bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short‐term mortality among older persons hospitalized for pneumonia: Influence of baseline patient characteristics beyond severity of illness
Authors: Ding Yew Y. , Abisheganaden John , Chong Wai F. , Heng Bee H. , Lim T. K.
Published: October 2011

BACKGROUND:

Although severity of illness indices such as pneumonia severity index (PSI) are good predictors of short‐term mortality for community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) and healthcare‐associated pneumonia (HCAP), other patient factors may have added prognostic value.

OBJECTIVE:

To identify patient factors beyond the PSI which explain 30‐day mortality among older persons hospitalized with CAP and HCAP.

DESIGN:

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING:

Three acute care hospitals in Singapore in 2007.

PATIENTS:

Hospitalized adults aged 65 years or older who have primary International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM) codes 480 to 486 with clinical and radiological features of pneumonia.

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

MEASUREMENTS:

Thirty‐day mortality, PSI class, demographic and clinical features, comorbid conditions, functional status, selected laboratory tests, and chest radiographic findings.

RESULTS:

Among 1607 patients included, 890 (55.4%) had CAP and 717 (44.6%) had HCAP. After adjustment for PSI class in logistic regression analyses, pre‐morbid ambulation impairment (odds ratio [OR] 2.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.98 to 3.45), hospitalization in the prior 30 days (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.38 to 2.71), and absence of cough and purulent sputum (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.90) were all significantly associated with 30‐day mortality. These associations remained constant when CAP and HCAP were analyzed separately.

CONCLUSIONS:

Recent hospitalization, pre‐morbid ambulation impairment, and atypical presentation were independently associated with higher 30‐day mortality among older persons hospitalized for pneumonia, after adjusting for severity of illness. These factors could be considered in addition to PSI when performing risk stratification and adjustment in this setting. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2011;. © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Affinity and catalytic heterogeneity and metal‐dependence of polyclonal myelin basic protein‐hydrolyzing IgGs from sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Bezuglova Anna M. , Konenkova Ludmila P. , Doronin Boris M. , Buneva Valentina N. , Nevinsky Georgy A.
Published: October 2011

It was shown using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that titers of antibodies against human myelin basic protein (hMBP) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients 4.2‐fold higher than in healthy individuals, but 2.1‐fold lower than in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Approximately 86% electrophoretically and immunologically homogeneous SLE immunoglobulin Gs (IgGs) purified using several affinity resins including Sepharose with immobilized hMBP specifically hydrolyze only hMBP but not many other tested proteins. Several rigid criteria were applied to show that the hMBP‐hydrolyzing activity is an intrinsic property of SLE IgGs but not from healthy donors. In contrast to MS IgGs, abzymes from SLE patients are more sensitive to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and less sensitive to specific inhibitors of serine‐like proteases. We present the first evidence demonstrating a significant diversity of different fractions of SLE IgGs in their affinity for hMBP‐Sepharose, the ability of IgGs to hydrolyze hMBP at different optimal pHs (5–10) and be activated by different metal ions: Ca2+ > Mg2+ ≥ Co2+ ≥ Fe2+ ≥ Ni2+ ≥ Zn2+ ≥ Cu2+ ≥ Mn2+. Combinations of Ca2+ + Mg2+ and Ca2+ + Co2 lead to a significant increase in the antibody proteolytic activity as compared with Ca2+, Co2+, or Mg2+ ions taken separately. Our findings suggest that the immune systems of individual SLE similar to MS patients can generate a variety of anti‐hMBP abzymes with different catalytic properties, which can attack hMBP of myelin‐proteolipid shell of axons and play an important role in pathogenesis not only MS but also SLE patients. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Polydisulfide manganese(II) complexes as non‐gadolinium biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agents
Authors: Ye Zhen , Jeong Eun‐Kee , Wu Xueming , Tan Mingqian , Yin Shouyu , Lu Zheng‐Rong
Published: October 2011

Purpose:

To develop safe and effective manganese(II) ‐based biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agents.

Materials and Methods:

In this study, we synthesized and characterized two polydisulfide manganese(II) complexes, Mn‐DTPA cystamine copolymers and Mn‐EDTA cystamine copolymers, as new biodegradable macromolecular MRI contrast agents. The contrast enhancement of the two manganese‐based contrast agents were evaluated in mice bearing MDA‐MB‐231 human breast carcinoma xenografts, in comparison with MnCl2.

Results:

The T1 and T2 relaxivities were 4.74 and 10.38 mM−1s−1 per manganese at 3T for Mn‐DTPA cystamine copolymers (Mn = 30.50 kDa) and 6.41 and 9.72 mM−1s−1 for Mn‐EDTA cystamine copolymers (Mn = 61.80 kDa). Both polydisulfide Mn(II) complexes showed significant liver, myocardium and tumor enhancement.

Conclusion:

The manganese‐based polydisulfide contrast agents have a potential to be developed as alternative non‐gadolinium contrast agents for MR cancer and myocardium imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:737‐744. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Corticomedullary differentiation on T1‐Weighted MRI: Comparison between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients
Authors: Lee Karen S. , Muñoz Amelia , Báez Adán Bello , Ngo Long , Rofsky Neil M. , Pedrosa Ivan
Published: October 2011

Purpose:

To determine whether corticomedullary differentiation (CMD) is increased in patients with cirrhosis compared to controls on axial T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials and Methods:

Sixty patients with cirrhosis and 60 age‐matched controls without renal disease underwent axial, T1‐weighted in‐phase gradient echo abdominal MRI. Each group of 60 was subdivided into three groups of 20 patients based on age: 18 to 45 years old; 45 to 65 years old; and greater than 65 years old. Signal intensity measurements of regions of interest obtained within the cortex and medulla of each kidney were recorded and the cortex‐to‐medulla contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CM‐CNR) was calculated. Each patient's estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was recorded.

Results:

Mean CM‐CNR for both kidneys in cirrhotic patients (19.1 ± 10.5) was significantly higher than in controls (12.4 ± 5.0) (P < 0.0001). No significant correlation was observed between CM‐CNR and eGFR levels for both cirrhotics and controls (P > 0.05). When stratified by age groups, no difference was observed in the mean CM‐CNR for both kidneys among these three subgroups for both cirrhotics and controls (P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Cirrhotic patients with normal renal function have an increased CMD compared to age‐matched controls. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:644‐649. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simultaneous determination of tetrahydropalmatine and tetrahydroberberine in rat urine using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Zhang Mingyong , Le Jian , Wen Jun , Chai Yifeng , Fan Guorong , Hong Zhanying
Published: October 2011

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)‐UV detection was applied in rat urine for the extraction and determination of tetrahydropalmatine (THP) and tetrahydroberberine (THB), both active components in Rhizoma corydalis. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency, such as the type and volume of extraction and dispersive solvent, pH, etc. were evaluated. Under the optimal conditions (extraction solvent: 37 μL of chloroform, dispersive solvent: 100 μL of methanol, alkaline with 100 μL of 1 mol/L NaOH, and without salt addition), the enrichment factors of THP and THB were more than 30. The extraction recoveries were 69.8–75.8% and 72.7–77.6% for THP and THB in rat urine, respectively. Both THP and THB showed good linearity in the range of 0.025–2.5 μg/mL, and the limit of quantification was 0.025 μg/mL (S/N=10, n=6). The intra‐day and inter‐day precision of THP and THB were <12.6%. The relative recoveries ranged from 95.5 to 107.4% and 96.8 to 100.9% for THP and THB in rat urine, respectively. The method has been successfully applied to rat urine samples. The results demonstrated that DLLME is a very simple, rapid and efficient method for the extraction and preconcentration of THP and THB from urine samples.
Toughening of PHBV/PBS and PHB/PBS Blends via In situ Compatibilization Using Dicumyl Peroxide as a Free‐Radical Grafting Initiator
Authors: Ma Piming , Hristova‐Bogaerds Denka G. , Lemstra Pieter Jan , Zhang Yong , Wang Shifeng
Published: October 2011

PHB/PBS and PHBV/PBS blends are prepared via in situ compatibilization using DCP as a free‐radical grafting initiator. A considerable reduction in PBS particle size and a significant increase in the interfacial adhesion between the PHB(V) and PBS phases are observed after the compatibilization. The elongation at break of the PHBV/PBS blends was considerably increased. The local deformation mechanism indicates that matrix yielding together with dilatation, deformation, and fibrillation of the PBS particles are responsible for the improved tensile toughness of the compatibilized PHBV/PBS blends. The tensile strength, impact toughness, and elongation at break of injection‐molded PHB(homopolymer)/PBS blends are also increased after in situ compatibilization.

magnified image
On the design of inscribed triangle non‐concentric circular fractal antenna
Authors: Kumar Raj , Sawant Kalias
Published: October 2011

This article presents the new ultra‐wideband fractal antenna with CPW‐fed.The fractal antenna has been fabricated on substrate εr = 4.3 mm and thickness h = 1.53 mm with 15‐mm radius. This antenna inscribed triangles in non‐concentric circles with varied radius offers the excellent bandwidth around 13.54 GHz (span from 1.335 to 14.88 GHz) corresponding to 167% impedance bandwidth at S11 < −10 dB. The first resonant frequency of fractal antenna shifted to 1.51 GHz by the application of fractal geometry in comparison to solid circular disc monopole first resonant frequency 2.215 GHz. This indicates the size reduction of the antenna. The experimental radiation patterns of the antenna are nearly omni directional. The proposed antenna is useful for mobile communication and UWB communication system. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2696–2699, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25555
A novel broadband patch antenna for universal UHF RFID tags
Authors: Huang Jun Zh. , Yang Peng H. , Chew Weng Cho , Ye Terry Tao
Published: October 2011

A compact broadband patch antenna is proposed in this paper for global ultra‐high‐frequency (UHF) RF identification (RFID) applications. The antenna is composed of four synchronous shorted patches that resonate at four different frequencies, broadening its impedance bandwidth. A central loop is incorporated to feed the four patches simultaneously, which provides the required input reactance for matching to the chip as well. Since the current of neighboring patch is vertical to each other that they can radiate well without canceling each other, the gain is stable over the whole frequency band. Prototype is fabricated and tested, which shows that the impedance bandwidth can cover the whole UHF RFID band (840 MHz – 960 MHz), and the read range is over 3 meters when EIRP is set to 30 dBm at the reader. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2653–2657, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25560
Performance of double sideband modulated probe wave in BOTDA distributed fiber sensor
Authors: Cui Qingsong , Pamukcu Sibel , Lin Aoxiang , Xiao Wen , Toulouse Jean
Published: October 2011

We report on the performance of double sideband (DSB) modulated probe wave in Brillouin optical time domain analysis (BOTDA) distributed fiber sensor. Compared to single sideband (SSB) modulation, along the sensing fiber the pump depletion of DSB modulation is remarkably suppressed in time domain and also has a relatively narrower Brillouin gain spectrum in frequency domain. Both the theoretical simulation and the experimental results demonstrate that the DSB modulation provides potentially longer sensing distance and higher accuracy in measurement than the SSB modulation in the BOTDA distributed fiber sensor system. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2713–2717, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25566
CPW‐fed dielectric resonator antenna for ultra‐wideband applications
Authors: Weng Zi‐Bin , Wang Xiao‐Ming , Jiao Yong‐Chang , Zhang Fu‐Shun
Published: October 2011

A new dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) is introduced for ultra‐wideband applications.In this structure, the DRA consists of three factors: a compact circular‐shaped dielectric resonator, a crescent patch, and a CPW feed ground. With the electromagnetic coupling between the feeding patch and the dielectric resonator, a broadband impedance bandwidth is achieved. Measured results demonstrate that the proposed DRA has a wide bandwidth from 1.6 to 15 GHz, and the measured return losses are less than −10 dB in this band. The experimental and numerical results are carried out showing a good agreement. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2709–2712, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25567
Design of a new compact dual‐mode multiband bandpass filter using multi‐armed ring‐open‐loop resonators without coupling gaps
Authors: Boutejdar Ahmed
Published: October 2011

In this article, we proposed at first step a new compact dual‐mode bandstop filter with broad stopband and low insertion loss in the passband using one ring resonator.Based of this microstrip ring resonator, a novel type of multibandpass filters is proposed. The idea of the proposed filters is to engineer the transmission band using multireject band resonators, which are implemented using multi‐armed open‐loop resonators that are directly coupled to the input/output ports. Each resonator pair of arms creates a reject band in the transmission response. By properly adjusting the multireject bands, appropriate multitransmission bands are created. The idea was verified by designing three different filters with multibandpass response. The designed and fabricated filters have compact size with good agreement between the measured and simulated responses. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2668–2672, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25576
Multibeam leaky‐wave antenna using slot and metasurface
Authors: Park Woo‐Young , Lim Sungjoon
Published: October 2011

A novel multibeam leaky‐wave (LW) antenna is demonstrated in this letter.A beam passing through the defected ground structure is radiated at a fixed angle, while one passing through the D‐composite right/left‐handed metasurface moves from backward to forward including the broadside direction. The peculiar properties of both beams are described theoretically and experimentally according to the basic transmission line (TL) theory and Cherenkov radiation principles. By changing the frequency from 3.9 to 4.2 GHz, the angle of one beam changes from −7° to +10°, whereas that of the other is fixed at 55°. Therefore, the proposed multibeam LW antenna is suitable for detecting immovable and movable objects at the same time. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2759–2762, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25587
Impact of technology dispersion on slow‐wave high performance shielded CPW transmission lines characteristics
Authors: Franc A.‐L. , Kaddour D. , Issa H. , Pistono E. , Corrao N. , Fournier J.‐M. , Ferrari P.
Published: October 2011

Shielded coplanar waveguides are promising candidates for the development of high quality factor transmission lines in millimeter‐wave frequency bands. In this article, state‐of‐the‐art experimental results carried out on a CMOS 0.35 μm low‐cost technology are presented. This letter especially deals with the benchmark of slow‐wave transmission lines in focusing on the impact of technology dispersion on the measurement results. Eight dies have been measured, each from a different wafer, showing a robust design versus the technology. These results open new possibilities for the development of miniaturized low‐loss compact passive devices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2786–2789, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25598
Uniplanar tunable bandpass filter using centrally‐loaded slot‐line resonator
Authors: Chen Jian‐Xin , Bao Zhi‐Hua , Xu Chen , Zhang Guo‐An
Published: October 2011

A novel uniplanar tunable bandpass filter (BPF) is designed by using the centrally loaded slot‐line resonator. From the voltage‐wave distribution along the resonator, the proper location for the loading element is determined to be the center of the slot‐line resonator, where the voltages of the fundamental signal and second harmonic are maximum and zero, respectively. As a result, the fundamental frequency can be tuned, whereas the second harmonic remains almost unchanged. For the first time, the properties of the centrally loaded slot‐line resonator are analyzed by using the even‐ and odd‐mode method, and their respective resonant frequencies are derived. The demonstrated tunable BPF can give >30% frequency tuning range with acceptable insertion loss when a varactor is used as the loading element. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52:2805–2807, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25617
Erratum: Single‐shot all‐optical sampling oscilloscope using a polarization‐maintaining resonator for pulse replication
Authors: Komanec Matěj , Honzátko Pavel , Zvánovec Stanislav
Published: October 2011

Originally published Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2452–2456, 2010. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2853, 2010; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25620 (Original article DOI 10.1002/mop.25509)
Effect of esophagus distention on urinary bladder function in rats
Authors: Kaddumi Ezidin G. , Qnais E.Y. , Allouh M.Z.
Published: October 2011

Aims

Micturition process is a spinobulbospinal reflex that is affected by the viscero‐visceral interactions due to convergent inputs into spinal and/or supraspinal centers controlling that reflex. Although interaction between bladder and other pelvic organs, such as colon, are well studied, the viscero‐visceral interaction between urinary bladder and internal organs in other regions are rarely studied.

Methods

In the present study, continuous filling cystometry recordings, in male rats, were used to investigate the effects of mechanical stimulation of distal‐esophagus (distention), as well as, electrical stimulation of abdominal branches of the vagus nerve on urinary bladder micturition cycles.

Results

Distal esophagus distention and electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve significantly increased the micturition frequency through decreasing the time of the storage phase of the micturition cycle. However, bilateral cervical vagotomy eliminated the effects of distal esophagus distention and electrical stimulation of vagus nerve on micturition cycles.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that there is a viscero‐visceral interaction between esophagus and urinary bladder, which is mediated through vagal afferents. Understanding the properties of the viscero‐visceral interactions affecting the urinary bladder will help in the diagnosis and management of micturition problems. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:174–177, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antimuscarinic effects on current perception threshold: A prospective placebo control study
Authors: Vijaya Gopalan , Digesu G. Alessandro , Derpapas Alexandros , Hendricken Caroline , Fernando Ruwan , Khullar Vik
Published: October 2011

Aims

To evaluate the effect of Tolterodine on urethral and bladder afferent nerves in women with detrusor overactivity (DO) in comparison to placebo, by studying the changes in the current perception threshold (CPT).

Methods

Women with overactive bladder symptoms and idiopathic DO were recruited and randomized in a double‐blind manner between placebo and tolterodine extended release. All women underwent CPT testing of the bladder and urethra using a Neurometer constant current stimulator. CPT values were determined at three frequencies, including 2,000 Hz (corresponding to Aβ‐fibers), 250 Hz (corresponding to Aδ‐fibers), and 5 Hz (corresponding to C fibers) before and 7 days on treatment. CPT values before and on treatment were compared using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test.

Results

Twenty women (mean age 46 years) were studied. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of age, ethnicity, severity of symptoms and pre‐treatment CPT values. Only in the tolterodine group there was a significantly increased CPT value at 5 and 250 Hz upon both urethral and bladder stimulation after 1 week of treatment. When compared with placebo, women taking tolterodine had significantly increased Bladder CPT values at 5 Hz (P‐value <0.05). The electrical stimulation with 5 Hz was described as urgency.

Conclusions

This is a randomized placebo control study evaluating the effect of antimuscarinics on sensory nerve function in women with DO. Our results support the animal studies that antimuscarinics have an effect on sensory function. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:75–79, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evidence of central modulation of bladder compliance during filling phase
Authors: Smith Phillip P. , DeAngelis Anthony M. , Kuchel George A.
Published: October 2011

Aims

Bladder compliance is one expression of the pressure and volume relationship as the bladder fills. In addition to passive elements, autonomous micromotional detrusor activity contributes to this relationship. In the mouse cystometric model, compliance pressure contributes to voiding expulsive pressure. During attempts to isolate the detrusor contractile component of this filling pressurization, we found that compliance reversibly diminishes under conditions which remove central control from the micturition cycle.

Methods

Ten mature female mice underwent constant infusion pressure/flow cystometry under urethane anesthesia, and five awake mature female mice underwent constant infusion pressure cystometry. Following baseline cystometry, all mice were anesthetized with isoflurane to abolish the micturition reflex, and cystometry conducted with manual emptying of the bladders. Animals were then allowed to recover from isoflurane to re‐establish the micturition reflex, and cystometry again conducted. The urethane group was also studied immediately post‐mortem. Repeated measures comparisons of cystometric parameters were made across conditions.

Results

Compliance reversibly decreased in all mice with the abolishment of micturition responses by isoflurane anesthesia. A similar decrease was observed immediately post‐mortem in the urethaned mice. Bladder filling and voiding were not different between the intact micturition segments of the testing.

Conclusions

Enhanced compliance in mice with intact micturition responses suggests that autonomous micromotional activity is suppressed by central processes during normal filling. Since afferent activity during filling is also determined by the relationship between bladder pressure and volume, a feed‐forward afferent signal conditioning mechanism may exist, creating novel therapeutic targets for urinary dysfunctions. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:30–35, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children: A nationwide survey in Japan
Authors: Asano Takeshi , Kogawa Kazuhiro , Morimoto Akira , Ishida Yasushi , Suzuki Nobuhiro , Ohga Shouichi , Kudo Kazuko , Ohta Shigeru , Wakiguchi Hiroshi , Tabuchi Ken , Kato Shunichi , Ishii Eiichi
Published: October 2011

Background

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is associated with hypercytokinemia in children. Although HLH can be also observed after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the incidence and clinical features of HLH after HSCT remain obscure.

Procedure

The clinical features of HLH after HSCT (post‐HSCT HLH) were investigated in children with malignancies, immune deficiencies, or aplastic anemia. The HLH/Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) Committee of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology (JSPH) sent questionnaires to hospitals with JPSH members asking for details of cases in which HLH occurred after HSCT between 1998 and 2008.

Results

Among 42 children who were diagnosed with post‐HSCT HLH between 1998 and 2008 in Japan, 37 fulfilled our inclusion criteria; of these, 26 were classified as early‐onset (onset <30 days after HSCT) and 11 were classified as late‐onset (onset >30 days after HSCT). In the early‐onset group, the presence of respiratory symptoms, high levels of total bilirubin, and triglycerides at onset and the lack of control of GVHD with tacrolimus were significantly associated with non‐resolution of HLH (P < 0.05). The survival rate was significantly higher in patients with resolution of HLH than in those without resolution (59% vs. 14%, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that early‐onset post‐HSCT HLH is a specific entity of HLH, and appropriate diagnosis and prompt management need to be established. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 59: 110–114. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lessons from the past: Opportunities to improve childhood cancer survivor care through outcomes investigations of historical therapeutic approaches for pediatric hematological malignancies
Authors: Hudson Melissa M. , Neglia Joseph P. , Woods William G. , Sandlund John T. , Pui Ching‐Hon , Kun Larry E. , Robison Leslie L. , Green Daniel M.
Published: October 2011

Investigations of long‐term outcomes have been instrumental in designing safer and more effective contemporary therapies for pediatric hematological malignancies. Despite the significant therapeutic changes that have occurred over the last five decades, therapy modifications largely represent refinements of treatment protocols using agents and modalities that have been available for more than 30 years. This review summarizes major trends in the evolution of treatment of pediatric hematological malignancies since 1960 to support the relevance of the study of late effects of historical therapeutic approaches to the design and evaluation of contemporary treatment protocols and the follow‐up of present‐day survivors. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 58: 334–343. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prenatal sonographic evaluation of the penile length
Authors: Perlitz Yuri , Keselman Leandro , Haddad Sami , Mukary Maggie , Izhaki Ido , Ben‐Ami Moshe
Published: October 2011

Objective

To construct cross‐sectional reference range of the penile length during pregnancy, measuring it from the proximal edge of the corpus cavernosum to the tip of the glans penis.

Methods

Fetal penile length was measured by high resolution transvaginal ultrasound at 14 to 16 weeks and by transabdominal ultrasound at 17 to 35 weeks' gestation.

Results

Fetal penile length increased significantly with gestational age (GA), from 7 mm at 14 weeks' to 50 mm at 35 weeks' gestation. Penile length measurements were strongly related to the biometric fetal measurements.

Conclusions

A reference range of the fetal penile length was constructed, measured from the proximal edge of the corpus cavernosum to the tip of the glans penis at 14 to 35 gestational weeks. This reference range can assist in early identification of true penile maldevelopment, which obligate further diagnostic workup, as opposed to the benign disorder of buried or concealed fetal penis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A validation study of photovoltaic module series resistance determination under various operating conditions according to IEC 60891
Authors: Polverini Davide , Tzamalis Georgios , Müllejans Harald
Published: October 2011

This paper presents a validation study on series resistance determination of photovoltaic modules on the basis of the IEC 60891 edition 2.0 (2009) normative standard. A selection of different technologies has been investigated, ranging from polycrystalline silicon to thin film modules. Their I–V characteristics have been measured at the European Solar Test Installation under various operating conditions with respect to module temperature and irradiance. The aim of this research work is twofold: firstly, it contributes to the quantitative assessment of the effect of the various calculation parameters on the overall precision of the series resistance; secondly, it provides information about the dependence of series resistance on module performance over a wide range of irradiance and module temperature. A comparison with the previous calculation procedure from the first edition of the IEC 60891 (1987) has also been performed in order to understand how the differences between the two methods can affect the final results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrical performance increase of concentrator solar cells under Gaussian temperature profiles
Authors: Chemisana Daniel , Rosell Joan Ignasi
Published: October 2011

Linear solar concentrators focus radiation onto the solar cell achieving a Gaussian illumination profile. Most of these concentrators use an active cooling system to evacuate the energy not converted into electricity to avoid undesirable overheating. Heat sinks can cause different temperature profiles in the cell depending on the cooling mechanism. Two temperature patterns are most common: the Gaussian and the anti‐Gaussian. The effect of these temperature curves on the cell's electrical parameters has been analysed and characterised numerically and experimentally under different concentrated radiations. A power output increase is shown when the cell is subjected to a Gaussian temperature profile. Contrarily, the cell efficiency decreases more than 3% under the anti‐Gaussian temperature profile. It is demonstrated that it is possible to tailor the temperature profile to maximise voltage output for determined illumination conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A semi‐empirical approach for predicting unobserved peptide MS/MS spectra from spectral libraries
Authors: Hu Yingwei , Li Yunzi , Lam Henry
Published: October 2011

Spectral library searching is a promising alternative to sequence database searching in peptide identification from MS/MS spectra. The key advantage of spectral library searching is the utilization of more spectral features to improve score discrimination between good and bad matches, and hence sensitivity. However, the coverage of reference spectral library is limited by current experimental and computational methods. We developed a computational approach to expand the coverage of spectral libraries with semi‐empirical spectra predicted from perturbing known spectra of similar sequences, such as those with single amino acid substitutions. We hypothesized that the peptide of similar sequences should produce similar fragmentation patterns, at least in most cases. Our results confirm our hypothesis and specify when this approach can be applied. In actual spectral searching of real data sets, the sensitivity advantage of spectral library searching over sequence database searching can be mostly retained even when all real spectra are replaced by semi‐empirical ones. We demonstrated the applicability of this approach by detecting several known non‐synonymous single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in three large human data sets by spectral searching.
Computational study of the proton affinity and basicity of structurally diverse α1‐adrenoceptor ligands
Authors: Matijssen C. , Kinsella G. K. , Watson G. W. , Rozas I.
Published: October 2011

The α1‐adrenoceptor is a target for the treatment of several conditions from hypertension to benign prostatic hyperplasia. In this paper, we describe a new analysis approach to explore the conformational space of several ligands of the α1‐adrenoceptor and we also present the calculation of their proton affinity and basicity. For each compound a conformational search followed by a semi‐empirical optimisation was performed and a selection of conformations for each ligand was subjected to further optimisation using density functional theory methods. Different positions were explored to determine the favoured site of protonation, and then, the proton affinity (in the gas phase) and basicity (using the polarisable continuum model for the aqueous solution) were calculated for each of them. In addition, an alternative method using one explicit water molecule in combination with the polarisable continuum model for aqueous solvent was explored. Moreover, the acid dissociation constant (pKa) in water of these 26 compounds was calculated because this is an important parameter for a ligand when binding to its receptor. The experimental pKa values of six of these ligands and those of two compounds with a very low and a very large pKa were used to validate the theoretical methodology. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Facile synthesis of poly(ether carbonate)s via copolymerization of CO2and propylene oxide under combinatorial catalyst of rare earth ternary complex and double metal cyanide complex
Authors: Dong Yanlei , Wang Xianhong , Zhao Xiaojiang , Wang Fosong
Published: October 2011

Poly(ether carbonate)s (PPCs) with carbonate unit (CU) content ranging from 57.8 to 97.1% and number average molecular weight (Mn) around 100 kg/mol were conveniently prepared via copolymerization of CO2and propylene oxide under combinatorial catalyst of rare earth ternary (RET) complex and double metal cyanide (DMC) complex. Enhancement of catalytic activity and reduction of propylene carbonate byproduct were realized due to synergetic effect of the two metal catalysts, where DMC can be activated in the presence of RET. Solubility fractionation confirmed that the obtained PPCs were copolymers, not physical blends of each polymer. Thermal performances of the PPCs were closely related to their CU content, their glass transition temperatures (Tg) were tunable in the range of 6.7–36.3 °C, which decreased with decreasing CU content, while their thermal stabilities were enhanced significantly, an increase of 50.5 °C in 50% weight loss temperature was observed when CU content decreased from 97.1 to 57.8%. Both shear storage modulus and complex viscosity increased with increasing CU content, which became more obvious at lower frequency, featuring well with the CU content in the PPCs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Physical aging of epoxy polymers and their composites
Authors: Odegard G. M. , Bandyopadhyay A.
Published: October 2011

Exposure to extended periods of sub‐Tg temperatures causes physical changes in the molecular structure of epoxy resins and epoxy‐based materials to occur. These physical aging mechanisms include the reduction in free volume and changes to the molecular configuration. As a result, mechanical, thermodynamical, and physical properties are affected in ways that can compromise the reliability of epoxy‐based engineering components and structures. In this review, the physical changes in the molecular structure of epoxies are described, and the influence of these changes on the bulk‐level response is detailed. Specifically, the influence of physical aging on the quasistatic mechanical properties, viscoelasticity, fracture toughness, thermal expansion coefficient, volume relaxation, enthalpy relaxation, endothermic peak temperature, fictive temperature, and moisture/solvent absorption capability is reviewed. Also discussed are relationships between relaxation functions, crosslink density, composite reinforcement, and epoxy/copolymer blending and the physical aging response of epoxies. Finally, the concepts of thermal and mechanical rejuvenation are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011
Automated Time‐lapse ERT for Improved Process Analysis and Monitoring of Frozen Ground
Authors: Hilbich C. , Fuss C. , Hauck C.
Published: October 2011

A new automated electrical resistivity tomography (A‐ERT) system is described that allows continuous measurements of the electrical resistivity distribution in high‐mountain or polar terrain. The advantages of continuous resistivity monitoring, as opposed to single measurements at irregular time intervals, are illustrated using the permafrost monitoring station at the Schilthorn, Swiss Alps. Data processing was adjusted to permit automated time‐effective handling and quality assessment of the large number of 2D electrical resistivity profiles generated. Results from a one‐year dataset show small temporal changes during periods with snow cover, and the largest changes during snowmelt in early summer and during freezing in autumn, which are in phase with changes in either near‐surface soil moisture or subsurface temperature. During the snowmelt period, spatially variable infiltration processes were observed, leading to a rapid increase in soil moisture and corresponding decrease in electrical resistivity over a period of a few days. This infiltration led to the onset of active‐layer thawing long before the seasonal snow cover vanished. Statistical analyses showed that both spatial and temporal variability over the course of one year are similar, indicating the significance of spatial heterogeneity regarding active‐layer dynamics. As a result of its cost‐effective ability to monitor freezing and thawing processes even at greater depths, the new A‐ERT system can be widely applied in permafrost regions, especially in the context of long‐term degradation processes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hemoptysis after orthopedic surgery in an adolescent boy
Authors: Boon M. , Proesmans M. , De Boeck K.
Published: October 2011

In children, post‐obstructive pulmonary edema is a rare condition, caused by a sudden change in upper airway patency. It causes dyspnea, tachypnea, hypoxemia, and at times hemoptysis and respiratory insufficiency. It occurs as a complication in the immediate post‐operative period. Pediatricians should be aware of this clinical entity. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2012; 47:623–625. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effect of Textured Insoles on Gait in People with Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Dixon John , Gamesby Helen , Robinson Jonathan , Hodgson David , Hatton Anna L. , Warnett Rosie , Rome Keith , Martin Denis
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate whether textured insoles can improve gait in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Relevance

Previous studies have shown that footwear, including textured insoles, may improve postural stability in healthy young and older adults (Palluel et al., 2008; Hatton et al., 2009; Hatton et al., 2011), and there is some evidence to show that footwear interventions may be beneficial for people with MS (Ramdharry et al., 2006; Kelleher et al., 2010).

Participants

Forty‐six people with MS (34 women), mean age (SD) 49 years (7), who reported that they were able to walk 100 m with or without resting with the use of one stick or crutch, participated in the study.

Methods

Ethical approval was granted by the Local Research Ethics Committee. Participants were randomized to one of two textured insole groups: texture A (Algeos UK Ltd, Liverpool, UK), which was used in our previous studies (Hatton et al., 2009; Hatton et al., 2011), or texture B, a commercial insole (Crocs™, Den Haag, The Netherlands). Participants conducted baseline walking tests at their preferred speed along an instrumented walkway (GAITRite) in a laboratory setting, and temporal–spatial gait parameters were extracted. Participants then wore the insoles for two weeks and returned for repeat testing.

Analysis

Paired t‐tests were used to evaluate changes between baseline and follow‐up.

Results

Stride length increased between baseline and follow‐up in both legs in group A (left p = 0.01, right p = 0.02) and group B (left p = 0.02, right p = 0.02). Velocity and cadence did not change significantly in either group.

Discussion

This finding that textured insoles can produce improvements in stride length requires further investigation. It is consistent with research on foot orthoses in MS showing an improvement in balance after four weeks of wear (Ramdharry et al., 2006). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temperature‐dependent thermo‐mechanical and Raman spectroscopy study of the SRS‐active melilite‐type crystal Ca2ZnSi2O7 (hardystonite) at its incommensurate–commensurate phase transition
Authors: Becker Petra , Libowitzky Eugen , Bohatý Ladislav , Liebertz Josef , Rhee Hanjo , Eichler Hans‐Joachim , Kaminskii Alexander A.
Published: October 2011

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) active crystals of Ca2ZnSi2O7 (hardystonite) adopt a melilite‐type structure at temperatures above ca. 402 K, while at ambient conditions they show a two‐dimensionally incommensurate structure modulation. To study the influence of the incommensurability of the structure on SRS‐based χ(3)‐nonlinear lasing of the crystals temperature‐dependent Raman spectroscopy investigations at the commensurate–incommensurate phase‐transition and comparative SRS measurements in the high‐temperature and in the low‐temperature phase of Ca2ZnSi2O7 are reported. In addition, the commensurate–incommensurate phase transition is characterised by caloric and dilatometric measurements, and linear optical properties of the crystals are given.
Visible emission from ZnCdO/ZnO multiple quantum wells
Authors: Lange Martin , Dietrich Christof P. , Brachwitz Kerstin , Stölzel Marko , Lorenz Michael , Grundmann Marius
Published: October 2011

Polar c‐axis oriented Zn0.75Cd0.25O/ZnO multiple quantum wells (MQWs), grown by pulsed‐laser deposition (PLD), emitting in the visible spectral range are reported. By applying a low growth temperature of ≈300 °C a large Cd content of 0.25 and abrupt interfaces could be achieved using PLD. The emission energy was tuned from the green to the violet spectral range (2.5 eV to 3.1 eV) by tuning the quantum well thickness. It is determined by the quantum confinement effect and the quantum‐confined Stark effect. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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Antimicrobial Activity of an Amazon Medicinal Plant (Chancapiedra) (Phyllanthus niruri L.) against Helicobacter pylori and Lactic Acid Bacteria
Authors: Ranilla Lena Gálvez , Apostolidis Emmanouil , Shetty Kalidas
Published: October 2011

The potential of water extracts of the Amazon medicinal plant Chancapiedra (Phyllanthus niruri L.) from Ecuador and Peru for antimicrobial activity against Helicobacter pylori and different strains of lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum was investigated. H. pylori was inhibited by both water extracts in a dose dependent manner, whereas lactic acid bacterial growth was not affected. Both extracts contained ellagic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and exhibited high free radical scavenging linked‐antioxidant activities (89%). However, gallic acid was detected only in the Ecuadorian extract. Preliminary studies on the mode of action of Chancapiedra against H. pylori revealed that inhibition may not involve proline dehydrogenase‐based oxidative phosphorylation inhibition associated with simple mono‐phenolics and could involve ellagitannins or other non‐phenolic compounds through a yet unknown mechanism. This study provides evidence about the potential of Chancapiedra for H. pylori inhibition without affecting beneficial lactic acid bacteria. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the estimation of the equilibrium points of uncertain nonlinear systems
Authors: Chesi Graziano
Published: October 2011

The analysis and control of nonlinear systems often require information about the location of their equilibrium points. This paper addresses the problem of estimating the set of equilibrium points of uncertain nonlinear systems, in particular, systems whose dynamics are described by a nonlinear function of the state depending polynomially on an uncertainty vector constrained in a polytope. It is shown that estimates of this set can be obtained by solving LMI problems, which are built through sum of squares techniques by introducing worst‐case truncations of the nonlinearities and by exploiting homogeneity of equivalent representations. In particular, the computation of estimates with fixed shape and the problem of establishing their tightness is firstly considered. Then, the paper shows how this methodology can be used to address the computation of the minimum volume estimate and the construction of the smallest convex estimate. Examples with random and real systems illustrate the proposed methodology. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Control of open‐loop neutrally stable systems subject to actuator saturation and external disturbances
Authors: Wang Xu , Saberi Ali , Grip Håvard Fjær , Stoorvogel Anton A.
Published: October 2011

In this paper, we study the disturbance response of open‐loop neutrally stable linear systems with saturating linear feedback controller. It is shown that the closed‐loop states remain bounded if the disturbances consists of those signals that do not have large sustained frequency components corresponding to the system's eigenvalues on the imaginary axis (continuous‐time) or on the unit circle (discrete‐time). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Security and privacy issues for the network of the future
Authors: Marias Giannis F. , Barros João , Fiedler Markus , Fischer Andreas , Hauff Harald , Herkenhoener Ralph , Grillo Antonio , Lentini Alessandro , Lima Luisa , Lorentzen Charlott , Mazurczyk Wojciech , de Meer Hermann , Oliveira Paulo F. , Polyzos George C. , Pujol Enric , Szczypiorski Krzysztof , Vilela João P. , Vinhoza Tiago T. V.
Published: October 2011

The vision towards the Network of the Future cannot be separated from the fact that today's networks, and networking services are subject to sophisticated and very effective attacks. When these attacks first appeared, spoofing and distributed denial‐of‐service attacks were treated as apocalypse for networking. Now, they are considered moderate damage, whereas more sophisticated and inconspicuous attacks, such as botnets activities, might have greater and far reaching impact. As the Internet is expanding to mobile phones and ‘smart dust’ and as its social coverage is liberalized towards the realization of ubiquitous computing (with communication), the concerns on security and privacy have become deeper and the problems more challenging than ever. Re‐designing the Internet as the Network of the Future is self‐motivating for researchers, and security and privacy cannot be provided again as separate, external, add‐on, solutions. In this paper, we discuss the security and privacy challenges of the Network of the Future and try to delimit the solutions space on the basis of emerging techniques. We also review methods that help the quantification of security and privacy in an effort to provide a more systematic and quantitative treatment of the area in the future. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On steganography in lost audio packets
Authors: Mazurczyk Wojciech , Lubacz Józef , Szczypiorski Krzysztof
Published: October 2011

This paper presents a new hidden data insertion procedure based on the estimated probability of the remaining time of the call for the steganographic method called lost audio packets (LACK) steganography. LACK provides hidden communication for real‐time services such as voice over IP. The analytical results presented in this paper concern the influence of LACK's hidden data insertion procedures on the quality of voice transmission and the resistance to steganalysis. The proposed hidden data insertion procedure is also compared with previous steganogram insertion approaches on the basis of estimating the remaining average call duration. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.