bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High‐dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell rescue for stage 4B retinoblastoma
Authors: Dunkel Ira J. , Chan Helen S.L. , Jubran Rima , Chantada Guillermo L. , Goldman Stewart , Chintagumpala Murali , Khakoo Yasmin , Abramson David H.
Published: April 2010

Background

Stage 4b retinoblastoma (central nervous system metastatic disease) has been lethal in virtually all cases reported. Here we describe a series of eight patients treated with intensive chemotherapy, defined as the intention to include high‐dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell rescue.

Procedure

Induction chemotherapy included cyclophosphamide and/or carboplatin with a topoisomerase inhibitor. High‐dose chemotherapy regimens were carboplatin and thiotepa with or without etoposide (n = 3) or carboplatin, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide (n = 2).

Results

Seven patients had leptomeningeal disease and one patient had only direct extension to the CNS via the optic nerve. Three patients had stage 4b disease at the time of original diagnosis of the intra‐ocular retinoblastoma; five had later onset at a median of 12 months (range 3–69 months). One patient died of toxicity (septicemia and multi‐organ system failure) during induction and two had disease progression prior to high‐dose chemotherapy. Five patients received high‐dose chemotherapy at a median of 6 months (range 4–6) post‐diagnosis of stage 4b disease. Two patients survive event‐free at 40 and 101 months; one was irradiated following recovery from the high‐dose chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Intensive multimodality therapy may be beneficial for some patients with stage 4b retinoblastoma. Longer follow‐up will determine whether it has been curative. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;55:149–152. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Predictors of the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and survival in congenital diaphragmatic hernia: a center's 10‐year experience
Authors: Odibo Anthony O. , Najaf Tasnim , Vachharajani Akshaya , Warner Barbara , Mathur Amit , Warner Brad W.
Published: April 2010

Objective

To determine the prenatal factors associated with the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and neonatal survival in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

Study design

A retrospective cohort study of all cases of CDH seen in our center between 1998 and 2008. Prenatal ultrasound and neonatal records were reviewed. Both univariable and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the significant factors associated with the use of ECMO and survival.

Results

Among 107 cases of CDH seen during the study period, 62 were evaluated prenatally in our center and 49 had information on all variables evaluated. The overall rate of ECMO use was 27/107 (25%) and survival rate was 53/107 (49.5%). The lung area to head circumference ratio (LHR) and gestational age (GA) at delivery were the only significant factors associated with ECMO use, and the LHR and absence of liver herniation were significantly associated with survival. LHR values under 1.0 were associated with 57% need for ECMO and 100% neonatal death. Although, overall, the observed:expected LHR (O:E LHR) was not significantly associated with ECMO use or survival, levels below 65% were associated with 58% need for ECMO (p = 0.004) and 100% neonatal death (p = 0.002).

Conclusion

The study confirms the LHR, GA at delivery and liver herniation as significant prenatal predictors of the need for ECMO or survival in cases with CDH. This information is helpful for counseling women with fetuses complicated by CDH. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design and fabrication of an affordable polymer micromixer for medical and biomedical applications
Authors: Li Lei , Yang Can , Shi Huizhuo , Liao Wei‐Ching , Huang Hanxiong , Lee L. James , Castro Jose M. , Yi Allen Y.
Published: April 2010

In this article, an affordable split‐and‐recombine polymer static micromixer and its fabrication process are described. The structure of the micromixer was designed to take advantage of the process capabilities of both ultraprecision micromachining and microinjection molding. This arrangement allows a considerably short machining time, high productivity, and flexibility as compared with many of the previous fabrication processes used in manufacturing of micromixers, for example, the cleanroom process. Moreover, in recent years, microinjection molding has become a cost effective mass production method for polymeric components with micro and nano scale features. Specifically, in this study four dominating processing parameters in microinjection molding, including melt temperature, injection velocity, packing pressure, and packing time were selected as variables to investigate their effects on replication quality. Both experimental and numerical results showed that the packing pressure and packing time played an important role on replication, followed by melt temperature while the injection velocity seemed to have no influence on replication. Finally, experiments using two colored water solutions were conducted to evaluate the device performance, and the mixing result demonstrated the successful fabrication and performance of the injection molded polymer micromixer. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1594–1604, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Synthesis and self‐assembly behavior of pH‐responsive amphiphilic copolymers containing ketal functional groups
Authors: Zhang Dawei , Zhang Hao , Nie Jun , Yang Jing
Published: April 2010

Polymeric micelles that are responsive to pH are particularly attractive for application in drug delivery systems. In this study, one type of amphiphilic block copolymers with hydrophobic building blocks bearing pH‐sensitive ketal groups was designed. In an acidic environment, the polarity transfer from amphiphile to double hydrophile for this copolymer destroyed the driving force of micelle formation, which triggered the release of encapsulated hydrophobic molecules. The amphiphilic block copolymers monomethoxy‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐block‐poly(2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4‐yl)methyl acrylate (MPEG‐block‐PDMDMA) was fabricated by atom transfer radical polymerization using MPEG‐Br as macroinitiator. The critical micelle concentration of various compositions of this copolymer in aqueous solution ranged from 4.0 to 10.0 mg L−1, and the partition equilibrium constant (Kv) of pyrene in micellar solutions of the copolymers varied from 1.61 × 105 to 4.86 × 105. Their overall effective hydrodynamic diameters from dynamic light scattering measurements were between 80 and 400 nm, and the micellar morphology showed spherical geometry as investigated using transmission electron microscopy. At pH = 1.0, all of these polymeric micelles presented 100% payload release in 24 h of incubation, while at pH = 3.0, nearly 70 and 25% of pyrene was released for MPEG‐block‐PDMDMA (44/18) and MPEG‐block‐PDMDMA (44/25) in 260 h, respectively. The pH‐responsive MPEG‐block‐PDMDMA polymeric micelles having good encapsulation efficiency for hydrophobic drugs are potential candidates for biomedical and drug delivery applications. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Surface morphology, thermomechanical and barrier properties of poly(ether sulfone)‐toughened epoxy clay ternary nanocomposites
Authors: Asif Abdul Azeez , John Bibin , Rao Vattikuty Lakshmana , Ninan Kovoor Ninan
Published: April 2010

Poly(ether sulfone) (PES)‐toughened epoxy clay ternary nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending of PES with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin along with Cloisite 30B followed by curing with 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylsulfone. The effect of organoclay and thermoplastic on the fracture toughness, permeability, viscoelasticity and thermomechanical properties of the epoxy system was investigated. A significant improvement in fracture toughness and modulus with reduced coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and gas permeability were observed with the addition of thermoplastic and clay to the epoxy system. Scanning electron microscopy of fracture‐failed specimens revealed crack path deflection and ductile fracture without phase separation. Oxygen gas permeability was reduced by 57% and fracture toughness was increased by 66% with the incorporation of 5 phr clay and 5 phr thermoplastic into the epoxy system. Optical transparency was retained even with high clay content. The addition of thermoplastic and organoclay to the epoxy system had a synergic effect on fracture toughness, modulus, CTE and barrier properties. Planetary ball‐milled samples gave exfoliated morphology with better thermomechanical properties compared to ultrasonicated samples with intercalated morphology. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Synthesis and properties of novel polyamides containing sulfone‐ether linkages and xanthene cardo groups
Authors: Sheng Shouri , Li Ting , Jiang Jianwen , He Wen , Song Caisheng
Published: April 2010

In order to obtain polyamides with enhanced solubility and processability, as well as good mechanical and thermal properties, several novel polyamides containing sulfone‐ether linkages and xanthene cardo groups based on a new diamine monomer, 9,9‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]xanthene (BAPX), were investigated. The BAPX monomer was synthesized via a two‐step process consisting of an aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction of readily available 4‐chloronitrobenzene with 9,9‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)xanthene in the presence of potassium carbonate in N,N‐dimethylformamide, followed by catalytic reduction with hydrazine and Pd/C. Four novel aromatic polyamides containing sulfone‐ether linkages and xanthene cardo groups with inherent viscosities between 0.98 and 1.22 dL g−1 were prepared by low‐temperature polycondensation of BAPX with 4,4′‐sulfonyldibenzoyl chloride, 4,4′‐[sulfonyl‐bis(4‐phenyleneoxy)]dibenzoyl chloride, 3,3′‐[sulfonyl‐bis(4‐phenyleneoxy)]dibenzoyl chloride and 4,4′‐[sulfonyl‐bis(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenyleneoxy)]dibenzoyl chloride in N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solution containing pyridine. All these new polyamides were amorphous and readily soluble in various polar solvents such as DMAc and N‐methylpyrrolidone. These polymers showed relatively high glass transition temperatures in the range 238–298 °C, almost no weight loss up to 450 °C in air or nitrogen atmosphere, decomposition temperatures at 10% weight loss ranging from 472 to 523 °C and 465 to 512 °C in nitrogen and air, respectively, and char yields at 800 °C in nitrogen higher than 50 wt%. Transparent, flexible and tough films of these polymers cast from DMAc solution exhibited tensile strengths ranging from 78 to 87 MPa, elongations at break from 9 to 13% and initial moduli from 1.7 to 2.2 GPa. Primary characterization of these novel polyamides shows that they might serve as new candidates for processable high‐performance polymeric materials. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
An involuted orbifold MSSM
Authors: Vaudrevange P.K.S.
Published: April 2010

A compactification of the E8 × E8 heterotic string on a ℤ2 × ℤ2 orbifold equipped with an additional freely acting involution is presented. This model reproduces the exact chiral MSSM spectrum with matter parity and a non‐trivial Yukawa structure. The key ingredient is a freely acting Wilson line associated to the involution, breaking SU(5) to SU(3) × SU(2) × U(1)Y. This work is based on a talk given at the “9th Hellenic School and Workshop on Elementary Particle Physics and Gravity” and reviews the results of a collaboration with M. Blaszczyk, S. Groot Nibbelink, M. Ratz, F. Rühle and M. Trapletti.
Stringy space‐time foam refraction and γ‐ray astronomy
Authors: Mavromatos N.E.
Published: April 2010

I review briefly a model of space‐time foam in string theory that generates a non‐trivial refractive index for photons in a way compatible with current astrophysical measurements on delayed arrivals of more energetic photons from distant cosmic sources. In this context, I also discuss the recent measurements by FERMI/Large Area Telescope on the highly energetic Gamma Ray Burst GRB 090510, and I explain under what conditions for the model they can become compatible with the other measurements.
Eight‐plex iTRAQ analysis of variant metastatic human prostate cancer cells identifies candidate biomarkers of progression: An exploratory study
Authors: Glen Adam , Evans Caroline A. , Gan Chee S. , Cross Simon S. , Hamdy Freddie C. , Gibbins Jonathan , Lippitt Jenny , Eaton Colby L. , Noirel Josselin , Wright Phillip C. , Rehman Ishtiaq
Published: April 2010

BACKGROUND

Due to the heterogeneity in the biological behavior of prostate cancer, biomarkers that can reliably distinguish indolent from aggressive disease are urgently needed to inform treatment choices.

METHODS

We employed 8‐plex isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantitation (iTRAQ), to profile the proteomes of two distinct panels of isogenic prostate cancer cells with varying growth and metastatic potentials, in order to identify novel biomarkers associated with progression. The LNCaP, LNCaP‐Pro5, and LNCaP‐LN3 panel of cells represent a model of androgen‐responsive prostate cancer, while the PC‐3, PC‐3M, and PC‐3M‐LN4 panel represent a model of androgen‐insensitive disease.

RESULTS

Of the 245 unique proteins identified and quantified (≥95% confidence; ≥2 peptides/protein), 17 showed significant differential expression (≥±1.5), in at least one of the variant LNCaP cells relative to parental cells. Similarly, comparisons within the PC‐3 panel identified 45 proteins to show significant differential expression in at least one of the variant PC‐3 cells compared with parental cells. Differential expression of selected candidates was verified by Western blotting or immunocytochemistry, and corresponding mRNA expression was determined by quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). Immunostaining of prostate tissue microarrays for ERp5, one of the candidates identified, showed a significant higher immunoexpression in pre‐malignant lesions compared with non‐malignant epithelium (P < 0.0001, Mann–Whitney U‐test), and in high Gleason grade (4–5) versus low grade (2–3) cancers (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides proof of principle for the application of an 8‐plex iTRAQ approach to uncover clinically relevant candidate biomarkers for prostate cancer progression. Prostate 70:1313–1332, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Enhanced current collection in back‐contacted back‐junction Si solar cells by overcompensating a boron emitter with a phosphorus base‐type doping
Authors: Reichel Christian , Granek Filip , Hermle Martin , Glunz Stefan W.
Published: April 2010

Electrical shadings losses, resulting from a reduced minority charge carrier collection probability in regions without a collecting p–n junction, of industrially fabricated back‐contacted back‐junction silicon solar cells, are one of the main loss mechanisms. In order to minimize these losses, a local overcompensation of a boron emitter doping with a phosphorus base‐type doping can be applied to reduce the area without a collecting p–n junction and to increase the emitter coverage on the rear side considerably. The focus of the present investigation is to analyze the influence of the aforementioned solar cell design on the locally measured external quantum efficiency (EQE) and on the short‐circuit current. It has been found that for solar cells with a reduced base‐type doping area and an increased emitter coverage, electrical shading losses could be minimized significantly, resulting in very high short‐circuit currents Jsc of 39.8 mA/cm2 for a 1 Ω cm and 40.9 mA/cm2 for a 10 Ω cm base material. This corresponds to a gain in Jsc of 2.4 and 1.0 mA/cm2, respectively, compared to reference solar cells with a reduced collecting p–n junction area.
Structural and optical properties of zinc oxide nanopowders doped with Mn
Authors: Ebrahimizadeh Abrishami M. , Hosseini S. M. , Attaran Kakhki E. , Kompany A.
Published: April 2010

Pure ZnO and Zn1‐xMnxO (x = 0, 0.02, 0.06, 0.10, 0.15) nanopowders have been synthesized by sol gel technique at low temperatures. XRD results indicate that the powder has a hexagonal polycrystalline structure without secondary phases. The nanopowders were characterized using the X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. Kramers‐Kronig's analysis of mid‐IR reflectance spectra were employed to determine the doping effect on the optical constants and optical phonon modes frequencies. The optical band gap energy decreases from 3.22 eV to 3.12 eV for pure ZnO and Zn0.9Mn0.1O dispersed powders, respectively (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electronic structures and spectra of symmetric meso‐substituted porphyrin: DFT and TDDFT—PCM investigations
Authors: Venkataramanan Natarajan Sathiyamoorthy , Suvitha Ambigapathy , Nejo Hitoshi , Mizuseki Hiroshi , Kawazoe Yoshiyuki
Published: April 2010

DFT and TDDFT calculations at the level of PBE0/6‐31G(d)/6‐31+G(d) were performed systematically on seven porphyrins with symmetrical meso‐substitutents. Our results show that the planarity of the free base porphyrin (BP) are affected by the introduction of substitutents at the meso‐position of the ring. Geometrical studies show that the introduction of electron‐withdrawing groups brings about in‐plane deformation in the porphyrin ring, whereas the bulky substitutents make an out‐of‐plane deformation. However, FMO's diagram shows that electron‐withdrawing groups alter the degeneracy of the HOMO and HOMO −1 orbtial. Up on introduction of substituents at the meso‐position, the Q band FMOs transitions were the same as in the case of free BP; however, the oscillator strength is changed. Electron releasing substituted at the meso‐position shows bathochromic shift in the Q band region. However, the intensity or the hyperchromic shift is higher for the electron withdrawing groups. Solvation studies show that Q bands are blue shifted and B bands are red shifted, whereas the intensity of the B bands was highly enhanced compared with the Q bands. These theoretical studies would be helpful in designing new porphyrins for the photodynamic therapy and dye‐sensitized solar cell applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Quantitation of hepcidin in serum using ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography and a linear ion trap mass spectrometer
Authors: Bansal Sukhvinder S. , Abbate Vincenzo , Bomford Adrian , Halket John M. , Macdougall Iain C. , Thein Swee Lay , Hider Robert C.
Published: April 2010

Hepcidin is a peptide hormone that functions as a key regulator of mammalian iron metabolism. Biological levels are increased in end‐stage renal disease and during inflammation but suppressed in hemochromatosis. Thus hepcidin levels have diagnostic importance. This study describes the development of an analytical method for the quantitative determination of the concentration of hepcidin in clinical samples. The fragmentation of hepcidin was investigated using triple quadrupole and linear ion trap mass spectrometers. A standard quantity of a stable isotopically labelled hepcidin internal standard was added to serum samples. Extraction was performed by protein precipitation and weak cation‐exchange magnetic nanoparticles. Chromatography was carried out on sub 2 µm particle stationary phase, using ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography and a linear ion trap for quantitation. The lower limit of quantitation was 0.4 nmol/L with less than 20% accuracy and precision. The mean hepcidin concentration in sera for controls was 4.6 ± 2.7 nmol/L, in patients with sickle cell disease, 7.0 ± 8.9 nmol/L; in patients with end‐stage renal disease, 30.5 ± 15.7 nmol/L; and patients with penetrant hereditary hemochromatosis, 1.4 ± 0.8 nmol/L. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ascent of neotropical migratory fish in the Itaipu Reservoir fish pass
Authors: Makrakis S. , Miranda L. E. , Gomes L. C. , Makrakis M. C. , Junior H. M. F.
Published: April 2010

The Piracema Canal is a complex 10‐km fish pass system that climbs 120 m to connect the Paraná River to the Itaipu Reservoir along the Brazil–Paraguay border. The canal was constructed to allow migratory fishes to reach suitable habitats for reproduction and feeding in tributaries upstream from the reservoir. The Piracema Canal attracted 17 of the 19 long‐distance migratory species that have been recorded in the Paraná River Basin and Paraguay–Paraná Basin. However, the incidence of migratory fish decreased from downstream to upstream, with the pattern of decrease depending on species. Overall, 0.5% of the migratory fish that entered the Piracema Canal and segment 1, eventually were able to reach segment 5 and potentially Itaipu Reservoir. Ascension rate was examined relative to various physical attributes of canal segments; maximum water velocity emerged as the most influential variable affecting fish passage. Water velocity may be manipulated by controlling water discharge, and by re‐engineering critical sections of the canal. Because the Itaipu Reservoir flooded a set of falls that separated two distinct biogeographical regions, facilitating fish movements through the Piracema Canal into the Itaipu Reservoir presents a management dilemma that requires deliberation in the context of the fish assemblages rather than on selected migratory species. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of board capital and CEO power on strategic change
Authors: Haynes Katalin Takacs , Hillman Amy
Published: April 2010

We develop the construct of board capital, composed of the breadth and depth of directors' human and social capital, and explore how board capital affects strategic change. Building upon resource dependence theory, we submit that board capital breadth leads to more strategic change, while board capital depth leads to less. We also recognize CEO power as a moderator of these relationships. Our hypotheses are tested using a random sample of firms on the S&P 500. We find support for the effect of board capital on strategic change, and partial support for the moderating effect of CEO power. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of Isothermal Deformation Conditions on The Mechanical Properties of 22MnB5 HPF Steel
Authors: Fan D. W. , Park R. B. , Cho Y. R. , De Cooman B. C.
Published: April 2010

In the present study, the aluminized 22MnB5 Hot Press Forming (HPF) steel was deformed isothermally in the temperature range of 600–800 °C. The specimens were deformed with 0%, 10% and 30% engineering strain at a strain rate of 0.5/s. Mechanical stabilization of austenite during phase transformation was observed. The influence of strain rate was also studied. It was found that the martensite transformation was affected by the combined effect of mechanical stabilization and dynamic recovery. The influence of high temperature deformation on the final microstructure, microhardness and mechanical properties were studied. Deformation applied below 750 °C resulted in a significant decrease of the strength and the hardness. The ferrite fraction and morphology had a clear effect on the room temperature tensile fracture morphology.
Kinetics and mechanism of thermal decomposition of cornstarches with different amylose/amylopectin ratios
Authors: Liu Xingxun , Yu Long , Xie Fengwei , Li Ming , Chen Ling , Li Xiaoxi
Published: April 2010

Thermal decomposition of cornstarches with different amylose/amylopectin ratios (waxy: 0/100, maize: 23/77, Gelose 50: 50/50, and Gelose 80: 80/20) under nitrogen condition was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Various decomposition models including Friedman, Kissinger, Flynn‐Wall‐Ozawa, and modified Coast‐Redfern methods were used to determine the apparent activation energy of different starches. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and TGA‐FTIR were also used to study the mechanism of thermal decomposition process. The results show a multiple‐step mechanism for the thermal decomposition of all cornstarches. The sequence of activation energy for the cornstarches is waxy>maize>G50>G80, which corresponds to amylopectin content. FTIR results confirm that the thermal decomposition of cornstarch is due to the long‐chain scission. The higher activation energy for cornstarch with higher amylopectin content can be explained by its higher molecular weight and more α‐1,6 bonds.
Pasting properties of hydroxypropylated starches before or after proteinase treatment
Authors: Han Jung‐Ah
Published: April 2010

To examine the effect of starch protein on hydroxypropylation, corn (normal and waxy) and potato starches were hydroxypropylated with propylene oxide at two levels (8.3 and 12.3% based on dry basis of starch weight) before or after proteinase (thermolysin) treatment, and then pasting properties of the starches were measured. For normal corn starch, protein appeared to be involved in hydroxypropylation, especially at the higher concentration of reagent (12.3%); the starch hydroxypropylated after proteinase treatment (Enz‐HP) showed less reaction efficiency than that only hydroxypropylated (HP) or proteinase treated starch after hydroxypropylation (HP‐Enz). This suggests a possible reaction between some of the reagent and the starch proteins that exist in the channel and surface of the starch granules. However, not much difference was found with the waxy corn starch, as it contains much lower amounts of amylose and protein than normal corn starch. The potato starch, which has no channels, showed complicated protein effects. For potato starch, a different access of the enzyme and chemical reagents to the granule matrix could be possible.
Characterization of starches isolated from different Chinese Baizhi (Angelica dahurica) cultivars
Authors: Zhou Hongying , Wang Jianhua , Zhao Hongjie , Fang Xinsheng , Sun Yinshi
Published: April 2010

Starches from three cultivars of Baizhi (Angelica dahurica; named Chuan Baizhi, Yu Baizhi, and Qi Baizhi, respectively) growing in Sichuan, Henan, and Hebei province in China were used to investigate the physicochemical properties, appearances, X‐ray powder diffraction, thermal and pasting properties. These Baizhi starch granules were in irregular polygonal shape, and their sizes range from 1 to10 µm. The average granule diameter of Chuan Baizhi, Yu Baizhi, and Qi Baizhi starches was 6.78, 8.02, and 9.09 µm, respectively. Amylose content in Qi Baizhi, Yu Baizhi, and Chuan Baizhi was 9.98, 13.15, and 17.65%, respectively. These Baizhi starches exhibited “B” type X‐ray pattern and the degrees of crystallinity were similar (16.7–17.1%). Yu Baizhi starch had the highest pasting temperature (DSC parameters was To 66.5°C, Tp 69.6°C, and Tc 75.8°C, respectively; RVA pasting temperature was 69.45°C). Qi Baizhi starch had the highest pasting viscosity (Pv 214.58, Tv 127.33, and Fv 201.08 RVU, respectively).
Cornstarch–mimosa tannin–urea formaldehyde resins as adhesives in the particleboard production
Authors: Moubarik Amine , Pizzi Antonio , Allal Ahmed , Charrier Fatima , Khoukh Abdelouahed , Charrier Bertrand
Published: April 2010

The objective of this work was to demonstrate the utilisation of cornstarch–mimosa tannin‐based resins designed for application as an adhesive in particleboard production. Bond qualities of cornstarch–mimosa tannin–urea formaldehyde (UF) resins and commercial UF resin were assessed by using an automatic bonding evaluation system, prior to production of particleboards panels. In order to evaluate the quality of cornstarch–mimosa tannin–UF resins, particleboards were produced and physical and mechanical properties were investigated. These physical properties included rheological, thermogravimetric analysis and solid phase 13C NMR analysis of resins. Internal bond, surface soundness, thickness swelling, porosity, modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity mechanical properties of particleboards bonded with cornstarch–mimosa tannin–UF resins were also determined.

The results showed that it is possible to add cornstarch and mimosa tannin, respectively, up to 10 and 4% to the UF resin without to alter the physical and mechanical properties of the boards. The performance of these panels is comparable to those of boards made using commercial UF resin. Petrochemical UF resins could be partially substituted in industrial applications by addition of cornstarch and mimosa tannin extracts.
Dünne Schichten durch Deposition unter streifenden Einfall
Authors: Rauschenbach Bernd , Platzig Christian
Published: April 2010

Eine physikalische Deposition unter den Bedingungen eines schräg einfallenden Partikelflusses und begrenzter Adatom‐Diffusion führt zu Schichten mit einer säulenartigen Mikrostruktur. Diese Säulen sind in Richtung der Partikelquelle orientiert. Eine zusätzliche Substratrotation kann genutzt werden, um diese Strukturen in unterschiedlicher Gestalt (senkrechte und geneigte Säulen, Zick‐Zack‐Strukturen, Schrauben, Spiralen) zu entwickeln. Mit der Deposition unter schrägem Partikeleinfall (GLAD) können poröse dünne Schichten von isolierenden, halbleitenden und metallischen Materialien konstruiert werden. In dieser Arbeit werden die physikalischen Grundlagen der GLAD‐Technologie vorgestellt, die Herstellung von Mikro‐ und Nano‐Struktruren unterschiedlichen Habitus auf nicht strukturierten und vorstrukturierten Substraten demonstriert und auf einige potentielle Anwendungen dieser neuen Depositionstechnologie hingewiesen.
Anforderungen an Metalloxid‐Schichten für Interferenzoptik
Authors: Pulker Hans Karl
Published: April 2010

Die Anforderungen an PVd‐Metalloxidschichten sind hoch und nehmen mit komplexen Schichten‐Designs und Ausdehnung des spektralen Anwendungsbereiches weiter zu. Moderne reaktive, oftmals hybride Ionen‐ und Plasma‐Prozesstechnologien, kontinuierlich arbeitend oder in gepulsten Moden, erzielen hervorragende optische und mechanische Schichtqualitäten. Charakteristische Daten wichtiger Prozesse sind tabellarisch angegeben.
Molecular Dynamics and Partitioning of Di‐tert‐butyl Nitroxide in Stratum Corneum Membranes: Effect of Terpenes
Authors: Camargos Heverton Silva , Silva Adolfo Henrique Moraes , Anjos Jorge Luiz Vieira , Alonso Antonio
Published: April 2010

In this work, we have used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of the small spin label di‐tert‐butyl nitroxide (DTBN), which partitions the aqueous and hydrocarbon phases, to study the interaction of the terpenes α‐terpineol, 1,8‐cineole, l(−)‐carvone and (+)‐limonene with the uppermost skin layer, the stratum corneum, and the membrane models of 1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and 1,2‐dimyristoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine (DMPC). The EPR spectra indicated that the terpenes increase both the partition coefficient and the rotational correlation time of the spin labels in the stratum corneum membranes, whereas similar effects were observed in the DMPC and DPPC bilayers only at temperatures below the liquid‐crystalline phase. The EPR parameter associated to probe polarity inside the membranes showed thermotropically induced changes, suggesting relocations of spin probe, which were dependent on the membrane phases. While the DMPC and DPPC bilayers showed abrupt changes in the partitioning and rotational correlation time parameters in the phase transitions, the SC membranes were characterized by slight changes in the total range of measured temperatures, presenting the greatest changes or membranes reorganizations in the temperature range of ~50 to ~74 °C. The results suggest that terpenes act as spacers, weakening the hydrogen‐bonded network at the polar interface and thus fluidizing the stratum corneum lipids.
Upper Urinary Tract Fungal Infections
Authors: Agrawal Sachin , Brown Christian T. , Miller Steve , Grundy Clive , Kulkarni Ravi
Published: April 2010

Upper urinary tract fungal infections are rare, under-reported and potentially fatal. Infections often develop in patients with significant co-morbidity and are difficult to identify and treat. They can manifest as local (funguria) or systemic infection (fungaemia). The management is complex and mortality appears unchanged in the past 20 years. Unlike lower urinary tract funguria, which is classified as low risk, upper ureteric infections and fungaemia are classified as high risk. The incidence is increasing and may be associated with changing population demographics, advances in medical diagnostics, and new stent and catheter technologies with longer durations of insertion. We review the current literature and report on six cases.
A Narratological Commentary on the Odyssey
Authors: Jong Irene J. F. de
Published: April 2010

Whereas traditional commentaries tend to be comprehensive and micro-textual, this narratological commentary, first published in 2001, focuses on one aspect of the Odyssey, its narrativity, and pays lavish attention to the meso- and macro-levels. Drawing on the concepts of modern narratology as well as the insights of Homeric scholarship, it discusses the role of narrator and narratees, methods of characterization and description, plot-development, focalization, and the narrative exploitation of type-scenes. Full attention is also given to the structure, characterizing function, and relation to the narrative context of the abundantly present speeches. Finally, the numerous themes and motifs, which so subtly contribute to the unity of this long text, are traced and evaluated. Although Homer's brilliant narrative art has always been admired, this commentary aims to lay bare the techniques responsible for this brilliance. All Greek is translated and all technical terms explained in a glossary.
Shakespeare and Impure Aesthetics
Authors: Grady Hugh
Published: April 2010

Shakespeare and Impure Aesthetics explores ideas about art implicit in Shakespeare's plays and defines specific Shakespearean aesthetic practices in his use of desire, death and mourning as resources for art. Hugh Grady draws on a tradition of aesthetic theorists who understand art as always formed in a specific historical moment but as also distanced from its context through its form and Utopian projections. Grady sees A Midsummer Night's Dream, Timon of Athens, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet as displaying these qualities, showing aesthetic theory's usefulness for close readings of the plays. The book argues that such social-minded 'impure aesthetics' can revitalize the political impulses of the new historicism while opening up a new aesthetic dimension in the current discussion of Shakespeare.
Environmental Applications of Geochemical Modeling
Authors: Zhu Chen , Anderson Greg
Published: April 2010

Geochemical modeling is a powerful tool for characterizing environmental site contaminations and predicting environmental impacts. This book discusses the application of geochemical models to environmental practice and studies, through the use of numerous case studies of real-world environmental problems, such as acid mine drainage, pit lake chemistry, nuclear waste disposal, and landfill leachates. In each example the authors clearly define the environmental threat in question; explain how geochemical modeling may help solve the problem posed; and advise the reader how to prepare input files for geochemical modeling codes and interpret the results in terms of meeting regulatory requirements. Support material for the book, including program codes, input files and exercise problems, is available on the Internet. Environmental Applications of Geochemical Modeling will serve as an advanced textbook for courses in environmental geochemistry, and as an indispensable reference for professional hydrogeologists, geochemists, engineers, and regulators, working within the environmental spheres.
RUS': A Comprehensive Course in Russian
Authors: Smyth Sarah , Crosbie Elena V.
Published: April 2010

This comprehensive foundation textbook is expressly designed for students embarking on a Russian language programme. Accompanied by 5 hours of audio materials, it develops the four key language skills - reading, writing, speaking and listening - and provides all the material required to reach intermediate level either at secondary school or during the first year of university. Highly interactive and activity-based, the course puts students firmly at the centre of the learning process, developing their autonomy as learners. It provides: thorough grounding in the grammar and structures of contemporary Russian; wide-ranging tasks and exercises for both classroom use and self study; informative texts selected to foster cultural awareness; topics including family life, education, history, geography, work and leisure; clear, attractive layout with lively illustrations to reinforce learning ; extensive reference features including a section on basic concepts of grammar; teachers' guidelines to enhance practical application in the classroom; and an on-line answer key.
Model-Based Software Testing and Analysis with C#
Authors: Jacky Jonathan , Veanes Margus , Campbell Colin , Schulte Wolfram
Published: April 2010

This book teaches model-based analysis and model-based testing, with important new ways to write and analyze software specifications and designs, generate test cases, and check the results of test runs. These methods increase the automation in each of these steps, making them more timely, more thorough, and more effective. Using a familiar programming language, testers and analysts will learn to write models that describe how a program is supposed to behave. The authors work through several realistic case studies in depth and detail, using a toolkit built on the C# language and the .NET framework. Readers can also apply the methods in analyzing and testing systems in many other languages and frameworks. Intended for professional software developers including testers, and for university students, this book is suitable for courses on software engineering, testing, specification, or applications of formal methods.
Renormalization
Authors: Collins John C.
Published: April 2010

Most of the numerical predictions of experimental phenomena in particle physics over the last decade have been made possible by the discovery and exploitation of the simplifications that can happen when phenomena are investigated on short distance and time scales. This book provides a coherent exposition of the techniques underlying these calculations. After reminding the reader of some basic properties of field theories, examples are used to explain the problems to be treated. Then the technique of dimensional regularization and the renormalization group. Finally a number of key applications are treated, culminating in the treatment of deeply inelastic scattering.
Physics from Fisher Information
Authors: Frieden B. Roy
Published: April 2010

This book defines and develops a unifying principle of physics, that of 'extreme physical information'. The information in question is, perhaps surprisingly, not Shannon or Boltzmann entropy but, rather, Fisher information, a simple concept little known to physicists. Both statistical and physical properties of Fisher information are developed. This information is shown to be a physical measure of disorder, sharing with entropy the property of monotonic change with time. The information concept is applied 'phenomenally' to derive most known physics, from statistical mechanics and thermodynamics to quantum mechanics, the Einstein field equations, and quantum gravity. Many new physical relations and concepts are developed, including new definitions of disorder, time and temperature. The information principle is based upon a new theory of measurement, one which incorporates the observer into the phenomenon that he/she observes. The 'request' for data creates the law that, ultimately, gives rise to the data. The observer creates his or her local reality.
Social Freedom
Authors: Kristjánsson Kristjan
Published: April 2010

When is it correct to say that a person's freedom is restricted? Can poverty constrain freedom? Can you constrain your own freedom, for instance through weakness of the will or self-deception, and are you not truly free unless you act on a rational choice? Kristján Kristjánsson offers a critical analysis of the main components of a theory of negative liberty: the nature of obstacles and constraints, the weight of obstacles and the relation of freedom to power and autonomy. Through this discussion, which examines much of the contemporary work on political freedom, he develops his own theory of negative liberty, the so-called 'responsibility view', which meets many of the goals of advocates of positive liberty while retaining its distinctive 'negative' nature. He also argues for, and implements, a method of naturalistic revision as a way of solving conceptual disputes in social philosophy.
Productivity and Performance in the Paper Industry
Authors: Magee Gary Bryan
Published: April 2010

This pioneering 1997 study examines the economic development of the British paper industry between 1860 and 1914 - an era in which it is often claimed that the origins of Britain's relative economic decline are first witnessed. For paper-making, this was also a period in which an array of important new forces, including inter alia the development of new raw materials and the move to ever larger scales of production, came on the scene. Gary Bryan Magee looks at the effect of these changes and assesses how effectively the industry coped with the new pressures, drawing upon an extensive range of quantitative and archival sources from Britain, America, and other countries. Along the way, Dr Magee addresses issues central to the understanding of industrial competitiveness, such as technological change, entrepreneurship, productivity, trade policy, and industrial relations.
Representations of Rings over Skew Fields
Authors: Schofield A. H.
Published: April 2010

The first half of the book is a general study of homomorphisms to simple artinian rings; the techniques developed here should be of interest to many algebraists. The second half is a more detailed study of special types of skew fields which have arisen from the work of P. M. Cohn and the author. A number of questions are settled; a version of the Jacobian conjecture for free algebras is proved and there are examples of skew field extensions of different but finite left and right dimension.
Operator Algebras in Dynamical Systems
Authors: Sakai Shōichirō
Published: April 2010

This book is concerned with the theory of unbounded derivations in C*-algebras, a subject whose study was motivated by questions in quantum physics and statistical mechanics, and to which the author has made a considerable contribution. This is an active area of research, and one of the most ambitious aims of the theory is to develop quantum statistical mechanics within the framework of the C*-theory. The presentation, which is based on lectures given in Newcastle upon Tyne and Copenhagen, concentrates on topics involving quantum statistical mechanics and differentiations on manifolds. One of the goals is to formulate the absence theorem of phase transitions in its most general form within the C* setting. For the first time, he globally constructs, within that setting, derivations for a fairly wide class of interacting models, and presents a new axiomatic treatment of the construction of time evolutions and KMS states.
Shintani Zeta Functions
Authors: Yukie Akihiko
Published: April 2010

The theory of prehomogeneous vector spaces is a relatively new subject although its origin can be traced back through the works of Siegel to Gauss. The study of the zeta functions related to prehomogeneous vector spaces can yield interesting information on the asymptotic properties of associated objects, such as field extensions and ideal classes. This is amongst the first books on this topic, and represents the author's deep study of prehomogeneous vector spaces. Here the author's aim is to generalise Shintani's approach from the viewpoint of geometric invariant theory, and in some special cases he also determines not only the pole structure but also the principal part of the zeta function. This book will be of great interest to all serious workers in analytic number theory.
Introduction to Measure and Integration
Authors: Taylor S. J.
Published: April 2010

This paperback, which comprises the first part of Introduction to Measure and Probability by J. F. C. Kingman and S. J. Taylor, gives a self-contained treatment of the theory of finite measures in general spaces at the undergraduate level. It sets the material out in a form which not only provides an introduction for intending specialists in measure theory but also meets the needs of students of probability. The theory of measure and integration is presented for general spaces, with Lebesgue measure and the Lebesgue integral considered as important examples whose special properties are obtained. The introduction to functional analysis which follows covers the material to probability theory and also the basic theory of L2-spaces, important in modern physics. A large number of examples is included; these form an essential part of the development.
Elliptic Structures on 3-Manifolds
Authors: Thomas Charles Benedict
Published: April 2010

This volume will give a systematic exposition of known results for free actions by finite groups on S. The text begins with preliminary material on Seifert manifolds and group classification. This is followed by sections dealing with related topics including free bZe/2 and bZe/3 actions on lens/prism manifolds, the reduction theorem and tangential structure.
Restructuring the Soviet Economic Bureaucracy
Authors: Gregory Paul R.
Published: April 2010

In Restructuring the Soviet Economic Bureaucracy, Paul R. Gregory takes an inside look at how the system worked and why it has traditionally been so resistant to change. Gregory's findings shed light on a bureaucracy that was widely considered the greatest threat to Gorbachev's efforts at perestroika, or restructuring. Restructuring the Soviet Economic Bureaucracy is based on Soviet and Western published accounts as well as interviews with former members of the Soviet economic bureaucracy, mainly from the middle elite. These informants, with their expert knowledge of the system, tell how bureaucrats big and small made the routine and extraordinary decisions that determined Soviet resource allocation. The often-criticized irrationalities of the Soviet bureaucracy are revealed to contain their own internal logic and consistency.
The Rise of Capitalism on the Pampas
Authors: Amaral Samuel
Published: April 2010

In the early decades of the nineteenth century, Buenos Aires underwent rapid economic growth, only dwarfed by the even greater prosperity that occurred there at the end of the century. Previous studies have focused on the economy as a whole, or on a particular segment of the population; and most have disregarded how resources were intentionally organized to enable growth. This book focuses on the estancia - livestock firms, the economic organizations that led the growth process. The internal structure, production conditions, and economic impact of the estancia are the central issues which Amaral considers. Economic growth and increased freedom were not inevitable on the pampas, but rather the consequences of human actions, both deliberate and unintentional, in the search for an elusive profit. Why freedom, not privilege, prevailed is the key question underlying this study.
Arithmetic of Quadratic Forms
Authors: Kitaoka Yoshiyuki
Published: April 2010

The aim of this book is to provide an introduction to quadratic forms that builds from basics up to the most recent results. Professor Kitaoka is well known for his work in this area, and in this book he covers many aspects of the subject, including lattice theory, Siegel's formula, and some results involving tensor products of positive definite quadratic forms. The reader is required to have only a knowledge of algebraic number fields, making this book ideal for graduate students and researchers wishing for an insight into quadratic forms.