bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Host‐plant‐induced larval decision‐making in a habitat/host‐plant generalist butterfly
Authors: Friberg Magne , Wiklund Christer
Published: February 2010

Phenotypic plasticity can be a passive response to fluctuating environmental conditions or an active and presumably adaptive (evolved) response selected for in different environments. Here we ask if the larval decision to enter diapause when reared on a host plant associated with a colder habitat is an active or a passive response to host‐plant quality or suitability. We compare plasticity in larval propensity to enter diapause of the habitat generalist butterflyLeptidea sinapisand the meadow specialistLeptidea realiin a range of temperatures and long day length on a forest plant,Lathyrus linifolius, and a meadow‐associated plant,Lathyrus pratensis. The warmer meadow habitat promotes direct development whereas the colder forest habitat is conducive to diapause. Larvae ofL. sinapishad a higher propensity to enter diapause when reared on the forest plantL. linifoliusacross all temperatures. Conversely, the propensity ofL. realito enter diapause was consistently lower and did not differ between host plants. Larval growth rates were similar between and within butterfly species and between host plants. Hence, we conclude that larval pathway decision‐making inL. sinapisis an active response mediated by information from their host plants.
Parasite virulence, host life history, and the costs and benefits of sex
Authors: Lively Curtis M.
Published: February 2010

The widespread existence of sexual reproduction is widely considered to be one of the most pressing anomalies for evolutionary theory. One possible solution is that coevolution between hosts and parasites might favor sexual over asexual reproduction (the Red Queen hypothesis), provided infection is genotype specific and highly virulent. This requirement for high virulence has been seen as a limitation of the theory. In the present study, I solve for the cost of sex per reproductive time step of the host, as well as the minimum virulence required to select for sex. The results show that the cost of sex per time step increases with increases in the host's mortality rate, reaching twofold in annual host species. The results also show that high virulence is not required to select for sexual reproduction, especially in long‐lived organisms. These findings might help to explain the paucity of parthenogenesis in organisms having long generation times.
Offshore Automated Managed Pressure Drilling in Fractured Basement Granite Reservoir: Case study, Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Chakraborty Biswajit , Meghnani Manoj , Saravanakumar M. , Gupta Rashmi Priya , Chawla Deepanshu , Shaikh Abdul Mujeer , Boyce Graham R.
Published: February 2010

A2 well is a development well in a gas field discovered in the 1980s. This field is located in the offshore part of Southeast India. Prior to A2, the wells drilled in this field were tested with a significant sweet gas in the basement reservoir. The basement reservoir consists of a fractured granite formation with an estimated pore pressure of 9.22 ppg. Due to the presence of natural fractures in the reservoir, Automated Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) technology was used to minimize loss of circulation and prevent substantial formation damage.

Automated managed pressure drilling technology is used to help manage bottomhole pressure (BHP) precisely between narrow margins of pore pressure and fracture gradient by the application of back pressure on the annulus at all times. The system is automated by the use of a realtime hydraulics model, which takes into account the realtime parameters and calculates the required back pressure to maintain bottomhole pressure during drilling, connections, tripping, and well control situations.

The paper describes the case study of the A2 well where automated MPD technology was used to safely drill the entire 8½-in. hole lateral section, which was difficult to support, and minimized any well control or drilling problems. The results show how MPD technology helped in delivering a successful well by eliminating drilling problems and controlling the flow rate of hydrocarbons to the surface while drilling, tripping and running the completion.
Finding Gas Using Underbalanced Drilling in a Tight Reservoir
Authors: Bowling John , Hazarika Raju , Skaloud Dieter
Published: February 2010

Deep Gas exploration wells in the Fahud Salt Basin located in North Oman were traditionally drilled with high mud weights. Due to this conventional drilling practice in low permeability reservoirs and inherent petrophysical measurement and sampling limitations, a high level of uncertainty remained as to the presence of producible (or commercial) gas. This resulted in an increased risk when the decision to complete, hydraulically fracture and production test was taken – or conversely, the well was abandoned. Often, even test results proved inconclusive, with a strong suspicion of impaired reservoir obscuring the true production potential. The well discussed here was the 12th well that penetrated a tight Paleozoic reservoir in the Fahud Salt Basin and stepped away from this work flow due to the high cost and low success rate for the previous 11 wells. Of the previous 11 wells, one well tested economic gas flow, four were marginally economic and 6 ultimately deemed inconclusive. In this well, the primary objective of the vertical pilot hole was to unambiguously identify mobile hydrocarbons. UBD was selected as the key technology to meet this goal. Once the objective was achieved in the pilot hole, the budget for drilling a lateral hole, with the aim to optimize production, could be more confidently released.

To drill this well underbalanced, by reducing the mud weight from 16 kPa/m to 10.1 kPa/m well site water, PDO management had to change their well control mindset and take on the risk of major borehole breakouts and stuck pipe. The result of confronting these two major risks was manageable well control and a largely in-gauge well bore, allowing high quality wireline logs in the pilot hole and LWD logs in the lateral section. Most importantly, the flow measured while drilling and during a short UBD production and build-up test in this well was the most direct and unequivocal reservoir evaluation available in any of the tight gas wells of North Oman. The technical success of this exploration project resulted in the planning of eight more underbalanced exploration wells on neighbouring prospects, some of them with even deeper reservoirs and more pressure uncertainties.
Understanding Multiphase Flow Modeling for N2 Concentric Nitrogen Injection Through Downhole Pressure Sensor Data Measurements While Drilling MPD Wells.
Authors: Beltran Juan C. , Lupo Corrado , Medina Leiro , Duno Hermogenes , Gallo Fernando , Tang Jose , Rojas Jimmy , Rodríguez Efraín , Melgares Hernán , Bedoya Jorge , Puerto Gustavo
Published: February 2010

Hydraulic modeling is a fundamental piece of any Managed Pressure Drilling operation using multiphase gasified drilling fluids. MPD Engineers rely on hydraulic flow modeling systems to predict equivalent circulating densities. Models also allow designing and manipulating hydraulic parameters such as gas/liquid ratios, pressures and flow rates to achieve desired conditions.

Therefore, the selection and calibration of the correct hydraulic model is critical for the success of any MPD Operation. The ECD calculation in an MPD operation is not the solely objective of using a complex modeling system. Today’s downhole drilling tools technology makes available a variety of sensors capable of measuring actual downhole pressure values. Prediction of flow behavior is also an important step that will increase the ability of monitoring and keeping efficient hole cleaning, cutting transport and heat transfer efficiency, which are critical for all multiphase drilling operations. Actual measurement of downhole equivalent circulating density becomes now a critical new calibration value to compare hydraulic models performance and approximation to reality.

This paper compares the two-phase hydraulic simulations results with the data gathered from a drillstring installed annular pressure sensor used while drilling a highly deviated well in a low pressure reservoir using nitrogen injection through concentric string technique in an MPD operation. This technique poses a series of new challenges for the MPD engineer that needs to predict hydraulic behavior created by the typical transient “U” tube effect caused by connections, trips and surveys in this kind of applications.

The paper details the model and calibration process, findings and best practices gathered from multiple runs, real time transmission and high definition memory data. Actual results and conclusions and also discussed and analyzed in depth for the benefit of any further concentric job applications associated with use of downhole pressure sensors.
Experiences from use of a Managed Pressure Drilling & ECD Management System during drilling of a challenging HPHT well
Authors: Rommetveit Rolv , Ødegård Sven Inge , Nordstrand Christine , Bjørkevoll Knut S. , Fjeldheim Mikkel , Håvardstein Stein T.
Published: February 2010

A very challenging HPHT well has been drilled utilizing a Managed Pressure Drilling System comprised of an advanced ECD Management System with automatic decision support, and real time simulations using state-of-the art models. The System uses all available real time drilling data (surface and downhole) in combination with real time modelling to monitor and optimize the drilling process. Especially the dynamic well pressure and the allowable drilling window (pore / fracture pressures and well stability limits) are focused on. The information is used to visualize the wellbore in 3D in real time. It has been implemented in Total E&P Norge TASC (Total Activities Support and Collaboration) Center in Norway.The system is composed of the following elements: An advanced and fast integrated wellbore flow and thermal simulator modeling the thermohydraulics effects dynamically, and also the interaction between flow and temperature effects in real time.Automatic quality check and corrections of drilling data; making them suitable for processing by computer modelsReal time supervision of the drilling window using time based drilling data as well as drilling modelsDiagnostics of the drilling state and conditions. This is obtained from comparing model predictions with measured data.Automatic forward looking of the ECDA Virtual Wellbore, with advanced visualization of the downhole process.Data flow and computer infrastructure

Among the challenges during planning and drilling of this well have been: Very small window between pore and fracture pressure. RT ECD simulations were performed with an advanced hydraulic and thermal wellbore model, and automatic supervision of the margins versus pore and fracture limits was performed.Increased probability for instabilities in the tight window. Was mitigated by RT stability modeling during drilling.Uncertainties in pore pressure predictions. Was mitigated by updating predictions during drilling.

Experiences from the drilling as well as use of the MPD System will be summarized and presented. The supervision and diagnosis functionalities have been useful in particular.
Flow Properties of Super Light Weight Completion Fluid for Perforation Cleanup During Underbalance Condition
Authors: Khalil Munawar , Jan Badrul Mohamed , Raman Abdul Aziz
Published: February 2010

In cased holes wells, perforation tunnels are the only passage for fluid flow from reservoir to the wellbore. By establishing a clean connection during perforation job, optimum well productivity could be achieved. However, perforation-induced formation damage is always observed along and around the perforation tunnel as the result of perforation. One of the best alternatives to avoid this damage is with the application of underbalanced perforation. During the last decades, such techniques have been developed to achieve underbalance condition prior to gun detonation. As an alternative to these techniques, novel completion fluid referred as super light weight completion fluid is formulated. The use of super light completion fluid shows that underbalance condition could be achieved easily without additional works, major cost, and special surface equipment. In other words, no new procedures and equipment are needed to handle the super light weight completion fluids. Field test based on the basic laboratory formulation showed that the application of the super light weight completion fluid in underbalanced perforation has markedly increased the hydrocarbon production. This paper presents the investigation of flow properties and its effect to the temperature of super light weight completion fluid. The experimental data were fitted to six different rheological models, namely Newtonian, Bingham, Casson, Ostwald-De-Weale, Herschel-Bulkley, and Mizhari-Berk. The results indicated that fluid rheological data is best represented by Mizhari-Berk model. On the other hand, the dependency of the fluid on temperature could be described by Arrhenius model since the calculated R-square was relatively high. The calculated activation energy value of the super light weight completion fluid is 3.5533 kcal·mol−1; indicating that the temperature is not significantly affecting the fluid properties.
MPD Candidate Identification: To MPD or Not To MPD
Authors: Nauduri Sagar , Medley George H. , Schubert Jerome J.
Published: February 2010

The entire range of Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) applications (Traditional, Advanced, and Expanded) has continued to progress in the last few years, thanks to technological advances in equipment, software, and processes, along with changes in approach to solve complex drilling problems. Even though the term “MPD” was first coined in 2003, several of its variations have been tested and used in the industry for a very long period of time, dating back to as early as the 19th century. Until now, several MPD wells have been drilled for purposes and objectives ranging from ‘fighting narrow pressure windows’ to ‘pore-pressure prediction’, more so in the last decade.

However, the big question for any upcoming project always remains: “to MPD or not to MPD”. Even with all the advances in science and technology and increased availability of equipment and expertise, the industry still lacks a Candidate Identification Mechanism (CIM)/Candidate Selection Model (CSM) that is exclusively developed for MPD and its applications, and considers the engineering and economic aspects of the given project.

A new MPD CIM described in this paper provides a basic tool that takes into consideration the available engineering data and determines if MPD is a solution for the given project/field/well. This MPD CIM is a result of constant interaction between the petroleum industry and the Petroleum Engineering research program at Texas A&M University (TAMU). The candidate selection model and software, which comprehensively explain the MPD CIM, are supported by an MPD wells database and the TAMU research thesis.
UBD or MPD: An Engineering Choice Based on Intent
Authors: Malloy Kenneth P. , Shayegi Sara
Published: February 2010

Often times reservoir and drilling engineers are faced with the decision on how best to construct a well to exploit zones of interest while seeking to avoid drilling problems that contribute to reservoir damage or cause loss of hole. The decision to pursue either Underbalanced Drilling (UBD) or Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) operations is based on the intent of applying the most appropriate technology for the candidate well and entails either an acceptance of influx to the surface or avoidance of influx into the wellbore. Although there are some similarities in equipment utilization, it is a mistake to equate the two technologies as being the same. The merits of each technology will be described to aid in the decision-making process.
The IADL Profile: Development, Content Validity, Intra- and Interrater Agreement
Authors: Bottari Carolina L. , Dassa Clément , Rainville Constant M. , Dutil Élisabeth
Published: February 2010

Background. Occupational therapists are frequently asked to document the interplay between individuals' neuropsychological deficits and the requirements of their daily lives. Purpose. The present study was designed to develop and validate a measure of independence in everyday functioning that considers recent advances in research regarding the ecological assessment of executive functions. Method. Experts (n=8) judged the IADL Profile's content validity and the tool was pilot tested with the target population (n=8). To document the tool's reliability, 30 patients aged 16 to 65 with moderate or severe TBI were recruited. A trained examiner administered the IADL Profile, and three trained judges rated video recordings on two occasions. Results. An eight-task (29-item) test was developed. Comparing ratings of four raters, 95 percent of kappa coefficients indicated moderate to almost perfect agreement, and 94% showed almost perfect intrarater agreement. Implications. The IADL Profile provides occupational therapists with a set of measures of IADL independence with strong preliminary evidence of reliability.
Weighted Vests' Effect on Social Attention for Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Leew Shirley V. , Stein Nicole G. , Gibbard W. Ben
Published: February 2010

Background. There is limited research validating the use of weighted vests for problem behaviours/social attention in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) although vests are commonly used in early intervention to improve attention. Purpose. The effect of weighted vests on competing behaviours and joint attention (a pivotal skill for development and a core deficit for toddlers with ASD) in semi-structured play with their mothers was investigated. Methods. A multiple baseline design that included generalization probes to provide evidence of treatment effects across adult female play partners. Unambiguous definitions were created for competing behaviours and joint attention resulting in good inter-observer reliability. Mothers' morale was measured pre- and post-intervention. Findings. There were no replicated effects of vests on competing behaviours or joint attention. Mothers experienced increased morale in spite of null effects of the intervention. Implications. The findings suggest needed re-evaluation of the use of weighted vests with toddlers.
Revisiting Reaction-Diffusion Process in a Porous Catalyst: Improving the Adomian Solution
Authors: Danish Mohd , Kumar Shashi , Kumar Surendra
Published: February 2010

Limitations of the recently developed Adomian solution for the reaction-diffusion process in a porous catalyst slab have been demonstrated and an improved solution, overcoming these restrictions, has been proposed by using a novel scheme of Restarted Adomian method coupled with orthogonal polynomials. The results obtained from this approach have been compared with those obtained by Adomian and other methods and are found to be superior to them. The present results are commendable in the sense that not only the primary but the derived quantities as well, match accurately with their exact numerical counterparts. The scheme is attractive since short analytical expressions with impressive accuracy can be obtained without generating higher Adomian polynomials which are difficult to form; besides, this scheme is also applicable to other similar problems. This validates the general and effective nature of the present approach.
Simple Pricing Schemes for Pollution Control under Asymmetric Information
Authors: Kennedy Peter W , Laplante Benoit , Whittington Dale
Published: February 2010

Most policies for pricing pollution under asymmetric information proposed in the literature to date are rarely  if ever  used in practice. This is likely due to their complexity. We investigate the scope for using somewhat simpler policies that are more closely related to pricing schemes already used by regulators in many jurisdictions. These schemes have a discrete block pricing (DBP) structure whereby a given unit price for pollution is applied up to a specified level of pollution for any given polluter, and a higher unit price is applied to any pollution from that polluter above the specified level. If the same price schedule is applied uniformly to all firms, we call it UDBP. We derive the optimal UDBP schedule for any given number of price blocks. We also derive the optimal limiting case of the UDBP schedule (with an infinite number of price blocks) as a uniform linear increasing marginal price schedule (ULIMP). The optimal ULIMP scheme strikes a balance between the information-related benefits of increasing marginal prices on one hand, and an increase in aggregate abatement cost, due to the non-equalization of marginal abatement costs across firms, on the other. In particular, the optimal schedule is steeper with larger aggregate uncertainty about marginal abatement costs, and flatter with more observable heterogeneity across firms. We then compare our price schemes with those proposed by Weitzman (1978) and Roberts and Spence (1976).
Neurological Tremor: Sensors, Signal Processing and Emerging Applications
Authors: Grimaldi Giuliana , Manto Mario
Published: February 2010

Neurological tremor is the most common movement disorder, affecting more than 4% of elderly people. Tremor is a non linear and non stationary phenomenon, which is increasingly recognized. The issue of selection of sensors is central in the characterization of tremor. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art instrumentation and methods of signal processing for tremor occurring in humans. We describe the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used sensors, as well as the emerging wearable sensors being developed to assess tremor instantaneously. We discuss the current limitations and the future applications such as the integration of tremor sensors in BCIs (brain-computer interfaces) and the need for sensor fusion approaches for wearable solutions.
Factors Influencing Life Satisfaction of Korean Older Adults Living with Family
Authors: Sok Sohyune R.
Published: February 2010

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing life satisfaction of Korean older adults living with family. Participants included 267 adults age 65 and older who met eligibility criteria. Analyses showed that the prediction model of the life satisfaction of older adults who are living with their family was significant (F= 24.429,p< 0.001). The value of the adjustedR2was 0.306, which corresponds to the explanatory power of 30.6%. The factor found to have the greatest influence on these adults' life satisfaction was depression (β = 0.329), followed by perceived health status (β = 0.206), self-esteem (β = 0.090), monthly pocket money (β = 0.060), and age (β = 0.040). It is possible that older adults' life satisfaction increases when they are provided with nursing interventions and are able to effectively manage their health. Nursing interventions must strive to improve their self-esteem and address their depression.
Prospects for Introducing the Eden Alternative
®
To Japan
Authors: Otsuka Shizuka , Hamahata Akiko , Komatsu Misa , Suishu Chizuko , Osuka Keiko
Published: February 2010

To date, no elder care facilities in Japan have formally introduced the Eden Alternative® philosophy of care. The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to identify the perceptions of care workers and nurses regarding the lives of older adults in care facilities to consider the prospects for introducing the Eden Alternative to Japan. The participants included 139 care workers and 41 nurses who responded to a survey questionnaire based on Eden Alternative principles developed by the researchers for this study. More than half of the participants indicated that they sometimes thought the older adults experienced feelings of helplessness, loneliness, and boredom and hoped for changes in the manner of care to improve the lives of residents. Participants were also in favor of the residents having plants and visits from children, but opinions about having animals on site were split. The fact that the survey respondents noticed the problems indicated by the Eden Alternative suggests there is great potential for introducing the Eden Alternative to Japan.
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN RELIABILITY ON VISUAL RESPONSE TASK
Authors: Yen Sheng-Bou , Lee Hsiao-Yu , Cheng Shyh-Yueh
Published: February 2010

Electrophysiological correlates of human reliability in visual response tasks were investigated in 16 healthy subjects using electroencephalographic (EEG) spectral power and event-related potentials (ERP). Human reliability was first determined by calculating individual reaction accuracy in order to split the entire group into high reliability (HR) and low reliability (LR) subgroups, each with eight subjects. The EEG activities of testing subjects were measured at rest condition for 5 min, and during a modified Eriksen flanker task. Artifact-free EEG segments were used to compute the distribution of EEG at varied frequency bands as well as to detect peak and latency of ERPs of the flanker task. Our results showed that subjects with LR exhibited higher alpha band EEG power at the frontal recording site. Additionally, LR group revealed lower P300 amplitude and predominantly longer P300 latency at centro-parietal recording site than those of the HR group. These findings implied that higher alpha band EEG power at frontal and smaller amplitude, longer latency P300 component of ERP measures at centro-parietal might reveal the trait of lower reliability in healthy controls during visual tasks.
Work‐related injuries among Hispanic construction workers—Evidence from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Authors: Dong Xiuwen Sue , Men Yurong , Ringen Knut
Published: February 2010

Background

Although a large number of Hispanic workers have entered the construction industry, few studies have estimated non‐fatal work‐related injuries for Hispanic construction workers at a national level. This study examines work‐related injury conditions among Hispanic construction workers and assesses disparities between Hispanic and white, non‐Hispanic workers.

Methods

Pooled data were analyzed from a large national population survey, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), between 1996 and 2002. More than 7,000 construction workers were identified from the MEPS data including 1,833 Hispanic workers and 4,533 white, non‐Hispanic workers. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using SAS‐callable SUDAAN.

Results

Hispanic workers differ from white, non‐Hispanic workers in demographic and socioeconomic status. After controlling for major risk factors, Hispanic construction workers were more likely than their white, non‐Hispanic counterparts to suffer non‐fatal work‐related injury conditions (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.00–1.64).

Conclusions

This study provides important evidence concerning Hispanic workers' safety on construction sites. Enhanced safety and health programs for Hispanic construction workers and improved occupational injury data systems are recommended. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53: 561–569, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lung cancer risk associated with occupational exposure to nickel, chromium VI, and cadmium in two population‐based case–control studies in Montreal
Authors: Beveridge Rachelle , Pintos Javier , Parent Marie‐Élise , Asselin Jérome , Siemiatycki Jack
Published: February 2010

Background

Nickel, chromium VI, and cadmium have been identified as lung carcinogens in highly exposed cohorts. The purpose of this study was to examine the etiological link between lung cancer and these metals in occupations, that usually entail lower levels of exposure than those seen in historical cohorts.

Methods

Two population‐based case–control studies were conducted in Montreal, from 1979 to 1986 and from 1996 to 2001, comprising 1,598 cases and 1,965 controls. A detailed job history was obtained to evaluate lifetime occupational exposure to many agents, including nickel, chromium VI, and cadmium compounds.

Results

Lung cancer odds ratios were increased only among former or non‐smokers: 2.5 (95% CI: 1.3–4.7) for nickel exposure, 2.4 (95% CI: 1.2–4.8) for chromium VI, and 4.7 (95% CI: 1.5–14.3) for cadmium. The metals did not increase risk among smokers.

Conclusions

While excess risks due to these metal compounds were barely discernable among smokers, carcinogenic effects were seen among non‐smokers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:476–485, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Carbon Nanomaterials in Biosensors: Should You Use Nanotubes or Graphene?
Authors: Yang Wenrong , Ratinac Kyle R. , Ringer Simon P. , Thordarson Pall , Gooding J. Justin , Braet Filip
Published: February 2010

From diagnosis of life‐threatening diseases to detection of biological agents in warfare or terrorist attacks, biosensors are becoming a critical part of modern life. Many recent biosensors have incorporated carbon nanotubes as sensing elements, while a growing body of work has begun to do the same with the emergent nanomaterial graphene, which is effectively an unrolled nanotube. With this widespread use of carbon nanomaterials in biosensors, it is timely to assess how this trend is contributing to the science and applications of biosensors. This Review explores these issues by presenting the latest advances in electrochemical, electrical, and optical biosensors that use carbon nanotubes and graphene, and critically compares the performance of the two carbon allotropes in this application. Ultimately, carbon nanomaterials, although still to meet key challenges in fabrication and handling, have a bright future as biosensors.
Synthesis and antimicrobial activities of sulfonohydrazide‐substituted 8‐hydroxyquinoline derivative and its oxinates
Authors: Dixit Ritu B. , Vanparia Satish F. , Patel Tarosh S. , Jagani Chandresh L. , Doshi Hiren V. , Dixit Bharat C.
Published: February 2010

Looking at the pharmacological importance of 8‐hydroxyquinolines and sulfonamides, in the present study, a novel bi‐dentate ligand 4‐amino‐N′‐[(8‐hydroxyquinoline‐5‐yl)methyl] benzenesulfonohydrazide (AHQMBSH) having above both moieties within a single molecular framework was synthesized by the reaction ofN‐acetamidobenzene sulfonohydrazide with 5‐chloromethyl‐8‐hydroxyquinoline hydrochloride. Its metal(II) oxinates were also prepared with Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) salts. All the above compounds were investigated by physicochemical analyses, thermogravimetric analysis and spectroscopic techniques. Antimicrobial activities for the above prepared compounds were carried out using the agar‐plate method against various strains of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtillis, Pseudomonas aerugionsa, Escherichia coli) and fungi (Aspergillus nigerandAspergillus flavous). The results show a significant increase in antimicrobial and antifungal activities of AHQMBSH compared with the parent 8‐hydroxyquinoline and sulfonamides. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and microwave‐assisted catalytic activity of novel bis‐benzimidazole salts bearing furfuryl and thenyl moieties in Heck and Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions
Authors: Yılmaz Ülkü , Şireci Nihat , Deniz Selma , Küçükbay Hasan
Published: February 2010

A mixture of bis‐benzimidazole salts (1–7), Pd(OAc)2 and K2CO3 in DMF H2O catalyzes, in high yield, the Suzuki and Heck cross‐coupling reactions assisted by microwave irradiation in a short time. In particular, the yields of the Heck and Suzuki reactions with aryl bromides were found to be nearly quantative. The synthesized bis‐benzimidazole salts (1–7) were identified by 1H13C NMR, IR spectroscopic methods and micro analysis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and Self‐Aggregation of Enantiopure and Racemic Molecular Tweezers Based on the Bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane Framework
Authors: Wallentin Carl‐Johan , Wixe Torbjörn , Wendt Ola F. , Bergquist Karl‐Erik , Wärnmark Kenneth
Published: February 2010

A pair of molecular tweezers (syn‐4) that consists of quinoline and pyrazine units fused to a bicyclic framework is presented. The tweezers were synthesised both as a racemic mixture (rac‐4) and an enantiomerically pure form ((R,R,R,R)‐4) starting from either racemic or enantiomerically pure bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane‐2,6‐dione (3). Homochiral dimers were observed in the solid state for rac‐4. The self‐association of both rac‐4 and (R,R,R,R)‐4 was studied in solution. A weak self‐association constant in CDCl3 was estimated by 1H NMR spectroscopic dilution titration experiments in both cases, following several proton resonances. For this purpose, a general normalisation model for the accurate determination of association constants from multiple datasets was developed. In contrast to the solid state, no diastereomeric discrimination was observed for rac‐4 in solution.
Dichloro‐Bis(aminophosphine) Complexes of Palladium: Highly Convenient, Reliable and Extremely Active Suzuki–Miyaura Catalysts with Excellent Functional Group Tolerance
Authors: Bolliger Jeanne L. , Frech Christian M.
Published: February 2010

Dichloro‐bis(aminophosphine) complexes are stable depot forms of palladium nanoparticles and have proved to be excellent Suzuki–Miyaura catalysts. Simple modifications of the ligand (and/or the addition of water to the reaction mixture) have allowed their formation to be controlled. Dichlorobis[1‐(dicyclohexylphosphanyl)piperidine]palladium (3), the most active catalyst of the investigated systems, is a highly convenient, reliable, and extremely active Suzuki catalyst with excellent functional group tolerance that enables the quantitative coupling of a wide variety of activated, nonactivated, and deactivated and/or sterically hindered functionalized and heterocyclic aryl and benzyl bromides with only a slight excess (1.1–1.2 equiv) of arylboronic acid at 80 °C in the presence of 0.2 mol % of the catalyst in technical grade toluene in flasks open to the air. Conversions of >95 % were generally achieved within only a few minutes. The reaction protocol presented herein is universally applicable. Side‐products have only rarely been detected. The catalytic activities of the aminophosphine‐based systems were found to be dramatically improved compared with their phosphine analogue as a result of significantly faster palladium nanoparticle formation. The decomposition products of the catalysts are dicyclohexylphosphinate, cyclohexylphosphonate, and phosphate, which can easily be separated from the coupling products, a great advantage when compared with non‐water‐soluble phosphine‐based systems.
Conditional survival estimates improve over time for patients with advanced melanoma
Authors: Xing Yan , Chang George J. , Hu Chung‐Yuan , Askew Robert L. , Ross Merrick I. , Gershenwald Jeffrey E. , Lee Jeffrey E. , Mansfield Paul F. , Lucci Anthony , Cormier Janice N.
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND:

Conditional survival (CS) has emerged as a clinically relevant measure of prognosis for cancer survivors. The objective of this analysis was to provide melanoma‐specific CS estimates to help clinicians promote more informed patient decision making.

METHODS:

Patients with melanoma and at least 5 years of follow‐up were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registry (1988‐2000). By using the methods of Kaplan and Meier, stage‐specific, 5‐year CS estimates were independently calculated for survivors for each year after diagnosis. Stage‐specific multivariate Cox regression models including baseline survivor functions were used to calculate adjusted melanoma‐specific CS for different subgroups of patients further stratified by age, gender, race, marital status, anatomic tumor location, and tumor histology.

RESULTS:

Five‐year CS estimates for patients with stage I disease remained constant at 97% annually, while for patients with stages II, III, and IV disease, 5‐year CS estimates from time 0 (diagnosis) to 5 years improved from 72% to 86%, 51% to 87%, and 19% to 84%, respectively. Multivariate CS analysis revealed that differences in stages II through IV CS based on age, gender, and race decreased over time.

CONCLUSIONS:

Five‐year melanoma‐specific CS estimates improve dramatically over time for survivors with advanced stages of disease. These prognostic data are critical to patients for both treatment and nontreatment related life decisions. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Clinical outcomes of systemic therapy for patients with deep fibromatosis (desmoid tumor)
Authors: de Camargo Veridiana Pires , Keohan Mary L. , D'Adamo David R. , Antonescu Cristina R. , Brennan Murray F. , Singer Samuel , Ahn Linda S. , Maki Robert G.
Published: February 2010

BACKGROUND:

In the current study, the authors examined the outcomes of patients with desmoid tumors who received systemic therapy at a single institution to provide a basis for the examination of newer agents.

METHODS:

Records of patients with desmoid tumors who were treated with chemotherapy at the study institution were reviewed. The activity of nonsteroidal anti–inflammatory drugs was not addressed. Patients without measurable disease and those receiving therapy could not be documented, and those receiving prophylactic therapy were excluded.

RESULTS:

A total of 68 patients received 157 lines of therapy. At the time of last follow–up, 9 patients had died, 7 of progressive disease. The cohort was 62% female, with a median age of 32.5 years. Approximately 32% of the patients had Gardner syndrome. The median follow‐up was 63 months, and patients received a median of 2 lines of therapy. An intra‐abdominal primary tumor location was the most common (44%). The greatest Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) response rate was observed with anthracyclines and hormonal therapy and the lowest response was noted with single‐agent dacarbazine/temozolomide or tyrosine kinase inhibitors, principally imatinib. On multivariate analysis, macroscopic nodular morphology and the presence of Gardner syndrome were the only tumor factors found to be associated with a greater time to disease progression.

CONCLUSIONS:

Compared with other agents, antiestrogens and anthracycline‐containing regimens appear to be associated with a higher radiological response rate against desmoid tumors. Systemic therapy can be successful in patients with desmoid tumors, and is a viable option in lieu of morbid or disabling surgery. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Comparing large colour‐difference data sets
Authors: Zhu S. Y. , Luo M. R. , Cui G. H. , Li C. J. , Rigg B.
Published: February 2010

This study investigated the differences between different large colour‐difference (LCD) data sets (with a mean ΔE value about 10). Six data sets were studied. For each data set, various CIELAB based colour difference models were derived to fit the data. These models were compared to shed light on the difference between the different data sets. It was found that all data sets have very similar characteristics except for the Munsell data. Detailed investigation showed that the discrepancy is mainly due to the balance between the lightness and chromatic differences used previously for the Munsell data set. It was found that one unit of Munsell Value appears to be three times as large colour difference as one unit of Munsell Chroma at least under the experimental conditions for the data sets studied here. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2011
Construction of Energy Transfer Systems within Nanosized Polymer Micelles and their Fluorescence Modulation Properties
Authors: Chen Jian , Zeng Fang , Wu Shuizhu
Published: February 2010

The nanoparticle‐based fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) systems have recently attracted considerable attention due to some of their advantages; however, these systems are structurally more complicated than that of small molecule systems, and the energy transfer behavior for particle systems has been seldom investigated. In this study, we synthesized a series of ABC triblock copolymers that contain hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), hydrophobic poly(styrene) (PS) and photochromic poly(2‐(3‐(3′,3′‐dimethyl‐6‐nitrospiro(indoline‐2′,2‐[2H‐1]benzopyran)‐1′‐yl)propanoylo‐xy)ethyl methacrylate) (PSPMA) blocks by using the sequential two‐step atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The amphiphilic micelles made from these copolymers can incorporate a hydrophobic fluorescent dye, the nitrobenzoxadiazolyl derivative (NBD), thus forming a water dispersible energy transfer system with the fluorescent dye NBD as the donor and spiropyran moieties as the potential acceptor. The spectral properties of NBD/triblock copolymers with varied PS block lengths and PSPMA block lengths have been investigated; the results indicate that the length of PS block in triblock copolymers can affect the energy transfer efficiency of the micelle‐based fluorescence modulation system, the micelles with moderate PS block length are preferable for forming FRET system with higher energy transfer efficiency, and short PSPMA blocks (less than 5 repetition units) are enough for efficient energy transfer.
A new approach for fast segment‐based protection in WDM mesh networks
Authors: Lin Yu , Hamza Haitham S.
Published: February 2010

We propose a new approach for developing segment‐based schemes for protection against single link/node failure in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) mesh networks. In the proposed approach, every request is allocated a pair of link disjoint butmost coupledprimary and backup paths. Two paths are said to be most coupled if they share the maximum number ofend nodesof some existing requests. Coupled paths reduce the total number of hops need to be traversed by a failure signal and, hence, potentially reduces the overall recovery time. We show that the problem of finding a pair of disjoint and most coupled paths is NP‐complete. Accordingly, we propose an efficient and fast protection algorithm called SPXP—Segment Pre‐Cross‐Connected Protection, to allocate disjoint and most coupled paths. The proposed SPXP algorithm reduces the recovery time by ensuring that backup resources are pre‐configured along each backup segment and, hence, is readily available upon a failure. Simulation results for different incremental traffic models and network topologies show that, for most cases, the proposed SPXP exhibits better performance in terms of blocking probability, resource usage, and recovery time compared with existing protection schemes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unsupported Copper Nanoparticles in the 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of Terminal Alkynes and Azides
Authors: Alonso Francisco , Moglie Yanina , Radivoy Gabriel , Yus Miguel
Published: February 2010

Readily prepared copper nanoparticles were found to catalyse the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of azides and alkynes up to rates comparable to those of microwave chemistry. Both the preparation of the nanoparticles and the click reaction are carried out under mild conditions, in short reaction times and in the absence of any stabilising additive or ligand. A variety of 1,2,3‐triazoles were prepared in excellent yields. A reaction mechanism was postulated on the basis of different reactivity studies and deuteration experiments. Copper(I) acetylides were demonstrated to be the real intermediate species.
MAP sequence equalization for imperfect frequency selective channel knowledge
Authors: Sellami Noura , Siala Mohamed , Roumy Aline , Kammoun Ines
Published: February 2010

This paper considers the problem of maximuma posteriori(MAP) sequence equalization over a frequency selective channel when the channel is not perfectly known at the receiver. The imperfect channel estimate is provided by a least squares estimator using a training sequence (TS). The derivation of the MAP criterion taking into account the channel estimation error exists in the literature but no direct practical implementation has been proposed. In this paper, we propose an approximate solution to the problem by using an iterative burst‐by‐burst equalizer based on the Expectation Maximisation (EM) algorithm. Simulation results show that the performance of our iterative equalizer is significantly better than the performance of the non‐iterative equalizer which does not take into account the channel estimation error. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exact and numerical simulation of peristaltic flow of a non‐Newtonian fluid with inclined magnetic field in an endoscope
Authors: Nadeem S. , Akbar Noreen Sher
Published: February 2010

In the present article, we have studied the effects of inclined magnetic field on the peristaltic flow of Jeffrey fluid through the gap between two coaxial inclined tubes. The inner tube is rigid, whereas the outer tube has sinusoidal wave traveling down its wall. The governing equations are simplified using long wave length and low Reynolds number approximations. Exact and numerical solutions have been derived for velocity profile. The expressions for pressure rise and friction force are calculated using numerical integration. Graphical results and trapping phenomenon is presented at the end of the article to see the physical behavior of different parameters. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Combining forecast densities from VARs with uncertain instabilities
Authors: Jore Anne Sofie , Mitchell James , Vahey Shaun P.
Published: February 2010

Recursive‐weight forecast combination is often found to an ineffective method of improving point forecast accuracy in the presence of uncertain instabilities. We examine the effectiveness of this strategy for forecast densities using (many) vector autoregressive (VAR) and autoregressive (AR) models of output growth, inflation and interest rates. Our proposed recursive‐weight density combination strategy, based on the recursive logarithmic score of the forecast densities, produces well‐calibrated predictive densities for US real‐time data by giving substantial weight to models that allow for structural breaks. In contrast, equal‐weight combinations produce poorly calibrated forecast densities for Great Moderation data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of the latent transforming growth factor ß complex in Bone
Authors: Pfeilschifter Johannes , Bonewald Lynda , Mundy Gregory R.
Published: February 2010

Transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) is a 25 kD multifunctional polypeptide with pronounced effects on the proliferation and differentiation of a variety of cells in vitro. TGF-ß is a potent regulator of the activity of cells with the osteoblast phenotype and of isolated osteoclasts. It is released in increased amounts by bone cultures stimulated to resorb. Organ cultures of neonatal mouse calvaria produce TGF-ß as an inert large-molecular-weight complex that must be dissociated to release biologically active TGF-ß (5-8 ng/ml). We have shown recently that stimulated isolated avian osteoclasts release active TGF-ß from this bone-derived biologically latent form. In this report we have characterized this bone latent form of TGF-ß. Only small amounts of active TGF-ß (<0.5 ng/ml) and no free binding protein are detectable in conditioned medium from bone cultures. Active TGF-ß can be detected in acid-treated calvarial conditioned media in which none or only minute amounts could previously be detected. Following incubation at 37°C, this activated TGF-ß gradually loses activity. Cross-linking studies using 125I-labeled TGF-ß show that this loss of activity is due to TGF-ß binding to a protein of approximately 300 kD. The TGF-ß latent complex accumulates in a linear manner and is stable in the presence of serum and the protease trypsin. Increases in temperature and pH extremes dissociate the complex to release active TGF-ß. Decreases in pH result in an exponential increase in TGF-ß activity. Significant activation of the latent TGF-ß was detectable at pH values as high as 4 and 5. Since the osteoclastic microenvironment is acidic during bone resorption, these data suggest that this acidic microenvironment may regulate TGF-ß activity by releasing active TGF-ß from its latent complex