bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High Selective Parathion Voltammetric Sensor Development by Using an Acrylic Based Molecularly Imprinted Polymer‐Carbon Paste Electrode
Authors: Alizadeh Taher 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe design and construction of an extra high selective voltammetric sensor for parathion by using a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as recognition element was introduced. A parathion selective MIP and a nonimprinted polymer (NIP) were synthesized and then incorporated in the carbon paste electrode. The MIP‐CP electrode showed very high recognition ability in comparison to NIP‐CP. It was shown that electrode washing after parathion extraction, led to enhanced selectivity. Some parameters affecting the sensor response were optimized and then the calibration curve was plotted. A dynamic linear range of 1.7–900 nM was obtained. The detection limit of the sensor was calculated as 0.5 nM. This sensor was used successfully for parathion determination in real samples such as ground water and vegetables.
Sensitive and Facile Determination of Catechol and Hydroquinone Simultaneously Under Coexistence of Resorcinol with a Zn/Al Layered Double Hydroxide Film Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Li Maoguo , Ni Fang , Wang Yinling , Xu Shudong , Zhang Dandan , Chen Shuihong , Wang Lun 
Published: June 2009

AbstractA stable dihydroxybenzene sensor was fabricated by electrochemical deposition of Zn/Al layered double hydroxide film on glassy carbon electrode (LDHf/GCE). The sensitive and facile electrochemical method for the simultaneous determination of catechol (CA) and hydroquinone (HQ) under coexistence of resorcinol (RE) has been achieved at the LDHf/GCE in phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.5). Under the optimized conditions, the differential pulse voltammetry response of the modified electrode to CA (or HQ) shows a linear concentration range of 0.6 μM to 6.0 mM (or 3.2 μM to 2.4 mM) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9987 (or 0.9992) and the calculated limit of detection is 0.1 μM (or 1.0 μM) at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3. In the presence of 50 μM isomer, the linear concentration ranges for CA and HQ are 3.0 μM to 1.5 mM and 12.0 μM to 0.8 mM, respectively. The detection limits are 1.2 μM and 9.0 μM. Further, the proposed method has been performed to successfully detect dihydroxybenzene isomers in analysis of real samples, such as water and tea.
Electrochemical Behavior of 8‐Azaguanine at DNA Langmuir–Blodgett Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode and Its Analytical Application
Authors: Wang Fei , Wu Yan‐Ju , Gao Lin , Xing Tian‐Lai , Ye Bao‐Xian 
Published: June 2009

AbstractA highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor for the detection of trace amounts of 8‐azaguanine has been designed. Double stranded (ds)DNA molecules are immobilized onto a glassy carbon electrode surface with Langmuir–Blodgett technique. The adsorptive voltammetric behaviors of 8‐azaguanine at DNA‐modified electrode were explored by means of cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry. Compared with bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE), the Langmuir–Blodgett film modified electrode can greatly improve the measuring sensitivity of 8‐azaguanine. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the Langmuir–Blodgett film modified electrode in pH 3.0 Britton–Robinson buffer solutions shows a linear voltammetric response in the range of 5.0×10−8to 1.0×10−5 mol L−1with detection limit 9.0×10−9 mol L−1. The method proposed was applied successfully for the determination of 8‐azaguanine in diluted human urine with wonderful satisfactory.
Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Nanomolar Concentration of Cerium(III) at a Carbon Paste Electrode Modified by N′‐[(2‐Hydroxyphenyl)Methylidene]‐2‐Furohydrazide
Authors: Javanbakht Mehran , Khoshsafar Hamid , Reza Ganjali Mohammad , Norouzi Parviz , Adib Mehdi 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe aim of this work was to obtain an adsorptive stripping voltammetric method for the Ce(III) determination at a carbon paste electrode, chemically modified with N'‐[(2‐hydroxyphenyl)methylidene]‐2‐furohydrazide (NHMF). The electroanalytical procedure comprised two steps: the Ce(III) chemical accumulation at −200 mV followed by the electrochemical detection of the Ce(III)/NHMF complex, using anodic stripping voltammetry. The factors, influencing the adsorptive stripping performance, were optimized including the modifier quantity in the paste, the electrolyte concentrations, the solution pH and the accumulation potential or time. The resulting electrode demonstrated a linear response over a wide range of Ce(III) concentration (5.0–90 nmol dm−3). The detection limit was found to be 0.8 nmol dm−3 on the basis of a signal to noise ratio of 3. The precision for six determinations of 10 and 55 nmol dm−3 Ce(III) was 5.6% and 2.1% (relative standard deviation), respectively. Application of the procedure to the determination of cerium in phosphate rock and wastewater samples gave good results.
Reagentless Aptamer Based Impedance Biosensor for Monitoring Adenosine
Authors: Liu Zhimin , Li Zhejian , Shen Guoli , Yu Ruqin 
Published: June 2009

AbstractA simple and highly sensitive electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) biosensor based on nano‐MnO2 as a platform for the immobilization of the aptamer was developed for the determination of adenosine. In the measurement of adenosine, the change in interfacial electron transfer resistance (Ret) of the biosensor using a redox couple of [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− as the probe was monitored. The change of the electron transfer resistance (ΔRet) of the biosensor was linear with the concentration of adenosine in the range from 1.0 nM to 100 nM. The fabricated sensor was shown to exhibit high sensitivity, desirable selectivity and good stability.
Transgenic peas expressing an α‐amylase inhibitor gene from beans show altered expression and modification of endogenous proteins
Authors: Islam Nazrul , Campbell Peter M. , Higgins Thomas J. V. , Hirano Hisashi , Akhurst Raymond J. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractDifferential in‐gel electrophoresis showed contrasting effects of the transgenic expression of an α‐amylase inhibitor from beans on the proteomes of two pea cultivars. One cultivar showed minor changes relative to its non‐transgenic parent with only one protein changing by more than about twofold. Changes in the abundance of certain endogenous proteins in the other cultivar were of greater number and magnitude with some endogenous proteins undetected while some new protein spots appeared in the transgenic proteome. The sets of proteins with altered expression were generally different between the two cultivars. Some of the proteins that were differentially expressed were identified by MS. Most were seed storage globulins, which are sited together with the transgenic product. Some of the changes may be due to alterations in expression levels but there were also changes due to post‐translational processing.
A new passive rolling‐pendulum vibration absorber using a non‐axial‐symmetrical guide to achieve bidirectional tuning
Authors: Matta Emiliano , De Stefano Alessandro , Spencer Billie F. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractA new, passive, vibroprotective device of the rolling‐pendulum tuned mass damper type is presented that, relying on a proper three‐dimensional guiding surface, can simultaneously control the response of the supporting structure in two mutually orthogonal horizontal directions. Unlike existing examples of ball vibration absorbers, mounted on spherical recesses and effective for axial‐symmetrical structures, the new device is bidirectionally tuneable, by virtue of the optimum shape of the rolling cavity, to both fundamental structural modes, even when the corresponding natural frequencies are different, in such a case recurring to an innovative non‐axial‐symmetrical rolling guide.Based on Appell's non‐holonomic mechanics, a non‐linear dynamic model is first derived for the bidirectional absorber mounted on a 1‐storey 3‐degrees‐of‐freedom linear structure translating under the effect of both imparted base motion and applied dynamic forces. A laboratory‐scaled prototype of the device is then tested to experimentally demonstrate the bidirectional tuning capability and to validate the mathematical model. The design procedure and the seismic performance of the absorber are finally exemplified through numerical simulation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using limiting factors analysis to overcome the problem of long time horizons
Authors: Gullison Raymond , Hardner Jared 
Published: June 2009

AbstractIn recent years, donors to biodiversity conservation projects have sought greater accountability, using professional evaluators to help assess the degree to which grantees are achieving conservation objectives. One of the most formidable challenges evaluators face is the time required both for ecological systems to respond to management interventions and over which grantees must maintain their biodiversity conservation gains. The authors present a simple methodology, called limiting factors analysis, which was developed during the course of evaluating several large portfolios of conservation projects. The method is a practical basis for rapidly assessing whether current conditions are likely to prevent grantees from achieving their long‐term objectives. Use of the methodology is illustrated with examples from recent evaluations of the Andes Amazon Initiative and the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Counterfactual thinking and impact evaluation in environmental policy
Authors: Ferraro Paul J. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractImpact evaluations assess the degree to which changes in outcomes can be attributed to an intervention rather than to other factors. Such attribution requires knowing what outcomes would have looked like in the absence of the intervention. This counterfactual world can be inferred only indirectly through evaluation designs that control for confounding factors. Some have argued that environmental policy is different from other social policy fields, and thus attempting to establish causality through identification of counterfactual outcomes is quixotic. This chapter argues that elucidating causal relationships through counterfactual thinking and experimental or quasi‐experimental designs is absolutely critical in environmental policy, and that many opportunities for doing so exist. Without more widespread application of such approaches, little progress will be made on building the evidence base in environmental policy. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Key insights for the design of environmental evaluations
Authors: Mickwitz Per , Birnbaum Matthew 
Published: June 2009

AbstractImproving the future quality of program and policy evaluation in the environmental arena requires addressing four issues that emerged on reading the earlier chapters in this special issue. Framing the evaluation requires careful consideration in choosing the focus, and specifying the context and potentially confounding factors. It means identifying the purpose of the evaluation and the stakeholders most important for inclusion. Addressing attribution requires recognizing the limits of establishing causality while maintaining counterfactual thinking. More effort is needed to increase the usefulness of evaluations. Multiple stakeholders come with their own perspectives; addressing this heterogeneity requires transparency and feedback during the design, implementation, and follow‐up to any evaluation study. Finally, improving the future quality of environmental evaluation will require continued deliberation and community building. Much of this is already underway, but the pluralism should still be promoted, and our community enlarged. Evaluators in the environmental field further should continue to be mindful of contributions coming from other subfields of evaluation and applied research beyond the environmental community. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Control of shared representations relies on key processes involved in mental state attribution
Authors: Spengler Stephanie , von Cramon D. Yves , Brass Marcel 
Published: June 2009

AbstractAction observation leads to the automatic activation of the corresponding motor representation in the observer through “mirror‐matching.” This constitutes a “shared representational system,” which is thought to subserve social understanding by motor simulation. However, it is unclear how these shared representations can be controlled and distinguished. Brain imaging suggests that controlling shared representations, indexed by the ability to control automatic imitative responses, activates anterior fronto‐median cortex (aFMC), and temporo‐parietal junction (TPJ). Crucially, these regions are also consistently implicated in mental state attribution and have provided an alternative account for higher‐level social cognition. Here, we directly tested whether social‐cognitive processes involve similar key computational mechanisms as the control of shared representations by using functional brain imaging to reveal overlapping brain circuits. We show in a within‐subject design that commonly activated regions occurred selectively in aFMC and TPJ. Mentalizing and self‐referential thoughts recruited a region in aFMC, which was also activated when controlling imitation. In the TPJ, an area overlapped between mentalizing, agency processing, and imitative control. Behavioral and neural correlates of mentalizing were further related to the individual ability for controlling imitation. Our findings support the assumption of shared key processes and suggest a novel link between embodied and social cognition. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional segmentation of the brain cortex using high model order group PICA
Authors: Kiviniemi Vesa , Starck Tuomo , Remes Jukka , Long Xiangyu , Nikkinen Juha , Haapea Marianne , Veijola Juha , Moilanen Irma , Isohanni Matti , Zang Yu‐Feng , Tervonen Osmo 
Published: June 2009

AbstractBaseline activity of resting state brain networks (RSN) in a resting subject has become one of the fastest growing research topics in neuroimaging. It has been shown that up to 12 RSNs can be differentiated using an independent component analysis (ICA) of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) resting state data. In this study, we investigate how many RSN signal sources can be separated from the entire brain cortex using high dimension ICA analysis from a group dataset. Group data from 55 subjects was analyzed using temporal concatenation and a probabilistic independent component analysis algorithm. ICA repeatability testing verified that 60 of the 70 computed components were robustly detectable. Forty‐two independent signal sources were identifiable as RSN, and 28 were related to artifacts or other noninterest sources (non‐RSN). The depicted RSNs bore a closer match to functional neuroanatomy than the previously reported RSN components. The non‐RSN sources have significantly lower temporal intersource connectivity than the RSN (P < 0.0003). We conclude that the high model order ICA of the group BOLD data enables functional segmentation of the brain cortex. The method enables new approaches to causality and connectivity analysis with more specific anatomical details. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neurocognitive processes of the religious leader in Christians
Authors: Ge Jianqiao , Gu Xiaosi , Ji Meng , Han Shihui 
Published: June 2009

AbstractOur recent work suggests that trait judgment of the self in Christians, relative to nonreligious subjects, is characterized by weakened neural coding of stimulus self‐relatedness in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) but enhanced evaluative processes of self‐referential stimuli in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC). The current study tested the hypothesis that Christian belief and practice produce a trait summary about the religious leader (Jesus) in the believers and thus episodic memory retrieval is involved to the minimum degree when making trait judgment of Jesus. Experiment 1 showed that to recall a specific incident to exemplify Jesus' trait facilitated behavioral performances associated with the following trait judgment of Jesus in nonreligious subjects but not in Christians. Experiment 2 showed that, for nonreligious subjects, trait judgments of both government and religious leaders resulted in enhanced functional connectivity between MPFC and posterior parietal cortex (PPC)/precuneus compared with self judgment. For Christian subjects, however, the functional connectivity between MPFC and PPC/precuneus differentiated between trait judgments of the government leader and the self but not between trait judgments of Jesus and the self. Our findings suggest that Christian belief and practice modulate the neurocognitive processes of the religious leader so that trait judgment of Jesus engages increased employment of semantic trait summary but decreased memory retrieval of behavioral episodes. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The rate of visuomotor adaptation correlates with cerebellar white‐matter microstructure
Authors: Della‐Maggiore Valeria , Scholz Jan , Johansen‐Berg Heidi , Paus Tomáš 
Published: June 2009

AbstractConvergent experimental evidence points to the cerebellum as a key neural structure mediating adaptation to visual and proprioceptive perturbations. In a previous study, we have shown that activity in the anterior cerebellum varies with the rate of learning, with fast learners exhibiting more activity in this region than slow learners. Here, we investigated whether this variability in behavior may partly reflect inter‐individual differences in the structural properties of cerebellar white‐matter output tracts. For this purpose, we used diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging to estimate fractional anisotropy (FA), and correlated the FA with the rate of adaptation to an optical rotation in 11 subjects. We found that FA in a region consistent with the superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP), containing fibers connecting the cerebellar cortex with motor and premotor cortex, was positively correlated with the rate of adaptation but not with the general level of performance or the initial deviation. The same pattern was observed in a region of the lateral posterior cerebellum. In contrast, FA in the angular gyrus of the posterior parietal cortex correlated positively both with the rate of adaptation and the overall level of performance. Our results show that the rate of learning a visuomotor task is associated with FA of cerebellar pathways. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Facile route for the synthesis of benzothiazoles and benzimidazoles in the presence of tungstophosphoric acid impregnated zirconium phosphate under solvent‐free conditions
Authors: Aliyan Hamid , Fazaeli Razieh , Fazaeli Nahid , Mssah Ahmad Reza , Naghash Hamid Javaherian , Alizadeh Mohammad , Emami Ginous 
Published: June 2009

AbstractRapid and efficient condensation reactions of o‐phenylenediamine and o‐aminothiophenol with various aldehydes were carried out using tungstophosphoric acid impregnated zirconium phosphate in solvent‐free conditions to afford the corresponding 2‐substituted arylbenzimidazole and arylbenzothiazole derivatives in good to excellent yields. This procedure constitutes a simple and practical green synthetic method for 2‐arylbenzimidazoles and 2‐arylbenzothiazoles and their structural analogs. Furthermore, the catalyst can be reused for several times but it will be less active. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 20:202–207, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.20534
A case of constitutional apples and oranges: a functional comparison of pension priority and benefit guarantees in U.S., U.K. and Canadian insolvency and pension law regimes
Authors: Davis Ronald B. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractCanada's insolvency law reform increased the priority granted to employer‐sponsored pension claims. The article compares the treatment of such claims in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. A comparison of the legislative provisions concerning pension funding shortfalls from contribution arrears or economic underperformance in relation to the assumptions used for investment income or liability valuations finds that insolvency law has been used to address contribution arrears, but risks from economic underperformance have been addressed by pension benefit insurance. Post‐insolvency priority for contribution arrears provides appropriate incentives to discourage pre‐insolvency preferences for payments to other creditors, while shortfalls from economic underperformance do not involve issues of preference between creditors. The absence of any insolvency rationale for changing priority for shortfalls from economic underperformance and the likely disparity between the assets available to satisfy clams and the much larger amounts of such shortfalls makes the use of insolvency law to address this risk much less effective than insurance. Canada, however, has not adopted the insurance policy instrument used in the U.S. and U.K. to mitigate the impact of pension funding shortfalls. The constitutional inability of Canada to legislate in respect of matters of pension regulation that would allow it to control the well‐known insurance problems of moral hazard and adverse selection may explain why it has only chosen to adopt an insolvency policy instrument. However, a change in priorities in insolvency may generate incentives for secured creditors that either undermine or reinforce this policy choice. Secured creditors could attempt to circumvent the new priority scheme through private arrangements with the debtor or to increase their monitoring activities to ensure the debtor is current in its pension contributions. Secured creditors choices will be influenced by the bankruptcy courts' interpretation of the preference provisions in the insolvency legislation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
μ‐Calpain regulates caspase‐dependent and apoptosis inducing factor‐mediated caspase‐independent apoptotic pathways in cisplatin‐induced apoptosis
Authors: Liu Lei , Xing Da , Chen Wei R. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractCisplatin, an effective anticancer agent, can induce tumor cell apoptosis via caspase‐dependent and‐independent pathways. However, the precise mechanism that regulates the pathways remains unclear. In this study, we showed that μ‐calpain mediated both caspase‐dependent and‐independent pathways during cisplatin‐induced apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma cells. After cisplatin treatment, calpain activation, as measured by a fluorescent substrate, was an early event, taking place well before apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) release and caspase‐9/‐3 activation. Confocal imaging of cells transfected with AIF‐GFP demonstrated that AIF release occurred about 9 hr after cisplatin treatment. The increase of μ‐calpain activity proved to be a crucial event in the apoptotic machinery, as demonstrated by the significant protection of cell death in samples suppressed the endogenous μ‐calpain expression level, as well as cotreated with the calpain inhibitors, calpeptin and PD150606. Inhibition of μ‐calpain not only significantly reduced caspase‐9/‐3 activities but also completely blocked AIF redistribution. Our study also showed that endogenous mitochondrial μ‐calpain could directly induce the truncation and release of AIF, while caspases and cathepsins were not necessary for this process. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that activation of μ‐calpain played an essential role in regulating both caspase‐dependent and AIF‐mediated caspase‐independent apoptotic pathways in cisplatin‐induced apoptosis. © 2009 UICC