bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron injection into hole‐transporting layer from emitting layer in organic light emitting diodes
Authors: Tsuboi Taiju , Kishimoto Tadahi , Wako Kazuhiro , Matsuda Kuniharu , Iguchi Hirofumi
Published: May 2011

Optical and electrical characteristics of organic light emitting diode devices with emitting layer of N,N′‐di(naphthalene‐1‐yl)‐N,N′‐diphenyl‐benzidine (NPB) doped with 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0% tris[1‐phenylisoquinolinato‐C2, N] iridium [Ir(piq)3] are presented. Tris(8‐hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) and NPB were used as electron and hole transport layers, respectively. Emissions from Ir(piq)3 dopant and Alq3 have been observed in all the devices. No emission from NPB host was observed even in device with 0.2% dopant concentration. This is understood by the high HOMO gap (0.8 eV) between NPB and Alq3 and by the very small HOMO gap (0.1 eV) between Ir(piq)3 and Alq3, which do not lead to injection of electrons from Alq3 electron transport layer into NPB host in emitting layer but lead to direct injection of electrons from Alq3 into Ir(piq)3. It was found that the driving voltage, external quantum efficiency, and luminous efficiency increase with increasing dopant concentration, but power efficiency decrease. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Light‐sensitive organic recording media for 3D optical memory
Authors: Barachevsky V. A. , Krayushkin M. M. , Kyiko V. V. , Grebennikov E. P.
Published: May 2011

This paper presents own results in the field of organic recording media for bitwise working (WERM) and archival (WORM) optical memory. For the development of recording media for bitwise WERM optical memory thermally irreversible photochromic compounds from diarylethene, fulgimide classes manifesting reversible photoinduced valence are used. For making WORM optical memory chromons which form fluorescent products from nonluminescent compounds during irreversible photochemical reaction under laser UV irradiation are suggested. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Synthesis of poly(3, 4 ethylenedioxythiophene) nano structure using reverse microemulsion polymerization
Authors: Siju C. R. , Narasimha Rao K. , Ganesan R. , Gopal E. S. R. , Sindhu S.
Published: May 2011

We have synthesized Poly (3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanostructured powder through a hexane/water reverse microemulsion system using sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) cylindrical micelles as the template and ferric chloride (FeCl3) as the oxidant. Infrared spectroscopic study revealed that the polymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene leads to formation of the polymer PEDOT. The morphology of particles were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which showed nanometer sized agglomerates. The electrical conductivity of the nanopowder pellets was ∼15 S/cm. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Transport and recombination of photo‐carriers under potential fluctuation in TiOx films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering method
Authors: Sakaguchi Koichi , Shimakawa K. , Hatanaka Y.
Published: May 2011

Residual long‐term decays of photocurrent after stopping the irradiation of UV light have been reported in titanium oxide films. Excited electrons recombine with holes through the various routs. The photocurrent decay exhibits a stretched exponential form. It is shown in the case of argon environment that the recombination is dominated by the dispersive diffusion process of electrons. In the mixture of argon and oxygen gas environment, oxygens reacting with electrons near the surface dominate recombination processes. Origin of stretched‐exponential dynamics is discussed (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Investigations of the complex impedance of photovoltaic cells under illumination
Authors: Kancsar Erika , Drapalik Markus , Schmid Julian , Schlosser Viktor
Published: May 2011

The low pass characteristic of a photovoltaic device in the power converting voltage range was investigated by impedance spectroscopy and signal response measurements. For a c‐Si solar cell it was found that the bandwidth varies with bias voltage, illumination intensity and circuit termination. At low intensities or voltages below +0.15 V the bandwidth becomes less than 100 Hz when the cell was terminated with a high resistive load. As a consequence reliable data acquisition of the open circuit voltage transient for a fast intensity variation (≥100 mWcm–2/s) is limited to voltages above +0.35 V. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Mutagenicity and Oral Toxicity Studies of Terminalia chebula
Authors: Kim Ji‐hoon , Koo Yun‐chang , Hong Chung‐Oui , Yang Sung‐Yong , Jun Woojin , Lee Kwang‐Won
Published: May 2011

The fruit of Terminalia chebula Retz. (T. chebula), which is a member of the Combfreetaceae family, is used widely in Asian countries as a traditional folk medicine, and its extract has been reported to be an anticancer, antidiabetic and anticaries agent. In our previous study, chebulic acid isolated from T. chebula extract was confirmed to show antioxidant activity and protective action against endothelial cell dysfunction. In order to support the safety‐in‐use of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc)‐soluble portion of a T. chebula ethanol extract containing 29.4% chebulic acid content, the prepared portion was tested in an in vitro mutagenicity assay, and a single‐ and 14‐day repeated dose oral toxicity study. In the bacterial mutation assay, up to 5000 µg/mL concentration of the EtOAc‐soluble portion, the numbers of colonies did not increase whether with or without metabolic activation. In the oral toxicity study, the single oral dose of the extract at 2000 mg/kg did not produce mortality or abnormal lesions in the internal organs of rats. The results of a 14‐day orally repeated dose showed that the EtOAc‐soluble portion of T. chebula ethanol extracts gave no adverse effects at dosages of 2000 mg/kg in rats in the study. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An effective sensitivity analysis methodology for the reliability‐based structural optimization design to high temperature components
Authors: Zheng Mianbin , Chen Guohua
Published: May 2011

Most of physical parameters of high temperature components are usually correlated with the temperature parameter, which makes the reliability‐based structural optimization design more complicated. So far, few efficient sensitivity analysis methods adapted to highly nonlinear performance function with correlated non‐normal variables have been invented. An effective simulation approach is presented to perform reliability sensitivity analysis with the aid of Cholesky factorization and curve fitting. Moreover, in order to improve the programming and computational efficiency, the mixed programming technique of Visual Basic and MATLAB was employed to develop a reliability sensitivity analysis program. The numerical case shows that the results are consistent with those from other traditional methods, and the engineering cases indicate that the proposed method can be effectively used in highly nonlinear function with correlated non‐normal parameters. Meanwhile, the results also demonstrate that the correlation coefficient parameter of high temperature components is very important in the reliability‐based structural optimization design; hence, this parameter should be fully taken into consideration to ensure that the analysis results are accurate and reasonable. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Various atomic charge calculation schemes of CoMFA on HIF‐1 inhibitors of moracin analogs
Authors: Madhavan Thirumurthy , Gadhe Changdev G. , Kothandan Gugan , Lee Kyeong , Cho Seung Joo
Published: May 2011

Selection of appropriate partial charges in a molecule is crucial to derive good quantitative structure–activity relationship models. In this work, several partial atomic charges were assigned and tested in a comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) models. Many CoMFA models were generated for a series of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF‐1) inhibitors using various partial atomic charges including charge equalization, Mülliken population analysis (MPA), natural population analysis, and electrostatic potential (ESP)‐derived charges. These atomic charges were investigated at various theoretical levels such as empirical, semiempirical, Hartree–Fock (HF), and density functional theory (DFT). Among them, Merz‐Singh‐Kollman (MK) ESP‐derived charges at the level of HF/6‐31G* gave the highest predictive q2 with experimental pIC50 values. With this charge scheme, a detailed analysis of CoMFA model was performed to understand the electrostatic interactions between ligand and receptor. More elaborate charge calculation schemes such as HF and DFT correlated more strongly with activity than empirical or semiempirical schemes. The choice of optimization methods was important. As geometries were fully optimized at the given levels of theory, the aligned structures were different. They differed considerably, especially for the flexible parts. This was likely the source of the substantial variation of q2 values, even when the same steric factor was considered without electrostatic parameters. ESP‐derived charges were most appropriate to describe CoMFA electrostatic interactions among MPA, NBA, and ESP charges. Overall q2 values vary considerably (0.8–0.5) depending on the charge schemes applied. The results demonstrate the need to consider more appropriate atomic charges rather than default CoMFA charges. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012
Analytical arbitrary ℓ‐wave solutions of the manning–rosen potential in the tridiagonalization program
Authors: Zhang Min‐Cang , Huang‐Fu Guo‐Qing
Published: May 2011

By working in a complete square integrable basis that carries a tridiagonal matrix representation of the wave operator, the arbitrary ℓ‐wave solutions of the Schrödinger equation for the Manning–Rosen potential is investigated with an approximation of centrifugal term. The resulting three‐term recursion relation for the expansion coefficients of the wavefunction is presented. The bound‐state wavefunctions are expressed in terms of the Jocobi polynomial, and the discrete spectrum of the bound states is obtained by diagonalization of the recursion relation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012
Molecular dynamics study of aggregation of amyloidogenic peptides in explicit water
Authors: Magliano A. , Anselmi M. , Di Nola A.
Published: May 2011

The presence of amyloid fibrils is associated with a number of degenerative and serious human diseases. Nonetheless, the process of fibrillogenesis is still poorly understood. In this study, we present the results of a molecular dynamics investigation into the self‐aggregation of the amyloidogenic peptide FLVHSS, a six‐residue peptide belonging to the sequence of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), capable of self‐association to form amyloid‐like fibrils. The simulations were performed at T = 300 K, using multiple replicas of FLVHSS monomer with random initial spatial distribution and orientation, in explicit water, set in a confined space volume (simulation box). Different simulations were carried out by varying initial atomic coordinates or initial atomic velocities and simulation box size. The formation of a unique aggregate (cluster) was observed within few nanoseconds from the beginning of all simulations. Structural analysis of the clusters clearly showed an elongated scalene ellipsoidal shape and a preferential parallel alignment of the peptides, roughly perpendicular to the main axis of the cluster and in extended conformation. The spatial arrangement of peptides in the simulated clusters appears to be similar to the spatial disposition of molecules in amyloid fibrils. An elongated scalene ellipsoidal shape was observed also in the final aggregate of the cluster growth simulation we also reported herein, indicating a tendency of cluster to grow along its major geometrical axis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 112:1844–1851, 2012
Targeted Cell–Cell Interactions by DNA Nanoscaffold‐Templated Multivalent Bispecific Aptamers
Authors: Liu Xiaowei , Yan Hao , Liu Yan , Chang Yung
Published: May 2011

Cell–cell interactions are essential for multicellular organisms, playing important roles in their development, function, and immunity. Herein a bottom‐up strategy to construct self‐assembled DNA nanostructures is reported, consisting of multivalent, bispecific, cell‐targeting aptamers to specifically induce cell–cell interactions. Various DNA nanoscaffolds are rationally designed to assemble aptamers with different valencies and flexibilities, and their cellular binding capabilities are tested. Multivalent aptamers, assembled on more rigid scaffolds, display higher binding activities. Further, multivalent bispecific aptamer fusion molecules are constructed based on this configuration, and successfully link two types of cells. Using cell‐targeting aptamers, the presented strategy eliminates the need to chemically modify cell surfaces and offers excellent cell specificity, binding efficiency, and stability. This proof‐of‐concept study establishes that multivalent bispecific aptamers linked on DNA‐nanoscaffolds can mediate cellular engagement, which could lead to their use in directing or guiding cell–cell interactions in many biological events.
Tuning Stamp Surface Energy for Soft Lithography of Polar Molecules to Fabricate Bioactive Small‐Molecule Microarrays
Authors: Vaish Amit , Shuster Mitchell J. , Cheunkar Sarawut , Weiss Paul S. , Andrews Anne M.
Published: May 2011

Soft‐lithography‐based techniques are widely used to fabricate microarrays. Here, the use of microcontact insertion printing is described, a soft‐lithography method specifically developed for patterning at the dilute scales necessary for highly selective biorecognition. By carefully tuning the polar surface energy of polymeric stamps, problems associated with patterning hydrophilic tether molecules inserted into hydrophilic host self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) are surmounted. Both prefunctionalized tethers and on‐chip functionalization of SAMs patterned by microcontact insertion printing enable the fabrication of small‐molecule microarrays. Substrates patterned with the neurotransmitter precursor 5‐hydroxytryptophan selectively capture a number of different types of membrane‐associated receptor proteins, which are native binding partners evolved to recognize free serotonin. These advances provide new avenues for chemically patterning small molecules and fabricating small molecule microarrays with highly specific molecular recognition capabilities.
Synthesis of Ag2S–Ag Nanoprisms and Their Use as DNA Hybridization Probes
Authors: Liu Bing , Ma Zhanfang
Published: May 2011

A simple synthetic route to prepare Ag2S–Ag nanoprisms consists of the facile addition of Na2S to a solution of triangular Ag nanoprisms. The resulting Ag2S–Ag nanoparticles are more stable in solution than the original Ag nanoprisms, and two surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands of the original Ag nanoprisms still remain. In addition, the SPR bands of the Ag2S–Ag nanoprisms are tunable over a wide range. The Ag2S–Ag nanoprisms can be directly bioconjugated via well‐established stable Ag2S surface chemistry with readily available sulfur coupling agents. The nanoprisms are used in the hybridization of functionalized oligonucleotides, and show promise as probes for future biosensing applications.
A domain‐specific modeling approach to realizing user‐centric communication
Authors: Wu Yali , Allen Andrew A. , Hernandez Frank , France Robert , Clarke Peter J.
Published: May 2011

Advances in communication devices and technologies are dramatically expanding our communication capabilities and enabling a wide range of multimedia communication applications. The current approach to develop communication‐intensive applications results in products that are fragmented, inflexible, and incapable of responding to changing end‐users' communication needs. These limitations have resulted in the need for a new development approach of building communication applications that are driven by end‐users and that support the dynamic nature of communication‐based collaboration. To address this need, the Communication Virtual Machine (CVM) technology has been developed to support rapid specification and automatic realization of user‐centric communication applications based on a domain‐specific modeling approach. The CVM technology consists of a domain‐specific modeling language (DSML), the Communication Modeling Language (CML), that is used to create communication models, and a semantic rich platform, the CVM, that realized the created communication models. In this paper, we report on our experiences of applying a systematic approach to engineering CML and the synthesis of CML models in CVM. Based on a feature model describing the taxonomy of the user‐centric communication domain in a network independent manner, we develop the meta‐model of CML and its different concrete syntaxes. We also present a behavioral specification (dynamic semantics) of CML that enables the dynamic synthesis of user‐centric communication models into an executable form called communication control script. We validated the CML semantics using Kermeta, a meta‐programming environment for engineering DSMLs, and evaluated the practicality of our approach using a CVM prototype and a set of experiments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neubau einer einspurigen Straßenbrücke über den Neckar in der Gemeinde Zwingenberg
Authors: Dorrer Günther , Stelzer Barbara
Published: May 2011

Mit der Neckarbrücke baut Zwingenberg seine Infrastruktur aus und stärkt den Tourismus in der Region. Der Bau der feingliedrigen Neckarbrücke anstelle des unsicheren, unwirtschaftlichen, zeitlich durch Nachtfahrverbot und hochwasserbedingt stark eingeschränkten Fährbetriebs gewährleistet der Gemeinde Zwingenberg zukünftig einen sicheren Zugang zum linken Neckarufer. Die zweihüftige Schrägseilbrücke mit einem auf das Minimum reduzierten Streckträger fügt sich harmonisch in das Landschaftsbild des reizvollen Neckartals ein. Mit der Gesamtfertigstellung des Projektes im Juni 2011 ist die Gemeinde Zwingenberg nicht nur um ein Ingenieurbauwerk, sondern um ein Wahrzeichen reicher.

New building of a single‐lane road bridge across the River Neckar near Zwingenberg, Germany. The community of Zwingenberg is strengthening its infrastructure and tourism by the construction of the new Neckar Bridge. The slight bridge instead of the risky, uneconomic ferry with reduced operating hours due to high water level and poor visibility at night allows the town a save access to the left side of the Neckar. The cable stayed bridge with two pylons and a minimalistic longitudinal beam adds an extra touch to the touristic surroundings. By the time of completion of the project in June 2011 the town of Zwingenberg has added not only an additional civil engineering structure but also a landmark to its cultural heritage.
Preparation and properties of starch nanocrystals/carboxymethyl chitosan nanocomposite films
Authors: Duan Bin , Sun Peidong , Wang Xinling , Yang Cheng
Published: May 2011

Waxy maize starch was hydrolyzed with sulfuric acid in aqueous solution. The remaining starch granules after acid hydrolysis were characterized by TEM and wide‐angle XRD. Starch nanocrystals with size between 40 to 80 nm and relative crystallinity of 63% were obtained after 6 days of hydrolysis. Starch nanocrystals/carboxymethyl chitosan composite films were prepared by casting‐evaporation method. When the starch nanocrystals content was below 30 wt%, the filler dispersed uniformly in the carboxymethyl chitosan matrix, whereas aggregation of starch nanocrystals and phase separation between aggregates and matrix were observed when the starch nanocrystals content was higher than 30 wt%. The maximum tensile strength (TS) of composite films approached ∼29 MPa, which was two times higher than that of the carboxymethyl chitosan film without filling starch nanocrystals. The percentage elongation at break (EB%) of nanocomposite films decreased with the increasing of the starch nanocrystals content. The water absorption and water vapor barrier property of carboxymethyl chitosan film were significantly improved by adding starch nanocrystals.
Study of cytoskeletal changes induced by okadaic acid in HL‐7702 liver cells and development of a fluorimetric microplate assay for detecting diarrhetic shellfish poisoning
Authors: Huang Haiyan , Huang Aijun , Zhuang Zhixiong , Huang Wei , Fu Yingbin , Peng Chaoqiong , Liu Jianjun
Published: May 2011

Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) is a gastrointestinal illness with symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, chills and moderate to severe abdominal pain. DSP has been recognized as a worldwide public health problem, causing great concern to the shellfish industry. Accumulation of DSP in shellfish is an unpredictable phenomenon that necessitates the implementation of a widespread collection and thorough monitoring program for mollusk toxicity. Therefore, development of accurate analytical protocols for the rapid determination of toxicity levels would be necessary. In this study we investigated cytoskeletal changes induced by okadaic acid in HL‐7702 Liver Cells and developed a new cytotoxicity assay for detection and quantitation of DSP. This assay is based on fluorometric of F‐actin depolymerization induced by okadaic acid (OA) compounds in HL‐7702 liver cell line. The measurable range of OA was 2.5 ∼ 40 nmol/L. The detection limit of the F‐actin assay for OA was 2.01 μg/100 g muscles in shellfish extracts. The performance of this assay has been evaluated by comparative analysis of shellfish samples by the fluorescent assay, mouse bioassay, and ELISA assay. Comparison of the results by all three methods revealed excellent consistency, the results of fluorescent assay were in significant correlation with ELISA assay (R2 = 0.830). Examination of F‐actin assay is very convenient, rapid, and sensitive, which can be used to quantify the amount of OA in shellfish samples. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2013.
Performance analysis of selective cooperation in amplify‐and‐forward relay networks over identical Nakagami‐m channels
Authors: Hussain Syed Imtiaz , Alouini Mohamed‐Slim , Hasna Mazen Omar
Published: May 2011

In cooperative communications, multiple relays between a source and a destination can increase the diversity gain. Because all the nodes must use orthogonal channels, multiple‐relay cooperation becomes spectrally inefficient. Therefore, a bestrelay selection scheme was recently proposed. In this paper, we analyzed the performance of this scheme for a system with the relays operating in amplify‐and‐forward mode over identical Nakagami‐m channels using an exact source–relay–destination signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR).We derived accurate closed‐form expressions for various system parameters including the probability density function of end‐to‐end SNR, the average output SNR, the bit error probability, and the channel capacity. The analytical results were verified through Monte Carlo simulations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reproduction of varanid lizards (Reptilia: Squamata: Varanidae) at the Bronx Zoo
Authors: Mendyk Robert W.
Published: May 2011

Captivity provides many opportunities for studying the reproductive biology of varanid lizards (Family: Varanidae; genus: Varanus). This article presents reproductive data for 12 varanid species maintained in captivity at the Bronx Zoo between 1977 and 2010. Five species, V. prasinus, V. beccarii, V. melinus, V. mertensi, and V. ornatus have successfully reproduced at the zoo, for which clutch, incubation, and hatchling data are presented, and compared with previously published values. Clutch, incubation, and hatchling measurements typically fell within the known ranges for each species, or represent minor range extensions. V. mertensi was the only species that reproduced seasonally (χ2 = 9.061, P = 0.029). Five species multiclutched; individual V. mertensi and V. prasinus females produced as many as four clutches per year. The shortest intervals between successive clutches observed for V. kordensis (61 days), V. melinus (77 days), V. mertensi (51 days), and V. prasinus (68 days) represent the shortest known values for each species. Relative clutch mass (RCM) ranged from 0.187 to 0.437. A mean RCM of 0.370±0.092 for V. prasinus is substantially higher than previously published values for the species. These results illustrate that when maintained under favorable conditions in captivity, some varanids are capable of remarkably high fecundities, rapid reproductive turnover rates, and sizeable maternal investments. Zoo Biol 31:374–389, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of the Prognostic Value of Tumour‐ and Patient‐Related Factors in Patients Undergoing Potentially Curative Resection of Oesophageal Cancer
Authors: Dutta Sumanta , Crumley Andrew B. C. , Fullarton Grant M. , Horgan Paul G. , McMillan Donald C.
Published: May 2011

Background

Evidence is increasing that elevated systemic inflammation is associated with poor survival in patients with oesophageal carcinoma. However, it is not yet established if any specific component of systemic inflammatory response is a better predictor of cancer survival. The aim of the present study was to compare the predictive value of selected markers of systemic inflammation in patients who undergo surgical resection of oesophageal cancer.

Methods

One hundred twelve patients who underwent potentially curative resection for oesophageal carcinoma, including type I and type II tumours of the gastro‐oesophageal junction (Siewert and Stein in Dis Esophagus 9:173–182, 1996), between 1996 and 2008 were included in the study. Patients had laboratory measurement of white cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelet counts, albumin, and C‐reactive protein. Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and metastatic lymph node ratio (LNR) were calculated.

Results

On multivariate analysis, only the LNR (HR 2.87, 95% CI 1.99‐4.15, p < 0.001) and the mGPS (HR 4.31, 95% CI 2.20‐8.45, p < 0.001) were independently associated with cancer‐specific survival in oesophageal cancer. An elevated mGPS was associated with high white cell count (p < 0.05) and poorer survival (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

The present study indicates that the mGPS, an acute‐phase protein‐based prognostic score, better predicts cancer survival compared with the cellular components of systemic inflammation in patients with oesophageal carcinoma.
Patterns of Lymph Node Metastases in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Results from Consecutive Bilateral Cervical Lymph Node Dissection
Authors: Takada Hideki , Kikumori Toyone , Imai Tsuneo , Sawaki Masataka , Shibata Arihiro , Kiuchi Tetsuya
Published: May 2011

Background

In patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the appropriate extent of lymph node dissection has not yet been established due to lack of accurate patterns of lymph node metastases (LNM). The aim of this study was to clarify the LNM pattern in PTC patients based on our institution’s experience with a consistent technique of bilateral neck dissection, and to consider the rational extent of lymph node dissection.

Methods

Between 1990 and 1999, 152 consecutive patients with PTC who underwent curative total thyroidectomy and bilateral neck dissection as initial treatment were analyzed. The patterns of LNM according to clinicopathological classification were analyzed using the lymph node ratio (LNR; number of metastatic lymph nodes/number of dissected nodes) and frequency (FLNM; number of patients with LNM/number of dissected patients) in cervical compartments.

Results

Regardless of clinicopathological classification, LNR in the central compartment was consistently higher than in other compartments, and FLNM in the ipsilateral lateral compartment was consistently higher than in other compartments except for multifocal tumors. The LNR and FLNM in the contralateral lateral compartment were significantly higher in advanced (≥T3) cases than in cases with smaller tumors (T1) and were comparable to those in the ipsilateral lateral compartment in advanced (≥T3) cases.

Conclusions

The pattern of LNR provided a better reflection of the patterns of LNM. In terms of the LNR, central neck dissection is the basic extent of lymph node dissection for all clinically apparent PTC. In advanced patients, it is also advisable to include bilateral lateral neck dissection.
Advances in first bloom dates and increased occurrences of yearly second blooms in eastern China since the 1960s: further phenological evidence of climate warming
Authors: Ge Quansheng , Dai Junhu , Zheng Jingyun , Bai Jie , Zhong Shuying , Wang Huanjiong , Wang Wei‐Chyung
Published: May 2011

Confirming the results of previous regional studies on changes in first bloom dates (FBD) in China, this study provides evidence that complements conclusions drawn from studies of phenological changes in other dynamic climate systems in the Northern Hemisphere. Furthermore, increased occurrences of yearly second blooms (YSB) further reinforce results derived from other studies indicating a recent trend of generalized climate warming across China. Additionally, ascertaining changes in FBD and YSB against a recent background not only provides a hitherto poorly formulated autumnal equivalent to the well‐studied shifts in FBD, but also formulates both spring and autumn flowering changes in recent years. Data in this study are derived from observations made from 1963 to 2006 by the Chinese Phenological Observation Network (CPON)—a nationwide system of monitoring stations that has made observations of over 173 species from across China since 1963. At each site, the mean value of each species’ annual deviation and spring mean surface temperatures were calculated. For each species, years and locations were also recorded for species in which second blooms (YSB) occurred. Of the 46 FBD samples, 31 showed advances from the mean, blooming earlier over the course of the study period. Notably, although only 8 of the 46 FBD samples showed significance levels of 0.1 or better, the average FBD did advance by 5.3 days. After the 1980s, the frequency of YSB occurrence remained steady, declining a little from the peak in the 1980s, but still exhibiting occurrences far more than were observed earlier. The data from this study clearly indicate that both the phenological advance of FBD in spring and the increased occurrence of YSB are consistent with climate warming.
Unusual Presentation of Hemochromatosis as Isolated Metacarpophalangeal Joint Osteoarthritis: A Case Report
Authors: Wimalawansa Sunishka M. , AlSamkari Rannie
Published: May 2011

Background

Hemochromatosis, North America's most prevalent genetic disorder, tends to present with an insidious onset and subtle, yet characteristic findings. Patients tend to present with both constitutional symptoms and end-organ effects.

Methods

Clinical criteria such as history, physical examination, imaging criteria with focused radiologic constellations, and laboratory findings were used for diagnosis.

Results

We report the case of a man who lacked classic systemic symptoms, but instead presented with isolated metacarpophalangeal joint disease and characteristic radiologic findings. The diagnosis was confirmed by serum iron studies and subsequent genetic work-up.

Conclusions

A high index of clinical suspicion is required to diagnose early disease; better prognostic responses are expected with treatment of less severe disease. Hand surgeons should be aware of the characteristic findings for this rare presentation so proper treatment can be initiated early.
Advances in the study of the peripheral nervous system for erection in animals and humans
Authors: Hisasue Shin‐ichi
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Since Walsh first emphasized the importance of preserving the neurovascular bundle n to protect the cavernous nerve during pelvic surgery, patients’ sexual life quality has dramatically improved. Today, nerve‐sparing radical prostatectomy is the established gold standard for organ‐confined prostate cancer patients. Recent technical advances in functional assessment such as intraoperative electrical stimulation have unveiled new anatomical features and physiological roles. Basic research has advanced understanding of cavernous nerve function, while molecular biology has uncovered the crucial role of neuronal nitric oxide in mediating erection, and has led to new treatments such as phosphodiesterase type‐5 inhibitors. A recent focus in cavernous nerve research concerns the nerve distribution external to the neurovascular bundle. The cavernous nerves in humans appear to be distributed more widely beneath the lateral pelvic fascia than in other animals, and electrical stimulation studies suggest possible involvement of these nerves in erection. These findings have prompted new surgical techniques such as the “veil of Aphrodite”, or “intrafascial nerve‐sparing” procedures.

Materials and Methods

These recent anatomical and physiological studies in humans and animals and their impact are reviewed in this article.

Conclusions

Further investigation should stimulate future advances in strategies to preserve erectile function in RP patients.
Stone-In-Neck phenomenon: a new sign of cholecystitis
Authors: Nelson Mathew , Ash Adam , Raio Christopher , Zimmerman Michael
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Physical examination and laboratory testing lack sufficient accuracy to distinguish cholecystitis from cholelithiasis. As a result, imaging studies are often required to safely disposition patients presenting with right upper quadrant or epigastric pain. Ultrasound is the initial test of choice in the majority of these cases, and generally relies a combination of findings (anterior gallbladder wall thickening, pericholecystic fluid/wall edema, hydrops, or a sonographic Murphy’s sign) to establish a definitive diagnosis. We suggest that the Stone-In-Neck (SIN) phenomenon, defined as an immobile stone lodged in the neck of the gallbladder, is specific for cholecystitis in the absence of other findings.

Methods

We prospectively compared the surgical pathologies of 57 patients diagnosed with either SIN or simple lithiasis to determine the incidence of cholecystitis in each group.

Results

SIN had a specificity of 97% and a positive predictive value of 93% in diagnosing cholecystitis.

Conclusion

Physicians performing right upper quadrant ultrasound should have a high index of suspicion for cholecystitis when the SIN phenomenon is present, and should be aware that this group of patients are at much higher risk for cholecystitis than those with simple lithiasis.
Land and Popular Politics in Ireland
Authors: Jordan Donald E.
Published: May 2011

This book analyses County Mayo in Ireland from the Elizabethan pacification of the county to the first stage of the Land War in the late nineteenth century. During those three centuries the county was transformed from being a remote, isolated, impoverished and hostile region of the country to being at the centre of Irish politics and integrated into an agrarian capitalist economy. The book is divided into two sections. The first contains an analysis of the county prior to the Great Famine, and provides the foundation for a core/periphery analysis of Mayo's economic development and its impact upon popular politics in the county. The second, employing a core/periphery analysis of the post-Famine economic and political transformation of the county, demonstrates that the structural changes that gave rise to the Land War occurred more rapidly in central Mayo than along its western coastline or eastern boundaries. This uneven development helps account for both the initial strength and rapid disintegration of the land movement in the county.
Feudal Cambridgeshire
Authors: Farrer William
Published: May 2011

Originally published in 1920, this digest of medieval records provides a source of reference for the baronial, honorial and manorial history of Cambridgeshire. It draws on materials including the Domesday Survey, the Inquisitio Comitatus Cantabrigiae and a variety of eleventh- and twelfth-century texts to produce abbreviated summaries of the feudal records of the county. It indicates the size of each county subdivision and lists the respective honours and baronies under which the land was held. An index of names and places, together with a general index, allow for easy access to the content. The book remains a useful resource for medievalists and local historians today.
Händel und Shakespeare
Authors: Gervinus Georg Gottfried
Published: May 2011

Handel enjoyed considerable popularity at the end of the eighteenth century, when his music was performed in London, Berlin, Leipzig, Vienna and Breslau. However, interest in him had waned by the mid-nineteenth century, when it was rekindled by a small group of music-lovers including Georg Gervinus (1805–71), a historian of literature based in Heidelberg. Gervinus lobbied for a Handel memorial in Halle, was a founder of the first German Handel society in 1856, and in 1858 published Händel und Shakespeare, which drew parallels between his favourite writer and favourite composer. In it, after two long chapters on music history and aesthetics, he compared their intellectual development and attributed the similarities between them to their shared Germanic roots. Although the book was not a great success in its day, it marked an important turning point in European Handel studies, and is still referred to today.
Vom Roroima zum Orinoco
Authors: Koch-Grünberg Theodor
Published: May 2011

Theodor Koch-Grünberg (1872–1924) was a noted German ethnologist and explorer whose work on the indigenous peoples of Brazil and Venezuela is still referred to by anthropologists, ethnologists and linguists today. His most important publication was this five-volume account of his expedition of 1911–1913 from the sandstone mountains bordering Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana through uncharted territory westwards to the Orinoco. Volume 3 describes the material and spiritual culture of a number of tribes, focusing mainly on the Taulipáng (Taurepan) but also covering the Shirianá, Waika, Yekuaná and Guinaú. Topics covered include family life, health, clothing, hunting and fishing, crafts, warfare, belief in spirits, magic and ritual. The book contains an appendix on music, with descriptions of instruments, consideration of musical form and style, and transcriptions of melodies and songs taken from audio recordings. It is illustrated by numerous photographs and sketches.
Fitzwilliam Museum McClean Bequest
Authors: Sayle Charles E.
Published: May 2011

Frank McClean (1837–1904) was not only an astronomer and pioneer of objective prism spectrography, but also an accomplished and systematic collector of art, books and manuscripts. McClean's collections, which were left to the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, on his death, were at that time the most notable bequest since the Museum's foundation. The fifteenth- and sixteenth-century printed books in his bequest, most of them produced in continental Europe, are described here in detail, with bibliographical descriptions and information on their provenance. Illustrated books are listed separately. The author of the catalogue, Charles Edward Sayle (1864–1924) was an erudite and popular librarian whose career was devoted to cataloguing and editing rare books in the University of Cambridge. His obituary praised him as 'a fine example of the type of man who likes to catalogue things in the right order'.
The French in the Kingdom of Sicily, 1266–1305
Authors: Dunbabin Jean
Published: May 2011

Charles of Anjou's conquest of the Sicilian Regno in 1266 transformed relations between France and the kingdom of Sicily. This original study of contact and exchange in the Middle Ages explores the significance of the many cultural, religious and political exchanges between the two countries, arguing that the links were more diverse and stronger than simply the rulers' family connections. Jean Dunbabin shows how influence flowed as much from south to north as vice versa, and that France was strongly influenced by the experiences of those who returned after years of fighting in the Regno. As well as considering the experiences of notable crusading families, she sheds new light on the career of Robert II d'Artois, who virtually ruled the Regno for six years before returning to France to remodel the government of Artois. This comparative history of two societies offers an important new perspective on medieval Western Europe.
Successful repair of tubercular tracheal stenosis: a rare case report
Authors: Dalal U , Dalal A K , Singal R , Attri A K , Arion R K , Gupta S
Published: May 2011

Objective:

We report a rare case of successful surgical management of tubercular tracheal stenosis. There was no history of tracheostomy except for trauma management.

Case report:

A 24-year-old man presented with breathing difficulty. He had previously sustained blunt chest injury, a fractured mandible and minor head injury in a traffic accident. Despite successful mandibular fracture fixation, he subsequently developed progressive breathing difficulty with stridor. The patient was treated successfully with surgical resection and bronchoplastic reconstruction. Post-operatively, endotracheal tuberculosis was diagnosed.

Conclusion:

Endotracheal tuberculosis is rare despite the high incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in India. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are necessary to prevent tuberculous tracheobronchial stenosis, an extremely rare but serious clinical problem which can cause obstructive pneumonia and exertional dyspnoea. Surgical resection and bronchoplastic reconstruction is the established treatment for such stenosis. Patients with active tuberculosis usually respond to conventional antitubercular treatment.
Mitigating carnivore–livestock conflict in Europe: lessons from Slovakia
Authors: Rigg Robin , Finďo Slavomír , Wechselberger Maria , Gorman Martyn L. , Sillero-Zubiri Claudio , Macdonald David W.
Published: May 2011

Conflicts with human interests have reappeared following recovery of large carnivores in Europe. Public acceptance is higher than historically but there is a need to identify effective, acceptable techniques to facilitate coexistence. We present a case study of predation on livestock in Slovakia. Damage, mitigation measures and public opinion were assessed using compensation records, analysis of farm conditions, questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews, diet analysis and on-farm trials of livestock-guarding dogs. Economic damage was inconsequential on a national scale but high locally: c. 80% of reported losses occurred at 12% of sheep flocks. Grey wolvesCanis lupuswere held responsible for four to six times more damage than brown bearsUrsus arctos, although livestock occurred in only 2 of 78 wolf faeces during spring–autumn, when sheep and cattle were most vulnerable. Losses to Eurasian lynxLynx lynxwere negligible. Compared to other sectors of society shepherds had the most negative attitudes, particularly towards wolves, despite compensation payments. Appropriate use of livestock-guarding dogs was associated with fewer losses: median loss at trial flocks with predation was 70% lower than at control flocks. We conclude that identifying vulnerable farms and targeting them for mitigation could reduce damage, although lack of motivation and awareness are obstacles. This study shows that damage levels need not be excessive despite high predator densities in human-dominated landscapes. Conflicts were unevenly distributed, with much of the variation explained by local conditions and husbandry practices, especially preventive measures. Livestock-guarding dogs are particularly appropriate where wolves are present in proximity to unfenced pastures.
Social inclusion through ageing-in-place with care?
Authors: BARRETT PATRICK , HALE BEATRICE , GAULD ROBIN
Published: May 2011

The onset of ill-health and frailty in later life, within the context of the policy of ageing-in-place, is increasingly being responded to through the provision of home care. In the philosophy of ageing-in-place, the home provides for continuity of living environment, maintenance of independence in the community and social inclusion. The provision of assistance to remain at home assumes continuity in the living environment and independence in the organisation of daily life and social contact. This paper explores the changes that occur as a result of becoming a care recipient within the home and concludes that the transition into receiving care is characterised by discontinuity and upheaval which tends to reinforce social exclusion. We draw on the rites of passage framework, which highlights social processes ofseparation, liminality and reconnection, in analysing this transition to enhance understanding of the experience and gain insights to improve the policy and practice of home care. Separation from independent living leads to a state of liminality. The final stage in the rites of passage framework draws attention to reconnections, but reconnection is not inevitable. Reconnection is, however, an appropriate goal for the care sector when supporting frail or disabled older people through the transition into becoming a home-care recipient.
Verbal Learning Strategy Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Geary Elizabeth K. , Kraus Marilyn F. , Rubin Leah H. , Pliskin Neil H. , Little Deborah M.
Published: May 2011

That learning and memory deficits persist many years following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is controversial due to inconsistent objective evidence supporting subjective complaints. Our prior work demonstrated significant reductions in performance on the initial trial of a verbal learning task and overall slower rate of learning in well-motivated mTBI participants relative to demographically matched controls. In our previous work, we speculated that differences in strategy use could explain the differences in rate of learning. The current study serves to test this hypothesis by examining strategy use on the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition. Our present findings support the primary hypothesis that mTBI participants under-utilize semantic clustering strategies during list-learning relative to control participants. Despite achieving comparable total learning scores, we posit that the persisting learning and memory difficulties reported by some mTBI patients may be related to reduced usage of efficient internally driven strategies that facilitate learning. Given that strategy training has demonstrated improvements in learning and memory in educational and occupational settings, we offer that these findings have translational value in offering an additional approach in remediation of learning and memory complaints reported by some following mTBI. (JINS, 2011,17, 709–719)
A design and implementation of the Extended Andorra Model
Authors: LOPES RICARDO , SANTOS COSTA VÍTOR , SILVA FERNANDO
Published: May 2011

Logic programming provides a high-level view of programming, giving implementers a vast latitude into what techniques to explore to achieve the best performance for logic programs. Towards obtaining maximum performance, one of the holy grails of logic programming has been to design computational models that could be executed efficiently and that would allow both for a reduction of the search space and for exploiting all the available parallelism in the application. These goals have motivated the design of the Extended Andorra Model (EAM), a model where goals that do not constrain nondeterministic goals can execute first. In this work, we present and evaluate the Basic design for EAM, a system that builds upon David H. D. Warren's original EAM with Implicit Control. We provide a complete description and implementation of the Basic design for EAM System as a set of rewrite and control rules. We present the major data structures and execution algorithms that are required for efficient execution, and evaluate system performance. A detailed performance study of our system is included. Our results show that the system achieves acceptable base performance and that a number of applications benefit from the advanced search inherent to the EAM.