bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Altered patterns of norovirus GII.b recombinant forms in gastroenteritis outbreaks in victoria, Australia, 2002–2005 compared to 2006–2011
Authors: Bruggink L.D. , Marshall J.A.
Published: June 2013

GII.b norovirus is an obligatory recombinant with an open reading frame (ORF) 1 comprising the GII.b genotype and the ORF 2 region corresponding to one of a number of other norovirus genotypes. GII.b is the second most common genotype after GII.4 associated with gastroenteritis outbreaks in Victoria, Australia. The study involved norovirus testing of 14,186 specimens from 2,743 Victorian gastroenteritis outbreaks in the period 2002–2011. The noroviruses identified were further characterized by nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. In the period 2002–2005, 21 GII.b norovirus outbreaks were identified, with the GII.b ORF 2 recombinant genotypes comprising GII.1 (47.6%), GII.3 (47.6%), and GII.13 (4.8%). For the period 2006–2011, 56 GII.b norovirus outbreaks were identified. In 51 of these, the ORF 2 genotype was identified, and comprised GII.1 (2.0%), GII.3 (94.1%), GII.13 (2.0%), and GII.21 (2.0%). GII.b norovirus outbreaks could occur in a range of settings involving individuals with a broad range of ages. However, GII.b/GII.3 norovirus tended to occur in a younger demographic and all outbreaks involving specifically children's settings had the GII.b/GII.3 genotype. Nucleotide sequencing studies demonstrated major changes in both the ORF 1 and ORF 2 regions of the GII.b/GII.3 noroviruses but not in the GII.b/GII.1 and GII.b/GII.13 noroviruses when the noroviruses for the two time periods 2002–2005 and 2006–2011 were compared. The findings suggest nucleotide changes in the pre‐existing GII.b/GII.3 noroviruses resulted in a more virulent form. J. Med. Virol. 85:1433–1443, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dynamic of soil exposure intensity and its effect on thermal environment change
Authors: Xu Hanqiu
Published: June 2013

Large area exposure of bare soils caused by soil erosion has serious impacts on the regional ecological environment, such as the rise of land surface temperature (LST). As a typical reddish soil erosion region in southern China, the hilly area in County Changting has been called flame hilly area because of extensively exposed reddish soils and hot weather in the area. This study utilizes remote sensing technology to investigate dynamic of soil exposure intensity (SEI) and accompanied soil heat flux and LST changes during the period from 1988 to 2010 in the county. Results show that owing to the 22‐year treatment of soil erosion, the SEI in the main soil loss areas of the county has declined by 20.26%, high SEI area has reduced by 81.95%, and soil heat flux has decreased by 33.28%. All of these have contributed to the decrease in LST differences between exposed and vegetated areas by 20.8% during the study period. This indicates an improvement of the thermal environment in the flame hill area once severely exposed. Detailed quantitative relationship analysis can find that (1) SEI is positively linearly correlated with soil heat flux and LST and (2) each decrease in SEI by 0.1 unit in the future would reduce LST difference by 0.88 °C (or 1.01 °C when accompanied by an equal increment in fractional vegetation cover).
Projected changes in wind speed over the Republic of Korea under A1B climate change scenario
Authors: Kim Jin‐Young , Kim Do‐Yong , Oh Jai‐Ho
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACT

In this study, an attempt was made to investigate a future wind‐speed change over the Republic of Korea using a mesoscale weather research and forecasting (WRF) model. We presented dynamically downscaled wind fields and the physical processes that derived the surface wind changes. A double‐nested WRF model within the global‐scale scenario from the fifth generation of the ECHAM general‐circulation model (ECHAM5) was integrated for the present‐day (the late 20th century, 1990–1999) and future (the mid‐21st century, 2045–2054) wind climate. The ensemble mean of the simulated results for the sensitivity of planetary boundary‐layer physics provided a relative advantage in determining synoptic and surface fields. A reasonable and realistic wind climatology, influenced by the asymmetric heating of land and sea, was identified over the East Asian monsoon region. The observed spatial and temporal distributions of temperature and wind speed were also reproduced well by the mesoscale simulations. Projected wind‐speed changes at 80 m above ground level varied from –9.53 to 29.80% depending on the location and season. [Correction added 3 March 2014 after original online publication: in the preceding sentence ‘9.53’ has been corrected to ‘–9.53’.] The strong wind speed in the cold season decreased (–5.45%), whereas the weak wind speed in the warm season increased (4.54%). A possible cause of the weakened and strengthened winds in cold and warm seasons, respectively, is shown to be the effects in the lower‐tropospheric pressure‐gradient force accompanied by pronounced warming.
Pharmacophore Alignment Search Tool (PhAST): Significance Assessment of Chemical Similarity
Authors: Hähnke Volker , Rupp Matthias , Hartmann Alexander K. , Schneider Gisbert
Published: June 2013

Previously, we proposed a ligand‐based virtual screening technique (PhAST) based on global alignment of linearized interaction patterns. Here, we applied techniques developed for similarity assessment in local sequence alignments to our method resulting in p‐values for chemical similarity. We compared two sampling strategies, a simple sampling strategy and a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, and investigated the similarity of sampled distributions to Gaussian, Gumbel, modified Gumbel, and Gamma distributions. The Gumbel distribution with a Gaussian correction term was identified as the most similar to the observed empirical distributions. These techniques were applied in retrospective screenings on a drug‐like dataset. Obtained p‐values were adjusted to the size of the screening library with four different methods. Evaluation of E‐value thresholds corroborated the Bonferroni correction as a preferred means to identify significant chemical similarity with PhAST. An online version of PhAST with significance estimation is available at http://modlab‐cadd.ethz.ch/.
A nonconforming quadrilateral element with maximal inf‐sup constant
Authors: Jeon Youngmok , Nam Hyun , Sheen Dongwoo
Published: June 2013

A new nonconforming element is introduced for quadrilateral meshes. The element is designed to maximize the inf‐sup constant for a Stokes element pair. Numerical results are presented and we observe that the maximizing inf‐sup constant results in efficiency of computing time. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 12‐132, 2014
Speech recognition and frequency of hearing loss in patients treated for cancer in childhood
Authors: Liberman Patrícia Helena Pecora , Schultz Christiane , Goffi‐Gomez Maria Valéria Schmidt , Lopes Luiz Fernando
Published: June 2013

Background

The aim of this study was to characterize the audiological profile accompanying oncological treatment in patients who had cancer in childhood and had been free of oncological treatment for at least 8 years. Our main interest lay in identifying the affected frequencies that interfered with speech intelligibility (SI) in those who had acquired hearing loss after treatment.

Procedure

Two hundred patients who had cancer in childhood were evaluated. Diagnosis was made at the mean age of 6 years old, and hearing evaluation was performed at a mean age of 21 years. Fifty‐one of these patients received chemotherapy without cisplatin, carboplatin or head and neck radiotherapy; 64 received cisplatin without head and neck radiotherapy; 75 received head and neck radiotherapy without cisplatin; and 10 received both head and neck radiotherapy and cisplatin chemotherapy. All patients underwent pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry.

Results

Patients who had hearing loss primarily had bilateral symmetric sensorineural hearing loss. Although the average SI for ears with hearing loss in the frequency range from 4 to 8 kHz was normal, the Kruskall–Wallis test showed a significant difference between ears without hearing loss and those with hearing loss between 4 and 8 kHz. The average SI score in ears with hearing loss between 1 and 8 kHz was significantly different from all other ears.

Conclusions

Hearing loss involving frequencies at and above 4 kHz determines a decline in SI. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:1709–1713. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Highly porous starch/poly(ethylene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) composite nanofiber mesh
Authors: Oktay Burcu , Baştürk Emre , Kayaman‐Apohan Nilhan , Kahraman Memet Vezir
Published: June 2013

In this study, starch‐based hybrid electrospun nanofiber meshes were fabricated by electrospinning. Spinning solutions were prepared by mixing starch and certain amounts of poly(ethylene‐alt‐maleic anhydride). Starch‐based nanofiber meshes became insoluble in water with thermal‐induced esterification of hydroxyl groups onto starch backbone. Morphologic and structure analysis of the electrospun nanofiber meshes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. Thermal properties of nanofiber meshes were characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Thermal stability of nanofiber meshes were increased with formation of intermolecular bonds between starch and poly(ethylene‐alt‐maleic anhydride). POLYM. COMPOS. 34:1321–1324, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Curing behavior and rheology properties of alkyl‐imidazolium‐treated rectorite/epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Li Wei , Hou Linxi , Zhou Qi , Yan Liu , Loo Leslie S.
Published: June 2013

A novel organic rectorite (OREC) was prepared by treating the natural sodium rectorite (Na‐REC) with ionic liquid 1‐hexadecyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide ([C16mim]Br). The curing behaviors of nanocomposites were quantitatively studied according to the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheology methods. It was shown by DSC that the activation energies of epoxy system decreased when OREC with reactive imidazole groups were incorporated. The viscosity and viscous flow activation energy were obtained by rheology during the curing reaction. The curing kinetics of the nanocomposites was also deduced from dynamic viscosity analysis and isotherm viscosity analysis. Better dispersion states of the filler can decrease the curing reaction activation energy. The best processing conditions of the nanocomposites were found. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 53:2470–2477, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
A literature review of the social and psychological needs of ovarian cancer survivors
Authors: Roland Katherine B. , Rodriguez Juan L. , Patterson Jennifer Rees , Trivers Katrina F.
Published: June 2013

Objective

To identify and comprehensively present the psychosocial needs of ovarian cancer (OvCa) survivors, including young survivors <45 years of age.

Methods

A literature review was conducted using keywords specific to psychosocial health and OvCa survivorship to identify peer‐reviewed, original research articles published in English between January 2000 and December 2010; 28 articles were identified as relevant. Articles were abstracted and results categorized according to six psychosocial domains: quality of life (QoL), social support and relationships, self‐image and sexual functioning, psychological distress and functioning, fear of death/recurrence, and personal growth and coping. Findings unique to young survivors are presented when applicable. Psychosocial measurement tools used in relevant studies are also presented.

Results

Physical complications and side effec ts have significant impact on OvCa survivors' psychosocial health. Access to social support services and relational support is critical, as feelings of isolation are common. Survivors report low levels of sexual activity and satisfaction, potentially causing strain on personal relationships, and survivors experience high levels of distress, depression, and anxiety. However, QoL can improve after diagnosis for some OvCa survivors, many of whom report spiritual growth and strengthened personal relationships. Younger survivors are likely to have greater distress and lower QoL compared with older survivors.

Conclusions

OvCa is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers, greatly impacting the psychosocial health of survivors. Increased awareness of psychosocial health among OvCa survivors themselves, their social support system, and their health care providers is necessary to adequately address their unique needs. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Advances in Thermokarst Research
Authors: Kokelj S. V. , Jorgenson M. T.
Published: June 2013

The term thermokarst describes the processes and landforms that involve collapse of the land surface as a result of the melting of ground ice. We review the literature that has contributed to our understanding of patterns, processes and feedbacks, and the environmental consequences of thermokarst, focusing on hillslope, thaw lake and wetland processes. Advances in remote sensing techniques, and their application in a broad suite of change detection studies, indicate recent increases in the rates and magnitude of thermokarst including retrogressive thaw slumping, lake expansion and the transformation of frozen peatlands to collapsed wetlands. Field‐based studies and modelling have enhanced the knowledge of processes and feedbacks associated with warming permafrost, changes in talik geometry and accelerated thaw slump activity, and thaw lake expansion. Hydrological processes can strongly influence the rates of thaw lake and gully development, and the degradation of frozen peatlands. Field studies and calibrated modelling efforts that investigate the drivers of thermokarst and test conceptual ideas of landscape evolution will be critical to further advance the prediction of landscape and ecosystem change. Thermokarst research provides an important context for studying the environmental implications of permafrost degradation. Hillslope thermokarst can alter the water quality of lakes and streams with implications for aquatic ecosystems. Investigation of the interactions between thermokarst and hydrologic and ecological processes has improved knowledge of the feedbacks that accelerate change or lead to stabilisation in terrestrial and thaw lake environments. Finally, the influence of permafrost thaw on soil carbon dynamics will be an important focus of thermokarst research because of feedbacks with the global climate system. Copyright © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2013.
Enzalutamide, an androgen receptor signaling inhibitor, induces tumor regression in a mouse model of castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Guerrero Javier , Alfaro Iván E. , Gómez Francisco , Protter Andrew A. , Bernales Sebastián
Published: June 2013

BACKGROUND

Enzalutamide (formerly MDV3100 and available commercially as Xtandi®), a novel androgen receptor (AR) signaling inhibitor, blocks the growth of castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in cellular model systems and was shown in a clinical study to increase survival in patients with metastatic CRPC. Enzalutamide inhibits multiple steps of AR signaling: binding of androgens to AR, AR nuclear translocation, and association of AR with DNA. Here, we investigate the effects of enzalutamide on AR signaling, AR‐dependent gene expression and cell apoptosis.

METHODS

The expression of AR target gene prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) was measured in LnCaP and C4‐2 cells. AR nuclear translocation was assessed in HEK‐293 cells stably transfected with AR‐yellow fluorescent protein. The in vivo effects of enzalutamide were determined in a mouse xenograft model of CRPC. Differential gene expression in LNCaP cells was measured using Affymetrix human genome microarray technology.

RESULTS

We found that unlike bicalutamide, enzalutamide lacked AR agonistic activity at effective doses and did not induce PSA expression or AR nuclear translocation. Additionally, it is more effective than bicalutamide at inhibiting agonist‐induced AR nuclear translocation. Enzalutamide induced the regression of tumor volume in a CRPC xenograft model and apoptosis in AR‐over‐expressing prostate cancer cells. Finally, gene expression profiling in LNCaP cells indicated that enzalutamide opposes agonist‐induced changes in genes involved in processes such as cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that enzalutamide efficiently inhibits AR signaling, and we suggest that its lack of AR agonist activity may be important for these effects. Prostate 73:1291–1305, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Product Acceptance Determination for Processes with Multiple Independent Lines
Authors: Pearn W. L. , Wu C. H. , Chuang C. C.
Published: June 2013

Product acceptance determination is the problem of determining whether the manufactured product should be accepted or rejected based on the inspected sample data, under the designated risks given by the producer and the customer. The problem has received substantial research attention; the most have focused on processes with one single manufacturing line for one or multiple characteristics. In this paper, we consider the product acceptance determination problem, particularly, for processes with multiple independent manufacturing lines. Based on the designated risk, we obtain the sample size required for inspection and critical acceptance value. The results are tabulated and analyzed which is practical and useful to the engineers for their in‐plant applications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Informative censoring in relative survival
Authors: Rebolj Kodre Anamarija , Pohar Perme Maja
Published: June 2013

With changing the age distribution at the time of cancer diagnosis, the administrative censoring due to study end may be informative. This problem has been mentioned frequently in the relative survival field, and an estimator aiming to correct this problem has been developed. In this paper, we review the existing methods for estimation in relative survival, demonstrate their deficiencies, and propose weighting to correct both the recently introduced net survival estimator and the Ederer I estimator. Using simulations and real cancer registry data, we evaluate the magnitude of the informative censoring problem. We clarify the assumptions behind the reviewed methods and provide guidance to their usage in practice. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is Space Weather Different Over Africa, and If So, Why? An AGU Chapman Conference Report
Authors: Yizengaw Endawoke , Doherty Patricia , Fuller‐Rowell Tim
Published: June 2013

Key Points

Chapman Conference Meeting Report
Toward diagnostic model calibration and evaluation: Approximate Bayesian computation
Authors: Vrugt Jasper A. , Sadegh Mojtaba
Published: June 2013

The ever increasing pace of computational power, along with continued advances in measurement technologies and improvements in process understanding has stimulated the development of increasingly complex hydrologic models that simulate soil moisture flow, groundwater recharge, surface runoff, root water uptake, and river discharge at different spatial and temporal scales. Reconciling these high‐order system models with perpetually larger volumes of field data is becoming more and more difficult, particularly because classical likelihood‐based fitting methods lack the power to detect and pinpoint deficiencies in the model structure. Gupta et al. (2008) has recently proposed steps (amongst others) toward the development of a more robust and powerful method of model evaluation. Their diagnostic approach uses signature behaviors and patterns observed in the input‐output data to illuminate to what degree a representation of the real world has been adequately achieved and how the model should be improved for the purpose of learning and scientific discovery. In this paper, we introduce approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) as a vehicle for diagnostic model evaluation. This statistical methodology relaxes the need for an explicit likelihood function in favor of one or multiple different summary statistics rooted in hydrologic theory that together have a clearer and more compelling diagnostic power than some average measure of the size of the error residuals. Two illustrative case studies are used to demonstrate that ABC is relatively easy to implement, and readily employs signature based indices to analyze and pinpoint which part of the model is malfunctioning and in need of further improvement.
Charge Density of Intra‐ and Intermolecular Halogen Contacts
Authors: Wang Ruimin , Dols Thomas S. , Lehmann Christian W. , Englert Ulli
Published: June 2013

Remarkably short contacts involving halogen atoms, although well documented decades ago, have recently found increasing interest as potentially relevant in the context of crystal engineering. X‐ray diffraction data of sufficient quality and resolution allow to experimentally determine the charge density in crystals featuring such contacts and hence to associate this observable quantity with effects of molecular packing. Results from charge density studies covering interhalogen contacts over a distance range significantly shorter and considerably longer than mere van‐der‐Waals contacts are reported, and their relevance for the crystal chemistry of the compounds under investigation is discussed. A first trend for intra‐ and intermolecular Cl···Cl interactions indicates that the shortest among these contacts, with a distance of ca. 3.2 Å, can compete with weak hydrogen bonds.
SPIN90 dephosphorylation is required for cofilin-mediated actin depolymerization in NMDA-stimulated hippocampal neurons
Authors: Cho In Ha , Lee Min Jung , Kim Dae Hwan , Kim Bora , Bae Jeomil , Choi Kyu Yeong , Kim Seon-Myung , Huh Yun Hyun , Lee Kun Ho , Kim Chong-Hyun , Song Woo Keun
Published: June 2013

Actin plays a fundamental role in the regulation of spine morphology (both shrinkage and enlargement) upon synaptic activation. In particular, actin depolymerization is crucial for the spine shrinkage in NMDAR-mediated synaptic depression. Here, we define the role of SPIN90 phosphorylation/dephosphorylation in regulating actin depolymerization via modulation of cofilin activity. When neurons were treated with NMDA, SPIN90 was dephosphorylated by STEP61 (striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase) and translocated from the spines to the dendritic shafts. In addition, phosphorylated SPIN90 bound cofilin and then inhibited cofilin activity, suggesting that SPIN90 dephosphorylation is a prerequisite step for releasing cofilin so that cofilin can adequately sever actin filaments into monomeric form. We found that SPIN90 YE, a phosphomimetic mutant, remained in the spines after NMDAR activation where it bound cofilin, thereby effectively preventing actin depolymerization. This led to inhibition of the activity-dependent redistribution of cortactin and drebrin A, as well as of the morphological changes in the spines that underlie synaptic plasticity. These findings indicate that NMDA-induced SPIN90 dephosphorylation and translocation initiates cofilin-mediated actin dynamics and spine shrinkage within dendritic spines, thereby modulating synaptic activity.
Potentiometric Determination of Alkyl Dimethyl Hydroxyethyl Ammonium Surfactant by a New Chemically Modified Carbon Past Electrode
Authors: Khedr Abdalla M. , Abu Shawish Hazem M. , Gaber M. , Abed Almonem Khalid I.
Published: June 2013

This paper introduces the development a new chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE) for the determination of a cationic surfactant. The paste is based on alkyl dimethyl hydroxyethyl ammonium chloride (ADHACl) with phosphomolybdic acid as an ion‐exchanger (ADHA‐PM). The electrode exhibits a Nernstian slope of 59.1 ± 0.5 mV/decade for ADHA ions in the concentration range 1.0 × 10−6–1.0 × 10−3 M with the limit of detection of 8.2 × 10−7 M. The proposed electrode has a fast and stable response time of 5–8 s, a good reproducibility and it can be used in the pH range of 2.2–9.0. Selectivity coefficients, determined by a matched potential method and separate solution method, showed high selectivity for ADHA over a large number of inorganic cations and organic cations. These characteristics of the electrode enable it to be used successfully for determination of ADHA in shampoo and liquid detergents solutions by standard addition and the calibration curve methods. In addition, the modified electrode was applied as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration and successfully used to determine ADHA in water samples with satisfactory results.
Does Parental Consent for Birth Control Affect Underage Pregnancy Rates? The Case of Texas
Authors: Girma Sourafel , Paton David
Published: June 2013

Previous work based on conjectural responses of minors predicted that the 2003 Texas requirement for parental consent for state-funded birth control to minors would lead to a large increase in underage pregnancies. We use state- and county-level data to test this prediction. The latter allow us to compare the impact of parental consent in counties with and without state-funded family planning clinics. We control for characteristics systematically correlated with the presence of state-funded clinics by combining difference-in-difference estimation with propensity score–weighted regressions. The evidence suggests that the parental consent mandate led to a large decrease in attendance at family planning clinics among teens but did not lead to an increase in underage pregnancies.
SELF-COMPLEMENTARY VERTEX-TRANSITIVE GRAPHS OF ORDER A PRODUCT OF TWO PRIMES
Authors: LI CAI HENG , RAO GUANG
Published: June 2013

In this short paper, we characterise graphs of order$pq$with$p, q$prime which are self-complementary and vertex-transitive.
ON SUMMABILITY CONDITIONS FOR INTERVAL MAPS
Authors: LI HUAIBIN
Published: June 2013

Consider a map of class ${C}^{3} $ with nonflat critical points and with all periodic points hyperbolic repelling. We show that the ‘backward contracting condition’ implies the summability condition. This result is the converse of Theorem 3 of Bruin et al. [‘Large derivatives, backward contraction and invariant densities for interval maps’, Invent. Math. 172 (2008), 509–533].
ON CONJUGACY OF SUPPLEMENTS OF NORMAL SUBGROUPS OF FINITE GROUPS
Authors: BALLESTER-BOLINCHES A. , EZQUERRO LUIS M.
Published: June 2013

The objective of this paper is to find some sufficient conditions to ensure the conjugacy of supplements of a normal subgroup of a soluble group.
Total thyroidectomy for safe and definitive management of Graves' disease
Authors: Prasai A , Nix P A , Aye M , Atkin S , England R J
Published: June 2013

Background:

The role of total thyroidectomy in the management of patients with Graves' disease remains controversial. However, there is increasing evidence to support the role of the procedure as a safe and definitive treatment for Graves' disease.

Method:

Patients were identified from a prospective thyroid database of the multidisciplinary thyroid clinic at Hull Royal Infirmary. All case notes were independently reviewed to confirm the data held on the database.

Results:

Over a 7-year period, the senior author has performed 206 total thyroidectomies for Graves' disease. The incidence of temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism was 3.4 per cent and 24 per cent respectively. There was one case of permanent unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, and 3.9 per cent of patients developed permanent hypoparathyroidism. There has been no relapse of thyrotoxicosis.

Conclusion:

In the context of a multidisciplinary thyroid clinic, total thyroidectomy should be offered as a safe and effective first-line treatment option for Graves' disease.
A four-year record of the meteorological parameters, radiative and turbulent energy fluxes at the edge of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, close to Schirmacher Oasis
Authors: Gusain H.S. , Mishra V.D. , Arora M.K.
Published: June 2013

Surface energy fluxes of the ice sheet close to oases (ice-free land regions) are crucial in the case of retreating ice sheet and growing oasis areas. This study presents a four-year record of the meteorological parameters, radiative and turbulent energy fluxes at the edge of the Antarctic ice sheet, close to Schirmacher Oasis in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica from March 2007–February 2011. The energy fluxes were analysed for summer season, winter season and transition periods. High katabatic winds were observed during winter (seasonal mean 9.3 m s-1) as compared to other seasons. A high correlation (r2= 0.89) was observed between the glacier surface temperature and air temperature, and regression relations were obtained for summer, winter and transition periods. The net radiative flux was the main heat source to the glacier during summer (46.8 W m-2) and heat sink during winter (-42.2 W m-2). Sensible heat flux (annual mean 32 W m-2) was the heat source and latent heat flux (annual mean -61 W m-2) was the heat sink to the glacier surface, averaged over all seasons. Comparison with other coastal or dry valley locations in Antarctica show that low humidity (50%), high katabatic winds (8.3 m s-1) and mild surface (-11.4°C) and air temperature (-10.2°C) contribute to high latent heat flux at the present study location.
TWO NEW VARIETAL COMBINATIONS IN PHANERA (LEGUMINOSAE: CAESALPINIOIDEAE)
Authors: Bandyopadhyay S.
Published: June 2013

New combinations are proposed in Phanera (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) for two varieties of Bauhinia glabrifolia (Benth.) Baker.
A NEW SPECIES OF BULBOPHYLLUM (ORCHIDACEAE) FROM NEPAL
Authors: Raskoti B. B. , Ale R.
Published: June 2013

Bulbophyllum nepalense Raskoti & Ale (Orchidaceae) from Nepal is described and illustrated. Notes on the diagnostic characters used to distinguish it from the similar species Bulbophyllum retusiusculum are provided.
What do we know about cognitive functioning in adult congenital heart disease?
Authors: Tyagi Manavi , Austin Katie , Stygall Jan , Deanfield John , Cullen Shay , Newman Stanton P.
Published: June 2013

With the advent of improved medical and surgical care in congenital heart disease, there has been an increase in the number of patients who survive into adulthood, giving rise to a new patient population ‘Adults with congenital heart disease’. In the past, morbidity and mortality were the primary concerns for this group. However, with improvements in outcome attention has shifted to other factors such as psychosocial and cognitive functioning. This paper reviews the literature on the cognitive functioning in adult congenital heart disease patients. A total of five relevant articles were retrieved via electronic searches of six databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PsychINFO, and PubMed. The results displayed a consensus on the presence of some cognitive difficulties in adult congenital heart disease patients. The aetiology of cognitive dysfunctions appears to be multifactorial. The literature is limited by the very small number of studies looking at adults with congenital heart disease, with the majority focusing on cognitive functioning among children with congenital heart disease. However, the presence of cognitive dysfunctions and the resulting impact on the patient's day to day lives warrant for a more detailed and prospective research to enhance the understanding of its aetiology and impact.
The Implementation and Effectiveness of the KiVa Antibullying Program in Finland
Authors: Salmivalli Christina , Poskiparta Elisa , Ahtola Annarilla , Haataja Anne
Published: June 2013

Bullying is a widespread problem in schools and communities around the world, and nationwide initiatives to prevent and reduce it have begun to emerge in European countries. In Finland, the effects of the national antibullying program, KiVa, have been evaluated first in a randomized controlled trial (2007–2009) and then during nationwide rollout across schools (since 2009). The KiVa program has been found to reduce bullying and victimization, while it increases empathy toward victimized peers and self-efficacy to defend them. Moreover, the program has produced reductions in reinforcement of the bullies’ behavior. Finally, KiVa has been found to increase school liking and school motivation, whereas it has led to significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and negative peer perceptions among children and youth. The uptake of the program by Finnish schools has been remarkable, as 90% of the comprehensive schools are at present implementing KiVa. The paper describes the development of the KiVa program, evaluation of its effects, and its implementation across Finnish schools. Challenges in sustainability and high-level implementation of the program are discussed.
Interventions Supporting Children’s Mathematics School Success
Authors: Fischer Ursula , Moeller Korbinian , Cress Ulrike , Nuerk Hans-Christoph
Published: June 2013

In today’s society, mathematics is one of the most important competencies imparted in school. To improve children’s mathematical skills, existing interventions and trainings in mathematical learning address different proficiency levels and age groups, take place in different settings, can focus on a single task or a set of different tasks, be applied for different durations, and address different types of numerical content. However, when such trainings are evaluated, this often happens only insufficiently. In this review, we derive and apply four evaluation criteria in a meta-analysis of mathematical intervention literature: (i) evaluation with the actual target group, (ii) evaluation in comparison to a performance-matched control group, (iii) evaluation in comparison to a comparable alternative intervention, and (iv) separate evaluation of subcomponents in the case of multi-componential approaches. Based on these criteria, we review current intervention approaches, paying particular attention to how they were evaluated. A meta-analysis on 39 effect sizes extracted from 37 studies revealed a reliable impact of three of the above-proposed evaluation criteria on the reported efficacy of an intervention. In contrast, sample and methodological characteristics like grade level of participants or training duration were not associated with effect sizes. These data indicate that the reported efficacy of an intervention in mathematical learning may depend not only on the type of intervention conducted, but also on the thoroughness of the evaluation procedure.
Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide prepared by hydrothermal method and its application in dye‐sensitised solar cells
Authors: Han Qiaolin , Yu Min , Liu Jiang
Published: June 2013

Nanocrystalline TiO2 was prepared through hydrothermal synthesis using tetrabutyl titanate as starting material. With a constant reaction time of 12 h, the reaction temperature was changed from 120 to 160°C and the pH value of the reaction medium was ranged from 1 to 9. Every specimen of the as‐prepared TiO2 powder was characterised by X‐ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction and was also used to fabricate dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). The experimental results showed that the phase of the powder was affected by the pH value, whereas the particle size depended on the reaction temperature. Pure anatase TiO2 was obtained with the pH value of 3. The solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of the DSSC fabricated with the pure anatase TiO2 prepared at 140°C was 3.64%, which was higher than those with the TiO2 prepared under any other conditions. The purchased TiO2 (P25) was used to make a DSSC for comparison. It turned out that the performance of all the DSSCs with TiO2 prepared by hydrothermal synthesis was higher than that with the P25.
The exact molecular wavefunction as a product of an electronic and a nuclear wavefunction
Authors: Cederbaum Lorenz S.
Published: June 2013

The Born-Oppenheimer approximation is a basic approximation in molecular science. In this approximation, the total molecular wavefunction is written as a product of an electronic and a nuclear wavefunction. Hunter [Int. J. Quantum Chem. 9, 237 (1975)]10.1002/qua.560090205 has argued that the exact total wavefunction can also be factorized as such a product. In the present work, a variational principle is introduced which shows explicitly that the total wavefunction can be exactly written as such a product. To this end, a different electronic Hamiltonian has to be defined. The Schrödinger equation for the electronic wavefunction follows from the variational ansatz and is presented. As in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, the nuclear motion is shown to proceed in a potential which is the electronic energy. In contrast to the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, the separation of the center of mass can be carried out exactly. The electronic Hamiltonian and the equation of motion of the nuclei resulting after the exact separation of the center of mass motion are explicitly given. A simple exactly solvable model is used to illustrate some aspects of the theory.
A hybrid perturbed-chain SAFT density functional theory for representing fluid behavior in nanopores
Authors: Shen Gulou , Ji Xiaoyan , Lu Xiaohua
Published: June 2013

A hybrid statistical mechanical model, which is fully consistent with the bulk perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT) in describing properties of fluids, was developed by coupling density functional theory with PC-SAFT for the description of the inhomogeneous behavior of real chain molecules in nanopores. In the developed model, the modified fundamental measure theory was used for the hard sphere contribution; the dispersion free energy functional was represented with weighted density approximation by averaging the density in the range of interaction, and the chain free energy functional from interfacial statistical associating fluid theory was used to account for the chain connectivity. Molecular simulation results of the density profile were compared with model prediction, and the considerable agreement reveals the reliability of the proposed model in representing the confined behaviors of chain molecules in an attractive slit. The developed model was further used to represent the adsorptions of methane and carbon dioxide on activated carbons, in which methane and carbon dioxide were modeled as chain molecules with the parameters taken from the bulk PC-SAFT, while the parameters of solid surface were obtained from the fitting of gas adsorption isotherms measured experimentally. The results show that the model can reliably reproduce the confined behaviors of physically existing substances in nanopores.
Zinc oxysulfide ternary alloy nanocrystals: A bandgap modulated photocatalyst
Authors: Pandey Shiv K. , Pandey Shipra , Pandey Avinash C. , Mehrotra G. K.
Published: June 2013

Herein, we report a green economic route for the synthesis of a series of Zinc Oxysulfide (ZOS) (ZnO1−xSx; 0 ≤ x ≥ 1; x = Sulfur) alloys nanoparticles. The crystallographic features of ZnO, ZOS, and ZnS confirmed by X-Ray Diffraction and validated by Transmission Electron Microscopy reveal the variation of lattice spacing in binary and ternary compositions with homogenous elemental distribution. The photocatalytic analysis of ZOS (0.4) is performed and compared with Degussa P25 to ascertain its photocatalytic activity against methyl orange under irradiation of 365 nm UV-Vis light. A bandgap of 2.7 eV for ZOS (0.4) aptly establishes its prospects for sunlight driven photocatalysis.
Improved electron injection and transport by use of baking soda as a low-cost, air-stable, n-dopant for solution-processed phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Earmme Taeshik , Jenekhe Samson A.
Published: June 2013

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, NaHCO3) is found to be an efficient low-cost, air-stable, and environmentally friendly n-dopant for electron-transport layer (ETL) in solution-processed phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs). A 2.0-fold enhancement in power efficiency of blue PhOLEDs is observed by use of NaHCO3-doped 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen) ETL. The bulk conductivity of NaHCO3-doped BPhen film is increased by 5 orders of magnitude. Enhanced performance of PhOLEDs is similarly observed by use of NaHCO3-doped 1,3,5-tris(m-pyrid-3-yl-phenyl)benzene ETL. These results demonstrate that sodium bicarbonate is an effective n-dopant in organic electronics.
Note: Visible reflectivity system for high-pressure studies
Authors: Seagle C. T. , Dolan D. H.
Published: June 2013

A near-normal visible reflectivity system was constructed for investigating the optical properties of materials at high pressure and temperatures. The system consists of focusing optics, spectrometers, and imaging cameras for use with a resistively-heated membrane-controlled diamond anvil cell (DAC). The DAC allows optical access on two sides: one dedicated to pressure measurement via fluorescence, the other side dedicated to absolute reflectance measurements. With this configuration, pressure and temperature may be controlled and measured without disturbing the sample position, permitting quantitative reflectivity measurements as a function of thermodynamic state variables. The system was tested on gold at high pressure conditions, and compared to data obtained on a commercial ellipsometer system at 1 bar.
Generation of a 500-keV electron beam from a high voltage photoemission gun
Authors: Nishimori Nobuyuki , Nagai Ryoji , Matsuba Shunya , Hajima Ryoichi , Yamamoto Masahiro , Miyajima Tsukasa , Honda Yosuke , Iijima Hokuto , Kuriki Masao , Kuwahara Makoto
Published: June 2013

High-brightness, high-current electron guns for energy recovery linac light sources and high repetition rate X-ray free-electron lasers require an exit beam energy of ≥500 keV to reduce space-charge induced emittance growth in the drift space from the gun exit to the following superconducting accelerator entrance. At the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, we have developed a DC photoemission gun employing a segmented insulator to mitigate the field emission problem, which is a major obstacle for operation of DC guns at ≥500 kV. The first demonstration of generating a 500-keV electron beam with currents up to 1.8 mA is presented.
Micromagnetic study of spin-transfer-torque switching of a ferromagnetic cross towards multi-state spin-transfer-torque based random access memory
Authors: Roy Urmimala , Pramanik Tanmoy , Tsoi Maxim , Register Leonard F. , Banerjee Sanjay K.
Published: June 2013

We study spin-transfer-torque (STT) switching of a cross-shaped ferromagnet with unequal branches as the free layer in a magnetic tunnel junction using micromagnetic simulations. The free layer in the magnetic tunnel junction is thus designed to have four stable energy states using shape anisotropy. Switching shows distinct regions with increasing current density. Stability of the states against thermal fluctuations is considered, and the validity of the results for different dimensions and material parameters of the free layer ferromagnet is investigated. The results could be useful for a multi-bit STT-based memory.
Detection of water with high sensitivity to study polymer electrolyte fuel cell membranes using cold neutrons at high spatial resolution
Authors: Bunn Jeffrey R. , Penumadu Dayakar , Woracek Robin , Kardjilov Nikolay , Hilger André , Manke Ingo , Williams Scott
Published: June 2013

Thermal neutron imaging is a powerful non-invasive diagnostic technique to study water management within a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. To isolate the hydration behavior of membrane, significant increase in detecting thin water films is needed. A humidity cell is developed to study hydration of a PEM using cold neutron imaging. Spatial and temporal changes of PEM water uptake are quantified. Water film as small as 1 μm thick and corresponding to a volume containing 10 ng of liquid water at high spatial resolution is detected. This represents an order of magnitude improvement in water detection efficiency achievable at thermal neutron imaging facilities.
Wavelet analysis of quantum transient transport in a quantum dot
Authors: Sasaoka Kenji , Yamamoto Takahiro , Watanabe Satoshi
Published: June 2013

We investigate effects of switching speed of a bias voltage on a time-dependent current in a quantum dot with a single energy level, weakly coupled with two electrodes. Our simulations based on non-equilibrium Green's function formalism show that the transient current in the case of the high speed oscillates around the value of the stationary current. On the other hand, the current in the opposite case monotonically changes with time. This difference is explained in terms of the wavelet spectra of the currents, which mainly consist of two time-frequency domains with high intensities.
Impact of the crystallization of the high-k dielectric gate oxide on the positive bias temperature instability of the n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field emission transistor
Authors: Lim Han Jin , Kim Youngkuk , Sang Jeon In , Yeo Jaehyun , Im Badro , Hong Soojin , Kim Bong-Hyun , Nam Seok-Woo , Kang Ho-kyu , Jung E. S.
Published: June 2013

The positive bias temperature instability (PBTI) characteristics of the n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field emission transistors which had different kinds of high-k dielectric gate oxides were studied with the different stress-relaxation times. The degradation in the threshold voltage followed a power-law on the stress times. In particular, we found that their PBTI behaviors were closely related to the structural phase of the high-k dielectric gate oxide. In an amorphous gate oxide, the negative charges were trapped into the stress-induced defects of which energy level was so deep that the trapped charges were de-trapped slowly. Meanwhile, in a crystalline gate oxide, the negative charges were trapped mostly in the pre-existing defects in the crystallized films during early stage of the stress time and de-trapped quickly due to the shallow energy level of the defects.
Enhanced photocurrent from generated photothermal heat in indium nanoparticles embedded TiO2 film
Authors: Choudhuri B. , Mondal A. , Dhar J. C. , Singh N. K. , Goswami T. , Chattopadhyay K. K.
Published: June 2013

We have demonstrated the synthesis of indium (In) nanoparticle (NP) arrays on TiO2 thin film (TF) using glancing angle deposition technique. The deposited In NPs are of the order of 4–10 nm in size. Optical absorption measurements depict 2.5 times enhanced absorption for In-NPs/TiO2-TF compared to TiO2 TF. The plasmonic device shows a turn on voltage at ∼3.0 and ∼1.0 V under dark and 30 min illumination, respectively. The device current increases from 1.6 to 6.5 mA/cm2 (+5 V) with enhanced temperature for 1–30 min continuous light exposures. The plasmonic device shows eight-fold enlarged photoresponsivity (+2.3 V) compared to the TiO2 TF based device.