bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Arsenite Adsorption onto Litchi‐Like Al‐Doped Iron Oxides
Authors: Li Ronghui , Li Qi , Gao Shian , Shang Jian Ku
Published: September 2010

Iron–aluminum complex hydroxide/oxides were synthesized from a hydrothermal process, and litchi‐like Al‐doped iron oxide nanoparticles were then obtained by removing extra boehmite nanoplates with NaOH washing. While the hydrothermal synthesis induced doping of iron oxide by Al, with the Al dopant concentration increasing with the Al–Fe molar ratio, removal of boehmite greatly increased the specific surface area (SSA) of these Al‐doped iron oxide nanoparticles. The resulting litchi‐like Al‐doped iron oxide nanoparticles were found to strongly adsorb As(III) from aqueous environment at neutral pH without preoxidation., and the As(III) (arsenite) adsorption capacity of Al‐doped iron oxides increased with the increase of the initial ratio of Al/Fe in the hydrothermal process, reaching as high as 2.5 times the adsorption capacity of pure iron oxide. The enhanced arsenite adsorption was shown to result from the increases in the amount of the surface hydroxyl group as well as in the SSA of Al‐doped iron oxide nanoparticles.
Dielectric and Mechanical Properties of MoSi2/Al2O3 Composites Prepared by Hot Pressing
Authors: Huang Zhibin , Zhou Wancheng , Tang Xiufeng , Li Peng , Zhu Jiankun
Published: September 2010

High‐density MoSi2/Al2O3 ceramic composites were prepared by hot‐press sintering using MoSi2 powders and α‐Al2O3 powders as starting materials. The mechanical and dielectric properties of these composites were studied. The results showed that both the real part and the imaginary part of the complex permittivity increased with the increasing MoSi2 content over the frequency range of 8.2–12.4 GHz, which means that the dielectric performance of the composites can be adjusted mainly by controlling the MoSi2 content. On the other hand, high strength and high hardness were also obtained in these composites with MoSi2 as the reinforcing phase. These results indicated that the MoSi2/Al2O3 composite was a promising material with both the electromagnetic wave absorbing and the load‐bearing abilities.
Nitrogen Gas Pressure Synthesis and Photoluminescent Properties of Orange‐Red SrAlSi4N7:Eu2+ Phosphors for White Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Ruan Jian , Xie Rong‐Jun , Hirosaki Naoto , Takeda Takashi
Published: September 2010

Nitride phosphor SrAlSi4N7:Eu2+ was synthesized by gas pressure sintering of powder mixtures of Sr3N2, AlN, α‐Si3N4, and EuN at 1750°C under 0.48 MPa N2. The photoluminescent properties of SrAlSi4N7:Eu2+ were measured and analyzed. Two‐peak emission from Eu2+ located at two different Sr sites in the SrAlSi4N7 host structure was observed. When the phorphors were excited at 410 nm, the highest emission intensity was found to be ∼126% of that in YAG:Ce3+ excited at 460 nm. The highest relative emission intensity at 150°C was ∼84.6% of that at 30°C. The highest external quantum efficiency acheived was 58.5%. SrAlSi4N7:Eu2+‐based phosphors are potential for white light‐emitting diodes.
Fast Oxide Ion Conduction Due to Carbonate Substitution in Hydroxyapatite
Authors: Tanaka Yumi , Kikuchi Mai , Tanaka Kazumasa , Hashimoto Kazuaki , Hojo Junichi , Nakamura Miho , Nagai Akiko , Sugiyama Tatsuo , Munakata Fumio , Yamashita Kimihiro
Published: September 2010

To provide ceramic electrets with superior biocompatibility and controlled surface energy utilizing long‐distance ionic conduction under a DC electric field, the conduction property of B‐type carbonated apatite (CA) ceramics with various carbonate content was investigated by complex impedance measurements and a concentration cell technique. Infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffractometry indicated that B‐type CA with the composition of Ca10−xNa2x/3(PO4)6−x(CO3)x(H2O)x(OH)2−x/3 (x=ca. 0.87, 1.14, and 1.78, which is identified as CA1, CA2, and CA3, respectively) was prepared. The carbonate content significantly influenced the ionic conductivity (σ) of the obtained CA, which drastically increased from 10−8 to 10−3 S/cm (700°C) in the range between x=0.87 and 1.14. Detection of stable electromotive forces in an oxygen concentration cell using CA1 and CA2 electrolyte (cathode: 5N‐graded oxygen gas, anode: nitrogen‐balanced 5%–95% oxygen gas) provided strong evidence for oxide ion conduction in B‐type CA. Comparison of the obtained electromotive forces (EMFex) with the theoretical ones (EMFth) suggested that the transference numbers for oxide ion conduction in CA1 and CA2 were 0.17 and 1.01, respectively. This result demonstrated that a substitution ratio in excess of one‐sixth phosphate ions to carbonate ions (x=1) converted the B‐type CA from a proton conductor into an oxide ion conductor.
Structural and Thermal Characterization of Calcium Cobaltite Electrospun Nanostructured Fibers
Authors: Sekak Khairunnadim Ahmad , Lowe Adrian
Published: September 2010

Electrospinning is a well‐established method for synthesizing microdimensional and one‐dimensional (1D) fibers from a large variety of precursor solutions. Initially, research focused on the production of polymer nanofibers, but in recent years, a large variety of oxide ceramics have been produced through electrospinning of sol–gel systems. In this study, polycrystalline calcium cobaltite (Ca3Co4O9) fibers of diameter 30–100 nm have been electrospun from sol–gels based on a novel combination of polyvinyl alcohol, cobalt acetate and calcium acetate precursors. X‐ray diffraction data have showed that at calcination temperatures of between 250° and 500°C, metastable CoO and CaCO3 exist as transition phases and that subsequent heating at 650°C converts these phases to calcium cobaltite. Thermal analysis has confirmed this staged calcination mechanism and has also revealed the effect of oxygen starvation on the final structures. Microscopic analysis has confirmed the highly crystalline nature of the oxide fibers, and the presence of highly faceted grains, around 20–40 nm in thickness, as the primary building blocks in these fibers. In addition, the material will only exist in fibrous form if calcination is a staged process, rather than a single, high‐temperature process. Bulk calcium cobalt oxide is regarded as a competitive thermoelectric material due to structural complexities associated with a layered structure. Microscopic analysis has shown that this layered structure is preserved when in electrospun nanostructured form and the measured thermopower in these nanostructures is at least 30% higher than that reported from bulk material at 300 K.
The Growth and Properties of Relaxor‐Based Ferroelectric Single Crystals
Authors: Li Xiaobing , Luo Haosu
Published: September 2010

Much attention is drawn to the fundamental research and the applications of the relaxor‐based ferroelectrics for the next generation of piezoelectric devices. Mass production of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–xPbTiO3 (PMNT) and ternary xPb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3–yPb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–zPbTiO3 (PIMNT) single crystals with a Bridgman method was reported. The piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and electric–optical performances of PMNT single crystals are much more excellent than traditional ceramics with the composition near morphotropic phase boundaries. Compared with PMNT crystal, PIMNT crystals can be used in a more broad range of device applications due to their high Curie temperature Tc and large coercive fields Ec. A relaxor‐based Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–xBaTiO3 (NBBT) crystal grown by the top seeded solution growth method was also investigated to find a lead‐free material with better piezoelectric performance. The properties of these relaxor‐based single crystals were summarized. The mechanism of the enhanced piezoelectric response is discussed, based on the phase transitions induced by the variations of the temperature, pressure, composition, and electric field.
Electronic Structures and Pr3+ Photoluminescence Characteristics in Fresnoite, Sr‐Frenoite, and Ge‐Frenoite
Authors: Li Yanqin , Wang Yuhua , Xu Xuhui , Yu Gong , Wang Na
Published: September 2010

The undoped and Pr3+‐doped Fresnoite (Ba2TiSi2O8), Sr‐frenoite (Sr2TiSi2O8), and Ge‐frenoite (Ba2TiGe2O8) were synthesized by solid‐state reaction at high temperature and their photoluminescence properties and electronic structures were investigated. All these undoped samples show luminescence upon UV irradiation at room temperature. The excitation band of intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) emerged only in Sr2TiSi2O8:Pr3+, which was located at 340 nm. Under 340 nm excitation, Sr2TiSi2O8:Pr3+ showed an efficient red emission at 616 nm, ascribing to the 1D2→3H4 transition of Pr3+. However, Pr3+ red emissions and the excitation band of IVCT were not observed for Ba2TiSi2O8 and Ba2TiGe2O8 and the possible reasons for such behaviors were discussed.
Superhard Boride–Carbide Particulate Composites
Authors: Fahrenholtz William G. , Neuman Eric W. , Brown‐Shaklee Harlan J. , Hilmas Gregory E.
Published: September 2010

Particulate composites composed of boride and carbide ceramics were found to have remarkably high hardness values. Two different compositions were produced by hot‐pressing commercially available ZrB2, SiC, and B4C powders. Using a Vickers' indentation load of 9.8 N, measured hardness was ∼20 GPa for a ceramic containing 70 vol% ZrB2, 15 vol% SiC, and 15 vol% B4C, but increased to ∼29 GPa for a ceramic containing equal volume fractions of the three constituents. Hardness values also increased as indentation load decreased due to the indentation size effect. At an indentation load of 0.49 N, the hardness of the ceramic containing equal volume fractions of the three constituents was ∼43 GPa, which was higher than the hardness values reported for so‐called “superhard” ceramics at comparable indentation loads.
Order–Disorder Transition and Unconventional Thermal Conductivities of the (Sm1−xYbx)2Zr2O7 Series
Authors: Wan Chunlei , Qu Zhixue , Du Aibing , Pan Wei
Published: September 2010

Low‐thermal‐conductivity rare earth zirconates (Re2Zr2O7) have recently been identified as promising thermal barrier coating materials. We observed an order–disorder transition in the (Sm1−xYbx)2Zr2O7 series with the changing x value and investigated the thermal conductivity variation. Structural analysis by X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy shows that the (Sm1−xYbx)2Zr2O7 series undergo a discontinuous phase transition from an ordered pyrochlore phase to a disordered fluorite one between the x=1/6 and x=1/3 compositions. Meanwhile, both of the sound velocity and Young's modulus reveal a dramatic reduction, indicating the lattice softening accompanying the order–disorder transition. The thermal conductivities of the (Sm1−xYbx)2Zr2O7 series are different from the conventional behavior of a simple alloying system and show a minimum thermal conductivity value at the transition composition (Sm2/3Yb1/3)2Zr2O7, which possibly arises from the enhanced phonon scattering due to the lattice softening.
Novel Open‐Cellular Glass Foams for Optical Applications
Authors: Ohl Christiane , Kappa Mathias , Wilker Viola , Bhattacharjee Sarama , Scheffler Franziska , Scheffler Michael
Published: September 2010

Cellular catalyst supports gain an increasing importance for exhaust gas treatment and environmental catalysis. In combination with photocatalytical active components, a high light transmittance is necessary for high‐efficiency activation. In order to obtain optically suitable glass foams, a novel process was developed based on the use of a preceramic polymer. During thermal decomposition, the polymer provides highly dispersed silicon dioxide (SiO2), which simultaneously reacts with a glass modifier to form a borosilicate glass. Because of a low processing temperature of 1050°C or less, the open‐cellular structure was retained and is therefore suitable for coatings and applications where high permeability and optical transmittance are required.
Theoretical Investigation of Structural and Magnetic Properties of ZnnSen (n=6–13) Nanoclusters Doped with Manganese Atoms
Authors: Zhang Daoli , Chen Liangyan , Zhang Jianbing , Miao Xiangshui
Published: September 2010

With the generalized gradient approximation in first principle all‐electron calculations, the lowest energy structures of ZnnSen (n=6–13) nanoclusters were obtained as the pristine clusters. A number of configurations and structural isomers of ZnnSen (n=6–13) nanoclusters doped with single and two Mn atoms were used to investigate the structural and magnetic properties of manganese‐doped ZnnSen (n=6–13) nanoclusters. It arrives at a conclusion that Mn doping does not change the size‐dependent oscillating behavior in second‐order energy difference of ZnnSen (n=6–13) nanoclusters, but leads to the decrease of energy gap between lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the highest occupied molecular orbital. Energy arguments indicate that Mn atoms prefer to substitute Zn atoms in Mn‐doped ZnnSen (n=6–13) nanoclusters. Owing the Mn–Mn short‐ranged superexchange mechanism, Mn atoms favor to locate at adjacent Zn atom sites in antiferromagnetic states of ZnnSen nanoclusters doped with two Mn atoms.
Dynamic Fracture Toughness of Porous Ceramics
Authors: Samborski Sylwester , Sadowski Tomasz
Published: September 2010

The paper presents experimental results of static (KIc) and dynamic (KId) fracture toughness testing. The tests were performed for two kinds of porous ceramics with various porosity fraction. The influence of porosity content, as well as loading rate on fracture toughness of alumina (Al2O3) and magnesia (MgO) as analyzed. It was found that an increase of initial porosity reduces values of both static and dynamic fracture characteristics. However, values of KId were much higher than KIc for both kinds of tested materials. In case of Al2O3, they were approximately three times higher, whereas in case of MgO—five to seven times higher depending on the porosity content.
Can obsessions drive you mad? Longitudinal evidence that obsessive‐compulsive symptoms worsen the outcome of early psychotic experiences
Authors: Van Dael F. , van Os J. , de Graaf R. , ten Have M. , Krabbendam L. , Myin‐Germeys I.
Published: September 2010

Van Dael F, van Os J, de Graaf R, ten Have M, Krabbendam L, Myin‐Germeys I. Can obsessions drive you mad? Longitudinal evidence that obsessive‐compulsive symptoms worsen the outcome of early psychotic experiences.

Objective:  Although there is substantial comorbidity between psychotic disorder and obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD), little is known about how these clinical phenotypes, and their subclinical extended phenotypes, covary and impact on each other over time. This study examined cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between both (extended) phenotypes in the general population.

Method:  Data were obtained from the three waves of the NEMESIS‐study. A representative population sample of 7076 participants were assessed using the composite international diagnostic interview (CIDI) at baseline (T0), 1 year later at T1 and again 2 years later at T2.

Results:  At T0, a lifetime diagnosis of psychotic disorder was present in 1.5% of the entire sample, in 11.5% of the people with any OC symptom and in 23.0% of individuals diagnosed with OCD. OC symptoms at T0 predicted incident psychotic symptoms at T2. Similarly, T0 psychotic symptoms predicted T2 OC symptoms. The likelihood of persistence of psychotic symptoms or transition to psychotic disorder was higher if early psychosis was accompanied by co‐occurring OC symptoms, but not the other way around.

Conclusion:  OCD and the psychosis phenotype cluster together and predict each other at (sub)clinical level. The co‐occurrence of subclinical OC and psychosis may facilitate the formation of a more ‘toxic’ form of persistent psychosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis and salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease
Authors: Mirrielees Jeffrey , Crofford Leslie J. , Lin Yushun , Kryscio Richard J. , Dawson III Dolphus R. , Ebersole Jeffrey L. , Miller Craig S.
Published: September 2010

Mirrielees J, Crofford LJ, Lin Y Kryscio RJ, Dawson DR, Ebersole JL, Miller CS. Rheumatoid arthritis and salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease. J Clin Periodontol 2010; doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐051X.2010.01625.x.

Aim: To test the hypothesis that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) influenced levels of salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease.

Methods: Medical assessments, periodontal examinations and pain ratings were obtained from 35 RA, 35 chronic periodontitis and 35 age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls in a cross‐sectional, case–controlled study. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were analysed for interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), matrix metalloproteinase‐8 (MMP‐8) and tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) concentrations.

Results: The arthritis and healthy groups had significantly less oral disease than the periodontitis group (P<0.0001), with the arthritis group having significantly more sites bleeding on probing (BOP) than matched controls (P=0.012). Salivary levels of MMP‐8 and IL‐1β were significantly elevated in the periodontal disease group (P<0.002), and IL‐1β was the only biomarker with significantly higher levels in the arthritis group compared with controls (P=0.002). Arthritis patients receiving anti‐TNF‐α antibody therapy had significantly lower IL‐1β and TNF‐α levels compared with arthritis patients not on anti‐TNF‐α therapy (P=0.016, 0.024) and healthy controls (P<0.001, P=0.011), respectively.

Conclusion: RA patients have higher levels of periodontal inflammation than healthy controls, i.e., an increased BOP. Systemic inflammation appears to influence levels of select salivary biomarkers of periodontal disease, and anti‐TNF‐α antibody‐based disease‐modifying therapy significantly lowers salivary IL‐1β and TNF‐α levels in RA.
Economic Factors and Relationship Quality Among Young Couples: Comparing Cohabitation and Marriage
Authors: Halliday Hardie Jessica , Lucas Amy
Published: September 2010

Are economic resources related to relationship quality among young couples, and to what extent does this vary by relationship type? To answer these questions, we estimated regression models predicting respondent reports of conflict and affection in cohabiting and married partner relationships using the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, 1997 (NLSY97, N = 2,841) and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health, N = 1,702). We found that economic factors are an important predictor of conflict for both married and cohabiting couples. Affection was particularly responsive to human capital rather than short‐term economic indicators. Economic hardship was associated with more conflict among married and cohabiting couples.
Marital Conflict Behaviors and Implications for Divorce Over 16 Years
Authors: Birditt Kira S. , Brown Edna , Orbuch Terri L. , McIlvane Jessica M.
Published: September 2010

This study examined self‐reported marital conflict behaviors and their implications for divorce. Husbands and wives (N = 373 couples; 47% White American, 53% Black American) reported conflict behaviors in Years 1, 3, 7, and 16 of their marriages. Individual behaviors (e.g., destructive behaviors) and patterns of behaviors between partners (e.g., withdrawal‐constructive) in Year 1 predicted higher divorce rates. Wives' destructive and withdrawal behaviors decreased over time, whereas husbands' conflict behaviors remained stable. Husbands reported more constructive and less destructive behaviors than wives, and Black American couples reported more withdrawal than White American couples. Findings support behavioral theories of marriage demonstrating that conflict behaviors predict divorce and accommodation theories indicating that conflict behaviors become less negative over time.
Homogamy and Intermarriage of Japanese and Japanese Americans With Whites Surrounding World War II
Authors: Ono Hiromi , Berg Justin
Published: September 2010

Although some sociologists have suggested that Japanese Americans quickly assimilated into mainstream America, scholars of Japanese America have highlighted the heightened exclusion that the group experienced. This study tracked historical shifts in the exclusion level of Japanese and Japanese Americans in the United States surrounding World War II with homogamy and intermarriage with Whites for the prewar (1930–1940) and resettlement (1946–1966) marriage cohorts. The authors applied log‐linear models to census microsamples (N = 1,590,416) to estimate the odds ratios of homogamy versus intermarriage. The unadjusted odds ratios of Japanese Americans declined between cohorts and appeared to be consistent with the assimilation hypothesis. Once compositional influences and educational pairing patterns were adjusted, however, the odds ratios increased and supported the heightened exclusion hypothesis.
The Within‐Job Motherhood Wage Penalty in Norway, 1979–1996
Authors: Petersen Trond , Penner Andrew M. , Høgsnes Geir
Published: September 2010

The motherhood wage penalty is a substantial obstacle to progress in gender equality at work. Using matched employer–employee data from Norway (1979–1996, N = 236,857 individuals, N = 1,027,462 individual‐years), a country with public policies that promote combining family and career, we investigate (a) whether the penalty arises from differential pay by employers or from the sorting of employees on occupations and establishments and (b) changes in the penalties during a period with major changes in family policies. We find that (a) the penalty to motherhood was mostly due to sorting on occupations and occupation‐establishment units (mothers and nonmothers working in the same occupation and establishment received similar pay), and (b) the wage penalties to motherhood declined substantially over the 18‐year period.
It Takes a Village (Perhaps a Nation): Families, States, and Educational Achievement
Authors: Heuveline Patrick , Yang Hongxing , Timberlake Jeffrey M.
Published: September 2010

Research in the United States has shown that children growing up in 2‐parent households do better in school than children from single‐parent households. We used the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data to test whether this finding applied to other countries as well (N = 100,307). We found that it did, but that the educational gap was greater in the United States than in the other 13 countries considered. Results from 2‐level hierarchical linear models demonstrated that international differences in the educational gap were associated with several indicators of national policy and demographic contexts. No single policy appeared to have a large effect, but several policy combinations were associated with substantially reduced educational gaps between children from different family structures.
Proteomic analysis of dopamine and α‐synuclein interplay in a cellular model of Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis
Authors: Alberio Tiziana , Bossi Alessandra Maria , Milli Alberto , Parma Elisa , Gariboldi Marzia Bruna , Tosi Giovanna , Lopiano Leonardo , Fasano Mauro
Published: September 2010

Altered dopamine homeostasis is an accepted mechanism in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. α‐Synuclein overexpression and impaired disposal contribute to this mechanism. However, biochemical alterations associated with the interplay of cytosolic dopamine and increased α‐synuclein are still unclear. Catecholaminergic SH‐SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells are a suitable model for investigating dopamine toxicity. In the present study, we report the proteomic pattern of SH‐SY5Y cells overexpressing α‐synuclein (1.6‐fold induction) after dopamine exposure. Dopamine itself is able to upregulate α‐synuclein expression. However, the effect is not observed in cells that already overexpress α‐synuclein as a consequence of transfection. The proteomic analysis highlights significant changes in 23 proteins linked to specific cellular processes, such as cytoskeleton structure and regulation, mitochondrial function, energetic metabolism, protein synthesis, and neuronal plasticity. A bioinformatic network enrichment procedure generates a significant model encompassing all proteins and allows us to enrich functional categories associated with the combination of factors analyzed in the present study (i.e. dopamine together with α‐synuclein). In particular, the model suggests a potential involvement of the nuclear factor kappa B pathway that is experimentally confirmed. Indeed, α‐synuclein significantly reduces nuclear factor kappa B activation, which is completely quenched by dopamine treatment.
Clinical effectiveness of alginate silver dressing in outpatient management of partial‐thickness burns
Authors: Opasanon Supaporn , Muangman Pornprom , Namviriyachote Nantaporn
Published: September 2010

Askina Calgitrol Ag® (B. Braun Hospicare Ltd, Collooney Co. Sligo, Ireland), alginate silver wound dressing, is an advanced wound dressing which combines the potent broad‐spectrum antimicrobial action of silver with enhanced exudate management properties of calcium alginate and polyurethane foam. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of Askina Calgitrol Ag® and 1% silver sulfadiazine (1% AgSD) in the outpatient management of partial‐thickness burn wounds at Burn Unit, Siriraj Hospital. A prospective descriptive study was conducted between January 2008 and January 2009 in Burn Unit, Division of Trauma Surgery, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand. The 65 patients with partial‐thickness burn wounds, less than 24 hours post‐burn injury, had a total body surface area (TBSA%) less than 15% were treated at Siriraj Outpatient Burn Clinic. All patients were divided into Askina Calgitrol Ag® treated group (30 patients) and 1% AgSD treated group (35 patients). The data were compared by the demographics including age, gender, % TBSA burn, pain score, number of wound dressing change, nursing time and time of wound healing. Patients included in both groups were comparable with no significant differences in demographic data of age, gender, location of burn and type of burn injury (P > 0·05 evaluated by paired Student's t‐test) between both group. The present results showed that average pain scores in the Askina Calgitrol Ag® treated group were significantly lower than the 1% AgSD treated group (2·23 ± 1·87 versus 6·08 ± 2·33, respectively) between both groups (P < 0·02). Patients treated with Askina Calgitrol Ag® had significantly lower number of wound dressing change (P < 0·02) and nursing time (P < 0·02) compared with 1% AgSD treated group. The Askina Calgitrol Ag® group needed less frequent wound dressing. Healing time was 7 ± 3·51 days after the application of Askina Calgitrol Ag®. This was significantly shorter than that of control wounds (14 ± 4·18 days). Application of Askina Calgitrol Ag® leads to a good burn wound outcome. The present study confirms the effectiveness of Askina Calgitrol Ag® in the outpatient management of partial‐thickness burn wounds.
Quality of life in patients with diabetic foot ulcers: validation of the Cardiff Wound Impact Schedule in a Canadian population
Authors: Jaksa Peter J , Mahoney James L
Published: September 2010

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and validate the Cardiff Wound Impact Schedule (CWIS), a disease‐specific quality‐of‐life measure, in a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) population. Patients with DFUs have restrictions as part of their treatment and rehabilitation, which can affect health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Because of the high number of comorbidities experienced in diabetes, a disease‐specific quality‐of‐life measure is needed to best assess the affect of a foot ulcer on HRQoL. Patients with DFUs completed the CWIS and a World Health Organization generic quality‐of‐life questionnaire. Validity was assessed by comparing domains of the questionnaires. Patients were categorised using the University of Texas wound classification system. Mean CWIS scores were compared between categories to assess the questionnaire's ability to differentiate wound severity. Patients with open ulcers scored significantly lower on the CWIS than those with healed ulcers. Correlations between questionnaire domains were as follows: Social Life with Social Functioning (r = 0·641, P < 0·001); Well‐Being with General Health (r = 0·533, P < 0·01); Physical Symptoms and Daily Living with Physical Functioning (r = 0·631, P < 0·01) and Health‐Related Quality of Life with Vitality (r = 0·425, P < 0·01). However, there was no significant difference in mean CWIS scores between categories of wound severity. We have demonstrated the ability of the CWIS in assessing HRQoL in a DFU population and its ability to differentiate between healed and non healed states.
Reproductive cycle of the coral‐excavating spongeThoosa mismalolli(Clionaidae) from Mexican Pacific coral reefs
Authors: Bautista‐Guerrero Eric , Carballo Jose Luis , Maldonado Manuel
Published: September 2010

Abstract.Individuals of the recently described demospongeThoosa mismalolliare common on Mexican Pacific coral reefs, excavating burrows in living corals and in other calcareous substrata. To better understand the propagative abilities of this sponge, we conducted a histological study over an 18‐month period (May 2007–November 2008) to identify sexual and asexual reproductive structures. Members of the species are viviparous and hermaphroditic, with various developmental stages of oocytes, spermatic cysts, and embryos co‐occurring in the mesohyl for most of the year. This nearly continuous reproductive activity intensified during the warm season. Fertilization was internal, and embryos developed inside the parental sponge to produce an unciliated hoplitomella larva, characterized by a peculiar siliceous skeleton. In addition to the sexually generated larvae, adults ofT. mismalolliformed gemmules for asexual reproduction. Gemmules occurred within the mesohyl during all months of the year, but were most abundant in the coldest months. This combination of sexual and asexual processes enables individuals ofT. mismalollito reproduce almost continuously. This strategy may facilitate both long‐term persistence within reefs and effective dispersal between distant reefs.
Infection of adult migratory river shrimps, Macrobrachium ohione, by the branchial bopyrid isopod Probopyrus pandalicola
Authors: Conner Sara LaPorte , Bauer Raymond T.
Published: September 2010

Abstract. Macrobrachium ohione is a migratory (amphidromous) river shrimp (Decapoda, Caridea) that may be parasitized by the branchial parasite Probopyrus pandalicola (Isopoda, Bopyridae). The parasite disrupts gonadal maturation and spawning in female shrimps, resulting in the total loss of reproduction. Shrimps are usually infected by bopyrid parasites during the late zoeal or early postlarval stages; in this study, we investigated the apparent parasite infection of adult shrimps. We analyzed the relationships between parasite body size (total length) and host shrimp body size (carapace length) to test the hypothesis that parasite infection of adult shrimps occurs during the shrimps' reproductive migrations. The results presented here indicate that infection of adult shrimps is common in M. ohione in the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers, Louisiana, USA. In the two upriver sites sampled, Butte La Rose (BLR) and River Bend (RB), parasite size was not associated with host body size. In these locations, many parasitized adult M. ohione were infected with immature P. pandalicola (40.3% in BLR and 51.2% in RB), indicating that the shrimps were adults at the time of infection. A possible explanation is that when female shrimps enter the estuary to hatch larvae, they molt and spawn another brood. The smaller male shrimps that accompany the females downstream are also assumed to molt and continue growth. The intermediate host of the parasite is an estuarine copepod, and thus the parasite cryptoniscus larva that infects the host shrimp is primarily estuarine as well. Newly molted shrimps have soft cuticles, which may facilitate their infection by parasite cryptonisci. Our conclusion is that most infections of adult shrimps occur during their migration into estuarine waters, the primary habitat of infective parasite larvae, and that host vulnerability is probably increased following host ecdysis.
Outflows and mass accretion in collapsing dense cores with misaligned rotation axis and magnetic field
Authors: Ciardi Andrea , Hennebelle Patrick
Published: September 2010

Outflows and jets are intimately related to the formation of stars, and play an important role in redistributing mass, energy and angular momentum within the dense core and parent cloud. The interplay between magnetic field and rotation is responsible for launching these outflows, whose formation has been generally carried out for idealized systems where the angle α between the rotation axis and large-scale magnetic field is zero. Here we explore, through three-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations, the effects of a non-zero α on the formation of outflows during the collapse of dense pre-stellar cores. We find that mass ejection is less efficient for increasing angle α and that outflows are essentially suppressed for α∼ 90°. An important consequence is a corresponding increase of the mass accreted on to the adiabatic (first) core. In addition, mean flow velocities tend to increase with α, and misaligned configurations produce clumpy, heterogeneous outflows that undergo precession, and are more prone to instabilities.
THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT DEBITTERING METHODS ON THE PRODUCTION OF LUPIN BEAN SNACK FROM BITTER LUPINUS ALBUS L. SEEDS
Authors: ERBAS MUSTAFA
Published: September 2010

The aim of this study was to remove the alkaloids from bitter lupin (Lupinus albus L.) seeds by different debittering methods and to produce a lupin bean snack. During production of the snack, the total alkaloid content of seeds decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.01) from 14.4 g/kg to a level that was undetectable. A major alkaloid in lupin seeds was identified as lupanine. It was present at a concentration of 12.513 g/kg, which constituted 87% of the total alkaloid content. The other alkaloids that were identified were sparteine, albine, α‐isolupanine and multiflorine. The concentrations of the alkaloids decreased gradually during the debittering process. The values for dry matter, protein, lipid, starch and ash content of seeds changed in a statistically significant manner (P ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.01) during production of the snack. Aqueous debittering at room temperature was found to be a more favorable process because it resulted in more acceptable sensorial properties than alkaline and thermal debittering methods.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Bitter lupin seeds (Lupinus albus L.) cannot be consumed directly because they naturally contain high amounts of toxic alkaloids, which cause bitterness, despite their high protein content. The aim of this study is to remove bitterness from lupin seeds with different debittering methods and to produce a lupin bean snack.
SENSORY AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF THE APPLE SNACKS PREPARED BY VACUUM IMPREGNATION PROCESS
Authors: JOSHI A.P.K. , RUPASINGHE H.P.V. , PITTS N.L.
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the sensory and nutritional quality aspects of dried apple slices that had been prepared by giving three different pretreatments (vacuum impregnation [VI] treatment, anti‐browning treatment and untreated control). Descriptive sensory analysis carried out by trained panelists revealed that chip crispiness and crunchiness were improved by the VI in comparison to the other treatments. As compared to untreated apple slices, incorporation of calcium and vitamin E in dipping solution resulted in uptake of calcium (760 mg/100 g) and vitamin E (168 mg/100 g) in the fruit matrix, which can be used to meet the daily requirement for calcium and vitamin E in the consumer's diet.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The eco‐friendly processes like vacuum impregnation can be utilized in developing dried apple snacks to improve the sensory attributes and introduce quality‐enhancing food additives, such as calcium salt and natural flavors, as well as minerals, vitamins and bioactives for meeting the daily dietary requirements and promoting health benefits to the consumer.
Convertible Securities and Bankruptcy Reforms: Addressing Too Big to Fail and Reducing the Fragility of the Financial System*
Authors: Plosser Charles I.
Published: September 2010

Eliminating too big to fail should be the first priority of any regulatory reform. But this is easier said than done. As the crisis has taught us, when the systemic risks are perceived to be large, regulators will be very reluctant to close down insolvent firms or impose losses on creditors. So how do we reduce these risks so that regulators can credibly commit to a policy of allowing financial companies to fail and not resort to rescues or bailouts?

The author proposes two complementary approaches to this problem: The first is to design capital structures with corrective mechanisms that kick in when a financial firm displays signs of trouble, but still has positive economic capital. To this end, the author endorses the Squam Lake Report's proposal that encourages financial firms to issue convertible debt with an “automatic” provision for converting to equity. In contrast to the Squam Lake proposal, however, the author argues that the conversion to equity should not depend on regulators' decisions and should take place before individual banks and the financial system are in full crisis mode.

The second approach is to design a resolution mechanism that will close failing financial firms when early intervention has not led to the firm's recovery. The author argues that the best model for this mechanism is bankruptcy, because of its resolution of claims according to predetermined rules rather than regulatory discretion. However, certain forms of early intervention can also help to lower the costs of permitting firms to fail. For example, the Squam Lake idea that financial institutions be required to develop living wills should make it easier to unwind these firms in an orderly fashion and provide regulators with insight into the degree of systemic risk that these firms impose. The author notes that the challenges associated with getting the executives of healthy banks to plan for their own bankruptcy may indicate that a better use of regulatory resources might be to view the living will as one of the tools of prompt corrective action for firms that become undercapitalized but are still solvent. Once a firm has been declared undercapitalized, regulators would have greater bargaining power to insist on a serious plan for bankruptcy.
Speed Bankruptcy: A Firewall to Future Crises
Authors: Jones Garett
Published: September 2010

During the 2008 financial crisis, the U.S. government purchased large equity stakes in major financial institutions. The author argues that another source of equity was available : the long‐term bonds issued by these same banks. Overnight debt‐to‐equity conversions, or what the author refers to as “speed bankruptcy,” could have helped restore these firms to health, while at the same time ending the implicit government guarantee of big‐bank debt.

While many prominent economists have proposed such conversions, the practical details have received little attention. The author addresses key legal concerns, the political viability of such conversions, and how they fit in with other proposals such as contingent convertibles and funeral planning.
Computational Studies on Effects of MDMA as an Anticancer Drug on DNA
Authors: Riahi Siavash , Eynollahi Solmaz , Ganjali Mohammad R.
Published: September 2010

This research is designed to further understand the effects of the novel drug MDMA on biologic receptor of DNA. The ultimate goal is to design drugs that have higher affinity with DNA. Understanding the physicochemical properties of the drug as well as the mechanism by which it interacts with DNA should ultimately enable the rational design of novel anticancer or antiviral drugs. Molecular modeling on the complex formed between MDMA and DNA presented this complex to be fully capable of participating in the formation of a stable intercalation site. Furthermore, the molecular geometries of MDMA and DNA bases (Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine) were optimized with the aid of the B3LYP/6‐31G* method. The properties of the isolated intercalator and its stacking interactions with adenine···thymine (AT) and guanine···cytosine (GC) nucleic acid base pairs were studied with the DFTB method. DFTB method is an approximate version of the DFT method that was extended to cover the London dispersion energy. The B3LYP/6‐31G* stabilization energies of the intercalator···base pair complexes were found to be −9.40 and −12.57 kcal/mol for AT···MDMA and GC···MDMA, respectively. Results from comparison of the DFTB method and HF method conclude close results and support each other.
Seven Challenges in International Development Assistance for Health and Ways Forward
Authors: Sridhar Devi
Published: September 2010

Over the past 20 years, international development assistance for health has increased, albeit for some diseases more than others. However, the triple crises of food, fuel, and finance have raised questions regarding whether aid flows will continue to increase, or even be maintained in the coming future. Health and education are often the first victims of budget cuts in times of limited funding and competing priorities as they are viewed to be in the realm of “low politics” as opposed to security and military spending, which are seen as “high politics.” Cuts in overseas development aid will have a drastic impact on countries where external funding makes up a significant proportion of national health budgets. Although global health aid accounts for only 0.3% of total expenditures on health globally (6.5% in sub-Saharan Africa), in some countries like the Solomon Islands and Mozambique, for example, 82% and 66% of the national health budgets respectively come from external resources. WHO estimates that 23 countries have over 30% of their total health expenditures funded by donors.
Basic Survival Needs and access to Medicines — Coming to Grips with TRIPS: Conversion + Calculation
Authors: Van Puymbroeck Rudolf V.
Published: September 2010

When 47-year-old Simba Abalo, an unemployed retired soldier in Lomé, Togo, found out that he had AIDS in September 2007, he was unable to receive government-supplied antiretroviral drugs: “CAMEG [the state’s central medicines purchasing organization],” he said, “told me they were not taking any new cases for six months because they had run out of drugs.

Stocks of antiretrovirals had become depleted after the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria suspended part of its grant to Togo in 2006 and failed to approve a new grant request in 2007, reportedly because of oversight irregularities. “Even if they had the drugs,” said Abalo, “I could not have paid more than US$4 a month since I had just lost my job as a security guard earning US$70 a month.”
Lessons from the Experience of U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Addressing the Democratic Deficit in Global Health Governance
Authors: Lord Janet E. , Suozzi David , Taylor Allyn L.
Published: September 2010

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the CRPD or the Convention), adopted on December 13, 2006, and entered into force on May 3, 2008, constitutes a key landmark in the emerging field of global health law and a critical milestone in the development of international law on the rights of persons with disabilities. At the time of its adoption, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights heralded the CRPD as a rejection of the understanding of persons with disabilities “as objects of charity, medical treatment and social protection” and an embrace of disabled people as “subjects of rights.”

The text of the Convention itself, and the highly participatory process by which it was negotiated, signal a definitive break from previous international approaches that focused on disability within a medical model framework. In contrast to traditional approaches, the CRPD embraces a social model of disability, concentrating the disability experience not in individual deficiency, but in the socially constructed environment and the barriers that impede the participation of persons with disabilities in society.
Why the West is Perceived as Being Unworthy of Cooperation
Authors: Ooms Gorik
Published: September 2010

Natural selection generated a natural sense of justice. This natural sense of justice created a set of natural rights; rights humans accorded to each other in virtue of being members of the same tribe. Sharing the responsibility for natural rights between all members of the same tribe allowed humans to take advantage of all opportunities for cooperation. Human rights are the present day political emanation of natural rights. Theoretically, human rights are accorded by all humans to all humans in virtue of being humans; however, the idea that the corresponding responsibility is now shared among all humans is not broadly accepted. The natural sense of justice creates an ambiguity: on the one hand humans consider the nation they belong to as the social system that should guarantee their human rights (and likewise they do not consider themselves as having responsibility for the human rights of inhabitants of other nations); on the other hand, as cooperation between nations intensifies, expectations of global mutual responsibility increase as well.
Developing a Policy for Sexual Assault Examinations on Incapacitated Patients and Patients Unable to Consent
Authors: Carr Mary E. , Moettus Alda L.
Published: September 2010

Sexual assault cases are challenging for both the patient and provider, particularly given the emotional and logistic overlays in the majority of these cases. In this article we offer sexual assault programs information and areas for consideration when developing a policy addressing sexual assault examinations on patients who are either incapacitated or otherwise unable to consent to examination. This information is based on our experience in creating and implementing such a policy for our program. We also offer the written policy and associated consent form that we designed (see Figures 1 and 2).

The protocol manual for sexual assault medical forensic examinations authored by the Department of Justice actually recommends that each and every sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program have “internal policies based on applicable jurisdictional statutes governing consent for treatment of vulnerable adult patients. In cases of adolescents, the jurisdictional statutes governing consent and access to the exam should be followed.“
Medical Marijuana 2010: It's Time to Fix the Regulatory Vacuum
Authors: Cohen Peter J.
Published: September 2010

Washington, D.C.’s City Council has recently taken the first step towards legalizing the use of “medical marijuana” in accordance with the provisions of the Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative of 1998 (Initiative 59). This action was not overruled by the United States Congress within the 30-day deadline imposed by the District of Columbia’s Home Rule Statute. The Council is now crafting regulations that will govern the therapeutic and palliative use of this drug with the goal of avoiding some of the problems faced by the other states that have legalized medical marijuana; however, the proposed rules do not establish criteria for legitimate medical practice when medical marijuana is recommended (discussed infra). If the enabling regulations are passed by the D.C. Council and not rejected by the Congress, the District of Columbia will join over onequarter of the states in legalizing medical marijuana (Table I). On the other hand, if the D.C. Council fails to act favorably on the final regulations (or if Congress nullifies the Council’s approval), then the effective legalization of medical marijuana will die and not be reconsidered until next year.