bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy landscape and carrier wave‐functions in InGaN/GaN quantum wells
Authors: Watson‐Parris D. , Godfrey M. J. , Oliver R. A. , Dawson P. , Galtrey M. J. , Kappers M. J. , Humphreys C. J.
Published: April 2010

Localisation lengths of the electrons and holes in InGaN/GaN quantum wells have been calculated using numerical solutions of the effective mass Schrödinger equation. We have treated the distribution of indium atoms as random and found that these fluctuations in alloy concentration alone can localise the carriers. While the holes are localised on a scale of approximately ∼1nm, the electrons are localised on scale of ∼7 nm. We have also considered the effect of well width fluctuations and found that they contribute to electron localisation. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Temperature dependence of InN growth on (0001) sapphire substrates by atmospheric pressure hydride vapor phase epitaxy
Authors: Kumagai Yoshinao , Adachi Hirokazu , Otake Aya , Higashikawa Yoshihiro , Togashi Rie , Murakami Hisashi , Koukitu Akinori
Published: April 2010

The temperature dependence of InN growth on (0001) sapphire substrates by atmospheric pressure hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) was investigated. N‐polarity single‐crystal InN layers were successfully grown at temperatures ranging from 400 to 500 °C. The a and c lattice constants of InN layers grown at 450 °C or below were slightly larger than those of InN layers grown above 450 °C due to oxygen incorporation that also increased the carrier concentration. The optical absorption edge of the InN layer decreased from above 2.0 to 0.76 eV when the growth temperature was increased from 450 to 500 °C. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
InGaN/GaN LEDs grown on Si(111): dependence of device performance on threading dislocation density and emission wavelength
Authors: Zhu Dandan , McAleese Clifford , Häberlen Maik , Salcianu Carmen , Thrush Ted , Kappers Menno , Phillips Andrew , Lane Penelope , Kane Michael , Wallis David , Martin Trevor , Astles Mike , Humphreys Colin
Published: April 2010

We demonstrate the growth of crack‐free blue and green‐emitting LED structures grown on 2‐inch and 6‐inch Si(111) substrates by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE), using AlN nucleation layers and AlGaN buffer layers for stress management. LED device performance and its dependence on threading dislocation (TD) density and emission wavelength were studied. Despite the inherently low light extraction efficiency, an output power of 1.2 mW at 50 mA was measured from a 500 μm square planar device, emitting at 455 nm. The light output decreases dramatically as the emission wavelength increases from 455 nm to 510 nm. For LED devices emitting at similar wavelength, the light output was more than doubled when the TD density was reduced from 5 × 109 cm‐2 to 2 × 109 cm‐2. Our results clearly show that high TD density is detrimental to the overall light output, highlighting the need for further TD reduction for structures grown on Si. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A novel bio‐functionalization of AlGaN/GaN‐ISFETs for DNA‐sensors
Authors: Linkohr Stefanie , Schwarz Stefan , Krischok Stefan , Lorenz Pierre , Cimalla Volker , Nebel Christoph , Ambacher Oliver
Published: April 2010

AlGaN/GaN pH sensitive devices were functionalized and passivated for the use as selective biosensors. For the passivation, a multilayer of SiO2 and SiNx is proposed, which stabilizes the pH‐sensor, is biocompatible and has no negative impact on the following bio‐functionalization. The functionalization of the GaN‐surface was achieved by covalent bonding of 10‐amino‐dec‐1‐ene molecules by a photochemical process. After exposure to ultraviolet light, islands of TFAAD are growing on the sensor surface. After 3 h exposure one monolayer is completed. Further exposure results in thicker films as a consequence of polymerization. The bonding to the sensor surface was analyzed by x‐ray photo electron spectroscopy, while the thickness of the functionalization was determined by atomic force microscopy scratching experiments. These functionalized devices based on the pH‐sensitive AlGaN/GaN ISFET will establish a new family of adaptive, selective biomolecular sensors such as selective, reusable DNA sensors. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fraction of design space plots for evaluating ridge estimators in mixture experiments
Authors: Jang Dae‐Heung , Anderson‐Cook Christine M.
Published: April 2010

When the component proportions in mixture experiments are restricted by lower and upper bounds, the design space can become an irregular region that can induce multicollinearity among the component proportions. Thus, we suggest the use of ridge regression as a means of stabilizing the estimates of the coefficients in the fitted model. We use fraction of design space plots and violin plots to illustrate and evaluate the effect of ridge regression estimators with respect to the prediction variance and to guide the decision about the value of ridge constantk. We illustrate the methods with three examples from the literature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Patient‐specific simulation for endovascular procedures: qualitative evaluation of the development process
Authors: Willaert W. I. M. , Aggarwal R. , Nestel D. F. , Gaines P. A. , Vermassen F. E. , Darzi A. W. , Cheshire N. J.
Published: April 2010

Background

Recent advancements in simulation permit patient‐specific rehearsal of carotid artery stenting procedures. This study evaluates the feasibility of transferring patient‐specific CT data into the simulator, creating a 3D reconstruction and performing a rehearsal. The face validity of the model was assessed.

Methods/Results

By thematic analysis of qualitative data, an algorithm was generated, focusing on simulation set‐up, time of data transfer, software/compatibility issues and problem‐solving strategies. The face validity of the simulated case was evaluated by 15 expert interventionalists: realism (median 4/5), training potential (median 4/5) and pre‐procedure rehearsal potential for challenging CAS cases (median 4/5) were rated highly.

Conclusions

Setting up a procedure rehearsal is feasible and reproducible for different patients in different hospital settings without major software compatibility issues. The time to create a 3D reconstruction of patient‐specific CT data is a major factor in the total time necessary to set up a rehearsal. The face validity is highly rated by experts. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinetics of rhodium electrodeposition for semiconductor interconnect applications
Authors: Son Seong‐Ho , Lee Hong‐Kee , Park Sung‐Cheol
Published: April 2010

In this study, reaction mechanism of rhodium electrodeposition process for semiconductor interconnection was investigated using rotating disk electrode. To clarify the rate determining step, the activation energy (Ea) of the rhodium electrodeposition was calculated from the Arrhenius plot in the temperature range of 25–65 °C. Experimental Eaof rhodium was 3.25 kcal/mole, indicating that electrodeposition rate is controlled by mass transfer. The effects of additives on bottom‐up filling were also investigated by varying species of accelerators, suppressors and levelers. The effect of filling rhodium into nano‐scale trench was evaluated using various combinations of accelerators, suppressors and levelers. After rhodium electrodeposition using polymer type suppressor and sulfide bond type accelerator, the superconformal electrodeposited layer was obtained without seams and voids. Addition of azole type leveler to the above electrolyte led to decrease in topographic variations of rhodium electrodeposit, resulting in increase of flatness. As a result, nano‐scale trenches (apppproximately 50–300 nm) were filled forming void‐free and seam‐free superconformal electrodeposited layers through the optimized selection of the additives. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heating modification of an austenitic steel with high‐nitrogen content
Authors: Carosi A. , Amati M. , Gregoratti L. , Kaciulis S. , Mezzi A. , Montanari R. , Rovatti L. , Ucciardello N.
Published: April 2010

The micro‐structural changes of an austenitic steel with high‐nitrogen content have been investigated after heat treatments at 850 °C. Micro‐chemical composition of heat‐induced structures was analyzed using XPS, multipoint AES and photoemission spectro‐microscopy. Before the XPS, AES and photoemission spectro‐microscopy analyses, the samples were cleaned in situ by Ar ion sputtering. The results show that the discontinuous precipitation of Cr2 N from the nitrogen supersaturated γs phase is accompanied by a net flux of nitrogen toward the transformed zones, thus confirming that the principal force behind boundary migration is the nitrogen concentration gradient between the γ and γs phases. When γ and γs reach the same nitrogen concentration, the precipitation stops even if the transformation of the matrix has not yet been completed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of the surface in Li insertion into nanowires of TiO2‐B
Authors: Koudriachova M. V.
Published: April 2010

Nanostructured TiO2‐B is considered to be one of the most promising new anode materials for Li rechargeable batteries, exhibiting highly desirable properties of high capacity, good reversibility, and exceptionally fast Li‐insertion. Recently, it has been demonstrated that nanowires of TiO2‐B may act as capacitors for Li‐ions in a wide range of Li concentrations. In this paper, we examine the sites and energetics of Li absorption, the barriers for Li‐self‐diffusion and the low‐energy pathways from the surface into the interior through advanced simulation techniques. The simulations show that the relative stability of the sorption sites is affected by the surface, which constrains the structural anisotropic expansion of lithiated TiO2‐B. We pinpoint the mechanisms responsible for exceptionally fast transport of Li ions and uncover the crucial role of the high surface area with an abundance of absorption sites. Each of the surface absorption sites is connected to the interior through a low‐energy radial pathway, which brings an absorbed Li ion to its trapping site almost independently, contributing to pseudocapacitive behavior of TiO2‐B nanowires with respect to Li‐ions. We show that the curvature of the surface restricts the intercalation performance of nanowires and predict that (stretched) nanoribbons will exhibit superior properties. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of thermal annealing on the structure and optical properties of d.c. magnetron sputtered titanium dioxide thin films
Authors: Kars İ. , Çetin S. Ş. , Kınacı B. , Sarıkavak B. , Bengi A. , Altuntaş H. , Öztürk M. K. , Özçelik S.
Published: April 2010

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films were deposited on glass substrate by d.c. magnetron sputtering at 200 °C substrate temperature. The thicknesses of the films were measured using stylus type profilometer. The deposited films were annealed using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) system in the O2 ambient for 20 min at 400 and 500 °C. Influence of Ar/O2 flux ratio and annealing temperature on structural and optical properties of the samples was analyzed using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and UV–vis spectrometer in the range of 200–1100 nm. The films annealed above 400 °C were crystalline with anatase phase, whereas at the as‐deposited states, the films were amorphous. Optical properties such as band gap, refractive index and absorption coefficient were calculated using transmittance spectra of the samples. The influence of thermal annealing on structure and optical properties is discussed. Band gap energies of the TiO2 films were also determined using photoluminescence(PL) measurements. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Extracting interdiffusion parameters from Ni/Cu thin films by means of profile reconstruction with the MRI model
Authors: Joubert H. D. , Terblans J. J. , Swart H. C.
Published: April 2010

Thin film diffusion studies often involve a surface‐sensitive analysis technique combined with ion erosion to produce a depth profile of a sample. Such studies compare the depth profile of a reference sample to the depth profiles of samples that were annealed at different temperatures and times. The extent to which atoms of one layer diffuse into an adjacent layer, for a particular temperature and time, yields information on the diffusion process involved and allows quantification of the diffusion coefficient. The drawback to using an erosion‐type system is the effect of the incident ions on the surface being probed. The Mixing‐Roughness‐Information model attempts to compensate for this effect and is often employed as a means of quantification of measured depth profiles by means of profile reconstruction. Used in conjunction with Auger electron spectroscopy, the Mixing‐Roughness‐Information (MRI) model is a useful tool to reconstruct the ion erosion depth profiles as well as extracting interdiffusion parameters from these depth profiles. This study focuses on the extraction of the diffusion coefficient of Ni in Cu from Ni/Cu depth profiles obtained from ion erosion Auger electron spectroscopy. The resultant depth profiles were reconstructed with the MRI model. The diffusion coefficient for Ni diffusing in Cu was obtained from the MRI fit and it compared well to values available in literature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of the contact angle on two‐phase flow in microreactors for nitrobenzene–hydrogen–stainless steel/carbon
Authors: Özkan Furkan , Hecht Kristin , Pfeifer Peter , Schubert Klaus , Kraushaar‐Czarnetzki Bettina
Published: April 2010

The contact angle of a gas–liquid–solid system plays a significant role in predicting flow patterns in microchannels for multiphase flows. The contact angle, which is a result of surface forces, is strongly influenced by the channel material. In the present study, we describe contact angle measurements and simulations of flow in a microchannel for the multiphase system hydrogen and nitrobenzene. Contact angles for nitrobenzene–hydrogen–stainless steel and nitrobenzene–hydrogen–carbon systems were measured using the sessile drop method at various pressures. Simulation of the two‐phase system was performed using ANSYS FLUENT. The static contact angle is used as a boundary condition. The results from simulation of flow for a wide range of contact angles and the measured contact angles are presented. Experimental observations and simulation results agree in that the contact angle must be smaller 90° to obtain small bubbles and to increase the gas–liquid interfacial surface area. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Hospital for Special Surgery 1972–1989; Philip D. Wilson, Jr., Eighth Surgeon-in-Chief
Authors: Levine David B.
Published: April 2010

After nearly a decade as the seventh Surgeon-in-Chief (1963–1972) of The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), Robert Lee Patterson, Jr., MD (1907–1994) retired, having repaired adverse relations between HSS and the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. Patterson, who had first joined the staff of The Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled in 1936 as a Visiting Surgeon, was able to accomplish this very challenging task mainly through his close relationship with Preston Wade, MD (1901–1982), a general surgeon who had served with Patterson as Co-Chief of the combined New York Hospital-HSS Fracture service. The Board of Trustees of the New York Society for the Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled appointed Philip D. Wilson, Jr. MD, as the eighth Surgeon-in-Chief of The Hospital for Special Surgery. He assumed that office on July 1, 1972. Wilson, who had joined the staff as an Orthopaedic Surgeon to the Out-Patient Department in 1951, had trained as an orthopaedic resident at HSS from 1948 to 1950 and in 1951, finished his residency at the University of California Hospital Medical Center, San Francisco. During his 17 years as Surgeon-in-Chief, he led the hospital into the advanced field of implant research and development and building a world-class center for patient care. Additionally, many other orthopaedic services such as Sports Medicine, Scoliosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases became the leaders in their fields. Supporting Departments of Rheumatology, Anesthesia and others were likewise recognized foremost in the country.
Synthesis and Characterization of Sodium Nonylphenol Ethoxylate(10) Sulfoitaconate Esters
Authors: Ding Junwei , Song Bin , Wang Chuanxing , Xu Jun , Wu Yumin
Published: April 2010

Two sodium nonylphenol ethoxylate(10) sulfoitaconate ester surfactants, namely disodium nonylphenol ethoxylate(10) sulfoitaconate monoester (DNE(10)SIM) and sodium nonylphenol ethoxylate(10) sulfoitaconate diester (SNE(10)SID), were synthesized through the esterification and sulfonation reactions with nonylphenol ethoxylate(10) ester, itaconic acid and sodium sulfite as the raw materials. The chemical structures of the prepared surfactants were confirmed by FTIR and 1H NMR. The surface tension of the synthesized surfactants was measured at 25 °C and the surface active properties were characterized. The DNE(10)SIM had better surface activity. The CMC was 1.77 × 10−6 mol L−1 and γCMC was 35.45 mN m−1. The CMC and γCMC for the SNE(10)SID were 5.42 × 10−5 mol L−1 and 37.67 mN m−1, respectively. Moreover, the emulsification power of SNE(10)SID was better.
Pecipamide, a New Sphingosine Derivative from the Cultures of Polyporus picipes (Basidiomycetes)
Authors: Li Yong , Ma Ya‐Tuan , Kuang Yi , Gao Jin‐Ming , Qin Jian‐Chun
Published: April 2010

A new C18‐ceramide congener named pecipamide (1), together with the known ergosta‐4,6,8(14),22‐tetraen‐3‐one (2), was isolated from the solid fermentations of the basidiomycetous fungus Polyporus picipes. The structure of the new metabolite was established as (2′R,2S,3R)‐N‐2′‐hydroxyheptadecanoyl‐2‐amino‐octadecane‐1,3‐diol on the basis of spectroscopic data, including 1D‐ and 2D‐ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) experiments, as well as by means of mass spectrometric measurements (MS).
Fatty Acid Composition of the Maternal Diet During the First or the Second Half of Gestation Influences the Fatty Acid Composition of Sows' Milk and Plasma, and Plasma of Their Piglets
Authors: Amusquivar Encarnación , Laws John , Clarke Lynne , Herrera Emilio
Published: April 2010

Dietary supplements of olive oil (OO) or fish oil (FO) during the first (G1: day 1–60) or second half of gestation (G2: day 60 to term, day 115) were offered to pregnant sows. The proportion of fatty acids in milk and plasma were determined by gas chromatography. When supplements were given during G1, the proportions of oleic acid (OA) and arachidonic acid (AA) in the plasma were higher in the OO group than in the FO group, whereas docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was higher in the latter group at day 56 of gestation. These differences in plasma DHA were still apparent at day 7 of lactation. Similarly, DHA was also higher in the colostrum and milk on days 3 and 21 of lactation and in the plasma of piglets from FO dams compared to the OO group, whereas AA was lower. When the FO supplement was given during G2, AA was lower and DHA higher in the plasma at day 105 of gestation and at day 7 of lactation compared with the OO group. Likewise, DHA was greater in FO than in OO animals during lactation in colostrum and in milk on days 3 and 21 of lactation, and in 3‐day old suckling piglets plasma, whereas AA was lower in these animals. Thus, maternal adipose tissue plays an important role in the storage of dietary long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) during G1. They are mobilized around parturition for milk synthesis, and an excess of dietary n‐3 LCPUFA decreases the availability of AA in suckling newborns.
Postharvest Heat Treatment for Olive Oil Debittering at the Industrial Scale
Authors: Yousfi Khaled , Moyano Maria J. , Martinez Fernando , Cayuela José A. , Garcia José M.
Published: April 2010

To enhance the debittering of olive oil, 500‐kg olive fruit (Olea europaea L.) samples in duplicate from different olive cultivars and orchard locations in Spain (Manzanilla olive fruits from Villarrasa during the 2002/2003, 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 seasons, or from Dos Hermanas during the 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 seasons, Picual olive fruits from Cabra during the 2004/2005 season and Verdial olives from Villarrasa during the 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 seasons) were treated by dipping in hot water under different conditions (50–68 °C for 3 or 5 min), which had been previously determined based on laboratory‐scale experiments, and subsequently processed for virgin olive oil extraction. Heat treatment produced a change in the intensity of the oil bitterness in all cases, increased the pigment content, decreased stability and reduced the sensory freshness of the oil. Although heat treatment reduced the phenolic content of the oil, this effect was not uniform among the different phenolic compounds and depended on the crop season and olive variety. Therefore, the determination of debittering conditions will require a series of preliminary laboratory‐scale experiments.
An Evaluation of Current Surgical Techniques Used for Vesicoureteric Anastomosis in Paediatric Renal Transplantation in the United Kingdom
Authors: Vasdev Nikhil , Rix David , Soomro Naeem , Talbot David
Published: April 2010

Introduction:

Kidney transplantation is the best treatment available for end stage renal disease at any age. Vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) following paediatric renal transplant can lead to loss of graft function. We present a summary of a survey evaluating current surgical techniques used for vesicoureteric anastomosis in paediatric renal transplantation in the United Kingdom (UK) developed in our unit.

Methods and results:

In the UK, 70% of paediatric transplant surgeons use the Lich—Gregoir technique and 70% place a transanastomotic double-J stent at the time of vesicoureteric anastomosis. 80% of the double-J stents are removed at 6 weeks following transplant.

Conclusion:

Paediatric renal transplant grafts are at risk of developing segmental pyelonephritic scars if infected urine refluxes into the graft either through a transanastomotic stent or later from vesicoureteric anastomosis. These scars may reduce the renal function with time. Consideration should be given within the UK for the development of more effective anti-reflux surgery for vesicoureteric anastomosis in paediatric renal transplantation.
“V V O I”: A Swift Hand Motion in Detecting Atelectasis on Frontal Chest Radiographs
Authors: Ajlan Amr M. , Belley Genevieve , Kosiuk John
Published: April 2010

This article introduces an easy and practical way to help detect lobar atelectasis on frontal chest radiographs. A proposed “V V O I” hand motions method is detailed in this article. This method depends on 4 simple hand motions, which could help detect 4 important direct and indirect corresponding signs of atelectasis. Our aim is to introduce the “V V O I” trick as a memory aid to facilitate detecting difficult cases of lung collapse, particularly for nonradiologists and radiologists in training. The importance of using this method in conjunction with the lateral chest radiograph is emphasized. In addition, several pitfalls in using this method are also explained.
Validation of a Professionals’ Satisfaction Questionnaire with Electronic Medical Records (PSQ-EMR) in Psychiatry
Authors: Boyer L. , Baumstarck-Barrau K. , Belzeaux R. , Azorin J.M. , Chabannes J.M. , Dassa D. , Lancon C. , Naudin J. , Poinso F. , Rufo M. , Samuelian J.C. , Loundou A. , Fieschi M. , Auquier P.
Published: April 2010

Background

Electronic medical records (EMR) are currently being implemented in psychiatric hospitals throughout Europe. The perceptions of health care professionals can contribute important information that may predict their acceptance of and desired mode of use for EMR, thus guiding EMR implementation.

Aims

To develop a self-administered instrument designed to assess health care professionals’ satisfaction regarding EMR in a psychiatric hospital, based only on the professional point of view, according to the psychometric standards.

Methods

The development was supervised by a steering committee and undertaken by three standard steps. Item generation was derived from 115 face-to-face interviews with health care professionals in a French, public, psychiatric hospital. The item-reduction process resulted in a 25-item questionnaire. The validation process was based on construct validity, reliability and some aspects of external validity.

Results

The final version of the questionnaire contained 25 items that described five dimensions, leading to a global score. The factor structure accounted for 72% of the total variance. Internal consistency was satisfactory (item-internal consistency over 0.40 and Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from 0.86 to 0.95). The scalability was satisfactory with INFIT statistics inside an acceptable range. Scores of dimensions were strongly positively correlated with visual analogue scale scores (all p < 0.001). External validity showed statistical associations between scores and age, gender, seniority in psychiatry and ward type. Participation rate was 66%.

Conclusion

The availability of a reliable and valid questionnaire (professionals’ satisfaction questionnaire with electronic medical records [PSQ-EMR]) concerning health care professionals’ satisfaction regarding EMR in psychiatry, exclusively generated from interviews with health care professionals, enables legitimate feedback to be incorporated into EMR implementation in order to formulate a high-quality health care.
Inactivation of Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase I by S‐glutathionylation of the active‐site cysteine residue
Authors: Kambe Toshie , Song Tao , Takata Tsuyoshi , Hatano Naoya , Miyamoto Yoshiaki , Nozaki Naohito , Naito Yasuhito , Tokumitsu Hiroshi , Watanabe Yasuo
Published: April 2010

We show that Ca2+/calmodulin(CaM)‐dependent protein kinase I (CaMKI) is directly inhibited by its S‐glutathionylation at the Cys179. In vitro studies demonstrated that treatment of CaMKI with diamide and glutathione results in inactivation of the enzyme, with a concomitant S‐glutathionylation of CaMKI at Cys179 detected by mass spectrometry. Mutagenesis studies confirmed that S‐glutathionylation of Cys179 is both necessary and sufficient for the inhibition of CaMKI by diamide and glutathione. In transfected cells expressing CaMKI, treatment with diamide caused a reversible decrease in CaMKI activity. Cells expressing mutant CaMKI (179CV) proved resistant in this regard. Thus, our results indicate that the reversible regulation of CaMKI via its modification at Cys179 is an important mechanism in processing calcium signal transduction in cells.
The evolution of oocyte donation in China
Authors: Wang Fang , Sun Yingpu , Kong Huijuan , Li Jing , Su Yingchun , Guo Yihong
Published: April 2010

Objective

To review the experience with and clinical outcomes for recipients of embryos from oocytes donated under different regulatory standards in China. Initially, the oocytes were provided by one of the patient's consanguineous sisters. Then, the oocytes were obtained from another patient treated with assisted reproduction techniques (ART). Presently, oocytes thus produced are cryopreserved for at least 6 months before transfer.

Methods

The records from all women treated with ART at First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University since 2001 were reviewed and the pregnancy rates and clinical outcomes were determined for each of the 3 periods.

Results

In the second period, the mean implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were significantly higher for the 22 oocyte recipients than for their donors. In the third period, the rates for the 56 recipients were compared with the 78 other regular ART patients fertilized with their own oocytes. There were 40 live births for 32 of the recipients over 28 cycles, and the rates of implantation and clinical pregnancy were much higher for the recipients than for the other ART patients (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Using freshly donated eggs yields a higher pregnancy rate but there is a risk of infectious disease. Using frozen oocytes can significantly decrease this risk but implantation rates are lower.
A noninvasive evaluation of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in women with an overactive bladder
Authors: Liao Wen‐Chien , Jaw Fu‐Shan
Published: April 2010

Objective

To verify the hypothesis that a connection exists between overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome and a bladder‐specific dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Method

An electrocardiogram recorded heartbeat cycles from the onset of urinary urgency to 5 minutes after voiding in 33 women with an overactive bladder and 176 controls. Power spectral density (PSD) analysis allowed to quantify heart rate variability (HRV), which is in relation to ANS function. Three‐dimensional spectrograms and multiscale entropy graphs were used to display HRV values.

Results

The differences between patients and controls were all significant in the time and frequency domains of HRV (P < 0.05), which suggests disturbances in bladder‐specific ANS activity in women with OAB.

Conclusion

By quantifying HRV data, PSD analysis provides a simple, noninvasive method of assessing disturbances in ANS activity and monitoring treatment in women with OAB. It can also be used to evaluate other neuronal conditions.
Interactive Technologies and Retailing Strategy: A Review, Conceptual Framework and Future Research Directions
Authors: Varadarajan Rajan , Srinivasan Raji , Vadakkepatt Gautham Gopal , Yadav Manjit S. , Pavlou Paul A. , Krishnamurthy Sandeep , Krause Tom
Published: April 2010

During the past decade, a number of interactive technologies, including the Internet, have fundamentally transformed how retailers compete in the marketplace. In a similar vein, emerging interactive technologies can be expected to significantly alter the retailing landscape through their impact on retailing strategy and operations. Furthermore, it is conceivable that certain emerging interactive technologies will be perceived by some retailers as enablers (tools to more effectively compete in the marketplace) and by other retailers as disruptors of the present ways of doing business. Interactive technologies can either be generic, a technology that is readily available from an information technology (IT) vendor and is widely adopted by retailers, or proprietary. An interactive technology that is proprietary can enable a firm to generate economic rents from the innovation for an extended duration of time. Investing in a generic interactive technology, however, may be perceived as a cost of doing business for a retailer, and not a potential source of sustainable competitive advantage. However, a retailer's complementary resource endowments may enable the retailer to more effectively leverage a generic technology relative to its competitors and thereby achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. In this paper, we review the related literature, develop a process model delineating the mechanisms by which an interactive technology can affect and necessitate changes in retailers’ strategies and identify directions for future research.
High frequency of concomitant mastocytosis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia exhibiting the transforming KIT mutation D816V
Authors: Fritsche-Polanz Robert , Fritz Marika , Huber Andrea , Sotlar Karl , Sperr Wolfgang R. , Mannhalter Christine , Födinger Manuela , Valent Peter
Published: April 2010

The KIT mutation D816V is associated with autonomous growth of mast cells (MC) and is detectable in most patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM), including cases with associated hematologic non‐MC‐lineage disease (AHNMD). Recently, KIT D816V was reported to be expressed in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, it was not clarified whether these patients have co‐existing occult SM. We investigated neoplastic cells in 101 patients with AML for expression of KIT D816V. In 7/101 patients (6.9%), KIT D816V was detectable. After a thorough histologic, molecular, and biochemical analysis, all 7 cases were found to have an associated SM, leading to the final diagnosis SM‐AML. Microdissected tryptase+ MC displayed KIT D816V in all patients tested, whereas CD34+ blasts exhibited KIT D816V in only 2/4 patients. In one AML patient, SM without KIT D816V was detected. In all other patients, no associated SM was found, and leukemic blasts were negative for KIT D816V. In summary, our data show that KIT D816V in AML is highly associated with co‐existing SM (SM‐AML). Moreover, our data show that AML blasts may lack this transforming target‐mutant, which may be important when considering the use of KIT D816V‐targeting drugs for treatment of patients with KIT D816V‐positive AML.
FLAT PRIMES AND THIN PRIMES
Authors: BROUGHAN KEVIN A. , ZHOU QIZHI
Published: April 2010

A number is called upper (lower) flat if its shift by +1 ( −1) is a power of 2 times a squarefree number. If the squarefree number is 1 or a single odd prime then the original number is called upper (lower) thin. Upper flat numbers which are primes arise in the study of multi-perfect numbers. Here we show that the lower or upper flat primes have asymptotic density relative to that of the full set of primes given by twice Artin’s constant, that more than 53% of the primes are both lower and upper flat, and that the series of reciprocals of the lower or the upper thin primes converges.
SOLVABILITY OF FINITE GROUPS VIA CONDITIONS ON PRODUCTS OF 2-ELEMENTS AND ODD p-ELEMENTS
Authors: KAPLAN GIL , LEVY DAN
Published: April 2010

We observe that a solvability criterion for finite groups, conjectured by Miller [The product of two or more groups, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc.12 (1911)] and Hall [A characteristic property of soluble groups, J. London Math. Soc.12 (1937)] and proved by Thompson [Nonsolvable finite groups all of whose local subgroups are solvable, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc.74(3) (1968)], can be sharpened as follows: a finite group is nonsolvable if and only if it has a nontrivial 2-element and an odd p-element, such that the order of their product is not divisible by either 2 or p. We also prove a solvability criterion involving conjugates of odd p-elements. Finally, we define, via a condition on products of p-elements with p′-elements, a formation Pp,p′, for each prime p. We show that P2,2′ (which contains the odd-order groups) is properly contained in the solvable formation.
APPROXIMATE WEAK AMENABILITY OF I0(SL(2,ℝ))
Authors: BHARUCHA POURUS
Published: April 2010

We demonstrate that I0(SL(2,ℝ)) fails to be approximately weakly amenable.
Quercetin supplementation and its effect on human monocyte gene expression profiles in vivo
Authors: Boomgaarden Inka , Egert Sarah , Rimbach Gerald , Wolffram Siegfried , Müller Manfred J. , Döring Frank
Published: April 2010

Quercetin has been described as having a wide range of beneficial effects in humans, ranging from anti-carcinogenic properties to reducing the risk of CVD. Nevertheless, underlying molecular mechanisms have been mostly investigated in vitro. Here, we tested whether a daily supplementation of quercetin leads to reproducible changes in human monocyte gene expression profiles. In study I, quercetin in varying dosages was given to healthy subjects for 2 weeks. RNA from monocytes isolated at the beginning and end of the study from subjects receiving 150 mg quercetin per d was subjected to transcriptome-wide microarray analysis. In study II, a double-blind cross-over study, twenty subjects exhibiting a ‘cardiovascular risk phenotype’ received 150 mg quercetin or placebo daily for 6 weeks each and served as the verification group. Microarray analysis revealed a number of differentially expressed genes. The most significantly represented functional groups were those of the immune system, nucleic acid metabolism, apoptosis and O-glycan biosynthesis. Twenty-four genes were chosen for technical replication and independent verification by quantitative real-time PCR. When comparing placebo and quercetin treatment, four genes showed significantly different expression changes (C1GALT1, O-glycan biosynthesis; GM2A, glycolipid catabolism; HDGF, cell proliferation; SERPINB9, apoptosis). However, these were minimal in respect to magnitude of fold change. In conclusion, although microarray analysis revealed extensive effects of quercetin on gene expression, the employment of a placebo-controlled study design showed no comparable results for twenty-four verification targets. This emphasises the need for stringent designs in nutritional intervention studies with the aim to identify relevant changes in gene expression.
Proteolytic activity inFasciola hepaticais reduced by the administration of cathepsin L mimotopes
Authors: Villa-Mancera A. , Quiroz-Romero H. , Correa D. , Alonso R.A.
Published: April 2010

The objective of this study was to assess the proteolytic activity ofFasciola hepaticacathepsins in liver sections from mice vaccinated with phage clones of cathepsin L mimotopes, using the filmin situzymography technique. Female BALB/c mice were immunized three times with 2.5 × 1011phage particles without adjuvant. Animals vaccinated with phage clones produced high titres of anti-mimotope antibodies and a significant reduction in fluke burden was observed following challenge with metacercariae ofF. hepatica. The proteolytic activity in hepatic tissue was reduced after the immunization with phage clones.
Environmental effects on blue shark (Prionace glauca) and oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus) distribution based on fishery-dependent data from the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Damalas Dimitrios , Megalofonou Persefoni
Published: April 2010

Blue sharks (Prionace glauca) and oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus) are frequently caught incidentally in the swordfish surface drifting longline fishery of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. An information theoretic generalized additive model approach, modelling separately: (1) the probability of making a catch; and (2) the positive catch rates, suggested the presence of intra-annual variations in their abundance and revealed interesting associations with some environmental features. Blue sharks were more frequently encountered during late summer in cool water masses. However, the likelihood of making a larger catch peaked in warmer waters through late spring in the vicinity of land. Occurrences of blue sharks were more frequent to the south-west (Ionian Sea), while positive catch rates were higher in the eastern-most regions (Levantine). Oilfish occurrences, as well as catch rates, were always above average to the east. Intra-annual variation was analogous to that of blue sharks. The species showed a preference for cooler water bodies and its distribution was strongly dictated by the lunar cycle. Annual time series showed a decreasing trend of blue sharks abundance. Catch rates for both species depended on fishing gear configuration. Deeper settings (>20 m), more resilient lines and use of fish attractant light-sticks increased the probability of capturing a fish.
Moderators and predictors of response to cognitive-behavioral therapy augmentation of pharmacotherapy in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Maher M. J. , Huppert J. D. , Chen H. , Duan N. , Foa E. B. , Liebowitz M. R. , Simpson H. B.
Published: April 2010

Background

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) consisting of exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) is efficacious as a treatment for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, about half of patients have a partial or poor response to EX/RP treatment. This study examined potential predictors and moderators of CBT augmentation of pharmacotherapy, to identify variables associated with a poorer response to OCD treatment.

Method

Data were drawn from a large randomized controlled trial that compared the augmenting effects of EX/RP to stress management training (SMT; an active CBT control) among 108 participants receiving a therapeutic dose of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI). Stepwise regression was used to determine the model specification.

Results

Pretreatment OCD severity and gender were significant moderators of outcome: severity affected SMT (but not EX/RP) outcome; and gender affected EX/RP (but not SMT) outcome. Adjusting for treatment type and pretreatment severity, significant predictors included greater co-morbidity, number of past SRI trials, and lower quality of life (QoL). Significant moderators, including their main-effects, and predictors accounted for 37.2% of the total variance in outcome, comparable to the impact of treatment type alone (R2=30.5%). These findings were replicated in the subgroup analysis of EX/RP alone (R2=55.2%).

Conclusions

This is the first randomized controlled study to examine moderators and predictors of CBT augmentation of SRI pharmacotherapy. Although effect sizes for individual predictors tended to be small, their combined effect was comparable to that of treatment. Thus, future research should examine whether monitoring for a combination of these risk factors and targeting them with multi-modular strategies can improve EX/RP outcome.
PERFORMANCE AS POLEMIC: TAIROV'S 1920PRINCESS BRAMBILLAAT THE MOSCOW KAMERNY THEATRE
Authors: Posner Dassia N.
Published: April 2010

Aside from hinting at the rift between the two directors that had become evident after their failed 1918 collaboration on Claudel'sThe Exchange, Tairov's criticism of Meyerhold'sThe Dawnreveals a widening gap in the two directors’ fundamental conceptions of the purpose of theatre in the wake of the Revolution. Meyerhold famously declared “October in the theatre” after becoming head of the Theatre Department of Narkompros (the Commissariat of Enlightenment) in the fall of 1920; he attempted to liquidate the Moscow state academic theatres, of which the Kamerny was one, and to require that all theatres stage revolutionary works using the radical methods of “cubism, futurism and suprematism.” Although Tairov had experimented with cubist designs, he had spent his immediate post-Revolutionary years defending theatre as an autonomous art form that should express universal truths rather than being a vehicle for topical content, declaring, “A propagandist theatre after a revolution is like mustard after a meal.”
DIONYSUS IN 1769: DESIRE AND SUBLIMATION IN THE ENGLISH THEATRE—A GOTHIC TALE
Authors: Johnson Odai
Published: April 2010

As what follows is largely about the ghosting of antiquity, I begin at a broken grave.
NAKED FEMALES AND SPLAY-FOOTED SPRAWLERS: BALLERINAS ON THE STAGE IN JACKSONIAN AMERICA
Authors: Martin Christopher
Published: April 2010

When artist-inventor Samuel B. Morse alleged that the Bowery Theatre performance of French ballerina Madame Hutin was “to all intents and purposes thepublic exposure of a naked female,” he was expressing an opinion that conflicted with that of other critics, who felt that the performance of French dancers would “put to shame our splay-footed indigenous sprawlers, and will greatly refine the taste in dancing in the play-going public.” In Jacksonian American, citizens who were concerned with the direction of the nation's culture engaged in a debate about the respective merits of the less-polished art created in the New World and the more refined offerings of the Old World that was played out in critical reactions to an increasingly popular theatrical form: ballet. Ballet gradually became an important part of American theatre during the first half of the nineteenth century as dancers appeared on stages in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Charleston in front of the same audiences that attended the dramatic plays whose productions have received the bulk of academic attention. Three waves of European dancers came to the Americas during the period 1790 to 1845. The first wave (1790–1825) consisted of small companies who presented dance to a broad range of audiences, typically before other plays or during entr'actes. This article focuses on performances that occurred during the second wave (1825–40), when impresarios recruited established (though not top-tier) European ballerinas to come to specific theatres. These dancers brought the repertoire and styles of the Romantic ballet to America, including evening-length performances with fairy-tale plots and an emphasis on charismatic female stars, such asLa Sylphide.The first American ballerinas, Mary Ann Lee and Augusta Maywood, made their debuts during this period. The third wave (1840–5) consisted largely of “headliners” such as Fanny Elssler, who toured the country performing selections from their famous roles andpaswith a corps de ballet recruited from each city they visited.
CREATING A CONTEMPORARY ARCHIVE: ALONZO KING LINES BALLET AT TWENTY-FIVE
Authors: Jensen Jill Nunes
Published: April 2010

In the title essay from Choreographing History, Susan Leigh Foster interrogates the belief that the body serves as a site for dance to be enacted upon and through. She, along with several others in this edited volume, sought to reposition and consequently enhance the contribution of dancers' bodies by not limiting the essays within to observational accounts or choreographic reviews. Instead Foster and her colleagues query “the possibility of a body that is written upon but that also writes” as means of urging dance scholars to “move critical studies of the body in new directions.” I take this position as an entry point and use it to contemplate the process of making and writing about contemporary ballet history using Alonzo King LINES Ballet, a San Francisco–based troupe, as a case study. In this essay, I describe the challenges I and others have faced in our efforts to collect and interpret a visual and verbal archive for this dance troupe, which has been performing for more than a quarter of a century. This process highlights a larger issue for dance historians, namely, how to create a critically sensitive archive for a company when the most reliable (and oftentimes the only available) source is the personal memory of its choreographer. I anchor this analysis to the different models of critical writing about bodies offered by Michel Foucault, Roland Barthes, Jacqueline Shea Murphy, and Hayden White and suggest that companies such as LINES offer challenges to those engaged in the archival process and in the practice of writing history.
An empirical generative framework for computational modeling of language acquisition
Authors: Waterfall Heidi R. , Sandbank Ben , Onnis Luca , Edelman Shimon
Published: April 2010

This paper reports progress in developing a computer model of language acquisition in the form of (1) a generative grammar that is (2) algorithmically learnable from realistic corpus data, (3) viable in its large-scale quantitative performance and (4) psychologically real. First, we describe new algorithmic methods for unsupervised learning of generative grammars from raw CHILDES data and give an account of the generative performance of the acquired grammars. Next, we summarize findings from recent longitudinal and experimental work that suggests how certain statistically prominent structural properties of child-directed speech may facilitate language acquisition. We then present a series of new analyses of CHILDES data indicating that the desired properties are indeed present in realistic child-directed speech corpora. Finally, we suggest how our computational results, behavioral findings, and corpus-based insights can be integrated into a next-generation model aimed at meeting the four requirements of our modeling framework.