bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of Polybenzimidazole/Lithium Hydrazinium Sulfate Composite Membranes for High‐Temperature Fuel Cell Applications
Authors: Jung Jung‐Woo , Kim Sung‐Kon , Lee Jong‐Chan
Published: June 2010

PBI‐LiHzS composite membranes were prepared by casting N,N'‐DMAc solutions containing PBI and LiHzS, where the LiHzS contents in the membranes were between 2.5 and 10 wt.‐%. LiHzS was obtained by reacting hydrazine sulfate and lithium carbonate in water. PBI‐LiHzS composite membranes were thermally stable up to approximately 300 °C and their acid‐absorbing capabilities were comparable to those of the pure PBI membranes. The proton conductivity of PBI‐LiHzS composite membranes (2.12 × 10−2 S · cm−1 at 180 °C and 0% RH) was higher than that of pure PBI membranes when used at the same acid doping levels. The mechanical stability of the composite membranes having less than 5 wt.‐% of LiHzS was found to be close to that of pure PBI membranes.

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The differential roles of brand credibility and brand prestige in consumer brand choice
Authors: Baek Tae Hyun , Kim Jooyoung , Yu Jay Hyunjae
Published: June 2010

This study explores how brand credibility and brand prestige affect brand purchase intention and empirically investigates how the combinatory mechanism of brand credibility and brand prestige materialize across multiple product categories. The proposed model of six latent constructs is tested with structural equation modeling analysis: brand credibility, brand prestige, perceived quality, information costs saved, perceived risk, and brand purchase intention. The results suggest that both brand credibility and brand prestige positively influence brand purchase intention through perceived quality, information costs saved, and perceived risk under different product categories representing the high and low self‐expressive nature. Several implications for advertising messages and brand positioning strategies are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Measuring childhood materialism: Refining and validating Schor's Consumer Involvement Scale
Authors: Bottomley Paul A. , Nairn Agnes , Kasser Tim , Ferguson Yuna L. , Ormrod Johanne
Published: June 2010

This paper examines the measurement of childhood materialism using Schor's (2004) Consumer Involvement Scale. Schor treated consumer involvement empirically as a unidimensional construct, though she suggested that conceptually it may be multidimensional. Using confirmatory factor analysis procedures on data collected from children in the U.S. and U.K., the psychometric superiority of a three‐factor structure is established, comprising dissatisfaction, consumer orientation, and brand awareness components. Additional analyses demonstrate distinct associations between each of these components and other constructs, including self‐esteem, outside school activities, and child–parent relations. The scale's generalizability across boys and girls is also confirmed. The results suggest that Schor's Consumer Involvement Scale will be useful for researchers interested in studying the important topic of materialism in children. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
UWB printed monopole antenna with embedded reconfigurable multiband filter based on miniaturized ground plane slot
Authors: Khidre Ahmed , Rahman Adel Abdel , Elsadek Hala , Omar Abbas , Ragai Hani
Published: June 2010

UWB printed monopole antenna with embedded reconfigurable multiband frequency notch function is proposed. Frequency notch is achieved by using a ground‐plane slot. Lumped capacitors are added to miniaturize the slots and hence take advantages of adding more slots to reject more bands without increasing the overall size of the antenna. Added capacitors are also enhancing band rejection and introduce tunable capability. Reconfigurabiltiy is introduced in a way you can independently switch ON/OFF the band notches by mean of RF switches. Investigation on the effect of lumped capacitor is presented. Simulation results of S11 for different states and radiation patterns at different frequencies are also presented. Simulation results are verified with measurements. The commercial CST Microwave Studio 5 is used for simulations and performance optimizations. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2076–2080, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25365
All optical add‐drop multiplexer by utilizing a single semiconductor optical amplifier
Authors: Jiang Yang , Luo Xuan , Hu Lin , Wen Jianghong , Li Yujin
Published: June 2010

A simple all‐optical add‐drop multiplexer scheme is presented by utilizing cross gain modulation (XGM) and four‐wave mixing (FWM) effects in a single semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). When the synchronized data stream and control signal is launched into a SOA, FWM generates the dropped channel, while XGM is used to clean the corresponding bit slots for adding new data. This function is demonstrated at 10 Gbit/s by simulation and experiment. Both of them show good performance. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1977–1980, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25382
Single‐wavelength fiber laser for localized temperature monitoring
Authors: Chaboyer Zachary J. , Valiunas Jonas , Adams Brian , Chen Aicheng , Das Gautam
Published: June 2010

We report on a single‐longitudinal‐mode single‐wavelength fiber laser and its applications for measuring localized temperature variation. The laser was developed using a fiber Bragg grating. The laser wavelength was single‐longitudinal‐mode with optical signal‐to‐noise ratio (OSNR) of more than 40 dB. The temperature sensitivity of the system was 11.08 pm/°C. To demonstrate the promising application of the laser sensor developed, we used the sensor to monitor the localized temperature of TiO2 nanotubes during the photochemical process, and superparamagnetic iron oxides nanoparticles when exposed to low frequency magnetic field. The output of the laser was monitored using a scanning Fabry–Perot spectrum analyzer of resolution 6.7 MHz and an optical spectrum analyzer of resolution 3.75 GHz. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1941–1946, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience. wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25383
A multiband monopole antenna for mobile handsets
Authors: Zhang Zhiya , Fu Guang , Gong Shuxi , Zuo Shaoli
Published: June 2010

A multiband monopole antenna with wideband characteristic is proposed for CDMA/GSM900/DCS1800/PCS1900/UMTS/IMT2000/Wibro/WiMAX2350 applications. By using a stripline‐loaded structure, L‐shaped slots in the ground plane and tapered feeding line, wideband characteristic can be achieved. The proposed antenna occupies a volume of 39.7 × 8.3 × 11 mm3 barring the ground plane. Moreover, it has good omni‐directional radiation characteristics within its operation band. A prototype has been fabricated and tested, and the experimental results validate the design procedure. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2120–2122, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience. wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25388
Folded multiband strip antenna
Authors: Rao Qinjiang , Geyi Wen
Published: June 2010

A compact multiband antenna is proposed for mobile handheld devices.The antenna is composed of three‐folded monopoles and they are fed by only a single excitation. The simulated and measured results show that the proposed antenna has achieved the exceptionally wide bandwidths from 1.69 to 2.50 GHz and 3 to 6 GHz in addition to GSM 850/900 applications, whereas the antenna still keeps small size and high efficiency. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2087–2090, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25390
A novel reconfigurable microstrip antenna with polarization diversity
Authors: Sung Y.
Published: June 2010

In this letter, a novel reconfigurable microstrip antenna with polarization diversity is proposed.The proposed antenna has a simple structure, consisting of a corner‐truncated square radiating patch, two small triangular conductors, and a microstrip line feed. The proposed antenna can produce left hand circular polarization or right hand circular polarization according to the on‐ or off‐state of PIN diode, which is between radiating patch and parasitic triangular conductor. Comparing with a conventional antenna, the proposed antenna may obtain a size reduction of the antenna system and a low‐consumption current because the required PIN diode is reduced by half. Measured results show that symmetrical radiation patterns with good CP characteristics are obtained at the resonant frequency. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2053–2056, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25391
Coplanar waveguides with or without barium ferrite thin films
Authors: Zhou T. , Le Berre M. , Benevent E. , Dehlinger A.‐S. , Calmon F. , Verney E. , Perrot S. , Payet‐Gervy B.
Published: June 2010

The attractive properties of coplanar waveguides with or without ferrite thin films are presented in this article.The microwave characteristics are measured from 1 to 55 GHz. Also, analytical calculations and simulations are performed. The influence of ferrite thin film with remanent magnetization in‐plane or out‐of‐plane is studied. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2007–2010, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25393
Microstrip‐fed small square monopole antenna for UWB application with variable band‐notched function
Authors: Rouhi R. , Ghobadi Ch. , Nourinia J. , Ojaroudi M.
Published: June 2010

In this article, a novel square monopole antenna for ultra wideband applications with variable frequency band‐notch characteristic is presented. By using T‐shaped slots, additional resonances are excited and hence, the fractional bandwidth is increased up to 150%. A modified T‐shaped conductor‐backed plane is used to generate the frequency band‐stop performance. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2065–2069, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25395
Investigation of compact second‐order microstrip bandpass filter
Authors: Cheng Dan , Zheng Hong‐Xing , Feng Li‐Ying , Gao Feng‐You
Published: June 2010

To investigate compact shape bandpass filter, a second‐order microstrip with three controllable finite transmission zero points is proposed in this article. The U‐shape slots are designed to suppress spurious band, and controllable stopband characteristics can be achieved simultaneously, as well as skirt selectivity. The simulated results agree very well with measurements. When compared with other similar structure, the proposed filter is much more efficient than other counterpart. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1970–1973, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25409
Size‐reduced defected ground microstrip directional coupler
Authors: Mohra Ashraf S. , Alkanhal Majeed A. , Abdullah Esmat A.
Published: June 2010

In this article, size reduction and harmonic suppression in coupled‐lines microstrip directional couplers is attained using dumbbell, and reshaped dumbbell slots, as defected patterns, specifically placed under the metering position in the ground plane. Quantitative investigation of the performance of the directional coupler as controlled by the variations of the DGS rectangular slots height, DGS gap length, and the DGS reshaped rectangular slot height is presented. This concept is further illustrated experimentally for a 12 dB coupler realized on RT/Duroid 5880 substrate. The proposed DGS design confers size reduction because of the shift of the operating frequency to lower values. The measurements are in a good agreement with the simulated results and emphasize the size reduction and the harmonics suppression of the DGS coupled‐lines microstrip directional coupler. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1933–1937, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25410
Dual band‐notched ultra‐wideband printed antenna with two different types of slots
Authors: Jiang Jun‐Bo , Yan Ze‐Hong , Zhang Jie‐Yu
Published: June 2010

A compact wideband printed antenna with dual band‐notched characteristics for wireless local area network (WLAN) (2.4 GHz/5.8 GHz) is introduced.It is demonstrated that dual band rejection characteristics at 2.4 and 5.8 GHz with desired bandwidths can be obtained by using two different types of slots, one is a folded stripline slot on the radiation patch, and the other is a pair of inverted‐L‐shaped slot on the ground. The proposed antenna operates over 2.2–11 GHz for VSWR <2, while providing a band‐stop function in the frequency bands of 2.3–2.9 GHz and 5.5–6.3 GHz. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1930–1933, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25411
Hybrid surveillance system by using multi frequency bands enhancement
Authors: Bunruangses M. , Sunat K. , Mitatha S. , Yupapin P. P.
Published: June 2010

We present a new design of a surveillance system via hybrid network in which is integrate wire, wireless less, Ad hoc network, vehicular Ad hoc network, sensor network, and cellular wireless network.We propose the dense wavelength division multiplexing wavelength enhancement, whereas the increasing in channel capacity and signal security can be provided. The increasing in number of channel can be obtained by the increasing in wavelength density, whereas the security is introduced by the specific wavelength filter, which is operated by the central operator. The optical communication wavelength enhancement is reviewed. The advantage is that the proposed system can be implemented and used incorporating with the existed communication link in hybrid wireless system, where the privacy can be provided, which is discussed in details. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2154–2158, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25412
PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) fiber optic probe as a noncontact liquid level sensor
Authors: Binu S. , Kochunarayanan K. , Mahadevan Pillai V.P. , Chandrasekaran N.
Published: June 2010

This article reports the principle of operation, design aspects, experimentation, and performance of a noncontact fiber optic liquid level sensor. The sensor is based on the phenomenon of reflective concept. The device consists of fiber optic transmitter, fiber optic probe, floating reflector, photodiode detector, and digital multimeter. The fiber optic probe consists of two 60‐cm‐long PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) fibers of diameter 1 mm, numerical aperture 0.5, core refractive index 1.492, and cladding refractive index 1.402. The fiber optic sensor is a promising alternative to other well‐established methods for the measurement of liquid level due to its simplicity of design, high precision, long‐term stability, linearity, high degree of sensitivity, dynamic range, noncontact sensing, and low cost of the fabrication make it suitable for applications in precise level control in analytical and process chemistry, biochemistry, bioanalytics, and on‐line measurement or inspection of liquid level. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 2114–2118, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25415
Design of compact, narrow‐band, band‐pass microwave filters in coplanar waveguide technology
Authors: Behdad Nader
Published: June 2010

A new topology for designing compact, band‐pass filters of arbitrary order is proposed. The basic building block of band‐pass filters designed using this technique is a capacitively coupled second‐order filter, which can be thought of as the unit cell of a higher order band‐pass filter. The second‐order filter is composed of slow‐wave transmission line resonators separated by an inductive admittance inverter. To easily control the bandwidth of the filter, the entire structure is capacitively coupled to the feeding transmission lines using series capacitors. This unit cell can be used in different cascading schemes to obtain filters of odd and even orders. Using this technique, band‐pass filters with fractional bandwidths in the range of 1–20% can easily be designed. Several different examples of such band‐pass filters along with their measurement results are presented and discussed in this article. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1999–2002, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25420
Double‐opening circularly polarized patch antenna with one desired opening diameter
Authors: Bernard L.
Published: June 2010

A single‐feed circularly polarized patch antenna has been designed with two openings. Their respective influences are investigated. Circular polarization can be achieved by precisely dimensioning them. By combining openings with respective cumulative or attenuating effects, the diameter of one chosen opening can be designed to fit a required diameter. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1958–1962, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25422
Enabling international communication among Brazilian occupational therapists: seeking consensus on occupational terminology
Authors: Magalhaes Lilian , Galheigo Sandra Maria
Published: June 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine how key occupational therapy terminologies are used by Brazilian occupational therapists. A nominal group approach combined with a Delphi technique involving 31 Brazilian occupational therapists was applied. A sociolinguistic approach was adopted since it broadens our understanding of the social and cultural determinants of terminology consolidation. Brazilian occupational therapists were found to adopt the term activity more often than human action or doing. Even less often were praxis and occupation applied. No consensus was reached regarding which of the terms is most preferred.

While Brazilian occupational therapists have been developing their profession from international standards, it is still embedded in local demands and policies. Additionally, the political context must be considered when building an international dialogue between members of a professional body. Such a dialogue could engage professionals from different countries in meaningful exchanges about their practices. These exchanges may lead to the development of solid professional communities that can contribute meaningfully to social change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of multiwalled carbon nanotube on holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal
Authors: Sun Ka Ram , Kim Byung Kyu
Published: June 2010

The morphology and electro‐optical performance of holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) were investigated with the addition of multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT), both pristine and chemically modified one (CNT‐CC). With the addition of CNT, the diffraction efficiency increased and showed a maximum at 0.6% while nucleation was delayed due to the increased mixture viscosity. Film was driven only with CNT due to the induced local electric field of polymer to overcome the threshold resistance. Among the two types of CNT, chemically modified one gave finer CNT dispersion, lower mixture viscosity, larger liquid crystal (LC) droplet, higher diffraction efficiency, and shorter response time while the pristine CNT decreased the driving voltage. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels based on silicone and poly(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine)
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Li Xinsong
Published: June 2010

In the present work, sequential interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on silicone and poly(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC) were developed with improved protein resistance. The structure and morphology of the IPNs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the IPNs exhibited heterogeneous morphology. The bulk properties such as water content, ion permeability, and mechanical strength of the IPNs were determined by gravimetric method, ionoflux measurement technique, and tensile tester, respectively. The surface characteristics of the IPNs were investigated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurements. XPS analysis suggested that PMPC was present on the surface as well as in the bulk material. The IPNs possessed more hydrophilic surface than pristine silicone revealed by contact angle measurements. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein to evaluate protein resistance by a bicinchoninic acid assay method. The result revealed that the protein adsorption on the IPNs was significantly reduced compared to pristine silicone. These results suggest that the IPNs based on silicone and PMPC may be developed as novel ophthalmic biomaterials. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study on tribological behaviors of short glass fiber and polytetrafluoroethylene reinforced polycarbonate composites via a d‐optimal mixture design
Authors: Yang Yung‐Kuang , Tzeng Chorng‐Jyh , Yang Rong‐Tai , Hsieh Ming‐Hua
Published: June 2010

This study analyzed variations of tribological behaviors that depend on the injection molding techniques during the blending of short glass fiber (SGF) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) reinforced polycarbonate (PC) composites. The proposed planning of blending experiments is to use a D‐optimal mixture design (DMD). The tribological behaviors of friction coefficient and wear mass loss were selected for discussion. Nine experimental runs, based on a DMD method, utilized to train the back‐propagation neural network (BPNN) and then the simulated annealing algorithm (SAA) approach is applied to search for an optimal mixture ratio setting. In addition, the result of BPNN integrating SAA was also compared with response surface methodology (RSM) approach. The results of confirmation experiment show that DMD, RSM, and BPNN integrating SAA method are effective tools for the optimization of reinforced process. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that the abundant debris are peeled off from the matrix materials and predominant delamination mechanisms and plastic deformation are shown on the worn surface after tribological behavior tests. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of conductive network of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in polycarbonate melt
Authors: Yoon Howon , Okamoto Kenzo , Umishita Kazunori , Yamaguchi Masayuki
Published: June 2010

The effect of applied thermal history on the rheological properties in a molten state and the electric properties in a solid state is evaluated using mechanically blended samples composed of polycarbonate and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). It is found that MWNTs orient perpendicular to the applied compression direction owing to the squeeze flow at compression molding, which is prominent for the sample compressed at low temperature. The orientation of MWNTs reduces the interparticle contacts between MWNTs and thus decreases the electrical conductivity. Postprocessing annealing procedure at high temperature, however, leads to random orientation due to Brownian motion and then improves the electrical conductivity. The transition from an electrical insulator to a conductor by the redistribution process, which is called dynamic percolation, is well detected by the rheological measurements. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Weight reduction and improved glycaemic control following oestrogen replacement: individualising diabetes care in women
Authors: Dalvi S , Khanolkar M , Biswas M
Published: June 2010

Post‐menopausal oestrogen deficiency symptoms may cause mood disturbances and affect compliance, yet clinicians are reluctant to prescribe oestrogen replacement in view of adverse risks.

A 51‐year‐old woman was referred with poor glycaemic control. Compliance with diet and medications was poor. Intercurrent problems included depression, dyslipidaemia and severe vasomotor symptoms following hysterectomy one year prior.

HbA1c was 12.4%; fasting total cholesterol 5.92mmol/L (NR 2.5–5). The patient was prescribed oestrogen replacement and no adjustments were made to diet or insulin. Over several months, mood and energy improved and weight fell from 110kg to 81kg, HbA1c dropped to 7.6%, cholesterol was 2.56mmol/L and insulin dosage halved.

The impact of menopausal symptoms on health and wellbeing is often underestimated. In selected post‐menopausal women with type 2 diabetes, short‐term treatment with hormone replacement therapy may be useful if benefits obtained outweigh potential risks. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons.
Long‐term follow up of patients on U‐500 insulin: a case series
Authors: Nayyar V , Jarvis J , Lawrence I , Kong M‐F , Gregory R , Hiles S , Jackson S , McNally P , Davies MJ
Published: June 2010

The aim of this paper is to describe the long‐term effect of U‐500 insulin use on biomedical outcomes in a cohort of patients with diabetes mellitus.

We carried out a case record review of 81 patients from a multicultural population who had received U‐500 insulin. We recorded data before the introduction of U‐500 and at data collection (February 2007) including: demographic information, weight, insulin dose, HbA1c, lipid profile and blood pressure.

The results showed that the mean duration of treatment was 30±22.6 months (range 1–98). The median insulin dose was 292 vs 320 units/day (range 122–600 vs 120–760 units/day). Mean HbA1c at baseline improved from 10.0±1.8% to 8.7±2.0% (p<0.0001). Patients using U‐500 insulin for a longer period (>36 months) showed a greater reduction in HbA1c (1.8±1.5% vs 0.99±1.8%, p<0.05). An improvement in HbA1c was seen in all ethnic groups. Mean total cholesterol reduced from 4.9±1.4mmol/L to 4.3±1.0mmol/L (p<0.0001) and triglycerides from 4.3±4.5mmol/L to 3.0±3.0mmol/L (p<0.001). Significant weight gain was seen.

It was concluded that long‐term glycaemic control improved with the use of U‐500 Human Actrapid in all ethnic groups (p<0.05) at the expense of weight gain.

U‐500 Human Actrapid is a valuable treatment option in patients with diabetes and severe insulin resistance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons.
Recurrent diabetic muscle infarction in a female with diabetes secondary to congenital generalised lipodystrophy
Authors: Rathi MS , Mansfield MW
Published: June 2010

Congenital generalised Berardinelli‐seip lipodystrophy is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder characterised by selective absence of adipose tissue. Affected individuals are predisposed to severe insulin resistance and its attendant complications, including diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridaemia, acute pancreatitis and hepatic steatosis. The management of diabetes in these people can be challenging due to severe insulin resistance.

A 25‐year‐old female patient, with diabetes secondary to congenital generalised lipodystrophy, presented to the emergency department with a two‐week history of sudden onset, spontaneous left leg pain associated with swelling over the medial aspect of her left thigh. Her diabetes control prior to presentation was unsatisfactory with HbA1c >12%, despite receiving maximum doses of metformin, pioglitazone and 200 units of subcutaneous insulin daily.

Based on the clinical presentation, background medical history, examination and MRI findings, a diagnosis of diabetic muscle infarction was made. The patient's symptoms resolved over the next four to six weeks with rest and analgesia. Eleven months later, she represented with diabetic muscle infarction affecting her left quadriceps and, after a further 19 months, she had a third admission to hospital with diabetic muscle infarction but this time affecting her right quadriceps.

We describe a rare case of recurrent diabetic muscle infarction. This complication has been previously reported in patients with type 1 diabetes of prolonged duration; however, we are not aware of any report of diabetic muscle infarction occurring in patients with diabetes secondary to congenital generalised lipodystrophy. In the current report, we discuss the pathogenesis, clinical course and management of diabetic muscle infarction. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons.
The nucleation effect of modified carbon black on crystallization of poly(lactic acid)
Authors: Su Zhizhong , Li Qiuying , Liu Yongjun , Guo Weihong , Wu Chifei
Published: June 2010

The nonisothermal crystallization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), PLA/carbon black (CB), and PLA/modified carbon black (MCB) composites were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The rate of crystallization and the spherulitic morphologies of the PLA and PLA/MCB composites during isothermal crystallization were investigated using DSC and observed by means of polarizing optical microscopy (POM), respectively. The results show that either CB or MCB acts as an efficient nucleating agent for PLA. The nucleation activities of CB and MCB were quantitatively determined. It is shown that MCB has higher nucleating activity than CB in PLA. An isoconversional method correlates the temperature dependence of the effective activation energy and was used to evaluate the effective activation energy of PLA and PLA/MCB composites. It is confirmed that MCB advances the nuclei density and promotes the crystallization rate of the PLA matrix significantly. In addition, an interesting phenomenon of the periodic cracks of PLA spherulites observed by using POM is reported. The unbalanced surface stresses arising from growth features and thermal shrinkage may be the two main factors accounting for the formation of target pattern cracks. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1658–1666, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Fabrication of surface‐relief gratings on an azobenzene‐containing epoxy‐based polymer film using atomic force microscopy
Authors: Fernández Raquel , Zalakain Iñaki , Ramos José Angel , Galante María J , Oyanguren Patricia A , Mondragon Iñaki
Published: June 2010

Many studies have been reported on the photo‐fabrication of surface‐relief gratings (SRGs) in azo‐polymer films using the interference of two laser beams of appropriate polarization. However, there are few reports in the literature concerning the electro‐fabrication of SRGs on such types of polymer films. The goal of the work reported was the electro‐patterning of an azobenzene‐containing epoxy thermoplastic film. An epoxy‐based polymer functionalized with an azo‐chromophore was synthesized and characterized using thermal analysis. The reversible optical storage properties and photo‐induced dichroism were studied. SRGs were fabricated on a film of the synthesized azobenzene‐containing polymer using contact mode current‐sensing atomic force microscopy which locally applied an electric field that aligned the azobenzene moieties. The anisotropic mass transport of the azo‐polymer film was observed after applying an electric field. Additionally, the effect of the relief formation in the polymeric film surface was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy and electrostatic force microscopy. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Solar cell efficiency tables (version 36)
Authors: Green Martin A. , Emery Keith , Hishikawa Yoshihiro , Warta Wilhelm
Published: June 2010

Consolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined and new entries since January 2010 are reviewed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Different radical initiation techniques of hydrosilylation reactions of multiple bonds in water: dioxygen initiation
Authors: Postigo Al , Nudelman Norma Sbarbati
Published: June 2010

The relevance of radical initiation metodologies for the classical hydrosilylation reactions of organic compounds bearing CC multiple bonds is due to the need to come up with newer and more effcient methods to effect this reaction, on account of its applications on surface chemistry. In the past, when organic solvents were employed, thermal and photochemical methods for the chain initiation reaction have been documented (thermal and photochemical decomposition of azo compounds). We herein present the dioxygen‐initiation technique of the classical radical hydrosilylation reaction of CC triple bonds with tris(trimethylsilyl)silane ((Me3Si)3SiH) in water. This initiation technique is confronted with the photochemical radical initiation in the absence of a chemical radical precursor other than the silane and also confronted with the classical thermal initiation triggered by the decomposition of an azo compound, both performed in water. The radical‐based dioxygen initiation methodology studied in water is shown to afford the highest Z:E stereoselective ratios of hydrosilylated alkenes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinetics and mechanism of the pyridinolyses of dimethyl and diethyl chloro(thiono)phosphates in acetonitrile
Authors: Dey Nilay Kumar , Ul Hoque Md. Ehtesham , Kim Chan Kyung , Lee Hai Whang
Published: June 2010

Kinetic studies for the reactions of dimethyl chlorophosphate (1), dimethyl chlorothionophosphate (2), diethyl chlorophosphate (3), and diethyl chlorothionophosphate (4) with substituted (X) pyridines have been carried out in acetonitrile. The pyridinolyses of the P = O systems (1 and 3) show linear free energy correlations for substituent X variations, while those of the P = S systems (2 and 4) show biphasic concave upward Hammett and Brönsted plots with a break region between 3‐phenyl and 3‐methoxy pyridines. A concerted mechanism with both frontside and backside nucleophilic attack is proposed for the reactions of 1 and 3, but the fraction of a frontside attacks is somewhat larger than that of a backside attack. A concerted mechanism with a dominant backside nucleophilic attack for weakly basic pyridines and a concerted mechanism with a dominant frontside nucleophilic attack for strongly basic pyridines are proposed for the reactions of 2 and 4. The pyridinolysis rate does not depend solely on one major factor. The concave upward free energy relationship can be diagnostic of a change in the direction of the nucleophilic attack. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
1H NMR study of through‐bond and through‐space effects in the hetero‐association of pyridine with alkane diols
Authors: Lomas John S.
Published: June 2010

The 1H NMR titration method is used to investigate through‐space and through‐bond effects on the association of diols with pyridine in benzene. Alkan‐1,n‐diols (n goes from 2 to 10), DL and meso isomers of butan‐2,3‐, pentan‐2,4‐ and hexan‐2,5‐diols, two adamantane diols and a bicyclo[2.2.2]octane diol are compared with alkanols. The –CH2OH groups of the tri‐ and bicyclic compounds behave as if they were independent, with limiting OH proton shifts (at very low concentration) and both the first and the second association constants similar to those of a primary alcohol. In contrast, the alkane diols, with n = 2–4, display unusually high limiting shifts, ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 ppm (2.1 ppm for one methyl‐substituted diol). For these diols the first dissociation constant and the sum of the OH proton shifts in the 1:1 pyridine: diol complex are enhanced. This may be attributed to small cooperative effects, implying intramolecular hydrogen bonding, for n = 3 and 4, but for n = 2 a through‐bond effect accounts for most of the increase. Substituent interaction falls off sharply for n = 5 and is practically negligible for n = 10, for which the second association constant is close to the first. A sterically hindered BiEDOT diol, 2,2′‐bis{(3,4‐ethylenedioxythienyl)‐5‐[3‐(2,2,4,4‐tetramethylpentan‐3‐ol)]} behaves like the polycyclic compounds, with the two C(t‐Bu)2OH groups independent. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Plasma‐Induced Graft Polymerization of Acrylic Acid onto Poly(propylene) Monofilament: Characterization
Authors: Saxena Shalini , Ray Alok R. , Mindemart Jonas , Hilborn Jöns , Gupta Bhuvanesh
Published: June 2010

Poly(propylene) (PP) filaments were functionalized by plasma‐grafting of acrylic acid and the characterization of the grafted filaments was carried out using various techniques. XPS analysis showed an increase in the oxygenated content which causes a decrease in the contact angle decreased from 88° for virgin PP to 28° for the filament with the maximum graft level. The storage of the samples leads to the loss in hydrophilicity. The grafts do not lead to any crystalline changes in the filament structure; significant changes however occur on the surface of the filaments as a function of the degree of grafting.

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Short wave diathermy in the symptomatic management of chronic pelvic inflammatory disease pain: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lamina Sikiru , Hanif Shmaila , Gagarawa Yusuf Saidu
Published: June 2010

Background and Purpose. Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) refers to both residue of acute and sub‐acute recurrence of a previous infection or/and as a result of late detection of and intervention for upper tract pelvic infection. Owing to the chronic nature of the disease, which may require large doses of analgesics and/or antibiotics both of which may have side effects on the body, there is a need for a non‐invasive therapeutic and symptomatic chronic pain management. The main purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of short wave diathermy (SWD) in the symptomatic management of chronic PID pain. Method. An independent group; double blind random assignment design was used in data collection. A total of 32 subjects diagnosed as chronic PID patients referred for physiotherapy were randomly assigned to three (SWD, control and analgesic) groups. The SWD group received antibiotics, placebo (sham analgesic) tablets and SWD using the crossfire technique for an average of 15 exposures lasting for 20 minutes on alternate days of the week. Other groups; Analgesic group received antibiotics, Analgesics and sham SWD; while the control group received antibiotics, sham SWD and placebo tablets. The study lasted for a period of 30 days. Result. Findings of the study revealed significant effect of SWD over analgesic and control in pain responses and resolution of inflammation at p < 0.05. Conclusion. It was concluded that SWD may be an effective and non invasive therapy in the management of chronic PID pain. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Theoretical hardness and ideal tensile strength of bct‐C4
Authors: Xu Yuanhui , Gao Faming , Hao Xianfeng
Published: June 2010

Based on first‐principles calculations we investigated the structural and electronic properties for a new carbon phase with body‐centered tetragonal structure, bct‐C4. The single‐elastic constants calculations reveal that bct‐C4 is mechanically stable under ambient conditions, being consistent with a previous theoretical study. The predicted bulk and shear moduli are 396 GPa and 423 GPa, respectively. The calculated ideal tensile strengths are 80.3 GPa and 130.4 GPa along the 〈100〉 and 〈001〉 directions, respectively. The theoretical Vickers hardness of bct‐C4 was estimated as 88 GPa, which is comparable to that of diamond. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The effect of increased interrogation zone, reader antenna polarization and application factors in the performance of UHF RFID tag detection on modified atmosphere packaged meat
Authors: Mc Carthy Ultan , Ayalew Gashaw , Butler Francis , McDonnell Kevin , Ward Shane
Published: June 2010

The effect of conveyor speed, test sample size, antenna to sample distance, antenna polarization and ideal tag location in relation to the coupling capabilities of ultra‐high frequency radio frequency identification on optimal reader antenna placement were studied. The influence of each individual factor and its interaction was determined using the general linear model analysis of variance. In decreasing order of significance of the variables tested were sample type (F = 4174.40, p < 0.0005), smaller samples preferred for coupling; distance (F = 863.83, p < 0.0005), where distance between sample and antenna should be kept to a minimum; inlay design (F = 167.82, p < 0.0005), where AD‐612 preformed best due to its large antenna area; and reader antenna polarization (F = 149.64, p < 0.0005), where circular polarization preformed better yet comparative advantage decreased with distance. A reader antenna offset of 95 mm, while not significant, (F = 1.73, p = 0.188) tended to decrease coupling capabilities of the system despite increasing the zone of influence. Ideal tag location on sample was found to be on the right, back and front face with y‐orientation proving superior than either x or z. A 190‐mm centre–to‐centre reader antenna offset resulted in a decrease in the average tag detection rate from 62 to 49% highlighting the importance of optimal reader antenna placement which needs to be confirmed if a similar result is to be obtained when a large number of tags are interrogated simultaneously. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A model for space–time cluster detection using spatial clusters with flexible temporal risk patterns
Authors: Gangnon Ronald E.
Published: June 2010

Maps of estimated disease rates over multiple time periods are useful tools for gaining etiologic insights regarding potential exposures associated with specific locations and times. In this paper, we describe an extension of the Gangnon–Clayton model for spatial clustering to spatio‐temporal data. As in the purely spatial model, a large set of circular regions of varying radii centered at observed locations are considered as potential clusters, e.g. subregions with a different pattern of risk than the remainder of the study region. Within the spatio‐temporal model, no specific parametric form is imposed on the temporal pattern of risk within each cluster. In addition to the clusters, the proposed model incorporates spatial and spatio‐temporal heterogeneity effects and can readily accommodate regional covariates. Inference is performed in a Bayesian framework using MCMC. Although formal inferences about the number of clusters could be obtained using a reversible jump MCMC algorithm, we use local Bayes factors from models with a fixed, but overly large, number of clusters to draw inferences about both the number and the locations of the clusters. We illustrate the approach with two applications of the model to data on female breast cancer mortality in Japan and evaluate its operating characteristics in a simulation study. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
KAL: kernel‐assisted non‐invasive memory leak tolerance with a general‐purpose memory allocator
Authors: Jeong Jinkyu , Seo Euiseong , Choi Jeonghwan , Kim Hwanju , Jo Heeseung , Lee Joonwon
Published: June 2010

Memory leaks are a continuing problem in the software developed with programming languages, such as C and C++. A recent approach adopted by some researchers is to tolerate leaks in the software application and to reclaim the leaked memory by use of specially constructed memory allocation routines. However, such routines replace the usual general‐purpose memory allocator and tend to be less efficient in speed and in memory utilization. We propose a new scheme which coexists with the existing memory allocation routines and which reclaims memory leaks. Our scheme identifies and reclaims leaked memory at the kernel level. There are some major advantages to our approach: (1) the application software does not need to be modified; (2) the application does not need to be suspended while leaked memory is reclaimed; (3) a remote host can be used to identify the leaked memory, thus minimizing impact on the application program's performance; and (4) our scheme does not degrade the service availability of the application while detecting and reclaiming memory leaks. We have implemented a prototype that works with the GNU C library and with the Linux kernel. Our prototype has been tested and evaluated with various real‐world applications. Our results show that the computational overhead of our approach is around 2% of that incurred by the conventional memory allocator in terms of throughput and average response time. We also verified that the prototype successfully suppressed address space expansion caused by memory leaks when the applications are run on synthetic workloads. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Creating ‘learning laboratories’ for sustainable development in biospheres: A systems thinking approach
Authors: Nguyen Nam C. , Bosch Ockie J.H. , Maani Kambiz E.
Published: June 2010

This paper discusses the application of systems thinking concepts and tools in establishing ‘Learning Laboratories’ for Sustainable Development. It first presents a brief description of the potential value of utilising biosphere reserves for implementing the learning laboratories concept, followed by how systemic processes have been developed to establish a Learning Laboratory through a comprehensive pilot project in the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve (CBBR) in Vietnam. In this project Causal Loop Modelling were used to determine the components and interactions between the policy, social, environmental and economic dimensions of the CBBR. The resultant model has been used to identify key leverage points and where systemic interventions will be most effective (potential research projects). The model also serves as a platform for learning and research collaboration through alliances and cross‐sectoral teams to address the various domains, leverage points, and interventions identified. The role and importance of systems thinking methodology and applications to deal with ever‐increasing complexities of sustainable development are discussed. The modelling approach and various processes that were used in this pilot project could be extended to other biosphere reserves in Vietnam and globally, in that way creating a worldwide network of ‘Learning Laboratories for Sustainable Development’. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systems medicine—viewed through the real and computing lenses
Authors: Subramaniam Shankar , Nadeau Joseph H.
Published: June 2010

This article is categorized under:

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Translational Medicine

Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods
Calcium dynamics and signaling in vascular regulation: computational models
Authors: Tsoukias Nikolaos Michael
Published: June 2010

Calcium is a universal signaling molecule with a central role in a number of vascular functions including in the regulation of tone and blood flow. Experimentation has provided insights into signaling pathways that lead to or affected by Ca2+ mobilization in the vasculature. Mathematical modeling offers a systematic approach to the analysis of these mechanisms and can serve as a tool for data interpretation and for guiding new experimental studies. Comprehensive models of calcium dynamics are well advanced for some systems such as the heart. This review summarizes the progress that has been made in modeling Ca2+ dynamics and signaling in vascular cells. Model simulations show how Ca2+ signaling emerges as a result of complex, nonlinear interactions that cannot be properly analyzed using only a reductionist's approach. A strategy of integrative modeling in the vasculature is outlined that will allow linking macroscale pathophysiological responses to the underlying cellular mechanisms. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2011 3 93–106 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.97

This article is categorized under:

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Cellular Models

Biological Mechanisms > Cell Signaling