bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental Isotopic Evaluation of the Springs Located in Kazan Trona Basin in Central Turkey
Authors: Arslan Sebnem , Yazicigil Hasan
Published: December 2012

Kazan Trona ore field, the second discovered deposit in Central Turkey, is planned to be extracted by solution mining technology. Understanding the hydrogeology of the springs in such an area is vital since they can be affected during mining operations. The aim of this study is to provide an isotopic approach by utilizing environmental isotope techniques to the springs in the study area, thereby, to enhance the understanding of their occurrence by complementing the previous geochemical studies. Here, the isotopic signatures and the recharge elevations of the springs are demonstrated together with their field parameters. The relationship between δD and δ18O suggest strong evaporation in some of the samples after recharge. For those springs, the unmodified signatures were determined and the recharge elevations were calculated to be between 1100 and 1248 m. These elevations correspond to Incirlik and Asmalidere Members and upper Neogene units. The relationship between Tritium and Electrical Conductivity suggested that SP-6, SP-3 and SP-4 have shallow circulation when compared to SP-7 having both the lowest tritium and highest EC value. This finding is in accordance with the geochemical data, which suggests SP-7 emerges from the deeper, older groundwater present above the trona deposit.
Distinct Ruby Suite at Sardapur, Orissa: A Spectroscopic Investigation
Authors: Majumdar Alik Sundar , Mathew George
Published: December 2012

Orissa is an important area for gem variety of corundum deposits in India. Spectroscopic studies, such as ESR, OAS on samples from Sardapur, Orissa, were carried out to ascertain the colour cause of corundum. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic study was carried out on the samples to detect the presence of paramagnetic ions i.e. Fe2+, Fe3+, Ti4+, Cr3+ and V3+ etc. The variable temperature experiment carried out to observe the effect of heating on peak valence state change in paramagnetic ions. Samples were cut and polished to obtain the optical absorption spectrum (OAS) to detect the colour causing transition ions/defect centres. The samples of gem variety were step heated up to 300°C for colour enhancement studies. EPMA analysis has revealed the low chromium concentration in the rubies. The varying hues of red in the corundum are due to the presence of bivalent and trivalent iron and charge transfer process along with Cr3+ absorption in the 550 nm region.
Kinematic and Dynamic Analysis of North-Tehran Tectonic Wedge Formed in South Central Alborz, Iran
Authors: Rajabi Sareh , Eliassi Mohsen
Published: December 2012

To answer the question “Whether the North-Tehran tectonic wedge is a dynamic tectonic wedge or not?” we applied paleostress techniques to investigate fault slip data. The mean reduced stress tensor is defined for all stabilized stress regions. Unscaled Mohr’s circles drawn for fault slip data were used to obtain the relative slip tendency of clusters on diagrams. It showed that the slip tendency in the vicinity of fault junction is much lower than expected. The mean σ1 defined for a combination of fault slip data trends N14°E nearly parallel with the overall pressure in Iranian crust at the latitude of Central Alborz. This trend suggests the least effect of boundary faults and the wedge between them on stress orientations inside the wedge. Finally, the stress trajectory map was prepared showing the configuration and relative intensity of σ1. The map did not illustrate any convergence in σ1 trajectories and the consequent concentration of stress and seismic potential in fault junction. That is a direct evidence for disagreeing the dynamicity of this tectonic wedge.
Centralizers of rank-one homeomorphisms
Authors: HILL AARON
Published: December 2012

We give a definition for a rank-one homeomorphism of a zero-dimensional Polish space X. We show that if a rank-one homeomorphism of X satisfies a certain non-degeneracy condition, then it has trivial centralizer in the group of all homeomorphisms of X, i.e. it commutes only with its integral powers.
Opposition Coalitions and Democratization by Election
Authors: Wahman Michael
Published: December 2012

This article critically assesses the argument that oppositional coordination creates democratization by elections. It argues that the previously acknowledged democratizing effect of pre-electoral coalitions is better described as an alternation effect, by which coordinated oppositional parties are more likely to win elections. The positive effect of oppositional coalitions is, however, short lived and intimately connected with cases where the election is won by the opposition. Evidence of potential endogeneity is presented, which shows that coalitions are more likely when there is a realistic chance of oppositional victories. These results were derived by utilizing an original dataset of 251 authoritarian elections in 86 countries from 1973 to 2004.
Class Compromise as Middle Power Activism? Comparing Brazil and South Africa
Authors: van der Westhuizen Janis
Published: December 2012

One of the most glaring differences between traditional and emerging middle powers relates to their projection of societal values abroad. Since most emerging powers are essentially fragmented multiclass states, class compromise often emerges to intermediate contradictory demands emanating from fragile political coalitions. Against the backdrop of vast income inequalities, and facing some domestic constituencies favouring liberalization on the one hand against pro-redistributive groups on the other, adopting a middle power role, in the cases of South Africa and Brazil, emerges in order to ameliorate these conflicting demands. Two dimensions are examined very briefly, namely recent mediation efforts in Iran and Libya and attempts to effect redistribution by reforming processes of global governance.
National Fiscal Profligacy and European Institutional Adolescence: The Greek Trigger to Europe's Sovereign Debt Crisis
Authors: Zahariadis Nikolaos
Published: December 2012

This article sheds light on the Greek trigger of the eurozone's fiscal crisis. Using Ostrom's institutional theory of collective action it argues that Europe's predicament is rooted in the failings of political leadership and institutional design at both the European Union and Greek levels. The findings have implications for Ostrom's framework, Europeanization and the future of European integration.
Higher level of faecal SCFA in women correlates with metabolic syndrome risk factors
Authors: Teixeira Tatiana F. S. , Grześkowiak Łukasz , Franceschini Sylvia C. C. , Bressan Josefina , Ferreira Célia L. L. F. , Peluzio Maria C. G.
Published: December 2012

SCFA provide energy to the host and influence lipid and glucose metabolism, suggesting that they may have an impact on the occurrence of metabolic risk factors. The aim of the present study was to determine the concentration of SCFA in faeces of lean and obese individuals and to analyse whether associations between faecal SCFA and metabolic syndrome parameters are present. Lean (n20) and obese (n20) women of similar age (28·5 (sd7·6)v.30·7 (sd6·5) years,P= 0·33) participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, blood pressure and biochemical parameters were assessed. SCFA were extracted from faeces and quantified by GC. Blood pressure and blood glucose, although within the normal limits, were higher in the obese group compared to lean subjects (P< 0·05). Lower HDL concentration and higher insulin and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index were observed in the obese than in the lean group (P< 0·05). The median values of SCFA (% w/w) from the lean and obese groups were butyric (0·021v.0·044,P= 0·024), propionic (0·021v.0·051,P= 0·007) and acetic (0·03v.0·061,P= 0·01). SCFA correlated positively with metabolic syndrome risk factors such as adiposity, waist circumference and HOMA index (P< 0·05), and inversely with HDL (P< 0·05). Our results suggest that the higher faecal concentration of SCFA is associated with metabolic risk factors and thus may influence metabolic homeostasis.
Understanding Democratic Survival and Democratic Failure in Africa: Insights from Divergent Democratic Experiments in Benin and Congo (Brazzaville)
Authors: Magnusson Bruce A. , Clark John F.
Published: December 2012

How do we explain adequately the relative success or failure of complex political phenomena such as democratization? In the battle between conceptual and explanatory parsimony, on the one hand, and rich, thick description on the other, social scientists often fall into traps that obscure more complete explanations for our cases from the portfolio of the possible. For example, we often unconsciously generalize from the cases we know best. In single case studies, we can fail to recognize the explanations that don't shine brightly or bark loudly. More generally, we acquire a habit of thinking that orders causality in particular ways for each of us, a result both of an empirical reliance on our own familiar cases, and the conceptual and theoretical conclusions we have generalized consciously or unconsciously from those cases. In this article, we are self-consciously engaged in two tasks: (1) comparing divergent outcomes of democratization in otherwise fairly similar cases—Benin and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville); and (2) proposing three possible primary causal hypotheses for the successful (Benin) and failed (Congo) outcomes.
Disquiet in the House of Gender
Authors: Hershatter Gail
Published: December 2012

When I was a child at the height of the Cold War, the press painted China in vivid primary colors—red menace, yellow peril, blue-clad masses. China was a back-burner story, however, compared to the Soviet threat, and my education through high school never touched upon it. A shift in public attention began with the 1971 China visit of the U.S. ping-pong team and Nixon's state visit in February 1972. Suddenly the mainstream U.S. press discovered beggar-free streets, healthy children, acupuncture anesthesia, and national optimism.
The Role of Anchoring Bias in the Equity Market: Evidence from Analysts’ Earnings Forecasts and Stock Returns
Authors: Cen Ling , Hilary Gilles , Wei K. C. John
Published: December 2012

We test the implications of anchoring bias associated with forecast earnings per share (FEPS) for forecast errors, earnings surprises, stock returns, and stock splits. We find that analysts make optimistic (pessimistic) forecasts when a firm’s FEPS is lower (higher) than the industry median. Further, firms with FEPS greater (lower) than the industry median experience abnormally high (low) future stock returns, particularly around subsequent earnings announcement dates. These firms are also more likely to engage in stock splits. Finally, split firms experience more positive forecast revisions, more negative forecast errors, and more negative earnings surprises after stock splits.
Delayed endovascular coil extrusion after embolisation for post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage: case report and literature review
Authors: Fassnacht W , Hammer F , Gardiner Q , Desuter G
Published: December 2012

Objective:

To report a rare case of delayed endovascular coil extrusion following embolisation of a lingual artery pseudoaneurysm.

Case report:

A 23-year-old woman presented with dysphagia and odynophagia 11 months after having experienced massive post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage. At that time, the bleeding had been stopped by embolisation of a lingual artery pseudoaneurysm and the external carotid artery. Clinical examination at admission showed extrusion of the embolisation coils in the lateral lower pharyngeal wall. The coils were removed under general anaesthesia in the presence of an interventional radiologist. The procedure and post-operative period were without complication and no bleeding was observed. The dysphagia and pain disappeared and the subsequent seven-month follow-up period was uneventful.

Conclusion:

Although selective embolisation is a safe and effective treatment for severe post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage, the possibility of delayed coil extrusion should be kept in mind.
‘Bringing Corporate Welfare In’ – and Pushing Further at the Boundaries of Social Policy: A Reply to Farnsworth (1)
Authors: RUANE SALLY
Published: December 2012

Kevin Farnsworth (this volume) exhorts us to recognise that corporations (by which he means any private company regardless of its ownership structure) are recipients of welfare provision in various forms: financial and in-kind, direct and indirect. He argues that a recognition of this by businesses, governments and the social policy community can foster greater complementarity in corporate and individual welfare measures and also potentially legitimise a greater tax contribution from these businesses towards public expenditure.
Experiences of neighbourhood exclusion and inclusion among older people living in deprived inner-city areas in Belgium and England
Authors: BUFFEL TINE , PHILLIPSON CHRIS , SCHARF THOMAS
Published: December 2012

This article explores conceptual and empirical aspects of the social exclusion/inclusion debate in later life, with a particular focus on issues of place and space in urban settings. Exploratory findings are reported from two empirical studies in Belgium and England, which sought to examine experiences of social exclusion and inclusion among people aged 60 and over living in deprived inner-city neighbourhoods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an ethnically diverse sample of 102 older people in Belgium and 124 in England. Thematic analysis of interview data identifies four issues in relation to the neighbourhood dimension of social exclusion/inclusion in later life: experiences of community change; feelings of security and safety; the management of urban space; and strategies of control. The results suggest that neighbourhoods have a significant influence on shaping the experience of exclusion and inclusion in later life, with a number of similarities identified across the different study areas. The article concludes by discussing conceptual and policy issues raised by the research.
Intergenerational solidarity and old-age support for the social inclusion of elders in Mainland China: the changing roles of family and government
Authors: DU PENG
Published: December 2012

China's population has been ageing rapidly since the 1980s, with 178 million older persons (60 years or over) in 2010 and 450 million expected by 2050. The sheer size of the ageing population means that there is an urgent need to tackle ageing issues and improve social policies in order to achieve intergenerational solidarity, sustainable development and a harmonious society. This paper will summarise the issues and debates in the past decade on social exclusion and discuss the progress of policies and practices with respect to social inclusion. The focus of discussion will be on (a) ways to improve the social security system so as to achieve a better balance of formal and informal supports, (b) development of community services for meeting the needs of older people living alone or having special needs in daily living, and (c) new initiatives for balancing formal support and filial piety, taking into account the younger generation's expectation that in order to maintain the important role of filial piety in modern China, the ability to fulfil filial obligations must be supported by the development of formal support beyond the family. In addition, some emerging issues and challenges will also be discussed.
Variation in the lexicon: the ‘Cinderella’ of sociolinguistics?
Authors: Durkin Philip
Published: December 2012

All of the contributions in this special issue respond to a somewhat paradoxical situation: lexis (or vocabulary) is probably the area of linguistics that is most accessible and most salient for a non-specialist audience, but at the same time it presents some uniquely difficult challenges for systematic scholarly linguistic analysis. This is especially the case for approaches that focus on statistics or quantification of data, such as are typical of modern work in sociolinguistics. For this reason, it often seems that lexis is the Cinderella that is excluded from the ball, a topic that modern sociolinguists tend to steer clear of because of the methodological difficulties. This special issue will try to investigate the background to this problem, and suggest some possible solutions.
Agaypaper: why should sociolinguistics bother with semantics?
Authors: Robinson Justyna A.
Published: December 2012

The study of meaning and changes in meaning has enjoyed varying levels of popularity within linguistics. There have been periods during which the exploration of meaning was of prime importance. For instance, in the late 19th century scholars considered the exploration of the etymology of words to be crucial in their quest to find the ‘true’ meaning of lexemes (Geeraerts, 2010; Malkiel, 1993). There have also been periods where semantic analysis was considered redundant to linguistic investigation (Hockett, 1954: 152). In the past 20–30 years semantics has enjoyed a period of revival. This has been mainly led by the advances in cognitive linguistics (and to some extent, historical linguistics) as well by the innovations associated with the development of electronic corpora and computational methods for extracting and tracing changes in the behaviour of the lexicon (cf. Geeraerts, 2010: 168ff, 261ff). However, there are still areas of linguistics which hardly involve lexis in their theoretical and epistemological considerations. One such area is sociolinguistics.
Amplatzer occluder versus CardioSEAL/STARFlex occluder: a meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of transcatheter occlusion for patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defect
Authors: Li Yifei , Zhou Kaiyu , Hua Yimin , Wang Chuan , Xie Liang , Fang Jie , Rong Xin , Shen Jiantong
Published: December 2012

Objective

Percutaneous transcatheter occlusion has benefited thousands of patients suffering from patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defect. However, no general agreement has been reached on the superiority among occluders. Thus, a meta-analysis between the two most commonly adopted types of occluders was conducted.

Methods

The literature review has identified relevant studies up to May, 2011 in the databases of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and World Health Organization clinical trials registry centre. Meta-analysis was performed in a fixed/random effects model using Revman 5.1.1. Information on complications and outcomes was extracted.

Results

Analysis from included studies reports an outcome in favour of the Amplatzer. The Amplatzer has proven its superiority in efficacy with a significantly lower risk of early (95% confidence interval = 0.09–0.34) and long-term (95% confidence interval = 0.14–0.97) residual shunt rate for atrial septal defect occlusion, although no significant difference in performance has been reported for patent foramen ovale. In addition, the Amplatzer has also remarkably reduced the risk of embolisation by the device (95% confidence interval = 0.07–0.45) for atrial septal defect and new-set atrial fibrillation (95% confidence interval = 0.18–0.48) for patent foramen ovale. On evaluation of recurrent thrombotic events, it was found that the Amplatzer greatly lowered the rate of thrombus formation on the device (95% confidence interval = 0.02–0.21) for patent foramen ovale; however, no statistical difference was found on atrial septal defect evaluation. However, the result indicated no statistically significant difference between the two kinds of occluders in stroke and transient ischaemic attack of patent foramen ovale.

Conclusion

The meta-analysis has proven the Amplatzer to be the superior occluder, serving better prognosis with more fluent procedure and less complications.
Limbic and motor circuits involved in symmetry behavior in Tourette's syndrome
Authors: de Vries Froukje E. , van den Heuvel Odile A. , Cath Danielle C. , Groenewegen Henk J. , van Balkom Anton J. L. M. , Boellaard Ronald , Lammertsma Adriaan A. , Veltman Dick J.
Published: December 2012

Objective

The need for symmetry and ordering objects related to a “just right”-feeling is a common symptom in Tourette's syndrome (TS) and resembles symmetry behavior in obsessive-compulsive disorder, but its pathophysiology is unknown. We used a symptom provocation paradigm to investigate the neural correlates of symmetry behavior in TS and hypothesized the involvement of frontal-striatal and limbic brain areas.

Methods

Pictures of asymmetrically and symmetrically arranged objects were presented in randomized blocks (4 blocks of each condition) to 14 patients with TS and 10 matched healthy controls (HC). A H215O positron emission tomography scan was acquired during each stimulus block, resulting in 8 scans per subject. After each scan, state anxiety and symmetry behavior (the urge to rearrange objects) were measured using a visual analogue scale.

Results

During the asymmetry condition, TS patients showed increased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area, and inferior frontal cortex, whereas HC showed increased rCBF in the visual cortex, primary motor cortex, and dorsal prefrontal cortex. Symmetry ratings during provocation correlated positively with orbitofrontal activation in the TS group and sensorimotor activation in the HC group, and negatively with dorsal prefrontal activity in HC.

Conclusions

Results suggest that both motor and limbic circuits are involved in symmetry behavior in TS. Motor activity may relate to an urge to move or perform tics, and limbic activation may indicate that asymmetry stimuli are salient for TS patients. In contrast, symmetry provocation in HC resulted in activation of brain regions implicated in sensorimotor function and cognitive control.
What Makes An Important Case? An Agenda for Research
Authors: Morison John
Published: December 2012

This paper is drawn from a presentation, by John Morison, that was made to a plenary session of the 43rd BIALL Annual Study Conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland 2012. The presentation introduced the audience to a research study, recently funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, entitled “What Makes an ‘Important Case’? A Study of the Creation, Transmission and Validation of Legal Knowledge”, and being carried out with Professor Gordon Anthony. The presentation to BIALL also attempted to engage the audience of legal information specialists with the specifics of the project and enlist their help in understanding how an important aspect of legal practice actually works. This paper has the same objective, and, additionally, it reports on some of the initial findings of the research which aims to develop a comprehensive sociology of legal knowledge.
From Oxford to Williamsburg: Part 1 – The University of Oxford, Faculty of Law and Bodleian Law Library
Authors: Bird Ruth
Published: December 2012

The Bodleian Law Library has only existed as an entity in its own right for less than 50 years. Yet part of the collection dates back to the days before the founding of the Bodleian Library in 1602. The rise and fall in fortunes of the teaching of law at Oxford is closely tied to the establishment of the law library. A lesser known aspect of the history includes the ties between Oxford and the United States, especially its oldest law school, William and Mary Law School. In this paper, Ruth Bird offers a brief history of the University of Oxford and then looks at the history of law teaching, before moving on to the evolution of the Law Library itself, and some links with our cousins across the pond.
The Future of Legal Research
Authors: Bell John
Published: December 2012

This article is based on a presentation given by John Bell at the annual conference of The Society of Legal Scholars (SLS)1 held in Bristol in September 2012. His talk reflects the immediate challenges facing law schools, academic lawyers and the legal publishing industry in the light of the recent Finch Report2 and the subsequent response by the Government3 whereby it has adopted an open access policy to publicly funded research.
Ionospheric signatures of a plasma sheet rebound flow during a substorm onset
Authors: Juusola L. , Kubyshkina M. , Nakamura R. , Pitkänen T. , Amm O. , Kauristie K. , Partamies N. , Rème H. , Snekvik K. , Whiter D.
Published: December 2012

Magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetotail produces fast earthward flows in the plasma sheet. Tailward flows are often observed associated with the earthward flows. Both return flow vortices at the flanks of an earthward flow channel and rebound of the earthward flow from the intense dipolar magnetic field of the inner magnetosphere have been shown to explain tailward flows observed near Earth. We combine plasma sheet measurements from Cluster with conjugate ground‐based magnetic and auroral data to examine the development of earthward and tailward flow signatures during a substorm onset. We show for the first time observations of ionospheric signatures that appear to be associated with rebound flows. Because of the highly dynamic magnetotail configuration, special care is taken with the satellite footprint mapping. The ionospheric footprints produced by the event oriented AM02 model drift equatorward and poleward in response to tail magnetic field stretching and dipolarization, respectively. The footprint motion matches that of the ambient ionospheric structures, and the plasma flow measured by Cluster agrees with that inferred from the conjugate ionospheric observations, confirming the validity of the AM02 mapping. The ionospheric signatures of fast earthward flows during a substorm onset are shown to resemble the known signatures of quiet‐time flows, including equatorward propagating auroral streamers inside a channel of enhanced poleward equivalent current. However, the large‐scale dipolarization results in additional poleward expansion of the signatures, as has been predicted by simulations.
The Great Whirl: Observations of its seasonal development and interannual variability
Authors: Beal L. M. , Donohue K. A.
Published: December 2012

In situ measurements are used, together with sea surface height data, to study the development and variability of the Great Whirl (GW), a large quasi‐stationary anticyclone that appears off the coast of Somalia during the southwest monsoon season. We find that anticyclonic circulation indicative of the GW appears on average in April, almost two months before the onset of the southwest monsoon winds. This early initiation is coincident with the arrival of annual Rossby waves at the western boundary. With the onset of the monsoon winds in early June, the GW‐proper intensifies quickly, remaining at its peak throughout July, August, and September, and dissipating about one month after the winds have died. The GW is present for an average 166 ± 30 days per year and the position of its northern flank, close to 9°N, coincides with the latitude of zero wind stress curl. The intraseasonal variability of the GW is intense as a result of mutual advection with one to three flanking cyclones, which accompany the GW 70% of the time and tend to circulate clockwise around it. There is no consistent seasonal pattern for the development or dissipation of the GW, although movement to the southwest is common toward the end of the season. The GW of 1995 deepened from 200 m in June to over 1000 m in September, and strengthened from a swirl transport of 10 to 60 Sv. Cool waters in its core resulted from advection via the Somali Current and some local vertical mixing.
Geophysical constraints on the lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane
Authors: Grimm Robert E.
Published: December 2012

The Moon's Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) is distinguished by unique geochemistry and extended volcanic history. Previous thermal‐conduction models using enhanced radionuclide abundances in subcrustal potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus (KREEP) predicted the existence of a contemporary upper‐mantle melt zone as well as heat flow consistent with Apollo measurements. Here I show that such models also predict large gravity or topography anomalies that are not observed. If the topography is suppressed by a rigid lithosphere, it is possible to eliminate the gravity anomaly and still match heat flow by completely fractionating the excess radionuclides into a thin crust. This implies that upper‐mantle heat sources for mare volcanism were spatially discontinuous or transient and that radionuclides defining the PKT are not necessarily directly related to mare volcanic sources. However, the mantle temperature of a crustally fractionated PKT is insufficient to match the observed electrical conductivity: globally enhanced mantle heating or a thick megaregolith may be required. Alternatively, upper‐mantle enrichment in iron, hydrogen, or aluminum can provide the requisite conductivity. Iron is the most plausible: the derived lower limit to the upper‐mantle magnesium number 75–80% is consistent with seismic modeling. Regardless of the specific mechanism for electrical‐conductivity enhancement, the overall excellent match to simple thermal‐conduction models indicates that the lunar upper mantle is not convecting at present.
Towards a Structural Basis to the Physical Properties of Irradiated Polycrystalline Nuclear Graphite
Authors: Rand Brian
Published: December 2012

The need for mechanistic understanding of structure-property relationships for irradiated polycrystalline nuclear graphite is considered. Appropriate structural characteristics for polycrystalline graphite at all of the relevant dimensional scales are discussed and some aspects of the effects of irradiation damage on them are considered. It is suggested that the relationship between structural characteristics and physical properties be determined at each dimensional scale and used in multi-scale modelling of specific properties at the macro-scale at which they are actually measured.
A Review of Current Finite Element Models for Irradiation Creep and Failure of Nuclear Graphite
Authors: Tanner David W. J. , Becker Adib A. , Sun Wei , Hyde Tom H.
Published: December 2012

Finite element models currently used for predicting irradiation creep and failure of nuclear graphite are presented. The underlying material properties required for these analyses and the relevant property changes due to irradiation are reviewed, followed by a description of the generation of constitutive equations. Continuum damage mechanics-based approaches for predicting the cracking and failure of graphite components are assessed. The computational implementation of the different models is briefly discussed and some examples from published literature are highlighted. To conclude, areas are identified that shall be addressed in order to develop a unified multi-scale continuum damage material behaviour model for graphite as part of the ongoing EPSRC ‘Fundamentals of current and future uses of nuclear graphite’ project.
The Role of Data Visualisation in Core Inspection Decision Making
Authors: Watson Claire E. , Robinson Peter C. , Maul Philip R.
Published: December 2012

Decisions on which channels to inspect or trepan during a reactor outage require a balance to be struck between many competing requirements for data, as well as other considerations. An important part of making good decisions is having ready access to existing data. Visualising the data on a core map makes it easy to see channels with particular properties. The CHANSELA and PANDA software applications have been developed to support visualisation of the EDF Energy inspection database and PANTHER dosimetry data respectively. CHANSELA also aids the selection of channels by calculating a utility function that balances the various objectives for an inspection. Examples are given of how these pieces of software can assist in decision making by allowing a user to interrogate large amounts of data in an efficient manner.
A novel small-molecule screening strategy identifies mitoxantrone as a RhoGTPase inhibitor
Authors: Bidaud-Meynard Aurélien , Arma Daniela , Taouji Said , Laguerre Michel , Dessolin Jean , Rosenbaum Jean , Chevet Eric , Moreau Violaine
Published: December 2012

RhoGTPases are GDP/GTP molecular switches that control a wide variety of cellular processes, thereby contributing to many diseases, including cancer. As a consequence, there is great interest in the identification of small-molecule inhibitors of RhoGTPases. In the present paper, using the property of GTP-loaded RhoGTPases to bind to their effectors, we describe a miniaturized and robust assay to monitor Rac1 GTPase activation that is suitable for large-scale high-throughput screening. A pilot compound library screen revealed that the topoisomerase II poison MTX (mitoxantrone) is an inhibitor of Rac1, and also inhibits RhoA and Cdc42 in vitro. We show that MTX prevents GTP binding to RhoA/Rac1/Cdc42 in vitro. Furthermore, MTX strongly inhibits RhoGTPase-mediated F-actin (filamentous actin) reorganization and cell migration. Hence, we report a novel biochemical assay yielding the identification of RhoGTPase inhibitors and we present a proof-of-concept validation with the identification of MTX as a novel pan-RhoGTPase inhibitor.
Crystal structure and functional characterization of the human RBM25 PWI domain and its flanking basic region
Authors: Gong Deshun , Yang Fan , Li Fudong , Qian Dandan , Wu Minhao , Shao Zhenhua , Wu Mian , Wu Jihui , Shi Yunyu
Published: December 2012

Human RBM25 (RNA-binding motif protein 25) is a novel splicing factor that contains a PWI domain, a newly identified RNA/DNA-binding domain, and regulates Bcl-x pre-mRNA alternative splicing. The flanking basic region has been suggested to serve as a co-operative partner of the PWI domain in the binding of nucleic acids, but the structure of this basic region is unknown. In the present paper, we report the crystal structure of the RBM25 PWI domain and its flanking basic region. The PWI domain is revealed to comprise a conserved four-helix bundle, and the flanking basic region forms two α-helices and associates with helix H4 of the PWI domain. These interactions promote directly the formation of an enlarged nucleic-acid-binding platform. Structure-guided mutagenesis reveals a positively charged nucleic-acid-binding surface in the RBM25 PWI domain that is entirely different from that in the SRm160 PWI domain. Furthermore, we show that the promotion of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-xS isoform expression by RBM25 is facilitated by the PWI domain in vivo. Thus the present study suggests that the PWI domain plays an important role in the regulation of Bcl-x pre-mRNA alternative splicing.
Soviet and US groups seek hydrogen's metallic phase
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2012

A group of Russian experimenters has recently reported (ZhETF Pis. Red. 5, 286, 1972) that they may have produced metallic hydrogen at a pressure of 2.8 megabars; at the transition the density changed from 1.08 to 1.3 g/cm3. Last year a Livermore group reported on an apparently similar experiment in which they observed a pressure—volume point centered at 2 megabars and 1 cm3/g. Some people have predicted that metallic hydrogen might be metastable, and others that it would be a room-temperature superconductor.
Interstellar molecules
Authors: Solomon Philip M.
Published: December 2012

During the past three years, molecules have been discovered in interstellar clouds with an abundance and chemical complexity totally unexpected by astrophysicists. Twenty-three molecules in a total of 34 isotopic combinations have now been identified through radio spectral line observations at more than 75 wavelengths from 2 millimeters to 36 centimeters. An important new chapter in astronomy has begun, with potential already demonstrated for providing new information and insights into such basic problems as the cosmic abundance of isotopes, formation of stars, structure of the Galaxy and the Galactic nucleus, and the thermodynamics of the interstellar medium. Equally important, many completely new phenomena have revealed themselves as it becomes clear that the most massive objects in the Galaxy are molecular clouds (see figure 1), and the physics of these regions is only now being explored. In addition an entirely new field, interstellar chemistry, is developing now that we know that chemical evolution of matter into substances as complex as organic molecules has taken place throughout the Galaxy.
Silicon-monoxide masers show up in infrared stars
Authors: Lubkin Gloria B.
Published: December 2012

Radio telescopes, scanning the heavens at millimeter wavelengths, have detected maser emissions on several lines from vibrationally excited states of silicon monoxide. Until now, the only maser emissions from space have come from OH and H2O molecules, at centimeter wavelengths. The OH and H2O masers are located both in infrared stars and interstellar clouds, but the SiO masers have been seen only in the red giant variable stars. It is not surprising to find SiO in these regions, but it is puzzling to speculate about what processes in these stars might have sufficient energy to excite the vibrational states.
Helium-three magnetic behavior becomes more complicated
Authors: Rothenberg Marian S.
Published: December 2012

Evidence is mounting that the correct model of solid helium-three cannot be the simple one that long seemed adequate. The He3 nucleus, consisting of two protons and one neutron, is a fermion of spin 1/2. Because of the large probability of individual He3 atoms exchanging places, the solid acts as a kind of atomic magnet. Until only a few years ago theorists were able to treat solid He3 in terms of an extremely simple magnetic model—a Heisenberg Hamiltonian that included only interactions between nearest-neighbor atoms, neglecting higher-order interactions and coupling with phonons—and no experimental data contradicted them. In 1971, however, some studies of magnetic pressure versus temperature at high magnetic fields could not be fitted into the theory, and efforts were made to revise the theory by adding higher-order interactions. And now, two groups of experiments, one at Cornell University (William Halperin, Charles Archie, Finn Rasmussen, Robert Buhrman and Robert Richardson) and the other at the University of California, La Jolla (Jeffrey Dundon and John Goodkind) indicate that the magnetic behavior of solid He3 is much more complicated than the He3 theorists had presumed. The Cornell adiabatic-solidification studies suggest that the magnetic ordering transition in the solid occurs at about half the predicted temperature and that it is a much sharper transition than expected. The La Jolla group sees unexpected structure in the variation of heat capacity with temperature and also infers that the transition temperature Ts is below the predicted value.
National styles in graduate training
Authors: Ziman John M.
Published: December 2012

The American physicist visiting an academic physics laboratory in Europe will find himself very much at home. The young men and women use the types of research equipment with which he is familiar, and talk about the same fashionable scientific problems. The questions asked in seminars and conferences are equally searching, the topics of lecture courses have the same titles, the standards of published research are entirely comparable. A young physicist from another European country who applies to do advanced research in Bristol may be assumed to have the same level of understanding and research experience as his British or American counterparts. One may even expect a working knowledge of the lingua franca of modern science—Broken English.
Industry's role—present and future
Authors: Evans Joseph , Forster William H. , Penney Lord
Published: December 2012

In European industry, just as in the US, physicists are of course ubiquitous, with activities that are fairly representative of all scientists. But a number of questions can be posed about the European industrial physicist, and we hope to provide some of the answers here. Although many of these answers will be true of Western Europe generally, we shall often refer to the UK, where we know the situation best. Some of the questions we wish to examine are: How many industrial physicists are there? What do they do, and how are they doing it? Under what type of organization, and with what funds, do the industrial laboratories in which they work operate? What is their role in the great contemporary issues, energy and the environment? And finally, what is the future of physicists in industry?
Mutual interactions between objects oscillating in isotopically pure superfluid 4He in the T → 0 limit
Authors: Garg D. , Efimov V. B. , Giltrow M. , McClintock P. V. E. , Skrbek L.
Published: December 2012

We report the results of experiments to explore interactions between physically separated oscillating objects in isotopically pure superfluid 4He at T ∼ 10 mK. The investigations focused mainly on 32 kHz quartz tuning forks, but also consider a nearby 1 kHz oscillating grid. The low-drive linewidth (LDL) and resonant frequency fd of a detector fork were monitored while the maximum velocity of a transmitter fork, separated from the detector by a few mm, was varied over a wide range. Clear evidence was found for mutual interactions between the two forks, and for the influence of the grid on the forks. Monitoring the detector's LDL and fd provides evidence for a generator critical velocity in the range 0.3<υc1<1.0 cm/s for onset of the detector responses, in addition to a second critical velocity υc2∼13 cm/s probably corresponding to the production of quantum turbulence at the generator. The results are discussed, but are not yet fully understood.
ESR studies of nitrogen atoms stabilized in aggregates of krypton–nitrogen nanoclusters immersed in superfluid helium
Authors: Mao S. , Boltnev R. E. , Khmelenko V. V. , Lee D. M.
Published: December 2012

Impurity–helium condensates (IHCs) containing nitrogen and krypton atoms immersed in superfluid 4He have been studied via CW electron spin resonance (ESR). The IHCs are gel-like aggregates of nanoclusters composed of impurity species. It was found that the addition of krypton atoms to the nitrogen–helium gas mixture used for preparation of IHCs increases the efficiency of stabilization of nitrogen atoms. We have achieved high average (5 · 1019 cm−3) and local (2 · 1021 cm−3) concentrations of nitrogen atoms in krypton–nitrogen–helium condensates. The analysis of ESR lines shows that in krypton-nitrogen nanoclusters three different sites exist for stabilization of nitrogen atoms. Nitrogen atoms are stabilized in the krypton core of nanoclusters, in the nitrogen molecular layer that covers the Kr core, and on the surface of the nanoclusters. High concentrations of nitrogen atoms achieved in IHCs provide an important step in the search for magnetic ordering effects at low temperatures.
The surface instability of liquid hydrogen and helium
Authors: Abdurahimov L. V. , Levchenko A. A. , Mezhov-Deglin L. P. , Khalatnikov I. M.
Published: December 2012

The results of studies on instability of the charged and neutral surfaces of liquid hydrogen and helium are discussed. The charged surface of a fluid loses stability in an electric field, when its intensity reaches a critical value, and the neutral surface becomes unstable when the flow rate of the fluid under the surface reaches a certain critical value. In both cases, the surface is affected by an additional pressure which is responsible for developing the instability.
Influence of electron-phonon interaction on the thermoelectric properties of a serially coupled double quantum dot system
Authors: Bagheri Tagani M. , Rahimpour Soleimani H.
Published: December 2012

The effect of electron-phonon interaction (EPI) on the thermoelectric properties of a double quantum dot system weakly coupled to external electrodes is analyzed using master equation formalism. The influence of the EPI, temperature, interdot tunneling strength, and Coulomb repulsions on the electrical and thermal conductances, thermopower, and figure of merit is studied in detail. The electrical conductance is reduced in the presence of the EPI, while the thermal conductance is increased. Furthermore, it is observed that the magnitude of the electrical and thermal conductances can be tuned by using the interdot tunneling strength. It is also found that although the magnitude of the figure of merit is reduced in the presence of the EPI, the number of peaks is enhanced.
Study of magnetodielectric effect in hexagonal Ho1−xDyxMnO3
Authors: Magesh J. , Murugavel P. , Mangalam R. V. K. , Singh K. , Simon Ch. , Prellier W.
Published: December 2012

The magnetodielectric studies on hexagonal Ho1−xDyxMnO3 reveal an overall enhancement of magnetoelectric coupling upon Dy3+ substitution. However, the magnitude of the enhancement is varied with doping level x. Magnetodielectric response is larger for x = 0.1 and it started decreasing with further increase in x. We suggest that the specific site (C3V site) substitution of higher ionic radii Dy3+ in the structure could play a key role in defining magnetoelectric coupling strength through structural distortion. The evolution of c/a ratio which is a measure of distortion in the hexagonal lattice agrees well with the observed percentage change in the dielectric constant which in turn substantiates the role of lattice distortion on the enhancement in magnetodielectric effect.
Embedded argon as a tool for sampling local structure in thin plasma deposited aluminum oxide films
Authors: Prenzel Marina , de los Arcos Teresa , Kortmann Annika , Winter Jörg , von Keudell Achim
Published: December 2012

Al2O3 thin films, either amorphous or of varying degrees of crystallinity, were deposited by two-frequency radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. Film crystallinity was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to determine the amount of Ar naturally trapped within the films during the deposition process. A clear correlation was found between the existence of crystalline phases, as determined by XRD, and a shift towards lower binding energy positions of the Ar2p core levels of embedded gas. The shift is due to differences in the local Al2O3 matrix (amorphous or crystalline) of the embedded gas, thus, providing an XPS fingerprint that can be used to qualitatively determine the presence or absence of crystalline phases in very thin films.
Temperature-dependent photoluminescence of ZnO films codoped with tellurium and nitrogen
Authors: Tang Kun , Gu Shulin , Ye Jiandong , Huang Shimin , Gu Ran , Zhang Rong , Zheng Youdou
Published: December 2012

The photoluminescence spectra as well as their temperature dependence of the tellurium and nitrogen (Te-N) codoped ZnO films have been investigated in detail. Explicit evidences of the emissions related to two acceptors [A1: the NO-Zn-Te subunits and A2: the conventional N ions substituting on oxygen sites (NO)] have been found. The acceptor activation energy level of the A1 (∼118–124 meV) is much shallower than that of the A2 (∼224–225 meV) indicating that the A1 should be mainly responsible for the room-temperature p-type nature of the codoped samples. Meanwhile, the acceptor activation energy level of A1 shows a slight decrease (∼6 meV) as the Te atomic concentration increases in the codoped samples implying that the actual form of the A1 may be a mixture of the NO-Zn-nTe (n = 1, 2, 3, 4). More incorporation of the Te ions into N-doped ZnO films not only makes the acceptor energy level shallower but also improves the crystalline quality and results in the efficiently suppressed native donorlike defects. The optical properties accord well with the crystalline and electrical ones indicating that the Te-N codoping technique is a potentially feasible route to get controllable p-type ZnO materials.