bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of Secondary Allylic Alcohols
Authors: Shoola Christopher O. , DelMastro Thomas , Wu Ruoqiu , Sowa John R. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractRacemic secondary allylic alcohols were transformed into optically active secondary alcohols by a combined Ru‐catalyzed isomerization/asymmetric transfer‐hydrogenation reaction. The catalyst was generated in situ in isopropyl alcohol from di‐μ‐chlorobis[(p‐cymene)chlororuthenium(II)], the chiral ligand (1S,2S)‐N‐(p‐tolylsulfonyl)‐1,2‐diphenylethylenediamine, and K2CO3, and the products were afforded in yields up to 97 % with up to 93 % enantiomeric excess without the use of hydrogen gas. A Hammett study revealed that the reaction rate was enhanced with electron‐withdrawing aryl substituents. The reaction supports the recent work published by Adolfsson et al. as new methodology for the synthesis of chiral compounds from allylic alcohols.
Toxic effects of combined stressors on Daphnia pulex: Interactions between diazinon, 4-nonylphenol, and wastewater effluent
Authors: Zein Maya A. , McElmurry Shawn P. , Kashian Donna R. , Savolainen Peter T. , Pitts David K. 
Published: February 2015

Abstract

Contaminant exposure in aqueous systems typically involves complex chemical mixtures. Given the large number of compounds present in the environment, it is critical to identify hazardous chemical interactions rapidly. The present study utilized a prototype for a novel high-throughput assay to quantify behavioral changes over time to identify chemical interactions that affect toxicity. The independent and combined effects of 2 chemicals, diazinon (an insecticide) and 4-nonylphenol (a detergent metabolite), on the swimming behavior of the freshwater crustacean Daphnia pulex were examined. Cumulative distance and change in direction were measured repeatedly via optical tracking over 90 min. Exposure to low concentrations of diazinon (0.125–2 µM) or 4-nonylphenol (0.25–4 µM) elicited significant concentration- and time-dependent effects on swimming behavior. Exposure to 0.5 µM 4-nonylphenol alone did not significantly alter mean cumulative distance but did elicit a small, significant increase in mean angle, the measure of change in direction. When 0.5 µM 4-nonylphenol was used in combination with diazinon (0.125–0.5 µM), it augmented the adverse impact of diazinon on the swimming behavior of Daphnia. Additionally, enhanced sensitivity to diazinon was observed in animals exposed to treated wastewater effluent for 24 h prior to a diazinon challenge. The present experiments demonstrate that exposure to 4-nonylphenol and complex chemical mixtures (e.g., treated wastewater) can enhance the toxicity of exposure to the insecticide diazinon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:1145–1153. © 2015 SETAC
Overcoming any configuration limitation: an alternative operating mode for pervaporation and vapour permeation
Authors: Genduso Giuseppe , Luis Patricia , Van der Bruggen Bart 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDMembranes are the core and the main limitation of pervaporation. For example, in certain cases (more often for organic–organic mixtures) a pure product is not attainable as a permeate of a single stage and a series of membrane stages spaced by a condenser is required, making the process economically unacceptable.RESULTSThis work discusses the use of an alternative approach by exploring the multi‐stage‐batch‐pervaporation (MSBP) unit operation. Here, the permeate obtained after each batch‐stage is recycled to the feed tank to increase the permeate product purity in a following stage. The separation of methanol–methyl acetate mixtures was chosen as a case study.Simulations demonstrate how a multi‐stage‐batch‐pervaporation unit is able to meet product purity requirements, by varying the stage‐termination condition and the number of stages, employing a single membrane‐module and a single condenser.Moreover, a new way to visualize pervaporation separation performance of different membranes is proposed to replace the pervaporation separation index (PSI) analysis.CONCLUSIONBeing very flexible, the multi‐stage‐batch‐pervaporation unit operation could be of benefit for all small batch productions, even when using medium‐low performance membranes. Parts of continuous productions could also be suitable for multi‐stage‐batch‐pervaporation systems. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Catalytic upgrading of bio‐oils by esterification
Authors: Ciddor Lachlan , Bennett James A , Hunns James A , Wilson Karen , Lee Adam F 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACTBiomass is the term given to naturally‐produced organic matter resulting from photosynthesis, and represents the most abundant organic polymers on Earth. Consequently, there has been great interest in the potential exploitation of lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable feedstock for energy, materials and chemicals production. The energy sector has largely focused on the direct thermochemical processing of lignocellulose via pyrolysis/gasification for heat generation, and the co‐production of bio‐oils and bio‐gas which may be upgraded to produce drop‐in transportation fuels. This mini‐review describes recent advances in the design and application of solid acid catalysts for the energy efficient upgrading of pyrolysis biofuels. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Differentiating benign from malignant vertebral fractures using T1‐weighted dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI
Authors: Arevalo‐Perez Julio , Peck Kyung K. , Lyo John K. , Holodny Andrei I. , Lis Eric , Karimi Sasan 
Published: February 2015

PurposeTo differentiate pathologic from benign vertebral fractures, which can be challenging. We hypothesized that dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) can aid in the noninvasive distinction between pathologic and benign fractures.Materials and MethodsConsecutive patients with vertebral fractures who underwent DCE‐MRI, biopsy, and kyphoplasty were reviewed. Forty‐seven fractures were separated into pathologic and benign fractures. Benign fractures were in turn separated into acute and chronic fractures for further comparison. Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed over fractured vertebral bodies. Perfusion parameters: plasma volume (Vp), Ktrans, wash‐in slope, peak enhancement, and area under the curve (AUC) were measured and compared between the three different groups of fractures. A Mann–Whitney U‐test was conducted to assess the difference between the groups.ResultsPathologic fractures had significantly higher (P < 0.01) perfusion parameters (Vp, Ktrans, wash‐in slope, peak enhancement, and AUC) compared with benign fractures. We also found significant differences (P < 0.001) in all parameters between chronic and acute fractures. Vp and Ktrans were able to differentiate between pathologic and acute fractures (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found with peak enhancement (P = 0.21) and AUC (P = 0.4) between pathologic and acute fractures.ConclusionOur data demonstrate that T1‐weighted DCE‐MRI has potential to differentiate between pathologic vs. benign, acute vs. chronic, and most important, benign acute vs. pathologic vertebral fractures. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;42:1039–1047.
Expression of recombinant Arabian camel lactoferricin‐related peptide in Pichia pastoris and its antimicrobial identification
Authors: Chahardooli Mahmood , Niazi Ali , Aram Farzaneh , Sohrabi Seyyed Mohsen 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDLactoferricin (LFcin) is a strong cationic peptide released from the N‐terminus of lactoferrin by gastric pepsin digestion. LFcin has some important properties, including high antimicrobial activity. To date, lactoferricins have been isolated and characterised from various animal species, but not from camel. The aim of this study was to characterise and express recombinant camel lactoferricin (LFcinC) in Pichia pastoris and investigate its antimicrobial activity.RESULTSAfter methanol induction, LFcinC was expressed and secreted into a culture broth medium and the results determined by concentrated supernatant culture medium showed high antimicrobial activity against the following microorganisms: Escherichia coli PTCC 1330 (ATCC 8739), Staphylococcus aureus PTCC 1112 (ATCC 6538), Pseudomonas aeruginosa PTCC 1074 (ATCC 9027), Bacillus subtilis PTCC 1023 (ATCC 6633), and Candida albicans PTCC 5027 (ATCC 10231). Thermal stability was clarified with antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli PTCC 1330 (ATCC 8739).CONCLUSIONResults confirmed that camel lactoferricin had suitable antimicrobial activity and its production by Pichia pastoris can be used for recombinant production. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Electrically Conductive Graphene/Poly(methyl methacrylate) Composites with Ultra‐Low Percolation Threshold by Electrostatic Self‐Assembly in Aqueous Medium
Authors: Vo Ngoc Hoang , Dao Trung Dung , Jeong Han Mo 
Published: February 2015

Thermally reduced graphene modified with cationic ammonium ions (AAG)—affording a stable dispersion in water—self‐assembles well by electrostatic interaction on the surface of anionic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles of various sizes, by simple mixing in water. An interconnected 3D electrically conductive network of AAG is effectively generated in the composite when the self‐assembled composite is compression molded. The AAG network becomes wide‐meshed and electrical conduction is improved when the PMMA particle size increases, exhibiting a percolation threshold of electrical conductivity as low as 0.06 vol%. In contrast, the protection of PMMA from oxidation by air is more effective when the network is fine‐meshed.
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A Self‐Assembling Dendritic Reactor: Versatile Formation of Characteristic Patterns with Nanoscale Dimension
Authors: Imaoka Takane , Bukeo Noriko , Yamamoto Kimihisa 
Published: February 2015

Spherical dendrimers with phenylazomethine backbones are modified onto atomically flat mica or graphite substrates with a simple solvent based spin‐coating method, and the resulting surfaces are observed by atomic force microscopy. Especially on the mica substrate, dendrimers form very fine and highly regular patterns with aligned nano‐dot arrays and lines. An important observation is that the interval of each dot or line is ≈400 nm whereas previously reported self‐assembling patterns exhibit longer intervals than 5 μm. It is revealed that spherical dendrimers with relatively low intermolecular interactions without any terminal modifications are suitable for the fine self‐assembling pattern formation. This fact suggests that the regular pattern arises from a physical dissipative structure formation due to a fingering instability induced by Marangoni convection but not by anisotropic intermolecular interactions.
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Modelling of coupled fluid‐mechanical problems in fractured geological media using enriched finite elements
Authors: Silvestre Jose Roberto , Vargas Euripedes do Amaral , Vaz Luiz Eloy , Soares Antonio Claudio 
Published: February 2015

SummaryGeological environments, such as petroleum reservoirs, normally exhibit physical discontinuities, for example, fractures and faults. Because of the reduced thickness of these discontinuities, finite element formulations with strong discontinuity have been applied to the numerical modelling of geological environments. Until now, two relevant characteristics of petroleum reservoirs have not been addressed by these formulations. The first is the pore pressure jump in the direction normal to a discontinuity in a fluid‐mechanical coupling condition, which is present primarily in sealing faults owing to the contrast of permeability with the porous medium. The absence of this jump can affect the prediction of the deformability of a physical discontinuity. Furthermore, reservoir models frequently use coarse meshes. Thus, the method used to evaluate the pore pressure in the discontinuity may exhibit a strong dependence relative to the mesh refinement. Based on these characteristics, in this study, a formulation of an enriched finite element for application to coupled fluid‐mechanical problems with pre‐existing physical discontinuities saturated by a single fluid is presented. The formulation employs discontinuous interpolation functions and enables the reproduction of jumps of displacement and pore pressure associated with a discontinuity inside the element without the need to discretise it. An approximation to estimate the pore pressure in the discontinuity was developed, one which seeks to minimise the influence of refinement. The element's response is verified by comparison with a one‐dimensional analytical solution and simple examples that are simulated using commercial software. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Insight into the Meligethes aeneus voltage‐sensitive sodium channel structure and an attempt to select the best pyrethroid ligands
Authors: Obrępalska‐Stęplowska Aleksandra , Czerwoniec Anna , Wieczorek Przemysław , Wrzesińska Barbara 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe voltage‐sensitive sodium channel (VSSC) is a target for the pharmacological action of pyrethroids which are used in controlling pests, including those of agricultural importance. Among these is the pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus F.) – the most serious pest of Brassica napus. Owing to the heavy use of pyrethroids, a widespread build‐up of resistance has occurred. The main cause of pyrethroid insensitivity in M. aeneus is considered to be an increased oxidative metabolism; however, the additional mechanism of resistance associated with mutations in the VSSC might contribute to this phenomenon.RESULTSWe generated a VSSC 3D model to study the docking affinities of pyrethroids to their target site within the channel. Our goal was to identify the pyrethroids for which docking affinity scores were high and not affected by potential mutations in the VSSC. We found that the docking scores of cypermethrin are hardly influenced by the appearance of point mutations. Additionally, tau‐fluvalinate, deltamethrin and bifenthrin are VSSC ligands with high affinity scores.CONCLUSIONSOur docking models suggest that point mutations in the VSSC binding pocket might affect the stability of ligand interactions and change the pattern of ligand docking locations, which might have a potential effect on VSSC gating properties. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
A Multimetric Macroinvertebrate Index for the Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive in French Guiana, East Amazonia
Authors: Dedieu N. , Clavier S. , Vigouroux R. , Cerdan P. , Céréghino R. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractNeotropical, overseas regions of Europe are subjected to the same water policy objectives as the continental ones but were overlooked during recent developments of bioindicators that fulfil the Water Framework Directive guidelines. We designed a macroinvertebrate‐based multimetric index [Indice Biotique Macroinvertébrés de Guyane (IBMG)] to assess ecological health in remote headwater‐small streams of French Guiana, Europe's only overseas region of continental South America. Invertebrates were sampled at 95 sites including reference and impacted river reaches, following a standardized protocol. Among the 102 biological metrics calculated from site‐specific data, we selected metrics exhibiting the best trade‐off between high discrimination efficiency, low specificity, low redundancy and high stability under reference conditions. The IBMG is composed of two taxonomic richness‐based metrics, two abundance‐based metrics, one trait‐related metric and a diversity index (Shannon's entropy). Each metric was weighted by its discrimination efficiency. Using a test data set, we found that the IBMG was sensitive to the range of disturbances in French Guiana. Finally, comparing the IBMG with other indices developed in other neotropical countries reveals that, for several reasons, multimetric indices developed in the neotropics may perform well in the context of the data sets used to generate them but would certainly fail to be robust when used elsewhere. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Composition of Catalpa ovata Seed Oil and Flavonoids in Seed Meal as Well as Their Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Xu Hong‐yu , Zhu Li‐rong , Dong Juan‐e , Wei Qin , Lei Ming 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn view of the growing demand for vegetable oil, currently exploration of some non‐conventional oils is of great concern. This study firstly analyzed the contents of fatty acids, phytosterols, and tocopherols in Catalpa ovata seed oil collected from four different Provinces in China. Then the composition of flavonoids as well as their antioxidant activities in defatted seed meal was determined. The results showed that the relative oil content in C. ovata seeds ranged from 24.0 to 36.0 % and seed oil was mainly composed of fatty acids linoleic acid (43.4–50.1 %), α‐linolenic acid (23.8–24.4 %), and oleic acid (13.1–16.2 %). The content of unsaturated fatty acids was up to 85.0 %. Sterol in seed oil mainly contained campesterol, stigmasterol, and β‐sitosterol. β‐sitosterol accounted for 74.0 % of the total sterol. The tocopherol content was 173.0–225.7 mg/100 g. Defatted seed meal from Hubei Province showed the highest content of total flavonoids (11 mg/g) and the strongest activities for DPPH radicals scavenging, ABTS radicals scavenging, and ferric reducing antioxidant power compared with other defatted seed meal in this study. Seven flavonoids were identified from C. ovata seed meal. These results suggest that C. ovata seeds may be developed as a new source of oil and can also be properly used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Effect of Subcritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction and Bran Stabilization Methods on Rice Bran Oil
Authors: Chia S. L. , Boo H. C. , Muhamad K. , Sulaiman R. , Umanan F. , Chong G. H. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe extraction of rice bran oil using the conventional organic solvent‐based Soxhlet method involves hazardous chemicals, whereas supercritical fluid extraction is a costly high‐temperature operating system. The subcritical carbon dioxide Soxhlet (SCDS) system, which operates at a low temperature, was evaluated for the extraction of rice bran oil in this study. In addition, rice bran that had been subjected to steam or hot‐air stabilization were compared with unstabilized rice bran (control). The yields; contents of tocopherols, tocotrienols and oryzanol; fatty acid profiles; and the oxidative stabilities of the extracted rice bran oils were analyzed. The yields using hexane and SCDS extraction were approximately 22 and 13–14.5 %, respectively. However, oil extracted using the SCDS system contained approximately 10 times more oryzanol and tocol compounds and had lower free fatty acid levels and peroxide values compared with hexane‐extracted oil. Overall, SCDS extraction of steamed rice bran represents a promising method to produce premium‐quality rice bran oil.
Brief report: Sex differences in suicide rates and suicide methods among adolescents in South Korea, Japan, Finland, and the US
Authors: Park Subin 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACTSex differences in suicide rates and suicide methods was compared among adolescents in South Korea, Japan, Finland, and the United States. This study analyzed suicide rates and suicide methods of adolescents aged 15–19 years in four countries, using the World Health Organization mortality database. Among both male and female adolescents, the most common method of suicide was jumping from heights in South Korea and hanging in Japan. In Finland, jumping in front of moving objects and firearms were frequently used by males, but not by females. In the United States, males were more likely to use firearms, and females were more likely to use poison. The male to female ratio of suicide rates was higher in the United States (3.8) and Finland (3.6) than in Korea (1.3) and Japan (1.9). Sex differences in suicide methods may contribute to differences in the suicide rates among males and female adolescents in different countries.
Body composition and behaviour in adult rats are influenced by maternal diet, maternal age and high-fat feeding
Authors: Ware S. , Voigt J.-P. , Langley-Evans S. C. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractFetal exposure to maternal undernutrition has lifelong consequences for physiological and metabolic function. Maternal low-protein diet is associated with an age-related phenotype in rats, characterised by a period of resistance to development of obesity in early adulthood, giving way to an obesity-prone, insulin-resistant state in later adulthood. Offspring of rats fed a control (18 % casein) or low-protein (9 % casein; LP) diet in pregnancy were challenged with a high-fat diet at 9 months of age. To assess whether other maternal factors modulated the programming effects of nutrition, offspring were studied from young (2–4 months old) and older (6–9 months old) mothers. Weight gain with a high-fat diet was attenuated in male offspring of older mothers fed LP (interaction of maternal age and diet; P = 0·011) and adipose tissue deposition was lower with LP feeding in both males and females (P < 0·05). Although the resistance to weight gain and adiposity was partially explained by lower energy intake in offspring of LP mothers (P < 0·001 males only), it was apparent that energy expenditure must be influenced by maternal diet and age. Assessment of locomotor activity indicated that energy expenditure associated with physical activity was unlikely to explain resistance to weight gain, but showed that offspring of older mothers were more anxious than those of younger mothers, with more rearing observed in a novel environment and on the elevated plus-maze. The data showed that in addition to maternal undernutrition, greater maternal age may influence development and long-term body composition in the rat.
Dietary patterns interact with APOA1/APOC3 polymorphisms to alter the risk of the metabolic syndrome: the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
Authors: Hosseini-Esfahani Firoozeh , Mirmiran Parvin , Daneshpour Maryam S. , Mehrabi Yadollah , Hedayati Mehdi , Soheilian-Khorzoghi Mona , Azizi Fereidoun 
Published: February 2015

The interaction of genetic and dietary factors, as an area of CVD research, has been explored poorly. The aim of the present study was to examine the interaction of dietary patterns and three genetic variants of APOA1 and APOC3, both independently and in combination, relative to the risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Tehranian adults. In the present matched, nested case–control study, 414 subjects with the MetS and 414 controls were selected from the participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Dietary patterns were determined by factor analysis. APOC3 (rs5128 3238C>G) and APOA1 (rs670, − 75G>A and rs5069,+83C>T) SNP were genotyped by the conventional PCR followed by the restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. Overall, three major dietary patterns were extracted: healthy dietary pattern (HDP); Western dietary pattern (WDP); fat–sweet dietary pattern (FSDP). The A and T allele carriers of the APOA1 SNP had a greater risk of developing the MetS in the highest quartile of WDP scores (OR 3·22, 95 % CI 1·21, 8·58, Pinteraction= 0·03). Compared with other genotype combinations, the combined effect of APOC3/APOA1 (CC/GA+AA/CT+TT) genotypes showed a further increase in the risk of the MetS in the highest quartile of WDP scores (OR 1, 2·49, 8·73, 6·32, Ptrend< 0·001, Pinteraction= 0·003). A significant interaction was found between the quartiles of FSDP scores and the APOA1 diplotype (GA+AA/CT+TT). OR for these genotype carriers were 1, 0·65, 0·57 and 0·22 (Ptrend= 0·006) in the lowest to the highest quartile of FSDP scores when compared with the other combined genotypes (Pinteraction= 0·03). Our findings suggest that the WDP and FSDP are associated with APOA1 and APOC3 SNP in relation to the risk of the MetS.