bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of titanium-in-quartz thermobarometry to greenschist facies veins and recrystallized quartzites in the Hsüehshan range, Taiwan
Authors: Kidder S. , Avouac J.-P. , Chan Y.-C.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. The accuracy, reliability and best practises of Ti-in-quartz thermobarometry (TitaniQ) in greenschist facies rocks have not been established. To address these issues, we measured Ti concentrations in rutile-bearing samples of moderately deformed, partially recrystallized quartzite and vein quartz from the Hsüehshan range, Taiwan. The spread of Ti concentrations of recrystallized grains in quartzite correlates with recrystallized grain size. Recrystallized quartz (grain size ~100–200 μm) that formed during early deformation within the biotite stability field shows a marked increase in intermediate Ti-concentration grains (~1–10 ppm) relative to detrital porphyroclasts (Ti ~0.1–200 ppm). Fine recrystallized quartz (~5% of the samples by area, grain size ~10–20 μm) has a further restricted Ti concentration peaking at 0.8–2 ppm. This trend suggests equilibration of Ti in recrystallized quartz with a matrix phase during deformation and cooling. Unlike previously documented examples, Ti concentration in the quartzite is inversely correlated with blue cathodoluminescence. Deformation was associated with a minimum grain boundary diffusivity of Ti on the order of 10−22m2 s−1. Vein emplacement and quartzite recrystallization are independently shown to have occurred at 250–350 °C and 300–410 °C, respectively, with lithostatic pressure of 3–4 kbar (assuming a geothermal gradient of 25° km−1), and with hydrostatic fluid pressure. Estimates of the accuracy of TitaniQ at these conditions depend on whether lithostatic or fluid pressure is used in the TitaniQ calibration. Using lithostatic pressure and these temperatures, the Thomas et al. (2010) calibration yields Ti concentrations within error of concentrations measured by SIMS. If fluid pressure is instead used, predicted temperatures are ~30–40 °C too low. TitaniQ has potential to yield accurate PT information for vein emplacement and dynamic recrystallization of quartz at temperatures as low as ~250 °C, however clarification of the relevant pressure term and further tests in rutile-present rocks are warranted.
Prison and Immigration Industrial Complexes: The Ethnodistillation of People of Color and Immigrants as Economic, Political, and Demographic Threats to US Hegemony
Authors: Dí­az Jesse
Published: January 2013

This paper compares the sociohistorical trends that led to the development of the Prison and Immigration Industrial Complexes by demonstrating their deep roots in American public, racial, political, and penology history, and to show how these industries were used as armaments in the low intensity conflict war to keep blacks “in their place” in the post-Civil Rights Movement era, and now against Latino immigrants in a last ditch effort to preserve a dissipating white hegemonic order as the looming Browning of America unfurls. This study specifically compares the black experience in the Prison Industrial Complex, and how local policies fuel that industry, to the immigrant experience and how the Immigration Industrial Complex lucratively thrives from federal and regional antiimmigrant policies that have fueled its expansion along the border, thereby escalating the “War on Drugs” to the “War on the Border.” Scholars have argued that the Prison Industrial Complex ultimately serves to “disappear” people of color from society. I extend that contention to the Immigration Industrial Complex, by arguing that the white ruling class has benefitted the most because countless whites have escaped the wrath of these industries, which is coupled by its motivation to “purify and refine” society, more specifically to “distill” it of the “hypercriminalized” class theoretically composed of people of color in a process previously established as ethnodistillation, which have served to maintain the US’ white subjugated social order.
Mathematics & Science Education and Income: An Empirical Study in Japan
Authors: Hirata Junichi , Nishimura Kazuo , Urasaka Junko , Yagi Tadashi
Published: January 2013

Abstract: Since the second half of the 1990s, the decline in academic standards in mathematics and science among undergraduate students in Japan has been noted. Despite this, problems in science education have become increasingly severe, and their impact is having a mounting effect on Japan's economy. This paper studies the return to a university education in Japan by taking into account the relative ranking of the universities. We present an empirical analysis of how annual income differs depending on whether a major is natural science or humanities. We have found that science graduates have a higher average income than humanities graduates indicates that the added value they are producing is higher than that of humanities graduates. Of particular interest is the fact that a comparison of humanities graduates of A rank universities who did not sit admission examinations in mathematics with science graduates of B rank university showed that it was the science graduates who recorded higher average income at every age grade. The above comparison also reveals that even those humanities graduates of A rank universities who did sit admission examinations in mathematics are out-earned by science graduates of B rank universities in the under 30 and 55 and over age groups.
Robust pair‐copula based forecasts of realized volatility
Authors: Vaz de Melo Mendes Beatriz , Accioly Victor Bello
Published: January 2013

A useful application for copula functions is modeling the dynamics in the conditional moments of a time series. Using copulas, one can go beyond the traditional linear ARMA (p,q) modeling, which is solely based on the behavior of the autocorrelation function, and capture the entire dependence structure linking consecutive observations. This type of serial dependence is best represented by a canonical vine decomposition, and we illustrate this idea in the context of emerging stock markets, modeling linear and nonlinear temporal dependences of Brazilian series of realized volatilities. However, the analysis of intraday data collected from e‐markets poses some specific challenges. The large amount of real‐time information calls for heavy data manipulation, which may result in gross errors. Atypical points in high‐frequency intraday transaction prices may contaminate the series of daily realized volatilities, thus affecting classical statistical inference and leading to poor predictions. Therefore, in this paper, we propose to robustly estimate pair‐copula models using the weighted minimum distance and the weighted maximum likelihood estimates (WMLE). The excellent performance of these robust estimates for pair‐copula models are assessed through a comprehensive set of simulations, from which the WMLE emerged as the best option for members of the elliptical copula family. We evaluate and compare alternative volatility forecasts and show that the robustly estimated canonical vine‐based forecasts outperform the competitors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of intracellular reducing levels in human hepatocytes on three‐dimensional focusing microchip
Authors: Xu Chunxiu , Cai Longfei
Published: January 2013

A novel three‐dimensional hydrodynamic focusing microfluidic device integrated with high‐throughput cell sampling and detection of intracellular contents is presented. It has a pivotal role in maintaining the reducing environment in cells. Intracellular reducing species such as vitamin C and glutathione in normal and tumor cells were labeled by a newly synthesized 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐piperidine‐1‐oxyl‐based fluorescent probe. Hepatocytes are adherent cells, which are prone to attaching to the channel surface. To avoid the attachment of cells on the channel surface, a single channel microchip with three sheath‐flow channels located on both sides of and below the sampling channel was developed. Hydrostatic pressure generated by emptying the sample waste reservoir was used as driving force of fluid on the microchip. Owing to the difference between the liquid levels of the reservoirs, the labeled cells were three‐dimensional hydrodynamically focused and transported from the sample reservoir to the sample waste reservoir. Hydrostatic pressure takes advantage of its ease of generation on a microfluidic chip without any external pressure pump, which drives three sheath‐flow streams to constrain a sample flow stream into a narrow stream to avoid blockage of the sampling channel by adhered cells. The intracellular reducing levels of HepG2 cells and L02 cells were detected by home‐built laser‐induced fluorescence detector. The analysis throughput achieved in this microfluidic system was about 59–68 cells/min. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolic analysis of antibody producing CHO cells in fed‐batch production
Authors: Dean Jason , Reddy Pranhitha
Published: January 2013

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are commonly used for industrial production of recombinant proteins in fed batch or alternative production systems. Cells progress through multiple metabolic stages during fed‐batch antibody (mAb) production, including an exponential growth phase accompanied by lactate production, a low growth, or stationary phase when specific mAb production increases, and a decline when cell viability declines. Although media composition and cell lineage have been shown to impact growth and productivity, little is known about the metabolic changes at a molecular level. Better understanding of cellular metabolism will aid in identifying targets for genetic and metabolic engineering to optimize bioprocess and cell engineering. We studied a high expressing recombinant CHO cell line, designated high performer (HP), in fed‐batch productions using stable isotope tracers and biochemical methods to determine changes in central metabolism that accompany growth and mAb production. We also compared and contrasted results from HP to a high lactate producing cell line that exhibits poor growth and productivity, designated low performer (LP), to determine intrinsic metabolic profiles linked to their respective phenotypes. Our results reveal alternative metabolic and regulatory pathways for lactate and TCA metabolite production to those reported in the literature. The distribution of key media components into glycolysis, TCA cycle, lactate production, and biosynthetic pathways was shown to shift dramatically between exponential growth and stationary (production) phases. We determined that glutamine is both utilized more efficiently than glucose for anaplerotic replenishment and contributes more significantly to lactate production during the exponential phase. Cells shifted to glucose utilization in the TCA cycle as growth rate decreased. The magnitude of this metabolic switch is important for attaining high viable cell mass and antibody titers. We also found that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK1) and pyruvate kinase (PK) are subject to differential regulation during exponential and stationary phases. The concomitant shifts in enzyme expression and metabolite utilization profiles shed light on the regulatory links between cell metabolism, media metabolites, and cell growth. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1735–1747. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pulsed electric field (PEF) as an intensification pretreatment for greener solvent lipid extraction from microalgae
Authors: Zbinden Mauricio D. Antezana , Sturm Belinda S.M. , Nord Ryan D. , Carey William J. , Moore David , Shinogle Heather , Stagg‐Williams Susan M.
Published: January 2013

Microalgae, with their high lipid content, are a promising feedstock for renewable fuels. Traditionally, human and environmentally toxic solvents have been used to extract these lipids, diminishing the sustainability of this process. Herein, pulsed electric field technology was utilized as a process intensification strategy to enhance lipid extraction from Ankistrodesmus falcatus wet biomass using the green solvent, ethyl acetate. The extraction efficiency for ethyl acetate without PEF was lower (83–88%) than chloroform. In addition, the ethyl acetate exhibited a 2‐h induction period, while the chloroform showed no time dependence. Utilizing PEF technology resulted in 90% of the cells being lysed and a significant enhancement in the rate of lipid recovery using ethyl acetate. The increase in lipid recovery was due to the presence of the electric field and not due to temperature effects. The PEF technology uses less energy than other PEF systems reported in the literature. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1605–1615. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Efficient isotopic tryptophan labeling of membrane proteins by an indole controlled process conduct
Authors: Berger Christian , Berndt Sandra , Pichert Annelie , Theisgen Stephan , Huster Daniel
Published: January 2013

A protocol for the efficient isotopic labeling of large G protein‐coupled receptors with tryptophan in Escherichia coli as expression host was developed that sufficiently suppressed the naturally occurring L‐tryptophan indole lyase, which cleaves tryptophan into indole, pyruvate, and ammonia resulting in scrambling of the isotopic label in the protein. Indole produced by the tryptophanase is naturally used as messenger for cell–cell communication. Detailed analysis of different process conducts led to the optimal expression strategy, which mimicked cell–cell communication by the addition of indole during expression. Discrete concentrations of indole and 15N2‐L‐tryptophan at dedicated time points in the fermentation drastically increased the isotopic labeling efficiency. Isotope scrambling was only observed in glutamine, asparagine, and arginine side chains but not in the backbone. This strategy allows producing specifically tryptophan labeled membrane proteins at high concentrations avoiding the disadvantages of the often low yields of auxotrophic E. coli strains. In the fermentation process carried out according to this protocol, we produced ∼15 mg of tryptophan labeled neuropeptide Y receptor type 2 per liter medium. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1681–1690. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of cultivation conditions on N‐glycosylation of influenza virus a hemagglutinin produced in MDCK cell culture
Authors: Rödig Jana Verena , Rapp Erdmann , Bohne Jana , Kampe Michael , Kaffka Helene , Bock Andreas , Genzel Yvonne , Reichl Udo
Published: January 2013

Manufacturers worldwide produce influenza vaccines in different host systems. So far, either fertilized chicken eggs or mammalian cell lines are used. In all these vaccines, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase are the major components. Both are highly abundant glycoproteins in the viral envelope, and particularly HA is able to induce a strong and protective immune response. The quality characteristics of glycoproteins, such as specific activity, antigenicity, immunogenicity, binding avidity, and receptor‐binding specificity can strongly depend on changes or differences in their glycosylation pattern (potential N‐glycosylation occupancy as well as glycan composition).

In this study, capillary gel electrophoresis with laser‐induced fluorescence detection (CGE‐LIF) based glycoanalysis (N‐glycan fingerprinting) was used to determine the impact of cultivation conditions on the HA N‐glycosylation pattern of Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell‐derived influenza virus A PR/8/34 (H1N1). We found that adaptation of adherent cells to serum‐free growth has only a minor impact on the HA N‐glycosylation pattern. Only relative abundances of N‐glycan structures are affected. In contrast, host cell adaptation to serum‐free suspension growth resulted in significant changes in the HA N‐glycosylation pattern regarding the presence of specific N‐glycans as well as their abundance. Further controls such as different suppliers for influenza virus A PR/8/34 (H1N1) seed strains, different cultivation scales and vessels in standard or high cell density mode, different virus production media varying in either composition or trypsin activity, different temperatures during virus replication and finally, the impact of β‐propiolactone inactivation resulted—at best—only in minor changes in the relative N‐glycan structure abundances of the HA N‐glycosylation pattern.

Surprisingly, these results demonstrate a rather stable HA N‐glycosylation pattern despite various (significant) changes in upstream processing. Only the adaptation of the production host cell line to serum‐free suspension growth significantly influenced HA N‐glycosylation regarding both, the type of attached glycan structures as well as their abundances. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1691–1703. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stress induced lipid production in Chlorella vulgaris: Relationship with specific intracellular reactive species levels
Authors: Menon Kavya R. , Balan Ranjini , Suraishkumar G.K.
Published: January 2013

Microalgae have significant potential to be an important alternative energy source, but the challenges to the commercialization of bio‐oil from microalgae need to be overcome for the potential to be realized. The application of stress can be used to improve bio‐oil yields from algae. Nevertheless, the understanding of stress effects is fragmented due to the lack of a suitable, direct quantitative marker for stress. The lack of understanding seems to have limited the development of stress based strategies to improve bio‐oil yields, and hence the commercialization of microalgae‐based bio‐oil. In this study, we have proposed and used the specific intracellular reactive species levels (siROS) particularly hydroxyl and superoxide radical levels, separately, as direct, quantitative, markers for stress, irrespective of the type of stress induced. Although ROS reactions are extremely rapid, the siROS level can be assumed to be at pseudo‐steady state compared to the time scales of metabolism, growth and production, and hence they can be effective stress markers at particular time points. Also, the specific intracellular (si‐) hydroxyl and superoxide radical levels are easy to measure through fluorimetry. Interestingly, irrespective of the conditions employed in this study, that is, nutrient excess/limitation or different light wavelengths, the cell concentrations are correlated to the siROS levels in an inverse power law fashion. The composite plots of cell concentration (y) and siROS (x) yielded the correlations of y = k1 · x−0.7 and y = k2 · x−0.79, for si‐hydroxyl and si‐superoxide radical levels, respectively. The specific intracellular (si‐) neutral lipid levels, which determine the bio‐oil productivity, are related in a direct power law fashion to the specific hydroxyl radical levels. The composite plot of si‐neutral lipid levels (z) and si‐hydroxyl radical level (x) yielded a correlation of z = k3 · x0.65. More interestingly, a nutrient shift caused a significant change in the sensitivity of neutral lipid accumulation to the si‐hydroxyl radical levels. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1627–1636. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In vitro silencing of myostatin gene by shRNAs in chicken embryonic myoblast cells
Authors: Tripathi Ajai K. , Aparnathi Mansi K. , Patel Amrutlal K. , Joshi Chaitanya G.
Published: January 2013

RNA interference represents one of the potential mechanisms of regulation of gene expression. Selective downregulation of myostatin (MSTN), a member of transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) superfamily and a negative regulator of myogenesis, has been demonstrated to enhance skeletal muscle growth. In this study, we studied short hairpin RNA (shRNA)‐induced myostatin gene silencing in chicken embryonic myoblast cells using seven different shRNA‐expressing constructs by reverse transcription‐quantitative real time PCR (RT‐qPCR). Myostatin‐silencing efficiency of all shRNA constructs were first evaluated in human embryonic kidney cell line 293T (HEK293T) cells, where we observed 30–75.6% reduction in myostatin expression, followed by chicken embryo myoblast cells that revealed up to 55% reduction in myostatin expression along with upregulation of MyoD by 4.65‐folds. Consistent with the earlier observations, the transfection of cells with plasmids led to significant increase in interferon responsive genes OAS1 and IFN β (2–112‐folds), independent of myostatin silencing in both HEK293T and chicken embryonic myoblast cells. Our study suggests that apart from shRNA sequences, cell type‐specific factors may play a significant role in determining the knockdown efficiency of shRNAs. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 425–431, 2013
Buffer capacity of biologics—from buffer salts to buffering by antibodies
Authors: Karow Anne R. , Bahrenburg Sven , Garidel Patrick
Published: January 2013

Controlling pH is essential for a variety of biopharmaceutical process steps. The chemical stability of biologics such as monoclonal antibodies is pH‐dependent and slightly acidic conditions are favorable for stability in a number of cases. Since control of pH is widely provided by added buffer salts, the current study summarizes the buffer characteristics of acetate, citrate, histidine, succinate, and phosphate buffers. Experimentally derived values largely coincide with values calculated from a model that had been proposed in 1922 by van Slyke. As high concentrated protein formulations become more and more prevalent for biologics, the self‐buffering potential of proteins becomes of relevance. The current study provides information on buffer characteristics for pH ranges down to 4.0 and up to 8.0 and shows that a monoclonal antibody at 50 mg/mL exhibits similar buffer capacity as 6 mM citrate or 14 mM histidine (pH 5.0–6.0). Buffer capacity of antibody solutions scales linearly with protein concentration up to more than 200 mg/mL. At a protein concentration of 220 mg/mL, the buffer capacity resembles the buffer capacity of 30 mM citrate or 50 mM histidine (pH 5.0–6.0). The buffer capacity of monoclonal antibodies is practically identical at the process relevant temperatures 5, 25, and 40°C. Changes in ionic strength of ΔI=0.15, in contrast, can alter the buffer capacity up to 35%. In conclusion, due to efficient self‐buffering by antibodies in the pH range of favored chemical stability, conventional buffer excipients could be dispensable for pH stabilization of high concentrated protein solutions. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 480–492, 2013
Effects of chemical modifications in the partition behavior of proteins in aqueous two‐phase systems: A case study with RNase A
Authors: González‐Valdez José , Rito‐Palomares Marco , Benavides Jorge
Published: January 2013

Chemical modification of proteins is gaining importance due to the improvement in properties and the broader range of applications that these protein conjugates have. Once modified, several purification strategies need to be applied to isolate the conjugates of interest. Aqueous two‐phase systems (ATPS) are an attractive alternative for the primary recovery of proteins and their conjugates. However, to better understand which biochemical parameters affect in greater degree the partition behavior of these modified proteins in ATPS, it becomes necessary to characterize the partition behavior of different species. In this work, ribonuclease A (RNase A) was selected as a model protein to address the partition behavior of chemically modified proteins in ATPS. Native, mono‐PEGylated, Uniblue A, Dabsyl Chloride, and Direct Red 83 chemically modified RNase A's were partitioned in 16 different polyethylene glycol (PEG)–potassium phosphate ATPS. Results suggest that while the effects of system design parameters govern the partition of native RNase A, the behavior of the chemically modified species is more influenced by the physicochemical characteristics of the modifying molecules, that in most cases promote partition toward the top polymer‐rich phase with recovery percentages as high as 86%. It has been found that both, the hydrophobicity and molecular weight of the modifying species play a preponderant role in conjugate partition behavior since as hydrophobicity increases partition is promoted towards the PEG‐rich phase balancing the effect of the molecular weight of the modifying molecules that tends to shift partition towards the salt rich phase. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 378–385, 2013
Endogenous extracellular matrices enhance human mesenchymal stem cell aggregate formation and survival
Authors: Kim Junho , Ma Teng
Published: January 2013

Human mesenchymal stem or stromal cell (hMSC) therapies have promise across a wide range of diseases. However, inefficient cell delivery and low cell survival at injury sites reduce efficacy and are the major barriers in hMSC‐based therapy. Formation of three‐dimensional (3D) hMSC aggregates has been found to activate hMSC functions from enhancing secretion of therapeutic factors for improving cell migration and survival. As the stromal cells in bone marrow, hMSCs are significant sources of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and growth factors, which form an interactive microenvironment to influence hMSC fate via paracrine and autocrine actions. To date, however, the impact of the extracellular microenvironment on hMSC properties in the aggregates remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of endogenous ECM matrices on hMSC aggregate formation and survival under ischemic stress. The results demonstrated that the preservation of endogenous ECM in the aggregates formed by thermal lifting (termed TLAs) as opposed to the aggregates formed by enzymatically detached hMSCs (termed EDAs) enhanced cell proliferation, multilineage potential, and survival under ischemic stress. The improved cell proliferation and viability in the TLAs is attributed to the incorporation of endogenous ECM proteins in the TLAs and their promitotic and antioxidant properties. The results demonstrate a novel method for the formation of hMSC aggregates via thermal responsive surface and highlight the significant contribution of the ECM in preserving hMSC properties in the 3D aggregates. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 441–451, 2013
Recent advancements in various steps of ethanol, butanol, and isobutanol productions from woody materials
Authors: Fatehi Pedram
Published: January 2013

In this review, the recent advancements and technical challenges associated with the production of ethanol, butanol, and isobutanol via bioconversion routes from celluloses of woody materials are reviewed. Physicochemical processes, e.g. steam explosion, seem to be the most viable process for pretreating woody materials. Although enzymatic hydrolysis is selective, it is rather a slow process. Acid hydrolysis is a relatively fast process with a high yield, but it produces inhibitory compounds of fermentation, which necessitates a detoxification process before the fermentation. Presently, the major challenges in the production of ethanol, butanol, and isobutanol via biological conversions are the rather low production yield and the sensitivity of microorganisms to the presence of inhibitors and products in fermentation media. In this study, the recent advancements in the applications of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clostridium acetobutylicum, and Corynebacterium glutamicum, the most promising microorganisms, for ethanol, butanol, and isobutanol production are also discussed. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 297–310, 2013
Boning up on glypicans—opportunities for new insights into bone biology
Authors: Dwivedi P. P. , Lam N. , Powell B. C.
Published: January 2013

Bone formation is remarkable for the convergence in the activity of four major signalling pathways, the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), hedgehog (HH) and wingless‐integrated (WNT) pathways. These pathways cooperate in morphogenetic, proliferative and differentiative processes that underpin the development, growth and repair of skeletal structures. They are regulated by pathway‐specific modulators and by another class of molecules, the glypicans. Glypicans are proteoglycans located on the cell surface, where they act as coreceptors to promote or inhibit signalling by ligands of the BMP, FGF, HH and WNT pathways, through protein–protein and protein–carbohydrate interactions. In this review, we discuss glypican structure, expression and function in the context of bone development and growth, with emphasis on the long bone growth plate where five of the six glypicans are expressed in overlapping patterns in the chondrogenic zone. Analyses of gene knockout models and the human conditions of Simpson–Golabi–Behmel syndrome and omodysplasia, which arise from mutations in glypican 3 (GPC3) and GPC6, respectively, highlight both subtle and striking effects of glypicans on bone growth. We draw attention to challenges and areas of opportunity, where the actions of glypicans on BMP, FGF, HH and WNT signalling might be profitably studied to help illuminate the complex interplay of signalling that drives bone growth. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robust Optimal Design of an Glycerol Etherification Process
Authors: Vlad E. , Bildea C. S. , Bozga G.
Published: January 2013

Glycerol ethers are valuable fuel additives produced by reaction of glycerol with isobutene. The processes presented in the literature use high‐purity isobutene and are designed assuming accurate knowledge of reaction kinetics and physical properties. The optimal design of a plant processing 2.25 kmol h–1 glycerol, using isobutene of 90 % purity, is addressed considering the uncertainty of the design data. Plants with small reactors have the lowest total annual cost, but the recycle flow rates greatly increase when uncertain variables affect the process, constraining the operation feasibility. The optimal design, fulfilling the constraints despite uncertainty, is found by constructive nonlinear dynamics. The robustness of the optimal design is proved by dynamic simulation.
Effect of Aqueous Film‐Forming Foams on the Evaporation Rate of Hydrocarbon Fuels
Authors: Ranjbar H. , Shahraki B. H.
Published: January 2013

A class of firefighting foams, known as aqueous film‐forming foam (AFFF), has the ability to form a film by spreading on the free surface of some hydrocarbon fuels. To find out whether this film could reduce the evaporation losses of volatile hydrocarbons, the evaporation rates of fuels covered with a film of AFFF were measured by weighing the fuel at different time intervals. The results proved that the addition of aqueous surfactant solutions on the fuels is not always synonymous to the reduction of evaporation rates, but sometimes it might also cause an increase. However, it was found that polyethylene glycol could modify AFFF in a way that it can form a protective permanent film on the surface of a fuel such as kerosene, thereby leading to a reduction of evaporation losses.
Ionic Liquid‐Coated Nickel Phosphide Catalysts for Selective Hydrodesulfurization
Authors: Cheng Q. , Xu S. , Wang X. , Guo C.
Published: January 2013

Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts were coated with the ionic liquid (IL) 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]amide with different coating thicknesses and their selective hydrodesulfurization performances were investigated using a model fluid catalytic cracking gasoline. The selective factor on the IL‐coated catalysts (IL‐Ni2P/SiO2) first increased and then decreased as the initial mass ratio of IL to Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst ranged from 0.02 to 0.18. A maximum selectivity factor of 16.7 was found at a mass ratio of 0.10 which corresponds to full monolayer coverage on the original Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst by the IL. In comparison, the selectivity factor was 6.7 for the Ni2P/SiO2 catalyst, indicating a significant selectivity improvement by the IL coating method.
An optimal solution to resource allocation among soft QoS traffic in wireless network
Authors: Tan Liansheng , Zhu Zhongxun , Zhang Wei , Chen Gong
Published: January 2013

Optimization theory and nonlinear programming method have successfully been applied into wire‐lined networks (e.g., the Internet) in developing efficient resource allocation and congestion control schemes. The resource (e.g., bandwidth) allocation in a communication network has been modeled into an optimization problem: the objective is to maximize the source aggregate utility subject to the network resource constraint. However, for wireless networks, how to allocate the resource among the soft quality of service (QoS) traffic remains an important design challenge. Mathematically, the most difficult comes from the non‐concave utility function of soft QoS traffic in the network utility maximization (NUM) problem. Previous result on this problem has only been able to find its sub‐optimal solution. Facing this challenge, this paper establishes some key theorems to find the optimal solution and then present a complete algorithm called utility‐based allocation for soft QoS to obtain the desired optimal solution. The proposed theorems and algorithm act as designing guidelines for resource allocation of soft QoS traffic in a wireless network, which take into account the total available resource of network, the users’ traffic characteristics, and the users’ channel qualities. By numerical examples, we illustrate the explicit solution procedures.Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keeping pace with NPS releases: fast GC‐MS screening of legal high products
Authors: Elie Mathieu P. , Elie Leonie E. , Baron Mark G.
Published: January 2013

The continuous appearance of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in legal high products presents a challenge for the routine analytical laboratory. A rapid screening method for NPS analysis using fast gas chromatography mass spectrometry (fast GC‐MS) is presented. Twenty‐three analytes, including 5‐iodo‐2‐aminoindane (5‐IAI), 1‐(thiophen‐2‐yl)‐2‐methylaminopropane (MPA), 1‐benzylpiperazine (BZP), 4‐methylmethcathinone (mephedrone), 5,6‐methylenedioxy‐2‐aminoindane (MDAI) and methoxetamine (MXE) were separated within 4 min. The method was used to analyze 35 Internet and head shop purchased ‘legal high’ products with the successful identification of their active ingredients. As previously observed, legal high products do not always contain their stated ingredients. Of the group of products purchased as 5‐IAI not one contained 5‐IAI with several containing mixtures of substances either already controlled in the UK or under consideration by the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

The low bleed and high inertness of the chromatography column used ensured clean high quality mass spectrometry data which when combined with the short run time resulted in an efficient tool for NPS screening, even when standards were unavailable. Electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectra used in combination for the identification of unknown NPS are presented. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predicting Reading Disability: Early Cognitive Risk and Protective Factors
Authors: Eklund Kenneth Mikael , Torppa Minna , Lyytinen Heikki
Published: January 2013

This longitudinal study examined early cognitive risk and protective factors for Grade 2 reading disability (RD). We first examined the reading outcome of 198 children in four developmental cognitive subgroups that were identified in our previous analysis: dysfluent trajectory, declining trajectory, unexpected trajectory and typical trajectory. We found that RD was unevenly distributed among the subgroups, although children with RD were found in all subgroups. A majority of the children with RD had familial risk for dyslexia. Second, we examined in what respect children with similar early cognitive development but different RD outcome differ from each other in cognitive skills, task‐focused behaviour and print exposure. The comparison of the groups with high cognitive risk but different RD outcome showed significant differences in phonological skills, in the amount of shared reading and in task‐focused behaviour. Children who ended up with RD despite low early cognitive risk had poorer cognitive skills, more task avoidance and they were reading less than children without RD and low cognitive risk. In summary, lack of task avoidance seemed to act as a protective factor, which underlines the importance of keeping children interested in school work and reading. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genetic diversity and recombination in natural populations of the nematode‐trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora from China
Authors: Zhang Ying , Qiao Min , Xu Jianping , Cao Yang , Zhang Ke‐Qin , Yu Ze‐Fen
Published: January 2013

Nematophagous fungi can trap and capture nematodes and other small invertebrates. This unique ability has made them ideal organisms from which to develop biological control agents against plant‐ and animal‐parasitic nematodes. However, effective application of biocontrol agents in the field requires a comprehensive understanding about the ecology and population genetics of the nematophagous fungi in natural environments. Here, we genotyped 228 strains of the nematode‐trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora using 12 single nucleotide polymorphic markers located on eight random DNA fragments. The strains were from different ecological niches and geographical regions from China. Our analyses identified that ecological niche separations contributed significantly, whereas geographic separation contributed relatively little to the overall genetic variation in our samples of A. oligospora. Interestingly, populations from stressful environments seemed to be more variable and showed more evidence for recombination than those from benign environments at the same geographic areas. We discussed the implications of our results to the conservation and biocontrol application of A. oligospora in agriculture and forestry.
Estimating evapotranspiration and groundwater flow from water‐table fluctuations for a general wetland scenario
Authors: Carlson Mazur Martha L. , Wiley Michael J. , Wilcox Douglas A.
Published: January 2013

The use of diurnal water‐table fluctuation methods to calculate evapotranspiration (ET) and groundwater flow is of increasing interest in ecohydrological studies. Most studies of this type, however, have been located in riparian wetlands of semi‐arid regions where groundwater levels are consistently below topographic surface elevations and precipitation events are infrequent. Current methodologies preclude application to a wider variety of wetland systems. In this study, we extended a method for estimating sub‐daily ET and groundwater flow rates from water‐level fluctuations to fit highly dynamic, non‐riparian wetland scenarios. Modifications included (1) varying the specific yield to account for periodic flooded conditions and (2) relating empirically derived ET to estimated potential ET for days when precipitation events masked the diurnal signal. To demonstrate the utility of this method, we estimated ET and groundwater fluxes over two growing seasons (2006–2007) in 15 wetlands within a ridge‐and‐swale wetland complex of the Laurentian Great Lakes under flooded and non‐flooded conditions. Mean daily ET rates for the sites ranged from 4.0 mm d−1 to 6.6 mm d−1. Shallow groundwater discharge rates resulting from evaporative demand ranged from 2.5 mm d−1 to 4.3 mm d−1. This study helps to expand our understanding of the evapotranspirative demand of plants under various hydrologic and climate conditions. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Modulation of the Interlayer Structures and Magnetic Behavior of 2D Spin‐Crossover Coordination Polymers [FeII(L)2PtII(CN)4]
Authors: Ohtani Ryo , Arai Masashi , Ohba Hisayoshi , Hori Akihiro , Takata Masaki , Kitagawa Susumu , Ohba Masaaki
Published: January 2013

Two 2D Hofmann‐type spin‐crossover coordination polymers, [Fe(stpy)2Pt(CN)4]·0.5MeOH (stpy = 4‐styrylpyridine; 1) and [Fe(pep)2Pt(CN)4] {pep = 4‐(2‐phenylethyl)pyridine; 2}, have been prepared by using long co‐ligands with different flexibilities. These compounds form 3D interdigitate structures based on 2D layers extended by Pt–CN–Fe linkages with different interlayer structures depending on the nature of the axial co‐ligand. The stpy co‐ligand forms one‐directional π–π networks between the layers, whereas pep forms two‐directional π–π networks as a result of its perpendicularly twisted structure. Coordination polymer 1 exhibits a half‐spin transition with Tc↓ = 106 K and Tc↑ = 110 K. In contrast, coordination polymer 2 shows a sharp, two‐step spin transition in the temperature range 184–236 K. The difference in spin‐transition behavior is discussed in terms of the interlayer packing structure.
Regiocontrolled Hydroarylation of (Trifluoromethyl)acetylenes in Superacids: Synthesis of CF3‐Substituted 1,1‐Diarylethenes
Authors: Alkhafaji Haider M. H. , Ryabukhin Dmitry S. , Muzalevskiy Vasiliy M. , Vasilyev Aleksander V. , Fukin Georgy K. , Shastin Alexey V. , Nenajdenko Valentine G.
Published: January 2013

The reactions between aryl(trifluoromethyl)‐substituted alkynes and arenes in triflic and fluorosulfonic acids were investigated. These reactions proceeded 100 % regioselectively to give 1,1‐diaryl‐2‐trifluoromethylethenes in high yields. Depending on the workup conditions, 3,3,3‐trifluoro‐1,1‐diarylpropan‐1‐ol was also detected in the product mixture. The reaction mechanism was studied by both spectroscopic and theoretical methods. The highly reactive nature of the trifluoromethylated vinyl cations was confirmed by DFT calculations. The stable 2,2,2‐trifluoroethylated carbocation reaction intermediates were observed by 1H, 13C, and 19F NMR spectroscopy. Under treatment with aluminium bromide, the reaction of 3,3,3‐trifluoro‐1‐phenylpropyne with benzene formed 1,3,3‐triphenylindene. The hydration of aryl(trifluoromethyl) alkynes in sulfuric or trifluoroacetic acids smoothly produced 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl ketones in high yields.
Total Synthesis of the Spirocyclic Oxindole Alkaloids Corynoxine, Corynoxine B, Corynoxeine, and Rhynchophylline
Authors: Wanner Martin J. , Ingemann Steen , van Maarseveen Jan H. , Hiemstra Henk
Published: January 2013

Racemic total syntheses of four spirocyclic oxindole alkaloids are reported. The general starting material was an N‐2‐butenylated 2‐hydroxytryptamine, which underwent a base‐mediated Mannich spirocyclisation with a functionalised aldehyde to generate the C‐ring. The second key step was a Pd‐catalysed cyclisation of an α‐keto ester enolate (in the original aldehyde) onto an allylic carbonate (in the N‐substituent) to form the D‐ring. The stereoselectivities of the key steps were moderate, but the isomers were readily purified, so that the natural products could be conveniently prepared, three of them for the first time.
Space‐time modelling of blue ling for fisheries stock management
Authors: Augustin Nicole H. , Trenkel Verena M. , Wood Simon N. , Lorance Pascal
Published: January 2013

Fishery catch data offer a rich potential source of information for management, if modelling can separate out the effects of fishing effort, species behaviour and population abundance. Here, we model catch data from the blue ling fishery off the northwest coast of Scotland, using generalised additive mixed models with a space time interaction represented via a novel tensor product of a soap film smooth of space with a penalized regression spline of time. The use of soap film smoothers avoids imposing correspondences between spatially adjacent areas that are in fact separated by the stock boundary. The comparison of the performance of the soap film smooth for space–time with that of a thin plate regression spline based on root mean squared prediction errors andk‐means cross‐validation suggests that in this application, the former is better overall and in particular for modelling local changes. Further, a model with continuous space‐year interaction performed better compared with one with an additive space‐year effect. After model selection, checking and validation, there is evidence for increasing blue ling abundance from 2000–2010 in some spatial locations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Noni juice reduces lipid peroxidation–derived DNA adducts in heavy smokers
Authors: Wang Mian‐Ying , Peng Lin , Jensen Claude J. , Deng Shixin , West Brett J.
Published: January 2013

Food plants provide important phytochemicals which help improve or maintain health through various biological activities, including antioxidant effects. Cigarette smoke–induced oxidative stress leads to the formation of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) and their decomposition product malondialdehyde (MDA), both of which cause oxidative damage to DNA. Two hundred forty‐five heavy cigarette smokers completed a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial designed to investigate the effect of noni juice on LOOH‐ and MDA‐DNA adducts in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Volunteers drank noni juice or a fruit juice placebo every day for 1 month. DNA adducts were measured by 32P postlabeling analysis. Drinking 29.5–118 mL of noni juice significantly reduced adducts by 44.6–57.4%. The placebo, which was devoid of iridoid glycosides, did not significantly influence LOOH‐ and MDA‐DNA adduct levels in current smokers. Noni juice was able to mitigate oxidative damage of DNA in current heavy smokers, an activity associated with the presence of iridoids.
Estimating bulk density of compacted grains in storage bins and modifications of Janssen's load equations as affected by bulk density
Authors: Haque Ekramul
Published: January 2013

Janssen created a classical theory based on calculus to estimate static vertical and horizontal pressures within beds of bulk corn. Even today, his equations are widely used to calculate static loadings imposed by granular materials stored in bins. Many standards such as American Concrete Institute (ACI) 313, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers EP 433, German DIN 1055, Canadian Farm Building Code (CFBC), European Code (ENV 1991‐4), and Australian Code AS 3774 incorporated Janssen's equations as the standards for static load calculations on bins. One of the main drawbacks of Janssen's equations is the assumption that the bulk density of the stored product remains constant throughout the entire bin. While for all practical purposes, this is true for small bins; in modern commercial‐size bins, bulk density of grains substantially increases due to compressive and hoop stresses. Over pressure factors are applied to Janssen loadings to satisfy practical situations such as dynamic loads due to bin filling and emptying, but there are limited theoretical methods available that include the effects of increased bulk density on the loadings of grain transmitted to the storage structures. This article develops a mathematical equation relating the specific weight as a function of location and other variables of materials and storage. It was found that the bulk density of stored granular materials increased with the depth according to a mathematical equation relating the two variables, and applying this bulk‐density function, Janssen's equations for vertical and horizontal pressures were modified as presented in this article. The validity of this specific weight function was tested by using the principles of mathematics. As expected, calculations of loads based on the modified equations were consistently higher than the Janssen loadings based on noncompacted bulk densities for all grain depths and types accounting for the effects of increased bulk densities with the bed heights.