bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bi-color near infrared thermoreflectometry: A method for true temperature field measurement
Authors: Sentenac Thierry , Gilblas Rémi , Hernandez Daniel , Le Maoult Yannick
Published: December 2012

In a context of radiative temperature field measurement, this paper deals with an innovative method, called bicolor near infrared thermoreflectometry, for the measurement of true temperature fields without prior knowledge of the emissivity field of an opaque material. This method is achieved by a simultaneous measurement, in the near infrared spectral band, of the radiance temperature fields and of the emissivity fields measured indirectly by reflectometry. The theoretical framework of the method is introduced and the principle of the measurements at two wavelengths is detailed. The crucial features of the indirect measurement of emissivity are the measurement of bidirectional reflectivities in a single direction and the introduction of an unknown variable, called the “diffusion factor.” Radiance temperature and bidirectional reflectivities are then merged into a bichromatic system based on Kirchhoff's laws. The assumption of the system, based on the invariance of the diffusion factor for two near wavelengths, and the value of the chosen wavelengths, are then discussed in relation to a database of several material properties. A thermoreflectometer prototype was developed, dimensioned, and evaluated. Experiments were carried out to outline its trueness in challenging cases. First, experiments were performed on a metallic sample with a high emissivity value. The bidirectional reflectivity was then measured from low signals. The results on erbium oxide demonstrate the power of the method with materials with high emissivity variations in near infrared spectral band.
Structural features and high quasi-static strain rate sensitivity of Au49Cu26.9Ag5.5Pd2.3Si16.3 bulk metallic glass
Authors: Ketov S. V. , Chen N. , Caron A. , Inoue A. , Louzguine-Luzgin D. V.
Published: December 2012

Here we report on the formation of a crystalline Au-based solid solution surface layer on solidification, which is responsible for yellow color of the Au-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) samples. The structure of the BMG alloy was studied by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The deformation behavior of these Au-based BMG samples on heating was studied at temperatures above Tg at different strain rates.
The electrical and photoconductivity characteristics of donor-acceptor alternating copolymer using solution process
Authors: Woo Jeong Shin , Back Lee Gi , Ha Hyeon-Jun , Kwon Soon-Ki , Kim Yun-Hi , Kwon Ju Byeong
Published: December 2012

The authors report on the electrical and photoconductivity characteristics of donor-acceptor alternating copolymer, poly(dioctyloxinapthalenediketopyrrolopyrrole) (PONDPP) with Al/PONDPP/p-Si/Al hybrid organic/inorganic Schottky diode for optoelectronic applications. The fabricated device shows ideality factor value of 2.6 and barrier height of 0.68 eV obtained from current-voltage characteristics. The high rectification ratio of 1.86 × 104 and photo-responsivity of 55 mA/W at 650 nm is achieved. From results, we found that the fine photo-response and electrical characteristics are attributed to the modified band-gap structure to have Schottky barrier at highest occupied molecular orbital to valence band of silicon and high hole mobility of PONDPP.
The atomic structure of lead-free Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 by using neutron total scattering analysis
Authors: Jeong I.-K. , Ahn J. S.
Published: December 2012

We conducted neutron total scattering measurements on lead-free Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-0.5BCT) ceramic at 300 K and 150 K, and studied both long-range and local structures near the morphotropic phase boundary. Despite the long-range phase transition from tetragonal to rhombohedral structures, we found that local atomic structure of BZT-0.5BCT barely changes between 300 K and 150 K. To incorporate both long-range and local structures in a consistent way, we performed reverse Monte Carlo modeling. In BZT-0.5BCT, we found that the Ca substitution on Ba sites causes little impact on the local displacement of Ti ion but enhances octahedral tilting of ZrO6, resulting in nonuniform lattice distortion.
Nb lateral Josephson junctions induced by a NiFe cross strip
Authors: Lin L. K. , Huang S. Y. , Huang J. H. , Lee S. F.
Published: December 2012

We fabricated lateral junctions by crossing superconducting Nb strips in metallic contact with a ferromagnetic NiFe strip. Transport measurements on the Nb lateral junctions exhibit modulations of the critical current with a varying perpendicular magnetic field similar to a Fraunhofer interference pattern, which demonstrates the dc Josephson effect. The modulations of the critical current could be attributed to an effective weak link embedded in the Nb strip and formed a Josephson junction. Appearance of Shapiro steps on the current-voltage curves of these junctions when microwaves irradiation is applied proves the ac Josephson effect. The underlying physics of the effective weak link induced by the NiFe strip is discussed.
Stoichiometry dependent phase transition in Mn-Co-Ga-based thin films: From cubic in-plane, soft magnetized to tetragonal perpendicular, hard magnetized
Authors: Ouardi Siham , Kubota Takahide , Fecher Gerhard H. , Stinshoff Rolf , Mizukami Shigemi , Miyazaki Terunobu , Ikenaga Eiji , Felser Claudia
Published: December 2012

Epitaxial thin films of Mn3−xCoxGa were grown on MgO by magnetron co-sputtering with different Co content. Dependent on the Co content tetragonal or cubic structures are obtained. The composition dependence of saturation magnetization MS and uniaxial magnetic anisotropy Ku in the epitaxial films were investigated. A high magnetic anisotropy Ku of 1.2 MJ m−3 was achieved for the Mn2.6Co0.3Ga1.1 film with low magnetic moment of 0.84 μB. The valence band spectra of the films were investigated mainly by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The evidence of sharp states in the cubic case, which are smeared out in the tetragonal case, proof the existence of a van Hove singularity that causes a band Jahn-Teller effect accompanied by a tetragonal distortion. These differences are in well agreement to the ab-initio calculations of the electronic structure.
Memristive devices as parameter setting elements in programmable gain amplifiers
Authors: Berdan R. , Prodromakis T. , Salaoru I. , Khiat A. , Toumazou C.
Published: December 2012

In this paper, we investigate the AC performance of a variable gain amplifier that utilizes an in-house manufactured memristor as a gain setting element. Analysis includes frequency and phase responses as the memristor is programmed at different resistive states. A TiO2-based solid-state memristor was employed in the feedback branch of an inverting voltage amplifier and was programmed externally. We have also observed indications of memcapacitive effects and a correlation with resistive states is presented. We demonstrate that our TiO2 memristive devices, although possessing relatively low ROFF/RON switching ratios (∼10), are versatile and can be used reliably in programmable gain amplifiers.
A low-power, high-sensitivity micromachined optical magnetometer
Authors: Mhaskar R. , Knappe S. , Kitching J.
Published: December 2012

We demonstrate an optical magnetometer based on a microfabricated 87Rb vapor cell in a micromachined silicon sensor head. The alkali atom density in the vapor cell is increased by heating the cell with light brought to the sensor through an optical fiber, and absorbed by colored filters attached to the cell windows. A second fiber-optically coupled beam optically pumps and interrogates the atoms. The magnetometer operates on 140 mW of heating power and achieves a sensitivity below 20 fT/√Hz throughout most of the frequency band from 15 Hz to 100 Hz. Such a sensor can measure magnetic fields from the human heart and brain.
Impact of light polarization on photoluminescence intensity and quantum efficiency in AlGaN and AlInGaN layers
Authors: Netzel C. , Knauer A. , Weyers M.
Published: December 2012

We analyzed emission intensity, quantum efficiency, and emitted light polarization of c-plane AlGaN and AlInGaN layers (λ = 320–350 nm) by temperature dependent photoluminescence. Low indium content in AlInGaN structures causes a significant intensity increase by change of the polarization of the emitted light. Polarization changes from E ⊥ c to E ‖ c with increasing aluminum content. It switches back to E ⊥ c with the incorporation of indium. The polarization degree decreases with temperature. This temperature dependence can corrupt internal quantum efficiency determination by temperature dependent photoluminescence.
Extreme sensitivity of contact resistance to variations in the interfacial composition of Ti/Al-based contacts to N-face GaN/AlGaN heterostructures
Authors: Abraham Michael , Weng Xiaojun , Hyuck Choi Won , Downey Brian P. , Mohney Suzanne E.
Published: December 2012

The resistance of Ti/Al-based contacts to N-face GaN/AlGaN heterostructures was found to depend sensitively on their interfacial composition. Limiting the thickness of the first layer deposited (either Al or Ti) to a few nanometers resulted in low contact resistances after annealing for 1 min at 500 °C. The lowest contact resistance of 0.10 Ω mm (contact resistivity of 3 × 10−7 Ω cm2) was achieved with 3 nm of Al as the first deposited layer. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a thin Ti-Al-Ga-N layer adjacent to the GaN in this annealed Al/Ti/Al contact, while the contact resistance was higher when the interfacial layer contained only Ti, Ga, and N. The simultaneous presence of Al and Ti next to GaN at the onset of reaction was found to be critical for achieving the lowest contact resistance.
Proton and light ion nanobeams from field ionization of water
Authors: Hammadi Z. , Descoins M. , Salançon E. , Morin R.
Published: December 2012

We observe emission of protons and Hn+ (n up to 4) at room temperature from field ionization of thick films of water adsorbed on Pt or Pd, not on W tips. This differs from previous field ionization experiments of water, all of which show hydrated proton emission. Our observations are explained by the ionic dissociation of water on Pt and Pd surfaces. These thick film experiments are made possible by a special local water supply arrangement. An ion point source based on this ionization process is shown to produce nanobeams of light ions suitable for high resolution ion microscopy.
Broadband light-extraction enhanced by arrays of whispering gallery resonators
Authors: Zhu Xiaolong , Ou Yiyu , Jokubavicius Valdas , Syväjärvi Mikael , Hansen Ole , Ou Haiyan , Mortensen N. Asger , Xiao Sanshui
Published: December 2012

We demonstrate a light-extraction approach using a whispering gallery resonators array. The wavelength-scale resonant dielectric nanospheres support whispering gallery modes, which can be coupled with the confined waveguide modes inside the bulk material, thus dramatically improving light extraction. Broadband light-extraction enhancement across the entire visible spectral range is achieved by exciting three low-order and low-quality-factor resonances. As an example, the broadband extraction enhancement of about 50% is obtained for the emission of fluorescent SiC at all the tested angles. The experimental results are supported by numerical simulations. Our light-extraction strategy could enable the manufacturing of high-throughput, nondestructive, and affordable optical coating in a variety of optical devices.
Modulation of resistance switching in Au/Nb:SrTiO3 Schottky junctions by ambient oxygen
Authors: Buzio R. , Gerbi A. , Gadaleta A. , Anghinolfi L. , Bisio F. , Bellingeri E. , Siri A. S. , Marrè D.
Published: December 2012

We investigated the room-temperature current-voltage characteristics of Au/Nb:SrTiO3 Schottky junctions under various atmospheres and working pressures. We observed that oxygen partial pressure reversibly modulates junction response, briefly individual specimens behave as high-quality rectifiers in oxygen-rich atmospheres and as bipolar resistive switches in vacuum and inert gases. A two orders of magnitude modulation of resistance switching characterizes samples with the highest content of interfacial oxygen vacancies. We attribute this behavior to oxygen ionosorption and chemical oxidation at the metal-oxide interface. Our results are relevant to oxide devices displaying resistive switching at ambient-exposed interfaces, and might be exploited for gas detection purposes.
Evaluation of wave energy generation from buoy heave response based on linear generator concepts
Authors: Stelzer M. A. , Joshi R. P.
Published: December 2012

Previous studies of linear generator power extraction from ocean waves have usually ignored the buoy heave dynamics and taken the linear generator movement to coincide with the wave motion. Here, the actual buoy motion is first determined and then used to solve the coupled hydrodynamic and electromagnetic problem of electrical power generation for both regular and irregular waves. Several buoy sizes are modeled to exploit the buoys' natural frequency in an attempt to create a greater heave response for a given sea state. Power output ranging from 75 to 375 W is predicted for the dimensions chosen.
Permeability of riparian forest strips in agricultural, small subtropical watersheds in south-eastern Brazil
Authors: Ferreira Anderson , Cyrino José Eurico Possebon , Duarte-Neto Paulo José , Martinelli Luiz Antonio
Published: December 2012

If riparian buffer zones are ineffective in preventing C4 plant carbon from upland areas reaching the stream sediment, the composition of stream fauna can be significantly altered. The permeability of riparian forest strips in agricultural, small subtropical watersheds in south-eastern Brazil was measured in nine watersheds categorised according to the predominant land cover of the legally required 30-m buffer riparian zone. Four watersheds with well preserved riparian forest along the 30-m buffer zone were designated as FOREST watersheds; three watersheds, with a predominance of C4 grasses from sugarcane to pasture, mixed with preserved riparian forests, were designated MIXED watersheds; and two watersheds were termed PASTURE-SUGAR because their entire 30-m buffer zone was covered by C4 plants. Stable carbon (δ13C) isotopes were used as tracers of upland C4 carbon in sediments, suspended particulate organic carbon, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and two species of neotropical fish. Although the intact 30-m buffer zone of riparian forests did not entirely prevent the input of C4 to the river environment and food web, there was a significant increase in C4 carbon in those watersheds where the buffer zone was not covered by riparian forests. These findings emphasise the importance of riparian forests in mitigating disturbance in streams and support efforts to preserve such riparian corridors.
Bovine luteal blood flow: basic mechanism and clinical relevance
Authors: Bollwein Heinrich , Lüttgenau Johannes , Herzog Kathrin
Published: December 2012

The introduction of transrectal colour Doppler sonography (CDS) has allowed the evaluation of luteal blood flow (LBF) in cows. Because appropriate angiogenesis plays a decisive role in the functioning of the corpus luteum (CL), studies on LBF may provide valuable information about the physiology and pathophysiology of the CL. Studies on cyclic cows have shown that progesterone concentrations in blood plasma can be more reliably predicted by LBF than by luteal size (LS), especially during the regression phase of the CL. In contrast with non-pregnant cows, a significant increase in LBF is seen in pregnant cows during the third week after insemination. However, because there are high interindividual variations in LBF between animals, LBF is not useful for the early diagnosis of pregnancy. Determination of LBF is more sensitive than LS for detecting the effects of acute systemic inflammation and exogenous hormones on the CL. Cows with low progesterone levels have smaller CL during the mid-luteal phase, but LBF related to LS did not differ between cows with low and high progesterone levels. In conclusion, LBF determined by CDS provides additional information about luteal function compared with LS and plasma progesterone concentrations, but its role concerning fertility in the cow is yet to be clarified.
The effect of the owner’s personality on the behaviour of owner-dog dyads
Authors: Kis Anna , Turcsán Borbála , Miklósi Ádám , Gácsi Márta
Published: December 2012

We describe the relationships between dog owners’ personality attributes (assessed via questionnaire), their behaviours and the dog’s behaviours observed during brief dog-owner and dog-stranger interactions (N = 78). Interactions comprised the owner commanding the dog to sit, and the stranger showing a ball to the restrained dog and then hiding it. Owners scoring higher on neuroticism and openness used more commands (gestural and verbal) when asking the dog to sit, and the dogs of owners higher on neuroticism obeyed with a longer latency and spent more time looking at the stranger. More extraverted owners praised their dog more, and it took longer for their dogs to look at the stranger but they spent more time looking at the stranger, whereas dogs of more agreeable owners spent more time looking at the ball. Based on these results we conclude that some aspects of owners’ personality appear to be tied to their dog’s attentional concerns. Keywords: dog-human interaction; personality; multivariate statistical methods
Getting interaction theory (IT) together
Authors: Froese Tom , Gallagher Shaun
Published: December 2012

We argue that progress in our scientific understanding of the ‘social mind’ is hampered by a number of unfounded assumptions. We single out the widely shared assumption that social behavior depends solely on the capacities of an individual agent. In contrast, both developmental and phenomenological studies suggest that the personal-level capacity for detached ‘social cognition’ (conceived as a process of theorizing about and/or simulating another mind) is a secondary achievement that is dependent on more immediate processes of embodied social interaction. We draw on the enactive approach to cognitive science to further clarify this strong notion of ‘social interaction’ in theoretical terms. In addition, we indicate how this interaction theory (IT) could eventually be formalized with the help of a dynamical systems perspective on the interaction process, especially by making use of evolutionary robotics modeling. We conclude that bringing together the methods and insights of developmental, phenomenological, enactive and dynamical approaches to social interaction can provide a promising framework for future research. Keywords:﻿﻿ theory of mind; cognitive science; phenomenology; embodied cognition; dynamical systems theory; enactive approach; social cognition; interaction theory; evolutionary robotics
Unequal language rights in the Nordic language community
Authors: Kristinsson Ari Páll , Hilmarsson-Dunn Amanda
Published: December 2012

The aim of this paper is to show the implications of using the notion of ‘common culture’ as a basis for a communication policy across language boundaries. There are eight different national languages in the Nordic area, from Greenland in the west to Finland in the east, from Sápmi — the traditional territories of the Sami people in Northern Scandinavia — in the north to Denmark in the south. Additionally, a dozen traditional minority languages and some two hundred immigrant languages are spoken in the area. Despite this linguistic diversity, a ‘Declaration on a Nordic Language Policy,’ signed in 2006 by ministers of education in the Nordic countries, recommends using one of the three ‘Scandinavian’ languages (Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish) for communication across language boundaries throughout the Nordic area, rather than using translation and interpretation, or speaking in English — which is common practice despite official policies. Moreover, recent empirical research indicates that there is good reason to seriously doubt that using a Scandinavian language is a practical communication solution for the Nordic peoples. For example, Greenlanders have poor skills in understanding Swedish. Similarly, Finnish-speaking Finns have poor skills in understanding Danish. Official Nordic language policy is based on an ideology of a common culture rather than linguistic practice. Thus, it appears that communication problems are seen as less important than the prevailing ideas of perceived common Nordic (linguistic) culture.
Bilingualism versus multilingualism in the Netherlands
Authors: van Oostendorp Marc
Published: December 2012

What are the consequences of the rise of English for the languages spoken in the Netherlands, a medium-sized EU Country in which most of the inhabitants speak a medium-sized language? There are several indications that the Dutch are moving from being a traditionally multilingual population, priding themselves on their knowledge of many foreign languages, to being bilingual, priding themselves on their knowledge of English. The rise of English as an international lingua franca does not seem to harm the position of Dutch in the Netherlands, but it may harm the position of other languages.
What is to be learned
Authors: Labov William
Published: December 2012

This paper is an effort to define the target of the language learner: asking, what are the data that the child pays attention to in the process of becoming a native speaker? In so doing, we will necessarily be engaged in the more general effort to define language itself. The general argument to be advanced here is that the human language learning capacity is outward bound, that is, aimed at the acquisition of the general pattern used in the speech community. The end result is a high degree of uniformity in both the categorical and variable aspects of language production, where individual variation is reduced below the level of linguistic significance.
Pragmatic variation and cultural models
Authors: Schneider Klaus P.
Published: December 2012

The present paper focuses on pragmatic variation between national varieties of English, reporting an experimental study conducted in the framework of variational pragmatics. It is argued that experimental methods such as dialogue production tasks do not reveal actual verbal behaviour, which is subject to the specific circumstances of concrete social situations, but the underlying behavioural norms of the respective sociocultural community of speakers. These norms emerge from repeated encounters with similar verbal behaviour in social situations of the same type and are collectively shared prototypical patterns of behaviour stored in cultural models in the long-term memory. Such cultural models specify what is expected and considered appropriate in a given type of situation. More particularly, they specify what can be said when and how, i.e. discourse topics, discourse positions and speech act realizations, as is exemplified in the empirical study reported on.
Defining the cognitive mechanisms underlying reactions to foreign accented speech
Authors: Pantos Andrew J.
Published: December 2012

With the notable exception of the application of the metonymy model to explain stereotyping (Kristiansen, 2001), sociolinguistic language attitudes research has typically focused exclusively on explicit attitudes toward foreign accents without providing a cognitive model to explain how such attitudes are formed. At the same time, researchers in other fields have proposed the use of specific cognitive processing models such as the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986) to explain the cognitive processes underlying reactions to foreign-accented speakers, without isolating foreign accent as an independent variable and without considering that listeners may possess different explicit and implicit attitudes towards the same speaker (e.g., Frumkin, 2007). Focusing on instances where participants exhibit different explicit attitudes toward the same foreign-accented speaker for different speaker traits (e.g., likeability versus knowledge), the present study seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the nature of reactions to foreign accented speech by testing at which point negative attitudes toward foreign accents are formed and changed. Specifically, this research asks whether interlocutors have uniformly negative immediate associative reactions to foreign accent that are subsequently mitigated for certain judgments by propositional processes to form differing explicit attitudes, or whether the immediate reactions are ambivalent, but subsequently become negative for certain judgments through propositional processes.
Kahneman in practice
Authors: Martin Brian
Published: December 2012

Brian Martin is professor of social sciences at the University of Wollongong. He is interested in the dynamics of power, particularly strategies for challenging repression and exploitation. He has worked on dissent in science and on whistleblowing for many years.
Critical thinking: Kahneman and policy making
Authors: Mansell Robin
Published: December 2012

Robin Mansell is professor of new media and the internet at LSE. She is interested in how and why people communicate with each other, especially when their relationships are mediated by the use of information and communication technologies.
Thinking, Fast and Slow: great for practitioners but not so great for academics
Authors: Steen John , Kastelle Tim
Published: December 2012

John Steen is a senior lecturer in the University of Queensland. His research interests include strategy and innovation, and especially the small world characteristics of networks. Tim Kastelle is also a senior lecturer in the same place. He applies evolutionary economics to the management of firms, viewing the economy and firms as complex evolving systems.
Antibody orientation at bacterial surfaces is related to invasive infection
Authors: Nordenfelt Pontus , Waldemarson Sofia , Linder Adam , Mörgelin Matthias , Karlsson Christofer , Malmström Johan , Björck Lars
Published: December 2012

Several of the most significant bacterial pathogens in humans, including Streptococcus pyogenes, express surface proteins that bind IgG antibodies via their fragment crystallizable (Fc) region, and the dogma is that this protects the bacteria against phagocytic killing in blood. However, analysis of samples from a patient with invasive S. pyogenes infection revealed dramatic differences in the presence and orientation of IgG antibodies at the surface of bacteria from different sites. In the throat, IgG was mostly bound to the bacterial surface via Fc, whereas in the blood IgG was mostly bound via fragment antigen-binding (Fab). In infected and necrotic tissue, the Fc-binding proteins were removed from the bacterial surface. Further investigation showed that efficient bacterial IgGFc-binding occurs only in IgG-poor environments, such as saliva. As a consequence, the bacteria are protected against phagocytic killing, whereas in blood plasma where the concentration of IgG is high, the antibodies preferentially bind via Fab, facilitating opsonization and bacterial killing. IgG-poor environments represent the natural habitat for IgGFc-binding bacteria, and IgGFc-binding proteins may have evolved to execute their function in such environments. The lack of protection in plasma also helps to explain why cases of severe invasive infections with IgGFc-binding bacteria are so rare compared with superficial and uncomplicated infections.
Bcl11a is essential for lymphoid development and negatively regulates p53
Authors: Yu Yong , Wang Juexuan , Khaled Walid , Burke Shannon , Li Peng , Chen Xiongfeng , Yang Wei , Jenkins Nancy A. , Copeland Neal G. , Zhang Shujun , Liu Pentao
Published: December 2012

Transcription factors play important roles in lymphopoiesis. We have previously demonstrated that Bcl11a is essential for normal lymphocyte development in the mouse embryo. We report here that, in the adult mouse, Bcl11a is expressed in most hematopoietic cells and is highly enriched in B cells, early T cell progenitors, common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs), and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In the adult mouse, Bcl11a deletion causes apoptosis in early B cells and CLPs and completely abolishes the lymphoid development potential of HSCs to B, T, and NK cells. Myeloid development, in contrast, is not obviously affected by the loss of Bcl11a. Bcl11a regulates expression of Bcl2, Bcl2-xL, and Mdm2, which inhibits p53 activities. Overexpression of Bcl2 and Mdm2, or p53 deficiency, rescues both lethality and proliferative defects in Bcl11a-deficient early B cells and enables the mutant CLPs to differentiate to lymphocytes. Bcl11a is therefore essential for lymphopoiesis and negatively regulates p53 activities. Deletion of Bcl11a may represent a new approach for generating a mouse model that completely lacks an adaptive immune system.
Remarks on the lifespan of the solutions to some models of incompressible fluid mechanics
Authors: Danchin Raphaël
Published: December 2012

We give lower bounds for the lifespan of a solution to the inviscid Boussinesq system. In dimension two, we point out that it tends to infinity when the initial (relative) temperature tends to zero. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first result of this kind for the inviscid Boussinesq system. In passing, we provide continuation criteria (of independent interest) in the

N
N

-dimensional case. In the second part of the paper, our method is adapted to handle the axisymmetric incompressible Euler equations with swirl.
Venous Thrombotic Events in Hospitalized Children and Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Nylund Cade M. , Goudie Anthony , Garza Jose M. , Crouch Gary , Denson Lee A.
Published: December 2012

Background:

Adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of venous thrombotic events (TEs). We sought to evaluate the risk for TE in children and adolescents with IBD using a large population database.

Methods:

The triennial Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database was used in a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized children in the United States across 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009. Billing codes were used to identify discharges with Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, thrombosis of intracranial venous sinus, Budd‐Chiari syndrome, and portal vein thrombosis. A logistic regression model was fitted to quantify the increased risk of TE in children with IBD, while adjusting for other risk factors of thrombosis.

Results:

The total weighted number of pediatric discharges was 7,448,292, and 68,394 (0.92%) were identified with IBD. The incidence of any TE in a hospitalized child or adolescent with IBD was 117.9/10,000 with a relative risk (95% confidence interval) of 2.36 (2.15–2.58). The adjusted odds ratio for any TE in a patient with IBD without surgery was 1.22 (1.08–1.36). Risk factors for TE among patients with IBD include older age, central venous catheter, parenteral nutrition, and an identified hypercoagulable condition. There is an increasing trend of TE in both the IBD and non‐IBD patients.

Conclusions:

Hospitalized children and adolescents with IBD are at increased risk for TE. Conservative methods of TE prevention including hydration, mobilization, or pneumatic devices should be considered in hospitalized patients with IBD.
Legal issues in clouds: towards a risk inventory
Authors: Djemame Karim , Barnitzke Benno , Corrales Marcelo , Kiran Mariam , Jiang Ming , Armstrong Django , Forgó Nikolaus , Nwankwo Iheanyi
Published: December 2012

Cloud computing technologies have reached a high level of development, yet a number of obstacles still exist that must be overcome before widespread commercial adoption can become a reality. In a cloud environment, end users requesting services and cloud providers negotiate service-level agreements (SLAs) that provide explicit statements of all expectations and obligations of the participants. If cloud computing is to experience widespread commercial adoption, then incorporating risk assessment techniques is essential during SLA negotiation and service operation. This article focuses on the legal issues surrounding risk assessment in cloud computing. Specifically, it analyses risk regarding data protection and security, and presents the requirements of an inherent risk inventory. The usefulness of such a risk inventory is described in the context of the OPTIMIS project.
Enhancing research publications using Rich Interactive Narratives
Authors: Takeda Kenji , Earl Graeme , Frey Jeremy , Keay Simon , Wade Alex
Published: December 2012

It is desirable in many disciplines to include supplementary information to add value to research publications, particularly in digital form. The concept of interactive publications, in which the reader can browse and navigate through in a nonlinear manner, is one such medium that is explored in this paper. We describe the application of the Rich Interactive Narrative framework to provide such a mechanism in the fields of archaeology and chemistry, to supplement academic journal papers. This system provides both passive (pre-recorded) and active (user-led) interaction modes to navigate through data, including experimental datasets, maps, photos, video and three-dimensional models, and supports event-based audio and text narration. It includes an extensive authoring tool for deployment to the Web. We conclude by discussing the future possibilities of such a platform for e-science and scholarly communication.
TRICKS Magnetic Resonance Angiography at 3-Tesla for Assessing Whole Lower Extremity Vascular Tree in Patients with High-Grade Critical Limb Ischemia: DSA and TASC II Guidelines Correlations
Authors: Ko Sheung-Fat , Sheu Jiunn-Jye , Lee Chen-Chang , Huang Chung-Cheng , Lee Fan-Yen , Ng Shu-Hang , Lee Yi-Wei , Yip Hon-Kan , Chen Min-Chi
Published: December 2012

The entire vascular tree of 58 lower extremities with high-grade critical limb ischemia (CLI) was assessed with three-station time resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (TRICKS) magnetic resonance angiography (T-MRA) and correlated with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) examinations and Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus II (TASC II) guidelines. Kappa (κ) statistics were utilized to evaluate the agreement of stenosis scores (5-point scale; 0 normal to 4 occlusion) based on T-MRA and DSA. With DSA as the standard, significant stenosis instances (stenosis score ≥2) among vascular segments were compared. Theκ-statistics of image quality (4-point scale; 1 nondiagnostic to 4 excellent) of T-MRA and TASC II classification assessed by a radiologist and a vascular surgeon were also evaluated. Among 870 vascular segments, excellent agreement was observed between T-MRA and DSA (meanκ= 0.883) in revealing stenosis (mean stenosis score, 2.1  ±  1.3 versus 2.0  ±  1.3). T-MRA harbored overall high sensitivity (99.5%), specificity (93.6%), positive predictive value (95.4%), negative predictive value (99.6%), and accuracy (97.7%) in depicting significant stenosis. Excellent interobserver agreement (meanκ= 0.818) of superb image quality (mean score = 3.5–3.6) of T-MRA and outstanding agreement of TASC II classification of aortoiliac and femoral-popliteal lesions (κ= 0.912–0.917) between two raters further verified the clinical feasibility of T-MRA for treatment planning.
Endoscopic Thyroidectomy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Yang Yi , Gu Xiaodong , Wang Xiaoxiao , Xiang Jianbin , Chen Zongyou
Published: December 2012

Endoscopic thyroidectomy is a relatively new approach in treating differentiated thyroid cancer. Since last decades, more and more endoscopic thyroidectomies have been performed. We review the indications and contraindications, methods, and postoperational complications of this surgical procedure. Lots of surgical approaches have been developed in endoscopic thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer. Compared to conventional thyroidectomy, scarless endoscopic thyroidectomy has a superior cosmetic result. And it also reduces the incidence of hypesthesia, paresthesia, or feelings of self-consciousness. However, the outcome depends, to a large extent, on the skill of the operator and the learning curve being relatively long. With the development of surgical equipments and skills, operation time and complications will be reduced. Indications of endoscopic thyroidectomy will be widened and it will be more and more performed.
An Assessment of Japanese Carbon Tax Reform Using the E3MG Econometric Model
Authors: Lee Soocheol , Pollitt Hector , Ueta Kazuhiro
Published: December 2012

This paper analyses the potential economic and environmental effects of carbon taxation in Japan using the E3MG model, a global macroeconometric model constructed by the University of Cambridge and Cambridge Econometrics. The paper approaches the issues by considering first the impacts of the carbon tax in Japan introduced in 2012 and then the measures necessary to reduce Japan’s emissions in line with its Copenhagen pledge of −25% compared to 1990 levels. The results from the model suggest that FY2012 Tax Reform has only a small impact on emission levels and no significant impact on GDP and employment. The potential costs of reducing emissions to meet the 25% reduction target for 2020 are quite modest, but noticeable. GDP falls by around 1.2% compared to the baseline and employment by 0.4% compared to the baseline. But this could be offset, with some potential economic benefits, if revenues are recycled efficiently. This paper considers two revenue recycling scenarios. The most positive outcome is if revenues are used both to reduce income tax rates and to increase investment in energy efficiency. This paper shows there could be double dividend effects, if Carbon Tax Reform is properly designed.
High C/N ratio (not low‐energy content) of vegetation may have driven gigantism in sauropod dinosaurs and perhaps omnivory and/or endothermy in their juveniles
Authors: Wilkinson David M. , Ruxton Graeme D.
Published: December 2012

Sauropod dinosaurs were the largest terrestrial animals ever, and the combination of selective pressures that might have lead to such extraordinary sizes has long been discussed.

Here, we argue that a previous suggestion that large size may be a response to unusually high C/N ratios in available plant foods has been prematurely discarded. C/N ratios were likely to be high during much of the Mesozoic, and C/N ratio is entirely different from gross energy density as a measure of the value of a plant as food. In addition, we use recently published allometric equations for herbivore nitrogen and carbon use to make tentative calculations which suggest that if Mesozoic C/N ratios were greater than extant ones, this would have selected for one of two strategies: gigantism in ectothermic herbivores or endothermy (and selective foraging on high N material) in very small herbivores.

We speculate that smaller‐bodied juvenile sauropods might have had a broader omnivorous diet and/or had higher mass‐specific metabolic rates than adults. The former is potentially testable by changes in dentition; the latter matches evidence of high growth rates of juvenile sauropods.
Image assessment of cervical dimensions after LLETZ: a prospective observational study
Authors: Carcopino X , Maycock JA , Mancini J , Jeffers M , Farrar K , Martin M , Khalid S , Prendiville W
Published: December 2012

Objective

To assess the impact of large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) on cervical morphology as assessed by three‐dimensional ultrasound.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

University Hospital in Dublin.

Population

Women with CIN who underwent an LLETZ procedure.

Methods

All 106 participants had a three‐dimensional transvaginal ultrasound scan (3DTVS) performed immediately before and 6 months after LLETZ. The excised LLETZ specimen dimensions were also recorded. Blind analysis of the images was performed. The volume of the uterus and cervix was documented.

Main outcome measures

The relationship between the extirpated LLETZ dimensions and subsequent cervical and uterine biometry, as assessed by 3DTVS.

Results

LLETZ induced a statistically significant reduction in both the length (mean, –0.46 cm; P < 0.001) and the volume (–6.12 cm3; P < 0.001) of the uterus, and in the volume of the cervix (–1.60 cm3; P < 0.001). The volume of the excised specimen had a significant impact on the reduction of the length of the uterus (β, –0.038; P = 0.012), the volume of the uterus (β, –0.791; P = 0.036) and the volume of the cervix (β, –0.121; P = 0.046). The circumference of the excised specimen appeared to have a significant impact on the length (β, –0.016; 95% CI, –0.028 to –0.003; P = 0.013) and volume (β, –0.413; 95% CI, –0.719 to –0.107; P = 0.009) of the uterus 6 months after LLETZ.

Conclusions

The volume of tissue removed at LLETZ is related to the subsequent cervical volume, as well as the uterine length and volume, 6 months after the procedure.
Evaluation of Ethnomedical Claim III: Anti‐hyperglycemic activities of Gongronema latifolium root and stem (民族药物需求评估III：Gongronema latifolium根与茎的降糖活性)
Authors: Adebajo Adeleke Clement , Ayoola Marcus Durojaye , Odediran Samuel Akintunde , Aladesanmi Adetunji Joseph , Schmidt Thomas Jürgen , Verspohl Eugene Joseph
Published: December 2012

Background

The insulinotropic activity of the combined root and stem of Gongronema latifolium (Asclepiadaceae) was evaluated to justify its African ethnomedicinal use in the management of diabetes.

Methods

A methanolic extract and its chromatographic fractions (A1–A6) were tested for glucose‐reducing and in vitro insulin‐stimulating abilities using glucose‐loaded rats and INS‐1 cells, respectively. In vivo insulin‐releasing activities for the significantly (P < 0.05) active antihyperglycemic A5 and A6 and in vitro insulinotropic activity of the C1 fraction and its isolated constituents were also similarly determined.

Results

The extract (100 mg/kg) had higher in vivo antihyperglycemic activity than the individual A1–A6, indicating a synergistic effect of the plant constituents. Higher in vivo insulin release in response to A5 (100 mg/kg) than A6, agreed with their in vivo antihyperglycemic activities and confirmed insulin release as a mechanism of action of the plant. Compared with 5.6 mmol/L glucose (negative control), the extract and the A3, A6, and C1 (all at 100.0 μg/mL) elicited significantly higher in vitro insulin release that was similar to that of glibenclamide (1.0 μg/mL; P > 0.05). Fraction C1 yielded a 1:1 mixture of α‐amyrin and β‐amyrin cinnamates (1a:1b), lupenyl cinnamate (2), lupenyl acetate (3), and two unidentified triterpenoids, Y and Z. The 1a:1b mixture (100.0 μg/mL) demonstrated the highest insulinotropic activity that was comparable (P > 0.05) to that of glibenclamide (1.0 μg/mL).

Conclusions

The results confirm pancreatic activity as a mechanism underlying the antidiabetic action of G. latifolium and justify its ethnomedical use.
Phase II study of oral etoposide maintenance for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer who have responded to the induction on an EP regimen
Authors: Li Lu , Li Qing , Xu Yong , Huang Meijuan , Liu Yongmei , Gong Youling , Peng Feng , Zhou Lin , Ding Zhenyu , Ren Li , Wang Jin , Lu You , Zhu Jiang , Hou Mei
Published: December 2012

Background

Maintenance therapy for extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES‐SCLC) is still under debate. Many new agents fail during the maintenance course. As an active agent for SCLC, oral etoposide is worth being re‐evaluated.

Methods

This phase II study was performed to evaluate the toxicity/efficacy of the maintenance of patients with oral etoposide with ES‐SCLC responding (complete remission [CR] + partial remission [PR]) to the induction of four cycles of etoposide plus cisplatin (EP) chemotherapy. Maintenance therapy with oral etoposide (50 mg/m2, day 1–14, repeated every 21 days until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs) was administered. The primary endpoints were grade 3 and 4 toxicities and progression free survival (PFS).

Results

Fifty‐four patients with ES‐SCLC received standard EP regimens as induction therapy; 31 responding patients were administered oral etoposide as the maintenance treatment. The most common hematological and non‐hematological toxicity of the maintenance course was neutropenia and fatigue, respectively. Median PFS was nine months (95% confidence interval (CI): 8.33∼9.67 months), median overall survival (OS) was 14 months (95% CI: 11.58∼16.42 months). Significantly better PFS and OS were seen in patients responding to the induction EP chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Oral etoposide maintenance is safe and effective for patients with ES‐SCLC who responded to the induction of EP chemotherapy. Significant survival benefit was revealed in patients completely responding to an EP regimen. Further randomized control study is warranted.
Increased reflection impulsivity in patients with ephedrone‐induced Parkinsonism
Authors: Djamshidian Atbin , Sanotsky Yanosh , Matviyenko Yuriy , O'Sullivan Sean S. , Sharman Stephen , Selikhova Marianna , Fedoryshyn Ludmyla , Filts Yuriy , Bearn Jenny , Lees Andrew J. , Averbeck Bruno B.
Published: December 2012

Aims

To examine a syndrome of chronic manganism that occurs in drug addicts in eastern Europe who use intravenous methcathinone (ephedrone) contaminated with potassium permanganate. In many cases the basal ganglia, especially the globus pallidus and the putamen, are damaged irreversibly. Routine neuropsychological assessment has revealed no cognitive deficits, despite widespread abnormalities on brain imaging studies and severe extrapyramidal motor handicap on clinical examination.

Design

Case–control study.

Setting

Ephedrone patients and patients with opioid dependence were recruited from Lviv, Ukraine.

Participants

We tested 15 patients with ephedrone‐induced toxicity, 13 opiate‐dependent patients who were receiving opioid replacement therapy and 18 matched healthy volunteers.

Measurements

The ‘beads task’, an information‐gathering task to assess reflection impulsivity, was used and feedback learning, working memory and risk‐taking were also assessed.

Findings

Opiate‐dependent patients differed from controls on three of four tasks, whereas ephedrone patients differed from controls on only one task. More specifically, both patient groups were more impulsive and made more irrational choices on the beads task than controls (P < 0.001). However, ephedrone patients had no deficits in working memory (P > 0.1) or risk‐taking (P > 0.1) compared with controls. Opioid‐dependent patients had significantly worse working memory (P < 0.001) and were significantly more risk‐prone than controls (P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Ephedrone patients may have similar deficits in information‐gathering and decision‐making to opiate‐dependent patients, with preservation of working memory and risk‐taking. This may reflect specific damage to anterior cingulate– basal ganglia loops.