bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thermal stability and activity improvements of a Ca‐independent α‐amylase from Bacillus subtilisCN7 by C‐terminal truncation and hexahistidine‐tag fusion
Authors: Wang Chenghua , Wang Qingyan , Liao Siming , He Bingfang , Huang Ribo 
Published: August 2013

AbstractSimultaneous improvements of thermostability and activity of a Ca‐independent α‐amylase from Bacillus subtilis CN7 were achieved by C‐terminal truncation and his6‐tag fusion. C‐terminal truncation, which eliminates C‐terminal 194‐amino‐acid residues from the intact mature α‐amylase, raised the turnover number by 35% and increased the thermostability in terms of half‐life at 65 °C by threefold. A his6‐tag fusion at either the C‐ or N‐terminus of truncated α‐amylase further enhanced its turnover number by 59% and 37%, respectively. Molecular modeling revealed that these improvements could be attributed to structural rearrangement and reorientation of the catalytic residues.
Electrical polarization of titanium surfaces for the enhancement of osteoblast differentiation
Authors: Gittens Rolando A. , Olivares‐Navarrete Rene , Rettew Robert , Butera Robert J. , Alamgir Faisal M. , Boyan Barbara D. , Schwartz Zvi 
Published: August 2013

AbstractElectrical stimulation has been used clinically to promote bone regeneration in cases of fractures with delayed union or nonunion, with several in vitro and in vivo reports suggesting its beneficial effects on bone formation. However, the use of electrical stimulation of titanium (Ti) implants to enhance osseointegration is less understood, in part because of the few in vitro models that attempt to represent the in vivo environment. In this article, the design of a new in vitro system that allows direct electrical stimulation of osteoblasts through their Ti substrates without the flow of exogenous currents through the media is presented, and the effect of applied electrical polarization on osteoblast differentiation and local factor production was evaluated. A custom‐made polycarbonate tissue culture plate was designed to allow electrical connections directly underneath Ti disks placed inside the wells, which were supplied with electrical polarization ranging from 100 to 500 mV to stimulate MG63 osteoblasts. Our results show that electrical polarization applied directly through Ti substrates on which the cells are growing in the absence of applied electrical currents may increase osteoblast differentiation and local factor production in a voltage‐dependent manner. Bioelectromagnetics 34:599–612, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Combined quantification of paclitaxel, docetaxel and ritonavir in human feces and urine using LC‐MS/MS
Authors: Hendrikx Jeroen J. M. A. , Rosing Hilde , Schinkel Alfred H. , Schellens Jan H. M. , Beijnen Jos H. 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTA combined assay for the determination of paclitaxel, docetaxel and ritonavir in human feces and urine is described. The drugs were extracted from 200 μL urine or 50 mg feces followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis coupled with positive ionization electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The validation program included calibration model, accuracy and precision, carry‐over, dilution test, specificity and selectivity, matrix effect, recovery and stability. Acceptance criteria were according to US Food and Drug Administration guidelines on bioanalytical method validation. The validated range was 0.5–500 ng/mL for paclitaxel and docetaxel, 2–2000 ng/mL for ritonavir in urine, 2–2000 ng/mg for paclitaxel and docetaxel, and 8–8000 ng/mg for ritonavir in feces. Inter‐assay accuracy and precision were tested for all analytes at four concentration levels and were within 8.5% and <10.2%, respectively, in both matrices. Recovery at three concentration levels was between 77 and 94% in feces samples and between 69 and 85% in urine samples. Method development, including feces homogenization and spiking blank urine samples, are discussed. We demonstrated that each of the applied drugs could be quantified successfully in urine and feces using the described assay. The method was successfully applied for quantification of the analytes in feces and urine samples of patients. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Highly Water‐Dispersible Surface‐Modified Gd2O3 Nanoparticles for Potential Dual‐Modal Bioimaging
Authors: Hu Zhangjun , Ahrén Maria , Selegård Linnéa , Skoglund Caroline , Söderlind Fredrik , Engström Maria , Zhang Xuanjun , Uvdal Kajsa 
Published: August 2013

AbstractWater‐dispersible and luminescent gadolinium oxide (GO) nanoparticles (NPs) were designed and synthesized for potential dual‐modal biological imaging. They were obtained by capping gadolinium oxide nanoparticles with a fluorescent glycol‐based conjugated carboxylate (HL). The obtained nanoparticles (GO‐L) show long‐term colloidal stability and intense blue fluorescence. In addition, L can sensitize the luminescence of europium(III) through the so‐called antenna effect. Thus, to extend the spectral ranges of emission, europium was introduced into L‐modified gadolinium oxide nanoparticles. The obtained EuIII‐doped particles (Eu:GO‐L) can provide visible red emission, which is more intensive than that without L capping. The average diameter of the monodisperse modified oxide cores is about 4 nm. The average hydrodynamic diameter of the L‐modified nanoparticles was estimated to be about 13 nm. The nanoparticles show effective longitudinal water proton relaxivity. The relaxivity values obtained for GO‐L and Eu:GO‐L were r1=6.4 and 6.3 s−1 mM−1 with r2/r1 ratios close to unity at 1.4 T. Longitudinal proton relaxivities of these nanoparticles are higher than those of positive contrast agents based on gadolinium complexes such as Gd‐DOTA, which are commonly used for clinical magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, these particles are suitable for cellular imaging and show good biocompatibility.
Exercise lowers postprandial glucose but not fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes: a meta‐analysis of studies using continuous glucose monitoring
Authors: MacLeod S. F. , Terada T. , Chahal B. S. , Boulé N. G. 
Published: August 2013

SummaryExercise has repeatedly been shown to improve glycemic control as assessed by glycated hemoglobin. However, changes in glycated hemoglobin do not provide information regarding which aspects of glycemic control have been altered. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effect of exercise as assessed by continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS) in type 2 diabetes.Databases (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE) were searched up to February 2013. Eligible studies had participants with type 2 diabetes complete standardized exercise protocols and used CGMS to measure changes in glycemic control. Randomized controlled trials, crossover trials and studies with pre‐post designs were included. Average glucose concentration, daily time spent in hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, and fasting glucose concentration were compared between exercise and control conditions.Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Eight studies had short‐term (≤2 weeks) exercise interventions, whereas three studies had a longer‐term intervention (all >2 months). The types of exercises utilized included aerobic, resistance and a combination of the two. The eight short‐term studies were included in quantitative analysis. Exercise significantly decreased average glucose concentrations (‐0.8 mmol/L, p < 0.01) and daily time spent in hyperglycemia (‐129 minutes, p < 0.01), but did not significantly affect daily time spent in hypoglycemia (‐3 minutes, p = 0.47) or fasting glucose (‐0.3 mmol/L, p = 0.13). The four randomized crossover trials had similar findings compared to studies with pre‐post designs.Exercise consistently reduced average glucose concentrations and time spent in hyperglycemia despite not significantly affecting outcomes such as fasting glucose and hypoglycemia. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Longitudinal predictors of dieting and disordered eating among young adults in the U.S.
Authors: Liechty Janet M. , Lee Meng‐Jung 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo assess longitudinal associations between cognitive and behavioral characteristics in adolescence and dieting and eating pathology in young adulthood.MethodData from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the unique and cumulative effects of adolescent behavior and cognition on four weight‐related health indicators in young adulthood: dieting, extreme weight loss behaviors (EWLB), binge eating, and eating disorder (ED) diagnosis (N = 14,322).ResultsEarly dieting, depression, and body image distortion (BID) prospectively predicted dieting or EWLB at Wave 3. In addition, early depression and dieting were associated with binge eating in young adulthood, and early BID was associated with ED diagnosis. Gender differences were observed. In the prospective models, the effect of depression on the onset of EWLB was stronger for women than men; while association between early depression and ED diagnosis was significantly stronger for men than women. Findings supported a cumulative risk effect. Among women, each additional correlate was associated with greater odds of eating pathology in young adulthood; among men, each additional correlate was associated with greater odds of ever reporting ED diagnosis. Overall prevalence of dieting and eating pathology among young adults was higher among women than men and increased over time for both sexes.DiscussionEarly weight control behavior and cognition affect long term eating patterns and are salient for both young adult men and women. Transition to young adulthood is a critical period for assessing and preventing weight and eating‐related health problems. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2013; 46:790–800)
Distinguishing the importance between habitat specialization and dispersal limitation on species turnover
Authors: Wang Shixiong , Wang Xiaoan , Guo Hua , Fan Weiyi , Lv Haiying , Duan Renyan 
Published: August 2013

AbstractUnderstanding what governs community assembly and the maintenance of biodiversity is a central issue in ecology, but has been a continuing debate. A key question is the relative importance of habitat specialization (niche assembly) and dispersal limitation (dispersal assembly). In the middle of the Loess Plateau, northwestern China, we examined how species turnover in Liaodong oak (Quercus wutaishanica) forests differed between observed and randomized assemblies, and how this difference was affected by habitat specialization and dispersal limitation using variation partitioning. Results showed that expected species turnover based on individual randomization was significantly lower than the observed value (P < 0.01). The turnover deviation significantly depended on the environmental and geographical distances (P < 0.05). Environmental and spatial variables significantly explained approximately 40% of the species composition variation at all the three layers (P < 0.05). However, their contributions varied among forest layers; the herb and shrub layers were dominated by environmental factors, whereas the canopy layer was dominated by spatial factors. Our results underscore the importance of synthetic models that integrate effects of both dispersal and niche assembly for understanding the community assembly. However, habitat specialization (niche assembly) may not always be the dominant process in community assembly, even under harsh environments. Community assembly may be in a trait‐dependent manner (e.g., forest layers in this study). Thus, taking more species traits into account would strengthen our confidence in the inferred assembly mechanisms.
The Information Content of Trades: An Analysis of KOSPI 200 Index Derivatives
Authors: Ryu Doojin 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThis study examines and compares the information content of futures and options trades by analyzing the transaction dataset of derivatives underlying the KOSPI 200 index. This dataset contains detailed information about investor types and trade directions. Previous market microstructure studies of Korea's index derivatives market (i.e., KOSPI 200 futures and options market) may contain model biases and microstructure errors because they depend on structural models and/or they focus on infinitesimal price changes between consecutive trades. In an effort to improve upon previous works, we use the simple regression approach described by Schlag and Stoll (2005, Price impacts of options volume. Journal of Financial Markets, 8, 69–87) and examine the information content of trades by tracing the price impacts of the trades over successive intervals of time. We find that a significant proportion of the price impact attributed to futures trades is permanent and that the price discovery effect is larger in the futures market than in the options market. Institutional futures trades are generally more informative than individual trades, and trades made by foreign institutions have the greatest permanent price impact. Examination of the intertemporal relationship between futures and options trades also indicates that the futures trades generally lead the options trades. Overall our results suggest that futures trades contribute more to price discovery than do options trades and that futures trades made by foreign institutions are most informed while those of domestic individuals are least informed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 35:201–221, 2015
The Impact of Monetary Policy Surprises on Energy Prices
Authors: Basistha Arabinda , Kurov Alexander 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThis paper examines the effect of monetary policy surprises on energy prices at intraday, daily, and monthly frequencies. We measure monetary policy shocks using changes in interest rate futures prices that capture unexpected changes in the fed funds target rate. We find a significant response of energy prices to surprise changes in the fed funds target rate in an intraday window immediately following the monetary announcement. However, the accumulated responses of energy prices to monetary shocks over a period of several days after the announcement are statistically insignificant. We also use fed funds futures data to identify the contemporaneous impact of monetary policy shocks on oil prices in a monthly structural vector autoregressive (VAR) setup. We find no statistically significant effect of federal funds rate shocks on oil prices. The VAR estimates support the assumption of no contemporaneous feedback from monetary policy to energy prices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 35:87–103, 2015
Vitality Affects in Daniel Stern's Thinking—A Psychological and Neurobiological Perspective
Authors: Ammaniti Massimo , Ferrari Pierfrancesco 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTThe goal of the present article is to deepen the theme of vitality, the topic of Daniel N. Stern's last book, Forms of Vitality, published in 2010, which further conceptualized the vitality affects originally proposed in his book The Interpersonal World of the Infant, published in 1985. Vitality forms characterize personal feelings as well dynamics of movements. They are therefore related to feelings of agency and efficacy, and may be shaped and influenced by early interactions between caregivers and infants. In this ambit, infants experience a sense of personal efficacy and a hedonic pleasure when they are recognized and confirmed by their caregivers. The interactional perspective is further discussed considering psychoanalytical contributions and recent infant research. However, vitality, as Stern (2010) highlighted, is grounded in the body and more specifically in the brain. From a neurobiological perspective, we discuss the role of mirror neurons by considering intersubjective exchanges and infantile matching experiences, which influence the sense of vitality.
Human Wharton's Jelly Stem Cells and Its Conditioned Medium Enhance Healing of Excisional and Diabetic Wounds
Authors: Fong Chui‐Yee , Tam Kimberley , Cheyyatraivendran Suganya , Gan Shu‐Uin , Gauthaman Kalamegam , Armugam Arunmozhiarasi , Jeyaseelan Kandiah , Choolani Mahesh , Biswas Arijit , Bongso Ariff 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTWound healing is a major problem in diabetic patients and current treatments have met with limited success. We evaluated the treatment of excisional and diabetic wounds using a stem cell isolated from the human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (hWJSC) that shares unique properties with embryonic and adult mesenchymal stem cells. hWJSCs are non‐controversial, available in abundance, hypo‐immunogenic, non‐tumorigenic, differentiate into keratinocytes, and secrete important molecules for tissue repair. When human skin fibroblasts (CCD) in conventional scratch‐wound assays were exposed to hWJSC‐conditioned medium (hWJSC‐CM) the fibroblasts at the wound edges migrated and completely covered the spaces by day 2 compared to controls. The number of invaded cells, cell viability, total collagen, elastin, and fibronectin levels were significantly greater in the hWJSC‐CM treatment arm compared to controls (P < 0.05). When a single application of green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐labeled hWJSCs (GFP‐hWJSCs) or hWJSC‐CM was administered to full‐thickness murine excisional and diabetic wounds, healing rates were significantly greater compared to controls (P < 0.05). Wound biopsies collected at various time points showed the presence of green GFP‐labeled hWJSCs, positive human keratinocyte markers (cytokeratin, involucrin, filaggrin) and expression of ICAM‐1, TIMP‐1, and VEGF‐A. On histology, the GFP‐hWJSCs and hWJSC‐CM treated wounds showed reepithelialization, increased vascularity and cellular density and increased sebaceous gland and hair follicle numbers compared to controls. hWJSCs showed increased expression of several miRNAs associated with wound healing compared to CCDs. Our studies demonstrated that hWJSCs enhance healing of excisional and diabetic wounds via differentiation into keratinocytes and release of important molecules. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 290–302, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Calnexin Silencing in Mouse Neonatal Cardiomyocytes Induces Ca2+ Cycling Defects, ER Stress, and Apoptosis
Authors: Bousette Nicolas , Abbasi Cynthia , Chis Roxana , Gramolini Anthony O. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractCalnexin (CNX) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control chaperone that has been implicated in ER stress. ER stress is a prominent pathological feature of various pathologic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of CNX and ER stress has not been studied in the heart. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the role of CNX in cardiomyocyte physiology with respect to ER stress, apoptosis, and cardiomyocyte Ca2+ cycling. We demonstrated significantly decreased CNX mRNA and protein levels by LentiVector mediated transduction of targeting shRNAs. CNX silenced cardiomyocytes exhibited ER stress as evidenced by increased GRP78 and ATF6 protein levels, increased levels of spliced XBP1 mRNA, ASK‐1, ERO1a, and CHOP mRNA levels. CNX silencing also led to significant activation of caspases‐3 and ‐9. This activation of caspases was associated with hallmark morphological features of apoptosis including loss of sarcomeric organization and nuclear integrity. Ca2+ imaging in live cells showed that CNX silencing resulted in Ca2+ transients with significantly larger amplitudes but decreased frequency and Ca2+ uptake rates in the basal state. Interestingly, 5 mM caffeine stimulated Ca2+ transients were similar between control and CNX silenced cardiomyocytes. Finally, we demonstrated that CNX silencing induced the expression of the L‐type voltage dependent calcium channel (CAV1.2) but reduced the expression of the sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA2a). In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate CNX has a specific role in cardiomyocyte viability and Ca2+ cycling through its effects on ER stress, apoptosis and Ca2+ channel expression. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 374–383, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A new calibration of seismic velocities, anisotropy, fabrics, and elastic moduli of amphibole‐rich rocks
Authors: Ji Shaocheng , Shao Tongbin , Michibayashi Katsuyoshi , Long Changxing , Wang Qian , Kondo Yosuke , Zhao Weihua , Wang Hongcai , Salisbury Matthew H. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractA large portion of the middle to lower crust beneath the continents and oceanic island arcs consists of amphibolites dominated by hornblende and plagioclase. We have measured P and S wave velocities (Vp and Vs) and anisotropy of 17 amphibole‐rich rock samples containing 34–80 vol % amphibole at hydrostatic pressures (P) up to 650 MPa. Combined petrophysical and geochemical analyses provide a new calibration for mean density, average major element contents, mean Vp‐P and Vs‐P coefficients, intrinsic Vp and Vs anisotropy, Poisson's ratios, the logarithmic ratio Rs/p, and elastic moduli of amphibole‐rich rocks. The Vp values decrease with increasing SiO2 and Na2O + K2O contents but increase with increasing MgO and CaO contents. The maximum (≤0.38–0.40 km/s) and minimum S wave birefringence values occur generally in the propagation direction parallel to Y and normal to foliation, respectively. Amphibole plays a critical role in the formation of seismic anisotropy, whereas the presence of plagioclase, quartz, pyroxene, and garnet diminishes the anisotropy induced by amphibole crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs). The CPO variations cause different anisotropy patterns illustrated in the Flinn diagram of Vp(X)/Vp(Y)‐Vp(Y)/Vp(Z) plots. The results make it possible to distinguish, in terms of seismic properties, the amphibolites from other categories of lithology such as granite‐granodiorite, diorite, gabbro‐diabase, felsic gneiss, mafic gneiss, eclogite, and peridotite within the Earth's crust. Hence, amphibole, aligned by dislocation creep, anisotropic growth, or rigid‐body rotation, is the most important contributor to the seismic anisotropy of the deep crust beneath the continents and oceanic island arcs, which contains rather little phyllosilicates such as mica or chlorite.
Radiative characteristics of nonspherical particles based on a particle superposition model
Authors: Huang Yong , Zhao Rong , Li Wen 
Published: August 2013

AbstractA particle superposition model combined with a Monte Carlo ray tracing method, which is used to study the radiative characteristics of large nonspherical particles, is proposed. The goal of the model is to provide a new approach that not only allows the modeling of large irregular particles of arbitrary shape but also possesses a clear and systematic basic structure that is easy to program. A detailed flow chart and algorithm description are provided in the paper. The data characteristics of four types of irregular particles were calculated and analyzed. The comparison showed that this particle superposition model can be used to calculate the radiative properties of large irregular particles with good accuracy, while at the same time remaining general and extendable to many applications, thus providing a new way to study nonspherical particles.