bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Saponin Inventory from Argania spinosa Kernel Cakes by Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Henry Max , Kowalczyk Mariusz , Maldini Mariateresa , Piacente Sonia , Stochmal Anna , Oleszek Wiesław 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACTIntroductionArgania spinosa kernel cakes, obtained from argan oil extraction process, are known to contain large amounts of saponins. Only a few have been characterised previously, due to the use of pure ethanol as extracting solvent. The use of aqueous 50% ethanol improved the extraction of more polar saponins.ObjectiveIdentification of polar saponins in kernel cakes of Argania spinosa by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and NMR techniques.MethodsDefatted kernel cakes were first extracted with ethanol and then twice with 50% aqueous ethanol. Individual crude extracts were analysed with an ion‐trap mass spectrometer in negative mode electrospray MS and MS/MS modes. NMR experiments were run under standard conditions at 300 K on a Bruker DRX‐600 spectrometer.ResultsThe LC–MS base peak chromatogram of saponins from pure ethanol extract was dominated by 11 large and several small peaks but the UV chromatogram showed only two peaks, corresponding to the main neutral saponins found previously in Argania: arganine A and B. In 50% aqueous ethanol extracts, numerous other saponins were detected. Many of them were glucuronide oleanane‐type triterpene carboxylic acid 3,28‐O‐bidesmosides (GOTCAB saponins). The assignments of 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR spectra of the four most abundant GOTCAB saponins confirmed the MS results.ConclusionFour GOTCAB saponins were structurally identified by NMR analysis in the 50% aqueous ethanol extract. Furthermore, LC–MS analyses showed the presence of at least 19 additional polar saponins in these kernel cakes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Specific airway resistance in children: Panting or tidal breathing?
Authors: Coutier Laurianne , Varechova Silvia , Demoulin Bruno , Bonabel Claude , Roman‐Amat Clotilde , Tuan Thanh Le , Ioan Iulia , Schweitzer Cyril , Marchal François 
Published: June 2013

SummaryBackgroundThe measurement of specific airway resistance during tidal breathing (sRawtb) has gained popularity in children, but methodological concerns have been raised regarding the electronic compensation for the thermal artifact. The panting method (sRawp) is efficient in minimizing the latter, but may be associated with a change in end expiratory lung volume if the effort is not properly balanced. The aim of the study was to compare sRawtb with sRawp in children.MethodsFifty‐five children aged 6.5–11.5 years were studied. sRawtb was measured in a commercial plethysmograph. sRawp was measured with a home made equipment that allowed breath by breath analysis (sRawp1) as well as with the commercial body box (sRawp2).ResultssRawtb was significantly larger than either sRawp1 or sRawp2 (P < 0.0001). The mean (95% CI) difference sRawp1 − sRawtb was −0.374 (−0.835 to 0.088) kPa s. The difference between sRawp1 and sRawp2 was significant (P < 0.005) but not clinically relevant, and mean (95% CI) difference sRawp1 − sRawp2 was 0.115 (−0.094 to 0.324) kPa s. The breath by breath analysis showed small but significant increase in sRawp1 throughout the maneuver (P < 0.001), whatever the pattern of end expiratory level.ConclusionTidal breathing is associated with an overestimation of sRaw compared with panting in children. Although the latter results in small increase throughout the panting maneuver, sRawp is probably more trustful than sRawtb. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:245–251. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Apixaban: new anticoagulant for stroke prevention
Authors: Chaplin Steve , Manning Lisa , Lam Man Yee , Robinson Thompson 
Published: June 2013

AbstractApixaban is a new oral anticoagulant licensed for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism. In our New products review, Steve Chaplin presents the clinical data relating to its efficacy and adverse events compared with warfarin and aspirin, and hospital specialists discuss its place in stroke prevention.
Observations of the chemical composition of stratospheric aerosol particles
Authors: Murphy D. M. , Froyd K. D. , Schwarz J. P. , Wilson J. C. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractRecent instrumentation can distinguish various types of aerosol particles in the stratosphere and determine their relative abundance. In the background lower stratosphere between major volcanic eruptions, most particles are either relatively pure sulphuric acid, sulphuric acid with material from ablated meteoroids or mixed organic‐sulphate particles that originated in the troposphere. The meteoritic iron and magnesium appear to be dissolved whereas the aluminum and silicon appear to be inclusions. Most stratospheric aerosol mass is liquid sulphuric acid and associated water, but a large fraction of particles contain either inclusions of meteoritic elements such as silicon or organic material that is probably effloresced or glassy. These solid phases could have large but unknown implications for the ability of particles to act as freezing nuclei for polar stratospheric clouds. Internally mixed black carbon is a measurable but very small component of the stratospheric aerosol by mass. Despite their importance for heterogeneous chemistry, there are few quantitative measurements of halogens in stratospheric particles.
Smart Nanomachines Based on DNA Self‐Assembly
Authors: Song Chen , Wang Zhen‐Gang , Ding Baoquan 
Published: June 2013

AbstractDNA‐based nanomachines are self‐assembled DNA superstructures that harness chemical free energy to perform mechanical work. The development of DNA machines has benefited greatly from the achievements in both structural and dynamic DNA nanotechnology. In this review, the configurations of DNA machines, fuel systems, and operations are discussed to outline the evolving paths of DNA machines. The focus is on the smart mechanical behavior of DNA machines, from the standpoint of upgrading the complexity of DNA nanostructures, cooperative activation of multimachinary systems, and the establishment of a network of the mechanical states. In the end, the challenges are highlighted and possible solutions are proposed to push forward smart DNA nanomachines, with the goal of creating biomimicking systems. Insights are also provided into the potential applications of the DNA machines with designable intelligence.
Incorporating a Measure of Uncertainty into Systems of Systems Development Performance Measures
Authors: Volkert Richard , Stracener Jerrell , Yu Junfang 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACTTechnical Performance Measures (TPMs) historically are used to help the Program Manager in predicting if a program is on a path to achieve required performance. When extended over a developmental timeline, TPMs have provided a deterministic approach for predicting expected operational performance. However, TPMs are difficult to derive for a complex acknowledged system of systems (SoS). An SoS Performance Measure (SPM) has been developed that is equivalent in purpose to TPMs and demonstrated for a deterministic state similar to TPM usage. However, reality indicates that many of the SoS component variables have significant uncertainty associated with them during the SoS development. Therefore, to more accurately account for the ability of an SoS to achieve its desired performance, this variability needs to be accounted for. This paper extends the deterministic SPM concept to a stochastic SPM to account for this uncertainty. An Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) mission example is used, and demonstrates how this extension improves the effectiveness of the SPM methodology.
Targeting and tailoring climate change communications
Authors: Bostrom Ann , Böhm Gisela , O'Connor Robert E. 
Published: June 2013

Social marketing studies suggest that targeting segments of the population, by assessing and addressing their values and motives for actions in the design of communications, can improve the effectiveness of health and environmental communications efforts. Guidance for climate change communication now routinely proposes targeting specific audience segments as a fundamental principle, despite ambiguity regarding what specific behaviors to target and a lack of empirical evidence for specific strategies. Audience segmentation strategies proposed to date for climate change communications resemble those used in other social marketing efforts, but can be proprietary or opaque, with little data on the effects of implementing them. Insufficient evidence exists to systematically demonstrate the effectiveness of targeting or tailoring climate change communications per se, other than by reference to related research on health and environmental risk communications. Meta‐analyses with systematic literature reviews, however, demonstrate that health risk communications can be more effective at changing attitudes and behaviors if they are tailored to the individual recipients' beliefs about their self‐efficacy. The advent of technology‐enabled microtargeting is rapidly expanding the opportunities for tailoring and targeting climate change communications and for adding to what we know from using them to make them effective. WIREs Clim Change 2013, 4:447–455. doi: 10.1002/wcc.234This article is categorized under:

Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Communication
Enhancement of FK506 production by engineering secondary pathways of Streptomyces tsukubaensis and exogenous feeding strategies
Authors: Huang Di , Xia Menglei , Li Shanshan , Wen Jianping , Jia Xiaoqiang 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
FK506 is a clinically important macrocyclic polyketide with immunosuppressive activity produced by Streptomyces tsukubaensis. However, the low titer at which it is produced is a bottleneck to its application and use in industrial processes. We have overexpressed five potential targets associated with FK506 production (fkbO, fkbL, fkbP, fkbM, fkbD) which were identified in our previous study, with the aim to improve FK506 production. The results of the analysis showed that the constructed strains with an additional copy of each gene increased FK506 production by approximately 10–40 % compared with the wild-type strain D852. The results of the gene expression analysis indicated that each gene was upregulated. Combinatorial overexpression of the five genes resulted in a 146 % increase in the FK506 titer to 353.2 mg/L, in comparison with the titer produced by D852. To further improve the production of FK506 by the engineered strain HT-FKBOPLMD, we supplemented the medium with various nutrients, including soybean oil, lactate, succinate, shikimate, chorismate, lysine, pipecolate, isoleucine and valine. Optimization of feeding concentrations and times resulted in HT-FKBOPLMD being able to produce approximately 70 % more FK506, thereby reaching the maximal titer of 457.5 mg/L, with lower amounts of by-products (FK520 and 37,38-dihydro-FK506). These results demonstrate that the combination of the metabolically engineered secondary pathways and the exogenous feeding strategies developed here was able to be successfully applied to improve the production of industrially and clinically important compounds.
Improving robot manipulation with data-driven object-centric models of everyday forces
Authors: Jain Advait , Kemp Charles C. 
Published: June 2013

Abstract
Based on a lifetime of experience, people anticipate the forces associated with performing a manipulation task. In contrast, most robots lack common sense about the forces involved in everyday manipulation tasks. In this paper, we present data-driven methods to inform robots about the forces that they are likely to encounter when performing specific tasks. In the context of door opening, we demonstrate that data-driven object-centric models can be used to haptically recognize specific doors, haptically recognize classes of door (e.g., refrigerator vs. kitchen cabinet), and haptically detect anomalous forces while opening a door, even when opening a specific door for the first time. We also demonstrate that two distinct robots can use forces captured from people opening doors to better detect anomalous forces. These results illustrate the potential for robots to use shared databases of forces to better manipulate the world and attain common sense about everyday forces.
PARTICIPATING PAYOUT LIFE ANNUITIES: LESSONS FROM GERMANY
Authors: Maurer Raimond , Rogalla Ralph , Siegelin Ivonne 
Published: June 2013

AbstractThis paper analyzes the framework of German participating payout life annuities (PLAs), which offer guaranteed minimum benefits as well as participation in insurers' surpluses. We show that the process of sharing surpluses between shareholders and policyholders follows transparent and consistent rules. Subsequently, we develop an asset-liability model for a stylized German life insurer that offers PLAs to evaluate benefit variability and insurer stability given stochastic mortality and capital market developments. Our results suggest that guaranteed benefits can be provided with high credibility via PLAs, while, at the same time, annuitants receive attractive money's worth ratios. Moreover, we show that it might be difficult to offer a fixed benefit annuity providing the same lifetime utility as a PLA for the same premium and a comparably low insolvency risk. Overall, PLA schemes may be an efficient way to deal with risk factors that are highly unpredictable and difficult to hedge over the long run, such as systematic longevity and investment risks.
HEDGING MORTALITY CLAIMS WITH LONGEVITY BONDS
Authors: Biagini Francesca , Rheinländer Thorsten , Widenmann Jan 
Published: June 2013

AbstractWe study mean–variance hedging of a pure endowment, a term insurance and general annuities by trading in a longevity bond with continuous rate payments proportional to the survival probability. In particular, we discuss the introduction of a gratification annuity as an interesting insurance product for the life insurance market. The optimal hedging strategies are determined via their Galtchouk–Kunita–Watanabe decompositions under specific, yet sufficiently general model assumptions. The results are then further illustrated by assuming a general affine structure of the mortality intensity process. The optimal hedging strategies as well as the residual hedging error of a gratification annuity and a simple life annuity are finally investigated with numerical simulations, which illustrate the nice features of the gratification annuity for the insurance industry.
MULTIVARIATE TAIL ESTIMATION WITH APPLICATION TO ANALYSIS OF COVAR
Authors: Nguyen Tilo , Samorodnitsky Gennady 
Published: June 2013

AbstractThe quality of estimation of multivariate tails depends significantly on the portion of the sample included in the estimation. A simple approach involving sequential statistical testing is proposed in order to select which observations should be used for estimation of the tail and spectral measures. We prove that the estimator is consistent. We test the proposed method on simulated data, and subsequently apply it to analyze CoVaR for stock and index returns.
Lock-in and quasiperiodicity in a forced hydrodynamically self-excited jet
Authors: Li Larry K. B. , Juniper Matthew P. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractThe ability of hydrodynamically self-excited jets to lock into strong external forcing is well known. Their dynamics before lock-in and the specific bifurcations through which they lock in, however, are less well known. In this experimental study, we acoustically force a low-density jet around its natural global frequency. We examine its response leading up to lock-in and compare this to that of a forced van der Pol oscillator. We find that, when forced at increasing amplitudes, the jet undergoes a sequence of two nonlinear transitions: (i) from periodicity to${ \mathbb{T} }^{2} $quasiperiodicity via a torus-birth bifurcation; and then (ii) from${ \mathbb{T} }^{2} $quasiperiodicity to 1:1 lock-in via either a saddle-node bifurcation with frequency pulling, if the forcing and natural frequencies are close together, or a torus-death bifurcation without frequency pulling, but with a gradual suppression of the natural mode, if the two frequencies are far apart. We also find that the jet locks in most readily when forced close to its natural frequency, but that the details contain two asymmetries: the jet (i) locks in more readily and (ii) oscillates more strongly when it is forced below its natural frequency than when it is forced above it. Except for the second asymmetry, all of these transitions, bifurcations and dynamics are accurately reproduced by the forced van der Pol oscillator. This shows that this complex (infinite-dimensional) forced self-excited jet can be modelled reasonably well as a simple (three-dimensional) forced self-excited oscillator. This result adds to the growing evidence that open self-excited flows behave essentially like low-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems. It also strengthens the universality of such flows, raising the possibility that more of them, including some industrially relevant flames, can be similarly modelled.
Nonlinear stratified spindown over a slope
Authors: Benthuysen Jessica A. , Thomas Leif N. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractNonlinear stratified spindown of an along-isobath current over an insulated slope is shown to develop asymmetries in the vertical circulation and vertical relative vorticity field. During spindown, cyclonic vorticity is weakened to a greater extent than anticyclonic vorticity near the boundary because of buoyancy advection. As a consequence, Ekman pumping is weakened over Ekman suction. Momentum advection can weaken Ekman pumping and strengthen Ekman suction. Time-dependent feedback between the geostrophic flow and the frictional secondary circulation induces asymmetry in cyclonic and anticyclonic vorticity away from the boundary. Buoyancy advection over a slope can modify the secondary circulation such that anticyclonic vorticity decays faster than cyclonic vorticity outside the boundary layer. In contrast, momentum advection can cause cyclonic vorticity to spin down faster than anticyclonic vorticity. A scaling and analytical solutions are derived for when buoyancy advection over a slope can have a more significant impact than momentum advection on these asymmetries. In order to test this scaling and analytical solutions, numerical experiments are run in which both buoyancy and momentum advection are active. These solutions are contrasted with homogeneous or stratified spindown over a flat bottom, in which momentum advection controls the asymmetries. These results are applied to ocean currents over continental shelves and slopes.
Oxidised plant sterols as well as oxycholesterol increase the proportion of severe atherosclerotic lesions in female LDL receptor+/ −mice
Authors: Plat Jogchum , Theuwissen Elke , Husche Constanze , Lütjohann Dieter , Gijbels Marion J. J. , Jeurissen Mike , Shiri-Sverdlov Ronit , van der Made Ingeborg , Mensink Ronald P. 
Published: June 2013

Oxysterols (oxidised cholesterol) may play a role in the pathogenesis of CVD. Similar to cholesterol, plant sterols are susceptible to oxidation. However, less is known about the potential atherogenicity of oxidised plant sterols (oxyphytosterols). In the present study, the atherogenicity of a mixture of oxyphytosterols was examined by feeding female LDL receptor-deficient (LDLR+/ −) mice for 35 weeks a control diet (atherogenic high-fat diet;n9), an oxysterol diet (control diet+0·025 % (w/w) oxysterols;n12) or an oxyphytosterol diet (control diet+0·025 % (w/w) oxyphytosterols;n12). In the LDLR+/ −mice, serum levels of cholesterol, lipoprotein profiles, cholesterol exposure and inflammatory markers at the end of the experiment were comparable between the three diet groups. Nevertheless, the proportion of severe atherosclerotic lesions was significantly higher after oxysterol (41 %;P= 0·004) and oxyphytosterol (34 %;P= 0·011) diet consumption than after control diet consumption (26 %). Oxyphytosterol levels in the lesions were the highest in the oxyphytosterol group. Here, we show that not only dietary oxysterols but also dietary oxyphytosterols increase the proportion of severe atherosclerotic lesions. This suggests that plant sterols when oxidised may increase atherosclerotic lesion severity instead of lowering the size and severity of lesions when fed in their non-oxidised form. Therefore, this finding might give an indication as to where to find the answer in the current hot debate about the potential atherogenicity of plant sterols. However, to what extent these results can be extrapolated to the human situation warrants further investigation.
Predictable Dynamics in Higher-Order Risk-Neutral Moments: Evidence from the S&P 500 Options
Authors: Neumann Michael , Skiadopoulos George 
Published: June 2013

AbstractWe investigate whether there are predictable patterns in the dynamics of higher-order risk-neutral moments (RNMs) extracted from the market prices of Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 index options. To this end, we conduct a horse race among alternative forecasting models within an out-of-sample context over various forecasting horizons. We consider both a statistical and an economic setting. We find that higher RNMs can be statistically forecasted. However, only the 1-day-ahead skewness forecasts can be economically exploited. This economic significance vanishes once we incorporate transaction costs. The results have implications for the dynamics of implied volatility surfaces.
Brain regions related to fear extinction in obsessive-compulsive disorder and its relation to exposure therapy outcome: a morphometric study
Authors: Fullana M. A. , Cardoner N. , Alonso P. , Subirà M. , López-Solà C. , Pujol J. , Segalàs C. , Real E. , Bossa M. , Zacur E. , Martínez-Zalacaín I. , Bulbena A. , Menchón J. M. , Olmos S. , Soriano-Mas C. 
Published: June 2013

BackgroundThe size of particular sub-regions within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been associated with fear extinction in humans. Exposure therapy is a form of extinction learning widely used in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Here we investigated the relationship between morphometric measurements of different sub-regions of the vmPFC and exposure therapy outcome in OCD.MethodA total of 74 OCD patients and 86 healthy controls underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cortical thickness and volumetric measurements were obtained for the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), the medial orbital frontal cortex and the subcallosal cortex. After MRI acquisition, patients were enrolled in an exposure therapy protocol, and we assessed the relationship between MRI-derived measurements and treatment outcome. Baseline between-group differences for such measurements were also assessed.ResultsCompared with healthy controls, OCD patients showed a thinner left rACC (p = 0.008). Also, left rACC thickness was inversely associated with exposure therapy outcome (r – 0.32, p = 0.008), and this region was significantly thinner in OCD patients who responded to exposure therapy than in those who did not (p = 0.006). Analyses based on regional volumetry did not yield any significant results.ConclusionsOCD patients showed cortical thickness reductions in the left rACC, and these alterations were related to exposure therapy outcome. The precise characterization of neuroimaging predictors of treatment response derived from the study of the brain areas involved in fear extinction may optimize exposure therapy planning in OCD and other anxiety disorders.