bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mechanical and barrier properties of cardboard and 3D packaging coated with microfibrillated cellulose
Authors: Lavoine Nathalie , Bras Julien , Desloges Isabelle 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTMicrofibrillated cellulose (MFC) is increasingly used with cellulosic substrates and especially with paper materials. Its use with cardboard remains not reported and the study of mechanical and barrier properties of MFC‐coated cardboard has been investigated in this article. The influence of coating process as well as the effect of MFC have been highlighted by comparing different MFC‐coated cardboard samples with PE‐coated cardboard samples. MFC was coated using bar coating process. Their distribution and homogeneity onto cardboard was observed using techniques such as SEM and FE‐SEM. Tests such as oxygen and air permeability, bending stiffness, and compressive strength have been carried out. The coating process used impacts significantly cardboard properties by two opposite ways: on one hand it damages the structure cohesion of cardboard decreasing its compressive strength; on the other hand it increases its bending stiffness by increasing considerably the samples thickness. The addition of MFC counterbalances the negative effects of the coating process: bending stiffness and compressive strength are indeed improved by 30% in machine direction. On the contrary, MFC does not enhance much cardboard barrier properties, although it considerably increases their water absorption. Within a framework of packaging application, MFC will rather have consequent effects on cardboard's properties as blend or as part of the multilayer structure. Other applications have to be considered for its use as top layer. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40106.
Regeneration effect of visible light‐curing furfuryl alginate compound by release of epidermal growth factor for wound healing application
Authors: Heo Yun , Lee Hyung‐Jae , Kim Eun‐Hye , Kim Mi‐Kyung , Ito Yoshihiro , Son Tae‐Il 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTA visible light‐curable polysaccharide conjugate was prepared and was included with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for wound healing application. Alginate was modified with furfurylamine, and the furfuryl alginate (F‐alginate) was mixed with Rose Bengal for visible light reactivity. The introduction of furfuryl group was confirmed by 1H‐NMR and UV/vis spectroscopy. Visible light‐induced crosslinking was evaluated by micropatterning and weight measurement. Swelling ratio was also determined. To verify its applicability in wound healing applications, EGF was included in the system of F‐alginate and Rose Bengal. After the confirmation of no cytotoxicity of F‐alginate and murine EGF release from the system, cell proliferation, antibacterial activity, and animal test were performed on the system. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the system was useful for wound healing. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40113.
Synthesis and characterization of a carboxyl‐terminated waterborne hyperbranched polymer and its coordination behavior with chromium(III)
Authors: Li Chenying , Chen Hualin , Liu Bailing , Wang Bin , Luo Rong , Shan Ning 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTDespite its irreplaceable position in the leather industry, chrome tanning has been listed in the procession of limitation. The serious environmental pollution caused by chrome tanning through the residual chrome it leaves in wastewater has attracted great attention. To improve the absorption of chrome and reduce chromium emission, a novel hyperbranched ligand was synthesized and characterized. The impact elements of the coordination process between the hyperbranched oligomer and Cr(III) was investigated, and the characteristics of the complex are also discussed. This hyperbranched oligomer had a low molecular weight (weight‐average molecular weight = 2125) and narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI = 1.21). The time required for the coordination process between the hyperbranched oligomer and Cr(III) was around 6 h, and the optimum pH was 4.0. Moreover, the complex exhibited alkali resistance and fair resistance to oxidation; this suggested that this developed hyperbranched ligand is a potential masking agent or tanning auxiliary for chrome tanning and will enable improvements in chromium absorption. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40117.
Graft polycondensation of microfibrillated jute cellulose with oligo(L‐lactic acid) and its properties
Authors: Khan G. M. Arifuzzaman , Haque M. Ahsanul , Terano Minoru , Alam Md. Shamsul 
Published: November 2013

AbstractIn order to improve the compatibility with different polymer matrices, microfibrillated jute cellulose (MFJC) was surface grafted by oligo(l‐lactic acid) (OLA) via graft polycondensation reaction catalyzed by Sn(Oct)2 in toluene medium. The effects of the OLA concentration, Sn(Oct)2 concentration, reaction time, temperature, and pressure on the progress of the graft polycondensation were investigated. Maximum grafting was found 44% at optimum reaction condition. The observation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 13C‐NMR spectrometry, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The morphology and crystalline structure of the graft copolymer (MFJC‐g‐OLA) were examined by scanning electron microscopy and wide angle X‐ray diffraction, respectively. Measurements showed that initial morphological integrity of MFJC changed due to incorporation of amorphous OLA onto MFJC surface, as a result decreases crystallinity. Extracted MFJC‐g‐OLA was also characterized by thermo‐gravimetric analysis. Results reflect the enhanced hydrophobicity and thermal stability of the MFJC as a consequence of this modification. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40139.
Morphology, mechanical, and rheological properties of poly(lactic acid)/ethylene acrylic acid copolymer blends processing via vane extruder
Authors: Zhao Yong‐Qing , Chen Fu‐Quan , Wu Zheng‐Huan , Feng Yan‐Hong , Qu Jin‐Ping 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis work aimed to study, for the first time, the melt blending of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and ethylene acrylic acid (EAA) copolymer by a novel vane extruder to toughen PLA. The phase morphologies, mechanical, and rheological properties of the PLA/EAA blends of three weight ratios (90/10, 80/20, and 70/30) were investigated. The results showed that the addition of EAA improves the toughness of PLA at the expense of the tensile strength to a certain degree and leads the transition from brittle fracture of PLA into ductile fracture. The 80/20 (w/w) PLA/EAA blend presents the maximum elongation at break (13.93%) and impact strength (3.18 kJ/m2), which is 2.2 and 1.2 times as large as those of PLA, respectively. The 90/10 and 80/20 PLA/EAA blends exhibit droplet‐matrix morphologies with number average radii of 0.30–0.73 μm, whereas the 70/30 PLA/EAA blend presents an elongated co‐continuous structure with large radius (2.61 μm) of EAA phase and there exists PLA droplets in EAA phase. These three blends with different phase morphologies display different characteristic linear viscoelastic properties in the low frequency region, which were investigated in terms of their complex viscosity, storage modulus, loss tangent, and Cole‐Cole plots. Specially, the 80/20 PLA/EAA blend presents two circular arcs on its Cole‐Cole plot. So, the longest relaxation time of the 80/20 blend was obtained from its complex viscosity imaginary part plot, and the interfacial tension between PLA and EAA, which is 4.4 mN/m, was calculated using the Palierne model. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40146.
Phenol adsorption by modified clay from Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Cavalcanti Jorge V. F. L. , Abreu César A. M. , Baraúna Osmar S. , da Motta Maurício 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis research had as objective the use of an adsorbent organoclay to remove the phenol compound, found on a large scale in aqueous effluents of petrochemical industries. The particular clay studied, called ‘Chocolate,’ originated in the Northeast Region of Brazil, from Campina Grande, Paraíba. Initially the clay sample was treated with sodium carbonate in an aqueous suspension, according to an experimental design (with the variables, sodium concentration, contact time and system temperature). The sodium‐containing clay was then treated with a quaternary ammonium salt solution. The adsorption capacity of phenol in this organoclay was estimated using the Langmuir–Freundlich Equation. The adsorptive efficiency, for the best conditions, was approximately 80% of phenol removed from the aqueous phase. The experimental data was fitted to a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. X‐ray diffraction results showed that the basal spacing of natural Chocolate clay and organophilic Chocolate clay were 1.549 and 2.092 nm, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity, with experiments at pH 8.3, at room temperature (27°C), was equal to 12.287 mg g−1.
Induction and suppression of Dichomitus squalens and Ceriporiopsis subvermispora peroxidase activity by manganese sulphate in response to carbon and nitrogen sources
Authors: Kannaiyan Ranjani , Mahinpey Nader , Martinuzzi Robert J. , Kostenko Victoria 
Published: November 2013

AbstractDelignification is critical in the production of biofuel from a potentially abundant renewable resource, lignocellulosic waste. One of the classes of lignolytic enzymes are peroxidases. Manganese sulphate (Mn2+) has a significant impact on the peroxidase activity of lignolytic fungi. Along with induction, the suppression of peroxidase activity by Mn2+ has been observed. Peroxidase regulation is governed by three critical Mn2+ concentrations: the minimum inductive concentration (MIC), the peak concentration (PC) and the minimum suppressive concentration (MSC). The induction and suppression of enzyme activity were not associated with fungal growth capacity, but with a specific enzyme response to the nutritional conditions. Manipulation of the carbon and nitrogen sources shifted the peroxidase suppression by Mn2+ to high concentrations and, hence, increased the peroxidase tolerance to Mn2+ and, consequently, peak peroxidase activities. The manipulation of carbon and nitrogen sources allowed increasing the peak concentrations of Mn2+ and corresponding peroxidase activity up to 0.5 mg/mL and 180.70 AU (173% increase compared to standard) in C. subvermispora, and up to 0.05 mg/mL and 151.23 AU in D. squalens (91% increase compared to standard). Thus, manipulation of carbon and nitrogen sources is a useful tool in enhancing fungi peroxidase tolerance to Mn2+ and improving the delignification of lignocellulosic biomass by fungi to prepare an easily consumable substrate for economically viable biofuel production.
Indirubin-3′-Oxime Reverses Bone Loss in Ovariectomized and Hindlimb-Unloaded Mice Via Activation of the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling
Authors: Zahoor Muhammad , Cha Pu-Hyeon , Min Do Sik , Choi Kang-Yell 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACT

Osteoporosis is a major global health issue in elderly people. Because Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a key role in bone homeostasis, we screened activators of this pathway through cell-based screening, and investigated indirubin-3′-oxime (I3O), one of the positive compounds known to inhibit GSK3β, as a potential anti-osteoporotic agent. Here, we show that I3O activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling via inhibition of the interaction of GSK3β with β-catenin, and induced osteoblast differentiation in vitro and increased calvarial bone thickness ex vivo. Intraperitoneal injection of I3O increased bone mass and improved microarchitecture in normal mice and reversed bone loss in an ovariectomized mouse model of age-related osteoporosis. I3O also increased thickness and area of cortical bone, indicating improved bone strength. Enhanced bone mass and strength correlated with activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling, as shown by histological analyses of both trabecular and cortical bones. I3O also restored mass and density of bone in hindlimb-unloaded mice compared with control, suspended mice, demonstrating bone-restoration effects of I3O in non-aged–related osteoporosis as well. Overall, I3O, a pharmacologically active small molecule, could be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Hospitalists' ability to use hand‐carried ultrasound for central venous pressure estimation after a brief training intervention: A pilot study
Authors: David Martin L. , Ziegelstein Roy C. , Howell Eric E. , Martire Carol , Hellmann David B. , Hirsch Glenn A. 
Published: November 2013

BACKGROUNDAccess to hand‐carried ultrasound technology for noncardiologists has increased significantly, yet development and evaluation of training programs are limited.OBJECTIVEWe studied a focused program to teach hospitalists image acquisition of inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter and IVC collapsibility index with interpretation of estimated central venous pressure (CVP).METHODSTen hospitalists completed an online educational module prior to attending a 1‐day in‐person training session that included directly supervised IVC imaging on volunteer subjects. In addition to making quantitative assessments, hospitalists were also asked to visually assess whether the IVC collapsed more than 50% during rapid inspiration or a sniff maneuver. Skills in image acquisition and interpretation were assessed immediately after training on volunteer patients and prerecorded images, and again on volunteer patients at least 6 weeks later.RESULTSEight of 10 hospitalists acquired adequate IVC images and interpreted them correctly on 5 of the 5 volunteer subjects and interpreted all 10 prerecorded images correctly at the end of the 1‐day training session. At 7.4 ± 0.7 weeks (range, 6.9–8.6 weeks) follow‐up, 9 of 10 hospitalists accurately acquired and interpreted all IVC images in 5 of 5 volunteers. Hospitalists were also able to accurately determine whether the IVC collapsibility index was more than 50% by visual assessment in 180 of 198 attempts (91% of the time).CONCLUSIONSAfter a brief training program, hospitalists acquired adequate skills to perform and interpret hand‐carried ultrasound IVC images and retained these skills in the near term. Though calculation of the IVC collapsibility index is more accurate, coupling a qualitative assessment with the IVC maximum diameter measurement may be acceptable in aiding bedside estimation of CVP. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:711–714. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
PAIRpred: Partner‐specific prediction of interacting residues from sequence and structure
Authors: Afsar Minhas Fayyaz ul Amir , Geiss Brian J. , Ben‐Hur Asa 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTWe present a novel partner‐specific protein–protein interaction site prediction method called PAIRpred. Unlike most existing machine learning binding site prediction methods, PAIRpred uses information from both proteins in a protein complex to predict pairs of interacting residues from the two proteins. PAIRpred captures sequence and structure information about residue pairs through pairwise kernels that are used for training a support vector machine classifier. As a result, PAIRpred presents a more detailed model of protein binding, and offers state of the art accuracy in predicting binding sites at the protein level as well as inter‐protein residue contacts at the complex level. We demonstrate PAIRpred's performance on Docking Benchmark 4.0 and recent CAPRI targets. We present a detailed performance analysis outlining the contribution of different sequence and structure features, together with a comparison to a variety of existing interface prediction techniques. We have also studied the impact of binding‐associated conformational change on prediction accuracy and found PAIRpred to be more robust to such structural changes than existing schemes. As an illustration of the potential applications of PAIRpred, we provide a case study in which PAIRpred is used to analyze the nature and specificity of the interface in the interaction of human ISG15 protein with NS1 protein from influenza A virus. Python code for PAIRpred is available at http://combi.cs.colostate.edu/supplements/pairpred/. Proteins 2014; 82:1142–1155. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The minimal α‐crystallin domain of Mj Hsp16.5 is functional at non‐heat‐shock conditions
Authors: Xi Dong , Wei Ping , Zhang Changsheng , Lai Luhua 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTThe small heat shock protein (sHSP) from Methanococcus jannaschii (Mj Hsp16.5) forms a monodisperse 24mer and each of its monomer contains two flexible N‐ and C‐terminals and a rigid α‐crystallin domain with an extruding β‐strand exchange loop. The minimal α‐crystallin domain with a β‐sandwich fold is conserved in sHSP family, while the presence of the β‐strand exchange loop is divergent. The function of the β‐strand exchange loop and the minimal α‐crystallin domain of Mj Hsp16.5 need further study. In the present study, we constructed two fragment‐deletion mutants of Mj Hsp16.5, one with both the N‐ and C‐terminals deleted (ΔNΔC) and the other with a further deletion of the β‐strand exchange loop (ΔNΔLΔC). ΔNΔC existed as a dimer in solution. In contrast, the minimal α‐crystallin domain ΔNΔLΔC became polydisperse in solution and exhibited more efficient chaperone‐like activities to prevent amorphous aggregation of insulin B chain and fibril formation of the amyloidogenic peptide dansyl‐SSTSAA‐W than the mutant ΔNΔC and the wild type did. The hydrophobic probe binding experiments indicated that ΔNΔLΔC exposed much more hydrophobic surface than ΔNΔC. Our study also demonstrated that Mj Hsp16.5 used different mechanisms for protecting different substrates. Though Mj Hsp16.5 formed stable complexes with substrates when preventing thermal aggregation, no complexes were detected when preventing aggregation under non‐heat‐shock conditions. Proteins 2014; 82:1156–1167. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Relationship between cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters and heart failure risk (H2ARDD score) in atrial fibrillation
Authors: Suzuki Shinya , Koike Akira , Sagara Koichi , Otsuka Takayuki , Kano Hiroto , Matsuno Shunsuke , Takai Hideaki , Uejima Tokuhisa , Oikawa Yuji , Nagashima Kazuyuki , Kirigaya Hajime , Yajima Junji , Tanabe Hiroaki , Sawada Hitoshi , Aizawa Tadanori , Yamashita Takeshi 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundA novel risk scoring system (H2ARDD) for estimating the incidence of heart failure (HF) events in atrial fibrillation (AF) has been developed, which represents points assigned for organic heart disease (2 points), anemia (1 point), renal dysfunction (1 point), diabetes (1 point), and diuretic use (1 point). We aimed to clarify whether H2ARDD score is related to cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) parameters in patients with AF.MethodsThe study population included 344 consecutive patients with AF who underwent CPX as initial screening between June 2004 and March 2012. The association between 4 CPX parameters and the incidence of HF events was analyzed by using multiple linear regression models.ResultsThe peak O2 uptake (peak O2), anaerobic (gas exchange) threshold (AT), and ratio of the increase in O2 to the increase in work rate (ΔO2/ΔWR) were lower and the slope of the increase in ventilation to the increase in CO2 output (E–CO2 slope) was higher in patients with than in those without each H2ARDD score component. Accordingly, the parameters significantly increased or decreased according to H2ARDD score. With the multiple linear regression models, H2ARDD score was independently associated with each CPX parameter even after adjustment for various cofactors.ConclusionsH2ARDD score was independently associated with the well‐established CPX parameters in patients with AF, suggesting a potential pathophysiological basis for a risk stratification system for predicting HF events in patients with AF.
Adenosine‐sensitive atrial tachycardia originating from the mitral annulus–aorta junction
Authors: Kino Naoto , Kurotobi Toshiya , Tonomura Daisuke , Yano Kentaro , Furubayashi Keiichi , Tsuchida Takao , Shimada Yoshihisa , Fukumoto Hitoshi 
Published: November 2013

AbstractHere we report a case of adenosine‐sensitive focal atrial tachycardia that was successfully ablated from the left atrium at a site located adjacent to the posterior site of the left coronary cusp in spite of failed ablations from the superior‐septal right atrium and non‐coronary aortic cusp. In the case of an unsuccessful ablation from the right superoseptum and non‐coronary aortic sinus, the left atrial septum represents a potential optional site for ablation.
Electroanatomical mapping of the atrialized right ventricle: Placement of a transvenous implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator in a patient with Ebstein's anomaly
Authors: Wanezaki Masahiro , Arimoto Takanori , Takahashi Hiroki , Iwayama Tadateru , Ishigaki Daisuke , Kutsuzawa Daisuke , Watanabe Tetsu , Kubota Isao 
Published: November 2013

AbstractA 47‐year‐old woman with Ebstein's anomaly suffered from an out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. Electroanatomical activation mapping showed an atrialized right ventricle. Atrial electrocardiogram, normal atrioventricular node conduction delay, and ventricular electrocardiogram were confirmed in the right atrium. Relatively preserved ventricular amplitude was found in the septal wall. Based on these findings, a transvenous dual‐chamber implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator was implanted for the prevention of sudden cardiac death. The patient has fared well, without any lead malfunctions, lead dislodgement, or inappropriate shocks. Sufficiently high atrial and ventricular amplitudes were confirmed during 18 months of follow‐up.