bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distally based subcutaneous veins for venous insufficiency of the reverse posterior interosseous artery flap
Authors: Özalp Burhan , Elbey Hüseyin , Aydin Atakan , Özkan Türker
Published: March 2016

Background

The reverse posterior interosseous artery flap (PIAF) provides soft, thin, and pliable tissue for upper extremity reconstruction without sacrificing any major arteries of the hand. The authors performed a new technique that included one extra distally based subcutaneous vein within the pedicle to diminish venous insufficiency and they aimed to present the results of reconstruction with this technique.

Patients and Methods

Twelve patients with a mean age of 30 years (range 5–52 years) underwent reverse PIAF surgery. The defects were located on the hand and wrist, with a mean area of 57.8 cm2 (range 20–99 cm2). After the skin between the distal edge and the pivot point of the flap was elevated, the most reliable subcutaneous vein was chosen, chased, and included within the flap.

Results

The average size of the PIAF was 6 × 5 cm to 12 × 9 cm (mean area: 64.4 cm2) and the median follow‐up time was 13 months (range 4–16 months). The mean quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score was 21.4, indicating a low degree of disability. Of the 12 patients, ten were very satisfied and two were satisfied with the result of the reconstruction. All but one flap survived completely. One flap was nearly totally lost due to arterial insufficiency after hemodialysis. We observed no venous congestion or insufficiency in the patients.

Conclusions

Subcutaneous veins may be reliable and useful for overcoming major drawbacks associated with reverse flow posterior interosseous artery flap and for diminishing flap loss due to venous insufficiency. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 36:384–390, 2016.
An active wideband reference target for the calibration of ground to air radar systems
Authors: Pienaar Monique , Odendaal Johann W. , Cilliers Jacques E. , Kloke Kevin H. , Joubert Johan
Published: March 2016

The radar cross section (RCS) of passive calibration targets is relatively low, which leads to a commensurate increase in the uncertainty of the radar's calibration. To address this deficiency, an active radar calibration (ARC) target was developed, which was mounted on a small remote controlled tri‐copter and used for radar calibration. Results are presented for this relatively small, light weight and cost effective airborne ARC, which is suitable for the calibration of a ground to air RCS measurement system. The static RCS characteristics of the airborne ARC target were measured in a compact range and compared to outdoor measurements with the ARC target mounted on the tri‐copter. The airborne capability of the calibration target was used to reduce the effects of multi‐path and clutter. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1041–1044, 2016
Investigation of sampling frequency impact on optical DP‐MQAM generation
Authors: Ragheb Amr M. , Fathallah Habib
Published: March 2016

The complementary integration of high spectrally efficient modulation formats, coherent receivers, and advanced electronic subsystems, has resulted in a revolution in the spectral efficiency of optical communications. This letter experimentally investigates the impact of varying the characteristics of high speed CMOS‐DAC on the performance of optical DP‐MQAM systems. We particularly consider two operating conditions, referred as over‐ and under‐sampling. In the former case, we relax the CMOS circuit; however limit the maximum transmitted baud rate (i.e., 32 GBd for 64 GSa/s). In the second regime, we stress the DAC in order to generate less than two samples for each symbol, hence increase the transmitted baud rate at the expense of higher signal bandwidth. Under the first regime, our experimental results show a measured EVM and BER of 4.7%rms and 5 × 10−2, respectively, for DP‐128QAM/32GBd. In the second regime, we obtain a variable baud rate ranging from 36 up to 56 GBd using a sampling ratio starting from 1.8 and decreasing down to 1.14, respectively, with maximum modulation order of QPSK at 56 GBd. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1128–1131, 2016
An enhanced fraction polynomial microwave filter modeling method exploiting space mapping
Authors: Guo Fangzhou , Xia Lei , Deng Xida , Xu Ruimin
Published: March 2016

A method for bandpass filter modeling taking advantage of the space mapping (SM) is presented in this letter. The coarse model is constructed by the fraction polynomial approximating the data from high‐fidelity simulations, and the approach of obtaining the coefficients is specifically designed to avoid rapidly increasing complexity as the data adds. The surrogate model, which the accuracy is further enhanced, is established utilizing SM. In this work, the SM process allows a flexible tradeoff between accuracy and computational cost. The proposed model can be operated with a relatively wide variation of design variables and is practical for arbitrary bandwidth filter. Couple line filters and an ultrawideband (UWB) radial‐stub‐loaded filter are modeled using the proposed modeling method to validate its merits and the result shows a good performance. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1159–1163, 2016
A new approach to design compact tunable BPF starting from simple LPF topology using a single T‐DGS‐resonator and ceramic capacitors
Authors: Boutejdar A.
Published: March 2016

In this article, a novel very compact DGS lowpass filter (LPF) and reconfigurable bandpass filter are proposed. The designed filter consists of one T‐DGS resonator, which is excited by 50 ohm microstrip line, placed on top layer between the input and output of the proposed structure. The selected filter topology has several advantageous compared with the other previous works such as the compactness and its simple design. The addition of compensated patch capacitor improves the low insertion loss and ultra‐wide stopband with 15 dB attenuation from 2.2 to 3.6 GHz. The size of the proposed single T‐DGS LPF‐BPF is less as (0.023 λg × 0.044 λg) with λg = 0.263 m. The tunable bandpass filter (BPF) is extracted from LPF topology using variable Chip Monolithic Ceramic Capacitors and J‐inverter technique. Finally, the measured, EM‐ and field simulation results are presented and discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1142–1148, 2016
Circularly polarized monopole slot antenna for UHF RFID reader
Authors: Cao Rong , Yu Shun‐Chuan
Published: March 2016

This article proposes a circularly polarized monopole slot antenna which is suitable for ultra‐high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. In this antenna design, a meandering slot is being placed in the ground plane to produce good circularly polarized radiation characteristics, and the microstrip line feed can be adjusted to achieve good impedance matching. Measurement results showed that the 10‐dB return loss bandwidth of the antenna is 10.3% (0.857–0.95 GHz), and the 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth of the antenna 7.4% (0.878–0.945 GHz). The maximum gain and efficiency of the antenna is 2.09 dBic and 76%, respectively. The overall antenna size is 120 × 80 × 0.8 mm3. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1102–1105, 2016
Design of a compact mimo/diversity antenna for UWB applications with modified TH‐like structure
Authors: Kumar Raj , Ram Krishna R. V. S. , Kushwaha Nagendra
Published: March 2016

A compact, ultra wideband (UWB) antenna system for multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO)/diversity applications is proposed. The antenna system is a microstrip structure with two similar triangular shaped radiating elements and a common ground plane. The radiating elements are excited by tapered feed for better impedance matching. A combination of T and H‐shaped metallic stub is added in the ground plane to increase the isolation between the two radiators. The overall dimensions of the antenna system are 46 mm × 32.6 mm × 1.6 mm. The measured impedance bandwidth (reflection coefficient <−10 dB) is from 1.8 GHz to well beyond 13 GHz which covers the entire UWB region. A measured isolation of about 20 dB is achieved in the UWB region. The diversity gain of the antenna system is close to 10 dBi and the envelope correlation coefficient is below 0.006 in the operating band. The proposed antenna is suitable for MIMO/diversity applications where ultra wide impedance bandwidth with good isolation is needed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1181–1187, 2016
Design of LPF using suspended substrate microstrip lines as high‐Z sections for stopband extension
Authors: Feng Xin , Zhang Yonghong , Zhu Guide , Fan Yong , Joines William T. , Huo Liu Qing
Published: March 2016

This article introduces the use of suspended substrate microstrip lines (SSMLs) as high‐Z sections in the design of lowpass filters (LPFs) to extend the stopband. The SSMLs are formed by etching slots on the backside of microstrip lines and placing the substrate on an aluminum base with grooves that cover these slots. The higher characteristic impedance property of SSMLs brings about not only shorter length for high‐Z lines but also a larger high‐to‐low impedance ratio, thus deepening the stopband suppression and shifting the spurious passband away. As a demonstration, a wide stopband LPF combining this structure with hammer‐shaped stubs is designed, fabricated, and measured. The 20 dB stopband is obtained from 1.45 to 11.77 GHz. Compared with reported LPFs, this shows the widest fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 156% without sacrificing other performances. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1204–1207, 2016
Transfer of multivariate regression models between high‐resolution NMR instruments: application to authenticity control of sunflower lecithin
Authors: Monakhova Yulia B. , Diehl Bernd W. K.
Published: March 2016

In recent years the number of spectroscopic studies utilizing multivariate techniques and involving different laboratories has been dramatically increased. In this paper the protocol for calibration transfer of partial least square regression model between high‐resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers of different frequencies and equipped with different probes was established. As the test system previously published quantitative model to predict the concentration of blended soy species in sunflower lecithin was used. For multivariate modelling piecewise direct standardization (PDS), direct standardization, and hybrid calibration were employed. PDS showed the best performance for estimating lecithin falsification regarding its vegetable origin resulting in a significant decrease in root mean square error of prediction from 5.0 to 7.3% without standardization to 2.9–3.2% for PDS. Acceptable calibration transfer model was obtained by direct standardization, but this standardization approach introduces unfavourable noise to the spectral data. Hybrid calibration is least recommended for high‐resolution NMR data. The sensitivity of instrument transfer methods with respect to the type of spectrometer, the number of samples and the subset selection was also discussed. The study showed the necessity of applying a proper standardization procedure in cases when multivariate model has to be applied to the spectra recorded on a secondary NMR spectrometer even with the same magnetic field strength. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self‐gated cardiac cine imaging using phase information
Authors: Seo Hyunseok , Kim Dongchan , Oh Changheun , Park HyunWook
Published: March 2016

Purpose

To obtain multiphase cardiac cine images with high resolution, a novel self‐gating method for both cardiac and respiratory motions is proposed.

Methods

The proposed method uses the phase of projection data obtained from a separate axial slice to measure cardiac and respiratory motion, after the acquisition of every k‐space line in the image plane. Cardiac motion is estimated from the phase of the projection data passing through the aorta, which is amplified by superior–inferior directional bipolar gradients, whereas respiratory motion is estimated from the phase of the left–right directional projection data of the abdomen. To verify the proposed self‐gating method, a simulation and in vivo steady state free precession cardiac imaging were performed.

Results

The proposed method provides high resolution multiphase cardiac cine images. Using the proposed self‐gating method, the phase variation of the projection data offers information about cardiac and respiratory motions that is equivalent to external gating devices.

Conclusion

The proposed method can capture time‐resolved cardiac and respiratory motion from the phase information of the projection data. Because the projection data is obtained from a separate gating slice, the self‐gating signals are not affected by imaging planes. Magn Reson Med 77:1216–1222, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Selection criteria for surgical treatment of pudendal neuralgia
Authors: Charlotte Waxweiler , Sebastian Dobos , Viviane Thill , Luc Bruyninx
Published: March 2016

Aims

Pudendal neuralgia is the clinical expression of a chronic compression of the pudendal nerve. The diagnosis is based on a set of five criteria, called Nantes criteria. Four of the criteria are clinical and the last requires evaluation of the anesthetic response to CT‐guided infiltration of the pudendal nerve. The aim of our study is to evaluate the relevance of anesthetic test response to select patients for surgery, and whether this criterion can be used to predict its success.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of a cohort of 34 patients undergoing surgical treatment. In our cohort, we included six patients with negative CT‐guided pudendal nerve infiltration test.

Results

Of the 28 patients that met all five Nantes criteria, 64% (18 patients) responded well to surgery. In contrast, 100% of the six patients with a negative anesthetic test failed to show an amelioration of symptoms after surgical treatment (P = 0.006). In our analysis, there was no significant difference in surgery response when men were compared to women (P = 0.387), when procedure was unilateral or bilateral (P = 0.562), or when duration of symptoms was long (P = 0.412). We observed a difference in terms of age between the group of responders and non‐responders, although this difference did not reach the threshold of significance (P = 0.216).

Conclusions

The selection of candidates for surgery should always include a single diagnostic anesthetic injection of the pudendal nerve, as the fifth of the Nantes criteria is an effective predictor of the success of surgery. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:663–666, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Easement Contribution Deduction Lost for Failure to Attach Appraisal to Tax Return
Authors: Gross Virginia C.
Published: March 2016

In yet another case illustrating the strictness of the charitable contribution rules for donations of façade easements, donors were denied, by the US Tax Court, a charitable deduction for the contribution of a qualified easement for failing to attach the qualified appraisal obtained on the easement to their income tax return. They were also subject to the 40 percent substantial valuation misstatement penalties relating to the denied deduction (Gemperle v. Commissioner).
Smoking, Binge Drinking, and Drug Use Among Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Marjerrison Stacey , Hendershot Eleanor , Empringham Brianna , Nathan Paul C.
Published: March 2016

Introduction

Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for late effects of therapy, some of which may be exacerbated by smoking, alcohol, or drug use. We undertook a meta‐analysis of the literature to determine whether survivors engage in risk‐taking behaviors at rates different from their peers/siblings.

Methods

Studies comparing current engagement in risk‐taking behaviors between cancer survivors and siblings or matched peers were identified in MEDLINE (1946‐), EMBASE (1947‐), PsychINFO (1806‐), and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. Two reviewers assessed publications for inclusion and extracted data independently. Studies were combined using inverse variance weighting to determine odds ratios (OR) and prevalence rates of risk‐taking behaviors in survivors compared to controls.

Results

Fourteen of 1,713 studies satisfied inclusion criteria. Twelve assessed smoking, six binge drinking, and seven drug use. Among survivors, 22% (95% confidence interval 0.19, 0.26) smoked, 20% (0.08, 0.51) were binge drinkers, and 15% (0.10, 0.23) used drugs. Survivors were less likely than siblings to smoke (OR 0.68 [0.49, 0.96]) or binge drink (OR 0.77 [0.68, 0.88]), but similarly likely to use drugs (OR 0.33 [0.03, 3.28]). Survivors were less likely than matched peers to smoke (OR 0.54 [0.42, 0.70]) or use drugs (OR 0.57 [0.40, 0.82]), but equally likely to binge drink (OR 0.97 [0.38, 2.49]).

Conclusions

Childhood cancer survivors engage in similar or lower rates of risk taking than their siblings/peers. Future studies should identify survivors most likely to benefit from focused interventions, and determine the impact of risk‐taking behaviors on the risk for late effects of cancer therapy.
Drug development and licensing in diabetes
Authors: Llano Andrea , Fisher Miles , McKay Gerry
Published: March 2016

The drug development process is long and expensive. Regulatory approval is granted following assessment of efficacy and safety, and drugs intended for use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes are also required to demonstrate cardiovascular safety. Once marketing approval has been granted in the UK, an additional step is required prior to a drug's use: cost‐benefit assessment by the Scottish Medicines Consortium and by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Empagliflozin, an SGLT‐2 inhibitor, has recently been granted marketing authorisation and approval for use in the UK. It will be used to illustrate the processes of drug development and licensing. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons.
Expression changes of proteins associated with the development of preeclampsia in maternal plasma: A case‐control study
Authors: Kim Sun Min , Cho Byoung‐Kyu , Kang Min Jueng , Norwitz Errol R. , Lee Seung Mi , Lee Joonho , Park Chan‐Wook , Kim Byoung Jae , Jun Jong Kwan , Park Joong Shin , Yi Eugene C.
Published: March 2016

Defective deep placentation, involving abnormal transformation of the spiral arteries in the junctional zone of the myometrium, is known to cause significant obstetric complications, such as preeclampsia (PE), fetal growth restriction, and placental infarction leading to fetal death. Serological biomarkers to predict and diagnose PE would help antenatal care and reduce obstetric complications. To discover candidate PE biomarkers, we first performed global proteomic profiling of three pairs of plasma samples obtained from pregnant women in the early second trimester, who subsequently developed PE, and controls to identify candidate proteins that were abundant in the patients. We further evaluated the changes in the expression of PE‐representing proteins in stored plasma samples of a cohort that subsequently developed PE and their matched controls by MRM‐MS analysis. We identified that both complement C1s subcomponent (C1S) and protein AMBP were elevated in the plasma samples of the PE cohort before the manifestation of clinical disease. We propose that these proteins may be involved in the remodeling process of the spiral arteries even before PE manifestation. These proteins can serve as potential plasma biomarkers to predict the pregnant women having an increased risk of developing PE.
Adult GORD: advances and challenges in management
Authors: Basu Kumar
Published: March 2016

Gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a common and often chronic condition that is associated with poor quality of life and significant complications. This review provides a summary of the pathophysiology, assessment and current management of GORD in adults.
A New EWMA Control Chart for Monitoring Poisson Observations
Authors: Abujiya Mu'azu Ramat , Abbasi Saddam Akber , Riaz Muhammad
Published: March 2016

Quality control charts based on exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) has been widely used for monitoring continuous process data. However, many quality characteristics of interest are in the form of counts for nonconformities and are often monitored by a Poisson model. In this article, we introduce a new design structure for the Poisson EWMA charts for monitoring Poisson processes. The proposed scheme is based on a well‐structured sampling technique, ranked set sampling instead of the traditional simple random sampling. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we compute the run length properties of the new Poisson EWMA chart and compare their relative performance with the existing schemes for monitoring increases and decreases at the Poisson rate. It is found that the new scheme significantly improves the classical procedures for detecting changes in the Poisson processes. Finally, we illustrate the practical application of the proposed scheme through numerical example. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preferential alkali metal adduct formation by cis geometrical isomers of dicaffeoylquinic acids allows for efficient discrimination from their trans isomers during ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Makola Mpho M. , Steenkamp Paul. A , Dubery Ian A. , Kabanda Mwadham M. , Madala Ntakadzeni E.
Published: March 2016

Rationale

Caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives are a group of structurally diverse phytochemicals that have attracted attention due to their many health benefits. The structural diversity of these molecules is due in part to the presence of regio‐ and geometrical isomerism. This structural diversity hampers the accurate annotation of these molecules in plant extracts. Mass spectrometry (MS) is successfully used to differentiate between the different regioisomers of the CQA derivatives; however, the accurate discrimination of the geometrical isomers of these molecules has proven to be an elusive task.

Methods

UV‐irradiated methanolic solutions of diCQA were analyzed using an ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/QTOFMS) method in negative ionisation mode. An in‐source collision‐induced dissociation (ISCID) method was optimized by varying both the capillary and cone voltages to achieve differential fragmentation patterns between UV‐generated geometrical isomers of the diCQAs during MS analyses.

Results

Changes in the capillary voltage did not cause a significant difference to the fragmentation patterns of the four geometrical isomers, while changes in the cone voltage resulted in significant differences in the fragmentation patterns. The results also show, for the first time, the preferential formation of alkali metal (Li+, Na+ and K+) adducts by the cis geometrical isomers of diCQAs, compared to their trans counterparts.

Conclusions

Optimized QTOFMS‐based methods may be used to differentiate the geometrical isomers of diCQAs. Finally, additives such as metal salts to induce adduct formation can be applied as an alternative method to differentiate closely related isomers which could have been difficult to differentiate under normal MS settings. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mass fingerprint analysis of spider mites (Acari) by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry for rapid discrimination
Authors: Kajiwara Hideyuki , Hinomoto Norihide , Gotoh Tetsuo
Published: March 2016

Rationale

Discrimination of spider mite species is still performed using morphological information, although DNA and other biological approaches have been attempted for identification purposes. These techniques need much time, are expensive, and require specialist staff. As an alternative, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOFMS) analysis is applied for rapid discrimination of spider mite species.

Methods

Spider mites were analyzed using MALDI‐TOFMS after extraction with 70% formic acid and acetonitrile. A single spider mite was also analyzed directly on double‐sided carbon tape. A dendrogram was compiled from the MS data.

Results

Evolutionarily close and morphologically similar spider mites, the Kanzawa (Tetranychus kanzawai) and the two‐spotted (T. urticae) spider mites, as well as three other related species of spider mites, could be discriminated by mass fingerprints. Although female adults were mainly used in this report, male adults and nymphs showed almost the same mass fingerprints and were not considered to affect discrimination capability. A single spider mite on double‐sided carbon tape was analyzed directly by MALDI‐TOFMS.

Conclusions

Spider mites could be analyzed directly by MALDI‐TOFMS, with evolutionarily and morphologically closely related spider mites showing different mass fingerprints, allowing for their identification. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recombinant acetylated trypsin demonstrates superior stability and higher activity than commercial products in quantitative proteomics studies
Authors: Wu Feilin , Zhao Mingzhi , Zhang Yao , Su Na , Xiong Zhi , Xu Ping
Published: March 2016

Rationale

Trypsin is an important digestive enzyme in peptide sample preparation for proteomics. It digests proteins at the C‐terminal of Arg or Lys residues. The majority of commercial products are obtained from animal sources. In a previous study, we reported the production process for recombinant trypsin (r‐trypsin) and acetylated trypsin (r‐Ac‐trypsin). In this paper, we want to evaluate whether the r‐trypsin and r‐Ac‐trypsin are suitable for proteomics research.

Methods

The trypsins used in this research were first normalized to the same concentration and used for further evaluation. The stability and buffer compatibility (2M urea, 0.1% SDS and 10% acetonitrile) were compared and visualized by sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE). The digestion efficiency and specificity were compared based on a simple protein substrate, human serum albumin (HSA) and a complex proteomic sample, yeast lysate. The acquisition of proteomics data was achieved by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) connected to an LTQ Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometer.

Results

r‐Ac‐trypsin demonstrated similar tolerance to 2 M urea and 10% acetonitrile but weaker 0.1% SDS tolerance than commercial trypsins. Based on simple protein sample HSA, the activity and specificity of r‐Ac‐trypsin were similar to that of commercial trypsins. However, it demonstrated superior activity and specificity on complicated samples like yeast lysate. More interestingly, the newly developed r‐Ac‐trypsin was more resistant to autolysis, which enabled more complete digestion of proteomic samples.

Conclusions

The r‐Ac‐trypsin described here is a recombinant product. In addition it showed similar or superior properties such as stability activity and specificity to commercial products. It can be used in peptide sample preparation in proteomics studies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reliable relay‐based broadcasting through formal concept analysis for WSNs
Authors: Moulahi Tarek , Touil Sami , Nasri Salem , Guyennet Hervé
Published: March 2016

Broadcasting is a fundamental operation in wireless sensor networks and is used for querying, key distribution, time synchronization, routing, and node localization. Nevertheless, sensors are prone to failures such as software or hardware malfunctioning, exhaustion of energy, and environmental hazards. In this paper, a review of realistic dominated connected set with multipoint relay (RDS‐MPR) is performed. Then, an enhancement of this method, called reliable relay‐based broadcasting (RRB), is proposed. RRB improves RDS‐MPR by considering a trusted index for each node, which is updated during the data gathering process at the sink node. In addition, the use of formal concept analysis in RRB provides the best sorting of nodes according to their weights, which helps to refine selection of relay nodes compared with RDS‐MPR. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is measured through a simulation study using NS‐2. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nitric Oxide (NO) as Antioxidant Protects HT22 Cells and Biomolecules against Fenton's Reagent‐Induced Damages via Multiple Pathways
Authors: Li Xican , Lin Jing , Gao Yaoxiang , Tian Ruimin , Chen Dongfeng
Published: March 2016

The role and mechanisms of the interaction of NO with •OH radical remain controversial. To some extent, this is because previous studies have inappropriately used NO donors in place of aqueous NO. The present study thereby uses aqueous solutions of NO to explore the interaction of NO with Fenton's reagent. In the study, NO effectively reduced Fenton's reagent induced damage to hippocampal neuronal cells (HT22 cells), as well as to various biomolecules including DNA, Adenine, Uracil, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine, pepsin (protein), and linoleic acid (lipid). Ion chromatography analysis suggests the generation of NO3− and NO2 −; while HPLC‐ESI‐MS revealed that NO could link to the O atom of a galvinoxyl• via a σ‐bond. NO was also found to bind to Fe2+ and reduce Fe3+→Fe2+. These findings indicate that, (i) NO can effectively protect against cellular and biomolecular damage induced by Fenton's reagent, possibly via multiple pathways, including binding to Fe2+, destroying [FeO]2+ to block the •OH generation, combining with H2O2, bonding with •OH; (ii) Fe3+‐reducing provides a recycle of Fe2+ source; (iii)In the interaction with Fenton's reagent, NO plays an antioxidant role and yields NO3− and NO2 −.
Cardanol benzoxazine‐Sulfur Copolymers for Li‐S batteries: Symbiosis of Sustainability and Performance
Authors: Shukla Swapnil , Ghosh Arnab , Sen Uttam Kumar , Roy Prasun Kumar , Mitra Sagar , Lochab Bimlesh
Published: March 2016

A sulfur‐rich copolymer is synthesized via a sustainable, eco‐friendly approach using two major wastes namely, elemental sulfur (industrial waste) and cardanol (agro waste) and its application as cathode active material in Li−S battery. The presence of chemically bound sulfur (90 wt%) utilising cardanol (10 wt%) derivative in the copolymer (S90) showed a reduction in the active material dissolution into the electrolyte. In addition, the organic sulfur units get dispersed into the insoluble/insulating Li2S2/Li2S phase and thus found to suppress their irreversible deposition. Li−S battery based on S90/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) (10 wt%) exhibited a reversible capacity of 1302 mAh g−1 at 2nd cycle, maintaining a high reversible capacity of 928 mAh g−1 after 70 cycles at a relatively constant coulombic efficiency over 99 % at current rate of 200 mA g−1. At 1000 mA g−1 current rate, the composite cathode delivered a reversible capacity of 697 mAh g−1 at 2nd cycle and retained 75 % of its initial capacity even after 180 cycles.
Iron‐Catalyzed Sonogashira Type Cross‐Coupling Reaction of Aryl Iodides with Terminal Alkynes in Water under Aerobic Conditions
Authors: Sindhu Kallikkakam S. , Thankachan Amrutha P. , Thomas Anns Maria , Anilkumar Gopinathan
Published: March 2016

The first protocol for the iron‐catalyzed Sonogashira type coupling of aryl iodides with terminal alkynes using exclusively water as the solvent under aerobic conditions is reported for the synthesis of diaryl alkynes. We found that the catalytic system comprised of FeCl3.6H2O and 1,10‐phenanthroline is an efficient catalyst towards these coupling reactions. This methodology is applicable to a wide range of substituted aryl iodides with heteroaryl and sterically hindered groups and terminal aryl alkynes including heteroaryl alkynes with good yields. The present protocol provides economical and environmental advantages over other traditional methods due to the low cost and ecofriendly nature of the catalyst. Most importantly, the greenest solvent available, water, alone is used as the solvent for the first time for Iron‐catalyzed Sonogashira type coupling reaction underlining the ecofriendly nature of the process.
Bio–based Pentenoic Acids as Intermediates to Higher Value‐Added Mono‐ and Dicarboxylic Acids
Authors: Nobbs James D. , Zainal Nur Zahirah Binte , Tan Jozel , Drent Eite , Stubbs Ludger P. , Li Chuanzhao , Lim Sharon C. Y. , Kumbang Daniel G. A. , van Meurs Martin
Published: March 2016

The acid catalyzed reactive distillation of γ‐valerolactone yields pentenoic acids (PEAs) which can be obtained in >90 % purity and >97 % selectivity. The PEAs (five isomers) can be converted into a number of useful products with commercial relevance. The hydroxycarbonylation of PEAs yields adipic acid (a Nylon monomer) in very high selectivity and with good activity. Self‐metathesis of PEAs yields C6 – C8 unsaturated dicarboxylic acids which after hydrogenation produces a mixture of adipic acid, pimelic acid and suberic acid. If the PEAs are first subjected to ethenolysis; acrylic acid, 3‐butenoic acid, and 4‐pentenoic acid are produced. The self‐metathesis of 3‐butenoic acid produces β‐hydromuconic acid in >99 % selectivity which can be hydrogenated to adipic acid, whereas the self‐metathesis of 4‐PEA followed by hydrogenation gives suberic acid with 99 % selectivity. 3‐Butenoic acid can also be hydroxycarbonylated to produce glutaric acid in 99 % selectivity.
Ni/Al2O3 Catalysts Derived from Layered Double Hydroxide and Their Applications in Hydrodeoxygenation of Anisole
Authors: Zhang Xingzhao , Chen Xiao , Jin Shaohua , Peng Zhijian , Liang Changhai
Published: March 2016

The catalytic performance of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts derived from layered double hydroxide precursors with nickel ions incorporated into the brucite‐like layers was investigated for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of anisole as a model compound of the lignin. Upon calcination and subsequent reduction, the well‐crystallized phase and highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles (3∼10 nm) on the support were obtained. The catalysts exhibited high activity toward the hydrogenolysis of C−O bonds and the hydrogenation saturation of aromatic ring at low temperature (200‐280 °C) and appropriate hydrogen pressure (2 MPa). The activity and selectivity of these two main reaction pathways of anisole conversion were independent of the Ni content. And the direct cleavage of Caromatic‐O bond of anisole forming benzene as another parallel pathway prevails at increasing temperature. In addition, the catalysts are highly resistant to coking and easy to be reactivated by the utilization of the layered double hydroxide precursors.
Prioritizing test cases for early detection of refactoring faults
Authors: Alves Everton L. G. , Machado Patrícia D. L. , Massoni Tiago , Kim Miryung
Published: March 2016

Refactoring edits are error‐prone, requiring cost‐effective testing. Regression test suites are often used as a safety net for decreasing the chances of behavioural changes. Because of the high costs related to handling massive test suites, prioritization techniques can be applied to reorder test case execution, fostering early fault detection. However, traditional prioritization techniques are not specifically designed for detecting refactoring‐related faults. This article proposes refactoring‐based approach (RBA), a refactoring‐aware strategy for prioritizing regression test cases. RBA reorders an existing test sequence, using a set of proposed refactoring fault models that define the refactoring's impact on program methods.

Refactoring‐based approach's evaluation shows that it promotes early detection of refactoring faults and outperforms well‐known prioritization techniques in 71% of the cases.

Moreover, it prioritizes fault‐revealing test cases close to one another in 73% of the cases, which can be useful for fault localization. Those findings show that RBA can considerably improve prioritization of test cases during perfective evolution, both by increasing fault‐detection rates as well as by helping to pinpoint defects introduced by an incorrect refactoring. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Postpartum two‐ and three‐dimensional ultrasound evaluation of anal sphincter complex in women with obstetric anal sphincter injury
Authors: Ros C. , Martínez‐Franco E. , Wozniak M. M. , Cassado J. , Santoro G. A. , Elías N. , López M. , Palacio M. , Wieczorek A. P. , Espuña‐Pons M.
Published: March 2016

Objective

To compare the sensitivity and specificity of two‐ (2D) and three‐ (3D) dimensional transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) and 3D endovaginal ultrasound (EVUS) with the gold standard 3D endoanal ultrasound (EAUS) in detecting residual defects after primary repair of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS).

Methods

External (EAS) and internal (IAS) anal sphincters were evaluated by the four ultrasound modalities in women with repaired OASIS. 2D‐TPUS was evaluated in real‐time, whereas 3D‐TPUS, 3D‐EVUS and 3D‐EAUS volumes were evaluated offline by six blinded readers. The presence/absence of any tear in EAS or IAS was recorded and defects were scored according to the Starck system. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were calculated, using 3D‐EAUS as reference standard. Inter‐ and intraobserver analyses were performed for all 3D imaging modalities. Association between patients' symptoms (Wexner score) and ultrasound findings (Starck score) was calculated.

Results

Images from 55 patients were analyzed. Compared with findings on 3D‐EAUS, the agreement for EAS evaluation was poor for 3D‐EVUS (κ = 0.01), fair for 2D‐TPUS (κ = 0.30) and good for 3D‐TPUS (κ = 0.73). The agreement for IAS evaluation was moderate for both 3D‐EVUS (κ = 0.41) and 2D‐TPUS (κ = 0.52) and good for 3D‐TPUS (κ = 0.66). Good intraobserver (3D‐EAUS, κ = 0.73; 3D‐TPUS, κ = 0.78) and interobserver (3D‐EAUS, κ = 0.68; 3D‐TPUS, κ = 0.60) agreement was reported. Significant association between Starck and Wexner scores was found only for 3D‐EAUS (Spearman's rho = 0.277, P = 0.04).

Conclusions

2D‐TPUS and 3D‐EVUS are not accurate modalities for the assessment of anal sphincters after repair of OASIS. 3D‐TPUS shows good agreement with the gold standard 3D‐EAUS and a high sensitivity in detecting residual defects. It, thus, has potential as a screening tool after primary repair of OASIS. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Innenstadt und stationärer Einzelhandel – ein unzertrennliches Paar? Was ändert sich durch den Online-Handel?
Authors: Stepper Martina
Published: March 2016

Stationary retail and inner cities have a tight interconnection on the spatial level. Due to the increasing importance of Internet and online trading in everyday life, however, the physical space as a constant link currently becomes less important. Against the background of general lack of time and the benefits, which online trading provides, more and more products are purchased online. This is also reflected in the trading volume. While counter retail has made almost stagnant sales in recent years, the growth rates in online commerce are immense. The online share of total retail sales is expected to grow to around 15 % by 2025. This is not without consequences for urban retail locations. There will be—depending on their localization in cities that are favored or disadvantaged in spatial-structural terms—both winners and losers. To keep the impact on affected areas as low as possible, the opportunities offered by the increasing digitization should be used as an opportunity for increasing the attractiveness of inner-city retail locations.
Différents types de sépulture ou différentes étapes d'une même séquence funéraire ? Un exemple démonstratif de chaîne opératoire mortuaire chez les anciens Marquisiens
Authors: Sellier P.
Published: March 2016

Le site funéraire de Manihina (île de Ua Huka, archipel des Marquises, Polynésie française) a permis de mettre au jour une quarantaine de sépultures d'un ensemble funéraire daté des environs du 15esiècle de notre ère, largement avant l'arrivée des premiers Européens. Les méthodes classiques de l'archéo-anthropologie permettent de mettre en évidence des types très différents de sépulture (dont certains trouvent un parallèle dans les récits ethno-historiques plus tardifs des premiers voyageurs). Dans ce petit ensemble, on peut distinguer des sépultures primaires de plusieurs genres (en pleine terre ou dans des contenants) mais aussi des cas de momification préalable à l'inhumation ainsi que des interventions plus complexes qui, après la réouverture de la tombe, aboutissent à des reprises d'ossement(s), à des regroupements, à des déplacements (type « sépulture secondaire ») et même, dans un cas, à la production et surtout la mise-en-scène d'un « crâne-trophée », ce qui semble renvoyer à un processus « d'ancestralisation » du défunt. Ces différentes pratiques funéraires sont interprétées ici non pas comme des types différents de « sépulture finale » mais comme les étapes successives du long processus d'une chaîne opératoire funéraire particulièrement complexe.
Genomic, Lipidomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Cyclooxygenase-Null Cells: Eicosanoid Storm, Cross Talk, and Compensation by COX-1
Authors: Islam Abul B.M.M.K. , Dave Mandar , Amin Sonia , Jensen Roderick V. , Amin Ashok R.
Published: March 2016

The constitutively-expressed cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) and the inducible COX-2 are both involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid (AA) to prostaglandins (PGs). However, the functional roles of COX-1 at the cellular level remain unclear. We hypothesized that by comparing differential gene expression and eicosanoid metabolism in lung fibroblasts from wild-type (WT) mice and COX-2-/- or COX-1-/- mice may help address the functional roles of COX-1 in inflammation and other cellular functions. Compared to WT, the number of specifically-induced transcripts were altered descendingly as follows: COX-2-/-  > COX-1-/-  > WT + IL-1β. COX-1-/- or COX-2-/- cells shared about 50% of the induced transcripts with WT cells treated with IL-1β, respectively. An interactive “anti-inflammatory, proinflammatory, and redox-activated” signature in the protein–protein interactome map was observed in COX-2-/- cells. The augmented COX-1 mRNA (in COX-2-/- cells) was associated with the upregulation of mRNAs for glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1 (NQO1), aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), peroxiredoxin, phospholipase, prostacyclin synthase, and prostaglandin E synthase, resulting in a significant increase in the levels of PGE2, PGD2, leukotriene B4 (LTB4), PGF1α, thromboxane B2 (TXB2), and PGF2α. The COX-1 plays a dominant role in shifting AA toward the LTB4 pathway and anti-inflammatory activities. Compared to WT, the upregulated COX-1 mRNA in COX-2-/- cells generated an “eicosanoid storm”. The genomic characteristics of COX-2-/- is similar to that of proinflammatory cells as observed in IL-1β induced WT cells. COX-1-/- and COX-2-/- cells exhibited compensation of various eicosanoids at the genomic and metabolic levels.
Giant intrathoracic goitre: The challenges
Authors: Al Hashemy Ahmed , Gallo Ricardo , Shah Mian Tahir , Al Faifi Abdulla , Al Amir Ahmad , Al Shraim Mubarak , Ezzat Nassr , Rabie Ezzedien M.
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Intrathoracic goitre is defined as goitre in which at least 50% of the thyroid mass lies below the thoracic inlet. Here we report the case of a 43-year-old female, with history of left thyroid lobectomy 15 years earlier, who presented with dyspnoea. CT scan showed huge bilateral intrathoracic masses. Through median sternotomy, the masses were successfully excised, though with difficulty due to their hypervascular nature, along with completion thyroidectomy. Histopathology of the specimens showed multinodular goitre with no evidence of malignancy. The patient recovered well and one year after discharge, delivered a healthy baby.

Highlights:
Computations of equilibrium and non-equilibrium turbulent channel flows using a nested-LES approach
Authors: Tang Yifeng , Akhavan Rayhaneh
Published: March 2016

A new nested-LES approach for computation of high Reynolds number, equilibrium, and non-equilibrium, wall-bounded turbulent flows is presented. The method couples coarse-resolution LES in the full computational domain with fine-resolution LES in a minimal flow unit to retain the accuracy of well-resolved LES throughout the computational domain, including in the near-wall region, while significantly reducing the computational cost. The two domains are coupled by renormalizing the instantaneous velocity fields in each domain dynamically during the course of the simulation to match the wall-normal profiles of single-time, ensemble-averaged kinetic energies of the components of ‘mean’ and fluctuating velocities in the inner layer to those of the minimal flow unit, and in the outer layer to those of the full domain. This simple renormalization procedure is shown to correct the energy spectra and wall shear stresses in both domains, thus leading to accurate turbulence statistics. The nested-LES approach has been applied to computation of equilibrium turbulent channel flow at $Re_{{\it\tau}}\approx 1000$, 2000, 5000, 10 000, and non-equilibrium, strained turbulent channel flow at $Re_{{\it\tau}}\approx 2000$. In both flows, nested-LES predicts the skin friction coefficient, first- and higher-order turbulence statistics, spectra and structure of the flow in agreement with available DNS and experimental data. Nested-LES can be applied to any flow with at least one direction of local or global homogeneity, while reducing the required number of grid points from $O(Re_{{\it\tau}}^{2})$ of conventional LES to $O(\log Re_{{\it\tau}})$ or $O(Re_{{\it\tau}})$ in flows with two or one locally or globally homogeneous directions, respectively.
Slipping free jet flow near channel exit at moderate Reynolds number for large slip length
Authors: Khayat Roger E.
Published: March 2016

The flow of a slipping fluid jet is examined theoretically as it emerges from a channel at moderate Reynolds number. The ratio of the slip length to the channel width $S$ is assumed to be of order one, one order of magnitude larger than the perturbation parameter ${\it\varepsilon}=Re^{-1/2}$, $Re$ being the Reynolds number. Poiseuille flow conditions are assumed to prevail far upstream from the exit. The problem is solved using the method of matched asymptotic expansions. A similarity solution is obtained in the inner layer of the free surface, with the outer layer extending to the jet centreline. The inner-layer thickness grows like $\sqrt{x/Re\,S}$. A slipping jet is found to contract like $x/Re$ very near and far from the channel exit, but does not have a definite behaviour in between compared to $(x/Re)^{1/3}$ for an adhering jet, $x$ being the distance from the channel exit. Eventually, the jet reaches uniform conditions far downstream. As in the case of entry flow, there is a rapid departure in flow behaviour for a slipping jet from the $S=0$ limit. This rapid change is notably observed in the drop of boundary-layer thickness, increase in exit and relaxation lengths as well as in jet width with slip length. Finally, the connections with microchannel and hydrophobic flows are highlighted.
Evolving Identities Among Russian-Born Buriat Mongolian Children in a Chinese Bilingual School
Authors: Sartor Valerie
Published: March 2016

This article addresses identity issues among a specific group of Indigenous youth, young Buriat Mongolian students, born in Russia, who struggled to understand their sense of cultural identity while living and studying in Chinese Inner Mongolia. This qualitative research project employed ethnographic methodology. Sociocultural theory, specifically Bakhtin, was employed to analyse findings. Results indicated that ties to the land, family practices and spiritual practices are significant identity markers for the Buriat youth involved in this study and Buriat parents and elders taught young Buriats about the moral dimensions of living upon Buriat lands.