bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Software review: Glotaran
Authors: Dedecker Peter
Published: February 2014

The Glotaran software is a software package for the global and target analysis of time‐resolved spectroscopy and microscopy data. In this contribution, we take a more in‐depth look at this analysis tool and the extent to which it can be involved in your analysis workflow.
Chiral Separation and Enantioselective Degradation of Vinclozolin in Soils
Authors: Liu Hui , Liu Donghui , Shen Zhigang , Sun Mingjing , Zhou Zhiqiang , Wang Peng
Published: February 2014

Vinclozolin is a chiral fungicide with potential environmental problems. The chiral separation of the enantiomers and enantioselective degradation in soil were investigated in this work. The enantiomers were separated by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on Chiralpak IA, IB, and AZ‐H chiral columns under normal phase and the influence of the mobile phase composition on the separation was also studied. Complete resolutions were obtained on all three chiral columns under optimized conditions with the same elution order of (+)/(−). The residual analysis of the enantiomers in soil was conducted using accelerate solvent extraction followed by HPLC determination. The recoveries of the enantiomers ranged from 85.7–105.7% with relative standard deviation (SD) of 0.12–3.83%, and the limit of detection (LOD) of the method was 0.013 µg/g. The results showed that the degradations of vinclozolin enantiomers in the soils followed first‐order kinetics. Preferential degradation of the (−)‐enantiomer was observed only in one soil with the largest |ES| value of 0.047, and no obvious enantioselective degradation was observed in other soils. It was found that the persistence of vinclozolin in soil was related to pH values based on the half‐lives. The two enantiomers disappeared about 8 times faster in basic soils than that in neutral or acidic soils. Chirality 26:155–159, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Maleic anhydride production in a cross‐flow reactor: A comparative study
Authors: Ali Mohammad Al‐Haj , Al‐Humaizi Khalid
Published: February 2014

The utilisation of cross‐flow reactor (CFR) in maleic anhydride (MA) production by direct oxidation of n‐butane is analysed. The CFR is described by a series of experimentally proven packed‐bed reactor (PBR) segments with specific oxygen dosing for each segment. The MA is up to 35 higher in a CFR compared to a comparative PBR. However, increasing the number of oxygen feeding points, from 4 to 10, resulted in only a slight increase in yield. Moreover, the increase in reactor cooling bath temperature was found to raise the temperature inside the conventional reactor considerably; meanwhile, temperature increase in the corresponding CFR is limited. The use of different oxygen feeding policies; namely equal, increasing and decreasing policies, caused only a minor effect on CFR performance. The advantage in MA yield through use of CFR is diminished as the residence time increases. Since CFR can be safely operated with higher butane inlet concentrations and higher reactor temperature, it represents an interesting alternative for use at industrial‐scale operation.
Lipase immobilisation in matrix comprised of gelatin of different bloom numbers with the addition of hydrophilic plasticisers
Authors: Kempka Aniela Pinto , de Arruda Guelli Ulson de Souza Selene Maria , de Souza Antônio Augusto Ulson
Published: February 2014

Gelatin is a low value water‐soluble protein which has the ability to form gels and its use with the addition of plasticisers has been studied in the development of biofilms. Many studies show the use of gelatin in high concentrations agent immobilisation successfully, however, most of these do not show the Bloom value of the gelatin used. In this study, lipase immobilisation in gelatin of different Bloom values with the addition of hydrophilic plasticisers, glycerol and mannitol was investigated. Mannitol showed higher efficiency for lipase immobilisation in more uniform pore structures. The immobilisation stability was affected by the pH, temperature and agitation conditions, and the matrices E8‐280‐M (corresponding to experiment 8, 280 Bloom gelatin and mannitol) and E9/10‐280‐M (corresponding to experiment 9 and 10, 280 Bloom gelatin and mannitol) were the most stable. In the hydrolysis of olive oil, the enzymatic activity of free and immobilised lipases was studied in relation to temperature, pH and time, and 42°C was found to be the optimal temperature for both forms of lipases. In terms of activity, for free lipase, the optimum pH was 7.0, for lipase immobilised in E8‐280‐M it was between 5.5 and 7.5 and for lipase immobilised in E9/10‐280‐M the optimum range was 6.5 and 7.5. Ten reuse cycles were possible, and by the 5th cycle the lipase immobilised in E8‐280‐M showed 77.66% of the initial activity. The highest retention of activity during storage was observed for the lipase immobilised at 25°C in the E8‐280‐M matrix.
Cassava Starch Based Superabsorbent Polymer as Soil Conditioner: Impact on Soil Physico‐Chemical and Biological Properties and Plant Growth
Authors: Parvathy Prabha C. , Jyothi Alummoottil N. , John K. Susan , Sreekumar Janardhanan
Published: February 2014

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are macromolecules with the ability to absorb water and release it slowly to the surroundings. SAP hydrogels can be used as soil moisture conditioners which act as water reservoirs and release water depending upon the need of plant roots. In the present study, a cassava starch based superabsorbent hydrogel was evaluated as a soil conditioner and its effect on physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil as well as on plant growth parameters was studied. Amendment of the soil with the starch based SAP hydrogel significantly altered the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Bulk density of the soil was decreased, whereas water holding capacity and porosity were increased on SAP treatment. There was an improvement in the soil status of major, secondary and micronutrients and organic carbon in the SAP amended soil. An increase in bacteria (16%) and fungi counts (18%) as well as superior plant growth were observed for the treatment with SAP and irrigated at an interval of 3 days, compared to those of control without SAP. Soil amendment with starch based SAP hydrogel was found to be beneficial for maintaining the physicochemical and biological soil properties as well as plant growth.
Exudates and optic disk detection in retinal images of diabetic patients
Authors: Zeljković Vesna , Bojic Milena , Zhao Shengwei , Tameze Claude , Valev Ventzeslav
Published: February 2014

Diabetic retinopathy is the progressive pathological alterations in the retinal microvasculature that very often causes blindness. Because of its clinical significance, it will be helpful to have regular cost‐effective eye screening for diabetic patients by developing algorithms to perform retinal image analysis, fundus image enhancement, and monitoring. The two cost‐effective algorithms are proposed for exudates detection and optic disk extraction aimed for retinal images classification and diagnosis assistance. They represent the effort made to offer a cost‐effective algorithm for optic disk identification, which will enable easier exudates extraction, exudates detection and retinal images classification aimed to assist ophthalmologists while making diagnoses. The proposed algorithms apply mathematical modeling, which enables light intensity levels emphasis, easier optic disk and exudates detection, efficient and correct classification of retinal images. The algorithm is robust to various appearance changes of retinal fundus images and shows very promising results. Fundus images are classified into those that are healthy and those affected by diabetes, based on the detected optic disk and exudates. The obtained results indicate that the proposed algorithm successfully and correctly classifies more than 98% of the observed retinal images because of the changes in the appearance of retinal fundus images typically encountered in clinical environments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Large electromagnetic simulation by hybrid approach on large‐scale parallel computing systems
Authors: Alexandru Mihai , Monteil Thierry , Lorenz Petr , Coccetti Fabio , Aubert Hervé
Published: February 2014

This paper deals with the parallel computing and computation time prediction applied to computational electromagnetics based on rigorous methods for large and complex structures, such as tunnels and airplane cabins. The main objective of this work is represented by the electromagnetic computation of an airplane cabin in order to characterize the propagation channel for a given frequency inside the structure. A well‐known three‐dimensional numerical method, transmission‐line matrix, is adopted for this work. Transmission‐line matrix modelling method is applied to volumes, using the symmetrical condensed node. The planar structures are modelled with the mode matching approach. In order to analyse the electromagnetic field at high frequencies inside large structures as an airplane cabin, the transmission‐line matrix mesh step is very small compared with the size of the physical structure. Thus, the total amount of data that need to be processed exceeds the RAM memory presented on a traditional computing machine. The implementation of the parallel transmission‐line matrix algorithm is a viable solution to this problem taking full advantage of the parallel and distributed architectures, as clusters, grids and supercomputers. The results prove the benefits of the grid computing and supercomputer environments to solve electrically large structures. The parallel hybrid approach, based on Message Passing Interface, is designed for Single Programme Multiple Data programming model. The study highlights the role of parallelization scheme, grid versus supercomputer, with respect to the size of the problem and its repartition. In order to access the computing resources available on different parallel computing platforms, users need to respect a charter containing time and resource number restrictions when doing reservations. So, a time prediction model based on the profile of the transmission‐line matrix algorithm has been developed to allow safe reservations of the computing nodes on grid environment. To have a good agreement between the measured and the predicted values for the computation time, the problem of the cache misses appearing during the simulation has been considered in the profile‐based prediction model of the transmission‐line matrix/modal hybrid application, according to the processor cache memory size. The maximum error for the estimated values of the computation times is about 6.09%. The relevance of this work is based on the fact that is given a complete tool to deal with the large electromagnetic structures: a parallel transmission‐line matrix implementation to take the advantage of the distributed architectures and a time prediction model in order to optimize the resource reservation and the simulation execution on the computing nodes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assembly into β‐Sheet Structures upon Peptide–Liposome Conjugation through Copper(I)‐Catalyzed [3+2] Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition
Authors: Cavalli Silvia , Overhand Mark , Kros Alexander
Published: February 2014

The random‐coil‐to‐β‐sheet transition of the (Leu‐Glu)4peptide motif is induced upon its conjugation to the liposome surface through “click” chemistry. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy enables the in situ monitoring of this reaction. A change in the peptide secondary structure is already observed within 15 min. The β‐sheet conformation becomes the dominant secondary structure after 45 min, as shown by the strong CD signal observed, which is typical for a β‐sheet peptide secondary structure.
Sulfonated Graphene Oxide as Effective Catalyst for Conversion of 5‐(Hydroxymethyl)‐2‐furfural into Biofuels
Authors: Antunes Margarida M. , Russo Patrícia A. , Wiper Paul V. , Veiga Jacinto M. , Pillinger Martyn , Mafra Luís , Evtuguin Dmitry V. , Pinna Nicola , Valente Anabela A.
Published: February 2014

The acid‐catalyzed reaction of 5‐(hydroxymethyl)‐2‐furfural with ethanol is a promising route to produce biofuels or fuel additives within the carbohydrate platform; specifically, this reaction may give 5‐ethoxymethylfurfural, 5‐(ethoxymethyl)furfural diethylacetal, and/or ethyl levulinate (bioEs). It is shown that sulfonated, partially reduced graphene oxide (S‐RGO) exhibits a more superior catalytic performance for the production of bioEs than several other acid catalysts, which include sulfonated carbons and the commercial acid resin Amberlyst‐15, which has a much higher sulfonic acid content and stronger acidity. This was attributed to the cooperative effects of the sulfonic acid groups and other types of acid sites (e.g., carboxylic acids), and to the enhanced accessibility to the active sites as a result of the 2D structure. Moreover, the acidic functionalities bonded to the S‐RGO surface were more stable under the catalytic reaction conditions than those of the other solids tested, which allowed its efficient reuse.
Comparative Plasma Chemical Reaction Studies of CH4/Ar and C2Hm/Ar (m = 2,4,6) Gas Mixtures in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge
Authors: Thejaswini H. C. , Peglow S. , Martens U. , Sushkov V. , Hippler R.
Published: February 2014

Plasma chemical reactions in CH4/Ar and C2Hm/Ar (m = 2, 4, 6) gas mixtures in a dielectric barrier discharge at medium pressure (300 mbar) have been investigated. From mass spectrometry the production of H2 and formation of larger hydrocarbons such as CnHm with up to n = 12 is inferred. Hydrogen release is most pronounced for CH4 and C2H6 gas mixtures. Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy reveals the formation of substituted alkane (sp3), alkene (sp2), and alkyne (sp) groups from the individual gases which are used in this work. Abundant formation of acetylene occurs from C2H4 and to a lesser extent from C2H6 and CH4 precursor gases. The main reaction pathway of acetylene leads to the formation of large molecules via C4H2 and, eventually, to nano‐size particles. The experimental results are in reasonable agreement with simulations which predict a pronounced electron temperature and gas pressure dependency. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A resilient buffer allocation scheme in active queue management: a stochastic cooperative game theoretic approach
Authors: Hwang Jaehyun , Byun Sang‐Seon
Published: February 2014

During the last decade, a plentiful number of active queue management schemes have been proposed, but their main objectives are simply allocating the buffer resource to all flows evenly, or protecting responsive flows from being degraded by unresponsive flows. However, the sending rates of the responsive flows can be determined diversely, and not all unresponsive flows have aggressively high sending rates. Furthermore, it is rational to reserve a portion of the buffer resource for certain privileged traffic. Grounded by these evidences, in this paper, we present a resilient active queue management algorithm, named Prior‐Core‐based Buffer Allocation considering diverse congestion control algorithms, fair‐unresponsive flows, and some privileged traffic. Our approach is based on stochastic cooperative game theory, where the payoffs yielded by cooperation are described by random variables, and the core is defined only over the distribution of these random payoffs; the core in this situation is called the prior‐core. As a result, it is shown that our buffer allocation, yielded by the prior‐core, achieves completely fair allocation for those flows whose requirement does not exceed the fair‐share regardless of the responsiveness, whereas aggressive flows are restricted according to availability of the buffer; all these are verified through ns‐2 simulation experiments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structure and Characteristics of High‐Performance PMASynRM with Ferrite Magnets
Authors: Sanada Masayuki , Inoue Yukinori , Morimoto Shigeo
Published: February 2014

Recently, the use of permanent magnet (PM) motors has risen markedly because of improvements in the performance of rare earth PM motors. However, the use of rare earth materials, which is an important aspect of the high‐performance PM motor, should be reduced because of the high cost and unpredictability associated with procuring such materials. The performance of motors that use rare earth materials has reached a very high level, one that will not be easy to match without such materials. In this paper, we propose a structure for a high‐power‐density PM‐assisted synchronous reluctance motor involving the use of a ferrite PM. The structure prevents irreversible demagnetization of the PM even in the presence of heavy flux‐weakening excitation or an inverter fault. It is shown that the proposed structure achieves high‐power and high‐efficiency performance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 187(1): 42–50, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.22362
An Adjusted Current Control System for Signal Injection‐Based Position Sensorless Control and Parameter Identification
Authors: Jung Suk‐Hwa , Ohnuma Takumi , Doki Shinji , Okuma Shigeru , Fujitsuna Masami
Published: February 2014

This paper proposes a current controller for signal injection‐based control schemes such as those for parameter identification and position sensorless control. In a conventional current control system with voltage signal injection, the separation of the injected frequency components from the current is carried out by using band stop filters. However, the separation is not accurate, especially when the system is in the transient state and/or when the current controller bandwidth is close to the injected signal frequency. This leads to distortion of the transient response and affects the stability of the current control system. The proposed controller estimates the injected frequency components in the current on the basis of a motor model by using the injected signal as the input. Therefore, accurate signal separation is accomplished even in the transient state. The current controller's stability and dynamic performance are improved significantly. Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed method. Factors that play an important role in the implementation of the controller, such as time delay and parameter variation, are discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 187(1): 58–66, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.22416
PFC Design via FRIT Approach for Adaptive Output Feedback Control of Discrete‐Time Systems
Authors: Mizumoto Ikuro , Takagi Taro , Fukui Sota , Shah Sirish L.
Published: February 2014

This paper deals with a design problem of an adaptive output feedback control for discrete‐time systems with a parallel feedforward compensator (PFC), which is designed for making the augmented controlled system “Almost Strictly Positive Real” (ASPR). A PFC design scheme by a fictitious reference iterative tuning (FRIT) approach with only using an input/output experimental data set will be proposed for discrete‐time systems in order to design an adaptive output feedback control system. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed PFC design method will be confirmed through numerical simulations by designing an adaptive control system with adaptive NN (neural network) for an uncertain discrete‐time system. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 187(1): 24–32, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.22456
Relationship Between Emergency Restoration Time of Power Distribution Lines After a Disaster and Geographical Characteristics of Affected Area
Authors: Sagai Shigeo , Terano Takao
Published: February 2014

The effect of an outage caused by a disaster is serious to a society, because power distribution lines are a common basic infrastructure for life support. Time estimation of the emergency restoration of power distribution lines after a disaster is an emerging problem for the safety and security of the society. But time estimation is a difficult problem and the only practical method in use is a simple approximation method, which does not take account of the geographical characteristics of the target area. Thus we have developed a method which can take account of the how the geographical features of the target area affect the estimation of emergency restoration time. In this paper we describe an experimental analysis using the method. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 187(1): 33–41, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.22475
Differential IL‐10 production by DCs determines the distinct adjuvant effects of LPS and PTX in EAE induction
Authors: Zhou Haiyan , Wang Yanming , Lian Qiaoshi , Yang Bo , Ma Yonglei , Wu Xiaodong , Sun Shuhui , Liu Yongjun , Sun Bing
Published: February 2014

Pertussis toxin (PTX) is used as an adjuvant to induce EAE in mice as a model of MS. Although LPS and PTX are similar in their ability to mature dendritic cells (DCs) and in their adjuvant properties, here we demonstrate that LPS does not induce EAE development. We also demonstrate that DCs treated with PTX (PTX‐DCs) are able to induce EAE, whereas DCs treated with LPS (LPS‐DCs) fail to induce EAE. We determine that a key difference between LPS‐DCs and PTX‐DCs is that LPS‐DCs produce larger amounts of IL‐10. IL‐10−/−‐DCs treated with LPS promote stronger IFN‐γ and IL‐17 production and T‐cell proliferation than WT DCs treated with LPS in a coculture system. Finally, we demonstrate that EAE can be successfully induced when IL‐10−/−‐DCs treated with LPS are used as an adjuvant, whereas the use of PTX‐DCs overexpressing IL‐10 as an adjuvant markedly controls EAE development. These results indicate that the inability of LPS to induce EAE is based on the induction of high levels of IL‐10 in the targeted DCs, providing insight into the mechanisms responsible for the induction of EAE.
The amount of self‐antigen determines the effector function of murine T cells escaping negative selection
Authors: Swee Lee K. , Nusser Anja , Curti Maurus , Kreuzaler Matthias , Rolink Hannie , Terracciano Luigi , Melchers Fritz , Andersson Jan , Rolink Antonius
Published: February 2014

Autoimmune diseases develop when self‐specific T cells that escaped negative selection initiate a harmful immune response against self. However, factors, which influence the initiation and progression of an autoimmune response remain incompletely understood. By establishing a double‐transgenic BALB/c mouse system in which different amounts of a cell‐surface neo‐self‐antigen are expressed under the CD11c promoter, we demonstrate that antigen dose dramatically influences T‐cell tolerance mechanisms. Moderate antigen expression in both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells favors the development of antigen‐specific Treg cells and the establishment of a tolerogenic environment. In marked contrast, a high dose of antigen expression results in very stringent negative selection, in poor development of antigen‐specific Treg cells and in the early onset of anemia and splenomegaly and the late development of arthritis and high titers of IgG auto Abs. Disease is initiated by autoreactive T cells, which escape negative selection by expressing a second TCR with a different specificity or an altered affinity. Transfer of Ag‐specific Treg cells ameliorates the early onset signs of disease but does not prevent the development of long‐term chronic pathologies. Altogether, our results suggest that Ag dose directly affects Treg‐cell generation and thus, the set‐up of T‐cell tolerance.
Broadly Tunable Emission from CaMoO4:Bi Phosphor Based on Locally Modifying the Microenvironment Around Bi3+ Ions
Authors: Kang Fengwen , Peng Mingying , Xu Shanhui , Ma Zhijun , Dong Guoping , Qiu Jianrong
Published: February 2014

The trivalent green element of bismuth, when doped into different compounds, can produce multiple emissions in ultraviolet, blue, green or even yellow spectral regimes. The emission adjustability comes from the susceptibility of bismuth naked 6s electrons to the crystal field particularly surrounding Bi3+. However, this has never been observed in a single compound. In this work, we report that broadly tunable bismuth emission indeed occurs even within the same host (CaMoO4) when the local microenvironment around Bi3+ is modified by intentional introduction of alkali ions. As the radius of the selected alkali ion decreases, the emission regularly blue‐shifts from 586 to 554 nm, and its intensity is enhanced greatly. For instance, the integrated intensity for the Li+ and Bi3+ codoped sample is 4.46 times stronger than the Bi3+ single‐doped sample upon excitation at 300 nm. Low‐temperature photoluminescence spectra surprisingly reveal that energy transfer can partially take place from the MoO42– group to Bi3+ at lower temperature when excited into the charge transfer state of the MoO42– group, however, this does not occur at higher temperature. The mechanism needs further study. Dynamic luminescence analysis between 10 and 300 K implies a population dependence of the excited states 3P0 and 3P1 on temperature that is responsible for the evolution of the Bi3+ emission lifetime with temperature.
Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of the Ternary Boride NbRuB with a Layerlike Structure Type
Authors: Mbarki Mohammed , Touzani Rachid St. , Fokwa Boniface P. T.
Published: February 2014

Powder samples and single crystals of the new ternary compound NbRuB were synthesized by arc‐melting of the elements in a water‐cooled crucible under an argon atmosphere. The samples have been characterized by X‐ray diffraction and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements. Furthermore, the crystallographic, electronic, and bonding characteristics have been studied by density functional theory. The title compound crystallizes with a new orthorhombic structure type in the space group Pmma (no. 51) with the lattice parameters a = 10.870(2) Å, b = 3.173(1) Å, and c = 6.350(2) Å. The structure consists of two kinds of atomic layers: the first layer (at y = 0) contains niobium atoms and isolated boron atoms, and the second (at y = 0.5) contains ruthenium atoms and boron dumbbells. Electronic structure relaxation has confirmed the crystallographic parameters, and crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) bonding analysis indicates that the B–B bond is the strongest bond, but the numerous and relatively strong metal–boron and Nb–Ru bonds are responsible for the overall stability and indicate a three‐dimensional bonding character in the new compound.
Naphthoquinone Diels–Alder Reactions: Approaches to the ABC Ring System of Beticolin
Authors: Kramer Carsten S. , Nieger Martin , Bräse Stefan
Published: February 2014

The syntheses of highly substituted anthraquinones through Diels–Alder reaction by using naphthoquinones are described. As an application, the first synthesis of the ABC tricycle of beticolin 0 (1) is reported. By using substituted naphthoquinone monoketal dienophiles, the congested quarternary center, the alkenyl methyl group and the oxo‐substituent on the C ring could be established in the desired 1,3‐relationship. By switching to a 1,4‐naphthoquinone dienophile, cycloaddition reaction of sensitive substrates succeed with nearly quantitative yield at moderate temperatures.
Application of Non‐Stop‐Flow Differential Pulse Voltammetry at a Tubular Detector of Silver Solid Amalgam for Electrochemical Determination of Lomustine (CCNU)
Authors: Josypčuk Oksana , Barek Jiří , Josypčuk Bohdan
Published: February 2014

An application of the flow differential pulse voltammetry with tubular detector based on silver solid amalgam for determination of antineoplastic drug lomustine in pharmaceutical preparations is presented. The highest sensitivity was obtained in [0.10 mol dm−3 MES; 2.00 mol dm−3 NaCl; pH 6.0]:EtOH (9 : 1) with flow rate 0.50 mL min−1, and the magnitude of the modulation amplitude −0.070 V. The calibration dependence was linear in the range 1×10−6–1 × 10−4 mol dm−3 (R2=0.999). The limit of detection was 1.5×10−7 mol dm−3. This method was successfully used for determination of lomustine in real samples of chemotherapy drug CeeNU Lomustine 40 mg.
Using OSL to assess hypotheses related to the impacts of land use change with the early nineteenth century arrival of Europeans in south‐eastern Australia: an exploratory case study from Grabben Gullen Creek, New South Wales
Authors: Muñoz‐Salinas Esperanza , Bishop Paul , Sanderson David , Kinnaird Tim
Published: February 2014

A common explanation for intense soil erosion and gullying in SE Australia is the introduction by Europeans of new land use practices following their arrival in Australia in the late 18th century. Eucalyptus woodlands were cleared to introduce farming, and valley bottoms, characterized by chains of ponds with organic‐rich swampy meadow (SM) soils, were subsequently buried by thick deposits of ‘post‐settlement alluvium’ (PSA) generated by erosion in the catchment. In this study, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is used to evaluate the source(s) of the PSA in Grabben Gullen Creek (GGC), Australia. We use a portable OSL reader to measure total photon counts on bulk polymineral and polygrain‐size samples from nine profiles along the Creek. We use these luminescence signals as geotracers of sediment source(s) and transport pathways. We obtained higher luminescence signals in the PSA than in the SM sediments, suggesting different sources and fluvial transport conditions for these two widespread sedimentary units. Portable OSL reader data from soils in the GGC catchment that are potential sources for the SM sediments and PSA show that the high luminescence signals recorded in the PSA are similar to those from subsoil samples in granite soils, suggesting that the PSA was derived by gullying of granite subsoils. In the SM sediments, luminescence signals decrease upwards from the base of the profile, as expected in well‐reset fluvial deposits, but with one or more changes in gradient in the profile of photon counts with depth, most likely indicating changes in sediment deposition rates. To calculate deposition rates in the SM sediments, several samples were dated using OSL. The OSL ages produced low scatter in the equivalent doses, confirming the well‐reset nature of the grains composing the SM and indicating a process of sediment transport in dilute flows, as is interpreted from the portable OSL signals. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Blockade of corticotropin‐releasing hormone receptor 1 attenuates early‐life stress‐induced synaptic abnormalities in the neonatal hippocampus
Authors: Liao Xue‐Mei , Yang Xiao‐Dun , Jia Jiao , Li Ji‐Tao , Xie Xiao‐Meng , Su Yun‐Ai , Schmidt Mathias V. , Si Tian‐Mei , Wang Xiao‐Dong
Published: February 2014

Adult individuals with early stressful experience exhibit impaired hippocampal neuronal morphology, synaptic plasticity and cognitive performance. While our knowledge on the persistent effects of early‐life stress on hippocampal structure and function and the underlying mechanisms has advanced over the recent years, the molecular basis of the immediate postnatal stress effects on hippocampal development remains to be investigated. Here, we reported that repeated blockade of corticotropin‐releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) ameliorated postnatal stress‐induced hippocampal synaptic abnormalities in neonatal mice. Following the stress exposure, pups with fragmented maternal care showed retarded dendritic outgrowth and spine formation in CA3 pyramidal neurons and reduced hippocampal levels of synapse‐related proteins. During the stress exposure, repeated blockade of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) by daily administration of RU486 (100 µg g−1) failed to attenuate postnatal stress‐evoked synaptic impairments. Conversely, daily administration of the CRHR1 antagonist antalarmin hydrochloride (20 µg g−1) in stressed pups normalized hippocampal protein levels of synaptophysin, postsynaptic density‐95, nectin‐1, and nectin‐3, but not the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor subunits NR1 and NR2A. Additionally, GR or CRHR1 antagonism attenuated postnatal stress‐induced endocrine alterations but not body growth retardation. Our data indicate that the CRH‐CRHR1 system modulates the deleterious effects of early‐life stress on dendritic development, spinogenesis, and synapse formation, and that early interventions of this system may prevent stress‐induced hippocampal maldevelopment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Medial prefrontal theta phase coupling during spatial memory retrieval
Authors: Kaplan Raphael , Bush Daniel , Bonnefond Mathilde , Bandettini Peter A. , Barnes Gareth R. , Doeller Christian F. , Burgess Neil
Published: February 2014

Memory retrieval is believed to involve a disparate network of areas, including medial prefrontal and medial temporal cortices, but the mechanisms underlying their coordination remain elusive. One suggestion is that oscillatory coherence mediates inter‐regional communication, implicating theta phase and theta‐gamma phase‐amplitude coupling in mnemonic function across species. To examine this hypothesis, we used non‐invasive whole‐head magnetoencephalography (MEG) as participants retrieved the location of objects encountered within a virtual environment. We demonstrate that, when participants are cued with the image of an object whose location they must subsequently navigate to, there is a significant increase in 4–8 Hz theta power in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the phase of this oscillation is coupled both with ongoing theta phase in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and perceptually induced 65–85 Hz gamma amplitude in medial parietal cortex. These results suggest that theta phase coupling between mPFC and MTL and theta‐gamma phase‐amplitude coupling between mPFC and neocortical regions may play a role in human spatial memory retrieval. © 2014 The Authors. Hippocampus Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Memory‐related eye movements challenge behavioral measures of pattern completion and pattern separation
Authors: Molitor Robert J. , Ko Philip C. , Hussey Erin P. , Ally Brandon A.
Published: February 2014

The hippocampus creates distinct episodes from highly similar events through a process called pattern separation and can retrieve memories from partial or degraded cues through a process called pattern completion. These processes have been studied in humans using tasks where participants must distinguish studied items from perceptually similar lure items. False alarms to lures (incorrectly reporting a perceptually similar item as previously studied) are thought to reflect pattern completion, a retrieval‐based process. However, false alarms to lures could also result from insufficient encoding of studied items, leading to impoverished memory of item details and a failure to correctly reject lures. The current study investigated the source of lure false alarms by comparing eye movements during the initial presentation of items to eye movements made during the later presentation of item repetitions and similar lures in order to assess mnemonic processing at encoding and retrieval, respectively. Relative to other response types, lure false alarms were associated with fewer fixations to the initially studied items, suggesting that false alarms result from impoverished encoding. Additionally, lure correct rejections and lure false alarms garnered more fixations than hits, denoting additional retrieval‐related processing. The results suggest that measures of pattern separation and completion in behavioral paradigms are not process‐pure. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Helicobacter pylori but not gastrin is associated with the development of colonic neoplasms
Authors: Selgrad Michael , Bornschein Jan , Kandulski Arne , Hille Carla , Weigt Jochen , Roessner Albert , Wex Thomas , Malfertheiner Peter
Published: February 2014

Recent studies have suggested that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) constitutes a risk for the development of colonic neoplasia. Hypergastrinemia can be induced by H. pylori infection, and gastrin can act as putative promoter of colorectal carcinogenesis. Aim of our study was to assess whether H. pylori infection and/or increased serum gastrin levels are associated with the occurrence of colonic neoplasms. For this, we reviewed prospectively collected data of 377 patients with a minimum age of 50 years who underwent colonoscopy. H. pylori and CagA status were determined by serology. Serum gastrin levels were measured in fasting state by commercially available assay. In H. pylori infected patients (n = 138; 36.6%), the overall prevalence of colonic neoplasms was more frequent compared to H. pylori negative patients (n = 239; 63.4%) (OR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.76–4.24). H. pylori infection occurred more frequently in patients with hyperplastic polyps (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.23–5.74) and adenomas presenting with low grade intraepithelial neoplasia (IEN) (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.14–2.99). Attributable risk for adenomas with high grade IEN and colorectal adenocarcinoma (n = 14) was not assessed due to the low number of cases. The expression of CagA was also associated with an increased risk for colonic neoplasms (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.29–3.94). Hypergastrinemia did not increase the risk for any colonic neoplasms and there was no difference in basal serum gastrin levels between H. pylori positive and negative patients. In conclusion, H. pylori infection, including CagA expression is associated with an increased risk for the development of colonic neoplasm.
PTPRG inhibition by DNA methylation and cooperation with RAS gene activation in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Xiao Jianqiao , Lee Seung‐Tae , Xiao Yuanyuan , Ma Xiaomei , Andres Houseman E. , Hsu Ling‐I , Roy Ritu , Wrensch Margaret , de Smith Adam J. , Chokkalingam Anand , Buffler Patricia , Wiencke John K. , Wiemels Joseph L.
Published: February 2014

While the cytogenetic and genetic characteristics of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) are well studied, less clearly understood are the contributing epigenetic mechanisms that influence the leukemia phenotype. Our previous studies and others identified gene mutation (RAS) and DNA methylation (FHIT) to be associated with the most common cytogenetic subgroup of childhood ALL, high hyperdiploidy (having five more chromosomes). We screened DNA methylation profiles, using a genome‐wide high‐dimension platform of 166 childhood ALLs and 6 normal pre‐B cell samples and observed a strong association of DNA methylation status at the PTPRG locus in human samples with levels of PTPRG gene expression as well as with RAS gene mutation status. In the 293 cell line, we found that PTPRG expression induces dephosphorylation of ERK, a downstream RAS target that may be critical for mutant RAS‐induced cell growth. In addition, PTPRG expression is upregulated by RAS activation under DNA hypomethylating conditions. An element within the PTPRG promoter is bound by the RAS‐responsive transcription factor RREB1, also under hypomethylating conditions. In conclusion, we provide evidence that DNA methylation of the PTPRG gene is a complementary event in oncogenesis induced by RAS mutations. Evidence for additional roles for PTPR family member genes is also suggested. This provides a potential therapeutic target for RAS‐related leukemias as well as insight into childhood ALL etiology and pathophysiology.
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN YOUNG CHILDREN IN TWO TYPES OF FOSTER CARE FOLLOWING INSTITUTIONAL REARING
Authors: Tibu Florin , Humphreys Kathryn L. , Fox Nathan A. , Nelson Charles A. , Zeanah Charles H.
Published: February 2014

Institutional rearing of young children has been demonstrated to increase risk for a broad range of psychiatric disorders and other impairments. This has led many countries to consider or to invest in foster care. However, no study to date has explored potential differences in psychiatric symptoms in children placed in different types of foster care. We assessed internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 54‐month‐old children living with foster families. We compared one group of children living in high‐quality foster families who had benefited from specialized training and support to another group of children placed with government‐sponsored foster care in Bucharest, Romania. After controlling for duration of time spent in foster care, there was a main group effect in predicting ADHD (p = .021) and a marginal group × gender interaction effect. No effects were noted for signs of externalizing disorders. There was, however, a significant group × gender interaction effect of signs of internalizing disorders (p = .007), with the girls in high‐quality foster care having less severe symptomatology than did their counterparts in the government‐sponsored group. Governments must invest in quality interventions for their most vulnerable citizens to prevent serious and potentially lasting problems.
Bone Cell Senescence: Mechanisms and Perspectives
Authors: Marie Pierre J
Published: February 2014

Age-related bone loss is in large part the consequence of senescence mechanisms that impact bone cell number and function. In recent years, progress has been made in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying bone cell senescence that contributes to the alteration of skeletal integrity during aging. These mechanisms can be classified as intrinsic senescence processes, alterations in endogenous anabolic factors, and changes in local support. Intrinsic senescence mechanisms cause cellular dysfunctions that are not tissue specific and include telomere shortening, accumulation of oxidative damage, impaired DNA repair, and altered epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene transcription. Aging mechanisms that are more relevant to the bone microenvironment include alterations in the expression and signaling of local growth factors and altered intercellular communications. This review provides an integrated overview of the current concepts and interacting mechanisms underlying bone cell senescence during aging and how they could be targeted to reduce the negative impact of senescence in the aging skeleton. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
3‐Dimensional Tissue Is Formed From Cancer Cells In Vitro on Gelfoam®, But Not on MatrigelTM
Authors: Tome Yasunori , Uehara Fuminari , Mii Sumiyuki , Yano Shuya , Zhang Lei , Sugimoto Naotoshi , Maehara Hiroki , Bouvet Michael , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki , Kanaya Fuminori , Hoffman Robert M.
Published: February 2014

Cell and tissue culture can be performed on different substrates such as on plastic, in Matrigel™, and on Gelfoam®, a sponge matrix. Each of these substrates consists of a very different surface, ranging from hard and inflexible, a gel, and a sponge‐matrix, respectively. Folkman and Moscona found that cell shape was tightly coupled to DNA synthesis and cell growth. Therefore, the flexibility of a substrate is important for cells to maintain their optimal shape. Human osteosarcoma cells, stably expressing a fusion protein of αv integrin and green fluorescent protein (GFP), grew as a simple monolayer without any structure formation on the surface of a plastic dish. When the osteosarcoma cells were cultured within Matrigel™, the cancer cells formed colonies but no other structures. When the cancer cells were seeded on Gelfoam®, the cells formed three‐dimensional tissue‐like structures. The behavior of 143B osteosarcoma cells on Gelfoam® in culture is remarkably different from those of these cells in monolayer culture or in Matrigel™. Tissue‐like structures were observed only in Gelfoam® culture. The data in this report suggest a flexible structural substrate such as Gelfoam® provides a more in vivo‐like culture condition than monolayer culture or MatrigelTM and that MatrigelTM does not result in actual three‐dimensional culture. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 1362–1367, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling neck mobility in fossil turtles
Authors: Werneburg Ingmar , Hinz Juliane K. , Gumpenberger Michaela , Volpato Virginie , Natchev Nikolay , Joyce Walter G.
Published: February 2014

Turtles have the unparalleled ability to retract their heads and necks within their shell but little is known about the evolution of this trait. Extensive analysis of neck mobility in turtles using radiographs, CT scans, and morphometry reveals that basal turtles possessed less mobility in the neck relative to their extant relatives, although the anatomical prerequisites for modern mobility were already established. Many extant turtles are able to achieve hypermobility by dislocating the central articulations, which raises cautions about reconstructing the mobility of fossil vertebrates. A 3D‐model of the Late Triassic turtle Proganochelys quenstedti reveals that this early stem turtle was able to retract its head by tucking it sideways below the shell. The simple ventrolateral bend seen in this stem turtle, however, contrasts with the complex double‐bend of extant turtles. The initial evolution of neck retraction therefore occurred in a near‐synchrony with the origin of the turtle shell as a place to hide the unprotected neck. In this early, simplified retraction mode, the conical osteoderms on the neck provided further protection. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 324B: 230–243, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis of Some Novel Imidazopyrazole and Pyrazolopyrimidine Derivatives
Authors: Soliman Ahmed M. M. , El‐Remaily Mahmoud. Abd El‐Aleem. Ali. Ali. , Sultan Adel. A. , Abdel‐Ghany Hossam.
Published: February 2014

5‐Amino‐3‐anilino‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carbonitrile 1 was alkylated with various halo reagents under phase transfer conditions to give the corresponding imidazopyrazole derivatives 2a, 2b, 2c, 3, 4, 5, 6. Pyrazolo[1,5‐a] pyrimidine derivatives 11, 12, 13, 14 were prepared by treating compound 1 with different dicarbonyl reagents, namely, diethymalonate, ethyl 3‐oxo‐3‐phenylpropanoate, pentane‐2,4‐dione or ethyl 3‐oxobutanoate.
A Green Synthesis of Pyrrolo[1,2‐a]quinazolin‐5(1H)‐one Derivatives in Ionic Liquids Catalyzed by Iodine
Authors: Zhou Jie‐Xing , Lu Lian , Li Tuan‐Jie , Yao Chang‐Sheng , Wang Xiang‐Shan
Published: February 2014

A series of 2,3,3a,4‐tetrahydro‐3a‐methylpyrrolo[1,2‐a]quinazolin‐5(1H)‐one derivatives were synthesized by a reaction of 2‐aminobenzamide and 5‐chloropentan‐2‐one at 80 °C catalyzed by iodine in ionic liquid of [BMIm]Br. Compared with the other methods, this novel method has the advantages of milder reaction conditions, high yields, environmental benignity, and metal‐free catalyst.
Synthesis, X‐ray Analysis, and Biological Activities of Novel Oxazolidinethiones
Authors: Saygılı Nezire , Özalp Meral , Yıldırım Leyla Tatar
Published: February 2014

Oxazolidinethione compounds were synthesized starting from racemic and enantiopure β‐amino alcohols. The molecular structure of oxazolidinethione 6a was elucidated by single‐crystal x‐ray crystallography. Oxazolidinethione compounds screened for antimicrobial activity showed mild minimum inhibitory concentration values.
Multi‐Local Livelihoods and Food Security in Rural Africa
Authors: Andersson Djurfeldt Agnes
Published: February 2014

This article analyses household‐based food transfers as an expression of multi‐local livelihoods. Transfers of maize outside the co‐resident household unit are analysed on the basis of data from 2857 smallholder households across nine African countries. The study complements a growing interest in the role of food transfers for urban food security, through considering the food security implications for sending households. Food transfers in the top income quintile consist of distributing surplus production, whereas in the lower quintiles, transfers clearly compromise the food security of the sending households. The spatial mismatch between household production and consumption points to the need for development strategies that consider these wider subsistence obligations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.