bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrated air stripping and biofiltration for remediation of soils contaminated by organic compounds
Authors: Massabò Marco , Nicolella Cristiano , Zilli Mario 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a laboratory scale investigation on the remediation of a soil contaminated by a mixture of organic compounds using a two‐step process consisting of stripping and biofiltration. The biofilter was packed with the soil under examination in order to use autochthonous microorganisms. To assess the effects of both temperature and superficial velocity of the air stream on process performance different sets of experimental tests were carried out at two air temperatures (50 and 80 °C), and at two superficial air velocities (41.0 and 82.0 m h−1), corresponding to apparent air residence times in the biofilter column of 38 and 19 s respectively. The stripping rate proves to be inversely correlated with the soil–water partitioning coefficient, while no evident correlation was found with the Henry coefficient. It can therefore be concluded that soil–water partitioning is limited by mass transfer while air–water partitioning reaches equilibrium. Temperature influences both stripping rate in the stripping column and degradation capacity in the biofilter. A stripping temperature of 80 °C combined with a biofiltration temperature of 34 °C provides the best process performance. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Poly (methacrylic acid) modified biomass for enhancement adsorption of Pb2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+
Authors: Yu Junxia , Tong Mi , Sun Xiaomei , Li Buhai 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIn this study, the graft copolymerization of methacrylic acid onto the biomass of baker's yeast was carried out in aqueous medium using potassium persulfate (PPS) as initiator. The poly (methacrylic acid) modified biomass obtained was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and microscopic analyses. The number of functional groups was determined by potentiometric titration. The adsorption capacity of the modified biomass for Pb2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+ showed a significant increase compared with the pristine biomass, due to the presence of a large number of functional groups. According to the Langmuir equation, the maximum uptake capacities (qm) for Pb2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+ were 243.9, 108.7 and 73.5 mg g−1, respectively. Adsorption kinetics study showed that completion of the adsorption process needed only 30 min. The loaded biosorbent was regenerated using EDTA solution and used repeatedly three times with little loss of uptake capacity. Good results were obtained when the modified biomass was used to treat simulated wastewater containing Pb2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Predicting PSA response of prostate cancer to radiation therapy with doppler sonography
Authors: Krisch Robert E. , Sehgal Chandra M. , Arger Peter H. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractObjective.We report a prospective investigation of the correlation between pretreatment Doppler vascular density (DVD) of the entire prostate gland and subsequent prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) response following external beam radiation therapy, for patients with low‐ or intermediate‐risk prostate cancer. This report updates a previous report (Sehgal et al., Acad Radiol 2003;10:366) with longer patient follow‐up and additional quantitative and clinically relevant end points.Methods.Before radiation therapy, we imaged 12 patients with transrectal Doppler sonography and measured the mean DVD of the prostate for each. For analysis, patients were separated into 3 groups by low, intermediate, and high DVD. The mean DVD for each group was linearly correlated with mean values for time above a PSA threshold of 1.0 ng/ml, post‐therapy plateau PSA, and nadir PSA.Results.We previously observed that pretreatment mean DVD had a strong inverse correlation with initial rate of post‐therapy decline in PSA. With substantially longer follow‐up on the same cohort of patients (median, 52 months), we now observe that pretreatment mean DVD also correlates with post‐therapy nadir PSA (R = 0.94) and with time above a PSA threshold of 1.0 ng/mL (R = 0.99).Conclusion.The results of the current study are consistent with our earlier suggestion that pretreatment measurement of DVD of the entire prostate gland may be a clinically useful prognostic indicator in early prostate cancer treated with radiation. However, additional data from larger numbers of patients are needed to draw firm conclusions © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2007
Effect of variability in anatomical landmark location on knee kinematic description
Authors: Morton Nicholas A. , Maletsky Lorin P. , Pal Saikat , Laz Peter J. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractSmall variability associated with identifying and locating anatomical landmarks on the knee has the potential to affect the joint coordinate systems and reported kinematic descriptions. The objectives of this study were to develop an approach to quantify the effect of landmark location variability on both tibiofemoral and patellofemoral kinematics and to identify the critical landmarks and associated degrees of freedom that most affected the kinematic measures. The commonly used three‐cylindric open‐chain kinematic description utilized measured rigid body kinematics from a cadaveric specimen during simulated gait. A probabilistic analysis was performed with 11 anatomical landmarks to predict the variability in each kinematic. The model predicted the absolute kinematic bounds and offset kinematic bounds, emphasizing profile shape, for each kinematic over the gait cycle, as well as the range of motion. Standard deviations of up to 2 mm were assumed for the anatomical landmark locations and resulted in significant variability in clinically relevant absolute kinematic parameters of up to 6.5° and 4.4 mm for tibiofemoral and 7.6° and 6.5 mm for patellofemoral kinematics. The location of the femoral epicondylar prominences had the greatest effect on both the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral kinematic descriptions. A quantitative understanding of the potential changes in kinematic description caused by anatomical landmark variability is important not only to the accuracy of kinematic gait studies and the evaluation of total knee arthroplasty implant performance, but also may impact component placement decision‐making in computer‐assisted surgery. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 25:1221–1230, 2007
The fundamental aspects and applications of Agilent HPLC‐Chip
Authors: Yin Hongfeng , Killeen Kevin 
Published: May 2007

AbstractIt has been over 3 years since the first publication of the polymer microfluidic HPLC‐Chip technology and more than 1 year since this technology became commercially available. Here, we summarize the design principle and fabrication processes of the Agilent HPLC‐Chip and review the applications published so far.
Identification of phenolics and nucleoside derivatives in Gastrodia elata by HPLC‐UV‐MS
Authors: Wang Li , Xiao Hongbin , Liang Xinmiao , Wei Lixin 
Published: May 2007

AbstractAn HPLC‐UV‐MS method for simultaneous identification of predominant phenolics and minor nucleoside derivatives in Gastrodia elata was developed, which was based on their UV and MS characteristics summarized through a series of homemade reference standard experiments. Phenolics showed characteristic UV λmax at 267 nm, [M + NH4]+ base peak in positive mode and [M–H]– base peak in negative mode while nucleosides exhibited UV λmax at 255 nm, [M + H]+, [M–H + 2H2O]– or [M–H + CH3COOH]–. Phenolics conjugates mainly underwent the consecutive loss of gastrodin residue (–268 U) and the combined loss of H2O and CO2 from the citric acid unit under negative MS/MS conditions whereas nucleosides simply lost the ribose (–132 U) under positive MS/MS conditions. According to these characteristics, a special pattern under MS/MS conditions and reported compound data for G. elata in the literature, not only 15 phenolics were identified but also 6 nucleoside derivatives were identified. Among these compounds, seven phenolics and three nucleoside derivatives have not been reported yet from G. elata.
Analysis of non‐anthocyanin phenolic compounds in wine samples using high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection
Authors: Rodríguez‐Bernaldo de Quirós Ana , López‐Hernández Julia , Ferraces‐Casais Patricia , Lage‐Yusty M. Asunción 
Published: May 2007

AbstractA simple and rapid HPLC method with UV and fluorescence detection (FLD) for the separation of ten phenolic compounds including gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, caffeic acid, coumaric, trans‐piceid, cis‐piceid, trans‐resveratrol, cis‐resveratrol and quercetin is reported. The UV and fluorescence detector in series provided a high selectivity for the determination of these compounds. Precisions, recoveries and LODs achieved for all the analytes were satisfactory. The proposed method was applied to the determination of these compounds in commercially available red wines.
Automatic assessment of dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI in an ischemic rat hindlimb model: an exploratory study of transplanted multipotent progenitor cells
Authors: Hsu Li‐Yueh , Wragg Andrew , Anderson Stasia A. , Balaban Robert S. , Boehm Manfred , Arai Andrew E. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThis study presents computerized automatic image analysis for quantitatively evaluating dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI in an ischemic rat hindlimb model. MRI at 7 T was performed on animals in a blinded placebo‐controlled experiment comparing multipotent adult progenitor cell‐derived progenitor cell (MDPC)‐treated, phosphate buffered saline (PBS)‐injected, and sham‐operated rats. Ischemic and non‐ischemic limb regions of interest were automatically segmented from time‐series images for detecting changes in perfusion and late enhancement. In correlation analysis of the time–signal intensity histograms, the MDPC‐treated limbs correlated well with their corresponding non‐ischemic limbs. However, the correlation coefficient of the PBS control group was significantly lower than that of the MDPC‐treated and sham‐operated groups. In semi‐quantitative parametric maps of contrast enhancement, there was no significant difference in hypo‐enhanced area between the MDPC and PBS groups at early perfusion‐dependent time frames. However, the late‐enhancement area was significantly larger in the PBS than the MDPC group. The results of this exploratory study show that MDPC‐treated rats could be objectively distinguished from PBS controls. The differences were primarily determined by late contrast enhancement of PBS‐treated limbs. These computerized methods appear promising for assessing perfusion and late enhancement in dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adaptive superposition of finite element meshes in non‐linear transient solid mechanics problems
Authors: Yue Z. , Robbins D. H. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractAn s‐adaptive finite element procedure is developed for the transient analysis of 2‐D solid mechanics problems with material non‐linearity due to progressive damage. The resulting adaptive method simultaneously estimates and controls both the spatial error and temporal error within user‐specified tolerances. The spatial error is quantified by the Zienkiewicz–Zhu error estimator and computed via superconvergent patch recovery, while the estimation of temporal error is based on the assumption of a linearly varying third‐order time derivatives of the displacement field in conjunction with direct numerical time integration. The distinguishing characteristic of the s‐adaptive procedure is the use of finite element mesh superposition (s‐refinement) to provide spatial adaptivity. Mesh superposition proves to be particularly advantageous in computationally demanding non‐linear transient problems since it is faster, simpler and more efficient than traditional h‐refinement schemes. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the performance characteristics of the s‐adaptive method for quasi‐static and transient problems with material non‐linearity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deconstructing spiritual well‐being: existential well‐being and HRQOL in cancer survivors
Authors: Edmondson Donald , Park Crystal L. , Blank Thomas O. , Fenster Juliane R. , Mills Mary Alice 
Published: May 2007

AbstractWe demonstrate the utility of partitioning the spiritual well‐being (SpWB) construct into spiritual and religious components using results from a study of the relationship of existential well‐being to health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in a sample of 237 cancer survivors. Existential and religious well‐being were measured using the FACIT‐Sp‐12 and HRQOL was measured using the mental and physical component scores of the SF‐12. In hierarchical linear regression analyses, existential well‐being fully mediated religious well‐being's effect on HRQOL and explained unique variance in both the mental and physical HRQOL domains, controlling for demographic, disease, and psychosocial variables previously shown to impact HRQOL. Religious well‐being was not predictive of HRQOL. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The funnel experiment: The Markov‐based SPC approach
Authors: Singer Gonen , Ben‐Gal Irad 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThe classical funnel experiment was used by Deming to promote the idea of statistical process control (SPC). The popular example illustrates that the implementation of simple feedback rules to stationary processes violates the independence assumption and prevents the implementation of conventional SPC. However, Deming did not indicate how to implement SPC in the presence of such feedback rules. This pedagogical gap is addressed here by introducing a simple feedback rule to the funnel example that results in a nonlinear process to which the traditional SPC methods cannot be applied. The proposed method of Markov‐based SPC, which is a simplified version of the context‐based SPC method, is shown to monitor the modified process well. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The application of the Six Sigma concept to port security process quality control
Authors: Ung S.‐T. , Bonsall S. , Williams V. , Wall A. , Wang J. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractGreater heed has been paid to the matter of maritime security since the tragedy in the U.S.A. on 11 September 2001. A number of measures have been put into practice by ports to enhance security. More regulations and measures sometimes imply an increased probability of influencing port operations. Thus, the quality of the port security process regulated by measures is becoming essential. In this paper, the quality control in the port security process is demonstrated using the Six Sigma concept. It is concluded that it is crucial to distinguish each step of a security process clearly from the outset, furthermore, gathering quantitative data at each stage is the first priority. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design of electronic systems based on functional capability
Authors: Gilbert James M. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractAn important measure of design quality is the extent to which a circuit design is able to meets its specification in the presence of component parameter variations. Of equal importance is knowing how to improve this capability most effectively. This paper presents an analysis technique and visualization method which give the designer information about design quality and possible routes to improved quality. The paper introduces two new measures of functional capability, based on the process capability measure Cpk, and shows how these may be linked to the statistical variations in individual component parameters. It then shows how this information may be used to assess the effectiveness of altering the nominal value and variability in each of the component parameters in order to improve circuit performance capability. The analysis required is straightforward and the information is presented in a clear manner which can readily be interpreted by the designer. The effectiveness of the technique has been evaluated through analysis of a number of printed circuit board level analogue and mixed signal circuits and the results of a case study are shown. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HIV integrase inhibitors as therapeutic agents in AIDS
Authors: Nair Vasu , Chi Guochen 
Published: May 2007

AbstractHIV‐1 integrase is a protein of Mr 32 000 encoded at the 3′‐end of the pol gene. Integration of HIV DNA into the host cell chromosomal DNA apparently occurs by a carefully defined sequence of DNA tailoring (3′‐processing (3′P)) and coupling (integration) reactions. Integration of HIV DNA into human DNA represents the biochemical completion of the invasion of the human cell (e.g., T‐cell) by HIV. Unlike major successes seen in the development of clinically approved anti‐HIV agents against HIV reverse transcriptase and HIV protease, there are no FDA‐approved anti‐HIV drugs in clinical use where the mechanism of action is inhibition of HIV integrase. This review summarises some key advances in the area of integrase inhibitors with the major focus being on new generation inhibitors. Special emphasis is placed on diketo acids with aromatic and heteroaromatic moieties, diketo acids with nucleobase scaffolds, bis‐diketo acids, functionalised naphthyridines and other isosteres of diketo acids. Data pertaining to integrase inhibition and in vitro anti‐HIV activity are discussed. Mention is made of drugs in clinical trials, both past (S‐1360, L‐870,810 and L‐870,812 and present (GS‐9137 and MK‐0518). Other promising drugs, including those from the authors' laboratory, are referred. Resistant mutants arising from key integrase inhibitors and cross‐resistance are indicated. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Semiconducting Cyanide–Transition‐Metal Nanotubes
Authors: Mo Yina , Kaxiras Efthimios 
Published: May 2007

AbstractWe propose a new type of structurally simple and energetically stable cyanide–transition‐metal nanotube, based on the planar structure of M(CN)2, (M=Ni, Pd, Pt). These nanotubes have a semiconducting character with a large bandgap (2–3 eV) that is insensitive to chirality and diameter. The energetic, electronic, and mechanical properties of these materials in both planar and tubular forms are studied through first‐principles density functional theory calculations. The calculations reveal interesting multicenter bonding features, which should lead to preferential growth of tubes of a particular chirality. These intrinsically semiconducting nanotubes can be readily p‐ or n‐doped, which makes them good candidates for nanoscale elements in electronic devices.
Reference ranges for fetal ventricular width: a non‐normal approach
Authors: Salomon L. J. , Bernard J. P. , Ville Y. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractObjectivesNormal ranges for fetal cerebral ventricular width are usually based on parametric methods, which define cut‐off values based on means and standard deviations. We aimed to construct reference charts based on a large sample and using a method that better fits with skewed measurements.MethodsIn November 2001–December 2005, a single operator, who was unaware of the subsequent analysis, performed prospectively and routinely fetal cerebral ventricular width measurements. We used the LMS method (which summarizes the changing distribution of a variable of interest according to a covariate (gestational age) using three curves representing the median (M), the coefficient of variation (S) and skewness (L)) to describe the distribution of measurements with gestational age. The LMS method provides a general method for fitting smooth centile curves to reference data. It utilizes the power transformation family of Box and Cox to allow the skewness of the measurement distribution, as well as the median and variability, to vary with age. The theoretical proportion of fetal ventricular widths ≥ 10 mm based on the LMS method and on methods based on the assumption of normality were compared with the actual proportion using binomial tests. The influence on ventricular size of gestational age and fetal gender and presentation was assessed using robust regression methods.ResultsIncluded in the study were 4769 ventricular measurements, 42 (0.88%) of which were ≥ 10 mm. The LMS method allowed us to fit the skewness of the measurements and identified slight changes throughout gestation. The actual proportion of measurements ≥ 10 mm was not different from that expected according to the LMS method (0.88% vs. 1%, P = 0.25), whereas it was significantly different from that based on the classical normal approximation (0.88% vs. 0.4%, P < 0.0001). There was a significant difference with gender (males: + 0.29 ± 0.042 mm as compared to females, P < 0.0001), but there was no difference with fetal presentation (P = 0.4).ConclusionWe present new reference values for fetal ventricular width based on the LMS method. A fixed cut‐off value of 10 mm identifies around 1% of the population throughout gestation, which is more than that calculated in previous studies. Copyright © 2007 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Theory of Vibration of Buildings During Earthquake
Authors: Biot M. 
Published: May 2007

Die Bewegungen eines Gebäudes, das von einem Erdbeben getroffen wird, haben den Charakter Vorübergehender Schwingungen. Die Untersuchung derartiger Vorgänge nach dem Heaviside‐Verfahren ist den Elektro‐Ingenieuren geläufig. Für den Fall der Erdbewegung zu mühsam. Außerdem braucht man nicht die Bewegung eines Gebäudes genau zu kennen, sondern nur die Scheitelwerte der Beanspruchung.Die folgende Arbeit enthält eine Theorie der Schwingungen eines Systems unter einem vorübergehenden Anstoß. Der erste Paragraph enthält die theoretischen Grundlage. Der Hauptgedanke ist die spektrale Zerlegung des Seismogramms, d. h. es wird die Frequenzverteilung des Erdstoßes untersucht. Dann ist es ziemlich einfach, die Wirkung eines solchen Stoßes auf ein Gebäude zu ermitteln.Im zweiten Paragraphen wird diese Methode auf die Untersuchung der Erdbebensicherheit eines Gebäudes angewendet, das einen elastischen ersten Stock hat. Eine Tabelle ermöglicht die Berechnung der Schwingungsperioden des Gebäudes. Als Endergebnis erhält man die durch die Elastizität des ersten Stockwerks hervorgerufene Verringerung der Beanspruchungen.
CCN2 (Connective Tissue Growth Factor) is essential for extracellular matrix production and integrin signaling in chondrocytes
Authors: Nishida Takashi , Kawaki Harumi , Baxter Ruth M. , DeYoung R. Andrea , Takigawa Masaharu , Lyons Karen M. 
Published: May 2007

AbstractThe matricellular protein CCN2 (Connective Tissue Growth Factor; CTGF) is an essential mediator of ECM composition, as revealed through analysis of Ccn2 deficient mice. These die at birth due to complications arising from impaired endochondral ossification. However, the mechanism(s) by which CCN2 mediates its effects in cartilage are unclear. We investigated these mechanisms using Ccn2−/− chondrocytes. Expression of type II collagen and aggrecan were decreased in Ccn2−/− chondrocytes, confirming a defect in ECM production. Ccn2−/− chondrocytes also exhibited impaired DNA synthesis and reduced adhesion to fibronectin. This latter defect is associated with decreased expression of α5 integrin. Moreover, CCN2 can bind to integrin α5β1 in chondrocytes and can stimulate increased expression of integrin α5. Consistent with an essential role for CCN2 as a ligand for integrins, immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis revealed that levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 phosphorylation were reduced in Ccn2−/− chondrocytes. These findings argue that CCN2 exerts major effects in chondrocytes through its ability to (1) regulate ECM production and integrin α5 expression, (2) engage integrins and (3) activate integrin‐mediated signaling pathways.