the parent ones within the ion source. The first method was associated with a sample preparation procedure based on plasma protein precipitation by strong organic acid addition. The second method used protein precipitation by addition of a water miscible organic solvent. Both analytical methods were fully validated and used to assess bioequivalence between a prolonged release generic formulation and the reference product, under multidose and single dose approaches. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Highly sensitive determination of Schisandrin and Schisandrin B in plasma of rats after administration of Wurenchun (Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis Extracts) preparations by LC‐ESI‐MS/MS
Authors: Tang Jingling , Shao Bing , Liu Yan , Liu Hongmei , Ji Hongyu , Zhu Daling , Wu Linhua
Published: October 2009

A sensitive and specific method based on liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS) has been developed for the determination of Schisandrin and Schisandrin B in rat plasma. A 100 μL plasma sample was extracted by methyl tert‐butyl ether after spiking the samples with nimodipine (internal standard) and performed on an XTerra®MS‐C18 column (150 mm × 2.1 mm, 3.5 μm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile–water–formic acid (80:20:0.2, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min in a run time of 8.5 min. The lower limit of quantification of the method was 40 ng/mL for Schisandrin and 20 ng/mL for Schisandrin B. The method showed reproducibility with intra‐day and inter‐day precision of less than 13.8% RSD, as well as accuracy, with inter‐ and intra‐assay accuracies between 93.5 and 107.2%. Finally, the LC‐ESI‐MS/MS method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of Schisandrin and Schisandrin B in rats after administration of Wurenchun commercial formulations to rats. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of hematocrit drop on long‐term survival after cardiac catheterization: Insights from the Dartmouth Dynamic Registry
Authors: Leung Calvin C. , Sabir Sajjad A. , Brown Jeremiah R. , Sidhu Mandeep S. , Kaplan Aaron V. , Jayne John E. , Friedman Bruce J. , Hettleman Bruce D. , Niles Nathaniel W. , DeVries James T. , Robb John F. , Malenka David J. , Thompson Craig A.
Published: October 2009

Background: The long‐term prognostic implication of post‐procedural hematocrit drops in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization outside the clinical trial setting is not well defined. Methods: Data was prospectively collected from 12,661 patients undergoing diagnostic or interventional cardiac catheterization between July 1998 and July 2006. Patients were divided into three cohorts based upon the degree of hematocrit change: drop greater than 6, drop between 3 and 6, and drop less than 3. In‐hospital major adverse events, 30‐day mortality, and long‐term all‐cause mortality were recorded. Results: Patients with larger reductions in hematocrit were more likely to be older, female, and have a higher baseline hematocrit, present with acute myocardial infarction, develop cardiogenic shock, require emergent catheterization, develop retroperitoneal bleeds and large hematomas, receive transfusions, have longer index hospitalizations, develop subacute stent thrombosis, and have higher 30‐day and long‐term mortality. An increase in long‐term mortality was observed with progressive hematocrit drop. This finding is largely driven by early (30 day) mortality, as trends were no longer significant after rezeroing mortality. Hematocrit drop was not an independent risk factor for 30‐day mortality. Transfusion and low baseline hematocrit were identified as independent predictors of near and long‐term mortality. Conclusions: Periprocedural bleeding, defined by hematocrit drop, is associated with increased near‐term and long‐term mortality in patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization procedures. Long‐term mortality is largely driven by up front 30‐day mortality. Hematocrit drop was not an independent predictor for near‐term mortality. Transfusion and low baseline hematocrit were independent predictors for near and long‐term mortality. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multicentre experience with MGuard™ net protective stent in ST‐elevation myocardial infarction: Safety, feasibility, and impact on myocardial reperfusion
Authors: Piscione Federico , Danzi Gian Battista , Cassese Salvatore , Esposito Giovanni , Cirillo Plinio , Galasso Gennaro , Rapacciuolo Antonio , Leosco Dario , Briguori Carlo , Varbella Ferdinando , Tuccillo Bernardino , Chiariello Massimo
Published: October 2009

Objective: To report, for the first time, angiographic and ECG results as well as in‐hospital and 1‐month clinical follow‐up, after MGuard net protective stent (Inspire‐MD, Tel‐Aviv, Israel—MGS) implantation in consecutive, not randomized, STEMI patients undergoing primary or rescue PCI. Background: Distal embolization may decrease coronary and myocardial reperfusion after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), in ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) setting. Methods: One‐hundred consecutive patients underwent PCI, with MGS deployment for STEMI, in five different high‐volume PCI centres. Sixteen patients presented cardiogenic shock at admission. Results: All patients underwent successful procedures: mean TIMI flow grade and mean corrected TIMI frame count—cTFC(n)—improved from baseline values to 2.85 ± 0.40 and to 17.20 ± 10.51, respectively, with a mean difference in cTFC(n) between baseline and postprocedure of 46.88 ± 31.86. High‐myocardial blush grade (90% MBG 3; 10% MBG 2) was also achieved in all patients. Sixty minutes post‐PCI, a high rate (90%) of complete (≥70%) ST‐segment resolution was achieved. At in‐hospital follow‐up, seven deaths occurred: noteworthy, 5 of 16 patients with cardiogenic shock at admission died. After hospital discharge, no Major Adverse Cardiac Events have been reported up to 30‐day follow‐up. Conclusions: MGS might represent a safe and feasible option for PCI in STEMI patients, providing high perfusional and ECG improvement. Further randomized trials comparing this strategy with the conventional one are needed in the near future to assess the impact on clinical practice of this strategy. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Endovascular therapy for a ruptured popliteal aneurysm
Authors: Lamoca Luis Miguel Izquierdo , Alerany Montserrat Blanch , Hernando Luis Leiva
Published: October 2009

Introduction: We here present a case of a ruptured giant popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) successfully treated with endovascular surgery. Case Report: A 88‐year‐old male presented with left limb massive swelling and pain. His general status was critical with acute respiratory insufficiency. CT scan showed massive haematoma in the thigh and a PAA of 9.1 cm in diameter. Urgent endovascular repair was successfully performed under local anaesthesia. Nevertheless, patient died, on second postoperatory day, because of respiratory failure. Discussion: Up to 50% of PAA present with acute limb ischaemia is due to thrombosis or distal embolization. Rupture is an uncommon complication affecting less than 3% of PAA. Diameter greater than 2 cm or mural thrombosis are indications for elective intervention. Open surgical repair is the first treatment option. In selected patients, endovascular repair can be performed. Midterm results of this technique, recently reported, are comparable to open repair. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Palladium‐Catalyzed C3 or C4 Direct Arylation of Heteroaromatic Compounds with Aryl Halides by CH Bond Activation
Authors: Roger Julien , Gottumukkala Aditya L. , Doucet Henri
Published: October 2009

In recent years, palladium‐catalyzed direct C2 or C5 arylation of heteroaromatic compounds with aryl halides by CH bond activation has become a popular method for generating carbon–carbon bonds. For this reaction, a wide variety of heteroaromatics, such as furans, thiophenes, pyrroles, thiazoles, oxazoles, imidazoles, pyrazoles, indoles, triazoles, or even pyridines, can be employed. C3 and C4 arylations of heteroaromatics by CH bond activation have also been described. Such reactions initially attracted much less attention than the C2 or C5 arylations due to the lower reactivity of the C3 and C4 positions. How‐ ever, in more recent years, several results from using modified and improved catalysts and reaction conditions have been reported, which permit C3 and C4 arylations in synthetically useful yields. Several intramolecular cyclizations of 2‐substituted heterocycles have been described, with formation of a CC bond on C3 resulting in the formation of five‐ to nine‐membered rings incorporating pyrroles, indoles, thiophenes, furans, isoxazoles, or pyridines. Intermolecular C3 or C4 direct arylations are still quite rare for some heteroaromatics and are in several cases not highly regioselective. For such reactions, the best results have been obtained using pyrroles, thiophenes, or furans. For selected substrates, regioselective arylation at C3 or C4 of the heteroaromatic compounds took place under appropriate reaction conditions. Only a few examples of intermolecular couplings using oxazoles, thiazoles, imidazoles, isoxazoles, pyrazoles, triazoles, or pyridines have been reported. For most of these reactions, aryl iodides or bromides have been used as coupling partners, although a few examples with aryl chlorides are also known. This method allows the synthesis of complex molecules in only a few steps, and will provide access to a very wide variety of new heteroaryl derivatives in the next years.
Fructose‐1,6‐Bisphosphate Aldolase‐Mediated Synthesis of Aminocyclitols (Analogues of Valiolamine) and their Evaluation as Glycosidase Inhibitors
Authors: El Blidi Lahssen , Assaf Zeinab , Camps Bres Flora , Veschambre Henri , Théry Vincent , Bolte Jean , Lemaire Marielle
Published: October 2009

A highly stereoselective method for the preparation of nitro‐ and aminocyclitols, using fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphate aldolase, which catalyzes the aldol reaction of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) on hydroxynitrobutanals, is reported. The key part of the synthesis is based on a one‐pot /two‐enzyme process whereby three reactions take place; rabbit muscle aldolase (RAMA) catalyzed aldolization, phytase‐catalyzed phosphate hydrolysis, and intramolecular spontaneous nitroaldolization. Two families of nitrocyclitols were obtained depending on the carbon configuration in the β position to the nitro group. Reduction of the latter afforded the aminocyclitols. Evaluation of the inhibition properties of the amines towards five commercially available glycosidases has shown selectivity for β‐glucosidase and β‐galactosidase.
Perrhenate Esters in New Catalytic Reactions
Authors: Bellemin‐Laponnaz Stéphane
Published: October 2009

There has been tremendous interest in the use of alkyltrioxorhenium complexes as catalysts for various organic transformations. Although such applications are now well known and, indeed, have been widely studied, other organorhenium oxide families, namely the perrhenate esters O3ReOR, have received much less attention. In this review, such ReVII species are shown to be very promising catalysts and several recent examples are presented, with the aim of shedding light on their synthetic potential as a new tool for organic chemists.
Model‐Aided Design of a Three‐Phase Gas‐Lift Reactor for Oxidation Accompanied by Catalyst Reversible Deactivation
Authors: Gogová Z. , Hanika J.
Published: October 2009

A mathematical model of a three‐phase gas‐lift reactor (GLR) is developed to aid the design of a target reactor for simultaneous substrate catalytic oxidation in riser and a deactivated reactivation catalyst in the downcomer section of the multifunctional reactor. In the GLR model, the hydrodynamics of a real GLR and the kinetics of glucose oxidation by air over a palladium catalyst are incorporated. The GLR model searches for the optimal geometry of the target reactor. With regard to the GLR optimal geometry, the reactor productivity is maximal for given input operational conditions. An algorithm of the GLR model is presented together with simulation results of the target GLR and with insight into the parametric sensitivity of the model. Effects of the reaction components concentrations and the gas‐phase superficial velocity on the location of the target reactor optimal geometry and on the reactor productivity are discussed.
Numerical Study on Bubble Formation of a Gas‐Liquid Flow in a T‐Junction Microchannel
Authors: Dai L. , Cai W. , Xin F.
Published: October 2009

Bubble emergence in a gas‐liquid flow in a T‐junction microchannel of 100 μm diameter, operated under a squeezing regime, was simulated with the computational fluid dynamics method. In general, bubble formation in channels includes three stages: expansion, collapse and pinching off. After analyzing and comparing quantitatively the three forces of pressure, surface tension and shear stress acting on the gas thread in the whole process, their effects in the different stages were identified. The collapse stage was the most important for bubble formation and was investigated in detail. It was found that the collapse process was mostly influenced by the liquid superficial velocity, and the rate and time of collapse can be correlated with empirical equations including the liquid superficial velocity, the capillary number and the Reynolds number.
Ionic Liquids Made with Dimethyl Carbonate: Solvents as well as Boosted Basic Catalysts for the Michael Reaction
Authors: Fabris Massimo , Lucchini Vittorio , Noè Marco , Perosa Alvise , Selva Maurizio
Published: October 2009

This article describes 1) a methodology for the green synthesis of a class of methylammonium and methylphosphonium ionic liquids (ILs), 2) how to tune their acid–base properties by anion exchange, 3) complete neat‐phase NMR spectroscopic characterisation of these materials and 4) their application as active organocatalysts for base‐promoted carbon–carbon bond‐forming reactions. Methylation of tertiary amines or phosphines with dimethyl carbonate leads to the formation of the halogen‐free methyl‐onium methyl carbonate salts, and these can be easily anion‐exchanged to yield a range of derivatives with different melting points, solubility, acid–base properties, stability and viscosity. Treatment with water, in particular, yields bicarbonate‐exchanged liquid onium salts. These proved strongly basic, enough to efficiently catalyse the Michael reaction; experiments suggest that in these systems the bicarbonate basicity is boosted by two orders of magnitude with respect to inorganic bicarbonate salts. These basic ionic liquids used in catalytic amounts are better even than traditional strong organic bases. The present work also introduces neat NMR spectroscopy of the ionic liquids as a probe for solute–solvent interactions as well as a tool for characterisation. Our studies show that high catalytic efficacy of functional ionic liquids can be achieved by integrating their green synthesis, along with a fine‐tuning of their structure. Demonstrating that ionic liquid solvents can be made by a truly green procedure, and that their properties and reactivity can be tailored to the point of bridging the gap between their use as solvents and as catalysts.
Untersuchungen zum Downstream‐Processing bei der biotechnologischen Herstellung von 1,18‐Octadecendisäure
Authors: Körner H.‐J. , Deerberg Ing. G.
Published: October 2009

Die Nutzung nachwachsender oder biogener Rohstoffe zur Herstellung technischer, chemischer und pharmazeutischer Produkte ist eng mit der industriellen Biotechnologie verknüpft und gewinnt in der chemischen Industrie zunehmend an Bedeutung. Die Biokonversion biobasierter Rohstoffe bietet dabei den direkten wie auch den indirekten Zugang zu Produkten. Um zu den Produkten in der für nachfolgende Synthesestufen erforderlichen Spezifikation zu gelangen, folgen auf die Biokonversion in der Regel mehrere, teilweise aufwendige Aufarbeitungsschritte.
Trends in der Industriellen Teilereinigung – Welches Potenzial hat Kohlendioxid?
Authors: Krieg M. C. , Bilz M. , Mankiewicz J.
Published: October 2009

Das auf dem europäischen Markt angebotene technische CO2 wird nur zu einem geringen Teil aus natürlichen Quellen gewonnen, der Großteil fällt als Abfallprodukt aus Gärprozessen und in der chemischen Industrie an. Seine Nutzung ist vollkommen treibhausneutral, vielmehr können durch den Einsatz von Kohlendioxid zum Teil stark umweltgefährdende Stoffe wie halogenierte Kohlenwasserstoffe beinhaltende Kälte‐ oder Lösemittel mit einem erheblich größeren Treibhauspotenzial ersetzt werden. Auf Grund seiner verfahrenstechnischen Vorteile, wie trocken, rückstandsfrei, substratschondend und umweltneutral, hat sich das Strahlen mit festem Kohlendioxid in den letzten Jahren in unterschiedlichen Anwendungsfeldern etabliert. Die Möglichkeiten sind derzeit längst nicht ausgeschöpft. Gängige Verfahren und sich abzeichnende Entwicklungen werden dargestellt.
A stabilized formulation for discrete gradient method
Authors: Qian Jing , Lu Jia
Published: October 2009

This paper presents a stabilization scheme for the discrete gradient method proposed by the authors (Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng. 2009; 78:505–527). The discrete method is an extension of the nodal average strain triangle element to arbitrary polygon meshes. The method outperforms the low‐order finite elements in many aspects; however, it is susceptible to spurious zero‐energy or low‐energy modes arising from cancelation of strains during strain averaging. In this paper, stabilization is achieved by a penalty scheme that penalizes the difference between the nodal strain and the subcell strains. Several examples, including an analytical dispersion analysis, are presented to demonstrate the stabilization effect. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tin Oxide Thin Film with Three‐Dimensional Ordered Reticular Morphology as a Lithium Ion Battery Anode
Authors: Zhu Xianjun , Guo Zaiping , Zhang Peng , Du Guodong , Zeng Rong , Chen Zhixin , Liu Huakun
Published: October 2009

Three‐dimensional (3D) reticular SnO2 thin films deposited on copper and stainless steel substrates were prepared by the electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) technique. The 3D reticular SnO2 film exhibit a high reversible capacity near 300 mAh g−1 up to the 50th cycle.
Die neue allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassung Z‐30.3‐6 “Erzeugnisse, Verbindungsmittel und Bauteile aus nichtrostenden Stählen” vom 20. April 2009
Authors: Burkert Andreas , Saal Helmut , Ulbrich Detlef
Published: October 2009

Bei der Beschreibung und Erläuterung der Regelungen der am 20. April 2009 herausgegebenen allgemeinen bauaufsichtlichen Zulassung Z‐30.3‐6 werden die weitreichenden Änderungen und Erweiterungen gegenüber der früheren Ausgabe dargestellt und erklärt und es wird ein Vergleich dieser Zulassung mit den aktuellen europäischen Regelungen durchgeführt. Dieser Vergleich verdeutlicht zum einen die Berücksichtigung der Belange der Praxis in der Zulassung und zeigt zum anderen, dass die in Rede stehenden europäischen Normen vom Inhalt her nicht ausreichen, um das hohe Qualitätsniveau zu erreichen, das von der Zulassung gewährleistet wird. Diese europäischen Normen sind zudem teilweise noch nicht bauaufsichtlich eingeführt. Ziel der künftigen Normungsaktivitäten muss es sein, im Rahmen der Überprüfung und Überarbeitung der europäischen Normen die in Deutschland mit der allgemeinen bauaufsichtlichen Zulassung von nichtrostenden Stählen seit nunmehr 35 Jahren gesammelten Erfahrungen einzubringen, sodass dann diese allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassung nicht mehr erforderlich ist.
Photoacetylation of Diamondoids: Selectivities and Mechanism (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 30/2009)
Authors: Fokin Andrey A. , Gunchenko Pavel A. , Novikovsky Anatoliy A. , Shubina Tatyana E. , Chernyaev Boris V. , Dahl Jeremy E. P. , Carlson Robert M. K. , Yurchenko Alexander G. , Schreiner Peter R.
Published: October 2009

The cover picture shows shows the photochemical generation of triplet diacetyl (butadione, center) and its highly selective C–HH bond‐activation reactions in the functionalizations of tertiary C–H bonds. Despite several similarly reactive tertiary C–HH bonds and a multitude of secondary C–HH bonds with similar or even smaller bond dissociation energies (blue hydrogen atoms on structures on the left), this reagent shows remarkable selectivity for the apical positions of diamondoids owing to its high sensitivity to steric hindrance. This gives the respective apical acetyl diamondoids (blue groups on the right) in high yields. Deuterium kinetic isotope effects and accompanying computational studies shed light on the rate‐determining C–HH bond‐activation step. Details are discussed in the article by A. A. Fokin, P. R. Schreiner et al. on p. 5153 ff.
Dielectrophoretic manipulation and separation of microparticles using curved microelectrodes
Authors: Khoshmanesh Khashayar , Zhang Chen , Tovar‐Lopez Francisco J. , Nahavandi Saeid , Baratchi Sara , Kalantar‐zadeh Kourosh , Mitchell Arnan
Published: October 2009

This paper presents the development and experimental analysis of a dielectrophoresis (DEP) system, which is used for the manipulation and separation of microparticles in liquid flow. The system is composed of arrays of microelectrodes integrated to a microchannel. Novel curved microelectrodes are symmetrically placed with respect to the centre of the microchannel with a minimum gap of 40 μm. Computational fluid dynamics method is utilised to characterise the DEP field and predict the dynamics of particles. The performance of the system is assessed with microspheres of 1, 5 and 12 μm diameters. When a high‐frequency potential is applied to microelectrodes a spatially varying electric field is induced in the microchannel, which creates the DEP force. Negative‐DEP behaviour is observed with particles being repelled from the microelectrodes. The particles of different dimensions experience different DEP forces and thus settle to separate equilibrium zones across the microchannel. Experiments demonstrate the capability of the system as a field flow fraction tool for sorting microparticles according to their dimensions and dielectric properties.
Unsteady MHD free convective heat and mass transfer from a vertical porous plate with Hall current, thermal radiation and chemical reaction effects
Authors: Chamkha Ali , Mansour M. A. , Aly Abdelraheem
Published: October 2009

An analysis is presented to investigate the effects of chemical reaction, thermal radiation and heat generation or absorption on unsteady free convective heat and mass transfer along an infinite vertical porous plate in the presence of a transverse magnetic field and Hall current. The governing partial differential equations are formulated and transformed by using a similarity transformation into a system of ordinary differential equations. The resulting equations are solved numerically using a fourth‐order Runge–Kutta scheme along with the shooting method. The Rosseland approximation is used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. Numerical results for the velocity, temperature and concentration distributions are shown graphically for different parametric values. The effects of parameters on the local friction coefficients, the Nusselt number and Sherwood numbers are depicted in tabulated form. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An evaluation of statistical approaches to rare variant analysis in genetic association studies
Authors: Morris Andrew P. , Zeggini Eleftheria
Published: October 2009

Genome‐wide association (GWA) studies have proved to be extremely successful in identifying novel common polymorphisms contributing effects to the genetic component underlying complex traits. Nevertheless, one source of, as yet, undiscovered genetic determinants of complex traits are those mediated through the effects of rare variants. With the increasing availability of large‐scale re‐sequencing data for rare variant discovery, we have developed a novel statistical method for the detection of complex trait associations with these loci, based on searching for accumulations of minor alleles within the same functional unit. We have undertaken simulations to evaluate strategies for the identification of rare variant associations in population‐based genetic studies when data are available from re‐sequencing discovery efforts or from commercially available GWA chips. Our results demonstrate that methods based on accumulations of rare variants discovered through re‐sequencing offer substantially greater power than conventional analysis of GWA data, and thus provide an exciting opportunity for future discovery of genetic determinants of complex traits. Genet. Epidemiol. 34: 188–193, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Beyond Universalism: Capabilities Approach for Improving Women's Quality of Life
Authors: Woodward William R. , Barbour Lauren
Published: October 2009

Manfred Buhr (2007) suggested a powerful and subtle critique of European nations. He observed that their histories reveal “a painful process”. His antidote is a universalism that takes a deeper understanding of the Enlightenment project of reason. Buhr endorsed emancipation and human dignity through the Enlightenment rationalism of Kant. He allowed for cultural difference in attaining human dignity. Martha Nussbaum devised the Capabilities Approach along Aristotelian lines, to provide a normative account to evaluate human functioning. Capabilities have real life potential for programs that reassess and empower women in the developing world. The literature inspired by this capabilities approach addresses specific communities where women were empowered by giving them choices about the quality of their lives in such areas as education, gender relations, activities outside the home, microcredit, and training.
Occupational exposures contribute to educational inequalities in lung cancer incidence among men: Evidence from the EPIC prospective cohort study
Authors: Menvielle Gwenn , Boshuizen Hendriek , Kunst Anton E. , Vineis Paolo , Dalton Susanne O. , Bergmann Manuela M. , Hermann Silke , Veglia Fabrizio , Ferrari Pietro , Overvad Kim , Raaschou‐Nielsen Ole , Tjønneland Anne , Kaaks Rudolf , Linseisen Jakob , Palli Domenico , Krogh Vittorio , Tumino Rosario , Rodriguez Laudina , Agudo Antonio , Sánchez Maria‐José , Arozena Jone Miren Altzibar , Cirera Lluis , Ardanaz Eva , Bingham Sheila , Khaw Kay‐Tee , Boffetta Paolo , Duell Eric , Slimani Nadia , Gallo Valentina , Riboli Elio , Bueno‐de‐Mesquita H. Bas
Published: October 2009

The aim of this study is to investigate to what extent occupational exposures may explain socioeconomic inequalities in lung cancer incidence after adjusting for smoking and dietary factors. Analyses were based on a subsample of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC study), a prospective cohort. The analyses included 703 incident lung cancer cases among men in Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece. The socioeconomic position was measured using the highest level of education. The estimates of relative indices of inequality (RII) were computed with Cox regression models. We first adjusted for smoking (with detailed information on duration and quantity) and dietary factors (fruits and vegetables consumption) and then for occupational exposures. The exposure to three carcinogens [asbestos, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)] was analyzed. The occupational exposures explained 14% of the socioeconomic inequalities remaining after adjustment for smoking and fruits and vegetables consumption. The inequalities remained nevertheless statistically significant. The RII decreased from 1.87 (95% CI: 1.36–2.56) to 1.75 (1.27–2.41). The decrease was more pronounced when adjusting for asbestos than for heavy metals or PAH. Analyses by birth cohort suggested an effect of occupational exposures among older men, while due to small number of endpoints, no conclusion could be drawn about the role of occupational exposures in educational inequalities among younger men. Our study revealed that the impact of occupational exposures on socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence, rarely studied until now, exists while of modest magnitude.
The dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PI‐103 promotes immunosuppression, in vivo tumor growth and increases survival of sorafenib‐treated melanoma cells
Authors: López‐Fauqued Marta , Gil Rosa , Grueso Judit , Hernandez‐Losa Javier , Pujol Anna , Moliné Teresa , Recio Juan A.
Published: October 2009

Melanoma is the most lethal human skin cancer. If metastatic, it becomes very aggressive and resistant to standard modalities of anticancer treatment. During the last 10 years, several therapeutic strategies have been tested including the use of single and combined small drugs. Experimental results indicate that RAS and PI3K pathways are important for the development and maintenance of melanoma. In this study, we assessed the in vitro and in vivo inhibition potential of PI‐103, a PI3K (p110α)/mTOR inhibitor and sorafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, as single agents and in combination in primary melanoma cell lines. Although PI‐103 and sorafenib inhibited melanoma in vitro cell proliferation and viability, the inhibition of RAS pathway appeared to be more effective. The combination of the two agents in in vitro showed a synergistic effect inhibiting RAS and PI3K pathways in a cell line dependent manner. However, no cooperative effect was observed in blocking in vivo tumor growth in immunocompetent mice. In contrary to the expected, the data indicate that PI‐103 induced immunosuppression promoting in vivo tumor growth and inhibiting apoptosis. Furthermore, in vitro studies examining the effects of the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor in tumor derived cell lines indicated that PI‐103 induced the anti‐apoptotic BH3 family proteins Mcl1, Bcl2 and BclxL favoring, the in vitro survival of sorafenib treated melanoma cells. These data certainly makes an argument for investigating unexpected effects of rational drug combinations on immunocompetent animal models prior to conducting clinical studies.
Trimodal age‐specific incidence patterns for Burkitt lymphoma in the United States, 1973–2005
Authors: Mbulaiteye Sam M. , Anderson William F. , Bhatia Kishor , Rosenberg Philip S. , Linet Martha S. , Devesa Susan S.
Published: October 2009

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a unique B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma with 3 established clinical‐epidemiological variants: endemic, sporadic and AIDS‐related BL. BL variants show characteristic dysregulation of MYC gene, but the causes of MYC dysregulation or BL arising at different ages are poorly understood. Therefore, we examined population‐based BL incidence patterns in the United States to determine age‐related risk. BL case and population data were obtained from the NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Databases (1973–2005). Standard cross‐sectional age‐standardized and age‐specific incidence rates were stratified by sex and race and supplemented with age–period–cohort models. We analyzed 3,058 BL cases diagnosed during 1,160,300,297 person‐years of observation. Age‐standardized incidence rates rose 6.8% per year (95% CI 4.5–9.1) for males and 7.1% (95% CI 3.2–11.1) for females during the study period. The rate among males was 3.2 times that among females, and among Whites 1.3 times that among Blacks. Male‐to‐female incidence rate ratios did not differ by race, but were 4.2 for pediatric (0–19 years), 4.1 for adult (20–59 years) and 2.0 for geriatric (≥60 years) BL. Cross‐sectional age‐specific rates showed 2 separate peaks among males and females, near ages 10 and 75 years, and a 3rd peak near age 40 years among males. The tri/bimodal incidence pattern was present in sensitivity analyses excluding registries with many HIV/AIDS cases and in period‐specific, cohort‐specific analyses. To our knowledge, tri/bimodal incidence patterns have not previously been reported for BL. Trimodal/bimodal BL suggests heterogeneity in etiology or biology of BL diagnosed at different ages in males and females. © 2009 UICC.
Neomycin fixation followed by ethanol pretreatment leads to reduced buckling and inhibition of calcification in bioprosthetic valves
Authors: Raghavan Devanathan , Shah Sagar R. , Vyavahare Naren R.
Published: October 2009

Glutaraldehyde crosslinked bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) have two modalities of failure: degeneration (cuspal tear due to matrix failure) and calcification. They can occur independently as well as one can lead to the other causing co‐existence. Calcific failure has been extensively studied before and several anti‐calcification treatments have been developed; however, little research is directed to understand mechanisms of valvular degeneration. One of the shortcomings of glutaraldehyde fixation is its inability to stabilize all extracellular matrix components in the tissue. Previous studies from our lab have demonstrated that neomycin could be used as a fixative to stabilize glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) present in the valve to improve matrix properties. But neomycin fixation did not prevent cuspal calcification. In the present study, we wanted to enhance the anti‐calcification potential of neomycin fixed valves by pre‐treating with ethanol or removing the free aldehydes by sodium borohydride treatment. Ethanol treatment has been previously used and found to have excellent anti‐calcification properties for valve cusps. Results demonstrated in this study suggest that neomycin followed by ethanol treatment effectively preserves GAGs both in vitro as well as in vivo after subdermal implantation in rats. In vivo calcification was inhibited in neomycin fixed cusps pretreated with ethanol compared to glutaraldehyde (GLUT) control. Sodium borohydride treatment by itself did not inhibit calcification nor stabilized GAGs against enzymatic degradation. Neomycin fixation followed by ethanol treatment of BHVs could prevent both modalities of failure, thereby increasing the effective durability and lifetime of these bioprostheses several fold. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 2010
Oral bacterial adhesion on amorphous carbon and titanium films: Effect of surface roughness and culture media
Authors: Almaguer‐Flores A. , Ximénez‐Fyvie L. A. , Rodil S. E.
Published: October 2009

Implant infections can cause severe problems from malfunctioning to dangerous sepsis affecting the health of the patient. For many years, titanium has been the most common material used on dental implants due to their mechanical and biocompatibility properties. Recent studies suggest that amorphous carbon (a‐C) films can be possible candidates for coating dental implants, improving some important features like biocompatibility and bone formation. In the oral cavity, the risk of an implant infection is high due to multiple species are capable to colonize this site and these biofilm infections can limit the use of these medical devices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the surface chemistry, roughness, and culture media in the bacterial colonization process. To achieve this, a‐C and Ti films were deposited on rough and smooth surfaces and cultured with different microorganisms belonging to the oral microbiota with mycoplasma medium (MM) or human saliva (HS). Samples were incubated for 24 h, after this, samples were sonicated and the number of attached bacteria was determined by counting the colony‐forming units (CFU's) from each sample. The proportion of the species in the biofilms was determined using checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization. Data were analyzed by Student's t test using Bonferroni's modification of Student's t test and differences on the proportion of the bacterial species attached to each surface were determined using the Mann‐Whitney test. Results show an increased number of CFU's on rough surfaces, especially on the a‐C surfaces. The incubation media were an important factor on the adhesion of certain taxa, whereas other species were more sensitive to surface chemistry and others to surface roughness. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 2010
2‐dodecanol (decyl methyl carbinol) inhibits hyphal formation and SIR2 expression in C. albicans
Authors: Lim Crystale Siew‐Ying , Wong Won‐Fen , Rosli Rozita , Ng Kee‐Peng , Seow Heng‐Fong , Chong Pei‐Pei
Published: October 2009

Candida albicans is capable of undergoing yeast‐hypha transition to attain pathogenicity in humans. In this study, we investigated the differential expression of CaSIR2 via quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR), during yeast‐hypha transition with and without the presence of 2‐dodecanol. SIR2 transcript levels were found to be significantly enhanced after hyphal induction as compared to the yeast form. This study found that 2‐dodecanol is able to inhibit hyphal development and block SIR2 up‐regulation, even in hyphal‐inducing growth conditions. We suggest that SIR2 may be involved in Candida albicans quorum‐sensing and serum‐induced yeast‐hyphae transition via the Ras1‐cAMP‐Efg1 signalling cascade. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Catalase and superoxide dismutase double staining zymogram technique for Deinococcus and Kocuria species exposed to multiple stresses
Authors: Shukla Manish R , Yadav Radhika , Desai Anjana
Published: October 2009

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase expression is associated with oxidative stress. Existing techniques for the individual staining of SOD and catalase have been described in the past. The objective of this study was to achieve a simple and rapid technique for the double staining of bacterial SOD and catalase on the same polyacrylamide gel. SOD detection was carried out using nitro‐blue tetrazolium (NBT) dye reduction followed by ferricyanide precipitation for negative staining of the catalase enzyme on the same gel. The staining procedure resulted in pale blue SOD bands while catalase appeared as yellow bands against a greenish blue background on the same gel. This technique was used to detect changes in the polymorphic forms of these enzymes in Deinococcus radiodurans R1 and Kocuria sp. C2 subjected to stresses like UV and gamma radiation and desiccation. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Multiresistant Vibrio cholerae non‐O1/non‐O139 from waters in South India: resistance patterns and virulence‐associated gene profiles
Authors: Jagadeeshan Sankar , Kumar Praveen , Abraham Wilson Peter , Thomas Sabu
Published: October 2009

From different aquatic locations in Alleppey district, Kerala, South India a number (n = 36) of multiresistant non‐O1, non‐O139 V. cholerae strains were isolated. Water samples were filtered through 0.22 μm membrane filters, enriched in alkaline peptone water and plated onto thiosulfate‐citrate‐bile salts‐sucrose (TCBS) agar. The isolates were resistance to cefotaxime (50%), nalidixic acid (44.4%), streptomycin and tetracycline (41.6%), trimethoprim (38.8%), co‐trimoxazole (33.3%), furazolidone (27.7%), neomycin and ofloxacin (19.4%), ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and spectinomycin (16.6%), gentamicin (8.3%) and chloramphenicol (2.7%). To our knowledge, this is the first report from Kerala, South India on the emergence of multiple drug resistance in V. cholerae isolates belonging to serogroup other than O1 and O139. Virulence‐associated gene profiling of the isolates by PCR revealed the presence of toxR (100%), rtxA (61.1%), hlyA (50%), mshA (33.3%), tcpA‐acfB (13.8%) and st (2.7%) genes. The virulence gene clusters ctxA, ompU, ace, and zot were not detected. This study demonstrates the presence of a wide array of critical virulence factors in diverse strains of Vibrio cholerae non‐O1/non‐O139. Hence, this serogroup can no longer be ignored as an environmental reservoir of virulence genes. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)