bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The local is running on the express track: Localist models better facilitate understanding of nervous system function
Authors: Koch Paul A. , Leisman Gerry
Published: April 2005

Artificial neural networks have weaknesses as models of cognition. A conventional neural network has limitations of computational power. The localist representation is at least equal to its competition. We contend that locally connected neural networks are perfectly capable of storing and retrieving the individual features, but the process of reconstruction must be otherwise explained. We support the localist position but propose a “hybrid” model that can begin to explain cognition in anatomically plausible terms.
Functionalism without multiple supervenience
Authors: Marras Ausonio
Published: April 2005

Multiple supervenience is a problematic notion whose role can well be served by a contextualized or properly restricted standard notion of supervenience. It is furthermore not needed to defend functionalism against Kim's charge that cross-classifying taxonomies imply a serious form of dualism; nor does Ross & Spurrett's (R&S's) Kitcherian account of the metaphysics of causation crucially depend on multiple supervenience.
The sense of conscious will
Authors: Heyman Gene M.
Published: April 2005

Wegner's conclusion that conscious will is an illusion follows from a key omission in his analysis. Although he describes conscious will as an experience, akin to one of the senses, he omits its objective correlate. The degree to which behavior can be influenced by its consequences (voluntariness) provides an objective correlate for conscious will. With conscious will anchored to voluntariness, the illusion disappears.
How neuroscience accounts for the illusion of conscious will
Authors: Ito Masao
Published: April 2005

Wegner's monograph presents the view that conscious will is a feeling that we experience when we perform an action through a mechanistic process of the brain, rather than a mental force that causes the action. The view is supported by several lines of evidence in which conscious will is dissociated from the actual performance of voluntary movements, as in automatism. The book further extends an insightful analysis of the mental system behind the illusion of conscious will and inspires neuroscientists to reflect on its neural substrates.
The vessels and the glue: Space, time, and causation
Authors: Rodin Andrei
Published: April 2005

In addition to the “universal glue,” which is the local mechanical causation, the standard explanatory scheme of classical science presumes two “universal vessels,” which are global space and time. I call this outdated metaphysical setting “black-and-white” because it allows for only two principal scales. A prospective metaphysics able to bind existing sciences together needs to be “colored,” that is, allow for scale relativity and diversification by domain.
The illusory triumph of machine over mind: Wegner's eliminativism and the real promise of psychology
Authors: Jack Anthony I. , Robbins Philip
Published: April 2005

Wegner's thesis that the experience of will is an illusion is not just wrong, it is an impediment to progress in psychology. We discuss two readings of Wegner's thesis and find that neither can motivate his larger conclusion. Wegner thinks science requires us to dismiss our experiences. Its real promise is to help us to make better sense of them.
Is the concept of object still a suitable notion?
Authors: Giraudo Marie-Dominique , Slifkin Andrew B.
Published: April 2005

The model and framework presented in the target article by Thelen et al. is an interesting effort that is able to account for the contextual variability in the A-not-B performance of 7–12-month-old infants. In the process of developing their framework, the authors discounted the concept of object as a useful notion in discussions of A-not-B performance. For Piaget and other developmentalists, the main evidence for the acquisition of the concept of object was the disappearance of A-not-B errors after age 12 months. However, the Thelen et al. model makes predictions of A-not-B outcomes over a much shorter, trial-to-trial time scale. Given the mismatch in the time scales over which analyses in the two approaches have been based, we wonder if the challenge to the concept of object has been misplaced.
“An unwarrantable impertinence”
Authors: Kihlstrom John F.
Published: April 2005

Wegner's many examples of illusory involuntariness do not warrant the conclusion that the experience of voluntariness is also an illusion. His arguments appear to be related to the contemporary emphasis on automaticity in social cognition and behavior; both appear to represent a revival of situationism in social psychology.
There may not be an A-not-B error
Authors: Stoffregen Thomas A.
Published: April 2005

In the A-not-B situation children reach toward location A when the object is at location B. Researchers interpret this as an error. I question this interpretation. Reaches are inaccurate only if the intention actually is to obtain the hidden object. If this is not the goal, then reaching for A may be accurate and there may be no error to be explained.
Hypnosis and will
Authors: Kirsch Irving , Lynn Steven Jay
Published: April 2005

Although we are sympathetic to his central thesis about the illusion of will, having previously advanced a similar proposal, Wegner's account of hypnosis is flawed. Hypnotic behavior derives from specific suggestions that are given, rather than from the induction, of trance, and it can be observed in 90% of the population. Thus, it is very pertinent to the illusion of will. However, Wegner exaggerates the loss of subjective will in hypnosis.
Hidden operators of mental attention applying on LTM give the illusion of a separate working memory
Authors: Pascual-Leone Juan
Published: April 2005

The authors' results support a functionalist conception of working memory: a manifold repertoire of schemes/schemas (long-term memory) and a small set of general-purpose “hidden operators.” Using some of these operators I define mental (i.e., endogenous) attention. Then, analyzing two of the authors' unexplained important findings, I illustrate the mental-attention model's explanatory power. Multivariate methodology that varies developmental, task differences, and individual differences is recommended.
Protecting cognitive science from quantum theory
Authors: Wallace David
Published: April 2005

The relation between micro-objects and macro-objects advocated by Kim is even more problematic than Ross & Spurrett (R&S) argue, for reasons rooted in physics. R&S's own ontological proposals are much more satisfactory from a physicist's viewpoint but may still be problematic. A satisfactory theory of macroscopic ontology must be as independent as possible of the details of microscopic physics.
Experimental psychology cannot solve the problem of conscious will (yet we must try)
Authors: Krueger Joachim I.
Published: April 2005

According to the view that humans are conscious automata, the experience of conscious will is illusory. Epistemic theories of causation, however, make room for causal will, planned behavior, and moral action.
The cognitive and behavioral sciences: Real patterns, real unity, real causes, but no supervenience
Authors: Ross Don , Spurrett David
Published: April 2005

Our response amplifies our case for scientific realism and the unity of science and clarifies our commitments to scientific unity, nonreductionism, behaviorism, and our rejection of talk of “emergence.” We acknowledge support from commentators for our view of physics and, responding to pressure and suggestions from commentators, deny the generality supervenience and explain what this involves. We close by reflecting on the relationship between philosophy and science.
Inferences are just folk psychology
Authors: Metzinger Thomas
Published: April 2005

To speak of “inferences,” “interpretations,” and so forth is just folk psychology. It creates new homunculi, and it is also implausible from a purely phenomenological perspective. Phenomenal volition must be described in the conceptual framework of an empirically plausible theory of mental representation. It is a non sequitur to conclude from dissociability that the functional properties determining phenomenal volition never make a causal contribution.
Differentiating dissociation and repression
Authors: Morton John
Published: April 2005

Now that consciousness is thoroughly out of the way, we can focus more precisely on the kinds of things that can happen underneath. A contrast can be made between dissociation and repression. Dissociation is where a memory record or set of autobiographical memory records cannot be retrieved; repression is where there is retrieval of a record but, because of the current task specification, the contents of the record, though entering into current processing, are not allowed into consciousness. I look at hypnotic amnesia and dissociative identity disorder in relation to this contrast.
The short- and long-term consequences of believing an illusion
Authors: Young Michael E.
Published: April 2005

The experience of free will has causal consequences, albeit not immediate ones. Although Wegner recognizes this, his model failed to incorporate this causal link. Is this experience central to “what makes us human”? A broad acceptance of Wegner's claim that free will is illusory has significant societal and religious consequences, therefore the threshold of evidence needs to be correspondingly high.
Conscious will and agent causation
Authors: Zuriff G. E.
Published: April 2005

Wegner (2002) fails to (1) distinguish conscious will and voluntariness; (2) account for everyday willed acts; and (3) individuate thoughts and acts. Wegner incorrectly implies that (4) we experience acts as willed only when they are caused by unwilled thoughts; (5) thoughts are never true causes of actions; and (6) we experience ourselves as first performing mental acts which then cause our intentional actions.
OPTIMAL ROUTING IN OUTPUT-QUEUED FLEXIBLE SERVER SYSTEMS
Authors: Stolyar Alexander L.
Published: April 2005

We consider a queuing system with multitype customers and
nonhomogeneous flexible servers, in the heavy traffic asymptotic regime
and under a complete resource pooling (CRP) condition. For the
input-queued (IQ) version of such a system (with customers being
queued at the system “entrance,” one queue per each type), it
was shown in the work of Mandelbaum and Stolyar that a simple parsimonious
Gcμ scheduling rule is optimal in that it asymptotically
minimizes the system customer workload and some strictly convex
queuing costs. In this article, we consider a
different—output-queued (OQ)—version of the model,
where each arriving customer must be assigned to one of the servers
immediately upon arrival. (This constraint can be interpreted as immediate
routing of each customer to one of the “output
queues,” one queue per each server.) Consequently, the space of
controls allowed for an OQ system is a subset of that for the
corresponding IQ system.

We introduce the MinDrift routing rule for OQ systems (which
is as simple and parsimonious as Gcμ) and show that this
rule, in conjunction with arbitrary work-conserving disciplines at the
servers, has asymptotic optimality properties analogous to those
Gcμ rule has for IQ systems. A key element of the analysis is
the notion of system server workload, which, in particular,
majorizes customer workload. We show that (1) the MinDrift rule
asymptotically minimizes server workload process among all OQ-system
disciplines and (2) this minimal process matches the minimal possible
customer workload process in the corresponding IQ system. As a corollary,
MinDrift asymptotically minimizes customer workload among all disciplines
in either the OQ or IQ system.
STOCHASTIC PROPERTIES OF p-SPACINGS OF GENERALIZED ORDER
STATISTICS
Authors: Hu Taizhong , Zhuang Weiwei
Published: April 2005

The concept of generalized order statistics was introduced as a
unified approach to a variety of models of ordered random variables. The
purpose of this article is to investigate the conditions on the parameters
that enable one to establish several stochastic comparisons of general
p-spacings for a subclass of generalized order statistics in the
likelihood ratio and the hazard rate orders. Preservation properties of
the logconvexity and logconcavity of p-spacings are also
given.
Complementary currencies: a prospect on money from a retrospect on premodern practices
Authors: FANTACCI LUCA
Published: April 2005

Debasement has generally been condemned as a defect of premodern money, that was eventually amended by the institution of the gold standard. Building on monetary history and thought from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, this article argues that debasement was instead an instrument designed to maintain the metal standard where it was needed, in the circuit of long-distance trade, while preserving the possibility of an autonomous distribution within local economies. The theoretical distinction between monetary functions (measure and means of exchange) was made effective by the articulation of ideal and real money (via debasement and enhancement), providing complementary economic areas with complementary currencies. Moreover, the distinction between monetary functions also appears as a constituent feature of money from the perspective of a reappraisal of the milestones of monetary thought, from Smith to Keynes.
The state, banks and financing of investments in France from World War II to the 1970s
Authors: QUENNOUËLLE-CORRE LAURE
Published: April 2005

This article examines how corporate financing has been adjusted during the high growth period after World War II. First, it discusses how the Ministry of Finance tried on the one hand to liberalise the system after the 1950s, but on the other hand, did not want to undermine the ‘Treasury circuit’ that allowed its administration to control the economic situation. Secondly, during 1960s, the relationships between state and banking industry became so tight that they strengthened the banking cartel and increased the banking system's contribution to the financial system. The high costs of issuing capital in France contrast with the low interest rates during the period. The French choice of financial system for economic development clearly did not favour markets, but focused on deposit and investment banks, and settled on both a ‘state-based’ and ‘bank-based’ system.
The predecessors of ABN AMRO and the expropriation of Jewish assets in the Netherlands
Authors: VAN TIELHOF MILJA
Published: April 2005

This article describes the role played by Dutch banks in the confiscation of Jewish property during World War II. ABN AMRO's predecessors, then seven commercial banks, surrendered the lion's share of Jewish financial assets to the Nazis. How can this be explained? One possible answer is that the banks allowed their own, commercial, interests to prevail over those of their Jewish clients. Other factors were: strategies of deception by the German authorities, low level of resistance among Dutch Jews, German pressure on banks to release Jewish assets and, finally, the lengthy duration of the war.
Is Political Science Really Young?
Authors: Oren Ido
Published: April 2005

Kim Quaile Hill (PS: Political Science and Politics, July 2004) seeks to
debunk five “myths about the physical sciences” that “pose notable hurdles for appreciating
the social sciences as legitimate scientific enterprise” (467). One of these myths is that
“the physical sciences have always been highly successful in explaining their subject
matter.” Hill complains that political science students are “ignorant of the history of
science” and therefore they fail to “appreciate the differences between young and mature
scientific disciplines…. If students can appreciate that all sciences were once youthful—as
political science still is today—they will have a useful perspective by which to understand
why and how the knowledge base of our discipline is limited” (469).
“Science and Political Science Redux”
Authors: Hill Kim Quaile
Published: April 2005

I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to Oren, Ozminkowski, and Strake's
comments on my recent article on myths about the physical sciences. All of them in my
judgment either misperceive parts of my original argument or raise concerns that allow me to
extend that argument. To the degree that others share their views, this essay may address
widespread differences of opinion or misperceptions about these matters.
Microscopic Examination of Chitosan–Polyphosphate Beads with Entrapped Spores of the Biocontrol Agent,Streptomyces melanosporofaciensEF-76
Authors: Jobin Guy , Grondin Gilles , Couture Geneviève , Beaulieu Carole
Published: April 2005

Spores of the biocontrol agent,Streptomyces melanosporofaciensEF-76, were entrapped by complex coacervation in beads composed of a macromolecular complex (MC) of chitosan and polyphosphate. A proportion of spores entrapped in beads survived the entrapment procedure as shown by treating spores from chitosan beads with a dye allowing the differentiation of live and dead cells. The spore-loaded chitosan beads could be digested by a chitosanase, suggesting that, once introduced in soil, the beads would be degraded to release the biocontrol agent. Spore-loaded beads were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy because the release of the biological agent depends on the spore distribution in the chitosan beads. The microscopic examination revealed that the beads had a porous surface and contained a network of inner microfibrils. Spores were entrapped in both the chitosan microfibrils and the bead lacuna.
The Role of Microfilaments in Early Meiotic Maturation of Mouse Oocytes
Authors: Calarco Patricia G.
Published: April 2005

Mouse oocyte microfilaments (MF) were perturbed by depolymerization (cytochalasin B) or stabilization (jasplakinolide) and correlated meiotic defects examined by confocal microscopy. MF, microtubules, and mitochondria were vitally stained; centrosomes (γ-tubulin), after fixation. MF depolymerization by cytochalasin in culture medium did not affect central migration of centrosomes, mitochondria, or nuclear breakdown (GVBD); some MF signal was localized around the germinal vesicle (GV). In maturation-blocking medium (containing IBMX), central movement was curtailed and cortical MF aggregations made the plasma membrane wavy. Occasional long MF suggested that not all MF were depolymerized. MF stabilization by jasplakinolide led to MF aggregations throughout the cytoplasm. GVBD occurred (unless IBMX was present) but no spindle formed. Over time, most oocytes constricted creating a dumbbell shape with MF concentrated under one-half of the oocyte cortex and on either side of the constriction. In IBMX medium, the MF-containing half of the dumbbell over time sequestered the GV, MF, mitochondria, and one to two large cortical centrosomes; the non-MF half appeared empty. Cumulus processes contacted the oocyte surface (detected by microtubule content) and mirrored MF distribution. Results demonstrated that MF play an essential role in meiosis, primarily through cortically mediated events, including centrosome localization, spindle (or GV) movement to the periphery, activation of (polar body) constriction, and establishment of oocyte polarity. The presence of a cortical “organizing pole” is hypothesized.
Electron Microscopy Study of Exotic Nanostructures of Cadmium Sulfide
Authors: Dong Lifeng , Jiao Jun
Published: April 2005

In this article, two simple methods, evaporation-condensation and catalytic thermal evaporation, were used to investigate the synthesis of CdS nanostructures for nanoscale optoelectronic applications. To understand their growth mechanisms, various electron microscopy and microanalysis techniques were utilized in characterizing their morphologies, internal structures, growth directions and elemental compositions. The electron microscopy study reveals that when using the evaporation-condensation method, branched CdS nanorods and self-assembled arrays of CdS nanorods were synthesized at 800°C and 1000°C, respectively. Instead of morphological differences, both types of CdS nanorods grew along the [0001] direction. However, when using the catalytic thermal evaporation method (Au as the catalyst), patterned CdS nanowires and nanobelts were formed at the temperature region of 500–600°C and 600–750°C, respectively. Their growth direction was along the direction [1010] instead of [0001]. Based on the microscopy and microanalysis results, we propose some growth mechanisms in relation to the growth processes of those exotic CdS nanostructures.
Immunolocalization of MAP-2 in Routinely Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Guinea Pig Brain Sections Using Microwave Irradiation: A Comparison of Different Combinations of Antibody Clones and Antigen Retrieval Buffer Solutions
Authors: Kan Robert K. , Pleva Christina M. , Hamilton Tracey A. , Petrali John P.
Published: April 2005

The present study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of different microwave pretreatment methods to retrieve microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) immunoreactivity in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded guinea pig brain sections. Brain sections, microwave pretreated in boiling sodium citrate, citric acid, Tris hydrochloride, and EDTA buffers of pH 4, 6, and 8, were labeled with four different clones of MAP-2 monoclonal antibodies. No MAP-2 immunoreactivity was observed in control sections processed without microwave pretreatment. Optimal MAP-2 immunoreactivity was observed only when MAP-2 antibody clone AP18 was used in conjunction with citric acid buffer of pH 6.0. Using this combination, brain sections from nerve agent soman-exposed guinea pigs were found to exhibit marked reduction in MAP-2 immunostaining in the hippocampus. These observations suggest that the clone of the antibody in addition to the type and pH of antigen retrieval (AR) solution are important variables to be considered for establishing an optimal AR technique. When studying counterpart antigens of species other than that to which the antibodies were originally raised, different antibody clones must be tested in combination with different microwave-assisted AR (MAR) methods. This MAR method makes it possible to conduct retrospective studies on archival guinea pig brain paraffin blocks to evaluate changes in neuronal MAP-2 expression as a consequence of chemical warfare nerve agent toxicity.
Authors' Response
Authors: Jia Chun-Lin , Lentzen Markus , Urban Knut
Published: April 2005

The authors are grateful to the Editor for the opportunity to reply to the letter by Lupini et al. The authors of the above letter comment on a set of recent articles in which the novel technique of imaging at a negative value of the spherical aberration coefficient of the objective lens in an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (NCSI technique) is methodically described and applied to the measurement of the occupancy of atomically resolved oxygen columns in perovskites. In particular, the authors raise doubts about the possibility of inferring quantitative data from measurements of the local image intensity at the position of the oxygen atom columns. With reference to the study by Jia et al. (2003a), the letter authors present an image simulation on the basis of which it is stated that the observed effect of a reduced intensity at the oxygen atomic columns should not be interpreted in terms of reduced oxygen occupancy but can, as the authors claim, be “better” explained on the basis of the effect of surface roughness on contrast. In addition, the authors emphasize the work of Kim et al. (2001) with respect to the nonstoichiometry of the oxygen occupancy in grain boundaries of SrTiO3and criticize our reference to the literature in which it is reported that oxygen cannot be observed by the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) technique in Z-contrast. In the following, we shall demonstrate that in spite of the fact that a nonideal surface morphology can—as in the application of any (!) electron microscopic technique whether used in TEM or in STEM—have an effect on local image intensity, meaningful quantitative measurements of relative oxygen-atom site occupancies can be carried out employing the NCSI technique.
Principles of preoperative chemotherapy
Authors: von Minckwitz G.
Published: April 2005

Efficacy of preoperative (primary, neoadjuvant) systemic chemotherapy significantly improved over the last two decades. Only about 3% of patients reached a pathological complete remission after preoperative treatment with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil in the late 1980s, whereas today up to 18% have no viable tumour cell detected at histological examination when taxane-containing regimens, for example adriamycin/cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel or docetaxel/adriamycin/cyclophosphamide, are being used. This improvement has implications on current treatment recommendations and should be considered when this approach gains a broader use in routine practice.
Safety of breast conservation therapy in BRCA1 and BRCA2 cancers
Authors: Alpert T. E. , Haffty B. G.
Published: April 2005

For the majority of women with early-stage breast cancer, conservative management with breast conserving surgery plus radiotherapy is widely embraced. However, in patients with germline mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2, the safety of breast conservation therapy remains controversial. These breast cancer susceptibility genes are associated with an increased risk of second cancers, although the prognosis of BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer is similar to patients with sporadic breast cancer. Preclinical evidence for radiosensitivity has prompted concern for radiation-induced complications in patients with genetic breast cancer. There is limited literature on the safety breast conservation therapy in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. The largest published study reported acute and chronic radiation toxicity results and noted no adverse sequelae in the genetic cohort [1]. Selected published studies demonstrate recurrence rates and overall survival comparable to sporadic controls [1–3]. A series with longer follow-up reported an increase in late second-primary breast cancers, highlighting the need for preventative strategies [4]. Tamoxifen and oophorectomy have a potential role in modifying the rate of second events, and thereby improving the safety of breast conservation therapy.
Update on the importance of parenchymal patterns and breast cancer risk
Authors: Ding J. , Warren R.
Published: April 2005

Mammographic density is a well-documented independent risk factor for breast cancer. Measurements of density come in various forms, ranging from qualitative descriptions to quantitative assessments or a combination of both. The different means of examining density lead to variations in density–risk relationship. Currently there is no consensus on which method is preferable. The interrelation of mammographic density with other risk factors is crucial to density–risk assessments, since each of these risk factors can influence density on its own. Mammographic density can be modified through hormonal and chemical means, which can have important implications on mammographic sensitivity, accuracy in cancer diagnosis and cancer prevention.
IGF-I; IGF-binding protein-3 and breast cancer risk
Authors: Renehan A. G. , Zwahlen M. , Egger M. , Shalet S. M.
Published: April 2005

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and its main binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) are multi-regulatory peptides important in tumour cell growth and survival. In the circulation, they occur in large quantities and are readily measured. Across a population, concentrations vary and this may impact on risk of cancers common in western societies. Emerging epidemiological evidence supports the notion that higher levels of IGF-I are associated with increased risk of pre-menopausal, but not post-menopausal, breast cancer. Higher levels of IGFBP-3 may also predict for increased risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer, but this is contrary to the conventional view that this peptide is tumour protective. Nutritional and lifestyle factors, important in breast cancer risk, also inter-relate with circulating levels of IGF-I, but in many circumstances, the relationships are complex. It is becoming increasingly important that the clinical breast oncologist understands the physiology of the IGF system and its potential role in cancer risk assessment and prevention.
Prophylactic mastectomy
Authors: Osborne M. P.
Published: April 2005

Women with increased risk of breast cancer have the treatment options of chemoprevention, surveillance or prophylactic mastectomy (PM). This article will focus on PM. PM should only be undergone after a detailed risk assessment and consultation with the patient's entire medical team, including a psychologist. PM will either be bilateral or contralateral. Bilateral PM is usually recommended to women who have a genetic predisposition for breast cancer. Research has shown that PM was 98.6% effective in preventing breast cancer in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers. Contralateral PM (CPM) is a treatment option not often recommended to women who are being treated for breast cancer. While research has shown that CPM can offer a 95% risk reduction to contralateral breast cancer recurrence, the low risk of developing a contralateral breast cancer in the first place (0.6%) means that CPM would actually offer little benefit to most patients. However, it should be noted that the efficacy of PM for patients with invasive lobular carcinoma is controversial and further research is needed. The optimal surgical technique for removing the most breast tissue is total mastectomy, while new techniques of ‘skin sparing’ mastectomy will allow a better cosmetic outcome following reconstruction.
Psychometric properties of the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire
in inpatient cancer rehabilitation in Germany
Authors: DIRMAIER JÖRG , ZAUN SILKE , KOCH UWE , HARFST TIMO , SCHULZ HOLGER
Published: April 2005

Objective: Recent years have shown an increase in the use of
questionnaires measuring health-related quality of life to verify the
quality of treatment in the field of oncology. An often used
cancer-specific questionnaire is the “Quality of Life Core
Questionnaire of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment
of Cancer” (EORTC QLQ-C30). The purpose of this study is to analyze
the psychometric properties of the EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 1) in order to
determine the feasibility and appropriateness for its use in inpatient
cancer rehabilitation in Germany with heterogeneous diagnoses.

Methods: The questionnaire was administrated to a sample of
972 cancer patients at the beginning of treatment and to 892 patients
after treatment. Besides descriptive analysis, the statistical analyses
include confirmatory analysis and the multitrait/multimethod approach
to test the questionnaire's postulated scale structure (factorial
validity) and its reliability (internal consistencies). The analysis also
includes a comparison of responsiveness indices (effect size, reliable
change index) to test the sensitivity of the instrument.

Results: The EORTC QLQ-C30 showed satisfactory levels of
reliability and sensitivity, but the postulated scale structure could not
be confirmed. The results illustrate that the varimax-rotated solution of
a principal component analysis does not confirm the scale structure
postulated by the authors. Correspondingly, the selected fit indices
within the scope of the confirmatory factor analysis do not show
satisfactory results either.

Significance of results: We therefore consider version 1 of
the EORTC QLQ-C30 to be only limitedly useful for the routine assessment
of changes in the quality of life of cancer patients in inpatient
rehabilitation in Germany, especially because of the instrument's
length and possible redundancies. For this reason, a scoring procedure
limited to a subset of items is suggested, revealing satisfactory to good
psychometric indices. However, further psychometric tests are necessary,
especially with regard to validity and sensitivity.
A feasibility study of Dignity Psychotherapy delivered via
telemedicine
Authors: PASSIK STEVEN D. , KIRSH KENNETH L. , LEIBEE SUZANNE , KAPLAN LISA S. , LOVE CELIA , NAPIER ELLEN , BURTON DEBORAH , SPRANG ROBERT
Published: April 2005

Objective: Dignity Psychotherapy has shown great promise as a
value-affirming intervention for patients with advanced disease. We
delivered the Dignity Psychotherapy intervention in a feasibility study of
a series of eight cancer patients via videophone technology to deliver the
therapy into their homes.

Methods: Once eligible patients were consented on this
IRB-approved study, they completed baseline assessments and were scheduled
to have the videophone placed in their homes. The Dignity Therapy sessions
then encompassed a first session, which was transcribed and edited,
followed by a second session to go over the edited transcript and allow
the patient to make changes. Patients then filled out follow-up
questionnaires and had the telemedicine equipment removed from their
homes, and their legacy document delivered.

Results: Participants had a mean age of 56.32 years (range =
41–66, SD = 7.65) and were diagnosed with lung (n
= 5, 62.5%), breast (n = 2, 25%), or colon cancer (n =
1, 12.5%). They reported overall benefit from the intervention along with
a high level of satisfaction. We were able to deliver the intervention in
a timely fashion, with minimal length between sessions and transcript
delivery and few technical difficulties.

Significance of results: Telemedicine can greatly extend the
benefits of Dignity Psychotherapy by bringing it to patients who are dying
at home. Our very preliminary work suggests that delivering the
intervention to patients who are too ill to leave their homes or who are
in rural locations may be a feasible way to help them.
Competence development in palliative care in Norway: A description and evaluation of a postgraduate education program in palliative care in Drammen, Norway
Authors: LANDMARK BJØRG TH. , WAHL ASTRID K. , BØHLER ANN
Published: April 2005

Objective:The aim of the present study was to evaluate competence development in palliative treatment, nursing and care in students (n= 25) undergoing a two-year postgraduate education program in palliation at a university college in Norway.

Methods:A questionnaire was handed out on five occasions during the education period.

Results:Results showed that the students rated their competence level as between some competence and good competence before entering the course. However, the competence level rose throughout the course period, and at the end of their education most of the students perceived themselves at a very good or extremely good competence level.

Significance of results:Statistically significant differences in all questions measuring competence in palliation were found on all occasions. Further studies are needed to confirm the effect of education on students' perceived competence development and whether it has a positive impact on clinical practice.
The prevalence of psychiatric disorder and the wish to hasten death
among terminally ill cancer patients
Authors: KELLY BRIAN J. , PELUSI DAN , BURNETT PAUL C. , VARGHESE FRANCIS T.
Published: April 2005

Objective: This study assessed the prevalence of psychiatric
disorder among a group of terminally ill cancer patients with or without a
wish to hasten death (WTHD).

Methods: Consecutive patient referrals to a hospice inpatient
unit, home palliative care service, and hospital palliative
care-consulting service were recruited. A group of these patients
(n = 56) consented to participate in a structured clinical
interview (SCID) to identify the presence of psychiatric diagnoses.
Patients were categorised into those with or without a wish to hasten
death.

Results: Current major depressive episode and adjustment
disorder were the most prevalent disorders in this group of patients.
Patients with a high WTHD were significantly more likely to have a current
major depressive episode compared to patients with no WTHD. Patients with
a high WTHD were also significantly more likely to have a past major
depressive episode compared to patients with no WTHD.

Significance of results: These results support the view that
terminally ill patients with a high WTHD are significantly more likely to
be suffering from a depressive disorder as assessed by a structured
clinical interview. This has important clinical implications for those
caring for dying patients who may make a request to hasten death.
The delirium subtypes: A review of prevalence, phenomenology, pathophysiology, and treatment response
Authors: STAGNO DANIELE , GIBSON CHRISTOPHER , BREITBART WILLIAM
Published: April 2005

Delirium is a highly prevalent disease in the elderly and postoperative, cancer, and AIDS patients. However it is often misdiagnosed and mistreated. This may be partly due to the inconsistencies of the diagnosis itself. Delirium is best defined currently by an association of cognitive impairment and arousal disturbance. Three subtypes (hyperactive, hypoactive, mixed) receive a definition in the literature, but those definitions may vary from author to author according to the importance they give either to the motoric presentation of the delirium or to the arousal disturbance. Our aim is to point out the inconsistencies we found in the literature, but also to identify different paths that have been explored to solve them, that is, the suggestion to emphasize the arousal disturbances in defining the subtypes instead of the motoric presentations, which seem to be more fluctuating, and because of the fluctuating course of the disease to extend the observation over a period of time, which may improve the accuracy of the diagnosis. This is not without importance from a clinical standpoint. Subtypes of delirium may be explained by different pathophysiologic mechanisms, which remain partly unexplained, and may respond to specific treatments. There is a trend to isolate core symptoms (disorientation, cognitive deficits, sleep–wake cycle disturbance, disorganized thinking, and language abnormalities) so as to distinguish them from secondary symptoms that may be correlated with the different etiologies. Our contribution is also to challenge, with new data, the accepted belief that psychotic features are quite rare in the hypoactive type of delirium. We demonstrate that delusions and perceptual disturbances, although less frequent, are present in more than half of the patients with hypoactive delirium. The psychotic features are clearly correlated with a highly prevalent rate of patients', spouses', and caregivers' distress. The mixed subtype of delirium seems to have the worst prognosis, the hyperactive showing the best prognosis. The treatment of the agitated delirious patient is also more consensual. Haloperidol remains the gold standard in the treatment of delirium regardless of the clinical presentation, but the literature provides several alternatives that may prove more specific and have less adverse effects (atypical antipsychotics, psychostimulants, anesthetics).
Improving care at the end of life: How advance care planning can
help
Authors: MOSKOP JOHN C.
Published: April 2005

Based on a comparison of studies of patient desires regarding
end-of-life care and of the actual course of end-of-life care, this
article concludes that there is a significant discrepancy in the United
States between the kind of care most people want and the kind of care they
in fact receive. The article offers a case example to illustrate one type
of dilemma commonly encountered in end-of-life care. It then introduces
and describes the practice of advance care planning. Use of advance care
planning, it is argued, can prevent moral dilemmas and improve end-of-life
care.
Psychostimulants and delirium in patients receiving palliative care
Authors: KEEN J.C. , BROWN D.
Published: April 2005

The use of psychostimulants to relieve opioid-induced drowsiness and symptoms of depression in medically ill patients has become increasingly established in North America. The role of psychostimulants in the care of patients receiving palliative care is beginning to be debated in the United Kingdom both in the hospice and hospital setting. Delirium has been well defined and reported as a significant problem in populations of patients receiving palliative care. Two case histories are presented to illustrate the potential benefit of psychostimulants in hypoactive delirium.
Cancer and personhood
Authors: KILLEEN LORRY
Published: April 2005

The effects of a disease alter every aspect of the person's
being. Even with a fairly mild illness, treatment of the disease will
change the patient's work and social habits, family relationships,
and outlook. When the illness is cancer, and when, as in this particular
case, death was almost certain in a short and measured time, the effect on
the person is enormous. Generally, medicine, in accord with traditional
religious teaching, stressed the division of man into two parts: body and
soul. The body was the proper focus of temporal care and the soul belonged
to the spiritual domain, the churches and their clergy. Church teaching
explained that the body waged a constant battle with the soul and was a
source of temptation and sin—sloth, greed, lust, and
pride—these appetites had to be chastened so the soul could survive
its brief earthly visit and enjoy eternal salvation after the death of the
body. Medicine, therefore, looked at all parts of the body and tried to
make them work well together. What kind of a person was left, after the
body had been worked on, was not the concern of medicine.
Rediscovering the meaning in medicine: Lessons from the dying on the
ethics of experience
Authors: DUFFY JAMES
Published: April 2005

Modern medicine is currently confronting a crisis of meaning that is
manifesting in a dispirited and demoralized profession. Palliative
medicine and the care of patients with incurable diseases provide
clinicians with an opportunity to rediscover the meaning in their work. In
particular, with its emphasis on compassion, palliative medicine
reconnects us to the Socratic ideal and an “ethics of
experience.” Our rediscovery of this perennial philosophy is
necessary if we are to develop the wisdom necessary to containing our
enormous scientific capabilities.
DaViDiF: Das Virtuelle Diagnostische Fallseminar
Authors: Herder Meike , Halder-Sinn Petra
Published: April 2005

Zusammenfassung. Die diagnostische Handlungskompetenz des Psychologen umfasst unterschiedliche Elemente: adäquate Auswahl und Erhebung relevanter Daten, Aggregation und Interpretation dieser Daten und schließlich die Schlussfolgerung aus diesen Daten. DaViDiF (“Das Virtuelle Diagnostische Fallseminar“) ist ein computer-basiertes Trainingsprogramm, das diese verschiedenen Elemente der diagnostischen Aufgabenstellung berücksichtigt. DaViDiF simuliert den diagnostischen Prozess mit einem virtuellen Klienten mit unspezifischen Symptomen. Es werden verschiedene Informationsquellen zur Verfügung gestellt und der Anwender kann somit Erfahrung in der Auswahl der zielführenden Informationen erwerben und letztendlich eine ICD-10-Diagnose erstellen. DaViDiF ist als eine wichtige Ergänzung in der diagnostischen und klinischen Ausbildung der Psychologie-Studenten anzusehen.
Optical second harmonic generation studies of ultrathin high-k dielectric stacks
Authors: Fomenko V. , Gusev E. P. , Borguet E.
Published: April 2005

We report an investigation of charge transfer in high-k dielectric stacks on Si by second harmonic generation (SHG). Ultrathin (2–6 nm) films of HfO2, ZrO2, and Al2O3 grown on Si surfaces by atomic layer deposition were investigated and compared to conventional SiO2-based gate dielectrics. From the SHG rotational anisotropy (SHG-RA) of Si-(high-k) and Si–SiO2 systems, optical roughness of the films was found to increase in the following order: SiO2, Al2O3, and (ZrO2 and HfO2). The optical roughness is regarded as a quantity describing the nonuniformity in the distribution of interfacial defects capable of charge trapping. Time dependent second harmonic generation (TD-SHG) measurements were carried out to understand charge trapping and detrapping dynamics and trapped charge densities. Relative comparison of the four dielectrics revealed that Al2O3 films have the highest densities of trapped and fixed charge while silicon oxides exhibited less charge trapping, consistent with electrical measurements performed on similar structures. In contrast to SiO2 films, detrapping was significantly suppressed in the high-k films due to significantly reduced leakage currents. We also observed ambient effects in charge trapping at the dielectric/air(vacuum) interface that could be significantly reduced by covering the dielectric film with a thin (semitransparent) metal (aluminum) overlayer.
Biological shot-noise and quantum-limited signal-to-noise ratio in affinity-based biosensors
Authors: Hassibi Arjang , Zahedi Sina , Navid Reza , Dutton Robert W. , Lee Thomas H.
Published: April 2005

We study the statistical behavior of affinity-based biosensors. The detection uncertainty and noise in such devices originates primarily from probabilistic molecular-level bindings within the sensing regions, and the stochastic mass-transfer processes within the reaction chamber. In this paper, we model the dynamic behavior of these sensory systems by a Markov process, which enables us to estimate the sensor inherent noise power spectral density (PSD) and response time. We also present the methods by which the Markov parameters are extracted from the reaction kinetic rates, diffusion coefficients, and reaction chamber boundary conditions. Using this model, we explain why Poisson shot noise has been reported in such biosensors and additionally predict a Lorentzian profile for the fluctuation PSD. Furthermore, we demonstrate that affinity-based biosensors have a quantum-limited signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We also show that the SNR decreases as the dimensions are isomorphically scaled down while the biosensor response speed increases, substantiating a fundamental trade-off between biosensor speed and accuracy.
Beneficial effect of Ni substitution on the thermoelectric properties in partially filled CayCo4−xNixSb12 skutterudites
Authors: Puyet M. , Dauscher A. , Lenoir B. , Dehmas M. , Stiewe C. , Müller E. , Hejtmanek J.
Published: April 2005

We have investigated the influence of nickel doping in a series of n-type CoSb3 skutterudite materials partially filled with Ca. The electrical resistivity, thermopower, and thermal conductivity have been measured in the 300–800 K temperature range on CayCo1−xNixSb12 compounds prepared by a powder metallurgy route. The chemical composition and structure have been analyzed by electron probe microanalyses and x-ray diffraction, respectively. It was found that the presence of nickel substantially decreases the electrical resistivity without any detrimental effect on the thermopower, resulting in an improvement of the power factor. The dimensionless thermoelectric figure ZT increases with increasing temperature and reaches a maximum value of 1 at 800 K.