bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing parental readiness to let their child with cancer die
Authors: Kars Marijke C. , Grypdonck Mieke H.F. , Beishuizen Auke , Meijer‐van den Bergh Esther M.M. , van Delden Johannes J.M.
Published: April 2010

Background

One in four cases of childhood cancer is incurable. In these cases death can usually be anticipated and therefore preceded by a phase of palliative care. For parents, preparing to let their child die is an extraordinarily painful process. Most struggle to preserve their child. This study identified, from a parental perspective, the main factors that influence the transition from preserving life to letting go.

Procedure

A multi‐centre, qualitative research, study was undertaken during the end‐of‐life (EoL) phase, comprising single or repeated interviews with 44 parents of 23 children with incurable cancer.

Results

We discovered that uncertainty, fragmentation and anxiety underpin the preserving life perspective. A perspective of letting go could be supported by a variety of factors. These included: Certainty that the child cannot be cured, postponed grief, the perception of suffering, the ability to disentangle needs and the ability to parent meaningfully. Hope, creating a peaceful parent–child relationship, and the attitude of professionals, could support movements in either direction. Of these, certainty, and in most cases postponed grief, were pre‐conditions for the transition towards letting go. Strategies such as not challenging the parents' suppression of grief, creating certainty about the child's condition and supporting parents in efforts to redefine their parental role, supported progress towards accepting a letting go perspective.

Conclusions

Parents' internal struggle between a preserving frame of mind and one of letting go is influenced by a combination of factors. However, professionals can influence some of these factors in order to facilitate this transition. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:1000–1008 © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dynamic radiative properties of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2layer during the co‐evaporation process
Authors: Schöldström J. , Zimmermann U. , Edoff M.
Published: April 2010

A study of the wavelength‐integrated emissivity has been performed on the optical stack CuxSe/Cu(In,Ga)Se2/Mo. The wavelength interval used in the study was 2–20 µm, which covers 95% of the radiated heat from a black body heated to 500°C. Substrate temperatures around 500°C are commonly used in production of Cu(In,Ga)Se2thin films for solar cells. The integrated emissivity was obtained from directional reflectivity measurements of experimental samples with different thicknesses of the CuxSe layers. It was subsequently compared to the emissivity from numerical simulations based on newly obtained values of the refractive index values for Cu(In,Ga)Se2and CuxSe at these wavelengths. Good agreement was found between the measured and simulated values. At a Cu(In,Ga)Se2thickness of 1.8 µm and a Mo thickness of 400 nm, a maximum in the integrated emissivity was found for a CuxSe thickness of 30 nm. The results are valuable input into understanding the dynamics of the change in emissivity between Cu‐rich Cu(In,Ga)Se2with segregated CuxSe and Cu‐poor single phase Cu(In,Ga)Se2at temperatures around 500°C. In co‐evaporation of Cu(In,Ga)Se2, this emissivity change is often monitored and used as a process control (end‐point detection). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Retracted: Kinetics of oxidation of adenosine by tert‐butoxyl radical: protection and repair by chlorogenic acid
Authors: Vijayalakshmi G. , Adinarayana M. , Rao P. Jayaprakash , Kumara M. N. , Bhadregowda D. G. , Rangappa K. S.
Published: April 2010

Retraction: The following article from Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry, Kinetics of oxidation of adenosine by tert‐butoxyl radical – protection and repair by chlorogenic acid by G. Vijayalakshmi, M. Adinarayana, P. Jayaprakash Rao, M. N. Kumara, D. G. Bhadregowda, K. S. Rangappa, published online on 14 April 2010 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor in Chief, Joseph Lambert and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to multiple submissions. A similar version of the article has already been published in another journal Indian Journal Biochemistry and Biophysics (2009), volume 46, number 5, pages 389–394.). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bulk nanostructured titanium fabricated by hydrostatic extrusion
Authors: Topolski Krzysztof , Garbacz Halina , Pachla Waclaw , Kurzydlowski Krzysztof J.
Published: April 2010

The paper is concerned with the use of Hydrostatic Extrusion (HE), which is one of the methods of Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD), for grain refinement of titanium grade 2. Titanium in the form of rods was subjected to multi‐stage extrusion. The aim was to optimize the HE process so as to obtain nanostructured titanium rods. The results show that it is possible to produce nanostructured Ti rods of a diameter suitable for industrial applications. The refinement to nano‐sized grains is accompanied by a significant improvement of mechanical properties. The tensile strength of more than 1000MPa was achieved and the hardness increase exceeded 50%. This study was also concerned with the problem of up‐scaling the dimensions of nano‐refined components produced by HE. The basic condition for HE to yield nanostructured Ti is that an appropriately high accumulated strain should be applied (ε > 3). The results demonstrate that, by using HE, we can produce nano‐Ti rods with diameters amounting to ∅︁8mm. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
13C and 18O fractionation effects on open splits and on the ion source in continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry
Authors: Elsig Joachim , Leuenberger Markus C.
Published: April 2010

Measurements of carbon and oxygen isotopes of CO2 by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry are widely used in environmental studies and climate change research. Yet, there are remaining problems associated with the reproducibility of measurements, in particular when high precision is required and/or the amount of sample material is limited. Isotopic fractionations in open splits and nonlinear effects occurring in the mass spectrometer due to different sample amounts alter the results. In this study, we discuss the influence and the origin of these two effects and propose procedures for preventing their impact.

Fractionation in the open split can be related to diffusion of CO2 and can lead to shifted δ‐values when measuring a sample gas against a reference gas injected via different open splits. We present a method, where such fractionations can be minimized by adjusting either the position of the capillaries or the flow rates involved or both.

The nonlinear peak area dependence of δ13C measurements for small sample sizes can be explained by adsorption/desorption processes in the ionization chamber or its vicinity. For constant amplitudes, the magnitude of the nonlinearity only depends on the amount of CO2 entering the ion source. This nonlinearity can be eliminated by a small additional flux of a conditioning gas fed to the mass spectrometer. The best results were obtained when using carbon monoxide. For the adsorption process in the mass spectrometer we found a fractionation factor of 0.982 ± 0.005 for δ13C and 1.002 ± 0.004 for δ18O. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Digital and FM Demodulation of a Doubly Clamped Single‐Walled Carbon‐Nanotube Oscillator: Towards a Nanotube Cell Phone
Authors: Gouttenoire Vincent , Barois Thomas , Perisanu Sorin , Leclercq Jean‐Louis , Purcell Stephen T. , Vincent Pascal , Ayari Anthony
Published: April 2010

Electromechanical resonators are a key element in radio‐frequency telecommunication devices and thus new resonator concepts from nanotechnology can readily find important industrial opportunities. Here, the successful experimental realization of AM, FM, and digital demodulation with suspended single‐walled carbon‐nanotube resonators in a field‐effect transistor configuration is reported. The crucial role played by the electromechanical resonance in demodulation is clearly demonstrated. The FM technique is shown to lead to the suppression of unwanted background signals and the reduction of noise for a better detection of the mechanical motion of nanotubes. The digital data‐transfer rate of standard cell‐phone technology is within the reach of these devices.
Inhibition of HSV‐1 Attachment, Entry, and Cell‐to‐Cell Spread by Functionalized Multivalent Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Baram‐Pinto Dana , Shukla Sourabh , Gedanken Aharon , Sarid Ronit
Published: April 2010

The use of modified nanoparticles in interactions with biological targets is attracting rapidly increasing attention. In this Full Paper, the application of gold nanoparticles capped with mercaptoethanesulfonate (Au‐MES NPs) as effective inhibitors of Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection based on their ability to mimic cell‐surface‐receptor heparan sulfate is described. Mechanistic studies reveal that Au‐MES NPs interfere with viral attachment, entry, and cell‐to‐cell spread, thereby preventing subsequent viral infection in a multimodal manner. The ligand multiplicity achieved with carrier nanoparticles is crucial in generating polyvalent interactions with the virus at high specificity, strength, and efficiency. Such multivalent‐nanoparticle‐mediated inhibition is a promising approach for alternative antiviral therapy.
Near‐Infrared Light Triggers Release of Paclitaxel from Biodegradable Microspheres: Photothermal Effect and Enhanced Antitumor Activity
Authors: You Jian , Shao Ruping , Wei Xin , Gupta Sanjay , Li Chun
Published: April 2010

Despite advances in controlled drug delivery, reliable methods for activatable, high‐resolution control of drug release are needed. The hypothesis that the photothermal effect mediated by a near‐infrared (NIR) laser and hollow gold nanospheres (HAuNSs) could modulate the release of anticancer agents is tested with biodegradable and biocompatible microspheres (1–15 µm) containing the antitumor drug paclitaxel (PTX) and HAuNSs (≈35 nm in diameter), which display surface plasmon absorbance in the NIR region. HAuNS‐containing microspheres exhibit a NIR‐induced thermal effect similar to that of plain HAuNSs. Rapid, repetitive PTX release from the PTX/HAuNS‐containing microspheres is observed upon irradiation with NIR light (808 nm), whereas PTX release is insignificant when the NIR light is switched off. The release of PTX from the microspheres is readily controlled by the output power of the NIR laser, duration of irradiation, treatment frequency, and concentration of HAuNSs embedded inside the microspheres. In vitro, cancer cells incubated with PTX/HAuNS‐loaded microspheres and irradiated with NIR light display significantly greater cytotoxic effects than cells incubated with the microspheres alone or cells irradiated with NIR light alone, owing to NIR‐light‐triggered drug release. Treatment of human U87 gliomas and MDA‐MB‐231 mammary tumor xenografts in nude mice with intratumoral injections of PTX/HAuNS‐loaded microspheres followed by NIR irradiation results in significant tumor‐growth delay compared to tumors treated with HAuNS‐loaded microspheres (no PTX) and NIR irradiation or with PTX/HAuNS‐loaded microspheres alone. The data support the feasibility of a therapeutic approach in which NIR light is used for simultaneous modulation of drug release and induction of photothermal cell killing.
Culture and compensation—unpicking the intricate relationship between reward and organizational culture
Authors: Chen Angela
Published: April 2010

Interest in culture and reward came to public attention during the banking crisis. This article builds a framework for further research on the linkages between reward systems and organizational culture. From European viewpoints, there is interest in applying social frameworks to reward systems, complementing economic and psychological perspectives. The theoretical complexity of culture could be a barrier to research but, it is argued, Martin's (2002) three perspectives and Hatch's (1993) cultural dynamics model provide sound foundations. For reward practitioners, the main message may be to spend as much time evaluating how reward plans are received as in designing perfect plans. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Distributed inferencing with ambient and wearable sensors
Authors: Atallah Louis , McIlwraith Douglas , Thiemjarus Surapa , Lo Benny , Yang Guang‐Zhong
Published: April 2010

Wireless sensor networks enable continuous and reliable data acquisition for real‐time monitoring in a variety of application areas. Due to the large amount of data collected and the potential complexity of emergent patterns, scalable and distributed reasoning is preferable when compared to centralised inference as this allows network wide decisions to be reached robustly without specific reliance on particular network components. In this paper, we provide an overview of distributed inference for both wearable and ambient sensing with specific focus on graphical models—illustrating their ability to be mapped to the topology of a physical network. Examples of research conducted by the authors in the use of ambient and wearable sensors are provided, demonstrating the possibility for distributed, real‐time activity monitoring within a home healthcare environment. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
N‐Methylimidazolkomplexe des Berylliums: [Be(Me‐Im)4]I2 und [Be3(μ‐OH)3(Me‐Im)6]Cl3
Authors: Neumüller Bernhard , Dehnicke Kurt
Published: April 2010

Tetra(N‐methylimidazole)‐beryllium‐di‐iodide, [Be(Me‐Im)4]I2 (1), was prepared from beryllium powder and iodine in N‐methylimidazole suspension to give yellow single crystal plates, which were characterized by X‐ray diffraction and IR spectroscopy. Compound 1 crystallizes tetragonally in the space group I$\bar{4}$2d with four formula units per unit cell. Lattice dimensions at 100(2) K: a = b = 1784.9(1), c = 696.2(1) pm, R1 = 0.0238. The structure consists of homoleptic dications [Be(Me‐Im)4]2+ with short Be–N distances of 170.3(3) pm and iodide ions with weak interionic C–H···I contacts. Experiments to yield crystalline products from reactions of N‐methylimidazole with BeCl2 and (Ph4P)2[Be2Cl6], respectively, in dichloromethane solutions were unsuccessful. However, single crystals of [Be3(μ‐OH)3(Me‐Im)6]Cl3 (2) were obtained from these solutions in the presence of moisture air. According to X‐ray diffraction studies, two different crystal individuals (2a and 2b) result, depending on the starting materials BeCl2 and (Ph4P)2[Be2Cl6], respectively [2a: Space group P21/n, Z = 4; 2b: Space group P$\bar{1}$, Z = 2]. As a side‐product from the reaction of N‐methylimidazole with (Ph4P)2[Be2Cl6] single crystals of (Ph4P)Cl·CH2Cl2 (3) were identified crystallographically (P21/n, Z = 4) which are isotypical with the corresponding known bromide (Ph4P)Br·CH2Cl2.
Pharmacogenetics – genomics and personalized psychiatry
Authors: Möller H.J. , Rujescu D.
Published: April 2010

Pharmacogenetic influences on therapeutic response to e.g. antidepressant or neuroleptic treatment are poorly understood and the lack of efficacy in many of the patients together with side effects can both limit therapy and compliance. Thus the aim of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics is to provide predictive tools for the response to psychopharmacologic agents in the therapy of psychiatric disorders and in that ways to provide a real personalized psychiatry. The following review will summarize the current stage of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics and will critically discuss the possibilities of a personalized medicine.
Modulation of copper site properties by remote residues determines the stability of plastocyanins
Authors: Muñoz-López Francisco J. , Beltrán Estrella Frutos , Díaz-Moreno Sofía , Díaz-Moreno Irene , Subías Gloria , De la Rosa Miguel A. , Díaz-Quintana Antonio
Published: April 2010

The metal cofactor determines the thermal stability in cupredoxins, but how the redox state of copper modulates their melting points remains unknown. The metal coordination environment is highly conserved in cyanobacterial plastocyanins. However, the oxidised form is more stable than the reduced one in thermophilic Phormidium, but the opposite occurs in mesophilic Synechocystis. We have performed neutral amino‐acid substitutions at loops of Phormidium plastocyanin far from the copper site. Notably, mutation P49G/G50P confers a redox‐dependent thermal stability similar to that of the mesophilic plastocyanin. Moreover, X‐ray absorption spectroscopy reveals that P49G/G50P mutation makes the electron density distribution at the oxidised copper site shift towards that of Synechocystis plastocyanin.
Tricks of the trade used to accelerate high‐resolution structure determination of membrane proteins
Authors: Sonoda Yo , Cameron Alex , Newstead Simon , Omote Hiroshi , Moriyama Yoshinori , Kasahara Michihiro , Iwata So , Drew David
Published: April 2010

The rate at which X‐ray structures of membrane proteins are solved is on a par with that of soluble proteins in the late 1970s. There are still many obstacles facing the membrane protein structural community. Recently, there have been several technical achievements in the field that have started to dramatically accelerate structural studies. Here, we summarize these so‐called ‘tricks‐of‐the‐trade’ and include case studies of several mammalian transporters.
The steroid receptor RNA activator protein is recruited to promoter regions and acts as a transcriptional repressor
Authors: Chooniedass-Kothari Shilpa , Hamedani Mohammad K. , Auge Carole , Wang Xuemei , Carascossa Sophie , Yan Yi , Cooper Charlton , Vincett Daniel , Myal Yvonne , Jalaguier Stephan , Cavailles Vincent , Leygue Etienne
Published: April 2010

MINT‐7761068: SRAP (uniprotkb:Q9HD15) physically interacts (MI:0915) with HDAC2 (uniprotkb:Q92769) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006)
Activation of catalase by apelin prevents oxidative stress‐linked cardiac hypertrophy
Authors: Foussal Camille , Lairez Olivier , Calise Denis , Pathak Atul , Guilbeau-Frugier Celine , Valet Philippe , Parini Angelo , Kunduzova Oksana
Published: April 2010

Adipose tissue secretes a variety of bioactive factors, which can regulate cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present study we investigated whether apelin affects ROS‐dependent cardiac hypertrophy. In cardiomyocytes apelin inhibited the hypertrophic response to 5‐HT and oxidative stress induced by 5‐HT‐ or H2O2 in a dose‐dependent manner. These effects were concomitant to the increase in mRNA expression and activity of catalase. Chronic treatment of mice with apelin attenuated pressure‐overload‐induced left ventricular hypertrophy. The prevention of hypertrophy by apelin was associated with increased myocardial catalase activity and decreased plasma lipid hydroperoxide, as an index of oxidative stress. These results show that apelin behaves as a catalase activator and prevents cardiac ROS‐dependent hypertrophy.
The Environmental and Social Context of the Isleham Hoard
Authors: Malim Tim , Boreham Steve , Knight David , Nash George , Preece Richard , Schwenninger Jean-Luc
Published: April 2010

This paper describes the rediscovery of the exact location for the Isleham hoard (tl63197253) and presents the results of related fieldwork; it briefly reviews the metallurgical significance of the hoard, and discusses its local environmental and social context, as well as the distribution of founder's hoards within the Fenland region.

The hoard was found to have been placed in a pit dug into a filled-in Bronze Age boundary ditch, next to a rectangular building, and adjacent to the edge of low-lying wetland bordering a palaeochannel which revealed an environmental sequence stretching from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age. This area is also in proximity to a possible ringwork. Mesolithic and Neolithic activity is evidenced by residual flint tools and pottery. By the Bronze Age the tongue of fen next to the hoard had begun to be invaded by ferns and terrestrial vegetation and its latest peat phase was radiocarbon dated to 4045 ± 62bp. Molluscs within the boundary ditch show an open landscape with a mixture of dryland and wetland taxa, and the presence ofVertigo angustior, a rare British species no longer known from Cambridgeshire, and one indicative of transitional habitats between wet and dry land. This landscape was probably contemporary with the deposition of the hoard.

Current typological and radiocarbon analysis for Wilburton metalwork would suggest a date within the period 1150 to 1000bcfor the hoard, whilst a typological assessment of the pot in which the hoard was found suggests an affinity with Post-Deverel-Rimbury (PDR) Plainware dated currently from around 1150 to 800bc. OSL dating of a sample of the pot containing the hoard yielded a date of 1460 ± 230bcat 1 sigma.

The locations of other founder's hoards within the region suggest a clustering in the southern fens and South Cambridgeshire, apparently related to ancient routeways.
Prolonged administration of secoisolariciresinol diglycoside increases lignan excretion and alters lignan tissue distribution in adult male and female rats
Authors: Saarinen Niina M. , Thompson Lilian U.
Published: April 2010

Limited information is available on lignan metabolism and tissue distribution between sexes and the effects of prolonged lignan exposure on tissue concentrations. In the present study, excretion and tissue distribution of lignans were compared after 1 d and 7 d administration of flaxseed lignan secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG) in male and female rats. Sprague–Dawley rats were daily gavagedper oswith3H-SDG (3·7 kBq/g body weight (bwt)) and unlabelled SDG (5·3 μg/g bwt). Urine, faeces, serum and tissues (liver, kidneys, bladder, spleen, lungs, brain, thymus, heart, muscle, adipose, mammary gland, ovaries, vagina, uterus, testis, seminal vesicles, coagulating glands and ventral prostate) were collected at 0, 12 and 24 h after a single lignan dose or after the last dose of 7 d exposure. The sample total lignan content was measured as radioactivity by liquid scintillation counting. In both sexes, majority of radioactivity was excreted in faeces (40–83 %) and urine (1·2–5·2 %).3H-SDG administration increased radioactivity in all tissues at all time points, and the levels were further increased after prolonged SDG exposure. Liver contained majority of the tissue lignans (48–56 %) in both sexes after both exposure regimens. After prolonged SDG exposure, the serum lignan concentrations had reached a plateau which was approximately 4-fold of that of acute exposure, whereas in both sexes, concentrations in skin and kidneys still increased, indicating tissue accumulation. After prolonged exposure, females had higher lignan concentrations in heart and thymus at all time points, demonstrating sex-related differences in lignan tissue distribution and the possibility for sex-specific treatment responses. These findings facilitate identification of target tissues for local lignan actionsin vivo.
Malignant otitis externa: case series
Authors: Ali T , Meade K , Anari S , ElBadawey M R , Zammit-Maempel I
Published: April 2010

Background:

In the light of current concerns regarding ciprofloxacin resistance and the changing face of malignant otitis externa, we reviewed cases of malignant otitis externa treated in our centre, in order both to evaluate the current epidemiology of the condition and to assess the status of drug resistance in our patient population.

Method:

Retrospective case review of all malignant otitis externa cases managed in a tertiary referral centre in the north-east of England between 2000 and 2009.

Results:

Forty-one patients were identified, but the required data were available for only 37 cases. Patients' ages ranged from 51 to 101 years (median, 81 years). Diabetes was present in 51 per cent of patients (19/37), facial nerve palsy in 40 per cent (15/37) and multiple cranial nerve palsy in 24 per cent (9/37).Pseudomonas aeruginosawas the most commonly isolated organism (54 per cent), sensitive to ciprofloxacin in all cases.

Conclusions:

The incidence of cranial nerve palsy in our study was higher than in previous reports. The incidence of diabetes andPseudomonas aeruginosain our cohort was much lower than previously reported. ThePseudomonas aeruginosastrains isolated were all sensitive to ciprofloxacin, despite recent reports on emerging resistance.
Observations raise the question if the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, can act as either a carrier or a reservoir for Bonamia ostreae or Bonamia exitiosa
Authors: LYNCH S. A. , ABOLLO E. , RAMILO A. , CAO A. , CULLOTY S. C. , VILLALBA A.
Published: April 2010

This study investigated the ability of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, to act as a carrier or reservoir of the protistan Bonamia ostreae. Studies were carried out independently in Ireland and in Spain. Naïve C. gigas were exposed to B. ostreae both in the field and in the laboratory via natural exposure or experimental injection. Naïve flat oysters, Ostrea edulis, were placed in tanks with previously exposed C. gigas. Oysters were screened for B. ostreae by examination of ventricular heart smears and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening of tissue samples (gill and/or heart) and shell cavity fluid. PCR-positive oysters were further screened using histology and in situ hybridization (ISH). B. ostreae DNA was detected in the tissues and/or shell cavity fluid of a small number of C. gigas in the field and in the laboratory. B. ostreae-like cells were visualized in the haemocytes of 1 C. gigas and B. ostreae-like cells were observed extracellularly in the connective tissues of 1 other C. gigas. When C. gigas naturally exposed to B. ostreae were held with naïve O. edulis, B. ostreae DNA was detected in O. edulis; however, B. ostreae cells were not visualized. In Spain, B. exitiosa DNA was also detected in Pacific oyster tissues. The results of this study have important implications for C. gigas transfers from B. ostreae-endemic areas to uninfected areas and highlight B. ostreae and B. exitiosa's ability to survive extracellularly and in other non-typical hosts.
Laser-induced optical breakdown applied for laser spark ignition
Authors: Schwarz E. , Gross S. , Fischer B. , Muri I. , Tauer J. , Kofler H. , Wintner E.
Published: April 2010

In the present article, the experimental investigation of optical breakdown induced by ns/mJ pulses at two wavelengths, 1064 nm and 532 nm, in air of atmospheric pressure is reported and discussed. The obtained breakdown thresholds were compared with theory and are in good agreement. The generated plasmas have been characterized by their amount of scattered laser light, energy transmission, and change of the transmitted temporal shape. Laser-induced plasma formation in a gas, in air, also generates an acoustic pressure wave. The acoustic energy is compared to the laser pulse energy and is found to be linearly dependent. Moreover, the frequency distribution of the characteristic acoustic pressure wave was analyzed. The experiments described were accomplished in order to optimize a laser ignition system with regard to efficiency and costs. The laser system employed for these investigations is a compact high peak power, passively Q-switched, longitudinally diode-pumped solid-state laser. Such a “laser spark plug” should replace conventional spark plugs in internal combustion engines because conventional ignition has reached its limits in terms of efficiency and durability. Thereby, a reduction of pollutant emission should also be feasible.
Reduced multi-scale kinetic models for the relativistic electron transport in solid targets: Effects related to secondary electrons
Authors: Duclous R. , Morreeuw J.-P. , Tikhonchuk V.T. , Dubroca B.
Published: April 2010

A reduced mathematical model for the transport of high current relativistic electron beams in a dense collisional plasma is developed. Based on the hypothesis that the density of relativistic electrons is much less than the plasma density and their energy is much higher than the plasma temperature, a model with two energy scales is proposed, where the beam and plasma electrons are considered as two coupled sub-systems, which exchange the energy and particles due to collisions. The process of energy exchange is described in the Fokker-Planck approximation, where the pitch angle electron-ion and electron-electron collisions dominate. The process of particle exchange between populations, leading to the production of secondary energetic electrons, is described with a Boltzmann term. The electron-electron collisions with small impact parameters make an important contribution in the overall dynamics of the beam electrons.
Cryogenic systems for LMJ cryotarget and HiPER application
Authors: Perin J.-P.
Published: April 2010

For the future, we have to develop new sources of energy. These new sources may be based on nuclear fusion with magnetic confinement (as with the ITER experiment) or with a new concept based on inertial confinement. The European community plans to build a facility (HiPER project) which is dedicated to reaching high gain with cryogenic targets, and to test the concepts of target mass production and rep rate shots. The cryogenic system for the 1stphase experiments in HiPER is based on the cryogenic system developed for the French facility Laser MegaJoule (LMJ). The latter must be modified and upgraded for direct drive targets. In particular the target must be protected from the radiation flux from the vacuum vessel by a thermal shroud. In addition, the LMJ system must be equipped with a thermal system to allow layering of the fusion fuel to take place. The new developments concern a leak tightness thermal shroud for direct drive and a fast shroud retractor able to allow the laser shot within few milliseconds.
Dear policy maker: Have you made up your mind? A discrete choice experiment among policy makers and other health professionals
Authors: Koopmanschap Marc A. , Stolk Elly A. , Koolman Xander
Published: April 2010

Objectives: The aim of this study was to get insight in what criteria as presented in Health technology assessment (HTA) studies are important for decision makers in healthcare priority setting.

Methods: We performed a discrete choice experiment among Dutch healthcare professionals (policy makers, HTA experts, advanced HTA students). In twenty-seven choice sets, we asked respondents to elect reimbursement of one of two different healthcare interventions, which represented unlabeled, curative treatments. Both treatments were incrementally compared with usual care. The results of the interventions were normal outputs of HTA studies with a societal perspective. Results were analyzed using a multinomial logistic regression model. Upon completion of the questionnaire, we discussed the exercise with policy makers.

Results: Severity of disease, costs per quality-adjusted life-year gained, individual health gain, and the budget impact were the most decisive decision criteria. A program targeting more severe diseases increased the probability of reimbursement dramatically. Uncertainty related to cost-effectiveness was also important. Respondents preferred health gains that include quality of life improvements over extension of life without improved quality of life. Savings in productivity costs were not crucial in decision making, although these are to be included in Dutch reimbursement dossiers for new drugs. Regarding subgroups, we found that policy makers attached relatively more weight to disease severity than others but less to uncertainty.

Conclusions: Dutch policy makers and other healthcare professionals seem to have reasonably well articulated preferences: six of seven attributes were significant. Disease severity, budget impact, and cost-effectiveness were very important. The results are comparable to international studies, but reveal a larger set of important decision criteria.
Cost-effectiveness of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) for the treatment of stable angina in the United Kingdom
Authors: McKenna Claire , Hawkins Neil , Claxton Karl , McDaid Catriona , Suekarran Sara , Light Kate , Chester Michael , Cleland John G. F. , Woolacott Nerys , Sculpher Mark
Published: April 2010

Objectives:The objective of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) compared with no treatment as additional therapy to usual care for the treatment of chronic stable angina from the perspective of the UK National Health Service.

Methods:The study design was a systematic review of published evidence, use of expert clinical opinion, and decision analytic cost-effectiveness model. The systematic review was conducted and statistical methods used to synthesize the effectiveness evidence from randomized control trials. Formal methods were used to elicit opinion from clinical experts where no evidence was available. These provide informed “priors” on key model parameters. A decision analytic model was developed to assess the costs and health consequences associated with the primary outcome of the trials over a lifetime time horizon. The main outcome measures were costs from a health service perspective and outcomes measured as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs).

Results:The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of EECP was £18,643 for each additional QALY, with a probability of being cost-effective of 0.44 and 0.70 at cost-effectiveness thresholds of £20,000 and £30,000 per QALY gained, respectively. Results were sensitive to the duration of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) benefits from treatment.

Conclusions:The long-term maintenance of HRQoL benefits of EECP is central to the estimate of cost-effectiveness. The results from a single randomized control trial do not provide firm evidence of the clinical or cost-effectiveness of EECP in stable angina. Long-term follow-up trials assessing quality of life from EECP are required.
Human papillomavirus transmission and cost-effectiveness of introducing quadrivalent HPV vaccination in Denmark
Authors: Olsen Jens , Jepsen Martin Rudbeck
Published: April 2010

Objectives: The objective of this study was to simulate human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in a heterosexual population and subsequently analyze the incremental costs and effects of introducing a vaccination program against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 in Denmark compared with screening alone.

Methods: The analysis was performed in two phases. First, an agent-based transmission model was developed that described the HPV transmission without and with HPV vaccination. Second, an analysis of the incremental costs and effects was performed. The results of prevalence estimates of HPV, genital warts, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN1–3), and cervical cancer in the model simulations before and after introduction of HPV vaccination were extrapolated to the Danish population figures. Incremental costs and effects were then estimated. Future costs and effects were discounted.

Results: Cost-effectiveness ratios for annual vaccination of 12-year-old girls, with a vaccination rate of 70 percent without a catch-up program, were estimated at approximately €1,917 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY, 3 percent discount rate) and €10,846/QALY (5 percent discount rate), given a 62-year time horizon.

Conclusions: A vaccination program would incur extra vaccination costs but would save treatment costs and improve both quality of life and survival.
Economic analysis of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) as a tool in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer in Singapore
Authors: Ang Shin Yuh , Tan Rachel Woo Yin , Koh Mariko Siyue , Lim Jeremy
Published: April 2010

Objectives: Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), encompassing endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and Endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial lung biopsy (EBUS-TBLB) has been proven to be a useful modality in the staging and diagnosis of lung cancer. However, there are limited publications on the cost-effectiveness of EBUS and no economic evaluations relevant to the Singapore setting. An economic evaluation using our hospital's data was used to assess the cost implications of EBUS substituting where clinically appropriate: transthoracic needle aspiration; (TTNA), fluoroscopy-guided transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB), and mediastinoscopy in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer.

Methods: Relationship between the clinical and economic implications of alternative modalities was modeled using data inputs that were relevant to the Singapore setting. Two decision analytic models were constructed to evaluate the cost of EBUS compared with TTNA, TBLB, and staging mediastinoscopy. Only direct costs were imputed.

Results: In the base–case analysis, TTNA was the most economical strategy (SGD3,335 = US$2,403) where clinically suitable for the diagnosis of lung cancer as compared to the other options: TBLB (SGD4,499) and EBUS-TBLB (SGD4,857). On the other hand, EBUS-TBNA resulted in expected cost savings of SGD1,214 per positive staging of lung cancer as compared to mediastinoscopy.

Conclusions: The use of EBUS-TBNA could result in cost savings of SGD1,214 per positive staging of lung cancer as compared to mediastinoscopy. Whereas TTNA was the most economical intervention for the diagnosis of lung cancer as compared to the other options, its main limitation lies in its suitability only for peripheral lung lesions and high complication rate.
Policy brief on improving access to artemisinin-based combination therapies for malaria in Cameroon
Authors: Ongolo-Zogo Pierre , Bonono Renée-Cécile
Published: April 2010

Malaria is the major cause of illness in Cameroon, responsible for 40 percent of medical consultations. For this reason, the Head of State along with his African Union peers in April 2000 and 2006 undertook to achieve universal access to malaria control interventions, including effective treatment (10;12). Uneven distribution of health services, especially in rural areas, and high poverty rates make health care and drugs inaccessible or unaffordable (14;16). Therefore, the World Health Organization recommends building comprehensive mechanisms grounded on relevant social and community organizations, including the private sector, to improve access to care for vulnerable populations (22;23). Accordingly, the strategic plan to fight malaria in Cameroon, endorsed by the National Committee to Roll Back Malaria, recommends home-based management of malaria (HMM) to improve access and reduce delays in treatment (12).
Acquisition of adjectives in Quebec French as revealed by elicitation data
Authors: ROYLE PHAEDRA , VALOIS DANIEL
Published: April 2010

This study presents data from an elicitation study on French size and color adjectives in noun phrases (DPs), both early acquired structures. Thirty-two francophone children aged 3–5 years participated in the study. Adjectives were elicited using specially designed puzzles and spontaneous speech corpora. We observed that errors in French variable adjectives are produced in the early acquisition stages, especially in the context of feminine colour DPs. We propose that the source of difficulty for feminine variable adjectives is the retrieval of a lexicalized form that competes with the masculine adjective denoting the same concept.
Arabia‐Somalia plate kinematics, evolution of the Aden‐Owen‐Carlsberg triple junction, and opening of the Gulf of Aden
Authors: Fournier Marc , Chamot‐Rooke Nicolas , Petit Carole , Huchon Philippe , Al‐Kathiri Ali , Audin Laurence , Beslier Marie‐Odile , d'Acremont Elia , Fabbri Olivier , Fleury Jean‐Marc , Khanbari Khaled , Lepvrier Claude , Leroy Sylvie , Maillot Bertrand , Merkouriev Serge
Published: April 2010

New geophysical data collected at the Aden‐Owen‐Carlsberg (AOC) triple junction between the Arabia, India, and Somalia plates are combined with all available magnetic data across the Gulf of Aden to determine the detailed Arabia‐Somalia plate kinematics over the past 20 Myr. We reconstruct the history of opening of the Gulf of Aden, including the penetration of the Sheba Ridge into the African continent and the evolution of the triple junction since its formation. Magnetic data evidence three stages of ridge propagation from east to west. Seafloor spreading initiated ∼20 Myr ago along a 200 km‐long ridge portion located immediately west of the Owen fracture zone. A second 500 km‐long ridge portion developed westward up to the Alula‐Fartak transform fault before Chron 5D (17.5 Ma). Before Chron 5C (16.0 Ma), a third 700 km‐long ridge portion was emplaced between the Alula‐Fartak transform fault and the western end of the Gulf of Aden (45°E). Between 20 and 16 Ma, the Sheba Ridge propagated over a distance of 1400 km at an extremely fast average rate of 35 cm yr−1. The ridge propagation resulted from the Arabia‐Somalia rigid plate rotation about a stationary pole. Since Chron 5C (16.0 Ma), the spreading rate of the Sheba Ridge decreased first rapidly until 10 Ma and then more slowly. The evolution of the AOC triple junction is marked by a change of configuration around 10 Ma, with the formation of a new Arabia‐India plate boundary. Part of the Arabian plate was then transferred to the Indian plate.
Concerning the motion of flux transfer events generated by component reconnection across the dayside magnetopause
Authors: Sibeck D. G. , Lin R.‐Q.
Published: April 2010

We generate flux transfer events (FTEs) along subsolar component reconnection curves whose tilt depends upon the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation, track their motion in response to pressure gradient and magnetic curvature forces, and estimate the perturbations they produce in the ambient magnetosheath and magnetosphere. During periods of southward IMF orientation, FTEs move poleward rapidly without ever reaching the flanks of the magnetosphere, while during periods of northward and duskward IMF they slip slowly over the flanks. Speeds increase when a depletion layer is present. For southward IMF orientations, the greatest magnetic field perturbations occur near the equator and diminish with distance from the posited reconnection line. For northward and duskward IMF orientations, dayside perturbation amplitudes are lower but increase with downstream distance at off‐equatorial locations. Consequently events occurring for southward IMF orientations should dominate statistical surveys of dayside events but not those of flank events. The events move through the ambient media, invariably generating outward/inward flow perturbations in the magnetosheath but inward/outward perturbations in the magnetosphere. Multipoint spacecraft timing studies can be used to determine event axes and the component of event motion perpendicular to these axes. Because FTEs retain their initial orientations, timing studies afford an opportunity to determine the orientation of the dayside reconnection curve from remote locations.
Escape probability of Martian atmospheric ions: Controlling effects of the electromagnetic fields
Authors: Fang Xiaohua , Liemohn Michael W. , Nagy Andrew F. , Luhmann Janet G. , Ma Yingjuan
Published: April 2010

This study quantifies several factors controlling the probability of a pickup oxygen ion to escape from the Mars upper atmosphere. It is commonly presumed that ions with sufficient kinetic energy are able to escape to space. To test the validity of this simple assumption, we examined results from our Monte Carlo model, which monitors the motion of billions of test particles due to gravity and the Lorentz force through the electromagnetic fields of a magnetohydrodynamic model solution. It is shown that the electromagnetic fields are the dominant factor, surpassing the deceleration of gravity, in controlling ion transport and thus determine whether particles ultimately escape Mars or return to the planet. The particle kinetic energy and the local time of the crustal fields are also important factors greatly influencing the escape probability. In a simulation case in which the strongest crustal fields face the Sun at nominal solar minimum conditions, on average, only 45% of isotropically distributed newborn particles at ∼400 km altitude are able to escape, even with a sufficiently high initial energy of ∼10 eV. Furthermore, there is a distinct hemispheric asymmetry in the escape probability distribution, as defined by the upstream convection electric field direction (Esw). In the above case, the particles produced in the −Esw hemisphere have a much smaller chance to escape, on average, about 17%. These findings imply that one has to be careful when using satellite periapsis measurements to estimate atmospheric loss, where ion densities are high but escape chances may be very low.
On the absence of an ultralow‐velocity zone in the North Pacific
Authors: Rost Sebastian , Garnero Edward J. , Thorne Michael S. , Hutko Alexander R.
Published: April 2010

Using an unusually large earthquake near the big island of Hawaii, we study the core mantle boundary (CMB) beneath the north‐northeastern Pacific between Hawaii and North America. A dense sampling of the CMB is achieved using the core‐reflected phase PcP recorded at a large number of high‐quality stations in North America, including networks in California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, as well as at EarthScope's USArray stations. We apply an adaptive stacking technique for optimal record alignment on specific phases (namely P and PcP) and subsequently stack seismograms to obtain summation traces possessing relatively high signal‐to‐noise ratios of PcP and P. Anomalous ultralow‐velocity zone (ULVZ) layering at the CMB has been noted to exist in various parts of the Pacific beneath the lowermost mantle large low shear velocity province imaged by tomography. ULVZ structure produces anomalous PcP waveform variations in the form of precursors to PcP. These PcP data, however, lack precursory energy, indicating either that (1) ULVZ layering is lacking or (2) that a ULVZ is present and thinner than our detection threshold, i.e., less than a few kilometers thick. We use synthetic waveform modeling to establish the sensitivity and utility of investigating the time window ahead of PcP for precursors generated from fine‐scale CMB layering. These results, combined with evidence for ULVZ structure in other parts of the Pacific, suggest that ULVZs are intermittent and possibly only detectable in regions where mantle currents collect ULVZ material, whether or not partially molten, presumably beneath (or near) upwellings or plumes.
Biennial relationship of rainfall variability between Central America and equatorial South America
Authors: Wu Renguang , Zhang Li
Published: April 2010

Observations indicate that equatorial South American rainfall anomalies in boreal winter are preceded by the same sign Central American rainfall anomalies in boreal summer and tend to be succeeded by opposite sign Central American rainfall anomalies in the following summer. The in‐phase relationship from summer to winter rainfall is attributed to direct effects of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Anomalous convection associated with warm ENSO events induces anomalous descent and suppresses precipitation along the convection region that migrates southeastward from Central America in boreal summer to tropical South America in boreal winter. The out‐of‐phase relationship from winter to summer rainfall is related to tropical North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies induced by wind‐evaporation and cloud‐radiation changes in response to ENSO‐generated anomalous convection over tropical South America. In years when ENSO switches its phase from winter to summer, the direct effects of ENSO can also lead to the out‐of‐phase relationship.