bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Characterisation, Spectral and Microbial Studies of Transition Metal Complexes of the Drug, Secnidazole
Authors: Verma Aradhana , Iqbal S. A. , Singh Arun , Mitu Liviu
Published: March 2012

5‐Chloromethyl‐8‐quinolinol hydrochloride was condensed with 1‐(2‐methyl‐5‐nitro‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)propan‐2‐ol in presence of potassium carbonate. The resulting 5‐((1‐(2‐methyl‐5‐nitro‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)propan‐2‐yloxy)methyl)quinolin‐8‐ol was characterized by elemental analysis and spectral studies. The transition metal chelates of the same were prepared with Cu2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Mn2+ and Zn2+ and characterized by IR and electronic spectral studies and magnetic properties. The antimicrobial activity of ligand and its metal chelates were screened against various gram positive and gram negative organisms. The results show that all these samples are more or less active agents against various organisms.
Assessment of the Deterioration in Physiochemical and Microbiological Quality of Shivnath River Water in Durg District, India
Authors: Belorkar Seema A.
Published: March 2012

The water samples collected from Shivnath river in Durg Dist., India, were analyzed for physical properties like color, temperature, turbidity and odor, chemical properties like pH, alkalinity, total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, total solids {Total dissolved solids (TDS) and total suspended solids (TSS)}, sulphates, nitrates were analyzed. Microbiological characteristics like detection of coliforms, quantitative analysis and most probable number (MPN) of coliforms was also performed. Incidences of Escherichia coli 0157 (Thermo tolerant strain) and Salmonella species were analyzed. All stated properties were analyzed for both upstream and downstream sampling points to determine the effect of residential and industrial discharges on the quality of river water. The addition of discharges has shown many fold increase in all the analyzed physiochemical parameters. The MPN/100 mL for upstream sample was 900 and down stream sample showed rises up to 1600. The heterotrophic plate count (HPC) also increased from 1.30×104/100 mL to 1.53×104/100 mL. Incidences of E.coli 0157 (Thermo tolerant strain) and Salmonella species were both found even before the addition of discharges.
Sorption Studies of Chromium(VI) and Mercury(II) by High Temperature Activated Carbon from Syzygium Jambolanum Nut
Authors: Beulah S. Sophie , Muthukumaran K.
Published: March 2012

High temperature activated Syzygium Jambolanum nut carbon (HSJC) has been effectively used for the removal of Cr(VI) and Hg(II) from aqueous solution by batch experiments. Effect of pH, carbon dose and equilibration time were determined. Adsorption followed Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Kinetic studies indicated that the removal process followed reversible first order equation. Desorption of Cr(VI) was done with 1 M NaOH and 10% H2O2 mixture and Hg(II) with 2% Na2S in 1% NaOH. The performance of HSJC was compared with a commercial activated carbon (CAC).
Cellulose Sulfonic Acid: An Efficient Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of 1, 8‐Dioxo‐octahydroxanthenes
Authors: Oskooie Hossein A. , Tahershamsi Leili , Heravi Majid M. , Baghernejad Bita
Published: March 2012

1,8‐Dioxo‐octahydroxanthenes have been synthesized good yields via a reaction of aldehydes and dimedone in the presence of cellulose sulfonic acid as a heterogeneous catalyst under solvent‐free condition.
Kinetic Approach for the Adsorption of Organophosphorous Pesticides from Aqueous Solution Using “Waste” Jute Fiber Carbon
Authors: Senthilkumaar S. , Krishna S. K. , Kalaamanic P. , Subburamaan C. V. , Subramaniam N. Ganapathy , Kang T. W.
Published: March 2012

Chemically activated “Waste” Jute Fiber carbon has been effectively used for the removal of five organophosphorous pesticides (malathion, monocrotophos, methylparathion, phosphamidon and dimethoate) from aqueous solutions. The prepared activated jute fiber carbon was characterized by using Elemental analyzer and proximate analysis methods. The adsorption equilibrium was examined at 28 ºC. Three different kinetic models, the pseudo first order, pseudo second order and Elovich kinetic models were selected to analyses the adsorption process. To compare the fitness of pseudo first order and pseudo second order, sum of the squares of the errors and correlation coefficient, r2 values were calculated. The Elovich model was used to confirm the chemisorptions.
Catalytic Spectrophotometric Method for Determination of Formaldehyde Based on its Catalytic Effect on the ReactionBetween Bromate and Safranin
Authors: Keyvanfard Mohsen
Published: March 2012

The reaction monitored spectrophotometrically by measuring the decrease in absorbance of the reaction mixture at 533 nm. The fixed‐time method was used for the first 60s. For initiation of the reaction, under the optimum conditions, in the concentration range of 0.02‐1.5 μg mL–1 formaldehyde can be determined with a limit of detection 9.5 ng mL–1. The relative standard deviation of five replicate measurements is 2.3% for 0.5 μg mL–1 of formaldehyde. The method was used for the determination of formaldehyde in water samples with satisfactory results. A new simple and fast catalytic kinetic method for the determination of trace amount of formaldehyde is described. The method is based on the catalytic effect of formaldehyde on the oxidation of safranin by bromate in the present of sulfuric acid.
Direct Electrochemical Synthesis of Bismuth(III) Phenoxides and their Coordination Compounds
Authors: Kaur Harpreet , Singh Baljit
Published: March 2012

Bismuth(III) phenoxides have been synthesized by electrochemical reactions of 1‐naphthol, 2‐naphthol, 4‐aminophenol, 2‐nitrophenol, 4‐nitrophenol, 2‐hydroxybenzoic acid, p‐cresol, phenol, resorcinol, 2‐tert‐butylphenol and 2‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methoxyphenol at sacrificial bismuth anode and inert platinum cathode using tetrabutylammonium chloride as supporting electrolyte. The coordination compounds of these phenols with 1, 10‐phenanthroline and 2, 2ʼ‐bipyridyl have also been synthesized electrochemically. The solid products separated in the anode compartment have been isolated and characterized by elemental analysis and infrared spectral studies. Current efficiencies of these reactions are quite high.
Positive and Negative Regulation of Cellular Immune Responses in Physiologic Conditions and Diseases
Authors: Viganò S. , Perreau M. , Pantaleo G. , Harari A.
Published: March 2012

The immune system has evolved to allow robust responses against pathogens while avoiding autoimmunity. This is notably enabled by stimulatory and inhibitory signals which contribute to the regulation of immune responses. In the presence of a pathogen, a specific and effective immune response must be induced and this leads to antigen-specific T-cell proliferation, cytokines production, and induction of T-cell differentiation toward an effector phenotype. After clearance or control of the pathogen, the effector immune response must be terminated in order to avoid tissue damage and chronic inflammation and this process involves coinhibitory molecules. When the immune system fails to eliminate or control the pathogen, continuous stimulation of T cells prevents the full contraction and leads to the functional exhaustion of effector T cells. Several evidences bothin vitroandin vivosuggest that this anergic state can be reverted by blocking the interactions between coinhibitory molecules and their ligands. The potential to revert exhausted or inactivated T-cell responses following selective blocking of their function made these markers interesting targets for therapeutic interventions in patients with persistent viral infections or cancer.
A Study on Cluster Partitioning with Cooperative MISO Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Huang Zheng , Okada Hiraku , Katayama Masaaki , Yamazato Takaya
Published: March 2012

This paper addresses the cluster partitioning problem in wireless sensor networks deployed in a continuous area. We present the model of the network and describe its operational details firstly. Both single-hop and multihop transmissions with cooperative Multi-Input Single-Output (MISO) scheme are considered for the intercluster communications. Besides, uniform and linear data fusions are discussed. Then, the calculations of energy consumptions are derived. Different from other researches, the energy consumptions of intracluster communication in each cluster are included and modeled as functions of the cluster size. Finally, we simulate all possible cluster partitions by changing the numbers of clusters and cooperative transmitting nodes and find the maximal network lifetimes. As a result, the relationships between cluster partitions and network lifetimes are clarified in different situations.
Preliminary Report of the Effectiveness of Tetracycline Sclerotherapy in Treatment of Ganglion
Authors: Ashindoitiang J. A.
Published: March 2012

Ganglion, a benign cyst, most common soft tissue tumor of the hand, usually occurs in the hand, wrist, and foot. It is difficult to treat as reoccurrence is common after surgery and also following other treatment procedures. In this study, sclerotherapy technique in 20 patients treated using a solution of tetracycline after aspiration is described. Most of the patients in this study were between the ages of 20 and 35 years. 16 patients had ganglion on the dorsum of the wrist, 2 patients had bilateral ganglion, and 2 patients had ganglion on the dorsum of the foot. Under aseptic conditions, the ganglions were aspirated using size 21 G needles, and then 1 mL equivalent to 100 mg/mL solution of tetracycline was injected. In the postoperative followup ranging between 18 months to 5 years, 2 reoccurrences were noticed that required the same technique. This procedure is simple, safe, effective, and cheap when compared to surgery and other nonsurgical procedure of treating ganglion.
Industrial Potential of Two Varieties of Cocoyam in Bread Making
Authors: Eddy Nnabuk O. , Essien Emmanuel , Ebenso Eno E. , Ukpe Richard A.
Published: March 2012

The evaluation of the chemical (proximate composition, mineral composition, toxicant composition and vitamin composition), nutritional and industrial potentials of two varieties of cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (XS) and Colocasia esculenta (CE) were carried out using recommended methods of analysis. Baking trials were conducted with the two varieties of cocoyam at different levels of substitution (20%, 30% and 50%). The produced bread samples were analyzed for their physical parameters and proximate composition. Sensory evaluation test was also carried out on the produced bread. The result of the analysis showed that the preferred bread in terms of loaf weight, volume and specific volume was given by sample I (control sample) containing 100% wheat flour with a specific volume of 3.54 cm3/g. This was closely followed by sample A with specific volume of 3.25 cm3/g containing 20% substitution level of CE. Sample H containing 50% substitution level of XS with specific volume of 2.58 cm3/g gave the poorest performance. The sensory evaluation result further revealed that apart from the 100% wheat flour based sample I, sample D with 20% substitution level of XS was rated good and maintained better performance amongst the cocoyam varieties while samples G and C with 100% and 50% substitution level of CE respectively were rated the poorest. The proximate composition of the bread samples was also carried out. CE, XS and wheat bread samples (100%) recorded 15.0633±1.4531, 12.1133±1.5975 and 11.2867±0.7978 respectively for the moisture content. XS bread recorded the highest carbohydrate content of 45.0133±3.0274. In terms of ash, CE bread recorded the highest value of 31.4367±1.6159 while wheat bread recorded the highest value for protein i.e. 20.6033± 0.8113. XS performed better in terms of crude fat and energy value of 12.2967± 0.8914 and 371.5367 respectively. The use of cocoyam ‐ wheat flour mixture in producing composite bread is therefore strongly recommended from this study.
Moyamoya Disease in Pregnancy: Management after Intracranial Bypass Grafting
Authors: Gimovsky A. C. , Macri C. J. , Bathgate S. L. , Ross D. E.
Published: March 2012

Moyamoya disease (MD) is a chronic, progressive cerebrovascular disease distinguished by bilateral stenosis or occlusion of the arteries around the circle of Willis with resulting prominent arterial collateral circulation. We describe a pregnant woman in whom this diagnosis was confirmed by cerebral angiogram and treated with bilateral superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass grafting prior to conception. The patient was managed with strict blood pressure monitoring and low-dose aspirin antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum. The patient presented in spontaneous labor at term and underwent a spontaneous vaginal delivery without complications.
Kinetics of Vinyl Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Initiated by Ce(IV)‐Vanillin Redox System
Authors: Palanivelu M. , Mohamed K. E. N. Nalla , Khan T. Hidayathulla , Nawaz M. Prem
Published: March 2012

The kinetics of polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by Ce(IV)‐Vanillin redox system was studied in aqueous solution of sulfuric acid at 40°C. The rate of polymerization (Rp) and the reaction orders with respect to monomer, initiator and ligand have been determined and found to be 1.5, 0.5 and 0.5 respectively. The effect of concentration of sulfuric acid on the polymerization was also studied. The rate of polymerization was found to increase with increasing temperature 30–60°C and decreases at higher temperature (>60°C). The overall activation energy (Ea) was found to be 36.7 kJ/mol. A suitable kinetic scheme has been proposed.
Study of Solutions to Some Functional Differential Equations with Piecewise Constant Arguments
Authors: Nieto Juan J. , Rodríguez-López Rosana
Published: March 2012

We provide optimal conditions for the existence and uniqueness of
solutions to a nonlocal boundary value problem for a class of linear
homogeneous second‐order functional differential equations with piecewise constant arguments. The nonlocal boundary conditions include
terms of the state function and the derivative of the state function. A
similar nonhomogeneous problem is also discussed.
Automated Generation of Custom Processor Core from C Code
Authors: Trajkovic Jelena , Abdi Samar , Nicolescu Gabriela , Gajski Daniel D.
Published: March 2012

We present a method for construction of application‐specific processor cores from a given C code. Our approach consists of three phases. We start by quantifying the properties of the C code in terms of operation types, available parallelism, and other metrics. We then create an initial data path to exploit the available parallelism. We then apply designer‐guided constraints to an interactive data path refinement algorithm that attempts to reduce the number of the most expensive components while meeting the constraints. Our experimental results show that our technique scales very well with the size of the C code. We demonstrate the efficiency of our technique on wide range of applications, from standard academic benchmarks to industrial size examples like the MP3 decoder. Each processor core was constructed and refined in under a minute, allowing the designer to explore several different configurations in much less time than needed for manual design. We compared our selection algorithm to the manual selection in terms of cost/performance and showed that our optimization technique achieves better cost/performance trade‐off. We also synthesized our designs with programmable controller and, on average, the refined core have only 23% latency overhead, twice as many block RAMs and 36% fewer slices compared to the respective manual designs.
Mycoketide: A CD1c-Presented Antigen with Important Implications in Mycobacterial Infection
Authors: Matsunaga Isamu , Sugita Masahiko
Published: March 2012

Mycobacterium tuberculosisand related mycobacteria species are unique in that the acid-fast bacilli possess a highly lipid-rich cell wall that not simply confers resistance to treatment with acid alcohol, but also controls their survival and virulence. It has recently been established that a fraction of the cell wall lipid components of mycobacteria can function as antigens targeted by the acquired immunity of the host. Human group 1 CD1 molecules (CD1a, CD1b, and CD1c) bind a pool of lipid antigens expressed by mycobacteria and present them to specific T cells, thereby mediating an effective pathway for host defense against tuberculosis. The contrasting and mutually complementary functions of CD1a and CD1b molecules in terms of the repertoire of antigens they bind have been well appreciated, but it remains to be established how CD1c may play a unique role. Nevertheless, recent advances in our understanding of the CD1c structure as well as the biosynthetic pathway of a CD1c-presented antigen, mannose-1, β-phosphomycoketide, expressed by pathogenic mycobacteria now unravel a new aspect of the group 1 CD1 biology that has not been appreciated in previous studies of CD1a and CD1b molecules.
EU Climate and Energy Policy: A Hesitant Supranational Turn?
Authors: Wettestad Jørgen , Eikeland Per Ove , Nilsson Måns
Published: March 2012

This article examines the recent changes of three central EU climate and energy policies: the revised Emissions Trading Directive (ETS); the Renewables Directive (RES); and internal energy market (IEM) policy. An increasing transference of competence to EU level institutions, and hence “vertical integration,” has taken place, most clearly in the case of the ETS. The main reasons for the differing increase in vertical integration are, first, that more member states were dissatisfied with the pre-existing system in the case of the ETS than in the two other cases. Second, the European Commission and Parliament were comparatively more united in pushing for changes in the case of the ETS. And, third, although RES and IEM policies were influenced by regional energy security concerns, they were less structurally linked to and influenced by the global climate regime than the ETS.
Climate Challenges, Ecological Modernization, and Technological Forcing: Policy Lessons from a Comparative US-EU Analysis
Authors: Szarka Joseph
Published: March 2012

The practice of “technological forcing,” understood as policy designed to accelerate technological innovation for the purposes of environmental protection, was pioneered in the USA during the 1970s and continued in Europe with feed-in tariffs for renewable energy and the emissions trading scheme. In order to draw lessons for climate policy, the article tests the capacity of “technological forcing” to translate ecological modernization theory into effective policy and practice, by providing analysis of three case studies. It argues that ambitious climate policies require not only technical proficiency in policy design, but also greater acknowledgment of the need to achieve structural change in major industrial sectors. It concludes that technology-based policies need to be accompanied by economic and political strategies to counteract incumbent resistance, and delineates potential means to do so.
Development of Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larvae in growing populations
Authors: Green James W.M. , Harvey Simon C.
Published: March 2012

For species that rely on ephemeral resources, genotype fitness will depend on traits that affect both population growth rates and dispersal. Understanding how such traits are related is central to understanding how they may evolve. Natural populations of Caenorhabditis elegans exhibit rapid population growth within resource-rich patches of decaying organic material and subsequent dispersal, primarily as developmentally-arrested dauer larvae, between patches. The properties of growing populations of C. elegans are, however, poorly understood. Here we show that food availability, dauer pheromone (a measure of conspecific population density) and temperature affect dauer larvae development in growing populations as would be predicted from analyses of single cohorts of worms. We also show that as food patch size increases, dauer larvae are formed prior to patch exhaustion and that the number of dauer larvae present increases after the patch is exhausted, i.e., worms that had not completed development as dauer larvae when the food was exhausted continue development in the absence of bacterial food. Crucially, the subsequent reproductive fitness of dauer larvae that complete development after the exhaustion of the bacterial food patch is reduced in comparison with dauer larvae that develop prior to patch exhaustion. These results demonstrate that population level analyses of C. elegans are feasible, support previous studies of the environmental factors affecting dauer larvae development and suggest an adaptive benefit for variation between isolates in the sensitivity of dauer larvae development.
Presence of Meloidogyne enterolobii Yang & Eisenback (=M. mayaguensis) in guava and acerola from Costa Rica
Authors: Humphreys Danny Antonio , Williamson Valerie Moroz , Salazar Luis , Flores-Chaves Lorena , Gómez-Alpizar Luis
Published: March 2012

The presence of Meloidogyne enterolobii on two hosts and in several locations in Costa Rica is reported. Meloidogyne spp. females were extracted from root of acerola and of wild and introduced guava and their perineal patterns were examined. Females from acerola showed round or dorso-ventrally ovoid perineal patterns, in some cases with lateral lines or with a moderately high to high dorsal arch as is characteristic of M. incognita. In guava, perineal patterns were similar, but with a low to moderate dorsal arch. PCR amplification of the mitochondrial DNA region between COII and the 16S ribosomal RNA yielded a unique product of 705 bp for the five populations extracted from both crops. In addition, the amplified product spanning the 63 bp repeat region of the mitochondrial genome was a single fragment of 320 bp in contrast to other tropical species, which typically amplify multiple bands. Size of PCR products of both mitochondrial regions and the sequence of the 63 bp repeat region supported the identity of these isolates as M. enterolobii (=M. mayaguensis).
Nidicolous development in Limnonectes limborgi (Anura, Dicroglossidae)
Authors: Rowley Jodi J.L. , Altig Ronald
Published: March 2012

The Southeast Asian frog Limnonectes limborgi and the closely related L. hascheanus have been considered direct developers for almost 50 years. We report that rather than having direct development, L. limborgi has nidicolous development (= eggs oviposited terrestrially and larvae are free-living but nonfeeding) from large, nonpigmented eggs laid in a terrestrial nest constructed by the male. Thirteen nests were observed at four sites in Cambodia and Vietnam, five of which contained clutches of up to 15 eggs or tadpoles. Calling males were in attendance regardless of the presence of or developmental stage of their progeny. Large yolk reserves present as late as stage 37 and the lack of organic material in the gut indicate that these tadpoles do not feed. It is likely that L. hascheanus also has nidicolous development.
An Analysis for the Applicability of Monin–Obukhov Similarity Theory in Stable Conditions
Authors: Kumar Pramod , Sharan Maithili
Published: March 2012

An analysis in a plane of the stability parameters ζ = z/L (where z is a height above the ground surface and L is the Obukhov length) and bulk Richardson number RiB is proposed to examine the applicability of Monin–Obukhov similarity (MOS) theory in stable conditions. In this analysis, the data available from two different experimental datasets [(i) Cooperative Atmosphere–Surface Exchange Study-1999 (CASES-99) and (ii) Cardington] are divided into four quadrants. An unexpected behavior of decreasing ζ with increasing RiB was observed with both datasets in quadrant II characterized by ζ < 1 and RiB > 0.2 and in quadrant IV with ζ > 1 and RiB < 0.2. This is in contrast to a commonly expected monotonically increasing behavior between ζ and RiB. It is shown that the MOS theory is consistent for computing the surface fluxes corresponding to the data points lying in quadrants I (with ζ > 1 and RiB > 0.2) and III (with ζ < 1 and RiB < 0.2), whereas it may not be applicable for the points in quadrants II and IV. Thus, a breakdown of the relationship between observed ζ and RiB with growing stability in these quadrants may limit the applicability of MOS theory in stable conditions. Since quadrant IV has very few data points, the applicability of MOS theory needs to be substantiated further with the availability of sufficient data points in this regime.
Structural features based genome-wide characterization and prediction of nucleosome organization
Authors: Gan Yanglan , Guan Jihong , Zhou Shuigeng , Zhang Weixiong
Published: March 2012

Background

Nucleosome distribution along chromatin dictates genomic DNA accessibility and thus profoundly influences gene expression. However, the underlying mechanism of nucleosome formation remains elusive. Here, taking a structural perspective, we systematically explored nucleosome formation potential of genomic sequences and the effect on chromatin organization and gene expression in S. cerevisiae.

Results

We analyzed twelve structural features related to flexibility, curvature and energy of DNA sequences. The results showed that some structural features such as DNA denaturation, DNA-bending stiffness, Stacking energy, Z-DNA, Propeller twist and free energy, were highly correlated with in vitro and in vivo nucleosome occupancy. Specifically, they can be classified into two classes, one positively and the other negatively correlated with nucleosome occupancy. These two kinds of structural features facilitated nucleosome binding in centromere regions and repressed nucleosome formation in the promoter regions of protein-coding genes to mediate transcriptional regulation. Based on these analyses, we integrated all twelve structural features in a model to predict more accurately nucleosome occupancy in vivo than the existing methods that mainly depend on sequence compositional features. Furthermore, we developed a novel approach, named DLaNe, that located nucleosomes by detecting peaks of structural profiles, and built a meta predictor to integrate information from different structural features. As a comparison, we also constructed a hidden Markov model (HMM) to locate nucleosomes based on the profiles of these structural features. The result showed that the meta DLaNe and HMM-based method performed better than the existing methods, demonstrating the power of these structural features in predicting nucleosome positions.

Conclusions

Our analysis revealed that DNA structures significantly contribute to nucleosome organization and influence chromatin structure and gene expression regulation. The results indicated that our proposed methods are effective in predicting nucleosome occupancy and positions and that these structural features are highly predictive of nucleosome organization.

The implementation of our DLaNe method based on structural features is available online.
Telephone follow-up to a mail survey: when to offer an interview compared to a reminder call
Authors: Ziegenfuss Jeanette Y , Burmeister Kelly R , Harris Ann , Holubar Stefan D , Beebe Timothy J
Published: March 2012

Background

Using a different mode of contact on the final follow-up to survey non-respondents is an identified strategy to increase response rates. This study was designed to determine if a reminder phone call or a phone interview as a final mode of contact to a mailed survey works better to increase response rates and which strategy is more cost effective.

Methods

A randomized study was embedded within a survey study of individuals treated with ulcerative colitis conducted in March 2009 in Olmsted County, Minnesota. After two mail contacts, non-respondents were randomly assigned to either a reminder telephone call or a telephone interview. Average cost per completed interview and response rates were compared between the two experimental conditions.

Results

The response rate in the reminder group and the interview did not differ where we considered both a completed survey and a signed form a complete (24% vs. 29%, p = 0.08). However, if such a signed form was not required, there was a substantial advantage to completing the interview over the phone (24% vs. 43%, p < 0.0001). The reminder group on average cost $27.00 per completed survey, while the interview group on average cost $53.00 per completed survey when a signed form was required and $36.00 per complete when a signed form was not required.

Conclusions

The additional cost of completing an interview is worth it when an additional signed form is not required of the respondent. However, when such a signed form is required, offering an interview instead of a reminder phone call as a follow up to non-respondents does not increase response rates enough to outweigh the additional costs.
A patient presenting with concha bullosa in another concha bullosa: a case report
Authors: Cukurova Ibrahim , Yaz Aytekin , Gumussoy Murat , Yigitbasi Orhan G , Karaman Yucel
Published: March 2012

Introduction

Anatomic variations of the paranasal sinuses are very common. The paranasal sinus anatomy should be carefully examined prior to performing endoscopic sinus surgery in terms of both existent pathologies and anatomic variations. The anatomy of the paranasal sinuses and its variations have gained importance, along with advances in coronal paranasal sinus computed tomography and extensive use of endoscopic sinus surgery.

Case presentation

A 53-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted to our clinic with complaints of nasal breathing difficulties and headache persisting for a long time. Another concha bullosa was detected in the middle concha bullosa on preoperative paranasal computed tomography examination. It is known that the paranasal sinuses have a number of anatomical variations.

Conclusion

Herein we report a rare case, along with a review of the literature, to emphasize that a concha bullosa inside another concha bullosa should not be ignored.
In Vitro assessment of the nutritive value of expanded soybean meal for dairy cattle
Authors: Elwakeel Eman A , Titgemeyer Evan C , Cheng Zongjia J , Nour Abdelaziz M , Nasser Mohamed EA
Published: March 2012

Little information is available about the nutritive value of expanded soybean meal, which is produced by expansion of soybeans prior to solvent extraction of the oil. During processing, expanded soybean meal is subjected to additional heat, which might increase the concentration of ruminally undegraded protein. Processing of soybeans with heat during oil extraction could affect lysine availability by increasing ruminally undegraded protein or by impairing intestinal digestion. Our objective was to compare solvent and expanded soybeans with regard to chemical composition and nutritive value for dairy cattle. Samples of expanded soybean meal (n = 14) and solvent-extracted soybean meal (n = 5) were obtained from People's Republic of China to study effects of the expansion process on nutritive value for dairy cattle. Solvent-extracted soybean meal (n = 2) and mechanically extracted (heated) soybean meal (n = 2) from the United States served as references for comparison. Samples were analyzed for crude fat, long-chain fatty acids, crude protein, amino acids, chemically available lysine, in situ ruminal protein degradation, and in vitro intestinal digestibility. No differences were found between solvent-extracted soybean meals from China and expanded soybean meals from China for crude fat, crude protein, amino acids, or chemically available lysine. In situ disappearance of nitrogen, ruminally undegraded protein content, and in vitro intestinal digestion of the ruminally undegraded protein were generally similar between solvent-extracted soybean meals made in China and expanded soybean meals made in China; variation among soybean meals was small. Results indicate that the additional heat from the expansion process was not great enough to affect the nutritive value of soybean meal protein for ruminants. Although expansion may improve the oil extraction process, the impact on the resulting soybean meal is minimal and does not require consideration when formulating ruminant diets.
Structure and Catalytic Properties of Pd/10Al2O3·2B2O3. Effect of Preparation Routes and Additives
Authors: Ikeue Keita , Hinokuma Satoshi , Watanabe Kazuma , Minekishi Takayuki , Sato Takahiro , Nakahara Yunosuke , Machida Masato
Published: March 2012

The synthesis route of 10Al2O3·2B2O3 (10A2B) and effect of additives were studied to use this compound as a thermally stable support material for Pd catalysts. The preparation by reverse coprecipitation was found to have a beneficial effect on the BET surface area of 10A2B and thus Pd metal dispersion, compared to other preparation routes via solid-state reaction and hydrolysis of metal alkoxides. The addition of 3 wt % BaO suppressed the sintering of 10A2B and Pd during thermal aging at 900 °C in a stream of air containing 10% H2O. Although direct interactions between Pd and the support material were not detected by EXAFS, the catalytic performance for NO–CO–C3H6–O2–H2O reactions under modulated air-to-fuel ratio (A/F) conditions was strongly influenced by the Ba additive. The activity for NO and C3H6 in a rich region (A/F < 14.6) was especially enhanced in the presence of Ba because of accelerated elemental reactions including NO–CO and NO–C3H6. In situ FT-IR of CO suggested that the Pd electronic state changed by electrostatic effect of Ba additives would activate NO and weaken the self-poisoning effect of C3H6.
Electrochemical Coupling Layer-by-layer (ECC-LbL) Assembly in Patterning Mode
Authors: Li Mao , Ishihara Shinsuke , Ji Qingmin , Ma Yuguang , Hill Jonathan P , Ariga Katsuhiko
Published: March 2012

Functional building blocks (fullerene and fluorene) were integrated into multilayers by utilizing electrochemical coupling layer-by-layer (ECC-LbL) assembly driven by the covalent carbon–carbon coupling reaction of pendant alkylcarbazoyl groups. The ECC-LbL assembly in patterning mode can be used to locally immobilize functional units and has been demonstrated here in a patterned fluorescent display. ECC-LbL is a versatile method for surface fabrication with promising potential in many applications.
Comparison of Two Species of Notopterygium by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography—Photodiode Array Detection—Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Liu Guo-Qang , Dong Jing , Wang Hong , Hashi Yuki , Chen Shi-Zhong
Published: March 2012

Notopterygium incisum Ting ex H.T. Chang ( N. incisum) and Notopterygium forbesii Boiss ( N. forbesii) are two medicinal species of Qianghuo (a well-known traditional herbal medicine in China) that are widely used in clinical prescriptions for the treatment of colds and rheumatism. To compare the chemical constituents of these two plant materials, the phenolic constituents and coumarins of these two species were comprehensively and systematically analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array detection–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/DAD/ESI-MS n) for the first time. A total of 25 compounds (nine phenolic compounds and 16 coumarins) were detected in the methanol extracts. These compounds were separated on a C18 column and identified or tentatively characterized on the basis of their UV spectra and MS fragmentation behavior. In contrast to previous reports, we found that these two plant species possess very different coumarin patterns. O-Demethylfuropinnarin (18), phenethylferulate (19), notopterol (20), and isoimperatorin (22) were the predominant constituents of N. incisum, whereas nodakenin (6), 6- O-trans-feruloylnodakenin (12), p-hydroxypenethylanisate (16) and isoimperatorin (22) were the major constituents of N. forbesii. O-Demethylfuropinnarin (18), phenethylferulate (19) and notopterol (20) were only detected in N. incisum and can be regarded as useful taxonomic markers for differentiating these two plant species. Considering the marked differences in the main chemical constituents of N. incisum and N. forbesii, the biological activities of these two species should be further investigated and compared to ensure consistency and efficacy in the pharmaceutical applications of these materials.
Nonfixed Retirement Age for University Professors: Modeling Its Effects on New Faculty Hires
Authors: Larson Richard C. , Gomez Diaz Mauricio
Published: March 2012

We model the set of tenure-track faculty members at a university as a queue, where “customers” in queue are faculty members in active careers. Arrivals to the queue are usually young, untenured assistant professors, and departures from the queue are primarily those who do not pass a promotion or tenure hurdle and those who retire. There are other less-often-used ways to enter and leave the queue. Our focus is on system effects of the elimination of mandatory retirement age. In particular, we are concerned with estimating the number of assistant professor slots that annually are no longer available because of the elimination of mandatory retirement. We start with steady-state assumptions that require use of Little's Law of Queueing, and we progress to a transient model using system dynamics. We apply these simple models using available data from our home university, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Efficacy of Aphrodisiac Plants towards Improvement in Semen Quality and Motility in Infertile Males
Authors: Mahajan Ghanashyam Keshav , Mahajan Arun Yashwant , Mahajan Raghunath Totaram
Published: March 2012

Infertility is the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse. In the present study, herbal composition prepared by using medicinal plants having aphrodisiac potentials was administered orally to the albino rats for 40 days and to the oligospermic patients for 90 days in order to prove the efficacy of herbal composition. Herbal composition was the mixture (powder form) of the medicinal plants namely, Mucuna pruriens (Linn), Chlorophytum borivillianum (Sant and Fernand), and Eulophia campestris (Wall). In the neem oil treated albino rats, there was significant reduction in almost all the parameters viz. body weight, testes and epididymes weight, sperm density and motility, serum levels of testosterone, FSH, and LH compared with control rats. Treatment with said herbal composition for 40 days results significant increased in the body weight, testis, and epididymes weight in rats. Concomitantly the sperm motility and the sperm density were significantly increased. After 90 days of treatment with this herbal composition, sperm density vis-a-vis motility was increased in oligozoospermic patients as a result of elevation in serum testosterone levels. No side effects were noticed during the entire duration of the trial.
H. Spinosa T. Anders Ameliorates Diabetic Neuropathy in Wistar Albino Rats
Authors: Thorve Vrushali S. , Kshirsagar Ajay D. , Vyawahare Neeraj S. , Thakurdesai Prasad A. , Bhandare Amol M.
Published: March 2012

Diabetic neuropathic pain, an important microvascular complication in diabetes, is recognised as one of the most difficult types of pain to treat. The development of tolerance, inadequate relief, and potential toxicity of classical antinociceptives warrant the investigation of the newer agents to relieve this pain. Reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, increased oxidative stress, cytokines, and apoptosis are implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of methanolic extract of aerial parts of H. spinosa (HSME) on alloxan induced diabetic neuropathy in Wistar rats. Diabetic rats developed neuropathy after the third week of diabetes induction. Chronic treatment with HSME (250, 500, and 750 mg/kg body weight; p.o.) for 6 weeks starting from the 3rd week of alloxan injection showed significant increase in the pain threshold levels as compared to diabetic rats. HSME treated diabetic animals showed significant decrease in blood glucose level and increase in body weight as compared to diabetic control animals. The changes in lipid peroxidation status and antioxidant enzymes levels observed in sciatic nerve of diabetic rats were significantly restored by HSME treatment. Thus, the results suggest therapeutic potential of H. spinosa in treatment of diabetic neuropathy.
A Hybrid Control Method for Output Power Smoothing of a PMSG-Based WECS
Authors: Pratap Alok , Senju Tomonobu , Yona Atsushi , Urasaki Naomitsu , Funabashi Toshihisa
Published: March 2012

This paper presents a smoothing method of output power by using pitch angle control, inertia of a wind turbine and DC-Link voltage control of a wind energy conversion system (WECS) using a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). The output power fluctuations in low and high frequency domains are smoothed by the pitch angle control of the WECS and the DC-Link voltage control, respectively. The remaining frequency, i.e., middle frequency is smoothed by the inertia of the wind turbine. The generator-side converter controls the generator torque of PMSG while the grid-side inverter controls the DC-Link voltage and grid voltage. From the proposed method, the generator torque is smoothed and kinetic energy generated by the inertia of the wind turbine is used to smooth the power fluctuations of the PMSG and wind turbine blade stress is mitigated as the pitch action in high frequency domain is reduced. Due to the DC-Link voltage in this paper by an appropriate operating region, the output power smoothing is achieved with stability and low cost. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by numerical simulations.
Numerical Simulation of Experimental Freezing Process of Ground Meat Cylinders
Authors: Moraga Nelson O. , Vega-Gálvez Antonio , Lemus-Mondaca Roberto
Published: March 2012

The efficient prediction of freezing processes is important for the frozen food industry with the purpose of preserving food quality. A comparison is made between the finite difference and finite volume methods to predict the unsteady 2D temperature distribution for the freezing of three different ground meat cylinders, with variable convective boundary conditions. Experiments were carried out to measure the local heat transfer coefficients as a function of freezing time and location. Time-dependent air temperature conditions caused by thermostat action were included in the analysis. The meat thermophysical properties as density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity are assumed to vary non-linearly with temperature. The experimentally measured time-temperature data were compared with the simulation results obtained by both numerical methods. According to statistical test results (RE %), the finite volume method gave the best fit quality. The finite volume method is more accurate for simulating the freezing process, as well as estimating the freezing time of this product
Using the Mitschka-Briggs-Steffe Method for Evaluation of Cactus Pear Concentrated Pulps Rheological Behavior
Authors: Augusto Pedro Esteves Duarte , Cristianini Marcelo , Ibarz Albert
Published: March 2012

The rheological characterization of food is important for efficient product and process design. Although its importance in semi-arid regions, there are only a few studies regarding the rheological properties of cactus pear products in the literature. The present work has used the Mitschka-Briggs-Steffe method for evaluation of the rheological behavior of cactus pear concentrated pulps. The pulps have shown pseudoplastic behavior. The flow behavior index (n) shows a constant value in the evaluated conditions, and its average value was considered in the evaluated temperature and concentration range. The consistency index (k) has shown dependency of concentration and temperature, being well modeled by a modified Arrhenius equation. Thus, the rheological parameters of cactus pear concentrated pulps can be obtained using a single equation, related with temperature, concentration and shear rate. The obtained data are potentially useful for future studies on product development, food properties and process design.
Gel Properties of Ribbonfish (Trichiurus haumela) Surimi Gels with Soybean Dietary Fiber Induced by High Pressure and Heating
Authors: Cheng Zhenzhu , Yang Ruijin , Zhao Wei
Published: March 2012

The effect of soybean dietary fiber in the functional and mechanical properties of restructured products from ribbonfish induced by their different treatments was investigated. Different amount of soybean dietary fiber (0, 10, 20, 30, or 50g/kg) was added at the same time as ice water to maintain similar moisture level in all samples. Then the samples with the same level of soybean dietary fiber were treated by high pressure (300MPa, 10min, P), high pressure followed by cooking (300MPa for 10min, then 90 â for 20min, PC), and cooking after setting (40 â for 30min, then 90 â for 20min, SC), respectively. Results obtained suggest that soybean dietary fiber increased the gel strength of sample gels regardless of the treatments, and improved the texture properties of gels induced by PC and SC with almost imperceptible effect on the whiteness. The presence of soybean dietary fiber in the surimi gels also resulted in the increase in myosin heavy chain (MHC) band intensity. For gels with the same level of soybean dietary fiber, the high pressure treatment only made them softer, more elastic, and more translucent, and they kept their native color, compared with the other two treatments. The gels induced by PC had a significant increase in gel strength compared to that treated by SC.
Correlating the Data on the Mechanical Damage to Mung Bean Seeds under Impact Loading
Authors: Shahbazi Feizollah , Valizadeh Saman , Dolatshaie Ali
Published: March 2012

Mechanical damage of seeds due to harvest, handling, and other processes is an important factor that affects the quality and quaintly of seeds. This study evaluated impact damage to the mung bean seeds with moisture contents of 9.54 to 25% wet basis and subject to impact velocities from 10 to 25 m/s using a laboratory impact damage assessment device. The results showed that impact velocity, moisture content, and the interaction effects of these two variables significantly influenced the percentage physical damage in mung ban seeds (p<0.01). Increasing the impact velocity from 10 to 25 m/s caused a significant (pâ<â0.05) increase in the mean values of damage from 0.53 to 31.78%. The mean values of physical damage decreased significantly (pâ<â0.05) by a factor about two (from 22.41 to 11.24%), with increase in the moisture content from 9.54 to 20%. However, by a higher increase in the moisture from 20 to 25%, the mean value of damage showed a non-significant increasing trend. There was an optimum moisture level of 20%, at which seed damage was minimized. An empirical model composed of seed moisture content and velocity of impact developed for accurately describing the percentage of physical damage to mung beans. It was found that the model has provided satisfactory results over the whole set of values for the dependent variable.