bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sentinel lymph node micrometastasis may predict non‐sentinel involvement in cutaneous melanoma patients
Authors: Glumac Nebojsa , Hocevar Marko , Zadnik Vesna , Snoj Marko
Published: May 2008

Background and objectives

Cutaneous melanoma patients with positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) are being treated with completion lymph node dissection (CLND). The aim of our study was to determine the predictive value of sentinel lymph node (SLN) micrometastases (metastases less than 2 mm in diameter) in assessing further lymph node involvement in CLND.

Methods

Between 2001 and 2005, we performed 476 SLNB in patients with stages I and II melanoma; 74 had metastases in SLN. We evaluated retrospectively the metastases in SLN according to their size and number. The presence of additional metastases in non‐sentinel lymph nodes after CLND was evaluated.

Results

Thirty‐nine patients had micrometastases, 22 of them were solitary, 3 were double, and 14 patients had multiple micrometastases in SLN. Out of 22 solitary micrometastases, no patient had additional metastases in non‐sentinel lymph nodes. From 3 patients with double micrometastases, 1 patient had further metastases in non‐sentinel lymph nodes after CLND. Out of 14 patients with multiple micrometastases, 2 had additional metastases in CLND.

Conclusions

No patient with a single SLN micrometastasis had further metastases after CLND in our series. CLND may not be beneficial after detecting a single micrometastasis in SLN. J. Surg. Oncol. 2008;98:46–48. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Toward the synthesis of strongly photoluminescing polyesters by entropically driven ring‐opening polymerizations
Authors: Williams Richard T. , Hodge Philip , Yeates Stephen G.
Published: May 2008

A range of strongly fluorescent polyesters incorporating distyrylarylene moieties have been prepared. The polyesters have the potential to be prepared from the corresponding macrocyclic oligomers (MCOs) by entropically driven ring‐opening polymerizations (ED‐ROP). This reactive macrocyclic oligomer approach to the polymers has the advantage of allowing the deposition of conjugated materials by solution deposition techniques, such as ink‐jet, since the macrocycles after deposition can be converted directly on the substrate, in the absence of any external initiator, into solvent intractable thin polymeric films. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Delays in diagnosis and treatment among children and adolescents with cancer in Canada
Authors: Dang‐Tan Tam , Trottier Helen , Mery Leslie S. , Morrison Howard I. , Barr Ronald D. , Greenberg Mark L. , Franco Eduardo L.
Published: May 2008

Background

Few studies have investigated delays in diagnosis and treatment among children and adolescents with cancer, especially from the perspective of an entire country. Detailed understanding of delays along the continuum of cancer patient care is important in order to establish appropriate benchmarks for timely oncological care. Our objective was to characterise the different components of delay in 2,896 Canadian children and adolescents (aged 0–19 years) with cancer that were enrolled in the Treatment and Outcome Surveillance component of the Canadian Childhood Cancer Surveillance and Control Program from 1995 to 2000.

Procedure

We examined median and standardised means concerning the distribution of delay times across categories of pertinent variables and over time. The word “delay” was used simply to represent a time interval, measured in days, without implying whether this interval exceeded a particular threshold of clinical acceptability.

Results

The median times (and inter‐quartile ranges) for patient, diagnosis and healthcare system delays for all cancers were 9 (1–31), 30 (13–69) and 12 (4–35) days, respectively. The median total delay was 34 (16–76) days.

Conclusions

Patient and referral delays were the longest time segments influencing timely diagnosis. Differences in delays were observed across age groups, cancer types and geographical regions. There was a significant trend for decreasing delays to diagnosis and treatment. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;51:468–474. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Drug‐induced torsades de pointes: a review of the Swedish pharmacovigilance database
Authors: Åström‐Lilja Cecilia , Odeberg Johanna Mercke , Ekman Elisabet , Hägg Staffan
Published: May 2008

Aim

To describe spontaneously reported cases of torsades de pointes (TdP) in Sweden and to investigate if this adverse drug reaction (ADR) was labelled in the summary of product characteristics (SPC) for the drugs implicated.

Methods

Reported cases of TdP 1991–2006 were identified and evaluated with regard to drug use and other possible risk factor.

Results

Among a total of 61 788 ADRs, 88 cases of TdP were identified. In these cases, 27 different suspected drugs were implicated. Cardiac drugs were involved in most reports (74%; 65/88), with sotalol being the most frequently suspected drug (57%, 58/88). In addition to drug treatment two or more established risk factors were present in 85% of the cases (75/88). Heart disease (90%; 79/88) was the most common risk factor followed by age over 65 years (72%; 63/88) and female gender (70%; 62/88). TdP or QT prolongation were labelled in the SPC for 33% (9/27) of the drugs implicated in the 88 cases. However, supporting evidence for an association was found elsewhere in 56% (15/27) for the different drugs implicated in the reports. Although citalopram was the third most common suspected drug in the reports (10%; 9/88), TdP was not listed in the SPC.

Conclusion

TdP is a rarely reported ADR. Several risk factors are often present. In two thirds of the drugs implicated in the reports neither TdP nor QT prolongation was labelled in the SPC. Further investigations are needed regarding the association between citalopram and TdP. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A cross‐species quantitative proteomic study of salt adaptation in a halotolerant environmental isolate using 15N metabolic labelling
Authors: Pandhal Jagroop , Snijders Ambrosius P. L. , Wright Phillip C. , Biggs Catherine A.
Published: May 2008

We examine differential protein expression in Euhalothece sp. BAA001, an extremely halotolerant and unsequenced cyanobacterium, under adaptation to low (0% w/v), medium (3% w/v), high (6% w/v) and very high (9% w/v) salt concentrations using cross‐species protein identification tools. We combine stable isotope labelling with 1‐D SDS‐PAGE, and MASCOT protein identification software with MS‐driven BLAST searches, to produce an accurate method for protein identification and quantitation. The use of metabolic labelling to improve the confidence in identification of proteins in cross‐species proteomics is demonstrated. Three hundred and eighty‐three unique proteins were identified, and 72 were deemed to be differentially expressed (average CV for quantitations was 0.10 ± 0.08), belonging to 24 functional groups. Responses to low salt as well as high salt are discussed in terms of adaptation and evidence shows that Euhalothece cells display ‘stress’ responses in nonsaline conditions as well as higher salt environments.
Metal hydroxystannates as flame retardants and smoke suppressants for semirigid poly(vinyl chloride)
Authors: Qu Hongqiang , Wu Weihong , Wei Haiying , Xu Jianzhong
Published: May 2008

Metal hydroxystannates were studied as flame retardants and smoke suppressants for semirigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The flame‐retardant and smoke‐suppression mechanisms were investigated by using limiting oxygen index (LOI), smoke density rating (SDR), the solid yield test (SY), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry, differential thermogravimetry, and differential thermal analysis. Results showed that semirigid PVC treated with the flame retardants had a higher LOI, and solid yield, but a lower SDR and maximum smoke density, thereby indicating that the flame‐retardance and smoke‐suppression properties of the treated PVC were improved and that the hydroxystannate compounds could be used as highly effective flame retardants. The tin compounds may exert their action in both the condensed and vapor phases, but mainly in the condensed phase as Lewis acids. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Flavor and oxidative stability of hydrogenated and unhydrogenated soybean oil: Effect of tertiary butyl hydroquinone
Authors: Mounts T. L. , Warner K. , List G. R.
Published: May 2008

The efficacy of tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) treatment for enhancement of the storage stability of soybean oil has been studied by flavor evaluation and chemical analysis. Soybean oils (I) unhydrogenated (IV=137.7; % linolenate=8.3), (II) hydrogenated with nickel catalyst (IV=109.1; % linolenate=3.3), and (III) hydrogenated with copper‐chromium catalyst (IV=112.8, % linolenate=0.4) were each deodorized. In the cooling stage of the deodorizer, each oil was treated with citric acid plus TBHQ. These freshly deodorized oils were compared to separate batches of each oil treated with citric acid alone or with citric acid plus butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene. An analytical taste panel performed sensory evaluations by a paired sample test using an intensity rating scale system. The oils were also evaluated after being subjected to accelerated storage tests (4 days and 8 days at 60 C) and a fluorescent light exposure test (4 hr, ambient temperature). Peroxide development during storage was beneficially reduced in oils treated with TBHQ. The flavor stability of the three oils was not enhanced by treatment with TBHQ under any test conditions.
Racial Steering by Real Estate Agents: Mechanisms and Motives
Authors: Galster George
Published: May 2008

Data from fair housing audits conducted in Cincinnati (1983-85) and Memphis (1985-87) are analyzed to discern whether and how racial steering occurs. The six real estate firms analyzed here engaged in some sort of steering during at least one-half of the audited transactions, on average. This steering did not limit the number of alternative areas shown to black auditors, nor their geographic concentration. Rarely were black auditors not shown dwellings in predominantly white areas, especially if they requested such. But of all the homes they saw, black auditors were shown significantly smaller fractions in predominantly white areas, and significantly larger fractions in mixed and predominantly black areas. These racial patterns persisted regardless of the geographic definition of area chosen: census block, census tract, school district, or community. In addition, blocks adjacent to the homes shown black auditors had higher percentages of black residents, on average, than those shown to white auditors. White auditors rarely were shown houses in racially mixed areas unless they requested them. Even then, after the requested home was shown the bulk of subsequent showings were located in predominantly white areas. This pattern of showings was buttressed by numerous favorable comments by agents about such predominantly white areas and school districts … comments that were rarely given to black auditors. The evidence was fully consistent with only one hypothesis about why real estate agents steer. They steer so as to perpetuate two segregated housing markets buffered by a zone of racially transitional neighborhoods, thereby maximizing housing turnover and agents’ commissions.
Trends in Relative Earnings Gains by Black Women: Implications for the Future
Authors: Fosu Augustin Kwasi
Published: May 2008

The current article argues that the labor pattern of black women may be properly viewed within a trisectoral segmentation of the labor market. A three-phase characterization of their relative earnings behavior over the postwar period is implied. Empirical evidence lends support to the basic hypothesis of an acceleration in black female earnings growth, relative to white males and females, during the intermediate post-1964 period, but a decline thereafter. The quadratic trend model and its logistic transformation were found to fit the earnings patterns rather well. Projections based upon these models suggest that present trends do not bode well for major gains in black female median earnings relative to those of white men and women in the near future.
Race and the Discouraged Female Worker: A Question of Labor Force Attachment
Authors: Stevans Lonnie K. , Register Charles , Grimes Paul
Published: May 2008

This article presents an empirical examination of female attachment to the labor market. An econometric model of the discouragement process is built to determine how strongly women exhibit the inclination to remain labor force participants over the course of the business cycle. The estimated results imply that women, as a group, have a stronger response to changes in short-run cyclical fluctuations and therefore will sever their attachment to the labor force significantly sooner than their male counterparts. However, when the analysis is broken down by race, minority females are discovered to demonstrate only a modest response to short-run fluctuations and a very pronounced long-run sensitivity to cyclical swings. Thus, the results suggest that while females as a whole do not exhibit the same degree of labor force attachment as males, minority females respond in a manner similar to that of male workers. Such a conclusion is in agreement with the growing literature on the labor market behavior of minority females who are increasingly playing the same economic role in society as men.
Nitrogen‐stable isotopic signatures of basal food items, primary consumers and omnivores in rivers with different levels of human impact
Authors: Kohzu Ayato , Tayasu Ichiro , Yoshimizu Chikage , Maruyama Atsushi , Kohmatsu Yukihiro , Hyodo Fujio , Onoda Yukio , Igeta Akitake , Matsui Kiyoshi , Nakano Takanori , Wada Eitaro , Nagata Toshi , Takemon Yasuhiro
Published: May 2008

We examined how nitrogen‐stable isotopic signatures of food web components (basal resources, primary and lower consumers, and omnivores) in rivers change with increasing levels of human population density (HPD) in their watersheds. Samples were collected from 22 rivers flowing in the Lake Biwa basin, Japan. Among three potential resources at the base of food webs (epilithon, benthic and suspended particulate organic matter), the mean isotopic values (δ15N) of the epilithon (4.5–7.8%) were consistently higher than those of other items (1.9–4.2%) and displayed the most pronounced elevation (by 3.3%) with increasing HPD. The mean δ15N values of the individual taxa of lower consumers (bivalve, snail and caddisfly) tended to increase with increasing HPD, although the pattern and the extent of the elevation were highly variable among the taxa. These results suggest a taxon‐specific feature in the N source (or sources) of lower consumers. Our data suggested that human activities (e.g. nutrient loading) potentially induce changes in the N baselines of river food webs. The major N source of bivalves appeared to be shifted from suspended particulate organic matter to other items with increasing HPD. Trophic levels of goby fish (Rhinogobius sp. OR) and shrimp (Palaemon paucidens), being estimated to be at 2.4–3.8 and 2.1–3.4, respectively, did not differ significantly among rivers with different HPD levels.
Cell cycle dependent role of HDAC1 for proliferation control through modulating ribosomal DNA transcription
Authors: Meraner Joachim , Lechner Markus , Schwarze Florian , Gander Roland , Jesacher Florian , Loidl Peter
Published: May 2008

Ribosome biogenesis and ribosomal DNA transcription are closely correlated with the growth and proliferation of cells, with these processes being under tight epigenetic control. We have investigated the effect of ectopically expressed murine HDAC1 in reporter assays, on ribosomal DNA transcription, cell cycle progression and proliferation in transfected mammalian cells. Ectopically expressed mHDAC1 represses transcription in ribosomal reporter assays driven by ribosomal promoter elements in NIH3T3 cells as well as Cos‐7 cells. Following stable transfection of NIH3T3 cells, flag‐tagged HDAC1 is assembled into functional, enzymatically active HDAC‐complexes that display correct nuclear localization. Induction of flag‐HDAC1 expression in NIH3T3 cells caused a cell‐cycle phase specific reduction in the initiation of endogenous rDNA transcription, reflected in a reduction of nascent rRNA as well as a marked depression of proliferation due to prolongation of G2‐phase. This was substantiated by FACS analysis and cyclin B1 expression analysis. However, prolongation of the G2‐phase in HDAC1‐overexpressing cells finally led to overcompensation and thus to an increase in total ribosomal RNA. The transient downregulation of rRNA synthesis after induction of HDAC1 overexpression led to a prolongation of G2‐phase. These observations were most likely a consequence of HDAC1‐mediated deacetylation of upstream binding factor (UBF).
Persistent haematuria and proteinuria due to glomerular disease in related Abyssinian cats
Authors: White Joanna D. , Norris Jacqueline M. , Bosward Katrina L. , Fleay R. , Lauer Chris , Malik Richard
Published: May 2008

Eight cases of glomerular disease in young, related Abyssinian cats are described. Haematuria was the most consistent feature. Six cats developed the nephrotic syndrome. The short-term prognosis was good for cats with haematuria and fair for cats with the nephrotic syndrome as oedema resolved in three of the six cats. Light microscopic examination of renal biopsies from three cats was considered normal or revealed only mild abnormalities. In the three cases subjected to necropsy, histological abnormalities included mild mesangial hypercellularity and adhesions between the glomerular tuft and Bowman's capsule consistent with a focal proliferative glomerulopathy. Further investigation into this glomerulopathy will require ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies to characterise the glomerular abnormality and genetic analyses to investigate its potential to be an inherited disease. Glomerular disease, potentially a familial one, should be considered in the investigation of persistent haematuria or proteinuria in Abyssinian and related cats.
Postpregnancy Genital Tract and Wound Infections
Authors: Tharpe Nell
Published: May 2008

Despite the widespread application of standard aseptic techniques during vaginal birth, cesarean birth, and/or termination of pregnancy, postpregnancy infections remain a significant source of maternal morbidity and mortality. Obstetric infection accounts for more than 12% of maternal deaths. Infection occurs most frequently in women who have cesarean births, and following spontaneous or elective termination of pregnancy. Infection is estimated to be the second highest cause of under‐reported maternal death in the United States. This article identifies measures to aid in primary prevention and recognition of obstetric infections in order to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.
Restricting coancestry and inbreeding at a specific position on the genome by using optimized selection
Authors: ROUGHSEDGE T. , PONG-WONG R. , WOOLLIAMS J.A. , VILLANUEVA B.
Published: May 2008

Over recent years, selection methodologies have been developed to allow the maximization of genetic gain whilst constraining the rate of inbreeding. The desired rate of inbreeding is achieved by constraining the group coancestry using the numerator relationship matrix computed from pedigree. It is shown that when the method is applied to mixed inheritance models, where a QTL is segregating together with polygenes, the rate of inbreeding achieved in the region around a QTL is greater than the desired level. The constraint on group coancestry at specific positions around the QTL is achieved by using a relationship matrix computed from pedigree and genetic markers. However, the rate of inbreeding realized at the position of constraint is lower than that expected given the assumed relationship between group coancestry and the subsequent rate of inbreeding. The use of markers in the calculation of the relationship matrix allows the selection of candidates with very low or zero relationships because they are homozygous for alternative alleles, which results in a heterozygosity amongst their offspring higher than would be expected given their allele frequencies. A generation of random selection restored the expected relationship between group coancestry and inbreeding.
Influence of environmental changes in the north-western Atlantic Ocean on a parasite, Echinorhynchus gadi (Acanthocephala) of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) occurring off coastal Labrador, Canada
Authors: Khan R.A.
Published: May 2008

A study was conducted to determine the influence of environmental change on an endoparasite, Echinorhynchus gadi (Acanthocephala) of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) over a 30-year period off the coast of Labrador in the north-western Atlantic, North Atlantic Fisheries Organization subareas 2J–3K. Cod, once an abundant fish species that had been commercially exploited for many decades, declined precipitously during the mid-1980s onwards. This decline was attributed to climatic changes that affected the entire food chain from zooplankton to fish, sea birds and marine mammals. A monitoring programme was introduced, sampling cod by otter trawling using research vessels. The fish, after capture, were frozen at − 20°C, subsequently thawed and the digestive tract removed and examined for the parasite in 2006. Data from samples taken in 1976, 1980–81, 1986, 1990, 2000 and 2003 were compared statistically with those collected in 2006. The results indicate a decline in the prevalence and mean abundance of E. gadi in 1986 with a minimum in 2000 but increasing gradually in 2003 and 2006. These changes were coincident initially with a decline of oceanic temperature and the entire food web, including capelin (Mallotus villosus), a preferred prey of cod and primary source of E. gadi. The increase in prevalence and mean abundance of the parasite in 2006 were associated with an increase of oceanic temperature and the return of small schools of capelin to offshore areas. Cod older than 4 years harboured a greater abundance of E. gadi than younger fish, while no difference was observed between the sexes. The results suggest that the abundance of E. gadi can be useful as a bioindicator of environmental changes in the north-western Atlantic.
Benefit from the minimally invasive sinus technique
Authors: Salama N , Oakley R J , Skilbeck C J , Choudhury N , Jacob A
Published: May 2008

Introduction:

Sinus drainage is impeded by the transition spaces that the anterior paranasal sinuses drain into, not the ostia themselves. Addressing the transition spaces and leaving the ostia intact, using the minimally invasive sinus technique, should reverse chronic rhinosinusitis.

Aim:

To assess patient benefit following use of the minimally invasive sinus technique for chronic rhinosinusitis.

Method:

One hundred and forty-three consecutive patients underwent the minimally invasive sinus technique for chronic rhinosinusitis. Symptoms (i.e. blocked nose, poor sense of smell, rhinorrhoea, post-nasal drip, facial pain and sneezing) were recorded using a visual analogue scale, pre-operatively and at six and 12 weeks post-operatively. Patients were also surveyed using the Glasgow benefit inventory, one and three years post-operatively.

Results:

We found a significant reduction in all nasal symptom scores at six and 12 weeks post-operatively, and increased total quality of life scores at one and three years post-operatively (25.2 and 14.8, respectively).

Conclusion:

The patient benefits of treatment with the minimally invasive sinus technique compare with the published patient benefits for functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
Defending the independence constraint: a reply to Snider
Authors: SILVER DAVID
Published: May 2008

In an earlier paper I argued that Alvin Plantinga's defence of pure experiential theism (a theism epistemically based on religious experience) against the evidential problem of evil is inappropriately circular. Eric Snider rejects my argument claiming first that I do not get Plantinga's thought right. Second, he rejects a key principle my argument relies on, viz. the ‘independence constraint on neutralizers’. Finally, he offers an alternative to the independence constraint which allows the pure experiential theist to deal successfully with the evidential problem of evil. In this paper I argue that: (a) I have correctly characterized Plantinga's argument; and (b) that Snider's proposed counter-example to the independence constraint fails. Finally, I argue (c) that Snider's proposed alternative to the independence constraint is not a plausible epistemic principle.
Anti-naturalism and proper function
Authors: WUNDER TYLER
Published: May 2008

The penultimate chapter of Alvin Plantinga's Warrant and Proper Function attacks metaphysical naturalism through an argument which concludes that only a supernaturalistic worldview can accommodate the indispensable concept of proper function. I make the case that this argument, which I dub ‘the argument from proper function’, suffers from two major flaws. First, it underestimates the naturalist's ability to ground natural proper function ascriptions in the concept of health. Second, it relies upon an overly stringent standard for successful conceptual analysis; ironically, the naturalist can undercut the argument by adopting Plantinga's own recommended model for analysing concepts.
Generic open theism and some varieties thereof
Authors: RHODA ALAN R.
Published: May 2008

The goal of this paper is to facilitate ongoing dialogue between open and non-open theists. First, I try to make precise what open theism is by distinguishing the core commitments of the position from other secondary and optional commitments. The result is a characterization of ‘generic open theism’, the minimal set of commitments that any open theist,quaopen theist, must affirm. Second, within the framework of generic open theism, I distinguish three important variants and discuss challenges distinctive to each. The significance of this approach is that it helps avoid conflating arguments bearing on specific versions of open theism with arguments pertaining to open theismsimpliciter.
Observational aspects of prominence oscillations
Authors: Engvold Oddbjørn
Published: May 2008

Seismology has become a powerful tool in studies of the magnetic structure of solar prominences and filaments. Reversely, analytical and numerical models are guided by available information about the spatial and thermodynamical structure of these enigmatic structures. The present invited paper reviews recent observational results on oscillations and waves as well as details about small-scale structures and dynamics of prominences and filaments.
Multi-wavelength investigation of energy release and transport in the 16 August 2004 flare
Authors: Kashapova L. K. , Zharkova V. V. , Grechnev V. V. , Ipson S. S.
Published: May 2008

The current contribution investigates the solar flare of 16th August 2004 with the multi-wavelength observations with high temporal resolution from RHESSI, Large Solar Vacuum Telescope (LSVT), Hiraiso Solar observatory, Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH, 17 and 34 GHz) and Siberian Solar Radio Telescope (SSRT, 5.7 GHz), TRACE. The main flare was preceded by a pre-flare event with a very short energy release time. The observations of the main flare reveal a close temporal correlation between the Hα intensity observed with LSVT and those in hard and soft X-ray emissions observed with RHESSI, and in microwave fluxes observed with NoRH and SSRT. This close temporal correlation can be only associated with high-energy particles. The role of energetic particles in energy transport and non-thermal excitation and ionisation on Hα emission during the pre-flare and pre-flare event is investigated with full non-LTE approach and possible agents and scenarios of energy transport are discussed.
Fundamental physical processes in coronae: Waves, turbulence, reconnection, and particle acceleration
Authors: Aschwanden Markus J.
Published: May 2008

Our understanding of fundamental processes in the solar corona has been greatly progressed based on the space observations of SMM, Yohkoh, Compton GRO, SOHO, TRACE, RHESSI, and STEREO. We observe now acoustic waves, MHD oscillations, turbulence-related line broadening, magnetic configurations related to reconnection processes, and radiation from high-energy particles on a routine basis. We review a number of key observations in EUV, soft X-rays, and hard X-rays that innovated our physical understanding of the solar corona, in terms of hydrodynamics, MHD, plasma heating, and particle acceleration processes.
Turbulent heating of coronal active regions
Authors: Gómez Daniel O. , Dmitruk Pablo
Published: May 2008

Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence has been proposed as a mechanism for the heating of coronal active regions, and has therefore been actively investigated in recent years. According to this scenario, a turbulent regime is driven by footpoint motions. The energy being pumped this way into active region loops, is efficiently transferred to small scales due to a direct energy cascade. The ensuing generation of fine scale structures, which is a natural outcome of turbulent regimes, helps to enhance the dissipation of either waves or DC currents.

We present an updated overview of recent results on turbulent coronal heating. To illustrate this theoretical scenario, we simulate the internal dynamics of a coronal loop within the reduced MHD approximation. The application of a stationary velocity field at the photospheric boundary leads to a turbulent stationary regime after several photospheric turnover times. This regime is characterized by a broadband power spectrum and energy dissipation rate levels compatible with the heating requirements of active region loops. Also, the energy dissipation rate displays a complex superposition of impulsive events, which we associate to the so-called nanoflares. A statistical analysis yields a power law distribution as a function of their energies, which is consistent with those obtained from observations. We also study the distributions of peak dissipation rate and duration of these events.
Solar feature tracking in both spatial and temporal domains
Authors: Jess D. B. , Mathioudakis M. , Erdélyi R. , Verth G. , McAteer R. T. J. , Keenan F. P.
Published: May 2008

A new method for automated coronal loop tracking, in both spatial and temporal domains, is presented. The reliability of this technique was tested with TRACE 171 Å observations. The application of this technique to a flare-induced kink-mode oscillation, revealed a 3500 km spatial periodicity which occur along the loop edge. We establish a reduction in oscillatory power, for these spatial periodicities, of 45% over a 322 s interval. We relate the reduction in oscillatory power to the physical damping of these loop-top oscillations.
Thermally damped linear compressional waves in a 2D solar coronal model
Authors: Marcu A. , Ballai I. , Orza B.
Published: May 2008

The high resolution observations (TRACE and SOHO) of waves in coronal structures have revealed a rapid damping of modes, sometimes their damping length being of the same order as their wavelength. The rapid damping of modes in coronal loops permits us to derive values for magnetic field and transport coefficients. In this contribution we study the damping of linear compressional waves considering a two-dimensional propagation in gravitationally stratified plasma in the presence of thermal conduction. By considering this 2D model, we show that the presence of an additional transversal motion has an important effect on the damping of the waves. This theoretical model allows as to conclude that the main effects influencing the damping of the waves are the degree of the transversal structuring and temperature.
Suicide Reporting Content Analysis
Authors: Gould Madelyn S. , Midle Jennifer Bassett , Insel Beverly , Kleinman Marjorie
Published: May 2008

Despite substantial research on media influences and the development of media guidelines on suicide reporting, research on the specifics of media stories that facilitate suicide contagion has been limited. The goal of the present study was to develop a content analytic strategy to code features in media suicide reports presumed to be influential in suicide contagion and determine the interrater reliability of the qualitative characteristics abstracted from newspaper stories. A random subset of 151 articles from a database of 1,851 newspaper suicide stories published during 1988 through 1996, which were collected as part of a national study in the United States to identify factors associated with the initiation of youth suicide clusters, were evaluated. Using a well-defined content-analysis procedure, the agreement between raters in scoring key concepts of suicide reports from the headline, the pictorial presentation, and the text were evaluated. The results show that while the majority of variables in the content analysis were very reliable, assessed using the κ statistic, and obtained excellent percentages of agreement, the reliability of complicated constructs, such as sensationalizing, glorifying, or romanticizing the suicide, was comparatively low. The data emphasize that before effective guidelines and responsible suicide reporting can ensue, further explication of suicide story constructs is necessary to ensure the implementation and compliance of responsible reporting on behalf of the media.
Reconnecting the Person with Humanity
Authors: Cutcliffe John R. , Stevenson Chris , Jackson Sue , Smith Paul
Published: May 2008

A modified grounded-theory (qualitative) study was undertaken in an attempt to discover the psychosocial processes involved when psychiatric/mental health nurses provide care to suicidal people, and in so doing, to induce the first comprehensive theory of psychiatric nursing care of the suicidal person. The findings highlight that the key psychosocial process (or core variable of the theory) is “reconnecting the person with humanity” and that this has three stages: reflecting an image of humanity, guiding the individual back to humanity, and learning to live.
Current Understandings of Suicide Survivor Issues: Research, Practice, and Plans
Authors: Andriessen Karl , Beautrais Annette , Grad Onja T. , Brockmann Elisabeth , Simkin Sue
Published: May 2008

The goals of the Postvention Taskforce of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) are to increase awareness of postvention and survivor issues. One of the strategies is to organize meetings. We report on the 1st International Suicide Postvention Seminar, held as a 1-day preevent at the 11th European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behavior in Portoroz, Slovenia, September 2006. The seminar provided a state of the art review of the postvention field, with plenary presentations on research, psychotherapeutic care, development of national networks, and of postvention materials. We summarize the presentations below.
An efficient spectral method for the simulation of dynamos in Cartesian geometry and its implementation on massively parallel computers
Authors: Stellmach Stephan , Hansen Ulrich
Published: May 2008

Numerical simulations of the process of convection and magnetic field generation in planetary cores still fail to reach geophysically realistic control parameter values. Future progress in this field depends crucially on efficient numerical algorithms which are able to take advantage of the newest generation of parallel computers. Desirable features of simulation algorithms include (1) spectral accuracy, (2) an operation count per time step that is small and roughly proportional to the number of grid points, (3) memory requirements that scale linear with resolution, (4) an implicit treatment of all linear terms including the Coriolis force, (5) the ability to treat all kinds of common boundary conditions, and (6) reasonable efficiency on massively parallel machines with tens of thousands of processors. So far, algorithms for fully self‐consistent dynamo simulations in spherical shells do not achieve all these criteria simultaneously, resulting in strong restrictions on the possible resolutions. In this paper, we demonstrate that local dynamo models in which the process of convection and magnetic field generation is only simulated for a small part of a planetary core in Cartesian geometry can achieve the above goal. We propose an algorithm that fulfills the first five of the above criteria and demonstrate that a model implementation of our method on an IBM Blue Gene/L system scales impressively well for up to O(104) processors. This allows for numerical simulations at rather extreme parameter values.
Community proteogenomics highlights microbial strain-variant protein expression within activated sludge performing enhanced biological phosphorus removal
Authors: Wilmes Paul , Andersson Anders F , Lefsrud Mark G , Wexler Margaret , Shah Manesh , Zhang Bing , Hettich Robert L , Bond Philip L , VerBerkmoes Nathan C , Banfield Jillian F
Published: May 2008

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) selects for polyphosphate accumulating microorganisms to achieve phosphate removal from wastewater. We used high-resolution community proteomics to identify key metabolic pathways in ‘Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis’ (A. phosphatis)-mediated EBPR and to evaluate the contributions of co-existing strains within the dominant population. Overall, 702 proteins from the A. phosphatis population were identified. Results highlight the importance of denitrification, fatty acid cycling and the glyoxylate bypass in EBPR. Strong similarity in protein profiles under anaerobic and aerobic conditions was uncovered (only 3% of A. phosphatis-associated proteins exhibited statistically significant abundance differences). By comprehensive genome-wide alignment of 13 930 orthologous proteins, we uncovered substantial differences in protein abundance for enzyme variants involved in both core-metabolism and EBPR-specific pathways among the A. phosphatis population. These findings suggest an essential role for genetic diversity in maintaining the stable performance of EBPR systems and, hence, demonstrate the power of integrated cultivation-independent genomics and proteomics for the analysis of complex biotechnological systems.
Waist Circumference Cutoff Points in School‐aged Chinese Han and Uygur Children
Authors: Yan Weili , Yao Hua , Dai Jianghong , Cui Jun , Chen Yan , Yang Xiaoyan , Harshfield Gregory A. , Wang Xiaoling
Published: May 2008

Objective: To examine the distribution of age‐ and gender‐specific waist circumference (WC) and to identify optimal cutoffs for predicting cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in Chinese Han and Uygur children.

Methods and Procedures: In total 4,224 Han and Uygur children aged 7–18 were randomly selected from schools in Urumqi city, China. WC, height, and weight were accurately measured in all subjects. Blood pressure, fasting lipids, glucose, and insulin were determined in 258 overweight/obese children and 370 age‐, gender‐, and ethnicity‐matched normal‐weight controls selected from the same study sample. LMS (lambda‐mu‐sigma) method was used to construct WC centile curves. Optimal WC cutoffs were determined by comparing the performance of five sets of WC cutoffs in predicting CV risk factors.

Results: Han boys and girls had higher WC at all percentiles and ages except for girls over the age of 16. Uygur girls also showed a greater increase in WC corresponding with age (2.1 cm/year vs. 1.6 cm/year for the median) than Han girls. Compared with the other four sets of cutoffs, the 85th WC percentile showed the best combination of sensitivity (81.0%) and specificity (71.4%). The two sets of WC cutoffs constructed by allowing centile curves passing through the adult cutoffs for central adiposity using the fitted LMS curves provided poor sensitivities in predicting the presence of cluster of CV risk factors.

Discussion: The growth pattern of WC varies with gender and ethnicity. The 85th percentile of WC is an appropriate cutoff for Chinese Han and Uygur children in the prediction of CV risks.
Orthogonal polynomials from Hermitian matrices
Authors: Odake Satoru , Sasaki Ryu
Published: May 2008

A unified theory of orthogonal polynomials of a discrete variable is presented through the eigenvalue problem of Hermitian matrices of finite or infinite dimensions. It can be considered as a matrix version of exactly solvable Schrödinger equations. The Hermitian matrices (factorizable Hamiltonians) are real symmetric tridiagonal (Jacobi) matrices corresponding to second order difference equations. By solving the eigenvalue problem in two different ways, the duality relation of the eigenpolynomials and their dual polynomials is explicitly established. Through the techniques of exact Heisenberg operator solution and shape invariance, various quantities, the two types of eigenvalues (the eigenvalues and the sinusoidal coordinates), the coefficients of the three term recurrence, the normalization measures and the normalisation constants, etc., are determined explicitly.
Electrostatic potentials in systems periodic in one, two, and three dimensions
Authors: Smith E. R.
Published: May 2008

We consider the electrostatic potential in a unit cell containing N point charges Qj with positions rj inside the cell. The cell is replicated periodically in one, two, and three dimensions. The purpose is to give representations for the potential which contain only lattice sums which are absolutely convergent and uniformly convergent in the sampling position r. These representations are derived using variants of the Ewald method and are primarily intended for use in evaluating the accuracy of any algorithm to evaluate electrostatic energies and forces in simulations of dense matter, rather than necessarily for use of themselves in simulations. In reduced dimensionality the Ewald representations can be numerically inefficient and other representations are also provided with careful specification which allows two forms to be used for the potential functions in order to improve numerical performance. These mixed representations may be satisfactory in simulations.
On the origin of photoluminescence in indium oxide octahedron structures
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Singh V. N. , Singh F. , Lakshmi K. V. , Mehta B. R. , Singh J. P.
Published: May 2008

A sixfold decrease in photoluminescence signal intensity at 590nm with increase in deposition time from 3to12h has been observed in single crystalline indium oxide octahedron structures grown by vapor-phase evaporation method. Electron paramagnetic resonance and energy dispersive x-ray analysis confirm that the concentration of oxygen vacancies increases with deposition time. These results are contrary to the previous reports where oxygen vacancies were shown to be responsible for photoluminescence in indium oxide structures. Our results indicate that indium interstitials and their associated complex defects other than oxygen vacancies are responsible for the photoluminescence in In2O3 microstructures.
Anion photoelectron spectroscopy of C5H−
Authors: Sheehan Sean M. , Parsons Bradley F. , Yen Terry A. , Furlanetto Michael R. , Neumark Daniel M.
Published: May 2008

Anion photoelectron spectroscopy is performed on the C5H− species. Analogous to C3H− and C3D−, photodetachment transitions are observed from multiple, energetically close-lying isomers of the anion. A linear and a cyclic structure are found to have electron binding energies of 2.421±0.019eV and 2.857±0.028eV, respectively. A cyclic excited state is also found to be 1.136eV above the linear Π2C5H ground state. Based on our assignments of the observed transitions and previous calculations on the energetics of neutral C5H isomers, the cyclic A11 anion state is found to lie 0.163eV below the A3 linear anion.
Surface electronic properties of undoped InAlN alloys
Authors: King P. D. C. , Veal T. D. , Adikimenakis A. , Lu Hai , Bailey L. R. , Iliopoulos E. , Georgakilas A. , Schaff W. J. , McConville C. F.
Published: May 2008

The variation in surface electronic properties of undoped c-plane InxAl1−xN alloys has been investigated across the composition range using a combination of high-resolution x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and single-field Hall effect measurements. For the In-rich alloys, electron accumulation layers, accompanied by a downward band bending, are present at the surface, with a decrease to approximately flatband conditions with increasing Al composition. However, for the Al-rich alloys, the undoped samples were found to be insulating with approximate midgap pinning of the surface Fermi level observed.
Mode-dependent coupling between vibration and translation of product CO2 in CO oxidation on Pd(111)
Authors: Yamanaka Toshiro
Published: May 2008

The vibrational temperatures of product CO2 were measured in CO oxidation on Pd(111) as a function of the desorption angle by means of infrared chemiluminescence. The antisymmetric vibration temperature was separately determined from the other vibrational modes from the normalized chemiluminescence intensity. The product CO2 desorption is sharply collimated along the surface normal. The antisymmetric vibrational temperature increased from 1300to1600K as the desorption angle increased from 0° to 30°, whereas the averaged vibrational temperature over bending and symmetric modes decreased from 2450to1530K. From these angle dependences, an energy partitioning model in repulsive desorption is proposed.
Length dependence of current-induced breakdown in carbon nanofiber interconnects
Authors: Kitsuki Hirohiko , Yamada Toshishige , Fabris Drazen , Jameson John R. , Wilhite Patrick , Suzuki Makoto , Yang Cary Y.
Published: May 2008

Current-induced breakdown is investigated for carbon nanofibers (CNF) for potential interconnect applications. The measured maximum current density in the suspended CNF is inversely proportional to the nanofiber length and is independent of diameter. This relationship can be described with a heat transport model that takes into account Joule heating and heat diffusion along the CNF, assuming that breakdown occurs when and where the temperature reaches a threshold or critical value.
Local structural view on the polarization rotation in relaxor ferroelectric (1−x)Pb(Zn1∕3Nb2∕3)O3–xPbTiO3
Authors: Jeong I.-K. , Lee J. K. , Heffner R. H.
Published: May 2008

We performed comprehensive structural studies on local ionic displacements and medium-range ordering across a series of phase transitions in (1−x)Pb(Zn1∕3Nb2∕3)O3–xPbTiO3 (PZN-xPT) at 15K by using neutron pair-distribution-function (PDF) and Rietveld analyses. PDF spectra clearly demonstrate that all phases of PZN-xPT have nearly identical ionic pair correlations on a length scale of ξ∼15Å. At longer pair distances, however, PZN-xPT exhibits different pair correlations. This local- and medium-range structural information provides direct evidence that local polarizations do not rotate with long-range phase transitions, and an order-disorder type ordering of polar nanoregions determines the long-range polarization rotations in PZN-xPT.
Nanoscale ferromagnetic chromium oxide film from gas-phase nanocluster deposition
Authors: Chen Yanping , Ding Kui , Yang Ling , Xie Bo , Song Fengqi , Wan Jianguo , Wang Guanghou , Han Min
Published: May 2008

Ferromagnetic film of densely packing chromium oxide nanoparticles has been fabricated by vacuum deposition of chromium oxide clusters at room temperature. The clusters were generated with a magnetron plasma gas aggregation source by introducing a mixture of argon and oxygen as buffer gas. A magnetic hysteresis loop similar to that of bulk CrO2 was observed in a wide temperature range. The rise in the ferromagnetic property of the film was attributed to the nanoscale CrO2 composition. The work demonstrates a simple way to fabricate ferromagnetic films of chromium oxide nanoparticles under high-vacuum compatible low temperature condition.
Room temperature operated 3.1μm type-I GaSb-based diode lasers with 80mW continuous-wave output power
Authors: Shterengas L. , Belenky G. , Kipshidze G. , Hosoda T.
Published: May 2008

High-power diode lasers with heavily strained In(Al)GaAsSb type-I quantum-well active regions emitting at 3.1μm at room temperature are reported. The devices produce continuous-wave output powers above 200mW at 250K and 80mW at 285K.