bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constructing and Legitimating: Transnational Jurist Networks and the Making of a Constitutional Practice of European Law, 1950–70
Authors: BERNIER ALEXANDRE
Published: June 2012

Social scientific explanations of the role of European law associations in the making of a new European legal order argue that they were critical in empowering the European Court of Justice and defining the results of European legal integration. However, these approaches fail to highlight the complex context in which these associations evolved. By exploring the history of the French Association des juristes européens from 1951 to 1970 on the basis of comprehensive archival material, this paper provides a more contextualised understanding of what appears as a struggle with limited impact on the French reception of European law.
Reputation and responsibility in medieval English towns: civic concerns with the regulation of trade
Authors: CASSON CATHERINE
Published: June 2012

This article examines how the civic authorities of six English towns responded to competition from new markets, regional fairs, informal trade and each other during the period 1250–1400. It argues that the civic authorities adopted an aggressive strategy based on developing a good reputation for their town, in order to show that the town was well governed and that its merchants and artisans maintained high standards of quality. This article focuses upon how a credible reputation was developed through the creation and enforcement of market regulation, and examines its appeal to citizens, foreign merchants and the crown and nobility.
Issues in the Assessment of Children's Coping in the Context of Mass Trauma
Authors: Pfefferbaum Betty , Noffsinger Mary A. , Wind Leslie H.
Published: June 2012

Exposure to mass trauma has contributed to increasing concern about the well-being of children, families, and communities. In spite of global awareness of the dramatic impact of mass trauma on youth, little is known about how children and adolescents cope with and adapt to disasters and terrorism. While coping has yet to be fully conceptualized as a unified construct, the process of responding to stress includes recognized cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components. Unfortunately, research on the complex process of adaptation in the aftermath of mass trauma is a relatively recent focus. Further study is needed to build consensus in terminology, theory, methods, and assessment techniques to assist researchers and clinicians in measuring children's coping, both generally and within the context of mass trauma. Advancements are needed in the area of coping assessment to identify internal and external factors affecting children's stress responses. Additionally, enhanced understanding of children's disaster coping can inform the development of prevention and intervention programs to promote resilience in the aftermath of traumatic events. This article examines the theoretical and practical issues in assessing coping in children exposed to mass trauma, and includes recommendations to guide assessment and research of children's coping within this specialized context.

Pfefferbaum B, Noffsinger MA, Wind LH. Issues in the assessment of children's coping in the context of mass trauma.Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(3):1-8.
The Fear of Others: A Qualitative Analysis of Interpersonal Threat in Social Phobia and Paranoia
Authors: Stopa Luisa , Denton Ruth , Wingfield Megan , Taylor Katherine Newman
Published: June 2012

Background and Aims: The cognitive models indicate that people with social phobia and paranoia share a common fear of others. While we recognize clinical differences, it is likely that some of the same psychological processes contribute to the maintenance of both presentations, yet the nature and extent of these similarities and differences are not yet clearly understood. This study explored threat experiences in people with social phobia and persecutory delusions in order to elucidate these aspects of the respective cognitive models. Method: Accounts of interpersonal threat experiences were examined in nine people with social phobia and nine people with persecutory delusions. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three major themes emerged from the data: participants’ experience of threat, reactions while under threat, and subsequent reflections. Narrative coherence emerged as a superordinate theme. Typical fear responses were found in both groups, particularly in their reactions to threat. The key differences were in participants’ perceptual experiences, ability to stand back from the threat following the event, and narrative coherence. Conclusions: The findings are discussed in relation to current cognitive models of social phobia and paranoia. Theoretical and clinical implications are drawn out, and highlight the need to examine attentional and metacognitive processes more closely if we are to understand the maintenance of perceived threat in these groups, and means of alleviating associated distress.
A NOTE ON THE ANALYTICAL SOLUTION TO THE NEOCLASSICAL GROWTH MODEL WITH LEISURE
Authors: Hiraguchi Ryoji
Published: June 2012

In this note, we study the basic Ramsey models with labor–leisure choice. We first study the deterministic model and find that a closed-form solution exists and is represented by the Gauss hypergeometric functions. We next incorporate stochastic productivity shocks into the model. We prove that the analytical solution path still exists if the coefficient of relative risk aversion is equal to the capital share.
Associations between neighbourhood and household environmental variables and fruit consumption: exploration of mediation by individual cognitions and habit strength in the GLOBE study
Authors: Tak Nannah I , te Velde Saskia J , Kamphuis Carlijn BM , Ball Kylie , Crawford David , Brug Johannes , van Lenthe Frank J
Published: June 2012

Objective

The present study examined associations of several home and neighbourhood environmental variables with fruit consumption and explored whether these associations were mediated by variables derived from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and by habit strength.

Design

Data of the Dutch GLOBE study on household and neighbourhood environment, fruit intake and related factors were used, obtained by self-administered questionnaires (cross-sectional), face-to-face interviews and audits.

Setting

The city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands

Subjects

Adults (n 333; mean age 58 years, 54 % female).

Results

Multiple mediation analyses were conducted using regression analyses to assess the association between environmental variables and fruit consumption, as well as mediation of these associations by TPB variables and by habit strength. Intention, perceived behaviour control, subjective norm and habit strength were associated with fruit intake. None of the neighbourhood environmental variables was directly or indirectly associated with fruit intake. The home environmental variable ‘modelling behaviour by family members’ was indirectly, but not directly, associated with fruit intake. Habit strength and perceived behaviour control explained most of the mediated effect (71·9 %).

Conclusions

Modelling behaviour by family members was indirectly associated with fruit intake through habit strength and perceived behaviour control. None of the neighbourhood variables was directly or indirectly, through any of the proposed mediators, associated with adult fruit intake. These findings suggest that future interventions promoting fruit intake should address a combination of the home environment (especially modelling behaviour by family members), TPB variables and habit strength for fruit intake.
Year-round vitamin D deficiency among Saudi female out-patients
Authors: Kanan Raed M , Al Saleh Yousef M , Fakhoury Hana M , Adham Maysoon , Aljaser Saleh , Tamimi Waleed
Published: June 2012

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate vitamin D status among female out-patients in Saudi Arabia during the summer and winter seasons.

Design

Data were retrospectively collected using medical record abstraction.

Setting

A multidisciplinary hospital in Riyadh between January and December 2009.

Subjects

Saudi females (age ≥19 years;n1556) attending out-patient clinics for various complaints comprised the studied population. The population was subdivided into two groups depending on the date of their visit where blood samples were collected: summer (n659) and winter groups (n897). The summer group was further subdivided into premenopausal (age 19–49 years;n425) and postmenopausal subgroups (age ≥50 years;n234). Similarly, the winter group was subdivided into premenopausal (n543) and postmenopausal subgroups (n354). Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured using HPLC.

Results

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <50 nmol/l) was high in both premenopausal and postmenopausal groups (80 % and 68 %, respectively) during the summer, as well as during the winter (85 % and 76 %, respectively).

Conclusions

A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Saudi female out-patients was observed throughout the year despite the routine supplementation with 10–20 μg vitamin D3for postmenopausal women. Clinicians should seriously consider determining the vitamin D status of Saudi females routinely and prescribing them proper supplementation.
An effectiveness trial showed lipid-based nutrient supplementation but not corn–soya blend offered a modest benefit in weight gain among 6- to 18-month-old underweight children in rural Malawi
Authors: Thakwalakwa Chrissie M , Ashorn Per , Jawati Mpumulo , Phuka John C , Cheung Yin Bun , Maleta Kenneth M
Published: June 2012

Objective

To determine if supplementation with corn–soya blend (CSB) or lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) improved the weight gain of moderately underweight infants and children when provided through the national health service.

Design

A randomised, controlled, assessor-blinded clinical trial. Infants and children were randomised to receive for 12 weeks an average daily ration of 71 g CSB or 43 g LNS, providing 1188 kJ and 920 kJ, respectively, or no supplement (control). Main outcome was weight gain. Secondary outcomes included changes in anthropometric indices and incidence of serious adverse events. Intention-to-treat analyses were used.

Setting

Kukalanga, Koche, Katema and Jalasi health centres in Mangochi District, rural Malawi.

Subjects

Underweight (weight-for-age Z-score <−2) infants and children aged 6–15 months (n 299).

Results

Mean weight gain was 630 g, 680 g and 750 g in control, CSB and LNS groups, respectively (P = 0·21). When adjusted for baseline age, children receiving LNS gained on average 90 g more weight (P = 0·185) and their weight-for-length Z-score increased 0·22 more (P = 0·049) compared with those receiving no supplementation. No statistically significant differences were observed between the CSB and control groups in mean weight and length gain.

Conclusions

LNS supplementation provided during the lean season via through the national health service was associated with a modest increase in weight. However, the effect size was lower than that previously reported under more controlled research settings.
Feminist Thoughts on Freedom and Rights
Authors: Hirschmann Nancy J.
Published: June 2012

My contention in this brief essay is that disability is a feminist issue
with particular significance for freedom. There are two “models” for
understanding disability. The “medical model of disability” has been the
dominant view since the Enlightenment, when advances in science and medicine
created the realization that humans can intervene in the body to overcome
disease (Stiker 1999). In this model, disability is seen as an individual
condition arising from a flawed body, which presents a “problem” that must
be “fixed” or “cured.” The problem is intrinsic to the body, which must
adapt to the preexisting environment. Disability is viewed as a loss, even a
tragedy, that the person wants to escape, the appropriate response to which
is pity; the less appropriate but more common response is
repulsion.
The relation between institutional and cultural factors in economic development: the case of Indonesia
Authors: SPRANZ ROGER , LENGER ALEXANDER , GOLDSCHMIDT NILS
Published: June 2012

This paper analyzes the relation of culture, institutions and economic development using the example of Indonesia. The success of economic catch-up development depends essentially on the interconnection between pre-existing informal constraints on the one hand and novel, imported institutions on the other. Hence culture, understood as the interplay between legal rules and non-legal constraints, has to be considered as an important determinant of economic development and growth. In order to adapt economic policies and thereby prevent institutional traps, which may otherwise hinder economic reforms, it is essential to understand culture and the ways in which different cultural factors support or constrain the functioning of formal institutional settings. Applying a cultural approach to economics in the case of Indonesia's economic development allows for the inclusion of complex cultural conditionality of economic behavior and puts special emphasis on the role of politicians as public and cultural entrepreneurs. Altogether, the example of Indonesia demonstrates once more the necessity to apply a cultural approach to the study of catch-up development in a globalized world.
Perceptions of Discrimination by Young Diaspora Migrants
Authors: Brenick Alaina , Titzmann Peter F. , Michel Andrea , Silbereisen Rainer K.
Published: June 2012

Perceived discrimination is a substantial challenge for immigrant youths trying to adapt to a new home. The present study examined the independent and interactive relations between individual- and school-level variables in determining perceptions of discrimination in ethnic German migrant (Aussiedler) youths from the former Soviet Union. Six hundred forty-three Aussiedler adolescents (M = 15.7 years) from 28 schools across Germany self-reported their orientation toward ingroup relationships, perceived native segregation orientation, and perceived discrimination. Eight hundred fourteen native German adolescents from the same schools reported their negative attitudes about Aussiedler. Natives’ negative attitudes about Aussiedler aggregated by school were used as school-level predictor variable, together with the percentage of Aussiedler students per school. With all variables included in multilevel analyses, the individual-level associations were not significant, but both school-level associations and three cross-level interactions were significant. Aussiedler adolescents reported higher levels of discrimination in schools with higher percentages of Aussiedler students and in schools with more negative attitudes toward Aussiedler. The association between immigrant ingroup orientation and perceived discrimination was stronger in schools with fewer Aussiedler students. The association between perceived native segregation orientation and perceived discrimination was stronger in schools with more Aussiedler students and in schools with more negative attitudes about Aussiedler. The findings indicate the importance of the interaction between individual and contextual variables in understanding the ways in which adolescent immigrants come to perceive discrimination.
Priming of Future States in Complex Motor Skills
Authors: Güldenpenning Iris , Kunde Wilfried , Weigelt Matthias , Schack Thomas
Published: June 2012

The ability to anticipate future states of perceived actions is an important faculty for motor control and the generation of coordinated social interaction. Here, we studied whether the perception of a static posture of a complex movement automatically activates representations of future states of this particular movement event. We did this by using a priming paradigm with photographs of a high-jump movement. Participants judged whether a picture depicted a posture from the approach or flight phase of that movement. To evaluate expertise-dependent effects of priming, non-athletes and athletes were compared. Results revealed faster responding when prime and target pictures were assigned to the same motor response (response priming), and when the temporal order of prime and target matched the temporal order of the depicted postures in a real high jump (temporal-order priming). Whereas experts showed a temporal-order effect even within the same response category, such an effect occurred for novices only between response categories. A second experiment confirmed that these between-group differences are due to domain-specific motor expertise (i.e., high jump) rather than to general motor experiences. Altogether our results suggest that motor expertise results in a more fine-grained posture-based movement representation.
Look at Yourself!
Authors: Agerström Jens , Björklund Fredrik , Carlsson Rickard
Published: June 2012

Previous research ( Libby, Shaeffer, & Eibach, 2009 ) has established that a third-person (external) visual perspective elicits more abstract processing than a first-person (inner) perspective. Because many moral principles constitute abstract psychological constructs, we predicted that they should weigh more heavily when people adopt a third-person visual perspective. In two experiments we show that a third- (vs. first-) person visual perspective leads to harsher judgments of one’s own morally questionable actions. Moreover, we demonstrate that this effect can be partially explained by level of mental construal. The present research suggests that simple visual perspective techniques may be used to promote moral behavior.
Detectability of groundwater storage change within the Great Lakes Water Basin using GRACE
Authors: Huang J. , Halpenny J. , van der Wal W. , Klatt C. , James T. S. , Rivera A.
Published: June 2012

Groundwater is a primary hydrological reservoir of the Great Lakes Water Basin (GLB), which is an important region to both Canada and US in terms of culture, society and economy. Due to insufficient observations, there is a knowledge gap about groundwater storage variation and its interaction with the Great Lakes. The objective of this study is to examine the detectability of the groundwater storage change within the GLB using the monthly models from the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission, auxiliary soil moisture, snow and lake (SMSL) data, and predictions from glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models. A two‐step filtering method is developed to optimize the extraction of GRACE signal. A two dimensional basin window weight function is also introduced to reduce ringing artifacts caused by the band‐limited GRACE models in estimating the water storage change within the GLB. The groundwater storage (GWS) as deviation from a reference mean storage is estimated for the period of 2002 to 2009. The average GWS of the GLB clearly show an annual cycle with an amplitude range from 27 to 91 mm in water thickness equivalent (WTE), and a phase range of about two months. The estimated phases of GWS variations have a half year shift with respect to the phase of SMSL water storage variations which show peaks in March and April. The least squares estimation gives a GWS loss trend of from 2.3 to 9.3 km3/yr within the GLB for the period of study. This wide range of the GRACE GWS results is caused largely by the differences of soil moisture and snow storage from different land surface models (LSMs), and to a lesser extent by the GRACE commission and omission errors, and the GIA model error.
A reappraisal of ocean wave studies
Authors: Yuan Yeli , Huang Norden E.
Published: June 2012

A reappraisal of wave theory from the beginning to the present day is made here. On the surface, the great progress in both theory and applications seems to be so successful that there would be no great challenge in wave studies anymore. On deeper examination, we found problems in many aspects of wave studies starting from the definition of frequency, the governing equations, the various source functions of wave models, the directional development of wind wavefield, the wave spectral form and finally the role of waves as they affect coastal and global ocean dynamics. This is a call for action for the wave research community. For future research, we have to consider these problems seriously and also to examine the basic physics of wave motion to determine their effects on other ocean dynamic processes quantitatively, rather than relying on parameterization in oceanic and geophysical applications.
Evaluation of cloud and water vapor simulations in CMIP5 climate models using NASA “A‐Train” satellite observations
Authors: Jiang Jonathan H. , Su Hui , Zhai Chengxing , Perun Vincent S. , Del Genio Anthony , Nazarenko Larissa S. , Donner Leo J. , Horowitz Larry , Seman Charles , Cole Jason , Gettelman Andrew , Ringer Mark A. , Rotstayn Leon , Jeffrey Stephen , Wu Tongwen , Brient Florent , Dufresne Jean‐Louis , Kawai Hideaki , Koshiro Tsuyoshi , Watanabe Masahiro , LÉcuyer Tristan S. , Volodin Evgeny M. , Iversen Trond , Drange Helge , Mesquita Michel D. S. , Read William G. , Waters Joe W. , Tian Baijun , Teixeira Joao , Stephens Graeme L.
Published: June 2012

Using NASA's A‐Train satellite measurements, we evaluate the accuracy of cloud water content (CWC) and water vapor mixing ratio (H2O) outputs from 19 climate models submitted to the Phase 5 of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), and assess improvements relative to their counterparts for the earlier CMIP3. We find more than half of the models show improvements from CMIP3 to CMIP5 in simulating column‐integrated cloud amount, while changes in water vapor simulation are insignificant. For the 19 CMIP5 models, the model spreads and their differences from the observations are larger in the upper troposphere (UT) than in the lower or middle troposphere (L/MT). The modeled mean CWCs over tropical oceans range from ∼3% to ∼15× of the observations in the UT and 40% to 2× of the observations in the L/MT. For modeled H2Os, the mean values over tropical oceans range from ∼1% to 2× of the observations in the UT and within 10% of the observations in the L/MT. The spatial distributions of clouds at 215 hPa are relatively well‐correlated with observations, noticeably better than those for the L/MT clouds. Although both water vapor and clouds are better simulated in the L/MT than in the UT, there is no apparent correlation between the model biases in clouds and water vapor. Numerical scores are used to compare different model performances in regards to spatial mean, variance and distribution of CWC and H2O over tropical oceans. Model performances at each pressure level are ranked according to the average of all the relevant scores for that level.
Seismic recordings of landslides caused by Typhoon Talas (2011), Japan
Authors: Yamada Masumi , Matsushi Yuki , Chigira Masahiro , Mori Jim
Published: June 2012

Large deep‐seated landslides occurred in Nara, Wakayama, and Mie prefectures of western Japan when Typhoon Talas passed through the region on September 3–4, 2011. Signals of large landslides have been recorded by seismic networks around the world, and overall force estimates have been previously determined for large landslides using long‐period waves. This study focuses on the high‐frequency waveforms and presents signals of 18 landslides caused by Typhoon Talas (2011). The location of the landslides can be determined by a seismological back‐projection technique and these locations correlate with the observed surface features. We have found that the volumes of the landslide correlated with an energy parameter derived from the seismic records.
Singapore signalling: the 2012 hedgehog pathway cocktail
Authors: Briscoe James , Rohatgi Rajat
Published: June 2012

The ‘Hedgehog Signalling in Development Evolution and Disease’ conference took place in Biopolis, Singapore, in March 2012. Organized by Phil Ingham with help from Xinhua Lin, Mary‐Ann Price and Fred de Sauvage, it brought leading researchers together to discuss the latest findings and exchange ideas on every aspect of hedgehog signalling.
Intracellular single molecule microscopy reveals two kinetically distinct pathways for microRNA assembly
Authors: Pitchiaya Sethuramasundaram , Androsavich John R , Walter Nils G
Published: June 2012

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) associate with components of the RNA‐induced silencing complex (RISC) to assemble on mRNA targets and regulate protein expression in higher eukaryotes. Here we describe a method for the intracellular single‐molecule, high‐resolution localization and counting (iSHiRLoC) of miRNAs. Microinjected, singly fluorophore‐labelled, functional miRNAs were tracked within diffusing particles, a majority of which contained single such miRNA molecules. Mobility and mRNA‐dependent assembly changes suggest the existence of two kinetically distinct pathways for miRNA assembly, revealing the dynamic nature of this important gene regulatory pathway. iSHiRLOC achieves an unprecedented resolution in the visualization of functional miRNAs, paving the way to understanding RNA silencing through single‐molecule systems biology.
Acidic stress induces the formation of P-bodies, but not stress granules, with mild attenuation of bulk translation inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Iwaki Aya , Izawa Shingo
Published: June 2012

The stress response of eukaryotic cells often causes an attenuation of bulk translation activity and the accumulation of non-translating mRNAs into cytoplasmic mRNP (messenger ribonucleoprotein) granules termed cytoplasmic P-bodies (processing bodies) and SGs (stress granules). We examined effects of acidic stress on the formation of mRNP granules compared with other forms of stress such as glucose deprivation and a high Ca2+ level in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Treatment with lactic acid clearly caused the formation of P-bodies, but not SGs, and also caused an attenuation of translation initiation, albeit to a lesser extent than glucose depletion. P-body formation was also induced by hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. However, lactic acid in SD (synthetic dextrose) medium with a pH greater than 3.0, propionic acid and acetic acid did not induce P-body formation. The results of the present study suggest that the assembly of yeast P-bodies can be induced by external conditions with a low pH and the threshold was around pH 2.5. The P-body formation upon acidic stress required Scd6 (suppressor of clathrin deficiency 6), a component of P-bodies, indicating that P-bodies induced by acidic stress have rules of assembly different from those induced by glucose deprivation or high Ca2+ levels.
Existence of memory in membrane channels: analysis of ion current through a voltage‐dependent potassium single channel
Authors: Peng Zhang‐Yan , Lan Tong‐Han , Yang Lei , Mei Hu Chao , Ping Jia Hua , Jie Xu Yong , Lin Che Xiang
Published: June 2012

Ion current fluctuation of voltage‐dependent potassium channel in LβT2 cells has been investigated by autocorrelation function and DFA (detrended fluctuation analysis) methods. The calculation of the autocorrelation function exponent and DFA exponent of the sample was based on the digital signals or the 0–1 series corresponding to closing and opening of channels after routine evolution, rather than the sequence of sojourn times. The persistent character of the correlation of the time series was evident from the slow decay of the autocorrelation function. DFA exponent α was significantly greater than 0.5. The main outcome has been the demonstration of the existence of memory in this ion channel. Thus, the ion channel current fluctuation provided information about the kinetics of the channel protein. The result suggests the correlation character of the ion channel protein non‐linear kinetics indicates whether the channel is open or not.
Numerical study of the influence of the Reynolds-number on the lift created by a leading edge vortex
Authors: Zhang Xiaoqin , Schlüter Jörg U.
Published: June 2012

We present a numerical study on the influence of the Reynolds-number on the lift enhancing effect of a leading edge vortex. Our approach is based on a combination of large-eddy simulations and the immersed boundary technique. We determine the influence of the leading edge vortex on the unsteady lift by simulating a fast pitch-up motion of the plate and studying the lift evolution after holding the flat plate fixed at an angle of attack. Our results suggest that an optimal Reynolds-number exists that maximizes the lift of the leading edge vortex, but that the lift-to-drag ratio is largely independent of the Reynolds-number above a Reynolds-number of Rec > 2000.
Continuum limit of electrostatic gyrokinetic absolute equilibrium
Authors: Zhu Jian-Zhou
Published: June 2012

Electrostatic gyrokinetic absolute equilibria with continuum velocity field are obtained through the partition function and through the Green function of the functional integral. The new results justify and explain the prescription for quantization/discretization or taking the continuum limit of velocity. The mistakes in the Appendix D of our earlier work [J.-Z. Zhu and G. W. Hammett, Phys. Plasmas 17, 122307 (2010)] are explained and corrected. If the lattice spacing for discretizing velocity is big enough, all the invariants could concentrate at the lowest Fourier modes in a negative-temperature state, which might indicate a possible variation of the dual cascade picture in 2D plasma turbulence.
Averaging approximation to singularly perturbed nonlinear stochastic wave equations
Authors: Lv Yan , Roberts A. J.
Published: June 2012

An averaging method is applied to derive effective approximation to a singularly perturbed nonlinear stochastic damped wave equation. Small parameter ν > 0 characterizes the singular perturbation, and να, 0 ⩽ α ⩽ 1/2, parametrizes the strength of the noise. Some scaling transformations and the martingale representation theorem yield the effective approximation, a stochastic nonlinear heat equation, for small ν in the sense of distribution.
Standing waves of the Schrödinger equation coupled with the Chern-Simons gauge field
Authors: Huh Hyungjin
Published: June 2012

We prove the existence of infinitely many radially symmetric standing-wave solutions of the Chern-Simons-Schrödinger system. Our result is established by applying the mountain-pass theorem to the functional, which is obtained by representing gauge fields Aμ in terms of a scalar field ϕ.
Note: ɛ(T) dependence behavior in GaP diodes at high temperatures
Authors: Krasnov V. A. , Shutov S. V. , Yerochin S. Yu.
Published: June 2012

Temperature behavior of static dielectric constant ɛ in a base area of GaP diode has been studied by processing its capacity-voltage characteristics in the temperature range 300–575 K. The ɛ(T) function has been determined to be a monotonic function of temperature with a maximum in high temperature region. The temperature behavior of ɛ could be explained by the effect of mixed electron-ion mechanism of polarization in wide bandgap III-V semiconductor compounds. Temperature dependences ɛ(T) and Δɛ(T) obtained within this work would be useful for developers of high-temperature electronics and thermometry.
Numerical analysis of a mixture of Ar/NH3 microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition reactor
Authors: Li Zhi , Zhao Zhen , Li Xuehui
Published: June 2012

A two-dimensional fluid model has been used to investigate the properties of plasma in Ar/NH3 microwave electron cyclotron resonance discharge at low pressure. The electromagnetic field model solved by the three-dimensional Simpson method is coupled to a fluid plasma model. The finite difference method was employed to discrete the governing equations. 40 species (neutrals, radicals, ions, and electrons) are consisted in the model. In total, 75 electron-neutral, 43 electron-ion, 167 neutral-neutral, 129 ion-neutral, 28 ion-ion, and 90 3-body reactions are used in the model. According to the simulation, the distribution of the densities of the considered plasma species has been showed and the mechanisms of their variations have been discussed. It is found that the main neutrals (Ar*, Ar**, NH3*, NH, H2, NH2, H, and N2) are present at high densities in Ar/NH3 microwave electron cyclotron resonance discharge when the mixing ratio of Ar/NH3 is 1:1 at 20 Pa. The density of NH is more than that of NH2 atom. And NH3+ are the most important ammonia ions. But the uniformity of the space distribution of NH3+ is lower than the other ammonia ions.
Robustness and stability of half-metallic ferromagnetism in alkaline-earth metal mononitrides against doping and deformation
Authors: Özdoğan K. , Şaşιoğlu E. , Galanakis I.
Published: June 2012

We employ ab-initio electronic structure calculations and study the magnetic properties of CaN and SrN compounds crystallizing in the rocksalt structure. These alkaline-earth metal mononitrides are found to be half-metallic with a total spin magnetic moment per formula unit of 1.0 μB. The Curie temperature is estimated to be 480 K for CaN and 415 K for SrN well-above the room temperature. Upon small degrees of doping with holes or electrons, the rigid-band model suggests that the magnetic properties are little affected. Finally, we studied for these alloys the effect of deformation taking into account tetragonalization keeping constant the unit cell volume which models the growth on various substrates. Even large degrees of deformation only marginally affect the electronic and magnetic properties of CaN and SrN in the rocksalt structure. Finally, we show that this stands also for the zincblende structure. Our results suggest that alkaline-earth metal mononitrides are promising materials for magnetoelectronic applications.
Calibration of the neutron detectors for the cluster fusion experiment on the Texas Petawatt Laser
Authors: Bang W. , Quevedo H. J. , Dyer G. , Rougk J. , Kim I. , McCormick M. , Bernstein A. C. , Ditmire T.
Published: June 2012

Three types of neutron detectors (plastic scintillation detectors, indium activation detectors, and CR-39 track detectors) were calibrated for the measurement of 2.45 MeV DD fusion neutron yields from the deuterium cluster fusion experiment on the Texas Petawatt Laser. A Cf-252 neutron source and 2.45 MeV fusion neutrons generated from laser-cluster interaction were used as neutron sources. The scintillation detectors were calibrated such that they can detect up to 108 DD fusion neutrons per shot in current mode under high electromagnetic pulse environments. Indium activation detectors successfully measured neutron yields as low as 104 per shot and up to 1011 neutrons. The use of a Cf-252 neutron source allowed cross calibration of CR-39 and indium activation detectors at high neutron yields (∼1011). The CR-39 detectors provided consistent measurements of the total neutron yield of Cf-252 when a modified detection efficiency of 4.6×10−4 was used. The combined use of all three detectors allowed for a detection range of 104 to 1011 neutrons per shot.
Dual-purpose BGaN layers on performance of nitride-based high electron mobility transistors
Authors: Ravindran Vinod , Boucherit Mohamed , Soltani Ali , Gautier Simon , Moudakir Tarik , Dickerson Jeramy , Voss Paul L. , di Forte-Poisson Marie-Antoinette , De Jaeger Jean-Claude , Ougazzaden Abdallah
Published: June 2012

A GaN/ultrathin BGaN/GaN heterojunction is used in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) to provide an electrostatic barrier to electrons and to improve the confinement of the 2-dimensional electron gas. BGaN back-barrier layers limit leakage in the GaN buffer thanks to two effects: a polarization-induced band discontinuity and a resistive barrier originating from excellent insulation properties of BGaN. Compared to conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, structures grown with BGaN back-barrier showed a significant improvement of static performances, transport properties, and trapping effects involving a limited current collapse in dynamic regime. A DC maximum current increase of 58.7% was observed.
Extremely low-loss acoustic phonons in a quartz bulk acoustic wave resonator at millikelvin temperature
Authors: Goryachev Maxim , Creedon Daniel L. , Ivanov Eugene N. , Galliou Serge , Bourquin Roger , Tobar Michael E.
Published: June 2012

Low-loss, high frequency acoustic resonators cooled to millikelvin temperatures are a topic of great interest for application to hybrid quantum systems. When cooled to 20 mK, we show that resonant acoustic phonon modes in a bulk acoustic wave quartz resonator demonstrate exceptionally low loss (with Q-factors of order billions) at frequencies of 15.6 and 65.4 MHz, with a maximum f · Q product of 7.8 × 1016 Hz. Given this result, we show that the Q-factor in such devices near the quantum ground state can be four orders of magnitude better than previously attained. Such resonators possess the low losses crucial for electromagnetic cooling to the phonon ground state, and the possibility of long coherence and interaction times of a few seconds, allowing multiple quantum gate operations.
Exchange bias effects in epitaxial Fe3O4/BiFeO3 heterostructures
Authors: Qu T. L. , Zhao Y. G. , Yu P. , Zhao H. C. , Zhang S. , Yang L. F.
Published: June 2012

High quality Fe3O4 (5–20 nm)/BiFeO3 (BFO) heterostructures have been grown by pulsed laser deposition on (001) SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. Large exchange bias (EB) effects have been observed below 200 K in Fe3O4/BFO/STO structures compared with Fe3O4/STO structures. The exchange bias field decreases when increasing temperature or the thickness of Fe3O4 layer, and does not change after annealing in 0.1 T field from 700 K to room temperature across Neel temperature of BFO. A possible mechanism was proposed based on the interface spin coupling between Fe3O4 and BFO. Our work shed new light on the study of exchange bias effect in BFO system as well as the application for magnetoelectric devices.
Constant voltage ultracapacitor
Authors: Bakhoum Ezzat G.
Published: June 2012

Ultracapacitors have attracted lots of attention recently due to their growing use in hybrid vehicles and in energy storage applications for the smart grid. A very undesirable feature of ultracapacitors is the fact that the voltage drops as the capacitor is discharged. DC-DC converters are employed at present to convert the voltage of the ultracapacitor to constant voltage; however, these converters typically do not operate if the voltage of the ultracapacitor drops below 1 V. In addition, DC-DC converters suffer from well-known size/efficiency tradeoffs. This paper introduces a novel new ultracapacitor that is characterized by constant voltage. The new ultracapacitor does not utilize familiar energy conversion principles. Rather, operation depends on an embedded electromechanical system that actually alters the capacitance of the ultracapacitor as the device is discharged. Due to a simple proportionality relationship between charge, capacitance and voltage, the voltage remains constant. Theoretical and experimental investigations have shown that the embedded mechanism for altering the capacitance has an efficiency of 99% or higher.
The molecular basis of ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8 deamidation by the bacterial effector protein Cif
Authors: Crow Allister , Hughes Richard K. , Taieb Frédéric , Oswald Eric , Banfield Mark J.
Published: June 2012

The cycle inhibiting factors (Cifs) are a family of translocated effector proteins, found in diverse pathogenic bacteria, that interfere with the host cell cycle by catalyzing the deamidation of a specific glutamine residue (Gln40) in NEDD8 and the related protein ubiquitin. This modification prevents recycling of neddylated cullin-RING ligases, leading to stabilization of various cullin-RING ligase targets, and also prevents polyubiquitin chain formation. Here, we report the crystal structures of two Cif/NEDD8 complexes, revealing a conserved molecular interface that defines enzyme/substrate recognition. Mutation of residues forming the interface suggests that shape complementarity, rather than specific individual interactions, is a critical feature for complex formation. We show that Cifs from diverse bacteria bind NEDD8 in vitro and conclude that they will all interact with their substrates in the same way. The “occluding loop” in Cif gates access to Gln40 by forcing a conformational change in the C terminus of NEDD8. We used native PAGE to follow the activity of Cif from the human pathogen
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
and selected variants, and the position of Gln40 in the active site has allowed us to propose a catalytic mechanism for these enzymes.
Anoctamin 1 (Tmem16A) Ca
2
+
-activated chloride channel stoichiometrically interacts with an ezrin–radixin–moesin network
Authors: Perez-Cornejo Patricia , Gokhale Avanti , Duran Charity , Cui Yuanyuan , Xiao Qinghuan , Hartzell H. Criss , Faundez Victor
Published: June 2012

The newly discovered Ca
2+
-activated Cl
−
channel (CaCC), Anoctamin 1 (Ano1 or TMEM16A), has been implicated in vital physiological functions including epithelial fluid secretion, gut motility, and smooth muscle tone. Overexpression of Ano1 in HEK cells or
Xenopus
oocytes is sufficient to generate Ca
2+
-activated Cl
−
currents, but the details of channel composition and the regulatory factors that control channel biology are incompletely understood. We used a highly sensitive quantitative SILAC proteomics approach to obtain insights into stoichiometric protein networks associated with the Ano1 channel. These studies provide a comprehensive footprint of putative Ano1 regulatory networks. We find that Ano1 associates with the signaling/scaffolding proteins ezrin, radixin, moesin, and RhoA, which link the plasma membrane to the cytoskeleton with very high stoichiometry. Ano1, ezrin, and moesin/radixin colocalize apically in salivary gland epithelial cells, and overexpression of moesin and Ano1 in HEK cells alters the subcellular localization of both proteins. Moreover, interfering RNA for moesin modifies Ano1 current without affecting its surface expression level. Another network associated with Ano1 includes the SNARE and SM proteins VAMP3, syntaxins 2 and -4, and syntaxin-binding proteins munc18b and munc18c, which are integral to translocation of vesicles to the plasma membrane. A number of other regulatory proteins, including GTPases, Ca
2+
-binding proteins, kinases, and lipid-interacting proteins are enriched in the Ano1 complex. These data provide stoichiometrically prioritized information about mechanisms regulating Ano1 function and trafficking to polarized domains of the plasma membrane.
Memory stabilization with targeted reactivation during human slow-wave sleep
Authors: van Dongen Eelco V. , Takashima Atsuko , Barth Markus , Zapp Jascha , Schad Lothar R. , Paller Ken A. , Fernández Guillén
Published: June 2012

It is believed that neural representations of recent experiences become reactivated during sleep, and that this process serves to stabilize associated memories in long-term memory. Here, we initiated this reactivation process for specific memories during slow-wave sleep. Participants studied 50 object-location associations with object-related sounds presented concurrently. For half of the associations, the related sounds were re-presented during subsequent slow-wave sleep while participants underwent functional MRI. Compared with control sounds, related sounds were associated with increased activation of right parahippocampal cortex. Postsleep memory accuracy was positively correlated with sound-related activation during sleep in various brain regions, including the thalamus, bilateral medial temporal lobe, and cerebellum. In addition, postsleep memory accuracy was also positively correlated with pre- to postsleep changes in parahippocampal–medial prefrontal connectivity during retrieval of reactivated associations. Our results suggest that the brain is differentially activated by studied and unstudied sounds during deep sleep and that the thalamus and medial temporal lobe are involved in establishing the mnemonic consequences of externally triggered reactivation of associative memories.
Loss of functional GABA
A
receptors in the Alzheimer diseased brain
Authors: Limon Agenor , Reyes-Ruiz Jorge Mauricio , Miledi Ricardo
Published: June 2012

The cholinergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission systems are known to be severely disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). GABAergic neurotransmission, in contrast, is generally thought to be well preserved. Evidence from animal models and human postmortem tissue suggest GABAergic remodeling in the AD brain. Nevertheless, there is no information on changes, if any, in the electrophysiological properties of human native GABA receptors as a consequence of AD. To gain such information, we have microtransplanted cell membranes, isolated from temporal cortices of control and AD brains, into
Xenopus
oocytes, and recorded the electrophysiological activity of the transplanted GABA receptors. We found an age-dependent reduction of GABA currents in the AD brain. This reduction was larger when the AD membranes were obtained from younger subjects. We also found that GABA currents from AD brains have a faster rate of desensitization than those from non-AD brains. Furthermore, GABA receptors from AD brains were slightly, but significantly, less sensitive to GABA than receptors from non-AD brains. The reduction of GABA currents in AD was associated with reductions of mRNA and protein of the principal GABA receptor subunits normally present in the temporal cortex. Pairwise analysis of the transcripts within control and AD groups and analyses of the proportion of GABA receptor subunits revealed down-regulation of α1 and γ2 subunits in AD. In contrast, the proportions of α2, β1, and γ1 transcripts were up-regulated in the AD brains. Our data support a functional remodeling of GABAergic neurotransmission in the human AD brain.
Genomics-aided structure prediction
Authors: Sułkowska Joanna I. , Morcos Faruck , Weigt Martin , Hwa Terence , Onuchic José N.
Published: June 2012

We introduce a theoretical framework that exploits the ever-increasing genomic sequence information for protein structure prediction. Structure-based models are modified to incorporate constraints by a large number of non-local contacts estimated from direct coupling analysis (DCA) of co-evolving genomic sequences. A simple hybrid method, called DCA-fold, integrating DCA contacts with an accurate knowledge of local information (e.g., the local secondary structure) is sufficient to fold proteins in the range of 1–3 Å resolution.
Translation, interpreting and the genealogy of conflict
Authors: Pérez-González Luis
Published: June 2012

While the growing ubiquitousness of translation and interpreting has established these activities more firmly in the public consciousness, the extent of the translators’ and interpreters’ contribution to the continued functioning of cosmopolitan and participatory postmodern societies remains largely misunderstood. This paper argues that the theorisation of translation and interpretation as social phenomena and of translators/interpreters as agents contributing to the stability or subversion of social structures through their capacity to re-define the context in which they mediate constitutes a recent development in the evolution of the discipline. The consequentiality of the mediators’ agency, one of the most significant insights to come out of this new body of research, is particularly evident in situations of social, political and cultural confrontation. It is contended that this conceptualisation of agency opens up the possibility of translation being used not only to resolve conflict and tension, but also to promote them. Through a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, the contributing authors to this special issue explore a number of sites of linguistic and cultural mediation across a range of institutional settings and textual/interactional genres, with particular emphasis on the contribution of translation and interpreting to the genealogy of conflict. The papers presented here address a number of overlapping themes, including the dialectics of governmental policy-making and translation, the interface between translation, politics and the media, the impact of the narrative affiliation of translators and interpreters as agents of mediation, the frictional dynamics of interpreter-mediated institutional encounters and the dynamics of identity negotiation.