bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Localized Vibration States in Molecular Lattices
Authors: Dettmann K. , Ludwig W.
Published: October 2008

In molecular lattices besides small translational motions of the molecules small librational motions are possible. In general there is a coupling between the two types of motion. If there are defects in the lattice, localized vibrational states can occur, both for translational and librational modes. These modes are investigated using the simple model of a linear lattice of dumpbell‐molecules. From a general discussion of the Green's function it follows that the frequencies of the localized librational states can occur in the region of the spectrum which in the ideal lattice is dominated by the translational modes and vice versa. Also both kinds of localized state can have frequencies in regions where there are no ideal lattice frequencies. Further, it is possible to have more localized librational than translational states.
Impact Ionisation Theory for Traps in Semiconductors
Authors: Cohen M. E. , Landsberg P. T.
Published: October 2008

Estimates are obtained for the impact ionisation probability per unit time (Pk) that an electron of wave vector k and energy Ek will impact ionise an electron from a hydrogenlike donor state specified by quantum numbers n and 1 and an ionisation energy Et. Bloch functions, hydrogen‐like wave functions, first order perturbation theory, and a non‐degenerate material with a parabolic conduction band indicate the basis of the calculation. The work goes beyond the authors' previous (1967) treatment in the extension of the theory to shallow impurities and more energetic electrons. The analytical part of the earlier work could handle only the limit Ek ≈ Et. The difficulty of going beyond this limit arises from the fact that the square of a Gegenbauer polynomial, involving wave vectors to be integrated, occurs in a matrix element which has the square of a Fourier coefficient of a hydrogen‐like function as a factor. By overcoming this difficulty, one can find expressions for the cases when Et/Ek < 1. The earlier treatment, which yielded Pk = 0 for n − l even when Et ≈ Ek is sharpened by finding numerical estimates for Pk (> 0) for a range of values of Et/Ek when n − l is even. These transitions can therefore not strictly speaking be regarded as forbidden. Results which are more reliable than the earlier ones are also obtained when n − l is odd. Results are obtained for the l‐dependence when n is fixed.
Single Phonon X‐ray Scattering from Alkali Halides II. Ionic Deformation Scattering
Authors: Reid J. S.
Published: October 2008

Methods and difficulties of comparing experimental and theoretical deformation scattering intensities are considered. The phenomenological approach is developed through the model of centrosymmetric deformations which has previously been used to describe experimental intensities in NaCl and NaF. This model is extended beyond nearest neighbour interactions and reapplied to the experimental intensities. The nearest neighbour coupling parameters change substantially. Antisymmetric deformations are examined through the widely used rigid shell models. For NaCl and NaF, values of the scattering intensities along symmetry directions are calculated, assuming a simple interpretation of the shell model parameters. The large discrepancy between the small intensities of the shell models and the arger intensities of the phenomenological models is discussed and it is concluded that more small sin θ/λ experimental intensity measurements are urgently required.
Relaxation croisée 5D3, (Γ3, Γ4)→ 7F6(2Γ2) de l'ion Tb3+ dans CaWO4 − Détection optique
Authors: Fournier D. , Boccara A. C.
Published: October 2008

Nous avons détecté, it à partir de la polarisation de la fluorescence 5D3(Γ;3, Γ4) 7Fj (Γ1 ou Γ2) induite par un champ magnétique, la résonance paramagnétique de l'état fundamental 7Γ6 (2Γ2) de l'ion Tb3+ dans CaWO4. Cet effet, qui se produit entre niveaux de factenrs de Landé très différents, peut s'expliquer si l'on met en jeu un processus de relaxation croisée accompagné d'une diffusion des spins entre les composantes hyperfines de l'état fondamental.
Point‐Charge Model Calculations in a‐NaFeO2
Authors: Taft C. A. , Raj D. , Danon J.
Published: October 2008

The origin of the quadrupole splitting observed in the Mossbauer spectra of α‐NaFeO2 has been investigated using a point charge model. The magnit, ude of the electric field gradient (EFG) is very sensitive to the value of u, the distortion parameter of the anion sub‐lattice. These calculations combined with the experimental results are used to deduce information about the relative amount of distortion in this compound. The sign of the EFG is positive.
The Antisymmetric Gap and the Total Width of the Valence Band of Binary Compound Crystals
Authors: Unger K. , Neumann H.
Published: October 2008

Soft X‐ray emission, X‐ray photoemission, and ultraviolet photoemission measurements of binary compounds show an antisymmetric gap within the valence band. The ratio of this antisymmetric gap to the total width of the valence band is shown to be a simple function of the Phillips‐van Vechten ionicity parameter of the compound. This relation is valid as well for tetrahedrally as for octahedrally coordinated compounds and for such elemental compounds (Se, Te) which contain two kinds of bonds. The relation is useful to determine the ionicity parameter of a compound and to test empirical band structure calculations which are fitted t o optical transition energies. Furthermore, also a relation for the estimation of the total valence band width in terms of the Fermi energy and the Penn gap is given.
Zeeman Splitting and Chemical Shifts for the Shallow Donor States in CdTe
Authors: Simmonds P. E. , Stradling R. A. , Birch J. R. , Bradley C. C.
Published: October 2008

Zeeman splitting of the shallow donor states of very high purity n‐type CdTe is studied by means of extrinsic photoconductivity experiments. Pine structure due to chemical shifts of a t least six different donor types is observed on the 1s → 2p and the 1s → 3p transitions. The magnitude of the chemical shifts observed (1 to 8 cm‐l) suggests a lower value for the effective Rydberg (106 cm−1) than the value found in previous magneto‐optical experiments. Resonant polaron effects are detected on the 1s → 2p+ line a t high magnetic fields.
Stark Effect of the U‐Center in HBr and RbCl
Authors: Bonciani M. , Grassano U. M. , Tanga A.
Published: October 2008

The Stark effect of the U‐center ultraviolet absorption has been observed in KBr and RbCl crystals. Changes of the absorption coefficient due t o the electric field have been measured as a function of photon energy. From these data the position of the excited level 1S(1s, 2s) and the dipole matrix element 〈2S(1s, 2s)z 2 P(1s, 2p) have been evaluated.
Evaluation of key microphysical parameters in three‐dimensional cloud‐model simulations using aircraft and multiparameter radar data
Authors: Brown Philip R. A. , Swann Hugh A.
Published: October 2008

A 3‐d numerical model is being used for the development of improved parametrizations of convective transport processes in climate and numerical weather‐prediction models. In common with similar cloud‐resolving models, it uses a 3‐phase bulk‐water parametrization of the microphysical processes. the comparison of results from such models with observed case‐studies represents an important step in their development and a key activity of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Cloud System Study.

This paper presents observations and model results from the case of a weakly convective precipitating cloud that occurred on 22 June 1990 over central southern England. the cloud was observed by both an instrumented research aircraft and a dual‐polarization radar. the combination of these measurements provides information on the dominant precipitation particle types, their density, number concentration, and characteristic size, and enables the identification of key microphysical processes. the observations were used to provide guidance on the numerical values of some of the variable parameters in the microphysics scheme. Observed values of No,G, the intercept parameter for graupel, lay in the range 104 to 107 m−4. the comparison of observed radar reflectivities with those calculated from in situ particle size spectra suggests that the density of rimed precipitation particles decreased from around 0.5 g cm−3 in the most intense precipitation to around 0.1 g cm−3 towards the cloud edges.

A number of model sensitivity studies were performed to examine the impact of changes in these parameters on the model cloud and precipitation fields. For this case‐study, it was found that the total surface precipitation was generally insensitive to such changes, varying by less than 10%. Reductions of 35% occurred for model runs in which the graupel fall speed was reduced and for a model run with only ‘warm‐rain’ microphysics. Much larger variations in the range 50‐100% occurred in the total cloud ice and snow contents.

The modelling study identifies a number of differences between runs which could not be resolved owing to the lack of in situ data in certain regions of the cloud. Some of the requirements for improved observational methods and procedures are discussed.
Convective destabilization by a tropopause fold diagnosed using potential‐vorticity inversion
Authors: Griffiths Morwenna , Thorpe Alan J. , Browning Keith A.
Published: October 2008

There is observational evidence to suggest that at the time tropopause folds in extra‐tropical cyclones are descending into the mid troposphere there is frequently a destablization of the lower troposphere to moist convection. Here we consider the dynamical reasons for such a linkage using so‐called potential vorticity (PV) attribution concepts. In particular PV inversion is used to find the wind shear attributable to the tropopause fold itself. Then this shear is used to quantify the tendency to generate regions of potential instability. For an observed case of a modest tropopause fold it is found that the PV anomaly contained in the tropopause fold contributed substantially to the instantaneous convective destabilization in the sense of increasing the potential instability. Indeed, at some locations, it overcame a tendency to stabilize by the atmosphere without the fold. On the other hand, only a fraction of the region with increased potential instability experienced sufficient large‐scale ascent to lead to convection and it remains to be seen whether folds in general make a significant contribution to the generation of potential instability that can actually be realized. The importance of tropopause folds, or indeed of tropopause depressions in general in the context of convection, is that their small horizontal scale has the potential to focus and amplify any convective destabilization locally. This may account for the localization of outbreaks of severe convective weather which it is important to forecast accurately. Currently numerical weather‐prediction models often do not handle these small scales very accurately.
Influence of the Indian summer monsoon on ENSO
Authors: Kirtman Ben P. , Shukla J.
Published: October 2008

Historical records (approximately 100 years) of Indian summer monsoon rainfall and El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices show a strong negative correlation. This negative correlation is strongest for east Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) that occur during the months of December through to March, which is about three to six months immediately following the monsoon season (June to September). Based on this correlation, one is tempted to speculate that monsoon variability affects ENSO variability. However, it is well known that ENSO is phase locked to the annual cycle in that the largest SSTA occur at the end of the calendar year. In other words, an ENSO which originated well before the summer monsoon season will have its peak amplitude at the end of the calendar year. The purpose of this study is to explain the impact of the monsoon which has a strong seasonal preference on ENSO which has a life cycle of about 4 years.

First, a 50‐year atmospheric general‐circulation model simulation with climatological SST is examined to determine the tropical Pacific wind‐stress anomalies that are associated with a variable monsoon but that are also independent of SST variability in the tropical Pacific. Using simple statistical techniques, it is found that a weak (strong) monsoon results in a weakening (strengthening) of the trade winds over the tropical Pacific. To examine how these 'monsoon‐forced wind‐stress anomalies' in the tropical Pacific affect ENSO, simulations were made with a simple coupled model that does not include the effects of a variable monsoon. The effects of the monsoon are then added in the coupled model by either specifying the strength of the monsoon or by parametrizing the strength of the monsoon in terms of the coupled‐model simulated SSTA in the east Pacific. Based on these coupled simulations, a variable monsoon enhances the ENSO variability, particularly three to six months after the monsoon ends, and can also serve as a trigger mechanism for ENSO. It is found that an ongoing warm (cold) ENSO event is made even warmer (colder) by a weak (strong) monsoon. Similarly, warm (cold) events are weakened by a strong (weak) monsoon. These results also reproduce the observed lag/lead ENSO‐monsoon relation where the maximum negative correlation between the monsoon and the SSTA in the east Pacific occurs 3‐6 months after the monsoon season.
On the vertical velocity in an isentropic layer
Authors: Verkley W. T. M.
Published: October 2008

We investigate the dynamics of an isentropic layer of air, governed by the hydrostatic primitive equations. In such a layer the horizontal velocity is independent of height if this is assumed to be the case at some initial time. From the mass‐conservation equation in pressure coordinates it follows that ω, the material derivative of the pressure, varies linearly with pressure. From the mass‐conservation equation in height coordinates the vertical velocity ω is obtained. The resulting expression is shown to be in accordance with Richardson's equation for the vertical velocity in a general hydrostatic atmosphere, when particularized to an isentropic layer.
Consensus building in the planning process: Benefits from a “hard” modeling approach
Authors: Winch Graham W.
Published: October 2008

This article examines the role that building and using a system dynamics model plays in developing consensus within management teams facing key strategic decisions: A shared view emerges within the team as individual views of the company, its industry, and the socioeconomic climate are articulated and compared. Examples are given based on two actual consulting assignments in which differing views concerning the competitive environment and the general business outlook initially pointed to quite different strategies. The emergence of consensus was considered a major benefit in addition to the forecasts and quantitative evaluations the model provided. In its analysis and examples, this article emphasizes both the “hard” benefits of forecasts and an objective framework for quantitative evaluations and the “soft” benefits of building consensus within management teams.
A compiler for parsing schemata
Authors: Gómez‐Rodríguez C. , Vilares J. , Alonso M. A.
Published: October 2008

We present a compiler that can be used to automatically obtain efficient Java implementations of parsing algorithms from formal specifications expressed as parsing schemata. The system performs an analysis of the inference rules in the input schemata in order to determine the best data structures and indexes to use, and to ensure that the generated implementations are efficient. The system described is general enough to be able to handle all kinds of schemata for different grammar formalisms, such as context‐free grammars and tree‐adjoining grammars, and it provides an extensibility mechanism allowing the user to define custom notational elements. This compiler has proven very useful for analyzing, prototyping and comparing natural‐language parsers in real domains, as can be seen in the empirical examples provided at the end of the paper. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An action potential‐induced and ryanodine sensitive calcium transient dynamically regulates transmitter release at synapses between Lymnaea neurons
Authors: Dunn T.W. , Montgomery E.A. , Syed N.I.
Published: October 2008

The notion that calcium released through ryanodine receptors effects presynaptic neurotransmitter release is gaining acceptance with the observation that this calcium does indeed contribute to both action potential‐evoked and spontaneous transmitter release in a variety of preparations. However, the dynamics of this calcium release and its impact on transmitter release has not yet been fully elucidated. Moreover, in contrast to vertebrate synapses, much less is known about the involvement of ryanodine receptors in the regulation of transmitter release at invertebrate synapses. In this study, we reconstructed specific synapses between individually identifiable preand postsynaptic neurons from Lymnaea to demonstrate that although ryanodine reduces the amplitude of the action potential‐induced calcium transient, it does not however, alter the resting calcium level. These data suggest that action potential‐induced calcium release through ryanodine receptors is fast and highly dynamic and in turn regulates transmitter release at reconstructed synapses between Lymnaea neurons. This study thus provides direct evidence that a dynamic ryanodine receptor‐mediated calcium transient occurs with the presynaptic action potential. Synapse 63:61–68, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Altered netrin‐1 receptor expression in dopamine terminal regions following neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions in the rat
Authors: Flores Cecilia , Bhardwaj Sanjeev K. , Labelle‐Dumais Cassandre , Srivastava Lalit K.
Published: October 2008

Neonatal ventral hippocampal (nVH) lesions in rats, which model certain features of schizophrenia, alter dopamine (DA)‐mediated behaviors in adulthood. The precise mechanisms underlying these effects remain elusive; however, neuronal reorganization within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been suggested. Netrins are developmental cues that organize brain wiring, including the mesocorticolimbic DA circuitry. We showed recently that the netrin‐1 receptors DCC and UNC5H are highly expressed by DA neurons and that variation in DCC levels during development lead to profound changes in mesocorticolimbic DA function and behavior in adulthood. We hypothesized that changes in netrin‐1 receptor function could be one of the mechanisms producing enduring changes in DA function in nVH‐lesioned animals. To begin to explore this idea, we examined the effects of nVH lesions on DCC and UNC5H expression in brain regions receiving robust DA innervation; the mPFC, striatum, and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) at three developmental time points; 3 days after lesion, before puberty and during early adulthood. Expression was also examined in the cerebellar simple lobule; a brain region deprived of DA innervation. Neonatal VH lesions produced dynamic changes in DCC expression in the mPFC and NAcc. The direction and magnitude of these changes depended on the developmental age and brain region examined and were specific to regions receiving DA innervation. Although further studies are required to understand the functional significance of these changes, these results raise the interesting possibility that nVH lesions, and perinatal insults in general, may exert their neuronal reorganizational effects by modulating netrin‐1 function. Synapse 63:54–60, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Poverty: Analyzing the Dimensions by Race and Immigration
Authors: Ajilore Olugbenga
Published: October 2008

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on poverty transitions, with an emphasis on native-born African–Americans and immigration. A probit model is estimated using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which evaluates the impact of EITC participation and immigration on transitions out of poverty. The EITC is found to be a useful tool in combating poverty and is effective for African–Americans, though only for women. More importantly, the results show that the implementation of state-level EITCs can mitigate the adverse effects of immigration for native-born African–Americans.
Predictors of outcome in a cohort of women with chronic pelvic pain – A follow‐up study
Authors: Weijenborg Philomeen Th. M. , Le Kuile Moniek M. , Gopie Jessica P. , Spinhoven Philip
Published: October 2008

Background: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women is a long‐lasting condition.

Aims: To explore changes in pain intensity, adjustment to pain, pain appraisal and coping strategies as well as to evaluate whether baseline pain appraisals and coping strategies and their changes were associated with outcome in the long term.

Methods: A follow‐up study was conducted on all consecutive women who had visited a CPP‐team of a university hospital. After an average period of 3.2 years 64% of them (N=84) completed questionnaires at baseline and follow‐up.

Results: A reduction in pain intensity (p<.001, d=.6), improvement in adjustment to pain (SF‐36 Physical Component Summary (p<.001, d=.4) and depressive symptoms (p<.01, d=.2)), as well as a reduction in catastrophizing pain (p<.01, d=.4) and an increase in perceived pain control (p<.01, d=.3) were observed. Neither biographic nor clinical variables were related with these changes. Pain appraisal and coping strategies at baseline did not predict changes from baseline in pain intensity. However, baseline levels of perceived pain control correlated with a change in depressive symptoms (r=−.27, p<.05), also after adjustment for pain intensity at baseline (r=−.28, p<.05). Changes from baseline in levels of catastrophizing pain were associated with changes in pain intensity (r=.44, p<.01), SF‐36 Physical Component Summary (r=−.34, p<.01) and depressive symptoms (r=.71, p<.01).

Conclusion: At a 3 year follow‐up, improvement in pain intensity in women with CPP was not associated with baseline pain appraisals and coping strategies. A reduction in catastrophizing was related to better outcome in the long term.
Alternative splicing within the I–II loop controls surface expression of T‐type Cav3.1 calcium channels
Authors: Shcheglovitov Aleksandr , Vitko Iuliia , Bidaud Isabelle , Baumgart Joel P. , Navarro-Gonzalez Manuel F. , Grayson T. Hilton , Lory Philippe , Hill Caryl E. , Perez-Reyes Edward
Published: October 2008

Molecular diversity of T‐type/Cav3 Ca2+ channels is created by expression of three genes and alternative splicing of those genes. Prompted by the important role of the I–II linker in gating and surface expression of Cav3 channels, we describe here the properties of a novel variant that partially deletes this loop. The variant is abundantly expressed in rat brain, even exceeding transcripts with the complete exon 8. Electrophysiological analysis of the Δ8b variant revealed enhanced current density compared to Cav3.1a, but similar gating. Luminometry experiments revealed an increase in the expression of Δ8b channels at the plasma membrane. We conclude that alternative splicing of Cav3 channels regulates surface expression and may underlie disease states in which T‐channel current density is increased.
Oral micronized progesterone for prevention of preterm birth
Authors: Rai Pushpanjali , Rajaram Shalini , Goel Neerja , Ayalur Gopalakrishnan Radhika , Agarwal Rachna , Mehta Sumita
Published: October 2008

Objective

To evaluate oral micronized progesterone (OMP) to prevent preterm birth (PTB).

Methods

A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of 150 women with at least one PTB who received 100 mg of OMP or placebo twice a day from recruitment (18–24 weeks) until 36 weeks or delivery.

Results

PTB occurred in 29 (39.2%) women in the OMP group (n = 74) compared with 44 (59.5%) in the control group (n = 74, P = 0.002). Mean gestational age at delivery was higher in the OMP group (36.1 vs 34.0 weeks, P < 0.001). Fewer preterm births occurred between 28 and 31 weeks plus 6 days in the OMP group (RR 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05–0.73, P < 0.001). Neonatal age at delivery (34 vs 32 weeks, P < 0.001), birth weight (2400 vs 1890 g, P < 0.001), NICU stay (> 24 h, P < 0.001), and Apgar scores (P < 0.001) were more favorable in the OMP group, and fewer neonatal deaths occurred (3 vs 7, P = 0.190).

Conclusion

OMP reduced the risk of PTB between 28 and 31 weeks plus 6 days, NICU admissions, and neonatal morbidity and mortality in high risk patients.
Roman Catholicism in the University of Cambridge: St Edmund's House in 1898
Authors: LUBENOW W. C.
Published: October 2008

The question in 1898 of the recognition by Cambridge University of St Edmund's House, a Roman Catholic foundation, might initially seem to involve questions irrelevant in the modern university. It can, however, be seen to raise issues concerning modernity, the place of religion in the university and the role of the university itself. This article therefore sets this incident in university history in wider terms and examines the ways in which the recognition of St Edmund's House was a chapter in the history of liberalism, in the history of Roman Catholicism, in the history of education and in the history of secularism.
Rendering unto Caesar in the Age of Revolution: William Sherlock and William of Orange
Authors: PADLEY KENNETH
Published: October 2008

The events of 1688–9 forced English clergy to re-examine their understanding of the Divine Right of Kings. One solution was to distinguish between de facto and de iure kingship and maintain dual loyalty to James and William. Another involved shifting from ‘legitimist’ arguments towards a more immediate view of Providence. William Sherlock expounded both positions between 1689 and 1690. This article uses under-utilised manuscripts to show how, why and when his thought moved away from de iure and towards de facto expressions of Divine Right and hence became a cause célèbre for the Orange regime and a nightmare for the non-jurors.
An unusual case of warfarin-induced pinna skin necrosis
Authors: Del Pero M Martinez , Verma S , Espeso A , Griffiths M , Jani P
Published: October 2008

Introduction:

Warfarin-induced skin necrosis is a rare but recognised complication of this drug. The condition predominantly affects the breasts, buttocks and thighs of obese, peri-menopausal women. We present the case of a patient with the condition in an unusual site, and we discuss the management challenges involved.

Case report:

An 82-year-old man presented to the ENT department with a diagnosis of pinna haematoma. There was no history of trauma or infection. The patient was taking warfarin long-term for recurrent deep vein thrombosis. Two weeks prior to admission, the patient had had a loading course of warfarin following surgery. Multiple clinical teams were involved in treatment. The only abnormal laboratory investigation was a low protein S level; biopsy showed skin necrosis.

Conclusion:

In this case, the unusual presentation created diagnostic confusion, and may have precipitated aggressive surgical debridement. However, a more conservative management strategy was used, which we would recommend in future.
Spontaneous intracranial hypotension presenting to the ENT surgeon: case report
Authors: Street S , Fagan P , Roche J
Published: October 2008

Objective:

To highlight a case of spontaneous intracranial hypotension presenting to the ENT surgeon.

Method:

We present a case report and a review of the literature concerning spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

Results:

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is a rare diagnosis, particularly to the ENT surgeon. We report a patient with tinnitus, hearing loss and headache, symptoms suggestive of an ENT diagnosis such as Ménière's disease or vestibular schwannoma. However, magnetic resonance imaging revealed the characteristic findings of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. The patient's symptoms resolved, except for a mild residual tinnitus, with conservative management alone.

Conclusion:

This case highlights the importance of considering spontaneous intracranial hypotension as a differential diagnosis of certain ENT symptoms.
Simulation of optical breakdown in nitrogen by focused short laser pulses of 1064 nm wavelength
Authors: Tartar G. , Ranner H. , Winter F. , Wintner E.
Published: October 2008

A kinetic model of electron cascade growth in the electromagnetic field of a focused intense laser pulse as used for laser spark generation in gases has been numerically implemented in Visual C code. The effects considered comprise Drude absorption, diffusive kinetic and inelastic losses as well as (three-particle) electron recombination. The objectives were to illustrate the dynamic process of gas ionization, and to clarify the pressure dependence of known breakdown thresholds within a range of about 2 × 104 to 2 × 106 Pa of initial pressure. Two-dimensional (cylindric coordinates) simulations of the optical breakdown in nitrogen were conducted on a commercial PC, using constant values for the collision cross section (2 × 10−19 m2), prevalent electronic excitation states (~4.8 eV), and a laser wavelength of 1064 nm. A certain aerosol concentration on the order of 3 ppb was assumed in order to provide initial electrons for cascade growth. Exemplary results with laser pulse energy of 26 mJ, pulse duration of 14 ns and an 18 µm focal spot size illustrate the dynamic process of ionization within a very short time period of less than 0.5 ns. The kinetic energy of the electrons is found to increase sharply up to more than 100,000 K on breakdown. A series of simulations considered the minimum pulse energy of breakdown (MPE) under variation of initial pressure. Identical laser parameters as in experiments conducted previously were used and the results are in excellent agreement with respect to curve shapes, i.e., MPE ~1/p0.4 in the first experiment and MPE ~1/p0.3 in the second one. The absolute values lie within a factor of two, which is explained by model abstraction and input data uncertainties.
Standard English as a Second Dialect?
Authors: Taylor Orlando L.
Published: October 2008

Many youngsters grow up across the United States using ‘Nonstandard English’. How can the educational system help them and their families come to terms with the standard language without doing social damage in the name of educational necessity?
Teaching English to the World
Authors: Howse Hugh
Published: October 2008

Teaching English as a foreign or second language is big business these days. The British Broadcasting Corporation is in the forefront, teaching English to millions throughout the world. Its English by Radio and Television Department is almost literally ‘the world's largest English-teaching classroom’. How has this come about, and what do its courses look and sound like?
How ‘American’ is American Literature?
Authors: Lease Benjamin
Published: October 2008

What do we understand nowadays by the phrase ‘American literature’? What factors have shaped it and made it distinctive and autonomous, and what relation does it now bear to the traditional conception of ‘English literature’?
English as an African language
Authors: Desai Gaurav
Published: October 2008

An examination of how the language is used in the literature of Black Africa
Writing strategies and writers' tools
Authors: Chandler Daniel
Published: October 2008

A survey-related classification of kinds of writing and writers, and people's preferences about the implements they use, from the pen to the PC
The on-going career of Henry Watson Fowler
Authors: Ware Rachel
Published: October 2008

A historical review of the usage books of HWF and his brother FGF, and their British successors
Determiners: a class apart
Authors: Berry Roger
Published: October 2008

Some problems encountered in the compilation of ‘Collins COBUILD English Guides 10: Determiners and Quantifiers’
The level tone in Singapore English
Authors: Goh Christine C. M.
Published: October 2008

An examination of a distinctive intonation pattern in the English of Singapore
The ugly grammarian
Authors: Baron Dennis
Published: October 2008

The histoty of the words ‘grammar’ and ‘grammarian’ tells us a great deal about attitudes to grammar and grammarians.
A matter of life and death
Authors: Landau Sidney I.
Published: October 2008

When a word like ‘abortion’ is in the dictionaries as well as the news, the definitions on offer can cast light on areas of change and uncertainty in the language.
Prestige, purity, and power
Authors: Fairman Tony
Published: October 2008

‘Language isn't used only for communication; it's also used as an instrument of political and social power.’ If this is so, is something that was common 150 years ago in the social power-plays of England repeating itself in black Africa?
The Planned and the Ethnic
Authors: Pitt Arnold
Published: October 2008

1987 is the centenary year of Esperanto. English Today talks to ARNOLD PITT, editor of Esperanto Teacher, about the most famous of the world's ‘artificial’ languages and its relationship with English.
Tudor English Today
Authors: Lawrence Margot
Published: October 2008

The legacy of the 16th century stays with us not only in the works of playwrights like Shakespeare but also through the powerful on-going influence of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.
How many words?
Authors: Crystal David
Published: October 2008

It is often said that the English language is particularly rich in vocabulary, but to make such a statement we need to know what words to count and what counts as a word.
The word-watchers
Authors: Parrott Fred
Published: October 2008

People complain to the editors of many periodicals about other people's usages. Teachers labour in many institutions to pass on shibboleths that they themselves were taught. Do such dedicated efforts make much difference to the language at large?
A new kind of examination
Authors: Wiley George
Published: October 2008

Traditionally, in England and Wales, higher-level examinations in English have concentrated more on literature (and the language of literature and formal usage) than on language at large. There are, however, signs of change.
Language habits of the Japanese
Authors: Koreo Kinosita
Published: October 2008

Following recent articles on language awareness, we provide here an opportunity to listen in on the debate in Japan regarding language, culture and the outside world
Going out of style?
Authors: Baron Dennis
Published: October 2008

The passive voice may not currently be popular with advisers on how to write, but that does not necessarily make it a vice.
Render Unto Caesar
Authors: Peters Pam
Published: October 2008

The obstetrical expression ‘caesarean section’ (also spelled with a capital C, with -e- instead of -ae- in the first syllable, and with -ian instead of -ean at the end) has always been associated with Julius Caesar. The tradition goes back to the first century AD, when Pliny explained that the name Caesar was coined on the fact that its most famous bearer had been born ‘a caeso matris ventro’ (out of his mother's cut belly).
Gaijin
Authors: Duppenthaler Peter
Published: October 2008

An American teacher of English in Japan describes how the Japanese see the aliens in their midst.
English teaching: the need for reform
Authors: Cox Brian
Published: October 2008

The text of the 6th Annual Collins Dictionary Strathclyde Lecture given by Profesor Cox at Strathclyde University, Glasgow, 9th May 1989.
The use of words in Pakistani English
Authors: Rahman Tariq
Published: October 2008

Following on from Robert J. Baumgardner's article on English in Pakistan in ET21, a consideration of the nature of Pakistani English vocabulary
The pedigree of plain English
Authors: McArthur Tom
Published: October 2008

A revised and extended version of the opening address to the first National Plain English Conference held in 1990 in Cambridge, England
What about pronunciation?
Authors: Duppenthaler Peter
Published: October 2008

A review of recent research in the acquisition of pronunciation skills in learners of English and other languages and of the implications for teachers
Ergo lingua mihi deficit
Authors: Fairman Tony
Published: October 2008

A reply to Sir Randolph Quirk and a discussion of the implications of Braj Kachru's term ‘deficit linguistics’
Received Pronunciation and Standard English as systems of reference
Authors: Chevillet François
Published: October 2008

A reply to Braj Kachru in terms of models for the use of foreign learners of the language
Japanese students in the UK
Authors: Wisniewska Ingrid
Published: October 2008

INGRID WISNIEWSKA considers the linguistic and cultural problems of Japanese students of English when studying in Great Britain
Orthographic variation in Arabic loan words
Authors: Kaye Alan S.
Published: October 2008

A review of the complexities and inconsistencies of Arabic words and names in English texts
Virtual English
Authors: Dorner Jane
Published: October 2008

A discussion of the nature and use of aids for writers currently available as computer software packages
A lot of chutzpah
Authors: Feinsilver Lillian Mermin
Published: October 2008

An examination of an old Hebrew/Yiddish word and its widespread use in English
Hau fo rait pijin: Writing in Hawai'i Creole English
Authors: Romaine Suzanne
Published: October 2008

An account of how Hawai'i Creole arose and has been evolving into a literary dialect
Playground poetry
Authors: Myers Greg
Published: October 2008

An analysis of the rhymes and linguistic tricks used by schoolchildren
Investigating English usage with ICECUP
Authors: Quinn Akiva , Porter Nick
Published: October 2008

A description of how a text-retrieval program can search a tagged corpus for words, word elements, and their grammatical roles
Political correctness and the American newspaper: the case of the Los Angeles Times Stylebook
Authors: Miles Jack
Published: October 2008

ON DECEMBER 2, 1993, David Nyhan of the Boston Globe published an article entitled “The Thought Police Strike Again.” In a parody of novelist Raymond Chandler's immortal Los Angeles detective, Philip Marlowe, Nyhan wrote:

“I was in my office, on the fringe of the ghetto, feeling gypped because a check had bounced, watching the crazy divorcée in the next office, a real babe who used to be a nifty co-ed before she married her hillbilly. He was a piece of white trash whose holy roller ancestors fought the Indians.
Job interviews in Hong Kong
Authors: Boyle Joseph , Tomlinson Ruth
Published: October 2008

Changing emphases in the use of English and Chinese in the recruitment of business managers in a British colony soon to be reintegrated into China
Is India throwing away its language resources?
Authors: Phillipson Robert , Skutnabb-Kangas Tove
Published: October 2008

An analysis with European implications of whether the expansion of English-medium education in India is restricting the evolution of Indian languages
Clichés: neither a defence nor a condemnation
Authors: Kirkpatrick Betty
Published: October 2008

The introduction from the writer's new book, A Dictionary of Cliches, Bloomsbury 1996, outlining a novel family of kinds of hackneyed and overused expressions
The Malta experience
Authors: Davidson Keith
Published: October 2008

A discussion of the role of English in a unique Mediterranean island, in relation to Margie Berns's article ‘English in the European Union’ (ET43, Jul 95)
The English-based creoles of Surinam
Authors: Wekker Herman
Published: October 2008

An account of Sranan, Saramaccan, Ndjuka and other creoles based on English in a former Dutch colony in northern South America
Global English invades Poland
Authors: Griffin Jeff
Published: October 2008

An analysis of the use of English in Polish magazine advertisements
Abandoning apicals
Authors: Rastall Paul
Published: October 2008

PAUL RASTALL looks at some recently-developing omissions of n-, t- and d- sounds in southern England
English in Mexican Spanish
Authors: Baumgardner Robert J.
Published: October 2008

A survey of English-language borrowings among Mexican consumers
China English and Chinese English
Authors: Zhang Ailing
Published: October 2008

AILING ZHANG makes a distinction between two kinds of English in China ‘to emphasize the absolute necessity of Standard English to be taught, instead of other varieties claimed by some linguists to be equally good’.
Cyberdictionaries
Authors: Lan Li
Published: October 2008

LI LAN considers the current state of on-line lexicography
Life, language and the things linguists look at
Authors: Honeybone Patrick
Published: October 2008

A further reply to Michael Bulley's criticism of Chomskyan linguistics
Wombatography
Authors: Fundis Lois Aleta
Published: October 2008

The following text constitutes the foreword by LOIS ALETA FUNDIS (reference librarian, Mary H. Weir Public Library, West Virginia, USA) to ‘Stumpers! Answers to Hundreds of Questions that Stumped the Experts’, edited by Fred R. Shapiro, Random House, New York, 1998. The answers thematically presented in this paperback (pp. xviii + 236, ISBN 0-375-70174-5, $12.95) were provided by US librarians in their own Internet discussion group, Stumpers!, which was started in 1992 by Anne Freeney, a student at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Rosary College (now Dominican University) in Illinois. Some wombats chanced to go along for the ride, and ET here honours them and their lexically and bibliographically gifted friends.
Going out (of) the window?
Authors: Estling Maria
Published: October 2008

A corpus-based study of competing prepositional constructions in American and British English
Interanto: the global language of signs
Authors: McArthur Tom
Published: October 2008

A tale of two cities (Zurich and Uppsala)and their street and store signs
Assessing the state of Ugandan English
Authors: Fisher Allestree E. C.
Published: October 2008

An account of the nature and key features of an East African variety
On Serb and Serbian
Authors: Kjellmer Göran
Published: October 2008

GÖRAN KJELLMER reviews the recent use of two synonyms that may be more – or less – than synonymous
Orthography and identity: An overview of the aims and findings of the Langscape project
Authors: Peters Pam
Published: October 2008

PAM PETERS of Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia, provides the first part of a two-part general concluding review of the Langscape Project, a major contribution to the creation of her prospective world English style guide (to be published by Cambridge University Press)
How ‘English’ is English Literature?
Authors: Brewer Derek
Published: October 2008

What do we understand nowadays by the traditional phrase ‘English literature’? Is it the literature of England and England alone, or of the whole British Isles when English is used, or does it cover the literature of all the world when that literature is cast in English?
Protecting the Queen's English
Authors: Talbot Godfrey
Published: October 2008

A well-known British broadcaster and biographer of the Royal Family writes as President of the Queen's English Society about the need to defend the mother tongue in the mother country.
In defence of RP
Authors: Christophersen Paul
Published: October 2008

Received Pronunciation or BBC English has long been the prestige voice of British English and the model offered to foreigners learning the language. In recent years, however, RP has been in retreat, and a former professor of English – of Danish background – presents the case for protecting and preserving it.
Partisans of Language
Authors: Imhoff Gary
Published: October 2008

In 1986, the International Journal of the Sociology of Language published a special issue on language rights and the proposed English Language Amendment to the US Constitution. A shorter version of the major article in that special issue appeared in ET6, April 86, as ‘An endangered language?’ by David F Marshall. A defender of the ELA exercises his right of reply.
Effectiveness of influenza vaccination in the elderly in South Africa
Authors: van VUUREN A. , RHEEDER P. , HAK E.
Published: October 2008

This study primarily aimed to estimate the association between influenza vaccination and the occurrence of hospitalization for acute respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, or all-cause death during the influenza season in an elderly population in South Africa. We conducted a nested case-control study using data from a cohort of 45 522 elderly members of a private medical funding organization during the moderate 2004 influenza season. In 1282 (2·8%) subjects the combined outcome occurred and the influenza vaccination rate in controls was 15·4%. After adjustments for measured confounders, vaccination was associated with a statistically significant reduction of 19% (95% confidence interval 3·1–32·9) in the combined outcome. Post-hoc sensitivity analysis of the potential impact of potential healthy user bias showed that confounding, if present, could have caused this finding. Our data were inconclusive regarding the benefits of influenza vaccination in elderly persons in South Africa and given the low vaccine uptake, long-term follow-up is warranted.
Socioeconomic risk factors for bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia in adults
Authors: FLORY J. H. , JOFFE M. , FISHMAN N. O. , EDELSTEIN P. H. , METLAY J. P.
Published: October 2008

Demographic and clinical risk factors are important in guiding vaccination policy for pneumococcal pneumonia. We present data on these variables from a population-based surveillance network covering adult bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia (BPP) in the Delaware Valley region from 2002 to 2004. Surveillance data were used with U.S. Census data and a community health survey to calculate stratified incidence rates. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. Overall rates of adult BPP were 10·6 cases/100 000 person-years. Elevated rates were seen in the elderly (>65 years), Native Americans, African Americans, the less-educated (less than high-school education), the poor, smokers, and individuals with histories of asthma, cancer, or diabetes. Multivariable modelling suggested that income was more robustly associated with risk than African American race. Of methodological interest, this association was not apparent if census block-group median income was used as a proxy for self-reported income. Further research on socioeconomic risk factors for BPP is needed.
Extended ASP Tableaux and rule redundancy in normal logic
programs
Authors: JÄRVISALO MATTI , OIKARINEN EMILIA
Published: October 2008

We introduce an extended tableau calculus for answer set programming (ASP). The
proof system is based on the ASP tableaux defined in the work by Gebser and
Schaub (Tableau calculi for answer set programming. In Proceedings of
the 22nd International Conference on Logic Programming (ICLP 2006),
S. Etalle and M. Truszczynski, Eds. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol.
4079. Springer, 11–25) with an added extension rule. We investigate
the power of Extended ASP Tableaux both theoretically and empirically. We study
the relationship of Extended ASP Tableaux with the Extended Resolution proof
system defined by Tseitin for sets of clauses, and separate Extended ASP
Tableaux from ASP Tableaux by giving a polynomial-length proof for a family of
normal logic programs {Φn} for which ASP Tableaux has exponential-length minimal proofs with
respect to n. Additionally, Extended ASP Tableaux imply
interesting insight into the effect of program simplification on the lengths of
proofs in ASP. Closely related to Extended ASP Tableaux, we empirically
investigate the effect of redundant rules on the efficiency of ASP solving.