bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No miRNA were found in Plasmodium and the ones identified in erythrocytes could not be correlated with infection
Authors: Xue Xiangyang , Zhang Qingfeng , Huang Yufu , Feng Le , Pan Weiqing
Published: March 2008

Background

The transcriptional regulation of Plasmodium during its complex life cycle requires sequential activation and/or repression of different genetic programmes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a highly conserved class of non-coding RNAs that are important in regulating diverse cellular functions by sequence-specific inhibition of gene expression. What is know about double-stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing (RNAi) and posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in Plasmodium parasites entice us to speculate whether miRNAs can also function in Plasmodium-infected RBCs.

Results

Of 132 small RNA sequences, no Plasmodium-specific miRNAs have been found. However, a human miRNA, miR-451, was highly expressed, comprising approximately one third of the total identified miRNAs. Further analysis of miR-451 expression and malaria infection showed no association between the accumulation of miR-451 in Plasmodium falciparum-iRBCs, the life cycle stage of P. falciparum in the erythrocyte, or of P. berghei in mice. Moreover, treatment with an antisense oligonucleotide to miR-451 had no significant effect on the growth of the erythrocytic-stage P. falciparum.

Methods

Short RNAs from a mixed-stage of P. falciparum-iRBC were separated in a denaturing polyacrylamide gel and cloned into T vectors to create a cDNA library. Individual clones were then sequenced and further analysed by bioinformatics prediction to discover probable miRNAs in P. falciparum-iRBC. The association between miR-451 expression and the parasite were analysed by Northern blotting and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) of miR-451.

Conclusion

These results contribute to eliminate the probability of miRNAs in P. falciparum. The absence of miRNA in P. falciparum could be correlated with absence of argonaute/dicer genes. In addition, the miR-451 accumulation in Plasmodium-infected RBCs is independent of parasite infection. Its accumulation might be only the residual of erythroid differentiation or a component to maintain the normal function of mature RBCs.
MEG event-related desynchronization and synchronization deficits during basic somatosensory processing in individuals with ADHD
Authors: Dockstader Colleen , Gaetz William , Cheyne Douglas , Wang Frank , Castellanos F Xavier , Tannock Rosemary
Published: March 2008

Background

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent, complex disorder which is characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Convergent evidence from neurobiological studies of ADHD identifies dysfunction in fronto-striatal-cerebellar circuitry as the source of behavioural deficits. Recent studies have shown that regions governing basic sensory processing, such as the somatosensory cortex, show abnormalities in those with ADHD suggesting that these processes may also be compromised.

Methods

We used event-related magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine patterns of cortical rhythms in the primary (SI) and secondary (SII) somatosensory cortices in response to median nerve stimulation, in 9 adults with ADHD and 10 healthy controls. Stimuli were brief (0.2 ms) non-painful electrical pulses presented to the median nerve in two counterbalanced conditions: unpredictable and predictable stimulus presentation. We measured changes in strength, synchronicity, and frequency of cortical rhythms.

Results

Healthy comparison group showed strong event-related desynchrony and synchrony in SI and SII. By contrast, those with ADHD showed significantly weaker event-related desynchrony and event-related synchrony in the alpha (8–12 Hz) and beta (15–30 Hz) bands, respectively. This was most striking during random presentation of median nerve stimulation. Adults with ADHD showed significantly shorter duration of beta rebound in both SI and SII except for when the onset of the stimulus event could be predicted. In this case, the rhythmicity of SI (but not SII) in the ADHD group did not differ from that of controls.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that somatosensory processing is altered in individuals with ADHD. MEG constitutes a promising approach to profiling patterns of neural activity during the processing of sensory input (e.g., detection of a tactile stimulus, stimulus predictability) and facilitating our understanding of how basic sensory processing may underlie and/or be influenced by more complex neural networks involved in higher order processing.
Fecundity and longevity of roaming dogs in Jaipur, India
Authors: Reece John F , Chawla Sunil K , Hiby Elly F , Hiby Lex R
Published: March 2008

Background

Estimates of demographic parameters, such as age-specific survival and fecundity, age at first pregnancy and litter size, are required for roaming dogs (i.e. dogs that are neither confined nor restricted) to assess the likely effect of proposed methods of population control. Data resulting from individual identification of dogs spayed as part of an Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme in Jaipur, India, are used to derive such parameters for the roaming dog population of that city.

Results

The percentage of females becoming pregnant in any given year was estimated by inspection of over 25,000 females caught for spaying from 1995 to 2006. The point estimate is 47.5% with a 95% confidence interval from 44% to 51%. Adult annual survival of spayed females was estimated by recapture of 62 spayed females from 2002 to 2006. The point estimate is 0.70 (95% confidence interval from 0.62 to 0.78), corresponding to an expected total lifespan of 3.8 years for a spayed female at one year old.

Conclusion

Recording the pregnancy status of dogs collected for spaying and individual marking of dogs released following spaying can provide estimates of some of the demographic parameters essential for predicting the future effectiveness of an ABC programme. Further, we suggest that recording the number and location of spayed and unspayed dogs encountered by the catching teams could be the most effective way to monitor the size and composition of the roaming dog population.
Acute gallbladder torsion: an unexpected intraoperative finding
Authors: Janakan Gnananandan , Ayantunde Abraham A , Hoque Happy
Published: March 2008

Gallbladder torsion is an uncommon clinical entity and a difficult condition to diagnose preoperatively. Since its first description in 1898 by Wendel there have been over 500 documented cases in the literature. It is known to occur when there is rotation of the gallbladder along the axis of the cystic duct and vascular pedicle. Except for isolated cases reported in childhood, this disease is more frequently encountered in the elderly with 85% of the cases reported between the ages of 60 and 80 years. There is a female preponderance with a female to male ratio of 3:1. Gallbladder torsion typically presents as an acute abdomen requiring emergency surgery but preoperative diagnosis of gallbladder torsion is difficult and most cases are found as a surprise at surgery.

We report a case of acute gallbladder torsion in an elderly lady and review the clinical aspect of the disease.
Computational identification of obligatorily autocatalytic replicators embedded in metabolic networks
Authors: Kun Ádám , Papp Balázs , Szathmáry Eörs
Published: March 2008

Background

If chemical A is necessary for the synthesis of more chemical A, then A has the power of replication (such systems are known as autocatalytic systems). We provide the first systems-level analysis searching for small-molecular autocatalytic components in the metabolisms of diverse organisms, including an inferred minimal metabolism.

Results

We find that intermediary metabolism is invariably autocatalytic for ATP. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the existence of additional, organism-specific autocatalytic metabolites in the forms of coenzymes (NAD+, coenzyme A, tetrahydrofolate, quinones) and sugars. Although the enzymatic reactions of a number of autocatalytic cycles are present in most of the studied organisms, they display obligatorily autocatalytic behavior in a few networks only, hence demonstrating the need for a systems-level approach to identify metabolic replicators embedded in large networks.

Conclusion

Metabolic replicators are apparently common and potentially both universal and ancestral: without their presence, kick-starting metabolic networks is impossible, even if all enzymes and genes are present in the same cell. Identification of metabolic replicators is also important for attempts to create synthetic cells, as some of these autocatalytic molecules will presumably be needed to be added to the system as, by definition, the system cannot synthesize them without their initial presence.
Montelukast inhibition of resting and GM-CSF-stimulated eosinophil adhesion to VCAM-1 under flow conditions appears independent of cysLT1R antagonism
Authors: Robinson Alexander J , Kashanin Dmitry , O’Dowd Frank , Williams Vivienne , Walsh Garry M
Published: March 2008

Montelukast (MLK) is a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor-1 (cysLT1R) antagonist with inhibitory effects on eosinophils, key proinflammatory cells in asthma. We assessed the effect of MLK on resting and GM-CSF-stimulated eosinophil adhesion to recombinant human (rh)VCAM-1 at different flow rates using our novel microflow system. At 1 or 2 dyn cm−2, shear-stress unstimulated eosinophils tethered immediately to rhVCAM-1, “rolled” along part of the channel until they tethered, or rolled without tethering. At flow rates greater than 2 dyn cm−2, adherent eosinophils began to be displaced from rhVCAM-1. MLK (10 nM and 100 nM) gave partial (∼40%) but significant (P<0.05) inhibition of unstimulated eosinophil adhesion to rhVCAM-1 at 1 or 2 dyn cm−2 shear stress. Once adhered, unstimulated eosinophils did not exhibit morphological changes, and GM-CSF-stimulated eosinophil adhesion under flow was characterized by greater cell flattening with significant (P<0.05) inhibition of adherent cell numbers by 100 nM MLK observed. This effect appeared specific for MLK, as the analog (E)-3-[[[3-[2-(7-chloro-2-quinolinyl)ethenyl]phenyl]-[[3-dimethylamino)-3-oxopropyl]thio]methyl]thio]-propanoic acid, sodium salt, had no significant effect on eosinophil adhesion to VCAM-1. The possibility that LTC4, released from unstimulated or GM-CSF-treated eosinophils, contributed to their adhesion to VCAM-1 was excluded as the LT biosynthesis inhibitor 3-[1-(p-Chlorobenzyl)-5-(isopropyl)-3-t-butylthioindol-2-yl]-2,2-dimethylpropanoic acid had no inhibitory effect, and exogenously added LTC4 did not enhance eosinophil adhesion. In contrast, LTD4 enhanced eosinophil adhesion to VCAM-1, an effect blocked by MLK (10 and 100 nM). These findings demonstrate that MLK-mediated inhibition of unstimulated and GM-CSF-stimulated eosinophil adhesion to VCAM-1 under shear-stress conditions appears independent of cysLT1R antagonism.
Late Extended Adjuvant Treatment With Letrozole Improves Outcome in Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Who Complete 5 Years of Tamoxifen
Authors: Goss Paul E. , Ingle James N. , Pater Joseph L. , Martino Silvana , Robert Nicholas J. , Muss Hyman B. , Piccart Martine J. , Castiglione Monica , Shepherd Lois E. , Pritchard Kathleen I. , Livingston Robert B. , Davidson Nancy E. , Norton Larry , Perez Edith A. , Abrams Jeffrey S. , Cameron David A. , Palmer Michael J. , Tu Dongsheng
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group MA.17 trial examined the efficacy of letrozole (LET) started within 3 months of 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen in postmenopausal hormone receptor–positive early-stage breast cancer. When the trial was unblinded, patients who received placebo (PLAC) were offered LET.

Patients and Methods

This cohort analysis describes the outcomes of women assigned PLAC at the initial random assignment after unblinding. Efficacy outcomes of women who chose LET (PLAC-LET group) were compared with those who did not (PLAC-PLAC group) by the hazard ratios and by P values calculated from Cox models that adjusted for imbalances between the groups. Toxicity analyses included only events that occurred after unblinding.

Results

There were 1,579 women in the PLAC-LET group (median time from tamoxifen, 2.8 years) and 804 in the PLAC-PLAC group. Patients in the PLAC-LET group were younger; had a better performance status; and were more likely to have had node-positive disease, axillary dissection, and adjuvant chemotherapy than those in the PLAC-PLAC group. At a median follow-up of 5.3 years, disease-free survival (DFS; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.37; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.61; P < .0001) and distant DFS (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.74; P = .004) were superior in the PLAC-LET group. More self-reported new diagnoses of osteoporosis and significantly more clinical fractures occurred in the women who took LET (5.2% v 3.1%, P = .02).

Conclusion

Interpretation of this cohort analysis suggests that LET improves DFS and distant DFS even when there has been a substantial period of time since the discontinuation of prior adjuvant tamoxifen.
Benefit From Exemestane As Extended Adjuvant Therapy After 5 Years of Adjuvant Tamoxifen: Intention-to-Treat Analysis of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-33 Trial
Authors: Mamounas Eleftherios P. , Jeong Jong-Hyeon , Wickerham D. Lawrence , Smith Roy E. , Ganz Patricia A. , Land Stephanie R. , Eisen Andrea , Fehrenbacher Louis , Farrar William B. , Atkins James N. , Pajon Eduardo R. , Vogel Victor G. , Kroener Joan F. , Hutchins Laura F. , Robidoux André , Hoehn James L. , Ingle James N. , Geyer Charles E. , Costantino Joseph P. , Wolmark Norman
Published: March 2008

Purpose

Patients with early-stage, hormone receptor–positive breast cancer have considerable residual risk for recurrence after completing 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen. In May 2001, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) initiated accrual to a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to evaluate the steroidal aromatase inhibitor exemestane as extended adjuvant therapy in this setting.

Patients and Methods

Postmenopausal patients with clinical T1-3N1M0 breast cancer who were disease free after 5 years of tamoxifen were randomly assigned to 5 years of exemestane (25 mg/d orally) or 5 years of placebo. Our primary aim was to test whether exemestane prolongs disease-free survival (DFS). In October 2003, results of National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) MA.17 showing benefit from adjuvant letrozole in this setting necessitated termination of accrual to B-33, unblinding, and offering of exemestane to patients in the placebo group.

Results

At the time of unblinding, 1,598 patients had been randomly assigned; 72% in the exemestane group continued on exemestane and 44% in the placebo group elected to receive exemestane. With 30 months of median follow-up, original exemestane assignment resulted in a borderline statistically significant improvement in 4-year DFS (91% v 89%; relative risk [RR] = 0.68; P = .07) and in a statistically significant improvement in 4-year relapse-free survival (RFS; 96% v 94%; RR = 0.44; P = .004). Toxicity, assessed up to time of unblinding, was acceptable for the adjuvant setting.

Conclusion

Despite premature closure and crossover to exemestane by a substantial proportion of patients, original exemestane assignment resulted in non–statistically significant improvement in DFS and in statistically significant improvement in RFS.
On the impact of the pressure rise rate on piston and connecting rod dynamics in internal combustion engines
Authors: Stoffels H
Published: March 2008

The application of more efficient and optimized combustion systems in internal combustion engines generally leads to higher pressure rise rates of the in-cylinder pressure caused by combustion. This for example is the case when gasoline controlled auto-ignition is introduced. The affected engine structure then in turn responds not only with higher amplitude of noise in certain frequency ranges, also the frequency-time structure of the noise changes. One such noise is the so-called ‘impulsive noise’ that can be perceived from compression ignition (CI) engines, often characterized as ‘clatter noise’, too. Research for the root cause of impulsive or clattering noise characteristics of the noise of CI engines identified either piston slap noise or shock waves in the connecting rod as the main cause for such noise characteristics. Also the impact of high pressure rise rates on piston slap has been studied. However, this paper shows that the natural frequencies of piston and connecting rod can influence the characteristics of the clattering-noise, too. This was done by carrying out a modal analysis of piston, connecting rod, and the piston—connecting rod assembly. Based on the results gained by the modal analysis of the assembly a simple forced response model was developed. In contrast to current published research into the root cause of the clattering noise characteristics it was demonstrated that the consideration of the piston, pin, and connecting rod assembly leads to another modal behaviour of the system than considering the parts in isolation. Subsequently parametric studies while using cylinder pressure data with constant amplitude but different pressure rise rates were carried out with the forced response model containing the modal data of the assembly. It was revealed that the forced response of the model is influenced significantly by eigenfrequencies of the assembly above a certain pressure rise rate. Finally, structure borne noise measurements under different combustion excitations were carried out. The measurement results, gained under two different combustion excitation modes, showed similar frequency response characteristic of the fired engine under certain pressure rise rates as the model.
A multi-body system approach for finite-element modelling of rail flexibility in railroad vehicle applications
Authors: Shabana A A , Chamorro R , Rathod C
Published: March 2008

In this investigation, a non-linear finite-element formulation for modelling the rail structural flexibility in multi-body railroad vehicle systems is presented. Two different types of interpolations are used in the kinematic equations developed in this study; the geometry interpolation and the deformation interpolation. In the proposed formulation, the rails can have arbitrary geometry, which is described using the isoparametric geometric interpolation. The coordinates of the polynomials used in this interpolation represent constant position and gradient coordinates, which can be used to describe accurately the rail geometry. On the other hand, the rail deflections are described using the deformation interpolation and the non-linear finite-element floating frame of reference formulation. In the formulation proposed in this investigation, the rail tangent and normal vectors as well as other geometric parameters such as the curvature and torsion at the wheel/rail contact points are expressed in terms of the rail deformation coordinates. The non-linear dynamic coupling between the rail geometry and the vehicle dynamics is also considered in the formulation proposed in this paper. In particular, the coupling between the rail deformation and geometry, contact coordinates, and the non-linear vehicle dynamics is taken into consideration. Furthermore, the longitudinal, lateral, and spin creepages are expressed in terms of the rail deformations, which are the result of the wheel/rail contact forces. This non-linear coupled analysis allows for more accurate prediction of the railroad vehicle dynamics. The main outcome of this study is the development of a new procedure that allows building a complex track model that includes significant details using a finite-element preprocessor computer program. The detailed track model can be used as an input to a general purpose flexible multi-body computer program for a non-linear analysis that accounts for the dynamic coupling between the track flexibility and the vehicle coordinates. Numerical results are presented in order to demonstrate the use of the formulation proposed in this study.
Vibrations of a grinding spindle supported by angular contact ball bearings
Authors: Karacay T , Akturk N
Published: March 2008

In the current paper, the radial, axial, rocking, and yawing vibrations of a rigid grinding spindle supported by a pair of angular contact ball bearings are studied. A computer program was developed to simulate the dynamic behaviour of the spindle and results are presented in the time, frequency, and waterfall diagrams. Results from the simulations for different spindle speeds show the characteristic ball passage frequency (BPF) (varying compliance) and its harmonics due to non-linear Hertzian contact between the balls and the races for even a defect free bearing. This behaviour is, of course, predicted theoretically, but most of the previous simulations only give the effect of BPF when it coincides with the natural frequencies of the system or under specific conditions. This paper will be a guide for researchers studying vibrations of a spindle supported by ball bearings as it describes the details of the theoretical background of the modelling and simulation.
Using the common sense model to design interventions for the prevention and management of chronic illness threats: From description to process
Authors: McAndrew Lisa M. , Musumeci‐Szabó Tamara J. , Mora Pablo A. , Vileikyte Loretta , Burns Edith , Halm Ethan A. , Leventhal Elaine A. , Leventhal Howard
Published: March 2008

In this article, we discuss how one might use the common sense model of self‐regulation (CSM) for developing interventions for improving chronic illness management. We argue that features of that CSM such as its dynamic, self‐regulative (feedback) control feature and its system structure provide an important basis for patient‐centered interventions. We describe two separate, ongoing interventions with patients with diabetes and asthma to demonstrate the adaptability of the CSM. Finally, we discuss three additional factors that need to be addressed before planning and implementing interventions: (1) the use of top‐down versus bottom‐up intervention strategies; (2) health care interventions involving multidisciplinary teams; and (3) fidelity of implementation for tailored interventions.
Predigen in der Mediengesellschaft Homiletische Herausforderungen der Gegenwart
Authors: Herrmann Jörg
Published: March 2008

This article treats the homiletic consequences of the ongoing “medialisation” of culture and society. It fi rst describes the phenomenon of media society and points out the audiovisual character of the average 600 minutes a day that people have with media. In a next step it summarizes the main results of a theological media research project, showing that the modern media culture, if considered in a large scope, has taken on functions of ecclesiastic religion. A third step formulates material and formal homiletic consequences based on the insights of the theological media analysis. In the end, the article underlines the importance of refl ecting the media culture of the contemporary world as a condition for a competent homiletic practice in the context of ongoing medialisation.
Psychological Typology of Anglican clergy in England: Diversity, Strengths, and Weaknesses in Ministry
Authors: Francis Leslie J , Craig Charlotte L , Whinney Michael , Tilley David , Slater Paul
Published: March 2008

Recent research within the psychology of religion and empirical theology has drawn attention to the theoretical and practical power of psychological type theory to illuminate and to facilitate the practice of Christian ministry. Building on this tradition, in the present study the psychological type preferences of 626 male Anglican clergy and 247 female Anglican clergy in England were assessed using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The purpose was to profile the personal and professional qualities of those engaged in Christian ministry within this specific context. Both male and female clergy revealed preferences for introversion over extraversion, intuition over sensing, feeling over thinking, and judging over perceiving. Points of similarity and difference between the current sample and the wider United Kingdom population are explored, as well as with Anglican congregations and other clergy in the United Kingdom. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of interpreting diversity, strengths, and potential weaknesses in ministry. The findings are valuable for practical theology in informing practices of selecting, training, deploying and supporting clergy. Questions can also be posed for theological construction, but that work is of another genre and will be done in future deliberations.
Disestablishment of the Church: Discussion with Jose Casanova from a Canadian Point of View
Authors: Lefebvre Solange
Published: March 2008

This International Report describes the Canadian relationship between religions and civil society, with special attention to the Francophone Roman Catholics. The primary purpose is to present an overview of Canadian research in sociology and practical theology as it relates to this subject and to interpret the social and theological processes of disestablishment. The author presents statistical reports on religious affiliation in Canada and a social-historical description of Francophone Roman Catholics. Drawing upon this data, she analyzes the complex relationships between religion, particularly Christianity, and civil society in Canada, with particular attention to Quebec. This discussion opens into an analysis of Jose Casanova's secularization theories within the context of French Canada. This analysis reveals some of the positive and negative functions that the Catholic Church can play in history and the multiple consequences of the current secularization process. It also uncovers some of the theological resources needed to face the decline in religious institutions and to cope with the disestablishment process in Canada and elsewhere.
Australian Developments With Regard To Regulation of Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Therapeutic Human Cloning
Authors: Otlowski Margaret
Published: March 2008

Stem cell research involving the use of embryos has been controversial in Australia and internationally, and at times has triggered emotive debates. This is because isolation of embryonic stem cells inevitably entails destruction of the embryo. Controversy is also fuelled by the interconnection between this debate and the debate about human cloning. Although there is by no means a consensus on the approach that should be taken to the regulation of this area, there is at least wide acceptance of the significant potential of stem cell research and the need to ensure that scientific progress in this field is not stymied by overly restrictive laws. The aim of this paper is to sketch the background to the regulation in Australia of stem cell research and human cloning, and to outline the current regulatory model as modified by amending legislation in 2006 to permit so called ‘therapeutic cloning’.
‘Hunting is not just for blood-thirsty toffs’: The Countryside Alliance and the visual rhetoric of a poster campaign
Authors: Burridge Joseph
Published: March 2008

This paper draws upon insights from discursive and rhetorical psychology, and studies that take seriously the notion that visual materials contain arguments, to explore the rhetorical construction of a set of posters used by the British Countryside Alliance in their unsuccessful campaign against the ban upon hunting with dogs. It examines how versions of opposing arguments are constructed and countered through forms of stake inoculation, which are linked to the Bakhtinian conception of ‘heteroglossic engagement’. Specifically, it focuses upon the ways in which the posters juxtapose discursive and visual elements to argue that those in favor of hunting are not who their opponents think they are—something pursued by setting up and then undermining a characterization of opposing accounts. This regularity of practice, along with the organization's claim that hunt supporters are a ‘minority of ordinary people’, is related to other literature that attends to the rhetorical significance of ‘ordinariness’.
Sorting pupils in a report-card meeting: Categorization in a situated activity system
Authors: Mazeland Harrie , Berenst Jan
Published: March 2008

The teaching team that we examine during a report-card meeting works with a finely tuned measurement system for accountably deciding on pupils' future school careers. A substantial part of the sorting work is routinized and is based upon pupil results produced during the school year. But there are also pupils with overall scores that set them in a discussion zone. The discussions about such disputable cases are not only revealing as to what kind of criteria the teachers use for assessing pupils, they also make observable the descriptive practices the teaching team uses for granting access to higher-level schools within the highly differentiated high-school system in the Netherlands. We examine a descriptive practice the teachers use for characterizing a pupil in order to take a position in the discussion about which school type suits him best. The focus is on membership-categorization practices that typify pupils and on the criteria that account for membership-category ascription. We show that the way the teachers cast their assessments of pupils has to be analyzed within the situated activity system that organizes the decision making in the report-card meeting.
Once more with feeling: Utterance and social structure
Authors: Skidmore David
Published: March 2008

In this paper, I examine three theoretical sources on the relationship between language use and social structure. I identify common themes which link the concepts of symbolic capital (Bourdieu), social semiotic (Halliday), and ideologeme (Medvedev) and which lead to a critique of the structuralist tradition of semiotic theory. I explore the significance of speech prosody as an integral part of speech communication, and suggest that the utterance needs to be seen as a complex whole in which the structural and dynamic elements of speech are functionally combined. I illustrate this position through the analysis of a sequence of naturalistic dialogue, highlighting aspects of prosodic orientation between speakers and discussing its semiotic significance. I suggest that the mediating concept of speech genre can be used to understand how fluent conversation has both a structured and an improvisatory character. I conclude by suggesting that the activity of producing an utterance in everyday speech may be seen in terms of a musical analogy as performing a variation on a traditional theme. In closing, I identify a number of topics in this field on which our knowledge remains underdeveloped and indicate lines of enquiry for future research.
Die mittelbare Täterschaft und das System der Tatbeteiligung im koreanischen StGB
Authors: Son Misuk
Published: March 2008

I. Einleitung

Das koreanische Strafrecht hat in den letzten Jahrzehnten unter großen Anstrengungen bedeutende wissenschaftliche Fortschritte gemacht. In der gegenwärtigen Strafrechtswissenschaft ist die Tendenz zu beobachten, das Strafrecht unabhängig von fremder Dogmatik souverän neu aufzubauen und von innen heraus auf eine neue Grundlage zu stellen: Der erste Schritt auf diesem Weg müsse vor allem sein, die bisher trotz der kulturellen Unterschiede und des unterschiedlichen Wortlauts der deutschen Dogmatik oft unkritisch angenäherten und danach ausgelegten Gesetzesnormen des koreanischen Strafrechts gesetzestreu und historisch auszulegen. Aus diesen Gründen sind einige neu erschienene Lehrbücher mit bewusster Distanzierung zur deutschen Lehre geschrieben worden. Das Dilemma war und ist dabei stets das nur schwer auflösbare Spannungsverhältnis zwischen der Rechtswissenschaft und dem geltenden positiven Recht. Bloß gesetzestreu sein zu wollen, ohne einen allgemeinen Rechtsbegriff zu besitzen, ist blind und eine vorpositive kritische Auslegung ohne Rücksicht auf das geltende Recht wäre ohne Maßstäbe.
Amino Acid Cerebrospinal Fluid/Plasma Ratios in Children: Influence of Age, Gender, and Antiepileptic Medication
Authors: Scholl-Bürgi Sabine , Haberlandt Edda , Heinz-Erian Peter , Deisenhammer Florian , Albrecht Ursula , Sigl Sara Baumgartner , Rauchenzauner Markus , Ulmer Hanno , Karall Daniela
Published: March 2008

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of age, gender, and antiepileptic therapy on amino acid cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratios in children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. Concentrations of 17 amino acids measured by ion-exchange chromatography with ninhydrin detection in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid from 68 patients with neurologic diseases were used to calculate their cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratios (70 measurements; 28 female patients [29 punctures] and 40 male patients [41 punctures]). Age dependence and the effects of gender and antiepileptic medication on amino acid cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratios were investigated by linear multiple regression analysis, and nonstandardized predicted mean values for 2 age groups were calculated (cutoff: 3 years old).

RESULTS. The cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratios ranged between 0.02 for glycine and 0.93 for glutamine. Age had a significant influence on cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratios for valine, isoleucine, leucine, and tyrosine, with higher ratios in younger children. Gender had a significant influence only on the glutamine cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratio (female patients had lower ratios). Cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratios of glutamine and tyrosine were significantly elevated by valproate therapy and those of serine, asparagine, glutamine, valine, methionine, and phenylalanine by phenobarbital therapy. No significant influence of age, gender, and antiepileptic drugs was detectable on cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratios of threonine, proline, glycine, alanine, histidine, ornithine, lysine, and arginine.

CONCLUSIONS. Cerebrospinal fluid/plasma ratios, especially for essential neutral amino acids and for serine, asparagine, and glutamine were influenced to different degrees by age, gender, and antiepileptic therapy.
Full-density nanocrystalline Fe–29Al–2Cr intermetallic consolidated from mechanically milled powders
Authors: He L. , Ma E.
Published: March 2008

Fe–29Al–2Cr powders with nanoscale grain sizes were produced by mechanical milling of prealloyed intermetallic powders. A consolidation procedure employing high-pressure, low strain rate hot forging (sinter-forging) has been developed to consolidate the powders into full-density compacts. The relative density and average grain size of the compact have been studied as a function of consolidation temperature at constant pressure. Fully dense compacts (>99.5% theoretical density) were produced at a relatively low temperature of 545°C with a pressure of 1.25 GPa. Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis indicate that the average grain size has been maintained to the order of 30 nm in samples consolidated under these conditions. By using protective Ar atmosphere during mechanical milling and consolidation, contamination of oxygen and carbon in consolidated samples has been controlled to below a small fraction of an atomic percent. Microhardness tests of nanocrystalline Fe–29Al–2Cr samples indicate a significant strengthening effect due to grain size refinement and a monotonic hardness increase with decreasing residual porosity. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of using mechanically milled powders as the source of nanocrystalline materials for the production of fully dense, low-impurity, nanocrystalline bulk samples needed for reliable mechanical property measurements and practical applications.
Processing of calcium metaphosphate-based glass-ceramic coatings on alumina
Authors: Vaidya K. J. , Francis L. F.
Published: March 2008

Dense, crystalline, glass-ceramic coatings containing calcium metaphosphate and aluminum phosphate were prepared on aluminum oxide substrates by a three-step method. The processing involved glass (40 mol% CaO, 10 mol% Al2O3, 50 mol% P2O5) formation, deposition of a glass particle coating, and heat treatment to sinter the glass and crystallize the phosphates. Sintering and microstructure evolution were influenced by wet coating thickness, heat-treatment temperature, time, and heating rate. Heat treatment for 1 h at 725 °C using a 50 °C/min heating rate was found to give a dense, crack-free coating. The resultant coating microstructure has spherulitic morphology (0.3 μm size) with aluminum phosphate in the center of the spherulite. The hardness of the fully crystallized glass-ceramic coating was ∼5.2 GPa.
Continuous precipitation of monodispersed colloidal particles. II. SiO2, Al(OH)3, and BaTiO3
Authors: Her Yie-Shein , Lee Seung-Ho , Matijević Egon
Published: March 2008

Colloidal spherical particles of SiO2, Al(OH)3, and BaTiO3 of narrow size distributions were produced in a continuous static mixer tubular reactor system. Several experimental parameters, including the flow rate, reaction temperature and time, reactant concentrations, and the dimensions of the reactor, were varied in order to establish the optimum conditions required for each material. The results were compared with those obtained in batch systems. Monodispersed colloids can be generated at a rate as high as 50 pounds per day using the described laboratory scale continuous reactor.
Combustion syntheses for BaTi4O9and PbxBa1–xTi4O9
Authors: Zhong Zhimin , Gallagher Patrick K.
Published: March 2008

BaTi4O9and PbxBa1−xTi4O9, wherexis 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5, have been prepared by a combustion synthesis process. The process starts with spray drying aqueous solutions of Pb(NO3)2, Ba(NO3)2, TiO(NO3)2, and β-alanine with appropriate ratios. Combustion reactions occur when heating the spray-dried products to 300 °C, which convert them to BaTi4O9and PbxBa1−xTi4O9directly. PbxBa1−xTi4O9(x≧ 0.1) are low temperature, metastable phases and have not been reported before. Pb0.5Ba0.5Ti4O9is unstable above 800 °C and cannot be sintered. All PbxBa1−xTi4O9compositions will decompose by 1300 °C, the temperature for solid state synthesis of BaTi4O9. Single-phase PbxBa1−xTi4O9(x= 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4), however, have been sintered at relatively lower temperatures.
Growth of (Ba, Sr)TiO3 thin films by the hydrothermal-electrochemical method and effect of oxygen evolution on their microstructure
Authors: Kajiyoshi Koji , Yoshimura Masahiro , Hamaji Yukio , Tomono Kunisaburo , Kasanami Toru
Published: March 2008

Thin films in the system BaTiO3–SrTiO3 have been grown on Ti electrodes with control of the Ba/Sr composition in aqueous solutions of (Ba, Sr) (OH)2 by the hydrothermal-electrochemical method. Barium contents of the solid-solution films were always lower than those of the synthesis solutions used. The BaTiO3 and the (Ba, Sr)TiO3 solid-solution films included “crater-shape” defects that resulted from the breakaway of the growing film, whereas no such defects were observed in the SrTiO3 film. This dependence of the defect generation on the film composition was interpreted to be caused by differences of anodically evolved oxygen gas pressure in “short-circuiting paths” that exists characteristically in the films grown by this method.
Measurement and interpretation of strain relaxation in passivated Al–0.5% Cu lines
Authors: Besser Paul R. , Marieb Thomas N. , Lee Jin , Flinn Paul A. , Bravman John C.
Published: March 2008

X-ray diffraction has been used to measure the strain relaxation in passivated Al–0.5% Cu lines at 200 °C after cooling directly from an anneal at the passivation deposition temperature of 380 °C. Fits to the measured X, Y, and Z components of strain are summed to obtain the hydrostatic component, which exhibits a decay over time. Three mechanisms are considered to explain the decay of the hydrostatic strain in the metal line: Cu precipitation from the solid solution, the presence and growth of voids in the lines, and time-dependent deformation of the passivation. Calculations of the effect of Cu precipitation from the solid solution demonstrate that it plays an insignificant role in the relaxation. A high-voltage scanning electron microscope is used to image the presence and growth of voids through the passivation. The time scale of the growth of stress-induced voids is not the same as the hydrostatic relaxation, indicating that voiding is not solely responsible for the observed relaxation. The relaxation of the line is modeled using a time-dependent finite element model, allowing elastic compliance of the passivation. The magnitude of the calculated relaxation agrees with the measurements. It is suggested that a combination of voiding and passivation compliance is responsible for the measured hydrostatic strain relaxation in the metal line.
Structural and microstructural features of pyrite FeS2−x thin films obtained by thermal sulfuration of iron
Authors: de las Heras C. , de Vidales J. L. Martín , Ferrer I. J. , Sánchez C.
Published: March 2008

Structural and microstructural properties of synthetic thin films of pyrite (FeS2−x), prepared by thermal sulfuration of iron layers, were investigated from Rietveld refinements of x-ray diffraction data, collected by step/scan mode. From this refinement lattice constant, a, and sulfur position parameter, u, nearest neighbor Fe–S and S–S bond distances and tetrahedral and octahedral bond angles have been determined. Moreover, sulfur deficit in the samples, surface and volume-weighted crystallite size and microstrains were also obtained. From these data, the influence of temperature and time of sulfuration and sulfur pressure on their structural and microstructural properties has been established. Stoichiometric pyrite thin films are obtained by sulfurating the iron films at low temperatures (Ts ∼ 600–700 K) during short times (ts ∼ 0.5–2 h). These experimental conditions yield films with the highest a, u, Fe–S bond distance, and microstrains, as well as S/Fe ratios about 2.00, i.e., null sulfur vacancies, the smallest S–S bond distances, and crystallite size. Finally, the possible influence of these structural and microstructural characteristics on some physical properties (optical absorption, electrical resistivity …) of the films is discussed.
Comparison of diamond-like carbon film deposition by electron cyclotron resonance with benzene and methane
Authors: Andry P. S. , Pastel P. W. , Varhue W. J.
Published: March 2008

A comparative study of the deposition of diamond-like carbon films using methane or benzene in a microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system has been performed. Process variables studied were reactor pressure, applied radio frequency substrate bias, and microwave power. The plasma stream was characterized using optical emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Film properties studied included optical energy gap, total hydrogen content, integrated C-H stretch absorption, index of refraction, and Raman spectra. The use of a high C/H ratio reactant such as benzene was found to be advantageous over methane in that higher deposition rates were possible and the resultant films exhibit diamond-like properties without the application of large substrate biases. Another result of this investigation was further confirmation that hard carbon films contain a significant quantity of nonbonded hydrogen [A. Grill and V. Patel, Appl. Phys. Lett. 60 (17), 2089 (1992)].
Optical properties of polymeric thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Gaynor Justin F. , Desu Seshu B.
Published: March 2008

For the first time, the refractive index of polyparaxylylene films, the only polymers grown commercially by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), is reported throughout the visible spectrum. This information is required if optical components such as antireflective coatings or waveguides are to be fabricated with CVD polymers. These properties are compared to a low-index CVD copolymer, poly(parachloroxylylene-co-perfluorooctyl methacrylate), invented in our laboratory. The ellipsometric constants psi and delta were measured for wavelengths between 400 nm and 1000 nm using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry; many samples of each film were grown to improve statistics. The data were modeled assuming a birefringent Cauchy dispersion; excellent agreement between models and experimental data was obtained. The refractive index (λ = 632.8 nm) of the copolymer in the film plane was 1.389, compared to 1.645–1.665 for the homopolymers. PPX, PPX-C, and the copolymer showed negative birefringence, while PPX-D showed positive bifringence. The optical properties of PPX showed little thickness dependence for films ranging from 36 nm to 2100 nm thick.
Principles of the development of a silica dielectric for microelectronics packaging
Authors: Gupta Tapan K. , Jean Jau-Ho
Published: March 2008

Recognizing that speed, size, reliability, and cost are the principal driving forces for advanced electronic packages, this review article describes the much needed development of a new, phase transformation-free, single-phase silica dielectric with a dielectric constant (k) of about 4, the lowest among the inorganic oxides, and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of about 3 ppm/°C, similar to that of Si. This dielectric, consisting largely of SiO2, represents a gain in media speed by about 50% over alumina dielectric, combined with an improvement in reliability of the package by a factor of about 1000. The feature size and system cost can also be drastically reduced by using this dielectric. It is made from a mixture of binary borosilicate glasses that normally exhibit an undesirable characteristic of precipitating cristobalite during sintering that severely weakens the structure. The most important aspect of this article is the design and development of a strategy that prevents the cristobalite growth by incorporating a crystal growth inhibitor in the binary mixture of glasses. Since kinetics, not thermodynamics, are shown to be the key to success of this strategy, the roles of rate-controlling parameters are deliberately emphasized. A working model is delineated to identify compositions that yield a cristobalite-free silica dielectric with values of CTE that match those of Si and GaAs. Critical issues of co-firing between metals and this dielectric are addressed within the context of multilayer packaging fabrication. Finally, a list of measured properties is presented that clearly shows new opportunities for this silica dielectric.
Effects of La2O3 and MnO2 on the piezoelectric properties of 0.02Pb(Y2/3W1/3)O3−0.98Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)03
Authors: Yoon Seok J. , Yoo So Y. , Moon Jong H. , Jung Hyung J. , Kim Hyun J.
Published: March 2008

The effects of the addition of La2O3 (0.1 wt. %−1 wt. %) and MnO2 (0.1 wt. %−1 wt. %) on the piezoelectric properties of the 0.02Pb(Y2/3W1/3)O3−0.98Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 system were investigated to develop the composition available for an actuator. In the case of the addition of La2O3 to the system, the maximum values of d33 and kp were observed in the 0.1 wt. % La2O3, and the values of Qm did not change with the amount of La2O3. The values of d33, kp, and Qm were 428 × 10−12 C/N, 57%, and 71, respectively. On the other hand, the introduction of 0.5 wt. % MnO2 as an acceptor into the system resulted in the maximum Qm value of 741, exhibiting a d33 of 298 × 10−12 C/N, and a kp of 50%. In the case of the simultaneous addition of La2O3 and MnO2, the best piezoelectric properties are obtained from the composition of 0.02Pb(Y2/3W1/3)O3−0.98Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 + 0.1 wt. % La2O3 + 0.3 wt. % MnO2. The values of d33, kp, and Qm were 345 × 10−12 C/N, 55%, and 741, respectively.