bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ChemInform Abstract: Asymmetric Synthesis of Cyclic Ketal and Spiroaminal‐Containing Natural Products
Authors: Forsyth Craig J.
Published: December 2007

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Recent Advances in the Treatment of Thromboembolic Diseases: Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Agrawal Y. K. , Vaidya Hitesh , Bhatt Hardik , Manna Kuntal , Brahmkshatriya Pathik
Published: December 2007

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
External beam radiation treatment for rectal cancer is associated with a decrease in subsequent prostate cancer diagnosis
Authors: Hoffman Karen E. , Hong Theodore S. , Zietman Anthony L. , Russell Anthony H.
Published: December 2007

BACKGROUND.

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for rectal cancer unavoidably delivers significant radiation dose to the prostate gland. The effect of this incidental exposure on subsequent prostate cancer diagnosis was investigated using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry.

METHODS.

Men diagnosed with localized or regional (L/R) rectal cancer from 1988–1997 and treated with EBRT and sphincter‐sparing surgery (SSS) were identified. Men treated for L/R rectal cancer with SSS who did not receive EBRT, and men with L/R colon cancer who did not receive EBRT, were studied for comparison. Multiple Primary Standardized Incidence Ratios of observed to expected (O/E) cases of prostate cancer were calculated using SEER*Stat.

RESULTS.

In all, 1574 men with L/R rectal cancer treated with EBRT and SSS were identified. The median age at diagnosis was 64 and median survival was 76 months. Twenty were subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer, a number significantly less than expected compared with the general population of similar age and race. The ratio of O/E cases was 0.28 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17, 0.43). In contrast, 3114 men diagnosed with rectal cancer undergoing SSS who were not treated with EBRT and 24,578 men diagnosed with colon cancer who were not treated with EBRT were subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer at rates similar to the general population (O/E of 0.94 and 1.09).

CONCLUSIONS.

EBRT for L/R rectal cancer was associated with a 72% decrease in the frequency of subsequent prostate cancer diagnosis when compared with men of similar age and race. Possible mechanisms that may explain this observation are discussed. Cancer 2008. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Carboplatin hypersensitivity reaction in pediatric patients with low‐grade glioma
Authors: Lafay‐Cousin Lucie , Sung Lillian , Carret Anne‐Sophie , Hukin Juliette , Wilson Beverly , Johnston Donna L. , Zelcer Shayna , Silva Mariana , Odame Isaac , Mpofu Chris , Strother Douglas , Bouffet Eric
Published: December 2007

BACKGROUND.

Carboplatin‐based regimens have demonstrated activity in pediatric patients with low‐grade glioma (LGG). However, carboplatin hypersensitivity reaction (Cb HSR) represents a common and limiting factor for the continuation of therapy.

METHODS.

The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence, characteristics, and management of Cb HSR and to detail their impact on outcome. The authors conducted a comprehensive, national, retrospective review of children who were diagnosed with LGG between 1985 and 2004 and received treatment with carboplatin.

RESULTS.

One hundred five patients from 10 Canadian centers were included. The median patient age at diagnosis was 3.5 years (range, 0.3–16.8 years), and 33 patients (31.4%) had neurofibromatosis type 1. Carboplatin was administered monthly in 46 children and weekly in 59 children. Forty‐four patients (41.9%) developed Cb HSR after a median of 10.5 infusions (range, 3–39 infusions). Cb HSR occurred significantly earlier among children on the weekly schedule (4.4 months vs 9.1 months; P = .02). The first allergic reaction was grade I or II in 36 patients (82%). The cumulative incidence of Cb HSR increased with the number of infusions, and there was no evidence of a plateau. The only predictive factor was being a girl rather than a boy (P = .02). Thirty‐four of 44 patients with Cb HSR were re‐exposed to carboplatin, and 24 of 34 patients (70.5%) had recurrent Cb HSR. A desensitization approach did not provide any advantage compared with premedication alone for altering Cb HSR. The median number of additional Cb infusions delivered was 4 (range, 0.5–34 infusions). The effect of Cb HSR on the 5‐year progression‐free survival rate was not statistically significant (P = .1).

CONCLUSIONS.

Forty‐two percent of children with LGG who received carboplatin regimens experienced Cb HSR. Most rechallenged children had recurrent Cb HSR despite Cb HSR‐altering regimens. Cb HSR did not have an impact on progression‐free survival. Cancer 2008. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Six cadm/synCAM genes are expressed in the nervous system of developing zebrafish
Authors: Pietri Thomas , Easley‐Neal Courtney , Wilson Catherine , Washbourne Philip
Published: December 2007

The Cadm (cell adhesion molecule) family of cell adhesion molecules (also known as IGSF4, SynCAM, Necl and TSLC) has been implicated in a multitude of physiological and pathological processes, such as spermatogenesis, synapse formation and lung cancer. The precise mechanisms by which these adhesion molecules mediate these diverse functions remain unknown. To investigate mechanisms of action of these molecules during development, we have identified zebrafish orthologs of Cadm family members and have examined their expression patterns during development and in the adult. Zebrafish possess six cadm genes. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis suggest that four of the zebrafish cadm genes represent duplicates of two tetrapod Cadm genes, whereas the other two cadm genes are single orthologs of tetrapod Cadm genes. All six zebrafish cadms are expressed throughout the nervous system both during development and in the adult. The spatial and temporal patterns of expression suggest multiple roles for Cadms during nervous system development. Developmental Dynamics 237:233–246, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Relaxation methods and coupling procedures
Authors: Ambroso A. , Chalons C. , Coquel F. , Godlewski E. , Lagoutière F. , Raviart P.‐A. , Seguin N.
Published: December 2007

This paper studies a global relaxation method to ensure the conservative coupling at a fixed interface of two Euler systems with different pressure laws. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The ectonucleotidase cd39/ENTPDase1 modulates purinergic‐mediated microglial migration
Authors: Färber Katrin , Markworth Sören , Pannasch Ulrike , Nolte Christiane , Prinz Vincent , Kronenberg Golo , Gertz Karen , Endres Matthias , Bechmann Ingo , Enjyoji Keiichi , Robson Simon C. , Kettenmann Helmut
Published: December 2007

Microglia is activated by brain injury. They migrate in response to ATP and although adenosine alone has no effect on wild type microglial migration, we show that inhibition of adenosine receptors impedes ATP triggered migration. CD39 is the dominant cellular ectonucleotidase that degrades nucleotides to nucleosides, including adenosine. Importantly, ATP fails to stimulate P2 receptor mediated migration in cd39−/− microglia. However, the effects of ATP on migration in cd39−/− microglia can be restored by co‐stimulation with adenosine or by addition of a soluble ectonucleotidase. We also tested the impact of cd39‐deletion in a model of ischemia, in an entorhinal cortex lesion and in the facial nucleus after facial nerve lesion. The accumulation of microglia at the pathological sites was markedly decreased in cd39−/− animals. We conclude that the co‐stimulation of purinergic and adenosine receptors is a requirement for microglial migration and that the expression of cd39 controls the ATP/adenosine balance. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Observations of initiation stage of spontaneous vapor explosions for droplet scale
Authors: Takashima Takeo
Published: December 2007

In this study, the initiation stage of spontaneous vapor explosions generated by single droplets of molten tin submerged in water was investigated using a high‐ speed video camera operated with a reflected light system. Photographs of the formation process of vapor film, the process of vapor film disturbance, and the initiation process of the vapor explosions for different masses of molten tin and different nozzle diameters were obtained. The results demonstrate that partial thermal interaction between tin and water does not cause a vapor explosion with fragmentation. The vapor film disappears locally during the formation of the vapor film around the hot liquid droplet. Direct contact between the hot molten tin surface and water is thereby generated. However, the local disappearance of the vapor film does not progress and the vapor film is reconstructed. A vapor explosion occurs when the vapor film collapses at the local area of the bottom or edge of the disk‐shaped droplet. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 37(1): 41–55, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20185
On the dynamics of breast tumor development in women carrying germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations
Authors: Simon Richard , Zhang Xinan
Published: December 2007

We used mathematical models to analyze the age‐incidence curve of breast carcinoma for individuals carrying a germline mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene locus. Although many genomic abnormalities have been identified in breast tumors, we found that a two‐stage model fit the data well. A one‐hit model was not, however, consistent with the data. The results supported the hypothesis that the first hit represents loss of the wild type BRCA1 or BRCA2 allele as this occurs at a rate very similar to that for loss of the wild‐type RB allele in retinoblastoma. Loss of the wild‐type BRCA1 or BRCA2 allele appears to destabilize the genome as the second event occurs at a much higher rate. The second event is “rate limiting” in the sense that its occurrence is constrained by the limited number of intermediate cells with doubly mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 alleles. The second event may not be unique, however. Loss of the wild‐type BRCA allele appears to result in an increased rate for subsequent genomic events. A second event increasing proliferation of the partially malignant intermediate clone may lead inexorably to production and selection of cells with additional mutations in genes that facilitate tumor progression. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Myths and misconceptions about using qualitative methods in assessment
Authors: Harper Shaun R. , Kuh George D.
Published: December 2007

Faulty assumptions explain, at least in part, why qualitative approaches are underused in institutional research. Some of the most complex assessment questions could be answered with greater clarity if these fallacies were explicated and dispelled.
In vivo behavior of a novel injectable calcium phosphate cement compared with two other commercially available calcium phosphate cements
Authors: Hannink Gerjon , Wolke Joop G. C. , Schreurs B. Willem , Buma Pieter
Published: December 2007

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and biological properties of a newly developed calcium phosphate cement (CPC). The novel cement was compared with two other commercially available CPCs. After mixing the powder and liquid phase, the CPCs were injected as a paste into a rabbit distal femoral defect model. The CPCs were evaluated after 24 h, 6 weeks, 26 weeks, and 52 weeks. The novel CPC was easy to handle and was fast setting. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) at the different implantation periods showed that the cement had converted to carbonated hydroxyapatite and remained stable over time. Histological evaluation showed bone apposition on the cement surface without any inflammatory response or fibrous encapsulation. At later time points, all CPCs were completely covered by a thin layer of bone. Osteoclast‐like cells present at the interface resorbed parts of the cement mass. Histological and histomorphometrical analyses did not show any significant differences between the three implanted CPCs. The results indicate that the investigated CPC is biocompatible, osteoconductive, as well as osteotransductive and seems to be both biologically safe and effective as a bone void filler. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
Approaches for prevention of restenosis
Authors: Kraitzer Amir , Kloog Yoel , Zilberman Meital
Published: December 2007

Coronary artery disease is characterized by a narrowing (stenosis) of the arteries that supply blood to the tissue of the heart. Continued restriction of blood flow manifests itself as angina and ultimately myocardial infarction (heart attack) for the patient. Heart bypass was once the only treatment for this condition, but over the years percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become an increasingly attractive alternative to medical therapy and surgical revascularization for the treatment of coronary artery disease. A vascular stent is a medical device designed to serve as a temporary or permanent internal scaffold, to maintain or increase the lumen of a blood vessel. Metallic coronary stents were first introduced to prevent arterial dissections and to eliminate vessel recoil and intimal hyperplasia associated with PCI. Further advancement in the treatment of coronary artery disease is the development of drug‐eluting stents that dramatically reduce the incidence of in‐stent restenosis to less than 5%. Local drug delivery offers the advantages of allowing a relatively high local concentration of drug at the treatment site while minimizing systemic toxic effect. This review describes approaches for prevention of restenosis. It focuses on drugs for prevention of restenosis, bare metal stents, and drug‐eluting stents. It also describes recent advances in bioresorbable stents. One of the chapters is dedicated to our novel composite bioresorbable drug‐eluting fibers, designed to be used as basic elements in drug‐eluting stents. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
Preparation and characterization of infection‐resistant antibiotics‐releasing hydrogels rods of poly[hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐(poly(ethylene glycol)‐methacrylate]: Biomedical application in a novel rabbit penile prosthesis model
Authors: Arıca M. Yakup , Tuğlu Devrim , Başar M. Murad , Kılıç Dilek , Bayramoğlu Gülay , Batislam Ertan
Published: December 2007

In this work, preparation and characterization of novel three different antibiotic loaded penile prosthesis in the rod form were investigated by copolymerization of 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) with poly(ethylene glycol)‐methacrylate, (PEG‐MA). To achieve this goal, a series of novel copolymer hydrogels were prepared in rod form using HEMA and PEG‐MA monomers via UV initiated photopolymerization. The thermal stability of the copolymer was found to be lowered by increase in the ratio of PEG‐MA in the rod structure. Contact angle measurements on the surface of copolymer hydrogel demonstrated that the copolymer gave rise to a significant hydrophilic surface compared with pure poly(HEMA). The blood protein adsorption and platelet adhesion were significantly reduced on the surface of the copolymer hydrogels compared with control pure poly(HEMA). Poly(HEMA:PEG‐MA;1:1)‐1 formulation containing different antibiotics (20 mg antibiotic/g polymer) released about 90, 91, and 55% of the total loaded cephtriaxon, vancomycin, and gentamicin in 48 h at pH 7.4, respectively. Finally, antibiotics loaded biocompatible poly(HEMA:PEG‐MA;1:1)‐1 hydrogel compositions was used as a penile prosthesis in preventing cavernous tissue infections in a rabbit prosthesis model. The efficacy of the three different antibiotics loaded hydrogel system was evaluated in four different groups of rabbits, in which various infectious agents were inoculated. The animals were sacrificed after predetermined time periods, and clinical, histological and microbiological assessment on the implant side were carried out to detect infections. Eventually, we concluded that three different antibiotic loaded penile prostheses (i.e. poly(HEMA:PEG‐MA;1:1)‐1 hydrogel systems) were as effective as parenteral antibiotics applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
Bone healing response to an injectable calcium phosphate cement with enhanced radiopacity
Authors: Acarturk Oguz , Lehmicke Michael , Aberman Harold , Toms Derek , Hollinger Jeffrey O. , Fulmer Mark
Published: December 2007

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of barium sulfate on remodeling and regeneration in standard tibial defects in rabbits treated with the Norian skeletal repair system (SRS). Two formulations of SRS (with and without barium sulfate) were injected into the medullary canal of the tibia of New Zealand white rabbits. Animals were sacrificed at 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. Over the 2‐year duration of the study, standard SRS and SRS with barium sulfate appeared to be biocompatible and osteoconductive with no evidence of either inflammation or fibrous tissue around the implant materials or at the bone‐material interfaces. This outcome underscores the osteophilic property of the SRS. A difference we observed between the standard SRS and the SRS with barium sulfate was the appearance of acellular material contiguous to the SRS with barium sulfate. Energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis was conducted and confirmed that the acellular material was barium sulfate. Pathological examination of additional tissues including regional lymph nodes revealed neither dissemination of calcium phosphate nor barium sulfate. We concluded that the residual barium sulfate detected by EDX was localized to the intramedullary canal of the tibia. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
Anti‐inflammatory effect of ibuprofen‐loaded embolization beads in sheep uterus
Authors: Wassef Michel , Pelage Jean‐Pierre , Velzenberger Elodie , Namur Julien , Schwartz‐Cornil Isabelle , Taylor Rachel R. , Lewis Andrew L. , Laurent Alexandre
Published: December 2007

Embolization of blood vessels may result in a variety of side effects which can include pain and inflammation. The objective of this study was to assess the release and effect of ibuprofen (IBU) from Bead Block™ microspheres (BB) loaded with IBU (IBU‐BB) on the foreign body inflammatory reaction in a sheep uterine artery model. Both uterine arteries of 12 hormonally cycled ewes were embolized with 0.5 mL of 500–700 μm BB (n = 6) or IBU‐BB (n = 6). Animals were sacrificed at 1 week (1W) or 3 weeks (3W) (n = 3 each group). The gross examination of the organs was performed and distribution of the beads in the tissue was assessed. Inflammation was estimated histologically by quantitative and semiquantitative classification of inflammatory cells on HES and MGG stains and use of videoanalysis after immunohistolabeling with CD‐antibodies to a variety of inflammatory cells. At 1W, a significant decrease of inflammatory response was observed for IBU‐BB relative to BB in terms of number of lymphocytes and of immunohistochemical staining for CD172a, MHC‐II, CD3, and CD4. At 3W, the inflammatory response for IBU‐BB was similar to that for BB at 1W in terms of cell populations and moderate intensity. There was no or low amounts of staining for CD8 and CD45RA and none for CD21 in all four groups. Immunohistochemical detection of IBU showed that some drug was still present in the beads at 1W but none was detectable at 3W suggesting it had all eluted. These results signify that the inflammatory response is dampened by the action of IBU eluted from the beads and that IBU‐BB can delay postembolization inflammatory reaction. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
Surface modification and microstructure of single‐walled carbon nanotubes for dental resin‐based composites
Authors: Zhang Feimin , Xia Yang , Xu Lina , Gu Ning
Published: December 2007

In the present study, a novel process has been developed to improve the application of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in dental resin‐based composites (RBCs). Efforts have been made to deposit a thin shell of nano‐SiO2 onto the oxidized surface of SWCNTs by using a thin adlayer of 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane; this was followed by modification of the nano‐SiO2 layer by using another organosilane with allyl‐terminated functional groups to achieve well dispersion and integration in the matrix. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used to analyze the modified SWCNTs. The obtained shell has a sandwich‐like structure, with an amino‐modified silane layer on the inside, a nano‐SiO2 layer in the middle, and an allyl‐terminated silane layer on the outside. Composite resin specimens with modified SWCNTs are prepared and examined using TEM. A three‐point‐bend test is performed using the MTS Synergie 100 testing machine. Statistical analysis reveals that the addition of modified SWCNTs improves the flexural strength (p < 0.05) of dental RBCs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
Wear of sequentially enhanced 9‐Mrad polyethylene in 10 million cycle knee simulation study
Authors: Tsukamoto Riichiro , Williams Paul Allen , Shoji Hiromu , Hirakawa Kazuo , Yamamoto Kengo , Tsukamoto Mikiko , Clarke Ian C.
Published: December 2007

Highly crosslinked polyethylene (HXPE) has been shown to be effective in reducing wear in total hip replacements. HXPE has not found widespread use in TKR, because the crosslinking inevitably leads to reductions in critical properties such as toughness and fatigue strength. Sequentially enhanced crosslinking (SXPE) have been suggested for improved wear resistance for tibial inserts with maintenance of mechanical properties and anticipated high oxidation resistance superior to conventional polyethylene (XLPE). We compared the wear of SXPE (9Mrad) to XLPE inserts (3Mrad) to 10 million cycles. Triathlon™ femoral condyles were identical in both. This is the first wear study of SXPE inserts. According to the power law relating irradiation dose to wear of XLPE inserts, wear of 9 Mrad inserts should be reduced by 70% compared to 3Mrad controls. The wear rates of the SXPE inserts were reduced by 86% at 10 million cycles duration, somewhat greater than predicted. The one prior investigation by the manufacturer reported a 79% wear reduction for SXPE compared to controls in a 5 million cycle simulator study in knee design and test parameters. There were important differences between the two studies. Nevertheless there clearly appeared to be a major benefit for sequentially enhanced polyethylene in tibial inserts. This combined wear reduction of 80‐85% with improved oxidation resistance and retention of mechanical properties may prove beneficial for active patients who may otherwise risk high wear rates over many years of use. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
Hepatitis B virus transmission pattern and vaccination efficiency in Uzbekistan
Authors: Avazova Dildora , Kurbanov Fuat , Tanaka Yasuhito , Sugiyama Masaya , Radchenko Ivan , Ruziev Dilmurod , Musabaev Erkin , Mizokami Masashi
Published: December 2007

A national program of universal vaccination for the prevention of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was launched in Uzbekistan since 1998. To evaluate the 6 years' outcome of the program, 567 children were enrolled in the study. Among those enrolled, 333 had immunized withadw2type based Engerix‐B (Glaxo Smith Kline Beechem, Rixensart, Belgium) and 48 withadrtype based Hepavax‐Gene (Green Cross Vaccine Corporation, Korea). A cohort of 186 children born before the immunization program, was also included in the study. When 45 vaccinated children were compared to age/sex‐matched 45 unvaccinated children, the sero‐prevalence of HBsAg was 0 versus 11% (P = 0.56), and of anti‐HBc was 0% versus 44% (P < 0.0001), respectively. Loss of anti‐HBs was observed in 18.4% after 5 years. Among 13 HBsAg carriers found in this study, genotype HBV/D was found in 69%, HBV/A in 23% (all in unvaccinated group) and HBV/C in 8% (in vaccinated group). No significant differences were observed in this study between groups which received different vaccine formulation. Phylogenetic analysis of the HBV isolates obtained from family members of the HBsAg‐positive children, revealed evidence suggesting that transmission in the vaccinated group was exclusively perinatal, whereas in the unvaccinated group horizontal transmission pattern predominated. In conclusion, HBV universal vaccination is efficient in Uzbekistan irrespective of the vaccine formulation used, because the horizontal transmission pattern predominates currently in this endemic region. J. Med. Virol. 80:217–224, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transmission of low‐density hepatitis C viral particles during sexually transmitted acute resolving infection
Authors: Diaz Olivier , Cubero Maria , Trabaud Mary Anne , Quer Josep , Icard Vinca , Esteban Juan I. , Lotteau Vincent , André Patrice
Published: December 2007

Hepatitis C viruses in the blood of chronically infected patients are heterogeneous in density with the presence of lipoprotein associated viral particles of lower density than conventional virions. If low‐density viral particles have been shown to be infectious in animal models it is currently not known whether these particles display the same infectivity for humans. In a case of sexually transmitted acute resolving infection, all isolated NS3 sequences from the acute‐phase isolate clustered with a single sequence from the chronic carrier isolate, suggesting bottlenecking during transmission. To determine the density of the transmitted viruses, viral quasispecies from fractions with density below and above 1.055 g/ml were isolated and prepared from the plasma of the chronically infected sexual partner. Interestingly, the three closest sequences to the recipient consensus sequence were isolated from the low‐density fraction. These data suggest that low‐density viral particles are infectious for humans as they are for chimpanzees and that they can be transmitted during sexual intercourse. J. Med. Virol. 80:242–246, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Unexpectedly high incidence of indigenous acute hepatitis E within South Hampshire: Time for routine testing?
Authors: De Silva Aminda N. , Muddu Ajay K. , Iredale John P. , Sheron Nick , Khakoo Salim I. , Pelosi Emanuela
Published: December 2007

Hepatitis E indigenous to developed countries (hepatitis EIDC) is a form of hepatitis E in persons with no travel history to highly endemic areas. It has been recognized recently as an emerging clinical entity in a significant number of economically developed countries including UK. However, it is still perceived as a rare disease and routine laboratory testing for hepatitis E is not performed. A series of 13 cases of hepatitis EIDC, diagnosed in a 13‐month period from June 2005 within a single center in South Hampshire, UK, is presented. These patients were identified after implementing a novel‐screening algorithm that introduced routine hepatitis E serological investigations. Patients were middle aged or elderly and males were affected more commonly. Four patients (31%) required hospital admission. All reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) confirmed cases carried hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype‐3, which bore close sequence homology to HEV circulating in UK pigs. None of these patients recalled eating undercooked pork products or close contact with pigs during the 2 months preceding the onset of acute hepatitis. In comparison, during the same period, only two cases of hepatitis A and five cases of acute hepatitis B were diagnosed. These data illustrate the importance of introducing routine hepatitis E testing in all patients with unexplained acute liver disease and absence of relevant travel history. Routine testing can clarify hepatitis E epidemiology whilst improving the clinical management of patients with acute liver disease. J. Med. Virol. 80:283–288, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Clinical outcome of frequent exposure to torque teno virus (TTV) through blood transfusion in thalassemia patients with or without hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection
Authors: Hu Yu‐Wen , Al‐Moslih Moslih I. , Al Ali Mahmoud Talib , Uzicanin Samra , Perkins Heather , Yi Qi‐Long , Rahimi Khameneh Shabnam , Wu Jun , Brown Earl G.
Published: December 2007

As a consequence of the high prevalence of TorqueTeno virus (TTV) in blood donors, thalassemia patients frequently acquire various genotypes of this virus through therapeutic blood transfusions. At present, the clinical consequences of TTV infection remain indeterminate for these patients. Here, several hundred thalassemia patients were tested for the presence of TTV and its genotypes using a combination of PCR and clone‐based DNA sequencing. Approximately 10% (12/118) of the patients aged 2–20 years remained negative for TTV including eight genotypes of SENV. Ferritin, aspartate‐aminotransferase (AST) and alanine‐aminotransferase (ALT) levels were invariably lower in TTV‐negative patients (P = 0.02, <0.01, and 0.06, respectively) than in TTV‐positive patients. Patients with TTV–HCV co‐infection showed elevated ferritin and ALT levels compared with patients with TTV infection alone (P < 0.02 and P < 0.01). AST and ALT levels were within the normal range for all TTV‐negative patients, whereas abnormal levels of AST and ALT were seen in a significant proportion of TTV‐positive patients (30.7% and 33.6%, respectively) and patients with TTV–HCV co‐infections (70.0% and 56.6%, respectively). Only TTV‐positive patients (28.0%) and patients with TTV–HCV co‐infections (36.3%) had hyper‐ferritin levels (≥3,000 ng/ml). The genotype(s) of TTV responsible for the liver dysfunction could not be determined. However, high levels of AST and ALT were found to be correlated with detection of a higher number of TTV genotypes in the patients. The data suggests that frequent and persistent TTV infection through blood transfusion is associated with hepatic dysfunction and/or damage in transfusion dependent thalassemia patients. J. Med. Virol. 80:365–371, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Clinical evaluation of the COBAS Ampliprep™/COBAS TaqMan™ for HCV RNA quantitation in comparison with the branched‐DNA assay
Authors: Pittaluga Fabrizia , Allice Tiziano , Abate Maria Lorena , Ciancio Alessia , Cerutti Francesco , Varetto Silvia , Colucci Giuseppe , Smedile Antonina , Ghisetti Valeria
Published: December 2007

Diagnosis and monitoring of HCV infection relies on sensitive and accurate HCV RNA detection and quantitation. The performance of the COBAS AmpliPrep™/COBAS TaqMan™ 48 (CAP/CTM) (Roche, Branchburg, NJ), a fully automated, real‐time PCR HCV RNA quantitative test was assessed and compared with the branched‐DNA (bDNA) assay. Clinical evaluation on 576 specimens obtained from patients with chronic hepatitis C showed a good correlation (r = 0.893) between the two test, but the CAP/CTM scored higher HCV RNA titers than the bDNA across all viral genotypes. The mean bDNA versus CAP/CTM log10 IU/ml differences were −0.49, −0.4, −0.54, −0.26 for genotype 1a, 1b, 2a/2c, 3a, and 4, respectively. These differences reached statistical significance for genotypes 1b, 2a/c, and 3a. The ability of the CAP/CTM to monitor patients undergoing antiviral therapy and correctly identify the weeks 4 and 12 rapid and early virological responses was confirmed. The broader dynamic range of the CAP/CTM compared with the bDNA allowed for a better definition of viral kinetics. In conclusion, the CAP/CTM appears as a reliable and user‐friendly assay to monitor HCV viremia during treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis. Its high sensitivity and wide dynamic range may help a better definition of viral load changes during antiviral therapy. J. Med. Virol. 80:254–260, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cartoon network tackles a children's issue by making activism and volunteering fun
Authors: Foster Vanessa
Published: December 2007

Cartoon Network leveraged its marketing and creative capabilities, public access, and blue‐ribbon partners to launch the nationwide “Rescuing Recess” campaign, which mobilizes grassroots action to preserve or reinstate playtime for elementary school children. The campaign is also a powerful example of successful cause marketing. Cartoon Network partnered with child advocacy and policy‐making organizations; encouraged children and adults to write letters to legislators advocating for education policy change; made cash grants to schools to purchase recess equipment; and initiated National Recess Week, with locally organized rallies to raise awareness of the issue and encourage adults to volunteer as recess monitors. This article is printed by permission of Cartoon Network. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Half plane Toeplitz operators with generating functions having homogeneous discontinuities
Authors: Silbermann Bernd , Vasilyev Vladimir
Published: December 2007

We consider Toeplitz operators over the discrete half plane with generating functions admitting discontinuities of special kind which we call homogenous ones. The main results are the criteria of invertibility and one‐sided invertibility of such operators. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Large deletions account for an increasing number of mutations in SGCE
Authors: Han Fabin , Racacho Lemuel , Yang Howard , Read Tara , Suchowersky Oksana , Lang Anthony E. , Grimes David A. , Bulman Dennis E.
Published: December 2007

Myoclonus‐dystonia (M‐D) (MIM 159900) is a rare “dystonia plus” syndrome, characterized by rapid myoclonic jerks, predominantly in the neck and upper limbs, in combination with dystonia. Mutations in the gene ε‐sarcoglycan (SGCE) are known to be responsible for approximately one‐third of cases. We screened 21 probands diagnosed with M‐D for large deletions who were mutation negative as determined by PCR‐direct sequencing. Multiplex PCR and quantification of PCR products was performed using a modified application of denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC). We have identified two novel large multiexonic deletions of SGCE, which were confirmed by amplifying and sequencing the deletion breakpoints. Five other families were found to harbor small mutations identified by direct sequencing. Analysis of the region surrounding the deletions demonstrates that both deletions are the result of nonhomologous recombination with homologous end joining. This is only the second report of intragenic deletions with SGCE and it highlights the need to include exonic copy number variation when performing mutational analysis of SGCE. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Apodization of fiber Bragg gratings by using ARC discharges
Authors: Romero R. , Rego G. , Marques P. V. S.
Published: December 2007

The electric arc technique is used to apodize fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). Arc discharges applied to the ends of the grating produce a smoothing of the refractive‐index modulation profile reducing the sidelobes of the reflection spectrum at longer wavelengths. A sidelobe reduction of 17 dB was obtained. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 316–319, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23056
CAD modeling of square spiral inductors with low temperature co‐fired ceramic technology
Authors: Tang Wanchun , Cui Qi , Xu Guang
Published: December 2007

This paper derives simple computer‐aided design formulas of the square spiral inductors fabricated in low temperature cofired ceramic. The circuit components are the main inductor, its capacitors to ground, and resistance. The formulas are simple synthetic asymptotes constructed from duality and analytical moment method, and give clear physical insights. Compared with IE3D, a commercial software by Zeland, the errors of S11 and S21 are generally less than 2%. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 281–285, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23058
Miniaturized microstrip branch‐line couplers with the approach of π‐model
Authors: Tang Ching‐Wen , Chen Ming‐Guang
Published: December 2007

The newly method to implement the branch‐line couplers has been proposed in this letter. Using the approach of π‐model, the size of branch‐line coupler can be miniaturized easily. Especially, the proposed coupler without using any lumped element can be easily fabricated on the printed circuit board. In this study, the proposed couplers achieve a physical size reduction of almost 63% with the performance competed with the conventional one. Moreover, the measured frequency responses show good agreement with the theoretical results. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 314–316, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23061
Intrachannel nonlinearity induced‐degree of polarization degradation in high‐speed transmission
Authors: Zhang Dechao , Xu Anshi , Zhang Fan , Chen Zhangyuan
Published: December 2007

Degree of polarization degradation due to intrachannel nonlinearity with different bit‐rates and modulation formats is experimentally and numerically investigated. The degradation becomes obvious in 40 Gbit/s transmission, especially for intensity‐modulated signals. It will deteriorate the effectiveness of polarization multiplexing and polarization interleaving transmission. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 312–314, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23062
Self‐homodyne photonic microwave receiver architecture based on linear optical modulation and filtering
Authors: Hossein‐Zadeh Mani , Levi A. F. J.
Published: December 2007

We present a self‐homodyne photonic microwave receiver architecture that uses linear optical modulation and optical filtering for data down‐conversion from a microwave carrier. Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of this technique for demodulating up to 100 Mb/s digital data from carrier frequencies above 10 GHz. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 345–350, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23065
Sparse direct solution of the electric field integral equation using nonoverlapped localizing logos modes
Authors: Xu Y. , Xu X. , Adams R. J. , Gedney S. D. , Canning F. X
Published: December 2007

A sparse direct solver for the electric field integral equation is demonstrated for electromagnetic scattering from perfectly conducting targets of fairly large electrical size. For the geometries considered, numerical experiments demonstrate that both the memory and CPU costs of the reported factorization algorithm are significantly less than those required for standard direct solution methods. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 303–307, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23068
Analytical performance evaluation of AlGaN/GaN metal insulator semiconductor heterostructure field effect transistor and its comparison with conventional HFETs for high power microwave applications
Authors: Aggarwal Ruchika , Agrawal Anju , Gupta Mridula , Gupta R. S.
Published: December 2007

In this work, a comprehensive analytical model for AlGaN/GaN MISHFET has been presented to evaluate the drain current characteristics, transconductance, and cut‐off frequency of the insulated device. The model takes into account polynomial dependence of sheet carrier density on position of quasi Fermi level to consider the quantum effects and to validate it from subthreshold to high conduction region. The effect of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization at the AlGaN/GaN interface and parasitic source/drain resistances have also been incorporated in the analysis. Its advantages over conventional HFET structure are discussed in detail. For a MISHFET with quarter micron gate length, the cut‐off frequency is reported to be 52 GHz. The MISHFET shows remarkable 36% increase in drain saturation current. The model has a broad utility as it is equally applicable to HFETs as well. The present model is based on closed form expression and does not involve any fitting parameter. The results obtained are compared with experimental data and show excellent agreement, thereby proving the validity of the model. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 331–338, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23073
Scattering characteristics of a new dielectric periodic array composed of left‐handed gratings
Authors: Fang Weihai , Xu Shanjia
Published: December 2007

The scattering characteristics of a new dielectric periodic array composed of left‐handed gratings are carefully investigated by a method which combines the multimode network theory with the rigorous mode matching method. The variations of the frequency selective characteristics with the number of periodic layers are presented and comparisons of scattering properties between the left‐handed and right‐handed periodic arrays are also shown with some explanations. Guidelines for accurate design of the millimeter wave frequency selective surface are given. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 266–269, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23076
Linear cavity Brillouin fiber laser using a fiber Bragg grating
Authors: Ahmad H. , Shirazi M. R. , Biglary M. , Harun S. W.
Published: December 2007

An efficient linear cavity Brillouin fiber laser (BFL) is demonstrated using a standard single mode fibre (SMF), an optical coupler and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The laser peak is obtained at −4.5 dBm with a Brillouin pump of 14 dBm. The use of a 99/1 optical coupler shows the highest output because of the low loss in the cavity. The BFLs can be used to reduce the laser linewidth and technical noise. PACS: 42.60.Da; 42.81.−i; 42.81.Wg; 42.81.Uv © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 265–266, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23077
Planar broadband millimeter‐wave antenna based on open loop ring resonators
Authors: Yang Guo‐Min , Jin Ronghong , Geng Junping , He Wei
Published: December 2007

A compact planar broadband millimeter‐wave antenna is presented in this article. The proposed millimeter‐wave (MM‐W) antenna is realized by connecting two pairs of open loop ring resonators (OLRRs). A tapered transmission line is adopted to improve the return loss performance in the required band. Combining these two structures, a new broadband MM‐W antenna is obtained. The measured results show that the proposed MM‐W antenna has a wide bandwidth from 26 to 40 GHz, and all the return losses are less than −15 dB in this band combined with excellent radiation characteristics. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 324–328, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23081
A novel fabrication technique of FBAR devices for mobile broadband WiMAX applications
Authors: Mai Linh , Lee Jae‐young , Pham Van‐Su , Yoon Giwan
Published: December 2007

In this study, we present a novel fabrication technique of FBAR devices as a feasibility study for mobile broadband WiMAX applications. This novel technique features the formation of very thin‐film Cr adhesion layers between W and SiO2 film layers in the Bragg reflectors, particularly to enhance the adhesion in‐between. As a result, the resonances were found to occur at 2.7–3.0 GHz. In addition, excellent resonance characteristics were achieved in terms of return loss and Q‐factor. This finding indicates that the proposed fabrication technique can be useful for the future mobile WiMAX applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 375–378, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23088
A small die area and wide locking range CMOS frequency divider
Authors: Jang Sheng‐Lyang , Han Jui‐Cheng , Lee Chien‐Feng , Huang J.‐F.
Published: December 2007

This letter proposes a new injection‐locked frequency divider (ILFD) with wide locking range and small die area. The proposed CMOS ILFD consists of an injection MOS and an LC tank voltage‐controlled oscillator with a cross‐coupled switching pair and tunable active inductors. The divide‐by‐2 ILFD was fabricated in the 0.18‐μm 1P6M CMOS technology. At the supply voltage of 1.8 V, the divider free‐running frequency is tunable from 1.46 to 2.7 GHz, and at the incident power of −4 dBm the locking range is about 3.4 GHz (79%), from the incident frequency of 2.6 to 6.0 GHz. The core power consumption is 7.2 mW and the die area is 0.383 × 0.379 mm2. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 541–544, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23090
Comparison of microwave and electrical properties of selected conducting polymers
Authors: Lakshmi K. , John Honey , Joseph Rani , George K.E. , Mathew K.T.
Published: December 2007

Microwave properties of conductive polymers is crucial because of their wide areas of applications such as coating in reflector antennas, coating in electronic equipments, frequency selective surfaces, EMI materials, satellite communication links, microchip antennas, and medical applications. This work involves a comparative study of dielectric properties of selected conducting polymers such as polyaniline, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene), polythiophene, polypyrrole, and polyparaphenylene diazomethine (PPDA) in microwave and DC fields. The microwave properties such as dielectric constant, dielectric loss, absorption coefficient, heating coefficient, skin depth, and conductivity in the microwave frequency (S band), and DC fields were compared. PEDOT and polyaniline were found to exhibit excellent properties in DC field and microwave frequencies, which make them potential materials in many of the aforementioned applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 504–508, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23091
Design of a compact dual‐band bandpass filter with LTCC technology
Authors: Tang Ching‐Wen , Hsu Huan‐Chang , Liu I‐Chung
Published: December 2007

A novel dual‐band bandpass filter is proposed in this article. Multiple stepped impedance resonators are shunt‐connected with the transmission line section to realize the dual‐band filter. Therefore, a transmission zero, which will increase isolation, can be easily generated in the middle of two passbands. Theoretical analysis and design procedures are also described in this article. Moreover, measured results of the fabricated filter match well with the outcome of theoretical prediction, indicating the feasibility of the proposed configuration. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 462–465, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23093
Asymmetric long and thick dipoles for in‐flight telemetry of projectiles
Authors: Bernard L.
Published: December 2007

Long and thick dipoles are presented, with a feeding point located off the centre. Parameter studies are performed, showing that asymmetric radiation patterns with a main lobe in a preferred direction can be achieved. Experimental results confirm the feasibility of these antennas and illustrate possible applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 508–511, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23105