bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ozone oxidation of biological sludge: Effects on disintegration, anaerobic biodegradability, and filterability
Authors: Erden G. , Filibeli A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThis study deals with pretreatment of biological sludge by ozone oxidation for the purpose of biological sludge disintegration. Different ozone dose ranged between 0.005 and 0.25 gO3/g DS were used for the process optimization. The potential for improving anaerobic digestion through ozone oxidation was also investigated. In addition, the effect of ozone oxidation on filterability characteristics of sludge was evaluated using lab‐scale experiments. The results showed that ozone effectively disintegrates the sludge. The highest disintegration degree (51.1%) was achieved when 0.1gO3/g DS was used. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) results suggest that ozone oxidation significantly enhanced the biodegradability of biological sludge. For 0.1 gO3/g DS, 25% higher methane production was achieved compared with raw sludge. The supernatant characteristics of the sludge were also affected by ozone oxidation. For 0.1 gO3/g DS, the soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) increased by 300%, 94.2%, 225%, and 200%, respectively. Finally, using ozone oxidation for the purpose of floc disintegration (0.1 gO3/g DS) had no negative effect on sludge filterability in terms of CST results. But at higher doses than 0.1 gO3/g DS, ozone oxidation reduced the filterability of sludge. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2011
Toxicity toMelita plumulosafrom intermittent and continuous exposures to dissolved copper
Authors: Angel Brad M. , Simpson Stuart L. , Jolley Dianne F. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe concentrations of metal contaminants often fluctuate in estuarine waters; yet we have limited knowledge about the effects of intermittent exposures on estuarine organisms. Using 10-d lethality bioassays with the epibenthic amphipod Melita plumulosa, different combinations of intermittent (pulsed) dissolved Cu exposure were investigated, varying Cu concentration, pulse duration, and time between pulses. Negligible organism mortality was observed immediately after single 12- to 62-h duration pulsed exposures of 100 to 900 µg/L dissolved Cu. However, delayed mortality was observed in the subsequent 96-h nonexposure period, after which negligible additional mortality occurred during the remainder of the 240-h tests. For multiple pulsed exposures, increasing the time between pulses from 0 to 144 h did not result in significantly different mortality rates for 300 and 400 µg/L dissolved copper, indicating that the organisms did not recover between pulses. Organism mortality exhibited a strong relationship with the time-averaged concentration (TAC) resulting from the combination of exposure concentration and duration. The lethal concentration to 50 (LC50), 20 (LC20), and 10% (LC10) (95% confidence interval) of the test population for the combined TAC exposure–survival data were 86 (71–103), 44 (30–64), and 30 (18–49) µg Cu/L, respectively, which were similar to the respective values of 100 (87–114), 55 (43–70), and 39 (28–54) µg Cu/L determined for continuous exposure. The results from the current study support the use of analytical techniques capable of determining the time-averaged concentration of metals, because they will more accurately predict the effects of toxiciants on organisms than single time-point measurements. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2823–2830. © 2010 SETAC
Biotransformation of the 8:2 fluorotelomer acrylate in rainbow trout. 2. In vitro incubations with liver and stomach S9 fractions
Authors: Butt Craig M. , Muir Derek C.G. , Mabury Scott A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe biotransformation of the 8:2 fluorotelomer acrylate (C8F17CH2CH2OC(O)CH = CH2, 8:2 fluorotelomer-based acrylate [FTAc]) was quantitatively investigated in cytosolic (S9) fractions isolated from rainbow trout stomach and liver. The in vitro studies presented in this manuscript compliment the whole body 8:2 FTAc dietary exposure study, presented as a companion paper. The S9 fractions were prepared in our laboratory, using fish that had previously been used as control animals in our in vivo study. Before 8:2 FTAc incubations, general carboxylesterase activity was determined using paranitrophenyl acetate (PNPA) as the substrate with formation of paranitrophenol monitored using an ultraviolet-vis spectrometer. In the 8:2 FTAc incubations, the degradation of the parent compound and 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH) formation was monitored by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Incubations were performed in triplicate, over a range of concentrations encompassing two orders of magnitude, and the initial rate of 8:2 FTOH or paranitrophenol formation was determined. Enzyme kinetic parameters were determined by plotting the initial rate versus concentration, using nonlinear regression analysis. The maximum initial velocities of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction (Vmax) in the PNPA incubations were 614 ± 18 nmol/min/mg and 147 ± 16 nmol/min/mg for the liver and stomach fractions, respectively. These values are much faster than other phase I and II metabolism reactions. The calculated intrinsic clearance rates (CLint) for the 8:2 FTAc incubations were 1.7 and 0.40 ml/min/mg protein, respectively. These results show that the esterase activity toward the 8:2 FTAc is only fourfold greater in the liver as compared with the stomach. These trends demonstrate the potential for considerable extrahepatic metabolism of the 8:2 FTAc before uptake into the internal tissues, ultimately limiting the overall bioaccumulation. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2736–2741. © 2010 SETAC
Lead pellet retention time and associated toxicity in northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)
Authors: Kerr Richard , Holladay Steven , Jarrett Timothy , Selcer Barbara , Meldrum Blair , Williams Susan , Tannenbaum Lawrence , Holladay Jeremy , Williams Jamie , Gogal Robert 
Published: September 2010

AbstractBirds are exposed to Pb by oral ingestion of spent Pb shot as grit. A paucity of data exists for retention and clearance of these particles in the bird gastrointestinal tract. In the current study, northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) were orally gavaged with 1, 5, or 10 Pb shot pellets, of 2-mm diameter, and radiographically followed over time. Blood Pb levels and other measures of toxicity were collected, to correlate with pellet retention. Quail dosed with either 5 or 10 pellets exhibited morbidity between weeks 1 and 2 and were removed from further study. Most of the Pb pellets were absorbed or excreted within 14 d of gavage, independent of dose. Pellet size in the ventriculus decreased over time in radiographs, suggesting dissolution caused by the acidic pH. Birds dosed with one pellet showed mean blood Pb levels that exceeded 1,300 µg/dl at week 1, further supporting dissolution in the gastrointestinal tract. Limited signs of toxicity were seen in the one-pellet birds; however, plasma δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (d-ALAD) activity was persistently depressed, suggesting possible impaired hematological function. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2869–2874. © 2010 SETAC
Impact of repeated measures and sample selection on genome‐wide association studies of fasting glucose
Authors: Rasmussen‐Torvik Laura J. , Alonso Alvaro , Li Man , Kao Wen , Köttgen Anna , Yan Yu , Couper David , Boerwinkle Eric , Bielinski Suzette J. , Pankow James S. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAlthough genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed in longitudinal studies, most used only a single trait measure. GWAS of fasting glucose have generally included only normoglycemic individuals. We examined the impact of both repeated measures and sample selection on GWAS in Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC), a study which obtained four longitudinal measures of fasting glucose and included both individuals with and without prevalent diabetes. The sample included Caucasians and the Affymetrix 6.0 chip was used for genotyping. Sample sizes for GWAS analyses ranged from 8,372 (first study visit) to 5,782 (average fasting glucose). Candidate SNP analyses with SNPs identified through fasting glucose or diabetes GWAS were conducted in 9,133 individuals, including 761 with prevalent diabetes. For a constant sample size, smaller P‐values were obtained for the average measure of fasting glucose compared to values at any single visit, and two additional significant GWAS signals were detected. For four candidate SNPs (rs780094, rs10830963, rs7903146, and rs4607517), the strength of association between genotype and glucose was significantly (P‐interaction<0.05) different in those with and without prevalent diabetes, and for all five fasting glucose candidate SNPs (rs780094, rs10830963, rs560887, rs4607517, and rs13266634) the association with measured fasting glucose was more significant in the smaller sample without prevalent diabetes than in the larger combined sample of those with and without diabetes. This analysis demonstrates the potential utility of averaging trait values in GWAS studies and explores the advantage of using only individuals without prevalent diabetes in GWAS of fasting glucose. Genet. Epidemiol. 34: 665‐673, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Affective evaluation of user impressions using virtual product prototyping
Authors: Kim Chulwoo , Lee Cheol , Lehto Mark R. , Yun Myung Hwan 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThis study aims to develop an effective and efficient method of analyzing user impressions of a product using virtual prototyping. A method to analyze the relationship between user impressions and design elements of a product using virtual prototyping was proposed, and then the method was applied to the case study of automobile interior design. Thirty‐two participants in the experiment evaluated 32 different virtual prototypes of automobile interiors generated from the combination of 17 design elements. The results of the case study showed that user impressions can be well explained by design elements. Physically large design elements, such as the shapes of frontal area, center fascia, door trim, and steering wheel, were critical areas of automobile interior design. The proposed method is expected to be an effective and efficient alternative for industrial practitioners to analyze user impressions of design alternatives at the early stage of the design process. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using Monte Carlo analysis to characterize the uncertainty in final acute values derived from aquatic toxicity data
Authors: McLaughlin Douglas B. , Jain Vaibhav 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Many ambient water quality criteria established to protect aquatic life from acute toxicity are calculated using a procedure described in the US Environmental Protection Agency's “1985 Guidelines” (USEPA 1985). The procedure yields a final acute value (FAV) from acceptable median lethal or effective concentrations (LC50 or EC50, respectively) that is a single-point, deterministic estimate of the concentration of a chemical substance that will protect 95% of aquatic species from &gt;50% mortality or other acute toxic effects. However, because of variation and uncertainty associated with toxicity test results, uncertainty in the estimated FAV exists that is not accounted for by the 1985 Guidelines procedure. Here, Monte Carlo analysis is used to characterize this uncertainty. The analysis uses Cu EC50 values adjusted for differences in test water chemistry obtained from USEPA's final freshwater Cu criteria guidance published in 2007. Additional Monte Carlo simulations illustrate Cu FAV distributions obtained using a subset of tested species and assuming fewer replicate tests. The deterministic procedure yields an FAV of 4.68 µg/L for the complete data set. By comparison, 3 replicate Monte Carlo simulations yielded mean FAVs of 4.66 µg/L. The 5th and 95th percentiles of the distribution of calculated FAVs were 4.14 µg/L and 5.20 µg/L, respectively. Reducing the number of tested genera from 27 to 8 (the minimum recommended by the 1985 Guidelines) and setting the number of tests per species equal to 3 yielded 5th and 95th percentiles of 1.22 µg/L and 6.18 µg/L, respectively, compared to a deterministic estimate of 2.80 µg/L. Results of this study indicate that Monte Carlo analysis can be used to improve the understanding and communication of uncertainty associated with water quality criteria derived from acute toxicity data using the 1985 Guidelines. This may benefit the development, revision, and application of these criteria in the future. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2011;7:269–279. © 2010 SETAC
Importance of eye lens α‐crystallin heteropolymer with 3:1 αA to αB ratio: Stability, aggregation, and modifications
Authors: Srinivas Pasumarthi , Narahari Akkaladevi , Petrash J. Mark , Swamy Musti J. , Reddy Geereddy Bhanuprakash 
Published: September 2010

AbstractChaperone‐like activity (CLA) of α‐crystallin is essential not only for the maintenance of eye lens transparency but also in the biology of other tissues. Eye lens α‐crystallin is a heteropolymer composed of two homologous subunits, αA and αB, and in most vertebrates they are present in a ratio of 3:1. The structural and functional significance of this specific ratio of α‐crystallin subunits is of considerable interest in understanding its role in the eye lens transparency. Previously, we have shown that although at physiologically relevant conditions αB‐crystallin has greater CLA, under stress conditions such as elevated temperatures α‐crystallin heteropolymer with 3:1 αA to αB ratio displayed higher CLA (Srinivas et al., Biochem. J., 2008, 414, 453 – 460). Herein, we provide a rationale for the existence of α‐crystallin heteropolymer with 3:1 αA to αB ratio in terms of structural stability, aggregation pattern, and susceptibility to posttranslational modifications that could explain the importance of the heteropolymer of α‐crystallin in the eye lens. We demonstrate that αA‐crystallin is not only more stable but also imparts stability to the heteropolymer by preventing the aggregation of αB‐crystallin at higher temperatures by using differential scanning calorimetry, size‐exclusion chromatography, and denaturant‐induced unfolding methods. Further, the physiological significance of heteropolymer with higher proportion of αA subunit is substantiated by using a heteropolymer with mutant (F71L) αA‐crystallin and the susceptibility of 3:1 heteropolymer to glycation‐induced modifications. Thus, the existence of 3:1 heteropolymer might be vital for the eye lens transparency under diverse conditions to prevent cataract. © 2010 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 62(9): 693–702, 2010
Differential maintenance of cortical and cancellous bone strength following discontinuation of bone-active agents
Authors: Shahnazari Mohammad , Yao Wei , Wang Bob , Panganiban Brian , Ritchie Robert O , Hagar Yolanda , Lane Nancy E 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Osteoporotic patients treated with antiresorptive or anabolic agents experience an increase in bone mass and a reduction in incident fractures. However, the effects of these medications on bone quality and strength after a prolonged discontinuation of treatment are not known. We evaluated these effects in an osteoporotic rat model. Six-month-old ovariectomized (OVX) rats were treated with placebo, alendronate (ALN, 2 µg/kg), parathyroid hormone [PTH(1–34); 20 µg/kg], or raloxifene (RAL, 2 mg/kg) three times a week for 4 months and withdrawn from the treatments for 8 months. Treatment with ALN, PTH, and RAL increased the vertebral trabecular bone volume (BV/TV) by 47%, 53%, and 31%, with corresponding increases in vertebral compression load by 27%, 51%, and 31%, respectively (p &lt; .001). The resulting bone strength was similar to that of the sham-OVX control group with ALN and RAL and higher (p &lt; .001) with PTH treatment. After 4 months of withdrawal, bone turnover (BFR/BS) remained suppressed in the ALN group versus the OVX controls (p &lt; .001). The vertebral strength was higher than in the OVX group only in ALN-treated group (p &lt; .05), whereas only the PTH-treated animals showed a higher maximum load in tibial bending versus the OVX controls (p &lt; .05). The vertebral BV/TV returned to the OVX group level in both the PTH and RAL groups 4 months after withdrawal but remained 25% higher than the OVX controls up to 8 months after withdrawal of ALN (p &lt; .05). Interestingly, cortical bone mineral density increased only with PTH treatment (p &lt; .05) but was not different among the experimental groups after withdrawal. At 8 months after treatment withdrawal, none of the treatment groups was different from the OVX control group for cortical or cancellous bone strength. In summary, both ALN and PTH maintained bone strength (maximum load) 4 months after discontinuation of treatment despite changes in bone mass and bone turnover; however, PTH maintained cortical bone strength, whereas ALN maintained cancellous bone strength. Additional studies on the long-term effects on bone strength after discontinuation and with combination of osteoporosis medications are needed to improve our treatment of osteoporosis. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Synthesis and antitumor activity of new 1,2,4‐triazine and [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐b][1,2,4]triazine derivatives and their thioglycoside and acyclic C‐nucleoside analogs
Authors: El‐Sayed Wael A. , Nassar Ibrahim F. , Abdel‐Rahman Adel A.‐H. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
New 1,2,4‐triazine and their derived 1,2,4‐triazolo[3,4‐b][1,2,4]triazine derivatives were synthesized starting from 5,6‐diphenyl‐1,2,4‐triazine‐3‐thiol. Furthermore, the corresponding 1,2,4‐triazolo[3,4‐b][1,2,4]‐triazine thioglycosides and acyclic C‐nucleoside analogs were synthesized. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antitumor activity and some of them showed high inhibition activities. J. Heterocyclic Chem., 2011.
Quantification of myocardial strain at early systole in mouse heart: Restoration of undeformed tagging grid with single‐point HARP
Authors: Li Wei , Yu Xin 
Published: September 2010

AbstractPurpose:To develop accurate strain and torsion quantification method for the assessment of myocardial contraction in mice by MRI tagging.Materials and Methods:Ventricular wall motion at baseline and during β‐adrenergic stimulation was assessed in mice using MRI tagging. Myocardial strain and torsion were quantified using finite element analysis method. A harmonic phase (HARP) based method was developed for the restoration of undeformed taglines for more accurate calculation of myocardial wall strain and torsion.Results:Myocardial deformation was observed at early systole (<20 msec after QRS) both at baseline and during β‐adrenergic stimulation. The HARP‐based method allowed robust restoration of undeformed taglines that can be used as the reference in finite element analysis of the tagged images. Without such correction for myocardial deformation in the reference image, inaccuracy in strain quantification underestimated significant strain development at early systole in dobutamine‐stimulated hearts.Conclusion:The HARP‐based method developed in the current study enabled automated restoration of undeformed taglines in mouse hearts, leading to more accurate calculation of myocardial wall strain and torsion during dobutamine stimulation. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:608–614. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Post‐processing correction of the endorectal coil reception effects in MR spectroscopic imaging of the prostate
Authors: Noworolski Susan M. , Reed Galen D. , Kurhanewicz John , Vigneron Daniel B. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractPurpose:To develop and validate a post‐processing correction algorithm to remove the effect of the inhomogeneous reception profile of the endorectal coil on MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data.Materials and Methods:A post‐processing algorithm to correct for the endorectal coil reception effects on MRSI data was developed based upon theoretical modeling of the endorectal coil reception profile and of the spatial saturation pulse profiles. This algorithm was evaluated on three‐dimensional (3D) MRSI data acquired at 3T from a uniform phantom and from 18 patients with known or suspected prostate cancer.Results:For the phantom data, the coefficient of variation of metabolite peak areas decreased 16% to 46% and the peak area distributions became more Gaussian with correction, as demonstrated by higher Q‐Q plot linear correlations (R2 = 0.98 ± 0.007 vs. R2 = 0.89 ± 0.066). Across the 18 patients, the mean coefficient of variation for suppressed water decreased significantly, from 0.95 ± 0.18, to 0.66 ± 0.11, (P < 10−6, paired t‐test) and the linear correlations of the Q‐Q plots for the suppressed water increased from R2 = 0.91 to R2 = 0.95 (P = 0.0083, paired t‐test) with correction.Conclusion:An algorithm for reducing the effect of the inhomogeneous reception profile in endorectal coil acquired 3D MRSI prostate data was demonstrated, illustrating increased homogeneity and more Gaussian peak area distributions. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:654–662. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pyrolytic graphite foam: A passive magnetic susceptibility matching material
Authors: Lee Gary C. , Goodwill Patrick W. , Phuong Kevin , Inglis Ben A. , Scott Greig C. , Hargreaves Brian A. , Li Lizabeth , Chen Alex C. , Shah Rachana N. , Conolly Steven M. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractPurpose:To evaluate a novel soft, lightweight cushion that can match the magnetic susceptibility of human tissue. The magnetic susceptibility difference between air and tissue produces field inhomogeneities in the B0 field, which leads to susceptibility artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies.Materials and Methods:Pyrolytic graphite (PG) microparticles were uniformly embedded into a foam cushion to reduce or eliminate field inhomogeneities at accessible air and tissue interfaces. 3T MR images and field maps of an air/water/PG foam phantom were acquired. Q measurements on a 4T tuned head coil and pulse sequence heating tests at 3T were also performed.Results:The PG foam improved susceptibility matching, reduced the field perturbations in phantoms, does not heat, and is nonconductive.Conclusion:The susceptibility matched PG foam is lightweight, safe for patient use, adds no noise or MRI artifacts, is compatible with radiofrequency coil arrays, and improves B0 homogeneity, which enables more robust MR studies. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:684–691. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.