bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surfing for Thinness: A Pilot Study of Pro–Eating Disorder Web Site Usage in Adolescents With Eating Disorders
Authors: Wilson Jenny L. , Peebles Rebecka , Hardy Kristina K. , Litt Iris F.
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVE. Pro–eating disorder Web sites are communities of individuals who engage in disordered eating and use the Internet to discuss their activities. Pro-recovery sites, which are less numerous, express a recovery-oriented perspective. This pilot study investigated the awareness and usage of pro–eating disorder Web sites among adolescents with eating disorders and their parents and explored associations with health and quality of life.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. This was a cross-sectional study of 698 families of patients (aged 10–22 years) diagnosed with an eating disorder at Stanford between 1997 and 2004. Anonymous surveys were mailed and offered in clinic. Survey content included questions about disease severity, health outcomes, Web site usage, and parental knowledge of eating disorder Web site usage.

RESULTS. Surveys were returned by 182 individuals: 76 patients and 106 parents. Parents frequently (52.8%) were aware of pro–eating disorder sites, but an equal number did not know whether their child visited these sites, and only 27.6% had discussed them with their child. Most (62.5%) parents, however, did not know about pro-recovery sites. Forty-one percent of patients visited pro-recovery sites, 35.5% visited pro–eating disorder sites, 25.0% visited both, and 48.7% visited neither. While visiting pro–eating disorder sites, 96.0% reported learning new weight loss or purging techniques. However, 46.4% of pro-recovery site visitors also learned new techniques. Pro–eating disorder site users did not differ from nonusers in health outcomes but reported spending less time on school or schoolwork and had a longer duration of illness. Users of both pro–eating disorder and pro-recovery sites were hospitalized more than users of neither site.

CONCLUSIONS. Pro–eating disorder site usage was prevalent among adolescents with eating disorders, yet parents had little knowledge of this. Although use of these sites was not associated with other health outcomes, usage may have a negative impact on quality of life and result in adolescents’ learning about and adopting disordered eating behaviors.
Marketing Fast Food: Impact of Fast Food Restaurants in Children’s Hospitals
Authors: Sahud Hannah B. , Binns Helen J. , Meadow William L. , Tanz Robert R.
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVES. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine fast food restaurant prevalence in hospitals with pediatric residencies and (2) to evaluate how hospital environment affects purchase and perception of fast food.

METHODS. We first surveyed pediatric residency programs regarding fast food restaurants in their hospitals to determine the prevalence of fast food restaurants in these hospitals. We then surveyed adults with children after pediatric outpatient visits at 3 hospitals: hospital M with an on-site McDonald’s restaurant, hospital R without McDonald’s on site but with McDonald’s branding, and hospital X with neither on-site McDonald’s nor branding. We sought to determine attitudes toward, consumption of, and influences on purchase of fast food and McDonald’s food.

RESULTS. Fifty-nine of 200 hospitals with pediatric residencies had fast food restaurants. A total of 386 outpatient surveys were analyzed. Fast food consumption on the survey day was most common among hospital M respondents (56%; hospital R: 29%; hospital X: 33%), as was the purchase of McDonald’s food (hospital M: 53%; hospital R: 14%; hospital X: 22%). McDonald’s accounted for 95% of fast food consumed by hospital M respondents, and 83% of them bought their food at the on-site McDonald’s. Using logistic regression analysis, hospital M respondents were 4 times more likely than respondents at the other hospitals to have purchased McDonald’s food on the survey day. Visitors to hospitals M and R were more likely than those at hospital X to believe that McDonald’s supported the hospital financially. Respondents at hospital M rated McDonald’s food healthier than did respondents at the other hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS. Fast food restaurants are fairly common in hospitals that sponsor pediatric residency programs. A McDonald’s restaurant in a children’s hospital was associated with significantly increased purchase of McDonald’s food by outpatients, belief that the McDonald’s Corporation supported the hospital financially, and higher rating of the healthiness of McDonald’s food.
Large Maternal Weight Loss From Obesity Surgery Prevents Transmission of Obesity to Children Who Were Followed for 2 to 18 Years
Authors: Kral John G. , Biron Simon , Simard Serge , Hould Frédéric-Simon , Lebel Stéfane , Marceau Simon , Marceau Picard
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVE. Our aim was to compare the prevalence of obesity in 172 children who were aged 2 to 18 years and born to 113 obese mothers (BMI: 31 ± 9 kg/m2) with substantial weight loss after biliopancreatic bypass surgery with 45 same-age siblings who were born before maternal surgery (mothers’ BMI: 48 ± 8 kg/m2) and with current population standards.

METHODS. In this case series, with >88% follow-up in a tertiary referral center, crosssectional office chart and telephone data on childhood and adolescent weights were transformed to z scores.

RESULTS. After maternal surgery, the prevalence of obesity in the offspring decreased by 52% and severe obesity by 45.1%, with no increase in the prevalence of underweight. The z score reduction in obesity was gender specific, with boys reducing from 1.4 ± 1.3 before to 0.57 ± 1.7 after maternal surgery, corrected for birth order. The difference was not significant in girls (0.8 ± 1.3 vs 0.8 ± 1.2). Among children of both genders who were aged 6 to 18 years of age and born after maternal surgery, the prevalence of overweight was reduced to population levels.

CONCLUSIONS. Contrary to outcomes after intrauterine under- and overnutrition, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children of mothers with large voluntary postsurgical weight loss was similar to that in the general population, with no increase in underweight. The results demonstrate the importance of potentially modifiable epigenetic factors in the cause of obesity.
Adolescents' Motivations to Abuse Prescription Medications
Authors: Boyd Carol J. , McCabe Sean Esteban , Cranford James A. , Young Amy
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVES. Our goals were to (1) determine adolescents' motivations (reasons) for engaging in the nonmedical (illicit) use of 4 classes of prescription medications and (2) examine whether motivations were associated with a higher risk for substance abuse problems.

RESPONDENTS. The 2005 sample (N = 1086) was derived from one ethnically diverse school district in southeastern Michigan and included 7th- through 12th-grade students.

METHODS. Data were collected by using a self-administered, Web-based survey that included questions about drug use and the motivations to engage in nonmedical use of prescription medication.

RESULTS. Twelve percent of the respondents had engaged in nonmedical use of opioid pain medications in the past year: 3% for sleeping, 2% as a sedative and/or for anxiety, and 2% as stimulants. The reasons for engaging in the nonmedical use of prescription medications varied by drug classification. For opioid analgesics, when the number of motives increased, so too did the likelihood of a positive Drug Abuse Screening Test score. For every additional motive endorsed, the Drug Abuse Screening Test increased by a factor of 1.8. Two groups of students were compared (at-risk versus self-treatment); those who endorsed multiple motivations for nonmedical use of opioids (at-risk group) were significantly more likely to have elevated Drug Abuse Screening Test scores when compared with those who were in the self-treatment group. Those in the at-risk group also were significantly more likely to engage in marijuana and alcohol use.

CONCLUSION. The findings from this exploratory study warrant additional research because several motivations for the nonmedical use of prescription medications seem associated with a greater likelihood of substance abuse problems.
Higher Self-reported Physical Activity Is Associated With Lower Systolic Blood Pressure: The Dietary Intervention Study in Childhood (DISC)
Authors: Gidding Samuel S. , Barton Bruce A. , Dorgan Joanne A. , Kimm Sue Y.S. , Kwiterovich Peter O. , Lasser Normal L. , Robson Alan M. , Stevens Victor J. , Van Horn Linda , Simons-Morton Denise G.
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVE. Children participating in a dietary clinical trial were studied to (1) assess physical activity patterns in boys and girls longitudinally from late childhood through puberty and (2) determine the association of level of physical activity on systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and BMI.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. In the Dietary Intervention Study in Childhood, a randomized clinical trial of a reduced saturated fat and cholesterol diet in 8- to 10-year-olds with elevated low-density lipoprotein, a questionnaire that determined time spent in 5 intensity levels of physical activity was completed at baseline and at 1 and 3 years. An estimated-metabolic-equivalent score was calculated for weekly activity; hours per week were calculated for intense activities. We hypothesized that weekly self-reported physical activity would be associated with lower systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, and BMI over 3 years. Longitudinal data analyses were performed for each outcome (systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, and BMI) by using generalized estimating equations with estimated-metabolic-equivalent score per week as the independent variable adjusted for visit, gender, and Tanner stage (BMI was included in models for systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein).

RESULTS. The initial study cohort comprised 663 youths (362 boys [mean age: 9.7 years] and 301 girls [mean age: 9.0 years), of whom 623 (94%) completed the 3-year visit. For every 100 estimated-metabolic-equivalent hours of physical activity, there was a decrease of 1.15 mmHg of systolic blood pressure. There was a 1.28 mg/dL decline in low-density lipoprotein for a similar energy expenditure. For BMI, an analysis of intense physical activity showed that for every 10 hours of intense activity, there was a trend toward significance with a 0.2 kg/m2 decrease.

CONCLUSIONS. Children with elevated cholesterol levels who lead a more physically active lifestyle have lower systolic blood pressure and a trend toward lower low-density lipoprotein over a 3-year interval. Long-term participation in intense physical activity may reduce BMI as well.
The Changing Risk of Infant Mortality by Gestation, Plurality, and Race: 1989–1991 Versus 1999–2001
Authors: Luke Barbara , Brown Morton B.
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVE. Our aim was to quantify contemporary infant mortality risks and to evaluate the change by plurality, gestation, and race during the most recent decade.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. The study population included live births of 20 to 43 weeks' gestation from the 1989–1991 and 1999–2001 US Birth Cohort Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Sets, including 11317895 and 11181095 live births and 89823 and 67129 infant deaths, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate the change in risk by plurality and gestation and to compare the change with that for singletons.

RESULTS. Overall, the infant mortality risk decreased significantly for singletons, twins, and triplets but nonsignificantly for quadruplets and quintuplets. Compared with singletons, significantly greater reductions were experienced by twins overall and at <37 weeks and triplets at <29 weeks. The largest reduction was for triplets at 20 to 24 weeks and for quadruplets and quintuplets at 25 to 28 weeks. For white infants, significant reductions were achieved overall for singletons, twins, and triplets and at every gestation. For black infants, significant reductions occurred for singletons overall and at every gestation, for twins at <37 weeks, and for triplets at 25 to 28 weeks. Compared with white infants, black infants had significantly lower risks before and higher risks after 33 weeks, although between 1989–1991 and 1999–2001 this survival advantage at earlier ages diminished, and the risk at later gestations increased.

CONCLUSIONS. The improvements in survival were greater for multiples versus singletons and for white versus black infants. Within each plurality, at each gestation the racial disparity in mortality has widened.
Screening for Elevated Lead Levels in Childhood and Pregnancy: An Updated Summary of Evidence for the US Preventive Services Task Force
Authors: Rischitelli Gary , Nygren Peggy , Bougatsos Christina , Freeman Michele , Helfand Mark
Published: December 2006

BACKGROUND. In 1996, the US Preventive Services Task Force provided recommendations for routine screening of asymptomatic children and pregnant women for elevated blood lead levels. This review updates the evidence for the benefits and harms of screening and intervention for elevated blood lead in asymptomatic children and pregnant women.

METHODS. We searched Medline, reference lists of review articles, and tables of contents of leading pediatric journals for studies published in 1995 or later that contained new information about the prevalence, diagnosis, natural course, or treatment of elevated lead levels in asymptomatic children aged 1 to 5 years and pregnant women.

RESULTS. The prevalence of elevated blood lead levels among children and women in the United States, like that in the general population, continues to decline sharply, primarily because of marked reductions in environmental exposure, but still varies substantially among different communities and populations. Similar to the findings in 1996, our searches did not identify direct evidence from controlled studies that screening children for elevated blood lead levels results in improved health outcomes, and there was no direct evidence identified from controlled studies that screening improves pregnancy or perinatal outcomes. No new relevant information regarding the accuracy of screening for lead toxicity was identified during the update, and we did not identify evidence that demonstrates that universal screening for blood lead results in better clinical outcomes than targeted screening. Substantial new relevant information regarding the adverse effects of screening and interventions was not identified.

CONCLUSIONS. There is no persuasive evidence that screening for elevated lead levels in asymptomatic children will improve clinical outcomes. For those children who are screened and found to have elevated levels, there is conflicting evidence demonstrating the clinical effectiveness of early detection and intervention.
Children, Adolescents, and Advertising
Authors:   Committee on Communications
Published: December 2006

Advertising is a pervasive influence on children and adolescents. Young people view more than 40 000 ads per year on television alone and increasingly are being exposed to advertising on the Internet, in magazines, and in schools. This exposure may contribute significantly to childhood and adolescent obesity, poor nutrition, and cigarette and alcohol use. Media education has been shown to be effective in mitigating some of the negative effects of advertising on children and adolescents.
Spectrum of Noninfectious Health Effects From Molds
Authors:   Committee on Environmental Health
Published: December 2006

Molds are eukaryotic (possessing a true nucleus) nonphotosynthetic organisms that flourish both indoors and outdoors. For humans, the link between mold exposure and asthma exacerbations, allergic rhinitis, infections, and toxicities from ingestion of mycotoxin-contaminated foods are well known. However, the cause-and-effect relationship between inhalational exposure to mold and other untoward health effects (eg, acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage in infants and other illnesses and health complaints) requires additional investigation. Pediatricians play an important role in the education of families about mold, its adverse health effects, exposure prevention, and remediation procedures.
Spectrum of Noninfectious Health Effects From Molds
Authors: Mazur Lynnette J. , Kim Janice ,   the Committee on Environmental Health
Published: December 2006

Molds are multicellular fungi that are ubiquitous in outdoor and indoor environments. For humans, they are both beneficial (for the production of antimicrobial agents, chemotherapeutic agents, and vitamins) and detrimental. Exposure to mold can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and touching moldy surfaces. Adverse health effects may occur through allergic, infectious, irritant, or toxic processes. The cause-and-effect relationship between mold exposure and allergic and infectious illnesses is well known. Exposures to toxins via the gastrointestinal tract also are well described. However, the cause-and-effect relationship between inhalational exposure to mold toxins and other untoward health effects (eg, acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage in infants and other illnesses and health complaints) is controversial and requires additional investigation. In this report we examine evidence of fungal-related illnesses and the unique aspects of mold exposure to children. Mold-remediation procedures are also discussed.
Surface roughness effect in instrumented indentation: A simple contact depth model and its verification
Authors: Kim Ju-Young , Lee Jung-Jun , Lee Yun-Hee , Jang Jae-il , Kwon Dongil
Published: December 2006

Since in instrumented indentation the contact area is indirectly measured from the contact depth, the natural and unavoidable roughness of real surfaces can induce some errors in determining the contact area and thus in calculating hardness and Young's modulus. To alleviate these possible errors and evaluate mechanical properties more precisely, here a simple contact model that takes into account the surface roughness is proposed. A series of instrumented indentations were made on W and Ni samples whose surface roughness is intentionally controlled, and the results are discussed in terms of the proposed model.
Residual stress, intermolecular force, and frictional properties distribution maps of diamond films for micro- and nano-electromechanical (M/NEMS) applications
Authors: Gupta S. , Williams O.A. , Patel R.J. , Haenen K.
Published: December 2006

Carbon in its various forms, specifically nanocrystalline diamond, may become a key material for the manufacturing of micro- and nano-electromechanical (M/NEMS) devices in the twenty-first century. To utilize effectively these materials for M/NEMS applications, understanding of their microscopic structure and physical properties (mechanical properties, in particular) become indispensable. The microcrystalline and nanocrystalline diamond films were grown using hot-filament and microwave chemical vapor deposition techniques involving novel CH4/[TMB for boron doping and H2S for sulfur incorporation] in high hydrogen dilution chemistry. To investigate residual stress distribution and intermolecular forces at nanoscale, the films were characterized using Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy in terms of topography, force curves, and force volume imaging. Traditional force curve measures the force felt by the tip as it approaches and retracts from a point on the sample surface, whereas force volume is an array of force curves over an extended range of sample area. Moreover, detailed microscale structural studies are able to demonstrate that the carbon bonding configuration (sp2 versus sp3 hybridization) and surface chemical termination in both the un-doped and doped diamond have a strong effect on nanoscale intermolecular forces. The preliminary information in the force volume measurement was decoupled from topographic data to offer new insights into the materials’ surface and mechanical properties of diamond films. These measurements are also complemented with scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction to reveal their morphology and structure and frictional properties, albeit qualitative using lateral force microscopy mode. We present these comparative results and discuss their potential impact for electronic and electromechanical applications.
Microstructure effect of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide prepared by microemulsion technique on photocatalytic decomposition of phenol
Authors: Anukunprasert Theera , Saiwan Chintana , Traversa Enrico
Published: December 2006

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was synthesized in the water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion system of n-heptane/water/sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) surfactant. This study reports the effect of microstructure of the synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles on the photocatalysis degradation of phenol in an aqueous solution, as compared to commercial TiO2 (P25) and TiO2 synthesized by bulk precipitation. The results indicated that the rate of phenol decomposition catalyzed by the synthesized TiO2 from microemulsion techniques is faster than those of TiO2 synthesized by bulk precipitation and commercial P25. This is due to the small crystal size of TiO2 prepared by the microemulsion technique. The exposed titanium sites on the surface controlled by the morphology of synthesized TiO2 are critical for photocatalytic activity.
On the indentation recovery and fleeting hardness of polymers
Authors: Tweedie Catherine A. , Van Vliet Krystyn J.
Published: December 2006

Accurate mechanical characterization of viscoelastoplastic materials in small volumes is required for the development of polymeric thin film, nanocomposite, and biomedical applications. Instrumented indentation-based approaches are increasingly implemented to quantify the resistance to permanent deformation of such systems via time-independent analyses. Here, we quantify the significant post-indentation recovery of several bulk polymers via time-lapsed scanning-probe microscopy under ambient conditions, indicating up to 80% recovery of both indentation depth and volume within 48 h. This viscoelastic response demonstrates that indentation hardness values for these polymers are accurate within 10% for less than 5 min to 3.5 days post-indentation, neglecting any other analytical or experimental errors. Further, although the extent and rates of volumetric recovery depend strongly on loading history and polymer structure/physical properties, deformation resistance inferred from indentation hardness does not quantitatively or qualitatively predict recoverable work or residual deformation of polymer surfaces.
Electric current-induced abnormal Cu/γ-InSn4 interfacial reactions
Authors: Chen Sinn-wen , Lin Shih-kang
Published: December 2006

The electromigration effect upon the γ-InSn4/Cu interfacial reactions have been studied by examining the γ-InSn4/Cu/γ-InSn4 couples annealed at 160 °C with and without current stressing. Scallop-type η-Cu6(Sn,In)5 phase layers are formed in the couples without current stressing and at the γ-InSn4/Cu interface where electrons are flowing from the γ-InSn4 to the Cu. The reaction path is Cu/η-Cu6(Sn,In)5/γ-InSn4. However, very large η-Cu6(Sn,In)5 compounds are found at the Cu/γ-InSn4 interface where electrons are from Cu to the γ-InSn4. Although the melting points of both γ-InSn4 and Cu are higher than 160 °C, the liquid phase is formed at 160 °C in the electrified couple at the downstream γ-InSn4 phase near the Cu/γ-InSn4 interface. The reaction path is Cu/η-Cu6(Sn,In)5/liquid/γ-InSn4. The liquid phase propagates along the grain boundaries of the γ-InSn4 matrix. The very large η-Cu6(Sn,In)5 compounds are the coupling results of the liquid phase penetration and the Cu transport enhancement due to electromigration.
Atomic force microscopy cantilever simulation by finite element methods for quantitative atomic force acoustic microscopy measurements
Authors: Beltrán F.J. Espinoza , Muñoz-Saldaña J. , Torres-Torres D. , Torres-Martínez R. , Schneider G.A.
Published: December 2006

Measurements of vibrational spectra of atomic force microscopy (AFM) microprobes in contact with a sample allow a good correlation between resonance frequencies shifts and the effective elastic modulus of the tip-sample system. In this work we use finite element methods for modeling the AFM microprobe vibration considering actual features of the cantilever geometry. This allowed us to predict the behavior of the cantilevers in contact with any sample for a wide range of effective tip-sample stiffness. Experimental spectra for glass and chromium were well reproduced for the numerical model, and stiffness values were obtained. We present a method to correlate the experimental resonance spectrum to the effective stiffness using realistic geometry of the cantilever to numerically model the vibration of the cantilever in contact with a sample surface. Thus, supported in a reliable finite element method (FEM) model, atomic force acoustic microscopy can be a quantitative technique for elastic-modulus measurements. Considering the possibility of tip-apex wear during atomic force acoustic microscopy measurements, it is necessary to perform a calibration procedure to obtain the tip-sample contact areas before and after each measurement.
Effects of reaction parameters on the electrochemical formation of multilayer films composed of manganese oxides and tetra-alkylammonium ions
Authors: Nakayama Masaharu , Fukuda Masaki , Konishi Sayaka , Tonosaki Tsuyoshi
Published: December 2006

Multilayered manganese oxide films were prepared on a platinum electrode by potentiostatic oxidation of aqueous Mn2+ ions in the presence of n-tetra-alkylammonium compounds. Alkylammonium cations were intercalated between manganese oxide layers to balance the negative layer charge. Effects of several preparative parameters such as the size of alkylammonium molecules, counteranions, and bath composition on the structure of products were investigated. The interlayer distance of the products increased with increasing alkyl chain length up to C4, and the change became obviously small among C4–C6 compounds. The multilayer formation was achieved only when the manganese concentration was lower than 10 mM, and the highest crystallinity was obtained from a bath composed of 2 mM manganese sulfate and 50 mM alkylammonium chloride. At low concentrations of alkylammonium (<10 mM), a product intercalated with hydrated protons was formed, in which the protons were generated by anodic oxidation of Mn2+ with H2O.
Extent of plasma damage to porous organosilicate films characterized with nanoindentation, x-ray reflectivity, and surface acoustic waves
Authors: Iacopi F. , Travaly Y. , Van Hove M. , Jonas A.M. , Molina-Aldareguia J.M. , Elizalde M.R. , Ocaña I.
Published: December 2006

It is known that porous organosilicate glass (OSG) dielectrics tend to lose functional groups and become denser upon the chemical and physical action of the plasmas, but an accurate analysis and estimation of the depth and degree of film densification is not straightforward. In this study, we show that the combination of techniques like x-ray reflectivity, surface acoustic waves, and nanoindentation in depth-sensing and modulus mapping mode allow a complete and self-consistent physical analysis of the damage induced by the direct exposure of porous OSG films to different plasma ambients in reactive ion etching mode. We demonstrate for the chosen dielectric that the characteristics of the damage regions such as density and elastic modulus are very similar regardless of the reducing or oxidizing nature of the plasma. Nevertheless, the physical depth of the damage region shows large variation. Capabilities and limitations of each of the chosen analysis techniques are also discussed.
New nonhydrolytic route to synthesize crystalline BaTiO3 nanocrystals with surface capping ligands
Authors: Chen Zhuoying , Huang Limin , He Jiaqing , Zhu Yimei , O'Brien Stephen
Published: December 2006

A new nonhydrolytic route for the preparation of well-crystallized size-tunable barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanocrystals capped with surface ligands is reported. Our approach involves: (i) synthesizing a “pseudo” bimetallic precursor, and (ii) combining the as-synthesized bimetallic precursor with a mixture of oleylamine with different surface coordinating ligands at 320 °C for crystallization and crystal growth. Different alcohols in the precursor synthesis and different carboxylic acids were used to study the effect of size and morphological control over the nanocrystals. Nanocrystals of barium titanate with diameters of 6–10 nm (capped with decanoic acid), 3–5 nm (capped with oleic acid), 10–20 nm (a nanoparticle and nanorod mixture capped with oleyl alcohol), and 2–3 nm (capped with oleyl alcohol) were synthesized, and can be easily dispersed into nonpolar solvents such as hexane or toluene. Techniques including x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and high-resolution electron microscopy confirm the crystallinity and morphology of these as-synthesized nanocrystals.
Interfacial reactions and joint strength of Sn–37Pb and Sn–3.5Ag solders with immersion Ag-plated Cu substrate during aging at 150 °C
Authors: Yoon Jeong-Won , Lim Jun Hyung , Lee Hoo-Jeong , Joo Jinho , Jung Seung-Boo , Moon Won-Chul
Published: December 2006

Joint reliability of immersion Ag with two different solders, Sn–37Pb and Sn–3.5Ag, were evaluated. We first compared the interfacial reactions of the two solder joints and also successfully revealed a connection between the interfacial reaction behavior and mechanical reliability. The Sn–Pb solder produced a Pb-rich phase along the interface between the solder and the Cu substrate during aging. In contrast, the Sn–Ag solder exhibits an off-eutectic reaction to produce the eutectic phase and Ag3Sn precipitate. The shear test results show that the Sn–Pb solder joint fractured along the interface showing brittle failure indications possibly due to the brittle Pb-rich layer. In contrast, the failure of Sn–Ag solder joint was only through the bulk solder, providing evidence that the interface is mechanically reliable. The results from this study confirm that the immersion Ag/Sn–Ag solder joint is mechanically robust, and thus the combination is a viable option for a Pb-free package system.
Effect of growth conditions on B-doped carbon nanotubes
Authors: Vieira Sara M.C. , Stéphan Odile , Carroll David L.
Published: December 2006

The modified arc-discharge technique was used for the growth of boron-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes. A variety of weight percentages of boron and sulfur were mixed (0.5–15 wt%) with graphite powder and packed in the consumable anode. Transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were used to characterize the samples. EELS indicated a small percentage of boron present (<1 at.%) in the nanotubes. Sulfur was used primarily to enhance boron incorporation; however, Raman and TGA measurements indicated fewer defects and/or amorphous material present when sulfur was added.
Role of titanium on the reactive spreading of lead-free solders on alumina
Authors: Gremillard Laurent , Saiz Eduardo , Radmilovic Velimir R. , Tomsia Antoni P.
Published: December 2006

The wetting of Sn3Ag-based alloys on Al2O3 has been studied using the sessile-drop configuration. Small additions of Ti decrease the contact angle of Sn3Ag alloys on alumina from 115° to 23°. Adsorption of Ti-species at the solid–liquid interface prior to reaction is the driving force for the observed decrease in contact angle, and the spreading kinetics is controlled by the kinetics of Ti dissolution into the molten alloy. The addition of Ti increases the transport rates at the solid–liquid interface, resulting in the formation of triple-line ridges that pin the liquid front and promote a wide variability in the final contact angles.
Extracting the elastic and viscoelastic properties of a polymeric film using a sharp indentation relaxation test
Authors: Zhang C.Y. , Zhang Y.W. , Zeng K.Y. , Shen L. , Wang Y.Y.
Published: December 2006

A new approach is proposed to extract the elastic and viscoelastic properties of a polymeric film on a hard substrate using a sharp indentation relaxation test. In the theoretic formulation, a sharp indentation relaxation test on a film/substrate system was interpreted by its equivalent flat-ended punch indentation relaxation test. The radius of the equivalent flat-ended punch was determined by the residual depth of the sharp indentation. A semi-analytical solution for a flat-ended punch relaxation test was derived. Sharp indentation relaxation tests on a polymethyl methacrylate film and a polycarbonate film on a glass substrate were performed. The semi-analytical solution and the experimental results were used to extract the elastic-viscoelastic parameters of the films. The extracted elastic-viscoelastic parameters of both films were found to be in a good agreement with data sheets of the films. The proposed approach provides a simple and yet feasible way to extract “film-only” elastic and viscoelastic properties.
Fabrication and optical characterizations of gold nanoshell opal
Authors: Lee Jin Hyoung , Wu Qi , Park Wounjhang
Published: December 2006

We fabricated three-dimensional photonic crystals by self-assembling gold nanoshells via forced sedimentation method. Gold nanoshells with a diameter of 458 nm (418-nm silica core and 20-nm gold shell) were synthesized and self-assembled into a 5-μm-thick opal structure. We observed reflection peaks at 710 and 1240 nm, which are believed to be from the complete three-dimensional photonic band gap and the (111) directional gap, respectively. Theses results were in good agreement with the photonic band-structure calculations done by the finite-difference time-domain method. Angle-resolved reflectivity measurements were also performed to investigate the existence of the complete three-dimensional photonic band gap.
Funding of North Carolina Tobacco Control Programs Through the Master Settlement Agreement
Authors: Jones Alison Snow , Austin W. David , Beach Robert H. , Altman David G.
Published: December 2006

Changing political and economic forces in 1 tobacco-dependent state, North Carolina, demonstrate how the interplay between these forces and public health priorities has shaped current allocation of Master Settlement Agreement funds. Allocation patterns demonstrate lawmakers’ changing priorities in response to changes in the economic climate; some of the agreement’s funds targeted to tobacco farmers appear to reflect objectives favored by tobacco manufacturers.

Funds earmarked for health have underfunded youth tobacco prevention and tobacco control initiatives, and spending for tobacco farmers in North Carolina has not lived up to the rhetoric that accompanied the original agreement. We discuss the implications of these findings for future partnerships between public health advocates and workers as well as tobacco control strategies.
Going Beyond “ABC” to Include “GEM”: Critical Reflections on Progress in the HIV/AIDS Epidemic
Authors: Dworkin Shari L. , Ehrhardt Anke A.
Published: December 2006

A considerable number of studies have sought to identify what factors accounted for substantial reductions in HIV seroprevalence after several countries deployed “ABC” (abstinence, be faithful, condom use) strategies. After much public discourse and research on ABC success stories, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 2004 epidemic report indicated that nearly 50% of infected people worldwide were women, up from 35% in 1985.

In light of the feminization of HIV/AIDS, we critically assess the limitations of ABC strategies. We provide 3 additional prevention strategies that focus on gender relations, economics, and migration (GEM) and can speak to the new face of the epidemic. Pressing beyond ABC, GEM strategies provide the basis for a stronger central platform from which national efforts against HIV/AIDS can proceed to reduce transmission risks.
Adolescent Participation in Preventive Health Behaviors, Physical Activity, and Nutrition: Differences Across Immigrant Generations for Asians and Latinos Compared With Whites
Authors: Allen Michele L. , Elliott Marc N. , Morales Leo S. , Diamant Allison L. , Hambarsoomian Katrin , Schuster Mark A.
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We investigated preventive health behaviors (bicycle helmet, seat belt, and sunscreen use), physical activity, television viewing or video game playing, and nutrition (fruit, vegetable, milk, and soda consumption) among Asian and Latino adolescents living in the United States; assessed trends across generations (first-, second-, and third-generation immigrants or later); and compared each generation with White adolescents.

Methods. We used data from 5801 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years in the representative 2001 California Health Interview Survey.

Results. In multivariate analysis, first-generation Asians measured worse than Whites for preventive health behaviors (lower participation), physical activity (less activity), and television viewing or video game playing (more hours), but improved across generations. For these same behaviors, Latinos were similar to or worse than Whites, and generally showed no improvement across generations. First-generation Asians and Latinos had healthier diets than Whites (higher fruit and vegetable consumption, lower soda consumption). With succeeding generations, Asians’ fruit, vegetable, and soda consumption remained stable, but Latinos’ fruit and vegetable consumption decreased and their soda consumption increased, so that by the third generation Latinos’ nutrition was poorer than Whites’.

Conclusions. For the health behaviors we examined, Asian adolescents’ health behaviors either improved with each generation or remained better than that of Whites. Latino adolescents demonstrated generally worse preventive health behaviors than did Whites and, in the case of nutrition, a worsening across generations. Targeted interventions may be needed to address behavioral disparities.
A Statewide Public Health Approach to Improving Organ Donation: The Massachusetts Organ Donation Initiative
Authors: Koh Howard K. , Jacobson Marsha D. , Lyddy Anne Marie , O’Connor Kevin J. , Fitzpatrick Sean M. , Krakow Milly , Judge Christine M. , Alpert Hillel R. , Luskin Richard S.
Published: December 2006

Despite the growing disparity between organ supply and demand in the United States, few initiatives have attempted to close the gap through systematic population-based public health endeavors.

We examined the evolution, implementation, and outcomes of the Massachusetts Organ Donation Initiative, a statewide effort that included a unique partnership among organ procurement organizations, major teaching hospitals, and the state’s department of public health. Lessons from this initiative have contributed to growing national efforts for increasing organ supply and have provided insights for addressing this continuing public health challenge.
Use of Mental Health Services and Subjective Satisfaction With Treatment Among Black Caribbean Immigrants: Results From the National Survey of American Life
Authors: Jackson James S. , Neighbors Harold W. , Torres Myriam , Martin Lisa A. , Williams David R. , Baser Raymond
Published: December 2006

Objectives. We examined the use rates and correlates of formal psychiatric services among the US-born and immigrant Caribbean Black population.

Methods. We compared overall mental health service use in samples of Caribbean Blacks and African Americans and examined the within-sample ethnic variation among Caribbean Blacks, including for ethnic origin (Spanish Caribbean, Haiti, and English Caribbean), nativity status (those born in or outside the United States), number of years spent living in the United States, age at the time of immigration, and generational status.

Results. African Americans and Caribbean Blacks used formal mental health care services at relatively low rates. Among Caribbean Blacks, generational status and nativity showed the greatest effects on rates of reported use, satisfaction, and perceived helpfulness. Of those study participants who met the criteria for disorders as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, about one third used formal mental health care services. The US-born subjects were more likely to receive care than were first-generation immigrants.

Conclusions. Our study underscores the importance of ethnicity, immigration, and migration-related factors, within racial categorization, as it pertains to the use of mental health services in the United States. Our findings suggest that timing of migration and generational status of Caribbean Black immigrants and ancestry groups contribute to important differences in rates and sources of use, relative satisfaction, and perception of helpfulness, with regard to formal mental health services.
The Political Economy of Outsourcing in the European Union and the East-European Enlargement
Authors: Stefanova Boyka M.
Published: December 2006

This paper explores the East-West dichotomy of outsourcing in the European Union in the context of its 2004 eastward enlargement. The purpose of the study is to shed light on the connection between outsourcing and the causal logic of regional integration. The conventional view is that the transfer of business operations from Western Europe to low-cost locations to the east represents a process of outsourcing West-European jobs which deprives the EU core of growth opportunities to the exclusive benefit of the new members from Eastern Europe. This analysis posits the systemic functions of EU outsourcing as a mechanism of economic homogenization in the regional market along its three principal dimensions: investment, commodity trade, and labor mobility. At the macro-level, outsourcing complements capital movements and trade, and acts as a substitute for labor mobility. Keeping labor mobility “down” is the main value added of EU outsourcing. Empirically, its relevance to the regional market is established in an input-output framework of relationships with indicators of economic convergence (homogenization effects) and labor mobility (substitution effects) in the EU. Positive correlations with indices of business synchronization and weak negative correlations with measures of labor supply and wages suggest that outsourcing fits well both with strategies fostering market integration and those counterbalancing the politically sensitive labor mobility in the EU. There is no significant evidence to suggest that, at the aggregate level, outsourcing has independent substitution effects with regard to unemployment rates and wages in Western Europe. The geographic expansion of EU integration, therefore, is not a proxy for losses of social welfare in the West. The paper concludes that as the cost efficiency and resource allocation functions of outsourcing facilitate the homogenizing dynamics of regional integration, it is likely to become increasingly subsumed under EU-level regulation and monitoring in a trade-off between the regional interest and domestic sectoral concerns.
Searching For Better Prospects: Endogenizing Falling Job Tenure and Private Pension Coverage
Authors: Friedberg Leora , Owyang Michael T , Sinclair Tara M
Published: December 2006

Recent declines in job tenure have coincided with a shift away from traditional defined benefit (DB) pensions, which reward long tenure. New evidence also points to an increase in job-to-job movements by workers, and we document gains in relative wages of job-to-job movers over a similar period. We develop a search model in which firms may offer tenure-based contracts like DB pensions to reduce the incidence of costly on-the-job search by workers. Either reduced search costs or an increase in the probability of job matches can, under fairly general conditions, lower the value of deterring search and the use of DB pensions.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modeling of Fine Particle Spouting
Authors: Du Wei , Wei Weisheng , Xu Jian , Fan Yu , Bao Xiaojun
Published: December 2006

To further the understanding of fine particle spouting phenomenon that has not been fully experimentally investigated until now, this article discusses some fundamental aspects of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of fine particle spouting. Using the two-fluid method (TFM) embedded in the commercial CFD simulation package Fluent (Version 6.1), the spouting hydrodynamics of fine particles in a cylindrical-conical spouted bed is simulated and compared with the experimental data of Chen [Spouting of fine particles at elevated pressure, (M. A. Thesis), Beijing, University of Petroleum, (1999)]. The results show that for the CFD simulation of fine particle spouting, the Gidaspow [Multiphase flow and fluidization, Academic Press, San Diego, (1994)] model gives the best predictions of the flow pattern and the minimum spouting velocity; the influence of frictional stress is much more significant than for the CFD simulation of coarse particle spouting; the influences of the coefficient of restitution of particles on the fine particle spouting cannot be neglected, identical with the case of coarse particle spouting. Then, some typical hydrodynamic properties of fine particle spouting are simulated using the related models with suitable parameters. The results reveal that the flow regime transition of fine particle spouting is very similar to that of coarse particle spouting, but fine particle spouting is less stable and is limited to a more restricted region; the McNab [Prediction of spout diameter, Brit. Chem. Eng. Proc. Tech., 17, 532-541, (1972)] spout diameter correlation derived from experiments of coarse particle spouting is also suitable for fine particle spouting; the denser zone surrounding the spout axis in the spouted bed of fine particles is more obvious than that in the spouted bed of coarse particles; the particles in the spouted bed of fine particles are much quickly accelerated to their maximum velocities than those in a spouted bed of coarse particles. These differences are mainly caused by the aggregating tendency of fine particles.
Robust Damping Controls for a Unified Power Flow Controller
Authors: Rahim Abu H.M.A. , Bakhashwain Jamil M , Al-Baiyat Samir A
Published: December 2006

This article investigates the various damping controls of the unified power flow controller (UPFC). A detailed dynamic model of the UPFC including the possible damping control parameters has been derived. A method of determining the stable operating states of the nonlinear system model has been presented. Fixed parameter robust controllers for the identified controls have been designed satisfying the robustness conditions on performance and stability. The robust controller design has been carried out with the aid of a simple graphical 'loop-shaping' construction procedure. Simulation studies show that both robust series converter voltage magnitude and shunt converter phase angle provide extremely good damping. Combined application of the above two controls, however, gives the best damping profile over a wide range of operation. PI controllers having optimized gain settings were employed to evaluate the robustness of the proposed controllers.
Design of UPFC Fuzzy-Logic Damping Controller Using the Strategy of Oscillation Energy Descent
Authors: Fang DZ , Yang Xiaodong , Bao Shunxian
Published: December 2006

Based on a damping control strategy for oscillation energy descent, an adaptive UPFC fuzzy-logic damping control scheme is proposed. Using the UPFC line power as the input signal, the controller can adaptively adjust the control parameters according to the magnitude of power oscillation in the UPFC line using fuzzy rules to effectively damp the power oscillation. One of advantages of the controller is that the detailed model and parameters of systems is not needed in the controller design. Case studies on the 10-generator New England test system show that the controller can effectively enhance dynamic stability of systems with good robustness.