bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The  project
Authors: Brabrand Claus , Møller Anders , Schwartzbach Michael I.
Published: July 2002

We present the results of the  project, which aims
to design and implement a high-level domain-specific language for
programming interactive Web services.

A fundamental aspect of the development of the World Wide Web
during the last decade is the gradual change from static to dynamic
generation of Web pages. Generating Web pages dynamically in dialog
with the client has the advantage of providing up-to-date and
tailor-made information. The development of systems for
constructing such dynamic Web services has emerged as a whole new
research area.

The  language is designed by analyzing its
application domain and identifying fundamental aspects of Web
services inspired by problems and solutions in existing Web service
development languages. The core of the design consists of a
session-centered service model together with a flexible
template-based mechanism for dynamic Web page construction. Using
specialized program analyses, certain Web-specific properties are
verified at compile time, for instance that only valid HTML 4.01 is
ever shown to the clients. In addition, the design provides
high-level solutions to form field validation, caching of dynamic
pages, and temporal-logic based concurrency control, and it
proposes syntax macros for making highly domain-specific
languages.

The language is implemented via widely available Web
technologies, such as Apache on the server-side and JavaScript and
Java Applets on the client-side. We conclude with experience and
evaluation of the project.
The power to shape the world
Authors: Hillis W. Daniel
Published: July 2002

Computer graphics not only helps shape our artifacts but our understanding of what is true about the physical world.
Computer games and scientific visualization
Authors: Rhyne Theresa-Marie
Published: July 2002

How should scientists approach the innovations in visualization-rendering systems increasingly derived from computer game tools, interfaces, navigation techniques, and plot lines?
From images to 3D models
Authors: Pollefeys Marc , Gool Luc Van
Published: July 2002

How computers can automatically build realistic 3D models from 2D images acquired with a handheld camera.
ACCLIMATIVE RESPONSE TO TEMPERATURE STRESS IN HIGHER PLANTS: Approaches of Gene Engineering for Temperature Tolerance
Authors: Iba Koh
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Temperature stresses experienced by plants can be classified into three types: those occurring at (a) temperatures below freezing, (b) low temperatures above freezing, and (c) high temperatures. This review outlines how biological substances that are deeply related to these stresses, such as heat-shock proteins, glycinebetaine as a compatible solute, membrane lipids, etc., and also detoxifiers of active oxygen species, contribute to temperature stress tolerance in plants. Also presented here are the uses of genetic engineering techniques to improve the adaptability of plants to temperature stress by altering the levels and composition of these substances in the living organism. Finally, the future prospects for molecular breeding are discussed.
LOCAL AND LONG-RANGE SIGNALING PATHWAYS REGULATING PLANT RESPONSES TO NITRATE
Authors: Forde Brian G.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Nitrate is the major source of nitrogen (N) for plants growing in aerobic soils. However, the NO3− ion is also used by plants as a signal to reprogram plant metabolism and to trigger changes in plant architecture. A striking example is the way that a root system can react to a localized source of NO3− by activating the NO3− uptake system and proliferating lateral roots preferentially within the NO3−-rich zone. That roots are able to respond autonomously in this fashion implies the existence of local signaling pathways that are sensitive to local changes in the external NO3− concentration. On the other hand, long-range signaling pathways are also needed to modulate these responses according to the plant's N status and to coordinate the allocation of resources between the root and the shoot. This review examines these signaling mechanisms and their interactions with sugar-sensing and hormonal response pathways.
The Bacterial RecA Protein and the Recombinational DNA Repair of Stalled Replication Forks
Authors: Lusetti Shelley L. , Cox Michael M.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  The primary function of bacterial recombination systems is the nonmutagenic repair of stalled or collapsed replication forks. The RecA protein plays a central role in these repair pathways, and its biochemistry must be considered in this context. RecA protein promotes DNA strand exchange, a reaction that contributes to fork regression and DNA end invasion steps. RecA protein activities, especially formation and disassembly of its filaments, affect many additional steps. So far, Escherichia coli RecA appears to be unique among its nearly ubiquitous family of homologous proteins in that it possesses a motorlike activity that can couple the branch movement in DNA strand exchange to ATP hydrolysis. RecA is also a multifunctional protein, serving in different biochemical roles for recombinational processes, SOS induction, and mutagenic lesion bypass. New biochemical and structural information highlights both the similarities and distinctions between RecA and its homologs. Increasingly, those differences can be rationalized in terms of biological function.
Discoveries of Vitamin B12 and Selenium Enzymes
Authors: Stadtman Thressa Campbell
Published: July 2002

[Figure: see text] [Figure: see text]

▪ Abstract  My undergraduate education at Cornell University was followed by graduate studies on methane fermentations under the guidance of H.A. Barker at the University of California, Berkeley. My Ph.D. degree was granted in June 1949. Two anaerobic microorganisms isolated from the mud flats of San Francisco Bay served as sources of biochemical research material for later studies at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. These organisms, Methanococcus vannielii and Clostridium sticklandii, proved to be especially rich sources of selenium-dependent enzymes and seleno-tRNAs. New B12 coenzyme-dependent enzymes that catalyzed intermediate steps in the anaerobic conversion of lysine to fatty acids and ammonia were isolated from C. sticklandii and characterized. My research efforts since 1970 have dealt primarily with various aspects of selenium biochemistry. We have shown that selenium is an essential constituent of several enzymes in prokaryotes. Se is present in these either as a selenocysteine residue in the protein or alternatively, in a few molybdoenzymes, as a component of a bound cofactor. Recent studies with a human adenocarcinoma cell line led to the unexpected discovery that selenocysteine occurs in mammalian thioredoxin reductase. The selenium located in a redox center of this enzyme is essential for catalytic activity.
Catalytic Proficiency: The Unusual Case of OMP Decarboxylase
Authors: Miller Brian G. , Wolfenden Richard
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Enzymes are called upon to differ greatly in the difficulty of the tasks that they perform. The catalytic proficiency of an enzyme can be evaluated by comparing the second-order rate constant (kcat/Km) with the rate of the spontaneous reaction in neutral solution in the absence of a catalyst. The proficiencies of enzymes, measured in this way, are matched by their affinity constants for the altered substrate in the transition state. These values vary from approximately ∼109 M−1 for carbonic anhydrase to ∼1023 M−1 for yeast orotidine 5′-phosphate decarboxylase (ODCase). ODCase turns its substrate over with a half-time of 18 ms, in a reaction that proceeds in its absence with a half-time of 78 million years in neutral solution. ODCase differs from other decarboxylases in that its catalytic activity does not depend on the presence of metals or other cofactors, or on the formation of a covalent bond to the substrate. Several mechanisms of transition state stabilization are considered in terms of ODCase crystal structures observed in the presence and absence of bound analogs of the substrate, transition state, and product. Very large connectivity effects are indicated by the results of experiments testing how transition state stabilization is affected by the truncation of binding determinants of the substrate and the active site.
Denaturation of Collagen Via Heating: An Irreversible Rate Process
Authors: Wright N.T. , Humphrey J.D.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Heating therapies are increasingly used in cardiology, dermatology, gynecology, neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, and urology, among other medical specialties. This widespread use of heating is driven primarily by the availability of new technology, not by a detailed understanding of the biothermomechanics. Without basic quantification of the underlying physical and chemical processes in terms of parameters that can be controlled clinically, identification of preferred interventions will continue to be based primarily on trial and error, thus necessitating large clinical studies and years of accumulative experience. Perusal of the literature reveals that much has been learned over the past century about the response of cells, proteins, and tissues to supra-physiologic temperatures; yet, the associated findings are reported in diverse journals and the underlying basic processes remain unidentified. In this review, we seek to contrast various findings on the kinetics of the thermal denaturation of collagen and to encourage investigators to consider the many open problems in part via a synthesis of results from the diverse literatures.
Magnetic Resonance Studies of the Bacteriorhodopsin Pump Cycle
Authors: Herzfeld Judith , Lansing Jonathan C.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Active transport requires the alternation of substrate uptake and release with a switch in the access of the substrate binding site to the two sides of the membrane. Both the transfer and switch aspects of the photocycle have been subjects of magnetic resonance studies in bacteriorhodopsin. The results for ion transfer indicate that the Schiff base of the chromophore is hydrogen bonded before, during, and after its deprotonation. This suggests that the initial complex counterion of the Schiff base decomposes in such a way that the Schiff base carries its immediate hydrogen-bonding partner with it as it rotates during the first half of the photocycle. If so, bacteriorhodopsin acts as an inward-directed hydroxide pump rather than as an outward-directed proton pump. The studies of the access switch explore both protein-based and chromophore-based mechanisms. Combined with evidence from functional studies of mutants and other forms of spectroscopy, the results suggest that maintaining access to the extracellular side of the protein after photoisomerization involves twisting of the chromophore and that the decisive switch in access to the cytoplasmic side results from relaxation of the chromophore when the constraints on the Schiff base are released by decomposition of the complex counterion.
The Natural History of Protein Domains
Authors: Ponting Chris P. , Russell Robert R.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Genome sequencing and structural genomics projects are providing new insights into the evolutionary history ofprote in domains. As methods for sequence and structure comparison improve, more distantly related domains are shown to be homologous. Thus there is a need for domain families to be classified within a hierarchy similar to Linnaeus' Systema Naturae, the classification of species. With such a hierarchy in mind, we discuss the evolution of domains, their combination into proteins, and evidence as to the likely origin of protein domains. We also discuss when and how analysis of domains can be used to understand details of protein function. Unconventional features of domain evolution such as intragenomic competition, domain insertion, horizontal gene transfer, and convergent evolution are seen as analogs of organismal evolutionary events. These parallels illustrate how the concept of domains can be applied to provide insights into evolutionary biology.
Phase-Field Simulation of Solidification
Authors: Boettinger W. J. , Warren J. A. , Beckermann C. , Karma A.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  An overview of the phase-field method for modeling solidification is presented, together with several example results. Using a phase-field variable and a corresponding governing equation to describe the state (solid or liquid) in a material as a function of position and time, the diffusion equations for heat and solute can be solved without tracking the liquid-solid interface. The interfacial regions between liquid and solid involve smooth but highly localized variations of the phase-field variable. The method has been applied to a wide variety of problems including dendritic growth in pure materials; dendritic, eutectic, and peritectic growth in alloys; and solute trapping during rapid solidification.
Tight-Binding Theory of Native Point Defects in Silicon
Authors: Colombo Luciano
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Vacancies and self-interstitial defects in silicon are here investigated by means of semi-empirical quantum molecular dynamics simulations performed within the tight-binding model. We extensively discuss the process of formation and migration of native point defects and investigate their interaction and clustering phenomena. The formation of larger stable structures is further studied by combining tight-binding and Monte Carlo simulations.

Tight-binding simulation results provide a global picture for defect-induced microstructure evolution in bulk silicon. These results are consistent with state-of-the-art experimental data and elucidate many relevant atomic-scale mechanisms.
Quasicontinuum Representations of Atomic-Scale Mechanics: From Proteins to Dislocations
Authors: Phillips Rob , Dittrich Markus , Schulten Klaus
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Computation is one of the centerpieces of both the physical and biological sciences. A key thrust in computational science is the explicit mechanistic simulation of the spatiotemporal evolution of materials ranging from macromolecules to intermetallic alloys. However, our ability to simulate such systems is in the end always limited in both the spatial extent of the systems that are considered, as well as the duration of the time that can be simulated. As a result, a variety of efforts have been put forth that aim to finesse these challenges in both space and time through new techniques in which constraint is exploited to reduce the overall computational burden. The aim of this review is to describe in general terms some of the key ideas that have been set forth in both the materials and biological setting and to speculate on future developments along these lines. We begin by developing general ideas on the exploitation of constraint as a systematic tool for degree of freedom thinning. These ideas are then applied to case studies ranging from the plastic deformation of solids to the interactions of proteins and DNA.
Wired for Reproduction: Organization and Development of Sexually Dimorphic Circuits in the Mammalian Forebrain
Authors: Simerly Richard B.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Mammalian reproduction depends on the coordinated expression of behavior with precisely timed physiological events that are fundamentally different in males and females. An improved understanding of the neuroanatomical relationships between sexually dimorphic parts of the forebrain has contributed to a significant paradigm shift in how functional neural systems are approached experimentally. This review focuses on the organization of interconnected limbic-hypothalamic pathways that participate in the neural control of reproduction and summarizes what is known about the developmental neurobiology of these pathways. Sex steroid hormones such as estrogen and testosterone have much in common with neurotrophins and regulate cell death, neuronal migration, neurogenesis, and neurotransmitter plasticity. In addition, these hormones direct formation of sexually dimorphic circuits by influencing axonal guidance and synaptogenesis. The signaling events underlying the developmental activities of sex steroids involve interactions between nuclear hormone receptors and other transcriptional regulators, as well as interactions at multiple levels with neurotrophin and neurotransmitter signal transduction pathways.
Schizophrenia as a Disorder of Neurodevelopment
Authors: Lewis David A. , Levitt Pat
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  A combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental perturbations appear to be necessary for the expression of schizophrenia. In addition, the pathogenesis of the disease is hypothesized to be neurodevelopmental in nature based on reports of an excess of adverse events during the pre- and perinatal periods, the presence of cognitive and behavioral signs during childhood and adolescence, and the lack of evidence of a neurodegenerative process in most individuals with schizophrenia. Recent studies of neurodevelopmental mechanisms strongly suggest that no single gene or factor is responsible for driving a highly complex biological process. Together, these findings suggest that combinatorial genetic and environmental factors, which disturb a normal developmental course early in life, result in molecular and histogenic responses that cumulatively lead to different developmental trajectories and the clinical phenotype recognized as schizophrenia.
Central Nervous System Damage, Monocytes and Macrophages, and Neurological Disorders in AIDS
Authors: Williams Kenneth C. , Hickey William F.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  This review focuses on the role of the extended macrophage/monocyte family in the central nervous system during HIV or SIV infection. The accumulated data, buttressed by recent experimental results, suggest that these cells play a central, pathogenic role in retroviral-associated CNS disease. While the immune system is able to combat the underlying retroviral infection, the accumulation and widespread activation of macrophages, microglia, and perivascular cells in the CNS are held in check. However, with the collapse of the immune system and the disappearance of the CD4+T cell population, productive infection reemerges, especially in CNS macrophages. These cells, as well as noninfected macrophages, are stimulated to high levels of activation. When members of this cell group become highly activated, they elaborate a wide spectrum of deleterious substances into the neural parenchyma. In the final phases of HIV or SIV infection, this chronic, widespread, and dramatic level of macrophage/monocyte/microglial activation constitutes a self-sustaining state of macrophage dysregulation, which results in pathological alterations and the emergence of various neurological problems.
Functional MRI of Language: New Approaches to Understanding the Cortical Organization of Semantic Processing
Authors: Bookheimer Susan
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  Until recently, our understanding of how language is organized in the brain depended on analysis of behavioral deficits in patients with fortuitously placed lesions. The availability of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for in vivo analysis of the normal brain has revolutionized the study of language. This review discusses three lines of fMRI research into how the semantic system is organized in the adult brain. These are (a) the role of the left inferior frontal lobe in semantic processing and dissociations from other frontal lobe language functions, (b) the organization of categories of objects and concepts in the temporal lobe, and (c) the role of the right hemisphere in comprehending contextual and figurative meaning. Together, these lines of research broaden our understanding of how the brain stores, retrieves, and makes sense of semantic information, and they challenge some commonly held notions of functional modularity in the language system.
Welfare Reform: How Do We Measure Success?
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , Jayakody Rukamalie
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  This paper evaluates a burgeoning literature on the effects of the 1996 welfare reform bill. Our goal is to shift the debate from the current preoccupation with declining caseloads to one focused on the social and economic well-being of fragile families, single mothers, and children. The welfare reform literature reveals many positive changes: reduced poverty rates, lower out-of-wedlock childbearing, greater family stability, and little indication of more spouse abuse or child neglect. But it is too early to claim success and many questions remain unanswered. Poverty remains high among single mothers and their children; welfare recipients experience serious barriers to stable employment; and poor women and children face an uncertain economic and social future as welfare eligibility is exhausted and the economy wanes. With the welfare debate shifting to family and child well-being, sociology has an important policy role to play as the next phase of welfare reform begins after the 2002 reauthorization.
Race, Gender, and Authority in the Workplace: Theory and Research
Authors: Smith Ryan A.
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  This chapter surveys sociological approaches to the study of job authority, including theoretical foundations, measurement, and emergence as an important dimension of social inequality. The focus here is mainly on studies of race and gender differences in the determinants of authority and the consequences of race and gender differences in authority for income. Despite significant advancements in the overall socioeconomic status of minorities and working women, race and gender remain important impediments to their attainment of authority. This pattern, which is consistent and robust in state-level, national, cross-national, and cross-temporal studies, is sustained net of an incumbent's human capital investments and structural location within and between several economic units. Following a review of the predominant explanations for gender and racial disparities in job authority is the conclusion that the most promising explanations for persistent racial and gender disparities in authority concern the racial and gender demography of the workplace and the tendency on the part of authority elites to reproduce themselves through both exclusionary and inclusionary processes. Suggestions for future research include additional delineation of these processes based on samples of multiple racial/ethnic groups of men and women and studies that synthesize quantitative and qualitative approaches to understanding the effects of employer and employee attitudes/preferences and practices on the authority attainment process.
Integrating Models of Diffusion of Innovations: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Wejnert Barbara
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  This chapter provides a conceptual framework for integrating the array of variables defined in diffusion research to explicate their influence on an actor's decision to adopt an innovation. The framework groups the variables into three major components. The first component includes characteristics of the innovation itself, within which two sets of variables are defined concerning public versus private consequences and benefits versus costs of adoption. A second component involves the characteristics of innovators (actors) that influence the probability of adoption of an innovation. Within this component six sets of variables concern societal entity of innovators (either people, organizations, states, etc.), familiarity with the innovation, status characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, position in social networks, and personal qualities. The third component involves characteristics of the environmental context that modulate diffusion via structural characteristics of the modern world. These latter characteristics incorporate four sets of variables: geographical settings, societal culture, political conditions, and global uniformity. The concluding analysis highlights the need in diffusion research to incorporate more fully (a) the interactive character of diffusion variables, (b) the gating function of diffusion variables, and (c) effects of an actor's characteristics on the temporal rate of diffusion.
Assessing “Neighborhood Effects”: Social Processes and New Directions in Research
Authors: Sampson Robert J. , Morenoff Jeffrey D. , Gannon-Rowley Thomas
Published: July 2002

▪ Abstract  This paper assesses and synthesizes the cumulative results of a new “neighborhood-effects” literature that examines social processes related to problem behaviors and health-related outcomes. Our review identified over 40 relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals from the mid-1990s to 2001, the take-off point for an increasing level of interest in neighborhood effects. Moving beyond traditional characteristics such as concentrated poverty, we evaluate the salience of social-interactional and institutional mechanisms hypothesized to account for neighborhood-level variations in a variety of phenomena (e.g., delinquency, violence, depression, high-risk behavior), especially among adolescents. We highlight neighborhood ties, social control, mutual trust, institutional resources, disorder, and routine activity patterns. We also discuss a set of thorny methodological problems that plague the study of neighborhood effects, with special attention to selection bias. We conclude with promising strategies and directions for future research, including experimental designs, taking spatial and temporal dynamics seriously, systematic observational approaches, and benchmark data on neighborhood social processes.
Electrochemical Removal of Lead Ions from Flowing Electrolytes Using Packed Bed Electrodes
Authors: El‐Deab M. S. , Saleh M. M. , El‐Anadouli B. E. , Ateya B. G.
Published: July 2002

Packed bed electrodes, made of stacked screens, have been used as cathodes for the removal of lead ions from flowing alkaline electrolytes. We consider the coulombic efficiency

ξ
=

i

Pb

/
(

i

Pb

+

i

H

)

, where

i

Pb

and

i

H

are, respectively, the lead deposition and hydrogen evolution currents, and the collection efficiency given by

ψ
=

i

L
(
exp
.
)

/
nF
ν

c

o

, where

i

L
(
exp
.
)

is the geometric limiting current for lead deposition, ν is the electrolyte flow rate, and

c

o

is the feed concentration of lead ions. Two regions are defined in the current‐ potential relations, depending on whether hydrogen evolution does, or does not, contribute to the measured current, corresponding to ξ less than, or equal to, 100%, respectively. The geometric limiting current,

i

L
(
exp
.
)

, increases with increase of ν, electrode thickness (L), or specific surface area (S), and with decrease of the viscosity of the electrolyte (μ). The collection efficiency (ψ) increases as ν or μ decreases and L and/or S increases. Operating the cell at higher flow rates increases the overall coulombic efficiency, over a broader range of cell currents. It also increases the geometric limiting current although it decreases the collection efficiency. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
A Model for Current‐Voltage Oscillations at the Silicon Electrode and Comparison with Experimental Results
Authors: Carstensen J. , Prange R. , Föll H.
Published: July 2002

The first consistent and complete model of current oscillations at the Si electrode is presented. The only basic assumption needed is an ionic breakthrough mechanism which is postulated to occur in thin oxides under oxidizing electrode conditions, leading to an enhanced and localized ion transport to the

Si
‐

SiO

2

interface. Choosing reasonable values for three corresponding physical parameters and using a Monte Carlo simulation technique, first‐principle calculations yield quantitative data in excellent agreement with numerous experimental results, including the value of the current, surface roughness, the average oxide thickness, and the capacitance as a function of the phase of oscillations, and the frequency of the oscillations as a function of applied voltage, current density, etching rate or HF concentration, and temperature. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Development of a Structure‐Activity Relationship for Oil Field Corrosion Inhibitors
Authors: Durnie William , De Marco Roland , Jefferson Alan , Kinsella Brian
Published: July 2002

Corrosion rate data for mild steel corrosion inhibitors in carbonated brine media were fitted to the Temkin adsorption isotherm. The fundamental constants of the Temkin adsorption isotherm, i.e., molecular interaction and adsorption equilibrium constants, were used to glean important information about the behavior of adsorbed corrosion inhibitors. Adsorption data were also used to calculate

Δ

ad

H

,

Δ

ad

G

, and

Δ

ad

S

, and the results demonstrated that some compounds are chemisorbed onto the electrode. Significantly, it has been found that chemisorption of corrosion inhibitors can yield very good film persistency (i.e.. corrosion protection even when the inhibitor is no longer present). Molecular modeling using the quantum mechanical program PCSpartan plus, along with a comparative analysis of adsorption data for a broad range of inhibitor molecules, has been used to derive a tentative structure/activity relationship for some oil field corrosion inhibitors. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Schottky Barriers Derived from Metal‐Modified Polyaniline
Authors: Yang Chien‐Hsin
Published: July 2002

Metal‐2,5‐diaminobenzenesulfonic acid (DABSA)-modified polyaniline Schottky junctions in which modified polyaniline is obtained from electrochemical copolymerization of aniline with DABSA were investigated. The typical dark current density vs. applied voltage characteristics for several Schottky junctions are reported. Electronic parameters such as Richardson constant, ideality factor, and barrier height are calculated. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Transport Properties of a High Molecular Weight Poly(propylene oxide)‐ LiCF3 SO 3 System
Authors: Doeff Marca M. , Georèn Peter , Qiao Jun , Kerr John , De Jonghe L. C.
Published: July 2002

Conductivities (σ), salt diffusion coefficients

(

D

s

)

, and cationic transference numbers

(

t

+

0

)

are reported for a high molecular weight polypropylene oxide

(
Parel
™
‐

LiCF

3

SO

3

)

polymer electrolyte system at 85°C. Transference numbers were determined as a function of salt concentration using a recently described electrochemical method based on concentrated solution theory. For the Parel‐

LiCF

3

SO

3

system,

t

+

0

is slightly positive for electrolytes with O:Li ratios of 15 or 12:1 but decreases to negative values for more concentrated solutions. This implies that negatively charged ionic aggregates such as triplets are more mobile than free cations in this concentration range. Such behavior is commonly seen in binary salt/polymer electrolytes, which typically exhibit a high degree of nonideality. The nonunity transference numbers and microphase separation in the Parel‐

LiCF

3

SO

3

system strongly suggest that salt precipitation or phase separation in operating cells containing these electrolytes due to the development of large concentration gradients during passage of current. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Effects of Plasma Prenitridation and Postdeposition Annealing on the Structural and Dielectric Characteristics of the Ta2 O 5 / Si System
Authors: Lai Yi-Sheng , Chen Kuan-Jen , Chen J. S.
Published: July 2002

Material and dielectric properties of

Ta

2

O

5

layers grown on bare Si, as well as

N

2

O

and

NH

3

plasma nitrided Si substrates, before and after postdeposition annealing in oxygen, were investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that

NH

3

and

N

2

O

plasma nitridation on Si at 450°C formed a nitrogen-rich and an oxygen-rich

SiO

x

N

y

layer, respectively. Capacitance-voltage

(
C
­
V
)

measurements show that

Ta

2

O

5

layers deposited on the prenitrided Si exhibit a higher relative dielectric constant and contain a lower density of charge trapping sites

(

N

h

)
,

as compared to the one on bare Si. In contrast, the interface state density

(

D

it

)

near the midgap is

∼

10

13

 

cm

−
2

 

eV

−
1

for non-nitrided and

NH

3

nitrided samples, but it is

∼

10

12

 

cm

−
2

 

eV

−
1

for the

N

2

O

nitrided sample. Postdeposition annealing at 650 or 800°C leads to an increment of

N

h

,

except to a lesser extent for the

N

2

O

nitrided sample, and reduces all

D

it

to

∼

10

12

 

cm

−
2

 

eV

−
1

.

Concurrently, crystallization of the

Ta

2

O

5

layer and depletion of nitrogen in the

SiO

x

N

y

interlayer formed by

NH

3

plasma nitridation are observed after annealing at 800°C. As for current-voltage

(
I
­
V
)

characteristics, all as-deposited samples exhibit large leakage currents, regardless of the prenitridation process. Postdeposition annealing will significantly lower the leakage currents, and the annealed

Ta

2

O

5

deposited on

N

2

O

nitrided Si exhibits better

I
­
V

character than the others at high electric field. Effects of various prenitridation and postannealing processes on the structural and electrical characteristics of

Ta

2

O

5

/
Si

systems are discussed. © 2002 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Factor V and Thrombotic Disease
Authors: Nicolaes Gerry A.F. , Dahlbäck Björn
Published: July 2002

The generation of thrombin by the prothrombinase complex constitutes an essential step in hemostasis, with thrombin being crucial for the amplification of blood coagulation, fibrin formation, and platelet activation. In the prothrombinase complex, the activated form of coagulation factor V (FVa) is an essential cofactor to the enzyme-activated factor X (FXa), FXa being virtually ineffective in the absence of its cofactor. Besides its procoagulant potential, intact factor V (FV) has an anticoagulant cofactor capacity functioning in synergy with protein S and activated protein C (APC) in APC-catalyzed inactivation of the activated form of factor VIII. The expression of anticoagulant cofactor function of FV is dependent on APC-mediated proteolysis of intact FV. Thus, FV has the potential to function in procoagulant and anticoagulant pathways, with its functional properties being modulated by proteolysis exerted by procoagulant and anticoagulant enzymes. The procoagulant enzymes factor Xa and thrombin are both able to activate circulating FV to FVa. The activity of FVa is, in turn, regulated by APC together with its cofactor protein S. In fact, the regulation of thrombin formation proceeds primarily through the upregulation and downregulation of FVa cofactor activity, and failure to control FVa activity may result in either bleeding or thrombotic complications. A prime example is APC resistance, which is the most common genetic risk factor for thrombosis. It is caused by a single point mutation in the FV gene (factor V
Leiden
) that not only renders FVa less susceptible to the proteolytic inactivation by APC but also impairs the anticoagulant properties of FV. This review gives a description of the dualistic character of FV and describes the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions that are important for the involvement of FV in the etiology of venous thromboembolism.
Interleukin-6 −174G>C Polymorphism and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS)
Authors: Basso Federica , Lowe Gordon D.O. , Rumley Ann , McMahon Alex D. , Humphries Steve E.
Published: July 2002

Interleukin (IL)-6 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD). Two functional polymorphisms in the IL-6 promoter have been identified (−174G>C and −572G>C), with both the rare alleles being associated with higher plasma levels of IL-6 after bypass surgery and one of them (−174G>C) associated with CHD risk. We have studied the contribution of these polymorphisms to CHD risk in the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS), a primary prevention trial that demonstrated the effectiveness of pravastatin in reducing morbidity and mortality from CHD. Four hundred ninety-eight cases (consisting of individuals experiencing a cardiovascular event during 4.8 years of follow-up) and 1109 controls (individuals matched for age and smoking habits) were genotyped. In the placebo group, there was no significant evidence of higher risk associated with the −174CC genotype compared with the GG+GC group. However, in the pravastatin-treated group, CC homozygotes had a significantly lower risk of CHD compared with the GG+GC placebo group (odds ratio 0.46, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.79), and this remained statistically significant after adjustment for classic risk factors. Compared with the GG+GC group, men with the CC genotype had modestly, but not significantly, higher baseline levels of IL-6, C-reactive protein, or fibrinogen but showed a significantly greater fall in LDL cholesterol with statin treatment (
P
=0.036). The −572G>C polymorphism was not significantly associated with any plasma trait or CHD risk. Thus, in subjects under pravastatin treatment, the −174CC genotype was associated with a lower risk of CHD. These results demonstrate the importance of the inflammatory system in determining the risk of CHD and support the nonlipid effect of statins on risk.
Contribution of Hepatic Lipase, Lipoprotein Lipase, and Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein to LDL and HDL Heterogeneity in Healthy Women
Authors: Carr M.C. , Ayyobi A.F. , Murdoch S.J. , Deeb S.S. , Brunzell J.D.
Published: July 2002

Hepatic lipase (HL) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) have been independently associated with low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) size in different cohorts. These studies have been conducted mainly in men and in subjects with dyslipidemia. Ours is a comprehensive study of the proposed biochemical determinants (lipoprotein lipase, HL, CETP, and triglycerides) and genetic determinants (HL gene [
LIPC
] and Taq1B) of small dense LDL (sdLDL) and HDL subspecies in a large cohort of 120 normolipidemic, nondiabetic, premenopausal women. HL (
P
<0.001) and lipoprotein lipase activities (
P
=0.006) were independently associated with LDL buoyancy, whereas CETP (
P
=0.76) and triglycerides (
P
=0.06) were not. The women with more sdLDL had higher HL activity (
P
=0.007), lower HDL2 cholesterol (
P
<0.001), and lower frequency of the HL (
LIPC
) T allele (
P
=0.034) than did the women with buoyant LDL. The
LIPC
variant was associated with HL activity (
P
<0.001), HDL2 cholesterol (
P
=0.034), and LDL buoyancy (
P
=0.03), whereas the Taq1B polymorphism in the CETP gene was associated with CETP mass (
P
=0.002) and HDL3 cholesterol (
P
=0.039). These results suggest that HL activity and HL gene promoter polymorphism play a significant role in determining LDL and HDL heterogeneity in healthy women without hypertriglyceridemia. Thus, HL is an important determinant of sdLDL and HDL2 cholesterol in normal physiological states as well as in the pathogenesis of various disease processes.
Folic Acid Treatment Reduces Chemokine Release From Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Hyperhomocysteinemic Subjects
Authors: Holven Kirsten B. , Aukrust Pål , Holm Torbjørn , Ose Leiv , Nenseter Marit S.
Published: July 2002

Elevated plasma homocysteine concentration is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms by which hyperhomocysteinemia induces vascular disease are uncertain. An early step in atherogenesis involves leukocyte migration into the arterial wall, a process regulated in part by chemokines. We hypothesized that homocysteine may exert its atherogenic effect in part through chemokine-mediated mechanisms, and in the present study, we examined the effects of folic acid supplementation for 6 weeks on chemokine levels in hyperhomocysteinemic individuals. Data showed the following: (1) Compared with control subjects, hyperhomocysteinemic subjects had elevated plasma levels of the CXC chemokines, epithelial neutrophil-activating peptide (ENA)-78 (
P
<0.05), and growth-regulated oncogene (GRO)α (
P
=0.088), and homocysteine was significantly correlated with ENA-78 and GROα. (2) During folic acid treatment, normalization of homocysteine levels was accompanied by a marked reduction in oxidized low density lipoprotein–stimulated release of CXC chemokines (ie, GROα, ENA-78, and interleukin-8) and CC chemokines (ie, monocyte chemoattractant peptide-1 and RANTES) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these individuals. (3) The oxidized low density lipoprotein–induced release of ENA-78 from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from control subjects was significantly reduced when cells were incubated in the presence of folic acid. These data may suggest that homocysteine exerts atherogenic effects in part by enhancing chemokine responses in cells involved in atherogenesis and that folic acid supplementation may downregulate these inflammatory responses.
Population-Based Twin Study of the Effects of Migration From Finland to Sweden on Endothelial Function and Intima-Media Thickness
Authors: Jartti L. , Rönnemaa T. , Kaprio J. , Järvisalo M.J. , Toikka J.O. , Marniemi J. , Hammar N. , Alfredsson L. , Saraste M. , Hartiala J. , Koskenvuo M. , Raitakari O.T.
Published: July 2002

Finnish men have higher coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality than Swedish men do. To assess the impact of migration to a country with lower CHD mortality on subclinical atherosclerosis, we measured early functional and structural atherosclerotic vascular changes in twins discordant for migration from Finland to Sweden. Conventional CHD risk factors, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery, carotid intima-media thickness, and carotid artery compliance were measured in 74 male twin pairs (20 monozygous, 54 dizygous), aged 42 to 69 years, in which co-one twin had migrated more than 20 years ago permanently to Sweden. There were no significant differences in CHD risk factors except for diastolic blood pressure and body fat percentage, which were higher in Sweden. In all subjects, mean FMD was non-significantly higher in Sweden (5.7±4.3% vs 4.9±4.2%,
P
=0.22), but in monozygous twins the difference in FMD was highly significant (7.2±4.4 vs 3.7±2.9%,
P
=0.003). There was no significant difference in intima-media thickness or carotid artery compliance between Sweden and Finland. We conclude that in Finnish monozygous twins the endothelial function is better among the twins that have migrated to a country with lower CHD prevalence.
C-Reactive Protein and Soluble Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 Are Associated With Elevated Urinary Albumin Excretion but Do Not Explain Its Link With Cardiovascular Risk
Authors: Jager Agnes , van Hinsbergh Victor W.M. , Kostense Piet J. , Emeis Jef J. , Nijpels Giel , Dekker Jacqueline M. , Heine Robert J. , Bouter Lex M. , Stehouwer Coen D.A.
Published: July 2002

An elevated urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality, but the pathophysiological mechanism underlying this association is poorly understood. To investigate the role of endothelial dysfunction, leukocyte adhesion, and low-grade inflammation (1) in the development of elevated UAER (study I) and (2) in linking elevated UAER with risk of cardiovascular mortality (study II), we performed a prospective study in an age–, sex–, and glucose tolerance– stratified sample of a population-based cohort aged 50 to 75 years. High levels of von Willebrand factor, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used as markers of endothelial dysfunction, leukocyte adhesion, and low-grade inflammation, respectively. For study I, subjects who had normal UAER at baseline (n=316 subjects, 66 with type 2 diabetes) were reexamined after a mean follow-up of 6.1 years. The development of elevated UAER was defined as a mean albumin-to-creatinine ratio >2.0 mg/mmol at follow-up. Age–, sex–, and glucose tolerance– adjusted logistic regression analyses showed the development of elevated UAER to be significantly associated with levels of sVCAM-1 and CRP (odds ratio 1.14 [95% CI 1.02 to 1.27] per 10% increase of sVCAM-1 and odds ratio 1.17 [95% CI 1.04 to 1.32] per 50% increase of CRP). The results were not materially different after additional adjustment for hypertension, body mass index, cardiovascular disease, and creatinine clearance or stratification by the presence of diabetes. For study II, the vital status of all subjects (n= 575) was determined after a mean follow-up of 6.6 years. Eighty-one of 575 subjects died (30 died of cardiovascular disease). The presence of elevated UAER at baseline was associated with a 4.1-fold (1.94 to 8.73) increased risk of cardiovascular death after adjustment for age, sex, and glucose tolerance status. Adjustment for levels of von Willebrand factor, sVCAM-1, or CRP did not materially affect the results, nor did additional adjustment for the presence of hypertension, retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease and for levels of homocysteine, triglycerides, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Leukocyte adhesion (sVCAM-1) and low-grade inflammation (CRP) are determinants of the development of elevated UAER. However, these determinants do not explain the association between elevated UAER and cardiovascular mortality.
Association of Estrogen Receptor-α Gene Polymorphisms With Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Lu Hong , Higashikata Toshinori , Inazu Akihiro , Nohara Atsushi , Yu Wenxin , Shimizu Masami , Mabuchi Hiroshi
Published: July 2002

To investigate the association of estrogen receptor (ER)-α gene polymorphisms with coronary artery disease (CAD), we studied 197 men and 98 postmenopausal women with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. We examined the known polymorphisms, includingPvuII,XbaI, TA repeat, and CA repeat, and identified 6 novel polymorphisms in the ER-α gene. The distributions of −1989T/G (a novel polymorphism in promoter B) andXbaI in intron 1 were associated with CAD in postmenopausal women and in men, with a higher frequency of the G/G genotype (P=0.03) or X1/X1 genotype (P=0.02) in the CAD group. The frequency of alleles of TA repeats >17 was found to be significantly higher in postmenopausal women with CAD than in those without CAD (P=0.04), but not in men. Logistic regression analysis with all coronary risk factors as covariates showed that the G/G genotype was a higher risk for CAD (odds ratio 4.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 19.5;P=0.04) but that X1/X1 was not. We conclude that −1989T/G or its linked polymorphisms in the ER-α gene may confer risk for CAD and that the G/G genotype may be an independent predictor for CAD in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.