bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ion Range and Damage Calculations Using the Boltzmann Transport Equation
Authors: Ishitani Tohru
Published: February 2005

A modified computational method using the Boltzmann transport equation for calculating the depth distributions of implanted ions, nuclear deposited energy, vacancies, and interstitials is presented. The main modification is based on employment both of the depth interval, taken as half of the desired depth resolution, and of the ion step length, using the single scattering model. A higher efficiency in computing time is obtained for higher-energy ion implantation. The calculations are carried out for the implantation of boron and arsenic ions with 10 keV ∼2 MeV into silicon targets.
Structural and Electrical Properties of Chemical-Solution-Deposited CdS Films for Solar Cells
Authors: Uda Hiroshi , Ikegami Seiji , Sonomura Hajimu
Published: February 2005

The structural and electrical properties of CdS films prepared by chemical-solution deposition have been studied. As-deposited films have about 0.4 µm thickness, a grain size of about 0.3 µm and consist of the coalesence of columnar structure. The dark resistivity of more than 104 Ωcm of as-deposited films decreased by about three orders of magnitude to about 10 Ωcm upon annealing in N2 atmosphere at 300–500°C for 20 minutes. The decrease in resistivity was caused by an increase in electron concentration. The resistivity of annealed CdS films was low enough to use as a window layer of thin-film solar cells.
Crystal Growth of InP on a Gd3Ga5O12 Substrate by Organometallic Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Mizumoto Tetsuya , Shingai Yasushi , Miyamoto Yasuyuki , Naito Yoshiyuki
Published: February 2005

This paper reports the results of crystal growth of InP on a Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG) substrate. Effectiveness of the In-P/GaInAsP superlattice is shown. Substrate orientations of (100) and (111) are compared. By using the GGG(100) substrate and introducing the superlattice, the best result was obtained for growing an InP layer. From X-ray diffraction analysis, it was found that the grown InP layer was preferentially (111) oriented along the film normal. SEM and RHEED observation revealed that the grown layer was composed of polycrystalline grains with random orientation in the film plane.
Amorphous Silicon Thin-Film Transistors Employing Photoprocessed Tantalum Oxide Films as Gate Insulators
Authors: Matsui Masahiro , Nagayoshi Hiroshi , Muto Goro , Tanimoto Satoshi , Kuroiwa Koichi , Tarui Yasuo
Published: February 2005

Amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFT's) with photoprocessed TaO
x
/photo-CVD SiN
x
double layer gate insulator have been fabricated. The usefulness of photoprocessed TaO
x
film as a gate insulator and the reason for improvement in TFT characteristics thereby are discussed. There is a correlation among TFT characteristics, a-Si:H/SiN
x
interface properties and stress in the gate insulator. Better TFT characteristics are obtained for higher compressive stress in the gate insulator due to better interface properties. The photoprocessed TaO
x
film plays a role in changing the stress and consequently improves TFT characteristics. Annealing of TaO
x
film in the presence of both UV irradiation and an oxygen ambient after photo-CVD deposition also improves the stability of TFT characteristics.
Sputter Deposition of YBa2Cu3O7-x Thin Films with Low Gas Pressure
Authors: Muroi Michihito , Okamura Yuko , Suzuki Takeshi , Tsuda Koichi , Nagano Megumi , Mukae Kazuo
Published: February 2005

Thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-x
have been prepared by rf-magnetron sputtering using a single oxide target with a low operating gas pressure of 0.5 Pa at which almost all the sputtered atoms reach the substrate without colliding with the gas. In spite of the low oxygen partial pressure of 0.25 Pa, sufficient oxygen was supplied to the film during the deposition to form the superconducting phase on a MgO(100) substrate. The T
c of the as-grown film rose with the increase of the substrate temperature and reached 83 K at 650°C. Thanks to the high reactivity and high kinetic energy of the depositing atoms, superconducting films with excellent crystallinity were obtained over a wide range of the substrate temperature between 525 and 650°C despite the high deposition rate of 2 Å/s, and the 123phase was formed even at 500°C.
Josephson Current in Microbridges of YBa2Cu3O7-δ Thin Films Prepared by CVD
Authors: Yamashita Tsutomu , Era Masanori , Noge Satoru , Irie Akinobu , Yamane Hisanori , Hirai Toshio , Kurosawa Hideyuki , Matsui Toshiaki
Published: February 2005

Single crystallike microbridges are fabricated from YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films made by the CVD method. The thicknesses of the bridges range from 0.2 to 1 µm, and the width and length are both about 1 µm. The critical current densities of the bridges range from 104 to 105 A/cm2 at 77 K in zero field. The bridges show clear ac and dc Josephson effects. The single bridges look like typical Josephson junctions, and all transport current in the bridges behaves like Josephson current. However, the temperature dependences of critical current density show J
c∝(1-T/T
c)3/2., the bridges behave like one-dimensional long superconductors.
Modulation-Doped Multi-Quantum Well (MD-MQW) Lasers. I. Theory
Authors: Uomi Kazuhisa
Published: February 2005

A number of important parameters, such as gain, modulation response and threshold current in modulation-doped multi-quantum-well (MD-MQW) lasers are theoretically investigated. The analytical results indicate that the relaxation oscillation frequency of p-type MD-MQW lasers is enhanced by a factor of 4 compared with DH lasers, and that the linewidth enhancement factor of p-type MD-MQW lasers is reduced to 1/4 that of undoped MQW lasers. The threshold current density of n-type MD-MQW lasers is reduced to 1/2∼1/4 that of undoped MQW lasers. The improvements in these properties basically result from the unsatisfied charge neutrality due to the modulation doped effect and from asymmetry in density of states between conduction band and valence bands in III-V materials.
Striatal Inhibition of Nociceptive Responses Evoked in Trigeminal Sensory Neurons by Tooth Pulp Stimulation
Authors: Belforte Juan E. , Pazo Jorge H.
Published: February 2005

The noxious evoked response in trigeminal sensory neurons was studied to address the role of striatum in the control of nociceptive inputs. In urethane-anesthetized rats, the jaw opening reflex (JOR) was produced by suprathreshold stimulation of the tooth pulp and measured as electromyographic response in the digastric muscle, with simultaneous recording of noxious responses in single unit neurons of the spinal trigeminal nucleus pars caudalis (Sp5c). The microinjection of glutamate (80 ηmol/0.5 μl) into striatal JOR inhibitory sites significantly decreased the Aδ and C fiber–mediated–evoked response (53 ± 4.2 and 43.6 ± 6.4% of control value, P < 0.0001) in 92% (31/34) of nociceptive Sp5c neurons. The microinjection of the solvent was ineffective, as was microinjection of glutamate in sites out of the JOR inhibitory ones. In another series of experiments, simultaneous single unit recordings were performed in the motor trigeminal nucleus (Mo5) and the Sp5c nucleus. Microinjection of glutamate decreased the noxious-evoked response in Sp5c and Mo5 neurons in parallel with the JOR, without modifying spontaneous neuronal activity of trigeminal motoneurons ( n = 8 pairs). These results indicate that the striatum could be involved in the modulation of nociceptive inputs and confirm the role of the basal ganglia in the processing of nociceptive information.
Pulse Rise Time But Not Duty Cycle Affects the Temporal Selectivity of Neurons in the Anuran Midbrain That Prefer Slow AM Rates
Authors: Edwards Christofer J. , Alder Todd B. , Rose Gary J.
Published: February 2005

Recovery-type auditory neurons in the anuran inferior colliculus (IC) respond with band-pass or low-pass selectivity for sinusoidal AM. These cells respond to each modulation cycle at slow AM rates and respond only at the onset of fast AM or pulse repetition rate (PRR) stimuli, failing to recover from the effects of early pulses. This selectivity is not altered by changes in pulse duty cycle. The recovery process is governed therefore by the interpulse interval and not the dimension of the gap between sound pulses. Most of these neurons preferred fast rise times, which is characteristic of the sound pulses in the calls of Hyla regilla and Rana pipiens, the two species selected for this study.
Complex Expression and Localization of Inactivating Kv Channels in Cultured Hippocampal Astrocytes
Authors: Bekar Lane K. , Loewen Matthew E. , Cao Kun , Sun Xianfeng , Leis Jerome , Wang Rui , Forsyth George W. , Walz Wolfgang
Published: February 2005

Voltage-gated potassium channels are well established as critical for setting action potential frequency, membrane potential, and neurotransmitter release in neurons. However, their role in the “nonexcitable” glial cell type is yet to be fully understood. We used whole cell current kinetics, pharmacology, immunocytochemistry, and RT-PCR to characterize A-type current in hippocampal astrocyte cultures to better understand its function. Pharmacological analysis suggests that ∼70, 10, and <5% of total A current is associated with Kv4, Kv3, and Kv1 channels, respectively. In addition, pharmacology and kinetics provide evidence for a significant contribution of KChIP accessory proteins to astrocytic A-channel composition. Localization of the Shaw Kv3.4 channel to astrocytic processes and the Shal Kv4.3 channel to soma suggest that these channels serve a specific function. Given this complex A-type channel expression pattern, we assessed the role of A currents in membrane voltage oscillations in response to current injections. Although TEA-sensitive delayed-rectifying currents are involved in the extent of repolarization, 4-AP-sensitive A currents serve to increase the rate. As in neurons, this effect may enable astrocytes to respond rapidly to high-frequency synaptic events. Our results indicate that hippocampal astrocytes in vitro express multiple A-type Kv channel α-subunits with accessory, possibly Ca2+-sensitive, cytoplasmic subunits that appear to be specifically localized to subcellular membrane compartments. Function of these channels remains to be determined in a physiological setting. However, this study suggests that they enable astrocytes to respond rapidly with membrane voltage oscillations to high-frequency incoming signals, possibly synchronizing astrocyte function to neuronal activity.
Histamine Compartments of theDrosophilaBrain With an Estimate of the Quantum Content at the Photoreceptor Synapse
Authors: Borycz J. A. , Borycz J. , Kubów A. , Kostyleva R. , Meinertzhagen I. A.
Published: February 2005

Reliable estimates of the quantum size in histaminergic neurons are not available. We have exploited two unusual opportunities in the fly's ( Drosophila melanogaster) visual system to make such determinations for histaminergic photoreceptor synapses: 1) the possibility to microdissect successively from whole fly heads freeze-dried in acetone: the compound eyes; the first optic neuropils, or lamina; and the rest of the brain; and 2) the uniform sheaves of lamina synaptic terminals of photoreceptors R1–R6. We used this organization to count scrupulously the numbers of 30-nm synaptic vesicles from electron micrographs of R1–R6 profiles, and from microdissections we determined the regional contents of histamine in the compound eye, lamina, and central brain. Total head histamine averages 1.98 ng of which 9% was lost after freeze-drying in acetone and a further 28% after the brain was microdissected. Of the remainder, 71% was in the eye and lamina. Assuming that histamine loss from the tissue occurred mostly by diffusion evenly distributed among all regions, the overall lamina content of the head would be 0.1935 ng before dissection. From published values for the volumes of the brain's compartments, the computed regional concentrations of histamine are highest in the lamina (4.35 mM) because of the terminals of R1–R6. The concentration in the retina is ∼13% that in the lamina, suggesting that most histamine is vesicular. There are ∼43,500 ± 7,400 (SD) synaptic vesicles per terminal and, if all histamine is allocated equally and exclusively among these, the vesicle contents would be 858 ± 304 × 10−21moles or ∼5,000 ± 1,800 (SD) molecules at an approximate concentration of 670 mM. These values are compared with the vesicle contents at synapses using acetylcholine and catecholamines.
Air–Sea Interaction over the Eastern Pacific Warm Pool: Gap Winds, Thermocline Dome, and Atmospheric Convection*
Authors: Xie Shang-Ping , Xu Haiming , Kessler William S. , Nonaka Masami
Published: February 2005

High-resolution satellite observations are used to investigate air–sea interaction over the eastern Pacific warm pool. In winter, strong wind jets develop over the Gulfs of Tehuantepec, Papagayo, and Panama, accelerated by the pressure gradients between the Atlantic and Pacific across narrow passes of Central American cordillera. Patches of cold sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and high chlorophyll develop under these wind jets as a result of increased turbulent heat flux from the ocean and enhanced mixing across the base of the ocean mixed layer. Despite a large decrease in SST (exceeding 3°C in seasonal means), the cold patches associated with the Tehuantepec and Papagayo jets do not have an obvious effect on local atmospheric convection in winter since the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is located farther south. The cold patch of the Panama jet to the south, on the other hand, cuts through the winter ITCZ and breaks it into two parts.

A pronounced thermocline dome develops west of the Gulf of Papagayo, with the 20°C isotherm only 30 m deep throughout the year. In summer when the Panama jet disappears and the other two wind jets weaken, SST is 0.5°C lower over this Costa Rica Dome than the background. This cold spot reduces local precipitation by half, punching a hole of 500 km in diameter in the summer ITCZ. The dome underlies a patch of open-ocean high chlorophyll. This thermocline dome is an ocean dynamic response to the positive wind curls south of the Papagayo jet, which is optimally oriented to excite ocean Rossby waves that remotely affect the ocean to the west. The meridionally oriented Tehuantepec and Panama jets, by contrast, only influence the local thermocline depth with few remote effects on SST and the atmosphere. The orographical-triggered air–sea interaction described here is a good benchmark for testing high-resolution climate models now under development.
Rainfall Variability at Decadal and Longer Time Scales: Signal or Noise?
Authors: Meinke Holger , deVoil Peter , Hammer Graeme L. , Power Scott , Allan Robert , Stone Roger C. , Folland Chris , Potgieter Andries
Published: February 2005

Rainfall variability occurs over a wide range of temporal scales. Knowledge and understanding of such variability can lead to improved risk management practices in agricultural and other industries. Analyses of temporal patterns in 100 yr of observed monthly global sea surface temperature and sea level pressure data show that the single most important cause of explainable, terrestrial rainfall variability resides within the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) frequency domain (2.5–8.0 yr), followed by a slightly weaker but highly significant decadal signal (9–13 yr), with some evidence of lesser but significant rainfall variability at interdecadal time scales (15–18 yr). Most of the rainfall variability significantly linked to frequencies lower than ENSO occurs in the Australasian region, with smaller effects in North and South America, central and southern Africa, and western Europe. While low-frequency (LF) signals at a decadal frequency are dominant, the variability evident was ENSO-like in all the frequency domains considered. The extent to which such LF variability is (i) predictable and (ii) either part of the overall ENSO variability or caused by independent processes remains an as yet unanswered question. Further progress can only be made through mechanistic studies using a variety of models.
Subseasonal Variability of the Southeast Pacific Stratus Cloud Deck*
Authors: Xu Haiming , Xie Shang-Ping , Wang Yuqing
Published: February 2005

Subseasonal variability of the stratus/stratocumulus cloud deck over the subtropical southeast Pacific is studied using satellite and buoy observations as well as the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis. It is found that subseasonal variability in the stratus cloud deck is closely related to variations in surface wind velocity, water vapor, sea level pressure, and 500-hPa geopotential height. An increase in cloud liquid water (CLW) over the subtropical southeast Pacific is found to be associated with the development of an anomalous anticyclonic circulation to the south off the west coast of Chile. The enhanced southerly to southeasterly winds advect cold and dry air into the stratus region against the mean sea surface temperature (SST) gradient. This cold and dry advection, together with increased wind speed, intensifies surface latent and sensible heat fluxes and destabilizes the boundary layer. Anomalous offshore easterlies north of the anomalous anticyclone cause a low-level divergence. The associated subsidence warming, together with the cold advection in the surface layer, strengthens the temperature inversion, conducive to the development of stratus clouds. Buoy observations confirm this subseasonal cloud variability and its relationship with surface meteorological variables.

A lead/lag composite analysis indicates that circulation variables such as sea level pressure and surface wind lead cloud liquid water by 1–2 days while SST lags CLW by 1–2 days, suggesting that low-cloud variability is caused by atmospheric circulation changes rather than by the underlying ocean. The dynamic adjustment that leads to cloud fluctuations and possible orographic effects of the Andes are also discussed.
One-Way Nested Regional Climate Simulations and Domain Size
Authors: Vannitsem S. , Chomé F.
Published: February 2005

The impact of domain size on regional climate simulations is explored in the context of a state-of-the-art regional model centered over western Europe. It is found that the quality of the climate simulations is highly dependent on the domain size. Moreover, the choice of an optimal version is more complex than usually thought, the less appropriate domain having an intermediate size (about 3000 km × 3000 km), and the best versions nearly cover a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere. The use of periodically reinitialized trajectories does improve the climate of suboptimal models but leads to unrealistic dynamical behaviors. The implications for regional climate simulations are briefly discussed.
The Effects of Satellite-Derived Vegetation Cover Variability on Simulated Land–Atmosphere Interactions in the NAMS
Authors: Matsui Toshihisa , Lakshmi Venkataraman , Small Eric E.
Published: February 2005

Substantial evolution of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NVDI)-derived vegetation cover (Fg) exists in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The intraseasonal and wet-/dry-year fluctuations of Fg are linked to observed precipitation in the North American monsoon system (NAMS). The manner in which the spatial and temporal variability of Fg influences the land–atmosphere energy and moisture fluxes, and associated likelihood of moist convection in the NAMS regions, is examined. For this, the regional climate model (RCM) is employed, with three different Fg boundary conditions to examine the influence of intraseasonal and wet-/dry-year vegetation variability. Results show that a strong link exists between evaporative fraction (EF), surface temperature, and relative humidity in the boundary layer (BL), which is consistent with a positive soil moisture feedback. However, contrary to expectations, higher Fg does not consistently enhance EF across the NAMS region. This is because the low soil moisture values simulated by the land surface model (LSM) yield high canopy resistance values throughout the monsoon season. As a result, the experiment with the lowest Fg yields the greatest EF and precipitation in the NAMS region, and also modulates regional atmospheric circulation that steers the track of tropical cyclones. In conclusion, the simulated influence of vegetation on land–atmosphere exchanges depends strongly on the canopy stress index parameterized in the LSM. Therefore, a reliable dataset, at appropriate scales, is needed to calibrate transpiration schemes and to assess simulated and realistic vegetation–atmosphere interactions in the NAMS region.
Terrestrial Influence on the Annual Cycle of the Atlantic ITCZ in an AGCM Coupled to a Slab Ocean Model*
Authors: Biasutti M. , Battisti D. S. , Sarachik E. S.
Published: February 2005

An atmospheric GCM coupled to a slab ocean model is used to investigate how temperature and precipitation over South America and Africa affect the annual cycle of the Atlantic ITCZ. The main conclusion of this study is that variations in precipitation and temperature forced by the annual cycle of insolation over the continents are as important as variations in insolation over the ocean and in ocean heat transport convergence in forcing the annual march of the Atlantic ITCZ observed in the control simulation. The processes involved are as follows.

The intensity of precipitation over land affects the stability of the atmosphere over the tropical Atlantic Ocean, and thus modulates the intensity of deep convection and convergence in the ITCZ. Both the imposed changes in land precipitation and the subsequent changes in the strength of the ITCZ drive surface wind anomalies, thereby changing the meridional gradient of SST in proximity of the basic-state ITCZ. Finally, atmosphere–ocean feedbacks cause the ITCZ to be displaced meridionally.

Seasonal changes in surface temperature in the Sahara also have a strong influence on the position of the Atlantic ITCZ. Cold wintertime temperatures produce high surface pressure anomalies over Africa and into the tropical North Atlantic and drive stronger trade winds, which cool the North Atlantic by evaporation. The coupled interactions between the SST, the wind, and the ITCZ intensify the anomalies in the equatorial region, causing the southward displacement of the ITCZ in boreal spring.
Court Dispositions and Rearrest for Intimate Assault
Authors: Wooldredge John , Thistlethwaite Amy
Published: February 2005

Researchers examining court dispositions and domestic violence recidivism have argued that disposition effectiveness varies by offender characteristics. We extended this research with analyses of 3,662persons arrested for misdemeanor assaults on intimates in Hamilton County, Ohio. The incidence, prevalence, and time to rearrest are examined for arrestees with no filed charges, subsequently dropped charges, court-mandated treatment, probation, jail, and split sentences. No filed charges and probation correspond with significant differences in all outcomes across the entire sample. Moreover, every disposition coincides with differences in rearrest for particular subgroups of arrestees (distinguished by violent histories, substance abuse, cohabitation, race, education, residential stability, and characteristics of neighborhood populations).
Kids, Crime, and Local Television News
Authors: Yanich Danilo
Published: February 2005

The vast majority of crime reporting occurs on local television news and in newspapers. Although crimes are extraordinary events, they assume an ordinariness that only daily reporting can give them. The obvious question is what does the news tell us about crime. This article compares the coverage of adult crime and the coverage of what the author has termed “KidsCrime,” defined as a story in which a juvenile was either the suspect or the victim (or both). What is the nature of that coverage? How consistent is it with official statistics? Are there differences between adult crime and KidsCrime coverage regarding offenses, victimization, production techniques, and other attributes? This examination of the crime coverage revealed (a) significant differences between KidsCrime and adult crime coverage, (b) a portrait of crime that was consistent and inconsistent with official statistics, and (c) a presentation approach that discouraged critical viewing.
Trauma Exposure, Mental Health Functioning, and Program Needs of Women in Jail
Authors: Green Bonnie L. , Miranda Jeanne , Daroowalla Anahita , Siddique Juned
Published: February 2005

A convenience sample of 100 female jail inmates was interviewed by two female clinical psychologists using measures of trauma exposure, psychopathology, sexual risk behavior, parenting skills, and perceived needs for service. Participants had high rates of lifetime trauma exposure (98%), current mental disorders (36%), and drug/alcohol problems (74%).More than half of the women showed deficits in parenting skills. Participants described their primary problems as being in the areas of substance abuse and family issues, and they endorsed a variety of potential services they would like to be able to access. Unless trauma and victimization experiences, mental health needs, and functional difficulties are taken into account in program development, incarcerated women are unlikely to benefit optimally from in-house and postrelease programs.
Christian Faith and Historical Jesus Research: a Reply to James Dunn
Authors: Morgan Robert
Published: February 2005

Historical accounts of Jesus by Christian theologians should normally be written from a Christian standpoint. When apologists adopt a non-believing standpoint a liberal protestant Christology is implied. The traditional Christian belief in the crucified and risen Jesus as the decisive revelation of God can be maintained either by setting historical descriptions of Jesus in the context of New Testament theologies, or by including in the picture, and explaining, his impact on his initial and subsequent followers.
A Philosophy of Exhibitionism: Exploring Media Coverage of Al Roker’s and Carnie Wilson’s Gastric Bypass Surgeries
Authors: Bishop Ronald
Published: February 2005

In November 2002, Today Show meteorologist Al Roker announced that he had previously undergone gastric bypass surgery in the hopes of ending a lifelong struggle with his weight. Roker’s surgery came a little more than 3 years after Carnie Wilson, daughter of Beach Boys’ leader Brian Wilson and former member of the singing group Wilson Phillips, underwent the same operation. The author explores the ideology of weight loss surgery that emerges from news coverage of these very public procedures and discusses thematic differences in the reporting of the reasons behind their decisions to take this step. One would think that both individuals, having lost weight and improved their appearance, would be allowed back inside the bounds of cultural intelligibility. However, coverage of their surgeries suggests that Roker has been given such a pass but Wilson has not. Only Roker is acknowledged for adding gastric bypass surgery to our cultural weight loss protocol.
The Corporate Colonization of Online Attention and the Marginalization of Critical Communication?
Authors: Dahlberg Lincoln
Published: February 2005

This article provides a general exploration of the argument that the Internet’s potential for extending strong democratic culture through critical communication is being undermined by a corporate colonization of cyberspace. The article investigates which sites are attracting the attention of participants seeking public content and interaction. The investigation finds that large corporate portals and commercial media sites are dominating online attention for news, information, and interaction, privileging consumer content and practices while marginalizing many voices and critical forms of participation. This situation threatens to limit the Internet’s contribution to the expansion of democratic culture. More research is needed to identify exactly what is being represented on which sites and how different groups are participating. However, the general colonization trend seems clear, and this article concludes by considering public policy options and civil society initiatives that may increase the visibility of marginalized voices and critical communication online.
Public Bioethics and the Gratuity of Life: Joanna Jepson’s Witness Against Negative Eugenics
Authors: Hall Amy Laura
Published: February 2005

In 2002, then Cambridge student Joanna Jepson initiated a legal, ecclesial, and media conversation on selective termination for disability. Making herself available in a way that is vulnerable, palpable, and effective, Jepson has used subtle rhetorical skill to question the ways certain lives are appraised as precious or expendable. The now Revd Jepson’s witness may adumbrate a boundary past which the task of truly public bioethics becomes precarious. While ethicists may persuasively argue in the public square against positive eugenics — against selectively breeding or genetically enhancing conception — opposition to negative eugenics — against the elimination of ‘unfit’ lives — stretches the bounds of apologetics. The theological bioethicist may be called to gesture toward the Whence? and the Whither?, even if the purveyors of public bioethics find this an objectionable undertaking.
Delivering Public Policy: The Status of the Embryo and Tissue Typing
Authors: Harries Richard
Published: February 2005

The author draws on his own experience of helping to make and deliver public policy to indicate the wider context in which ethical decisions have to be made: the law, contested interpretations of the law which have to be settled in the courts, and wider political and economic factors. He argues that the concept of respect for the early embryo does have substance because of the strict regulatory regime of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). He considers the arguments that the early embryo ‘[e]njoys the full rights of the human being and should be accorded respect owed to a human being’. He concludes that these arguments are not finally convincing. He also looks at the moral status of the early embryo in Christian tradition and argues that perhaps from the fourth and certainly from the seventh century in the West until 1869, offences against the early embryo were regarded as less serious than offences against the embryo when developed further. For these reasons he concludes that there should be no absolute prohibition against research on an early embryo up to fourteen days. He also looks at recent cases involving pre-implantation diagnosis (PGD) and tissue typing with a view to obtaining matching tissue from an early embryo for a sibling suffering from a life-threatening disease. Although a distinction has been made between what might be licit in the case of a genetic disorder in the sibling but illicit if the disorder is not genetic, he argues that it could be in the best interests of the early embryo, the child that is to be, if in either case if it was selected with a view to matching the tissue of a sibling.
Against Consensus: Christians and Public Bioethics
Authors: Meilaender Gilbert
Published: February 2005

The author suggests that Christian participation in public policy deliberations about bioethical issues may be helped by structures which do not require the search for consensus (or, in particular, the kind of ‘overlapping consensus’ favoured by Rawlsians) on policy. This argument is made, first, by a general discussion of the place of religious visions within public discourse and, second, by an examination of the structure and some of the reports of the President’s Council on Bioethics (USA).
Effect of treating severe nasal obstruction on the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: McLean H. A. , Urton A. M. , Driver H. S. , Tan A. K. W. , Day A. G. , Munt P. W. , Fitzpatrick M. F.
Published: February 2005

An association between mouth breathing during sleep and increased propensity for upper airway collapse is well documented, but the effect of treatment for nasal obstruction on mouth breathing during sleep and simultaneous obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) severity has not been described previously.

A randomised single blind placebo- and sham-controlled crossover study of treatment (topical decongestant and external dilator strip) for nasal obstruction was carried out in 10 patients (nine males; mean±sem46±5 yrs) with nasal obstruction and OSA. All patients had normal acoustic pharyngometry. The effect of treatment on nasal resistance, mouth breathing during sleep and OSA severity was quantified.

Treatment of nasal obstruction was associated with a dramatic and sustained reduction in nasal resistance and the oral fraction of ventilation during sleep (mean (95% confidence interval) absolute reduction in oral fraction 30% (12–49)). Improvements in sleep architecture were observed during active treatment, and there was a modest reduction in OSA severity (change in apnoea–hypopnoea index 12 (3–22)).

In conclusion, treating nasal obstruction reduced mouth breathing during sleep and obstructive sleep apnoea severity, but did not effectively alleviate obstructive sleep apnoea.
Identification of individuals susceptible to high-altitude pulmonary oedema at low altitude
Authors: Dehnert C. , Grünig E. , Mereles D. , von Lennep N. , Bärtsch P.
Published: February 2005

Individuals susceptible to high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) are characterised by an abnormal increase of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) in hypoxia and during normoxic exercise, reduced hypoxic ventilatory response, and smaller lung volume.

In 37 mountaineers with well-documented altitude tolerance, it was investigated whether any combination of these noninvasive measurements, including exercise in hypoxia, could improve the identification of HAPE-susceptible subjects at low altitude.

HAPE-susceptible subjects showed a significant higher increase of PASP during hypoxia at rest (48±10 mmHg) compared with controls (38±3 mmHg), as well as during normoxic exercise (57±14versus38±7 mmHg) and hypoxic exercise (69±13versus49±8 mmHg). PASP could not be assessed in three and eight subjects during normoxic or hypoxic exercise, respectively, due to insufficient Doppler profiles or systemic arterial hypertension. Sensitivity (77–94%) and specificity (76–93%) were not significantly different between the various testing conditions. Additional assessment of hypoxic ventilatory response and lung function parameters did not improve identification of HAPE-susceptible subjects in a multivariate analysis.

Due to the greater number of missing values in pulmonary artery systolic pressure measurements during hypoxic exercise, it was concluded that pulmonary artery systolic pressure measurements at rest during hypoxia or exercise in normoxia are most feasible for the identification of high-altitude pulmonary oedema-susceptible subjects.
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 in bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation
Authors: Hübner R. H. , Meffert S. , Mundt U. , Böttcher H. , Freitag S. , El Mokhtari N. E. , Pufe T. , Hirt S. , Fölsch U. R. , Bewig B.
Published: February 2005

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is a severe complication after lung transplantation (LTX).

In a retrospective cohort study 12 stable healthy recipients (non-BOS) and eight patients with BOS were enrolled after LTX and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9, TIMP-1 and cell characteristics in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples (n = 145) were analysed. BALs from patients with BOS were further divided according to whether they were obtained before (pre-BOS) or after manifestation of BOS (BOS group).

The MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio was significantly increased in the BOS group compared with non-BOS or pre-BOS; furthermore, the ratio was negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in one second. In zymography, the active form of MMP-9 was detected predominantly in the BOS group. In addition, zymography showed the banding pattern of neutrophil-derived MMP-9, indicating that polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were the main source of MMP-9. According to that, MMP-9 was significantly correlated with the number of PMN. In immunocytochemistry, MMP-9 was also associated predominantly with PMN.

This is the first study to evaluate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1 over time during manifestation of a fibroproliferative lung disease in patients. It demonstrates development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation is associated with an imbalance of matrix metalloproteinases-9/tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 ratio.
Endobronchial and endoscopic ultrasound-guided real-time fine-needle aspiration for mediastinal staging
Authors: Rintoul R. C. , Skwarski K. M. , Murchison J. T. , Wallace W. A. , Walker W. S. , Penman I. D.
Published: February 2005

Accurate staging of the mediastinum in lung cancer is essential for optimising treatment strategies. Conventional transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a blind procedure, reliant upon prior computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound imaging, but has low sensitivity. The current study reports the initial experience of using a prototype endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) probe that allows TBNA under real-time imaging.

In 20 patients selected by CT scanning, a linear-array ultrasound bronchoscope was used to visualise paratracheal and hilar lymph nodes, and TBNA was performed under direct ultrasonic control. In seven cases, sequential endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was used to assess postero-inferior mediastinal lymph nodes. All procedures were performed under conscious sedation.

EBUS-TBNA was undertaken in 18 out of 20 cases and EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration in six out of seven cases. Cytology showed node (N)2/N3 disease in 11 out of 18 EBUS-TBNA cases and provided a primary diagnosis for eight patients. EBUS-TBNA cytology was negative in six cases, which was confirmed by mediastinoscopy or clinical follow-up in four. EUS provided additional information in all cases. There were no procedural complications. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for EBUS-TBNA were 85%, 100% and 89%, respectively.

In conclusion, endobronchial ultrasound with real-time transbronchial needle aspiration offers improved sensitivity and accuracy for staging of the middle mediastinum, and, combined with endoscopic ultrasound, should allow investigation of the majority of the mediastinum.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis
Authors: Annema J. T. , Veseliç M. , Rabe K. F.
Published: February 2005

The objective of the current study was to assess the yield of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis in a large patient group.

Bronchoscopy with transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) is nondiagnostic in 30% of patients with suspected sarcoidosis and has a risk of pneumothorax and haemoptysis. In order to obtain a diagnosis, mediastinoscopy is often performed as the next diagnostic procedure. EUS-FNA provides a nonsurgical alternative for the demonstration of noncaseating granulomas by aspirating mediastinal lymph nodes from the oesophagus.

In total, 51 patients with suspected sarcoidosis stage ▒ and ▒▒ underwent EUS-FNA. Thirty-six patients (71%) previously underwent a nondiagnostic bronchoscopy. All patients were clinically followed (median 18 months) and surgical–pathological verification occurred in those patients with EUS aspirates that contained unrepresentative material.

EUS-FNA demonstrated noncaseating granulomas without necrosis in 41 of 50 patients (82%) with the final diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Specific ultrasound features of clustered, well-demarcated iso-echoic lymph nodes were observed in 64% of patients with sarcoidosis. No complications occurred.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration has a high yield in diagnosing sarcoidosis and qualifies as the next diagnostic step after a nondiagnostic bronchoscopy. The current authors expect that endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration will reduce the number of mediastinoscopies for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis dramatically.
The CFTR 3849+10kbC->T and 2789+5G->A alleles are associated with a mild CF phenotype
Authors: Duguépéroux I. , De Braekeleer M.
Published: February 2005

Most cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane receptor mutations are rare. The French CF Registry offers an opportunity to study the genotype–phenotype relationship of these rare alleles.

Since 1992, 39 CF patients carrying one copy of the 3849+10kbC->T mutation and 88 the 2789+5G->A allele have been seen at least once in a CF care centre. Among them, 16 carrying the 3849+10kbC->T/ΔF508 genotype and 34 with the 2789+5G->A/ΔF508 genotype were seen in 2000. Their age at diagnosis, sweat chloride concentration, anthropometric and lung function results, and clinical aspects were compared with those homozygous for the ΔF508 mutation matched for sex, age and CF care centre.

Major differences, most of them statistically significant, in the age at diagnosis, prevalence of pancreatic insufficiency, and other clinical signs, anthropometric and lung function measures were observed between both compound heterozygote groups and their matched ΔF508/ΔF508 groups. The mean sweat chloride concentration was also lower (close to normal values) among 3849+10kbC->T/ΔF508 patients, but not among 2789+5G->A/ΔF508 patients.

In conclusion, both mutations studied here are associated with a milder course of cystic fibrosis disease. The 3849+10kbC->T and 2789+5G->A alleles are splice site mutations, leading to abnormal mRNA; however, a small amount of normally spliced transcripts can also be detected. The presence of these small amounts of normal cystic fibrosis transmembrane receptor protein in these cystic fibrosis patients is likely to be responsible for the milder severity of disease and a better life expectancy.
A volumetric approach for the resistivity response of freshwater shaly sandstones
Authors: de Lima Olivar A. L. , Clennell Michael Ben , Nery Geraldo Girão , Niwas Sri
Published: February 2005

The dc electrical response of freshwater-saturated shaly sandstone is analyzed on the basis of effective volume conductivity concepts for a concentrated mixture of “solid grains” in a continuous electrolyte. The bulk conductivity of this model is physically controlled by (1) the effective porosity and the average electrical tortuosity of its free-pore electrolyte, and (2) the amount and concentration of bound water that coats charged solid surfaces (mainly of clays), and a corresponding averaged electrical surface tortuosity. The latter is combined in an equivalent volume conductivity that is mainly due to the electrical double layers of charges developed at the clay-electrolyte interfaces. Analytical expressions, based on effective medium and general mixture theories, are developed to describe both the whole rock conductivity and the specific conductivities of its constituent elements. The derived equations for the bulk conductivity of the system describe, with sufficient precision, experimental core data over a large range of water conductivity. The equations are also written in a modified Archie-Winsauer form, wherein their coefficients are shown to be strongly dependent on the electrolyte and matrix conductivity, the effective medium porosity, and the cementation exponent. The scheme is shown to describe satisfactorily laboratory data for clay gels, shales, and shaly sandstones saturated with saline to fresh water. The scheme can also be used for interpreting resistivity logs of wells in freshwater aquifers. To accomplish this, we use the simultaneous measurements of formation resistivity at two different values of salinity: the freshwater virgin zone obtained from a deep induction log or laterolog and the mud filtrate–invaded zone inferred from a short normal or microfocused log. It must be assumed that either the effective porosity or the cementation exponent, and the native water and mud filtrate resistivities are known from other sources. The new method is being applied to the interpretation of logging data from wells drilled in the Recôncavo-Tucano Basin, Bahia, northeast Brazil.
Groundwater exploration using combined controlled-source and radiomagnetotelluric techniques
Authors: Pedersen Laust B. , Bastani M. , Dynesius L.
Published: February 2005

Radiomagnetotelluric (RMT) (14–250 kHz) combined with controlled-source magnetotelluric (CSMT) (1–12 kHz) measurements were applied to the exploration of groundwater located in sandy formations at depths as great as 20 m below thick clay lenses. A combination of approximately 30 radio frequencies and controlled-source frequencies is essential for penetrating the thick clay layers. The electromagnetic transfer functions of impedance tensor and tipper vectors point toward a structure that is largely two-dimensional, although clear three-dimensional effects can be observed where the sandy formation is close to the surface. The determinant of the impedance tensor was chosen for inversion using two-dimensional models. The final two-dimensional model fits the data to within twice the estimated standard errors, which is considered quite satisfactory, given that typical errors are on the level of 1% on the impedance elements. Comparison with bore-hole results and shallow-reflection seismic sections show that the information delivered by the electromagnetic data largely agrees with the former and provides useful information for interpreting the latter by identifying lithological boundaries between the clay and sand and between the sand and crystalline basement.
Inversion of inductive electromagnetic data in highly conductive terrains
Authors: Schultz G. , Ruppel C.
Published: February 2005

Despite the increasing use of controlled-source frequency-domain EM data to characterize shallow subsurface structures, relatively few inversion algorithms have been widely applied to data from real-world settings, particularly in high-conductivity terrains. In this study, we develop robust and convergent regularized, least-squares inversion algorithms based on both linear and nonlinear formulations of mutual dipole induction for the forward problem. A modified version of the discrepancy principle based on a priori information is implemented to select optimal smoothing parameters that simultaneously guarantee the stability and best-fit criteria. To investigate the problems of resolution and equivalence, we consider typical layered-earth models in one and two dimensions using both synthetic and observed data. Synthetic examples show that inversions based on the nonlinear forward model more accurately resolve subsurface structure, and that inversions based on the linear forward model tend to drastically underpredict high conductivities at depth. Inversions of actual field data from well-characterized sites (e.g., National Geotechnical Experimentation Site; sand-dominated coastal aquifer in the Georgia Bight) are used to test the applicability of the model to terrains with different characteristic conductivity structure. A comparison of our inversion results with existing cone-penetrometer and downhole-conductivity data from these field sites demonstrates the ability of the inversions to constrain conductivity variations in practical applications.