bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In situ film characterization of thermally treated microstructured conducting polymer films
Authors: Meier Robert , Chiang Hsin‐Yin , Ruderer Matthias A. , Guo Shuai , Körstgens Volker , Perlich Jan , Müller‐Buschbaum Peter 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBased on a low‐cost fabrication routine microstructured conducting polymer films of poly (dioctylfluorene‐co‐benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) are prepared without any heat treatment or vacuum steps. The influence of thermal annealing at temperatures below the glass transition temperature of F8BT on such microstructured channel structures is investigated. In the applied structuring routine, a F8BT film is spin coated on a channel‐type hard master structure and afterwards floated on a flat support. Thereby, the properties of the final polymeric structures, for example channel width and height, can be tuned by simply varying the polymer concentration in solution and using the same master structure. With in situ grazing incidence small angle X‐ray scattering and imaging ellipsometry the installed channel structure and the influence of thermal treatment are probed. A complex interplay between a macroscopic polymer flow (reduced channel heights) and a molecular rearrangement (formation of mesoscopic crystallites) takes place during thermal annealing. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012
Structural transitions and oligomerization along polyalanine fibril formation pathways from computer simulations
Authors: Phelps Erin M. , Hall Carol K. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe results of a computer simulation study of the aggregation kinetics of a large system of model peptides with particular focus on the formation of intermediates are presented. Discontinuous molecular dynamic simulations were used in combination with our intermediate‐resolution protein model, PRIME, to simulate the aggregation of a system of 192 polyalanine (KA14K) peptides at a concentration of 5 mM and a reduced temperature of T* = 0.13 starting from a random configuration and ending in the assembly of a fibrillar structure. The population of various structures, including free monomers, beta sheets, amorphous aggregates, hybrid aggregates, and fibrils, and the transitions between the structures were tracked over the course of 30 independent simulations and averaged together. The aggregation pathway for this system starts with the association of free monomers into small amorphous aggregates that then grow to moderate size by incorporating other free monomers or merging with other small amorphous aggregates. These then rearrange into either small beta sheets or hybrid aggregates formed by association between unstructured chains and beta sheets, both of which grow in size by adding free monomer chains or other small aggregates, one at a time. Fibrillar structures are formed initially either by the stacking of beta sheets, rearrangement of hybrid aggregates or association between beta sheets and hybrid aggregates. They grow by the addition of beta sheets, hybrid aggregates, and other small fibrillar structures. The rearrangement of amorphous aggregates into beta sheets is a critical and necessary step in the fibril formation pathway. Proteins 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterization of high‐density bit‐patterned media using ultra‐high resolution magnetic force microscopy
Authors: Piramanayagam S. N. , Ranjbar M. , Sbiaa R. , Tavakkoli K. G. A. , Chong T. C. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBit‐patterned media at one terabit‐per‐square‐inch (Tb/in2) recording density require a feature size of about 12 nm. The fabrication and characterization of such magnetic nanostructures is still a challenge. In this Letter, we show that magnetic dots can be resolved at 10 nm spacing using magnetic force microscopy (MFM) tips coated with a magnetic film possessing a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Compared to MFM tips with no special magnetic anisotropy, MFM tips with PMA can resolve the bits clearly, because of a smaller magnetic interaction volume, enabling a simple technique for characterizing fine magnetic nanostructures. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Generalized selection combining with double threshold and performance analysis
Authors: Xie Ning , Liu Zhaorong , Wang Rui , Wang Hui , Lin Xiaohui 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we propose a new diversity combining scheme to save power, which is called as the generalized selection combining with double threshold (DT‐GSC). It selects the branch whose SNR is above an input threshold to combine, and this process will keep running until the combined output SNR is larger than an output threshold or until all paths are examined. The values of both thresholds are required to be predetermined on the basis of the practical communication conditions. For comparing the complexity of various combining schemes, we will show the mathematical formulas of the average number of path estimation and the average number of combined branches. Moreover, we will also compare the average bit‐error‐ratio performance of the proposed DT‐GSC with absolute threshold GSC (AT‐GSC) and output threshold MRC (OT‐MRC). Numerical examples and simulation results show that the proposed DT‐GSC leads to a lower complexity than the conventional AT‐GSC and OT‐MRC while it has a satisfactory performance.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spectral and Structural Studies of Platinum Group Metal Complexes of3‐(Di‐2‐Pyridylaminomethyl)Benzamide and Formation of Mutual Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding in Some Complexes
Authors: Gloria Sairem , Wang Peng , Rao Kollipara Mohan 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe new ligand, 3‐(di‐2‐pyridylaminomethyl)benzamide, L, which carries two different coordination sites, i.e. the primary amide moiety on one side and a di‐2‐pyridylamine unit as a strong chelating group on the other side is synthesized. Reaction of chloro‐bridged dimers viz., [(η6‐arene)Ru(μ‐Cl)Cl]2 and [Cp*M(μ‐Cl)Cl]2 with two equivalents of the ligand L in methanol followed by the addition of NH4BF4 results the formation of mononuclear complexes of the formulation [(η6‐arene)Ru(L)Cl]BF4 [arene = C6H6 (1), C10H14 (2), C6Me6 (3)] and [Cp*M(L)Cl]BF4 [M = Rh (4); Ir (5)]. All these complexes are characterized by micro analyses, IR, and 1H NMR spectroscopic analyses and finally by single crystal XRD study of some representative complexes. Complexes 3 and 5 show mutual intermolecular hydrogen bonding by amide–amide interactions.
2‐(Dinitromethylene)‐1‐nitro‐1, 3‐diazacyclopentane‐Based Energetic Salts
Authors: Song Jinhong , Zhou Zhiming , Cao Dan , Huang Haifeng , Liang Lixuan , Wang Kai , Zhang Jun 
Published: February 2012

AbstractEnergetic salts that contain nitrogen‐rich cations and the 2‐(dinitromethyl)‐3‐nitro‐1, 3‐diazacyclopent‐1‐ene anion were synthesized in high yield by direct neutralization reactions. The resulting salts were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H and 13C), vibrational spectroscopy (IR), elemental analysis, density and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and elemental analysis. Additionally, the structures of the ammonium (1) and isopropylideneaminoguanidinium (9) 2‐(dinitromethyl)‐3‐nitro‐1, 3‐diazacyclopent‐l‐ene salts were confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Solid‐state 15N NMR spectroscopy was used as an effective technique to further determine the structure of some of the products. The densities of the energetic salts paired with organic cations fell between 1.50 and 1.79 g·cm–3 as measured by a gas pycnometer. Based on the measured densities and calculated heats of formation, detonation pressures and velocities were calculated using Explo 5.05 and found to to be 25.2–35.5 GPa and 7949–9004 m·s–1, respectively, which make them competitive energetic materials.
Early versus Delayed Surgical Treatment in Open Hand Injuries: A Paradigm Revisited
Authors: Angly Bernhard , Constantinescu Mihai A. , Kreutziger Janett , Juon Bettina H. , Vögelin Esther 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBackgroundTo date it remains unclear if a delayed surgical treatment of open hand injuries after more than 6 h may be detrimental to outcome. Previous investigations by McLain et al. (J Hand Surg Am 16:108–112, 1980 9), Nylen and Carlsson (Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg 14:185–189, 1991 10) could not find statistical proof of correlation between infection rate and delayed surgical treatment after open hand injuries up to 18 h. The current study was designed to investigate the outcome of early versus delayed surgical treatment after open hand injury.Patients and methodsA retrospective data analysis of all patients sustaining an open hand injury between January 1 and December 31 2006 was performed. Patients with incomplete data records were excluded. Patients were stratified according to time delay of surgical treatment and injury complexity. Complications, revision rate, and functional outcome were also investigated.ResultsBetween January 1 and December 31 2006 a total of 458 patients with open hand injuries were treated at the University Hospital of Berne, Switzerland. The records were retrospectively analyzed and a subgroup of 100 patients were randomly determined for standardized follow‐up evaluation. There were no significant differences regarding infection, complication, and revision rate between early (<6 h) and delayed (6–24 h) surgical treatment of open hand injuries. Independently from the time point of surgical treatment, patients with complex injuries and longer operative times had an increased infection rate (p = 0.05) and revision rate (p = 0.003).ConclusionsDelayed surgical treatment (6–24 h) of open hand injuries did not increase infection or revision rates in open non‐devascularizing hand injuries.
25-Hydroxycholecalciferol status in plasma is linearly correlated to daily summer pasture time in cattle at 56°N
Authors: Hymøller Lone , Jensen Søren K. 
Published: February 2012

In vitrostudies with skin samples or pure precursors of cholecalciferol indicated that cholecalciferol synthesis during UV light exposure is a non-linear process. However,in vitrostudies indicate nothing about the relationship between sunlight exposure and physiological cholecalciferol status of living organisms. Due to the lack of cholecalciferol in plant material, this relationship is important for herbivores including domestic cattle, particularly in organic agriculture, because the use of synthetic additives, like cholecalciferol, is restricted in order to fulfil the principles of sustainable organic production. The major physiological metabolite of cholecalciferol is the liver-derived 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D3). The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between sunlight exposure and 25(OH)D3statusin vivoin large herbivores during mid-summer at 56°N. Five groups of cows were given access to pasture during 15, 30, 75, 150 or 300 min daily for 28 d in June and plasma analysed for 25(OH)D3. Animals allowed 15, 30 or 75 min of daily access to pasture showed a declining linear relationship between plasma 25(OH)D3and sampling day in contrast to animals allowed 150 or 300 min of pasture access which showed linear increasing plasma 25(OH)D3status. Determined from the slopes of 25(OH)D3concentration curves within treatments, breakeven for maintaining the initial 25(OH)D3status of 45 nmol/l was 90 min pasture access per d during summer at 56°N.
Cholesteatoma surgery in children: 10-year retrospective review
Authors: Visvanathan V , Kubba H , Morrissey M S C 
Published: February 2012

AbstractObjective:To review outcomes following paediatric cholesteatoma surgery performed between 1999 and 2009 in a tertiary paediatric ENT unit.Study design:Retrospective case note review.Results:A total of 137 mastoid procedures were recorded. Fifty-four per cent of children were observed to have disease involving the entire middle-ear cleft and mastoid complex. The revision rate was 25 per cent. Time to recurrence was one to three years in 17 patients, three to six years in five patients, and six to nine years in three cases. Eight of 25 revision cases demonstrated spontaneous improvement in air conduction thresholds following primary surgery. A high facial ridge and inadequate meatoplasty correlated highly with disease recurrence.Conclusion:Children tend to present with aggressive disease. Disease extent and ossicular chain involvement are associated with a higher risk of recurrent disease. Spontaneous improvement in hearing thresholds following cholesteatoma surgery should alert the clinician to recurrent disease.
Effects of Bluetooth device electromagnetic field on hearing: pilot study
Authors: Balachandran R , Prepagaran N , Rahmat O , Zulkiflee A B , Hufaida K S 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBackground:The Bluetooth wireless headset has been promoted as a ‘hands-free’ device with a low emission of electromagnetic radiation.Objective:To evaluate potential changes in hearing function as a consequence of using Bluetooth devices, by assessing changes in pure tone audiography and distortion production otoacoustic emissions.Design:Prospective study.Materials and methods:Thirty adult volunteers were exposed to a Bluetooth headset device (1) on ‘standby’ setting for 6 hours and (2) at full power for 10 minutes. Post-exposure hearing was evaluated using pure tone audiography and distortion production otoacoustic emission testing.Results:There were no statistically significant changes in hearing, as measured above, following either exposure type.Conclusion:Exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by a Bluetooth headset, as described above, did not decrease hearing thresholds or alter distortion product otoacoustic emissions.
Ion-acoustic envelope excitations in multispecies plasma with non-thermally distributed electrons
Authors: BALA PARVEEN , GILL TARSEM SINGH , KAUR HARVINDER 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBy using the standard reductive perturbation technique, a nonlinear Schrödinger equation is derived to study the stability of finite amplitude ion-acoustic waves in an unmagnetized plasma consisting of warm positive and negative ions and non-thermal electrons. The effect of relative temperature of positive and negative ions, their charge and mass ratios, density ratios and non-thermally distributed electrons on modulational instability of fast and slow ion-acoustic mode is investigated. It is found that these parameters significantly change the domain of modulation instability. Both, envelope and dark solitons appear in different regions of parameter space.
Beltrami fields in a hot electron–positron–ion plasma
Authors: IQBAL M. , SHUKLA P. K. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractA possibility of relaxation of relativistically hot electron and positron (e − p) plasma with a small fraction of hot or cold ions has been investigated analytically. It is observed that a strong interaction of plasma flow and field leads to a non-force-free relaxed magnetic field configuration governed by the triple curl Beltrami (TCB) equation. The triple curl Beltrami (TCB) field composed of three different Beltrami fields gives rise to three multiscale relaxed structures. The results may have the strong relevance to some astrophysical and laboratory plasmas.
Bartonellaspecies in bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) from western Africa
Authors: BILLETER S. A. , HAYMAN D. T. S. , PEEL A. J. , BAKER K. , WOOD J. L. N. , CUNNINGHAM A. , SUU-IRE R. , DITTMAR K. , KOSOY M. Y. 
Published: February 2012

SUMMARYBat flies are obligate ectoparasites of bats and it has been hypothesized that they may be involved in the transmission ofBartonellaspecies between bats. A survey was conducted to identify whetherCyclopodia greefi greefi(Diptera: Nycteribiidae) collected from Ghana and 2 islands in the Gulf of Guinea harbourBartonella. In total, 137 adult flies removed fromEidolon helvum, the straw-coloured fruit bat, were screened for the presence ofBartonellaby culture and PCR analysis.BartonellaDNA was detected in 91 (66·4%) of the specimens examined and 1 strain of aBartonellasp., initially identified inE. helvumblood from Kenya, was obtained from a bat fly collected in Ghana. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to report the identification and isolation ofBartonellain bat flies from western Africa.
The conservation of the avifauna in a lowland Atlantic forest in south-east Brazil
Authors: Aleixo Alexandre , Galetti Mauro 
Published: February 2012

The avifauna of a pristine lowland Atlantic forest in south-east Brazil was studied over 2 years. A total of 234 species was recorded, of which 190 species (81.54%) occured in forested habitats. Thirty one species are listed as threatened or near-threatened and information on habitat and abundance is described for each species. The Parque Estadual Intervales holds one of the last pristine lowland Atlantic forests and it is one of the few reserves that encompasses a large altitudinal gradient. In the past few years the protection of the reserve has been threatened by palm harvesting, hunting, dams and mining.A avifauna de uma regiao de Mata Atlântica de baixada no sudeste do estado de São Paulo foi estudada por um periodo continuo de 2 anos. Foram observados um total de 234 espécies de aves sendo que 190 espécies (81,54%) ocorreram predominantemente em ambientes florestais primários e perrubados. Trinta e uma espécies São consideradas ameaçadas ou vulneráveis e informações sobre hábitat e abundância são fornecidas. Nos últimos anos a proteção da reserva está ameaçada pelo corte do palmito, caça, construções de hidroéletricas e mineração.
Whole‐body vibration as a method of recovery for soccer players
Authors: Marin Pedro J. , Zarzuela Raúl , Zarzosa Fernando , Herrero Azael J. , Garatachea Nuria , Rhea Matthew R. , García‐López David 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine whether superimposed whole‐body vibration could improve the recovery‐related effects of a traditional cool‐down in high‐level soccer players. Sixteen high‐level junior soccer players performed a repeated‐sprint ability test, after which they performed a traditional cool‐down, with (experimental group) or without (control group) superimposed whole‐body vibration. Functional recovery was measured through vertical jump height and maximal voluntary isometric force in leg‐extension. The repeated‐sprint ability test induced increases (from 161 to 215%; P<0.05) in muscle pain measured by visual analogue scale in the control group only. Vertical jump height was recovered earlier with than without whole‐body vibration (24 h after the repeated‐sprint ability test; P<0.05). The results of this study demonstrate that whole‐body vibration in combination with a traditional cool‐down can reduce perceived muscle pain and enhance recovery after a soccer‐specific exercise.
Root perforation associated with the use of a miniscrew implant used for orthodontic anchorage: a case report
Authors: McCabe P. , Kavanagh C. 
Published: February 2012

McCabe P, Kavanagh C. Root perforation associated with the use of a miniscrew implant used for orthodontic anchorage: a case report. International Endodontic Journal, 45, 678–688, 2012.AbstractAim  To highlight one of the possible complications associated with the inter‐radicular placement of orthodontic miniscrews.Summary  This case report describes the endodontic treatment and surgical repair of an iatrogenic root perforation involving a maxillary first molar tooth following the placement of an orthodontic miniscrew placed for anchorage purposes in the treatment of an adult patient. The orthodontic treatment plan was completed. The long‐term follow‐up shows a successful treatment outcome.Key learning points
Inter‐radicular placement of orthodontic miniscrews is a valuable source of anchorage in the treatment of orthodontic patients.
Root perforation is a possible complication from inter‐radicular placement of orthodontic miniscrews.
Root perforation can be successfully treated, but may involve apical surgery.
Pulpotomy in caries‐exposed immature permanent molars using calcium‐enriched mixture cement or mineral trioxide aggregate: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: NOSRAT ALI , SEIFI AMIR , ASGARY SAEED 
Published: February 2012

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2013; 23: 56–63
Objective.  To compare clinical and radiographic outcomes of pulpotomy treatment using calcium‐enriched mixture (CEM) cement and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in carious‐exposed vital immature permanent first molars.Design.  Fifty‐one immature molars with clinical carious exposure with symptomatic/asymptomatic pulpitis met the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups (CEM [26 teeth; 59 roots], MTA [25 teeth; 59 roots]). After performing pulpotomy and covering the radicular pulps with the biomaterials, all teeth were permanently restored. Blinded clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed at 6 and 12 months after operation for signs of success or failure. Radiographs were evaluated for complete/partial apical closure. The data were analysed using chi‐square test and generalized estimating equation (GEE) model.Results.  There was no significant difference at the baseline between the two experimental groups. All available cases (49 teeth) showed pulp survival and signs of continuous root development after 12 months. Overall, complete apical closure (apexogenesis) occurred in 76.8% and 73.8% of radiographically interpreted roots in CEM cement and MTA groups, respectively. There was no statistical difference in terms of radiographic outcomes between two groups.Conclusions.  Calcium‐enriched mixture cement and MTA showed similar performance in pulpotomy of immature caries‐exposed permanent molars.
Managing asthma in primary care through imperative outcomes
Authors: du Plessis Jesslee M. , Gerber Jan J. , Brand Linda 
Published: February 2012

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  To evaluate asthma management and control in primary care clinics so as to design improvements based on guideline‐directed outcomes.Methods  In this study, all medical records of asthma‐diagnosed patients (children as well as adults, entire lifespan, asthma‐related visits or not) were retrospectively reviewed as a basis for assessing the level of guideline adherence and asthma control. Six primary health care clinics were visited in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda Municipal District, Potchefstroom, South Africa during May to July 2008, 2009 and 2010.Results  A total of 323 asthma patient records were reviewed over the three time slots, resulting in 125, 87, and 111 patients respectively. A suboptimal clinical asthma control picture, with a mere 16% (n = 20) of females and 2% (n = 3) of males with Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) percentages above 60%, were observed in the initial assessment. Improvement in control was observed during the following time slot, but with an end result in 2010 of no PEF percentages above 60% for males and only 9% (n = 7) for females.Conclusion  Over all three of the data collection periods adherence to effectively applied management of asthma guidelines proved to be below the minimum recommended clinical evaluation work‐up as set out by the Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3) of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). Applying a greater focus on essential outcomes through different disease management documents resulted in an improved quality of managed care, but still requires dedicated and continuous education and motivation. (NWU‐0052‐08‐A5)