bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of processing parameters in thermally induced phase separation technique on porous architecture of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Akbarzadeh Rosa , Yousefi Azizeh‐Mitra 
Published: January 2014

AbstractTissue engineering makes use of 3D scaffolds to sustain three‐dimensional growth of cells and guide new tissue formation. To meet the multiple requirements for regeneration of biological tissues and organs, a wide range of scaffold fabrication techniques have been developed, aiming to produce porous constructs with the desired pore size range and pore morphology. Among different scaffold fabrication techniques, thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method has been widely used in recent years because of its potential to produce highly porous scaffolds with interconnected pore morphology. The scaffold architecture can be closely controlled by adjusting the process parameters, including polymer type and concentration, solvent composition, quenching temperature and time, coarsening process, and incorporation of inorganic particles. The objective of this review is to provide information pertaining to the effect of these parameters on the architecture and properties of the scaffolds fabricated by the TIPS technique. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 1304–1315, 2014.
Polymeric hollow fiber membranes for bioartificial organs and tissue engineering applications
Authors: Diban Nazely , Stamatialis Dimitrios 
Published: January 2014

AbstractPolymeric hollow fiber (HF) membranes are commercially available, i.e. microfiltration and ultrafiltration cartridges or reverse osmosis and gas separation modules, to be applied for separation purposes in industry, for instance to recover valuable raw materials or products, or for the treatment of end‐of‐pipe wastes to avoid environmental impacts, to regenerate or treat waters for reuse and for the separation of key components or clarification in food and beverage industries. They have also shown important benefits as hemodialyzers, hemodiafiltration or plasma purification devices in patients with liver or kidney damage. The good mass transport properties characterizing the polymeric HFs have opened new research areas of application in the biomedical field, such as the tissue engineering (TE) and the construction of bioartificial organs (BAO). In TE, the HFs act as scaffolds or supports and/or allow high permeance of nutrients and waste removal for cell proliferation and differentiation. In BAO, HFs are used for the fabrication of bio‐hybrid constructs that replace the damaged organs of the patient or can be used as in vitro models for therapeutic studies. This review presents the state‐of‐the‐art concerning preparation and application of HFs for TE and BAO and discusses the challenges and future perspectives of the HFs in both fields. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Fenton and photo‐Fenton processes for the degradation of atrazine: a kinetic study
Authors: Benzaquén Tamara B. , Isla Miguel A. , Alfano Orlando M. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDThis study is focused on the kinetic modelling of the Fenton and photo‐Fenton degradation of a model pollutant (atrazine) in aqueous solution. The effects of hydrogen peroxide and ferric ion concentrations as well as those of radiation level on the atrazine degradation processes have been investigated.RESULTSThe experimental work was performed in a well‐stirred tank laboratory reactor irradiated from both sides with two tubular UV‐lamps. The reaction rate expressions were derived from an accepted reaction mechanism, explicitly taking into account the local volumetric rate of photon absorption inside the photoreactor. The proposed kinetic model was able to reproduce the combined effects of changing the ferric iron concentrations, hydrogen peroxide to atrazine molar ratios and radiation level on the pollutant degradation rate. Model predictions were compared with experimental data and good agreement was obtained. The maximum root mean square error (RMSE) for all the estimations was < 2.5%.CONCLUSIONSThe results obtained indicate that Fenton and photo‐Fenton processes are possible ways to improve the biodegradability of water containing commercial atrazine. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
A coupled K‐nearest neighbour and Bayesian neural network model for daily rainfall downscaling
Authors: Lu Y. , Qin X. S. 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTA coupled K‐nearest neighbour (KNN) and Bayesian neural network (BNN) model was developed for downscaling daily rainfall at a single site. The KNN was used for classification of dry/wet day and rainfall typing based on rainfall magnitude. The BNN was applied for prediction of rainfall amount. The proposed method was applied to rainfall downscaling at Singapore Island. The Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) data were used for providing large‐scale predictors at a high spatial resolution; 31‐years daily rainfall record at two typical weather stations on the island was used as predictand. The performance of KNN–BNN was compared with two classical downscaling tools including automated statistical downscaling tool (ASD) and generalized linear model (GLM). The study results indicated that, the proposed model performed equally good or better than both ASD and GLM, in terms of prediction of basic statistical indicators (i.e. mean, SD, probability of wet days, 90th percentile rainfall amount, and maximum rainfall); it notably outperformed others in generating narrower uncertainty intervals for all indicators, especially for monthly mean and maximum rainfall. It was also demonstrated that separation of yearly data into monthly or seasonal could considerably enhance the performance of KNN–BNN.
Barrier, structural and mechanical properties of bovine gelatin–chitosan blend films related to biopolymer interactions
Authors: Benbettaïeb Nasreddine , Kurek Mia , Bornaz Salwa , Debeaufort Frédéric 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe increased use of synthetic packaging films has led to a high ecological problem due to their total non‐biodegradability. Thus, there is a vital need to develop renewable and environmentally friendly bio‐based polymeric materials. Films and coatings made from polysaccharide polymers, particularly chitosans and gelatins have good gas barrier properties and are envisaged more and more for applications in the biomedical and food fields, as well as for packaging. In this study a casting method was used to develop an edible plasticised film from chitosan and gelatin. Aiming to develop a blend film with enhanced properties, the effects of mixing chitosan (CS) and gelatin (G) in different proportions (CS:G, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, w/w) on functional and physico‐chemical properties have been studied.RESULTSMean film thickness increased linearly (R2 = 0.999) with surface density of the film forming solution. An enhancement of mechanical properties by increasing the tensile strength (38.7 ± 11 MPa for pure chitosan and 76.8 ± 9 MPa for pure gelatin film) was also observed in blends, due to gelatin content. When the gelatin content in blend films was increased an improvement of both water vapour barrier properties [(4 ± 0.3) × 10−10 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1 for pure chitosan and (2.5 ± 0.14) × 10−10 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1 for pure gelatin, at 70% RH gradient] and oxygen barrier properties ((822.62 ± 90.24) × 10−12 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1 for blend film chitosan:gelatin (25:75 w/w) and (296.67 ± 18.76) × 10−12 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1 for pure gelatin was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectra of blend films showed a shift in the peak positions related to the amide groups (amide‐I and amide‐III) indicating interactions between biopolymers.CONCLUSIONSAddition of gelatin in chitosan induced greater functional properties (mechanical, barrier) due to chemical interactions, suggesting an inter‐penetrated network. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of citronella essential oil on the inhibition of postharvest Alternaria alternata in cherry tomato
Authors: Chen Qianru , Xu Shixiang , Wu Tao , Guo Jun , Sha Sha , Zheng Xiaodong , Yu Ting 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDEssential oils such as citronella oil exhibit antifungal activity and are potential alternative inhibitors to chemical synthetic fungicides for controlling postharvest diseases. In this study the antifungal activity of citronella oil against Alternaria alternata was investigated.RESULTSIn vitro, citronella oil showed strong inhibition activity against A. alternata. The minimum inhibitory concentration in potato dextrose agar and potato dextrose broth medium was determined as 1 and 0.8 µL mL−1 respectively. In vivo the disease incidence of Lycopersicon esculentum (cherry tomato) treated with citronella oil was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced compared with the control after 5 days of storage at 25 °C and 95% relative humidity. The disease incidence at oil concentrations of 0.2–1.5 µL mL−1 was 88–48%. The most effective dosage of the oil was 1.5 µL mL−1, with 52% reduction, and the oil had no negative effect on fruit quality. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed considerably abnormal mycelial morphology.CONCLUSIONCitronella oil can significantly inhibit A. alternata in vitro and in vivo and has potential as a promising natural product for controlling black rot in cherry tomato. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Amino acid availability in ruminants of cereals and cereal co‐products
Authors: González Javier , Arroyo José M , Guevara‐González Jésus Alberto , Mouhbi Rabiaa , Piquer Olga , Moya Vicente Javier 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDMicrobial corrected in situ estimates of the ruminal undegraded fraction (RU) and intestinal effective digestibility (IED) of amino acids (AA), except tryptophan, of rye, wheat and corn grains, wheat bran, wheat and barley distilled dried grains and corn gluten feed were measured on three rumen‐ and duodenum‐cannulated wethers using 15N‐labelling techniques and considering ruminal rates of particle comminution and outflow.RESULTSThe lack of microbial correction led to overestimations of the intestinal digested fraction that rose with the increase in ruminal degradability. Thus these overestimations varied widely among feeds (from 4.3 to 32.1% for total analysed AA) and among AA. Digestion led to large changes in the AA supply that were greater in the rumen than in the intestine. The impact of these changes on the protein value is conditioned by the magnitude of the undegraded protein fraction.CONCLUSIONMicrobial contamination taking place in the rumen and changes in the AA supply with digestion should be considered to attain accurate estimates of AA digestion. Globally, digestion improved the AA supply in rye, wheat and wheat distilled dried grain and decreased it in corn and corn gluten feed by reducing the supply of valine and basic AA, especially lysine. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
The impact of comorbid migraine on quality‐of‐life outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery
Authors: DeConde Adam S. , Mace Jess C. , Smith Timothy L. 
Published: January 2014

Objectives/HypothesisChronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and migraine are common entities with overlapping symptomatology, yet little research exists that investigates the intersection of the two. This study seeks to investigate whether patients with CRS—with and without a migraine history—experience comparable quality‐of‐life (QOL) improvement after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).Study DesignRetrospective analysis of a prospective cohort.MethodsAn adult population (n = 229) with medically refractory CRS was prospectively evaluated following ESS using disease‐specific QOL surveys: the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index (RSDI), the Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS), and the Sinonasal Outcome Test‐22 (SNOT‐22). History of comorbid migraine was identified (n = 46), and preoperative and postoperative QOL was compared to patients without migraine (n = 183).ResultsPatients migraine and CRS were more likely to be female (P = 0.023); experience allergies (P = 0.024), fibromyalgia (P = 0.009), and depression (P = 0.010); and be less likely to have nasal polyposis (P = 0.003). Objective measures of disease (endoscopy and computed tomography scores) were significantly lower in patients with migraine (P = 0.027 and P = 0.002, respectively), yet these patients scored lower on baseline RSDI and SNOT‐22 scores (P = 0.025 and P = 0.019, respectively). QOL in both patients with and without migraine improved significantly after ESS (P ≤ 0.003) and by comparable magnitudes (P ≥ 0.062).ConclusionPatients with comorbid migraine and CRS are more likely to have less severe evidence of disease and worse preoperative baseline QOL scores. This may imply that comorbid migraine disorder, in the setting of CRS, compels these patients to seek surgical management earlier in the disease process. Regardless, ESS provides comparable improvement for both patients with and without comorbid migraine.Level of Evidence2c. Laryngoscope, 124:1750–1755, 2014
Flavanol metabolites reduce monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells through modulation of expression of genes via p38‐MAPK and p65‐Nf‐kB pathways
Authors: Claude Sylvain , Boby Celine , Rodriguez‐Mateos Ana , Spencer Jeremy P. E. , Gérard Nicolas , Morand Christine , Milenkovic Dragan 
Published: January 2014

ScopeConsumption of flavanol‐rich foods is associated with an improvement in endothelial function. However, the specific biologically active flavanol metabolites involved in this benefit, as well as their molecular mechanisms of action have not been identified. The aim of this work was to examine the effect of plasma flavanol metabolites on adhesion of monocytes to TNF‐α‐activated endothelial cells and identify potential underlying mechanisms.Methods and results4′‐O‐methyl(−)‐epicatechin, 4′‐O‐methyl(−)‐epicatechin‐7‐β‐d‐glucuronide, and (−)­epicatechin‐4′‐sulfate decreased the adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells at physiologically relevant concentrations, from 0.2 to 1 μM. Transcriptomic studies showed that each of the flavanol metabolites affected the expression of different genes in endothelial cells. However, these genes are involved in the cellular processes that control adhesion and migration of monocytes to vascular endothelium, most notably those regulating cell adhesion, cell–cell junctions, focal adhesion, and cytoskeleton remodeling. Gene expression profiles obtained suggest lower monocyte recruitment, in agreement with results from cell adhesion assays. The nutrigenomic effect of metabolites seems to be mediated through their capacity to modulate phosphorylation of p65 and p38 cell‐signaling proteins.ConclusionOur study provides findings into the molecular mechanisms by which plasma flavanol metabolites could be efficient to preserve vascular endothelium integrity in nutritionally relevant conditions.
Structural insights into the SENP6 Loop1 structure in complex with SUMO2
Authors: Alegre Kamela O. , Reverter David 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe SENP proteases regulate the SUMO conjugates in the cell by cleaving SUMO from target proteins. SENP6 and SENP7 are the most divergent members of the SENP/ULP protease family in humans by the presence of insertions in their catalytic domains. Loop1 insertion is determinant for the SUMO2/3 activity and specificity on SENP6 and SENP7. To gain structural insights into the role of Loop1, we have designed a chimeric SENP2 with the insertion of Loop1 into its sequence. The structure of SENP2‐Loop1 in complex with SUMO2 was solved at 2.15 Å resolution, and reveals the details of an interface exclusive to SENP6/7 and the formation of unique contacts between both proteins. Interestingly, functional data with SUMO substrates showed an increase of the proteolytic activity in the SENP2‐Loop1 chimera for diSUMO2 and polySUMO2 substrates.
Biology, ecology and management of the invasive parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.)
Authors: Adkins Steve , Shabbir Asad 
Published: January 2014

AbstractParthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is one of the most aggressive invasive weeds, threatening natural ecosystems and agroecosystems in over 30 countries worldwide. Parthenium weed causes losses of crops and pastures, degrading the biodiversity of natural plant communities, causing human and animal health hazards and resulting in serious economic losses to people and their interests in many countries around the globe. Several of its biological and ecological attributes contribute towards its invasiveness. Various management approaches (namely cultural, mechanical, chemical and biological control) have been used to minimise losses caused by this weed, but most of these approaches are ineffective and uneconomical and/or have limitations. Although chemical control using herbicides and biological control utilising exotic insects and pathogens have been found to contribute to the management of the weed, the weed nevertheless remains a significant problem. An integrated management approach is proposed here for the effective management of parthenium weed on a sustainable basis. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Molecular and phenotypic characterization of Als1 and Als2 mutations conferring tolerance to acetolactate synthase herbicides in soybean
Authors: Walter Kay L , Strachan Stephen D , Ferry Nancy M , Albert Henrik H , Castle Linda A , Sebastian Scott A 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDSulfonylurea (SU) herbicides are effective because they inhibit acetolactate synthase (ALS), a key enzyme in branched‐chain amino acid synthesis required for plant growth. A soybean line known as W4‐4 was developed through rounds of seed mutagenesis and was demonstrated to have a high degree of ALS‐based resistance to both post‐emergence and pre‐emergence applications of a variety of SU herbicides. This report describes the molecular and phenotypic characterization of the Als1 and Als2 mutations that confer herbicide resistance to SUs and other ALS inhibitors.RESULTSThe mutations are shown to occur in two different ALS genes that reside on different chromosomes: Als1 (P178S) on chromosome 4 and Als2 (W560L) on chromosome 6 (P197S and W574L in Arabidopsis thaliana).CONCLUSIONAlthough the Als1 and Als2 genes are unlinked, the combination of these two mutations is synergistic for improved tolerance of soybeans to ALS‐inhibiting herbicides. © 2014 DuPont Pioneer. Pest Management Science published by JohnWiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Zinc oxide films and nanomaterials for photovoltaic applications
Authors: Djurišić Aleksandra B. , Liu Xiang , Leung Yu Hang 
Published: January 2014

AbstractWe provide an overview of ZnO applications in solar cells. ZnO (and ZnO‐based materials) can be used as electrodes and/or scattering/light trapping layers, as well as electron transport layers in solar cells based on nanoparticles and organic materials (polymer solar cells, dye‐sensitized solar cells). For each of these applications, we will briefly summarize common research directions, as well as existing problems and unresolved questions. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Nutrient Retention Associated with Phenological Features in Sparganium Erectum Stands in a Lowland Stream
Authors: Asaeda T. , Rashid M. H. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractIn a previous study, we found that Sparganium erectum, an emergent macrophyte, accumulates sediment inside the stand because of its phenological features. Because this species usually grows in a nutrient‐rich environment, we hypothesize that a high trophic level is maintained in the accumulated sediment. To test this hypothesis, we intensively studied flow velocity, nutrient budget and nutrient flux in and outside of S. erectum stands along the Moto‐Arakawa River, Saitama, Japan and found that the growth stages of S. erectum substantially affected the flow conditions inside the stand. The growth stages of this plant also controlled the depositional rate of sediment and organic particles. After the collapse of each cohort, a substantial amount of organic matter accumulated on the stand bed. Because the accumulated organic matter mineralized very fast, the concentration of total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) increased substantially after the collapse of the shoots. While the concentrations of TC, TN and TP within the stand's sediment varied seasonally, the concentrations of these elements were always higher inside than outside of the stand. More than five times the amount of carbon and twice the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus were physically retained in the stand for 1 year compared with the amounts assimilated by the plants. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the stand's sediment also remained constant throughout the growing period. Conversely, the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of the accumulated sediment was much lower than that of other plant tissues. The main flow contains suspended organic solids that constantly supply the stand and partially occupy the channel where they eventually settle. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Turbulence effects on a full‐scale 2.5 MW horizontal‐axis wind turbine under neutrally stratified conditions
Authors: Chamorro Leonardo P. , Lee S‐J. , Olsen D. , Milliren C. , Marr J. , Arndt R.E.A , Sotiropoulos F. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractA field experiment was carried out to study the unsteady behavior of an instrumented full‐scale 2.5 MW wind turbine under neutral conditions. The analysis focused on the structure of the instantaneous turbine power and strain at its foundation. A meteorological tower located 1.6 rotor diameters upstream of the turbine was used to characterize the turbulent flow. Mean velocity and temperature were steady during the 1 h period selected. The results suggest that the turbine power and foundation strain are modulated by atmospheric turbulence in a complex way. The spectral characteristics of both quantities exhibited three distinctive regions. Within the first region, defined by subrotor length scales, the turbine power was insensitive to the flow turbulence. In the intermediate region, with length scales up to those on the order of the atmospheric boundary layer thickness, the spectral contents of the power fluctuations ΦP and flow ΦU exhibit a non‐linear relationship of the form ΦP = G(f)ΦU, where G(f) ∝ ( ∼ )f − 2 is a transfer/damping function. In the third region, dominated by the very large scales of motions, the power fluctuations are found to be directly influenced by the flow. The strain also showed three regions, similar to the power fluctuations. However, it follows the structure of the inertial subrange of the turbulence at subrotor scales. Intermittent gusts were able to induce intermittent behavior on the turbine power. Finally, the flow and power correlation showed that the velocity at the hub height is the best descriptor of the flow turbulence within the rotor area.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.