bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of simple subgridding technique for antenna radiation patterns
Authors: Ji Ki‐Man , Kim Sung‐Wan , Lee Soo‐Jin , Chung Eui‐Seung
Published: March 2011

A simple finite‐difference time‐domain subgridding technique to obtain radiation patterns of antennas mounted on an electrically large ground plane is introduced. Unilateral perfectly matched layer is inserted between regional interfaces so as to eliminate late‐time instability. The ratio of the time steps is the same as the ratio of the space steps and can be large. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1160–1162, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25922
Novel design of an ultra‐wideband microstrip antenna employing a lobster‐shaped resonant structure
Authors: Abbaspour A. , Naser‐Moghadasi Mohammad , Katouli Morteza
Published: March 2011

In this article, a microstrip‐fed planar monopole antenna incorporating a lobster‐shaped resonant structure, which is etched on its back plane is presented.Simulated Impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna is ∼115% over an ultra‐wideband frequency range between 3 and 11.2 GHz satisfying FCC's frequency band. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1121–1125, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25925
Dual‐band circularly polarized antenna using combined C‐shaped and L‐shaped slots excited by a microstrip line
Authors: Chang The‐Nan , Han Yeah‐Lin
Published: March 2011

An L‐shaped slot loaded inside a C‐shaped slot is used to realize a dual‐band antenna fed by a microstrip line. Two circularly polarized waves are generated at the 1.57 and the 2.45 GHz band. The width in the C‐slot is uniform, whereas the width in the L‐slot is nonuniform. In the L‐slot, the width in the vertical part is made wider than that in the horizontal part. We found that the width in the vertical part of the L‐slot is an efficient tuning parameter. The antenna can achieve about 6% axial ratio bandwidth at both bands. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1041–1044, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25928
An extremely low‐profile offset‐fed curl antenna over an AMC ground
Authors: Mehrabani Ali M. , Shafai Lotfollah
Published: March 2011

Performance of an offset‐fed curl antenna over artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) ground planes is investigated.An extensive parametric study is carried out and shown that by proper selection of the AMC ground plane and spiral parameters, a moderate axial ratio and wide impedance bandwidths can be obtained. The performance results for a design example are provided and discussed. The effect of the air gap between the AMC and antenna substrates is also studied and shown that the operating frequency moves to higher frequencies. The results are verified by experiment. The simulation studies were carried out using the finite element software HFSS v10.1. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1036–1041, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25929
A transconductance‐boosted complementary Colpitts voltage‐controlled oscillator
Authors: Liu Cheng‐Chen , Jang Sheng‐Lyang , Wang Cheng‐Cih , Juang Miin‐Horng
Published: March 2011

A gm‐boosted complementary Colpitts differential voltage‐controlled oscillator (VCO) is proposed and implemented in a 0.18‐μm CMOS 1P6M process.It consists of two single‐ended p‐core Colpitts oscillators via gm‐enhanced cross‐coupled Colpitts transistors to obtain a differential output. At the supply voltage of 1.45 V, the output phase noise of the differential VCO is −119.2 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency from the carrier frequency of 8.69 GHz, and the figure of merit is −190.2 dBc/Hz. Total VCO core power consumption is 5.99 mW. Tuning range is 1.01 GHz, from 8.69 to 9.7 GHz, while the control voltage was tuned from 0 to 2.0 V. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1183–1186, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25934
Novel ultra‐wideband coplanar‐waveguide bandpass filter with inductance‐loaded Y‐shaped resonators
Authors: Song Kaijun , Xue Quan
Published: March 2011

A novel ultra‐wideband (UWB) coplanar waveguide (CPW) bandpass filter (BPF) with the inductance‐loaded Y‐shaped resonator has been presented in this letter.The proposed UWB BPF has been constructed by integrating the broadside‐coupled microstrip‐CPW structures into the inductance‐loaded Y‐shaped resonator. The broadside‐coupled microstrip‐CPW structures can get tight coupling for UWB performance. The external quality factor has been analyzed to design the proposed UWB filter. An UWB CPW BPF is designed, simulated, and fabricated to demonstrate the performance of the proposed filter structure. The measured results show good agreement with the simulated ones. The fabricated UWB CPW BPF exhibits excellent performance, including 3‐dB insertion loss and 10‐dB return loss bandwidths over the entire UWB band with a minimum insertion loss of 0.37 dB at 5.4 GHz, as well as 1‐dB insertion loss bandwidth of 3.25–10.2 GHz and group delay variation from 0.18 to 0.28 ns over the frequency range of 3.9–11 GHz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1134–1137, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25940
UWB cylindrical microwave imaging system employing virtual array antenna concept for background effect removal
Authors: Bialkowski Marek , Wang Yifan
Published: March 2011

In this letter, an Ultra Wideband (UWB) Microwave Imaging System with a novel image reconstruction algorithm aiming at detecting and locating small targets in a homogenous circular cylindrical body is presented. The system uses a double circular scan in which the second scan is achieved after rotating the antenna sub‐system or the imaged body by a small angle. The obtained two sets of data serve the purpose of removing a large background signal that masks a small signal due to a target. This is done by forming difference signals for adjacent antenna positions. The procedure is equivalent to using a virtual 2‐element 180° out‐of‐phase fed array antenna. By assuming that the imaged body is symmetric with respect to the axis of the virtual array, the background effect is removed while the signal due to an off‐axis target is detected. The difference data is scaled and mapped to produce an image showing the target location. The validity of the proposed image reconstruction algorithm is demonstrated in an example of a cylindrical plastic container filled with a vegetable oil and small diameter cylindrical water targets. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1100–1104, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25941
Crosstalk effects of quantum key distribution via a quantum router
Authors: Yooplao P. , Pongwongtragull P. , Mitatha S. , Yupapin P. P.
Published: March 2011

We propose a new system of quantum cryptography for internet security using Gaussian pulses propagating within a nonlinear ring resonator system, quantum processor and a wavelength router.To increase the channel capacity and security, the multiplexer is operated incorporating a quantum processing unit via an optical multiplexer. The transmission part can be used to generate the high capacity quantum codes within the series of microring resonators and an add/drop filter. The receiver part can be communicated by using the quantum key (quantum bit, qubit) via a wavelength router and quantum processors. The reference states can be recognized by using the cloning unit, which is operated by the add/drop filter, where the communication between Alice and Bob can be performed. The results obtained have shown that the correlated photons can be generated and formed the entangled photon pair, which is allowed to form the secret key between Alice and Bob. In application, the embedded system within the computer processing unit is available for quantum computer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1094–1099, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25942
Triple‐band rectangular ring monopole antenna for WLAN/WiMAX applications
Authors: Ren Xueshi , Yin Yingzeng , Zheng Shufeng , Zuo Shaoli , Liu Bowen
Published: March 2011

In this article, a novel rectangular ring monopole with triple‐band operation for wireless local area network (WLAN) and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) applications is presented.The antenna is composed of a rectangular ring, two different types of strips on the inner edges of the ring and a partial ground plane. With the two strips, the rectangular ring monopole antenna can realize triple impedance bandwidths (VSWR ≤ 2) of 320 MHz (2.29–2.61 GHz), 1170 MHz (3.19–4.36 GHz), and 1360 MHz (4.95–6.31 GHz), which make it easy to cover the required bandwidths for WLAN bands (2.4–2.483, 5.15–5.35, and 5.725–5.825 GHz) and WiMAX bands (2.4–2.6, 3.3–3.8, and 5.25–5.85 GHz) applications. Details of the proposed triple‐band antenna design are presented and discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:974–978, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25943
Power‐over‐fibre for wireless applications
Authors: Sittakul Vitawat , Clare L. R. , Burrow Stephen G. , Li X. C. , Cryan Martin J.
Published: March 2011

This paper demonstrates the use of the power‐over‐fiber concept for wireless applications, which removes the need for DC power supplies at the remote network.The article shows results using low cost lasers, photodiodes, a highly efficient voltage booster circuit (>80%), and rechargeable batteries. Results show that with the best choice of each component, the system can operate for 8 h per day over 200 m MMF for 41 days. System modeling shows that the system can operate indefinitely for 5 h a day over 200 m MMF. Finally, the system was tested for a 802.11 g WLAN application over 200 m MMF and a maximum range of 4 m at 500 kbps can be obtained. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1027–1032, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25947
Linear and nonlinear behaviors of light in a silicon ring resonator
Authors: Vanishkorn B. , Kusalajeerung C. , Chiangga S. , Pitukwongsaporn S. , Jukgoljun B. , Yupapin P. P.
Published: March 2011

We have investigated the nonlinear switching characteristics of an optical device using a double‐coupler silicon ring resonator in the presence of the linear losses, the Kerr nonlinearity, two‐photon absorption, free‐carrier‐induced absorption and dispersion, and thermo‐optic, in which the general features of the nonlinear switching of the throughput and drop port signals are similar to a single‐couple ring resonator and nonlinear Fabry–Perot resonator results, respectively. The interesting results of the double‐coupler silicon ring resonator are the low switching power conditions and the linear amplification gain, in which the various applications can provide by controlling the input–output characteristic of silicon‐based resonators, for instance, by controlling the coupling ratio, free‐carrier lifetime, and input wavelength, which can provide the multiple applications for optical switches, logic gates, and memories. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:997–1000, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25948
Compact dual‐band printed square quadrifilar helix antenna for global navigation satellite system receivers
Authors: Zheng Li , (Shichang) Gao Steven
Published: March 2011

A miniaturized dual‐band printed square quadrifilar helix antenna (QHA) is proposed for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receivers applications.The antenna consists of four printed helices forming a cube with a very small size of 1 cm3 only. It can cover both L1 and L2 bands, centered at 1.575 and 1.227 GHz, respectively. It can achieve good impedance matching and circularly polarized radiation patterns within both L1 and L2 bands. The antenna is very light weight and easy for fabrication. The feed network for the antenna is also designed. To prove the concept, a prototype is developed, fabricated and measured. Both measured and simulated results are presented and discussed. Because of its advantages of compact size, low mass and low cost, the antenna is useful for GNSS receiver onboard small satellites, and mobile terminals on the ground. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:993–997, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25949
Planar UWB antenna with multi‐slotted ground plane
Authors: Azim Rezaul , Islam M. Tariqul , Misran Norbahiah , Cheung S. W. , Yamada Y.
Published: March 2011

A planar antenna with a multi‐slotted ground plane has been proposed for UWB applications. The compact antenna having a total size of 30 × 22 mm2 consists of a square patch and a partial ground plane. The rectangular slots on the top side of the ground plane help to increase the bandwidth. The measured result shows that the proposed antenna achieves a bandwidth (VSWR ≤ 2) ranges from 2.57 to 16.72 GHz. Details of the proposed antenna and measured results are presented and discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:966–968, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25950
Parameter synthesis and design of a novel 14‐pole CQ bandpass filter for CDMA2000 applications
Authors: Jie Ma , Laiyun Ji , Jun Sun , Ruixia Yang , Zhiwei Zhang
Published: March 2011

Parameter synthesis of a new 14‐pole narrowband bandpass filter for CDMA2000 applications is presented, which has two pairs of transmission zeros (TZs) for group delay self‐equalization and one pair of TZs at finite frequencies for high selectivity requirement. Cascaded quadruplet structures are used to realize above filtering function TZs. The coupling matrix of the filter is optimized by a cost function on transfer and reflection response using Levenberg‐Marquardt algorithm. The simulated and measured results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed filter and verify the feasibility of the proposed synthesis procedure. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:1190–1193, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25952
Environmental Factors in Multiple Sclerosis: Epstein‐Barr Virus, Vitamin D, and Cigarette Smoking
Authors: Wingerchuk Dean M.
Published: March 2011

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Although its cause is not known, genetic and environmental factors both influence susceptibility to the disease. From the large array of environmental risk factors that have been examined over the past century, infection with Epstein‐Barr virus, ultraviolet light exposure/vitamin D status, and cigarette smoking stand out because of the strength of supporting evidence. Epstein‐Barr virus infection early in life appears to be necessary permissive step for disease development and probably acts in adolescence and early adulthood. Vitamin D–related mechanisms and cigarette smoking probably modify baseline disease risk and could plausibly do so at several stages of life; smoking appears to negatively affect disease course. This review summarizes current evidence for these 3 putative multiple sclerosis risk factors and early attempts to develop risk models and examine gene‐environment interactions for this complex disease. Mt Sinai J Med 78:221–230, 2011 © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Multiple Sclerosis Therapeutic Pipeline: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Krieger Stephen
Published: March 2011

The year 2010 marked the beginning of the era of oral medications for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, with the approval of dalfampridine to improve walking and fingolimod as the first oral disease‐modifying agent. This review provides an overview of these and other emerging therapies, with an emphasis on the opportunities for new treatment paradigms they have the potential to offer, followed by a discussion of the challenges they will pose in the new era of multiple sclerosis management. Therapeutics in late‐stage development for MS include non‐selective immunosupressants, targeted immune‐modulators, and monoclonal antibodies. Oral agents including cladribine, teriflunomide, laquinimod, and dimethyl fumarate, as well as monoclonal antibodies alemtuzumab, daclizumab, and rituximab are considered. Potential side effects and adverse event monitoring, including opportunistic infections, emergent malignancies, and other systemic consequences of immunosuppression are discussed in a unified section. Challenges of optimally staging, sequencing, and combining treatments in the expanding multiple sclerosis armamentarium are discussed. This review emphasizes the multifactorial decision making that these new therapeutics will warrant in terms of patient selection and personalization/individualization of therapy, and the increasingly interdisciplinary approach that will be necessitated by the new generation of agents. Mt Sinai J Med 78:192–206, 2011 © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Bed Rest in Pregnancy
Authors: Bigelow Catherine , Stone Joanne
Published: March 2011

The use of bed rest in medicine dates back to Hippocrates, who first recommended bed rest as a restorative measure for pain. With the formalization of prenatal care in the early 1900s, maternal bed rest became a standard of care, especially toward the end of pregnancy. Antepartum bed rest is a common obstetric management tool, with up to 95% of obstetricians utilizing maternal activity restriction in some way in their practice. Bed rest is prescribed for a variety of complications of pregnancy, from threatened abortion and multiple gestations to preeclampsia and preterm labor. Although the use of bed rest is pervasive, there is a paucity of data to support its use. Additionally, many well‐documented adverse physical, psychological, familial, societal, and financial effects have been discussed in the literature. There have been no complications of pregnancy for which the literature consistently demonstrates a benefit to antepartum bed rest. Given the well‐documented adverse effects of bed rest, disruption of social relationships, and financial implications of this intervention, there is a real need for scientific investigation to establish whether this is an appropriate therapeutic modality. Well‐designed randomized, controlled trials of bed rest versus normal activity for various complications of pregnancy are required to lay this debate to rest once and for all. Mt Sinai J Med 78:291–302, 2011. © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Therapeutics for Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
Authors: Ben‐Zacharia Aliza Bitton
Published: March 2011

Symptoms management in multiple sclerosis is an integral part of its care. Accurate assessment and addressing the different symptoms provides increased quality of life among patients with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis symptoms may be identified as primary, secondary, or tertiary symptoms. Primary symptoms, such as weakness, sensory loss, and ataxia, are directly related to demyelination and axonal loss. Secondary symptoms, such as urinary tract infections as a result of urinary retention, are a result of the primary symptoms. Tertiary symptoms, such as reactive depression or social isolation, are a result of the social and psychological consequences of the disease. Common multiple sclerosis symptoms include fatigue and weakness; decreased balance, spasticity and gait problems; depression and cognitive issues; bladder, bowel, and sexual deficits; visual and sensory loss; and neuropathic pain. Less‐common symptoms include dysarthria and dysphagia, vertigo, and tremors. Rare symptoms in multiple sclerosis include seizures, hearing loss, and paralysis. Symptom management includes nonpharmacological methods, such as rehabilitation and psychosocial support, and pharmacological methods, ie, medications and surgical procedures. The keys to symptom management are awareness, knowledge, and coordination of care. Symptoms have to be recognized and management needs to be individualized. Multiple sclerosis therapeutics include nonpharmacological strategies that consist of lifestyle modifications, rehabilitation, social support, counseling, and pharmacological agents or surgical procedures. The goal is vigilant management to improve quality of life and promote realistic expectations and hope. Mt Sinai J Med 78:176–191, 2011. © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Axonal Damage in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Haines Jeffery D. , Inglese Matilde , Casaccia Patrizia
Published: March 2011

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease of the central nervous system that has been characteristically classified as an immune‐mediated destruction of myelin, the protective coating on nerve fibers. Although the mechanisms responsible for the immune attack to central nervous system myelin have been the subject of intense investigation, more recent studies have focused on the neurodegenerative component, which is cause of clinical disability in young adults and appears to be only partially controlled by immunomodulatory therapies. Here, we review distinct, but not mutually exclusive, mechanisms of pathogenesis of axonal damage in multiple sclerosis patients that are either consequent to long‐term demyelination or independent from it. We propose that the complexity of axonal degeneration and the heterogeneity of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms should be taken into consideration for the design of targeted therapeutic intervention. Mt Sinai J Med 78:231–243, 2011. © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and Gray Matter Pathology: An MRI Perspective
Authors: Inglese Matilde , Oesingmann Niels , Casaccia Patrizia , Fleysher Lazar
Published: March 2011

The evidence suggesting a role of extensive cortical demyelization and atrophy in progressive multiple sclerosis is rapidly increasing. Although conventional magnetic resonance imaging has had a huge impact on multiple sclerosis by enabling an earlier diagnosis, and by providing surrogate markers for monitoring disease response to anti‐inflammatory/immunomodulatory treatments, it is limited by the low pathological specificity and the low sensitivity to both diffuse damage in normal‐appearing white matter and focal and diffuse damage in gray matter. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques can partially overcome these limitations by providing markers more specific to the underlying pathologic substrates and more sensitive to the structural and functional “occult” brain tissue damage in patients with multiple sclerosis. This review describes brain and spinal cord imaging studies of multiple sclerosis with particular emphasis on gray matter imaging in both secondary progressive and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, discusses the clinical implications of gray matter damage, and outlines current magnetic resonance imaging developments at high and ultrahigh magnetic field strength. Mt Sinai J Med 78:258–267, 2011. © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Computer‐Aided Diagnosis in Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Muralidhar Gautam S. , Bovik Alan C. , Sampat Mehul P. , Whitman Gary J. , Haygood Tamara Miner , Stephens Tanya W. , Markey Mia K.
Published: March 2011

In this paper, we review the role played by breast magnetic resonance imaging in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. This is followed by a discussion of clinical decision support systems in medicine and their contributions in breast magnetic resonance imaging interpretation. We conclude by discussing the future of computer‐aided diagnosis in breast magnetic resonance imaging. Mt Sinai J Med 78:280–290, 2011. © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Non‐verbal cues to osteoarthritic knee and/or hip pain in elders
Authors: Tsai Pao‐Feng , Kuo Yong‐Fang , Beck Cornelia , Richards Kathy , Means Kevin M. , Pate Barbara L. , Keefe Francis J.
Published: March 2011

Behavioral cues are believed to be useful to identify pain among elders who may be experiencing pain but unable to express it. To examine this assumption, we recruited 192 elders who could verbally express pain to determine whether regression models combining behavioral cues (motor and gait patterns) predicted verbal pain reports. In the best model, age (p < .01) and subscales that measured guarding (p < .001) and joint flexion (p < .01) motor patterns were significant predictors of verbal pain reports. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the best cutoff for predictive probability was 40–44%, with a fair to good C statistic of .78 (SD = .04). With a 40% cutoff, sensitivity and specificity were 71.6% and 71.0%, respectively. The investigators concluded that the final model could serve as a building block for the development of a tool using behavioral cues to identify elders' pain. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 34:218–227, 2011
A Systematic Review of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for Older Adults with Mild to Moderate Dementia: An Occupational Therapy Perspective
Authors: Yuill Natasha , Hollis Vivien
Published: March 2011

In response to the need for effective non‐pharmacological approaches for individuals with mild to moderate dementia, cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) interventions aim to optimize cognitive function. The present literature review explored the effectiveness of CST and the congruence of this approach with occupational therapy. Twenty‐four databases and 13 “grey” sources were searched. Relevant papers were analysed using the McMaster Critical Literature Review Guidelines, the Modified Jadad Quality Scale and the Oxford Centre for Evidence‐based Medicine Levels of Evidence Scale. To establish the congruence of CST with occupational therapy, themes were identified using the International Classification of Functioning and professional values outlined by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. Twelve studies demonstrated a trend towards delayed cognitive decline following CST. This intervention strategy is congruent with occupational therapy values and may provide a useful structural framework to build rehabilitation programmes for this population. Psychometric properties of the McMaster Guidelines have not yet been established, and there is no standardized way to extract quantitative data from this measure. There is a need for further research exploring outcomes of CST interventions within the context of everyday function in individuals experiencing cognitive decline. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immune response to 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus A monovalent vaccine in children with cancer
Authors: Yen Ting‐Yu , Jou Shiann‐Tarng , Yang Yung‐Li , Chang Hsiu‐Hao , Lu Meng‐Yao , Lin Dong‐Tsamn , Lin Kai‐Hsin , Huang Li‐Min , Chang Luan‐Yin
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This study investigated the immune response to 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza monovalent vaccine in children with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Methods

We enrolled 25 pediatric patients. Ten patients younger than 10 years old received two vaccinations and the remaining 15 patients older than 10 years old received one. We checked hemagglutination‐inhibition (HAI) antibody titers in sera of patients before and 3–4 weeks after vaccination. Seroprotective titer was defined as HAI antibody titer ≥40 and seroresponse as ≥4‐fold increase in HAI antibody titers after vaccination.

Results

The pre‐ and post‐vaccination seroprotective rates were 52% and 72% (P = 0.24). Sixteen (64%) patients were possibly exposed to 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza previously, and there was significant association between possible exposure and pre‐vaccination seroprotective rate (P = 0.03). Post‐vaccination seroresponse rate was 32%, and seroresponse was greater in patients without pre‐vaccination seroprotective titer than those with pre‐vaccination seroprotective titer (50% vs. 15%, P = 0.07). Children with lymphocyte counts above 1,500/µl during vaccination period had better seroresponse than those with lymphocyte counts below 1,500/µl (P = 0.008). Post‐vaccination geometric mean titer (GMT) significantly increased in patients younger than 10 years receiving two vaccinations (pre‐ and post‐vaccination GMT were 21.4 and 60.6, respectively; P = 0.025).

Conclusions

Monovalent vaccine for the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza A was found to be partially immunogenic in children with cancer, as evidenced by 32% of seroresponse rate. Immune response can be improved with vaccinations administered to patients whose absolute lymphocyte counts returned to a level of 1,500/µl or higher. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011; 57: 1154–1158. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Area‐based differentials in childhood cancer incidence in Australia, 1996–2006
Authors: Youlden Danny R. , Baade Peter D. , Valery Patricia C. , Hassall Timothy E. , Ward Leisa J. , Green Adele C. , Aitken Joanne F.
Published: March 2011

Background

International studies examining the association between the incidence of childhood cancer and characteristics of the area in which the patient lives have generally reported inconsistent patterns. Area‐based differentials in childhood cancer throughout Australia have not been previously published at a national level.

Procedure

Population‐based information from the Australian Paediatric Cancer Registry was used to identify all children aged 0‐ to 14‐years old diagnosed with invasive cancer or intracranial and intraspinal tumors of benign or uncertain behavior between 1996 and 2006. Age‐standardized incidence rates per million children per year and the corresponding incidence rate ratios were calculated, categorized by remoteness of residence and an area‐based index of socioeconomic disadvantage. Results were also stratified by the most common types of childhood cancer.

Results

There was a significant, decreasing gradient in the incidence of childhood cancer as remoteness of residence increased. Children living in remote or very remote areas were 21% less likely to be diagnosed with cancer compared to children in major cities, mainly due to differences in the incidence of leukemias and lymphomas. This differential was no longer significant when only non‐Indigenous children were considered. No clear relationship was found between incidence and socioeconomic status (SES) in contrast to similar earlier studies.

Conclusions

The findings by remoteness of residence are consistent with the lower incidence rates of cancer that are typically associated with Indigenous Australians. There is also a suggestion that the etiological factors associated with childhood leukemia and SES may have altered over time. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 58: 390–394. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Therapeutic consequences for misdiagnosis of Type 2N von Willebrand disease
Authors: Gupta Madhu , Lillicrap David , Stain Ann Marie , Friedman Kenneth D. , Carcao Manuel D.
Published: March 2011

Patients presenting with a low FVIII:C and with normal VWF levels are usually presumed to have hemophilia (males) or be carriers for hemophilia (females). Some of these patients may instead have VWD:2N. Such patients if misdiagnosed are likely to suffer from insufficiently treated bleeds. We report 2 males and 1 female who presented with a low FVIII:C (1–21%) and minimally reduced/normal VWF and were assumed to have, or be a carrier for, hemophilia A. Eventually all were found to have VWD:2N. Prior to the correct diagnosis the males had been treated with rFVIII with poor responses and ultimately adverse clinical consequences. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011; 57: 1081–1083. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fetal stress hormone changes during intrauterine transfusions
Authors: Adama van Scheltema P. N. , Pasman S. A. , Wolterbeek R. , Deprest J. A. , Oepkes D. , De Buck F. , Van de Velde M. , Vandenbussche F. P. H. A.
Published: March 2011

Objective

To document fetal stress hormone and Doppler changes after intrauterine transfusions (IUTs) in either the intrahepatic portion of the umbilical vein (IHV) or the placental cord insertion (PCI).

Method

Pregnant women scheduled for IUT for fetal anemia (N = 25) were included prospectively. Cortisol, β‐endorphin and noradrenalin concentrations in fetal plasma and middle cerebral artery pulsatility index before and after transfusion were compared. Transfusions were performed through the (IHV), thus puncturing the fetus, or at the PCI.

Results

There were no measurable differences between the transfusion sites.

Conclusion

In anemic fetuses undergoing transfusion, Doppler changes and fetal stress hormone changes were unrelated to the site of needle insertion. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hierarchical structure of phase‐separated segmented polyurethane elastomers and its effect on properties
Authors: Bagdi Kristóf , Molnár Kinga , Wacha András , Bóta Attila , Pukánszky Béla
Published: March 2011

Polyurethanes were prepared from 4,4′‐methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate), 1,4‐butanediol and poly(1,4‐butanediol adipate) polyester polyol. The hydroxyl functional group ratio of polyol/total diol was kept constant at 0.4, while the ratio of the isocyanate and hydroxyl groups (NCO/OH ratio) changed between 0.90 and 1.15. The polymers were prepared by one‐step bulk polymerization in an internal mixer. They were characterized using a number of methods including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide‐ and small‐angle X‐ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, light transmittance and tensile testing. Changing the stoichiometry modifies the molecular weight in accordance with the laws of stepwise polymerization, and the relative concentration of end groups also changes at the same time. Competitive interactions among various groups including chain‐end functional groups lead to the formation of slightly ordered phases of sub‐nanometre size at both ends of the composition range. These structures assemble into larger units at the 10 nm level, which associate further to even larger entities of micrometre size causing scattering of light and a decreased transparency of the samples. The order of the primary units, together with the number and size of assemblies at both higher levels, decrease as the composition approaches equimolar stoichiometry. The amount of less ordered amorphous phase has a maximum in this range. The stiffness of the polymers is determined by the amount of this phase, while ultimate properties are influenced also by molecular weight and the number of physical crosslinks formed. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Minimising iTRAQ ratio compression through understanding LC‐MS elution dependence and high‐resolution HILIC fractionation
Authors: Ow Saw Yen , Salim Malinda , Noirel Josselin , Evans Caroline , Wright Phillip. C.
Published: March 2011

Application of iTRAQ‐based workflows for protein profiling has become widespread. Concomitantly, the idiosyncratic limitations of iTRAQ, such as its tendency to underestimate quantifications, have been studied and recognised. This report shows that the influence of ratio compression and limiting transmission in iTRAQ MS/MS in high‐complexity mixtures (iTRAQ‐labelled lysates) can be partly alleviated using high‐resolution sample fractionation. Here, we also investigate in greater detail the dependency of iTRAQ quantification on the dynamics of online chromatography in low‐complexity mixtures (iTRAQ‐labelled standards). These findings will allow more efficient strategies to be designed for iTRAQ proteomics, alleviating iTRAQ underestimation and thus facilitating the detection of subtle abundance changes.
Improving taxonomy‐based protein fold recognition by using global and local features
Authors: Yang Jian‐Yi , Chen Xin
Published: March 2011

Fold recognition from amino acid sequences plays an important role in identifying protein structures and functions. The taxonomy‐based method, which classifies a query protein into one of the known folds, has been shown very promising for protein fold recognition. However, extracting a set of highly discriminative features from amino acid sequences remains a challenging problem. To address this problem, we developed a new taxonomy‐based protein fold recognition method called TAXFOLD. It extensively exploits the sequence evolution information from PSI‐BLAST profiles and the secondary structure information from PSIPRED profiles. A comprehensive set of 137 features is constructed, which allows for the depiction of both global and local characteristics of PSI‐BLAST and PSIPRED profiles. We tested TAXFOLD on four datasets and compared it with several major existing taxonomic methods for fold recognition. Its recognition accuracies range from 79.6 to 90% for 27, 95, and 194 folds, achieving an average 6.9% improvement over the best available taxonomic method. Further test on the Lindahl benchmark dataset shows that TAXFOLD is comparable with the best conventional template‐based threading method at the SCOP fold level. These experimental results demonstrate that the proposed set of features is highly beneficial to protein fold recognition. Proteins 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Crystal structure of sulfolobus tokodaii sua5 complexed with L‐threonine and AMPPNP
Authors: Kuratani Mitsuo , Kasai Takuma , Akasaka Ryogo , Higashijima Kyoko , Terada Takaho , Kigawa Takanori , Shinkai Akeo , Bessho Yoshitaka , Yokoyama Shigeyuki
Published: March 2011

The hypermodified nucleoside N6‐threonylcarbamoyladenosine resides at position 37 of tRNA molecules bearing U at position 36 and maintains translational fidelity in the three kingdoms of life. The N6‐threonylcarbamoyl moiety is composed of L‐threonine and bicarbonate, and its synthesis was genetically shown to require YrdC/Sua5. YrdC/Sua5 binds to tRNA and ATP. In this study, we analyzed the L‐threonine‐binding mode of Sua5 from the archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements revealed that S. tokodaii Sua5 binds L‐threonine more strongly than L‐serine and glycine. The Kd values of Sua5 for L‐threonine and L‐serine are 9.3 μM and 2.6 mM, respectively. We determined the crystal structure of S. tokodaii Sua5, complexed with AMPPNP and L‐threonine, at 1.8 Å resolution. The L‐threonine is bound next to AMPPNP in the same pocket of the N‐terminal domain. Thr118 and two water molecules form hydrogen bonds with AMPPNP in a unique manner for adenine‐specific recognition. The carboxyl group and the side‐chain hydroxyl and methyl groups of L‐threonine are buried deep in the pocket, whereas the amino group faces AMPPNP. The L‐threonine is located in a suitable position to react together with ATP for the synthesis of N6‐threonylcarbamoyladenosine. Proteins 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Distinguishing two groups of flavin reductases by analyzing the protonation state of an active site carboxylic acid
Authors: Dumit Verónica I. , Cortez Néstor , Matthias Ullmann G.
Published: March 2011

Flavin‐containing reductases are involved in a wide variety of physiological reactions such as photosynthesis, nitric oxide synthesis, and detoxification of foreign compounds, including therapeutic drugs. Ferredoxin‐NADP(H)‐reductase (FNR) is the prototypical enzyme of this family. The fold of this protein is highly conserved and occurs as one domain of several multidomain enzymes such as the members of the diflavin reductase family. The enzymes of this family have emerged as fusion of a FNR and a flavodoxin. Although the active sites of these enzymes are very similar, different enzymes function in opposite directions, that is, some reduce oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) and some oxidize reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). In this work, we analyze the protonation behavior of titratable residues of these enzymes through electrostatic calculations. We find that a highly conserved carboxylic acid in the active site shows a different titration behavior in different flavin reductases. This residue is deprotonated in flavin reductases present in plastids, but protonated in bacterial counterparts and in diflavin reductases. The protonation state of the carboxylic acid may also influence substrate binding. The physiological substrate for plastidic enzymes is NADP+, but it is NADPH for the other mentioned reductases. In this article, we discuss the relevance of the environment of this residue for its protonation and its importance in catalysis. Our results allow to reinterpret and explain experimental data. Proteins 2011; © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analysis of protein function and its prediction from amino acid sequence
Authors: Clark Wyatt T. , Radivojac Predrag
Published: March 2011

Understanding protein function is one of the keys to understanding life at the molecular level. It is also important in the context of human disease because many conditions arise as a consequence of alterations of protein function. The recent availability of relatively inexpensive sequencing technology has resulted in thousands of complete or partially sequenced genomes with millions of functionally uncharacterized proteins. Such a large volume of data, combined with the lack of high‐throughput experimental assays to functionally annotate proteins, attributes to the growing importance of automated function prediction. Here, we study proteins annotated by Gene Ontology (GO) terms and estimate the accuracy of functional transfer from protein sequence only. We find that the transfer of GO terms by pairwise sequence alignments is only moderately accurate, showing a surprisingly small influence of sequence identity (SID) in a broad range (30–100%). We developed and evaluated a new predictor of protein function, functional annotator (FANN), from amino acid sequence. The predictor exploits a multioutput neural network framework which is well suited to simultaneously modeling dependencies between functional terms. Experiments provide evidence that FANN‐GO (predictor of GO terms; available from http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/predrag) outperforms standard methods such as transfer by global or local SID as well as GOtcha, a method that incorporates the structure ofGO. Proteins 2011; © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Conformational dynamics of L‐lysine, L‐arginine, L‐ornithine binding protein reveals ligand‐dependent plasticity
Authors: Silva Daniel‐Adriano , Domínguez‐Ramírez Lenin , Rojo‐Domínguez Arturo , Sosa‐Peinado Alejandro
Published: March 2011

The molecular basis of multiple ligand binding affinity for amino acids in periplasmic binding proteins (PBPs) and in the homologous domain for class C G‐protein coupled receptors is an unsolved question. Here, using unrestrained molecular dynamic simulations, we studied the ligand binding mechanism present in the L‐lysine, L‐arginine, L‐ornithine binding protein. We developed an analysis based on dihedral angles for the description of the conformational changes upon ligand binding. This analysis has an excellent correlation with each of the two main movements described by principal component analysis (PCA) and it's more convenient than RMSD measurements to describe the differences in the conformational ensembles observed. Furthermore, an analysis of hydrogen bonds showed specific interactions for each ligand studied as well as the ligand interaction with the aromatic residues Tyr‐14 and Phe‐52. Using uncharged histidine tautomers, these interactions are not observed. On the basis of these results, we propose a model in which hydrogen bond interactions place the ligand in the correct orientation to induce a cation–π interaction with Tyr‐14 and Phe‐52 thereby stabilizing the closed state. Our results also show that this protein adopts slightly different closed conformations to make available specific hydrogen bond interactions for each ligand thus, allowing a single mechanism to attain multiple ligand specificity. These results shed light on the experimental evidence for ligand‐dependent conformational plasticity not explained by the previous crystallographic data. Proteins 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antidepressant‐like Effects of L‐theanine in the Forced Swim and Tail Suspension Tests in Mice
Authors: Yin Cui , Gou Lingshan , Liu Yi , Yin Xiaoxing , Zhang Ling , Jia Genguang , Zhuang Xuemei
Published: March 2011

L‐theanine (γ‐glutamylethylamide), an amino acid component of green tea, has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress, and to improve memory function. In this study, the antidepressant effect of L‐theanine was investigated in mice using the forced swim test, tail suspension test, open‐field test and reserpine test. L‐theanine produced an antidepressant‐like effect, since the administration of L‐theanine at doses of 1, 4 and 20 mg/kg for 10 successive days significantly reduced the immobility time in both the forced swim test and tail suspension test, compared with the control group, without accompanying changes in ambulation in the open‐field test. Moreover, L‐theanine significantly antagonized reserpine‐induced ptosis and hypothermia. Taken together, these results indicate that L‐theanine possessed an antidepressant‐like effect in mice, which may be mediated by the central monoaminergic neurotransmitter system. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Retracted: Protective Effects of Rutin on Rat Glomerular Mesangial Cells Cultured in High Glucose Conditions
Authors: Tang Dao‐quan , Wei Ya‐qin , Gao Yuan‐yuan , Yin Xiao‐xing , Yang Dong‐zhi , Mou Jie , Jiang Xiang‐lan
Published: March 2011

The protective effect of rutin on the glomerulosclerosis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in rat mesangial cells was investigated. The cultured mesangial cells were divided into eight groups: normal, solvent control, high glucose, low dose of rutin, moderate dose of rutin, high dose of rutin, captopril and Ginkgo biloba extract. The cell cycles, type IV collagen and laminin in cytoplasm, TGF‐β1 mRNA of mesangial cells, Smad 2/3 and Smad 7, and the activities of four antioxidant indexes including T‐SOD, MDA, CAT and GSH‐Px were measured by flow cytometry, radioimmunoassay, RT‐PCR, western blotting and visible spectrophotometry, respectively. Compared with the high glucose group, rutin decreased the cell percentages of the G0/G1 phase and inhibited the expression of Smad 2/3, laminin and type IV collagen, and TGF‐β1 mRNA level, significantly. The antioxidant capacity, the cell percentages of S phase and Smad 7 expression were significantly increased by rutin. These results suggest that rutin is a potent protective agent against glomerulosclerosis in DN. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Propolis on Fracture Healing: An Experimental Study
Authors: Guney Ahmet , Karaman Ibrahim , Oner Mithat , Yerer Mukerrem Betul
Published: March 2011

Propolis is a substance of honeybee origin with known antioxidant effects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of propolis on fracture healing and the antioxidant system in an experimental setting. Thirty‐two rats that underwent experimental femur fracture and then fixation were randomly allocated in one of four groups: two control groups (Control‐3w and Control‐6w) and two treatment groups (Propolis‐3w and Propolis‐6w). Treatment groups received propolis until killing (at 3 or 6 weeks). X‐ray, histological, bone mineral density measurement findings and endogenous antioxidant levels were examined. The bone mineral density was higher, radiological and histological evaluation scores were better, and superoxide dismutase, total glutathione and myeloperoxidase levels were lower among the rats that received oral propolis treatment compared with the controls. In addition, bone mineral density and histological assessment scores showed time‐dependent improvement in the treatment group. In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that propolis has some time‐dependent beneficial effects on fracture healing. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.