bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tuberculous meningoencephalitis with severe neurological sequel in an immigrant child
Authors: Yasar Kadriye Kart , Pehlivanoglu Filiz , Sengoz Gonul , Ince E Rahsan , Sandikci Semra 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTCentral nervous system tuberculosis (TB) is the most devastating manifestation of TB. It is a challenge for clinicians because of the diffi culty in making an early diagnosis and the severe consequences of delayed treatment. The aim of this report is to point out the relation between migration and TB based on a 14-year-old child with tuberculous meningoencephalitis (TBM) of an immigrant family. Migration, crowded living conditions and positive family history contribute to the severe course of TB as TBM and miliary TB forms. TB control may prevent these severe manifestations of the disease among immigrants. Prompt diagnosis with helpful early diagnostic tools like polymerase chain reaction
in TBM is crucial due to the high mortality and morbidity.
Non-complemented Spaces of Operators, Vector Measures, andco
Authors: Lewis Paul , Schulle Polly 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThe Banach spacesL(X,Y),K(X,Y),Lw*(X*,Y), andKw*(X*,Y) are studied to determine when they contain the classical Banach spacescoor ℓ∞. The complementation of the Banach spaceK(X,Y) inL(X,Y) is discussed as well as what impact this complementation has on the embedding ofcoor ℓ∞inK(X,Y) orL(X,Y). Results of Kalton, Feder, and Emmanuele concerning the complementation ofK(X,Y) inL(X,Y) are generalized. Results concerning the complementation of the Banach spaceKw*(X*,Y) inLw*(X*,Y) are also explored as well as how that complementation affects the embedding ofcoor ℓ∞inKw*(X*,Y) orLw*(X*,Y). The ℓpspaces for 1 =p< ∞ are studied to determine when the space of compact operators from one ℓpspace to another containsco. The paper contains a new result which classifies these spaces of operators. A new result using vector measures is given to provide more efficient proofs of theorems by Kalton, Feder, Emmanuele, Emmanuele and John, and Bator and Lewis.
Price Elasticities of Natural Gas Demand in France and West Germany
Authors: Estrada Javier , Fugleberg Ole 
Published: May 2011

This article analyzes the own-price elasticities of natural gas and cross-price elasticities between gas and other fuels in France and West Germany. A model with constant substitution elasticities would not give enough information to study interfuel competition. Therefore we adopted a model based on translog functions, which has few restrictions on measuring elasticities of energy demand. The results show that the absolute values of the elasticities are generally higher for West Germany than for France. A possible explanation is that in West Germany consumers change their fuel demand faster with fluctuations in relative prices of the different energy sources, in part because of the wider adaption of multi-firing equipment. On the whole our results show that energy demand is rather inelastic, a result in accord with most recent analyses.
Customer Responsiveness to Real-Time Pricing of Electricity
Authors: Zarnikau Jay 
Published: May 2011

The success of real-time pricing efforts will depend in large part upon the extent to which electricity consumers are able to alter their consumption patterns in response to the prices quoted by the utility. This article provides some original estimates of hourly price elasticity responses to real-time prices by large industrial energy consumers. An econometric translog cost function methodology was adopted for this purpose. Using data for large industrial users in 1986, the estimated own-price elasticity response averaged -0.09, implying a small but significant reaction to the changing hourly prices. Design deficiencies in the particular rate program studied may have limited customer reaction.
The LNG Revolution
Authors: Jensen James T. 
Published: May 2011

This paper discusses the influence that the world wide liberalization of the natural gas industry is likely to have on the future development of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The paper examines some of the barriers to the workably competitive commodity model for this complex cross-border trade and speculates about the likely future structure of the industry. Dialectic - The Hegelian process of change whereby an ... entity (thesis) is transformed into its opposite (antithesis), ... the combination ... resolved in a higher form... (synthesis) The American Heritage Dictionary
Understanding Middle East Gas Exporting Behavior
Authors: Wietfeld Axel M. 
Published: May 2011

The Middle East is a fascinating region with an immense GDP growth and an excellent business environment. Thanks to its huge hydrocarbon reserves, the region already exports a lot of oil and gas and has realistic plans to increase this further. Although the global gas market is currently saturated and will be so for the next years, the hunger for additional supplies is likely to reappear in the second half of the new decade. Consequently, the gas exporting nations in the Middle East, such as Qatar, the UAE, Oman and Iran have to prepare themselves for developing additional projects. The question discussed in this article is whether they are able to do so, given challenges such as high indigenous demand, energy inefficiency, reserve structures and the sometimes unstable political environment, which is making it difficult to attract the required capital. This review begins with a brief overview of each country’s reserve structure and natural gas history. It then proceeds to analyze the current and future supply/demand balance, taking into account the relevant pipeline andLNG export projects, and draws conclusions for future export projects. The results suggest that Qatar, the UAE, Iran and Oman could contribute to global LNG and pipeline gas supplies with additional volumes of 55 to 90 bcm/a in the period 2015 to 2020.
Enhanced DNA Sequencing Performance Through Edge‐Hydrogenation of Graphene Electrodes
Authors: He Yuhui , Scheicher Ralph H. , Grigoriev Anton , Ahuja Rajeev , Long Shibing , Huo ZongLiang , Liu Ming 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThe use of graphene electrodes with hydrogenated edges for solid‐state nanopore‐based DNA sequencing is proposed, and molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with electronic transport calculations are performed to explore the potential merits of this idea. The results of the investigation show that, compared to the unhydrogenated system, edge‐hydrogenated graphene electrodes facilitate the temporary formation of H‐bonds with suitable atomic sites in the translocating DNA molecule. As a consequence, the average conductivity is drastically raised by about 3 orders of magnitude while exhibiting significantly reduced statistical variance. Furthermore, the effect of the distance between opposing electrodes is investigated and two regimes identified: for narrow electrode separation, the mere hindrance due to the presence of protruding hydrogen atoms in the nanopore is deemed more important, while for wider electrode separation, the formation of H‐bonds becomes the dominant effect. Based on these findings, it is concluded that hydrogenation of graphene electrode edges represents a promising approach to reduce the translocation speed of DNA through the nanopore and substantially improve the accuracy of the measurement process for whole‐genome sequencing.
Analysis of the hydrogenotrophic microbiota of wild and captive black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) in palenque national park, Mexico
Authors: Nakamura Noriko , Amato Katherine R. , Garber Paul , Estrada Alejandro , Mackie Roderick I. , Gaskins H. Rex 
Published: May 2011

AbstractIntestinal methanogenesis is one of the major pathways for consumption of hydrogen produced by bacterial fermentation and is considered to affect the efficiency of host energy harvest; however, little information is available regarding the hydrogenotrophic pathways of nonhuman primates in the wild, in general, and of howler monkeys, in particular. Microbial fermentation of plant structural carbohydrates is an important feature in wild howlers owing to the high fiber and low available energy content of leaves, which make up the primary component of their diet. In contrast, captive howlers may consume greater quantities of fruits and vegetables that are higher in water, lower in fiber, and, along with commercial monkey chow commonly added to captive monkey diets, more readily digestible than the natural diet. In this study, we analyzed the composition of methanogens and sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) from fecal samples of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) in the wild and in captivity. The hydrogenotrophic microbiota of three groups of monkeys was evaluated by PCR‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting, small clone library construction, and quantitative real‐time PCR. Abundance of methanogens was lower than SRB in all howler monkey groups studied. DGGE banding patterns were highly similar within each wild and captive group but distinct among groups. Desulfovibrionales‐enriched DGGE showed reduced microbial diversity in the captive animals compared with their wild counterparts. Taken together, the data demonstrate that environmental or dietary changes of the host imposed by captivity likely influence the composition of intestinal hydrogenotrophs in black howler monkeys. Am. J. Primatol. 73:909–919, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A meta‐analysis of topical amphotericin B for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Isaacs Seth , Fakhri Samer , Luong Amber , Citardi Martin J. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractBackgroundFungal species have been implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Based on this observation, some clinicians have employed topical antifungal therapy with amphotericin B (AMB); however, its efficacy has not been consistently supported by the literature.MethodsA comprehensive review of the English‐language literature on the role of topical AMB therapy in CRS treatment was performed. Search criteria included placebo‐controlled trials between the years of 2000 and 2009. Studies that reported outcomes based on computed tomography (CT), nasal endoscopy (NE), and symptom scores (SS) were included.ResultsThree published studies reported CT outcomes. After pooling patients from these 3 studies, meta‐analysis revealed no significant difference between AMB‐treated and control groups (p = 0.07). Four studies reported NE outcomes, in which central tendency (mean or median) and variance were identified. Among these 4 studies, combining AMB‐treated patients did not reveal any significant effect when compared to the small control group (p = 0.53). Only 2 studies reported SS; no significant differences in symptoms were noted (p = 0.33).ConclusionA systematic review of the literature does not support the use of topical AMB for the treatment of CRS. © 2011 ARS‐AAOA, LLC.
Efficacy and safety of azelastine 0.15% nasal spray administered once daily in patients with allergy to Texas mountain cedar pollen
Authors: Howland William C. , Amar Niran J. , Wheeler William , Sacks Harry 
Published: May 2011

AbstractBackgroundA previous study with azelastine nasal spray in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) demonstrated that increasing the azelastine concentration from 0.1% to 0.15% allowed for once‐daily dosing without increasing the incidence of adverse effects. This study evaluated the efficacy of azelastine 0.15% nasal spray administered once daily for treating symptoms of SAR.MethodsIn this 14‐day, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study, patients with moderate‐to‐severe SAR were randomized to azelastine 0.15% (n = 251) or placebo (n = 255), both at a dosage of 2 sprays/nostril once daily. The primary efficacy variable was change from baseline in the 12‐hour reflective Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS). Key secondary variables were change from baseline in 24‐hour instantaneous TNSS, to establish the dosing interval, and change from baseline in the Total Ocular Symptom Score (TOSS).ResultsThe mean improvement (3.57) and percentage improvement (19.3%) in 12‐hour reflective TNSS was significant (p < 0.012) with azelastine 0.15% compared to placebo (2.14 and 11.4%, respectively). The mean improvement in 24‐hour instantaneous TNSS was also significant (p < 0.001) for azelastine 0.15% compared to placebo, indicating efficacy with once‐daily dosing. The overall improvement and percentage improvement in TOSS was significant (p ≤ 0.012) with azelastine 0.15% (2.21 and 16.7%, respectively) compared to placebo (1.28 and 6.0%, respectively). The overall score for the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) was significantly (p < 0.001) improved from baseline in the azelastine group compared with the placebo group. Nasal discomfort (3.6%) and bitter taste (2.4%) were the most common adverse events. There were no reports of somnolence with azelastine.ConclusionAzelastine 0.15% was effective and well tolerated with once‐daily dosing. Azelastine 0.15% nasal spray significantly improved a complex of eye symptoms compared to placebo. © 2011 ARS‐AAOA, LLC.
A crime reports analysis system to identify related crimes
Authors: Ku Chih‐Hao , Leroy Gondy 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThe popularity of online and anonymous options to report crimes, such as tips websites and text messaging, has led to an increasing amount of textual information available to law enforcement personnel. However, locating, filtering, extracting, and combining information to solve crimes is a time‐consuming task. In response, we are developing entity and document similarity algorithms to automatically identify overlapping and complementary information. These are essential components for systems that combine and contrast crime information. The entity similarity algorithm integrates a domain‐specific hierarchical lexicon with Jaccard coefficients. The document similarity algorithm combines the entity similarity scores using a Dice coefficient. We describe the evaluation of both components. To evaluate the entity similarity algorithm, we compared the new algorithm and four generic algorithms with a gold standard. The strongest correlation with the gold standard, r = 0.710, was found with our entity similarity algorithm. To evaluate the document similarity algorithm, we first developed a test bed containing witness reports for 17 crimes shown in video clips. We evaluated five versions of the algorithm that differ in how much importance is assigned to different entity types. Cosine similarity is then used as a baseline comparison to evaluate the performance of the document similarity algorithms for accuracy in recognizing reports describing the same crime and distinguishing them from reports on different crimes. The best version achieved 92% accuracy.
Modeling and control of a feed drive with multiple mechanically coupled ball screws
Authors: Hsieh Min‐Fu , Yao Wu‐Sung , Hsu Chun‐Hao 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThis paper presents the modeling and control of a single‐axis feed drive that is jointly driven by three ball screw/motor units. These ball screws are bridged by a mechanical coupling, via which a joint thrust can be produced from the three drive units for high‐power output (e.g., injection molding machines). Synchronous positioning of these drive units can also be applied to the handling of large workpieces. For such a coupled system, a mathematical model is first derived and constructed using a system identification technique developed in this paper. A control scheme based on the master–slave control is then designed to improve the system performance with the mechanical coupling. To ensure synchronization of the three drive units, a synchronous compensator is also designed using the genetic algorithm. Finally, the performance of the entire control system is experimentally verified.Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Umbau des polyhistorischen Wissensraums. Johann Christoph Stockhausens Critischer Entwurf einer auserlesenen Bibliothek für den Liebhaber der Philosophie und schönen Wissenschaften (1752)
Authors: Werle Dirk 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThe Polyhistorian Space of Knowledge Re‐Organized: Johann Christoph Stockhausen's Critischer Entwurf einer auserlesenen Bibliothek für den Liebhaber der Philosophie und schönen Wissenschaften (1752). The example of Johann Christoph Stockhausen's Critischer Entwurf einer auserlesenen Bibliothek für den Liebhaber der Philosophie und schönen Wissenschaften shows how the space of learned knowledge – in the literal and metaphorical sense – is reorganized around the middle of the 18th century. The traditional polyhistorian order of knowledge gradually integrates elements of enlightened scholarship without completely giving up the old ideals. Considering the background of this process, Stockhausen is anything but a polyhistorian latecomer; on the contrary he has to be seen as a pragmatic theoretician trying to render learned knowledge sustainable in a changing world of scholarship. His outline of an ideal library, compared with its forerunners, is distinguished by a more pragmatic perspective and a virtualized concept of the library. He still operates with traditional topoi, but, at the same time, uses an innovative guiding semantics, within which the catchword ‘critical’ plays a central role.
Cathodic electrochemiluminescence of the peroxydisulphate–ciprofloxacin system and its analytical applications
Authors: Liang Yao‐Dong , Yu Chun‐Xia , Song Jun‐Feng 
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACTThe cathodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of peroxydisulphate (S2O82−)–ciprofloxacin (CPF) system at a wax‐impregnated graphite electrode was studied. When CPF was absent, S2O82− was electrochemically reduced to sulphate free radical (SO4•−), and dissolved oxygen absorbed on the electrode surface was reduced to protonated superoxide anion radical (HO2•). The HO2• was oxidized by SO4•− to produce molecular oxygen in both singlet and triplet states. Some of the singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) further combined through collision to be an energy‐rich precursor singlet molecular oxygen pair (1O2)2. A weak ECL was produced when 1O2 or (1O2)2 was converted to ground‐state molecular oxygen (3O2). When CPF was present, a stronger ECL was produced, which originated from two emitting species. The main emitting species was excited state CPF (CPF*), which was produced by accepting energy from (1O2)2. The other emitting species was excited singlet molecular oxygen pair [(1O2)2*], which originated from the chemical oxidation of CPF by SO4•− and dissolved oxygen. Based on the stronger ECL phenomenon, an ECL method for the determination of either S2O82− or CPF was proposed. The proposed ECL method has been applied to the determination of CPF in pharmaceutical preparations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Laboratory Scale Test Minimizing Experimental Time and Effort for Pilot Scale Filtrations
Authors: Braun Frank , Hirthammer Markus , Krottenthaler Martin , Back Werner , Becker Thomas 
Published: May 2011

AbstractDie Erforschung der Bierfiltration mit Zellulosefasern bedarf geeigneter Hilfsmittel, beispielsweise zur Vorbereitung von praxisnahen Versuchen. Anhand der Verläufe unterschiedlich angelegter Versuchsreihen im Pilotmaßstab wurde ein Labortest auf der Basis des Filtrierbarkeitstests nach Raible erarbeitet. Die Arbeit umfasst die Beschreibungen von Apparat, Prozedur und Methoden, die Ergebnisse zu bewerten. Der neue Test ist geeignet, den Versuchsaufwand im größeren Maßstab zu verringern. Vor allem in Bezug auf Variationen der Filterhilfsmittelzusammensetzung liefert er gute Ergebnisse.
Modularisation of Microstructured Separation Devices as a Method of Scale‐up using the Example of Distillation
Authors: Dercks Benedikt , Grünewald Marcus 
Published: May 2011

AbstractMikrostrukturierte Apparate werden seit geraumer Zeit als ein Ansatz zur Prozessintensivierung im Bereich der Reaktionstechnik diskutiert. Immer öfter wird in diesem Zusammenhang als Hemmnis für eine erfolgreiche Implementierung der Mikroverfahrenstechnik in Labor und Technik das Fehlen von Komponenten aus dem Bereich der Trenntechnik genannt. Dieser Beitrag stellt anhand von theoretischen Überlegungen am Beispiel der Destillation die Potenziale der Mikrotrenntechnik dar.
Glucose metabolism and blood pressure remain unchanged by addition of angiotensin receptor blocker in patients undergoing hemodialysis
Authors: Friedl A. , Mittermayer F. , Wolzt M. , Hörl W.H. , Haider D.G. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractBACKGROUNDAngiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may exert effects on insulin sensitivity and blood pressure beyond those achieved by angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibition (ACE‐I). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this action is detectable in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD) therapy.METHODSTwenty‐nine hypertensive HD patients, with (n = 17) or without diabetes (n = 12) received a daily add‐on therapy with 80 mg of telmisartan. Body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, HbA1c, and blood pressure (BP) were recorded before and during 6 months of treatment.RESULTSHbA1c and blood glucose were higher in patients with diabetes at the beginning of the study and after 6 months. Fasting glucose tended to decrease over time in both groups of patients, but this change was not statistically significant. Likewise, HbA1c, BMI, and BP values remained unchanged.CONCLUSIONSTelmisartan does not improve glucose metabolism or lower blood pressure in patients receiving ACE‐I with or without diabetes undergoing maintenance HD. A preventive action on continuous deterioration of the clinical condition cannot be exluded.
Brachial artery blood flow measurement: A simple and noninvasive method to evaluate the need for arteriovenous fistula repair
Authors: Ogawa Tomonari , Matsumura Osamu , Matsuda Akihiko , Hasegawa Hajime , Mitarai Tetsuya 
Published: May 2011

AbstractOBJECTIVEThe objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of brachial artery blood flow measurement in assessing the need for arteriovenous fistula (AVF) repair.METHODSIn 236 hemodialysis patients, the relationships between the brachial artery blood flow measurement results and subsequent AVF repair and prognosis were investigated.RESULTSMean brachial artery blood flow was significantly lower in patients requiring percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA; treatment group, n = 161) than in patients followed without any treatment (no treatment group, n = 64; 250.3 mL/min versus 656.7 mL/min, p < 0.0001). When the relationship between the mean brachial artery blood flow and PTA requirement was analyzed using the ROC curve, the optimal cut‐off value with high sensitivity (true‐positive fraction [TPF]) and 1‐specificity (false‐positive fraction [FPF]) was 348.8 mL/min (area under the ROC curve = 0.814, FPF = 0.125, TPF = 0.87).CONCLUSIONSDecreased brachial artery blood flow of <350 mL/min is associated with the need for subsequent AVF repair, suggesting that this simple and noninvasive method could be used to evaluate vascular access (VA) patency and indication for AVF repair.
Tunneled hemodialysis catheters: What do nephrologists need to know?
Authors: Chan Micah R. , Salman Loay , Yevzlin Alexander S. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractEven though many positive changes were ushered in by the KDOQI guidelines and the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative, tunneled hemodialysis catheters remain an essential piece of the dialysis access puzzle. Their use is, however, attended by a multitude of complications and morbidity of which the general nephrologist must be aware. The purpose of this article is to review for the general nephrologist the infectious and non‐infectious problems that often complicate the use of hemodialysis catheters.