bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined effects of temperature and Reynolds number on drag‐reducing characteristics of a cationic surfactant solution
Authors: Wei Jinjia , Wang Jianfeng , Zhang Chengwei , Kawaguchi Yasuo
Published: July 2011

The drag‐reducing characteristics in the turbulent channel flow of dilute cationic surfactant solution, cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC)/sodium salicylate (NaSal) aqueous solution, were experimentally investigated in a closed loop fluid flow facility at different temperatures. The mass concentrations of the surfactant solution ranged from 75 to 200 ppm, and the temperatures ranged from 15 to 55°C. The cationic surfactant solution showed a great drag‐reducing ability, which was greatly affected by concentration, temperature, and Reynolds number. It was found that there existed a critical temperature Tc in each solution at different concentrations. Above Tc, drag‐reduction level decreases and reaches the behaviour of water flow without drag‐reducing ability. A new temperature parameters Tf, was proposed, and the difference between Tc and Tf can represent the effective temperature range for the drag reduction at a certain Reynolds number. The variation tendency of Tf and Tc with Reynolds numbers can give the guidance of selecting effective drag reduction range to the practical application in the district heating systems (DHS). It was supposed that temperature and shear stress are two kind of energy applied on the surfactant microstructure, which can be helpful to the surfactant network formation or dissociation depending on their values. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
More Than Just Milk: A Review of Prolactin's Impact on the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Strike Melanie K. , Norris Sandhaya , Kearney Sarah , Norris Mark L.
Published: July 2011

Objective

In completing this review, we aim to educate readers about the physiological importance of the hormone prolactin (PRL) in the treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN).

Method

A comprehensive review of PRL was undertaken using existing published literature with specific focus on domains pertinent to the treatment of AN.

Results

Prolactin influences multiple biological processes throughout the body. Disruption in its regulation can impact women's health issues such as menstruation and bone health, which are pertinent to AN treatment. The use of antipsychotics with high D2 receptor affinity for the augmented treatment of AN increases the potential risk of PRL‐mediated adverse effects.

Discussion

Although not intrinsic to underlying disease underpinnings, PRL has the capacity to affect and influence multiple outcome variables in treatment of patients with AN. Improved understanding, better screening and the completion of further prospective research are necessary to help facilitate and incorporate ongoing knowledge translation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Detection of surface change in complex topography using terrestrial laser scanning: application to the Illgraben debris‐flow channel
Authors: Schürch Peter , Densmore Alexander L. , Rosser Nicholas J. , Lim Michael , McArdell Brian W.
Published: July 2011

Detection of surface change is a fundamental task in geomorphology. Terrestrial laser scanners are increasingly used for monitoring surface change resulting from a variety of geomorphic processes, as they allow the rapid generation of high‐resolution digital elevation models. Irrespective of instrument specifics, survey design or data processing, such data are subject to a finite level of ambiguity in position measurement, a consideration of which must be taken into account when deriving change. The propagation of errors is crucial in change detection because even very small uncertainties in elevation can produce large uncertainties in volume when extrapolated over an area of interest. In this study we propose a methodology to detect surface change and to quantify the resultant volumetric errors in areas of complex topography such as channels, where data from multiple scan stations must be combined. We find that a commonly proposed source of error – laser point elongation at low incidence angles – has a negligible effect on the quality of the final registered point cloud. Instead, ambiguities in elevation inherent to registered datasets have a strong effect on our ability to detect and measure surface change. Similarly, we find that changes in surface roughness between surveys also reduce our ability to detect change. Explicit consideration of these ambiguities, when propagated through to volume calculations, allows us to detect volume change of 87 ± 5 m3, over an area of ∼ ​4900 m2, due to passage of a debris flow down a 300 m reach of the Illgraben channel in Switzerland. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous separation and purification of flavonoids and oleuropein from Olea europaea L. (olive) leaves using macroporous resin
Authors: Li Chen , Zheng Yuanyuan , Wang Xiaofei , Feng Shilan , Di Duolong
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: This study developed a feasible process to simultaneously separate and purify polyphenols, including flavonoids and oleuropein, from the leaves of Olea europaea L. Macroporous resins were used as the separation and purification materials. The performance and separation capabilities of eight resins (D101, DM130, HPD450, LSA‐21, LSA‐40, 07C, LSD001 and HPD600) were systematically evaluated. The contents of target polyphenols in different extracts were determined using ultraviolet (for flavonoids) and high‐performance liquid chromatographic (for oleuropein) methods. The static adsorption and desorption results showed that resin LSA‐21 had better adsorption properties among the eight resins. Influential factors such as extraction method, pH value of feeding solution, desorption solution, adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm, etc. to the extraction and purification of these polyphenols were successively investigated on resin LSA‐21.

RESULTS: The target flavonoids and oleuropein were selectively purified using resin LSA‐21. Compared with the contents in raw leaves, the contents of total flavonoids and oleuropein in the final purified products were increased 13.2‐fold (from 16 to 211 g kg−1) and 7.5‐fold (from 120 to 902 g kg−1) with recovery yields of 87.9% and 85.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: This extraction and purification method could be used in the large‐scale enrichment or purification of flavonoids, oleuropein and other polyphenols from O. europaea L. leaves or other herbal materials in industrial, food processing and medical manufacture. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Changes in the quality of jaboticaba fruit (Myriciaria jaboticaba (Vell) Berg. cv. Sabará) stored under different oxygen concentrations
Authors: Teixeira Gustavo HA , Durigan José F , Santos Leandra O , Hojo Ellen TD , Cunha Júnior Luis C
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: Jaboticaba (Myriciaria jaboticaba (Vell) Berg.) is a highly perishable Brazilian berry with a shelf life of only 2 days under ambient conditions. Low temperatures and controlled atmosphere (CA) have been used to extend the shelf life of perishable fruit. Thus the aim of this study was to determine the effect of CA with varying concentrations of oxygen (1, 5, 10, 15 and 21kPa) during cold storage (12.5 °C) of ‘Sabará’ jaboticaba fruit.

RESULTS: Atmospheres with lower oxygen concentrations (1 and 5 kPa O2) significantly reduced jaboticaba respiration rate. Fruit stored under these conditions had higher L* values, and titratable acidity (TA), and lower ratios of soluble solids content (SSC)/TA. However, at the lowest concentration of oxygen (1 kPa O2), firmness decreased markedly compared to fruits stored at higher O2 levels (P < 0.05). After only 2 days of storage at ambient temperature jaboticaba received a score of 1.6 (dislike strongly − 1) compared to fruit stored under CA, which scored 7.4 (like moderately − 7). After 9 days of storage, fruit from all treatments remained above the limit of acceptability (score 5) and were rated as 6.2. With respect to appearance, statistical differences between treatments were not observed. The total anthocyanin content was not affected by oxygen concentration but decreased 40.4% during CA storage.

CONCLUSION: 'Sabará' jaboticaba fruit can be satisfactorily stored under atmospheres containing 5‐21 kPa O2 at 12.5 °C for up to 6 days. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Development of algorithms for detecting citrus canker based on hyperspectral reflectance imaging
Authors: Li Jiangbo , Rao Xiuqin , Ying Yibin
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND: Automated discrimination of fruits with canker from other fruit with normal surface and different type of peel defects has become a helpful task to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of the citrus industry. Over the last several years, hyperspectral imaging technology has received increasing attention in the agricultural products inspection field. This paper studied the feasibility of classification of citrus canker from other peel conditions including normal surface and nine peel defects by hyperspectal imaging.

RESULTS: A combination algorithm based on principal component analysis and the two‐band ratio (Q687/630) method was proposed. Since fewer wavelengths were desired in order to develop a rapid multispectral imaging system, the canker classification performance of the two‐band ratio (Q687/630) method alone was also evaluated. The proposed combination approach and two‐band ratio method alone resulted in overall classification accuracy for training set samples and test set samples of 99.5%, 84.5% and 98.2%, 82.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: The proposed combination approach was more efficient for classifying canker against various conditions under reflectance hyperspectral imagery. However, the two‐band ratio (Q687/630) method alone also demonstrated effectiveness in discriminating citrus canker from normal fruit and other peel diseases except for copper burn and anthracnose. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Wide stopband and sharp‐rejection low‐pass filter using uniplanar double spiral resonators
Authors: Ke Lu , Wang Guang‐Ming , Yu Zhong‐Wu
Published: July 2011

A novel wide stopband and sharp‐rejection low‐pass filter (LPF) using the double spiral resonators and shunt stubs was presented, although the proposed structure did not introduce any defected ground patterns. It was found that the uniplanar double spiral resonator embedded in the patch of conventional microstrip line has band‐stop properties, and the frequency response can be adjusted by tuning the geometry parameters with ease. Then, four double spiral resonator units and shunt stubs were integrated to synthesize a LPF prototype with the help of full‐wave simulation tool. The proposed prototype was fabricated and tested. Subsequently, measured results indicated that the relative bandwidth of the −20 dB insert loss is ∼160%, and the sharpness is 89. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2345–2348, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26235
An equivalent circuit‐based approach to behavioral modeling of long‐term memory effects in wideband amplifiers
Authors: Crespo‐Cadenas Carlos , Reina‐Tosina Javier , Madero‐Ayora María J.
Published: July 2011

A behavioral model for power amplifiers that accounts for long‐term memory effects is proposed in this article.The model structure is derived from a simplified circuit level description of thermal power feedback and a dynamic ordering of model kernels. The approach has been tested with commercial class‐A and class‐AB power amplifiers, showing an excellent accuracy in the description of nonlinear distortion associated with low‐frequency memory effects. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2278–2281, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26239
Design of a tunable dual‐band loop antenna
Authors: Woo Dae Woong , Lee Dong Hyun , Ko Jae Woo , Baek Joon Hyun , Park Wee Sang
Published: July 2011

A dual‐band frequency tunable loop antenna that utilized a circuit model was introduced. An open loop antenna was selected as a prototype, which could be simply represented by an LC resonant circuit. To overcome the input mismatch in high‐frequency region, an additional π circuit was introduced. Using a chip inductor in the π circuit, the high frequency can be easily tuned without changing the low frequency. The proposed dual‐band antenna performs better than the single‐band antenna. Both the simulated and measured results agreed well. The proposed antenna was compact (0.09 λ0 × 0.09 λ0 × 0.01 λ0) and operated at two different frequencies (1.80 and 2.45 GHz). The operating bandwidth (S11 < −6 dB) was 1.7–2.7 GHz, satisfying GSM 1700/1800, WCDMA, and, WLAN. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2207–2212, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26246
Effect of air‐gap on axial ratio of low profile spiral antenna
Authors: Mehrabani Ali M. , Shafai Lotfollah
Published: July 2011

A low‐profile offset‐fed spiral antenna over an artificial magnetic conductors (AMC) ground plane is studied in which the AMC ground plane has a two‐layer structure with an air‐gap present between the layers.The effect of such air gaps on the axial ratios of the antenna is investigated. The predicted numerical results are verified by testing a prototype sample of the proposed antenna showing a satisfactorily agreement between them. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2422–2423, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26248
C + L band extended reach amplified next generation access networks
Authors: Girão J. P. , Neto B. , Rocha A. M. , Reis C. , Dionisio R. P. , Chatzi S. , Bonada F. , Lazaro J. , Teixeira A. L. J. , André P. S.
Published: July 2011

The feasibility of optical amplification solutions for extended reach next generation access networks in C + L bands is studied. Amplification schemes based on Raman fiber amplifier and their combination with remotely pumped erbium‐doped fiber amplifiers are assessed and optimized. The results concerning a ring with 80 km for rural scenario demonstrate gain equalization over a bandwidth of 50 nm. The survey was complemented with experimental results. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2414–2418, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26251
Modulation instability and conservation of energy: Toward a new model
Authors: Betti Silvello , Duca Elisa , Giaconi Mauro , Parca Giorgia
Published: July 2011

This article points out nonlinear propagation of a continuous wave (CW) signal with a small perturbation.Available studies in the literature define some parameters for the interaction between the CW and the perturbation but, there is no indication about the boundaries for this model to be applicable. This work aims to define the parameters for triggering modulation instability (MI) and for modeling the nonlinear propagation. Moreover, the conservation of energy is taken into account as constraint to investigate the nonlinear regime. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2411–2414, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26252
A compact tri‐band antenna for WLAN/WiMAX applications
Authors: Wang Y.‐F. , Sun B.‐H. , K. He  , Li R.‐H. , Wang Y.‐J.
Published: July 2011

A novel compact triple‐band antenna is presented for wireless local area network (WLAN) and WiMAX applications simultaneously. By using a via hole connecting a square ring with a vertical strip to an L‐shaped strip etching on the other side of the substrate, a tri‐band operation is obtained. Adjusting the length of the vertical strip, the L‐shaped strip, and the distance between them, the operating frequency bands can be made suitable for WLAN/WiMAX applications. The fabricated antenna has a small size of 35 mm × 35 mm. Good agreement is achieved between the simulated and measured results. The measured impedance bandwidths (VSWR< 2) in 2.5, 3.5, and 5.5 GHz reach 330, 440, and 860 MHz, respectively. Moreover, the radiation patterns are almost omnidirectional in the x‐z plane and bidirectional in the y‐z plane. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2371–2375, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26254
Compact wideband bandstop filter with multiple transmission zeros based on edge‐coupled parallel line and transmission line signal interference
Authors: Velidi Vamsi Krishna , Sanyal Subrata
Published: July 2011

In this article, we demonstrate that the compact bandstop filter (BSF) configuration consisting of an edge‐coupled microstrip line connected in parallel to a transmission line section can produce multiple transmission zeros in the stopband. A lossless transmission model is used to derive the condition for two, three, or four transmission zeros. A prototype BSF at 2 GHz achieving a wide 20 dB stopband bandwidth of 92.8% with sharp rejection along with a better than 30 dB return loss in the passband is fabricated for validation purposes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2265–2268, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26258
Novel, one‐piece, metal‐plate loop‐like antenna with symmetrical structure for thin LCD TV applications in the 2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz WLAN bands
Authors: Hong Tzi‐Chieh , Su Saou‐Wen
Published: July 2011

A novel, one‐piece, loop‐like plate antenna that shows a symmetrical structure is proposed for wireless LCD TV applications in the 2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz bands. The antenna was constructed by stamping a rectangular, flat plate of size 30 mm × 70 mm and bent two times to form a 3D configuration of volume 10 mm × 10 mm × 70 mm. The design consists of a main radiating portion, one grounding portion, and one shielding wall. The radiating portion includes a symmetrical loop‐like structure and is able to generate multiple resonance. The antenna is easily affixed to the top wall of the display ground by making use of the grounding portion, and at the same time shielded from the back metal casing of the wireless thin LCD TV by the shielding wall. These arrangements make the antenna very easy to feed on both short sides and facilitate the feeding‐cable routing to the Wi‐Fi module on the back of the TV. Four possible cases of the antenna installed in a 42‐inch, widescreen LCD TV were investigated on the radiation performance. Details of the design prototypes are discussed in this article. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2232–2238, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26259
A 3.9‐dB NF, 24.5‐dB gain 0.3∼10.5‐GHZ distributed amplifier using dual‐inductive‐peaking cascade gain cell for UWB systems in 0.18‐μm CMOS
Authors: Chang Jin‐Fa , Lin Yo‐Sheng
Published: July 2011

A high‐gain and low‐noise CMOS distributed amplifier (DA) is proposed.Flat and high S21 and flat and low NF was achieved simultaneously by using the proposed dual‐inductive‐peaking (LD and LP) cascade gain cell, which constituted a cascode‐stage with a low‐Q RLC load and two inductive‐peaking common‐source stages. At high‐gain mode, the two‐stage DA consumed 55.6 mW and achieved S21 of 24.5 ± 1.5 dB and an average NF of 3.9 dB over the frequency range of 0.3∼10.5 GHz, one of the best reported S21 and NF performances for a CMOS UWB DA in the literature. In addition, at low‐gain mode, the two‐stage DA consumed 16.3 mW and achieved flat and high S21 of 13.1 ± 1.5 dB with an average NF of 5.3 dB over the frequency range of 0.2∼10.8 GHz. The results indicate the proposed DA is suitable for variable gain amplifier or low‐noise amplifier in 3–10‐GHz UWB communication systems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2228–2232, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26260
An embedded 60‐GHz planar bandpass filter in multilayer advanced thick‐film system‐in‐package technology
Authors: Samanta K. K. , Robertson I.D.
Published: July 2011

The design and performance of an embedded 60‐GHz planar coupled line bandpass filter in multilayer photoimageable thick‐film system‐in‐package technology is presented. The filter is designed employing open stubs to achieve low insertion loss of 3.4 dB, a return loss of −10 dB across wideband and good selectivity. This is one of the highest performance coupled line filters yet reported at V‐band for cost‐effective thick‐film based technologies. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2221–2224, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26261
Small‐sized quasi‐elliptic parallel coupled band pass filter using microstrip discontinuity corrections and multilayer‐technique
Authors: Boutejdar Ahmed , Burte Edmund P. , Omar Abbas
Published: July 2011

In this article, we present a new technique to obtain a sharp symmetric response with lower losses for microstrip coupled‐line bandpass filters using the discontinuities correction method.The technique is verified by measurements and simulations. Simulated and measured results of the proposed filters are presented and show good agreements. Additionally, based on this work it will be shown that a new idea with the help of U‐resonators and multilayer‐technique may be used in the future to reduce more the size and to suppress the second harmonic in reject band of the structure. We think that the filter structure can be applied to improve the stopband and passband performances of other microwave circuits as well as other types of filters. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2433–2438, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26262
New method to transform band‐pass to low‐pass filter using multilayer‐ and U‐slotted ground structure‐technique
Authors: Boutejdar Ahmed
Published: July 2011

A novel compact microstrip band‐pass filter (BPF) with sharp rejection bands is proposed. The proposed filter structure is composed of U‐shaped microstrip resonators, “U‐strip,” backed by similarly shaped U‐slots “U‐slotted ground structure (U‐SGS)” also called “U‐defected ground structure (U‐DGS).” By controlling the electrical coupling between the U‐strip and the U‐DGS, the band‐pass filter's stopband is optimized for better rejection. The proposed filter has low insertion loss and compact size due to the slow‐wave effect. Meanwhile, sharp rejection bands induced by the presence of two transmission zeros on both sides of its passband are achieved. The measured center frequency, bandwidth, and passband insertion loss are 3.6 GHz, 40%, and 0.5 dB, respectively. The simulated and measured results show good agreement and validate the proposed approach. Finally a new simple method, on the basis of the elimination of the admittance inverter (gap) J, will be used to transform the band‐pass to compact low‐pass filter. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2427–2433, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26263
The impact of the photodiode on the nonlinearity of microwave photonic links
Authors: Hong Jun , Yang Chun , Li Xiang‐Hua , Chong Yu‐Hua , Xu Hong‐Da
Published: July 2011

A new theory model for the nonlinearity of the commercial PIN photodiodes (PDs) is presented and verified by experiments in this article. The gain and the third‐order spurious‐free dynamic range (SFDR3) of a basic microwave photonic link have also been studied including the nonlinearity of the PD. Numerical studies indicate that the nonlinearity of PD decreases the practical microwave photonic links' performance. Compared with ideal PD links, the maximum values of signal gain and SFDR3 in practical links deteriorate by 1.7 and 3 dB, respectively, at various biased points for modulator. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2325–2327, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26268
Modified resonant frequency calculation for E‐shaped and H‐shaped microstrip patch antennas
Authors: Günel Tayfun
Published: July 2011

The genetic‐based approach to the modified resonant frequency calculation for E‐shaped and H‐shaped microstrip patch antennas is presented.Continuous parameter genetic algorithm (CPGA) has been used to modify the resonant frequency expressions of E‐shaped and H‐shaped microstrip antennas. The results obtained by CPGA for different antenna dimensions are compared with the experimental and theoretical results given in the literature. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2348–2351, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26271
Radio over fiber link with adaptive order n‐QAM optical phase modulated OFDM and digital coherent detection
Authors: Arlunno Valeria , Borkowski Robert , Gonzalez Neil Guerrero , Caballero Antonio , Price Kamau , Jensen Jesper Bevensee , Zibar Darko , Larsen Knud J. , Monroy Idelfonso Tafur
Published: July 2011

Successful digital coherent demodulation of asynchronous optical phase‐modulated adaptive order QAM (4, 16, and 64) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals is achieved by a single reconfigurable digital receiver after 78 km of optical deployed fiber transmission. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2245–2247, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26274
Direction finding system for automotive applications using small phased antenna array
Authors: Rabinovich Victor
Published: July 2011

Direction finding technique for car location in large parking lots is presented.Method uses compact phased antenna array with two‐bit phase shifters. Proposed array operates as an intermediary between a car owner hand‐held unit and car electronic circuit with small omnidirectional antenna. Only one antenna array for all cars is that utilized for car finding service. Experimental results confirm math estimations and MATLAB simulation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2441–2446, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26275
Design of triple‐mode microstrip filter with source‐load coupling
Authors: Wei Chao‐Lei , Jia Bao‐Fu , Zhu Zhao‐Jun
Published: July 2011

A novel triple‐mode square loop microstrip filter with capacitive open stubs and source‐load coupling is proposed.The filter has three controllable transmission zeros near its passband, and exhibits sharp skirt property. The bandpass filter is fabricated and measured. Both simulated and measured results are in agreement. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2403–2406, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26278
A compact microstrip dual‐mode filter
Authors: Lee Jahyeon , Lim Yeongseog
Published: July 2011

A novel structure of a compact microstrip dual‐mode resonator is proposed for a dual‐mode filter application.The proposed dual‐mode resonator is miniaturized using an interdigital capacitor and stepped impedance structure. In addition, the proposed dual‐mode resonator provides two transmission zeros in the stopband. The dual‐mode filter application is designed for 2.4 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) with three transmission zeros. An additional transmission zero is generated in the filter application using a cross coupling capacitor between input/output ports. Experimental measurements are also presented to validate the theory. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2368–2371, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26279
Small reconfigurable PIFA for DVB‐H applications
Authors: Canneva F. , Ferrero F. , Ribero J. M. , Staraj R.
Published: July 2011

This article presents a new miniature reconfigurable digital video broadcasting‐handheld (DVB‐H) antenna for a portable TV or tablet PC device. The antenna consists in a Printed‐Inverted‐F‐Antenna (PIFA) loaded by a varactor diode. The radiating element has a size of 30 × 30 × 5 mm3 and is mounted on a 230 × 130 mm2 ground plane. This antenna is able to maintain a return loss below −10 dB on a 8‐MHz bandwidth reconfigurable channel from 450 to 900 MHz. Then, this radiating element reaches to cover the whole frequency band specification of the DVB‐H standard while keeping a good efficiency despite of the strong miniaturization. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2302–2304, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26283
A simple design for circularly polarized ring‐slot antennas
Authors: Wang Chuen‐Ching , Lee Tsung‐Yu , Row Jeen‐Sheen
Published: July 2011

A simple method for generating circular polarization (CP) radiation from an annular‐ring slot antenna is described in this paper.The slot antenna is excited by an L‐shaped coupling strip loaded with a resistor. The lengths of the two arms of the coupling strip are the same, and when they are equal to the outer radius of the ring slot, good CP radiation can be directly obtained. Moreover, the resistance value of the loading resistor is insensitive to the axial ratio of the CP antenna. Several prototypes are fabricated, and the measured and simulated results confirm the validity of the propose design. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2262–2265, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26285
A compact meandered antenna with multifrequency bands for mobile phone applications
Authors: Chen Wen‐Shan , Liou Li‐Min , Lee Bau‐Yi
Published: July 2011

In this article, a meandered monopole antenna is designed to cover the global system for mobile communication (GSM900), digital communication system, personal communication system, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) and WLAN 802.11b applications. The size of antenna is 12 mm × 42 mm, and that of ground plane is 60 mm × 42 mm. A 50‐Ω microstrip line with length of 25 mm is used to feed the monopole antenna. The proposed antenna is designed a meandered current path to resonate three frequency bands centered at 900, 1800, and 2400 MHz. By adjusting the width of the meandered strip, good impedance bandwidths for the five application bands can be achieved. The detailed configuration of the proposed antenna and experimental results are presented and discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2216–2221, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26298
‘I have come here to learn how to cope with my illness, not to be cured’: A Qualitative Study of Patient Expectations Prior to a One‐Week Self‐Management Programme
Authors: Hamnes Bente , Hauge Mona I. , Kjeken Ingvild , Hagen Kåre B.
Published: July 2011

Background

Self‐management programmes (SMPs) have been developed to help patients with chronic rheumatic diseases to manage their health problems. Patients' expectations prior to treatment are important determinants of outcomes, and should therefore be identified, to ensure that interventions meet the participants' needs. The aim of the present study was to determine participant expectations with respect to a one‐week inpatient SMP for those with fibromyalgia (FM) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

A qualitative study consisting of semi‐structured interviews was used to explore the expectations of eight participants with FM and eight with RA. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

The findings show that the participants expected the SMP to be a turning point towards a better future and to empower them to assume more responsibility for their own health and self‐care. They also expected the SMP to facilitate acceptance, help them to gain new knowledge and be a forum in which to share their experience. Participants who were employed assumed that participation in the SMP would help to ensure that they would continue in their jobs.

Conclusions

This qualitative study indicated that identifying expectations prior to an SMP provides important information which has implications for the programme's implementation. Additional themes, such as acceptance of the illness and management of work, should also be included in the programmes and they should focus more on sharing experience. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transforming growth factor‐beta induces skeletal muscle atrophy and fibrosis through the induction of atrogin‐1 and scleraxis
Authors: Mendias Christopher L. , Gumucio Jonathan P. , Davis Max E. , Bromley Caleb W. , Davis Carol S. , Brooks Susan V.
Published: July 2011

Introduction: Transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β) is a well‐known regulator of fibrosis and inflammation in many tissues. During embryonic development, TGF‐β signaling induces expression of the transcription factor scleraxis, which promotes fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis in tendons. In skeletal muscle, TGF‐β has been shown to induce atrophy and fibrosis, but the effect of TGF‐β on muscle contractility and the expression of scleraxis and atrogin‐1, an important regulator of muscle atrophy, were not known. Methods: We treated muscles from mice with TGF‐β and measured force production, scleraxis, procollagen Iα2, and atrogin‐1 protein levels. Results: TGF‐β decreased muscle fiber size and dramatically reduced maximum isometric force production. TGF‐β also induced scleraxis expression in muscle fibroblasts, and increased procollagen Iα2 and atrogin‐1 levels in muscles. Conclusion: These results provide new insight into the effect of TGF‐β on muscle contractility and the molecular mechanisms behind TGF‐β–mediated muscle atrophy and fibrosis. Muscle Nerve 45: 55–59, 2012
Patient‐reported outcomes and urinary continence five years after the tension‐free vaginal tape operation
Authors: Bjelic‐Radisic Vesna , Greimel Elfriede , Trutnovsky Gerda , Zeck Willibald , Aigmueller Thomas , Tamussino Karl
Published: July 2011

Aims

To evaluate patient‐reported outcomes and continence rates 5 years after the tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) operation and to compare these with subjective and objective cure rates.

Methods

A total of 101 patients underwent clinical and urodynamic assessment and completed the Incontinence Outcome Questionnaire (IOQ) 5 years after the retropubic TVT operation. The IOQ results were compared with the subjective and objective cure rates.

Results

At 5 years 85% of patients had a negative clinical stress test. Based on clinical stress test, stable cystometry to ≥300 ml and residual volume ≤100 ml, the physician assessment of cure was 80%. Patient‐reported outcome showed improvement in incontinence symptoms in 86% of patients. Eighty‐three percent of patients were satisfied with the results and 92% would recommend the operation to others. The results of the IOQ correlated more with patient‐reported than with physician‐assessed cure rates.

Conclusion

Patient report high rates of satisfaction 5 years after the TVT operation. Neurourol. Urodynam. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30: 1512–1517, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Anal sphincter fatigue: Is the mechanism peripheral or central?
Authors: Schabrun Siobhan M. , Stafford Ryan E. , Hodges Paul W.
Published: July 2011

Aims

Striated muscles of continence appear to exhibit marked fatigue during voluntary efforts. This is counterintuitive considering the high proportion of slow twitch muscle fibers. One explanation is that fatigue is due to central, rather than peripheral mechanisms. Here we examined the contribution of reduced voluntary activation (central fatigue) to the decline in anal sphincter (AS) and elbow flexor muscle force during voluntary contractions.

Methods

Ten healthy subjects participated. Fatigue was induced using 10 maximal voluntary contractions sustained for 20 s. During each fatiguing contraction, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was delivered over the motor cortex at 5 s intervals. Central fatigue was assessed using the superimposed twitch force elicited by TMS. Peripheral fatigue was measured using brachial plexus (elbow flexors) or sacral plexus (AS) stimulation during contraction and at rest.

Results

Ability to maximally activate AS (75.9%) was less than for the elbow flexors at baseline (91.6%). Voluntary activation declined in both muscles, but the decline was greater in AS (AS 28%; elbow flexors 12%). There was no change in the amplitude of the twitch evoked by peripheral nerve stimulation in either muscle.

Conclusions

AS exhibits a greater decline in voluntary activation during fatiguing contractions than elbow flexor muscles. This is not accompanied by peripheral changes, which implies central mechanisms are responsible. Thus, we conclude that AS is susceptible to central fatigue during maximal voluntary activations. We propose this may be a protective mechanism to conserve contractile potential of the anal sphincter for function. Neurourol. Urodynam. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30: 1550–1556, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Polymer–montmorillonite nanocomposites: Chemical grafting of polyvinyl acetate onto Cloisite 20A
Authors: Mansoori Yagoub , Akhtarparast Amir , Reza Zamanloo Mohammad , Imanzadeh Golamhassan , Masooleh Tahereh Mohseni
Published: July 2011

This paper is an account of the experiments on grafting polyvinyl acetate onto organophilic montmorillonite. Cloisite 20A was reacted with vinyltrichlorosilane to replace the edge hydroxyl groups of the clay with a vinyl moiety. Because the reaction liberates HCl, it was performed in the presence of sodium hydrogencarbonate to prevent the exchange of quaternary alkylammonium cations with H+ ions. Only the silanol groups on the edge of the clay react with vinyltrichlorosilane. After the reaction, the product maintained the same basal spacing as the precursor. The radical polymerization of the product with vinyl acetate as a vinyl monomer leads to chemical grafting of polyvinyl acetate onto montmorillonite surface. The homopolymer formed during polymerization was separated from the grafted organoclay by Soxhelt extraction. Chemical grafting of the polymer onto Cloisite 20A was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. The prepared nanocomposite materials and the grafted nano‐particles were studied by XRD, SEM, and TEM. Exfoliated nanocomposite was obtained for 0.5% clay content. Nanocomposites with 1% and 3% clay contents showed significant intercalation and agglomeration occurred at higher clay loadings. The nanocomposites were studied by thermogravimertic analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMTA). Improved thermo‐mechanical properties were observed for nanocomposite with 0.5% clay content. POLYM. COMPOS., © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Light‐curable composite of siloxane/hydroxyapatite prepared by the sol–gel process for bone defect treatment
Authors: Su Dandan , Chang Wenkai , Ma Guiping , Wu Gang , Nie Jun
Published: July 2011

The light‐curable composite of siloxane/hydroxyapatite (HA) had been successfully achieved by photopolymerization of a kind of gel combined tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) and 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MAPS) with siloxane‐modified nano‐HA (HA‐g‐Si). HA‐g‐Si was prepared by grafting reaction of 3‐isocyanatopropyltrimethoxysilane (IPS) onto the surface of HA. Then, TEOS and MAPS were mixed as precursor, and photoinitiator 2‐hydroxy‐4′‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy)‐2‐methylpropiophenone (Irgacure 2959) and as‐prepared HA‐g‐Si were added into the precursor to form a homogenous and sticky gel. The movable gel that could be cured with UV light resulted in various sharp immovable composites of siloxane/HA in different mold. The HA, HA‐g‐Si nanoparticles, and composites were analyzed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, mechanical testing, and water contact angles. It could be a promising bone repairing material for orthopedic application. POLYM. COMPOS., © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Structure and morphology control in thin films of regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene)
Authors: Brinkmann Martin
Published: July 2011

This review focuses on the structural control in thin films of regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT), a workhorse among conjugated semiconducting polymers. It highlights the correlation existing between processing conditions and the resulting structures formed in thin films and in solution. Particular emphasis is put on the control of nucleation, crystallinity and orientation. P3HT can generate a large palette of morphologies in thin films including crystalline nanofibrils, spherulites, interconnected semicrystalline morphologies and nanostructured fibers, depending on the elaboration method and on the macromolecular parameters of the polymer. Effective means developed in the recent literature to control orientation of crystalline domains in thin films, especially by using epitaxial crystallization and controlled nucleation conditions are emphasized. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 49: 1218–1233, 2011
Lenalidomide modulates IL‐8 and anti‐prostate antibody levels in men with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer
Authors: Zabransky Daniel J. , Smith Heath A. , Thoburn Christopher J. , Zahurak Marianna , Keizman Daniel , Carducci Michael , Eisenberger Mario A. , McNeel Douglas G. , Drake Charles G. , Antonarakis Emmanuel S.
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND

We retrospectively explored changes in immunological parameters in men with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer treated with either 5 or 25 mg of lenalidomide in a randomized phase 2 trial, and determined whether those changes correlated with disease progression.

METHODS

Cytokine levels were compared for each patient at baseline and after 6 months of treatment with lenalidomide. Regression models for correlated data were used to assess associations of cytokine levels with lenalidomide treatment effect. Estimates were obtained using generalized estimating equations. Changes in circulating anti‐prostate antibodies were evaluated using a high‐throughput immunoblot technique.

RESULTS

Treatment with lenalidomide was associated with global changes in immunoreactivity to a number of prostate‐associated antigens, as well as with changes in circulating levels of the TH2 cytokines IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐10, and IL‐13. Disease progression in treated patients was associated with an increase in circulating IL‐8 levels, while IL‐8 levels decreased significantly in non‐progressors.

CONCLUSIONS

Lenalidomide demonstrates immunomodulatory properties in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. The induction of novel anti‐prostate antibodies is a potential mechanism for lenalidomide response. Changes in serum IL‐8 levels may serve as a potential biomarker in treated patients. These hypotheses require formal testing in future prospective trials. Prostate 72:487–498, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Biological significance of perineural invasion (PNI) in prostate cancer
Authors: Fromont Gaëlle , Godet Julie , Pires Christophe , Yacoub Mokrane , Dore Bertrand , Irani Jacques
Published: July 2011

BACKGROUND

In order to better understand the biological significance of perineural invasion (PNI) in prostate cancer, we aimed to analyze in situ the expression of molecules involved in tumor growth or nerve trophicity.

METHODS

Tissues from 66 radical prostatectomies performed for prostate cancer (40 with PNI and 26 without PNI) were selected and included in a tissue microarray (TMA): PNI areas (when available), cancer far from nerves, and nerves far from cancer. The expression of the following molecules was analyzed using immunohistochemistry on TMA slides: macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its receptor CD74, EGF receptor (EGFR), heregulin (HRG) and its receptor ErbB3, and the proliferation marker Ki67.

RESULTS

Cancer cells in the PNI areas showed increased proliferation, EGFR and CD74 expression, when compared to cells far from nerves (P = 0.009, 0.0005, and 0.02, respectively). Moreover, cell proliferation and CD74 staining were increased in cancers with PNI features compared to cancers without PNI (P = 0.001), even when adjusting for Gleason score, tumor size, and pathological stage.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that cancer cells in the PNI areas could acquired a growth advantage that could be triggered by the growth factor receptors EGFR and CD74. Prostate 72:542–548, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The role of interfaces in organic spin valves revealed through spectroscopic and transport measurements
Authors: Drew Alan J. , Szulczewski Gregory , Nuccio Laura , Gillin William P.
Published: July 2011

Interfaces between dissimilar materials are critical to the performance of many electronic devices. In electrical devices where the active transport is through an organic semiconductor (OSC) layer there are metallic electrodes to supply and remove the charge carriers. At metal/molecule and molecule/metal interfaces the electrical contact is usually not Ohmic. As a result, in most metal‐organic semiconductors–metal devices charge injection is mainly governed by tunneling across the barriers. When the metal electrodes are ferromagnetic the density of occupied and unoccupied electronic states is spin‐dependent, which presents further subtleties to the electron transfer. In this article we summarize some of the important experimental results that have advanced our understanding of spin‐polarized electron transfer across ferromagnetic metal (FM)/OSC interfaces. In particular, we highlight key spectroscopic studies that have revealed insights into the nature of the electronic structure between OSCs and FMs, in particular between Alq3 and Co and Fe surfaces. We discuss the relationship between energy level diagrams for these systems and transport measurements made on spin‐valve devices.
Theoretical study on the ion–molecule reaction of NH+ with CH2O
Authors: Song Jian‐Chao , Liu Hui‐Ling , Zhou Zhong‐Jun , Huang Xu‐Ri
Published: July 2011

An in‐depth theoretical study is carried out at the B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p), M062X/aug‐cc‐pVDZ and CCSD(T)/6‐311++G(3df,2dp) (single‐point) levels as an attempt to explore the mechanism of the little‐understood ion–molecule reaction between NH+ and CH2O. Various possible reaction pathways are taken into account. It is shown that six dissociation products, including P1 (2N + CH2OH+), P2 (4N + CH2OH+), P3 (3NH + CH2O+), P4 (NH2 + HCO+), P5 (NH + CO), and P9 (H + CONH) are all accessible both kinetically and thermodynamically. Among these products, P4 is the most competitive product with predominant abundance, and the second most feasible product is P3, followed by P2 and P1. The remaining products, P5 and P9, may have negligible yield under room temperature condition. As the intermediates and transition states involved in the NH+ + CH2O reaction all stay below the reactant, the title reaction is expected to be rapid, which is consistent with the measured large rate constant in experiment. The present study will enrich our knowledge of the chemistry of NH+. Furthermore, our calculated result is compared with the previous experimental research, and, meanwhile, it provides a useful guide for understanding analogous reaction, NH+ with CH2NH. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012
Wiener indices of trees and monocyclic graphs with given bipartition
Authors: Du Zhibin
Published: July 2011

The Wiener index of a connected graph is defined as the sum of distances between all unordered pairs of its vertices. It has found various applications in chemical research. We determine the minimum and the maximum Wiener indices of trees with given bipartition and the minimum Wiener index of monocyclic graphs with given bipartition, respectively. We also characterize the graphs whose Wiener indices attain these values. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012