bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Touch and Intimacy in First World War Literature
Authors: Das Santanu
Published: March 2014

The First World War ravaged the male body on an unprecedented scale, yet fostered moments of physical intimacy and tenderness among the soldiers in the trenches. Touch, the most elusive and private of the senses, became central to war experience. War writing is haunted by experiences of physical contact: from the muddy realities of the front to the emotional intensity of trench life, to the traumatic obsession with the wounded body in nurses' memoirs. Through extensive archival and historical research, analysing previously unknown letters and diaries alongside literary writings by figures such as Owen and Brittain, Santanu Das recovers the sensuous world of the First World War trenches and hospitals. This original and evocative study alters our understanding of the period as well as of the body at war, and illuminates the perilous intimacy between sense experience, emotion and language as we try to make meaning in times of crisis.
State-Building and Multilingual Education in Africa
Authors: Albaugh Ericka A.
Published: March 2014

How do governments in Africa make decisions about language? What does language have to do with state-building, and what impact might it have on democracy? This manuscript provides a longue durée explanation for policies toward language in Africa, taking the reader through colonial, independence, and contemporary periods. It explains the growing trend toward the use of multiple languages in education as a result of new opportunities and incentives. The opportunities incorporate ideational relationships with former colonizers as well as the work of language NGOs on the ground. The incentives relate to the current requirements of democratic institutions, and the strategies leaders devise to win elections within these constraints. By contrasting the environment faced by African leaders with that faced by European state-builders, it explains the weakness of education and limited spread of standard languages on the continent. The work combines constructivist understanding about changing preferences with realist insights about the strategies leaders employ to maintain power.
The Spectral Piano
Authors: Nonken Marilyn
Published: March 2014

The most influential compositional movement of the past fifty years, spectralism was informed by digital technology but also extended the aesthetics of pianist-composers such as Franz Liszt, Alexander Scriabin and Claude Debussy. Students of Olivier Messiaen such as Tristan Murail and Gérard Grisey sought to create a cooperative committed to exploring the evolution of timbre in time as a basis for the musical experience. In The Spectral Piano, Marilyn Nonken shows how the spectral attitude was influenced by developments in technology but also continued a tradition of performative and compositional virtuosity. Nonken explores shared fascinations with the musical experience, which united spectralists with their Romantic and early Modern predecessors. Examining Murail's Territoires de l'oubli, Jonathan Harvey's Tombeau de Messiaen, Joshua Fineberg's Veils, and Edmund Campion's A Complete Wealth of Time, she reveals how spectral concerns relate not only to the past but also to contemporary developments in philosophical aesthetics.
The Legacy of Johann Strauss
Authors: Lang Zoë Alexis
Published: March 2014

To this day, Johann Strauss, Jr remains one of the most popular composers in his native city of Vienna. In The Legacy of Johann Strauss, Zoë Lang examines how the reception of Strauss's waltzes played a key role in the construction of twentieth-century Austrian identity. Using press coverage from the centennial celebration of Strauss's birth in Vienna, Lang argues that his music remained popular because it continued to be revitalised by Austrians seeking to define their culture. Revealing the origins of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert, Lang considers how Strauss was appropriated as a National Socialist icon in the 1930s and 1940s and explores the Strauss family's Jewish ancestry, along with the infamous forgery of paperwork about their lineage during the 1940s. This book also includes a case study of Strauss's Emperor Waltz, considering its variegated usage in concerts and films from 1925 to 1953.
The Design and Statistical Analysis of Animal Experiments
Authors: Bate Simon T. , Clark Robin A.
Published: March 2014

Written for animal researchers, this book provides a comprehensive guide to the design and statistical analysis of animal experiments. It has long been recognised that the proper implementation of these techniques helps reduce the number of animals needed. By using real-life examples to make them more accessible, this book explains the statistical tools employed by practitioners. A wide range of design types are considered, including block, factorial, nested, cross-over, dose-escalation and repeated measures and techniques are introduced to analyse the experimental data generated. Each analysis technique is described in non-mathematical terms, helping readers without a statistical background to understand key techniques such as t-tests, ANOVA, repeated measures, analysis of covariance, multiple comparison tests, non-parametric and survival analysis. This is also the first text to describe technical aspects of InVivoStat, a powerful open-source software package developed by the authors to enable animal researchers to analyse their data and obtain informative results.
The Democratic Horizon
Authors: Ferrara Alessandro
Published: March 2014

Alessandro Ferrara explains what he terms 'the democratic horizon' - the idea that democracy is no longer simply one form of government among others, but is instead almost universally regarded as the only legitimate form of government, the horizon to which most of us look. Professor Ferrara reviews the challenges under which democracies must operate, focusing on hyperpluralism, and impresses a new twist onto the framework of political liberalism. He shows that distinguishing real democracies from imitations can be difficult, responding to this predicament by enriching readers' understanding of the spirit of democracy; clearing readers' views of pluralism from residues of ethnocentrism; and conceiving multiple versions of democratic culture, rooted in the diversity of civilizational contexts.
Empire's Children
Authors: Boucher Ellen
Published: March 2014

Between 1869 and 1967, government-funded British charities sent nearly 100,000 British children to start new lives in the settler empire. This pioneering study tells the story of the rise and fall of child emigration to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Southern Rhodesia. In the mid-Victorian period, the book reveals, the concept of a global British race had a profound impact on the practice of charity work, the evolution of child welfare, and the experiences of poor children. During the twentieth century, however, rising nationalism in the dominions, alongside the emergence of new, psychological theories of child welfare, eroded faith in the 'British world' and brought child emigration into question. Combining archival sources with original oral histories, Empire's Children not only explores the powerful influence of empire on child-centered social policy, it also uncovers how the lives of ordinary children and families were forever transformed by imperial forces and settler nationalism.
Post-exercise impact of ingested whey protein hydrolysate on gene expression profiles in rat skeletal muscle: activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α
Authors: Kanda Atsushi , Ishijima Tomoko , Shinozaki Fumika , Nakayama Kyosuke , Fukasawa Tomoyuki , Nakai Yuji , Abe Keiko , Kawahata Keiko , Ikegami Shuji
Published: March 2014

We have previously shown that whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) causes a greater increase in muscle protein synthesis than does a mixture of amino acids that is identical in amino acid composition. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of WPH on gene expression. Male Sprague–Dawley rats subjected to a 2 h swimming exercise were administered either a carbohydrate–amino acid diet or a carbohydrate–WPH diet immediately after exercise. At 1 h after exercise, epitrochlearis muscle mRNA was sampled and subjected to DNA microarray analysis. We found that ingestion of WPH altered 189 genes after considering the false discovery rate. Among the up-regulated genes, eight Gene Ontology (GO) terms were enriched, which included key elements such as Cd24, Ccl2, Ccl7 and Cxcl1 involved in muscle repair after exercise. In contrast, nine GO terms were enriched in gene sets that were down-regulated by the ingestion of WPH, and these GO terms fell into two clusters, ‘regulation of ATPase activity’ and ‘immune response’. Furthermore, we found that WPH activated two upstream proteins, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), which might act as key factors for regulating gene expression. These results suggest that ingestion of WPH, compared with ingestion of a mixture of amino acids with an identical amino acid composition, induces greater changes in the post-exercise gene expression profile via activation of the proteins ERK1/2 and HIF-1α.
SHADOW PLAYS, SHIFTING SANDS AND INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE LAW: CONVERGENCES IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
Authors: Crock Mary
Published: March 2014

While many Australians continue to see their roots in Western Europe, in matters concerning human rights and immigration control, Australia's culture and attitudes over time have become more closely aligned with those of States in its immediate geographical region. The trend finds obvious expression in the convergence of laws and policies governing the treatment of asylum seekers. This article uses as a case study various efforts made to establish regional frameworks for the management of irregular (forced) migration. The author argues that Australia's reversion to deflection and offshore processing as deterrent measures resonates with the discourse in two States that have been closely associated with the new ‘arrangements’: Malaysia and Indonesia. Australia's policies make express reference to laws and State behaviour in the region through what has been labelled the ‘no advantage’ principle governing Australia's treatment of asylum seekers presenting as unauthorized maritime arrivals (UMAs). The central idea is that these asylum seekers should gain no material advantage by reaching Australia in comparison with the situation they would face if their claims were processed in States of first refuge. If the comparators are the refugee-receiving States around Australia, the policy has to play out in the degradation of terms and conditions faced by UMAs in Australia. In the area of human rights and refugee policy, the author argues that Australia should be doing more to distinguish itself as a leader rather than follow the (generally poor) practices of its neighbours.
COGNITIVE ABILITY OF PRESCHOOL, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN COSTA RICA
Authors: RINDERMANN HEINER , STIEGMAIER EVA-MARIA , MEISENBERG GERHARD
Published: March 2014

Cognitive abilities of children in Costa Rica and Austria were compared using three age groups (N=385/366). Cognitive ability tests (mental speed, culture reduced/fluid intelligence, literacy/crystallized intelligence) were applied that differed in the extent to which they refer to school-related knowledge. Preschool children (kindergarten, 5–6 years old,NCR=80,NAu=51) were assessed with the Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM), primary school children (4th grade, 9–11 years old,NCR=71,NAu=71) with ZVT (a trail-making test), Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) and items from PIRLS-Reading and TIMSS-Mathematics, and secondary school students (15–16 years old,NCR=48,NAu=48) with ZVT, Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) and items from PISA-Reading and PISA-Mathematics. Additionally, parents and pupils were given questionnaires covering family characteristics and instruction. Average cognitive abilities were higher in Austria (Greenwich-IQMCR=87 andMAu=99,dIQ=12 points) and differences were smaller in preschool than in secondary school (dIQ=7 vs 20 points). Differences in crystallized intelligence were larger than in fluid intelligence (mental speed:dIQ=12, Raven:dIQ=10, student achievement tests:dIQ=17 IQ points). Differences were larger in comparisons at the level ofg-factors. Austrian children were also taller (6.80 cm,d=1.07 SD), but had lower body mass index (BMICR=19.35 vs BMIAu=17.59,d=−0.89 SD). Different causal hypotheses explaining these differences are compared.
Impact of stress on different components of impulsivity in borderline personality disorder
Authors: Cackowski S. , Reitz A.-C. , Ende G. , Kleindienst N. , Bohus M. , Schmahl C. , Krause-Utz A.
Published: March 2014

Background.

Previous research on impulsivity in borderline personality disorder (BPD) has revealed inconsistent findings. Impulsive behaviour is often observed during states of emotional distress and might be exaggerated by current attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in individuals with BPD. We aimed to investigate different components of impulsivity dependent on stress induction controlling for self-reported ADHD symptoms in BPD.

Method.

A total of 31 unmedicated women with BPD and 30 healthy women (healthy controls; HCs), matched for age, education and intelligence, completed self-reports and behavioural tasks measuring response inhibition (go/stop task) and feedback-driven decision making (Iowa Gambling Task) under resting conditions and after experimental stress induction. ADHD symptoms were included as a covariate in the analyses of behavioural impulsivity. Additionally, self-reported emotion-regulation capacities were assessed.

Results.

BPD patients reported higher impulsive traits than HCs. During stress conditions – compared with resting conditions – self-reported impulsivity was elevated in both groups. Patients with BPD reported higher state impulsivity under both conditions and a significantly stronger stress-dependent increase in state impulsivity. On the behavioural level, BPD patients showed significantly impaired performance on the go/stop task under stress conditions, even when considering ADHD symptoms as a covariate, but not under resting conditions. No group differences on the Iowa Gambling Task were observed. Correlations between impulsivity measures and emotion-regulation capacities were observed in BPD patients.

Conclusions.

Findings suggest a significant impact of stress on self-perceived state impulsivity and on response disinhibition (even when considering current ADHD symptoms) in females with BPD.
Alterations in white matter micro-integrity of the superior longitudinal fasciculus and anterior thalamic radiation of young adult patients with depression
Authors: Lai C.-H. , Wu Y.-T.
Published: March 2014

Background

This study surveyed the characteristics of white matter (WM) micro-integrity in patients who were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) without co-morbidities.

Method

A total of 44 patients with MDD and 27 normal controls were enrolled in our study. Diffusion tensor imaging images of patients and controls were pre-processed and analysed to estimate differences in WM micro-integrity between patients and controls by performing comparisons of the values obtained from fractional anisotropy (FA). FA outputs of patients and controls were compared by a non-parametric permutation-based method with global brain volume, age and gender as covariates. In addition, the between-group differences of radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) were assessed to explain the alterations in FA values. Correlations between clinical variables (such as depression severity, anxiety severity, illness duration) and FA values were also estimated in each group and across both groups.

Results

The patients with MDD had significantly lower FA values than the controls, for the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and the right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR). The reductions in FA values occurred in combination with elevated RD values in the bilateral SLF and decreased AD values in the bilateral ATR. FA values were negatively correlated with depression severity in the SLF and with illness duration in the right SLF and ATR.

Conclusions

MDD patients had significant alterations in the WM micro-integrity of the left SLF and the right ATR.
The Work of Monuments: Reflections on Spatial, Temporal and Social Orientations in Mongolia and the Maya Lowlands
Authors: Jackson Sarah E. , Wright Joshua
Published: March 2014

In this article, we look at two very different contexts of monument use – Bronze Age Inner Asia and the Classic period Maya lowlands – in order to explore the function and meanings of monuments and the variety of ways in which they worked to mark and differentiate ancient landscapes. Our goal in uniting such disparate contexts is to examine how power and social organization in these settings were translated into monumental material forms, and how such materializations were experienced by those who viewed and re-interpreted the monuments. In particular, we explore how monuments acted as orientational markers within specific cultural contexts. Our discussion finds common ground between the disparate settings through several common interpretive frameworks focused on spatial, temporal and social orientational work accomplished by active, agentive monuments through their relationships with humans, which we frame as a ‘technology of the monument’. Monuments are instrumental in situating groups within these different layers, or landscapes, of lived experience, yet even while physically fixed, allow for movement through changing meanings and ideas.
Social Organization in Nuragic Sardinia: Cultural Progress Without ‘Elites’?
Authors: Gonzalez Ralph Araque
Published: March 2014

After the collapse of most early states in the East around 1200 BC, parts of the western Mediterranean experienced technological progress and demographic rise, apparently without adapting forms of hierarchic political organization. A very good example is Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age nuragic Sardinia, which had been connected to eastern trade networks since Mycenaean times, and developed into one of the most important venues for culture contact and exchange in the West after 1200 BC. However, its rich archaeological record, including figurines, architecture, sanctuaries, villages and tombs, does neither indicate the existence of ‘elite’ groups, nor does it show any traces of a hierarchic society. This article examines the possibility that a non-hierarchical form of socio-political organization devoid of elites developed to a high level of cultural complexity and progress on the island. Other important aspects are the role of immigration as an integrant in nuragic society, considering comparable situations of non-hierarchic politics in ethnography and history, as well as theoretical approaches to forms of social organization. It is concluded that socio-economic development does not necessarily require a centralized political authority.
Aberration-Corrected X-Ray Spectrum Imaging and Fresnel Contrast to Differentiate Nanoclusters and Cavities in Helium-Irradiated Alloy 14YWT
Authors: Parish Chad M. , Miller Michael K.
Published: March 2014

Helium accumulation negatively impacts structural materials used in neutron-irradiated environments, such as fission and fusion reactors. Next-generation fission and fusion reactors will require structural materials, such as steels, that are resistant to large neutron doses yet see service temperatures in the range most affected by helium embrittlement. Previous work has indicated the difficulty of experimentally differentiating nanometer-sized cavities such as helium bubbles from the Ti–Y–O rich nanoclusters (NCs) in radiation-tolerant nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs). Because the NCs are expected to sequester helium away from grain boundaries and reduce embrittlement, experimental methods to study simultaneously the NC and bubble populations are needed. In this study, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) results combining high-collection-efficiency X-ray spectrum images (SIs), multivariate statistical analysis (MVSA), and Fresnel-contrast bright-field STEM imaging, have been used for such a purpose. Fresnel-contrast imaging, with careful attention to TEM-STEM reciprocity, differentiates bubbles from NCs. MVSA of X-ray SIs unambiguously identifies NCs. Therefore, combined Fresnel-contrast STEM and X-ray SI is an effective STEM-based method to characterize helium-bearing NFAs.
A method to identify the boundary between rocky and gaseous exoplanets from tidal theory and transit durations
Authors: Barnes Rory
Published: March 2014

The determination of an exoplanet as rocky is critical for the assessment of planetary habitability. Observationally, the number of small-radius, transiting planets with accompanying mass measurements is insufficient for a robust determination of the transitional mass or radius. Theoretically, models predict that rocky planets can grow large enough to become gas giants when they reach ~10 MEarth, but the transitional mass remains unknown. Here I show how transit data, interpreted in the context of tidal theory, can reveal the critical radius that separates rocky and gaseous exoplanets. Standard tidal models predict that rocky exoplanets’ orbits are tidally circularized much more rapidly than gaseous bodies’, suggesting the former will tend to be found on circular orbits at larger semi-major axes than the latter. Well-sampled transits can provide a minimum eccentricity of the orbit, allowing a measurement of this differential circularization. I show that this effect should be present in the data from the Kepler spacecraft, but is not apparent. Instead, it appears that there is no evidence of tidal circularization at any planetary radius, probably because the publicly-available data, particularly the impact parameters, are not accurate enough. I also review the bias in the transit duration towards values that are smaller than that of planets on circular orbits, stressing that the azimuthal velocity of the planet determines the transit duration. The ensemble of Kepler planet candidates may be able to determine the critical radius between rocky and gaseous exoplanets, tidal dissipation as a function of planetary radius, and discriminate between tidal models.
Molecular epidemiology and population structure of the honey bee brood pathogenMelissococcus plutonius
Authors: Budge Giles E , Shirley Mark D F , Jones Benjamin , Quill Emiline , Tomkies Victoria , Feil Edward J , Brown Mike A , Haynes Edward G
Published: March 2014

Melissococcus plutonius is the causative agent of European foulbrood (EFB), which is a serious brood disease of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera). EFB remains a threat because of a poor understanding of disease epidemiology. We used a recently published multi-locus sequence typing method to characterise 206 M. plutonius isolates recovered from outbreaks in England and Wales over the course of 2 years. We detected 15 different sequence types (STs), which were resolved by eBURST and phylogenetic analysis into three clonal complexes (CCs) 3, 12 and 13. Single and double locus variants within CC3 were the most abundant and widespread genotypes, accounting for 85% of the cases. In contrast, CCs 12 and 13 were rarer and predominantly found in geographical regions of high sampling intensity, consistent with a more recent introduction and localised spread. K-function analysis and interpoint distance tests revealed significant geographical clustering in five common STs, but pointed to different dispersal patterns between STs. We noted that CCs appeared to vary in pathogenicity and that infection caused by the more pathogenic variants is more likely to lead to honey bee colony destruction, as opposed to treatment. The importance of these findings for improving our understanding of disease aetiology and control are discussed.
Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production from biomass derivatives and water
Authors: Lu Xihong , Xie Shilei , Yang Hao , Tong Yexiang , Ji Hongbing
Published: March 2014

Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production from renewable biomass derivatives and water is a promising approach to produce green chemical fuels.
Synthesis of diarylalkynes via tandem Sonogashira/decarboxylative reaction of aryl chlorides with propiolic acid
Authors: Li Xiang , Yang Fan , Wu Yangjie
Published: March 2014

A tandem Sonogashira/decarboxylative coupling of aryl chlorides with propiolic acid for one-pot synthesis of diarylalkynes was developed.
Effect of ion beam assisted deposition on the growth of indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowires
Authors: Yu Hak Ki , Lee Jong-Lam
Published: March 2014

We developed a method to control the alignment and density of indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowires by using ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD).
Investigation of molecular partitioning between non polar oil droplets and aqueous solution using double potential step chronoamperometry
Authors: Newland Jonathan C. , Unwin Patrick R. , Macpherson Julie V.
Published: March 2014

Factors affecting partitioning of an electrogenerated species, Br2 from Br−, into non-polar oil microdroplets at the oil–water–solid interface are investigated using double potential step chronoamperometry.
A simple BODIPY-aniline-based fluorescent chemosensor as multiple logic operations for the detection of pH and CO2gas
Authors: Pan Zhong-Hua , Luo Geng-Geng , Zhou Jing-Wei , Xia Jiu-Xu , Fang Kai , Wu Rui-Bo
Published: March 2014

4-Aniline BODIPY dye was developed as a highly sensitive fluorescent chemosensor for the detection of pH and CO2gas.
Large-scale synthesis of ITO nanoparticles in an alcohol system assisted by acids
Authors: Cuya Huaman Jhon L. , Tanoue Koji , Miyamura Hiroshi , Matsumoto Takatoshi , Jeyadevan Balachandran
Published: March 2014

Large quantities of water-based ITO nanoparticles with a size of 5 nm were prepared in a 2-octanol–HCl/CH3COOH system at atmospheric pressure.
A unique dithiocarbamate chemistry during design & synthesis of novel sperm-immobilizing agents
Authors: Jangir Santosh , Bala Veenu , Lal Nand , Kumar Lalit , Sarswat Amit , Kumar Lokesh , Kushwaha Bhavana , Singh Pratiksha , Shukla Praveen Kumar , Maikhuri Jagdamba Prasad , Gupta Gopal , Sharma Vishnu Lal
Published: March 2014

Unusual loss of CS2 observed in benzyl substituted dithiocarbamates during synthesis of double edged spermicides which acted through sulfhydryl binding.
Trapping the Lewis acid generated transient species from pentafulvene derived diazanorbornenes with ortho-functionalized aryl iodides and aliphatic alcohols
Authors: Chand S. Sarath , Saranya S. , Preethanuj P. , Dhanya B. P. , Jijy E. , Prakash Praveen , Sasidhar B. S. , Szymoniak Jan , Santhini P. V. , Radhakrishnan K. V.
Published: March 2014

Lewis acid catalyzed ring-opening of pentafulvene derived diazabicyclic olefins with various ortho-functionalized aryl iodides is described.
Copper-mediated/-catalyzed fluorination reactions: new routes to aryl fluorides
Authors: Mu Xin , Liu Guosheng
Published: March 2014

Recent advances in direct fluorination of aromatic compounds by copper catalysts have been highlighted.
Anode-selective coating of titanium(iv) oxide (TiO2) using electrophoretic sulfone-containing click polyester
Authors: Fukuoka Takuya , Takasu Akinori
Published: March 2014

We synthesized aliphatic and aromatic poly(ester-sulfide)s,viaa thiol–ene click polymerization of ester-containing dialkenes with dithiols. Subsequent Oxone oxidation led to the corresponding poly(ester-sulfone). We then prepared a composite with TiO2using electrophoretic deposition. The composite was selectively deposited onto a stainless-steel anode.
Buff/wipe effects on the physicochemical properties of perfluoropolyether nanoscale thin films
Authors: Chen Haigang , Seung Chung Pil , Jhon Myung S.
Published: March 2014

Buff/Wipe (B/W) process is commonly used in disk drive manufacturing to remove the particles and asperities on the lubricated disk surface. In this paper, we investigated how B/W process impacts the physicochemical properties of perfluoropolyethers (PFPE) nano-films through the study of surface energy and bonded ratio. Two-liquid geometric method was used to analyze the surface energy of nonfunctional PFPE, i.e., Z03, and functional PFPE, i.e., Zdol, lubricated media before and after B/W process. It was found that the dispersive surface energy of Z03 films greatly decreased after B/W, which was more significant in the submonolayer regime. In addition, the bonded ratio slightly increased. However, B/W effect on the surface energy and bonded ratio was not detected for Zdol films. It is hypothesized that nonfunctional PFPE behaves liquid-like on the carbon overcoat due to the weak interaction between lubricant and overcoat. External mechanical stress as applied with B/W can change the conformation and increase the surface coverage for nonfunctional PFPE. On the other hand, functional PFPEs behave solid-like due to the strong attraction between lubricant and overcoat; therefore, it is difficult to change the conformation by external stress from B/W process.
On the damping effect of gas rarefaction on propagation of acoustic waves in a microchannel
Authors: Manela A. , Radtke G. A. , Pogorelyuk L.
Published: March 2014

We consider the response of a gas in a microchannel to instantaneous (small-amplitude) non-periodic motion of its boundaries in the normal direction. The problem is formulated for an ideal monatomic gas using the Bhatnagar, Gross, and Krook (BGK) kinetic model, and solved for the entire range of Knudsen (Kn) numbers. Analysis combines analytical (collisionless and continuum-limit) solutions with numerical (low-variance Monte Carlo and linearized BGK) calculations. Gas flow, driven by motion of the boundaries, consists of a sequence of propagating and reflected pressure waves, decaying in time towards a final equilibrium state. Gas rarefaction is shown to have a “damping effect” on equilibration process, with the time required for equilibrium shortening with increasing Kn. Oscillations in hydrodynamic quantities, characterizing gas response in the continuum limit, vanish in collisionless conditions. The effect of having two moving boundaries, compared to only one considered in previous studies of time-periodic systems, is investigated. Comparison between analytical and numerical solutions indicates that the collisionless description predicts the system behavior exceptionally well for all systems of the size of the mean free path and somewhat larger, in cases where boundary actuation acts along times shorter than the ballistic time scale. The continuum-limit solution, however, should be considered with care at early times near the location of acoustic wavefronts, where relatively sharp flow-field variations result in effective increase in the value of local Knudsen number.
High pressure molecular dynamics simulation of Au-x%Ni alloys
Authors: Davoodi J. , Katouzi F.
Published: March 2014

The aim of this investigation was to calculate thermodynamics properties of Au-x%Ni (atomic percent) by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique under high pressure. The many body quantum Sutton-Chen potential was employed to obtain cohesive energy and force experienced by every atom at the isothermal, isobaric (NPT) ensemble. The effect of pressure and Ni concentration on the physical properties, including cohesive energy, melting temperature, isobaric heat capacity, redial distribution function, and order parameter were calculated for Au-x%Ni alloys. The obtained MD results show that cohesive energy and melting temperature increase upon pressure increase. In addition, linear thermal expansion as well as isobaric heat capacity decreases with increasing pressure. Moreover, the phase diagrams of Au-x%Ni alloys were plotted at different pressure showing melting points as a function of Ni concentration.
A parametric approach to supersymmetric quantum mechanics in the solution of Schrödinger equation
Authors: Tezcan Cevdet , Sever Ramazan
Published: March 2014

We study exact solutions of the Schrödinger equation for some potentials. We introduce a parametric approach to supersymmetric quantum mechanics to calculate energy eigenvalues and corresponding wave functions exactly. As an application we solve Schrödinger equation for the generalized Morse potential, modified Hulthen potential, deformed Rosen-Morse potential and Poschl-Teller potential. The method is simple and effective to get the results.
Dynamic Faraday cup signal analysis and the measurement of energetic ions emitted by plasma focus
Authors: Pestehe S. J. , Mohammadnejad M. , Irani Mobaraki S.
Published: March 2014

A theoretical model is developed to study the signals from a typical dynamic Faraday cup, and using this model the output signals from this structure are obtained. A detailed discussion on the signal structure, using different experimental conditions, is also given. It is argued that there is a possibility of determining the total charge of the generated ion pulse, the maximum velocity of the ions, ion velocity distribution, and the number of ion species for mixed working gases, under certain conditions. In addition, the number of different ionization stages, the number of different pinches in one shot, and the number of different existing acceleration mechanisms can also be determined provided that the mentioned conditions being satisfied. An experiment is carried out on the Filippov type 90 kJ Sahand plasma focus using Ar as the working gas at the pressure of 0.25 Torr. The data from a typical shot are fitted to a signal from the model and the total charge of the related energetic ion pulse is deduced using the values of the obtained fit parameters. Good agreement between the obtained amount of the total charge and the values obtained during other experiments on the same plasma focus device is observed.
Communication: Theoretical prediction of the importance of the 3B2 state in the dynamics of sulfur dioxide
Authors: Lévêque Camille , Taïeb Richard , Köppel Horst
Published: March 2014

Even though the sulfur dioxide molecule has been extensively studied over the last decades, its photo-excitation dynamics is still unclear, due to its complexity, combining conical intersections, and spin-orbit coupling between a manifold of states. We present a comprehensive ab initio study of the intersystem crossing of the molecule in the low energy domain, based on a wave-packet propagation on the manifold of the lowest singlet and triplet states. Furthermore, spin-orbit couplings are evaluated on a geometry-dependent grid, and diabatized along with the different conical intersections. Our results show for the first time the primordial role of the triplet 3B2 state and furthermore predict novel interference patterns due to the different intersystem crossing channels induced by the spin-orbit couplings and the shapes of the different potential energy surfaces. These give new insight into the coupled singlet-triplet dynamics of SO2.
Determination of charge-carrier diffusion length in the photosensing layer of HgCdTe n-on-p photovoltaic infrared focal plane array detectors
Authors: Vishnyakov A. V. , Stuchinsky V. A. , Brunev D. V. , Zverev A. V. , Dvoretsky S. A.
Published: March 2014

In the present paper, we propose a method for evaluating the bulk diffusion length of minority charge carriers in the photosensing layer of photovoltaic focal plane array (FPA) photodetectors. The method is based on scanning a strip-shaped illumination spot with one of the detector diodes at a low level of photocurrents jph being registered; such scanning provides data for subsequent analysis of measured spot-scan profiles within a simple diffusion model. The asymptotic behavior of the effective (at jph ≠ 0) charge-carrier diffusion length ld eff as a function of jph for jph → 0 inferred from our experimental data proved to be consistent with the behavior of ld eff vs jph as predicted by the model, while the obtained values of the bulk diffusion length of minority carriers (electrons) in the p-HgCdTe film of investigated HgCdTe n-on-p FPA photodetectors were found to be in a good agreement with the previously reported carrier diffusion-length values for HgCdTe.
Theoretically guided design of efficient polymer dielectrics
Authors: Miao Jiayuan , Brown Gavin R. , Taylor Philip L.
Published: March 2014

We analyze the nature of energy storage in polymer dielectrics, with a focus on the case of polymers containing permanent electric dipoles. We note that the stored energy resides largely in the potential energy of distortion of molecular bonds. In the case of a model polymer dielectric in which the permanent electric dipoles lie perpendicular to the chain axis, we study how the density of cross-linked sites, at which the chain is prevented from rotating, affects the stored energy. If the length of segment of chain that is free to rotate is large, the dipoles rotate freely in unison with little bond strain, and hence little stored energy. If the segment length is small, then the large distortion of bond angles necessary for dipole rotation makes this rotation small, and there is again little stored energy. An optimum cross-link density can thus be found at which the stored energy is maximized. The interaction between dipoles is evaluated, and found to be potentially most significant at high dipole density, but also greatly dependent on the structural details of the polymer. For the model considered here, which reflects some of the characteristics of polyvinylidene fluoride or its copolymers, the optimum energy storage is found within a very narrow range of densities of cross links. The Clausius-Mossotti instability can lead to a significant reduction in stored energy density in some circumstances.
Investigation of tunnel field-effect transistors as a capacitor-less memory cell
Authors: Biswas Arnab , Dagtekin Nilay , Grabinski Wladyslaw , Bazigos Antonios , Le Royer Cyrille , Hartmann Jean-Michel , Tabone Claude , Vinet Maud , Ionescu Adrian M.
Published: March 2014

In this work, we report experimental results on the use of tunnel field-effect transistors as capacitorless dynamic random access memory cells, implemented as double-gate fully depleted silicon-on-insulator devices. The devices have an asymmetric design, with a partial overlap of the top gate (LG) and with a total overlap of the back gate over the channel region (LG + LIN). A potential well is created by biasing the back gate (VBG) in accumulation, while the front gate (VFG) is in inversion. Holes from the p+ source are injected by the forward-biased p+ i junction and stored in the electrically induced potential well.
Defect-mediated ferroelectric domain depinning of polycrystalline BiFeO3 multiferroic thin films
Authors: Bretos I. , Jiménez R. , Gutiérrez-Lázaro C. , Montero I. , Calzada M. L.
Published: March 2014

The ferroelectric domain depinning in a polycrystalline BiFeO3 film is studied by a defect-mediated diffusion mechanism driven by a secondary re-oxidation anneal. The presence of defect complexes (oxygen-vacancy-associated dipoles) responsible for pinning is discussed from the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the film. Dissociation of these complexes by re-oxidation anneal produces the effective depinning of domains in the material. The released oxygen vacancies would be compensated at the re-oxidized state due to the valence change of Fe2+ to Fe3+. Improvement on domain mobility results in a larger contribution to ferroelectric switching, showing a room-temperature remanent polarization of 67 μC cm−2.
Using surface plasmon resonance imaging to study bacterial biofilms
Authors: Abadian Pegah N. , Tandogan Nil , Jamieson John J. , Goluch Edgar D.
Published: March 2014

This paper describes the use of Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi) as an emerging technique to study bacterial physiology in real-time without labels. The overwhelming majority of bacteria on earth exist in large multicellular communities known as biofilms. Biofilms are especially problematic because they facilitate the survival of pathogens, leading to chronic and recurring infections as well as costly industrial complications. Monitoring biofilm accumulation and removal is therefore critical in these and other applications. SPRi uniquely provides label-free, high-resolution images of biomass coverage on large channel surfaces up to 1 cm2 in real time, which allow quantitative assessment of biofilm dynamics. The rapid imaging capabilities of this technique are particularly relevant for multicellular bacterial studies, as these cells can swim several body lengths per second and divide multiple times per hour. We present here the first application of SPRi to image Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells moving, attaching, and forming biofilms across a large surface. This is also the first time that biofilm removal has been visualized with SPRi, which has important implications for monitoring the biofouling and regeneration of fluidic systems. Initial images of the removal process show that the biofilm releases from the surface as a wave along the direction of the fluid flow.
Band alignment of HfO2/Al0.25Ga0.75N determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: Effect of SiH4 surface treatment
Authors: Samuel Owen Man Hon , Amin Bhuiyan Maruf , Zhou Qian , Zhang Zheng , Sheng Pan Ji , Yeo Yee-Chia
Published: March 2014

The band-alignment of atomic layer deposited (ALD)-HfO2/Al0.25Ga0.75N was studied by high resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements for both the non-passivated and SiH4 passivated AlGaN surfaces. The valence band offset and the conduction band offset for the ALD-HfO2/Al0.25Ga0.75N interface were found to be 0.43 eV and 1.47 eV, respectively, for the non-passivated sample, and 0.59 eV and 1.31 eV, respectively, for the SiH4-passivated sample. The difference in the band alignment is dominated by the band bending or band shift in the AlGaN substrate as a result of the different interlayers formed by the two surface preparations.
The E3 center in zinc oxide: Evidence for involvement of hydrogen
Authors: Hupfer A. , Bhoodoo C. , Vines L. , Svensson B. G.
Published: March 2014

Proton implantation is shown to increase the concentration of the so called and commonly observed E3 defect level in zinc oxide (ZnO). Box and single profiles of protons with doses ranging from 6×1010 cm−2 to 4.3×1012 cm−2 were implanted into hydrothermally grown ZnO samples with original concentrations of E3 below 5×1014 cm−3. Capacitance-Voltage profiling and junction spectroscopy measurements showed that the charge carrier concentration and absolute concentration of E3 centers increase by more than one order of magnitude compared to the as-grown samples as well as control samples implanted with He ions. The results provide strong evidence for the involvement of H in the formation of the E3 center, and a complex involving interstitial H and an oxygen sub-lattice primary defect are discussed.
Single-transistor method for the extraction of the contact and channel resistances in organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Torricelli Fabrizio , Ghittorelli Matteo , Colalongo Luigi , Kovacs-Vajna Zsolt-Miklos
Published: March 2014

A simple and accurate method for the extraction of the contact and channel resistances in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is proposed. The method is of general applicability since only two measured output-characteristics of a single OFET are needed and no channel-length scaling is required. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by means of both numerical simulations and experimental data of OFETs. Furthermore, the provided analysis quantitatively shows that the contact resistance in OFETs depends on both VG and VD, and, in the case of non-linear injecting contact, the drain-source voltage (viz., the electric field along the channel transport direction) plays a major role.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Transmission and Infections in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit despite Active Surveillance Cultures and Decolonization: Challenges for Infection Prevention
Authors: Popoola Victor O. , Budd Alicia , Wittig Sara M. , Ross Tracy , Aucott Susan W. , Perl Trish M. , Carroll Karen C. , Milstone Aaron M.
Published: March 2014

Objective.

To characterize the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission and infections in a level IIIC neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and identify barriers to MRSA control.

Setting and Design.

Retrospective cohort study in a university-affiliated NICU with an MRSA control program including weekly nares cultures of all neonates and admission nares cultures for neonates transferred from other hospitals or admitted from home.

Methods.

Medical records were reviewed to identify neonates with NICU-acquired MRSA colonization or infection between April 2007 and December 2011. Compliance with hand hygiene and an MRSA decolonization protocol were monitored. Relatedness of MRSA strains were assessed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Results.

Of 3,536 neonates, 74 (2.0%) had a culture grow MRSA, including 62 neonates with NICU-acquired MRSA. Nineteen of 74 neonates (26%) had an MRSA infection, including 8 who became infected before they were identified as MRSA colonized, and 11 of 66 colonized neonates (17%) developed a subsequent infection. Of the 37 neonates that underwent decolonization, 6 (16%) developed a subsequent infection, and 7 of 14 (50%) that remained in the NICU for 21 days or more became recolonized with MRSA. Using PFGE, there were 14 different strain types identified, with USA300 being the most common (31%).

Conclusions.

Current strategies to prevent infections—including active identification and decolonization of MRSA-colonized neonates—are inadequate because infants develop infections before being identified as colonized or after attempted decolonization. Future prevention efforts would benefit from improving detection of MRSA colonization, optimizing decolonization regimens, and identifying and interrupting reservoirs of transmission.
Outcomes of an Enhanced Surveillance Program for Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Fitzpatrick Margaret , Zembower Teresa , Malczynski Michael , Qi Chao , Bolon Maureen K.
Published: March 2014

Optimal surveillance strategies for identifying patients colonized with and at risk for transmitting carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are urgently needed. We instituted an enhanced surveillance program for CRE that identified unrecognized CRE-colonized patients but failed to identify possible CRE transmissions. We also identified risk factors associated with transmitting CRE.