bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advances in membrane emulsification. Part B: recent developments in modelling and scale‐up approaches
Authors: Spyropoulos Fotis , Lloyd David M. , Hancocks Robin D , Pawlik Aleksandra K
Published: October 2013

Membrane emulsification is a promising process for formulating emulsions and particulates. It offers many advantages over conventional ‘high‐shear’ processes with narrower size distribution products, higher batch repeatability and lower energy consumption commonly demonstrated at a small scale. Since the process was first introduced around 25 years ago, understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved during microstructure formation has advanced significantly leading to the development of modelling approaches that predict processing output; e.g. emulsion droplet size and throughput. The accuracy and ease of application of these models is important to allow for the development of design equations which can potentially facilitate scale‐up of the process and meet the manufacturer's specific requirements. Part B of this review considers the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of models developed to predict droplet size, flow behaviour and other phenomena (namely droplet–droplet interactions), with presentation of the appropriate formulae where necessary. Furthermore, the advancement of the process towards an industrial scale is also highlighted with additional recommendations by the authors for future work. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
The elevated pre‐operative plasma fibrinogen level is an independent negative prognostic factor for cancer‐specific, disease‐free and overall survival in soft‐tissue sarcoma patients
Authors: Szkandera Joanna , Pichler Martin , Liegl‐Atzwanger Bernadette , Absenger Gudrun , Stotz Michael , Ploner Ferdinand , Stojakovic Tatjana , Samonigg Hellmut , Eberhard Katharina , Leithner Andreas , Gerger Armin
Published: October 2013

Background and Objectives

Accumulating evidence indicates an important pathophysiological role of fibrinogen on tumor cell progression and metastases in different types of cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic relevance of pre‐operative fibrinogen levels on clinical outcome in a large cohort of STS patients.

Methods

Two hundred ninety‐four consecutive STS patients were retrospectively evaluated. Cancer‐specific survival (CSS), disease‐free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression models. Finally, we supplemented the well‐established Kattan nomogram by the fibrinogen level and evaluated the gain of predictive accuracy of this novel nomogram by Harrell's concordance index (c‐index).

Results

An elevated plasma fibrinogen level was significantly associated with established prognostic factors, including age, tumor grade, size, and depth (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in multivariate analysis, increased fibrinogen levels were significantly associated with a poor outcome for CSS (HR = 2.48; 95% CI = 1.28–4.78; P = 0.007), DFS (HR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.11–3.60; P = 0.021), and OS (HR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.39–3.47; P < 0.001). The estimated c‐index was 0.747 using the original Kattan nomogram and 0.779 when the fibrinogen levels was added.

Conclusion

The pre‐operative plasma fibrinogen level may represent a strong and independent unfavorable prognostic factor for CSS, DFS and OS in STS patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014 109:139–144. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Magnolol‐induced inhibition of tumor growth in systemic malignancies
Authors: Kapoor Shailendra
Published: October 2013

The commentary illustrates the significant tumor attenuating effects of magnolol and refers to the article on “Screening active anti‐breast cancer compounds from Cortex Magnolia officinalis by 2D LC–MS” (X. Hou, et al., J. Sep. Sci. 2013, 36 (4), 706–712). On the basis of the literature, there is definitively need for further studies to fully understand the magnolol reation pathways and to harness the antineoplastic effects.
Fractionated ablative carbon dioxide laser for the treatment of rhinophyma
Authors: Serowka Kathryn L , Saedi Nazanin , Dover Jeffrey S. , Zachary Christopher B.
Published: October 2013

Background

Rhinophyma is a progressive and disfiguring proliferative disorder of the nose, which is related to chronic rosacea. Many different treatment modalities have been utilized both alone and in combination including: loop cautery, CO2 laser, argon laser, dermabrasion, cryotherapy, radiotherapy, full‐thickness excision, skin graft, flap reconstruction, and cold scalpel. CO2 resurfacing has been considered first line therapy but is often associated with a shiny, scarred appearance, with patulous pores, and with loss of pigmentation. We report a technique using aggressive parameters with the fractionated ablative CO2 laser, resulting in improvement of appearance with very few complications.

Materials and Methods

Five patients who presented with rhinophyma of varying degrees were treated with a series of fractional ablative CO2 laser treatments (Fraxel re:Pair, Solta Medical, Hayward, CA). These patients were treated with settings of up to 70 mJ, 70% density and 16–18 passes. All patients received HSV prophylaxis using either acyclovir 400 mg TID or valacyclovir 500 mg BID. Patients were rendered anesthetic by 1% lidocaine and epinephrine regional perinasal nerve block.

Results

All of the patients tolerated the procedure well with reepithelialization at days 4–7 and self‐limited edema and erythema. Patients with relatively early to moderate signs of rhinophyma proved optimal candidates for this treatment. There were no adverse events. Patients and physicians noted significant improvement and reduction in the rhinophyma without the typical scarring noted with most other treatments.

Conclusion

Rhinophyma treated with fractionated ablative CO2 laser using relatively aggressive parameters achieved good cosmetic outcomes in this group of early to moderate cases of rhinophyma, while still retaining the benefits of a fractionated treatment such as faster healing times and fewer adverse events. Lasers Surg. Med. 46:8–12, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Light‐Induced Refractive Index Modulation in Photoactive Liquid‐Crystalline Elastomers
Authors: Tašič Blaž , Li Wei , Sánchez‐Ferrer Antoni , Čopič Martin , Drevenšek‐Olenik Irena
Published: October 2013

A comparative study of UV‐irradiation‐induced refractive index modulation in two analogous monodomain nematic side‐chain liquid‐crystalline elastomer materials is conveyed. In one of them, mesogenic azobenzene derivatives are incorporated as pendant co‐monomers, and in the other as crosslinking units. The dependence of the optical diffraction properties on the polarization state of the probe beam reveals that diffraction is predominantly of a bulk origin for both materials. For prolonged UV exposures, the material with pendant azobenzene derivatives exhibits practically constant diffraction properties, while the material with cross‐linking azobenzene units shows a profound decrease of diffraction efficiency with increasing exposure time. The difference is attributed to photoinduced alignment of the azobenzene molecules, which is much stronger in the material with the crosslinking azobenzene units.

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Thermal Transitions and Structural Relaxations in Protein‐Based Thermoplastics
Authors: Bier James M. , Verbeek Casparus J. R. , Lay Mark C.
Published: October 2013

Protein‐based thermoplastics resemble semi‐crystalline polymers, suggesting the occurrence of a glass transition (Tg) and melting point. Denaturing a protein's native structure is often called melting, but this does not necessarily imply complete unfolding into a fully amorphous structure as true melting would. Protein secondary structures, such as α‐helices and β‐sheets, can remain after denaturing, stay intact above the Tg and do not necessarily melt at typical processing temperatures. This implies that consolidation of aggregated protein particles into a macroscopically monolithic material depends on inter‐chain interactions in the amorphous phase and on newly formed secondary structures. Structural relaxations and transition temperatures of the amorphous phase are influenced and constrained by the presence of these secondary structures as well as heavily influenced by plasticizers.
Genome‐wide screening of aberrant DNA methylation which associated with gene expression in mouse skin cancers
Authors: Fujiwara Kyoko , Ghosh Srimoyee , Liang Ping , Morien Evan , Soma Masayoshi , Nagase Hiroki
Published: October 2013

Epigenetic alteration of genomic DNA is a common and key process in carcinogenesis. There is considerable evidence indicating that some of the somatic alterations occurring during carcinogenesis in humans also involve the same processes as those observed in mice. Therefore, we analyzed mouse skin cancer tissues induced by the 2‐stage carcinogenesis model to identify skin tumor‐specific differentially methylated regions (ST‐DMRs) during the multistep carcinogenesis process. We have previously identified ST‐DMRs using the restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) technique and reported that some of the mouse ST‐DMRs were also epigenetically modified in human cancers, such as melanoma, neuroblastoma, and brain tumor. These results encouraged us to pursue global methylation screening in mouse skin carcinogenesis. Using the methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) method combined with the NimbleGen promoter plus CpG island (CpGi) array, we identified 615 ST‐DMRs. In combination with global gene expression analysis, 91 of these ST‐DMRs were shown to be located on or around the genes differentially expressed between normal skin and tumor tissues, including a candidate human tumor suppressor gene Tfap2e. As observed in human colorectal cancers, Tfap2e was methylated at a CpGi located in intron 3 and downregulated in skin tumors. Our results identified aberrant methylated regions that were associated with gene expression regulation during carcinogenesis, which may indicate critical genetic regions also involved in human carcinogenesis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of specific executive functions on driving performance in people with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Ranchet Maud , Paire‐Ficout Laurence , Uc Ergun Y. , Bonnard Arnaud , Sornette Damien , Broussolle Emmanuel
Published: October 2013

Executive functions encompass various cognitive processes and are critical in novel or demanding driving situations. Our aim was to determine the role of impairments in specific executive functions (updating, flexibility, inhibition) on road performance in drivers with Parkinson's disease (PD), a condition commonly associated with early executive dysfunction. In this pilot study, 19 patients with mild to moderate PD and 21 healthy controls matched for age, education, and driving experience were tested using a neuropsychological battery assessing global cognitive abilities, updating (n‐back task), flexibility (plus‐minus task), and inhibition (Stroop test). Participants also underwent a 45‐minute road test in which they were scored by a driving instructor and a second experimenter. To separate “at‐risk” drivers from safe drivers, a composite driving indicator was calculated from the Test Ride for Investigating Practical Fitness to Drive score, the penalty score from the observation grid, and the number of safety interventions made by the driving instructor. Eight of the 40 drivers (all PD) were rated as “at risk.” Measures of updating (the n‐back task) and mental flexibility (the plus‐minus task) predicted driving safety even after adjustment for group status, explaining 53% of the total variance. These 2 tests also discriminated between safe and “at‐risk” drivers within the PD group. These findings, although preliminary, suggest that updating and mental flexibility are critical for safe driving in PD. Assessment batteries for driving fitness should probe different aspects of executive functions, specifically when evaluating drivers with PD. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Increase of the plasma α‐synuclein levels in patients with multiple system atrophy
Authors: Sun Zhan‐Fang , Xiang Xiao‐Shuang , Chen Zhao , Zhang Li , Tang Bei‐Sha , Xia Kun , Jiang Hong
Published: October 2013

Multiple system atrophy, a sporadic neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the presence of high numbers of glial cytoplasmic inclusions mainly formed by α‐synuclein protein, which is encoded by the SNCA gene. To date, however, few studies have investigated the plasma α‐synuclein levels in patients with multiple system atrophy. We studied plasma α‐synuclein concentrations by using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 74 patients with multiple system atrophy and 90 healthy controls. The plasma α‐synuclein levels were significantly elevated in patients who had multiple system atrophy compared with the control group (P = 0.000). In a subgroup of 48 patients who had probable multiple system atrophy, there was a weakly negative correlation between plasma α‐synuclein levels and subscores on Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale item VI (rs = −0.307; P = 0.034). Plasma α‐synuclein levels were elevated in patients with multiple system atrophy, and these levels may be decreased with the development of disease. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
A New Perspective on Family Involvement in Chronic Pain Management Programmes
Authors: Swift C. M. , Reed K. , Hocking C.
Published: October 2013

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate how those with pain, and their significant others, perceive the involvement of significant others in a multidisciplinary chronic pain management programme.

Methods

Semi‐structured telephone interviews were conducted with eight people who had attended a Family Day as part of a three‐week multidisciplinary chronic pain management programme in Auckland, New Zealand. Four of the participants had pain and four were significant others. Follow‐up interviews were conducted with seven of the participants up to one year after their initial interview. Conventional content analysis was used to analyse collected data.

Results

Participants viewed the involvement of significant others to be important because managing pain necessitates ‘being on the same page’ and significant others also needed an opportunity to access support and information.

Conclusion

The involvement of significant others in programmes is perceived to be important but must be a balance between what is feasible for significant others and beneficial for all. Further research into when and how significant others are included within programmes is urgently required. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is total duration of distal compound muscle action potential better than negative peak duration in the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy?
Authors: Lagarde Julien , Viala Karine , Fournier Emmanuel
Published: October 2013

Introduction: The diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is difficult, and the role of electrophysiology is crucial. Distal compound muscle action potential (CMAP) duration is a useful tool that is assessed by measuring negative peak duration (NP). The value of total distal CMAP duration (T), which seems more precise from a physiological standpoint, has not been studied. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the records of 50 patients with CIDP and 50 controls with chronic axonal neuropathy. We constructed ROC curves for NP and T. Results: Comparison of AUC for T vs. NP showed an advantage for the former (P = 0.026 for the fibular nerve). Our derived cut‐offs offered a sensitivity of 42.3% for T vs. 35.3% for NP. Conclusion: This study suggests a slight advantage for T over NP duration of the distal CMAP in the diagnosis of CIDP. However, the clinical relevance of this result must be weighed against the feasibility of this measurement. Muscle Nerve 49: 895–899, 2014
The effects of strength, aerobic, and concurrent exercise on skeletal muscle damage in rats
Authors: Rech Anderson , Radaelli Regis , De Assis Adriano M. , Fernandes João R. , Longoni Aline , Vozari‐Hampe Magdolna M. , Pinto Ronei S. , Matté Cristiane
Published: October 2013

Introduction: In this study we examined oxidative stress and skeletal muscle damage resulting from acute strength, aerobic, or concurrent exercise in rats. Methods: The animals were divided into control (C), strength (SE), aerobic (AE), and combined (CE) exercise groups. They were euthanized at 3 different time‐points (6, 24, and 48 h) after acute exercise. Results: SE exercise rats had increased dichlorofluorescein oxidation at 6 h post‐exercise and decreased superoxide dismutase activity at all time‐points. Glutathione peroxidase activity and sulfhydryl levels were increased in the AE group at 48 h post‐exercise. Serum lactate dehydrogenase activity was increased in the SE and CE groups at 24 h and in the AE group at 48 h. Echo intensity was elevated at 24 h for all groups. Conclusions: Forty‐eight hours was sufficient for complete recovery from oxidative stress and muscle damage in the SE and CE groups, but not in the AE group. Muscle Nerve 50: 79–86, 2014
A simple analytical solution to one‐dimensional consolidation for unsaturated soils
Authors: Zhou Wan‐Huan , Zhao Lin‐Shuang , Li Xi‐Bin
Published: October 2013

This paper presents a simple analytical solution to Fredlund and Hasan's one‐dimensional (1‐D) consolidation theory for unsaturated soils. The coefficients of permeability and volume change for unsaturated soils are assumed to remain constant throughout the consolidation process. The mathematical expression of the present solution is much simpler compared with the previous available solutions in the literature. Two new variables are introduced to transform the two coupled governing equations of pore‐water and pore‐air pressures into an equivalent set of partial differential equations, which are easily solved with standard mathematical formulas. It is shown that the present analytical solution can be degenerated into that of Terzaghi consolidation for fully saturated condition. The analytical solutions to 1‐D consolidation of an unsaturated soil subjected to instantaneous loading, ramp loading, and exponential loading, for different drainage conditions and initial pore pressure conditions, are summarized in tables for ease of use by practical engineers. In the case studies, the analytical results show good agreement with the available analytical solution in the literature. The consolidation behaviors of unsaturated soils are investigated. The average degree of consolidation at different loading patterns and drainage conditions is presented. The pore‐water pressure isochrones for two different drainage conditions and three initial pore pressure distributions are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two‐dimensional finite element analysis of gravitational and lateral‐driven deformation in sedimentary basins
Authors: Maghous S. , Brüch A. , Bernaud D. , Dormieux L. , Braun A. L.
Published: October 2013

The paper deals with the modeling of some aspects, such as the formulation of constitutive equations for sediment material or finite element approach for basin analysis, related to mechanical compaction in sedimentary basins. In addition to compaction due to gravity forces and pore‐pressure dissipation, particular emphasis is given to the study of deformation induced by tectonic sequences. The numerical model relies upon the implementation of a comprehensive constitutive model for the sediment material formulated within the framework of finite poroplasticity. The theoretical model accounts for both hydromechanical and elasticity–plasticity coupling due to the effects of irreversible large strains. From the numerical viewpoint, a finite element procedure specifically devised for dealing with sedimentary basins as open systems allows to simulate within a two‐dimensional setting the process of sediment accretion or erosion.

Several basin simulations are presented. The main objective is to analyze the behavior of a sedimentary basin during the different phases of its life cycle: accretion phase, pore‐pressure dissipation phase and compressive/extensional tectonic motions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A branch‐price‐and‐cut algorithm for the min‐max k‐vehicle windy rural postman problem
Authors: Benavent Enrique , Corberán Ángel , Desaulniers Guy , Lessard François , Plana Isaac , Sanchis José M.
Published: October 2013

The min‐max k‐vehicles windy rural postman problem consists of minimizing the maximal distance traveled by a vehicle to find a set of balanced routes that jointly service all the required edges in a windy graph. This is a very difficult problem, for which a branch‐and‐cut algorithm has already been proposed, providing good results when the number of vehicles is small. In this article, we present a branch‐price‐and‐cut method capable of obtaining optimal solutions for this problem when the number of vehicles is larger for the same set of required edges. Extensive computational results on instances from the literature are presented. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 63(1), 34–45 2014
High performance computing of discrete nonsmooth contact dynamics with domain decomposition
Authors: Visseq Vincent , Alart Pierre , Dureisseix David
Published: October 2013

We investigate two algorithms for solving large‐scale granular problems using DD methods. These numerical schemes can be connected to classical DDs, with and without overlapping, developed in continuum mechanics. The two algorithms are compared in terms of implementation and parallel performance. We focus the numerical study on communication procedures between processors, load balancing, and scalability, topics particularly crucial in nonlinear evolutive problems. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A large time‐step implicit moving mesh scheme for moving boundary problems
Authors: Baines M. J. , Lee T. E.
Published: October 2013

Velocity‐based moving mesh methods update the mesh at each time level by using a velocity equation with a time‐stepping scheme. A particular velocity‐based moving mesh method, based on conservation, uses explicit time‐stepping schemes with small time steps to avoid mesh tangling. However, this can prove to be impractical when long‐term behavior of the solution is of interest. Here, we present a semi‐implicit time‐stepping scheme which manipulates the structure of the velocity equation such that it resembles a variable‐coefficient heat equation. This enables the use of maximum/minimum principle which ensures that mesh tangling is avoided. It is also shown that this semi‐implicit scheme can be extended to a fully implicit time‐stepping scheme. Thus, the time‐step restriction imposed by explicit schemes is overcome without sacrificing mesh structure. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 321–338, 2014
Prepregnancy body mass index and cardiovascular disease mortality: The child health and development studies
Authors: Mongraw‐Chaffin Morgana L. , Anderson Cheryl A.M. , Clark Jeanne M. , Bennett Wendy L.
Published: October 2013

Objective

Overweight early in life may contribute to cardiovascular disease mortality through progression to later life obesity or through a cumulative effect of excess weight. Few studies have investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) before middle age and cardiovascular disease mortality in women. Using the Child Health and Development Studies cohort of 11,006 pregnant women recruited between 1959 and 1967, the hypothesis that higher self‐reported prepregnancy BMI is associated with increased stroke and coronary heart disease mortality was tested.

Methods

Cause of death was assessed annually from enrollment through 2007 by linking with California Vital Status Records. Cox proportional hazards ratios for cause‐specific mortality for each BMI category were calculated.

Results

Median follow‐up was 37 years with 1839 participant deaths at a mean age of 64.1 years. At higher levels of BMI, participants were older, had higher prevalence of co‐morbid conditions, higher parity, and lower family income. In adjusted models, women with higher prepregnancy BMI had increased coronary heart disease mortality compared to those with normal BMI. Women who were underweight, overweight, or obese had higher all‐cause mortality. Sensitivity analyses confirmed these results.

Conclusions

Prepregnancy BMI has a monotonic association with coronary heart disease mortality and a j‐shaped association with noncardiovascular mortality.
Fracking and public relations: rehearsing the arguments and making the case
Authors: Jones Peter , Hillier David , Comfort Daphne
Published: October 2013

Large‐scale shale gas reserves have recently been discovered under many parts of the UK. Although the UK government and the business community have been very keen to stress the economic benefits associated with the development of these resources, a range of environmental organisations and community groups are vociferously opposed to such development. With this in mind, this research note describes the characteristics of shale oil and hydraulic fracturing, outlines the initial developments within the UK, rehearses some of the principal arguments and claims on the perceived benefits and costs associated with the hydraulic fracturing of gas shale resources and offers a discussion on how the case for and against shale gas development is being made. The discussion suggests that local opposition groups are well organised and have been harnessing information and communication technologies and social media to good effect. Within the shale gas industry, there is a consensus that managing and turning round widespread negative public perceptions about shale gas development will be essential if shale gas resources are to be commercially exploited. Public relations and media companies will have a key role to play in achieving that goal, but they face a range of testing challenges if they are to be successful. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Successful treatment of an infant with CDA type II by intrauterine transfusions and postnatal stem cell transplantation
Authors: Braun M. , Wölfl M. , Wiegering V. , Winkler B. , Ertan K. , Bald R. , Schwarz K. , Heimpel H. , Eyrich M. , Schlegel P.G.
Published: October 2013

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias are rare hematological disorders leading to ineffective erythropoiesis with chronic anemia, complicated by iron overload. Here we present a remarkable clinical course of an infant with CDA type II who first presented as a severe fetal hydrops, requiring serial intrauterine red cell transfusions. While postnatal transfusion dependency persisted, the patient was successfully transplanted with a myeloablative conditioning regimen and peripheral blood stem cells of a matched donor. We believe that allogeneic HSCT is a reasonable therapeutic approach for patients with very severe CDA, even if only a matched unrelated donor is available. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:743–745. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Extraction Yields and Anti‐oxidant Activity of Proanthocyanidins from Different Parts of Grape Pomace: Effect of Mechanical Treatments
Authors: de Sá M. , Justino V. , Spranger M. I. , Zhao Y. Q. , Han L. , Sun B. S.
Published: October 2013

Introduction

White grape pomace is not subject to maceration, keeping nearly all polyphenols of grapes, so they represent important sources of bioactive compounds such as proanthocyanidins. Preparation of plant polyphenol extracts is usually performed using raw material powder. However, the fine particles make the further extraction procedure steps more difficult.

Objective

To study the effect of mechanical treatments on extraction yields and anti‐oxidant activity from different parts of white grape pomace.

Methods

Skins, stems and seeds were isolated from the pomace of white winemaking process. Sequential solvent extraction of polyphenols, first using 80% methanol in water followed by 75% acetone in water, was carried out on both entire and milled (< 1 mm) grape solids; extraction on seed polyphenols was also performed in its squashed form. The phenolic content of each extract was verified by spectrometric and HPLC methods and its anti‐oxidant activity was evaluated by the 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl test.

Results

More total polyphenols can be extracted from each milled tissue than from its entire form. Seeds present the highest total phenol, oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidin content, and similar extraction yield was found between milled and squashed tissues. The HPLC analysis showed no difference in extraction yield of low‐molecular‐weight proanthocyanidins between milled and entire stems. Anti‐oxidant activity showed a positive correlation with total phenol content, galloyled oligomers and polymeric proanthocyanidins.

Conclusion

The use of entire stems and squashed seeds for solvent extraction of polyphenols makes manipulation simpler and more cost‐efficient, providing similar extraction yields to using their powdery forms. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal diagnosis of exophytic nevus sebaceous of the scalp
Authors: Dhombres Ferdinand , Kolanska Kamila , Garel Catherine , Aubry Jean‐Pierre , Gonzales Marie , Jouannic Jean‐Marie
Published: October 2013

Nevus sebaceous is a complex hamartoma most commonly found on the scalp, face, and neck and is often present at birth, although some may be diagnosed later in infancy. We report the first prenatal diagnosis of isolated nevus sebaceous that presented at 19 weeks' gestation as a large and exophytic tumor of the scalp. This case emphasizes the crucial role of ultrasound examination performed with high‐frequency probes, which revealed associated diffuse lesions of the face. Identification of such a facial involvement could have a dramatic prognostic impact. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gas environment effect on cavitation damage in stretched polyvinylidene fluoride
Authors: Boyer Séverine A.E. , Gerland Michel , Castagnet Sylvie
Published: October 2013

The influence of gas sorption on damage nucleation of a semicrystalline polymer during coupled diffuso‐mechanical monotonic loading in tension was investigated for the first time. Alpha‐poly(vinylidene fluoride) was mechanically strained under the presence of two chemically different gases, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, at a temperature of 30°C and a pressure up to 120 bar. The cavitation damage at the microstructure scale after gas decompression was assessed from a careful SEM and TEM micrographs analysis. Compared with SEM, TEM allowed quantifying the smallest cavities (ten‐nanometer size). If decompression in hydrogen appeared to have only a slight effect on cavitation however, carbon dioxide showed a detrimental effect on damage nucleation with the exhibition of a significant population of small cavities. On the other hand, tension under gas pressure is more sensitive to hydrogen than to carbon dioxide. Once interaction with gaseous carbon dioxide takes place the plasticizing effect is in competition with damage by cavitation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2139–2146, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
PROX1 Gene Variant is Associated with Fasting Glucose Change After Antihypertensive Treatment
Authors: Gong Yan , McDonough Caitrin W. , Beitelshees Amber L. , Karnes Jason H. , O'Connell Jeffrey R. , Turner Stephen T. , Chapman Arlene B. , Gums John G. , Bailey Kent R. , Boerwinkle Eric , Johnson Julie A. , Cooper‐DeHoff Rhonda M.
Published: October 2013

Study Objective

To assess the relationship of the 33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously associated with fasting glucose in Caucasians in genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) with glucose response to antihypertensive drugs shown to increase risk for hyperglycemia and diabetes.

Design

Randomized, multicenter clinical trial.

Patients

A total of 456 Caucasian men and women with uncomplicated hypertension.

Measurements and Main Results

The Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensives Responses study evaluated blood pressure and glucose response in uncomplicated hypertensive patients randomized to either atenolol or hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) monotherapy, followed by combination therapy with both agents. Association of these SNPs with atenolol‐ or HCTZ‐induced glucose response was evaluated in 456 Caucasian patients using linear regression adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, baseline glucose, baseline insulin, and principal component for ancestry.

The SNP rs340874 in the 5′ region of PROX1 gene was significantly associated with atenolol‐induced glucose change (p=0.0013). Participants harboring the C allele of this SNP had greater glucose elevation after approximately 9 weeks of atenolol monotherapy (β = +2.39 mg/dl per C allele), consistent with the direction of effect in fasting glucose GWAS, that showed the C allele is associated with higher fasting glucose.

Conclusion

These data suggest that PROX1 SNP rs340874, discovered in fasting glucose GWAS, may also be a pharmacogenetic risk factor for antihypertensive‐induced hyperglycemia. β‐blockers and thiazides may interact with genetic risk factors to increase risk for dysglycemia and diabetes.
Surface modifications of influenza proteins upon virus inactivation by β‐propiolactone
Authors: She Yi‐Min , Cheng Keding , Farnsworth Aaron , Li Xuguang , Cyr Terry D.
Published: October 2013

Inactivation of intact influenza viruses using formaldehyde or β‐propiolactone (BPL) is essential for vaccine production and safety. The extent of chemical modifications of such reagents on viral proteins needs to be extensively investigated to better control the reactions and quality of vaccines. We have evaluated the effect of BPL inactivation on two candidate re‐assortant vaccines (NIBRG‐121xp and NYMC‐X181A) derived from A/California/07/2009 pandemic influenza viruses using high‐resolution FT‐ICR MS‐based proteomic approaches. We report here an ultra performance LC MS/MS method for determining full‐length protein sequences of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase through protein delipidation, various enzymatic digestions, and subsequent mass spectrometric analyses of the proteolytic peptides. We also demonstrate the ability to reliably identify hundreds of unique sites modified by propiolactone on the surface of glycoprotein antigens. The location of these modifications correlated with changes to protein folding, conformation, and stability, but demonstrated no effect on protein disulfide linkages. In some cases, these modifications resulted in suppression of protein function, an effect that correlated with the degree of change of the modified amino acids’ side chain length and polarity.
Improving schizophrenia care: kindness and competence are key
Authors: Titmarsh Steve
Published: October 2013

At the 12th Latest Advances in Psychiatry Symposium in March, Professor Sir Robin Murray provided colleagues with a synthesis of what he has learnt, observed and experienced in relation to schizophrenia in a Keynote Lecture that offered some real pearls of wisdom to those trying to help people with this devastating illness. Steve Titmarsh was among those privileged to listen.
Ground and excited state properties of chalcogenol esters: a combined theoretical and experimental study
Authors: da Silveira Rampon Daniel , da Silveira Santos Fabiano , Descalzo Rodrigo Roceti , Toldo Josene Maria , Gonçalves Paulo Fernando Bruno , Schneider Paulo Henrique , Rodembusch Fabiano Severo
Published: October 2013

In this article, the synthesis and characterization of a series of chalcogenol esters 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f are described. The photophysical behavior of the esters in solution was studied using UV–vis absorption and steady‐state fluorescence emission spectroscopies. These chalcogenol esters present absorption maxima located around 332 nm and fluorescence emission maxima in the UV‐violet‐blue region. The obtained values for the Stokes' shift and the relation of the fluorescence maxima versus the solvent polarity function (Δf) from the Lippert–Mataga correlation indicate that charge transfer in the excited state occurs only for esters 1c and 1f. Theoretical calculations were also performed in order to study the geometry and charge distribution of these compounds in their ground and excited electronic states, as well as to clarify the role of the chalcogen atom in the photophysics of these compounds. Time‐dependent density functional theory calculations were performed using the CAM‐B3LYP functional with the 6‐31+G(d) basis set for geometrical optimizations and 6‐311++(2d,p) basis set for single points (absorbing and emitting structures). Solvent effects were included by the integral equation formalism of the polarizable continuum model. The large solvatochromic effect observed in the experimental emission spectra indicates that these dyes are more polar in the excited state, which was confirmed by the theoretical calculations. The computationally predicted properties are in good agreement with the experimental results and provide confirmation that the chalcogen atom plays a key role in the photophysical characteristics of the chalcogenol esters. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
BF3·OEt2 in alcoholic media, an efficient initiator in the cationic polymerization of phenyl‐1,3‐benzoxazines
Authors: Andreu Robert , Galià Marina , Cádiz Virginia , Lligadas Gerard , Reina Jose A. , Ronda Juan C.
Published: October 2013

3‐Phenyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐1,3‐benzoxazine (m1) underwent cationic ring opening polymerization using BF3·OEt2 in alcoholic solution under mild conditions. The polymerization of m1 proceeds through an intermediate hemiaminal ether leading mainly to the formation of polybenzoxazines with diphenylmethane bridges, and not only the classical Mannich‐type ones. During the first stages of the reaction, low‐molecular weight soluble oligomers containing benzoxazine rings are formed. At longer polymerization times, the propagation proceeds conventionally through the phenolic active sites. This polymerization mechanism is extensible to other substituted 3‐phenyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐1,3‐benzoxazines but fails in the case of 3‐alkyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐1,3‐benzoxazines or when the phenyl group in Position 3 have a substituent in the p‐position. Spectroscopic studies and kinetic experiments using model reactions and deuterium labeled benzoxazines, allow proposing a plausible different polymerization mechanism. These soluble benzoxazine‐containing polymers can be conveniently processed and impregnated on appropriate substrates before underwent crosslinking producing materials with comparable properties to those of conventional bis‐benzoxazines. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 5075–5084
Synthesis of click‐reactive HPMA copolymers using RAFT polymerization for drug delivery applications
Authors: Ebbesen Morten F. , Schaffert David H. , Crowley Michael L. , Oupický David , Howard Kenneth A.
Published: October 2013

This study describes a versatile strategy combining reversible addition fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization and click chemistry to synthesize well‐defined, reactive copolymers of N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) for drug delivery applications. A novel azide containing monomer N‐(3‐azidopropyl)methacrylamide (AzMA) was synthesized and copolymerized with HPMA using RAFT polymerization to provide p(HPMA‐co‐AzMA) copolymers with high control of molecular weight (∼10–54 kDa) and polydispersity (≤1.06). The utility of the side‐chain azide functionality by Cu(I)‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) was demonstrated by efficient conjugation (up to 92%) of phosphocholine, a near infrared dye, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with different substitution degrees, either alone or in combination. This study introduces a novel and versatile method to synthesize well‐defined click‐reactive HPMA copolymers for preparing a panel of bioconjugates with different functionalities needed to systemically evaluate and tune the biological performance of polymer‐based drug delivery. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 5091–5099
Robust Aqueous Quantum Dots Capped with Peptide Ligands as Biomaterials: Facile Preparation, Good Stability, and Multipurpose Application
Authors: Zhou Guohua , Chen Chaohui , Zhang Liyun , Guo Xiaofeng , Wang Hong , Ji Xinghu , He Zhike
Published: October 2013

We have obtained robust peptide‐capped quantum dots (QDs) using a facile approach. The pentapeptide Cys‐Ala‐Leu‐Asn‐Asn (CALNN) is involved as the capping ligand, forming a self‐assembly monolayer on the surface of QDs, and solubilization of hydrophobic QDs in water is realized by simply mixing with the ligands in sodium hydroxide solution. All of the characterization results show that the prepared small‐sized QDs have excellent stability in acidic and high salt solutions. Additionally, the protein‐mimicking surface property of the peptide‐capped QDs eliminates the nonspecific cellular interaction, which in combination with the low cytotoxicity promises an ideal biomaterial in the future. Further functionalization and achievement of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to graphene also display great potential for analytical applications.
Targeted proteomics strategy applied to biomarker evaluation
Authors: Kim Yeoun Jin , Gallien Sebastien , van Oostrum Jan , Domon Bruno
Published: October 2013

The evaluation of biomarker candidates, involving quantitative measurement of a large number of proteins in bodily fluids, remains the main obstruction in the development of a biomarker validation pipeline. Although immunoassays are commonly used, high‐throughput and multiplex‐capable methods are required for expediting the evaluation process. MS‐based approaches employing targeted proteomic strategies provide not only a sensitive, but in addition a precise quantification tool, which is versatile, systematic, and scalable. Its capability of multiplexing hundreds of targets facilitate a cost‐effective and rapid evaluation and is especially useful during the early stage of the process where a large list of candidate biomarkers must be triaged before entering validation studies. The robustness requirement for the methods also mandates a high degree of selectivity to analyze complex clinical samples. Improvement in the selectivity of LC‐MS methods has been achieved by adopting high‐resolution and high‐accuracy mass analyzers to perform quantitative analyses with a novel method called parallel reaction monitoring. This article discusses the design and performance of biomarker evaluation studies using targeted proteomics strategies and the implementation of recent technology developments.
Investigation of Blast Performance and Solid Residues for Layered Thermobaric Charges
Authors: Trzciński Waldemar A. , Barcz Katarzyna , Paszula Józef , Cudziło Stanisław
Published: October 2013

The confined explosion of an annular layered charge composed of a phlegmatized RDX (RDXph) core and an external layer consisting of aluminum powder (Al) or a mixture of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and Al was studied. Experiments were carried out in fully and partially closed structures, i.e., in the explosion chamber of 150 dm3 in volume and in the 40 m3 volume bunker with four small holes and a doorway. Two types of aluminum powder were used in the mixtures. Signals of overpressure from two piezoelectric gauges located at the chamber wall were recorded and the influence of aluminum contents and particle size on a quasi‐static pressure (QSP) was studied. Moreover, the solid residues from the chamber were analyzed by using SEM, TG/DTA and XRD techniques to determine their structure and composition. Pressure and light histories recorded in the bunker enable us to determine the blast wave characteristics and time‐duration of light output. The effect of the charge mass and aluminum particle size on blast wave parameters were investigated. For comparison, the test for RDXph and TNT charges were also carried out.
Comparative Studies of Pressure Sensitization of Zirconium Carbide and Zirconium Silicate on Burning Rates in a RDX‐AP based Composite Propellant
Authors: Singh Harmeet , Upadhyay Jayesh , Chimurkar Dhanraj , Ghorpade Vishwas , Kotbagi Amarnath , Kumar Amit , Kumar Arvind , Gupta Manoj
Published: October 2013

In a systematic study to compare the effects of the values of burning rate and pressure exponent in RDX‐AP based composite propellant, various compositions with varying percentages of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and zirconium silicate (ZrSiO4) were formulated to select a suitable candidate. Various rocket parameters of each formulation were theoretically predicted by the NASA CEC‐71 program and the burning rate was evaluated in pressure range of 3–11 MPa. In addition, density, sensitivity, and thermal properties of compositions having maximum effects on pressure exponent’s values were also evaluated. It was concluded that ZrSiO4 enhances the pressure exponent “n” value substantially, whereas ZrC doesn’t have significant effects on it as compared to base composition and also provides higher density values of composite propellant formulated.
Application of Azido Esters as Energetic Plasticizers for LOVA Propellant Formulations
Authors: Kumari Dimple , Yamajala K. Durga Bhaskhar , Singh Haridwar , Sanghavi Rakesh R. , Asthana Shri N. , Raju K. , Banerjee Shaibal
Published: October 2013

The study of a cyclotrimethylene trinitramine‐based low vulnerable ammunition (LOVA) propellant having cellulose acetate (CA) and nitrocellulose (NC) combinations as binders is described herein. Two propellant compositions (1 and 2) were prepared by replacing the non energetic plasticizer triacetin (TA) with the novel tetraazido ester plasticizers tetraazido malonate and tetraazido glutarate, respectively, and their ballistic, mechanical, and thermal properties were studied. Both compositions 1 and 2 showed thermal stability up to 200 °C with a heat release of 1752.81 and 1774.34 J g−1, respectively. Both compositions have high impact insensitivity (h50: 39 cm), friction insensitivity up to 36 kg, and an ignition temperature greater than 250 °C. The flame temperatures of 1 and 2 are 3164 and 3243 K with linear burn rate coefficients of 0.117 and 0.122 cm s−1 MPa−1, respectively. Similar percentage elongations at three different temperatures (−20 °C, +27 °C, and +55 °C) conditions were recorded for both compositions.