bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low temperature refrigeration by using thermal-field electron emission in a coaxial cylindrical diode
Authors: Wu L. , Ang L. K.
Published: October 2008

This paper explores possibility of refrigeration by using thermal-field emission of electrons in a coaxial cylindrical diode with a nanometer scale inner electrode (or cathode). Our calculation shows that it is possible to provide cooling at temperatures down to 200 K if the work function of the cathode is about 1 eV. The limitation on using a low work function cathode can be improved by applying an external axial magnetic field to create an additional potential barrier near the anode, more efficiently restricting the emission of low energy electrons (below the Fermi energy level). Because of this extra filtering process, emitters of arbitrary work functions can be used to provide an improved cooling capability from 300 to 10 K. The optimal conditions to maximize cooling power density are determined both numerically and analytically. The space charge effects of the emitted electrons in the gap are included self-consistently.
Solvent effects and multiple aggregate states in high-mobility organic field-effect transistors based on poly(bithiophene-alt-thienothiophene)
Authors: Wang Shuai , Tang Jie-Cong , Zhao Li-Hong , Png Rui-Qi , Wong Loke-Yuen , Chia Perq-Jon , Chan Hardy S. O. , Ho Peter K.-H. , Chua Lay-Lay
Published: October 2008

Franck–Condon absorption analysis reveals the existence of several aggregate states in poly(2,5-bis(3-tetradecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (PBTTT) thin films which impact their recrystallization and the attainable field-effect mobility (μFET). Poor solvents (toluene and mixed-xylenes) lock in both disordered and well-ordered states that cannot be annealed away even in the liquid crystalline phase. This reduces μFET and increases mobility activation energies compared with films from good solvents (chlorobenzene and o-dichlorobenzene). Despite its poor solubility characteristics, PBTTT can be ink-jet printed in dilute chlorobenzene, and devices can be operated unencapsulated in ambient, in the dark (>105cycles over several days) with only a moderate mobility loss.
Magnetoelectric effect near spin reorientation transition in giant magnetostrictive-aluminum nitride thin film structure
Authors: Tiercelin Nicolas , Talbi A. , Preobrazhensky V. , Pernod P. , Mortet V. , Haenen K. , Soltani A.
Published: October 2008

Hybrid giant magnetostrictive-piezoelectric film/film structures exhibiting magnetoelectric (ME) effect associated with a magnetic instability of the spin reorientation transition type are presented. We first present the theoretical study of a clamped beam actuator composed of a piezoelectric layer on a substrate actuated by a magnetostrictive layer. The actuator is a polished 50 μm thick 18×5 mm2 silicon substrate coated by an electrode, aluminum nitride, and magnetostrictive nanostructured layer. A ME coefficient of 30 V Oe−1 cm−1 at a 35 KHz longitudinal resonance was measured. Nonlinear excitation of this mode showed a “nonlinear” dynamic ME coefficient of 4 V Oe−1 cm−1.
Violet-light spontaneous and stimulated emission from ultrathin In-rich InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Kwack Ho-Sang , Kwon Bong-Joon , Chung Jin-Soo , Cho Yong-Hoon , Kwon Soon-Yong , Kim Hee Jin , Yoon Euijoon
Published: October 2008

We investigated the spontaneous and stimulated emission properties of violet-light-emitting ultrathin In-rich InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with indium content of 60%–70%. The Stokes shift was smaller than that of In-poor InGaN MQWs, and the emission peak position at 3.196 eV was kept constant with increasing pumping power, indicating negligible quantum confined Stark effect in ultrathin In-rich InGaN MQWs despite of high indium content. Optically pumped stimulated emission performed at room temperature was observed at 3.21 eV, the high-energy side of spontaneous emission, when the pumping power density exceeds ∼31 kW/cm2.
Millisecond Brillouin scattering spectroscopy
Authors: Minami Yasuo , Yogi Takeshi , Sakai Keiji
Published: October 2008

The millisecond Brillouin spectroscopy was developed and applied for the real-time observation of phonons in solid and gas materials. The Brillouin spectra of solid (polymethylmethacrylate) and gas (air) at 300 K are observed over the wave number range from k=8.1×104 m−1 to k=5.3×105 m−1. The measurement time is only 100 ms, which is by far shorter than that for the conventional method from several minutes to several hours. The technique would provide us with a useful tool for the dynamic observation of thermal phonons in solid and gas.
Simple and precise thermoelectric power measurement setup for different environments
Authors: Sharath Chandra L. S. , Lakhani Archana , Jain Deepti , Pandya Swati , Vishwakarma P. N. , Gangrade Mohan , Ganesan V.
Published: October 2008

We report here on a simple but precise thermoelectric power measurement setup that can be adapted for different environments. This setup has been extensively used for cryogen-free environment to measure a variety of samples. It is made simple to load and hold the sample between two copper blocks by a spring-shaft arrangement. The usable range of measurements is a few μV/K to a few hundreds of μV/K. The salient features of the setup in achieving good precision both in natural warm-up/cooldown and controlled measurements are (i) the continuous ΔT control across the sample by a chromel-AuFe(0.07%) thermocouple and (ii) the measurements of emf generated across the sample and the thermocouple using a nanovoltmeter and a scanner system. The versatile nature of the setup is further demonstrated by employing it in a magnetic field environment up to 140 kOe. The precision achieved using this system is highlighted for a few systems of current interest.
Near infrared organic light-emitting devices based on donor-acceptor-donor oligomers
Authors: Yang Yixing , Farley Richard T. , Steckler Timothy T. , Eom Sang-Hyun , Reynolds John R. , Schanze Kirk S. , Xue Jiangeng
Published: October 2008

We report strong and efficient near infrared emission from organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) based on two donor-acceptor-donor oligomers. These oligomers have fluorescent quantum yields of up to 20% and their energy gap can be tuned by changing the strengths of the donor and acceptor components. Electroluminescence with peak emission wavelengths of 692 and 815 nm were observed from the two oligomers studied here. External quantum efficiencies up to 1.6% and electrical-to-optical power efficiencies up to 7.0 mW/W were achieved in OLEDs based on these near-infrared emitters.
Highly polarized white-light emission from a single copolymer based on fluorene
Authors: Zhu D. X. , Zhen H. Y. , Ye H. , Liu X.
Published: October 2008

Polarized white-light emission was realized from a single copolymer with green and red-light-emitting chromophores incorporated into the blue-light-emitting poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) backbone through intrachain energy transfer. Based on the good thermal stability and nematic liquid crystalline state of the copolymer, the emissive layer spin coated on a rubbed poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) layer was aligned under thermal treatment at a temperature of 180 °C for 5 min. The polarized white-light emission was stable with a Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage coordinates of (0.33, 0.35). A high polarization ratio of up to 24 with a luminance of 419 cd/m2 at voltage of 15 V was achieved.
Surface-emitting terahertz quantum cascade laser source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation
Authors: Pflügl Christian , Belkin Mikhail A. , Wang Qi Jie , Geiser Markus , Belyanin Alexey , Fischer Milan , Wittmann Andreas , Faist Jérôme , Capasso Federico
Published: October 2008

We report a surface-emitting terahertz source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation in dual-wavelength midinfrared quantum cascade lasers with integrated giant second-order nonlinear susceptibility. The terahertz light is coupled out of the waveguide by a second-order grating etched into the laser ridges. In contrast to sources where the difference-frequency radiation is extracted from the facet, this approach enables extraction of the terahertz emission from the whole length of the device even when the coherence length is small.
Origin of tensile stress in the Si substrate induced by TiN∕HfO2 metal gate/high-k dielectric gate stack
Authors: Wang J. G. , Kim Jiyoung , Kang Chang Yong , Lee Byoung Hun , Jammy Raj , Choi Rino , Kim M. J.
Published: October 2008

The tensile stress induced by the metal TiN film in the atomic layer deposited HfO2∕TiN stacks has been found from the crystallite coalescence mechanism of the Volmer–Weber-type growth mode at the early stage of the TiN film formation. The higher tensile stress induced by 3nm TiN film than that by the 20nm TiN film resulted from the smaller grain size and the [200] orientation of the TiN layer. Electron energy loss spectrum profile shows that there is no significant elemental interdiffusion between HfO2 and TiN, which could contribute to stress relaxation.
On the conflicting generic delineation in the Onopordum group (Compositae, Cardueae - Carduinae): a combined nuclear and plastid molecular approach
Authors: Garcia-Jacas Núria , Galbany-Casals Mercè , Romashchenko Kostyantyn , Susanna Alfonso
Published: October 2008

The limits of the genera that compose the Onopordum group of the Cardueae–Carduinae are difficult to establish. There are two main life forms; one is exemplified in the genus Onopordum, which includes only biennial colonisers in the Mediterranean region and temperate Eurasia; the second life form is exemplified in the group of perennial herbs of the genera Alfredia, Ancathia, Lamyropappus, Olgaea, Synurus, Syreitschikovia and Xanthopappus, all of them growing in the mountains of central Asia. We explored relationships among the genera of the complex by using Bayesian and parsimony analyses of a combined dataset of nuclear and plastid DNA sequences. Our results confirmed that the group is natural and the two life forms correspond to well defined entities. Generic limits within the eight central Asian genera are, however, very difficult to establish. Our results suggested that the present genus circumscription is artificial, especially for the largest genus, Olgaea, which appears paraphyletic. Some solutions are suggested. The most preferable might be lumping all small genera together in a broadly redefined genus Alfredia, and assigning sectional rank to the natural groups that result from correlating morphology with our molecular results. However, none of the possible solutions is free of problems because morphological characters and molecular phylogeny are not fully congruent. Some considerations on the origin and peculiar adaptations for becoming a successful coloniser shown by Onopordum are also offered, finding parallels to these adaptations in other examples of biennial colonisers within subtribe Carduinae.
Age-specific incidence of cancer: Phases, transitions, and biological implications
Authors: Meza Rafael , Jeon Jihyoun , Moolgavkar Suresh H. , Luebeck E. Georg
Published: October 2008

The observation that the age-specific incidence curve of many carcinomas is approximately linear on a double logarithmic plot has led to much speculation regarding the number and nature of the critical events involved in carcinogenesis. By a consideration of colorectal and pancreatic cancers in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry we show that the log-log model provides a poor description of the data, and that a much better description is provided by a multistage model that predicts two basic phases in the age-specific incidence curves, a first exponential phase until the age of ≈60 followed by a linear phase after that age. These two phases in the incidence curve reflect two phases in the process of carcinogenesis. Paradoxically, the early-exponential phase reflects events between the formation (initiation) of premalignant clones in a tissue and the clinical detection of a malignant tumor, whereas the linear phase reflects events leading to initiated cells that give rise to premalignant lesions because of abrogated growth/differentiation control. This model is consistent with Knudson's idea that renewal tissue, such as the colon, is converted into growing tissue before malignant transformation. The linear phase of the age-specific incidence curve represents this conversion, which is the result of recessive inactivation of a gatekeeper gene, such as the APC gene in the colon and the CDKN2A gene in the pancreas.
Gigantism in unique biogenic magnetite at the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum
Authors: Schumann Dirk , Raub Timothy D. , Kopp Robert E. , Guerquin-Kern Jean-Luc , Wu Ting-Di , Rouiller Isabelle , Smirnov Aleksey V. , Sears S. Kelly , Lücken Uwe , Tikoo Sonia M. , Hesse Reinhard , Kirschvink Joseph L. , Vali Hojatollah
Published: October 2008

We report the discovery of exceptionally large biogenic magnetite crystals in clay-rich sediments spanning the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) in a borehole at Ancora, NJ. Aside from previously described abundant bacterial magnetofossils, electron microscopy reveals novel spearhead-like and spindle-like magnetite up to 4 μm long and hexaoctahedral prisms up to 1.4 μm long. Similar to magnetite produced by magnetotactic bacteria, these single-crystal particles exhibit chemical composition, lattice perfection, and oxygen isotopes consistent with an aquatic origin. Electron holography indicates single-domain magnetization despite their large crystal size. We suggest that the development of a thick suboxic zone with high iron bioavailability—a product of dramatic changes in weathering and sedimentation patterns driven by severe global warming—drove diversification of magnetite-forming organisms, likely including eukaryotes.
Induction of group A
Streptococcus
virulence by a human antimicrobial peptide
Authors: Gryllos Ioannis , Tran-Winkler Hien J. , Cheng Ming-Fang , Chung Hachung , Bolcome Robert , Lu Wuyuan , Lehrer Robert I. , Wessels Michael R.
Published: October 2008

Group A streptococci (
Streptococcus pyogenes
or GAS) freshly isolated from individuals with streptococcal sore throat or invasive (“flesh-eating”) infection often grow as mucoid colonies on primary culture but lose this colony appearance after laboratory passage. The mucoid phenotype is due to abundant production of the hyaluronic acid capsular polysaccharide, a key virulence determinant associated with severe GAS infections. These observations suggest that signal(s) from the human host trigger increased production of capsule and perhaps other virulence factors during infection. Here we show that subinhibitory concentrations of the human antimicrobial cathelicidin peptide LL-37 stimulate expression of the GAS capsule synthesis operon (
hasABC
). Up-regulation is mediated by the CsrRS 2-component regulatory system: it requires a functional CsrS sensor protein and can be antagonized by increased extracellular Mg
2+
, the other identified environmental signal for CsrS. Up-regulation was also evident for other CsrRS-regulated virulence genes, including the IL-8 protease PrtS/ScpC and the integrin-like/IgG protease Mac/IdeS, findings that suggest a coordinated GAS virulence response elicited by this antimicrobial immune effector peptide. LL-37 signaling through CsrRS led to a marked increase in GAS resistance to opsonophagocytic killing by human leukocytes, an in vitro measure of enhanced GAS virulence, consistent with increased expression of the antiphagocytic capsular polysaccharide and Mac/IdeS. We propose that the human cathelicidin LL-37 has the paradoxical effect of stimulating CsrRS-regulated virulence gene expression, thereby enhancing GAS pathogenicity during infection. The ability of GAS to sense and respond to LL-37 may explain, at least in part, the unique susceptibility of the human species to streptococcal infection.
A humid corridor across the Sahara for the migration of early modern humans out of Africa 120,000 years ago
Authors: Osborne Anne H. , Vance Derek , Rohling Eelco J. , Barton Nick , Rogerson Mike , Fello Nuri
Published: October 2008

It is widely accepted that modern humans originated in sub-Saharan Africa ≈150–200 thousand years ago (ka), but their route of dispersal across the currently hyperarid Sahara remains controversial. Given that the first modern humans north of the Sahara are found in the Levant ≈120–90 ka, northward dispersal likely occurred during a humid episode in the Sahara within Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e (130–117 ka). The obvious dispersal route, the Nile, may be ruled out by notable differences between archaeological finds in the Nile Valley and the Levant at the critical time. Further west, space-born radar images reveal networks of—now buried—fossil river channels that extend across the desert to the Mediterranean coast, which represent alternative dispersal corridors. These corridors would explain scattered findings at desert oases of Middle Stone Age Aterian lithic industries with bifacial and tanged points that can be linked with industries further to the east and as far north as the Mediterranean coast. Here we present geochemical data that demonstrate that water in these fossil systems derived from the south during wet episodes in general, and penetrated all of the way to the Mediterranean during MIS 5e in particular. This proves the existence of an uninterrupted freshwater corridor across a currently hyperarid region of the Sahara at a key time for early modern human migrations to the north and out of Africa.
Asymmetric disassembly and robustness in declining networks
Authors: Saavedra Serguei , Reed-Tsochas Felix , Uzzi Brian
Published: October 2008

Mechanisms that enable declining networks to avert structural collapse and performance degradation are not well understood. This knowledge gap reflects a shortage of data on declining networks and an emphasis on models of network growth. Analyzing >700,000 transactions between firms in the New York garment industry over 19 years, we tracked this network's decline and measured how its topology and global performance evolved. We find that favoring asymmetric (disassortative) links is key to preserving the topology and functionality of the declining network. Based on our findings, we tested a model of network decline that combines an asymmetric disassembly process for contraction with a preferential attachment process for regrowth. Our simulation results indicate that the model can explain robustness under decline even if the total population of nodes contracts by more than an order of magnitude, in line with our observations for the empirical network. These findings suggest that disassembly mechanisms are not simply assembly mechanisms in reverse and that our model is relevant to understanding the process of decline and collapse in a broad range of biological, technological, and financial networks.
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
is an anti-inflammatory commensal bacterium identified by gut microbiota analysis of Crohn disease patients
Authors: Sokol Harry , Pigneur Bénédicte , Watterlot Laurie , Lakhdari Omar , Bermúdez-Humarán Luis G. , Gratadoux Jean-Jacques , Blugeon Sébastien , Bridonneau Chantal , Furet Jean-Pierre , Corthier Gérard , Grangette Corinne , Vasquez Nadia , Pochart Philippe , Trugnan Germain , Thomas Ginette , Blottière Hervé M. , Doré Joël , Marteau Philippe , Seksik Philippe , Langella Philippe
Published: October 2008

A decrease in the abundance and biodiversity of intestinal bacteria within the dominant phylum Firmicutes has been observed repeatedly in Crohn disease (CD) patients. In this study, we determined the composition of the mucosa-associated microbiota of CD patients at the time of surgical resection and 6 months later using FISH analysis. We found that a reduction of a major member of Firmicutes,
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
, is associated with a higher risk of postoperative recurrence of ileal CD. A lower proportion of
F. prausnitzii
on resected ileal Crohn mucosa also was associated with endoscopic recurrence at 6 months. To evaluate the immunomodulatory properties of
F. prausnitzii
we analyzed the anti-inflammatory effects of
F. prausnitzii
in both
in vitro
(cellular models) and
in vivo
[2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS)-induced] colitis in mice. In Caco-2 cells transfected with a reporter gene for NF-κB activity,
F. prausnitzii
had no effect on IL-1β-induced NF-κB activity, whereas the supernatant abolished it.
In vitro
peripheral blood mononuclear cell stimulation by
F. prausnitzii
led to significantly lower IL-12 and IFN-γ production levels and higher secretion of IL-10. Oral administration of either live
F. prausnitzii
or its supernatant markedly reduced the severity of TNBS colitis and tended to correct the dysbiosis associated with TNBS colitis, as demonstrated by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis.
F. prausnitzii
exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on cellular and TNBS colitis models, partly due to secreted metabolites able to block NF-κB activation and IL-8 production. These results suggest that counterbalancing dysbiosis using
F. prausnitzii
as a probiotic is a promising strategy in CD treatment.
Building trophic modules into a persistent food web
Authors: Kondoh Michio
Published: October 2008

Understanding what maintains species and perpetuates their coexistence in a network of feeding relationships (the food web) is of great importance for biodiversity conservation. A food web can be viewed as consisting of a number of simple subunits called trophic modules. Intraguild predation (IGP), in which a prey and its predator compete for the same resource, is one of the best-studied trophic modules. According to theory, there are two ways to yield a large persistent system from such modules: (
i
) to use persistent subunits as building blocks or (
ii
) to arrange the subunits in a way that externally supports the nonpersistent subunits. Here, I show that the complex food web of the Caribbean marine ecosystem is constructed in both ways. I show that IGP modules, which convey internal persistence because of the fact that prey are superior competitors for the resources, are overrepresented in the Caribbean ecosystem. The other modules, consisting of competitively inferior prey, are not persistent in isolation. However, competitively inferior prey in these modules tend to receive more advantage from extra-module interactions, which allows persistence of the IGP module. In addition, those exterior interactions tend to be provided by intrinsically persistent IGP modules to prevent cascading extinction of interacting IGP modules. The food web can be viewed as a set of interacting modules, nonrandomly arranged to enhance the maintenance of biodiversity.
Repeated horizontal transfer of a DNA transposon in mammals and other tetrapods
Authors: Pace John K. , Gilbert Clément , Clark Marlena S. , Feschotte Cédric
Published: October 2008

Horizontal transfer (HT) is central to the evolution of prokaryotic species. Selfish and mobile genetic elements, such as phages, plasmids, and transposons, are the primary vehicles for HT among prokaryotes. In multicellular eukaryotes, the prevalence and evolutionary significance of HT remain unclear. Here, we identified a set of DNA transposon families dubbed
SP
ACE
IN
VADERS (or
SPIN
) whose consensus sequences are ≈96% identical over their entire length (2.9 kb) in the genomes of murine rodents (rat/mouse), bushbaby (prosimian primate), little brown bat (laurasiatherian), tenrec (afrotherian), opossum (marsupial), and two non-mammalian tetrapods (anole lizard and African clawed frog). In contrast,
SPIN
elements were undetectable in other species represented in the sequence databases, including 19 other mammals with draft whole-genome assemblies. This patchy distribution, coupled with the extreme level of
SPIN
identity in widely divergent tetrapods and the overall lack of selective constraint acting on these elements, is incompatible with vertical inheritance, but strongly indicative of multiple horizontal introductions. We show that these germline infiltrations likely occurred around the same evolutionary time (15–46 mya) and spawned some of the largest bursts of DNA transposon activity ever recorded in any species lineage (nearly 100,000
SPIN
copies per haploid genome in tenrec). The process also led to the emergence of a new gene in the murine lineage derived from a
SPIN
transposase. In summary, HT of DNA transposons has contributed significantly to shaping and diversifying the genomes of multiple mammalian and tetrapod species.
Kinase requirements in human cells: I. Comparing kinase requirements across various cell types
Authors: Grueneberg Dorre A. , Degot Sebastien , Pearlberg Joseph , Li Wenliang , Davies Joan E. , Baldwin Amy , Endege Wilson , Doench John , Sawyer Jacqueline , Hu Yanhui , Boyce Frederick , Xian Jun , Munger Karl , Harlow Ed
Published: October 2008

shRNA loss-of-function screens were used to identify kinases that were rate-limiting for promoting cell proliferation and survival. Here, we study the differences in kinase requirements among various human cells, including freshly prepared primary cells, isogenic cells, immortalized cells, and cancer cell lines. Closely related patterns of kinase requirements among the various cell types were observed in three cases: (
i
) in repeat experiments using the same cells, (
ii
) with multiple populations of freshly prepared primary epithelial cells isolated from the same tissue source, and (
iii
) between nearly isogenic cells that differ from each other by the expression of a single gene. Other commonly used cancer cell lines were distinct from one another, even when they were isolated from similar tumor types. Even primary cells of different lineages isolated from the same tissue source showed many differences. The differences in kinase requirements among cell lines observed in this study suggest that the control of proliferation and survival may be significantly different between cell lines and that simple comparisons from any one cell to another may be misleading. Although the regulation of cell proliferation and survival are heavily studied areas, we did not see a bias in these screens toward the identification of previously known and well studied kinases, suggesting that our knowledge of molecular events in these areas is still meager.
Effect of adjuvant paclitaxel and carboplatin for advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer: A population‐based cohort study of all patients in western Sweden with long‐term follow‐up
Authors: ÅKESON MARGARETHA , ZETTERQVIST BRITT‐MARIE , DAHLLÖF KALLE , BRÄNNSTRÖM MATS , HORVATH GYÖRGY
Published: October 2008

Objective. To evaluate long‐term survival and prognostic factors for all epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients after adjuvant treatment with paclitaxel and carboplatin. Design. Prospectively collected data from a population‐based cohort. Setting. Western Sweden Health Care Region. Population. All women diagnosed with EOC between 1998 and 2005. Methods. Data related to age, stage, surgery, histopathology, grade, ploidy status, CA‐125, follow‐up, recurrence and death of EOC patients (n = 976) were prospectively collected in a quality register. No patient was lost to follow‐up and the median follow‐up was 68 months (range: 27–110). Main outcome measures. Relative survival at 5 and 8 years for all and for those treated with chemotherapy; median progression‐free survival (PFS) for stage IIB–IV patients treated with paclitaxel and carboplatin. Results. Relative 5‐ and 8‐year survival rates in the subgroup of patients treated with chemotherapy after surgery (n = 853) were 50.4% (95% CI: 46.4–54.3) and 40.5% (95% CI: 35.4–45.6), respectively. The median relative survival time of the entire group of patients was 60 months (95% CI: 52–73). The median PFS for the patients in stage IIB–IV treated with paclitaxel and carboplatin was 18 months (95% CI: 17–20). Well‐established prognostic factors of age, stage, residual tumor and post‐operative CA‐125 were of prognostic significance. Conclusion. Post‐surgical adjuvant chemotherapy of paclitaxel and carboplatin for advanced stages of EOC does not seem to increase the relative 5‐year survival rate or the median PFS compared to results of earlier studies of a similar patient cohort from the same geographical area.
Risk factors for periventricular leukomalacia
Authors: HATZIDAKI ELEFTHERIA , GIAHNAKIS EMMANOUEL , MARAKA SOPHIA , KORAKAKI EFTYCHIA , MANOURA ANTONIA , SAITAKIS EMMANOUEL , PAPAMASTORAKI ISABELLA , MARGARI KALIOPI‐MARIA , GIANNAKOPOULOU CHRISTINA
Published: October 2008

Objective. To identify risk factors implicated in the development of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and to evaluate the possible association between PVL with neonatal morbidity. Design. Retrospective case control study. Setting. Medical records of neonates admitted to a University Hospital between January 2000 and December 2005. Population. Sixty‐nine neonates with PVL born at gestational ages from 24 to 34 weeks. Forty‐three of these had a cystic form of PVL (cPVL), whereas 26 had transient periventricular echodensities (PVE). Methods. Each case was matched for gestational age and year of birth with one control. The maternal and neonatal medical records were searched. All data was compared between cases with PVL and controls, as well as between cases with cPVL and those with PVE. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent predictors of PVL. Results. Neonates with PVL suffered more frequently from intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), respiratory distress syndrome type I (RDS I), seizures, sepsis, required more days of both mechanical ventilation and oxygen administration, while the duration of their hospitalization was longer compared to controls. Also, they were born more frequently to mothers who suffered from preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and clinical chorioamnionitis. We found that male gender, PPROM, preeclampsia, hypocarbia and IVH were independently associated with PVL. Conclusions. This study revealed that preterm neonates born to mothers with PPROM or preeclampsia, as well as neonates who presented with hypocarbia or suffered from IVH, appeared to be at high risk for the development of PVL.
The SNP Government and Poverty
Authors: Turok Ivan
Published: October 2008

There is considerable public interest across the UK in whether distinctive economic and social policies will emerge from the Scottish National Party's election victory in 2007. The SNP manifesto did not have very much to say about poverty and inequality, but early in 2008 the new Government published a discussion paper, Tackling Poverty, Inequality and Deprivation in Scotland (TPID), laying the basis for a national policy framework due at the end of 2008. At a time when there are tentative signs of poverty moving up the political agenda across Britain, TPID offers the first indication of how the SNP Government views the problem and what it might do to make a difference.
Unlocking the Potential: The Role of Universities in Pursuing Regeneration and Promoting Sustainable Communities
Authors: Robinson Claire , Adams Neil
Published: October 2008

The election of New Labour in 1997 gave fresh impetus to the regeneration and community engagement agendas, and these are clearly central pillars in the Government's drive for sustainable communities. As major institutions in many towns and cities, universities can potentially play a major role in the development of our urban areas and make a significant contribution to the creation of sustainable communities. This paper examines the contribution of universities to urban regeneration and to local communities in England. Whilst there have been numerous case studies assessing the impact of specific universities on local and regional economies and wider research on the impact of universities on the national economy, there has generally been little attention given to their contribution to wider regeneration aims. Rather than adopting a case study approach, the research has focused on a nationwide survey generating quantitative and qualitative data to assess how universities perceive their role within this wider context, the extent to which they have become involved in such initiatives and possible barriers to such involvement. The research indicates that whilst many universities in England have been involved in regeneration and community initiatives, there is potential for more substantial and influential involvement, which could have significant benefits for the country's deprived areas and communities.
Tourism, Public Policy and Regional Development: A Turn from Neo-liberalism to the New Regionalism
Authors: Shone Michael C. , Memon P. Ali
Published: October 2008

The use of tourism as a driver of economic development is widely acknowledged. In New Zealand and internationally, tourism is used overtly as a mechanism by which governments are able to address a variety of national, regional and local development objectives. In this paper, we present a critique of recent responses in New Zealand to the task of guiding tourism development from a strategic and collaborative sustainable development perspective. As argued in this paper, the roles and responsibilities of government in tourism were reinvented during the 1980s and 1990s. These changes, inspired by a neo-liberal political ideology to deregulate the New Zealand economy and to restructure the state sector and local government, ultimately included the tourism sector. More recently, however, public sector policy initiatives indicate a shift towards a more pro-active role for the local state (local and regional government) in managing tourism development. This shift, informed by a New Regionalism policy framework, anticipates a devolved tourism planning mandate that fosters longer-term strategic and collaborative planning of the sector in order to enhance the contribution of tourism to sustainable community wellbeing. We reflect on the likely effectiveness of a devolved tourism planning mandate and interrogate the role and potential of tourism to contribute to regional development, as framed by the political philosophies of the New Regionalism.
Determinants of Local Economic Performance: Experience from Rural England
Authors: Courtney Paul , Moseley Malcom
Published: October 2008

The determinants of local economic performance have provided a focus for theoretical debate and posed a conundrum for rural policy makers aiming to address local and regional disparities in the face of global competitiveness. The complex interrelationship of potential explanatory factors is conceptualized in terms of five ‘capitals’: economic, human, social, environmental and cultural. Findings from in-depth interviews with local stakeholders in eight English districts emphasise the interplay between local historical and cultural contexts, the capacity of local actors to stimulate development and the potential to create ‘open’ economies and societies in explaining uneven patterns of performance across rural England.
THE ECONOMICS OF URANIUM ENRICHMENT
Authors: Owen A. D.
Published: October 2008

A number of factors which determine the demand for enrichment services are identified and projections of enrichment capacity and requirements to the year 2000 are discussed. An outline of the nuclear fuel cycle is given. The prospects for the establishment of an Australian enrichment supply industry during the 1990s are considered. It is concluded that those prospects are limited by the depressed state of the world market and the lack of a domestic market.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN AUSTRALIA: AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, 1854-1930
Authors: Moyal Ann
Published: October 2008

Australian history has been conspicuously short on the examination of the history of technical subjects and of the role technological development has played in the country's evolution. As early as 1961, Geoffrey Blainey observed: “We historians are uneasy outside the old triad of political, social and religious history; we are inclined to avoid the history of technical subjects even more than did the historians of the last century with their narrower compass of history.” The comment remains valid today. The history of technology in Australia stands as a broad and relatively empty canvas on which to depict the major underpinnings – and their social interconnections – of an increasingly industrialised society.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND WELFARE IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSBORDER DATA FLOWS
Authors: Jussawalla Meheroo
Published: October 2008

All countries are finding their economic growth determined increasingly by investment in information technology. In the ultimate analysis, the welfare effects will be determined by which industries are strengthened or weakened. Whether the technology is benign or not depends on the objectives of international communication systems and the policies for achieving them. International policy must be geared to specific objectives.
BROADCASTING IN THE 1920s : GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE INTERESTS
Authors: Barnard Alan
Published: October 2008

Australian broadcasting has always been subject to government regulation. This paper identifies fundamental changes in regulatory rules in the formative years of the 1920s and relates them to the interests they affected. Pressure by radio dealers determined the character of initial regulation and therefore the early shape of the broadcasting industry: private firms dependent on revenue from government-imposed listeners’ licence fees. Government initiative, quite independent of private lobbying, ended that system. Seeking to subsidise broadcasting in small States and rural areas, it ‘expropriated’ the pioneers in 1929 and replaced them with a single Australia-wide revenue-supported private program contractor using transmission facilities provided by the PMG Department – an immediate forerunner to the creation of the ABC in 1932.
THE INTERNATIONAL REALPOLITIK OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Authors: Tisdell Clem
Published: October 2008

Reasons are considered for growing government intervention in scientific and technological progress, justifications for such interference and variations in the objectives sought by developed nations through their science and technology policies. Many governments of developed countries now place high priority on using science and technology policy to maintain and enhance the international competitiveness of their industries. It is hoped thereby to increase their living standards and reduce unemployment. The belief is widespread that to be effective such policies should be directed towards encouraging selected industries and technologies, as in Japan and Germany. Since Australian policies broadly have not been industry specific and technology specific, they need to be re-assessed in the light of these developments.
INFORMATICS AND LAW REFORM
Authors: Kirby M.D.
Published: October 2008

The Chairman of the Australian Law Reform Commission identifies science and technology as one of the main factors necessitating reform of the law in Australia. The way in which informatics, one of the most dynamic technologies of today, has penetrated Australian society is described. The implications of this technology for two major projects before the Australian Law Reform Commission are then outlined. The first is the design of new laws to protect privacy of the individual in the growing computerisation of personal data. The second is the adaptation of the law of evidence, from a system highly dependent on oral testimony to one responsive to computer and computer generated testimony. The author then outlines a number of future issues concerning the interface between informatics and the law. He proposes the establishment of permanent machinery to examine the mosaic of computer law topics. Finally, he examines impediments to the computerisation of land information systems – as a species of the way in which the growth of informatics will present challenges to lawmakers, administrators and law reformers in Australia.
THE NATURE OF AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL INPUT-OUTPUT MULTIPLIERS
Authors: Jensen R.C. , West G.R.
Published: October 2008

This paper presents the first general analysis of the multipliers derived from twenty-nine Australian regional (GRIT) input-output tables, ranging from metropolitan areas to quite isolated regions. The study attempts to summarise the formidable array of results, aiming to provide an empirical reference point for research into regional multipliers, to identify any regularities in the multiplier components and to suggest conclusions for general policy purposes.
TECHNOLOGICAL SOVEREIGNTY: FORGOTTEN FACTOR IN THE ‘HI-TECH’ RAZZAMATAZZ
Authors: Grant Paul
Published: October 2008

Technological sovereignty is the capability and the freedom to select, to generate or acquire and to apply, build upon and exploit commercially technology needed for industrial innovation. It is to be distinguished from technological self-sufficiency, which is the possession of, or the ability to generate readily, all technology required. Australia's past failure to take the sovereignty factor into account has far-reaching implications for future industry/technology strategy.
TECHNOLOGY: THE CONTINGENT NATURE OF ITS IMPACT
Authors: Dunford Richard
Published: October 2008

The pervasiveness of microelectronic-based technologies and rising levels of unemployment have led to special attention being paid to the role of technology in the workplace. Prescriptive statements about this impact have failed to do justice to the contingent and contested nature of these changes. Recognition of the quasi-political nature of this process may disrupt the hygienic tone of these prescriptions, but should lead to a more realistic appreciation of this process. This argument is illustrated with reference to both employment numbers and the nature of work.
TRADE UNIONS, NEW TECHNOLOGY AND INCOMES POLICY: DISCLOSURE AND USE OF COMPANY INFORMATION
Authors: Corina John
Published: October 2008

This article views prospective change in the industrial relations system, during the Hawke Government era, from an information system perspective. Exogenous forces emanating from technological change, cyclical and structural unemployment, and the framework of an incomes-prices policy, suggest that contentious policy issues of company information disclosure to unions and employees will occupy a prominent place on the agenda for the future of Australian industrial relations. Problems of disclosure are analysed against international trends, and reform proposals for Australian disclosure policies are critically examined. Some options are elaborated for the development of improved disclosure practices.
HIGH TECHNOLOGY POLICY AND THE SILICON VALLEY MODEL: AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Macdonald Stuart
Published: October 2008

Australia seeks to emerge from the depths of recession and to break free from the syndrome of giving ever-increasing protection to a decaying manufacturing sector, by encouraging high technology industry. Silicon Valley, the home of much of the world's semiconductor industry, is often seen as the appropriate model for the development of such industry. For those used to dealing with the siting and encouragement of conventional industry, it can seem that high technology industry, with no heavy raw material input or bulky product output and requiring no large labour pool or local market, in fact has no special requirements at all. Others look to the Silicon Valley model and plan science or technology parks to reproduce the factors they believe responsible for that phenomenon. For example, great emphasis is generally placed on proximity to universities, apparently in ignorance of the very minor role universities played in the growth of the semiconductor industry, and of the great practical divide between science and technology. Vital factors, such as the ready information flow achieved by high mobility of those in high technology industry, are ignored. The Australian situation is complicated further by competition among the States to attract high technology industry, a competition that tends to emasculate national policy. Yet this situation is really just a local representation of what is happening internationally among countries and among regions within those countries. This desperation to leap blindly into high technology, whatever it is and whatever the cost, by following a model that is scarcely understood, is unlikely to produce the huge rewards so many policy makers anticipate are so readily available.
THE FAILURE OF A NEW COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY IN A LARGE HOSPITAL ORGANISATION
Authors: Brewer Ann M.
Published: October 2008

The failure of a Patient Monitor Nurse Call (PMNC) system in a large metropolitan teaching hospital is reported and an evaluation is carried out to establish the reasons for failure and future design requirements.
THE INTRODUCTION OF CYANIDING IN NEW ZEALAND: A CASE STUDY IN THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN HISTORY
Authors: Jack Sybil M.
Published: October 2008

This article explores the factors influencing entrepreneurial decisionmaking about the introduction of new technological processes in the gold mining companies of nineteenth century New Zealand. It attempts to estimate the significance of scientific discoveries to technological advance, and the influence of government, economic circumstances and patent laws. In this way, it seeks to explain the retardation of the introduction of cyaniding as a combination of scientific and expert doubt about the effects of cyanide, the entrepreneurial problem of distinguishing the one young swan among the ducklings, and the pricing policy of the patent owners. It indicates briefly the effects that the introduction of cyaniding had on the structure of the gold mining industry.
CORONARY INTENSIVE CARE FOR CARDIAC INFARCTION: A CASE STUDY OF THE DIFFUSION OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY IN THE AUSTRALIAN HOSPITAL SECTOR
Authors: Sampford Karen
                      Ann
Published: October 2008

Although technological change processes in agriculture and industry have been extensively studied, studies of technological change processes in the service sector are, to date, limited in number. In this paper, findings of a case study of the diffusion of coronary care facilities in the Australian hospital sector are presented and discussed. Comparisons are drawn with other studies of innovation and diffusion in both profit and not-for-profit settings in this country and overseas. A review of the history of treatment for coronary heart disease serves to emphasise that technologies, thought to be of worth, are too often introduced only to be later discarded. Comprehensive technology assessment is proposed as a viable alternative to the ad hoc approach which presently characterises the adoption of medical innovations.
THE ATS-1 COMMUNICATIONS MODEL: QUASI-MASS AUDIO NETWORKS FOR EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE
Authors: Lange James C.
Published: October 2008

The ATS-1 satellite is used for social service audioconference networks in the Pacific Islands. Channel limitations restrict the communication efficiency of these networks, but not so badly as to drop them below accepted standards for telecommunication systems. Emulating the A TS-1 model over higher quality satellite and/or terrestrial links can bring great social benefit at considerable cost savings in comparison with standard common carrier service. Design, planning and training considerations for such networks are suggested by the A TS-1 model.
EXOGENOUS FACTORS IN ECONOMIC THEORY
Authors: Lamberton D.
                      McL.
Published: October 2008

Economists have frequently treated technological change as exogenous, as having important economic consequences but not being controlled by economic forces. This justifies reporting a current attempt to develop an international, interdisciplinary discussion of exogenous factors in economics.