bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Early and Late Complications after Various Bariatric Procedures: Incidence and Treatment During 15 Years at a Single Institution
Authors: Skroubis George , Karamanakos Stavros , Sakellaropoulos George , Panagopoulos Konstantinos , Kalfarentzos Fotis
Published: October 2010

Background

Bariatric procedures are effective in the life‐long treatment of clinically severe obesity, but they are technically demanding and have known complications. The present study presents mortality and morbidity with different procedures from the prospective 15‐year bariatric database of the University Hospital of Patras in Greece.

Methods

From June 1994 through December 2008, 1,162 morbidly obese patients underwent various bariatric procedures at our institution (35 vertical banded gastroplasties, 151 laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomies, 90 open and 137 laparoscopic Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypasses, 699 biliopancreatic diversions with long limbs, and 50 reoperations). Postoperative metabolic deficiencies and causes of early and late morbidity for various bariatric procedures were compared by using the z‐test for the comparison of proportions. Logistic regression analysis was used to model the occurrence of early and late death and complications.

Results

Total mortality was 1.81% (early 0.6%, intermediate 0.26%, late 0.95%). No significant predictors for early death were found, but age (odds ratio (OR), 1.077; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.024–1.133; P = 0.004) and BMI (OR, 1.156; 95% CI, 1.023–1.306; P = 0.02) were predictors for late death. Early and late morbidity were 8% and 27.71%, respectively. The total leakage incidence was 1.98% and was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after reoperation. Fifteen of the 23 leaks were successfully treated conservatively. Most late complications were incisional hernias (18.85%)—almost all after open procedures. Hypoalbuminemia incidence was significantly higher after biliopancreatic diversion with long limbs (3.58%) and reoperation (8%).

Conclusions

Bariatric procedures, even in specialized centers, may have serious complications because of their technical complexity in a high‐risk population. Almost all can be managed successfully.
Aristoteles und Athen
Authors: Wilamowitz-Moellendorff Ulrich von
Published: October 2010

Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff (1848–1931) was one of the most prominent German philologists of his time and his work is still well regarded. This book, originally published in 1893, is a detailed analysis of the The Constitution of the Athenians, then usually (though not universally) regarded as a work of Aristotle. Wilamowitz accepts Aristotle's authorship of the famous treatise on the history of the constitution that restored democracy after the oligarchy of the Thirty (403 BCE). In Volume 1, he investigates the historical sources employed by Aristotle, hypothesising that he was using at least two now lost works in addition to Herodotus and Thucydides, and that these were likely to be semi-official, contemporary chronicles of events in the city.
Following insects around: tools and techniques of eighteenth-century natural history
Authors: TERRALL MARY
Published: October 2010

This paper examines the movement of the materials, ideas and practices that went into the construction of natural-historical observations in Paris and the French provinces – in particular, observations of insects. The paired notions of circulation and locality expose the complex dynamic at play in the production of knowledge about these mundane creatures. I show how the movement of things and people problematizes the notion of a single ‘centre of calculation’, even where a dominant figure like Réaumur was managing collections and producing authoritative texts. Réaumur was indeed managing the flow of observations, letters and specimens from his privileged vantage point in Paris, but he was not the only one doing the processing, and the objects and knowledge flowed in all directions. The paper uses correspondence among eighteenth-century naturalists of various sorts to get at the dynamics of circulation, tracing the movements of insects, bits of text or narrative, drawings, letters, questions, apparatus, books and people. My title refers to the activities of naturalists, who had to follow insects around in order to observe them, and to my own activity in following the insects in their movement through letters, conversations, specimen jars, drawings and texts. My research depends on the accumulation of details about experimental and observational practice, culled from the masses of letters that moved continually around Europe, much as the science of insects depended on the accumulation of details about insects – their physiology, habits, metamorphosis and place in the human economy and the economy of nature.
A randomized trial of unilateral and bilateral prefrontal cortex transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment-resistant major depression
Authors: Fitzgerald P. B. , Hoy K. , Gunewardene R. , Slack C. , Ibrahim S. , Bailey M. , Daskalakis Z. J.
Published: October 2010

Background

Although several studies have reported that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment has demonstrable efficacy in patients with depression, the parameters needed to optimize therapeutic efficacy remain unclear. To this end we determined the efficacy of low-frequency right rTMS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) compared to two forms of bilateral rTMS to the DLPFC: (1) sequential low-frequency right-sided followed by high-frequency left-sided rTMS and (2) sequential low-frequency rTMS to both hemispheres.

Method

A total of 219 patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) were randomized to a 4-week course of rTMS applied with one of the three treatment conditions. Outcomes were assessed with standard rating scales.

Results

Overall, slightly more than 50% of the patients achieved clinical response criteria. There was no substantial difference in response between the unilateral and bilateral treatment groups. Successful response to rTMS was predicted by a greater degree of baseline depression severity.

Conclusions

There is no substantial difference in efficacy between unilateral right-sided rTMS and the two forms of bilateral rTMS assessed in the study. Furthermore, our results call into question the specificity between frequency and laterality and rTMS response.
Hierarchical component-based representations for evolving microelectromechanical systems designs
Authors: Zhang Ying , Agogino Alice M.
Published: October 2010

In this paper we present a genotype representation method for improving the performance of genetic-algorithm-based optimal design and synthesis of microelectromechanical systems. The genetic algorithm uses a hierarchical component-based genotype representation, which incorporates specific engineering knowledge into the design optimization process. Each microelectromechanical system component is represented by a gene with its own parameters defining its geometry and the way it can be modified from one generation to the next. The object-oriented genotype structures efficiently describe the hierarchical nature typical of engineering designs. They also encode knowledge-based constraints that prevent the genetic algorithm from wasting time exploring inappropriate regions of the search space. The efficiency of the hierarchical component-based genotype representation is demonstrated with surface-micromachined resonator designs.
Who Likes Political Science?: Determinants of Senators' Votes on the Coburn Amendment
Authors: Uscinski Joseph E. , Klofstad Casey A.
Published: October 2010

In October 2009, political scientists learned of a Senate amendment sponsored by Tom Coburn (R-OK) that would eliminate political science funding from the National Science Foundation budget. The American Political Science Association condemned the proposed amendment, and concerned political scientists contacted their senators to urge the amendment's defeat. On November 5, 2009, the amendment was defeated 36-62 after little debate. This article examines the vote on the Coburn Amendment to understand the role that senators' personal, constituency, and institutional characteristics played in their votes. Logit analysis reveals that even after controlling for party, several factors significantly predict the vote, including the number of top-tier political science Ph.D. programs in the senator's state and whether the senator graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science.
Saturday Night Live Goes to High School: Conducting and Advising a Political Science Fair Project
Authors: Allen Meg , Brewer Paul R.
Published: October 2010

This article uses a case study to illustrate how science fair projects—which traditionally focus on “hard science” topics—can contribute to political science education. One of the authors, a high school student, conducted an experimental study of politics for her science fair project. The other author, a faculty member, was asked to advise the student on the project to allay initial skepticism about its focus on a “soft science” topic. The results of the experiment indicated that exposure to a televised comedy sketch about the 2008 presidential campaign yielded learning effects and fostered political interest among high school students. The authors recommend political science fair projects as tools for introducing precollegiate students to the political science research process and offering political scientists opportunities to educate students beyond the university setting.
Forecasts of the 2010 Midterm Elections
Authors: Campbell James E.
Published: October 2010

The fundamentals of electoral change in the 2010 midterm elections are unmistakable. Electoral change depends on two general sets of political conditions: those of the previous election or elections and those of the current election. Both favor the Republicans this year.
Forecasting House Seats from Generic Congressional Polls: The 2010 Midterm Election
Authors: Bafumi Joseph , Erikson Robert S. , Wlezien Christopher
Published: October 2010

In this article, we present a forecast of the 2010 midterm House election based on information available in early July 2010. We combine this forecast with a note of caution, explaining why electoral circumstances might lead our forecast to err. Finally, we present guidance regarding how to update the electoral forecast for 2010 based on new information that will become available leading up to Election Day.
Will the Republicans Retake the House in 2010?
Authors: Cuzán Alfred G.
Published: October 2010

Historically, statistical models for forecasting the outcome of midterm elections to the United States House of Representatives have not been particularly successful (Jones and Cuzán 2006). However, in what may have been a breakthrough, most models correctly predicted that the Democrats would re-emerge as the majority party in 2006 (Cuzán 2007). One successful model was estimated using 46 elections, beginning with 1914 (only the second time that 435 representatives, the present number, were elected). The model was relatively simple, making use of national-level variables only (Cuzán and Bundrick 2006). Using a similar model, I generated a forecast for the 2010 midterm election.
Forecasting Canadian Federal Elections
Authors: Bélanger Éric , Godbout Jean-François
Published: October 2010

In recent decades, the scientific forecasting of election outcomes has made great strides in a number of advanced industrial democracies. One country that has not received much attention to date is Canada. In this article, we present a vote function model to forecast Canadian federal elections. We explain our model's theoretical underpinnings and assess its statistical properties and forecasting capabilities against all federal elections held between 1953 and 2008. We then explore potential ways for improving the model's accuracy. We conclude by discussing the forecast of different hypothetical scenarios for an upcoming federal election.
The Dog that Didn't Bark: The Role of Canines in the 2008 Campaign
Authors: Mutz Diana C.
Published: October 2010

Using the most extensive dataset available on the 2008 election, I examine the impact of dog ownership on presidential vote preference. Canines were elevated to the status of a campaign issue when, during the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama publicly promised his daughters a dog after the election was over, a campaign promise that has since been fulfilled. However, this announcement appears to have unintentionally highlighted the absence of a key point of potential identification between this candidate and voters, and thus to have significantly undermined the likelihood that dog-owning voters would support Obama. I elaborate upon the implications of this finding for future presidential candidates.
Great Mentors: Robert Jervis, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, and Peter Katzenstein
Authors: McDermott Rose
Published: October 2010

I have been extremely blessed in my life to have benefitted from some amazing mentors and friends in both psychology (most notably, Amos Tversky, Phil Zimbardo, and Leda Cosmides) and political science. Inspired by the occasion of Robert Jervis' festschrift, which importantly does not signal his imminent retirement, I was prompted to take advantage of this opportunity to express my deep and abiding appreciation for his advice and guidance over the years. In keeping with Kristen Monroe's model of three, I also reflect here on the critical roles that two additional mentors, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Peter Katzenstein, have had on my career and my life.
Teaching: The Issues Perestroika Neglected
Authors: Scott Joanna Vecchiarelli , Smith Rogers M.
Published: October 2010

A decade ago, we were among the scholars in political science who proudly associated ourselves with the Perestroika movement and its calls for greater respect for a range of productive methods, more substantively significant political research, and a more internally democratic profession. We retain those commitments. But Perestroikans have failed to focus on some broader trends in political science and the modern American academy that pose threats that are arguably still deeper, still more unjust, and still harder to overcome. In regard to what political scientists do that this society values most—teaching—we have a significant and growing equity deficit in the discipline.
What Health Reform Teaches Us about American Politics
Authors: Jacobs Lawrence R.
Published: October 2010

The tumultuous journey of health reform from President Barack Obama's opening push in February 2009 to his bill signing in March 2010 may be inexplicable from afar. Swept into power on promises of change, Democrats controlled the White House and enjoyed the largest Congressional majorities in decades, and they agreed that the existing health care system cost too much and delivered too little—stranding over 30 million with no health insurance and leaving millions more with only inadequate coverage or dependent on emergency rooms for urgent care. Unified party control and programmatic agreement would seem like a veritable checklist of what was needed to pass health reform legislation.
Perestroika in Political Science: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: McGovern Patrick J.
Published: October 2010

Anniversaries, for good or ill, are often hard to ignore. The finiteness and roundness of a century proves almost too irresistible for us to not stop and try to derive some sense of accomplishment and meaning from our individual and collective efforts. The recent 100th anniversary of the American Political Science Review in 2006, for example, proved too much to ignore and, as a result, provided us with just such a reckoning (see, e.g., Sigelman 2006). As alluring as the end of a century is for such reminiscing, this impulse is even more forceful at the end of a millennium. Such a closing represents a chance for letting go of the past, gaining some sense of forgiveness, and with the hope of constructing a new future, taking a chance to begin again. This notion of renewal and change was very much on the mind of the individual behind the original “Perestroika” e-mail, circulated in the fall of 2000. In the e-mail, Mr. Perestroika called into question the relevance of the APSA and the American Political Science Review (APSR), questioned the narrowness of our methods, and bemoaned the whiteness and maleness of most of the leadership positions within the discipline. The new millennium seemingly called for a new approach to the study and practice of political science that would move us away from the “coterie” of “East Coast Brahmins” who dominated the APSA and APSR. The tenth anniversary of Mr. Perestroika's e-mail offers us a chance to reflect on and revisit the millennial promise of the Perestroika movement, examine its impact upon the discipline, and assess the nature of its future.
“You Might Be a Public Intellectual If…”: A Checklist for Political Scientists, a Challenge for Political Science
Authors: Hacker Jacob S.
Published: October 2010

Amitai Etzioni has written something of a pocket guide for public intellectuals, proffering hard-won lessons from his own time in the trenches. I wish that I had read his primer before I tried to break into the club. And I hope that PS readers seeking to be PI players read his guide with the right mix of humor, curiosity, and skepticism about the rules of success that Etzioni evinces.
A Life in Civil Rights
Authors: Orfield Gary
Published: October 2010

I have lived a life in which I have often been involved in public debates and controversies, but not as a public intellectual whose ideas were embraced by the White House or celebrated by the New York Review of Books. Mine has been a very different kind of experience that could be characterized more as an against-the-grain persistence in digging into some fundamental questions of social inequality that were fashionable a half century ago but were abandoned by most Americans with influence and power. I am convinced that we have no viable policies in place that will produce a healthy and successful society as our vast racial transition continues. My research has convinced me that there are much better answers.
EUGENE F. MILLER
Authors: Grafstein Robert , Maltese John
Published: October 2010

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our longtime friend and colleague, Dr. Eugene F. Miller, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Georgia, who taught in the department of political science with great distinction from 1967 until his retirement in 2003. He died on May 30, 2010, following a two-year battle with multiple myeloma.
DANIEL HUBBARD POLLITT
Authors: Pollitt Susan , Nichol Gene
Published: October 2010

Daniel Hubbard Pollitt, Graham Kenan Professor of Law emeritus of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law died March 5, surrounded by the love of his family. Dan loved his family, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, Holden Beach, and Tar Heel basketball.
PAUL LIONEL PURYEAR, SR.
Authors: Martin Paula Puryear , McClain Paula D. , Simpson Andrea
Published: October 2010

The Right Reverend Dr. Paul Lionel Puryear, Sr., Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia, passed away on Thursday, April 22, 2010, in Charlottesville, Virginia, at the age of 80. Born in Belleville, New Jersey, as the second son of the Reverend Thomas Langston Puryear, Sr., and the Reverend Pauline Sims Puryear, he attended public schools in Newark, New Jersey. He transferred as a high school freshman to the renowned Palmer Memorial Residential School in Sedalia, North Carolina. He became an ordained A.M.E. minister at the age of 18.
Reziprokes Lehren in der Schule
Authors: Seuring Vanessa A. , Spörer Nadine
Published: October 2010

In dieser Studie wurde untersucht, wie das Leseverständnis von Schülern der 5. Klasse mittels reziproken Lehrens gefördert werden kann. Dabei wurde insbesondere betrachtet, welche Relevanz die Vermittlung spezifischer Lesestrategien besitzt. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 380 Schülern aus 15 Klassen, die einer von drei Bedingungen zugewiesen wurden: (a) Training der vier Lesestrategien Klären, Fragen, Vorhersagen, Zusammenfassen (4S), (b) Training der drei Lesestrategien Klären, Fragen, Vorhersagen (3S) oder (c) Training der Leseflüssigkeit (LF; keine Vermittlung von Lesestrategien). Der Lernerfolg wurde unmittelbar sowie 9 Wochen nach Abschluss der Intervention mittels standardisierter Leseverständnis- und Leseflüssigkeitstests sowie selbst konstruierter Tests zur Erfassung der Qualität der Strategieanwendung erhoben. Zusätzlich wurden im Verlauf des Trainings Prozessdaten erfasst. Bezogen auf die Leseflüssigkeit zeigte der Prätest-Posttest-Vergleich, dass sich Schüler aller Bedingungen verbesserten. Zum Follow-up-Test schnitten hingegen LF-Schüler besser ab als Schüler der Strategie-Bedingungen. Bezogen auf das Leseverständnis erreichten nach Abschluss des Trainings 3S-Schüler bessere Leistungen als Schüler der anderen Trainingsbedingungen. Sie konnten ihren Vorsprung mittelfristig jedoch nicht aufrechterhalten. 3S- und 4S-Schüler erstellten zum Posttest signifikant bessere Zusammenfassungen als LF-Schüler. Schließlich zeigten die Prozessdaten, dass sich Schüler beider Strategiebedingungen kontinuierlich in der Anwendung der Lesestrategien Fragen und Vorhersagen verbesserten. Es werden Veränderungen des Trainings zur Steigerung der Effektivität bei Umsetzung in Regelschulklassen diskutiert.
Im Spiegel der Zeitschrift: Themen und Trends der Pädagogischen Psychologie in den Jahren 2008 bis 2010
Authors: Möller Jens , Retelsdorf Jan , Südkamp Anna
Published: October 2010

Zu Beginn des Jahres 2010 wechselt die geschäftsführende Herausgeberschaft der Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie von Jens Möller zu Oliver Dickhäuser. Aus diesem Anlass werden Zahlen, Fakten und Trends der sich in den Artikeln der Zeitschrift spiegelnden pädagogisch-psychologischen Forschung der letzten drei Jahre zusammenfassend beleuchtet. An der Zahl eingereichter Manuskripte zeigt sich, dass sich die Zeitschrift unter den Autorinnen und Autoren konstant hoher Beliebtheit erfreut. Eine Analyse des Journal-Impact-Faktors der Zeitschrift ergibt, dass die Variabilität des Impact-Faktors weitgehend auf die Variabilität der Selbstzitationen (d. h. Zitation von Artikeln der Zeitschrift durch die eigene Zeitschrift) zurückzuführen ist. Bemerkenswert ist aber der Anstieg des Impact-Faktors im Jahr 2009 auf 0.72. Hinsichtlich thematischer Trends zeigt sich in Abhängigkeit von den Themenschwerpunkten im Heft eine deutliche Zunahme an Artikeln im Bereich «Lernen und Lehren», der nicht zuletzt einer erhöhten Aufmerksamkeit für Lehrpersonen und -prozesse geschuldet ist. Insgesamt scheint die Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie für die kommenden Jahre gut aufgestellt zu sein.
Crustal shear wave velocity structure of the western United States inferred from ambient seismic noise and earthquake data
Authors: Moschetti M. P. , Ritzwoller M. H. , Lin F.‐C. , Yang Y.
Published: October 2010

Surface wave dispersion measurements from ambient seismic noise and array‐based measurements from teleseismic earthquakes observed with the EarthScope/USArray Transportable Array (TA) are inverted using a Monte Carlo method for a 3‐D VS model of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the western United States. The combination of data from these methods produces exceptionally broadband dispersion information from 6 to 100 s period, which constrains shear wave velocity structures in the crust and uppermost mantle to a depth of more than 100 km. The high lateral resolution produced by the TA network and the broadbandedness of the dispersion information motivate the question of the appropriate parameterization for a 3‐D model, particularly for the crustal part of the model. We show that a relatively simple model in which VS increases monotonically with depth in the crust can fit the data well across more than 90% of the study region, except in eight discrete areas where greater crustal complexity apparently exists. The regions of greater crustal complexity are the Olympic Peninsula, the MendocinoTriple Junction, the Yakima Fold Belt, the southern Cascadia back arc, the Great Central Valley of California, the Salton Trough, the Snake River Plain, and the Wasatch Mountains. We also show that a strong Rayleigh‐Love discrepancy exists across much of the western United States, which can be resolved by introducing radial anisotropy in both the mantle and notably the crust. We focus our analysis on demonstrating the existence of crustal radial anisotropy and primarily discuss the crustal part of the isotropic model that results from the radially anisotropic model by Voigt averaging. Model uncertainties from the Monte Carlo inversion are used to identify robust isotropic features in the model. The uppermost mantle beneath the western United States is principally composed of four large‐scale shear wave velocity features, but lower crustal velocity structure exhibits far greater heterogeneity. We argue that these lower crustal structures are predominantly caused by interactions with the uppermost mantle, including the intrusion and underplating of mafic mantle materials and the thermal depression of wave speeds caused by conductive heating from the mantle. Upper and middle crustal wave speeds are generally correlated, and notable anomalies are inferred to result from terrane accretion at the continental margin and volcanic intrusions.
Analysis of nonvolcanic tremor on the San Andreas fault near Parkfield, CA using U. S. Geological Survey Parkfield Seismic Array
Authors: Fletcher Jon B. , Baker Lawrence M.
Published: October 2010

Reports by Nadeau and Dolenc (2005) that tremor had been detected near Cholame Valley spawned an effort to use UPSAR (U. S. Geological Survey Parkfield Seismic Array) to study characteristics of tremor. UPSAR was modified to record three channels of velocity at 40–50 sps continuously in January 2005 and ran for about 1 month, during which time we recorded numerous episodes of tremor. One tremor, on 21 January at 0728, was recorded with particularly high signal levels as well as another episode 3 days later. Both events were very emergent, had a frequency content between 2 and 8 Hz, and had numerous high‐amplitude, short‐duration arrivals within the tremor signal. Here using the first episode as an example, we discuss an analysis procedure, which yields azimuth and apparent velocity of the tremor at UPSAR. We then provide locations for both tremor episodes. The emphasis here is how the tremor episode evolves. Twelve stations were operating at the time of recording. Slowness of arrivals was determined using cross correlation of pairs of stations; the same method used in analyzing the main shock data from 28 September 2004. A feature of this analysis is that 20 s of the time series were used at a time to calculate correlation; the longer windows resulted in more consistent estimates of slowness, but lower peak correlations. These values of correlation (peaks of about 0.25), however, are similar to that obtained for the S wave of a microearthquake. Observed peaks in slowness were traced back to source locations assumed to lie on the San Andreas fault. Our inferred locations for the two tremor events cluster near the locations of previously observed tremor, south of the Cholame Valley. Tremor source depths are in the 14–24 km range, which is below the seismogenic brittle zone, but above the Moho. Estimates of error do not preclude locations below the Moho, however. The tremor signal is very emergent but contains packets that are several times larger than the background tremor signal and lasts about 5 s. These impulsive wavelets are similar to low‐frequency earthquakes signals seen in Japan but appear to be broader band rather than just higher in low‐frequency energy. They may be more appropriately called high‐energy tremor (HET). HET signals at UPSAR correlate well with the record of this event from station GHIB of the HRSN borehole array at Parkfield and HETs typically have a higher cross‐correlation coefficient than the rest of the tremor event. The amplitudes of a large HET are consistent with a magnitude of 0.1 when compared with a M2.3 event that had about the same epicenter. Polarizations of the tremor episode at UPSAR are mostly just north of east. Both linearity and azimuth evolve over time suggesting a change in tremor source location over time and linearity is typically higher at the HETs.
Characteristics of short‐term slow slip events estimated from deep low‐frequency tremors in Shikoku, Japan
Authors: Hirose Tetsuya , Hiramatsu Yoshihiro , Obara Kazushige
Published: October 2010

We have investigated the characteristics of short‐term slow slip events (SSEs), recurrence interval and size distribution, and the slip rate at the transition zone on the plate interface beneath the Shikoku region, Japan, using nonvolcanic deep low frequency (DLF) tremors. On the basis of a proportional relationship between the seismic moment of SSE observed geodetically and the total size of DLF tremors of the corresponding episode, we estimated the seismic moment due to the slip on the plate interface from the DLF tremors and a temporal variation in the cumulative seismic moment. The recurrence interval of major short‐term SSEs is ∼6 months in the western area and 3 months in the central and the eastern areas. The size distribution of short‐term SSEs as well as DLF tremors is approximated by an exponential law rather than by a power law, showing a different scaling for regular earthquakes. The average slip rate at the transition zone estimated from the cumulative seismic moment with time of SSEs is 4.2 cm/yr, 3.3 cm/yr, and 4.9 cm/yr in the western, central, and eastern areas, respectively. These values compensate for the difference between the convergence rate at the trench and the slip deficit rate at the transition zone of the subducting Philippine Sea plate. In other words, the slip rate estimated from the DLF tremors provides a constraint of the slip deficit rate at the transition zone on the plate interface.
Diagnostics for ion beam driven high energy density physics experiments
Authors: Bieniosek F. M. , Henestroza E. , Lidia S. , Ni P. A.
Published: October 2010

Intense beams of heavy ions are capable of heating volumetric samples of matter to high energy density. Experiments are performed on the resulting warm dense matter (WDM) at the NDCX-I ion beam accelerator. The 0.3 MeV, 30 mA K+ beam from NDCX-I heats foil targets by combined longitudinal and transverse neutralized drift compression of the ion beam. Both the compressed and uncompressed parts of the NDCX-I beam heat targets. The exotic state of matter (WDM) in these experiments requires specialized diagnostic techniques. We have developed a target chamber and fielded target diagnostics including a fast multichannel optical pyrometer, optical streak camera, laser Doppler-shift interferometer (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector), beam transmission diagnostics, and high-speed gated cameras. We also present plans and opportunities for diagnostic development and a new target chamber for NDCX-II.
On the definition of temperature and its fluctuations in small systems
Authors: Boltachev Grey Sh. , Schmelzer Jürn W. P.
Published: October 2010

An analysis of the limits of applicability of the thermodynamic definition of temperature to small systems is given. It is shown that the classical thermodynamic definition, (dS/dU)=1/T (S being the entropy, U the energy, and T the absolute temperature), is not applicable to small systems. It results in an uncertainty in the definition of temperature of the order O(1/N), where N is the number of particles in the system. An alternative definition of temperature is proposed based on the statistical-mechanical description of ensembles of particles. Applying this definition to perfect gases, a rigorous expression for the distribution of temperatures is obtained valid also for small systems and even in the limit N→1. In contrast to alternative approaches based on the thermodynamic definition of temperature, this distribution retains the thermodynamic equilibrium conditions with respect to temperature (equality of average temperature of the small system and temperature of the thermostat) also for small systems resolving in this way a widely discussed in the past problem between thermodynamics and its statistical-mechanical interpretation. Further, a generalization of this distribution to nonideal systems of interacting particles is developed. The results are applied to an interpretation of recent molecular dynamics simulations of argon condensation. Some further consequences and different possible definitions of temperature for macroscopic systems are discussed briefly as well.
A two-dimensional analytical model for threshold voltage of short-channel triple-material double-gate metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors
Authors: Tiwari Pramod Kumar , Dubey Sarvesh , Singh Manjeet , Jit S.
Published: October 2010

A two-dimensional (2D) analytical model for the threshold voltage of fully depleted short-channel triple-material double-gate (DG) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is presented in this paper. The 2D Poisson’s equation has been solved with suitable boundary conditions by applying the parabolic potential approximation. The lightly doped channel has been taken to enhance the device performance in terms of higher carrier mobility and minimum dopant fluctuation. The improved hot carrier effects over the double-material DG MOSFETs have been demonstrated. Different length ratios of three channel regions related to different gate materials have been optimized to minimize short-channel effects. The effects of device parameters on the threshold voltage have also been discussed. The model results have been compared with the simulation data obtained by using the commercially available device simulation software ATLAS™.
Microphotoluminescence investigation of InAs quantum dot active region in 1.3 μm vertical cavity surface emitting laser structure
Authors: Ding Y. , Fan W. J. , Ma B. S. , Xu D. W. , Yoon S. F. , Liang S. , Zhao L. J. , Wasiak M. , Czyszanowski T. , Nakwaski W.
Published: October 2010

Microphotoluminescence (μ-PL) investigation has been performed at room temperature on InAs quantum dot (QD) vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) structure in order to characterize the QD epitaxial structure which was designed for 1.3 μm wave band emission. Actual and precise QD emission spectra including distinct ground state (GS) and excited state (ES) transition peaks are obtained by an edge-excitation and edge-emission (EEEE) μ-PL configuration. Conventional photoluminescence methods for QD-VCSELs structure analysis are compared and discussed, which indicate the EEEE μ-PL is a useful tool to determine the optical features of the QD active region in an as-grown VCSEL structure. Some experimental results have been compared with simulation results obtained with the aid of the plane-wave admittance method. After adjustment of epitaxial growth according to EEEE μ-PL measurement results, QD-VCSEL structure wafer with QD GS transition wavelength of 1300 nm and lasing wavelength of 1301 nm was obtained.
Interaction of dopant atoms with stacking faults in silicon crystals
Authors: Ohno Y. , Taishi T. , Tokumoto Y. , Yonenaga I.
Published: October 2010

Variation in stacking fault energy with annealing at 1173 K were identified in Czochralski-grown silicon crystals heavily doped with n- or p-type dopant atoms. In n-type crystals, the energy decreased with increasing annealing time. The higher the concentration of dopant atoms, the larger the degree of the decrease. On the other hand, the energy was unchanged during annealing in p-type and nondoped crystals. These results imply that n-type dopant atoms segregate nearby a stacking fault, via their thermal migration, under an electronic interaction leading to a reduction in the stacking fault energy.
Unipolar resistive switching behaviors in amorphous lutetium oxide films
Authors: Gao Xu , Xia Yidong , Xu Bo , Kong Jizhou , Guo Hongxuan , Li Kui , Li Haitao , Xu Hanni , Chen Kai , Yin Jiang , Liu Zhiguo
Published: October 2010

The resistive switching properties in the amorphous Lu2O3 films deposited by pulsed laser deposition have been investigated. Well unipolar switching behaviors of Pt/Lu2O3/Pt stacks were obtained. The memory cells exhibited a high resistance ratio over 1×103, fast programming speed within 30 ns, and no obvious degradation after an endurance of 300 switching cycles and a duration of 3.2×106 s. The first-principles calculation indicates that the oxygen vacancies in cubic Lu2O3 will form defective energy level below the bottom of conduction band, and reduce the band gap. The absence of grain boundaries in the amorphous Lu2O3 films helps us attribute the switching mechanism of such stacks to the possible redistribution of defects related to oxygen vacancies along the filamentary paths during the resistive switching process.
Performance improvement of bottom-contact pentacene-based organic thin-film transistors by inserting a thin polytetrafluoroethylene buffer layer
Authors: Fan Ching-Lin , Yang Tsung-Hsien , Chiu Ping-Cheng
Published: October 2010

The electrical characteristics of bottom-contact pentacene-based organic thin-film transistors with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as the buffer layer were investigated. PTFE can provide a hydrophobic surface to improve the molecular orientation of the grown pentacene channel layer. In addition, the contact resistance (RC) between the pentacene channel layer and source/drain electrodes can be decreased as a result of the carriers injection by tunneling through the thin PTFE buffer layer (1.5 nm) into the pentacene channel layer. Compared to device without PTFE buffer layer, the saturation drain current and field-effect mobility of the proposed device were increased by 93% and 105%, respectively.
Vascular endothelial platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) regulates advanced metastatic progression
Authors: DeLisser Horace , Liu Yong , Desprez Pierre-Yves , Thor Ann , Briasouli Paraskevei , Handumrongkul Chakrapong , Wilfong Jonathon , Yount Garret , Nosrati Mehdi , Fong Sylvia , Shtivelman Emma , Fehrenbach Melane , Cao Gaoyuan , Moore Dan H. , Nayak Shruti , Liggitt Denny , Kashani-Sabet Mohammed , Debs Robert
Published: October 2010

Most patients who die from cancer succumb to treatment-refractory advanced metastatic progression. Although the early stages of tumor metastasis result in the formation of clinically silent micrometastatic foci, its later stages primarily reflect the progressive, organ-destructive growth of already advanced metastases. Early-stage metastasis is regulated by multiple factors within tumor cells as well as by the tumor microenvironment (TME). In contrast, the molecular determinants that control advanced metastatic progression remain essentially uncharacterized, precluding the development of therapies targeted against it. Here we show that the TME, functioning in part through platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1), drives advanced metastatic progression and is essential for progression through its preterminal end stage. PECAM-1–KO and chimeric mice revealed that its metastasis-promoting effects are mediated specifically through vascular endothelial cell (VEC) PECAM-1. Anti–PECAM-1 mAb therapy suppresses both end-stage metastatic progression and tumor-induced cachexia in tumor-bearing mice. It reduces proliferation, but not angiogenesis or apoptosis, within advanced tumor metastases. Because its antimetastatic effects are mediated by binding to VEC rather than to tumor cells, anti–PECAM-1 mAb appears to act independently of tumor type. A modified 3D coculture assay showed that anti–PECAM-1 mAb inhibits the proliferation of PECAM-1–negative tumor cells by altering the concentrations of secreted factors. Our studies indicate that a complex interplay between elements of the TME and advanced tumor metastases directs end-stage metastatic progression. They also suggest that some therapeutic interventions may target late-stage metastases specifically. mAb-based targeting of PECAM-1 represents a TME-targeted therapeutic approach that suppresses the end stages of metastatic progression, until now a refractory clinical entity.
Interpretations of Garibaldi in Fascist culture: a contested legacy
Authors: Baioni Massimo
Published: October 2010

Facing the controversial memory of the Risorgimento, Fascism was compelled to measure itself against Garibaldi, the nation's most celebrated and popular hero. The result was an exaltation of the alleged continuity between Redshirts and Blackshirts, marked by an emphasis on patriotic voluntarism that removed Garibaldi's adherence to the principles of liberty and democracy from his legacy. In the national discourse developed in the press and school textbooks, Garibaldi was harnessed to the ideological needs of the regime and held up as the embodiment of the Italian people's heroic militarism. However, as this article shows, the eclectic nature of Fascist culture left room for more radical interpretations that did not fit the image of Garibaldi as a ‘disciplined revolutionary’. Particularly among left-wing and younger Fascists, Garibaldi became the precursor of the corporatist revolution, an icon of populism melding values of social transformation, moral intransigence and patriotic self-abnegation. This emphasis on the hero's radical legacy was to reappear glaringly between 1943 and 1945, when the civil war between Fascists and partisans also became a battle over the symbols and memories of the Risorgimento.
Unmaking the nation? Uses and abuses of Garibaldi in contemporary Italy
Authors: Patriarca Silvana
Published: October 2010

This essay examines the presence of Garibaldi in the politics of contemporary Italy by focusing in particular on the publications released on or around the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the hero in the milieux that oppose the Italian state and contest the idea of an Italian nation. After a brief review of previous political appropriations (and rejections) of Garibaldi in the course of modern Italian history, the essay examines the ideological ingredients and rhetorical strategies of the representations of Garibaldi produced by Northern League and neo-Bourbon ideologues, which also surface in extreme neo-fascist and ultra-Catholic groups. It shows that while some ‘anti-myth’ ingredients are shared across this politically diverse constellation, others are more specific to their individual components. In particular Northern League ideologues use some of the clichés of the discourse of Italian character (in the negative) to claim their own difference (in the positive). The essay also points out that the visibility enjoyed by these versions of Italian history is greatly enhanced by the availability of new media technologies such as the internet (with the related effect of ‘group polarisation’), as well as by the presence of the Northern League in the ruling right-wing coalition led by media mogul Berlusconi, who has an inordinate degree of control over the national media.
Influential Outbreaks of Healthcare-Associated Infections in the Past Decade
Authors: Srinivasan Arjun
Published: October 2010

Outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections have long played a critical role in both identification and mitigation of emerging challenges in health care. This article describes some of the most influential outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections in the past decade that serve as excellent illustrations of this point.
Implementation Science: How to Jump-Start Infection Prevention
Authors: Saint Sanjay , Howell Joel D. , Krein Sarah L.
Published: October 2010

Implementing evidence-based infection prevention practices is challenging. Implementation science, which is the study of methods promoting the uptake of evidence into practice, addresses the gap between theory and practice. Just as healthcare epidemiology has emerged as a paradigm for patient safety, infection prevention may serve as a clinical model for implementation researchers.
Progress and Challenges in Implementing the Research on ESKAPE Pathogens
Authors: Rice Louis B.
Published: October 2010

The ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, andEnterobacterspecies) are responsible for a substantial percentage of nosocomial infections in the modern hospital and represent the vast majority of isolates whose resistance to antimicrobial agents presents serious therapeutic dilemmas for physicians. Over the years, improved molecular biology techniques have led to detailed information about individual resistance mechanisms in all these pathogens. However, there remains a lack of compelling data on the interplay between resistance mechanisms and between the bacteria themselves. In addition, data on the impact of clinical interventions to decrease the prevalence of resistance are also lacking. The difficulty in identifying novel antimicrobial agents with reliable activity against these pathogens argues for an augmentation of research in the basic and population science of resistance, as well as careful studies to identify optimal strategies for infection control and antimicrobial use.
Current Epidemiology of Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli in the United States
Authors: Kallen Alexander J. , Srinivasan Arjun
Published: October 2010

Gram-negative bacilli are an important cause of infection in healthcare and community settings. Antimicrobial resistance, including resistance to multiple antimicrobial classes, is an ongoing problem among gram-negative bacilli. This synopsis reviews the incidence of multidrug resistance among gram-negative bacilli in the United States and describes emerging issues in their epidemiology.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and the Media
Authors: Perencevich Eli N. , Treise Debbie M.
Published: October 2010

How the media communicate and how the scientific community influences the media are important factors to consider in the public health response to emerging pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Social representation theory suggests that the media link “the threatening” to commonplace “anchor representations,” which can serve to educate or to create fear.
Healthcare Epidemiology: Past and Future
Authors: Gerberding Julie Louise
Published: October 2010

Healthcare epidemiology is a robust and adaptable profession with the noble mission of protecting patients and their healthcare providers from infectious diseases and other threats. Change is the constant that links the successes of our field in each decade of our history. Although it is not possible to predict what specific challenges the next decade will bring, the themes of the Sixth Decennial International Conference in 2020 are likely to reflect the most prominent drivers of change that are affecting our profession, including globalization, sustainability, and consumer empowerment.
TatB Functions as an Oligomeric Binding Site for Folded Tat Precursor Proteins
Authors: Maurer Carlo , Panahandeh Sascha , Jungkamp Anna-Carina , Moser Michael , Müller Matthias
Published: October 2010

Twin-arginine-containing signal sequences mediate the transmembrane transport of folded proteins. The cognate twin-arginine translocation (Tat) machinery of Escherichia coli consists of the membrane proteins TatA, TatB, and TatC. Whereas Tat signal peptides are recognized by TatB and TatC, little is known about molecular contacts of the mature, folded part of Tat precursor proteins. We have placed a photo-cross-linker into Tat substrates at sites predicted to be either surface-exposed or hidden in the core of the folded proteins. On targeting of these variants to the Tat machinery of membrane vesicles, all surface-exposed sites were found in close proximity to TatB. Correspondingly, incorporation of the cross-linker into TatB revealed multiple precursor-binding sites in the predicted transmembrane and amphipathic helices of TatB. Large adducts indicative of TatB oligomers contacting one precursor molecule were also obtained. Cross-linking of Tat substrates to TatB required an intact twin-arginine signal peptide and disappeared upon transmembrane translocation. Our collective data are consistent with TatB forming an oligomeric binding site that transiently accommodates folded Tat precursors.