bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mammalian gastrointestinal tract parameters modulating the integrity, surface properties, and absorption of food‐relevant nanomaterials
Authors: Bellmann Susann , Carlander David , Fasano Alessio , Momcilovic Dragan , Scimeca Joseph A. , Waldman W. James , Gombau Lourdes , Tsytsikova Lyubov , Canady Richard , Pereira Dora I. A. , Lefebvre David E. 
Published: January 2015

Many natural chemicals in food are in the nanometer size range, and the selective uptake of nutrients with nanoscale dimensions by the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a normal physiological process. Novel engineered nanomaterials (NMs) can bring various benefits to food, e.g., enhancing nutrition. Assessing potential risks requires an understanding of the stability of these entities in the GI lumen, and an understanding of whether or not they can be absorbed and thus become systemically available. Data are emerging on the mammalian in vivo absorption of engineered NMs composed of chemicals with a range of properties, including metal, mineral, biochemical macromolecules, and lipid‐based entities. In vitro and in silico fluid incubation data has also provided some evidence of changes in particle stability, aggregation, and surface properties following interaction with luminal factors present in the GI tract. The variables include physical forces, osmotic concentration, pH, digestive enzymes, other food, and endogenous biochemicals, and commensal microbes. Further research is required to fill remaining data gaps on the effects of these parameters on NM integrity, physicochemical properties, and GI absorption. Knowledge of the most influential luminal parameters will be essential when developing models of the GI tract to quantify the percent absorption of food‐relevant engineered NMs for risk assessment. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 7:609–622. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1333This article is categorized under:

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Cells at the Nanoscale
Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Toxicology of Nanomaterials
NIR fluorescent small molecules for intraoperative imaging
Authors: Owens Eric A. , Lee Stephanie , Choi JungMun , Henary Maged , Choi Hak Soo 
Published: January 2015

Recent advances in bioimaging and nanomedicine have permitted the exploitation of molecular optical imaging in image‐guided surgery; however, the parameters mediating optimum performance of contrast agents are not yet precisely determined. To develop ideal contrast agents for image‐guided surgery, we need to consider the following criteria: (1) excitation and emission wavelengths in the near‐infrared (NIR) window, (2) optimized optical characteristics for high in vivo performance, (3) overcoming or harnessing biodistribution and clearance, and (4) reducing nonspecific uptake. The design considerations should be focused on optimizing the optical and physicochemical property criteria. Biodistribution and clearance should first be considered because they mediate the fate of a contrast agent in the body such as how long after intravenous injection a contrast agent reaches the peak signal‐to‐background ratio (SBR) and how long the signal lasts (retention). WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 7:828–838. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1337This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging
Product quality for nanomaterials: current U.S. experience and perspective
Authors: Tyner Katherine M. , Zou Peng , Yang Xiaochuan , Zhang Hailing , Cruz Celia N. , Lee Sau L. 
Published: January 2015

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on developing novel drug delivery systems and targeted therapies through the use of nanotechnology and nanomaterials. Such focus is translating to an increasing number of investigational new drug (IND) applications, new drug applications (NDAs), and abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) for drug products containing nanomaterials to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although subject to the same rigorous regulatory standards and regulatory pathways as any drug product, unique properties that arise from the small size, large surface area, and polydispersity of nanomaterials may lead to additional scientific considerations when following current FDA guidelines and practices for drug evaluation. This review article will discuss these scientific considerations based on the experience with FDA‐approved drug products containing nanomaterials. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 7:640–654. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1338This article is categorized under:

Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures
Demographic strategies of plant invaders in temporally varying environments
Authors: Li Shou‐Li , Ramula Satu 
Published: January 2015

AbstractPlant populations may have evolved different demographic strategies to cope with temporal environmental variation. According to the demographic buffering hypothesis, vital rates that are most critical to population persistence are buffered against environmental variation and vary little over time, whereas the demographic lability hypothesis suggests that populations may track and benefit from environmental variation. While the hypotheses of demographic strategies have been widely tested in plant and animal species, they have not been explicitly examined for invasive plants, or in relation to different modelling methods (deterministic vs. stochastic). Here, we tested the demographic buffering and lability hypotheses for 23 populations of eight invasive plant species in relation to life form (woody vs. herbaceous species) and population growth rate using deterministic and stochastic modelling methods, and absolute and relative scales. We found that conclusions of demographic strategies depended on scale, with an absolute scale resulting in stronger negative correlations between the variability and importance of vital rates (i.e., buffering) than a relative scale. Conclusions of demographic strategies were also affected by life form that interacted with method. The populations of woody invaders exhibited buffering regardless of the method used, while for the populations of herbaceous species, deterministic calculations suggested buffering and stochastic calculations suggested lability. Overall, our findings emphasise the role of life form and methodological issues that need to be considered when exploring demographic strategies in fluctuating environments.
Successful Management of Risk in the Hybrid OR
Authors: Childs Shannon , Bruch Paul 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe advent of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surgery has resulted in numerous advances in minimally invasive procedures. This progress has also revealed serious environmental hazards for the patient and perioperative team. At one facility, implementation of an MRI/OR intervention suite has enhanced surgical care and outcomes. Achieving the benefits of intraoperative MRI can occur with a multidisciplinary, interdepartmental approach to the design and layout of the hybrid environment and through implementation of education and safety protocols, including patient screening and prep for scanning. Personnel, including perioperative nurses, must receive expert hands‐on training to successfully mitigate risk and provide care in the hybrid OR setting.
Clinical Issues‐February 2015
Authors: Burlingame Byron L. 
Published: January 2015

This MonthTerminology for the transgender communityKey words: gender expression, transgender, transsexual, gender identity, gender assignment, gender reassignment, sexual reassignment, acceptable terms, politically acceptable terms.Placing the correct prosthesis on the sterile fieldKey words: implants, implant verification, communication process, prosthesis, arthroplasty.Policies regarding health care industry representativesKey words: health care industry representative, sales representatives, salesmen, saleswomen, clinical consultants.
Reduced density of dendritic spines in pyramidal neurons of rats exposed to alcohol during early postnatal life
Authors: De Giorgio Andrea , Granato Alberto 
Published: January 2015

AbstractDendritic spines are the main postsynaptic sites of excitatory connections of neocortical pyramidal neurons. Alterations of spine shape, number, and density can be observed in different mental diseases, including those caused by developmental alcohol exposure. Pyramidal neurons of layer 2/3 are the most abundant cells of the neocortex and represent the main source of associative cortico‐cortical connections. These neurons are essential for higher functions mediated by the cortex such as feature selection and perceptual grouping. Furthermore, their connections have been shown to be altered in experimental models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.Here, we used a Golgi‐like tracing method to study the spine density of layer 2/3 associative pyramidal neurons in the somatosensory cortex of adult rats exposed to alcohol during the first postnatal week.The main result of the present study is represented by the decreased spine density in the apical dendrite of alcohol‐treated rats, as compared to controls. As to the basal dendritic tree, there were no significant differences between the experimental and the control group.A decreased density of dendritic spines in the apical dendrite may impair the excitatory input onto pyramidal neurons, thus resulting in a widespread alteration of the cortical information flow.
Factors Determining Periprocedural and Long-term Complications of High Risk Carotid Artery Stenting
Authors: Dinculescu Vincent , Ritter Anne C.M. , dos Santos Marlise P. , Mohan Ravi M. , Schwarz Betty A. , Lesiuk Howard J. , Lum Cheemun 
Published: January 2015

ABSTRACTBackground and Purpose: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has been, historically, an alternative to open endarterectomy (CEA) for stroke prevention in high risk patients with carotid atherosclerosis. We sought to determine the rates of periprocedural and long-term stroke or death and the risk factors for complications after CAS in our high risk patient population. Methods: Clinical and treatment variables of consecutive CAS procedures performed between 2002 and 2011 were analyzed. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses we examined how patient characteristics influenced outcomes and changes in modified Rankin Score (mRS). Results: In 152 patients, the composite total of periprocedural death, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) and myocardial infarction (MI) rate was 3.95% (6/152). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was strongly associated with periprocedural complications (p<0.001). Coronary artery disease/peripheral vascular disease (CAD/PVD) (p=0.03), dyslipidemia (p=0.02), CKD (p=0.01), and contralateral internal carotid artery stenosis (p=0.02) were non-modifiable risk factors for mRS increase. There were 25 deaths, 8 strokes, 11 TIAs, and 1 MI (mean follow-up 38.4 months, range 0-116 months). The presence of CAD/PVD (p=0.009) and dyslipidemia (p=0.002) were significantly associated with long-term complications. Conclusion: CAS was performed with low periprocedural complications in high-risk patients. Our rates compare very favorably to large-scale trials that have ideal patients. This data encourages the consideration of CAS in patients considered high risk for CEA and provides possible patient characteristics (CKD) to help with periprocedural risk stratification.
Three-dimensional flow past a rotating cylinder
Authors: Navrose   , Meena Jagmohan , Mittal Sanjay 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThree-dimensional computations are carried out for a spinning cylinder placed in a uniform flow. The non-dimensional rotation rate is varied in the range $0.0\leqslant {\it\alpha}\leqslant 5.0$. A stabilized finite element method is utilized to solve the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in primitive variables formulation. Linear stability analysis of the steady state shows the existence of several new unstable three-dimensional modes for $200\leqslant \mathit{Re}\leqslant 350$ and $4.0\leqslant {\it\alpha}\leqslant 5.0$. The curves of neutral stability of these modes are presented in the $\mathit{Re}{-}{\it\alpha}$ parameter space. For the flow at $\mathit{Re}=200$ and rotation rate in the ranges $0.0\leqslant {\it\alpha}\leqslant 1.91$ and $4.34\leqslant {\it\alpha}\leqslant 4.7$, the vortex shedding, earlier reported in two dimensions and commonly referred to as parallel shedding, can also exist as oblique shedding. In this mode of shedding, the vortices are inclined to the axis of the cylinder. In fact, parallel shedding is a special case of oblique shedding. It is found that the span of the cylinder plays a significant role in the time evolution of the flow. Of all the unstable eigenmodes, with varied spanwise wavenumber, only the ones whose integral number of wavelengths fit the span length of the cylinder are selected to grow. For the flow at $\mathit{Re}=200$, two steady states exist for $4.8\leqslant {\it\alpha}\leqslant 5.0$. While one of them is associated with unstable eigenmodes, the other is stable to all infinitesimal perturbations. In this regime, irrespective of the initial conditions, the fully developed flow is steady and devoid of any instabilities.
Impact of liquids with different densities
Authors: Semenov Y. A. , Wu G. X. , Korobkin A. A. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe collision of liquids of different densities is studied theoretically for the case of liquids having wedge-shaped configuration before the impact. Both liquids are assumed to be ideal and incompressible, and the velocity potential theory is used for the flow of each liquid. Surface tension and gravity effects are neglected. The problem is decomposed into two self-similar problems, one for each liquid. Across the interface between the liquids, continuity of the pressure and the normal component of the velocity is enforced through iteration. This determines the shape of the interface and other flow parameters. The integral hodograph method is employed to derive the solution consisting of analytical expressions for the complex-velocity potential, the complex-conjugate velocity, and the mapping function. They are all defined in the first quadrant of a parameter plane, in which the original boundary-value problem is reduced to a system of integro-differential equations in terms of the velocity magnitude and the velocity angle relative to the flow boundary. They are solved numerically using the method of successive approximations. The results are presented through streamlines, interface and free-surface shapes, the pressure and velocity distributions. Special attention is given to the structure of the splash jet rising as a result of the impact.
Urinary enterolactone is associated with obesity and metabolic alteration in men in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–10
Authors: Xu Cheng , Liu Qian , Zhang Qunwei , Gu Aihua , Jiang Zhao-Yan 
Published: January 2015

Phyto-oestrogens are a family of plant-derived xeno-oestrogens that have been shown to prevent cancer in some studies. Whether phyto-oestrogen intake affects obesity status in a population is still unclear. In the present cross-sectional study, we examined the association of urinary phyto-oestrogen metabolites with obesity and metabolic parameters in children and adults. Data from 1294 children (age 6–19 years) and from 3661 adults (age ≥ 20 years) who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–10 were analysed. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to investigate the associations of BMI, waist circumference, serum metabolites (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, TAG, fasting glucose and fasting insulin) and the metabolic syndrome with urinary phyto-oestrogen levels. When stratified by age and sex, we found a stronger association (OR 0·30, 95 % CI 0·17, 0·54; P< 0·001) between urinary enterolactone levels and obesity in adult males (age 20–60 years) than in children (age 12–19 years) or the elderly (age >60 years) in the same survey. However, no associations with urinary daidzein, O-desmethylangolensin, equol, enterodiol or genistein were found in the overall population. We also found that the elevation of enterolactone levels was inversely associated with TAG levels, fasting glucose levels, fasting insulin levels and the metabolic syndrome in males aged 20–60 years, but positively associated with HDL-cholesterol levels. The present results provide epidemiological evidence that urinary enterolactone is inversely associated with obesity in adult males.
Sexual selection drives the evolution of limb regeneration inHarmonia axyridis(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: Wang S. , Tan X.L. , Michaud J.P. , Shi Z.K. , Zhang F. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractWhenHarmonia axyridislarvae were subjected to amputation of a foreleg in the fourth instar, 83% survived and, of these, 75% regenerated the leg during pupation. Regenerators pupated at heavier weights than controls (unoperated) or non-regenerators, and spent longer in pupation. Regenerated males were preferred by females in choice tests and produced more viable progeny than control males. Unregenerated males were less preferred by females, copulated for shorter periods than control males, and reduced female fecundity. Amputation diminished beneficial paternal effects, whether males regenerated or not, resulting in progeny with slower development and smaller adult body mass relative to control paternity. Progeny of unregenerated males had lower survival and body mass, whether male or female, confirming that regeneration was an honest signal of mate quality. When offspring had a foreleg amputated, a regenerated paternity yielded higher survival than control paternity, but similar rates of regeneration, whereas an unregenerated paternity yielded lower rates of survival and leg regeneration than control paternity. Regenerating beetles were twice as likely to be melanic as non-regenerating or control beetles, suggesting pleiotropic effects of melanism on processes involved in regeneration. This is the first report of complete limb regeneration by a holometabolous insect in the pupal stage, and the first example of sexual selection for regenerative capacity.
Influence of plant silicon in Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae – Poaceae interactions
Authors: Juma G. , Ahuya P.O. , Ong'amo G. , Le Ru B. , Magoma G. , Silvain J.-F. , Calatayud P.-A. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe noctuid stem borer Busseola fusca is an important pest of maize and sorghum in Sub-Saharan Africa. The presence of this species occurred mostly on cultivated than on wild habitats. Busseola fusca is oligophagous having a narrow range of a wild grass species. This might be due, in part, to differences in silicon (Si) content in plant tissues between cultivated and wild grasses. In the present study, we have tested this hypothesis by studying the survival and the relative growth rate (RGR) expressed as daily weight gains of B. fusca larvae on maize and six wild host plants, mostly present in the natural habitat where B. fusca occurred, and correlated with their Si contents. Survival and RGR of B. fusca larvae were considerably higher on maize and wild sorghum than on the other grass species, and they were negatively related to plant Si content. This was corroborated with results on RGR from artificial diets amended with increasing levels of Si. In addition, if Si was added to maize growing substrate B. fusca larval growth was significantly reduced confirming the involvement of Si in B. fusca larvae – Poaceae interactions. The results provide insight into the possible mechanisms of oligophagy of B. fusca and provide a correlative support for a physical role of plant endogenous Si in impeding feeding of B. fusca larvae.
‘ARE YOU PLANTING TREES OR ARE YOU PLANTING PEOPLE?’ SQUATTER RESISTANCE AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE MAKING OF A KENYAN POSTCOLONIAL POLITICAL ORDER (c. 1963–78)
Authors: MOSKOWITZ KARA 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis article examines squatter resistance to a World Bank-funded forest and paper factory project. The article illustrates how diverse actors came together at the sites of rural development projects in early postcolonial Kenya. It focuses on the relationship between the rural squatters who resisted the project and the political elites who intervened, particularly President Kenyatta. Together, these two groups not only negotiated the reformulation of a major international development program, but they also worked out broader questions about political authority and political culture. In negotiating development, rural actors and political elites decided how resources would be distributed and they entered into new patronage-based relationships, processes integral to the making of the postcolonial political order.
‘THE ROOTING OUT OF MAU MAU FROM THE MINDS OF THE KIKUYU IS A FORMIDABLE TASK’: PROPAGANDA AND THE MAU MAU WAR
Authors: OSBORNE MYLES 
Published: January 2015

AbstractDespite the recent proliferation of scholarship on the Mau Mau rebellion, little attention has been paid to the ‘propaganda war’ it generated. The absence is especially striking given the importance that both the British and Mau Mau fighters attached to success in the battle for the ‘hearts and minds’ of Kenya's African population. This article analyzes the production of colonial propaganda – and its reception by Africans – in the ‘Emergency’, revealing how its themes and strategies changed over the course of the 1950s. Despite vast resources pumped into this effort, both African and British testimonies reveal that this propaganda had only limited success until government forces gained the upper hand in the military war against Mau Mau in late 1954. After that point, the increased level of control in Central Province enabled officials to finally best the efforts of skilled Mau Mau propagandists.
SAHARAN OCEANS AND BRIDGES, BARRIERS AND DIVIDES IN AFRICA'S HISTORIOGRAPHICAL LANDSCAPE
Authors: LYDON GHISLAINE 
Published: January 2015

AbstractBased on a broad assessment of the scholarship on North-Western Africa, this article examines Saharan historiography with a particular view towards understanding how and why historians have long represented the continent as being composed of two ‘Africas’. Starting with the earliest Arabic writings, and, much later, French colonial renderings, it traces the epistemological creation of a racial and geographic divide. Then, the article considers the field of African studies in North African universities and ends with a review of recent multidisciplinary research that embraces a trans-Saharan approach.
DISTANT SHORES: A HISTORIOGRAPHIC VIEW ON TRANS-SAHARAN SPACE
Authors: LECOCQ BAZ 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis article addresses how scholarship has formulated human connections and ruptures over the Sahara. However, these formulations were, and still are, based in both physical and discursive realities that have been developed in Africa itself. The idea of a dividing Sahara is based on historical political divisions – despite a homogenous political culture in the region – and by locally developed notions of race and religion, brought about by trade and justified in Islamic religious discourse. The Saharan divide acquired a new reading in colonial historiography, which, in turn, informed scholarly work until well into the 1960s. I will suggest that both colonial and postcolonial research on the differences and connections between the Saharan shores are suffering from a civilisational bias towards North Africa.
EXPLAINING THE FERTILITY PUZZLE IN SRI LANKA
Authors: WIJESEKERE GAMINIRATNE , ARUNACHALAM DHARMA 
Published: January 2015

SummaryFertility transition in Sri Lanka began in the mid-1960s and the declining trend continued over the decades. The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of 2000 showed the total fertility rate (TFR) reaching 1.9 births per woman, a level below replacement fertility. The next DHS of 2006/7 showed a TFR of 2.3. Some have interpreted this pattern as indicating a reversal of the fertility transition. This paper casts doubts on the below-replacement fertility revealed in the 2000 survey.