bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations and Ideologies in the Locations of Urban Craft Production at Harappa, Pakistan (Indus Civilization)
Authors: Miller Heather M.‐L.
Published: April 2007

A number of factors can affect spatial associations among production areas for different crafts. Surprisingly, survey and excavation of craft production areas from the Harappan Phase (2600–1900 calibrated B.C.) at the Indus urban site of Harappa have revealed no evidence that production locations were related to control by nonproducers. Instead, the distributional groupings of craft production areas were at least partially related to similarities in manufacturing processes. The three craft categories were extractive‐reductive crafts such as lithic‐ and shell‐working, pyrotechnologically transformative crafts such as metal and pottery production, and bridging crafts like talc/steatite and faience production that have both reductive and high heating stages. The patterns of association may relate to knowledge relationships between the producers or to requirements of manufacturing. Other factors in production location may have been Harappan views of what constituted distinct crafts, the value of the goods produced, and the likely consumers. A further factor, hinted at by the location of production areas on the various mounds of Harappa, may have been Indus ideological beliefs about civic structure and the proper placement of manufacturing within city centers.
Oppenheimer's first paper: Molecular band spectra and a professional style
Authors: Cassidy David C.
Published: April 2007

Beginning early in the 20th century spectroscopists attributed the infrared band spectra emitted by diatomic molecules to quantum vibration and rotation modes of the molecules. Because of these relatively simple motions, band spectra offered a convenient .rst phenomenon to which to apply formulations of the new quan-tum mechanics in 1926. In his .rst paper, completed in Cambridge in May 1926, Oppenheimer presented a derivation of the frequencies and relative intensities of the observed spectral lines on the basis of Paul Dirac's new quantum commutator algebra. At the same time Lucy Mensing published a similar derivation utiliz-ing matrix mechanics, as did Edwin Fues utilizing wave mechanics. Analyses of Oppenheimer's paper and of its historical and scienti.c contexts offer insights into the new quantum mechanics and its utilization and reception during this brief period of competing formalisms, and into the characteristic features of Oppenheimer's later style of research and publication.
Cosmology and the entropic creation argument
Authors: Kragh Helge s.
Published: April 2007

If the second law of thermodynamics is assumed to be valid for the universe as a whole, it follows that the world must have had a beginning in time. This so-called entropic creation argument was introduced in the late 1860s, although versions of it, that built on decay in a general sense, can be found earlier. During the subsequent decades it and its implications were much discussed by scientists, philosophers, theologians, and social critics. The main reason for the controversial nature of the argument was that it could be, and in fact was, used apologetically, as an argument in favour of divine creation. As a consequence, some authors of a materialistic or positivistic orientation denied the general validity of the second law. From about 1920 the debate concerning the entropic argument declined, but traces of it can still be found in the modern literature on cosmology and religion.
Tolerance and integrity at Johns Hopkins
Authors: Friedman Robert Marc
Published: April 2007

The Department of History of Science at Johns Hopkins shaped by Harry Woolf and Robert H. Kargon brought together diverse scholars who nevertheless shared a basic outlook. Historical questions and scholarly craft took precedent over theo-retical or historiographic positioning. At the same time, students were allowed great freedom to explore and develop new perspectives for analyzing science historically. When Russell McCormmach arrived in Baltimore in the fall of 1972, he joined a departmental culture of intellectual tolerance and forthright expres-sion. In paying homage to Russ and the department I illuminate the departmental culture into which Russ entered, Russ's seminars and academic mentoring, and .nally Russ's vision for combining art and scholarship. Russ shared a deep affection for solid conceptual history of physics while supporting our ventures into new historiographic terrain.
Russell McCormmach as a colleague
Authors: Brooke John Hedley , Harman Peter
Published: April 2007

An appreciation of Russell McCormmach as scholar and author.
Alessandro Striggio's Mass in Forty and Sixty Parts
Authors: MORONEY DAVITT
Published: April 2007

It has been known for twenty-five years that Alessandro Striggio the elder, the most important composer at the Medici court in Florence in the 1560s and 1570s, wrote a setting of the Ordinary of the Mass in forty parts, with an Agnus Dei in sixty parts, but the piece has always been thought lost. This major artwork from the high Florentine Renaissance does in fact survive (F-Pn, Rés. Vmd. ms 52). Entitled Missa sopra Ecco sìì beato giorno, it is Striggio's most imposing composition, and underlines the early eminence of Florence in the art of massive polychoral writing. The last movement is indeed in sixty real parts. The Mass also appears to have been used by the Medici as a political tool in the art of cultural diplomacy. Offered in January 1567 to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II at exactly the moment when Cosimo de' Medici was seeking approval from Maximilian of a royal title (granted finally as “Grand Duke” by Pope Pius V in 1569), the Mass was also performed by Lassus's colleagues in Munich and under Striggio's direction at court in France, a few weeks before he visited the court of Queen Elizabeth I in London in June 1567. The links with Striggio's forty-part motet Ecce beatam lucem and with Thomas Tallis's Spem in alium, are discussed, as are the reasons why the source of the Mass remained unknown throughout the twentieth century.
Content among Locally Approved HIPAA Authorization Forms for Research
Authors: Breese Peter , Rietmeijer Cornelis , Burman William
Published: April 2007

This study was designed to assess differences in the content of HIPAA authorization forms now required for clinical research. Authorization forms were collected from 111 institutions, including academic medical centers and commercial Institutional Review Boards. The requirement for an element covering the use of information acquired was fulfilled in 95% of the forms, and 100% had a statement fulfilling the core requirement of a description of the data to be collected. However, only 19% distinguished between entities that could see personal identifiers versus aggregate data. Significant differences existed in how long the disclosure agreement would remain in effect, and complex legalistic language was common. Thus, while research authorization forms technically met the requirements, the complex language and confusion over personal identifiers may raise concerns in prospective research participants.
National Bodies: Robert Southey's Life of Nelson and John Franklin's Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea
Authors: Hill Jen
Published: April 2007

This essay investigates the Arctic as an important, if unlikely, location for the formation of a British national and imperial masculinity in the early nineteenth century. Robert Southey's Life of Nelson (1813) established the national naval hero's heroic masculinity as Arctic in origin, revealing the utility of the Arctic in making British character legible. Perceived as unpopulated and "blank," Arctic geography stood in stark contrast to populated,torrid regions of the colonized tropics. The essay concludes with an examination of John Franklin's best-selling Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea(1823). This account of hardship, imperiled bodies, and cannibalism in an uncertain geography would appear to contradict Southey's claims. Yet despite the expedition's failures, Franklin's narrative only augments public perception of the Arctic as a proving ground for a British masculinity uniquely suited to imperial projects.
Dangerous Machinery: “Conspiracy Theorist” as a Transpersonal Strategy of Exclusion
Authors: Husting Ginna , Orr Martin
Published: April 2007

In a culture of fear, we should expect the rise of new mechanisms of social control to deflect distrust, anxiety, and threat. Relying on the analysis of popular and academic texts, we examine one such mechanism, the label conspiracy theory, and explore how it works in public discourse to “go meta” by sidestepping the examination of evidence. Our findings suggest that authors use the conspiracy theorist label as (1) a routinized strategy of exclusion; (2) a reframing mechanism that deflects questions or concerns about power, corruption, and motive; and (3) an attack upon the personhood and competence of the questioner. This label becomes dangerous machinery at the transpersonal levels of media and academic discourse, symbolically stripping the claimant of the status of reasonable interlocutor—often to avoid the need to account for one's own action or speech. We argue that this and similar mechanisms simultaneously control the flow of information and symbolically demobilize certain voices and issues in public discourse.
Women and Their Clitoris: Personal Discovery, Signification, and Use
Authors: Waskul Dennis D. , Vannini Phillip , Wiesen Desiree
Published: April 2007

Under continued, broad, and pervasive conditions of symbolic clitoridectomy—a bracketing of the clitoris by means of linguistic and discursive erasure—the carnal discovery of the clitoris poses circumstances where women often confront and negotiate symbolic purgatory, a situation in which most women discover “it” long before they fully acquire the symbolic knowledge that it, indeed, is a clitoris. Based on the written reports of fifteen women, we provide idiographic descriptions of women's reported recollections of the clitoris by investigating three related dynamics: (1) how women interpret the meanings of the clitoris in circumstances relatively absent of significant symbols; (2) how the clitoris becomes a significant symbol for women; and (3) how broader discourses inform how women make meaning of the clitoris. This study documents a clitoral somatic career that is marked by three important junctures of discovery, knowledge, and meaning making: discovering the sensations of the clitoris, putting the clitoris into discourse, and negotiating contested uses of pleasure. As we argue, the sensual embodiment of the clitoris is emergent in active and reflective practices in which women both sense and make sense.
“Get Therapy and Work on It”: Managing Dissent in an Intentional Community
Authors: Holden Daphne , Schrock Doug
Published: April 2007

Based on two years of fieldwork in an intentional community that was officially both egalitarian and therapeutic, we examine how community founders used a discourse of liberation psychotherapy to maintain power over newcomers. When newcomers expressed their desire for more financial accountability or for limiting the expression of anger, the founders managed such dissent by (1) reframing community problems as psychological issues, (2) discrediting critics as psychologically troubled, and (3) emotionally attacking recalcitrant newcomers. In contrast to those who argue that a discourse emphasizing emotions fosters equality within social movement and utopian communities, we show that it depends on how people use the discourse. Our study points to the importance of interaction for research on discourse as well as the importance of discourse for an interactionist approach to power.
Approaches to individual radiotherapy in breast cancer: individual risk estimation and individualized techniques
Authors: Kahán Zsuzsanna , Varga Zoltán , Csenki Melinda , Szabó Júlia , Szil Elemér , Fekete Gábor , Hideghéty Katalin , Boda Krisztina , Thurzó László
Published: April 2007

Bevezetés:
Az egyedileg megtervezett sugárterápia a lokális kontroll és a túlélés javítása révén alapvető része az emlőrák kuratív kezelésének. A besugárzandó térfogat alakját követő konformális besugárzás, és a védendő szervek sugárterhelésének kontrollálását is lehetővé tevő háromdimenziós besugárzástervezés növelik a besugárzás biztonságát.
Beteganyag és módszer:
A dolgozat a klinikán 2002 óta követett módszereket ismerteti. Az emlő/mellkasfal, illetve a nyirokrégiók besugárzásának indikációja a lokoregionális relapsus legalább 10%-os kockázata volt. CT-alapú háromdimenziós besugárzás tervezése és egyéni pozicionálás történt, a vizsgálat második szakaszában termoplasztikus maszk-rögzítéssel. A védendő szervek dózisterhelését az irodalmi adatok alapján összeállított felső határértékek korlátozták. A betegek első csoportjában individuálisan tervezett blokkokat, a második csoportban „multileaf” kollimátort (MLC), a harmadik csoportban pedig intenzitásmodulált sugárnyalábokat alkalmazva végeztük a besugárzást.
Eredmények:
Összesen 737 emlőrákos beteg részesült individuális rizikó alapján megtervezett konformális besugárzásban. Háromszázhetvenkét esetben csak lokális, 365 esetben lokoregionális besugárzás történt. A besugárzott térfogatok dóziseloszlását a vizsgálat második periódusában adott műszaki lehetőségekkel jelentősen javítani lehetett: a dózis ±10%-kal ellátott emlő-/mellkasfal-, axillaris-supraclavicularis, illetve mammaria interna térfogatok aránya az alkalmazott besugárzási technikától függően rendre 90,5–94,2%; 84,1–93,8% és 86,7–91,6% között mozgott. Az azonos oldali tüdő és a szív sugárterhelését reprezentáló dózis-volumen paraméterek szignifikánsan magasabbak voltak lokoregionális besugárzás, mint csak lokális besugárzás esetén. A vizsgálat második periódusában lokoregionális besugárzás esetén a tüdő- és szívterhelés a korábbinál szignifikánsan alacsonyabb volt, míg lokális besugárzásnál ilyen hatás nem jelentkezett. A maszkrögzítés bevezetésével a beállítási pontatlanságból és a légzési mozgásból eredő bizonytalanság redukciója mellett az ellenoldali emlő sugárterhelését is csökkenteni lehetett.
Következtetések:
A posztoperatív besugárzást gondos kockázat- és haszonelemzés után kell megtervezni. A háromdimenziós besugárzás-tervezésen alapuló konformális sugárterápia dózis-volumen adatainak elemzése során egyénileg szükséges dönteni az előnyösebb megoldás érdekében bevezetendő különleges technikák alkalmazásáról.
Experiences on antiviral treatment for chronic viral B and C hepatitis patients in Hungary. 1998–2004
Authors: Pár Alajos , Tornai István , Szalay Ferenc
Published: April 2007

Az utolsó évtizedben számos multicentrikus, randomizált vizsgálat bizonyította az előrehaladást a krónikus vírushepatitisek kezelésében. Ugyanakkor csak korlátozott számú és ellentmondásos adatokat közöltek az antivirális terápia reális értékéről a mindennapos rutin klinikai gyakorlatában.
Cél:
Retrospektív felmérést végeztünk a terápia hatékonyságának megállapítására krónikus B- és C-hepatitisben, egy 7 éves periódus alatt kezelt országos populációban. Emellett bemutatjuk még egy hazai prospektív vizsgálat néhány adatát is.
Módszerek:
220 krónikus B-hepatitises beteget kezeltünk, közülük 112 standard interferon-, 23 pegilált interferon-, 85 lamivudin-terápiában részesült, akikben a HbeAg-szerokonverzió és/vagy HBV-DNS-negatívvá válás arányát vizsgáltuk. A retrospektív elemzésben szereplő 2442 krónikus C-hepatitises közül 333 standard interferon-monoterápiát, 1122 standard interferon + ribavirin kombinációt és 987 pegilált interferon + ribavirin-kezelést kapott. A prospektív vizsgálatban 69 HCV1-beteg pegilált interferon α-2a + ribavirin terápiában részesült 6–12 hónapon át. A tartós virológiai válasz mellett vizsgáltuk a kedvező kimenetel prediktorait és a mellékhatások előfordulását.
Eredmények:
Krónikus B-hepatitisben a standard interferon 31%-os, a pegilált interferon 30%-os, a lamivudin 31–33%-os tartós vírusnegativitáshoz vezetett. Krónikus C-hepatitisben a tartós virológiai válasz aránya az interferon-monoterápiával észlelt 13%-ról a pegilált interferon + ribavirin mellett 31%-ra nőtt, a prospektív vizsgálatban ez 48% volt. A jó prognózis prediktora a rapid (4 hetes) és a korai (12 hetes) virológiai válasz, a női nem, az életkor, BMI és az adherencia volt. A betegek 9%-ában fordult elő mellékhatás, leggyakrabban cytopenia, haemolysis és depresszió.
Következtetés:
A krónikus B-hepatitisszel ellentétben, a hepatitis C-vírusinfekció kezelésének effektivitása hazánkban is fokozatosan javult. A mindennapi gyakorlat országos adatai azonban elmaradnak a prospektív vizsgálat sikerességétől. A jövőben hatékonyabb terápiás stratégiák szükségesek, beleértve az individualizált dozírozást és az új antivirális szerek alkalmazását.
Reliability analysis of Au–Sn flip-chip solder bump fabricated by co-electroplating
Authors: Yoon Jeong-Won , Chun Hyun-Suk , Jung Seung-Boo
Published: April 2007

In this study, we fabricated eutectic Au–Sn (Au–20 wt% Sn) flip-chip solder bumps from a single electroplating bath. After reflowing, the average diameter of the solder bump was approximately 80 μm. The (Ni,Au)3Sn2phase was initially formed when the liquid Au–Sn solder reacted with the Ni UBM (under bump metallization). After aging at 150 °C, the (Ni,Au)3Sn2intermetallic compound (IMC), which formed at the interface during reflow, was fully transformed into the (Au,Ni)Sn IMC due to the restricted supply of Ni atoms from the UBM to the interface. On the other hand, after aging at 250 °C for 1000 h, two IMC layers, (Au,Ni)Sn and (Ni,Au)3Sn2, were formed at the interface. The lower (Ni,Au)3Sn2phase was formed when the (Au,Ni)Sn phase reacted with the Ni UBM. The interfacial (Au,Ni)Sn IMC grew with the preferential consumption of the available δ-phase in the solder matrix. Eventually, the ζ-phase covered most of the interfacial layer. In the bump shear tests, the Au–Sn/Ni joint aged at 150 °C fractured through the bulk of the solder, confirming the mechanical reliability of the interface. In contrast, the Au–Sn/Ni joint aged at 250 °C fractured along the interface, thereby demonstrating brittle failure, possibly a result of the brittle IMC layer at the interface.
Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of carbon-free ZnO using the bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)zinc precursor
Authors: Saraf L.V. , Engelhard M.H. , Wang C.M. , Lea A.S. , McCready D.E. , Shutthanandan V. , Baer D.R. , Chambers S.A.
Published: April 2007

Bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)zinc [Zn(TMHD)2] is a relatively uninvestigated precursor that was used in this work to grow highly c-axis-oriented ZnO films on Si(100). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies before and after Ar ion sputtering indicated that surface carbon on several samples was reduced from as much as 34 at.% to much less than 1 at.% within the first 5 nm, indicating very clean Zn(TMHD)2 precursor decomposition. Microstructural and compositional analysis revealed columnar ZnO grains with domain widths of approximately half the total film thickness and a Zn-to-O atomic percent ratio indicative of stoichometric ZnO.
The effects of tensile plastic deformation on the hardness and Young’s modulus of a bulk nanocrystalline alloy studied by nanoindentation
Authors: Fan G.J. , Jiang W.H. , Liu F.X. , Choo H. , Liaw P.K. , Yang B. , Fu L.F. , Browning N.D.
Published: April 2007

A bulk nanocrystalline (nc) Ni–Fe alloy was subjected to tensile deformation, which leads to grain growth. The nanoindentation study indicates that the hardness, H, and Young’s modulus, E, of the nc alloy before and after tensile deformation did not show a clear indentation-rate effect. However, the tensile deformation results in a decrease in the E values of about 15%, which might be attributed to the grain rotation, leading to texture development during the stress-induced grain growth.
Microstructure evolution during electromigration between Sn–9Zn solder and Cu
Authors: Kuo Shih-Ming , Lin Kwang-Lung
Published: April 2007

This study investigated the electromigration behavior between Cu and Sn–9Zn solder under a current density of 1.0 × 103 A/cm2 for up to 230 h. The experimental results indicated that Cu5Zn8 was formed at the interface between Cu and the cathode side of the Sn–9Zn solder as well as in the bulk near the anode. Consumption of Cu was also observed for the Cu plating on the cathode side and anodic side, but with less compound formation and Cu consumption at the anode. The intermetallic compound layer on the cathode side was always thicker than that on the anode side after the same current-stressing time. The effect of chemical potential overwhelms electromigration in inducing Zn diffusion when a counterflow of electrons and chemical potential gradient exists. Voids formed at the Cu5Zn8–solder interface inside the solder regardless of the direction of current flow.
Cobalt–ferrite nanobowl arrays: Curved magnetic nanostructures
Authors: Srivastava A.K. , Madhavi S. , White T.J. , Ramanujan R.V.
Published: April 2007

Novel magnetic cobalt ferrite nanostructures with curved surfaces (i.e., nanobowls and hollow nanospheres) in a periodic array have been fabricated by in situ reduction of a cobalt and iron salt solution mixture in the interstitial spaces of three-dimensional, close-packed, polystyrene sphere templates. The effect of the shape created by this nanostructure and magnetocrystalline anisotropy introduced by suitable annealing were used to tailor the coercivity to values relevant to high-density data-storage applications.
Structure and optical absorption of combustion-synthesized nanocrystalline LiCoO2
Authors: Ghosh Paromita , Mahanty S. , Raja M.W. , Basu R.N. , Maiti H.S.
Published: April 2007

Nanocrystalline LiCoO2 powders (10–50 nm) were synthesized by a citrate-nitrate combustion process followed by calcination at different temperatures (300–800 °C) in air. Thermogravimetric analyses indicated a sharp combustion at a low temperature of 225 °C, producing fine crystallites. Quantitative phase analyses from the x-ray diffractograms showed that while annealing at 500 °C produced mixed phases of cubic and rhombohedral LiCoO2, annealing at 800 °C resulted in single-phase rhombohedral LiCoO2. Electronic transitions related to the Co 3d bands were investigated by ultraviolet-visible reflectance spectra in absorbance mode and were ascribed to the Co 3d intra-band transition involving t2g and eg orbitals. The d-d transitions underwent a blue shift of about 0.3 eV as the cubic LiCoO2 transformed into the rhombohedral structure with band gap values of about 1.4 and 1.7 eV.
Influence of sintering temperature and pressure on crystallite size and lattice defect structure in nanocrystalline SiC
Authors: Gubicza J. , Nauyoks S. , Balogh L. , Labar J. , Zerda T.W. , Ungár T.
Published: April 2007

Microstructure of sintered nanocrystalline SiC is studied by x-ray line profile analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The lattice defect structure and the crystallite size are determined as a function of pressure between 2 and 5.5 GPa for different sintering temperatures in the range from 1400 to 1800 °C. At a constant sintering temperature, the increase of pressure promotes crystallite growth. At 1800 °C when the pressure reaches 8 GPa, the increase of the crystallite size is impeded. The grain growth during sintering is accompanied by a decrease in the population of planar faults and an increase in the density of dislocations. A critical crystallite size above which dislocations are more abundant than planar defects is suggested.
Effects of pore morphology on fatigue strength and fracture surface of lotus-type porous copper
Authors: Seki H. , Tane M. , Otsuka M. , Nakajima H.
Published: April 2007

We studied the effect of anisotropic pore morphology on the fatigue behavior and fracture surface of lotus-type porous copper, which was fabricated through unidirectional solidification in pressurized hydrogen and argon atmospheres. The fatigue strength at finite life is closely related to the pore morphology. The fatigue strength decreases with increasing porosity, and the strength depends on applied-stress direction. The fatigue life is the longest in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of cylindrical pores. The fatigue strength at finite life is proportional to the ultimate tensile strength and can be expressed by a simple power-law formula. Anisotropic pores affect the fracture surface of lotus copper; crack-initiation site depends on applied-stress direction, and the anisotropic shape pores affect the direction of crack propagation and final fracture surface.
Improvement of the hydrogen-storage performances of Li–Mg–N–H system
Authors: Liu Yongfeng , Hu Jianjiang , Xiong Zhitao , Wu Guotao , Chen Ping
Published: April 2007

Li2MgN2H2 can reversibly store more than 5.5 wt% hydrogen. However, the high activation energy of hydrogen desorption poses a kinetic barrier for low-temperature operation. In this work, the composition of the Li–Mg–N–H system has been modified by the partial substitution of Mg or Li by Na. The changes in structure and hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetics have been investigated. It was found that the peak temperature for hydrogen desorption was decreased by ∼10 °C, and that the hydrogen absorption/desorption isotherms were also significantly changed. Furthermore, the activation energy calculated by the Kissinger’s approach was reduced after the substitution of Mg or Li by Na. In addition, the different dehydrogenation structures were detected at different molar ratios of Mg, Li, and Na.
Local dielectric measurements of BaTiO3–CoFe2O4 nanocomposites through microwave microscopy
Authors: Qi Yi , Anlage Steven M. , Zheng H. , Ramesh R.
Published: April 2007

We report on linear and nonlinear dielectric property measurements of BaTiO3–CoFe2O4 (BTO–CFO) ferroelectromagnetic nanocomposites and pure BaTiO3 and CoFe2O4 samples with scanning near-field microwave microscopy. The permitivity scanning image with spatial resolution on the micrometer scale shows that the nanocomposites have a very uniform quality with an effective dielectric constant ɛr = 140 ± 6.4 at 3.8 GHz and room temperature. The temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity shows that the Curie temperature of pure BTO was shifted by the clamping effect of the MgO substrate, whereas the Curie temperature shift of the BTO ferroelectric phase in BTO–CFO composites is less pronounced, and if it exists at all, would be mainly caused by the CFO. Nonlinear dielectric measurements of BTO–CFO show good ferroelectric properties from the BTO.
Creation of locally selective mirror surface on 40BaO–40TiO2–20B2O3 glass by XeCl pulse laser irradiation
Authors: Masai Hirokazu , Mizuno Shintaro , Fujiwara Takumi , Benino Yasuhiko , Komatsu Takayuki , Mori Hiroshi
Published: April 2007

Creation of mirror dots, localized areas of smooth surface with a shape of laser beam on a glass material, using a XeCl laser irradiation is reported. Laser irradiation of a 40BaO–40TiO2–20B2O3 sample heated to 300 °C induced a smooth and flat surface, where no scratches caused by a mechanical polishing were observed. The present finding indicates that the melting of the surface occurred by the combined effect of the heat-assistance and the increased absorption coefficient of TiO2. In the present system, the absorption coefficient in the ultraviolet region, which originates from TiO2, was found to increase with increasing temperature. The presented technique will open new possibilities in integrated optics; the surface of a small protruded or hollow area can be made smooth, which cannot be achieved by conventional mechanical polishing.
Microstructural evolution and piezoelectric properties of thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films deposited by the multi-sputtering method: Part II. Piezoelectric properties
Authors: Park Chee-Sung , Lee Jae-Wung , Park Gun-Tae , Kim Hyoun-Ee , Choi Jong-Jin
Published: April 2007

Highly dense and crack-free Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) thick films with a controlled microstructure and orientation were deposited on a platinized silicon substrate by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method using a single oxide target. The microstructure and orientation of the films were adjusted by applying a thin (100) PZT seed layer by the sol-gel method and subsequent repeated sputtering. When a thin layer was deposited on the seed layer, the film had small grains with a columnar structure. However, as the film became thicker, it developed a large and non-columnar grain structure. Therefore, reducing the thickness of the film per deposition allowed the columnar microstructure to be maintained. The (100) orientation of the film was able to be maintained by depositing it on a (100) oriented seed layer. PZT thick films with controlled orientations and microstructures were successfully deposited up to a thickness of about 5 μm, and their ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were characterized.
Phase stability of heteroepitaxial polydomain BaTiO3 thin films
Authors: Meier A.L. , Desai A.Y. , Wang L. , Marks T.J. , Wessels B.W.
Published: April 2007

The phase stability of ferroelectric, epitaxial, polydomain BaTiO3 thin films was examined using temperature-dependent x-ray diffraction (XRD) and in-plane electronic polarization measurements. The epitaxial BaTiO3 thin films were grown on MgO(100) substrates by a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process. As-deposited and annealed BaTiO3 thin films with different domain structures were examined. Temperature-dependent plane-normal XRD analysis reveals well-defined phase transitions at 140 and 169 °C in the c- and a-oriented films, respectively. The measured Curie temperatures are consistent with those predicted by Landau-Ginsburg-Devonshire theory as applied to polydomain BaTiO3 thin films. Temperature-dependent in-plane electronic polarization measurements confirm that the 140 °C Curie temperature observed in the c-oriented film is a well-defined second-order paraelectric-ferroelectric transition.
Analytical and experimental resolutions in the duality of mechanical property extractions from instrumented indentation experiments: Comments on “On determination of material parameters from loading and unloading responses in nanoindentation with a single sharp indenter” by L. Wang and S.I. Rokhlin [J. Mater. Res. 21, 995, (2006)]
Authors: Casals O. , Alcalá J.
Published: April 2007

A controversial issue in mechanical property extractions from instrumented indentation applied load (P)–penetration depth (hs) curves concerns the possibility of finding more than one solid that essentially exhibits the same contact response. By recourse to finite element simulations of elastic-power law strain hardening solids, it was shown that for both the elasto-plastic and the fully plastic contact regimes it becomes possible to find an arbitrary number of solids whose P-hs curves are visually similar [L. Wang and S.I. Rokhlin, J. Mater. Res. 21, 995 (2006)]. Although this assertion supports prior findings [e.g., C.M. Cheng and Y.T. Cheng, J. Mater. Res. 14, 3493 (1999); K.K. Tho et al., Mater. Sci. Eng.A 390, 202 (2005); and J. Alkorta et al., J. Mater. Res.20, 432 (2005)], it apparently contradicts the work by Casals and Alcalá in which, through similar computational procedures and constitutive theory, it was shown that there can be “only” two solids with strictly the same P-hs curve [O. Casals and J. Alcalá, Acta Mater.53, 3545 (2005)]. The purpose of this comment is to reconcile the different views on the multiplicity of inferred properties that can be extracted from a single P-hs curve, as well as to address the issue of whether visually similar P-hs curves can be taken to be statistically identical both from analytical and experimental standpoints. Some considerations are also given regarding experiments performed with dual indenters.
Pharmacodiagnostics and Targeted Therapies—A Rational Approach for Individualizing Medical Anticancer Therapy in Breast Cancer
Authors: Jørgensen Jan Trøst , Nielsen Kirsten Vang , Ejlertsen Bent
Published: April 2007

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Assess the predictive biomarkers currently used in breast cancer, including, for example, ER, HER-2, and TOP2A.Discuss the predictive capability of biomarkers in relation to the mechanisms of action of the corresponding treatment.Discuss the link between the targeted therapies currently used in breast cancer and the predictive biomarkers.Evaluate the role of TOP2A testing in relation to treatment with anthracyclines.

CME Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ at CME.TheOncologist.com
Target Practice: Lessons from Phase III Trials with Bevacizumab and Vatalanib in the Treatment of Advanced Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Los Maartje , Roodhart Jeanine M. L. , Voest Emile E.
Published: April 2007

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Describe the safety of using bevacizumab in clinical practice.Explain the benefit of adding bevacizumab to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer.Discuss mechanisms of targeting the VEGF/VEGFR pathway.

CME Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ at CME.TheOncologist.com
Design of Clinical Trials of Radiation Combined with Antiangiogenic Therapy
Authors: Senan Suresh , Smit Egbert F.
Published: April 2007

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Discuss the impact of tumor angiogenesis and hypoxia on the outcome of radiation therapy.List the classes of antiangiogenic agents that are in clinical development.Identify mechanisms by which antiangiogenic therapy can enhance radiation efficacy.

CME Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ at CME.TheOncologist.com
Evaluating the Total Costs of Chemotherapy-Induced Febrile Neutropenia: Results from a Pilot Study with Community Oncology Cancer Patients
Authors: Bennett Charles L. , Calhoun Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2007

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Discuss the definitions of direct and indirect costs of medical care.Describe the feasibility of obtaining information on direct and indirect medical costs associated with febrile neutropenia.Identify clinical and nonclinical factors that are associated with larger estimates of direct and indirect medical costs for febrile neutropenia.

CME Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ at CME.TheOncologist.com
High gastrin cell activity and low ghrelin cell activity in high-anxiety Wistar Kyoto rats
Authors: Kristensson Elin , Sundqvist Monika , Håkanson Rolf , Lindström Erik
Published: April 2007

Ghrelin is produced by gastric A-like cells and released in response to food deprivation. Interestingly, psychological stress also raises circulating ghrelin levels. This study compared plasma ghrelin levels in Sprague–Dawley (SPD) rats and high-anxiety Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. The two strains were also compared with respect to plasma gastrin, a gastric hormone with a pre- and postprandial release pattern opposite to that of ghrelin, and to the activity of the gastrin-dependent, histamine-forming ECL cells in the gastric mucosa. The rats were killed after being freely fed or after an over-night fast. The stomachs were weighed and tissue samples were collected for histological and biochemical analysis. Plasma ghrelin and gastrin levels were determined by RIA. While fasted SPD rats had higher plasma ghrelin levels than fasted WKY rats (P < 0.001), plasma ghrelin did not differ between freely fed rats of the two strains. Gastrin levels were higher in fed WKY rats than in fed SPD rats (P < 0.001). Despite the higher plasma gastrin level, the oxyntic mucosal histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activity (a marker of ECL-cell activity) in fed rats and the mucosal thickness did not differ between the two strains. In a subsequent study, rats were subjected to water-avoidance stress for 60 min, causing plasma gastrin to increase in WKY rats (P < 0.001) but not in SPD rats. In conclusion, high-anxiety WKY rats had lower circulating ghrelin and higher gastrin than SPD rats in both the fasted and fed state, while the ECL-cell activity (HDC activity) was only moderately affected.
Osteopontin is required for mechanical stress-dependent signals to bone marrow cells
Authors: Ishijima Muneaki , Tsuji Kunikazu , Rittling Susan R , Yamashita Teruhito , Kurosawa Hisashi , Denhardt David T , Nifuji Akira , Ezura Yoichi , Noda Masaki
Published: April 2007

Mechanical stress to bone plays a crucial role in the maintenance of bone homeostasis. It causes the deformation of bone matrix and generates strain force, which could initiate the mechano-transduction pathway. The presence of osteopontin (OPN), which is one of the abundant proteins in bone matrix, is required for the effects of mechanical stress on bone, as we have reported that OPN-null (OPN−/−) mice showed resistance to unloading-induced bone loss. However, cellular mechanisms underlying the phenomenon have not been completely elucidated. To obtain further insight into the role of OPN in mediating mechanical stress effect on bone, we examined in vitro mineralization and osteoclast-like cell formation in bone marrow cells obtained from hind limb bones of OPN−/− mice after tail suspension. The levels of mineralized nodule formation of bone marrow cells derived from the femora subjected to unloading were decreased compared with that from loaded control in wild-type mice. However, these were not decreased in cells from OPN−/− mice after tail suspension compared with that from loaded OPN−/− mice. Moreover, while spreading of osteoclast-like cells derived from bone marrow cells of the femora subjected to unloading was enhanced compared with that from loaded control in wild-type mice, this enhancement of spreading of these cells derived from the femora subjected to unloading was not recognized compared with those from loaded control in OPN−/− mice. These data provided cellular bases for the effect of the OPN deficiency on in vitro reduced mineralized nodule formation by osteoblasts and on enhancement of osteoclast spreading in vitro induced by the absence of mechanical stress. These in vitro results correlate well with the resistance to unloading-induced bone loss in OPN−/− mice in vivo, suggesting that OPN has an important role in the effects of unloading-induced alterations of differentiation of bone marrow into osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase expression and activities in bovine granulosa cells and corpora lutea implicate corticosteroids in bovine ovarian physiology
Authors: Thurston L M , Abayasekara D R E , Michael A E
Published: April 2007

Cortisol–cortisone metabolism is catalysed by the bi-directional NADP(H)-dependent type 1 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11βHSD1) enzyme and the oxidative NAD+-dependent type 2 11βHSD (11βHSD2). This study related the expression of 11βHSD1 and 11βHSD2 enzymes (mRNA and protein) to net 11-ketosteroid reductase and 11β-dehydrogenase (11β-DH) activities in bovine follicular granulosa and luteal cells. Granulosa cells were isolated from follicles of < 4, 4–8, > 8 and > 12 mm in diameter in either the follicular or luteal phase of the ovarian cycle. Luteal cells were obtained from corpora lutea (CL) in the early non-pregnant luteal phase. Enzyme expression was assessed by reverse transcription-PCR and western blotting, while enzyme activities were measured over 1 h in cell homogenates using radiometric conversion assays with 100 nM [3H]cortisone or [3H]cortisol and pyridine dinucleotide cofactors. Irrespective of follicle diameter, the expression of 11βHSD2 and NAD+-dependent oxidation of cortisol predominated in granulosa cells harvested in the follicular phase. In contrast, in granulosa cells obtained from luteal phase follicles and in bovine luteal cells, expression of 11βHSD1 exceeded that of 11βHSD2 and the major enzyme activity was NADP+-dependent cortisol oxidation. Increasing follicular diameter was associated with progressive increases in expression and activities of 11βHSD2 and 11βHSD1 in follicular and luteal phase granulosa cells respectively. In follicular phase granulosa cells from antral follicles < 12 mm, 11βHSD1 migrated with a molecular mass of 34 kDa, whereas in the dominant follicle, CL and all luteal phase granulosa cells, a second protein band of 68 kDa was consistently detected. In all samples, 11βHSD2 had a molecular mass of 48 kDa, but in large antral follicles (> 8 mm), there was an additional immunoreactive band at 50 kDa. We conclude that 11βHSD2 is the predominant functional 11βHSD enzyme expressed in follicular phase granulosa cells from growing bovine antral follicles. In contrast, in bovine granulosa cells from dominant or luteal phase follicles, and in bovine luteal cells from early non-pregnant CL, 11βHSD1 is the major glucocorticoid-metabolising enzyme. The increasing levels of cortisol inactivation by the combined NADP+- and NAD+-dependent 11β-DH activities suggest a need to restrict cortisol access to corticosteroid receptors in the final stages of follicle development.
3,3′,5-Triiodo-l-thyronine inhibits ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma proliferation improving the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy
Authors: Michienzi Simona , Bucci Barbara , Verga Falzacappa Cecilia , Patriarca Valentina , Stigliano Antonio , Panacchia Laura , Brunetti Ercole , Toscano Vincenzo , Misiti Silvia
Published: April 2007

The pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive and devastating disease, which is characterized by invasiveness, rapid progression, and profound resistance to actual treatments, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At the moment, surgical resection provides the best possibility for long-term survival, but is feasible only in the minority of patients, when advanced disease chemotherapy is considered, although the effects are modest. Several studies have shown that thyroid hormone, 3,3′,5-triiodo-l-thyronine (T3) is able to promote or inhibit cell proliferation in a cell type-dependent manner. The aim of the present study is to investigate the ability of T3 to reduce the cell growth of the human pancreatic duct cell lines chosen, and to increase the effect of chemotherapeutic drugs at conventional concentrations. Three human cell lines hPANC-1, Capan1, and HPAC have been used as experimental models to investigate the T3 effects on pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell proliferation. The hPANC-1 and Capan1 cell proliferation was significantly reduced, while the hormone treatment was ineffective for HPAC cells. The T3-dependent cell growth inhibition was also confirmed by fluorescent activated cell sorting analysis and by cell cycle-related molecule analysis. A synergic effect of T3 and chemotherapy was demonstrated by cell kinetic experiments performed at different times and by the traditional isobologram method. We have showed that thyroid hormone T3 and its combination with low doses of gemcitabine (dFdCyd) and cisplatin (DDP) is able to potentiate the cytotoxic action of these chemotherapic drugs. Treatment with 5-fluorouracil was, instead, largely ineffective. In conclusion, our data support the hypothesis that T3 and its combination with dFdCyd and DDP may act in a synergic way on adenopancreatic ductal cells.
Predicting early-age temperatures of blended-cement concrete
Authors: Paine K. A. , Dhir R. K. , Zheng L.
Published: April 2007

The advisability of controlling the temperature rise and fall in concrete at early age is well recognised, and the choice of an appropriate low-heat cement with suitable heat of hydration characteristics can assist in this control. This is particularly pertinent with respect to water-retaining and massive concrete structures, where the need to prevent early-age thermal cracking is paramount. Portland cement/ground granulated blast-furnace slag (PC/ggbs) or PC/fly ash cements are often used in these structures because of their low heat of hydration properties. This paper describes a study carried out to predict the early temperature rises for concrete containing different PC/ggbs and PC/fly ash cements. Current UK guidance normally requires knowledge of the proportion of ggbs or fly ash. Such information may not be available when using the recently published European standards for low-heat cements. To provide design data for these materials, cements just meeting the limiting heats of hydration for the low-heat and very low-heat classes were simulated. Temperature rises were predicted by a computer program that applied heat of hydration models to general heat flow theory with parameters to account for cement content, formwork type and section thickness.
Inhibition of “De Novo” Plaque Formation With 0.12% Chlorhexidine Spray Compared to 0.2% Spray and 0.2% Chlorhexidine Mouthwash
Authors: Stoeken J.E. , Versteeg P.A. , Rosema N.A.M. , Timmerman M.F. , van der Velden U. , van der Weijden G.A.
Published: April 2007

Background: Chlorhexidine (CHX) is widely accepted as the most effective product in the control of supragingival plaque. It is available in different delivery devices. The aim of this study was to test whether 0.12% CHX spray was as effective as 0.2% CHX spray and 0.2% CHX mouthwash in a 3‐day “de novo” plaque formation model.

Methods: Ninety volunteers were enrolled into a single‐blind, randomized, three‐group parallel study. They received a thorough dental prophylaxis prior to the test period. Subjects were divided randomly into three equal groups. They were requested to refrain from all forms of mechanical oral hygiene and instructed to use only their assigned product during the 3‐day experimental period. After 3 days, the plaque growth was assessed using the Quigley and Hein plaque index (Q&H PI) at six sites per tooth.

Results: After 3 days, the CHX mouthwash group had a mean Q&H PI of 1.17 compared to 1.41 for the 0.2% CHX spray and 1.49 for the 0.12% CHX spray. The difference between the mouthwash and the two sprays was statistically significant, whereas the two sprays did not differ significantly from each other.

Conclusions: Within the limitations of this 3‐day “de novo” plaque formation study, the two sprays were not as effective as the mouthwash in plaque inhibition. No significant difference was found between the two sprays. To achieve the same effectiveness as a mouthwash, a higher dose (number of puffs) of CHX spray may be necessary.
Persistently High Levels of Periodontal Pathogens Associated With Preterm Pregnancy Outcome
Authors: Lin Dongming , Moss Kevin , Beck James D. , Hefti Arthur , Offenbacher Steven
Published: April 2007

Background: Few studies examining the association between periodontal diseases and preterm birth have explored the underlying microbial and antibody responses associated with oral infection.

Methods: A nested case‐control study was performed using data from a recent interventional trial following the delayed‐treatment control group of 31 subjects with periodontal diseases. The levels of eight oral bacteria and the maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses in serum to these bacteria were measured at antepartum and postpartum visits to determine the relationship to cases (preterm delivery <37 weeks' gestation) and controls (term delivery).

Results: Antepartum, the levels of periodontal pathogens tended to be higher in the preterm (case group) deliveries compared to the term deliveries (control group). Maternal anti–Porphyromonas gingivalis IgG was significantly lower in the preterm group compared to the term group (P = 0.028). Postpartum, levels of P. gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Prevotella intermedia, and Prevotella nigrescens were statistically significantly higher in preterm births compared to term deliveries, adjusting for baseline levels. The joint effects of red and orange microbial clusters were significantly higher in the preterm group compared to the term group.

Conclusions: High levels of periodontal pathogens and low maternal IgG antibody response to periodontal bacteria during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk for preterm delivery. Further studies elucidating the role of the microbial load and maternal immune response as related to pregnancy outcome seem merited.