bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One‐pot synthesis of tetrahydroindeno[1,2‐b]pyrrolo‐3‐carboxylates derivatives
Authors: Azizian Javad , Sheikholeslami Fatemeh , Hosseini Javad , Mohammadi Mohammadkazem , Mirza Behrooz
Published: November 2011

Tetrahydroindeno [1,2‐b]pyrrole‐3‐carboxylate were synthesized in a one‐pot procedure by the reaction of 1,3‐dicarbonyl and activated carbonyl compounds such as benzyl or ninhydrin in ethanol/water in the presence of ammonium acetate. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).
Analysis of ammonia losses after field application of biogas slurries by an empirical model
Authors: Ni Kang , Pacholski Andreas , Gericke Dirk , Kage Henning
Published: November 2011

Due to energy crises and stricter environmental regulations, renewable energy sources like bio‐methane produced by anaerobic digestion (biogas) become increasingly important. However, the application of slurries produced by biogas fermentation to agricultural land and subsequent ammonia emission may also create environmental risks to the atmosphere and to N‐limited ecosystems. Evaluating ammonia loss from agricultural land by model simulation is an important tool of agricultural‐systems analysis. The objective of this study was the systematical comparison of ammonia volatilization after application of two types of biogas slurries containing high amounts of energy crops in comparison with conventional animal slurries and to investigate the relative importance of factors affecting the emission process through an empirical model. A high number of ammonia‐loss field measurements were carried out in the years 2007/08 in biogas cropping systems in N Germany. The study consisted of simultaneous measurement of NH3 losses from animal and biogas slurries in multiple‐plot field experiments with different N‐fertilization levels. The derived empirical model for the calculation of NH3 losses based on explanatory variables gave good predictions of ammonia emission for both biogas and pig slurries. The root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias error (MBE) of the empirical model for validation data were 2.19 kg N ha–1 (rRMSE 29%) and –1.19 kg N ha–1, respectively. Biogas slurries produced highest NH3 emissions compared to the two animal slurries. In view of the explanatory variables included in the model, total NH$ _4^+ $ application rate, slurry type, temperature, precipitation, crop type, and leaf‐area index were important for ammonia‐volatilization losses.
Examining posttraumatic stress symptoms in a national sample of homicide survivors: Prevalence and comparison to other violence victims
Authors: Zinzow Heidi M. , Rheingold Alyssa A. , Byczkiewicz Michelle , Saunders Benjamin E. , Kilpatrick Dean G.
Published: November 2011

The present study examined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among friends and family members of homicide victims (homicide survivors). Out of a national sample of 1,753 young adults who completed follow‐up interviews after participating in the National Survey of Adolescents, 268 homicide survivors and 653 victims of other interpersonal violence were selected for the study. Participants completed structured telephone interviews that covered the loss of a family member or close friend to homicide, violence exposure, and PTSD symptomatology. Findings indicated that 39% of homicide survivors met criteria for all 3 symptom clusters and 30% of homicide survivors met criteria for 2 PTSD clusters (functional impairment was not assessed). Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that homicide survivors were more likely than victims of other violence to meet criteria for all 3 PTSD symptom clusters (OR = 1.91, p < .05) and 2 symptom clusters (OR = 1.77, p < .05) when demographic characteristics and number of violent events were included in the model. These findings highlight the high prevalence of subthreshold PTSD symptoms among homicide survivors. Results suggest that homicide survivors are at elevated risk for PTSD symptoms in comparison to victims of other interpersonal violence.
Non‐destructive clinical assessment of occlusal caries lesions using near‐IR imaging methods
Authors: Staninec Michal , Douglas Shane M. , Darling Cynthia L. , Chan Kenneth , Kang Hobin , Lee Robert C. , Fried Daniel
Published: November 2011

Objective

Enamel is highly transparent in the near‐IR (NIR) at wavelengths near 1,300 nm, and stains are not visible. The purpose of this study was to use NIR transillumination and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to estimate the severity of caries lesions on occlusal surfaces both in vivo and on extracted teeth.

Methods

Extracted molars with suspected occlusal lesions were examined with OCT and polarization sensitive OCT (PS‐OCT), and subsequently sectioned and examined with polarized light microscopy (PLM) and transverse microradiography (TMR). Teeth in test subjects with occlusal caries lesions that were not cavitated or visible on radiographs were examined using NIR transillumination at 1,310 nm using a custom built probe attached to an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) camera and a linear OCT scanner. After imaging, cavities were prepared using dye staining to guide caries removal and physical impressions of the cavities were taken.

Results

The lesion severity determined from OCT and PS‐OCT scans in vitro correlated with the depth determined using PLM and TMR. Occlusal caries lesions appeared in NIR images with high contrast in vivo. OCT scans showed that most of the lesions penetrated to dentin and spread laterally below the sound enamel.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that both NIR transillumination and OCT are promising new methods for the clinical diagnosis of occlusal caries. Lasers Surg. Med. 43:951–959, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ultra‐wideband phase shifter using broadside‐coupled coplanar waveguide structure
Authors: Abbosh Amin M.
Published: November 2011

A planar phase shifter with ultra‐wideband performance is presented.The proposed device utilizes a single‐section broadside‐coupled coplanar waveguide structure that can be implemented using a double‐sided printed circuit board. The conformal mapping technique is used to find the proper dimensions of the device. The simulated and measured results of a 45° phase shifter designed using the proposed structure show more than 110% fractional bandwidth with a maximum phase deviation of ±3.3° and maximum insertion loss of 0.8 dB. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:114–116, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26451
A 0.6 V low‐power 3.5‐GHz CMOS low noise amplifier for WIMAX applications
Authors: Tsai Jeng‐Han , Lin Yi‐Jhang , Yu Hao‐Chun
Published: November 2011

In this letter, a low‐voltage and low‐power 3.5‐GHz low noise amplifier (LNA) is designed and fabricated using TSMC 0.18‐μm MS/RF complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field effect transistor (CMOS) technology. The complementary current‐reused topology is utilized to achieve low dc power consumption while maintaining reasonable gain performance. Consuming 1.38 mW dc power from 0.6 V supply, the LNA achieves a small signal gain of 16.09 dB and a noise figure of 4.702 dB at 3.5 GHz. Compared with previously reported LNA, the MMIC has excellent FOM performance. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:145–147, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26463
Microwave imaging using ultra wideband frequency‐domain data
Authors: Bialkowski M. E. , Wang Y. , Bakar A.Abu , Khor W. C.
Published: November 2011

This article describes an ultra wideband (UWB) microwave system that uses the frequency‐domain reflection coefficient data acquired by a UWB antenna to form a microwave image of a homogenous cylindrical dielectric body containing cylindrical targets. Both hardware and signal processing aspects of the system are described. The system uses a frequency‐domain image reconstruction algorithm using the different data obtained for adjacent positions of the scanning antenna so that the effect of air‐image body interface is removed. The algorithm is tested in examples of a cylindrical dielectric container including a vegetable oil and targets in the form of small‐diameter plastic straws filled with water. Both simulated and measured results are presented. The successful detection and location of the targets is achieved by visual inspection of the formed microwave images. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:13–18, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26465
An integral equation model for radiowave propagation over inhomogeneous smoothly irregular terrain
Authors: Batista Cláudio G. , Rego Cássio G.
Published: November 2011

This work introduces an integral equation formulation to model the radiowave propagation over inhomogeneous smoothly irregular terrain. The ground energy loss is estimated via the Leontovich boundary condition and the fast far‐field algorithm accelerating technique is applied in order to improve the computational performance when solving the integral equation. The proposed formulation was implemented in a prediction software named SPRad, which was numerically tested with two measurement campaigns performed in Denmark and Brazil. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:26–31, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26473
The experimental study of mutual coupling in conformal array
Authors: Zhao Fei , Qi Huiying , Xiao Ke , Qiu Lei , Chai Shunlian
Published: November 2011

The problem of the analyzing mutual coupling for the conformal array in practice is addressed. Experiment is designed for the sectoral cylinder conformal array composed of 12 cavity‐backed stacked microstrip antennas. Based on the measurement element complex patterns, the phase pattern calibration technique and least squares method are adopted to calculate the mutual coupling matrix (MCM) for the conformal array. It is shown that the actual array pattern modified by MCM agrees well with the ideal desired pattern, which confirms the validity and accuracy of the calculation of the MCM. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:199–203, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26491
Nonlinear effects in lte downlink signals and application of a compensation technique at the receiver side
Authors: Allegue‐Martínez Michel , Madero‐Ayora María J. , Crespo‐Cadenas Carlos , Reina‐Tosina Javier , Bernardo Francisco
Published: November 2011

This article proposes a nonlinear compensation technique for long‐term evolution downlink signals based on the memoryless solid‐state power amplifier model, which provides a simple and effective linearization technique at the receiver side, allowing a reduction in the error vector magnitude measured characteristics. The error vector magnitude per subcarrier is analyzed for different appropriate resource blocks allocations in the long‐term evolution signal to examine the distortion due to the nonlinear effects produced by a power amplifier in the experimental setup. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:54‐58, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26494
Optical and microwave studies of ferroelectric nanoparticles for application in biomedical imaging
Authors: Lai K. T. , Nair Bindu G. , Semenov S.
Published: November 2011

Because of the unique properties of nanoparticles in the electromagnetic spectrum, its use as diagnostic agents for improved visualization is an emerging research area in biomedical imaging. However specific aspects of nanoparticles need to be explored to illustrate these applications. In this paper we present the dielectric and optical studies performed on propylene carbonate colloid of barium titanate nanoparticles at different volume fractions. The behavior of these nanoparticles at the near infrared optical window and at the industrial, scientific, and medical applications band suggests its potential application as contrast agents or tracers in optical and microwave medical imaging. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:11‐13, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26496
Circularly polarized circular microstrip patch antenna loaded with four shorting posts for nanosatellite applications
Authors: Khotso Patsa , Lehmensiek Robert , van Zyl Robert R.
Published: November 2011

A low profile all‐metal mechanically robust circular microstrip patch antenna at S‐band frequencies is presented.The single coaxial feed circularly polarized antenna was optimized for a 3‐unit CubeSat structure. Good correlation between simulated and measured results was obtained. The measured antenna has a maximum gain of 8.9 dBi, and the −10 dB reflection coefficient bandwidth is 5.4%. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:8‐11, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26497
Small‐size multiband planar antenna for LTE700/2300/2500 operation in the tablet computer
Authors: Wong Kin‐Lu , Lyu Chao‐An , Chou Liang‐Che
Published: November 2011

A small‐size multiband planar antenna can be obtained using a long parasitic shorted strip and a monopole feed encircled by the same. Such a configuration can lead to a small antenna size for multiband operation, and a promising design with a small size of 12 × 35 mm2 for covering three‐band LTE700/2300/2500 operation (704–787/2300–2400/2500–2690 MHz bands) in the tablet computer is presented. The antenna is easy to fabricate on one surface of an FR4 substrate and is composed of an inverted‐L strip as the monopole feed and a long parasitic shorted strip encircling the inverted‐L monopole. The long shorted strip is parasitically excited to generate a 0.25‐wavelength resonant mode at about 750 MHz to cover the LTE700 operation, while the inverted‐L monopole generates a 0.25‐wavelength resonant mode at about 2.5 GHz to cover the LTE2300/2500 operation. Details of the proposed antenna are described. Radiation characteristics of the antenna and its body specific absorption rate results for tablet computer applications are also presented. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:81–86, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26507
WWAN/LTE printed slot antenna for tablet computer application
Authors: Wong Kin‐Lu , Lin Wun‐Jian
Published: November 2011

A printed slot antenna comprising two quarter‐wavelength slots of different lengths and a half‐wavelength slot for eight‐band wireless wide area network/long term evolution operation in the tablet computer is presented. The two quarter‐wavelength slots are open slots or monopole slots, and the half‐wavelength slot is aligned in‐between the two quarter‐wavelength slots. The three slots are excited using a two‐strip feedline which is printed on the opposite surface of the printed slots. The proposed three‐slot configuration can lead to two wide operating bands, with the lower one covering the 704–960 MHz band and the upper one covering the 1710–2690 MHz band. Good radiation efficiency for frequencies over the operating bands is obtained. The simulated body specific absorption rate values of the antenna in the bottom face, landscape and portrait orientations to the flat phantom in the body specific absorption rate testing model also meet the limit of 1.6 W/kg for 1‐g tissue. Details of the results are presented. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:44–49, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26509
A compact dual bevel planar monopole antenna with lumped element for ultra high frequency/very high frequency application
Authors: Jusoh M. , Jamlos M. F. , Kamarudin M. R.
Published: November 2011

A novel small size planar monopole antenna operating from 0.1 to 1100 MHz is proposed. A planar monopole antenna constructed with 148 mm × 64 mm of radiating element and 80 mm square of ground plane is suitable for cognitive radio (CR) applications where it can cover a very high frequency and a partial of ultra high frequency (UHF) band for spectrum sensing. The proposed monopole antenna is designed by combining a beveling technique and resistor lumped element loading by employing FR4 substrate for low‐cost intention. The integration of the resistor with double bevel contributes to the behavior of an inductor as more current are excited to the ground eventually making the radiating element becomes more magnetic. Furthermore, it is found that 50° of dual bevel angle give optimization results for the impedance bandwidth of the antenna. As a result, the low frequency has shifted to the left and enhanced the antenna's impedance bandwidth significantly from 2.2:1 (103%) to 11:1 (200%). The proposed antenna is also extensively proficient in producing divisive radiation patterns with vertical polarization at four different frequencies; 200, 500, 800, and 1000 MHz. The presented antenna performances clarify the potential of the approach between simulation and the measurement results. Instead of CR, the proposed antenna has attractive potentials to be used for GSM, broadcasting, UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) and radio astronomy applications in the future. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:156–160, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26515
Protective effect of scFv‐DAF fusion protein on the complement attack to acetylcholine receptor: A possible option for treatment of myasthenia gravis
Authors: Song Chen , Xu Zhikai , Miao Jianting , Xu Jiang , Wu Xingan , Zhang Fanglin , Lin Hong , Li Zhuyi , Kaminski Henry J.
Published: November 2011

Introduction: Autoantibody‐induced complement activation, which causes disruption of the postsynaptic membrane, is recognized as a key pathogenic factor in myasthenia gravis (MG). Therefore, specific targeting of complement inhibitors to the site of complement activation is a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of MG. Methods: We assessed expression of single‐chain antibody fragment–decay accelerating factor (scFv‐DAF), comprising a single‐chain fragment scFv1956 based on the rat complement inhibitor DAF in prokaryotic systems, and studied its inhibitory effect on complement deposition in vitro. Results: The recombinant conjugate scFv‐DAF completely retained the wild‐type binding activity of scFv1956 to AChR and inhibited complement activation of DAF in vitro. Conclusions: We found that scFv‐DAF could bind specifically to TE671 cells, and it is significantly more potent at inhibiting complement deposition than the untargeted parent molecule DAF. scFv‐DAF may be a candidate for in vivo protection of the AChR in MG. Muscle Nerve, 2012
Sulfur‐36S stable isotope labeling of amino acids for quantification (SULAQ)
Authors: Jehmlich Nico , Kopinke Frank‐Dieter , Lenhard Steffi , Vogt Carsten , Herbst Florian‐Alexander , Seifert Jana , Lissner Ulrike , Völker Uwe , Schmidt Frank , von Bergen Martin
Published: November 2011

We introduce a universal metabolic labeling strategy using elemental heavy 36Sulfur (36S) called 36Sulfur stable isotope labeling of amino acids for quantification (SULAQ). In the proof of principle experiment, Pseudomonas putida KT2440 was grown in defined minimal medium with sodium benzoate or sodium succinate as the sole carbon and 32S‐ or 36S‐sodium sulfate as the sole sulfur sources. Quantification using mass spectrometry resulted in 562 proteins with 1991 unique peptides. SULAQ technology can be a valuable alternative strategy for the quantitative comparisons in MS‐based proteomics approaches characterizing bacterial and other biological samples in different growth conditions.
Proteomic analysis of urine exosomes by multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT)
Authors: Wang Zhen , Hill Salisha , Luther James M. , Hachey David L. , Schey Kevin L.
Published: November 2011

Exosomes are membrane vesicles that are secreted by cells upon fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasma membrane. Exosomal proteomics has emerged as a powerful approach to understand the molecular composition of exosomes and has potential to accelerate biomarker discovery. Different proteomic analysis methods have been previously employed to establish several exosome protein databases. In this study, TFE solution‐phase digestion was compared with in‐gel digestion and found to yield similar results. Proteomic analysis of urinary exosomes was performed by multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) after TFE digestion. Nearly, 3280 proteins were identified from nine human urine samples with 31% overlap among nine samples. Gene ontology (GO) analysis, coupled with detection of all of the members of ESCRT machinery complex, supports the multivesicular origin of these particles. These results significantly expand the existing database of urinary exosome proteins. Our results also indicate that more than 1000 proteins can be detected from exosomes prepared from as little as 25 mL of urine. This study provides the largest set of proteins present in human urinary exosome proteomes, provides a valuable reference for future studies, and provides methods that can be applied to exosomal proteomic analysis from other tissue sources.
Concentration‐dependent oligomerization and oligomeric arrangement of LptA
Authors: Merten Jacqueline A. , Schultz Kathryn M. , Klug Candice S.
Published: November 2011

Gram‐negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli have an inner membrane and an asymmetric outer membrane (OM) that together protect the cytoplasm and act as a highly selective permeability barrier. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the major component of the outer leaflet of the OM and is essential for the survival of nearly all Gram‐negative bacteria. Recent advances in understanding the proteins involved in the transport of LPS across the periplasm and into the outer leaflet of the OM include the identification of seven proteins suggested to comprise the LPS transport (Lpt) system. Crystal structures of the periplasmic Lpt protein LptA have recently been reported and show that LptA forms oligomers in either an end‐to‐end arrangement or a side‐by‐side dimer. It is not known if LptA oligomers bridge the periplasm to form a large, connected protein complex or if monomeric LptA acts as a periplasmic shuttle to transport LPS across the periplasm. Therefore, the studies presented here focus specifically on the LptA protein and its oligomeric arrangement and concentration dependence in solution using experimental data from several biophysical approaches, including laser light scattering, crosslinking, and double electron electron resonance spectroscopy. The results of these complementary techniques clearly show that LptA readily associates into stable, end‐to‐end, rod‐shaped oligomers even at relatively low local protein concentrations and that LptA forms a continuous array of higher order oligomeric end‐to‐end structures as a function of increasing protein concentration.
Asparagine and glutamine differ in their propensities to form specific side chain‐backbone hydrogen bonded motifs in proteins
Authors: Vasudev Prema G. , Banerjee Mousumi , Ramakrishnan C. , Balaram P.
Published: November 2011

Short range side chain‐backbone hydrogen bonded motifs involving Asn and Gln residues have been identified from a data set of 1370 protein crystal structures (resolution ≤ 1.5 Å). Hydrogen bonds involving residues i − 5 to i + 5 have been considered. Out of 12,901 Asn residues, 3403 residues (26.4%) participate in such interactions, while out of 10,934 Gln residues, 1780 Gln residues (16.3%) are involved in these motifs. Hydrogen bonded ring sizes (Cn, where n is the number of atoms involved), directionality and internal torsion angles are used to classify motifs. The occurrence of the various motifs in the contexts of protein structure is illustrated. Distinct differences are established between the nature of motifs formed by Asn and Gln residues. For Asn, the most highly populated motifs are the C10 (COδi …NHi + 2), C13 (COδi …NHi + 3) and C17 (NδHi …COi − 4) structures. In contrast, Gln predominantly forms C16 (COεi …NHi − 3), C12 (NεHi …COi − 2), C15 (NεHi …COi − 3) and C18 (NεHi …COi − 4) motifs, with only the C18motif being analogous to the Asn C17structure. Specific conformational types are established for the Asn containing motifs, which mimic backbone β‐turns and α‐turns. Histidine residues are shown to serve as a mimic for Asn residues in side chain‐backbone hydrogen bonded ring motifs. Illustrative examples from protein structures are considered. Proteins 2012; © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of observed vertical structure, habits, and size distributions on the solar radiative properties and cloud evolution of cirrus clouds
Authors: Yang Huiyi , Dobbie Steven , Herbert Ross , Connolly Paul , Gallagher Martin , Ghosh Sat , Al‐Jumur Sardar M. R. K. , Clayton James
Published: November 2011

Cirrus observations taken during EMERALD1 clearly showed vertical structure in ice crystal habit and size distribution. In this study, we use these observations along with radiative and cloud modelling to assess the importance of this observed vertical structure in size and habit on radiative properties and cloud evolution. We show that neglecting the vertical structure results in changes to the solar upwelling and downwelling fluxes of 10 and 8 W m−2, respectively. If further simplifications are made and aggregate and rosettes are treated more simplistically (as columns) then the upwelling and downwelling fluxes are altered by about 12 and 16 W m−2, respectively. [Correction added 8 May 2012 after original online publication: the end of the preceding sentence has been changed from ‘16 and 12 W m−2, respectively’.] It was noted that the effects of simplifying the vertical structure and habits act in competing ways in terms of the fluxes and therefore emphasize the need to consider both effects in order to improve modelling rather than considering either in isolation.

Often, general circulation models have highly parametrized treatments of cloud properties. We illustrate that crude assumptions about ice crystal effective sizes used in models (from the literature) can result in fluxes being in error by 100 W m−2 or more compared to using the observations. The above results are contrasted with effects of ice crystal roughness (altering the asymmetry). We show that moderate estimates of roughness lead to changes in the upward and downward fluxes of about 10–15 W m−2. This shows that vertical structure, habits and knowledge of size distribution are key factors and on a par with such effects as ice particle roughness, which is considered to have a highly uncertain but important cirrus radiative effect. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Porphyrinogen fragmentation profiles by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Benton Christopher M. , Lim Chang Kee , Moniz Caje , Jones Donald J. L.
Published: November 2011

An ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry system is described for the separation and characterisation of uroporphyrinogen, heptacarboxylic acid porphyrinogen, hexacarboxylic acid porphyrinogen, pentacarboxylic acid porphyrinogen and coproporphyrinogen. The separation was carried out on a 100 mm × 2.1 mm Thermo‐Hypersil BDS column (2.4 µm average particle size) by gradient elution with a mixture of acetonitrile, methanol and 1 mol/L aqueous ammonium acetate buffer, pH 5.16, as eluent. The fragmentation pattern of each compound was established by collision‐induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. The most characteristic fragmentation was ring opening at one of the four methylene bridges of the protonated porphyrinogen molecule followed by further cleavages of methylene bridges linking the four pyrrole rings at various points to give product ions with methylenepyrrolenine, methylene‐dipyrrolenine and methylene‐tripyrrolenine structures. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Application of Multivariate Analysis in Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopy as a Tool for the Evaluation of Waste Frying Oil Blends
Authors: Hocevar Luciano , Soares Vitória R. B. , Oliveira Fábio S. , Korn Maria Graças A. , Teixeira Leonardo S. G.
Published: November 2011

Mid‐infrared spectroscopy, in association with multivariate chemometric techniques, was employed for pattern recognition and the determination of the composition of waste frying oils (WFO); data are presented in terms of the percentage of soybean oil, palm oil and hydrogenated vegetable fat in frying oil blends. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using spectral data (3,000–600 cm−1) to discriminate between the samples containing 100% soybean oil, 100% palm oil, 100% hydrogenated vegetable fat groups and their blends. Additionally, the results indicated that partial least squares (PLS) models based on mid‐infrared spectra were suitable as practical analytical methods for predicting the oil contents in WFO blends. PLS models were validated by a representative prediction set, and the root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) were 2.8, 4.7 and 5.5% for palm oil, soybean oil and hydrogenated vegetable fat, respectively. The proposed methodology can be very useful for the rapid and low cost determination of waste frying oil composition while also aiding in decisions regarding the management of oil pretreatment and production routes for biodiesel production.
Migration, Marital Change, and HIV Infection in Malawi
Authors: Anglewicz Philip
Published: November 2011

Research on the relationship between migration and HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa often suggests that migrants are at higher risk of HIV infection because they are more likely to engage in HIV risk behaviors than nonmigrants, and they tend to move to areas with a relatively higher HIV prevalence. Although migration may be a risk factor for HIV infection, I instead focus on the possibility that the HIV positive are more likely to migrate. Using a longitudinal data set of permanent rural residents and migrants from Malawi, I find that migrants originating from rural areas are indeed more likely than nonmigrants to be HIV positive and to have engaged in HIV risk behaviors. The increased HIV risk among migrants may be due to the selection of HIV-positive individuals into migration; I find that HIV-positive individuals are more likely to migrate than those who are HIV negative. The explanation for this phenomenon appears to be marital instability, which occurs more frequently among HIV-positive individuals and leads to migration after marital change.
The relationship of resting cerebral blood flow and brain activation during a social cognition task in adolescents with chronic moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: a preliminary investigation
Authors: Newsome Mary R. , Scheibel Randall S. , Chu Zili , Hunter Jill V. , Li Xiaoqi , Wilde Elisabeth A. , Lu Hanzhang , Wang Zhiyue J. , Lin Xiaodi , Steinberg Joel L. , Vasquez Ana C. , Cook Lori , Levin Harvey S.
Published: November 2011

Alterations in cerebrovascular function are evident acutely in moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), although less is known about their chronic effects. Adolescent and adult patients with moderate to severe TBI have been reported to demonstrate diffuse activation throughout the brain during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Because fMRI is a measure related to blood flow, it is possible that any deficits in blood flow may alter activation. An arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion sequence was performed on seven adolescents with chronic moderate to severe TBI and seven typically developing (TD) adolescents during the same session in which they had performed a social cognition task during fMRI. In the TD group, prefrontal CBF was positively related to prefrontal activation and negatively related to non‐prefrontal, posterior, brain activation. This relationship was not seen in the TBI group, who demonstrated a greater positive relationship between prefrontal CBF and non‐prefrontal activation than the TD group. An analysis of CBF data independent of fMRI showed reduced CBF in the right non‐prefrontal region (p < .055) in the TBI group. To understand any role reduced CBF may play in diffuse extra‐activation, we then related the right non‐prefrontal CBF to activation. CBF in the right non‐prefrontal region in the TD group was positively associated with prefrontal activation, suggesting an interactive role of non‐prefrontal and prefrontal blood flow throughout the right hemisphere in healthy brains. However, the TBI group demonstrated a positive association with activation constrained to the right non‐prefrontal region. These data suggest a relationship between impaired non‐prefrontal CBF and the presence of non‐prefrontal extra‐activation, where the region with more limited blood flow is associated with activation limited to that region. In a secondary analysis, pathology associated with hyperintensities on T2‐weighted FLAIR imaging over the whole brain was related to whole brain activation, revealing a negative relationship between lesion volume and frontal activation, and a positive relationship between lesion volume and posterior activation. These preliminary data, albeit collected with small sample sizes, suggest that reduced non‐prefrontal CBF, and possibly pathological tissue associated with T2‐hyperintensities, may provide contributions to the diffuse, primarily posterior extra‐activation observed in adolescents following moderate to severe TBI.
Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Posterior Tibial Tendon Pathology on Sonographic Assessment
Authors: Jain Nitin B. , Omar Imran , Kelikian Armen S. , van Holsbeeck Lodewijk , Grant Thomas H.
Published: November 2011

Objective

To assess the frequency of and factors associated with supramalleolar posterior tibial tendon (PTT) pathology that often may be missed on sonography because of the limited field of view of ultrasound.

Design

Retrospective cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Large academic center.

Patients

Patients with medial ankle pain and tenderness and with normal radiographs who presented for sonographic assessment (n = 217).

Methods

Two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists interpreted the studies by consensus.

Main Outcome Measurement

PTT pathology.

Results

Of the 217 patients, 33.2% had grade 1 PTT pathology (n = 72), 14.3% had grade 2 pathology (n = 31), and 2.8% had grade 3 pathology (n = 6). When stratified by location, 29.0% of patients (n = 63) had inframalleolar abnormalities, 11.5% had retromalleolar pathology (n = 25), and 11 patients had supramalleolar pathology (5.1%). Four patients had PTT subluxation or dislocation. Age was significantly associated with PTT pathology (P = .02). A higher proportion of patients with supramalleolar (81.8%) and retromalleolar (72.0%) PTT pathology were women compared with patients who had inframalleolar (57.1%) PTT pathology. A higher proportion of patients with supramalleolar and retromalleolar PTT pathology had grade 2 tears compared with those with inframalleolar PTT pathology (36.4% for supramalleolar, 44.0% for retromalleolar, and 22.2% for inframalleolar pathology).

Conclusions

We present one of the largest studies on PTT pathology. PTT pathology can occur in the supramalleolar area, a region that often is not assessed on imaging. Although data are unavailable with regard to whether the natural history of supramalleolar PTT is different from that of other regions, patients with supramalleolar PTT pathology had more severe grades of tear and increased prevalence of tenosynovitis and were more often women. It is essential to recognize supramalleolar PTT pathology so that consequences of nontreatment such as medial arch collapse can be prevented.
Geochemical evidence of the 8.2 ka event and other Holocene environmental changes recorded in paleolagoon sediments, southeastern Brazil
Authors: Sallun Alethéa E.M. , Sallun Filho William , Suguio Kenitiro , Babinski Marly , Gioia Simone M.C.L. , Harlow Benjamin A. , Duleba Wania , De Oliveira Paulo E. , Garcia Maria Judite , Weber Cinthia Z. , Christofoletti Sérgio R. , Santos Camilla da S. , Medeiros Vanda B. de , Silva Juliana B. , Santiago-Hussein Maria Cristina , Fernandes Rosana S.
Published: November 2011

The paleoclimatic record of Juréia Paleolagoon, coastal southeastern Brazil, includes cyclic and gradual changes with different intensities and frequencies through geological time, and it is controlled by astronomical, geophysical, and geological phenomena. These variations are not due to one single cause, but they result from the interaction of several factors, which act at different temporal and spatial scales. Here, we describe paleoenvironmental evidence regarding climatic and sea level changes from the last 9400 cal yr BP at the Juréia Paleolagoon – one of the main groups of protected South Atlantic ecosystems. Geochemical evidences were used to identify anomalies from multi-proxy analyses of a paleolagoon sediment core. The anomalies of centennial scale were correlated to climate and transgression–regression cycles from the Holocene period. Decadal scale anomalous oscillations in the Quaternary paleolagoon sediments occur between 9400 and 7500 cal yr BP, correlated with long- and short-term natural events, which generated high sedimentation rates, mainly between 8385 and 8375 cal yr BP (10 cm/yr). Our results suggest that a modern-day short-duration North Atlantic climatic event, such as the 8.2 ka event, could affect the environmental equilibrium in South America and intensify the South American Summer Monsoon.
An open trial of aripiprazole for the treatment of delirium in hospitalized cancer patients
Authors: Boettger Soenke , Breitbart William
Published: November 2011

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of delirium in hospitalized cancer patients, and to examine differential responses based on delirium subtypes.

Method:

We conducted an analysis of 21 hospitalized cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) who had been evaluated and treated for delirium with aripiprazole, using an MSKCC Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved Clinical Delirium Database. Measures used were the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS), the Karnofsky Scale of Performance Status (KPS), and side effect rating at baseline (T1), 2–3 days (T2), and 4–7 days (T3). All measurements were integrated into the routine clinical care of patients. Doses of aripiprazole were adjusted based on clinical response.

Results:

Patients treated for delirium with aripiprazole experienced significant improvement and resolution of delirium, with MDAS scores declining from a mean of 18.0 at baseline (T1) to mean of 10.8 at T2 and a mean of 8.3 at T3. KPS scores improved from 28.1 at baseline (T1) to 35.2 at T2 and 41 at T3. Delirium resolved (based on MDAS < 10) in 52.4% of cases at T2 and in 76.2% at T3. The mean dosage of aripiprazole required was 18.3 mg (range of 5–30) daily at T3. In our cohort of patients with hypoactive delirium, we observed a delirium resolution rate of 100% compared to the cohort of patients with hyperactive delirium (58.3% rate of delirium resolution). MDAS scores improved from 15.6 at T1 to 5.7 at T3 in hypoactive delirium and from 19.9 at T1 to 10.2 at T3 in hyperactive delirium. In patients with pre-morbid cognitive deficits and the hyperactive subtype of delirium, we observed a more limited treatment response to aripiprazole treatment for delirium. There were no clinically significant side effects noted.

Significance of results:

Aripiprazole is effective and safe in the treatment of delirium in hospitalized cancer patients. These preliminary finding suggest that aripiprazole may be most effective in resolving delirium of the hypoactive subtype.
Planning with parents for seriously ill children: Preliminary results on the development of the parental engagement scale
Authors: Kearney Joan A. , Byrne Mary W.
Published: November 2011

Objective:

The objective of this study was to develop a clinically relevant tool to assess parental engagement in decision making and planning for seriously ill children during palliative care consultations. Although little is known about the structure and process of planning meetings between parents and providers, less is known about the nature of parental engagement as it relates to decision making ability in pediatric end-of-life care. Using attachment and caregiving as a framework, this study clarified important dimensions of parental engagement.

Method:

Using a multi-phase, template-matching technique, both literature and pediatric palliative care consultation data were analyzed, iteratively reviewed, matched, and categorized to create a measure of parental engagement. The attachment paradigm serves as the theoretical framework for the study, which focuses on parental engagement in decision making as a caregiving system function. Attachment and related literatures as well as coping and pediatric palliative care literatures were used in the initial conceptual sampling phase.

Results:

The study yielded two groups of findings. The first set of findings centered on the findings of the literature and consultation template-matching phases of the work. These two phases yielded a conceptual model of parental engagement as a psychobehavioral complex consisting of three dimensions: information-centered dialogue, insightful participation, and achievement of a collaboratively agreed-upon plan. The final phases consisted of creation of a 9 point Parental Engagement Scale, scoring of the consultations, and establishment of initial inter- rater reliability at .80. Psychometric testing continues.

Significance of results:

Parental engagement in decision making is a critical area for study and intervention. If we can support parents in their caregiving executive functions while understanding the psychological and emotional underpinnings of the caregiving system and parental engagement itself, we can move inquiry forward in understanding parental needs for intervention during this most profoundly challenging time.
MESSENGER and Mariner 10 flyby observations of magnetotail structure and dynamics at Mercury
Authors: Slavin James A. , Anderson Brian J. , Baker Daniel N. , Benna Mehdi , Boardsen Scott A. , Gold Robert E. , Ho George C. , Imber Suzanne M. , Korth Haje , Krimigis Stamatios M. , McNutt Ralph L. , Raines Jim M. , Sarantos Menelaos , Schriver David , Solomon Sean C. , Trávníček Pavel , Zurbuchen Thomas H.
Published: November 2011

The first (M1), second (M2), and third (M3) MESSENGER flybys of Mercury traversed the planet's magnetotail from 1.25 to 3.25 RM downstream of the planet, where RM is Mercury's radius (2440 km). The encounters took place under northward, southward, and variable‐polarity interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), respectively. The magnetic field strength B in Mercury's magnetotail follows a power law decrease with increasing antisunward distance ∣X∣, B ∼ ∣X∣G, with G varying from −5.4 for northward to −1.6 for southward IMF. Low‐latitude boundary layers (LLBLs) containing strong northward magnetic field were detected at the tail flanks during two of the flybys. The observed thickness of the LLBL was ∼33% and 16% of the radius of the tail during M1 and M3, respectively, but the boundary layer was completely absent during M2. Clear signatures of tail reconnection are evident in the M2 and M3 magnetic field measurements. Plasmoids and traveling compression regions were observed during M2 and M3 with typical durations of ∼1–3 s, suggesting diameters of ∼500–1500 km. Overall, the response of Mercury's magnetotail to the steady southward IMF during M2 appeared very similar to steady magnetospheric convection events at Earth, which are believed to be driven by quasi‐continuous reconnection. In contrast, the M3 measurements are dominated by tail loading and unloading events that resemble the large‐scale magnetic field reconfigurations observed during magnetospheric substorms at Earth.
Operational prediction of ash concentrations in the distal volcanic cloud from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
Authors: Webster H. N. , Thomson D. J. , Johnson B. T. , Heard I. P. C. , Turnbull K. , Marenco F. , Kristiansen N. I. , Dorsey J. , Minikin A. , Weinzierl B. , Schumann U. , Sparks R. S. J. , Loughlin S. C. , Hort M. C. , Leadbetter S. J. , Devenish B. J. , Manning A. J. , Witham C. S. , Haywood J. M. , Golding B. W.
Published: November 2011

During the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, improvements were made to the modeling procedure at the Met Office, UK, enabling peak ash concentrations within the volcanic cloud to be estimated. In this paper we describe the ash concentration forecasting method, its rationale and how it evolved over time in response to new information and user requirements. The change from solely forecasting regions of ash to also estimating peak ash concentrations required consideration of volcanic ash emission rates, the fraction of ash surviving near‐source fall‐out, and the relationship between predicted mean and local peak ash concentrations unresolved by the model. To validate the modeling procedure, predicted peak ash concentrations are compared against observations obtained by ground‐based and research aircraft instrumentation. This comparison between modeled and observed peak concentrations highlights the many sources of error and the uncertainties involved. Despite the challenges of predicting ash concentrations, the ash forecasting method employed here is found to give useful guidance on likely ash concentrations. Predicted peak ash concentrations lie within about one and a half orders of magnitude of the observed peak concentrations. A significant improvement in the agreement between modeled and observed values is seen if a buffer zone, accounting for positional errors in the predicted ash cloud, is used. Sensitivity of the predicted ash concentrations to the source properties (e.g., the plume height and the vertical distribution of ash at the source) is assessed and in some cases, seemingly minor uncertainties in the source specification have a large effect on predicted ash concentrations.
Sirtuin 1 in immune regulation and autoimmunity
Authors: Kong Sinyi , McBurney Michael W , Fang Deyu
Published: November 2011

The NAD‐dependent histone deacetylase sirtuin (Sirt)1 is implicated in a wide variety of physiological processes, ranging from tumorigenesis to mitochondrial biogenesis to neuronal development. Recent studies indicate that Sirt1 is a critical regulator of both the innate and adaptive immune response in mice and its altered functions are likely involved in autoimmune diseases. Small molecules that modulate Sirt1 functions are potential therapeutic reagents for autoimmune inflammatory diseases. In this review, we highlight the functions of Sirt1 in the immune system focusing on the underlying molecular mechanisms, and the potential of Sirt1 as a therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases.
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux: A Laryngologist's Perspective
Authors: Garrett C. Gaelyn
Published: November 2011

Much controversy continues to exist regarding almost every facet of layrngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), including the method of its clinical evaluation, the interpretation of the available data, and its ultimate diagnosis and treatment. In this article, the author reviews some of the controversies associated with the diagnosis and management of LPR from the perspective of a laryngologist. The author conducted a literature review to identify recent key articles regarding the diagnosis and treatment of LPR. Special attention was taken to identify clinical practice guidelines and review articles that summarize the scientific validity of the literature on LPR. The results show that evidence in the current literature is inconsistent, although most clinicians agree that extraesophageal reflux is associated with manifestations of symptoms in the larynx and pharynx. Questions remain about the true prevalence of LPR and its causation.