bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of remediation processes for explosive‐contaminated soils: kinetics and Microtox® bioassay
Authors: Oh Seok‐Young , Yoon Hyun‐Su , Jeong Tae‐Yong , Kim Sang Don 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDSoils and sediments near military sites where training regularly occurs are vulnerable to contamination from toxic nitro explosives such as 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine (RDX). In order to clean up the explosive‐contaminated soils, several options have been investigated and evaluated as ex situ remediation processes, including alkaline hydrolysis, subcritical water degradation, zero‐valent iron (Fe(0)) reduction, and Fe(0)‐assisted Fenton oxidation. The kinetics of the remediation processes were evaluated and the toxicity of treated solutions determined using the Microtox® bioassay.RESULTSKinetically, using four remediation methods, explosives were rapidly degraded in contaminated soils. Under optimal conditions, more than 99% of explosives were destroyed. However, the Microtox® bioassay showed that after degradation of explosives by alkaline hydrolysis, treated solutions did not show any decrease in toxicity, suggesting that hydrolytic products may still be toxic. Similarly, the Fe(0) reduction process did not significantly aid removal of toxicity due to the toxicity of reduction products. In contrast, subcritical water degradation and Fe(0)‐assisted Fenton oxidation markedly reduced the toxicity of explosives. When a toxic metal (e.g. Pb in shooting ranges) co‐existed with explosives, toxicity still remained after complete degradation of the explosives by subcritical water degradation or Fe(0)‐assisted Fenton oxidation, indicating that additional treatment may be needed.CONCLUSIONSResults suggest that, besides removal/degradation of toxic explosives, reduction of toxicity after treatment should be evaluated to select a practical option to remediate explosive‐contaminated soils. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Enhanced biodegradation of aged petroleum hydrocarbons in soils by glucose addition in microbial fuel cells
Authors: Li Xiaojing , Wang Xin , Wan Lili , Zhang Yueyong , Li Nan , Li Desheng , Zhou Qixing 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDBioelectrochemical remediation of soils contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons has received increasing attention as an effective approach to remove pollution with simultaneous electricity generation.RESULTSHere, glucose was added as a co‐substrate in this system. The charge output of soil microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was enhanced by 262%, and the total petroleum hydrocarbon degradation rate increased by 200%. According to the increased dehydrogenase and polyphenol oxidase activities, the exogenetic glucose substantially activated hydrocarbon degradation bacteria (such as Alcanivorax). The Shannon–Wiener Index and richness of soil microbial community decreased after glucose addition, indicating that a selective enrichment of specific communities was imposed by glucose. Correlation analysis showed the biodiversity in soil far from the cathode was mainly determined by the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons, while that in soil close to the cathode was dominated by the current.CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrated that an exogenetic carbon source enhanced the bioelectrochemically assisted degradation of aged petroleum hydrocarbons in saline soils, providing an effective approach to remove contaminations from soil in barren areas or extreme environments. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
In vivo 1HMRSI of glycine in brain tumors at 3T
Authors: Ganji Sandeep K. , Maher Elizabeth A. , Choi Changho 
Published: February 2015

PurposeMR spectroscopic imaging (SI) of glycine (Gly) in the human brain is challenging due to the interference of the abundant neighboring J‐coupled resonances. Our aim is to accomplish reliable imaging of Gly in healthy brain and brain tumors using an optimized MR sequence scheme at 3 tesla.MethodsTwo‐dimensional 1H SI was performed with a point‐resolved spectroscopy scheme. An echo time of 160 ms was used for separation between Gly and myo‐inositol signals. Data were collected from eight healthy volunteers and 14 subjects with gliomas. Spectra were analyzed with the linear combination model using numerically calculated basis spectra. Metabolite concentrations were estimated with reference to creatine in white matter (WM) regions at 6.4 molar concentrations (mM).ResultsFrom a linear regression analysis with respect to the fractional gray matter (GM) content, the Gly concentrations in pure GM and WM in healthy brains were estimated to be 1.1 and 0.3 mM, respectively. Gly was significantly elevated in tumors. The tumor‐to‐contralateral Gly concentration ratio was more extensive with higher grades, showing ∼10‐fold elevation of Gly in glioblastomas.ConclusionThe Gly level is significantly different between GM and WM in healthy brains. Our data indicate that SI of Gly may provide a biomarker of brain tumor malignancy. Magn Reson Med 75:52–62, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MRICEST at 1T with large µeffLn3+ complexes T m3+‐HPDO3A: An efficient MRI pH reporter
Authors: Rancan Giaime , Delli Castelli Daniela , Aime Silvio 
Published: February 2015

PurposeChemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) sensitivity relies on the prototropic exchange rate kex between the agent and the “bulk” water protons. To exploit large kex, a large frequency separation (Δω) between the pools of exchanging protons is necessary. For this reason, high magnetic fields are preferred. Herein it is shown that the use of paramagnetic CEST agents based on lanthanide (III) ions with large effective magnetic moments allows the carrying out of CEST experiments at the relatively low field strength of 1 tesla (T).MethodsMeasurements were performed on a 1T MR‐scanner using continuous wave (cw)‐presaturation with a spin echo sequence. ParaCEST complexes have been synthetized by mixing the ligand and Ln(III)Cl3 in a stoichiometric ratio at room temperature and pH 7.ResultsDifferent lanthanide chelates were investigated (Tm‐, Dy‐, Yb‐, Eu‐HPDO3A, and Eu‐DOTAMGly). Ratiometric (Tm‐HPDO3A) and selective detection (Eu‐DOTAMGly and Tm‐HPDO3A) experiments have been proven feasible in vivo.ConclusionIn vitro experiments demonstrated the feasibility of the CEST methodology at 1T for nearly every paraCEST candidate under investigation, except for Eu‐HPDO3A. Among the studied compounds, Tm‐HPDO3A proved suitable for the application of a ratiometric method for assessing pH both in vitro and in vivo. Magn Reson Med 75:329–336, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Safety of valproic acid in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Antoniou Tony , Yao Zhan , Camacho Ximena , Mamdani Muhammad M. , Juurlink David N. , Gomes Tara 
Published: February 2015

AbstractPurposeValproic acid is an anticonvulsant that also inhibits histone deacetylase (HDAC), a property that could worsen pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The clinical significance of this property is unknown. We therefore compared the risk of COPD exacerbation in older patients with COPD commencing treatment with either valproic acid or phenytoin, an anticonvulsant that does not affect HDAC.MethodsWe conducted a population‐based retrospective cohort study of Ontario residents with COPD aged 66 years or older who started treatment with valproic acid or phenytoin between 1 April 1993 and 30 November 2012. The primary outcome was a hospital admission or emergency department visit for a COPD exacerbation within 240 days of drug initiation. A secondary outcome examined initiation of oral corticosteroids in the outpatient setting.ResultsDuring the study period, we identified 4596 COPD patients who commenced valproic acid and 8478 who commenced phenytoin. Following multivariable adjustment, valproic acid did not increase the risk of the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio 1.00, 95% confidence interval 0.79 to 1.26). Although valproic acid was associated with a lower risk of initiating oral corticosteroids in the first thirty days following commencement of anticonvulsant therapy (adjusted hazard ratio 0.32; 95% confidence interval 0.21 to 0.49), no difference was observed during subsequent follow‐up.ConclusionAmong older patients with COPD, treatment with valproic acid does not increase the risk of adverse pulmonary outcomes relative to phenytoin. These findings suggest that valproate‐induced HDAC inhibition is of little clinical relevance in this context. ">© 2015 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Template–polymer commensurability and directed self‐assembly block copolymer lithography
Authors: Sunday Daniel F. , Ashley Elizabeth , Wan Lei , Patel Kanaiyalal C. , Ruiz Ricardo , Kline R. Joseph 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACTBlock copolymer directed self‐assembly (BCP) with chemical epitaxy is a promising lithographic solution for patterning features with critical dimensions under 20 nm. In this work, we study the extent to which lamellae‐forming poly(styrene‐b‐methyl methacrylate) can be directed with chemical contrast patterns when the pitch of the block copolymer is slightly compressed or stretched compared to the equilibrium pitch observed in unpatterned films. Critical dimension small angle X‐ray scattering complemented with SEM analysis was used to quantify the shape and roughness of the line/space features. It was found that the BCP was more lenient to pitch compression than to pitch stretching, tolerating at least 4.9% pitch compression, but only 2.5% pitch stretching before disrupting into dislocation or disclination defects. The more tolerant range of pitch compression is explained by considering the change in free energy with template mismatch, which suggests a larger penalty for pitch stretching than compressing. Additionally, the effect of width mismatch between chemical contrast pattern and BCP is considered for two different pattern transfer techniques. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 595–603
Screening protein isoforms predictive for cancer using immunoaffinity capture and fast LC‐MS in PRM mode
Authors: Lesur Antoine , Ancheva Lina , Kim Yeoun Jin , Berchem Guy , van Oostrum Jan , Domon Bruno 
Published: February 2015

PurposeWe report an immunocapture strategy to extract proteins known to harbor driver mutations for a defined cancer type before the simultaneous assessment of their mutational status by MS. Such a method bypasses the sensitivity and selectivity issues encountered during the analysis of unfractionated complex biological samples.Experimental designFast LC separations using short nanobore columns hyphenated with a high‐resolution quadrupole‐orbitrap mass spectrometer have been devised to take advantage of fast MS cycle times in conjunction with sharp chromatographic peak widths to accelerate the sample analysis throughput. Such an analytical platform is well suited to analyze simple protein mixtures obtained after immunoaffinity enrichment.ResultsAfter establishing the technical performance of the platform, the method was applied to the quantitative profiling of cellular Ras and EGFR protein isoforms, as well as serum amyloid A isoforms in plasma.Conclusions and clinical relevanceImmunoaffinity purification combined with fast LC‐MS detection for the detection of driver mutations in tissue and tumor biomarkers in plasma samples can assist clinicians to select an optimal therapeutic intervention for patients.
Mass Dependent of Explosion Probability of RDX, Tetryl, and a PBX Powder in Drop Hammer Test
Authors: Wen Yushi , Long Xinping , Xiang Yong , Yu Shaojun , Dai Xiaogan , Li Ming 
Published: February 2015

AbstractSeries of Drop Weight Tests with varying sample mass of RDX, tetryl, and a PBX molding powder were carried out and the dramatic effects of sample mass on the explosion probability were obtained. The experimental results indicate that the explosion probability will firstly increase and subsequently decrease when the mass of sample reduces and also it shows the explosion probability is also related with the coverage area of the sample on the impact pillar. The explosion probability reached the maximum when the impact pillar was fully covered by the sample. A Dual‐factor‐competition Model is proposed in this work, which is able to predict the correlation between the explosion probability and sample mass. The response characteristic obtained can help to redesign the sensitivity test and provide a new way to distinguish the impact sensitiveness of insensitive explosives by reducing the sample mass.
Does deamidation cause protein unfolding? A top‐down tandem mass spectrometry study
Authors: Soulby Andrew J. , Heal Jack W. , Barrow Mark P. , Roemer Rudolf A. , O'Connor Peter B. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractDeamidation is a nonenzymatic post‐translational modification of asparagine to aspartic acid or glutamine to glutamic acid, converting an uncharged amino acid to a negatively charged residue. It is plausible that deamidation of asparagine and glutamine residues would result in disruption of a proteins' hydrogen bonding network and thus lead to protein unfolding. To test this hypothesis Calmodulin and B2M were deamidated and analyzed using tandem mass spectrometry on a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICR‐MS). The gas phase hydrogen bonding networks of deamidated and nondeamidated protein isoforms were probed by varying the infra‐red multi‐photon dissociation laser power in a linear fashion and plotting the resulting electron capture dissociation fragment intensities as a melting curve at each amino acid residue. Analysis of the unfolding maps highlighted increased fragmentation at lower laser powers localized around heavily deamidated regions of the proteins. In addition fragment intensities were decreased across the rest of the proteins which we propose is because of the formation of salt‐bridges strengthening the intramolecular interactions of the central regions. These results were supported by a computational flexibility analysis of the mutant and unmodified proteins, which would suggest that deamidation can affect the global structure of a protein via modification of the hydrogen bonding network near the deamidation site and that top down FTICR‐MS is an appropriate technique for studying protein folding.
Effects of refuges on the evolution of resistance to transgenic corn by the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgiferaLeConte
Authors: Deitloff Jennifer , Dunbar Mike W , Ingber David A , Hibbard Bruce E , Gassmann Aaron J 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDDiabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte is a major pest of corn and causes over a billion dollars of economic loss annually through yield reductions and management costs. Corn producing toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been developed to help manage D. v. virgifera. However, previous studies have demonstrated the ability of this species to evolve resistance to Bt toxins in both laboratory and field settings.RESULTSWe used an experimental evolution approach to test the refuge strategies for delaying resistance of D. v. virgifera to corn producing Bt toxin Cry34/35Ab1. In the absence of refuges, D. v. virgifera developed resistance to Bt corn after three generations of selection. In some cases, non‐Bt refuges reduced the level of resistance compared with the strain selected in the absence of refuges, but refuge strains did show reduced susceptibility to Bt corn compared with the unselected strain.CONCLUSIONSIn this study, non‐Bt refuges delayed resistance to Bt corn by D. v. virgifera in some cases but not others. Combining the refuge strategy with pyramids of multiple Bt toxins and applying other pest management strategies will likely be necessary to delay resistance of D. v. virgifera to Bt corn. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Characterization of gas phase iron phthalocyanine with X‐ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies
Authors: Bidermane Ieva , Lüder Johann , Totani Roberta , Grazioli Cesare , de Simone Monica , Coreno Marcello , Kivimäki Antti , Åhlund John , Lozzi Luca , Brena Barbara , Puglia Carla 
Published: February 2015

AbstractDespite the numerous studies dedicated to phthalocyanine molecules adsorbed on surfaces, in monolayer or thin film, very few works have been focused on the characterization of vapors of these molecules. In this article we present the C 1s, N 1s and Fe 2p photoemission results as well as N K‐edge X‐ray absorption data of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) in gas phase. Presented comparison of X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy spectra of FePc films show a great similarity with the gas phase results, confirming the molecular character of thick films. The Fe 2p photoemission spectrum of the gas phase FePc, shown for the first time, can be considered as a fingerprint of the Fe(II) ionic state of the central metal of the iron phthalocyanine. The performed multiplet calculations for describing the Fe 2p XP spectrum indicate (aeb) state as the most probable ground state for thick film of iron phthalocyanine.
TALEN‐mediated gene editing of the thrombospondin‐1 locus in axolotl
Authors: Kuo Tzu‐Hsing , Kowalko Johanna E. , DiTommaso Tia , Nyambi Mandi , Montoro Daniel T. , Essner Jeffrey J. , Whited Jessica L. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractLoss‐of‐function genetics provides strong evidence for a gene's function in a wild‐type context. In many model systems, this approach has been invaluable for discovering the function of genes in diverse biological processes. Axolotls are urodele amphibians (salamanders) with astonishing regenerative abilities, capable of regenerating entire limbs, portions of the tail (including spinal cord), heart, and brain into adulthood. With their relatively short generation time among salamanders, they offer an outstanding opportunity to interrogate natural mechanisms for appendage and organ regeneration provided that the tools are developed to address these long‐standing questions. Here we demonstrate targeted modification of the thrombospondin‐1 (tsp‐1) locus using transcription‐activator‐like effector nucleases (TALENs) and identify a role of tsp‐1 in recruitment of myeloid cells during limb regeneration. We find that while tsp‐1‐edited mosaic animals still regenerate limbs, they exhibit a reduced subepidermal collagen layer in limbs and an increased number of myeloid cells within blastemas. This work presents a protocol for generating and genotyping mosaic axolotls with TALEN‐mediated gene edits.
Comparison of x‐ray absorption and emission techniques for the investigation of paintings
Authors: Cabal A. , Schalm O. , Eyskens P. , Willems P. , Harth A. , Van Espen P. 
Published: February 2015

Four x‐ray techniques: computed radiography, emission radiography, energy‐resolved radiography and imaging x‐ray fluorescence were compared using four mock‐up panel paintings. The paintings have different stratigraphy and pigments and are representative for different historical periods. One of the paintings has a hidden underlying painting. The type of pigments used mainly influences the information obtained by both the emission and absorption measurements; high‐Z white pigment and high‐Z color pigments giving the best contrast.Each of the techniques revealed interesting aspects of the paintings, but none of them could reveal the hidden painting to a satisfactory level. Due to the statistical quality of the spectral data, x‐ray fluorescence gives elemental images with high contrast. The radiographic images are better to reveal the internal structure.Imaging x‐ray fluorescence and energy‐resolved radiography measurements can be done simultaneously, and the combination has the highest potential for the study of complex multilayer paintings. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A grid-independent length scale for large-eddy simulations
Authors: Piomelli Ugo , Rouhi Amirreza , Geurts Bernard J. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractWe propose a new length scale as a basis for the modelling of subfilter motions in large-eddy simulations (LES) of turbulent flow. Rather than associating the model length scale with the computational grid, we put forward an approximation of the integral length scale to achieve a non-uniform flow coarsening through spatial filtering that reflects the local, instantaneous turbulence activity. Through the introduction of this grid-independent, solution-specific length scale it becomes possible to separate the problem of representing small-scale turbulent motions in a coarsened flow model from that of achieving an accurate numerical resolution of the primary flow scales. The formulation supports the notion of grid-independent LES, in which a prespecified reliability measure is used. We investigate a length-scale definition based on the resolved turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and its dissipation. The proposed approach, which we call integral length-scale approximation (ILSA) model, is illustrated for turbulent channel flow at high Reynolds numbers and for homogeneous isotropic turbulence (HIT). We employ computational optimization of the model parameter based on various measures of subfilter activity, using the successive inverse polynomial interpolation (SIPI) and establish the efficiency of this route to subfilter modelling.
Infection ecology of Philometra ovata (Nematoda: Philometridae) in a wild European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) population in Finland
Authors: LAI YI-TE , TASKINEN JOUNI , KEKÄLÄINEN JUKKA , KORTET RAINE 
Published: February 2015

SUMMARYSeasonal life cycle of body cavity dwelling (BCD) Philometra ovata (Nematoda: Philometridae) has been reported in southern and central European countries, but its swim bladder dwelling (SBD) stage and northern populations have remained unstudied. In this study, we investigated the seasonal life cycle and infection ecology of P. ovata in both swim bladder and body cavity in the European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) in Finland. The larval P. ovata infected the swim bladder of minnows mainly in August. Female SBD P. ovata emigrated to body cavity mostly in September, grew to their full size by the end of the next June, and evacuated from minnows in July. In addition, female SBD P. ovata retarding their development and staying in swim bladder were found commonly in minnows, thus the mean monthly prevalence (6·7 ± 3·9%) and mean intensity (1·4 ± 0·8) of BCD P. ovata was lower than that of SBD P. ovata (37·8 ± 15·1% and 2·0 ± 1·5, respectively). Finally, despite the large size of BCD individuals, infection of P. ovata did not impair body condition and relative gonad size of minnows, but increased the mortality and caused physical damages in their hosts during the evacuation period.
Intracellular membranes: kinetics of superoxide production and changes in thylakoids of resurrection plants upon dehydration and rehydration
Authors: Navari-Izzo F. , Pinzino C. , Quartacci M. F. , Sgherri C. L. M. , Izzo R. 
Published: February 2015

SynopsisPlants of Boea hygroscopica were grown in a controlled environment. Control leaves were detached from plants grown in well-watered conditions and then subjected for 144 h to rapid or slow dehydration. Dehydrated leaves were then rehydrated for 36 h in distilled water. Rapid-dried leaves were not able to revive, whereas slow-dried leaves recovered their normal metabolic status. Results showed a different superoxide radical production in the dehydrated leaves accompanied by an altered lipid composition. Rehydrated leaves recovered the original lipid composition of control leaves. Spin-labelled thylakoid proteins of dehydrated leaves showed lower -SH group levels and increased spin motion.