bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved optical properties of ZnO thin films by concurrently introduced interfacial voids during thermal annealing
Authors: Güder Firat , Yang Yang , Danhof Julia , Hartel Andreas , Schwarz Ulrich T. , Zacharias Margit
Published: July 2011

We report the influence of size controlled interfacial voids on the optical properties of non-epitaxial polycrystalline ZnO films grown by atomic layer deposition. Interfacial voids generated due to nanoscale Kirkendall effect [A. D. Smigelskas and E. O. Kirkendall, Trans. AIME 171, 130, (1947)], along the ZnO-Al2O3 interface, enhanced the ratio of near band edge to defect luminescence of ZnO films up to eight folds. This improvement is attributed to stress relaxation caused by formation of interfacial voids that allowed greater grain growth within the polycrystalline ZnO films upon annealing. Larger crystals have a lower surface-to-volume ratio profile which lessens the defect emission by decreasing surface effects on the optical properties of ZnO.
Analyzing velocity map images to distinguish the primary methyl photofragments from those produced upon C–Cl bond photofission in chloroacetone at 193 nm
Authors: Alligood Bridget W. , Straus Daniel B. , Butler Laurie J.
Published: July 2011

We use a combination of crossed laser-molecular beam scattering experiments and velocity map imaging experiments to investigate the three primary photodissociation channels of chloroacetone at 193 nm: C–Cl bond photofission yielding CH3C(O)CH2 radicals, C–C bond photofission yielding CH3CO and CH2Cl products, and C–CH3 bond photofission resulting in CH3 and C(O)CH2Cl products. Improved analysis of data previously reported by our group quantitatively identifies the contribution of this latter photodissociation channel. We introduce a forward convolution procedure to identify the portion of the signal, derived from the methyl image, which results from a two-step process in which C–Cl bond photofission is followed by the dissociation of the vibrationally excited CH3C(O)CH2 radicals to CH3 + COCH2. Subtracting this from the total methyl signal identifies the methyl photofragments that result from the CH3 + C(O)CH2Cl photofission channel. We find that about 89% of the chloroacetone molecules undergo C–Cl bond photofission to yield CH3C(O)CH2 and Cl products; approximately 8% result in C–C bond photofission to yield CH3CO and CH2Cl products, and the remaining 2.6% undergo C–CH3 bond photofission to yield CH3 and C(O)CH2Cl products.
Surface acoustic wave characteristics based on c-axis (006) LiNbO3/diamond/silicon layered structure
Authors: Zhou Changjian , Yang Yi , Zhan Jing , Ren Tianling , Wang Xinchang , Tian Sifang
Published: July 2011

The characteristics of surface acoustic wave (SAW) based on LiNbO3/diamond/silicon layered structure were investigated. The LiNbO3 film deposited on the diamond/silicon substrate by pulsed laser deposition exhibits highly c-axis (006) preferred orientation. Four samples with different wavelengths were fabricated on the same substrate to study the normalized LiNbO3 thickness dependence of SAW properties. It is shown that the measured phase velocities are in good agreement with the theoretical ones. In the case of 1st wave mode, the SAW device with a linewidth of 1.78 µm exhibits a very high phase velocity of 12 474 m/s in conjunction with a high electromechanical coupling coefficient of 4.85%.
Phase-independent generation of relativistic electron sheets
Authors: Wu H.-C.
Published: July 2011

A uniform and stable relativistic electron sheet can be generated by the two-layer target scheme, where a linearly polarized drive laser is originally employed. The energy and density of the electron layer are found to be sensitive to carrier-envelope phases of few-cycle laser pulses. To circumvent this problem, the present letter proposes to use a circularly polarized laser. The produced electron layer becomes completely independent of the phase of the laser, avoiding the rigorous requirement for phase stabilization in an ultra-intense few-cycle laser system. The improved scheme makes coherent x-ray sources based on relativistic electron sheets more attainable.
Highly efficient Si-nanorods/organic hybrid core-sheath heterojunction solar cells
Authors: He Lining , Jiang Changyun , Rusli  , Lai Donny , Wang Hao
Published: July 2011

We report a hybrid solar cell based on well-aligned crystalline silicon nanorods (SiNRs) and an organic semiconductor, 2,2′,7,7′-Tetrakis-(N,N-di-4-methoxyphenylamino)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD), in a core-sheath heterojunction structure. The device is formed by spin coating Spiro-OMeTAD on SiNRs array fabricated by electroless chemical etching. A silver grid on a conductive poly (3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene): polystyrenesulfonate layer is used as the top transparent anode. A power conversion efficiency of 10.3% has been obtained for a 1-cm2 cell with 0.35-µm long SiNRs. The high efficiency and simple solution process used suggest that such devices are promising for developing low cost and high efficiency SiNRs/organic solar cells.
Electron transport properties of Si nanosheets: Transition from direct tunneling to Fowler-Nordheim tunneling
Authors: Ikuno Takashi , Okamoto Hirotaka , Sugiyama Yusuke , Nakano Hideyuki , Yamada Fumihiko , Kamiya Itaru
Published: July 2011

We have characterized the electron transport properties of n-decylamine-functionalized Si nanosheets (NSs) using atomic force microscopy with a conductive cantilever under vacuum conditions at room temperature. Electrons are transported from the cantilever to the substrate through Si NSs. The Si NSs exhibit nonresonant tunneling; the transport mechanisms are based on direct tunneling at low bias voltages and Fowler–Nordheim tunneling at high bias voltages.
Leaf-like carbon nanotube/nickel composite membrane extended-gate field-effect transistors as pH sensor
Authors: Huang Bohr-Ran , Lin Tzu-Ching
Published: July 2011

A leaf-like carbon nanotube/nickel (CNT/Ni) composite nanostructure is used as the sensing membrane in an extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) for the pH sensors is first developed using nanocomposite plating technique. While sensing pH within a range of 2-10, the leaf-like CNT/Ni EGFET exhibits a sensitivity of 59 mV/pH. This simple and low-cost sensing membrane can be applied in disposable biosensors.
Suspended few-layer graphene beam electromechanical switch with abrupt on-off characteristics and minimal leakage current
Authors: Kim Sung Min , Song Emil B. , Lee Sejoon , Seo Sunae , Seo David H. , Hwang Yongha , Candler R. , Wang Kang L.
Published: July 2011

Suspended few-layer graphene beam electro-mechanical switches (SGSs) with 0.15 μm air-gap are fabricated and electrically characterized. The SGS shows an abrupt on/off current characteristics with minimal off current. In conjunction with the narrow air-gap, the outstanding mechanical properties of graphene enable the mechanical switch to operate at a very low pull-in voltage (VPI) of 1.85 V, which is compatible with conventional complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit requirements. In addition, we show that the pull-in voltage exhibits an inverse dependence on the beam length.
Size-sensitive sorting of microparticles through control of flow geometry
Authors: Wang Cheng , Jalikop Shreyas V. , Hilgenfeldt Sascha
Published: July 2011

We demonstrate a general concept of flow manipulation in microfluidic environments, based on controlling the shape and position of flow domains in order to force switching and sorting of microparticles without moving parts or changes in design geometry. Using microbubble acoustic streaming, we show that regulation of the relative strength of streaming and a superimposed Poiseuille flow allows for size-selective trapping and releasing of particles, with particle size sensitivity much greater than what is imposed by the length scales of microfabrication. A simple criterion allows for quantitative tuning of microfluidic devices for switching and sorting of particles of desired size.
Revealing the grain structure of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Nemes-Incze Péter , Yoo Kwon Jae , Tapasztó Levente , Dobrik Gergely , Lábár János , Horváth Zsolt E. , Hwang Chanyong , Biró László Péter
Published: July 2011

The physical processes occurring in the presence of disorder: point defects, grain boundaries, etc. may have detrimental effects on the electronic properties of graphene. Here we present an approach to reveal the grain structure of graphene by the selective oxidation of defects and subsequent atomic force microscopy analysis. This technique offers a quick and easy alternative to different electron microscopy and diffraction methods and may be used to give quick feedback on the quality of graphene samples grown by chemical vapor deposition.
Evaluation of the interface of thin GaN layers on c- and m-plane ZnO substrates by Rutherford backscattering
Authors: Izawa Y. , Oga T. , Ida T. , Kuriyama K. , Hashimoto A. , Kotake H. , Kamijoh T.
Published: July 2011

Lattice distortion at the interfaces between thin GaN layers with ∼400 nm in thickness and ZnO substrates with non-polar m-plane (10-10) and polar c-plane (0001) is studied using Rutherford backscattering/ion channeling techniques. The interface between GaN/m-plane ZnO is aligned clearly to m-axis, indicating no lattice distortion, while between GaN/c-plane ZnO causes the lattice distortion in the GaN layer due to the piezoelectric field. The range of distortion exceeds ∼90 nm from the interface of GaN/c-plane ZnO. These results are confirmed by x-ray diffraction and reflection high energy electron diffraction studies.
Tuning of anisotropy in two-electron quantum dots by spin-orbit interactions
Authors: Liu Y. , Cheng F. , Li X. J. , Peeters F. M. , Chang Kai
Published: July 2011

We investigate the influence of the spin-orbit interactions (SOIs) on the electron distribution and the optical absorption of a two-electron quantum dot. It is shown that the interplay between the SOIs makes the two-electron quantum dot behave like two laterally coupled quantum dots and the anisotropic distribution can be rotated from [110] to [11®0] by reversing the direction of the perpendicular electric field and detect it through the optical absorption spectrum.
Single mode lasing in coupled nanowires
Authors: Xiao Yao , Meng Chao , Wu Xiaoqin , Tong Limin
Published: July 2011

We demonstrate single mode lasing in coupled CdSe nanowires. By coupling two 420 nm diameter CdSe nanowires to form an X-structure cavity, single-mode lasing emission around 734.3 nm is obtained with line width of 0.11 nm and lasing threshold of about 120 μJ/cm2. Mode selection in the lasing nanowire is realized via Vernier effect in the coupled cavities. Our results suggest a simple approach to single-mode nanowire lasers.
Interactional frames and grammatical descriptions
Authors: Matsumoto Yoshiko
Published: July 2011

Examining usage variations in a Japanese construction, the paper argues that knowledge represented in “interactional frames” (e.g. Fillmore 1982) is an important and integral part of our understanding of the construction. The discussion focuses on variations in noun-modifying constructions (NMCs) that are considered to be non-prototypical in conversational Japanese and demonstrates that social context and the purpose of the on-going discourse are crucially involved in the actual usage of NMCs. The paper suggests the theoretical importance of including pragmatic and sociocultural perspectives in the grammatical description.
Intersubjective patterns of English modalised mental state verbs
Authors: Facchinetti Roberta , Adami Elisabetta
Published: July 2011

We survey a set of syntactic configurations resulting from the modalisation of the mental verbs know, see and think in different varieties of English. The patterns are identified as falling within two discourse functions expressing intersubjectivity: (a) recognising the other without taking over and (b) acknowledging the other without giving in. In the former case, the Speaker/Writer intends to lead the interlocutor in one direction without overtly expressing his/her aim; the latter pertains to the Speaker/Writer’s attempt to anticipate a possible objection of the Addresssee or to counterbalance a previous statement. The data are drawn from seven components of the International Corpus of English and highlight specific trends of locutionary intersubjectivity pertaining to the varieties under scrutiny.
Unrealistic scenarios, metaphorical blends and rhetorical strategies across genres
Authors: Semino Elena
Published: July 2011

In this paper I discuss a form of metaphorical creativity that involves the introduction of ‘unrealistic’ scenarios for rhetorical purposes in expository and argumentative texts. I primarily account for the nature and function of this form of creativity in terms of Fauconnier and Turner’s (2002) notion of Blending, with some references to Conceptual Metaphor theory (Lakoff and Johnson 1980, 1999). I show that a proper account of the textual extracts I analyse needs to include the role of genre in the construction and interpretation of texts, and allow for differences in meaning construction between writers and readers, and between different groups of readers.
The impact of typological factors in monolingual and bilingual first language acquisition
Authors: Ochsenbauer Anne-Katharina , Engemann Helen
Published: July 2011

The present study compares (1) monolingual English vs. French adults and children and (2) simultaneous French-English bilingual children who describe caused motion events. The results concerning L1 speakers showed developmental progressions in both languages, e.g., utterance complexity increases with age. However, response patterns differed considerably across languages in that responses were denser and more compact in English than in French. The results concerning bilingual children showed unidirectional crosslinguistic interactions. Responses elicited in English paralleled monolingual developmental patterns, whereas bilinguals’ French productions differed from those of monolingual French peers. The findings suggest that bilingual children transfer lexicalisation patterns from one of their languages to the other when the former provides more transparent means of achieving high semantic density.
The paradox of communication
Authors: Kecskes Istvan
Published: July 2011

Communication is not as smooth a process as current pragmatic theories depict it. In Rapaport’s words “We almost always fail […]. Yet we almost always nearly succeed: This is the paradox of communication” (Rapaport 2003: 402). This paper claims that there is a need for an approach that is able to explain this “bumpy road” by analyzing both the positive and negative features of the communicative process.
The paper presents a socio-cognitive approach (SCA) to pragmatics that takes into account both the societal and individual factors including cooperation and egocentrism that, as claimed here, are not antagonistic phenomena in interaction. This approach is considered an alternative to current theories of pragmatics that do not give an adequate account of what really happens in the communicative process. They consider communication an idealistic, cooperation-based, context-dependent process in which speakers are supposed to carefully construct their utterances for the hearer taking into account all contextual factors and hearers do their best to figure out the intentions of the speakers. This approach relies mainly on the positive features of communication including cooperation, rapport and politeness while almost completely ignores the untidy, trial-and-error nature of communication and the importance of prior contexts captured in the individual use of linguistic units. The overemphasis on cooperative, societal, contextual factors has led to disregard individual factors such as egocentrism and salience that are as important contributors to the communicative process as cooperation, context and rapport. The socio-cognitive approach is presented as a theoretical framework to incorporate and reconcile two seemingly antagonistic sides of the communicative process and explain the dynamic interplay of prior and actual situational contexts.
The global metastereotyping of Hollywood ‘dudes’
Authors: Wahl Alexander
Published: July 2011

This study investigates the phenomenon of metastereotyping — that is, the linguistic parody of stereotypic mediatized personas. The analysis draws on data from the 2008 reality television program Big Brother Africa 3, in which contestants ironically perform the lead characters from a 1989 Hollywood teen comedy film who exemplify a highly mediatized California male slacker youth stereotype, the ‘dude’ persona. By examining the linguistic and embodied features deployed by the reality show contestants in their stylization of the film characters, the article shows how metastereotyping involves forms both from within the original representation and beyond. The use by these African contestants of features with such varied semiotic trajectories reveals their globalized ideologies about California and American youth styles as well as their understanding of the film characters’ positions within these styles.
Productivity of Spanish verb–noun compounds
Authors: Yoon Jiyoung
Published: July 2011

This study examines Spanish verb–noun compounds in terms of the role played by, and the relationship between, metonymy and metaphor in generating them. After exploring different referent types denoted by Spanish verb–noun compounds such as instrument, agent, place, plant, animal/insect, and causer event, sample examples are analyzed in each referent type for their conceptualization patterns. The analytical tools are based on the notion of domain-internal and domain-external conceptual mappings for metonymy and metaphor, respectively, as well as on the model proposed in the Combined Input Hypothesis for the analysis of metaphors involving multiple inputs. The analysis of the data shows that there are at least four metonymic and metaphoric patterns involved in Spanish verb–noun compounds and that these patterns are productive. The four patters are: (i) only metonymy is involved; (ii) target-in-source metonymy is derived from metaphor; (iii) metaphor is derived from target-in-source metonymy, and (iv) metonymy is derived from a metaphor which is derived from metonymy. This study proposes that these four types of metonymic and metaphoric patterns mediate the production of novel Spanish verb–noun compounds. The implication of this finding is that the more complex the cognitive operations involved in verb–noun compounds, the less predictable the meaning of the compound will be for the language users who first hear them; but once learnt, the meaning of the compound is stored as a whole unit in their mental lexicon. An analysis of a larger corpus of data in future studies will reveal a more comprehensive picture of the relational patterns involved in Spanish verb–noun compounds.
Multimodal metonymy and metaphor as complex discourse resources for creativity in ICT advertising discourse
Authors: Hidalgo Downing Laura , Kraljevic Mujic Blanca
Published: July 2011

In this paper we carry out a study of multimodal metaphors in a corpus of 52 ICT advertisements published in English-speaking magazines during the period 1999–2002. The general theoretical framework adopted for this purpose is a combination of text world theory and of a multimodal approach to metaphor in discourse, which in turn draws from the principles of conceptual metaphor theory and of discourse theories. The main argument presented in this study is that metaphor is a key instrument in the presentation and negotiation of conventional and creative meanings in advertising discourse as a type of public discourse. More specifically, ICT advertisements during the time period 1999–2002 are particularly interesting for the study of metaphor because of the combination of conventional and innovative underlying concepts which are grounded in the specific socio-cultural context of recent advances in new technologies. In this sense, metaphor contributes to the discourse functions of display, by inviting the receiver to identify with fantasy worlds which are rooted in assumed patterns of socio-cultural behaviour and which are presented in the ad, and to the functions of persuasion and of cognitive change. First, we have identified and classified multimodal metaphors in the corpus according to their cognitive-functional type, then, following Semino (2008) we have identified predominant discourse patterns of metaphorical occurrences. Finally, we have identified the main resources for creativity in the advertisements. We have also studied how the combinations of individual micro-propositional metaphors give rise to extended metaphors which revolve around the megametaphor LIFE IS A CYBERSPACE JOURNEY. This megametaphor invites the receiver to reinterpret the more conventional metaphor LIFE IS A JOURNEY in terms of the new advances and experiences in society regarding IC technologies.
A computer’s understanding of literature
Authors: Graesser Arthur C. , Dowell Nia , Moldovan Christian
Published: July 2011

Everyone agrees that a computer could never understand and appreciate literature, but the fields of computational linguistics and discourse processing have made important advances in automatic detection of language and discourse characteristics. We have analyzed literary texts and political speeches with two computer tools, namely Coh-Metrix and Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC). Coh-Metrix provides hundreds of measures that funnel into 5 principal components: word concreteness, syntactic simplicity, referential cohesion, deep cohesion, and narrativity. LIWC classifies words on 80 categories, such as first person pronouns, negative emotions, and social words. This paper illustrates how computer tools can unveil new insights about literature and can empirically test claims by literary scholars and social scientists. Our approach offers a computational science of literature.
Dutch modal particles maar and wel and their English equivalents in different genres
Authors: Niemegeers Sofie
Published: July 2011

This paper presents the results of a study on the use of the Dutch modal particles (MPs) maar and wel and their translation equivalents in a translation corpus containing both Dutch-English (DU-EN) and English-Dutch (EN-DU) texts. Although a number of linguistic studies has dealt with modal particles, an in-depth translation approach is still missing. Our first aim is to detemine frequency of use from the corpus; the results point to some remarkable differences in the behavior of the MPs maar and wel in DU-EN and EN-DU target texts and in fiction versus non-fiction. These results can be evaluated against the background of an established hypothesis of translation behavior, the Unique Items Hypothesis (Tirkkonen-Condit 2004), which is relevant in the context of the translation of Dutch MPs into English. The second aim is to present an in-depth analysis of the translation of the MP wel in a number of contexts in order to determine: 1) whether the English equivalents confirm our intuition regarding the category-internal meaning variations of MP wel depending on its context of use (these meaning variations have not been sufficiently dealt with in the literature on wel; and 2) whether there are differences in the use of the English equivalents of MP wel in the DU-EN and EN-DU subcorpora
Effectiveness of translator certification as a signaling device
Authors: Chan Andy Lung Jan
Published: July 2011

In recent years, the issue of translator certification has attracted a great deal of attention among professional translators and translation studies scholars. Using the economic theory of signaling as a framework and an experiment involving the use of fictitious resumes, this study entailed interviews with eight translator recruiters in Hong Kong. The ranking of the resumes and the critical textual analysis of the eight transcribed interviews show the importance of formal educational qualifications and relevant work experience in the screening of resumes. Most interviewees viewed translator certification as an “add-on” and preferred an academic degree to translator certification. To some extent, this is due to inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about the process of translator certification. Hence, it is suggested that translation companies and translator training institutions/professional translator associations should engage in coordinated efforts to develop multilateral signaling mechanisms.
Legal and translational occupations in Spain
Authors: Monzó Esther
Published: July 2011

The aim of this article is twofold. First, I will outline a theoretical framework that synthesizes some concepts from both the sociology of professions and Bourdieu’s economy of practice. Within this framework, distinction and legitimation will be highlighted as two major strategies employed by occupational groups to advance their interests within the labor market. In the second part of the article, I will discuss two particular conflicts, both of which involve Spanish certified (or “sworn” in European Spanish) translators and interpreters (TIs). The first is a jurisdictional struggle between certified TIs and notaries public (a legal occupation) and the other, a struggle between certified TIs and court TIs. These struggles illustrate how the jurisdiction, the segment of the labor market formerly occupied by certified TIs, has been progressively claimed by notaries public and court TIs through various strategies and processes, and how certified TIs have in turn reacted by pursuing strategies of their own. These examples show how and why a particular group may lose ground to other groups using diverse strategies and investing different types of capital (in Bourdieu’s sense of the term). Moreover, these cases exemplify how some professionalization processes and projects have worked in the Spanish context and how certain occupational groups are developing professionalization strategies of their own.
Revised translations, revised identities
Authors: Baibikov Elena
Published: July 2011

This article is a case study that aims to illustrate the process of formation of one translator’s professional identity and to discuss the shifts in translators’ professional behavior at different stages of the translators’ life in relation to changing social and personal settings. It will focus on three Japanese versions of one Russian text, Anton Chekhov’s letters to his wife, all produced by Yuasa Yoshiko (family name first), a female translator of Russian literature, whose professional career began in the late 1920s. From the 1990s on, especially after the establishment of the Yuasa Yoshiko Award for the best translation of a foreign language stage play in 1994, she has become the focus of several academic studies and biographical works. Surprisingly enough, none of these emphasizes her translation activities or focuses on the texts of her translations. The purpose of the present study is to fill this lacuna in the research on Yuasa.
A professional ideology in the making
Authors: Angelelli Claudia V.
Published: July 2011

Research on circumstantial bilinguals who become young interpreters for their families and communities contributes to our understanding of the life experiences of individuals who begin to interpret early in their lives. With the exception of early work on young interpreters and recent historical work on translation and interpreting, very little has been written about the lived experiences of interpreters and/or about the development of such exceptional types of bilingualism. When a family of Latino immigrants settles in America and the parents do not speak the societal language, it is often the case that young bilinguals act as language interpreters, brokering communication and advocating for their families’ needs. The ways in which these circumstantial bilinguals go about mediating communicative needs reveal much about these youngsters’ abilities. While interpreting for their families, young interpreters develop a sense of how to be linguistic advocates between speakers of minority languages and a society that struggles to accommodate the communicative needs of its members. In multilingual and diverse societies, it is imperative that the linguistic talents of young bilinguals be fostered and enhanced.
Representations of translators in popular culture
Authors: Ben-Ari Nitsa
Published: July 2011

The “fictional turn” in translation studies has acknowledged the fact that translators/interpreters have been moved from behind the curtain to center stage. Whether this is a result of poststructuralist or postcolonial scholarship, the fact remains that translators/interpreters now figure as protagonists in film, theater, and especially popular literature. Does this “promotion” reflect a change of status? How are translators portrayed? How is their habitus portrayed? What function do they serve? Has there been a change in their portrayal/function in the last thirty years? Does the change reflect the different approach/es to the “hybrid” in this period? Has the “death of the author” theory and the promotion of translators/interpreters to the status of “authorship” changed their self-image? This essay is an attempt at answering these questions, diachronically and synchronically, with the help of various literary texts from the 1970s on.
Electronic Measures of Surgical Site Infection: Implications for Estimating Risks and Costs
Authors: Hollenbeak Christopher S. , Boltz Melissa M. , Nikkel Lucas E. , Schaefer Eric , Ortenzi Gail , Dillon Peter W.
Published: July 2011

Objective.

Electronic measures of surgical site infections (SSIs) are being used more frequently in place of labor-intensive measures. This study compares performance characteristics of 2 electronic measures of SSIs with a clinical measure and studies the implications of using electronic measures to estimate risk factors and costs of SSIs among surgery patients.

Methods.

Data included 1,066 general and vascular surgery patients at a single academic center between 2007 and 2008. Clinical data were from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, which includes a nurse-derived measure of SSI. We compared the NSQIP SSI measure with 2 electronic measures of SSI: MedMined Nosocomial Infection Marker (NIM) and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) coding for SSIs. We compared infection rates for each measure, estimated sensitivity and specificity of electronic measures, compared effects of SSI measures on risk factors for mortality using logistic regression, and compared estimated costs of SSIs for measures using linear regression.

Results.

SSIs were observed in 8.8% of patients according to the NSQIP definition, 2.6% of patients according to the NIM definition, and 5.8% according to the ICD-9 definition. Logistic regression for each SSI measure revealed large differences in estimated risk factors. NIM and ICD-9 measures overestimated the cost of SSIs by 134% and 33%, respectively.

Conclusions.

Caution should be taken when relying on electronic measures for SSI surveillance and when estimating risk and costs attributable to SSIs. Electronic measures are convenient, but in this data set they did not correlate well with a clinical measure of infection.
Public Reporting of Health Care–Associated Infections (HAIs): Approach to Choosing HAI Measures
Authors: Passaretti C. L. , Barclay P. , Pronovost P. , Perl T. M. ,   Maryland Health Care Commission Health Care–Associated Infection Technical Advisory Committee
Published: July 2011

Objective.

To develop a method for selecting health care–associated infection (HAI) measures for public reporting.

Context.

HAIs are common, serious, and costly adverse outcomes of medical care that affect 2 million people in the United States annually. Thirty-seven states have introduced or passed legislation requiring public reporting of HAI measures. State legislation varies widely regarding which HAIs to report, how the data are collected and reported, and public availability of results.

Design.

The Maryland Health Care Commission developed an HAI Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that consisted of a group of experts in the field of healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention and control (IPC), and public health. This group reviewed public reporting systems in other states, surveyed Maryland hospitals to determine the current state of IPC programs, performed a literature review on HAI measures, and developed six criteria for ranking the measures: impact, unprovability, inclusiveness, frequency, functionality, and feasibility. The committee and experts in the field then ranked each of 18 proposed HAI measures. A composite score was determined for each measure.

Results.

Among outcome measures, the rate of central line–associated bloodstream infections ranked highest, followed by the rate of post–coronary artery bypass grafting surgical-site infections. Among process measures, perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis, compliance with central-line bundles, compliance with hand hygiene, and healthcare-worker influenza vaccination ranked highest.

Conclusions.

Our qualitative criteria facilitated consensus on the HAI TAC and provided a useful framework for public reporting of HAI measures. Validation will be important for such approaches to be supported by the scientific community.
An Outbreak ofBurkholderia cepaciaComplex Associated with Intrinsically Contaminated Nasal Spray
Authors: Dolan Susan A. , Dowell Elaine , LiPuma John J. , Valdez Sondra , Chan Kenny , James John F.
Published: July 2011

Objective.

To determine the source ofBurkholderia cepaciacomplex associated with a hospital outbreak and describe the measures taken to identify and confirm the source.

Setting.

A 250-bed, tertiary care pediatric hospital in Denver, Colorado.

Methods.

An epidemiologic investigation was used to identify possible causes for an apparent outbreak ofB. cepaciacomplex in pediatric patients who had new positive cultures with this organism from December 2003 to February 2004. Chart review, microbiology reports, surgical records, site visits, literature review, staff interviews, and cultures of common products and equipment were performed to determine a source of contamination. Random amplified polymorphic DNA and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing, performed by 2 independent laboratories, were used for molecular typing of patient and source isolates.

Results.

Five pediatric patients had new positiveB. cepaciacomplex cultures from either the sinus or the respiratory tract, and all 5 patients had prior exposure to 0.05% oxymetazoline hydrochloride Major Twice-A-Day 12-hour nasal spray (Proforma, Miami, FL). Four of the 5 patients had isolates that were identical to theB. cepaciacomplex isolates recovered from the unopened Twice-A-Day 12-hour nasal spray.

Conclusions.

Intrinsic contamination of Major Twice-A-Day 12-hour nasal spray withB. cepaciacomplex resulted in nosocomial transmission to 4 patients at our facility and resulted in a voluntary product recall by the manufacturer.B. cepaciacomplex species are common contaminants of an increasing variety of nonsterile medical products. Enhanced culture techniques may be useful in evaluating possible product contamination, suggesting additional measures that should be considered to assure the safety of products that may be used in high-risk patients.
Elemental composition determination based on MSn
Authors: Rojas-Chertó Miguel , Kasper Piotr T. , Willighagen Egon L. , Vreeken Rob J. , Hankemeier Thomas , Reijmers Theo H.
Published: July 2011

Motivation: Identification of metabolites is essential for its use as biomarkers, for research in systems biology and for drug discovery. The first step before a structure can be elucidated is to determine its elemental composition. High-resolution mass spectrometry, which provides the exact mass, together with common constraint rules, for rejecting false proposed elemental compositions, cannot always provide one unique elemental composition solution.

Results: The Multistage Elemental Formula (MEF) tool is presented in this article to enable the correct assignment of elemental composition to compounds, their fragment ions and neutral losses that originate from the molecular ion by using multistage mass spectrometry (MSn). The method provided by MEF reduces the list of predicted elemental compositions for each ion by analyzing the elemental compositions of its parent (precursor ion) and descendants (fragments). MSn data of several metabolites were processed using the MEF tool to assign the correct elemental composition and validate the efficacy of the method. Especially, the link between the mass accuracy needed to generate one unique elemental composition and the topology of the MSn tree (the width and the depth of the tree) was addressed. This method makes an important step toward semi-automatic de novo identification of metabolites using MSn data.

Availability: Software available at: http://abs.lacdr.gorlaeus.net/people/rojas-cherto

Contact:  m.rojas@lacdr.leidenuniv.nl; t.reijmers@lacdr.leidenuniv.nl

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Utility of a spatial habitat classification system as a surrogate of marine benthic community structure for the Australian margin
Authors: Przeslawski Rachel , Currie David R. , Sorokin Shirley J. , Ward Tim M. , Althaus Franziska , Williams Alan
Published: July 2011

Przeslawski, R., Currie, D. R., Sorokin, S. J., Ward. T. M., Althaus, F., and Williams, A. 2011. Utility of a spatial habitat classification system as a surrogate of marine benthic community structure for the Australian margin. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1954–1962. This study tests whether a continental-scale classification of Australian benthic habitats (termed “seascapes”) and the interpolated environmental data from which they are derived are useful as abiotic surrogates of biodiversity at a local [tens of kilometres, Great Australian Bight (GAB)] and regional scale [hundreds of kilometres, Western Australian (WA) margin]. Benthic invertebrate community structure is moderately associated with specific seascapes in both the GAB (R = 0.418) and WA margin (excluding hard substrata, R = 0.375; all substrata, R = 0.313). Mud content, seafloor slope, and seafloor temperature are significantly correlated with invertebrate communities at both scales, with disturbance and primary production correlated with GAB communities. Seascapes are not consistently useful surrogates because the strength and significance of relationships between seascapes and community structure differs among seascapes, regions, and spatial scales. Nevertheless, a national system of seascapes is an appropriate surrogate for broad-scale benthic invertebrate community patterns when biological data are limited, provided the uncertainty is acknowledged and, where possible, an assessment made of each seascape's ability to differentiate biological communities. Further refinement of seascape derivations may include updated and additional environmental data (particularly for hard vs. soft substrata) and validation among biological datasets from a range of habitats and scales.
The endocrinology of liver disease
Authors: Antonelli Alessandro , Ferri Clodoveo , Fallahi Poupak
Published: July 2011

The liver plays a significant role in glucose, lipid, insulin, glucagon, thyroid, and steroid hormone metabolism, and in energy homeostasis. Therefore, it is unsurprising that liver diseases are associated with a wide spectrum of endocrinological disorders.

The most frequent causes of liver disorders in the general adult population of the USA are non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis C, excessive alcohol intake, haemochromatosis, and hepatitis B (1).
Primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Silverberg Shonni J. , Bilezikian John P.
Published: July 2011

Primary hyperparathyroidism is no longer the severe disorder of ‘stones, bones, and groans’ described by Fuller Albright and others in the 1930s (1,2). Osteitis fibrosa cystica, with its brown tumours of the long bones, subperiosteal bone resorption, distal tapering of the clavicles and phalanges, and ‘salt-and-pepper’ appearance of erosions of the skull on radiograph is rare, and kidney stones are seen in only 20% of patients. Asymptomatic disease is the rule in the vast majority of patients, with the diagnosis commonly following the finding of hypercalcaemia on routine serum chemistry analysis (Table 4.3.1) (3–5). Primary hyperparathyroidism is due to a solitary parathyroid adenoma in 80% of patients (5). Most cases are sporadic, although some are associated with a history of neck irradiation, or prolonged use of lithium therapy for bipolar disease (6, 7). Multiple parathyroid adenomas have been reported in 2 to 4% of cases (8). Parathyroid adenomas can be discovered in many unexpected anatomic locations, including within the thyroid gland, the superior mediastinum, and within the thymus. Occasionally, the adenoma may ultimately be identified in the retroesophageal space, the pharynx, the lateral neck, and even the alimentary submucosa of the oesophagus (9). In approximately 15% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, all four parathyroid glands are involved. There are no clinical features that differentiate single versus multiglandular disease. In nearly one-half of cases, four-gland disease is associated with a familial hereditary syndrome, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MEN 1) or MEN 2a.
Neuroendocrine tumours of the gastrointestinal tract: an appraisal of the past and perspectives for the future
Authors: Modlin Irvin M , Gustafsson Bjorn I , Kidd Mark
Published: July 2011

Although Siegfried Oberndorfer is rightly credited with introducing the term karzinoide (carcinoma-like) in 1907, T. Langhans had in 1867 described a submucosal tumour that resembled poorly differentiated glandular tissue arranged in ‘nests’ with a rich, thick fibrous stroma (1). Thereafter in 1888, O. Lubarsch reported the post mortem identification of multiple ileal tumours, which he was reluctant to classify as ‘carcinomas’ due to a benign growth pattern appearance (2). In 1890, W.B. Ransom reported similar tumours at autopsy in the region of the ileocoecal valve with associated extensive hepatic tumours, but, in addition, emphasized the associated clinical symptoms, which included diarrhoea and wheezing (3). Nevertheless, despite these early descriptions, it remained for Oberndorfer to published his seminal paper Carcinoid Tumours of the Small Intestine in 1907 and recognize their unique nature; finally defining the lesions as a neoplasm distinct from carcinoma (Fig. 6.1.1) (4).
Neuroendocrine (carcinoid) tumours and the carcinoid syndrome
Authors: Srirajaskanthan Rajaventhan , Caplin Martyn E. , Hodgson Humphrey
Published: July 2011

Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are derived from cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system, which are present in organs throughout the body. Originally, Pearse proposed that tumours develop from migration of cells from the neural crest; however, it is now thought that the tumour cells are derived from multipotent stem cells (1).

The term ‘karzinoide’ (meaning carcinoma like) was initially introduced by Siegfried Oberndorfer in 1907 (2). The term carcinoid tumour has historically been used; however, with advances in the understanding of the tumour biology, and the recent WHO classification, the term NET or endocrine tumour is considered more appropriate, and more details are given in the historical introduction in Chapter 6.1.
Somatostatinoma
Authors: Wass John A.H.
Published: July 2011

Somatostatin was isolated in 1973 by Paul Brazeau in Roger Guillemin’s laboratory. It was found to have a widespread distribution, not only in the hypothalamus and brain but also in the gastrointestinal tract. Sixty-five per cent of the body’s somatostatin is in the gut, mostly in the D cells of the gastric and intestinal epithelium. It is also present in the myometric and submucosal plexuses. The highest concentration is in the antrum of the stomach and there is a gradual decrease of concentrations down the gastrointestinal tract. Five per cent of the body’s somatostatin is in the pancreas.

Infused somatostatin, which has a short half-life of 3 min, has a large number of actions on the pituitary gland, the endocrine and exocrine pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, other hormones, and on the nervous system (Box 6.8.1). Among its various actions of importance in the gastrointestinal tract is the inhibition of gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK). In the pancreas, insulin and glucagon are inhibited. Nonendocrine actions include inhibition of gastric acid secretion, pancreatic exocrine function, gall bladder contraction, and intestinal motility. Intestinal absorption of nutrients, including glucose, triglycerides, and amino acids, is also inhibited (1).

Somatostatin exists in two main forms, as a 14-amino acid peptide (somatostatin 14) present mainly in the pancreas and the stomach, and as a 28-amino acid peptide present mainly in the intestine. Somatostatin 14 is the peptide present in enteric neurons.

Somatostatin receptors are present on many cell types, including the parietal cells of the stomach, G cells, D cells themselves, and cells of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas. A large number of tumours also have somatostatin receptors and these include pituitary adenomas, endocrine pancreatic tumours, carcinoid tumours, paragangliomas, phaeochromocytomas, small cell lung carcinomas, lymphomas, and meningiomas. Five different somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) have been cloned (SSTR1–SSTR5) and all are on different chromosomes. These have a varying affinity for somatostatin 14 and somatostatin 28 and a varying tissue distribution with SSTR2 and 5 being predominant in the pituitary (2).

Somatostatin can act either as an endocrine hormone or in a paracrine or autocrine way. It probably also has luminal effects in the gastrointestinal tract. Lastly, it can act as a neurotransmitter (3).
Systemic mastocytosis
Authors: Ahern Tomás , O’Shea Donal
Published: July 2011

Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous group of rare disorders characterized by the abnormal growth and accumulation of mast cells in one or more organs. Mast cells are myeloid lineage cells that express the CD117 (KIT), CD45, and Fcε‎RI cell surface markers. Patients with mastocytosis often present with abdominal cramps and diarrhoea and episodes of flushing, lightheadedness, and headache, which may prompt investigation for a neuroendocrine cause.

Cutaneous manifestations are common to all forms of mastocytosis. The majority of cases of mastocytosis are relatively benign, although some forms are associated with significant early death. The clinical course of mastocytosis is variable and can include shifting between the different forms.