bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) during porcine gametogenesis and preimplantation embryo development
Authors: Antelman J. , Manandhar G. , Yi Y.‐J. , Li R. , Whitworth K.M. , Sutovsky M. , Agca C. , Prather R.S. , Sutovsky P.
Published: July 2008

Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) is responsible for stability, maintenance, and transcriptional control of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We have studied the expression and distribution of TFAM in the gametes and preimplantation embryos of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa). We hypothesized that TFAM is not present in the boar sperm mitochondria to reduce the possibility of paternal mtDNA propagation in the progeny. In contrast, we anticipated that Tfam gene is expressed in a developmental stage‐dependent manner in porcine oocytes and embryos. The appropriate TFAM band of 25 kDa was detected by Western blotting in ejaculated boar spermatozoa, as well as in porcine oocytes and zygotes. Boar sperm extracts also displayed several bands >25 kDa suggestive of post‐translational modification by ubiquitination, confirmed by affinity purification of ubiquitinated proteins. TFAM immunoreactivity was relegated to the sperm tail principal piece and sperm head in fully differentiated spermatozoa. The content of Tfam mRNA increased considerably from the germinal vesicle to blastocyst stage and also between in vitro fertilized and cultured blastocysts compared to in vivo‐derived blastocysts. TFAM protein accumulated in the oocytes during maturation and was reduced by proteolysis after fertilization. This pattern was not mirrored in parthenogenetically activated oocytes and zygotes reconstructed by SCNT, suggesting deviant processing of TFAM protein and transcript after oocyte/embryo manipulation. Thus, TFAM may exert a critical role in porcine gametogenesis and preimplantation embryo development. Altogether, our data on the role of TFAM in mitochondrial function and inheritance have broad implications for cell physiology and evolutionary biology. J. Cell. Physiol. 217: 529–543, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Extracellular enzymes in sludge flocs collected at 14 full‐scale wastewater treatment plants
Authors: Yu Guanghui , He Pinjing , Shao Liming , Lee Duujong
Published: July 2008

BACKGROUND: Extracellular enzymes and chemical composition of sludge flocs affect the wastewater treatment capability. Here a fractionation protocol is presented describing the distributions of extracellular enzymes, proteins (PN) and polysaccharides (PS) in sludge flocs. Sludge floc samples collected from 14 full‐scale wastwater treatment plants (WWTPs), including those treating sewage, leachate and industrial wastewaters, were fractionated through centrifugation and ultrasound into five fractions: (1) supernatant; (2) slime; (3) loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB‐EPS); (4) tightly bound EPS (TB‐EPS); and (5) pellets.

RESULTS: The distributions of extracellular enzymes, PN and PS in different types of sludge flocs were almost identical. Considerable quantities of α‐amylase were bound with the pellet fraction, while the remainder was uniformly dispersed over the sludge matrix. Conversely, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and protease bound mainly with the pellet and TB‐EPS fractions.

CONCLUSION: The enzyme activities distributed in sludge flocs achieved from 14 full‐scale WWTPs revealed a non‐wastewater‐specific manner. This work for the first time demonstrated that the activities of enzymes correlated with the characteristics of the wastewaters treated, and raised the possibility of manipulating the hydrolysis reactions using process parameters. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Sieve‐based device for MALDI sample preparation. I. Influence of sample deposition conditions in oligonucleotide analysis to achieve significant increases in both sensitivity and resolution
Authors: Molin Laura , Cristoni Simone , Crotti Sara , Bernardi Luigi Rossi , Seraglia Roberta , Traldi Pietro
Published: July 2008

Spraying of oligonucleotide‐matrix solutions through a stainless steel (ss) sieve (38 µm, 450 mesh) leads to the formation, on the matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) sample holder, of uniformly distributed microcrystals, well separated from each other. When the resulting sample holder surface is irradiated by laser, abundant molecular species form, with a clear increase in both intensity and resolution with respect to values obtained by ‘Dried Droplet’, ‘Double Layer’, and ‘Sandwich’ deposition methods. In addition, unlike the usual situation, the sample is perfectly homogeneous, and identical spectra are obtained by irradiating different areas. On one hand, the data indicate that this method is highly effective for oligonucleotide MALDI analysis, and on the other, that it can be validly employed for fully automated MALDI procedures. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mass and lifetime measurements of exotic nuclei in storage rings
Authors: Franzke Bernhard , Geissel Hans , Münzenberg Gottfried
Published: July 2008

Mass and lifetime measurements lead to the discovery and understanding of basic properties of matter. The isotopic nature of the chemical elements, nuclear binding, and the location and strength of nuclear shells are the most outstanding examples leading to the development of the first nuclear models. More recent are the discoveries of new structures of nuclides far from the valley of stability. A new generation of direct mass measurements which allows the exploration of extended areas of the nuclear mass surface with high accuracy has been opened up with the combination of the Experimental Storage Ring ESR and the FRragment Separator FRS at GSI Darmstadt. In‐flight separated nuclei are stored in the ring. Their masses are directly determined from the revolution frequency. Dependent on the half‐life two complementary methods are applied. Schottky Mass Spectrometry SMS relies on the measurement of the revolution frequency of electron cooled stored ions. The cooling time determines the lower half‐life limit to the order of seconds. For Isochronous Mass Spectrometry IMS the ring is operated in an isochronous ion‐optical mode. The revolution frequency of the individual ions coasting in the ring is measured using a time‐of‐flight method. Nuclides with lifetimes down to microseconds become accessible. With SMS masses of several hundreds nuclides have been measured simultaneously with an accuracy in the 2 × 10−7‐range. This high accuracy and the ability to study large areas of the mass surface are ideal tools to discover new nuclear structure properties and to guide improvements for theoretical mass models. In addition, nuclear half‐lives of stored bare and highly charged ions have been measured. This new experimental development is a significant progress since nuclear decay characteristics are mostly known for neutral atoms. For bare and highly charged ions new nuclear decay modes become possible, such as bound‐state beta decay. Dramatic changes in the nuclear lifetime have been observed in highly charged ions compared to neutral atoms due to blocking of nuclear decay channels caused by the modified atomic interaction. High ionization degrees prevail in hot stellar matter and thus these experiments have great relevance for the understanding of the synthesis of elements in the universe and astrophysical scenarios in general. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 27: 428–469, 2008
Femtosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: Fundamentals and capabilities for depth profiling analysis
Authors: Pisonero Jorge , Günther Detlef
Published: July 2008

Laser ablation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry has become a versatile and powerful analytical method for direct solid analysis. The applicability has been demonstrated on a wide variety of samples, where major, minor, and trace element concentrations or isotope ratio determinations have been of interest. The pros and cons of UV‐nsec laser ablation have been studied in detail, and indicate that aerosol generation, aerosol transport, and aerosol excitation–ionization within the ICP contribute to fractionation effects, which prevent this method from a more universal application to all matrices and all elements. Recent progresses in IR‐fs and UV‐fs laser ablation coupled to ICP‐MS have been reported, which increase the inter‐matrix and multi‐element quantification capabilities of this method. These fundamental improvements in LA‐ICP‐MS are of significant importance for entering new applications in material science and related research fields. In particular, because coatings (conducting and non‐conducting) consist of single or multilayers of various elemental composition and of different thickness (nm–mm range), significant progress in the field of depth profiling with fs‐laser ablation can be expected. Therefore, in‐depth profile analysis of polymers, semiconductors, and metal sample investigations, using ultra‐fast laser ablation for sampling and the currently achievable figures of merit, are discussed. In this review manuscript, the enhanced capabilities of fs‐LA‐ICP‐MS for direct solid sampling are highlighted, and it is discussed about current methods used for quantitative analysis and depth profiling, the ablation process of UV‐ns and UV‐fs, the influence of the laser beam profile, aerosol structure and transport efficiency, as well as the influence of the ICP‐MS (e.g., vaporization and ionization efficiency in the plasma, and type of mass analyzer). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 27: 609–623, 2008
Mass spectrometry in systems biology: An overview
Authors: Feng Xiaojun , Liu Xin , Luo Qingming , Liu Bi‐Feng
Published: July 2008

As an emerging field, systems biology is currently the talk of the town, which challenges our philosophy in comprehending biology. Instead of the reduction approach advocated in molecular biology, systems biology aims at systems‐level understanding of correlations among molecular components. Such comprehensive investigation requires massive information from the “omics” cascade demanding high‐throughput screening techniques. Being one of the most versatile analytical methods, mass spectrometry has already been playing a significant role at this early stage of systems biology. In this review, we documented the advances in modern mass spectrometry technologies as well as nascent inventions. Recent applications of mass spectrometry‐based techniques and methodologies in genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics will be further elaborated individually. Undoubtedly, more applications of mass spectrometry in systems biology can be expected in the near future. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 27: 635–660, 2008
Identifying patterns of adverse event reporting for four members of the angiotensin II receptor blockers class of drugs: revisiting the Weber effect
Authors: McAdams Mara A. , Governale Laura A. , Swartz Lynette , Hammad Tarek A. , Dal Pan Gerald J.
Published: July 2008

Purpose

To evaluate the evidence for temporal reporting patterns, such as the Weber effect, in spontaneous post‐marketing adverse event (AE) reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for four members of the angiotensin II receptor blockers drug class (ARBs).

Methods

For losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, and candesartan, we evaluated temporal trends in reporting for the total number of AE reports, serious AE reports, and direct reports from consumers or health care providers (direct reports) to FDA. Reporting patterns were considered consistent with the Weber effect when the peak occurred 2 years after US marketing and the number of reports declined thereafter. We tabulated the number of reports by year since the first report. We adjusted the total number of reports, number of serious AE reports, and number of direct reports by the number of US dispensed prescriptions.

Results

There were no clear temporal reporting patterns for the total number of reports, direct reports, or serious AE reports. We observed a consistent trend for the adjusted number of direct and serious AE reports. The adjusted number was highest in the first year and continually decreased over time for all four ARBs. For the adjusted total number of reports, the decline was not constant over time.

Conclusion

A characteristic temporal pattern in the adjusted number of reports, in which the adjusted number was highest in the first year and declined thereafter, was identified. However, we did not observe a pattern consistent with the Weber effect for these four ARBs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genome‐wide enzyme annotation with precision control: Catalytic families (CatFam) databases
Authors: Yu Chenggang , Zavaljevski Nela , Desai Valmik , Reifman Jaques
Published: July 2008

In this article, we present a new method termed CatFam (Catalytic Families) to automatically infer the functions of catalytic proteins, which account for 20–40% of all proteins in living organisms and play a critical role in a variety of biological processes. CatFam is a sequence‐based method that generates sequence profiles to represent and infer protein catalytic functions. CatFam generates profiles through a stepwise procedure that carefully controls profile quality and employs nonenzymes as negative samples to establish profile‐specific thresholds associated with a predefined nominal false‐positive rate (FPR) of predictions. The adjustable FPR allows for fine precision control of each profile and enables the generation of profile databases that meet different needs: function annotation with high precision and hypothesis generation with moderate precision but better recall. Multiple tests of CatFam databases (generated with distinct nominal FPRs) against enzyme and nonenzyme datasets show that the method's predictions have consistently high precision and recall. For example, a 1% FPR database predicts protein catalytic functions for a dataset of enzymes and nonenzymes with 98.6% precision and 95.0% recall. Comparisons of CatFam databases against other established profile‐based methods for the functional annotation of 13 bacterial genomes indicate that CatFam consistently achieves higher precision and (in most cases) higher recall, and that (on average) CatFam provides 21.9% additional catalytic functions not inferred by the other similarly reliable methods. These results strongly suggest that the proposed method provides a valuable contribution to the automated prediction of protein catalytic functions. The CatFam databases and the database search program are freely available at http://www.bhsai.org/downloads/catfam.tar.gz. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dipolar interaction in ordered superlattices of ferromagnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Tartakovskaya Elena V. , Vovk Andriy , Golub Vladimir
Published: July 2008

An analytic expression is derived in the real space representation for the demagnetizing factors of long stripes and finite dots of rectangular cross section. The result depends on the arrangement in corresponding superlattices of nanoparticles. The influence of the demagnetizing factors on dynamical properties of nanoparticle arrays is discussed. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Approximation of magnetic behavior of complex nanomagnetic materials, using the “P ” curves for structural characterization of magnetic suspensions
Authors: Popa N. C. , Siblini A. , Rousseau J. J. , Blanc‐Mignon M.‐F. , Chatelon J. P.
Published: July 2008

The “P ” curves for the structural characterization of magnetic nanoparticles suspensions (complex fluids, complex powders, complex composite materials, or living biological materials having magnetic properties) are the graphical representation of the first derivative (relative to the magnetic field strength H) of the magnetization curve relative to its saturation magnetization. In the case of the above materials, the magnetic properties are conferred to various carrier liquids by artificially integrating in their structure ferromagnetic particles of different sizes. The magnetic properties are usually shown by the hysteresis curve. The structure can be seen by (electronic) micrography. The P curves offer another possibility to determine the structure of the magnetic component of a complex fluid by numerical analysis of the magnetization curve experimentally obtained. Starting from these P curves, the paper presents the possibility to approximate the magnetic behavior of these complex nanomagnetic materials. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Half‐metallicity and magnetism at Heusler alloy surfaces: Co2MSi(001) (M = Ti, Cr)
Authors: Jin Ying Jiu , Lee Jae Il
Published: July 2008

We investigated the electronic structures, magnetism, and half‐metallicity at the (001) surfaces of full‐Heusler alloys, Co2MSi (M = Ti, Cr), by using the all‐electron full‐potential linearized augmented plane wave method within the generalized gradient approximation. Both the Co‐terminated (Co‐term) and the MSi‐terminated (MSi‐term) surfaces were considered. From the calculated atom‐resolved density of states, we found that the half‐metallicity was destroyed at the Co‐term surfaces for both alloys. The electronic structures at the MSi‐term surfaces of the two alloys showed much different behavior. The half‐metallicity was retained at the TiSi‐term for Co2TiSi(001) but the minority spin gap was much reduced due to surface states located just below the Fermi level. On the other hand the half‐metallicity was destroyed at the CrSi‐term of Co2CrSi(001) due to the surface states located at the Fermi level. The calculated magnetic moment of the surface Co atom of the Co‐term for Co2CrSi(001) was increased slightly to 1.05μB with respect to that of the deep inner layers (∼1.00μB), while that for Co2TiSi(001) was decreased to 0.88μB. Large enhancement of the magnetic moment was found for the surface Ti atoms at TiSi‐term of Co2TiSi(001) and Cr atoms at CrSi‐term of Co2CrSi(001) with values of 0.07μB and 2.91(B, respectively. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electronic and magnetic properties of digitally Ti doped InP: A first principles study
Authors: Rahman Gul , Cho Sunglae , Hong Soon Cheol
Published: July 2008

Using the full‐potential linearized augmented plane wave method within the generalized gradient approximation, we study the electronic and the magnetic properties of digitally Ti doped InP. It is quite interesting that digitally Ti‐doped InP system shows half metallic ferromagnetism even though both bulk zinc blende TiP and InP are paramagnetic. We also investigate the electronic and the magnetic properties as a function of spacer layer thickness. Their properties such as exchange coupling constant and atomic projected density of states are more or less independent of the InP thickness. Spin density contour maps indicate that the spin‐polarization is confined within the TiP plane. The system may show a highly anisotropic property in spin‐polarized transport. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Monte Carlo study of the exchange bias and the training effect in nanoparticles with core/shell morphology
Authors: Vasilakaki M. , Eftaxias E. , Trohidou K. N.
Published: July 2008

We have employed the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation method to study at an atomic level the exchange bias effect, the vertical shift and the training effect observed in nanoparticles consisting of a ferromagnetic (FM) core and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) shell. Heisenberg exchange interaction is assumed between the spins in the ferromagnetic core, in the AFM shell and along the FM/AFM interface. We have demonstrated that the interface exchange interaction together with a strong interface anisotropy results in an exchange bias field (Hex) and a strong coercive field (Hc). Our simulations show that while the interface is responsible for the exchange bias, in the vertical shift we have a contribution from the whole shell of the nanoparticles. In the training effect we have a contribution from the interface and we can also have a contribution from the core and the shell depending on the particle size. The shape of the Hc(T) and Hex(T) curves depends on the type and the strength of the shell anisotropy. Using the MC simulations, we have also studied the effect of interparticle dipolar interactions in the exchange bias properties of an assembly of FM core/AFM shell nanoparticles for different nanoparticle densities. We show that these interactions result in a decrease of the coercive field and an increase of the exchange bias field with the concentration of the assembly. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Preparation and characterization of sprayed In2O3:Mo films
Authors: Prathap P. , Gowri Devi G. , Subbaiah Y. P. V. , Ganesan V. , Ramakrishna Reddy K. T. , Yi J.
Published: July 2008

Transparent conducting oxides (TCO) play a major role in the area of thin film photovoltaics, flat panel displays, organic light emitting diodes and other optoelectronic devices. In order to improve the performance of a device, the TCO should have good optical transmittance as well as conductivity. In the present study, In2O3:Mo films have been grown by an economic and simple spray pyrolysis method with different molybdenum doping concentrations that vary in the range, 0–12 at% at a substrate temperature of 400 °C. The structural and morphological, electrical and optical behaviour of the as‐grown layers were studied. All the deposited layers showed a body‐centered cubic structure with a strong (222) orientation. In2O3:Mo films grown with Mo‐concentration of 6.0 at% had the maximum grain size of 90 nm. The average optical transmittance of the films was >85% in the visible region. The change of grain size, electrical resistivity, carrier mobility and density, optical band gap and figure of merit with doping concentration was reported and discussed. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Tunable optical properties of laser grown double‐structures with gold nanoparticlesand zinc oxide thin films
Authors: György E. , Pérez del Pino A. , Giannoudakos A. , Kompitsas M. , Mihailescu I. N.
Published: July 2008

Gold nanoparticles on zinc oxide thin films surfaces have been synthesized by means of two step pulsed laser deposition. Zinc and gold targets were subsequently submitted to pulses generated by an UV KrF* (λ = 248 nm, τFWHM ≅ 20 ns, ν = 2 Hz) excimer, as well as a frequency tripled Nd:YAG (λ = 355 nm, τ ∼ 10 ns) laser sources. The obtained structures surface morphology, crystalline quality, and chemical composition depth profile were investigated by acoustic (dynamic) mode atomic force microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and wavelength dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The corresponding absorption and reflection spectra were recorded with the aid of a double beam spectrophotometer. The results proved the possibility to tailor the gold/zinc oxide nanostructures optical properties through the proper choice of the growth parameters, i.e. number of laser pulses used for the ablation of the gold targets as well as nature of the substrate material. The tunable optical features in the visible‐near infrared spectral region allow for the design of gold/zinc oxide nanostructures with pre‐defined optical characteristics. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Sensitivity of ZnO films doped with Er, Ta and Co to NH3 at room temperature
Authors: Dimova‐Malinovska D. , Nichev H. , Georgieva V. , Angelov O. , Pivin J.‐C. , Mikli V.
Published: July 2008

The sensitivity of ZnO films, undoped and doped with Er, Ta and Co, to exposure to NH3 has been studied. The films were deposited by magnetron co‐sputtering of a sintered ZnO target with chips of the different doping elements on its surface. The sensitivities of the ZnO films to exposure to NH3 were measured by the quartz crystal microbalance method using the resonance frequency shift. The adsorption process was investigated over an aqueous solution of ammonia with 100 ppm concentration. The speed and the mass of sorption were calculated on the basis of the time–frequency characteristic. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Study of photocatalytic activity in sputter‐deposited Cr‐TiO2 thin film
Authors: Biswas S. , Hossain M. F. , Takahashi T. , Kubota Y. , Fujishima A.
Published: July 2008

In this investigation, Cr‐doped TiO2 thin films were prepared on glass substrate with various doping concentrations to study the photocatalytic activity in UV–visible light irradiation. The Cr‐doped TiO2 thin films were prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering using various sputtering pressures to control the Cr doping concentration. The optical property shows large red‐shift of transmittance edge and decrease of average transmittance with the increase of Cr doping. The photocatalytic activity, evaluated by the measurement of decomposition of methanol under visible and UV–visible light irradiation, increases for the low Cr doping concentration, but decreases for higher Cr doping concentrations. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Growth, optical and nanostructural properties of magnetron sputtered ZnO thin films deposited on polymeric substrates
Authors: Koidis C. , Logothetidis S. , Georgiou D. , Laskarakis A. , Lousinian S. , Tsiaoussis I. , Frangis N.
Published: July 2008

ZnO thin films were deposited onto flexible Poly‐Ethylene Terephthalate and Poly‐Ethylene Naphthalate substrates in an ultra‐high vacuum chamber by Pulsed DC Magnetron Sputtering. The process took place at room temperature and in argon atmosphere with fixed pressure, by applying two different power values on the target, in order to investigate their effect on the growth, optical, nanostructural and topographical properties of the films. In‐situ and real‐time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry in the 1.5–6.5 eV energy region has been employed to monitor the ZnO deposition, which revealed information about the growth mechanisms, interface phenomena and optical properties of the films. Transmission Electron Microscopy was used in order to investigate the structural characteristics of the films and to examine the film/polymer interface properties. The X‐ray Diffraction measurements revealed the changes in films structure caused by the change of the target power, nevertheless all films were preferentially grown along the (002) axis. Finally, with Atomic Force Microscopy the surface roughness of the films was defined correlated also with the target power applied. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Study of the growth and annealing conditions of SrCu2O2 (SCO) thin films deposited by injection MOCVD
Authors: Deschanvres J. L. , Millon C. , Jimenez C. , Khan A. , Roussel H. , Servet B. , Durand O. , Modreanu M.
Published: July 2008

Divalent ions in a copper oxide matrix M2+Cu2O2 have been intensively studied for the application field of p‐type transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) in order to achieve transparent electronic devices. In this paper, we are presenting our study of the growth and annealing conditions of SrCu2O2 (SCO) thin films deposited by injection metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) apparatus. Limited work has been performed using MOCVD in spite of the high facility to prepare different ratios of precursors, large‐area deposition and high deposition rate. The precursors for this study were strontium and copper tetramethylheptadionate (TMHD) and the solvent used was meta‐xylene. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses have shown that the as‐deposited films in the temperature range (480–570 °C) were composed of a mixture of copper oxide (CuO) and strontium carbonate (SrCO3), which is due to the low‐temperature deposition. Post‐deposition treatment was needed to achieve the SCO compound. So, different rapid thermal annealing (RTA) conditions were studied. The RTA under Ar gas is too reductive and metallic copper is clearly visible on the surface. On the other hand, RTA under O2 partial pressure provokes the combustion of carbonate and the crystallisation of SrCu2O3 phase at temperatures above 550 °C as observed by FTIR and XRD measurements. Once this phase is obtained, a final RTA under pure Ar leads to the SCO phase at temperatures higher than 600 °C. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
ZnO/SiO2 nanocomposite thin films by sol–gel method
Authors: Musat V. , Fortunato E. , Petrescu S. , Botelho do Rego A. M.
Published: July 2008

In recent years ZnO/SiO2 nanocomposite thin films have attracted much attention for a wide range of device applications based on their specific optical and electrical properties. Mesoporous silica nanocomposite with controllable variation of size and shape of pores is the most challenging system for the generation of stable oxide semiconductive nanoparticles with controlled size and shape and subsequently with controlled optical and electrical properties. This paper presents the results on mesoprous ZnO/SiO2 nanocomposite thin films obtained by sol–gel method using three different ways of the sol preparation. The effect of the sol preparation on the zinc‐doping states of the thin films is discussed based on X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The crystalline structure, morphology, optical transmittance, optical band gap, electrical properties and room temperature photoreduction‐ozone reoxidation properties of these films are presented. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Schottky contacts to hydrogen doped ZnO
Authors: Schifano R. , Monakhov E. V. , Christensen J. S. , Kuznetsov A. Yu. , Svensson B. G.
Published: July 2008

High resistivity (≥1 kΩ cm) hydrothermally grown single crystal ZnO wafers were modified by hydrogen implantation. The implantation has been performed with multiple energies in order to form a box‐like profile with a depth of 4 μm and two different concentrations of 8 × 1017 H/cm3 and 1.5 × 1018 H/ cm3. A subsequent annealing at 200 °C for 30 min in N2 resulted in the formation of a highly conductive layer. Pd con‐ tacts deposited on the implanted side showed rectifying behaviour by up to three orders of magnitude. However by capacitance vs. voltage (C –V) technique a carrier concentration significantly lower than the one expected according to the implanted H content was measured suggesting the presence of a high density of compensating centers and/or an incomplete activation of H as a donor. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Microsynthesis and gas chromatography/electron ionization mass spectrometric and tandem mass spectrometric analysis of cyclic alkylphosphonates for verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention
Authors: Dubey Devendra K. , Pardasani Deepak , Kanaujia Pankaj K. , Tak Vijay , Gupta Hemendra K.
Published: July 2008

We describe the microsynthesis and gas chromatography/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) analysis of cyclic alkylphosphonates (CAPs), which are included in schedule 2B4 chemicals in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The reported microsynthesis is efficient in comparison with traditional synthesis. GC/MS and GC/tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) analysis of a variety of CAPs revealed that their fragmentations were dominated by α‐cleavages, alkene eliminations and hydrogen rearrangements. Based on the obtained mass spectra and precursor and product ion analysis of five‐, six‐ and seven‐membered cyclic alkylphosphonates, the proposed fragmentation routes rationalize most of the characteristic ions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of cardiac surgery on cognition
Authors: Bruce Kathryn , Smith Julian A. , Yelland Gregory , Robinson Stephen
Published: July 2008

This brief review focuses on coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve surgery and their post‐operative effects on cognitive domains. Despite the substantial technical advances in cardiac surgery over the past few decades, the incidence of permanent cognitive impairment remains alarmingly high: 20–70 per cent of patients exhibit cognitive impairment during the first week after surgery, with the incidence declining to 10–40 per cent after 6 weeks and remaining at this level thereafter. We find that language, concentration and motor control are most consistently reported to be affected, while memory, attention and executive function are more variably affected. Valve surgery is generally associated with a worse outcome than CABG surgery. It remains unclear whether the use of the cardio‐pulmonary bypass machine adversely affects cognitive outcome. There is an urgent need to identify the risk factors and surgical techniques that influence post‐operative cognitive impairment, yet it is difficult to reach meaningful conclusions from the present data due to a lack of concordance in experimental design and data analysis. To address this challenge, future research will need to control for confounds such as mood state, post‐operative pain, learning effects, and anaesthesia and will need to compare a wide range of cognitive domains and surgical procedures within large multi‐centre studies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design profiles: toward unified tool support for design patterns and UML profiles
Authors: Hammouda Imed , Ruokonen Anna , Siikarla Mika , Santos André L. , Koskimies Kai , Systä Tarja
Published: July 2008

In the current trend of software engineering, patterns and profiles lend themselves as two powerful complementary mechanisms for documenting and enforcing design rules. In this paper, we study how unified tool support can be achieved for patterns and profiles by interpreting them as role‐based structural descriptions and exploiting existing tool support for role modeling. The approach is realized using so‐called design profiles, which allow both validation and generation of models according to rules expressed in the patterns and profiles. A prototypical tool environment supporting the approach has been developed. The practical applicability of the approach is demonstrated by specifying design rules of the enterprise Java beans (EJB) platform and by producing an environment for designing EJB‐based applications. We also discuss possible usage scenarios in the context of this case study. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Utilizing acoustic propagation delay to design MAC protocols for underwater wireless sensor networks
Authors: Guo Peng , Jiang Tao , Zhu Guangxi , Chen Hsiao‐Hwa
Published: July 2008

Long propagation delay is one of the most important characteristics in underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) and poses a great challenge for medium access control (MAC) protocol design, especially for contention‐based MAC protocols due to intolerable delay caused by unpredictable retransmissions in UWSNs. Recently, some MAC protocols for UWSNs have been suggested in the literature, and most of them are based on random access with their capabilities to compensate propagation delay. However, two issues should still be resolved in these protocols: (a) they need to make measurements to realize duty cycle synchronization and (b) packet collisions exist, which not only reduce the throughput (thus increasing delays) but also waste energy. In this paper, we propose a novel MAC protocol explicitly designed for UWSNs, which makes the best use of the propagation delay to resolve collision problem and reduce overhead of control‐packet to save energy. The proposed MAC protocol can assure that the number of retransmissions is not more than one. To validate the analytical results, simulations have been conducted to show that the proposed MAC protocol can offer a low energy consumption while avoiding collisions in UWSNs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dialysis Shunt‐Associated Steal Syndrome with Autogenous Hemodialyis Accesses: Proposal for a New Classification Based on Clinical Results
Authors: Thermann Florian , Wollert Ulrich , Dralle Henning , Brauckhoff Michael
Published: July 2008

Background

Dialysis‐associated steal syndrome (DASS) is a multifactorial complication. There are several therapeutic options, although because of the lack of research decisions for certain procedures are often made individually. The aim of this retrospective survey was to propose a new classification for DASS, including therapeutic recommendations, to make standardized procedures easier.

Methods

A total of 63 patients (2001–2006) treated for DASS following autogenuous hemodialysis access (HA) were included in this survey. In 55 (87%) of these patients, surgery was performed. The courses of disease of the patients were evaluated according to clinical symptoms, HA‐specific features, and therapeutic results. Statistical evaluation was performed by SSPS software.

Results

Eight patients with mild symptoms were treated successfully using conservative therapy. In 17 patients with pain during exercise or acute neurologic deficiencies, HA banding led to good results. In the case of acral lesions, however, banding was unsuccessful, although interruption of the retrograde flow was sufficient therapy in 94% of cases. Preservation of the HA was unsuccessful in all patients with extended tissue loss (n = 10). Statistical evaluation showed that tissue loss was generally associated with diabetes (p < 0.001) and peripheral arterial occlusive disease (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

In addition to steal phenomenon (stage I), which can be treated conservatively, there are three stages of DASS following autogenuous HA that require surgical intervention (stage II, no acral lesions; stage III, small acral lesions; stage IV, extended acral lesions). HA banding leads to good results in stage II; in patients with stage III, interruption of the retrograde flow is indicated. However, in patients with extensive tissue loss (stage IV), closure of the HA should be considered.
The Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled Eugene H. Pool, Fourth Surgeon-in-Chief 1933–1935 Followed by Philip D. Wilson, Fifth Surgeon-in-Chief 1935
Authors: Levine David B.
Published: July 2008

In 1933, for the second time in the history of the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled (R & C), a general surgeon, Eugene Hillhouse Pool, MD, was appointed Surgeon-in-Chief by the Board of Managers of the New York Society for the Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled. R & C (whose name was changed to the Hospital for Special Surgery in 1940), then the oldest orthopaedic hospital in the country, was losing ground as the leading orthopaedic center in the nation. The R & C Board charged Dr. Pool with the task of recruiting the nation's best orthopaedic surgeon to become the next Surgeon-in-Chief. Phillip D. Wilson, MD, from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the Harvard Medical School was selected and agreed to accept this challenge. He joined the staff of the Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled in the spring of 1934 as Director of Surgery and replaced Dr. Pool as Surgeon-in-Chief the next year. It was the time of the Great Depression, which added a heavy financial toll to the daily operations of the hospital. With a clear and courageous vision, Dr. Wilson reorganized the hospital, its staff responsibilities, professional education and care of patients. He established orthopaedic fellowships to support young orthopaedic surgeons interested in conducting research and assisted them with the initiation of their new practices. Recognizing that the treatment of crippling conditions and hernia were becoming separate specialties, one of his first decisions was to restructure the Hernia Department to become the General Surgery Department. His World War I experiences in Europe helped develop his expertise in the fields of fractures, war trauma and amputations, providing a broad foundation in musculoskeletal diseases that was to be beneficial to him in his future role as the leader of R & C.
Post therapeutic lower extremity rotational profiles in children with DDH
Authors: Arslan Hüseyin , Ersöz Hüseyin , Kişin Bülent , Kapukaya Ahmet , Necmioğlu Serdar
Published: July 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate post-therapeutic lower extremity rotational profiles in children with developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH), the differences between these values and those of normal children, and the relationship between these differences and clinical and radiological results.

Methods

In 82 lower extremities of 64 patients, the foot-progression angle was measured clinically and the transmalleolar axis angle photographically, and hip rotations and thigh–foot angle were measured both clinically and photographically. The data obtained were compared with Staheli's data for normal children. In addition, clinical and radiographic data were compared within subgroups and with Staheli's data. Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical evaluation.

Results

The medial rotation of the hip, the average clinical value was 44.66°, and the photographic value was 42.28°. Lateral rotation of the hip, the average clinical value was 38.01°, and the average photographic value was 37.29°. Thigh–foot angle, his angle was clinically 8.23° and photographically 9.68°. Angle of the transmalleolar axis, the photographic average was 21.59°. Foot-progression angle, the clinical average was 10.70°. It was determined that the lower extremity rotational profiles of children with DDH treated after walking did not differ from those of normal children, but that the internal and external hip rotations of McKay type III and IV patients were below those of normal children and of McKay type I and II patients.

Conclusion

Lower extremity rotational profiles in children with DDH who received appropriate treatment were the same as those for normal children.
A differential phenotypic expression of a divergent spindle mutation in interspecific Brachiaria hybrids
Authors: Felismino Mariana Ferrari , Pagliarini Maria Suely , do Valle Cacilda Borges
Published: July 2008

Several mutations are known to alter the normal progression of meiosis and can be correlated with defects in microtubule distribution. The dv mutation affects the spindle organization and chromosomes do not converge into focused poles. Two Brachiaria hybrids presented the phenotypic expressions of dv mutation but exhibited many more details in the second division. Bivalents were distantly positioned and spread over a large metaphase plate and failed to converge into focused poles. Depending on the distance of chromosomes at the poles, telophase I nuclei were elongated or the chromosomes were grouped into various micronuclei of different sizes in each cell. The first cytokinesis occurred. However, when there were micronuclei, a second cytokinesis immediately took place dividing the prophase II meiocytes into three or four cells. In each meiocyte, meiosis progressed to the second division. Slightly elongated nuclei or micronuclei were recorded in telophase II. After a third cytokinesis, hexads or octads were formed. Pollen grains of different sizes were generated. One of these hybrids presented a higher frequency of abnormal cells than when previously analyzed. The fate of these hybrids as genitors or as candidates for cultivars in the Brachiaria breeding program is discussed.
Puerarin protects PC12 cells against β‐amyloid‐induced cell injury
Authors: Zhang Hai‐Ying , Liu Yi‐Heng , Wang Hong‐Quan , Xu Jie‐Hua , Hu Hai‐Tao
Published: July 2008

β‐Amyloid protein (Aβ), a major protein component of brain senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease, is known to be directly responsible for the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induction of apoptosis. In this study, the protective effect of puerarin, an isoflavone purified from the radix of the Chinese herb Pueraria lobata, on Aβ‐induced rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cultures was investigated. Although exposure of PC12 cells to 50 μM Aβ25–35 caused significant viability loss and apoptotic rate increase, pretreatment of the cells with puerarin for 24 h reduced the viability loss and apoptotic rate. Puerarin (1 μM) significantly inhibited Aβ25–35‐induced apoptosis of PC12 cells. Preincubation of the cell with puerarin also restored the ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential levels that had been altered as a result of Aβ25–35 treatment. Puerarin was also found to increase the Bcl‐2/Bax ratio and reduce caspase‐3 activation. These results suggest that puerarin could attenuate Aβ25–35‐induced PC12 cell injure and apoptosis and could also promote the survival of PC12 cells. Therefore, puerarin may act as an intracellular ROS scavenger, and its antioxidant properties may protect against Aβ25–35‐induced cell injury.
Consequence of the loss of Sox2 in the developing brain of the mouse
Authors: Miyagi Satoru , Masui Shinji , Niwa Hitoshi , Saito Tetsuichiro , Shimazaki Takuya , Okano Hideyuki , Nishimoto Masazumi , Muramatsu Masami , Iwama Atsushi , Okuda Akihiko
Published: July 2008

The transcription factor Sox2 is expressed at high levels in neural stem and progenitor cells. Here, we inactivated Sox2 specifically in the developing brain by using Cre–loxP system. Although mutant animals did not survive after birth, analysis of late gestation embryos revealed that loss of Sox2 causes enlargement of the lateral ventricles and a decrease in the number of neurosphere‐forming cells. However, although their neurogenic potential is attenuated, Sox2‐deficient neural stem cells retain their multipotency and self‐renewal capacity. We found that expression level of Sox3 is elevated in Sox2 null developing brain, probably mitigating the effects of loss of Sox2.
Somatization and psychological distress among women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome
Authors: Zolnoun Denniz , Park Eliza M. , Moore Charity G. , Liebert Cara A. , Tu Frank F. , As‐Sanie Sawson
Published: July 2008

Objective

To investigate the distribution of psychological characteristics and pain reporting among women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS).

Methods

In this exploratory study, 109 women with VVS completed a battery of questionnaires to assess pain with intercourse and psychological characteristics (e.g. somatization, anxiety, distress). The distribution of these characteristics was compared, first with a conventional binary classification schema (primary and secondary) and subsequently with a 3‐category schema (primary, latent primary, secondary).

Results

Severity of pain with intercourse did not differ among the subgroups using either classification schema. Women with primary VVS consistently showed higher levels of somatization, anxiety, and distress compared with those with secondary VVS. Using a 3‐tiered classification system, we found no difference between latent primary diagnosis and the other 2 groups (primary and secondary).

Conclusion

This study highlights the critical need for research on subtype definition and the role of psychological factors in VVS.
Duration of bladder catheterization after surgery for obstetric fistula
Authors: Nardos Rahel , Browning Andrew , Member Birhanu
Published: July 2008

Objective

To compare the surgical outcome at discharge and at 6‐months follow up in patients who underwent repair of obstetric fistulae with postoperative bladder catheterization for 10, 12, or 14 days.

Methods

A retrospective study of 212 obstetric fistula patients who underwent repair with postoperative bladder catheterization for 10 days (group 1), 12 days (group 2), and 14 days (group 3) at the Bahir Dar Hamlin Fistula Center in Ethiopia. Fistulas were classified according to Goh's system.

Results

There were 68 women (32%) in group 1, 62 women (29%) in group 2, and 82 women (39%) in group 3. There was a significant difference in the extent of urethral involvement, fistula size, and degree of vaginal scarring among the 3 groups, with the more extensively damaged patients catheterized for longer. Breakdown of repair was seen in 1.5% of patients in group 1, none in group 2, and 2% in group 3 (P = 0.47).

Conclusion

Postoperative catheterization for 10 days may be sufficient for management of less complicated obstetric vesicovaginal fistulae.