bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimization of integrated electrochemical oxidation and biodegradation (EO‐BD) for Kraft lignin
Authors: Cui Xiaomin , Liang Jidong , Wang Dongqi 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe effluent from pulp and paper mills is difficult to treat effectively via conventional biochemical processes due to the high concentration of lignin and its derivatives. In this study, the integration of electrochemical oxidation and biodegradation (EO‐BD) for Kraft lignin (KL) was proposed to potentially enhance the efficiency of the treatment. Typical anodes, titanium based antimony doped tin dioxide electrodes (Ti/Sb‐SnO2), were used in the pre‐degradation of KL solution (1000 mg L−1), followed by post‐biodegradation using aerobic flora as inocula. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the EO‐BD of KL.RESULTSThe optimum conditions obtained via RSM were: current density 3.68 mA cm−2, electric quantity 14.49 kC and pH 9.0. Under these conditions, the maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate and minimum specific energy consumption were predicted by the correlation developed to be 70.83% and 28.84 kWh kg−1 COD, respectively, which agreed well with the experimental data. The results of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis indicated that KL was partially degraded by EO, which was beneficial to the subsequent biodegradation.CONCLUSIONThis study validated the technical feasibility of adopting the EO‐BD process to enhance KL degradation. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Toward a computational multiresolution analysis for radial point interpolation meshless method
Authors: Afsari Arman , Chehrazi Akram , Movahhedi Masoud 
Published: March 2014

SUMMARYIn this work, the application of Daubechies' scaling functions (DSFs) in computational engineering, particulary radial point interpolation meshless method (RPIM) in electromagnetic engineering, is studied. This analysis indicates some shortcomings of DSFs in computational engineering. In fact, the DSFs take the role of shape functions in RPIM, but they do not hold some general properties of shape functions. Modifying these shortcomings according to engineering requirements as time consumption rate, new scaling (shape) functions are derived, and testing them into two important classes of electromagnetic problems, that is, incident wave on dielectrics and scatterers, gives good agreement with exact solutions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evolution of polyphenols and organic acids during the fermentation of apple cider
Authors: Ye Mengqi , Yue Tianli , Yuan Yahong 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDPolyphenols and organic acids are important constitutes in the cider because they greatly contribute to organoleptic quality. The determination of their changes is important for monitoring the fermentation process for purposes of quality control. In this study, the evolution of polyphenols and organic acids was monitored throughout the cider fermentation process. The samples were taken periodically and the polyphenols and organic acids contents were determined using HPLC methods.RESULTSThe contents of polyphenols and organic acids were in constant change. After fermentation, the content of (+)‐catechin, (−)‐epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, p‐coumaric acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rutin and phloridzin decreased by different degrees, while protocatechuic acid increased after fermentation. The content of organic acids was also affected by fermentation. Malic acid, lactic acid, quinic acid, pyruvic acid and citric acid showed different levels of increase, but succinic acid content decreased.CONCLUSIONSThe contents of polyphenols and organic acids were affected by fermentation. Their changing profiles during fermentation process were dependent on the type of phenolic compounds and organic acids studied. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Factors affecting distribution and abundance of Aspergillus section Nigri in vineyard soils from grapevine growing regions of Argentina
Authors: Barberis Mauricio G , Giaj Merlera Guillermo , Reynoso Maria M , Chulze Sofia N , Torres Adriana M 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDAspergillus species belonging to section Nigri are the main fungi responsible for ochratoxin (OTA) contamination in grapes and wine. These species live as saprophytes in the superficial layer of the vineyard soil. We evaluated the biodiversity of potentially ochratoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Nigri isolated from vineyard soils from different grapevine growing regions of Argentina. The isolates were characterized by classical and molecular methods. A multiple correspondence analysis was performed to identify the overall correlation of the Aspergillus group distribution with environmental conditions, geographical characteristics and vineyard practices.RESULTSAspergillus niger aggregate was the prevalent group (71%) and A. carbonarius made up only 2%. Species discrimination by species‐specific primers showed that in A. niger aggregate 89% were A. tubingensis; 97% of the uniseriate were A. japonicus/A. aculeatus. Isolates belonging to these groups were unable to produce OTA. Our results clearly demonstrate a strong association between presence of A. carbonarius, high average temperatures and drip irrigation. Precipitation levels appear as a secondary factor, and altitude, vineyard age, predominant species, grape variety or total fungal count showed no association with A. carbonarius.CONCLUSIONWe demonstrated a low prevalence of ochratoxigenic species in vineyard soil from the grape‐growing regions of Argentina. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
RhoA activation by CNFy restores cell–cell adhesion in kindlin‐2‐deficient keratinocytes
Authors: He Yinghong , Sonnenwald Tanja , Sprenger Adrian , Hansen Uwe , Dengjel Joern , Bruckner‐Tuderman Leena , Schmidt Gudula , Has Cristina 
Published: March 2014

AbstractKindlins are a family of integrin adapter and cell–matrix adhesion proteins causally linked to human genetic disorders. Kindlin‐2 is a ubiquitously expressed protein with manifold functions and interactions. The contribution of kindlin‐2 to integrin‐based cell–matrix adhesions has been extensively explored, while other integrin‐independent roles emerge. Because of the early involvement of kindlin‐2 in development, no viable animal models with its constitutional knockout are available to study its physiological functions in adult skin. Here, we uncovered a critical physiological role of kindlin‐2 in the epidermis by using a skin‐equivalent model with shRNA‐mediated knock‐down of kindlin‐2 in keratinocytes. Kindlin‐2‐deficient keratinocytes built stratified epidermal layers, but displayed impaired dermal–epidermal and intra‐epidermal adhesion and barrier function. Co‐immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that kindlin‐2 interacts with both integrin‐ and cadherin‐based adhesions. In kindlin‐2‐deficient keratinocytes, reduced cell–cell adhesion was associated with abnormal cytoplasmic distribution of adherens junctions and desmosomal proteins, which was dependent on RhoA activation. Direct activation of RhoA with recombinant bacterial cytotoxic necrotizing factor y (CNFy) reverted the abnormal phenotype and barrier function of kindlin‐2‐deficient keratinocytes and skin equivalents. These findings have physiological and pathological significance, since kindlin‐2 expression modulates the phenotype in Kindler syndrome, a skin fragility disorder caused by kindlin‐1 deficiency. Our results suggest that pharmacological regulation of RhoGTPase activity may represent a therapeutic option for skin fragility. Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Efficient video frame insertion and deletion detection based on inconsistency of correlations between local binary pattern coded frames
Authors: Zhang Zhenzhen , Hou Jianjun , Ma Qinglong , Li Zhaohong 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTFrame insertion and deletion are common inter‐frame forgery in digital videos. In this paper, an efficient method based on quotients of correlation coefficients between local binary patterns (LBPs) coded frames is proposed. This method is composed of two parts: feature extraction and abnormal point detection. In the feature extraction, each frame of a video is coded by LBP. Then, quotients of correlation coefficients among sequential LBP‐coded frames are calculated. In the abnormal point detection, insertion and deletion localization is achieved by using Tchebyshev inequality twice followed by abnormal points detection based on decision‐thresholding. Experimental results show that our method has high detection accuracy and low computational complexity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Editorial: Well Documented Articles Achieve More Impact
Authors: Albers Sönke 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis issue offers for the first time supplementary material to articles. It consists of Excel files providing data the research is based on, calculation sheets, and optimization tools. Moreover, text files with pseudo code of algorithms and data of instances used for testing these algorithms as well as a video file with a demonstration of the use of a system in experiments are supplied for download. This material facilitates the understanding of the published articles and the replication of their findings to the benefit of scientific progress. And last but not least, such well documented articles will achieve much more impact.
Who has really paid for the Reconstruction of East Germany? Expected and Realized Returns on Real Estate Investments in East and West Germany in the 1990s
Authors: Kiesewetter Dirk , Bensemann Tina , Schönemann Kristin 
Published: March 2014

AbstractWe evaluate the profitability of investments in residential property in Germany after unification with a focus on the comparison of East and West Germany. Calculations are carried out for (1) the after-tax return an investor might have expected at the beginning of the 1990s, and (2) the after-tax return that has been realized ten years after. We compare a set of statistical data for investments in fifty major cities by using complete financial budgeting. The results show that tax subsidies could not always protect investors from losing money, but they have boosted realized returns after tax considerably. Therefore, it was indeed the taxpayers, not the investors, who have borne the cost of reconstructing East Germany.
Borderline Resectable Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma: A Potential Role for Preoperative Chemotherapy
Authors: Bednarski Brian K. , Habra Mouhammed Amir , Phan Alexandria , Milton Denai R. , Wood Christopher , Vauthey Nicholas , Evans Douglas B. , Katz Matthew H. , Ng Chaan S. , Perrier Nancy D. , Lee Jeffrey E. , Grubbs Elizabeth G. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBackgroundAdrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) may have tumor or patient characteristics at presentation that argue against immediate surgery because of an unacceptable risk of morbidity/mortality, incomplete resection, or recurrence. This clinical stage can be characterized as borderline resectable ACC (BRACC). At present, systemic therapies in ACC can reduce tumor burden in some patients, creating an opportunity in BRACC for a strategy of preoperative chemotherapy (ctx) followed by surgery.Materials and MethodsA single‐institution retrospective review was conducted of all patients considered for surgery for primary ACC. Patients with BRACC treated with preoperative ctx were categorized as follows: group A, imaging suggesting a need for multiorgan/vascular resection; group B, imaging suggesting potentially resectable oligometastases; and group C, patients having marginal performance status/comorbidities precluding immediate surgery. Both the disease‐free survival (DFS) and the overall survival (OS) were compared in BRACC patients treated with preoperative ctx+surgery and those who had upfront surgery.ResultsFifty‐three patients with primary ACC were considered for surgery (median follow‐up: 49.9 months). Thirty‐eight patients (71.7 %) had initial surgery and 15 of them (28.3 %) were considered BRACC and received preoperative therapy. Of these 15 patients, 12 (80 %) received combination therapy with mitotane and etoposide/cisplatin‐based ctx, 2 (13 %) received mitotane alone, and 1 (7 %) received ctx alone. Six patients were defined as group A, 5 as group B, and 4 as group C. Thirteen (87 %) BRACC patients underwent surgical resection. BRACC patients were younger but had more advanced disease than the patients having initial surgery (stage IV in 40 vs 2.6 % [p < 0.01]). By Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors criteria, 5 patients (38.5 %) had a partial response, 7 (53.8 %) had stable disease, and 1 (7.7 %) had disease that progressed. Postoperative mitotane use was similar between groups (p =. 15). Median DFS for resected BRACC patients was 28.0 months [95 % confidence interval (CI), 2.9–not attained] vs 13 months (95 % CI, 5.8–46.9) (p = 0.40) for initial surgery patients. Five‐year OS rates were also similar: 65 % for resected BRACC vs 50 % for initial surgery (p = 0.72).ConclusionsThe favorable outcome of patients with BRACC, despite more advanced stage of disease compared to those treated with surgery first, together with uncommon disease progression, suggests a benefit of neoadjuvant treatment sequencing in patients with BRACC.
“AND GRAVES GIVE UP THEIR DEAD”:THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP, VICTORIAN PSYCHOLOGY, AND THE NATURE OF THE FUTURE LIFE
Authors: Stolte Tyson 
Published: March 2014

Midway throughthe old curiosity shop(1840–41), Quilp returns home to discover his own wake in progress upstairs. He has been absent for three days, dogging the footsteps of the friends and family searching for Nell: materializing at Little Bethel, the chapel Kit's mother attends, or rising from the larder of the inn to which the single gentleman and Kit's mother retire after discovering from Mrs. Jarley that they have just missed Nell. Quilp's wife, having heard nothing from him all this time, has concluded that he has drowned, and so Quilp finds her, her mother, and the lawyer Sampson Brass at work on a descriptive advertisement for his corpse. As Quilp looks on, the group insultingly anatomizes him – “Large head, short body, legs crooked” (Dickens 382; ch. 49) – a process punctuated by the slightly inebriated Brass's musings on the afterlife to which the dwarf might have flown. Brass considers the possibility that the recently deceased might be at that moment watching from the next world, and this thought leads to another platitude about the dead:“I can almost fancy” said the lawyer shaking his head, “that I see his eye glistening down at the very bottom of my liquor. When shall we look upon his like again? Never, never! One minute we are here” – holding his tumbler before his eyes – “the next we are there” – gulping down its contents, and striking himself emphatically a little below the chest – “in the silent tomb.” (381; ch. 49)Brass's sentiments are, at least for a moment, tantalizingly vague. We, of course, know precisely where Quilp is – behind the door – but Dickens's suspension of Brass's speech until the lawyer has finished his drink seems to offer a much less definite possibility: that once the dead are no longer “here,” they are simply “there.” But where, when it comes to the future life, is that? Only in the silent tomb? For all its lack of seriousness, this scene gets to the heart of a fundamental curiosity in this novel about what might await us in the next life. In other words, while readers of the novel have tended to focus most intently on whether Little Nell might die, the novel itself seems equally interested in what might happen to Nell – and to us –afterdeath.
Beam steering spiral antenna reconfigured by PIN diodes
Authors: Gong Liang , Ramer Rodica , Chan King Yuk “Eric” 
Published: March 2014

The paper proposes a new design for a single-arm, rectangular, spiral antenna (SARSA) with a wide azimuth space coverage. The antenna, operating at around 3.3 GHz, is capable of steering the beam in four separate directions in the azimuth plane. Only three DC signals are required to control the seven PIN diodes attached along the spiral arm. The antenna has a 200-MHz-bandwidth around 3.3 GHz with stable maximum beam directions that are defined by setting of the switches. Considerations required in selecting switch positions when designing such antennas for other frequencies, are presented. The measured return loss, radiation pattern and gain, all have close correlation with the simulation results. A detailed comparison of our design with those already proposed in the literature is given.
Ruinopolis: Post‐Imperial Theory and Learning from Las Vegas
Authors: Hell Julia , Steinmetz George 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis essay foregrounds a dimension of Las Vegas that other authors only touch on in passing: its connections to empire. The authors propose a post‐imperial analysis of the city based on a reconstruction of its history and a reading of the traces of this history in the city's architecture and its self‐presentation in American popular culture. This analysis of Las Vegas as ruinopolis draws attention to the ruin sites of the city and its hinterland, reading them through the lens of empire. We work out the imperial territoriality of Las Vegas, including the derelict space of the Las Vegas Paiute Indian Colony, the ‘Pentagon Desert’ around the city with its so‐called ‘national sacrifice zone’, and the Strip, with Caesars Palace. We conclude with a post‐imperial reading of Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour's canonical Learning from Las Vegas and of the ruin signs of the Neon Boneyard.
Unravelling the cross‐talk between iron starvation and oxidative stress responses highlights the key role of PerR (alr0957) in peroxide signalling in the cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120
Authors: Yingping Fan , Lemeille Sylvain , Talla Emmanuel , Janicki Annick , Denis Yann , Zhang Cheng‐Cai , Latifi Amel 
Published: March 2014

SummaryThe cyanobacterial phylum includes oxygenic photosynthetic prokaryotes of a wide variety of morphologies, metabolisms and ecologies. Their adaptation to their various ecological niches is mainly achieved by sophisticated regulatory mechanisms and depends on a fine cross‐talk between them. We assessed the global transcriptomic response of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120 to iron starvation and oxidative stress. More than 20% of the differentially expressed genes in response to iron stress were also responsive to oxidative stress. These transcripts include antioxidant proteins‐encoding genes that confirms that iron depletion leads to reactive oxygen accumulation. The activity of the Fe‐superoxide dismutase was not significantly decreased under iron starvation, indicating that the oxidative stress generated under iron deficiency is not a consequence of (SOD) deficiency. The transcriptional data indicate that the adaptation of Nostoc to iron‐depleted conditions displays important differences with what has been shown in unicellular cyanobacteria. While the FurA protein that regulates the response to iron deprivation has been well characterized in Nostoc, the regulators in charge of the oxidative stress response are unknown. Our study indicates that the alr0957 (perR) gene encodes the master regulator of the peroxide stress. PerR is a peroxide‐sensor repressor that senses peroxide by metal‐catalysed oxidation.
A single‐dose, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of sublingual asenapine for acute agitation
Authors: Pratts M. , Citrome L. , Grant W. , Leso L. , Opler L. A. 
Published: March 2014

ObjectiveTo assess sublingual asenapine for acute agitation.MethodAgitated adults 18–65 years (any diagnosis) presenting for treatment in an emergency department and found to have a score of ≥14 on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale‐Excited Component (PANSS‐EC) were randomized to receive either a single dose of a sublingual 10 mg tablet of asenapine or placebo. Primary outcome measure was change in the PANSS‐EC score from baseline to 2 h after medication or placebo administration. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of responders with a ≥ 40% reduction from baseline on the PANSS‐EC score at 2 h.ResultsA total of 120 subjects were randomized, 60 each to sublingual asenapine or placebo. Mean (SE) baseline PANSS‐EC scores for the asenapine‐treated and placebo‐treated subjects were 19.4 ± 0.66 and 20.1 ± 0.61, respectively. Mean PANSS‐EC scores at endpoint (LOCF) was 7.4 ± 0.65 for the asenapine‐treated subjects and 14.7 ± 0.98 for the placebo‐treated subjects. Change in PANSS‐EC score at 2 h was statistically significantly greater for the asenapine‐treated subjects compared with the placebo‐treated subjects. NNT for response vs. placebo was 3 (95% CI 2–4).ConclusionSublingual asenapine was efficacious in the treatment of agitation with an effect size comparable to that observed in prior studies of intramuscular antipsychotics.
Risk factor analysis of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma‐associated haemophagocytic syndromes: a multicentre study
Authors: Sano Hirozumi , Kobayashi Ryoji , Tanaka Junji , Hashino Satoshi , Ota Shuichi , Torimoto Yoshihiro , Kakinoki Yasutaka , Yamamoto Satoshi , Kurosawa Mitsutoshi , Hatakeyama Naoki , Haseyama Yoshihito , Sakai Hajime , Sato Kazuya , Fukuhara Takashi 
Published: March 2014

SummaryHaemophagocytic syndrome is often associated with malignant lymphoma; however, few studies have examined lymphoma‐associated haemophagocytic syndrome (LAHS). A total of 1239 patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma were analysed at 12 institutions in Hokkaido prefecture between January 2007 and December 2011 to assess the incidence, prognosis and risk factors of LAHS. The cumulative incidence rate of LAHS was 2·8% (35/1239). Overall survival (OS) in patients with LAHS was significantly inferior to those without LAHS (3‐year OS: 35·6 vs. 59·0% respectively, P < 0·0001). The cumulative incidence of LAHS was higher in patients with T/Natural Killer (NK)‐cell lymphoma than in those with B‐cell lymphoma (8·2 vs. 1·8% respectively, P < 0·0001). The characteristics of patients with and without early death (within the first 120 d after developing LAHS) were subsequently compared to evaluate the prognostic factor of LAHS. The results obtained showed that the rate of early death after developing LAHS was higher in patients with T/NK‐cell lymphoma than in those with B‐cell lymphoma (62·5 vs. 10·5%, P = 0·0033). In conclusion, the complication and mortality rates of LAHS were higher in patients with T/NK‐cell lymphoma after they developed LAHS than in those with B‐cell lymphoma.
Fatty acids increase hepatitis B virus X protein stabilization and HBx‐induced inflammatory gene expression
Authors: Cho Hyun Kook , Kim So Young , Yoo Seong Keun , Choi Yung Hyun , Cheong JaeHun 
Published: March 2014

The protein level of human hepatitis B virus (HBV) in infection is variable, depending on patient context. We previously reported that HBV X protein (HBx) induces hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation. Here, we show that abnormal levels of hepatic fatty acids increase HBx protein stability during HBV expression, resulting in the potentiation of HBx‐induced inflammation. Reactive oxygen species, Ca2+ signaling and expression levels of various lipid metabolic genes were investigated in HBx‐expressing cells and in HBx transgenic mice. Fatty acids, including palmitate, stearate and oleate, increased HBx protein stability by preventing proteasome‐dependent degradation. Hepatic inflammation induced by a high fat diet (HFD) and HBx was measured based on the expression of interleukin–6 and tumor necrosis factor α. In addition, the protein level of HBx increased in HFD–HBx transgenic mice. Reactive oxygen species production and intracellular Ca2+ signal activation play critical roles in fatty‐acid‐induced HBx stabilization. Abnormal levels of hepatic fatty acids resulted in synergistic induction of HBx protein and liver inflammatory gene expression through HBx protein stabilization. These results indicate that different fatty acid levels in the liver might affect HBV‐induced pathogenesis.