bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bedeutung der Komplementärmedizin im Pflegebereich
Authors: Siegenthaler  , Adler
Published: February 2006

300 Pflegende am Inselspital wurden mittels Fragebogen über die Benutzung komplementärmedizinischer Methoden befragt. 225 (75%) Fragebögen wurden retourniert. 213 Pflegende (95%) gaben an, komplementärmedizinische Methoden Patienten empfohlen oder an ihnen angewendet zu haben. Die am häufigsten ausgeübten Bereiche waren Wickel/Kompressen nebst Aromaanwendung und Homöopathie. Die komplementärmedizinausübende Pflegende ist umweltbewusst, oft höher ausgebildet und ernährt sich gesund. Zusätzliche Ausbildungen in komplementärmedizinischen Bereichen haben 21% der Pflegenden. Tendenziell kommt der Vorschlag, komplementäre Methoden im Spital beizuziehen eher von den Pflegenden als von den Patientinnen und am seltensten vom Arzt aus.Ein Viertel der Pflegenden berät sich mit dem Arzt vor der Anwendung komplementärmedizinischer Methoden am Patienten. Erfahrungen anderer Personen und in der Kindheit sind Motivationen, komplementärmedizinische Methoden an sich selbst auch auszuüben. Die bevorzugte Methode hier ist die Homöopathie. Die Komplementärmedizin als solche wird als ganzheitlich, ergänzend zur Schulmedizin und die Psyche integrierend erachtet.
Psychosoziale Aspekte bei Patientinnen und Patienten mit sexuellen Funktionsstörungen
Authors: Lambreva  , Klaghofer  , Buddeberg
Published: February 2006

Sexuelle Funktionsstörungen kommen in der Allgemeinbevölkerung relativ häufig vor. Ein wesentlicher Teil der Zuweisungen an spezialisierte sexualmedizinische Einrichtungen kommt von Ärztinnen und Ärzten der Grundversorgung. Methodik: Mittels Fragebogen wurden alle Patientinnen und Patienten, welche 2002–2004 in einem Zeitraum von 18 Monate Hilfe an der Sexualmedizinischen Sprechstunde des Universitätsspitals Zürich suchten, zu Behandlungsbeginn zu verschiedenen psychosozialen Merkmalen und Aspekten ihrer Sexualität befragt. Resultate: Es konnten 43 Frauen (48.3%) und 46 Männer (51.7%) untersucht werden. Die Frauen waren mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 33.8 Jahren um 10 Jahre jünger als die Männer mit 43.5 Jahren. Die häufigste Störung war bei den Frauen Mangel oder Verlust von sexuellem Verlangen (51.2%), gefolgt von nichtorganischem Vaginismus (20.9%) und Orgasmusstörung (11.6%), bei den Männern eine Erektionsstörung (50.0%), gefolgt von Ejaculatio praecox (26.1%) und Mangel oder Verlust von sexuellem Verlangen (15.2%). Die Befragten zeigten deutlich tiefere Werte in ihrem Kohärenzgefühl (SOC) als Männer und Frauen aus der Durchschnittsbevölkerung. Die Probanden waren deutlich ängstlicher als Personen aus der Gesamtbevölkerung, wobei die untersuchten Männer auch deutlich depressiver als die Männer aus der Durchschnittsbevölkerung und als die Frauen aus der Stichprobe waren. Die Männer gaben trotz ihren sexuellen Problemen signifikant häufiger als die Frauen sexuelle Wünsche, Bedürfnisse sowie sexuelle Aktivitäten an. Schlussfolgerung: Da Männer und Frauen, welche unter sexuellen Funktionsstörungen leiden, ängstlicher sind als Personen der Durchschnittsbevölkerung, ist ein vorsichtiges, aber aktives Ansprechen sexueller Fragen und Themen seitens des Arztes/der Ärztin erforderlich.
Gynäkomastie und Hyperthyreose
Authors: Geeser
Published: February 2006

Ein 31-jähriger Patient präsentiert sich zur Abklärung einer innert Monaten aufgetretenen einseitigen Brustdrüsenvergrösserung. Im Status fallen ansonsten eine regelmässige Tachykardie und ein feinschlägiger Tremor auf. Die weiteren Abklärungen ergeben eine ausgeprägt hyperthyreote Stoffwechsellage im Rahmen eines M.Basedow. Diese bewirkt über eine Erhöhung des SHBG, welches eine höhere Affinität zu Andro- als zu Östrogenen besitzt, ein Übergewicht der weiblichen Sexualhormone als Ursache der Gynäkomastie. Nach Korrektur der Hyperthyreose mittels Neo-Mercazole war die Gynäkomastie vollständig regredient.
Modeling the observed proton aurora and ionospheric convection responses to changes in the IMF clock angle: 2. Persistence of ionospheric convection
Authors: Lockwood M. , Lanchester B. S. , Morley S. K. , Throp K. , Milan S. E. , Lester M. , Frey H. U.
Published: February 2006

We apply a numerical model of time‐dependent ionospheric convection to two directly driven reconnection pulses during a 15‐min interval of southward IMF on 26 November 2000. The model requires an input magnetopause reconnection rate variation, which is here derived from the observed variation in the upstream IMF clock angle, θ. The reconnection rate is mapped to an ionospheric merging gap, the MLT extent of which is inferred from the Doppler‐shifted Lyman‐α emission on newly opened field lines, as observed by the FUV instrument on the IMAGE spacecraft. The model is used to reproduce a variety of features observed during this event: SuperDARN observations of the ionospheric convection pattern and transpolar voltage; FUV observations of the growth of patches of newly opened flux; FUV and in situ observations of the location of the Open‐Closed field line Boundary (OCB) and a cusp ion step. We adopt a clock angle dependence of the magnetopause reconnection electric field, mapped to the ionosphere, of the form Enosin4(θ/2) and estimate the peak value, Eno, by matching observed and modeled variations of both the latitude, ΛOCB, of the dayside OCB (as inferred from the equatorward edge of cusp proton emissions seen by FUV) and the transpolar voltage ΦPC (as derived using the mapped potential technique from SuperDARN HF radar data). This analysis also yields the time constant τOCB with which the open‐closed boundary relaxes back toward its equilibrium configuration. For the case studied here, we find τOCB = 9.7 ± 1.3 min, consistent with previous inferences from the observed response of ionospheric flow to southward turnings of the IMF. The analysis confirms quantitatively the concepts of ionospheric flow excitation on which the model is based and explains some otherwise anomalous features of the cusp precipitation morphology.
Biogeochemical processes as drivers of surface fCO2 in contrasting provinces in the subarctic North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Chierici Melissa , Fransson Agneta , Nojiri Yukihiro
Published: February 2006

The effect of temperature, biological processes, air‐sea CO2 exchange and vertical mixing as drivers of the seasonality of the surface water fugacity of CO2 (fCO2sw) were studied for the year 2000 in the subarctic North Pacific Ocean. The regional and seasonal variability of the surface water chemistry was studied using an extensive data set on surface water fCO2 and nutrient concentrations in six contrasting provinces. We observed the largest seasonal amplitude for all parameters in the western provinces (Oyashio and Western Subarctic Gyre, WSG). Our study showed that biological processes and temperature were major controls for the monthly fCO2sw change in all provinces. The magnitude and strength of the processes showed large temporal and spatial variability. The WSG showed larger influence by biological processes and vertical mixing than the Alaska gyre (AG), where the effect caused by temperature was larger, implying different forcing of the fCO2 change in the two gyres. Biological activity, estimated from the monthly nitrate change corrected for addition induced by vertical mixing, resulted in a net annual CO2 loss. The net carbon loss out of the top 50 m driven by biological activity was 3 times higher in the WSG (64 g C m−2 yr−1) than in the AG (23 g C m−2 yr−1). The annual sum of the fCO2sw change based on all processes resulted in a CO2 buildup in the surface waters for all provinces. Although the air‐sea CO2 exchange was of minor importance relative to the other considered processes (4 to 13%), all provinces showed a net annual uptake of atmospheric CO2 from 1 to 23 g C m−2 yr−1 and an average for the whole study area of about 12 (±9) g C m−2 yr−1.
Booming plutons: Source of microearthquakes in South Carolina
Authors: Stevenson Donald , Gangopadhyay Abhijit , Talwani Pradeep
Published: February 2006

Loud, shallow microearthquakes (M < 3.0), occurring in the vicinity of granitic plutons represent a different category of seismicity compared to other recognized seismic sources in South Carolina. We demonstrate this difference by comparing the locations of microearthquakes in the vicinity of three granitic plutons in South Carolina, with the results of two‐dimensional numerical modeling and analytical studies. The less rigid plutons, embedded in more rigid country rock, were loaded by applying ambient tectonic plate stresses along the direction of maximum horizontal compression. The results of modeling showed that regions of computed high stresses lie on the periphery of the plutons, and coincide with both the observed locations of seismicity and with lobes of elevated stresses obtained by analytical calculations for a weak pluton subjected to a homogenous stress field. The amplitude of the modeled stresses appears to be a function of the shape and size of the pluton.
SST artifacts in coral proxy records produced by early marine diagenesis in a modern coral from Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Quinn Terrence M. , Taylor Frederick W.
Published: February 2006

We investigated the effects of early marine diagenesis on the skeletal geochemistry of a Porites coral collected live offshore of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. The lowermost 14 cm of the ∼1.9 m coral core contains physical evidence of alteration, which is clearly visible in X‐radiograph, SEM and petrography images. Abrupt and significant increases in coral δ18O and Sr/Ca, and decreases in coral Mg/Ca occur at the transition from unaltered to altered skeleton, all of which imply significant SST cooling, if the altered nature of the coral skeleton went unrecognized. Screening for the effects of early marine diagenesis should become a standard procedure in coral‐climate studies.
Troposphere mapping functions for GPS and very long baseline interferometry from European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts operational analysis data
Authors: Boehm Johannes , Werl Birgit , Schuh Harald
Published: February 2006

In the analyses of geodetic very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and GPS data the analytic form used for mapping of the atmosphere delay from zenith to the line of site is most often a three‐parameter continued fraction in 1/sin(elevation). Using the 40 years reanalysis (ERA‐40) data of the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts for the year 2001, the b and c coefficients of the continued fraction form for the hydrostatic mapping functions have been redetermined. Unlike previous mapping functions based on data from numerical weather models (isobaric mapping functions (Niell, 2000) and Vienna mapping functions (VMF) (Boehm and Schuh, 2004)), the new c coefficients are dependent on the day of the year, and unlike the Niell mapping functions (Niell, 1996) they are no longer symmetric with respect to the equator (apart from the opposite phase for the two hemispheres). Compared to VMF, this causes an effect on the VLBI or GPS station heights that is constant and as large as 2 mm at the equator and that varies seasonally between 4 mm and 0 mm at the poles. The updated VMF, based on these new coefficients and called VMF1 hereinafter, yields slightly better baseline length repeatabilities for VLBI data. The hydrostatic and wet mapping functions are applied in various combinations with different kinds of a priori zenith delays in the analyses of all VLBI International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS)‐R1 and IVS‐R4 24‐hour sessions of 2002 and 2003; the investigations concentrate on baseline length repeatabilities, as well as on absolute changes of station heights.
Evidence of phyllosilicates in Wooly Patch, an altered rock encountered at West Spur, Columbia Hills, by the Spirit rover in Gusev crater, Mars
Authors: Wang Alian , Korotev Randy L. , Jolliff Bradley L. , Haskin Larry A. , Crumpler Larry , Farrand William H. , Herkenhoff Ken E. , de Souza Paulo , Kusack Alastair G. , Hurowitz Joel A. , Tosca Nicholas J.
Published: February 2006

On its traverse to Columbia Hills, the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit investigated an outcrop designated “Wooly Patch” that exhibited morphological, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics at the extreme ends of ranges observed among rocks studied at West Spur, a westward projecting salient near the foot of the Columbia Hills, Gusev crater. The major‐element composition and Fe‐mineralogy, as determined by the Alpha‐Particle X‐ray Spectrometer and Mössbauer Spectrometer, are inconsistent with any reasonable assemblage of basaltic minerals in that there is an excess of Si and Al. The combined data are best explained by the presence of 14–17% phyllosilicate minerals. Phyllosilicates that account for the composition and cation ratios include members of the kaolinite, serpentine, chlorite, and septechlorite groups. The potential existence of kaolinite‐type Al‐rich phyllosilicates within the Wooly Patch outcrop suggests a mildly acidic environment (pH 4–6) in the past and an open hydrologic system with good drainage conditions in the environment where these rocks were altered.
Local scouring due to turbulent water jets downstream of a trapezoidal drop: Laboratory experiments and stability analysis
Authors: Adduce Claudia , La Rocca Michele
Published: February 2006

Three series of laboratory experiments were run, varying the flume water discharge and the downstream water depth, to investigate local scouring downstream of a trapezoidal drop followed by a rigid apron. Three different kinds of jets, developing downstream of the drop, were observed: a submerged jet, a surface wave jet, and an oscillating jet. The oscillating jet is defined as a jet which changes intermittently between a surface wave jet and a submerged jet. A different development of the scouring process due to the different kinds of jet was observed: a submerged jet produced a local scouring with a downstream dune, while a surface wave jet produced a local scouring with both an upstream and a downstream dune; the scouring process due to the oscillating jet was the result of the interaction of the scouring processes due to a submerged jet and a surface wave jet. A stability analysis of the surface wave jet was performed, with both a flat and a scoured bed, by means of the modified De Saint–Venant equations, that is, with correction terms accounting for the curvature of the streamlines. The stability of the surface wave jet is affected by the presence of the scoured bed, which weakens its stability properties.
The Ambivalence of Colonial Desire in Marguerite Duras's The Lover
Authors: Ruddy Karen
Published: February 2006

This paper analyses the notions of desire and metissage that circulate in The Lover, Marguerite Duras's autobiographical novel about an illicit and scandalous sexual relationship between an adolescent French girl and a wealthy Chinese man set in 1920s French colonial Siagon. Rather than celebrate The Lover as a tale of a young French girl's resistance to colonial sexual mores and regulations, this paper seeks to excavate how that resistance both affirms and challenges the racializing and racist dynamics of colonial society. In particular, I explore the intertwining discourses of colonial sexuality, gender, race, and Orientalism that both produced and constrained the specific forms of desire and subjectivities available to and taken up by European women in French Indochina, and that circumscribe the story that Duras is able to tell about the French girl's love affair in The Lover. I suggest that Duras's portrayal of the French girl as a sexually autonomous female subject – one whose erotic relations are not bound by the dictates of colonial patriarchy – is made possible only by the ambivalent structure of the girl's desire, by her simultaneous attraction to and repulsion of the racialized others of the French colonies.
Limitations of the rigid planar nonpolarizable models of water
Authors: Baranyai András , Bartók Albert , Chialvo Ariel A.
Published: February 2006

We analyzed the ability of variants of the SPC/E and TIP4P types of water models to describe the temperature dependence of their second virial coefficients, liquid-vapor phase envelopes, and corresponding coexistence vapor pressure. We complete the characterization of the two most promising models by testing their adequacy to predict the structure of the 13 known crystalline phases of ice by (Parrinello-Rahman) isothermal-isobaric Monte Carlo simulations. While these models perform well for the description of properties to which their force fields were fitted (density, heat of vaporization, structure at the level of pair correlations), their transferability to the entire phase diagram is unsatisfactory, i.e., none could significantly mitigate the shortcomings of the original models. In fact, the most appropriate alternative appears to be the TIP4P-EW model, i.e., the recent reparametrization of the original TIP4P water model. Model parametrizations aimed at improving the description of ice behavior fail even in the description of the liquid phase.
Geodesics and Killing tensors in mechanics
Authors: Benn I. M.
Published: February 2006

Killing tensors give polynomial constants of the geodesic motion. The trajectories of a conservative mechanical system correspond to geodesics when the kinetic energy metric is conformally scaled to the Jacobi metric. Alternatively, the trajectories may be related to geodesics of some higher-dimensional warped product manifold. These two different ways of relating mechanical trajectories to geodesics are reviewed and compared. It is shown how a relation between Killing tensors on configuration space and the potential gives rise to Killing tensors on both the Jacobi and warped product manifolds.
Spectroscopic investigation of the deeply buried Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2∕Mo interface in thin-film solar cells
Authors: Weinhardt L. , Fuchs O. , Peter A. , Umbach E. , Heske C. , Reichardt J. , Bär M. , Lauermann I. , Kötschau I. , Grimm A. , Sokoll S. , Lux-Steiner M. Ch. , Niesen T. P. , Visbeck S. , Karg F.
Published: February 2006

The Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2∕Mo interface in thin-film solar cells has been investigated by surface-sensitive photoelectron spectroscopy, bulk-sensitive x-ray emission spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. It is possible to access this deeply buried interface by using a suitable lift-off technique, which allows us to investigate the back side of the absorber layer as well as the front side of the Mo back contact. We find a layer of Mo(S,Se)2 on the surface of the Mo back contact and a copper-poor stoichiometry at the back side of the Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 absorber. Furthermore, we observe that the Na content at the Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2∕Mo interface as well as at the inner grain boundaries in the back contact region is significantly lower than at the absorber front surface.
Effects of grafted polymer chains on lamellar membranes
Authors: Masui Tomomi , Imai Masayuki , Nakaya Kaori , Taniguchi Takashi
Published: February 2006

We have investigated the effects of grafted polymer chains [poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)] on the bending modulus and the intermembrane interactions of lamellar membranes (C12E5 water) by means of a neutron spin-echo and a small-angle x-ray scattering technique. In this study the hydrophilic chain takes the mushroom configuration on the membrane. The bending modulus of the polymer-grafted membranes increases in proportion to the square of the end to end distance of the polymer chain, which agrees well with the theoretical prediction of Hiergeist and Lipowsky [J. Phys. II 6, 1465 (1996)]. From the interlamellar interaction point of view, the mushroom layer is renormalized to the membrane thickness, which enhances the repulsive Helfrich interaction. When the size of the decorated polymer chain increases to the interlamellar distance, however, the mushroom is squeezed so as to optimize the interlamellar potential. Further increase of the grafted polymer size brings a lamellar-lamellar phase separation, where the grafted polymer chains are localized in the dilute lamellar phase and the concentrated lamellar phase forms the onionlike texture.
Structural, optical, and magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO thin film
Authors: Xu H. Y. , Liu Y. C. , Xu C. S. , Liu Y. X. , Shao C. L. , Mu R.
Published: February 2006

The Zn1−xMnxO (x=0, 0.16, and 0.25) thin films were grown on fused quartz substrates by reactive magnetron cosputtering. X-ray-diffraction measurement revealed that all the films were single phase and had wurtzite structure with c-axis orientation. As Mn concentration increased in the Zn1−xMnxO films, the c-axis lattice constant and band-gap energy increased gradually. In Raman-scattering studies, an additional Mn-related vibration mode appeared at 520cm−1. E2H phonon line of Zn1−xMnxO alloy was broadened asymmetrically and redshifted as a result of microscopic structural disorder induced by Mn2+ random substitution. The Zn0.84Mn0.16O film exhibited a ferromagnetic characteristic with a Curie temperature of ∼62K. However, with increasing Mn concentration to 25at.%, ferromagnetism disappeared due to the enhanced antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions between neighboring Mn2+ ions.
Electric-field-induced steering of conducting polymer dispersion in microchannels
Authors: Narayan K. S. , Rao Manohar
Published: February 2006

We demonstrate electric-field-induced spreading of drops, composed of conducting polymer blend in an aqueous dispersion, on a hydrophobic polymer surface in a confined microchannel geometry. The field-induced wetting characteristics results in a controlled formation of dried-narrow, strips of the conducting polymer. We discuss the formation of such conducting polymer films along with their electrical transport characteristics and potential applications in fabricating lithography-free structures.
Collision-induced dissociation of transition metal-oxide ions: Dynamics of VO+ collision with Xe
Authors: Ree J. , Kim Y. H. , Shin H. K.
Published: February 2006

The collision-induced dissociation of VO+ by Xe has been studied by the use of classical dynamics procedures on London-Eyring-Polanyi-Sato potential-energy surfaces in the collision energy range of 5.0–30eV. The dissociation threshold behavior and the dependence of reaction cross sections on the collision energy closely follow the observed data with the threshold energy of 6.00eV. The principal reaction pathway is VO++Xe→V++O+Xe and the minor pathway is VO++Xe→VXe++O. At higher collision energies (E>8.0eV), the former reaction preferentially occurs near the O–V+⋯Xe collinear and perpendicular alignments, but the latter only occurs near the perpendicular alignment. At lower energies close to the threshold, the reactions are found to occur near the collinear configuration. No reaction occurs in the collinear alignment V+–O⋯Xe. The high and low energy-transfer efficiencies of the collinear alignments O–V+⋯Xe and V+–O⋯Xe are attributed to the effects of mass distribution. The activation of the VO+ bond toward the dissociation threshold occurs through a translation-to-vibration energy transfer in a strong collision on a time scale of about 50fs.
Energetics and dynamics of threshold photoion-pair formation in HF∕DF
Authors: Hu Q. J. , Hepburn J. W.
Published: February 2006

Threshold ion-pair production spectroscopy (TIPPS) has been applied to two isotopomers, HF and DF. From the high resolution (∼0.3cm−1) TIPP spectra, the ion-pair thresholds of HF∕DF have been precisely measured. Combined with the ionization energy of H(D), the electron affinity of F, and the zero point energies of HF∕DF, the difference between their classical bond dissociation energies was obtained as De(H–F)−De(D–F)=12.4±0.5cm−1. Our result provides an experimental estimate of the Born-Oppenheimer breakdown in the ground electronic state. The present work also measured the total ion-pair yield spectra of HF and DF in the threshold region, and the ion-pair formation mechanisms of these two molecules were discussed in light of the high resolution results.
Quasiclassical trajectory calculations comparing the reactivity and dynamics of symmetric and asymmetric stretch and the role of the bending mode excitations of methane in the Cl+CH4 reaction
Authors: Sansón J. , Corchado J. C. , Rangel C. , Espinosa-Garcia J.
Published: February 2006

To analyze the effects of the symmetric (ν1) and asymmetric (ν3) stretch mode excitations and the role played by the “umbrella” bending (ν4) mode excitation in the reactivity and the dynamics of the gas-phase Cl+CH4 reaction, an exhaustive dynamics study was performed. Quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) calculations, including corrections to avoid zero-point energy leakage along the trajectories, were used in this work on an analytical potential energy surface previously developed by Espinosa-Garcia et al. [J. Chem. Phys. (to be published)]. First, with respect to the reactivity, we found that the ν1 mode excitation is more reactive than the ν3 mode by a factor of 1.20, in agreement with the experimental tendency between these modes. The inclusion of the ν4 bending mode practically does not affect this relative reactivity, (ν1+ν4)∕(ν3+ν4)=1.16. Second, with respect to the dynamics (rotovibrational and angular distributions of the products), the two stretch modes, ν1 and ν3, give very similar pictures, reproducing the experimental behavior, and the ν4 “umbrella” mode does not affect the dynamics. The satisfactory reproduction (always qualitatively acceptable and sometimes even quantitatively) of a great variety of experimental data by the QCT study presented here lends confidence to the potential energy surface constructed by Espinosa-Garcia et al. [J. Chem. Phys. (to be published)].
Total ion current fraction in a hot refractory anode vacuum arc
Authors: Beilis I. I. , Shashurin A. , Boxman R. L. , Goldsmith S.
Published: February 2006

The total ion current in the radially expanded plasma of a hot refractory anode vacuum arc (HRAVA) was found to be larger than that measured in the conventional cathodic vacuum arc. The total ion current fraction fi increased during the transition from the initial cathode spot stage to the HRAVA stage. While the fi is independent of arc current in the range of 150–350A and other arcing conditions in conventional arcs, the fraction increased with arc current in this current range in the HRAVA. The ion current fraction was found to be 50% larger for a 350A HRAVA than the maximal value obtained previously in conventional cathodic arcs.
Transition metal oxides as the buffer layer for polymer photovoltaic cells
Authors: Shrotriya Vishal , Li Gang , Yao Yan , Chu Chih-Wei , Yang Yang
Published: February 2006

Polymer-based photovoltaic cells have been fabricated by inserting a thin, transparent, transition metal oxide layer between the transparent anode (indium tin oxide) and the polymer layer. Two different transition metal oxides, namely vanadium oxide and molybdenum oxide, were used and the device performance was compared. The surface of the oxide films and the interface between the polymer and the oxide was studied with the help of atomic force microscopy. The effect of the thickness of the oxide layer on electrical characteristics of the device was also studied and optimized thickness was achieved to give high power conversion efficiency of 3.3% under simulated AM1.5G illumination of 100mW∕cm2.
Composition dependence of the work function of Ta1−xAlxNy metal gates
Authors: Alshareef H. N. , Choi K. , Wen H. C. , Luan H. , Harris H. , Senzaki Y. , Majhi P. , Lee B. H. , Jammy R. , Aguirre-Tostado S. , Gnade B. E. , Wallace R. M.
Published: February 2006

It is shown that the work function of Ta1−xAlxNy depends on the electrode and gate dielectric compositions. Specifically, the work function of Ta1−xAlxNy increased with SiO2 content in the gate dielectric, reaching as high as 5.0eV on SiO2; the work function was nearly 400mV smaller on HfO2. In addition, the work function decreased with increasing nitrogen content in the Ta1−xAlxNy metal gate. Increasing Al concentration increased the work function up to about 15% Al, but the work function decreased for higher Al concentrations. Chemical analysis shows that Al–O bonding at the interface correlates with the observed work function values.
Large capacitance-voltage hysteresis loops in SiO2 films containing Ge nanocrystals produced by ion implantation and annealing
Authors: Park C. J. , Cho K. H. , Yang W.-C. , Cho H. Y. , Choi Suk-Ho , Elliman R. G. , Han J. H. , Kim Chungwoo
Published: February 2006

Metal-oxide-semiconductor structures containing Ge nanocrystals (NCs) of 3–4nm diameter and 2×1012cm−2 density are shown to exhibit capacitance-voltage hysteresis of 20.9V, one of the largest observed in Ge-NC based nonvolatile memories. The Ge NCs were fabricated in an oxide of 30nm thickness by ion implantation with 30keV Ge2− ions to an equivalent fluence of 1×1016Gecm−2 followed by annealing at 950 °C for 10min. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate the existence of Ge NCs whose average distance from the SiO2∕Si interface is about 6.7nm. It is shown that the memory effect is a likely consequence of charge trapping at Ge NCs and that it is enhanced by accurately controlling the distribution of Ge NCs with respect to the Si∕SiO2 interface.
Regulation of apoptosis by the p8/prothymosin α complex
Authors: Malicet Cédric , Giroux Valentin , Vasseur Sophie , Dagorn Jean Charles , Neira José Luis , Iovanna Juan L.
Published: February 2006

p8 is a small-stress protein involved in several cellular functions including apoptosis. To identify its putative partners, we screened a HeLa cDNA library by using the two-hybrid technique and found that p8 binds the antiapoptotic protein prothymosin α (ProTα). Fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and NMR spectroscopy showed that p8 and ProTα formed a complex. Binding resulted in important changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of the proteins. Because p8 and ProTα form a complex, they could act in concert to regulate the apoptotic cascade. We induced apoptosis in HeLa cells by staurosporine treatment and monitored the effects of knocking down p8 and/or ProTα or overexpressing p8 and/or ProTα on caspase 3/7 and 9 activities and on cell death. Transfecting ProTα or p8 small interfering RNAs increased the activities of both caspases and the number of apoptotic nuclei. However, transfecting both small interfering RNAs resulted in no further increase. Overexpressing p8 or ProTα did not alter caspase activities, whereas overexpressing both resulted in a significant reduction of caspase activities. These results strongly suggest that the antiapoptotic response of HeLa cells upon staurosporine treatment requires expression of both p8 and ProTα.
Optimization of ionic conductivity in doped ceria
Authors: Andersson David A. , Simak Sergei I. , Skorodumova Natalia V. , Abrikosov Igor A. , Johansson Börje
Published: February 2006

Oxides with the cubic fluorite structure, e.g., ceria (CeO
2
), are known to be good solid electrolytes when they are doped with cations of lower valence than the host cations. The high ionic conductivity of doped ceria makes it an attractive electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells, whose prospects as an environmentally friendly power source are very promising. In these electrolytes, the current is carried by oxygen ions that are transported by oxygen vacancies, present to compensate for the lower charge of the dopant cations. Ionic conductivity in ceria is closely related to oxygen-vacancy formation and migration properties. A clear physical picture of the connection between the choice of a dopant and the improvement of ionic conductivity in ceria is still lacking. Here we present a quantum-mechanical first-principles study of the influence of different trivalent impurities on these properties. Our results reveal a remarkable correspondence between vacancy properties at the atomic level and the macroscopic ionic conductivity. The key parameters comprise migration barriers for bulk diffusion and vacancy–dopant interactions, represented by association (binding) energies of vacancy–dopant clusters. The interactions can be divided into repulsive elastic and attractive electronic parts. In the optimal electrolyte, these parts should balance. This finding offers a simple and clear way to narrow the search for superior dopants and combinations of dopants. The ideal dopant should have an effective atomic number between 61 (Pm) and 62 (Sm), and we elaborate that combinations of Nd/Sm and Pr/Gd show enhanced ionic conductivity, as compared with that for each element separately.
Glycolipid activation of invariant T cell receptor
+
NK T cells is sufficient to induce airway hyperreactivity independent of conventional CD4
+
T cells
Authors: Meyer Everett H. , Goya Sho , Akbari Omid , Berry Gerald J. , Savage Paul B. , Kronenberg Mitchell , Nakayama Toshinori , DeKruyff Rosemarie H. , Umetsu Dale T.
Published: February 2006

Asthma is an inflammatory lung disease, in which conventional CD4
+
T cells producing IL-4/IL-13 appear to play an obligatory pathogenic role. Here we show, in a mouse model of asthma, that activation of pulmonary IL-4/IL-13 producing invariant TCR
+
CD1d-restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells is sufficient for the development of airway hyperreactivity (AHR), a cardinal feature of asthma, in the absence of conventional CD4
+
T cells and adaptive immunity. Respiratory administration of glycolipid antigens that specifically activate NKT cells (α-GalactosylCeramide and a
Sphingomonas
bacterial glycolipid) rapidly induced AHR and inflammation typically associated with protein allergen administration. Naïve MHC class II-deficient mice, which lack conventional CD4
+
T but have NKT cells, showed exaggerated baseline AHR and, when challenged with α-GalactosylCeramide, demonstrated even greater AHR. These studies demonstrate an expanded role for NKT cells, in which NKT cells not only produce cytokines that influence adaptive immunity but also function as critical effector cells that can induce AHR. These results suggest that NKT cells responding to glycolipid antigens, as well as conventional CD4
+
T cells responding to peptide antigens, may be synergistic in the induction of AHR, although in some cases, each may independently induce AHR.
Inhibition of ERK pathway or protein synthesis during reexposure to drugs of abuse erases previously learned place preference
Authors: Valjent Emmanuel , Corbillé Anne-Gaëlle , Bertran-Gonzalez Jesus , Hervé Denis , Girault Jean-Antoine
Published: February 2006

Repeated association of drugs of abuse with context leads to long-lasting behavioral responses that reflect reward-controlled learning and participate in the establishment of addiction. Reactivation of consolidated memories is known to produce a reconsolidation process during which memories undergo a labile state. We investigated whether reexposure to drugs had similar effects. Cocaine administration activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the striatum, and ERK activation is required for the acquisition of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). When mice previously conditioned for cocaine-place preference were reexposed to cocaine in the drug-paired compartment after systemic administration of SL327, an inhibitor of ERK activation, CPP response was abolished 24 h later. This procedure also abolished the phosphorylation of ERK and glutamate receptor-1 observed in the ventral and dorsal striatum, 24 h later, during CPP test. Erasure of CPP by SL327 required the combination of cocaine administration and drug-paired context and did not result from enhanced extinction. Similarly, reexposure to morphine in the presence of SL327 long-lastingly abolished response of previously learned morphine-CPP. The effects of SL327 on cocaine- or morphine-CPP were reproduced by protein synthesis inhibition. In contrast, protein synthesis inhibition did not alter previously acquired locomotor sensitization to cocaine. Our findings show that an established CPP can be disrupted when reactivation associates both the conditioned context and drug administration. This process involves ERK, and systemic treatment preventing ERK activation during reexposure erases the previously learned behavioral response. These results suggest potential therapeutic strategies to explore in the context of addiction.
Accuracy of predicting milk yield from alternative milk recording schemes
Authors: Berry D. P. , Olori V. E. , Cromie A. R. , Veerkamp R. F. , Rath M. , Dillon P.
Published: February 2006

The effect of reducing the frequency of official milk recording and the number of recorded samples per test-day on the accuracy of predicting daily yield and cumulative 305-day yield was investigated. A control data set consisting of 58 210 primiparous cows with milk test-day records every 4 weeks was used to investigate the influence of reduced milk recording frequencies. The accuracy of prediction of daily yield with one milk sample per test-day was investigated using 41 874 testday records from 683 cows. Results show that five or more test-day records taken at 8-weekly intervals (A8) predicted 305-day yield with a high level of accuracy. Correlations between 305-day yield predicted from 4-weekly recording intervals (A4) and from 8-weekly intervals were 0.99, 0.98 and 0.98 for milk, fat and protein, respectively. The mean error in estimating 305-day yield from the A8 scheme was 6.8 kg (s.d. 191 kg) for milk yield, 0.3 kg (s.d. 10 kg) for fat yield, and −0.3 kg (s.d. 7 kg) for protein yield, compared with the A4 scheme. Milk yield and composition taken during either morning (AM) or evening (PM) milking predicted 24-h yield with a high degree of accuracy. Alternating between AM and PM sampling every 4 weeks predicted 305-day yield with a higher degree of accuracy than either all AM or all PM sampling. Alternate AM-PM recording every 4 weeks and AM + PM recording every 8 weeks produced very similar accuracies in predicting 305-day yield compared with the official AM + PM recording every 4 weeks.
Effect of dietary supplementation of sows with quillaja saponins during gestation on colostrum composition and performance of piglets suckled
Authors: Llsley S. E. , Miller H. M.
Published: February 2006

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of dietary saponins, extracted from the plant Quillaja saponaria, on the concentrations of immunoglobulins in sow colostrum and milk, and additionally to observe any effect on piglet performance. Twenty-two sows were allocated to each of two dietary treatments on day 72 of gestation, balancing for parity, fatness and past reproductive performance. Treatments were : control (C) and supplemented (Q; 2.5 g saponin per day as a top-dressing). Sows received 2.5 kg food once per day throughout gestation. Between days 72 and 93 of gestation Q sows received a saponin top-dressing as described. After day 93, all sows were given the same diet and managed in an identical manner. Colostrum samples were taken from all sows at farrowing on delivery of the first piglet then 4, 8, 24 and 72 h later and again on day 21 of lactation. A group of eight sows from each treatment were also blood sampled at farrowing, day 3 and day 21 of lactation. Concentrations of immunoglobulins IgG and IgA in the colostrum, milk and blood were not affected by sow treatment during gestation at any sampling point. Fat, lactose and cell counts were also similar across treatments in colostrum and milk. Protein tended to be higher in milk on day 3 but lower on day 21 (P< 0.1) in Q sows. Piglet performance was not affected by sow treatment during week 1 of lactation. However pigs suckling Q sows grew more slowly between days 8 to 14 (P< 0.05) and days 15 to 21 (P< 0.1). Q sows also had fewer stillborn piglets in their litters at farrowing (7.67 v. 13.25%,P< 0.05, s.e. = 1.93). It is concluded that dietary quillaja saponin given during this time period has no influence on sow lacteal immunoglobulin secretions. However an adverse effect on performance of the sucking piglet was observed, the reasons for which are unclear, but may be related to reduced milk protein concentrations. Dietary quillaja saponin during gestation does however appear to reduce the incidence of stillborn piglets.
The use of coarse maize silage as a dietary source of roughage for finishing Limousin bulls: effects on growth performance, feeding behaviour and meat quality
Authors: Cozzi G. , Gottardo F. , Andrighetto I.
Published: February 2006

Two isonitrogenous, isocaloric and isofibrous diets for finishing beef cattle differing only in their roughage constituents were compared in a feeding trial with Limousin bulls. A control maize silage (chop length = 9 mm) and wheat straw were the roughage sources of the former diet representing 0·23 and 0·09 of the dietary dry matter (DM) respectively. These roughage sources were fully replaced in the latter by the inclusion of a coarsely chopped maize silage (19 mm) at a level of 0·45 of the total dietary DM. Two balanced groups of 20 Limousin bulls (425·8 ± 20·3 kg live weight) each allotted in four pens were given the two diets ad libitum for a finishing period of 138 days. The different dietary roughages did not affect either bull growth performance (average daily gain = 1·39 ± 0·25 kg/day) or food conversion ratio. However, the diet containing the coarse silage significantly (P < 0·05) reduced the intake of both DM (8·30 v. 9·02 kg/day) and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) (2·64 v. 2·92 kg/day). Although total ruminating time was similar for both diets, bulls given the coarse maize silage diet spent more time ruminating 1 kg of DM or NDF, probably due to the higher percentage of dietary forage NDF. No food selection activity towards specific chemical constituents was observed in either diet. Slaughter measurements and meat quality were satisfactory and unaffected by the type of dietary roughage. Based on cattle growth performance, feeding behaviour, and meat quality, the use of coarse maize silage as a dietary source of roughage can be considered a feasible alternative in beef cattle finishing.
Quantitative aspects of ruminant predicting animal performance
Authors: Hanigan M. D.
Published: February 2006

Rations for dairy cattle are currently balanced to meet needs for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. While individual vitamins and minerals are considered, energy and protein are generally treated in aggregate even though entities within those aggregates can affect milk yield and composition. Significant efforts have been undertaken to describe ruminal metabolism in detail, but descriptions of post-absorptive metabolism assume constant fractional conversions of energy and protein to milk. A quantitative understanding of nutrient metabolism by the post-absorptive tissues is required, and the splanchnic tissues are critical components of the post-absorptive system as they mediate absorption of nutrients and play a rôle in regulation of metabolite availability.

Glucogenic precursor supply can significantly affect endocrine status as well as splanchnic release of glucose, acetate, lactate, ketones, and the non-essential amino acids. Although the relative affinities of the splanchnic tissues for the essential amino acids (AA) are low as compared with the udder, net clearance on a daily basis represents approximately 2/3 of the net supply to the animal due largely to recycling of AA back to the tissue bed. This could be significantly reduced by stimulating removal and use by the udder as splanchnic affinities are much lower than mammary affinities. Additionally, the essential AA composition of absorbed protein is significantly modified by these tissues due to differing affinities for each of the AA. The extent of that modification is not a fixed constant but rather a function of several factors including milk yield. The accuracy of our current feeding systems could be improved if such variable rates of substrate removal replaced current static estimates.
Mapping of multiple quantitative trait loci for growth and carcass traits in a complex commercial sheep pedigree
Authors: McRae A. F. , Bishop S. C. , Walling G. A. , Wilson A. D. , Visscher P. M.
Published: February 2006

The confirmation of the segregation of experimentally populations is required before their commercial design of such confirmation experiments has the the pedigree while maintaining the power to detect chromosomes of a complex pedigree of 570 Charollais contained a moderately sized half-sib family which was wide level were detected in the half-sib analysis and analysis of the complex pedigree using identity-by-estimation of QTL effects was achieved by fitting all observed in the single QTL models. Both methods of different regions, and the variance components method demonstrates the viability of applying a variance inbreeding.
Comparison of growth curves of three strains of female dairy cattle
Authors: Berry D. P. , Horan B. , Dillon P.
Published: February 2006

The objective of the present study was to compare growth curves for live weight (LW) and body size of three strains of female dairy cattle reared under common environments in Ireland. One strain (HP) was selected from a predominantly North-American/European Holstein-Friesian genetic pool selected for high milk production. The second strain (HD) represented a predominantly North-American/European Holstein-Friesian genetic pool selected for high milk production but with greater selection emphasis on functional non-production traits. The third strain (NZ) consisted of New Zealand Holstein-Friesian females of high genetic merit for profitability in New Zealand. The data consisted of 99 animals (33 animals in each strain) with records on LW, length, girth and height from birth to a minimum of 594 days of age. The von Bertalanffy growth function was fitted to each animal's records separately and least-squares analyses were used to investigate the effect of strain on birth LW/body size, parameters of the growth function and average daily gains. Average mature live weight of the HD animals (591 kg) was significantly larger than that of the HP (566 kg) or NZ (543 kg) strain; the HD strain matured more slowly. The HD (134 cm) and HP (135 cm) strains were significantly taller than the NZ (128 cm) strain. Although the data set was relatively small there are indications that dairy females of North-American genetic origin were heavier at birth, grew faster, and were heavier and taller at maturity than dairy females of New Zealand origin.
Behaviour and assessment of bioavailability of organic contaminants in soil: relevance for risk assessment and remediation
Authors: Stokes J.D. , Paton G.I. , Semple K.T.
Published: February 2006

Abstract. Soils contaminated with organic chemicals are now widespread in industrialized and developing countries, and the risk assessment and remediation of such contaminated sites is a priority. However, containment and remediation strategies are complicated in many cases by the range of contaminants present and the historical nature of the contamination. Research has increased our understanding of the behaviour of organic contaminants in soil and the factors that control their behaviour. There is a fundamental need to understand and, where possible, quantify the bioavailable fraction as well as the total concentration of contaminant present in soil: the bioavailable fraction is key to toxicity or biodegradation. To quantify these fractions, a large number of techniques have been employed, ranging from organic and aqueous based solvent extractions to the use of biota. Many studies have been carried out investigating the use of chemical techniques to describe bioavailability, which could be used in the assessment and remediation of contaminated land. The aim of this review is to consider the behaviour of organic contaminants in soil, highlighting issues of bioavailability, and then to discuss the relevance of the various methods for assessing risk and potential remediation of organic contaminants in soil.