bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
House names, shop signs and social organization in Western European cities, 1500–1900
Authors: Garrioch David
Published: February 2009

The houses in early modern European cities almost all had names and signs. These are usually taken to be an early form of advertising, or else a way of finding one's way around the city in times before street names and numbering. This article argues that their primary purpose was to mark the individual, family or ethnic identity of the house owner or tenant. During the eighteenth century the names and signs changed in character, and by the mid-nineteenth century they had almost disappeared from city centres, primarily as a result of changes in individual and family identity among the urban middle classes, and of the transformation of neighbourhood communities under the pressure of urban economic and social integration. The evolution of house names and shop signs therefore illustrates the changing relationship between the city's residents and the urban environment.
In search of urban reform: co-operative housing in inter-war Athens
Authors: Kafkoula Kiki
Published: February 2009

In spite of the campaigns for social housing conducted by its most ardent supporters, at the beginning of the century Greece completely lacked the various low-cost housing organizations that were quite common in Europe. During the inter-war period, progressive governments took various steps to rationalize the provision of housing, aiming, among others, at encouraging the formation of housing co-operatives. Under the provisions of appropriate legislation, housing cooperatives acquired land on favourable terms either in or outside the city of Athens. The proposed schemes, which were meant to be supported by state funds, were, however, inadequately administered, mainly because of the political instability and economic hardships of the inter-war period. As a result, the function of the housing co-operatives was gradually restricted to providing small investors with cheap land, on which they would build individually at a more convenient time. The happy exceptions to the rule were co-operative housing schemes which owed their implementation to the higher economic and social status of their members.
Urban demography in pre-industrial England: what is to be done?
Authors: Goose Nigel
Published: February 2009

For over thirty years demography has featured prominently on the urban history agenda. As long ago as 1963, in an article subtitled ‘On broadening the relevance and scope of urban history’, Eric Lampard emphasized that ‘An autonomous social history ought to begin with a study of population: its changing distribution in time and space’. In 1968 Leo Schnore suggested concentration upon ‘the demographic and ecological aspects of urban life’, according demography the number one priority. Leading British urban historians and historical geographers repeated such injunctions in the 1970s, emphasizing how little was known about even the most basic aspects of pre-industrial urban populations and how far British researchers lagged behind their continental colleagues in the field of urban demography. Unfortunately the response of the last generation of researchers to these precepts has been decidedly muted, and pre-industrial urban demography in England remains in its infancy.
Public policy, urban renewal and property ownership, 1945-55
Authors: Yelling Jim
Published: February 2009

Although plans for urban renewal after 1945 were largely based on clearance and redevelopment, the changed circumstances of post-war Britain also favoured a revival of interest in the repair and improvement of older housing. The article looks at the different approaches of Aneurin Bevan and Harold Macmillan, and at the reasons why only limited, if useful, progress was made. It stresses the significance of a repairs backlog in conjunction with the politics of property ownership and political conceptions of the conditions under which public money could be invested in urban renewal. In such considerations repair and improvement presented far greater difficulties than clearance and redevelopment, and this was an essential element in the continuing popularity of the latter method.
The production of urban histories in eighteenth-century England
Authors: Sweet Rosemary
Published: February 2009

Much of our knowledge concerning the ‘urban renaissance’ in eighteenth-century provincial towns comes from a reading of contemporary urban histories. Too often they are referred to purely for their factual information, and insufficient consideration is given to their relationship to the society for which they were written. This article examines in detail the series of histories written in Newcastle over the long eighteenth century. Although the content of these histories can appear formulaic, with considerable borrowings of material, there are significant differences. These reflect the different agenda which the respective authors were addressing and the changing composition of the readership. Urban histories can provide an invaluable insight into the dynamics of urban society and the way in which contemporaries perceived and presented it.
Life insurance in the society and culture of London, 1700–75
Authors: Clark Geoffrey
Published: February 2009

This article examines the rise of co-operative life insurance societies and the market for life insurance in the early eighteenth century. Life insurance offered the middling sort in particular an opportunity to associate together for mutual economic protection and also provided them with a means to advance a set of reforming ideals. Until 1774, however, the lack of any legal restrictions on who might insure whom meant that prudential insuring existed alongside gambling on other people's lives, leading to a clash of property interests among the societies' members. Ultimately, a new moral technology was developed that segregated licit from illicit motives for insuring and also curtailed the proprietary rights insurance society members had previously exercised over their own policies, subjecting them instead to an impersonal financial bureaucracy.
Shopping streets as social space: leisure, consumerism and improvement in an eighteenth-century county town
Authors: Stobart Jon
Published: February 2009

The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of ‘leisure towns’ as the chief resorts of wealthy consumers of a new range of goods and services. Their prosperity related closely to the growth of consumerism, but little attention has been given to the ways in which shopping and shops linked into the changing social, economic and physical structure of such towns. This paper explores these processes in the context of Chester – a classic, but largely neglected leisure town – and concludes that shopping streets became central to the economy of the city and amongst the most important of its social spaces.
Immigration and population growth in early fourteenth-century Norwich: evidence from the tithing roll
Authors: Rutledge Elizabeth
Published: February 2009

Estimates of urban population before the Black Death have been hampered by a lack of suitable data. Although it is common knowledge that many towns reached a physical size in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries that was not exceeded until the early-modern period, little definite is known about the gross urban population at this date. Where attempts have been made to estimate urban populations these have traditionally depended on multiplying from one arbitrary sector of the community, such as property owners, taxpayers or freemen, or on back projections from the late-fourteenth-century poll tax returns. The problem with such an approach is not only that there is little independent basis for the multipliers used, but also that the relationship between any such arbitrary sector and the urban population as a whole may alter from town to town as well as from time to time within the same community. An exception to this approach has been the recent work of Derek Keene, who has used other indicators of population size and pressure, namely land values, the extent of the built-up area and density of settlement, to estimate the early-fourteenth-century populations of Winchester and London. It may be significant that this method has produced considerably higher population figures than had been reached by the more traditional approach. In this uncertainty, any source that purports to record the whole of a demographically defined section of the population is of considerable interest. Norwich is fortunate in the survival of such a source in an early-fourteenth-century tithing roll for the leet of Nedham and Mancroft (hereafter Mancroft), one of the four leets of the city.
Nordic urban history and urban historians in the last decade
Authors: Myhre Jan Eivind
Published: February 2009

To people from the Continent, like the German essayist Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Norwegians seem to be something of an urban puzzle. While crowding in towns and cities — about three-quarters of the population now live in urban settlements — the minds and lifestyles of Norwegians, their concept of the good life, are stubbornly rural. More or less the same applies to the Finns. The Danes, on the other hand, are conceived as quite the opposite, a fundamentally urban nation. The Swedes fall somewhere in between.

Differences in urban attitudes, as well as other diversities between the Nordic countries, are cherished among the inhabitants themselves, although most people are well aware that the culturally unifying elements are strong, too. The variations are real, however, and different urban experiences may partly account for them. Take the case of nineteenth-century urbanization, with examples extracted from the 1977 Trondheim Nordic history conference report on urbanization.
Externalities, the market, power structure and the urban agenda
Authors: Morris R. J.
Published: February 2009

Urban history stands at a point of unprecedented opportunity. This paper is designed to outline the nature of that opportunity and to initiate a discussion on the manner in which urban historians can make important intellectual and cultural contributions to current debates. To understand this situation it is necessary to examine the origins of the urban history which dominated the 1960s and 1970s, and then to show how the political and cultural context of the 1970s and 1980s provided first challenge and then opportunity to those who believe that the study of towns and cities, of urbanism as such is a worthwhile activity.
The Banburys of England
Authors: Everitt Alan
Published: February 2009

In the stately progress of the Oxfordshire V.C.H.this is the ninth volume to appear, since volume IV is still in preparation*. Although one of the smallest counties in England, covering barely 480,000 acres, Oxfordshire has thus produced more volumes than any other county except Wiltshire, which has also produced nine but is nearly twice its size. County, city, and university all deserve praise for their financial partnership in this splendid achievement. At present, alas, the University of Oxford stands almost alone amongst educational institutions in its ability to afford enlightened patronage of this kind. The volume is in the customary format and displays the high standards of scholarship that have become a sine qua non of the V.C.H. under the present general editor.
Paternalism, craft and organizational rationality 1830–1930: an exploratory model
Authors: Smith Dennis
Published: February 2009

This paper reflects on aspects of industrial and political history in Birmingham from the 1830s to the 1930s. Its object is to consider the strategies adopted by capital and labour in response to the challenges posed by successive phases of capitalist industrialization, urbanization and bureau-cratization. A convenient way to begin is by responding critically to the approach exemplified by the work of Richard Price and Clive Behagg. Although there are differences of emphasis, Price and Behagg have both explored workshop-based craft traditions, paternalistic labour management strategies and the complex links between them. They pay attention to the broader matrix of forces surrounding industry, including the impact of political movements. However, their main concern is the implementation of specific profit-seeking strategies in the sphere of production and the responses of key social actors, especially artisans and large employers, whose interests are advanced or harmed by these strategies. The master process, implicitly at least, is capitalist industrialization as shaped by the dynamics of domestic and international competition.
The social context of the parish church in early modern Westminster
Authors: Merritt Julia
Published: February 2009

In 1613 the learned divine Dr Andrew Willet remarked on the number of London churches that had recently been rebuilt, commenting that ‘generally all of them have beene more Beautified and adorned in the space of twenty or thirty yeeres than in an hundred yeeres before’. It is somewhat surprising, then, that the subject of church building in Jacobean London has attracted little attention. Yet the detailed examination of such building provides special insight into the way parishioners viewed themselves and their community.
Urban Culture: City sex: views of American women and urban culture, 1869 to 1990
Authors: Kornbluh Andrea Tuttle
Published: February 2009

Urban women are provocative; their mere presence has frequently stimulated observers to label the relationship between women and urban culture problematic. As Mary P. Ryan recently noted, ‘To search for women in public is to subvert a longstanding tenent of the modern Western gender system, the presumption that social space is divided between the public and the private and that men claim the former while women are confined to the latter.’ What follows here is an examination of the changing discourse of the relationship between women and cities since the Civil War. Perhaps for the reason indicated by Ryan, few systematic surveys have been made of that literature. Only those works which explicitly posit a connection between women and urban culture are included here; it is not enough that the women described beincities, there must be some discussion of the interaction between the two. The term ‘culture’ is used in the anthropological sense – culture as a way of life. Many of the works reviewed here examine women who somehow deviate from the ‘ideal’ woman, who in the nineteenth century seemed to be a married Protestant middle-class non-employed mother. Thus they demonstrate abundant interest in prostitutes, immigrant women and wage-earning women, as well as in politically and sexually radical women.
Has the time come for cost-effectiveness analysis in US health care?
Authors: BRYAN STIRLING , SOFAER SHOSHANNA , SIEGELBERG TARYN , GOLD MARTHE
Published: February 2009

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a powerful analytic tool for assessing the value of health care interventions but it is a method used sparingly in the US. Despite its growing acceptance internationally and its endorsement in the academic literature, most policy analysts have assumed that US decision makers will resist using CEA to inform coverage decisions. This study sought to clarify the extent to which CEA is understood and accepted by US decision makers, including regulators, private and public insurers, and purchasers, and to identify their points of difficulty with its use. We conducted half-day workshops with a sample of six California-based health care organizations that spanned a range of public and private perspectives regarding coverage of health care services. Each workshop included an overview of CEA methods, a priority-setting exercise that asked participants (acting as ‘social decision makers’) to rank condition treatment pairs prior to and following provision of cost-effectiveness information; and a facilitated discussion of obstacles and opportunities for using CEA in their own organizations. Pre and post-questionnaires inquired as to obstacles toward implementing CEA, attitudes toward rationing, and views on the use of CEA in Medicare and in private insurance coverage decision-making. In post-workshop surveys major obstacles identified included: fears of litigation, concerns about the quality and accuracy of studies that were commercially sponsored, and failure of CEAs to address shorter horizon cost implications. Over 90% of participants felt that CEA should be used as an input to Medicare coverage decisions and 75% supported its use in such decisions by private insurance plans. Despite the wide acceptance of CEA, at the conclusion of the workshop, 40% of the sample remained uncomfortable with support of ‘rationing’ per se. We suggest that how cost-effectiveness analysis is framed will have important implications for its acceptability to US decision makers.
A Bayesian network approach to knowledge integration and representation of farm irrigation: 3. Spatial application
Authors: Robertson D. E. , Wang Q. J. , McAllister A. T. , Abuzar M. , Malano H. M. , Etchells T.
Published: February 2009

Catchment managers are interested in understanding impacts of the management options they promote at both farm and regional scales. In this third paper of this series, we use Inteca‐Farm, a Bayesian network model of farm irrigation in the Shepparton Irrigation Region of northern Victoria, Australia, to assess the current condition of management outcome measures and the impact of historical and future management intervention. To help overcome difficulties in comprehending modeling results that are expressed as probability distributions, to capture uncertainties, we introduce methods to spatially display and compare the output from Bayesian network models and to use these methods to compare model predictions for three management scenarios. Model predictions suggest that management intervention has made a substantial improvement to the condition of management outcome measures and that further improvements are possible. The results highlight that the management impacts are spatially variable, which demonstrates that farm modeling can provide valuable evidence in substantiating the impact of catchment management intervention.
Temperature dependence of OH diffusion in air and He
Authors: Liu Yong , Ivanov Andrey V. , Molina Mario J.
Published: February 2009

Although accurate knowledge of OH diffusion under atmospheric conditions is important, only one experimental study has been carried out at room temperature. Here, we report laboratory measurements of the OH diffusion coefficient in He and in a mixture of He and air over the range 218–318 K, using a temperature‐controlled flow tube coupled to a low‐pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometer. The results, which show a strong, almost square dependence of the diffusion coefficient on temperature in He and air, are consistent with predictions obtained from our theoretical calculations for diffusion of its polar diffusive analogue, H2O, using the 6–12 Lennard‐Jones potential model with the collision parameters of water. This supports our hypothesis that the diffusion of OH can be accurately represented in the atmosphere by water, its polar diffusive analogue.
Interseismic slip rate of the northwestern Xianshuihe fault from InSAR data
Authors: Wang H. , Wright T. J. , Biggs J.
Published: February 2009

The Xianshuihe fault is a highly active strike‐slip fault system near the eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau. We use a multi‐interferogram method to construct a map of line‐of‐sight deformation rate due to interseismic strain accumulation on the northwestern Xianshuihe fault from a decade of SAR data acquired by the ERS‐1/2 and Envisat satellites. The rate map shows a clear deformation gradient associated with the fault, but slightly offset to the northeast from the surface trace. Joint inversion of InSAR rate map and GPS data using Monte‐Carlo method, we estimate a slip rate of 9‐12 mm/yr with a locking depth of 3‐6 km at the 90% confidence level. The slip rate agrees with the Holocene fault slip rate and the historical earthquakes. Our results also suggest no significant across‐fault extension. In the future, InSAR data from both ascending and descending orbits may further constrain the 3‐D fault slip rate on this fault.
How often does it rain over the global oceans? The perspective from CloudSat
Authors: Ellis Todd D. , L'Ecuyer Tristan , Haynes John M. , Stephens Graeme L.
Published: February 2009

The frequency of precipitation occurrence over the global oceans from 2006–2007 as calculated from CloudSat radar data is compared to ship‐based (ICOADS) and island‐based (GSOD) data. It is shown that the spatial pattern of the precipitation frequency from CloudSat is consistent with previous climatological studies. The comparison to ship‐based data reveal that CloudSat results are consistent with ship observations well into the high latitudes and appear to capture the seasonal cycle of precipitation well. A comparison to island data also shows good qualitative agreement, although the spatial scale mismatch complicates the efficacy of such comparisons. Nevertheless, CloudSat is shown to be a viable platform for obtaining quality satellite‐based precipitation frequency measurements.
Neogene history of the West Pacific Warm Pool, Kuroshio and Leeuwin currents
Authors: Gallagher Stephen J. , Wallace Malcolm W. , Li Chung Leong , Kinna Belinda , Bye John T. , Akimoto Kazumi , Torii Masayuki
Published: February 2009

Foraminiferal analysis of Miocene to recent strata of the Northwest Shelf of Australia is used to chart West Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) influence. The assemblage is typified by “larger” foraminifera with ingressions of the Indo‐Pacific “smaller” taxaAsterorotaliaandPseudorotaliaat around 4 Ma and from 1.6 to 0.8 Ma. A review of recent and fossil biogeography of these taxa suggests their stratigraphic distribution can be used to document WPWP evolution. From 10 to 4.4 Ma a lack of biogeographic connectivity between the Pacific and Indian Ocean suggests Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) restriction. During this period, the collision of Australia and Asia trapped warmer waters in the Pacific, creating a central WPWP biogeographic province from the equator to 26°N. By 3 Ma Indo‐Pacific species migrated to Japan with the initiation of the “modern” Kuroshio Current coinciding with the intensification of the North Pacific Gyre and Northern Hemisphere ice sheet expansion. Indo‐Pacific taxa migrated to the northwest Australia from 4.4 to 4 Ma possibly because of limited ITF. The absence of Indo‐Pacific taxa in northwest Australia indicates possible ITF restriction from 4 to 1.6 Ma. Full northwest Australian biogeographic connectivity with the WPWP from 1.6 to 0.8 Ma suggests an unrestricted stronger ITF (compared to today) and the initiation of the modern Leeuwin Current. The extinction of some Indo‐Pacific species in northwest Australia after 0.8 Ma may be related to the effects of large glacial/interglacial oscillations and uplift of the Indonesian Archipelago causing Indonesian seaway restriction.
Effect of CeO2 buffer layer on the microstructure and magnetic properties of yttrium iron garnet film on Si substrate
Authors: Yang Qing-Hui , Zhang Huai-Wu , Wen Qi-Ye , Liu Ying-Li , Xiao John Q.
Published: February 2009

Yttrium iron garnet films were grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on Si(111) substrate with and without CeO2 buffer layer, and influence of CeO2 buffer on the microstructure and magnetic behaviors of the films were investigated. As compared with the film without buffer, a larger saturation magnetizaton (Ms), lower coercive force (Hc), and higher remnant magnetization (Mr) were obtained due to the introduction of CeO2 layer. The higher Ms results from the denser structure and the smaller content of Fe2+ ions. The lower Hc and higher Mr can be explained by the small surface roughness and crystal grains size. The film on CeO2 buffer layer possess fine microstructure and its surface roughness is smaller than the unbuffered films, which provides an increased exchange between the crystal grains and an enhanced spontaneous magnetization effect, leading to the higher remnant magnetization.
Multiferroic properties of Bi1∕2Sr1∕2FeO3
Authors: Balamurugan K. , Harish Kumar N. , Santhosh P. N.
Published: February 2009

Polycrystalline Bi1∕2Sr1∕2FeO3 was synthesized by solid state reaction method. Powder x-ray diffraction pattern of the sample was fitted using a noncentrosymmetric rhombohedral crystal system of space group R3c. The sample was found to be free from any secondary phases. This single phase material exhibits simultaneously ferrimagnetism and ferroelectricity with magnetic and electrical Curie transitions at TCM=745K and TCE=465K, respectively. Origin of this spontaneous magnetic order is discussed using the superexchange interaction between Fe ions. The observed ferroelectric polarization is explained based on the spontaneous ordering of 6s2 lone pair electrons of Bi3+ ions and a possible coexistence of charge-ordering of site- and bond-centered types.
Measurement of spin current using spin relaxation modulation induced by spin injection
Authors: Ando K. , Nakayama H. , Kajiwara Y. , Kikuchi D. , Sasage K. , Uchida K. , Ikeda K. , Saitoh E.
Published: February 2009

Ferromagnetic resonance spectra affected by the spin-Hall effect (SHE) and the spin torque were measured for a Ni81Fe19/Pd bilayer film. A charge current applied to the Pd layer is converted into a spin current via SHE, which propagates into the Ni81Fe19 layer through the interface as a spin current. The spin current exerts the torque on the magnetization, modulating the spin relaxation in the Ni81Fe19 layer. By monitoring the spin relaxation modulation, we estimated the spin current amplitude injected into the Ni81Fe19 layer. This method enables the quantitative measurement of spin currents without assuming any microscopic material parameters.
Pressure sensor based on magnetic tunnel junctions
Authors: Meyners D. , von Hofe T. , Vieth M. , Rührig M. , Schmitt S. , Quandt E.
Published: February 2009

Magnetic tunnel junctions consisting of a magnetically stable reference layer plus a magnetostrictive sense layer separated by an insulating MgO tunnel barrier have been fabricated and characterized particularly with regard to their application as strain and pressure sensors. Using a four-point-bending apparatus it has been proven that the application of mechanical stress causes the magnetization of the sense layer to rotate, while simultaneously the resistance of the strained magnetic tunnel junction changes. So far gauge factors up to 840 have been reached in resistance versus strain measurements. It has been demonstrated that these magnetic tunnel junctions also work as highly sensitive pressure gauges when placed on bulk or surface micromachined membranes.
Magnetotransport properties of c-axis oriented La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films on MgO-buffered SiO2/Si substrates
Authors: Kang Young-Min , Ulyanov Alexander N. , Shin Geo-Myung , Lee Sung-Yun , Yoo Dae-Gil , Yoo Sang-Im
Published: February 2009

c -axis oriented La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) films on MgO-buffered SiO2/Si substrates were prepared, and their texture, microstructure, and magnetotransport properties were studied and compared to epitaxial LSMO/MgO (001) and polycrystalline LSMO/SiO2/Si films. c-axis oriented MgO buffer layers were obtained on amorphous SiO2 layer through rf sputter deposition at low substrate temperature and consequent postannealing processes. In situ pulsed laser deposition-grown LSMO films, deposited on the MgO layer, show strong c-axis texture, but no in-plane texture. The c-axis oriented LSMO films which are magnetically softer than LSMO/SiO2/Si films exhibit relatively large low field magnetoresistance (LFMR) and sharper MR drop at lower field. The large LFMR is attributed to a spin-dependent scattering of transport current at the grain boundaries.
How far can a rubber molecule stretch before breaking? Ab initio study of tensile elasticity and failure in single-molecule polyisoprene and polybutadiene
Authors: Hanson David E. , Martin Richard L.
Published: February 2009

We present ab initio calculations of the internal C–C bond dissociation curve for single molecules of (cis-1,4) polyisoprene and polybutadiene. We define “bond rupture” as that point on the reaction coordinate where the unrestricted Kohn–Sham, or diradical, solution falls below the restricted, or closed-shell, solution. Using this definition, we find that rupture occurs at a tensile force of 6.8 nN for polyisoprene and 7.2 nN for polybutadiene. Their respective rupture strains are 45% and 42%. Our calculations show that the energy density versus extension is not sensitive to the number of isoprene units contained in the molecule, i.e., it is essentially independent of the chain length. These relatively large rupture strains have important implications for understanding the failure mechanism in rubber, and imply that purely enthalpic chain stretching must commence well before tensile failure occurs.
Electronic structure of coordinatively unsaturated molybdenum and molybdenum oxide carbonyls
Authors: Hossain Ekram , Jarrold Caroline Chick
Published: February 2009

Results of density functional theory calculations on coordinatively unsaturated molybdenum carbonyl and molybdenum oxide carbonyl anion and neutral complexes observed in previous experimental studies [Wyrwas, Robertson, and Jarrold, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 214309 (2007)] and extended to related complexes are reported. The ground and low-lying electronic states were calculated for the most stable structures predicted for Mo(CO)n/Mo(CO)n− (n=1–3, 5 and 6), MoO(CO)n/MoO(CO)n− (n=0–3), and MoO2(CO)n/MoO2(CO)n− (n=0–2). Interesting trends are predicted with CO addition, electron addition, and oxidation of the Mo center. In all cases, anions have stronger Mo–CO bond energies, which is attributed to enhanced πCO∗ backdonation. This enhancement is more dramatic for the molybdenum oxo complexes because the highest occupied molecular orbitals shift from Mo to the πCO∗ backbonds with the addition of oxygen to the Mo center. Sequential addition of CO for all species results in a sequential stabilization of low spin states and a destabilization of higher spin states. Further, average Mo–CO bond lengths increase as carbonyls are sequentially added. This effect is attributed to fewer electrons per Mo–CO πCO∗ backbond. Finally, addition of O to Mo(CO)n appears to weaken the Mo–CO bonds, and addition of CO to MoOn appears to weaken Mo–O bonds. The calculations are validated by favorable agreement between the available measured anion photoelectron spectra and simulated spectra based only on calculated spectroscopic parameters (vibrational frequencies and normal coordinate displacements).
Exchange bias in laterally oxidized Au/Co/Au nanopillars
Authors: Balcells Ll. , Martinez B. , Iglesias O. , García-Martín J. M. , Cebollada A. , García-Martín A. , Armelles G. , Sepúlveda B. , Alaverdyan Y.
Published: February 2009

Au/Co/Au nanopillars fabricated by colloidal lithography of continuous trilayers exhibit an enhanced coercive field and the appearance of an exchange bias field with respect to the continuous layers. This is attributed to the lateral oxidation of the Co interlayer that appears upon disk fabrication. The dependence of the exchange bias field on the Co nanodots size and on the oxidation degree is analyzed and its microscopic origin clarified by means of Monte Carlo simulations based on a model of a cylindrical dot with lateral core/shell structure.
Giant optical anisotropy in an infinite-layer iron oxide SrFeO2: An ab initio investigation
Authors: Ju Sheng , Cai Tian-Yi
Published: February 2009

Based on density functional theory, we study the electronic structure, magnetic structure, and linear optical response in SrFeO2. For its infinite-layer structure with iron square-planar coordination, the band structure, magnetic exchange interaction, and linear dielectric function show significant anisotropic behavior. In particular, giant optical anisotropy is found. The absorption edge differs by 0.5 eV between xx and zz components, and the low frequency dielectric constant is found to be 4.26 and 5.11 for εxx and εzz, respectively. These results provide evidence of potential application of this unique structure.
NiSiGe nanocrystals for nonvolatile memory devices
Authors: Hu Chih-Wei , Chang Ting-Chang , Tu Chun-Hao , Chiang Cheng-Neng , Lin Chao-Cheng , Sze Simon M. , Tseng Tseung-Yuen
Published: February 2009

In this work, charge-storage characteristics of NiSiGe nanocrystal memory device have been studied. Transmission electron microscope shows that the annealed NiSiGe film has higher nanocrystal size and density distribution. Related material analyses such as x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometer were used to confirm that the Ge elements provide the additional nucleation centers and enhance the nanocrystals aggregation during thermal process. With the improved nanocrystal formation process, a remarkable improvement of the memory effect is observed by comparing the NiSi and NiSiGe nanocrystals. In addition, the retention characteristics of the nanocrystals memory devices have been discussed.
Observation of weakly and strongly diverging ion beams in a magnetically expanding plasma
Authors: Takahashi K. , Fujiwara T.
Published: February 2009

The spatial distribution of an ion beam created in a magnetically expanding plasma using permanent magnets is experimentally investigated for 0.35 and 1 mTorr, where the magnetic-field strength is about 100 G in the plasma source and is decreasing into a few gauss in the diffusion chamber. The beam profile for 0.35 mTorr is weakly divergent. On the other hand, the strongly diverging beam is detected for 1 mTorr. The results are discussed from the viewpoint of the plasma-potential structures and imply the beam divergence caused by the radial electric fields in the ion acceleration region and the diffusion chamber.
Microscopic analysis of mid-infrared type-II “W” diode lasers
Authors: Hader J. , Moloney J. V. , Koch S. W. , Vurgaftman I. , Meyer J. R.
Published: February 2009

Mid-infrared diode lasers with type-II “W” active regions are analyzed using a fully microscopic many-body theory. The Auger carrier losses are found to dominate over radiative losses even at low temperatures. The experimentally observed strong temperature-dependent increase in Auger losses is shown to be a consequence of thermal gain reduction causing increased threshold carrier densities. Good agreement between theory and experiment is demonstrated for temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra as well as threshold loss currents.
From rainfall to farm incomes—transforming advice for Australian drought policy. II. Forecasting farm incomes
Authors: Nelson Rohan , Kokic Philip , Meinke Holger
Published: February 2009

Australian drought policy is focussed on providing relief from the immediate effects of drought on farm incomes, while enhancing the longer term resilience of rural livelihoods. Despite the socioeconomic nature of these objectives, the information systems created to support the policy have focussed almost exclusively on biophysical measures of climate variability and its effects on agricultural production. In this paper, we demonstrate the ability of bioeconomic modelling to overcome the moral hazard and timing issues that have led to the dominance of these biophysical measures. The Agricultural Farm Income Risk Model (AgFIRM), developed and tested in a companion paper, is used to provide objective, model-based forecasts of annual farm incomes at the beginning of the financial year (July–June). The model was then used to relate climate-induced income variability to the diversity of farm income sources, a practical measure of adaptive capacity that can be positively influenced by policy. Three timeless philosophical arguments are used to discuss the policy relevance of the bioeconomic modelling. These arguments are used to compare the value to decision makers of relatively imprecise, integrative information, with relatively precise, reductionist measures. We conclude that the evolution of bioeconomic modelling systems provides an opportunity to refocus the analytical support for Australian drought policy towards the rural livelihood effects that matter most to governments and rural communities.
How do probabilistic seasonal climate forecasts compare with other innovations that Australian farmers are encouraged to adopt?
Authors: Hayman Peter , Crean Jason , Mullen John , Parton Kevin
Published: February 2009

Seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs) from public institutions have been issued to Australian farmers since the late 1980s. Surveys suggest that 30–50% of farmers take seasonal climate forecasts into account when making farm management decisions. Even for the farmers who have adopted SCFs, integrating them into decisions on the farm seems to be a greater challenge than first thought.
We use adoption theory to consider SCFs as an innovation presented to farmers. We consider the problem that SCFs is seeking to solve, the nature of the innovation, and how SCFs compare with other innovations that Australian farmers are encouraged to adopt. We conclude that there are unique challenges presented by the problem of managing climate uncertainty. Demonstrating the relative advantage of a probabilistic SCF is difficult because it is an information-based public good, relatively complex, difficult to trial, and only partially compatible with existing practices. In their favour, SCFs are free or relatively low cost and the information can be applied across different paddocks and different enterprises. We compare and contrast SCFs with other innovations that Australian farmers have been encouraged to adopt over their working life time, such as grain-price forecasts, new wheat varieties, the increased use of nitrogen fertiliser, no-tillage, and precision agriculture.
SEM and BET Methods for Investigating the Structure and Morphology of Co - Ce Catalysts for Production of Light Olefins
Authors: Mirzaei Ali A. , Galavy Maryam , Eslamimanesh Vahid
Published: February 2009

Co–Ce catalysts prepared by the coprecipitation method were tested for production of light olefins. The effect of different preparation conditions including the [Co]/[Ce] molar ratio, aging time, calcination conditions, different supports, and loading of optimum support on the structure and catalytic performance of different catalysts were investigated. It was found that catalyst containing 80% Co/20% Ce/15% SiO2, which was aged for 2 h and calcined at 600°C for 6 h, is the optimum modified catalyst for the conversion of synthesis gas to light olefins. Characterization of both precursors and calcined catalysts (before and after the test) was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area measurements. The morphology of the catalysts was investigated by SEM and the surface areas of these catalysts were studied by BET. It was shown that all of the different preparation variables influenced the morphology and also the specific surface area of the catalyst precursors and calcined catalysts.
2,4,6-Trichloro-1,3,5-Triazine-Promoted Synthesis of 1,8-Dioxo-Octahydroxanthenes under Solvent-Free Conditions
Authors: Zhang Zhan-Hui , Tao Xu-Ye
Published: February 2009

A practical protocol has been developed for the synthesis of 1,8-dioxo-octahydroxanthenes from aromatic aldehydes and 5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione under solvent-free conditions in the presence of wet 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine (TCT, cyanuric chloride). The desired products were obtained in high yields with a simple and environmentally benign procedure.
Exploitation of the Arndt-Eistert Homologation of N-Methyl-±-Amino Acids for Concomitant Ester and N-Methyl Peptide Formation
Authors: Hughes Andrew B. , Sleebs Brad E.
Published: February 2009

Results from studies of the Arndt–Eistert homologation of N-methyl-α-amino acids with concomitant ester and amide formation is discussed. The applicability of the use of ultrasound was investigated in the Wolff rearrangement of diazoketones for the production of esters and amides. This methodology was then applied to a novel ‘N-methyl coupling’ that allows simultaneous β-amino acid formation. Conventional ‘PyBroP N-methyl couplings’ were also performed as a comparison to establish the validity of the method.
Photochemotherapy: Targeted Activation of Metal Anticancer Complexes
Authors: Farrer Nicola J. , Sadler Peter J.
Published: February 2009

The present article highlights recent findings in the field of photoactivation of anticancer metal complexes. Developments of some photoactivatable Rh-, Pt-, and Fe-based complexes are discussed and their mechanisms of anticancer action are outlined. Features required for the successful design of photoactive drugs are considered, in particular methods for improving the targeting and selectivity of such complexes through techniques such as conjugate delivery and multiphoton absorption.
Synthesis, Characterization, and DNA Binding Studies of Ruthenium(II) Complexes with 2-Pyridyl-1H-anthra[1,2-d]imidazole-6,11-dione
Authors: Yuan Yi-Xian , Wang Yi-Can , Jiang Long , Gao Feng , Liang Si-Min , Su Cheng-Yong , Chao Hui , Ji Liang-Nian
Published: February 2009

Three novel asymmetric ruthenium(ii) complexes, [Ru(bpy)2(PAIDH)]2+ 1, [Ru(phen)2(PAIDH)]2+ 2, and [Ru(dmp)2(PAIDH)]2+ 3 (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, PAIDH = 2-pyridyl-1H-anthra[1,2-d]imidazole-6,11-dione), have been synthesized and characterized. The structure of the deprotonated complex [Ru(dmp)2(PAID)]+ 4 has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, and the anthraquinone moiety is approximately coplanar with the imidazole ring. The DNA binding properities of complexes 1, 2, and 3 to calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were investigated. Spectroscopic studies and viscosity experiments suggest that the RuII complexes intercalate into DNA base pairs by the extended anthraquinone unit, and the ancillary ligands have significant effects on the spectroscopic properties and DNA binding behaviour of the RuII complexes.
Drug Delivery Devices and Targeting Agents for Platinum(II) Anticancer Complexes
Authors: Krause-Heuer Anwen M. , Grant Maxine P. , Orkey Nikita , Aldrich-Wright Janice R.
Published: February 2009

An ideal platinum-based delivery device would be one that selectively targets cancerous cells, can be systemically delivered, and is non-toxic to normal cells. It would be beneficial to provide drug delivery devices for platinum-based anticancer agents that exhibit high drug transport capacity, good water solubility, stability during storage, reduced toxicity, and enhanced anticancer activity in vivo. However, the challenges for developing drug delivery devices include carrier stability in vivo, the method by which extracellular or intracellular drug release is achieved, overcoming the various mechanisms of cell resistance to drugs, controlled drug release to cancer cells, and platinum drug bioavailability. There are many potential candidates under investigation including cucurbit[n]urils, cyclodextrins, calix[n]arenes, and dendrimers, with the most promising being those that are synthetically adaptable enough to attach to targeting agents.
Synthesis of Novel 3-Alkyl-3′,4′,5,7-Tetrahydroxyflavones
Authors: Seixas Raquel S. G. R. , Pinto Diana C. G. A. , Silva Artur M. S. , Cavaleiro José A. S.
Published: February 2009

Novel 3-alkyl-3′,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavones have been prepared. The synthetic strategy involves the preparation of 1-(2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxyphenyl)alkan-1-ones from the Friedel–Crafts acylation of phloroglucinol followed by methylation. These key compounds were submitted to the three-step Baker–Venkataraman method, giving the 3-alkyl-3′,4′,5,7-tetramethoxyflavones, which were demethylated with boron tribromide.
Physiological Targeting to Improve Anticancer Drug Selectivity
Authors: Hambley Trevor W.
Published: February 2009

The physiological differences between solid tumours and the healthy tissues and organs of the body are both an impediment to effective treatment and a potential basis for targeting strategies. In the present review, we outline the physiological features that distinguish tumours including hypoxia, acidity, and inhibited transport and describe the strategies being employed to exploit these differences in order to generate more selective and less toxic anticancer agents.
Comparison of cis and trans-Platinum Mononucleobase Compounds with DNA and Protein Models
Authors: Strukl Joseph V. , de Paula Queite A. , Yang Xiaohong , Qu Yun , Farrell Nicholas P.
Published: February 2009

Reactions of 5′-guanosine monophosphate (5′-GMP) and N-acetylmethionine (N-ac-l-Met) with the mononucleobase compounds, cis-[PtCl(L)n(9-EtGH)]+ (L = NH3, 4-pic, n = 2; L = en, n = 1) in a 1:1 molar ratio have been studied in aqueous solutions at pH 7.3 using 1H and 195Pt NMR spectroscopy. There is a high kinetic preference for sulfur over nitrogen binding. These results are compared with the trans isomers. Based on low cytotoxicity and a high sulfur/nitrogen preference the cis isomers may also present suitable features for antiviral activity through interaction with specific proteins.
Occurrence of residues of the veterinary drug crystal (gentian) violet in wild eels caught downstream from municipal sewage treatment plants
Authors: Schuetze Andrea , Heberer Thomas , Juergensen Susanne
Published: February 2009

Environmental context. Crystal violet (CV), also known as gentian violet, is a triphenylmethane dye used as a veterinary drug for the treatment of ornamental fish infected with the parasitic protozoa Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. CV is a suspected carcinogen not registered for use with food-producing animals in the European Union, Australia, the US and some other countries. The results from this study now demonstrate that residues of leuco CV, the main metabolite of CV, may occur as an organic contaminant in samples of wild eels caused by discharges of municipal sewage effluents.
Abstract. Crystal violet (CV) and leucocrystal violet (LCV) were found in the tissues of wild eels caught from surface waters under the influence of effluents discharged by municipal sewage treatment plants (STPs). LCV was the dominant residue detected with total concentrations up to 6.7 μg kg–1 fresh weight in tissues of eels caught from lakes, rivers and a canal in Berlin, Germany. The occurrence of the residues found in 35 out of 45 samples could directly be linked to the presence of discharges by municipal STPs into the receiving surface waters. CV is a multiple-use compound that is also used as a biological stain and to colour materials such as textiles, paints and printing inks. Thus, it seems very likely that the residues of CV found in the eel samples originate from such uses and from legal uses of CV as a veterinary drug for the treatment of ornamental fish. The results obtained from this study are the first report of background contamination by CV found in samples of fish not intentionally treated with this agent. Although the residues of CV and LCV measured in the tissues of the eels were very low, an oral exposure to residues of CV or LCV should be avoided with regard to their mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. According to European Union law, zero tolerance applies to all residues of CV and LCV found in food for human consumption, as CV is not registered for use as a veterinary drug.