bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plasma‐derived clotting factor VIII: Heterogeneity evaluation in the quest for potential inhibitory‐antibody stimulating factors
Authors: D'Amici Gian M. , Blasi Barbara , D'Alessandro Angelo , Vaglio Stefania , Zolla Lello 
Published: October 2011

AbstractIn this study, we investigated the heterogeneity and the purity grade of three commercially available plasma‐derived clotting factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates, which highly differ with regard to purification strategies, relative concentrations of stabilizers (von Willebrand factor, with or without albumin) and virus inactivation strategies (solvent/detergent and/or heat/pasteurization treatments). Western blot analyses were used to evaluate product‐specific variations from Emoclot®, Alphanate® and Haemate® both in the presence and absence of reducing agents (dithiotreithol). All the plasma‐derived concentrates showed a strong heterogeneity, as they all included a significant amount of truncated forms of the full‐length (FL) clotting FVIII protein. The intact protein accounted for the 38% of the total FVIII proteins in Haemate® and 29 and 23% in Alphanate® and Emoclot®, respectively. Lower intact FVIII amounts in Emoclot might be mainly due to the low von Willebrand factor dosage and the absence of albumin. Upon addition of thrombin, both the FL and truncated forms of the FVIII protein were almost completely digested. Indeed, after thrombin activation, we could still observe a mixture of B‐domain truncated forms of the FL protein along with biologically active digested‐A1 forms. Batch‐to‐batch variation was tested with no evident changes appearing among different batches. Despite the variables in manufacturing processes, inter‐product comparisons yielded similar results for all the plasma‐derived FVIII considered in this study. However, we could individuate in Emoclot a band that was not digested by thrombin, which we could characterize as the 200 kDa FVIII heavy chain. This investigation prompts new concerns about the strong heterogeneity observed upon thrombin digestion of plasma‐derived FVIII, which might contribute to the development of inhibitory antibodies at an early stage of therapy, and to which extent these untoward phenomena could be avoided through direct intervention on routine manufacturing processes.
Engineering of a novel pluronic F127/graphene nanohybrid for pH responsive drug delivery
Authors: Hu Haiqing , Yu Jinhai , Li Yongyong , Zhao Jian , Dong Haiqing 
Published: October 2011

AbstractHerein, a novel Pluronic F127/graphene nanosheet (PF127/GN) hybrid was prepared via an one‐pot process including the simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide and assembly of PF127 and GN. The nanohybrid exhibits high water dispersibility and stability in physiological environment with the hydrophilic chains of PF127 extending to the solution while the hydrophobic segments anchoring at the surface of graphene via hydrophobic interaction. The PF127/GN nanohybrid is found to be capable of effectively encapsulating doxorubicin (DOX) with ultrahigh drug‐loading efficiency (DLE; 289%, w/w) and exhibits a pH responsive drug release behavior. The superb DLE of the PF127/GN nanohybrid relies on the introduction of GN which is structurally compatible with DOX. Cellular toxicity assays performed on human breast cancer MCF‐7 cells demonstrate that the PF127/GN nanohybrid displays no obvious cytotoxicity, whereas the PF127/GN‐loaded DOX (PF127/GN/DOX) shows remarkable cytotoxicity to the MCF‐7. Cell internalization study reveals that PF127/GN nanohybrid facilitates the transfer of DOX into MCF‐7 cells, evidenced by the image of confocal laser scanning microscopy. The above results indicate the potential application of this novel nanocarrier in biomedicine. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2012.
Azadirachta indica exhibits chemopreventive action against hepatic cancer: Studies on associated histopathological and ultrastructural changes
Authors: Bharati Sanjay , Rishi Praveen , Koul Ashwani 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThe present study was designed to evaluate the anticarcinogenic potential of Azadirachta indica against N‐nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)‐induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Further, the associated histopathological and ultrastructural changes were also analyzed. Hepatic cancer model was developed by the intraperitoneal administration of NDEA to mice at weekly intervals, in successive increasing doses, for a period of 8 weeks. Aqueous A. indica leaf extract (AAILE) was administered orally at a dosage of 100 μg/g body weight thrice a week till termination of the study. A relationship between histopathological grading and chemopreventive effect of A. indica had been established at various stages of carcinogenesis. Anticancer activity of A. indica was evaluated in terms of tumor incidence, tumor multiplicity, and survival rate. A significant reduction in tumor incidence (33%), tumor multiplicity (42%), and increase in survival (34%) was observed upon administration of AAILE to NDEA‐abused mice. Transmission and scanning electron microscopic investigations showed severe alterations in organelle organization, cellular arrangement, degree of differentiation, cellular metabolism, and morphology of the hepatocytes. These changes appeared to be distinctly delayed upon AAILE supplementation. The results suggest A. indica may have anticancer potential against NDEA‐induced hepatic cancer. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simultaneous electroencephalography‐functional MRI at 3 T: An analysis of safety risks imposed by performing anatomical reference scans with the EEG equipment in place
Authors: Nöth Ulrike , Laufs Helmut , Stoermer Robert , Deichmann Ralf 
Published: October 2011

AbstractPurpose:To describe heating effects to be expected in simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) when deviating from the EEG manufacturer's instructions; to test which anatomical MRI sequences have a sufficiently low specific absorption rate (SAR) to be performed with the EEG equipment in place; and to suggest precautions to reduce the risk of heating.Materials and Methods:Heating was determined in vivo below eight EEG electrodes, using both head and body coil transmission and sequences covering the whole range of SAR values.Results:Head transmit coil: temperature increases were below 2.2°C for low SAR sequences, but reached 4.6°C (one subject, clavicle) for high SAR sequences; the equilibrium temperature Teq remained below 39°C. Body transmit coil: temperature increases were higher and more frequent over subjects and electrodes, with values below 2.6°C for low SAR sequences, reaching 6.9°C for high SAR sequences (T8 electrode) with Teq exceeding a critical level of 40°C.Conclusion:Anatomical imaging should be based on T1‐weighted sequences (FLASH, MPRAGE, MDEFT) with an SAR below values for functional MRI sequences based on gradient echo planar imaging. Anatomical sequences with a high SAR can pose a significant risk, which is reduced by using head coil transmission. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:561‐571. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of technological processing and preservation method on amino acid content and protein quality in kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) leaves
Authors: Korus Anna 
Published: October 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND: The aim of the investigation was to evaluate the level of amino acids and quality of protein in raw and processed kale leaves.RESULTS: In all samples the dominant amino acids in g kg−1 raw matter were glutamic acid, aspartic acid and proline. In raw kale leaves the limiting amino acids were lysine, isoleucine and cystine with methionine, and in the remaining products also valine and leucine. Blanched kale leaves contained 88% of the amino acid content in raw leaves, 76% in cooked leaves, and 69–77% and 71–72% of initial levels in frozen and canned products, respectively. In raw, blanched and cooked leaves essential amino acids comprised 44%, 44% and 47%, respectively, of total amino acids; in frozen and canned leaves the proportions were 46% and 44%, respectively. The essential amino acid index was 97 for canned products, 100–109 for frozen leaves, and 117 for raw kale leaves.CONCLUSION: Raw and processed (blanched or cooked) kale leaves are a good source of amino acids. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
A survey of free and conjugated deoxynivalenol in the 2008 corn crop in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Tran Si‐Trung , Smith Trevor K , Girgis George N 
Published: October 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND: Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin), one of the most important mycotoxins produced by many Fusarium species, is found as a common contaminant of crops worldwide. Recent studies have described the presence of conjugated forms of DON (glycosides and fatty acid). The aim of the current study was therefore to investigate the natural occurrence of free and conjugated DON in Canadian corn.RESULTS: Free and conjugated DON was determined by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 86 corn samples collected from the 2008 crop in Ontario, Canada. Free DON concentrations determined by ELISA were similar to values determined in most samples using GC‐MS. Conjugated DON was detected in 72 samples. Levels of free DON ranged from 0.17 to 14.00 µg g−1 using GC‐MS. The highest levels of free DON were found in corn samples from the southern and southwestern regions of Ontario, while samples from eastern regions were less contaminated. Conjugated DON was found mainly in corn from the east‐central region, with five of six samples showing high levels of conjugated DON (up to 43% increase in DON following acid hydrolysis). Low levels of conjugated DON (≤10% increase in DON following acid hydrolysis) were detected in the majority of corn samples from the southwestern region (nine of 19 samples) and from the central region (16 of 36 samples).CONCLUSION: The current survey emphasizes the frequency of conjugated DON in Ontario grown corn and the potential challenges in understanding the hazard posed by DON‐contaminated foodstuffs and feedstuffs. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Molecularly imprinted polymer for selective extraction of 3‐methylflavone‐8‐carboxylic acid from human urine followed by its determination using zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography
Authors: Rao Ramisetti N. , Maurya Pawan K. , Kuntamukkala Ramakrishna , Vitthal Wani D. , Talluri Murali V. N. K. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractA novel water‐compatible molecularly imprinted SPE combined with zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography method for selective extraction and determination of 3‐methylflavone‐8‐carboxylic acid (MFA), the main active metabolite of flavoxate in human urine, was developed and validated. The effects of progenic solvents, pH, cross linker and amount of monomer were studied to optimize the efficiency and selectivity. The molecularly imprinted polymer showed good specific adsorption capacity with an optimum of 200 μmol/g at pH 7.5 and selective extraction of MFA from human urine. The recovery of MFA from human urine was >98%. The lower limit of quantification was 1.20 μg/mL. The proposed method overcomes the matrix effects of endogenous substances generally encountered during direct analysis of urine sample.
Synthesis and bioactivity evaluation of novel spiromesifen derivatives
Authors: Zhao Jin‐Hao , Wang Zong‐Cheng , Ji Ming‐Hua , Cheng Jing‐Li , Zhu Guo‐Nian , Yu Chuan‐Ming 
Published: October 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND: The development of environmentally friendly and novel structural pesticides is now an area of intense research in the agriculture field. Spirocyclic tetronic acids such as spiromesifen are typical compounds of this kind. In order to discover novel compounds with improved and broader‐spectrum insecticidal activities, a series of spiromesifen derivatives were synthesised and bioassayed.RESULTS: The derivatives were identified by 1H NMR and MS. Preliminary bioassays demonstrated that some bioactivities of compounds 5a to 5u were better and had a broader spectrum than the lead compound spiromesifen. Moreover, these compounds showed better insecticidal activities against Mythimna sepatara and Aphis fabae than acaricidal activities against Tetranychus cinnabari. Furthermore, LC50 of 5s against Aphis fabae reached 1.09 mg L−1. At the same time, compounds 5g, 5i, 5k and 5r also warrant further study because of their superior bioactivities to spiromesifen. What is more, suitable carbon chain length in the 4‐position ester and the log P value of these spiromesifen derivatives dramatically influenced their insecticidal activities. Butyric or pentanoic ester and a log P value of 4.0–6.0 may be preferred.CONCLUSION: The present work demonstrates that some spiromesifen derivatives can be used as potential lead compounds for developing novel insecticides and acaricides. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Improved biological effects of uniconazole using porous hollow silica nanoparticles as carriers
Authors: Tan Wei‐Ming , Hou Ning , Pang Sen , Zhu Xiao‐Feng , Li Zhao‐Hu , Wen Li‐Xiong , Duan Liu‐Sheng 
Published: October 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND: The aim of this work is to prepare a controlled‐release formulation of uniconazole using porous hollow silica nanoparticles (PHSNs) as carrier, and to investigate the biological effects on rice growth.RESULTS: PHSNs with a shell thickness of ∼15 nm and a particle size of 80–100 nm were synthesised through a sol–gel route using nanosized calcium carbonate particles as templates. Simple immersing (SI) and supercritical fluid drug loading (SFDL) technologies were employed to load uniconazole into PHSNs with loading efficiencies of ∼22 and ∼26% respectively. The prepared uniconazole‐loaded PHSNs (UCZ‐PHSNs) by SI and SFDL both demonstrated sustained release properties, and the latter showed better controlled release ability with a slower release rate. Compared with free uniconazole, UCZ‐PHSNs exhibited a weaker growth retardation effect in the early stage but more significant retardation ability in later stages for agar‐cultured rice seedlings. For the rice that grew in clay, UCZ‐PHSNs demonstrated a weaker plant height retardation effect than free uniconazole at the early jointing stage by foliar spraying, but exhibited a stronger retardation capacity than free uniconazole by being applied into soil before seedling transplantation.CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the prepared UCZ‐PHSNs possessed good controlled‐release properties and had improved retardation effects on rice growth. It is recommended that UCZ‐PHSNs be applied into soil before seedling transplantation rather than administered by foliar spraying at the early jointing stage. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Phase determination of crystal structure factor using measured rocking curves
Authors: Negishi Riichirou , Fukamachi Tomoe , Yoshizawa Masami , Hirano Kenji , Hirano Keiichi , Kawamura Takaaki 
Published: October 2011

AbstractWe report on a novel phase determination method of crystal structure factor using phase difference Δφ between the interference fringes of the diffracted intensities and those of the transmitted intensities. It is an advantage that the phase of crystal structure factor can be determined using the anomalous scattering only at one wavelength. We demonstrate the method by applying to GaAs 200 reflection near K‐absorption edges of Ga and As.
Real‐time analysis of the microstructural evolution and optical properties of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films as a function of Cu content
Authors: Ranjan Vikash , Collins R. W. , Marsillac Sylvain 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThin films of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 with various copper contents were deposited by co‐evaporation onto thermally oxidized silicon substrates. Characterization by real‐time spectroscopic ellipsometry reveals clear similarities among the samples, as well as key variations with Cu content. Although all films exhibit a Volmer–Weber nucleation and similar fundamental critical point energies in the analysis of optical properties, Cu‐rich films exhibit enhanced coalescence, smoother surfaces, larger grain sizes, as well as a sub‐bandgap absorption which is absent in Cu‐poor films. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Constraints on the impact of radar rainfall data assimilation on forecasts of cumulus convection
Authors: Craig George C. , Keil Christian , Leuenberger Daniel 
Published: October 2011

AbstractExperience from operational trials of assimilation of radar data in kilometre‐scale numerical weather prediction models (operating without cumulus parametrization) shows that the positive impact of the radar data on convective precipitation forecasts typically decays within a few hours, although certain cases show much longer impact time‐scales. In this work the impact time of radar data assimilation is related to characteristics of the meteorological environment. Three cases of convection over southern Germany with different synoptic conditions are investigated (one case with two data assimilation cut‐off times), each with an ensemble of ten forecasts at 2.8 km horizontal resolution based on different initial and boundary conditions from a global forecast ensemble. Control forecasts are compared with forecasts where radar rainfall data are assimilated using latent heat nudging. The impact time of the radar data on total precipitation is quantified, and found to correlate well with a convective time‐scale that measures the rate at which convection is responding to changes in large‐scale forcing. Short impact times were associated with short convective time‐scales that are characteristic of equilibrium convection. In this regime the statistical properties of the convection are constrained by the large‐scale forcing, and effects of the radar data are lost within a few hours as the convection rapidly returns to equilibrium. When the convective time‐scale was large (non‐equilibrium conditions), the impact of the radar data was longer since convective systems were triggered by the latent heat nudging and were able to persist for many hours in the very unstable conditions present in these cases. The impact of the assimilated radar data on the location of precipitation was assessed using the equitable threat score (ETS) and the displacement and amplitude score (DAS). The impact times for these measures were consistently shorter than for total precipitation, but again shortest for the equilibrium conditions. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Sensitivity and out‐of‐sample error in continuous time data assimilation
Authors: Bröcker Jochen , Szendro Ivan G. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractData assimilation refers to the problem of finding trajectories of a prescribed dynamical model in such a way that the output of the model (usually some function of the model states) follows a given time series of observations. Typically though, these two requirements cannot both be met at the same time–tracking the observations is not possible without the trajectory deviating from the proposed model equations, while adherence to the model requires deviations from the observations. Thus, data assimilation faces a trade‐off. In this contribution, the sensitivity of the data assimilation with respect to perturbations in the observations is identified as the parameter which controls the trade‐off. A relation between the sensitivity and the out‐of‐sample error is established, which allows the latter to be calculated under operational conditions. A minimum out‐of‐sample error is proposed as a criterion to set an appropriate sensitivity and to settle the discussed trade‐off. Two approaches to data assimilation are considered, namely variational data assimilation and Newtonian nudging, also known as synchronization. Numerical examples demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Wave packet dynamics on multiply‐valued potential surfaces: Report on work in progress
Authors: Hall Benjamin , Deumens Erik , Öhrn Yngve , Sabin John R. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractA perennial problem in quantum scattering calculations is reducing the 3N degrees of freedom (three for each atom or electron present) to a more computationally manageable number, while still retaining the information present in each degree of freedom. We present a method of extracting a nonadiabatic, multiply‐valued potential‐energy surface from electron nuclear dynamics (Deumens et al., Rev Mod Phys, 1994, 66, 917) trajectories; we then perform nuclear wave packet dynamics on that surface and calculate differential cross sections for two‐center, one‐active‐electron systems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012
Quasi sliding mode‐based single input fuzzy self‐tuning decoupled fuzzy PI control for robot manipulators with uncertainty
Authors: Amer Ahmed F. , Sallam Elsayed A. , Elawady Wael M. 
Published: October 2011

SUMMARYThis paper presents a robust adaptive control strategy for robot manipulators, based on the coupling of the fuzzy logic control with the so‐called sliding mode control (SMC) approach. The motivation for using SMC in robotics mainly relies on its appreciable features. However, the drawbacks of the conventional SMC, such as chattering effect and required a priori knowledge of the bounds of uncertainties can be destructive. In this paper, these problems are suitably circumvented by adopting a reduced rule base single input fuzzy self tuning decoupled fuzzy proportional integral sliding mode control approach. In this new approach a decoupled fuzzy proportional integral control is used and a reduced rule base single input fuzzy self‐tuning controller as a supervisory fuzzy system is added to adaptively tune the output control gain of the decoupled fuzzy proportional integral control. Moreover, it is proved that the fuzzy control surface of the single‐input fuzzy rule base is very close to the input/output relation of a straight line. Therefore, a varying output gain decoupled fuzzy proportional integral sliding mode control approach using an approximate line equation is then proposed. The stability of the system is guaranteed in the sense of the Lyapunov theorem. Simulations using the dynamic model of a 3DOF planar manipulator with uncertainties show the effectiveness of the approach in high speed trajectory tracking problems. The simulation results that are compared with the results of conventional SMC indicate that the control performance of the robot system is satisfactory and the proposed approach can achieve favorable tracking performance, and it is robust with regard to uncertainties and disturbances. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distributed output regulation of leader–follower multi‐agent systems
Authors: Hong Yiguang , Wang Xiaoli , Jiang Zhong‐Ping 
Published: October 2011

SUMMARYIn this paper, distributed leader–follower control algorithms are presented for linear multi‐agent systems based on output regulation theory and internal model principle. By treating a leader to be followed as an exosystem, the proposed framework can be used to generalize existing multi‐agent coordination solutions to allow the identical agents to track an active leader with different dynamics and unmeasurable variables. Moreover, the obtained results for multi‐agent coordination control are an extension of previous work on centralized and decentralized output regulation to a distributed control context. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the distributed output regulation problem are given. Finally, distributed output regulation of some classes of multi‐agent systems with switching interconnection topologies are discussed via both static and dynamic feedback. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.