bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Second branchial fistula with unusual presentation—A case report
Authors: Ng Siu‐Kwan , Tong Michael C. F. , van Hasselt Charles A.
Published: April 2010

Complete second branchial fistula is a rare clinical entity. The classical presentation of second branchial fistula is recurrent discharge from the external opening with or without recurrent painful neck swelling. We report an unusual case whose presenting symptom was a long‐standing history of throat discomfort with recurrent blood stained saliva. Her symptoms resolved after her branchial fistula was excised.
Impact of the Recent Mouse P‐Glycoprotein Structure for Structure‐Based Ligand Design
Authors: Klepsch Freya , Ecker Gerhard F.
Published: April 2010

P‐Glycoprotein (P‐gp), a transmembrane, ATP‐dependent drug efflux transporter, has attracted considerable interest both with respect to its role in tumour cell multidrug resistance and in absorption‐distribution and elimination of drugs. Although known since more than 30 years, the understanding of the molecular basis of drug/transporter interaction is still limited, which is mainly due to the lack of structural information available. However, within the past decade X‐ray structures of several bacterial homologues as well as very recently also of mouse P‐gp have become available. Within this review we give an overview on the current status of structural information available and on its impact for structure‐based drug design.
Stress–dilatancy and force chain evolution
Authors: Tordesillas Antoinette , Shi Jingyu , Tshaikiwsky Timothy
Published: April 2010

The evolution of internal structure plays a pivotal role in the macroscopic response of granular materials to applied loads. A case in point is the so‐called ‘stress–dilatancy relation’, a cornerstone of Soil Mechanics. Numerous attempts have been made to unravel the connection between stress–dilatancy and the evolution of fabric and contact forces in a deforming granular medium. We re‐examine this connection in light of the recent findings on force chain evolution, in particular, that of collective force chain failure by buckling. This study is focussed on two‐dimensional deformation of dense granular assemblies. Analysis of individual and collective force chain bucklings is undertaken using data from a discrete element simulation. It is shown that the kinematics of force chain buckling lead to significant levels of local dilatation being developed in the buckling force chain particles and their confining first‐ring neighbors. Findings from the simulation are used to guide the development of a lattice model of collective, localized force chain buckling. Consideration of the statics and kinematics of this process yields a new stress–dilatancy relation. The physics of buckling, even at its simplest form, introduces a richness into the stress–dilatancy formulation in a way that preserves the essential aspects of fabric evolution, specifically the buckling mode. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the hydraulic intake shape factor for a circular opening located at an impervious boundary: Influence of inclined stratification
Authors: Selvadurai A. P. S.
Published: April 2010

In this paper, we develop an exact closed form solution for a circular entry point located at the interface between an impermeable material and a stratified porous medium, where the principal plane of hydraulic isotropy is inclined to the interface. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic responses of a poroelastic half‐space from moving trains caused by vertical track irregularities
Authors: Cao Z. G. , Cai Y. Q. , Sun H. L. , Xu C. J.
Published: April 2010

The vibrations of railway tracks on a poroelastic half‐space generated by moving trains are investigated through a vehicle–track–ground coupling model. The theoretical model incorporates a vehicle, a track, and a fully saturated poroelastic half‐space soil medium. The source of vibration excitation is divided into two components: the quasi‐static loads and the dynamic loads. The quasi‐static loads are related to the static component of the axle loads, whereas the dynamic loads are due to the dynamic wheel–rail interaction. A linear Hertizian contact spring is introduced between each wheelset and the rail to consider the dynamic loads. Biot's dynamic theory is used to characterize the poroelastic half‐space soil medium. Using the Fourier transform, the governing equations for the track–ground system are solved and the numerical results are presented for a single axle vehicle model. The different dynamic characteristics of the elastic soil medium and the saturated poroelastic medium are investigated. In addition, the different roles of the moving axle loads and the roughness‐induced dynamic loads are identified. It is concluded that the vibration level of the free field off the track predicted by the poroelastic soil medium is smaller than that predicted by the elastic soil medium for vehicle speed below the Rayleigh wave speed of the poroelastic half‐space, whereas it is larger for vehicle speed above the Rayleigh wave speed. The dynamic loads play an important role in the dynamic responses of the track–ground system. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An efficient dynamic group key agreement protocol for imbalanced wireless networks
Authors: Chuang Yun‐Hsin , Tseng Yuh‐Min
Published: April 2010

Owing to the popularity of wireless networks, the group key agreement (GKA) design is critical for providing secure group communications over an insecure wireless channel. In 2005, Namet al.proposed a GKA protocol for imbalanced wireless networks in which an imbalanced wireless network consists of many mobile nodes with limited computing capability and a powerful node with less restriction. In 2007, Tseng showed that Namet al.'s protocol is not a contributory GKA, while he also proposed a new GKA protocol. However, neither GKA protocol is concerned with dynamic member joining/leaving. This is an important functionality of GKA, especially for a wireless network environment. In this paper, we propose a dynamic group key agreement protocol for imbalanced wireless networks, and show that it requires less computation cost for dynamic member joining/leaving as compared to the previously proposed protocols. We also show that the proposed protocol is provably secure against passive attacks under the decision Diffie–Hellman problem and the hash function assumptions. Furthermore, by the pre‐shared two‐party key between a mobile node and the powerful node in the existing imbalanced wireless networks, we propose a generalized GKA protocol that requires only several hash functions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An immunological approach for file recovery over JXTA peer‐to‐peer framework
Authors: Nassef Mohammad , Badr Amr , Farag Ibrahim
Published: April 2010

Peer‐to‐peer (P2P) file‐sharing systems are characterized by highly replicated content that is distributed among nodes with enormous aggregate resources for storage and communication. File consistency is often compromised by undesirable changes, which should be detected and corrected in a timely fashion. The artificial immune system (AIS) is a novel evolutionary paradigm inspired by aspects of the biological immune system (BIS), such as protection, decentralization, autonomy, and anomaly detection. The AIS paradigm suggests a wide variety of mechanisms for solving complex computer problems. In this paper, we propose the ImmunoJXTA framework for file consistency management and file recovery using the main aspects of AIS in P2P systems. We implemented ImmunoJXTA on the JXTA P2P framework to recover distributed inconsistent files between peers efficiently. Promising results are achieved from experimental runs of the proposed framework. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accessing posttranslationally modified proteins through thiol positioning
Authors: Kumar K. S. Ajish , Brik Ashraf
Published: April 2010

The field of peptide synthesis achieved considerable advancement in the last decade with the discovery of native chemical ligation (NCL). With the aim of broader application of ligation methods in the synthesis of proteins several strategies have been developed. One of the significant contributions to NCL based strategies is the desulfurization reaction, which removes the thiol handle to generate the unmodified protein. The principle of NCL coupled with desulfurization is effortlessly executed in the synthesis of posttranslationally modified proteins. This short account will cover the recent developments on how new methods of chemical ligation is being evolved and exploited in achieving posttranslationally modified proteins. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study on capacitive Frisch grid CdZnTe detector parameter optimization and fabrication
Authors: Hu Dongni , Wang Linjun , Min Jiahua , Qin Kaifeng , Zhang Jijun , Huang Jian , Xia Yiben
Published: April 2010

In this paper, the design parameters of the cylindrical capacitive Frisch grid CdZnTe detector were optimized through a finite‐element simulation method using ANSYS software, based on a 3‐dimensional weighting potential analysis for the first time. The weighting potential distributions of the model with the different ratio of screen length to device height (L /H), insulator thickness (d), insulator relative permittivity (εr), electrode areas of anode and the ratio of anode diameter to device height (D /H), were studied. The optimized parameters with an L /H value of 80%, d /εr< 0.05 mm, the anode diameter of about 2 mm and a D /H value <1/2, were obtained. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Improvement of electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures using multiple high‐temperature AlN interlayers
Authors: Ni J. Y. , Hao Y. , Xue J. S. , Xu Z. H. , Zhang Z. F. , Zhang J. C. , Yang L. A. , Zhang J. F.
Published: April 2010

AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with multiple AlN interlayers deposited at a high‐temperature (HT) of 900 °C were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Flat surface with few dark pits was obtained by using multiple HT‐AlN interlayers. Hall effect measurements and non‐contact sheet resistance mappings demonstrated the improvement of the electrical properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructure. The sheet carrier density and Hall mobility continuously increased with the increase of the AlN interlayer number. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Influence of the piezoelectric constant on the electronic structure of wurtzite InGaN quantum dots
Authors: Hong Kuo‐Bin , Tsai Wei‐Yi , Kuo Mao‐Kuen
Published: April 2010

We investigate the electromechanical fields and transition energies of strained wurtzite InGaN quantum dot nanostructures. Electromechanical fields induced by lattice mismatches in heterostructures, both in and around quantum dots, are analyzed by using fully‐coupled electromechanical equations. The 4×4 Hamiltonian for the wurtzite structure is modified by incorporating the effects of electromechanical fields into the confinement potential and is then analyzed numerically using th the finite element method. The calculated piezoelectric potential is larger if the piezoelectric constant e15 is included in the numerical model. Comparing the cases of e15 = 0 and e15 ≠ 0, we find large discrepancies both in the piezoelectric potential and in the transition energy. This result also suggests that the shear strain effect cannot be neglected for strained wurtzite InGaN quantum dots. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Linear polarized photoluminescence from GaN quantum dots imbedded in AlN matrix
Authors: Zhuravlev K. S. , Aleksandrov I. A. , Holtz P.‐O.
Published: April 2010

We report microphotoluminescence studies of GaN/AlN quantum dots grown along the (0001) crystal axis by molecular‐beam epitaxy on sapphire substrates. To obtain quantum dots with different density and size a nominal GaN coverage was varied from 1 to 4 monolayers. The highest density of quantum dots was about 1011 cm‐2, so about 103 quantum dots was excited in experiments. We found that the photoluminescence intensity of a sample with the smallest amount of deposited GaN decreases in more than two orders of magnitude under continuous‐wave laser exposure during about 30 minutes and then it remains stable. The photoluminescence intensity of the rest samples was time‐independent quantity. The emission band of the former sample exhibits a prominent linear polarization along the growth plane. We assume that the quite high degree of polarization can be due anisotropy of strain and/or shape of the quantum dots formed near dislocations which act also as recombination centers causing photoluminescence quenching. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Failure analysis of InGaN/GaN LEDs with emission wavelength between 440 nm and 550 nm
Authors: Li Z. L. , Lai P. T. , Choi H. W.
Published: April 2010

While longer wavelength emission from InGaN/GaN light‐emitting diodes can be achieved by increasing the Indium (In) content in the qunatum wells, the increased In content gives rise to side‐effects to the material and device performance and reliability. It was found that the induced strain in the wafer and the density of threading dislocations increases with increasing In content. From current‐voltage and 1/f noise measurements, it was observed that the leakage currents, static resistance and noise magnitudes rises monotonically with increasing emission wavelength (In composition), which can be attributed to higher defect concentrations. After undergoing a 1000‐hr reliability test, it was discovered that the optical degradation rates for the longer wavelength green LEDs were significantly higher than those of shorter wavelength. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Correlation between growth pits, optical and structural properties of AlGaN/GaN high‐electron‐mobility transistors on 4″ silicon substrate
Authors: Khai Pum Chian , Suzue Takaaki , Sakai Yusuke , Selvaraj S. Lawrence , Egawa Takashi , Jimbo Takashi
Published: April 2010

We report growth pits, structural, electrical, and optical data for AlGaN/GaN HEMT samples grown on 4″ silicon substrates. The samples in this study were all grown on 4″ p‐Si (111) substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Optical microscopy, Hall‐effect measurements, photoluminescence, high resolution X‐ray Diffraction (HRXRD) were performed to investigate the morphological, electrical and optical properties and crystal quality of the samples. According to these data, the relationship between the growth pits, optical and structural properties were studied (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Structural and optical characterization of (11‐22) semipolar GaN on m ‐plane sapphire without low temperature buffer layer
Authors: Lee Sung‐Nam , Kim K. K. , Nam O. H. , Kim J. H. , Kim H.
Published: April 2010

We reported the high quality semipolar (11‐22) GaN grown on m‐sapphire by using the novel two‐step growth method without low temperature GaN or AlN buffer layer. It is found that macroscopic surface morphology of semipolar GaN epilayer was very smooth, while microscopic surface structure was arrowhead‐like surface structure toward the direction of [1‐21‐1]. Anisotropic crystal properties of semipolar GaN/m‐sapphire were also observed by two incident directions of X‐ray beam. Therefore, we suggested that the anisotropic crystal properties and arrow‐head like surface structure would be caused by heteroepitaxial crystallograhpic difference between semipolar GaN and m‐sapphire. Additionally, photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed the strong bandedge emission of n‐type semipolar GaN without yellow luminescence (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Multiple lightning strokes
Authors: Allibone T. E.
Published: April 2010

An analysis is given of 19 consecutive photographs of lightning taken during a storm on July 11, 1941, in Cheshire. The camera was oscillated by hand during the whole of the storm in order to separate the component strokes of each flash. The average number of strokes per flash was found to be nearly four, and more than 90 per cent of all the flashes were composed of two or more strokes. The results are compared with those obtained elsewhere by different technique.
Some design issues in phase 2B vs phase 3 prevention trials for testing efficacy of products or concepts
Authors: Gilbert Peter B.
Published: April 2010

After one or more Phase 2 trials show that a candidate preventive vaccine induces immune responses that putatively protect against an infectious disease for which there is no licensed vaccine, the next step is to evaluate the efficacy of the candidate. The trial‐designer faces the question of what is the optimal size of the initial efficacy trial? Part of the answer will entail deciding between a large Phase 3 licensure trial or an intermediate‐sized Phase 2b screening trial, the latter of which may be designed to directly contribute to the evidence‐base for licensing the candidate, or, to test a scientific concept for moving the vaccine field forward, acknowledging that the particular candidate will never be licensable. Using the HIV vaccine field as a case study, we describe distinguishing marks of Phase 2b and Phase 3 prevention efficacy trials, and compare the expected utility of these trial types using Pascal's decision‐theoretic framework. By integrating values/utilities on (1) correct or incorrect conclusions resulting from the trial; (2) timeliness of obtaining the trial results; (3) precision for estimating the intervention effect; and (4) resources expended; this decision framework provides a more complete approach to selecting the optimal efficacy
trial size than a traditional approach that is based primarily on power calculations. Our objective is to help inform the decision‐process for planning an initial efficacy trial design. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Model‐based phase I designs incorporating toxicity and efficacy for single and dual agent drug combinations: Methods and challenges
Authors: Mandrekar Sumithra J. , Qin Rui , Sargent Daniel J.
Published: April 2010

Novel therapies are challenging the standards of drug development. Agents with specific biologic targets, unknown dose‐efficacy curves, and limited toxicity mandate novel designs to identify biologically optimal doses. We review two model‐based designs that utilize either a proportional odds model or a continuation ratio model to identify an optimal dose of a single or two‐agent combination in a Phase I setting utilizing both toxicity and efficacy data. A continual reassessment method with straightforward dose selection criterion using accumulated data from all patients treated until that time point is employed while allowing for separate toxicity and efficacy curves for each drug in a two‐drug setting. The simulation studies demonstrate considerable promise, at least theoretically, in the ability of such model‐based designs to identify the optimal dose. Despite such favorable operating characteristics, there are several pragmatic challenges that hinder the routine implementation of such model‐based designs in practice. We review and offer practical solutions to potentially overcome some of these challenges. The acceptance and integration of these designs in practice may be quicker and easier if they are developed in concert with a clinical paradigm. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The statistics of phase 0 trials
Authors: Rubinstein Larry V. , Steinberg Seth M. , Kummar Shivaani , Kinders Robert , Parchment Ralph E. , Murgo Anthony J. , Tomaszewski Joseph E. , Doroshow James H.
Published: April 2010

The PD‐driven phase 0 trial is a new form, designed to be a first‐in‐man study, often of a new agent, conducted to assess drug effect on a molecular target, by means of a pharmacodynamic (PD) assay, in a very small number (10–15) of patients. Such a study is meant to be a proof of principle trial to determine whether the agent yields the PD effect predicted by pre‐clinical studies. The dosage is meant to be pharmacologically active, but is neither toxic nor likely to yield clinical benefit. Such a trial may be used to serve as a very early test of an agent's biologic effect, allowing for early weeding out of ineffective agents, or as an early means of determining the most promising of competing analogue agents. This manuscript will present designs for such PD‐driven studies that are statistically efficient and rigorous, focusing on non‐comparative trials. The phase 0 trial promises to become an increasingly important tool for facilitating and speeding the development of new therapeutic agents, particularly in oncology. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Joint Bayesian analysis of birthweight and censored gestational age using finite mixture models
Authors: Schwartz Scott L. , Gelfand Alan E. , Miranda Marie L.
Published: April 2010

Birthweight and gestational age are closely related and represent important indicators of a healthy pregnancy. Customary modeling for birthweight is conditional on gestational age. However,jointmodeling directly addresses the relationship between gestational age and birthweight, and provides increased flexibility and interpretation as well as a strategy to avoid using gestational age as an intermediate variable. Previous proposals have utilized finite mixtures of bivariate regression models to incorporate well‐established risk factors into analysis (e.g. sex and birth order of the baby, maternal age, race, and tobacco use) while examining the non‐Gaussian shape of the joint birthweight and gestational age distribution. We build on this approach by demonstrating the inferential (prognostic) benefits of joint modeling (e.g. investigation of ‘age inappropriate’ outcomes likesmall for gestational age) and hence re‐emphasize the importance of capturing the non‐Gaussian distributional shapes. We additionally extend current models through a latent specification which admits interval‐censored gestational age. We work within a Bayesian framework which enables inference beyond customary parameter estimation and prediction as well as exact uncertainty assessment. The model is applied to a portion of the 2003–2006 North Carolina Detailed Birth Record data (n=336129) available through the Children's Environmental Health Initiative and is fitted using the Bayesian methodology and Markov chain Monte Carlo approaches. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating treated prevalence and service utilization rates: Assessing disparities in mental health
Authors: Laska Eugene M. , Meisner Morris , Wanderling Joseph , Siegel Carole
Published: April 2010

There is considerable public concern about health disparities among different cultural/racial/ethnic groups. Important process measures that might reflect inequities are treated prevalence and the service utilization rate in a defined period of time. We have previously described a method for estimatingN, the distinct number who received service in a year, from a survey of service users at a single point in time. The estimator is based on the random variable ‘time since last service’, which enables the estimation of treated prevalence. We show that this same data can be used to estimate the service utilization rate,E(J), the mean number of services in the year. If the sample istypicalwith respect to the time since last visit, the MLE ofE(J) is asymptotically unbiased. Confidence intervals and a global test of equality of treated prevalence and service utilization rates among several groups are given. A data set of outpatient mental health services from a county in New York State for which the true values of the parameters are known is analyzed as an illustration of the methods and an appraisal of their accuracy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Peer‐to‐peer business processes—conception, construction, tooling
Authors: Werth Dirk , Walter Philipp , Emrich Andreas , Loos Peter
Published: April 2010

Business processes are a core concept of modern enterprise organization. Mainly, they describe the way a company is working internally and how the added value is generated. But as today's businesses are increasingly working in new forms, such as collaborations, cooperations, alliances etc., the single‐enterprise‐focused business process concept is hardly suitable. In this paper, we focus on collaborative scenarios where fully independent enterprises co‐work in order to generate a common added value. For this application environment, we conceive the concept of peer‐to‐peer (P2P) business processes. We show that this concept requires new ways of model generation, because a traditional modeling by a group of human modellers is hard to realize in such a business environment. This new modeling approach is a module‐based, industrial‐kind business process construction. In order to investigate the feasibility of the construction method, we developed a software prototype that can perform an automated construction of P2P business processes. We close this paper with technical insights in this prototype to describe how it is working. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Developing an open‐source, rule‐based proofreading tool
Authors: Miłkowski Marcin
Published: April 2010

In this paper, we show how an open‐source, language‐independent proofreading tool has been built. Many languages lack contextual proofreading tools; for many others, only partial solutions are available. Using existing, largely language‐independent tools and collaborative processes it is possible to develop a practical style and grammar checker and to fight the digital divide in countries where commercial linguistic application software is unavailable or too expensive for average users. The described solution depends on relatively easily available language resources and does not require a fully formalized grammar nor a deep parser, yet it can detect many frequent context‐dependent spelling mistakes, as well as grammatical, punctuation, usage, and stylistic errors. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Extending applications using an advanced approach to DLL injection and API hooking
Authors: Berdajs J. , Bosnić Z.
Published: April 2010

When programmers need to modify third‐party applications, they frequently do not have access to their source code. In such cases, DLL injection and API hooking are techniques that can be used to modify applications without intervening into their source code. The commonly used varieties of injection and hooking approaches have many practical limitations: they are inconvenient for a programmer to implement, do not work reliably in conjunction with all applications and with certain low‐level machine instructions. In this paper we present two novel approaches to DLL injection and API hooking, which we callDebugger‐aided DLL injectionandSingle Instruction Hooking. Our approaches overcome the limitations of the state‐of‐the art approaches. Despite incurring greater execution times, our approach allows extending of the applications in situations where the comparable approaches fail. As such, it has a notable practical value for beneficial practical applications of injection and hooking approaches, which are present in malware detection programs and computer security tools. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Finite element model correlation and calibration of historic masonry monuments: review
Authors: Atamturktur Sezer , Laman Jeffrey A.
Published: April 2010

Building a reliable finite element (FE) model of historic masonry structures is a difficult undertaking due to the challenges in accurate representation of irregular geometry, complex material behaviour and complicated boundary conditions between structural masonry components. Model calibration refers to correcting the inherent deficiencies within the FE model by matching outputs to measured data. Model calibration has the potential to produce more reliable computer models and thus aid in the economical management and maintenance of contemporary as well as heritage structures. Researchers involved in the assessment of historic masonry monuments have devoted decades of consistent attention to FE model calibration. This paper reviews the recent developments in this topic with a focus on complex vaulted masonry monuments. Studies on simpler forms of masonry structures, such as masonry arch bridges or masonry towers, are also discussed since they lay the groundwork for studies on more complex structures. This paper identifies several remaining technical challenges as model calibration approaches gain wider recognition and usage in historic monument structural assessment. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Smart buildings and viscous dampers—a design engineer's perspective
Authors: Taylor Douglas P.
Published: April 2010

The use of viscous dampers providing high damping levels within buildings is a relatively new application for a well‐established and proven technology. The first modern use of damping technology in structural engineering occurred in the 1990s and has become increasingly popular today. Seminal research using viscous dampers to improve a structure's seismic response took place at the Multidisciplinary Center for Extreme Events Research (MCEER) at the State of New York at Buffalo in the early 1990s. This research documented excellent improvements in seismic capacity by simply adding dampers. Within a few years, highly effective computers and structural analysis/design software would arrive in the marketplace to properly model optimized damper designs. At this time, dampers began to be implemented on buildings and bridges, worldwide. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advanced Scanning Probes for Micro–Nano Science Researches
Authors: Akiyama Terunobu , Gautsch Sebastian , Parrat Daniel , Imer Raphaël , Vettiger Peter , Staufer Urs , de Rooij Nicolaas F.
Published: April 2010

In this study, we introduce five unique scanning probes developed in our laboratory for different fields of application. These probes are the results of excellent collaborations with many external partners. Each probe possesses many advanced features that one can hardly obtain with plane probes for conventional optical deflection system. The applications of these probes are very versatile, from atomic force microscope for the exploration of Mars to in vivo measurements of human knee cartilage. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fixed Energy Storage Technology Applied for DC Electrified Railway
Authors: Konishi Takeshi , Morimoto Hiroaki , Aihara Toru , Tsutakawa Masaru
Published: April 2010

The fixed energy storage system solves the problem of rising energy costs by reducing primary energy consumption. Without a fixed energy storage system, the energy generated by a braking vehicle would be simply converted into waste heat by its braking resistors if no other vehicles are powered simultaneously. Because, as a rule, such synchronized braking and powering cannot be coordinated, the energy storage system stores the energy generated during braking and discharges it again when a vehicle is powered. This greatly reduces primary energy demand in the substation. However, in addition to this energy saving, the energy storage system contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions. The energy storage system also stabilizes the system voltage. Recent years have witnessed an advance in the energy storage media technology. Developments of energy storage media, lithium ion battery, nickel‐metal hydride battery, and electric double‐layer capacitors (EDLCs) have been remarkable. This study introduces technologies of fixed energy storage system applicable for DC electrified railway in Japan, and describes two examples of charge/discharge characteristics. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Application of Energy Storage Technologies for Electric Railway Vehicles—Examples with Hybrid Electric Railway Vehicles
Authors: Ogasa Masamichi
Published: April 2010

Regenerative braking of railway electric vehicles is effective when other powering vehicles, in other words electrical load, exist near the regenerating train on the same electrified line. So, at early mornings and late nights, or in the low‐density district lines, regeneration cancellation phenomenon often occurs and the regenerative brake force cannot be operated in accordance with the commanded value. The new high‐performance energy storage devices tackle the issues of energy storage and reuse technologies for on‐ground and on‐vehicle situations. A hybrid energy source is one effective solution. In this paper, the effective use of regenerating braking and the expected electricity storage technology in future for further energy conservation in the electric railway field will be outlined, with actual examples. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Energy Saving Techniques for the Power Feeding Network of Electric Railways
Authors: Takagi Ryo
Published: April 2010

Electric railcars using current collection are generally more energy efficient than battery‐powered cars in terms of charge/discharge losses in the batteries. However, in electric railway systems, high resistive losses in the feeding circuit can be observed, as well as low line receptivity for regenerative braking trains in the DC railways. Several new techniques are being developed to improve the situation, which will enable further reduction of energy lost in the feeding network. This work classifies the possible approaches and discusses the possibilities of the emerging techniques. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fault Current Limiting Function of Dynamic Voltage Restorer Utilizing Signals from Existing Protective Relays
Authors: Xuan Tung Nguyen , Fujita Goro
Published: April 2010

Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) is a series custom compensator used in power distribution network; however, due to the fact that it is connected in series with the distribution line, DVR would suffer from downstream faults. To limit the flow of large fault currents and protect DVR itself as well, a fault current limiting function is proposed in the DVR control strategy. Fault current limiting function of DVR will be activated by the protection system and then DVR will start injecting a series voltage to the line in such a way as to limit fault current to an appropriate level (in accordance with required sensitivity of the protection systems). The contribution of this proposal is the use of signals from existing feeder protection system to activate the DVR. This will simplify the structure of DVR because the extra build‐in fault detection module is not required. Moreover, it will ensure proper coordination between DVR and protection systems. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Diffusion Characteristics of VOCs Indoors
Authors: Shibata Shin‐ichi , Higashino Tsubasa , Oyabu Takashi , Sawada Ayako , Nanto Hidehito , Toko Kiyoshi
Published: April 2010

Diffusion characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated indoors using tin oxide gas sensors. The chemicals cause various kinds of symptoms in humans, for example, the sick house syndrome. In this study, eight sensors were installed in a vertical direction and on a plane surface. These sensors were of the same type. The VOC is placed in a generation source, and the sensor output increases as the chemical diffuses. The sensor output becomes higher as the concentration increases. The following chemicals were tried as air pollutants: formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene. The sensor output changes in short, quick steps by slight fluctuations of the wind velocity. Therefore, the differential characteristic of the sensor output was adopted and the noise component was removed as far as possible. A threshold time tth to the characteristic was set up. It is assumed that the examining chemical reaches the installed sensor point in a time greater than this time. The new speed of arrival is proposed using the threshold time. The speed s [cm/min] is indicated using the distance d and the reaching time tth, namely, s = d/tth. Here, d means the distance between the sensor position and the polluting source. As a result, the speed for the sensor that is installed near the ceiling (at a height of 260 cm from the floor) is the highest. And, it became obvious that s was larger for the chemical with a smaller molecule. The speed of formaldehyde for the sensor installed near the ceiling was 700 cm/min and that for the sensor installed at the height of 100 cm from the floor was 370 cm/min. There is almost a two times difference in the speed. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Toward Evaluation of a Student's Simulator Training Using Heart Rate Variability
Authors: Murai Koji , Hayashi Yuji
Published: April 2010

Mental workload is useful for evaluating the performance of a ship's navigator and a bridge teammate: a captain, a duty officer, a helmsman, or a pilot. The heart rate variability, the nasal temperature, and the salivary amylase activity predict performance well based on pre‐experiments. However, most of the research was carried out for a professional's skill. A student's skill has not been evaluated yet. In this work, we evaluate a student's heart rate variability (R–R interval) as he guides a ship from a narrow channel to an open sea for a simulator training, and consider simulator training effects. The experiment was carried out using a ship bridge simulator, not a real ship. We show that the R–R interval is a good index for the evaluation of the simulator training. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Two‐stage first‐trimester screening for trisomy 21 by ultrasound assessment and biochemical testing
Authors: Kagan K. O. , Staboulidou I. , Cruz J. , Wright D. , Nicolaides K. H.
Published: April 2010

Objectives

This study was carried out to examine the performance of a contingent policy in first‐trimester screening for trisomy 21, in which the estimated risk was first derived by a combination of maternal age, fetal nuchal translucency (NT) thickness, presence/absence of the nasal bone, blood flow in the ductus venosus or flow across the tricuspid valve, and biochemical testing was carried out only in those who were found to have an intermediate risk. We also examined the performance of a policy in which the estimated risk was first derived by a combination of maternal age and biochemical testing, and ultrasound examination was carried out only in those with an intermediate risk.

Methods

The data for this study were derived from prospective screening for trisomy 21 in singleton pregnancies, using, as markers, a combination of maternal age, fetal NT thickness and maternal‐serum free β‐human chorionic gonadotropin (β‐hCG) and pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A), in a one‐stop clinic for first‐trimester assessment of risk at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks of gestation. Assessment of the fetal nasal bone, ductus venosus flow and tricuspid flow were also routinely performed by appropriately trained sonographers. The performance of different screening policies was examined.

Results

The study population consisted of 19 614 pregnancies with a normal karyotype or delivery of a phenotypically normal baby (euploid group) and 122 cases of trisomy 21. The best performance was achieved by a contingent policy in which first‐stage screening was based on maternal age, fetal NT thickness and either tricuspid valve or ductus venosus blood flow, followed by biochemical testing only those with an intermediate risk, of 1 in 51 to 1 in 1000 (which constituted about 20% of the total). The performance of contingent screening in which first‐stage testing relies on biochemistry was poorer than when first‐stage screening was performed by ultrasound examination because, in order to achieve the same detection rate, the false‐positive rate was twice as high.

Conclusion

Effective first‐trimester screening for trisomy 21 can be achieved by a contingent policy in which first‐stage testing is based on ultrasound examination and second‐stage biochemical testing is carried out in only 20% of the patients. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Endometriomas: their ultrasound characteristics
Authors: Van Holsbeke C. , Van Calster B. , Guerriero S. , Savelli L. , Paladini D. , Lissoni A. A. , Czekierdowski A. , Fischerova D. , Zhang J. , Mestdagh G. , Testa A. C. , Bourne T. , Valentin L. , Timmerman D.
Published: April 2010

Objectives

To describe the ultrasound characteristics of endometriomas in pre‐ and postmenopausal patients and to develop rules that characterize endometriomas.

Methods

All patients included in the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) studies were used in our analysis. Patients with an adnexal mass were scanned by experienced sonologists using a standardized research protocol. The gold standard was the histology of the surgically removed adnexal mass. The gray‐scale and Doppler ultrasound characteristics of the endometriomas were compared with those of other benign and malignant masses. Based on decision‐tree analysis, the existing literature and clinical experience, ultrasound rules for the detection of endometriomas were created and evaluated.

Results

Of all 3511 patients included in the IOTA studies, 713 (20%) had endometriomas. Fifty‐one per cent of the endometriomas were unilocular cysts with ground glass echogenicity of the cyst fluid. These characteristics were found less often among other benign tumors or malignancies, or among the small set of endometriomas (4%) that were found in postmenopausal patients. Based on the decision‐tree analysis, the optimal rule to detect endometriomas was ‘an adnexal mass in a premenopausal patient with ground glass echogenicity of the cyst fluid, one to four locules and no papillations with detectable blood flow’. Based on clinical considerations, the following rule: ‘premenopausal status, ground glass echogenicity of the cyst fluid, one to four locules and no solid parts’ seems preferable.

Conclusions

Several rules had a good ability to characterize endometriomas. The ultrasound characteristics of endometriomas differ between pre‐ and postmenopausal patients. Masses in postmenopausal women whose cystic contents have a ground glass appearance have a high risk of malignancy. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decision making under risk and uncertainty
Authors: Johnson Joseph G. , Busemeyer Jerome R.
Published: April 2010

Decision making is studied from a number of different theoretical approaches. Normative theories focus on how to make the best decisions by deriving algebraic representations of preference from idealized behavioral axioms. Descriptive theories adopt this algebraic representation, but incorporate known limitations of human behavior. Computational approaches start from a different set of assumptions altogether, focusing instead on the underlying cognitive and emotional processes that result in the selection of one option over the other. This review comprehensively but concisely describes and contrasts three approaches in terms of their theoretical assumptions and their ability to account for behavioral and neurophysiological evidence from experimental research. Although each approach contributes substantially to our understanding of human decision making, we argue that the computational approach is more fruitful and parsimonious for describing and predicting choices in both laboratory and applied settings and for understanding the neurophysiological substrates of decision making. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

Economics > Individual Decision-Making

Psychology > Reasoning and Decision Making
Wind Energy literature survey no. 16
Authors: Henriksen L. C.
Published: April 2010

As a service to readers, Wind Energy regularly conducts literature surveys and publishes lists of relevant articles drawn from recent issues of a large number of periodicals including: Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, International Journal of Energy Research, Renewable Energy, Energy Sources, Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal, Electric Power Components and Systems along with a number of periodicals published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers etc. The list is limited exclusively to journals not specifically devoted to wind energy and its applications. To assist the reader, the list is separated into broad categories. Although many papers fit several categories, each paper is listed only once under the category thought most appropriate. Please note that the inclusion in the list is not an endorsement of a paper's quality. Compiled by Lars Christian Henriksen, Wind Energy Department, Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark, PO 49, DK‐4000 Roskilde, Denmark. Please e‐mail any suggestions to larh@risoe.dtu.dk.
Nanomedicine and ethics: is there anything new or unique?
Authors: Kuiken Todd
Published: April 2010

As medicine moves toward being able to predict what you will die from and when, nanomedicine is expected to enhance human capabilities and properties and promises the ability of health care professionals to diagnose, treat, and share medical information nearly instantaneously. It promises to deliver drugs directly to the source of the disease, i.e. tumor. This article examines the literature surrounding ethics associated with nanomedicine, and asks whether these ethical issues are new and unique. While opinions differ, this review concludes that none of the ethical questions surrounding nanomedicine are new or unique, and would hold true for any new medical device or medicine that was being evaluated. The real issue becomes public acceptance of nanomedicine and how much risk society is willing to accept with a new technology before it is proven effective and ‘safe’. While ethical foresight can prove effective in forecasting potential problems, in reality, ethics may not be capable of evaluating such a technology that has yet proven effective in all it has promised. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2011 3 111–118 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.90

This article is categorized under:

Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Regulatory and Policy Issues in Nanomedicine
Atomic force microscopy of fungal cell walls: an update
Authors: Dufrêne Yves F.
Published: April 2010

Although the chemical composition of many fungal cell walls is known, the spatial organization and interactions of the individual macromolecules remain mysterious. In this context, single‐cell and single‐molecule atomic force microscopy techniques offer new opportunities for probing the surface of fungal cells down to molecular resolution. Recent breakthroughs include the visualization of the structural dynamics of single cells as they grow or interact with drugs, the quantification and nanoscale imaging of cell surface hydrophobicity and the measurement of the molecular elasticity of cell wall polysaccharides and proteins. Here I highlight the advances made by my team in this area during the past 3 years. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.