bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examples of superconducting technology application: Sensing and interfacing
Authors: Kunert J. , Ijsselsteijn R. , Il'ichev E. , Brandel O. , Oelsner G. , Anders S. , Schultze V. , Stolz R. , Meyer H.-G.
Published: September 2017

Technological processes for the fabrication of low- and high-Tc Josephson junctions, aimed for certain applications, are described. On the one hand, the integration of low-Tc superconductor digital electronics with superconducting sensor arrays enables input signal processing with quantum limited resolution at millikelvin temperatures. We describe this mixed signal superconductor technology for analogue sensor readout and signal multiplexing for operating temperatures down to 300 mK. On the other hand, by making use of modern high-Tc Josephson junction technology, sensitive magnetometers, which require a modest cooling power, can be developed. Examples of the application of the mentioned processes are shown.
Quantum fluctuations of voltage in superconducting nanowires
Authors: Semenov Andrew G. , Zaikin Andrei D.
Published: September 2017

At low temperatures non-equilibrium voltage fluctuations can be generated in current-biased superconducting nanowires due to proliferation of quantum phase slips (QPS) or, equivalently, due to quantum tunneling of magnetic flux quanta across the wire. In this paper we review and further extend recent theoretical results related to this phenomenon. Employing the phase-charge duality arguments combined with Keldysh path integral technique we analyze such fluctuations within the two-point and four-point measurement schemes demonstrating that voltage noise detected in such nanowires in general depends on the particular measurement setup. In the low frequency limit we evaluate all cumulants of the voltage operator which turn out to obey Poisson statistics and exhibit a power law dependence on the external bias. We also specifically address a non-trivial frequency dependence of quantum shot noise power spectrum SΩ for both longer and shorter superconducting nanowires. In particular, we demonstrate that SΩ decreases with increasing frequency Ω and vanishes beyond a threshold value of Ω at T → 0. Furthermore, we predict that SΩ may depend non-monotonously on temperature due to quantum coherent nature of QPS noise. The results of our theoretical analysis can be directly tested in future experiments with superconducting nanowires.
Particle-in-cell simulations of electron acceleration from relativistic interaction of mid-infrared laser interactions with near solid density matter
Authors: Ngirmang Gregory K. , Orban Chris , Feister Scott , Morrison John T. , Chowdhury Enam A. , Roquemore W. M.
Published: September 2017

Advances in ultra-intense laser technology are enabling, for the first time, relativistic intensities at mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelengths. Anticipating further experimental research in this domain, we present high-resolution two dimensional Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulation results using the Large-Scale Plasma (LSP) code that explores intense mid-IR laser interactions with near solid density targets. We present the results of thirty PIC simulations over a wide range of intensities (0.03<a0<40) and wavelengths (λ= 780 nm, 3 μm, and 10 μm). Earlier studies [Orban et al., Phys. Plasmas 22, 023110 (2015) and Ngirmang et al., Phys. Plasmas 23, 043111 (2016)], limited to λ= 780 nm and a0∼1, identified super-ponderomotive electron acceleration in the laser specular direction for normal-incidence laser interactions with dense targets. We extend this research to mid-IR wavelengths and find a more general result that normal-incidence super-ponderomotive electron acceleration occurs provided that the laser intensity is not highly relativistic (a0≲1) and that the pre-plasma scale length is similar to or longer than the laser wavelength. Under these conditions, ejected electron angular and energy distributions are similar to expectations from an analytic model used in Ngirmang et al. [Phys. Plasmas 23, 043111 (2016)]. We also find that, for a0∼1, the mid-IR simulations exhibit a classic ponderomotive steepening pattern with multiple peaks in the ion and electron density distribution. Experimental validation of this basic laser-plasma interaction process should be possible in the near future using mid-IR laser technology and optical interferometry.
Characterization of metal fatigue by optical second harmonic generation
Authors: Arnolds Heike , Kakoulli Anthony , Shah Komalben , Patterson Eann
Published: September 2017

The optical second harmonic response of a pre-fatigued titanium specimen to picosecond 800 nm pulses has been investigated. Polarization-dependent measurements show that the zxx component of the nonlinear susceptibility tensor χ(2) differs markedly when measured in a region of unfatigued polycrystalline titanium compared to the plastic deformation zone ahead of a crack tip and even changes the sign within the plastic wake. This tensor component is sensitive to bulk currents, and we attribute the observed changes to a changed density of states at the Fermi level, caused by the accumulation of dislocations. Second harmonic polarization analysis could thus be useful in non-invasive fatigue analysis.
High temperature electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient of Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films
Authors: Adnane L. , Dirisaglik F. , Cywar A. , Cil K. , Zhu Y. , Lam C. , Anwar A. F. M. , Gokirmak A. , Silva H.
Published: September 2017

High-temperature characterization of the thermoelectric properties of chalcogenide Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) is critical for phase change memory devices, which utilize self-heating to quickly switch between amorphous and crystalline states and experience significant thermoelectric effects. In this work, the electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient are measured simultaneously as a function of temperature, from room temperature to 600 °C, on 50 nm and 200 nm GST thin films deposited on silicon dioxide. Multiple heating and cooling cycles with increasingly maximum temperature allow temperature-dependent characterization of the material at each crystalline state; this is in contrast to continuous measurements which return the combined effects of the temperature dependence and changes in the material. The results show p-type conduction (S > 0), linear S(T), and a positive Thomson coefficient (dS/dT) up to melting temperature. The results also reveal an interesting linearity between dS/dT and the conduction activation energy for mixed amorphous-fcc GST, which can be used to estimate one parameter from the other. A percolation model, together with effective medium theory, is adopted to correlate the conductivity of the material with average grain sizes obtained from XRD measurements. XRD diffraction measurements show plane-dependent thermal expansion for the cubic and hexagonal phases.
Interface structure between tetraglyme and graphite
Authors: Minato Taketoshi , Araki Yuki , Umeda Kenichi , Yamanaka Toshiro , Okazaki Ken-ichi , Onishi Hiroshi , Abe Takeshi , Ogumi Zempachi
Published: September 2017

Clarification of the details of the interface structure between liquids and solids is crucial for understanding the fundamental processes of physical functions. Herein, we investigate the structure of the interface between tetraglyme and graphite and propose a model for the interface structure based on the observation of frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy in liquids. The ordering and distorted adsorption of tetraglyme on graphite were observed. It is found that tetraglyme stably adsorbs on graphite. Density functional theory calculations supported the adsorption structure. In the liquid phase, there is a layered structure of the molecular distribution with an average distance of 0.60 nm between layers.
Mobile copper ions as heat carriers in polymorphous copper sulfide superionic conductors
Authors: Liang Xin
Published: September 2017

Liquid-like mobile Cu+ ions are generally considered as phonon scatters in copper chalcogenide superionic conductors, but this is recently disproved by a neutron spectroscopy study on lattice dynamics of Cu2Se compound [Voneshen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 17, 118 (2017)]. In this work, we provide a different perspective by investigating the thermal transport of three transformable polymorphs of Cu2S compounds with varying Cu+ content. We show that the disordered and mobile Cu+ ions are not the primary factor for suppressing the heat transport. A notable dependence of thermal conductivity on Cu+ content is observed. By correlating the electrically deducted thermal conductivity with the ion motion behavior for β-Cu2S superionic phase, we reveal that these fast ionic species Cu+ are heat carriers instead, which make an appreciable contribution to thermal conduction.
Diffusivity control of magnetic cube-particle chain by external magnetic field
Authors: Lee Sang-Hyuk , Park Seung-Young , Lee You-Jin , Yi Gi-Ra , Sacanna Stefano , Kim Dong-Hyun
Published: September 2017

We report our direct Brownian motion observation of Fe2O3 magnetic cube chains under external magnetic fields, where the possibility of tuning the Brownian motion characteristics, such as diffusivity, by magnetic fields is realized. It has been experimentally demonstrated that the diffusivity is modified with an angular dependency on the magnetic field direction, well explained based on the Stokes-Einstein relation considering an effective cross-sectional change of magnetic cube chains.
Scaling laws for AC gas breakdown and implications for universality
Authors: Loveless Amanda M. , Garner Allen L.
Published: September 2017

The reduced dependence on secondary electron emission and electrode surface properties makes radiofrequency (RF) and microwave (MW) plasmas advantageous over direct current (DC) plasmas for various applications, such as microthrusters. Theoretical models relating molecular constants to alternating current (AC) breakdown often fail due to incomplete understanding of both the constants and the mechanisms involved. This work derives simple analytic expressions for RF and MW breakdown, demonstrating the transition between these regimes at their high and low frequency limits, respectively. We further show that the limiting expressions for DC, RF, and MW breakdown voltage all have the same universal scaling dependence on pressure and gap distance at high pressure, agreeing with experiment.
Scaling relations for a needle-like electron beam plasma from the self-similar behavior in beam propagation
Authors: Bai Xiaoyan , Chen Chen , Li Hong , Liu Wandong , Chen Wei
Published: September 2017

Scaling relations of the main parameters of a needle-like electron beam plasma (EBP) to the initial beam energy, beam current, and discharge pressures are presented. The relations characterize the main features of the plasma in three parameter space and can provide great convenience in plasma design with electron beams. First, starting from the self-similar behavior of electron beam propagation, energy and charge depositions in beam propagation were expressed analytically as functions of the three parameters. Second, according to the complete coupled theoretical model of an EBP and appropriate assumptions, independent equations controlling the density and space charges were derived. Analytical expressions for the density and charges versus functions of energy and charge depositions were obtained. Finally, with the combination of the expressions derived in the above two steps, scaling relations of the density and potential to the three parameters were constructed. Meanwhile, numerical simulations were used to test part of the scaling relations.
Single-shot non-intercepting profile monitor of plasma-accelerated electron beams with nanometric resolution
Authors: Curcio A. , Anania M. , Bisesto F. , Chiadroni E. , Cianchi A. , Ferrario M. , Filippi F. , Giulietti D. , Marocchino A. , Mira F. , Petrarca M. , Shpakov V. , Zigler A.
Published: September 2017

An innovative, single-shot, non-intercepting monitor of the transverse profile of plasma-accelerated electron beams is presented, based on the simultaneous measurement of the electron energy and the betatron radiation spectra. The spatial resolution is shown to be down to few tens of nanometers, important for high-precision applications requiring fine shaping of beams and detailed characterizations of the electron transverse phase space at the exit of plasma accelerating structures.
Differences in intrinsic amplitudes of neuronal oscillators improve synchronization in the suprachiasmatic nucleus
Authors: Gu Changgui , Yang Huijie
Published: September 2017

In mammals, a main clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) regulates the ∼24 h rhythms of behavioral and physiological activities exposed to a natural 24 light-dark cycle or even under constant darkness. The rhythms originate from self-sustained oscillations of the SCN neurons, which differ in both intrinsic periods and intrinsic amplitudes. The intrinsic periods and the intrinsic amplitudes were found to be bound to specific regions in the previous experiments. In particular, neurons of smaller amplitudes and larger periods are located in a ventrolateral part, and neurons of larger amplitudes and smaller periods are in a dorsomedial part. In the present study, we examined the effects of the differences in the intrinsic frequencies and the differences in the intrinsic amplitudes of neuronal oscillators on the synchronization, respectively. We found that the differences in the intrinsic frequencies weaken the synchronization, whereas the differences in the intrinsic amplitudes strengthen the synchronization. Our finding may shed light on the effects of the heterogenous properties of individual neurons on the collective behaviors of the SCN network and provide a way to enhance the synchronization.
Communication: Explicitly correlated formalism for second-order single-particle Green’s function
Authors: Pavošević Fabijan , Peng Chong , Ortiz J. V. , Valeev Edward F.
Published: September 2017

We present an explicitly correlated formalism for the second-order single-particle Green’s function method (GF2-F12) that does not assume the popular diagonal approximation and describes the energy dependence of the explicitly correlated terms. For small and medium organic molecules, the basis set errors of ionization potentials of GF2-F12 are radically improved relative to GF2: the performance of GF2-F12/aug-cc-pVDZ is better than that of GF2/aug-cc-pVQZ, at a significantly lower cost.
Bluff body boundary-layer modification and its effect on the near-wake topology
Authors: Trip Renzo , Fransson Jens H. M.
Published: September 2017

Boundary-layer modification over a bullet-shaped body has been accomplished using wall suction and its effect on the near-wake topology is reported. Two-dimensional velocity fields in the Reynolds number range 6.7×103−5.5×104 are acquired by means of particle image velocimetry and the mean, periodic, and random velocity components are analyzed. Wall suction reduces the boundary-layer thickness and increases the wall-normal velocity gradient. When the boundary layer is laminar up to the point of separation, the modification of the boundary layer leads to a vortex formation region that is up to 19% shorter compared with the case without wall suction. The modification of the boundary layer is accompanied by an increase of the Reynolds normal and shear stresses, which corresponds to larger forces acting on a fictive control area enclosing the mean recirculation region. The increase in Reynolds normal and shear stresses is due to an increase of the random fluctuation component, while the contribution of the periodic fluctuation component remains constant. The altered topology of the vortex formation region is accompanied by a significant change of the vortex shedding frequency and the base pressure. Empirical relations between the wake inlet conditions and the wake characteristics are reported, which hold for both laminar and turbulent boundary layers. The curvature of the streamlines enclosing the rear part of the body was also quantified and found to be proportional to the base pressure.
A multi-slice sliding cell technique for diffusion measurements in liquid metals
Authors: Zhong Langxiang , Hu Jinliang , Geng Yongliang , Zhu Chunao , Zhang Bo
Published: September 2017

The long capillary and shear-cell techniques are traditionally used for diffusion measurements in liquid metals. Inspired by the idea of the shear-cell method, we have built a multi-slice sliding cell device for inter-diffusion measurements in liquid metals. The device is designed based on a linear sliding movement rather than a rotational shearing as used in the traditional shear-cell method. Compared with the normal shear-cell method, the present device is a more compact setup thus easier to handle. Also, it is expected to be easier to monitor with X-rays or neutrons if used in in situ experiments. A series of benchmark time-dependent diffusion experiments in Al-Cu melts carried out with the present technique reveal that accurate diffusion constants can be achieved only after a sufficient time. For short annealing times, the initial shearing process causing convective flow dominates the measurement and leads to an increase of the measured diffusion coefficient by a factor three. The diffusion data obtained for Al-Cu liquids are consistent with the most accurate data measured by the in situ X-ray radiography method under well controlled conditions of no temperature gradient or other perturbation. High accuracy and easy handling as well as superior adaptability make the present technique suitable for diffusion studies in liquid metals.
Low voltage vacuum nanotriodes for optical frequencies rectification
Authors: Khalifa M. , Badawi A. H. , Ali T. A. , Rafat N. H. , Abouelsaood A. A.
Published: September 2017

A three-dimensional quantum-mechanical method is used for modeling quantum tunneling and photon-assisted field emission processes in vertical and lateral vacuum nanotriodes. The electron transport through the devices is computed using a transfer-matrix technique. The possibility of using vacuum nanotriodes in current rectification is investigated at low voltages in a quasi-static and a high-frequency analyses. The obtained results show that a great enhancement in the rectification properties is achievable when a DC bias is applied between the gate and the collector. By comparing the results of the vertical and the lateral-type devices, it is shown that the former is superior in current rectification, while the latter provides higher values of current density. Furthermore, the high-frequency analysis shows that incident radiation results in photon-assisted current emission. It also demonstrates that the vacuum nanotriode can be much more efficient than the vacuum nanodiode in rectifying high-frequency signals.
Periodic nonlinear waves resulting from the contact interaction of a crack
Authors: Lee Sang Eon , Jin Suyeong , Hong Jung-Wuk
Published: September 2017

When two different inputs of distinct low and high frequencies are applied to a medium, the linear responses are composed of waves of two dominant frequencies. However, microcracks such as fatigue cracks generate nonlinear waves by modulating the characteristics of the incident waves. Although this phenomenon has been observed and used to detect microcracks, the underlying principles have not been thoroughly elucidated. The hysteresis properties were introduced to describe the nonlinear relationship between the stress and strain to explain these phenomena [Van Den Abeele et al., Res. Nondestruct. Eval. 12, 17 (2000) and Nazarov et al., Acoust. Phys. 49, 344 (2003)]. The generation of harmonics was explained by superimposing stress–strain relations that vary with crack width and excitation magnitude. As the crack depth increases, the ratio of magnitudes of the second harmonic to the first harmonic increases, but the increment becomes smaller [Kawashima et al., Ultrasonics 40, 611 (2002)]. Here, we show that the waves affected by the contact motion of the crack surfaces cultivate the nonlinearity in waveforms, resulting in high frequency off-band signals. With the hypothesis that the clapping of cracks might generate nonlinear components close to the high excitation frequency, we prove that the generation of the high frequency off-band peaks is directly affected by the clapping contact interaction of the crack surfaces. The amount of energy transmitted is closely related to the size of the crack width and the magnitudes of low and high frequency excitations.
Radial properties of the geodesic acoustic mode
Authors: Li Zhenqian , Dong Jiaqi , Sheng Zhengmao , Yu M. Y. , Wang Weixing
Published: September 2017

In magnetized toroidal plasmas, neoclassical effects and turbulent drift waves can induce the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM). We simulate the GAM using the gyro-kinetic code GTS for typical tokamak parameters and investigate its properties, especially its frequency continuum, evolution of its radial wave number, and propagation characteristics. The simulation results are compared with those of the relevant theory and experiment. It is found that the radial phase velocity of the GAM is roughly proportional to the ion thermal speed.
High-power flexible AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors with suppression of negative differential conductance
Authors: Oh Seung Kyu , Cho Moon Uk , Dallas James , Jang Taehoon , Lee Dong Gyu , Pouladi Sara , Chen Jie , Wang Weijie , Shervin Shahab , Kim Hyunsoo , Shin Seungha , Choi Sukwon , Kwak Joon Seop , Ryou Jae-Hyun
Published: September 2017

We investigate thermo-electronic behaviors of flexible AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) for high-power operation of the devices using Raman thermometry, infrared imaging, and current-voltage characteristics. A large negative differential conductance observed in HFETs on polymeric flexible substrates is confirmed to originate from the decreasing mobility of the two-dimensional electron gas channel caused by the self-heating effect. We develop high-power transistors by suppressing the negative differential conductance in the flexible HFETs using chemical lift-off and modified Ti/Au/In metal bonding processes with copper (Cu) tapes for high thermal conductivity and low thermal interfacial resistance in the flexible hybrid structures. Among different flexible HFETs, the ID of the HFETs on Cu with Ni/Au/In structures decreases only by 11.3% with increasing drain bias from the peak current to the current at VDS = 20 V, which is close to that of the HFETs on Si (9.6%), solving the problem of previous flexible AlGaN/GaN transistors.
Identification and expression of forkhead box genes in the Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus
Authors: Hu Qiaomu , Xiao Hanbing , Wang Qilong , Tian Haifeng , Meng Yan
Published: September 2017

In the present study, 21 forkhead box (Fox) genes were identified in Andrias davidianus, including 13 full-length genes and eight partial sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most were conserved in other investigated amphibians, whereas the Foxk1 gene was found exclusively in A. davidianus. Molecular evolution analysis indicated that most Fox genes underwent purifying selection, whereas two sites of the adFoxp4 gene showed positive selection and were located on the adFoxp4 protein surface. Expression profiles of all Fox genes identified were analysed in the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonad axis by reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Eighteen genes exhibited sexually dimorphic expression (15 ovary-biased and three testis-biased genes), whereas two genes showed no difference between ovary and testis. Further investigation of 12 selected sexually dimorphic Fox genes showed changes in the expression profile of 11 genes in the ovary of larvae reared at high temperatures (28°C). The results of the present study provide information on Fox genes in an amphibian and suggest that they play key roles in sexual development and reproduction in A. davidianus.
Political distinction: searching for a structural similarity between class and politics in Flanders (Belgium)
Authors: De Keere Kobe
Published: September 2017

The aim of this paper is to investigate the logic behind lay people's ideological position taking and how this is determined by class position. I therefore examine to what extent there exists a similarity between the configuration of the political field and the structure of the space of social classes. The paper includes a brief description of the two most salient political alignments today, namely the old economic alignment and the new cultural alignment, and an explanation of how this two-dimensional political structure pertains to the rise of the new middle class. Directly related to this, I also present a discussion on the importance of the ethical habitus to understand the mechanism behind class determined political position taking. Subsequently, based on survey data and using multiple correspondence analysis, I empirically reproduce this political structure for Flanders (Belgium). Finally, relying on the visualized regression technique, I demonstrate that there exists a clear structural similarity between the political field and the space of social classes, which is a strong indication that the class-engendered ethical habitus is, in fact, the underlying factor that gives structure to the variations in political attitudes.
Assessing the costs and benefits of US renewable portfolio standards
Authors: Wiser Ryan , Mai Trieu , Millstein Dev , Barbose Galen , Bird Lori , Heeter Jenny , Keyser David , Krishnan Venkat , Macknick Jordan
Published: September 2017

Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) exist in 29 US states and the District of Columbia. This article summarizes the first national-level, integrated assessment of the future costs and benefits of existing RPS policies; the same metrics are evaluated under a second scenario in which widespread expansion of these policies is assumed to occur. Depending on assumptions about renewable energy technology advancement and natural gas prices, existing RPS policies increase electric system costs by as much as $31 billion, on a present-value basis over 2015−2050. The expanded renewable deployment scenario yields incremental costs that range from $23 billion to $194 billion, depending on the assumptions employed. The monetized value of improved air quality and reduced climate damages exceed these costs. Using central assumptions, existing RPS policies yield $97 billion in air-pollution health benefits and $161 billion in climate damage reductions. Under the expanded RPS case, health benefits total $558 billion and climate benefits equal $599 billion. These scenarios also yield benefits in the form of reduced water use. RPS programs are not likely to represent the most cost effective path towards achieving air quality and climate benefits. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that US RPS programs are, on a national basis, cost effective when considering externalities.
Form and Formalism
Authors: Cohen Stephen
Published: September 2017

From the Platonic ur-antiformalism, the reaction to which gave shape and purpose to classical and early modern literary theory, to the agon between form and history that dominated 20th-century literary criticism and pedagogy, the concept of form and the methodologies of its study (formalism) have at once grounded and challenged our understanding of literature. Is form an ornament or supplement to literature’s essential content, a component of literature’s meaning and function, or the very defining essence of the literary? Does form inhere in the macro-structures of literary mode and genre, the micro-structures of figure, style, and prosody, or the unique shape of the individual text? Does form stand apart and insulated from the vicissitudes of history and the pressures of ideology, is it the object (or agent) of historical and ideological determination, or does it provide us a vantage from which to understand and perhaps resist them? These questions and the variety of answers they have generated have shaped and continue to shape both the practice of literary studies and its status as an academic discipline.
Postwar Japanese Novelists and American Literature
Authors: Goto Kazuhiko
Published: September 2017

Since the country’s decisive defeat through the acceptance of the unconditional surrender in 1945, Japanese novelists have been working in the shadow of America. The American Occupation from 1945 to 1952 set the essential tone of the postwar Japanese chronotope, and authors have had to address their problems through it. Postwar Japanese novelists needed to familiarize themselves with the explicit meaning of the national and ethnic experience of the defeat in the total war. They had to come to terms with the inevitable outcome of being re-incorporated into the international world according to America’s scenario for achieving a new global hegemony. On one hand, this meant severance from the military past and rebirth as a pacifist and capitalist trading country; on the other, it meant disruption of the cultural continuity as a nation and rapid evaporation of the memories of the war crimes.

Postwar Japanese novelists have turned to American literature, not only for a usable index for understanding “America” as the most fundamentally decisive element of their postwar chronotope but also for something to stimulate their critical and creative imagination or synchronize with their aesthetic sensitivity during their search for an artistic expression under the shadow of “America.” Three influential Japanese postwar novelists have a specific American writer as his inspirational source: Mark Twain for Kenzaburo Oe (b. 1935–), William Faulkner for Kenji Nakagami (1946–1992), and Raymond Carver for Haruki Murakami (b. 1949–). Their relationships with their literary precursors vary relative to their own sensitivities, political stances, and cultural background including class and caste; however, each of these three Japanese novelists has maintained a wide influence in the postwar Japanese literary climate because each has established his own unique way of addressing the most critical problem of “America.” Each of these writers takes his influence from an American writer and learns his own lessons about how to cope with or navigate through a life under the shadow of “America.” During each decade of postwar Japanese history—Oe from the early 1960s to the late 1970s, Nakagami from the late 1970s to the late 1980s and Murakami from the early 1980s to the 1990s—the authors reflect a gradual change in the shadow of “America” because of a change in America’s policy toward Japan from the end of the occupation through the period of Japan’s astounding economic prosperity, to the end of the Cold War and a gradual attenuation of America’s power over Japan.
Anticipated Regret
Authors: Zeelenberg Marcel
Published: September 2017

Regret is the prototypical decision related emotion. It is felt when the outcome of a non-chosen alternative is better than the outcomes obtained. Regret is a functional emotion that helps people to correct mistakes. It is also functional because people can anticipate regret beforehand, then choose in such a way as to avoid regret from happening. Researchers in economics proposed regret theory, an alternative to rational choice theory, which takes into account the anticipation of regret and its influence in choice. Researchers in psychology studied how anticipations of regret influence decision making in a variety of domains, including health behaviors. The findings suggest that interventions can be developed that are based on the idea that people are regret averse.
Patterns of Reasoning
Authors: Mosley-Jensen William , Panetta Edward
Published: September 2017

Health professionals and the public puzzle through new or controversial issues by deploying patterns of reasoning that are found in a variety of social contexts. While particular issues and vocabulary may require field specific training, the patterns of reasoning used by health advocates and authors reflect rhetorical forms found in society at large. The choices made by speakers often impact the types of evidence used in constructing an argument. For scholars interested in issues of policy, attending to the construction of arguments and the dominant cultural modes of reasoning can help expand the understanding of a persuasive argument in a health context. Argumentation scholars have been attentive to the patterns of reasoning for centuries. Deductive and inductive reasoning have been the most widely studied patterns in the disciplines of communication, philosophy, and psychology. The choice of reasoning, from generalization to specific case or from specific case to generalization, is often portrayed as an exclusive one. The classical pattern of deductive reasoning is the syllogism. Since its introduction to the field of communication in 1957, the Toulmin model has been the most impactful device used by critics to map inductive reasoning. Both deductive and inductive modes of argumentative reasoning draw upon implicit, explicit, and affective reasoning. While the traditional study of reasoning focused on the individual choice of a pattern of reasoning to represent a claim, in the last 40 years, there has been increasing attention to social deliberative reasoning in the field of communication. The study of social (public) deliberative reasoning allows argument scholars to trace patterns of argument that explain policy decisions that can, in some cases, exclude some rhetorical voices in public controversies, including matters of health and welfare.
Optimism and Its Associations with Health Behavior and Responses to Health Communication
Authors: Dillard Amanda J. , Ellis Erin M.
Published: September 2017

When individuals are asked whether they will someday own their own home, enjoy a productive career, or develop a myriad of diseases, many are optimistic. Generally, they think they will experience more good than bad outcomes in life and they view themselves as more likely than similar others to experience the good things and less likely than others to experience the bad things. In the area of health behavior and communication, there are three primary types of optimism that have been defined and operationalized: (1) Dispositional optimism is the generalized positive expectancy that one will experience good outcomes. (2) Comparative optimism refers to the belief that one is either more likely than others to experience positive events or less likely than others to experience negative events. (3) Unrealistic optimism refers to an underestimation of one’s actual risk of experiencing some negative event. Although the three types of optimism may be correlated, their associations may be modest. Also, unlike dispositional optimism, which is an individual difference, comparative and unrealistic optimism are often risk perceptions about specific events and therefore can be defined as accurate or inaccurate. For this reason, the latter two types of optimism have sometimes been labeled the optimistic bias. Research on all three varieties of optimism affords opportunities to understand how optimism influences information processing in a health message or one’s behavioral intentions following the message.
Message-Induced Self-Efficacy and Its Role in Health Behavior Change
Authors: Egbert Nichole , Omosun Foluke
Published: September 2017

Self-efficacy is the personal belief in one’s ability to meet a goal or perform a specific task. Although it can be applied to any type of human endeavor, the construct of self-efficacy is thought to be central to changing behaviors to improve health outcomes. For this reason, message designers have been attempting to understand how messages detract from or enhance self-efficacy. Persuasive messages have and can be used to enhance perceived self-efficacy related to health and risk behavior. Self-efficacy-strengthening messages and interventions in health promotion can be assessed in general or specfically in regards to fear appeals. Other aspects of self-efficacy interventions include collective efficacy and professional self-efficacy.
Ecohydrological Concepts of Water-Vegetation Interaction in the Drylands of Africa
Authors: Dolman A. Johannes , Vilasa-Abad Luis U. , Janssen Thomas A. J.
Published: September 2017

Drylands cover around 40% of the land surface on Earth and are inhabited by more than 2 billion people, who are directly dependent on these lands. Drylands are characterized by a highly variable rainfall regime and inherent vegetation-climate feedbacks that can enhance the resilience of the system, but also can amplify disturbances. In that way, the system may get locked into two alternate stable states: one relatively wet and vegetated, and the other dry and barren. The resilience of dryland ecosystems derives from a number of adaptive mechanisms by which the vegetation copes with prolonged water stress, such as hydraulic redistribution. The stochastic nature of both the vegetation dynamics and the rainfall regime is a key characteristic of these systems and affects its management in relation to the feedbacks. How the ecohydrology of the African drylands will change in the future depends on further changes in climate, human disturbances, land use, and the socioeconomic system.
Problem Definition and the Policy Process: Wicked Problems
Authors: Head Brian W.
Published: September 2017

In the early 1970s, Rittel and Webber asserted that conventional approaches to scientific analysis and rational planning were inadequate for guiding practitioners and researchers who were tackling complex and contested social problems—which they termed “wicked” problems. The full implications of this challenging critique of rational policy planning were not elaborated at that time, but the underlying issues have attracted increasing attention and debate in later decades. Policy analysts, academic researchers, and planning practitioners have continued to grapple with the claim that conventional scientific-technical approaches might be insufficient and even misleading as a basis for understanding and responding to complex social issues. This is paradoxical in the modern era, which has been attracted to notions of evidence-based policymaking, policy evaluation, and performance-based public management.

Scholarly discussion has continued to evolve concerning methods for addressing highly contested arenas of policy and planning. One key proposition is that citizens and key stakeholders tend to have conflicting perceptions about the nature of particular social “problems” and will thus have different views about appropriate responses or “solutions.” A related proposition is that these disputes are anchored in differing values and perceptions, which are not able to be adjudicated and settled by empirical science, but require inclusive processes of argumentation and conflict resolution among stakeholders. Hence, several kinds of knowledge—lay and expert, civic and professional—need to be brought together in order to develop transdisciplinary “usable knowledge.”

As the research literature produces a richer array of comparative case analyses, it may become feasible to construct a more nuanced understanding of the conditions underlying various kinds of wicked problems in social policy and planning. In the meantime, generalized and indiscriminate use of the term wicked problems is not helpful for delineating the nature of the challenges faced and appropriate remedial actions.
The Politics of Evidence-Based Policy Making
Authors: Cairney Paul
Published: September 2017

“Evidence-based policy making” (EBPM) has become a popular term to describe the need for more scientific and less ideological policy making. Some compare it to “evidence-based medicine,” which describes moves to produce evidence, using commonly-held scientific principles regarding a hierarchy of evidence, which can directly inform practice. Policy making is different: there is less agreement on what counts as good evidence, and more things to consider when responding to evidence.

Our awareness of these differences between science and policy are not new. Current debates resemble a postwar policy science agenda, to produce more scientific and “rational” policy analysis, which faced major empirical and normative obstacles: the world is not that simple, and an overly technocratic approach to policy undermines much-needed political debate. To understand modern discussions of EBPM, key insights from previous discussions must be considered: policy making is both “rational” and “irrational”; it takes place in complex policy environments or systems, whose properties should be understood in some depth; and it can and should not be driven by “the evidence” alone.
Transfer and Learning: Do They Go Together?
Authors: Dolowitz David P.
Published: September 2017

While a phenomena dating back to antiquity, it wasn’t until the 1960s that American and European social scientists began seriously discussing occurrences in which it appeared as if localities, states and nations in close proximity were adopting similar policies and programs. These early diffusion studies led to a new field that has variously been referred to under titles such as policy transfer, lesson drawing, policy translations, and policy mobility. While having different focuses and agendas, all of these studies attempt to address issues associated with the movement (or active rejection of a possible movement) of ideas, information, policies, and programs from one political system to another.

While all transfer studies have helped focus social scientists’ attention on the processes and actors involved in the transfer of ideas, techniques, policies, information, and programs, a better link to the knowledge utilization and learning literatures would help advance the usefulness of transfer studies. At a minimum, by considering the insights from the learning and utilization literatures, social scientists should begin understanding some of the outlook changes that individuals involved in transfer undertake that impact individual and institutional long-term understanding of the process and results. It will also start to help opening up the policymaking process to further scrutiny, particularly in relation to where information is flowing and how it is being used as a policy develops and changes.
Theories of Civil War Onset: Promises and Pitfalls
Authors: Florea Adrian
Published: September 2017

Empirical research on civil war onset has been largely dominated by two approaches: a correlational or “correlates of civil war” approach which seeks to identify country-level characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of civil war outbreak, and a bargaining approach which starts from the assumption that warfare is costly and which views civil conflict as a by-product of bargaining failures. Correlational and bargaining studies of internal conflict onset have reached an analytical plateau because they fail to specify the precise mechanisms that yield civil warfare instead of a different type of violent or nonviolent outcome. An alternative, contentious framework is advanced for studying civil war onset. This framework situates the conflict event within a larger cycle of contention and specifies the mechanisms through which civil conflict is most likely to occur. According to this contentious perspective, civil wars are commonly produced by the combination of one structural condition—a state crisis of authority and/or legitimacy—and the interdependent effect of two mechanisms—radicalization and militarization. Through theory development and vignettes from a handful of civil war cases, the article makes the case that the contentious approach holds promise for elucidating how exactly civil conflicts break out. Despite holding initial explanatory power, the contentious theory of civil war onset advanced herein awaits more systematic empirical testing.
Advocacy Coalitions in Foreign Policy
Authors: Pierce Jonathan , Hicks Katherine
Published: September 2017

The advocacy coalition framework (ACF) was developed to explain policy processes where contentious coalitions of actors seek to translate competing belief systems into public policy. Advocacy coalitions may include interest groups, members of the media, scientists and academics, and government officials that share beliefs about a public issue and coordinate their behavior. These advocacy coalitions engage in various strategies using resources to influence policy change or stasis. As part of this process, advocacy coalition members may learn within and/or across coalitions.

This framework is one of the most prominent and widely applied approaches to explain public policy. While it has been applied hundreds of times, in over 50 different countries, the vast majority of ACF applications have sought to explain domestic policy processes. A reason for the paucity of applications to foreign policy is that some ACF assumptions may not seem congruent to foreign policy issues. For example, the ACF uses a policy subsystem as the unit of analysis that may include a territorial dimension. Yet, the purpose of the territorial dimension is to limit the scope of the study. Therefore, this dimension can be substituted for a government body that has the authority or potential authority to make and implement foreign policy. In addition, the ACF assumes a central role for technical and scientific information in the policy process. Such information makes learning across coalitions more conducive, but the ACF can and should also be applied to normative issues, such as those more common among foreign policy research.

This article introduces the ACF; provides an overview of the framework, including assumptions, key concepts and theories, and transferability of the ACF to foreign policy analysis; and discusses four exemplary applications. In addition, it proposes future research that scholars should explore as part of the nexus of the ACF and foreign policy analysis. In the final analysis, the authors suggest the ACF can and should be applied to foreign policy analysis to better understand the development of advocacy coalitions and how they influence changes and stasis in foreign policy.