bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Survival and CTG repeat expansion in adults with myotonic dystrophy type 1
Authors: Groh William J. , Groh Miriam R. , Shen Changyu , Monckton Darren G. , Bodkin Cynthia L. , Pascuzzi Robert M. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractIntroduction:An association is observed between the severity of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and the genetic abnormality of cytosine–thymine–guanine (CTG) repeat expansion. It is unknown whether an association exists between survival and CTG repeat expansion.Methods:In an adult 406‐patient DM1 cohort, the phenotype, including survival age, was evaluated in relation to CTG repeat expansion.Results:At study entry, age was 42 ± 12 (range 18–78) years, with a CTG repeat length of 629 ± 386 (range 54–1965). An inverse correlation was observed between CTG repeat length and the age at onset and younger DM1 phenotype. Over a follow‐up of 9.2 ± 3.1 years, 118 (29.1%) patients died, including 60 of neuromuscular respiratory failure, 41 of cardiac causes, and 17 of non‐neuromuscular, non‐cardiac causes. There was an inverse relationship between all‐cause survival and CTG length (relative risk 5.4 per log repeat, 95% confidence interval 2.9–10.2, P < 0.001).Conclusion:The data demonstrate a genotype–mortality association in DM1. Muscle Nerve, 2011
Single‐fiber conduction velocity test allows earlier detection of abnormalities in diabetes
Authors: Padua Luca , Stålberg Erik , Caliandro Pietro , Muscogiuri Giovanna , Pazzaglia Costanza , Sorice Gian Pio , Granata Giuseppe , Salomone Enrica , Pontecorvi Alfredo , Giaccari Andrea 
Published: April 2011

AbstractIntroductionThe purpose of this study was to determine whether single‐fiber conduction velocity (SF‐CV) of a small number of axons increases sensitivity for identification of motor nerve conduction alterations in patients with diabetes.MethodsTwenty‐one consecutive diabetic patients in good metabolic control were studied. For each patient, conventional (C‐CV) and SF‐CV results were correlated with the presence of neuropathic symptoms.ResultsNine of 21 patients reported symptoms suggestive of mild nerve impairment. Three patients had abnormal sural nerve CV, 1 of whom also had abnormal motor nerve conduction. Eighteen patients had normal findings on conventional tests, 3 of whom had slowing of SF‐CV.ConclusionsSF‐CV is able to detect mild myelin damage with higher sensitivity than conventional tests. The use of SF‐CV may be a helpful tool in the early identification of diabetic polyneuropathy, and it may be useful for tailoring an approach to diabetic polyneuropathy. Muscle Nerve, 2011
Balance and coordination training after sciatic nerve injury
Authors: Bonetti Leandro Viçosa , Korb Arthiese , Da Silva Sandro Antunes , Ilha Jocemar , Marcuzzo Simone , Achaval Matilde , Faccioni‐Heuser Maria Cristina 
Published: April 2011

AbstractIntroduction: Numerous therapeutic interventions have been tested to enhance functional recovery after peripheral nerve injuries. Methods: After sciatic nerve crush in rats we tested balance and coordination and motor control training in sensorimotor tests and analyzed nerve and muscle histology. Results: The balance and coordination training group and the sham group had better results than the sedentary and motor control groups in sensorimotor tests. The sham and balance and coordination groups had a significantly larger muscle area than the other groups, and the balance and coordination group showed significantly better values than the sedentary and motor control groups for average myelin sheath thickness and g‐ratio of the distal portion of the nerve. Conclusions: The findings indicate that balance and coordination training improves sciatic nerve regeneration, suggesting that it is possible to revert and/or prevent soleus muscle atrophy and improve performance on sensorimotor tests. Muscle Nerve 44: 55–62, 2011.
Toll‐like and adenosine receptor expression in injured skeletal muscle
Authors: Warren Gordon L. , Hulderman Tracy , Liston Angie , Simeonova Petia P. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractIntroduction: Many aspects of skeletal muscle regeneration are now considered to be controlled by the innate immune system, specifically macrophages, but the mechanisms for activation and modulation of the innate immune system during injury are not well understood. Methods: We analyzed the expression of toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and adenosine receptors during traumatic skeletal muscle injury. mRNA expression and immunostaining of these receptors were evaluated in mouse skeletal muscle injured by freezing. Results: Expression of nearly all mammalian TLRs was induced at 1 and/or 3 days postinjury with a common trend for higher expression at day 3. Injury also elicited a dramatic increase in the expression of adenosine receptors A2B and A3 but not A1 and A2A. Conclusions: Both receptor types may be potential targets for stimulation of skeletal muscle tissue regeneration and functional restoration after injury. Muscle Nerve 44: 85–92, 2011.
Sacral neuromodulation for treating neurogenic bladder dysfunction: Clinical and urodynamic study
Authors: Chaabane Wassim , Guillotreau Julien , Castel‐lacanal Evelyne , Abu‐Anz Sami , De Boissezon Xavier , Malavaud Bernard , Marque Philippe , Sarramon Jean‐Pierre , Rischmann Pascal , Game Xavier 
Published: April 2011

AbstractPurposeThe efficacy of sacral neuromodulation for treating refractory idiopathic lower urinary tract dysfunction is now well established. Nevertheless, results of this technique in neurological patients are still controversial. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the results of sacral neuromodulation in neurogenic bladder dysfunction.Materials and MethodsBetween 1998 and 2008, a percutaneous nerve evaluation or a two‐stage technique was performed in 62 patients (mean age 50.5 ± 14.8 years) with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. Before and during the temporary stimulation, each patient had a urodynamic evaluation and performed a bladder diary. The test was considered positive if the clinical and urodynamic improvement was over 50% and if the symptoms reappeared after turning the stimulation off.ResultsLower urinary tract dysfunction was detrusor overactivity in 34 cases and chronic urinary retention in 28 cases. A detrusor‐sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) was associated in nine cases. Out of the 62 patients, 41 patients (66.1%) had more than 50% improvement on urodynamic evaluation and bladder diary and 37 were implanted. With a mean follow‐up of 4.3 ± 3.7 years, results remained similar to the evaluation phase in 28 cases (75.7%), were partially altered in three cases (8.1%) and lost in six cases (16.2%). In these six cases, neuromodulation failed on average 12.0 ± 12.4 months after implantation.ConclusionSacral neuromodulation seems to constitute a serious therapeutic option for patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. However, its results depend on the type of the underlying neurologic disease and in particular, whether it may progress or not. 30:547–550, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Shortening fraction of the right ventricle: a comparison between euploid and trisomy 21 fetuses at week 11 to week 13 and 6 days of gestation
Authors: Brestak Miroslav , Sonek Jiri , Tomek Viktor , McKenna David , Calda Pavel 
Published: April 2011

AbstractObjectivesThis study was designed to compare the first trimester shortening fraction of the right ventricle (SFRV) values between euploid fetuses and fetuses with trisomy 21.MethodsSFRV was measured in 58 first trimester fetuses between September 2008 and February 2010. The stored M‐mode images were used to obtain the right ventricular diastolic diameter (RVDD) and right ventricular systolic diameter (RVSD) measurements offline.ResultsThe SFRV values were found to be significantly greater in the 9 fetuses with trisomy 21 as compared to the group of 49 euploid fetuses (mean: 48.6 mm; range: 36–56.25 mm vs mean: 34.11 mm; range: 22.73–43.48 mm) (p < 0.0001). The RVDD measurements were also found to be significantly greater in the fetuses with trisomy 21 than in the euploid fetuses (mean: 3.08 mm; range: 2.2–4.7 mm vs mean: 2.54 mm; range: 1.9–3.6 mm) (p = 0.03).There was no difference in the RVSD measurements between the two groups [mean: 1.56 mm; range: 1.2–2.3 mm (trisomy 21 fetuses) vs mean: 1.67 mm; range: 1.3–2.4 mm (euploid fetuses)] (p = 0.17).ConclusionsThe SFRV values in fetuses with trisomy 21 appear to be significantly greater than in the euploid fetuses. The RVDD also appears to be greater in fetuses with trisomy 21 than in the euploid fetuses. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Substituent effects on thermal and photo‐alignment behavior of poly(ethylene imine)s carrying azobenzene side groups
Authors: Kamruzzaman Mohammad , Kuwahara Yutaka , Ogata Tomonari , Ujiie Seiji , Kurihara Seiji 
Published: April 2011

AbstractA new class of liquid‐crystalline poly(ethylene imine)s (PEIs) having four differently substituted (CN,C4H9,OCH3 andNO2) azobenzene side‐chain groups attached through alkyl spacer groups were successfully synthesized using a solution polycondensation reaction. The synthesized polymers were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The photochemical, thermo‐optical and photo‐orientational behavior of the polymers were investigated in detail. Spin‐coated films of PEIs with azobenzene groups havingC4H9,OCH3 andNO2 substituents showed out‐of‐plane molecular orientation on annealing. Except for the PEI with an azobenzene group having NO2 substituent, all polymers exhibited good photoresponsive properties upon irradiation with UV and visible light. Films of PEIs with azobenzene side groups havingCN,C4H9 andOCH3 substituents showed reversible alignment behavior from random state to out‐of‐plane and from out‐of‐plane to random state on annealing and on irradiation with UV and non‐polarized visible light. The reversibility of the molecular orientation of PEIs from random state to out‐of‐plane and from out‐of‐plane to random state greatly depended on the substituent attached to the azobenzene side‐chain group. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Polymeric nanostructured items electrospun on a cylindrical template: a simple procedure for their removal
Authors: Errico Cesare , Detta Nicola , Puppi Dario , Piras Anna Maria , Chiellini Federica , Chiellini Emo 
Published: April 2011

AbstractTubular structures, obtained by electrospinning on a rotating mandrel, are of interest for use as devices in medical and industrial applications. However, removal of electrospun tubes from the collecting mandrel has been a major problem and various techniques have been proposed, though having severe drawbacks. In our study, a method to safely remove electrospun tubes from a template mandrel (collector) is described. Before electrospinning, a copper wire is rolled up on the mandrel to form a helix, with the purpose of creating a gap between mandrel and electrospun tube once the wire is easily removed from the mandrel. Adopting the described methodology, uniform electrospun polymeric tubes can be easily removed from the mandrel. The procedure for fast rolling up of the wire on the rotating mandrel is also described. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Metallocene‐mediated cationic ring‐opening polymerization of 2‐methyl‐ and 2‐phenyl‐oxazoline
Authors: Kourti Maria‐Evgenia , Vougioukalakis Georgios C. , Hadjichristidis Nikos , Pitsikalis Marinos 
Published: April 2011

AbstractThe cationic ring‐opening polymerization of 2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline and 2‐phenyl‐2‐oxazoline was efficiently used using bis(η5‐cyclopentadienyl)dimethyl zirconium, Cp2ZrMe2, or bis(η5‐tert‐butyl‐cyclopentadienyl)dimethyl hafnium in combination with either tris(pentafluorophenyl)borate or tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate dimethylanilinum salt as initiation systems. The evolution of polymer yield, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution with time was examined. In addition, the influence of the initiation system and the monomer on the control of the polymerization was studied. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 000: 000–000, 2011
Unusually soft ferroelectricity in (Ba1−xSrx)TiO3 ceramics
Authors: Wang Le , Wang Xiaoli , Shi Jing , Sun Ruiting , Li Bo 
Published: April 2011

AbstractTemperature evolution of polarization versus electric field of (Ba0.4Sr0.6)TiO3 and (Ba0.9Sr0.1)TiO3 ceramics was investigated. Polarization characteristics of (Ba0.9Sr0.1)TiO3 belong to ferroelectrics with diffuse phase transition (DPT), while the ones of (Ba0.4Sr0.6)TiO3 are rather different. (Ba0.4Sr0.6)TiO3 ceramics display very soft ferroelectricity and extremely high dielectric tunability. The long‐range ferroelectric ordering in (Ba0.4Sr0.6)TiO3 ceramics disappears completely below temperature Tm of maximum dielectric permittivity εm, which is different from normal DPT ferroelectrics. The special ferroelectric behavior is hypothesized to be attributed to random arrangements of the distorted TiO6 octahedra.
Spontaneous emission from GaN/AlGaN terahertz quantum cascade laser grown on GaN substrate
Authors: Terashima Wataru , Hirayama Hideki 
Published: April 2011

AbstractThe radiation properties of a GaN/AlGaN‐based terahertz‐quantum cascade laser (THz‐QCL) device fabricated on a high quality GaN substrate were investigated in this work. The radiant intensity from a THz‐QCL fabricated on a GaN substrate showed a value (∼20 pW) about 10 times higher than that from a THz‐QCL grown on a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)‐GaN template that we had used before. Furthermore, we observed for the first time spontaneous THz emission with a peak at 1.37 THz in the case of a THz‐QCL grown on a GaN substrate. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Improvement in the negative bias illumination temperature stress instability of In–Ga–Zn–O thin film transistors using an Al2O3 buffer layer
Authors: Kim Jeong Hwan , Kim Un Ki , Chung Yoon Jang , Hwang Cheol Seong 
Published: April 2011

AbstractThe negative bias illumination temperature stress (NBITS) instability of amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O thin film transistors with SiO2 and SiO2/Al2O3 gate dielectric layers was evaluated. The introduction of a thin Al2O3 layer between the channel and SiO2 layer decreased the threshold voltage shift (ΔVth) by ∼20% after a NBITS for 1000 s. The interfacial trap density of the two samples, estimated by conductance and off‐current measurements, were almost identical. The higher valence band offset (∼0.4 eV) at the Al2O3/In–Ga–Zn–O interface compared to the SiO2/In–Ga–Zn–O interface decreased the gate leakage current and bulk trapping of holes under illumination. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Performance of popular XC‐functionals for the description of excitation energies in GFP‐like chromophore models
Authors: List Nanna Holmgaard , Olsen Jógvan Magnus , Rocha‐Rinza Tomás , Christiansen Ove , Kongsted Jacob 
Published: April 2011

AbstractUnderstanding and rationalization of the optical properties of fluorescent proteins are of great importance for life sciences due to their numerous applications as fluorescent biomarkers. Time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) is a computationally appealing approach to accomplish this task. We present an evaluation of the performance of commonly used XC‐functionals for the prediction of excitation energies of GFP‐like chromophores. In particular, we have considered the TD‐DFT vertical excitation energies of chromophores displaying different charge states. We compare the quality of six XC‐functionals, belonging to the GGA, hybrid and Coulomb‐attenuated classes of XC‐functionals, by comparison with RI‐CC2 results. We find that none of the tested XC‐functionals are capable of providing a simultaneous good description of all charge states and, interestingly, the hybrid functionals are found to give the overall best performance. The Coulomb‐attenuated CAM‐B3LYP functional systematically overestimates the excitation energies of the charged states; however, its error has the attractive feature of being size‐independent and almost identical for the considered anionic and cationic systems. Finally, we have explored the possibility of optimizing the attenuation parameter to yield overall excitation energies in good agreement with RI‐CC2 results. On the basis of these predictions, however, there does not appear to be a common attenuation parameter minimizing the deviation for every charge state. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
A peptidomic approach for monitoring and characterising peptide cyanotoxins produced in Italian lakes by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation and quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Ferranti Pasquale , Nasi Antonella , Bruno Milena , Basile Adriana , Serpe Luigi , Gallo Pasquale 
Published: April 2011

In recent years, the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic freshwaters has been described all over the world, including most European countries. Blooms of cyanobacteria may produce mixtures of toxic secondary metabolites, called cyanotoxins. Among these, the most studied are microcystins, a group of cyclic heptapeptides, because of their potent hepatotoxicity and activity as tumour promoters. Other peptide cyanotoxins have been described whose structure and toxicity have not been thoroughly studied.Herein we present a peptidomic approach aimed to characterise and quantify the peptide cyanotoxins produced in two Italian lakes, Averno and Albano. The procedure was based on matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS) analysis for rapid detection and profiling of the peptide mixture complexity, combined with liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation quadrupole time‐of‐ flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS) which provided unambiguous structural identification of the main compounds, as well as accurate quantitative analysis of microcystins. In the case of Lake Averno, a novel variant of microcystin‐RR and two novel anabaenopeptin variants (Anabaenopeptins B1 and Anabaenopeptin F1), presenting homoarginine in place of the commonly found arginine, were detected and characterised. In Lake Albano, the peculiar peptide patterns in different years were compared, as an example of the potentiality of the peptidomic approach for fast screening analysis, prior to fine structural analysis and determination of cyanotoxins, which included six novel aeruginosin variants. This approach allows for wide range monitoring of cyanobacteria blooms, and to collect data for evaluating possible health risks to consumers, through the panel of the compounds produced along different years. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Carbene‐Functionalized Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Their Electrical Properties
Authors: Liu Chao , Zhang Qing , Stellacci Francesco , Marzari Nicola , Zheng Lianxi , Zhan Zhaoyao 
Published: April 2011

AbstractPure metallic single‐walled carbon nanotubes (m‐SWCNTs) are very desirable for many electrode and interconnecting applications. However, the lack of reliable processing techniques to sort m‐SWCNTs from the as‐synthesized SWCNT samples is an obstacle to these applications. The effects of carbene‐based covalent functionalization on the electrical properties of an isolated m‐SWCNT, a semiconducting (s)‐SWCNT, and a mixture network of both m‐ and s‐SWCNTs are reported. For the first time, a semiconducting‐to‐metallic SWCNT transition upon dichlorocarbene functionalization is observed. Interestingly, the transition is reversible upon thermal annealing under ambient conditions. The electrical properties of m‐SWCNTs remain largely unaffected whereas the on‐state conductivity of s‐SWCNTs is greatly reduced by this process, in agreement with the relevant theoretical predictions. These findings could pave the way for fabricating large‐scale SWCNT‐based interconnects and electrodes in full‐carbon integrated circuits.
The Cloud Adoption Toolkit: supporting cloud adoption decisions in the enterprise
Authors: Khajeh‐Hosseini Ali , Greenwood David , Smith James W. , Sommerville Ian 
Published: April 2011

SUMMARYCloud computing promises a radical shift in the provisioning of computing resources within the enterprise. This paper describes the challenges that decision makers face when assessing the feasibility of the adoption of cloud computing in their organizations, and describes our Cloud Adoption Toolkit, which has been developed to support this process. The toolkit provides a framework to support decision makers in identifying their concerns, and matching these concerns to appropriate tools/techniques that can be used to address them. Cost Modeling is the most mature tool in the toolkit, and this paper shows its effectiveness by demonstrating how practitioners can use it to examine the costs of deploying their IT systems on the cloud. The Cost Modeling tool is evaluated using a case study of an organization that is considering the migration of some of its IT systems to the cloud. The case study shows that running systems on the cloud using a traditional ‘always on’ approach can be less cost effective, and the elastic nature of the cloud has to be used to reduce costs. Therefore, decision makers have to model the variations in resource usage and their systems' deployment options to obtain accurate cost estimates. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A task‐based and resource‐aware approach to dynamically generate optimal software architecture for intelligent service robots
Authors: Park Yu‐Sik , Koo Hyung‐Min , Ko In‐Young 
Published: April 2011

SUMMARYIntelligent service robots provide various services to users by understanding the context and goals of a user task. In order to provide more reliable services, intelligent service robots need to consider various factors, such as their surrounding environments, users' changing needs, and constrained resources. To handle these factors, most of the intelligent service robots are controlled by a task‐based control system, which generates a task plan that represents a sequence of actions, and executes those actions by invoking the corresponding functions. However, the traditional task‐based control systems lack the consideration of resource factors even though intelligent service robots have limited resources (limited computational power, memory space, and network bandwidth). Moreover, system‐specific concerns such as the relationships among functional modules are not considered during the task generation phase. Without considering both the resource conditions and interdependencies among software modules as a whole, it will be difficult to efficiently manage the functionalities that are essential to provide core services to users. In this paper, we propose a mechanism for intelligent service robots to efficiently use their resources on‐demand by separating system‐specific information from task generation. We have defined a sub‐architecture that corresponds to each action of a task plan, and provides a way of using the limited resources by minimizing redundant software components and maintaining essential components for the current action. To support the optimization of resource consumption, we have developed a two‐phase optimization process, which is composed of the topological and temporal optimization steps. We have conducted an experiment with these mechanisms for an infotainment robot, and simulated the optimization process. Results show that our approach contributed to increase the utilization rate by 20% of the robot resources. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.