bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Slovakia’s Communist successor parties in comparative perspective
Authors: Rybář Marek , Deegan-Krause Kevin
Published: November 2008

The contrast between Slovakia’s primary Communist successor party—the Party of the Democratic Left—and its own successor—Smer—offers considerable insight into the interaction between party ideology, organization and electoral success in post-Communist Europe. The Party of the Democratic Left and Smer offered relatively similar programmatic positions, but Smer managed to replace—and far outpace—its predecessor by offering a more charismatic public face, a smaller and more tightly centralized organization and an ideological flexibility that permitted it to take advantage of a shifting electoral environment.
Late Riphean Borisikha ophiolite (Yenisei Ridge): U-Pb zircon age and tectonic setting
Authors: Kuzmichev A.B. , Paderin I.P. , Antonov A.V.
Published: November 2008

The Borisikha ophiolite, composed of serpentinites and amphibolites, is an extension of the Isakovka ophiolite belt in the near-Yenisei part of the Yenisei Ridge. It is a slightly disturbed ∼3.5 km thick fragment of the ophiolite association; its crustal part is composed of metamorphosed wehrlite, troctolite, and gabbro cumulates. The cumulate composition and the geochemical features, which do not show any suprasubductional overprinting, indicate that the ophiolite is a normal oceanic lithosphere. Zircons extracted from pegmatoid amphibolite show sectorial magmatic zoning, low U contents, and magmatic Th/U values. The zircon age determined on a SHRIMP-II mass spectrometer is 682±13 Ma, which corresponds to the time of formation of oceanic crust. In the second half of the Late Riphean, the oceanic lithosphere that included the Borisikha ophiolite was subducted beneath the margin of the Siberian continent. At the same time, rifting, formation of half-grabens, and alkaline magmatism took place at the rear of the Yenisei Ridge. Similar events took place in southeastern East Sayan. Correlation between the coeval Late Baikalian structures along the southern and western margins of the Siberian Platform calls for special study.
Soil-to-dwelling radon isotope ratio in the Baikal region
Authors: Chernyago B.P. , Nepomnyashchikh A.I. , Kalinovskii G.I.
Published: November 2008

Relations between indoor and soil gas radon were experimentally studied in villages of the Baikal region. On the basis of the obtained data, the soil-to-indoor radon ratio was calculated, which can be used for prediction of radon pollution in buildings of the same kind.
A section of Vendian in the east of West Siberian Plate (based on data from the Borehole Vostok 3)
Authors: Kontorovich A.E. , Varlamov A.I. , Grazhdankin D.V. , Karlova G.A. , Klets A.G. , Kontorovich V.A. , Saraev S.V. , Terleev A.A. , Belyaev S.Yu. , Varaksina I.V. , Efimov A.S. , Kochnev B.B. , Nagovitsin K.E. , Postnikov A.A. , Filippov Yu.F.
Published: November 2008

The Borehole Vostok 3 drilled in the east of the West Siberian Plate (Tomsk Region) revealed a Vendian section in the depth range 5002–3870 m, which was subdivided into the Poiga, Kotodzha, and Raiga Formations based on geological, geophysical, and paleontological data. In the Kotodzha and Raiga Formations, typical Upper Vendian fossils of Cloudina hartmanae and Namacalathus sp. were found along with diverse Platysolenites, which are commonly considered to be of zonal significance in Lower Cambrian strata. Hence, the stratigraphic interval with abundant diverse Platysolenites has a wider stratigraphic range than it was believed earlier and seems to cover the Upper Vendian and Lower Cambrian deposits. The Borehole Vostok 3 is the first Siberian occurrence of the fossils Namacalathus, the world’s fourth occurrence of the Cloudina-Namacalathus association, and the first site where coexisting Platysolenites and typical Vendian organisms have been found. Therefore, the borehole provides one of the most informative (in paleontological context) Upper Vendian sections.
THE GOD OF THOMAS HOBBES
Authors: CROMARTIE ALAN
Published: November 2008

Hobbes seems to have believed in ‘God’; he certainly disapproved of most ‘religion’, including virtually all forms of Christianity. This article disentangles the link between his ‘God’ and his ‘religion’; and in so doing illuminates what Stuart writers meant by ‘atheism’. Hobbes agreed with Sir Francis Bacon that ‘atheism’ was typically caused by bad religion (that is, by ‘superstitions’ designed to serve the interests of the clergy). The Hobbesian theory of language rules out the possibility of proving God's existence, but Hobbes seems to have believed in a Designer to whom a prudent man would offer worship. He also thought that commonwealths require revealed ‘religions’, which are shared systems of belief that rest on ‘faith’ in those who first proclaim them. Religions decay when ‘faith’ is undermined by the misconduct of ‘unpleasing priests’, especially if they enjoin ‘belief of contradictories’.Leviathanis anti-atheistic in seeking to undermine priestcraft and eliminate such flaws by reinterpretation of the Bible. Hobbes probably lacked ‘faith’. But he defended liturgy and ceremony even in the circumstances of the early 1650s; the religion that he favoured was a de-clericalized Anglicanism.
GIFT AND DIPLOMACY IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY SPANISH ITALY
Authors: CARRIÓ-INVERNIZZI DIANA
Published: November 2008

This article explains how the concept and the practice of gift-making evolved in Spanish Italy in connection with power. Contemporary chronicles, avvisi (newsletters), and letters enable us to reflect upon how gifts were seen, given, and received in the period at the Spanish embassy in Rome and in the viceroyalty of Naples. It aims to establish how the exchange of presents affected the wielding of power and how it contributed to shaping the political culture of the Spanish in Italy. The seventeenth century and Italy were the time and place that witnessed the greatest experimentation in gift-making practices. This experimentation and the polysemic nature of gifts can also be explained as a result of the low level of professionalization that still characterized diplomacy in seventeenth-century Europe.
URBAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND THE TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY IN PORTUGAL, 1974–1976
Authors: PINTO PEDRO RAMOS
Published: November 2008

This article examines the impact of the urban social movement active in Lisbon on the Portuguese transition to democracy (1974–6). Academic and public discourse over the last three decades has tended to characterize the movement either as an embryonic form of a participatory society, or an illusion created by the manipulation of a minority of activists. Conversely, this article argues that the movement was largely autonomous and powerful enough to win valuable concessions for the urban poor, in the context of increasing competition between political elites, although more moderate than many have assumed. As the contending political forces fought for supremacy, the urban movement became a coveted ally and potential source of legitimacy. With the political arena becoming increasingly polarized during the course of 1975, movement supporters were faced with a stark alternative between revolution and moderation. It is suggested that their choices were instrumental in making the victory of the moderates possible, revealing the contradiction between the street and the ballot box as a false dichotomy.
EARLY HISTORY OF AL-QA'IDA
Authors: CRAGIN R. KIM
Published: November 2008

Although the broad outlines of al-Qa'ida's story are well known, less attention has been paid to its early development and evolution. How and why did al-Qa'ida leaders latch on to the United States as a primary adversary? What motivated Usama bin Laden to form al-Qa'ida in the first place? Did this motivation change over time? This article utilizes a series of recently discovered al-Qa'ida documents – such as al-Jihad magazine financed by Usama bin Laden during the 1980s, internal memos written in the early 1990s and captured by the US military in Afghanistan, and autobiographical accounts written since 2001 by former Afghan Arab fighters – to deepen our understanding of a clandestine organization that has caused havoc for the past two decades.
Modeling emotional action for social characters
Authors: Yang Hongwei , Pan Zhigeng , Zhang Mingmin , Ju Chunhua
Published: November 2008

Emotion is an important aspect of human intelligence and has been shown to play a significant role in the human decision-making process. This paper proposes a comprehensive computational model of emotions that can be incorporated into the physiological and social components of the emotions. Since interaction between characters can have a major impact on emotional dynamics, the model presents a social learning component for learning associations among characters, which in turn affects the character’s decision-making and social interactions. The model also designs a set of personality progression functions to enhance individual differences. In addition, we demonstrate this empirically through a computer simulation of a dynamic environment inhabited by a few characters to test our emotional model. The experiments show the effectiveness of our emotional model to build believable characters during interaction with the virtual environment.
On virtual environments and agents in next-generation computer games
Authors: Torres Daniel
Published: November 2008

This paper holds the material presented at our keynote at the Intelligent Virtual Environments and Virtual Agents Conference, where we analyzed future trends in virtual agent and environment technologies, as applied to the fields of videogames and interactive multimedia. We begin by observing current tendencies in game development projects, both in the market and in the academia, outlining their respective strengths and weaknesses. We follow by describing the aspects of game development that will come to shape the next generation of games, and discuss the requirements for academic projects to achieve the level of quality required to be competitive in this field. In the rest of the paper we analyze the roles, importance, challenges, and research opportunities that a new generation of virtual characters and environments will bring to the world of interactive entertainment.
Simulating socially intelligent agents in semantic virtual environments
Authors: Grimaldo Francisco , Lozano Miguel , Barber Fernando , Vigueras Guillermo
Published: November 2008

The simulation of synthetic humans inhabiting virtual environments is a current research topic with a great number of behavioral problems to be tackled. Semantical virtual environments (SVEs) have recently been proposed not only to ease world modeling but also to enhance the agent–object and agent–agent interaction. Thus, we propose the use of ontologies to define the world’s knowledge base and to introduce semantic levels of detail that help the sensorization of complex scenes—containing lots of interactive objects. The object taxonomy also helps to create general and reusable operativity for autonomous characters—for example, liquids can be poured from containers such as bottles. On the other hand, we use the ontology to define social relations among agents within an artificial society. These relations must be taken into account in order to display socially acceptable decisions. Therefore, we have implemented a market-based social model that reaches coordination and sociability by means of task exchanges. This paper presents a multi-agent framework oriented to simulate socially intelligent characters in SVEs. The framework has been successfully tested in three-dimensional (3D) dynamic scenarios while simulating a virtual university bar, where groups of waiters and customers interact with both the objects in the scene and the other virtual agents, finally displaying complex social behaviors.
Accommodating the outcast: common lodging houses and the limits of urban governance in Victorian and Edwardian London
Authors: CROOK TOM
Published: November 2008

This article examines a neglected aspect of British urban history: the governance of common lodging houses in Victorian and Edwardian London. The aim of the article is to detail the multiple ways they exercised the limits of urban governance. Providing cheap, nightly accommodation for the outcasts of urban society, common lodging houses were neither easily conceived, nor easily regulated. It is argued that their governance attests to an abundant metropolitan modernity characterized by ongoing antagonism and multiple points of tension and instability.
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Authors: McDonald Avril
Published: November 2008

The positive developments contrasted with widespread violations of humanitarian law in a number of major and minor armed conflicts and in the context of the so-called ‘war on terrorism’.
ISRAEL, HIZBOLLAH, AND THE SECOND LEBANON WAR
Authors: Ronen Yaël
Published: November 2008

This article analysesjus ad bellumquestions arising from the 2006 war in Lebanon between Israel and Hizbollah. In particular, it examines Israel's claim to self-defence. Part 1 describes the scene of events and the actors. Part 2 explores whether the events of 12 July qualify, in themselves, as an armed attack. Part 3 concerns Hizbollah's and Lebanon's international responsibility for the attack. Part 4 examines whether Israel's actions complied with the legal requirements for a lawful act of self-defence.
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW FROM A FIELD PERSPECTIVE – CASE STUDY: NEPAL
Authors: van der Oije P.J.C. Schimmelpenninck
Published: November 2008

What is it like to be working in the field with international humanitarian law during an armed conflict? In the article ‘International Humanitarian Law from a field perspective - case study: Nepal‘, the promotion of international humanitarian law is described through the eyes of a humanitarian aid worker. The author worked as a delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) during the civil war in Nepal. International humanitarian law forms the legal basis of the ICRC's presence in Nepal, it's humanitarian activities and confidential interventions. Nepal and its conflict are introduced, as well as the warring parties and the Red Cross in Nepal. Various humanitarian activities and dilemma's are described. Through this article the YIHL seeks to link theory and practice, and focus on international humanitarian law from an operational perspective.
COMMISSION 21: LIGHT OF THE NIGHT SKY
Authors: Gustafson Bo A. S. , Witt Adolf N. , Lamy Philippe , Dwek Eli , Lamy Philippe , Henry Richard C. , Mann Ingrid
Published: November 2008

Applications have been received from Dr. Peter Wheatley (proposed by UK), Prof. Harald Schuh (proposed by Austria), and Dr. Busaba Kramer (proposed by Thailand). All applications were endorsed, with the caveat that Dr. Kramer's application needs to be endorsed by at least one of the other commissions since she has not a publication record in our field.
COMMISSION 35: STELLAR CONSTITUTION
Authors: Dziembowski Wojciech A. , D'Antona Francesca , VandenBerg Don A. , Charbonnel Corinne , Christensen-Dalsgaard Joergen , Guzik Joyce A. , Langer Norbert , Larson Richard B. , Liebert James W. , Meynet Georges , Müller Ewald , Saio Hideyuki
Published: November 2008

The session was brief and quite informal as there were only six participants. The agenda included my report on organizational activities of the Commission during the 2003-2006 term and Virginia Trimble's presentation Presence of binary stars in the current astronomical literature. I summarize below the most important part of my report.
COMMISSION 36: THEORY OF STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
Authors: Spite Monique , Landstreet John D. , Asplund Martin , Ayres Thomas R. , Balachandran Suchitra C. , Dravins Dainis , Hauschildt Peter H. , Kiselman Dan , Nagendra K. N. , Sneden Christopher , Tautvaišiené Grazina , Werner Klaus
Published: November 2008

The business meeting of Commission 36 was held during the General Assembly in Prague on 16 August. It was attended by about 15 members. The issues presented included a review of the work made by members of Commission 36, and the election of the new Organising Committee. We note that a comprehensive report on the activities of the commission during the last triennium has been published in Reports on Astronomy, Transactions IAU Volume XXVIA. The scientific activity of the members of the commission has been very intense, and has led to the publication of a large number of papers.
DIVISION VII: GALACTIC SYSTEM
Authors: Whitelock Patricia A. , Sarajedini Ata , Meylan Georges , Gerhard Ortwin , Giersz Miroslav , Meylan Georges , Nordström Birgitta , Spergel David N. , Spurzem Rainer
Published: November 2008

Division VII provides a forum for astronomers studying our home galaxy, the Milky Way, which offers a unique laboratory for exploring the detailed structure of the stellar and gaseous components of galaxies and the process by which they form and evolve.
DIVISION XII: UNION-WIDE ACTIVITIES
Authors: Trimble Virginia L. , Andersen Johannes , Aksnes Kaare , Genova Françoise , Gurshtein Alexander A. , Johansson Sveneric , Pasachoff Jay M. , Smith Malcolm G.
Published: November 2008

Division XII consists of Commissions that formerly were organized under the Executive Committee, that concern astronomers across a wide range of scientific sub-disciplines and provide interactions with scientists in a wider community, including governmental organizations, outside the IAU.
COMMISSION 5: DOCUMENTATION AND ASTRONOMICAL DATA
Authors: Genova Françoise , Norris Raymond P. , Dluzhnevskaya Olga B. , Bessel Michael S. , Jenker H. , Malkov Oleg Yu. , Murtagh Fionn , Nakajima Koichi , Ochsenbein François , Pence William D. , Schmitz Marion , Wielen Roland , Zhao Yong Heng
Published: November 2008

Commission 5 has been very active during the IAU XXVI General Assembly in Prague: the Commission, its Working Groups and its Task Force held business meetings. In addition, Commission 5 sponsored two Special Sessions: Special Session 3 on The Virtual Observatory in Action: New Science, New Technology, and Next Generation Facilities which was held for three days 17–22 August, and Special Session 6 on Astronomical Data Management, which was held on 22 August. Commission 5 also participated in the organisation of Joint Discussion 16 on Nomenclature, Precession and New Models in Fundamental Astronomy, which was held 22-23 August. The General Assembly and Commission 5 web sites provides links to detailed information about all these meetings.
DIVISION XII / COMMISSION 5 / WORKING GROUP DESIGNATIONS
Authors: Schmitz Marion , Andernach Heinz J. , Borde Suzanne , Borne Kirk D. , Cowley Anne P. , Dickel Helene R. , Dubois Pascal , Gallagher John S. , Genova Françoise , Hodge Paul W. , Hunstead Richard W. , Lortet Marie-Claire , Lubowich Donald A. , Malkov Oleg Yu. , Nagata Tetsuya , Ochsenbein François , Urban Sean E. , Vishniac Ethan T. , Warren Wayne H. , Zacharias Norbert
Published: November 2008

At the 2003 Sydney IAU meeting, Marion Schmitz (Caltech, USA) took over the chair of the Commission 5 Working Group Designations, succeeding Helene Dickel. The Working Group Designations of IAU Commission 5 clarifies existing astronomical nomenclature and helps astronomers avoid potential problems when designating their sources. The most important function of WG Designations during the period 2003-2005 was overseeing the IAU REGISTRY FOR ACRONYMS (for newly discovered astronomical sources of radiation: see the website ) which is sponsored by the WG and operated by the Centre de Données de Strasbourg (CDS). The Clearing House, a subgroup of the WG, screens the submissions for accuracy and conformity to the IAU Recommendations for Nomenclature (). From its beginning in 1997 through August 2006, there have been 132 submissions and 111 acceptances. Attempts to register asterisms, common star names, and suspected variable stars were rejected. The past three years saw 61 acronyms submitted with 50 of them being accepted. (GIRL - yes; WOMEN - no).
COMMISSION 6: ASTRONOMICAL TELEGRAMS
Authors: Aksnes Kaare , Gilmore Alan C. , Green Daniel W. E. , Marsden Brian G. , Nakano Syuichi , Roemer Elizabeth , Samus Nikolaj N. , Tichá Jana
Published: November 2008

The president proposed the following for the coming triennium: Alan C. Gilmore president, and Nikolai N. Samus vice-president. Members: Brian G. Marsden, Daniel W. E. Green, Syuichi Nakano, Elizabeth Roemer, Jana Tichá, Hitoshi Yamaoka, Kaare Aksnes. Supernova group representative: Hitoshi Yamaoka was invited on to the OC to provide a link with supernova observers.
COMMISSION 14: ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR DATA
Authors: Johansson Sveneric , Federman Steven R. , Wahlgren Glenn M. , Adelman Saul J. , Biémont Emile , Lawler James E. , Mickelson Michael E. , Morton Donald C. , Ryabchikova Tanya A. , Smith Peter L. , Stehle Chantal
Published: November 2008

In our commission the vice-president (VP) becomes the president, and a new VP is chosen from members of the Organizing Committee. The position of secretary was discontinued and its responsibilities incorporated into the VP position. The president announced that the new officers are Steven R. Federman (president) and Glenn M. Wahlgren (vice-president).
DIVISION I - Fundamental Astronomy
Authors: Vondrák Jan , McCarthy Dennis D.
Published: November 2008

Aleksander Brzezinski, P-C19 (Poland), Joseph A. Burns, P-C7 (USA), Pascale Defraigne, P-C31 (Belgium), Dafydd Wyn Evans, VP-C8 (UK) Toshio Fukushima, P-C4, PP (Japan), George H. Kaplan, VP-C4 (USA), Sergei A. Klioner, P-C52 (Germany), Zoran Knezevic, VP-C7 (Serbia) Irina I. Kumkova, P-C8 (Russia), Chopo Ma, VP-C19 (USA), Richard N. Manchester, VP-C31 (Australia), and Gérard Petit, VP-C52 (France)
Perturbations of GPS signals by the ionospheric irregularities generated due to HF‐heating at triple of electron gyrofrequency
Authors: Milikh Gennady , Gurevich Alex , Zybin Kiril , Secan Jim
Published: November 2008

The objective of this letter is to present the first experimental evidence of perturbations of GPS signals by the electron density irregularities caused by the HF‐heating of the F2 region of the ionosphere. The experiments were conducted using the HAARP heater having the radiating frequency f which matches 3 fB, i.e., triple the local electron gyro frequency. Such frequency is expected to generate super small irregularities of the electron density which can scatter GPS signals. It was found that the differential phase of the probe GPS signals changed abruptly in about 10 s after the start of the HF‐heating, and then oscillated with the heating period 20 s. The oscillations lasted for 4–5 minutes and then disappeared, presumably when the resonance condition f = 3 fB was not satisfied, although the HF‐heating continued. The phase oscillations indicate the presence of small scale irregularities of the electron density caused by the HF‐heating at the frequency matching 3 fB.
Wind dynamo effects on ground magnetic perturbations and vertical drifts
Authors: Fang T. W. , Richmond A. D. , Liu J. Y. , Maute A.
Published: November 2008

The equatorial electrojet (EEJ) flows as an enhanced eastward current in the daytime E region ionosphere between 100 and 120 km height at the Earth's magnetic equator. The flowing currents in the ionosphere induce magnetic perturbations on the ground. Calculating the difference between the horizontal components of magnetic perturbation (H) at magnetometers near the equator and about 6–9 degrees away from the equator, ΔH, provides us an indicator of the strength of the EEJ. However, in this research we show how wind‐driven currents can also be an important factor in changing the magnitude of ΔH, using simulations with the NCAR Thermosphere‐Ionosphere‐Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE‐GCM). Through modifying the neutral wind and high‐latitude electrical potential at the March equinox under moderate solar activity (F10.7 = 140 units), the latitudinal distributions of H, diurnal variations of ΔH, and vertical drift in the Peruvian (75°W) longitude sector are presented in this paper. The relationship between ΔH and vertical drift is also simulated and discussed, which helps us to understand the importance of both the EEJ and the off‐equatorial wind‐driven currents in altering the relation. Model results show that the altitude variation of wind velocity in the low‐latitude region is capable of modifying the ground magnetic perturbation a few degrees away from the equator. Only by combining the effects of both the EEJ and the off‐equatorial wind‐driven currents can the magnitude of ΔH and its relation with the vertical drift be accurately estimated.
Characterization of MYG1 gene and protein: subcellular distribution and function
Authors: Philips Mari‐Anne , Vikeså Jonas , Luuk Hendrik , Jønson Lars , Lilleväli Kersti , Rehfeld Jens F. , Vasar Eero , Kõks Sulev , Nielsen Finn C.
Published: November 2008

Background information. MYG1 [Melanocyte proliferating gene 1, also known as Gamm1 (NM_021640)] is a recently described gene of unknown function. MYG1 orthologues are found in simple as well as complex eukaryotes. According to sequence homology, MYG1 is considered to have a metal‐dependent protein hydrolase (UPF0160) domain. The purpose of the present study was to determine the expression and subcellular localization of MYG1 protein and to identify physiological processes connected to MYG1 function.

Results. Human and mouse MYG1 is ubiquitously expressed, with the highest level in the testis. Analysis of mouse embryos moreover revealed a uniform Myg1 expression at E (embryonic day) 8.5, but at E11.75 expression becomes restricted predominantly to the developing brain and eye, limb buds and tail region. MYG1 exhibits a mitochondrial targeting signal in the N‐terminal region and a Pat7‐type nuclear localization signal in the region between amino acids 33–39 and localizes to these compartments. No active shuttling of MYG1 between the nucleus and the mitochondria was detected and the distribution of MYG1 was not dependent on the phase of the cell cycle. Immunoprecipitation of C‐terminally FLAG‐tagged MYG1 from HeLa cells did not identify any co‐precipitated proteins. siRNA (short interfering RNA)‐mediated knockdown of MYG1 mRNA was mainly followed by changes in the level of transcripts encoding factors involved in developmental tissue patterning and growth as well as immune‐related processes.

Conclusions. Taken together, we infer that MYG1 is a ubiquitous nucleo‐mitochondrial protein, with differential pattern and level of expression during embryonic development. MYG1 expression in normal adult tissues is stable and our data suggest MYG1 involvement in early developmental processes and also in adult stress/illness conditions.
Effects of post-translational modifications catalysed by pollen transglutaminase on the functional properties of microtubules and actin filaments
Authors: Del Duca Stefano , Serafini-Fracassini Donatella , Bonner Philip , Cresti Mauro , Cai Giampiero
Published: November 2008

TGases (transglutaminases) are a class of calcium-dependent enzymes that catalyse the interactions between acyl acceptor glutamyl residues and amine donors, potentially making cross-links between proteins. To assess the activity of apple (Malus domestica) pollen TGase on the functional properties of actin and tubulin, TGase was prepared from apple pollen by hydrophobic- interaction chromatography and assayed on actin and tubulin purified from the same cell type. The enzyme catalysed the incorporation of putrescine into the cytoskeleton monomers. When tested on actin filaments, pollen TGase induced the formation of high-molecular-mass aggregates of actin. Use of fluorescein–cadaverine showed that the labelled polyamine was incorporated into actin by pollen TGase, similar to with guinea pig liver TGase. The pollen TGase also reduced the enzyme activity and the binding of myosin to TGase-treated actin filaments. Polymerization of tubulin in the presence of pollen TGase also yielded the formation of high-molecular-mass aggregates. Furthermore, the pollen TGase also affected the binding of kinesin to microtubules and reduced the motility of microtubules along kinesin-coated slides. These results indicate that the pollen TGase can control different properties of the pollen tube cytoskeleton (including the ability of actin and tubulin to assemble and their interaction with motor proteins) and consequently regulate the development of pollen tubes.
Electronic structure of the interface of aluminum nitride with Si(100)
Authors: Badylevich M. , Shamuilia S. , Afanas’ev V. V. , Stesmans A. , Fedorenko Y. G. , Zhao C.
Published: November 2008

The band alignment at the interfaces of Si(100) with amorphous (a-) and crystallized (c-) AlN layers was analyzed using internal photoemission and photoconductivity spectroscopy. The bandgap of thin a-AlN layers grown using atomic layer deposition is found to be 5.8±0.1 eV, widening to 6.5±0.2 eV after annealing induced crystallization into the wurtzite phase. Internal photoemission of electrons from the Si valence band to the AlN conduction band was found to exhibit the same energy threshold of 3.2±0.1 eV in amorphous and crystallized AlN. The energy band diagrams of a-AlN/Si(100) and c−AlN/Si(100) interfaces are established.
A sensor circuit using reference-based conductance switching in organic electrochemical transistors
Authors: Svensson Per-Olof , Nilsson David , Forchheimer Robert , Berggren Magnus
Published: November 2008

Using organic electrochemical transistors as sensors, the sample-receptor reaction often induces moderate changes only in the drain current dynamics as the gate voltage level is switched. Here, we report an electrochemical sensor circuit including electrochemical transistors based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with polystyrenesulfonate that puts out a static sensor response signal. The circuit includes a sample and a reference transistor that are both driven in the resistive mode at 0.1 V. Measurements were performed on aqueous salt electrolytes ranging from 100 to 500 mM concentrations. The signal-ON sensor circuit provides a tenfold increase in the sensitivity as compared to single transistor sensors.
An improved theoretical model for thermal diffusion coefficient in liquid hydrocarbon mixtures: Comparison between experimental and numerical results
Authors: Yan Yu , Blanco Pablo , Saghir M. Ziad , Bou-Ali M. Mounir
Published: November 2008

Thermal diffusion or Soret effect is a phenomenon of mass transport in fluid mixtures driven by temperature gradients. In this paper, we have studied thermal diffusion coefficients for different binary n-alkane mixtures (equal mass fraction) through both theoretical and experimental methods. The theoretical model is based on the irreversible thermodynamics. Particularly, the nonequilibrium thermodynamic property τ is examined and remodeled with a consideration of vapor-liquid equilibrium in binary mixtures. The experimental method is based on the thermogravitational technique. The new model provides a good agreement with the experimental data from this study and in the literature.
Pressure-energy correlations in liquids. I. Results from computer simulations
Authors: Bailey Nicholas P. , Pedersen Ulf R. , Gnan Nicoletta , Schrøder Thomas B. , Dyre Jeppe C.
Published: November 2008

We show that a number of model liquids at fixed volume exhibit strong correlations between equilibrium fluctuations of the configurational parts of (instantaneous) pressure and energy. We present detailed results for 13 systems, showing in which systems these correlations are significant. These include Lennard-Jones liquids (both single- and two-component) and several other simple liquids, neither hydrogen-bonding liquids such as methanol and water, nor the Dzugutov liquid, which has significant contributions to pressure at the second nearest neighbor distance. The pressure-energy correlations, which for the Lennard-Jones case are shown to also be present in the crystal and glass phases, reflect an effective inverse power-law potential dominating fluctuations, even at zero and slightly negative pressure. An exception to the inverse power-law explanation is a liquid with hard-sphere repulsion and a square-well attractive part, where a strong correlation is observed, but only after time averaging. The companion paper [N. P. Bailey et al., J. Chem. Phys. 129, 184508 (2008)] gives a thorough analysis of the correlations, with a focus on the Lennard-Jones liquid, and a discussion of some experimental and theoretical consequences.
Nanometer-scale sharpness in corner-overgrown heterostructures
Authors: Steinke L. , Cantwell P. , Zakharov D. , Stach E. , Zaluzec N. J. , Fontcuberta i Morral A. , Bichler M. , Abstreiter G. , Grayson M.
Published: November 2008

A corner-overgrown GaAs∕AlGaAs heterostructure is investigated with transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy, demonstrating self-limiting growth of an extremely sharp corner profile 3.5nm wide. In the AlGaAs layers, we observe self-ordered diagonal stripes, precipitating exactly at the corner, which show increased Al content measured with x-ray spectroscopy. A quantitative model for self-limited growth is adapted to the present case of faceted molecular beam epitaxial growth, and the corner sharpness is discussed in relation to quantum confined structures. We note that corner overgrowth maintains nanometer sharpness after microns of growth, allowing corner-shaped nanostructures.
Merged phototransistor pixel with enhanced near infrared response and flicker noise reduction for biomolecular imaging
Authors: Chaji Gholamreza , Nathan Arokia , Pankhurst Quentin
Published: November 2008

A top-illuminated, nonoffset amorphous silicon (a-Si) photo thin-film transistor structure is presented for biomolecular imaging applications. The device yields a high gate-modulated response to near infrared wavelengths, enhanced by trapped assisted absorption in the transistor. In addition, its flicker noise power is reduced by more than a factor of 3 by means of a switched biasing technique. Since the image sensor, readout, and amplification are the same elements, the pixel size can be made relatively small, enabling high resolution imaging capability over large area using standard, low-cost flat-panel technology.
Anisotropic cosmological models with spinor and scalar fields and viscous fluid in presence of a Λ term: Qualitative solutions
Authors: Saha Bijan , Rikhvitsky Victor
Published: November 2008

The study of a self-consistent system of interacting spinor and scalar fields within the scope of a Bianchi type I (BI) gravitational field in the presence of a viscous fluid and Λ term has been carried out. The system of equations defining the evolution of the volume scale of BI universe, energy density, and corresponding Hubble constant has been derived. The system in question has been thoroughly studied qualitatively. Corresponding solutions are graphically illustrated. The system in question is also studied from the view point of blow up. It has been shown that the blow up takes place only in the presence of viscosity.
Reorientation of (MnTi″−VO••)× defect dipoles in acceptor-modified BaTiO3 single crystals: An electron paramagnetic resonance study
Authors: Zhang Lixue , Erdem Emre , Ren Xiaobing , Eichel Rüdiger-A.
Published: November 2008

The effect of external electric fields on the orientation of (MnTi″−VO••)× defect dipoles in ferroelectric BaTiO3 single crystals and its interplay with the domain structure were investigated by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and optical microscopy. The results show that in specimens aged in the ferroelectric state for a defined time, so-termed ferroelectrically aged, the (MnTi″−VO••)× defect dipoles orient along the direction of spontaneous polarization and follow the domain switching upon poling with correspondingly high electric fields. A comparison of the EPR signal in poled aged single-domain samples to that in naturally aged multidomain samples indicates a similar reorientation process of the defect dipole, which means that dipole reorientation rather requires long time, thermal energy, and high electric fields, i.e., more energy.
Effective thermal parameters for a bilayer
Authors: Tlamani-Amador J. , Pérez-Rodríguez F.
Published: November 2008

A method for calculating the effective thermal conductivity and diffusivity for two-layer structures in photoacoustic experiments is proposed. Unlike previous methods, the proposed procedure provides effective thermal parameters preserving their original physical meaning and without artificial resonances as a function of the modulation frequency of the incident laser beam.
Melting scenario in metallic clusters
Authors: Hsu P. J. , Luo J. S. , Lai S. K. , Wax J. F. , Bretonnet J.-L.
Published: November 2008

The isothermal Brownian-type molecular dynamics simulation has been applied to study the melting behavior of bimetallic clusters. It was found that the specific heat and Lindermann-like parameter customarily used in bulk system to describe solid-liquid transition show incongruity in the predicted melting temperature Tmelt. The underlying mechanisms that lead to the incompatibility of Tmelt separately deduced from these two quantities were analyzed further. To gain insight into the melting behavior, we calculated in addition the velocity autocorrelation function and its Fourier transform, the power spectrum, and extracted from them the Tmelt. It appears that the Tmelt inferred from the latter quantities is closer to that deduced from the principal peak position of specific heat. Two bimetallic clusters, namely, Ag1Cu13 and Au1Cu13, were selected for a thorough investigation. In the context of cluster morphology, we scrutinized the atomic distributions of Ag1Cu13, Au1Cu13, and Cu14 and effected a comparative study between a bimetallic cluster and a pure cluster so as to learn from comparison the differences in the thermal reaction of atoms, in particular, the impurity atom in the bimetallic cluster. On analyzing the dynamical data, we observed at a lower temperature (T⪡Tmelt) migrational relocation of atoms whose dynamics was superimposed at an intermediate temperature (T<Tmelt) by permutations between atoms, and at a higher temperature (T≈Tmelt), liquidlike or even gaslike behavior.
On the bifurcation of species
Authors: Bees M. A. , Coullet P. H. , Spiegel E. A.
Published: November 2008

We propose and analyze a model of evolution of species based upon a general description of phenotypes in terms of a single quantifiable characteristic. In the model, species spontaneously arise as solitary waves whose members almost never mate with those in other species, according to the rules laid down. The solitary waves in the model bifurcate and we interpret such events as speciation. Our aim in this work is to determine whether a generic mathematical mechanism may be identified with this process of speciation. Indeed, there is such a process in our model: it is the Andronov homoclinic bifurcation. It is robust and is at the heart of the formation of new solitary waves, and thus (in our model) new species.
Axisymmetric bubble collapse in a quiescent liquid pool. I. Theory and numerical simulations
Authors: Gordillo J. M.
Published: November 2008

In this paper we analyze the final instants of axisymmetric bubble pinch-off in a low viscosity liquid. We find that both the time evolution of the bubble dimensionless minimum radius, R0(t), and of the dimensionless local axial curvature at the minimum radius, 2r1(t), are governed by a pair of two-dimensional Rayleigh-like equations in which surface tension, viscosity, and gas pressure terms need to be retained for consistency. The integration of the above-mentioned system of equations is shown to be in remarkable agreement with numerical simulations and experiments. An analytical criterion, which determines the necessary conditions for the formation of the previously reported tiny satellite bubbles, is also derived. Additionally, an estimation of the maximum velocity reached by the high speed Worthington jets ejected after bubble pinch-off, in the case axisymmetry is preserved down to the formation of the satellite bubble, is also provided.
First-principles study of crystal structure, electronic structure, and second-harmonic generation in a polar double perovskite Bi2ZnTiO6
Authors: Ju Sheng , Guo Guang-Yu
Published: November 2008

Within the density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation, we present a systematic ab initio investigation of crystal structure, electronic structure, and linear and nonlinear optical responses in a polar double perovskite Bi2ZnTiO6. The effect of B-site ordering is explored by comparing three possible configurations: A-type with alternative Zn and Ti layers stacking along the c axis; C-type with Zn and Ti c axis chains; and G-type with every Zn(Ti) atoms is surrounded by its nearby six Ti(Zn) atoms. It is found that the system with G-type B-site ordering is energetically favorable, which is lower in the total energies of 0.055 and 0.133eV/formula unit than C-type and A-type, respectively. Optical calculations indicate that all the three configurations show large second-harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients, and the largest static SHG observed in the C-type system reaches 123 (10−9esu), the value of which is much larger than ever known polar oxides, e.g., 72 (10−9esu) in LiNbO3. The predicted significant nonlinear optical properties are consistent with the calculated high tetragonality as well as the large off-center displacement of Zn, Ti, and Bi atoms. In particular, a large off-center displacement greater than 0.5Å in Zn atoms is revealed for the first time. A further microscopic picture is presented via the successful connection of the prominent feature of SHG in Bi2ZnTiO6 with that of the linear optical dielectric function in terms of single-photon and double-photon resonances. Our calculations demonstrate the promising application of Bi2ZnTiO6 in optoelectronics.
Uniformly convergent n-tuple-ζ augmented polarized (nZaP) basis sets for complete basis set extrapolations. I. Self-consistent field energies
Authors: Zhong Shijun , Barnes Ericka C. , Petersson George A.
Published: November 2008

We present a sequence of n-tuple-ζ augmented polarized (nZaP) basis sets designed for extrapolations of both self-consistent field (SCF) and correlation energies to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. These nZaP basis sets (n=2–6) are formulated to give consistent errors throughout the Periodic Table (e.g., a consistent of ∼1 mhartree/electron error for the 2ZaP SCF energy and a consistent of ∼1.4 μhartree/electron error for the 6ZaP SCF energy). The SCF energy exhibits systematic convergence to the CBS limit: ESCF(nZaP)≈ESCF(CBS)+Ae−an. A single parameter, a=6.30, describes the 2ZaP through 6ZaP errors of H through Xe within 10%. The SCF rms basis set truncation errors of H through Xe are 33.5mEh, 4.58mEh, 0.82mEh, 0.18mEh, and 0.047mEh for 2ZaP, 3ZaP, 4ZaP, 5ZaP, and 6ZaP, respectively. Linear extrapolations of the (2,3)ZaP, (3,4)ZaP, (4,5)ZaP, and (5,6)ZaP calculations (all with a=6.30) reduce these errors by an order of magnitude to 0.24mEh, 0.056mEh, 0.020mEh, and 0.005mEh, respectively. A test set of 34 atoms, ions, and molecules gives similar results, and the associated test set of 25 chemical energy differences also gives comparable absolute accuracy. However, the cancellation of errors between reactant and product is lost by extrapolation. As a result, these chemical energy differences show a more modest two-to-fourfold improvement with extrapolation.
Motion of nanometer sized magnetic particles in a magnetic field gradient
Authors: Schaller Vincent , Kräling Ulli , Rusu Cristina , Petersson Karolina , Wipenmyr Jan , Krozer Anatol , Wahnström Göran , Sanz-Velasco Anke , Enoksson Peter , Johansson Christer
Published: November 2008

Using magnetic particles with sizes in the nanometer range in biomedical magnetic separation has gained much interest recently due to their higher surface area to particle volume and lower sedimentation rates. In this paper, we report our both theoretical and experimental investigation of the motion of magnetic particles in a magnetic field gradient with particle sizes from 425 nm down to 50 nm. In the experimental measurements, we monitor the absorbance change of the sample volume as the particle concentration varies over time. We also implement a Brownian dynamics algorithm to investigate the influence of particle interactions during the separation and compare it to the experimental results for validation. The simulation agrees well with the measurements for particle sizes around 425 nm. Some discrepancies remain for smaller particle sizes, which may indicate that additional factors also influence the separation for the smaller size range. We observe that the separation process includes the formation of chainlike particle aggregates due to the magnetic dipole-dipole interactions between particles when subjected to an external magnetic field. We can also see that the hydrodynamic interaction between these chains contributes to reducing the separation time. In conclusion, we show that the formation of these particle aggregates, and to a less extent the hydrodynamic interactions between them contributes to significantly enhancing the particle separation process.
Constructing explicit magnetic analogies for the dynamics of glass forming liquids
Authors: Stevenson Jacob D. , Walczak Aleksandra M. , Hall Randall W. , Wolynes Peter G.
Published: November 2008

By defining a spatially varying replica overlap parameter for a supercooled liquid referenced to an ensemble of fiducial liquid state configurations, we explicitly construct a constrained replica free energy functional that maps directly onto an Ising Hamiltonian with both random fields and random interactions whose statistics depend on the liquid structure. Renormalization group results for random magnets when combined with these statistics for the Lennard-Jones glass suggest that discontinuous replica symmetry breaking would occur if a liquid with short range interactions could be equilibrated at a sufficiently low temperature where its mean field configurational entropy would vanish, even though the system strictly retains a finite configurational entropy.
Single-file dynamics with different diffusion constants
Authors: Ambjörnsson Tobias , Lizana Ludvig , Lomholt Michael A. , Silbey Robert J.
Published: November 2008

We investigate the single-file dynamics of a tagged particle in a system consisting of N hardcore interacting particles (the particles cannot pass each other) which are diffusing in a one-dimensional system where the particles have different diffusion constants. For the two-particle case an exact result for the conditional probability density function (PDF) is obtained for arbitrary initial particle positions and all times. The two-particle PDF is used to obtain the tagged particle PDF. For the general N-particle case (N large) we perform stochastic simulations using our new computationally efficient stochastic simulation technique based on the Gillespie algorithm. We find that the mean square displacement for a tagged particle scales as the square root of time (as for identical particles) for long times, with a prefactor which depends on the diffusion constants for the particles; these results are in excellent agreement with very recent analytic predictions in the mathematics literature.
Concentration of intrinsic defects and self-diffusion in GaSb
Authors: Chroneos A. , Bracht H.
Published: November 2008

Early experiments have determined that the gallium and antimony diffusivities in gallium antimonide are similar, whereas recent more precise studies demonstrate that gallium diffuses up to three orders of magnitude faster than antimony. In the present study using electronic structure calculations we predict the concentrations and migration enthalpy barriers of important defects in gallium antimonide. It is predicted that the asymmetric self-diffusion in gallium antimonide is due to the insufficient concentration of the point defects that can facilitate the antimony transport. The results are in excellent agreement with the recent experimental evidence and theoretical studies in gallium antimonide and related materials.