bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are we underestimating the genetic variances of dimorphic traits?
Authors: Wolak Matthew E. , Roff Derek A. , Fairbairn Daphne J. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractPopulations often contain discrete classes or morphs (e.g., sexual dimorphisms, wing dimorphisms, trophic dimorphisms) characterized by distinct patterns of trait expression. In quantitative genetic analyses, the different morphs can be considered as different environments within which traits are expressed. Genetic variances and covariances can then be estimated independently for each morph or in a combined analysis. In the latter case, morphs can be considered as separate environments in a bivariate analysis or entered as fixed effects in a univariate analysis. Although a common approach, we demonstrate that the latter produces downwardly biased estimates of additive genetic variance and heritability unless the quantitative genetic architecture of the traits concerned is perfectly correlated between the morphs. This result is derived for four widely used quantitative genetic variance partitioning methods. Given that theory predicts the evolution of genotype‐by‐environment (morph) interactions as a consequence of selection favoring different trait combinations in each morph, we argue that perfect correlations between the genetic architectures of the different morphs are unlikely. A sampling of the recent literature indicates that the majority of researchers studying traits expressed in different morphs recognize this and do estimate morph‐specific quantitative genetic architecture. However, ca. 16% of the studies in our sample utilized only univariate, fixed‐effects models. We caution against this approach and recommend that it be used only if supported by evidence that the genetic architectures of the different morphs do not differ.
America's red gold: multiple lineages of cultivated cochineal in Mexico
Authors: Campana Michael G. , Robles García Nelly M. , Tuross Noreen 
Published: January 2015

AbstractCultivated cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) produces carminic acid, a valuable red dye used to color textiles, cosmetics, and food. Extant nativeD. coccusis largely restricted to two populations in the Mexican and the Andean highlands, although the insect's ultimate center of domestication remains unclear. Moreover, due to MexicanD. coccuscultivation's near demise during the 19th century, the genetic diversity of current cochineal stock is unknown. Through genomic sequencing, we identified two divergentD. coccuspopulations in highland Mexico: one unique to Mexico and another that was more closely related to extant Andean cochineal. Relic diversity is preserved in the crops of small‐scale Mexican cochineal farmers. Conversely, larger‐scale commercial producers are cultivating the Andean‐like cochineal, which may reflect clandestine 20th century importation.
Methylalumoxane – History, Production, Properties, and Applications
Authors: Zijlstra Harmen S. , Harder Sjoerd 
Published: January 2015

AbstractInvited for the cover of this issue is the group of Sjoerd Harder at the University of Erlangen‐Nürnberg, Germany. The cover image shows the birth of methylalumoxane MeAlO (MAO), or at least one of the possible MAO species, by reaction of trimethylaluminum with water.
N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Generation and [4+2] Annulation of Unsubstituted Dienolate – Enantioselective Synthesis of Spirocyclic Oxindolodihydropyranones
Authors: Cheng Jin‐Tang , Chen Xiang‐Yu , Gao Zhong‐Hua , Ye Song 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe N‐heterocyclic carbene catalyzed (NHC‐catalyzed) generation of unsubstituted dienolate (butadienolate) and subsequent [4+2] annulation reactions with isatins afford chiral spirocyclic oxindolodihydropyranones in moderate to good yields with moderate to good enantioselectivities.
A preclinical model of hyperalgesia following spinal stenosis/compression
Authors: Vierck C.J. , Baastrup C. , Maersk‐Moller C. , Roth M. , Cannon R.L. , Finnerup N.B. , Yezierski R.P. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractBackgroundIdentification of mechanisms for pain/hyperalgesia following spinal cord injury requires long‐term evaluation of individual subjects because of the variability in effect over time for humans.MethodsRats were trained on an operant escape task that determined their preference for occupancy of a brightly lit compartment versus a dark compartment with a floor preheated to 10, 32 or 44.5 °C. Following determination of baseline preferences, the animals received extradural implantation of a small piece of polymer in the thoracic spinal canal. The polymer narrowed the spinal canal and compressed the spinal cord. Post‐operative tests of escape preference were conducted over 23 weeks (experiments 1 and 2) and 62 weeks (experiment 3), permitting statistical evaluation of individual effects.ResultsSpinal stenosis/compression produced hyperalgesia for cold and/or heat stimulation (17 animals; 77%), no post‐operative change in sensitivity (4 animals) or hypoalgesia for cold or heat (2 animals). When hyperalgesia occurred, it developed gradually over 4 months. Following removal of the polymer in experiment 3, heat sensitivity returned to baseline levels for four of four animals that had been hyperalgesic when the polymer was in place, but cold hyperalgesia was retained for four of five animals. Overall, post‐operative changes in cold and heat sensitivity were not strongly related, indicating that different mechanisms were responsible for enhanced sensitivity to 10 and 44.5 °C.ConclusionsHistology revealed that hyperalgesia occurred when there was: (1) damage to spinal white matter; or (2) cystic cavitation; or (3) compression and distortion of the spinal cord without an obvious loss of grey or white matter.
Linear Sweep and Cyclic Voltammetries of Reversible Ion Transfer Processes at Macro‐ and Microcapillaries under Transient Regime
Authors: Molina A. , Laborda E. , González J. , Compton R. G. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe voltammetry corresponding to the reversible transfer of an ionic species across a liquid|liquid interface supported at the tip of a capillary is modelled with an approximate analytical treatment. The solution obtained enables the calculation of the electrochemical response in any voltammetric technique when capillaries of any size are employed, including micro‐ and macro‐ liquid|liquid interfaces. The theory is applied to study the effect of the key system variables (capillary size, scan rate and ion diffusion coefficients) on the response obtained in cyclic voltammetry. In all cases, the explicit solution presented provides good description of the influence of the above variables and it allows for the accurate determination of the formal transfer potential.
QoS‐aware ant‐based route, wavelength and timeslot assignment algorithm for optical burst switched networks
Authors: Coulibaly Yahaya , Rouskas George , Abd Latiff Muhammad Shafie , Razzaque M. A. , Mandala Satria 
Published: January 2015

AbstractAll‐optical networks are the aspiration of bandwidth‐greedy applications providers and users such as telecom operators and scientific research centres. Because of the limitations of current network infrastructures, some optical switching paradigms have been proposed. Among these paradigms, optical burst switching (OBS) is seen as the most appropriate solution. However, OBS suffers from high burst loss ratio as a result of contention at the buffer‐less core node. According to current optical technology reviews, cost effective optical memories are yet to be cost effective. In this paper, an ant‐based route, wavelength and timeslot allocation algorithm is proposed to address high burst loss in OBS and improve the overall network performance. The solution was implemented in hierarchical time‐sliced OBS and was evaluated through computer simulation where it was compared with shortest path (SP) algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms SP in terms of burst loss ratio and delay. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PDZ Domain in the Engineering and Production of a Saporin Chimeric Toxin as a Tool for targeting Cancer Cells
Authors: Giansanti Francesco , Sabatini Domenica , Pennacchio Maria Rosaria , Scotti Stefano , Angelucci Francesco , Dhez Anne‐Chloè , Antonosante Andrea , Cimini Annamaria , Giordano Antonio , Ippoliti Rodolfo 
Published: January 2015

ABSTRACTIn this paper we have studied a PDZ protein domain as a possible tool for cellular targeting of the ribosome inactivating protein Saporin, exploiting the ability of PDZ domains to recognize and bind short peptide sequences located at the C‐terminus of a cognate protein. We have focused our attention on the PDZ domain from hCASK (Human calcium/calmodulin‐dependent serine protein kinase) that binds extracellular CD98 in epithelial cells, being this antigen recognized as a marker for several human tumors and particularly considered a negative prognostic marker for human glioblastoma. We produced recombinant fusions of one or two hCASK‐PDZ domains with the ribosome inactivating protein Saporin and assayed them on two human glioblastoma cell lines (GL15 and U87). These constructs proved to be toxic, with increasing activity as a function of the number of PDZ domains, and induce cell death by apoptotic mechanisms in a dose‐dependent and/or time dependent manner. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 1256–1266, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pyrosequencing for Accurate Imprinted Allele Expression Analysis
Authors: Yang Bing , Damaschke Nathan , Yao Tianyu , McCormick Johnathon , Wagner Jennifer , Jarrard David 
Published: January 2015

ABSTRACTGenomic imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism that restricts gene expression to one inherited allele. Improper maintenance of imprinting has been implicated in a number of human diseases and developmental syndromes. Assays are needed that can quantify the contribution of each paternal allele to a gene expression profile. We have developed a rapid, sensitive quantitative assay for the measurement of individual allelic ratios termed Pyrosequencing for Imprinted Expression (PIE). Advantages of PIE over other approaches include shorter experimental time, decreased labor, avoiding the need for restriction endonuclease enzymes at polymorphic sites, and prevent heteroduplex formation which is problematic in quantitative PCR‐based methods. We demonstrate the improved sensitivity of PIE including the ability to detect differences in allelic expression down to 1%. The assay is capable of measuring genomic heterozygosity as well as imprinting in a single run. PIE is applied to determine the status of Insulin‐like Growth Factor‐2 (IGF2) imprinting in human and mouse tissues. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 1165–1170, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preoperative apparent diffusion coefficient value of gastric cancer by diffusion‐weighted imaging: Correlations with postoperative TNM staging
Authors: Liu Song , Wang Hao , Guan Wenxian , Pan Liang , Zhou Zhuping , Yu Haiping , Liu Tian , Yang Xiaofeng , He Jian , Zhou Zhengyang 
Published: January 2015

BackgroundTo determine if the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of gastric cancers on the preoperative diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) correlate with the postoperative TNMs of the lesions.MethodsIn a retrospective clinical study, seventy patients with gastric cancers were enrolled and each underwent a MRI before surgery. DWI was obtained with a single‐shot, echo‐planar imaging sequence in the axial plane (b values: 0 and 1000 s/mm2). The mean and minimum ADC values of the gastric cancers were calculated and compared among various postoperative TNM staging.ResultsBoth mean and minimum ADC values of the gastric cancers correlated with the postoperative T staging (r = −0.464, −0.476; both P < 0.001), N staging (r = −0.402, −0.397; P = 0.001, 0.002) and TNM staging (r = −0.446, −0.437; both P < 0.001). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the differentiating lymph node metastasis were 0.788 for the mean ADC values (P = 0.001) and 0.778 for the minimum ADC values (P = 0.001).ConclusionThe preoperative ADC values of gastric cancers can help to assess the postoperative TNM staging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;42:837–843.
A novel theoretical analysis for the determination of the noise parameters applicable to millimeter‐wave frequencies (invited)
Authors: Boglione Luciano 
Published: January 2015

SummaryThis paper describes in detail a novel, fully analytical technique for the determination of high frequency noise parameters. The technique can be applied at any frequency of interest because the requirement of an external tuner is dropped. The absence of an input tuner removes the practical constraint of operational bandwidth of the system and opens the door to the direct evaluation of noise parameters of active devices in frequency ranges currently inaccessible. The mathematical formulation at the basis of the present technique is applied to the Pospieszalski noise model and is described in detail. The new technique provides an analytical tool to determine the equivalent noise temperatures Tgs and Tds against measured data over a broad frequency range. Limitations and opportunities of the new technique are discussed including new insights into the Pospieszalski noise model. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Composition and biological activities of slaughterhouse blood from red deer, sheep, pig and cattle
Authors: Bah Clara SF , Bekhit Alaa El‐Din A , Carne Alan , McConnell Michelle A 
Published: January 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDAnimal blood is a large‐volume by‐product of the meat industry. Besides blood meal fertiliser, blood is marketed for human consumption as a supplement. Minimal comparative work on slaughterhouse animal blood fractions has been carried out. In this study, slaughterhouse deer, sheep, pig and cattle blood parameters were compared. Some blood constituents were determined. Fractionated blood was assessed for antioxidant activity (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging, oxygen radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power). Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity and antimicrobial activity were also assessed.RESULTSSerum iron ranged from 35.3 ± 0.6 µmol L−1 in cattle to 16.3 ± 3.1 µmol L−1 in deer. Cattle had the highest total plasma proteins (81.7 ± 1.5 g L−1). While the plasma fractions contained considerable antioxidant activity, the red blood cell fractions of all four animal species contained higher antioxidant activity (P < 0.05). Negligible levels of ACE inhibitory activity were found for all animal blood fractions. Antimicrobial activity was detected towards Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with sheep white blood cells from which a crude neutrophil extract was obtained which demonstrated concentration‐dependent inhibitory effects on the growth rates of these bacterial strains.CONCLUSIONFractionated animal blood obtained from local slaughterhouses contains native proteins that possess antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Enantioselective determination of acaricide etoxazole in orange pulp, peel, and whole orange by chiral liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Yao Zhoulin , Li Zuguang , Zhuang Shulin , Li Xiaoge , Xu Mingfei , Lin Mei , Wang Qiang , Zhang Hu 
Published: January 2015

An efficient enantioselective method for the determination of etoxazole in orange pulp, peel, and whole orange was developed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The enantioseparation was performed on a Chiralpak AD‐3R column at 30ºC using acetonitrile with 0.1% formic acid solution (80:20, v/v) as the mobile phase in less than 5 min. Quantification was achieved using matrix‐matched standard calibration curves. The overall mean recoveries for two enantiomers from orange pulp and whole orange were 91.0–99.6% and the orange peel was 92.6–103.1%, with relative standard deviations of 0.8–5.4% intraday and 2.0–4.8% interday at 1, 10, and 100 μg/kg levels, and 1.3–5.2% intraday and 3.5–4.3% interday at 5, 50, and 500 μg/kg levels, respectively. The limits of quantification for all enantiomers in three matrices did not exceed 5 μg/kg. Moreover, the absolute configuration of etoxazole enantiomers had been determined by the combination of experimental and predicted electronic circular dichroism spectra, and the first eluted enantiomer was confirmed as (S)‐etoxazole on a Chiralpak AD‐3R column while (R)‐etoxazole was first on three cellulose chiral columns. The application of the proposed method to real sample analysis suggests its potential use in enantioselective determination of etoxazole enantiomers in citrus.
High‐throughput salting‐out‐assisted liquid–liquid extraction for the simultaneous determination of atorvastatin, ortho‐hydroxyatorvastatin, and para‐hydroxyatorvastatin in human plasma using ultrafast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Yang Yong , Xu Qiufang , Zhou Lei , Zhong Dafang , Chen Xiaoyan 
Published: January 2015

A high‐throughput, specific, and rapid liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was established and validated for the simultaneous determination of atorvastatin and its two major metabolites, ortho‐hydroxyatorvastatin and para‐hydroxyatorvastatin, in human plasma. A simple salting‐out‐assisted liquid–liquid extraction using acetonitrile and a mass‐spectrometry‐friendly salt, ammonium acetate, was employed to extract the analytes from human plasma. A recovery of more than 81% for all analytes was achieved in 1 min extraction time. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Kinetex XB C18 column utilizing a gradient elution starting with a 60% of water solution (1% formic acid), followed by increasing percentages of acetonitrile. Analytes were detected on a tandem mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source that was operated in the positive mode, using the transitions of m/z 559.3 → m/z 440.2 for atorvastatin, and m/z 575.3 → m/z 440.2 for both ortho‐ and para‐hydroxyatorvastatin. Deuterium‐labeled compounds were used as the internal standards. The method was validated over the concentration ranges of 0.0200–15.0 ng/mL for atorvastatin and ortho‐hydroxyatorvastatin, and 0.0100–2.00 ng/mL for para‐hydroxyatorvastatin with acceptable accuracy and precision. It was then successfully applied in a bioequivalence study of atorvastatin.
Triple‐stimulation technique improves the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy
Authors: Attarian Shahram , Franques Jérôme , Elisabeth Jouve , Trébuchon Agnes , Duclos Yann , Wybrecht Délphine , Verschueren Annie , Salort‐Campana Emmanuelle , Pouget Jean 
Published: January 2015

ABSTRACTIntroduction: A difficult clinical situation occurs when a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) patient does not fulfill any of the diagnostic criteria. Moreover, nerve conduction studies (NCS) can be consistent with axonal neuropathy and lead to misdiagnosis. Methods: We aimed to assess the usefulness of the triple‐stimulation technique (TST) for detection of proximal conduction blocks (CBs) in patients with axonal‐like CIDP. Four patients with axonal‐like CIDP were studied and compared with 10 typical CIDP patients. In the axonal‐like group, NCS showed a decrease in compound muscle action potential amplitude without features of demyelination, but nerve biopsy showed features of demyelination in all 4. Results: Twelve nerves were tested with TST, and 8 CBs were detected between the root emergence and the Erb point in the 4 patients, all of whom improved after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin. Conclusion: TST can identify very proximal CBs in CIDP. The sensitivity of nerve conduction studies may be improved by TST in CIDP. Muscle Nerve 51: 541–548, 2015
A NURBS‐based interface‐enriched generalized finite element method for problems with complex discontinuous gradient fields
Authors: Safdari Masoud , Najafi Ahmad R. , Sottos Nancy R. , Geubelle Philippe H. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryA non‐uniform rational B‐splines (NURBS)‐based interface‐enriched generalized finite element method is introduced to solve problems with complex discontinuous gradient fields observed in the structural and thermal analysis of the heterogeneous materials. The presented method utilizes generalized degrees of freedom and enrichment functions based on NURBS to capture the solution with non‐conforming meshes. A consistent method for the generation and application of the NURBS‐based enrichment functions is introduced. These enrichment functions offer various advantages including simplicity of the integration, possibility of different modes of local solution refinement, and ease of implementation. In addition, we show that these functions well capture weak discontinuities associated with highly curved material interfaces. The convergence, accuracy, and stability of the method in the solution of two‐dimensional elasto‐static problems are compared with the standard finite element scheme, showing improved accuracy. Finally, the performance of the method for solving problems with complex internal geometry is highlighted through a numerical example. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accelerated time integrator for multiple time scale homogenization
Authors: Crouch Robert , Oskay Caglar 
Published: January 2015

SummaryThis manuscript presents an accelerated time domain homogenization methodology for prediction of material and structural failure under fatigue loading. The methodology is based on mathematical homogenization theory applied to the time domain. The method addresses the computational challenge associated with the scale disparity between the characteristic fatigue load period and the overall fatigue life. Cycle sensitive continuum damage mechanics modeling is used to describe the progressive damage accumulation under fatigue loading. The original initial boundary value problem is decomposed into coupled fast and slow time scale problems. A quasilinear approximation to the fast time scale problem is introduced to efficiently evaluate the response under a fatigue load cycle. The effect of the new time integrator on the thermodynamic consistency of the resulting system of discrete equations is demonstrated for a general class of continuum damage mechanics models. The proposed method is numerically verified based on a scalar damage model and a spatially multiscale damage model used for predicting fatigue life of composite materials. The proposed accelerated time integrator is shown to have reasonable accuracy and is orders of magnitude more computationally efficient when compared with previously proposed time homogenization methods. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.