bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electrocatalytic Determination of Ascorbic Acid Using a Palladium Coated Nanoporous Gold Film Electrode
Authors: Tavakkoli Nahid , Nasrollahi Shekofe , Vatankhah Gholamreza 
Published: January 2012

AbstractCyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were used to investigate the electrochemical behavior of ascorbic acid (AA) on palladium coated nanoporous gold film (PdNPGF) electrode. The deposition of palladium was done through oxidation of copper UPD layer by palladium ions. This low Pd‐loading electrode behaved as the nanostructured Pd for electrocatalytic reaction. The PdNPGF electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic behavior by enhancing the AA oxidation peak current due to synergistic influence of the Pd film and NPGF. The kinetic parameters such as electron transfer coefficient, α, was 0.47 and the voltammetric responses of the PdNPGF electrode were linear against concentration of AA in the ranges of 2.50–33.75 mM and 0.10–0.50 mM with CV and DPV respectively.
Mechanical properties of tyramine substituted‐hyaluronan enriched fascia extracellular matrix
Authors: Chin LiKang , Calabro Anthony , Walker Esteban , Derwin Kathleen A. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractNaturally occurring biomaterial scaffolds derived from extracellular matrix (ECM) have been the topic of recent investigation in the context of rotator cuff tendon repair. We previously reported a method to treat fascia ECM with high molecular weight tyramine substituted‐hyaluronan (TS‐HA) for use as a tendon augmentation scaffold. The presence of crosslinked TS‐HA in fascia was associated with an increased macrophage and giant cell response compared to water‐treated controls after implantation in a rat abdominal wall model. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which TS‐HA treatment was associated with mechanical property changes of fascia after implantation in the rat model. Fascia samples in all groups demonstrated time‐dependent decreases in mechanical properties. TS‐HA‐treated fascia with crosslinking exhibited a lower toe modulus, a trend toward lower toe stiffness, and a higher transition strain than water‐treated controls not only after implantation, but also at time zero. TS‐HA treatment, with or without crosslinking, had no significant effect on time‐zero or post‐implantation load relaxation ratio, load relaxation rate, linear‐region stiffness, or linear‐region modulus. Our findings demonstrated that the particular TS‐HA treatment employed in this study decreased the low‐load elastic mechanical properties of fascia ECM, in keeping with the heightened macrophage and giant cell host response seen previously. This work provides a starting point and guidance for investigating alternative HA treatment strategies. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2012.
Transthoracic echocardiography visualization of bicaval dual lumen catheters for veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Tabak Benjamin , Elliott Christopher L. , Mahnke C. Becket , Tanaka Len Y. , Ogino Mark T. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractBicaval dual lumen catheters improve the efficiency of veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation by minimizing recirculation with an innovative design, which requires precise placement of three catheter ports in the superior vena cava, right atrium, and inferior vena cava, respectively. However, the exact position of these catheter ports is usually not known during placement because they cannot be visualized with conventional radiography. We performed a retrospective review of our experience over the past year using transthoracic echocardiography to evaluate the position of the catheter ports. From a subcostal, sagittal imaging approach, we were able to identify all three catheter ports in 11 of 11 studies. At least one of the catheter ports was incorrectly positioned in 5 of 11 studies. Further prospective evaluation is necessary to determine if catheter repositioning based on transthoracic echocardiography findings can further improve the clinical efficiency of veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2012.
Electrochemical studies on the corrosion inhibition of AA2024 aluminium alloy by rare earth ammonium nitrates in 3.5% NaCl solutions
Authors: Matter E. A. , Kozhukharov S. , Machkova M. , Kozhukharov V. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThe inhibitive effect of Ce(III) and Ce(IV) ammonium nitrate inhibitors on the corrosion behavior of aluminium alloy AA2024 in 3.5% NaCl solution has been investigated. Four different concentrations (10−2, 10−3, 10−4, and 10−5 M) of the inhibitors were studied. Ce3+ and Ce4+ ions are introduced into the corrosive medium with similar anionic compositions – (NH4)2Ce(NO3)5 and (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6. The inhibition efficiency (IE%) of the ions has been evaluated by using electrochemical methods – linear voltammetry (LVA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Moreover, the inhibitive ability has been investigated at different duration after addition of these salts into the corrosive media. It is established that the pH of the solutions plays an important role on the inhibition process for both cations. The results revealed that at relatively similar conditions, the cerium (III) ions showed higher inhibition efficiency than cerium (IV) ions, when they were compared to the case without inhibitor.
Influence of microstructure on mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of 3%Cr steel in CO2 environment
Authors: Xu L. N. , Guo S. Q. , Gao C. L. , Chang W. , Chen T. H. , Lu M. X. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractCorrosion behavior and mechanical properties of two 3%Cr pipeline steels were studied which have same chemical compositions but different microstructures, bainite‐ferrite and ferrite‐pearlite microstructures. Analysis of chemical compositions and surface morphology of the corrosion scale were performed using X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The semi‐passive character of corrosion scale was investigated using polarization curves measurements. The influence of microstructure on the chromium enrichment in the corrosion scale for different test periods was investigated. The microstructure was observed to affect the corrosion behavior even when the steel surface has been covered with corrosion scales and continue to have an effect until the corrosion scale possessing semi‐passive character. Possessing both good strength and corrosion resistance, 3%Cr steel with bainite‐ferrite microstructure was very promising for pipeline steel applications.
Preventing Post‐Thoracotomy Pain Syndrome
Authors: Khelemsky Yury , Noto Christopher J. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThis article provides a concise overview of post‐thoracotomy pain syndrome, describes anesthetic and surgical factors that have been investigated to reduce the incidence of the syndrome, and explores the effectiveness of various treatments for this condition. Although some interventions (both procedural and pharmacologic) have been investigated in both preventing and treating post‐thoracotomy pain syndrome, definitive studies are lacking and firm conclusions regarding the benefit of any intervention cannot be drawn. The problem is compounded further by our lack of understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the development of chronic pain after surgery. Going forward, it will be important to elucidate these mechanisms and conduct well‐designed trials involving novel therapeutic agents for both prevention and treatment of post‐thoracotomy pain syndrome. Mt Sinai J Med 79:133–139, 2012. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Perioperative Dental Evaluation
Authors: Yasny Jeffrey S. , Herlich Andrew 
Published: January 2012

AbstractTypically, a patient's intraoral condition is not a chief perioperative concern. The need for proper dental care is often unmet prior to a surgical procedure. Consequently, patients presenting for surgery may possess untreated decayed teeth and/or periodontal disease. These individuals may be harboring a quiescent and potent odontogenic infection. In the perioperative period, the deleterious effects of such an infection can not only compromise surgical outcome, but also magnify treatment and expenses. This article will elaborate on the connection between oral health and systemic disease, and discuss the barriers that exist with improving oral health. It will review pertinent dental nomenclature and anatomy, as well as emphasize the practice and value of a preoperative dental evaluation. Various compromised intraoral conditions are presented among a range of patient populations. The importance of treating an acute odontogenic infection before surgery is also discussed. Healthcare providers who recognize significant perioperative dental conditions can implement effective and preventive actions that can contain costs and achieve optimal patient care. Mt Sinai J Med 79:34–45, 2012. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Expression of a soluble form of iodotyrosine deiodinase for active site characterization by engineering the native membrane protein from Mus musculus
Authors: Buss Jennifer M. , McTamney Patrick M. , Rokita Steven E. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractReductive deiodination is critical for thyroid function and represents an unusual exception to the more common oxidative and hydrolytic mechanisms of dehalogenation in mammals. Studies on the reductive processes have been limited by a lack of convenient methods for heterologous expression of the appropriate proteins in large scale. The enzyme responsible for iodide salvage in the thyroid, iodotyrosine deodinase, is now readily generated after engineering its gene from Mus musculus. High expression of a truncated derivative lacking the membrane domain at its N‐terminal was observed in Sf9 cells, whereas expression in Pichia pastoris remained low despite codon optimization. Ultimately, the desired expression in Escherichia coli was achieved after replacing the two conserved Cys residues of the deiodinase with Ala and fusing the resulting protein to thioredoxin. This final construct provided abundant enzyme for crystallography and mutagenesis. Utility of the E. coli system was demonstrated by examining a set of active site residues critical for binding to the zwitterionic portion of substrate.
Simulations of the p97 complex suggest novel conformational states of hydrolysis intermediates
Authors: Wereszczynski Jeff , McCammon J. Andrew 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThe vitally important AAA (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) protein p97 is involved in cellular functions ranging from replication to degradation of misfolded proteins and has recently been proposed as a novel chemotherapeutic target. p97 is a large molecular machine that has been shown to hexamerize in vitro, with each monomer consisting of an N domain responsible for binding to effector proteins and two AAA repeats (D1 and D2). However, structural studies are inconclusive or in disagreement with one another on several important features such as the locations of the N domains, the relative orientations of the D1 and D2 rings, and the dimensions of the central pore. Here, we present atomic‐scale simulations of the p97 hexamer in the prehydrolysis, transition, and post‐hydrolysis states. To improve the agreement between low‐ and high‐resolution experimental studies, we first use a biased simulation technique, molecular dynamics flexible fitting (MDFF), to improve the correlation between the structures described in these experiments. We follow this with extended, classical molecular dynamics simulations, which not only show that structures generated in the MDFF phase are stable, but reveal insights into the dynamics important to each state. Simulation results suggest a hybrid model for hydrolysis, in which the N and D2 domains are dynamic while the D1 domains are relatively static, salt bridges stabilize the position of the N domains in the pre‐hydrolysis state, and the rings formed by D1 and D2 rotate relative to one another.
Prediction of protein–protein binding free energies
Authors: Vreven Thom , Hwang Howook , Pierce Brian G. , Weng Zhiping 
Published: January 2012

AbstractWe present an energy function for predicting binding free energies of protein–protein complexes, using the three‐dimensional structures of the complex and unbound proteins as input. Our function is a linear combination of nine terms and achieves a correlation coefficient of 0.63 with experimental measurements when tested on a benchmark of 144 complexes using leave‐one‐out cross validation. Although we systematically tested both atomic and residue‐based scoring functions, the selected function is dominated by residue‐based terms. Our function is stable for subsets of the benchmark stratified by experimental pH and extent of conformational change upon complex formation, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.61 to 0.66.
On the use of a linear microphone array to measure wind turbine aerodynamic noise
Authors: Genescà M. , Romeu J. , Pàmies T. , Solé J. 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTA linear microphone array is shown to be a simple tool to locate aerodynamic sound sources on a horizontal axis wind turbine. This paper discusses the capabilities and limitations of a linear microphone array to locate sound sources and measure aerodynamic noise on the blades of a horizontal axis wind turbine rotor. Compared with a planar microphone array, a linear array requires fewer microphones to achieve the same resolution, a simpler structure to support it and a simpler signal processing algorithm. For a linear array, areas exist in the rotor plane where the sources cannot be located unambiguously. For certain applications, it is not necessary to map the whole rotor plane. This paper also shows the result of an experimental test aimed at locating and measuring aerodynamic sound sources on the three blades of a wind turbine. Each blade received a different surface treatment, with the goal of comparing their relative sound emission levels. The test was carried out with a 10.32 m linear microphone array, placed horizontally near the ground, extending parallel to the rotor plane. The results show that for all three blades, most of the noise is generated in the outer 25% of the blade span, with a maximum occurring just after the blade has passed the horizontal position going downwards. Results also show that tripped blade is the noisiest of the three, whereas the smoothest, polished blade is clearly the quietest. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distributed control of linearized Navier‐Stokes equations via discretized input/output maps
Authors: Heiland J. , Mehrmann V. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThe construction of reduced order models for flow control via a direct discretization of the input/output behavior of the system is discussed. The spatially discretized equations are linearized such that an explicit formula for the corresponding input/output map can be used to generate a matrix representation of the input/output map. Estimates for the approximation error are derived and the applicability is illustrated via a numerical example for the control of a driven cavity flow.
Time Fractionation of Minor Lipids from Cold‐Pressed Rapeseed Cake Using Supercritical CO2
Authors: Uquiche Edgar , Fica Ximena , Salazar Katherine , del Valle José M. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThis work explored the possibility of using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2) to achieve fractionation of pre‐pressed rapeseed (Brassica napus) cake oil at 30–50 MPa, at 40 or 80 °C, and increase the concentration of minor lipids (sterols, tocopherols, carotenoids) in the oil. Minor lipids are partially responsible for desirable antioxidant effects that protect against degradation and impart functional value to the oil. The weight and concentration of minor lipids in oil fractions collected during the first 60 min were analyzed. Cumulative oil yield increased with pressure, and with temperature at ≥40 MPa, but was lower at 80 °C than at 40 °C when working at pressure ≤35 MPa. Differences in solubility between the oil and minor lipids explained fractionation effects that were small for tocopherols. Unlike tocopherols, which are more soluble in SC‐CO2 than the oil, sterols and carotenoids are less soluble than the oil, and their concentration increased in the later stages of extraction, particularly at ≥40 MPa, when there was not enough oil to saturate the CO2 phase. Because of the fractionating effects on rapeseed oil composition, there was an increase in the antioxidant activity of the oil in the second half as compared to the first half of the extraction. Consequently, this study suggests that SC‐CO2 extraction could be used to isolate vegetable oil fractions with increased functional value.
Varicocèle et infertilité masculine
Authors: Diao B. , Sy M. R. , Fall B. , Sow Y. , Sarr A. , Mohamed S. , Sine B. , Fall P. A. , Ndoye A. K. , Ba M. , Diagne B. A. 
Published: January 2012

Résumé

Introduction
La responsabilité de l’homme dans l’infertilité du couple est établie par plusieurs travaux. Le but de ce travail est de rapporter les aspects cliniques, spermiologiques de la varicocèle et d’évaluer les résultats de la varicocélectomie rétropéritonéale à ciel ouvert.

Patients et méthodes
Il s’agit d’une étude rétrospective évaluant les résultats de la varicocélectomie rétropéritonéale à ciel ouvert, dans le service d’urologie-andrologie du centre hospitalier et universitaire Aristide-Le-Dantec de Dakar, Sénégal. Nous nous sommes intéressés aux patients suivis pour infertilité du couple, porteurs de varicocèle et chez la (les) partenaire(s) de qui aucune autre cause d’infertilité n’a été décelée. Pour l’évaluation des résultats, nous avons comparé les moyennes des paramètres spermatiques pré-et postopératoires en utilisant le test Z (test de comparaison de deux moyennes sur deux séries appariées). Une différence était considérée comme significative si p inférieur ou égal à 0,05.

Résultats
Cinq cent quatorze dossiers ont été retenus au cours de l’exploitation sur une période de six ans (janvier 2005–décembre 2010). L’âge moyen de nos patients était de 36,5 ± 7,3 ans. L’infertilité était primaire dans 62,4 %. L’exploitation des spermogrammes préopératoires a permis de noter que l’oligozoospermie sévère (33,7 %) était associée à des degrés divers à une asthénozoospermie et à une thératozoospermie. Ces patients étaient suivis avec un recul moyen de 22 mois (6–48 mois). L’amélioration des paramètres spermatiques était significative, concernant la concentration et la mobilité des spermatozoïdes. Le taux de grossesses naturelles obtenu dans la série était de 20,8 %. Aucun cas de grossesse naturelle n’a été noté dans le groupe des patients présentant une azoospermie, mais une induction de la spermatogenèse a été notée dans 20,5 % des cas. Près de deux grossesses sur trois (64 %) ont été notées durant les 12 premiers mois postopératoires.

Conclusion
Le traitement chirurgical de la varicocèle permet d’améliorer les paramètres spermatiques, ce qui non seulement permet l’obtention de grossesses naturelles mais également de simplifier les techniques d’Assistance Médicale à la Procréation (AMP) prévues grâce aux nouveaux paramètres.
Drinking motives and alcoholic beverage preferences among Italian adolescents
Authors: Graziano Federica , Bina Manuela , Giannotta Fabrizia , Ciairano Silvia 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTAlthough drinking motives have been largely studied, research taking into account the Mediterranean drinking culture and focusing on motives specifically associated to adolescents' developmental tasks is lacking. For these reasons the study investigates drinking motives in a group of Italian adolescents and their relationships with drunkenness and high levels of alcohol consumption (wine, beer, spirits and alcopops). A self‐report questionnaire on drinking motives and amount of alcohol use was administered to 784 adolescents, boys (46%) and girls, ages 15–19. Using confirmatory factor analysis and stepwise logistic regressions, we found that: 1) motives for drinking were coping, conformity, self‐affirmation and experimentation‐transgression; 2) coping motives were positively related to the high consumption of all alcoholic beverages and to drunkenness; 3) conformity motives were negatively related to high beer consumption and drunkenness, while experimentation‐transgression motives were positively related to high alcopops consumption. Implications for prevention are discussed.
QTL analysis of resistance to Mal de Río Cuarto disease in maize using recombinant inbred lines
Authors: BONAMICO N. C. , DI RENZO M. A. , IBAÑEZ M. A. , BORGHI M. L. , DÍAZ D. G. , SALERNO J. C. , BALZARINI M. G. 
Published: January 2012

SUMMARYMal de Río Cuarto (MRC) is a devastating disease that reduces yield, quality and economic value of maize in Argentina. The objective of the present study was to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for reactions to MRC from recombinant inbred lines (RILs). Reactions to the endemic MRC disease were evaluated in 145 advanced F2:6lines, derived from a cross between a resistant (BLS14) and a susceptible (Mo17) line, at four environments in the temperate semi-arid crop region of Argentina. The evaluations of disease score (SCO), disease incidence (INC) and disease severity (SEV) were carried out on each individual RIL. Low heritability estimates were found across environments for SCO (0·23), INC (0·27) and SEV (0·22). A genetic map of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers covering a total genetic distance of 1019 cM was built. QTL for resistance to MRC disease were found on different maize chromosomes. Four significant QTL, each explaining between 0·08 and 0·14 of the total phenotypic variation, were located on chromosomes 1, 4 and 10. Two QTL specific to the INC, and one specific to SEV, may be involved in different mechanisms of resistance to MRC. Although MRC reaction is highly affected by environmental effects, the QTL×environment interaction for INC and SEV was low. Most of the QTL for reaction to MRC detected in the present study were mapped to regions of the maize genome containing genes conferring resistance to various pathogens. The significant QTL across environments are good candidates to select for MRC resistance.