bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Description of the Management and Outcomes of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Birth in the Homebirth Setting
Authors: Latendresse Gwen , Murphy Patricia Aikins , Fullerton Judith T.
Published: September 2005

Our objective was to describe the outcomes of intended home birth among 57 women with a previous cesarean birth. Data were drawn from a larger prospective study of intended homebirth in nurse‐midwifery practice. Available data included demographics, perinatal risk information, and outcomes of prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and neonatal care. The hospital course was reviewed for those transferred to the hospital setting. Fifty‐three of 57 women (93%) had a spontaneous vaginal birth, 1 had a vacuum‐assisted birth, and 3 (5.3%) had a repeat cesarean birth. Thirty‐one of 32 (97%) women who had a previous vaginal birth after cesarean birth (VBAC) had a successful VBAC; 22 of 25 (88%) women without a history of VBAC successfully delivered vaginally. Fifty (87.7%) of these women delivered in the home setting, whereas 7 (12.3%) delivered in the hospital setting. None of the women experienced uterine rupture or dehiscence. One infant was stillborn. This event was attributed to a postdates pregnancy with meconium. Certified nurse‐midwives with homebirth practices must be knowledgeable about the risks for mother and baby, screen clientele appropriately, and be able to counsel patients with regard to potential adverse outcomes. Given what is presently known, VBAC is not recommended in the homebirth setting. It is imperative in the light of current evidence and practice climate to advocate for the availability of certified nurse‐midwife services and woman‐centered care in the hospital setting.
Helicobacter pylori and Severe Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy
Authors: Penney Debra S.
Published: September 2005

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterial infection of the stomach, which may aggravate nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Studies have found conflicting evidence of the role of H. pylori in severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and hyperemesis gravidarum. Several women suffering from weight loss and experiencing continued nausea and vomiting were tested for H. pylori antibody during their pregnancy. This article reviews the outcomes of women with both positive and negative H. pylori tests, the treatment of H. pylori, and its controversial role in managing severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
Midwifery Care Measures in the Second Stage of Labor and Reduction of Genital Tract Trauma at Birth: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Albers Leah L. , Sedler Kay D. , Bedrick Edward J. , Teaf Dusty , Peralta Patricia
Published: September 2005

Genital tract trauma after spontaneous vaginal childbirth is common, and evidence‐based prevention measures have not been identified beyond minimizing the use of episiotomy. This study randomized 1211 healthy women in midwifery care at the University of New Mexico teaching hospital to 1 of 3 care measures late in the second stage of labor: 1) warm compresses to the perineal area, 2) massage with lubricant, or 3) no touching of the perineum until crowning of the infant's head. The purpose was to assess whether any of these measures was associated with lower levels of obstetric trauma. After each birth, the clinical midwife recorded demographic, clinical care, and outcome data, including the location and extent of any genital tract trauma. The frequency distribution of genital tract trauma was equal in all three groups. Individual women and their clinicians should decide whether to use these techniques on the basis of maternal comfort and other considerations.
Rose Tea for Relief of Primary Dysmenorrhea in Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Taiwan
Authors: Tseng Ying‐Fen , Chen Chung‐Hey , Yang Yi‐Hsin
Published: September 2005

Primary dysmenorrhea occurs in as many as 50% of female adolescents and is associated with significant decreases in academic performance, sports participation, and socialization with peers. Complementary and alternative medicine treatment options are of interest to patients and health care providers. The use of rose tea to alleviate menstrual pain has long been a part of folk knowledge around the world but has not been studied scientifically. To determine the effectiveness of drinking rose tea as an intervention for reducing pain and psychophysiologic distress in adolescents with primary dysmenorrhea, 130 female adolescents were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 70) and a control (n = 60) group. Preintervention and postintervention data at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months were gathered on the biopsychosocial outcomes of dysmenorrhea. The results showed that compared with the control group, the experimental group perceived less menstrual pain, distress, and anxiety and showed greater psychophysiologic well‐being through time, at 1, 3, and 6 months after the interventions. Findings suggest that drinking rose tea is a safe, readily available, and simple treatment for dysmenorrhea, which female adolescents may take to suit their individual needs.
power and luck
Authors: lukes steven , haglund ladawn
Published: September 2005

in applying rational choice theory to the debates about power, it has been proposed that distinguishing power from luck yields new insights. specifically, it has been suggested that, where social and institutional structures favour some and disfavour others, the former have the good luck to get what they want without trying and the latter the bad luck to be faced with collective action problems that prevent them from furthering their interests. against such proposals, it is argued that luck, thus understood, is non-explanatory and, moreover, depoliticizing. it is further argued that they exemplify a narrow conception of power that defines it as intentional, as involving positive interventions in the world, as furthering the wants of the powerful and as altering the incentive structures of others. such a conception closes off questions about the operations of power where these are more or less indirect, ongoing and often inaccessible to direct observation, and only very partially and superficially captured by the “snapshot'” accounts of structured interaction among strategic actors characteristic of rational choice theory. a broader and more dynamic view, revealing the complexities of power, allows that the powerful can hold and exert their power without intending to, without positively intervening in the world and irrespective of their actual “brute” wants; and that their power consists in being capable and responsible for affecting (negatively or positively) the subjective and/or objective interests of others.
l'héritage égalitaire comme dispositif social
Authors: steiner philippe
Published: September 2005

starting from the french law of bequest enacted by the code civil and from its interpretation by tocqueville, the paper studies this law as a social device designed to solve two different issues. the first one is concerned with legitimacy and is studied through the debates within the conseil d'état, whereas the second is concerned with the social mechanisms leading to action and it is studied through the debates among economists and lawyers during the 19th century. more generally, the paper suggests that similar social devices are useful to understanding transfers of resources related to death, such as life insurance and organ donorship.
resolute heroes: the rescue of jews during the nazi occupation of europe
Authors: varese federico , yaish meir
Published: September 2005

in 1927, at the age of eighteen, jean kowalyk moved to the ukrainian village of czortowiec, where she worked as a seamstress. when the germans invaded in 1941, they brought to the village forced laborers to build a work camp. jean “watched the cruelty [done to the workers] day after day […] when i saw people being molested, my religious heart whispered to me, ‘do not kill. love others as you love yourself’”. some time later, she heard a knock on her door. when she opened it, solomon berger, a jewish doctor the family knew, was “on his knees”, put his arms around her legs, and “begged for help”. jean let him in and hid him – along with several others – behind a false wall until the end of the war (1).
Statistical modeling of global soil NOx emissions
Authors: Yan Xiaoyuan , Ohara Toshimasa , Akimoto Hajime
Published: September 2005

On the basis of field measurements of NOx emissions from soils, we developed a statistical model to describe the influences of soil organic carbon (SOC) content, soil pH, land‐cover type, climate, and nitrogen input on NOx emission. While also considering the effects of soil temperature, soil moisture change‐induced pulse emission, and vegetation fire, we simulated NOx emissions from global soils at resolutions of 0.5° and 6 hours. Canopy reduction was included in both data processing and flux simulation. NOx emissions were positively correlated with SOC content and negatively correlated with soil pH. Soils in dry or temperate regions had higher NOx emission potentials than soils in cold or tropical regions. Needleleaf forest and agricultural soils had high NOx emissions. The annual NOx emission from global soils was calculated to be 7.43 Tg N, decreasing to 4.97 Tg N after canopy reduction. Global averages of nitrogen fertilizer–induced emission ratios were 1.16% above soil and 0.70% above canopy. Soil moisture change–induced pulse emission contributed about 4% to global annual NOx emission, and the effect of vegetation fire on soil NOx emission was negligible.
Geochemical structure of the Hawaiian plume: Sr, Nd, and Os isotopes in the 2.8 km HSDP‐2 section of Mauna Kea volcano
Authors: Bryce Julia G. , DePaolo Donald J. , Lassiter John C.
Published: September 2005

Sr, Nd, and Os isotopic measurements were made on 110 Mauna Kea lava and hyaloclastite samples from the drillcore retrieved from the second phase of the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project (HSDP‐2). The samples come from depths of 255 to 3098 meters below sea level, span an age range from 200 to about 550‐600 kyr, and represent an ordered record of the lava output from Mauna Kea volcano as it drifted a distance of about 40 km over the magma‐producing region of the Hawaiian hot spot. The deepest (oldest) samples represent the time when Mauna Kea was closest to the center of the melting region of the Hawaiian plume. The Sr and Os isotopic ratios in HSDP‐2 lavas show only subtle isotopic shifts over the ∼400 kyr history represented by the core. Neodymium isotopes (ɛNd values) increase systematically with decreasing age from an average value of nearly +6.5 to an average value of +7.5. This small change corresponds to subtle shifts in 87Sr/86Sr and 187Os/188Os isotope ratios, with small shifts of ɛHf, a large shift in 208Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/207Pb values, and with a very large shift in He isotope ratios from R/RA values of about 7–8 to values as high as 25. When Mauna Kea was closest to the plume core, the magma source did not have primitive characteristics for Nd, Sr, Pb, Hf, and Os isotopes but did have variable amounts of “primitive” helium. The systematic shifts in Nd, Hf, Pb, and He isotopes are consistent with radial isotopic zoning within the melting region of the plume. The melting region constitutes only the innermost, highest‐temperature part of the thermally anomalous plume mantle. The different ranges of values observed for each isotopic system, and comparison of Mauna Kea lavas with those of Mauna Loa, suggest that the axial region of the plume, which has a radius of ∼20 km, is a mixture of recycled subducted components and primitive lower mantle materials, recently combined during the formational stages of the plume at the base of the mantle. The proportions of recycled and primitive components are not constant, and this requires there be longitudinal (vertical) heterogeneity within the core of the plume. The remainder of the plume, outside this plume “core zone,” is less heterogeneous but distinct from upper mantle as represented by mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB). The plume structure may provide a detailed view of mantle isotopic composition near the core‐mantle boundary.
Alteration of hyaloclastites in the HSDP 2 Phase 1 Drill Core: 2. Mass balance of the conversion of sideromelane to palagonite and chabazite
Authors: Walton Anthony W. , Schiffman Peter , Macpherson G. L.
Published: September 2005

The Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project 2 Phase 1 core permits study of each stage of alteration of basalt glass during burial because stages of the process are separated vertically. Previous work has shown that alteration of hyaloclastite occurs progressively. The latest stage observed in the Phase 1 core involves marginal replacement of sideromelane in shards with palagonite while simultaneously forming chabazite in pores. The basic reaction at this stage is sideromelane + components from pore waters = palagonite + chabazite + components to pore waters. Mass balance calculations show that Fe was virtually immobile in this process, being retained in palagonite. Na, Ca, Ba, P, Al, and Si were lost during palagonitization and not fully consumed in making chabazite. Mg was lost during palagonitization but retained elsewhere in smectite. K, Rb, and Sr were extracted from pore waters and enriched in the sum of the alteration products. The amount of enrichment depended upon the amount of chabazite present, which depended upon the porosity when chabazite formed. Ti, Y, U, Zr, Nb, REE, and Th were enriched in palagonite, compared to sideromelane, but were absent in chabazite. Mass balance of all phases for the entire alteration process (including earlier stages) was not possible because poorly consolidated samples do not yield accurate modal values of phases, trace element analysis of smectite was not possible, and exchange with lavas and intrusions in the succession cannot be evaluated. Calculations indicate that too little of major oxides, except Na2O, was released during palagonitization to account for the amount of smectite observed in hyaloclastites. The results of this study, and several others published in the literature, indicate that under various circumstances palagonitization will consume particular elements from pore fluid or release them to it. Such mobility implies that the hydrology of the particular system and the composition of the dissolved solids in the pore water will control whether palagonitization is a source or sink of elements. The potential exists that palagonitization of basalt glass is an important source or sink of elements for seawater and fluids circulating in the ocean crust.
Titan interaction with Saturn's magnetosphere: Voyager 1 results revisited
Authors: Sittler E. C. , Hartle R. E. , Viñas A. F. , Johnson R. E. , Smith H. T. , Mueller‐Wodarg I.
Published: September 2005

We investigate the details of Titan's interaction with Saturn's magnetosphere, which includes formation and location of an ionopause, mass loading via ion pickup, and the effects of finite gyroradii. We present new interpretations of the Voyager 1 plasma instrument measurements not addressed by Hartle et al. (1982). Pickup ions H+ and H2+ dominate in the outermost region with respect to Titan's “ionopause,” followed by CH4+ at intermediate distances and N2+ just outside the “ionopause.” Mass loading and slowing down of the ambient plasma is observed to increase as the pickup ion mass increases with decreasing radial distance from Titan's ionosphere. H2 and CH4 are molecules not originally included in the exosphere of Titan by Hartle and coworkers, and the pickup ions of H2+ and CH4+ are a new feature of our model calculations and should be present in Titan's exospheric region. Therefore Titan could be an important source of carbon to Saturn's magnetosphere. Finite gyroradius effects are identified in the plasma interaction with Titan's atmosphere, which results in an asymmetric removal of ambient plasma from Titan's exosphere region. The finite gyroradius effects also show that the observed hot keV ion component of the ambient plasma is a heavy ion such as N+/O+. A minimum “ionopause” altitude of 4800 km is estimated by a new approach using mass loading.
Rates and uncertainties on seismic moment and deformation in eastern Canada
Authors: Mazzotti Stéphane , Adams John
Published: September 2005

On the basis of earthquake statistics from the Canadian earthquake hazard model, we estimate the rates of seismic moment and deformation in seismic zones of eastern Canada. We use a logic tree approach to derive median values and 66% confidence intervals for models based on earthquake cluster distributions and geological and tectonic structures. Typical moment rates are low, (0.1–1) × 1017 N m yr−1, equivalent to a magnitude Mw = 7 earthquake every 350–3500 years in each seismic zone. In a few zones, such as Baffin Bay, moment rates reach (2–10) × 1017 N m yr−1. Expressed in terms of relative velocity between zone boundaries, seismic deformation rates are typically 0.2–0.5 mm yr−1. For a few regions of high seismicity, such as Baffin Bay, Charlevoix, or Grand Banks, the relative velocities reach 1–2 mm yr−1. Strain rates are typical of the intraplate environment (10−13–10−10 yr−1), with values locally as high as 10−8 yr−1. These rates give some insight into geodynamic aspects of the northeastern North America plate. Assuming that the seismic deformation rates represent long‐term deformation of the lithosphere, they provide some constraint to the amplitude and variability of intraplate strain. On a shorter timescale, seismic strain rates can be compared with postglacial rebound predictions and might help constrain some aspects of these models. Because they reflect the seismic energy released over the last few hundred years, our estimates, in combination with geodetic measurements, can also help constrain models of earthquake dynamics in eastern North America.
Modeling the density at Merapi volcano area, Indonesia, via the inverse gravimetric problem
Authors: Tiede C. , Camacho A. G. , Gerstenecker C. , Fernández J. , Suyanto I.
Published: September 2005

Merapi is a high‐risk andesitic volcano in Central Java, Indonesia. Very little information is known about the detailed regional density structure around Merapi and its neighbor volcano Merbabu. We compute a subsurface three‐dimensional (3‐D) model of anomalous density for the volcanoes Merapi and Merbabu in Central Java, Indonesia, by inversion of the gravity field. As input for the inversion methodology, gravity observations from 443 points, whose 3‐D coordinates are determined by GPS, are used. The inversion algorithm is based on an explorative approach to fit a least squares condition, including a balancing factor between the minimization of the residuals and the anomalous mass. A mean density about 2242 kg/m3 for the region of Merapi and Merbabu has been computed by least squares adjustment. Results of the inversion show major low‐density contrasts up to −242 kg/m3 and positive structures about +264 kg/m3, referred to the determined mean density. A density anomaly (relative high) with densities up to +264 kg/m3 is connecting the volcanoes in a 152° course from NW to SE and might be built of older basaltic lava. Low‐density contrasts about −242 kg/m could be found in agreement with magnetotelluric and electromagnetic results. Generally, the identified high‐ and low‐density bodies are in agreement with the results of other geophysical methods such as electromagnetic and magnetotelluric prospecting or geological formations and structures. A porosity about 21% is derived for the largest negative density bodies about −242 kg/m3. Furthermore, the density model gives some new information about the controversial origin of a hill formation near Merapi and is also used to discuss the possible existence of a shallow magma chamber, which is also a controversial subject. Generally, the density model serves as basic information for the interpretation of geodetic and geophysical observations and confirms existing results from magnetotellurics, electromagnetics, and seismic data interpretation.
The state of hydrogen peroxide on Europa
Authors: Loeffler M. J. , Baragiola R. A.
Published: September 2005

We report infrared reflectance studies in the laboratory that reveal the state of hydrogen peroxide on Europa. Detailed analysis of the 3.5 μm infrared absorption band for hydrogen peroxide grown in a number of water ice environments shows that, for temperatures and concentrations relevant to Europa (80–130 K), hydrogen peroxide molecules exist in isolated trimers H2O2•2H2O. If the temperature on an icy body containing H2O2 approaches 150 K, as on Ganymede, the trimers aggregate into precipitates of crystalline dihydrate H2O2•2H2O.
Impact of heterogeneous sulfate formation at mineral dust surfaces on aerosol loads and radiative forcing in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies general circulation model
Authors: Bauer S. E. , Koch D.
Published: September 2005

Heterogeneous chemical reactions between sulfate precursors on the surface of mineral dust aerosols affect the atmospheric aerosol cycle and the Earth radiation budget. Heterogeneous reactions of sulfur dioxide with mineral dust particles enhance sulfate formation by producing internally mixed sulfate dust aerosols. The anthropogenic sulfate forcing is estimated to be reduced to −0.18 W/m2 because of the reduced load of externally mixed sulfate aerosols, compared to −0.25 W/m2 when heterogeneous surface reactions are excluded. Sulfate coating on mineral dust particles increases wet deposition of dust, causing a positive anthropogenic forcing due to less sulfate coating at preindustrial times. However, heterogeneous reaction pathways are highly uncertain, which is reflected in the wide spread of reaction pathways and uptake probability coefficients in the literature. We undertake a series of sensitivity experiments with the Goddard Institute for Space Studies climate model to investigate the impact of the uncertainty in uptake mechanisms and dust aerosol size distributions on the simulated sulfate cycle. The results of this study are very sensitive to both tested variables. For example, doubling the clay emissions (particles whose radii are less than 1 μm) leads to a sevenfold increase in heterogeneous sulfate production.
Effective unsaturated hydraulic conductivity for one‐dimensional structured heterogeneity
Authors: Warrick A. W.
Published: September 2005

Effective hydraulic conductivities of unsaturated soils are defined for one‐dimensional structured heterogeneity. The heterogeneity is defined using homogeneous sublayers forming repeated unit cells of length L. The effective conductivity is defined as the steady downward Darcian velocity in an infinitely deep profile. The dependence of the hydraulic conductivity upon the pressure head is found by computing the average value of pressure head within the repeating unit cells for each effective conductivity. For a cell of length L approaching zero, the effective conductivity becomes the harmonic average of the individual sublayer hydraulic conductivities weighted according to the cell fraction each occupies. In that case, as the profile approaches saturation, the effective conductivity is the same as the well‐known result for flow through an “array” of saturated layers. For a large cell length L, the effective hydraulic conductivity approaches an arithmetic average of the pressure heads which develop in each sublayer. Examples are computed for finite cell lengths L for both binary and tertiary systems. The effective hydraulic conductivity functions for the finite cell lengths fall within the envelope formed by the two limiting cases for small and large cell lengths. For the binary system, all of the hydraulic conductivity functions fall between the envelopes formed by the two hydraulic conductivity functions for the individual sublayer materials.
Meso‐dihydroguaiaretic acid and licarin A of Machilus thunbergii protect against glutamate‐induced toxicity in primary cultures of a rat cortical cells
Authors: Ma Choong Je , Kim So Ra , Kim Jinwoong , Kim Young Choong
Published: September 2005

We previously reported that four lignans isolated from the bark of Machilus thunbergii Sieb. et Zucc. (Lauraceae) protected primary cultures of rat cortical neurons from neurotoxicity induced by glutamate.

Among the lignans, meso‐dihydroguaiarectic acid (MDGA) and licarin A significantly attenuated glutamate‐induced neurotoxicity when added prior to or right after the excitotoxic glutamate challenge.

The neuroprotective activities of two lignans appeared to be more effective in protecting neurons against neurotoxicity induced by NMDA than that induced by kainic acid.

MDGA and licarin A diminished the calcium influx that routinely accompanies with the glutamate‐induced neurotoxicity, and inhibited the subsequent overproduction of cellular nitric oxide and peroxide to the level of control cells. They also preserved cellular activities of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase reduced in the glutamate‐injured neuronal cells.

Thus, our results suggest that MDGA and licarin A significantly protect primary cultured neuronal cells against glutamate‐induced oxidative stress, via antioxidative activities.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 752–759. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706380
Reversal of cardiac dysfunction by selective ET‐A receptor antagonism
Authors: Allan Anthony , Fenning Andrew , Levick Scott , Hoey Andrew , Brown Lindsay
Published: September 2005

The effectiveness of a selective endothelin receptor‐A (ET‐A) antagonist, A‐127722 (approximately 10 mg kg−1 day−1 as 200 mg kg−1 powdered food), to reverse existing cardiac remodelling and prevent further remodelling was tested in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)‐salt hypertensive rats.

Uninephrectomised rats (UNX) administered DOCA (25 mg every fourth day s.c.) and 1% NaCl in drinking water for 28 days developed hypertension (systolic blood pressure (BP): UNX 128±6 mmHg, DOCA‐salt 182±5* mmHg; *P<0.05 vs UNX), left ventricular hypertrophy (UNX 1.99±0.06 mg kg−1 body wt, DOCA‐salt 3.30±0.08* mg kg−1 body wt), decreased left ventricular internal diameter (UNX 6.69±0.18 mm, DOCA‐salt 5.51±0.37* mm), an increased left ventricular monocyte/macrophage infiltration together with an increased interstitial collagen from 2.7±0.3 to 11.7±1.3%, increased passive diastolic stiffness (UNX 21.1±0.5, DOCA‐salt 30.1±1.3*), prolongation of the action potential duration at 20 and 90% of repolarisation (APD20–UNX 6.8±1.1, DOCA‐salt 10.1±1.5* ms; APD90–UNX 34.4±3.5 ms, DOCA‐salt 64.3±10.4* ms) and vascular dysfunctions (2.6‐fold decrease in maximal contractile response to noradrenaline, 3.5‐fold decrease in maximal relaxation response to acetylcholine).

Administration of A‐127722 for 14 days starting 14 days after surgery attenuated the increases in systolic BP (150±6** mmHg, **P<0.05 vs DOCA‐salt), left ventricular wet weight (2.65±0.06** mg kg−1 body wt) and internal diameter (6.39±0.31** mm), prevented left ventricular monocyte/macrophage accumulation, attenuated the increased left ventricular interstitial collagen (7.6±1.3%**), reversed the increased passive diastolic stiffness (22.1±1.2**), attenuated the action potential duration prolongation (APD20 – 7.6±1.4**, APD90 – 41.5±6.9** ms) and normalised changes in vascular function.

ET‐A receptor antagonism both reverses and prevents the cardiac and vascular remodelling in DOCA‐salt hypertension and improves cardiovascular function.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 846–853. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706384
Functional characterization and expression of endothelin receptors in rat carotid artery: involvement of nitric oxide, a vasodilator prostanoid and the opening of K+ channels in ETB‐induced relaxation
Authors: Tirapelli Carlos R , Casolari Debora A , Yogi Alvaro , Montezano Augusto C , Tostes Rita C , Legros Eurode , D'Orléans‐Juste Pedro , De Oliveira Ana M
Published: September 2005

We aimed to functionally characterize endothelin (ET) receptors in the rat carotid artery. mRNA and protein expressions of both ETA and ETB receptors, evaluated by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and Western immunoblotting, were detected in carotid segments. Immunohistochemical assays showed that ETB receptors are expressed in the endothelium and smooth muscle cells, while ETA receptors are expressed only in the smooth muscle cells. In endothelium‐denuded vessels, levels of ETB receptor mRNA were reduced.

Vascular reactivity experiments, using standard muscle bath procedures, showed that ET‐1 induces contraction in endothelium‐intact and ‐denuded carotid rings in a concentration‐dependent manner. Endothelial removal enhanced ET‐1‐induced contraction. BQ123 and BQ788, selective antagonists for ETA and ETB receptors, respectively, produced concentration‐dependent rightward displacements of the ET‐1 concentration–response curves.

IRL1620, a selective agonist for ETB receptors, induced a slight vasoconstriction that was abolished by BQ788, but not affected by BQ123. IRL1620‐induced contraction was augmented after endothelium removal.

ET‐1 concentration dependently relaxed phenylephrine‐precontracted rings with intact endothelium. The relaxation was augmented in the presence of BQ123, reduced in the presence of BQ788 and completely abolished after endothelium removal. IRL1620 induced vasorelaxation that was abolished by BQ788 and endothelium removal, but not affected by BQ123.

Preincubation of intact rings with NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME), 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐a]quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ), indomethacin or tetraethylammonium (TEA) reduced IRL1620‐induced relaxation. The combination of L‐NAME, indomethacin and TEA completely abolished IRL1620‐induced relaxation while sulfaphenazole did not affect this response. 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP), but not apamin, glibenclamide or charybdotoxin, reduced IRL1620‐induced relaxation.

The major finding of this work is that it firstly demonstrated functionally the existence of both ETA and ETB vasoconstrictor receptors located on the smooth muscle of rat carotid arteries and endothelial ETB receptors that mediated vasorelaxation via NO–cGMP pathway, vasodilator cyclooxygenase product(s) and the activation of voltage‐dependent K+ channels.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 903–912. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706388
Cerebral Mast Cells Regulate Early Ischemic Brain Swelling and Neutrophil Accumulation
Authors: Strbian Daniel , Karjalainen-Lindsberg Marja-Liisa , Tatlisumak Turgut , Lindsberg Perttu J
Published: September 2005

We previously observed degranulated mast cells (MC) in association with perivascular brain edema formation during focal cerebral ischemia. Brain MC are typically located perivascularly and contain potent fast-acting vasoactive and proteolytic substances. We examined in a rat model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) whether, in the early phase of ischemia, MC regulate microcirculation, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and edema formation. First, animals received MC inhibitor (cromoglycate), MC-degranulating drug (compound 48/80), or saline. Thereafter, we performed transient MCAO in gene-manipulated MC-deficient rats and their wild-type (WT) littermates, calculating brain swelling, visualizing BBB leakage by intravenously administered Evans blue albumin, and determining neutrophil infiltration with light microscopy. Cerebral blood flow, monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry in separate experiments, was similar among pharmacological treatments. Ischemic swelling resulted in increased hemispheric volume of 13.4% ± 1.0% in controls, 8.1% ± 0.4% (39% reduction) after cromoglycate, and 25.2% ± 2.0% (89% increase) after compound 48/80 ( P < 0.05). Early ischemic BBB leakage was reduced by 51% after cromoglycate, and 50% enhanced by compound 48/80 ( P < 0.05). The cromoglycate group showed 37% less postischemic neutrophil infiltration than did controls ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, MC-deficient rats responded to focal ischemia with 58% less brain swelling (6.7% ± 1.2%) than did their WT littermates (15.8% ± 1.4%, P < 0.05). Blood-brain barrier damage was 47% lower in MC-deficient rats than in the WT ( P < 0.05). Neutrophil infiltration after MCAO was decreased 47% in MC-deficient rats in comparison to WT ( P < 0.05). Pharmacological MC inhibition thus appears to deserve further investigation regarding reduction of brain swelling and inflammation early after stroke.
A density-functional study on π-aromatic interaction: Benzene dimer and naphthalene dimer
Authors: Sato Takeshi , Tsuneda Takao , Hirao Kimihiko
Published: September 2005

The long-range correction (LC) scheme of density-functional theory (DFT) was applied to the calculation of the π-aromatic interaction of the benzene dimer and naphthalene dimer. In previous calculations, it was confirmed that the LC scheme [Iikura et al., J. Chem. Phys. 115, 3540 (2001)] gives very accurate potential- energy surfaces (PESs) of small van der Waals (vdW) complexes by combining with the Anderson-Langreth-Lundqvist (ALL) vdW correlation functional [Andersson et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 102 (1996)] (LC-DFT+ALL). In this study, LC-DFT+ALL method was examined by calculating a wide range of PES of the benzene dimer including parallel, T-shaped, and parallel-displaced configurations. As a result, we succeeded in reproducing very accurate PES within the energy deviance of less than 1kcal∕mol in comparison with the results of high-level ab initio molecular-orbital methods at all reference points on the PES. It was also found that LC-DFT+ALL gave accurate results independent of exchange-correlation functional used, in contrast with the strong functional dependencies of conventional pure functionals. This indicates that both exchange repulsion and van der Waals attractive interactions should be correctly incorporated in conventional pure functionals in order to calculate accurate π-aromatic interactions. We also found that LC-DFT+ALL method has a low basis-set dependency in the calculations of π-aromatic interactions. The present scheme was also successfully applied to the π,…,π stacking interactions of naphthalene dimer. This may suggest that LC-DFT+ALL method would be a powerful tool in the calculations of large molecules such as biomolecules.
Remanent magnetization states and interactions in square arrays of 100-nm cobalt dots measured using transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Bromwich T. J. , Kohn A. , Petford-Long A. K. , Kasama T. , Dunin-Borkowski R. E. , Newcomb S. B. , Ross C. A.
Published: September 2005

Large area square arrays of circular cobalt dots, nominally 100nm in diameter and 20nm in thickness, were patterned using interference lithography. Magnetic remanent states were measured using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results show that the dots are mostly single domain, although vortex states and multidomain configurations are occasionally observed. Significant magnetic interactions between adjacent dots result in variations in their magnetization direction away from the direction of the applied field. The suitability of such dots for data storage applications is discussed. Quantitative magnetic phase measurements were also obtained by applying the transport of intensity equation to images acquired using the Fresnel mode of Lorentz microscopy in the TEM. The consistency between the electron holography and transport of intensity equation (TIE) results is assessed.
Composition control and ferroelectric properties of sidewalls in integrated three-dimensional SrBi2Ta2O9-based ferroelectric capacitors
Authors: Goux L. , Lisoni J. G. , Schwitters M. , Paraschiv V. , Maes D. , Haspeslagh L. , Wouters D. J. , Menou N. , Turquat Ch. , Madigou V. , Muller Ch. , Zambrano R.
Published: September 2005

The difficult scaling of ferroelectric random access memories with the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology roadmap requires integration of three-dimensional (3D) ferroelectric capacitors (FeCAP’s). In this work the unusual electrical behavior of 3D FeCAP sidewalls was studied by comparing the electrical properties of two-dimensional and 3D integrated FeCAP structures. We evidenced composition variations of the SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) film in the sidewalls with marked bismuth segregation during metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD) of the SBT film. The segregation was reduced after decreasing the deposition temperature from 440°C, whereby the Bi-rich phase in the sidewalls does not contribute to polarization, down to 405°C, whereby sidewall SBT contributes to polarization. After further optimization of the MOCVD conditions at 405°C, the segregation is minimized and the ferroelectric contribution of the sidewall SBT is almost the same as the contribution of the planar SBT. As a result, 3D FeCAP’s integrated up to metal interconnection exhibit a remnant polarization Pr∼7.5μC∕cm2.
Star-branched polymers in an adsorbing slit: A Monte Carlo study
Authors: Romiszowski Piotr , Sikorski Andrzej
Published: September 2005

A coarse-grained model of star-branched polymer chains confined in a slit was studied. The slit was formed by two parallel impenetrable surfaces, which were attractive for polymer beads. The polymer chains were flexible homopolymers built of identical united atoms whose positions in space were restricted to the vertices of a simple cubic lattice. The chains were regular star polymers consisted of f=3 branches of equal length. The chains were modeled in good solvent conditions and, thus, there were no long-range specific interactions between the polymer beads—only the excluded volume was present. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out using the algorithm based on a chain’s local changes of conformation. The influence of the chain length, the distances between the confining surfaces, and the strength of the adsorption on the properties of the star-branched polymers was studied. It was shown that the universal behavior found previously for the dimension of chains was not valid for some dynamic properties. The strongly adsorbed chains can change their position so that they swap between both surfaces with frequency depending on the size of the slit and on the temperature only.
Valence-band electron-tunneling measurement of the gate work function: Application to the high-κ/polycrystalline-silicon interface
Authors: Pantisano Luigi , Afanas’ev Valeri , Pourtois Geoffrey , Chen P. J.
Published: September 2005

A technique is demonstrated to measure the band alignment between the silicon substrate and the gate electrode using the valence-band electron tunneling (VBET). When an n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor is biased in inversion the valence-band electron from the Si substrate can tunnel into the gate [A. Shanware, J. Shiely, H. Massoud, E. Vogel, K. Henson, A. Srivastava, C. Osburn, J. Hauser, and J. Wortman, Tech. Dig.-Int. Electron Devices Meet.1999, 815], depending on the overlapping of the density of states in the Si valence band and the gate. This technique is suitable to measure the band alignment between the silicon substrate and the gate electrode with any given gate dielectric, provided that both the gate and substrate leakages are dominated by direct tunneling. This technique has been applied to study the SiO2/polycrystalline-silicon (poly-Si) interface behavior in the presence of submonolayer traces of HfO2. The general applicability of VBET to arbitrary gate stacks is finally demonstrated with the HfSiON/poly-Si case.
Phase transformation analysis in titanium at nanosecond time resolution
Authors: Kleinschmidt H. , Ziegler A. , Campbell G. H. , Colvin J. D. , Bostanjoglo O.
Published: September 2005

Polycrystalline and mosaic bicrystalline titanium films were subjected to steep heating/cooling rate of 1011∕108Ks−1 by laser pulsing. The induced phase transformations were followed by imaging and diffraction with a dynamic transmission electron microscope on the time scale of nanoseconds. On heating the film up to near the melting point with a 6-ns laser pulse, the low-temperature hcp phase transformed to the high-temperature bcc phase, with a nucleation rate of 1025m−3s−1 and a crystal-growth velocity of about 1000ms−1. Quenching of molten Ti first produced the bcc phase, which in turn transformed to the hcp phase within a few microseconds. Thus, hcp-bcc transformations occur in Ti, even at the above high thermal rates. They are martensitic and not diffusion limited as claimed for transformations at low thermal rates.
Metal-organic molecular-beam epitaxy of GaN with trimethylgallium and ammonia: Experiment and modeling
Authors: Gherasoiu I. , Nikishin S. , Temkin H.
Published: September 2005

Metal-organic molecular-beam epitaxy with trimethylgallium and ammonia is used to grow GaN on Si(111). Our analysis of the growth data shows an increase in the apparent formation energy Eapp of epitaxial GaN, from 0.168to0.56eV, with an increasing flux of ammonia. A rate-equation-based growth model is proposed and used to fit the growth data. Regarding the interaction potential, the model assumes the presence of an activated state, intermediate between physisorption and chemisorption, and includes second-order recombination-desorption processes important in the modeling of high-temperature growth. It is shown that the formation energy of epitaxial GaN, Ef, depends on the growth conditions as the activation energy and surface diffusion energy barriers increase or decrease with the change in the impinging fluxes and surface density of precursors. For such a particular set of growth conditions, the model allows us to determine the formation energy of epitaxial GaN as Ef=0.11eV, ∼35% smaller than the apparent activation energy obtained directly from the growth data. Eapp=0.168eV.
Thermal calibration procedure for internal infrared laser deflection apparatus
Authors: Perpiñà Xavier , Jordà Xavier , Madrid Francesc , Flores David , Hidalgo Salvador , Vellvehi Miquel , Mestres Narcís
Published: September 2005

A procedure to calibrate the temperature measurements in the transient regime of internal IR-laser deflection (IIR-LD) apparatus is presented. For this purpose, a thermal test chip (TTC), whose behavior is analytically well described by a simple model, is used. During the calibration process, the TTC is thermally excited during short heating times (up to 250μs), estimating its internal temperature profile by IIR-LD measurements. Afterwards, experimental results and model predictions are compared. Good agreement between theory and experiment is found when a temperature rise ranging from 0to1.4K is measured. The presented procedure can be also used to thermally calibrate optical probing apparatus for measuring the thermal behavior of power devices, as well as to determine thermal parameters of other materials, such as SiC and GaN. In particular, it should be very useful for the determination of the thermo-optical coefficient (∂n∕∂T)C of such materials. In the present work, a value for (∂n∕∂T)C of 2.0×10−4K−1 is found in silicon, which agrees with literature reported values. The benefits of this method are its simplicity, accuracy, and low time consumption.
A phenomenological thermodynamic potential for BaTiO3 single crystals
Authors: Li Y. L. , Cross L. E. , Chen L. Q.
Published: September 2005

A phenomenological thermodynamic potential was constructed based on the properties of bulk BaTiO3 single crystals. An eighth-order polynomial of Landau-Devonshire expansion was employed. It reproduces bulk properties including the three possible ferroelectric transition temperatures and their dependence on electric fields, as well as the dielectric and piezoelectric constants. Different from the existing thermodynamic potential, it is applicable to predicting the ferroelectric phase transitions and properties of BaTiO3 thin films under large compressive biaxial strains.
Theoretical expression for elastic relaxation in strained-layer superlattice specimens thinned for transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Shimotahira Hiroshi , Nakamura Kenichi
Published: September 2005

We derived a theoretical expression for elastic relaxation in a strained-layer superlattice (SLS) grown coherently on substrates. The derived formula takes into account two types of elastic relaxation: one between adjacent layers in the SLS, and another between the whole SLS and the substrates. Numerical calculations for a strained multi-quantum-well laser diode as an example of a SLS showed that elastic relaxation due to the average strain of the whole SLS occurs even for a relatively thick specimen, while periodic elastic relaxation due to the strain between layers in the SLS occurs near the specimen surface. These theoretical results are in good agreement with those obtained by computer simulations based on finite-element method.
Effects of radial breathing mode phonons on charge transport in semiconducting zigzag carbon nanotubes
Authors: Verma A. , Kauser M. Z. , Ruden P. P.
Published: September 2005

We report ensemble Monte Carlo transport simulation results for single-wall semiconducting zigzag carbon nanotubes. The effects of electron scattering by radial breathing mode phonons are investigated. The basis for the Monte Carlo simulations is provided by electronic structure calculations in the framework of the tight-binding model. Scattering mechanisms considered are due to electron-phonon interactions involving longitudinal acoustic, longitudinal optical, and radial breathing mode phonons. The steady-state velocity is lower for low and moderate electric fields when radial breathing mode phonons are taken into account. Electron scattering by radial breathing mode phonons does not appear to affect strongly the steady-state electron transport within a carbon nanotube at high electric fields. Oscillations in the transient velocity show increased damping.
Analytical calculation of slip flow in lattice Boltzmann models with kinetic boundary conditions
Authors: Sbragaglia M. , Succi S.
Published: September 2005

We present a mathematical formulation of kinetic boundary conditions for lattice Boltzmann schemes in terms of reflection, slip, and accommodation coefficients. It is analytically and numerically shown that, in the presence of a nonzero slip coefficient, the lattice Boltzmann develops a physical slip flow component at the wall. Moreover, it is shown that the slip coefficient can be tuned in such a way to recover quantitative agreement with the analytical and experimental results up to second order in the Knudsen number.
Yellow and green bands in GaN by resolved spectral photoconductivity
Authors: Castaldini A. , Cavallini A. , Polenta L.
Published: September 2005

Defect-related bands and their properties are widely investigated in gallium nitride, especially by luminescence techniques, which evidenced a broad yellow band, and seldom, a green band. We present here a study of the visible portion of the photoconductivity spectra obtained in samples of different thicknesses and doping. The superior resolution of photoconductivity with respect to luminescence techniques allows for clearly distinguishing green and yellow bands, both showing a double peak structure. Moreover, while the yellow band shape results were unchanged with sample properties, the green band is sensitive to the growth conditions. Hence some hypotheses about their microscopic origin can be proposed.
Mechanism of tantalum adhesion on SiLK™
Authors: Hu Yue , Yang Shuo-Wang , Chen Xian Tong , Lu Dong , Feng Yuan Ping , Wu Ping
Published: September 2005

Tantalum adhesion on SiLK™ was investigated using first-principles method based on density functional theory. Phenylene groups were found to play a major role and the adjacent semi-benzene rings also contribute significantly to Ta adhesion on SiLK™. In addition, the degradation effects of H2∕He reactive plasma clean on Ta adhesion on SiLK™ was investigated. Based on our findings, argon plasma treatment was suggested and implemented after reactive plasma cleaning process, which resulted in integration of SiLK™ with Cu up to seven metal layers.