bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Democratisation and corruption in Mongolia
Authors: Fritz Verena 
Published: June 2007

AbstractMore democratic and open systems of government are generally assumed to contain corruption. Subsequent to the end of the communist system in 1990, Mongolia has established a democratic regime, and has been assessed as being relatively well governed. However, more recently, corruption has been worsening, despite the continuation of a democratic regime.This article inquires into the drivers of corruption and into the reasons for why accountability has not been more effective despite a democratic form of government. The availability of three major forms of rents—foreign aid, privatisation and natural resource extraction—is discussed as important drivers. The recent mining boom appears to have reinforced weaknesses in Mongolia's system of accountability. Underlying weaknesses include certain communist legacies, especially of intransparent government and of a ‘dependent’ judicial system, and substantially increased inequality as a result of transition. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of protease‐activated receptor‐1 and ‐2 in human scar formation
Authors: Materazzi S , Pellerito S , Di Serio C , Paglierani M , Naldini A , Ardinghi C , Carraro F , Geppetti P , Cirino G , Santucci M , Tarantini F , Massi D 
Published: June 2007

AbstractProtease‐activated receptor (PAR)‐1 and PAR‐2 are reported to contribute to the fibrotic process in a number of organs, including lung, liver, pancreas, and kidney. The aim of this study was to localize expression and biological activity of PAR‐1 and PAR‐2 in normal and pathological cutaneous scars. First, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of PAR‐1 and PAR‐2 proteins in a series of human normal scars (NS,n= 10), hypertrophic scars (HS,n= 10), and keloids (K,n= 10). Expression of PAR‐1 and PAR‐2 was observed in all types of scar. Specifically, in HS and K, diffuse PAR‐1 and PAR‐2 positivity was found in dermal cellular areas composed of myofibroblasts, while no or minor staining was observed in the scattered fibroblasts embedded in abundant extracellular matrix in the context of the more collagenous nodules, irrespective of the type of scar. The hyperplastic epidermis overlying K was also found to be strongly PAR‐1 and PAR‐2 positive, whilst in most NS and HS the epidermis was faintly to moderately stained. Second, ribonuclease protection assay on paraffin‐embedded specimens showed overexpression ofPAR‐1andPAR‐2mRNA in K compared to NS and HS. Third, cultured human fibroblasts exposed to TGF‐β1 expressed a myofibroblast phenotype associated with overexpression of PAR‐2, while PAR‐1 expression was unaffected. Intracellular Ca2+mobilization by PAR‐2 agonists in myofibroblasts was increased as compared to fibroblasts, whereas the effect of PAR‐1 agonists was unchanged. Ourin vivostudy indicates that PAR‐1 and PAR‐2 are expressed in cells involved in physiological and pathological scar formation and suggests thatin vitrooverexpression and exaggerated functional response of PAR‐2 may play a role in the function of myofibroblasts in scar evolution from a physiological repair process to a pathological tissue response. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrical properties of gold in dislocated silicon
Authors: Voß O. , Kveder V. V. , Seibt M. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractWe present results of the electrical properties of gold‐decorated dislocations in silicon studied by means of Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS). We investigated the effect of the gold by measuring DLTS spectra from Schottky diodes having different gold concentrations but same thermal history. We found three point‐defect‐like deep levels which occurrence could be attributed to the gold.After gold in‐diffusion the well‐known A‐, B‐ and C‐lines of dislocated n‐type silicon could hardly be measured, whereas another gold‐induced line appeared. This line has nearly the same emission characteristics as the gold acceptor level in non‐dislocated silicon but shows a logarithmic dependence on capture time typical for extended defects. In the lower half of the band gap we measured at least two gold‐induced levels. One of them shows very similar emission characteristics to the gold donor level in non‐dislocated silicon. Both amplitudes are logarithmically dependent on the capture time. We tentatively attribute this behaviour to substitutional dissolved gold accumulated in the vicinity of the dislocations and in dislocation core. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Core reconstructions of the 〈100〉 edge dislocation in single crystal CVD diamond
Authors: Fujita N. , Blumenau A. T. , Jones R. , Öberg S. , Briddon P. R. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractDislocations are common defects in both natural as well as in CVD‐grown diamond. Recent advances in the growth of high quality single crystal CVD diamond have led to an increased interest in the atomistic and electronic structure of 〈100〉 dislocations. These dislocations are observed as mixed‐type 45° and pure edge dislocations. Previously we investigated both types and found that the 45° is by far lower in core energy than the proposed structure of the edge type. In this work we focus on the straight 〈100〉 dislocation only and present novel core reconstructions. We find a minimum energy structure for the edge‐type dislocation which has a similar core energy as the mixed‐type dislocation. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Radiative properties of dislocations generated around oxygen precipitates in Si
Authors: Steinman E. A. , Tereshchenko A. N. , Reznik V. Ya. , Falster R. J. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractGeneration of dislocations during the growth of oxygen precipitates has been used as an alternative way of introduction of dislocation‐related luminescence centers. For this purpose a multistep annealing of Cz Si samples with different initial concentrations of oxygen has been carried out. The analysis of defect density and structure was performed by optical microscopy (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dislocation‐related luminescence (DRL) appeared only after a growth stage, while its intensity strongly depended on the duration of the preliminary nucleation treatment. The duration of growth annealing had a strong influence on the spectral distribution of the DRL intensity. No correlation has been found between a particular defect density, defined by TEM, and the shape of luminescence bands. Therefore, it was concluded that the cause of the gradual DRL transformation is redistribution of oxygen, collected near dislocations. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Micro‐Raman study of strain fields around dislocations in GaAs
Authors: Irmer G. , Jurisch M. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe reliability of microelectronics devices strongly depends on defects like dislocations in the semiconductor wafers. Whereas several methods are routinely used to measure the dislocation density and residual stress in wafers, there is a need of methods to characterize the strain and stress fields around single dislocations with high lateral resolution. The strain and stress fields around single edge and screw dislocations in GaAs are considered, and the corresponding Raman shifts of the phonons are calculated. Due to the finite local resolution, mappings show averaged strain values. Requirements for lateral resolution and signal/noise ratios of the Raman measurements to characterize dislocations are discussed. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Novel polycrystalline laser material: Nd3+:Y3Al5O12 ceramics fabricated by the high‐pressure colloidal slip‐casting (HPCSC) method
Authors: Kaminskii A. A. , Kravchenko V. B. , Kopylov Yu. L. , Bagayev S. N. , Shemet V. V. , Komarov A. A. , Kallmeyer F. , Eichler H. J. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractWe developed a new method for fabrication of oxide laser ceramics. Its prospects were conclusively confirmed by efficient lasing at two wavelengths ≈1064 nm (4F3/2 → 4I11/2) and ≈946 nm (4F3/2 → 4I9/2) of Nd3+ ions in Y3Al5O12 ceramics with laser‐diode pumping. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ice hydrometeor microphysical assumptions in radiative transfer models at AMSU‐B frequencies
Authors: Doherty A. M. , Sreerekha T. R. , O'Keeffe U. M. , English S. J. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractComparisons between two radiative transfer models, ARTS and RTTOV, showed that results in the presence of scattering from ice hydrometeors are highly dependent on assumptions made about the ice microphysics, specifically the size distribution and the density of the ice particles. This paper presents the results of a comparison study between a number of different treatments for the ice microphysics in RTTOV. Of the approaches considered, the combination of a size‐dependent density (larger ice particles are less dense) and a size distribution treatment based on the cloud temperature and ice water content give the best approximation for the cases examined. Further work is planned in other regimes to see if this approach can be applied more widely. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Modelling weather radar beam propagation and topographical blockage at northern high latitudes
Authors: Bech J. , Gjertsen U. , Haase G. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThis paper describes a study to evaluate the variability of radio‐propagation conditions and to assess their effects upon weather‐radar beam blockage corrections for precipitation estimates. Radiosonde observations are examined in order to analyse the propagation conditions at several locations covered by the Nordic Weather Radar Network (NORDRAD). A beam‐propagation model is used to simulate the interaction between the radar beam and the topography and to derive correction factors. The model is applied to correct yearly accumulations, assuming standard radio‐propagation conditions, and is also used to examine case studies in detail under various propagation conditions. The correction reduces the bias between yearly radar precipitation estimates and gauge records by 1 dB for moderate blockages (1% to 50%), and by up to 3 dB for severe blockages (50% to 70%). The case studies indicate that HIRLAM forecasts show potential to predict the radar coverage and the associated ground‐ and sea‐clutter patterns. This research aims at determining a beam‐blockage‐correction algorithm to be used within the NORDRAD quality‐control system. This is particularly useful for obtaining radar precipitation estimates in environments with complex topography. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Hydrolytic degradation of poly(rac‐lactide) and poly[(rac‐lactide)‐co‐glycolide] at the air–water interface
Authors: Kulkarni Amit , Reiche Juergen , Lendlein Andreas 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe understanding of the simultaneous transport and chain‐scission phenomena involved in the hydrolysis of bulk‐degrading polymers requires the experimental separation of chain cleavage and water diffusion. The hydrolytic chain cleavage of poly(rac‐lactide) rac‐(PLA) and poly[(rac‐lactide)‐co‐glycolide] (PLGA) is analysed on the basis of monolayer degradation experiments combined with an improved data reduction procedure. Different, partly contradictory models of the hydrolytic degradation and erosion mechanism of PLA and PLGA, namely random chain scission and chain‐end scission, are discussed in the literature. The instantaneous linear area reduction observed for the polymer Langmuir films indicates a chain‐end scission mechanism. As monolayers of end‐capped and non‐end‐capped polymers degrade with exactly the same rate, the observed differences in the degradation kinetics of bulk samples do clearly result from differences in the water penetration into these polymers. A pronounced ‘auto‐inhibition’ effect is observed for the polymers degraded at initially high pH of the aqueous subphase in the absence of buffers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In situ investigations of the interaction of small inorganic acidifying molecules in humidified air with polycrystalline metal surfaces by means of TM‐AFM, IRRAS, and QCM
Authors: Kleber Ch. , Hilfrich U. , Schreiner M. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractInitial atmospheric corrosion of copper, silver, and iron induced by humidity and oxidizing agents was studied in situ by three highly surface‐sensitive and complementary techniques: infrared reflection‐absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and tapping‐mode atomic force microscopy (TM‐AFM). These techniques deliver information about the change of the topography of the sample surfaces with emphasis on the shape and lateral distribution of the corrosion products grown within the first 1300–2800 min of weathering (TM‐AFM), as well as chemical (IRRAS) and kinetic (QCM) data. A completely different mechanism of the initial stages of atmospheric corrosion of the three investigated metals could be observed. A uniform growth of corrosion products was seen on the copper surface (identified by IRRAS and XPS to be cuprite‐like) during exposure to synthetic air with 80% relative humidity (RH), whereas the iron surface remained unattacked. The investigations of the silver surface exposed to humidity revealed that silver is attacked by humidity and tends to form oxide and hydroxide surface species. While an increased humidity content of the surrounding atmosphere causes higher corrosion rates on copper, on the exposed silver sample only a change in the degradation mechanism could be observed.The addition of SO2 to the humidified air causes the growth of so‐called ‘second‐order’ features on copper, identified to be CuSO3 · xH2O‐like, which reveals the formation of a new chemical species on the investigated surface. These features are placed on top of the homogeneous formed oxide layer and tend to form well‐defined islands. In contrast to copper, on a silver surface exposed to humidity and SO2 no new chemical species are formed; nevertheless an increased corrosion rate could be observed owing to a change of the chemistry in the physisorbed water layer. Iron exposed to humidity and SO2 still remains unattacked. An iron surface is attacked only if exposed to humidity and SO2 and NO2, which show a synergistic effect by the oxidation of four‐valent sulfur‐oxygen species by NO2. Such an attack leads to the formation of pitting corrosion, which was observed in situ and time‐resolved. The pits mainly occur on predamaged surface structures, such as scratches caused from the polishing process of the samples, and therefore promote the initiation of the corrosion. The results obtained demonstrate the high potential of the surface‐sensitive methods applied for investigating the early stages of corrosion of different metals and for obtaining a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms during degradation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Yeast vectors for the integration/expression of any sequence at the TYR1 locus
Authors: Mirisola Mario G. , Colomba Leonarda , Gallo Alessia , Amodeo Roberta , De Leo Giacomo 
Published: June 2007

AbstractWe have constructed new yeast vectors for targeted integration and conditional expression of any sequence at the Saccharomyces cerevisiae TYR1 locus which becomes disrupted. We show that vector integration is not neutral, causing prototrophy for tyrosine and auxotrophy for the vector's selectable marker (uracil or leucine, depending on the vector used). This feature allows a double screening of transformed yeast cells, improving the identification of colonies with the desired chromosomal structure. The GAL10 gene promoter has been added to drive conditional expression of cloned sequences. Using these vectors, chromosomal structure verification of recombinant clones is no longer necessary, since the noise of non‐homologous recombination, as well as spontaneous reversion of the selected phenotype, can easily be identified. The ability of the vector to conditionally control gene expression has been confirmed using the gene for the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter. GenBank Accession Nos EF202083–202086. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Presence of an unsuitable host diminishes the competitive superiority of an insect parasitoid: a distraction effect
Authors: Meisner Matthew , Harmon Jason P. , Ives Anthony R. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractCompetitive interactions between parasitoid species are traditionally evaluated when they compete for a single host species. Yet, the presence of additional host species can alter competitive interactions, even if the host is unsuitable for parasitoid development. In alfalfa of the mid‐western USA, a native parasitoid species, Praon pequodorum, was once a dominant natural enemy, but it has become rare since the introduction of another parasitoid, Aphidius ervi. Despite A. ervi's competitive superiority for their most common host, the pea aphid Acyrthosiphum pisum, P. pequodorum still persists at low densities. We performed a suite of laboratory and field studies to determine if the presence of an alternative host, the spotted alfalfa aphid Therioaphis maculata, may mitigate A. ervi's competitive superiority and facilitate P. pequodorum's persistence. We show that spotted alfalfa aphids reduce the foraging efficiency of both parasitoid species for pea aphids, despite spotted alfalfa aphids being an unsuitable host. This decrease in efficiency, however, was not symmetrical; the presence of spotted alfalfa aphids had a greater detrimental effect on A. ervi foraging for pea aphids. This might facilitate the persistence of the competitively inferior P. pequodorum. Our study suggests that indirect effects generated by the presence of alternative hosts are important for understanding parasitoid–host dynamics and overall insect community structure.
Separating Oil from Aqueous Extraction Fractions of Soybean
Authors: Lamsal B. P. , Johnson L. A. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractPrevious research has shown that enzyme‐assisted aqueous extraction processing (EAEP) extracts 88–90% of the total soybean oil from extruded full‐fat soy flakes into the aqueous media, which is distributed as cream (oil‐in‐water emulsion), skim, and free oil. In the present work, a simple separatory funnel procedure was effective in separating aqueous skim, cream and free oil fractions allowing mass balances and extraction and recovery efficiencies to be determined. The procedure was used to separate and compare liquid fractions extracted from full‐fat soy flour and extruded full‐fat soy flakes. EAEP extracted more oil from the extruded full‐fat soy flakes, and yielded more free oil from the resulting cream compared to unextruded full‐fat soy flour. Dry matter partitioning between fractions was similar for the two procedures. Mean oil droplet sizes in the cream and skim fractions were larger for EAEP of extruded flakes compared to non‐enzymatic AEP of unextruded flour (45 vs. 20 μm for cream; 13 vs. 5 μm for skim) making the emulsions from EAEP of extruded flakes less stable. All major soy protein subunits were present in the cream fractions, as well as other fractions, from both processes. The cream could be broken using phospholipase treatments and 70–80% of total oil in the extruded full‐fat flakes was recovered using EAEP and a phospholipase de‐emulsification procedure.
Development of Lipid Changes Related to Quality Loss During the Frozen Storage of Farmed Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Authors: Rodríguez Alicia , Losada Vanesa , Larraín M. Angélica , Quitral Vilma , Vinagre Julia , Aubourg Santiago P. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractLipid changes related to quality loss were evaluated during frozen storage of coho salmon for up to 15 months. Biochemical indices concerning lipid hydrolysis (free fatty acids, FFA) and oxidation (peroxide value, PV; thiobarbituric acid index, TBA‐i; fluorescent compounds, FR; polyene index, PI) were determined and compared to sensory (odor and taste) and endogenous antioxidant (tocopherol isomers and astaxanthin) assessments. As a result of the frozen storage, lipid hydrolysis was shown to develop according to the increase in FFA content (p < 0.05). However, most biochemical lipid oxidation indices (PV, TBA‐i and FR) led to a low degree of rancidity development (p < 0.05) when compared to other fatty fish species under similar frozen storage conditions. The PI value decreased (p < 0.05) at month 10 but then remained unchanged until the end of the experiment. Rancid odor and taste development were shown to be low throughout the experiment, according to the biochemical indices mentioned above. However, a progressive decrease (p < 0.05) in the original fresh odor and taste of salmon fish flesh occurred with increasing frozen storage time, such that fish samples had the poorest scores by month 15. Endogenous antioxidants were remarkably stable throughout the experiment and which might contribute to the oxidative stability of frozen farmed coho salmon lipids.
Uterine anomalies and pregnancy outcome following resectoscope metroplasty
Authors: Zlopaša G. , Škrablin S. , Kalafatić D. , Banović V. , Lešin J. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractObjective: To compare reproductive outcome in women with uterine anomalies and women with a normal uterus, and evaluate the effect of resectoscope metroplasty. Methods: The pregnancy outcomes, past and present, of 105 women with congenital uterine anomalies were compared with those of 182 women with a normally shaped uterus. The outcomes of 25 women with septate and bicornuate uteri before and after resectoscope metroplasty were also analyzed. The χ2 and Mann‐Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Uterine anomalies were associated with higher rates of spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, intrauterine growth retardation, breech presentation, and cesarean delivery (P < 0.001). The highest incidence of early spontaneous abortion was noted among women with septate uteri, and the highest incidence of preterm labor was noted among women with arcuate or bicornuate uteri. Among women with arcuate uteri, significantly lower gestational age and birth‐weight were observed compared with any other type of adverse outcome. Compared with their previous pregnancies, the abortion rates were lower and delivery rates were higher in women who conceived following hysteroscopic metroplasty (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Resesctoscope metroplasty significantly improved pregnancy outcome in women with uterine anomalies.
XML in Motion from Genome to Drug
Authors: Mohan C. Gopi 
Published: June 2007

AbstractInformation technology (IT) has emerged as a central to the solution of contemporary genomics and drug discovery problems. Researchers involved in genomics, proteomics, transcriptional profiling, high throughput structure determination, and in other sub-disciplines of bioinformatics have direct impact on this IT revolution. As the full genome sequences of many species, data from structural genomics, micro-arrays, and proteomics became available, integration of these data to a common platform require sophisticated bioinformatics tools. Organizing these data into knowledgeable databases and developing appropriate software tools for analyzing the same are going to be major challenges. XML (eXtensible Markup Language) forms the backbone of biological data representation and exchange over the internet, enabling researchers to aggregate data from various heterogeneous data resources. The present article covers a comprehensive idea of the integration of XML on particular type of biological databases mainly dealing with sequence-structure-function relationship and its application towards drug discovery. This e-medical science approach should be applied to other scientific domains and the latest trend in semantic web applications is also highlighted.