bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A model for the viscoelastic behavior of nanofilled hydrogel composites under oscillatory shear loading
Authors: Sarvestani Alireza S. , Jabbari Esmaiel
Published: January 2008

A molecular model is proposed to predict the viscoelastic response of the hydrogels reinforced with nonpercolated nanoparticles with emphasis on the role of polymer–particle energetic interactions. The structure of the polymer layer adsorbed on the surface of the particles is analyzed using a scaling theory for reversible polymer adsorption. The energetic affinity between the monomers and filler surface is assumed to be weak and short range. Because of thermal fluctuations or the applied deformation, the transient junctions between the polymer segments and filler particles break after a finite period of time. The dynamics of the polymer segments is studied by a Maxwell type kinetic model. The resultsshow that monomer–filler energetic affinity can strongly affect the overall viscoelastic response of the hydrogel nanocomposite, even within the range of weak coupling between the monomers and filler surface. The model can also predict the strain amplitude dependence of the storage shear modulus based on the kinetics of adsoption/desorption of the interfacial monomers. The model predictions are compared with the experimental results for poly(L‐lactide‐co‐ethylene oxide‐co‐fumarate) hydrogels reinforced with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. The filled hydogel/apatite nanocomposites are useful as a model matrix to mimic the soft elastic and hard mineral phases of the bone matrix and as scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Ethylene polymerization over (nBuCp)2ZrCl2/MAO catalytic system supported on aluminosilicate SBA‐15 mesostructured materials
Authors: Carrero A. , Van Grieken R. , Suarez I. , Paredes B.
Published: January 2008

Heterogeneous metallocene catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation of AlSBA‐15 (Si/Al = 4.8, 15, 30, 60, and ∞) mesostructured materials with (nBuCp)2ZrCl2/MAO. For comparative purposes commercial silica and silica–alumina (Si/Al = 4.8) supports were also impregnated with the MAO/metallocene catalytic system. A combination of X‐ray powder diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms at 77 K, transmission electron microscopy, ICP‐atomic emission spectroscopy, and UV–vis spectroscopic data, were used to characterize the supports and the heterogeneous catalysts. Ethylene polymerizations were carried out in a schlenk tube at 70 °C and 1.2 bar of ethylene pressure. The polyethylene obtained was characterized by GPC, DSC, and SEM. Catalysts prepared with mesostructured SBA‐15 supports exhibited better catalytic performance than those supported on amorphous silica and silica–alumina. In general, higher ethylene polymerization activity was achieved if (nBuCp)2 ZrCl2/MAO catalytic system was heterogenized using supports with lower pore size in the range of the mesopores and lower Si/Al ratio. All catalysts produced high‐density polyethylene, with high crystallinity values and fibrous morphology when SBA‐15 mesostructured materials were used as supports. POLYM. ENG SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Phase separation in the polyurethane/poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks synthesized by different ways
Authors: Karabanova Lyudmyla V. , Boiteux Gisele , Seytre Gerard , Stevenson Isabelle , Lloyd Andrew W. , Mikhalovsky Sergey V. , Helias Mikle , Sergeeva Lyudmyla M. , Lutsyk Elena D. , Svyatyna Anna
Published: January 2008

The thermal, dynamic mechanical analysis, morphology and mechanical properties of semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks based on crosslinked polyurethane (PU) and poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) synthesized by photopolymerization and by thermopolymerization have been investigated. The thermal analysis has evidenced the two glass temperature transitions in the semi‐IPNs and this is confirmed by the thermodynamic miscibility investigation of the systems. The Dynamic Mechanical Analysis spectra have shown that the phase separation is more significant in the thermopolymerized semi‐IPNs: the tan δ peaks of constituent polymers are more distinct and the minimum between the two peaks is deeper. The calculated segregation degree values of semi‐IPN's components are significantly higher for thermopolymerized semi‐IPNs, thereby the process of phase separation in the thermopolymerized semi‐IPNs is more developed. The structures of two series of samples investigated by SEM are completely different. The mechanical properties reflect these changes in structure of semi‐IPNs with increasing amount of PHEMA and with the changing of the method of synthesis. The results suggest that the studied semi‐IPNs are two‐phase systems with incomplete phase separation. The semi‐IPN samples with early stage of phase separation demonstrate higher mechanical characteristics. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Nanometer‐scale surface modification by polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene on polymer substrates in supercritical fluoroform
Authors: Mori Toshiaki , Imai Kanehira , Hasegawa Mirei , Okahata Yoshio
Published: January 2008

Surface penetrated polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) was carried out on a polycarbonate (PC) plate in supercritical fluoroform (scCHF3). Since the high diffusiveness is one of peculiar features of supercritical fluids, TFE monomers and initiators (perfluorinated benzoyl peroxide) could penetrate into the surface of polymer substrates and be photo‐polymerized. After washing physisorbed homopolymers on the surface, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was found to penetrate into 50–800 nm depth from the surface and covered the PC surface in the proportion of 85%. The surface coverage density and the penetration depth could be controlled by adjusting of the pressure of scCHF3. The TFE‐penetrated polymerization could be applied for various polymer plates such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), and polyimide. In addition to polymer plates, this technique could be applied to a cellulose paper, a nylon textile, and a porous PC membrane. The PTFE‐penetrated nylon textile showed a high resistance for washing test with detergents, compared with the commercial fluoropolymer‐sprayed nylon textile. The PTFE‐penetrated porous PC membrane showed high oxygen permeability (P/P = 5.2), compared with that of the untreated PC membrane (P/P = 3.5) in gas permeation experiments of O2 and N2. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1577–1585, 2008
Synthesis and properties of porous polyvinylamine microspheres from acrylonitrile
Authors: Hou Xin , Huang Dongge , Chen Xiaomin , Zhang Zheguo , Yao Kangde
Published: January 2008

A novel route to synthesize crosslinked porous polyvinylamine (PVAm) microspheres from acrylonitrile (AN) was developed. In the first step, crosslinked porous polyacrylonitrile (PAN) spheres were prepared by copolymerization of AN and divinylbenzene (DVB). Then they were hydrolyzed to form polyacrylamide (PAM) spheres. And lastly, the porous PVAm spheres were successfully obtained via Hofmann degradation of PAM spheres. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated that these PVAm microspheres have rough surfaces and porous interior structure. The pore size, the amino content, and the content of equilibrium water were also investigated. The pore size of these PVAm microspheres increased with the hydrolytic process. The contents of equilibrium water was changed from 49.6 to 96.5% depending on the different crosslinking degrees, and the amino contents were varied between 9.60 and 15.30 mmol/g depending on the different molar ratio of n(NaClO)/n(NaOH). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1674–1682, 2008
Synthesis and dielectric properties of photoreactive polystyrene containing [1‐(3‐isopropenyl‐phenyl)‐1‐methyl‐ethyl]‐carbamate in the side chain
Authors: Kim Ju Hee , Kim Kyung Hwan , Cho Min Ju , Jin Jung‐Il , Choi Dong Hoon , Hyung Gun Woo , Kim Young Kwan
Published: January 2008

Novel polystyrene derivatives comprising [1‐(3‐isopropenyl‐phenyl)‐1‐methyl‐ethyl]‐carbamate in the side chain were synthesized as photoreactive copolymers. Poly(4‐vinylphenol) was made to react with 1‐(1‐isocyanato‐1‐methyl‐ethyl)‐3‐isopropenyl‐benzene (m‐TMI) and the unreacted hydroxyl groups were protected with acetyl chloride. The copolymers are highly sensitive to the radical photoinitiators that can be activated by irradiation of UV light (λ = 300–365 nm). FTIR spectroscopy was employed to monitor the structural changes in the copolymers exposed to UV irradiation. The dielectric properties of the copolymers were investigated by measuring the capacitance and calculating the permittivity as a function of frequency, along with the I–V characteristics. Their properties were compared with those of thermally crosslinkable poly(4‐vinylphenol) blended with poly(melamine‐co‐formaldehyde), which is frequently used as a dielectric layer in organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). No significant dielectric dispersion was observed in the frequency range of 1 kHz–1 MHz. The dielectric constant was determined to be in the range of 4.2–6.0, which offers a potential for the application of these copolymers to OFET gate insulators. These soluble dielectrics exhibit good film uniformity and can also be patterned using a standard photolithographic technique. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1710–1718, 2008
Pulsed‐Plasma‐Induced Micropatterning with Alternating Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Surface Chemistries
Authors: Malkov Galiya S. , Martin Ina T. , Schwisow Whitney B. , Chandler John P. , Wickes Bronwyn T. , Gamble Lara J. , Castner David G. , Fisher Ellen R.
Published: January 2008

High‐fidelity micrometer‐scale patterns of alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials were created on polystyrene using pulsed plasma polymerization. The hydrophobic material was formed using C3F8. Grids with 80–100 µm holes were used to generate patterns with acrylic acid, 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N‐vinylformamide, allylamine, and hexylamine. The materials were characterized with angle‐resolved XPS, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and static CA measurements. Excellent pattern fidelity with all monomers was confirmed with SEM, SAM, XPS imaging, and static ToF‐SIMS imaging.

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Comparative characterization of the canine normal prostate in intact and castrated animals
Authors: Lai Chen‐Li , van den Ham René , van Leenders Geert , van der Lugt Jaco , Teske Erik
Published: January 2008

Background

Prostate diseases in the dog are generally regarded as representative for their human counterparts. We characterized the normal canine prostate in comparison to the normal human prostate.

Methods

Prostates of dogs were examined histomorphologically and by immunohistochemical detection of the markers CK14, HMWCK, CK5, CK18, CK7, UPIII, PSA, and PSMA.

Results

Histomorphologically, the canine prostate lacks the human zonal differentiation, has much more prominent acini, while comprising less stromal tissue. In general, the canine prostate epithelium displayed a highly differentiated character, with no cells expressing CK14, minimal amounts of cells expressing HMWCK/CK5 and the vast majority of cells expressing CK18 and PSA. After castration, the prostate epithelium regressed, and the remaining tubules were largely populated by cells showing a ductal phenotype (HMWCK+/CK5+/CK18+/CK7+).

Conclusions

The human and canine prostate are histologically differently organized. The general scheme of cellular differentiation of the prostate epithelium may however be applicable to both species. Prostate 68: 498–507, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A neutralizing anti‐fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 8 monoclonal antibody shows anti‐tumor activity against FGF8b‐expressing LNCaP xenografts in androgen‐dependent and ‐independent conditions
Authors: Maruyama‐Takahashi Kumiko , Shimada Naoki , Imada Teruyoshi , Maekawa‐Tokuda Yoshimi , Ishii Toshihiko , Ouchi Jun , Kusaka Hideaki , Miyaji Hiromasa , Akinaga Shiro , Tanaka Akira , Shitara Kenya
Published: January 2008

Backgrounds

Fibroblast growth factor 8‐isoform b (FGF8b) has been detected in human clinical sex‐organ related cancers including hormone‐refractory prostate cancer. There are, however, few relevant experimental models. A murine monoclonal anti‐FGF8 antibody, KM1334, has been shown to neutralize FGF8b and inhibit the growth of androgen‐dependent mouse mammary SC‐3 cells in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we evaluated the anti‐tumor activity of KM1334 against androgen‐dependent and ‐independent progression of FGF8b‐expressing human prostate cancer xenografts.

Methods

FGF8b cDNA was transfected into androgen‐dependent human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP, and its xenograft tumors were established subcutaneously in SCID mice with or without castration. KM1334 at the dose of 400 µg/head was injected twice weekly.

Results

FGF8b‐expressing LNCaP cells secreted FGF8b, showed enhanced level of Erk1/2 phosphorylation, and showed more potent growth properties than mock‐expressing cells in vitro and in vivo. KM1334 reduced these properties in vitro, inhibited tumorigenecity in vivo (T/C = 0.33), and showed anti‐tumor activity against established tumors (T/C = 0.47) of FGF8b‐expressing cells. FGF8b‐expressing LNCaP tumors were androgen‐dependent. However, they recurred as androgen‐independent FGF8b positive tumors after castration. KM1334 also inhibited the growth of established FGF8b‐expressing tumors in the androgen‐independent states (T/C = 0.47).

Conclusions

These results indicate that humanized monoclonal antibodies, conserving the paratope of KM1334, are a promising candidate for therapy of FGF8b‐expressing clinical prostate cancers. Follow‐up studies using xenograft models with clinical FGF8b‐expressing tumors are required to validate these early findings. Prostate 68: 640–650, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inheritance of resistance to acrinathrin in Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
Authors: Bielza Pablo , Quinto Vicente , Fernández Esther , Grávalos Carolina , Abellán Jaime , Cifuentes Dina
Published: January 2008

BACKGROUND: The western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an economically important pest. The genetic basis of acrinathrin resistance was investigated in WFT.

RESULTS: The resistant strain, selected in the laboratory for acrinathrin resistance from a pool of thrips populations collected in Almeria (south‐eastern Spain), showed a high resistance to acrinathrin (43‐fold based on LC50 values) compared with the laboratory susceptible strain. Mortality data from reciprocal crosses of resistant and susceptible thrips indicated that resistance was autosomal and not influenced by maternal effects. Analysis of probit lines from the parental strains and reciprocal crosses showed that resistance was expressed as a codominant trait. To determine the number of genes involved, a direct test of monogenic inheritance based on the backcrosses suggested that resistance to acrinathrin was probably controlled by one locus. Another approach, which was based on phenotypic variances, showed nE, or the minimum number of freely segregating genetic factors for the resistant strain, to be 0.79.

CONCLUSION: The results showed that acrinathrin resistance in WFT was autosomal and not influenced by maternal effects, and was expressed as a codominant trait, probably controlled by one locus. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Theoretical investigation of isotope effects: The any‐particle molecular orbital code
Authors: González Sergio A. , Aguirre Néstor F. , Reyes Andrés
Published: January 2008

To study the hydrogen isotope effects in a series of diatomic molecules and water dimers we have created the any particle molecular orbital computer package (APMO). The current version of the APMO code is an implementation of the nuclear orbital and molecular orbital approaches (NMO) at the Hartree‐Fock level of theory. We have applied the APMO code to a variety of systems to elucidate the isotope effects on electronic wave functions, geometries and hydrogen bonds. We have studied the isotope effect on the dipole moments, electron densities and geometries of hydrogen molecule, lithium hydride and hydrogen fluoride and we have observed a reduction in the bond distance as the mass of the hydrogen isotopes is increased. This observation is in agreement with experimental data. We have also studied the primary and secondary isotope effects on the hydrogen bond of water dimers and we have observed that the hydrogen‐bond becomes weaker as the mass of the bonded hydrogen is increased. This trend has been observed by other authors. In contrast, the hydrogen bond becomes stronger when the mass of secondary hydrogens is increased. Our trends for secondary effects are in agreement with other theoretical and experimental studies. To our knowledge these are the first reported results on the secondary isotope effect on the hydrogen bond of water dimers using a NMO method. The applications presented in this paper demonstrate that the APMO code is highly suitable for the investigation of isotope effects in molecular systems containing a variety of quantum nuclei. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
A molecular dynamics simulation of air adsorption in single‐walled carbon nanotube bundles
Authors: Cervellera Víctor Rojas , Albertí Margarita , Huarte‐larrañaga Fermín
Published: January 2008

The physisorption of air in single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is studied employing molecular dynamics. The effect of the nanotube diameter in the gas adsorption capacity of SWNT bundles has been investigated using (10,0), (15,0), and (20,0) SWNTs finding an increasing load capacity. The O2:N2 ratio in the nanotube bundles is analyzed in detail as well, comparing it to that in the gaseous bulk. The air contained in the carbon nanostructures has a larger content in O2 than the bulk air, thus providing a possible application of carbon nanotubes as molecular filters. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Linear and generalized linear models for the detection of QTL effects on within-subject variability
Authors: Wittenburg Dörte , Guiard Volker , Liese Friedrich , Reinsch Norbert
Published: January 2008

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) may affect not only the mean of a trait but also its variability. A special aspect is the variability between multiple measured traits of genotyped animals, such as the within-litter variance of piglet birth weights. The sample variance of repeated measurements is assigned as an observation for every genotyped individual. It is shown that the conditional distribution of the non-normally distributed trait can be approximated by a gamma distribution. To detect QTL effects in the daughter design, a generalized linear model with the identity link function is applied. Suitable test statistics are constructed to test the null hypothesisH0:No QTL with effect on the within-litter variance is segregatingversusHA:There is a QTL with effect on the variability of birth weight within litter. Furthermore, estimates of the QTL effect and the QTL position are introduced and discussed. The efficiency of the presented tests is compared with a test based on weighted regression. The error probability of the first type as well as the power of QTL detection are discussed and compared for the different tests.
Rb(7.17), a rare Robertsonian fusion in wild populations of the house mouse
Authors: SANS-FUENTES MARIA ASSUMPCIÓ , MUÑOZ-MUÑOZ FRANCESC , VENTURA JACINT , LÓPEZ-FUSTER MARÍA JOSÉ
Published: January 2008

Robertsonian (Rb) translocation is the largest source of chromosomal diversity in the western European house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus). Recently, the fusion Rb(7.17) was found in the chromosomal polymorphic zone of this subspecies in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula. This fusion has not been reported in any other European population. Here we give data on the distribution and frequency of this mutation in this region. Results revealed that Rb(7.17) is restricted to a small geographic area, and that, in comparison with other fusions in this polymorphic zone, it occurs at low frequencies. We suggest some possible explanations for the distribution of this translocation.
Identification, genetic characterization, GA response and molecular mapping of Sdt97: a dominant mutant gene conferring semi-dwarfism in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: TONG JI-PING , LIU XUE-JUN , ZHANG SHI-YONG , LI SHAO-QING , PENG XIAO-JUE , YANG JING , ZHU YING-GUO
Published: January 2008

Semi-dwarfism is an important agronomic trait in rice breeding programmes. sd-1, termed the ‘Green Revolution gene’, confers semi-dwarf stature, increases harvest index, improves lodging resistance, and is associated with increased responsiveness to nitrogen fertilizer. It has contributed substantially to the significant increase in rice production. In this paper, a novel semi-dwarf mutant in rice is reported. Genetic analysis revealed that only a single dominant gene locus non-allelic to sd-1, temporarily designated Sdt97, is involved in the control of semi-dwarfism of the mutant. The semi-dwarfism of the mutant could be partly restored to the tall wild-type by application of exogenous GA3, suggesting that the mutant gene Sdt97 may be involved in the gibberellin (GA) synthesis pathway and not the GA response pathway in rice. A residual heterozygous line (RHL) population derived from a recombinant inbred line (RIL) was developed. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) and bulked segregation analysis (BSA) combined with recessive class analysis (RCA) techniques were used to map Sdt97 to the long arm of chromosome 6 at the interval between two STS markers, N6 and TX5, with a genetic distance of 0·2 cM and 0·8 cM, respectively. A contig map was constructed based on the reference sequence aligned by the Sdt97 linked markers. The physical map of the Sdt97 locus was defined to a 118 kb interval, and 19 candidate genes were detected in the target region. This is the first time that a dominant semi-dwarf gene has been reported in rice. Cloning and functional analysis of gene Sdt97 will help us to learn more about molecular mechanism of rice semi-dwarfism.
THE PHYSICAL STATURE AND BMI VALUES OF US ARMY PERSONNEL IN 1988
Authors: KUES ARNE BENJAMIN
Published: January 2008

The US Army’s 1988 Anthropometric Survey (ANSUR) data set is analysed in order to estimate the secular trend of their physical stature and body mass index while controlling for ethnic composition as well as place of birth of their parents. Separate analysis for blacks and whites stratified by gender is presented. The stature of the American population remained constant during most of the period considered, and no substantial ethnic or spatial effects were found. These results add further support to trends based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys and imply that the stagnation in height found in those data sets is most probably not biased by the omitted variables pertaining to own ethnicity or second-generation effects of parents’ ethnicity or foreign birth.
An association betweenSchistosoma mansoniworms and an enzymatically-active protease/peptidase in mouse blood
Authors: DARANI H. Y. , DOENHOFF M. J.
Published: January 2008

An enzyme found previously in extracts of adultSchistosoma mansoniworms, that hydrolysed the chromogenic substrate N-acetyl-DL-phenylalanine β-naphthyl-ester, has here been further investigated and characterized. Evidence that the molecule found in the parasite was antigenically and enzymatically homologous with a constituent of normal mouse plasma has been consolidated using a monospecific serum in immunoelectrophoresis and Western immunoblotting. The molecular size of the enzyme was found to be approximately 70 kDa and it was inhibited by a serine protease inhibitor, but not by inhibitors of other classes of protease. The enzymatic activity found in normal mouse serum was also found in normal rat serum, but not in sera from several other mammalian species.
ASYMPTOTICS FOR COINTEGRATED PROCESSES WITH INFREQUENT STOCHASTIC LEVEL SHIFTS AND OUTLIERS
Authors: Georgiev Iliyan
Published: January 2008

This is an analytical study of the effect of level-shift and temporary-change components, when present but neglected, on the trace test for cointegration. The contribution is threefold. First, we discuss in a multivariate framework, and jointly, effects that in the previous literature have been discussed in a univariate setting and in isolation. Second, we consider a rather general specification of shifts and outliers with random size, number, and timing and with flexible dynamics. It nests the classical cases of additive shifts, innovational outliers, and additive outliers. Third, as an instrument for this analysis we develop an asymptotic theory for product moment matrices of linear processes with stochastic level-shift components, generalizing results of Leipus and Viano (2003,Statistics and Probability Letters61, 177–190).
THE ETHICS OF FETOCIDE
Authors: CHERVENAK FRANK A , McCULLOUGH LAURENCE B
Published: January 2008

The purpose of this article is to provide an ethical framework for fetocide in the practice of obstetrics. Ethically responsible clinical management of pregnancy and its complications requires ethical justification: the giving of reasons that derive from an ethical framework and that together support a conclusion about what ought or ought not to be done in the care of pregnant patients. An ethical framework provides an account of the concepts that are relevant to clinical practice and identifies the clinical implications of these concepts. In this chapter we will present an ethical framework for fetocide based on the ethical concepts of moral status and of the fetus as a patient and identify the clinical implications of this concept for fetocide both before and after fetal viability.
Physicians and torture: lessons from the Nazi doctors
Authors: Grodin Michael , Annas George
Published: January 2008

How is it possible? What are the personal, professional and political contexts that allow physicians to use their skills to torture and kill rather than heal? What are the psychological characteristics and the social, cultural and political factors that predispose physicians to participate in human rights abuses? What can be done to recognize at-risk situations and attempt to provide corrective or preventive strategies? This article examines case studies from Nazi Germany in an attempt to answer these questions. Subjects discussed include the psychology of the individual perpetrator, dehumanization, numbing, splitting, omnipotence, medicalization, group dynamics, obedience to authority, diffusion of responsibility, theories of aggression, training, cultural and social contexts, accountability and prevention.
Jungle justice: passing sentence on the equality of belligerents in non-international armed conflict
Authors: Somer Jonathan
Published: January 2008

A special challenge posed by the international humanitarian law (IHL) principle of equality of belligerents in the context of non-international armed conflict is the capacity of armed opposition groups to pass sentences on individuals for acts related to the hostilities. Today this situation is conflated by the concurrent application of international human rights and criminal law. The fair trial provisions of IHL can incorporate their human rights equivalents either qua human rights law or by analogy, recognizing that human rights law does not account for the anomalous relationship between a state and non-state party. It is argued that the preferred solution is the latter. This would put greater focus on the actual fairness of insurgent courts rather than on their legal basis. Moreover, it would be consistent with the equality of belligerents principle, a vital condition to encourage IHL compliance by armed opposition groups.
Transitional justice and the International Criminal Court – in “the interests of justice”?
Authors: Đukić Dražan
Published: January 2008

Transitional justice encompasses a number of mechanisms that seek to allow post-conflict societies to deal with past atrocities in circumstances of radical change. However, two of these mechanisms – truth commissions and criminal processes – might clash if the former are combined with amnesties. This article examines the possibility of employing the Rome Statute's Article 53 so as to allow these two mechanisms to operate in a complementary manner. It considers three arguments – an interpretation of Article 53 in accordance with the relevant rules on treaty interpretation, states' obligations to prosecute certain crimes and the Rome Statute's approach to prosecutorial discretion – and concludes that Article 53 is ill-suited to accommodate truth commissions in conjunction with amnesties.
The worst scars are in the mind: psychological torture
Authors: Reyes Hernán
Published: January 2008

Torture during interrogation often includes methods that do not physically assault the body or cause actual physical pain and yet entail severe psychological pain and suffering and profoundly disrupt the senses and personality. Solitary confinement and prolonged sleep deprivation are just two examples of these psychological torture methods. Even psychological methods which do not amount to ill-treatment when considered in isolation, amount to inhuman or degrading treatment or torture, when applied in conjunction with other techniques, cumulatively and/or over a long time. Often they are part and parcel of the whole torture process and constitute a “background environment” of harassment and duress. The “cumulation over time” factor must thus be considered as part of a system of psychological torture.
Das Berliner Evaluationsinstrument für selbsteingeschätzte, studentische Kompetenzen (BEvaKomp)
Authors: Braun Edith , Gusy Burkhard , Leidner Bernhard , Hannover Bettina
Published: January 2008

Zusammenfassung. Im Rahmen des Bologna-Prozesses werden europaweit Bachelor-Studiengänge eingeführt, deren Abschlüsse berufsqualifizierend sind. Die beteiligten Länder haben sich auf einen Qualifikationsrahmen, d.h. auf eine Liste von studienfachunspezifisch formulierten Kompetenzen verständigt, die in Lehrveranstaltungen vermittelt werden sollen. Inwieweit diese Kompetenzen tatsächlich von den Studierenden erworben werden, ist empirisch nachzuweisen. Bisherige Lehrveranstaltungsevaluationsinstrumente können zu diesem Zweck nur bedingt genutzt werden, denn sie messen eher den Prozess als das Ergebnis einer Veranstaltung. Deshalb haben wir ein Instrument entwickelt, das in sechs Subskalen mit insgesamt 29 Items den selbsteingeschätzten Zuwachs an Fach-, Methoden-, Präsentations-, Kommunikations-, Kooperations- sowie Personalkompetenz erhebt. In einer Stichprobe mit insgesamt 2507 Fragebögen wurde das Instrument entlang der klassischen Testtheorie überprüft. Die Ergebnisse zeigen gute Reliabilitäten und die Intraclass Correlations bestätigen die Messgenauigkeit auf Lehrveranstaltungsebene. Eine konfirmatorische Faktorenanalyse bestätigt die Konstruktvalidität. Weiter wurde die diskriminante Validität gegenüber einer Messung von Zufriedenheit geprüft.
Dimensionality and Reliability Assessment of the Pain Patient Profile Questionnaire
Authors: McGuire Brian E. , Hogan Michael J. , Morrison Todd G.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. Objective: To factor analyze the Pain Patient Profile questionnaire (P3; Tollison & Langley, 1995 ), a self-report measure of emotional distress in respondents with chronic pain. Method: An unweighted least squares factor analysis with oblique rotation was conducted on the P3 scores of 160 pain patients to look for evidence of three distinct factors (i.e., Depression, Anxiety, and Somatization). Results: Fit indices suggested that three distinct factors, accounting for 32.1%, 7.0%, and 5.5% of the shared variance, provided an adequate representation of the data. However, inspection of item groupings revealed that this structure did not map onto the Depression, Anxiety, and Somatization division purportedly represented by the P3. Further, when the analysis was re-run, eliminating items that failed to meet salience criteria, a two-factor solution emerged, with Factor 1 representing a mixture of Depression and Anxiety items and Factor 2 denoting Somatization. Each of these factors correlated significantly with a subsample's assessment of pain intensity. Conclusion: Results were not congruent with the P3's suggested tripartite model of pain experience and indicate that modifications to the scale may be required.
Scaling Response Processes on Personality Items Using Unfolding and Dominance Models
Authors: Weekers Anke M. , Meijer Rob R.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. Stark, Chernyshenko, Drasgow, and Williams (2006) and Chernyshenko, Stark, Drasgow, and Roberts (2007) suggested that unfolding item response theory (IRT) models are important alternatives to dominance IRT models to describe the response processes on self-report personality inventories. To obtain more insight into the structure of personality data, we investigated whether dominance or unfolding IRT models are a better description of the response processes on personality trait inventories constructed using dominance response processes or ideal-point response processes. Data from 866 adolescents on a Dutch personality inventory, the NPV-J ( Luteijn, van Dijk, & Barelds, 2005 ), and from 704 adolescents on a Dutch translation of an Order scale ( Chernyshenko et al., 2007 ) were used. Results from Stark et al. (2006) and Chernyshenko et al. (2007) were partly supported. The self-report inventory that was constructed using dominance response processes (NPV-J) consisted mostly of items with monotonically increasing item response functions (IRFs), but some IRFs were single-peaked. The Order scale (constructed on the basis of ideal-point response processes) consisted of items with monotonically increasing, decreasing, and single-peaked IRFs. Further implications for personality test construction are discussed.
Longitudinal Data Analysis with Structural Equations
Authors: Rosel Jesús , Plewis Ian
Published: January 2008

Abstract. In this paper we review different structural equation models for the analysis of longitudinal data: (a) univariate models of observable variables, (b) multivariate models of observable variables, (c) models with latent variables, (d) models that are unconditioned or conditioned to other variables (depending on the variability of the independent variables: time-varying or time-invariant, and depending on the type of independent variables: of latent variables or of observable variables), (e) models with interaction of variables, (f) models with nonlinear variables, (g) models with a constant, (h) with single level and multilevel measurement, and (i) other advances in SEM of longitudinal data (latent growth curve model, latent difference score, etc.). We pay more attention to the interaction of variables and to nonlinear transformations of variables because they are not frequently used in empirical investigation. They do, however, offer interesting possibilities to researchers who wish to verify relations between the variables they obtain. Potential applications are described, with their advantages and disadvantages.
Isotopic fractionation in non‐equilibrium diffusive environments
Authors: Risk David , Kellman Lisa
Published: January 2008

This study examines the broad implications of diffusive transport induced fractionations on the interpretation of isotopic processes in the geophysical environment using the example of gaseous CO2 transport in soils. We use a simple model to simulate isotopic transport of CO2 from soil into a headspace chamber, followed by laboratory validation of predicted values. The combined effects of isotopic and concentration gradients results in an observed fractionation of different magnitude than the accepted theoretical diffusion fractionation, which falls continuously during the headspace equilibration period. We show that isotopic data from a non‐steady state diffusive environment can be misinterpreted when steady state diffusion models are applied. The simple processes illustrated here can be extended to any isotopic species, and any diffusive environment where some (or full) equilibration takes place between component species.
Characterization of rain attenuation in Bangladesh and application to satellite link design
Authors: Begum Sahena , Otung Ifiok E.
Published: January 2008

For a reliable quantification of rain attenuation in an Earth‐space link, determination of the temporal, year‐to‐year variation of rainfall is required as the distribution of rainfall is not uniform over the year. This paper discusses rainfall pattern, rain rate distribution, and rain attenuation characteristics in Bangladesh. Cumulative distribution of 1‐min rain rate is derived from 40 years of daily rainfall totals using the Rice‐Holmberg model. On the basis of these rain rates, rain attenuation at 18.7 GHz band is predicted by the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Assembly (2003b). A reduction factor necessary to match similarly predicted rain attenuation with satellite beacon measurements at the same frequency in Sparsholt, United Kingdom, is modelled. This is applied to produce a novel rain attenuation prediction for Bangladesh where direct beacon measurements are not available. Inherent variability in this rain attenuation prediction is also quantified.
Estimation of the storage and advection effects on H2O and CO2 exchanges in a hilly KoFlux forest catchment
Authors: Hong Jinkyu , Kim Joon , Lee Dongho , Lim Jong‐Hwan
Published: January 2008

We investigated the budget equations of H2O and CO2 exchanges in a hilly KoFlux forest catchment. This site is characterized by a rolling terrain and mountain‐valley circulations. The field measurements included two‐level eddy‐covariance (at 20 and 40 m) and H2O/CO2 concentration profile systems on a single tower. To properly assess the vertical wind speed, we applied a planar fit rotation with atmospheric stabilities and wind directions. As atmospheric stability changed, the planar fit rotation gave different aspect slopes, which impacted on the estimation of vertical advection. Horizontal advection was estimated using a simple assumption of the quadratic profile within a forest canopy. Our analysis shows that the contributions of advective components were different not only between the two levels but also between CO2 and H2O. At 40 m, the vertical and horizontal advection canceled each other out and therefore the turbulent eddy flux alone can be used for net ecosystem exchanges within 10% uncertainty. Near the canopy top (at 20 m), however, vertical advection should be taken into account for CO2. Also, even in windy conditions, advective fluxes were substantial. Well‐calibrated multi‐level eddy‐covariance measurements along with profile measurement may provide useful insights for estimating the magnitude of advective fluxes over heterogeneous land surfaces.
Space Clock to Fly on the International Space Station
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: January 2008

A major role of the national standards labs is to keep the world's clocks running on the proper time. That means making a continual comparison of the primary clocks that are used as the standards. But some of the accuracy achieved in a given lab's measurement of time is lost as that information is communicated to another location on Earth's surface. As good as it is, the Global Positioning System (GPS) system (which at its best enables comparison of clocks with accuracies of 10−14), is becoming a weak link in this relay of information.
Experimenters Produce New Bose–Einstein Condensate(s) and Possible Puzzles for Theorists
Authors: Collins Graham P.
Published: January 2008

If the creation of a gaseous Bose–Einstein condensate in Boulder, Colorado, last summer marked the opening of a door to a new world of physics—the realm of wealdy interacting, quantum degenerate atomic gases—then today we have unlocked multiple entrances to that domain. Furthermore, each entrance has a different architecture and looks out across a unique landscape.
Telescope Array Begins Interferometric Imaging of Stars at Optical Wavelengths
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: January 2008

The extraordinary images of the binary star Capella published in the February issue of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and reproduced on this page, herald the arrival of an important new astronomical technique: interferometric imaging with separated optical telescopes. The images were produced by John Baldwin and coworkers at the Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope (coast), a Y-shaped interferometric array of four modest, movable telescopes, with a maximum separation of 100 meters. Coast sits alongside the much larger radio telescopes of Cambridge University's Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory.
GaN Laser Diode Brightens Hopes for a Long-Lived, Short-Wavelength Device
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: January 2008

Researchers at Nichia Chemical Industries in Tbkushima, Japan, reported in January that they had succeeded in getting a diode based on gallium nitride to lase at a wavelength of 417 nanometers, giving forth a blueviolet light. (See the figure on page 19.) Since then, at the International Symposium on Blue Lasers and Light-Emitting Diodes held in Chiba, Japan, last month, a team from Meijo University in Nagoya announced GaN-based diode lasers operating both in the blue (402 nm) and ultraviolet (376 nm).
Sound from Sunspots Generates Heat As Well As Light
Authors: Ladbury Ray
Published: January 2008

As in terrestrial seismology, helioseismological studies of the Sun's normal modes of oscillation have done much to illuminate its global structure, internal rotation and composition. (See the article by John Harvey in PHYSICS TODAY. October 1995, page 32.) However, as with Earth, many important processes in the Sun take place on a local rather than a global scale. In terrestrial seismology, local structure is usually mapped using sound-ray tracing techniques, in which one infers the properties of matter along the paths of sound rays from how the matter affects the rays’ arrival times. Studying the Sun's local processes is a much more complicated undertaking. In contrast to the localized earthquakes that generate Earth's seismic waves, vibrations on the Sun are excited stochastically and uniformly across the solar surface by turbulent subsurface convective flows. Moreover, solar seismic waves are evident from Earth,1.5×108 km away, only as subtle Doppler shifts of spectral lines, or as slight changes in surface brightness.
Livermore's Big Guns Produce Liquid Metallic Hydrogen
Authors: Ladbury Ray
Published: January 2008

The seventy-year search for metallic hydrogen has demonstrated repeatedly that the hydrogen molecule's simplicity is deceptive. Three generations of theorists have predicted that sufficient pressure would squeeze a crystal of hydrogen into a metallic state, perhaps exhibiting exotic phenomena. Blithely ignoring most of these predictions, hydrogen at high pressures did indeed exhibit some remarkable behaviors, but it stubbornly resisted metallization.
Measuring Distances to More Supernovae Sharpens the Hubble Constant Debate
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: January 2008

A recent Astrophysical Journal letter by veteran astronomer Allan Sandage (Carnegie Observatories, Pasadena, California) and coworkers offers some solace to troubled adherents of the cosmological scenario most favored by the theorists. The contentious observational issue is the value of H0, the Hubble constant. A variety of measurement schemes that use properties of galaxies have in recent years put H0 between 80 and 85 km/s per megaparsec. (A megaparsec is 3.3 million light-years or 3.1×1019 km.) But Sandage and company, using supernovae, have long held out for a value closer to 50 km/(sMpc). “Our new paper,” Sandage contends, “is the beginning of the end of the Hubble-constant wars.”
Helix Nebula Displays Hundreds of Gaseous Knots
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: January 2008

These tadpole-like structures have been found in the Helix nebula, the closest planetary nebula to Earth—450 light-years away. With the aid of Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on the Hubble Space Telescope, C. Robert O’Dell and Kerry P. Handron of Rice University observed 313 of the well-resolved structures, which they call cometary knots; their glowing heads and wispy tails resemble comets. O’Dell and Handron estimate that the entire nebula has 3500 of them.
Magnetostriction of iron-germanium single crystals
Authors: Wu D. , Xing Q. , McCallum R. W. , Lograsso T. A.
Published: January 2008

The addition of nonmagnetic Ga into body-centered cubic Fe enhances the magnetostriction constant λ100 over tenfold. Literature reports for substitution of Ge at low concentrations suggest that the addition of Ge also enhances the magnetostriction. In this work, the magnetostriction and microstructure of Fe–Ge were investigated to correlate magnetostriction with microstructure. The magnetostriction of Fe100−xGex single crystals with x between 0.05 and 0.18 varies with Ge concentration and correlates with phase changes. The value of (3∕2)λ100 increases with Ge additions in the A2 single phase region (up to x∼10), reaching a maximum of 94ppm at the solubility limit of the disordered A2 phase. Further increases in Ge in the A2+D03 two-phase region (12<x<16) result in a decrease in magnetostriction which changes from positive to negative. For Ge contents with x>16, magnetostriction remains negative with an absolute value of strain of 129ppm at 18at.% Ge. This behavior is similar to that observed for Fe–Si alloys.
Early detection of nanoparticle growth from x-ray reciprocal space mapping
Authors: Zatsepin Nadia A. , Dilanian Ruben A. , Nikulin Andrei Y. , Gable Brian M. , Muddle Barry C. , Sakata Osami
Published: January 2008

The potential for nondestructive in situ detection of the formation of weakly diffracting nanoparticles has been confirmed by a combination of experiment and simulation. A triple axis diffractometer was used to collect two-dimensional reciprocal space maps of diffracted synchrotron x-rays from nanoscale Al2Cu precipitates embedded in a bulk metallic matrix. The appearance and asymmetric profile of the monochromator pseudostreaks are demonstrated to be indicative of the sensitivity of the technique to both the presence and orientation of the nanoparticles. This is a fundamental step toward in situ detection of sparsely dispersed, embedded nanoparticles and to quantitative temporal studies of particle number, scale, and dispersion.
Vertical quantum dot with a vertically coupled charge detector
Authors: Zaitsu Koichiro , Kitamura Yosuke , Ono Keiji , Tarucha Seigo
Published: January 2008

We fabricated a vertical quantum dot equipped with a charge detector. The dot current flows vertically between the top and bottom contacts. The charge detector is formed at the bottom contact layer with a current channel constricted to the region just under the dot. This channel current is reduced by addition of an extra electron onto the dot due to the electrostatic coupling to the dot. The charge state of the vertical dot was detected, starting from zero electrons. The sensitivity of the charge detector was comparable to that previously reported for lateral dots with nearby quantum point contacts.