bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enantioselective Nano Liquid Chromatographic Separation of Racemic Pharmaceuticals: A Facile One‐Pot In Situ Preparation of Lipase‐Based Polymer Monoliths in Capillary Format
Authors: Ahmed Marwa , Ghanem Ashraf
Published: March 2014

New affinity monolithic capillary columns of 150 µm internal diameter were prepared in situ fused glass capillary via either immobilization or encapsulation of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) on or within polymer monoliths, respectively. The immobilized lipase‐based monoliths were prepared via copolymerization of 19.1% monomers (8.9% MMA and 10.2% GMA), 19.8% EDMA, and 61.1% porogens (54.2% formamide and 6.9% 1‐propanol) w/w or 20% GMA, 20% EDMA, and 60% porogens (51.6% cyclohexanol and 8.4% 1‐dodecanol) in the presence of AIBN (1%) as a radical initiator. This was followed by pumping a solution of lipase through the capillaries and rinsing with potassium phosphate buffer. On the other hand, the encapsulated lipase‐based monoliths were prepared via copolymerization of 20% monomers (GMA), 20% EDMA, and 60% porogens (48% 1‐propanol, 6% 1,4‐butanediol) or 16.4% monomers (16% BuMA, 0.4% SPMA), 23.6% EDMA, and 60% porogens (36% 1‐propanol, 18% 1,4‐butanediol along with 6% lipase aqueous solution in potassium phosphate buffer. The prepared capillary columns were investigated for the enantioselective nano liquid chromatographic separation of a set of different classes of racemic pharmaceuticals, namely, α‐ and β‐blockers, antiinflammatory drugs, antifungal drugs, dopamine antagonists, norepinephrine‐dopamine reuptake inhibitors, catecholamines, sedative hypnotics, diuretics, antihistaminics, anticancer drugs, and antiarrhythmic drugs. Run‐to‐run repeatability was quite satisfactory. The encapsulated lipase‐based capillary monolith showed better enantioselective separations of most of the investigated compounds. Baseline separation was achieved for alprenolol, atenolol, bromoglutithimide, carbuterol, chloropheneramine, cizolertine carbinol, 4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxymandelic acid, desmethylcizolertine, nomifensine, normetanephrine, and sulconazole under reversed phase chromatographic conditions. A speculation about the understanding of the chiral recognition mechanism of lipase‐based monoliths toward the investigated pharmaceuticals is discussed. Chirality 26:754–763, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessment of Heavy Metal Contribution and Associated Ecological Risk in the Coastal Zone Sediments of the Black Sea: Trabzon
Authors: Ozseker Koray , Eruz Coskun , Ciliz Sadi , Mani Furkan
Published: March 2014

In this study, the natural and anthropogenic heavy metal (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Co) pollution in coastal sediments near the city Trabzon which exhibits an increasing population and industrial activity in the Southeastern Black Sea Region, were investigated spatially and temporally. The sediment along the coast of Trabzon is influenced by three rivers, Degirmendere, Yanbolu, and Solakli, resulting in a spatial separation. The highest heavy metal sediment concentrations were measured in the section influenced by Solakli and the lowest at the sites affected by Yanbolu. Furthermore, a strong temporal trend was observed displaying the highest metal concentrations in autumn. With the purpose for determining the level of pollution, the methods of the factor of sediment enrichment factor, the index of pollution load, the index of geoaccumulation and sediment quality guideline were applied. Three research areas were heavily polluted by Cu, Pb, and Zn. These metals concentration in Solakli coastal region were found significant enrichment. Current concentration of these metals would be expected to frequently be associated with toxic effects on biota of coastal regions.
Comparison of urine cytology and fluorescence in situ hybridization in upper urothelial tract samples
Authors: Reynolds Jordan P. , Voss Jesse S. , Kipp Benjamin R. , Karnes R. Jeffrey , Nassar Aziza , Clayton Amy C. , Henry Michael R. , Sebo Thomas J. , Zhang Jun , Halling Kevin C.
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

The cytologic diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the upper urothelial tract (UT) is challenging. Using the UroVysion probe set adds diagnostic value for the detection of bladder cancer in voided urine. In instrumented UT specimens, the authors encountered positive UT cytology and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) cases that did not demonstrate subsequent UT carcinoma.

METHODS

The performance of cytology and FISH in the presence or absence of concomitant bladder cancer within 2 years was compared in 61 patients (112 samples) from 2003 through 2009. The mean follow‐up was 3.2 years. The authors also compared the performance of near‐tetrasomy versus hypertetrasomy. Biopsy confirmation of UTUC in 21 patients was considered the gold standard.

RESULTS

Cytology alone was found to be poorly sensitive (38%) but highly specific (89%) for the detection of UTUC. FISH was found to increase the sensitivity of cytology and decrease specificity. Tetrasomy FISH resulted in many false‐positive cases. Other false‐positive FISH results were likely due to the presence of bladder cancer cells contaminating the UT specimen.

CONCLUSIONS

Caution should be used when evaluating instrumented urine specimens of the UT from patients with a previous history of bladder carcinoma, and tetrasomy FISH results should not be interpreted as abnormal because it significantly lowers the specificity of the test. The combination of cytology and FISH appears to have good specificity while maintaining good sensitivity in evaluating UTUC when using modified scoring criteria for the appropriate patient population. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2014;122:459–467. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Training, education, and outreach—raising the bar
Authors: Akli Linda , Moore Samuel L. , Rivera Lorna I. , Teller Patricia J.
Published: March 2014

To accelerate scientific discovery, the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) aims to enhance researcher productivity, increase its user base, and prepare new generations of researchers to use advanced digital technologies. Accordingly, XSEDE is educating diverse populations of new users through regional workshops targeted at large populations of those traditionally underrepresented in the use of XSEDE resources.

The expanded scale and scope of recent workshops provide evidence that (1) there is strong interest in leveraging advanced digital services in research and teaching at minority‐serving institutions; (2) these local events are needed to reach these communities; and (3) increased collaboration is required to inculcate the use of computational methods into research and teaching at these institutions. This makes it clear that XSEDE's efforts are meaningful beyond just providing training in advanced digital services; they contribute to national goals for developing and sustaining a large and diverse STEM workforce.

This paper focuses on the first of the larger workshops (held at The University of Texas at El Paso) and its impact on subsequent events. Best practices used to plan, execute, and evaluate this workshop are discussed, and the results of a professional assessment of the three workshops are presented. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Initial results on computational performance of Intel many integrated core, sandy bridge, and graphical processing unit architectures: implementation of a 1D c++/OpenMP electrostatic particle‐in‐cell code
Authors: Vapirev A. , Deca J. , Lapenta G. , Markidis S. , Hur I. , Cambier J.‐L.
Published: March 2014

We present initial comparison performance results for Intel many integrated core (MIC), Sandy Bridge (SB), and graphical processing unit (GPU). A 1D explicit electrostatic particle‐in‐cell code is used to simulate a two‐stream instability in plasma. We compare the computation times for various number of cores/threads and compiler options. The parallelization is implemented via OpenMP with a maximum thread number of 128. Parallelization and vectorization on the GPU is achieved with modifying the code syntax for compatibility with CUDA. We assess the speedup due to various auto‐vectorization and optimization level compiler options. Our results show that the MIC is several times slower than SB for a single thread, and it becomes faster than SB when the number of cores increases with vectorization switched on. The compute times for the GPU are consistently about six to seven times faster than the ones for MIC. Compared with SB, the GPU is about two times faster for a single thread and about an order of magnitude faster for 128 threads. The net speedup, however, for MIC and GPU are almost the same. An initial attempt to offload parts of the code to the MIC coprocessor shows that there is an optimal number of threads where the speedup reaches a maximum. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using Lucene to index and search the digitized 1940 US Census
Authors: Diesendruck Liana , Kooper Rob , Marini Luigi , McHenry Kenton
Published: March 2014

An improved approach toward enabling search capabilities over large digitized document archives is described, in which Lucene indices were incorporated in a framework developed to provide automatic searchable access to the 1940 US Census, a collection composed of digitized handwritten forms. As an alternative to trying to recognize the handwritten text in the images, Word Spotting feature vectors are used to describe each cell's content. Instead of querying the system using regular ASCII text, any query is rendered as an image, and a ranked list of matching results is presented to the user. Among other preprocessing steps required by the framework, an index must be compiled to provide fast access to the feature vectors. The advantages and drawbacks of using Lucene to index these vectors instead of other indexing methods are discussed in light of the challenges confronted when dealing with digitized document collections of considerable size. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation of Few Layer Three‐dimensional Graphene Networks by CVD for Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Tang Bo , Hu Guoxin
Published: March 2014

Three‐dimensional graphene networks (3DGNs) with a controllable number of layers (from monolayer to few layers) are fabricated by CVD on a Ni foam rod (NFR) template. The special morphology of the NFR and accompanying concentration gradients of CH4 gas provide the necessary conditions to deposit the 3DGNs with varied thicknesses on different areas of one substrate. The high conductivity, large Brunner‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) area, and three‐dimensional network of the 3DGNs make it a potential material for use in the electrochemical field. Supercapacitors with the 3DGNs‐based electrode show a high energy density ∼34.2 Wh kg−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1, and a specific capacitance of 246 F g−1 is obtained in a 30 wt.‐% KOH aqueous electrolyte solution. Moreover, the resultant devices maintain high performances under high current density conditions, indicating the outstanding stability of the prepared 3DGNs.
Frizzled10 mediates WNT1 and WNT3A signaling in the dorsal spinal cord of the developing chick embryo
Authors: Galli Lisa M. , Munji Roeben N. , Chapman Susan C. , Easton Ann , Li Lydia , Onguka Ouma , Ramahi Joseph S. , Suriben Rowena , Szabo Linda A. , Teng Camilla , Tran Baouyen , Hannoush Rami N. , Burrus Laura W.
Published: March 2014

Background: WNT1 and WNT3A drive a dorsal to ventral gradient of β‐catenin‐dependent Wnt signaling in the developing spinal cord. However, the identity of the receptors mediating downstream functions remains poorly understood. Results: In this report, we show that the spatiotemporal expression patterns of FZD10 and WNT1/WNT3A are highly correlated. We further show that in the presence of LRP6, FZD10 promotes WNT1 and WNT3A signaling using an 8xSuperTopFlash reporter assay. Consistent with a functional role for FZD10, we demonstrate that FZD10 is required for proliferation in the spinal cord. Finally, by using an in situ proximity ligation assay, we observe an interaction between FZD10 and WNT1 and WNT3A proteins. Conclusions: Together, our results identify FZD10 as a receptor for WNT1 and WNT3A in the developing chick spinal cord. Developmental Dynamics 243:833–843, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of the Pig‐a, micronucleus, and comet assay endpoints in a 28‐day study with ethyl methanesulfonate
Authors: Gunther William C. , Coffing Stephanie L. , Dickinson Donna A. , Engel Maria E. , Fiedler Ronald D. , O'Lone Susan D. , Sanok Kelley E. , Thiffeault Catherine J. , Shutsky Thomas J. , Schuler Maik J. , Dobo Krista L.
Published: March 2014

Ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) was evaluated as part of the validation effort for the rat Pig‐a mutation assay and compared with other well‐established in vivo genotoxicity endpoints. Male Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats were given a daily dose of 0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day EMS for 28 days, and evaluated for a variety of genotoxicity endpoints in peripheral blood, liver, and colon. Blood was sampled pre‐dose (Day 1) and at various time points up to Day 105. Pig‐a mutant frequencies were determined in total red blood cells (RBCs) and reticulocytes (RETs) as RBCCD59− and RETCD59− frequencies. The first statistically significant increases in mutant frequencies were seen in RETs on Day 15 and in RBCs on Day 29 with the maximum RETCD59− on Day 29 and of RBCCD59− on Day 55. The lowest dose producing a statistically significant increase of RETCD59− was 12.5 mg/kg on Day 55 and 25 mg/kg for RBCCD59− on Day 55. EMS also induced significant increases in % micronucleated RETs (MN‐RETs) in peripheral blood on Days 3, 15, and 28. No statistically significant increases in micronuclei were seen in liver or colon. Results from the in vivo Comet assay on Day 29 showed generally weak increases in DNA damage in all tissues evaluated with little evidence for accumulation of damage seen over time. The results with EMS indicate that the assessment of RBCCD59− and/or RETCD59− in the Pig‐a assay could be a useful and sensitive endpoint for a repeat dose protocol and complements other genotoxicity endpoints. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 55:492–499, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Novel germline SDHD mutation in a patient with recurrent familial carotid body tumor and concomitant pheochromocytoma
Authors: Kim Eun Sook , Kim Su Yeon , Mo Eun Young , Jang Dong Kyu , Moon Sung Dae , Han Je Ho
Published: March 2014

Background

Recent advances in genetics revealed that 25% to 30% of head and neck paragangliomas (PGLs) are inherited tumors associated with germline mutation, mainly in the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) gene.

Methods

DNA was isolated from whole blood and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were sequenced with an ABI3730 × 1 Genetic Analyzer.

Results

A 30‐year‐old Korean woman underwent resection of a carotid PGL. Fourteen years later, she was readmitted for a cervical mass. 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)‐positron emission tomography (PET)/CT revealed a hot spot in the adrenal gland, besides the carotid mass. Surgical pathology confirmed recurrence of the carotid PGL and a concomitant pheochromocytoma. Genetic analysis revealed SDHD c.119del T (p.I40TfsX46) mutation. One daughter has been identified as a carrier.

Conclusion

We found a novel SDHD mutation from a Korean family that shows similar clinical features to those in other SDHD mutations, mostly from Western countries. Further studies are needed to determine whether similar genotype‐phenotype correlations exist in the Asian patients with familial PGLs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: E131–E135, 2014
Do Maternal Warm and Encouraging Statements Reduce Shy Toddlers' Social Reticence?
Authors: Grady Jessica S. , Karraker Katherine
Published: March 2014

Early and persistent shyness is associated with increased risk for social anxiety and other poor social outcomes. Although numerous intervention efforts have been directed at reducing this risk by modifying shy or inhibited children's social behaviours toward peers, few have utilized parents despite their particular influence on young children's social interactions, and none have targeted children younger than preschool age. We evaluated the influence of two maternal parenting behaviours, verbal expressions of warmth and verbal encouragement of play, on shy toddlers' social behaviours with unfamiliar peers. We found that the encouragement statements, but not the warm statements, reduced social reticence in shy children. These findings suggest that maternal behaviours that encourage peer social play have the potential to teach shy toddlers to approach instead of avoid social novelty and merit further study. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing the Functional Mechanical Properties of Bioengineered Organs With Emphasis on the Lung
Authors: Suki Béla
Published: March 2014

Recently, an exciting new approach has emerged in regenerative medicine pushing the forefront of tissue engineering to create bioartificial organs. The basic idea is to create biological scaffolds made of extracellular matrix (ECM) that preserves the three‐dimensional architecture of an entire organ. These scaffolds are then used as templates for functional tissue and organ reconstruction after re‐seeding the structure with stem cells or appropriately differentiated cells. In order to make sure that these bioartificial organs will be able to function in the mechanical environment of the native tissue, it is imperative to fully characterize their mechanical properties and match them with those of the normal native organs. This mini‐review briefly summarizes modern measurement techniques of mechanical function characterized mostly by the material or volumetric stiffness. Micro‐scale and macro‐scale techniques such as atomic force microscopy and the tissue strip stress–strain approach are discussed with emphasis on those that combine mechanical measurements with structural visualization. Proper micro‐scale stiffness helps attachment and differentiation of cells in the bioartificial organ whereas macro‐scale functionality is provided by the overall mechanical properties of the construct. Several approaches including failure mechanics are also described, which specifically probe the contributions of the main ECM components including collagen, elastin, and proteoglycans to organ level ECM function. Advantages, drawbacks, and possible pitfalls as well as interpretation of the data are given throughout. Finally, specific techniques to assess the functionality of the ECM of bioartificial lungs are separately discussed. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 1134–1140, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Recent insights into hepatitis B virus–host interactions
Authors: Ezzikouri Sayeh , Ozawa Makoto , Kohara Michinori , Elmdaghri Naima , Benjelloun Soumaya , Tsukiyama‐Kohara Kyoko
Published: March 2014

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a threat to global public health mainly because of complications of HBV‐related chronic liver disease. HBV exhibits a narrow host range, replicating primarily in hepatocytes by a still poorly understood mechanism. For the generation of progeny virions, HBV depends on interactions with specific host factors through its life cycle. Revealing and characterizing these interactions are keys to identifying novel antiviral targets, and to developing specific treatment strategies for HBV patients. In this review, recent insights into the HBV–host interactions, especially on virus entry, intracellular trafficking, genome transcription and replication, budding and release, and even cellular restriction factors were reviewed. J. Med. Virol. 86:925–932, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Particle‐induced osteolysis is not accompanied by systemic remodeling but is reflected by systemic bone biomarkers
Authors: Ross R.D. , Virdi A.S. , Liu S. , Sena K. , Sumner D.R.
Published: March 2014

Particle‐induced osteolysis is caused by an imbalance in bone resorption and formation, often leading to loss of implant fixation. Bone remodeling biomarkers may be useful for identification of osteolysis and studying pathogenesis, but interpretation of biomarker data could be confounded if local osteolysis engenders systemic bone remodeling. Our goal was to determine if remote bone remodeling contributes to biomarker levels. Serum concentrations of eight biomarkers and bone remodeling rates at local (femur), contiguous (tibia), and remote (humerus and lumbar vertebra) sites were evaluated in a rat model of particle‐induced osteolysis. Serum CTX‐1, cathepsin K, PINP, and OPG were elevated and osteocalcin was suppressed in the osteolytic group, but RANKL, TRAP 5b, and sclerostin were not affected at the termination of the study at 12 weeks. The one marker tested longitudinally (CTX‐1) was elevated by 3 weeks. We found increased bone resorption and decreased bone formation locally, subtle differences in contiguous sites, but no differences remotely at 12 weeks. Thus, the skeletal response to local particle challenge was not systemic, implying that the observed differences in serum biomarker levels reflect differences in local remodeling. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:967–973, 2014.
Microstructural characteristics and corrosion behavior of cerium oxide conversion coatings on AA6063
Authors: Kanani M. , Danaee I. , Maddahy M. H.
Published: March 2014

Cerium‐based conversion coating was deposited on aluminum 6063 and its corrosion behavior was studied. Corrosion resistance was investigated at different pH in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization, and surface techniques. The coated samples showed a significant decrease in corrosion rate. The coating obtained by 600 s immersion covers uniformly the alloy surface. Electrochemical impedance data shows that with increasing immersion time, the charge transfer resistance of aluminum increased. Surface morphology and its chemical composition were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). SEM images in agreement with the electrochemical results indicated that aluminum surface was not completely covered after short immersion time. The EDS analysis confirmed the presence of cerium oxide on the aluminum surface and the cerium content was increased with increasing immersion time.
Three‐dimensional pulmonary perfusion MRI with radial ultrashort echo time and spatial–temporal constrained reconstruction
Authors: Bauman Grzegorz , Johnson Kevin M. , Bell Laura C. , Velikina Julia V. , Samsonov Alexey A. , Nagle Scott K. , Fain Sean B.
Published: March 2014

Purpose

To assess the feasibility of spatial–temporal constrained reconstruction for accelerated regional lung perfusion using highly undersampled dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE) three‐dimensional (3D) radial MRI with ultrashort echo time (UTE).

Methods

A combined strategy was used to accelerate DCE MRI for 3D pulmonary perfusion with whole lung coverage. A highly undersampled 3D radial UTE MRI acquisition was combined with an iterative constrained reconstruction exploiting principal component analysis and wavelet soft‐thresholding for dimensionality reduction in space and time. The performance of the method was evaluated using a 3D fractal‐based DCE digital lung phantom. Simulated perfusion maps and contrast enhancement curves were compared with ground truth using the structural similarity index (SSIM) to determine robust threshold and regularization levels. Feasibility studies were then performed in a canine and a human subject with 3D radial UTE (TE = 0.08 ms) acquisition to assess feasibility of mapping regional 3D perfusion.

Results

The method was able to accurately recover perfusion maps in the phantom with a nominal isotropic spatial resolution of 1.5 mm (SSIM of 0.949). The canine and human subject studies demonstrated feasibility for providing artifact‐free perfusion maps in a simple 3D breath‐held acquisition.

Conclusion

The proposed method is promising for fast and flexible 3D pulmonary perfusion imaging. Magn Reson Med 73:555–564, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tubers from patients with tuberous sclerosis complex are characterized by changes in microtubule biology throughROCK2signalling
Authors: Ferrer Isidre , Mohan Pooja , Chen Helen , Castellsague Joan , Gómez‐Baldó Laia , Carmona Marga , García Nadia , Aguilar Helena , Jiang Jihong , Skowron Margaretha , Nellist Mark , Ampuero Israel , Russi Antonio , Lázaro Conxi , Maxwell Christopher A , Pujana Miguel Angel
Published: March 2014

Most patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) develop cortical tubers that cause severe neurological disabilities. It has been suggested that defects in neuronal differentiation and/or migration underlie the appearance of tubers. However, the precise molecular alterations remain largely unknown. Here, by combining cytological and immunohistochemical analyses of tubers from nineTSCpatients (four of them diagnosed withTSC2germline mutations), we show that alteration of microtubule biology throughROCK2signalling contributes toTSCneuropathology. All tubers showed a larger number of binucleated neurons than expected relative to control cortex. An excess of normal and altered cytokinetic figures was also commonly observed. Analysis of centrosomal markers suggested increased microtubule nucleation capacity, which was supported by the analysis of an expression dataset from cortical tubers and control cortex, and subsequently linked to under‐expression of Rho‐associated coiled‐coil containing kinase 2 (ROCK2). Thus, augmented microtubule nucleation capacity was observed in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and human fibroblasts deficient in theTsc2/TSC2gene product, tuberin. Consistent withROCK2under‐expression, microtubule acetylation was found to be increased with tuberin deficiency; this alteration was abrogated by rapamycin treatment and mimicked byHDAC6inhibition. Together, the results of this study support the hypothesis that loss ofTSC2expression can alter microtubule organization and dynamics, which, in turn, deregulate cell division and potentially impair neuronal differentiation. Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Temperature and emitting area dependence of red organic light‐emitting diode performance
Authors: Yang Lianqiao , Chen Wei , Wei Bin , Zhang Jianhua
Published: March 2014

In this paper, the effects of sample size, forward current, and temperature on the performance of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) are discussed. It is found that the efficiency is inversely proportional to the sample size and current density due to the current spreading effect and limited carrier mobility of the organic material. The results demonstrate that both forward voltage and luminescent efficiency of all samples are functions of temperature. The voltage of devices decreases monotonously with temperature, while the efficiency shows the reverse trend. Carrier mobility, current injection efficiency, and the trap‐recovery effect are regarded to be responsible for the temperature dependency.
Preparation and development of block copolypeptide vesicles and hydrogels for biological and medical applications
Authors: Deming Timothy J.
Published: March 2014

There have been many recent advances in the controlled polymerization of α‐amino acid‐N‐carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomers into well‐defined block copolypeptides. Transition metal initiating systems allow block copolypeptide synthesis with excellent control over number and lengths of block segments, chain length distribution, and chain‐end functionality. Using this and other methods, block copolypeptides of controlled dimensions have been prepared and their self‐assembly into organized structures studied by many research groups. The ability of well‐defined block copolypeptides to assemble into supramolecular copolypeptide vesicles and hydrogels has led to the development of these materials for use in biological and medical applications. These assemblies have been found to possess unique properties that are derived from the amino acid building blocks and ordered conformations of the polypeptide segments. Recent work on the incorporation of active and stimulus‐responsive functionality in these materials has tremendously increased their potential for use in biological and medical studies.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanomaterials and Implants

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanotechnology in Tissue Repair and Replacement

Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide-Based Structures
Personalizing oncology treatments by predicting drug efficacy, side‐effects, and improved therapy: mathematics, statistics, and their integration
Authors: Agur Zvia , Elishmereni Moran , Kheifetz Yuri
Published: March 2014

Despite its great promise, personalized oncology still faces many hurdles, and it is increasingly clear that targeted drugs and molecular biomarkers alone yield only modest clinical benefit. One reason is the complex relationships between biomarkers and the patient's response to drugs, obscuring the true weight of the biomarkers in the overall patient's response. This complexity can be disentangled by computational models that integrate the effects of personal biomarkers into a simulator of drug–patient dynamic interactions, for predicting the clinical outcomes. Several computational tools have been developed for personalized oncology, notably evidence‐based tools for simulating pharmacokinetics, Bayesian‐estimated tools for predicting survival, etc. We describe representative statistical and mathematical tools, and discuss their merits, shortcomings and preliminary clinical validation attesting to their potential. Yet, the individualization power of mathematical models alone, or statistical models alone, is limited. More accurate and versatile personalization tools can be constructed by a new application of the statistical/mathematical nonlinear mixed effects modeling (NLMEM) approach, which until recently has been used only in drug development. Using these advanced tools, clinical data from patient populations can be integrated with mechanistic models of disease and physiology, for generating personal mathematical models. Upon a more substantial validation in the clinic, this approach will hopefully be applied in personalized clinical trials, P‐trials, hence aiding the establishment of personalized medicine within the main stream of clinical oncology.

This article is categorized under:

Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Translational Medicine
Thin Capitalization Rules and Entrepreneural Capital Structure Decisions
Authors: Maßbaum Alexandra , Sureth Caren
Published: March 2014

Tax planners often choose debt over equity financing. As this has led to increased corporate debt financing, many countries have introduced thin capitalization rules to secure their tax revenues. In a general capital structure model we analyze if thin capitalization rules affect dividend and financing decisions, and whether they can partially explain why corporations receive both debt and equity capital. We model the Belgian, German and Italian rules as examples. We find that the so-called Miller equilibrium and definite financing effects depend significantly on the underlying tax system. Further, our results are useful for the treasury to decide what thin capitalization type to implement.
A Simple Accounting-Based Valuation Model for the Debt Tax Shield
Authors: Scholze Andreas
Published: March 2014

This paper describes a simple way to integrate the debt tax shield into an accounting-based valuation model. The market value of equity is determined by forecasting residual operating income, which is calculated by charging operating income for the operating assets at a required return that accounts for the tax benefit that comes from borrowing to raise cash for the operations. The model assumes that the firm maintains a deterministic financial leverage ratio, which tends to converge quickly to typical steady-state levels over time. From a practical point of view, this characteristic is of particular help, because it allows a continuing value calculation at the end of a short forecast period.
Centralization versus Delegation in an Experimental Capital Budgeting Setting
Authors: Arnold Markus C. , Gillenkirch Robert M.
Published: March 2014

In an experiment, we model two stylized facts about capital budgeting practice, budgetary slack creation and delegation of decision-making authority. In our setting, under centralization, headquarters announces a budget, the division manager gives a cost report, and headquarters decides on the project. Under delegation, headquarters allocates a budget to the manager, and the manager is authorized to make the investment decision. We argue that the ability of headquarters to commit to a budget moderates the effect of delegation, and we find evidence in favor of our argument as there is an interaction effect of delegation and commitment to budgets. The effects of delegation are particularly strong when budgets are non-binding as delegation serves as a substitute for commitment in this case. This leads to smaller expenditures and to a higher headquarters’ payoff under delegation than under centralization. In contrast, when headquarters can commit to the budget, the descriptive data are consistent with our conjectures about the effects of honesty preferences, but the effects are too small to be significant.
Endangering of Businesses by the German Inheritance Tax? — An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Houben Henriette , Maiterth Ralf
Published: March 2014

This contribution addresses the substantial tax privilege for businesses introduced by the German Inheritance Tax Act 2009. Advocates of the vast or even entire tax exemption for businesses stress the potential damage of the inheritance tax on businesses, as those often lack liquidity to meet tax liability. This submission tackles this issue empirically based on data of the German Inheritance Tax Statistics and the SOEP. The results indicate that former German inheritance tax law has not endangered transferred businesses. Hence, there is no need for the tremendous tax privilege for businesses in current German inheritance tax law. An alternative flat inheritance tax without tax privileges, which meets revenue neutrality per tax class according to current tax law, provokes in some cases relative high tax loads which might trouble businesses.
Capital Market Implications of Corporate Disclosure: German Evidence
Authors: Grüning Michael
Published: March 2014

This paper investigates the relationship between annual report disclosure, market liquidity, and capital cost for firms registered on the Deutsche Börse. Disclosure is comprehensively measured using the innovative Artificial Intelligence Measurement of Disclosure (AIMD). Results show that annual report disclosure enhances market liquidity by changing investors’ expectations and inducing portfolio adjustments. Trading frictions are negatively associated with disclosure. The study provides evidence for a capital-cost-reduction effect of disclosure based on the analysis of investors’ return requirements and market values. Altogether, no evidence is found that the information processing at the German capital market is structurally different from other markets.
Tax-optimal step-up and imperfect loss offset
Authors: Diller Markus
Published: March 2014

In the field of mergers and acquisitions, German and international tax law allow for several opportunities to step up a firm’s assets, i.e., to revaluate the assets at fair market values. When a step-up is performed the taxpayer recognizes a taxable gain, but also obtains tax benefits in the form of higher future depreciation allowances associated with stepping up the tax base of the assets. This tax-planning problem is well known in taxation literature and can also be applied to firm valuation in the presence of taxation. However, the known models usually assume a perfect loss offset. If this assumption is abandoned, the depreciation allowances may lose value as they become tax effective at a later point in time, or even never if there are not enough cash flows to be offset against. This aspect is especially relevant if future cash flows are assumed to be uncertain. This paper shows that a step-up may be disadvantageous or a firm overvalued if these aspects are not integrated into the basic calculus. Compared to the standard approach, assets should be stepped up only in a few cases and — under specific conditions — ata later point in time. Firm values may be considerably lower under imperfect loss offset.
Faking or Convincing: Why Do Some Advertising Campaigns Win Creativity Awards?
Authors: Kübler Raoul V. , Proppe Dennis
Published: March 2014

Since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in 2002, it has become commonplace in the advertising industry to use creativity-award-show prizes instead of gross income figures to attract new customers. Therefore, achieving a top creativity ranking and winning creativity awards have become high priorities in the advertising industry. Agencies and marketers have always wondered what elements in the advertising creation process would lead to the winning of creativity awards. Although this debate has been dominated by pure speculation about the success of different routines, approaches and strategies in winning creativity awards, for the first time our study delivers an empirical insight into the key drivers of creativity award success. We investigate what strategies and which elements of an advertising campaign are truly likely to lead to winning the maximum number of creativity awards. Using a sample of 108 campaigns, we identify factors that influence campaign success at international advertising award shows. We identify innovativeness and the integration of multiple channels as the key drivers of creativity award success. In contrast to industry beliefs, meaningful or personally connecting approaches do not seem to generate a significant benefit in terms of winning creativity awards. Finally, our data suggest that the use of so-called “fake campaigns” to win more creativity awards does not prove to be effective.
How Individual Scholars Can Reduce the Rigor-Relevance Gap in Management Research
Authors: Wolf Joachim , Rosenberg Timo
Published: March 2014

This paper discusses a number of avenues management scholars could follow to reduce the existing gap between scientific rigor and practical relevance without relativizing the importance of the first goal dimension. Such changes are necessary because many management studies do not fully exploit the possibilities to increase their practical relevance while maintaining scientific rigor. We argue that this rigor-relevance gap is not only the consequence of the currently prevailing institutional context in the scientific system, but that individual scholars can reduce the gap between rigorous and practically relevant research by modifying their research work. Thus, most of our suggestions refer to individual scholars’ research activities and relate to specific steps in the (empirical) research process. Our discussion does not imply that all management studies should be practically oriented; basic research will remain a very important part of management research. However, we believe that not enough management research studies are significantly influenced by practical relevance.
An Integrated Inventory-Transportation System with Periodic Pick-Ups and Leveled Replenishment
Authors: Volling Thomas , Grunewald Martin , Spengler Thomas S.
Published: March 2014

In this paper we develop a combined inventory-transportation system. The general idea is to integrate a simple replenishment policy with a routing component to derive operationally consistent standard routes as a basis for milk run design. The most interesting feature of the approach is that we combine stochastic vehicle routing with a replenishment policy which makes use of inventory to level the variability propagated into transportation operations. To evaluate the approach, we compare its performance with stochastic vehicle routing as well as sequential vehicle routing and replenishment planning. With respect to these approaches, substantial gains are achieved.
Purchasing Organization and Design: A Literature Review
Authors: Glock Christoph H. , Hochrein Simon
Published: March 2014

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive literature review of the organization of purchasing covering the period from 1967 to 2009. The review provides a structured overview of prior research topics and findings and identifies gaps in the existing literature that may be addressed in future research. The intention of the review is to a) synthesize prior research, b) provide researchers with a structural framework on which future research on the organization of purchasing may be oriented, and c) suggest promising areas for future research.
Letters to the Editor
Authors: Sarli Leopoldo , Costi Renato , Kayaalp Cuneyt , Bostanoglu Akin , Atalay Fuat , Akoglu Musa , Gollackner Bernd , Rockenschaub Susanne , Steininger Rudolf , Langle Friedrich , Auer Herbert
Published: March 2014

A new therapy complementary to transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in which anticancer agents are percutaneously injected into the tumor under ultrasound guidance (percutaneous injection chemotherapy combined with TAE; TAE‐PICT) has been developed and found to be effective. A total of 68 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules in 50 patients were treated with TAE‐PICT, and the complications were evaluated. Among those with solitary HCC nodules 5 cm in diameter, 17 were treated with TAE‐PICT and 24 with only TAE in a prospective comparative study. No major complications were seen, and the anticancer drugs could still be found in the tumor 3 months after injection. A significantly higher cumulative survival rate (p = 0.03961) and significantly higher cumulative recurrence‐free survival rate (p = 0.00647) were achieved in patients treated with TAE‐PICT than in those treated with TAE alone.
Triolein and Trilinolein Ameliorate Oxidized Low‐Density Lipoprotein‐Induced Oxidative Stress in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Luo Ting , Deng Ze‐yuan , Li Xiao‐ping , Rao Huan , Fan Ya‐wei
Published: March 2014

Uptake of oxidized low‐density lipoprotein by endothelial cells is a critical step for the initiation of atherosclerosis. Triacylglycerol uptake in these cells is understood to be a part of the process. The present investigation, comparison among the effects of simple acylglycerol, including tristearin, triolein, and trilinolein, upon oxidized low‐density lipoprotein ‐induced oxidative stress was undertaken. Results indicated that trilinolein (78 % ± 0.02) and triolein (90 % ± 0.01) increased cell viability of endothelial cells exposed to oxidized low‐density lipoprotein, whereas tristearin decreased the cell viability (55 % ± 0.03) (P < 0.05). Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein treatment significantly increased apoptosis (23 %), compared to cells simultaneously exposed to trilinolein (19 %) or triolein (16 %), where apoptosis was reduced (P < 0.05). On the other hand, exposure to tristearin further increased oxidized low‐density lipoprotein ‐induced cell apoptosis (34 %). Treatment with trilinolein or triolein on oxidized low‐density lipoprotein ‐stimulated endothelial cells inhibited the expression of ICAM‐1 and E‐selectin mRNA. Moreover, both trilinolein and triolein demonstrated a strong antioxidant response to oxidative stress caused by oxidized low‐density lipoprotein. Taken together, the results indicate trilinolein and triolein possess anti‐inflammatory properties, which are mediated via the antioxidant defense system.
Unsaturated lipids protect the integral membrane peptide gramicidin A from singlet oxygen
Authors: Rokitskaya Tatyana I. , Kotova Elena A. , Agapov Igor I. , Moisenovich Mikhail M. , Antonenko Yuri N.
Published: March 2014

In contrast to expectations that unsaturated fatty acids contribute to oxidative stress by providing a source of lipid peroxides, we demonstrated the protective effect of double bonds in lipids on oxidative damage to membrane proteins. Photodynamic inactivation of gramicidin channels was decreased in unsaturated lipid compared to saturated lipid bilayers. By estimating photosensitizer (boronated chlorine e
6 amide) binding to the membrane with the current relaxation technique, the decrease in gramicidin photoinactivation was attributed to singlet oxygen scavenging by double bonds in lipids rather than to the reduction in photosensitizer binding. Gramicidin protection by unsaturated lipids was also observed upon induction of oxidative stress with tert‐butyl hydroperoxide.
Profile of women seeking medical termination of pregnancy in South India
Authors: Holla Ramesh , Kanchan Tanuj , Unnikrishnan Bhaskaran , Kotian Mangalore Shashidhar , Kumar Nithin , Thapar Rekha , Mithra Prasanna , Papanna Mohan Kumar , Kulkarni Vaman , Darshan Bhagawan Bhagyamma
Published: March 2014

Objective

To investigate the demographic and obstetric profile of women seeking medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) in South India in accordance with the MTP Act of India.

Methods

A registry‐based retrospective study was carried out at a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India. The hospital records of all pregnant women seeking MTP over a 2‐year period between January 2011 and December 2012 were reviewed.

Results

A total of 244 women underwent MTP during the study period. More than one‐third (37.8%) were aged between 26 and 30 years. The majority of women underwent MTP during the first trimester (79.5%). Medical reasons were cited as the most common reason for undergoing MTP (39.3%), followed by unplanned pregnancy (34.8%). The majority of women were seeking MTP for the first time (84.8%). More than half of the women (52.9%) opted for post‐MTP contraception.

Conclusion

MTP for unplanned pregnancy can be prevented if people are well informed about methods of contraception. MTP is an opportunity for healthcare professionals to discuss fertility needs and need for contraception with women seeking MTP so that appropriate decisions can be taken for suitable family planning.
The Anatomy of Human Rights in Israel
Authors: Meydani Assaf
Published: March 2014

Why is there such a large gap between the declarations that countries make about human rights and their imperfect implementation of them? Why do states that have enacted laws and signed treaties about human rights choose to not enforce these laws in daily life? Why have activists failed to achieve the goals of ensuring human rights domestically and internationally? This book examines the issue of human rights in the Israeli domestic arena by analyzing the politics and strategies of defending human rights. To do so, it integrates the tools of social choice theory with a unique institutionalist perspective that looks at both formal and informal, and local and international factors. The book offers an analysis explaining the processes through which Israel is struggling to promote human rights within a specific institutional environment, thus determining the future of Israeli democracy and its attitude toward human rights.
Burdens of Political Responsibility
Authors: Schiff Jade Larissa
Published: March 2014

How can human beings acknowledge and experience the burdens of political responsibility? Why are we tempted to flee them, and how might we come to affirm them? Jade Larissa Schiff calls this experience of responsibility 'the cultivation of responsiveness'. In Burdens of Political Responsibility: Narrative and the Cultivation of Responsiveness, she identifies three dispositions that inhibit responsiveness - thoughtlessness, bad faith, and misrecognition - and turns to storytelling in its manifold forms as a practice that might facilitate and frustrate it. Through critical engagements with an unusual cast of characters (from Bourdieu to Sartre) hailing from a variety of disciplines (political theory, phenomenology, sociology, and literary criticism), she argues that how we represent our world and ourselves in the stories we share, and how we receive those stories, can facilitate and frustrate the cultivation of responsiveness.