bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modulating the physical properties of sunflower oil and sorbitan monopalmitate‐based organogels
Authors: Behera Beauty , Sagiri Sai S. , Pal Kunal , Srivastava Anand 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe present study deals with the modulation of the sunflower oil (SO) and sorbitan monopalmitate (SM) organogels using water. The gels were prepared by heating either SO–SM mixture or SO–SM–water mixture at 60°C and subsequently cooling the mixture to room temperature. The gels were characterized by microscopy (light and electron), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis, rheometry, pH, dc impedance, hemocompatibility, and antimicrobial studies. The gels without water (G) were found to be pale yellow in color while gels containing water (GW) were white in color. Both types of gels were thermoreversible in nature. The microscopic analysis revealed that clusters of rod‐shaped tubules were responsible in the formation of network. GW also showed the presence of water droplets encapsulated within the networked structure. FTIR studies indicated the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding, responsible for gel formation. Gel‐to‐sol transition temperatures (Tgs) of the GW gels were higher than G gels, which might be accounted to the higher crystallinity of the GW gels. XRD studies confirmed the higher crystallinity of the GW gels. The gels showed pseudoplastic flow behavior and were hemocompatible in nature. Ciprofloxacin‐loaded gels showed good anti‐microbial properties against Bacillus subtilis. Based on the preliminary results, the developed gels may be used as delivery vehicles for various bioactive agents. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Correlation between body composition and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome
Authors: Chuang Hai‐Hua , Li Wen‐Cheng , Sheu Bor‐Fuh , Liao Shu‐Chen , Chen Jau‐Yuan , Chang Ko‐Chen , Tsai Yi‐Wen 
Published: June 2012

AbstractBody mass index (BMI) is an important diagnostic tool for determining obesity; however, while BMI reflects the influence of body height over body weight, it does not reveal body fat percentage (BF%). We explored whether BF% correlated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome and whether metabolically obese, normal weight people were at risk for these diseases. A total of 2,867 healthy volunteers participated in this study. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, BMI, BF%, lipid profile, fasting glucose, uric acid, and lifestyle factors were collected from healthy subjects during their annual health examinations. In both males and females, BF% correlated positively with BMI and waist circumference. Participants were divided into three groups according to BF% and data were compared between groups. The results suggest that BF% correlates with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome for both men and women, and that BF% may be a useful predictor of risk, particularly in metabolically obese, normal weight individuals. © 2012 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
A navigation mesh for dynamic environments
Authors: van Toll Wouter G. , Cook Atlas F. , Geraerts Roland 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTGames and simulations frequently model scenarios where obstacles move, appear, and disappear in an environment. A city environment changes as new buildings and roads are constructed, and routes can become partially blocked by small obstacles many times in a typical day. This paper studies the effect of using local updates to repair only the affected regions of a navigation mesh in response to a change in the environment. The techniques are inspired by incremental methods for Voronoi diagrams. The main novelty of this paper is that we show how to maintain a 2D or 2.5D navigation mesh in an environment that contains dynamic polygonal obstacles. Experiments show that local updates are fast enough to permit real‐time updates of the navigation mesh. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantum Dot‐Based Screening System for Discovery of G Protein‐Coupled Receptor Agonists
Authors: Lee Junghan , Kwon Yong‐Jun , Choi Youngseon , Kim Hi Chul , Kim Keumhyun , Kim JinYeop , Park Sun , Song Rita 
Published: June 2012

AbstractCellular imaging has emerged as an important tool to unravel biological complexity and to accelerate the drug‐discovery process, including cell‐based screening, target identification, and mechanism of action studies. Recently, semiconductor nanoparticles known as quantum dots (QDs) have attracted great interest in cellular imaging applications due to their unique photophysical properties such as size, tunable optical property, multiplexing capability, and photostability. Herein, we show that QDs can also be applied to assay development and eventually to high‐throughput/content screening (HTS/HCS) for drug discovery. We have synthesized QDs modified with PEG and primary antibodies to be used as fluorescent probes for a cell‐based HTS system. The G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) family is known to be involved in most major diseases. We therefore constructed human osteosarcoma (U2OS) cells that specifically overexpress two types of differently tagged GPCRs: influenza hemagglutinin (HA) peptide‐tagged κ‐opioid receptors (κ‐ORs) and GFP‐tagged A3 adenosine receptors (A3AR). In this study, we have demonstrated that 1) anti‐HA antibody‐conjugated QDs could specifically label HA‐tagged κ‐ORs, 2) subsequent treatment of QD‐tagged GPCR agonists allowed agonist‐induced translocation to be monitored in real time, 3) excellent emission spectral properties of QD permitted the simultaneous detection of two GPCRs in one cell, and 4) the robust imaging capabilities of the QD–antibody conjugates could lead to reproducible quantitative data from high‐content cellular images. These results suggest that the present QD‐based GPCR inhibitor screening system can be a promising platform for further drug screening applications.
Numerical Study of Split T‐Micromixers
Authors: Roudgar M. , Brunazzi E. , Galletti C. , Mauri R. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThree‐dimensional numerical simulations were performed to study the liquid flow inside split T‐type micromixers, investigating the effects of various operating and design parameters on the mixing process. While for small Reynolds numbers, the mixing efficiency of a split T‐micromixer is larger than that of a simple T‐micromixer, it was found that, when Re = 100, mixing is further enhanced by the formation of vortex pairs. This is not only a function of the flow rate, but it depends also on the geometry of the device and on the ratio between the flow rates in the inlet sub‐channels. In general, at a given flow rate, vertical splits induce a much better mixing than horizontal splits, while the reverse may occur for strongly unequal inlet flow rates.
A fair scheduling scheme based on collision statistics for cognitive radio networks
Authors: Tang Wanbin , Zhou Jing , Yu Huogen , Li Shaoqian 
Published: June 2012

SUMMARYIn cognitive radio networks (CRNs), considering the randomness of primary users' (PUs) arrival and the nonideality of spectrum sensing performed by secondary users (SUs), the collisions between PUs and SUs are unavoidable. Frequent occurrences of collisions will strongly degrade PUs' and SUs' QoS. Therefore, collision statistics, such as the average number of collisions, is a very important performance metric in CRNs. If collision statistics are not considered in the scheduling scheme of the CRNs, some SUs will meet more collisions than the others, which cause unfair experiences among the SUs. Therefore, a fair scheduling scheme based on collision statistics is proposed in this paper, which can improve fairness across all SUs. First, the number of collisions is defined as an important fairness metric for each SU, and the scheduler dynamically adjusts the priorities of the SUs by periodically counting each SU's collision number. Then, a prediction algorithm, based on the continuous‐time Markov chain model, is proposed to predict the idle probabilities of the available channels in the next slot. Considering both the priorities of the SUs and the idle probabilities of the available channels, a rational scheduling scheme will be achieved finally. Assuming the ordered hunt scheduling scheme applied by the primary system, the simulation results show that the proposed scheme can significantly improve the fairness across all SUs with little impact on spectrum utilization. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molybdenum, Molybdenum Oxides, and their Electrochemistry
Authors: Saji Viswanathan S. , Lee Chi‐Woo 
Published: June 2012

AbstractThe electrochemical behaviors of molybdenum and its oxides, both in bulk and thin film dimensions, are critical because of their widespread applications in steels, electrocatalysts, electrochromic materials, batteries, sensors, and solar cells. An important area of current interest is electrodeposited CIGS‐based solar cells where a molybdenum/glass electrode forms the back contact. Surprisingly, the basic electrochemistry of molybdenum and its oxides has not been reviewed with due attention. In this Review, we assess the scattered information. The potential and pH dependent active, passive, and transpassive behaviors of molybdenum in aqueous media are explained. The major surface oxide species observed, reversible redox transitions of the surface oxides, pseudocapacitance and catalytic reduction are discussed along with carefully conducted experimental results on a typical molybdenum glass back contact employed in CIGS‐based solar cells. The applications of molybdenum oxides and the electrodeposition of molybdenum are briefly reviewed.
A Highly Active Bagasse‐Derived Solid Acid Catalyst with Properties Suitable for Production of Biodiesel
Authors: Lou Wen‐Yong , Guo Qiang , Chen Wen‐Jing , Zong Min‐Hua , Wu Hong , Smith Thomas J. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractA novel bagasse‐based solid acid catalyst was successfully prepared through sulfonation of incompletely carbonized bagasse. A range of conditions for producing the catalyst were investigated, and the optimized catalyst, produced under carbonization at 648 K for 0.5 h and sulfonation at 423 K for 15 h, showed excellent catalytic activity and resulted in around 95 % yield of methyl oleate. Its activity was not only substantially greater than that of niobic acid and Amberlyst‐15, but also comparable to or superior to that of catalysts made from pure starch or glucose, respectively. Additionally, the bagasse‐derived catalyst could be repeatedly employed for at least eight cycles and still retained around 90 % of its original activity, exhibiting excellent operational stability. Furthermore, the catalyst efficiently converted waste cooking oils with 38.6 wt % free fatty acids into biodiesel and afforded a high yield of about 93.8 % within 12 h. These results clearly show that the bagasse‐derived catalyst is economic, eco‐friendly, and promising for biodiesel production from low‐cost feedstocks and may find wide applications.
Single‐cell mass cytometry adapted to measurements of the cell cycle
Authors: Behbehani Gregory K. , Bendall Sean C. , Clutter Matthew R. , Fantl Wendy J. , Nolan Garry P. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractMass cytometry is a recently introduced technology that utilizes transition element isotope‐tagged antibodies for protein detection on a single‐cell basis. By circumventing the limitations of emission spectral overlap associated with fluorochromes utilized in traditional flow cytometry, mass cytometry currently allows measurement of up to 40 parameters per cell. Recently, a comprehensive mass cytometry analysis was described for the hematopoietic differentiation program in human bone marrow from a healthy donor. The current study describes approaches to delineate cell cycle stages utilizing 5‐iodo‐2‐deoxyuridine (IdU) to mark cells in S phase, simultaneously with antibodies against cyclin B1, cyclin A, and phosphorylated histone H3 (S28) that characterize the other cell cycle phases. Protocols were developed in which an antibody against phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (Rb) at serines 807 and 811 was used to separate cells in G0 and G1 phases of the cell cycle. This mass cytometry method yielded cell cycle distributions of both normal and cancer cell populations that were equivalent to those obtained by traditional fluorescence cytometry techniques. We applied this to map the cell cycle phases of cells spanning the hematopoietic hierarchy in healthy human bone marrow as a prelude to later studies with cancers and other disorders of this lineage. © 2012 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Developments in the Coordination Chemistry of Europium(II)
Authors: Garcia Joel , Allen Matthew J. 
Published: June 2012

AbstractRecent advances in the coordination chemistry of Eu2+ are reviewed. Common synthetic routes for generating discrete Eu2+‐containing complexes reported since 2000 are summarized, followed by a description of the reactivity of these complexes and their applications in reduction chemistry, polymerization, luminescence, and as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Rapid development of the coordination chemistry of Eu2+ has led to an upsurge in the utilization of Eu2+‐containing complexes in synthetic chemistry, materials science, and medicine.
Quantifying rainfall controls on catchment‐scale landslide erosion in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Yi‐Chin , Chang Kang‐tsung , Chiu Yu‐Jia , Lau Sze‐Man , Lee Hong‐Yuan 
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACTLandslide erosion is a dominant hillslope process and the main source of stream sediment in tropical, tectonically active mountain belts. In this study, we quantified landslide erosion triggered by 24 rainfall events from 2001 to 2009 in three mountainous watersheds in Taiwan and investigated relationships between landslide erosion and rainfall variables. The results show positive power‐law relations between landslide erosion and rainfall intensity and cumulative rainfall, with scaling exponents ranging from 2·94 to 5·03. Additionally, landslide erosion caused by Typhoon Morakot is of comparable magnitude to landslide erosion caused by the Chi‐Chi Earthquake (MW = 7·6) or 22–24 years of basin‐averaged erosion. Comparison of the three watersheds indicates that deeper landslides that mobilize soil and bedrock are triggered by long‐duration rainfall, whereas shallow landslides are triggered by short‐duration rainfall. These results suggest that rainfall intensity and watershed characteristics are important controls on rainfall‐triggered landslide erosion and that severe typhoons, like high‐magnitude earthquakes, can generate high rates of landslide erosion in Taiwan. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Night work and breast cancer: A population‐based case–control study in France (the CECILE study)
Authors: Menegaux Florence , Truong Thérèse , Anger Antoinette , Cordina‐Duverger Emilie , Lamkarkach Farida , Arveux Patrick , Kerbrat Pierre , Févotte Joëlle , Guénel Pascal 
Published: June 2012

AbstractNight work involving disruption of circadian rhythm was suggested as a possible cause of breast cancer. We examined the role of night work in a large population‐based case‐control study carried out in France between 2005 and 2008. Lifetime occupational history including work schedules of each night work period was elicited in 1,232 cases of breast cancer and 1,317 population controls. Thirteen percent of the cases and 11% of the controls had ever worked on night shifts (OR = 1.27 [95% confidence interval = 0.99–1.64]). Odds ratios were 1.35 [1.01–1.80] in women who worked on overnight shifts, 1.40 [1.01–1.92] in women who had worked at night for 4.5 or more years, and 1.43 [1.01–2.03] in those who worked less than three nights per week on average. The odds ratio was 1.95 [1.13–3.35] in women employed in night work for >4 years before their first full‐term pregnancy, a period where mammary gland cells are incompletely differentiated and possibly more susceptible to circadian disruption effects. Our results support the hypothesis that night work plays a role in breast cancer, particularly in women who started working at night before first full‐term pregnancy.
Encapsulation of cell‐adhesive RGD peptides into a polymeric physical hydrogel to prevent postoperative tissue adhesion
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Ni Jian , Chen Liang , Yu Lin , Xu Jianwei , Ding Jiandong 
Published: June 2012

AbstractPeptides containing the sequence of arginine‐glycine‐aspartate (RGD), a famous adhesion moiety, can specifically conjugate integrins in cell membranes, and are usually applied to enhance cell adhesion after linking to solid substrates in tissue engineering or to nanoparticles in targeting delivery. This paper reveals, however, that free RGD peptides can assist in preventing tissue adhesion by blocking focal adhesion between cells and surfaces of barrier devices. In order to avoid a rapid peptide loss after straightforward injection of a peptide solution, we employed a thermosensitive injectable hydrogel composed of a biodegradable block copolymer poly(ε‐caprolactone‐co‐lactide)–poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(ε‐caprolactone‐co‐lactide) (PCLA–PEG–PCLA) to encapsulate peptides cyclo(‐RGDfK‐). A sustainable release for one week was achieved in vitro. The rabbit model of sidewall defect and bowel abrasion was selected to examine the in vivo anti‐adhesion efficacy. It reveals a significant reduction of postoperative peritoneal adhesion in the group of RGD‐loaded PCLA–PEG–PCLA hydrogels. We interpret this excellent efficacy by the combination of two effects: first, our hydrogel affords a physical barrier to prevent adhesion between injured abdominal wall and cecum; second, the RGD molecules as integrin blockers released from the hydrogel assist the anti‐adhesion. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 100B: 1599–1609, 2012.
Depletion of annexin A5, annexin A6, and collagen X causes no gross changes in matrix vesicle–mediated mineralization, but lack of collagen X affects hematopoiesis and the Th1/Th2 response
Authors: Grskovic Ivan , Kutsch Anna , Frie Christian , Groma Gergely , Stermann Jacek , Schlötzer-Schrehardt Ursula , Niehoff Anja , Moss Stephen E , Rosenbaum Sabrina , Pöschl Ernst , Chmielewski Markus , Rappl Gunter , Abken Hinrich , Bateman John F , Cheah Kathryn SE , Paulsson Mats , Brachvogel Bent 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Numerous biochemical studies have pointed to an essential role of annexin A5 (AnxA5), annexin A6 (AnxA6), and collagen X in matrix vesicle–mediated biomineralization during endochondral ossification and in osteoarthritis. By binding to the extracellular matrix protein collagen X and matrix vesicles, annexins were proposed to anchor matrix vesicles in the extracellular space of hypertrophic chondrocytes to initiate the calcification of cartilage. However, mineralization appears to be normal in mice lacking AnxA5 and AnxA6, whereas collagen X–deficient mice show only subtle alterations in the growth plate organization. We hypothesized that the simultaneous lack of AnxA5, AnxA6, and collagen X in vivo induces more pronounced changes in the growth plate development and the initiation of mineralization. In this study, we generated and analyzed mice deficient for AnxA5, AnxA6, and collagen X. Surprisingly, mice were viable, fertile, and showed no obvious abnormalities. Assessment of growth plate development indicated that the hypertrophic zone was expanded in Col10a1−/− and AnxA5−/−AnxA6−/−Col10a1−/− newborns, whereas endochondral ossification and mineralization were not affected in 13-day- and 1-month-old mutants. In peripheral quantitative computed tomography, no changes in the degree of biomineralization were found in femora of 1-month- and 1-year-old mutants even though the diaphyseal circumference was reduced in Col10a1−/− and AnxA5−/−AnxA6−/−Col10a1−/− mice. The percentage of naive immature IgM+/IgM+ B cells and peripheral T-helper cells were increased in Col10a1−/− and AnxA5−/−AnxA6−/−Col10a1−/− mutants, and activated splenic T cells isolated from Col10a1−/− mice secreted elevated levels of IL-4 and GM-CSF. Hence, collagen X is needed for hematopoiesis during endochondral ossification and for the immune response, but the interaction of annexin A5, annexin A6, and collagen X is not essential for physiological calcification of growth plate cartilage. Therefore, annexins and collagen X may rather fulfill functions in growth plate cartilage not directly linked to the mineralization process. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Recent trends in hip fracture rates by race/ethnicity among older US adults
Authors: Wright Nicole C , Saag Kenneth G , Curtis Jeffrey R , Smith Wilson K , Kilgore Meredith L , Morrisey Michael A , Yun Huifeng , Zhang Jie , Delzell Elizabeth S 
Published: June 2012

Abstract
Hip fracture incidence has declined among whites in the United States since 1995, but data on recent trends in racial and ethnic minorities are limited. The goal of this analysis was to investigate hip fracture incidence trends in racial/ethnic subgroups of older Medicare beneficiaries. We conducted a cohort study to determine annual hip fracture incidence rates from 2000 through 2009 using the Medicare national random 5% sample. Beneficiaries were eligible if they were ≥65 years of age and had 90 days of consecutive full fee-for-service Medicare coverage with no hip fracture claims. Race/ethnicity was self-reported. The incidence of hip fracture was identified using hospital diagnosis codes or outpatient diagnosis codes paired with fracture repair procedure codes. We computed age-standardized race/ethnicity-specific incidence rates and assessed trends in the rates over time using linear regression. On average, 821,475 women and 632,162 men were included in the analysis each year. Beneficiaries were predominantly white (88%), with African, Hispanic, and Asian Americans making up 8%, 1.5%, and 1.5% of the population, respectively. We identified 102,849, 4,119, 813, and 1,294 hip fractures in white, black, Asian, and Hispanic beneficiaries over the 10 years. A significant decreasing trend (p &lt; 0.05) in hip fracture incidence from 2000-2001 to 2008-2009 was present in white women and men. Black and Asian beneficiaries experienced nonsignificant declines. Irrespective of gender, the largest rate of decline was seen in beneficiaries ≥75 years of age. The overall and age-specific rates of Hispanic women or men changed minimally over time. Hip fracture incidence rates continued to decline in recent years among white Medicare beneficiaries. Further research is needed to understand mechanisms responsible for declining rates in some and not others, as hip fractures continue to be a major problem among the elderly. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.