bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Resistive switching behaviour of a tantalum oxide nanolayer fabricated by plasma oxidation
Authors: Tang G. S. , Zeng F. , Chen C. , Gao S. , Fu H. D. , Song C. , Wang G. Y. , Pan F. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractWe investigate the resistive switching behaviour of a tantalum oxide nanolayer‐based nonvolatile memory with Pt/TaO5–x/TaN structure, which was prepared at room temperature through a processing compatible with CMOS technology. The tantalum oxide nanolayer with thickness of about 5 nm was fabricated by plasma oxidation of TaN films. The switching mechanism can be explained by the modulation of the local oxygen‐deficient conduction channel resulting from oxygen ions drift. This Letter represents a cost‐efficient method for developing nanoscale restive switching nonvolatile memories. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Quantum Dot‐Based Thermal Spectroscopy and Imaging of Optically Trapped Microspheres and Single Cells
Authors: Haro‐González Patricia , Ramsay William T. , Maestro Laura Martinez , del Rosal Blanca , Santacruz‐Gomez Karla , del Carmen Iglesias‐de la Cruz Maria , Sanz‐Rodríguez Francisco , Chooi Jing Yuang , Sevilla Paloma Rodriguez , Bettinelli Marco , Choudhury Debaditya , Kar Ajoy K. , Solé José García , Jaque Daniel , Paterson Lynn 
Published: February 2013

AbstractLaser‐induced thermal effects in optically trapped microspheres and single cells are investigated by quantum dot luminescence thermometry. Thermal spectroscopy has revealed a non‐localized temperature distribution around the trap that extends over tens of micrometers, in agreement with previous theoretical models besides identifying water absorption as the most important heating source. The experimental results of thermal loading at a variety of wavelengths reveal that an optimum trapping wavelength exists for biological applications close to 820 nm. This is corroborated by a simultaneous analysis of the spectral dependence of cellular heating and damage in human lymphocytes during optical trapping. This quantum dot luminescence thermometry demonstrates that optical trapping with 820 nm laser radiation produces minimum intracellular heating, well below the cytotoxic level (43 °C), thus, avoiding cell damage.
Avispa: a tool for analyzing software process models
Authors: Hurtado Alegría Julio A. , Bastarrica María Cecilia , Bergel Alexandre 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTDefining and formalizing the software development process is a common means for improving it. Software process modeling is often a challenging and expensive endeavor, because a well specified process may still include inefficiencies that are hardly detected before enacting it. Thus, assessing process quality is a relevant concern to improve several aspects such as conceptual integrity, correctness, usability, maintainability, and performance, among others. This paper describes Avispa, a graphical tool that allows analyzing the quality of SPEM 2.0 software processes models. Avispa identifies a series of error patterns and highlights them in different blueprints. A detailed description of the internals of Avispa is provided to show both its structure and its extensibility mechanisms. We also present an interactive mechanism to define new analysis scripts and to implement new patterns and blueprints. This paper illustrates the application of Avispa in an industrial case study where process engineers are assisted to analyze the quality of their process. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ferulic acid prevents cerebral ischemic injury‐induced reduction of hippocalcin expression
Authors: Koh Phil‐Ok 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTIntracellular calcium overload is a critical pathophysiological factor in ischemic injury. Hippocalcin is a neuronal calcium sensor protein that buffers intracellular calcium levels and protects cells from apoptotic stimuli. Ferulic acid exerts a neuroprotective effect in cerebral ischemia through its anti‐oxidant and anti‐inflammation activity. This study investigated whether ferulic acid contributes to hippocalcin expression during cerebral ischemia and glutamate exposure‐induced neuronal cell death. Rats were immediately treated with vehicle or ferulic acid (100 mg/kg, i.v.) after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Brain tissues were collected 24 h after MCAO and followed by assessment of cerebral infarct. Ferulic acid reduced MCAO‐induced infarct regions. A proteomics approach elucidated a decrease in hippocalcin in MCAO‐operated animals, ferulic acid attenuates the injury‐induced decrease in hippocalcin expression. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses confirmed that ferulic acid prevents the injury‐induced decrease in hippocalcin. In cultured HT22 hippocampal cells, glutamate exposure increased the intracellular Ca2+ levels, whereas ferulic acid attenuated this increase. Moreover, ferulic acid attenuated the glutamate toxicity‐induced decrease in hippocalcin expression. These findings can suggest the possibility that ferulic acid exerts a neuroprotective effect through modulating hippocalcine expression and regulating intracellular calcium levels. Synapse 67:390–398, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
High‐efficiency current‐doubler rectifier with low output current ripple and high step‐down voltage ratio
Authors: Tsai Cheng‐Tao , Shen Chih‐Lung 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis paper presents a current‐doubler rectifier with low output current ripple and high step‐down voltage ratio. In the proposed rectifier, two extra inductors are introduced to extend the duty ratio of the switches, which in turn reduces the peak current through the isolation transformer as well as the output current ripple; two extra diodes are used to provide discharge paths for the two extra inductors. To highlight the merits of the proposed rectifier, its performance indexes, such as voltage gain function, secondary winding peak current of the isolation transformer, and output current ripple, are analyzed and compared with the conventional current‐doubler rectifier. In this paper, a zero‐voltage‐switching phase‐shift full‐bridge converter with the proposed rectifier with an input voltage of 400 V, output voltage of 12 V, and full load power of 500 W has been implemented and verified, and experimental results have shown that 90% conversion efficiency could be achieved at full load. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The influence of nitrate on the physiology of the yeast Dekkera bruxellensis grown under oxygen limitation
Authors: de Barros Pita Will , Tiukova Ievgeniia , Leite Fernanda Cristina Bezerra , Passoth Volkmar , Simões Diogo Ardaillon , de Morais Marcos Antonio 
Published: February 2013

AbstractA previous study showed that the use of nitrate by Dekkera bruxellensis might be an advantageous trait when ammonium is limited in sugarcane substrate for ethanol fermentation. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of nitrate on the yeast physiology during cell growth in different carbon sources under oxygen limitation. If nitrate was the sole source of nitrogen, D. bruxellensis cells presented slower growth, diminished sugar consumption and growth‐associated ethanol production, when compared to ammonium. These results were corroborated by the increased expression of genes involved in the pentose phosphate (PP) pathway, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and ATP synthesis. The presence of ammonium in the mixed medium restored most parameters to the standard conditions. This work may open up a line of investigation to establish the connection between nitrate assimilation and energetic metabolism in D. bruxellensis and their influence on its fermentative capacity in oxygen‐limited or oxygen‐depleted conditions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three Novel 3D Complexes Constructed by 1H‐Benzimidazole‐5, 6‐dicarboxylic Acid: Syntheses, Crystal Structures, and Luminescence
Authors: Gao Jin‐Ying , Xiong Xia‐Hua , Chen Chu‐Jun , Xie Wei‐Ping , Ran Xing‐Rui , Yue Shan‐Tang 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThree novel compounds, {[Ln(Hbidc)(ox)0.5(H2O)]·H2O}n [Ln = Pr (1), Sm (2), Eu (3)] were synthesized by hydrothermal reaction of 1H‐benzimidazole‐5, 6‐dicarboxylic acid (H3bidc) and oxalate (ox) with Ln(NO3)3·6H2O in the presence of NaOH solution at 180 °C, and were structurally characterized by elemental analysis, FT‐IR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD). Single crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis reveal that all the compounds are isomorphous, displaying 3D networks with 9‐connected topology based on the linkages of 2D layers and 1D zigzag chains. In addition, complex 3 exhibits strong luminescent property in the solid state at room temperature.
Role of Pre‐operative Multiple Gated Acquisition Scanning in Predicting Long‐Term Outcome in Patients Undergoing Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
Authors: Barakat Hashem M. , Shahin Yousef , Khan Junaid A. , McCollum Peter T. , Chetter Ian C. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractObjectiveTo determine whether resting pre‐operative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) estimated by multiple gated acquisition scanning (MUGA) predicts long‐term survival in patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair.MethodsA retrospective study of MUGA scans which were performed to estimate pre‐operative resting LVEF in 127 patients [106 (83 %) males, mean age 74 ± 7.6 years] who underwent elective AAA repair over a period of 4 years from March 2007. We compared outcomes and long‐term survival between patients who had a pre‐operative LVEF ≤ 40 % (Group 1, n = 60) and LVEF > 40 % (Group 2, n = 67).ResultsOverall 19 (15 %) patients died during the follow‐up period (13 patients in group 1 and 6 patients in group 2). 30‐day mortality was 8 %. There was no significant difference between group 1 and 2 in terms of patients’ mean age or median length of hospital stay (8 days for both groups, p = 0.61). However, group 2 had more females than group 1(18 vs. 3, p = 0.001). Median survival for patients in group 2 was significantly higher than patients in group 1 (1,258 days vs. 1,000 days, p = 0.03). In a Cox regression model which included age, sex, smoking status and LVEF as covariates, only smoking status and LVEF predicted survival [Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.06, p = 0.04 and HR = 0.93, p = 0.00, respectively].ConclusionThis study shows that there is a role for pre‐operative MUGA scan assessment of resting LVEF in predicting long‐term survival post elective AAA repair and that the lower the pre‐operative LVEF the poorer the long‐term outcome.
Dorsal Radiocarpal Dislocation in a Patient with Goldenhar Syndrome: Case Report
Authors: Bernard Johnathan A. , O'Daly Andres , LaPorte Dawn M. 
Published: February 2013

Background Fracture–dislocations of the carpus are rare, generally occurring after high-energy trauma. Goldenhar syndrome is among a group of genetic abnormalities associated with radial limb defects. We present a case of a dorsal radiocarpal dislocation in a patient with Goldenhar syndrome after a low-energy fall. To our knowledge, there has been no previous report of radiocarpal dislocation in the setting of Goldenhar syndrome. Methods This patient with Goldenhar syndrome had a dorsal radiocarpal dislocation in the setting of an absent scaphoid and dysplastic distal radius. A computed tomography scan, recognized as a useful modality to evaluate the wrist and scaphoid, was used to rule out any other osseous trauma or avulsion fractures. Results Closed reduction and 6 weeks of immobilization resulted in a successful treatment. Conclusions The incidence of radiocarpal dislocations in patients with Goldenhar syndrome and the appropriate long-term treatment for patients with Goldenhar syndrome with radiocarpal dislocations require further investigation.
Near-Net-Shape Production of Hollow Titanium Alloy Components via Electrochemical Reduction of Metal Oxide Precursors in Molten Salts
Authors: Hu Di , Xiao Wei , Chen George Z. 
Published: February 2013

Metal oxide precursors (ca. 90 wt pct Ti, 6 wt pct Al, and 4 wt pct V) were prepared with a hollow structure in various shapes such as a sphere, miniature golf club head, and cup using a one-step solid slip-casting process. The precursors were then electro-deoxidized in molten calcium chloride [3.2 V, 1173 K (900 °C)] against a graphite anode. After 24 hours of electrolysis, the near-net-shape Ti-6Al-4V product maintained its original shape with controlled shrinkage. Oxygen contents in the Ti-6Al-4V components were typically below 2000 ppm. The maximum compressive stress and modulus of electrolytic products obtained in this work were approximately 243 MPa and 14 GPa, respectively, matching with the requirement for medical implants. Further research directions are discussed for mechanical improvement of the products via densification during or after electrolysis. This simple, fast, and energy-efficient near-net-shape manufacturing method could allow titanium alloy components with desired geometries to be prepared directly from a mixture of metal oxides, promising an innovative technology for the low-cost production of titanium alloy components.
Carbonation of Epoxidized Soybean Oil Improved by the Addition of Water
Authors: Mazo Paula , Rios Luis 
Published: February 2013

AbstractCarbonated soybean oil was synthesized from epoxidized soybean oil and CO2 at atmospheric pressure and with tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBABr) as catalyst. Kinetic parameters, i.e., rate constants, activation energy and pre‐exponential factors were determined. The effects of catalyst concentration and water content were studied. The reaction followed first‐order kinetics with respect to epoxide at 100–140 °C. A steep increase in conversion (ca. 30 %) was obtained by increasing the amount of catalyst from 3 to 5 %. Further increasing the amount of catalyst to 7 % increased the conversion less than 10 %. The reaction proceeded faster when water was added; reaction times with water were ca. 70 % of the reaction times without water. Titration, FTIR and 1H‐NMR analyses indicated ca. 90 % conversion and ca. 88 % selectivity towards the carbonate after 70 h at 120 °C with 5 % mol TBABr and 1:3 molar ratio of water to epoxide.
Incidence and gender differences of slipped capital femoral epiphysis in the Netherlands from 1998–2010 combined with a review of the literature on the epidemiology of SCFE
Authors: Witbreuk M. M. , van Royen B. J. , Van Kemenade F. J. , Witte B. I. , van der Sluijs J. A. 
Published: February 2013

Purpose The incidence of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) among children living in the Netherlands has never been published. Methods The national hospitalization registration system of the Netherlands was searched for the incidence of surgical procedures for SCFE in the Netherlands among different pediatric age groups between 1998 and 2010. International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision codes were used. Results and conclusion The incidence of surgical procedures for SCFE during the last decade was 11.6 per 100,000 children aged 5 to 19 years. No statistical difference in the incidence of SCFE was found between boys and girls, although the incidence of SCFE did significantly increase in girls during the study period. Based on our analysis, the Netherlands appears to be the first country in which no difference in the incidence of SCFE among boys and girls has been reported. However, during the study period there has been a concomitant increase in the number of girls with SCFE.
Impact of experimental hypothyroidism on monoamines level in discrete brain regions and other peripheral tissues of young and adult male rats
Authors: Hassan Wafaa A. , Aly Mona S. , Rahman Taghride Abdel , Shahat Asmaa S. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe levels of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5‐HT) in different brain regions as well as in blood plasma, cardiac muscle and adrenal gland of young and adult male albino rats were measured following experimentally induced hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism induced by daily oral administration of propylthiouracil (PTU, 5 mg/kg body wt) caused a significant reduction in DA levels in most of the tissues examined of both young and adult rats after 21 and 28 days, in NE levels after all the time intervals studied in young rats, and after 21 and 28 days in adult rats. 5‐HT exhibited a significant reduction in the selected brain regions and blood plasma after 21 and 28 days and in cardiac muscle after all the time intervals in the two age groups of animals. It may be suggested that the changes in monoamine levels induced by hypothyroidism may be due to disturbance in the synthesis and release of these amines through the neurons impairment or may be due to an alteration pattern of their synthesizing and/or degradative enzymes.
How animal models of leukaemias have already benefited patients
Authors: Ablain Julien , Nasr Rihab , Zhu Jun , Bazarbachi Ali , Lallemand-Breittenbach Valérie , de Thé Hugues 
Published: February 2013

The relative genetic simplicity of leukaemias, the development of which likely relies on a limited number of initiating events has made them ideal for disease modelling, particularly in the mouse. Animal models provide incomparable insights into the mechanisms of leukaemia development and allow exploration of the molecular pillars of disease maintenance, an aspect often biased in cell lines or ex vivo systems. Several of these models, which faithfully recapitulate the characteristics of the human disease, have been used for pre‐clinical purposes and have been instrumental in predicting therapy response in patients. We plea for a wider use of genetically defined animal models in the design of clinical trials, with a particular focus on reassessment of existing cancer or non‐cancer drugs, alone or in combination.
Cochlear implantation after selective vestibular nerve section
Authors: Martens C , Csillag A , Davies M , Fagan P 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIntroduction:Vestibular nerve section is a highly effective procedure for the control of vertigo in patients with Ménière's disease. However, hearing loss is a possible complication. If hearing loss occurs after vestibular nerve section, magnetic resonance imaging should make it possible to establish the presence or absence of an intact cochlear nerve.Method:Case report and review of the world literature concerning cochlear implantation after vestibular nerve section.Case report:We present a patient who developed subtotal hearing loss after vestibular nerve section. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to verify the presence of an intact cochlear nerve, enabling successful cochlear implantation.Conclusion:To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of cochlear implantation carried out after selective vestibular nerve section. Given recent advances in cochlear implantation, this case indicates that it is essential to make every effort to spare the cochlear nerve if vestibular nerve section is required. If hearing loss occurs after vestibular nerve section, magnetic resonance imaging should be undertaken to establish whether the cochlear nerve is intact.
Chronic rhinosinusitis in ex-lepromatous leprosy patients with atrophic rhinitis
Authors: Suzuki J , Oshima T , Watanabe K , Suzuki H , Kobayashi T , Hashimoto S 
Published: February 2013

AbstractAim:Rhino-sinus mucosal involvement is well documented in untreated lepromatous leprosy, but less understood in ex-leprosy patients (i.e. leprosy patients who have been treated and cured) with atrophic rhinitis.Materials and methods:Rhino-sinus abnormalities were investigated in 13 ex-lepromatous leprosy patients with atrophic rhinitis, using interviews enquiring about sinonasal symptoms, nasal endoscopy, nasal swab culture and computed tomography. Endoscopic sinus surgery had been performed in three patients. The clinical course, computed tomography findings and nasal biopsy results of these three patients were evaluated.Results:All patients had turbinate atrophy and 6 of the 13 (46.2 per cent) had septal perforation. Paranasal sinus involvement was noted in 9 of 12 examined patients (75 per cent). The most commonly affected sinus was the maxillary sinus (in 8 of 12; 66.7 per cent). All three patients treated by endoscopic sinus surgery experienced relapse and required further surgery. Maxillary sinus irrigation was effective for reduction of persistent symptoms such as postnasal discharge and crusts.Conclusion:Ex-lepromatous leprosy patients with atrophic rhinitis had various rhino-sinus abnormalities and persistent symptoms. These patients had chronic rhinosinusitis because of underlying atrophic rhinitis. These patients required repeated otolaryngological observations together with combined surgery and conservative treatment.
Mysore's Wembley? The Dasara Exhibition's Imagined Economies
Authors: NAIR JANAKI 
Published: February 2013

AbstractMost scholarly works on exhibitionary practices of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have focused on the meaning and importance of display, and the cultural bases, and indeed biases, that supported various inclusions and exclusions. The exhibition has usually formed part of a larger narrative of new rituals that were enacted in the modern period to serve, variously, imperial, market or patriotic objectives. Can the persistence with which the Princely Mysore state organized its Dasara Exhibition from 1907 until well after independence be understood solely within these frames? In both its choice of location and its timing, the Dasara Exhibition was organized with dogged insistence, despite its obvious failures. This can only be understood in relation to the larger changes that were envisaged for the economy of the region, as the state attempted to build a supplement, even an alternative, to the princely splendour and pomp that was on conspicuous display. This paper looks at the subtle changes and shifts that occurred during the first half of the twentieth century in exhibitionary practices as they related to both real and envisaged changes within the economy that the Mysore bureaucracy was obliged to bring into being.
Militarised violences, basic training, and the myths of asexuality and discipline
Authors: WELLAND JULIA 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIn recent years numerous reports of prisoner abuse and other militarised violences by British troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan have emerged. Drawing on two such incidents – the abuse of detainees at Camp Breadbasket and the murder of Baha Mousa – this article seeks to locate such violences on a continuum that can be traced back to the ways in which British soldiers are trained. Following on from a burgeoning feminist literature on militarised masculinities, and using Avery Gordon's epistemology of ghosts and hauntings, I suggest a conceptual and methodological intervention into the subject that resists generalised stories and the mapping of ‘hard’ borders. Focusing on the myths of asexuality and discipline that emerge from, and reinforce, the gendered discourses of basic training, I conduct a ‘ghost hunt’ of the haunting spectres that have attempted to be exorcised from these myths. Making visible these ghost(s) and tracing their (violent) materialisations through multiple sites and across a continuum, militarised violences – in all their ranges – begin to be made explicable.