bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Controlling growth and field emission properties of silicon nanotube arrays by multistep template replication and chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Mu Cheng , Yu Yuxiang , Liao Wei , Zhao Xinsheng , Xu Dongsheng , Chen Xihong , Yu Dapeng
Published: September 2005

A multistep template replication route was employed to fabricate highly ordered silicon nanotube (SiNT) arrays, in which annular nanochannel membranes were produced first, and then silicon was deposited into the annular nanochannels by pyrolytic decomposition of silane. Electron microscopy revealed that these SiNTs are highly crystalline and the wall thicknesses can be controlled by the spaces of the annular nanochannel. Field emission characterization showed that the turn-on field and threshold field for the SiNT arrays are about 5.1V∕μm and 7.3V∕μm, respectively. These results represent one of the lowest fields ever reported for Si field emission materials at technologically useful current densities.
Mechanical properties of self-welded silicon nanobridges
Authors: Tabib-Azar Massood , Nassirou Maissarath , Wang Run , Sharma S. , Kamins T. I. , Islam M. Saif , Williams R. Stanley
Published: September 2005

Mechanical properties of self-welded [111] single-crystal silicon nanowire bridges grown between two silicon posts using metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition were determined using both dynamic and static measurements. The static tests were carried out using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure the nanowires’ Young’s modulus and the strength of the self-welded junctions. The AFM-measured Young’s modulus ranged from 93 to 250 GPa (compared to 185 GPa for bulk silicon in the [111] direction) depending on the nanowire diameter, which ranged from 140 to 200 nm. The self-welded wire could withstand a maximum bending stress in the range of 210–830 MPa (larger than bulk silicon), which also depended on the nanowire diameter and loading conditions. The beam broke close to the loading point, rather than at the self-welded junction, indicating the excellent bond strength of the self-welded junction. The vibration spectra measured with a network analyzer and a dc magnetic field indicated a dynamic Young’s modulus of 140 GPa, in good agreement (within the experimental error) with the static measurement results.
Dynamic coherent backscattering in a heterogeneous absorbing medium: Application to human trabecular bone characterization
Authors: Derode Arnaud , Mamou Victor , Padilla Frédéric , Jenson Frédéric , Laugier Pascal
Published: September 2005

We report measurements of time-resolved coherent backscattering enhancement in human trabecular bones with wide-band ultrasonic waves around 3 MHz. The experimental results show that multiple scattering takes place in the bone structure and yields an estimation of the scattering mean-free path independently from intrinsic absorption losses.
Thermoelectric power factor in semiconductors with buried epitaxial semimetallic nanoparticles
Authors: Zide J. M. , Klenov D. O. , Stemmer S. , Gossard A. C. , Zeng G. , Bowers J. E. , Vashaee D. , Shakouri A.
Published: September 2005

We have grown composite epitaxial materials that consist of semimetallic ErAs nanoparticles embedded in a semiconducting In0.53Ga0.47As matrix both as superlattices and randomly distributed throughout the matrix. The presence of these particles increases the free electron concentration in the material while providing scattering centers for phonons. We measure electron concentration, mobility, and Seebeck coefficient of these materials and discuss their potential for use in thermoelectric power generators.
Surface-mode microcavity
Authors: Xiao Sanshui , Qiu Min
Published: September 2005

Optical microcavities based on zero-group-velocity surface modes in photonic crystals are studied. It is shown that high quality factors can be easily obtained for such microcavities in photonic crystal slabs. With increasing of the cavity length, the quality factor is gradually enhanced and the resonant frequency converges to that of the zero-group-velocity surface mode in the photonic crystal. The number of the resonant modes with high quality factors is mainly determined by the number of surface modes with zero-group velocity.
Co-doped titanate nanotubes
Authors: Wu Di , Chen Yanfeng , Liu Ji , Zhao Xiaoning , Li Aidong , Ming Naiben
Published: September 2005

Co-doped titanate nanotubes were synthesized through 130 °C treatment of Co-doped TiO2 powders in high concentration NaOH aqueous solutions in a hydrothermal autoclave. The obtained nanotubes were identified to be of a monoclinic layered trititanate structure, the same as H2Ti3O7, their un-doped counterpart. The incorporation of Co ions was identified by energy dispersive spectroscopy. The Ti:Co atomic ratio in the obtained nanotubes was found significantly less than the value in the powder precursor. This indicates that the precursor powders were deformed in NaOH solution before the formation of nanotubes. Magnetic measurement showed a hysteresis loop at room temperature.
Response compensation of fine-wire temperature sensors
Authors: Tagawa M. , Kato K. , Ohta Y.
Published: September 2005

Theoretical analysis of the frequency response of a fine-wire temperature sensor such as a thermocouple or a cold wire was performed, and a strict solution of the response was derived by treating rigorously a boundary condition of heat transport between the temperature-sensing part and its adjoining support. The solution obtained is highly universal and can express the frequency response of both a fine-wire thermocouple and a cold wire with a single equation. The validity of the theoretical solution was examined experimentally, and a response-compensation technique widely applicable to fine-wire temperature sensors was developed based on the theoretical results. In this technique, no special apparatus for calibrating the dynamic response is necessary. The present response-compensation technique can perform fluctuating temperature measurement by a 3.2μm tungsten wire well comparable to that by a 0.63μm platinum wire which is regarded as one of the fastest temperature sensors commercially available.
Effect of tip geometry on local indentation modulus measurement via atomic force acoustic microscopy technique
Authors: Passeri D. , Bettucci A. , Germano M. , Rossi M. , Alippi A. , Orlanducci S. , Terranova M. L. , Ciavarella M.
Published: September 2005

Atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) is a dynamical AFM-based technique very promising for nondestructive analysis of local elastic properties of materials. AFAM technique represents a powerful investigation tool in order to retrieve quantitative evaluations of the mechanical parameters, even at nanoscale. The quantitative determination of elastic properties by AFAM technique is strongly influenced by a number of experimental parameters that, at present, are not fully under control. One of such issues is that the quantitative evaluation require the knowledge of the tip geometry effectively contacting the surface during the measurements. We present and discuss an experimental approach able to determine, at first, tip geometry from contact stiffness measurements and, on the basis of the achieved information, to measure sample indentation modulus. The reliability and the accuracy of the technique has been successfully tested on samples (Si, GaAs, and InP) with very well known structural and morphological properties and with indentation modulus widely reported in literature.
Thin-film ferromagnetic semiconductors based on Sb2−xVxTe3 with TC of 177K
Authors: Zhou Zhenhua , Chien Yi-Jiunn , Uher Ctirad
Published: September 2005

Thin-film ferromagnetic semiconductors Sb2−xVxTe3 with the Curie temperature as high as 177K were prepared on sapphire (0001) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. Films of Sb2−xVxTe3 with x up to 0.35 display robust, out-of-plane ferromagnetic ordering that depends on the concentration of vanadium in the structure. The Curie temperature was determined from magnetization measurements and Arrott plots. Ferromagnetic order is manifested by hysteresis loops observed in magnetization, magnetoresistivity, and the anomalous Hall effect.
Crystal Structure of 1-Methyl-5,8-dihydroxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione
Authors: Skelton Brian W. , Piggott Matthew J.
Published: September 2005

The X-ray crystal and modelled structures of the natural product 1-methyl-5,8-dihydroxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione are presented. These data, in conjunction with modelling of the natural product ventilone G, confirm the preference for the 5,8-dihydroxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione tautomers over those containing an isobenzofuran moiety and necessitate revision of the published structures of ventilone F and G.
The subjective experience of pain: Where expectations become reality
Authors: Koyama Tetsuo , McHaffie John G. , Laurienti Paul J. , Coghill Robert C.
Published: September 2005

Our subjective sensory experiences are thought to be heavily shaped by interactions between expectations and incoming sensory information. However, the neural mechanisms supporting these interactions remain poorly understood. By using combined psychophysical and functional MRI techniques, brain activation related to the intensity of expected pain and experienced pain was characterized. As the magnitude of expected pain increased, activation increased in the thalamus, insula, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and other brain regions. Pain-intensity-related brain activation was identified in a widely distributed set of brain regions but overlapped partially with expectation-related activation in regions, including the anterior insula and ACC. When expected pain was manipulated, expectations of decreased pain powerfully reduced both the subjective experience of pain and activation of pain-related brain regions, such as the primary somatosensory cortex, insular cortex, and ACC. These results confirm that a mental representation of an impending sensory event can significantly shape neural processes that underlie the formulation of the actual sensory experience and provide insight as to how positive expectations diminish the severity of chronic disease states.
Brainstem Axonal Degeneration in Mice with Deletion of Selenoprotein P
Authors: Valentine William M. , Hill Kristina E. , Austin Lori M. , Valentine Holly L. , Goldowitz Daniel , Burk Raymond F.
Published: September 2005

Selenoprotein P is an abundant extracellular protein that is expressed in liver, brain, and other tissues. Studies in mice with the selenoprotein P gene deleted ( Sepp−/− mice) have implicated the protein in maintaining brain selenium. Sepp−/− mice fed a normal or low selenium diet develop severe motor impairment and die, but Sepp−/− mice fed a high selenium diet remain clinically unimpaired. As an initial step to evaluate the effect of selenoprotein P deletion on central nervous system architecture, the brains and cervical spinal cords of Sepp−/− and Sepp+ /+ mice fed low or high selenium diets were examined by light and electron microscopy. Brains of Sepp−/− mice demonstrated no gross abnormalities. At the light microscopic level, however, Sepp−/− mice fed either the selenium deficient diet or the high selenium diet had enlarged dystrophic axons and degenerated axons in their brainstems and cervical spinal cords. No axonal lesions were observed in the Sepp+ /+ mice fed either diet. Electron microscopy demonstrated that the enlarged axons in the Sepp−/− mice were packed with organelles, suggesting a deficit in fast axonal transport. The similar severity of axonal lesions observed in Sepp−/− mice fed the 2 diets suggests that axonal dystrophy is a common phenotype for deletion of selenoprotein P regardless of selenium intake and that additional studies will be required to determine the pathogenesis of the neurological signs and mortality observed in Sepp−/−mice fed a low selenium diet.
Imaging and radiological interventions of portal vein thrombosis
Authors: Hidajat N. , Stobbe H. , Griesshaber V. , Felix R. , Schroder R‐J.
Published: September 2005

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is diagnosed by imaging methods. Once diagnosed by means of ultrasound, Doppler ultrasound can be performed to distinguish between a benign and malignant thrombus. If further information is required, magnetic resonance angiography or contrast‐enhanced computed tomography is the next step, and if these tests are unsatisfactory, digital subtraction angiography should be performed. Many papers have been published dealing with alternative methods of treating PVT, but the material is fairly heterogeneous. In symptomatic non‐cavernomatous PVT, recanalization using local methods is recommended by many authors. Implantation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt is helpful in cirrhotic patients with non‐cavernomatous PVT in reducing portal pressure and in diminishing the risk of re‐thrombosis. In non‐cirrhotic patients with recent PVT, some authors recommend anticoagulation alone. In chronic thrombotic occlusion of the portal vein, local measures may be implemented if refractory symptoms of portal hypertension are evident.
Endovascular treatment of obstructive iliac artery dissections
Authors: Önal B. , Ilgit E. T. , Akpek S. , Erbas G. , Akkaya A.
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To report our results from a study of the endovascular treatment of flow restricting chronic atherosclerotic or catheter‐induced segmental iliac artery dissections with bare stents.

Material and Methods: Thirty symptomatic patients with 32 lesions, including chronic atherosclerotic ( n = 21) and catheter‐induced ( n = 11) segmental arterial dissections, were treated with primary stenting. The common iliac artery was involved in 19 lesions and the external iliac artery in the remaining 13. Two patients had two lesions in the same vessel. Technical success was defined as restoration of the smooth contoured luminal patency with no more than 20% residual stenosis in diameter in atherosclerotic dissections associated with plaque formation or total obliteration of the false lumen in catheter‐induced dissections. Complete relief of, or marked improvements in, presenting symptoms, or at least single category improvement, was assessed for clinical success.

Results: Technical success rate was 100%. No procedure‐related complications such as distal emboli or early occlusions were observed. Complete symptom relief was achieved in all patients with catheter‐induced dissection and in all but three cases with chronic spontaneous atherosclerotic dissection. In two cases, occlusion of the stents occurred during the follow‐up period. Clinical and radiological mean follow‐up for 24 months (range 3–55) revealed patency of all other stented segments. Cumulative primary patency rate was 97% over 12 months and 90% over 24 months.

Conclusion: Endovascular treatment of chronic atherosclerotic and catheter‐induced short obstructive iliac arterial dissections with bare stents is safe and effective. Patency of the diseased arterial segment with a smooth lumen can be sustained for an extensive period.
Asymptomatic aneurysm of the subclavian vein
Authors: Schellhammer F. , Wöbker G. , Turowski B.
Published: September 2005

Venous aneurysms are rare entities whose etiology remains unknown. We report an incidental observation of an asymptomatic, saccular aneurysm of the subclavian vein and discuss the possible origin and clinical impact, with special remarks on venous interventions.
Primary extracranial meningioma of the sinonasal tract
Authors: Petrulionis M. , Valeviciene N. , Paulauskiene I. , Bruzaite J.
Published: September 2005

Meningiomas occurring outside the cerebrospinal axis can be primary at an extracranial site (nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and nasopharynx) or secondary extending from an intracranial lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging findings of an 8‐year‐old child with primary meningioma before and after surgery have been reviewed and compared to computed tomography and histological evaluation. The child had difficulty breathing through the left nostril and tearing of the left eye. After physical and radiological examination, a tumor comprising the left lower, middle turbinate, and ethmoidal cells was found and radically extirpated. On histological examination, the tumor was identified as meningothelial meningioma. On the basis of the clinical, radiological, and histological features, the tumor was diagnosed as extracranial meningioma of the sinonasal tract. A follow‐up examination 6 months later revealed no evidence of recurrence of the tumor.
Upper urinary tract metastases from adenocarcinoma of the colon
Authors: Sofocleous C. T. , Brown K. T. , Savage S. , Brogi E. , Covey A. M. , Brody L. A. , Schubert J. , Getrajdman G. I.
Published: September 2005

An unusual presentation of colorectal metastasis to the upper urinary tract is reported. The metastasis manifested as a filling defect seen during antegrade pyelography. Cytologic evaluation of aspirated material demonstrated metastatic colonic adenocarcinoma. A dilated collecting system may be caused by intraluminal material including tumor and blood clots. Whenever fixed filling defects are encountered, urine cytology should be sent even in the absence of renal parenchymal involvement by tumor. The cytological evaluation may allow for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Radiological findings in children with acute pneumonia: age more important than infectious agent
Authors: Wahlgren H. , Mortensson W. , Eriksson M. , Finkel Y. , Forsgren M. , Leinonen M.
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To evaluate whether radiological findings and healing time in children with pneumonia are correlated to etiologic agent.

Material and Methods: A total of 346 children with radiologically verified acute pneumonia, and with accomplished serological tests for bacteria and viruses, were included in the study. Five etiological groups were analysed: children with bacterial etiology only, with viral etiology only, with mixed bacterial and viral etiology, with Mycoplasma only, and children with no etiology.

Results: The chest films of each etiological group were analysed and the findings were correlated to the children's age. The radiological findings did not differ between the etiological groups. Radiological findings correlated significantly with the patient's age. The radiological healing frequency at check‐up X‐ray was found to be significantly lower in children with mixed bacterial and viral etiology compared to children in each of the other groups and to the material as a whole.

Conclusion: Conclusions about the etiology could not be drawn from the chest X‐ray findings.
Sturge‐weber syndrome: diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings
Authors: Cakirer S. , Yagmurlu B. , Savas M. R.
Published: September 2005

We report on the diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton MR spectroscopy findings of a 26‐year‐old female patient with Sturge‐Weber syndrome. Echo‐planar trace diffusion MRI revealed mildly high signal intensity changes at parieto‐occipital lobes on b = 1000 s/mm2 images, suggesting restricted diffusion. On corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient maps, those areas had moderately high signal intensity and high apparent diffusion coefficient values (around 0.9×10(−3) mm2/s) compared with the contralateral symmetrical normal side of the brain (0.776×10(−3) mm2/s). This finding was consistent with increased motion of water molecules (disintegration of the neural tissue) in these regions. Proton MR spectroscopy revealed decreased N‐acetyl aspartate and increased choline peaks, indicating disintegration of neural tissue associated with neuronal loss as well.
Optic tract edema: a highly specific magnetic resonance imaging finding for the diagnosis of craniopharyngiomas
Authors: Hirunpat S. , Tanomkiat W. , Sriprung H. , Chetpaophan J.
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To clarify the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of optic tract edema in the diagnosis of craniopharyngiomas.

Material and Methods: Preoperative magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 49 patients (between May 1996 and March 2003) who had a diagnosis of parasellar masses were blindly reviewed by two radiologists. The spread of edema surrounding the tumor on the coronal TSE T2‐weighted images was analyzed. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated based on the numbers in this series and also pooled numbers from previous known reported series.

Results: Edema along the optic tracts was detected in 7 of 11 craniopharyngiomas, giving a sensitivity of 63.6% (95% CI = 30.8–89.1) for our series and 66.7% (95% CI = 47.2–82.7) for the pooled numbers. The specificity was 100% (95% CI = 90.7–100.0) for our series and 93.9% (95% CI = 87.1–97.7) for the pooled numbers. None of the 28 pituitary macroadenomas, 4 meningiomas, 2 hypothalamic astrocytomas, 2 germinomas, 1 mixed‐germ cell tumor and 1 arachnoid cyst in our study showed edema of the optic pathways.

Conclusion: Optic tract edema, commonly seen in craniopharyngiomas, is a useful MR finding for distinguishing craniopharyngiomas from other parasellar tumors with considerable sensitivity and high specificity.
Patterns of Urges During Early Abstinence in Alcohol‐dependent Subjects
Authors: Krahn Dean D. , Bohn Michael J. , Henk Henry J. , Grossman Jennifer L. , Gosnell Blake
Published: September 2005

Urges for alcohol can lead to relapse, but some alcoholics report few urges. We hypothesized that ecological momentary assessment techniques would reveal multiple urge patterns in newly‐abstinent alcoholics. Forty‐eight alcohol‐dependent subjects used PDAs to assess urges to drink in abstinence. Mean and standard deviation of urges were used in cluster analysis, and cluster characteristics were compared. Four clusters were defined, the largest cluster including 29 subjects with low mean urge and low variability. Clusters differed in negative affect and anger but not in abstinence rates. Four distinct urge patterns during abstinence were identified, and 60% of abstinent, alcohol‐dependent subjects reported low, stable urge levels.
Factors Associated with Emergency Room Use among Injection Drug Users of African‐American, Hispanic and White European Background
Authors: Lundgren Lena , Chassler Deborah , Ben‐Ami Linsey , Purington Timothy , Schilling Robert
Published: September 2005

This study examined the relationship between substance abuse treatment use, health services use, HIV status, and emergency room/hospital use for 507 injection drug users (IDUs). Logistic regression models showed that mental health status, severity of drug use and private health insurance were significantly associated with having used emergency room / hospital services in the past six months. History of substance abuse treatment use, positive HIV / AIDS diagnosis, mental health service use, ethnic racial background, gender, age, education and homelessness were not significant at either the bivariate or the multivariate level. These results point to the need to improve mental health screening and referrals through emergency room medical systems.
Trends in Alcohol‐and Drug‐related ER and Primary Care Visits, 1995–2000: Are Healthy People 2000 Objectives Met?
Authors: Cherpitel Cheryl J.
Published: September 2005

Data were compared between the 1995 (n = 4925) and 2000 (n = 7612) National Alcohol Surveys to determine whether Healthy People 2000 objectives of a reduction in alcohol‐and drug‐related emergency room (ER) visits were met. Year of survey (2000) was positively predictive of drug use but not of alcohol use, prior to an event for which ER and other treatment were obtained. The data suggest Healthy People 2000 objectives were not met and in fact may be related to an increase in drug abuse among those seeking any kind of health services treatment, but not to an increase in drug use in general.
The Casa delle Libertà: A House of Cards?
Authors: Diamanti Ilvo , Lello Elisa
Published: September 2005

The Italian centre-right was ‘constructed’ by Silvio Berlusconi in the run-up to the 1994 general election, which marked the beginning of the Second Republic. It includes Forza Italia, the National Alliance, the Northern League and the Union of Christian Democrats (UDC), parties which are all very different in terms of their political identities, histories, geographies and social composition. The centre-right thus looks like a complex mosaic, whose pieces stay together only thanks to the role of the leader and his ‘personal party’, Forza Italia, and to the use of the media and political marketing to communicate with the electorate. These are the twin pillars of ‘the Berlusconi model’. This article contends that Berlusconi represents both a resource and a limit for the centre-right, as it is difficult for such a heterogeneous coalition to define a common identity and pursue coherent political projects and policies while relying so heavily on the role of the leader. This explains the cyclical alternation within the coalition of phases of integration and rapprochement with others of tension and open conflict. Since the coalition's election victory in 2001, it has found it difficult to meet the contrasting demands of its diverse electorate for neo-liberalism, devolution, major public works, infrastructure creation and tax cuts. This task has been made more problematic by the international instability and economic stagnation of recent years. This article puts forward the hypothesis that ‘the Berlusconi model’, which gave life to the centre-right, now appears to be worn out and will prove difficult to revive.
Early lexical and syntactic development in Quebec French and English: implications for cross‐linguistic and bilingual assessment
Authors: Thordardottir Elin T.
Published: September 2005

Background: Although a number of studies have been conducted on normal acquisition in French, systematic methods for analysis of French and normative group data have been lacking.

Aims: To develop a systematic method for the analysis of language samples in Quebec French, and to provide preliminary normative data on early lexical and syntactic development in French with a comparison with English.

Methods & Procedures: Language samples were collected for groups of monolingual French‐ and English‐speaking children (n = 39, age range 21–47 months) with normal language development. Coding conventions for French were developed based on similar principles as English SALT conventions. However, due to structural differences between the languages, coding of inflectional morphology was considerably more complex in French than in English.

Outcomes & Results: The French procedure provided developmentally sensitive measures of lexical and syntactic development, including mean length of utterance in morphemes and in words, and number of different words, and should be an important addition to the assessment procedures available for French. Cross‐linguistic similarities and differences were noted in the language sample measures. Although the same elicitation context was used in the English and the French language samples, and the analysis methods were designed to rest on similar principles across languages, systematic differences emerged such that the French‐speaking children exhibited a higher mean length of utterance, but smaller vocabulary sizes. Differences were also noted in error patterns, with much lower error rates occurring in samples of the French‐speaking children.

Conclusions: The findings have important implications for language assessment involving cross‐linguistic comparisons, such as occurs in the assessment of bilingual children, and in the matching of participants in cross‐linguistic studies. Given differences in the mean length of utterance and vocabulary scores across the languages, the finding of the same mean length of utterance or vocabulary obtained in the two languages for a given bilingual child or for monolingual speakers of the two languages does not imply equivalent levels of language development in the two languages.
Vulnerability and multiple deprivation perspectives on economic exclusion in Europe: A latent class analysis
Authors: Whelan Christopher T. , Maître Bertrand
Published: September 2005

In this paper we address issues relating to vulnerability to economic exclusion and levels of economic exclusion in Europe. We do so by applying latent class models to data from the European Community Household Panel for thirteen countries. This approach allows us to distinguish between vulnerability to economic exclusion and exposure to multiple deprivation at a particular point in time. The results of our analysis confirm that in every country it is possible to distinguish between a vulnerable and a non-vulnerable class. Association between income poverty, life-style deprivation and subjective economic strain is accounted for by allocating individuals to the categories of this latent variable. The size of the vulnerable class varies across countries in line with expectations derived from welfare regime theory. Between class differentiation is weakest in social democratic regimes but otherwise the pattern of differentiation is remarkably similar. The key discriminatory factor is life-style deprivation, followed by income and economic strain. Social class and employment status are powerful predictors of latent class membership in all countries but the strength of these relationships varies across welfare regimes. Individual biography and life events are also related to vulnerability to economic exclusion. However, there is no evidence that they account for any significant part of the socio-economic structuring of vulnerability and no support is found for the hypothesis that social exclusion has come to transcend class boundaries and become a matter of individual biography. However, the extent of socio-economic structuring does vary substantially across welfare regimes. Levels of economic exclusion, in the sense of current exposure to multiple deprivation, also vary systematically by welfare regime and social class. Taking both vulnerability to economic exclusion and levels of exclusion into account suggests that care should be exercised in moving from evidence on the dynamic nature of poverty and economic exclusion to arguments relating to the superiority of selective over universal social policies.
Burrowing mayflies as indicators of ecosystem health: Status of populations in western Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay and Green Bay
Authors: Edsall Thomas A. , Bur Michael T. , Gorman Owen T. , Schaeffer Jeffrey S.
Published: September 2005

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Canada are supporting the development of indicators of ecosystem health that can be used to report on progress in restoring and maintaining the Great Lakes ecosystem, as called for in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada. One indicator under development is based on burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia: Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae). We sampled in western Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron), and Green Bay (Lake Michigan) in spring 2001 at 117 stations covering about 1,870 km2 of lake bed, to determine the status of nymphal populations of Hexagenia, and to provide information that would further the technical development of an indicator of ecosystem health based on Hexagenia. In western Lake Erie, density and biomass of nymphs were generally highest on fine-grained substrate in offshore waters and were lower on coarser substrates in near shore waters. Nymphs were virtually absent from Saginaw Bay, where only one nymph was collected at 28 stations. Nymphs were collected at only 6 of 48 stations in Green Bay, and density and biomass were highest at the northern end of the bay. Polluted sediments are likely responsible for the absence or low density and biomass of nymphs observed on fine-grained substrates in western Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay, and Green Bay, all of which historically supported abundant populations.
Within-lake detection of the effects of tourist activities in the littoral zone of oligotrophic dune lakes
Authors: Hadwen Wade L. , Bunn Stuart E. , Arthington Angela H. , Mosisch Thorsten D.
Published: September 2005

Intensive recreational use of oligotrophic lakes can lead to increases in epilimnetic nutrient concentrations (through direct inputs from urine or re-suspension of sediments) and the development of undesirable algal blooms. Despite these adverse ecological responses to tourist activities, many lake monitoring programs do not address tourist nutrient inputs at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. This paper presents results of investigations aimed at detecting the effects of nutrient inputs to perched dune lakes on Fraser Island, principally through within-lake comparisons of nutrient and algal variables. Nutrient concentrations and algal biomass were measured in heavily visited (disturbed) and inaccessible (reference) sites within five perched dune lakes on Fraser Island, Australia, during the summer of 1999/2000. Whilst nutrient and phytoplankton chlorophyll a concentrations did not differ between sites, periphyton chlorophyll a concentrations were occasionally significantly higher in disturbed sites than in reference sites, particularly in the very popular clear lakes, suggesting that algal growth may be enhanced by tourist activities.

Experimental manipulations of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in algal (phytoplankton and periphyton) bioassays were undertaken in each lake over the 2000/2001 summer, to assess algal responses to nutrient additions. The response of phytoplankton communities to nutrient additions varied greatly between lakes, with evidence of limitation or co-limitation by nitrogen and phosphorus in all systems. Periphyton biomass showed similar trends to phytoplankton in some lakes, but these were not significant.

Nutrients added to lakes by tourists are likely to be rapidly assimilated by littoral zone periphyton communities in these oligotrophic lakes. As a result, impacts of tourism are not likely to be detected by traditional measurements of open water nutrient and phytoplankton chlorophyll a concentrations. Instead, measurement of periphyton growth and/or biomass (chlorophyll a) in the littoral zone might be the most spatially and temporally relevant indicator of tourist impacts in these lakes.
Inferring the feeding habit of the deep-sea ‘big mouth’ ascidian tunicate, Megalodicopia hians, by fatty acid analysis
Authors: Ogawa Mari , Kuramochi Takashi , Takayama Shigeki , Tanimoto Daisuke , Naganuma Takeshi
Published: September 2005

Colonies of the ‘big mouth’ tunicate, Megalodicopia hians, were first discovered in Toyama Bay, Japan Sea. The suspension-feeding habit of this organism is inferred from the diets in the oral aperture and feces. The colonies were mainly found on the steep slope (water depth > 1 km), particularly at the sites characterized by exposed rocks and/or thin sediment. Most of the individuals faced ‘mouth’ downward, suggesting that they trap suspended matters adrift or re-suspended sediment in the upward current. We have analyzed the composition of total fatty acids of Megalodicopia hians in comparison with those of other bathyal benthic animals having various feeding habits and phylogenies. A dendrogram was constructed by the cluster analysis of the fatty acid compositions. Primary grouping in the fatty acid-based dendrogram reflected the feeding habits rather than the phylogenic relationships of the studied benthic animals. An inference from the dendrogram suggested that suspension-feeding is usual but occasionally this organism engages in the scavenging habit, in general agreement with the inference from the diet analysis.
Thirteen years of monitoring selected biomarkers in Eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) at reference site in the Fjällbacka Archipelago on the Swedish West Coast
Authors: Ronisz Dan , Lindesjöö Eric , Larsson Åke , Bignert Anders , Förlin Lars
Published: September 2005

Several biomarkers in female and male eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) were measured at Fjällbacka, a reference site on the Swedish west coast from 1989 to 2001. Standardised procedures for sampling and measurements were used. Some of the biomarkers were largely stable through the years, for example, condition factor, blood plasma chloride concentration, white blood cell count, percentage of lymphocytes, activities of glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione reductase. Others showed greater variations but not significant trends, for example, percentage of granulocytes and activity of catalase and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity. Three variables in female eelpout showed a statistically significant downward trend from 1989 to 2001, hematocrit, body weight and length. The change in hematocrit was probably related to decreased stress due to improved sampling techniques, but the reason for changes in weight and length remain unknown. There is a need to evaluate the area for pollutants. The results indicate that there have not been any major large-scale changes in the aquatic environment affecting the fish health at the investigated site.
Effect of sediment geochemistry on the nutrient release rates in Cootes Paradise Marsh, Ontario, Canada
Authors: Mayer T. , Rosa F. , Charlton M.
Published: September 2005

Although there has been reduction in nutrient loadings from external sources, high nutrient levels and a prolific algal growth remain major stresses, affecting the water quality in Cootes Paradise, a coastal wetland at the western tip of Lake Ontario. It has been documented that internal loading, resulting from sediment P release, may be a significant contributor of the total P input to some lakes. To assess the importance of internal loadings from sediments to Cootes Paradise, nutrient fluxes from sediments at three locations were estimated. The investigated sites were representative of different sedimentary environments, including sites receiving effluents from a sewage treatment plant and combined sewer overflows. An unaffected site in the main body of the marsh was included for comparison. The results derived from the Fickian diffusion model indicate that sites receiving outfalls from the sewage treatment plant and combined sewer overflow had the highest nutrient fluxes. These two sites had also the highest ammonia-nitrogen fluxes. The lowest flux was estimated at the unimpacted site located in the main body of Cootes Paradise. The differences in nutrient fluxes appear to be attributable to spatial heterogeneity of bottom sediments. Sites which had the highest sediment phosphorus concentrations had the steepest porewater nutrient gradients and the highest fluxes. The results suggest that sediment phosphorus geochemistry is important in regulating the phosphorus concentrations in porewater, which consequently, governs the phosphorus fluxes from sediments. The data suggest that sediment may be an important source of nutrients in areas containing nutrient contaminated sediments and release of nutrients from these sediments may delay the recovery of the marsh even after the reduction of the external phosphorus loading.
Quality assessment of the solid matrix obtained after a process of mechanical separation of harbour sediments
Authors: Mugnai C. , Pilato F. , Pellegrini D. , Merico G.
Published: September 2005

A pilot project was carried out to investigate the possibility of recovering sand from polluted dredging sediments and to evaluate its quality. This project was conduced with a small separation plant where the sieved dredged material was introduced first into a settling basin, allowing the progressive sedimentation of coarse, heavy and medium particles, and then in a hydrocyclone. Two areas with different chemical and grain size sediment composition were chosen in Livorno Port (NW Italy). The quality of the materials was estimated through analyses of sediment grain size, level of contaminants and bioassays on marine species (Vibrio fischeri, Corophium orientale and Paracentrotus lividus). Taking into account the contaminant distribution, different behaviors were observed between the two considered areas. In particular, the process of sand separation worked best in the less contaminated dredging sediment. This might depend on the presence of particle aggregates, physically similar to the sandy fraction, which could concentrate high amounts of contaminants. The results of bioassays provided a positive toxic response both in the two types of dredging sediment and in the resulting grain size fractions after the remediation process; tests carried out on elutriate accounted for a lower toxicity than those on bulk sediment. This suggests the presence of mixtures of hydrophobic contaminants associated with the solid phase. The results of these investigations demonstrate the necessity to develop further treatment processes to reduce the contamination and the toxicity in the sandy fractions separated from dredging sediments, in order to make them suitable for reuse.
From Proteins to Proteomics
Authors: Bradshaw Ralph A. , Burlingame Alma L.
Published: September 2005

During the second half of the 20th century, biochemistry and subsequently molecular biology blossomed into the core upon which all biological and biomedical sciences now depend. A major part of these closely related disciplines has been the study of the structure and function of proteins and the diverse biological functions that they perform. Early experimentation necessarily focused on individual entities, selected mainly for their activities, but as technology improved there developed a tendency to look at proteins as larger, interactive groups or clusters. Spurred by the recent exponential production of genomic sequence data for a rapidly increasing number of species, protein chemistry has now evolved into a new discipline, proteomics. In addition to embracing the methods and approaches that have served protein scientists well in the past, it includes, and is perhaps best defined by, high‐throughput analyses based in large part on 2D gel electrophoresis, MALDI and ESI mass spectrometry and combinatorial arrays. Proteomic targets include the identification of all genome products and a mapping of their interactions and expression profiles. These hold great promise for the identification of disease markers and drug targets, but are not without their challenges and pitfalls.
IUBMB Life, 57: 267‐272, 2005
Biochemical Education Initiatives, 1982 to 1991
Authors: Vella Frank
Published: September 2005

It was my great good fortune to have been appointed Chair of the Education Committee of The International Union of Biochemistry (IUB, as the IUBMB then was) to succeed Peter Campbell with whom I had workshop experience and many discussions as a member of that Committee over a four‐year period. That experience and those discussions showed me how close were our thoughts on the type of activities that should be the focus for that Committee. It was therefore left to me to refine some of Peter's ideas and also to extend them during my term of office which extended from 1982 to 1991. I have selected the following five items for brief description here.
IUBMB Life, 57: 245‐246, 2005
Lysosomal Cysteine Proteases: Structural Features and their Role in Apoptosis
Authors: Stoka Veronika , Turk Boris , Turk Vito
Published: September 2005

Among the variety of proteolytic enzymes enormous progress has been seen recently in our understanding of lysosomal cysteine proteases, also known as cysteine cathepsins. These enzymes play a crucial role in diverse biological processes in physiological and pathological states, including genetic diseases. In the present review, their properties and structural features that are important to an understanding of their biological function are presented. Special emphasis is given to the newly discovered role of lysosomal cathepsins in apoptotic pathways.
IUBMB Life, 57: 347‐353, 2005
Liver Stem Cells
Authors: Matthews Vance B. , Yeoh George C.
Published: September 2005

The concept of a liver stem cell or progenitor cell has not been widely accepted until the last decade. Studies investigating liver regeneration under conditions which totally or substantially preclude hepatocyte proliferation report the proliferation of a subpopulation of small, oval‐shaped cells, which are first observed in the portal triad, adjacent to the terminal ducts. These cells, termed liver progenitor oval cells (LPCs) are shown to participate in liver regeneration in a variety of rodent models of chronic liver damage. They express markers common to hepatocytes and cholangiocytes suggesting they are a common precursor of both liver cell lineages. Supporting evidence for liver stem cells has also come from cell tracing studies which show transdifferentiation of bone marrow cells into hepatocytes in both human and animal models. Another important issue is the link between LPCs and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The widening liver donor‐recipient gap; a consequence of poor donation rates coupled with increasing incidence of liver disease highlights the importance of establishing the utility of cell transplant as an alternative to treat liver disease. In this regard, liver stem cells and progenitor cells may have a significant role to play. To successfully utilize liver stem cells or LPCs for cell therapy, we have to first develop methods for maintaining and differentiating them in culture. This technology must be based on a thorough understanding of conditions which regulate their behaviour in vitro. In particular, we need to know which growth factors and cytokines affect them and their mechanism of action. Since they are a potential source of HCC, it is also necessary to understand the mechanisms which underlie their transformation to cancer.
IUBMB Life, 57: 549‐553, 2005
PAH‐ and PCB‐induced Alterations of Protein Tyrosine Kinase and Cytokine Gene Transcription in Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina) PBMC
Authors: Neale Jennifer C. C. , Kenny Thomas P. , Tjeerdema Ronald S. , Gershwin M. Eric
Published: September 2005

Mechanisms underlying in vitro immunomodulatory effects of polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were
investigated in harbor seal peripheral leukocytes, via real‐time PCR. We examined
the relative genetic expression of the protein tyrosine kinases
(PTKs) Fyn and Itk,
which play a critical role in T cell activation, and IL‐2, a cytokine of central
importance in initiating adaptive immune responses. IL‐1, the macrophage‐derived
pro‐inflammatory cytokine of innate immunity, was also included as a measure
of macrophage function. Harbor seal PBMC were exposed to the prototypic
immunotoxic PAH benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′‐hexachlorobiphenyl
(CB‐169), a model immunotoxic PCB, or DMSO (vehicle control). Exposure of
Con A‐stimulated harbor seal PBMC to both BaP and CB‐169 produced
significantly altered expression in all four targets relative to vehicle controls. The
PTKs Fyn and Itk were both up‐regulated following exposure to BaP and CB‐169.
In contrast, transcripts for IL‐2 and IL‐1 were decreased relative to controls by both
treatments. Our findings are consistent with those of previous researchers working
with human and rodent systems and support a hypothesis of contaminant‐altered
lymphocyte function mediated (at least in part)
by disruption of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and cytokine production.