bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chemometric determination of PAHs in aerosol samples by fluorescence spectroscopy and second‐order data analysis algorithms
Authors: Elcoroaristizabal Saioa , de Juan Anna , García Jose Antonio , Elorduy Iñaki , Durana Nieves , Alonso Lucio 
Published: February 2014

The development of a method based on the combination of excitation–emission fluorescence matrices (EEMs) and second‐order algorithms is proposed to identify and quantify 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in extracts of aerosol samples, a particularly complex sample matrix because of the low amount of PAHs and the numerous fluorescent interferences. Parallel factor analysis, unfolded partial least squares coupled to residual bilinearization (RBL) and multivariate curve resolution – alternating least squares offered satisfactory results for their identification and quantification and were also helpful for the optimization of the extraction procedure for these substances by means of analysis of a standard reference material.Multivariate curve resolution – alternating least squares and parallel factor analysis combined with EEM proved to be fast and cheap analysis methods that are able to do semiquantitative monitoring of PAHs patterns in the inhalable and respirable fractions of atmospheric aerosols, important features for routine environmental monitoring. Accurate quantifications could also be achieved when the strategy of standard addition method was used.Unfolded partial least squares/RBL achieved slightly better quantitative results when sample matrices were moderately complex; in aerosol sample analysis, the selection of number of RBL contributions turned particularly difficult—because of the lack of information on the sample composition—and the time‐consuming application of the method did not suggest its use for routine environmental monitoring.Finally, results of EEM with second‐order methods in agreement with gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis of ambient air samples proved the suitability of the methodology proposed because of the sensitivity of fluorescence measurements and the lower analytical cost and fast computation time compared with standard analytical procedures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The cholinergic system in the olfactory center of the terrestrial slug Limax
Authors: Matsuo Ryota , Kobayashi Suguru , Wakiya Kyoko , Yamagishi Miki , Fukuoka Masayuki , Ito Etsuro 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTAcetylcholine plays various important roles in the central nervous system of invertebrates as well as vertebrates. In the olfactory center of the terrestrial slug Limax, the local field potential (LFP) oscillates, and the change in its oscillatory frequency is thought to correlate with the detection of odor that potentially changes an ongoing behavior of the animal. Acetylcholine is known to upregulate the frequency of the LFP oscillation, and is one of the candidates for the neurotransmitters that are involved in such higher cognitive functions. However, there have been no histological data on the cholinergic system in gastropods, nor are there data on the receptors that are responsible for the upregulation of the oscillatory frequency of LFP due to the lack of analytical tools (such as antibodies or cDNA sequence information on cholinergic system‐related genes). Here we cloned the cDNAs of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), acetylcholinesterase, vesicular acetylcholine transporter, and several nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and investigated their localization in the brain of Limax. We also generated a polyclonal antibody against ChAT to examine its localization, and investigated pharmacologically the involvement of nAChRs in the LFP oscillation. Our data showed: 1) dense distribution of the neurons expressing mRNAs of ChAT and vesicular acetylcholine transporter in the olfactory center; 2) spatially unique expression patterns of different nAChRs in the olfactory center; 3) involvement of nAChRs in the upregulation of the oscillation; 4) localization of ChAT protein in nerve fibers and/or terminals; and 5) the presence of cholinergic nerves in the tentacles. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:2951–2966, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Piroxicam immediate release formulations: A fasting randomized open‐label crossover bioequivalence study in healthy volunteers
Authors: Helmy Sally A. , El‐Bedaiwy Heba M. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractPiroxicam is a NSAID with analgesic and antipyretic properties, used for the treatment of rheumatoid diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two brands of piroxicam capsules (20 mg) in 24 Egyptian volunteers. The in vivo study was established according to a single‐center, randomized, single‐dose, laboratory‐blinded, 2‐period, 2‐sequence, crossover study with a washout period of 3 weeks. Under fasting conditions, 24 healthy male volunteers were randomly selected to receive a single oral dose of one capsule (20 mg) of either test or reference product. Plasma samples were obtained over a 144‐hour interval and analyzed for piroxicam by HPLC with UV detection. The pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax, tmax, AUC0–t, AUC0–∞, Vd/F, Cl/F, and t1/2 were determined from plasma concentration–time profiles. The 90% confidence intervals for the ratio of log transformed values of Cmax, AUC0–t, and AUC0–∞ of the two treatments were within the acceptable range (0.8–1.25) for bioequivalence. From PK perspectives, the two piroxicam formulations were considered bioequivalent, based on the rate and extent of absorption. No adverse events occurred or were reported after a single 20‐mg piroxicam and both formulations were well‐tolerated.
Modeling of Direct H2S Fueled Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Reforming Chemical Kinetics
Authors: Xie Y. , Xue X. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractA direct H2S fueled SOFC model is developed based on Ni‐YSZ/YSZ/YSZ‐LSM button cell test stand. The model considers the detailed reforming chemical processes of H2S and multi‐physics transport processes in the fuel cell and fuel supply tubes. The model is validated using experimental data. Extensive simulations are performed to study the complicated interactions between multi‐physics transport processes and chemical/electrochemical reactions. The results elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of direct H2S fueled SOFCs. It is found that suitably increasing the H2O content in the supplied H2S fuel can improve SOFC electrochemical performance; high operating temperature may facilitate the reforming of H2S and improve the electrochemical performance. The sulfur poisoning effect may be mitigated by increasing the H2O content in the fuel, increasing the operating temperature, decreasing the flow rate, and/or making the cell work at low voltage (or high current) conditions.
Tuning the Performance of Ni‐Based Catalyst by Doping Coinage Metal on Steam Reforming of Methane and Carbon‐Tolerance
Authors: Wang M. , Fu Z. , Yang Z. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractDensity functional theory (DFT) calculations are employed to investigate the key reactions in steam reforming of methane (SRM) on Ni‐based bimetallic surface alloys, including the dissociation of CH4 and H2O, the oxidation of CH by oxygen atom to form formyl (CHO), and the dehydrogenation of CHO to form carbon monoxide (CO). The aim of this investigation is to hunt for an optimal catalyst for SRM, which can inhibit carbon formation while maintaining high activity to the SRM. Coinage metal impurity (Au, Ag, and Cu) doped Ni catalysts have been proven to inhibit carbon deposition. In this work, we focus on investigating the doping effects on some leading processes in SRM. It is found that the coinage metal doping has a little effect on the two‐step dissociation of H2O, which has a linear correlation between the dissociation barriers and the OH–H coadsorption energies. In addition, the dehydrogenation of CHO is kinetically favorable on all alloy surfaces. However, for the CH oxidation to CHO, only the Ni–Cu surface remains high activity. These results suggest that Ni–Cu bimetallic material is an excellent active carbon‐tolerance SRM catalyst for solid‐oxide fuel cells.
Multi‐mode tunnel boring machines / Multi‐Mode Tunnelvortriebsmaschinen
Authors: Burger Werner 
Published: February 2014

AbstractClassic tunnelling shields can reach their technical, but also their economic limits, when they have to drive through highly varied geologies along the tunnel route. A tunnel route may pass through extended sections of stable rock faces which alternate with soft, water‐bearing loose soils. Such tunnelling routes are among the most demanding challenges in tunnel construction and they have to be mastered more and more often, because important infrastructures nowadays are being built in such formations. Herrenknecht has developed so‐called Multi‐mode tunnel boring machines especially for ground conditions of this kind. These are hybrid tunnel boring machines which offer optimum safety and flexibility when choosing the support and excavation method. They allow for an optimum tunnelling strategy that is adaptable to the conditions along the tunnel alignment. And they also have a positive influence on the desired efficiency. Multi‐mode machines have different concepts in terms of how rapidly or how easily they can be adapted. The following chapters describe the functionalities of the Multi‐mode TBM and the corresponding reference projects. In addition, this paper deals with the innovative concept of the Herrenknecht Variable Density TBM, a first universal tunnel boring machine for mixed ground conditions.Klassische Vortriebsschilde können bei geologisch variantenreich aufgebauten Tunneltrassen an technische, aber auch wirtschaftliche Grenzen stoßen. So kann eine Tunneltrasse längere Passagen standfestes Gebirge enthalten, das in weiche, wasserführende Lockerböden wechselt sowie umgekehrt. Derartige Streckenverläufe gehören zu den anspruchsvollsten Anforderungen im Tunnelbau. Sie stellen immer öfter eine Herausforderung dar, da wichtige Infrastrukturen in solchen Formationen gebaut werden. Herrenknecht hat speziell für solche Baugründe und Projekthintergründe sogenannte Multi‐Mode‐Tunnelbohrmaschinen entwickelt. Es handelt sich hier um hybrid aufgebaute Vortriebsmaschinen, die höchstmögliche Sicherheit und Flexibilität bei der Wahl des Stütz‐ und Abbauverfahrens bieten, also eine in Hinsicht auf den Streckenverlauf anpassungsfähige und möglichst optimale Vortriebsstrategie ermöglichen. Dies hat auch positive Effekte auf die gebotene Wirtschaftlichkeit. Multi‐Mode‐Maschinen sind hinsichtlich der Anpassungsschnelligkeit und des Anpassungsaufwands unterschiedlich angelegt. Die folgenden Kapitel beschreiben die Funktionsweisen der Multi‐Mode‐TBM und entsprechende Referenzprojekte. Zudem geht der Beitrag auf das neuartige Konzept der Herrenknecht “Variable Density TBM” ein, einer ersten universellen Vortriebsmaschine für Lockergestein.
Determining soil abrasiveness by use of index tests versus using intrinsic soil parameters / Bewertung der Abrasivität von Lockergesteinen mit Indexverfahren und herkömmlichen Bodenkennwerten
Authors: Düllmann Jan , Alber Michael , Plinninger Ralf J. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe evaluation of the abrasiveness of soil is not unified or standardised at the moment. Mostly used are complex index processes with greatly simplified model bodies and simplified test conditions such as the LCPC abrasimeter test. These processes can however at best measure the efficiency of the wear mechanism and are not capable of reflecting the strength of the bonding of the internal fabric, an essential factor determining the level of operational demands, i.e. the resistance to excavation. These index processes therefore offer no advantages over evaluation processes based on conventional soil mechanics parameters. Quite the opposite, these mostly prototype tests imply new problems that are inevitable with the testing methods. The paper thus presents at the end an extended method of evaluating wear to excavation tools and the conveyance or transport of excavated spoil.Die Beurteilung der Abrasivität von Lockergesteinen ist bis heute nicht vereinheitlicht oder normiert. Verbreitet sind vor allem komplexe Indexverfahren mit stark vereinfachten Modellkörpern und vereinfachten Versuchsrahmenbedingungen wie z.B. der Drehflügelversuch LCPC. Diese Verfahren können aber allenfalls die Wirksamkeit des Verschleißmechanismus abbilden und sind nicht in der Lage, die Festigkeit des Gefügeverbands als maßgeblichen Einflussfaktor auf die Größe der Beanspruchung, d.h. den Abbauwiderstand zu erfassen. Derartige Indexverfahren besitzen daher keine Vorteile gegenüber Bewertungsverfahren, die auf herkömmlichen, bodenmechanischen Kennwerten beruhen. Ganz im Gegenteil implizieren diese, meist prototypartigen Versuche neue, versuchsspezifische Probleme. Der Beitrag stellt daher abschließend einen erweiterten Bewertungsansatz zur Verschleißbewertung von Abbauwerkzeugen sowie der Abförderung bzw. dem Abtransport von gelöstem Abbaugut vor.
TBM and spoil treatment selection process – case history Crossrail C310 Thames Tunnel
Authors: Rengshausen Rainer , Tauriainen Riku , Raedle Andreas 
Published: February 2014

AbstractSlurry TBM versus EPB TBM The contract C310 comprises the construction of the Plumstead and North Woolwich Portals and the twin tube Thames Tunnel, which has a length of approximately 2.6 km between the two portals. The two TBMs used for the construction of the Thames Tunnel will drive through varying ground conditions (Thanet Sand, River Terrace Deposit (gravel), and chalk) below the water table. During the drive under the River Thames, the tunnels will only have an overburden of approximately 12 m. The effect of pressure variation due to the tidal River Thames has to be accounted for in the control of the tunnelling. The tunnel will pass underneath several grade II listed buildings, utilities, adjacent to operational railway tracks and close to existing subway tunnels. Previous experience of the handling and disposal of excavated chalk has been gained on several tunnelling projects in chalk, most notably the Dartford Road Tunnels, the Channel Tunnel, the Brighton Stormwater Tunnel, the Lille Metro Tunnel, the Socatop Road Tunnel near Paris and Channel Tunnel Rail Link CTRL 320. The Contract allowed for both Mixshield and EPB TBM Technology. The advantages and disadvantages of a TBM‐S with Earth Pressure Balanced face support (EPB‐TBM) and a TBM‐S with Slurry Face support (Mix‐Shield TBM) for the C310 Thames Tunnels were discussed after contract award and a comparative risk assessment was developed. A Mixshield TBM is more expensive but outperformed the EPB TBM in the overall scoring of risk assessment and therefore it has been decided to use this type at C310.
Three New Triterpene Saponins from Bolbostemma paniculatum
Authors: Tang Yun , Cao Jia‐Qing , Li Wei , Li Wei , Zhao Yu‐Qing 
Published: February 2014

AbstractTwo novel noroleanane saponins, tubeimoside A (1) and tubeimoside B (2), and a new dammarane triterpene saponin, tubeimoside C (3), together with two known compounds, 4 and 5, were isolated from the bulbs of Bolbostemma paniculatum (Maxim.) Franquet. Compound 4 was found in this genus for the first time. Based on spectroscopic methods, including IR, NMR (DEPT, COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and TOCSY), and MS experiments, and chemical reactions, the structures of the new compounds were elucidated as 3β‐[β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyloxy]‐2β,23‐dihydroxy‐28‐norolean‐12‐en‐16‐one (1), 3β‐[β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyloxy]‐2β,23‐dihydroxy‐28‐norolean‐12‐en‐22‐one (2), (3β,7β)‐7,18,20‐trihydroxydammar‐24‐en‐3‐yl 2‐O‐α‐L‐arabinopyranosyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (3).
The Effect of Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) Micelles on a BelousovZhabotinsky Oscillating System Catalyzed with a Tetraazamacrocyclic Copper(II) Complex
Authors: Chen Yang‐Yang , Hu Gang , Nian Yu‐Qin , Li Meng‐Shuo , Song Ji‐Mei , Hu Lin 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThis article deals with the influence of micelles of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) on the BelousovZhabotinsky (BZ) oscillating reaction catalyzed by a tetraazamacrocyclic copper(II) complex [CuL](ClO4)2, an enzyme‐like catalyst (L=5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradeca‐4,11‐diene). Unlike the classical BZ oscillator in which malonic acid is usually used as a substrate, malic acid (an intermediate in the Krebs cycle) is involved in this oscillating system. Experiments reveal that formation of the SDBS micelles markedly affects the behavior of the oscillating reaction. It is found that there is a linear relationship between the change in the oscillation amplitude (ΔA) and the concentration of SDBS, whereas the change in the oscillation period (ΔT) is linearly proportional to the SDBS concentration. The most likely mechanism that involves the formation of the SDBS micelles and the effects of the micelles on the oscillating chemical system can be rationalized by assuming that the SDBS micelles are so negatively charged that they attract more [CuL]3+ than [CuL]2+. This hypothesis was confirmed by UV/VIS spectrophotometric measurements of a constant concentration of [CuL](ClO4)2 in different concentrations of SDBS; as the SDBS concentration increased, the absorbance of [CuL](ClO4)2 increased, while the maximum absorption wavelength for [CuL](ClO4)2 remained at 502 nm.
Bone segmentation and 3D visualization of CT images for traumatic pelvic injuries
Authors: Wu Jie , Belle Ashwin , Hargraves Rosalyn H , Cockrell Charles , Tang Yang , Najarian Kayvan 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTPelvic bone segmentation is a vital step in analyzing pelvic CT images, which assists physicians with diagnostic decision making in cases of traumatic pelvic injuries. Due to the limited resolution of the original CT images and the complexity of pelvic structures and their possible fractures, automatic pelvic bone segmentation in multiple CT slices is very difficult. In this study, an automatic pelvic bone segmentation approach is proposed using the combination of anatomical knowledge and computational techniques. It is developed for solving the problem of accurate and efficient bone segmentation using multiple consecutive pelvic CT slices obtained from each patient. Our proposed segmentation method is able to handle variation of bone shapes between slices there by making it less susceptible to inter‐personal variability between different patients' data. Moreover, the designed training models are validated using a cross‐validation process to demonstrate the effectiveness. The algorithm's capability is tested on a set of 20 CT data sets. Successful segmentation results and quantitative evaluations are present to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of proposed algorithm, well suited for pelvic bone segmentation purposes.
Automated texture‐based characterization of fibrosis and carcinoma using low‐dose lung CT images
Authors: Devan Lakshmi , Santosham Roy , Hariharan Ranganathan 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTLung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide and account for 1.38 million deaths per year. Patients with lung cancer are often misdiagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) leading to delay in the correct diagnosis as well as exposure to inappropriate medication. The diagnosis of TB and lung cancer can be difficult as symptoms of both diseases are similar in computed tomography (CT) images. However, treating TB leads to inflammatory fibrosis in some of the patients. There comes the need of an efficient computer aided diagnosis (CAD) of the fibrosis and carcinoma diseases. To design a fully automated CAD for characterizing fibrous and carcinoma tissues without human intervention using lung CT images. The 18 subjects in this study include seven healthy, two fibrosis and eight carcinoma, and one necrosis cases. The dataset is built by CT cuts representing healthy is 113, fibrosis is 103, necrosis is 39, and carcinoma is 185 totalling 440 images. The gray‐level spatial dependence matrix and gray level run length matrix approach are used for extracting texture‐based features. These features are given to neural network classifier and statistical classifier. These classifier performances are evaluated using receiver‐operating characteristics (ROC). The proposed method characterizes these tissues without human intervention. Sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy followed by ROC curves were obtained and also studied. Thus, the proposed automated image‐based classifier could act as a precursor to histopathological analysis, thereby creating a way to class specific treatment procedures.
GRP78 Mediates Cell Growth and Invasiveness in Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Calì Gaetano , Insabato Luigi , Conza Domenico , Bifulco Giuseppe , Parrillo Luca , Mirra Paola , Fiory Francesca , Miele Claudia , Raciti Gregory Alexander , Di Jeso Bruno , Terrazzano Giuseppe , Beguinot Francesco , Ulianich Luca 
Published: February 2014

AbstractRecent studies have indicated that endoplasmic reticulum stress, the unfolded protein response activation and altered GRP78 expression can play an important role in a variety of tumors development and progression. Very recently we reported for the first time that GRP78 is increased in endometrial tumors. However, whether GRP78 could play a role in the growth and/or invasiveness of endometrial cancer cells is still unknown. Here we report that the silencing of GRP78 expression affects both cell growth and invasiveness of Ishikawa and AN3CA cells, analyzed by the (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) and transwell migration assay, respectively. At variance with Ishikawa cells, AN3CA cells showed, besides an endoplasmic reticulum, also a plasma membrane GRP78 localization, evidenced by both immunofluorescence and cell membrane biotinylation experiments. Intriguingly, flow cytometry experiments showed that the treatment with a specific antibody targeting GRP78 C‐terminal domain caused apoptosis in AN3CA but not in Ishikawa cells. Induction of apoptosis in AN3CA cells was not mediated by the p53 pathway activation but was rather associated to reduced AKT phosphorylation. Interestingly, immunofluorescence analysis evidenced that endometrioid adenocarcinoma tissues displayed, similarly to AN3CA cells, also a GRP78 plasma membrane localization. These data suggest that GRP78 and its plasma membrane localization, might play a role in endometrial cancer development and progression and might constitute a novel target for the treatment of endometrial cancer. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 1417–1426, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dynamics and constraints of enzyme evolution
Authors: Kaltenbach Miriam , Tokuriki Nobuhiko 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTThe wealth of distinct enzymatic functions found in nature is impressive and the on‐going evolutionary divergence of enzymatic functions continues to generate new and efficient catalysts, which can be seen through the recent emergence of enzymes able to degrade xenobiotics. However, recreating such processes in the laboratory has been met with only moderate success. What are the factors that lead to suboptimal research outputs? In this review, we discuss constraints on enzyme evolution, which can restrict evolutionary trajectories and lead to evolutionary dead‐ends. We highlight recent studies that have used experimental evolution to mimic different aspects of enzymatic adaptation under simple, controlled settings to shed light on evolutionary dynamics and constraints. A better understanding of these constraints will lead to the development of more efficient strategies for directed evolution and enzyme engineering. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 322B: 468–487, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.