bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Candida Cholecystitis in a Diabetic Patient on Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Weng Cheng‐Hao , Chang Chiz‐Tzung , Lin Ja‐Liang , Hung Cheng‐Chieh , Yang Chih‐Wei , Yen Tzung‐Hai 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAcute cholecystitis caused by Candida glabrata is a rare condition. We present a 60‐year‐old female patient with end‐stage renal failure on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis experiencing high fever, shock, and leukocytosis. There was no evidence of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis peritonitis. Abdominal computed tomography showed evidence of acute cholecystitis. A bile culture from percutaneous gallbladder drainage and a urine culture both showed growth of C. glabrata. However, after treatment with oral fluconazole and broad‐spectrum antibiotics, the patient died of septic shock.
Renovated controller designed by genetic algorithms
Authors: Lin Tzu‐Kang , Chu Yi‐Lun , Chang Kuo‐Chun , Chang Chia‐Yun , Kao Hua‐Hsuan 
Published: November 2008

AbstractA novel smart control system based on genetic algorithms (GAs) is proposed in this paper. The system is comprised of three parts: the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor‐based sensing network for structural health monitoring, the GA‐based location optimizer for sensor arrangement, and the GA‐based controller for vibration mitigation under external excitation. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system, an eight‐story steel structure was designed specifically to represent a structure with large degrees of freedom. In total 16 FBG sensors were deployed on the structure to implement the concept of a reliable sensing network, and to allow the structure to be monitored precisely under any loading. The advantage of applying a large amount of information from the sensing system is proven theoretically by the GA‐based location optimizer. This result greatly supports the recent tendency of distributing sensors around the structure. Two intuitive GA‐based controllers are then proposed and demonstrated numerically. It is shown that the structure can be controlled more effectively by the proposed GA‐strain controller than by the GA‐acceleration controller, which represents the traditional control method. A shaking table test was carried out to examine the entire system. Experimental verification has demonstrated the feasibility of using this system in practice. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design of passive systems for control of inelastic structures
Authors: Cimellaro Gian Paolo , Lavan Oren , Reinhorn Andrei M. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractA design strategy for control of buildings experiencing inelastic deformations during seismic response is formulated. The strategy is using weakened, and/or softened, elements in a structural system while adding passive energy dissipation devices (e.g. viscous fluid devices, etc.) in order to control simultaneously accelerations and deformations response during seismic events. A design methodology is developed to determine the locations and the magnitude of weakening and/or softening of structural elements and the added damping while insuring structural stability. A two‐stage design procedure is suggested: (i) first using a nonlinear active control algorithm, to determine the new structural parameters while insuring stability, then (ii) determine the properties of equivalent structural parameters of passive system, which can be implemented by removing or weakening some structural elements, or connections, and by addition of energy dissipation systems. Passive dampers and weakened elements are designed using an optimization algorithm to obtain a response as close as possible to an actively controlled system. A case study of a five‐story building subjected to El Centro ground motion, as well as to an ensemble of simulated ground motions, is presented to illustrate the procedure. The results show that following the design strategy, a control of both peak inter‐story drifts and total accelerations can be obtained. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New joint frame synchronisation and carrier frequency offset estimation method for OFDM systems
Authors: Zhang Zhongshan , Kayama Hidetoshi , Tellambura Chintha 
Published: November 2008

AbstractWe propose a new joint frame synchronisation and carrier frequency offset estimation scheme for burst transmission mode OFDM systems. This scheme uses a central‐symmetric and comb‐like (CSCL) training sequence, which eases the power detection at the receiver without increasing the total training sequence power. Fine frame synchronisation as well as carrier frequency offset acquisition with a maximum acquisition range of$\pm {{N} \over {4\times {\rm SF}}}$times the sub‐carrier spacing can also be performed based on the proposed CSCL training sequence, whereNis the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) length and SF is an integer‐valuedspreading factorused to generate CSCL. The post‐acquisition residual carrier frequency offset can be further estimated and corrected via a fine adjustment algorithm. In order to reduce performance loss due to the high peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) of the CSCL training sequence, a time‐domain constant‐envelope (CE) training sequence is also proposed. The superior estimation accuracy of the proposed algorithm over that of the Moose algorithm and the SS (Shi and Serpedin) algorithm is proved by computer simulation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Some results on the accuracy of an edge‐based finite volume formulation for the solution of elliptic problems in non‐homogeneous and non‐isotropic media
Authors: de Carvalho Darlan Karlo Elisiário , Willmersdorf Ramiro Brito , Lyra Paulo Roberto Maciel 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe numerical simulation of elliptic type problems in strongly heterogeneous and anisotropic media represents a great challenge from mathematical and numerical point of views. The simulation of flows in non‐homogeneous and non‐isotropic porous media with full tensor diffusion coefficients, which is a common situation associated with the miscible displacement of contaminants in aquifers and the immiscible and incompressible two‐phase flow of oil and water in petroleum reservoirs, involves the numerical solution of an elliptic type equation in which the diffusion coefficient can be discontinuous, varying orders of magnitude within short distances. In the present work, we present a vertex‐centered edge‐based finite volume method (EBFV) with median dual control volumes built over a primal mesh. This formulation is capable of handling the heterogeneous and anisotropic media using structured or unstructured, triangular or quadrilateral meshes. In the EBFV method, the discretization of the diffusion term is performed using a node‐centered discretization implemented in two loops over the edges of the primary mesh. This formulation guarantees local conservation for problems with discontinuous coefficients, keeping second‐order accuracy for smooth solutions on general triangular and orthogonal quadrilateral meshes. In order to show the convergence behavior of the proposed EBFV procedure, we solve three benchmark problems including full tensor, material heterogeneity and distributed source terms. For these three examples, numerical results compare favorably with others found in literature. A fourth problem, with highly non‐smooth solution, has been included showing that the EBFV needs further improvement to formally guarantee monotonic solutions in such cases. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemokine receptor CXCR4 expression is correlated with VEGF expression and poor survival in soft‐tissue sarcoma
Authors: Oda Yoshinao , Tateishi Naomi , Matono Hiroshi , Matsuura Suguru , Yamamaoto Hidetaka , Tamiya Sadafumi , Yokoyama Ryohei , Matsuda Shuichi , Iwamoto Yukihide , Tsuneyoshi Masazumi 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe expression of chemokine receptor CXCR4 has been associated with poor prognosis and VEGF expression in several kinds of human malignancy. We measured CXCR4 expression levels in soft‐tissue sarcoma and compared them with VEGF expression or microvessel density (MVD). We used real‐time quantitative PCR to examine the CXCR4 and VEGF expression levels in a total 176 tumors, including 24 intermediate tumors, 24 malignant round‐cell tumors (MRCTs) and 128 malignant non‐round‐cell tumors (MNRCTs). We also assessed their immunohistochemical expression of CXCR4 and VEGF, MVD and proliferative activities, as measured by the MIB‐1‐labeling index (LI). Furthermore, we evaluated their significance with respect to patient survival rates in MNRCTs, using the Cox regression model. Within the different types of tumor tissue, the expression levels of CXCR4 (p < 0.0001) and VEGF (p < 0.0001) in MNRCTs were significantly higher than those in intermediate tumors or MRCTs. Immunohistochemical expression levels of CXCR4 and VEGF were significantly correlated with their mRNA expression levels (p < 0.0001). Significant positive correlation was found between CXCR4 and VEGF expression in 112 primary MNRCTs (r = 0.434, p < 0.0001). Moreover, both univariate (p < 0.0001) and Cox multivariate analysis (p = 0.0001) revealed that overexpression of CXCR4 was an independent adverse prognostic factor, in addition to high stage according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer and a high MIB‐1‐LI. Determination of the CXCR4 expression level as a novel marker can provide useful prognostic information for patients and it could be a candidate for molecular targeting therapy in MNRCTs of soft‐tissue sarcomas. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gold(III) porphyrin complex is more potent than cisplatin in inhibiting growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo
Authors: To Yuk Fai , Sun Raymond Wai‐Yin , Chen Yongxiong , Chan Vera Sau‐Fong , Yu Wing‐Yiu , Tam Paul Kwong‐Hang , Che Chi‐Ming , Lin Chen‐Lung Steve 
Published: November 2008

AbstractNasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common neoplasm in Southeastern Asia, and cisplatin‐containing regimens for combinational chemotherapy are widely used for treating locally recurrent or metastatic diseases. However, resistance to cisplatin is not infrequently seen and its associated side effects may be life‐threatening. In this report, another metallo‐pharmaceutical agent gold(III) porphyrin complex [Au(TPP)]Cl was investigated in comparison to cisplatin for its in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects. Through induction of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, [Au(TPP)]Cl exhibited 100‐fold higher potency than cisplatin in killing NPC cells, including cisplatin‐sensitive and cisplatin‐resistant variants, and also an variant harboring the Epstein‐Barr virus. In addition, a safety concentration window was demonstrated, allowing [Au(TPP)]Cl to kill tumors with minimal cytotoxicity to noncancerous cells. More importantly, weekly intraperitoneal injection of 3 mg/kg [Au(TPP)]Cl was more effective than the same dose of cisplatin in inducing tumor apoptosis in vivo and remarkably inhibited tumor growth in animals without any noticeable side effect. [Au(TPP)]Cl therefore is a promising chemotherapeutic agent that deserves further development as a novel drug for the treatment of advanced NPC, in particular, for cases with cisplatin‐resistance. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Autoimmunity and lymphomagenesis
Authors: Goldin Lynn R. , Landgren Ola 
Published: November 2008

AbstractFor more than 50 years, links between autoimmunity and lymphomas have been described based on human and animal studies. Over the last 3 decades, many studies have addressed specific hypotheses about these associations using population level data. This has been accomplished by assessing previous autoimmune history in case–control studies of patients with lymphoma (mainly non‐Hodgkin lymphoma) and myeloma, and by following cohorts of patients with various autoimmune diseases for subsequent development of lymphoma and multiple myeloma. In this article, we review our recently published series of association studies based on data from Scandinavia and from US Veterans and other relevant findings. We also discuss what these associations have revealed about the mechanisms and pathways underlying both autoimmunity and lymphoma. Finally, we discuss the future directions involving a combination of population and molecular studies that are needed to better define underlying biological mechanisms. Published 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Oral administration of diphenyl diselenide potentiates hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats
Authors: Nogueira Cristina W. , Borges Lysandro Pinto , Souza Ana Cristina Guerra 
Published: November 2008

AbstractCarbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a model for studying free radical‐induced liver injury and screening hepato‐protective drugs. Numerous studies have reported the involvement of oxidative stress in CCl4‐induced liver damage and the hepato‐protective effects mediated by different antioxidants. The present study examined the effects of diphenyl diselenide, (PhSe)2, on hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4 in rats. To this end, male Wistar rats received (PhSe)2 by oral route at the dosage of 31.2 mg/kg for one or two days. After the second day of treatment, rats received CCl4 orally in a single dose. The liver and kidney were utilized for determination of histopathology, biochemical [aspartate (ALT) and alanine (AST) aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirrubin (TB) and gamaglutamyl transferase (GGT)] and toxicological parameters [thiobarbituric reactive species (TBARS) levels, catalase activity, ascorbic acid, nonprotein thiols (NPSH) and aminolevulinate dehydratase (δ‐ALA‐D) activity]. Repeated administration of (PhSe)2 caused a marked potentiation of hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4 exposure, as manifested by an increase in biochemical parameters (AST, ALT, ALP, GGT and BT) and severe alteration in histopathology. This study also demonstrated a potentiation of TBARS levels and a consequent depletion of important antioxidant defenses including catalase and ascorbic acid. Pre‐treatment with a single dose of (PhSe)2 prevented the effect of strychnine, a substrate for CYPs, abolishing lethality in mice. This result indicates that (PhSe)2 prevented animal death, suggesting an activator action of (PhSe)2 in CYPs. This study clearly indicates that (PhSe)2 potentiated acute hepatic damage induced by CCl4. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Radiosynthesis and bioconjugation of [18F]FPy5yne, a prosthetic group for the 18F labeling of bioactive peptides
Authors: Inkster James A. H. , Guérin Brigitte , Ruth Thomas J. , Adam Michael J. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractA new 18F‐based prosthetic group has been prepared for the labeling of azide‐modified peptides for use in PET imaging. 2‐[18F]fluoro‐3‐(hex‐5‐ynyloxy)pyridine ([18F]FPy5yne, [18F]‐1) was prepared via efficient nucleophilic heteroaromatic substitution of either the corresponding 2‐nitro (2) or 2‐trimethylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate pyridine (3). Best radiochemical yield of [18F]FPy5yne from 2 was 91% by radioTLC (15 min, 110°C, DMSO). From 3, best radiochemical yield by radioTLC was 93% (15 min, 110°C, MeCN). HPLC‐purified [18F]FPy5yne was ligated to model peptide N3–(CH2)4–CO–YKRI–OH by way of CuI‐mediated Huisgen [3+2] cycloaddition in the presence of copper‐stabilizing ligand tris(benzyltriazolylmethyl)amine (TBTA) and N,N‐diisopropylethylamine (DIEA). Bioconjugate radiochemical yields were obtained in average yields of 89%±8.6% (n=4), as judged by radioHPLC. Best non‐decay‐corrected, collected radiochemical yield of modified peptide from end‐of‐bombardment was 5.8% (18.7% decay‐corrected), with a total preparation time of 160 min from start of synthesis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Arginine ammonification and L‐glutaminase assays as rapid indices of corn nitrogen availability
Authors: Nourbakhsh Farshid , Alinejadian Afsaneh 
Published: November 2008

AbstractIncreasing use of N fertilizer for crop production necessitates more rapid estimates on N provided by the soil in order to prevent under‐ or overfertilization and their adverse effect on plant nutrition and environmental quality. A study was conducted to investigate the responses of arginine ammonification (AA), L‐glutaminase activity (LG), soil N–mineralization indices, corn (Zea mays L.) crop–yield estimation, and corn N uptake to application of organic amendments. The relationships between corn N uptake and the microbial and enzymatic processes which are basically related to N mineralization in soil were also studied. The soil samples were collected from 0–15 cm depth of a calcareous soil that was annually treated with 0, 25, or 100 Mg ha–1 (dry‐weight basis) of sewage sludge and cow manure for 7 consecutive years. Soil total N (TN), potentially mineralizable N (N0), and initial potential rates of N mineralization (kN0) were significantly greater in sewage sludge–treated than in cow manure–treated soils. However, the amendment type did not influence soil organic C (SOC), AA, LG, and anaerobic index of N mineralization (Nana). The application rates proportionally increased N‐availability indices in soil. Corn N concentration and uptake were correlated with indices of mineralizable N. A multiple stepwise model using AA and Nana as parameters provided the best predictor of corn N concentration (R = 0.86, p < 0.001). Another model using only LG provided the best predictor of corn N uptake (R = 0.78, p < 0.001). This results showed that sewage‐sludge and cow‐manure application is readily reflected in certain soil biological properties and that the biological tests may be useful in predicting N mineralization and availability in soil.
Comparing leading theoretical models of behavioral predictions and post‐behavior evaluations
Authors: Richetin Juliette , Perugini Marco , Adjali Iqbal , Hurling Robert 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThis study aimed at comparing the predictive power of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Model of Goal‐Directed Behavior (MGB), and the Extended Model of Goal‐Directed Behavior (EMGB) for observed and self‐reported behaviors concerning consumer nondurables. More specifically, the three models were compared in terms of their predictive power for intention and for behavioral desire (only MGB and EMGB). Additionally, the validity of four different models for predicting post‐behavior evaluations was examined. Results showed that the EMGB is the most powerful in predicting both intention and behavioral desire. Moreover, results revealed that, as expected, all three models showed a better predictive power for SRB than for observed behavior. Finally, results demonstrated that post‐behavior evaluations are both online and memory‐based. ©2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nano‐Rheology of Single Unentangled Polymeric Lubricant Films
Authors: Guo Qian , Chung Pil Seung , Jhon Myung S. , Choi Hyoung Jin 
Published: November 2008

AbstractRheology and tribology become more and more critical issues in order to satisfy the harsh requirements for ultra‐small head/media spacing HDDs. In this communication, MD simulations with a bead/spring model were employed to examine the nano‐rheological response of nonfunctional and functional PFPEs by analyzing the shear viscosity of nanoscale PFPE films and the relaxation processes as a function of wall interaction/separation and endgroup functionality. Our simulation results indicate that thin PFPE films show more solid‐like behavior, especially under high shear rate. The film deformation and shear viscosity change by tuning the film thickness and the endgroup functionality was discussed in conjunction with the relaxation processes.magnified image
Explicit coupled thermo‐mechanical finite element model of steel solidification
Authors: Koric Seid , Hibbeler Lance C. , Thomas Brian G. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe explicit finite element method is applied in this work to simulate the coupled and highly non‐linear thermo‐mechanical phenomena that occur during steel solidification in continuous casting processes. Variable mass scaling is used to efficiently model these processes in their natural time scale using a Lagrangian formulation. An efficient and robust local–global viscoplastic integration scheme (Int. J. Numer. Meth. Engng 2006; 66:1955–1989) to solve the highly temperature‐ and rate‐dependent elastic–viscoplastic constitutive equations of solidifying steel has been implemented into the commercial software ABAQUS/Explicit (ABAQUS User Manuals v6.7. Simulia Inc., 2007) using a VUMAT subroutine. The model is first verified with a known semi‐analytical solution from Weiner and Boley (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 1963; 11:145–154). It is then applied to simulate temperature and stress development in solidifying shell sections in continuous casting molds using realistic temperature‐dependent properties and including the effects of ferrostatic pressure, narrow face taper, and mechanical contact. Example simulations include a fully coupled thermo‐mechanical analysis of a billet‐casting and thin‐slab casting in a funnel mold. Explicit temperature and stress results are compared with the results of an implicit formulation and computing times are benchmarked for different problem sizes and different numbers of processor cores. The explicit formulation exhibits significant advantages for this class of contact‐solidification problems, especially with large domains on the latest parallel computing platforms. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antimicrobial activity of aniline‐formaldehyde resin modified by adding piperazine moiety and its metal polychelates
Authors: Parveen Shadma , Ahamad Tansir , Malik Ashraf , Nishat Nahid 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAniline‐formaldehyde resin modified by adding piperazine (AFP) was prepared in alkaline medium, and its metal polychelates have also been prepared with Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) metal ions. The synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental, spectral (UV–Vis, IR, 1H‐NMR and 13C‐NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and magnetic moment measurements. The percentage of metal in all of the polychelates was found to be consistent with 1:1 (metal/resin) stoichiometry. The thermal behaviors of these coordination polymers were studied by TGA in a nitrogen atmosphere up to 750°C. The TGA results revealed that all the metal polychelates had higher thermal‐resistance property compared to the common resin (AFP). The magnetic moment measurements and UV–Vis spectra confirmed the geometry of the central metal ion in all the polychelates. All the synthesized metal polychelates showed excellent antibacterial activities against the selected bacteria. The antibacterial activities were determined using the shaking flask method, where 25 mg/ml concentrations of each compound were tested against 105 CFU/ml bacteria solutions. The number of viable bacteria was calculated by using the spread plate method, where 100 µl of the incubated antibacterial agent in bacteria solutions was spread on agar plates, and the number of bacteria was counted after 24 hr of incubation period at 37°C. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.