bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simple coating technique for 2‐dimensional zinc oxide nanostructure
Authors: Justin Raj C. , Bharathi P. , Varma K. B. R.
Published: April 2012

We report a novel and simple solution‐based technique for depositing 2‐D zinc oxide platelets at low temperature. Nanoplatelets that were mostly a‐oriented associated with the Lotgering orientation factor of 0.65 were obtained by locating a glass substrate at a distance of about 5cm over the aqueous vapour of the boiling precursor. Experiments were carried out to optimize the coating parameters by placing the substrate at different positions, durations and the pH of the precursor. The X‐ray diffraction studies confirmed the structure associated with the crystallites to be wurzite. The different morphology of the zinc oxide films and blue light emission were observed using scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy respectively.
Dynamical and passive characteristics of the Ag/TlGaSeS/Ag RF resonators
Authors: Qasrawi A. F. , Elayyat Shadia M. S. , Gasanly N. M.
Published: April 2012

Ag contacts on the surface of the TlGaSeS single crystals are observed to exhibit Schottky characteristics. The ideality factor of the Ag/ TlGaSeS/Ag device decreased from 5.2 to 1.3 by the reduction of series resistance effect on the I‐V characteristics. Cheung's model analysis revealed a series resistance and barrier height of 40.6 KΩ and 0.32 V, respectively. The device was run on the passive mode by injection with an alternating ac signal of variable frequency in the frequency range of 0‐120 MHz and recoding the device capacitance. Several resonance‐antiresonance positions in the range of 27‐350 KHz were observed. The tangent loss factor of the passive device was observed to decrease with increasing frequency. It exhibited a very low loss value of the order of 10−5 at 120 MHz. Such property is a characteristic of high performance tunable device being suitable as processor clock controller.
On fast preprocessing schemes for the real‐valued spatially multiplexed MIMO detectors
Authors: Liu T.‐H. , Chiu Chun‐Ning
Published: April 2012

Multiple‐input and multiple‐output detectors may rely on the complex and real signal models, yielding complex detectors for quadrature amplitude modulated signals and real detectors for pulse amplitude modulated signals, respectively. It is well‐known that the complex and real maximum likelihood detectors are equivalent. But relying on both the conventional real and pairwise real models, we show in this paper that some of the suboptimal real detectors are equivalent to their counterpart complex detectors, whereas some are not. The equivalence between the complex and pairwise real detectors also leads us to develop fast preprocessing algorithms for the real ordered successive interference cancelation and tree search detectors. Finally, we show that the preprocessing computations required by the equivalent suboptimal complex and pairwise real detectors are of the same complexity. When some practical preprocessing criteria are used, the real detectors may not detect the PAM signals in the pairwise manner. Such non‐pairwise real detectors outperform their counterpart complex detectors at the cost of higher preprocessing complexity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adult periventricular neural stem cells: Outstanding progress and outstanding issues
Authors: Chojnacki Andrew , Cusulin Carlo , Weiss Samuel
Published: April 2012

Twenty years have past since the existence of neural stem cells (NSCs) within the walls of the adult lateral ventricles was discovered. During this period of time, great strides have been made in every facet of our understanding of this adult periventricular NSC population. In this review, some of the fields' major advancements regarding the nature and function of adult periventricular NSCs are examined. We bring attention to issues related to NSC identity, potential, and the role of Notch signaling in regulating quiescence and activation that warrant further investigation. Progress in the understanding of human adult NSCs will aid in the development of tools required to advance therapies not only for brain repair after injury or disease but may also lead to novel therapeutics for brain tumors. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 72: 972–989, 2012
Alterations of the erythrocyte membrane proteome and cytoskeleton network during storage – a possible tool to identify autologous blood transfusion
Authors: Nikolovski Zoran , De La Torre Carolina , Chiva Cristina , Borràs Eva , Andreu David , Ventura Rosa , Segura Jordi
Published: April 2012

Mature red blood cells (RBCs) are the end‐stage of a development process that starts in the bone marrow and continues to differentiate, through reticulocyte stage, entering into the circulation with a four‐month lifespan. While stored, RBCs undergo different changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes occurring in RBC membranes during storage that could be used as possible markers to detect the misuse of blood transfusion in sports.

Whole blood was collected from two volunteers in blood bags and stored for 42 days at 4°C. At different times (1, 7, 21, and 42 days of storage) whole blood was extracted under sterile conditions and submitted to RBC membrane ghost preparation and further analysis. Proteomic methods were applied using two strategies: protein oriented using 2‐DE gels and peptide oriented using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ).

In both approaches, the goal was to compare detectable changes in RBC membrane proteome before and after standard storage at different times. Some of the changes were confirmed with both methodologies employed, while with others only with one of them. Complementarities of the methods in this case showed to be an advantage.

Changes were observed in two different protein complexes. In one of them, changes consisted of proteins decreasing, while increasing in the other during storage of RBCs. They are mostly located in cytoskeleton ‐ spectrin β, band 4.2, ankyrin‐1, tropomodulin‐1, β adducin, band 4.9 (dematin), tropomyosin, while some changes were also observed in transmembrane proteins (glycophorin C, aquaporin‐1, band 3). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Matrix Isolation and Spectroscopic Characterization of 2,5,6‐Trifluoropyridylnitren‐3‐yl
Authors: Grote Dirk , Finke Christopher , Neuhaus Patrik , Sander Wolfram
Published: April 2012

The photochemistry of 3‐iodo‐2,5,6‐trifluoropyridyl azide (6c), matrix‐isolated in argon, was investigated by IR and EPR spectroscopy. The primary photoproduct is 3‐iodo‐2,5,6‐trifluoropyridylnitrene (7c) in its triplet ground state. Further irradiation produced very low yields of nitrene radical3c, which shows a characteristic EPR spectrum. The yield of3c, however, was too low for IR detection. Instead, azirinyl radical11, formed from3cby ring closure, could clearly be identified in the IR spectra. Other products observed were azirine8c′and the ketenimine9c′, which are formed in a photostationary equilibrium together with nitrine7c.
Separation of multiply charged anions by capillary electrophoresis using alkyl phosphonium pairing agents
Authors: Feng Qing , Wanigasekara Eranda , Breitbach Zachary S. , Armstrong Daniel W.
Published: April 2012

Two newly developed UV transparent phosphonium‐based cationic reagents were evaluated as background electrolyte additives for capillary electrophoresis for the separation of multiply charged anions, including several complex anions. These cationic reagents showed moderate suppression of the electroosmotic flow, interacted with the analytes to improve their separation and often improved the peak shape. The effects of the additives and their concentration on the separation were studied, as well as the buffer type, pH, and voltage. The dicationic reagent effectively separated eight divalent anions within 17 min and the tetracationic reagent best separated nine trivalent anions, as well as a mixture of all the anions.
Synthesis and electrophilic cyclization reactions of diphenyl 3‐methylhexa‐ 1,3,4‐trien‐3‐yl phosphine oxide
Authors: Ivanov Ivaylo K. , Christov Valerij Ch.
Published: April 2012

Diphenyl 3‐methylhexa‐1,3,4‐trien‐3‐yl phosphine oxide can be readily prepared via an atom‐economical 2,3‐sigmatropic rearrangement of the mediated alkenynyl phosphinite formed in situ by a reaction of 2‐methylhex‐5‐en‐3‐yn‐2‐ol with diphenylchlorophosphine. Electrophilic cyclization reactions of prepared 1‐vinylallenyl phosphine oxide were investigated as it was established that the reactions proceeded with formation of heterocyclic compounds with participation of the allenic and/or 1,3‐dienic part of the vinylallenic system with neighboring group participation of the phosphoryl and/or vinylic group. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 23:345–351, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/hc.21023
Readers' Forum
Authors: Woodley K. E.
Published: April 2012

Readers are invited to contribute short questions on any meteorological topic. We will endeavour to obtain answers to all submitted questions.
Developmental Evolution in Social Insects: Regulatory Networks from Genes to Societies
Authors: LINKSVAYER TIMOTHY A. , FEWELL JENNIFER H. , GADAU JÜRGEN , LAUBICHLER MANFRED D.
Published: April 2012

The evolution and development of complex phenotypes in social insect colonies, such as queen–worker dimorphism or division of labor, can, in our opinion, only be fully understood within an expanded mechanistic framework ofDevelopmental Evolution. Conversely, social insects offer a fertile research area in which fundamental questions ofDevelopmental Evolutioncan be addressed empirically. We review the concept of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that aims to fully describe the battery of interacting genomic modules that are differentially expressed during the development of individual organisms. We discuss how distinct types of network models have been used to study different levels of biological organization in social insects, fromGRNs to social networks. We propose that these hierarchical networks spanning different organizational levels from genes to societies should be integrated and incorporated into fullGRNmodels to elucidate the evolutionary and developmental mechanisms underlying social insect phenotypes. Finally, we discuss prospects and approaches to achieve such an integration.J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 318:159–169, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex‐Linked Mitochondrial Behavior During Early Embryo Development inRuditapes philippinarum(Bivalvia Veneridae) a Species with the Doubly Uniparental Inheritance (DUI) of Mitochondria
Authors: MILANI LILIANA , GHISELLI FABRIZIO , PASSAMONTI MARCO
Published: April 2012

In most metazoans mitochondria are inherited maternally. However, in some bivalve molluscs, two mitochondrial lineages are present: one transmitted through females (F‐type), the other through males (M‐type). This unique system is called Doubly Uniparental Inheritance (DUI) of mitochondria. In DUI species, M‐type mitochondria have to invade the germ line of male embryos during development, otherwise sperm would transmit F‐type mtDNA and DUI would fail. The mechanisms by which sperm mitochondria enter the germ line are still unknown. To address this question, we traced the movement of spermatozoon mitochondria (M‐type) in embryos of the DUI speciesRuditapes philippinarumby fertilizing eggs with sperm stained with the mitochondrial‐specific vital dye MitoTracker Green. As inMytilusDUI species, inR. philippinarumthe distribution of sperm mitochondria follows two different patterns: an aggregated one in which these organelles locate near the first cleavage furrow, and a dispersed one in which sperm mitochondria are scattered. The presence of the two mitochondrial patterns in these taxa, together with their absence in species with Strictly Maternal Inheritance (SMI), confirms that their occurrence is related to DUI. Moreover, a Real‐Time qPCR analysis showed that neither M‐type nor F‐type mitochondria undergo replication boosts in the earliest embryo development. This is the first study on sex‐linked mtDNA copy number carried out by qPCR analysis on embryos of a DUI species and the first time the segregation patterns of sperm mitochondria are described in a DUI system other thanMytilus.J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 318:182–189, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Coherent Raman spectroscopy with a fiber‐format femtosecond oscillator
Authors: Kumar Vikas , Casella Michele , Molotokaite Egle , Polli Dario , Cerullo Giulio , Marangoni Marco
Published: April 2012

We report on the recent development of a new technological approach for coherent Raman spectroscopy/microscopy based on spectral compression of femtosecond pulses emitted by an amplified multiple‐branch Er:fiber oscillator. Spectral compression is achieved by group‐velocity mismatched second‐harmonic generation in periodically poled nonlinear crystals, and it allows efficient synthesis of multiple synchronized narrow‐bandwidth picosecond pulses with frequency difference continuously tunable from 1000 to 3500 cm−1. The system offers performances close to the current state of the art both for coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and for stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), but with significant advantages in terms of compactness and versatility. In fact, several configurations can be easily implemented, including multiplex CARS, two‐color imaging and nonresonant background suppression in CARS. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A wide‐field arrangement for single‐shot CARS imaging of living cells
Authors: Silve A. , Dorval N. , Schmid T. , Mir L.M. , Attal‐Tretout B.
Published: April 2012

This paper demonstrates a new arrangement for wide‐field CARS imaging. The setup using nanosecond dye lasers in a non‐phase‐matching illumination is presented. The chemical selectivity of the signal is demonstrated on polystyrene beads. Moreover, the experimental arrangement has enabled the acquisition of images of living cells in suspension with a satisfactory signal‐to‐background ratio by using only a single pair of laser shots. Therefore, each image can be acquired using a total duration of 3 ns, which is the pulse duration of the laser used in this study. Finally, lack of damage on cells has been demonstrated in conditions leading to strong CARS signal generation. In particular, no cell morphological changes were observed and cell membrane integrity (assessed by trypan blue test) was preserved. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantifying telemetry collar bias when age is unknown: A simulation study with a long‐lived ungulate
Authors: Prichard Alexander K. , Joly Kyle , Dau Jim
Published: April 2012

Radiotelemetry collars are frequently used to estimate demographic parameters of animals, such as annual survival and parturition rates. If animals are collared for multiple years and statistical adjustments are not made, these estimates can be biased by an unrepresentative age structure and individual variability of collared animals. To quantify the effects of different factors on the magnitude of these potential biases, we created a computer simulation of the female portion of a barren‐ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) herd and then randomly assigned collars to individuals within the simulated population. Under our default model, based on the Western Arctic Herd monitoring program, caribou were collared randomly from all females aged 2 years and over, and they remained collared for a mean of 7 years. Our simulations revealed that survival rates were underestimated by approximately 3.4% and parturition rates were overestimated by approximately 3.3%. The magnitude of these biases increased when individuals remained collared for longer periods. Increased individual variability in the population resulted in only small increases in survival and parturition rates. Because the magnitude of the bias increased steadily during the first years of the study, we found a substantial risk of incorrectly identifying a significant decline in survival in the first 7 years after marking. Including the number of years individual animals have been collared as a covariate in analyses can reduce the biases in demographic parameters and should be considered for inclusion in analyses when animal age is unknown. Actual survival rate estimates from telemetry data for the Western Arctic Herd were generally consistent with the results of these simulations. These potential biases should be considered when interpreting demographic parameters from multi‐year collaring studies. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Spastic cocontraction in hemiparesis: Effects of botulinum toxin
Authors: Vinti Maria , Costantino Filomena , Bayle Nicolas , Simpson David M. , Weisz Donald J. , Gracies Jean‐Michel
Published: April 2012

Introduction: In this study of spastic hemiparesis we evaluated cocontraction during sustained agonist/antagonist efforts, before and after botulinum toxin (BoNT) injection in 1 agonist. Methods: Nineteen hemiparetic subjects performed maximal isometric elbow flexion/extension efforts with the elbow at 100° (extensors stretched). Using flexor and extensor surface electromyography we calculated agonist recruitment/cocontraction indices from 500‐ms peak voluntary agonist recruitment, before and 1 month after onabotulinumtoxinA injection (160 U) into biceps brachii. Results: Before injection, agonist recruitment and cocontraction indices were higher in extensors than flexors [0.74 ± 0.15 vs. 0.59 ± 0.10 (P < 0.01) and 0.43 ± 0.25 vs. 0.25 ± 0.13 (P < 0.05), respectively]. Biceps injection decreased extensor cocontraction index (−35%, P < 0.05) while increasing flexor agonist recruitment and cocontraction indices. Conclusions: In spastic hemiparesis, stretch may facilitate agonist recruitment and spastic cocontraction. In the non‐injected antagonist, cocontraction may be reduced by enhanced reciprocal inhibition from a more relaxed, and therefore stretched, agonist, or through decreased recurrent inhibition from the injected muscle. Muscle Nerve, 2012
Dorsal sural neuropathy: Electrophysiological, ultrasonographic, and magnetic resonance imaging findings
Authors: Kim Yona , Kim Dong Hwee , Kim Nan Hee , Kim Baek Hyun , Park Byung Kyu
Published: April 2012

Dorsal sural neuropathy occurs infrequently as a result of compression of the nerve due to various etiologies.We describe a 52‐year‐old diabetic woman with dorsal sural neuropathy. The diagnosis was based on clinical, electrophysiological, ultrasonographic, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. This case report demonstrates the usefulness of electrophysiological and imaging studies, including ultrasonography, in the diagnosis of dorsal sural neuropathy. Muscle Nerve 46: 597–600, 2012
An unconditionally stable uncoupled scheme for a triphasic Cahn–Hilliard/Navier–Stokes model
Authors: Minjeaud Sebastian
Published: April 2012

We propose an original scheme for the time discretization of a triphasic Cahn–Hilliard/Navier–Stokes model. This scheme allows an uncoupled resolution of the discrete Cahn–Hilliard and Navier‐Stokes system, which is unconditionally stable and preserves, at the discrete level, the main properties of the continuous model. The existence of discrete solutions is proved, and a convergence study is performed in the case where the densities of the three phases are the same. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq. 2013
The birefringence and anisotropic planar shrinkage of polycarbonate/organoclay injection moldings
Authors: Sadeghi Soheil , Nazockdast Hossein , Mehranpour Milad
Published: April 2012

The main objective of the present work was the study of the effect of organoclay on planar shrinkage anisotropy of polymeric injection‐molded products by means of a rheological technique, in conjunction with birefringence measurements, performed on polycarbonate/organoclay samples. Polarized optical microscopy at elevated temperatures revealed that the birefringence due to the ordered‐silicate layers had a negative contribution to the overall birefringence of the samples. The maximum value of the calculated‐order parameter based on these results was found to be near unity, indicating an appreciable degree of flow alignment for the silicate layers. Different states of silicate layer orientation, with some layers aligned parallel to the in‐plane direction at the skin layer or partially tilted from the planar direction at the core region, were observed through the optical analysis along the thickness direction. The anisotropic shrinkage measurements showed that organoclay reduced both in‐flow and cross‐flow shrinkages, resulting in a low extent of planar shrinkage anisotropy. This can be attributed to the flow alignment of clay particles closely parallel to the in‐plane direction. Prolonged relaxation of the flow‐induced molecular orientation combined with faster solidification were also found to play an appreciable role in the decreased shrinkage anisotropy. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
βLG values in mechanistic studies on the transesterification of RNA models and their application in a metal ion complex promoted transesterification
Authors: Korhonen Heidi , Williams Nicholas H. , Mikkola Satu
Published: April 2012

Studies on the mechanism of transesterification reactions of nucleoside 3′‐phosphoesters using βLG values as a mechanistic tool are discussed in this mini review. Our recent observation that a dinuclear metal ion complex enhances both the cleavage and isomerisation is discussed in the light of previous studies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Religiosity, depression, and quality of life in Korean patients with breast cancer: a 1‐year prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Jang Ji‐Eun , Kim Sung‐Wan , Kim Seon‐Young , Kim Jae‐Min , Park Min‐Ho , Yoon Jung‐Han , Shin Hee‐Young , Kang Hee‐Ju , Bae Kyung‐Yeol , Shin Il‐Seon , Yoon Jin‐Sang
Published: April 2012

Objective

To investigate the association among religiosity and depression, anxiety, and quality of life in women with breast cancer.

Method

The sample consisted of 284 patients with breast cancer who were undergoing surgery. They were assessed with the following instruments at baseline and at 1 year after surgery: the Duke Religious Index (DRI), the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30. Depression was diagnosed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview.

Results

The prevalence of depression at baseline and at 1 year was 22.5% and 16.5%, respectively. The religious groups did not differ significantly with respect to the prevalence of depression or scores on psychiatric measures at either baseline or at 1 year. The prevalence of depression significantly decreased only in the Protestant group, from 30.1% to 15.7%. Scores on the DRI were significantly negatively correlated with scores on all of the anxiety and depression scales at 1 year after surgery in this group. In contrast, scores on the religious activity subscale of the DRI were significantly positively correlated with scores on the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale at baseline or at 1 year among Catholic participants. The DRI scores of Protestant respondents were significantly positively correlated with scores on the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 at 1 year after surgery.

Conclusion

Religiosity plays an important role in the emotional state and quality of life of Korean women with breast cancer. However, its clinical meaning may differ according to the type of religious affiliation and the stage of illness. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A systematic review of research using the diagnostic criteria for cancer‐related fatigue
Authors: Donovan Kristine A. , McGinty Heather L. , Jacobsen Paul B.
Published: April 2012

Background

Prevalence rates for cancer‐related fatigue vary widely depending on how fatigue is defined and assessed. In 1998, formal diagnostic criteria were proposed for a syndrome of cancer‐related fatigue. These criteria were intended to facilitate the study of cancer‐related fatigue and the development of appropriate interventions to ameliorate fatigue. Although the criteria have been widely cited, to date, there has been no systematic review of research using the criteria that might inform their continued use or revision.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature reporting results based on use of the diagnostic criteria. Data were analyzed to characterize the reliability and validity of the criteria and to describe the prevalence of cancer‐related fatigue.

Results

We identified nine eligible studies. The purpose of the majority of the studies was to estimate the prevalence of cancer‐related fatigue; there was considerable variability with respect to design and nature of the samples included. Although few studies examined reliability of the criteria, findings reported support their reliability. The validity of the criteria judged relative to established measures of fatigue and related constructs appears to be strong. Prevalence rates for cancer‐related fatigue based on the diagnostic criteria vary widely, reflecting a lack of consistency in how the criteria have been applied.

Conclusions

As a comprehensive approach to diagnosing cancer‐related fatigue, the diagnostic criteria have received relatively scant attention by the clinical research community. Our findings suggest the need for research aimed at revising the criteria, enhancing their usefulness, and promoting their more widespread use. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rotamer libraries and probabilities of transition between rotamers for the side chains in protein–protein binding
Authors: Kirys Tatsiana , Ruvinsky Anatoly M. , Tuzikov Alexander V. , Vakser Ilya A.
Published: April 2012

Conformational changes in the side chains are essential for protein–protein binding. Rotameric states and unbound‐ to‐bound conformational changes in the surface residues were systematically studied on a representative set of protein complexes. The side‐chain conformations were mapped onto dihedral angles space. The variable threshold algorithm was developed to cluster the dihedral angle distributions and to derive rotamers, defined as the most probable conformation in a cluster. Six rotamer libraries were generated: full surface, surface noninterface, and surface interface—each for bound and unbound states. The libraries were used to calculate the probabilities of the rotamer transitions upon binding. The stability of amino acids was quantified based on the transition maps. The noninterface residues' stability was higher than that of the interface. Long side chains with three or four dihedral angles were less stable than the shorter ones. The transitions between the rotamers at the interface occurred more frequently than on the noninterface surface. Most side chains changed conformation within the same rotamer or moved to an adjacent rotamer. The highest percentage of the transitions was observed primarily between the two most occupied rotamers. The probability of the transition between rotamers increased with the decrease of the rotamer stability. The analysis revealed characteristics of the surface side‐chain conformational transitions that can be utilized in flexible docking protocols. Proteins 2012; © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On extractors and exposure‐resilient functions for sublogarithmic entropy
Authors: Reshef Yakir , Vadhan Salil
Published: April 2012

We study resilient functions and exposure‐resilient functions in the low‐entropy regime. A resilient function (a.k.a. deterministic extractor for oblivious bit‐fixing sources) maps any distribution on n ‐bit strings in which k bits are uniformly random and the rest are fixed into an output distribution that is close to uniform. With exposure‐resilient functions, all the input bits are random, but we ask that the output be close to uniform conditioned on any subset of n ‐ k input bits. In this paper, we focus on the case that k is sublogarithmic in n.

We simplify and improve an explicit construction of resilient functions for k sublogarithmic in n due to Kamp and Zuckerman (SICOMP 2006), achieving error exponentially small in k rather than polynomially small in k. Our main result is that when k is sublogarithmic in n, the short output length of this construction (O(log k) output bits) is optimal for extractors computable by a large class of space‐bounded streaming algorithms.

Next, we show that a random function is a resilient function with high probability if and only if k is superlogarithmic in n, suggesting that our main result may apply more generally. In contrast, we show that a random function is a static (resp. adaptive) exposure‐resilient function with high probability even if k is as small as a constant (resp. loglog n). No explicit exposure‐resilient functions achieving these parameters are known. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2013
Conjugated Polymer and Gold Nanoparticle Co‐loaded PLGA Nanocomposites with Eccentric Internal Nanostructure for Dual‐modal Targeted Cellular Imaging
Authors: Geng Junlong , Li Kai , Pu Kan‐Yi , Ding Dan , Liu Bin
Published: April 2012

Herein is reported the one‐step synthesis of an integrated nanocomposite with eccentrically loaded 5 nm gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and conjugated polymer of poly[9,9‐bis(6’‐N,N,N‐trimethylammonium)hexyl)fluorenyldivinylene‐alt‐4,7‐(2,1,3,‐ benzothiadiazole) dibromide] (PFVBT). The nanocomposite is generated with surface‐functionalized folic acid groups due to the matrix polymer of PLGA–PEG2000‐folate used for encapsulation. The nanocomposite shows far‐red fluorescence from PFVBT and scattering signal from Au NPs. Although Au NPs have been widely reported to quench the fluorescence of conjugated polymers, the PFVBT fluorescence is well maintained in the nanocomposite due to the eccentric location of Au NPs. The folic acid groups at the nanocomposite surface favor its cellular uptake by MCF‐7 breast cancer cells, which have overexpressed folate receptors on the cell membranes. In conjugation with its low cytotoxicity, the folic‐acid‐functionalized nanocomposite has been successfully utilized for fluorescence and dark‐field dual‐modal targeted cellular imaging.
Incorporating transitive relations in low‐level design‐based class cohesion measurement
Authors: Al Dallal Jehad
Published: April 2012

Class cohesion metrics apply different approaches to quantify the relatedness of the attributes and methods in a class. These relations can be direct or transitive. Method invocations are among the key sources of potential transitive attribute–method relations. That is, a method is not only related to the attributes that it references, but it may also be transitively related to the attributes referenced by the methods that it invokes. A few of the existing class cohesion metrics capture this potential transitive cohesion aspect. In this paper, we classify the method invocations as direct or transitive. The definitions of the class representative models used by 16 existing low‐level design (LLD) metrics are extended to incorporate the cohesion caused by the two types of method invocations. The impact of incorporating the transitive relations because of the two types of method invocations on the cohesion values and on the ability of the LLD metrics to predict faulty classes are studied empirically. The results show that the transitive relations because of both types of method invocations featured a considerable degree of cohesion that is not captured by most of the existing LLD metrics. However, practically, incorporating transitive relations in cohesion measurement was found to be ineffective in improving the fault‐prediction powers of most of the LLD metrics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surgical Outcome of Liver Transection by the Crush‐Clamping Technique Combined with Harmonic FOCUS™
Authors: Gotohda Naoto , Konishi Masaru , Takahashi Shinichiro , Kinoshita Takahiro , Kato Yuichiro , Kinoshita Taira
Published: April 2012

Background

New energy devices are constantly being introduced for all types of surgery, including liver surgery. These devices help surgeons perform operations. Meanwhile, intraoperative blood loss is a concern of liver surgeons. Various methods to reduce intraoperative bleeding during liver resection have been reported. There are some reports that the use of energy devices was effective for liver transection. Recently, the Harmonic FOCUS™ (HF), an ultrasonically activated device, was developed. The shape of the HF is similar to that of Kelly forceps. Hepatectomy can be performed by the clamp‐crushing method using the HF instead of Kelly forceps. We obtained good results of liver resection with the HF, and report these outcomes in this study.

Methods

From November 2009 to March 2011, a total of 51 patients underwent hepatectomy with the use of the HF. The control group consisted of 59 patients who underwent hepatectomy without the HF from February 2009 to September 2009. The surgical outcomes were evaluated and compared retrospectively.

Results

Mean blood loss was 640 mL in the HF group compared to 1,176 mL in the control group. The number of patients needing a blood transfusion was smaller in the HF group (p = 0.02). Mean operative time was shorter in the HF group (171 vs. 235 min, p < 0.001). All these surgical outcomes were significantly better in the HF group. Postoperative morbidity was not increased in the HF group, and we could perform liver transection safely.

Conclusion

The crush‐clamping method combined with the HF is effective for liver transection. Liver resection can be performed quickly using this method.
Leech Infestation in Children Through Body Orifices: Experience in a Hospital in Bangladesh
Authors: Hannan Md. Jafrul , Hoque Md. Mozammel
Published: April 2012

Introduction

Bangladesh harbors many leeches in its vast wetlands. Leeches have a tendency to enter through body orifices with potentially life‐threatening consequences. Literature search revealed inadequate description of clinical manifestations and treatment of leech infestations in children. We describe our experience with leech infestations in children.

Methods

Between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2010, 17 cases of leech infestation through body orifices in children were managed. This is a retrospective study on age, sex, route of leech entry, investigation and treatment, and outcome.

Results

Age ranged from 4.5 to 11 years (mean 6.4 ± 1.8) and females accounted for more than 70 %. The orifices of leech entry include urethra, vagina, and rectum. Leeches could be found in eight cases. Two boys with leeches in the urinary bladder needed suprapubic removal. Leeches were retrieved from the vagina under general anesthesia in three cases, and on three occasions leeches came out from the vagina after normal saline instillation. In nine cases with different routes of entry where leech was not found, instillation of normal saline was sufficient to stop bleeding. Fifteen cases presented with bleeding and transfusion was required in five cases with Hb% <7 gm/dl.

Conclusions

Leech infestation through lower body orifices is common in children of rural Bangladesh. Prompt diagnosis is of paramount importance, and application of normal saline is effective in most cases. Sometimes surgical intervention is required.
A Business Model for Managing System Change Through Strategic Financing and Performance Indicators: A Case Study
Authors: Armstrong Mary I. , Milch Heidi , Curtis Peter , Endress Phillip
Published: April 2012

This article describes how a system of care operated by a county government agency used a fiscal crisis as the opportunity to reform its children's system. A cross‐system response to the crisis is outlined that includes a system of care framework coupled with a business model, inter‐departmental collaboration and leadership, the use of strategic reinvestment strategies, and a quality improvement system that focuses on key indicators. Implementation of the system change is described with a specific focus on cross‐system entry points, financing strategies that re‐allocate funds from deep‐end programs to community‐based services, and management oversight through the use of performance indicators to monitor and support effectiveness. This article examines the results of the system change, including the diversion of youth from system penetration, the reduction in residential treatment bed days, the re‐allocation of these savings to community‐based services, and the outcomes of children who were diverted from residential care and served in the community. The article offers a number of recommendations for other communities contemplating system change.
Measuring cognitive outcomes in a pre-clinical bioethics course
Authors: Fernandes Ashley K. , Borges Nicole , Rodabaugh Heather
Published: April 2012

Medical schools universally accept the idea that bioethics courses are essential
components of education, but few studies which measure outcomes (i.e., knowledge or
retention) have demonstrated their educational value in the literature. The goal of this
study was to examine whether core concepts of a pre-clinical bioethics course were
learned and retained. Over the course of 2 years, a pre-test comprising 25
multiple-choice questions was administered to two classes (2008–2010) of first-year
medical students prior to the start of a 15-week ethics course, and an identical
post-test was administered at the end of the course. A total of 189 students
participated. Paired t tests showed a significant difference between pre-test scores and
post-test scores. The pre-test average score was 69.8 %, and the post-test average was
82.6 %, an increase of 12.9 % after the ethics course. The pre- and post-test results
also suggested a shift in difficulty level of the questions, with students finding
identical questions easier after the intervention. Given the increase in post-test
scores after the 15-week intervention, the study suggests that core concepts in medical
ethics were learned and retained. These results demonstrate that an introductory
bioethics course can improve short-term outcomes in knowledge and comprehension, and
should provide impetus to educators to demonstrate improved educational outcomes in
ethics at higher levels of B.S. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning.
Interruptions and Miscommunications in Surgery: An Observational Study
Authors: Gillespie Brigid M. , Chaboyer Wendy , Fairweather Nicole
Published: April 2012

In surgery, as much as 30% of procedure‐specific information may be lost as a result of miscommunication. We assessed the relationship between interruptions, team familiarity, and miscommunications across a purposive sample of 160 surgical procedures in 10 specialties during a six‐month period. Descriptive analysis was used to quantify interruptions in respect to the source (ie, conversational, procedural) and type of miscommunication (ie, audience, purpose, occasion, content, experience). Results revealed an inverse correlation between the length of time that teams had worked together and the number of miscommunications in surgery (τ = −.33, P < .01). There was a positive correlation between the number of intraoperative interruptions and the number of miscommunications (τ = .30, P < .01). These results may help to inform the development of evidence‐based interventions designed to mitigate the effects of miscommunications in surgery.
Patient Safety: Break the Silence
Authors: Johnson Hope L. , Kimsey Diane
Published: April 2012

A culture of patient safety requires commitment and full participation from all staff members. In 2008, results of a culture of patient safety survey conducted in the perioperative division of the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Pennsylvania revealed a lack of patient‐centered focus, teamwork, and positive communication. As a result, perioperative leaders assembled a multidisciplinary team that designed a safety training program focusing on Crew Resource Management, TeamSTEPPS, and communication techniques. The team used video vignettes and an audience response system to engage learners and promote participation. Topics included using preprocedural briefings and postprocedural debriefings, conflict resolution, and assertiveness techniques. Postcourse evaluations showed that the majority of respondents believed they were better able to question the decisions or actions of someone with more authority. The facility has experienced a marked decrease in the number of incidents requiring a root cause analysis since the program was conducted.
Training Zambian traditional birth attendants to reduce neonatal mortality in the Lufwanyama Neonatal Survival Project (LUNESP)
Authors: Gill Christopher J. , Guerina Nicholas G. , Mulenga Charity , Knapp Anna B. , Mazala Grace , Hamer Davidson H.
Published: April 2012

Objective

To provide relevant details on how interventions in the Lufwanyama Neonatal Survival Project (LUNESP) were developed and how Zambian traditional birth attendants (TBAs) were trained to perform them.

Methods

The study tested 2 interventions: a simplified version of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ neonatal resuscitation protocol (NRP); and antibiotics with facilitated referral (AFR).

Results

Key elements that enabled the positive study result were: focusing on common and correctible causes of mortality; selecting a study population with high unmet public health need; early community mobilization to build awareness and support; emphasizing simplicity in the intervention technology and algorithms; using a traditional training approach appropriate to students with low literacy rates; requiring TBAs to demonstrate their competence before completing each workshop; and minimizing attrition of skills by retraining and reassessing the TBAs regularly throughout the study.

Conclusion

An effective NRP training model was created that is suitable for community‐based neonatal interventions, in research or programmatic settings, and by practitioners with limited obstetric skills and low rates of literacy.

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00518856.
We Create, We Connect, We Respect, Therefore We Are: Intellectual, Social, and Cultural Value in Online Communities
Authors: Seraj Mina
Published: April 2012

The web has become an irreplaceable source for knowledge creation and consumption and online communities have turned out to be the new form of socialization platforms for fulfilling certain needs such as providing or acquiring information, sharing experiences, playing games, etc. The aim of this paper is to explore the main characteristics of an online community that can deliver value to its consumers and instigate engagement. For this purpose, Airliners.net , an online community on aviation with high traffic and committed participants who are willing to pay membership fees to become active participants, is explored through netnography (Kozinets 2010). Netnography along with online and offline in-depth interviews revealed three specific online community characteristics that create value for the members of Airliners.net : goal driven and quality content (intellectual value), interactive environment for building relationships (social value), and self-governed community culture consistent with its principles (cultural value). Along with the results of netnography, the study discusses co-creation (Kozinets, Hemetsberger, and Schau 2008; Toffler 1980), interactivity and ritual chains (Collins 2004, Gordon 2010), and community culture (Cova 1997; Muñiz and O'Guinn 2001; Muñiz and Schau 2005) literature to show how these concepts converge to create value and therefore engagement, loyalty, and sustainability for online community members. These findings have theoretical implications for social media and online interaction related literature as well as critical business implications for sponsors or creators of online communities to differentiate themselves within the inflating number of online platforms.
Consistent subgrid scale modelling for lattice Boltzmann methods
Authors: Malaspinas Orestis , Sagaut Pierre
Published: April 2012

The lattice Boltzmann method has become a widely used tool for the numerical simulation of fluid flows and in particular of turbulent flows. In this frame the inclusion of subgrid scale closures is of crucial importance and is not completely understood from the theoretical point of view. Here, we propose a consistent way of introducing subgrid closures in the BGK Boltzmann equation for large eddy simulations of turbulent flows. Based on the Hermite expansion of the velocity distribution function, we construct a hierarchy of subgrid scale terms, which are similar to those obtained for the Navier–Stokes equations, and discuss their inclusion in the lattice Boltzmann method scheme. A link between our approach and the standard way on including eddy viscosity models in the lattice Boltzmann method is established. It is shown that the use of a single modified scalar relaxation time to account for subgrid viscosity effects is not consistent in the compressible case. Finally, we validate the approach in the weakly compressible case by simulating the time developing mixing layer and comparing with experimental results and direct numerical simulations.
Prediction of digestible amino acid and true metabolizable energy contents of sorghum grain from total essential amino acids
Authors: SEDGHI M. , EBADI M. R. , GOLIAN A. , AHMADI H.
Published: April 2012

Accurate information on metabolizable energy and true digestible amino acid (TDAA) content of sorghum grain is important in order to formulate sorghum-based poultry diets accurately. Estimates of ingredient nutritional values using bioassay methods require live birds and special facilities, which are time-consuming and costly. Accordingly, prediction by mathematical models would be of some considerable benefit. Sixty-eight samples of sorghum grain, representing 32 different varieties, were used to test the correlation between TDAA and nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy (TMEn) with total essential amino acids. Two methods of multiple linear regressions (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models were used to find the relationship between total amino acids (model inputs) with TDAA and TMEn contents (model outputs) in sorghum grain. The fitness of the models was tested usingR2, mean square (MS) error and bias. There is a strong relationship between total amino acid concentration with both TDAA and TMEn content in sorghum grain. The TDAA and TMEn values were more accurately estimated by ANN model compared to values obtained from the MLR model. TheR2values corresponding to testing and training of the ANN model showed a higher accuracy of prediction than the equation constructed by MLR method. Based on the experimental evidence, it is concluded that the TDAA and TMEn values in sorghum grain can be predicted from total essential amino acids using ANN models. Consequently, this method provides an opportunity to reduce the risk of formulating an unbalanced TDAA diet for poultry.