bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thiamine-deficient lactic acidosis with brain tumor treatment
Authors: Kuba Hiroshi , Inamura Takanori , Ikezaki Kiyonobu , Kawashima Masatou , Fukui Masashi
Published: June 2009

✓ Lactic acidosis due to thiamine deficiency is known to complicate chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment of malignant extracranial tumors, but to the authors' knowledge, this complication has not been reported in patients treated for malignant brain tumors. They report three such cases, demonstrating that this complication can occur during treatment of brain tumors.

In all patients, consciousness levels deteriorated within 1 to 2 days. Serum lactic acid levels increased to concentrations between 62 and 96.7 mg/dl, resulting in severe metabolic acidosis. A low blood thiamine level (9 ng/ml) was demonstrated at the onset in one case, and high-dose thiamine infusions dramatically improved lactic acidemia as well as impairment of consciousness in two cases. In the other case, hydrocephalus was suspected initially, resulting in a delay in thiamine supplementation.

Clinical differentiation of this form of lactic acidosis from hydrocephalus or tumor progression can be very difficult in a patient undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumor. Demand for thiamine is thought to be increased in patients with malignant brain tumors, and supplemental thiamine during treatment is necessary to prevent lactic acidosis. When this complication occurs, immediate treatment with sufficient thiamine is essential, together with normalization of pH by using sodium bicarbonate. With timely intervention, the level of consciousness can recover to the preacidotic state with no new neurological deficits.
Pitfalls of bungee jumping
Authors: Louw Deon , Reddy Kesava K. V. , Lauryssen Carl , Louw Gideon
Published: June 2009

✓ A case of cervical spine injury related to bungee jumping is presented. Surgical intervention resulted in resolution of the patient's quadriparesis. The incidence of serious injury connected with this pastime is not inconsiderable, and it is recommended that safer jumping practices be followed. Inspection of bungee equipment and certification of instructors is now voluntary but should be mandated. Jumping heights should be limited and the use of air cushions encouraged.
Excessively high prolactin level in a patient with a nonprolactin-secreting adenoma
Authors: Albuquerque Felipe C. , Hinton David R. , Weiss Martin H.
Published: June 2009

✓ The authors report the case of a 48-year-old woman who presented with a nonprolactin-secreting adenoma and a preoperative prolactin level of 662 ng/ml. The patient's neoplasm subsequently enlarged despite normalization of her prolactin level with dopamine agonist therapy. Hyperprolactinemia, with levels of prolactin as high as 150 ng/ml, is commonly associated with sellar tumors and is attributed to disruption of the normal delivery of dopamine to the adenohypophysis. The prolactin level found in this patient represents the highest level attributed to the stalk-section effect reported in the literature and underscores the need for repeated radiographic assessment of patients who are undergoing treatment with bromocriptine and have prolactin levels in the 25 to 1000 ng/ml range.
Solitary cysticercus granuloma of the brainstem
Authors: Lath Rahul , Rajshekhar Vedantam
Published: June 2009

✓ Isolated brainstem involvement in patients who have neurocysticercosis is rare. The authors describe the clinical and radiological features of four patients with a solitary cysticercus granuloma of the brainstem and discuss their case management. In three of the patients the onset of symptoms was fairly rapid, occurring over a few days. The granuloma appeared as an enhancing lesion measuring 20 mm or less, with a ring- or disklike appearance on computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. A stereotactic biopsy provided the definitive diagnosis in one patient. In two patients the granuloma resolved spontaneously with complete regression of symptoms and signs and in one patient the granuloma resolved following albendazole therapy. In all patients, outcome was excellent or good (follow-up evaluation 6 months–3 years) with only one patient having persistent paresthesias on one side of his body. Because spontaneous resolution is the rule, a conservative approach to case management, including observation, is recommended. The importance of recognizing this entity and avoiding unnecessary surgical intervention or empirical antituberculous chemotherapy is emphasized.
Influence of System Parameters on Fuse Protection Use in Regenerative DC Drives
Authors: Qader Mohammed Redha , Al-Asooly Hedaia , Qamber Isa Salman
Published: June 2009

Current limiting fuses are widely used to protect the thyristors in DC drive systems. One very important problem is the choice of the correct voltage rating for fuses protecting regenerative DC drives, where many types of fault may occur, which makes fuse protection difficult. In the event of a commutation failure while regenerating, the fuses need to interrupt the loop supplied by the AC and DC voltages acting in series, which is the most difficult case for protection by fuses. In this paper a detailed study of the complete interruption process has been investigated by modeling of arcing process of the fuse protection against the regenerative circuit internal commutation fault. The effect of varying the motor time constant, supply impedance, number of fuses used to clear the fault and DC machine rating on the total transient response is studied. The model of a 200 A fuse is employed in this study. Fuses in series with both the semiconductor devices (F1) and fuses in AC lines (F2) are considered. Comparison was made between arc energy produced for fuses protecting the regenerative circuit if failure occurs, with the arc energy produced in a standard AC test in order to investigate the required voltage rating for the fuse.
Optical Slot-Waveguide Based Biochemical Sensors
Authors: Barrios Carlos Angulo
Published: June 2009

Slot-waveguides allow light to be guided and strongly confined inside a nanometer-scale region of low refractive index. Thus stronger light-analyte interaction can be obtained as compared to that achievable by a conventional waveguide, in which the propagating beam is confined to the high-refractive-index core of the waveguide. In addition, slot-waveguides can be fabricated by employing CMOS compatible materials and technology, enabling miniaturization, integration with electronic, photonic and fluidic components in a chip, and mass production. These advantages have made the use of slot-waveguides for highly sensitive biochemical optical integrated sensors an emerging field. In this paper, recent achievements in slot-waveguide based biochemical sensing will be reviewed. These include slot-waveguide ring resonator based refractometric label-free biosensors, label-based optical sensing, and nano-opto-mechanical sensors.
A Methodological Proposal for Corporate Carbon Footprint and Its Application to a Wine-Producing Company in Galicia, Spain
Authors: Penela Adolfo Carballo , García-Negro María do Carme , Quesada Juan Luís Doménech
Published: June 2009

Corporate carbon footprint (CCFP) is one of the most widely used indicators to synthesise environmental impacts on a corporate scale. We present a methodological proposal for CCFP calculation on the basis of the “method composed of financial accounts” abbreviated as MC3, considering the Spanish version “metodo compuesto de las cuentas contables”. The main objective is to describe how this method and the main outputs obtained work. This latter task is fulfilled with a practical case study, where we estimate the carbon footprint of a wine-producing company for the year 2006. Results show the origin of impacts generated, providing this firm with disaggregated information on the contribution to its CCFP of each one of its activities and consumptions.
SUSTAINABLE MEDIUM-STRENGTH CONCRETE (CS-CONCRETE) FROM COLLIERY SPOIL IN SOUTH WALES UK
Authors: Kinuthia John , Snelson David , Gailius Albinas
Published: June 2009

This paper reviews one way in which colliery spoil can be utilized in low‐strength concrete. Colliery Spoil (CS) (minestone), a by‐product of coal mining, is abundant in most parts of the world. It has potential as a construction material but it has not been fully appreciated. This is partly because colliery spoil is not easy to utilize, due a number of drawbacks. The major problems identified in attempts to utilize CS in construction include excessive wear, expansive behaviour, leaching of heavy metals and even radioactivity. Thus, to date, the bulk of the CS utilization is limited to isolated cases of highway embankments, backfilling of mines, quarries and other surface tips, or in extreme cases subjected to marine and other disposal. This paper reports on the scope of technological benefits of utilizing colliery spoil (CS) in low to medium strength concrete. There has been intermittent pursuance of the benefits of utilizing colliery spoil in the United Kingdom. However, there is still no well‐accepted and/or positive feedback on any colliery‐based technology and/or construction material, apart from that relating its use for bulk fill. This research was triggered by proximity of large supplies of both CS and slag in South Wales, UK, as well as the authors’ interest in advances in sustainable construction. Two fractions of colliery spoil were mixed in equal proportions and used for concrete where the binder was PC, or novel binders comprising of either Wastepaper Sludge Ash (WSA) or WSA combined in equal proportions with Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag (GGBS), themselves industrial wastes or by‐product materials. Compressive strength of compacted cube specimens was monitored for a period of up to 56 days of curing. Results indicate that the performance of systems incorporating CS and WSA were of very poor workability, but the resultant strength was within the low to medium category usable for blinding concrete and or for use in bound granular fill or foundations.

Santrauka

Anglies kasyklų atliekos yra potenciali ekologiška žaliava statybos dirbiniams gaminti, tačiau iki šiol neištirtos jos savybės ir naudojimo galimybės. Staripsnyje pateikti tyrimų rezultatai rodo, kaip, taikant specialias technologijas, savybes modifikuojančius priedus, kompozicines rišamąsias medžiagas, galima anglies kasyklų atliekas naudoti vidutinio stiprumo tvariam betonui gaminti.
MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES AND DYNAMICS OF HOT‐MIX ASPHALT MIXTURE PRODUCTION
Authors: Sivilevičius Henrikas , Šukevičius Šarūnas
Published: June 2009

In most countries, the pavement of motor roads, airfields and other trafficked areas is made of hot‐mix asphalt (HMA) mixture prepared by asphalt mixing plants (AMP) of various designs. The total output of HMA mixtures shows the dynamics of national road transport infrastructure's development, corresponding to the increasing number of vehicles, traffic intensity and axle loading. HMA mixtures are made by using various technologies, which have some advantages and disadvantages. The paper presents technological schemes of making HMA mixtures used in Lithuania and other countries. The development of AMP and technical and technological characteristics of new computer‐aided AMP models used at various asphalt production companies (APC) were analysed. Based on the data provided by the European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA), the correlational‐regression relation between the country's area and the amount of the produced HMA mixtures was established. The data on the total output of HMA mixtures in Lithuania cannot be found in the information provided by EAPA. For the first time, the dynamics of the production of HMA mixtures by particular APC in Lithuania over the last 10 years (1998–2007) has been determined based on the data directly obtained from their manufacturers. The data were analysed and compared to the output of HMA mixtures in other countries and the dynamics of the development of AMP models used in Lithuania and changes in their numbers were determined. Santrauka Daugelyje šalių automobilių kelių, skridimo aikštelių ir kitų eismo zonų danga įrengiama iš karšto maišymo asfalto (KMA) mišinio, pagaminto skirtingos konstrukcijos asfaltbetonio maišytuvuose (ABM). KMA mišinio gamybos apimtys rodo šalies kelių transporto infrastruktūros plėtros dinamiką ir atitiktį didėjantį automobilių skaičių, jų eismo intensyvumą ir ašies apkrovas. KMA mišinys gaminamas taikant skirtingas technologijas, turinčias privalumų ir trūkumų. Darbe pateiktos Lietuvos Respublikos ir kitų šalių KMA mišinių gamybos technologijos schemos. Išanalizuota ABM tobulinimo raida ir įmonėse veikiančių naujų modelių kompiuteriais valdomų ABM techninės ir technologinės charakteristikos. Naudojant European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA) duomenis, gauta koreliacinė-regresinė šalies ploto ir pagaminto KMA mišinio kiekio sietis. EAPA skelbiamoje informacijoje nėra duomenų, rodančių suminius Lietuvoje pagaminto KMA mišinių kiekius. Pirmą kartą iš asfalto mišinių gamintojų surinkus ir susisteminus duomenis, tiesiogiai gauta 10 metų (1998–2007) Lietuvos Respublikos asfaltbetonio gamyklose (ABG) pagaminto KMA mišinių kiekio dinamika ir ji palyginta su kitose šalyse pagaminto KMA mišinio kiekiais. Atlikta Lietuvoje veikiančių ABM modelių ir skaičiaus kaitos dinamika.
THE REGULATION OF STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF CERAMICS DEPENDING ON THE DRYING REGIME
Authors: Mačiulaitis Romualdas , Malaiškienė Jurgita
Published: June 2009

Always in the shaped semimanufactures of ceramics is some humidity, which we must eliminate before burning. Drying process is to safeguard the satisfactory strength of semimanufactures. Additionally, changes of ceramic samples capacity is to end the drying process, associated with elimination of humidity that would not compose defects ‐ gaps, fractures, fragmentation etc. In this work it was shown, how the selected stages of drying regime influence the structural parameters of ceramics (reserve of porous volume, heterogeneity degree of structure, maximum rate of capillary rise according to watering front, capillary rate of mass flow, water absorption) and vice verse, how the selection of the dimensions of the stages for drying regime depends on the desired values of the of ceramics. Santrauka Džiovinimas gaminant keraminius dirbinius yra labai svarbus technologinis procesas, nes džiovinant turi baigtis keraminių bandinių tūrio pokyčiai, susiję su drėgmės pasišalinimu, kad neatsirastų defektų – plyšių, įtrūkių, nuskilimų ir t. t. Darbe buvo išnagrinėta, kaip džiovinimo režimo parinkimas gali lemti defektų atsiradimą ir tokias struktūrines keraminių bandinių charakteristikas, kaip poringosios erdvės rezervas, struktūros nevienalytiškumo laipsnis, maksimalus kapiliarinio pakilimo pagal drėkinimo frontą greitis, kapiliarinis masės srauto greitis ir vandens įmirkis. Tikslui pasiekti keraminiai bandiniai buvo paruošti parinkus 8 džiovinimo režimus, o kitus technologinius veiksnius (formavimo mišinio sudėtis, degimo temperarūra, temperatūros kėlimo greitis degant ir kt.) palikus nekintamus. Nustačius keraminės šukės struktūrines charakteristikas ir atlikus gautų duomenų statistinę analizę, buvo sudarytos empirinės lygtys. Pagal jas buvo pagrįsta, kaip kiekvienas parinktas džiovinimo režimo etapo dydis lemia struktūrinių rodiklių verčių kitimą ir kaip galima reguliuoti džiovinimo režimą, norint gauti tam tikras struktūrinių charakteristikų vertes.
Surfing for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Perspectives on Quality and Content of Information on the Internet
Authors: STINSON JENNIFER N. , TUCKER LORI , HUBER ADAM , HARRIS HEATHER , LIN CARMEN , COHEN LINDSAY , GILL NAVREET , LUKAS-BRETZLER JACQUELINE , PROULX LAURIE , PROWTEN DAVID
Published: June 2009

Objective.

To determine the quality and content of English language Internet information about juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) from the perspectives of consumers and healthcare professionals.

Methods.

Key words relevant to JIA were searched across 10 search engines. Quality of information was appraised independently by 2 health professionals, 1 young adult with JIA, and a parent using the DISCERN tool. Concordance of the website content (i.e., accuracy and completeness) with available evidence about the management of JIA was determined. Readability was determined using Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Reading Ease Score.

Results.

Out of the 3000 Web pages accessed, only 58 unique sites met the inclusion criteria. Of these sites only 16 had DISCERN scores above 50% (indicating fair quality). These sites were then rated by consumers. Most sites targeted parents and none were specifically developed for youth with JIA. The overall quality of website information was fair, with a mean DISCERN quality rating score of 48.92 out of 75 (± 6.56, range 34.0–59.5). Overall completeness of sites was 9.07 out of 16 (± 2.28, range 5.25–13.25) and accuracy was 3.09 out of 4 (± 0.86, range 2–4), indicating a moderate level of accuracy. Average Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Reading Ease Score were 11.48 (± 0.74, range 10.1–12.0) and 36.36 (± 10.86, range 6.30–48.1), respectively, indicating that the material was difficult to read.

Conclusion.

Our study highlights the paucity of high quality Internet health information at an appropriate reading level for youth with JIA and their parents.
L'opposition inhibition/déficit dans la schizophrénie. Éléments pour une discussion historique, épistémologique, clinique
Authors: Kapsambelis Vassilis
Published: June 2009

La conception théorique de la schizophrénie en psychiatrie traditionnelle a systématiquement négligé la notion d’inhibition, lui préférant celle de déficit. La dissociation (Spaltung) de Bleuler aurait pu ouvrir vers une autre conception du « déficit » schizophrénique, mais le malentendu avec les conceptions psychanalytiques n’a pas permis l’exploitation de cette ouverture. La plus récente théorisation de la psychopathologie de la schizophrénie en termes de « positif » et de « négatif » représente un retour aux conceptions défectologiques, car elle ignore le rapport dialectique entre ces deux termes. En psychopathologie psychanalytique, une certaine conception de la destructivité et de la pulsion de mort, si elle ne tient pas compte de la dimension relationnelle et contre-transférentielle de ces notions, risque de reproduire la conception « déficitaire » sous des termes nouveaux. Une hypothèse de l’inhibition dans la schizophrénie est proposée en tant qu’inhibition de l’agir, à partir d’une discussion du désinvestissement des représentations de chose au profit des représentations de mot dans cette pathologie.
L'inhibition et ses liens avec le père primaire
Authors: Gérard Christian
Published: June 2009

L’inhibition primaire est définie comme faisant partie des expériences précoces importantes en lien avec le père objet primaire dont le rôle est essentiel dans les triangulations primordiales. Une pathologie de l’inhibition primaire est mise en relation avec une forme de carence de la fonction paternelle et ses conséquences sur les troubles des inhibitions secondarisées, les identifications et l’élaboration du complexe d’Œdipe.
Quand le chat est là...
Authors: Hagmann Valentine , Servant Benoît
Published: June 2009

Les auteurs défendent l’idée, à partir des récits d’un traitement institutionnel d’adolescent en hôpital de jour et d’une cure analytique individuelle d’adulte, que le symptôme « inhibition » se rencontre, s’il est majeur, quand le sujet est soumis, dans sa relation avec l’objet, à un dilemme séduction-excitation/inhibition. Celui-ci résulterait d’une difficulté d’utilisation de l’objet. Parallèlement, la représentation se fait meurtrière de l’objet au lieu de permettre l’irrigation vivifiante réciproque entre Moi et non-Moi. Réciproquement, la levée de l’inhibition peut résulter de la co-création par le patient et l’analyste, ou l’équipe soignante en institution, d’un espace de représentation qui permet au sujet de se nourrir à nouveau du monde et de l’investir en retour.
Inhibition et crise dans le contre-transfert
Authors: Maurice Claire
Published: June 2009

De plus en plus de configurations cliniques interrogent une forme d’inhibition qui touche moins des « limitations fonctionnelles du Moi » que l’ensemble du fonctionnement mental du sujet lui-même mettant parfois en crise la dynamique transféro-contre-transférentielle, à partir des empêchements de penser que cette situation induit. Pourtant, penser cette forme d’inhibition doit rester au cœur du travail analytique, en particulier au sein du contre-transfert.
Après-coup et construction
Authors: Faimberg Haydée
Published: June 2009

L’auteur se réfère à cette conception freudienne, subversive du temps et de la causalité psychiques qu’est l’opération de Nachträglichkeit en cherchant son articulation avec le concept de construction dans le travail clinique de Freud (cas de Kardiner) et de Winnicott. L’auteur rappelle aussi une hypothèse qu’elle a posée en 1998 : la crainte de l’effondrement winnicottienne a besoin d’une conceptualisation élargie de l’après-coup (opération toujours constituée de deux phases : anticipation et signification rétroactive) pour considérer ce processus de temporalisation – à partir de la formulation d’une construction par Winnicott – comme une opération d’après-coup.
De l'idée freudienne de narcissisme primaire à celle de subjectivation, deux approches complémentaires en psychanalyse
Authors: Penot Bernard
Published: June 2009

La pensée de Freud n’a cessé d’évoluer entre deux pôles de référence. Il ne lâche jamais l’optique d’une individualité organique où s’enracinerait « la vie d’âme », tout en concevant le développement de celle-ci au travers des interactions premières. Nous avons aujourd’hui encore à mieux intégrer les lignes de force d’une telle tension : entre narcissisme individuel et subjectivation relationnelle. Une lecture critique comparative de deux textes conçus à une année d’intervalle – « Pour introduire le narcissisme » (1914) et « Pulsions et destins des pulsions » (1915) – aide à travailler cette tension théorique, au-delà de ses apparentes contradictions. Le couple narcissisme/subjectivation s’avère en effet utile pour penser les registres archa ïques du transfert, avec les « troubles graves de la subjectivation » (pathologies narcissiques et de comportement) auxquels nous sommes souvent confrontés.
THE DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOMATOSENSORY EVOKED POTENTIALS BASED ON NEO AND ICA FOR MULTICHANNEL INTRACORTICAL RECORDINGS
Authors: Lo Rong-Chin , Yu Yao-Ming , Tsai Wen-Liang
Published: June 2009

In this study, we apply a multichannel integrated system to record and analyze intracortical neural signals from the primary somatosensory cortex of rats. Four neural signals are evoked by without stimulation, by stimulation using a toothbrush, pen shaft, and needle. These signals are processed according to the presented procedures. First, spectral subtraction is used to reduce noise and then the nonlinear energy operator is adopted to detect spikes. This process is the signal preprocessing. Independent component analysis is performed with dynamic dimension increase to extract the features and form a feature vector. Then, k-means is employed to group the feature vector into different clusters. The 100% of signals intercepted without stimulation that we observe are separated into Cluster 1; the 67% evoked signals of stimulation by using a toothbrush are divided into Cluster 2; and the 73% evoked signals of stimulation by using a needle are separated into Cluster 4. Some of the features of evoked signals stimulated using a pen shaft are similar to those stimulated by using a needle or a toothbrush. The monitoring subsystem records synchronously the timing of the external stimuli, the waveform of the evoked potentials, the audio of the neural signals, and the action of an experimental rat using a video recording device. The information is applied to assist us in proving of experimental results. Finally, the presented methods are utilized to extract the features from various evoked potentials and distinguish the stimulants from different sensory signals.
Temperature Measurement
Authors: Fischer Joachim
Published: June 2009

Accurate measurement and control of temperature is important in many areas such as in the process industry and for the characterisation of materials used in the automotive, aerospace and semiconductor industries. This contribution reviews the current status of temperature measurement. It starts after a brief introduction on the idea of temperature with the description of the main fundamental methods to measure it concentrating on the temperature range important for applications. Different variants of gas thermometry, noise thermometry and the optical methods applying Doppler‐broadening spectroscopy and thermal radiation measurement are reported. The presently adopted international temperature scales to harmonize and facilitate practical temperature measurement are following including the most frequently used practical thermometers such as resistance thermometers, thermocouples and radiation thermometers. New developments like standards based on metal‐carbon eutectic phase transitions and the proposed new definition of the Kelvin based on a fundamental constant conclude the overview.
Introduction to Radiation Detectors
Authors: Grupen Claus
Published: June 2009

The purpose of radiation detectors is to count and measure charged and neutral particles and to determine their characteristic properties, such as momentum, energy, and velocity. Based on these properties the particles can be identified. Charged particles are mostly detected via their ionization. By suitable conversion techniques, photons, neutrons, and neutrinos can also be recorded.

Originally particle detectors were used in cosmic rays and nuclear and particle physics. Meanwhile these devices have found applications in medicine, biology, environmental science, metrology, radiation protection, oil exploration, civil engineering, archaeology, and arts, to name a few. While the most sophisticated detectors are still developed for particle physics and astroparticles, practical applications often require robust devices, which also function in harsh environments.

In this article the interactions of charged and neutral particles are described, and the main detector techniques to measure elementary particles and nuclei are presented.
Social networking technologies as vehicles of support for women in learning communities
Authors: Burgess Kimberly R.
Published: June 2009

This chapter focuses on social networking technologies as mechanisms for learning and support for women in formal online learning environments. Specific strategies for including social networking as an instructional tool are presented.
Survival of the supported: Social capital networks and the finish line
Authors: Alfred Mary V. , Nanton Carmela R.
Published: June 2009

This chapter presents a summary of women's social capital networks as highlighted in the previous chapters and discusses salient emergent issues for consideration, as well as the concomitant implications for women as adult learners and for adult education.
Fixed‐order optimal deconvolution filter with irregular missing data
Authors: Hung Jui‐Chung
Published: June 2009

In general, the reconstruction performance of the conventional deconvolution filter is deteriorated by the missing data. In this paper, a fixed‐order deconvolution filter design method is proposed for the signal reconstruction from received signal with irregular missing data. The missing data model is based on a probabilistic structure. The probability of occurrence of missing data is unknown a prior. In this situation, the deconvolution filter design problem becomes a complicated nonlinear estimation problem. In this study, a design method based on genetic algorithms is proposed to treat the signal reconstruction design problem with irregular missing data. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate the simulation results of the proposed deconvolution filter. The results show that the reconstruction performance is improved significantly if the missing probability is considered in the deconvolution filter design procedure. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The influence of the particle size distribution on fluidized bed hydrodynamics using high‐throughput experimentation
Authors: Beetstra Renske , Nijenhuis John , Ellis Naoko , van Ommen J. Ruud
Published: June 2009

The goal of the described project is to design mixtures of particles with optimal fluidization properties. Using high‐throughput experimentation, a novel approach to study hydrodynamics in fluidized beds, the relevant properties can be obtained in a limited period of time. This approach is demonstrated by assessing the influence of particle size distribution on fluidized bed hydrodynamics of Geldart A powders. By manipulating the width of the particle size distribution of alumina powder, the bubble diameter is reduced up to 40%. The addition of fines to a given particle size distribution also decreases the bubble diameter up to 40%, whereas the addition of coarse particles hardly influences the bubble size. At low gas velocities, the bubble size was found to increase with fines addition or increasing standard deviation. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
Multi‐scale study on the secondary reactions of fluid catalytic cracking gasoline
Authors: Yang Bo‐lun , Zhou Xiao‐Wei , Yang Xiao‐Hui , Chen Chun , Wang Long‐Yan
Published: June 2009

Multi‐scale model considered the heat transfer, mass transfer, momentum transfer, fluid flow with reactions together at different spatiotemporal scales for the riser reactor of secondary reactions of fluid catalytic cracking gasoline (SRFCCG) process has been preformed in this work. Micro‐scale of kinetics in catalyst particles, meso‐scale of clusters, voids, dense phase, dilute phases, and heterogeneous structures in gas–solid flow, and the macro‐scale of product distribution over riser reactor have been established using multi‐scale modeling method and integrated by the multi‐domain strategy. The proposed model was solved with the software of EQUATRAN‐G. Good agreement between simulation results and the experimental data suggested that the proposed model was well constructed and simulation exercise was successful. The multi‐scale model was capable of predicting heterogeneous structures of multi‐phase flow, reactor temperature profile, and product distribution of SRFCCG process. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
Mixing of two binary nonequilibrium phases in one dimension
Authors: Haugen Kjetil B. , Firoozabadi Abbas
Published: June 2009

The mixing of nonequilibrium phases has important applications in improved oil recovery and geological CO2‐storage. The rate of mixing is often controlled by diffusion and modeling requires diffusion coefficients at subsurface temperature and pressure. High‐pressure diffusion coefficients are commonly inferred from changes in bulk properties as two phases equilibrate in a PVT cell. However, models relating measured quantities to diffusion coefficients usually ignore convective mass transport. This work presents a comprehensive model of mixing of two nonequilibrium binary phases in one‐dimension. Mass transport due to bulk velocity triggered by compressibility and nonideality is taken into account. Ignoring this phenomenon violates local mass balance and does not allow for changes in phase volumes. Simulations of two PVT cell experiments show that models ignoring bulk velocity may significantly overestimate the diffusion coefficients. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
Modular biocatalysts
Authors: Khosla Chaitan
Published: June 2009

Modularity is a highly sought after feature in engineering design. A modular catalyst is a multi‐component system whose parts can be predictably interchanged for functional flexibility and variety. Over the past two decades, much of the research in our laboratory has focused on understanding the modularity of a class of multifunctional enzymes called polyketide synthases (PKSs). PKSs catalyze the biosynthesis of a broad range of complex natural products in microorganisms, including many well‐known and emerging antibiotics. A better understanding of the fundamental principles governing their modular chemistry promises to create powerful opportunities for engineering new medicines, and may even open the door to radically new catalytic processes for functionally dense, chiral synthons. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009
Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and the evolutionary paradox of the polycystic ovary syndrome: A fertility first hypothesis
Authors: Corbett Stephen J. , McMichael Anthony J. , Prentice Andrew M.
Published: June 2009

Worldwide, the high prevalence of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a heritable cause of ovarian infertility, is an evolutionary paradox, which provides insight into the susceptibility of well‐fed human populations to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. We propose that PCOS, Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the Metabolic Syndrome are modern phenotypic expressions of a metabolic genotype attuned to the dietary and energetic conditions of the Pleistocene. This metabolic “Fertility First” rather than “Thrifty” genotype persisted at high prevalence throughout the entire agrarian period—from around 12,000 years ago until 1800 AD—primarily, we contend, because it conferred a fertility advantage in an environment defined by chronic and often severe seasonal food shortage. Conversely, we argue that genetic adaptations to a high carbohydrate, low protein agrarian diet, with increased sensitivity to insulin action, were constrained because these adaptations compromised fertility by raising the lower bound of body weight and energy intake optimal for ovulation and reproduction. After 1800, the progressive attainment of dietary energy sufficiency released human populations from this constraint. This release, through the powerful mechanism of fertility selection, increased, in decades rather than centuries, the prevalence of a genotype better suited to carbohydrate metabolism. This putative mechanism for rapid and recent human evolution can explain the lower susceptibility to T2D of today's Europid populations. This hypothesis predicts that the increasing rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which typically accompany economic development, will be tempered by natural, but particularly fertility, selection against the conserved ancestral genotypes that currently underpin them. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Assessing interethnic admixture using an X‐linked insertion‐deletion multiplex
Authors: Ribeiro‐Rodrigues Elzemar Martins , dos Santos Ney Pereira Carneiro , dos Santos Ândrea Kely Campos Ribeiro , Pereira Rui , Amorim António , Gusmão Leonor , Zago Marco Antonio , dos Santos Sidney Emanuel Batista
Published: June 2009

In this study, a PCR multiplex was optimized, allowing the simultaneous analysis of 13 X‐chromosome Insertion/deletion polymorphisms (INDELs). Genetic variation observed in Africans, Europeans, and Native Americans reveals high inter‐population variability. The estimated proportions of X‐chromosomes in an admixed population from the Brazilian Amazon region show a predominant Amerindian contribution (≅41%), followed by European (≅32%) and African (≅27%) contributions. The proportion of Amerindian contribution based on X‐linked data is similar to the expected value based on mtDNA and Y‐chromosome information. The accuracy for assessing interethnic admixture, and the high differentiation between African, European, and Native American populations, demonstrates the suitability of this INDEL set to measure ancestry proportions in three‐hybrid populations, as it is the case of Latin American populations. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Variability of limb muscle size in young men
Authors: Wakahara Taku , Takeshita Kazumi , Kato Emika , Miyatani Masae , Tanaka Noriko I. , Kanehisa Hiroaki , Kawakami Yasuo , Fukunaga Tetsuo
Published: June 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine the interindividual variability of the upper and lower limb muscle size in young men. Subjects were 655 Japanese men aged 18–39 years. They were sedentary and mildly to highly active individuals, including college athletes of various sports. Muscle thicknesses at each of the anterior and posterior portions of the upper arm, thigh, and lower leg were measured using B‐mode ultrasonography. Interindividual variability of muscle thickness was evaluated by coefficients of variation (CVs). The CVs of muscle thicknesses were found to be in the order of upper arm posterior (17.7%), thigh anterior (14.8%), thigh posterior (12.6%), upper arm anterior (12.2%), lower leg anterior (9.8%), and lower leg posterior (9.4%). The CVs were significantly different between each pair of measurement sites except for those of upper arm anterior‐thigh posterior and lower leg anterior‐posterior. These differences remain significant even when the muscle thicknesses were normalized to the segment length. The observed differences in the size variability can be interpreted as muscle‐related differences in hypertrophic responsiveness to resistance training. The muscle‐dependent size variability may be related to the differences in the fiber‐type composition and/or muscle usage in daily life among examined muscle groups. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Body composition and its components in preterm and term newborns: A cross‐sectional, multimodal investigation
Authors: Ahmad Irfan , Nemet Dan , Eliakim Alon , Koeppel Robin , Grochow Donna , Coussens Maria , Gallitto Susan , Rich Julia , Pontello Andria , Leu Szu‐Yun , Cooper Dan M. , Waffarn Feizal
Published: June 2009

A prospective, cross‐sectional, observational study in preterm and term infants was performed to compare multimodal measurements of body composition, namely, limb ultrasound, bone quantitative ultrasound, and dual X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). One hundred and two preterm and term infants appropriate for gestational age were enrolled from the newborn nursery and neonatal intensive care unit. Infants were included when they were medically stable, in an open crib, on full enteral feeds and within 1 week of anticipated discharge. Correlations among the various measurements of body composition were performed using standard techniques. A comparison between preterm infant (born at 28–32 weeks) reaching term to term‐born infants was performed. Limb ultrasound estimates of cross‐sectional areas of lean and fat tissue in a region of tissue (i.e., the leg) were remarkably correlated with regional and whole‐body estimates of fat‐free mass and fat obtained from DXA suggesting the potential usefulness of muscle ultrasound as an investigative tool for studying aspects of body composition in this fragile population. There was a weak but significant correlation between quantitative ultrasound measurements of bone strength and DXA‐derived bone mineral density (BMD). Preterm infants reaching term had significantly lower body weight, length, head circumference, muscle and fat cross‐sectional area, bone speed of sound, whole‐body and regional lean body mass, fat mass, and BMD compared to term‐born infants. Current postnatal care and nutritional support in preterm infants is still unable to match the in‐utero environment for optimal growth and bone development. The use of relatively simple bedside, noninvasive body composition measurements may assist in understanding how changes in different components of body composition early in life affect later growth and development. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ethnicity‐related skeletal muscle differences across the lifespan
Authors: Silva Analiza M. , Shen Wei , Heo Moonseong , Gallagher Dympna , Wang Zimian , Sardinha Luis B. , Heymsfield Steven B.
Published: June 2009

Despite research and clinical significance, limited information is available on the relations between skeletal muscle (SM) and age in adults, specifically among Hispanics, African Americans (AA), and Asians. The aim was to investigate possible sex and ethnic SM differences in adults over an age range of 60 years. Subjects were 468 male and 1280 female adults (≥18 years). SM was estimated based on DXA‐measured appendicular lean‐soft tissue using a previously reported prediction equation. Locally weighted regression smoothing lines were fit to examine SM trends and to localize age cutoffs; piecewise multiple linear regression models were then applied, controlling for weight and height, to identify age cutoffs for sex‐specific changes in SM among the ethnic groups. The age of 27 years was identified for women and men as the cut‐off after which SM starts to show a negative association with age. Both sexes had a similar ethnic pattern for expected mean SM at the age cutoff, with AA presenting the highest SM values, followed by Whites, Hispanics, and Asians. After the age cutoffs, the lowering of SM differed by ethnicity and sex: AA women showed the greatest SM lowering whereas Hispanic women had the least. Hispanic men tended to show a higher negative association of SM with age followed by AA and Whites. To conclude, significant sex and ethnic differences exist in the magnitude of negative associations of SM with age >27 years. Further studies using a longitudinal design are needed to explore the associations of ethnicity‐related decline of SM with health risks. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Longitudinal weight gain of immunized infants and toddlers in Moroto District, Uganda (Karamoja subregion)
Authors: Gray Sandra , Akol Helen A. , Sundal Mary
Published: June 2009

This study examines longitudinal weight gain of a sample of 123 immunized children from Moroto District, northeast Uganda. The weight data were combined from two sources: (1) anthropometric examinations carried out between 1998 and 2004 by a research team from the University of Kansas, and (2) weights recorded on children's immunization records by local health care practitioners. Our findings conform generally to the pattern described in previous studies in this as well as other pastoralist populations in sub‐Sahara. Relative to international standards, the weight‐for‐age status of Karimojong children was best during the first 3 months of infancy. Noticeable declines in weight velocity occurred in the fourth month and after the sixth month. Weight gain was static after the second year, when upward of 40% of children were clinically underweight. Factors influencing weight gain in this sample include immunization status and maternal height, weight, and parity, but these effects explain relatively little of the variance in weight gain. We conclude that immunization is not sufficient to buffer Karimojong children from multiple stressors during teething and weaning. Of these, the practice of canine follicle extraction (CFE) is of most interest, although its effects in this study are ambiguous. The data also are suggestive of variability in the pattern of weight gain between closely spaced birth cohorts. This finding may be of particular importance for the interpretation of growth patterns described for other pastoralist populations in sub‐Saharan Africa. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Beta‐globin gene cluster haplotypes in Afro‐Uruguayans from two geographical regions (South and North)
Authors: Da Luz Julio , Kimura Elza Miyuki , Costa Fernando Ferreira , Sonati Maria de Fatima , Sans Mónica
Published: June 2009

The β‐globin gene cluster haplotypes were identified in 52 and 40 chromosomes from two Afro‐Uruguayan populations located in the South and North of the country, respectively. In both regions, the 5′ haplotype 2 (+ − − − −), characteristic of non‐African populations, was the most frequent, reflecting a strong process of admixture in Afro‐Uruguayans (0.355 and 0.262, respectively). The haplotypes 3 (− − − − +) and 4 (− + − − +), characteristics of African sub‐Saharan populations, present inverse frequencies in North and South: whereas in the South haplotype 3 is the second most frequent (0.232), and haplotype 4 presents a low frequency (0.019), in the North haplotype 4 is the third most frequent (0.140), and haplotype 3 only reaches an intermediate frequency (0.088). The pairwise FST and the exact test of differentiation show genetic heterogeneity between both regions. Nei's genetic distance show that South and North present affinities with Bantu groups, although the North present the smallest genetic distance with the Mandenka, a Senegalese population. With respect to 3′ haplotypes, haplotype I was the most frequent in both populations, followed by haplotype II, characteristic of sub‐Saharan Africans. The high frequencies of haplotype III‐Asian could indicate admixture with Native American populations. The differences observed between both Uruguayan regions could be explained by microevolutionary events as genetic drift, founder effects, differential admixture, and/or distinct origin of the African slaves introduced in those regions. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asbestos exposure and benign asbestos diseases in 772 formerly exposed workers: Dose–response relationships
Authors: Mastrangelo Giuseppe , Ballarin Maria N. , Bellini Ernesto , Bicciato Fabio , Zannol Federica , Gioffrè Francesco , Zedde Antonio , Tessadri Gianna , Fedeli Ugo , Valentini Flavio , Scoizzato Luca , Marangi Gianluca , Lange John H.
Published: June 2009

Background

Since previous studies have provided conflicting results, we investigated the relationship between the risk of benign asbestos‐related diseases and different aspects of asbestos exposure in previous asbestos workers who underwent low‐dose computed tomography (CT).

Methods

CT scans were carried out in 772 subjects. A questionnaire was employed to collect data on smoking habits and duration, peak and cumulative exposure, and time since first exposure to asbestos. Multiple logistic regression models with stepwise selection of variables were used to evaluate the associations.

Results

Fourteen (1.8%) cases of asbestosis, 187 (24.2%) of pleural plaques (PP), and 50 (6.5%) of diffuse pleural thickening (DPT) were found. The significant risk factors were: cumulative exposure for asbestosis (P for trend = 0.004); time since first exposure (P for trend <0.001), and peak exposure (P for trend <0.001) for PP; and time since first exposure for DPT (P for trend = 0.024).

Conclusions

Parenchymal asbestosis and PP are associated with different aspects of asbestos exposure. DPT appears to be less specific for asbestos exposure. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:596–602, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.