bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brief Report: Calculating the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score If the Conventional C‐Reactive Protein Level Is Below the Limit of Detection or If High‐Sensitivity C‐Reactive Protein Is Used: An Analysis in the DESIR Cohort
Authors: Machado Pedro , Navarro‐Compán Victoria , Landewé Robert , van Gaalen Floris A. , Roux Christian , van der Heijde Désirée
Published: October 2014

Objective

The Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) is a composite measure of disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis. The aims of this study were to determine the most appropriate method for calculating the ASDAS using the C‐reactive protein (CRP) level when the conventional CRP level was below the limit of detection, to determine how low CRP values obtained by high‐sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) measurement influence ASDAS‐CRP results, and to test agreement between different ASDAS formulae.

Methods

Patients with axial spondyloarthritis who had a conventional CRP level below the limit of detection (5 mg/liter) were selected (n = 257). The ASDAS–conventional CRP with 11 different imputations for the conventional CRP value (range 0–5 mg/liter, at 0.5‐mg/liter intervals) was calculated. The ASDAS‐hsCRP and ASDAS using the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were also calculated. Agreement between the ASDAS formulae was tested.

Results

The ASDAS‐hsCRP showed better agreement with the ASDAS‐CRP calculated using the conventional CRP imputation values of 1.5 and 2.0 mg/liter and with the ASDAS‐ESR than with other imputed formulae. Disagreement occurred mainly in lower disease activity states (inactive/moderate disease activity). When the CRP value was <2 mg/liter, the resulting ASDAS‐CRP scores may have been inappropriately low.

Conclusion

When the conventional CRP level is below the limit of detection or when the hsCRP level is <2 mg/liter, the constant value of 2 mg/liter should be used to calculate the ASDAS‐CRP score. There is good agreement between the ASDAS‐hsCRP and ASDAS‐ESR; however, formulae are not interchangeable.
Natural resolution or intervention for fluid collections in acute severe pancreatitis
Authors: Sarathi Patra P , Das K , Bhattacharyya A , Ray S , Hembram J , Sanyal S , Dhali G K
Published: October 2014

Background

Revisions in terminology of fluid collections in acute pancreatitis have necessitated reanalysis of their evolution and outcome. The course of fluid collections in patients with acute pancreatitis was evaluated prospectively.

Methods

Consecutive adults with acute pancreatitis, who had contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) within 5–7 days of symptom onset, were enrolled in a prospective cohort study in a tertiary-care centre. Patients were treated according to standard guidelines. Follow-up transabdominal ultrasonography was done at 4-week intervals for at least 6 months. CECT was repeated at 6–10 weeks, or at any time if there were new or persistent symptoms. Asymptomatic collections were followed until spontaneous resolution. Risk factors for pancreatic pseudocysts or walled-off necrosis (WON) were assessed in multivariable analyses.

Results

Of 122 patients with acute pancreatitis, 109 were analysed. Some 91 patients (83·5 per cent) had fluid collections at baseline. Eleven of 29 with interstitial oedematous pancreatitis had acute peripancreatic fluid collections, none of which evolved into pseudocysts. All 80 patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis had at least one acute necrotizing collection (ANC); of these, five patients died (2 after drainage), three underwent successful drainage within 5 weeks, and collections resolved spontaneously in 33 and evolved into WON in 39. By 6 months' follow-up, WON had required drainage in eight patients, resolved spontaneously in 23 and was persistent but asymptomatic in seven. Factors associated with increased risk of WON were blood urea nitrogen 20 mg/dl or more (odds ratio (OR) 10·96, 95 per cent c.i. 2·57 to 46·73; P = 0·001) and baseline ANC diameter greater than 6 cm (OR 14·57, 1·60 to 132·35; P = 0·017). Baseline ANC diameter over 6 cm was the only independent predictor of either the need for drainage or persistence of such collections beyond 6 months (hazard ratio 6·61, 1·77 to 24·59; P = 0·005).

Conclusion

Pancreatic pseudocysts develop infrequently in oedematous acute pancreatitis. Only one-quarter of ANCs either require intervention or persist beyond 6 months, whereas more than one-half of WONs resolve without any intervention within 6 months of onset. Baseline diameter of ANC(s) is an important predictor of outcome.
What Factors Are Related to Success on Conditional Release/Discharge? Findings from the New Orleans Forensic Aftercare Clinic: 2002‐2013
Authors: Manguno‐Mire Gina M. , Coffman Kelly L. , DeLand Sarah M. , Thompson John W. , Myers Leann
Published: October 2014

The present study investigated the empirically based factors that predicted success on conditional release among a sample of individuals conditionally discharged in Louisiana. Not guilty by reason of insanity acquittees and individuals on conditional release/discharge for incompetency to stand trial were included in the study. Success on conditional release was defined as maintenance of conditional release during the study period. Recidivism (arrest on new charges) and incidents were empirically evaluated. Success on conditional release was maintained in over 70% of individuals. Recidivism was low, with only five arrests on new charges. Success on conditional release was predicted by financial resources, not having a personality disorder, and having fewer total incidents in the program. After controlling for the influence of other variables, having an incident on conditional release was predicted by a substance use diagnosis and being released from jail. Individuals conditionally released from jail showed fewer number of days to first incident (67 vs. 575 days) compared with individuals discharged from the hospital. These data provide support for the successful management of forensic patients in the community via conditional release, although they highlight specific factors that should be considered when developing community‐based release programming. Conditional release programs should consider empirical factors in the development of risk assessment and risk management approaches to improve successful maintenance of community‐based forensic treatment alternatives. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
From Cats and Blackcurrants: Structure and Dynamics of the Sulfur‐Containing Cassis Odorant Cat Ketone
Authors: Mouhib Halima , Stahl Wolfgang
Published: October 2014

Sulfur‐containing odorants and flavors play an important role in flavor and food industry, especially when meaty, garlic, onion, and vegetable scents are needed. Still, many S‐containing flavors also possess fruity scents and may be used in compositions of perfumes that require a fresh and fruity odor perception. They are naturally abundant in various fruits, essential oils, and food. Most of these compounds possess strong scents, and their scent composition is highly dependent on the concentration applied. At higher concentrations, they usually feature repellent off‐odors, while their sweet and fruity nature is only experienced at very low concentrations. This represents a challenge for their application in perfumery, as well as in food industry. From a molecular point of view, the endless structural and scent variety of these compounds makes them fascinating, especially as their O‐analogs are usually free of any malodors. Here, we report on the investigation of the gas‐phase structure and dynamics of the S‐containing blackcurrant odorant cat ketone (4‐methyl‐4‐sulfanylpentan‐2‐one). The work was performed by combining quantum‐chemical calculations and molecular‐beam Fourier‐transform microwave spectroscopy as complementary tools. Using this technique, we are able to determine the structures of sizeable molecules where energy differences are small and conformational distinction is not always possible by quantum‐chemical calculations alone. The presented results can be used for further structureactivity correlation studies, as well as for benchmarks to improve theoretical models, especially, as there is still significant interest in characterizing the various conformers of organic molecules in terms of relative energies, structures, and dipole moments.
A General and Concise Enantioselective Divergent Approach to 13‐Alkyl‐Substituted Ionones
Authors: Bugoni Serena , Merlini Valentina , Porta Alessio , Zanoni Giuseppe , Vidari Giovanni
Published: October 2014

A novel enantioselective divergent route to 13‐alkyl derivatives of α‐ and γ‐ionone, important components of perfumes and fragrances, is reported. This relatively short and convenient methodology takes advantage of the use of a common intermediate, easily obtained from highly enantiomerically enriched (S)‐α‐ionone, which avoids the separate installation of the butenone side chain at C(6) for each analog. Olfactory evaluation of synthesized compounds reconfirmed the influence of the hydrophobic interactions of alkyl substituents at C(5) with olfactory receptors (ORs) in the chemoreception of ionones, and suggested that a synperiplanar orientation of C(13) and the lateral chain is the better geometry fitting OR's cavity.
From Cassyrane to Cashmeran – The Molecular Parameters of Odorants
Authors: Kraft Philip , Di Cristofaro Valeria , Jordi Samuel
Published: October 2014

This review, including some new experimental results, is the summary of a talk at the ‘flavors & fragrances 2013’ conference in Leipzig, organized jointly by the GDCh, the Liebig‐Vereinigung, and the EuCheMS. After times of searching for natural odor principles and serendipitous discoveries by chemical inspiration, directed odorant design today offers the highest hit rates for the discovery of new odorants, although serendipity still plays a role. Keeping intact the electronic shape required for a certain olfactophore‐binding geometry, one can add or subtract structural elements, rigidify molecular structures, or introduce more structural flexibility. To find out which structural features are critical, the ‘seco‐approach’, in which different fragments are removed by cutting strategic bonds, is the most analytical. Following this approach, such ingredients as Serenolide, Sylkolide, and Pomarose were designed. Transferring this design principle from the family of damascones to that of the theaspiranes led to the discovery of Cassyrane, though completely different structural features turned out to be relevant. Application of the seco‐concept to a 3,7a‐substituted 2,6,7,7a‐tetrahydro‐1H‐inden‐5‐yl musk lead structure derived from carotol resulted in the discovery of a new family of dienone musks with novel structureodor correlations. However, cutting the C(2)O bond of Cassyrane and oxidizing the resulting seco‐structure to the 1,2,5,1″‐tetradehydro derivative links the family of dienone musks with that of blackcurrant odorants, but the resulting target structures turned out to be potent orris odorants. (3E,5E)‐5‐(tert‐Butyl)octadeca‐3,5‐dien‐2‐one even possesses the lowest odor threshold in the whole ionone family (0.036 ng/l air), which could be rationalized by a superposition analysis on (−)‐cis‐γ‐irone. In the course of the synthesis of these high‐impact orris odorants, we discovered that, depending on the reaction conditions, the dehydration step of the intermediate 5‐hydroxyalk‐3‐yn‐2‐ones was accompanied by a carbenium‐ion rearrangement. Depending on the substitution pattern, these rearrangement products and their derivatives possessed interesting musky‐woody olfactory properties reminiscent of Cashmeran, demonstrating that the same structural elements can code for completely different odors, i.e., cassis, musk, orris, violet, and Cashmeran‐type, depending only on their spatial arrangement.
γ‐Unsaturated Aldehydes as Potential Lilial Replacers
Authors: Schroeder Martin , Mathys Marion , Ehrensperger Nadja , Büchel Michelle
Published: October 2014

A series of Claisen rearrangements was undertaken in order to find a replacement for Lilial (=3‐(4‐(tert‐butyl)phenyl)‐2‐methylpropanal), a high‐tonnage perfumery ingredient with a lily‐of‐the‐valley odour, which is a CMR2 material [1]. 5,7,7‐Trimethyl‐4‐methyleneoctanal (10), the synthesis of which is described, became the main lead. It possesses an odour which is very close to that of Lilial but lacks its substantivity. Aldehydes with higher molecular weights than that of 10 were, therefore, synthesised in order to boost substantivity and to understand the structural requirements for a ‘Lilial’ odour. The aldehydes were obtained via Claisen rearrangements of ‘exo‐methylidene’ vinyl ethers, allenyl vinyl ethers, or allenyl allyl ethers. Alternatively, coupling of terminal alkynes with allyl alcohols led to the desired aldehydes. Derivatives of 10 and their sila analogues were also synthesised. The olfactory properties of all synthesised molecules were evaluated for possible structureodour relationships (SOR).
The Importance of New Molecules in Selective Perfumery
Authors: Roucel Maurice , Grau Fanny
Published: October 2014

Perfumery can only evolve thanks to new ingredients. We highlight herein some key molecules and their use in ‘Selective Perfumery’: the violet odorant undecavertol, the floral nerolione and coumarone, the gourmand cappuccino levistamel, the sandalwood notes Sandranol® or Bacdanol®, the fruity top note Magnolia Flower oil, and finally the woody ambery Ambrocenide®.
Synergistic Effects of Trace Amounts of Water in the Enantiodiscrimination Processes by Lipodex E: A Spectroscopic and Computational Investigation
Authors: Uccello‐Barretta Gloria , Schurig Volker , Balzano Federica , Vanni Letizia , Aiello Federica , Mori Mattia , Ghirga Francesca
Published: October 2014

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigations on mixtures containing octakis(3‐O‐butanoyl‐2,6‐di‐O‐pentyl)‐γ‐cyclodextrin (Lipodex E) and each enantiomer of methyl‐2‐chloropropionate (MCP) ascertained the role of trace amounts of water in the enantiodiscrimination processes. Water is deeply included into the cyclodextrin and favors the formation of the inclusion complex with (S)‐MCP, whereas (R)‐MCP is only slightly affected, thus causing a significant increase of NMR differentiation. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to shed light on the possible behavior of Lipodex E in different conditions (i.e., solvent, inclusion complexes), providing energetic and atomistic details that are in agreement with NMR observations. Chirality 27:95–103, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stigmergy in comparative settlement choice and palaeoenvironment simulation
Authors: Ch'ng Eugene , Gaffney Vince , Hakvoort Gido
Published: October 2014

Decisions on settlement location in the face of climate change and coastal inundation may have resulted in success, survival or even catastrophic failure for early settlers in many parts of the world. In this study, we investigate various questions related to how individuals respond to a palaeoenvironmental simulation, on an interactive tabletop device where participants have the opportunity to build a settlement on a coastal landscape, balancing safety, and access to resources, including sea and terrestrial foodstuffs, while taking into consideration the threat of rising sea levels. The results of the study were analyzed to consider whether decisions on settlement were predicated to be near to locations where previous structures were located, stigmergically, and whether later settler choice would fare better, and score higher, as time progressed. The proximity of settlements was investigated and the reasons for clustering were considered. The interactive simulation was exhibited to thousands of visitors at the 2012 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition at the “Europe's Lost World” exhibit. 347 participants contributed to the simulation, providing a sufficiently large sample of data for analysis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 59–73, 2016
Multivariable adaptive variable structure disturbance rejection control for DFIG system
Authors: Tohidi Akbar , Abedinia Oveis , Bekravi Masoud , Ojaroudi Nasser
Published: October 2014

A novel variable structure and disturbance rejection control strategy for a wind turbines equipped with a double fed induction generator based on stator‐flux‐oriented vector control is presented. According to estimation of maximum power operation points of wind turbine under stochastic wind velocity profiles and tracking them using traditional offline gain, scheduling and innovative adaptive online method is necessary. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy, the estimation of maximum operating power point of wind turbine and tracking it under stochastic wind velocity profiles has been considered as a test case. Simulation results show the validity of the proposed technique. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 50–62, 2016
Dynamical behaviors of the chaotic Brushless DC motors model
Authors: Zhang Fuchen , Lin Da , Xiao Min , Li Huanrong
Published: October 2014

This article is concerned with the boundedness solutions of the brushless DC motor system. For this system, the global attractive set and positively invariant set are obtained based on generalized Lyapunov function stability theory and the extremum principle of function. Furthermore, the rate of the trajectories is also obtained. Numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 79–85, 2016
New coalition formation game for spectrum sharing in cognitive radio networks
Authors: Hamouda Soumaya , El‐Bessi Sourour , Tabbane Sami
Published: October 2014

In cognitive radio networks, Secondary Users (SUs) can access the spectrum simultaneously with the Primary Users (PUs) in underlay mode. In this case, interference caused to the licensed users has to be effectively controlled. The SUs have to make spectrum access decisions in order to enhance their quality of service, but without causing harmful interference to the coexisting PUs. In this paper, we propose a cooperative spectrum decision, which enables the SUs to share the spectrum with the PUs more efficiently. Our approach is based on a new coalitional game in which the coalition value is a function of the SUs' spectral efficiencies, the inter‐SUs interference, and the interference caused to the PUs. By applying new Enter and Leave rules, we obtain a stable coalition structure. Simulation results show that the SUs' spectral efficiencies are considerably increased and that the interference caused to the coexisting PU is reduced by about 7.5% as compared to an opportunistic spectrum access scheme. Moreover, the proposed coalitional game results in a more balanced spectrum sharing in the network. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cryptanalysis and security enhancement of a robust two‐factor authentication and key agreement protocol
Authors: Xie Qi , Dong Na , Wong Duncan S. , Hu Bin
Published: October 2014

Two‐factor user authentication scheme allows a user to use a smart card and a password to achieve mutual authentication and establish a session key between a server and a user. In 2012, Chen et al. showed that the scheme of Sood et al. does not achieve mutual authentication and is vulnerable to off‐line password guessing and smart card stolen attacks. They also found that another scheme proposed by Song is vulnerable to similar off‐line password guessing and smart card stolen attacks. They further proposed an improved scheme. In this paper, we first show that the improved scheme of Chen et al. still suffers from off‐line password guessing and smart card stolen attacks, does not support perfect forward secrecy, and lacks the fairness of session key establishment. We then propose a new security‐enhanced scheme and show its security and authentication using the formal verification tool ProVerif, which is based on applied pi calculus. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, characterization, and monoamine transporter activity of the new psychoactive substance 3′,4′‐methylenedioxy‐4‐methylaminorex (MDMAR)
Authors: McLaughlin Gavin , Morris Noreen , Kavanagh Pierce V. , Power John D. , Twamley Brendan , O'Brien John , Talbot Brian , Dowling Geraldine , Mahony Olivia , Brandt Simon D. , Patrick Julian , Archer Roland P. , Partilla John S. , Baumann Michael H.
Published: October 2014

The recent occurrence of deaths associated with the psychostimulant cis‐4,4′‐dimethylaminorex (4,4′‐DMAR) in Europe indicated the presence of a newly emerged psychoactive substance on the market. Subsequently, the existence of 3,4‐methylenedioxy‐4‐methylaminorex (MDMAR) has come to the authors' attention and this study describes the synthesis of cis‐ and trans‐MDMAR followed by extensive characterization by chromatographic, spectroscopic, mass spectrometric platforms and crystal structure analysis. MDMAR obtained from an online vendor was subsequently identified as predominantly the cis‐isomer (90%). Exposure of the cis‐isomer to the mobile phase conditions (acetonitrile/water 1:1 with 0.1% formic acid) employed for high performance liquid chromatography analysis showed an artificially induced conversion to the trans‐isomer, which was not observed when characterized by gas chromatography. Monoamine release activities of both MDMAR isomers were compared with the non‐selective monoamine releasing agent (+)‐3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as a standard reference compound. For additional comparison, both cis‐ and trans‐4,4′‐DMAR, were assessed under identical conditions. cis‐MDMAR, trans‐MDMAR, cis‐4,4′‐DMAR and trans‐4,4′‐DMAR were more potent than MDMA in their ability to function as efficacious substrate‐type releasers at the dopamine (DAT) and norepinephrine (NET) transporters in rat brain tissue. While cis‐4,4′‐DMAR, cis‐MDMAR and trans‐MDMAR were fully efficacious releasing agents at the serotonin transporter (SERT), trans‐4,4′‐DMAR acted as a fully efficacious uptake blocker. Currently, little information is available about the presence of MDMAR on the market but the high potency of ring‐substituted methylaminorex analogues at all three monoamine transporters investigated here might be relevant when assessing the potential for serious side‐effects after high dose exposure. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alate susceptibility in ants
Authors: Ho Eddie K. H. , Frederickson Megan E.
Published: October 2014

Pathogens are predicted to pose a particular threat to eusocial insects because infections can spread rapidly in colonies with high densities of closely related individuals. In ants, there are two major castes: workers and reproductives. Sterile workers receive no direct benefit from investing in immunity, but can gain indirect fitness benefits if their immunity aids the survival of their fertile siblings. Virgin reproductives (alates), on the other hand, may be able to increase their investment in reproduction, rather than in immunity, because of the protection they receive from workers. Thus, we expect colonies to have highly immune workers, but relatively more susceptible alates. We examined the survival of workers, gynes, and males of nine ant species collected in Peru and Canada when exposed to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. For the seven species in which treatment with B. bassiana increased ant mortality relative to controls, we found workers were significantly less susceptible compared with both alate sexes. Female and male alates did not differ significantly in their immunocompetence. Our results suggest that, as with other nonreproductive tasks in ant colonies like foraging and nest maintenance, workers have primary responsibility for colony immunity, allowing alates to specialize on reproduction. We highlight the importance of colony‐level selection on individual immunity in ants and other eusocial organisms.
Tocopherol losses during pan‐frying
Authors: Fišnar Jakub , Doležal Marek , Réblová Zuzana
Published: October 2014

Tocopherol losses were studied during pan‐frying of bread and during heating of vegetable oils. During the heating experiments, 16 g of sunflower and olive oil was heated on a pan (internal diameter 17 cm) at maximum oil temperature 180 °C for 4, 8, and 12 min, as well as at 200 and 220 °C for 4 min. The total tocopherol losses grew according to increasing heating time and temperature from 10 to almost 100% of the initial content. The absolute losses (in mg/kg) were higher in sunflower oil with a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, while the relative losses (in % of the initial content) were higher in olive oil with a lower initial content of tocopherols. During the pan‐frying, 16 g of oil (sunflower, olive, soybean, or rapeseed) was pre‐heated on the pan for 4 min (at oil temperature 180 °C) and then two slices of bread (80 g) were fried in this oil for 8 min, while the oil soaked into the fried bread. Under these conditions, tocopherol losses did not depend prominently on the used oil and did not exceed 30% of the initial content.

Practical applications: Tocopherol losses during culinary processing of foods have not been studied in a sufficient range yet. Therefore, the content of vitamin E in heat‐treated dishes estimated from data in food composition tables and similar tools is not correct in all cases. The presented results could enlarge our knowledge in tocopherol losses during pan‐frying under different conditions as well as in content of vitamin E in fried foods. As a consequence, these results could be utilized to minimize tocopherol losses during culinary food processing and so to increase in some cases insufficient intake of vitamin E.

Tocopherol losses were studied during pan‐frying of bread under optimized and controlled conditions. Under these conditions, tocopherol losses did not depend prominently on the used oil and did not exceed 30% of the initial content.
Recent advances in enhancing the sensitivity of electrophoresis and electrochromatography in capillaries and microchips (2012–2014)
Authors: Breadmore Michael C. , Tubaon Ria Marni , Shallan Aliaa I. , Phung Sui Ching , Abdul Keyon Aemi S. , Gstoettenmayr Daniel , Prapatpong Pornpan , Alhusban Ala A. , Ranjbar Leila , See Hong Heng , Dawod Mohamed , Quirino Joselito P.
Published: October 2014

One of the most cited limitations of capillary (and microchip) electrophoresis is the poor sensitivity. This review continues to update this series of biannual reviews, first published in Electrophoresis in 2007, on developments in the field of on‐line/in‐line concentration methods, covering the period July 2012–July 2014. It includes developments in the field of stacking, covering all methods from field‐amplified sample stacking and large‐volume sample stacking, through to ITP, dynamic pH junction, and sweeping. Attention is also given to on‐line or in‐line extraction methods that have been used for electrophoresis.
On‐capillary derivatisation as an approach to enhancing sensitivity in capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Glatz Zdeněk
Published: October 2014

Separation technologies play an important role in revealing biological processes at various omic levels, in pharmacological and clinical research. In this context, CE is a strong candidate for analyses of samples with rapidly increasing complexity. Even though CE is well known for its many advantages in this regard, the sensitivity of CE analyses is insufficient for many applications. Accordingly, there are generally three main options for enhancing the sensitivity of CE analyses – using special detection techniques, using sample pre‐concentration and derivatisation. Derivatisation is often the method of choice for many laboratories, since it is simple and provides several advantages such as small sample volume demand and the possibility of automation. Although it can be performed in different ways depending on where the reaction takes place, this article reviews one of the simplest and at the same time most useful approaches on‐capillary derivatisation. Even if in many cases the use of on‐capillary derivatisation alone is enough to improve the detection sensitivity, on other occasions it needs to be employed in combination with the other above‐mentioned strategies. After a simple discussion of derivatisation in general, special attention is focused on the on‐capillary approach and methodologies available for on‐capillary reactant mixing. Its applications in various fields are also described.
Recombinant self‐assembling 16‐residue peptide nanofiber scaffolds for neuronal axonal outgrowth
Authors: Liang Peng , Xiong Jinsheng , Zhao Liwei , Xu Ye , Zhao Jiaxin , Liu Qing
Published: October 2014

Self‐assembling peptides are considered a good biological scaffold for the repair of injured nervous system. In order to set up a stable system to produce the peptides at low cost, we used a gene recombinant expression method. The sequence of the peptide was devised to facilitate neural cell attachment and growth. The nucleotide sequence of the self‐assembling peptide was designed, artificially synthesized, and inserted into the fusion protein vector pTYB2. After being transformed and expressed inEscherichia coliBL‐21 (DE3) by means of the fusion protein, the soluble 16‐residue peptide (named RAE16) was obtained by one‐step chitin affinity chromatography. During cell culture, bone marrow stromal cells were fully embedded in the 3D environment of the peptide scaffolds. The MTT (3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2‐H‐tetrazolium bromide) test indicated that bone marrow stromal cells cultured in RAE16 had the highest survival rate with the absorbance value of 0.7 at 7 days. Moreover, the cortical neural axons in the RAE16 group were longer (118.36 ± 7.04 μm) than in the other groups (p< 0.01). The recombinant peptide nanofiber scaffolds we designed provide a promising cell culture system for general molecular and cell biology studies and are useful as well for neural regeneration studies.
Seismic response of sliding equipment and contents in base‐isolated buildings subjected to broadband ground motions
Authors: Konstantinidis Dimitrios , Nikfar Farzad
Published: October 2014

Base isolation has been established as the seismic design approach of choice when it comes to protecting nonstructural contents. However, while this protection technology has been widely shown to reduce seismic demands on attached oscillatory equipment and contents (EC), its effectiveness in controlling the response of freestanding EC that are prone to sliding has not been investigated. This study examines the seismic behavior of sliding EC inside base‐isolated buildings subjected to broadband ground motions. The effect of isolation system properties on the response of sliding EC with various friction coefficients is examined. Two widely used isolation models are considered: viscously damped linear elastic and bilinear. The study finds isolation to be generally effective in reducing seismic demands on sliding EC, but it also exposes certain situations where isolation in fact increases demands on EC, most notably for low friction coefficients and high earthquake intensities. Damping at the isolation level is effective in controlling the EC sliding displacements, although damping over about 20% is found to be superfluous. The study identifies a physically motivated dimensionless intensity measure and engineering demand parameter for sliding equipment in base‐isolated buildings subjected to broadband ground motions. Finally, the paper presents easy‐to‐use design fragility curves and an example that illustrates how to use them. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Numerical simulations of a highway bridge structure employing passive negative stiffness device for seismic protection
Authors: Attary Navid , Symans Michael , Nagarajaiah Satish , Reinhorn Andrei M. , Constantinou Michael C. , Sarlis Apostolos A. , Pasala Dharma T. R. , Taylor Douglas
Published: October 2014

A new passive seismic response control device has been developed, fabricated, and tested by the authors and shown to be capable of producing negative stiffness via a purely mechanical mechanism, thus representing a new generation of seismic protection devices. Although the concept of negative stiffness may appear to be a reversal on the desired relationship between the force and displacement in structures (the desired relationship being that the product of restoring force and displacement is nonnegative), when implemented in parallel with a structure having positive stiffness, the combined system appears to have substantially reduced stiffness while remaining stable. Thus, there is an ‘apparent weakening and softening’ of the structure that results in reduced forces and increased displacements (where the weakening and softening is of a non‐damaging nature in that it occurs in a seismic protection device rather than within the structural framing system). Any excessive displacement response can then be limited by incorporating a damping device in parallel with the negative stiffness device. The combination of negative stiffness and passive damping provides a large degree of control over the expected performance of the structure. In this paper, a numerical study is presented on the performance of a seismically isolated highway bridge model that is subjected to various strong earthquake ground motions. The Negative Stiffness Devices (NSDs) are described along with their hysteretic behavior as obtained from a series of cyclic tests wherein the tests were conducted using a modified design of the NSDs (modified for testing within the bridge model). Using the results from the cyclic tests, numerical simulations of the seismic response of the isolated bridge model were conducted for various configurations (with/without negative stiffness devices and/or viscous dampers). The results demonstrate that the addition of negative stiffness devices reduces the base shear substantially, while the deck displacement is limited to acceptable values. This assessment was conducted as part of a NEES (Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation) project which included shaking table tests of a quarter‐scale highway bridge model. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seismic performance improvement of Special Truss Moment Frames using damage and energy concepts
Authors: Heidari Ahmad , Gharehbaghi Sadjad
Published: October 2014

Nowadays, one of the most important methodologies to reduce the destructive effects of severe earthquakes on structures is the use of energy dissipation devices (EDDs). In this paper, a new configuration of special truss moment frame (STMF) systems including EDDs is theoretically proposed to improve their seismic performance. Such an improvement is achieved by provision of bending performance in these frames. For this purpose, the devices called buckling resistant braces (BRBs) are located at the side of beam‐column connections as the top and bottom members of truss‐girders. In this context, a five‐bay nine‐story STMF is designed using the damage and energy concepts recently proposed in the literature. To show the effectiveness of the proposed system with respect to the similar recently presented STMFs, this frame is then subjected to non‐linear static and non‐linear time‐history analyses under several ground motion records in order to survey on its seismic performance. Subsequently, such engineering demand parameters as lateral displacement, inter‐story drift ratio, overturning moment and shearing forces of stories, residual deformations and maximum time‐history displacement at roof level, as well as the process of plastic hinges formation are investigated. The results show the effectiveness of proposed configuration of EDDs used to improve the seismic safety of STMFs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Urban wastewater effluent increases antibiotic resistance gene concentrations in a receiving northern European river
Authors: Berglund Björn , Fick Jerker , Lindgren Per-Eric
Published: October 2014

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an emerging global problem that threatens to undermine important advances in modern medicine. The environment is likely to play an important role in the dissemination of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) among both environmental and pathogenic bacteria. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) accumulate both chemical and biological waste from the surrounding urban milieu and have therefore been viewed as potential hotspots for dissemination and development of antibiotic resistance. To assess the effect of wastewater effluent on a river that flows through a Swedish city, sediment and water samples were collected from Stångån River, both upstream and downstream of an adjacent WWTP over 3 mo. Seven ARGs and the integrase gene on class 1 integrons were quantified in the collected sediment using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to assess the abundance of 10 different antibiotics in the water phase of the samples. The results showed an increase in ARGs and integrons downstream of the WWTP. The measured concentrations of antibiotics were low in the water samples from the Stångån River, suggesting that selection for ARGs did not occur in the surface water. Instead, the downstream increase in ARGs is likely to be attributable to accumulation of genes present in the treated effluent discharged from the WWTP. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:192–196. © 2014 SETAC
Effects of benzo[a]pyrene on growth, the antioxidant system, and DNA damage in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) in 2 different soil types under laboratory conditions
Authors: Duan Xiaochen , Xu Li , Song Jing , Jiao Jiaguo , Liu Manqiang , Hu feng , Li Huixin
Published: October 2014

The aims of the present study were to compare the toxic effects of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and to screen for rapid and sensitive biomarkers that can be used to assess the environmental risks of BaP in earthworms in different natural soil types. The authors exposed Eisenia fetida to 2 types of soil (red soil and fluvo-aquic soil) spiked with different concentrations (0 mg kg−1, 1 mg kg−1, 10 mg kg−1, 100 mg kg−1, and 500 mg kg−1) of BaP for 7 d or 14 d. Benzo[a]pyrene-induced weight variation altered the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD]; catalase [CAT]; and guaiacol peroxidase [POD]) and changed the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). In addition, using the comet assay, the authors determined the DNA damage in earthworms. The results revealed that the comet assay was suitable for evaluating the genotoxicity of BaP in the soil, even at the lowest examined concentration. The MDA content was the least sensitive indicator of BaP toxicity. A 3-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether the soil type, exposure concentration, and duration affected the BaP toxicity. The antioxidant enzyme activities and the MDA content were shown to be significantly correlated with the exposure concentration. The percentage of weight variation (p < 0.001), CAT activity (p < 0.05), and SOD activity (p < 0.01) were significantly affected by the soil type, and the POD activity (p < 0.01), CAT activity (p < 0.001), and SOD activity (p < 0.001) were significantly affected by the exposure duration. Therefore, measuring DNA damage in earthworms is a simple and efficient means of assessing BaP genotoxicity in a terrestrial environment, and the effects of the soil type and exposure time on the other parameters that were investigated in E. fetida, which were used as responsive biomarkers, should be considered. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;9999:1–8. © 2014 SETAC
Assessing the fate and effects of an insecticidal formulation
Authors: de Perre Chloé , Williard Karl W. J. , Schoonover Jon E. , Young Bryan G. , Murphy Tracye M. , Lydy Michael J.
Published: October 2014

A 3-yr study was conducted on a corn field in central Illinois, USA, to understand the fate and effects of an insecticidal formulation containing the active ingredients phostebupirim and cyfluthrin. The objectives were to determine the best tillage practice (conventional vs conservation tillage) in terms of grain yields and potential environmental risk, to assess insecticidal exposure using concentrations measured in soil and runoff water and sediments, to compare measured insecticidal concentrations with predicted concentrations from selected risk assessment exposure models, and to calculate toxicity benchmarks from laboratory bioassays performed on reference aquatic and terrestrial nontarget organisms, using individual active ingredients and the formulation. Corn grain yields were not significantly different based on tillage treatment. Similarly, field concentrations of insecticides were not significantly (p > 0.05) different in strip tillage versus conventional tillage, suggesting that neither of the tillage systems would enable greater environmental risk from the insecticidal formulation. Risk quotients were calculated from field concentrations and toxicity data to determine potential risk to nontarget species. The insecticidal formulation used at the recommended rate resulted in soil, sediment, and water concentrations that were potentially harmful to aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, if exposure occurred, with risk quotients up to 34. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:197–207. © 2014 SETAC
Demographically Adjusted Groups for Equating Test Scores
Authors: Livingston Samuel A.
Published: October 2014

In this study, I investigated 2 procedures intended to create test‐taker groups of equal ability by poststratifying on a composite variable created from demographic information. In one procedure, the stratifying variable was the composite variable that best predicted the test score. In the other procedure, the stratifying variable was the composite that best indicated group membership (i.e., the propensity score). Applied to 2 groups taking the same test at different administrations, the composite that best predicted the test score reduced the ability difference by about two thirds; the composite that best indicated group membership reduced the ability difference by about half. Prescreening the predictor variables did not improve the performance of either procedure.
Forecasting Stock Returns: Do Commodity Prices Help?
Authors: Black Angela J. , Klinkowska Olga , McMillan David G. , McMillan Fiona J.
Published: October 2014

This paper examines the relationship between stock prices and commodity prices and whether this can be used to forecast stock returns. As both prices are linked to expected future economic performance they should exhibit a long‐run relationship. Moreover, changes in sentiment towards commodity investing may affect the nature of the response to disequilibrium. Results support cointegration between stock and commodity prices, while Bai–Perron tests identify breaks in the forecast regression. Forecasts are computed using a standard fixed (static) in‐sample/out‐of‐sample approach and by both recursive and rolling regressions, which incorporate the effects of changing forecast parameter values. A range of model specifications and forecast metrics are used. The historical mean model outperforms the forecast models in both the static and recursive approaches. However, in the rolling forecasts, those models that incorporate information from the long‐run stock price/commodity price relationship outperform both the historical mean and other forecast models. Of note, the historical mean still performs relatively well compared to standard forecast models that include the dividend yield and short‐term interest rates but not the stock/commodity price ratio. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate–responsive element modulator alpha overexpression impairs function of hepatic myeloid‐derived suppressor cells and aggravates immune‐mediated hepatitis in mice
Authors: Hammerich Linda , Warzecha Klaudia Theresa , Stefkova Martina , Bartneck Matthias , Ohl Kim , Gassler Nikolaus , Luedde Tom , Trautwein Christian , Tenbrock Klaus , Tacke Frank
Published: October 2014

Molecular factors driving immune‐mediated inflammation in the liver are incompletely understood. The transcription factor, cyclic adenosine monophosphate‐responsive element modulator alpha (CREMα) can endorse differentiation of T lymphocytes toward T‐helper (Th)17 cells, thereby promoting autoimmunity in systemic lupus erythematosus or lung inflammation. To investigate the role of CREMα in liver disease, we subjected transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing CREMα under control of the CD2 promoter (cremtg mice), which restrains expression mainly to lymphocytes (T, natural killer [NK], and NKT cells), to acute and chronic liver injury models. Already in steady state, Tg CREMα overexpression broadly reduced hepatic immune cell numbers by decreasing their viability, but did not affect immune cell migration or the fibrogenic response to chronic liver injury. Strikingly, cremtg mice developed more severe immune‐mediated hepatitis with a higher mortality rate, compared to wild‐type (wt) mice, upon concanavalin A (ConA) administration. Unlike in T cells from spleen, CREMα overexpression did not induce a predominant Th17 response in intrahepatic T cells, given that hepatic cremtg CD4+ T cells expressed less interleukin (IL)‐17 than wt T cells. Reconstitution of Rag1−/−
mice with Crem−/−
T cells did not ameliorate ConA hepatitis. Overexpression of CREMα did not influence NK and NKT‐cell effector functions either. Interestingly, a subset of monocytic myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) also expressed CD2 and CREMα. Cremtg MDSCs isolated from liver expressed reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase and arginase 1 and displayed a reduced T‐cell suppressive activity. The adoptive transfer of wt MDSCs was capable of reducing the fulminant immune‐mediated liver damage in cremtg mice to wt level. Conclusion: These results suggest compartmental differences of T cell activation pathways between liver and other organs in autoimmunity and define a functional role of CREMα in hepatic monocytic MDSCs for the pathogenesis of immune‐mediated liver disease. (Hepatology 2015;61:990–1002)
Examination of rhythmicity of extracellularly recorded neurons in the entorhinal cortex
Authors: Climer Jason R. , DiTullio Ronald , Newman Ehren L. , Hasselmo Michael E. , Eden Uri T.
Published: October 2014

A number of studies have examined the theta‐rhythmic modulation of neuronal firing in the hippocampal circuit. For extracellular recordings, this is often done by examining spectral properties of the spike‐time autocorrelogram, most significantly, for validating the presence or absence of theta modulation across species. These techniques can show significant rhythmicity for high firing rate, highly rhythmic neurons; however, they are substantially biased by several factors including the peak firing rate of the neuron, the amount of time spent in the neuron's receptive field, and other temporal properties of the rhythmicity such as cycle‐skipping. These limitations make it difficult to examine rhythmic modulation in neurons with low firing rates or when an animal has short dwell times within the firing field and difficult to compare rhythmicity under disparate experimental conditions when these factors frequently differ. Here, we describe in detail the challenges that researchers face when using these techniques and apply our findings to recent recordings from bat entorhinal grid cells, suggesting that they may have lacked enough data to examine theta rhythmicity robustly. We describe a more sensitive and statistically rigorous method using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of a parametric model of the lags within the autocorrelation window, which helps to alleviate some of the problems of traditional methods and was also unable to detect rhythmicity in bat grid cells. Using large batteries of simulated data, we explored the boundaries for which the MLE technique and the theta index can detect rhythmicity. The MLE technique is less sensitive to many features of the autocorrelogram and provides a framework for statistical testing to detect rhythmicity as well as changes in rhythmicity in individual sessions providing a substantial improvement over previous methods. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.