bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and job exposure in Taiwan oyster shuckers
Authors: Hsu Der‐Jen , Chang Jer‐Hao , Wu Jyun‐De , Chen Chih‐Yong , Yang Ya‐Hsuan 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBackgroundOyster shucking is characterized by long hours of static work, awkward working posture, and highly repetitive hand/wrist motion. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort and kyphosis in oyster shuckers in Taiwan as well as the biomechanical features of oyster shucking.MethodsThe Chinese version of the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was successfully collected from 234 oyster shuckers. The characteristics of workstation, hand/wrist motion angles, and muscular exertion in shucking oysters were recorded. Measurements to identify kyphosis were also taken from the subjects and a control group.ResultsAmong the participated oyster shuckers, low back (75.2%), hand/wrist (60.3%), shoulder (44.0%), and elbow (27.8%) discomfort were reported most frequently. The prevalence of low back discomfort in oyster shuckers was higher than various groups of workers who need long hours of seated position. Those who worked on tables had fewer musculoskeletal complaints in shoulder and elbow (P < 0.05) than those not. Additionally, oyster shuckers were more prone to kyphosis than the general population (P < 0.001).ConclusionsOyster shuckers are observed to have high prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort and kyphosis. Introduction of ergonomic design to oyster shucking workshops is strongly suggested. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:885–893, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
No association between a common single nucleotide polymorphism, rs4141463, in the MACROD2 gene and autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Curran Sarah , Bolton Patrick , Rozsnyai Kinga , Chiocchetti Andreas , Klauck Sabine M. , Duketis Eftichia , Poustka Fritz , Schlitt Sabine , Freitag Christine M. , Lee Irene , Muglia Pierandrea ,   on behalf of the ITAN, Poot Martin , Staal Wouter , de Jonge Maretha V. , Ophoff Roel A. , Lewis Cathryn , Skuse David , Mandy Will , Vassos Evangelos , Fossdal Ragnheidur , Magnusson Páll , Hreidarsson Stefan , Saemundsen Evald , Stefansson Hreinn , Stefansson Kari , Collier David 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe Autism Genome Project (AGP) Consortium recently reported genome‐wide significant association between autism and an intronic single nucleotide polymorphism marker, rs4141463, within the MACROD2 gene. In the present study we attempted to replicate this finding using an independent case–control design of 1,170 cases with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (874 of which fulfilled narrow criteria for Autism (A)) from five centers within Europe (UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Iceland), and 35,307 controls. The combined sample size gave us a non‐centrality parameter (NCP) of 11.9, with 93% power to detect allelic association of rs4141463 at an alpha of 0.05 with odds ratio of 0.84 (the best odds ratio estimate of the AGP Consortium data), and for the narrow diagnosis of autism, an NCP of 8.9 and power of 85%. Our case–control data were analyzed for association, stratified by each center, and the summary statistics were combined using the meta‐analysis program, GWAMA. This resulted in an odds ratio (OR) of 1.03 (95% CI 0.944–1.133), with a P‐value of 0.5 for ASD and OR of 0.99 (95% CI 0.88–1.11) with P‐value = 0.85 for the Autism (A) sub‐group. Therefore, this study does not provide support for the reported association between rs4141463 and autism. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chemie mit Methan: Studieren geht über Probieren!
Authors: Schwarz Helmut 
Published: June 2011

AbstractKonzeptionelle Überlegungen zu und mechanistische Aspekte von vier scheinbar einfachen chemischen Umsetzungen, die in der Chemie von Methan von Bedeutung sind, werden in diesem Aufsatz behandelt: 1) die metallvermittelte Dehydrierung unter Bildung von Metallcarbenkomplexen, 2) die Wasserstoffabstraktion als Schlüsselschritt der oxidativen Dimerisierung von Methan, 3) der Mechanismus der CH4→CH3OH‐Umwandlung, und 4) die Reihenfolge der C‐H‐ und O‐H‐Bindungsaktivierung und die Frage nach dem geschwindigkeitsbestimmenden Schritt in der selektiven Oxidation von Methanol zu Formaldehyd. Moderne Gasphasenexperimente, in Verbindung mit Elektronenstrukturrechnungen, liefern Einblicke in elementare Reaktionsschritte auf molekularer Ebene und enthüllen reaktionsmechanistische Details. Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchungen werden, wo dies angebracht erscheint, mit Beobachtungen aus entsprechenden Studien in Lösung oder auf Oberflächen verglichen.
Chemistry with Methane: Concepts Rather than Recipes
Authors: Schwarz Helmut 
Published: June 2011

AbstractFour seemingly simple transformations related to the chemistry of methane will be addressed from mechanistic and conceptual points of view: 1) metal‐mediated dehydrogenation to form metal carbene complexes, 2) the hydrogen‐atom abstraction step in the oxidative dimerization of methane, 3) the mechanisms of the CH4→CH3OH conversion, and 4) the initial bond scission (CH vs. OH) as well as the rate‐limiting step in the selective CH3OH→CH2O oxidation. State‐of‐the‐art gas‐phase experiments, in conjunction with electronic‐structure calculations, permit identification of the elementary reactions at a molecular level and thus allow us to unravel detailed mechanistic aspects. Where appropriate, these results are compared with findings from related studies in solution or on surfaces.
Synthesis and In‐vitro Antibacterial Activity of 7‐(3‐Aminopyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrazol‐5(2H,4H,6H)‐yl)‐6‐fluoro‐4‐oxo‐1,4‐dihydroquinoline‐3‐carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Authors: Guo Xin , Bai Xiao‐Guang , Li Yi‐Liang , An Zhi‐Jiao , Xu Le‐Xing , Han Li‐you , Liu Ming‐Liang , Guo Hui‐Yuan , Wang Yu‐Cheng 
Published: June 2011

AbstractA series of novel 7‐(3‐aminopyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrazol‐5(2H,4H,6H)‐yl)‐6‐fluoro‐4‐oxo‐1,4‐dihydroquinoline‐3‐carboxylic acid derivatives was designed, synthesized and characterized by 1H‐NMR, MS and HRMS. These fluoroquinolones were evaluated for their in‐vitro antibacterial activity against representative Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative strains. Generally, all of the target compounds display rather weak potency against the tested Gram‐negative strains, but most of them exhibit good potency in inhibiting the growth of S. aureus including methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis including methicillin‐resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE) (MIC: 0.125–8 µg/mL). In particular, the compound 9g is 2 to 32 fold more potent than gemifloxacin (GM), moxifloxacin (MX), gatifloxacin (GT), and levofloxacin (LV) against S. pneumoniae 08‐3, K. pneumoniae 09‐23, and P. aeruginosa ATCC27853, 4 to 32 fold more potent than MX, GM, and LV against K. pneumoniae 09‐21, and more active than or comparable to the four reference drugs against P. aeruginosa 09‐32.
Do foreign‐ and U.S.‐born mothers across racial/ethnic groups have a similar risk profile for selected sociodemographic and periconceptional factors?
Authors: Ramadhani Tunu A. , Canfield Mark A. , Farag Noha H. , Royle Marjorie , Correa Adolfo , Waller D. Kim , Scheuerle Angela ,   the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Published: June 2011

AbstractBACKGROUNDWe examined differences in selected pregnancy‐related risk factors, including maternal sociodemographic characteristics, health‐related conditions, and periconceptional behavioral factors, among foreign‐born versus U.S.‐born control mothers across race/ethnic groups.METHODSWe used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, and calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the risk factors, for foreign‐born Hispanic, non‐Hispanic white, non‐Hispanic black, and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) mothers, compared to their U.S.‐born counterparts.RESULTSAcross all race/ethnic groups, foreign‐born mothers were older and had lower odds of obesity compared to their U.S.‐born counterparts. With the exception of foreign‐born black mothers, foreign‐born mothers from other race/ethnic groups had significantly lower odds of binge drinking during the periconceptional period. Compared to U.S.‐born, foreign‐born Hispanic mothers had twice the odds of gestational diabetes (OR = 2.23; 95% CI = 1.36–3.66). Certain health behaviors were less prevalent in foreign‐born black mothers (e.g., folic acid use; OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.31–0.96) and foreign‐born API mothers (e.g., cigarette smoking; OR = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.02–0.48).CONCLUSIONSSignificant differences in pregnancy related risk factors during the periconceptional period and throughout pregnancy were observed between maternal nativity groups and across race/ethnicity. Prevention efforts for both prepregnancy and after conception should be designed and delivered according to maternal nativity for each racial/ethnic group. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Vitreoscilla hemoglobin expression in engineered Escherichia coli: Improved performance in high cell‐density batch cultivations
Authors: Pablos Tania E. , Mora Eugenio Meza , Le Borgne Sylvie , Ramírez Octavio T. , Gosset Guillermo , Lara Alvaro R. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractHigh cell‐density cultivations are the preferred system for biomolecules production by Escherichia coli. It has been previously demonstrated that a strain of E. coli with a modified substrate transport system is able to attain high cell densities in batch mode, due to the very low overflow metabolism displayed. The use of elevated amounts of glucose from the beginning of the cultivation, eliminates the existence of substrate gradients due to deficient mixing at large‐scale. However, the large amounts of oxygen demanded resulted in microaerobic conditions after some hours of cultivation, even at small‐scale. In this work, the effect of expressing the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) in the engineered strain during batch cultures using high‐glucose concentrations was tested. Together, the expression of VHb and the modified substrate transport system resulted in a 33% increase of biomass production compared to the parental strain (W3110) lacking the VHb in batch cultivations using 25 g/L of glucose. When 50 g/L of glucose were used, expression of VHb in the modified strain led to 11% higher biomass production compared to W3110. The VHb also increased the growth rates of the strains by about 30% in the aerobic phase and more than 200% in the microaerobic phase of batch cultivation.
Uranium bioremediation in continuously fed upflow sand columns inoculated with anaerobic granules
Authors: Tapia‐Rodriguez Aida , Tordable‐Martinez Virginia , Sun Wenjie , Field James A. , Sierra‐Alvarez Reyes 
Published: June 2011

AbstractReductive precipitation of soluble hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) to insoluble tetravalent uranium (U(IV)) containing minerals is one of the more promising approaches to uranium remediation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long‐term performance of methanogenic granules for the continuous treatment of U(VI). For this purpose, three sand‐packed columns inoculated with anaerobic biofilm were operated with or without ethanol and one column was exposed to nitrate co‐contamination. The columns were operated for 373 days and efficiently removed U (24 mg L−1) in excess of 99.8%. No long‐term benefit of ethanol addition was observed, suggesting that endogenous substrates in the biofilm were sufficient to drive the reduction reactions. Nitrate addition was found to inhibit U(VI) reduction and cause re‐oxidation of some U(IV) deposited in the column. Taken as a whole, the results indicate that methanogenic biofilms can be reliably applied in bioreactor technology for sustained U removal from groundwater. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2583–2591. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
2D format for screening bacterial cells at the throughput of flow cytometry
Authors: Gordeev Alexander A. , Samatov Timur R. , Chetverina Helena V. , Chetverin Alexander B. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractWe present a method for generating gel‐based unordered 2D arrays of bacterial cells of a very high density, up to 105 cells per mm2. Bacteria in a suspension are focused into a thin layer when the suspension and a dry gel matrix penetrate each other. Formation of a second gel from gel‐forming components contained in the suspension results in immobilization of the cells. The immobilized cells stay alive and can repeatedly divide to produce microcolonies. The method provides for high‐throughput screening and massively parallel analysis of individual cells in large populations, as well as for rapid isolation of rare clones. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2682–2690. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Osteogenic response to BMP‐2 of hMSCs grown on apatite‐coated scaffolds
Authors: Davis Hillary E. , Case Erin M. , Miller Stephanie L. , Genetos Damian C. , Leach J. Kent 
Published: June 2011

AbstractOsteoconductive materials play a critical role in promoting integration with surrounding bone tissue and resultant bone repair in vivo. However, the impact of 3D osteoconductive substrates coupled with soluble signals on progenitor cell differentiation is not clear. In this study, we investigated the influence of bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) concentration on the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) when seeded in carbonated apatite‐coated polymer scaffolds. Mineralized scaffolds were more hydrophilic and adsorbed more BMP‐2 compared to non‐mineralized scaffolds. Changes in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity within stimulated hMSCs were dependent on the dose of BMP‐2 and the scaffold composition. We detected more cell‐secreted calcium on mineralized scaffolds at all time points, and higher BMP‐2 concentrations resulted in increased ALP and calcium levels. RUNX2 and IBSP gene expression within hMSCs was affected by both substrate and soluble signals, SP7 by soluble factors, and SPARC by substrate‐mediated cues. The present data indicate that a combination of apatite and BMP‐2 do not simply enhance the osteogenic response of hMSCs, but act through multiple pathways that may be both substrate‐ and growth factor‐mediated. Thus, multiple signaling strategies will likely be necessary to achieve optimal bone regeneration. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2727–2735. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Secreted production of collagen‐inspired gel‐forming polymers with high thermal stability in Pichia pastoris
Authors: Silva Catarina I.F. , Teles Helena , Moers Antoine P.H.A. , Eggink Gerrit , de Wolf Frits A. , Werten Marc W.T. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractPreviously, we have shown that gel‐forming triblock proteins, consisting of random coil middle blocks and trimer‐forming (Pro‐Gly‐Pro)9 end blocks, are efficiently produced and secreted by the yeast Pichia pastoris. These end blocks had a melting temperature (Tm) of ∼41°C (at 1.1 mM of protein). The present work reveals that an increase of Tm to ∼74°C, obtained by extension of the end blocks to (Pro‐Gly‐Pro)16, resulted in a five times lower yield and partial endoproteolytic degradation of the protein. A possible cause could be that the higher thermostability of the longer (Pro‐Gly‐Pro)16 trimers leads to a higher incidence of trimers in the cell, and that this disturbs secretion of the protein. Alternatively, the increased length of the proline‐rich (Pro‐Gly‐Pro)n domain may negatively influence ribosomal translation, or may result in, for example, hydrophobic aggregation or membrane‐active behavior owing to the greater number of closely placed proline residues. To discriminate between these possibilities, we studied the production of molecules with randomized end blocks that are unable to form triple helices. The codon‐ and amino acid composition of the genes and proteins, respectively, remained unchanged. As these nontrimerizing molecules were secreted intact and at high yield, we conclude that the impaired secretion and partial degradation of the triblock with (Pro‐Gly‐Pro)16 end blocks was triggered by the occurrence of intracellular triple helices. This degradation was overcome by using a yapsin 1 protease disruptant, and the intact secreted polymer was capable of forming self‐supporting gels of high thermal stability. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2517–2525. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dissolving carbon dioxide in high viscous substrates to accelerate biocatalytic reactions
Authors: Brummund Jan , Meyer Florian , Liese Andreas , Eggers Rudolf , Hilterhaus Lutz 
Published: June 2011

AbstractSolvent free biotransformation of polyglycerol‐3 and lauric acid yields polyglycerol‐3‐laurate and water. This conversion can be catalyzed by Novozym 435. However, the performance is limited by the viscosity of polyglycerol as well as of polyglycerol‐3‐laurate. A decrease of viscosity by increasing reaction temperature is only possible in a certain temperature range because of the limited stability of the applied enzyme. By dissolving high dense carbon dioxide into the reaction system the viscosity could be reduced, keeping the temperature at an acceptable level at the same time. Thus the reaction rate was increased by a factor of 4 while working at a pressure of 280 bar and 60°C. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2765–2769. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Down‐regulation of CD81 tetraspanin in human cells producing retroviral‐based particles: Tailoring vector composition
Authors: Rodrigues A.F. , Guerreiro M.R. , Santiago V.M. , Dalba C. , Klatzmann D. , Alves P.M. , Carrondo M.J.T. , Coroadinha A.S. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractRetroviral‐derived biopharmaceuticals (RV) target numerous therapeutic applications, from gene therapy to virus‐like particle (rVLP)‐based vaccines. During particle formation, beside the pseudotyped envelope proteins, RV can incorporate proteins derived from the virus producer cells (VPC). This may be detrimental by reducing the amounts of the pseudotyped envelope and/or by incorporating protein capable of inducing immune responses when non‐human VPC are used. Manipulating the repertoire of VPC proteins integrated onto the vector structure is an underexplored territory and should provide valuable insights on potential targets to improve vector pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. In this work, human HEK 293 cells producing retrovirus‐like particles (rVLPs) and infectious RV vectors were used to prove the concept of customizing RV composition by manipulating cellular protein content. The tetraspanin CD81 was chosen since it is significantly incorporated in the RV membrane, conferring to the vector significant immunogenicity when used in mice. RNA interference‐mediated by shRNA lentiviral vector transduction was efficiently used to silence CD81 expression (up to 99%) and the rVLPs produced by knocked‐down cells lack CD81. Silenced clones were analyzed for cell proliferation, morphological changes, susceptibility to oxidative stress conditions, and rVLP productivities. The results showed that the down‐regulation of VPC proteins requires close monitoring for possible side effects on cellular production performance. Yet, they confirm that it is possible to change the composition of host‐derived immunogens in RV by altering cellular protein content with no detriment for vector productivity and titers. This constitutes an important manipulation tool in vaccinology—by exploiting the potential adjuvant effect of VPC proteins or using them as fusion agents to other proteins of interest to be exposed on the vector membrane—and in gene therapy, by reducing the immunogenicity of RV‐based vector and enhancing in vivo half‐life. Such tools can also be applied to lentiviral or other enveloped viral vectors. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2623–2633. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel planar flow cell for studies of biofilm heterogeneity and flow–biofilm interactions
Authors: Zhang Wei , Sileika Tadas S. , Chen Cheng , Liu Yang , Lee Jisun , Packman Aaron I. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBiofilms are microbial communities growing on surfaces, and are ubiquitous in nature, in bioreactors, and in human infection. Coupling between physical, chemical, and biological processes is known to regulate the development of biofilms; however, current experimental systems do not provide sufficient control of environmental conditions to enable detailed investigations of these complex interactions. We developed a novel planar flow cell that supports biofilm growth under complex two‐dimensional fluid flow conditions. This device provides precise control of flow conditions and can be used to create well‐defined physical and chemical gradients that significantly affect biofilm heterogeneity. Moreover, the top and bottom of the flow chamber are transparent, so biofilm growth and flow conditions are fully observable using non‐invasive confocal microscopy and high‐resolution video imaging. To demonstrate the capability of the device, we observed the growth ofPseudomonas aeruginosabiofilms under imposed flow gradients. We found a positive relationship between patterns of fluid velocity and biofilm biomass due to faster microbial growth under conditions of greater local nutrient influx, but this relationship eventually reversed because high hydrodynamic shear leads to the detachment of cells from the surface. These results reveal that flow gradients play a critical role in the development of biofilm communities. By providing new capability for observing biofilm growth, solute and particle transport, and net chemical transformations under user‐specified environmental gradients, this new planar flow cell system has broad utility for studies of environmental biotechnology and basic biofilm microbiology, as well as applications in bioreactor design, environmental engineering, biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology, and biomedical research. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2571–2582. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preservation of kidneys from controlled donors after cardiac death
Authors: Wind J , Snoeijs M G J , van der Vliet J A , Winkens B , Christiaans M H L , Hoitsma A J , van Heurn L W E 
Published: June 2011

Abstract

Background
Donation after cardiac death (DCD) expands the pool of donor kidneys, but is associated with warm ischaemic injury. Two methods are used to preserve kidneys from controlled DCD donors and reduce warm ischaemic injury: in situ preservation using a double-balloon triple-lumen catheter (DBTL) inserted via the femoral artery and direct cannulation of the aorta after rapid laparotomy. The aim of this study was to compare these two techniques.

Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study of 165 controlled DCD procedures in two regions in the Netherlands between 2000 and 2006.

Results
There were 102 donors in the DBTL group and 63 in the aortic group. In the aortic group the kidney discard rate was lower (4·8 versus 28·2 per cent; P &lt; 0·001), and the warm (22 versus 27 min; P &lt; 0·001) and the cold (19 versus 24 h; P &lt; 0·001) ischaemia times were shorter than in the DBTL group. Risk factors for discard included preservation with the DBTL catheter (odds ratio (OR) 5·19, 95 per cent confidence interval 1·88 to 14·36; P = 0·001) and increasing donor age (1·05, 1·02 to 1·07; P &lt; 0·001). Warm ischaemia time had a significant effect on graft failure (hazard ratio 1·04, 1·01 to 1·07; P = 0·009), and consequently graft survival was higher in the aortic cannulation group (86·2 per cent versus 76·8 per cent in the DBTL group at 1 year; P = 0·027).

Conclusion
In this retrospective study, direct aortic cannulation appeared to be a better method to preserve controlled DCD kidneys.