bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Agricultural Sector in China: Performance and Policy Dilemmas during the 1990s
Authors: Ash Robert F.
Published: February 2009

The varied experience of China's agricultural economy during the 1980s highlights the challenges and opportunities facing the farm sector during the present decade. Until 1985 agriculture's performance was widely regarded as an unqualified success. Decollectivization and institutional initiatives provided a framework which allowed, for the majority of farmers, an unprecedented degree of independence in decision-making. Farming was once more practised on a household basis, peasants' activities were increasingly geared towards market signals and their economic relationship with the state defined by legal contracts. Large increases in the purchase prices of major farm products provided the material incentive for the expansion of all branches of the agricultural economy. These same increases were the source of substantial gains in income, which contained the wherewithal for large-scale investment in agricultural production.
The Energy Situation in China
Authors: Kambara Tatsu
Published: February 2009

With a total population of over a billion people, China requires vast supplies of energy for industrial and economic development. Indeed, in absolute terms, the country ranks third to the United States and the former Soviet Union as a producer and consumer of energy resources. Nevertheless, its per capita energy consumption remains extremely low even for a developing country.
The Changing Role of Oil in Chinese Exports, 1974–89
Authors: Chow Larry Chuen-ho
Published: February 2009

Although not commonly recognized as such, China is a sizeable oil exporter in the world. In 1985, for example, it exported 36.24 million tonnes of crude oil and oil products, accounting for 2.41 per cent of total oil exports in the world. Oil also satisfied 17 per cent of total domestic energy needs and generated 25.9 per cent of all export earnings of the country in 1985.
A Private Ceremony to Mourn Deng Tuo, Wu Han, Liao Mosha and Liu Ren
Authors: Mazur Mary G.
Published: February 2009

Abstract:On 17 May 1996, in a crypt at Babaoshan cemetery in Beijing, a private memorial was held by Ding Yilan to commemorate the deaths in the Cultural Revolution of her husband Deng Tuo, Liu Ren, Wu Han, and later of Liao Mosha. The date was the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Cultural Revolution and the suicide death of Deng Tuo. Mourning for Deng Tuo had been forbidden at his death when Ding Yilan was ordered to have the body cremated under a false name in a distant crematorium. Mourning ceremonies at the tenth and 20th anniversaries were impossible. In 1996 when it seemed that she might not live until the 40th anniversary, she decided time was running out. With no possibility of public commemoration because of the known disapproval of the Central Party authorities, Ding Yilan, in failing health, had arranged a private memorial for Deng Tuo and the other two members of the Three Family Village, with 40 invited guests. She included Liu Ren, the second secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Taiwan Society at the Fin de Siécle
Authors: Gold Thomas B.
Published: February 2009

For old Taiwan-hands, the island's traffic serves as the best metaphor for society there: it lurches between extremes of Hobbesian chaos and paralysis. Drivers either rush frenetically with little regard for others or get stuck in traffic jams of epic proportions, all the time emitting dangerous pollutants into the air everyone must breathe. A superhighway may have six carefully demarcated lanes, but at any time there seems to be a minimum of ten discernible streams of traffic, as vehicles weave in and out, honking, bullying, dodging and frequently colliding. A frontier ethos still rules in this parvenu society, where 25 years ago motorcycles began to replace bicycles, and now privately-owned cars including all the priciest prestige models from around the world, are ubiquitous, riding and parking wherever their drivers feel able to stake out a claim. Sometimes it seems as if everyone is on the move, or trying to move, unwilling to yield to others, treating strangers with shocking incivility.
Taiwan's Mainland Policy: Normalization, Yes; Reunification, Later
Authors: Cabestan Jean Pierre
Published: February 2009

Since 1949, the spectre of the People's Republic of China (PRC) has constantly dominated Taiwan's political stage. The PRC was considered until the mid-1960s by Chiang Kai-shek, then President of the Republic of China on Taiwan (ROCOT), as a part of the country to be reconquered from the Communist bandits (gongfei). And since the United States′ de-recognition in 1979 the reunification with mainland China has remained one of the key official objectives of the Nationalist regime.
The International Standing of the Republic of China on Taiwan
Authors: Yahuda Michael
Published: February 2009

In the 1990s Taiwan began to pose a complex new challenge to the international community. At issue is Taiwan's attempt to revise the so-called “one China” policy as it had been previously understood. By seeking to be treated as a separate state that was distinct from mainland China, Taiwan was embarking on a new approach that confronted the Beijing government with what it saw as the totally unacceptable prospect of secession by a renegade province that would in effect subvert China's unity and national coherence.
America in Taiwan' Post Cold-War Foreign Relations
Authors: Robinson Thomas W.
Published: February 2009

Since losing the mainland to Communist conquest in 1949 (more accurately, since the North Korean invasion of the South in June 1950), Taiwan has become a continuous foreign policy protectorate of the United States. Had it not been for American security protection, Taiwan would long since have come under Beijing's rule. Several causative agents, separately, in combination or sequentially, kept Taiwan out of mainland Chinese hands. These included, initially, the American Seventh Fleet, then generalized American military might in concert with the American-Taiwan Defence Treaty of 1954, thence the three American- Chinese communiques forming the basis of post-1971 relations between the two countries, concomitantly the American Congress's Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 and the accompanying (and subsequent) legislative history, and, throughout, China's inability to overcome, with a high probability of success, active Taiwan military resistance and probable American military support. While the economic and, more recently, political transformation of Taiwan materially strengthened that entity such that its defensibility against attack rose greatly, to say nothing of its overall attractiveness, from the onset of the People's Republic of China it was the American connection that was the sine qua non of Taiwan's quasi-independent existence.
Studies on China's Environment
Authors: Edmonds Richard Louis
Published: February 2009

The contributions to this Special Issue were first presented as discussion papers for a conference entitled “The Chinese Environment” convened by The China Quarterly and held in London at the School of Oriental and African Studies in January 1998. The papers benefited from the input of discussants and guests: Elisabeth Croll, Christopher Howe, and David Norse, and Fran Monks who served as rapporteur. James E. Nickum later wrote a general article on water issues which has enhanced and complemented the conference set. These combined efforts produced a volume which measures the state of the environment and pinpoints the environmental problems that China will face in the first decade of the 21st century.
Industrial Pollution in China and Remedial Policies
Authors: Vermeer Eduard B.
Published: February 2009

This paper presents an analysis of the adoption and implementation of Chinese environmental policies and pollution abatement measures. It sketches the role of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and the recently adopted Five-Year Plan for the years 1996–2000 in coping with China's increasing problems of water, air and soil pollution. Remedial measures, which could be legal, administrative or economic, are analysed both as part of more general programmes of legal and economic reform, and as specific designs for local or sectoral problems. In previous articles, I have discussed several major environmental concerns: environmental damages, scarcity of water, control over emissions by township and village enterprises (TVEs), investments and management methods. The present contribution will focus on wider political issues, such as participatory policies, differences in implementation between regions and sectors, and most recent developments in industrial pollution problems and abatement measures. This survey cannot be complete: the limitations of space and the need to give some concrete examples make it necessary to be selective. Therefore, while some problems will be highlighted – such as water treatment in the Huai River basin, sulphur dioxide emissions, and pollution by TVEs – other problems such as noise pollution will be omitted.
Reforming China's Coal Industry
Authors: Thomson Elspeth
Published: February 2009

In 1949 the Chinese adopted, almost in total, the former Soviet Union's system of central or command planning. Thirty years later, in 1979, the country embarked on a major economic reform programme aimed largely at correcting problems caused by central planning. The government now sought to create an economic system which would combine the best characteristics of socialist and market economies. Most analysts would agree that the non-grain agricultural and consumer goods sectors have been fully marketized, and quite successfully so, but that the economic reform of the state industrial sector has lagged far behind. Raising the profits and output and productivity levels of the state enterprises has proved extremely difficult, and the government has been reluctant to allow the unrestricted operation of market forces.
Bridges: Private Business, the Chinese Government and the Rise of New Associations
Authors: Unger Jonathan
Published: February 2009

During the 1980s, as the Chinese state moved to free the economy and to relax direct Party controls over society, it needed mechanisms to bridge the gaps in control that were created. A very large number of associations accordingly were established, usually on the government's own initiative, to serve as intermediaries between die state and diverse constituencies and spheres of activity.1These range from associations for different sectors of the economy, to science and technology associations, religious councils, cultural and social welfare groups, and sports associations: the numbers and range keep growing. All of these so-called non-governmental associations (minjian xiehui) must be officially registered, and only one organization is recognized as the representative for each sectoral constituency.2
Estimating China's Defence Expenditure: Some Evidence From Chinese Sources
Authors: Wang Shaoguang
Published: February 2009

Much attention has recently been paid to the difficult subject of estimating China's military expenditure (ME). This study seeks to contribute to this dialogue and research. Admittedly, this is not an easy task. A major problem with any analysis of China's ME is the veil of secrecy shrouding military allocations. Of course, the difficulty of gathering statistical data of sufficient reliability in this area is not peculiar to China. But Chinese leaders' traditional preoccupation with secrecy makes them extremely reluctant to publish details of the country's ME even in the crudest aggregated form. Until China published its first defence White Paper in November 1995, the annual state budget had contained only a single-line entry for defence. Even the White Paper did not reveal much about what was included in the official military budget. More important, a considerable amount of Chinese defence spending is not reflected in the official military budget. It is widely accepted by Western defence analysts, and occasionally admitted by their Chinese counterparts, that China's total defence spending includes three major components:
Contemporary China Studies in Scandinavia
Authors: Brodsgaard Kjeld Erik
Published: February 2009

Thirty years ago contemporary China studies in Scandinavia was largely an unknown phenomenon. Most sinologists worked on aspects of traditional sinology such as historical phonology, classical religion, philosophy and linguistics, and contemporary studies were seen as a rather shallow preoccupation which could be left safely in the hands of journalists and diplomats. However, as the public interest in contemporary China studies in Scandinavia grew and as development economists, political scientists and sociologists began to encroach on the China field, it increasingly became difficult to limit Chinese studies to classical pursuits. Today the contemporary China field in Scandinavia has grown strong and active and consists of approximately 90 active scholars. In most Scandinavian institutes classical studies occupy a dominant position in terms of faculty staff, but new positions are increasingly established within the contemporary field, where one also finds the majority of new Ph.D. projects.
The Struggle for Literacy in Post-Revolutionary Rural Guangdong
Authors: Peterson Glen
Published: February 2009

In a recent article, Paul Cohen described the “academic Great Wall” that separates the study of pre-1949 and post-1949 China, suggesting a need for greater efforts to break through the “1949 barrier.” In addition to lack of historical perspective, Western scholarship on the PRC has tended toward a statist approach that overestimates the state's autonomy from social forces – as Jean Oi has recently put it, “almost to the point of denying the ‘autonomy’ of society.” As the work of Cohen, Oi and others makes clear, recent years have witnessed an increasing effort to “bring history back in” to the study of post-1949 China, as well as to “bring society back in, or at least the state-society relationship.” This article is intended to contribute to that effort, by bringing historical and societal perspectives to bear on a subject that has so far nearly eluded Western scholarship: state efforts to spread literacy in the Chinese countryside after 1949.
JinJiLuYu in the Sino-Japanese War: The Border Region and the Border Region Government
Authors: Goodman David S. G.
Published: February 2009

The Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan or JinJiLuYu Border Region was formally proclaimed on 7 July 1941, the fourth anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Even at that early stage some level of activity by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or its allies was claimed for 148 counties in Shanxi (Jin), Hebei (Ji), Shandong (Lu) and Henan (Yu). By 1947 and the outbreak of open civil war, the government of the JinJiLuYu Border Region claimed jurisdiction over some 30 million people. In 1948 it merged with the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region, immediately to the north, to form the North China People's Government, part of the process that led directly to the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
The Yan'an Way of Co-operativization
Authors: Keating Pauline
Published: February 2009

In both Western and Chinese Communist historiography, the “Yan'an Way” has become tangled up in the Mao legend, and it has suffered accordingly. An aim of this article is to peel back the Maoist crust and re-examine the workings of the Yan'an Way during the period when it was developed, and in two different parts of the Yan'an base (the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region), the place from which the model was launched in the early 1940s. The subregional comparison is used to show that, in different sociopolitical contexts, the Yan'an Way worked quite differently, and that results in only one place provided material for the construction of an heroic legend. The rural co-operativization drive of 1943–44 is made the special focus of this study because it was a key component of the Yan'an Way and subsumes many of its most characteristic features.
The Changing Grain Marketing System in China
Authors: Yuk-shing Cheng , Shu-ki Tsang
Published: February 2009

Once again, the “grain problem” has emerged as a key concern for the Chinese leadership. In his report to the second annual meeting of the Eighth People's Congress in March 1994, Premier Li Peng urged authorities at different levels to place top priority on agricultural development. A Central Work Conference on Rural Development was held immediately after the close of the People's Congress. It is particularly notable that this was the second Conference since October 1993, and the National Work Conference on Agriculture and National Work Conference on “Vegetable Basket,” Grain and Edible Oil had already been held in January 1994.
Errorless practice as a possible adjuvant to donepezil in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: GONZALEZ ROTHI LESLIE J. , FULLER RENEE , LEON SUSAN A. , KENDALL DIANE , MOORE ANNA , WU SAMUEL S. , CROSSON BRUCE , HEILMAN KENNETH M. , NADEAU STEPHEN E.
Published: February 2009

Six individuals with probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD) participated in a phase 1 study employing a repeated measures, parallel baseline design testing the hypothesis that error-free experience during word production practice combined with an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor would improve confrontation naming ability. While acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors are safe and delay cognition decline associated with AD, improvement over baseline cognition is less evident; clinically significant cognitive deficits persist and progress. Both animal and clinical research strongly implicate acetylcholine in learning, a form of neuroplasticity. In clinical practice, however, people with AD are given cholinergic medications without concomitant systematic/targeted retraining. In this study six participants with probable AD and taking donepezil participated in targeted word production practice using an errorless learning strategy. Results showed that combining behavioral enrichment training and an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor resulted in significant improvements in verbal confrontation naming of trained items for three of six participants. Differences in baseline dementia severity, living conditions, and medications may have influenced the training response. Detection of substantial treatment effects in 50% of subjects suggests further language treatment studies in AD in combination with an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor are warranted and provide useful information on inclusion/exclusion criteria for use in subsequent studies. (JINS, 2009, 15, 311–322.)
Construct validity of the Neuropsychological Screening Battery for Hispanics (NeSBHIS) in a neurological sample
Authors: ALLISON BENDER H. , COLE JEFFREY R. , APONTE-SAMALOT MYRELIS , CRUZ-LAUREANO DANIEL , MYERS LORNA , VAZQUEZ BLANCA R. , BARR WILLIAM B.
Published: February 2009

Epidemiological studies suggest that the Hispanic population is at increased risk for neurological disorders. Yet, few assessment measures have been developed for, adapted to, or normalized with Spanish-speakers. The Neuropsychological Screening Battery for Hispanics (NeSBHIS) was developed to address the lack of resources available to this underserved community. Although the NeSBHIS possesses robust construct validity and clinical utility in a community-based sample, these properties remain largely untested in neurological populations. One hundred and twenty-seven Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients with confirmed epilepsy (mean age = 37.8,SD= 13.3) were evaluated using the NeSBHIS. All participants self-identified as “Hispanic” and immigrated from Spanish-speaking countries. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis with thea prioriassumption that variables would load according to theoretical expectations reported by Pontón and colleagues (2000). The overall model fit indices were in the desired range: Comparative Fit Index = 0.936, Tucker Lewis Index = 0.915, RMSEA = 0.090, and SRMR = 0.069. All NeSBHIS subtests loaded significantly (p< .001) on their respective factors; the standardized loadings were high, ranging from 0.562 to 0.995, with the exception of Block Design (–0.308). Overall, findings suggest that the NeSBHIS has robust construct validity in a neurological sample. (JINS, 2009,15, 217–224.)
Significant seismic anisotropy beneath the southern Lhasa Terrane, Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Gao Stephen S. , Liu Kelly H.
Published: February 2009

Shear wave splitting measurements using teleseismic PKS, SKKS, and SKS phases recorded by station LSA on the southern part of the Lhasa Terrane of the Tibetan Plateau reveal significant azimuthal anisotropy with a splitting time of up to 1.5 s, a conclusion that is contradictory to previous studies which suggested isotropy or weak anisotropy. In addition, systematic variations of the splitting parameters (fast polarization direction and splitting time) with the arriving azimuth of the seismic ray path are observed, suggesting a model of anisotropy that is more complicated than a single layer with horizontal axis of symmetry. The measurements are consistent with a model with two layers of anisotropy. The top layer has a NE‐SW fast direction, which is consistent with GPS‐revealed direction of surface movement, and can be associated with lattice preferred orientation of middle‐lower crustal minerals such as amphibole. The lower layer has a nearly E‐W fast direction and can be the consequence of either the N‐S directed compressional stress originated from the India‐Eurasia collision or flow in the asthenosphere related to the absolute motion of Eurasia. This study underlines the importance of a long duration of deployment of seismic stations in resolving complex anisotropy.
North polar deposits of Mars: Extreme purity of the water ice
Authors: Grima Cyril , Kofman Wlodek , Mouginot Jérémie , Phillips Roger J. , Hérique Alain , Biccari Daniela , Seu Roberto , Cutigni Marco
Published: February 2009

The polar layered deposits are the largest reservoir of water on the surface of Mars. The physical properties of the ice and their spatial distribution are largely unknown. 140,000 data points from the sounding radar SHARAD on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter were analyzed over the Gemina Lingula region, one‐fourth of the north polar layered deposits area. Maps of the dielectric properties of the bulk ice were drawn up. There is no basal melting signature. A drop of the dielectric constant in north‐west of Gemina Lingula could be explained by an abrupt 250‐meter uplift of the base. The bulk ice of the studied region has an average dielectric constant of 3.10 (σ = 0.12) and a loss tangent <0.0026 (σ = 0.0005). Analytic interpretations shown the volume of ice is pure at ≥95%. The impurities have a radial distribution, with higher concentrations at margins.
Retrieval of ice cloud microphysical parameters using the CloudSat millimeter‐wave radar and temperature
Authors: Austin Richard T. , Heymsfield Andrew J. , Stephens Graeme L.
Published: February 2009

A new remote sensing retrieval of ice cloud microphysics has been developed for use with millimeter‐wave radar from ground‐, air‐, or space‐based sensors. Developed from an earlier retrieval that used measurements of radar reflectivity factor together with a priori information about the likely cloud targets, the new retrieval includes temperature information as well to assist in determining the correct region of state space, particularly for those size distribution parameters that are less constrained by the radar measurements. These algorithms have served as the ice cloud retrieval algorithms in Releases 3 and 4 of the CloudSat 2B‐CWC‐RO Standard Data Product. Several comparison studies have been performed on the previous and current retrieval algorithms: some involving tests of the algorithms on simulated radar data (based on actual cloud probe data or cloud resolving models) and others featuring statistical comparisons of the R04 2B‐CWC‐RO product (current algorithm) to ice cloud mass retrievals by other spaceborne, airborne, and ground‐based instruments or alternative algorithms using the same CloudSat radar data. Comparisons involving simulated radar data based on a database of cloud probe data showed generally good performance, with ice water content (IWC) bias errors estimated to be less than 40%. Comparisons to ice water content and ice water path estimates by other instruments are mixed. When the comparison is restricted to different retrieval approaches using the same CloudSat radar measurements, CloudSat R04 results generally agree with alternative IWC retrievals for IWC < 1000 mg m−3 at altitudes below 12 km but differ at higher ice contents and altitudes, either exceeding other retrievals or falling within a spread of retrieval values. Validation and reconciliation of all these approaches will continue to be a topic for further research.
Greater Omentectomy Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Nonobese Dogs
Authors: Lottati Maya , Kolka Cathryn M. , Stefanovski Darko , Kirkman Erlinda L. , Bergman Richard N.
Published: February 2009

Visceral adiposity is strongly associated with insulin resistance; however, little evidence directly demonstrates that visceral fat per se impairs insulin action. Here, we examine the effects of the surgical removal of the greater omentum and its occupying visceral fat, an omentectomy (OM), on insulin sensitivity (SI) and β‐cell function in nonobese dogs. Thirteen male mongrel dogs were used in this research study; animals were randomly assigned to surgical treatment with either OM (n = 7), or sham‐surgery (SHAM) (n = 6). OM failed to generate measurable changes in body weight (+2%; P = 0.1), or subcutaneous adiposity (+3%; P = 0.83) as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The removal of the greater omentum did not significantly reduce total visceral adipose volume (−7.3 ± 6.4%; P = 0.29); although primary analysis showed a trend for OM to increase SI when compared to sham operated animals (P = 0.078), further statistical analysis revealed that this minor reduction in visceral fat alleviated insulin resistance by augmenting SI of the periphery (+67.7 ± 35.2%; P = 0.03), as determined by the euglycemic‐hyperinsulinemic clamp. Insulin secretory response during the hyperglycemic step clamp was not directly influenced by omental fat removal (presurgery 6.82 ± 1.4 vs. postsurgery: 6.7 ± 1.2 pmol/l/mg/dl, P = 0.9). These findings provide new evidence for the deleterious role of visceral fat in insulin resistance, and suggest that a greater OM procedure may effectively improve insulin sensitivity.
Peripheral and Central Administration of Xenin and Neurotensin Suppress Food Intake in Rodents
Authors: Cooke Jennifer H. , Patterson Michael , Patel Sejal R. , Smith Kirsty L. , Ghatei Mohammad A. , Bloom Stephen R. , Murphy Kevin G.
Published: February 2009

Xenin is a 25‐amino acid peptide highly homologous to neurotensin. Xenin and neurotensin are reported to have similar biological effects. Both reduce food intake when administered centrally to fasted rats. We aimed to clarify and compare the effects of these peptides on food intake and behavior. We confirm that intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of xenin or neurotensin reduces food intake in fasted rats, and demonstrate that both reduce food intake in satiated rats during the dark phase. Xenin reduced food intake more potently than neurotensin following ICV administration. ICV injection of either peptide in the dark phase increased resting behavior. Xenin and neurotensin stimulated the release of corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) fromex vivohypothalamic explants, and administration of α‐helical CRH attenuated their effects on food intake. Intraperitoneal (IP) administration of xenin or neurotensin acutely reduced food intake in fasted mice andad libitumfed mice in the dark phase. However, chronic continuous or twice daily peripheral administration of xenin or neurotensin to mice had no significant effect on daily food intake or body weight. These studies confirm that ICV xenin or neurotensin can acutely reduce food intake and demonstrate that peripheral administration of xenin and neurotensin also reduces food intake. This may be partly mediated by changes in hypothalamic CRH release. The lack of chronic effects on body weight observed in our experiments suggests that xenin and neurotensin are unlikely to be useful as obesity therapies.
The Association of Plasma Cysteine and γ‐Glutamyltransferase With BMI and Obesity
Authors: Elshorbagy Amany K. , Refsum Helga , Smith A. David , Graham Ian M.
Published: February 2009

We recently reported a strong positive association of plasma total cysteine (tCys) with fat mass in over 5,000 subjects. As γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) enzyme increases cysteine availability by catalyzing glutathione breakdown and is positively associated with BMI and adiposity, we hypothesized that GGT might explain the association of tCys with adiposity. To study whether the associations of tCys and serum GGT with BMI and obesity were interrelated we conducted a cross‐sectional study using data from 1,550 subjects recruited from nine European countries in the COMAC project. Multiple linear and logistic regression models and concentration‐response curves were used. In age and sex‐adjusted analyses, tCys showed strong positive associations with BMI (partial r = 0.19, P < 0.001), and obesity (odds ratio (OR) for 4th vs. 1st tCys quartile: 2.8; 95% confidence interval: 1.6–5.0, P < 0.001), both of which remained robust after adjustment for GGT and other metabolic and lifestyle confounders. Serum GGT was also a positive predictor of BMI (partial r = 0.17, P < 0.001) and obesity (OR for 4th vs. 1st GGT quartile: 4.8; 95% confidence interval: 2.5–9.2, P < 0.001), independent of tCys. However, the associations of GGT with BMI and obesity were weakened by adjustment for obesity‐related factors such as serum lipids and blood pressure. These results indicate that tCys is a strong positive predictor of BMI and obesity, independent of GGT and other obesity‐related factors. We also suggest that the association of serum GGT with BMI and obesity is unrelated to the role of GGT in cysteine turnover. The potential link between cysteine and fat metabolism should be further evaluated.
Pathogenic perspectives for the role of inflammation in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Rivero Antonio , Mora Carmen , Muros Mercedes , García Javier , Herrera Havidian , Navarro-González Juan F.
Published: February 2009

Diabetes and its complications have become a public health problem. One of the most important complications is diabetic nephropathy, which is nowadays the main cause of chronic renal failure. In spite of our greater understanding of this complication, the intimate mechanisms leading to the development and progression of renal injury are not well understood. New perspectives in activated innate immunity and inflammation appear to be relevant factors in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Moreover, different inflammatory molecules, including adipokines, Toll-like receptors, chemokines, adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines, may be critical factors in the development of microvascular diabetic complications, including nephropathy. This new pathogenic perspective leads to important therapeutic considerations, with new pathogenic pathways becoming important therapeutic targets that can be translated into clinical treatments for diabetic nephropathy.
Essentials in Mentoring Clinical Skills in Stuttering Therapy
Authors: Rentschler Gary J. , Mosesso Angela
Published: February 2009

As a profession, there is need to teach, improve, and perpetuate the clinical skills of speech-language pathologists in the area of stuttering. There are different clinical education approaches to this goal which relate to the stage of the clinician’s maturation and development. Clinical supervision is the approach used commonly in graduate programs teaching new clinicians. Mentoring is another approach, perhaps more appropriate for learners already having mastered basic knowledge and clinical skills.

This paper discusses issues of learner knowledge, clinical skills, and values which underlie stuttering therapy. It offers a value-based mentoring approach applicable to educating clinicians interested in stuttering.
Gold nanotube encapsulation enhanced magnetic properties of transition metal monoatomic chains: An ab initio study
Authors: Zhu Liyan , Wang Jinlan , Ding Feng
Published: February 2009

The magnetic properties of gold nanotubes encapsulated transition metal (TM, TM=Co and Mn) and monoatomic chains (TM@Au) are studied using first-principles density functional calculations. The TM chains are significantly stabilized by the gold nanotube coating. TM–TM distance-dependent ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase transition in TM@Au is observed and can be understood by Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY) model. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies of the TM@Au tubes are dramatically enhanced by one order of magnitude compared to those of free TM chains. Furthermore, the stronger interaction between Mn chain and gold nanotube even switches the easy magnetization axis along the tube.
Localized phase-slip centers in proximity-induced long superconducting nanowires
Authors: Liu Haidong , Ye Zuxin , Wu Wenhao , Rathnayaka K. D. D.
Published: February 2009

Current-voltage (I-V) curves have been measured on 60-μm-long Zn nanowires in contact with bulk film electrodes of Sn or Pb. The Zn nanowires become superconducting at the transition temperatures of the respectively electrodes, which are well above the transition temperature of bulk Zn. At temperatures well above the transition temperature of bulk Zn but below the transition temperatures of the electrodes, the I-V curves display a reproducible steplike pattern characteristic of the establishment of multiple localized phase-slip centers. The typical quasiparticle diffusion length associated with a phase-slip center is estimated to be 5–10μm. These results demonstrate that the observed proximity effect occurs along the entire length of a nanowire, rather than only at the nanowire-electrode interfaces.
Fluoride-added Pr–Fe–B die-upset magnets with increased electrical resistivity
Authors: Marinescu M. , Gabay A. M. , Liu J. F. , Hadjipanayis G. C.
Published: February 2009

This work reports the effect of NdF3, DyF3, and CaF2 additions on the electrical resistivity and magnetic properties of Pr–Fe–B hot-pressed and die-upset permanent magnets. Composite magnets were synthesized from ground Pr14.5Fe79.5B6 melt-spun ribbons blended with 5wt% of fluoride fine powders and consolidated by hot pressing at 650°C, followed by die upsetting at 800°C. While CaF2 is stable at the processing temperatures, the rare earth atoms separate from their fluorides to a certain degree with the assistance of the Pr-rich phase from the magnet matrix. Addition of fluorides increased the resistivity of the hot-pressed specimens by more than 200%. The resistivity of the die-upset specimens measured perpendicularly to the direction of the applied pressure, which is also the direction of magnetization, is, however, only slightly increased compared to the magnet counterparts without the fluoride addition. The intrinsic coercivity of Pr14.5Fe79.5B6 die-upset specimens is increased from 14.5kOe to 15.3, 17.1, and 17.7kOe for the addition of CaF2, DyF3, and NdF3, respectively, at a slight expense of the residual flux.
Influence of the substitution of Cu for Si on magnetic entropy change and hysteresis loss in LaFe11.7(Si1−xCux)1.3 compounds
Authors: Gao B. , Hu F. X. , Wang J. , Shen J. , Sun J. R. , Shen B. G.
Published: February 2009

The magnetic properties, magnetic entropy change, and hysteresis loss in LaFe11.7(Si1−xCux)1.3 compounds were investigated. It was found that the compounds retain the cubic NaZn13 structure when the substitution of Cu reaches 20%. With increasing Cu content from x=0 to 0.2, the Curie temperature TC increases from 185 to 200 K, while lattice parameter decreases from 11.475 to 11.468 due to the smaller atomic radius of Cu than Si. Metamagnetic behavior becomes weaker and magnetic entropy change |ΔS| drops with raising Cu content. However, |ΔS| still remains a large value, ∼20 J/kg K, when x reaches 0.2. An attractive feature is that both thermal and magnetic hysteresis can be remarkably reduced by introducing Cu. The maximum hysteresis loss at TC drops from 74.1 to 0 J /kg when the substitution of Cu for Si increases from 0% to 20%.
Thickness dependence of ferromagnetic- and metal-insulator transition in thin EuO films
Authors: Müller Martina , Miao Guo-Xing , Moodera Jagadeesh S.
Published: February 2009

We have studied the thickness dependence of the magnetic and transport properties of thin EuO films in the range of 10–60 Å. The ferromagnetic phase transition shows a systematic dependence of the critical temperature Tc with decreasing EuO film thickness. This behavior has been attributed to the interface layers which play a major role by reducing the number of average magnetic neighbors; we find the effect of interface intermixing becoming relevant in low thickness regime. In addition, we could identify a clear dependence of the onset of the metal-to-insulator transition on the ferromagnetic ordering of thin EuO films.
Magnetic and electrical properties of Ni50Mn35In15−xSix Heusler alloys
Authors: Pathak Arjun Kumar , Dubenko Igor , Stadler Shane , Ali Naushad
Published: February 2009

We have studied the magnetic and electrical properties of the polycrystalline ferromagnetic Ni50Mn35In15−xSix (1≤x≤5) Heusler alloys through magnetization, thermal expansion, and resistivity measurements. It was observed that an increase in Si concentration strongly affects the ground state of the martensitic phase and the magnetic properties of compounds. A magnetic phase diagram has been constructed for these alloys. It was found that both martensitic transition temperature (TM) and Curie temperature of austenitic phase (TC) decrease, while ferromagnetic ordering temperature of the martensitic phase increases with increasing Si concentration. The magnetoresistance (Δρ/ρ) associated with martensitic transformation was found to vary from –47% for x=2 at T=261 K to −26% for x=5 at T=230 K for a magnetic field change of 5 T.
Effects of substrate bias on magnetocrystalline anisotropy Ku of CoPt thin films with increasing Pt content
Authors: Yuan Hua , Laughlin David E.
Published: February 2009

The magnetocrystalline anisotropy (Ku) of continuous Co1−xPtx alloy films peaks at ∼30 at. % of Pt. Further increase in Pt at. % decreases Ku quickly probably due to the increasing density of stacking faults (SFs) and the fcc phases. The effect of substrate bias has been studied in various compositions of CoPt films. Ku increases from 8×106 to 1.1×107 ergs/cm3 when −50 V bias was applied to Co60Pt40 films and decreases with further increase in bias. Pt at. % slightly increases from 40 to 43 at. %, which is opposed to the initial Ku increase. However, the SF density and the fcc content are greatly reduced in the biased samples. The transmission electron microscopy images of the biased films show less faulted atomic planes in the hcp CoPt grains. Such improvement in structural defects helps increase Ku in magnetic thin films.
Media damping constant and performance characteristics in microwave assisted magnetic recording with circular ac field
Authors: Wang Yiming , Tang Yuhui , Zhu Jian-Gang
Published: February 2009

Medium damping constant remains as one of the key concerns for microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) since switching field reduction seems to be less evident for media with possible high damping constant. In this paper, the impact of medium damping constant on the recording performance is analyzed via dynamic micromagnetic modeling for MAMR with a polarized ac field. The analysis on isolated grains shows that when matching the precession chirality, switching field reduction is significantly greater with circular ac field than that with linear ac field, especially in high damping regime. Recording simulations show that an area density of 1.88 Tb/in.2 with a medium signal-to-noise ratio of 18.2 dB can be achieved on media with strong anisotropy of 31 kOe and a relatively high damping constant of 0.1.
Effect of thermal fluctuations on the recoil loops of SmCo5/Fe nanocomposite system
Authors: Rong Chuan-bing , Liu J. Ping
Published: February 2009

The correlation between the recoil loop openness and the activation volume has been studied for the SmCo5/α-Fe nanocomposite powder material prepared by mechanical alloying. The α-Fe phase content in the nanocomposite powders was adjusted by varying the amount of α-Fe addition in raw materials and the postannealing temperature after mechanical alloying. It was found that the recoil loop openness increases with increasing α-Fe phase content. More interestingly, there is a linear relation between the openness of recoil loops and the reciprocal activation volume, indicating that the recoil loops are related to thermal fluctuation. The large open area of the recoil loops for nanocomposite magnets is attributed to the fact that low anisotropy in the α-Fe phase leads to unstable magnetization under thermal fluctuation.
Influence of annealing and phase decomposition on the magnetostructural transitions in Ni50Mn39Sn11
Authors: Yuhasz W. M. , Schlagel D. L. , Xing Q. , Dennis K. W. , McCallum R. W. , Lograsso T. A.
Published: February 2009

Magnetic and structural transitions in the Ni50Mn50−xSnx (x=10–25) ferromagnetic shape memory alloys are currently of interest. As in Ni–Mn–Ga, these alloys feature high-temperature austenite and low-temperature martensite phases, where the magnetic state is strongly composition dependent. To study the role of chemical ordering in fine-tuning their magnetostructural properties, they were first annealed for 4 weeks/1223 K to achieve structural and compositional homogeneity, and were then further annealed for 1 week (∼150 K below the reported B2 to L21 transition) at 773 K to increase the degree of chemical ordering. For x=11, this anneal resulted in a dramatic change in the magnetic ordering temperature. Following the 1223 K anneal, the sample exhibited ferromagnetic ordering at 140 K. After the 773 K anneal, the ferromagnetic transition is at 350 K, a characteristic of the ferromagnetic austenite phase with 15<x<25. Consistent with the magnetization data, transmission electron microscopy examination confirms that the alloy decomposed into two phases with x=20 and 1. From this result one can conclude that the martensitic transformation occurs only in those compositions where the single phase L21 has been retained in a metastable state on cooling.
Mesohysteresis model for ferromagnetic materials by minimization of the micromagnetic free energy
Authors: van den Berg A. , Dupré L. , Van de Wiele B. , Crevecoeur G.
Published: February 2009

To study the connection between macroscopic hysteretic behavior and the microstructural properties, this paper presents and validates a new material dependent three-dimensional mesoscopic magnetic hysteresis model. In the presented mesoscopic description, the different micromagnetic energy terms are reformulated on the space scale of the magnetic domains. The sample is discretized in cubic cells, each with a local stress state, local bcc crystallographic axes, etc. The magnetization is assumed to align with one of the three crystallographic axes, in positive or negative sense, defining six volume fractions within each cell. The micromagnetic Gibbs free energy is described in terms of these volume fractions. Hysteresis loops are computed by minimizing the mesoscopic Gibbs free energy using a modified gradient search for a sequence of external applied fields. To validate the mesohysteresis model, we studied the magnetic memory properties. Numerical experiments reveal that (1) minor hysteresis loops are indeed closed and (2) the closed minor loops are erased from the memory.
Magnetic order of the rare earth sublattice in h-YbMnO3
Authors: Salama Hazar A. , Voyer C. J. , Ryan D. H. , Stewart Glen A.
Published: February 2009

Y 170 b -Mössbauer spectra have been recorded for h-YbMnO3 over the temperature range of 1.5–40 K. A rapid increase in the Yb 2a-site magnetic hyperfine field and electronic ground state fluctuation time provides microscopic evidence for long-range magnetic order of the Yb 2a-site sublattice below TN2≈5 K.
Infrared study of SmMnO3 crystal field excitations
Authors: Nekvasil V. , Jandl S. , Mukhin A. A. , Ivanov V. Yu. , Balbashov A. M.
Published: February 2009

SmMnO 3 infrared transmission in the 2000–8000 cm−1 range was studied as a function of temperature. We observed several infrared-active Sm3+ crystal field transitions between the lowest H65/2 ground-state level and the H69/2, H611/2, H613/2, and H615/2 excited levels. The splitting of the ground-state Kramers doublet of the Sm3+ ion below TN∼60 K varies from 3.8 up to 5.8 cm−1 at 2 K. This reflects strengthenings of the Mn3+–Mn3+ and Mn3+–Sm3+ magnetic interactions. In order to monitor the antiferromagnetic transition, the frequency softening of the most intense Raman-active B2g stretching mode (∼607 cm−1) below TN was also measured.
Numerical analysis on power loss mechanism of Fe55Al18O27 thin films for conduction noise through microstrip line
Authors: Ryu Gi-Bong , Kim Sung-Soo
Published: February 2009

With a simulation model of microstrip line attached by Fe55Al18O27 thin film of high magnetic loss, S parameters and power absorption has been analyzed by finite element method in the frequency range of available material parameters (0.1–1.5 GHz). It is demonstrated that the S parameters and power absorption are dominantly controlled by the electrical properties of the thin film. Although the film has a large value of magnetic loss resulting from ferromagnetic resonance, it is predicted that the power dissipation by magnetic loss is negligibly small. Simulation under assumption of high electrical resistivity shows that both S11 and S21 values approach to the value of original microstrip line. Another simulation of sheet resistance effect by film thickness control shows that higher value of power absorption is predicted in the films of small thickness mainly due to lower reflection loss. For the conductive and magnetic Fe55Al18O27 thin film, it is concluded that the dominant power loss mechanism is eddy current loss for magnetic field or Ohmic loss for electric field around the strip conductor in the frequency range investigated.
Advances in the calibration of atom probe tomographic reconstruction
Authors: Gault Baptiste , Moody Michael P. , de Geuser Frederic , Tsafnat Guy , La Fontaine Alexandre , Stephenson Leigh T. , Haley Daniel , Ringer Simon P.
Published: February 2009

Modern wide field-of-view atom probes permit observation of a wide range of crystallographic features that can be used to calibrate the tomographic reconstruction of the analyzed volume. In this study, methodologies to determine values of the geometric parameters involved in the tomographic reconstruction of atom probe data sets are presented and discussed. The influence of the tip to electrode distance and specimen temperature on these parameters is explored. Significantly, their influence is demonstrated to be very limited, indicating a relatively wide regime of experimental parameters space for sound atom probe tomography (APT) experiments. These methods have been used on several specimens and material types, and the results indicate that the reconstruction parameters are specific to each specimen. Finally, it is shown how an accurate calibration of the reconstruction enables improvements to the quality and reliability of the microscopy and microanalysis capabilities of the atom probe.