bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Referral, Receipt, and Completion of Chemotherapy in Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Older Than 65 Years and at High Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
Authors: Buist Diana S.M. , Chubak Jessica , Prout Marianne , Yood Marianne Ulcickas , Bosco Jaclyn L.F. , Thwin Soe Soe , Gold Heather Taffet , Owusu Cynthia , Field Terry S. , Quinn Virginia P. , Wei Feifei , Silliman Rebecca A.
Published: September 2009

Purpose

Some women with early-stage breast cancer are at higher risk of recurrence and can benefit from chemotherapy. We describe patterns of referral, receipt, and completion of chemotherapy among older women at high risk of recurrence.

Patients and Methods

A total of 2,124 women age 65 years or older who were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer between 1990 and 1994 and 1996 to 1999 were included; 1,090 of these were at high risk of recurrence. We reviewed medical records to categorize chemotherapy outcomes as follows: did not discuss or were not referred to a medical oncologist (n = 133); discussed and/or referred to a medical oncologist but received no chemotherapy (n = 742); received an incomplete chemotherapy course (n = 29), or received a completed chemotherapy course (n = 186).

Results

Overall, 19.7% of high-risk women received any chemotherapy, and 86.5% of these women completed their chemotherapy courses. Just greater than 10% of high-risk women did not have a discussion about chemotherapy as part of breast cancer treatment documented in the medical record; these women also received fewer diagnostic assessments of their initial tumors.

Conclusion

Individuals who receive chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer are a select subgroup of patients at high risk of recurrence. This study identifies characteristics of women who were referred for and who received chemotherapy, and this study plays an important role in understanding generalizability of studies that examine chemotherapy treatment effectiveness. Outcomes after breast cancer could continue to be improved with increased receipt of chemotherapy among older women at high risk of breast cancer recurrence.
Phase III Trial of Vinflunine Plus Best Supportive Care Compared With Best Supportive Care Alone After a Platinum-Containing Regimen in Patients With Advanced Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urothelial Tract
Authors: Bellmunt Joaquim , Théodore Christine , Demkov Tomasz , Komyakov Boris , Sengelov Lisa , Daugaard Gedske , Caty Armelle , Carles Joan , Jagiello-Gruszfeld Agnieszka , Karyakin Oleg , Delgado François-Michel , Hurteloup Patrick , Winquist Eric , Morsli Nassim , Salhi Yacine , Culine Stéphane , von der Maase Hans
Published: September 2009

Purpose

Vinflunine (VFL) is a new microtubule inhibitor that has activity against transitional cell carcinoma of urothelial tract (TCCU). We conducted a randomized phase III study of VFL and best supportive care (BSC) versus BSC alone in the treatment of patients with advanced TCCU who had experienced progression after a first-line platinum-containing regimen.

Patients and Methods

The study was designed to compare overall survival (OS) between patients receiving VFL + BSC (performance status [PS] = 0: 320 mg/m2, every 3 weeks; PS = 0 with previous pelvic radiation and PS = 1: 280 mg/m2subsequently escalated to 320 mg/m2) or BSC.

Results

Three hundred seventy patients were randomly assigned (VFL + BSC, n =253; BSC, n = 117). Both arms were well balanced except there were more patients with PS more than 1 (10% difference) in the BSC arm. Main grade 3 or 4 toxicities for VFL + BSC were neutropenia (50%), febrile neutropenia (6%), anemia (19%), fatigue (19%), and constipation (16%). In the intent-to-treat population, the objective of a median 2-month survival advantage (6.9 months for VFL + BSC v 4.6 months for BSC) was achieved (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.12) but was not statistically significant (P = .287). Multivariate Cox analysis adjusting for prognostic factors showed statistically significant effect of VFL on OS (P = .036), reducing the death risk by 23% (HR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.98). In the eligible population (n = 357), the median OS was significantly longer for VFL + BSC than BSC (6.9 v 4.3 months, respectively), with the difference being statistically significant (P = .040). Overall response rate, disease control, and progression-free survival were all statistically significant favoring VFL + BSC (P = .006, P = .002, and P = .001, respectively).

Conclusion

VFL demonstrates a survival advantage in second-line treatment for advanced TCCU. Consistency of results exists with significant and meaningful benefit over all efficacy parameters. Safety profile is acceptable, and therefore, VFL seems to be a reasonable option for TCCU progressing after first-line platinum-based therapy.
Long-Term Results of a Randomized Trial of Surgery With or Without Preoperative Chemotherapy in Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Allum William H. , Stenning Sally P. , Bancewicz John , Clark Peter I. , Langley Ruth E.
Published: September 2009

Purpose

OEO2 is a randomized, controlled trial of preoperative chemotherapy in patients undergoing radical surgery for esophageal cancer. Random assignment was to surgery alone (S) or to two cycles of combination cisplatin and fluorouracil before surgery (CS). Initial results reported in 2002 demonstrated an advantage for both disease-free and overall survival in the CS group. The analysis has now been updated after a median follow-up of 6 years.

Patients and Methods

OEO2 recruited 802 patients, 400 on CS and 402 on S. The nature of the first recurrence event and cause of death are detailed. Survival has been determined from Kaplan-Meier curves and treatment comparisons made with the log-rank test. Survival by extent of resection is presented.

Results

There were 655 deaths, 335 for S and 320 for CS. The survival benefit has been maintained with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.72 to 0.98; P = .03) which in absolute terms is a 5-year survival of 23.0% for CS compared with 17.1% for S. The treatment effect is consistent in both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The first disease-free survival event was macroscopic residual disease from incomplete resection (R2) or no resection in 26.4% of the S group versus 14.3% of the CS P < .001. Three-year survival by type of resection was R0 42.4%, R1 was 18.0%, and R2 was 8.6%.

Conclusion

Long-term follow-up confirms that preoperative chemotherapy improves survival in operable esophageal cancer and should be considered as a standard of care.
Low Initial Human Papilloma Viral Load Implicates Worse Prognosis in Patients With Uterine Cervical Cancer Treated With Radiotherapy
Authors: Kim Joo-Young , Park Sohee , Nam Byung-Ho , Roh Ju-Won , Lee Chae Hyeong , Kim Yoon-Hee , Shin Hye-Jin , Lee Su-Kyoung , Kong Sun-Young , Seong Moon-Woo , Han Tae-Jin , Lee Me-Yeon , Cho Kwan Ho , Park Sang Yoon
Published: September 2009

Purpose

To evaluate whether human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load measured in cervical smear and HPV type 18 are associated with radiotherapy outcomes in uterine cervical cancer.

Patients and Methods

HPV DNA was semiquantitatively measured in the cervical smears of 169 radiotherapy patients. HPV viral load was classified as low or high according to median HPV DNA titer and examined for its prognostic value. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to adjust for covariates. A relapse-predicting model was constructed to classify three risk groups for disease-free survival (DFS), which were used for internal validation.

Results

Patients with lower HPV viral load showed worse DFS in univariate analysis. HPV type 18, younger patient age, stage group, nodal status, histologic grade, and histologic type were other prognostic factors for poor DFS. Among these factors, all except stage group were associated with HPV viral load. Multivariate analysis showed the strong influence of HPV viral load for poor DFS. The prognostic model developed using our outcome data performed well in predicting the risk of relapse.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that HPV viral load is a strong independent prognostic factor for DFS. HPV type 18 showed a significant relationship with poor radiotherapy outcome in univariate analysis, but not in multivariate analysis.
Municipal Governments’ Role in Averting Access Problems Associated with Market Reform
Authors: Bartholomée Yvette , Maarse Hans
Published: September 2009

Background

The 2006 health insurance legislation obligates each resident to purchase a basic health policy. If a person fails to purchase a basic health plan, (s)he is by implication uninsured. An assumption underpinning the new legislation is that consumers must take responsibility for themselves and can make informed choices. In the view of municipal governments, social security recipients in their community often are not comptent enough to do so and for that reason need support. The study investigates how municipal governments provided them with administrative support to prevent them becoming uninsured.

Methods

Empirical data for this research were collected by desk research.

Results

Municipal governments actively support social security recipients. Individual responsibility and consumer choice are good for the great majority of the population, but may entail problems for social security recipients. To avoid that they are uninsured or become a defaulter, municipal governments conclude a group contract with health insurers. There are clear indications that this strategy has been effective to reduce the number of uninsured people.

Conclusion

Health insurance legislation based on the principle of individual responsbility requires a policy to support social security recipients in society. Such a policy may imply restrictions to individual responsibility.
Algorithms for Recognizing Economic Properties in Matrix Bid Combinatorial Auctions
Authors: Goossens Dries R. , Müller Rudolf , Spieksma Frits C. R.
Published: September 2009

A combinatorial auction is an auction where multiple items are for sale simultaneously to a set of buyers. Furthermore, buyers are allowed to place bids on subsets of the available items. This paper focuses on a combinatorial auction where a bidder can express his preferences by means of a so-called ordered matrix bid. Ordered matrix bids are a bidding language that allows a compact representation of a bidder's preferences and was developed by Day [Day, R. W. 2004. Expressing preferences with price-vector agents in combinatorial auctions. Ph.D. thesis, University of Maryland, College Park]. We give an overview of how a combinatorial auction with matrix bids works. We discuss the relevance of recognizing whether a given matrix bid has properties related to elements of economic theory such as free disposal, subadditivity, submodularity, and the gross substitutes property. We show that verifying whether a matrix bid has these properties can be done in polynomial time by solving one or more shortest-path problems. Finally, we investigate to what extent randomly generated matrix bids satisfy these properties.
Test selection, adaptation, and evaluation: A systematic approach to assess nutritional influences on child development in developing countries
Authors: Prado Elizabeth L. , Hartini Sri. , Rahmawati Atik. , Ismayani Elfa. , Hidayati Astri. , Hikmah Nurul. , Muadz Husni. , Apriatni Mandri S. , Ullman Michael T. , Shankar Anuraj H. , Alcock Katherine J.
Published: September 2009

Background

Evaluating the impact of nutrition interventions on developmental outcomes in developing countries can be challenging since most assessment tests have been produced in and for developed country settings. Such tests may not be valid measures of children's abilities when used in a new context.

Aims

We present several principles for the selection, adaptation, and evaluation of tests assessing the developmental outcomes of nutrition interventions in developing countries where standard assessment tests do not exist. We then report the application of these principles for a nutrition trial on the Indonesian island of Lombok.

Sample

Three hundred children age 22–55 months in Lombok participated in a series of pilot tests for the purpose of test adaptation and evaluation. Four hundred and eighty‐seven 42‐month‐old children in Lombok were tested on the finalized test battery.

Methods

The developmental assessment tests were adapted to the local context and evaluated for a number of psychometric properties, including convergent and discriminant validity, which were measured based on multiple regression models with maternal education, depression, and age predicting each test score.

Results

The adapted tests demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties and the expected pattern of relationships with the three maternal variables. Maternal education significantly predicted all scores but one, maternal depression predicted socio‐emotional competence, socio‐emotional problems, and vocabulary, while maternal age predicted socio‐emotional competence only.

Conclusion

Following the methodological principles we present resulted in tests that were appropriate for children in Lombok and informative for evaluating the developmental outcomes of nutritional supplementation in the research context. Following this approach in future studies will help to determine which interventions most effectively improve child development in developing countries.
Transport Anomalies in the Gaussian Core Model Fluid
Authors: Mausbach Peter , May Helge-Otmar
Published: September 2009

In this study, we investigate the self-diffusion coefficient, the shear viscosity and the thermal conductivity of a single-component system interacting via a Gaussian core (GC) potential. The transport properties are studied by means of the Green-Kubo formulas calculated from molecular dynamics simulation. We show that, for certain state conditions, anomalous behaviour occurs for the diffusivity and the shear viscosity. Therefore, the Stokes-Einstein relation is violated for the GC fluid. We do not find anomalous behaviour for the thermal conductivity. We develop an equation of state for the deviation of the ideal gas pressure and we derive the excess entropy from this equation. Depending on the phase space region, the excess entropy also shows anomalous behaviour. We discuss recently developed scaling relationships between excess entropy and transport properties. Because the GC potential is bounded, these relationships do not work properly for the GC fluid. Using new empirical scaling relations we are able to fit the diffusion coefficient within one single master curve for the whole density and temperature range we have simulated. We were also able to find a single master curve for the viscosity, but only for state conditions where the classical Stokes-Einstein relation is valid.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations on the Glass-to-liquid Transition in High Density Amorphous Ice
Authors: Seidl Markus , Loerting Thomas , Zifferer Gerhard
Published: September 2009

It is an open question whether high density amorphous (HDA) ice is a glassy material structurally related to an ultraviscous high density liquid (HDL) or a nanocrystalline material unrelated to a liquid. In order to shed light on this question we have performed molecular dynamics simulations on a HDA model system at a pressure of p ≈ 0.3 GPa using the COMPASS force field. After removing the irreversible structural relaxation effect by initial isobaric heating/cooling cycles, we observe a deviation from linearity in the density vs. temperature plot in the range 170 ± 15 K in subsequent cycles, which we attribute to the glass-transition temperature T
g. This assignment of T
g is corroborated by two independent methods, namely from a rapid increase in the diffusion coefficient at ≈169 K and a deviation from linearity at ≈174 K in an enthalpy versus temperature plot. The structure of the model system is in good agreement with the experimentally determined structure of HDA. We, thus, suggest that HDA may indeed be a low temperature structural proxy of an ultraviscous liquid HDL.
Understanding Static and Dynamic Heterogeneities in Confined Water
Authors: Stanley H. E.
Published: September 2009

We report recent efforts to understand the new MIT-Messina experimental discovery of a dynamic crossover at low temperatures in confined water. Preliminary calculations are not inconsistent with one tentative interpretation of this dynamic crossover as resulting from the system passing from the high-temperature high-pressure "HDL" side of the Widom line (where the liquid might display fragile behavior) to the low-temperature low-pressure "LDL" side of the Widom line (where the liquid might display strong behavior). The Widom line - defined to be the line in the pressure-temperature plane where the correlation length has its maximum - arises only if there is a critical point. Hence interpreting the MIT experiments in terms of a Widom line is of potential relevance to testing experimentally, for confined water, the liquid-liquid critical point hypothesis.
Savage and Scott-ish Masculinity in The Last of the Mohicans and The Prairie: James Fenimore Cooper and the Diasporic Origins of American Identity
Authors: Shields Juliet
Published: September 2009

This essay reassesses James Fenimore Cooper's literary relationship to Walter Scott by examining the depiction of Scots in The Last of the Mohicans (1826) and The Prairie (1827). Read as companion texts, these novels represent the imperial migrations of Scots as a cause of Native Americans' unfortunate, but for Cooper seemingly inevitable, eradication. They also trace the development of an American identity that incorporates feudal chivalry and savage fortitude and that is formed through cultural appropriation rather than racial mixing. The Last of the Mohicans' Scottish protagonist, Duncan Heyward, learns to survive in the northeastern wilderness by adopting the Mohicans' savage self-control as a complement to his own feudal chivalry; in turn, The Prairie's Paul Hover equips himself for the challenges of westward expansion by adopting both the remnants of this chivalry and the exilic adaptability and colonial striving that Cooper accords to Scots. I suggest that the cultural appropriation through which Heyward and Hover achieve an American identity that incorporates Scottish chivalry and savage self-command offers a model for the literary relationship between Cooper's and Scott's historical romances. The Leatherstocking Tales borrow selectively from the Waverely Novels, rejecting their valorization of feudal chivalry while incorporating their representation of cultural appropriation as a mechanism of teleological social development.
Gene Duplication and Hypermutation of the Pathogen Resistance Gene SNC1 in the Arabidopsis bal Variant
Authors: Yi Hankuil , Richards Eric J
Published: September 2009

The bal defect in the Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia strain was spontaneously generated in an inbred ddm1 (decrease in DNA methylation 1) mutant background in which various genetic and epigenetic alterations accumulate. The bal variant displays short stature and curled leaves due to the constitutive activation of defense signaling. These bal phenotypes are metastable and phenotypic suppression is evident in more than one-third of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-treated bal M1 plants. The semidominant bal allele maps to the RPP5 (recognition of Peronospora parasitica 5) locus, which includes a cluster of disease Resistance (R) genes, many of which show an increase in steady-state expression levels in the bal variant. Here, we report that activation of RPP5 locus R genes and dwarfing in the bal variant are caused by a 55-kb duplication within the RPP5 locus. Although many RPP5 locus R genes are duplicated in the bal variant, the duplication of SNC1 alone is necessary and sufficient for the phenotypic changes in the bal variant. Missense mutations in the SNC1 gene were identified in all three phenotypically suppressed EMS-treated bal lines investigated, indicating that the high-frequency phenotypic instability induced by EMS treatment is caused by a genetic mechanism. We propose that the high degree of variation in SNC1-related sequences among Arabidopsis natural accessions follows the two-step mechanism observed in the bal variant: gene duplication followed by hypermutation.
Pharmacogenetic Analysis Reveals a Post-Developmental Role for Rac GTPases inCaenorhabditis elegansGABAergic Neurotransmission
Authors: Locke Cody J , Kautu Bwarenaba B , Berry Kalen P , Lee S Kyle , Caldwell Kim A , Caldwell Guy A
Published: September 2009

The nerve-cell cytoskeleton is essential for the regulation of intrinsic neuronal activity. For example, neuronal migration defects are associated with microtubule regulators, such as LIS1 and dynein, as well as with actin regulators, including Rac GTPases and integrins, and have been thought to underlie epileptic seizures in patients with cortical malformations. However, it is plausible that post-developmental functions of specific cytoskeletal regulators contribute to the more transient nature of aberrant neuronal activity and could be masked by developmental anomalies. Accordingly, our previous results have illuminated functional roles, distinct from developmental contributions, for Caenorhabditis elegans orthologs of LIS1 and dynein in GABAergic synaptic vesicle transport. Here, we report that C. elegans with function-altering mutations in canonical Rac GTPase-signaling-pathway members demonstrated a robust behavioral response to a GABAA receptor antagonist, pentylenetetrazole. Rac mutants also exhibited hypersensitivity to an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, aldicarb, uncovering deficiencies in inhibitory neurotransmission. RNA interference targeting Rac hypomorphs revealed synergistic interactions between the dynein motor complex and some, but not all, members of Rac-signaling pathways. These genetic interactions are consistent with putative Rac-dependent regulation of actin and microtubule networks and suggest that some cytoskeletal regulators cooperate to uniquely govern neuronal synchrony through dynein-mediated GABAergic vesicle transport in C. elegans.
Exact Tests for Hardy–Weinberg Proportions
Authors: Engels William R
Published: September 2009

Exact conditional tests are often required to evaluate statistically whether a sample of diploids comes from a population with Hardy–Weinberg proportions or to confirm the accuracy of genotype assignments. This requirement is especially common when the sample includes multiple alleles and sparse data, thus rendering asymptotic methods, such as the common χ2-test, unreliable. Such an exact test can be performed using the likelihood ratio as its test statistic rather than the more commonly used probability test. Conceptual advantages in using the likelihood ratio are discussed. A substantially improved algorithm is described to permit the performance of a full-enumeration exact test on sample sizes that are too large for previous methods. An improved Monte Carlo algorithm is also proposed for samples that preclude full enumeration. These algorithms are about two orders of magnitude faster than those currently in use. Finally, methods are derived to compute the number of possible samples with a given set of allele counts, a useful quantity for evaluating the feasibility of the full enumeration procedure. Software implementing these methods, ExactoHW, is provided.
Application of various types of wastes to stabilize soils loaded with toxic metals
Authors: Uzinger Nikolett , Barna Sándor , Anton Attila
Published: September 2009

A stabilizálószerek jelentősen különböznek egymástól. Mivel eddig ritkán került sor modellkísérletes vizsgálatukra, nagyon kevés adat áll rendelkezésre hatásmechanizmusaikról, tényleges hatékonyságukról. Talajinkubációs modellkísérletet állítottunk be 2007-ben az MTA Talajtani és Agrokémiai Kutatóintézetében. Az alkalmazott kémiai stabilizálószerek (különféle olcsó, nagy mennyiségben rendelkezésre álló hulladékok), a következők voltak: tatabányai erőművi pernye, csepeli és ráckevei ivóvíztisztításból származó vas-mangán csapadék. A kísérlet során alkalmazott modelltalajt a Gyöngyösorosziban található felhagyott színesfémérc bánya melletti Toka-patak öntésterületéről gyűjtöttük. A Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, As valamint a Ba desztillált vizes, acetát pufferes, valamint Lakanen–Erviö-féle frakcióinak vizsgálatával értékeltük a különböző hulladékok stabilizáló hatását. A pernyének jó stabilizáló hatása volt a Cd, Cu, Pb és Zn fémre és nem mobilizálta az arzént és a báriumot sem. A ráckevei és a csepeli ivóvíztisztításból származó csapadékok ugyan nagyobb mértékben stabilizálták a Cd, Cu, Pb és a Zn fémeket, mint a pernye, de a mobilis As- és Ba-tartalmuk csökkentheti e speciális hulladékok ilyen jellegű hasznosíthatóságát. Ez alapján elmondható, hogy a tatabányai pernye alkalmasabb stabilizálószer, mint a ráckevei, vagy csepeli csapadék, de az erőművi pernye alkalmazásakor is rendkívül körültekintően kell eljárni, hiszen a nem megfelelő összetételű pernye használata (a toxikus fémek feldúsulhatnak), vagy a szakszerűtlen alkalmazás fokozhatja a talaj környezeti terhelését.
Classification of Hungarian rendzina soils in conformity with the international World Soil Reference Base System (WRB)
Authors: Barta Károly , Tanács Eszter , Samu Andrea , Keveiné Bárány Ilona
Published: September 2009

Az elkövetkezendő években a hazai talajosztályozás egyik fontos feladata a genetikus talajosztályozási rendszerünk és a World Soil Reference Base System (WRB) bonyolult kapcsolatrendszerének feltárása lesz. Jelen cikkünkben karsztvidékeink rendzinái közül az Aggteleki-karszton található Haragistya-fennsík néhány talajszelvényének referenciacsoportját határoztuk meg a WRB szerint. A kiválasztott öt szelvényből kettő fekete rendzina, kettő barna rendzina, egy pedig vörösagyagos rendzina volt. Kiválasztásuknál fontos szempontnak tartottuk, hogy jól reprezentálják a területen előforduló különböző rendzinatípusokat. A részletes szelvényleírások és a laboratóriumi vizsgálatok alapján definiáltuk talajaink jellemző diagnosztikai szintjeit, majd meghatároztuk a WRB-ben őket befogadó referenciacsoportokat. Ezek a fekete rendzinák esetében a
Leptosols és a Phaeozems
, a barna rendzinák esetében a
Phaeozems és a Regosols
, míg a vörösagyagos rendzinánk a
Luvisol
-oknál sorolt ki. Annak ellenére, hogy az elő- és utóminősítőkkel együtt a diagnosztikai besorolás jól leírja a vizsgált talajok legfontosabb tulajdonságait, számos esetben tapasztaltuk, hogy az egymáshoz hasonló, de minimális vastagságbeli, színárnyalatbeli különbségekkel rendelkező rendzináink teljesen más referenciacsoportba fognak kerülni. Az elvégzett vizsgálatok rávilágítanak arra, hogy rendzináink tipizálásánál számos megoldásra váró feladatunk van még.
CaBi4Ti4O15 thin film deposition on electroplated Platinum substrates using a sol-gel method
Authors: Saito Takeyasu , Hirota Yuichiro , Ooyanagi Mariko , Okamoto Naoki , Kondo Kazuo , Yoshimura Takeshi , Fujimura Norifumi
Published: September 2009

CaBi4Ti4O15 growth on different Platinum substrates was carried out through a sol-gel method. Higher crystallization temperature and 20% excess Bi decreased pyrochlore contents in the CaBi4Ti4O15 films. Repetition through coating, calcination and crystallization decreased void formation on the surface. C-axis oriented thin film could be grown on sputtered platinum substrates with low Pt (200) orientation. On electroplated Pt substrates, (119) oriented CaBi4Ti4O15 thin film was grown, suggesting surface roughness of Pt substrates is a crucial factor for orientation control of sol-gel derived CaBi4Ti4O15 thin film.
Epitaxial Lanthanide Oxide based Gate Dielectrics
Authors: Osten H. Jörg , Laha Apurba , Fissel Andreas
Published: September 2009

Many materials systems are currently under consideration as potential replacements for SiO2 as the gate dielectric material for sub-0.1 μm CMOS technology. We present results for crystalline gadolinium oxides on silicon in the cubic bixbyite structure grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy. On Si(100), crystalline Gd2O3 grows usually as (110)-oriented domains, with two orthogonal in-plane orientations. Layers grown under best vacuum conditions often exhibit poor dielectric properties due to the formation of crystalline interfacial silicide inclusions. Additional oxygen supply during growth improves the dielectric properties significantly. Layers grown by an optimized MBE process display a sufficiently high-K value to achieve equivalent oxide thickness values < 1 nm, combined with ultra-low leakage current densities, good reliability, and high electrical breakdown voltage. A variety of MOS capacitors and field effect transistors has been fabricated based on these layers. Efficient manipulation of Si(100) 4° miscut substrate surfaces can lead to single domain epitaxial Gd2O3 layer. Such epi-Gd2O3 layers exhibited significant lower leakage currents compared to the commonly obtained epitaxial layers with two orthogonal domains. For capacitance equivalent thicknesses below 1 nm, this differences disappear, indicating that for ultrathin layers direct tunneling becomes dominating. We investigated the effect of post-growth annealings on layer properties. We showed that a standard forming gas anneal can eliminate flatband instabilities and hysteresis as well as reduce leakage currents by saturating dangling bond caused by the bonding mismatch. In addition, we investigated the impact of rapid thermal anneals on structural and electrical properties of crystalline Gd2O3 layers grown on Si with different orientations. The degradation of layers can be significantly reduced by sealing the layer with amorphous silicon prior to annealing.
Influence of Nodulizer Type on the Quality of Solder Ball
Authors: Guo Xiaoxiao , Yan Yanfu , Zhang Wei , Feng Lifang , Wang Miaohui
Published: September 2009

A solder ball is the key material of the bump fabrication in the BGA and μBGA high integrated packaging. The nodulizer type is the main factor to affect the quality of the solder ball. In the paper the solder balls are fabricated by the fine wire cutting–remelting method. The influence of different nodulizers on the real sphericity and the surface appearance of the solder balls are investigated. Results show that, the real sphericity of the 63Sn37Pb solder balls is maximum and the surface quality of the solder balls is the best compared with the engine oil, heavy oil and silicon oil when the arachis oil is used as the nodulizer.
Influence of DSS-8 on the remineralisation of Dentine
Authors: Hsu Chia-Chan , Hagerman Elizabeth Marie , Chung Hsiu-Ying , Shi Wenyuan , Yang Jenn-Ming , Wu Ben
Published: September 2009

Dental remineralization may be achieved by mediating the interactions between tooth surfaces with free ions and biomimetic peptides. We recently developed octuplet repeats of aspartate-serine-serine (DSS-8) peptide, which occurs in high abundance in naturally occurring proteins that are critical for tooth remineralization. In this paper, we evaluated the possible role of DSS-8 in dentin remineralization. Human dentin specimens were demineralized, exposed briefly to DSS-8 solution, and then exposed to concentrated ionic solutions that favor remineralization. Dentin nano-mechanical behaviors, hardness and elastic modulus, at various stages of treatment were determined by nanoindentation. The phase, microstructure and morphology of the resultant surfaces were characterized using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, variable pressure scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Nanoindentation results show that DSS-8 remineralization effectively improves the mechanical and elastic properties of native dentin. Moreover, the hardness and elastic modulus for the DSS-8 treated dentin were significantly higher than surfaces remineralized without DSS-8.
X-ray Scattering Studies to Investigate Triple-shape Capability of Polymer Networks Based on poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate) Segments
Authors: Wagermaier Wolfgang , Hofmann Dieter , Kratz Karl , Behl Marc , Lendlein Andreas
Published: September 2009

The super-molecular structure and morphology of shape-memory polymers (SMP) have an evident influence on the shape-memory effect (SME). More detailed information on these structure-function relations during the dynamic processes of programming and shape recovery are required to better understand the SME.
Here we explore whether wide and small angle x-ray scattering (WAXS, SAXS) in combination with deformation experiments can help to characterize and better understand the respective materials super-molecular structure (spatial organization of chain segments in crystalline and non-crystalline regions, characterized by parameters such as crystallinity, crystallite-sizes, domain-sizes and -arrangements) and its changes upon varying mechanical loads and temperature increase as stimulus. Multiphase polymer networks based on poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate), whose molecular structures allow formation of at least two separated domains, were investigated using WAXS and SAXS, to describe the respective super-molecular structures and morphologies and their development during cyclic, thermomechanical tensile tests reproducing key features of shape-memory programming and recovery.
The creation of the triple-shape capability for this AB polymer network system is performed by a one-step process, which is similar to a conventional dual-shape programming process. It could be shown via SAXS that a long period between crystalline domains exists for these polymer networks. The value of this long period changes by some nanometers as a consequence of programming and the resulting elongation of the respective sample. Further insights could be obtained by investigating WAXS diffraction peaks, detected at different steps during the thermomechanical treatment. It could be shown that crystal sizes in this polymer system remain unaffected by the programming process, while the crystallization of the stretched samples during the cooling process leads to a spatial rearrangement (preferential orientation) of crystalline domains.
Improving the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of prolactin, GH, and their antagonists by fusion to a synthetic albumin-binding peptide
Authors: Langenheim John F , Chen Wen Y
Published: September 2009

To prolong the circulation half-life of human prolactin (hPRL), human GH (hGH), and their competitive antagonists, hPRL-G129R and hGH-G120R, we examined the effects of fusing a serum albumin-binding peptide (SA20) to their amino- or carboxyl-terminus. Fusion of the SA20 peptide to the amino-terminus of the ligands was less detrimental upon their ability to induce or inhibit signal transduction and cell proliferation in vitro than fusion to the carboxyl-terminus. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in mice revealed that the half-life of SA20-hPRL and SA20-hGH was prolonged and their clearance was reduced in comparison with hPRL and hGH. Pharmacodynamic (PD) studies in 8-week-old female mice revealed that lobuloalveolar development in mammary glands was greater in all three groups (daily, every 2 days, or every third day over a 12-day period) of mice treated with SA20-hPRL (4 mg/kg) compared with hPRL (3.59 mg/kg). Similarly, daily administration (i.p.) of SA20-hGH (8 mg/kg) or hGH (7.15 mg/kg) to 23-day-old female mice over a 40-day period revealed the superiority of SA20-hGH over hGH as measured by weight gain, body length, and lobuloalveolar development in the mammary glands. These findings indicate that SA20 modification of hPRL, hGH, and their respective antagonists improves their PK/PD properties.
Effect of parameter uncertainty on water quality predictions in distribution systems-case study
Authors: Pasha M. F. K. , Lansey K.
Published: September 2009

The effect of parameter uncertainty on water quality in a distribution system under steady and unsteady conditions is analyzed using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Sources of uncertainties for water quality include decay coefficients, pipe diameter and roughness, and nodal spatial and temporal demands. Results from the system analyzed suggest that water quality estimates are robust to individual parameter estimates but the total effect of multiple parameters can be important. The largest uncertainties occur when flow patterns are altered. The study also provides guidance on difficulties in model calibration. For example, the wall decay had the largest influence on model prediction for the system that was reviewed and is one of the most difficult to measure given its variability between pipes.
Simulation study with minimised additional data requirements to analyse control and operation of WWTP Dorsten, Germany
Authors: Alex J. , Hetschel M. , Ogurek M.
Published: September 2009

This paper describes a method to decrease the additional measurement effort during a model calibration/verification to create reliable models for plant optimisation. The method is based on the deterministic processes creating the dry weather inflow to municipal treatment plants, which can be described by a simple influent composition model. This method was applied to two wastewater treatment plants of Lippeverband and the usability is indicated by the good correlation between routine online effluent measurements and simulation results. This paper presents one of these applications, the case study WWTP Dorsten. The resulting model is used to analyse the current plant performance, to analyse bottlenecks and to develop future improvements of operation and control of this plant. A selection of control options is demonstrated.
Nitrite formation during low pressure ultraviolet lamp irradiation of nitrate
Authors: Lu Ning , Gao Nai-Yun , Deng Yang , Li Qing-Song
Published: September 2009

During ultraviolet light (UV) disinfection, nitrate (NO3−) present in raw water may transform to nitrite (NO2−) that can cause serious human diseases. In this study, the formation of NO2− from NO3− was studied at different experimental conditions under the irradiation of a low-pressure ultraviolet (LPUV) lamp at 253.9 nm. The investigated experimental variables included initial NO3− concentration, solution pH (6.2–9.5), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) dose (0–25 mg L−1). Moreover, the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) was determined. Results showed that the formation of NO2− was enhanced at a high initial NO3− concentration and a high pH, but was inhibited, to some different degrees, by introduction of H2O2 or photocatalyst TiO2. The effect of pH on NO2− formation was probably due to the impact of hydrogen ion on the stability of several intermediates such as peroxynitrite (ONOO−), N2O3, and N2O4. And the inhibiting effects of H2O2 and TiO2 were attributable to production of additional hydroxyl radical (∙OH) that scavenged NO2−. At pH 9.5 and an initial NO3− concentration of 10 mg L−1 NO3−-N, the concentration of NO2− produced was above 0.1 mg L−1 NO2−-N, the Germany drinking water standard. When 25 mg L−1 H2O2 was added, the NO2− level was decreased below the standard.
Effectiveness of ozonation and chlorination on municipal wastewater treatment evaluated by a battery of bioassays and biomarkers
Authors: Kontana A. , Papadimitriou C. A. , Samaras P. , Zdragas A. , Yiangou M.
Published: September 2009

A battery of bioassays, including biological toxicity as well as in vitro mouse spleen lymphoproliferative responses and cytokine production, was conducted to compare the effectiveness of tertiary treatment methods such as coagulation (Coag) and absorption on granular activated carbon (GAC) and disinfection processes such as chlorination and ozonation in removing toxic or stress inducing agents from reclaimed wastewater. Whole effluent toxicity (WET) testing of secondary treated (ST) wastewater using as test species Vibrio fischeri, Daphnia magna and Tetrahymena thermophila as well as phytotoxicity revealed moderate toxicity effects that depend on the organism used. All bioassays exhibited decrease of the ecotoxicological responses after tertiary treatment. However, mitogenic responses were proved to be more sensitive. Endotoxin present in ST samples may be responsible for the increased strong lymphoproliferative activity as well as interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by mouse splenocytes. Tertiary treatment of ST with coagulation and/or adsorption on granular activated carbon (GAC) in combination with ozonation reduced WET to control levels. Ozonation alone or in combination with any other treatment removed endotoxin more efficiently than chlorination and thus reduced spleen lymphoproliferative responses and IL-1 production.
Comparison of biological activated carbon (BAC) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) for pollutants removal in drinking water treatment
Authors: Tian J. Y. , Chen Z. L. , Liang H. , Li X. , Wang Z. Z. , Li G. B.
Published: September 2009

Biological activated carbon (BAC) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) were systematically compared for the drinking water treatment from slightly polluted raw water under the same hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 0.5 h. MBR exhibited excellent turbidity removal capacity due to the separation of the membrane; while only 60% of influent turbidity was intercepted by BAC. Perfect nitrification was achieved by MBR with the 89% reduction in ammonia; by contrast, BAC only eliminated a moderate amount of influent ammonia (by 54.5%). However, BAC was able to remove more dissolved organic matter (DOM, especially for organic molecules of 3,000 ∼ 500 Daltons) and corresponding disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) in raw water than MBR. Unfortunately, particulate organic matter (POM) was detected in the BAC effluent. On the other hand, BAC and MBR displayed essentially the same capacity for biodegradable organic matter (BOM) removal. Fractionation of DOM showed that the removal efficiencies of hydrophobic neutrals, hydrophobic acids, weakly hydrophobic acids and hydrophilic organic matter through BAC treatment were 11.7%, 8.8%, 13.9% and 4.8% higher than that through MBR; while MBR achieved 13.8% higher hydrophobic bases removal as compared with BAC.
Modelling of COD removal in a biological wastewater treatment plant using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and artificial neural network
Authors: Civelekoglu G. , Yigit N. O. , Diamadopoulos E. , Kitis M.
Published: September 2009

This work evaluated artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) modelling methods to estimate organic carbon removal using the correlation among the past information of influent and effluent parameters in a full-scale aerobic biological wastewater treatment plant. Model development focused on providing an adaptive, useful, practical and alternative methodology for modelling of organic carbon removal. For both models, measured and predicted effluent COD concentrations were strongly correlated with determination coefficients over 0.96. The errors associated with the prediction of effluent COD by the ANFIS modelling appeared to be within the error range of analytical measurements. The results overall indicated that the ANFIS modelling approach may be suitable to describe the relationship between wastewater quality parameters and may have application potential for performance prediction and control of aerobic biological processes in wastewater treatment plants.
Contamination, bioaccumulation and toxic effects of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in the water environment: a review paper
Authors: Suja Fatihah , Pramanik Biplob Kumar , Zain Shahrom Md.
Published: September 2009

Perfluorinated compounds such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctane acid (PFOA) have been recognized as emerging environmental pollutants because of their ubiquitous occurrence in the environment, biota and humans. The paper focuses on the distribution, bioaccumulation and toxic effects of PFOS and PFOA in the water. From the available literature, tap and surface water samples in several countries were found to be contaminated with PFOS and PFOA. These compounds were detected globally in the tissues of fish, bird and marine mammals. Their concentrations from relatively more industrialized areas were greater than those from the less populated and remote locations. Blood samples of occupationally exposed people and the general population in various countries were found to contain PFOS and PFOA which suggested a possibility of atmospheric transport of these compounds. There is still a death of information about the environmental pathways of PFOS and PFOA. The presence of these compounds in the tap water, surface water and animal and human tissues indicates their global contamination and bioaccumulative phenomena in the ecosystems.
A case independent approach on the impact of climate change effects on combined sewer system performance
Authors: Kleidorfer M. , Möderl M. , Sitzenfrei R. , Urich C. , Rauch W.
Published: September 2009

Design and construction of urban drainage systems has to be done in a predictive way, as the average lifespan of such investments is several decades. The design engineer has to predict many influencing factors and scenarios for future development of a system (e.g. change in land use, population, water consumption and infiltration measures). Furthermore, climate change can cause increased rain intensities which leads to an additional impact on drainage systems. In this paper we compare the behaviour of different performance indicators of combined sewer systems when taking into account long-term environmental change effects (change in rainfall characteristics, change in impervious area and change in dry weather flow). By using 250 virtual case studies this approach is—in principle—a Monte Carlo Simulation in which not only parameter values are varied but the entire system structure and layout is changed in each run. Hence, results are more general and case-independent. For example the consideration of an increase of rainfall intensities by 20% has the same effect as an increase of impervious area of + 40%. Such an increase of rainfall intensities could be compensated by infiltration measures in current systems which lead to a reduction of impervious area by 30%.
Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Treatment of Synthetic Municipal Wastewater at Ambient Temperature
Authors: Ho Jaeho , Sung Shihwu
Published: September 2009

The performance of a crossflow anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to treat synthetic municipal wastewater was investigated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The AnMBR was operated at chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rates of 1 to 2 kg COD/m3·d for 280 days. The permeate COD concentration was always lower than 40 mg/L, and no noticeable volatile fatty acids were detected, regardless of HRT variations, while soluble COD (SCOD) was accumulated in the reactor with decreases in HRT. The particle size reduction was relatively lower than other studies reported, even after a long operation time resulting from the low operation crossflow velocity. Approximately 30% of COD was not available for methane recovery, irrespective of applied HRTs, as a result of the COD loss by dissolved methane, sulfate reduction, and untreated COD in the permeate. The fraction of methane recovered from the synthetic municipal wastewater decreased from 48 to 35%, with the decrease of HRT from 12 to 6 hours, as a result of the increase of mixed‐liquor SCOD, which was rejected and accumulated in the AnMBR. Therefore, AnMBR operation with relatively long HRTs and SRTs may be favorable, to enhance methane recovery and reduce or eliminate sludge production.