bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corpectomy with Adjacent-Level Kyphoplasty to Treat Metastatic Lung Cancer in Three Contiguous Cervical Vertebrae Causing Focal Neurologic Compromise
Authors: Bateman Antony H. , Way Adam C.
Published: August 2014

Study Design

Case report.

Objectives

Decompression of metastatic spinal cord compression has been shown to improve quality of life and prolong ambulation in patients undergoing palliative treatment. We report a case of metastatic cervical myelopathy treated with a combined approach using corpectomy and stabilization together with balloon kyphoplasty to allow adequate decompression and immediate stability in a patient with significant destruction of adjacent vertebral bodies.

Methods

The cervical spine was approached anteriorly and decompressed with a C7 corpectomy. Subsequent stability was achieved with insertion of a trabecular metal cage. Balloon kyphoplasty was used to treat lytic lesions within the posterior body of the adjacent vertebrae for pain relief and increased stability. Additional stability was achieved through the application of an anterior plate.

Results

Full limited decompression and stabilization were successfully achieved. The patient had no further neurologic deterioration and made modest improvements that allowed a return to independent ambulation.

Conclusion

This limited approach may be an option for patients with metastatic spinal cord compression, lytic destruction of adjacent vertebral bodies, and limited life expectancy.
Intermolecular polarizabilities in H2-rare-gas mixtures (H2–He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe): Insight from collisional isotropic spectral properties
Authors: Głaz Waldemar , Bancewicz Tadeusz , Godet Jean-Luc , Gustafsson Magnus , Maroulis George , Haskopoulos Anastasios
Published: August 2014

The report presents results of theoretical and numerical analysis of the electrical properties related to the isotropic part of the polarizability induced by interactions within compounds built up of a hydrogen H2 molecule and a set of noble gas atoms, Rg, ranging from the least massive helium up to the heaviest xenon perturber. The Cartesian components of the collisional polarizabilities of the H2–Rg systems are found by means of the quantum chemistry methods and their dependence on the intermolecular distance is determined. On the basis of these data, the spherical, symmetry adapted components of the trace polarizability are derived in order to provide data sets that are convenient for evaluating collisional spectral profiles of the isotropic polarized part of light scattered by the H2–Rg mixtures. Three independent methods of numerical computing of the spectral intensities are applied at room temperature (295 K). The properties of the roto-translational profiles obtained are discussed in order to determine the role played by contributions corresponding to each of the symmetry adapted parts of the trace polarizability. By spreading the analysis over the collection of the H2–Rg systems, evolution of the spectral properties with the growing masses of the supermolecular compounds can be observed.
Low-temperature collisional quenching of NO A2Σ+(v′ = 0) by NO(X2Π) and O2 between 34 and 109 K
Authors: Sánchez-González R. , Eveland W. D. , West N. A. , Mai C. L. N. , Bowersox R. D. W. , North S. W.
Published: August 2014

We present measurements of collisional fluorescence quenching cross sections of NO(A2Σ+, v′ = 0) by NO(X2Π) and O2 between 34 and 109 K using a pulsed converging-diverging nozzle gas expansion, extending the temperature range of previous measurements. The thermally averaged fluorescence quenching cross sections for both species show a monotonic increase as temperature decreases in this temperature range, consistent with earlier observations. These new measurements, however, allow discrimination between predictions obtained by extrapolating fits of previous data using different functional forms that show discrepancies exceeding 120% for NO and 160% for O2 at 34 K. The measured self-quenching cross section is 52.9 Å2 near 112 K and increases to 64.1 Å2 at 35 K, whereas the O2 fluorescence quenching cross section is 42.9 Å2 at 109 K and increases to 58.3 Å2 at 34 K. Global fits of the quenching cross section temperature dependence show that, when including our current measurements, the low temperature behavior of the quenching cross sections for NO and O2 is better described by a parameterization that accounts for the long-range interactions leading to the collisional deactivation via an inverse power law model.
Modeling pumped hydro storage with the micropower optimization model (HOMER)
Authors: Canales Fausto A. , Beluco Alexandre
Published: August 2014

Most renewable energy technologies suffer from an intermittent characteristic due to the diurnal and seasonal patterns of the natural resources needed for power generation; therefore, a complementary energy storage system must be considered. The pumped hydropower plant is a suitable alternative to consider as an energy storage device for hybrid systems. The hybrid optimization model for electric renewables (HOMER) optimization model is widely used around the globe for designing, comparing, or evaluating the performance of hybrid power systems, but it does not include an explicit component to model a pumped hydropower facility. This paper describes a method for representing a pumped hydropower plant by creating an equivalent battery in HOMER, and the procedure was accompanied by a detailed example. An additional example of a wind-hydro hybrid power system with controlled parameters is presented to validate the method. The results support that the procedure explained in this paper adequately represents the pumped hydropower plant as an equivalent battery.
An experimental and theoretical investigation into the excited electronic states of phenol
Authors: Jones D. B. , da Silva G. B. , Neves R. F. C. , Duque H. V. , Chiari L. , de Oliveira E. M. , Lopes M. C. A. , da Costa R. F. , Varella M. T. do N. , Bettega M. H. F. , Lima M. A. P. , Brunger M. J.
Published: August 2014

We present experimental electron-energy loss spectra (EELS) that were measured at impact energies of 20 and 30 eV and at angles of 90° and 10°, respectively, with energy resolution ∼70 meV. EELS for 250 eV incident electron energy over a range of angles between 3° and 50° have also been measured at a moderate energy resolution (∼0.9 eV). The latter spectra were used to derive differential cross sections and generalised oscillator strengths (GOS) for the dipole-allowed electronic transitions, through normalization to data for elastic electron scattering from benzene. Theoretical calculations were performed using time-dependent density functional theory and single-excitation configuration interaction methods. These calculations were used to assign the experimentally measured spectra. Calculated optical oscillator strengths were also compared to those derived from the GOS data. This provides the first investigation of all singlet and triplet excited electronic states of phenol up to the first ionization potential.
Evidence for spin glass state of NdCo1−xNixO3 (x = 0.3−0.5)
Authors: Kumar Vinod , Kumar Rajesh , Singh Kiran , Arora S. K. , Shvets I. V. , Kumar Ravi
Published: August 2014

Low-temperature magnetic properties of single phase NdCo1−xNixO3(x = 0.3−0.5) have been studied using ac and dc magnetic susceptibility measurements. Nickel substituted samples have been found to exhibit a different magnetic state at low temperature as compared to pristine NdCoO3. The temperature dependent dc magnetization M (T) revealed the presence of a sharp cusp occurring at characteristic temperatures TP, for x = 0.3, 0.4, 0.5. Below TP, clear effect of magnetic field can be seen in M (T) curves and TP decreases with increasing magnetic field as well as Ni substitution content. The isothermal magnetization measurements at low temperatures shows small unsaturated hysteresis loop at lowest temperature (10 K). The ac susceptibility results show a clear frequency dependent feature. These results are analyzed to distinguish superparamagnetic and spin glass behavior by using Néel-Arrhennius, Vogel-Fulcher law, and power law fitting. This analysis ruled out the superparamagnet like state and suggests the presence of significant inter-cluster interactions, giving rise to spin-glass like cooperative freezing.
Large-scale fabrication of BN tunnel barriers for graphene spintronics
Authors: Fu Wangyang , Makk Péter , Maurand Romain , Bräuninger Matthias , Schönenberger Christian
Published: August 2014

We have fabricated graphene spin-valve devices utilizing scalable materials made from chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Both the spin-transporting graphene and the tunnel barrier material are CVD-grown. The tunnel barrier is realized by Hexagonal boron nitride, used either as a monolayer or bilayer and placed over the graphene. Spin transport experiments were performed using ferromagnetic contacts deposited onto the barrier. We find that spin injection is still greatly suppressed in devices with a monolayer tunneling barrier due to resistance mismatch. This is, however, not the case for devices with bilayer barriers. For those devices, a spin relaxation time of ∼260 ps intrinsic to the CVD graphene material is deduced. This time scale is comparable to those reported for exfoliated graphene, suggesting that this CVD approach is promising for spintronic applications which require scalable materials.
High-performance zero-bias ultraviolet photodetector based on p-GaN/n-ZnO heterojunction
Authors: Su Longxing , Zhang Quanlin , Wu Tianzhun , Chen Mingming , Su Yuquan , Zhu Yuan , Xiang Rong , Gui Xuchun , Tang Zikang
Published: August 2014

Lattice-match p-GaN and n-ZnO bilayers were heteroepitaxially grown on the c-sapphire substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxy technique, respectively. X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence investigations revealed the high crystal quality of the bilayer films. Subsequently, a p-GaN/n-ZnO heterojunction photodetector was fabricated. The p-n junction exhibited a clear rectifying I-V characteristic with a turn-on voltage of 3.7 V. At zero-bias voltage, the peak responsivity was 0.68 mA/W at 358 nm, which is one of the best performances reported for p-GaN/n-ZnO heterojunction detectors due to the excellent crystal quality of the bilayer films. These show that the high-performance p-GaN/n-ZnO heterojunction diode is potential for applications of portable UV detectors without driving power.
Oxidation-resistant, solution-processed plasmonic Ni nanochain-SiOx (x < 2) selective solar thermal absorbers
Authors: Yu Xiaobai , Wang Xiaoxin , Zhang Qinglin , Li Juchuan , Liu Jifeng
Published: August 2014

Metal oxidation at high temperatures has long been a challenge in cermet solar thermal absorbers, which impedes the development of atmospherically stable, high-temperature, high-performance concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. In this work, we demonstrate solution-processed Ni nanochain-SiOx (x < 2) and Ni nanochain-SiO2 selective solar thermal absorbers that exhibit a strong anti-oxidation behavior up to 600 °C in air. The thermal stability is far superior to previously reported Ni nanoparticle-Al2O3 selective solar thermal absorbers, which readily oxidize at 450 °C. The SiOx (x < 2) and SiO2 matrices are derived from hydrogen silsesquioxane and tetraethyl orthosilicate precursors, respectively, which comprise Si-O cage-like structures and Si-O networks. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows that the dissociation of Si-O cage-like structures and Si-O networks at high temperatures have enabled the formation of new bonds at the Ni/SiOx interface to passivate the surface of Ni nanoparticles and prevent oxidation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy demonstrate that the excess Si in the SiOx (x < 2) matrices reacts with Ni nanostructures to form silicides at the interfaces, which further improves the anti-oxidation properties. As a result, Ni-SiOx (x < 2) systems demonstrate better anti-oxidation performance than Ni-SiO2 systems. This oxidation-resistant Ni nanochain-SiOx (x < 2) cermet coating also exhibits excellent high-temperature optical performance, with a high solar absorptance of ∼90% and a low emittance ∼18% measured at 300 °C. These results open the door towards atmospheric stable, high temperature, high-performance solar selective absorber coatings processed by low-cost solution-chemical methods for future generations of CSP systems.
Write-once-read-many-times characteristics of Pt/Al2O3/ITO memory devices
Authors: Wu Shuxiang , Chen Xinman , Ren Lizhu , Hu Wei , Yu Fengmei , Yang Kungan , Yang Mei , Wang Yunjia , Meng Meng , Zhou Wenqi , Bao Dinghua , Li Shuwei
Published: August 2014

Nonvolatile write-once-read-many-times (WORM) Pt/Al2O3/ITO memory devices prepared at room temperature were demonstrated. The WORM memory devices show irreversible transition from the initial low resistance (ON) state to the high resistance (OFF) state, high ON/OFF ratio, long data retention, and good reading endurance in air at room temperature. The high performances are promising for employing the Pt/Al2O3/ITO WORM memory devices in permanent storage of information. The nonvolatile memory behaviors could be attributed to the formation and permanent rupture of conductive filament consisting of positively charged oxygen vacancies.
Thermal excitation of plasmons for near-field thermophotovoltaics
Authors: Guo Yu , Molesky Sean , Hu Huan , Cortes Cristian L. , Jacob Zubin
Published: August 2014

The traditional approaches of exciting plasmons consist of either using electrons (e.g., electron energy loss spectroscopy) or light (Kretchman and Otto geometry) while more recently plasmons have been excited even by single photons. A different approach: thermal excitation of a plasmon resonance at high temperatures using alternate plasmonic media was proposed by S. Molesky et al. [Opt. Express 21, A96–A110 (2013)]. Here, we show how the long-standing search for a high temperature narrowband near-field emitter for thermophotovoltaics can be fulfilled by thermally exciting plasmons. We also describe a method to control Wein's displacement law in the near-field using high temperature epsilon-near-zero metamaterials. Finally, we show that our work opens up an interesting direction of research for the field of slow light: thermal emission control.
Metallic transport and large anomalous Hall effect at room temperature in ferrimagnetic Mn4N epitaxial thin film
Authors: Shen Xi , Chikamatsu Akira , Shigematsu Kei , Hirose Yasushi , Fukumura Tomoteru , Hasegawa Tetsuya
Published: August 2014

We report the electrical transport properties of ferrimagnetic Mn4N (001) epitaxial thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on MgO (001) substrates. The Mn4N thin films were tetragonally distorted with a ratio of out-of-plane to in-plane lattice constants of 0.987 and showed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with an effective magnetic anisotropy constant of 0.16 MJ/m3, which is comparable with that of a recently reported molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown film. The thin films exhibited metallic transport with a room temperature resistivity of 125 μΩ cm in addition to a large anomalous Hall effect with a Hall angle tangent of 0.023.
Low-frequency resistance fluctuations in a single nanowire (diameter ≈ 45 nm) of a complex oxide and its relation to magnetic transitions and phase separation
Authors: Datta Subarna , Samanta Sudeshna , Ghosh Barnali , Raychaudhuri A. K.
Published: August 2014

We report measurement of low frequency resistance noise spectroscopy in a single strand of a nanowire (NW) (diameter ≈ 45 nm) of a complex oxide manganite La0.5Sr0.5MnO3, that showed ferromagnetic transition (TC ≈ 315 K), an antiferromagnetic transition (TN ≈ 210 K) and a phase-separated region below TN. We demonstrated that noise spectroscopy in a single NW can cleanly detect the magnetic transitions including the phase-coexistence that may not be possible to do by magnetic measurements. The normalized noise in the single NW is an order less than that reported in ultralow-noise Si Junction Field Effect Transistor.
Reduction of magnetic damping constant of FeCo films by rare-earth Gd doping
Authors: Guo Xiaobin , Xi Li , Li Yue , Han Xuemeng , Li Dong , Wang Zhen , Zuo Yalu
Published: August 2014

Magnetic damping constant (α) is one of the key parameters to determine the critical current density of spin-transfer-torque devices and the switching time of magnetization for ultra-high-frequency devices. In this work, Gd doped FeCo films were fabricated to investigate α based on the ferromagnetic resonance technique. Gd doping not only can efficiently decrease the magnetic inhomogeneity and the extrinsic part of α but also the Landé g-factor and intrinsic part of α. The obtained α was roughly proportional to (g-2)2 and the magnetic anisotropic constant, indicating that the decreased spin-orbit interaction decreases α by Gd doping.
Monodominance at the rainforest edge: case study of Codia mackeeana (Cunoniaceae) in New Caledonia
Authors: Ibanez Thomas , Birnbaum Philippe
Published: August 2014

Monodominance is unexpected in tropical forests, which usually exhibit rich and diverse flora. Mechanisms leading to monodominant forest are commonly discussed within the theoretical framework of forest succession. One of the central issues for managers is to determine whether monodominance is a non-persistent step in the succession of mixed forest, or a late successional state that persists for several generations. Early successional (post-external disturbance) monodominant forests are likely to be the most common, but studies have focussed on late successional ones (without external disturbance). Here, we investigate monodominance in Codia J.R.Forster & G.Forester (Cunoniaceae) in New Caledonia. Codia forests characteristically occur either as patches within a matrix of mixed forests or as a narrow belt located at the interface between mixed forest and open vegetation. We test the hypothesis that monodominance in Codia is an early and non-persistent step in the secondary succession towards mixed forest through a case study of C. mackeeana. Spatial patterns of canopy level dominance and the regeneration pool in a large C. mackeeana population, as well as along five transects from savanna to mixed forest, support our hypothesis. Establishment of C. mackeeana likely allowed a quick closure of anthropogenic savannas followed by a slow recovery of diversity towards mixed rainforest.
The sole cysteine residue (Cys301) of tetrathionate hydrolase from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans does not play a role in enzyme activity
Authors: Kanao Tadayoshi , Nakayama Hisayuki , Kato Mizuki , Kamimura Kazuo
Published: August 2014

Cysteine residues are absolutely indispensable for the reactions of almost all enzymes involved in the dissimilatory oxidation pathways of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds. Tetrathionate hydrolase from the acidophilic iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (Af-Tth) catalyzes tetrathionate hydrolysis to generate elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, and sulfate. Af-Tth is a key enzyme in the dissimilatory sulfur oxidation pathway in this bacterium. Only one cysteine residue (Cys301) has been identified in the deduced amino acid sequence of the Af-Tth gene. In order to clarify the role of the sole cysteine residue, a site-specific mutant enzyme (C301A) was generated. No difference was observed in the retention volumes of the wild-type and mutant Af-Tth enzymes by gel-filtration column chromatography, and surprisingly the enzyme activities measured in the cysteine-deficient and wild-type enzymes were the same. These results suggest that the sole cysteine residue (Cys301) in Af-Tth is involved in neither the tetrathionate hydrolysis reaction nor the subunit assembly. Af-Tth may thus have a novel cysteine-independent reaction mechanism.
Inhibition by acrolein of light-induced stomatal opening through inhibition of inward-rectifying potassium channels in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Islam Md Moshiul , Ye Wenxiu , Matsushima Daiki , Khokon Md Atiqur Rahman , Munemasa Shintaro , Nakamura Yoshimasa , Murata Yoshiyuki
Published: August 2014

Acrolein is a reactive α,β-unsaturated aldehyde derived from lipid peroxides, which are produced in plants under a variety of stress. We investigated effects of acrolein on light-induced stomatal opening using Arabidopsis thaliana. Acrolein inhibited light-induced stomatal opening in a dose-dependent manner. Acrolein at 100 μM inhibited plasma membrane inward-rectifying potassium (Kin) channels in guard cells. Acrolein at 100 μM inhibited Kin channel KAT1 expressed in a heterologous system using Xenopus leaves oocytes. These results suggest that acrolein inhibits light-induced stomatal opening through inhibition of Kin channels in guard cells.
A Vps21 endocytic module regulates autophagy
Authors: Chen Yong , Zhou Fan , Zou Shenshen , Yu Sidney , Li Shaoshan , Li Dan , Song Jingzhen , Li Hui , He Zhiyi , Hu Bing , Björn Lars Olof , Lipatova Zhanna , Liang Yongheng , Xie Zhiping , Segev Nava
Published: August 2014

In autophagy, the double-membrane autophagosome delivers cellular components for their degradation in the lysosome. The conserved Ypt/Rab GTPases regulate all cellular trafficking pathways, including autophagy. These GTPases function in modules that include guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activators and downstream effectors. Rab7 and its yeast homologue, Ypt7, in the context of such a module, regulate the fusion of both late endosomes and autophagosomes with the lysosome. In yeast, the Rab5-related Vps21 is known for its role in early- to late-endosome transport. Here we show an additional role for Vps21 in autophagy. First, vps21∆ mutant cells are defective in selective and nonselective autophagy. Second, fluorescence and electron microscopy analyses show that vps21∆ mutant cells accumulate clusters of autophagosomal structures outside the vacuole. Third, cells with mutations in other members of the endocytic Vps21 module, including the GEF Vps9 and factors that function downstream of Vps21, Vac1, CORVET, Pep12, and Vps45, are also defective in autophagy and accumulate clusters of autophagosomes. Finally, Vps21 localizes to PAS. We propose that the endocytic Vps21 module also regulates autophagy. These findings support the idea that the two pathways leading to the lysosome—endocytosis and autophagy—converge through the Vps21 and Ypt7 GTPase modules.
Calpain cleavage within dysferlin exon 40a releases a synaptotagmin-like module for membrane repair
Authors: Redpath G. M. I. , Woolger N. , Piper A. K. , Lemckert F. A. , Lek A. , Greer P. A. , North K. N. , Cooper S. T.
Published: August 2014

Dysferlin and calpain are important mediators of the emergency response to repair plasma membrane injury. Our previous research revealed that membrane injury induces cleavage of dysferlin to release a synaptotagmin-like C-terminal module we termed mini-dysferlinC72. Here we show that injury-activated cleavage of dysferlin is mediated by the ubiquitous calpains via a cleavage motif encoded by alternately spliced exon 40a. An exon 40a–specific antibody recognizing cleaved mini-dysferlinC72intensely labels the circumference of injury sites, supporting a key role for dysferlinExon40aisoforms in membrane repair and consistent with our evidence suggesting that the calpain-cleaved C-terminal module is the form specifically recruited to injury sites. Calpain cleavage of dysferlin is a ubiquitous response to membrane injury in multiple cell lineages and occurs independently of the membrane repair protein MG53. Our study links calpain and dysferlin in the calcium-activated vesicle fusion of membrane repair, placing calpains as upstream mediators of a membrane repair cascade that elicits cleaved dysferlin as an effector. Of importance, we reveal that myoferlin and otoferlin are also cleaved enzymatically to release similar C-terminal modules, bearing two C2 domains and a transmembrane domain. Evolutionary preservation of this feature highlights its functional importance and suggests that this highly conserved C-terminal region of ferlins represents a functionally specialized vesicle fusion module.
TwoDictyosteliumtyrosine kinase–like kinases function in parallel, stress-induced STAT activation pathways
Authors: Araki Tsuyoshi , Vu Linh Hai , Sasaki Norimitsu , Kawata Takefumi , Eichinger Ludwig , Williams Jeffrey G.
Published: August 2014

When Dictyostelium cells are hyperosmotically stressed, STATc is activated by tyrosine phosphorylation. Unusually, activation is regulated by serine phosphorylation and consequent inhibition of a tyrosine phosphatase: PTP3. The identity of the cognate tyrosine kinase is unknown, and we show that two tyrosine kinase–like (TKL) enzymes, Pyk2 and Pyk3, share this function; thus, for stress-induced STATc activation, single null mutants are only marginally impaired, but the double mutant is nonactivatable. When cells are stressed, Pyk2 and Pyk3 undergo increased autocatalytic tyrosine phosphorylation. The site(s) that are generated bind the SH2 domain of STATc, and then STATc becomes the target of further kinase action. The signaling pathways that activate Pyk2 and Pyk3 are only partially overlapping, and there may be a structural basis for this difference because Pyk3 contains both a TKL domain and a pseudokinase domain. The latter functions, like the JH2 domain of metazoan JAKs, as a negative regulator of the kinase domain. The fact that two differently regulated kinases catalyze the same phosphorylation event may facilitate specific targeting because under stress, Pyk3 and Pyk2 accumulate in different parts of the cell; Pyk3 moves from the cytosol to the cortex, whereas Pyk2 accumulates in cytosolic granules that colocalize with PTP3.
Similarity and diversity in the evolution of Italo-Romance morphosyntax
Authors: Vincent Nigel
Published: August 2014

This chapter sets the scene for the whole volume and lays out the historical, geographical, and social dimensions of dialects in Italy. The main focus is on the history of the verbal system, in particular the emergence of periphrases and complex predicates, and the way these interact with each other and with the inherited members of the paradigm. There is a special focus on constructions which express causativity, progressivity, and perfectivity, and the extent to which, from a semantic perspective, they can be considered to be compositional. Exemplification is drawn from northern and southern dialects, as well as from Rhæto-Romance and Sardinian. The chapter concludes with a survey of the remaining chapters in the volume and shows how they shed light on the themes of dialectal and diachronic divergence which characterise the volume as a whole.
Perfective auxiliation in Italo-Romance
Authors: Loporcaro Michele
Published: August 2014

This chapter examines the history of the perfect auxiliaries ‘be’ and ‘have’ and their interaction in a range of Italo‐Romance dialects, and sets them in the broader context of the historical evolution of the Romance languages as a whole. It also reviews the literature on this construction from Perlmutter’s initial work on unaccusativity down to more recent times. It shows how the study of modern and medieval dialects may complement each other as sources of evidence and thus allow us to draw a single coherent picture. The historical data is drawn from old Florentine and old Romanesco while for modern varieties there is a particular focus on the dialects of Agnone (Molise) and Picerno (a Gallo‐Italic colony in Lucania). The chapter also underscores the degree of variation in auxiliary systems at earlier stages of development and explores the effects of syntactic standardization in the modern context.
Subject clitics and macroparameters
Authors: Roberts Ian
Published: August 2014

This chapter looks at what the variation in subject-clitic systems in the Northern Italian Dialects (NIDs) can tell us about the nature of the parameters of Universal Grammar (UG). It seeks to reconcile the descriptive success of the micro-parametric approach with the explanatory goals which motivated the postulation of parameters of UG in the first place. The chapter begins by setting out the views on macro- vs micro-parametric variation and the null-subject parameter put forward in work by Holmberg and Roberts. It then goes on to propose two tentative generalizations: first, that certain kinds of micro-parametric variation involve simple PF realization, while macro-parametric variation concerns narrow syntax; and second, that subjects and objects behave differently in relation to agreement-related parameters because of the Phase Impenetrability Condition. For this reason subject clitics in NIDs are special, while their object clitics are not.
Sicilian 1st and 2nd person oblique tonic pronouns
Authors: Sornicola Rosanna
Published: August 2014

Both for modern and early varieties of Sicilian it is possible to recognize binary paradigms for the 1st and 2nd person singular tonic pronouns which contrast the outcomes of ego (1sg) and tu (2sg) used in subject function with oblique forms (from various sources), the distribution of which has changed radically over the course of time. A diachronic examination of the Sicilian forms highlights the strict interrelation of morphological, syntactic, and phonetic processes in the development of the Romance pronominal paradigms, offering a fertile test-bed for studying the polymorphic processes involved in diachronic change and for developing theories on the multiple causes involved in the formation of paradigms and the changes affecting them. This case study will show how polymorphism in the relevant Sicilian pronominal forms can offer some valuable evidence in reconstructing the developments affecting Romance 1st and 2nd person singular pronouns.
Patterns of variation and diachronic change in Piedmontese object clitic syntax
Authors: Tortora Christina
Published: August 2014

Variation and change in Romance object clitic syntax reveals that complement clitics do not form a homogeneous group: apparently optional syntactic operations can at first affect certain clitic types but not others, resulting in a diachronic change that spreads through a language’s clitic inventory one ‘type’ at a time. This chapter addresses the change in object clitic syntax in Piedmontese compound tense clauses, whereby object clitics historically shifted from pre-auxiliary to post-participle position. The point of departure is Mair Parry’s research (1991; 1995; 2005), which relates a careful analysis of historical texts with an in-depth understanding of the relevant synchronic variability in object clitic syntax found in the dialects of Cairo Montenotte and Turin. Parry’s work sets the stage for a theoretical analysis which allows us to unify the Piedmontese phenomena with apparently unrelated variation and change in object clitic syntax found in Fassano (Ladin) and Spanish.
Gender assignment and pluralization in Italian and the Veneto
Authors: Trumper John B.
Published: August 2014

Although gender assignment within standard Italian has often been discussed, this chapter represents a first attempt to examine the question in relation to dialects. It contains a review of the various principles—phonological, morphological, and semantic—that have been proposed in the previous literature and traces their interaction within earlier and modern stages Venetian. In particular, because of the phonological structure of this dialect, these principles can be shown to interact in special ways both with each other and with the default mechanism of gender assignment based on the unmarked nature of the masculine over the feminine. The chapter also contains a discussion of the effects of contact between the dialect and the standard language in this area of grammar. It thus represents a first step in the directios of providing an integrated account of the historical and geographical development of gender assignment mechanisms within the Italo-Romance domain.
Njála’s Unity Problem and the Very Beginning: Chapter 1
Authors: Miller William Ian
Published: August 2014

This chapter contains some general observations on critics’ problems with the saga’s unity, and a close reading of chapter 1 of the saga. It asks whether the saga has a unity problem, looking at the clumsy scene-shift after the first three sentences and the author’s conscious playing with saga convention. It questions why the saga begins with a 9-year-old girl playing on the floor, and looks at saga conventions of character introduction and this author’s manipulation of them. It highlights subtle and not so subtle forebodings, as well as taking a brief look at tact or lack thereof when characters fish for compliments, or when a parent is perhaps burdening others with his praise of his own children.
Making a Scene: Chapters 34–5, 48
Authors: Miller William Ian
Published: August 2014

This chapter contains as slap of Hallgerd sometime later, as it relates to how embarrassing incidents are handled, as well as a discussion of poise and tact. The sagas, and indeed the heroic, feature poise as a constituent virtue, but tact is sometimes harder to find. Yet we see evidence of it in certain styles of reticence, and above all perhaps in the remarkable restraint of the saga style itself. The importance of seating arrangements and visible signs of precedence are considered. We see that the initial fillip that begins the central feud of the saga, leading to the virtual extermination of the parties, arises because of the women refusing to give way on claiming the center seat. The chapter also discusses the privileges accorded Thorhalla Asgrimsdottir.
Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part II: Some Facts
Authors: Miller William Ian
Published: August 2014

This chapter contains a close reading of chapters 35–45 of the saga, with special attention devoted to various ‘little’ characters, such as the fully rounded Atli. We see just how astute Bergthora is at using Njal’s reputation for predicting the future against him. There is a discussion of this saga writer’s respect for the 'little people' of his saga, who have lives to lead, just as do the greatest. The chapter discusses the brutal but not stupid callousness of Bergthora involving Thord Freedmanson, her sons’ foster-father, in the feud with Hallgerd, and an explication of the ‘wit’ of the Little Dungbeard insult, and why it hits home. It highlights the legal justification for killing Sigmund, which is not a breach of Njal’s settlement with Gunnar over his killing of Thord. The chapter also focusses on the legalities of liability for complicity in a killing.
Setting up Thrain: Chapters 90–2
Authors: Miller William Ian
Published: August 2014

This chapter further discusses feud as politics. Thrain is targeted on the thinnest of pretexts, and Njal concocts a strategy to provoke Thrain and his men into insulting the Njalssons. Thrain is a marked man because he tries to establish himself as a competitor for local power against Njal and sons, just the man the Njalssons would not tolerate in that position, he having been complicit in the death of their foster-father years earlier. The Njalssons visit the Thrains with Kari; Skarphedin calls Hallgerd a puta, and she flings back the Dungbeard insult, which provides them with publicly acceptable grounds for not losing community support should they attack Thrain. There then follows Skarphedin’s spectacular smashing of Thrain’s skull as he slides by him on the ice, when he and his brothers attack Thrain and his men five on eight. Hrapp is also killed; Skarphedin grants quarter to some.
Introduction
Authors: Okita Kiyokazu
Published: August 2014

The introduction situates the book in relation to current research. First, this book contributes to genealogical study in the field of Hinduism. It adds to the pioneering studies done by the Cardiff Genealogy Project led by James Hegarty and Simon Brodbeck, by exploring the concept of lineage in early modern North India. Second, the book explores the Sanskrit Knowledge Systems Project led by Sheldon Pollock as it focuses on the study of early modern Sanskrit material. It is also an attempt to remedy the lack of study on Purāṇic texts in the field of Classical Indology. Third, it is a substantial addition to Hindu theology which has been recently promoted by the scholars such as Francis Clooney. This section then introduces Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, a Gauḍīya theologian in the eighteenth century, whose work is the main focus of the book.
Historical Background
Authors: Okita Kiyokazu
Published: August 2014

This chapter explores the historical context regarding the creation and the development of the Gauḍīya tradition in early modern North India, particularly paying attention to its relation to the Kachvāhās, who were one of the most powerful Rājput clans in the Mughal empire. This chapter first describes the central role the Kachvāhās played in the development of the Mughal regime from the time of its inception. Then it traces the intimate historical relationship between the Kachvāhā kings and the Gauḍīya leaders since the sixteenth century. Finally, the chapter examines the challenges the Gauḍīya authors such as Baladeva faced during the reign of Jaisingh II, arguably the most famous Kachvāhā king who established Jaipur in the eighteenth century.
The Genealogy of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas
Authors: Okita Kiyokazu
Published: August 2014

This chapter examines the issue of genealogy (sampradāya) that the Gauḍīya faced in the eighteenth century. By the time of Jaisingh II, it was widely accepted that there were only four legitimate Vaiṣṇava schools. These were the Śrī school of Rāmānuja, the Brahmā school of Madhva, the Rudra school of Nimbārka, and the Sanaka school of Vallabha. As a part of his moral discourse Jaisingh asked all the Vaiṣṇava groups in his kingdom to affiliate themselves with one of the four schools. In this context the Gauḍīya affiliated themselves with the Brahmā school. The earliest testimony that supports this claim is found in Kavi Karṇapūra's work written in the sixteenth century. After discussing the authenticity of this testimony, this chapter examines the school affiliation of Caitanya, the founder of the Gauḍīya school, and introduces a conceptual distinction between formal affiliation and theological affiliation in order to understand the complexity involved.
Bhāgavata Theologies in Comparison
Authors: Okita Kiyokazu
Published: August 2014

This chapter describes the theological uniqueness of the Gauḍīya school based on a study of Jīva Gosvāmī’s commentary on the core section of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Jīva was a prolific Gauḍīya writer in the sixteenth century who produced much of the foundational works in Gauḍīya theology. On the one hand, Caitanya taught that the Purāṇa is the most important scripture and Śrīdhara Svāmī the best commentator. On the other hand, Baladeva presented the Gauḍīyas as a part of the Madhva school. Through a comparative study of the commentaries on the Purāṇa by Śrīdhara, Madhva, and Jīva, this chapter demonstrates Jīva’s distinctness in terms of his exegesis, style, and arguments, and suggests that the Gauḍīya school is theologically distinct from the Madhva school, although they may have been formally affiliated.
Printing at Oxford in its European Context 1478–1584
Authors: Jensen Kristian
Published: August 2014

This chapter investigates the earliest printers in Oxford, from the first unknown printer of Rufinus' commentary on the Apostolic Creed in 1478 and Theodoric Rood in the 1480s, through John Scolar in 1517, to Joseph Barnes, who benefited from a Supplicatio submitted to Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester and Chancellor of the University in c.1584, requesting support in obtaining royal permission formally to print books for the University. The careers and publications of these different printers are considered, both in a local and a wider European context, as are their differing relationships to the University itself. This ‘prehistory’ of university printing in the city of Oxford is further contextualized through an examination of publishing in other European university cities, particularly Venice, Paris, Cologne, and Leipzig, and of the impact of the wider book trade on printing in Oxford and on the University more generally.
‘Printers to the University’ 1584–1658
Authors: Peacey Jason
Published: August 2014

Between c.1584, when a Supplicatio formally requested the Chancellor's support in obtaining a royal grant to allow an university press, and 1658, which marked the appointment of Samuel Clarke as the University's first Architypographus, a succession of printers and printing partnerships were recognized as ‘printers to the University’. This chapter examines the influence of the University on the activities of these printers through financing, the supply of materials and premises, and the promotion or restriction of press output. The chapter analyzes the central roles of Chancellor William Laud and Gerard Langbaine, Keeper of the Archives, in acquiring the royal sanction of the University's right to print, the appointment of a delegacy to oversee printing, and the confirmation of these rights in the University's Great Charter of 1636. The political and social upheaval of the years surrounding the Civil War is assessed and its impact on the University and its printers considered.
The Fell Era 1658–1686
Authors: Larminie Vivienne
Published: August 2014

The appointment of Samuel Clarke as Architypographus in 1658, the establishment of a new Delegacy of the Press in 1662 and the installation of presses owned by the University in the new Sheldonian Theatre in 1668 mark the beginnings of an institutional approach to the management of scholarly printing undertaken in the University's name. In 1671 the partnership of Leoline Jenkins, Thomas Yate, John Fell, and Joseph Williamson assumed control of the Learned Press and were directly answerable to the Delegates and through them to Convocation. The differing roles of Fell and his partners, as well as that of John Wallis, Keeper of the Archives, in the management of the Press are considered, and the commercial and scholarly successes and failures of the partnership are discussed. The chapter considers how Fell and his reforms differed from Laud's vision for the Press and concludes with Fell's death in 1686.
The University and the Press 1584–1780
Authors: Hegarty Andrew
Published: August 2014

The chapter considers the relationship between printing and publishing and the University of Oxford by examining how the activities and reforms of the Press affected, or were affected by, university governance, the revision and publication of university statutes, the changing composition of the Delegacy, and the University's location in the broader political landscape. The significance of the Press's income and expenditures for the University's finances is discussed, with particular attention to the support for learned printing and to the changes in the management of the privilege. The chapter also examines the buildings of the Press, first the Sheldonian Theatre and later the Clarendon Printing House, in the context of the architectural and scholarly environment of the University of Oxford, with particular attention given to the influence of William Lancaster and George Clark, local patron of the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, in the progress and design of university buildings.
The Workplace: Places, Procedures, and Personnel 1668–1780
Authors: Ould Martyn
Published: August 2014

The core occupations of the printing house — type-casting, composing, proofing, printing, distributing, gathering, and collating — remained largely unchanged during the period studied in this book, and the technology of printing with its wooden presses, hand-made paper, and hand-set type remained similarly consistent. This chapter thus considers how these particular working practices and technologies were implemented in Oxford. It discusses the awkward organization of printing activities in the Sheldonian Theatre, with printing presses in the basement and compositors ceding the main floor to university ceremonies, and describes other buildings in Oxford used for printing and warehousing. The design of the new Clarendon Printing house allowed both the Bible Press and the Learned Press to operate in one building from 1713. The roles of the Architypographus and Warehouse Keeper are examined, as are the working conditions within the Press. The sources of the paper, type, and illustrations used by the Learned Press are also catalogued.
A Learned Press in a Commercial World
Authors: Feather John
Published: August 2014

The chapter focuses on the Press as a commercial enterprise from 1585, analyzing the initial motivations for leasing its printing rights to independent tradesmen and the subsequent reasons for reassuming control of its own printing in the late seventeenth century. The financing and sales of books thereafter became as important to the Press's success as the learned reputation of its publications. The chapter identifies the financial strengths and weaknesses of the Press and examines how it made use of the mechanisms and systems developed by the London book trade. Relationships with the London trade were often hostile, but partnerships with other publishers arose, both formal and informal, from which both the University and the trade derived limited benefits. The chapter thus examines the internal commercial history of the Press — its finances, sales, and distribution — and contextualizes that history amid the growth, change, and conflict of the wider book trade.
The Learned Press: History, Languages, Literature, and Music
Authors: Kilburn Matthew
Published: August 2014

Although music was part of the recognized curriculum — the University had awarded degrees in music since the late fifteenth century — history, modern languages, and literature in the vernacular were generally considered supplements to formal university education. Early historical publications included Henry Savile's edition of Tacitus, histories of the university and its collections, and a life of King Alfred; the later publishing programme was dominated by Clarendon's History of the Rebellion and the works of Thomas Hearne. Most of the works printed in Oxford in modern European languages were intended for elementary language teaching. The Press published some modern literature in Latin, but more often in English, notably Robert Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy and Thomas Hanmer's illustrated edition of Shakespeare. The Press published a number of works on music theory, including John Case's Apologia Musices in 1588, but music types for printing scores were only acquired in 1672 and the quantity produced remained small.
The Bible Press
Authors: Mandelbrote Scott
Published: August 2014

The printing of the Bible and Book of Common Prayer was limited by royal privilege to three English publishers: the university presses of Oxford and Cambridge and the King's Printers in London. The chapter considers the transition of the 1670s, during which the Press ceased accepting a small fee from the King's Printers not to print Bibles and began to lease its privilege for substantially greater sums to designated independent printers. As the Bible Press grew and developed independently, it differed from the Learned Press in its financing, its work force, its distribution, and in the quantity and quality of its publications. The Bible Press did face difficulties in marketing its products, in maintaining textual standards and in facing criticism of the privileged monopoly of printing, but its annual output numbered in the tens of thousands and it provided an increasingly significant source of revenue for the University.
A very brief introduction of what is known about vision experimentally
Authors: Zhaoping Li
Published: August 2014

This chapter can be seen as a very brief introduction of the known facts about neural substrates in vision (from neurons to neural circuits) and some related visual perceptual behavior. The coverage is more heavily on the retina and the primary visual cortex (V1), for which there are the most data, and less on the extrastriate cortices, the neural circuits for eye movements and related behavior, and the effects of visual attention on neural activities. Simple models are used to describe or summarize these experimental findings.