bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrafast optical pulse delivery with fibers for nonlinear microscopy
Authors: Kim Daekeun , Choi Heejin , Yazdanfar Siavash , So Peter T.C.
Published: September 2008

Nonlinear microscopies including multiphoton excitation fluorescence microscopy and multiple‐harmonic generation microscopy have recently gained popularity for cellular and tissue imaging. The optimization of these imaging methods for minimally invasive use requires optical fibers to conduct light into tight space, where free‐space delivery is difficult. The delivery of high‐peak power laser pulses with optical fibers is limited by dispersion resulting from nonlinear refractive index responses. In this article, we characterize a variety of commonly used optical fibers in terms of how they affect pulse profile and imaging performance of nonlinear microscopy; the following parameters are quantified: spectral bandwidth and temporal pulse width, two‐photon excitation efficiency, and optical resolution. A theoretical explanation for the measured performance of these fibers is also provided. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Targeting of interleukin‐10 is superior to cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte associated antigen 4 with human immunoglobulin G1 for the prevention of chronic allograft deterioration in organ transplantation
Authors: Xu Tao , Haering Cristina , Lau Chi‐Keung , Obed Aiman , Ma Jian , Doenecke Axel , Scherer Marcus N. , Schnitzbauer Andreas A. , Fan Sheung‐Tat , Schlitt Hans J. , Tsui Tung‐Yu
Published: September 2008

Background

Genetic manipulation of the allograft is an attractive approach to prevent the graft against chronic deterioration through stable expression of immunomodulatory or protective genes. However, the best strategy for prevention of chronic allograft deterioration remains unclear.

Methods

The efficacies of adeno‐associated viral vector‐mediated stable expression of indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO), cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte associated antigen 4 with human immunoglobulin G1 (CTLA4Ig) or interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) in the prevention of chronic allograft deterioration were compared in a rat heart transplantation model.

Results

Transduction of grafts with IL‐10 significantly prolonged allograft survival, whereas transduction of grafts with IDO did not improve graft survival compared to controls. Analysis of long‐term survived heart allografts showed that both CTLA4Ig and IL‐10 could significantly reduced the T cells and macrophage infiltration. However, stable expression of CTLA4Ig failed to prevent the development of transplant arteriosclerosis. By contrast, IL‐10 suppressed the development of transplant arteriosclerosis effectively. The suppressive effects of IL‐10 in preventing the development of chronic allograft deterioration were associated with lower transcript levels of transforming tumor growth factor beta 1 and macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the graft. In addition, higher transcript levels of heme oxygenase‐1 were found in IL‐10‐transduced allograft.

Conclusions

Targeting on IL‐10 is superior to CTLA4Ig or IDO for the treatment of chronic allograft deterioration. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vaccination with a Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara‐based vaccine protects mice from allergic sensitization
Authors: Albrecht Melanie , Suezer Yasemin , Staib Caroline , Sutter Gerd , Vieths Stefan , Reese Gerald
Published: September 2008

Background

Currently, no treatment is available for food allergy and strict avoidance of the allergenic food remains the only way to manage the allergy. New strategies leading to a safe and efficacious food allergy treatment are required. Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), which allows high levels of expression of recombinant protein in vivo and gives rise to a Th1‐biased specific immune response, was used as a prophylactic vaccine in a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA) allergy.

Methods

An MVA‐OVA vector vaccine was prepared. Female BALB/c mice were vaccinated twice with a MVA‐OVA vector vaccine, followed by sensitization with OVA plus alum. OVA‐specific immunoglobulin E(IgE) activity was measured by mediator release from rat basophilic leukaemia cells, whereas specific IgG subclass titers were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Expression of immunological active OVA in mammalian cells was demonstrated. OVA‐specific IgE levels in sera from MVA‐OVA‐vaccinated mice were reduced and appeared delayed. The vaccine‐mediated immune modulation was dose‐dependent; the highest vaccine dose protected 50% of the animals from allergic sensitization. Upon sensitization, similar OVA‐specific IgG1 titers were found in all mice, but the OVA‐specific IgG2a antibody levels were strongly increased in MVA‐OVA‐vaccinated mice, signifying a Th1‐biased and, non‐allergic immune response.

Conclusions

Prophylactic vaccination with MVA‐OVA delays and in part even prevents the onset of a successful allergen‐specific sensitization. Recombinant MVA, which fulfills the requirements for clinical application, is a promising candidate vector for the development of novel approaches to allergen‐specific prophylactic vaccination and specific immunotherapy. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design, synthesis and iodination of an Arg‐Arg‐Leu peptide for potential use as an imaging agent for human prostate carcinoma
Authors: Yu MingMing , Wang RongFu , Yan Ping , Zhang ChunLi , Liu Meng , Cui YongGang
Published: September 2008

The aim of this work was to design and synthesize a radioiodinated peptide containing arginine–arginine–leucine (RRL) functionality as a potential imaging agent of tumor angiogenesis. The RRL peptide was synthesized using the Fmoc solid phase method and identified by MS analysis after purification by HPLC. The RRL peptide was labeled with 131I by the Chloramine‐T method and purified through Sephadex G‐25 column. Furthermore, the 131I labeled peptide was used to evaluate its biodistribution. SPECT imaging was carried out at 24 h after the 131I labeled RRL peptide was injected into BALB/c nude mice bearing human prostate carcinoma. For the first time we have shown that a radiolabelled RRL peptide appears to be useful as a tumor angiogenic endothelium imaging agent for the diagnosis of the human prostate carcinoma. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Studies on the molecular recognition between bioactive peptides and angiotensin‐converting enzyme
Authors: Pina A.S. , Roque A.C.A.
Published: September 2008

High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition affecting many individuals and represents a controllable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. A non‐pharmacological approach to manage these includes the application of food components with antihypertensive activity. Milk protein‐derived peptides have been exploited as natural hypotensive agents, namely the peptides Val‐Pro‐Pro (VPP) and Ile‐Pro‐Pro (IPP), already commercialized in functional foods as a potential alternative to synthetic drugs. These bioactive peptides inhibit in vitro and in vivo the Angiotensin I‐converting enzyme (ACE), a protein with an important role in blood pressure regulation. In this work, we attempted to elucidate the possible mode of interaction between the peptides and ACE, including mechanisms of binding to the cofactor Zn2+, and further contrast this with the known mode of inhibition exerted by synthetic drugs (Captopril, Enalaprilat and Lisinopril). The bioactive peptide Ala‐Leu‐Pro‐Met‐His‐Ile‐Arg (ALPMHIR), also known to inhibit the enzyme ACE but with a lower efficiency than VPP and IPP, was utilized in the docking studies for comparison. It was observed that the best docking poses obtained for VPP and IPP were located at the ACE catalytic site with very high resemblance to the drugs mode of interaction, including the coordination with Zn2+. As for ALPMHIR, the best docking poses were located in the narrow ACE channel outside the catalytic site, representing higher affinity energies and fewer resemblances with the interaction established by drugs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparing the antibody responses against recombinant hemagglutinin proteins of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus expressed in insect cells and bacteria
Authors: Shen Shuo , Mahadevappa Geetha , Oh Hsueh‐Ling Janice , Wee Boon Yu , Choi Yook‐Wah , Hwang Le‐Ann , Lim Seng Gee , Hong Wanjin , Lal Sunil K. , Tan Yee‐Joo
Published: September 2008

The hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza A virus plays an essential role in mediating the entry of the virus into host cells. Here, recombinant full‐length HA5 protein from a H5N1 isolate (A/chicken/hatay/2004(H5N1)) was expressed and purified from the baculovirus‐insect cell system. As expected, full‐length HA5 elicits strong neutralizing antibodies, as evaluated in micro‐neutralization tests using HA5 pseudotyped lentiviral particles. In addition, two fragments of HA5 were expressed in bacteria and the N‐terminal fragment, covering the ectodomain before the HA1/HA2 polybasic cleavage site, was found to elicit neutralizing antibodies. But the C‐terminal fragment, which covers the remaining portion of the ectodomain, did not. Neutralizing titer of the anti‐serum against the N‐terminal fragment is only four times lower than the anti‐serum against the full‐length HA5 protein. Using a novel membrane fusion assay, the abilities of these antibodies to block membrane fusion were found to correlate well with the neutralization activities. J. Med. Virol. 80:1972–1983, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Clinical significance of a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms of hepatitis B virus core gene in Chinese Han patients with chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Li Yirong , Wang Xuepin , Chen Fenghua , Ma Ronghong , Wen Xiaobo , Hu Lihua
Published: September 2008

To evaluate clinical significance of a set of SNPs of HBV core gene, a modified PCR‐RFLP assay developed by Hannoun was adapted to determine HBV SNPs in 312 Chinese Han patients with chronic hepatitis B. Five typical RFLP patterns were found and named RFLP patterns C, D, E, G, and C/G mixture. The distribution of RFLP patterns was as follows: C, 61.5%; D, 2.6%; E, 9.6%; G, 16.7%; C/G mixture, 9.6%. The PCR amplicons of core gene were cloned into pGM‐T, then colony PCR combined with RFLP and sequencing were used to confirm the presence of cleavage sites of Tsp509I and SNPs. 5 SNPs, A261T, A336C, A336T T337C and T385C, were found to be associated with RFLP patterns change and only SNP A336C or A336T caused the substitution of Glu‐83 with Asp in HBcAg. The serum HBV DNA level in RFLP pattern C was higher than that in RFLP pattern G and C/G mixture, respectively, most possibly which associating with aminoacid change, Glu83Asp. The rate of elevated serum ALT levels in RFLP pattern C/G mixture was significantly lower than that in RFLP patterns C and G, respectively. The PCR amplicons of HBV S gene were sequenced and genotyped with HBV genotyping tools. It was found that RFLP patterns E and G were categorized into genotype B, RFLP pattern C showed two genotypes (B, C), and RFLP pattern D coincided with HBV genotype D, therefore, the modified PCR‐RFLP can be adapted to determine HBV SNPs, not genotypes in Chinese Han patients with chronic hepatitis B. J. Med. Virol. 80:1885–1890, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Case report: T‐cell responses during clearance of andes virus from blood cells 2 months after severe hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome
Authors: Manigold Tobias , Martinez Jessica , Lazcano Ximena , Ye Chunyan , Schwartz Shaina , Cuiza Analía , Valdivieso Francisca , Hjelle Brian , Vial Pablo
Published: September 2008

Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS) due to Andes virus (ANDV) is endemic in Chile and Argentina and currently demonstrates a case‐fatality rate of 37% in humans. By contrast to the chronically infected rodents, it is believed that ANDV in humans is cleared during the acute phase. Moreover, to date, both magnitude and quality of human T‐cell responses during ANDV infection and clearance are unknown. Using IFN‐γ and granzyme B ELISPOT assays as well as flow cytometry, we prospectively studied the ANDV‐specific T‐cell responses in a 56‐year‐old convalescing survivor of severe HCPS, whose blood cells remained PCR‐positive for ANDV‐RNA until day 53 after hospital admission, that is, 67 days after infection and 42 days after discharge. PCR‐negativity was closely related to the increase and function of (Gn46–60)‐specific IFN‐γ+ granzyme B+ CD8+ T‐cells, but not to neutralizing antibody titers. Concurrently, the phenotype of CD45RA+CCR7− Gn46–60‐specific T‐cells shifted from a CD28−CD27+ “intermediate” to a CD28− CD27− “late” effector memory beyond day 53 after hospital admission. This is the first report that shows that ANDV can persist in the human hosts for more than 2 months. Moreover, the kinetics of T‐cell responses during ANDV clearance may indicate a major role of T‐cells for clearance of ANDV and human immunity to this pathogen. J. Med. Virol. 80:1947–1951, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identification of the novel KI polyomavirus in the respiratory tract of an Italian patient
Authors: Babakir‐Mina Muhammed , Ciccozzi Massimo , Dimonte Salvatore , Farchi Francesca , Valdarchi Catia , Rezza Giovanni , Perno Carlo Federico , Ciotti Marco
Published: September 2008

Recently, a new human polyomavirus, KIV, was detected in respiratory specimens of patients with acute respiratory tract infection. Whether this reflects a causal role of the virus in the respiratory tract is still debated. To investigate the presence of KIV in respiratory samples of Italian patients and to determine the degree of similarity with other known polyomaviruses, 222 respiratory specimens collected by general practitioners between 2006 and 2007 were screened. The entire VP1 gene region was amplified and sequenced. Maximum Likelihood tree was generated by PAUP* software. One out of 222 samples tested was positive for KIV. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that this isolate clustered with other KIV isolates, while the WUV isolates seem to belong to a different lineage. The phylogenetic tree also showed that all other known polyomaviruses are quite distant from this isolate. This is the first report describing the presence of KIV in the respiratory tract of a 5‐year‐old Italian child with acute respiratory symptoms. Further investigations are needed to establish an etiological link of KIV with acute respiratory illness. J. Med. Virol. 80:2012–2014, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interferon‐α therapy does not modulate hepatic expression of classical type I interferon inducible genes
Authors: Meier Volker , Mihm Sabine , Ramadori Giuliano
Published: September 2008

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease. Treatment with interferon‐alpha2 (IFN‐α2) can induce viral clearance and marked biochemical and histological improvement. IFN‐α2 treatment has been shown to stimulate the expression of type I IFN regulated genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of hepatitis C patients; however, whether it affects hepatic expression remains unknown. This study thus aimed at comparing hepatic gene expression with particular emphasis on type I IFN inducible genes in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and during an IFN‐α2 monotherapy. Responsiveness to IFN‐α2 therapy was monitored by determining serum and hepatic viral load. Differential gene expression analysis was performed by two different techniques, namely suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and differential display (DD). Expression of two prototype type I IFN regulated genes was quantified in further PBMC and liver samples. Among different genes found to be up‐regulated during an effective, that is, virus clearing, IFN‐α treatment, only a single one was identified which can be accounted to type I IFN responsive genes. Parallel quantitative real time PCR analyses demonstrated significant induction of the type I IFN regulated genes MxA and PKR in PBMC, but not in the liver. Taken together, while IFN‐α treatment leads to the induction of type I IFN regulated genes in PBMC, such an induction appears not to occur in the liver of hepatitis C patients. The mechanism by which IFN‐α treatment causes viral clearance might be independent of hepatic activation of type I IFN regulated genes. J. Med. Virol. 80:1912–1918, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Frequency and genotype of GB virus C among Iranian patients infected with HIV
Authors: Hekmat Soheila , Mohraz Minoo , Vahabpour Rouhollah , Jam Sara , Bahramali Golnaz , Banifazl Mohammad , Aghakhani Arezoo , Eslamifar Ali , Mahboudi Fereidoun , Edalat Rozita , Ramezani Amitis
Published: September 2008

GB virus C (GBV‐C) infection is frequent in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to similar transmission routes of these viruses. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of infection and genotypic characteristics of GBV‐C in this population. The presence of GBV‐C RNA was determined in serum samples of 106 patients infected with HIV by reverse transcriptase‐nested polymerase chain reaction. GBV‐C genotypes were determined by direct sequencing. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti‐HBs), hepatitis C antibody (anti‐HCV), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, HIV viral load and CD4+ count were also tested in all patients. The overall prevalence of GBV‐C infection was 11.3% in HIV patients. There was no significant difference between patients with and without GBV‐C infection regarding age, sex, route of transmission, viral load, ALT levels, HBV and HCV co‐infection and treatment with antiretroviral drugs. 66.7% of patients with GBV‐C had a CD4+ count ≥200 and 33.3% had a CD4+ count <200 cells/mm3. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all GBV‐C isolates were genotype 2, and classified as subtype 2a. GBV‐C infection is relatively common in patients infected with HIV. The prevailing GBV‐C genotype 2a in this study group concurred with reports from other parts of the Middle East. J. Med. Virol. 80:1941–1946, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intrafamilial transmission of hepatitis C virus: Infection of the father predicts the risk of perinatal transmission
Authors: Indolfi Giuseppe , Bartolini Elisa , Azzari Chiara , Becciolini Laura , Moriondo Maria , de Martino Maurizio , Resti Massimo
Published: September 2008

The aims of the present study were to evaluate in a cohort of mothers infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) the prevalence of HCV infection of their sexual partners, the influence of infection of the partners on perinatal transmission, and whether this influence is mediated by other well known risk factors for perinatal transmission. Forty‐nine consecutive mothers infected with HCV who transmitted infection to their offspring and, as a control group, 557 consecutive mothers infected with HCV who did not transmit infection, together with their children and the fathers of the children who were also the sexual partners of the mothers were evaluated. History of intravenous drug use was significantly more frequent in women with partners infected with HCV than in women with partners not infected [115/180 (63.9%) vs. 87/401 (21.7%); relative risk (RR): 6.38, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 4.34–9.39,P < 10−3]. HCV infection was more frequent in the partners of mothers who transmitted perinatally HCV [23/49 (46.9%) vs. 174/557 (31.2%); RR: 1.95, 95%CI: 1.08–3.51,P = 0.03]. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that paternal HCV infection is not a risk factor per se for perinatal HCV transmission, but its role is dependent on maternal intravenous drug use [adjusted RR: 1.23 (95%CI: 0.44–3.39,P = 0.6)]. In conclusion, the present study shows that partners of mothers infected with HCV with a history of intravenous drug use were at a higher risk of HCV infection. HCV infection of the father seems to be associated with perinatal transmission but this relationship is dependent on maternal history of intravenous drug use. J. Med. Virol. 80:1907–1911, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Climatic clusters of the Indian region
Authors: Gadgil Sulochana , Joshi N. V.
Published: September 2008

In this paper we derive climatic clusters of the Indian region using data on monthly mean profiles of the precipitation, the moisture index (defined as the ratio of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration) and of the minimum temperature. The delineation of regions over which the patterns of profiles of important climatic factors such as precipitation are similar is necessary for the determination of meteorological zones over which prediction can be made as well as for understanding the distribution of vegetation cover. The latter has been the major aim of the studies of climatic classification. In the traditional approach to this problem, the meteorological stations in the region are assigned to predetermined categories such as arid, semi‐arid etc. on the basis of the values of the climatic factors (or of the bulk parameters derived therefrom) characterizing these stations.

Here the variation of the climatic patterns over the Indian region has been analysed to obtain climatic clusters, which represent natural grouping of the patterns and hence of the meteorological stations at which they occur, as well as the climatic boundaries separating these clusters. This analysis is facilitated by an initial reduction of dimensionality in the description of the patterns achieved by using principal component analysis. Sixteen clusters of the mean monthly profiles of the moisture index have been obtained. It is found that there is a close correspondence between these clusters and the distribution of the vegetation types in the country.
The impact of weather and climate on industrial production in Great Britain
Authors: Palutikof Jean
Published: September 2008

The Index of Industrial Production (HP) is used as a measure of output from industry in Great Britain. A time‐series of this Index is derived extending from January 1958 to May 1979. This is compared both with seasonal extremes of climate and with more general departures from ‘average’ conditions, to determine the influence, if any, of weather and climate on industrial production.

With respect to extreme seasons, a pronounced decline in industrial production look place during the drought summers of 1975‐6, and the severe winters of 1962‐3 and, to a lesser extent, 1978‐9. Non‐climatic factors, such as industrial disputes, are unlikely 10 have contributed substantially to the shortfall. The categories of industry affected were quite different during the two types of extreme weather event: during the 1962‐3 winter it was industries linked to work out‐of‐doors which suffered, in the 1975‐6 drought it was high water requirement industries.

To determine the impact of general weather conditions, three sets of step‐wise multiple regression analyses are performed using a selection of climate and industrial dispute measures as the independent variables. The dependent variables are values of the January and July IIP with the trend expressing economic growth removed, and the size of the labour force in the construction industry in February. The analyses are performed both upon the full time‐series and on the time‐series with the extreme events removed. The results suggest that normal variations in the weather influence industrial production.
European grosswetter during the warm and cold extremes of the El Niñco/Southern Oscillation
Authors: Fraedrich Klaus
Published: September 2008

El Niňo/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) warm and cold events affect the synoptic climatology of the north‐eastern Atlantic‐European sector. The classification of cyclonic and anticyclonic European Grosswetter (1881–1987) is analysed for its response on 26 warm and 21 cold ENSO episodes. Bi‐monthly ranked composites computed over idealized 2–year ENSO warm (cold) episodes show more days of cyclonic (anticyclonic) steering over Europe. This signal is largest in the winter months of January and February following the year of a warm or cold event. The distributions of the occurrence of cyclonic and anticyclonic Grosswetter days are significantly different for warm and cold event winters: (i) there is more variability between individual warm event winter months, whereas the response to cold episodes is relatively uniform; (ii) on average, cyclonic Grosswetter days are experienced on 60 per cent (46 per cent) of the 58 warm (cold) event winter. days‐about 70 per cent (90 per cent) of the warm (cold) event winters realize more than 30 (< 36) days of cyclonic steering. Qualitatively corresponding results are obtained at a representative central European location for sunshine duration and the sum of daily negative temperatures, which characterize the winter strength.
Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy via gold nanostars
Authors: Nalbant Esenturk E. , Hight Walker A. R.
Published: September 2008

Anisotropic metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have unique optical properties, which lend them to applications such as surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Star‐shaped gold (Au) NPs were prepared in aqueous solutions by the seed‐mediated growth method and tested for Raman enhancement using 2‐mercaptopyridine (2‐MPy) and crystal violet (CV) probing molecules. For both molecules, the SERS activity of the nanostars was notably stronger than that of the spherical Au NPs of similar size. The Raman enhancement factors (EFs) for 2‐MPy on Au nanostars and nanorods are comparable and estimated as greater than 5 orders of magnitude. However, the enhancement for CV on nanostars was significantly higher than for nanorods, in particular at CV concentrations of 100 nM or lower. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predictors of recurrent disease after negative second‐look laparotomy for epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Ayhan Ali , Urman Bulent , Yarali Hakan , Yüce Kunter , Ayhan Ayşe
Published: September 2008

Twenty‐four patients with epithelial ovarian cancer who had negative second‐look laparotomy (SLL) were assessed in regard to recurrent disease. Four patients showed recurrence 11–36 months after negative SLL. All four patients had advanced stage and grade III tumors, with two having residual tumors greater than 1 cm in diameter after initial laparotomy. We believe that patients with advanced stage and high‐grade tumors should receive some kind of treatment after negative SLL.
Sustainable land and water management policies and practices: a pathway to environmental sustainability in large irrigation systems
Authors: Khan S. , Hanjra M. A.
Published: September 2008

Water cycle, land management, and environmental sustainability are intimately linked. Sustainable land and water management practices are vital for sustaining agricultural productivity and regional development. Unsustainable land and water management practices that violate the system's carrying capacity constraint over long periods can impose significant costs in terms of lost opportunities in farm production and regional development, say by causing waterlogging and salinity. On‐farm and regional salt and water balance dynamics are modeled as a sustainability or carrying capacity constraint, proxied by regional salt and water balance; on‐farm land and water management practices are then adjusted to meet the constraint, such that individual actions do not lead to a net change in the ground water and salt balance. Common actions across the farms would achieve the overall environmental sustainability. An irrigated area in southern Murray‐Darling Basin in Australia serves as a case study example. Integrated hydrologic, economic, agricultural, and environmental models called SWAGMAN series are used to evaluate the impacts of a range of on‐farm interventions on farm income and environmental sustainability. The results show that policies such as restrictions on area under certain crops, and tradable groundwater recharge/salinity credits both offer higher total gross margin and net present value than the business as usual scenario, specifically in the long run—win–win options for the farmers and the environment. The modeling results thus confirm the widely held view that unsustainable land and water management practices that violate the system's carrying capacity can impose significant costs on regional communities. In‐depth hydrological and economic analyses are needed to shape and guide society's vision for sustainable land and water management. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
All‐optical virtual private network in passive optical networks
Authors: Su Y. , Tian Y. , Wong E. , Nadarajah N. , Chan C.C.K.
Published: September 2008

We review recent progress on all‐optical virtual‐private‐network (VPN) schemes in passive optical networks (PONs). PON is a promising candidate in future access areas to provide broadband services with low cost. With all‐optical virtual private network (VPN) function, PON can support efficient internetworking among end users with dedicated optical channels, thus enabling guaranteed bandwidth and enhanced security at the physical layer. Here, we discuss and compare existing schemes of all‐optical VPNs in time‐division‐multiplexed (TDM) PONs, and also recently proposed schemes for deployment in wavelength‐division‐multiplexed (WDM) PONs and two‐stage TDM/WDM PONs.
Alterations in mrna levels for growth‐related genes after transplantation into castrated hosts in oncogene‐induced clonal mouse prostate carcinoma
Authors: Egawa Shin , Kadmon Dov , Miller Gary J. , Scardino Peter T. , Thompson Timothy C.
Published: September 2008

A clonal mouse prostate carcinoma was established by the introduction of the ras and myc oncogenes via the recombinant retrovirus Zipras/myc 9 using a mouse prostate reconstitution model system. A single‐cell suspension derived from an early passage ras+myc—induced carcinoma was inoculated into the flanks of intact or castrated adult male C57BL/6 mice, and tumors were harvested 3 wk postinoculation for northern and Southern blotting. Tumor volume analysis showed that this carcinoma was not dependent on testicular androgens for growth. Southern blot analysis of virus‐cell DNA junction fragments revealed that tumor cell populations recovered from both intact and castrated mice were progeny of the same virus‐infected cell. Northern blotting showed that mRNA levels for the four growth‐related genes transforming growth factor‐beta 1 (TGF‐β1), transforming growth factor‐beta 3 (TGF‐β3), tissue‐type plasminogen activator (tPA), and c‐myc were significantly elevated in clonal mouse prostate carcinomas grown in castrated hosts. In contrast, androgen receptor mRNA levels were significantly reduced under the same conditions. The response of TGF‐β1, tPA, and c‐myc mRNA levels in the carcinomas grown in castrated hosts was similar to that shown previously in normal rat ventral prostate. However, unlike normal rat ventral prostate after castration, increased numbers of apoptotic cells were not seen in the castrated group relative to the intact group at the time of analysis, indicating that the altered gene expression was not associated with cell death. In addition, testosterone‐repressed prostate mRNA number 2 levels, shown previously to be elevated after castration in normal rat ventral prostate, were not increased in the androgen‐deprived clonal mouse prostate carcinomas. Therefore, this early passage clonal ras+myc‐induced prostate carcinoma demonstrates unique patterns of expression for a set of growth‐related genes in an androgen‐deprived environment.
Design guidelines for low‐loss slow‐wave coplanar transmission lines in RF‐CMOS technology
Authors: Kaddour D. , Issa H. , Abdelaziz M. , Podevin F. , Pistono E. , Duchamp J.‐M. , Ferrari P.
Published: September 2008

Slow wave coplanar transmission lines (S‐CPW) based on conventional coplanar CPW transmission lines with a floating patterned ground plane are good candidates for the integration of distributed RF circuits for front‐end modules. They offer high quality factors when compared to conventional coplanar transmission lines. In this article, guidelines are carried out for the design of such transmission lines. Simulations are first compared to already published measurements thus validating the simulation method used throughout the article. Next, considering a standard 0.35 μm CMOS process, design guidelines are presented in order to determine the characteristic impedance, the phase velocity, and the dielectric effective constant of the S‐CPW transmission lines, along with the attenuation loss and the quality factor. The effects of CPW dimensions, the floating strips duty cycle, the floating strip width, and the ground plane width are studied, and an optimized 50‐Ω transmission line is designed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3029–3036, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23865
Integrated electrooptical electromagnetic field sensor with Mach‐Zehnder waveguide modulator and annular antenna
Authors: Lee Tsung‐Hsin , Shay Wen‐Tron , Lee Ching‐Ting
Published: September 2008

A small electromagnetic field sensor in the frequency range from 50 MHz to 2 GHz was developed that consisted of a Mach‐Zehnder waveguide modulator and a micro annular antenna, which was directly integrated with the traveling‐wave electrode of the Mach‐ Zehnder waveguide modulator on the same LiNbO3 substrate. The size of the sensor is 45 mm × 10 mm × 1 mm, demonstrating that the new kind of design successfully miniaturized the sensor size. The average minimum detectable electromagnetic field intensity of the sensor is 3.9 mV/m. The result indicates that the new kind of sensor is of potential interest for future application. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3125–3128, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23868
16×16 Mirror type optical switch with integrated fiber alignment and steady switching state
Authors: Chen Qinghua H. , Wu Wengang G. , Wang Ziqian Q. , Zou Zibin B. , Yan Guizhen Z. , Hao Yilong L.
Published: September 2008

This paper reports a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) 16×16 free space optical switch based on high‐reflectivity mirrors. The mirror monolithically integrated with the fiber grooves can enlarge its rotation angles up to 90°, and keep this as a steady state to steer the optical signal. The reflectivity of the mirror is measured to be 93.1 ∼ 96.3%. The smallest fiber‐mirror‐fiber insertion loss is 2.1 dB by utilizing optiFocusTMcollimating lensed fibers. Moreover, only about ±0.01 dB oscillating amplitude of insertion loss is provoked after the device is tested for 15 min for 5 ∼ 90 Hz in the vertical vibration amplitude of 3 mm. In addition, excellent antifatigue performance of the mirror, which can endure more than 109cycles of actuation, has been proven. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3012–3016, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23879
Penta‐band internal antenna for mobile handset applications using parasitic element
Authors: Yoon Ki Suk , Park Su Bin , Kim Sung Min , Yang Woon Geun
Published: September 2008

This letter presents a monopole type penta‐band internal antenna using a parasitic element. The proposed antenna, with the small size of 37 × 8 × 3.5 mm3 can provide sufficient bandwidth to cover the GSM(850/900), DCS, PCS, and WCDMA bands. The measured impedance bandwidth (VSWR ≤ 3) of the proposed antenna can cover 250 MHz in the lower frequency band and 1082 MHz in the upper frequency band. Ansoft HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator) is employed to analyze the proposed antenna in the design process and to compare it with the experimental results. The measured peak gains of the proposed antenna range from 1.21 to 2.48 dBi for the GSM(850/900), DCS, PCS, and WCDMA bands. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3045–3048, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23884
Third and fourth Stokes parameters in polarimetric passive microwave remote sensing of rough surfaces over layered media
Authors: Tsang Leung , Xu Peng , Chen Kun Shan
Published: September 2008

We consider the four Stokes parameters in microwave emission from a layered medium with the top interface being a rough surface. The rough surface varies in one horizontal direction so that azimuthal asymmetry exists in the 3‐D problem. Dyadic Green's functions of multilayered media are used to formulate the surface integral equations. Periodic boundary conditions are used. The numerical results show that the presence of the layered media below the rough surface reduces the vertical and horizontal brightness temperatures. The interaction between the rough surface and the layered media also enhance the third and fourth Stokes parameters. In particular, the fourth Stokes parameter can be large for such geometrical configurations. Results show that the nonzero third and fourth Stokes parameters exist for all frequencies and are particularly large when the rough surface has large slope. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3063–3069, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23892
SOA based fiber ring laser with Fiber Bragg Grating
Authors: Ahmad H. , Ooi H. C. , Sulaiman A. H. , Thambiratnam K. , Zulkifli M. Z. , Harun S. W.
Published: September 2008

A semiconductor optical amplifier fiber ring laser (SOAFRL) utilizing a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) is demonstrated. The laser operates at a wavelength of 1547.64 nm, equal to the Bragg wavelength. By removing FBG, the SOAFRL shows a multi‐modes output due to the resonant characteristics of the semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA's) gain. The output power ripple is observed around 5 dB. The experimental results show that when the saturation level is reached, the SOAFRL with the FBG shows a higher saturation current and peak power compared to that of the SOAFRL without the FBG. Mode competition in the cavity for the free‐running ring SOAFRL results in a lower peak power as well as a broader bandwidth as the current is increased. By incorporating the FBG in the SOAFRL, a lasing wavelength is generated and as such the side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of the laser is significantly improved, resulting in a higher peak power at higher bias currents. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3101–3103, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23895
Erratum: Engineering the phase speed of surface‐plasmon wave at the planar interface of a metal and a chiral scultured thin film
Authors: Lakhtakia Akhlesh , Polo John A.
Published: September 2008

Originally published Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 1966–1970, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3279–3280, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23899
Erratum: Double‐printed rectangular patch dipole antenna for UWB applications
Authors: Gao Guo‐Ping , Yang Xue‐Xia , Zhang Jin‐Sheng , Xiao Jin‐Xiang , Wang Fa‐Jia
Published: September 2008

Originally published Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 2450–2452, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3280, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23900
Compact dual frequency dual polarized cross patch antenna with an X‐slot
Authors: Nisha M. S. , Sarin V. P. , Gijo Augustin , Deepu V. , Anandan C. K. , Mohanan P. , Vasudevan Kesavath
Published: September 2008

A new design of a compact single‐feed dual frequency dual polarized microstrip antenna with an X‐slot is presented. The proposed antenna generates two orthogonally polarized radiations with center frequencies at 1.42 GHz and 1.79 GHz, respectively. For fixed dual frequency operation, the antenna has an area reduction of 74% and 59% for the respective frequencies compared to standard rectangular patches. The antenna exhibits broadside radiation pattern and has sufficient gain for the two bands. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3198–3201, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23903
A compact cascade quadruplet bandpass filter with low temperature cofired ceramic technology
Authors: Lin Hong‐Ching , Lin Pang , Tang Ching‐Wen , Wang Sea‐Fue
Published: September 2008

In this article, a compact cascade quadruplet bandpass filter has been proposed. This bandpass filter has been realized with the semilumped method and can generate a pair of transmission zeros at the two sides of passband by using the nonadjacent cross coupling. The analysis and design procedures are provided in this article. To miniaturize the size of the circuit and improve its performance, multilayered structure and the low‐temperature cofired ceramic technology are employed to design and fabricate the filter. Measurement results agree well with the electromagnetic simulation, which can validate the proposed structure. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3218–3220, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23910
Miniaturized antenna using half‐mode substrate integrated waveguide structure
Authors: Zhong Cuilin , Xu Jun , Yu Zhiyuan , Li Junhong
Published: September 2008

An X‐band miniaturized antenna which uses half‐mode substrate integrated waveguide structure is designed. We analyzed the electromagnetic field using the cavity model and the electromotive force method. The input impedance, simulated and experimental results of return loss, resonant frequency, and radiation patterns are presented. Its performances are as same as those of the corresponding microstrip antenna, but its size is half of the microstrip antenna. This planar structure can be integrated on the same substrate with other components such as filter and amplifier, and it can also be used to easily form antenna arrays. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3214–3218, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23911
A compact printed antenna using slot‐type CSRR for 5.2 ghz/5.8 GHz band‐notched UWB application
Authors: Liu L. , Yin Y. Z. , Jie C. , Xiong J. P. , Cui Z.
Published: September 2008

A compact printed ultra‐wideband (UWB) elliptical‐slot antenna with 5.2 GHz/5.8 GHz band‐notched characteristic is presented. A complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) is etched inside the inner patch to obtain band‐notched function. The proposed antenna is a uniplanar structure and occupies a compact area of 25 × 25 mm2 only, which covers the frequency band from 2.7 to 13 GHz (VSWR ≤ 2), and the obvious band rejection performance in the frequency band is of about 5.1–6.0 GHz. The antenna demonstrates omnidirectional radiation patterns across nearly whole operating bandwidth that is suitable for UWB applications. The prototype has been fabricated and tested, and the measured results agree well with the simulation. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3239–3242, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23918
High‐sensitivity electro‐optic magnetic field probe using Fabry‐Perot resonance
Authors: Kuo Wen‐Kai , Kuo Jun‐You
Published: September 2008

This article presents a new electro‐optic magnetic field probe using the Fabry‐Perot resonance to enhance the sensitivity. The sensing head is made of a plate LiNbO3 crystal with high reflection coating on its top and bottom sides. The experiment shows that the sensitivity can be improved by an order of magnitude. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3212–3214, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23919
A low‐cost Doppler radar system with 24 GHz PLL for remote detection of heart beat
Authors: Zhang Jian , Yang Minghui , Zheng Shuqi , Sun Xiaowei
Published: September 2008

A low‐cost homodyne Doppler radar system with 24.128 GHz phase lock loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer has been designed, fabricated, and applied in remote detection of heart beat. In this direct conversion Doppler radar system, the PLL frequency synthesizer is utilized as a high‐stability local oscillator which is realized traditionally by voltage control oscillator (VCO). This fourth‐order topology PLL‐frequency synthesizer with 8 dBm output power and‐67 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz phase noise offset the carrier can improve the radar system velocity precision drastically. The Doppler radar front‐end system is fabricated with multichip module technology. Time domain and frequency domain test results of the radar for heart beat detection are both presented in the article, which agree with the reality well. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3139–3142, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23923
LC‐tank injection‐locked frequency divider with variable division ratio
Authors: Jang S.‐L. , Liu C.‐C. , Hsue Ching‐Wen
Published: September 2008

In this study, a multimodulus CMOS injection‐locked frequency divider (ILFD) fabricated in a 0.18‐μm CMOS process is designed and the operation principle of the ILFD is described, which was realized using a cross‐coupled PMOS LC‐tank oscillator as the load of a double‐balanced NMOS Gilbert mixer. The stacked structure allows entire mixer current to be reused by the VCO cross‐coupled pair. At the supply voltage of 1.8 V, the free‐running frequency is from 2.31 to 2.65 GHz. Division ratio of 2, 3, 4, and 6 can be found in the ILFD function, and the ILFD can also function as a first‐harmonic injection‐locked oscillator. At the incident power of 0 dBm, the locking range in the ÷2 mode is from the incident frequency 3.4 to 6.4 GHz. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3232–3236, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23928
Compensated LTCC broadside coupler design with branch lines
Authors: Noh Y. S. , Uhm M. S. , Yom I. B.
Published: September 2008

A compensation technique to generate enhanced return loss and directivity is proposed by using additional branch lines for a broadside coupler. The branch lines at all ports are added to reduce the port impedance, resulting in improvement of impedance matching for the tight coupled broadside coupler. The measured results of the proposed low‐temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) coupler show more than 4 dB enhancements of return loss and isolation, compared with those of the conventional one. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3134–3136, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23930
Erratum: A quantitative study on the low frequency breakdown of EFIE
Authors: Qian Zhi Guo , Chew Weng Cho
Published: September 2008

Originally published Microwave Opt Technol Letter 50:1159–1162, 2008. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3278–3279, 2008; Published online in Wiley Inter‐Science (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23934
Design and performance investigation of a diamond‐shaped compact ultra‐wide band antenna for microwave imaging
Authors: Hossain I. , Noghanian S. , Shafai L. , Pistorius S.
Published: September 2008

A diamond‐shaped compact, planar ultra‐wide band (UWB) antenna with measured free‐space frequency bandwidth of 3.80 to 11.85 GHz is presented. Design features for achieving UWB with small geometrical features and antenna performance in some coupling medium have been investigated to verify the feasibility of the antenna for medical imaging applications. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 3255–3259, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23941