bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Top-down fabrication meets bottom-up synthesis for nanoelectronic barcoding of microparticles
Authors: Xie Pengfei , Cao Xinnan , Lin Zhongtian , Javanmard Mehdi
Published: April 2017

We present a novel method for electronically barcoding particles for potential use for multiplexed molecular biomarker assays.
The discovery of a potent Nav1.3 inhibitor with good oral pharmacokinetics
Authors: Pryde D. C. , Swain N. A. , Stupple P. A. , West C. W. , Marron B. , Markworth C. J. , Printzenhoff D. , Lin Z. , Cox P. J. , Suzuki R. , McMurray S. , Waldron G. J. , Payne C. E. , Warmus J. S. , Chapman M. L.
Published: April 2017

An aryl ether series of potent and selective Nav1.3 inhibitors is described, starting from a series of diphenymethyl amides.
5-Methyl-N-(8-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydroacridin-9-ylamino)octyl)-5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinolin-11-amine: a highly potent human cholinesterase inhibitor
Authors: Wang Li , Moraleda Ignacio , Iriepa Isabel , Romero Alejandro , López-Muñoz Francisco , Chioua Mourad , Inokuchi Tsutomu , Bartolini Manuela , Marco-Contelles José
Published: April 2017

5-Methyl-N-(8-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydroacridin-9-ylamino)octyl)-5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinolin-11-amine is a very potent human ChE inhibitor [IC50(hAChE) = 0.95 ± 0.04 nM].
Picolinoyl functionalized MOF ligands for an air-promoted secondary alcohol oxidation with CuBr
Authors: Du Xin , Luan Yi , Yang Fengxia , Ramella Daniele , Shu Xin
Published: April 2017

A novel Zr-derived pyridine MOF ligand was designed and synthesized for an efficient Cu(i)-catalyzed secondary alcohol oxidation.
Experimental and theoretical investigations on the defect and optical properties of S- and Al-doped GaSe crystals
Authors: Huang Changbao , Wang Zhenyou , Ni Youbao , Wu Haixin , Chen Shijing
Published: April 2017

A combination of experimental and computational methods was performed to investigate the defect and optical properties of S-doped and Al-doped GaSe crystals.
Polydopamine nanotubes-templated synthesis of TiO2and its photocatalytic performance under visible light
Authors: Wang Zehuan , Li Jia , Tang Feng , Lin Jun , Jin Zhaoxia
Published: April 2017

As templates for generation of TiO2photocatalysts, polydopamine nanotubes can provide codopants (carbon and nitrogen) and graphene-like carbon coverings simultaneously.
Target-triggered cascade assembly of a catalytic network as an artificial enzyme for highly efficient sensing
Authors: Zhang Lei , Ma Fengjiao , Lei Jianping , Liu Jintong , Ju Huangxian
Published: April 2017

A hemin-based enzymatic network is constructed with high catalytic activity that is comparable to natural horseradish peroxidaseviatriple signal amplification.
Single phase, high hole mobility Cu2O films as an efficient and robust hole transporting layer for organic solar cells
Authors: Guo Yaxiong , Lei Hongwei , Xiong Liangbin , Li Borui , Chen Zhao , Wen Jian , Yang Guang , Li Gang , Fang Guojia
Published: April 2017

We show that high mobility p-type near-stoichiometric cuprous films (Cu2O) can be prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering. The highest power conversion efficiency of the OSCs based on PTB7:PC71BM system reaches 8.61%.
Investigation into the stability of Li metal anodes in Li–O2batteries with a redox mediator
Authors: Ha Seongmin , Kim Youngjin , Koo Dongho , Ha Kwang-Ho , Park Yuwon , Kim Dong-Min , Son Samick , Yim Taeeun , Lee Kyu Tae
Published: April 2017

We clarified the failure mechanism of Li–O2batteries with a redox mediator.
Boosting the rate capability of hard carbon with an ether-based electrolyte for sodium ion batteries
Authors: Zhu Yuan-En , Yang Leping , Zhou Xianlong , Li Feng , Wei Jinping , Zhou Zhen
Published: April 2017

An ether-based electrolyte was used to reduce polarization and improve the plateau capacity at high rates of loofah sponge-derived hard carbon as the anode material for sodium ion batteries for the first time. The optimization of electrolytes could promote the practical application of hard carbon to sodium ion batteries.
A comparative study of o,p-dimethoxyphenyl-based hole transport materials by altering π-linker units for highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells
Authors: Li Xing , Cai Molang , Zhou Zhongmin , Yun Kang , Xie Fengxian , Lan Zhang , Hua Jianli , Han Liyuan
Published: April 2017

Two easily synthesized o,p-dimethoxyphenyl-based hole transport materials (HTMs) containing biphenyl (HL-1) and carbazole (HL-2) in the π-system, respectively, have been designed and studied for perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
Large-pore, silica particles with antibody-like, biorecognition sites for efficient protein separation
Authors: Zhang Zulei , Zhang Xingdi , Niu Dechao , Li Yongsheng , Shi Jianlin
Published: April 2017

The MI-LPSPs, with antibody-like, bio-recognition sites, displayed good affinity and excellent binding selectivity to BSA.
Room temperature magnetoresistance effects in ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) spin valves
Authors: Zhang Xianmin , Tong Junwei , Zhu Huie , Wang Zhongchang , Zhou Lianqun , Wang Shouguo , Miyashita Tokuji , Mitsuishi Masaya , Qin Gaowu
Published: April 2017

Room temperature magnetoresistance devices using ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) as the spacer layer were successfully fabricated for the first time.
Improving the electrical performance of solution processed oligothiophene thin-film transistors via structural similarity blending
Authors: Leydecker Tim , Favaretto Laura , Duong Duc Trong , Zappalà Gabriella , Börjesson Karl , Licciardello Antonino , Salleo Alberto , Melucci Manuela , Orgiu Emanuele , Samorì Paolo
Published: April 2017

Here we show that the blending of structurally similar oligothiophene molecules is an effective approach to improve the field-effect mobility and Ion/Ioff as compared to single component based transistors.
White emission thin films based on rationally designed supramolecular coordination polymers
Authors: Yang Jinghui , Yan Yun , Hui Yonghai , Huang Jianbin
Published: April 2017

Rationally designed reversible coordination polymers allow facile mixing of different color components to generate white emission films for specific detection of Cl2.
Classification model for imbalanced traffic data based on secondary feature extraction
Authors: Shen Jian , Xia Jingbo , Shan Yong , Wei Zekun
Published: April 2017

The non‐equilibrium of network traffic data brings about the non‐equilibrium of classification. Feature extraction is an effective method to reduce data dimensions, while it can intensify the influence of non‐equilibrium further. A secondary feature extraction algorithm of multidimensional assessment is proposed in this study. The features of network traffic are evaluated in different dimensions to provide the basis for feature extraction. Furthermore, a model dealing with imbalanced data is proposed based on secondary feature extraction and sampling. The model combines the benefits of dimension reduction and redistribution. The experiment results show that the proposed model can not only increase classification accuracy and decrease non‐equilibrium, but also enhance the performance of different classification algorithms.
Givens rotation‐based QR decomposition for MIMO systems
Authors: Fan Wen , Alimohammad Amir
Published: April 2017

QR decomposition is an essential operation in various detection algorithms utilised in multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) wireless communication systems. This study presents a Givens rotation‐based QR decomposition for MIMO systems. Instead of performing QR decomposition by coordinate rotation digital computer (CORDIC) algorithms, LUT compression algorithms are employed to rapidly evaluate the trigonometric functions. The proposed approach also provides greater accuracy compared with the CORDIC algorithms. QR decomposition is performed by complex Givens rotations cascaded with real Givens rotations. In complex Givens rotations, a modified triangular systolic array is adopted to reduce the delay units of the design and hence, reducing the hardware complexity. The proposed QR decomposition algorithm is implemented in TSMC CMOS technology. It achieves the throughput of 53.5 million QR decompositions per second when operating at 214 MHz.
Power theft localisation using voltage measurements from distribution feeder nodes
Authors: Dasgupta Kalyan , Padmanaban Manikandan , Hazra Jagabondhu
Published: April 2017

In this study, a novel algorithm to locate regions in a distribution feeder, where power is being illegally tapped, is proposed. The basic requirements of the algorithm are voltage measuring devices located at distribution feeder nodes or transformers that can communicate data to the distribution substation. Initially, how voltage magnitude difference between successive nodes in a feeder can help identify possible locations of illegal tapping is shown. The technique is further refined by a normalised voltage double difference method, to pin‐point the exact location of power theft. The algorithm does not require network parameters. Simulations are performed on the IEEE 34 node test feeder, to demonstrate the efficacy of this method.
Break‐taking behaviour pattern of long‐distance freight vehicles based on GPS trajectory data
Authors: Tian Daxin , Shan Xiongyu , Sheng Zhengguo , Wang Yunpeng , Tang Wenzhong , Wang Jian
Published: April 2017

This study focuses on the break‐taking behaviour pattern of long‐distance freight vehicles, providing a new perspective on the study of behaviour patterns and simultaneously providing a reference for transport management departments and related enterprises. On the basis of global positioning system trajectory data, the authors select stopping points as break‐taking sites of long‐distance freight vehicles and then classify the stopping points into three different classes based on the break‐taking duration. They then explore the relationship of the distribution of the break‐taking frequency between the three single classifications and their combinations, on the basis of the break‐taking duration distribution. They find that the combination is a Gaussian distribution when each of the three individual classes is a Gaussian distribution, contrasting with the power‐law distribution of the break‐taking duration. Then, they do experimental analysis to the distribution of the break‐taking durations and frequencies, and find that, for the durations, the three single classifications can be fitted individually by an exponential distribution and together by a power‐law distribution, for the frequencies, both the three single classifications and together can be fitted by a Gaussian distribution, so that it can validate the above theoretical analysis.
2-(Aminomethyl)-3-arylindoles from 3-(o-Trifluoroacetamidoaryl)-1-propargylic Alcohols, Aryl Halides, and Amines: A Domino Palladium-Catalyzed Three-Component Approach
Authors: Goggiamani Antonella , Cacchi Sandro , Fabrizi Giancarlo , Iazzetti Antonia , Verdiglione Rosanna
Published: April 2017

A simple, straightforward palladium-catalyzed approach to 2-(aminomethyl)-3-arylindoles from 3-(o-trifluoroacetamidoaryl)-1-propargylic alcohols, amines, and aryl iodides has been developed.
Adenomatous Tumors of the Middle Ear: A Literature Review
Authors: Cardoso Flavia , Monteiro Eduardo Machado , Lopes Livia , Avila Marianna , Scarioli Bernardo
Published: April 2017

Introduction Neuroendocrine adenomas of the middle ear (NAME) are uncommon causes of middle ear masses. Mostly limited to case reports and small series, the literature is poor in providing an overall assessment of these tumors.

Objective To review the current literature about all aspects of the disease, including its etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment.

Data Synthesis The pathogenesis of adenomatous tumors of the middle ear is not clear yet. One potential explanation is that an undifferentiated pluripotent endodermal stem cell may still be present in the middle ear mucosal surface, and may be the origin of the tumors. It typically appears as a nonspecific retrotympanic mass. The average age of onset for the disease is the fifth decade, and the most common clinical symptom is conductive hearing loss. Malign behavior is rare. There are numerous differential diagnoses of NAME. The final diagnosis depends on microscopic findings. The preoperative evaluation should include the use of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The adjunctive therapy of middle ear adenomatous tumors with radiotherapy, chemotherapy or somatostatin analogs is generally not recommended.

Conclusion There is still much debate on pathogenesis and classification of NAME. Saliba's classification is currently the most complete and preferable one. Aggressive surgical procedure with ossicular chain excision is the gold standard treatment. Follow-up with physical and radiological exams is mandatory, particularly if the first procedure was conservative, without the removal of the encased ossicles.
Computer-Based Auditory Training Programs for Children with Hearing Impairment – A Scoping Review
Authors: Nanjundaswamy Manohar , Prabhu Prashanth , Rajanna Revathi , Ningegowda Raghavendra , Sharma Madhuri
Published: April 2017

Introduction Communication breakdown, a consequence of hearing impairment (HI), is being fought by fitting amplification devices and providing auditory training since the inception of audiology. The advances in both audiology and rehabilitation programs have led to the advent of computer-based auditory training programs (CBATPs).

Objective To review the existing literature documenting the evidence-based CBATPs for children with HIs. Since there was only one such article, we also chose to review the commercially available CBATPs for children with HI. The strengths and weaknesses of the existing literature were reviewed in order to improve further researches.

Data Synthesis Google Scholar and PubMed databases were searched using various combinations of keywords. The participant, intervention, control, outcome and study design (PICOS) criteria were used for the inclusion of articles. Out of 124 article abstracts reviewed, 5 studies were shortlisted for detailed reading. One among them satisfied all the criteria, and was taken for review. The commercially available programs were chosen based on an extensive search in Google. The reviewed article was well-structured, with appropriate outcomes. The commercially available programs cover many aspects of the auditory training through a wide range of stimuli and activities.

Conclusions There is a dire need for extensive research to be performed in the field of CBATPs to establish their efficacy, also to establish them as evidence-based practices.
Einfluss von operativer und konservativer Therapie auf die Arbeitsfähigkeit bei Patienten mit subakromialem Impingement – eine prospektive klinische Vergleichsstudie
Authors: Schulze Christoph , Köhler Hans , Kaltenborn Alexander , Gutcke André , Tischer Thomas
Published: April 2017

Hintergrund Das subakromiale Impingement-Syndrom der Schulter ist eine der häufigsten Ursachen für Schulterschmerzen. Die Therapie ist langwierig und berufliche Ausfallzeiten sind entsprechend lang. Zunehmend werden operative Versorgungen durchgeführt, obwohl die konservative Therapie eine etablierte Versorgung darstellt. Eine Untersuchung, inwieweit die Dauer der Arbeitsunfähigkeit von der Therapieoption beeinflusst wird, fehlt.

Methoden In diese prospektive klinische Untersuchung wurden 86 Patienten (weiblich: 21, männlich: 65; Durchschnittsalter 45,8 ± 12,3 Jahre) eingeschlossen. Im operativen Therapiearm erfolgte eine arthroskopische Versorgung, während im konservativen Therapiearm Infiltrationen und eine standardisierte ärztlich kontrollierte Physiotherapie durchgeführt wurden. Kontrolluntersuchungen fanden nach 3 und 6 Monaten statt. Erhoben wurden Dauer der Arbeitsunfähigkeit, Constant Score und Schmerzniveau auf der numerischen Rating-Skala.

Ergebnisse Bei beiden Therapieoptionen verbesserten sich Schmerz und Funktion, allerdings schneller in der konservativen Gruppe. Die Dauer der Arbeitsunfähigkeit war bei Patienten nach einer operativen Versorgung durchschnittlich 7 ± 5 Wochen länger als unter konservativer Therapie (p < 0,001). Ein signifikanter Einfluss von Komorbiditäten des Akromioklavikulargelenks konnte nicht nachgewiesen werden. Zeichen einer Bursitis in der MRT waren Prädiktor für einen günstigen Verlauf.

Schlussfolgerung Während konservative und operative Therapieoption beide zu einer suffizienten Besserung der Beschwerden bei subakromialem Impingement führen, erreichen die Patienten unter ärztlich kontrollierter konservativer Therapie schneller die Arbeitsfähigkeit.
Metabolic Profiling of Hoodia, Chamomile, Terminalia Species and Evaluation of Commercial Preparations Using Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Avula Bharathi , Wang Yan-Hong , Isaac Giorgis , Yuk Jimmy , Wrona Mark , Yu Kate , Khan Ikhlas
Published: April 2017

Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QToF-MS) profiling was used for the identification of marker compounds and generation of metabolic patterns that could be interrogated using chemometric modeling software. UHPLC-QToF-MS was used to generate comprehensive fingerprints of three botanicals (Hoodia, Terminalia, and chamomile), each having different classes of compounds. Detection of a broad range of ions was carried out in full scan mode in both positive and negative modes over the range m/z 100–1700 using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to extract relevant chemical information from the data to easily differentiate between Terminalia species, chamomile varieties, and quality control of Hoodia products. Using nontargeted analysis, identification of 37 compounds contributed to the differences between Terminalia species, 26 flavonoids were identified to show the differences between German and Roman chamomile, and 43 pregnane glycosides were identified from Hoodia gordonii samples. The UHPLC-QToF-MS-based chemical fingerprinting with principal component analysis was able to correctly distinguish botanicals and their commercial products. This work can be used as a basis to assure the quality of botanicals and commercial products.
Drama for developing integrity in Higher Education
Authors: Jagiello-Rusilowski Adam
Published: April 2017

Developing academic integrity is context-based and ineffective through formal courses. The article explores the meanings of academic integrity, reviews literature on educational strategies towards its development and presents the design and results of the author’s research on how drama may augment development of academic integrity of MBA students in the innovation camp setting. The philosophical framework for integrity learning and its perception by students comes from Bakhtin’s dialogical theory of self and critical pedagogy of Freire. Drama is offered as a learning medium which provides context to explore multiple perspectives and imaginary dialogues of characters who may take ethically dubious positions. Assessment of integrity at the input stage and after completion of the drama sessions was two-fold. A self-efficacy test was used for standardized measurement and sociometry was applied to asses four areas of ethical education: (1) being sensitive to ethical dilemmas at stake; (2) reasoning/reflective skills and; (3) motivation/conviction to give over other considerations to the values, principles, or ideals that prompt the action to be taken; (4) strategizing to act ethically. The findings suggest that drama effectively augments the development of otherwise stable integrity of MBS students by making them more optimistic about their courage to adhere to values in face of adversity, especially to defend diversity as a human right and pre-condition for innovation. This article is published as part of a collection on integrity and its counterfeits.
Persistent homology of time-dependent functional networks constructed from coupled time series
Authors: Stolz Bernadette J. , Harrington Heather A. , Porter Mason A.
Published: April 2017

We use topological data analysis to study “functional networks” that we construct from time-series data from both experimental and synthetic sources. We use persistent homology with a weight rank clique filtration to gain insights into these functional networks, and we use persistence landscapes to interpret our results. Our first example uses time-series output from networks of coupled Kuramoto oscillators. Our second example consists of biological data in the form of functional magnetic resonance imaging data that were acquired from human subjects during a simple motor-learning task in which subjects were monitored for three days during a five-day period. With these examples, we demonstrate that (1) using persistent homology to study functional networks provides fascinating insights into their properties and (2) the position of the features in a filtration can sometimes play a more vital role than persistence in the interpretation of topological features, even though conventionally the latter is used to distinguish between signal and noise. We find that persistent homology can detect differences in synchronization patterns in our data sets over time, giving insight both on changes in community structure in the networks and on increased synchronization between brain regions that form loops in a functional network during motor learning. For the motor-learning data, persistence landscapes also reveal that on average the majority of changes in the network loops take place on the second of the three days of the learning process.
Nano-striped chemically anisotropic surfaces have near isotropic wettability
Authors: Damle Viraj G. , Rykaczewski Konrad
Published: April 2017

Controlling water droplet motion on a surface is important for facilitating or improving the efficiency of many processes. Irrespective of the external force inducing the motion, surface wettability plays a vital role in this process. In this work, we study the effect of changing the length scale of chemical heterogeneities on wetting and droplet dynamics during the impact and condensation on surfaces with alternating, equal sized hydrophilic and hydrophobic stripes. We show that as the width of the stripes decreases to nanoscale, the surface shows near isotropic wettability. Specifically, we demonstrate that the difference between the advancing contact angle, sliding angle, and contact angle hysteresis measured parallel and perpendicular to the stripes is negligible for the nano-striped surface. Moreover, we show that the droplet dynamics during the impact and condensation on the nano-striped surfaces are similar to those observed on a chemically homogeneous surface with equivalent wettability.
Maximizing particle concentration in deterministic lateral displacement arrays
Authors: Feng Shilun , Skelley Alison M. , Anwer Ayad G. , Liu Guozhen , Inglis David W.
Published: April 2017

We present an improvement to deterministic lateral displacement arrays, which allows higher particle concentration enhancement. We correct and extend previous equations to a mirror-symmetric boundary. This approach allows particles to be concentrated into a central channel, no wider than the surrounding gaps, thereby maximizing the particle enrichment. The resulting flow patterns were, for the first time, experimentally measured. The performance of the device with hard micro-spheres and cells was investigated. The observed flow patterns show important differences from our model and from an ideal pattern. The 18 μm gap device showed 11-fold enrichment of 7 μm particles and nearly perfect enrichment—of more than 50-fold—for 10 μm particles and Jurkat cells. This work shows a clear path to achieve higher-than-ever particle concentration enhancement in a deterministic microfluidic separation system.
Vorticity budgets in premixed combusting turbulent flows at different Lewis numbers
Authors: Dopazo Cesar , Cifuentes Luis , Chakraborty Nilanjan
Published: April 2017

A direct numerical simulations database of statistically planar turbulent premixed flames using a simple Arrhenius type irreversible chemistry for different values of global Lewis numbers, Le, (0.34, 0.60, 0.80, 1.00, 1.20) has been examined to analyze the effects of Le on vorticity transport within the flame. To meet this objective, a general enstrophy conservation equation has been considered, which distinctly describes contributions from vortex-stretching, destruction by volumetric dilatation rates, baroclinic and viscous force torques, viscous transport, and dissipation. The average statistical behavior of the various contributions conditioned upon the value of the reaction progress variable, c, has been analyzed in the preheat and reacting regions of the flame. The mean values of enstrophy monotonically decays with c from fresh reactants toward hot products for Le equal to 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2; vortex-stretching and viscous dissipation are the leading contributors, while the remaining contributions are slightly smaller although non-negligible. By contrast, the mean value of enstrophy decreases from the leading edge before increasing up to the trailing edge of the flame; in these cases, the mean value of baroclinic torque is significantly greater than the other contributions in most of the preheat and reacting regions; vortex-stretching, destruction by volumetric dilatation rates and viscous transport, and dissipation remain comparable over most of the flame. An explanation for the significant qualitative and quantitative differences in the enstrophy transport, taking place for Le between 0.6 and 0.8 for the given turbulence intensity, is sought in terms of the alignments of vorticity and the gradients of density, pressure, temperature, and reaction progress variable. The transport statistics of the enstrophies of the vorticity vector components tangential and normal to iso-scalar surfaces, c(x, t) = constant, provide further insight into the mechanisms of the differences in the enstrophy transport in response to the changes in the global Lewis number.
Existence, multiplicity, and concentration of solutions for generalized quasilinear Schrödinger equations with critical growth
Authors: Li Quanqing , Wu Xian
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we study the following generalized quasilinear Schrödinger equations: −div(ε2g2(u)∇u)+ε2g(u)g′(u)|∇u|2+V(x)u=λf(u)+g(u)|G(u)|2*−2G(u),x∈ℝN, where ε,λ>0, N≥3, g:ℝ→ℝ+ is a C1 even function, g(0) = 1 and g′(s)≥0 for all s≥0, where G(u):=∫0ug(t)dt. Under some suitable conditions, we study the existence, multiplicity, and concentration of solutions by the variational methods.
The existence of solutions with prescribed L2-norm for Kirchhoff type system
Authors: Cao Xiaofei , Xu Junxiang , Wang Jun
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we study the existence of positive solutions with prescribed L2-norm for two-component Kirchhoff type systems in the whole space. Under different types of potentials, we consider the L2-subcritical case and L2-critical case by the constrained variational method.
A simple model of solvent-induced symmetry-breaking charge transfer in excited quadrupolar molecules
Authors: Ivanov Anatoly I. , Dereka Bogdan , Vauthey Eric
Published: April 2017

A simple model has been developed to describe the symmetry-breaking of the electronic distribution of AL–D–AR type molecules in the excited state, where D is an electron donor and AL and AR are identical acceptors. The origin of this process is usually associated with the interaction between the molecule and the solvent polarization that stabilizes an asymmetric and dipolar state, with a larger charge transfer on one side than on the other. An additional symmetry-breaking mechanism involving the direct Coulomb interaction of the charges on the acceptors is proposed. At the same time, the electronic coupling between the two degenerate states, which correspond to the transferred charge being localised either on AL or AR, favours a quadrupolar excited state with equal amount of charge-transfer on both sides. Because of these counteracting effects, symmetry breaking is only feasible when the electronic coupling remains below a threshold value, which depends on the solvation energy and the Coulomb repulsion energy between the charges located on AL and AR. This model allows reproducing the solvent polarity dependence of the symmetry-breaking reported recently using time-resolved infrared spectroscopy.
V-band electronically reconfigurable metamaterial
Authors: Radisic Vesna , Hester Jimmy G. , Nguyen Vinh N. , Caira Nicholas W. , DiMarzio Donald , Hilgeman Theodore , Larouche Stéphane , Kaneshiro Eric , Gutierrez-Aitken Augusto
Published: April 2017

In this work, we report on a reconfigurable V-band metamaterial fabricated using an InP heterojunction bipolar transistor production process. As designed and fabricated, the implementation uses complementary split ring resonators (cSRRs) and Schottky diodes in both single unit cell and three unit cell monolithic microwave integrated circuits. Each unit cell has two diodes embedded within the gaps of the cSRRs. Reconfigurability is achieved by applying an external bias that turns the diodes on and off, which effectively controls the resonant property of the structure. In order to measure the metamaterial properties, the unit cells are fed and followed by transmission lines. Measured data show good agreement with simulations and demonstrate that the metamaterial structure exhibits resonance at around 65 GHz that can be switched on and off. The three-unit cell transmission line metamaterial shows a deeper resonance and a larger phase change than a single cell, as expected. These are the first reported reconfigurable metamaterials operating at the V-band using the InP high speed device fabrication process.
Symmetry control of an indirectly driven high-density-carbon implosion at high convergence and high velocity
Authors: Divol L. , Pak A. , Berzak Hopkins L. F. , Le Pape S. , Meezan N. B. , Dewald E. L. , Ho D. D.-M. , Khan S. F. , Mackinnon A. J. , Ross J. S. , Turnbull D. P. , Weber C. , Celliers P. M. , Millot M. , Benedetti L. R. , Field J. E. , Izumi N. , Kyrala G. A. , Ma T. , Nagel S. R. , Rygg J. R. , Edgell D. , Macphee A. G. , Goyon C. , Hohenberger M. , MacGowan B. J. , Michel P. , Strozzi D. , Cassata W. , Casey D. , Fittinghoff D. N. , Gharibyan N. , Hatarik R. , Sayre D. , Volegov P. , Yeamans C. , Bachmann B. , Döppner T. , Biener J. , Crippen J. , Choate C. , Huang H. , Kong C. , Nikroo A. , Rice N. G. , Stadermann M. , Bhandarkar S. D. , Haan S. , Kozioziemski B. , Hsing W. W. , Landen O. L. , Moody J. D. , Town R. P. J. , Callahan D. A. , Hurricane O. A. , Edwards M. J.
Published: April 2017

We report on the most recent and successful effort at controlling the trajectory and symmetry of a high density carbon implosion at the National Ignition Facility. We use a low gasfill (0.3 mg/cc He) bare depleted uranium hohlraum with around 1 MJ of laser energy to drive a 3-shock-ignition relevant implosion. We assess drive performance and we demonstrate symmetry control at convergence 1, 3–5, 12, and 27 to better than ±5 μm using a succession of experimental platforms. The symmetry control was maintained at a peak fuel velocity of 380 km/s. Overall, implosion symmetry measurements are consistent with the pole-equator symmetry of the X-ray drive on the capsule being better than 5% in the foot of the drive (when shocks are launched) and better than 1% during peak drive (main acceleration phase). This level of residual asymmetry should have little impact on implosion performance.
Structural impact on the nanoscale optical properties of InGaN core-shell nanorods
Authors: Griffiths J. T. , Ren C. X. , Coulon P.-M. , Le Boulbar E. D. , Bryce C. G. , Girgel I. , Howkins A. , Boyd I. , Martin R. W. , Allsopp D. W. E. , Shields P. A. , Humphreys C. J. , Oliver R. A.
Published: April 2017

III-nitride core-shell nanorods are promising for the development of high efficiency light emitting diodes and novel optical devices. We reveal the nanoscale optical and structural properties of core-shell InGaN nanorods formed by combined top-down etching and regrowth to achieve non-polar sidewalls with a low density of extended defects. While the luminescence is uniform along the non-polar {1–100} sidewalls, nano-cathodoluminescence shows a sharp reduction in the luminescent intensity at the intersection of the non-polar {1–100} facets. The reduction in the luminescent intensity is accompanied by a reduction in the emission energy localised at the apex of the corners. Correlative compositional analysis reveals an increasing indium content towards the corner except at the apex itself. We propose that the observed variations in the structure and chemistry are responsible for the changes in the optical properties at the corners of the nanorods. The insights revealed by nano-cathodoluminescence will aid in the future development of higher efficiency core-shell nanorods.
Continuously controllable optical band gap in orthorhombic ferroelectric KNbO3-BiFeO3 ceramics
Authors: Pascual-Gonzalez Cristina , Schileo Giorgio , Murakami Shunsuke , Khesro Amir , Wang Dawei , Reaney Ian M. , Feteira Antonio
Published: April 2017

The optical bandgap of orthorhombic ferroelectric KNbO3 is shown to be continuously controllable via Bi and Fe co-substitution according to a K1-xBixNb1-xFexO3 doping mechanism. The room temperature X-ray diffraction data combined with Raman spectroscopy analysis show the polar orthorhombic crystal structure to persist up to x = 0.25, while the bandgap narrows monotonically by 1 eV (∼33%). In-situ Raman spectroscopy corroborates the polar nature of all compositions in the temperature range of –100 to 200 °C. The ability to control the bandgap while maintaining the spontaneous polarisation makes the K1-xBixNb1-xFexO3 system interesting for photoinduced processes in a wide temperature range.
Finite-orbit-width effects on the geodesic acoustic mode in the toroidally rotating tokamak plasma
Authors: Ren H.
Published: April 2017

The Landau damping of geodesic acoustic mode in a toroidal rotating tokamak plasma is analytically investigated by taking into account the finite-orbit-width resonance effect to the 3rd order. The analytical result is shown to agree well with the numerical solution. The dependence of the damping rate on the toroidal Mach number M relies on krρi. For sufficiently small krρi, the damping rate monotonically decreases with M. For relatively large krρi, the damping rate increases with M until approaching the maximum and then decreases with M.
Sound transmission through an acoustic porous metasurface with periodic structures
Authors: Fang Yi , Zhang Xin , Zhou Jie
Published: April 2017

We report an analytical, numerical, and experimental study of sound transmission through a metasurface fabricated by porous materials, detailing systematically the factors that influence acoustic properties. The design of the metasurface is composed of four elements with varying properties, which are aligned in a periodic manner. The structures are carefully designed to form a uniform phase shift profile in one period. It is able to refract an incidence wave in an anomalous yet controllable way. A good agreement of refraction behavior between simulated and experimental results is achieved by the study. Furthermore, we systemically summarize the relationships between the refraction and the incidence angles for structures with various ratios of wavelengths and period lengths. Remarkably, the study proves that the propagation directions and the number of refracted waves are only affected by period lengths at a specified frequency. The phase shift profile only has an influence on energy distribution in the refraction region. The study suggests that a careful design of phase shift profile plays an important role in controlling sound energy distribution of the periodic structure, which is vital for applying this kind of porous metasurface in sound absorption and isolation in the future.
In-situ analysis of optically thick nanoparticle clouds
Authors: Kirchschlager F. , Wolf S. , Greiner F. , Groth S. , Labdon A.
Published: April 2017

Nanoparticles grown in reactive plasmas and nanodusty plasmas gain high interest from basic science and technology. One of the great challenges of nanodusty plasmas is the in-situ diagnostic of the nanoparticle size and refractive index. The analysis of scattered light by means of the Mie solution of the Maxwell equations was proposed and used as an in-situ size diagnostic during the past two decades. Today, imaging ellipsometry techniques and the investigation of dense, i.e., optically thick nanoparticle clouds demand for analysis methods to take multiple scattering into account. We present the first 3D Monte-Carlo polarized radiative transfer simulations of the scattered light in a dense nanodusty plasma. This technique extends the existing diagnostic methods for the in-situ analysis of the properties of nanoparticles to systems where multiple scattering cannot be neglected.
Microwave microscopy of diamond semiconductor structures
Authors: Reznik A. N. , Korolyov S. A. , Drozdov M. N.
Published: April 2017

A scanning near-field microwave microscope (SNMM) was used to study resistance Rsh of a boron delta-doped epilayer of diamond grown on a high pressure and high temperature substrate. Measurements were performed with an ∼1.4 GHz working frequency and an ∼85 μm space resolution microscope on samples with a lateral dimension of 3 × 3 mm2. Some substrates featured a crystalline structure defect over which the epilayer resistance Rsh was seen to increase by more than an order of ∼1 mm linear dimensions of the high-ohmic region. The SNMM measurement data revealed some substrates to have nonuniform conductivity, i.e., a high-ohmic area in the central part surrounded by a conducting edge region. In the latter case, the SNMM method allowed determining a surface distribution of epilayer resistance Rsh, undistorted by the shunting influence of the substrate. The reliability of the SNMM results is confirmed by the local four-probe resistance measurements. At the same time, the alternative methods such as the non-local van der Pauw method and secondary ion mass spectroscopy failed to detect the nonuniformity of the structure conducting properties, established by SNMM. The obtained values for a hole concentration of Np ≈ 1.7 × 1020 cm−3 and a mobility of μH ≈ 15 cm2/(V s) are assumed to possibly pertain to the diamond delta-layer.
The effect of riparian restoration on channel complexity and soil nutrients
Authors: Laceby J. Patrick , Saxton Nina E. , Smolders Kate , Kemp Justine , Faggotter Stephen J. , Ellison Tanya , Ward Doug , Stewart Morag , Burford Michele A.
Published: April 2017

Restoration of riparian vegetation may reduce nutrient and sediment contamination of waterways while potentially enhancing stream channel complexity. Accordingly, the present study used a paired-site approach to investigate the effects of mature regrowth riparian vegetation on river channel morphology and soil nutrients (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus), comparing four sites of degraded (pasture) and reforested reaches. A revised rapid assessment of riparian condition (RARC) was used to validate the site pairings. Riparian soil nutrient and elemental geochemistry were compared between paired sites, along with two parameters of channel width complexity and two for channel slope complexity. The RARC analysis confirmed the validity of the paired site design. The elemental geochemistry results indicated that underlying geology may affect the paired site analyses. Reaches with mature regrowth vegetation had greater channel width complexity but no difference in their riverbed slope complexity. In addition, degraded reaches had higher soil nutrient (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorus) concentrations, potentially indicative of the greater nutrient retention of pasture grass sites compared with mature regrowth forested reaches with less ground cover. Overall, the present study indicates that restoring mature regrowth riparian vegetation may increase river channel width complexity, although it may require canopy management to optimise the nutrient retention potential necessary to maximise the effect of riparian restoration strategies on freshwater environments.
Plateau pika disturbances alter plant productivity and soil nutrients in alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China
Authors: Pang Xiao Pan , Guo Zheng Gang
Published: April 2017

Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is an endemic mammal in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and its activities create extensive disturbances on vegetation and soil of alpine meadow. Field surveys at two sites were conducted to determine the effects of plateau pika disturbances on important soil factors and plant biomass of vegetated land, and their relationships of the same alpine meadow type. Our study showed that plateau pika disturbances significantly increased soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, graminoid biomass and the number of plant species, and significantly decreased soil moisture and forb biomass, although they had no significant impacts on soil total phosphorus, soil total potassium and total biomass on vegetated land. Our study further showed that soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, graminoid biomass and the number of plant species were much higher at intermediate disturbance intensities than those at low and high disturbance intensities in the disturbed areas, and soil moisture showed a decreasing trend with the increase of disturbance intensity. Plateau pika disturbances altered the contribution of some important soil nutrients and moisture to plant biomass, and had different impact on the best models between plant biomass (total biomass, graminoid biomass and forb biomass) and predominant soil factors. Our results demonstrated that the optimal disturbance intensities of plateau pika were beneficial to alpine meadow. These results highlighted the influence of the presence of plateau pika and its disturbance intensity on key soil nutrients and plant productivity on vegetated land of the same alpine meadow type, which will help us better understand the role of plateau pika in the alpine meadow ecosystem.
Stressed vowels of European Portuguese in spontaneous speech
Authors: Rato Anabela , Rodrigues Celeste , Varanda Patrícia
Published: April 2017

We analyzed speech data of two corpora collected with a 15–17-year gap in Braga, Portugal, to study the acoustic features of European Portuguese (EP) vowels in spontaneous speech, and to understand whether the vowels produced in this northern dialect are acoustically distinct from those of the standard variety, and if diachronic changes occurred in vowel quality. The results revealed that vowels in the speech of Braga are more open, the front vowels are more centralized, and the back vowels are less back than in the Lisbon variety, suggesting the existence of phonetic contrasts in these regional varieties of EP. Differences in vowel quality between the two speech corpora were also found; however, they may not suggest diachronic change, but rather the effect of a methodological factor in data collection.
Building a prosodic profile of European Portuguese varieties
Authors: Cruz Marisa , Oliveira Pedro , Palma Pedro , Neto Bruno , Frota Sónia
Published: April 2017

In the present paper we explore a methodology to map prosodic variation in Portuguese, namely intonation and rhythm, which goes beyond the traditional approaches used to represent segmental, lexical or syntactic variation. To find the most adequate mapping method for intonation and rhythm, we tested spatial interaction models for the representation of nuclear contours, and spatial interpolation methods for rhythmic distinctions across varieties. Our results show a non-contiguous distribution of prosodic features, thus not matching the regional areas previously defined on the basis of segmental, lexical or syntactic variation. These results, together with those of previous studies across varieties of other languages, provide growing evidence that the distribution of prosodic features tends to be independent of geography, unlike non-prosodic variation.
The yes-no question contour in Brazilian Portuguese
Authors: Castelo Joelma , Frota Sónia
Published: April 2017

The main goal of this paper is to provide a phonological analysis of neutral yes-no questions in Brazilian Portuguese in seven varieties (Paraíba, Sergipe, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul), most of them spoken along the Atlantic Coast. The analysis followed the autosegmental-metrical framework (Ladd, 2008), and the P-ToBI system for intonational labeling (Frota et al., 2015a; Frota, Oliveira, Cruz, & Vigário, 2015c). The distribution of the nuclear contour indicates a geographical continuum, where a rising contour is found in the North and a rising-falling contour in the Center-Southern regions.
“Vocês tenham cuidado, sois educadas para isso”
Authors: Aguiar Joana , de Paiva Maria da Conceição
Published: April 2017

The replacement of the pronoun vós ‘you’ by vocês ‘you’ is a widely spread change in spoken Portuguese. Nonetheless, the pronoun vós can be attested in certain varieties of European Portuguese, as in Braga, a city in the Northwest of Portugal. This paper focuses on variation between these two forms of address in subject function (overt or null subject) and in complement function. Our goal is to verify the social and linguistic factors associated to the overt pronoun vós. The analysis of a socially stratified sample of sociolinguistic interviews shows that the overt pronoun vós is rarely used in the region and that the use of 2nd person plural null subjects as address forms is decreasing, in contrast to an increasing use of vocês and 3rd person plural forms.
Variable use of strong preterites
Authors: Barbosa Pilar , Bastos-Gee Ana , Flores Cristina
Published: April 2017

This paper examines a particular case of variable syncretism in the Minho region in Portugal, involving the 1st person singular (1sg) and 3rd person singular (3sg) forms of “strong” preterits of the verbs estar ‘be-stative’, ter ‘have’, fazer ‘do’ and ser /ir ‘be’/‘go’. These forms can be levelled, affecting the 1st or the 3rd person. Fifty interviews from a socially stratified corpus of the relevant dialect were examined by running a mixed effect binominal analysis, which identified as main predictors the factors subject expression, verb and level of education. Moreover, there is a difference between estar/ter/fazer ‘be-stative/have/do’ and ser/ir ‘be/go’. In the latter case, only one form is used (the 3rd person form foi), while in the case of estar/ter/fazer ‘be-stative/have/do’ levelling can be realized by either the form for 1sg or 3sg. This inter-linguistic variation is analysed following the “late insertion” model of Distributed Morphology (Halle & Marantz, 1993). We develop an account of these agreement levelling effects that is based on the interaction between the internal syntax of strong preterites and the late insertion of underspecified functional Vocabulary Items. We propose a derivation of the different forms in the standard dialect and then we offer an analysis of levelling where intra-speaker variation is tied to the probabilistic application of feature deleting Impoverishment operations along the lines of Nevins and Parrott (2010). Inter-speaker variation is due to different choices as to which feature sets are subject to Impoverishment: the features for Person or T. For estar/ter/fazer ‘be-stative/have/do’ these two operations yield different outputs (in the case of ter, /teve/ and /tive/, respectively). For ser/ir ‘be/go’ the resulting forms are homophonous, namely /foj/ in both cases.