bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postoperative chemotherapy use after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer: Analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare data, 1998‐2007
Authors: Haynes Alex B. , You Y. Nancy , Hu Chung‐Yuan , Eng Cathy , Kopetz E. Scott , Rodriguez‐Bigas Miguel A. , Skibber John M. , Cantor Scott B. , Chang George J.
Published: January 2014

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by tumor resection and postoperative chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with clinical stage II or III adenocarcinoma of the rectum. Significant variation exists in the receipt of postoperative chemotherapy after resection in this population. The objective of this study was to determine the demographic and clinicopathologic factors associated with the initiation of postoperative chemotherapy in elderly patients with rectal cancer and to identify potential targets for reducing treatment variation.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed of patients with rectal cancer ages 66 to 80 years who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and underwent radical resection in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐linked Medicare database (1998‐2007). Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess chemotherapy use in relation to patient, tumor, and treatment response characteristics.

RESULTS

Among 1492 patients who met the study criteria, 61.5% received adjuvant therapy with 5‐fluorouracil. Pathologic stage was the strongest determinant of whether patients received postoperative chemotherapy (48.3% of patients with stage I disease, 59.6% of patients with stage II disease, and 77.6% of patients with stage III disease). Increasing age and postoperative readmission also were associated significantly with a decreased rate of adjuvant therapy initiation.

CONCLUSIONS

Although standard treatment guidelines for locally advanced rectal cancer include postoperative chemotherapy for all patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and radical resection, greater than 1 in 3 patients failed to receive adjuvant therapy. Despite the absence of established evidence, treatment decisions appear to be influenced by the findings at surgical pathology. Cancer 2014;120:1162–1170. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
Genomic tools in acute myeloid leukemia: From the bench to the bedside
Authors: White Brian S. , DiPersio John F.
Published: January 2014

Since its use in the initial characterization of an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) genome, next‐generation sequencing (NGS) has continued to molecularly refine the disease. Here, the authors review the spectrum of NGS applications that have subsequently delineated the prognostic significance and biologic consequences of these mutations. Furthermore, the role of this technology in providing a high‐resolution glimpse of AML clonal heterogeneity, which may inform future choice of targeted therapy, is discussed. Although obstacles remain in applying these techniques clinically, they have already had an impact on patient care. Cancer 2014;120:1134–1144. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
A phase 1/pharmacokinetic study of sunitinib in combination with highly active antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus‐positive patients with cancer: AIDS Malignancy Consortium trial AMC 061
Authors: Rudek Michelle A. , Moore Page C. , Mitsuyasu Ronald T. , Dezube Bruce J. , Aboulafia David , Gerecitano John , Sullivan Ryan , Cianfrocca Mary E. , Henry David H. , Ratner Lee , Haigentz Missak , Dowlati Afshin , Little Richard F. , Ivy Susan Percy , Deeken John F.
Published: January 2014

BACKGROUND

The treatment of non–acquired immunodeficiency syndrome‐defining cancers may be complicated by drug interactions between highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and chemotherapy. This trial is the first by the AIDS Malignancy Consortium to assess targeted therapies and HAART in human immunodeficiency virus‐positive patients (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00890747).

METHODS

In a modified phase 1 study of sunitinib, patients were stratified into 2 treatment arms based on whether they were receiving therapy with ritonavir, a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor. Patients in treatment arm 1 (non‐ritonavir HAART) received standard sunitinib dosing (50 mg/day). Treatment arm 2 (ritonavir‐based HAART) used a phase 1, 3 + 3 dose escalation design (from 25 mg/day to 50 mg/day). Cycles were comprised of 4 weeks on treatment followed by a 2‐week break (6 weeks total). The pharmacokinetics of sunitinib and its active metabolite (N‐desethyl sunitinib) were assessed.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients were enrolled and were evaluable. Patients on treatment arm 1 tolerated treatment with no dose‐limiting toxicity observed. In treatment arm 2, a dose‐limiting toxicity was experienced at a dose of 37.5 mg, and an additional 3 of 5 patients experienced grade 3 neutropenia (toxicity graded as per National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 4.0]), an uncommon toxicity of sunitinib. No patient achieved a response, but 10 patients had stable disease, including 8 with prolonged disease stability. Efavirenz, a potent inducer of CYP3A4, resulted in increased exposure of N‐desethyl sunitinib, whereas ritonavir caused decreased exposure of the metabolite. Hand‐foot syndrome was associated with higher steady‐state trough concentrations of sunitinib.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients receiving non–ritonavir‐based HAART regimens tolerated standard dosing of sunitinib. Patients receiving ritonavir‐based therapy who were treated with a dose of 37.5 mg/day experienced higher toxicities. Dose reductions of sunitinib to 37.5 mg may be warranted in patients receiving ritonavir. Cancer 2014;120:1194–1202. © 2014 American Cancer Society.
A Tale of Two Studies on Auditory Training in Children: A Response to the Claim that ‘Discrimination Training of Phonemic Contrasts Enhances Phonological Processing in Mainstream School Children’ by Moore, Rosenberg and Coleman (2005)
Authors: Halliday Lorna F.
Published: January 2014

In a previous article, Moore, Rosenberg and Coleman (Brain and Language, 2005, 94, 72‐85) reported evidence for significant improvements in phonological awareness in mainstream children following 6 h of exposure to a commercially available phoneme discrimination training programme, but not in a control group. In a follow‐up study, we failed to replicate this finding, despite using an almost identical training programme (Halliday, Taylor, Millward, & Moore, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2012, 55, 168‐181). This paper directly compares the methods and the results of the two studies, in an effort to explain the discrepant findings. It reports that the trained group in Moore et al. (2005) showed significantly greater improvements in phonological awareness following training than the trained group in Halliday et al. (2012). However, the control group in Halliday et al. (2012) showed significantly greater improvements in phonological awareness than the control group in Moore et al. (2005). The paper concludes that differences in the randomization, blinding, experimenter familiarity and treatment of trained and control groups contributed to the different outcomes of the two studies. The results indicate that a plethora of factors can contribute to training effects and highlight the importance of well‐designed randomized controlled trials in assessing the efficacy of a given intervention. © 2014 The Authors. Dyslexia published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Length of intervals between epidemics: evaluating the influence of maternal transfer of immunity
Authors: Garnier Romain , Gandon Sylvain , Harding Karin C. , Boulinier Thierry
Published: January 2014

The length of intervals between epidemic outbreaks of infectious diseases is critical in epidemiology. In several species of marine mammals and birds, it is pivotal to also consider the life history of the species of concern, as the contact rate between individuals can have a seasonal flux, for example, due to aggregations during the breeding season. Recently, particular interest has been given to the role of the dynamics of immunity in determining the intervals between epidemics in wild animal populations. One potentially powerful, but often neglected, process in this context is the maternal transfer of immunity. Here, we explore theoretically how the transfer of maternal antibodies can delay the recurrence of epidemics using Phocine Distemper in harbor seals as an example of a system in which epidemic outbreaks are followed by pathogen extinction. We show that the presence of temporarily protected newborns can significantly increase the predicted interval between epidemics, and this effect is strongly dependent on the degree of synchrony in the breeding season. Furthermore, we found that stochasticity in the onset of epidemics in combination with maternally acquired immunity increases the predicted intervals between epidemics even more. These effects arise because newborns with maternal antibodies temporarily boost population level immunity above the threshold of herd immunity, particularly when breeding is synchronous. Overall, our results show that maternal antibodies can have a profound influence on the dynamics of wildlife epidemics, notably in gregarious species such as many marine mammals and seabirds.
4‐(1‐Amino‐5‐aminotetrazolyl)methyleneimino‐3‐methylfuroxan and Its Derivatives: Synthesis, Characterization, and Energetic Properties
Authors: Tang Yongxing , Yang Hongwei , Shen Jianhua , Wu Bo , Ju Xuehai , Lu Chunxu , Cheng Guangbin
Published: January 2014

The condensation reaction of 4‐formyl‐3‐methylfuroxan with 1,5‐diaminotetrazole led to 4‐(1‐amino‐5‐aminotetrazolyl)methyleneimino‐3‐methylfuroxan (1) in high yield. Its structure was confirmed by an X‐ray diffraction study. 4‐(1‐Amino‐5‐nitriminotetrazolyl)methyleneimino‐3‐methylfuroxan (2) was obtained through the nitration of 1 with 100 % HNO3. The nitrogen‐rich salts of 2 with bases such as 1‐amino‐1,2,3‐triazole (3), 4‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole (4), and 3‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole (5) were synthesized and characterized by IR, Raman, and NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. In addition, the structures of 2, 4, and 5 were further confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses. Compound 5 decomposes at 183 °C, whereas 3 and 4 are less stable and decompose at 139 and 164 °C, respectively. The heats of formation, detonation parameters, and impact sensitivity of 1–5 were investigated by theoretical and experimental methods.
Formation of a Magnetically Coupled Neutral [4×4] Square Grid from a 2,6‐Pyridinedicarbaldehyde Bis(hydrazone) Ligand
Authors: Adhikary Amit , Goswami Soumyabrata , Sheikh Javeed Ahmad , Konar Sanjit
Published: January 2014

The synthesis, characterization, magnetic properties, and magnetostructural correlation of a square‐grid complex having the molecular formula [Cu16L18](dmf)3 (1) {H4L1 = 2,6‐bis[(3‐methoxysalicylidene)hydrazinecarbonyl]pyridine} is described. Reaction of the H4L1 ligand and the Cu2+ salt generates complex 1, which exhibits a rare grid structure with a [4×4] metallic core of Cu2+. Structural studies revealed a mixed coordination geometry around the Cu2+ core. The molecule has a fourfold rotational axis and one inversion center. Magnetic investigations showed the coexistence of both ferro‐ and antiferromagnetic spin exchanges, though antiferromagnetic exchange dominates over ferromagnetic coupling in the low‐temperature region.
One‐Pot Tandem Strecker Reaction and Iminocyclisations: Syntheses of Trihydroxypiperidine α‐Iminonitriles
Authors: Ayers Benjamin J. , Fleet George W. J.
Published: January 2014

Unbranched, and α‐ and β‐methyl‐branched, trihydroxypiperidine α‐iminonitriles have been obtained in a single step from protected 5‐O‐tosylate pentoses. This reaction comprises a one‐pot tandem Strecker reaction and iminocyclisation. These trihydroxypiperidine α‐iminonitriles are precursors to trihydroxypipecolic acids. No formation of pyrrolidine products was observed.
Ultrasensitive Immunoassay Based on Amplified Inhibition of the Electrochemical Stripping Signal of Silver Nanocomposite by Silica Nanoprobe
Authors: Yin Cuiying , Lai Guosong , Fu Li , Zhang Haili , Yu Aimin
Published: January 2014

A silver nanocomposite was one‐step synthesized in chitosan solution and used to prepare an immunosensor with the aid of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) assembly. The Ag NPs at the immunosensor exhibited sensitive electrochemical stripping signal in KCl solution. After a sandwich immunoreaction, the current response of the immunosensor decreased due to the formation of antibody‐antigen immunocomplex on its surface, which was greatly amplified by the captured silica nanoprobes and thus enabled an ultrasensitive electrochemical immunoassay method. This method showed excellent analytical performance for human IgG measurement including wide linear range, low detection limit, cheap cost, satisfactory reproducibility and stability.
Frequent lack of GNAS mutations in colorectal adenocarcinoma associated with GNAS‐mutated villous adenoma
Authors: Sekine Shigeki , Ogawa Reiko , Oshiro Taihei , Kanemitsu Yukihide , Taniguchi Hirokazu , Kushima Ryoji , Kanai Yae
Published: January 2014

Colorectal villous adenoma is thought to be associated with a high risk of progression to adenocarcinoma. To better characterize the genetic alterations involved in colorectal carcinogenesis related to villous adenoma, we analyzed mutations in APC, BRAF, KRAS, TP53, and GNAS in 12 colorectal adenocarcinomas associated with villous adenomas. APC, KRAS, and BRAF mutations were identified in five, 11, and one lesion, respectively, and most of these mutations were shared between the villous adenoma and the adenocarcinoma components in the respective lesions, except in one lesion with APC mutations and in two lesions with KRAS mutations. TP53 mutations were observed exclusively in four adenocarcinoma components, consistent with their role in the progression from adenoma to adenocarcinoma. Activating GNAS mutations were found in nine villous adenomas; however, unexpectedly, these mutations were shared only in three associated adenocarcinomas. Notably, all six adenocarcinomas with discordant GNAS mutation statuses were nonmucinous type, whereas all the other adenocarcinomas, including three adenocarcinomas associated with GNAS wild‐type villous adenomas, were mucinous type. The current study suggests that GNAS‐mutated villous adenomas may not necessarily be direct precursors of associated adenocarcinomas. At the same time, our observations support the role of activating GNAS mutations in increased mucin production in colorectal neoplasms. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
crs: A PACKAGE FOR NONPARAMETRIC SPLINE ESTIMATION IN R
Authors: Ho Anson T.Y. , Huynh Kim P. , Jacho‐Chávez David T.
Published: January 2014

crs is a library for R written by Jeffrey S. Racine (Maintainer) and Zhenghua Nie. This add‐on package provides a collection of functions for spline‐based nonparametric estimation of regression functions with both continuous and categorical regressors. Currently, the crs package integrates data‐driven methods for selecting the spline degree, the number of knots and the necessary bandwidths for nonparametric conditional mean, IV and quantile regression. A function for multivariate density spline estimation with mixed data is also currently in the works. As a bonus, the authors have also provided the first simple R interface to the NOMAD (‘nonsmooth mesh adaptive direct search’) optimization solver which can be applied to solve other mixed integer optimization problems that future users might find useful in other settings. Although the crs package shares some of the same functionalities as its kernel‐based counterpart—the np package by the same author—it currently lacks some of the features the np package provides, such as hypothesis testing and semiparametric estimation. However, what it lacks in breadth, crs makes up in speed. A Monte Carlo experiment in this review uncovers sizable speed gains compared to its np counterpart, with a marginal loss in terms of goodness of fit. Therefore, the package will be extremely useful for applied econometricians interested in employing nonparametric techniques using large amounts of data with a small number of discrete covariates. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stimulus control and generalization of remote behavioral history
Authors: Okouchi Hiroto , Lattal Kennon A. , Sonoda Akira , Nakamae Taichi
Published: January 2014

Two experiments were conducted to assess stimulus control and generalization of remote behavioral history effects with humans. Undergraduates first responded frequently under a fixed‐ratio (FR) schedule in the presence of one line length (16 mm or 31 mm) and infrequently on a tandem FR 1 differential‐reinforcement‐of‐low‐rate (DRL) schedule when a second line length (31 mm or 16 mm) was present. Next, an FR 1 schedule in effect in the presence of either stimulus produced comparable response rates between the stimuli. Finally, a tandem FR 1 fixed‐interval (FI) schedule was in effect under those same stimuli (Experiment 1) or under 12 line lengths ranging from 7 to 40 mm (Experiment 2). In both experiments, responses under the tandem FR 1 FI schedule were frequent in the presence of stimuli previously correlated with the FR schedule and infrequent in the presence of stimuli previously correlated with the tandem FR 1 DRL schedule. Short‐lived but systematic generalization gradients were obtained in Experiment 2. These results show that previously established rates of behavior that disappear when the establishing contingencies are changed can subsequently not only reappear when the contingencies change, but are controlled by and generalize across antecedent stimuli.
Establishing radiation therapy advanced practice in New Zealand
Authors: Coleman Karen , Jasperse Marieke , Herst Patries , Yielder Jill
Published: January 2014

Introduction

Advanced practice (AP) is of increasing interest to many radiation therapists (RTs) both nationally and internationally. In New Zealand, initial research (2005–2008) showed strong support for the development of an AP role for medical radiation technologists (MRTs). Here, we report on a nationwide survey in which RTs validated and prioritised nine AP profiles for future development.

Methods

All registered RTs in New Zealand (n = 260) were invited to take part in a survey in December 2011; 73 of whom returned a complete response.

Results

RTs supported the implementation of AP roles in New Zealand and the requirement of a Master's degree qualification to underpin clinical knowledge. Most RTs endorsed the criteria attributed to each of the nine proposed AP profiles. The study identified that activities may qualify as either advanced practice or standard practice depending on the department. All participants agreed that an advanced practitioner should be a leader in the field, able to initiate and facilitate future developments within as well as outside this specific role. Acceptance of the AP roles by RTs and other health professionals as well as the availability of resources for successful implementation, were concerns expressed by some RTs.

Conclusion

The authors recommend (1) the development of one scope of practice titled ‘advanced practitioner’ with generic and specialist criteria for each profile as the future career pathway, (2) promotion and support for the AP pathway by the New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology and the New Zealand Medical Radiation Technologists Board.
Magnetostriction strain measurement and its application for the numerical deformation calculation of a transformer
Authors: Gorji Ghalamestani S. , Vandevelde L. , Dirckx J. , Melkebeek J.
Published: January 2014

Attempts to lower the noise of electrical machines in general and the noise of transformers in particular have gained more attention during the last years. The deformation of the magnetised ferromagnetic materials, known as magnetostriction, is a significant contributor to this noise. The aim of this work is to model such deformation by means of numerical tools. To this end, first the magnetostrictive behaviour of the material is required to apply it further for the calculations. We start with an overview of the magnetostriction strain measurement setups developed at the Electrical Energy Laboratory of Ghent University. A recently developed setup using a heterodyne laser interferometer is compared with a strain gauge setup that has been developed in the past. The results obtained by the laser setup prove to have a higher accuracy than those obtained by the strain gauge setup. In the next step, the laser measurement results are applied to the numerical magnetostrictive deformation technique. Such technique is based on finite element approach and requires a model of the magnetostrictive behaviour of the core material, which is made on the basis of the experimental results. For the computation, continuum description of magnetoelastic materials based on Chu model formulations is considered. In this method, a set of forces are introduced, which in fact induce the same strain in the material as the magnetostriction does. Applying the measurement results obtained by the laser setup in the computation method enables us to better identify the core deformation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generic high‐frequency small‐signal look‐up table model extraction for Si–Ge heterojunction bipolar transistors
Authors: Homayouni Seyed Majid , Nauwelaers Bart , Schreurs Dominique M. M.‐P.
Published: January 2014

The objective of this paper is to provide a generic and versatile small‐signal look‐up table model extraction approach for Si―Ge heterojunction bipolar transistors. In this paper, parameter extraction at high frequencies, especially in the millimeter‐wave region, is described. The approach is experimentally demonstrated on a Si―Ge heterojunction bipolar transistor with eight fingers and the emitter size of 0.18 × 0.84 µm2. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of various techniques for the extraction and determination of antioxidants in plants
Authors: Bajerová Petra , Adam Martin , Bajer Tomáš , Ventura Karel
Published: January 2014

The following extraction techniques have been used for extracting antioxidants (apigenin, coumarin, esculetin, umbelliferone, bergapten, quercetin, rutin, scopoletin and xanthotoxin) from plant material: supercritical fluid extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, extraction by means of Soxhlet apparatus, ultrasonic extraction in ultrasonic bath, and by means of ultrasonic probe. The analytical method based on HPLC−UV detection for the determination of selected antioxidants was developed. For all extracts the antioxidant capacity based on the reduction of free 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical was also determined. Comparing all results the ultrasonic probe method using 0.75 g of sample extracted by 50 mL of acetonitrile in water (30%, v/v) for 25 min at room temperature and with amplitude at 60% (equal to 90 W) without pulsation was evaluated as the best tool. The most significant indicator demonstrating this statement is the antioxidant capacity expressed as gallic acid equivalent where the ultrasonic probe method showed the best results in 10 of 16 samples. Also the operability of ultrasonic probe extraction method compared to other tested methods is more favorable.
Identification and characterization of the process‐related impurities in fasudil hydrochloride by hyphenated techniques using a quality by design approach
Authors: Song Min , Chen Yue‐Qin , Lu Ping‐Bo , Hang Tai‐Jun
Published: January 2014

Following the underlying principles of quality by design mentioned in the ICH Q8 guidance, systematic approaches for the control of process‐related impurities have been taken in the manufacturing process of fasudil hydrochloride, a potent Rho‐kinase inhibitor and vasodilator. Three related impurities were found in fasudil hydrochloride lab samples by a newly developed RP‐HPLC with volatile mobile phase gradient elution and UV detection method. The elemental compositions of the impurities were determined by positive ESI high‐resolution TOF‐MS analysis of their [M + H]+ ions and their structures were identified through the elucidation of the product mass spectra obtained by a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The key impurity was further verified through synthesis and organic spectroscopy including NMR and IR spectroscopy. The origins of these impurities were located and the effective approaches to eliminate them were proposed based on the redesign of the synthetic conditions. The results obtained are important for quality control in the manufacture of fasudil hydrochloride bulk drug substance and injection.
Changes in Sleep Disruption in the Treatment of Co‐Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorders
Authors: McHugh R. Kathryn , Hu Mei‐Chen , Campbell Aimee N. C. , Hilario E. Yvette , Weiss Roger D. , Hien Denise A.
Published: January 2014

Sleep disruption appears not only to reflect a symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but also a unique vulnerability for its development and maintenance. Studies examining the impact of psychosocial treatments for PTSD on sleep symptoms are few and no studies to date of which we are aware have examined this question in samples with co‐occurring substance use disorders. The current study is a secondary analysis of a large clinical trial comparing 2 psychological treatments for co‐occurring PTSD and substance use disorders. Women (N = 353) completed measures of PTSD at baseline, end of treatment, and 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐month follow‐ups. Results indicated that the prevalence of insomnia, but not nightmares, decreased during treatment, and that 63.8% of participants reported at least 1 clinical‐level sleep symptom at the end of treatment. Improvement in sleep symptoms during treatment was associated with better overall PTSD outcomes over time, χ2(1) = 33.81, p < .001. These results extend the existing literature to suggest that residual sleep disruption following PTSD treatment is common in women with co‐occurring PTSD and substance use disorders. Research on the benefits of adding sleep‐specific intervention for those with residual sleep disruption in this population may be a promising future direction.
Simulated surgery and cutting guides enhance spatial positioning in free fibular mandibular reconstruction
Authors: Stirling Craig E. , Yuhasz Mikell , Shah Ajul , Blumberg Jeffrey , Salomon Jeffrey , Lowlicht Roger , Fusi Stefano , Steinbacher Derek M.
Published: January 2014

Introduction: The free fibular flap is the workhorse for mandibular reconstruction. Three‐dimensional (3D) planning, with use of cutting guides and prebent plates, has been introduced. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the interfragmentary gap size and symmetry between conventional freehand preparation versus those using 3D planning. Methods: A retrospective review was performed. Conventional free form and 3D planned fibular reconstructions performed by the senior authors at a single institution were included. Reconstructions were further subdivided into “body only” and “complex.” Demographic and intraoperative data were collected. Postoperative CT scans were analyzed using Materialize software. Interfragmentary gap distances (mm) and symmetry (degrees) were assessed. Results: Nineteen fibular reconstructions met inclusion criteria, ten conventional free form, and nine 3D planned reconstructions. Interfibular gaps measured 0.36 ± 0.50 mm in the 3D group versus 1.88 ± 1.09 mm in the non‐3D group (P = 0.004). Overall symmetry (a ratio between right and left angles) measured versus 1.027 ± 0.08 in the 3D‐planned versus 1.024 ± 0.09 in the non‐3D group in (P = 0.944). Within only mandibular body reconstructions, symmetry was similar between the two techniques: 1.05 ± 0.12 in the 3D group versus 0.97 ± 0.05 in the non‐3D group (P = 0.295). Conclusions: 3D planning lessens interfibular gap dimensions and may enhance axial symmetry. Space between native mandible and fibula is not appreciably altered using planning. Future efforts will focus on the accuracy and reproducibility of the 3D planned to actual results as well as clinical significance and efficiency benefits. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:29–33, 2015.
Slot cut printed elliptical UWB monopole antenna
Authors: Ray K. P. , Thakur S. S. , Deshmukh A. A.
Published: January 2014

A novel compact ultra‐wideband slot cut elliptical printed monopole antenna is proposed. The measured bandwidth (BW) from 1.6 GHz to more than 22 GHz (>170%) has been obtained. The gain, radiation efficiency and radiation patterns, over the entire BW, remain similar to that of a printed elliptical monopole antenna with reasonable agreement between simulated and measured results. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:631–635, 2014
A fiber‐optic alcohol sensor based on surface plasmon resonance
Authors: Lin Yu‐Cheng
Published: January 2014

A fiber‐optic alcohol sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology is demonstrated. The sensing device is a multimode optical fiber in which half the core was polished away and a thin‐film layer of gold was deposited. We theoretically and experimentally analyzed the SPR performance in alcohol sensing. The measured SPR spectrum shows good agreement with the simulated curve. The maximum SPR efficiency is about 24% at resonant wavelength 0.63 µm. In addition, a dynamic experiment was used to verify the good performance for our fiber‐optic alcohol sensor in real‐time detection. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:766–769, 2014
A bidirectional transceiver using a compact DPDT switch for Q‐band phase array system
Authors: Lee Jong‐Wook , Ho Van Phu Quang , Arriola Carlos Humberto
Published: January 2014

A Q‐band bidirectional transceiver has been designed and fabricated for millimeter‐wave CMOS phase array systems. The proposed design replaces several switches previously required for a bidirectional approach with a compact double‐pole double‐throw switch. Phase shifting is performed in 90° step using a high‐pass/low‐pass structure, and the transceiver demonstrates a highly linear phase response. Over the frequency of 35 to 40 GHz, the measured root‐mean‐square phase error is <5.5° and <12.1° for transmitter and receiver paths, respectively. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:552–555, 2014
UHF RFID feasibility research: The endless possibilities and challenges of item‐level tagging in a retail store
Authors: Van Assche Toon , Weyn Maarten , Vercauteren Charles
Published: January 2014

This article investigates the effects of the environment on ultrahigh frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in both the near‐field and far‐field. Item‐level tagging has always been challenging due to the negative impact of metals on RFID. Full‐scale RFID item‐level tagging has always been difficult to integrate in retail (department) stores. This UHF RFID feasibility research examines the technical differences between near‐field and far‐field coupling by testing theoretical hypotheses through empirical experiments. These experiments are based on a specific case‐study, where a distributor wants to tag multimedia objects. Based on the results obtained, we found that metal had less effect on the RFID tags in the near‐field than in the far‐field. In both cases the RFID tag was not readable, when placed directly onto metal. When the multimedia object itself was tagged, the reading range decreased to around half the free‐space reading range in near‐field and far‐field. We can conclude that the RFID implementation in the retail store is feasible, but depends to a large extent on the product and its environment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:718–727, 2014
Calculation of resonant frequencies of a shorting pin‐loaded ETMA with ANN
Authors: Can Sultan , Kapusuz Kamil Yavuz , Aydin Elif
Published: January 2014

This article describes an artificial neural network (ANN) model to accurately estimate the lower and upper operating frequencies of a shorting pin‐loaded dual‐band equilateral triangular microstrip antenna. A multilayer feed forward network is used for training in this ANN‐based model. The results obtained from this study are compared with other theoretical and measured results from the available literature. The average percentage error for both upper and lower frequencies is 1%, which corresponds to a considerable improvement achieved over the recent study, having the most accurate results. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:660–663, 2014
A narrow compact band pass filter with second harmonics suppression using the T‐SRR in MNG metamaterial
Authors: Yoon Ki‐Cheol , Lee Hyun‐Wook , Lee Jong‐Chul , Kim Seong‐Cheol
Published: January 2014

In this article, a new narrow band pass filter (BPF) with second harmonic suppression using triple‐split ring resonator (T‐SRR) in mu‐negative metamaterial on Teflon substrate is presented. Then by replacing the series quarter‐wavelength transmission lines with the equivalent T‐shaped line, a compact‐BPF with second harmonic suppression can be obtained. This filter shows an insertion loss of 0.47 dB and return loss of 21.8 dB with bandwidth of 10% at the center frequency of 10 GHz. Also, the experimental result for the second harmonic (S21) suppression is 17.7 dB at a frequency of 14.7 GHz. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:535–538, 2014
Frequency selective surfaces filters to enhance performance of Ka band applications
Authors: Sanphuang Varittha , Nahar Niru K. , Volakis John L.
Published: January 2014

We present circular‐loop and fan‐shaped periodic geometries for narrow and broad passband Ka band filters using frequency selective surfaces (FSS), respectively. Two narrowband designs are obtained having less than 0.5‐dB attenuation with nearly −20‐dB out‐of‐band rejection. A three‐layer broadband (30%) FSS is also presented with high transmission and excellent flat bandpass response that covers almost the entire Ka band. Experimental results are also discussed to validate both the single‐layer and three‐layer designs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:563–568, 2014
Fast 3D raytracing used for predicting TEMPEST classification
Authors: Legendre Jean‐François , Marsault Thierry , Ollivier Thierry
Published: January 2014

With the growth of high data rate speed cellular communication systems (UMTS, GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth), prediction of the electromagnetic propagation becomes a military strategic stake and an active subject of research. To give fast realistic predictions of the field strength and delay spread in wireless mobile communication networks, SILICOM developed the SLC software within the context of PEA GOLIATH project supported by DGA. This model is based on parallel three‐dimensional raytracing combined with GO/UTD theory. This article describes our solution and shows its application to TEMPEST classification study of buildings. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:519–523, 2014
Akhmediev breathers as ultra‐wideband pulses
Authors: Varlot B. , Chembo Y. , Finot C.
Published: January 2014

We analytically calculate and discuss the radio‐frequency spectrum of the so called Akhmediev breathers (ABs), a class of nonlinear solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation that governs the propagation in a single mode optical fiber. We propose a practical application of ABs to the field of ultra‐wideband pulse generation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:664–667, 2014
Wideband loop antenna using distributed elements for 4G MIMO mobile application
Authors: Zhao Xing , Choi Jaehoon
Published: January 2014

Wideband loop antennas with distributed elements are proposed for a fourth generation (4G) multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) mobile terminal. The MIMO antenna system consists of two wideband loop antenna elements (Elements #1 and #3), working in the LTE Band 7 (0.88–0.96 GHz), and a printed U‐shaped monopole antenna element (Element #2), operating in the WiMAX/WLAN bands (2.0–2.8 GHz). To improve the performances of antenna elements, the distributed elements are employed to reduce the antenna volume, to realize the wideband property, and to modify the input impedance of antenna elements. The arrangement of each antenna element is carefully justified and each element is located at different corners of the ground plane to improve the isolation and envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) characteristics. The MIMO antenna has an ECC lower than 0.1 and isolation higher than 11 dB over the frequency bands of interest. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:577–581, 2014
Double B‐spline finite elements for 3D electromagnetic modeling
Authors: Davidović Miloš D. , Ilić Milan M.
Published: January 2014

Novel type of finite elements, based on independent three‐dimensional higher‐order modeling of geometry and electric fields using trivariate B‐spline functions, is presented. The method is evaluated in simulations of rectangular, spherical, and ridged canonical microwave cavity problems. The examples demonstrate excellent accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:619–624, 2014
Very low profile ultrawideband microstrip band‐stop filter
Authors: Ojaroudi Nasser , Ojaroudi Hamed , Ojaroudi Yasser
Published: January 2014

In this article, a compact microstrip band‐stop filter with 3–11.2‐GHz bandwidth for ultrawideband applications is proposed. The microstrip filter configuration consists of a transmission line with a pair of C‐shaped strips as a stub, four arc‐shaped slots embedded inside them, and a ground plane. An excellent agreement between measured and simulated results was obtained. The proposed microstrip filter fabricated on a Rogers RT/Duroid 5880 substrate with a relative dielectric constant of 2.2 and has a very small size of 10 × 15 × 0.635 mm3. The proposed filter configuration is simple, easy to fabricate, and can be integrated into any radar system. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:709–711, 2014
Design and implementation of A 1.9–22.5 GHz CMOS wideband LNA with dual‐RLC‐branch wideband input and output matching networks
Authors: Lin Yo‐Sheng , Wang Chien‐Chin , Lee Jen‐How
Published: January 2014

A 1.9–22.5 GHz wideband low‐noise amplifier (LNA) based on the current‐reused cascade configuration in 90 nm CMOS is reported. The wideband input‐impedance matching was achieved by taking advantage of the resistive shunt‐shunt feedback in conjunction with a parallel LC load to make the input network equivalent to two parallel resistor‐inductor‐capacitor (RLC) branches, that is, a second‐order wideband band‐pass filter (BPF). The wideband output‐impedance matching was also achieved by making the output network equivalent to a second‐order wideband BPF. Theoretical analysis shows that both the frequency response of input matching and noise figure (NF) can be described by second‐order functions with quality factors as parameters. The LNA (LNA‐1) dissipates 9.96 mW and achieves low and flat NF of 3.24 ± 0.5 dB and high and flat S21 of 12.02 ± 1.5 dB for frequencies 1.9–22.5 GHz. The corresponding figure of merit (FOM) is 7.44 GHz/mW, one of the highest FOMs ever reported for a wideband LNA with bandwidth around 20 GHz. To study the effect of self‐forward body bias (SFBB) on LNA‐1, an LNA‐2 consisting of LNA‐1 and SFBB is implemented for comparison. The results show LNA‐2 consumes less power at the expense of a worse NF due to the body noise. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:677–684, 2014
Miniaturized broadband branch‐line coupler
Authors: Wu Qiuyi , Yang Yimin , Lin Mingzhong , Shi Xiaowei
Published: January 2014

This article introduces a new miniaturized branch‐line coupler for wideband applications. The coupler can be realized in microstripline with one layer of metal, without additional lumped elements. Significant size reduction is achieved using the proposed configurations. Explicit design formulas of the proposed coupler are analytically derived. Then it has been simulated with HFSS and fabricated. Return loss and isolation loss are both better than 20 dB in about 31% fractional bandwidth. Over this frequency band, the phase unbalance between two quadrature outputs is less than 2°. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:740–743, 2014
Imposing Dirichlet boundary conditions in hierarchical Cartesian meshes by means of stabilized Lagrange multipliers
Authors: Tur M. , Albelda J. , Nadal E. , Ródenas J. J.
Published: January 2014

The use of Cartesian meshes independent of the geometry has some advantages over the traditional meshes used in the finite element method. The main advantage is that their use together with an appropriate hierarchical data structure reduces the computational cost of the finite element analysis. This improvement is based on the substitution of the traditional mesh generation process by an optimized procedure for intersecting the Cartesian mesh with the boundary of the domain and the use efficient solvers based on the hierarchical data structure. One major difficulty associated to the use of Cartesian grids is the fact that the mesh nodes do not, in general, lie over the boundary of the domain, increasing the difficulty to impose Dirichlet boundary conditions. In this paper, Dirichlet boundary conditions are imposed by means of the Lagrange multipliers technique. A new functional has been added to the initial formulation of the problem that has the effect of stabilizing the problem. The technique here presented allows for a simple definition of the Lagrange multipliers field that even allow us to directly condense the degrees of freedom of the Lagrange multipliers at element level. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal penalty stiffness values of concurrent 2D elastic interface elements leading to accurate stress tractions
Authors: Ciancio D. , Carol I. , Castellazzi G.
Published: January 2014

Zero‐thickness interface elements are used to model contact surfaces or potential cracks. In these cases, their elastic stiffness is often set extremely high to reproduce a rigid behavior. This paper shows that the values of the stress tractions at the nodes of these elements can be affected by an error. A new procedure is proposed here, consisting of adding some nondimensional coefficients (purely geometry‐dependent) to the values of the interface stiffness parameters. Thus doing, the accurate tractions at the interface nodes are recovered. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrical conductivity of epoxy/silicone/carbon black composites: Effect of composite microstructure
Authors: Pelíšková Michaela , Kazantseva Natalia E. , Prokeš Jan , Hausnerová Berenika , Sáha Petr
Published: January 2014

The objective of this work is to study the effect of electrical conductivity and physical‐mechanical properties of carbon black (CB) filled polymer composites. This goal is achieved by synthesizing epoxy/silicon phase separated blend structure of composites filled with CB. The percolation threshold of epoxy/silicone/CB composites decreased and the total conductivity increased compared to the pure epoxy/CB composite. A threefold increase was obtained with tensile strength of epoxy/silicone/CB composite with 25 wt% of silicone and 5 wt% of CB in comparison with epoxy/CB systems. This composite has conductivity of about 10−6 S/cm, which is six orders of magnitude higher than for epoxy/CB composites at the same concentration of CB. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:2234–2240, 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Microwave irradiation synthesis and characterization of RGO‐AgNPs/polystyrene nanocomposites
Authors: Alsharaeh Edreese H. , Othman Ali A.
Published: January 2014

Polystyrene and reduced graphene oxide/silver (PSTY/RGO/AgNPs) nanocomposites were prepared via an in situ bulk polymerization method using two different preparation techniques. In the first approach, a mixture of silver nitrate, hydrazine hydrate, and polystyrene containing graphene oxide (PSTY/GO) were reduced by microwave irradiation (MWI) to obtain R‐(PSTY‐GO)/AgNPs nanocomposites. In the second approach, a mixture of the (RGO/AgNPs) nanocomposite, which was produced via MWI, and STY monomers were polymerized using an in situ bulk polymerization method to obtain PSTY‐RGO/AgNPs nanocomposites. The two nanocomposites were compared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, Differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicate that the nanocomposites obtained using the first approach, which involved MWI, exhibited a better morphology and dispersion with enhanced thermal stability compared to the nanocomposites prepared without MWI. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:2318–2323, 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
The use of social media among health care professionals within an online postgraduate diabetes diploma course
Authors: Lipp A , Davis RE , Peter R , Davies JS
Published: January 2014

Social media is a rapidly growing arena through which members of the health care community can communicate between themselves as well as inform and educate patients. We assessed the impact of certain types of social media (YouTube and Twitter) among a group of health care professionals (HCPs) studying for a diploma in diabetes with the University of South Wales.

As part of a module of the diabetes diploma, HCPs were tasked with using social media (Twitter and YouTube) to communicate information on diabetes and metrics were assessed on its impact. In respect of Twitter accounts, interactivity was assessed through number of ‘tweets’ users posted, the number of ‘followers’ that each account attracted together with the number of people that the user ‘followed’. For YouTube videos, we collected data on the length of video, the number of views each received as well as ‘likes’ or ‘dislikes’. We also asked all students to complete a voluntary questionnaire on their subjective feelings regarding their experience with social media.

Of 89 subjects, 27 developed YouTube videos and 62 set up Twitter accounts (in the event of a subject using both Twitter and YouTube, only their YouTube data are used). Average video length was 7 minutes 10 seconds, with videos viewed from 20–1274 times up to August 2012. Sixty‐two Twitter accounts were established with an average of 77 tweets, average of 34 ‘followers’ and an average of 49 ‘following’. Thirteen (15%) HCPs responded to a feedback questionnaire, four having selected YouTube and nine, Twitter. Eight students expressed apprehension before embarking on the task but all expressed a sense of achievement and confidence in use of social media upon completion. Fifty (81%) HCPs stopped using Twitter within six months of completing the module, although Twitter activity continued among 12 (19%) HCPs.

This study reveals a successful uptake and communication of a professional message to a wider audience through Twitter and YouTube among social media‐naïve HCPs studying for a postgraduate diploma in diabetes. Despite initial apprehension, HCPs felt confident in using social media to convey the message with continuing use of social media beyond the confines of the course. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons.