bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrical properties of Pt/SrBi2Ta2O9/Bi4Ti3O12/p-Si heterostructure prepared by sol-gel processing
Authors: Wang Hua , Ren Min-Fang
Published: June 2006

Low-temperature processing as low as 550–700 °C of Pt/SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT)/Bi4Ti3O12 (BIT)/p-Si heterostructure has been performed by a sol-gel method. The effects of annealing temperature on current density, C-V characteristics, and memory windows of Pt/SBT/BIT/p-Si heterostructure were investigated. The SBT/BIT multilayer films were polycrystalline with no pyrochlore phase and no preferred orientation. The leakage current density was under 3 × 10−7 A/cm2 at 5 V with asymmetry hysteresis loops for Pt/SBT/BIT/p-Si heterostructure. Although all C-V curves showed clockwise ferroelectric hysteresis loops and the memory window reached a maximum of 0.78 V at a sweep voltage of 5 V, the memory window changed asymmetrically with the variation of annealing temperature and sweep voltage. The maximum memory window of Pt/SBT/BIT/p-Si heterostructure prepared at lower temperatures was narrower at lower sweep voltage. The asymmetric behavior of the C-V characteristics was discussed in terms of electron injection from Si and the ferroelectric polarization effect.
Photoluminescence investigation of CdZnTe:In single crystals annealed in CdZn vapors
Authors: Yang Ge , Jie Wanqi , Zhang Qunying
Published: June 2006

CdZnTe:In single crystals were annealed in CdZn vapors through a method involving a high-temperature step and a low-temperature step in sequence. The effects of annealing on the properties of CdZnTe:In were characterized with photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The neutral acceptor bound exciton (A0, X) peak, which was on the right shoulder of the neutral donor bound exciton (D0, X) peak, disappeared after annealing. A fine donor-acceptor pair structure and its longitudinal optical phonon replicas were clear before annealing. However, both of them became undistinguishable in the PL spectrum of annealed CdZnTe:In. The two phenomena imply that the annealing treatment can remove the impurities from CdZnTe:In wafers effectively. In addition, the intensity of Dcomplex band fell remarkably after annealing, which confirmed that Cd vacancies were well-compensated in the annealing treatment.
Alternate mechanism for the spontaneous formation of freestanding Ga nanoribbons on Cr2GaC surfaces
Authors: Sun ZhengMing , Barsoum Michel W.
Published: June 2006

Herein we propose an alternate simpler mechanism for a new phenomenon we reported recently in this journal [Z.M. Sun, S. Gupta, H. Ye, and M.W. Barsoum, J. Mater. Res.20, 2618 (2005)]. The presence of freestanding Ga nanoribbons on Cr2GaC surfaces were found to be the leftover skins of Ga whiskers or spheres that were reabsorbed into the Cr2GaC grain boundaries, most likely as a result of their melting.
Study of the ratcheting by the indentation fatigue method with a flat cylindrical indenter: Part I. Experimental study
Authors: Xu B.X. , Yue Z.F.
Published: June 2006

Generally, ratcheting is studied on round specimens under tension–compression tests with a nonzero mean load. This work explored the possibility of studying ratcheting by indentation fatigue with a flat cylindrical indenter. In the experiment, emphasis was concentrated on the influence of maximum indentation load (Pmax.), indentation load variance (ΔP = Pmax − Pmin) and frequency of cycling (f) on the indentation depth–cycle curves. The experimental results showed that the indentation depth–cycle curves are analogous to the conventional strain–cycle curve of uniaxial fatigue testing, which has a primary stage of decaying indentation depth per cycle followed by a secondary stage of nearly constant rate of indentation depth per cycle. It was found that the steady-state indentation depth per cycle is an approximate linear function of maximum indentation load (Pmax) and indentation load variance (ΔP = Pmax − Pmin) in the log–log grid. This relationship can be given with a power-law expression as an analogous equation of steady-state ratcheting rate. Further study showed that the influence of frequency of cycling on the steady state indentation depth per cycle can be ignored when the frequency of cycling exceeds a certain value. Finally, comparison was made between the conventional uniaxial fatigue test and indentation fatigue test for the steady-state stage. It was shown that the conventional uniaxial fatigue parameters can be obtained by the indentation fatigue method.
Structure and water durability of tin(II) organosilicophosphate glasses prepared by nonaqueous acid–base reactions
Authors: Mizuno Megumi , Takahashi Masahide , Yoko Toshinobu
Published: June 2006

Tin(II) organosilicophosphate glasses were prepared by nonaqueous acid–base reactions using orthophosphoric acid, dimethyldichlorosilane, and tin(II)chloride as the starting materials. The structure of the methylsiloxane-phosphate copolymer (methylsilicophosphate) and tin(II) methylsilicophosphate glasses was mainly investigated by the 31P nuclear magnetic resonance technique. A chain structure composed of the –(P–O–Si–O)m– silicophosphate bonds was found as the main structural unit in the methylsilicophosphate prepared by mixing orthophosphoric acid and dimethyldichlorosilane at room temperature. Tin(II) methylsilicophosphate glasses could be prepared by introducing SnCl2 as a cross-linking agent of silicophosphate chains. By increasing the reaction temperature, it was possible to promote the reaction and then to increase the network dimensions of the resultant tin(II) methylsilicophosphate glasses. It was found that the glasses with a high degree of condensation tend to have a better water durability in a humid atmosphere.
Further investigation on the definition of the representative strain in conical indentation
Authors: Cao Yanping , Huber Norbert
Published: June 2006

Further investigation on the definition of the representative strain in conical indentation was performed in this work. In particular, the representative strains proposed in the work of Cao et al. [J. Mater. Res.20, 1194 (2005)] and Ogasawara et al. [J. Mater. Res.20, 2225 (2005)] were discussed in detail. For the method using the energy-based representative strain [Cao et al., J. Mater. Res.20, 1194 (2005)], it is shown that it can be extended to a wider range of material properties (from nearly fully plastic materials to highly elastic materials). For the stress-state-based definition of the representative strain, we found, in contrast with the results reported in the work of Ogasawara et al. [J. Mater. Res.20, 2225 (2005)], that similar to the constant representative strain reported by Dao et al. [Acta Mater.49, 3899 (2001)], it works well only for a limited range of engineering materials. Based on this premise, novel definitions of the representative strain, which can lead to a one-to-one relationship with high level of accuracy between the reduced Young's modulus, the indentation loading curvature, and the representative stress are further presented. Detailed numerical analysis performed on nine kinds of engineering materials verified the effectiveness of the proposed representative strains and corresponding dimensionless functions. Experimental verification using the data for the ultrafine crystalline Ni further showed that the results reported in this paper have the potential to be applied in practice.
Inelastic neutron scattering investigation of hydrating tricalcium and dicalcium silicate mixture pastes: Ca(OH)2 formation and evolution of strength
Authors: Peterson Vanessa K. , Neumann Dan A. , Livingston Richard A.
Published: June 2006

The hydration of controlled tricalcium and dicalcium silicate mixtures was investigated using inelastic neutron scattering. The amount of Ca(OH)2 produced by each mixture was quantified based on the vibrational mode at approximately 41 meV. The results of compressive strength testing correlate with the amount of Ca(OH)2 produced and with previous results from quasielastic neutron scattering. These results establish a link between hydration mechanics and the evolution of hydration products leading to desirable properties, such as strength.
Photochemical Nucleophile Mapping: Identification of Tyr311 Within the Catalytic Domain of Rabbit Muscle Glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate Dehydrogenase†
Authors: Hatanaka Yasumaru , Kaneda Masaki , Tomohiro Takenori
Published: June 2006

Photochemical mapping of nucleophiles in close proximity to the active site Cys149 of rabbit glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was demonstrated based on the nucleophilic aromatic photosubstitution reaction using two regioisomers of alkoxy‐fluoro‐nitro‐substituted benzenes. Two photophores were covalently attached to the active site SH group of GAPDH and the protein was subjected to photolysis then to the cyanogen bromide cleavage reaction. The advantage of this method is the capability to chase labeled products by monitoring absorption at 380 nm because of the chromogenic property of photophore. HPLC separation identified a large labeled peptide fragment that was further digested by V8 protease for Edman sequence analysis. From the recent X‐ray crystallography of rabbit GAPDH, Tyr311, His176, Ser238 and Lys183 are closely located to catalytic Cys149. Among these nucleophiles, Tyr311 was preferentially labeled with 2‐fluoro‐4‐nitrophenoxy photophore and no label was identified with the isomeric 4‐fluoro‐2‐nitrophenoxy photophore. The result clearly reflects the distance between Cys149 and nucleophiles to distinguish the nearest Tyr311. As photophores show great reactivity even with water under neutral conditions, the distance between nucleophiles and photophores is important for photo‐induced nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The method will provide a useful technique to survey nucleophiles within the catalytic domain.
Oxidation of A2E Results in the Formation of Highly Reactive Aldehydes and Ketones
Authors: Wang Zhen , Keller Lanea M. M. , Dillon James , Gaillard Elizabeth R.
Published: June 2006

It has been reported that the photo‐oxidation of A2E, a component of human retinal lipofuscin, leads to products that are toxic to cells via dark reactions. Because these compounds have been implicated in the development of various maculopathies such as age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), it is important to determine the structures of those deleterious compounds. Both the photo‐oxidation and auto‐oxidation of A2E lead to the same complex mixture of products, some of which have lower molecular weights than the staring material. Because A2E is homologous to β‐carotene, it was hypothesized that its oxidation would lead to products analogous to those found in oxidized β‐carotene, namely, a series of cleavage products along the acyclic chain with the concomitant formation of aldehydes. This was found to be the case based upon 1) the formation of all of the aldehydes predicted from the oxidation of β‐carotene, 2) the loss of 28 amu (carbonyl moiety) from the molecular ion, 3) the facile reaction of the aldehydes with nitrophenylhydrazines to form nitrophenylhydrazones and 4) the subsequent MS/MS cleavage of those derivatives at the N‐N bond. If formed in vivo, these aldehydes would have toxic effects on any cell. Finally, the similarity in product mixtures from both the photo‐oxidation and auto‐oxidation strongly suggests that the intermolecular photo‐oxidation of A2E results primarily from a radical process without the involvement of singlet oxygen. Any formation of singlet oxygen most likely arises from sensitization by the aldehyde oxidation products, as this process is well known for aldehydes, in general, and retinal, specifically.
Singlet Oxygen Luminescence Dosimetry (SOLD) for Photodynamic Therapy: Current Status, Challenges and Future Prospects
Authors: Jarvi Mark T. , Niedre Mark J. , Patterson Michael S. , Wilson Brian C.
Published: June 2006

As photodynamic therapy (PDT) continues to develop and find new clinical indications, robust individualized dosimetry is warranted to achieve effective treatments. We posit that the most direct PDT dosimetry is achieved by monitoring singlet oxygen (1O2), the major cytotoxic species generated photo‐chemically during PDT. Its detection and quantification during PDT have been long‐term goals for PDT dosimetry and the development of techniques for this, based on detection of its near‐infrared luminescence emission (1270 nm), is at a noteworthy stage of development. We begin by discussing the theory behind singlet‐oxygen luminescence dosimetry (SOLD) and the seminal contributions that have brought SOLD to its current status. Subsequently, technology developments that could potentially improve SOLD are discussed, together with future areas of research, as well as the potential limitations of this method. We conclude by examining the major thrusts for future SOLD applications: as a tool for quantitative photobiological studies, a point of reference to evaluate other PDT dosimetry techniques, the optimal means to evaluate new photosensitizers and delivery methods and, potentially, a direct and robust clinical dosimetry system.
Singlet Oxygen Oxidation of Isolated and Cellular DNA: Product Formation and Mechanistic Insights
Authors: Cadet Jean , Ravanat Jean‐Luc , Martinez Glaucia R. , Medeiros Marisa H. G. , Mascio Paolo Dl
Published: June 2006

This survey focuses on recent aspects of the singlet oxygen oxidation of the guanine moiety of nucleosides, oligonucleotides, isolated and cellular DNA that has been shown to be the exclusive DNA target for this biologically relevant photo‐generated oxidant. A large body of mechanistic data is now available from studies performed on nucleosides in both aprotic solvents and aqueous solutions. A common process to both reaction conditions is the formation of 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydroguanine by reduction of 8‐hydroperoxyguanine that arises from the rearrangement of initially formed endoperoxide across the 4,8‐bond of the purine moiety. However, in organic solvent the hydroperoxide is converted as a major degradation pathway into a dioxirane that subsequently decomposes into a complex pattern of oxidation products. A different reaction that involved the formation of a highly reactive quinonoid intermediate consecutively to the loss of a water molecule from the 8‐hydroperoxide has been shown to occur in aqueous solution. Subsequent addition of a water molecule at C5 leads to the generation of a spiroiminodihydantoin compound via a rearrangement that involves an acyl shift. However, in both isolated and cellular DNA the latter decomposition pathway is at the best a minor process, because only 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydroguanine has been found to be generated. It is interesting to point out that singlet oxygen has been shown to contribute predominantly to the formation of 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydroguanine in the DNA of bacterial and human cells upon exposure to UVA radiation. It may be added that the formation of secondary singlet‐oxygen oxidation products of 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydroguanine, including spiroiminodihydantoin and oxaluric acid that were characterized in nucleosides and oligonucleotide, respectively, have not yet been found in cellular DNA.
Social Capital and Health: Civic Engagement, Community Size, and Recall of Health Messages
Authors: Viswanath Kasisomayajula , Randolph Steele Whitney , Finnegan John R.
Published: June 2006

Objectives. We explored the effects of community integration and pluralism on recall of cardiovascular disease health information messages.

Methods. With 1980–1983 data from the Minnesota Heart Health Program, we examined whether ties to community groups were associated with recall of health messages, and whether this relation was modified by size and degree of differentiation of the community.

Results. A higher level of civic engagement through ties to community groups was associated with better recall of health messages. Ties to community groups independently contributed to better message recall even after control for gender, education, and other variables. The moderating role of community size was non-significant but intriguing.

Conclusions. Community group membership could increase exposure to health messages, providing a critical pathway for social capital to influence health promotion and, thus, public health outcomes.
Variations in the Health Conditions of 6 Chicago Community Areas: A Case for Local-Level Data
Authors: Shah Ami M. , Whitman Steven , Silva Abigail
Published: June 2006

Objectives. Although local-level chronic disease and risk factor data are not typically available, they are valuable for guiding public health interventions and policies. To present a case for disaggregated community-level health data, we conducted a study exploring the relevance of such data to research on health disparities.

Methods. We designed a population-based health survey to gather information on many health measures, 13 of which are presented here. Interviews were conducted with 1699 adults (18–75 years) in 6 Chicago community areas between September 2002 and April 2003.

Results. Statistically significant variations in health measures were found between the 6 communities themselves (108 of 195 pairwise comparisons were significant) and between the communities and Chicago as a whole (35 of 54 comparisons were significant).

Conclusions. The local-level variations in health revealed in this study emphasize that geographic and racial/ethnic health disparities are still prominent in Chicago and shed light on the limitations of existing city- and regional-level data.
Interpersonal Violence in the Lives of Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Implications for Health, Mental Health, and Help-Seeking
Authors: Evans-Campbell Teresa , Lindhorst Taryn , Huang Bu , Walters Karina L.
Published: June 2006

Objective. We surveyed American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) women in New York City to determine the prevalence of 3 types of interpersonal violence among urban AIAN women and the behavioral health and mental health factors associated with this violence.

Methods. Using a survey, we questioned 112 adult AIAN women in New York City about their experiences with interpersonal violence, mental health, HIV risk behaviors, and help-seeking. The sampling plan utilized a multiple-wave approach with modified respondent-driven sampling, chain referral, and target sampling.

Results. Among respondents, over 65% had experienced some form of interpersonal violence, of which 28% reported childhood physical abuse, 48% reported rape, 40% reported a history of domestic violence, and 40% reported multiple victimization experiences. Overwhelmingly, women experienced high levels of emotional trauma related to these events. A history of interpersonal violence was associated with depression, dysphoria, help-seeking behaviors, and an increase in high–HIV risk sexual behaviors.

Conclusions. AIAN women experience high rates of interpersonal violence and trauma that are associated with a host of health problems and have important implications for health and mental health professionals.
Effects of Job Strain on Blood Pressure: A Prospective Study of Male and Female White-Collar Workers
Authors: Guimont Chantal , Brisson Chantal , Dagenais Gilles R. , Milot Alain , Vézina Michel , Mâsse Benoît , Moisan Jocelyne , Laflamme Nathalie , Blanchette Caty
Published: June 2006

Objectives. We evaluated whether cumulative exposure to job strain increases blood pressure.

Methods. A prospective study of 8395 white-collar workers was initiated during 1991 to 1993. At follow-up, 7.5 years later, 84% of the participants were reassessed to estimate cumulative exposure to job strain.

Results. Compared with men who had never been exposed, men with cumulative exposure and those who became exposed during follow-up showed significant systolic blood pressure increments of 1.8 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.1, 3.5) and 1.5 mm Hg (95% CI=0.2, 2.8), respectively, and relative risks of blood pressure increases in the highest quintile group of 1.33 (95% CI = 1.01, 1.76) and 1.40 (95% CI = 1.14, 1.73). Effect magnitudes were smaller among women. Effects tended to be more pronounced among men and women with low levels of social support at work.

Conclusions. Among these white-collar workers, exposure to cumulative job strain had a modest but significant effect on systolic blood pressure among men. The risk was of comparable magnitude to that observed for age and sedentary behavior. Men and women with low levels of social support at work appeared to be at higher risk for increases in blood pressure.
Interpersonal Violence Among Women Seeking Welfare: Unraveling Lives
Authors: Lown E. Anne , Schmidt Laura A. , Wiley James
Published: June 2006

Objectives. Exposure to violence is a widespread problem among women who receive welfare benefits. Research has focused on partner violence among women with children on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), ignoring low-income women without dependent children who are eligible for General Assistance (GA).

Methods. We report findings from a survey of 1235 women seeking TANF (N=1095) and GA (N=140) throughout a California county.

Results. Estimates of recent physical, sexual, and severe violence were high in both populations. However, the highest rates occurred among women without children seeking GA, suggesting that they are at higher risk for sexual violence and more severe forms of physical violence, especially from intimate partners. This increased risk is partly accounted for by the co-occurrence of other serious health and social problems. In multivariate analyses, past-year violence was associated with substance use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5, 2.9), recent homelessness (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4, 2.6), family fragmentation including divorce or separation (AOR=3.1, 95% CI 1.8, 5.2), or foster care involvement (AOR=2.2, 95% CI=1.1, 4.5)

Conclusions. Welfare reform created TANF programs to address domestic violence. Women seeking GA may need similar services because of the high prevalence of violence.
Hospital Religious Affiliation and Emergency Contraceptive Prescribing Practices
Authors: Rubin Susan E. , Grumet Surah , Prine Linda
Published: June 2006

With access to reproductive health care eroding, examination of prescribing of contraception, including emergency contraception (EC), is important. We examined whether working in a family practice affiliated with a religious institution changes the likelihood of a provider prescribing EC. Our survey asked about EC prescribing practices in a range of situations. As predicted, practitioners in non–religiously affiliated practices reported higher rates of prescribing EC than those in religiously affiliated practices. In both cases, however, the practitioners’ prescribing patterns were inadequate.
Psychosocial Care for Adult and Child Survivors of the 2004 Tsunami Disaster in India
Authors: Becker Susan M.
Published: June 2006

The tsunami disaster in South Asia affected the mental health of thousands of survivors, but psychological aspects of rehabilitation are frequently overlooked in public health initiatives. From January to March 2005, teams from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore, India, traveled to south India and implemented a “train the trainer” community-based mental health program of psychosocial care to facilitate the recovery of child and adult survivors. Psychosocial care has applications to natural and man-made disasters in developing countries.
Asbestos-Related Disease in South Africa
Authors: Braun Lundy , Kisting Sophia
Published: June 2006

South Africa was the third largest exporter of asbestos in the world for more than a century. As a consequence of particularly exploitative social conditions, former workers and residents of mining regions suffered—and continue to suffer—from a serious yet still largely undocumented burden of asbestos-related disease. This epidemic has been invisible both internationally and inside South Africa.

We examined the work environment, labor policies, and occupational-health framework of the asbestos industry in South Africa during the 20th century. In a changing local context where the majority of workers were increasingly disenfranchised, unorganized, excluded from skilled work, and predominantly rural, mining operations of the asbestos industry not only exposed workers to high levels of asbestos but also contaminated the environment extensively.
Neighborhood Social Capital and Dental Injuries in Brazilian Adolescents
Authors: Pattussi Marcos Pascoal , Hardy Rebecca , Sheiham Aubrey
Published: June 2006

Objectives. Evidence suggests that communities with higher levels of social capital have better health, but this association has not been explored specifically in relation to dental injury. We investigated the association between social capital and dental injury.

Methods. We conducted a multilevel study assessed individual and neighborhood effects on dental injury of 1302 14- to 15-year-old adolescents in 39 schools of Distrito Federal, Brazil. Children underwent a dental examination and, with their parents, answered a questionnaire about their local environments. Our data analysis used logistic multilevel modeling of students and neighborhood (the latter defined by catchment areas of schools).

Results. The prevalence of dental injury was significantly lower in neighborhoods with higher levels of social capital, especially among boys. After control for individual and neighborhood variables, the adjusted odds ratio for a 1-unit increase in the standardized social capital index was 0.55 (95% confidence interval=0.37, 0.81; P=.002) among boys.

Conclusions. Social capital may explain inequalities in rates of dental injury, especially among boys.
Effects of Domestic Violence on Perinatal and Early-Childhood Mortality: Evidence From North India
Authors: Ahmed Saifuddin , Koenig Michael A. , Stephenson Rob
Published: June 2006

Objective. We examined the effect of physical violence during pregnancy on perinatal and early-childhood mortality.

Methods. We estimated the prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy among a population-based sample of 2199 women in Uttar Pradesh, India. We used a survival regression model to examine the risks for perinatal, neonatal, postneonatal, and early-childhood (aged 1–3 years) mortality by mother’s exposure to domestic violence, after we controlled for other sociodemographic and maternal health behavior risk factors.

Results. Eighteen percent of the women in our study experienced domestic violence during their last pregnancy. After we adjusted for other risk factors, births among mothers who had experienced domestic violence had risks for perinatal and neonatal mortality that were 2.59 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.35, 4.95) and 2.37 (95% CI=1.21, 4.62) times higher, respectively, than births among mothers who had not experienced violence. We found no significant associations between domestic violence and either postneonatal or early-childhood mortality.

Conclusions. Domestic violence is a significant risk factor for perinatal and neonatal mortality.
Parental English Proficiency and Children’s Health Services Access
Authors: Yu Stella M. , Huang Z. Jennifer , Schwalberg Renee H. , Nyman Rebecca M.
Published: June 2006

Objectives. We examined the relation between parents’ level of English proficiency and their children’s access to health care.

Methods. Using the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, we conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses of several measures of children’s access to health care (current health insurance status, usual source of care, emergency room visits, delayed or forgone care, traveling to another country for health care, and perceived discrimination in health care) and their association with parents’ English proficiency.

Results. Compared with English-speaking households, children in non–English-speaking households were more likely to lack health insurance, to not have doctor contact, and to go to other countries for health care and were less likely to use emergency rooms. Their parents were less likely to report their children’s experiencing delayed or forgone care or discrimination in health care.

Conclusion. English proficiency is a strong predictor of access to health insurance for children, and children in non–English-speaking families are especially likely to rely on other countries for their health care. English proficiency may mitigate the effects of race/ethnicity commonly observed in health care access and utilization studies.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Report of Physician-Provided Smoking Cessation Advice: Analysis of the 2000 National Health Interview Survey
Authors: Lopez-Quintero Catalina , Crum Rosa M. , Neumark Yehuda D.
Published: June 2006

Objectives. We explored racial/ethnic disparities in reports of smoking cessation advice among smokers who had visited a physician in the previous year. Also, we examined the likelihood of receipt of such advice across Hispanic subgroups and levels of English proficiency.

Methods. We analyzed data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey.

Results. Nearly half of the 5652 respondents reported receiving smoking cessation advice from their doctor. Compared with Hispanics, and after control for a range of other factors, respondents in the non-Hispanic White (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=1.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.2, 2.0), non-Hispanic Black (adjusted OR=1.44, 95% CI=1.0, 2.0), and other non-Hispanic (adjusted OR=2.19, 95% CI=1.3, 3.6) groups were significantly more likely to report receiving advice. English proficiency was not associated with receipt of physician advice among Hispanic smokers.

Conclusions. Some 16 million smokers in the United States could not recall receiving advice to quit smoking from their physician in the preceding year. These missed opportunities, compounded by racial/ethnic disparities such as those observed between Hispanics and other groups and between Hispanic subgroups, suggest that considerably greater effort is needed to diminish the toll stemming from smoking and smoking-related diseases.
Orphan Care in Botswana’s Working Households: Growing Responsibilities in the Absence of Adequate Support
Authors: Miller Candace M. , Gruskin Sofia , Subramanian S.V. , Rajaraman Divya , Heymann S. Jody
Published: June 2006

Objectives. Botswana has one of the world’s highest HIV-prevalence rates and the world’s highest percentages of orphaned children among its population. We assessed the ability of income-earning households in Botswana to adequately care for orphans.

Methods. We used data from the Botswana Family Health Needs Study (2002), a sample of 1033 working adults with caregiving responsibilities who used public services, to assess whether households with orphan-care responsibilities encountered financial and other difficulties. Thirty-seven percent of respondents provided orphan care, usually to extended family members. We applied logistic regression models to determine the factors associated with experiencing problems related to orphan caregiving.

Results. Nearly half of working households with orphan-care responsibilities reported experiencing financial and other difficulties because of orphan care. Issues of concern included caring for multiple orphans, caring for sick adults and orphans simultaneously, receiving no assistance, and low income.

Conclusions. The orphan crisis is impoverishing even working households, where caregivers lack sufficient resources to provide basic needs. Neither the public sector nor communities provide adequate safety nets. International assistance is critical to build capacity within the social welfare infrastructure and to fund community-level activities that support households. Lessons from Botswana’s orphan crisis can provide valuable insights to policymakers throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Public Health and the Anticorporate Movement: Rationale and Recommendations
Authors: Wiist William H.
Published: June 2006

Institutions and informal networks have formed a movement that is challenging the growing power and pervasive influence of large corporations. The movement’s analyses show that the historical development and current function of the corporate entity requires production of a profit regardless of consequences to health, society, or the environment. As a result, public health professionals frequently address health problems related to products, services, or practices of corporations.

There are possibilities for links between public health and the anticorporate movement. Public health research and the professional preparation curriculum should focus on the corporate entity as a social structural determinant of disease.
Monitoring Socioeconomic Disparities in Death: Comparing Individual-Level Education and Area-Based Socioeconomic Measures
Authors: Rehkopf David H. , Haughton Lorna T. , Chen Jarvis T. , Waterman Pamela D. , Subramanian S.V. , Krieger Nancy
Published: June 2006

We compared all-cause mortality rates stratified by individual-level education and by census tract area–based socioeconomic measures for Massachusetts (1999–2001). Among persons aged 25 and older, the age-adjusted relative index of inequality was slightly higher for the census tract than for the individual education measures (1.5 vs 1.2, respectively). Only the census tract socioeconomic measures could provide a relative index of inequality (2–3) for deaths before age 25 or detect expected socioeconomic disparities for deaths among persons 65 and older (relative index of inequality= approximately 1.2 vs 0.8 for census tract measures and individual education, respectively).
Relationships Between Self-Reported Unfair Treatment and Prescription Medication Use, Illicit Drug Use, and Alcohol Dependence Among Filipino Americans
Authors: Gee Gilbert C. , Delva Jorge , Takeuchi David T.
Published: June 2006

Objectives. We examined associations between self-reported unfair treatment and prescription medication use, illicit drug use, and alcohol dependence.

Methods. We used data from the Filipino American Community Epidemiological Survey, a cross-sectional investigation involving 2217 Filipino Americans interviewed in 1998–1999. Multinomial logistic and negative binomial regression analyses were used in assessing associations between unfair treatment and the substance use categories.

Results. Reports of unfair treatment were associated with prescription drug use, illicit drug use, and alcohol dependence after control for age, gender, location of residence, employment status, educational level, ethnic identity level, nativity, language spoken, marital status, and several health conditions.

Conclusions. Unfair treatment may contribute to illness and subsequent use of prescription medications. Furthermore, some individuals may use illicit drugs and alcohol to cope with the stress associated with such treatment. Addressing the antecedents of unfair treatment may be a potential intervention route.
The Impact of State Laws Limiting Malpractice Damage Awards on Health Care Expenditures
Authors: Hellinger Fred J. , Encinosa William E.
Published: June 2006

Twenty-eight states have laws that limit payments in malpractice cases, and several studies indicate that these laws reduce the frequency and severity of malpractice claims and lower premiums. Moreover, proponents believe that such laws reduce health care expenditures by reducing the practice of defensive medicine. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence about the impact of these laws on the cost of health care.

We used multivariate models and relatively recent data to estimate the impact of state tort reform laws that directly limit malpractice damage payments on health care expenditures. Estimates from these models suggest that laws limiting malpractice payments lower state health care expenditures by between 3% and 4%.
The Aesthetic Production and Distribution of Image/Subjects among Online Youth
Authors: Leander Kevin , Frank Amy
Published: June 2006

In this article the authors consider how youth engage in social practices of identity through their online practices with images. Although they build on social practice perspectives, informed by the new literacy studies, they question the extent to which such perspectives have created new autonomies and separations, including the separation of texts from sensation and from the body. An essential part of interpreting imaging identity practice, they argue, involves understanding how people relate to images aesthetically. Through affect, desire, and sensory immersion, we might begin to understand how images become both intensely personalized and broadly distributed. Data in the article are drawn from a larger ethnographic study of the offline and online literacies of youth across school and home contexts. Analyses focus on two cases: Sophia, who remixes, modifies, and trades images to build a website for a punk rock band, and Brian, who modifies and constructs images for online game-play. Analyses of these data are informed by social practice perspectives on identity, by the domains or ‘strada’ of media practices, and by postmodern perspectives on figural signification.
Making Known Differently: Engaging Visual Modalities as Spaces to Author New Selves
Authors: Vasudevan Lalitha
Published: June 2006

In the increasingly digital and multimodal landscape of adolescents' literacies, it is particularly interesting to explore how young people are making and remaking their identities in online and offline spaces. These self-authoring practices are especially significant when the authors are African American adolescent boys, whose lives are often storied by others. This article brings the lenses of counterstorytelling and multimodality together to explore one boy's re-presentation of his multiple selves through his engagement with various technologies and the production of visual texts.
Affinities and Beyond! Developing Ways of Seeing in Online Spaces
Authors: Davies Julia
Published: June 2006

This article presents an insider view of an online community of adults involved in sharing digital photography through a host website, Flickr. It describes how reciprocal teaching and learning partnerships in a dynamic multimodal environment are achieved through the creation of a ‘Third Space’ or ‘Affinity Space’, where ‘Funds of Knowledge’ are shared and processed in such a way that new meanings and discourses are generated. It is argued that this process is evidence of valuable learning and of the deepening of global understandings within the local space of Flickr. The new understandings are at least partly identifiable on the Flickr space, through the co-constructed ‘folksonomy’ or ‘online taxonomy’ of ways of looking at the world. Further, the article provides evidence for broadening existing definitions of literacy, at a time when the visual mode increasingly works interactively with verbal cues and explanations.
Identity, Social Networks and Online Communication
Authors: Merchant Guy
Published: June 2006

Arguments about whether or not the Internet is creating new people or simply helping us to see ourselves in new ways are threaded through the literature on digital culture. People make new technology and exploit it for their own purposes and so it is reasonable to suggest that any changes in our social identities are wider in their reach than the digital media through which they may be expressed. By taking a perspective that is informed by the social theory of Giddens, this article explores the relationship between identity performance and social network theory, and in so doing, aims to set an agenda for future research that enables us to capture how identities are played out across social networks in both online and offline interactions.
Surveying the split: More theories on confirming awards where there are or appear to be more than one claim or issue
Authors: Widman Stuart M.
Published: June 2006

More on awards' finality: In the conclusion of his two‐part article, Stuart M. Widman, of Chicago, discusses more grounds on which interim arbitration awards may be confirmed by a court
Unexpected abundance of pathological tau in progressive supranuclear palsy white matter
Authors: Zhukareva Victoria , Joyce Sonali , Schuck Teresa , Van Deerlin Vivianna , Hurtig Howard , Albin Roger , Gilman Sid , Chin Steven , Miller Bruce , Trojanowski John Q. , Lee Virginia M‐Y.
Published: July 2006

Objective

To investigate whether biochemical insoluble tau with 4 (4R) and/or 3 (3R) microtubule‐binding repeats accumulate in white as well as gray matter in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative tauopathy.

Methods

To assess tau pathology in PSP white matter, we combined Western blot (WB) and immunohistochemical methods to analyze 23 autopsy‐confirmed PSP brains.

Results

WBs showed an unexpected abundance of insoluble tau in white and gray matter of PSP brains, but biochemical tau pathology in white matter was not correlated with immunohistochemistry using the same panel of epitope‐specific anti‐tau antibodies used for WB. Despite heterogeneity in the representation of pathological 3R and 4R tau isoforms in cortical versus subcortical regions, biochemically detectable white matter tau pathology is a constant feature of PSP.

Interpretation

These studies show additional similarities between PSP and corticobasal degeneration, but unlike corticobasal degeneration, more abundant white matter tau pathology in PSP is detectable by WB than by immunohistochemistry. The differential detection of abnormal tau by biochemistry versus microscopy in PSP may reflect distinct pathological mechanisms, and elucidation of these processes will augment efforts to develop better strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of PSP and related neurodegenerative tauopathies. Ann Neurol 2006
Classification and powerlaws: The logarithmic transformation
Authors: Leydesdorff Loet , Bensman Stephen
Published: June 2006

Logarithmic transformation of the data has been recommended by the literature in the case of highly skewed distributions such as those commonly found in information science. The purpose of the transformation is to make the data conform to the lognormal law of error for inferential purposes. How does this transformation affect the analysis? We factor analyze and visualize the citation environment of theJournal of the American Chemical Society(JACS) before and after a logarithmic transformation. The transformation strongly reduces the variance necessary for classificatory purposes and therefore is counterproductive to the purposes of the descriptive statistics. We recommend against the logarithmic transformation when sets cannot be defined unambiguously. The intellectual organization of the sciences is reflected in the curvilinear parts of the citation distributions while negative powerlaws fit excellently to the tails of the distributions.
Expression of Aspergillus hemoglobin domain activities in Aspergillus oryzae grown on solid substrates improves growth rate and enzyme production
Authors: te Biesebeke Rob , Boussier Amandine , van Biezen Nick , Braaksma Machtelt , van den Hondel Cees A. M. J. J. , de Vos Willem M. , Punt Peter J.
Published: June 2006

DNA fragments coding for hemoglobin domains (HBD) were isolated from Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger. The HBD activities were expressed in A. oryzae by introduction of HBD gene fragments under the control of the promoter of the constitutively expressed gpdA gene. In the transformants, oxygen uptake was significantly higher, and during growth on solid substrates the developed biomass was at least 1.3 times higher than that of the untransformed wild‐type strain. Growth rate of the HBD‐activity‐producing strains was also significantly higher compared to the wild type. During growth on solid cereal substrates, the amylase and protease activities in the extracts of the HBD‐activity‐producing strains were 30–150% higher and glucoamylase activities were at least 9 times higher compared to the wild‐type strain. These results suggest that the Aspergillus HBD‐encoding gene can be used in a self‐cloning strategy to improve biomass yield and protein production of Aspergillus species.
A nanophosphor‐based method for selective DNA recovery in Synthosomes
Authors: Nallani Madhavan , Onaca Ozana , Gera Nimish , Hildenbrand Karlheinz , Hoheisel Werner , Schwaneberg Ulrich
Published: June 2006

A nanocompartment system composed of an ABA triblock copolymer, where A is poly(dimethylsiloxane) and B is poly(2‐methyloxazoline), has been developed for selective recovery and detection of DNA. Translocation of TAMRA‐labeled complementary primers into the nanocompartment system has been achieved through two deletion mutants (FhuA Δ1–129; FhuA Δ1–160) of the channel protein FhuA. Translocation was monitored by fluorescence resonance energy transfer through hybridization of the TAMRA‐labeled primer to the complementary sequence of a nanophosphor‐DNA‐conjugate, which reduces its half‐life (FhuA Δ1–129, 16.0% reduced; FhuA Δ1–160, 39.0% reduced).
Development of mammalian cell‐enclosing calcium‐alginate hydrogel fibers in a co‐flowing stream
Authors: Takei Takayuki , Sakai Shinji , Ijima Hiroyuki , Kawakami Koei
Published: July 2006

A jetting technique in a liquid‐liquid co‐flowing stream was applied to the preparation of mammalian cell‐enclosing calcium‐alginate (Ca‐alg) hydrogel fibers of several hundred micrometers in cross‐sectional diameter. One percent alginate aqueous solution was extruded from needles (270, 480, 940 μm inner diameter) into a co‐flowing laminar stream of 100 mM aqueous calcium chloride solution. The extruded alginate solution was stretched by the CaCl2 solution, which is known as a “jetting process”, and the Ca‐alg hydrogel fibers were formed by gelation of the alginate solution through the uptake of calcium ions in the CaCl2 solution. The cross‐sectional diameter of the hydrogel fibers could be controlled from approximately 100‐800 μm by changing the velocities of the alginate and CaCl2 solution, and the inner diameter of the needle. Approximately 95% of bovine carotid artery vascular endothelial cells remained alive after the process of preparing hydrogel fibers in a co‐flowing stream, demonstrating that the cell‐enclosing process scarcely influences the viability of the enclosed cells.
Conformational changes of the p53‐binding cleft of MDM2 revealed by molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Espinoza‐Fonseca L. M. , Trujillo‐Ferrara José G.
Published: June 2006

Two 35‐ns molecular dynamics simulations of both ligated [mouse double minute protein 2 (MDM2p53)] and unligated (MDM2apo) structures of human MDM2 bound to the N‐terminal domain of the tumor suppressor p53 have been performed. Analysis of the dynamics revealed that the most flexible region of MDM2 was the p53‐binding cleft. When MDM2 was bound to p53, a wider and more stable topology of the cleft was obtained, while unligated MDM2 showed a narrower and highly flexible cleft. It was also found that the dynamics involved in the opening/closing motions were due to the movement of different domains of the protein, which is in agreement with recent experimental data. Considering our results, a mechanism in which p53 might be recognized and attached to MDM2 is proposed, and some implications on future directions for in silico anticancer drug design efforts are discussed. In summary, the observations made here would be very useful not only for better understanding of the biological implications of the MDM2 dynamics, but also for future efforts in anticancer drug design and discovery. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 83:365–373, 2006

This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com