bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Studies of structural and optical properties of Cu–In–O thin films
Authors: Khemiri N. , Chaffar Akkari F. , Kanzari M. , Rezig B. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe report in this paper the preparation and characterization of Cu–In–O films. The samples were prepared by an annealing at 200 °C for 2 h in vacuum followed by an annealing at 400 °C for 3 h in air atmosphere (sample A) and directly by an annealing at 400 °C for 3 h in air atmosphere (sample B). The films were characterized for their structural, surface morphological, compositional, electrical and optical properties by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, electrical conductivity and optical measurement techniques (transmittance and reflectance). The XRD patterns revealed the presence of CuO and In2O3 phases. The absorption coefficients of Cu–In–O thin films in both cases are in the range (104–105) cm–1 and the direct optical band gaps are 3 eV and 3.55 eV for the samples B and A, respectively. The electrical measurements show a conversion from a metallic phase to a semiconductor phase. n‐type conductivity was found for the sample B, whereas the sample A was highly resistive. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effects of surface pretreatment on growth of ZnO on glass substrate
Authors: Makino Hisao , Kishimoto Seiichi , Yamada Takahiro , Miyake Aki , Yamamoto Naoki , Yamamoto Tetsuya 
Published: July 2008

AbstractPolycrystalline undoped ZnO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Effects of surface pretreatments prior to the ALD growth have been investigated. In the relationship between grown film thickness and number of ALD cycles, an incubation period in which film growth is strongly suppressed up to the initial several tens of ALD cycles was observed. Such an incubation period was longer for the hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) pretreated case compared to the others. Surface morphology and in‐plane crystalline size were also affected by the surface pretreatment. Rough surface morphology and larger crystalline size were observed in the films grown on the HMDS treated substrates. All of the films studied here were polycrystalline with nearly random orientations, but the thin films showed a weak preferential orientation of the c‐axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. Evolution of the orientation with the film thickness was also affected by the surface pretreatments. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Hydrogen gas sensors based on PLD grown NiO thin film structures
Authors: Stamataki M. , Tsamakis D. , Brilis N. , Fasaki I. , Giannoudakos A. , Kompitsas M. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractNiO thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on (100)Si substrates at 200 °C temperature. The effect of the O2 pressure during the deposition process on the morphological, electrical and sensing properties of the films has been investigated. AFM images showed that the surface morphology of NiO films can be modified by the oxygen pressure during deposition. Electrical measurements showed that the well‐known native p‐type conductivity exhibits a conversion from p‐type to n‐type when the O2 pressure is reduced. Resistance responses of NiO‐thin films towards hydrogen (H2) flow in air ambient have been measured. NiO thin film p–n homojuctions were then fabricated to investigate the electrical properties of such structures. The p–n homojunctions exhibited the distinct rectifying current–voltage (I –V) characteristics. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Analysis and simulation of a‐Si:H/a‐SiC:H PINIP structures for color image detection
Authors: Fantoni A. , Fernandes M. , Vygranenko Y. , Vieira M. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractIt is presented in this paper a study on the photo‐electronic properties of multilayer a‐Si:H/a‐SiC:H p–i–n–i–p structures. This study is aimed to give an insight into the internal electrical characteristics of such a structure in thermal equilibrium, under applied bias and under different illumination condition. Taking advantage of this insight it is possible to establish a relation among the electrical behavior of the structure, the structure geometry (i.e. thickness of the light absorbing intrinsic layers and of the internal n‐layer) and the composition of the layers (i.e. optical bandgap controlled through percentage of carbon dilution in the a‐Si1–x Cx:H layers).Showing an optical gain for low incident light power con‐ trollable by means of externally applied bias or structure composition, these structures are quite attractive for photo‐sensing device applications, like color sensors and large area color image detector.An analysis based on numerical ASCA simulations is presented for describing the behavior of different configurations of the device and compared with experimental measurements (spectral response and current–voltage characteristic). (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The fall speeds of sub‐100 µm ice crystals
Authors: Westbrook C. D. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractEstimates for the sedimentation rate of realistic ice crystals at sizes smaller than 100 µm are presented. These calculations, which exploit new results for the capacitance of ice crystals, are compared with laboratory studies and found to be in good agreement. The results highlight a weakness in contemporary ice particle fall speed parametrizations for very small crystals, which can lead to sedimentation rates being overestimated by a factor of two. The theoretical approach applied here may also be useful for calculating the sedimentation rate and mobility of non‐spherical aerosol particles. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Periodic Cuscore charts to detect step shifts in autocorrelated processes
Authors: Changpetch Pannapa , Nembhard Harriet Black 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAmong statistical control charts, the Cuscore control chart has been designed specifically for particular types of signals and process models. The synchronization between the residuals of the process and the detectors of the Cuscore makes this control chart more sensitive for detecting a signal than the Shewhart, cusum and other standard control charts. However, this synchronization happens only when the time of the occurrence of the signal is known. In this paper, we develop two approaches for applying the Cuscore chart when the time of the signal is unknown. The first approach is to reinitialize the Cuscore statistic with a prescribed cycle. The second approach considers only the most recent time periods to calculate the Cuscore statistic. We apply these two approaches to construct what we call periodic Cuscore control charts to detect step shifts in seasonal time series processes. Simulation results show that the performance of periodic Cuscore charts, in terms of average run length to signal a special cause, is better than that of cusum charts in most cases even when faced with a long mismatch period between the time of resetting the charts and the time of the occurrence of the signal. These results indicate that the two approaches are practical and effective when the time of the signal is unknown. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isotope fractionation of molecular oxygen during adsorption/desorption by molecular sieve zeolite
Authors: Abe Osamu 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe isotope fractionation of O2 gas during adsorption onto, and desorption from, molecular sieve zeolite (MSZ) has been confirmed. It has been found that the magnitude of fractionation during gas adsorption for the determination of isotope ratio measurements by dual inlet mass spectrometry is significant during desorption but not during adsorption. The isotope shift will take place during insufficient desorption from MSZ and its magnitude varies with the amount of MSZ and its identity. In order to obtain complete desorption and to remove isotope shifts, the use of the minimum amount of 5A MSZ and additional heating at a temperature of 60°C for a period of 10 min just before gas admission into the mass spectrometer are recommended. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Model for ion injection into a quadrupole ion trap to assess the distribution of initial conditions of confinement
Authors: Janulyte A. , Zerega Y. , Carette M. , Reynard C. , Andre J. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractA pulsed ion‐injection mode for a quadrupole ion trap is described. Switched direct current (d.c.) potentials are applied to the source and trap electrodes to inject the ions into the trap and slow them down. The injection time is sufficient to ensure a steady distribution of the injected ions at the beginning of the confinement.An elementary uni‐dimensional model is detailed giving the axial positions and velocities of the ions injected into the trap. The ion distribution in phase space, the number of injected ions and the number of injected ions that will be trapped are also given. These expressions depend on ion position and velocity at the creation, applied potentials and spatial location of the source and trap electrodes.This model is validated by comparing simulation and experimental results. For this purpose the number of confined ions is plotted versus the slowing‐down potentials applied on the ring and the upper end‐cap of the trap. The size of the area of removable ions in the source is deduced from these results. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Case‐based curve behaviour prediction
Authors: Kurbalija Vladimir , Ivanović Mirjana , Budimac Zoran 
Published: July 2008

AbstractCase‐based reasoning (CBR) is the area of artificial intelligence where problems are solved by adapting solutions that worked for similar problems from the past. This technique can be applied in different domains and with different problem representations. In this paper, a system curve base generator (CuBaGe) is presented. This framework is designed to be a domain‐independent prediction system for the analysis and prediction of curves and time‐series trends, based on the CBR technology.CuBaGeemploys a novel curve representation method based on splines and a corresponding similarity function based on definite integrals. This combination of curve representation and similarity measure showed excellent results with sparse and non‐equidistant time series, which is demonstrated through a set of experiments. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A text pattern‐matching tool based on Parsing Expression Grammars
Authors: Ierusalimschy Roberto 
Published: July 2008

AbstractCurrent text pattern‐matching tools are based on regular expressions. However, pure regular expressions have proven too weak a formalism for the task: many interesting patterns either are difficult to describe or cannot be described by regular expressions. Moreover, the inherent non‐determinism of regular expressions does not fit the need to capture specific parts of a match. Motivated by these reasons, most scripting languages nowadays use pattern‐matching tools that extend the original regular‐expression formalism with a set of ad hoc features, such as greedy repetitions, lazy repetitions, possessive repetitions, ‘longest‐match rule,’ lookahead, etc. These ad hoc extensions bring their own set of problems, such as lack of a formal foundation and complex implementations. In this paper, we propose the use of Parsing Expression Grammars (PEGs) as a basis for pattern matching. Following this proposal, we present LPEG, a pattern‐matching tool based on PEGs for the Lua scripting language. LPEG unifies the ease of use of pattern‐matching tools with the full expressive power of PEGs. Because of this expressive power, it can avoid the myriad of ad hoc constructions present in several current pattern‐matching tools. We also present a Parsing Machine that allows a small and efficient implementation of PEGs for pattern matching. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinetic Analysis of Glycoprotein–Lectin Interactions by Label-Free Internal Reflection Ellipsometry
Authors: Ralin David W. , Dultz Shane C. , Silver Judd E. , Travis Jeffrey C. , Kullolli Majlinda , Hancock William S. , Hincapie Marina 
Published: July 2008

Abstract

Introduction
Glycoproteomics is undergoing rapid development, largely as a result of advances in technologies for isolating glycoproteins and analyzing glycan structures. However, given the number and diversity of glycans, there is need for new technologies that can more rapidly provide differential carbohydrate–protein structural information on a large scale. We describe a new microarray platform based on a label-free imaging ellipsometry technique, which permits simultaneous detection of multiple glycoprotein–lectin interactions without the need for reporter labels, while still providing high throughput kinetic information at much lower cost. Our results demonstrate the utility of LFIRE™ (Label-Free Internal Reflection Ellipsometry) for the rapid kinetic screening of carbohydrate–lectin recognition. The technology was also used to evaluate the benefits of the lectin immobilization format using multi-lectin affinity chromatography (M-LAC) to capture glycoproteins (with enhanced binding strength or avidity) from biological samples. Using a printed panel of lectins, singly or in combination, we examined the binding characteristics of standard glycoproteins.

Results and Discussion
Using kinetic measurements, it was observed that the binding strength of lectins to carbohydrates is enhanced using a multi-lectin strategy, suggesting that improved selectivity and specificity can lead to increased functional avidity. The data presented confirm that this label-free technology can be used to effectively screen single or combinations of lectins. Furthermore, the combination of LFIRE™ and M-LAC may permit more rapid and sensitive identification of novel biomarkers based on carbohydrate changes in glycoproteins, and lead to a better understanding of the connections of glycan function in cellular mechanisms of health and disease.
Influence of age and sex on the spontaneous DNA damage detected by Micronucleus test and Comet assay in mice peripheral blood cells
Authors: Heuser Vanina Dahlström , De Andrade Vanessa Moraes , Peres Alessandra , de Braga Luisa Maria Gomes Macedo , Chies José Arthur Bogo 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe have investigated the normal variations in basal DNA damage detected by Comet assay in leukocytes and micronucleated erythrocytes (MNE) using the Micronucleus test (MN) in peripheral blood cells from 45 female and male mice from different age groups (newborns, 3.5, 12, and 104 weeks) to clarify age and sex‐related changes. Comparison of basal DNA damage detected by Comet assay showed significantly increased values in 104 weeks old mice in relation to the other ages (P ≤ 0.01), and newborn mice showed higher values in MNE frequency when compared to all the other groups (P ≤ 0.01). A positive correlation was observed between Damage Frequency (r = 0.382, P = 0.010) and Damage Index (r = 0.640, P < 0.001) and age. Age was also correlated with the ratio of polychromatic erythrocytes/normachromatic erythrocytes (PCE/NCE) (r = − 0.473, P = 0.001), and the MNE frequency was positively correlated with the ratio of PCE/NCE (r = 0.454, P = 0.002). These results suggest an age‐related slow down of DNA repair efficiency of DNA damage and/or DNA damage accumulation. Furthermore, data on the spontaneous MNE frequency indicate that the reticuloendothelial system matures with age, and there is a close relationship between erythropoiesis and micronucleus induction in erythrocytes. The influence of sex in the parameters analyzed was less clear. In conclusion, age seems to influence in basal DNA damage and should be considered in genotoxicity studies using mice. Finally, comparisons between assays must be made with care when different cells are compared (e.g. leukocytes and erythrocytes), as found with the Comet assay and MN test.
IGF2‐driven PI3 kinase and TGFβ signaling pathways in chondrogenesis
Authors: Hamamura Kazunori , Zhang Ping , Yokota Hiroki 
Published: July 2008

AbstractInsulin‐like growth factor‐2 (IGF2) is essential for fetal development as well as maintenance of adult organs such as brain and liver. Although genetic polymorphisms of IGF2 are linked to cytoskeletal variations little is known about the mechanisms of IGF2 action in proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes for skeletal growth. A genome‐wide mRNA expression analysis using C28/I2 chondrocyte cells studied potential signaling pathways underlying the responses to IGF2. Microarray data predicted involvement of the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathways. Protein analyses revealed IGF2 administration activated phosphorylation of Akt and GSK3β in the PI3K pathway. LY294002 (selective inhibitor of PI3K) blocked Akt phosphorylation and abolished IGF2‐driven elevation of the mRNA levels of the proteoglycans, Aggrecan and Versican. LY294002 did not suppress upregulation of TGFβ mRNA induced by IGF2, so IGF2 activates PI3K and TGFβ pathways. IGF2‐driven transcriptional activation of proteoglycan genes such as Aggrecan and Versican is mediated by the PI3K pathway.
Pulse methotrexate versus pulse actinomycin D in the treatment of low‐risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia
Authors: Yarandi Fariba , Eftekhar Zahra , Shojaei Hadi , Kanani Soheyla , Sharifi Ali , Hanjani Parviz 
Published: July 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of methotrexate and actinomycin D as single agents in first‐line chemotherapy for women with low‐risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (LR‐GTN).MethodsA total of 131 women with LR‐GTN were randomized to receive a weekly pulsed dose of 30 mg/m2 of methotrexate intramuscularly (n = 81) or a pulsed intravenous bolus of 1.25 mg/m2 of actinomycin D every 2 weeks (n = 50). An additional cycle was administered as consolidation treatment following normalization of the serum level of β‐human chorionic gonadotropin (< 5 IU/L).ResultsComplete remission was achieved in 48.14% of patients in the methotrexate group and 90.00% in the actinomycin D group (P < 0.001). The mean number of treatment cycles needed to achieve response was lower in the actinomycin D group (4.8 vs 6.8). The risk of treatment failure was 26.4 greater with methotrexate than with actinomycin D (95% confidence interval, 5.7–22.6; P < 0.001).ConclusionActinomycin D may be a better option than methotrexate as a first‐line chemotherapy agent for patients with LR‐GTN.
The effect of exogenous cholesterol and lipid-modulating agents on enterocytic amyloid-β abundance
Authors: Pallebage-Gamarallage Menuka M. , Galloway Susan , Johnsen Russell , Jian Le , Dhaliwal Satvinder , Mamo John C. L. 
Published: July 2008

Dietary cholesterol may influence Alzheimer's disease risk, because it regulates the synthesis of amyloid-β. It was recently demonstrated in enterocytes of wild-type mice that intracellular amyloid-β expression is enhanced in response to a high-fat diet made up of SFA and cholesterol. Intestinally derived amyloid-β may be associated with postprandial lipoproteins in response to dietary fats and could be a key regulator in chylomicron metabolism. The present study was designed to investigate the role of cholesterol in modulating amyloid-β abundance in enterocytes. Wild-type mice were fed a low-fat diet supplemented with 2 % (w/w) cholesterol. The effects of cholesterol absorption inhibition and cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition utilising ezetimibe and atorvastatin, respectively, were also studied. Quantitative immunohistochemistry was utilised to determine enterocytic amyloid-β homeostasis. We found that enterocytic amyloid-β concentration was significantly attenuated in mice fed the 2 % (w/w) cholesterol diet. However, blocking cholesterol absorption reversed the cholesterol-feeding effect. Consistent with a suppressive effect of cholesterol on enterocytic amyloid-β abundance, atorvastatin, an inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis, enhanced amyloid-β. However, providing exogenous cholesterol abolished the atorvastatin-induced effect. In contrast to the suppression of enterocytic amyloid-β by dietary cholesterol, mice fed a diet enriched in SFA had markedly greater abundance. Collectively, the findings suggest that exogenous and endogenous cholesterol reduce amyloid-β concentration in enterocytes by suppressing production, or enhancing secretion associated with postprandial lipoproteins. Intestinally derived amyloid-β will contribute to the pool of plasma protein and may influence cerebral amyloid homeostasis by altering the bi-directional transfer across the blood–brain barrier.
Maternal fatty acid intake and fetal growth: evidence for an association in overweight women. The ‘EDEN mother–child’ cohort (study of pre- and early postnatal determinants of the child's development and health)
Authors: Drouillet Peggy , Forhan Anne , De Lauzon-Guillain Blandine , Thiébaugeorges Olivier , Goua Valérie , Magnin Guillaume , Schweitzer Michel , Kaminski Monique , Ducimetière Pierre , Charles Marie-Aline 
Published: July 2008

Recent studies suggest a benefit of seafood andn-3 fatty acid intake on fetal growth and infant development. The objective was to study the association between fatty acid intake and fetal growth in pregnant French women. Pregnant women included in the EDEN mother–child cohort study completed FFQ on their usual diet: (1) in the year before pregnancy and (2) during the last 3 months of pregnancy (n1439). Conversion into nutrient intakes was performed using data on portion size and a French food composition table. Associations between maternal fatty acid intakes and several neonatal anthropometric measurements were studied using linear regressions adjusted for centre, mother's age, smoking habits, height, parity, gestational age and newborn's sex. Due to significant interaction, analyses were stratified according to maternal pre-pregnancy overweight status. Neither total lipid nor SFA, MUFA or PUFA intake was significantly associated with newborn size. In overweight women only (n366), a high pre-pregnancyn-3 fatty acid intake (% PUFA) was positively associated with the newborn's birth weight (P = 0·01), head, arm and wrist circumferences and sum of skinfolds (P < 0·04). A substitution of 1 % ofn-3 fatty acids per d before pregnancy by other PUFA was related to an average decrease in birth weight of 60 g (P = 0·01). Relationships withn-3 fatty acid intake at the end of pregnancy were weaker and not significant. We concluded that a high pre-pregnancyn-3 fatty acid:PUFA ratio may sustain fetal growth in overweight women. Follow-up of the children may help determine whether this has beneficial consequences for the child's health and development.
Molecular markers to discriminate among four pest species ofHelicoverpa(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Behere G.T. , Tay W.T. , Russell D.A. , Batterham P. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe four significant pest species in theHelicoverpagenus (H. armigera, H. assulta,H. punctigeraandH. zea) are morphologically similar and can only be reliably distinguished through dissection of adult genitalia. Two partial regions of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the cytochromeb(Cytb) genes were amplified by PCR and digested with restriction endonucleases. The restriction patterns, generated by the endonucleasesBstZ17I andHphI, demonstrated reliable differentiation of the fourHelicoverpapest species. This technique is fast, reliable and effective at distinguishing specimens irrespective of their life stages and offers support to conventional taxonomic differentiation based on morphological characters.