bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alginate hydrogel sphere improves the alkali and heat resistances of isothiazolinones with long‐term antibacterial activity
Authors: Ma Dong , Cai Xiang , Lin Qianming , Zhang Jinglin , Mai Wenjie , Tan Shaozao , Xue Wei , Wu Ting 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTTo improve the alkali and heat resistances of Cl+Me‐isothiazolinone (MCI/MI), a calcium alginate (CA) hydrogel sphere was used as the carrier for MCI/MI, and an MCI/MI/CA hydrogel sphere was prepared. Then, the release properties, alkali‐resistance and heat‐resistance properties, long‐term antibacterial performance, and cytotoxicity of this novel hydrogel sphere were investigated. The results show that the CA hydrogel sphere released MCI/MI in a sustained manner with long‐term antibacterial activity. Moreover, the CA hydrogel sphere improved the alkali and heat resistances of the MCI/MI. More importantly, this hydrogel sphere showed a slight cytotoxicity, which suggested that the MCI/MI/CA hydrogel sphere would be an easily added antibacterial hydrogel sphere for a wide range of products. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1554–1561, 2013
Novel electrospun nanofibers incorporating polymeric prodrugs of ketoprofen: Preparation, characterization, and in vitro sustained release
Authors: Quan Jing , Wu Chengyao , Williams Gareth R. , Branford‐White Christopher J. , Nie Huali , Zhu Limin 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTA facile and efficient protocol for the preparation of nanofibers incorporating polymeric ketoprofen prodrugs and polyvinylpyrrolidone was developed. Polymeric ketoprofen prodrugs were constructed by a two‐step chemo‐enzymatic synthetic route, and nanofibers prepared by electrospinning from dimethylformamide/ethanol (1 : 1, v/v) solutions. The morphological characteristics of the fibers were influenced by the concentration of active agent in the spinning solution; average diameters varied from 196 to 370 nm. In vitro release studies indicated that the ketoprofen release rate from the electrospun fibers was significantly higher than that from the pure polymeric prodrugs. Cumulative drug release from the electrospun fibers reached 40–70% after 3 h and 75–100% after 12 h, while the pure polymeric prodrug released only 7–9% of the active agent over 12 h. Functional nanofibers incorporating polymeric prodrugs therefore comprise potentially effective drug delivery systems for sustained release. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1570–1577, 2013
Development of cardanol‐bonded cellulose thermoplastics: High productivity achieved by using isocyanate‐modified cardanol
Authors: Tanaka Shukichi , Honzawa Hideki , Iji Masatoshi 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTA highly efficient process of synthesizing a cardanol‐bonded cellulose thermoplastic has been developed by using isocyanate‐modified cardanol. As recently shown by us, the thermoplastic consisting of cellulose diacetate (CDA) and cardanol extracted from cashew nutshells performed high practical properties such as bending strength, heat resistance and water resistance. However, its synthesis process by esterification using acid chlorides of cardanol in a solvent as a common procedure, required high energy consumption by using a large amount of poor solvent to isolate the resulting product from the solvent. Using an isocyanate‐modified cardanol, 3‐pentadecylcyclohexyl (6‐isocyanatohexyl) carbamate (PICC) greatly improved the productivity of the modified cardanol‐bonded CDA (PICC‐bonded CDA). After bonding PICC to CDA in a solvent, the remaining PICC coagulated and was easily removed by filtration, which resulted in remarkably simplifying the separation process of the product. The resulting PICC‐bonded CDA showed insufficient thermoplasticity due to its high interaction between PICC parts. Additional bonding propionyl group improved the thermoplasticity while maintaining good thermal and mechanical properties. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1578–1587, 2013
Castor oil and sorbitan monopalmitate based organogel as a probable matrix for controlled drug delivery
Authors: Singh Vinay K. , Pal Kunal , Pradhan Dillip K. , Pramanik Krishna 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTThe study has been designed to develop and evaluate the in vitro sustained‐release capability of sorbitan monopalmitate (SMP) and castor oil (CO) based organogels. Organogels were prepared by heating the mixture of SMP‐CO at 60°C either with or without using distilled water (DW). The heated mixture was subsequently cooled to room‐temperature to allow the formation of a gelled structure. Characterization of organogels was carried out by microscopy (light, fluorescent, electron, and atomic force), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheological study, pH, impedance spectroscopy, hemocompatibility, and antimicrobial studies. The properties and stability of the gels was dependent on the composition of the organogels. FTIR studies indicated the presence of strong intramolecular/intermolecular hydrogen bonding amongst the gel components. XRD studies suggested amorphous behavior of the gels. The gels showed a shear thinning behavior. Metronidazole (MZ) loaded gels showed good antimicrobial property to be used as an antimicrobial formulation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1503–1515, 2013
Non‐invasive in situ monitoring and quantification of TOL plasmid segregational loss within Pseudomonas putida biofilms
Authors: Ma Hongyan , Katzenmeyer Kristy N. , Bryers James D. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTMethods for the detection of plasmid loss in natural environments have typically relied on replica plating, selective markers and PCR. However, these traditional methods have the limitations of low sensitivity, underestimation of specific cell populations, and lack of insightful data for non‐homogeneous environments. We have developed a non‐invasive microscopic analytical method to quantify local plasmid segregational loss from a bacterial population within a developing biofilm. The probability of plasmid segregational loss in planktonic and biofilm cultures of Pseudomonas putida carrying the TOL plasmid (pWWO::gfpmut3b) was determined directly in situ, in the absence of any applied selection pressure. Compared to suspended liquid culture, we report that the biofilm mode of growth enhances plasmid segregational loss. Results based on a biofilm‐averaged analysis reveal that the probability of plasmid loss in biofilm cultures (0.016 ± 0.004) was significantly greater than that determined in planktonic cultures (0.0052 ± 0.0011). Non‐invasive assessments showed that probabilities of plasmid segregational loss at different locations in a biofilm increased dramatically from 0.1% at the substratum surface to 8% at outside layers of biofilm. Results suggest that higher nutrient concentrations and subsequentially higher growth rates resulted in higher probability of plasmid segregational loss at the outer layers of the biofilm. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013;110: 2949–2958. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of language task demands on the neural response during lexical access: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Gan Gabriela , Büchel Christian , Isel Frédéric 
Published: May 2013

AbstractThis study examined the effects of linguistic task demands on the neuroanatomical localization of the neural response related to automatic semantic processing of concrete German nouns combining the associative priming paradigm with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). To clarify the functional role of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) for semantic processing with respect to semantic decision making compared to semantic processing per se, we used a linguistic task that involved either a binary decision process (i.e., semantic categorization; Experiment 1) or not (i.e., silently thinking about a word's meaning; Experiment 2). We observed associative priming effects indicated as neural suppression in bilateral superior temporal gyri (STG), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), occipito‐temporal brain areas, and in medial frontal brain areas independently of the linguistic task. Inferior parietal brain areas were more active for silently thinking about a word's meaning compared to semantic categorization. A conjunction analysis of linguistic task revealed that both tasks activated the same left‐lateralized occipito‐temporo‐frontal network including the IFG. Contrasting neural associative priming effects across linguistic task demands, we found a significant interaction in the right IFG. The present fMRI data give rise to the assumption that activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) in the semantic domain might be important for semantic processing in general and not only for semantic decision making. These findings contrast with a recent study regarding the role of the LIFG for binary decision making in the lexical domain (Wright et al. 2011).
Fatigue and weight loss predict survival on circadian chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Innominato Pasquale F. , Giacchetti Sylvie , Moreau Thierry , Bjarnason Georg A. , Smaaland Rune , Focan Christian , Garufi Carlo , Iacobelli Stefano , Tampellini Marco , Tumolo Salvatore , Carvalho Carlos , Karaboué Abdoulaye , Poncet Antoine , Spiegel David , Lévi Francis ,   International Association for Research on Time in Biology and Chronotherapy (ARTBC) Chronotherapy Group
Published: May 2013

BACKGROUNDChemotherapy‐induced neutropenia has been associated with prolonged survival selectively in patients on a conventional schedule (combined 5‐fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin [FOLFOX2]) but not on a chronomodulated schedule of the same drugs administered at specific circadian times (chronoFLO4). The authors hypothesized that the early occurrence of chemotherapy‐induced symptoms correlated with circadian disruption would selectively hinder the efficacy of chronotherapy.METHODSFatigue and weight loss (FWL) were considered to be associated with circadian disruption based on previous data. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (n = 543) from an international phase 3 trial comparing FOLFOX2 with chronoFLO4 were categorized into 4 subgroups according to the occurrence of FWL or other clinically relevant toxicities during the initial 2 courses of chemotherapy. Multivariate Cox models were used to assess the role of toxicity on the time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS).RESULTSThe proportions of patients in the 4 subgroups were comparable in both treatment arms (P = .77). No toxicity was associated with TTP or OS on FOLFOX2. The median OS on FOLFOX2 ranged from 16.4 (95% confidence limits [CL], 7.2‐25.6 months) to 19.8 months (95% CL, 17.7‐22.0 months) according to toxicity subgroup (P = .45). Conversely, FWL, but no other toxicity, independently predicted for significantly shorter TTP (P < .0001) and OS (P = .001) on chronoFLO4. The median OS on chronoFLO4 was 13.8 months (95% CL, 10.4‐17.2 months) or 21.1 months (95% CL, 19.0‐23.1 months) according to presence or absence of chemotherapy‐induced FWL, respectively.CONCLUSIONSEarly onset chemotherapy‐induced FWL was an independent predictor of poor TTP and OS only on chronotherapy. Dynamic monitoring to detect early chemotherapy‐induced circadian disruption could allow the optimization of rapid chronotherapy and concomitant improvements in safety and efficacy. Cancer 2013;119:2564–2573. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Attacks via record multiplicity on cancelable biometrics templates
Authors: Li Cai , Hu Jiankun 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTVarious template protection techniques have been developed in the past few years, among which cancelable biometrics is a very popular and efficient one. It uses a noninvertible transformation to map an original template to a transformed domain to prevent the recovery of the original template from a compromised transformed template. Generally, cross‐template attacks over cancellable template schemes are evaluated through statistic independence metrics. In this paper, we investigate approaches to launch attacks through cryptanalysis. Four typical cancelable fingerprint template design algorithms have been investigated by applying the attack via record multiplicity attack to retrieve the original template. Concrete attack examples are also given to make the demonstration more intuitive and comprehensive. The results show that all of them are vulnerable if an attacker can obtain multiple transformed templates and their corresponding transformation parameters. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient Two‐Step Testing of Gene‐Gene Interactions in Genome‐Wide Association Studies
Authors: Lewinger Juan Pablo , Morrison John L. , Thomas Duncan C. , Murcray Cassandra E. , Conti David V. , Li Dalin , Gauderman W. James 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACTExhaustive testing of all possible SNP pairs in a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) generally yields low power to detect gene‐gene (G × G) interactions because of small effect sizes and stringent requirements for multiple‐testing correction. We introduce a new two‐step procedure for testing G × G interactions in case‐control GWAS to detect interacting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) regardless of their marginal effects. In an initial screening step, all SNP pairs are tested for gene‐gene association in the combined sample of cases and controls. In the second step, the pairs that pass the screening are followed up with a traditional test for G × G interaction. We show that the two‐step method is substantially more powerful to detect G × G interactions than the exhaustive testing approach. For example, with 2,000 cases and 2,000 controls, the two‐step method can have more than 90% power to detect an interaction odds ratio of 2.0 compared to less than 50% power for the exhaustive testing approach. Moreover, we show that a hybrid two‐step approach that combines our newly proposed two‐step test and the two‐step test that screens for marginal effects retains the best power properties of both. The two‐step procedures we introduce have the potential to uncover genetic signals that have not been previously identified in an initial single‐SNP GWAS. We demonstrate the computational feasibility of the two‐step G × G procedure by performing a G × G scan in the asthma GWAS of the University of Southern California Children's Health Study.
An on‐site comparative study of yield factors during glume removal, a primary step in the traditional processing of hulled wheats
Authors: Giambanelli Elisa , D'Antuono L Filippo , Hayran Osman , Darbinyan Nune 
Published: May 2013

AbstractBACKGROUNDGlume removal represents the preliminary step of hulled wheat grain processing for human consumption. Einkorn and emmer wheat are two hulled species, cultivated in marginal areas, from the Mediterranean to the Caucasian region, and the subject of investigation in this paper. An experiment has been carried out to compare the yield of the traditional process, used in Turkey and Armenia, and an updated Italian procedure, by means of on‐plant samplings.RESULTSCrushed grains represent a product from all the plants examined. However, the relative amounts of fractions of different size and use, according to each country, varied consistently. The main Italian product is whole pearled grain. The calculated yield factors varied in the following ranges: dehulling: 0.73–0.81 kg kg−1; food product: 0.82–0.96 kg kg−1; overall yield: 0.56–0.95 kg kg−1 excluding unwanted losses, and 0.42–0.74 kg kg−1 including unwanted losses.ConclusionsThis first comparative assay of hulled wheat processing showed that, not considering the kind of product obtained, glume removal can be carried out with good efficiency in continuously operating traditional plants. Modern schemes, however, allow yielding of intact kernels. Some yield factors were highly affected by the available technology, especially when the process was operating discontinuously © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.
High‐efficiency removal of phytic acid in soy meal using two‐stage temperature‐induced Aspergillus oryzae solid‐state fermentation
Authors: Chen Liyan , Vadlani Praveen V , Madl Ronald L 
Published: May 2013

AbstractBACKGROUNDPhytic acid of soy meal (SM) could influence protein and important mineral digestion of monogastric animals. Aspergillus oryzae (ATCC 9362) solid‐state fermentation was applied to degrade phytic acid in SM. Two‐stage temperature fermentation protocol was investigated to increase the degradation rate. The first stage was to maximize phytase production and the second stage was to realize the maximum enzymatic degradation.RESULTSIn the first stage, a combination of 41% moisture, a temperature of 37 °C and inoculum size of 1.7 mL in 5 g substrate (dry matter basis) favored maximum phytase production, yielding phytase activity of 58.7 U, optimized via central composite design. By the end of second‐stage fermentation, 57% phytic acid was degraded from SM fermented at 50 °C, compared with 39% of that fermented at 37 °C. The nutritional profile of fermented SM was also studied. Oligosaccharides were totally removed after fermentation and 67% of total non‐reducing polysaccharides were decreased. Protein content increased by 9.5%.CONCLUSIONTwo‐stage temperature protocol achieved better phytic acid degradation during A. oryzae solid state fermentation. The fermented SM has lower antinutritional factors (phytic acid, oligosaccharides and non‐reducing polysaccharides) and higher nutritional value for animal feed. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Toxicity risk of insecticides to the insect egg parasitoid Trichogramma evanescens Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)
Authors: Wang Yanhua , Wu Changxing , Cang Tao , Yang Lizhi , Yu Weihua , Zhao Xueping , Wang Qiang , Cai Leiming 
Published: May 2013

AbstractBACKGROUNDNatural populations of Trichogramma evanescens contribute to the control of lepidopterous pests. The toxic effects of insecticides have been extensively reported on trichogrammatids, but are largely unknown on T. evanescens. In this study, the toxicities of seven classes of chemicals against the parasitoid were investigated.RESULTSAmong these classes, organophosphates and carbamates exhibited the highest levels of intrinsic toxicity, with LC50 values ranging from 0.025 (0.023–0.028) to 2.20 (1.71–3.09) and from 0.040 (0.032–0.053) to 1.84 (1.53–2.30) mg AI L−1 respectively. Among the phenylpyrazoles, only ethiprole can be considered to be less toxic in the group. Avermectins, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids were less toxic, with LC50 values ranging from 1.29 to 2.57, from 2.26 to 14.03 and from 1.12 to 239.1 mg AI L−1 respectively. In contrast, insect growth regulators (IGRs) showed the lowest toxicity to the parasitoid, with LC50 values ranging from 3383 (2406–5499) to 5650 (4228–8579) mg AI L−1.CONCLUSIONThe results of risk quotient analysis indicated that neonicotinoids, avermectins, pyrethroids and IGRs were less hazardous, but phenylpyrazoles (except for ethiprole), organophosphates and carbamates were slightly to moderately or dangerously toxic to T. evanescens. The present results provide informative data for implementing biological and chemical control strategies in integrated pest management of lepidopterans. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
A comprehensive test for negative frequency‐dependent selection
Authors: Takahashi Yuma , Kawata Masakado 
Published: May 2013

AbstractUnderstanding the mechanisms that maintain genetic diversity within a population remains a primary challenge for evolutionary biology. Of the processes capable of maintaining variation, negative frequency‐dependent selection (NFDS), under which rare phenotypes (or alleles) enjoy a high fitness advantage, is suggested to be the most powerful. However, few experimental studies have confirmed that this process operates in nature. Although a lot of suggestive evidence has separately been provided in various polymorphic systems, these are not enough to prove the existence of NFDS in each system. Here we present a general review of NFDS and point out some problems with previous works to develop reasonable alternative research strategies for testing NFDS. In the second half of this paper, we focused on NFDS in the common bluetail damselfly, Ischnura senegalensis, that shows female‐limited genetic polymorphism. We show (1) the proximate causal mechanisms of the frequency‐dependent process, (2) frequency‐dependent inter‐morph interaction, (3) rare morph advantage and (4) morph frequency oscillations in a natural population. These results provide unequivocal empirical support for NFDS in a natural system.
Enhanced thermostability of keratinase by computational design and empirical mutation
Authors: liu Baihong , Zhang Juan , Fang Zhen , Gu Lei , Liao Xiangru , Du Guocheng , Chen Jian 
Published: May 2013

Abstract
Keratinases are proteolytic enzymes capable of degrading insoluble keratins. The importance of these enzymes is being increasingly recognized in fields as diverse as animal feed production, textile processing, detergent formulation, leather manufacture, and medicine. To enhance the thermostability of Bacillus licheniformis BBE11-1 keratinase, the PoPMuSiC algorithm was applied to predict the folding free energy change (ΔΔG) of amino acid substitutions. Use of the algorithm in combination with molecular modification of homologous subtilisin allowed the introduction of four amino acid substitutions (N122Y, N217S, A193P, N160C) into the enzyme by site-directed mutagenesis, and the mutant genes were expressed in Bacillus subtilis WB600. The quadruple mutant displayed synergistic or additive effects with an 8.6-fold increase in the t 1/2 value at 60 °C. The N122Y substitution also led to an approximately 5.6-fold increase in catalytic efficiency compared to that of the wild-type keratinase. These results provide further insight into the thermostability of keratinase and suggest further potential industrial applications.
More than 10 Years After the First ‘Savior Siblings’: Parental Experiences Surrounding Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
Authors: Zierhut Heather , MacMillan Margaret L. , Wagner John E. , Bartels Dianne M. 
Published: May 2013

AbstractPreimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to create a healthy donor for a sibling's hematopoetic stem cell transplantation for a child with Fanconi Anemia (FA) was first reported in 2001. Yet we know little about the experiences of parents who have encountered decision making surrounding PGD and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐typing. The first aim of this study was to understand parents’ awareness, perceptions and beliefs about reproductive decision‐making including emotional, cognitive, moral dimensions as well as regret surrounding the use of this technology. The second aim was to describe the experiences and rationale of parents of children with a single gene disorder regarding the factors that influenced their decision making surrounding the use of natural pregnancy and/or PGD and HLA‐typing. Parents from two national FA support networks in the US and Canada responded to an emailed survey about reproductive decision making and outcomes surrounding natural pregnancy and PGD and HLA‐typing. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's Chi‐Square tests were used to describe and compare data. Our results indicate that the most important factors in the PGD decision making process were the health of the child and cognitive appraisals followed by emotional responses and then moral judgments. A significant difference was noted in parents considering natural pregnancy before and after 2001 (p = 0.01). Unexpected findings were that less than 35 % of parents were offered PGD by any health care professional and only 70 % were aware PGD with HLA‐typing was a reproductive option. Our research suggests that the option of PGD and HLA‐typing may influence parents’ reproductive decision making choices.