bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of thin‐film silicon solar cells with white paint back reflectors
Authors: Lipovšek Benjamin , Krč Janez , Isabella Olindo , Zeman Miro , Topič Marko 
Published: January 2010

AbstractIn this work, we investigate the concept of transparent conductive oxide (TCO)/white paint (WP) back reflectors as an alternative to the conventional textured metal‐based reflectors in thin‐film silicon solar cells. The optical characterisation results show that WP back reflectors exhibit good reflectivity and excellent light scattering properties which can lead to enhanced light confinement within the thin absorber layers of the cell. To confirm this, ZnO:Al/WP reflectors with WP films of different pigment volume concentration and thickness are tested in thin‐film amorphous silicon solar cells. The external quantum efficiency measurements indicate that by employing ZnO:Al/WP reflectors, good solar cell performance can be achieved, which is comparable to the performance of the cell with the conventional TCO/Ag reflector. Finally, optical simulations are employed to study the potential for further improvements in cell performance as a result of the optimisation of TCO/WP reflectors. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Thermal effects in Ge‐Sb‐Te phase‐ change memory materials during multiple thermal cycling
Authors: Kozyukhin Sergey , Sherchenkov Alexey , Gorschkova Ekaterina , Kudoyarova Vera , Vargunin Alexander 
Published: January 2010

AbstractPhase transformations in (GeTe)m(Sb2Te3)n (m: n = 1:1; 1:2; 2:1) alloys and thin films on their basis were studied during thermal cycling by differential scanning calorimetry, and some thermal properties were determined. Exothermal peaks due to the amorphous → crystalline phase changes were observed in all thin films. In addition, reproducible endothermic peak in the range of 390‐415 °C was revealed in thin films as well as in bulk Ge2Sb2Te5, GeSb2Te4, GeSb4Te7 samples, which may influence on the kinetics and endurance of data reading processes in phase‐change memory devices. Activation energies of observed heat effects were estimated with using Kissinger's method, and nature of the given endothermic peak was discussed. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Gas‐temperature control in VHF‐ PECVD process for high‐rate (>5 nm/s) growth of microcrystalline silicon thin films
Authors: Sobajima Yasushi , Higuchi Takuya , Chantana Jakapan , Toyama Toshihiko , Sada Chitose , Matsuda Akihisa , Okamoto Hiroaki 
Published: January 2010

AbstractSurface‐heating phenomenon by the radiation from high density plasma during growth of microcrystalline silicon (μc‐Si:H) thin films at high rate (> 5 nm/sec) is one of the crucial issues to be solved for obtaining high quality intrinsic‐layer material for solar cells. We have utilized an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) in the plasma to observe the time evolution of gas temperature during film growth as well as the film‐growth rate under μc‐Si:H deposition conditions at high rate. Gas temperature has been successfully controlled by changing total flow rate of monosilane (SiH4)/hydrogen (H2) gas mixture, leading to a drastic improvement of optoelectronic properties in the resulting μc‐Si:H. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Transport properties and photo‐ conductivity of nanocrystalline PbTe(In) films
Authors: Dobrovolsky Alexandr , Chernichkin Vladimir , Belogorokhov Ivan , Dashevsky Zinovi , Kasiyan Vladimir , Ryabova Ludmila , Khokhlov Dmitry 
Published: January 2010

AbstractMicrostructure, charge transport and photoelectric properties are studied for PbTe(In) films deposited on amorphous substrates kept at different temperatures Ts during deposition. All the films have a column‐like structure with the mean column diameter increasing from 60 nm at the lowest Ts = ‐120 °C up to 300 nm at the maximal Ts = 250 °C. The substrate temperature increase results in appearance of a preferred orientation of grains and in an inversion of the conductivity type from hole to electron. Electric transport and photoelectric properties of the films were studied in the temperature interval 4.2 – 300 K in DC and AC modes at frequencies varied from 20 Hz up to 1 MHz. The impedance spectra analysis was done in terms of the equivalent circuit model. Modification of charge transport mechanisms is correlated with the variation of microstructure of the films grown at different substrate temperatures. Films with disordered grains possess all features of non‐homogeneous systems, while the films with a preferred orientation of grains are analogous to PbTe(In) single crystals in their transport and photoelectric properties. Mechanisms of the persistent photoconductivity observed in the films are qualitatively distinguished. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optical and photoelectric properties of nanocrystalline SnO2 ‐ CdSe quantum dot structures
Authors: Dobrovolsky Alexandr , Vasiliev Roman , Drozdov Konstantin , Maslova Olga , Rumyantseva Marina , Gaskov Alexander , Ryabova Ludmila , Khokhlov Dmitry 
Published: January 2010

AbstractMicrostructure, optical and photoelectric properties of nanocrystalline porous SnO2 films on an insulating substrate with colloidal CdSe quantum dots as a sensitizer have been studied. SnO2 films consist of nanocrystallites with the average size of ∼20 nm combined into agglomerates as large as ∼1 µm. CdSe quantum dots with themean size of ∼3.5 nm were incorporated into porous SnO2 films by dipping the substrates into a colloidal solution of CdSe quantum dots. Transport and photoelectric properties of the structures were studied in the temperature interval 77 – 300 K. Optical properties were investigated in the visible spectral range. Persistent photoconductivity at the room temperature has been observed. Possible mechanisms of the persistent photoconductivity for this composite system are discussed. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Breviscapine‐induced apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 was involved in its antitumor activity
Authors: Wu Yulin , Fan Qianqian , Lu Na , Tao Lei , Gao Yuan , Qi Qi , Guo Qinglong 
Published: January 2010

AbstractBreviscapine is a flavonoid constituent isolated from a traditional Chinese herbErigerin breviscapus(Vant.) Hand‐Mazz. To investigate the apoptosis‐inducing effect of breviscapine on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 and explore the relative molecular mechanisms. HepG2 cells were treated with breviscapine at different concentrations and the inhibitory rate was analyzed by MTT assay. The morphological changes in cells were observed under an inverted light microscope and a fluorescence microscope and the apoptosis rate were detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to evaluate the protein expression. The viability of HepG2 cells was markedly inhibited in a concentration‐dependent manner and obvious morphological changes were confirmed, including condensed chromatin and reduction in volume. The increased percentage of apoptotic cells was displayed by flow cytometry and the altered expression level of several apoptosis‐associated proteins, Bcl‐2, Bax and caspase‐3, was detected by western blot. It is first discovered that breviscapine exhibited potential antitumor activity, induces remarkable apoptosis in HepG2 cells and promises to be a new candidate in future cancer therapy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using Event-B to construct instruction set architectures
Authors: Wright Stephen , Eder Kerstin 
Published: January 2010

Abstract

The instruction set architecture (ISA) of a computing machine is the definition of the binary instructions, registers, and memory space visible to an executable binary image. ISAs are typically implemented in hardware as microprocessors, but also in software running on a host processor, i.e. virtual machines (VMs). Despite there being many ISAs in existence, all share a set of core properties which have been tailored to their particular applications. An abstract model may capture these generic properties and be subsequently refined to a particular machine, providing a reusable template for development of robust ISAs by the formal construction of all normal and exception conditions for each instruction. This is a task to which the Event-B (Metayer et al. in Rodin deliverable 3.2 Event-B language,
http://rodin.cs.ncl.ac.uk
, 2005; Schneider in The B-method an introduction, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2001) formal notation is well suited. This paper describes a project to use the Rodin tool-set (Abrial in Formal methods and software engineering, Springer, Berlin, 2006) to perform such a process, ultimately producing two variants of the MIDAS (Microprocessor Instruction and Data Abstraction System) ISA (Wright in Abstract state machines, B and Z, Springer, Berlin, 2007; Wright in MIDAS machine specification, Bristol University,
http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/Publications
, 2009) as VMs. The abstract model is incrementally refined to variant models capable of automatic translation to C source code, which this is compiled to create useable VMs. These are capable of running binary executables compiled from high-level languages such as C (Kernighan and Ritchie in The C programming language, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1988), and compilers targeted to each variant allow demonstration programs to be executed on them.
Randomized Controlled Trial between Perineal and Anal Repairs of Rectocele in Obstructed Defecation
Authors: Farid Mohamed , Madbouly Khaled M. , Hussein Ahmed , Mahdy Tarik , Moneim Hesham A. , Omar Waleed 
Published: January 2010

AbstractObjectiveThe present study was designed to evaluate functional outcome of perineal repair with and without levatorplasty versus transanal repair of rectocele in obstructed defecation.Methods and patientsA total of 48 multiparous women with obstructed defecation caused by a rectocele were randomly allocated to three groups: transperineal repair with levatorplasty (TPR‐LP; n = 16); transperineal repair without levatorplasty (TPR; n = 16); and transanal repair (TAR; n = 16). The study included defecographic assessment, anal manometry, symptom improvement, sexual function, and score on a function questionnaire. Assessments were done preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively.ResultsDefecography showed significant reduction in size of rectocele in all groups. Constipation improved significantly in both groups with transperineal repair but not in the group with transanal repair. Significant reductions in mean anal resting pressure, maximum reflex volume, and urge‐to‐defecate volume were observed only with the transperineal approach (with and without levatorplasty). Functional score improved significantly in the transperineal groups (with levatorplasty, P < 0.001; without levatorplasty, P < 0.01), but not in the transanal group (P = 0.142). Levatorplasty added to transperineal repair significantly improved the overall functional score compared with transperineal repair alone (P < 0.01) and transanal repair TAR (P < 0.001).ConclusionsRectocele repair appears to improve anorectal function by improving rectal urge sensitivity. Transperineal repair of rectocele is superior to transanal repair in both structural and functional outcome. Levatorplasty improves functional outcome, but potential effects on dyspareunia should be discussed with the patient.
Diagnostic Utility of Fine‐Needle Aspiration Cytology in Pediatric Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Bargren Anna E. , Meyer‐Rochow Goswin Y. , Sywak Mark S. , Delbridge Leigh W. , Chen Herbert , Sidhu Stan B. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractBackgroundPediatric patients present with thyroid nodules less often than adults, but the rate of malignancy is much higher. This study was designed to determine the ability of fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNA) to diagnose accurately and facilitate management of thyroid neoplasms in pediatric patients.MethodsA retrospective study revealed 110 patients <19 years old who had undergone thyroid surgery and FNA biopsy at two academic institutions over the last 28 years. FNA sensitivity for diagnosing papillary thyroid cancer (PC) and follicular neoplasm (FN) was investigated.ResultsOf 110 patients who presented for surgery, 27 had PC and 33 had a FN: 4 follicular carcinomas (FCs) and 29 follicular adenomas (FAs). Among the PCs patients, the FNA results were as follows: 1 (4%) nondiagnostic, 6 (22%) atypical, 2 (7%) benign, and 18 (67%) malignant lesions. The sensitivity of a malignant FNA was 90% for diagnosing a PC. Sensitivity of an atypical FNA was 75% for FCs and 69% for FAs, giving an overall FN sensitivity of 70%. Of the atypical FNA readings, 60% had confirmed histological atypical features, and 19% were malignant. In 95% of the malignant FNA reports, final histology confirmed PC, resulting in a positive predictive value of 95%.ConclusionsFNA biopsy can reliably diagnose malignancy in pediatric thyroid patients and should be used as a standard technique to indicate surgical treatment. Atypical or suspicious FNA results do not predict cancer effectively, confirming the current accepted practice for adults that diagnostic excision is required to exclude malignancy in pediatric patients.
Effect of Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication on Symptoms, PPI Use, and pH‐Impedance Refluxes of GERD Patients
Authors: Testoni Pier Alberto , Corsetti Maura , Di Pietro Salvatore , Castellaneta Antonio Gianluca , Vailati Cristian , Masci Enzo , Passaretti Sandro 
Published: January 2010

AbstractBackgroundThree previous studies from the same institution have reported that transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) with the EsophyX device is effective for creating a continent gastroesophageal valve and for good functional results as measured only by pH‐metry in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of TIF on symptoms, use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI), esophageal motility, and pH‐impedance in patients with symptomatic GERD.MethodsTwenty consecutive patients were enrolled to complete the GERD‐HRQL and GERD‐QUAL questionnaires while on and off PPI. They were also examined by upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy to determine Hill grade and Jobe length of the gastroesophageal valve, and to check for hiatal hernia and esophagitis, esophageal manometry, and pH‐impedance before and 6 months after TIF.ResultsSix months after TIF, the GERD‐HRLQ and GERD‐QUAL scores off‐PPI therapy and the number of total and acid pH‐impedance refluxes were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The PPI had been completely stopped in 55% of the patient and was reduced in 22% of the patients.ConclusionsAt 6‐month follow‐up, TIF performed using the EsophyX device reduces symptoms and pH‐impedance refluxes, allowing interruption or reduction of PPI use in 78% of patients with GERD.
Theory of mind in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Comparison with healthy controls
Authors: Sayın A. , Oral N. , Utku Ç. , Baysak E. , Candansayar S. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractAimTheory of mind (ToM) is the ability to represent one's own or another's mental states and has been found to be impaired in many psychiatric disorders. Our objective was to compare ToM abilities of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with healthy controls and to investigate the relation between some illness features, other cognitive functions and ToM abilities of patients.MethodThirty OCD patients and age, sex and education matched 30 healthy controls were compared according to their performances on ToM tasks (including first and second order false belief, hinting task and double-bluff task), verbal memory processes test, Weschler memory test (WMT) (logical memory, visual reproduction and digit span sub-tests), stroop test.ResultsPatients’ performances were worse than healthy controls on all of the ToM tasks, but the results were significant for only for double-bluff task (t= −3.992,df= 36.157,p< 0.01). Performance on double-bluff task was significantly and positively correlated with visual reproduction-immediate recall (r= −0.411,p< 0.05) and visual reproduction-delayed recall (r= 0.478,p< 0.05), hinting task was significantly and positively correlated with verbal memory (r= 0.481,p< 0.05).ConclusionThese results show “basic” ToM abilities of OCD patients are generally preserved, but they show significant reduction in their “advanced” ToM abilities, which seem to be related to their reduced memory capacities. The possible reasons for the relation between memory and ToM impairments, as well as the clinical significance of ToM deficits in OCD are discussed.
Expanding uterotonic protection following childbirth through community‐based distribution of misoprostol: Operations research study in Nepal
Authors: Rajbhandari Swaraj , Hodgins Stephen , Sanghvi Harshad , McPherson Robert , Pradhan Yasho V. , Baqui Abdullah H. ,   Misoprostol Study Group
Published: January 2010

AbstractObjectiveTo determine feasibility of community‐based distribution of misoprostol for preventing postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) to pregnant woman through community volunteers working under government health services.MethodsImplemented in one district in Nepal. The primary measure of performance was uterotonic protection after childbirth, measured using pre‐ and postintervention surveys (28 clusters, each with 30 households). Maternal deaths were ascertained through systematic health facility and community‐based surveillance; causes of death were assigned based on verbal autopsy.ResultsOf 840 postintervention survey respondents, 73.2% received misoprostol. The standardized proportion of vaginal deliveries protected by a uterotonic rose from 11.6% to 74.2%. Those experiencing the largest gains were the poor, the illiterate, and those living in remote areas.ConclusionCommunity‐based distribution of misoprostol for PPH prevention can be successfully implemented under government health services in a low‐resource, geographically challenging setting, resulting in much increased population‐level protection against PPH, with particularly large gains among the disadvantaged.
Emotional Beliefs
Authors: Mercer Jonathan 
Published: January 2010

AbstractA belief in alien abduction is an emotional belief, but so is a belief that Iran intends to build nuclear weapons, that one's country is good, that a sales tax is unjust, or that French decision makers are irresolute. Revolutionary research in the brain sciences has overturned conventional views of the relationship between emotion, rationality, and beliefs. Because rationality depends on emotion, and because cognition and emotion are nearly indistinguishable in the brain, one can view emotion as constituting and strengthening beliefs such as trust, nationalism, justice or credibility. For example, a belief that another's commitment is credible depends on one's selection (and interpretation) of evidence and one's assessment of risk, both of which rely on emotion. Observing that emotion and cognition co-produce beliefs has policy implications: how one fights terrorism changes if one views credibility as an emotional belief.
Nonstate Actors and the Diffusion of Innovations: The Case of Suicide Terrorism
Authors: Horowitz Michael C. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractStudies of terrorism in general and suicide terrorism in particular tend to view terrorist groups independently. However, what if the propensity for a terrorist group to adopt suicide tactics depends in part on its external linkages and the relationship between the organizational capabilities required to adopt the innovation and the organizational capabilities of the group? This article shows that the organizational change requirements for adopting an innovation significantly influence the overall adoption pattern, along with interlinkages between groups. Additionally, evaluating the universe of terrorist groups, not only those groups that adopted suicide terrorism but those that did not, shows that Pape's key variable of interest, occupation, does not significantly predict the adoption of suicide terrorism. Thinking about suicide terrorism as a special case of diffusion in the military area—an innovation for nonstate groups—can help bring the study of suicide terrorism further into the mainstream and highlight how the phenomenon has not just differences, but similarities, to other innovations.
Toward Internationally Regulated Goods: Controlling the Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons
Authors: Efrat Asif 
Published: January 2010

AbstractContrary to the general trend of trade liberalization, specific goods—such as small arms, drugs, and antiquities—have come under increasing international control in recent decades through a set of international regulatory agreements. This article offers a theoretical framework of government preferences on the international regulation of these goods. Departing from conventional models of trade policy, the theoretical framework introduces negative externalities, rather than protection, as the motivation for restricting trade; it also takes moral concerns into account. I test this framework empirically through an original survey of government views on international small-arms regulation. Based on interviewing officials from 118 countries, the survey reveals a large variation in government preferences that conforms to the theoretical expectations. I employ this variation to explain why the international regulation of small arms is weak, despite the fact that these are the deadliest weapons of all in terms of actual death toll.
A systematic review of the effects of antipsychotic drugs on brain volume
Authors: Moncrieff J. , Leo J. 
Published: January 2010

BackgroundPeople with schizophrenia are often found to have smaller brains and larger brain ventricles than normal, but the role of antipsychotic medication remains unclear.MethodWe conducted a systematic review of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. We included longitudinal studies of brain changes in patients taking antipsychotic drugs and we examined studies of antipsychotic-naive patients for comparison purposes.ResultsFourteen out of 26 longitudinal studies showed a decline in global brain or grey-matter volume or an increase in ventricular or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume during the course of drug treatment, including the largest studies conducted. The frontal lobe was most consistently affected, but overall changes were diffuse. One large study found different degrees of volume loss with different antipsychotics, and another found that volume changes were associated with taking medication compared with taking none. Analyses of linear associations between drug exposure and brain volume changes produced mixed results. Five out of 21 studies of patients who were drug naive, or had only minimal prior treatment, showed some differences from controls in volumes of interest. No global differences were reported in three studies of drug-naive patients with long-term illness. Studies of high-risk groups have not demonstrated differences from controls in global or lobar brain volumes.ConclusionsSome evidence points towards the possibility that antipsychotic drugs reduce the volume of brain matter and increase ventricular or fluid volume. Antipsychotics may contribute to the genesis of some of the abnormalities usually attributed to schizophrenia.
Religious fictionalism defended: reply to Cordry
Authors: ESHLEMAN ANDREW 
Published: January 2010

AbstractIn his paper, ‘A critique of religious fictionalism’, Benjamin Cordry raises a series of objections to a fictionalist form of religious non-realism that I proposed in my earlier paper, ‘Can an atheist believe in God?’. They fall into two main categories: those alleging that an atheist would be unjustified in adopting fictionalism, and those alleging that fictionalism could not be successfully implemented, or practised communally. I argue that these objections can be met.