bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oxidative stress and band 3 protein function in Liza aurata and Salmo irideus erythrocytes: effect of different aquatic conditions
Authors: Casella S. , Ielati S. , Piccione D. , Laganà P. , Fazio F. , Piccione G.
Published: February 2012

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the different aquatic conditions on anion transport of fish erythrocytes through the measurement of the sulphate uptake operating from band 3, the determination of reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). To this purpose, blood samples of 30 Liza aurata and 30 Salmo irideus fishes were collected via caudal vein and washed with physiological buffer. Successively, erythrocytes suspended at 3% haematocrit were used to measure the SO4= influx by atomic absorption spectrophotometry at 425 nm wavelength and the GSH concentration using an immunodiagnostic assay intended for the quantitative determination of glutathione in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid in blood. All results were analyzed using unpaired Student's t‐test and a P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results of this study showed statistically significant differences about the sulphate uptake and the glutathione levels in S. irideus with respect to L. aurata (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the different aquatic conditions play an important role on anion transport in fish erythrocytes, showing that environmental differences induce perturbations in erythrocyte membrane and should be evaluated to prevent physiological damages in fishes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cost effectiveness of gene expression profiling for early stage breast cancer
Authors: Yang Mo , Rajan Suja , Issa Amalia M.
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND:

Gene expression profiling (GEP) is being used increasingly for risk stratification to identify women with lymph node‐negative, estrogen receptor‐positive, early stage breast cancer who are most likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. The authors of this report evaluated the cost effectiveness of recurrence score‐guided treatment using 2 commercially available GEP tests, Oncotype DX (Genomic Health, Redwood City, Calif) and MammaPrint (Agendia Inc., Irvine, Calif), from a third‐party payer's perspective.

METHODS:

A 10‐year Markov model was developed to compare the costs and quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs) of treatment decisions guided by either Oncotype DX or MammaPrint in a hypothetical cohort of women with early stage, lymph node‐negative, estrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer who may experience recurrence. Outcomes included no recurrence, recurrence, and death. The costs considered included gene test costs, the costs of adjuvant chemotherapy and other chemotherapy (including premedication, oncology visits, and monitoring for adverse events), the cost of treating recurrence, costs associated with the treatment of adverse events, and end‐of‐life care costs.

RESULTS:

The model demonstrated that the patients who received the Oncotype DX test to guide treatment spent $27,882 (in US dollars) and gained 7.364 QALYs, whereas patients who received the MammaPrint test to guide treatment spent $21,598 and gained 7.461 QALYs. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the results were robust to changes in all parameters.

CONCLUSIONS:

The model suggested that MammaPrint is a more cost‐effective GEP test compared with Oncotype DX at a threshold willingness‐to‐pay of $50,000 per QALY. Because Oncotype DX is the most frequently used GEP in clinical practice in the United States, the authors concluded that the current findings have implications for health policy, particularly health insurance reimbursement decisions. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Decomposition of Methylene Blue in an Aqueous Solution Using a Pulsed‐Discharge Plasma at Atmospheric Pressure
Authors: Ikoma Shin , Satoh Kohki , Itoh Hidenori
Published: February 2012

The decomposition characteristics of methylene blue in an aqueous solution on exposure to a pulsed‐discharge plasma generated above a water surface are investigated for different background‐gas compositions (N2‐O2 mixture and Ar‐O2 mixture) and electrode configurations (1 needle and 55 needles). It is likely that OH radicals produced by reaction between H2O vapor and high‐energy electrons in the pulsed plasma expanding on the water surface contribute to the decomposition of methylene blue. Further, O3 is found to contribute to methylene blue decomposition at high oxygen concentrations, and a slight contribution of OH radicals, produced by the reaction between N2 molecules excited in a metastable state [N2(A3\documentclass{article}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{amsfonts}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$\Sigma_{u}^{+}$\end{document})] and H2O vapor, is observed in pure N2. In a N2‐O2 mixture, the O3 concentration decreases significantly and simultaneously NOx is produced by the pulsed plasma. Therefore, NOx probably destroys O3 and inhibits O3 generation. In an Ar‐O2 mixture, a high decomposition rate of methylene blue is obtained regardless of the O3 concentration. It is likely that Ar atoms in metastable states, such as 3P2 and 3P0, contribute to the decomposition of methylene blue. A higher decomposition rate of methylene blue and a higher O3 concentration are observed when a streamer‐like discharge is generated with 55 needle electrodes, than with a single needle electrode. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 179(3): 1–9, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.21217
Post 2020, CCS will be cost‐competitive with other low‐carbon energy technologies
Authors: Sweeney Graeme
Published: February 2012

No Abstracr.
The potential of case management for people with dementia: a commentary
Authors: Koch T. , Iliffe S. , Manthorpe J. , Stephens B. , Fox C. , Robinson L. , Livingston G. , Coulton S. , Knapp M. , Chew‐Graham C. , Katona C. ,   CARE‐DEM
Published: February 2012

Background

A recent review of studies of case management in dementia argues that lack of evidence of cost‐effectiveness should discourage the use of this approach to care. We argue that that this is too conservative a stance, given the urgent need throughout the world to improve the quality of care for people with dementia and their caregivers. We propose a research agenda on case management for people with dementia.

Method

A critical comparison was made of the studies identified in two systematic reviews of trials of case management for dementia, with selective inclusion of non‐trial studies and economic evaluations.

Results

Our interpretation of the literature leads us to four provisional conclusions. First, studies with long follow‐up periods tend to show delayed relocation of people with dementia to care homes. Second, the quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers may also influence the likelihood of relocation. Third, different understandings of what constitutes case management make interpretation of studies difficult. Fourth, we agree that the population most likely to benefit from case management needs to be characterised. Earlier intervention may be more beneficial than intervening when the condition has progressed and the individual's situation is highly complex. However, this runs counter to some definitions of case management as an administrative, professional, and systemic focus on people with high needs and where expensive support is accessed or in prospect.

Conclusions

More work needs to be carried out in a more focused way in order to establish the value of case management for people with dementia. Since care home residence is such a sizeable contributor to the costs of dementia care, studies need to be long enough to capture possible postponed relocation. However, case management studies with shorter follow‐up periods can still contribute to our understanding, since they can demonstrate improved quality of life. Future research should be built around a common, agreed definition of types of case management. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Callosal fiber length and interhemispheric connectivity in adults with autism: Brain overgrowth and underconnectivity
Authors: Lewis John D. , Theilmann Rebecca J. , Fonov Vladimir , Bellec Pierre , Lincoln Alan , Evans Alan C. , Townsend Jeanne
Published: February 2012

Typical adults show an inverse relation between callosal fiber length and degree of interhemispheric connectivity. This has been hypothesized to be a consequence of the influence of conduction delays and cellular costs during development on axonal pruning, both of which increase with fiber length. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) provides a test of this hypothesis: Children with ASD are known to have enlarged brains; thus, adults with ASD should show reductions in interhemispheric connectivity proportional to their degree of brain overgrowth during development. This prediction was tested by assessing the relation between both the size and structure of the corpus callosum and callosal fiber length, adjusting for intracranial volume, which is thought to reflect maximum brain size achieved during development. Using tractography to estimate the length of callosal fibers emanating from all areas of cortex, and through which region of the corpus callosum they pass, we show that adults with ASD show an inverse relation between callosal fiber length, adjusted for intracranial volume, and callosum size, and a positive relation between adjusted callosal fiber length and radial diffusivity. The results provide support for the hypothesized impact of fiber length during development. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Oklahoma's Nonviolent Intermediate Offender Program: A Success in Rehabilitation
Authors: UDELL DON S. , MORTON FRANKIE P. , GREEN GARY
Published: February 2012

In this study, the authors analyzed demographic data on 403 Oklahoma inmates who went through the Regimented Inmate Discipline Program in 1984–1985. Also, a sample of the inmates was interviewed to identify the most supportive components of the program.
Adenovirus‐mediated RNA interference targeting FOXM1 transcription factor suppresses cell proliferation and tumor growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Chen Hui , Yang Chao , Yu Li , Xie Li , Hu Jun , Zeng Liang , Tan Yongjun
Published: February 2012

Background

The Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1) transcription factor, which regulates the expression of genes essential for cell proliferation and transformation, is implicated in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. FOXM1 has attracted much attention as a potential target for the prevention and/or therapeutic intervention in human carcinomas.

Methods

The levels of FOXM1 expression in clinical tissue specimens and cell lines of human malignant nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) were measured. Knockdown of FOXM1 expression was performed by small interfering RNA in NPC cells. An adenovirus vector (named AdFOXM1shRNA) was constructed to express a short hairpin RNA specific to FOXM1. The efficacy of AdFOXM1shRNA for tumor gene therapy in NPC cells and an in vivo NPC grafting model was assessed.

Results

A strong expression of FOXM1 was observed in clinical tissue specimens and cell lines of human NPC. Knockdown of FOXM1 expression by FOXM1 specific small interfering RNA diminished the NPC cell proliferation. The infection of AdFOXM1shRNA in NPC cells resulted in the knockdown of FOXM1 mRNA and protein levels, correlated with the reduction of proliferation and anchorage‐independent growth of the cancer cells. The growth of NPC tumors was significantly suppressed when inoculated mice were injected with AdFOXM1shRNA in the tumor.

Conclusions

Together, our results suggest that FOXM1 is a potential therapeutic target for NPC and AdFOXM1shRNA may be an additional gene therapeutic intervention to be evaluated in future treatment strategies for patients with NPC. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential diagnosis of infarct‐like intracranial ectopic germinomas and subacute lacunar infarct on susceptibility‐weighted imaging
Authors: Lou Xin , Tian Chenglin , Chen Zhiye , Ma Lin
Published: February 2012

Purpose:

To determine the efficacy of susceptibility‐weighted imaging (SWI) in the differential diagnosis between basal ganglia (BG) infarct‐like early stage intracranial ectopic germinomas (IEGs) and subacute lacunar infarct (SLI).

Materials and Methods:

Six children with early stage BG IEGs displaying an infarct‐like episode proven by pathology and eight children with BG SLI proven by clinic and vascular imaging were investigated retrospectively. On SWI, the contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) in abnormal signal intensity regions was calculated and compared between the two groups.

Results:

For both IEGs and SLI the BG lesions were invisible or showed slight hyperintensity/hypointensity on T1‐weighted images and diffusion‐weighted images, patchy slight hyperintensity on T2‐weighted images without mass effect, and variable enhancement on postcontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). On SWI, obvious hypointensity in BG lesions and pineal gland (PG) was found in IEG patients but unremarkable in SLI patients. The CNRs of BG lesions and PG were significantly higher in IEG patients compared with those in SLI patients (P < 0.01).

Conclusion:

SWI is useful in differentiating IEGs from SLI when clinical symptoms and conventional MRI manifestations overlap in these two conditions. PG may be involved with tumor, although it is normal on conventional MRI in patients with IEGs. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:92–98. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Density functional theory study of 13C NMR chemical shift of chlorinated compounds
Authors: Li Songqing , Zhou Wenfeng , Gao Haixiang , Zhou Zhiqiang
Published: February 2012

The use of the standard density functional theory (DFT) leads to an overestimation of the paramagnetic contribution and underestimation of the shielding constants, especially for chlorinated carbon nuclei. For that reason, the predictions of chlorinated compounds often yield too high chemical shift values. In this study, the WC04 functional is shown to be capable of reducing the overestimation of the chemical shift of Cl‐bonded carbons in standard DFT functionals and to show a good performance in the prediction of 13C NMR chemical shifts of chlorinated organic compounds. The capability is attributed to the minimization of the contributions that intensively increase the chemical shift in the WC04. Extensive computations and analyses were performed to search for the optimal procedure for WC04. The B3LYP and mPW1PW91 standard functionals were also used to evaluate the performance. Through detailed comparisons between the basis set effects and the solvent effects on the results, the gas‐phase GIAO/WC04/6‐311+G(2d,p)//B3LYP/6‐31+G(d,p) was found to be specifically suitable for the prediction of 13C NMR chemical shifts of chlorides in both chlorinated and non‐chlorinated carbons. Further tests with eight molecules in the probe set sufficiently confirmed that WC04 was undoubtedly effective for accurately predicting 13C NMR chemical shifts of chlorinated organic compounds. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Halogenated chamigrane sesquiterpenes from Laurencia okamurae
Authors: Li Xiao‐Dong , Ding Wei , Miao Feng‐Ping , Ji Nai‐Yun
Published: February 2012

Three new halogenated chamigrane sesquiterpenes, laurokamin A (1), laurokamin B (2), and laurokamin C (3), and four known halogenated chamigrane sesquiterpenes, 10‐bromo‐α‐chamigrene (4), 10‐bromo‐β‐chamigrene (5), 2,10‐dibromo‐3‐chloro‐β‐chamigrene (6), and obtusane (7), were isolated from the marine red alga Laurencia okamurae collected from the coast of Rongcheng, China. The structures of these compounds were unambiguously identified by one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR and mass spectroscopic methods. The antimicrobial activity of compounds 1–3 was evaluated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, sintering and optical properties of CaMoO4: A promising scheelite LTCC and photoluminescent material
Authors: Vidya S. , Solomon S. , Thomas J. K.
Published: February 2012

The synthesis of nanocrystalline calcium molybdate (CaMoO4) through an autoigniting combustion technique is reported in this paper. The structural characterization of the as‐prepared nanocrystallites were done by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform Raman, and Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectroscopy and the morphological studies using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The studies reveal that the as‐prepared powder itself was phase pure with tetragonal structure and of particle size 25 nm. The sample was sintered at a relatively low temperature of 775 °C to a high density of ∼95% for the first time, without the use of any sintering aid. The optical bandgap energy calculated from the ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrum for the as‐prepared and annealed sample was 3.72 and 3.99 eV, respectively. The photoluminescence spectra of the sample showed an intense emission in the green region (528 nm). The dielectric constant and loss factor of the sample at 5 MHz was found to be 11.00 and 6.40 × 10−3 at room temperature. The temperature coefficient of dielectric constant was −95.04 pp/°C. These observations reveal that nanostructured CaMoO4 is a promising scheelite low‐temperature co‐fired ceramic (LTCC) and also an excellent luminescent material.
RhCl3‐Mediated Coupling Reactions of tert‐Butyl Acetylene
Authors: Kiefer Gregor , Dutta Barnali , Solari Euro , Scopelliti Rosario , Severin Kay
Published: February 2012

RhCl3 is shown to mediate unusual coupling reactions of tert‐butyl acetylene. When RhCl3(H2O)n was heated with four equivalents of tert‐butyl acetylene in methanol, the dinuclear complex [{Rh(μ‐Cl)(CH2tBu)(tBuC=CHCOCH2tBu)}2] (2) was isolated. A larger excess of tert‐butyl acetylene (12 equiv.) resulted in the formation of the dimer [{η5‐C5H2tBu2(CH2tBu)}Rh(μ‐Cl)3Rh(C24H42O2)] (3). Both complexes were analyzed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction.
Gene clusters as intersections of powers of paths
Authors: Costa Vítor , Dantas Simone , Sankoff David , Xu Ximing
Published: February 2012

There are various definitions of a gene cluster determined by two genomes and methods for finding these clusters. However, there is little work on characterizing configurations of genes that are eligible to be a cluster according to a given definition. For example, given a set of genes in a genome, is it always possible to find two genomes such that their intersection is exactly this cluster? In one version of this problem, we make use of the graph theory to reformulated it as follows: Given a graph G with n vertices, do there exist two θ-powers of paths G

S
=(V

S
,E

S
) and G

T
=(V

T
,E

T
) such that G

S
∩G

T
contains G as an induced subgraph? In this work, we divide the problem in two cases, depending on whether or not G is an induced subgraph of G

S
or G

T
. We show an
$\mathcal{O}(n^{2})$
time algorithm that generates the smallest θ-powers of paths G

S
and G

T
(with respect to and the number of vertices) that contains G as an induced subgraph. Finally, we discuss the problem when G is an induced subgraph neither of G

S
nor of G

T
and we present a method of finding the smallest power of a path when graph G is a cycle C

n
.
Lysine degradation through the saccharopine pathway in bacteria: LKR and SDH in bacteria and its relationship to the plant and animal enzymes
Authors: de Mello Serrano Guilherme Coutinho , e Silva Figueira Thaís Rezende , Kiyota Eduardo , Zanata Natalia , Arruda Paulo
Published: February 2012

Lysine degradation through the saccharopine pathway has been shown only in plants and animals. Here, we show that bacteria possess the genes encoding lysine‐ketoglutarate reductase (LKR) and saccharopine dehydrogenase (SDH). In Silicibacter, the contiguous lkr and sdh genes are interspersed, in another frame, by a polypeptide of unknown function. The bacterial enzyme does not contain the 110‐amino‐acid interdomain (ID) that intersperses the LKR and SDH domains of the plant enzyme. The ID was found in Cyanobacteria interspersing polypeptides without similarities and activities of LKR and SDH. The LKR/SDH bifunctional polypeptide of animals and plants may have arisen from a α‐proteobacterium with a configuration similar to that of Silicibacter, whereas the ID in the plant enzyme may have been inherited from Cyanobacteria.
CBT for Culture Change: Formulating Teams to Improve Patient Care
Authors: Taylor Katherine Newman , Sambrook Suzanne
Published: February 2012

Background: Increasingly, clinical psychologists and CBT trained clinicians work with and within teams. The cognitive model enables us to formulate the processes maintaining distress, and work with people to effect change. The model tends to be used to understand individuals’ difficulties, but may be effective in making sense of problems within teams. Aims: This study aimed to (i) explore the value of the cognitive model in formulating key staff-service user relationships; and (ii) determine whether such an approach would yield useful team based interventions. Method: The cognitive interpersonal model was used to develop an idiosyncratic conceptualization of key staff-service user interactions in an in-patient setting. This then informed management team planning aimed at improving provision for service users, and staff experience. Additionally, frequency of challenging behaviours and levels of staff burnout were assessed before and after service changes, as preliminary outcome data. Results: The team formulation was effective in (i) making sense of interactions contributing to the maintenance of service users’ challenging behaviours and staff burnout, and (ii) deriving systemic interventions likely to effect change. This was then used to guide service development planning. In support of a CBT approach to understanding and intervening with teams, preliminary data indicate that staff burnout and incidents of challenging behaviours reduced over time. Conclusion: The cognitive interpersonal model can be used to formulate relationships within teams and guide systemic change. This is likely to have a beneficial impact for both service users and staff.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Cyclothymia: Cognitive Regulatory Control as a Mediator of Mood Change
Authors: Totterdell Peter , Kellett Stephen , Mansell Warren
Published: February 2012

Background:Regulatory control of cognition is implicated in the amplification of mood variability in cyclothymia.Aims:This study examined whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) directed at enhanced awareness and mood change could change global functioning, mood variability and regulatory control.Method:Using a prospective single case experimental design, mood and cognitive control ratings were recorded every 4 hours for 51 weeks by a patient diagnosed with cyclothymia, including a 5-week baseline, a 35-week (19 session) CBT intervention period and an 11-week follow-up period.Results:Findings indicated that the patient experienced reduced mood variability and greater regulatory control, became happier and less anxious but felt less energetic. Following CBT, high energy became negatively associated with positive mood, and this change was mediated by an increase in control over thoughts.Conclusions:The results suggest that CBT directed at cognitive control and mindfulness skills may help in the treatment of cyclothymia.
A bilingual advantage in controlling language interference during sentence comprehension
Authors: FILIPPI ROBERTO , LEECH ROBERT , THOMAS MICHAEL S. C. , GREEN DAVID W. , DICK FREDERIC
Published: February 2012

This study compared the comprehension of syntactically simple with more complex sentences in Italian–English adult bilinguals and monolingual controls in the presence or absence of sentence-level interference. The task was to identify the agent of the sentence and we primarily examined the accuracy of response. The target sentence was signalled by the gender of the speaker, either a male or a female, and this varied over trials, where the target was spoken in a male voice the distractor was spoken in a female voice and vice versa. In contrast to other work showing a bilingual disadvantage in sentence comprehension under conditions of noise, we show that in this task, where voice permits selection of the target, adult bilingual speakers are in fact better able than their monolingual Italian peers to resist sentence-level interference when comprehension demands are high. Within bilingual speakers we also found that degree of proficiency in English correlated with the ability to resist interference for complex sentences both when the target and distractor were in Italian and when the target was in English and the distractor in Italian.
Microglial Cell Activation is a Source of Metalloproteinase Generation during Hemorrhagic Transformation
Authors: del Zoppo Gregory J , Frankowski Harald , Gu Yu-Huan , Osada Takashi , Kanazawa Masato , Milner Richard , Wang Xiaoyun , Hosomi Naohisa , Mabuchi Takuma , Koziol James A
Published: February 2012

Hemorrhage and edema accompany evolving brain tissue injury after ischemic stroke. In patients, these events have been associated with metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in plasma. Both the causes and cellular sources of MMP-9 generation in this setting have not been defined. MMP-2 and MMP-9 in nonhuman primate tissue in regions of plasma leakage, and primary murine microglia and astrocytes, were assayed by immunocytochemistry, zymography, and real-time RT-PCR. Ischemia-related hemorrhage was associated with microglial activation in vivo, and with the leakage of plasma fibronectin and vitronectin into the surrounding tissue. In strict serum-depleted primary cultures, by zymography, pro-MMP-9 was generated by primary murine microglia when exposed to vitronectin and fibronectin. Protease secretion was enhanced by experimental ischemia (oxygen-glucose deprivation, OGD). Primary astrocytes, on each matrix, generated only pro-MMP-2, which decreased during OGD. Microglia—astrocyte contact enhanced pro-MMP-9 generation in a cell density-dependent manner under normoxia and OGD. Compatible with observations in a high quality model of focal cerebral ischemia, microglia, but not astrocytes, respond to vitronectin and fibronectin, found when plasma extravasates into the injured region. Astrocytes alone do not generate pro-MMP-9. These events explain the appearance of MMP-9 antigen in association with ischemia-induced cerebral hemorrhage and edema.
Domain wall propagation in micrometric wires: Limits of single domain wall regime
Authors: Zhukova V. , Blanco J. M. , Rodionova V. , Ipatov M. , Zhukov A.
Published: February 2012

We measured magnetic domain propagation and local domain wall(DW) nucleation in Fe-Co-rich amorphous microwires with metallic nucleus diameters from 2.8 to 18 μm. We found that manipulation of magnetoelastic energy through application of applied stresses, changing of magnetostriction constant, and variation of internal stresses through changing the microwires geometry affects DW velocity. We observed uniform or uniformly accelerated DW propagation along the microwire. The abrupt increasing of DW velocity on v(H) dependencies correlates with the location of the nucleation place of the new domain wall.
Effect of sintering conditions on the magnetic and microstructural properties of Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets doped with DyF3 powders
Authors: Park Song-E , Kim Tae-Hoon , Lee Seong-Rae , Namkung Seok , Jang Tae-Suk
Published: February 2012

The microstructural and magnetic property changes of DyF3-doped (Nd26.06, Dy6.51)–Febal–B0.97–M2.39 (wt. %) (M = Cu, Al, Co, and Nb) sintered magnets as functions of the sintering conditions were studied. The sintering conditions for the optimum core-shell microstructure were determined. When the magnets were sintered at 1050 °C for 4 h, a coercivity of 35.1 kOe was obtained without sacrificing the remanence. When the magnets were doped with DyF3, the formation of the RE-rich phase (Nd–Dy–O) was effectively suppressed and, hence, saving the Dy. In addition, the formation of a cubic-NdOF triple-junction phase (TJP) improves the interface uniformity and enhances the coercivity.
Charge breeding results and future prospects with electron cyclotron resonance ion source and electron beam ion source (invited)
Authors: Vondrasek R. , Levand A. , Pardo R. , Savard G. , Scott R.
Published: February 2012

The Californium Rare Ion Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) of the Argonne National Laboratory ATLAS facility will provide low-energy and reaccelerated neutron-rich radioactive beams for the nuclear physics program. A 70 mCi 252Cf source produces fission fragments which are thermalized and collected by a helium gas catcher into a low-energy particle beam with a charge of 1+ or 2+. An electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source functions as a charge breeder in order to raise the ion charge sufficiently for acceleration in the ATLAS linac. The final CARIBU configuration will utilize a 1 Ci 252Cf source to produce radioactive beams with intensities up to 106 ions/s for use in the ATLAS facility. The ECR charge breeder has been tested with stable beam injection and has achieved charge breeding efficiencies of 3.6% for 23Na8+, 15.6% for 84Kr17+, and 13.7% for 85Rb19+ with typical breeding times of 10 ms/charge state. For the first radioactive beams, a charge breeding efficiency of 11.7% has been achieved for 143Cs27+ and 14.7% for 143Ba27+. The project has been commissioned with a radioactive beam of 143Ba27+ accelerated to 6.1 MeV/u. In order to take advantage of its lower residual contamination, an EBIS charge breeder will replace the ECR charge breeder in the next two years. The advantages and disadvantages of the two techniques are compared taking into account the requirements of the next generation radioactive beam facilities.
Investigations on the structure of the extracted ion beam from an electron cyclotron resonance ion source
Authors: Spädtke P. , Lang R. , Mäder J. , Maimone F. , Roßbach J. , Tinschert K.
Published: February 2012

Using improved beam diagnostic tools, the structure of an ion beam extracted from an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) becomes visible. Especially viewing targets to display the beam profile and pepper pot devices for emittance measurements turned out to be very useful. On the contrary, diagnostic tools integrating over one space coordinate like wire harps for profile measurements or slit–slit devices, respectively slit–grid devices to measure the emittance might be applicable for beam transport investigations in a quadrupole channel, but are not very meaningful for investigations regarding the given ECRIS symmetry. Here we try to reproduce the experimentally found structure on the ion beam by simulation. For the simulation, a certain model has to be used to reproduce the experimental results. The model is also described in this paper.
Precise measurement of magnetization characteristics in high pulsed field
Authors: Nakahata Y. , Borkowski B. , Shimoji H. , Yamada K. , Todaka T. , Enokizono M.
Published: February 2012

Permanent magnets, especially Nd-Fe-B magnets, are very important engineering elements that are widely used in many applications. The detailed design of electrical and electronic equipment using permanent magnets requires the precise measurement of magnetization characteristics. High pulsed magnetic fields can be used to measure the magnetization characteristics of permanent magnets in the easy and hard magnetization directions. Errors influencing the measurements stem from the relationship between the tested material, pick-up sensor configuration, and excitation coil. We present an analysis of the effect of the sensor construction on the accuracy of the measurements of the material’s magnetic properties. We investigated the coaxial and series types sensor configurations.
Compact microwave ion source for industrial applications
Authors: Cho Yong-Sub , Kim Dae-Il , Kim Han-Sung , Seol Kyung-Tae , Kwon Hyeok-Jung , Hong In-Seok
Published: February 2012

A 2.45 GHz microwave ion source for ion implanters has many good properties for industrial application, such as easy maintenance and long lifetime, and it should be compact for budget and space. But, it has a dc current supply for the solenoid and a rf generator for plasma generation. Usually, they are located on high voltage platform because they are electrically connected with beam extraction power supply. Using permanent magnet solenoid and multi-layer dc break, high voltage deck and high voltage isolation transformer can be eliminated, and the dose rate on targets can be controlled by pulse duty control with semiconductor high voltage switch. Because the beam optics does not change, beam transfer components, such as focusing elements and beam shutter, can be eliminated. It has shown the good performances in budget and space for industrial applications of ion beams.
High temperature thermoelectric properties of the type-I clathrate Ba8AuxSi46−x
Authors: Candolfi C. , Aydemir U. , Baitinger M. , Oeschler N. , Steglich F. , . Grin Yu
Published: February 2012

The thermoelectric properties of the type-I clathrate Ba8AuxSi46−x (4.10 ≤ x ≤ 6.10) were characterized from 300 to 700 K. Increasing the Au concentration leads to a transition from an n-type (x < 5.43) to a p-type (x ≥ 5.43) electrical conduction. The experimental data are well described by a single-parabolic-band model assuming a single scattering mechanism of the charge carriers in this temperature range. The lattice thermal conductivity, inferred from degeneracy-adjusted Lorenz numbers, is low regardless of the composition. However, the measured values are significantly lower in the p-type samples possibly due to a combination of a higher degree of disorder in the crystal structure at high Au contents and an enhanced phonon-charge carrier coupling. Even though high thermopower values are achieved, the high electrical resistivity remains the main obstacle to push the dimensionless figure of merit ZT (∼0.2 at around 600 K for x = 5.59) beyond the level of the best Si-based clathrate compounds.
Magnetically induced optical activity and dichroism of gadolinium oxide nanoparticle–based ferrofluids
Authors: Paul Nibedita , Devi Manasi , Mohanta Dambarudhar , Saha Abhijit
Published: February 2012

The present work reports on magnetically induced optical activity (such as Faraday rotation and linear dichroism) of pristine and gamma-irradiated gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticle–based ferrofluids. The ferrofluids were produced by dispersing N-cetyl-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-coated ∼9-nm-sized Gd2O3 particles in a carrier fluid of ethanol. The ferrofluids were then irradiated with 1.25 MeV energetic gamma rays (dose: 868 Gy and 2.635 kGy). Irradiation-led formation of a number of point defects was revealed through high resolution electron microscopy. The interaction of light with the ionized point defects is believed to have caused substantial improvement in the magneto-optic response of irradiated magnetic fluids.
Gyrokinetic equations for strong-gradient regions
Authors: Dimits Andris M.
Published: February 2012

A gyrokinetic theory is developed under a set of orderings applicable to the edge region of tokamaks and other magnetic confinement devices, as well as to internal transport barriers. The result is a practical set equations that is valid for large perturbation amplitudes [qδψ/T=O(1), where δψ=δφ-ν∥δA∥/c], which is straightforward to implement numerically, and which has straightforward expressions for its conservation properties. Here, δφ and δA∥ are the perturbed electrostatic and parallel magnetic potentials, ν∥ is the particle velocity, c is the speed of light, and T is the temperature. The derivation is based on the quantity ɛ≡(ρ/λ⊥)qδψ/T≪1 as the small expansion parameter, where ρ is the gyroradius and λ⊥ is the perpendicular wavelength. Physically, this ordering requires that the E×B velocity and the component of the parallel velocity perpendicular to the equilibrium magnetic field are small compared to the thermal velocity. For nonlinear fluctuations saturated at “mixing-length” levels (i.e., at a level such that driving gradients in profile quantities are locally flattened), ɛ is of the order ρ/Lp, where Lp is the equilibrium profile scale length, for all scales λ⊥ ranging from ρ to Lp. This is true even though qδψ/T=O(1) for λ⊥∼Lp. Significant additional simplifications result from ordering Lp/LB=O(ɛ), where LB is the spatial scale of variation of the magnetic field. We argue that these orderings are well satisfied in strong-gradient regions, such as edge and scrapeoff layer regions and internal transport barriers in tokamaks, and anticipate that our equations will be useful as a basis for simulation models for these regions.
Effect of Si and C concentration on the microstructure, and the mechanical, tribological and electrochemical properties of nanocomposite TiC/a-SiC:H/a-C:H coatings prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Li Duanjie , Hassani Salim , Poulin Suzie , Szpunar Jerzy A. , Martinu Ludvik , Klemberg-Sapieha Jolanta E.
Published: February 2012

The nanocomposite TiC/a-SiC:H/a-C:H (presented as Ti-Si-C) coatings attract considerable interest due to their possible applications such as wear protective coatings, diffusion barriers, and materials for solar cells and electrical contacts. In order to explore new film properties and open new opportunities, in the present work, we prepare a series of C-rich Ti-Si-C coatings with different Si and C concentrations using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and we systematically investigate the effect of elemental composition on the microstructure, and on the mechanical, tribological and electrochemical properties. XRD and XPS analyses demonstrate that the Ti-Si-C coatings mainly consist of nanocrystalline (nc-) TiC embedded in amorphous (a-) SiC:H and a-C:H matrices. Ti-Si-C coatings with a high Si concentration possess enhanced mechanical properties (high hardness), while those with additional C exhibit superior tribological behaviors. The increase of Si and/or C concentrations leads to a grain size refinement of the TiC nanocrystals and to an expansion of the amorphous phase. This in turn substantially enhances their corrosion resistance. Ti-Si-C coatings with the highest Si or C contents exhibit the best corrosion performance among the tested samples by improving the corrosion resistance of the SS410 substrate by a factor of ∼400.
Phonon thermal conductivity in silicon nanowires: The effects of surface roughness at low temperatures
Authors: Hyun Oh Jung , Shin Mincheol , Jang Moon-Gyu
Published: February 2012

Using a Green’s function method based on an elastic wave equation, the effects of surface roughness and the nanowire-contact interface scattering on phonon thermal conductivity are studied at low temperatures. It is found that the interface geometry between a nanowire and its contacts affects the transmission function at small energies related to the gapless modes and it gives rise to deviated results from the universal conductance. It is also shown that the surface roughness is crucial in the suppression of phonon thermal conductivity with reducing the nanowire size by averaging the transmission function over the rough-surface configurations. Furthermore, the phonon mean free path is proportional to the ratio of the correlation length and roughness heights quadratically as well as the cross-section area of the nanowire.
On similarity in the evolution of semilinear wave and Klein-Gordon equations: Numerical surveys
Authors: Kycia Radosław A.
Published: February 2012

The aim of this paper is threefold. The first and also main purpose is to provide numerical evidence for the conjecture proposed by Bizoń et al. [“Dynamics near the threshold for blowup in the one-dimensional focusing nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation,” J. Math. Phys. 52, 103703 (2011)]10.1063/1.3645363 that the blowup evolution of spherically symmetric semilinear Klein-Gordon equations is similar to the evolution of spherically symmetric semilinear wave equations, i.e., the mass term can be neglected when the amplitude of a solution grows. The second aim is to describe the relationship between different types of blowup for energy critical semilinear wave equations. The third goal is to present numerical evidence for the fact that the special class of self-similar profiles of semilinear wave equations found by Kycia [“On self-similar solutions of semilinear wave equations in higher space dimensions,” Appl. Math Comput. 217, 9451–9466 (2011)]10.1016/j.amc.2011.04.039 play the same role in the evolution of semilinear wave and Klein-Gordon equations as the previously known ordinary profiles. All the results are presented in spherical symmetry.
$\mathbb {Z}_2$
Z
2
-algebras in the Boolean function irreducible decomposition
Authors: Takane Martha , Zertuche Federico
Published: February 2012

We develop further the consequences of the irreducible-Boolean classification established by Zertuche, [“On the robustness of NK-Kauffman networks against changes in their connections and Boolean functions,” J. Math. Phys. 50, 043513 (2009)10.1063/1.3116166] which have the advantage of allowing strong statistical calculations in disordered Boolean function models, such as the NK-Kauffman networks. We construct a ring-isomorphism \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\mathfrak {R}_K \left\lbrace i_1, \dots , i_\lambda \right\rbrace \cong \mathcal {P}^2 \left[ K \right]$\end{document}RKi1,⋯,iλ≅P2K of the set of reducible K-Boolean functions that are reducible in the Boolean arguments with indexes {i1, …, iλ}, and the double power set \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\mathcal {P}^2 \left[ K \right]$\end{document}P2K of the first K natural numbers. This allows us, among other things, to calculate the number ϱK(λ, ω) of K-Boolean functions which are λ-irreducible with weight ω. ϱK(λ, ω) is a fundamental quantity in the study of the stability of NK-Kauffman networks against changes in their connections between their Boolean functions, as well as in the mean field study of their dynamics when Boolean irreducibility is taken into account.
Quantitative interpretation of the very fast electronic relaxation of most Ln3+ ions in dissolved complexes
Authors: Fries Pascal H. , Belorizky Elie
Published: February 2012

In a reference frame rigidly bound to the complex, we consider two Hamiltonians possibly at the origin of the very fast electronic relaxation of the paramagnetic lanthanide Ln3+ ions (Ln = Ce to Nd, Tb to Yb), namely the mean (static) ligand-field Hamiltonian and the transient ligand-field Hamiltonian. In the laboratory frame, the bombardment of the complex by solvent molecules causes its Brownian rotation and its vibration-distorsion dynamics governing the fluctuations of the static and transient terms, respectively. These fluctuations are at the origin of electronic relaxation. The electronic relaxation of a Ln3+ ion is defined by the decays of the time correlation functions (TCFs) of the longitudinal and transverse components of the total angular momentum J of its ground multiplet. The Brownian rotation of the complex and its vibration-distorsion dynamics are simulated by random walks, which enable us to compute the TCFs from first principles. It is shown that the electronic relaxation is governed mainly by the magnitude of the transient ligand-field, and not by its particular expression. The range of expected values of this ligand-field together with the lower limit of relaxation time enforced by the values of the vibration-distortion correlation time in liquids give rise to effective electronic relaxation times which are in satisfactory overall agreement with the experimental data. In particular, these considerations explain why the electronic relaxation times vary little with the coordinating ligand and are practically independent of the external field magnitude.
Coupled microstrip line microwave phase shifter using ferroelectric thin film varactors
Authors: Sheng Su , Ong C. K.
Published: February 2012

This article presents a coupled microstrip line microwave phase shifter using ferroelectric thin film varactors with parallel plate electrodes integrated on high-resistivity silicon substrate. This design is proposed as a component in low-cost beam scanning phased array antennas. The phase shifter structure consists of coupled microstrip line periodically loaded with eight BaxSr1-xTiO3 (BST) varactors and two planar Marchand baluns. The planar Marchand baluns work as the transformers of odd mode excitation and a transmission stop circuit for even mode excitation as well as the impedance matching networks. A differential phase shift of 45° was obtained with a low dc bias of 20 V at frequency of 9 GHz, which corresponds to a figure of merit of ∼23°/dB. These results represent significant progress toward compact size, low loss, and ferroelectric thin film-based phase shifters at room temperature.
Axial and lateral lattice strain states under a tensile load in as-reacted and prebent CuNb/Nb3Sn wires using neutron diffraction
Authors: Takahashi K. , Oguro H. , Nishijima G. , Awaji S. , Watanabe K. , Harjo S. , Aizawa K.
Published: February 2012

Internal lattice strains under a tensile load for CuNb/Nb3Sn wires with and without prebending treatment were measured directly by neutron diffraction at room temperature. In the axial direction of the wire, the residual lattice strain was changed by 0.29% to the tensile side, while, in the lateral direction, the change was 0.03% to the compressive side due to the prebending treatment. The relationships between the axial and lateral lattice strains under axial stress are almost linear with a slope of about 0.3 for both wires; however, the absolute value of the lateral lattice strain differed at the same axial lattice strain. Tensile load dependences of the axial and lateral lattice strains of Cu and Nb in the wires were also obtained. The prebending treatment was found to affect the elastic–plastic deformation behavior of Cu and to change the internal lattice strains of Nb3Sn.
Far-infrared spectroscopy on free-standing protein films under defined temperature and hydration control
Authors: Stehle Christian U. , Abuillan Wasim , Gompf Bruno , Dressel Martin
Published: February 2012

The functionality of proteins is governed by their dynamics. We have performed a systematic investigation on four different proteins in the far-infrared spectral region under control of the two external parameters that have the strongest influence on the dynamics, namely temperature and hydration. The absorption measurements covering the frequency range from 40 cm−1 to 690 cm−1 (1–20 THz) close the gap between the well-studied mid-infrared and the recent THz investigations. By preparing the proteins as free-standing films, we achieve unprecedented reproducibility. Besides a featureless slope in the THz range, we can identify absorption peaks characteristic for each protein and others common to several proteins. We fit the spectra to extract the peak positions and suggest assignments for them. The far-infrared absorption spectra of all proteins are basically independent on hydration. By a detailed analysis of the sorption isotherms this can be explained by the low absorption of biological water, which resembles more the behavior of ice than that of liquid water.
Observation of vapor pressure enhancement of rare-earth metal-halide salts in the temperature range relevant to metal-halide lamps
Authors: Curry J. J. , Estupiñán E. G. , Lapatovich W. P. , Henins A. , Shastri S. D. , Hardis J. E.
Published: February 2012

Total vapor-phase densities of Dy in equilibrium with a DyI3/InI condensate and Tm in equilibrium with a TmI3/TlI condensate have been measured for temperatures between 900 K and 1400 K. The measurements show strong enhancements in rare-earth vapor densities compared to vapors in equilibrium with the pure rare-earth metal-halides. The measurements were made with x-ray induced fluorescence on the sector 1-ID beam line at the Advanced Photon Source. The temperature range and salt mixtures are relevant to the operation of metal-halide high-intensity discharge lamps.