bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on cognitive health
Authors: Féart Catherine , Samieri Cecilia , Allès Benjamin , Barberger-Gateau Pascale
Published: December 2012

The purpose of this review was to update available knowledge on the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) and cognitive decline, risk of dementia or Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and to analyse the reasons for some inconsistent results across studies. The traditional MeDi has been recognised by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This dietary pattern is characterised by a high consumption of plant foods (i.e. vegetables, fruits, legumes and cereals), a high intake of olive oil as the main source of fat, a moderate intake of fish, low-to-moderate intake of dairy products and low consumption of meat and poultry, with wine consumed in low-to-moderate amounts during meals. Beyond the well-known association between higher adherence to the MeDi and lower risk of mortality, in particular from CVD and cancer, new data from large epidemiological studies suggest a relationship between MeDi adherence and cognitive decline or risk of dementia. However, some inconsistent results have been found as well, even in Mediterranean countries. In this review, we analyse the reasons likely to explain these discrepancies, and propose that most of these differences are due to variations in the methodology used to assess MeDi adherence. We also discuss the possibility of residual confounding by lifestyle, that is, greater adherents to the MeDi also have a healthier lifestyle in general, which can favourably affect cognition. In conclusion, large-scale studies in various populations with common methodology are required before considering the MeDi as an optimal dietary strategy to prevent cognitive decline or dementia.
Complexity, ecologism, and posthuman politics
Authors: CUDWORTH ERIKA , HOBDEN STEPHEN
Published: December 2012

Theorisations of the political in general, and international politics in particular, have been little concerned with the vast variety of other, non-human populations of species and ‘things’. This anthropocentrism limits the possibilities for the discipline to contribute on core issues and prescribes a very limited scope for study. As a response to this narrow focus, this article calls for the development of a posthuman approach to the study of international politics. By posthuman, we mean an analysis that is based on complexity theory, rejects Newtonian social sciences, and decentres the human as the object of study. We argue for a decentring of ‘the human’ in our scholarship as imperative to understanding the complexity of the world. However, this approach also has a political incentive, which we describe as ‘complex ecologism’.
Governmentality at the limits of the international: African politics and Foucauldian theory
Authors: DEATH CARL
Published: December 2012

The ability of International Relations theory to ‘travel well’ to other parts of the world has become one of the central questions within the discipline. This article argues that a Foucauldian-derived ‘analytics of government’ framework has particular advantages in overcoming some of the difficulties IR theory has faced abroad. These advantages include a methodological focus on specific practices of power at their point of application; attention to similarities between practices of power that cut across perceived binaries such as the domestic and international, and public and private; and an illumination of the ways in which practices of freedom are combined and interrelate with forms of coercion and violence. This argument is illustrated in the context of debates about the applicability of Foucauldian theory to African politics, through examples drawn from Bayart's work on globalisation, the power of development partnerships, and violence and civil war. It argues that deploying governmentality as an analytical framework, rather than seeing it as a specifically neoliberal form of power relation, can not only facilitate the application of IR theory outside Europe and North America but can also help develop a broader perspective on genuinely world politics.
Decolonising the special relationship: Diego Garcia, the Chagossians, and Anglo-American relations
Authors: HARRIS PETER
Published: December 2012

In this article, I challenge the prevailing concept of the UK-US ‘special relationship’ with a view to improving the concept as an analytic tool for researchers. As it stands, the special relationship draws attention to an uncommonly close bond between two state actors in the post-Second World War period, especially in terms of military cooperation. This conception imposes analytic costs – namely, an elision of imperialism as a feature of Anglo-American relations and a concomitant marginalisation of subaltern social actors. In response, I propose a reconception that posits the subaltern – third parties – as integral to the relationship, thus better capturing the empirical reality of Anglo-American relations past and present. Theoretically, I draw upon postcolonial International Relations scholarship and recent theories of friendship in international politics. Empirically, I present a case study of the US military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.
Scarred souls, weary warriors, and military intervention: the emergence of the subject in the just war writings of Jean Bethke Elshtain
Authors: LEE PETER
Published: December 2012

Over the past three decades Jean Bethke Elshtain has used her critique and application of just war as a means of engaging with multiple overlapping aspects of identity. Though Elshtain ostensibly writes about war and the justice, or lack of justice, therein, she also uses just war a site of analysis within which different strands of subjectivity are investigated and articulated as part of her broader political theory. This article explores the proposition that Elshtain's most important contribution to the just war tradition is not be found in her provision of codes or her analysis of ad bellum or in bello criteria, conformity to which adjudges war or military intervention to be just or otherwise. Rather, that she enriches just war debate because of the unique and sometimes provocative perspective she brings as political theorist and International Relations scholar who adopts, adapts, and deploys familiar but, for some, uncomfortable discursive artefacts from the history of the Christian West: suffused with her own Christian faith and theology. In so doing she continually reminds us that human lives, with all their attendant political, social, and religious complexities, should be the focus when military force is used, or even proposed, for political ends.
Beyond Tokenism: The Institutional Conversion of Party-Controlled Labour Unions in Taiwan's State-Owned Enterprises (1951–86)
Authors: Ho Ming-sho
Published: December 2012

This article challenges the accepted view that during the period of martial law Taiwan's labour unions were “a useless token.” Focusing on the petroleum and sugar industries, I analyse the incremental process of how party-state control over the labour unions was converted by the workers themselves in Taiwan's national enterprises. In the early 1950s, the KMT's policy of unionizing enterprises was a complementary strategy to reinforce its slow and unsuccessful party-state penetration. With the unions' prominent role in welfare provision, workers were encouraged to develop a sense of stakeholdership. Over the years, labour unions legitimatized the interests of worker members and thus gave rise to an explosion of claim-making activities – what I call “petty bargaining.” By the mid-1980s, labour unions, although still dominated by the KMT, were no longer a Leninist transmission belt, but rather functioned as a de facto complaint centre – an often overlooked precondition for the rise of post-1987 independent labour unionism.
Geographically selective assortment of cycles in pandemics: meta-analysis of data collected by Chizhevsky
Authors: GUMAROVA L. , CORNÉLISSEN G. , HILLMAN D. , HALBERG F.
Published: December 2012

In the incidence patterns of cholera, diphtheria and croup during the past when they were of epidemic proportions, we document a set of cycles (periods), one of which was reported and discussed by A. L. Chizhevsky in the same data with emphasis on the mirroring in human disease of the ∼11-year sunspot cycle. The data in this study are based on Chizhevsky's book The Terrestrial Echo of Solar Storms and on records from the World Health Organization. For meta-analysis, we used the extended linear and nonlinear cosinor. We found a geographically selective assortment of various cycles characterizing the epidemiology of infections, which is the documented novel topic of this paper, complementing the earlier finding in the 21st century or shortly before, of a geographically selective assortment of cycles characterizing human sudden cardiac death. Solar effects, if any, interact with geophysical processes in contributing to this assortment.
A 4-year evaluation of toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in the general population and in women of reproductive age in central Italy
Authors: MOSTI M. , PINTO B. , GIROMELLA A. , FABIANI S. , CRISTOFANI R. , PANICHI M. , BRUSCHI F.
Published: December 2012

This study aimed to estimate possible changes in seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM antibodies in people living in the area of Massa and Carrara (central Italy), in recent years. Serum samples from over 13 000 individuals were tested for both IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibodies using an immunoenzymatic method (Access® Toxo IgG, and Access® Toxo IgM II, Beckman Coulter Inc., USA). Our survey showed a decreasing trend of overall seroprevalence of 24·4% [95% confidence interval (CI) 22·62–25·71] in 2010 compared to 31·0% (95% CI 29·29–32·72) in 2007. A positive trend according to age was found, with low positivity observed in younger age groups. For women of reproductive age the prevalence of IgG antibodies was 30·2% (95% CI 28·44–31·96) in 2007 and 23·6% (95% CI 22·05–25·20) in 2010. IgM seroprevalence in women of this age group also progressively decreased from 1·6% to 0·97% during the study period. Our study confirms a decline of toxoplasmosis in Western countries.
Added value of a household-level study during an outbreak investigation of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul infections, New Mexico 2008
Authors: BOORE A. L. , JUNGK J. , RUSSO E. T. , REDD J. T. , ANGULO F. J. , WILLIAMS I. T. , CHEEK J. E. , GOULD L. H.
Published: December 2012

In 2008, nationwide investigations of a Salmonella serotype Saintpaul outbreak led first to consumer warnings for Roma and red round tomatoes, then later for jalapeño and serrano peppers. In New Mexico, where there were a large number of cases but no restaurant-based clusters, the NM Department of Health and the Indian Health Service participated with CDC in individual-level and household-level case-control studies of infections in New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. No food item was associated in the individual-level study. In the household-level study, households with an ill member were more likely to have had jalapeño peppers present during the exposure period and to have reported ever having serrano peppers in the household. This report illustrates the complexity of this investigation, the limitations of traditional individual-level case-control studies when vehicles of infection are ingredients or commonly eaten with other foods, and the added value of a household-level study.
Advanced Computing in Electron Microscopy, Earl J. Kirkland
1998. Plenum Press, New York and London. 260 pages. ($72.50)
Authors: Spence John
Published: December 2012

The recent observation of Bucky-tubes by S. Iijima using a
transmission electron microscope (TEM) represents the
first occasion in which a useful new material, subsequently
available in commercial quantities, has been discovered by
high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). More
commonly, the HREM method has been used for microcharacterization
of materials at the atomic level, and for
phase identification of submicrometer-sized microphases
and polytypes.
An Early Cambrian archaeocyath–trilobite fauna in limestone erratics from the Upper Carboniferous Fitzroy Tillite Formation, Falkland Islands
Authors: Stone P. , Thomson M. R. A. , Rushton A. W. A.
Published: December 2012

Rare clasts of limestone contained in the uppermost Carboniferous Fitzroy Tillite Formation of the Falkland Islands contain a rich Cambrian fauna of archaeocyaths together with a radiocyath and a few trilobites. Neither Cambrian strata nor limestone are present in the indigenous rock succession and the clasts are regarded as exotic erratics, introduced during the Permo-Carboniferous glaciation of southern Gondwana, prior to its Mesozoic break-up. Nineteen archaeocyath taxa have been identified, with seven (plus a radiocyath) occurring in a single clast. Trilobite identifications are less definitive, but they are compared to Yorkella and the Siberian genera Edelsteinaspis, Namanoia and Chondrinouyina. The archaeocyath fauna has an Australo–Antarctic character and the Transantarctic Mountains seem the most likely source for these unusual erratics. Most recent reconstructions of Gondwana rotate a Falklands microplate into a position between South Africa and East Antarctica. There, it is in proximity with the Eastern Cape Province, where tillites within the Permo-Carboniferous Dwyka Group are correlatives of the Fitzroy Tillite Formation, and the ‘Atlantic’ end of the Transantarctic Mountains. The Dwyka Group tillites also contain rare clasts of archaeocyathan limestone and the rotational reconstruction produces a continuity of the apparent ice-flow directions in South Africa and the Falkland Islands.
New taxonomic synopses and revision of the scombroid fishes (Scombroidei, Perciformes), including billfishes, from the Cenozoic of territories of the former USSR
Authors: Monsch Kenneth A. , Bannikov Alexandre F.
Published: December 2012

We present an overview of all known fossil scombroid fishes (Scombroidei, Perciformes) of the former USSR, many taxa of which are described in a language other than Russian for the first time. Also new is the application of a cladistic framework for these taxa. For each taxon, short taxonomic synopses with the most relevant characteristics (synapomorphies, meristic counts) are presented in a form useful for future cladistic analysis. As an exception, we present an extensive systematic description of the billfish †Hemingwaya sarissa Sytchevskaya & Prokofiev, because we disagree with earlier interpretations. The ‘gempylid’ †Hemithyrsites maicopicus Daniltshenko retains its generic name, which is considered the valid name of what is also known as Promethichthys Gill. A new tribe, †Eocoelopomini, is erected to contain the genera †Eocoelopoma Woodward, †Palaeothunnus Bannikov, and †Micrornatus Monsch. It is questioned whether species previously described as belonging to Thunnus South should be classified in that genus. A new species of tribe Scomberomorini, †Neocybium parvidentatum, is described from the Bartonian of W Kazakhstan. A specimen of †Auxides (questionably Maastrichthian, Iran), also reported here, possibly extends the radiation of †Auxides, and scombroids as a whole, further back in time. The fossil record of the Blochiidae is probably extended downwards to the Thanetian.
The politicization of world politics and its effects: Eight propositions
Authors: Zürn Michael
Published: December 2012

World politics is no longer a matter of executive multilateralism and technocratic expert decisions. What we see instead is the politicization of international institutions – a twofold process of growing resistance to and the more intensive utilization of these institutions. After providing evidence for this claim, this article develops propositions on the effects of politicization of world politics on the quality of decision making and the content of policies on both the international and national level. On the one hand, the politicization of international institutions arguably heralds a reflexive stage of global governance. The increased participation of societal actors leads to a new mode of decision making in world politics, which includes a notion of global common goods in conjunction with elements of public deliberation. By the same token, increased politicization of international institutions contradicts lamentations about the hollowing-out of national democracies and shows that political participation is in fact partly emigrating to the international level. While politicization has the inherent potential for initiating the democratization of international institutions and making new types of global policies possible, there are on the other hand several dangers associated to this process. First, it may perpetuate existing inequalities between North and South in terms of representation on the global level. Second, the politicization of world politics puts pressure on national democracy, since it moves attention away from national political matters and skews national policies towards universalist positions. Moreover, it arguably provokes the constitution of a new political cleavage, cosmopolitanism vs. communitarianism, which may possibly restructure politics in the 21st century to a large extent. These propositions on the effects of politicization will be developed with the help of empirical illustrations. However, they will not be systematically tested – the purpose of this contribution is to elaborate the analytical potential of a new concept and identify broad trends.
The Cuban Twin Registry: Initial Findings and Perspectives
Authors: Marcheco-Teruel Beatriz , Cobas-Ruiz Marcia , Cabrera-Cruz Niviola , Lantigua-Cruz Araceli , García-Castillo Elsa , Lardoeyt-Ferrer Roberto , Robaina-Jiménez Zoe , Fuentes-Smith Evelyn , Morales-Calatayud Francisco , Lemus-Valdés María Teresa , Portuondo-Sao Miriam , Comas-Pérez Lenier , Pérez-Crispí Juan M. , Díaz-De Villal Villa Thais , Icart-Perera Emelia , Jordán-Hernández Aida , Lage-Castellanos Agustín , Rabell-Piera Sergio , Llibre-Rodríguez Juan de Jesús , Valdés-Sosa Pedro , Valdés-Sosa Mitchell
Published: December 2012

The Cuban Twin Registry is a nation-wide, prospective, population-based twin registry comprising all zygosity types and ages. It was initiated in 2004 to study genetic and environmental contributions to complex diseases with high morbidity and mortality in the Cuban population. The database contains extensive information from 55,400 twin pairs enrolled in the period 2004–2006. Additionally, 2,600 new multiple births have been included from 2007 to date. In the past 4 years, more than 130 studies have been carried out using the registry with a classical genetic epidemiological approach in which concordance rates for monozygotic and dizygotic twins and heritability of various disease traits were estimated. This article summarizes the history, registry's methodology, recent research findings, and future directions of work.
Atlantic water variability on the SE Greenland continental shelf and its relationship to SST and bathymetry
Authors: Sutherland David A. , Straneo Fiammetta , Stenson Garry B. , Davidson Fraser J.M. , Hammill Mike O. , Rosing‐Asvid Aqqalu
Published: December 2012

Interaction of warm, Atlantic‐origin water (AW) and colder, polar origin water (PW) advecting southward in the East Greenland Current (EGC) influences the heat content of water entering Greenland's outlet glacial fjords. Here we use depth and temperature data derived from deep‐diving seals to map out water mass variability across the continental shelf and to augment existing bathymetric products. We compare depths derived from the seal dives with the IBCAO Version 3 bathymetric database over the shelf and find differences up to 300 m near several large submarine canyons. In the vertical temperature structure, we find two dominant modes: a cold mode, with the typical AW/PW layering observed in the EGC, and a warm mode, where AW is present throughout the water column. The prevalence of these modes varies seasonally and spatially across the continental shelf, implying distinct AW pathways. In addition, we find that satellite sea surface temperatures (SST) correlate significantly with temperatures in the upper 50 m (R = 0.54), but this correlation decreases with depth (R = 0.22 at 200 m), and becomes insignificant below 250 m. Thus, care must be taken in using SST as a proxy for heat content, as AW mainly resides in these deeper layers. Sample Unit Level Copyright
p90 Ribosomal S6 kinases play a significant role in early gene regulation in the cardiomyocyte response to Gq-protein-coupled receptor stimuli, endothelin-1 and α1-adrenergic receptor agonists
Authors: Amirak Emre , Fuller Stephen J. , Sugden Peter H. , Clerk Angela
Published: December 2012

ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2) and their substrates RSKs (p90 ribosomal S6 kinases) phosphorylate different transcription factors, contributing differentially to transcriptomic profiles. In cardiomyocytes ERK1/2 are required for >70% of the transcriptomic response to endothelin-1. In the present study we investigated the role of RSKs in the transcriptomic responses to the Gq-protein-coupled receptor agonists endothelin-1, phenylephrine (a generic α1-adrenergic receptor agonist) and A61603 (α1A-adrenergic receptor selective). Phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-RSKs appeared in cardiomyocyte nuclei within 2–3 min of stimulation (endothelin-1>A61603≈phenylephrine). All agonists increased nuclear RSK2, but only endothelin-1 increased the nuclear RSK1 content. PD184352 (inhibits ERK1/2 activation) and BI-D1870 (inhibits RSKs) were used to dissect the contribution of RSKs to the endothelin-1-responsive transcriptome. Of the 213 RNAs up-regulated after 1 h, 51% required RSKs for their up-regulation, whereas 29% required ERK1/2 but not RSKs. The transcriptomic response to phenylephrine overlapped with, but was not identical with, endothelin-1. As with endothelin-1, PD184352 inhibited the up-regulation of most phenylephrine-responsive transcripts, but the greater variation in the effects of BI-D1870 suggests that differential RSK signalling influences global gene expression. A61603 induced similar changes in RNA expression in cardiomyocytes as phenylephrine, indicating that the signal was mediated largely through α1A-adrenergic receptors. A61603 also increased expression of immediate early genes in perfused adult rat hearts and, as in cardiomyocytes, up-regulation of the majority of genes was inhibited by PD184352. PD184352 or BI-D1870 prevented the increased surface area induced by endothelin-1 in cardiomyocytes. Thus RSKs play a significant role in regulating cardiomyocyte gene expression and hypertrophy in response to Gq-protein-coupled receptor stimulation.
Linguistic and Attitudinal Factors in Normal-Hearing Bilingual Listeners' Perception of Degraded English Passages
Authors: Shi Lu-Feng , Farooq Nadia
Published: December 2012

Purpose

Linguistic variables alone cannot fully account for bilingual listeners' perception of English-running speech. In the present study, the authors investigated how linguistic and attitudinal factors, in combination, affect bilingual processing of temporally degraded English passages in quiet and in noise.

Method

Thirty-six bilinguals with various linguistic and attitudinal characteristics participated in the study. Bilingual individuals completed questionnaires that assessed their language background, willingness to communicate (WTC), and self-perceived communication competency (SPCC) in English. Participants listened to English passage pairs from the Connected Speech Test, presented at 45 dB HL at 3 rates (unprocessed, expanded, compressed), in quiet and in noise.

Results

Language proficiency measures were the most significant linguistic variables, accounting for the largest amount of variance in performance across most conditions. Both WTC and SPCC were associated with performance and contributed to regression models. Subscales assessing listeners' WTC and SPCC in a group were more predictive of performance than communication in an interpersonal or public setting. Performance in noise was more difficult to predict than in quiet. Performance with compression was more difficult to predict than with expansion.

Conclusion

To fully understand bilingual clients' perception of English speech, hearing professionals should consider their attitudinal characteristics in addition to language background.
Frequency Dependence of Binaural Interaction in the Auditory Brainstem and Middle Latency Responses
Authors: Fowler Cynthia G. , Horn Jennifer H.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the relative frequency representation of binaural function in the brainstem and cortex of adults. The secondary purpose was to compare adult responses to previously reported infant responses.

Methods

Simultaneous auditory brainstem responses and auditory middle responses were recorded monaurally and binaurally in 20 young women. The binaural (BIN) response was subtracted from the summed monaural waves (L+R) to obtain the binaural interaction components (BIC) from waves V (peak A) and Pa (BIC-Pa). Amplitude ratios were calculated as BIC/L+R. Repeated-measures analyses of variance evaluated responses to frequency (500 Hz vs. 4000 Hz), wave condition (L+R vs. BIN), and wave class (auditory brainstem response vs. auditory middle response).

Results

Waveforms were present for all conditions. The L+R responses were larger than the BIN responses, 500 Hz produced larger amplitudes than 4000 Hz, and Pa was larger than wave V. The largest response, overall, was the Pa(L+R) response to 500 Hz. For amplitude ratios, BIC-Pa/Pa(L+R) was larger than Peak A/[V(L+R)].

Conclusion

More neural resources are devoted to binaural function in the cortex than in the brainstem, and more resources are devoted to lower frequencies than to higher frequencies. The adult data confirm that previously recorded infant data reveal binaural immaturity. Longitudinal data should characterize developmental characteristics of binaural function.
An Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Directional Microphones and Digital Noise Reduction Hearing Aids in School-Age Children With Hearing Loss
Authors: McCreery Ryan W. , Venediktov Rebecca A. , Coleman Jaumeiko J. , Leech Hillary M.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this evidence-based systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of digital noise reduction and directional microphones for outcome measures of audibility, speech recognition, speech and language, and self- or parent-report in pediatric hearing aid users.

Method

The authors searched 26 databases for experimental studies published after 1980 addressing one or more clinical questions and meeting all inclusion criteria. The authors evaluated studies for methodological quality and reported or calculatedpvalues and effect sizes when possible.

Results

A systematic search of the literature resulted in the inclusion of 4 digital noise reduction and 7 directional microphone studies (in 9 journal articles) that addressed speech recognition, speech and language, and/or self- or parent-report outcomes. No digital noise reduction or directional microphone studies addressed audibility outcomes.

Conclusions

On the basis of a moderate level of evidence, digital noise reduction was not found to improve or degrade speech understanding. Additional research is needed before conclusions can be drawn regarding the impact of digital noise reduction on important speech, language, hearing, and satisfaction outcomes. Moderate evidence also indicates that directional microphones resulted in improved speech recognition in controlled optimal settings; however, additional research is needed to determine the effectiveness of directional microphones in actual everyday listening environments.
An Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Frequency Lowering in Hearing Aids for School-Age Children With Hearing Loss
Authors: McCreery Ryan W. , Venediktov Rebecca A. , Coleman Jaumeiko J. , Leech Hillary M.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

We developed 1 clinical question for this review, which addressed the comparison of hearing aids using frequency lowering compared to conventional processing amplification for outcomes of audibility, speech recognition, speech and language, and self- or parent-report for children with hearing loss.

Method

We systematically searched 26 databases for studies addressing a clinical question and meeting all inclusion criteria. We evaluated studies for methodological quality and reported or calculated effect sizes when possible.

Results

The literature search resulted in the inclusion of 5 studies. We implemented several different frequency-lowering strategies across studies; 2 studies used nonlinear frequency compression, 2 used frequency transposition, and 1 used frequency compression with dynamic consonant boost.

Conclusions

Whereas methodological limitations of the included studies preclude the formulation of strong conclusions, findings were generally positive across frequency-lowering strategies and outcomes. Additional high-quality research is needed in this area.
Factors Influencing Follow-Up to Newborn Hearing Screening for Infants Who Are Hard of Hearing
Authors: Holte Lenore , Walker Elizabeth , Oleson Jacob , Spratford Meredith , Moeller Mary Pat , Roush Patricia , Ou Hua , Tomblin J. Bruce
Published: December 2012

Purpose

To document the epidemiological characteristics of a group of children who are hard of hearing, identify individual predictor variables for timely follow-up after a failed newborn hearing screening, and identify barriers to follow-up encountered by families.

Method

The authors used an accelerated longitudinal design to investigate outcomes for children who are hard of hearing in a large, multicenter study. The present study involved a subgroup of 193 children with hearing loss who did not pass the newborn hearing screening. The authors used available records to capture ages of confirmation of hearing loss, hearing aid fitting, and entry into early intervention. Linear regression models were used to investigate relationships among individual predictor variables and age at each follow-up benchmark.

Results

Of several predictor variables, only higher levels of maternal education were significantly associated with earlier confirmation of hearing loss and fitting of hearing aids; severity of hearing loss was not. No variables were significantly associated with age of entry into early intervention. Each recommended benchmark was met by a majority of children, but only one third met all of the benchmarks within the recommended time frame.

Conclusion

Results suggest that underserved communities need extra support in navigating steps that follow failed newborn hearing screening.
Speech Comprehension Training and Auditory and Cognitive Processing in Older Adults
Authors: Pichora-Fuller M. Kathleen , Levitt Harry
Published: December 2012

Purpose

To provide a brief history of speech comprehension training systems and an overview of research on auditory and cognitive aging as background to recommendations for future directions for rehabilitation.

Method

Two distinct domains were reviewed: one concerning technological and the other concerning psychological aspects of training. Historical trends and advances in these 2 domains were interrelated to highlight converging trends and directions for future practice.

Results

Over the last century, technological advances have influenced both the design of hearing aids and training systems. Initially, training focused on children and those with severe loss for whom amplification was insufficient. Now the focus has shifted to older adults with relatively little loss but difficulties listening in noise. Evidence of brain plasticity from auditory and cognitive neuroscience provides new insights into how to facilitate perceptual (re-)learning by older adults.

Conclusions

There is a new imperative to complement training to increase bottom-up processing of the signal with more ecologically valid training to boost top-down information processing based on knowledge of language and the world. Advances in digital technologies enable the development of increasingly sophisticated training systems incorporating complex meaningful materials such as music, audiovisual interactive displays, and conversation.
A Modified Kole's Osteotomy for Correction of Anterior Open Bite and Macrogenia in a Cleft Patient
Authors: Ramanathan Manikandhan , Rao Srinivasan H.
Published: December 2012

We present a modified technique to close anterior open bite as well as to correct anterior and vertical macrogenia without sacrificing the lowermost symphyseal segment, in comparison with conventional Kole's osteotomy, which can alter the symmetric bone architecture of the chin and jeopardize the blood supply of the sandwich segments.
Miscible density-stable displacement flows in inclined tube
Authors: Alba K. , Taghavi S. M. , Frigaard I. A.
Published: December 2012

We study density-stable laminar miscible displacement flow of two iso-viscous Newtonian fluids in an inclined pipe (diameter \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\hat{D}$\end{document}D̂). We present a wide range of novel experimental results. We illustrate the non-monotone relation in displacement efficiency at the density difference moves from positive (density unstable) to negative (density stable), the efficiency being minimal for iso-dense fluids. The density stable configuration has been found to produce highly efficient displacements, with the bulk of the interface moving steadily at the mean velocity. The streamwise length of the stretched interface, or stretch length \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\hat{L}$\end{document}L̂, is measured over a wide range of parameters. The stretch length increases with the mean flow velocity, increases with inclination β from vertical, decreases with density difference, and increases with viscosity. Our data are well represented by the scaled expression L − tan β = −3680/χ, where χ is the ratio of buoyancy and viscous stresses.
Realization of In0.75Ga0.25As two-dimensional electron gas bilayer system for spintronics devices based on Rashba spin-orbit interaction
Authors: Akabori M. , Hidaka S. , Iwase H. , Yamada S. , Ekenberg U.
Published: December 2012

Narrow gap InGaAs two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) bilayer samples are fabricated and confirmed to have good electronic qualities as well as strong Rashba-type spin-orbit interactions (SOIs). The 2DEG systems are realized by molecular beam epitaxy in the form of wide quantum wells (QWs) with thicknesses tQW ∼ 40–120 nm modulation doped in both the upper and lower InAlAs barriers. From the Hall measurements, the overall mobility values of μe ∼15 m2/V s are found for the total sheet electron density of ns ∼8 × 1011/cm2, although the ns is distributed asymmetrically as about 1:3 in the upper and lower 2DEGs, respectively. Careful low temperature magneto-resistance analysis gives large SO coupling constants of α ∼20 × 10−12 eV m as well as expected electron effective masses of m*/m0 ∼0.033-0.042 for each bilayer 2DEG spin sub-band. Moreover, the enhancement of α with decrease of tQW is found. The corresponding self-consistent calculation, which suggests the interaction between the bilayer 2DEGs, is carried out and the origin of α enhancement is discussed.
Logarithmic temperature profiles in the ultimate regime of thermal convection
Authors: Grossmann Siegfried , Lohse Detlef
Published: December 2012

We report on the theory of logarithmic temperature profiles in very strongly developed thermal convection in the geometry of a Rayleigh-Bénard cell with aspect ratio (defined by cell width divided by cell height) Γ = 1, and discuss the degree of agreement with the recently measured profiles in the ultimate state of very large Rayleigh number flow. The parameters of the log-profile are calculated and compared with the measured ones. Their physical interpretation as well as their dependence on the radial position are discussed.
Influence of surface tension on cavitation noise spectra and particle removal efficiency in high frequency ultrasound fields
Authors: Camerotto Elisabeth , Brems Steven , Hauptmann Marc , Pacco Antoine , Struyf Herbert , Mertens Paul W. , De Gendt Stefan
Published: December 2012

Physical cleaning methods are applied in the semiconductor industry and have become increasingly challenging due to the continued scaling of semiconductors device elements. Cavitation and acoustic phenomena are known to play a fundamental role in megasonic cleaning. Hence, a better understanding of cavitation phenomena in multi-bubble systems is crucial. Here, a study on the effects of lower bulk surface tension and different O2 concentrations on the bubble activity in the megahertz range is presented. A lower bulk surface tension (45 mN/m) with respect to ultra pure water (72 mN/m) is obtained by adding a non-ionic surface-active agent (Triton X-100). After a thorough surfactant characterization, a Triton X-100-containing cleaning solution is investigated under pulsed and continuous acoustic fields, for different acoustic amplitudes and gas concentrations. It is demonstrated that cavitation activity, measured by means of ultraharmonic cavitation noise, is enhanced in presence of a lower surface tension, under continuous acoustic fields. In addition, cavitation measurements performed under pulsed fields reveal the existence of optimal pulse-off times, for which a maximum of activity is observed. These optimal pulse-off time values are linked to the bubble dissolution theoretical times and experimentally verified. To end, cavitation noise measurements are correlated to cleaning performance in megasonic fields by means of particle removal and damage tests on patterned wafers. A clear increase in particle removal efficiency of 78 nm SiO2 particles is obtained when Triton X-100 is employed, at the optimized process conditions. In addition, the number of defects due to cavitation bubbles is significantly reduced for lower surface tension, at particle removal efficiencies <60%. The results here reported constitute a different approach towards more efficient megasonic cleaning processes.
Influence of reactive gas admixture on transition metal cluster nucleation in a gas aggregation cluster source
Authors: Peter Tilo , Polonskyi Oleksandr , Gojdka Björn , Mohammad Ahadi Amir , Strunskus Thomas , Zaporojtchenko Vladimir , Biederman Hynek , Faupel Franz
Published: December 2012

We quantitatively assessed the influence of reactive gases on the formation processes of transition metal clusters in a gas aggregation cluster source. A cluster source based on a 2 in. magnetron is used to study the production rate of titanium and cobalt clusters. Argon served as working gas for the DC magnetron discharge, and a small amount of reactive gas (oxygen and nitrogen) is added to promote reactive cluster formation. We found that the cluster production rate depends strongly on the reactive gas concentration for very small amounts of reactive gas (less than 0.1% of total working gas), and no cluster formation takes place in the absence of reactive species. The influence of discharge power, reactive gas concentration, and working gas pressure are investigated using a quartz micro balance in a time resolved manner. The strong influence of reactive gas is explained by a more efficient formation of nucleation seeds for metal-oxide or nitride than for pure metal.
Calculation of discrepancies in measured valence band offsets of heterojunctions with different crystal polarities
Authors: Li Huijie , Liu Xianglin , Wang Jianxia , Jin Dongdong , Zhang Heng , Yang Shaoyan , Liu Shuman , Mao Wei , Hao Yue , Zhu QinSheng , Wang Zhanguo
Published: December 2012

The discrepancies in measured valence band offsets (VBOs) of wurtzite III-nitride and II-oxide heterojunctions with different crystal polarities are investigated. The uncertainties of measured VBOs are mainly attributed to the polarization-induced interface charges. Based on the self-consist calculation, we could obtain the discrepancies in VBOs of heterojunctions with different crystal orientations. Mixed polarity has also been considered to explain the differences in the measured VBOs of heterojunctions with the same crystal orientation.
Numerical simulation of organic semiconductor devices with high carrier densities
Authors: Stodtmann S. , Lee R. M. , Weiler C. K. F. , Badinski A.
Published: December 2012

We give a full description of the numerical solution of a general charge transport model for doped disordered semiconductors with arbitrary field- and density-dependent mobilities. We propose a suitable scaling scheme and generalize the Gummel iterative procedure, giving both the discretization and linearization of the van Roosbroeck equations for the case when the generalized Einstein relation holds. We show that conventional iterations are unstable for problems with high doping, whereas the generalized scheme converges. The method also offers a significant increase in efficiency when the injection is large and reproduces known results where conventional methods converge.
Transport in graphene antidot barriers and tunneling devices
Authors: Pedersen Thomas Garm , Pedersen Jesper Goor
Published: December 2012

Periodic arrays of antidots, i.e., nanoscale perforations, in graphene enable tight confinement of carriers and efficient transport barriers. Such barriers evade the Klein tunneling mechanism by being of the mass rather than electrostatic type. While all graphene antidot lattices (GALs) may support directional barriers, we show, however, that a full transport gap exists only for certain orientations of the GAL. Moreover, we assess the applicability of gapped graphene and the Dirac continuum approach as simplified models of various antidot structures showing that, in particular, the former is an excellent approximation for transport in GALs supporting a bulk band gap. Finally, the transport properties of a GAL based resonant tunneling diode are analyzed indicating that such advanced graphene based devices may, indeed, be realized using GAL structures.
Room temperature continuous wave operation of λ ∼ 3–3.2 μm quantum cascade lasers
Authors: Bandyopadhyay N. , Bai Y. , Tsao S. , Nida S. , Slivken S. , Razeghi M.
Published: December 2012

We demonstrate quantum cascade lasers emitting at wavelengths of 3–3.2 μm in the InP-based material system. The laser core consists of GaInAs/AlInAs using strain balancing technique. In room temperature pulsed mode operation, threshold current densities of 1.66 kA/cm2 and 1.97 kA/cm2, and characteristic temperatures (T0) of 108 K and 102 K, are obtained for the devices emitting at 3.2 μm and 3 μm, respectively. Room temperature continuous wave operation is achieved at both wavelengths.
The rainbow instanton method: A new approach to tunneling splitting in polyatomics
Authors: Smedarchina Zorka , Siebrand Willem , Fernández-Ramos Antonio
Published: December 2012

A new instanton approach is reported to tunneling at zero-temperature in multidimensional (MD) systems in which a “light particle” is transferred between two equivalent “heavy” sites. The method is based on two concepts. The first is that an adequate MD potential energy surface can be generated from input of the stationary configurations only, by choosing as a basis the normal modes of the transition state. It takes the form of a double-minimum potential along the mode with imaginary frequency and coupling terms to the remaining (harmonic) oscillators. Standard integrating out of the oscillators gives rise to an effective 1D instanton problem for the adiabatic potential, but requires evaluation of a nonlocal term in the Euclidean action, governed by exponential (memory) kernels. The second concept is that this nonlocal action can be treated as a “perturbation,” for which a new approximate instanton solution is derived, termed the “rainbow” solution. Key to the approach is avoidance of approximations to the exponential kernels, which is made possible by a remarkable conversion property of the rainbow solution. This leads to a new approximation scheme for direct evaluation of the Euclidean action, which avoids the time-consuming search of the exact instanton trajectory. This “rainbow approximation” can handle coupling to modes that cover a wide range of frequencies and bridge the gap between the adiabatic and sudden approximations. It suffers far fewer restrictions than these conventional approximations and is proving particularly effective for systems with strong coupling, such as proton transfer in hydrogen bonds. Comparison with the known exact instanton action in two-dimensional models and application to zero-level tunneling splittings in two isotopomers of malonaldehyde are presented to show the accuracy and efficiency of the approach.
A perturbative approach to the spectral zeta functions of strings, drums, and quantum billiards
Authors: Amore Paolo
Published: December 2012

We show that the spectral zeta functions of inhomogeneous strings and drums can be calculated using Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory. The inhomogeneities that can be treated with this method are small but otherwise arbitrary and include the previously studied case of a piecewise constant density. In two dimensions the method can be used to derive the spectral zeta function of a domain obtained from the small deformation of a square. We also obtain exact sum rules that are valid for arbitrary densities and that correspond to the values taken by the spectral zeta function at integer positive values; we have tested numerically these sum rules in specific examples. We show that the Dirichlet or Neumann Casimir energies of an inhomogeneous string, evaluated to first order in perturbation theory, contain in some cases an irremovable divergence, but that the combination of the two is always free of divergences. Finally, our calculation of the Casimir energies of a string with piecewise constant density and of two perfectly conducting concentric cylinders, of similar radius, reproduce the results previously published.
Fractional wave-diffusion equation with periodic conditions
Authors: Costa F. S. , de Oliveira E. Capelas
Published: December 2012

We study a time-space fractional wave-diffusion equation with periodic conditions using Laplace transforms and Fourier series and presenting its solution in terms of three-parameter Mittag-Leffler functions. As a particular case we recover a recent result. We also present some graphics associated with particular values of the parameters.
A theoretical study on the inverted phase formation in diblock copolymer solutions
Authors: Jia Haitao , Huang Haiying , He Tianbai , Gong Yumei
Published: December 2012

The inverted phase, in which the swollen minority block plus solvent forms the continuous microdomain, has been frequently observed in block copolymer (BCP)/preferential good solvent solutions in our previous experimental works. In this paper, self-consistent field theory is employed to study the formation of inverted phase in A-B BCP solutions. The parameters of both the BCP and solvent are studied. The results show that the characteristics of both the BCP and the solvent are responsible for the inverted phase formation. With the value of χABN (χAB is the Flory interaction parameter between A and B blocks and N is the degree of the polymerization), the preferential affinity of the solvent for the minority block, or the solvent monomer size increasing, the existence window of the inverted phases enlarges. Meanwhile, we analyze and discuss the formation of the inverted phase in terms of the enthalpy interaction and entropy contribution of the solvent and the results suggest that both of them play important roles in the formation of inverted phase and the comparative importance of the two items depends on the solvent molecular size.