bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Method for the Positioning and Tracking of Small Moving Particles
Authors: Rees Neil V. , Matthews Sinéad M. , Yunus Kamran , Fisher Adrian C. , Compton Richard G. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractOn the move: Electrochemistry has been used to detect and monitor the motion of a single 330 μm sphere in both time and space (see picture). The motion was recorded simultaneously by video and chronoamperometry, which showed an excellent correlation. The ability to fabricate electrode arrays capable of spatial resolution at the sub‐micrometer scale opens the possibility of using this technique to monitor considerably smaller particles.magnified image
Epimerization‐Free Block Synthesis of Peptides from Thioacids and Amines with the Sanger and Mukaiyama Reagents
Authors: Crich David , Sharma Indrajeet 
Published: February 2009

AbstractHighly activated thioesters formed by the rapid reaction of C‐terminal thioacids derived from protected amino acids and peptides with the Sanger reagent and other electron‐deficient aryl halides in the presence of a free amine immediately form a peptide bond with the amine. This essentially epimerization‐free method was used for the 4+4 block synthesis of a hindered octapeptide (see scheme; Boc, Pbf, and Trt are protecting groups).magnified image
Fluorescent Color Readout of DNA Hybridization with Thiazole Orange as an Artificial DNA Base
Authors: Berndl Sina , Wagenknecht Hans‐Achim 
Published: February 2009

AbstractA fluorescent chameleon: A single thiazole orange (TO) dye, when used as an artificial DNA base shows the typical green emission, whereas the interstrand TO dimer exhibits an orange excimer‐type emission inside duplex DNA (see picture).magnified image
The effect of carbon nanotube on the physical properties of poly(butylene terephthalate) nanocomposite by simple melt blending
Authors: Kim Jun Young 
Published: February 2009

AbstractPolyester nanocomposites based on poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and carbon nanotube (CNT) were prepared by simple melt blending using a twin‐screw extruder. There is significant dependence of the thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of the PBT nanocomposites on the concentration and dispersion state of CNT. The storage and loss moduli of the PBT nanocomposites increased with increasing frequency, and this enhancing effect was more pronounced at lower frequency region. The nonterminal behavior for the PBT nanocomposites was attributed to the nanotube–nanotube or polymer–nanotube interactions, and the dominant nanotube–nanotube interactions at high CNT content resulted in the formation of the interconnected network‐like structures of CNT in the PBT nanocomposites. The incorporation of a small quantity of CNT into the PBT matrix can substantially improve the mechanical properties, the heat distortion temperature, and the thermal stability of the PBT nanocomposites. The unique character of CNT dispersed in the PBT matrix resulted in the physical barrier effect against the thermal decomposition, leading to the improvement in the thermal stability of the PBT nanocomposites. This study also provides a design guide of CNT‐reinforced PBT nanocomposites with a great potential for industrial uses. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
A new adaptive backstepping Coulomb friction compensator for servo control systems
Authors: Yu Jen‐te 
Published: February 2009

AbstractA new Coulomb friction compensator is proposed for servo control systems in this paper. The novelty of the new approach lies in its capability of assigning the eigenvalues of the resulting closed loop system while attacking the problem. First, based on the standard backstepping methodology, an implicit Lyapunov function, with part of the components being only symbolically constructed at the very beginning, is utilized. To increase the robustness of the system against disturbance and model inaccuracy, an integral term is employed in the design. Using part of the variable gradient method, we are able to turn the implicit Lyapunov function into an explicit one, which is positive definite, and whose time‐derivative is negative definite. Second, it will be shown that the resulting closed loop error system is a switched linear system with two possible active modes that share the same set of eigenvalues, which is at our disposal. Unlike the common adaptive control design methods, such as the Control Lyapunov Function approach, in which the gains are typically positive but otherwise arbitrary, and are hence difficult to choose and have a lack of connection with the system's performance, our new scheme imposes two further constraints on the gains. It turns out that we can then match these gains with the coefficients of the desired characteristic equation of the closed loop system. In this respect, the gains are linked to the system's overall performance, which is a new and very appealing feature for such a scheme. Finally, a procedure of constructing a common Lyapunov function is provided to prove exponential stability of the aforementioned switched linear system. In addition, using the invariance principle, we will show the convergence of the estimated Coulomb friction coefficient to its real value. Numerical simulations are given to validate the effectiveness of the design and its robustness against friction time‐variations. Compared to existing results, the proposed scheme is much simpler, hence, much more advantageous computationally. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Energy absorption capacity; a new concept for stability analysis of nonlinear dynamic systems
Authors: Jamshidifar Ali Akbar , Afshar Ahmad 
Published: February 2009

AbstractStability is the main concern considered for every system. Generally the well‐known Lyapunov and input‐output stability methods are utilized for the stability analysis of nonlinear systems. These methods face serious difficulties as the size and complexity of the systems increases. In this paper a new approach is presented to overcome this problem by introducing a new concept “Energy Absorption Capacity” (EAC) for every component. The EAC of the system can be derived from its component EACs considering their interaction. It is shown that the stability of every individual component is assured if its EAC has a positive value. The proposed approach is less conservative compared to a Lyapunov‐based approach. This is due to its reliance on EAC as the extreme value of energy function rather than the function itself. Some examples are given to support the proposed approach. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
State feedback control synthesis for networked control systems with packet dropout
Authors: Wang Yu‐Long , Yang Guang‐Hong 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the problem ofH∞controller design for networked control systems (NCSs) with time delay and packet dropout. A combined switching and parameter uncertainty‐based method is proposed to deal with time‐varying delay. The proposed method can avoid the high computational complexity of the delay switching‐based method and introduce less conservatism than the parameter uncertainty‐based method. An active varying sampling period method is proposed to make full use of network bandwidth, and a multi‐objective optimization methodology in terms of linear matrix inequalities is used to deal withH∞controller design for NCSs with active varying sampling period. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed active varying sampling period method and the less conservatism of the combined switching and parameter uncertainty‐based method. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
A matrix gradient algorithm for identification of parameterized time‐varying parameters
Authors: Chen Min‐Shin , Li Jyun‐Sian , Wu Po‐Ching 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis paper considers the problem of estimating time‐varying parameters which can be parameterized by a series of arbitrary known basis functions. It is shown that this problem is equivalent to the observer design problem for a “matrix” dynamic system. A “matrix” gradient algorithm, which mimics the well‐known “vector” gradient algorithm, is proposed to estimate the unknown matrix. The contribution of this paper is to show that convergence of the proposed matrix algorithm is guaranteed by the persistent excitations of both the regressor and the basis functions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
H∞ fuzzy static output feedback control of T‐S fuzzy systems based on fuzzy Lyapunov approach
Authors: Chang Xiao‐Heng , Yang Guang‐Hong , Liu Xiao‐Ping 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the problem of H∞ fuzzy static output feedback control for discrete‐time Takagi‐Sugeno (T‐S) fuzzy systems, and new design methods are presented. By defining a fuzzy Lyapunov function, a new sufficient condition guaranteeing the H∞ performance of the T‐S fuzzy systems is derived, and the condition is expressed by a set of linear matrix inequalities. In comparison with the existing literature, the proposed approach may provide more relaxed condition while ensuring better H∞ performance. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Network‐based robust control of stochastic systems with nonlinear perturbations
Authors: Zhang Xiaomei , Zheng Yufan , Lu Guoping 
Published: February 2009

AbstractNetwork‐based robust control of stochastic systems with nonlinear perturbations is investigated in this paper. State and static output feedback controllers are designed, respectively, for stochastic networked control systems subject to the presence of network‐induced delay, transmitted data dropout and nonlinear perturbations. Using the Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional and descriptor system approach, a state feedback controller and a static output feedback controller are constructed in terms of linear matrix inequalities, respectively. With the controllers, the corresponding closed‐loop systems are stochastically ultimately bounded in the mean square. Two examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Bayesian estimation of finite time ruin probabilities
Authors: Ausin M. Concepcion , Wiper Michael P. , Lillo Rosa E. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractIn this paper, we consider Bayesian inference and estimation of finite time ruin probabilities for the Sparre Andersen risk model. The dense family of Coxian distributions is considered for the approximation of both the inter‐claim time and claim size distributions. We illustrate that the Coxian model can be well fitted to real, long‐tailed claims data and that this compares well with the generalized Pareto model. The main advantage of using the Coxian model for inter‐claim times and claim sizes is that it is possible to compute finite time ruin probabilities making use of recent results from queueing theory. In practice, finite time ruin probabilities are much more useful than infinite time ruin probabilities as insurance companies are usually interested in predictions for short periods of future time and not just in the limit. We show how to obtain predictive distributions of these finite time ruin probabilities, which are more informative than simple point estimations and take account of model and parameter uncertainty. We illustrate the procedure with simulated data and the well‐known Danish fire loss data set. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biliary clearance of bromosulfophthalein in anesthetized and freely moving conscious rat
Authors: Oh Ju‐Hee , Park Se‐Eun , Shim Chang‐Koo , Lee Young‐Joo 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of anesthesia on the pharmacokinetics of bromosulfophthalein (BSP) with focus on biliary clearance. The plasma concentration profile and biliary clearance of intravenously administered BSP was compared in conscious freely moving bile duct catheterized rats and rats anesthetized with ketamine or Zoletil. The plasma concentration of BSP in conscious rats was similar to that of anesthetized rats, irrespective of the anesthetic used. There was no significant difference in the volume of distribution, total body clearance and mean residence time of BSP between the groups. The biliary clearance of BSP in rats anesthetized using ketamine or Zoletil was also similar to that of conscious rats. Only bile flow was increased under anesthetization compared with conscious rats. These results demonstrate that the pharmacokinetics of BSP, including biliary clearance, in ketamine or Zoletil anesthetized rats is virtually identical to that in conscious rats and it may be related to blood flow limited hepatic disposition of BSP. Furthermore, they suggest the conscious rat model does not offer methodological advantage and the anesthesia model is suitable for a realistic approximation of the hepatobiliary transport of BSP. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Investigation of some factors contributing to negative food effects
Authors: Marasanapalle Venugopal P. , Crison John R. , Ma Jingwen , Li Xiaoling , Jasti Bhaskara R. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractA drug is defined as exhibiting negative food effects, if the co‐administration of food statistically decreases its area under the curve, AUC, when compared with its administration on a fasted stomach. In this study, the role of biopharmaceutical factors that contribute to negative food effects was studied using furosemide, nadolol, tacrine and atenolol (as model compounds exhibiting negative food effects), and prednisolone, hydrochlorothiazide and ibuprofen (as model compounds that do not show any food effects). The physiological pH of the upper intestinal tract is lower, at pH 5, in the postprandial state when compared with the preprandial state, pH 6.5. Drugs that exhibited negative food effects had low apical to basolateral Caco‐2 permeabilities, low pKa/pKb and Log P values of less than 1. The drugs exhibiting negative food effects had low distribution coefficients at the pH conditions of the fed and fasted states. Furosemide, being a hydrophilic, poorly soluble acidic drug showed lower solubility in the fed state when compared with the fasted state. Basic drugs, atenolol, nadolol and tacrine, are ionized to a higher extent in the fed state and exhibit lower permeability and lower absorption when compared with the fasted state. Thus, drugs were found to exhibit negative food effects owing to their decrease in solubility or permeability in the upper intestinal tract of the fed state when compared with the fasted state. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Establishing stimulus control of vocal stereotypy displayed by young children with Autism
Authors: Rapp John T. , Patel Meeta R. , Ghezzi Patrick M. , O'Flaherty Christine H. , Titterington Craig J. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractWe examined the vocal stereotypy of three boys who were diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Results of functional analyses indicated that each participant's vocal stereotypy was maintained by non‐social consequences. For two participants, verbal reprimands were provided contingent on vocal stereotypy in the presence of a red card (RC). For the third participant, after verbal reprimands alone did not decrease vocal stereotypy, toys were withdrawn contingent on vocal stereotypy in the presence of the RC. For all three participants, vocal stereotypy was permitted without programmed consequences the presence of a green card (GC). The results showed that vocal stereotypy decreased in the presence of the RC for all three participants; however, vocal stereotypy came under inhibitory control of the RC for only one of the three participants. The potential utility of using punishment to develop stimulus control of automatically reinforced problem behavior in academic settings is briefly discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gastrin‐releasing peptide: Different forms, different functions
Authors: Ischia Joseph , Patel Oneel , Shulkes Arthur , Baldwin Graham S. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAll forms of the neuropeptide gastrin‐releasing peptide (GRP) are derived from the precursor proGRP1‐125. Amidated GRP18‐27, which together with amidated GRP1‐27 was long thought to be the only biologically relevant product of the GRP gene, is involved in a multitude of physiological functions and acts as a mitogen, morphogen, and proangiogenic factor in certain cancers. Recently, GRP has been implicated in several psychiatric conditions, in the maintenance of circadian rhythm, in spinal transmission of the itch sensation, and in inflammation and wound repair. The actions of GRP are mediated by the GRP receptor. Over the last decade, nonamidated peptides derived from proGRP, such as the glycine‐extended form GRP18‐28 and recombinant and synthetic fragments from proGRP31‐125, have been shown to be biologically active in a range of tissues and in cancer cell lines. While GRP18‐28 acts via the GRP receptor, the identity of the receptor for proGRP31‐125 and its fragments has not yet been established. Nonamidated fragments are also present in normal tissues and in various cancers. In fact, proGRP31‐98 is the most sensitive serum biomarker in patients with small cell lung cancer and is a significant predictor of poor survival in patients with advanced prostate cancer. © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Conjugated linoleic acid isomers: Differences in metabolism and biological effects
Authors: Churruca Itziar , Fernández‐Quintela Alfredo , Portillo Maria Puy 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe term conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) refers to a mixture of linoleic acid positional and geometric isomers, characterized by having conjugated double bonds, not separated by a methylene group as in linoleic acid. CLA isomers appear as a minor component of the lipid fraction, found mainly in meat and dairy products from cows and sheep. The most abundant isomer is cis‐9,trans‐11, which represents up to 80% of total CLA in food. These isomers are metabolized in the body through different metabolic pathways, but important differences, that can have physiological consequences, are observed between the two main isomers. The trans‐10,cis‐12 isomer is more efficiently oxidized than the cis‐9,trans‐11 isomer, due to the position of its double bounds. Interest in CLA arose in its anticarcinogenic action but there is an increasing amount of specific scientific literature concerning the biological effects and properties of CLA. Numerous biological effects of CLA are due to the separate action of the most studied isomers, cis‐9,trans‐11 and trans‐10,cis‐12. It is also likely that some effects are induced and/or enhanced by these isomers acting synergistically. Although the cis‐9,trans‐11 isomer is mainly responsible for the anticarcinogenic effect, the trans‐10,cis‐12 isomer reduces body fat and it is referred as the most effective isomer affecting blood lipids. As far as insulin function is concerned, both isomers seem to be responsible for insulin resistance in humans. Finally, with regard to the immune system it is not clear whether individual isomers of CLA could act similarly or differently. © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Insulin‐like growth factor‐I receptor signal transduction and the Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK‐STAT) pathway
Authors: Himpe Eddy , Kooijman Ron 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe insulin‐like growth factor IGF‐I is an important fetal and postnatal growth factor, which is also involved in tissue homeostasis via regulation of proliferation, differentiation, and cell survival. To understand the role of IGF‐I in the pathophysiology of a variety of disorders, including growth disorders, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, a detailed knowledge of IGF‐I signal transduction is required. This knowledge may also contribute to the development of new therapies directed at the IGF‐I receptor or other signaling molecules. In this review, we will address IGF‐I receptor signaling through the JAK/STAT pathway in IGF‐I signaling and the role of cytokine‐induced inhibitors of signaling (CIS) and suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS). It appears that, in addition to the canonical IGF‐I signaling pathways through extracellular‐regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol‐3 kinase (PI3K)‐Akt, IGF‐I also signals through the JAK/STAT pathway. Activation of this pathway may lead to induction of SOCS molecules, well‐known feedback inhibitors of the JAK/STAT pathway, which also suppress of IGF‐I‐induced JAK/STAT signaling. Furthermore, other IGF‐I‐induced signaling pathways may also be modulated by SOCS. It is conceivable that the effect of these classical inhibitors of cytokine signaling directly affect IGF‐I receptor signaling, because they are able to associate to the intracellular part of the IGF‐I receptor. These observations indicate that CIS and SOCS molecules are key to cross‐talk between IGF‐I receptor signaling and signaling through receptors belonging to the hematopoietic/cytokine receptor superfamily. Theoretically, dysregulation of CIS or SOCS may affect IGF‐I‐mediated effects on body growth, cell differentiation, proliferation, and cell survival. © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Sarcopenia of aging: Underlying cellular mechanisms and protection by calorie restriction
Authors: Marzetti Emanuele , Anne Lees Hazel , Eva Wohlgemuth Stephanie , Leeuwenburgh Christiaan 
Published: February 2009

AbstractSarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass and function, is a common feature of aging and impacts on individual health and quality of life. Several cellular mechanisms have been involved in the pathogenesis of this syndrome, including mitochondrial dysfunction, altered apoptotic and autophagic signaling, and, more recently, trace metal dyshomeostasis. Calorie restriction (CR) without malnutrition has been shown to ameliorate the age‐related loss of muscle mass in a variety a species. Mechanisms of protection span from preservation of mitochondrial functional and structural integrity to mitochondrial biogenesis, reduction of oxidative stress, and favorable modulation of apoptotic and autophagic signaling pathways. Importantly, preliminary evidence indicates that moderate CR may promote muscle mitochondrial biogenesis in middle‐aged human subjects. Further research is warranted to investigate whether CR may represent a safe and efficient strategy to delay the onset and mitigate the progression of sarcopenia in older adults. © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Teaching undergraduate students to model use cases using tree diagram concepts
Authors: Juárez‐Ramírez Reyes , Licea Guillermo , Cristóbal‐Salas Alfredo 
Published: February 2009

AbstractA new approach for use cases description is exposed. It is based on four mathematical concepts: sequential events, possible results, tree diagrams, and permutations. This approach pretends to encourage undergraduate students to use formal concepts in software engineering, in order to reduce the lack of formality that this discipline suffers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 18: 77–86, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20190