bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of peripheral androgen blockade in prostate cancer patients with biochemical failure after definitive local therapy
Authors: Monk J. Paul , Halabi Susan , Picus Joel , Hussain Arif , Philips George , Kaplan Ellen , Ahles Tim , Gu Lin , Vogelzang Nicholas , Kelly William K. , Small Eric J. ,   for the Cancer and Leukemia Group B
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND:

The treatment for prostate cancer patients with biochemical failure after local therapy remains controversial. Peripheral androgen blockade using a combination of a 5‐alpha reductase inhibitor and an antiandrogen may allow control of the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA). Because testosterone levels are not suppressed, this approach may be associated with less morbidity than conventional gonadal androgen suppression.

METHODS:

All patients had undergone previous definitive local therapy and had evidence of a rising PSA >1ng/mL, with no evidence of recurrent disease. Patients received both finasteride, 5 mg orally per day, and flutamide, 250 mg orally 3× a day. Patients were followed for a PSA response and quality of life assessment.

RESULTS:

Ninety‐nine of 101 accrued patients were eligible. A ≥80% PSA decline was seen in 96 (96%) patients. The median time to PSA progression was 85 months. With a median follow‐up of 10 years, the median survival time had not been reached, and the 5‐year overall survival rate was 87%. Toxicity was mild, with 18 patients stopping for toxicity; 15 had diarrhea, 4 had gynecomastia, and 3 had transaminase elevation. Baseline Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Prostate Module and Treatment Outcome Index scores decreased by 5 points each at 6 months after enrollment.

CONCLUSIONS:

The use of the finasteride/flutamide combination is feasible, and results in PSA declines of ≥80% in 96% of patients with serologic progression after definitive local therapy. There were no unexpected toxicities, and the change in quality of life was mild. Further evaluation of this or a similar regimen in a controlled clinical trial is warranted. Cancer 2012. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Therapy‐related acute lymphoblastic leukemia is more frequent than previously recognized and has a poor prognosis
Authors: Abdulwahab Amal , Sykes Jenna , Kamel‐Reid Suzanne , Chang Hong , Brandwein Joseph M.
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND:

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) occurring in patients with a history of prior chemotherapy/radiotherapy exposure has been previously reported to be rare, accounting for <2.5% of ALL cases.

METHODS:

All cases of adult ALL with a history of prior cytotoxic or radiation therapy at a leukemia referral center over a 13‐year period were analyzed.

RESULTS:

Twenty‐three cases, representing 6.9% of all ALL cases, were identified. Of these, 17 (74%) had at least 1 high‐risk feature; 8 (35%) had MLL rearrangements, and 4 were BCR‐ABL+. MLL rearrangements were correlated with CD15 expression and absence of CD10, and also tended to have a shorter mean latency period and more prior topoisomerase II exposure. Twenty‐one patients received induction therapy, and 18 (86%) achieved a complete response, 17 with 1 induction. Six patients have relapsed and died, and 4 others died of other complications, 2 of these postallogeneic stem cell transplantation. Median disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 27 and 13.6 months, respectively, and 3‐year DFS and OS were 37.1% and 37.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

The frequency of therapy‐related ALL is higher than previously reported and has a poor prognosis, probably related to the high frequency of adverse risk features. Cancer 2012. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Gold Nanospacers Greatly Enhance the Capacitance of Electrochemically Reduced Graphene
Authors: Buglione Lucia , Bonanni Alessandra , Ambrosi Adriano , Pumera Martin
Published: December 2011

Graphene has great potential in electrochemical storage applications for supercapacitors owing to its high conductivity, large surface area, and the economical feasibility in producing it. The main issue that faces graphene nanomaterials in this application is that they tend to restack, thus decreasing the accessible surface area and leading to low capacitance. Gold nanoparticles of various sizes (2–150 nm) can be used as efficient spacing material for electrochemically reduced graphene oxide, thereby greatly increasing capacitance from 4.99 F g−1, when no spacers are used, to a capacitance of 174.2 F g−1 (per gram of graphene) when gold nanospacers of 10 nm diameter are introduced.
Versatile Photoactive Materials Based on Zeolite L Doped with Laser Dyes
Authors: Gartzia‐Rivero Leire , Bañuelos‐Prieto Jorge , Martínez‐Martínez Virginia , López Arbeloa Iñigo
Published: December 2011

Different laser dyes (with special interest in boron dipyrromethene) are incorporated as guests into the channels of zeolite L. The resulting doped material is fully characterized by steady‐state and time‐resolved photophysical techniques. The pores of zeolite L are filled with high amounts of dyes, which are exclusively present in their monomeric form and aligned in a preferential orientation, thus generating an organized photoactive material. The ordered disposition of the dye, mostly along the direction of the zeolite L nanochannels, was confirmed by confocal fluorescence microscopy. A careful selection of fluorophores along with controlled loading allows the harvest of light from the entire ultraviolet/visible region for conversion into white light, or alternatively, tuning of the emission in the blue, green, and red regions, owing to the presence of energy‐transfer processes in the antenna systems built up in this work.
Changes in amniotic fluid and umbilical cord serum proteomic profiles of foetuses with intrauterine growth retardation
Authors: Cecconi Daniela , Lonardoni Francesco , Favretto Donata , Cosmi Erich , Tucci Marianna , Visentin Silvia , Cecchetto Giovanni , Fais Paolo , Viel Guido , Ferrara Santo Davide
Published: December 2011

Foetal growth is a result of a complex net of processes, requiring coordination within the maternal, placental, and foetal compartments, the imbalance or lack of which may lead to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). IUGR is the major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, and is also related to enhanced morbidity and metabolic abnormalities later in life. In the present study, the protein profiles of umbilical cord serum (UCS) and amniotic fluid (AF) of ten IUGR and ten appropriate for gestational age newborns have been analysed by 2‐DE, and nanoHPLC‐Chip/MS technology. A total of 18 and 13 spots were found to be differentially expressed (p<0.01) in UCS and AF respectively. The unique differentially expressed proteins identified by MS/MS analysis were 14 in UCS, and 11 in AF samples. Protein gene ontology classification indicate that 21% of proteins are involved in inflammatory response, 20% in immune response, while a smaller proportion are related to transport, blood pressure, and coagulation. These results support the conclusion that the IUGR condition alters the expression of proteins involved in the coagulation process, immune mechanisms, blood pressure and iron and copper homeostasis control, offering a new insight into IUGR pathogenesis.
Native Red Electrophoresis – A new method suitable for separation of native proteins
Authors: Dráb Tomáš , Kračmerová Jana , Tichá Ivana , Hanzlíková Eva , Tichá Marie , Ryšlavá Helena , Doubnerová Veronika , Maňásková‐Postlerová Pavla , Liberda Jiří
Published: December 2011

A new type of native electrophoresis was developed to separate and characterize proteins. In this modification of the native blue electrophoresis, the dye Ponceau Red S is used instead of Coomassie Brilliant Blue to impose uniform negative charge on proteins to enable their electrophoretic separation according to their relative molecular masses. As Ponceau Red S binds less tightly to proteins, in comparison with Coomassie Blue, it can be easily removed after the electrophoretic separation and a further investigation of protein properties is made possible (e.g. an enzyme detection or electroblotting). The tested proteins also kept their native properties (enzyme activity or aggregation state).
Energy and the environment: Global warming, climate change, er, climate volatility: 2012 and beyond
Authors: Lesser Jonathan A.
Published: December 2011

The italicization above is not the result of the editor's failure to remove “redlined” changes. Rather, it reflects the ongoing metamorphosis of environmental doomsayers to failed predictions about the earth's climate. Perhaps because global warming was not sufficiently scary to the public, or perhaps because every time former Vice President Al Gore would speak on the subject, his speech would be accompanied by heavy snow or record cold temperatures, global warming became “climate change.”
Evaluation of the performance of post‐Hartree‐Fock methods in terms of intermolecular distance in noncovalent complexes
Authors: Řezáč Jan , Riley Kevin E. , Hobza Pavel
Published: December 2011

Dissociation curves calculated using multiple correlated QM methods for 66 noncovalent complexes (Řezáč et al., J Chem Theory Comput 2011, 7, 2427) have allowed us to interpolate equilibrium intermolecular distances for each studied method. Comparison of these data with CCSD(T)/complete basis set reference geometries provides information on how these methods perform in geometry optimizations. The large set of systems considered here is necessary for reliable statistical evaluation of the results and assessment of the robustness of the studied methods. Our results show that advanced methods such as MP3 and CCSD provide significant improvement over MP2 only when empirical scaling is used. The best results can be achieved with spin component scaled CCSD optimized for noncovalent interactions, with a root mean square error of 0.4% of the equilibrium distance. Scaled MP3, the MP2.5 method, yields comparably good results (error 0.5%) while being substantially cheaper. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2012
Radiology's ethical responsibility for healthcare reform: Tempering the overutilization of medical imaging and trimming down a heavyweight
Authors: Armao Diane , Semelka Richard C. , Elias Jorge
Published: December 2011

In this review we describe the problem of overutilization of high‐cost imaging modalities, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). The overuse of CT is numerically more dramatic and also carries with it the not insignificant risk of harm to patients, namely, induction of radiation‐induced malignancies. We report what is known of these risks in various imaging scenarios. The use of Radiology Business Managers is described as a means adopted to control overuse and the limitations of this strategy. The imperative of appropriate utilization is focused on, with emphasis placed on computer‐based medical decision support. Impediments to appropriate use, however, exist, with concerns of medicolegal liability high on the list of these issues. Finally, we recommend that radiologists take the lead in the reform process by implementing strategies such as decision support. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:512‐517. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Unequivocal identification of brown adipose tissue in a human infant
Authors: Hu Houchun H. , Tovar Jason P. , Pavlova Zdena , Smith Michelle L. , Gilsanz Vicente
Published: December 2011

We report the unique depiction of brown adipose tissue (BAT) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in a human 3‐month‐old infant. Based on cellular differences between BAT and more lipid‐rich white adipose tissue (WAT), chemical‐shift MRI and CT were both capable of generating distinct signal contrasts between the two tissues and against surrounding anatomy, utilizing fat‐signal fraction metrics in the former and x‐ray attenuation values in the latter. While numerous BAT imaging experiments have been performed previously in rodents, the identification of BAT in humans has only recently been described with fusion positron emission and computed tomography in adults. The imaging of BAT in children has not been widely reported and, furthermore, MRI of human BAT in general has not been demonstrated. In the present work, large bilateral supraclavicular BAT depots were clearly visualized with MRI and CT. Tissue identity was subsequently confirmed by histology. BAT has important implications in regulating energy metabolism and nonshivering thermogenesis and has the potential to combat the onset of weight gain and the development of obesity. Current findings suggest that BAT is present in significant amounts in children and that MRI and CT can differentiate BAT from WAT based on intrinsic tissue properties. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:938–942. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Visualization of pancreatic juice movement using unenhanced MR imaging with spin labeling: Preliminary results in normal and pathophysiologic conditions
Authors: Sugita Reiji , Furuta Akemi , Horaguchi Jun , Itoh Kei , Kobayashi Go , Noda Yutaka , Fujita Naotaka , Shimizu Seiko , Miyazaki Mitsue , Takahashi Shoki
Published: December 2011

Purpose:

To visualize the movement of pancreatic juice noninvasively by using an unenhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique.

Materials and Methods:

Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for this study. A flow‐out technique of time‐spatial labeling inversion pulse (SLIP) technique was applied using both nonselective and selective inversion pulses to label, or tag, pancreatic juice to move out of the region. Ten normal (eight men, two women; age range, 22–61 years; mean age, 35 years) and two pathologic conditions were examined on a commercially available 1.5 Tesla MR imager with quadrature‐detected phased‐array coils. All images were evaluated by two radiologists to assess depiction of the pancreatic juice movement or pancreatic juice reflux as compared to the pancreatic duct or the common bile duct on MRCP obtained before time‐SLIP examination.

Results:

The tagged pancreatic juice was satisfactory visualized after applying the pulse labeling. Noninvasive visualization of pancreatic juice movement, including normal pancreatic juice movement and reflux from the main pancreatic duct into the common bile duct, was possible by using the unenhanced time‐SLIP technique.

Conclusion:

Noninvasive visualization of pancreatic juice movement is possible by using the unenhanced MR imaging time‐SLIP technique. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:1019‐1124. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simultaneous field and R mapping to quantify liver iron content using autoregressive moving average modeling
Authors: Taylor Brian A. , Loeffler Ralf B. , Song Ruitian , McCarville M. Beth , Hankins Jane S. , Hillenbrand Claudia M.
Published: December 2011

Purpose:

To investigate the use of a complex multigradient echo (mGRE) acquisition and an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model for simultaneous susceptibility and R measurements for the assessment of liver iron content (LIC) in patients with iron overload.

Materials and Methods:

Fifty magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams with magnitude and phase mGRE images were processed using the ARMA model, which provides fat‐separated field maps, R maps, and T1‐W imaging. The LIC was calculated by measuring the susceptibility between the liver and the right transverse abdominal muscle from the field maps. The relationship between LIC derived from susceptibility measurements and LIC from R measurements was determined using linear least‐squares regression analysis.

Results:

LIC measured from R is highly correlated to the LIC with the susceptibility method (mg/g dry = 8.99 ± 0.15 × [mg Fe/mL of wet liver] −2.38 ± 0.29, R2 = 0.94). The field inhomogeneity in the liver is correlated with R (R2 = 0.85).

Conclusion:

By using the ARMA model on complex mGRE images, both susceptibility and R‐based LIC measurements can be made simultaneously. The susceptibility measurement can be used to help verify R measurements in the assessment of iron overload. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:1125‐1132. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of physicochemical characteristics and consumer perception of rice samples with different countries of origin and prices
Authors: Jang Eun‐Hee , Lim Seung‐Taik , Kim Sang Sook
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND: Rice is the only food item which is not liberalized in Korea. To prepare for future liberalization of the rice market in Korea, the physicochemical characteristics and consumer perception of four domestic rice samples were compared with those of 11 foreign rice samples. Additionally, the influences of country of origin (CO) and price on purchase intent (PI) and willingness to pay (WTP) were investigated.

RESULTS: Consumer acceptance of rice samples from Japan was generally higher than that of rice samples from other countries. In an informed test, PI was affected by price and CO, while WTP was affected mostly by price. The PI decreased with the price provided while the WTP increased. In a blind test, consumers evaluated PI and WTP according to sensory liking. The PI was higher in the informed test than in the blind test in all domestic samples. Generally, consumer acceptance was highly correlated with fat acidity (r = − 0.76), protein content (r = − 0.72), and b value (r = − 0.64) of the rice samples.

CONCLUSION: Further efforts to increase the quality of rice are recommended for survival in the global market after liberalization of rice, even though consumers showed loyalty for PI of domestic samples. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Experimental improvement of cow milk fatty acid composition in organic winter diets
Authors: Baars Ton , Wohlers Jenifer , Kusche Daniel , Jahreis Gerhard
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND: Organic milk is seen as more healthy in terms of its fatty acid (FA) profile. In three on‐farm crossover trials with 10–12 cows in each group, different forages were compared for their potential to improve the FA composition. Different hay qualities (hay of pasture vs. hay of leys), additional energy sources (fodder beets vs. wheat) and roughage qualities (hay of pasture vs. grass silage) were compared for their effect on the FA composition of the milk.

RESULTS: Rumenic acid (CLA cis‐9, trans‐11) and α‐linolenic acid (ALA) were selected as principal markers to evaluate effects. The overall CLA cis‐9, trans‐11 was low (3.6–6.3 g kg−1 fat), whereas ALA levels were intermediate (6.8–9.4 g kg−1 fat). Differences between the forages were explained by the fat metabolism of the ruminants.

CONCLUSION: Organic winter milk is low in several desirable FAs. Diets rich in mature fodder and sugar were a poor choice for an improved FA composition. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
In vitro‐cultured wheat spikes provide a simplified alternative for studies of cadmium uptake in developing grains
Authors: Ganeshan Seedhabadee , Leis Marina , Drinkwater Jenna M , Madsen Leah T , Jain Jinesh C , Chibbar Ravindra N
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND: An immature wheat spike culture system was used to monitor cadmium (Cd) accumulation in grains, hulls and awns of bread wheat and durum wheat. Immature spikes were cultured prior to anthesis in a medium containing 50 g L−1 sucrose and 0.4 g L−1 L‐glutamine, supplemented with 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 mg L−1 cadmium chloride (CdCl2). Grains were collected at maturity and their Cd accumulation was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS).

RESULTS: Cd accumulation at CdCl2 concentrations of 3 mg L−1 and above was higher in grains of durum wheat compared with bread wheat. In hulls a similar trend was observed at CdCl2 concentrations above 15 mg L−1. Starch concentration in grains increased slightly at 3 and 4 mg L−1 CdCl2. Cd accumulation negatively affected grain protein concentration. Expression patterns of Cd‐related genes glutathione reductase (TaGR), metallothionein (MT) and phytochelatin synthase (PCS) in spikes cultured in media containing 0, 5, 10, 15 and 25 mg L−1 CdCl2 at 5 days post‐anthesis showed that TaGR and PCS expression in bread wheat was up‐regulated at 5 mg L−1 CdCl2 but down‐regulated at other CdCl2 concentrations. However, in durum wheat, expression of all three genes was down‐regulated or remained unchanged.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that immature spike culture can be used to study Cd accumulation in grains and can delineate hyper‐accumulating durum wheat from bread wheat at CdCl2 concentrations of 2 mg L−1 and above. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Composition with distributions of Wiener‐Poisson variables and its asymptotic expansion
Authors: Hayashi Masafumi , Ishikawa Yasushi
Published: December 2011

In this paper, we introduce the compositions of smooth Wiener‐Poisson functional and Schwartz distribution by using Malliavin calculus jump type. We also prove Watanabe's theorem in the jump‐diffusion case, that is, the asymptotic expansion formula for the compositions of a smooth Wiener‐Poisson functional with Schwartz distributions.
Random walks on groups and discrete subordination
Authors: Bendikov A. , Saloff‐Coste L.
Published: December 2011

Let G be a locally compact unimodular group. Let dμ = ϕ dλ be a probability measure with continuous density ϕ w.r.t. the Haar measure λ. One of the important characteristics of the random walk on G driven by μ is the probability of return at time n to a small neighborhood of the starting point, a quantity controlled by ϕ(n)(e). This paper develops the idea of discrete subordination in this context. To any Bernstein function ψ, we associate a new measure μψ, the ψ‐subordinate of μ, and we discuss the moment properties of μψ as well as the behavior of \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$n\mapsto \mu _\psi ^{(n)}(e)$\end{document}.
DLK1, a serum marker for hepatoblastoma in young infants
Authors: Falix Farah A. , Aronson Daniel C. , Lamers Wouter H. , Hiralall Johan K. , Seppen Jurgen
Published: December 2011

Hepatoblastoma is a malignant pediatric liver tumor. The currently used diagnostic serum marker for hepatoblastoma, α‐fetoprotein (AFP), is not always reliable in infants with hepatoblastoma, due to the physiologically elevated levels of AFP in this age group. In this report, we show that Delta‐like 1 homolog (DLK1), a protein highly expressed during fetal development, but almost completely absent after birth, and an established liver‐stem cell marker, is a new candidate serum marker of hepatoblastoma, especially in young infants. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:743–745. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis of pediatric autologous PBSC apheresis and transplant: Age is a major factor affecting post‐transplant toxicity
Authors: Dubrovsky Leonid , McCarter Robert J. , Fry Terry J. , Wong Edward , Cheng Yao , Perez‐Albuerne Evelio D.
Published: December 2011

Background

High‐dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is used in many therapeutic protocols for pediatric intra‐ and extra‐cranial solid tumors. HCT can be curative, but is associated with significant toxicity.

Procedure

Between January 2001 and June 2009, 92 solid tumor patients (age 6 months to 27 years) underwent 94 autologous apheresis procedures at Children's National Medical Center. Out of that group, 71 patients, who underwent 162 autologous HCT, were analyzed for transplant outcomes. Multiple variable modeling was used to identify independent variables related to transplant toxicity outcome measures, such as bacteremia, intensive care admission, and death. Other outcome measures (time to pre‐apheresis peripheral blood CD34+ count, product yield, and time to engraftment) were also analyzed. Independent variables included patient‐specific variables (age, weight, tumor type, chemotherapy administered, and primary vs. relapsed disease) and harvest or transplant‐related variables (total white blood cell and CD34+ cell counts prior to transplant, and quantity of total nucleated cells and CD34+ cells infused during transplant).

Results

Transplant toxicity was significantly greater in younger patients (P = 0.001) and in neuroblastoma patients (P = 0.003). The time to neutrophil engraftment, controlling for weight, age, and chemotherapy, was positively related to absolute CD34+ cells/kg infused (P = 0.01). The time to CD34+ recovery pre‐apheresis was affected by patient diagnosis (P = 0.05).

Conclusions

Younger patients had increased transplant toxicity, with infants <1 year of age at highest risk for fever, bacteremia, admission to intensive care, and death. Infants would likely benefit from hospitalization after autologous HCT until neutrophil recovery. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:301–305. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Concentration of hospital care for acute sickle cell disease‐related visits
Authors: Panepinto JA , Owens PL , Mosso AL , Steiner CA , Brousseau DC
Published: December 2011

Background

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by frequent disease‐related events that require acute care. It is unknown to what extent patients utilize multiple hospitals for acute care. We examined the continuity pattern of acute care visits to the hospital or emergency department. We hypothesized that among patients with multiple SCD related acute care visits, children experience more concentrated hospital care than adults and privately insured patients experience more concentrated hospital care than publicly insured patients.

Procedure

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the 2005 and 2006 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases and State Emergency Department Databases. Subjects included patients with SCD ≥1 year of age. The primary outcome was proportion of patients with multiple acute care visits to a single hospital.

Results

A total of 13,533 patients made ≥2 acute SCD‐related visits. Of the 5,030 children, 77.3% went to the same hospital for all visits. In contrast, of the 8,503 adults, only 51.3% visited the same hospital. Adolescents were more likely than adults to go to one hospital [adjusted relative risk (ARR) 1.40, confidence interval (CI) 1.35–1.45]. Those with public insurance and the uninsured had a decreased probability of using one hospital (ARR 0.96, CI 0.94–0.99, and ARR 0.83, CI 0.79–0.88, respectively).

Conclusions

Adults and patients with public insurance or no insurance are more likely to use multiple hospitals for acute care. By receiving acute care at multiple hospitals, patients with SCD experience dispersed and fragmented care potentially leading to decreased care quality. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:685–689. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stereocomplex formation between poly(L‐lactic acid) and poly(D‐lactic acid) with disproportionately low and high molecular weights from the melt
Authors: Tsuji Hideto , Bouapao Leevameng
Published: December 2011

Poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(D‐lactic acid) (PDLA) with very different weight‐average molecular weights (Mw) of 4.0 × 103 and 7.0 × 105 g mol−1 (Mw(PDLA)/Mw(PLLA) = 175) were blended at different PDLA weight ratios (XD = PDLA weight/blend weight) and their crystallization from the melt was investigated. The presence of low molecular weight PLLA facilitated the stereocomplexation and thereby lowered the cold crystallization temperature (Tcc) for non‐isothermal crystallization during heating and elevated the radial growth rate of spherulites (G) for isothermal crystallization, irrespective of XD. The orientation of lamellae in the spherulites was higher for the neat PLLA, PDLA and an equimolar blend than for the non‐equimolar blends. It was found that the orientation of lamellae in the blends was maintained by the stereocomplex (SC) crystallites. Although the G values are expected to decrease with an increase in XD or the content of high‐molecular‐weight PDLA with lower chain mobility compared with that of low‐molecular‐weight PLLA, G was highest at XD = 0.5 where the maximum amount of SC crystallites was formed and the G values were very similar for XD = 0.4 and XD = 0.6 with the same enantiomeric excess. This means that the effect of SC crystallites overwhelmed that of chain mobility. The nucleating mechanisms of SC crystallites were identical for XD = 0.1–0.5 in the Tc range 130–180 °C. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Influence of storage approaches on instability of propiconazole resistance in Monilinia fructicola
Authors: Zhu Fuxing , Bryson P Karen , Schnabel Guido
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND: The long‐term preservation of interesting phenotypes in plant pathogenic fungi allows for follow‐up studies in the future. Twelve storage approaches were investigated to determine their effects on instability of propiconazole resistance for three demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicide‐resistant and two DMI‐sensitive isolates of Monilinia fructicola. They included mycelium in PDA slants under mineral oil, in PDA plugs under 10% glycerol, on dried filter paper and conidia on silica gel, each stored for 36 weeks at 4, − 20, and − 80 °C.

RESULTS: None of the storage approaches prevented the rapid decline of EC50 values for propiconazole in the three resistant isolates, and no significant differences were found among storage approaches (P = 0.787) or between storage approaches and consecutive transfers (P = 0.053). Most of the decline in resistance occurred during the first 4 weeks of storage. The DMI resistance‐associated genetic element Mona, located in the immediate upstream region of the MfCYP51 gene, was still present in the three resistant isolates after 36 weeks of storage and weekly transfers. Furthermore, the Mona element and a portion of the MfCYP51 gene, which encodes the target enzyme for DMIs, did not reveal signs of DNA methylation. Resistance to propiconazole was partially regained in resistant isolates after two growth cycles on fresh peach fruit.

CONCLUSIONS: Obtained data indicate that the decline of DMI resistance in M. fructicola cannot be prevented using commonly employed storage methods at various temperatures. The number of consecutive transfers and the storage duration prior to fungicide sensitivity tests in M. fructicola should be indicated in scientific papers. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Sequential minimal optimization in convex clustering repetitions
Authors: Takahashi Rikiya
Published: December 2011

Computing not the local, but the global optimum of a cluster assignment is one of the important aspects in clustering. Fitting a Gaussian mixture model is a method of soft clustering where optimization of the mixture weights is convex if centroids and bandwidths of the clusters remain unchanged during the updates. The global optimum of the mixture weights is sparse and clustering that utilizes the fitted sparse mixture model is called the convex clustering. To make the convex clustering practical in real applications, the author addresses three types of issues classified as (i) computational inefficiency of the Expectation‐Maximization algorithm, (ii) inconsistency of the bandwidth specifications between clustering and density estimation for high‐dimensional data, and (iii) selection of the optimal clustering from several bandwidth settings. The extremely large number of iterations needed in the Expectation‐Maximization algorithm is significantly reduced with an accurate pruning while choosing a pair of kernels and an element‐wise Newton–Raphson method. For high‐dimensional data, the convex clusterings are performed several times, with initially large bandwidths and succeeding smaller bandwidths. Since the number of clusters cannot be specified precisely in the convex clustering, practitioners often try multiple settings of the initial bandwidths. To choose the optimal clustering from the multiple results, the author proposes an empirical‐Bayes method that can choose appropriate bandwidths if the true clusters are Gaussian. The combination of the repetitions of the convex clusterings and the empirical‐Bayes model selection achieves stable prediction performances compared to the existing mixture learning methods. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 5: 70–89, 2012
Cyprus small business ventures invigorate the economy
Authors: Violaris Ioannis , Harmandas Danae , Loizides Yiannos
Published: December 2011

Cyprus has managed to advance itself and be recognized as one of the world's 32 advanced economies. By supporting local and foreign socioeconomic interests over the years, the small island‐nation today boasts rapid growth, full employment conditions, external and internal stability, strong telecommunications infrastructure, and a society well prepared to embrace the emerging knowledge economy. Recognizing its susceptibility to external economic trends as well as its attraction for various migrant groups, however, the people of Cyprus have embraced the benefits of putting their social capital to financial gain and the improvement of quality of life by supporting local business and welcoming foreign investment. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The contextualization of a microfinance model: From India to South Africa
Authors: Lerpold Lin
Published: December 2011

Microfinance has come to be seen as the “magic bullet” to alleviate poverty across the world. Focus has been on scaling up “successful” models within, and beyond, singular cultural settings. We explore why different stakeholder groups perceived the same microfinance model as successful in India, yet less successful in South Africa. The study is an explorative case study, combining the literature on social capital and contextualization, and suggests that historical, socioeconomic, and legislative antecedents to social capital in India are different in South Africa, thus resulting in a lower perception of microfinance success in South Africa. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A case of placental polyp treated with an intraoperative injection of prostaglandin F2α followed by hysteroscopic resection
Authors: Maegawa Masahiko , Mitani Ryuji , Miyatani Yuka , Ueta Saki , Endo Satoko , Senuma Miho , Sakamoto Yasuki , Kamada Masaharu , Irahara Minoru
Published: December 2011

A 27‐year‐old woman had massive genital bleeding after an artificial abortion. Color Doppler ultrasonography showed a hypervascular mass. Hysteroscopy revealed a placental polyp. Serum hemoglobin level was decreased to 7.7 g/dl. Although uterine artery embolization (UAE) followed by hysteroscopic resection has been used for treatment of a placental polyp, UAE may not be an ideal option for patients with intent for future pregnancy because of the risk of ovarian function failure. This report presents a case of a placental polyp managed successfully with intracervical injection of prostaglandin F2α, as an alternative UAE, followed by hysteroscopic resection.
cGMP and cyclic nucleotide‐gated channels participate in mouse sperm capacitation
Authors: Cisneros-Mejorado Abraham , Sánchez Herrera Daniel P.
Published: December 2011

During capacitation of mammalian sperm intracellular [Ca2+] and cyclic nucleotides increase, suggesting that CNG channels play a role in the physiology of sperm. Here we study the effect of capacitation, 8Br‐cAMP (8‐bromoadenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate) and 8Br‐cGMP (8‐bromoguanosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate) on the macroscopic ionic currents of mouse sperm, finding the existence of different populations of sperm, in terms of the recorded current and its response to cyclic nucleotides. Our results show that capacitation and cyclic nucleotides increase the ionic current, having a differential sensitivity to cGMP (cyclic guanosine monophosphate) and cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate). Using a specific inhibitor we determine the contribution of CNG channels to macroscopic current and capacitation.
On the generation of swirling jets: high-Reynolds-number rotating flow in a pipe with a final contraction
Authors: Leclaire Benjamin , Jacquin Laurent
Published: December 2011

We investigate the generation conditions of a high-Reynolds-number swirling jet experiment, based on a rotating honeycomb device and using a final contraction. Using hot-wire measurements, we first show that for high swirl levels, the flow at the jet exhaust may exhibit fully developed turbulence in the whole plane. By analysing the fluctuation levels obtained for several values of the contraction ratio, ranging from 4 to 18.4, we prove that this turbulence does not result from upstream-propagating disturbances initiated in the jet, but originates in the pipe flow upstream of the exit plane. Using stereo particle image velocimetry, we then measure the flow in the constant-cross-section pipe located between the rotating honeycomb outlet and the contraction. This investigation is supplemented with simplified numerical simulations of the mean flow. The pipe flow dynamics is found to result from the interplay of a rich variety of complex phenomena, which are independent of the contraction ratio in the range considered here. In the near-wall region, centrifugal instability occurs in the form of intermittent azimuthal vortices, starting from moderate swirl levels and persisting for all higher levels. As the flow exiting from the honeycomb has a swirl level high enough to reach the subcritical regime, a complex mean flow organization is observed, dominated by the presence of large-amplitude axisymmetric Kelvin wave trains. Gradients in the resulting flow lead to the appearance of generalized centrifugal instabilities in an annular region in the rotational core, starting in the early subcritical regime. As the swirl level is further increased, large-scale, high-amplitude axisymmetric and simple spiral perturbations add to the global dynamics, leading to an overall very high fluctuation level. Consideration of the turbulent spectra in the jet exit planes suggests that the simple spiral coherent structure could be the resonant response of the flow to the periodic excitation by the rotating honeycomb. Overall, the study illustrates why a swirling jet experiment should exclude the use of a final contraction in order to guarantee smooth flow conditions in the exit at high swirl.
Channel turbulence with spanwise rotation studied using helical wave decomposition
Authors: Yang Yan-Tao , Wu Jie-Zhi
Published: December 2011

Turbulent channel flow with spanwise rotation is studied by direct numerical simulation (DNS) and the so-called helical wave decomposition (HWD). For a wall-bounded channel domain, HWD decomposes the flow fields into helical modes with different scales and opposite polarities, which allows us to investigate the energy distribution and nonlinear transfer among various scales. Our numerical results reveal that for slow rotation, the fluctuating energy concentrates into large-scale modes. The flow visualizations show that the fine vortices at the unstable side of the channel form long columns, which are basically along the streamwise direction and may be related to the roll cells reported in previous studies. As the rotation rate increases, the concentration of the fluctuating energy shifts towards smaller scales. For strong rotation, an inverse energy cascade occurs due to the nonlinear interaction of the fluctuating modes. A possible mechanism for this inverse cascade is then proposed and attributed to the Coriolis effect. That is, under strong rotation the fluctuating Coriolis force tends to be parallel to the fluctuating vorticity in the region where the streamwise mean velocity has linear profile. Thus the force can induce strong axial stretching/shrinking of the vortices and change the scales of the vortical structures significantly.
Paschen curves for metal plasmas
Authors: BURM K. T. A. L.
Published: December 2011

The Paschen curve for D.C. electric field-driven sources like conductively coupled plasmas is examined. The considered plasma gases are metals. The minimum breakdown requirement is related to the ionization energy and the collision cross section of the considered plasma. The dominant collisions to consider may depend on the plasma source.
Fatou–Julia theory for non-uniformly quasiregular maps
Authors: BERGWEILER WALTER
Published: December 2011

Many results of the Fatou–Julia iteration theory of rational functions extend to uniformly quasiregular maps in higher dimensions. We obtain results of this type for certain classes of quasiregular maps which are not uniformly quasiregular.
Translocation and hand-rearing techniques for establishing a colony of threatened albatross
Authors: DEGUCHI TOMOHIRO , JACOBS JUDY , HARADA TOMOKO , PERRIMAN LYNDON , WATANABE YUKI , SATO FUMIO , NAKAMURA NOBORU , OZAKI KIYOAKI , BALOGH GREG
Published: December 2011

Many breeding colonies of Procellariiformes have been threatened with extinction. Chick translocation has been shown to be an effective method for establishing new “safer” colonies of burrow-nesting species, but techniques for surface-nesting species have not been fully developed. The entire breeding population of the threatened Short-tailed AlbatrossPhoebastoria albatrusis restricted to two sites, Torishima Island and the Senkaku Islands, and neither site is secure due to volcanic activity or political instability. The Short-tailed Albatross Recovery Team has recommended facilitating the recovery of this species by establishing at least one additional colony through the translocation and hand-rearing of chicks at a safe historical breeding site. To evaluate the feasibility of this approach, we hand-reared 10 post-guard phase chicks of two related species in 2006–2007: Laysan AlbatrossP. immutabilistranslocated from Midway Atoll to Kaua’i Island, Hawai’i and Black-footed AlbatrossP. nigripestranslocated from a nearby islet in the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands to Mukojima Island, Japan. In these pilot studies, 40% of Laysan Albatross chicks and 90% of Black-footed Albatross chicks fledged successfully. Following this groundwork, 40 post-guard phase Short-tailed Albatross chicks were translocated from Torishima Island to Mukojima Island in February 2008–2010 and hand-reared to fledging. Their fledging success has been 100% in all three years. Fledging body sizes were similar or greater in hand-reared chicks at the release site than parent-reared chicks on Torishima Island. There were significant differences in levels of some blood chemistry parameters between pre-fledging hand-reared and parent-reared chicks. The techniques developed in our studies have broad-reaching implications for the future conservation of threatened populations of other surface-nesting seabirds.
Frequent consumption of vegetables predicts lower risk of depression in older Taiwanese – results of a prospective population-based study
Authors: Tsai Alan C , Chang Tsui-Lan , Chi Shu-Hwang
Published: December 2011

Objective

The study evaluated the association between consumption frequencies of the major food categories and the risk of new depression four years later in older Taiwanese.

Design

A prospective cohort study with multistage random sampling. Logistic regression analysis evaluated the significance of the longitudinal associations of intake frequencies of the major food categories with future (4 years later) risk of new depression, controlled for possible confounding factors with or without adjustment for cognitive status.

Setting

Population-based free-living elderly.

Subjects

Men and women (n 1609) ≥65 years of age.

Results

In a regression model that controlled for demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle and disease/health-related variables but not cognitive status, both fruits (OR = 0·66, 95 % CI 0·45, 0·98, P = 0·038) and vegetables (OR = 0·38, 95 % CI 0·17, 0·86, P = 0·021) were protective against depressive symptoms 4 years later. However, when the same regression model was also adjusted for cognitive status, only vegetables (OR = 0·40, 95 % CI 0·17, 0·95, P = 0·039) were protective against depressive symptoms. Higher consumption of eggs was close to being significant in both regression models (P = 0·087 and 0·069, respectively). Other food categories including meat/poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, legumes, grains and tea showed no significant associations.

Conclusions

Results suggest that although confounding factors cannot be totally ruled out, more frequent consumption of vegetables seems to be protective against depressive symptoms in the elderly. Further studies are needed to elucidate the causal role and the mechanism of the association.
Imaging basin structure with teleseismic virtual source reflection profiles
Authors: Yang Zhaohui , Sheehan Anne F. , Yeck William L. , Miller Kate C. , Erslev Eric A. , Worthington Lindsay L. , Harder Steven H.
Published: December 2011

We demonstrate a case of using teleseisms recorded on single‐channel high‐frequency geophones to image upper crustal structure around the Bighorn Mountains of north‐central Wyoming, USA. Our approach produces images that are analogous to those from a low frequency version of conventional active source seismic reflection profiles except that wave fields from distant earthquakes are used as sources. After the source wavelet is removed from the seismograms, a distinct phase,PpPdp, is evident in the resultant record. After depth conversion, we show that this phase correlates well with the top of the Madison Formation under the Powder River and Bighorn Basins that flank the Bighorn Mountains. In addition, we combine the phases PpPdpfrom single‐channel geophone recordings andPsfrom three‐component recordings to constrain the averageVp/Vs ratio for the sedimentary strata.
Gravity‐wave‐induced variations in exothermic heating in the low‐latitude, equinox mesophere and lower thermosphere region
Authors: Huang Tai‐Yin , Hickey Michael
Published: December 2011

We investigate gravity‐wave‐induced variations in exothermic heating in the OH nightglow region at a latitude of 18° in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during March. An OH nightglow chemistry model with gravity wavefields from a spectral full‐wave model is used for the investigation. Our simulation results show that the wave packet induces a large secular increase in the number densities of the minor species involved in the OH chemistry, a 50% increase in O3, 42% in O, and 29% in OH (v= 8), and the ultimate driver for these increases is the wave‐driven downward transport of O. We find that the total exothermic heating rates have increased by ∼44.2% for 18°S and ∼30.9% for 18°N by the end of the simulation time. Also, the peak values of the mean wave‐induced total exothermic heating rates are significant, ∼2.0 K d−1 at the peak altitude of 88 km and ∼2.2 K d−1at 89 km for 18°S and 18°N, respectively. The major reactions contributing to exothermic heating rates are the three‐body recombination O + O + M and the H + O3 reaction. The hemispheric asymmetry in the heating rates is mainly due to the different atmospheric conditions at 18°N and 18°S since the same wavefields are used in the numerical simulations.