bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Aquatic risk assessment of pesticides in Latin America
Authors: Carriquiriborde Pedro , Mirabella Paula , Waichman Andrea , Solomon Keith , Van den Brink Paul J , Maund Steve 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
Latin America is anticipated to be a major growth market for agriculture and production is increasing with use of technologies such as pesticides. Reports of contamination of aquatic ecosystems by pesticides in Latin America have raised concerns about potential for adverse ecological effects. In the registration process of pesticides, all countries require significant data packages on aquatic toxicology and environmental fate. However, there are usually no specific requirements to conduct an aquatic risk assessment. To address this issue, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry organized a workshop that brought together scientists from academia, government, and industry to review and elaborate on aquatic risk assessment frameworks that can be implemented into regulation of pesticides in Latin America. The workshop concluded that the international framework for risk assessments (protection goals, effects, and exposure assessments, risk characterization, and risk mitigation) is broadly applicable in Latin America but needs further refinement for the use in the region. Some of the challenges associated with these refinements are discussed in the article. It was recognized that there is potential for data sharing both within and outside of the region where conditions are similar. However, there is a need for research to compare local species and environmental conditions to those in other jurisdictions to be able to evaluate the applicability of data used in other countries. Development should also focus on human resources as there is a need to build local capacity and capability, and scientific collaboration and exchange between stakeholders in industry, government, and academia is also important. The meeting also emphasized that, although establishing a regionally relevant risk assessment framework is important, this also needs to be accompanied by enforcement of developed regulations and good management practices to help protect aquatic habitats. Education, training, and communication efforts are needed to achieve this. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2014;10:539–542. © 2014 SETAC
Key Points
Participants at a SETAC workshop concluded that the international framework for risk assessment of pesticides in aquatic systems is applicable but needs further refinement to be made specific for Latin American uses of pesticides. Of the countries in the survey, Brazil and Peru were the only countries with a framework for environmental risk assessment included in their legislation, and only Peru's legislation included specific protection goals Research is needed to compare local species and environmental conditions, to evaluate applicability of data generated in other jurisdictions and to characterize pesticide use in each country. Risk assessment of pesticides is important but there also needs to be a focus on good management practices to protect aquatic habitats.
Comparative Effects of Teriparatide, Denosumab, and Combination Therapy on Peripheral Compartmental Bone Density, Microarchitecture, and Estimated Strength: the DATA-HRpQCT Study
Authors: Tsai Joy N , Uihlein Alexander V , Burnett-Bowie Sherri-Ann M , Neer Robert M , Zhu Yuli , Derrico Nicholas , Lee Hang , Bouxsein Mary L , Leder Benjamin Z 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACT

Combined teriparatide and denosumab increases spine and hip bone mineral density more than either drug alone. The effect of this combination on skeletal microstructure and microarchitecture, however, is unknown. Because skeletal microstructure and microarchitecture are important components of skeletal integrity, we performed high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) assessments at the distal tibia and radius in postmenopausal osteoporotic women randomized to receive teriparatide 20 µg daily (n = 31), denosumab 60 mg every 6 months (n = 33), or both (n = 30) for 12 months. In the teriparatide group, total volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) did not change at either anatomic site but increased in both other groups at both sites. The increase in vBMD at the tibia was greater in the combination group (3.1 ± 2.2%) than both the denosumab (2.2 ± 1.9%) and teriparatide groups (–0.3 ± 1.9%) (p &lt; 0.02 for both comparisons). Cortical vBMD decreased by 1.6 ± 1.9% at the tibia and by 0.9 ± 2.8% at the radius in the teriparatide group, whereas it increased in both other groups at both sites. Tibia cortical vBMD increased more in the combination group (1.5 ± 1.5%) than both monotherapy groups (p &lt; 0.04 for both comparisons). Cortical thickness did not change in the teriparatide group but increased in both other groups. The increase in cortical thickness at the tibia was greater in the combination group (5.4 ± 3.9%) than both monotherapy groups (p &lt; 0.01 for both comparisons). In the teriparatide group, radial cortical porosity increased by 20.9 ± 37.6% and by 5.6 ± 9.9% at the tibia but did not change in the other two groups. Bone stiffness and failure load, as estimated by finite element analysis, did not change in the teriparatide group but increased in the other two groups at both sites. Together, these findings suggest that the use of denosumab and teriparatide in combination improves HR-pQCT measures of bone quality more than either drug alone and may be of significant clinical benefit in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Combined MEK Inhibition and BMP2 Treatment Promotes Osteoblast Differentiation and Bone Healing in Nf1Osx−/− Mice
Authors: de la Croix Ndong Jean , Stevens David M , Vignaux Guillaume , Uppuganti Sasidhar , Perrien Daniel S , Yang Xiangli , Nyman Jeffry S , Harth Eva , Elefteriou Florent 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACT

Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disease with an incidence of 1/3000, caused by mutations in the NF1 gene, which encodes the RAS/GTPase-activating protein neurofibromin. Non-bone union after fracture (pseudarthrosis) in children with NF1 remains a challenging orthopedic condition to treat. Recent progress in understanding the biology of neurofibromin suggested that NF1 pseudarthrosis stems primarily from defects in the bone mesenchymal lineage and hypersensitivity of hematopoietic cells to TGFβ. However, clinically relevant pharmacological approaches to augment bone union in these patients remain limited. In this study, we report the generation of a novel conditional mutant mouse line used to model NF1 pseudoarthrosis, in which Nf1 can be ablated in an inducible fashion in osteoprogenitors of postnatal mice, thus circumventing the dwarfism associated with previous mouse models where Nf1 is ablated in embryonic mesenchymal cell lineages. An ex vivo–based cell culture approach based on the use of Nf1flox/flox bone marrow stromal cells showed that loss of Nf1 impairs osteoprogenitor cell differentiation in a cell-autonomous manner, independent of developmental growth plate–derived or paracrine/hormonal influences. In addition, in vitro gene expression and differentiation assays indicated that chronic ERK activation in Nf1-deficient osteoprogenitors blunts the pro-osteogenic property of BMP2, based on the observation that only combination treatment with BMP2 and MEK inhibition promoted the differentiation of Nf1-deficient osteoprogenitors. The in vivo preclinical relevance of these findings was confirmed by the improved bone healing and callus strength observed in Nf1osx−/− mice receiving Trametinib (a MEK inhibitor) and BMP2 released locally at the fracture site via a novel nanoparticle and polyglycidol-based delivery method. Collectively, these results provide novel evidence for a cell-autonomous role of neurofibromin in osteoprogenitor cells and insights about a novel targeted approach for the treatment of NF1 pseudoarthrosis. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Vitamin D Receptor Signaling Enhances Locomotive Ability in Mice
Authors: Sakai Sadaoki , Suzuki Miho , Tashiro Yoshihito , Tanaka Keisuke , Takeda Satoshi , Aizawa Ken , Hirata Michinori , Yogo Kenji , Endo Koichi 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACT

Bone fractures markedly reduce quality of life and life expectancy in elderly people. Although osteoporosis increases bone fragility, fractures frequently occur in patients with normal bone mineral density. Because most fractures occur on falling, preventing falls is another focus for reducing bone fractures. In this study, we investigated the role of vitamin D receptor (VDR) signaling in locomotive ability. In the rotarod test, physical exercise enhanced locomotive ability of wild-type (WT) mice by 1.6-fold, whereas exercise did not enhance locomotive ability of VDR knockout (KO) mice. Compared with WT mice, VDR KO mice had smaller peripheral nerve axonal diameter and disordered AChR morphology on the extensor digitorum longus muscle. Eldecalcitol (ED-71, ELD), an analog of 1,25(OH)2D3, administered to rotarod-trained C57BL/6 mice enhanced locomotor performance compared with vehicle-treated nontrained mice. The area of AChR cluster on the extensor digitorum longus was greater in ELD-treated mice than in vehicle-treated mice. ELD and 1,25(OH)2D3 enhanced expression of IGF-1, myelin basic protein, and VDR in rat primary Schwann cells. VDR signaling regulates neuromuscular maintenance and enhances locomotive ability after physical exercise. Further investigation is required, but Schwann cells and the neuromuscular junction are targets of vitamin D3 signaling in locomotive ability. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Sonographic appearance of a dermoid cyst (mature cystic teratoma) of the spleen
Authors: Gerscovich Eugenio O. , Fananapazir Ghaneh , McGahan John P. , Hirschbein Jonah S. , Naderi Sima , Corwin Michael T. , Durham Benjamin H. 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTSplenic dermoids are rare, with few published case reports and no ultrasound images in the English literature. We report the case of a 57‐year‐old woman with that diagnosis and illustrate it with ultrasound, CT, and pathology images. We discuss the differential diagnosis of solid splenic lesions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 43:132–134, 2015
Characterization of silica distribution in rice husk using Synchrotron Radiation µCT and its implications for archaeological interpretation
Authors: Wu Yan , Yang Yimin , Xiao Tiqiao , Gu Zhou , Hill David V. , Wang Changsui 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTThis article reports the results of a pilot project using Synchrotron Radiation µCT (computer‐aided tomography) to examine the distribution of silica within phytoliths from rice husks. Experiments indicate that computed tomography can be used to show how silica accumulates and is distributed in a distinctive zigzag pattern of long epidermal cells that are characteristic of phytoliths from rice husks. This method will help us to understand why the dry ashing method produced much more zigzag pattern of long cells phytoliths from rice husk than did the acid extraction method. Besides, the zigzag morphological pattern exhibited by long epidermal cells is characteristic of this species which makes it useful in the identification of rice husks from archaeological contexts and indicating heating process. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:785–789, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of combined therapy with glipizide and Aralia root bark extract on glycemic control and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Liu Xiao‐Hong , Li Xing‐Min , Han Cheng‐Cheng , Fang Xiang‐Feng , Ma Le 
Published: July 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe root bark of Aralia is a rich source of bioactive components that may improve glycemic control and lipid status. In this study, 148 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were assigned randomly to receive either glipizide alone or glipizide plus Aralia root bark extract (ARBE) for 8 weeks to test the effects of ARBE plus glipizide therapy on glycemic control and lipid profiles in these patients.RESULTSLevels of HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2 h postprandial plasma glucose (2‐h PPG) in both groups significantly decreased from baseline. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) decreased marginally significantly in participants taking glipizide plus ARBE compared with the glipizide group (P = 0.06). Participants in the combination group had significant decreases in total cholesterol (TC) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), and the between‐group difference achieved statistical significance for LDL‐C (P = 0.04). Reduction in HbA1c in the combination group was significantly associated with changes in TC (r = 0.32; P = 0.006) and LDL‐C (r = 0.34; P = 0.005), and the change in FPG was inversely correlated with LDL‐C reduction (r = 0.34; P = 0.004).CONCLUSIONSIn patients with T2DM, combination therapy with glipizide and ARBE resulted in moderately lowering HbA1c and LDL‐C levels compared with glipizide alone. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Does the Glass Transition of Polymers Change Upon 3D Confinement?
Authors: Martínez‐Tong Daniel E. , Cui Jing , Soccio Michelina , García Carolina , Ezquerra Tiberio A. , Nogales Aurora 
Published: July 2014

The calorimetric trace of polymer spheres shows an increase of the glass‐transition temperature (Tg), with respect to its bulk value. This increase is evaluated by means of an entropy model, where the 3D confinement leads to a limiting number of repeating polymer units in the sphere, and thus to a reduction of the possible configuration states of the polymer chains. This is ultimately related to variations in the bulk value of the Tg. Also, the way the polymer nature affects how confinement takes place and how restrictions imposed affect the way a polymer forms cooperative rearranging regions at Tg are presented.
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Hybrid Polycaprolactone/Silica Porous Membranes Produced by Sol‐Gel
Authors: Pandis Christos , Trujillo Sara , Roganowicz Marcin , Gómez Ribelles José Luis 
Published: July 2014

SummaryHybrid porous membranes of polycaprolactone (PCL) and silica were obtained by a two stage procedure. First a porous PCL membrane was produced by freeze extraction technique and then a sol‐gel reaction was used to form a uniform silica coating on the pore walls. Sol‐gel reaction was performed at low pH with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as the precursor of silica. In this work we analyze the influence of several clue parameters on the silica film formation and in turn on the properties of the hybrid material. Water:TEOS molar ratio and drying protocol were considered in this study.
Nanoporous Polycyanurates Created by Chemically‐Induced Phase Separation: Structure‐Property Relationships
Authors: Grigoryeva Olga , Fainleib Alexander , Gusakova Kristina , Starostenko Olga , Saiter Jean‐Marc , Levchenko Volodymyr , Serghei Anatoli , Boiteux Gisèle , Grande Daniel 
Published: July 2014

SummaryNanoporous thermostable polycyanurate (PCN) films were generated by in‐situ metal complex‐catalyzed polycyclotrimerization of 4,4′‐ethylidenediphenyl dicyanate in the presence of 20–50 wt.% of inert high‐boiling temperature liquids as porogens, i.e. dioctyl, dibutyl or dimethyl phthalates (DOP, DBP or DMP), followed by their extraction from the densely crosslinked PCN frameworks, drying, and additional annealing at various temperatures. The nanoporous structure for all PCN‐based films developed was investigated by SEM, BET, and DSC‐based thermoporometry. Furthermore, the thermal and dielectric properties of the nanoporous films were also examined. The method developed allows producing nanoporous films for membranes with controlled thermal and dielectric properties as well as porosity parameters.
Corrosion monitoring of galvanized steel in soil extract solutions by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Lopes I. M. F. , Loureiro C. R. O. , Junqueira R. M. R. 
Published: July 2014

The chemical and structural complexity of soils, coupled with their heterogeneity, contributes to the increase in soil aggressiveness, which can in turn result in severe corrosion of underground materials. The understanding of corrosive processes of underground structures is important in aiding the development of methods, as well as in monitoring and maintenance, in an attempt to minimize environmental, social, and economic impacts. In this work, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to monitor the corrosive process of galvanized steel when in contact with soil extracts, aimed at evaluating the potentiality of applying electrochemical impedance spectroscopy when monitoring underground structures. To accomplish this, the behavior of the galvanized steel when undergoing corrosion was studied for 105 days, examining the variations in the eletrochemical parameter values obtained through EIS assays over this period. EIS proved to be effective in the study of corrosive processes of galvanized steel when in contact with soil extracts, identifying the different stages of the corrosive process, controlled by mass and/or charge transfer reactions.
Constructing a Foundational Platform Driven by Japan’s K Supercomputer for Next‐Generation Drug Design
Authors: Brown J. B. , Nakatsui Masahiko , Okuno Yasushi 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThe cost of pharmaceutical R&D has risen enormously, both worldwide and in Japan. However, Japan faces a particularly difficult situation in that its population is aging rapidly, and the cost of pharmaceutical R&D affects not only the industry but the entire medical system as well. To attempt to reduce costs, the newly launched K supercomputer is available for big data drug discovery and structural simulation‐based drug discovery. We have implemented both primary (direct) and secondary (infrastructure, data processing) methods for the two types of drug discovery, custom tailored to maximally use the 88 128 compute nodes/CPUs of K, and evaluated the implementations. We present two types of results. In the first, we executed the virtual screening of nearly 19 billion compound‐protein interactions, and calculated the accuracy of predictions against publicly available experimental data. In the second investigation, we implemented a very computationally intensive binding free energy algorithm, and found that comparison of our binding free energies was considerably accurate when validated against another type of publicly available experimental data. The common feature of both result types is the scale at which computations were executed. The frameworks presented in this article provide prospectives and applications that, while tuned to the computing resources available in Japan, are equally applicable to any equivalent large‐scale infrastructure provided elsewhere.
Microstructural information from angular double‐pulsed‐field‐gradient NMR: From model systems to nerves
Authors: Morozov Darya , Bar Leah , Sochen Nir , Cohen Yoram 
Published: July 2014

PurposeTo evaluate the ability of angular double‐pulsed‐field gradient (d‐PFG) MR to provide microstructural information in complex phantoms and fixed nerves.MethodsWe modeled the signal in angular d‐PFG MR experiments performed on phantoms of increasing complexity where the ground truth is known a priori. After analyzing the microstructural features of such phantoms the same methodology was used to study microstructural features in fixed nerves.ResultsWe found that our modeling is able to determine with high accuracy and with very little prior knowledge the sizes and relative fractions of the restricted components as well as the fraction of the free diffusing water molecules. The same approach was used to study nerve microstructure. We found the apparent averaged axonal diameter (AAD) to be 2.3 ± 0.2 μm. However, here the results depended, to some extent, on the parameters used to collect the data and were affected by the diffusion time.ConclusionModeling of the angular d‐PFG MR signal provides a means to obtain accurate microstructural information in complex phantoms where the ground truth is known. This approach also seems to be suitable for obtaining microstructural features in fixed nerves. Magn Reson Med 74:25–32, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
SPH procedures for modeling multiple intersecting discontinuities in geomaterial
Authors: Pramanik R. , Deb D. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryA methodology is developed in SPH framework to analyze the behavior of preexisting multiple intersecting discontinuities or joints in rock material. The procedure does not require any additional unknowns to represent discontinuities and to capture velocity jump across them. Instead, a discontinuity is represented by a set of joint particles placed along the discontinuity plane, in which relative velocity and traction vector is evaluated, obeying the Mohr–Coulomb friction law with zero tension constrain. For failure of continuous rock material, the Drucker–Prager yield criterion with tensile cracking is employed in the elastic‐plastic constitutive model. Free‐sip, no‐slip, and symmetric boundary conditions are also implemented in SPH framework for proper representation of physical system.The paper analyzes behavior of a rock sample having a discontinuity plane under uniaxial loading and compares velocity and stress with a theoretical solution derived considering effective vertical stiffness of the joint planes. The efficacy of the proposed method is successfully demonstrated by solving another two problems of jointed rock mass under uniaxial and gravitational loading conditions.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proteomics analysis of adult testis from Bombyx mori
Authors: Zhang Yan , Dong Zhaoming , Gu Peiming , Zhang Weiwei , Wang Dandan , Guo Xiaomeng , Zhao Ping , Xia Qingyou 
Published: July 2014

The development of the testis involves a large number of tissue‐specific proteins, possibly because the sperms in it are the most divergent of all cell types. In this study, LC‐MS/MS was employed to investigate the protein compositions of the adult testis of silkworm. A total of 14 431 peptides were identified in the adult testis of Bombyx mori, which were matched to 2292 proteins. Thirty‐two HSPs constitute a group of most abundant proteins in the adult testis, suggesting that they are critical for the development, differentiation, and survival of germ cells. Other proteins in this analysis were also involved in testis‐specific processes mainly including sperm motility, meiosis, germ cell development, and spermatogenesis. The data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000909 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000909).
Miscible blends of polylactide and poly(methyl methacrylate): Morphology, structure, and thermal behavior
Authors: Canetti Maurizio , Cacciamani Adriana , Bertini Fabio 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTThe miscibility of polylactic acid (PLA) and atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends is investigated as a function of composition. The blends quenched from the melt show the presence of a single glass transition temperature dependent on the composition. The equilibrium melting temperature is determined using the Hoffman‐Weeks method and a depression is observed with increasing content of the PMMA component. The PLA spherulite growth rate and the overall isothermal crystallization rates decrease with increasing the amount of the amorphous component. The increase of the long period value as a function of the PMMA content in the blend is due to the segregation of PMMA component in the amorphous PLA interlamellar regions. The Lauritzen‐Hoffman secondary nucleation theory analysis shows that the segregation of the PMMA in the interlamellar region induces an increase in the surface entropy of folding. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 1168–1177