bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hephaestus on Foot in the Ceramicus
Authors: Fineberg Stephen
Published: December 2009

In the following pages I offer a new explanation of an iconographic contradiction in the Attic red figure vase representations of a myth widely referred to as "The Return of Hephaestus." In rivalry with Zeus, who has born Athena from his head in a seeming act of sexual self-sufficiency, Hera has conceived Hephaestus in a miraculous act of parthenogenesis, but Hephaestus is born lame-not the fully formed male ally Hera sought in her rivalry with Zeus. Accordingly, Hera hurls her unfit offspring from heaven. Hephaestus in response provides his mother with a cunningly devised throne: once she sits in it she cannot rise. Hephaestus at first resists releasing her, but under the influence of Dionysus's wine, his resistance is broken. The Attic vases show Hephaestus, attended by Dionysus and his satyrs, en route to Olympus to set Hera free. In these scenes, Hephaestus most often rides a donkey in token of his lameness (he cannot walk), but on a significant number vases, he proceeds on foot. I argue that this iconographic inconsistency expresses psychological conflict: when Hephaestus rides, he acknowledges Zeus's superior authority (indeed Zeus once before punished Hephaestus for allying with Hera against him), but when Hephaestus walks, he becomes the son his mother hoped for, a fully formed adult who can, literally and figuratively, stand up to Zeus. In psychological terms, Hephaestus, a mythic representative of young men in the city itself, is negotiating a troubled passage to manhood expressed in mutually exclusive impulses that, under the aegis of Dionysus, finds open expression in the vase representations of the Return of Hephaestus.
Womanly Humanism in Cicero's Tusculan Disputations
Authors: Altman William H. F.
Published: December 2009

Like his de Finibus , Cicero's Tusculanae Disputationes is best understood in the context of his daughter Tullia's death as a result of childbirth. It is only the uncritical assumption that M. speaks for Cicero that validates reading the Tusculans as a rejection of unmanly grief and a celebration of an aloof detachment associated with Anaxagoras. As befits a literary shrine conceived by a Platonist for a woman who gave her life for another, this multi-layered text artfully advocates altruism, a virtuous but compassionate humanism that Cicero was man enough to present as womanly between the lines.
Free Will Skepticism and Personhood as a Desert Base
Authors: Vilhauer Benjamin
Published: December 2009

In contemporary free will theory, a significant number of philosophers are once again taking seriously the possibility that human beings do not have free will, and are therefore not morally responsible for their actions. (Free will is understood here as whatever satisfies the control condition of moral responsibility.) Free will theorists commonly assume that giving up the belief that human beings are morally responsible implies giving up all our beliefs about desert. But the consequences of giving up the belief that we are morally responsible are not quite this dramatic. Giving up the belief that we are morally responsible undermines many, and perhaps most, of the desert claims we are pretheoretically inclined to accept. But it does not undermine desert claims based on the sheer fact of personhood. Even in the absence of belief in moral responsibility, personhood-based desert claims require us to respect persons and their rights. So personhood-based desert claims can provide a substantial role for desert in free will skeptics’ ethical theories.
Frankfurt Cases and Overdetermination
Authors: Funkhouser Eric
Published: December 2009

For nearly forty years now, Frankfurt cases have served as one of the major contributors to the compatibilist's cause with respect to moral responsibility. These cases typically involve a causally preempted condition that is supposed to guarantee a choice without causing it. This has had the effect of softening up some to the idea that determinism does not exclude moral responsibility simply in virtue of guaranteeing a unique future. I believe that these traditional Frankfurt cases adequately support this cause. But I also believe that the traditional versions of Frankfurt cases suffer from some rhetorical defects.

My strategy is as follows. First, I want to respond to a dilemma that has been raised by some libertarians against arguments utilizing Frankfurt cases. This dilemma has the effect of raising a question-begging charge against such arguments. Part of my response is to draw attention to the relevant principle that I think Frankfurt cases should really target, a principle slightly different from Harry Frankfurt's original Principle of Alternate Possibilities. Second, I elaborate and defend the claim that traditional Frankfurt cases involve causal preemption.
The Externalist's Demon
Authors: Littlejohn Clayton
Published: December 2009

Let's say that two individuals are epistemic counterparts iff they happen to be in precisely the same (non-factive) mental states. If one has a veridical experience, her counterparts will undergo a subjectively indistinguishable conscious experience. If she remembers something, her counterparts will seem to recall the same event or fact. If she knows something to be true, her counterparts will believe it to be true. Counterparts always find the same things intuitive. Any difference between those who know a great deal about the external world and their systematically deceived counterparts is a difference the deceived counterparts could never appreciate.
Propositions and Propositional Acts
Authors: Johnston D.K.
Published: December 2009

Suppose that John asks, ‘Is the window open?’ and Mary replies, ‘The window is open.’ Then John and Mary have produced two distinct utterances, and in doing so, they have performed two different kinds of speech act. But clearly there is something that these utterances have in common. According to the standard theory of speech acts, in these utterances different illocutionary forces have been applied to the same propositional content. Similarly, if John and Mary both believe that roses are red, the same propositional content is attributed to their individual mental states.

The propositional contents of utterances and beliefs have traditionally been identified with propositions. In turn, propositions have been characterized as language-independent particulars that can be re-identified in different contexts. In this article, I will argue that various phenomena that have hitherto been explained by propositions are better understood in terms of propositional acts.
What Moral Saints Look Like
Authors: Carbonell Vanessa
Published: December 2009

Most of us have never met a moral saint, and so it may be difficult for us to imagine what such a person would be like. Even before thinking too deeply about what it takes to be a moral saint, we tend to think that being a saint must be quite difficult. We might even think that the difficulty of being a moral saint — the sacrifice it involves — is in fact a burden, a project so all-consuming that it causes a person to be deprived in certain important ways. If this deprivation is severe enough, the life of the moral saint begins to look awfully bleak. Indeed, the most influential philosophical account of moral sainthood paints a rather bleak picture. But is it really so bad to be a moral saint? If we look more carefully at just what is required for moral sainthood, and if we observe the life of a living, breathing moral saint, we find that it is not so bad after all.
Futures of Value and the Destruction of Human Embryos
Authors: Lovering Rob
Published: December 2009

Many people are strongly opposed to the intentional destruction of human embryos, whether it be for purposes scientific, reproductive, or other. And it is not uncommon for such people to argue against the destruction of human embryos by invoking the claim that the destruction of human embryos is morally on par with killing the following humans: (A) the standard infant, (B) the suicidal teenager, (C) the temporarily comatose individual, and (D) the standard adult. I argue here that this claim is false and do so as follows. First, I provide an account of the prima facie wrongness of killing individuals (A) – (D). Briefly, I contend that individuals (A) – (D) have a certain property in common, that of having a future of value. An individual who has a future of value has the potential to (i) value goods of consciousness when he will (or would) experience them and (ii) do so as a psychologically continuous individual.
Autarchy, Ideology, and Technology Transfer in the Spanish Oil Industry, 1939–1960
Authors: Anduaga Aitor
Published: December 2009

International technology transfer and the associated flow of technical knowledge have come to be traditionally regarded as processes developed in invariable—and too frequently liberal—economic systems. But what occurs in the event of strongly planned and ideologized state economies? Even more, to what degree was the technology inflow to the Spanish oil industry during the Franco regime affected by a severe policy of autarchy, and by subsequent liberalizing policies? Historical evidence seems to suggest that this liberalization during the 1950s modified previous transfer modes and rates and even the nature of relations among the actors. Thus in effect, instead of the mere acquisition of “turnkey” technology from foreign sources—the characteristic pattern during the autarchic period—we observe a more complex transfer and greater trend to promote new associations and alliances for contracting with foreign specialists.
Linking Government Procurement to Long-term Government Performance: A Theoretical Instrument with a Prescriptive Suggestion for China
Authors: Yu Junbo , Stough Roger R.
Published: December 2009

Central and local governments in China are now expecting to significantly enlarge the spillover and indirect benefits of their public expenditures, particularly government-procurement expenditures, so as to satisfy provisions of the country’s recently released socioeconomic performance measurements in its guidelines, “Scientific Outlook on Development.” In this article, carefully selected U.S. policies and practical experiences that attempt to improve government performance with innovative procurement-policy design have been proposed to be transferred to China as a “software” technology and thus enhance the rationale of stimulating entrepreneurship at government expense. Furthermore, to shorten the gap between theory and practice, this article proposes a tentative solution for how the Chinese government can refine its current procurement system, namely by exploiting its widespread, government-sponsored business incubators to efficiently channel the distribution of procurement contracts in support of new and small-business development. Potential benefits stemming from this solution are demonstrated in this article with a case study that surveys the operation of the Mason Enterprise Center (MEC) and its Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP).
University Spin-Offs as Technology Transfer: A Comparative Study among Norway, the United States, and Sweden
Authors: Sætre Alf Steinar , Wiggins Joel , Atkinson Ola Thomas , Atkinson Beate Kristin Ellerås
Published: December 2009

Legislation concerning intellectual-property rights is changing, prompting universities around the world to focus more and more on the commercial potential of their research. One result is academic spin-offs. Our study compares academic spin-offs in the United States and Scandinavia, specifically Norway and Sweden. We found that four key dimensions— university relations, government-support mechanisms, industry relations, and equity funding—emerged as central elements in all cases. These four dimensions thus serve as comparative backdrops. We find important differences between the three countries, most markedly between the United States and the two Scandinavian countries. The idiosyncrasies of each country are discussed. We include implications for academic researchers, universities, and government agencies.
Political Impediments to Technological Diffusion in Northeast Brazil, 1909–1964
Authors: Buckley Eve E.
Published: December 2009

This article considers the impact of social inequities on technological diffusion in an impoverished region of Brazil. It examines the anti-revolutionary aims of infrastructural improvements (dams, road networks, and irrigation canals) that were intended to mitigate suffering during droughts while preempting radical social transformation in northeast Brazil’s semi-arid sertão . It argues that the political moderation of engineers, agronomists, and the public-works agencies they staffed during the early and mid-twentieth century, combined with the self-interested priorities of regional power brokers, produced a pattern of federal investment that reinforced northeast elites’ control over land and water resources and human labor in the sertão . Instead of reducing social inequities that made landless agricultural workers vulnerable to starvation during droughts, technological-development efforts exacerbated the economic and political distance between landowners and the landless poor. The article emphasizes the technological determinism that informed the work of northeast Brazil’s civil engineers in particular, a perspective they shared with their counterparts in the United States and elsewhere during this period. Brazilian agronomists and economists adopted more culturally and sociologically sophisticated analyses of sertão poverty, which led them to criticize the engineers’ development recommendations.
Putnam, Dennett, and Others: Philosophical Resources for the World Historian
Authors: Wills John E.
Published: December 2009

This article presents resources for thinking straight about the global history enterprise that have not been widely recognized or discussed by practitioners. Several important philosophers are discussed briefly; fuller attention is given to two. Hilary Putnam presents a nuanced account of human reason and flourishing that goes beyond the factvalue dichotomy that often bedevils our work. Daniel Dennett does much to clarify the nature of the evolutionary processes—natural, social, and cultural—we discuss and the elements of cultural interaction and learning, sometimes called “memes.”
Translation as Self-Consciousness: Ancient Sciences, Antediluvian Wisdom, and the ‘Abbāsid Translation Movement
Authors: Yücesoy Hayrettín
Published: December 2009

This article discusses the translation of ancient Greek, Indian, and Persian texts of philosophy and sciences into Arabic from the eighth through the tenth centuries c.e . In particular, it addresses the issue of how ancient sciences were justified and legitimized in the early ‘Abbāsid period (ca. 750–850). Modern scholars have so far devoted a great deal of attention to the role of the caliphate and its administrative elite in the translation movement, but they have by and large neglected the role of prevailing ideological and intellectual discourses as a major component of the legitimating process in ‘Abbāsid society. Less concerned with documenting practical needs or emphasizing the role of the caliphate to explain the history of the translation movement, this article explores how the narratives of prophetic and antediluvian wisdom as a discursive intervention shaped, within the broader context of scholarly consciousness, the reception history of ancient sciences. It argues that the reference to occult and prophetic knowledge, often attributed to Hermes, as the source of all knowledge, articulated, with the idioms of the developing discourse of ‘ilm, the desire to cast ancient sciences as part of an Islamic monotheistic narrative and the emerging historical consciousness that embraced the past as a theater of prophetic action.
A Victorian Ecological Disaster: Imperialism, the Telegraph, and Gutta-Percha
Authors: Tully John
Published: December 2009

Until the invention of the electric telegraph, messages sent across the vast colonial empires of the nineteenth century took many months to arrive. By 1907, some 200,000 nautical miles of cable criss-crossed the ocean floors. Insulation of the cables from seawater relied on gutta-percha, a natural plastic related to rubber. Gutta-percha is all but forgotten today, but during the Victorian era it was a household word. Ironically, the high-tech Victorian telegraph industry was served by a primitive cottage industry. The gum was extracted by killing wild trees in the forests of Southeast Asia, and the scale of demand ensured that many millions of trees were destroyed. This industry brought about a Victorian ecological disaster that presaged the greater destruction of tropical rain forests occurring today.
The “Internationalization” of U.S. History: A Progress Report for World Historians
Authors: Shaffer Robert
Published: December 2009

As the field of world history grew in the 1990s, so did a comparable effort by American historians to “internationalize” the study of U.S. history. Four new books show the considerable strides that have been made in showing how the global context of American events not only adds to U.S. history but also changes some of the ways in which professors and students see the United States and its role in the world. World historians too can learn from and contribute to this intellectual trend.
Assessment of Vitamin B12 Absorption Based on the Accumulation of Orally Administered Cyanocobalamin on Transcobalamin
Authors: Hardlei Tore Forsingdal , Mørkbak Anne Louise , Bor Mustafa Vakur , Bailey Lynn B , Hvas Anne-Mette , Nexo Ebba
Published: December 2009

Background: Vitamin B12, or cobalamin (Cbl), is absorbed in the intestine and transported to the cells bound to transcobalamin (TC). We hypothesize that cyanocobalamin (CNCbl) is absorbed unchanged, thereby allowing measurement of the complex of CNCbl bound to TC (TC–CNCbl) to be used for studying the absorption of the vitamin.

Methods: TC was immunoprecipitated from serum samples obtained from healthy donors at baseline and at 24 h after oral administration of three 9-μg CNCbl doses over 1 day. Cbl was released by treatment with subtilisin Carlsberg. The different forms of Cbl were isolated by HPLC and subsequently quantified with an ELISA-based Cbl assay.

Results: At baseline, the median TC–CNCbl concentration was 1 pmol/L (range, 0–10 pmol/L); the intraindividual variation (SD) was 1.6 pmol/L (n = 31). After CNCbl administration, the TC–CNCbl concentration increased significantly (P = 0.0003, paired t-test), whereas no major changes were observed in any of the other Cbl forms bound to TC (n = 10). Only a moderate additional increase in TC–CNCbl was observed with prolonged (5 days) CNCbl administration (n = 10). We designed an absorption test based on measuring TC–CNCbl at baseline and 24 h after CNCbl intake and established a reference interval for the increase in TC–CNCbl (n = 78). The median absolute increase was 23 pmol/L (range, 6–64 pmol/L), and the relative increase was >3-fold.

Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that CNCbl is absorbed unchanged and accumulates on circulating TC. We suggest that measuring TC–CNCbl will improve the assessment of vitamin B12 absorption.
Detection of Drug-Resistant Clones in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Patients during Dasatinib and Nilotinib Treatment
Authors: Gruber Franz X , Ernst Thomas , Kiselev Yuri , Hochhaus Andreas , Mikkola Ingvild
Published: December 2009

Background: Imatinib effectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity conferred by the BCR-ABL gene [fusion gene of BCR (breakpoint cluster region) and ABL1 (c-abl oncogene 1, receptor tyrosine kinase)] and thereby appreciably improves outcomes for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). A small percentage of patients relapse because of the proliferation of escape clones; such relapses can be treated with second-generation drugs. Early detection and monitoring of resistant clones may provide clinical benefit. We describe the development and testing of a new approach for quantitative monitoring of CML resistance.

Methods: We designed mutation-specific assays that use hydrolysis probes and an array of allele-specific primers containing nucleotides mismatched at various positions. All assays were tested with plasmids containing corresponding mutant or wild-type sequences, allowing identification of optimal assays for specific and effective amplification of the target template. Clinical samples were then used to compare the results of selected assays with those of standard genotyping.

Results: We used a modified amplification refractory mutational system approach and testing with plasmid constructs to design assays that allowed highly selective detection of resistance for all target mutations. By taking advantage of single-step performance and high PCR efficiency, we were able to quantitatively track the absolute amount of resistance conferred by a specific mutation over 4 orders of magnitude. Moreover, we designed an integrated test for dasatinib resistance that uses multiple primers simultaneously.

Conclusions: These single-step, closed-tube assays specifically target mutations associated with resistance to dasatinib or nilotinib. Compared with standard genotyping, such biased genotyping improves the detection of resistance or alternative features via quantitative analysis of the absolute amount of resistance.
Special Article
Authors: Wise Paul H.
Published: January 2010

Health-care reform could generate major new opportunities to strengthen the central role of neonatology in improving child health in the United States. However, without considerable caution, such reform also could destabilize many of the policies that have facilitated neonatology's most important contributions. This article anticipates the policy issues of greatest consequence for neonatology, including the public's misperception of neonatology's costs and impact on outcomes, the danger of adult-focused cost-containment policies, the potential to improve health services for women, and the generational politics of health-care reform. Neonatologists could provide essential technical guidance and a coherent political voice in shaping the nature and scope of health-care reform.
International Perspectives
Authors: Woods David L. , Greenfield David H.
Published: January 2010

To decrease neonatal mortality in under-resourced countries, nurses and doctors providing primary health care must be able to manage their own continuing education because traditional methods of training often are not available, especially in rural areas. The Perinatal Education Programme has successfully provided learning opportunities to thousands of doctors and nurses in South Africa who manage their own professional education without the need of formal tutors. Data from a prospective study of nurses using a self-help learning course in newborn care from the Programme documents significant improvements in knowledge, clinical skills, and care practices. This inexpensive and innovative method brings the promise of lifelong learning to all practitioners caring for mothers and infants.
Recommendations for Evaluation and Treatment of Common Gastrointestinal Problems in Children With ASDs
Authors: Buie Timothy , Fuchs George J. , Furuta Glenn T. , Kooros Koorosh , Levy Joseph , Lewis Jeffery D. , Wershil Barry K. , Winter Harland
Published: January 2010

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) can benefit from adaptation of general pediatric guidelines for the diagnostic evaluation of abdominal pain, chronic constipation, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. These guidelines help health care providers determine when gastrointestinal symptoms are self-limited and when evaluation beyond a thorough medical history and physical examination should be considered. Children with ASDs who have gastrointestinal disorders may present with behavioral manifestations. Diagnostic and treatment recommendations for the general pediatric population are useful to consider until the development of evidence-based guidelines specifically for patients with ASDs. Pediatrics 2010;125:S19-S29
Reliability of InP-based HBTs at High Current Density
Authors: Fukai Yoshino
Published: January 2010

InP-based HBTs for ultrahigh speed optical communications systems operation at over 40 GHz require a long-term stability under high current injection conditions, such as current densities of 2 or 5 mA/μm2. We achieved high reliability by suppressing surface recombination and emitter-metal-related crystalline degradation.

Changes in the electric properties of devices due to temperature and bias stress were evaluated. The reduction in DC current gain due to surface recombination had the activation energy of 1.7 eV without current density dependence, and the lifetime of HBTs for this degradation mode is predicted to be over 1×108 hours at 125°C. The emitter metal diffusion and disruption of uniformity of the atomic composition were observed by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in HBTs with the conventional Ti/Pt/Au emitter, whereas suppression of those degradations was observed in HBTs with refractory metal of Mo and W. The emitter resistance was estimated to evaluate the contact layer degradation. The critical time was one order larger for HBTs with refractory metal than for HBTs with conventional metal. The activation energies for resistance increases were 2.0 and 1.65 eV for the current density of 2 and 5 mA/μm2, respectively, for all types of emitter electrodes.

The effectiveness of the refractory metal electrode for improving device reliability was confirmed, especially in high-current-density operation, which is essential for applying InP HBTs in high-speed ICs.
Influences of Polarization Effects in the Electrical Properties of Polycrystalline MgZnO/ZnO Heterostructure
Authors: Chin Huai-An , Huang Chih-I , Wu Yuh-Renn , Cheng I-Chun , Chen Jian Z. , Chiu Kuo-Chuang , Lin Tzer-Shen
Published: January 2010

ZnO has shown great promise for the application in optoelectronic devices. Since the modulation of conductivity is one of the key issues in device performances, we have applied the Monte Carlo method to analyze the mobility of poly-crystalline MgZnO/ZnO heterostructure thin film layer in this paper. The effects of the grain boundary scattering, ionized impurity scattering, as well as phonon scattering are considered. Our study shows that with a design of modulation doping by including the effects of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization, the grain boundary potential can be suppressed to improve the mobility of the ZnO layer by order(s) of magnitude. Simulation results are also confirmed by our experimental works that polarization effects play an important role to attract carriers and to increase the mobility.
A Luminescence Study of Electron-Irradiated ZnO Crystals
Authors: Avella Manuel , Martínez Oscar , Jiménez Juan , Wang Buguo , Devrinsky P. , Bliss David
Published: January 2010

ZnO crystals were irradiated with high energy electrons (1MeV). The main defects created were analyzed by cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. The main effects of irradiation on the CL spectrum were the partial quenching of the emission, the shift of the visible luminescence to the yellow, and the observation of an additional band and its phonon replicas at ∼3.32 eV. Zinc vacancy related defects are postulated as responsible for the changes induced in the spectrum.
Photocurrent measurements of MgxZn1-xO epitaxial layers of different x
Authors: Thöt Richard K. , Sander Thomas , Klar Peter J. , Meyer Bruno
Published: January 2010

The MgxZn1-xO alloy in wurtzite structure can be grown with Mg contents x up to 0.4. The band gap of the alloy increases with x. Furthermore, ZnO/MgxZn1-xO quantum well structures are of type I and thus are of interest for the active region of opto-electronic devices.

We report on in-plane photocurrent measurements of MgxZn1-xO epitaxial layers with x up to about 0.4 in the temperature range from 80 K to 300 K. Epitaxial films are either grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on c-plane sapphire substrates with a thin MgZnO buffer layer and by chemical vapor deposition on a-plane ZnO substrates. We map the evolution of the band gap transitions as a function of the Mg composition at different temperatures for the c-plane samples and as a function of polarization of the incoming light for an a-plane sample. The contributions of A, B and C interband transitions to the band gap signals are analysed and discussed.
Measuring the Young’s Relaxation Modulus of PDMS Using Stress Relaxation Nanoindentation
Authors: Du Ping , Lu Hongbing , Zhang Xin
Published: January 2010

The Young’s relaxation modulus of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film specimens was measured by the nanoindenter with a flat punch indenter. In the stress relaxation test, the initial ramp part was carefully considered to develop an accurate viscoelastic contact model. This model was used to fit the load-time data from the experimental tests. The resulting relaxation function was expressed by a general Maxwell equation. In addition, a case study of PDMS micropillar bending tests was performed, and the viscoelastic constitutive law was applied to develop an analytical solution of the reaction force. The results show that the reaction force calculated from the corrected model is generally agreed well with the experimental data.
Magnesium-based Biodegradable Nanostructured Substrates: Hybrid Materials for Cellular Engraftment
Authors: Schoen Tobias , Wolfram Tobias , Spatz Joachim P
Published: January 2010

Magnesium and its alloys are used as implants because of their biocompatibility and high strength-to-weight ratio. In contrast to other commonly used implantable materials such as stainless steel and Co-Cr-alloys, which may release toxic metallic ions, magnesium belongs to the natural composition of the human body. Our work is focused on engineering a cellular carrier system based on biodegradable magnesium and magnesium alloy substrates, which are decorated with gold nanoparticles to form magnesium-gold (Mg-Au) hybrid materials. Specifically, we deposited gold nanoparticles on MgO single crystals (100 orientation) and on AZ31-Mg alloy substrates using diblock copolymer micelle nanolithography. The gold nanoparticles were arranged in ordered arrays with controllable interparticle distances of 25 to 300 nm and were further functionalized with RGD-thiols or fibronectin. This method allowed the deposition of a protein carpet on top of the surface and facilitated the initial adhesion of cells on the magnesium substrates. In order to determine the stability of the substrates in a physiological environment, their corrosive behavior was studied by comparing the weight of the substrates before and after a 24h-long submersion in water, PBS, or cell culture medium and by studying the post-submersion surface morphology with scanning electron microscopy. Corrosion rates of magnesium substrates in PBS and cell culture medium were significantly higher than in water. The spreading and survival of C2C12 mouse myoblasts and human mesenchymal stem cells cultured on MgO single crystals and AZ31-alloys were investigated with fluorescence and phase contrast microscopy. The spreading and survival of C2C12 myoblasts on the Mg-Au hybrid materials were different than on non-functionalized Mg substrates. Additionally, cells on non-functionalized MgO crystals showed reduced filopodia activity. Our results show that biofunctionalized and engineered magnesium-based substrates can be used as carriers for different cellular systems and promising initial steps have been taken towards an implantable device with a defined biological surface activity made from magnesium materials.
The Use of Electrospun Polycaprolactone as a Dermal Scaffold for Skin Tissue Engineering
Authors: Chen Ming , Chopra Manisha , Bhowmick Sankha
Published: January 2010

Rapid healing of acute and chronic skin defects is an important objective. In the present work, we report on the design and feasibility of a co-culture system for fibroblasts and keratinocytes by using electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds. Specifically, we quantified the effect of scaffold fiber diameter on keratinocyte attachment, proliferation and differentiation along with collagen secretion by fibroblasts post vacuum seeding with fibroblasts at various depths. The results show that fibroblasts secrete more collagen and keratinocytes differentiate more on 400 nm scaffolds than on 1000 nm scaffolds. Also, fibroblasts co-cultured with keratinocytes provide increased collagen secretion and keratinocyte differentiation. These results suggest that the fiber architecture can be a useful parameter in skin tissue engineering.
Suture zones and importance of strike-slip faulting for Variscan geodynamic reconstructions of the External Crystalline Massifs of the western Alps
Authors: Guillot Stéphane , di Paola Silvia , Ménot René-Pierre , Ledru Patrick , Spalla Maria Iole , Gosso Guido , Schwartz Stéphane
Published: December 2009

This paper reviews the geodynamic evolution of the Belledonne, Grandes Rousses and Oisans massifs in the western Alps from Early Ordovician to Permian times. Three domains are distinguished. The eastern domain, which includes the NE Belledonne massif and the inner Oisans massif, records the subduction of the Central-European ocean along a NW dipping subduction zone. The western domain is marked by Cambro-Ordovician back-arc rifting (Chamrousse ophiolite) initiating the opening of the Rheic ocean. It was followed by Mid-Devonian obduction of the back-arc Chamrousse ophiolite, towards the NW in relation with the SE dipping subduction of the Saxo-Thuringian ocean. The central domain, including the SW part of the Belledonne massif, the Grandes Rousses massif and the outer Oisans massif, records the Devonian to Carboniferous orogenic activity that produced calc-alkaline magmatism, Mg-K granite intrusions and syn-collisional sedimentation related to Visean nappe stacking that we relate to the closure of the Saxo-Thuringian ocean. Based on tectonostratigraphic correlations we propose that these domains initially correspond to the northeastward extension of the Bohemian massif. During the late Carboniferous, the External Crystalline Massifs including Sardinia and Corsica were stretched towards the SW along the > 600 km long dextral External Crystalline Massifs shear zone. Offset of the Saxo-Thuringian and eo-Variscan suture zones from the Bohemian massif to the ECM suggests a possible dextral displacement of about 300 km along the ECM shear zone.
Variscan structure in the eastern part of the Pallaresa massif, Axial Zone of the Pyrenees (NW Andorra). Tectonic implications
Authors: Clariana Pilar , García-sansegundo Joaquin
Published: December 2009

The Variscan structures of the Axial Zone of the Pyrenees are traditionally separated into the “infrastructure” and the “suprastructure” domains. Three deformation events have been recognized within Cambro-Ordovician rocks in the eastern part of the Pallaresa massif. D1 consists of a slaty cleavage (S1), and no folds have been found associated with it. The D2 event is characterized by E-W trending and north-verging recumbent folds with an associated foliation (S2) that can be observed at all scales. The S2 foliation has a horizontal orientation, and is the main foliation in the northern and central parts of the study area. The D3 deformation event is distinguished by development of E-W trending, upright folds, of centimetric to metric scale. These folds are associated with a steep and rough crenulation cleavage (S3) in the southern part of the study area. Subvertical faults trending E-W are associated with D3 folds. Most of the structures recognized in the eastern part of the Pallaresa massif have developed under low metamorphic grade conditions, although close to the Aston and Hospitalet domes, in the vicinity of some igneous intrusions, the metamorphism is coeval with S2 foliation and may reach high grade conditions. A gradual transition can be observed from zones characterized by structures of type D2 to zones exhibiting a better development of D3 structures. This transition can be explained by a décollement level located in the Cambro-Ordovician succession. This level can be related to faults and D3 folds observed in the eastern part of the Pallaresa massif. Most of the structures can be explained in a contractional geological setting. In addition the relationships between the different Variscan structures of the eastern part of the Pallaresa massif are better described. The different models recently presented by some authors about the Variscan structure of the Pyrenees are discussed in the light of these new results.
Visean sinistral wrench faulting along the Sillon Houiller in the French Massif Central: Late Variscan tectonic implications
Authors: Thiery Vincent , Rolin Patrick , Marquer Didier , Cocherie Alain , Fanning C. Mark , Rossi Philippe
Published: December 2009

The Sillon Houiller is one of the main crustal discontinuities of the Variscan domain of the French Massif Central. Paradoxically, its kinematics and its tectonic significance are still a matter of debate.

Since Grolier and Letourneur [1968]’s works, a Stephanian sinistral offset, inferred from the emplacement of numerous coal basins along the fault, is widely accepted.

The earlier history of this accident is still debated and subject to controversies. The finite offset of the Sillon Houiller results from the superposition of 3 distinct events. The first one is a brittle/ductile accident that is probably at the origin of the main left-lateral motion. Dated granitoid intrusions and Visean tuff basins seal this accident. The later Stephanian motion is revealed by brittle faulting related to coal basin opening. Finally, a vertical offset of the fault is suggested by a few strong-dipping striations.

The Visean offset of the Sillon Houiller has first order implications for the understanding of the western Europe Variscan orogeny. We suggest that the Sillon Houiller and the Paris Basin Magnetic anomaly belong to a single crustal discontinuity interpreted as the eastern boundary of the Armorican/Massif Central block. The 15° clockwise rotation affecting this crustal block and inferred from the structural study of this domain occurred along this accident. The magnetic and gravimetric anomaly may be the result of Visean mafic intrusions, such as quartz diorites that are exposed in the northern part of the Massif Central close to the southern end of the anomaly.
Selective Adsorption of Vitamin E from Palm Fatty Acid Distillate on Silica-Packed Fixed-Bed Columns
Authors: Chu Boon-Seang , Baharin Badlishah Sham , Che Man Yaakob B. , Quek Siew-Young
Published: December 2009

Understanding the behavior of vitamin E adsorption during chromatographic separation was useful for a better control of the process. In this study, a pre-concentrated vitamin E fraction from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) was subjected to a normal phase silica-packed fixed-bed column for further purification. The effect of various operational parameters i.e. column bed height, vitamin E inlet concentration, column temperature and flow rate on column performance were detailed. It appeared that the breakthrough curves of all systems showed a typical S-shaped profile. The service time of the column increased when increasing the column bed height, or reducing the inlet concentration, column temperature and flow rate. It was found that column efficiency in terms of adsorbent usage rate could be improved by decreasing the inlet concentration and flow rate. Decreasing the column temperature resulted in higher column capacity, suggesting that the adsorption of vitamin E on silica was an exothermic process. The Bed Depth Service Time (BDST) model described the adsorption process well, with coefficient of determination ranging from 0.92 to 0.99 and low residual sum of square (< 0.28) and standard error (< 0.35). The model could explain the characteristic operational parameters well except for the effect of flow rate in this study.
Design and Control of Integrated Styrene-Aniline Production Plant
Authors: Partenie Octavian , van der Last Vincent , Bildea Costin Sorin , Altimari Pietro
Published: December 2009

This paper illustrates the operational difficulties arising from simultaneously performing exothermic and endothermic reactions, and demonstrates that a plant can be built and safely operated by integrating the design and plantwide control issues. The behaviour of reactor  separation  recycle systems carrying the coupled reactions A ?P + Q (endo) and B + Q ? R (exo) is investigated. Irrespective of the control structure, state multiplicity cannot be removed if the intermediate component Q is recycled. Therefore, the chemical reactor should be designed such that the recycle of Q can be avoided without economic penalty. The theoretical findings are applied to the design and control of a plant coupling ethylbenzene dehydrogenation and nitrobenzene hydrogenation for simultaneous production of styrene and aniline. After plant design, a rigorous dynamic model is developed using AspenDynamics. A plantwide control structure is implemented and shown to be able to achieve stable operation. Production rate changes of reasonable magnitude can be achieved by changing the reactor-inlet flow rates or bed-inlet temperature.
Use of the Site of Subcutaneous Insulin Administration for the Measurement of Glucose in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Lindpointner Stefan , Korsatko Stefan , Köhler Gerd , Köhler Hans , Schaller Roland , Kaidar Ruthy , Yodfat Ofer , Schaupp Lukas , Ellmerer Martin , Pieber Thomas R. , Regittnig Werner
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE

To simplify and improve the treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes, we ascertained whether the site of subcutaneous insulin infusion can be used for the measurement of glucose.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Three special indwelling catheters (24-gauge microperfusion [MP] catheters) were inserted into the subcutaneous adipose tissue of subjects with type 1 diabetes (n = 10; all C-peptide negative). One MP catheter was perfused with short-acting insulin (100 units/ml, Aspart) and used for insulin delivery and simultaneous glucose sampling during an overnight fast and after ingestion of a standard glucose load (75 g). As controls, the further two MP catheters were perfused with an insulin-free solution (5% mannitol) and used for glucose sampling only. Plasma glucose was measured frequently at the bedside.

RESULTS

Insulin delivery with the MP catheter was adequate to achieve and maintain normoglycemia during fasting and after glucose ingestion. Tissue glucose concentrations derived with the insulin-perfused catheter agreed well with plasma glucose levels. Median correlation coefficient and median absolute relative difference values were found to be 0.93 (interquartile range 0.91–0.97) and 10.9%, respectively. Error grid analysis indicated that the percentage number of tissue values falling in the clinically acceptable range is 99.6%. Comparable analysis results were obtained for the two mannitol-perfused catheters.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that estimation of plasma glucose concentrations from the glucose levels directly observed at the site of subcutaneous insulin infusion is feasible and its quality is comparable to that of estimating plasma glucose concentrations from glucose levels measured in insulin-unexposed subcutaneous tissue.
Prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes Autoantibodies (GADA, IA2, and IAA) in Overweight and Obese Children
Authors: Cambuli Valentina M. , Incani Michela , Cossu Efisio , Congiu Tiziana , Scano Francesca , Pilia Sabrina , Sentinelli Federica , Tiberti Claudio , Cavallo M. Gisella , Loche Sandro , Baroni Marco G.
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about the prevalence of β-cell autoantibodies in children with excess body weight. The prevalence of type 1 diabetes autoantibodies and its relation with hyperglycemia was analyzed in 686 overweight/obese children and adolescents.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

All children underwent an oral glucose tolerance test, and anti-GAD, anti-IA2, and anti-IAA autoantibodies were measured. Autoantibody prevalence was evaluated in 107 normal-weight children for comparison.

RESULTS

A single autoantibody was present in 2.18% of overweight/obese subjects and 1.86% normal-weight subjects (P = NS). Postload glycemia was significantly higher in antibody-positive children (133 ± 69.9 vs. 105.4 ± 17.7 mg/dl, P < 0.0001) compared with autoantibody-negative subjects. No difference in autoantibody distribution was seen when our cohort was stratified by age, sex, SDS-BMI, pubertal stage, and homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

CONCLUSIONS

The 2.18% prevalence of type 1 diabetes autoantibodies is similar to that reported in nonobese children. This study provided evidence that excess body weight and insulin resistance do not influence autoantibody frequency.
Preconception Counseling in Women With Diabetes
Authors: Tripathi Avnish , Rankin Judith , Aarvold Joan , Chandler Colin , Bell Ruth
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of preconception counseling with markers of care and maternal characteristics in women with pregestational diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The study includes data from a regional multi-center survey on 588 women with pregestational diabetes who delivered a singleton pregnancy between 2001 and 2004. Logistic regression was used to obtain crude and adjusted estimates of association.

RESULTS

Preconception counseling was associated with better glycemic control 3 months preconception (odds ratio 1.91, 95% CI 1.10–3.04) and in the first trimester (2.05, 1.39–3.03), higher preconception folic acid intake (4.88, 3.26–7.30), and reduced risk of adverse pregnancy outcome (P = 0.027). Uptake of preconception counseling was positively associated with type 1 diabetes (1.87, 1.14–3.07) and White British ethnicity (2.56, 1.17–5.6) and negatively with deprivation score (0.78, 0.70–0.87).

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts are needed to improve preconception counseling rates. Uptake is associated with maternal sociodemographic characteristics.
Secondary Failure of Metformin Monotherapy in Clinical Practice
Authors: Brown Jonathan B. , Conner Christopher , Nichols Gregory A.
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE

We sought to document the secondary failure rate of metformin monotherapy in a clinical practice setting and to explore factors that predict therapeutic failure.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied 1,799 type 2 diabetic patients who, between 2004 and 2006, lowered their A1C to <7% after initiating metformin monotherapy as their first-ever anti-hyperglycemic drug. We examined all A1C values recorded through 31 December 2008 (2–5 years of follow-up), defining secondary failure as a subsequent A1C ≥7.5% or the addition or substitution of another anti-hyperglycemic agent. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with the probability of secondary failure.

RESULTS

Of the 1,799 patients studied, 42% (n = 748) experienced secondary failure; the mean failure rate was 17% per year. However, patients who initiated metformin within 3 months of diabetes diagnosis failed at an age-and A1C-adjusted rate of 12.2% (10.5–14.4%) per year, and patients who initiated while A1C was <7% failed at an adjusted rate of 12.3% per year. An interaction term between duration of diagnosed diabetes and A1C was not significant. Age, duration, and A1C at initiation were the only factors that predicted secondary failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Although metformin failure may occur more rapidly in clinical practice than in clinical trails, initiating it soon after diabetes diagnosis and while A1C is low might preserve β-cell function, prolong the effectiveness of metformin, reduce lifetime glycemic burden, and prevent diabetes complications. Our findings support the current treatment algorithm for hyperglycemia management that recommends metformin initiation when diabetes is first diagnosed.