bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temperature and frequency investigations of the electrical parameters in the TGS ferroelectric transition
Authors: Berbecaru Ciceron
Published: April 2010

Pure and D: alanina doped triglycin sulphate (TGS) crystals were grown from aqueous solutions. Fresh cleaved, polished and silver paste painted samples were temperature and frequency investigated. Pure crystals show nonreproducible values of the permittivity and dielectric loss crossing up and down the Curie point. More stable and much lower values of the permittivity and dielectric loss could be noticed for D: alanina doped crystals. Permittivity and loss values show different frequencies behavior related to polar or nonpolar state of crystals. Frequency dependence of permittivity and loss behavior could be related to the general picture of relaxation of different polarization mechanisms and their contributions to permittivity and loss values for dielectric materials. Much smaller and stable values of permittivity and loss, vs. temperature and frequency, were found for doped crystals. Experimental results point out for a more stable structure with dipoles mobility decreased of doped vs. pure TGS crystals. Thus, higher figure of merit of doped TGS crystals point to a major advantage for technical applications (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Theoretical analyses of In incorporation and compositional instability in coherently grown InGaN thin films
Authors: Yayama Tomoe , Kangawa Yoshihiro , Kakimoto Koichi , Koukitu Akinori
Published: April 2010

We performed thermodynamic analyses to calculate the relationship between the input indium molar ratio and solid composition of a coherently grown InGaN thin film that is subjected compressive or tensile stress. The theoretical approach incorporates energy loss of a thin film system due to lattice constraint from the substrate. The results show that the indium composition x of coherently grown InGaN is lower than that of stress‐free InGaN. This represents the composition pulling effect. We also studied stable growth modes under various growth conditions. The results suggest the importance of control of partial pressure of NH3 to optimize growth conditions of InGaN with a unique composition. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Spatially‐resolved photoluminescence study of high indium content InGaN LED structures
Authors: Tamulaitis G. , Mickevičius J. , Dobrovolskas D. , Kuokštis E. , Shur M. , Shatalov M. , Yang J. , Gaska R.
Published: April 2010

Spatially and spectrally resolved photoluminescence (PL) of green light‐emitting diode (LED) structure with InGaN multiple quantum wells was studied using confocal and scanning near field optical microscopy techniques. Inhomogeneous distribution of PL intensity on the scale of 200 nm has been observed. The PL bands peaked at approximately 492 nm and 502 nm in bright and dark areas, respectively. The spot‐to‐spot variation of the peak position of the main PL band was in the range of ∼30 nm for the bright and ∼50 nm for the dark areas. The highest PL intensity in the bright areas was observed in the spots with PL band peaked at ∼492 nm, while emission intensity in dark areas had no correlation with the PL band spectral position. The inhomogeneous PL intensity distribution is explained by inhomogeneous distribution of nonradiative recombination centers, in contrast to a fairly constant tail states density (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The potential for bias in reporting of industry‐sponsored clinical trials
Authors: Pyke Stephen , Julious Steven A. , Day Simon , O'Kelly Michael , Todd Susan , Matcham James , Seldrup Jorgen
Published: April 2010

Concerns about potentially misleading reporting of pharmaceutical industry research have surfaced many times. The potential for duality (and thereby conflict) of interest is only too clear when you consider the sums of money required for the discovery, development and commercialization of new medicines. As the ability of major, mid‐size and small pharmaceutical companies to innovate has waned, as evidenced by the seemingly relentless decline in the numbers of new medicines approved by Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency year‐on‐year, not only has the cost per new approved medicine risen: so too has the public and media concern about the extent to which the pharmaceutical industry is open and honest about the efficacy, safety and quality of the drugs we manufacture and sell. In 2005 an Editorial in Journal of the American Medical Association made clear that, so great was their concern about misleading reporting of industry‐sponsored studies, henceforth no article would be published that was not also guaranteed by independent statistical analysis. We examine the precursors to this Editorial, as well as its immediate and lasting effects for statisticians, for the manner in which statistical analysis is carried out, and for the industry more generally. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An enquiry into the possibilities and limits of statistical weather forecasting
Authors: Schumann T. E. W.
Published: April 2010

There are three methods of approach to the problem of weather forecasting:–‐

(a) the physical method; (b) the statistical method; and (c) the current method which in effect is a combination of the first two methods.

The physical or strictly mathematical method has been tried, notably by L. F. Richardson, but has been found to be impracticable. Everyone is acquainted with the degree of success achieved by the current method, but the possibilities and limitations of the statistical approach to the problem have never been fully investigated, and it is a matter of considerable importance that this should be done.

The statistical method essentially amounts to the prediction of the weather element P at a station A by means of the regression equation magnified image in which x1 are the values of a number of weather elements observed at the control stations B1 ……. Bn a specified time before P is observed, and the regression coefficients k1…. kn are computed from previous records of the weather elements P, x1…… xn. The reliability of the predicted value of P depends upon the numerical value of the multiple correlation coefficient between P and x1…. xn, and there exists a limiting maximum value Mz of this correlation coefficient. By the suitable selection of a limited number of control stations this maximum value can be ascertained to a very close degree of approximation. Research should be directed towards determining the value of Mz for different values of the time lapse z, over which the prediction is made.

Once the value of Mz has been found, there is available a direct method of judging between the relative merits of statistical and current weather prediction.

A considerable amount of labour is involved in the full investigation of the nature of the function Mz, but several considerations show that such labour would be fully warranted.
Rethinking the accounting stance on sustainable development
Authors: Ngwakwe Collins C.
Published: April 2010

This paper investigates the sustainability initiatives of the accounting profession in support of sustainable development. This is important because the post‐Rio sustainability agenda involves the role of accounting in directing corporate behaviour; however, a review of critical literature indicates censure of accounting as being apathetic to society and environment. To see whether this criticism still holds, using a desktop research approach, the paper proceeds to investigate the sustainability initiatives contained in the web portals of selected accounting bodies. Findings indicate appreciable levels of initiatives to sustainable development; however, lack of standards, regulations and uniform accounting schemes still poses a challenge such that contemporary sustainability accounting appears more like a weak approximation of the triple bottom line. It concludes that accounting requires a more pragmatic response to sustainable development, as this would facilitate government and institutional policies towards sustainability, and recommends that vital aspects of response should include carbon accounting standards, regulated sustainability accounting and the formation of ‘engineering accounting’ in order to address the challenges of climate change and carbon trading. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Storing Matter: a new analytical technique developed to improve the sensitivity and the quantification during SIMS analyses
Authors: Mansilla C. , Wirtz T.
Published: April 2010

Storing Matter is a new analytical technique for organic and inorganic materials, which has been developed to avoid the SIMS matrix effect while keeping or even improving the excellent sensitivity of SIMS. The technique consists in separating the sputtering of the sample to be analyzed from the subsequent analysis step by SIMS. During the sputtering process the molecules and atoms emitted under ion bombardment of the sample are deposited in a monolayer regime on a well known collector surface. Enhanced secondary ion emission can be obtained during the subsequent SIMS analysis as the chemical nature of the surface can be selected with respect to the element to be analyzed and the different SIMS analysis modes (M+, M−, cationization for organic information, etc.). Depositing the matter emitted from different layers or from different samples on the same collector surface makes Storing Matter a powerful tool not only to circumvent the SIMS matrix effect, but also to improve the excellent sensitivity of the SIMS technique. A prototype instrument has been developed to perform the different steps of the Storing Matter technique under optimized conditions.

The aim of this work is to present the analytical performance obtained with the Storing Matter technique for six collector materials (Ta, Ag, Al, Au, Ni and Pt) for two different elements and analysis modes (In in positive mode and Au in negative mode). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sulfidation kinetics of industrial steels in a refinery crude oil at 300 °C: reactivity at the nanometer scale
Authors: El Kamel Meriem , Galtayries Anouk , Vermaut Philippe , Albinet Benoit , Foulonneau Grégory , Roumeau Xavier , Roncin Bernard , Marcus Philippe
Published: April 2010

High temperature sulfidic corrosion has caused safety and reliability issues in refinery units for decades. The objective of the work was to investigate the kinetics of sulfidation under refinery conditions and to characterize, at the nanometer scale, the sulfide layers formed on different steels. The experiments were performed in an autoclave filled with a refinery high‐sulfur crude oil at 300 °C on XC18 carbon steel (Fe–0.18%C), P5 alloy steel (Fe–5% Cr–0.5%Mo) and 304L stainless steel (Fe–18% Cr–8%Ni). The duration of the test ranged from a few hours to a few days.

The combination of X‐ray diffraction and transmission electronic microscopy showed the presence of pyrrhotite (Fe1−xS) on XC18, P5 and 304L samples. For all alloys, the S 2p core level decomposition (X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy) proved the presence of five sulfur species on the surface: sulfide (main species), disulfide, elemental sulfur, sulfite and sulfate. On 304L, the presence of chromium oxide and nickel sulfide was revealed by XPS, whereas chromium sulfide was hardly detected.

The macroscopic kinetics of sulfidation was followed by mass loss. The results showed that a parabolic law can fit the kinetics of sulfidation of XC18 and P5 steels. The kinetics of sulfidation of the adherent sulfide layer formed on 304L steel, determined from XPS measurements, follows a logarithmic law. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Separation of transient partial fluxes of nucleation/growth of a new phase and electrode reaction by the chronoamperometry method
Authors: Vvedenskii A. V. , Kozaderov O. A. , Gutorov I. A.
Published: April 2010

One of the basic methods of studying of the electrochemical formation of a new phase is by the obtaining of potentiostatic i,t‐dependences with their processing within the framework of various models of nucleation. The situation is highly complicated in the case of some Faraday processes that proceed alongside the phase formation. On the basis of the mass balance analysis in conditions of 3‐dimensional (3D) nucleation using the data on electrode reaction kinetics, the procedure of graphical processing of the complete i,t‐curves, which allows to reveal a partial nucleation flux is suggested. The procedure was used when studying the following electrochemical processes: (i) cathodic evolution of hydrogen on transition metals from acidic sulphate solutions, and (ii) selective anodic dissolution (dealloying) of binary Au‐containing alloys at overcritical potentials where nonequilibrium phase transition of gold occurs. It was established that both processes are carried out in a mode of instantaneous activation of nucleation sites and controlled by the lateral diffusion of adsorbed atoms of hydrogen or gold, respectively, to its hemispherical nuclei. The role of the solid electrode composition, overpotential and presence of surface‐active organic substances in a solution is investigated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Software cost estimation inhibitors—a case study in automotive context
Authors: Magazinius Ana , Pernstål Joakim , Öhman Peter
Published: April 2010

As cost estimation is an important yet problematic part of project planning there is a need of process improvement to decrease the estimation errors. This paper has two purposes. Based on a qualitative case study conducted at a Swedish automotive company it describes the process of cost estimation in a real‐life setting focusing on inhibitors to accurate cost estimates. Second, the results of this study are compared with four other studies with a similar purpose of concluding that a company‐specific investigation of cost estimation inhibitors might give more actionable input to the activity of cost estimation process improvement than a more general investigation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimization of Train Speed Profile for Minimum Energy Consumption
Authors: Miyatake Masafumi , Ko Hideyoshi
Published: April 2010

The optimal operation of railway systems minimizing total energy consumption is discussed in this paper. Firstly, some measures of finding energy‐saving train speed profiles are outlined. After the characteristics that should be considered in optimizing train operation are clarified, complete optimization based on optimal control theory is reviewed. Their basic formulations are summarized taking into account most of the difficult characteristics peculiar to railway systems. Three methods of solving the formulation, dynamic programming (DP), gradient method, and sequential quadratic programming (SQP), are introduced. The last two methods can also control the state of charge (SOC) of the energy storage devices. By showing some numerical results of simulations, the significance of solving not only optimal speed profiles but also optimal SOC profiles of energy storage are emphasized, because the numerical results are beyond the conventional qualitative studies. Future scope for applying the methods to real‐time optimal control is also mentioned. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hybrid Traction Technologies with Energy Storage Devices for Nonelectrified Railway Lines
Authors: Furuta Ryosuke , Kawasaki Junji , Kondo Keiichiro
Published: April 2010

Hybrid traction systems of lithium‐ion batteries with fuel cells or diesel engines are the one of the effective measures to reduce the emission of railcars for nonelectrified lines. Some of challenges, including the revenue services, of the hybrid systems have been recently addressed in Japan. In this paper, the evolution of the hybrid traction systems and features of the diesel hybrid systems and the fuel cell hybrid systems are discussed with the examples of the challenges. In addition, the technical trend of the applications of the storage batteries for the hybrid traction systems is summarized with perspectives of the future hybrid traction systems. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Detection of Human Microvibration Transmitted along Solid Using Pico‐Tesla Magneto‐Impedance Sensor
Authors: Mohri Kaneo , Uchiyama Tsuyoshi
Published: April 2010

Human microvibration waveforms are sensitively detected using a newly developed pico‐Tesla magneto‐impedance sensor (pT‐MI sensor) when the human skin is touched directly or indirectly via transmission solid by the sensor head. The origin of the microvibration is discussed, considering the cellular Ca2+ flow oscillation for the smooth muscle autonomous vibration. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fetal cardiovascular effects of lower urinary tract obstruction with giant bladder
Authors: Rychik J. , McCann M. , Tian Z. , Bebbington M. , Johnson M. P.
Published: April 2010

Objective

Lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) with massive bladder distension impacts on a variety of developing organ systems with consequent morbidity and mortality. The impact of LUTO on the fetal cardiovascular system has not previously been investigated. We hypothesize that a giant, distended bladder within the pelvis may cause vascular compression with observable consequences.

Methods

Fetal echocardiography was performed in 42 fetuses with LUTO and compared with 35 normal controls matched for gestational age. Parameters investigated included cardiothoracic ratio, presence or absence of ventricular hypertrophy and pericardial effusion. Doppler echocardiographic examination of mitral and tricuspid valve inflow and the ductus venosus was performed. To assess arterial vascular impedance, pulsatility indices (PIs) were calculated for segments of the descending aorta and right and left iliac arteries (RIA and LIA).

Results

In the LUTO group an increased cardiothoracic ratio was seen in nine (21%), ventricular hypertrophy in 12 (29%) and small pericardial effusion in 15 (36%). Filling characteristics of the right ventricle in the LUTO group demonstrated greater dependency upon atrial contraction, and ductus venosus flow demonstrated higher downstream impedance to filling, than in controls, suggesting altered compliance. The LUTO group also had lower distal descending aorta PI (1.53 ± 0.38 vs. 1.76 ± 0.44, P = 0.04), lower RIA‐PI (1.31 ± 0.29 vs. 1.76 ± 0.44, P < 0.001) and lower LIA‐PI (1.41 ± 0.44 vs. 1.73 ± 0.31, P < 0.01) than controls, suggesting vascular compression and increased impedance to flow.

Conclusions

LUTO with giant urinary bladder compresses the iliac arteries, which may lead to increased afterload. Further study is warranted to examine the impact of fetal treatment such as bladder drainage on these cardiovascular parameters. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expertise
Authors: Anders Ericsson K. , Towne Tyler J.
Published: April 2010

The study of expertise is based on the premise that experts in different domains follow a similar path of acquisition and development. This article distinguishes two research approaches to the study of expertise. The traditional approach assumes a steady progression from novice to expert as a function of training as well as years of experience often without measures of reproducible skill. A second and more recent one focuses on the identification of individuals with reproducibly superior performance for representative tasks that capture expertise in the domain. The focus of this review is on the latter, namely the expert‐performance approach. The article describes how superior performance can be captured by standardized tasks, and how analyses of that superior performance can identify superior abilities, cognitive mechanisms, and physiological adaptations. The last part of the article reviews how deliberate practice and training can lead to the acquisition of complex mechanisms and physiological adaptations, which in turn can explain the experts' attained superior performance. The review is concluded with a discussion of future directions of studies of expert performance and the challenges in understanding the development of general abilities and the motivation to engage in sustained daily deliberate practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Motor Skill and Performance
The development of stereotyping and exclusion
Authors: Mulvey Kelly Lynn , Hitti Aline , Killen Melanie
Published: April 2010

This article reviews the developmental science literature on stereotyping and exclusion, with a focus on gender, race, and ethnicity. Stereotyping of others, which is defined as the attribution of traits to individuals based on group membership, is often used to justify exclusion of others in social group contexts. This review includes a focus on the links between these two constructs. Research on stereotyping and exclusion has drawn on several theoretical traditions, including social domain theory, social identity developmental theory, and subjective group dynamics theory, which are also discussed in the context of the research findings. Key findings on stereotyping include categorization and classification in relationship with decreased in‐group bias, and the role of stereotypes in encoding information. Findings on exclusion include the use of available information to make judgments, preferences for in‐group members who are normative and out‐group members who are deviant, the increased importance, with age, of group functioning in exclusion decisions, and decreased negative evaluation of in‐group members who partake in exclusionary behaviors. Though little research has explicitly studied the links between stereotyping and exclusion from groups, this review describes the current literature in both areas and suggests future directions for research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Development and Aging

Psychology > Emotion and Motivation
Randomization
Authors: Manly Bryan F.J.
Published: April 2010

There are three aspects of randomization in statistics that are considered here. The first aspect is randomization as part of a sampling design to estimate one or more parameters for a statistical population such as all the farms in a certain area of a country, based on information obtained about the parameters from only a part of the population. The second aspect is using randomization as part of an experimental design to ensure that the allocation of treatment levels to the experimental units is not biased in any way. For example, the test of a new drug for relieving the symptoms of a disease might involve this drug being randomly allocated to half of a group of patients, while the other half of the patients receive a standard drug that is used for the disease. Finally, the third aspect is using randomization to test some statistical hypothesis. For example, to see if there is a significant difference between two drugs for the treatment of a disease in terms of some suitable outcome measure, the observed mean difference between means for this outcome measure might be compared to the distribution of mean differences that is obtained by randomly reallocating the observed values of the measure to the drugs. The null hypothesis being tested would then be that each of the observed values of the measure was equally likely to have occurred with each of the two drugs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Sampling
Ranked set sampling
Authors: Wolfe Douglas A.
Published: April 2010

The most common sampling approach for collecting data from a population with the goal of making inferences about unknown features of the population is a simple random sample (SRS). There is a probabilistic guarantee that each measured observation in an SRS can be considered representative of the population. Despite this assurance, there remains a distinct possibility that a specific SRS might not provide a truly representative picture of the population. With that in mind, statisticians have developed a variety of ways to guard against obtaining such unrepresentative samples. Sampling designs such as stratified sampling, probability sampling, and cluster sampling all provide additional structure on the sampling process to improve the likelihood that the collected sample data do, indeed, provide a good representation of the population. A secondary goal in most data collection settings is to minimize the costs associated with obtaining the data. Ranked set sampling (RSS) is a relatively recent development that addresses both of these issues. It uses additional information from the population to provide more structure to the data collection process and decreases the likelihood of an unrepresentative sample. In addition, it is designed to minimize the number of measured observations required to achieve the desired precision in making inferences. In this article, we provide a general introduction to both balanced and unbalanced RSS, describing the basic approaches for collecting each type of RSS and some of the associated properties. We discuss a number of important factors that affect the performance of RSS procedures. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Sampling
Quantitative magnetic resonance fluorine imaging: today and tomorrow
Authors: Chen Junjie , Lanza Gregory M. , Wickline Samuel A.
Published: April 2010

Fluorine (19F) is a promising moiety for quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It possesses comparable magnetic resonance (MR) sensitivity to proton (1H) but exhibits no tissue background signal, allowing specific and selective assessment of the administrated 19F‐containing compounds in vivo. Additionally, the MR spectra of 19F‐containing compounds exhibited a wide range of chemical shifts (>200 ppm). Therefore, both MR parameters (e.g., spin–lattice relaxation rate R1) and the absolute quantity of molecule can be determined with 19F MRI for unbiased assessment of tissue physiology and pathology. This article reviews quantitative 19F MRI applications for mapping tumor oxygenation, assessing molecular expression in vascular diseases, and tracking labeled stem cells. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2010 2 431–440

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies
Räumliche Differenzierungen von Betriebsgründungsintensität und Überlebenschancen in Westdeutschland 1983 bis 1997
Authors: Brixy Udo , Grotz Reinhold
Published: April 2010

Business start-ups are considered to represent an important means for renewing regional economic structures. There is to date, however, little empirical evidence regarding the timescales affecting business start-ups, nor are sectoral or geographical breakdowns or data on survival rates available. The first part of this article consists of an analysis of start-up activity in western Germany between 1983 and 1997, revealing a relatively high constancy between structures and processes. One further important finding is the discovery overall of a reciprocal relationship between the start-up rates observed for specific cohorts and their survival rates over a five-year term, attributable largely to the service sector. The second part of the study draws on regression analysis in an attempt to assess the geographical differences for start-up rates and survival rates. The models for start-ups provide relatively good certainty levels (60–84 %); the results for survival rates are not quite as sound. Overall the study reveals that both start-up rates and survival rates are influenced significantly by the respective business sector and by the regional milieu (size of businesses, qualifications, unemployment rate, etc.). In the final section, these findings are used to develop ideas for regional structure policy.
Zwischen Netzwerk und Organisation
Authors: Diller Christian
Published: April 2010

In the past decade an astonishing number of new regional co-operations were established all over Germany. Now the question arises how their continuity can be achieved: How can co-operation be anchored in the region in the long term? It is obvious in this connection that the different forms of governance, for instance networks on the one hand and fixed formal organisations on the other, have their specific strengths and weaknesses. This article considers these in detail and formulates possible perspectives for future landscapes of regional governance on this basis.
Pulmonary Contusion: An Update on Recent Advances in Clinical Management
Authors: Cohn Stephen M. , DuBose Joseph J.
Published: April 2010

Pulmonary contusion is a common finding after blunt chest trauma. The physiologic consequences of alveolar hemorrhage and pulmonary parenchymal destruction typically manifest themselves within hours of injury and usually resolve within approximately 7 days. Clinical symptoms, including respiratory distress with hypoxemia and hypercarbia, peak at about 72 h after injury. The timely diagnosis of pulmonary contusion requires a high degree of clinical suspicion when a patient presents with trauma caused by an appropriate mechanism of injury. The clinical diagnosis of acute parenchymal lung injury is usually confirmed by thoracic computed tomography, which is both highly sensitive in identifying pulmonary contusion and highly predictive of the need for subsequent mechanical ventilation. Management of pulmonary contusion is primarily supportive. Associated complications such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and long‐term pulmonary disability, however, are frequent sequelae of these injuries.
Standortfaktor „Ambulante ärztliche Versorgung“: Debatten und Strategien im Bundesland Hessen
Authors: Hilligardt Jan
Published: April 2010

Due to an increasing lack of doctors in many regions of Germany the location of the ambulatory medical care has become a significant focus of politics and the administration. The report at hand shows the starting conditions of the ambulatory medical care as exemplified within different parts of Hessen. The currently used planning tools of control, especially with respect to its influence on the medical care situation are to be analyzed as well. Based on a critical analysis of the efficiency of these planning tools the focus is put on the currently discussed new action strategies for ensuring and optimizing the ambulatory medical care as a contributing factor in securing equal living conditions throughout Hessen. Finally, this debate will be evaluated.
Hexokinase inhibits flux of fluorescently labeled ATP through mitochondrial outer membrane porin
Authors: Perevoshchikova Irina V. , Zorov Savva D. , Kotova Elena A. , Zorov Dmitry B. , Antonenko Yuri N.
Published: April 2010

Mitochondrial function requires maintaining metabolite fluxes across the mitochondrial outer membrane, which is mediated primarily by the voltage dependent anion channel (VDAC). We applied fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to study regulation of the VDAC functional state by monitoring distribution of fluorescently labeled ATP (BODIPY‐FL‐ATP) in isolated intact rat liver and heart mitochondria. Addition of mitochondria to BODIPY‐FL‐ATP solution resulted in accumulation of the fluorescent probe in these organelles. The addition of hexokinase II (HKII) isolated from rat heart led to a decrease in the BODIPY‐FL‐ATP accumulation, while a 15‐residue peptide corresponding to the N‐terminal domain of hexokinase did not produce this effect. Therefore, the hexokinase‐induced inhibition of the ATP flow mediated by VDAC was revealed in isolated mitochondria.
Lipid outward translocation by ABC proteins
Authors: Nagao Kohjiro , Kimura Yasuhisa , Mastuo Michinori , Ueda Kazumitsu
Published: April 2010

In humans, about 50 ABC proteins play physiologically important roles. Many ABC proteins are involved in lipid outward translocation and lipid homeostasis in the body, and defects in their functions cause various diseases. However, the precise mechanisms of substrate transport remain unclear. In bacteria, several ABC proteins are involved in the transport of lipoproteins and lipopolysaccharides from the inner to outer membrane, and their functioning is a prerequisite for survival. Their functions can be divided into “flip‐flop” and “projection”. In this review, human ABC proteins are compared to bacterial proteins to elucidate their mechanisms.
K+ transport characteristics of the plasma membrane tandem‐pore channel TPK4 and pore chimeras with its vacuolar homologs
Authors: Marcel Dunkel , Müller Thomas , Hedrich Rainer , Geiger Dietmar
Published: April 2010

Vacuolar tandem‐pore channels could not be analysed in Xenopus oocytes so far, due to misguided translocation. Owing to the conservation of their pore regions, we were able to prepare functional pore‐chimeras between the plasma membrane localised TPK4 and vacuolar TPKs. Thereby, we found evidence that TPK2, TPK3 and TPK5, just like TPK4, form potassium‐selective channels with instantaneous current kinetics. Homology modelling and mutational analyses identified a pore‐located aspartate residue (Asp110), which is involved in potassium permeation as well as in inward rectification of TPK4. Furthermore, dominant‐negative mutations in the selectivity filter of either pore one or two (Asp86, Asp200) rendered TPK4 non‐functional. This observation supports the notion that the functional TPK4 channel complex is formed by two subunits.
Regulation of Trk‐dependent potassium transport by the calcineurin pathway involves the Hal5 kinase
Authors: Casado Carlos , Yenush Lynne , Melero Carmen , del Carmen Ruiz María , Serrano Raquel , Pérez-Valle Jorge , Ariño Joaquín , Ramos José
Published: April 2010

The phosphatase calcineurin and the kinases Hal4/Hal5 regulate high‐affinity potassium uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through the Trk1 transporter. We demonstrate that calcineurin is necessary for high‐affinity potassium uptake even in the absence of Na+ stress. HAL5 expression is induced in response to stress in a calcineurin–dependent manner through a newly identified functional CDRE (nt −195/−189). Lack of calcineurin decreases Hal5 protein levels, although with little effect on Trk1 amounts. However, the growth defect of cnb1 cells at K+‐limiting conditions can be rescued in part by overexpression of HAL5, and this mutation further aggravates the potassium requirements of a hal4 strain. This suggests that the control exerted by calcineurin on Hal5 expression may be biologically relevant for Trk1 regulation.
A structural classification of substrate‐binding proteins
Authors: Berntsson Ronnie P.-A. , Smits Sander H.J. , Schmitt Lutz , Slotboom Dirk-Jan , Poolman Bert
Published: April 2010

Substrate‐binding proteins (SBP) are associated with a wide variety of protein complexes. The proteins are part of ATP‐binding cassette transporters for substrate uptake, ion gradient driven transporters, DNA‐binding proteins, as well as channels and receptors from both pro‐ and eukaryotes. A wealth of structural and functional data is available on SBPs, with over 120 unique entries in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Over a decade ago these proteins were divided into three structural classes, but based on the currently available wealth of structural data, we propose a new classification into six clusters, based on features of their three‐dimensional structure.
Defective cholesterol trafficking in Niemann‐Pick C‐deficient cells
Authors: Peake Kyle B. , Vance Jean E.
Published: April 2010

Pathways of intracellular cholesterol trafficking are poorly understood at the molecular level. Mutations in Niemann‐Pick C (NPC) proteins, NPC1 and NPC2, however, have led to insights into the mechanism by which endocytosed cholesterol is exported from late endosomes/lysosomes (LE/L). Mutations in NPC1, a multi‐spanning membrane protein of LE/L, or mutations in NPC2, a soluble luminal protein of LE/L, cause the neurodegenerative disorder NPC disease. This review focuses on data supporting a model in which movement of cholesterol out of LE/L is mediated by the sequential action of the two NPC proteins. We also discuss potential therapies for NPC disease, including evidence that treatment of NPC‐deficient mice with the cholesterol‐binding compound, cyclodextrin, markedly attenuates neurodegeneration, and increases life‐span, of NPC1‐deficient mice.
Downregulation of catalase by reactive oxygen species via hypermethylation of CpG island II on the catalase promoter
Authors: Min Ji Young , Lim Seung-Oe , Jung Guhung
Published: April 2010

Catalase, which decomposes reactive oxygen species (ROS), is reduced in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the reasons are poorly defined. In this study, it is demonstrated that prolonged exposure to ROS induced methylation of CpG island II on the catalase promoter and downregulated catalase expression at the transcriptional level in HCC cell lines. In addition, hypermethylation of CpG island II was also observed in tumor tissues, together with a decrease in catalase mRNA and protein expression levels when compared to non‐tumor tissues. From these data, we suggest that ROS may downregulate catalase through the methylation of promoter during the development of HCC.
Endoscopic resection of maxillary sinus inverted papillomas with inferior turbinate preservation
Authors: Rutherford Kimberley D. , Brown Seth M.
Published: April 2010

The surgical management of inverted papillomas of the maxillary sinus has evolved from large en block excisions requiring external incisions to the minimally invasive endoscopic and endoscopic‐assisted techniques used today. The traditional endoscopic approach involves resection of the inferior turbinate to perform an endoscopic medial maxillectomy, which can cause atrophic rhinitis and shrinking of the maxillary sinus, resulting in difficulty following these patients for recurrence in the office. In this article, we present a series of patients who underwent a modified endoscopic surgical approach for the excision of maxillary sinus inverted papillomas. In our approach, we preserve the inferior turbinate to preserve nasal mucosa physiology. Patient characteristics, recurrence rates, and complications associated with this approach are reviewed.
Evidence‐based medicine in otolaryngology, part 1: The multiple faces of evidence‐based medicine
Authors: Shin Jennifer J. , Randolph Gregory W. , Rauch Steven D.
Published: April 2010

Evidence‐based medicine, with its capacity to improve patient outcomes, has grown prominent throughout the medical field. Otolaryngology is at a crucial stage in the expansion of evidence‐based medicine, with its impact seen in many arenas. As the evidence continues to shape our field, we hope to serve our otolaryngology community through this invited series, which is dedicated to the exposition of evidence‐based medicine and its applications. This first installment examines evidence‐based medicine itself and its multiple interpretations, including a purist view, a population‐based view, and a view centered on the individual. Strengths and weaknesses of each are discussed, as well the potential for unification and evolution of these concepts. We also place evidence‐based medicine in the context of the mindset of traditional medicine and anticipate future developments.
Morphology of the human tympanic membrane annulus
Authors: Kassem Firas , Ophir Dov , Bernheim Joelle , Berger Gilead
Published: April 2010

Objective

To study the full panoramic view with figuring of the morphology and topography of the human tympanic annulus.

Study Design

Postmortem material analysis.

Setting

University‐affiliated hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Twenty‐three single, normal human adult tympanic membranes were completely extracted from formalin‐fixed temporal bones. They were faced medially and placed at the same level of a graph paper mounted on a board. High‐quality images of the tissue preparations were taken, and computer‐aided measurements of the annular caliber were calculated at nine reference points. The 6 o'clock direction served as a midpoint, and another four reference points were set anteriorly and posteriorly in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

Results

The annulus has a horseshoe‐like shape with a small part absent above the neck of the malleus. The maximal mean caliber at the manubrial axis (6 o'clock direction) was 748 ± 201 μm. The annulus gradually thins out almost symmetrically anteriorly and posteriorly, until it reaches about 15 percent of the maximal caliber at its end points (152 ± 87 and 113 ± 42 μm, respectively). Significant differences were found between adjacent reference points on both anterior and posterior sides.

Conclusions

The annulus has a horseshoe‐like shape and gradually thins out almost symmetrically, reaching anteriorly and posteriorly about 15 percent of the maximal caliber at the manubrial axis. These new data may provide guidance in transcanal middle ear exploration and suggest the possibility of varied functions attributable to the annulus regarding middle ear sound transmission and TM vibratory properties. The data may contribute to understanding the development of marginal perforations and posterior superior retraction pockets.
Longitudinal posturography and rotational testing in children three to nine years of age: Normative data
Authors: Casselbrant Margaretha L. , Mandel Ellen M. , Sparto Patrick J. , Perera Subashan , Redfern Mark S. , Fall Patricia A. , Furman Joseph M.
Published: April 2010

Objective

To obtain normative longitudinal vestibulo‐ocular and balance test data in children from ages three to nine years with normal middle ear status.

Study Design

Prospective, longitudinal cohort.

Setting

Tertiary care pediatric hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Three‐year‐old children were entered and tested yearly. Subjects underwent earth vertical axis rotation testing using sinusoidal and constant velocity stimuli and performed the Sensory Organization Test.

Results

One hundred forty‐eight children were entered, and usable data were collected on 127 children. A linear increase in the vestibulo‐ocular reflex gain as children aged was found, without a change in the phase of the response. An age‐related linear increase in equilibrium scores, indicating reduced postural sway, was also observed.

Conclusion

These normative data can be used in the evaluation of dizziness and balance disorders in children.
Neo-Calligraphy: Religious Authority and Media Technology in Contemporary Shiite Islam
Authors: Clarke Morgan
Published: April 2010

Religious authority and its relation to the mundane, and especially to the domains of politics and the state, is a perennial issue of sociological and theological concern. Within the Islamic world, my focus here, this issue takes particular form, inflected through the powerful trope of the shari‘ah (Arabic,sharī‘ah), most commonly glossed in English as “Islamic law,” although God's right “way” through life potentially addresses every aspect of human life. This comprehensiveness, conjoined with the “openness” that the shari‘ah's nominally divine and hence, in the final analysis, inscrutable source entails, has consequences for the ways in which one might imagine a state that grounded its legitimacy in following that right path. Brinkley Messick's (1993) monographThe Calligraphic Statehas provided a now classic exploration of such a polity in North Yemen, and its transformations under modernization. His analysis of these processes turns on a central image: the shift from a “calligraphic,” that is, personalized form of “textual domination,” drawing its authority from the endlessly open and interpretable field of “shari‘ah discourse” (1993: 1–3), to the rationalized, impersonal authority of modern legal texts, fixed and monopolized by state officials and symbolized, following the master metaphor, by uniform, rigid print.
Lancelot Threlkeld, Biraban, and the Colonial Bible in Australia
Authors: Carey Hilary M.
Published: April 2010

Ethnographers, historians, and linguists have argued for many years about the nature of the relationship between missionaries and their collaborators. Critics of missionary linguistics and education have pointed out that Bible translations were tools forged for the cultural conquest of native people and that missionary impacts on local cultures nearly always destructive and frequently overwhelming (Comaroff and Comaroff 1997; Rafael 1988; Sanneh 1989). Sociolinguistic readings of scripture translation have emphasized the cultural loss inherent in the act of translation and even seemingly benign activities such as dictionary making (Errington 2001; Peterson 1999; Tomlinson 2006). To make this point, Rafael (1988: xvii) notes the semantic links between the various Spanish words for conquest (conquista), conversion (conversión), and translation (traducción). Historians, on the other hand, have generally been more skeptical about the power of mere words to exert hegemonic pressure on colonized people and have emphasized the more tangible power of guns and commerce as agents of empire (Porter 2004). Few would deny the symbolic power of the Bible as a representation of colonial domination, as in the saying attributed to Archbishop Desmond Tutu by Cox (2008: 4): “When the white man arrived, he had the Bible and we had the land; now, we have the Bible and he has the land.”
Long-term middle-ear ventilation with subannular tubes
Authors: Daudia A , Yelavich S , Dawes P J D
Published: April 2010

Objective:

Long-term tympanostomy tubes are associated with a significant rate of complications, particularly persistent perforation. We describe the outcomes of 57 subannular ventilation tube insertions in 45 consecutive patients.

Design:

Retrospective case series.

Subjects:

We studied 45 consecutive patients with chronic otitis media with effusion and hearing loss (n = 54 cases), associated with adhesive otitis media (n = 7), tympanic membrane retraction (n = 17) and tympanic membrane perforation (n = 3). The mean follow up was 48 months (range, nine to 95 months).

Results:

The mean duration of ventilation for tubes still in situ was 22 months (range, one to 76 months;n = 29), and for tubes which extruded or were removed 23 months (range, one to 85 months;n = 28). The mean improvement in air–bone gap was 14 dB (range, −14 to 35 dB). Complications included blockage (16 per cent), perforation after extrusion (9 per cent), granulation (5 per cent) and infection (4 per cent).

Conclusion:

Subannular ventilation tubes provide an effective option for management of intractable middle-ear effusion and eustachian tube dysfunction.
Perturbations of multidimensional shifts of finite type
Authors: PAVLOV RONNIE
Published: April 2010

In this paper, we study perturbations of multidimensional shifts of finite type. Specifically, for any ℤd shift of finite type X with d>1 and any finite pattern w in the language of X, we denote by Xw the set of elements of X not containing w. For strongly irreducible X and patterns w with shape a d-dimensional cube, we obtain upper and lower bounds on htop (X)−htop (Xw) dependent on the size of w. This extends a result of Lind for d=1 . We also apply our methods to an undecidability question in ℤd symbolic dynamics.