bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non‐motor cognitive‐perceptual dysfunction associated with drug‐induced parkinsonism
Authors: Kim Jong‐Hoon , Byun Hee‐Jung
Published: February 2009

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between drug‐induced parkinsonism (DIP) and subjective non‐motor cognitive impairments in schizophrenia by performing comprehensive assessments of extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) and the subjective cognitive‐perceptual functioning.

Methods

Ninety‐one outpatients with schizophrenia were evaluated for DIP and other EPS. Subjective cognitive‐perceptual dysfunction was comprehensively assessed using the Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ). To examine the association between DIP and non‐motor cognitive‐perceptual dysfunction, Pearson's partial correlation analysis was performed between the FCQ scores and the severity of DIP, controlling for relevant variables.

Results

The analysis revealed that the severity of DIP had a significant correlation with the total FCQ score (p < 0.05). In phenomenological subscales, the severity of DIP showed significant correlations with “deterioration of discrimination,” “psychomotor disorder,” “perceptual disorder,” “cognitive floating,” and “automatic behavior disorder” (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The results of our study suggest that DIP is significantly associated with a wide range of subjective non‐motor cognitive impairments. Clinicians should be careful of the appearance of DIP and the associated non‐motor cognitive‐perceptual symptoms, which may cause considerable distress and reduce the quality of life in an already vulnerable group of patients. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An iterated GMM procedure for estimating the Campbell–Cochrane habit formation model, with an application to Danish Stock and bond returns
Authors: Engsted Tom , Møller Stig V.
Published: February 2009

We suggest an iterated GMM approach to estimate and test the consumption based habit persistence model of Campbell and Cochrane, and we apply the approach on annual and quarterly Danish stock and bond returns. For comparative purposes we also estimate and test the standard constant relative risk‐aversion (CRRA) model. In addition, we compare the pricing errors of the different models using Hansen and Jagannathan's specification error measure. The main result is that for Denmark the Campbell–Cochrane model does not seem to perform markedly better than the CRRA model. For the long annual sample period covering more than 80 years there is absolutely no evidence of superior performance of the Campbell–Cochrane model. For the shorter and more recent quarterly data over a 20–30 year period, there is some evidence of counter‐cyclical time‐variation in the degree of risk‐aversion, in accordance with the Campbell–Cochrane model, but the model does not produce lower pricing errors or more plausible parameter estimates than the CRRA model. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Resolution trade‐off analysis for aperture size and signaling bandwidth of diffraction tomography based on spatial‐frequency spectral coverage
Authors: Lee Hua
Published: February 2009

The objective of this article is to present the trade‐off analysis of resolving capability of diffraction tomography between aperture size and illumination signal bandwidth based on the span of spatial spectral coverage. The analysis is conducted on both the transmission and reflection modes, and can be generalized into various data acquisition configurations. In addition, the analysis provides an important link to other tomographic imaging modalities such as the classical X‐ray tomography and synthetic aperture radar systems. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 1–4, 2009
Color reduction for complex document images
Authors: Nikolaou Nikos , Papamarkos Nikos
Published: February 2009

A new technique for color reduction of complex document images is presented in this article. It reduces significantly the number of colors of the document image (less than 15 colors in most of the cases) so as to have solid characters and uniform local backgrounds. Therefore, this technique can be used as a preprocessing step by text information extraction applications. Specifically, using the edge map of the document image, a representative set of samples is chosen that constructs a 3D color histogram. Based on these samples in the 3D color space, a relatively large number of colors (usually no more than 100 colors) are obtained by using a simple clustering procedure. The final colors are obtained by applying a mean‐shift based procedure. Also, an edge preserving smoothing filter is used as a preprocessing stage that enhances significantly the quality of the initial image. Experimental results prove the method's capability of producing correctly segmented complex color documents where the character elements can be easily extracted as connected components. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 14–26, 2009
Is labour market training a curse for the unemployed? Evidence from a social experiment
Authors: Rosholm Michael , Skipper Lars
Published: February 2009

In 1994 a social experiment was conducted in Denmark, where unemployed applicants for classroom training were randomised into treatment and control groups. The data are contaminated by the presence of no‐shows and crossovers, biasing the traditional experimental estimator. We interpret our experiment within an economic model of agents maximising outcomes facing different cost regimes and present results interpretable within this model. Surprisingly, we find that classroom training significantly increases individual unemployment rates and decreases employability. We discuss possible reasons for this finding and some related policy issues. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of annexin A1 as a novel substrate for E6AP‐mediated ubiquitylation
Authors: Shimoji Tetsu , Murakami Kyoko , Sugiyama Yuichi , Matsuda Mami , Inubushi Sachiko , Nasu Junichi , Shirakura Masayuki , Suzuki Tetsuro , Wakita Takaji , Kishino Tatsuya , Hotta Hak , Miyamura Tatsuo , Shoji Ikuo
Published: February 2009

E6‐associated protein (E6AP) is a cellular ubiquitin protein ligase that mediates ubiquitylation and degradation of p53 in conjunction with the high‐risk human papillomavirus E6 proteins. However, the physiological functions of E6AP are poorly understood. To identify a novel biological function of E6AP, we screened for binding partners of E6AP using GST pull‐down and mass spectrometry. Here we identified annexin A1, a member of the annexin superfamily, as an E6AP‐binding protein. Ectopic expression of E6AP enhanced the degradation of annexin A1 in vivo. RNAi‐mediated downregulation of endogenous E6AP increased the levels of endogenous annexin A1 protein. E6AP interacted with annexin A1 and induced its ubiquitylation in a Ca2+‐dependent manner. GST pull‐down assay revealed that the annexin repeat domain III of annexin A1 is important for the E6AP binding. Taken together, our data suggest that annexin A1 is a novel substrate for E6AP‐mediated ubiquitylation. Our findings raise the possibility that E6AP may play a role in controlling the diverse functions of annexin A1 through the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 1123–1135, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Olfactory sensitivity for alkylpyrazines—a comparative study in CD‐1 mice and spider monkeys
Authors: Laska Matthias , Persson Oskar , Hernandez Salazar Laura Teresa
Published: February 2009

Using a conditioning paradigm, the olfactory sensitivity of four CD‐1 mice for six alkylpyrazines was investigated. With all six stimuli, the animals discriminated concentrations ≤0.1 ppm (parts per million) from the odorless solvent, and with three of the six stimuli the animals were even able to detect concentrations ≤0.1 ppb (parts per billion). Four spider monkeys tested in parallel were found to detect five of the same six stimuli at concentrations <1 ppm and with one stimulus they were able to discriminate concentrations <1 ppb from the solvent. The results showed CD‐1 mice to be more sensitive than spider monkeys with five of the six alkylpyrazines tested. There was a significant positive correlation between sensitivity and the number of alkyl groups attached to the pyrazine (Pyr) ring in both species. A comparison of the detection thresholds obtained here to those obtained in human subjects suggests that neither the number of functional olfactory receptor genes nor the absolute or the relative size of the olfactory bulbs reliably predict a species' olfactory sensitivity. These threshold data may provide useful information for the choice of adequate stimulus concentrations in electrophysiological or imaging studies of the olfactory system or investigations of the discriminative abilities of mice and spider monkeys. J. Exp. Zool. 311A:278–288, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Volatile compounds and capsaicinoid content of fresh hot peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) of different Calabrian varieties
Authors: Ziino Marisa , Condurso Concetta , Romeo Vincenza , Tripodi Gianluca , Verzera Antonella
Published: February 2009

BACKGROUND: Because of the great variability in size, shape, colour, pungency and aroma of Calabrian Capsicum annuum(hot pepper), this study was carried out to furnish producers with information on volatile compounds and capsaicinoid content useful for the genetic improvement of this species. Fully ripened fresh peppers of the most widely cultivated varieties were studied. Capsaicinoid content was determined by reverse phase high‐performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection (RP‐HPLC/DAD). Volatile compounds were determined by headspace solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS‐SPME/GC/MS).

RESULTS: Sixty‐four volatile compounds were identified, the main classes being alcohols, aldehydes, terpenes and aliphatic branched‐chain hydrocarbons. The ‘Naso di cane’ (C. annuumvar. abbreviatum) variety contained the lowest amount of volatiles, especially alcohols and aldehydes, while the highest levels of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were found in ‘Vulcan’ and ‘Corno di capra’ varieties.

CONCLUSION: From statistical evaluation of the data obtained, each variety showed a typical composition of capsaicinoids and volatiles determining the taste and odour of the hot peppers. These results should be useful in the context of research aimed at selecting varieties with the best sensory characteristics. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Bioactivities of essential oil and extract of Thymus argaeus, Turkish endemic wild thyme
Authors: Sagdic Osman , Ozkan Gulcan , Aksoy Ahmet , Yetim Hasan
Published: February 2009

BACKGROUND: Thymus argaeus Boiss. & Bal. (Lamiaceae), an endemic plant species of Turkey known as wild thyme, is traditionally used as a spice and a wild tea in the Inner Anatolia region of Turkey. In this study the composition of the essential oil and the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of the methanolic extract and essential oil of T. argaeus were determined.

RESULTS: The main components of the essential oil were linalool (499 g kg−1), α‐terpineol (150 g kg−1), linalyl acetate (97 g kg−1) and thymol (94 g kg−1). The total phenolic, flavanol and flavonol contents of the extract were 83.31 ± 0.59 mg gallic acid equivalent g−1, 6.26 ± 0.00 mg catechin equivalent g−1 and 28.81 ± 0.21 mg rutin equivalent g−1 respectively. The antioxidant activities of the extract and essential oil determined by the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical‐scavenging method were 830.18 ± 0.42 and 20.47 ± 2.3 mg g−1 respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the extract and essential oil against 13 bacteria and two yeasts were studied by the agar diffusion method. The micro‐organisms most sensitive to the essential oil were Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while the micro‐organism most sensitive to the extract was P. aeruginosa.

CONCLUSION: Only the extract of T. argaeus could be used as a natural antioxidant, while both the extract and the essential oil could be useful as natural antimicrobial agents in food preservation. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of cultivar and roasting method on composition of roasted soybeans
Authors: Boge Emily L , Boylston Terri D , Wilson Lester A
Published: February 2009

BACKGROUND: The composition of raw soybeans and the roasting method have an important impact on the quality of roasted soybeans. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of food‐grade soybean cultivars (IA 2064, IA 1008, IA 1008LF, Prairie Brand 299, Asgrow 2247) and roasting method (oil‐ and dry‐roasting) on the composition of roasted soybeans.

RESULTS: Moisture content decreased after roasting, with oil‐roasted soybeans having a significantly lower moisture content than the dry‐roasted soybeans. With the exception of the low linolenic acid cultivar (IA 2064), there were no significant differences in total lipid and fatty acid contents of the five cultivars. Oil‐roasted soybeans had significantly higher lipid content than raw and dry‐roasted soybeans owing to the absorption of oil. The soluble sugars and free amino acids contents of the five soybean cultivars were not significantly different. Decreases in the contents of free amino acids, but not soluble sugars, occurred during roasting. Greater reductions were seen in oil‐roasted soybeans because of the higher roasting temperature.

CONCLUSION: Roasting method, rather than cultivar, had the greatest effect on the composition of roasted soybeans. The food‐grade soybean cultivars evaluated in this study were similar in composition. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Sporadic colorectal carcinomas with low‐level microsatellite instability in Korea: Do they form a distinct subgroup with distinguished clinicopathological features?
Authors: Kim Young‐Ho , Min Byung‐Hoon , Choi Hyo Kyung , Kim Sue Jin , Kim Kyoung‐Mee , Kim Jin Yong , Chang Dong Kyung , Son Hee Jung , Rhee Poong‐Lyul , Kim Jae J. , Rhee Jong Chul , Chun Ho‐Kyung
Published: February 2009

Background

The biologic significance of low‐level microsatellite instability (MSI) in colorectal cancers (CRCs) remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate whether sporadic MSI‐low CRCs in Korea displayed distinguished clinicopathological characteristics from microsatellite stable (MSS) and MSI‐high CRCs.

Methods

We consecutively enrolled 657 patients who underwent their first surgical resections for stage I–IV sporadic CRCs and compared their clinicopathological features and prognosis after resection according to MSI status (574 MSS, 30 MSI‐low and 53 MSI‐high CRCs).

Results

When compared with MSS CRCs, MSI‐low CRCs showed significantly more frequent association with poorly differentiated histology, mucinous carcinoma, and large tumour size. In addition, MSI‐low CRCs demonstrated significantly less frequent lymph node metastasis and advanced tumour stage than MSS CRCs. When compared with MSI‐high CRCs, MSI‐low CRCs were significantly more frequently located in distal colon. Three‐year overall and disease‐free survival rates of MSS, MSI‐low and MSI‐high CRCs were 83.5%, 90.0% and 91.7% and 82.0%, 89.1% and 87.5%, respectively and neither demonstrated significant difference between three groups.

Conclusions

These results indicated that sporadic MSI‐low CRCs in Korea displayed distinguished clinicopathological features and might form a distinct subgroup especially from MSS CRCs. Further large studies are required to evaluate the impact of MSI‐low status on prognosis. J. Surg. Oncol. 2009;99:351–355. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Material wear of polymeric tracheostomy tubes: A six‐month study
Authors: Backman Sara , Björling Gunilla , Johansson Unn‐Britt , Lysdahl Michael , Markström Agneta , Schedin Ulla , Aune Ragnhild E. , Frostell Claes , Karlsson Sigbritt
Published: February 2009

Objectives:

The objectives were to study long‐term material wear of tracheostomy tubes made of silicone (Si), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyurethane (PU) after 3 and 6 months of clinical use.

Study Design:

The study has a prospective and comparative design.

Methods:

Nineteen patients with long‐term tracheostomy, attending the National Respiratory Center in Sweden, were included, n = 6 with Si tubes, n = 8 with PVC tubes, and n = 5 with PU tubes. The tubes were exposed to the local environment in the trachea for 3 and 6 months and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry.

Results:

All tubes revealed severe surface changes. No significant differences were established after 3 or 6 months of exposure between the various materials. The changes had progressed significantly after this period, compared to previously reported changes after 30 days of exposure. The results from all analyzing techniques correlated well.

Conclusions:

All tubes, exposed in the trachea for 3–6 months, revealed major degradation and changes in the surface of the material. Polymeric tracheostomy tubes should be changed before the end of 3 months of clinical use. Laryngoscope, 2009
Initial Mohs surgery followed by planned surgical resection of massive cutaneous carcinomas of the head and neck
Authors: Ducic Yadranko , Marra Diego E. , Kennard Charles
Published: February 2009

Objective:

To review our experience with Mohs excision of massive cutaneous carcinomas for peripheral margin control, followed by planned definitive resection of the deeply invasive component of the carcinoma.

Study Design:

Retrospective review.

Methods:

All cases of massive (at least 10 cm in dimension) cutaneous carcinomas treated by the technique outlined by Yadranko Ducic from 1998–2006.

Results:

A total of 28 cases (7 squamous cell carcinomas, 14 basal cell carcinomas, 7 basosquamous carcinomas) were treated in this manner. Average maximal tumor dimension was 12.7 cm with a range of 10–21cm. None of the patients recurred at the peripheral margin at an average follow‐up of 3.2 years. There were a total of 7 local recurrences (5 squamous cell carcinoma and 2 basal cell carcinoma). All recurrences occurred within the deep resection bed.

Conclusions:

The technique appears to be an excellent means of treatment of massive, neglected, and deeply invasive cutaneous carcinomas of the face and neck. It allows for more precise margin control than can be afforded by surgical pathology, decreases length of anesthesia, and enables the surgeon to more accurately plan the required reconstruction to review with the patient preoperatively. Laryngoscope, 2009
Towards further understanding of prognostic factors for head and neck cancer patients: The example of hypopharyngeal cancer
Authors: Hall Stephen F. , Groome Patti A. , Irish Jonathan , O'Sullivan Brian
Published: February 2009

Objectives:

Knowledge of prognostic factors is essential for patient care and research. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate that prognostic factors and their impact can vary depending on study design and to examine the relationships between select prognostic factors.

Methods:

Retrospective population‐based study of patients with cancer of the hypopharynx in Ontario, Canada, from January 1990 to December 1999 identifying and comparing prognostic factors for different survival outcomes and different subpopulations using Kaplan Meier analysis and Cox Proportional Hazards models.

Results:

The impact of prognostic factors varies within subgroups of a study population, varies with treatment decisions, and varies with the outcome of interest.

Conclusions:

N and T category were the dominant prognostic factors in hypopharyngeal cancer. Performance status was an independent predictor of survival. Laryngoscope, 2009
Coincidence of conchachoanal polyp and complete mulberry hypertrophy of inferior concha
Authors: Akduman Davut , Karaman Murat , Aydin Eda , Korkmaz Deniz , Karaaslan Ahmet , Turgut Suat
Published: February 2009

We report two unique cases of 50‐ and 28‐year‐old Turkish men with coincidence of conchachoanal polyp and mulberry hypertrophy of the inferior concha. We operated on both cases with endoscopic stripping of the polypoid tissue while preserving the periosteum and healthy mucosa of the inferior nasal concha. The polypoid tile of the left inferior nasal concha was resected in the case with mulberry hypertrophy at only the tail of the concha. Both cases reported significant relief of symptoms after the operations. Laryngoscope, 2009
Disturbance of vestibular function attributable to cochlear implantation in children
Authors: Licameli Greg , Zhou Guangwei , Kenna Margaret A.
Published: February 2009

Objectives/Hypothesis:

To investigate the prevalence and severity of vestibular impairment in children with cochlear implant (CI) and raise the awareness of vestibular disturbance following cochlear implantation.

Study Design:

Cohort study in a pediatric tertiary care facility.

Methods:

Outcome analysis of the vestibular evaluation, including vestibule‐ocular reflex (VOR), computerized dynamic posturography (CDP), and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing, from a total of 42 patients with cochlear implants. Intrasubject comparison of pre‐ and postcochlear implantation VEMP measurements were conducted in a group of 19 patients who were newly implanted.

Results:

Our review found vestibular impairment present in 60% of patients with CI, e.g., reduced gain of VOR, weakness in posture, elevation of VEMP thresholds, and decrease in VEMP amplitude. The degree of functional reduction varied from subject to subject. Pre‐ and postimplantation VEMP study revealed more than 80% of the subjects had a change in saccular function, indicated by VEMP measurements, regardless of the etiology of the hearing loss.

Conclusions:

Our study supports the potential negative impact on vestibular function caused by cochlear implantation, especially for children who receive bilateral implantation. Vestibular impairment or dysfunction after cochlear implantation is clinically significant and should be well addressed preoperatively. Vestibular evaluation such as VOR and VEMP testing can be used in screening vestibular function for children who are candidates for CI. Future improvements in design of CI electrodes and surgical technique may minimize the traumatic impact of cochlear implantation on the inner ear structures and functionality. Laryngoscope, 2009
Size, entropy, and density: What is the difference that makes the difference between small and large real‐world assortments?
Authors: Fasolo Barbara , Hertwig Ralph , Huber Michaela , Ludwig Mark
Published: February 2009

Consumer research has shown the downsides of offering consumers too much choice and is now starting to explore moderators of the effect of assortment size on consumer decisions. Building on previous studies, this research examines two side effects of tyranny of choice in the marketplace: high assortment entropy and high density of attribute values. We analyze two supermarkets—one offering small, the other large assortments—to examine how size, entropy, and density relate in the marketplace. We find that larger supermarket assortments come with higher density and higher entropy. Simulations of various choice strategies in these marketplace assortments reveal that making selections from large high‐density and high‐entropy assortments is time consuming, and better choice quality is not a forgone conclusion, even for customers with ambitious aspirations. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Biopsies of olfactory epithelium in patients with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Witt Martin , Bormann Katja , Gudziol Volker , Pehlke Kerstin , Barth Kathrin , Minovi Amir , Hähner Antje , Reichmann Heinz , Hummel Thomas
Published: February 2009

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving several neuronal systems. Impaired olfactory function may constitute one of the earliest symptoms of PD. However, it is still unclear to what degree changes of the olfactory epithelium may contribute to dysosmia and if these changes are different from those of other hyposmic or anosmic patients. This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that olfactory loss in PD is a consequence of specific PD‐related damage of olfactory epithelium. Biopsies of 7 patients diagnosed with PD were taken. Six patients with PD were hyposmic, one anosmic. As non‐PD controls served 9 patients with hyposmia, 9 with anosmia, and 7 normosmic individuals. Further, nasal mucosa of 4 postmortem individuals was investigated. Immunohistochemical examinations were performed with antibodies against olfactory marker protein (OMP), protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), beta‐tubulin, (BT), proliferation‐associated antigen (Ki 67), the stem cell marker nestin, cytokeratin, p75NGFr, and α‐synuclein. Most of the biopsy specimens exhibited irregular areas of olfactory‐like, dysplastic epithelium positive for either PGP 9.5 or BT, but negative for OMP. No major histochemical differences in either the expression or distribution of these proteins were observed in the olfactory epithelium of patients with PD compared with controls. Reverse transcription PCR (RT‐PCR) data indicated mRNA for OMP in almost all subjects, independently of their olfactory performance. These data support the idea that olfactory loss in Parkinson's disease is not a consequence of damage to the olfactory epithelium but rather results from distinct central‐nervous abnormalities. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
A novel KCNA1 mutation associated with global delay and persistent cerebellar dysfunction
Authors: Demos Michelle K. , Macri Vincenzo , Farrell Kevin , Nelson Tanya N. , Chapman Kristine , Accili Eric , Armstrong Linlea
Published: February 2009

Episodic Ataxia Type 1 is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by episodes of ataxia and myokymia. It is associated with mutations in the KCNA1 voltage‐gated potassium channel gene. In the present study, we describe a family with novel clinical features including persistent cerebellar dysfunction, cerebellar atrophy, and cognitive delay. All affected family members have myokymia and epilepsy, but only one individual has episodes of vertigo. Additional features include postural abnormalities, episodic stiffness and weakness. A novel KCNA1 mutation (c.1222G>T) which replaces a highly conserved valine with leucine at position 408 (p.Val408Leu) was identified in affected family members, and was found to augment the ability of the channel to inactivate. Together, our data suggests that KCNA1 mutations are associated with a broader clinical phenotype, which may include persistent cerebellar dysfunction and cognitive delay. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Cognitive dysfunctions and pathological gambling in patients with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Santangelo Gabriella , Vitale Carmine , Trojano Luigi , Verde Francesca , Grossi Dario , Barone Paolo
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the neuropsychological correlates of pathological gambling (PG) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Fifteen patients with PD affected by PG (identified based on DSM‐IV criteria; PD+PG) without clinically evident dementia were compared with 15 nondemented patients with PD not affected by PG (PD−PG). Two groups of patients with PD were matched for age, length of education, and gender. Clinical and neuropsychiatric features were assessed; several cognitive domains, mainly related to executive functions, were explored by means of standardized neuropsychological tasks. PD+PG and PD−PG did not differ on clinical and neuropsychiatric aspects. PD+PG patients performed significantly worse than PD−PG patients on cognitive tasks that evaluated visuo‐spatial long‐term memory and several frontal lobe functions. After Bonferroni correction, differences remained significant on the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) (P = 0.001), on phonological fluency task (P = 0.003), and on the Trail Making Test, part B minus part A (P = 0.002). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that low scores on the FAB were the only independent predictor of PG (odds ratio, 27.9; 95% CI: 2.82–277.95, P = 0.004). The results indicate an association between PG and frontal lobe dysfunctions in nondemented patients with PD. Low scores on the FAB indicate patients with PD at high risk for PG. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Numerical simulation of particle trajectory and atmospheric dispersion of airborne releases
Authors: Shoaib Raza S. , Avila Ruben
Published: February 2009

Numerical simulation of particle trajectory and atmospheric dispersion has been performed for an airborne accidental release from a nuclear power plant site. A Long‐range Particle transport and Dispersion Model (LPDM) based on a Lagrangian approach is developed and tested in this work. The Lagrangian transport/dispersion model is directly coupled with an atmospheric prediction model, RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System), to provide necessary meteorological fields in a three‐dimensional domain. An advantage of this direct coupling is that the meteorological data generated by RAMS can be used directly for trajectory calculations without storage, thus reducing the CPU time consumed in the data storage and retrieval. This effort was done to be able to use this directly coupled modelling system for real‐time predictions in case of an accidental release from a potential site.

The simulated Lagrangian trajectories were compared with those obtained using observed hourly weather data obtained from an on‐site meteorological tower. The results indicated that this one‐way coupling between LPDM‐RAMS provided almost identical trajectories when compared with those obtained using LPDM alone driven by hourly observed wind data. The comparison demonstrated the reliability of the RAMS meteorological predictions for the site under consideration. The comparison also indicated that LPDM (run in a stand alone mode), with hourly‐observed wind data, could also be used for trajectory calculations over flat terrain.

The model was developed on a parallel processing computer (SGI workstation, ORIGIN 2000 computer with eight processors) for use in real‐time forecast mode. The computational time was about one‐third of the simulation time, while using four processors. The model options need to be explored to reduce the computational time further and test its performance for real‐time atmospheric dispersion applications. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Spontaneous cecum perforation following rectus abdominis free flap transfer for isolated lower limb trauma
Authors: Stevens Roger J. G. , Moss Anthony L. H.
Published: February 2009

A case of a 32‐year‐old motorcyclist, who sustained an open comminuted fracture of the left tibia and subsequently developed spontaneous cecal perforation following successful fixation of the fracture and reconstruction of the soft tissue defect with a rectus abdominis free flap, is reported. Although benign cecal perforation has been described in patients with thermal burns and blunt trauma of the abdomen or pelvis, our association has not been reported previously in the medical literature. It is important to recognize cecal perforation early as it is associated with a high mortality from peritonitis and septicaemia. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2009.
Metabolic response of soy pinitol on lipid‐lowering, antioxidant and hepatoprotective action in hamsters fed‐high fat and high cholesterol diet
Authors: Choi Myung‐Sook , Lee Mi‐Kyung , Jung Un Ju , Kim Hye‐Jin , Do Geoyng‐Min , Park Yong Bok , Jeon Seon‐Min
Published: February 2009

This study was performed to investigate the lipid‐lowering, antioxidant, and hepato‐protective effects of pinitol in dose‐dependent manners in hamsters fed‐high fat and high cholesterol (HFHC) diet. Pinitol supplementation (0.05%, P‐I and 0.1% pinitol, P‐II) with an HFHC diet (10% coconut oil plus 0.2% cholesterol) for 10 wks significantly lowered the white adipose tissue weights, hepatic lipid droplets, plasma glucose, total‐cholesterol, nonHDL‐cholesterol, total‐cholesterol/HDL‐cholesterol ratio, and hepatic lipid levels. Whereas it significantly increased the brown adipose tissue weight, plasma HDL‐cholesterol, apolipoprotein A‐I (apo A‐I) concentrations, paraoxonase (PON) activity, and/or mRNA expression, compared to the HFHC control group. Plasma insulin and adiponectin levels were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in both P‐I and P‐II groups than the HFHC control group. Dietary pinitol significantly inhibited hepatic HMG‐CoA reductase, acyl‐CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) activities without altering their mRNA expressions compared to the control group. Pinitol significantly elevated the hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, whereas it also significantly reduced the hepatic lipid peroxide and H2O2production. Accordingly, these results indicate that both 0.05 and 0.1% pinitol supplementation may improve the lipid and antioxidant metabolism in HFHC diet‐fed hamsters. In particular, pinitol supplementation was very effective on the elevation of antiatherogenic factors, including plasma HDL‐cholesterol, apo A‐I, adiponectin, and PON.
Selective bio‐availability of phenolic acids from Scottish strawberries
Authors: Russell Wendy R. , Scobbie Lorraine , Labat Aurélie , Duthie Garry G.
Published: February 2009

Scottish strawberries were found to be a rich source of phenolic acids, namely benzoic (1287.95 ± 279.98 mg/kg) and cinnamic (1159.40 ± 233.96 mg/kg) acids, both free and attached to other plant components. Studies suggest a chemopreventative role for such compounds in several major clinical conditions, but the anticipated benefits are likely to be affected by their bio‐availability and metabolic fate. In this pilot study, strawberries (750 g) was consumed by four healthy human volunteers (32 ± 6 years). Only the benzoic acids were detected in the plasma. Of these, the major free (gentisic, protocatechuic and p‐hydroxybenzoic acid) and conjugated (syringic acid) benzoic acids were 26–27% recovered in the urine within 5 h. Cinnamic acids were completely undetected in plasma and only trace amounts were found in the urine. Since, the cinnamic acids escaped absorption early in the gastrointestinal tract, their release and/or metabolism is dependant on the host colonic microbiota. Results indicate that there is a high degree of selective absorption of strawberry phenolic acids into the systemic circulation. If selective absorption of phenolic acids is observed with consumption of other plant‐based foods, this is likely to have implications for the bioactive role of these compounds in chronic disease prevention.
Improving the accuracy of two‐ray model at 60 GHz for line‐of‐sight wireless desktop channel
Authors: Wei Fu , Jianguo Ma
Published: February 2009

A site‐specific desktop propagation model is presented at 60 GHz. The desktop materials involved are wood, glass, and marble. The reflection coefficients versus Tx–Rx separation distance using vertical and horizontal polarization are investigated. Path loss data are then computed using improved two‐ray propagation model. Obtained values are compared with the measured data published in IEEE 802.15 TG3c and shown to have a more precise fitting than that predicted by conventional model. The regression model can be used as empirical values for 60 GHz desktop channels. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 907–910, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24192
More stabilized triple‐band antenna with a rolled radiating arm and a metallic rod for mobile applications
Authors: Zhang Xingyu , Zhao Anping
Published: February 2009

In this article, a compact design of a flexible planar inverted‐F antenna (PIFA) is proposed for triple‐band (GSM/DCS/PCS) mobile phone application. The main radiating element of the antenna, which generates the GSM and DCS resonant modes, is printed on a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and rolled in a form of cylinder. To improve the construction stability of the antenna, a metallic rod is inserted into the centre of the rolled antenna. The metallic rod acting as a parasitic element of the antenna also generates the PCS resonant mode. The antenna prototype was fabricated and measured. Good agreement between the measurement and simulation results is obtained. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 891–894, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24197
A novel method of detecting malaria using microwaves
Authors: Lonappan Anil , Thomas Vinu , Jacob Joe , Rajasekaran C. , Mathew K. T.
Published: February 2009

Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases and an enormous public health problem and claims an estimated 1–3 million lives every year and the majority of whom are young children. No vaccine is currently available for the treatment of malaria. This letter proposes a new method of detecting malaria based on the measurement of the dielectric properties of blood at the microwave frequencies. The measurements were made at the S‐band of microwave frequency using rectangular cavity perturbation technique with the samples of blood from healthy donors as well as from malaria patients. It is found that an appreciably change in the dielectric properties of patient samples with the normal healthy samples and this measurements were in good agreement with clinical results. This measurement is a new novel in vitro method of diagnosing malaria at its onset using microwaves, so that necessary precautions can be taken such as proper preventative drugs, which will continuously reduce the risk of infection. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 915–918, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24202
A novel asymmetric stepped‐impedance hairpin resonator and its filter application
Authors: Li Lingyu , Liu Haiwen
Published: February 2009

In this article, a newly asymmetric stepped‐impedance hairpin resonator (SIR), comprised of a meander line and a pair of symmetric parallel coupled lines, is presented to implement circuit reduction. Moreover, a compact filter is designed and constructed by using this novel asymmetric SIR and a slotted ground plan for spurious suppression. This proposed low‐pass filter was designed, fabricated, and measured. The experimental results of the filter have a good agreement with the simulated results. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 875–876, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24205
Small‐size uniplanar coupled‐fed PIFA for 2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz WLAN operation in the laptop computer
Authors: Liao Shih‐Jia , Wong Kin‐Lu , Chou Liang‐Che
Published: February 2009

A coupled‐fed PIFA (printed inverted‐F antenna) printed on a small‐size FR4 substrate promising for 2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz WLAN (wireless local area network) operation in the laptop computer is presented. When mounted at the top edge of the system ground plane or supporting metal frame of the laptop display, the PIFA shows a height of 9 mm and a small width of 7 mm only. With a narrow width, it is promising for more internal antennas to be mounted along the top edge of the supporting metal frame of the laptop display. The PIFA also shows a uniplanar structure, allowing it easy to fabricate, and is fed using a T‐shaped coupling strip, which leads to successful excitation of two wide operating bands to cover WLAN operation in the 2.4 GHz band and 5.2/5.8 GHz band. Details of the proposed PIFA are studied, and experimental and simulation results are presented. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 1023–1028, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24206
Design of compact dual‐band bandpass filter using short stub loaded resonator
Authors: Chen Fu‐Chang , Chu Qing‐Xin , Tu Zhi‐Hong
Published: February 2009

Compact dual‐band bandpass filter using short stub loaded resonators is presented in this letter, the proposed resonator possesses the advantage that its center frequency of the even mode can be flexibly controlled, whereas that of the odd‐mode is fixed. A dual‐band filter using pseudo‐interdigital SSLR is implemented with three transmission zeros. Meandering SSLR is proposed to obtain independently controlled bandwidth at each band. Two experimental examples of filters have been designed and fabricated, good agreements are shown between the simulation and the measurement. The bandpass filters have very smaller area in comparison of previous works. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 959–963, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24209
Optimum design of highly linear and efficient GaN HEMT Doherty amplifier considering the soft turn‐on effects
Authors: Lee Yong‐Sub , Lee Mun‐Woo , Jeong Yoon‐Ha
Published: February 2009

In this article, we propose the optimum design of a highly linear and efficient Doherty power amplifier (DPA) considering the soft turn‐on effects of the GaN HEMT. To compensate for the soft turn‐on characteristic and obtain an extended high‐efficiency range, the DPA is designed with unequal drain biases. For experimental validations, the carrier and peaking cells are designed and implemented with the drain bias of 23 V and 33 V, respectively, using 25‐W GaN HEMTs at 2.6 GHz and then tested using a continuous wave and a one‐carrier WCDMA signal. The measured results show the superior performance for the proposed GaN HEMT DPA. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 956–959, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24210
Characteristics of lensed fiber collimator with larger gradient‐index lens diameter
Authors: Lin Yu‐Cheng
Published: February 2009

A lensed fiber collimator using gradient‐index fiber (GIF) of 140 μm diameter spliced to single‐mode fiber (SMF) is reported. The complex beam parameter method and ABCD law are applied for theoretical analysis. Both numerical and experimental data are presented for optical characterization of the divergence angle and insertion loss in lateral and axial displacement of the device. The divergence angle of 2.7° is obtained for the wavelength of 1.31 and 1.55 μm at the GIF length of 425 μm. The variation of insertion loss because of lateral and axial displacement shows good agreement with theory. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 1137–1139, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24211
A 5.2‐GHz low‐power VCO in 0.18‐μm CMOS process
Authors: Jang Sheng‐Lyang , Shen Kuan‐Chun , Liu Cheng‐Chen
Published: February 2009

A 5.2 GHz, 0.43 V voltage‐controlled oscillator (VCO) is designed and implemented in a 0.18 μm CMOS 1P6M process. The designed circuit topology consists of two parallel LC resonators in series with the gates of negative differential resistance transistors. At the supply voltage of 0.43 V, the output phase noise of the VCO is −116d Bc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency from the carrier frequency of 5.3 GHz, and the figure of merit is −187.8dBc/Hz. Total VCO core power consumption is 1.83 mW. Tuning range is about 710 MHz, from 5.54 to 4.83 GHz, whereas the control voltage was tuned from 0 to 1.2 V. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 1052–1055, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24216
The plastic optical fiber cantilever beam as a force sensor
Authors: Kulkarni Atul , Na Jeonggil , Kim Youngjin , Kim Taesung
Published: February 2009

This study reports use of inexpensive intensity‐based plastic optical fiber (POF) in the form of cantilever beam to monitor the force. The cantilever consists of POF surface bonded on the surface of metal beams viz. spring steel (SS) and mild steel (MS) and subjected to force. The performance of the force sensor is evaluated during macro‐bending caused because of the deflection of the beam by applied force. Experimentally obtained detector output of POF, which could be measured with negligible hysteresis is compared with finite element analysis in the range between 0.0098 and 19.613 N. The reproducibility of the sensor is observed in the limit of ±1%. The proposed sensor can replace stain gauge load cell to certain extent in some applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 1020–1023, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24217
Size reduction of monopole antenna using complementary split loop resonator
Authors: Xiao Shaoqiu , Jiang Li , Ma Kaixue
Published: February 2009

Developing low‐profile monopole antenna with compact size is very challenging in future RF front‐end systems. In this article, by embedding a complementary split loop resonator into a shorted square disc, we developed a square disc‐loaded monopole antenna with compact size. The volume of the proposed antenna is λ0/16×λ0/16×λ0/20, where λ0 is the wavelength in free space. The radiation pattern of the antenna is similar to that of a short monopole. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 930–932, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24226
Aperture‐coupled circularly polarized F‐slot microstrip antenna
Authors: Yeh Yong , Nasimuddin  , Chen Z. N. , Alphones A.
Published: February 2009

A compact, aperture‐coupled, circularly polarized F‐slot microstrip antenna is proposed. The F‐slot is embedded in the square microstrip patch and fed using an aperture‐coupled feeding structure. The proposed antenna has a 4.87% (2.40–2.52 GHz) 3 dB AR (axial ratio) bandwidth with a 14.4% 10 dB return loss bandwidth. The gain within the usable bandwidth remains relatively constant at 6.0 dBic with a ±0.5 dB variation and a peak gain is 6.2 dBic at 2.42 GHz. The antenna ground plane size and foam substrate thickness represent about 53.3 and 7% of its wavelength at the operating frequency of 2.46 GHz, respectively. The 3 dB AR beamwidth is >90°. The patch size of the proposed antenna is reduced by 22.7% compared with a conventional square patch antenna. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 1100–1104, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24230
Design of microstrip filter based on slow‐wave open‐loop resonator
Authors: Zhang Xiao‐Chuan , Xu Jun , Yu Zhi‐Yuan , Dong Yu‐Liang
Published: February 2009

A microstrip bandpass filter implemented with slow‐wave open‐loop resonators is described in this article. The slow‐wave open‐loop resonators make the filter compact and allow the implementation of positive and negative inter‐resonator couplings. Implementation of the positive and negative couplings is used to introduce a pair of finite frequency transmission‐zeros in the filter response. The two zeros are designed to be close to the passband, thus improving the selectivity of the filter. As an example, a fourth‐order cross‐coupled filter is fabricated. The experimental results are demonstrated and discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 1057–1060, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24232
A compact ultra‐wideband band‐pass filter with defected ground structure
Authors: Chen Peng , Wei Feng , Shi Xiaowei , Huang Qiulin
Published: February 2009

In this article, a compact ultra‐wideband (UWB) band‐pass filter (BPF) with improved upper‐stopband is presented. In this design, a novel multiple‐mode resonator (MMR) with two symmetrical loading stubs and three dumbbell‐shaped defected ground structures (DGS) on the back of the filter improve the harmonic‐suppression characteristic of conventional BPF. Combining these two structures, a new UWB BPF is fabricated and measured. Measured results show that the proposed BPF has wide bandwidth from 3.0 to 10.7 GHz, and the insertion loss of the BPF is less than 1.0 dB in this band. A wide stop‐band bandwidth with 20 dB attenuation from 12 GHz up to 20 GHz is achieved. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 979–981, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24234