bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coloring–decoloring behavior of fluoroalkyl end‐capped 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonic acid oligomer/acetone composite in methanol
Authors: Kijima Tetsushi , Nishida Masakazu , Fukaya Haruhiko , Yoshida Masato , Sawada Hideo 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTA reddish‐brown fluoroalkyl end‐capped 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) oligomer/acetone composite was prepared by heating the white oligomer powder with acetone at 80 °C for 3 h. The color was not observed in the corresponding non‐fluorinated AMPS oligomer/acetone composite, which was prepared under similar conditions. The coloring was probably caused by the formation of acetone polyaldol condensation products in the fluorinated oligomeric gel network cores. The colored RF‐(AMPS)n‐RF/acetone composite powders were stable and did not exhibit any color change after 2 years in natural light at room temperature. The colored composite powders dissolved in methanol to give a reddish‐brown solution at room temperature. However, the retro‐polyaldol condensation decolored the solution after 1 day at room temperature. This is the first example of the retro‐aldol polycondensation of acetone under mild conditions. The decoloration increased by between 38‐ and 70‐fold under UV irradiation, compared with that in dark conditions. The coloring–decoloring behavior was consistent and repeatable; therefore our fluorinated oligomer/acetone composites are promising candidates for new fluorinated coloring materials. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2555–2564
One‐pot synthesis of composite microspheres with core‐shell structure
Authors: Gong Yi , Liu Qing Lin , Zhu Ai Mei , Zhang Qiu Gen 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTOne‐pot synthesis of thermoresponsive magnetic composite microspheres with a poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) shell and a Fe3O4 core is demonstrated. Temperature sensitivity of PNIPAM was adopted to design the novel synthesis pathway. The as‐prepared composite microspheres have an obvious core‐shell structure with a mean size of approximately 250 nm. The Fe3O4 core is approximately 5 nm and the thickness of the PNIPAM shell is approximately 10 nm. The content of Fe3O4 in the composite microspheres can be controlled by this method. The composite microspheres experience a swelling and shrinking process in water by adjusting the temperature below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 32 °C. These microspheres also show fine response to an external magnetic field. This work presents a platform to synthesize organic/inorganic composite microspheres in a facile and efficient approach. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2702–2708
Liquid crystal functionalization of electrospun polymer fibers
Authors: Kim Dae Kyom , Hwang Minsik , Lagerwall Jan P. F. 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTA recently introduced new branch of applied polymer science is the production of highly functional and responsive fiber mats by means of electrospinning polymers that include liquid crystals. The liquid crystal, which provides the responsiveness, is most often contained inside fibers of core‐sheath geometry, produced via coaxial electrospinning, but it may also be inherent to the polymer itself, for example, in case of liquid crystal elastomers. The first experiments served as proof of concept and to elucidate the basic behavior of the liquid crystal in the fibers, and the field is now ripe for more applied research targeting novel devices, in particular in the realm of wearable technology. In this perspective, we provide a bird's eye view of the current state of the art of liquid crystal electrospinning, as well as of some relevant recent developments in the general electrospinning and liquid crystal research areas, allowing us to sketch a picture of where this young research field and its applications may be heading in the next few years. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 855–867
Tracking trade transactions in water resource systems: A node‐arc optimization formulation
Authors: Erfani Tohid , Huskova Ivana , Harou Julien J. 
Published: March 2013

Key Points
arc‐path and node‐arc formulations can track transactions in water networks
formulation allows converting existing arc‐node hydro‐economic models
node‐arc formulation builds larger models but with easier data management
Toward a quantitative understanding of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway through simulation and experiment
Authors: Lloyd‐Lewis Bethan , Fletcher Alexander G. , Dale Trevor C. , Byrne Helen M. 
Published: March 2013

AbstractWnt signaling regulates cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation throughout development and is aberrantly regulated in cancer. The pathway is activated when Wnt ligands bind to specific receptors on the cell surface, resulting in the stabilization and nuclear accumulation of the transcriptional co‐activator β‐catenin. Mathematical and computational models have been used to study the spatial and temporal regulation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway and to investigate the functional impact of mutations in key components. Such models range in complexity, from time‐dependent, ordinary differential equations that describe the biochemical interactions between key pathway components within a single cell, to complex, multiscale models that incorporate the role of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway target genes in tissue homeostasis and carcinogenesis. This review aims to summarize recent progress in mathematical modeling of the Wnt pathway and to highlight new biological results that could form the basis for future theoretical investigations designed to increase the utility of theoretical models of Wnt signaling in the biomedical arena. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2013, 5:391–407. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1221This article is categorized under:

Biological Mechanisms > Cell Signaling
Developmental Biology > Lineages
Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis and its association with endocrine, metabolic and chronic diseases: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Witbreuk M. , van Kemenade F. J. , van der Sluijs J. A. , Jansma E. P. , Rotteveel J. , van Royen B. J. 
Published: March 2013

Purpose Puberty, obesity, endocrine and chronic systemic diseases are known to be associated with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). The mechanical insufficiency of the physis in SCFE is thought to be the result of an abnormal weakening of the physis. However, the mechanism at the cellular level has not been unravelled up to now. Methods To understand the pathophysiology of endocrine and metabolic factors acting on the physis, we performed a systematic review focussing on published studies reporting on hormonal, morphological and cellular abnormalities of the physis in children with SCFE. In addition, we looked for studies of the effects of endocrinopathies on the human physis which can lead to cause SCFE and focussed in detail on hormonal signalling, hormone receptor expression and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition of the physis. We searched in the PubMed, EMBASE.com and The Cochrane Library (via Wiley) databases from inception to 11th September 2012. The search generated a total of 689 references: 382 in PubMed, 232 in EMBASE.com and 75 in The Cochrane Library. After removing duplicate papers, 525 papers remained. Of these, 119 were selected based on titles and abstracts. After excluding 63 papers not related to the human physis, 56 papers were included in this review. Results Activation of the gonadal axis and the subsequent augmentation of the activity of the growth hormone–insulin-like growth factor 1 (GH-IGF-1) axis are important for the pubertal growth spurt, as well as for cessation of the physis at the end of puberty. The effects of leptin, thyroid hormone and corticosteroids on linear growth and on the physis are also discussed. Children with chronic diseases suffer from inflammation, acidosis and malnutrition. These consequences of chronic diseases affect the GH-IGF-1 axis, thereby, increasing the risk of the development of SCFE. The risk of SCFE and avascular necrosis in children with chronic renal insufficiency, growth hormone treatment and renal osteodystrophy remains equivocal. Conclusions SCFE is most likely the result of a multi-factorial event during adolescence when height and weight increase dramatically and the delicate balance between the various hormonal equilibria can be disturbed. Up to now, there are no screening or diagnostic tests available to predict patients at risk.
Improved ancestry inference using weights from external reference panels
Authors: Chen Chia-Yen , Pollack Samuela , Hunter David J. , Hirschhorn Joel N. , Kraft Peter , Price Alkes L. 
Published: March 2013

Abstract
Motivation: Inference of ancestry using genetic data is motivated by applications in genetic association studies, population genetics and personal genomics. Here, we provide methods and software for improved ancestry inference using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) weights from external reference panels. This approach makes it possible to leverage the rich ancestry information that is available from large external reference panels, without the administrative and computational complexities of re-analyzing the raw genotype data from the reference panel in subsequent studies.
Results: We extensively validate our approach in multiple African American, Latino American and European American datasets, making use of genome-wide SNP weights derived from large reference panels, including HapMap 3 populations and 6546 European Americans from the Framingham Heart Study. We show empirically that our approach provides much greater accuracy than either the prevailing ancestry-informative marker (AIM) approach or the analysis of genome-wide target genotypes without a reference panel. For example, in an independent set of 1636 European American genome-wide association study samples, we attained prediction accuracy (R2) of 1.000 and 0.994 for the first two principal components using our method, compared with 0.418 and 0.407 using 150 published AIMs or 0.955 and 0.003 by applying principal component analysis directly to the target samples. We finally show that the higher accuracy in inferring ancestry using our method leads to more effective correction for population stratification in association studies.
Availability: The SNPweights software is available online at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/faculty/alkes-price/software/.
Contact: aprice@hsph.harvard.edu or cychen@mail.harvard.edu.
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
An upper limit to the sodium layer longitudinal and transversal altitude structure function from MCAO data
Authors: Rigaut F. , Neichel B. 
Published: March 2013

Abstract
The Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System is the first sodium-based Multi-Laser Guide Star (LGS) Adaptive Optics system used for astronomy. It uses five LGSs distributed on a 1 arcmin2 constellation to measure and compensate for atmospheric distortions. In this Letter, we use the LGS wavefront sensor data to derive the amount of differential focus caused by horizontal sodium layer structures, which we call the focus excess (because it comes in addition to the turbulent part). Based on data accumulated at a rate of around 1 week per month during a period of 1 year, we derive an upper limit of the focus excess of 15 ± 60 nm rms for an 8-m telescope over an 85 arcsec baseline. No anisotropy in the spatial distribution of this error is detected.
Treatment outcome in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome: a prospective study in England based on the CFS/ME National Outcomes Database
Authors: Crawley E , Collin S M , White P D , Rimes K , Sterne J A C , May M T ,   CFS/ME National Outcomes Database
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is relatively common and disabling. Over 8000 patients attend adult services each year, yet little is known about the outcome of patients attending NHS services.

Aim
Investigate the outcome of patients with CFS and what factors predict outcome.

Design
Longitudinal patient cohort.

Methods
We used data from six CFS/ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) specialist services to measure changes in fatigue (Chalder Fatigue Scale), physical function (SF-36), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and pain (visual analogue pain rating scale) between clinical assessment and 8–20 months of follow-up. We used multivariable linear regression to investigate baseline factors associated with outcomes at follow-up.

Results
Baseline data obtained at clinical assessment were available for 1643 patients, of whom 834 (51%) had complete follow-up data. There were improvements in fatigue [mean difference from assessment to outcome: −6.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) −7.4 to −6.2; P &lt; 0.001]; physical function (4.4; 95% CI 3.0–5.8; P &lt; 0.001), anxiety (−0.6; 95% CI −0.9 to −0.3; P &lt; 0.001), depression (−1.6; 95% CI −1.9 to −1.4; P &lt; 0.001) and pain (−5.3; 95% CI −7.0 to −3.6; P &lt; 0.001). Worse fatigue, physical function and pain at clinical assessment predicted a worse outcome for fatigue at follow-up. Older age, increased pain and physical function at assessment were associated with poorer physical function at follow-up.

Conclusions
Patients who attend NHS specialist CFS/ME services can expect similar improvements in fatigue, anxiety and depression to participants receiving cognitive behavioural therapy and graded exercise therapy in a recent trial, but are likely to experience less improvement in physical function. Outcomes were predicted by fatigue, disability and pain at assessment.
SEROUS RETINAL DETACHMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH LIGHT CHAIN DEPOSITION DISEASE
Authors: Shah Ankoor R. , Zaidi Ali , Brucker Alexander J. 
Published: March 2013

Purpose:
To report the clinical, fluorescein angiography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and fundus autofluorescence (AF) findings of a 64-year-old woman with systemic light chain deposition disease.

Methods:
Clinical examination, fundus photographs, fundus AF, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and fluorescein angiography before and after renal transplantation in a patient with light chain deposition disease.

Results:
The patient presented with decreased visual acuity in her right eye. Fundus examination showed bilateral drusenoid subretinal deposits associated with subretinal fluid. Fluorescein angiography showed staining of the lesions seen on clinical examination. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography showed hyperreflective material below the neurosensory retina associated with subretinal fluid. Fundus AF showed areas of increased AF corresponding to the lesions. The lesions showed improvement after renal transplantation and initiation of immunosuppressive agents.

Conclusion:
Patients with light chain deposition disease may present with subretinal deposits that can be seen clinically and demonstrated on fluorescein angiography, AF, and optical coherence tomography. They may also present with localized serious retinal detachments. Both these deposits and serous retinal detachments may improve with renal transplantation or immunosuppressive therapy.
HEADACHES SECONDARY TO INTRAVENTRICULAR SILICONE OIL SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED WITH VENTRICULOPERITONEAL SHUNT
Authors: Hruby Paul M. , Poley Preeti R. , Terp Patricia A. , Thorell William E. , Margalit Eyal 
Published: March 2013

Purpose:
To describe a case of intravitreal silicone oil (SO) migration into the cerebral ventricles with secondary chronic headaches.

Methods:
Retrospective case report. Chart review. Single patient.

Results:
A 51-year-old man with a history of proliferative diabetic retinopathy underwent surgery for traction retinal detachment using SO. Postoperatively, he developed elevated intraocular pressure, headaches, and a blind painful eye, which was enucleated. Neuroimaging revealed SO within the cerebral ventricles. Five years after the initial retinal detachment surgery, the patient developed chronic headaches. Lumbar puncture revealed an elevated opening pressure. The headaches were initially managed medically. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt was placed after the headaches persisted, which resulted in their complete resolution at 6 weeks after shunt placement.

Conclusion:
Ocular hypertension after intravitreal SO placement may play a role in SO intracranial migration. In the case presented, intraventricular SO was the apparent cause of elevated intracranial pressure and headaches. As all published cases of intraventricular SO migration reporting intraocular pressure to this point have described ocular hypertension, careful monitoring of intraocular pressure and aggressive control of ocular hypertension in the presence of intravitreal SO is recommended.
Safety, Tolerability, and Clinical Response After Fecal Transplantation in Children and Young Adults With Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Kunde Sachin , Pham Angela , Bonczyk Sarah , Crumb Teri , Duba Meg , Conrad Harold , Cloney Deborah , Kugathasan Subra 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTBackground and Objective:Colonic dysbiosis contributes to the development of colonic inflammation in ulcerative colitis (UC). Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) is being proposed as a novel treatment for UC because it can eliminate dysbiosis; however, no prospective data exist. We initiated a pilot study to evaluate feasibility and safety of FMT in children with UC.Methods:Ten children, 7 to 21 years of age, with mild‐to‐moderate UC (pediatric UC activity index [PUCAI] between 15 and 65) received freshly prepared fecal enemas daily for 5 days. Data on tolerability, adverse events, and disease activity were collected during FMT and weekly for 4 weeks after FMT. Clinical response was defined as decrease in PUCAI by >15, and decrease in PUCAI to <10 was considered clinical remission.Results:No serious adverse events were noted. Mild (cramping, fullness, flatulence, bloating, diarrhea, and blood in stool) to moderate (fever) adverse events were self‐limiting. One subject could not retain fecal enemas. Average tolerated enema volume by remaining 9 subjects was 165 mL/day. After FMT, 7 of the 9 (78%) subjects showed clinical response within 1 week, 6 of the 9 (67%) subjects maintained clinical response at 1 month, and 3 of the 9 (33%) subjects achieved clinical remission at 1 week after FMT. Median PUCAI significantly improved after FMT (P = 0.03) compared with the baseline.Conclusions:Fecal enemas were feasible and tolerated by children with UC. Adverse events were acceptable, self‐limiting, and manageable by subjects. FMT indicated efficacy in the treatment of UC.
Mutations in the TIR1 Auxin Receptor That Increase Affinity for Auxin/Indole-3-Acetic Acid Proteins Result in Auxin Hypersensitivity
Authors: Yu Hong , Moss Britney L. , Jang Seunghee S. , Prigge Michael , Klavins Eric , Nemhauser Jennifer L. , Estelle Mark 
Published: March 2013

Abstract
The phytohormone auxin regulates virtually every aspect of plant development. The hormone directly mediates the interaction between the two members of the auxin coreceptor complex, a TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE (TIR1)/AUXIN SIGNALING F-BOX protein and an AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID (Aux/IAA) transcriptional repressor. To learn more about the interaction between these proteins, a mutant screen was performed using the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid system in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Two tir1 mutations were identified that increased interaction with Aux/IAAs. The D170E and M473L mutations increase affinity between TIR1 and the degron motif of Aux/IAAs and enhance the activity of the SCFTIR1 complex. This resulted in faster degradation of Aux/IAAs and increased transcription of auxin-responsive genes in the plant. Plants carrying the pTIR1:tir1 D170E/M473L-Myc transgene exhibit diverse developmental defects during plant growth and display an auxin-hypersensitive phenotype. This work demonstrates that changes in the leucine-rich repeat domain of the TIR1 auxin coreceptor can alter the properties of SCFTIR1.
Decreased Peripheral Blood CD4+/CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in Patients with Alcoholic Hepatitis
Authors: Almeida Julia , Polvorosa Maria Angeles , Gonzalez‐Quintela Arturo , Marcos Miguel , Pastor Isabel , Hernandez Cerceño Maria Luisa , Orfao Alberto , Laso Francisco‐Javier 
Published: March 2013

BackgroundDevelopment of alcoholic hepatitis (AH) may be favored by the activation of the innate immune response. Recently, decreased numbers of circulating regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been reported in diseases associated with an immune activation status, but no studies have focused so far, in investigating the distribution of Tregs in chronic alcoholism and its potential association with liver disease. Here, we analyzed for the first time the frequency of peripheral blood (PB) Tregs and Treg subsets in AH and its relationship with the production of inflammatory cytokines by PB monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs).MethodsPB samples from 25 male patients with AH were studied; in parallel, 15 male chronic alcoholic patients without liver disease (AWLD) and 17 male healthy donors were also studied, as controls. The distribution of CD4+CD25hiCD127−/lo Tregs and their maturation subsets (naïve, central memory, and peripheral memory Tregs) was analyzed by flow cytometry. Spontaneous and in vitro‐stimulated production of inflammatory cytokines by PB monocytes and DCs was analyzed by flow cytometry at the cytoplasmic level.ResultsPatients with AH showed decreased (p < 0.05) numbers of PB CD4+CD25hiCD127−/lo Tregs at the expense of all maturation‐associated subsets, while AWLD and healthy subjects showed a similar (p > 0.05) distribution of PB CD4+CD25hiCD127−/lo Tregs. Interestingly, significantly increased amounts of spontaneously produced inflammatory cytokines were found among circulating monocyte‐derived DCs and monocytes from AH (and AWLD) patients in comparison with healthy donors. Conversely, the ability of these cell subsets to produce cytokines after in vitro stimulation was lower (p < 0.05) in AH versus the 2 control groups.ConclusionsPB CD4+CD25hiCD127−/lo Tregs are significantly decreased in patients with AH when compared to both healthy and AWLD; this may contribute to explain the more pronounced activation of the innate immune response observed in AH, as reflected by an increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines by PB DCs and monocytes, and could facilitate the development of liver disease.