bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pattern Dependence of Epitaxial-Realignment in Direct Silicon Bonded (DSB) Substrates with Hybrid Crystal Orientation
Authors: Itokawa Hiroshi , Nomachi Akiko , Yasutake Nobuaki , Ishida Tatsuya , Fukushima Takashi , Harakawa Hideaki , Kawase Yoshimasa , Azuma Atsushi , Mizushima Ichiro
Published: May 2008

Direct Silicon Bonded Si (DSB) technology with amorphization templated recrystallization process enables a relatively simple integration of CMOSFET using hybrid orientation bulk substrates. The absence of oxide at the bonding interface enables the change of the orientation of the donor Si film to that of the handle substrate after amorphization and recrystallzation. Therefore, an epitaxial realignment is caused by the absence of oxide at the bonding interface during the high-temperature annealing for recrystallzation. This paper describes the issues concerning the epitaxial realignment of DSB hybrid orientation bulk substrates, focusing on the pattern structure and rotation angle of donor layer and handle wafer dependence.
Embedding of Nanocrystalline Ruthenium in ZrHfO High-k Film for Nonvolatile Memories
Authors: Lin Chen-Han , Kuo Yue
Published: May 2008

MOS nonvolatile memory capacitors made of the nanocrystalline RuOx embedded Zr-doped HfO2 high-k gate dielectric film were fabricated and characterized. The as-deposited Ru film changed into discrete nanocrystalline RuOx with a sheet density of 8E11cm-2 after the 950oC thermal annealing. The Coulomb blockade effect was observed. The device showed a large memory window, i.e., 1.72V in the gate sweep range of {plus minus}9V. The memory function was mainly contributed by the hole trapping mechanism, especially below the {plus minus}6V gate bias region.
CMP Process Development Techniques for New Materials
Authors: Rhoades Robert L.
Published: May 2008

An ever-expanding list of advanced semiconductor devices depend on the ability to generate extremely flat and smooth surfaces at critical points in their manufacturing process flow. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) has proven to be the preferred method for achieving these surfaces. It was initially developed for planarizing oxide interlevel dielectric layers in CMOS devices. Since then CMP has been developed for several other materials, including tungsten, copper, and polysilicon. However, the number of new applications and new materials being proposed for planarization by CMP is accelerating. While each specific material or integration scheme may require a unique CMP solution, the techniques and methods used to arrive at that solution have some general commonalities. This paper describes a sequence of proven steps for developing CMP processes for new materials or new applications.
Modeling Copper CMP Material Removal Rates Using Copper Surface Nanohardness
Authors: Ihnfeldt Robin V. , Talbot Jan B.
Published: May 2008

Copper nanohardness and etch rate measurements in various CMP solutions, in addition to alumina agglomerate size distribution measurements, were used in a model to predict material removal rates (MRR). Model predictions were compared to experimental copper CMP data. In general, the model predictions improved using measured nanohardness compared to predictions using a constant nanohardness of metallic copper. The model reasonably predicts MRR, indicating this model is applicable to the copper CMP process. However, when the solution pH was low (<4) the model overpredicted MRR, possibly due to a thin, hard passivation layer. Also, the model was very sensitive to the surface hardness in solutions of glycine and H2O2.
Site-Selective Metal Patterning/Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching on GaAs Substrate through Colloidal Crystal Templating
Authors: Yasukawa Yukiko , Asoh Hidetaka , Ono Sachiko
Published: May 2008

Systematic research on an n-GaAs substrate through a combination of colloidal crystal templating, electroless plating/two-step catalyzation and subsequent metal-assisted chemical etching was carried out. Using self-organized polystyrene spheres as a mask, metal particles, i.e., Cu, Ag and Pd, were selectively deposited at sites resulting in the formation of metal honeycomb patterns on GaAs. Ordered GaAs convex arrays were fabricated by the chemical etching of GaAs originating from the honeycomb-patterned Ag and Pd metals, which acted as etching catalysts, whereas the effectiveness of Cu as a catalyst in metal-assisted etching was not confirmed. Each metal catalyst resulted in the formation of a characteristic etched structure and etching depth, and thus, etching rate. In addition, different anisotropic etching structures were obtained by Ag-assisted etching for (100)- and (111)-oriented substrates. The crystal-face orientation as well as the metal used affects the rate of metal-assisted chemical etching and the morphology obtained.
P-type Doping and Light Emitting Junction Formation in ZnO
Authors: Norton D , Kim Hyun-Sik , Pearton Stephen J. , Wang Yu-Lin , Ren F.
Published: May 2008

The transport properties of as-deposited and rapid thermal annealed phosphorus-doped ZnO films grown by pulsed laser deposition are reported. As-grown ZnO:P samples show n-type characteristics, presumably due to the formation of anti-site PZn defects. Rapid thermal annealing yields a carrier type conversion from n- to p-type for the ZnO:P films grown at ~ 700ºC; samples grown at substantially lower or higher temperatures tend to remain n-type even after thermal annealing process. The properties and behavior of the n-to-p conversion is most consistent with the formation of PZn-2VZn as the active acceptor state. Research efforts have included the formation and characterization of ZnO pn junctions on c-plane sapphire. Using the p-type ZnO:P films, we have realized near band edge light emission from ZnO:P/ZnMgO/ZnO/ZnMgO/ZnO:Ga epitaxial heterostructures grown on c-plane sapphire.
Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting on GaN-ZnO and ZnGeN2-ZnO Solid Solutions under Visible Light
Authors: Maeda Kazuhiko , Lee Yungi , Wang Xinchen , Domen Kazunari
Published: May 2008

GaN-ZnO and ZnGeN2-ZnO solid solutions are presented as effective photocatalysts for overall water splitting under visible light. Both solid solutions have wurtzite-type crystal structure and smaller band gaps of 2.4-2.8 eV (depending on composition) than those of the corresponding end compounds (GaN, 3.4 eV; ZnO, 3.2 eV; ZnGeN2, 3.3 eV). The narrower band gap of the solid solutions is attributed to the presence of zinc and oxygen species in the material. The photocatalytic activity of the solid solutions for overall water splitting is strongly dependent on both the cocatalyst and the crystallinity and composition of the material. The quantum efficiency of the solid solutions modified with Rh and Cr mixed-oxide nanoparticles as H2 evolution sites is 2-6 % at 420-440 nm.
Ferromagnetism in Cu-Doped ZnO Films Prepared by Filtered Cathodic Vacuum Arc Technique
Authors: Herng Tun Seng , Lau Shu Ping , Yu Siu Fung
Published: May 2008

Conductive copper-doped ZnO (ZnO:Cu) films exhibited room temperature ferromagnetism were fabricated by the filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique. The electron concentration and conductivity of the samples can be increased from 1016 to 1020 cm-3 and 0.31 to 194 (ohm-cm)-1 respectively, using the substrate biasing technique. However, this technique degrades the magnetic ordering of the conductive ZnO:Cu films. The magnetization of the films is not proportional to the increment of carrier concentration, suggesting carrier induce exchange is not directly responsible for magnetic properties. The magnetism of these biased ZnO:Cu is correlated to the crystal orientation, crystal quality and density of Zni.
Promotion of ESD-CDM Immunity in Dicing Saw Process
Authors: Wang Mu-Chun , Huang Kuo-Su , Hsieh Zhen-Ying , Huang Heng-Sheng
Published: May 2008

Polyimide (PI) dielectric as a heatproof material is popularly adopted in integrated circuit (IC) industry. In assembly dicing saw process, the de-ionized (D.I.) water shows the higher resistance and rubs with PI material. Therefore, the negative electrostatic charges are generated and accumulated to gate oxide capacitor or p-n junction capacitor in IC chips. Because the discharge path is isolated in this time, the sufficiently cumulative charges will damage the IC devices in this process step. These damaged ICs demonstrate the function fail. To overcome this failure mechanism, an adequate amount of CO2 gas flow and some suitable control of water pressure were studied. Through this effort, the final-test yield in sub-micron or deep-submicron analog power complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) ICs was impressively promoted from 80% to 98%.
Cytosol-nucleus traffic and colocalization with FXR of conjugated bile acids in rat hepatocytes
Authors: Monte Maria J. , Rosales Ruben , Macias Rocio I. R. , Iannota Valeria , Martinez-Fernandez Almudena , Romero Marta R. , Hofmann Alan F. , Marin Jose J. G.
Published: May 2008

Bile acids (BAs) are natural ligands of nuclear receptors, in particular farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Whether, in addition to protein-mediated cytosolic-nuclear BA translocation, other mechanisms are involved in the access of BAs to nuclear FXR was investigated. When rat hepatocytes were incubated with radiolabeled taurocholic acid, taurodeoxycholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid, and tauroursodeoxycholic acid, their nuclear accumulation was proportional to their intracellular levels. With the use of flow cytometry analysis, the accumulation by nuclei isolated from rat liver cells was found to differ for several fluorescent compounds of similar molecular weight and different charge, including fluorescein-tagged BAs [cholylglycyl amidofluorescein (CGamF), ursodeoxycholylglycyl amidofluorescein, or chenodeoxycholylglycyl amidofluorescein]. When we varied nuclear volume by incubation with different sucrose concentrations, a similar relationship between nuclear volume and content of FITC and 4-kDa FITC-dextran was found. In contrast, this relationship was markedly lower for CGamF. Confocal microscopy studies revealed that fluorescein-tagged BAs, but also FITC or 10-kDa FITC-dextran were found in the nuclear envelope and concentrated in regions where DNA was less densely packed. In contrast to the cytosolic subcellular localization of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α, FXR and nucleolin (a marker of transcriptional active chromatin) were also localized by immunoreactivity in these intranuclear regions. In conclusion, although intranuclear levels of small organic molecules including conjugated BAs depend on their concentrations in the extranuclear space, the existence of certain molecular selectivity (not strictly dependent on molecular weight or charge) suggests that, in addition to simple diffusional exchange, other mechanisms may be also involved in determining their overall nuclear content in regions where these compounds coincide and may interact with nuclear receptors such as FXR.
Costimulation with angiotensin II and interleukin 6 augments angiotensinogen expression in cultured human renal proximal tubular cells
Authors: Satou Ryousuke , Gonzalez-Villalobos Romer A. , Miyata Kayoko , Ohashi Naro , Katsurada Akemi , Navar L. Gabriel , Kobori Hiroyuki
Published: May 2008

Augmented intrarenal ANG II stimulates IL-6, which contributes to renal injury. The expression of intrarenal angiotensinogen (AGT) is enhanced by increased intrarenal ANG II in human renin/human AGT double transgenic mice. ANG II also augments AGT expression in hepatocytes and cardiac myocytes. However, the mechanisms underlying AGT augmentation by ANG II and the contribution of IL-6 to this system are poorly understood. This study was performed in human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (HRPTECs) to test the hypothesis that IL-6 contributes to the upregulation of AGT expression by ANG II. Human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells, immortalized HRPTECs, were incubated with 10−7M ANG II and/or 10 ng/ml IL-6 for up to 24 h. AGT mRNA and protein expressions were measured by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. The activities of NF-κB and STAT3 were evaluated by Western blotting and EMSA. Stimulation with either ANG II or IL-6 did not significantly alter AGT mRNA or protein expression. In contrast, costimulation with ANG II and IL-6 significantly increased AGT mRNA and protein expressions (1.26 ± 0.10 and 1.16 ± 0.13 over control, respectively). Olmesartan, an ANG II type 1 receptor blocker, and an IL-6 receptor antibody individually inhibited this synergistic effect. NF-κB was also activated by costimulation with ANG II and IL-6. Phosphorylation and activity of STAT3 were increased by stimulation with IL-6 alone and by costimulation. The present study indicates that IL-6 plays an important role in ANG II-mediated augmentation of AGT expression in human renal proximal tubular cells.
VEGF receptors and neuropilins are expressed in the urothelial and neuronal cells in normal mouse urinary bladder and are upregulated in inflammation
Authors: Saban Marcia R. , Backer Joseph M. , Backer Marina V. , Maier Julie , Fowler Ben , Davis Carole A. , Simpson Cindy , Wu Xue-Ru , Birder Lori , Freeman Michael R. , Soker Shay , Hurst Robert E. , Saban Ricardo
Published: May 2008

Recent evidence supports a role for vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) signaling in bladder inflammation. However, it is not clear what bladder cells are targeted by VEGF. Therefore, we determined the nature of cells responding to VEGF in normal and inflamed bladders by tagging such cells in vivo with a targeted fluorescent tracer, scVEGF/Cy, an engineered single-chain VEGF labeled with Cy5.5 dye, which identifies cells with accessible and functionally active VEGF receptors. Inflammation was induced by intravesical instillation of PAR-activating peptides or BCG. In vivo NIRF imaging with intravenously injected scVEGF/Cy revealed accumulation of the tracer in the control mouse bladder and established that inflammation increased the steady-state levels of tracer uptake. Ex vivo colocalization of Cy5.5 dye revealed that in normal and at a higher level in inflamed bladder, accumulation of scVEGF/Cy occurs in both urothelial and ganglial cells, expressing VEGF receptors VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, as well as VEGF coreceptors neuropilins (NRP) NRP1 and NRP2. PCR results indicate that the messages for VEGF-Rs and NRPs are present in the bladder mucosa and ChIP/QPCR analysis indicated that inflammation induced upregulation of genes encoding VEGFRs and NRPs. Our results strongly suggest new and blossoming VEGF-driven processes in bladder urothelial cells and ganglia in the course of inflammation. We expect that molecular imaging of the VEGF pathway in the urinary tract by receptor-mediated cell tagging in vivo will be useful for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring, and will help to accelerate the development of bladder-targeting drugs and treatments.
Noradrenergic and GABAB Receptor Activation Differentially Modulate Inputs to the Premotor Nucleus RA in Zebra Finches
Authors: Sizemore Max , Perkel David J.
Published: May 2008

Neuromodulators can rapidly modify neural circuits, altering behavior. Songbirds provide an excellent system for studying the role of neuromodulation in modifying circuits that underlie behavior because song learning and production are mediated by a discrete set of interconnected nuclei. We examined the neuromodulatory effects of noradrenergic and GABAB receptor activation on synaptic inputs to the premotor robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) in zebra finches using whole cell voltage-clamp recording in vitro. In adults, norepinephrine strongly reduced input from the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN) but only slightly reduced the input from nucleus HVC (proper name), the excitatory input from axon collaterals of other RA neurons, and input from GABAergic interneurons. The effect of norepinephrine was mimicked by the α2 adrenoceptor agonist UK14,304 and blocked by the α2 antagonist yohimbine. Conversely, the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen strongly decreased HVC, collateral, and GABAergic inputs to RA neurons while causing little reduction in the LMAN input. In juveniles undergoing song learning, norepinephrine reduced the LMAN input, caused only a small reduction in the HVC input, and greatly reduced the collateral and GABAergic inputs. Baclofen caused similar results in juvenile and adult birds, reducing HVC, collateral, and GABAergic inputs significantly more than the LMAN input. Significant increases in paired-pulse ratio accompanied all reductions in synaptic transmission, suggesting a presynaptic locus. The reduction in the LMAN input by norepinephrine may be important for mediating changes in song elicited by different social contexts and is well-placed to play a role in song learning.
Early Postnatal Development of Reciprocal Ia Inhibition in the Murine Spinal Cord
Authors: Wang Zhi , Li LingYing , Goulding Martyn , Frank Eric
Published: May 2008

The pathway mediating reciprocal inhibition from muscle spindle afferents (Ia axons) to motoneurons (MNs) supplying antagonist muscles has been well studied in adult cats, but little is known about how this disynaptic pathway develops. As a basis for studying its development, we characterized this pathway in mice during the first postnatal week, focusing on the projection of quadriceps (Q) Ia axons to posterior biceps-semitendinosis (PBSt) MNs via Ia inhibitory interneurons. Synaptic potentials in PBSt MNs evoked by Q nerve stimulation are mediated disynaptically and are blocked by strychnine, implying that glycine is the major inhibitory transmitter as in adult cats. The specificity of neuronal connections in this reflex pathway is already high at birth; Q afferents evoke inhibitory synaptic potentials in PBSt MNs, but afferents supplying the adductor muscle do not. Similar to this disynaptic pathway in cats, Renshaw cells inhibit the interposed Ia interneurons, as they reduce the disynaptic input from Q axons but do not inhibit PBSt MNs directly. Reciprocal inhibition functionally inhibits the monosynaptic excitatory reflex in PBSt MNs by P3, but this functional inhibition is weak at P1. Finally, deletion of the transcription factor Pax6, which is required for the development of V1-derived Renshaw cells, does not block development of this pathway. This suggests either that Pax6 is not required for the phenotypic development of all V1-derived spinal interneurons or that these inhibitory interneurons are not derived from V1 precursors.
Neurobiology of a Simple Memory
Authors: Wilson Donald A. , Linster Christiane
Published: May 2008

Habituation is one of the simplest forms of memory, yet its neurobiological mechanisms remain largely unknown in mammalian systems. This review summarizes recent multidisciplinary analyses of the neurobiology of mammalian odor habituation including in vitro and in vivo synaptic physiology, sensory physiology, behavioral pharmacology, and computational modeling approaches. The findings show that a metabotropic glutamate receptor–mediated depression of afferent synapses to the olfactory cortex is necessary and perhaps sufficient to account for cortical sensory adaptation and short-term behavioral habituation. Furthermore, long-term habituation is an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor–dependent process within the olfactory bulb. Thus there is both a pharmacological and anatomical distinction between short-term and long-term memory for habituation. The differential locus of change underlying short- and long-term memory leads to predictable differences in their behavioral characteristics, such as specificity.
A New Fractal-Based Design of Stacked Integrated Transformers
Authors: Stojanović Goran , Radovanović Milan , Radonić Vasa
Published: May 2008

Silicon-based radio-frequency integrated circuits are becoming more and more competitive in wide-band frequency range. An essential component of these ICs is on-chip (integrated) transformer. It is widely used in mobile communications, microwave integrated circuits, low-noise amplifiers, active mixers, and baluns. This paper deals with the design, simulation, and analysis of novel fractal configurations of the primary and secondary coils of the integrated transformers. Integrated stacked transformers, which use fractal curves (Hilbert, Peano, and von Koch) to form the primary and secondary windings, are presented. In this way, the occupied area on the chip is lower and a number of lithographic processes are decreased. The performances of the proposed integrated transformers are investigated with electromagnetic simulations up to 20 GHz. The influence of the order of fractal curves and the width of conductive lines on the inductance and quality factor is also described.
Harnack Inequalities and ABP Estimates for Nonlinear Second‐Order Elliptic Equations in Unbounded Domains
Authors: Amendola M. E. , Rossi L. , Vitolo A.
Published: May 2008

We are concerned with fully nonlinear uniformly elliptic operators with a superlinear gradient term. We look for local estimates, such as weak Harnack inequality and local maximum principle, and their extension up to the boundary. As applications, we deduce ABP‐type estimates and weak maximum principles in general unbounded domains, a strong maximum principle, and a Liouville‐type theorem.
Pairwise Weakly Regular‐Lindelöf Spaces
Authors: Kılıçman Adem , Salleh Zabidin
Published: May 2008

We will introduce and study the pairwise weakly regular‐Lindelöf bitopological
spaces and obtain some results. Furthermore, we study the pairwise weakly
regular‐Lindelöf subspaces and subsets, and investigate some of their characterizations. We
also show that a pairwise weakly regular‐Lindelöf property is not a hereditary property. Some
counterexamples will be considered in order to establish some of their relations.
Contribution of Exploratory Methods to the Investigation of Extended Large‐Scale Brain Networks in Functional MRI: Methodologies, Results, and Challenges
Authors: Perlbarg V. , Marrelec G.
Published: May 2008

A large‐scale brain network can be defined as a set of segregated and integrated
regions, that is, distant regions that share strong anatomical connections
and functional interactions. Data‐driven investigation of such networks has
recently received a great deal of attention in blood‐oxygen‐level‐dependent
(BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We here review the
rationale for such an investigation, the methods used, the results obtained,
and also discuss some issues that have to be faced for an efficient exploration.
Hölder‐Type Inequalities for Norms of Wick Products
Authors: Lanconelli Alberto , Stan Aurel I.
Published: May 2008

Various upper bounds for the L2‐norm of the Wick product of two
measurable functions of a random variable X, having finite moments
of any order, together with a universal minimal condition, are proven.
The inequalities involve the second quantization operator of a constant
times the identity operator. Some conditions ensuring that the constants
involved in the second quantization operators are optimal, and interesting
examples satisfying these conditions are also included.
Extraction and Recognition of Nonlinear Interval‐Type Features Using Symbolic KDA Algorithm with Application to Face Recognition
Authors: Hiremath P. S. , Prabhakar C. J.
Published: May 2008

We present symbolic kernel discriminant analysis (symbolic KDA) for face
recognition in the framework of symbolic data analysis. Classical KDA extracts features, which are single‐valued in nature to represent face images.
These single‐valued variables may not be able to capture variation of each feature in all the images
of same subject; this leads to loss of information. The symbolic KDA algorithm extracts most
discriminating nonlinear interval‐type features which optimally discriminate among the classes
represented in the training set. The proposed method has been successfully tested for face
recognition using two databases, ORL database and Yale face database. The effectiveness of the proposed
method is shown in terms of comparative performance against popular face recognition methods
such as kernel Eigenface method and kernel Fisherface method. Experimental results show that
symbolic KDA yields improved recognition rate.
Chaotic Behavior in a Switched Dynamical System
Authors: El Guezar Fatima , Bouzahir Hassane
Published: May 2008

We present a numerical study of an example of piecewise linear
systems that constitute a class of hybrid systems. Precisely, we study the
chaotic dynamics of the voltage‐mode controlled buck converter circuit in an
open loop. By considering the voltage input as a bifurcation parameter, we
observe that the obtained simulations show that the buck converter is prone
to have subharmonic behavior and chaos. We also present the corresponding
bifurcation diagram. Our modeling techniques are based on the new French
native modeler and simulator for hybrid systems called Scicos (Scilab connected
object simulator) which is a Scilab (scientific laboratory) package.
The followed approach takes into account the hybrid nature of the circuit.
Need for Cognition Can Magnify or Attenuate Priming Effects in Social Judgment
Authors: Petty Richard E. , DeMarree Kenneth G. , Briñol Pablo , Horcajo Javier , Strathman Alan J.
Published: May 2008

This article hypothesizes that the individual-difference variable, need for cognition (NFC), can have opposite implications for priming effects, depending on prime blatancy. Subtle primes are argued to be more effective for high- versus low-NFC individuals. This is because for high-NFC individuals, (a) constructs are generally easier to activate, (b) their higher amount of thought offers more opportunity for an activated construct to bias judgment, and (c) their thoughtfully formed judgments are more likely to affect behavior. However, because high-NFC individuals are adept at identifying and correcting for bias, with blatant primes the activated construct should be less likely to exert its default influence. Furthermore, with blatant primes, low-NFC individuals may achieve sufficient activation for primes to affect judgment. Across three studies, it is shown that as NFC increases, the magnitude of priming effects increases with a subtle prime but decreases with a blatant prime.
Assessment of the Validity of Easy and Difficult Temperament through Observed Mother-Child Behaviours
Authors: Allen Kathleen , Prior Margot
Published: May 2008

Forty mothers and their 7-year-old children were video-taped while interacting during the completion of five structured tasks. Half of the children had been rated as having a difficult temperament by their mothers on the Thomas and Chess Temperament Questionnaire during the previous 3 years. The other half had a stable, easy temperament according to these ratings. Observation of mother-child interactions demonstrated that the behaviour of mothers of easy and difficult children did not differ significantly, but difficult-temperament children showed significantly more negative and disputing behaviour than did easy children. Controlling and critical behaviours on the part of the mothers were particularly associated with child negativity, most notably when they occurred in the easy group. Mothers of the children in the easy group were likely to respond to child negativity with the encouragement of autonomy but this was extremely rare in the difficult group. Mothers of difficult children gave more positive encouragement to their children both before and after negative behaviour. Overall, the results indicated a different pattern of contingent responses for easy child-mother pairs, and also offered some support for the validity of mother ratings of difficult temperament.
Micro-analysis of Social Interactions between Autistic Children and Normal Adults in Semi-structured Play Situations
Authors: Tardif Carole , Plumet Marie-Hélène , Beaudichon Janine , Waller Delphine , Bouvard Manuel , Leboyer Marion
Published: May 2008

The present study was designed to: (1) identify the qualitative and temporal characteristics of the exchange structures of autistic children interacting with an adult; and (2) analyse and compare the implementation of their interactive behaviour in a range of play situations. Ten autistic children aged 5 to 14 were video-taped while interacting with an adult in four play situations, with or without objects. The elementary behavioural events observed in the dyads were coded and processed on a computer by an automatic pattern detection program. The results showed that in this structured situation the autistic children engaged in a variety of behaviours for communicating with the adult, and that 8 of the 10 children repeatedly exhibited structures of interaction. These patterns were found to depend on IQ, but involved a certain number of peculiar characteristics (parasitic behaviours, lack of initiative, maladapted visual behaviour, etc.), even for the children with the highest IQ scores. The physical interaction situations gave rise to fewer and less elaborate patterns than the situations involving objects. Only the most advanced children participated in the joint-attention situation. The implications of the method for understanding the abnormal development of interaction in autism are discussed.
A Note on the Scope of Developmental Behaviour Genetics
Authors: Dolan Conor V. , Molenaar Peter C.M.
Published: May 2008

The behaviour genetic decomposition of individual differences has been presented as being irrelevant to the study of human behavioural ontogeny. This introduces two problems. First, the analysis of systematic differences constitutes the basis for most statistical models used in the social sciences. If, generally speaking, this type of analysis is uninformative regarding development, how then can one empirically investigate human development? Second, behaviour genetic analyses are the only way to arrive at meaningful statements regarding the contributions of heredity and environment to human development. If results thus obtained are irrelevant, it is impossible to say anything on the subject of heredity, environment, and human ontogeny that is both meaningful and informative.

It is argued that developmental behaviour genetics should not be viewed as a theory of development, but rather as a method of testing certain well-defined hypotheses regarding the contributions of genetic and environmental influences to human development.

Individual differences assessed at any point in time reflect developmental processes prior to that time-gene-environment models are in a very basic sense inherently developmental... (Loehlin, 1975, p.41).

Obviously the finding of innate differences in behaviour does not illuminate the development of that behaviour in any way (Johnston, 1988, p. 623).
When Feelings Speak
Authors: Beukeboom Camiel J. , de Jong Elisabeth M.
Published: May 2008

Cognitive tuning accounts argue that both affective feelings and bodily feelings induce changes in information processing (N. Schwarz & G. L. Clore, 1996). This article examines how these effects of feelings are reflected in language abstraction. On the basis of previous work showing that affective cues change language abstraction, we hypothesized that proprioceptive cues (i.e., bodily feelings) associated with global processing (arm flexion) should induce more abstract language use, compared with bodily feelings associated with analytic processing (arm extension). This prediction received support in a study in which participants performed a written self-description task either while pressing their nondominant hand under the table (arm flexion), or on top of the table (arm extension), or while keeping their arm relaxed (control). Implications for interpersonal communication are discussed.
The Institutional Embedding of Interactive Policy Making
Authors: Edelenbos Jurian , Klok Pieter-Jan , van Tatenhove Jan
Published: May 2008

In this article, the authors address citizen involvement at the central government level in the Netherlands. Through comparative research in which they systematically analyze eight interactive projects in three governmental departments, the authors especially pay attention to the relation between the informal character of interactive policy making and formal democratic decision-making procedures. They call this the “institutional embedding of interactive policy making .” The authors address the question, which forms of institutional embedding are most promising in securing continued effect from interactive policy making on formal democratic decision making? To answer this question, they distinguish three different forms of institutional embedding—that is, administrative, governmental, and political. The comparative research shows that a multiple institutional embedding of administrative, governmental, and political secures the continued effect of interactive policy making. Political embedding is especially important in creating enough pressure to organize and manage interactive processes well and take outcomes seriously into account.
Prevalence and Mental Health Correlates of Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace
Authors: Rospenda Kathleen M. , Richman Judith A. , Shannon Candice A.
Published: May 2008

This study describes past-year prevalence and effects on mental health and drinking outcomes for harassment and discrimination in the workplace (HDW) in a nationally representative random digit dial phone survey conducted in 2003-2004 ( n = 2,151). HDW measures included experiences and perceptions of sexual harassment (SH) and generalized workplace harassment (GWH), and perceived harassment or discrimination because of race or ethnicity. Prevalence was examined by sex, race, age, occupation, marital status, and education. Effects of HDW were assessed controlling for demo-graphics and job and life stressors. Experiencing multiple types of HDW was common. SH was more prevalent among women, and Blacks and those of other or mixed race or ethnicity experienced the highest levels of HDW overall. HDW variables explained additional variance in problem drinking and mental health beyond life and job stressors, particularly for women. This study demonstrates that HDW is a prevalent problem associated with poor mental health and problem drinking in the U.S. workforce.
The Lenient Social and Legal Response to Trafficking in Women
Authors: Herzog Sergio
Published: May 2008

Trafficking in women for prostitution remains a modern form of slavery. Paradoxically, governments and legal systems tend to target the victims (trafficked women) instead of the criminal traffickers. The present study attempted to investigate the roots of such a lenient social response. Following a consensus perspective, it was first hypothesized that this offense was considered by the public to be a relatively nonserious offense because it involved prostitutes, and second, as in other cases of male violence against women, it was hypothesized that the public views toward this offense were affected by traditional gender-role attitudes toward women. To this end, respondents from a national sample were asked to evaluate hypothetical short crime scenarios representing cases of trafficking in women and other offenses. The findings indicate that the public perceives such criminal acts as serious, both for egalitarian and traditional respondents. This finding challenges the consensual basis of the lenient approach toward traffickers in women. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Are Our Investments Paying Off?: A Study of Reading Level and Bereavement Materials
Authors: Rathbun Ann , Thornton Leslie A. , Fox Jamie E.
Published: May 2008

The purpose of this article is to discuss the findings of a study that examined bereavement materials for reading level. The main research question for the study was: are printed hospice bereavement materials written at an eighth grade level or below? Readability was determined for approximately 90 individual pieces of hospice bereavement literature. The literature came from materials that were collected in a larger study and included bereavement letters to families and other educational and resource materials available to the bereaved families, the caregivers, and the public. The method used to perform readability on the materials was the Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook. This process has been used to determine readability for more than 35 years and is widely accepted by the literacy community. Results of the study revealed that the materials analyzed were written at just above a 10th grade reading level.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Liver Transplant Surgery and Hospice Use: Parallels, Differences, and Unanswered Questions
Authors: Smith Alexander K. , Ladner Daniela , McCarthy Ellen P.
Published: May 2008

Despite well-documented racial/ethnic disparities in liver transplantation and hospice enrollment, reasons for these disparities are unclear. This study was conducted to elucidate what is known and unknown about the underlying causes of racial/ethnic disparities in liver transplantation and hospice enrollment. The root causes of inequities in access to liver transplantation and hospice are as yet poorly understood. Potential contributors to differences include differences in preferences, mistrust of the health care system, geographic factors such as neighborhood, health care system factors such as access to care and managed care versus fee-for-service insurance status, and social factors such as the availability of a full time caregiver. Although the goals of care are different, by examining hospice and transplant surgery side by side in the larger context of health disparities, a number of potentially promising avenues for future research have been uncovered.
Action Research and Wicked Environmental Problems
Authors: Blythe Stuart , Grabill Jeffrey T. , Riley Kirk
Published: May 2008

The authors report on a 3-year action-research project designed to facilitate public involvement in the planned dredging of a canal and subsequent disposal of the dredged sediments. Their study reveals ways that community members struggle to define the problem and work together as they gather, share, and understand data relevant to that problem. The authors argue that the primary goal of action research related to environmental risk should be to identify and support the strategies used by community members rather than to educate the public. The authors maintain that this approach must be supported by a thorough investigation of basic rhetorical issues (audience, genre, stases, invention), and they illustrate how they used this approach in their study.
Distortion and the Politics of Pain Relief
Authors: Koerber Amy , Arnett E. Jonathan , Cumbie Tamra
Published: May 2008

This article invokes Habermas's ideal speech situation to analyze the controversy surrounding a recent study of pain relief for women in labor. Using Habermas's concepts, the authors argue that distortion of scientific and medical information originated in the New England Journal of Medicine article that first reported the study's results. Thus, their analysis aims to complicate the assumption that such distortion starts only with public reporting and to expose the ways that scientific or medical research from the beginning can be reported to either facilitate or preclude public debate and understanding of complex issues.
Increasing Verbal Behavior of a Student Who Is Selectively Mute
Authors: Beare Paul , Torgerson Colleen , Creviston Cindy
Published: May 2008

Selective mutism is the term used to describe a disorder in which a person speaks only in restricted stimulus situations. Examination of single-subject research concerning selective mutism reveals the most popular and successful interventions to instate speech involve a combination of behavior modification procedures. The present research utilized exclusively positive reinforcement with fading of prompts to increase the verbal communication of a selectively mute 12-year-old, sixth-grade boy. The treatment increased the student's verbal communication with three adults in three different settings.
The Gentleman Boxer
Authors: Downing Karen
Published: May 2008

Prize fighting was enormously popular during the second half of the eighteenth century in Britain. It became a fashion perhaps experienced as keenly by contemporary men of all classes as the “culture of sensibility” that describes this period of increasing politeness in society. This juxtaposition illustrates a vexing eighteenth-century issue: could a man be both polite and manly? This article argues that men across the social spectrum found in the “gentleman boxer” a resolution to this issue. The gentleman boxer synthesized traditionally held views of manliness with the civilizing effects of modern consumerism, acknowledged the concerns and aspirations of men of all classes, and responded to the political imperative for fighting men capable of forging a new nation bent on empire building. The gentleman boxer was both polite and manly and a fine example of a masculine identity negotiated between individual conceptions of the self and the material circumstances in which that self is found.
Report on a 5-Year Follow-Up of a Case of Severe Hoarding
Authors: Savoie Dallas
Published: May 2008

Hoarding behavior has been reported as occurring both within and independently of obsessive— compulsive disorder (OCD). It is characterized by the acquisition of possessions of limited value or utility, accompanied by a failure to discard those same possessions, and it can result in mild to severe impairment; appears to follow a chronic, progressive course; and has traditionally been seen as largely treatment refractory, with impaired motivation for treatment cited as a major factor. Theoretical models have proposed information-processing deficits, distorted beliefs and cognitions, and excessive attachment to objects. This article reports a 5-year follow-up of a case of chronic, progressive hoarding behavior, co-occurring with OCD and impulse control disorder. It describes the attempted treatment modalities and their long-term results. It may be of specific interest to clinicians as the client is unique in her ability to articulate cognitions and emotion with regard to the hoarding behavior. Motivational factors are highlighted.
Lifestyle and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes in Women: A Review of the Epidemiologic Evidence
Authors: Bassuk Shari S. , Manson JoAnn E.
Published: May 2008

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among both women and men in the United States, accounting for nearly half of all deaths and considerable morbidity. Type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and one that is particularly potent in women; its prevalence has increased dramatically in recent years. Epidemiologic data indicate that cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes share common risk factors and are largely preventable; indeed, findings from the Nurses' Health Study suggest that 74% of cardiovascular disease cases, 82% of coronary heart disease cases, and 91% of diabetes cases in women could be prevented by not smoking, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, eating healthier food, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol. This article reviews lifestyle risk factors and preventive strategies for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes among women.
Dietary Fiber and the Relationship to Chronic Diseases
Authors: Timm Derek A. , Slavin Joanne L.
Published: May 2008

Preventative medicine is targeting chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Populations that consume more dietary fiber have less chronic disease. Intake of dietary fiber has beneficial effects on the risk factors for developing several chronic diseases. Dietary reference intakes recommend the consumption of 14 g of dietary fiber per 1000 kcal, or 25 g for women and 38 g for men, based on the goal of protection against cardiovascular disease. Usual intake of dietary fiber is only 16 g per day. Viscous fibers decrease the glycemic response and may assist in diabetes care. High-fiber diets provide bulk, are more satiating, and have been linked to lower body weights. Evidence that fiber decreases cancer is mixed, and further research is needed. Dietary messages to increase consumption of high-fiber foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables should be broadly supported by the medical profession. Consumers are also turning to fiber supplements and bulk laxatives as additional fiber sources. As many fiber supplements have not been studied for physiological effectiveness, the best advice is to consume fiber in foods.
Myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Nimer Stephen D.
Published: May 2008

There has been a remarkable explosion of knowledge into the molecular defects that underlie the acute and chronic leukemias, leading to the introduction of targeted therapies that can block key cellular events essential for the viability of the leukemic cell. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) has lagged behind, at least in part, because they represent a more heterogeneous group of disorders. The significant immunologic abnormalities described in this disease, coupled with the admixture of MDS stem or progenitor cells within the myriad types of dysplastic and normal cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood, have made it difficult to molecularly characterize and model MDS. The recent availability of several, effective (ie, FDA-approved) therapies for MDS and newly described mouse models that mimic aspects of the human disease provide an opportune moment to try to leverage this new knowledge into a better understanding of and better therapies for MDS.
Acquired factor VIII inhibitors
Authors: Franchini Massimo , Lippi Giuseppe
Published: May 2008

Acquired hemophilia A is a rare bleeding diathesis caused by autoantibodies directed against clotting factor VIII and associated with an increased morbidity and mortality. This autoimmune disorder most commonly occurs in the elderly. Although it may be associated with several underlying pathologies, up to 50% of reported cases remain idiopathic. In contrast with congenital hemophilia, which is commonly characterized by hemarthroses, hemorrhages in patients with acquired hemophilia involve most frequently soft tissues. The 2 treatment priorities are to arrest the acute bleeding and to eradicate the factor VIII autoantibody. Acute bleeding episodes in patients with low-titer inhibitors can be treated using human factor VIII concentrates, whereas factor VIII bypassing agents, such as activated prothrombin complex concentrates or recombinant activated factor VII, are effective for the treatment of those with high-titer inhibitors. An analysis of the literature shows that the most effective first-line treatment for the eradication of factor VIII autoantibodies is the combination of steroids and cyclophosphamide. However, there is increasing evidence on the effectiveness of other treatment approaches, such as immune tolerance regimens and rituximab. If confirmed by large controlled studies, these innovative therapies might become a valid option for long-term eradication of factor VIII inhibitors.