bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Implementation of a Low Power Ternary Full Adder
Authors: Srivastava A. , Venkatapathy K.
Published: September 2007

In this work, the design and implementation of a low power ternary full adder are presented in CMOS technology. In a ternary full adder design, the basic building blocks, the positive ternary inverter (PTI) and negative ternary inverter (NTI) are developed using a CMOS inverter and pass transistors. In designs of PTI and NTI, W/L ratios of transistors have been varied for their optimum performance. The ternary full adder and its building blocks have been simulated with SPICE 2G.6 using the MOSIS model parameters. The rise and fall times of PTI show an improvement by a factor of 14 and 4, respectively, and that of the NTI by a factor of nearly 4 and 17, respectively over that of earlier designs implemented in depletion‐enhancement CMOS (DECMOS) technology. The noise margins improve by a factor of nearly 2 in PTI and NTI, respectively.

The ternary full adder has been fabricated in MOSIS two micron n‐well CMOS technology. The full adder and its building blocks, NTI and PTI have been tested experimentally for static and dynamic performance, compared with the SPICE simulated behavior, and close agreement is observed.

The ternary‐valued logic circuits designed in the present work which do not use depletion mode MOSFETS perform better than that implemented earlier in DECMOS technology. The present design is fully compatible with the current CMOS technology, uses fewer components and dissipates power in the microwatt range.
Datapath Optimization Using Layout Information: An Empirical Study
Authors: Wu Allen C.-H.
Published: September 2007

Most datapath synthesis approaches use a simple area model to evaluate design area quality.
However, using such a simplified model could mislead synthesis tasks into generating inferior
designs. This paper presents an extensive experimental study to validate the correlation
between the tradition area model, our proposed area model, and the actual layouts. The
results show that traditional area quality measures are not good indicators for optimization in
datapath synthesis. Moreover, this paper also shows that to provide accurate indications for
design tradeoffs in high‐level synthesis, the fidelity of the estimates is more important than
the accuracy.
Parallel Computation for Electronic Waves in Quantum Corrals
Authors: Harbury Henry K. , Porod Wolfgang
Published: September 2007

Recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies on the (111) faces of noble metals have
directly imaged electronic surface‐confined states and dramatic standing‐wave patterns have
been observed 1,2]. We solve for the local density of electronic states in these “leaky” quantum
corral confinement structures using a coherent elastic scattering theory. We seek solutions
of the two‐dimensional Schrödinger equation compatible with non‐reflecting boundary
conditions which asymptotically satisfy the Sommerfeld radiation condition [11,14]. The
large matrices generated by the discretization of realistic quantum corral structures require the
use of sparse matrix methods. In addition, a parallel finite element solution was undertaken
using the message passing interface standard (MPI) and the Portable, Extensible, Toolkit for
Scientific Computation (PETSc) [5] for an efficient computational solution on both distributed
and shared memory architectures. Our calculations reveal excellent agreement with the
reported experimental dl/dV STM data.
Design of CMOS PSCD Circuits and Checkers forStuck‐At and Stuck‐On Faults
Authors: Shieh Yeong-Ruey , Wu Cheng-Wen
Published: September 2007

We present in this paper an approach to designing partially strongly code‐disjoint
(PSCD) CMOS circuits and checkers, considering transistor stuck‐on faults in addition
to gate‐level stuck‐at faults. Our design‐for‐testability (DFT) technique requires only a
small number of extra transistors for monitoring abnormal static currents, coupled with
a simple clocking scheme, to detect the stuck‐on faults concurrently. The DFT circuitry
not only can detect the faults in the functional circuit but also can detect or tolerate faults
in itself, making it a good candidate for checker design. Switch and circuit level
simulations were performed on a sample circuit, and a sample 4‐out‐of‐8 code checker
chip using the proposed technique has been designed, fabricated, and tested, showing the
correctness of the method. Performance penalty is reduced by a novel BiCMOS checker
circuit.
Electron Transport In One‐DimensionalMagnetic Superlattices
Authors: Ji Zhen-Li , Sprung D. W. L.
Published: September 2007

Electron transport properties of quantum wires in the presence of a periodically
modulated magnetic field are investigated. For a short modulated wire, we find dips in
conductance just below each mode threshold. The conductance dips are quite robust at
low temperature. Increasing the number of periods of magnetic modulation can lead to
the formation of minibands and gaps. The differences between the one dimensional (1D)
electric superlattice and 1D magnetic superlattice are discussed. We also consider the
spatial distributions of currents, which show dramatic differences between the magnetic
superlattices and electric ones.
Coherent Control of Light Absorption and CarrierDynamics in Semiconductor Nanostructures
Authors: Pötz Walter , Hu Xuedong
Published: September 2007

We present two examples of coherent control of inter(sub)band transitions in a
semiconductor double well by coherent light sources. Accounting for the upper hole
subband and two lowest electron subbands, a microscopic theoretical analysis shows
that electron‐hole pair generation by a sub‐picosecond pump pulse can be controlled by
the intensity and the phase of a dc microwave field which resonantly couples the two
electron subbands. Light absorption can be either enhanced or reduced. Secondly, it is
shown that proper combination of two pulsed laser fields allows control of electron
inter(sub)band transitions and final‐state population, i.e., the formation of indirect
versus direct excitons.
Writing Research Software in a Large Group for the NEMO Project
Authors: Klimeck Gerhard , Blanks Dan , Lake Roger , Bowen R. Chris , Fernando Chenjing L. , Leng Manhua , Frensley William R. , Jovanovic Dejan , Sotirelis Paul
Published: September 2007

The nanoelectronic modeling (NEMO) program is the result of a three‐year
development effort involving four universities and the former Corporate Research
and Development Laboratory of Texas Instruments, now Applied Research Laboratory,
Raytheon TI Systems, to create a comprehensive quantum device modeling tool
for layered semiconductor structures. Based on the non‐equilibrium Green function
formalism, it includes the effects of quantum charging, bandstructure and incoherent
scattering from alloy disorder, interface roughness, acoustic phonons, and polar optical
phonons. NEMO addresses the diverse needs of two different types of users: (i) the
engineer/experimentalist who desires a black‐box design tool and (ii) the theorist who is
interested in a detailed investigation of the physics. A collection of models trade off
physical content with speed and memory requirements. Access to this comprehensive
theoretical framework is accommodated by a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that
facilitates device prototyping and in situ data analysis. We describe a hierarchical
software design that allows rapid incorporation of theory enhancements while
maintaining a user‐friendly GUI, thus satisfying the conflicting criteria of ease of use
and ease of development. The theory and GUI modules share data structures that define
the device structure, material parameters, and simulation parameters. These data
structures may contain general data such as integer and real numbers, option lists,
vectors, matrices and the labels for both batch and GUI operation. NEMO generates
the corresponding GUI elements at run‐time for display and entry of these data
structures.
Statistical Estimation of the ,Switching Activity in VLSI Circuits
Authors: Najm Farid N. , Xakellis Michael G.
Published: September 2007

Higher levels of integration have led to a generation of integrated circuits for which
power dissipation and reliability are major design concerns. In CMOS circuits, both of
these problems are directly related to the extent of circuit switching activity. The average
number of transitions per second at a circuit node is a measure of switching activity that
has been called the transition density. This paper presents a statistical simulation
technique to estimate individual node transition densities in combinational logic
circuits. The strength of this approach is that the desired accuracy and confidence can be
specified up‐front by the user. Another key feature is the classification of nodes into two
categories: regular‐ and low‐density nodes. Regular‐density nodes are certified with
user‐specified percentage error and confidence levels. Low‐density nodes are certified
with an absolute error, with the same confidence. This speeds convergence while
sacrificing percentage accuracy only on nodes which contribute little to power
dissipation and have few reliability problems.
Monte Carlo Simulations of High Field Transportin Electroluminescent Devices
Authors: Dür Manfred , Goodnick Stephen M. , Reigrotzki Martin , Redmer Ronald
Published: September 2007

High field transport in phosphor materials is an essential element of thin film
electroluminescent device performance. Due to the high accelerating fields in these
structures (1–3 MV/cm), a complete description of transport under high field
conditions utilizing information on the full band structure of the material is critical
to understand the light emission process due to impact excitation of luminescent
impurities. Here we investigate the role of band structure for ZnS, GaN, and SrS based
on empirical pseudopotential calculations to study its effect on the high field energy
distribution of conduction band electrons.
Formulation of the Boltzmann Equation as a Multi‐ModeDrift‐Diffusion Equation
Authors: Banoo K. , Assad F. , Lundstrom M. S.
Published: September 2007

We present a multi‐mode drift‐diffusion equation as reformulation of the Boltzmann
equation in the discrete momentum space. This is shown to be similar to the conventional drift‐diffusion equation except that it is a more rigorous solution to the Boltzmann equation because the current and carrier densities are resolved into M×1 vectors, where M is the number of modes in the discrete momentum space. The mobility and diffusion coefficient become M×M matrices which connect the M momentum space modes. This approach is demonstrated by simulating electron transport in bulk silicon.
Shell‐Filling Effects in Circular Quantum Dots
Authors: Macucci M. , Hess Karl
Published: September 2007

We investigate the dependence of the capacitive energy associated with a circular
quantum dot on the number of electrons in the dot and on the parameters defining the
potential confinement. Our results reproduce the shell‐filling behavior that has recently
been experimentally observed and allow us to estimate the shape of the confinement
potential and the dot size of the experiments.
Non Local Impact Ionization Effects in Semiconductor Devices
Authors: Meglio Duilio , Cianci Corrado , Carlo Aldo Di , Lugli Paolo
Published: September 2007

Impact ionization processes define the breakdown characteristics of semiconductor devices.
An accurate description of such phenomenon, however, is limited to very sophisticated device
simulators such as Monte Carlo. A new physical model for the impact ionization process is
presented, which accounts for dead space effects and high energy carrier transport at a Drift
Diffusion level. Such model allows to define universal impact ionization coefficients which
are device‐geometry independent. By using available experimental data these parameters
have been calculated for In0.53Ga0.47As.
Automated Synthesis of Skew‐Based Clock Distribution Networks
Authors: Neves José Luis , Friedman Eby G.
Published: September 2007

In this paper a top‐down methodology is presented for synthesizing clock distribution
networks based on application‐dependent localized clock skew. The methodology is
divided into four phases: 1) determination of an optimal clock skew schedule for
improving circuit performance and reliability; 2) design of the topology of the clock tree
based on the circuit hierarchy and minimum clock path delays; 3) design of circuit
structures to implement the delay values associated with the branches of the clock tree;
and 4) design of the geometric layout of the clock distribution network. Algorithms to
determine an optimal clock skew schedule, the optimal clock delay to each register, the
network topology, and the buffer circuit dimensions are presented.

The clock distribution network is implemented at the circuit level in CMOS
technology and a design strategy based on this technology is presented to implement the
individual branch delays. The minimum number of inverters required to implement the
branch delays is determined, while preserving the polarity of the clock signal. The clock
lines are transformed from distributed resistive‐capacitive interconnect lines into purely
capacitive interconnect lines by partitioning the RC interconnect lines with inverting
repeaters. The inverters are specified by the geometric size of the transistors, the slope of
the ramp shaped input/output waveform, and the output load capacitance. The branch
delay model integrates an inverter delay model with an interconnect delay model.
Maximum errors of less than 2.5% for the delay of the clock paths and 4% for the clock
skew between any two registers belonging to the same global data path are obtained as
compared with SPICE Level‐3.
Molecular Wire Interconnects: Chemical Structural Control, Resonant Tunneling andLength Dependence
Authors: Kemp Mathieu , Mujica Vladimiro , Roitberg Adrian , Ratner Mark A.
Published: September 2007

Molecular wires have several promising features, that would appear to make them ideal
for advanced interconnects in nanoscale electronic devices. We discuss several aspects of
the linear and nonlinear conductance of molecular wire interconnects. Topics include
energy dependence of molecular conductance, resonant tunneling behavior, control of
conductance by molecular structure and geometry, length dependence including the
tunneling regime energetics. Design rules using molecular interconnects will differ
substantially from those with more standard, lithographically structured silicon
interconnects. In particular, the dissipation mechanisms will differ, both tunneling and
ballistic regimes should be available, coulomb blockade and staircase behavior will be
observed (but under differing conditions) and fabrication of gate electrodes is a challenge.
A Generalized Monte Carlo Approach for the Analysis ofQuantum‐Transport Phenomena in Mesoscopic Systems:Interplay Between Coherence and Relaxation
Authors: Rossi Fausto , Ragazzi Stefano , Carlo Aldo Di , Lugli Paolo
Published: September 2007

A theoretical investigation of quantum‐transport phenomena in mesoscopic systems is
presented. In particular, a generalization to “open systems” of the well‐known
Semiconductor Bloch equations is proposed. Compared to the conventional Bloch
theory, the presence of spatial boundary conditions manifest itself through self‐energy
corrections and additional source terms in the kinetic equations, which are solved by
means of a generalized Monte Carlo simulation.The proposed numerical approach is
applied to the study of the scattering‐induced suppression of Bloch oscillations in
semiconductor superlattices as well as to the analysis of quantum‐transport phenomena
in double‐barrier structures.
Ionic Channels in Biological Membranes: NaturalNanotubes Described by the Drift‐Diffusion Equations
Authors: Eisenberg Bob
Published: September 2007

An important class of biological molecules‐proteins called ionic channels–conduct
ions (like Na+, K+, Cl-) through a narrow tunnel of fixed charge (‘doping’). Ionic channels are the main pathway by which substances move into cells and so are of great
biological and medical importance: a substantial fraction of all drugs used by physicians act on channels. Channels can be studied in the tradition of computational electronics. Drift diffusion equations form an adequate model of IV relations of 6 different channel proteins in ̴ 10 solutions over ±150 mV. Ionic channels can also be studied with the
powerful techniques of molecular biology. Atoms can be modified one at a time and the location of every atom can be determined. Ionic channels are natural nanotubes that can be controlled more precisely and easily than physical nanostructures but biologists need help if realistic simulations are to be done atomic detail.
A New Computational Approach to Photon‐AssistedTunneling in Intense Driving Fields Basedon a Fabry‐Perot Analogy
Authors: Wagner Mathias
Published: September 2007

Quantum transport in multiple‐barrier systems exposed to intense laser fields is
investigated by employing an analogy with the Fabry‐Perot interferometer of classical
optics. This analogy is exact if no further approximations are introduced. The Fabry‐
Perot approach is shown to be quite robust: Approximating the barriers by δ‐functions
with equivalent dc transmission and reflection amplitudes still yields excellent agreement
with “exact” orthodox transfer‐matrix calculations. The advantage of the former is its
much reduced computational demands as well as ease of use. 73.40.Gk, 73.50.Pz,
72.40. + w, 42.50.Hz.
Monte Carlo Simulations of Intersubband HoleRelaxation in a GaAs/AlAs Quantum Well
Authors: Kelsall R. W.
Published: September 2007

An ensemble Monte Carlo code has been developed for the simulation of hole relaxation
processes in a GaAs/AlAs quantum well. The code includes a realistic k.p model of the
valence subbands and corresponding wavefunctions. Intra‐ and inter‐subband phonon
scattering rates are calculated for polar and non‐polar interactions via both optical and
acoustic modes. The code is used to simulate the cooling of non‐equilibrium
photogenerated hole populations. A lifetime of 90 fs is extracted for optical phonon
mediated depopulation of the 4th subband at 77K. By contrast, the 2nd subband
exhibits fast re‐population, but slow de‐population, with extracted lifetimes of up to
160 ps. The slow depopulation is attributed to the small energy separation of the 1st and
2nd subbands (less than the optical phonon energy) and the large density of states in the
2nd subband off‐zone‐centre minimum.
Architectural Power Estimation Based on Behavior Level Profiling
Authors: Katkoori Srinivas , Vemuri Ranga
Published: September 2007

High level synthesis is the process of generating register transfer (RT) level designs from
behavioral specifications. High level synthesis systems have traditionally taken into
account such constraints as area, clock period and throughput time. Many high level
synthesis systems [1] permit generation of many alternative RT level designs meeting
these constraints in a relatively short time. If it is possible to accurately estimate the
power consumption of RT level designs, then a low power design from among these
alternatives can be selected.

In this paper, we present an accurate power estimation technique for register transfer
level designs generated by high level synthesis systems. The technique has four main
aspects: (1) Each RT level component used in high level synthesis is characterized for
average switched capacitance per input vector. This data is stored in the RT level
component library. (2) Using user‐specified stimuli, the given behavioral description is
simulated and event activities of various operators and carriers are measured. Then, the
behavioral specification is submitted to the synthesis system and a number of alternative
RTL designs meeting speed, space and throughput rate constraints are generated. (3)
Event activity of each component in an RT level design is estimated using the event
activities measured at the time of behavior level profiling and the structure of the RTL
design itself. (4) The event activities so obtained are then used to modulate the average
switched capacitances of the respective RT level components to obtain an estimate the
total switched capacitance of each component.

Detailed power estimation procedures for the three different parts of RTL designs,
namely, data path, controller and interconnect are presented. Experimental results
obtained from a variety of designs show that the power estimates are within 3%–10%
of the actual power measured by simulating the transistor level designs extracted from
mask layouts.
Post‐Mapping Transformations for Low‐Power Synthesis
Authors: Panda Rajendran , Najm Farid N.
Published: September 2007

We propose a logic synthesis system that includes power optimization after technology
mapping. Our approach is unique in that our post‐mapping logic transformations take
into account information on circuit delay, capacitance, arrival times, glitches, etc., to
provide much better accuracy than previously proposed technology‐independent power
optimization methods. By changing connections in a mapped circuit, we achieve power
improvements up to 13% in case of area‐ or delay‐optimized circuits, with reductions
also in area and delay. We show that by applying the proposed technique on circuits
that are already restructured for lower switching activity using the technique presented
in [11], total power savings up to 59% in case of area‐optimized circuits and 38% in case
of delay‐optimized circuits are achievable. The post‐mapping transformations are based
on the transition density model of circuit switching activity and the concept of
permissible logic functions. The techniques presented here are applicable equally well to
both synchronous and asynchronous circuits. The power measurements are done under
a general delay model.
An Initialization Technique for the Waveform‐RelaxationCircuit Simulation
Authors: Habib S. E.-D. , Al-Karim G. J.
Published: September 2007

This paper reports the development of the Cairo University Waveform Relaxation
(CUWORX) simulator. In order to accelerate the convergence of the waveform
relaxation (WR) in the presence of logic feedback, CUWORK is initialized via a logic
simulator. This logic initialization scheme is shown to be highly effective for digital
synchronous circuits. Additionally, this logic initialization scheme preserves fully the
multi‐rate properties of the WR algorithm.
Automatic Test Timing Assignment for RAMsUsing Linear Programming
Authors: Wu Wen-Jer , Tang Chuan Yi
Published: September 2007

In this paper, an automatic technique for test timing assignment is proposed which is
comprehensive enough to take the test objective (e.g., strictness of selected AC timing
parameters) and the constraints from both RAM specification and tester into consideration.
Since test timing assignment problem could only be solved manually before,
therefore, our work can significantly reduce the efforts and costs on developing and
maintaining timing modules of RAM test programs. In the proposed technique, the test
timing assignment problem is transformed into a linear programming (LP) model,
which can be automatically solved. Examples of building LP models for an asynchronous
DRAM are given to show feasibility of the proposed technique.
Dynamic Cancellation: Selecting Time WarpCancellation Strategies at Runtime
Authors: Rajan Raghunandan , Radhakrishnan Radharamanan , Wilsey Philip A.
Published: September 2007

The performance of Time Warp parallel discrete event simulators can be affected by the
cancellation strategy used to send anti‐messages. Under aggressive cancellation, antimessage
generation occurs immediately after a straggler message is detected. In contrast,
lazy cancellation delays the sending of anti‐messages until forward processing from a
straggler message confirms that the premature computation did indeed generate an
incorrect message. Previous studies have shown that neither approach is clearly superior
to the other in all cases (even within the same application domain). Furthermore, no
strategy exists to make a priori determination of the more favorable cancellation
strategy. Most existing Time Warp systems merely provide a switch for the user to select
the cancellation strategy employed. This paper explores the use of simulation time
decision procedures to select cancellation strategies. The approach is termed Dynamic Cancellation
and it assigns the capability for selecting cancellation strategies to the
Logical Processes (LPs) in a Time Warp simulation. Thus, within a single parallel
simulation both strategies may be employed by distinct LPs and even across the
simulation lifetime of an LP. Empirical analysis using several control strategies show
that dynamic cancellation always performs with the best static strategy and, in some
cases, dynamic cancellation provides some nominal (5–10%) performance gain over the
best static strategy.
Simulation of Biological Ionic Channels by TechnologyComputer‐Aided Design
Authors: Hess K. , Ravaioli U. , Gupta M. , Aluru N. , van der Straaten  , Eisenberg R. S.
Published: September 2007

This paper discusses the use of established Technology Computer‐Aided Design
(TCAD) tools and methodologies for the study of charge transport in molecular biology
systems, like ionic channels, that display a behavior analogous to electronic devices.
Continuum drift‐diffusion and Monte Carlo methods can be applied to analyze steady‐state
and transient behavior of ionic channels over time scales that cannot be resolved
practically by detailed molecular dynamics or quantum approaches. The difficult ion‐water
interaction can be lumped phenomenologically into mobility or scattering rate
parameters, while the solution of Poisson equation over the complete domain provides a
simple way to include external boundary conditions and image force effects at dielectric
discontinuities. We present here some recent results of 3‐D simulations for a gramicidin
ion channel, obtained using the rapid prototyping computational platform PROPHET.
Synthesis and biological activity of stable branched neurotensin peptides for tumor targeting
Authors: Falciani Chiara , Fabbrini Monica , Pini Alessandro , Lozzi Luisa , Lelli Barbara , Pileri Silvia , Brunetti Jlenia , Bindi Stefano , Scali Silvia , Bracci Luisa
Published: September 2007

Receptors for endogenous regulatory peptides, like the neuropeptide neurotensin, are overexpressed in several human cancers and can be targets for peptide-mediated tumor-selective therapy. Peptides, however, have the main drawback of an extremely short half-life in vivo. We showed that neurotensin and other endogenous peptides, when synthesized as dendrimers, retain biological activity and become resistant to proteolysis. Here, we synthesized the neurotensin functional fragment NT(8-13) in a tetrabranched form linked to different units for tumor therapy or diagnosis. Fluorescent molecules were used to monitor receptor binding and internalization in HT29 human adenocarcinoma cells and receptor binding in HT29 tumor xenografts in nude mice. Linking of chemotherapic molecules like chlorin e6 and methotrexate to dendrimers resulted in a dramatic increase in drug selectivity, uptake of which by target cells became dependent on peptide receptor binding. When nude mice carrying human tumor xenografts were treated with branched NT(8-13)-methotrexate, a 60% reduction in tumor growth was observed with respect to mice treated with the free drug. [Mol Cancer Ther 2007;6(9):2441–8]
Reactive Nitrogen Species Induced by Hyperglycemia Suppresses Akt Signaling and Triggers Apoptosis by Upregulating Phosphatase PTEN (Phosphatase and Tensin Homologue Deleted on Chromosome 10) in an LKB1-Dependent Manner
Authors: Song Ping , Wu Yong , Xu Jian , Xie Zhonglin , Dong Yunzhou , Zhang Miao , Zou Ming-Hui
Published: September 2007

Background—

Oxidative stress plays a causal role in vascular injury in diabetes mellitus, but the mechanisms and targets remain poorly understood.

Methods and Results—

Exposure of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells to either peroxynitrite (ONOO
−
) or high glucose significantly inhibited both basal and insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation at Ser473 and Akt activity in parallel with increased apoptosis, phosphorylation, and activity of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). Furthermore, protein kinase B/Akt inhibition induced by ONOO
−
or high glucose and apoptosis triggered by high glucose could be abolished by transfection of PTEN-specific small interfering RNA, suggesting that PTEN mediated the Akt inhibition by ONOO
−
. In addition, exposure of human umbilical vein endothelial cells to ONOO
−
or high glucose remarkably increased Ser428 phosphorylation of LKB1, a tumor suppressor. Interestingly, the ONOO
−
-enhanced PTEN phosphorylation and Akt inhibition can be blocked by LKB1-specific small interfering RNA. Consistently, LKB1 phosphorylated PTEN at Ser380/Thr382/383 in vitro, suggesting that LKB1 might act as an upstream kinase for PTEN. Compared with nondiabetic mice, the levels of PTEN, LKB1-Ser428 phosphorylation, and 3-nitrotyrosine (a biomarker of ONOO
−
) were significantly increased in the aortas of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, which was in parallel with a reduction in Akt-Ser473 phosphorylation and an increase in apoptosis. Furthermore, administration of PTEN-specific small interfering RNA suppressed diabetes-enhanced apoptosis and Akt inhibition. Finally, treatment with Tempol, a superoxide dismutase mimetic, and insulin, both of which reduced the ONOO
−
formation, markedly reduced diabetes-enhanced LKB1-Ser428 phosphorylation, PTEN, and apoptosis in the endothelium of mouse aortas.

Conclusion—

We conclude that hyperglycemia triggers apoptosis by inhibiting Akt signaling via ONOO
−
-mediated LKB1-dependent PTEN activation.
Gaps in Public Knowledge of Peripheral Arterial Disease
Authors: Hirsch Alan T. , Murphy Timothy P. , Lovell Marge B. , Twillman Gwen , Treat-Jacobson Diane , Harwood Eileen M. , Mohler Emile R. , Creager Mark A. , Hobson Robert W. , Robertson Rose Marie , Howard W. James , Schroeder Paul , Criqui Michael H.
Published: September 2007

Background—

Lower-extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with decreased functional status, diminished quality of life, amputation, myocardial infarction, stroke, and death. Nevertheless, public knowledge of PAD as a morbid and mortal disease has not been previously assessed.

Methods and Results—

We performed a cross-sectional, population-based telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 2501 adults ≥50 years of age, with oversampling of blacks and Hispanics. The survey instrument measured the demographic, risk factor, and cardiovascular disease characteristics of the study population; prevalent leg symptoms; PAD awareness relative to atherosclerosis risk factors and other cardiovascular and noncardiovascular diseases; perceived causes of PAD; and perceived systemic and limb consequences of PAD. Respondents were 67.2±12.6 years of age with a high prevalence of risk factors but only a modest burden of known coronary or cerebrovascular disease. Twenty-six percent of respondents expressed familiarity with PAD, a rate significantly lower than that for any other cardiovascular disease or atherosclerosis risk factor. Within the “PAD-aware” cohort, knowledge was poor. Half of these individuals were not aware that diabetes and smoking increase the risk for PAD; 1 in 4 knew that PAD is associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke; and only 14% were aware that PAD could lead to amputation. All knowledge domains were lower in individuals with lower income and education levels.

Conclusions—

The public is poorly informed about PAD, with major knowledge gaps regarding the definition of PAD, risk factors that lead to PAD, and associated limb symptoms and amputation risk. The public is not aware that PAD imposes a high short-term risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. For the national cardiovascular disease burden to be reduced, public PAD knowledge could be improved by national PAD public education programs designed to reduce critical knowledge gaps.
National Actors in International Organizations
Authors: Thomson Robert
Published: September 2007

This article examines the conditions under which the policy positions of an international organization correspond to the positions of relevant national actors. The commission of the European Union (EU) is often portrayed as an autonomous supranational actor, insulated from national interests. Recent analyses question this view, arguing that the commission is an agent in a principal—agent relationship with member states. The author formulates hypotheses on the conditions under which commissioners' nationalities affect the relative level of agreement between the commission and different member states' positions. The hypotheses are tested with more than 2,000 observations relating to 70 controversial proposals for legislation introduced by the commission from 1996 to 2000. In line with one of the hypotheses, under qualified majority voting in the council, there is relatively high agreement between the commission's positions and the positions of the home member states of the commissioners primarily responsible for drafting the legislative proposals.
Incompetence, Alienation, or Calculation?
Authors: Uggla Fredrik
Published: September 2007

This article focuses on the casting of invalid ballots and voting for extra-parliamentary parties. Drawing on evidence from more than 200 elections in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas during the 1980-2000 period, it tests how well four sets of factors serve as explanations for the extent of such behavior in parliamentary contests. The main finding is that the structure of political competition provides an important explanation for extra-parliamentary voting and, in particular, the number of invalid ballots. Thus, rather than being the unfortunate circumstances of an uninformed or incompetent electorate, these forms of voting, to a large extent, appear to reflect a political situation that offers voters little effective choice in the form of clear alternatives.
Defense Styles of Pedophilic Offenders
Authors: Drapeau Martin , Beretta Véronique , de Roten Yves , Koerner Annett , Despland Jean-Nicolas
Published: September 2007

This pilot study investigated the defense styles of pedophile sexual offenders. Interviews with 20 pedophiles and 20 controls were scored using the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales. Results showed that pedophiles had a significantly lower overall defensive functioning score than the controls. Pedophiles used significantly fewer obsessionallevel defenses but more major image-distorting and action-level defenses. Results also suggested differences in the prevalence of individual defenses where pedophiles used more dissociation, displacement, denial, autistic fantasy, splitting of object, projective identification, acting out, and passive aggressive behavior but less intellectualization and rationalization.
No Child Left Behind
Authors: Sherman Whitney H.
Published: September 2007

Proponents of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) hail it as vital legislation that supports a civil rights agenda because of explicit recognition that achievement gaps are unacceptable. One way to make sense of NCLB's impact on school divisions and to understand whether NCLB recognizes the complexity of why minority and low-socioeconomic-background students often struggle in schools is to look through the lens of superintendents. District leaders, as moral agents, are tone setters for change in schools and negotiators and enactors of state and federal policies. This study explores how NCLB has affected achievement gaps in Virginia and not only investigates how superintendents have made sense of the federal legislation but also seeks out strategies employed by district leaders that target minority groups and the elimination of the achievement gap. Critical race theory allows consideration of superintendent perspectives across issues such as race, racism, poverty, class, power, test scores, and dominant assumptions.
Differences in Scholastic Achievement of Public, Private Government-Dependent, and Private Independent Schools
Authors: Dronkers Jaap , Robert Peter
Published: September 2007

The gross differences in scholastic achievement among public, private government-dependent, and private independent schools in 22 countries are analyzed with Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 data. In a multilevel approach, the authors estimate these sector effects, controlling for sociological characteristics of students and parents, school composition, teaching and learning conditions of schools, and students' and principals' perception of the climate of their schools. The main explanation of their gross differences in scholastic achievement is the better social composition of private schools, both government dependent and independent. But pupils at private government-dependent schools have a higher net educational achievement than do comparable pupils at public schools with the same social composition. The explanation of these remaining net differences in scholastic achievement seems to be their better school climate. These net differences in scholastic achievement between public and private school sectors are equal across nations, despite historical differences of educational systems.
Reducing Health Disparities in Depressive Disorders Outcomes between Non-Hispanic Whites and Ethnic Minorities
Authors: Van Voorhees Benjamin W. , Walters Amy E. , Prochaska Micah , Quinn Michael T.
Published: September 2007

There are significant disparities in treatment process and symptomatic and functional outcomes in depressive disorders for racial and ethnic minority patients. Using a life-course perspective, the authors conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify modifiable mechanisms and effective interventions for prevention and treatment at specific points—system, community, provider, and individual patient—in health care settings. Multicomponent chronic disease management interventions have produced improvements in depression outcomes for ethnic minority populations. Case management appears to be a key component of effective interventions. Socioculturally tailored treatment and prevention interventions may be more efficacious than standard treatment programs. Future research should focus on identifying key components of case management and sociocultural tailoring that are essential for effective interventions and developing new low-cost dissemination mechanisms for treatment and preventive programs that could be tailored to racial and ethnic minorities.
Sensory and movement-led approach to design for Elderly Severely Mentally Ill units
Authors: Habell M.
Published: September 2007

The evolution of a design embodying the alliance of movement to sensory stimulus for confused and Alzheimer sufferers.

The paper is an account of the design concept of an Elderly Severely Mentally I11 (ESMI) unit under the Government Private Finance Initiative (PFI) rules. Previous papers by the author recorded the development of elderly care nursing units that sought to use the planning of circulation as a means to provide stimulation for patients. The results demonstrated a therapeutic value for this approach.

In the latest version for ESMI, the concept has been taken further with the creation of a "Memory Trail" that provides a choice of routes with organised points of interest containing stimulus for the senses in order to trigger memory.

This is seen as beneficial not only for patient but also provides a positive role for relatives in escorting and planning the "journey". The paper records how the design amended the original brief by the participation of user groups re-evaluating the requirements in discussion and visits to earlier versions of this approach.
Lessons to be learned: a case study approach Carcinoid tumourlets associated with diffuse bronchiectasis and intralobar sequestration
Authors: Dewan M. , Malatani T.S. , Osinowo O. , Al-Nour M. , Zahrani M.E.
Published: September 2007

Innumerable carcinoid tumourlets may develop within pulmonary lobes should there be scarring from intralo bar sequestration; these tumourlets may, in turn, be the cause of chronic lung disease. This report documents the incidental detection of multifocal carcinoid tumourlets in the lung of a 65-year-old man who had repeated episodes of lung infection, progressive dysp nea and haemoptysis; he lived at high altitude. The left lower lobe of the lung was resected surgically, during which procedure an aberrant systemic arterial supply was noticed. The patient had diffuse bronchiectasis and intralobar sequestration. The latter implies the development of abnormal lung tissue located within lobar tissue - but which does not communicate with the bronchial tree; it is supplied with arterial blood from a branch of the aorta - arising either above or below the diaphragm. There was loss of demarcation between the sequestered lung and the surrounding lower lobe lung parenchyma. The proliferation of pul monary neuroendocrine cells in the form of tumourlets, had probably occurred as an adaptive response to the chronic hypoxia experienced. The combination of intralobar sequestration, bronchiecta sis and carcinoid tumourlets, although uncommon, may arise when intralobar sequestration of the lung has not been resected at an incipient stage.
Is childhood allergy more common amongst an island population?
Authors: Jeffs D. , Grainger R. , Powell P.
Published: September 2007

A rise in the prevalence of childhood asthma has been reported in both the UK and in several overseas countries during recent years. Wide geographical variations have also been demonstrated in the dis tribution of hay fever, atopic eczema and other allergic symptoms. It is the impression of many parents and some clinicians that allergic symptoms may be even higher amongst children in an island envi ronment compared with a similar population on the mainland.

To test this hypothesis, Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea participated as an inde pendent arm in the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC). This entailed self-completion of a 38-part pre- tested and validated questionnaire in a classroom setting under stan dardised conditions. A total of 3,772 secondary students in school years eight and nine living in the three islands were compared with 27,507 students of similar age in 93 British secondary schools enrolled in the larger UK study.

There are a number of demonstrable differences in climate, home environment and lifestyle factors between the islands and mainland UK Although results were generally above the UK mean, they were comparable with the reference region of South West England and invariably below the UK maximum. For instance, the prevalence of 'ever wheezed?', 'wheezed in last twelve months?', 'wheezed with exercise?' and 'diagnosis of asthma' were a mean of 50.5%, 34.5%, 31% and 19.7% in the islands compared with a UK prevalence of 48.8%, 33.3%, 28.5% and 20.7%, whilst the prevalence of 'runny nose ever?' and `runny nose in last twelve months?' was a mean of 46.6% and 36.7% in the islands, compared with 47.1% and 37.9% in the UK mean. These differences were not statistically significant. This information will be reassuring to parents of island children, and also demonstrates that services for the management of asthma and other allergic conditions should not be a higher public health pri ority in these locations than on the mainland of Britain.
A rapid appraisal method for reviewing the effectiveness of workplace smoking policies in large and medium sized organisations
Authors: Harvey Harold D. , Fleming Paul , Patterson Michael
Published: September 2007

Workplace smoking policies have been developed in response to growing scientific evidence about the harmful effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), increasing opposition from non-smokers, con cern over escalating costs of health damage and pro ductivity losses, and the emergence of relevant laws and codes of good practice. Much has been written on the development and implementation of workplace smok ing policies, but little about their evaluation. This paper describes a rapid appraisal method for the evaluation of workplace smoking policies. The four-stage process involves rapid, focused consultation with policy makers in the workplace, appropriate risk assessment, rapid consultation with those affected by the policy and focused feedback of results for planning and ongoing monitoring. In the pilot site the existing health and safe ty committee members were effective informants for the identification of key issues in smoking policy The risk assessment phase was incorporated into the main appraisal which involved a canvass of staff and others on ETS issues identified by the informants. In the final stage of the process the health and safety committee proved to be both responsive to identified need, and proactive in facilitating ongoing review of the smoking policy. It therefore proved possible to develop the rapid appraisal process for administration in a limited time frame, three months for the whole process, with the rapid canvass element being achieved within one week.
Risk factors for infant mortality in a rural community in Nigeria
Authors: Lawoyin T.O.
Published: September 2007

In this prospective community based study, information on births and deaths was collected for five consecutive years (1993- 1997) by trained village health workers (VHW) and traditional birth attendants (TBA). The main objective was to identify fac tors which are associated with infant deaths in a typical rural community in southwestern Nigeria with a current mid-year population of 3,308. Infant mortality rate was found to be 68.2 per 1,000 live births and is lower than the national rate but high er than the regional rate. Neonatal deaths, with a rate of 37.6 per 1,000 live births, accounted for 55.1% of all infant deaths while postneonatal deaths accounted for 44.9% of the deaths. Twelve (44.4%) of all neonatal deaths (27) occurred within 24 h of delivery while 20 (74.1%) of all neonatal deaths occurred in the first week of life and were perinatal deaths. These high perinatal rates indicate that more efficient obstetric and public health services are needed in the community. First birth order and older mothers (>34 years) at time of death of infant were associated with significantly higher risk for mortality in this vil lage (p=0.004). Females were twice as likely as males to die in infancy (p=0.011), a finding which is contrary to what is gener ally found; there is a need for further studies to exclude gender discrimination in this village. Significantly more neonatal deaths occurred during the rainy season than in the dry season (p=0.018) suggesting that environmental factors play a role in neonatal deaths. In the neonatal period, the commonest cause of death was due to complications of low birth weight while in the postneonatal period it was due to infection.

VHWs and TBAs are good resource persons for obtaining accurate numerical data at the grass-roots level, and the poten tial of using their services to collect vital but non-existant sta tistics should be explored. These workers also need to be trained to recognise factors that put infants at risk. Reassess ment of preventive strategies already implemented for reducing infant mortality may be required in order to further reduce the infant mortality rate in this community.
Never mind the Quality — Look at the Cost
Authors: Addison R.
Published: September 2007

METHODS of assessing sewage treatment works performance now in vogue locally, regionally and nationally can, to the uninformed, give a misleading impression of the cost of maintaining river water quality and distort investment in the water industry.