bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of band gap engineered PbXCd1–XSe thin films: A study on their optical, electrical, structural and localized mechanical properties
Authors: Mukherjee Nillohit , Khan Gobinda Gopal , Sinha Arijit , Mondal Anup
Published: March 2010

In this work, we report a novel electrochemical technique to prepare band gap engineered IV–II–VI type ternary solid solution system of PbxCd1–xSe. This technologically important material is prepared using this method for the first time. We have used a self sufficient modified electrochemical cell made up of Pb anode and a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) coated glass cathode, containing Pb(CH3COO)2, Cd(CH3COO)2, H2SeO3 and Na2EDTA solutions with proper concentrations as the working electrolyte. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern analysis confirms the formation of highly crystalline PbxCd1–xSe, whereas, scanning electron micrograms (SEM) reveals a uniform deposition with compact surface morphology. This ternary system showed band gap energy (Eg) of about 1.4 eV, which is in between CdSe (1.77 eV) and PbSe (0.3 eV) and reasonably good for solar energy absorption. Good rectifying behaviour of the TCO/ PbxCd1–xSe hetero‐junction was established from the current–voltage measurements, which indicate the p‐type conduction nature of the deposited ternary compound. Mechanical properties of such thin films were measured by nano‐indentation.
The effect of (Li,Ce) doping in Aurivillius phase material (Na0.52K0.42Li0.06)0.5Bi2.5(Nb1.88Sb0.06Ta0.06)O9
Authors: Gai Zhi‐Gang , Feng Yuan‐Yuan , Wang Jin‐Feng , Zhao Ming‐Lei , Zheng Li‐Mei , Wang Chun‐Ming , Zhang Shujun , Shrout Thomas R.
Published: March 2010

The effect of (Li,Ce) substitution for A‐site on the properties of [(Na0.52K0.42Li0.06)Bi]0.5Bi2 (Nb1.88Sb0.06Ta0.06)O9‐based ceramics was investigated. The piezoelectric activity of [(Na0.52K0.42Li0.06)Bi]0.5Bi2 (Nb1.88Sb0.06Ta0.06)O9‐based ceramics is significantly improved by the modification of lithium and cerium. The Curie temperature (TC) gradually decreases from 625 to 605 oC with increasing the (Li,Ce) modification. The piezoelectric coefficient d33 of the [(Na0.52K0.42Li0.06)Bi]0.44(Li,Ce)0.03[]0.03Bi2(Nb1.88Sb0.06Ta0.06)O9 ceramic was found to be 28 pC/N, the highest value among the [(Na0.52K0.42Li0.06)Bi]0.5Bi2(Nb1.88Sb0.06Ta0.06)O9‐based ceramics, also almost 50% higher than the reported d33 values of other Bismuth layer‐structured ferroelectric (BLSF) systems (∼5–19 pC/N). The planar coupling factor kp and kt were found to be 7.0 and 28.0%, together with the high TC (∼610 °C) and stable piezoelectric properties, demonstrating that the (Li,Ce) modified [(Na0.52K0.42Li0.06)Bi]0.5Bi2(Nb1.88Sb0.06Ta0.06)O9‐based material a promising candidate for high temperature applications.
Soft X‐ray emission spectroscopy of low‐dimensional SiO2/Si interfaces after Si+ ion implantation and ion beam mixing
Authors: Zatsepin D. A. , Kaschieva S. , Zier M. , Schmidt B. , Fitting H.‐J.
Published: March 2010

An X‐ray Si L2,3‐emission spectroscopy study of a SiO2/n‐Si heterostructure containing a thin oxide layer of d = 20 nm thickness implanted by Si+ ions with an energy 12 keV is reported. The maximum concentration of implanted Si+ ions is located close to the SiO2–Si interface at a depth of 18 nm leading to an ion‐beam mixed SiO2/Si interface layer in this region, consisting of a non‐stoichiometric SiOx matrix. The possible mechanisms of these processes are discussed by atomic collision cascades (knocking‐off and knocking‐on processes) during ion implantation, associated by partial phase separation into silicon precipitates and SiO2.
Structural, optical, and electrical properties of n‐ZnO/p‐GaAs heterojunction
Authors: Tekmen Süleyman , Gür Emre , Asıl Hatice , Çınar Kübra , Coşkun Cevdet , Tüzemen Sebahattin
Published: March 2010

n‐ZnO film grown by electrodeposition (ECD) on p‐GaAs substrate was characterized by structural, optical, and electrical techniques. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) measurement clearly showed formation of ZnO thin film with a strong c‐axis (0002) preferential orientation. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed that the grown film has a strong and narrow ultraviolet (UV) emission indicating high‐quality ZnO thin film. Current–voltage (I–V) measurement of n‐ZnO/p‐GaAs heterojunction shows diode‐like rectifying characteristics with an almost five‐order rectification factor and a turn‐on voltage of 2 V.
Fabrication of novel Ag nanowires/poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanocomposite film with high dielectric constant
Authors: Zheng Wei , Lu Xiaofeng , Wang Wei , Wang Zhaojie , Song Mingxin , Wang Yu , Wang Ce
Published: March 2010

A nanocomposite with Ag nanowires embedded into poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) has been prepared via a simple casting method. The uniform dispersion of Ag nanowires is characterized by scanning electron microscopy and the dielectric properties of composite films on volume fraction of Ag nanowires and frequency are fully investigated. The percolation threshold of the composite is relatively large, 20 vol.%. The dielectric constant of Ag nanowires/PVDF composite film is as high as 800 in the low‐frequency range (100 Hz), and remains at 379 at 1000 Hz with 20 vol.% of Ag nanowires. Meanwhile, the Ag nanowires/PVDF composite film exhibits low dielectric loss of 0.15, which shows potential for applications in advanced electronics.

Dependence of the effective dielectric constant of the Ag nanowires/PVDF composites on the Ag nanowires volume fraction at room temperature and 1000 Hz. And the inset is the surface of the composite film (fAg = 20 vol.%).

magnified image
Site‐selective anodic etching of InP substrate using self‐organized spheres as mask
Authors: Yokoyama Takayuki , Asoh Hidetaka , Ono Sachiko
Published: March 2010

Ordered microstructures were formed on an InP substrate by metal‐assisted chemical etching or anodic etching using a layer of colloidal crystals consisting of polystyrene spheres as a mask. When the metal‐assisted chemical etching of the InP substrate was carried out in a mixed solution of H2SO4/H2O2 using a Pt honeycomb pattern as a catalyst, obtained by ion sputtering through the mask on the substrate, InP column arrays with a close‐packed configuration having an ordered periodicity were formed. Furthermore, by anodic etching at the optimum HCl concentration with a layer of colloidal crystals as a mask, InP disk arrays or pillar arrays were fabricated.
Polycrystalline silicon germanium thin films prepared by aluminum‐induced crystallization
Authors: Iwasa Takehiro , Kaneko Tetsuya , Nakamura Isao , Isomura Masao
Published: March 2010

The aluminum‐induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon germanium (a‐SiGe) was investigated in bilayer structure of aluminum (Al) and a‐SiGe at the eutectic temperature of Al–Ge system (420 °C) or higher temperature. Due to energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements after the AIC at 420 °C, crystallized SiGe alloys are formed with island structures and Al locates between the islands. The layer‐exchange is confirmed in the island regions. In the AIC at 450 °C, similar island structures are observed but the Ge is sometimes found with Al probably due to the eutectic. The layer‐exchange of SiGe seems incomplete. On the other hand, Si and Ge are separately localized in the AIC at 500 °C, which is observed by the EDX images and also suggested by the Raman and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Probably, the eutectic helps to segregate Ge from SiGe alloys. We confirm that thermal annealing above the eutectic temperature of Al and Ge is not suitable for the AIC of a‐SiGe and the segregation of Si and Ge prevents the complete layer exchange.
Simulation and modelling of photonic and plasmonic crystal back reflectors for efficient light trapping
Authors: Biswas Rana , Zhou Dayu
Published: March 2010

We design photonic crystal back reflectors for thin film a‐Si:H solar cells that maximize the absorption of photons within the absorber layer. Rigorous scattering matrix (S‐matrix) simulation approaches are used where Maxwell's equations are rigorously solved for the layered solar cell structure. Metallic photonic crystals consisting of hole arrays as well as metallic pyramidal arrays are considered. Simulations predict an optimum lattice spacing between 700 and 750 nm and an increase in absorption of ∼10%. The metallic photonic crystals strongly diffract light within the absorber layer, and are very effective in harvesting weakly absorbing photons with energies just above the band edge.
The effect of the film H content on the crystallization of laser processed and thermally annealed HWCVD a‐Si:H
Authors: Mahan A. H. , Dabney M. S. , Parilla P. A. , Ginley D. S.
Published: March 2010

We demonstrate the use of laser processing to affect the nucleation of crystallites in thermally annealed HWCVD a‐Si:H thin films. The influence of film H content is investigated by XRD measurements during in situ 600 °C thermal anneal on both as grown films and on films that have been laser irradiated. All laser irradiated films show a reduced incubation time (τo) for crystallization compared to as‐grown films, with the largest differences exhibited for samples with higher film H. We show that a recently developed model for a nucleation center in a‐Si:H can be used to explain how the film H content affects this change in τo and also predict the magnitude of this change with laser processing (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effect of hydrogen dilution profiling on the microscopic structure of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon mixed‐phase solar cells
Authors: Yan Baojie , Jiang Chun‐Sheng , Yan Yanfa , Sivec Laura , Yang Jeffrey , Guha Subhendu , Al‐Jassim M.M.
Published: March 2010

Microscopic structure and solar cell performance in hydrogenated mixed‐phase thin film silicon (Si:H) solar cells are studied. The samples were made with RF glow discharge with different hydrogen dilution profiles. The material properties were measured with Raman, X‐TEM, AFM, and C‐AFM. Several interesting phenomena are observed. First, the cone‐structured nanocrystalline aggregations were formed when a constant hydrogen dilution was used. Second, no uniform block‐like (or cylinder‐like) structured nanocrystalline clusters were observed even when hydrogen dilution profiling was optimized for this purpose. Instead, tree‐like structured nanocrystalline clusters were formed and embedded in the intrinsic layer. Third, the magnitude of light‐induced Voc increase was reduced by hydrogen dilution profiling. When the dilution profiling was sufficiently steep, no light‐induced Voc increase was observed. Instead, the Voc decreased after light‐soaking regardless of the crystalline volume fraction. In addition, AFM and C‐AFM showed that this type of mixed‐phase material has hill‐like surface structure, where the hills correspond to nanocrystalline clusters. The local current density in hill‐like areas was much higher in the samples made with constant hydrogen dilution than those using hydrogen dilution profiling. For the samples with a very steep hydrogen dilution profiling, the local forward current density is very low. Based on our previous model, the light‐induced Voc increase depends on the formation of the current path in the nanocrystalline cluster areas. When a steep hydrogen dilution profiling is used, the tree‐like nanocrystalline clusters are isolated and embedded in the intrinsic layer, therefore, no high current paths are formed and no light‐induced Voc increase is observed. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Low temperature processed p‐type bottom gate microcrystalline silicon thin film transistors
Authors: Moustapha O. , Abramov A. , Daineka D. , Oudwan M. , Bonnassieux Y. , Roca i Cabarrocas P.
Published: March 2010

We report on processing of p‐type bottom gate microcrystalline silicon thin film transistors (p‐type BG TFT). In particular, we demonstrate that a thermal annealing at 250 °C is required to get ideal contacts, regardless of the drain‐source met al. We found that aluminium is the best suited metal for source and drain contacts, as in the case of n‐type thin film transistors.

The TFTs mobility and sub‐threshold slope (V/dec) are improved when a hydrogen plasma treatment was applied to the a‐SiN:H prior to µc‐Si deposition. Our best p‐type BG TFTs exhibit a field effect mobility of ∼ 1.2 cm2/Vs, a sub threshold slope of ∼1V/dec and an ON/OFF ratio of 105 while keeping a stable threshold voltage (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optimized‐geometry ARROW waveguides using TiO2 as anti‐resonant layer
Authors: Carvalho Daniel O. , Albertin Katia F. , Alayo Marco I.
Published: March 2010

The simulation, fabrication and characterization of ARROW waveguides using dielectric films deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) and Sputtering techniques, are presented in this work. Amorphous titanium oxide (TiO2) films were used as first cladding layer and silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) films, as core layer. Furthermore, homemade routines based in two computational methods were used, for numerical simulations: Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) for the determination of the optimum thickness values of the Fabry‐Perot layers, and the Finite Difference Method (FDM) for 2D design and determination of the maximum width that allows single‐mode operation. The utilization of thermally grown silicon oxide as second anti‐resonant layer, along with improvements in the Reactive Ion Etching conditions for the definition of sidewalls of the optical waveguides were responsible for diminishing optical attenuations. Optimization of the waveguide rib height was done both through FDM simulations and experimentally. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Thermodynamic limit for large random trees
Authors: Bakhtin Yuri
Published: March 2010

We consider Gibbs distributions on finite random plane trees with bounded branching. We show that as the order of the tree grows to infinity, the distribution of any finite neighborhood of the root of the tree converges to a limit. We compute the limiting distribution explicitly and study its properties. We introduce an infinite random tree consistent with these limiting distributions and show that it satisfies a certain form of the Markov property. We also study the growth of this tree and prove several limit theorems including a diffusion approximation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2010
The impact of a project‐based science curriculum on minority student achievement, attitudes, and careers: The effects of teacher content and pedagogical content knowledge and inquiry‐based practices
Authors: Kanter David E. , Konstantopoulos Spyros
Published: March 2010

Project‐based science (PBS) curricula have project‐ and inquiry‐based aspects that leverage the strengths of urban students from ethnic and racial groups underrepresented in science careers, potentially impacting positively these students' science achievement and attitudes and thus their college and career plans. We aimed to determine the extent to which a PBS curriculum would show this. We provided professional development to bolster urban teachers' science content knowledge (CK) and science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to observe the maximal impact of the PBS curriculum. We found that students' science achievement improved with the PBS curriculum, but that their attitudes toward science and plans to pursue science did not. Increases in teachers' CK and PCK with the professional development correlated with the improvements in student science achievement but did not correlate with improvements in student science attitudes or plans. However, the frequency of teachers' use of specific inquiry‐based activities did correlate with improvements in students' science attitudes and plans. In sum, the extent of the success of a PBS curriculum with students from groups underrepresented in science careers appears to be dependent on elements of both teacher knowledge (CK and PCK) and teachers' frequency of use of inquiry‐based activities that are consistent with culturally relevant pedagogical practices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 94:855–887, 2010
Cultural processes in science education: Supporting the navigation of multiple epistemologies
Authors: Bang Megan , Medin Douglas
Published: March 2010

Although there has been considerable focus on the underrepresentation of minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and the need for science instruction that fosters diversity, much of the associated effort has focused on the goal of diversity and tended to assume that science and science learning are acultural. We describe a conceptual framework employed in our work with both urban and rural Native American communities that focuses on culturally based epistemological orientations and their relation to the cultural practices associated with science instruction. We summarize evidence on the efficacy of community‐based science education to support the proposition for a shift in orientation toward science education from aiming to have students adopt specific epistemologies to supporting students' navigation of multiple epistemologies. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 94:1008–1026, 2010
Sequential Reactions Directed by Core/Shell Catalytic Reactors
Authors: Wei Yanhu , Soh Siowling , Apodaca Mario M. , Kim Jiwon , Grzybowski Bartosz A.
Published: March 2010

Millimeter‐sized reactor particles made of permeable polymer doped with catalysts arranged in a core/shell fashion direct sequences of chemical reactions (e.g., alkyne coupling followed by hydrogenation or hydrosilylation followed by hydrogenation). Spatial compartmentalization of catalysts coupled with the diffusion of substrates controls reaction order and avoids formation of byproducts. The experimentally observed yields of reaction sequences are reproduced by a theoretical model, which accounts for the reaction kinetics and the diffusion of the species involved.
Differential effects of serotonin (5‐HT)2receptor‐targeting ligands on locomotor responses to nicotine‐repeated treatment
Authors: Zaniewska Magdalena , Mccreary Andrew C. , Wydra Karolina , Filip Małgorzata
Published: March 2010

We verified the hypothesis that serotonin (5‐HT)2receptors control the locomotor effects of nicotine (0.4 mg kg−1) in rats by using the 5‐HT2Areceptor antagonist M100907, the preferential 5‐HT2Areceptor agonist DOI, the 5‐HT2Creceptor antagonist SB 242084, and the 5‐HT2Creceptor agonists Ro 60‐0175 and WAY 163909. Repeated pairings of a test environment with nicotine for 5 days, on Day 10 significantly augmented the locomotor activity following nicotine administration. Of the investigated 5‐HT2receptor ligands, M100907 (2 mg kg−1) or DOI (1 mg kg−1) administered during the first 5 days in combination with nicotine attenuated or enhanced, respectively, the development of nicotine sensitization. Given acutely on Day 10, M100907 (2 mg kg−1), Ro 60‐0175 (1 mg kg−1), and WAY 163909 (1.5 mg kg−1) decreased the expression of nicotine sensitization. In another set of experiments, where the nicotine challenge test was performed on Day 15 in animals treated repeatedly (Days: 1–5, 10) with nicotine, none of 5‐HT2receptor ligands administered during the second withdrawal period (Days: 11–14) to nicotine‐treated rats altered the sensitizing effect of nicotine given on Day 15. Our data indicate that 5‐HT2Areceptors (but not 5‐HT2Creceptors) play a permissive role in the sensitizing effects of nicotine, while stimulation of 5‐HT2Areceptors enhances the development of nicotine sensitization and activation of 5‐HT2Creceptors is essential for the expression of nicotine sensitization. Repeated treatment with the 5‐HT2receptor ligands within the second nicotine withdrawal does not inhibit previously established sensitization. Synapse 64:511–519, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Oxidative modifications of proteins by sodium arsenite in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Authors: Lii Chong‐Kuei , Lin Ai‐Hsuan , Lee Shu‐Lien , Chen Haw‐Wen , Wang Tsu‐Shing
Published: March 2010

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that chronic arsenic exposure is associated with the incidence of chronic diseases. This association is partly related to the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) overload and protein oxidation that result from arsenic exposure. In this study, we intended to identify proteins susceptible to oxidative carbonylation by sodium arsenite and the impact of carbonylation on the function of these proteins in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The 2,4‐dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) dot‐blot assay revealed that arsenite (0–50 μM) dose‐dependently increased protein carbonylation. Consistent with these findings, the cellular ROS level as measured by 2′,7′‐dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCHF‐DA) assay was increased in cells exposed to arsenite. By two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix assist laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF/MS), one glycolytic enzyme, enolase‐α, two cytoskeleton proteins, fascin (F‐actin associated protein) and vimentin, and two protein quality control proteins, HSC70 (heat‐shock cognate protein 70), and PDIA3 (protein disulfide isomerase family A, member 3) were identified to be arsenic‐sensitive carbonlyated proteins. Accompanied by carbonylation, enolase‐α activity was dose‐dependently decreased and the F‐actin filament network was disturbed. Taken together, our results suggest that arsenite exposure results in the generation of carbonylated proteins, and the resultant changes in energy metabolism and in the cytoskeletal network may partly lead to cell damage. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2010.
Natural language processing
Authors: Martinez Angel R.
Published: March 2010

Approximately 40 years ago, the goal of endowing computers with the capacity to understand natural language began. These efforts were originally callednatural language understanding, which is now more frequently callednatural language processing(NLP). NLP is considered a branch of artificial intelligence (AI), but over the years it has become an interesting area of study in computational statistics and text data mining. NLP encompasses approaches that use computers to analyze, determine semantic similarity, and translate between languages. The area usually deals with written languages, but it could also be applied to speech. In this article, we cover definitions and concepts necessary for the understanding of NLP, methods at the word and sentence level (word sense disambiguation, part‐of‐speech tagging, and parsing), and the vector space model for NLP at the document level. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Text Mining
Scale space methods
Authors: Holmström Lasse
Published: March 2010

We discuss methods that use multiscale smoothing for explorative data analysis and inference. The problems considered involve nonparametric density estimation and regression, time series analysis, image analysis, and more general spatial data analysis settings. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Statistical Graphics and Visualization
Parental Attitudes, Beliefs, and Perceptions about Genetic Testing for FAP and Colorectal Cancer Surveillance in Minors
Authors: Levine Fallon R. , Coxworth James E. , Stevenson David A. , Tuohy Thérèse , Burt Randall W. , Kinney Anita Y.
Published: March 2010

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is the second most common hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome and confers a nearly 100% lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer. Understanding factors that facilitate and inhibit genetic testing and cancer surveillance in children who are members of families affected by FAP will better equip clinicians to clarify misunderstandings and facilitate appropriate care. The aims of this study were to examine parental attitudes and beliefs regarding endoscopic surveillance and genetic testing in minors at risk for developing FAP. This cross‐sectional study includes analyses of qualitative and quantitative interview data collected from parents of children with or at risk for FAP. This report includes data from 28 parents with a total of 51 biological children between 10–17 years of age. The parents had a clinical and/or genetic diagnosis of FAP. Most commonly reported facilitators included provider recommendation (surveillance) and personalized medical management (genetic testing). Most commonly reported barriers included lack of provider recommendation (surveillance) and cost (genetic testing).
Commentary on “Life as a Pregnant Genetic Counselor”
Authors: Sahhar Margaret Alicia
Published: March 2010

The genetic counseling role is complex. There are frequently challenges raised for the genetic counselor both personally with the client and through factors external to the genetic counselor such as the clinical setting. The pregnant genetic counselor working in a prenantal diagnosis center may be confronted by her own countertransference towards the client or by the client's tranference. The processes of transference and countrtransference need to be clearly understood, identified and dealt with in a sensitive self aware manner to facilitate the role of communicating empathically and giving genetic information to facilitate informed client decision making. Regular professional supervision and debriefing for the genetic counselor are essential to develop professional boundaries and to develop self awareness.
Aggrecan and Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein in Serum and Synovial Fluid of Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: El-Arman Mohammed M. , El-Fayoumi Ghada , El-Shal ElWaleid , El-Boghdady Ibrahim , El-Ghaweet Atef
Published: March 2010

Aggrecan and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) which are important degradation products of articular cartilage may be promising diagnostic markers in serum and/or synovial fluid for diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Our objective was to measure serum and synovial fluid levels of aggrecan and COMP in patients with OA of the knee joint to find out if they could be of diagnostic value in OA and if their levels correlate with the clinical and radiological manifestations of the disease. Sixty-six patients suffering from primary knee OA with effusion (26 males and 40 females) were studied. Twenty individuals (six males and 14 females) with recent traumatic knee effusion matched for age and sex were chosen to serve as a control group. All subjects had thorough clinical and radiological (X-ray and MRI) evaluation. Aggrecan and COMP in serum and synovial fluid were measured by ELISA. Serum and synovial fluid aggrecan and COMP levels were significantly higher than the control. Serum and synovial fluid aggrecan and COMP levels were positively correlated with age, body mass index, disease duration, plain X-ray and MRI scores. In OA, serum and synovial fluid aggrecan and COMP levels are elevated and represent useful markers in the diagnosis. Moreover, these elevated levels positively correlated with radiological joint damage but not with clinical disease parameters. These markers have the potential to be used for monitoring articular cartilage destruction and response to different therapeutic modalities.
Prebiotic effect of fruit and vegetable shots containing Jerusalem artichoke inulin: a human intervention study
Authors: Ramnani P. , Gaudier E. , Bingham M. , van Bruggen P. , Tuohy K. M. , Gibson G. R.
Published: March 2010

The present study aimed to determine the prebiotic effect of fruit and vegetable shots containing inulin derived from Jerusalem artichoke (JA). A three-arm parallel, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out with sixty-six healthy human volunteers (thirty-three men and thirty-three women, age range: 18–50 years). Subjects were randomised into three groups (n22) assigned to consume either the test shots, pear-carrot-sea buckthorn (PCS) or plum-pear-beetroot (PPB), containing JA inulin (5 g/d) or the placebo. Fluorescentin situhybridisation was used to monitor populations of total bacteria, bacteroides, bifidobacteria,Clostridium perfringens/histolyticumsubgroup,Eubacterium rectale/Clostridium coccoidesgroup, Lactobacillus/Enterococcusspp.,Atopobiumspp.,Faecalibacterium prausnitziiand propionibacteria. Bifidobacteria levels were significantly higher on consumption of both the PCS and PPB shots (10·0 (sd0·24) and 9·8 (sd0·22) log10cells/g faeces, respectively) compared with placebo (9·3 (sd0·42) log10cells/g faeces) (P < 0·0001). A small though significant increase inLactobacillus/Enterococcusgroup was also observed for both the PCS and PPB shots (8·3 (sd0·49) and 8·3 (sd0·36) log10cells/g faeces, respectively) compared with placebo (8·1 (sd0·37) log10cells/g faeces) (P = 0·042). Other bacterial groups and faecal SCFA concentrations remained unaffected. No extremities were seen in the adverse events, medication or bowel habits. A slight significant increase in flatulence was reported in the subjects consuming the PCS and PPB shots compared with placebo, but overall flatulence levels remained mild. A very high level of compliance (>90 %) to the product was observed. The present study confirms the prebiotic efficacy of fruit and vegetable shots containing JA inulin.
Mechanism of impaired baroreflex sensitivity in Wistar rats fed a high-fat and -carbohydrate diet
Authors: Ai Jing , Liang Feng , Zhou Hongyu , Zhao Jing , Wang Ning , Zhu Songling , Yang Baofeng
Published: March 2010

Both high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets have been considered in association with the impairment of baroreflex sensitivity. However, the mechanisms are unclear. In the present study, the effects of a complex high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet (HFCD) on baroreflex circuitry were investigated. A HFCD emulsion was formulated and orally administered to rats for 30 d. Rats were then anaesthetised and baroreflex sensitivity was measured following intravenous injection of phenylephrine (PE) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) at various doses. Morphological changes of the brainstem were detected by transmission electron microscopy. Baroreflex sensitivity-associated gene and protein expression was determined by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. We found that: (1) the HFCD significantly attenuated heart rate responses to arterial blood pressure (ABP) increases induced by PE, but had no effect on heart rate responses to ABP decreases induced by SNP; (2) the HFCD induced medullary sheath thickening, myelinated nerve atrophy and hyaloplasm dissolving; (3) protein levels of substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, GlutR2 and γ-aminobutyric acid A receptors were all markedly decreased in the brainstems of rats administered with the HFCD. These findings conclude that a HFCD could impair the baroreflex sensitivity of rats. Remodelled morphology and decreased neurotransmitters and receptors in the domains of the nucleus tractus solitarii and nucleus ambiguus are participating in this process.
Taenia solium: current understanding of laboratory animal models of taeniosis
Authors: FLISSER A. , ÁVILA G. , MARAVILLA P. , MENDLOVIC F. , LEÓN-CABRERA S. , CRUZ-RIVERA M. , GARZA A. , GÓMEZ B. , AGUILAR L. , TERÁN N. , VELASCO S. , BENÍTEZ M. , JIMENEZ-GONZALEZ D. E.
Published: March 2010

Neurocysticercosis is a public health problem in many developing countries and is the most frequent parasitic disease of the brain. The human tapeworm carrier is the main risk factor for acquiring neurocysticercosis. Since the parasite lodges only in the human intestine, experimental models ofTaenia soliumtaeniosis have been explored. Macaques, pigs, dogs, cats and rabbits are unsuccessful hosts even in immunodepressed status. By contrast, rodents are adequate hosts since tapeworms with mature, pregravid and, in some cases, gravid proglottids develop after infection. In this review, information that has been generated with experimental models of taeniosis due toT. soliumis discussed. Initially, the use of the model for immunodiagnosis of human taeniosis and evaluation of intervention measures is summarized. Next, descriptions of tapeworms and comparison of hamsters, gerbils and other mammals as experimental models are discussed, as well as data on the humoral immune response, the inflammatory reaction and the production of cytokines associated to Th1 and Th2 responses in the intestinal mucosa. Finally, evaluation of protection induced against the development of tapeworms by recombinantT. soliumcalreticulin in hamsters is summarized and compared to other studies.
A Geological Link between the Facilis Monument at Colchester and First-century Army Tombstones from the Rhineland Frontier
Authors: Hayward K.M.J.
Published: March 2010

For the first time petrological and geochemical analysis of the Marcus Favonius Facilis legionary tombstone at Colchester (RIB 200) was undertaken to determine its geological source. The results show the material to be identical with samples obtained from the Middle Jurassic quarries at Norroy-lès-Pont-à-Mousson of Eastern France. Rather than quarrying what became the more accessible native freestone outcrop between Humberside and Dorset, stone-masons based at Claudian Colchester were instead relying upon established continental materials from the Rhineland provinces. In this short article, petrological analysis has also been used to establish a geological link between this tombstone and the material used for funerary monuments at the pre-invasion legionary base of Facilis (and of legio XX) at Neuss.
VILBIAM (RIB 154): Kidnap or Robbery?
Authors: Russell Paul
Published: March 2010

The formvilbiamhas been long known from the earliest of the Bath curse tablets to have been discovered. It has usually, but with some reservations, been regarded as a female personal name. If so, then, this curse tablet (RIB154) is the only one to record the theft of a person. It is suggested here thatvilbia, rather than being a personal name, is the term for some form of sharp-pointed object. It is further argued that it may be of Celtic origin and may have a Celtic reflex in Middle Welshgwlf.
Understanding numbers in London, British Library, Harley 3271
Authors: Anlezark Daniel
Published: March 2010

London, British Library, Harley 3271 is a composite manuscript designed for use in teaching Latin, and contains Ælfric's Grammar beside other pedagogical works. The book also contains a large number of miscellaneous items, and fourteen scribal hands. Many of the texts point to the usual interests of the Anglo-Saxon scholar in computus and prognostics, while others suggest an interest in the tradition of numerical notes. The items written by Scribe C, the only one whose stints are spread throughout the blank space of the composite volume, point to a combined interest in education, numbers and the Jewish people.
Numerical composition and Beowulf: a reconsideration
Authors: Kisor Yvette
Published: March 2010

Discussions of the structure of Beowulf that consider the sections of the poem disposed according to specific mathematical ratios are among the most frequently contested and least accepted by the larger scholarly community. This article examines several theories advocating numerical composition in light of both scholarship that describes structural patterns in the poem and editorial practice. Much agreement is found among theories from widely differing theoretical camps, clustering particularly around the first sections of the poem; however, such agreement does not consistently extend to specific numerical ratios. Further, the significance of such numerical correspondences as can be shown to exist has not been reliably demonstrated.
Police Violence and the Limits of Law on a Late Colonial Frontier: The “Borroloola Case” in 1930s Australia
Authors: Finnane Mark , Paisley Fiona
Published: March 2010

The dependence of colonization on police was a core feature both of settler colonies and of colonial dependencies, from the middle of the nineteenth century to the post–World War I decline of the British Empire. During this long century the functions and structures of colonial police were many and varied. We now know a good deal of their history and of their contribution to Empire. Much remains to be told of the slow processes of policing reform and especially of the politics of key events that shaped—and impeded—emerging models of accountability. In that process we see the influence of key episodes in which singular events are escalated into major political conflicts, of national and international dimension. In this article we examine one such event, the death in 1933 of an Aboriginal woman in the Gulf Country of Australia's Northern Territory, and the subsequent prosecution of a policeman over her death. Such a rare event as prosecution of police for violence against indigenous people demands contextual explanation as well as estimation of the limits on legal accountability for such actions.
Lawyers, Guns, and Public Moneys: The U.S. Treasury, World War I, and the Administration of the Modern Fiscal State
Authors: Mehrotra Ajay K.
Published: March 2010

World War I was a pivotal event for U.S. political and economic development, particularly in the realm of public finance. For it was during the war that the federal government ended its traditional reliance on regressive import duties and excise taxes as principal sources of revenue and began a modern era of fiscal governance, one based primarily on the direct and progressive taxation of personal and corporate income. The wartime tax regime, as the historian David M. Kennedy has observed, “occasioned a fiscal revolution in the United States.”
Raising Revenue and Raising Hell
Authors: Capozzola Christopher
Published: March 2010

It was a time of greenbacks, goldbugs, and grangers; milquetoast mugwumps; single-taxers, socialists, standpatters, and the Sugar Trust. Calls for more taxes filled the air. Populist Mary Lease urged Americans to “raise less corn and more hell,” and even Andrew Carnegie piously endorsed an estate tax “by which the State marks its condemnation of the selfish millionaire's unworthy life.” All that hell-raising pushed an income tax through Congress in 1894, but a year later, the Supreme Court granted relief to Charles Pollock, a ten-share stockholder in the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company, leaving Justice Henry Brown to moan in dissent that “the decision involve[d] nothing less than the surrender of the taxing power to the moneyed class.” The Populist Party demanded that “[t]he power of government—in other words, of the people—should be expanded … to the end that oppression, injustice, and poverty shall eventually cease in the land.” By the summer of 1914, oppression, injustice, and poverty were still around, but the Constitution had a Sixteenth Amendment, and the power to collect corporate excise and personal income taxes rested in the hands of the Treasury Department. But still, with all that hell-raising, I wouldn't wanted to work there.
Tocqueville versus Weber
Authors: Bernstein Michael A.
Published: March 2010

Ajay Mehrotra has afforded us an opportunity to better appreciate and understand the development of state capacity in modern U.S. history. With detailed research findings and a well-organized narrative, he focuses on the elaboration of revenue generation and management systems appropriate and adequate to the growing responsibilities and commitments of the national government in the early twentieth century. It is the burden of Mehrotra's argument that “bureaucratic professionals” were as important a part of the “fiscal revolution” in modern U.S. politics as were changing governmental structures and evolving events and contingencies. Using World War I as his case study, Mehrotra seeks to refine and extend the narrative of organizational change and the rise of the modern state in the United States.
The application of the first order system transfer function for fitting The California Verbal Learning Test Learning Curve
Authors: STEPANOV IGOR I. , ABRAMSON CHARLES I. , WOLF OLIVER T. , CONVIT ANTONIO
Published: March 2010

Very few attempts have been made to apply a mathematical model to the learning curve in the California Verbal Learning Test list A immediate recall. Our rationale was to find out whether modeling of the learning curve can add additional information to the standard CVLT-II measures. We applied a standard transfer function in the form Y = B3*exp(-B2*(X-1))+B4*(1-exp(-B2*(X-1))), where X is the trial number; Y is the number of recalled correct words, B2 is the learning rate, B3 is readiness to learn and B4 is ability to learn. The coefficients of the model were found to be independent measures not duplicating standard CVLT-II measures. Regression analysis revealed that readiness to learn (B3) and ability to learn (B4) were significantly (p < .05) higher in a group of healthy participants than in a group of participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the learning rate (B2) did not differ (p > .2). The proposed model is appropriate for clinical application and as a guide for research and may be used as a good supplemental tool for the CVLT-II and similar memory tests. (JINS, 2010, 16, 443–452.)
Associations between weight perceptions, weight control and body fatness in a multiethnic sample of adolescent girls
Authors: Duncan J Scott , Duncan Elizabeth K , Schofield Grant
Published: March 2010

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to examine the interactions between weight perceptions, weight control behaviours and body fatness in a multiethnic sample of adolescent girls.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

Girls from European (37·7 %), Pacific Island (21·6 %), East Asian (15·8 %), Maori (10·2 %) and South Asian (9·6 %) populations and from other ethnicities (5·0 %).

Subjects

A sample of 954 girls aged 11–15 years participated in the study. BMI was derived from height and weight, whereas body fat (BF) was determined from hand-to-foot bioimpedance measurements. Weight perceptions, weight control behaviours and pubertal stage were assessed by questionnaire.

Results

Body size and fatness varied significantly across ethnic groups. Although few differences in weight perceptions were observed between BMI and %BF percentile groups, a relatively high degree of weight misclassification was evident across all BF categories. The number of girls trying to lose weight exceeded those who perceived themselves as being overweight, with the magnitude of the difference dependent on ethnicity. Of the girls trying to lose weight, the combination of dieting and exercise was the most common weight loss practice; however, a substantial proportion reported neither exercise nor dieting. Weight status perception was a stronger predictor of weight loss intent than actual BF when controlling for all other factors.

Conclusions

Interventions and educational campaigns that assist girls in recognising a state of excess BF are a priority for all ethnic groups to increase the likelihood that behavioural changes necessary to combat widespread overweight and obesity are adopted.
Concepts of Adversity, Risk, Vulnerability and Resilience: A Discussion in the Context of the ‘Child Protection System’
Authors: Daniel Brigid
Published: March 2010

This paper explores the concepts of adversity, risk, vulnerability and resilience in the context of child protection systems with the aim of contributing to the debate about the ways in which risk of ‘harm’ and ‘abuse’ are conceptualised at different stages of the lifespan and in relation to different groups of people. The recent developments in the policy and legislative framework for state intervention on behalf of children in the UK are described and linked with an exploration of the underlying assumptions about abuse and neglect. Concepts of adversity, risk, vulnerability and resilience and the ways in which the complexity of the routes and pathways to ‘harm’ pose a challenge to the current UK state protective system are discussed.
‘I Hate the Word “Victim”’: An Exploration of Recognition of Domestic Violence in Same Sex Relationships
Authors: Donovan Catherine , Hester Marianne
Published: March 2010

In this article, drawing on interviews with women and men in same sex relationships who have experienced domestic violence, we explore the ways in which recognition of domestic violence can be hampered by public stories about the phenomenon and practices of love. Public stories construct domestic violence as a gendered, heterosexual phenomenon that is predominantly physical in nature. Victims of domestic violence are also constructed as ‘other’, weak and passive. In addition, we argue that practices of love obfuscate practices of violence; and can also result in victim/survivors constructing themselves as stronger than the perpetrator who needs their care.
Abuse and Protection Issues across the Lifespan: Reviewing the Literature
Authors: Johnson Fiona , Hogg James , Daniel Brigid
Published: March 2010

The literature is reviewed: (a) comparing models of abuse and protection applied at each stage of the lifespan; and (b) exploring abuse and protection issues with respect to individuals over time. A paucity of comparative and lifespan work in the field of abuse and protection is reported. Within the available literature, different types of knowledge are drawn upon and contrasted definitions of ‘abuse’ and ‘protection’ employed. Accordingly, the most significant findings of the review are in the dissonances and the gaps surrounding the substantive findings. Examples are presented to demonstrate this, while new directions for discussion and research are proposed.
Some Useful Sources on Harm, Abuse, Agency and Resilience Across the Lifespan
Authors: Dawson Alison
Published: March 2010

The URL addresses listed here access websites holding an array of electronic resources relevant to the understanding of harm, abuse, agency and resilience across the lifespan. Many websites include links to additional reports, research papers, reviews and other sources of information. Due to the breadth of subject area and limitations on available space, the websites should be regarded as an indicative sample rather than an exhaustive list of relevant information currently available on the internet. Only English language sites have been included. All website addresses were available on 31 July 2009.
Svalbard glacier elevation changes and contribution to sea level rise
Authors: Nuth Christopher , Moholdt Geir , Kohler Jack , Hagen Jon Ove , Kääb Andreas
Published: March 2010

We compare satellite altimetry from the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat, 2003–2007) to older topographic maps and digital elevation models (1965–1990) to calculate long‐term elevation changes of glaciers on the Svalbard Archipelago. Results indicate significant thinning at most glacier fronts with either slight thinning or thickening in the accumulation areas, except for glaciers that surged which show thickening in the ablation area and thinning in the accumulation areas. The most negative geodetic balances occur in the south and on glaciers that have surged, while the least negative balances occur in the northeast and on glaciers in the quiescent phase of a surge cycle. Geodetic balances are related to latitude and to the dynamical behavior of the glacier. The average volume change rate over the past 40 years for Svalbard, excluding Austfonna and Kvitøya is estimated to be −9.71 ± 0.55 km3 yr−1 or −0.36 ± 0.02 m yr−1 w. equivalent, for an annual contribution to global sea level rise of 0.026 mm yr−1 sea level equivalent.