bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thermostable α‐amylase immobilization: Enhanced stability and performance for starch biocatalysis
Authors: Kumar Gudi Satheesh , Rather Gulam Mohmad , Gurramkonda Chandrasekhar , Reddy Bontha Rajasekhar 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe uses of thermostable starch hydrolytic biocatalysts are steadily increasing for the industrial application because of their obvious need for biocatalytic performance at elevated temperatures. The starch liquefaction and saccharification can be carried out simultaneously by the use of thermostable starch hydrolytic biocatalysts, thus minimizing the unit operations, time, and efforts. The cost factor hampers the industrialization of expensive soluble (free) enzymes for biocatalytic applications and the immobilization of enzymes offers promising alternative to the hurdle. The present investigation was aimed for immobilization of thermostable α‐amylase using calcium alginate, and statistical optimization studies were carried out for enhanced biocatalytic performance. Initially, one‐parameter at a time optimization studies were carried out for identification of significant factors influencing the immobilization. Furthermore, a statistical approach, response surface methodology, was applied for immobilization of α‐amylase. The immobilized α‐amylase in alginate microbeads showed enhanced stability to temperature and reusable property for up to seven cycles (with the retention of 50% initial activity). Finally, the kinetic behavior of free and immobilized enzyme showed the Km value of 1.2% and 2.6% (w/v) and Vmax of 1,020 and 1,030 U, respectively. Fifty percent reduction in affinity of the immobilized enzyme toward substrate was compensated by its longer stability.
Trends in breast biopsy pathology diagnoses among women undergoing mammography in the United States: A report from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium
Authors: Allison Kimberly H. , Abraham Linn A. , Weaver Donald L. , Tosteson Anna N. A. , Nelson Heidi D. , Onega Tracy , Geller Berta M. , Kerlikowske Karla , Carney Patricia A. , Ichikawa Laura E. , Buist Diana S. M. , Elmore Joann G. 
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUNDCurrent data on the pathologic diagnoses of breast biopsy after mammography can inform patients, clinicians, and researchers about important population trends.METHODSBreast Cancer Surveillance Consortium data on 4,020,140 mammograms between 1996 and 2008 were linked to 76,567 pathology specimens. Trends in diagnoses in biopsies by time and risk factors (patient age, breast density, and family history of breast cancer) were examined for screening and diagnostic mammography (performed for a breast symptom or short‐interval follow‐up).RESULTSOf the total mammograms, 88.5% were screening and 11.5% diagnostic; 1.2% of screening and 6.8% of diagnostic mammograms were followed by biopsies. The frequency of biopsies over time was stable after screening mammograms, but increased after diagnostic mammograms. For biopsies obtained after screening, frequencies of invasive carcinoma increased over time for women ages 40‐49 and 60‐69, Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) increased for those ages 40‐69, whereas benign diagnoses decreased for all ages. No trends in pathology diagnoses were found following diagnostic mammograms. Dense breast tissue was associated with high‐risk lesions and DCIS relative to nondense breast tissue. Family history of breast cancer was associated with DCIS and invasive cancer.CONCLUSIONSAlthough the frequency of breast biopsy after screening mammography has not changed over time, the percentages of biopsies with DCIS and invasive cancer diagnoses have increased. Among biopsies following mammography, women with dense breasts or family history of breast cancer were more likely to have high‐risk lesions or invasive cancer. These findings are relevant to breast cancer screening and diagnostic practices. Cancer 2015;121:1369–1378. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Comparison of oncology drug approval between Health Canada and the US Food and Drug Administration
Authors: Ezeife Doreen A. , Truong Tony H. , Heng Daniel Y. C. , Bourque Sylvie , Welch Stephen A. , Tang Patricia A. 
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUNDThe drug approval timeline is a lengthy process that often varies between countries. The objective of this study was to delineate the Canadian drug approval timeline for oncology drugs and to compare the time to drug approval between Health Canada (HC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).METHODSIn total, 54 antineoplastic drugs that were approved by the FDA between 1989 and 2012 were reviewed. For each drug, the following milestones were determined: the dates of submission and approval for both the FDA and HC and the dates of availability on provincial drug formularies in Canadian provinces and territories. The time intervals between the aforementioned milestones were calculated.RESULTSOf 54 FDA‐approved drugs, 49 drugs were approved by HC at the time of the current study. The median time from submission to approval was 9 months (interquartile range [IQR], 6‐14.5 months) for the FDA and 12 months (IQR, 10‐21.1 months) for HC (P < .0006). The time from HC approval to the placement of a drug on a provincial drug formulary was a median of 16.7 months (IQR, 5.9‐27.2 months), and there was no interprovincial variability among the 5 Canadian provinces that were analyzed (P = .5).CONCLUSIONSThe time from HC submission to HC approval takes 3 months longer than the same time interval for the FDA. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first documentation of the time required to bring an oncology drug from HC submission to placement on a provincial drug formulary. Cancer 2015;121:1688–1693. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Reducing indeterminate thyroid FNAs
Authors: Renshaw Andrew A. , Gould Edwin W. 
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUNDThe Bethesda System recommends limiting the percentage of cases diagnosed as indeterminate in thyroid fine‐needle aspirations (TFNAs). However, studies are lacking that document how to decrease the rate of indeterminate TFNAs and its effects.METHODSThe authors modified the Bethesda criteria to reduce the rate of indeterminate TFNAs (“atypical cells of undetermined significance” and “suspicious for a follicular/Hurthle cell neoplasm”) by reassigning cases that may have been categorized as indeterminate to “suspicious for papillary carcinoma” or “favor benign” for an 18‐month period and correlated this with histologic follow‐up.RESULTSThe indeterminate rate decreased from 14.4% (Bethesda) to 8.2% (modified Bethesda;P < .001). There was no significant difference in the risk of malignancy for the 2 groups (23.6% vs 17.3%, respectively; chi‐squareP = .39). There were 6 false‐positive diagnoses in the Bethesda group compared with none in the modified Bethesda group (P = .06). In the Bethesda group, but not in the modified Bethesda group, the indeterminate rate was correlated with the overall rate of malignant and suspicious for papillary carcinoma diagnoses.CONCLUSIONSModifying the Bethesda criteria can decrease indeterminate TFNAs diagnoses without a significant decrease in the risk of malignancy. The modified Bethesda criteria, but not the Bethesda criteria, are independent of the malignancy rate.Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol)2015;123:237–243.©2015 American Cancer Society.
Using topology information for quality‐aware Peer‐to‐Peer multilayer video streaming
Authors: Sluijs Niels , Wauters Tim , Develder Chris , De Turck Filip , Demeester Piet , Dhoedt Bart 
Published: January 2015

SummaryDue to increasing bandwidth capacities, the Internet has become a viable transport medium for a (live) video. Often, delivery of video streams relies on the client–server paradigm and therefore exhibits limited scalability. The Peer‐to‐Peer (P2P) network model is an attractive and scalable candidate to stream video content to end users. However, these P2P frameworks typically operate in a network agnostic mode. Introducing network topology information into these P2P frameworks offers opportunities to enhance the performance.In this paper, we introduce a model to include network information when streaming a (multilayered) video in P2P frameworks. An important metric for video stream providers is the content quality perceived by end users. The optimization studied here aims at maximizing the number of users receiving a high quality video.The paper addresses the optimization problem seen from the stream provider's viewpoint, having access to network topology information. An exact optimization approach is presented for benchmarking purposes and a heuristic approach to cope with realistic network sizes. In addition, we present an approach to decide the deployment location of peering functionality. The results show that our strategy significantly decreases the fraction of destinations receiving only the base layer, and by introducing extra peering functionality, network capacities are used more efficiently. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generation and characterization of an endothelin‐2 iCre mouse
Authors: Cacioppo Joseph A. , Koo Yongbum , Lin Po‐Ching Patrick , Gal Arnon , Ko CheMyong 
Published: January 2015

SummaryA novel transgenic mouse line that expresses codon‐improved Cre recombinase (iCre) under regulation of the Endothelin‐2 gene (edn2) promoter was developed for the conditional deletion of genes in Endothelin‐2 lineage cells and for the spatial and temporal localization of Endothelin‐2 expression. Endothelin‐2 (EDN2, ET‐2, previously VIC) is a transcriptionally regulated 21 amino acid peptide implicated in vascular homeostasis, and more recently in female reproduction, gastrointestinal function, immunology, and cancer pathogenesis that acts through membrane receptors and G‐protein signaling. A cassette (edn2‐iCre) was constructed that contained iCre, a polyadenylation sequence, and a neomycin selection marker in front of the endogenous start codon of the edn2 gene in a mouse genome BAC clone. The cassette was introduced into the C57BL/6 genome by pronuclear injection, and two lines of edn2‐iCre positive mice were produced. The edn2‐iCre mice were bred with ROSA26‐lacZ and Ai9 reporter mice to visualize areas of functional iCre expression. Strong expression was seen in the periovulatory ovary, stomach and small intestine, and colon. Uniquely, we report punctate expression in the corneal epithelium, the liver, the lung, the pituitary, the uterus, and the heart. In the embryo, expression is localized in developing hair follicles and the dermis. Therefore, edn2‐iCre mice will serve as a novel line for conditional gene deletion in these tissues. genesis 53:245–256, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The relationship between risk of bias criteria, research outcomes, and study sponsorship in a cohort of preclinical thiazolidinedione animal studies: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Abdel‐Sattar M. , Krauth D. , Anglemyer A. , Bero L. 
Published: January 2015

ABSTRACTIntroductionThere is little evidence regarding the influence of conflicts of interest on preclinical research. This study examines whether industry sponsorship is associated with increased risks of bias and/or effect sizes of outcomes in published preclinical thiazolidinedione (TZD) studies.MethodsWe identified preclinical TZD studies published between January 1, 1965, and November 14, 2012. Coders independently extracted information on study design criteria aimed at reducing bias, results for all relevant outcomes, sponsorship source and investigator financial ties from the 112 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The average standardized mean difference (SMD) across studies was calculated for plasma glucose (efficacy outcome) and weight gain (harm outcome). In subgroup analyses, TZD outcomes were assessed by sponsorship source and risk of bias criteria.ResultsSeven studies were funded by industry alone, 17 studies funded by both industry and non‐industry, 49 studies funded by non‐industry alone and 39 studies had no disclosures. None of the studies used sample size calculations, intention‐to‐treat analyses, blinding of investigators or concealment of allocation. Most studies reported favourable results (88 of 112) and conclusions (95 of 112) supporting TZD use. Efficacy estimates were significantly larger in six studies sponsored by industry alone (−3.41; 95% CI −5.21, −1.53; I2
= 93%) versus 42 studies sponsored by non‐industry sources (−0.97; 95% CI −1.37, −0.56; I2
= 81%; p‐value = 0.01). Harms estimates were significantly larger in four studies sponsored by industry alone (5.00; 95% CI 1.22, 8.77; I2
= 93%) versus 38 studies sponsored by non‐industry sources (0.30; 95% CI −0.08, 0.68; I2
= 79%; p‐value = 0.02). TZD efficacy and harms did not differ by disclosure of financial COIs or risks of bias.ConclusionsIndustry‐sponsored TZD animal studies have exaggerated efficacy and harms outcomes compared with studies funded by non‐industry sources. There was poor reporting of COIs.
Reactivity of Dinitrogen Bound to Mid‐ and Late‐Transition‐Metal Centers
Authors: Khoenkhoen Nitesh , de Bruin Bas , Reek Joost N. H. , Dzik Wojciech I. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis review presents a comprehensive overview of the reactions of N2 within the coordination sphere of transition metals of groups 6 to 9. Many of these metals mediate the reaction of N2 with protons under reductive conditions, which can lead to the (catalytic) formation of ammonia or hydrazine, and the mechanisms of these reactions somewhat resemble the mode of action of nitrogenase enzymes. Alternatively, coordinated N2 can react with carbon and silicon electrophiles and radicals to allow, for example, the catalytic formation of silylamines. Another approach in N2 activation involves the homolytic splitting of dinitrogen to form intermediate nitrides in analogy to the Haber–Bosch process. Thus formed nitrides can undergo follow‐up reactions with protons or carbon electrophiles. Molybdenum, tungsten, and iron reveal the richest chemistry of coordinated N2; however, chromium, manganese, rhenium, osmium, and cobalt systems provide alternative pathways in the making and breaking of bonds on the dinitrogen molecule.
Enzymatic synthesis and modification of surface‐active glycolipids
Authors: Pöhnlein Martin , Hausmann Rudolf , Lang Siegmund , Syldatk Christoph 
Published: January 2015

Surfactants are an essential part of detergent or emulsifier formulations and find applications in food, cleaning, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Glycolipids are among the best studied surfactants originating from renewable resources and can be obtained by chemical synthesis, fermentation processes as well as by enzymatic syntheses and have gained considerable interest in recent years. The use of suitable enzymes not only facilitates the synthesis of new tailor‐made glycolipids, but also allows targeted modification of known microbial glycolipids. Thereby, novel glycolipids may arise with enhanced surfactant properties, which might exhibit interesting bioactive properties as well. Here we present an overview of the advantages, strategies and important parameters regarding the enzymatic synthesis and modification of surface‐active glycolipids.Within this article different strategies and advantages of the enzymatic synthesis and modification of glycolipids are discussed.
Formal Intermolecular Hydroamination of Unbiased Olefins for Primary Amine Formation
Authors: Yang Yongsheng , Wong Nurul Imma , Teo Peili 
Published: January 2015

AbstractA Pd/Ir dual metal tandem catalyst system was found to be active in catalyzing the one‐pot, two‐step formal hydroamination of unbiased olefins such as 1‐dodecene with an ammonia source to give branched primary amines in high yields of >85 % by using only 1 mol‐% of the Ir catalyst. This is the first report of the formal one‐pot intermolecular hydroamination of olefins to obtain primary amines.
A phenomenological contact‐element model considering slight non‐uniform contact for pounding analysis of highway bridges under seismic excitations
Authors: Guo Anxin , Cui Lili , Li Suchao , Li Hui 
Published: January 2015

SummaryImpact stiffness is an important parameter of the contact‐element models for the analysis and prediction of the pounding responses of highway bridges subjected to seismic excitations. This paper presents a pounding experiment to investigate the inconsistencies between the theoretical and experimental values of the impact stiffness both for the linear impact model and Kelvin impact model presented in literature. The analysis of the impact acceleration and acoustic emission signals indicates that accelerometer performance and the non‐uniform pounding are two important factors that affect the pounding responses. Based on this observation, a phenomenological contact‐element model is proposed based on the actual contact state of highway bridges during the impact. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed impact model, a numerical simulation is subsequently conducted. A comparison of the results indicates that the proposed impact model can effectively predict the pounding responses of highway bridges. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The topographic signature of a major typhoon
Authors: Tseng Chih‐Ming , Lin Ching‐Weei , Dalla Fontana Giancarlo , Tarolli Paolo 
Published: January 2015

AbstractIn August 2009, the typhoon Morakot, characterized by a cumulative rainfall up to 2884 mm in about three days, triggered thousands of landslides in Taiwan. The availability of LiDAR surveys before (2005) and after (2010) this event offers a unique opportunity to investigate the topographic signatures of a major typhoon. The analysis considers the comparison of slope–area relationships derived by LiDAR digital terrain models (DTMs). This approach has been successfully used to distinguish hillslope from channelized processes, as a basis to develop landscape evolution models and theories, and understand the linkages between landscape morphology and tectonics, climate, and geology. We considered six catchments affected by a different degree of erosion: three affected by shallow and deep‐seated landslides, and three not affected by erosion. For each of these catchments, 2 m DTMs were derived from LiDAR data. The scaling regimes of local slope versus drainage area suggested that for the catchments affected by landslides: (i) the hillslope‐to‐valley transitions morphology, for a given value of drainage area, is shifted towards higher value of slopes, thus indicating a likely migration of the channelized processes and erosion toward the catchment boundary (the catchment head becomes steeper because of erosion); (ii) the topographic gradient along valley profiles tends to decrease progressively (the valley profile becomes gentler because of sediment deposition after the typhoon). The catchments without any landslides present a statistically indistinguishable slope–area scaling regime. These results are interesting since for the first time, using multi‐temporal high‐resolution topography derived by LiDAR, we demonstrated that a single climate event is able to cause significant major geomorphic changes on the landscape, detectable using slope–area scaling analysis. This provides new insights about landscape evolution under major climate forcing. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Support for Full Disclosure Up Front
Authors: Holzer Felicitas , Mastroleo Ignacio 
Published: January 2015

AbstractA commentary on “Models of Consent to Return of Incidental Findings in Genomic Research,” by Paul S. Appelbaum, Erik Parens, Cameron R. Waldman, Robert Klitzman, Abby Fyer, Josue Martinez, W. Nicholson Price II, and Wendy K. Chung, in the July‐August 2014 issue.
Microethics: The Ethics of Everyday Clinical Practice
Authors: Truog Robert D. , Brown Stephen D. , Browning David , Hundert Edward M. , Rider Elizabeth A. , Bell Sigall K. , Meyer Elaine C. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractOver the past several decades, medical ethics has gained a solid foothold in medical education and is now a required course in most medical schools. Although the field of medical ethics is by nature eclectic, moral philosophy has played a dominant role in defining both the content of what is taught and the methodology for reasoning about ethical dilemmas. Most educators largely rely on the case‐based method for teaching ethics, grounding the ethical reasoning in an amalgam of theories drawn from moral philosophy, including consequentialism, deontology, and principlism.In this article we hope to make a case for augmenting the focus of education in medical ethics. We propose complementing the traditional approach to medical ethics with a more embedded approach, one that has been described by others as “microethics,” the ethics of everyday clinical practice.
Should All Research Subjects Be Treated the Same?
Authors: Brody Baruch , Migueles Stephen A. , Wendler David 
Published: January 2015

AbstractOne of the founding principles of research ethics is that subjects should be treated equally. In the words of the Belmont Report, “equals ought to be treated equally.” This principle does not imply that all subjects should be treated exactly the same. Rather, subjects who are similar in relevant respects should receive similar treatment. Clinical status is clearly relevant to determining how subjects should be treated. Greater resources should be devoted to subjects who have worse diseases. In contrast, fame is irrelevant. Subjects should not receive greater resources simply because they are famous. A more challenging question, one that pervades clinical research yet has received almost no attention in the literature, is whether subjects' level of scientific importance is relevant to determining how much support they should receive.
SUPPORT: Risks, Harms, and Equipoise
Authors: Nelson Robert M. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe debate about the ethics of the Surfactant, Positive Pressure, and Oxygenation Randomized Trial (SUPPORT) often focuses on the assumptions made by the different parties involved, failing to note the lack of a necessary connection between those assumptions and the main criticism of the study—that the parents appear to have been poorly informed. The fact that the target ranges of oxygen saturation (SpO2) used in SUPPORT were within the range recommended as an appropriate “standard of care” does not mean that the infants randomized to one of two restricted SpO2 ranges received the same treatment they would have received outside of the trial. The corresponding observation that randomization altered the potential harms to which an individual infant was exposed does not mean that the risks of being in SUPPORT were greater than or in addition to the risks associated with usual care. The argument that parents should have been better informed about these potential harms does not entail the (incorrect) assumption that neonatal clinicians make individualized treatment decisions rather than follow a standardized protocol when adjusting the level of oxygen a preterm infant receives. The fact that parents are unaware of the trade‐off clinicians make between these potential harms when establishing such a protocol does not justify the failure to adequately inform parents about the purpose of SUPPORT and the risks and harms that were involved.
The Controversy over SUPPORT Continues and the Hyperbole Increases
Authors: Fleischman Alan R. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractTwo articles in this issue of the Hastings Center Report address the continuing controversy over the Surfactant, Positive Pressure, and Oxygenation Randomized Trial (SUPPORT). This controversy is part of a larger discussion about the appropriate regulatory framework for protecting human research participants in comparative effectiveness research (CER), a group of studies that aims to compare two “usual” or “standard” treatments in order to provide evidence of which treatment is most effective.