bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electrical Sensitivity and Mechanical Properties of Fast Responsive PAMPS–PAA‐PVA T–IPN Hydrogels
Authors: Lin Song‐Bai , Yuan Cong‐Hui , Ke Ai‐Ru , Li Yun‐Long , Ouyang Na 
Published: October 2011

AbstractMacroporous ternary‐interpenetrating polymer network (M‐T‐IPN) hydrogels composed of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl propyl sulfonic acid) (PAMPS), and poly(vinyl acohol) (PVA) were synthesized by two steps of polymerization using PEG6000 as a pore‐forming agent. By selectively washing away the PVA component, a macroporous structure was formed homogeneously in the hydrogels. The M‐T‐IPN hydrogels exhibited excellent compressive strength, and the maximum compressive strength was about 12.0 MPa. The bending behaviors of the M‐T‐IPN hydrogels in an electric field were investigated. When deionized water swollen samples were placed between a pair of electrodes in NaCl solutions, the M‐T‐IPN hydrogels showed a significant bending behavior upon the application of an electric field. The hydrogels bend toward the cathode when the concentration of polyanions in interior hydrogels is higher than the concentration of NaCl in exterior solutions. In contrast, the hydrogels bend toward the anode when the concentration of polyanions in interior hydrogels is lower than the concentration of NaCl in exterior solutions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 32: E20–E31, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.20266
Chitosan nano‐spheres production by electrostatic emulsification technique
Authors: Takahashi Tomoki , Itobayashi Nami , Shono Atsushi , Otake Katsuto 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTElectrostatic emulsification of an acidic chitosan solution into an organic solvent was examined for chitosan sphere production of controlled size ranging from nano to submicron scale. Droplets formation by the electrostatic emulsification was observed with a charge‐coupled device camera. The diameters of generated water in oil emulsion droplets were measured by dynamic light scattering. At voltages greater than critical voltage, over which the electrostatic emulsification occurs, the droplet diameter “D” depended on the applied voltage “U”, the electrode distance “L”, and the flow rate of aqueous phase “F”. An empirical formula for the relationship between the “D” and “U”, “L” and “F” was obtained as D∝U−0.65 L0.43 F0.14. Further, the chitosan spheres were obtained by cross‐linking the emulsion droplets with glutaraldehyde, and were observed by using a scanning electron microscope. The chitosan nano‐spheres of the size equal to the emulsion droplet were successfully obtained by the cross‐linking of the chitosan and controlling a specific gravity difference of dispersed phase and continuous phase. These results show that the electrostatic emulsification is an excellent technique for the preparation of functional particles of controlled size ranging from nano to submicron scale. © 2011 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
First appearance and location of catecholaminergic cells during experimental arthritis and elimination by chemical sympathectomy
Authors: Capellino Silvia , Weber Kristina , Gelder Magdalena , Härle Peter , Straub Rainer H. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractObjectiveThe sympathetic nervous system is proinflammatory in early collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) and antiinflammatory in late disease. In late arthritis, sympathetic innervation of synovial and lymphoid tissue is markedly reduced. Thus, its suggested antiinflammatory role is difficult to explain. We hypothesized that newly discovered catecholamine‐producing (catecholaminergic) cells are targets of chemical sympathectomy. However, in CIA, the time point of appearance, the location, and the possible chemical elimination of catecholaminergic cells have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the emergence and location of catecholamine‐producing and ‐storing cells in different organs and joints of mice after induction of CIA and to determine whether catecholamine‐producing cells can be depleted by 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) during the early and late phases of CIA in vivo.MethodsThe presence of cells positive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT‐2) was evaluated immunohistologically in the lymph nodes, thymus, bone marrow, spleen, and joints of control and arthritic mice. Density was evaluated at different time points after early and late chemical sympathectomy. 131I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I‐MIBG) scintigraphy demonstrated functional activity of these cells in joint inflammation.ResultsThe density of TH+ and VMAT‐2+ cells was highest after arthritis onset (from day 28 onward) and was observed to occur in the following sequence: lymph nodes, thymus, joints, bone marrow, and spleen. Even before arthritis onset (days 5–21), these cells were already more numerous, particularly in the draining lymph nodes, thymus, and joints. 131I‐MIBG scintigraphy demonstrated catecholamine‐storing cells in inflammatory hot spots in the paw. Chemical sympathectomy strongly reduced the density of catecholaminergic cells in vitro and in vivo.ConclusionAfter disease onset, catecholaminergic cells are particularly present in primary and secondary lymphoid organs and joints. Since catecholaminergic cells have been reported to have antiinflammatory properties in arthritis, the proinflammatory role played by chemical sympathectomy in late arthritis, as we previously determined, is probably dependent on catecholaminergic cell elimination.
Study and correlation analysis of linguistic, perceptual, and automatic machine translation evaluations
Authors: Farreús Mireia , Costa‐jussà Marta R. , Morse Maja Popović 
Published: October 2011

AbstractEvaluation of machine translation output is an important task. Various human evaluation techniques as well as automatic metrics have been proposed and investigated in the last decade. However, very few evaluation methods take the linguistic aspect into account. In this article, we use an objective evaluation method for machine translation output that classifies all translation errors into one of the five following linguistic levels: orthographic, morphological, lexical, semantic, and syntactic. Linguistic guidelines for the target language are required, and human evaluators use them in to classify the output errors. The experiments are performed on English‐to‐Catalan and Spanish‐to‐Catalan translation outputs generated by four different systems: 2 rule‐based and 2 statistical. All translations are evaluated using the 3 following methods: a standard human perceptual evaluation method, several widely used automatic metrics, and the human linguistic evaluation. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients between the linguistic, perceptual, and automatic results are then calculated, showing that the semantic level correlates significantly with both perceptual evaluation and automatic metrics.
Use of microblogging for collective sense‐making during violent crises: A study of three campus shootings
Authors: Heverin Thomas , Zach Lisl 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to understand how microblogging communications change and contribute to collective sense‐making over time during a crisis. Using B. Dervin's (1983) theory of sense‐making applied to crises and communications during crises, we examined 7,184 microblogging communications sent in response to three violent crises that occurred on U.S. college campuses. The analysis of patterns of microblogging communications found that information‐sharing behaviors dominated the early response phase of violent crises, and opinion sharing increased over time, peaking in the recovery phase of the crises. The analysis of individual microblogging communications identified various themes in the conversation threads that not only helped individual contributors make sense of the situation but also helped others who followed the conversation. The results of this study show that microblogging can play a vital role in collective sense‐making during crises.
Belastungsversuche als Voraussetzung für die Umnutzung von Industriegebäuden
Authors: Fiedler Lutz , Kapphahn Gerd , Hahn Gunter , Steffens Klaus 
Published: October 2011

AbstractAnhand eines Beispiels wird gezeigt, wie eine experimentelle Tragsicherheitsbewertung die Umnutzung bestehender Bausubstanz ermöglichen kann. Es handelt sich um einen Industriegebäudekomplex, für den sich auf rechnerischem Wege nicht alle erforderlichen statischen Nachweise erbringen ließen. Jedoch gestatteten Probebelastungen der vorgefundenen verschiedenartigen Massivdeckensysteme den Nachweis ausreichender Tragsicherheit.Load tests as a precondition for the restoration and conversion of industrial buildings. By means of an example, it is demonstrated that the restoration and conversion of existing buildings may require an experimental evaluation of the structural safety. For a complex of industrial buildings, sufficient load‐carrying capacity could not be verified by structural analyses. However, load tests of the existing differently constructed concrete ceilings allowed to prove structural safety.
Molecular mechanics of silk nanostructures under varied mechanical loading
Authors: Bratzel Graham , Buehler Markus J. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractSpider dragline silk is a self‐assembling tunable protein composite fiber that rivals many engineering fibers in tensile strength, extensibility, and toughness, making it one of the most versatile biocompatible materials and most inviting for synthetic mimicry. While experimental studies have shown that the peptide sequence and molecular structure of silk have a direct influence on the stiffness, toughness, and failure strength of silk, few molecular‐level analyses of the nanostructure of silk assemblies, in particular, under variations of genetic sequences have been reported. In this study, atomistic‐level structures of wildtype as well as modified MaSp1 protein from the Nephila clavipes spider dragline silk sequences, obtained using an in silico approach based on replica exchange molecular dynamics and explicit water molecular dynamics, are subjected to simulated nanomechanical testing using different force‐control loading conditions including stretch, pull‐out, and peel. The authors have explored the effects of the poly‐alanine length of the N. clavipes MaSp1 peptide sequence and identify differences in nanomechanical loading conditions on the behavior of a unit cell of 15 strands with 840–990 total residues used to represent a cross‐linking β‐sheet crystal node in the network within a fibril of the dragline silk thread. The specific loading condition used, representing concepts derived from the protein network connectivity at larger scales, have a significant effect on the mechanical behavior. Our analysis incorporates stretching, pull‐out, and peel testing to connect biochemical features to mechanical behavior. The method used in this study could find broad applications in de novo design of silk‐like tunable materials for an array of applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 97: 408–417, 2012.
A four trunked brachial plexus and a post fixed brachial plexus: A conjunction or a co‐incidence?: Report of three cases
Authors: Chaudhary Priti , Singla Rajan , Kalsey Gurdeep , Arora Kamal 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThe anatomical variations of the brachial plexus in humans have clinical significance for surgeons, radiologists, and anatomists. In a study of 60 brachial plexuses, four trunked brachial plexuses were encountered in three limbs (two female and one male), all of them being post fixed and on left side of cadavers. The third trunk in all these limbs gave rise to two anterior divisions (upper and lower) and one posterior division. In two limbs belonging to the female sex, the upper anterior division joined with the anterior division of the second trunk to form the lateral cord while its lower anterior division joined with the anterior division of the fourth trunk to form the medial cord. In the sole male limb, along with the third trunk, the fourth trunk also divided into upper and lower anterior divisions. Upper anterior divisions of the third and fourth trunks joined to form the medial root of the median nerve while lower anterior divisions joined to form the ulnar nerve. No medial cord was formed as such. Further, it is inferred that in postfixed brachial plexus, there is a tendency to failure on part of T1 and T2 to join C8 which continues as the third trunk while T1 and T2 continue as the fourth trunk. Since it was seen in all postfixed brachial plexuses of the present study, it is emphasized to be given a place in the textbooks of anatomy or to conduct a study on a larger database. Clin. Anat. 25:593–600, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Are Religious Minorities in Greece Better Accepted if they Assimilate? The Effects of Acculturation Strategy and Group Membership on Religious Minority Perceptions
Authors: Grigoropoulou Nikolitsa , Chryssochoou Xenia 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTThis research aims to investigate the impact of minority members' decision about whether or not to adopt the majority's religion on how the majority perceives these minority members and on beliefs about religious and cultural diversity. It is hypothesized that the adoption of the majority's religion would be more positively evaluated, the minority person adopting the religion would be perceived to identify more with the national polity and less with the minority ingroup, the minority group as a whole would be more positively viewed, more tolerant religious beliefs would prevail and the majority would accept cultural maintenance by the minority. However it is also hypothesized that the positive effect of this strategy would be moderated by the origins of the minority person. Greek‐Orthodox students (n = 223) participated in a 2 (type of decision) x 5 (group membership) between‐subjects design conducted in Greece, a mono‐religious society which has become culturally diverse due to immigration. The target groups represent religious minorities with Greek citizenship (Jews and Muslims of Thrace), immigrant groups of different ethnic orientation and similar religious background (Albanian Muslims and Pakistanis) or groups sharing ethnicity but differing in religious beliefs (Albanian Muslims and Albanian atheists). The moderation hypothesis was confirmed for perceived identification with the minority ingroup, presenting Albanians in a worse position. However, group membership influenced mainly group perceptions and beliefs about diversity. The theoretical and political implications of the findings and their importance for the specific context are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
‘I am a Believer but not a Conformist’: Negotiating Claims to being Religious among Syrian Christians and Muslims
Authors: Widdicombe Sue 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTPsychologists' attempts to define and measure religion reveal substantial variability, a lack of consensus, cultural variation and differences between religions. A discursive psychology approach can address variability in meanings and the inferential issues that may inform claims to be religious. This paper identifies strategies used by Syrian Muslims and Christians to affirm, reformulate or deny religiousness. The analysis is based on a corpus of data generated through semi‐structured interviews with 158 men and women. It shows how some speakers affirm that they are religious and treat this as a non‐accountable matter. When asked to describe the basis of being religious, they produced descriptions of their own practices or a set of general criteria. Other speakers denied or modified ‘being religious’, using an ‘x but not y’ formulation to reject one meaning (for example, conformist) in favour of another (for example, believer). Some speakers' self‐ascriptions were reinforced by characterizing their own views of religion as morals and good behaviour. Thus speakers deploy multiple meanings of religion for different purposes. Moreover their accounts address inferential and interpersonal problems that arise when claiming to be religious: specifically that others may infer extremism or conformity, or prejudice against members of other religions. The implications of these observations for social psychological studies of religion are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Symbolic Boundaries and Ideology in the Norwegian Multicultural Society: A Longitudinal Study of Public Discourse
Authors: Phelps Joshua Marvle , Blakar Rolv Mikkel , Carlquist Erik , Nafstad Hilde Eileen , Rand‐Hendriksen Kim 
Published: October 2011

ABSTRACTGroup boundaries between immigrant minority and majority members are currently undergoing considerable and complex changes in European multicultural societies due to migration. In this paper, we present a descriptive, longitudinal investigation of the usage of linguistic expressions in Norwegian media discourse that describe symbolic boundary developments between immigrant minority and majority members, and their multicultural context. Seventy‐two expressions are analyzed, and three temporal usage patterns are described (increasing, decreasing, and ‘mountain’) as central to understanding current symbolic boundaries and how they may both frame and be shaped by ideologies. Expressions describing immigrant minorities have increasingly focused on their establishment in the Norwegian multicultural society and have also shifted from general boundaries of outsiderness to increasingly specified boundaries of origins, visibility, and immigrant otherness. Norwegian majority expressions have mostly shifted toward a focus on origins. Our analysis suggests that symbolic boundaries in the Norwegian multicultural society have been changing rapidly. They seem to be shaped by complex ideological patterns constructing both similarities and differences, and which simultaneously seem to promote both inclusion and exclusion for certain immigrant minorities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of Silica Nanoparticles by Ultrasound‐Assisted Sol‐Gel Method: Optimized by Taguchi Robust Design
Authors: Edrissi M. , Soleymani M. , Adinehnia M. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractSilica nanoparticles were prepared by ultrasound‐assisted and conventional sol‐gel method. The synthesis procedures were designed and optimized by the Taguchi experimental design method. Molar concentrations of TEOS, H2O, NH4OH, and reaction temperature were chosen as main factors. The results showed that the molar concentration of ammonia is the main factor which affects the particle size of the silica nanoparticles. The chemical structure, size, and morphology of the product were investigated by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, laser light scattering, and scanning electron microscopy. By the optimum conditions of the ultrasound‐assisted sol‐gel method, silica nanoparticles with an average particle size of 13 nm were prepared.
ChemInform Abstract: An Efficient Copper(I) Iodide Catalyzed Synthesis of Diaryl Selenides Through CAr—Se Bond Formation Using Solvent Acetonitrile as Ligand.
Authors: Dandapat Arpan , Korupalli Chiranjeevi , Prasad D. J. C. , Singh Rahul , Sekar Govindasamy 
Published: October 2011

AbstractThe desired selenides can be prepared from aryl iodides or, with reduced yield, from aryl bromides.
Evaluation of response after stereotactic body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Price Tracy R. , Perkins Susan M. , Sandrasegaran Kumar , Henderson Mark A. , Maluccio Mary A. , Zook Jennifer E. , Tector A. Joseph , Vianna Rodrigo M. , Johnstone Peter A.S. , Cardenes Higinia R. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in incidence due to hepatitis C. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a noninvasive, effective therapy in the management of liver malignancies. The authors evaluated radiological response in 26 patients with HCC treated with SBRT at Indiana University.METHODS:Between March 2005 and June 2008, 26 patients with HCC who were not surgical candidates were enrolled in a phase 1 to 2 trial. Eligibility criteria included solitary tumors ≤ 6 cm or up to 3 lesions with sum diameters ≤ 6 cm, and well‐compensated cirrhosis. All patients had imaging before, at 1 to 3 months, and every 3 to 6 months after SBRT.RESULTS:Patients received 3 to 5 fractions of SBRT. Median SBRT dose was 42 Gray (Gy) (range: 24‐48 Gy). Median follow‐up was 13 months. Per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), 4 patients had a complete response (CR), 15 had a partial response (PR), and 7 achieved stable disease (SD) at 12 months. One patient with SD experienced progression marginal to the treated area. The overall best response rate (CR + PR) was 73%. In comparison, by European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria, 18 of 26 patients had ≥ 50% nonenhancement at 12 months. Thirteen of 18 demonstrated 100% nonenhancement, being > 50% in 5 patients. Kaplan‐Meier 1‐ and 2‐year survival estimates were 77% and 60%, respectively.CONCLUSIONS:SBRT is effective therapy for patients with HCC with an overall best response rate (CR + PR) of 73%. Nonenhancement on imaging, a surrogate for ablation, may be a more useful indicator than size reduction in evaluating HCC response to SBRT in the first 6 to 12 months, supporting EASL criteria. Cancer 2012;118: 3191–98. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Costs of medical care after open or minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery
Authors: Lowrance William T. , Eastham James A. , Yee David S. , Laudone Vincent P. , Denton Brian , Scardino Peter T. , Elkin Elena B. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractBACKGROUND:Evidence suggests that minimally invasive radical prostatectomy (MRP) and open radical prostatectomy (ORP) have similar short‐term clinical and functional outcomes. MRP with robotic assistance is generally more expensive than ORP, but it is not clear whether subsequent costs of care vary by approach.METHODS:In the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry linked with Medicare claims, men aged 66 years or older who received MRP or ORP in 2003 through 2006 for prostate cancer were identified. Total cost of care was estimated as the sum of Medicare payments from all claims for hospital care, outpatient care, physician services, home health and hospice care, and durable medical equipment in the first year from the date of surgical admission. The impact of surgical approach on costs was estimated, controlling for patient and disease characteristics.RESULTS:Of 5445 surgically treated prostate cancer patients, 4454 (82%) had ORP and 991 (18%) had MRP. Mean total first‐year costs were more than $1200 greater for MRP compared with ORP ($16,919 vs $15,692; P = .08). Controlling for patient and disease characteristics, MRP was associated with 2% greater mean total payments, but this difference was not statistically significant. First‐year costs were greater for men who were older, black, lived in the Northeast, had lymph node involvement, more advanced tumor stage, or greater comorbidity.CONCLUSIONS:In this population‐based cohort of older men, MRP and ORP had similar economic outcomes. From a payer's perspective, any benefits associated with MRP may not translate to net savings compared with ORP in the first year after surgery. Cancer 2012;118: 3079–86. © 2011 American Cancer Society.