bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conceptual modeling for knowledge management to support agile software development
Authors: Amritesh  , Misra Subhas C.
Published: October 2014

Agile software development (ASD) has emerged as a result of consolidated values proposed under the lightweight methods of software engineering. Despite bearing some criticisms, the initial deployment and results observed in the practice environment represents its increasing domination over the traditional software development practices. Any ASD method, in particular, requires knowledge-intensive practices and typically employs multi-disciplinary expert team working extended periods of time for weeks on a nearly continuous basis. A huge amount of tacit knowledge creation and exchange happens in the entire process over the project lifecycle, which attracts the attention of research in the domain of knowledge management (KM). In this paper, first, we have mapped the agile values and agile principles, and in its support, we have argued upon and the need for integrated KM infrastructure and proposed a KM model that can be employed within the organization. We have also developed a conceptual framework for knowledge sharing and learning for the individual practitioners for the sustainability of agile team. We attempt to create an organizational learning framework for knowledge creation and exchange among the involved entities in a collaborative practice environment.
Boundedness and stabilization in a multi-dimensional chemotaxis—haptotaxis model
Authors: Tao Youshan , Winkler Michael
Published: October 2014

This paper deals with the coupled chemotaxis-haptotaxis model of cancer invasion given by

whereχ, ξandμare positive parameters andΩ ⊂ ℝn(n≥ 1) is a bounded domain with smooth boundary. Under zero-flux boundary conditions, it is shown that, for anyμ>χand any sufficiently smooth initial data (u0,w0) satisfyingu0≥ 0 andw0> 0, the associated initial–boundary-value problem possesses a unique global smooth solution that is uniformly bounded. Moreover, we analyse the stability and attractivity properties of the non-trivial homogeneous equilibrium (u, v, w) ≡ (1,1, 0) and establish a quantitative result relating the domain of attraction of this steady state to the size ofμ. In particular, this will imply that wheneveru0> 0 and 0 <w0< 1 inthere exists a positive constantμ* depending only onχ, ξ, Ω, u0andw0such that for anyμ<μ* the above global solution (u, v, w) approaches the spatially uniform state (1, 1, 0) as time goes to infinity.
Multiple solutions for a free boundary problem arising in plasma physics
Authors: Liu Zhongyuan
Published: October 2014

In this paper we study the existence of solutions for a free boundary problem arising in the study of the equilibrium of a plasma confined in a tokamak:

where p > 2, Ω is a bounded domain in ℝ2, n is the outward unit normal of ∂Ω, α is an unprescribed constant and I is a given positive constant. The set Ω+ = {x ∊ Ω: u(x) > 0} is called a plasma set. Under the condition that the homology of Ω is non-trivial, we show that for any given integer k ≥ 1 there exists λk > 0 such that for λ > λk the problem above has a solution with a plasma set consisting of k components.
Bifurcation at isolated singular points of the Hadamard derivative
Authors: Stuart C. A.
Published: October 2014

For Banach spaces X and Y, we consider bifurcation from the line of trivial solutions for the equation F (λ, u) = 0, where F : ℝ × X → Y with F (λ, 0) = 0 for all λ ∈ ℝ. The focus is on the situation where F (λ, ·) is only Hadamard differentiable at 0 and Lipschitz continuous on some open neighbourhood of 0, without requiring any Fréchet differentiability. Applications of the results obtained here to some problems involving nonlinear elliptic equations on ℝN, where Fréchet differentiability is not available, are presented in some related papers, which shed light on the relevance of our hypotheses.
Against Nature? or, Confessions of a Darwinian Modernist
Authors: Smith Murray
Published: October 2014

A few years ago I gave a paper on the aesthetics of ‘noise,’ that is, on the ways in which non-musical sounds can be given aesthetic shape and structure, and thereby form the basis of significant aesthetic experience. Along the way I made reference to Arnold Schoenberg's musical theory, in particular his notion ofKlangfarbenmelodie, literally ‘sound colour melody,’ or musical form based on timbre or tonal colour rather than on melody, harmony or rhythm. Schoenberg articulated his ideas aboutKlangfarbenmelodiein the final section of hisHarmonielehre(1911). ‘Pitch is nothing else but tone colour measured in one direction,’ wrote Schoenberg. ‘Now, if it is possible to create patterns out of tone colours that are differentiated according to pitch, patterns we call ‘melodies’…then it must also be possible to make such progressions out of the tone colours of the other dimension, out of that which we simply call “tone colour.”’ In other words, traditional melodies work by abstracting and structuring the dominant pitch characterizing a musical sound, while ‘sound colour melodies’ work, Schoenberg argues, by structuring the combined set of pitches contained in a given musical sound (the overtones as well as the dominant pitch). Schoenberg is emphatic that, although a neglected and underdeveloped possibility within Western classical music, ‘sound colour melody’ is a perfectly legitimate and viable form of musical expression; indeed for Schoenberg it is a musical form with enormous potential.
The Verse-Line as a Whole Unit in Working Memory, Ease of Processing, and the Aesthetic Effects of Form
Authors: Fabb Nigel
Published: October 2014

Verse is text which is divided into lines. In this paper I explore a psychological account of how verse is processed, and specifically the hypothesis that the text is processed line by line, such that each line is held as a whole sequence in the limited capacity of working memory. I will argue that because the line is processed in this way, certain low-level aesthetic effects are thereby produced, thus giving a partial explanation for why verse is often a highly valued type of verbal behaviour. The general goal is to address the question of what literary form is, from a psychological perspective, and how the textual presence and psychological processing of form can contribute to particular aspects of the aesthetic experience of verse.
The Epistemology of Fiction and the Question of Invariant Norms
Authors: Gilmore Jonathan
Published: October 2014

A primary dimension of our engagement with fictional works of art – paradigmatically literary, dramatic, and cinematic narratives – is figuring out what is true in such representations, what the facts are in the fictional world. These facts (or states of affairs) include not only those that ground any genuine understanding of a story – say, that it was his own father whom Oedipus killed – but also those that may be missed in even a largely competent reading, say, that Emma Bovary's desires and dissatisfactions are fed by reading romance novels.
Creativity, Virtue and the Challenges from Natural Talent, Ill-Being and Immorality
Authors: Kieran Matthew
Published: October 2014

We praise and admire creative people in virtually every domain from the worlds of art, fashion and design to the fields of engineering and scientific endeavour. Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, Einstein was a creative scientist and Jonathan Ive is admired the world over as a great designer. We also sometimes blame, condemn or withhold praise from those who fail creatively; hence we might say that someone's work or ideas tend to be rather derivative and uninspired. Institutions and governmental advisory bodies sometimes aspire, claim or exhort us to enable individual creativity, whether this is held to be good for the individual as such or in virtue of promoting wider socio-economic goods. It is at least a common thought that people are more self-fulfilled if they are creative and society more generally is held to be all the better for enabling individual creativity.
The Development of Imaginative Cognition
Authors: Weisberg Deena Skolnick
Published: October 2014

Over the last ten years or so, many cognitive scientists have begun to work on topics traditionally associated with philosophical aesthetics, such as issues about the objectivity of aesthetic judgments and the nature of aesthetic experience. An increasingly interdisciplinary turn within philosophy has started to take advantage of these connections, to the benefit of all. But one area that has been somewhat overlooked in this new dialogue is developmental psychology, which treats questions about whether and to what extent children's intuitions about various aspects of aesthetic experience match those of adults, as well as the origins and developmental trajectories of these intuitions. The current paper reviews some recent work in developmental psychology that has the potential to inform philosophical research on a variety of topics – not necessarily because of this work tells us directly about what children think, but because learning what children's aesthetic intuitions are and how they develop can help us to better understand why adults have the intuitions that they do.
BEYOND THE OTHER SHORE: GERMAN INTELLECTUALS IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: DERMAN JOSHUA
Published: October 2014

For over half a century, the American transformation of German philosophy and social thought has been a major theme of modern intellectual history. The main protagonists of this “cultural migration,” as the story traditionally has been told, were German-speaking scholars and writers who, fleeing Hitler's Europe, brought their erudition and indigenous methodologies to American shores. But beyond this beachhead lies a vast and unfamiliar terrain for the historian. What became of German texts and concepts as they traveled further inland? Who transported them—and for what ends? InThe Closing of the American Mind, the philosopher Allan Bloom marveled at the ways in which nonacademic Americans had become complicit in the dissemination of German thought: “What an extraordinary thing it is that high-class talk from what was the peak of Western intellectual life, in Germany, has become as natural as chewing gum on American streets.” It was an extraordinary thing, but not a good one, as far as Bloom was concerned:

We are like the millionaire inThe Ghost (Geist) Goes Westwho brings a castle from brooding Scotland to sunny Florida and adds canals and gondolas for “local color.” We chose a system of thought that, like some wines, does not travel; we chose a way of looking at things that could never be ours and had as its starting point dislike of us and our goals. The United States was held to be a nonculture, a collection of castoffs from real cultures, seeking only comfortable self-preservation in a regime dedicated to superficial cosmopolitanism in thought and deed. Our desire for the German things was proof we could not understand them.
THE COLD WAR AS INTELLECTUAL FORCE FIELD
Authors: GILMAN NILS
Published: October 2014

One of the most vibrant subfields of American intellectual history over the last fifteen years has been the history of the social sciences during the late twentieth century, a period when the size and quality of American social-scientific output grew explosively. Given that the major historiographic push to historicize this period of social science began in the 1990s, in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the declaration by some Americans of Cold War victory, it was perhaps inevitable that the geopolitics of the Cold War emerged as a major tool for accounting for what was distinct about the social science and broader culture of the postwar period. After all, wasn't it obvious that what made the 1990s different from the decades that came before it was the fact that the Cold War was over? And wasn't it further obvious that the bipolar geopolitics and nuclear night terrors of the Cold War had deformed everything they touched, not least the work of American social scientists? One marker of this obviousness was the transformation of the term “Cold War” from a noun describing (perhaps already too vaguely) a particular sort of geopolitical struggle into an adjective that could explain all sorts of extra-geopolitical activity. By the turn of the century this adjectivalization of the Cold War had become something of a historiographic cliché, a blunt (if not lazy) way to historicize our immediate forebears. When John Lewis Gaddis chose to title his “rethink” of Cold War historyNow We Know, he didn't even need to addBetter.
Einflüsse der Inversion auf die Verarbeitung mehrstelliger Zahlen bei deutschsprachigen Kindern – ein Überblick
Authors: Pixner Silvia , Nuerk Hans-Christoph , Moeller Korbinian
Published: October 2014

Zusammenfassung. Der vorliegende Artikel soll einen Überblick über die aktuelle Literatur zur Verarbeitung von zwei- und mehrstelligen Zahlen bei Kindern liefern. Dabei geht es nicht nur um das Lesen und Schreiben von arabischen Ziffern, das zweifelsfrei die erste Hürde auf dem Weg zum Verständnis des arabischen Stellenwertsystems darstellt. Auch der Umgang mit und das Verständnis von mehrstelligen Zahlen werden detailliert diskutiert. So wird zuerst die Metapher des mentalen Zahlenstrahls, auf dem ein- wie mehrstellige Zahlen von links nach rechts aufsteigend angeordnet sind, erläutert. Anschließend wird diskutiert, wie sich dieser bei Kindern entwickelt und welche besonderen Schwierigkeiten die Inversion in deutschen Zahlwörtern (d. h. die Umkehrung der Reihenfolge von Zehnern und Einern, z. B. «einundzwanzig» vs. «21») bedingen kann. Dazu wird u. a. der Frage nachgegangen, inwieweit zwei- und mehrstellige Zahlen als eine Einheit oder getrennt in Einer, Zehner, etc. verarbeitet werden. Ein weiterer Teil dieser Übersichtsarbeit widmet sich Aspekten des Rechnens mit mehrstelligen Zahlen und den hierfür bereits in der Literatur beschriebenen Effekten. Als zentrale These wird für alle oben genannten Aspekte untersucht, wie die beteiligten Prozesse und Repräsentationen durch die Inversion in deutschen Zahlwörtern negativ beeinflusst werden. Wir kommen zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Inversion ein nicht zu vernachlässigender und erschwerender Faktor für das Lernen von Mathematik in deutschsprachigen Ländern ist. Die Implikationen dieser Befunde für mathematisches Lernen und assoziierte Lernstörungen werden abschließend diskutiert.
Further Evidence for Discrete-State Mediation in Recognition Memory
Authors: Kellen David , Singmann Henrik , Vogt Jan , Christoph Klauer Karl
Published: October 2014

The two high threshold model (2HTM) of recognition memory makes strong predictions regarding differences between receiver operating characteristics (ROC) functions across strength manipulations. Province and Rouder (2012) tested these predictions and showed that the 2HTM provided a better account of the data than a continuous signal detection model using an extended two-alternative forced-choice task. The present study replicates and extends Province and Rouder’s findings at the level of confidence-rating responses as well as their associated response times. Model-mimicry simulations are also reported, ascertaining that the models can be well discriminated in this experimental design. Supplemental files for this article are available at osf.io/zadt6/
Recent Advances in Macrocyclic Hsp90 Inhibitors
Authors: Ramsey D. M. , Kitson R. R. A. , Levin J. I. , Moody C. J. , McAlpine S. R.
Published: October 2014

Natural products were the first compounds to confirm the advantages of cyclised structures, where the ring conformation provides structural stability and chemical potency. Successful clinical applications of macrocyclic compounds in oncology have produced powerful incentives within the medicinal chemistry community to explore macrocyclic drug candidates that target novel oncogenic pathways. Numerous receptors, signalling molecules, and enzymes involved in oncogenesis require the chaperone activity of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), an ATPase-driven dimer whose chief molecular roles involve protein folding and stabilisation. Herein we describe four classes of macrocyclic Hsp90 inhibitors. Class I macrocyclic anticancer agents, currently in clinical trials, target the ATP-binding pocket of Hsp90 and include synthetic derivatives of the ansamycin antibiotic geldanamycin (17-AAG or tanespimycin, 17-DMAG or alvespimycin, IPI-504 or retaspimycin). Class II inhibitors (radicicol, radanamycin), which also target the ATP-binding pocket of Hsp90, demonstrate greater potency than Class I inhibitors in preclinical studies, and recent improvements incorporated into synthetic derivatives and chimeras have led to greater structural stability than class I without loss of potency. Class III features synthetic derivatives targeting Hsp90's ATPase activity (o-aminobenzamides and aminopyrimidines), with promising clinical data pointing to these scaffolds as the next generation of therapeutic Hsp90 inhibitors. Class IV compounds are allosteric inhibitors that bind to the N-middle domain of Hsp90 and block access to proteins that bind the C-terminus of Hsp90 (SM122 and SM145). This final class is unique as it does not target the ATP binding site of Hsp90, thereby avoiding induction of the heat shock response. Development of compounds that modulate Hsp90's C-terminus may prove to be an effective method of avoiding the rescue response mounted when blocking the ATP-ase activity of Hsp90.
Anti-Inflammatory Macrolides to Manage Chronic Neutrophilic Inflammation
Authors: Burnet Michael , Guse Jan-Hinrich , Gutke Hans-Jürgen , Guillot Loic , Laufer Stefan , Hahn Ulrike , Seed Michael P. , Vallejo Enriqueta , Eggers Mary , McKenzie Doug , Albrecht Wolfgang , Parnham Michael J.
Published: October 2014

Macrolide antibiotics, notably azithromycin, have clinically useful effects in a range of inflammatory diseases and especially those of the lung. Effects include a reduction of inflammatory cytokines, reductions in neutrophil infiltration and potentially a polarisation of infiltrating cells to a pro-resolution phenotype. The mode of action behind this effect is unlikely to be a single interaction and may involve reductions in prostaglandin synthesis via phospholipase inhibition, modulation of NFκB translocation, reduction in IL-8 production and reduction in reflux aspiration to the airways. While some of the clinical effects can be rationalised through antibacterial actions leading to changes in normal flora and reducing Pseudomonads in particular, there is also evidence for effects unrelated to antibacterial actions that appear to relate to reductions in neutrophil activation, potentially related to high accumulation in neutrophil lysosomes. Concerted efforts to improve on these effects have focused on either generating non-antibacterial analogues, or in conjugating anti-inflammatory drugs to the macrolide backbone. Both approaches have provided strong pre-clinical data suggesting that the selective disposition of macrolides to inflamed tissue, as well as their pleiotropic effects on immune cells, contribute to their broad anti-inflammatory effects. The more recent observations of stronger macrolide effects in the context of neutrophil-mediated disease and corresponding effects on IL-17 positive cells in tissue suggest that it may be possible to select patients likely to respond to macrolide therapy. The discovery of non-antibacterial macrolides that preserve this anti-inflammatory effect provides a means to bring these effects more broadly to the clinic without selecting for large-scale resistance to antibacterial macrolides or to other anti-infectives via cross-resistance.
Macrocyclic Inhibitors of GPCR's, Integrins and Protein–Protein Interactions
Authors: Ermert Philipp , Moehle Kerstin , Obrecht Daniel
Published: October 2014

This chapter summarizes some highlights of macrocyclic drug discovery in the area of GPCRs, integrins, and protein–protein interactions spanning roughly the last 30 years. Several examples demonstrate that incorporation of pharmacophores derived from natural peptide ligands into the context of a constrained macrocycle (“lock of the bioactive conformation”) has proven a powerful approach for the discovery of potent and selective macrocyclic drugs. In addition, it will be shown that macrocycles, due to their semi-rigid nature, can exhibit unique properties that can be beneficially exploited by medicinal chemists. Macrocycles can adapt their conformation during binding to a flexible protein target surface (“induced fit”), and due to their size, can interact with larger protein interfaces (“hot spots”). Also, macrocycles can display favorable ADME properties well beyond the rule of 5 in particular exhibiting favorable cell penetrating properties and oral bioavailability.
Determination of tetracycline residues in lake water by on-line coupling of molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction with high performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Liu Meijiao , Li Yongna , Lin Shen , Dong Xiangchao
Published: October 2014

An on-line molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction-HPLC analysis was developed for the determination of tetracycline residues in water samples using tetracycline-imprinted polymer as the extraction material. The method has good selectivity, sensitivity, reliability and efficiency.
Spectroscopic and microscopic studies of self-assembled nc-Si/a-SiC thin films grown by low pressure high density spontaneous plasma processing
Authors: Das Debajyoti , Kar Debjit
Published: October 2014

Stimulated nanocrystallization by optimum C-incorporation introduces high-density miniaturized Si-ncs of narrow-distribution in self-assembled nc-Si/a-SiC films, spontaneously grown by low-pressure planar ICP-CVD.
Nanoantenna enhanced emission of light-harvesting complex 2: the role of resonance, polarization, and radiative and non-radiative rates
Authors: Wientjes Emilie , Renger Jan , Curto Alberto G. , Cogdell Richard , van Hulst Niek F.
Published: October 2014

Nanoantennae show potential for photosynthesis research: by resonant near-field coupling to light-harvesting complexes both the localized excitation field and the quantum efficiency are enhanced, resulting in bright photon emission.
Layer-by-layer fabrication of AgCl–PANI hybrid nanocomposite films for electronic tongues
Authors: Manzoli Alexandra , Shimizu Flavio M. , Mercante Luiza A. , Paris Elaine C. , Oliveira Osvaldo N. , Correa Daniel S. , Mattoso Luiz H. C.
Published: October 2014

LbL films of AgCl–PANI nanocomposites synthesized by the one-step chemical route were shown to be a potential material for sensing application in which PANI de-doping at high pH is to be avoided.
Mechanisms of cell uptake and toxicity of the anticancer drug cisplatin
Authors: Eljack Nasma D. , Ma Ho-Yu M. , Drucker Janine , Shen Clara , Hambley Trevor W. , New Elizabeth J. , Friedrich Thomas , Clarke Ronald J.
Published: October 2014

Cisplatin is capable of passively diffusing across a lipid bilayer and has no absolute requirement for any protein-mediated uptake mechanism.
Fe(Me2-bpy)2(NCSe)2spin-crossover micro- and nanoparticles showing spin-state switching above 250 K
Authors: Nguyen Luong Lam , Guillot Régis , Laisney Jérôme , Rechignat Lionel , Bedoui Salma , Molnár Gabor , Rivière Eric , Boillot Marie-Laure
Published: October 2014

Nano- and microparticles or polycrystalline powders of the Fe(Me2-bpy)2(NCSe)2spin-crossover complex were easily elaborated from the diamagnetic precursor [Fe(Me2-bpy)3](NCSe)2·S by precipitation in an anti-solvent or by solid-state thermolysis.
Giant enhancement of the Raman response due to one-dimensional ZnO nanostructures
Authors: Shin Hae-Young , Shim Ee-Le , Choi Young-Jin , Park Jong-Hyurk , Yoon Seokhyun
Published: October 2014

We observed giant enhancement of the Raman intensity from 4-Mpy molecules adsorbed on semiconducting one-dimensional ZnO nanostructures, nanowires and nanocones, without involving any noble metals.
Preparation of antifouling polyetherimide/hydrolysed PIAM blend nanofiltration membranes for salt rejection applications
Authors: Hebbar Raghavendra S. , Isloor Arun M. , Ismail A. F.
Published: October 2014

Polyetherimide/hydrolysed PIAM blend NF membranes have been prepared and characterized. The PEI/hydrolysed PIAM composition of 80 : 20 showed very good salt rejection (sodium sulphate) up to 76% with a pure water flux of 11.8 L m−2 h−1. This study provides a simple and effective approach to produce negatively charged NF membranes for water desalination applications with low energy consumption.
Antioxidant activity of fraxetin and its regeneration in aqueous media. A density functional theory study
Authors: Medina M. E. , Iuga C. , Álvarez-Idaboy J. R.
Published: October 2014

Fraxetin is an excellent and versatile antioxidant in aqueous media. In addition it regenerates, scavenging two radical equivalents per cycle.
Designing and screening novel explosives with high energy and low sensitivity by appropriately introducing N-oxides, amino groups, and nitro groups into s-heptazine
Authors: Wu Qiong , Zhu Weihua , Xiao Heming
Published: October 2014

We presented a useful strategy to design novel explosives by incorporating N-oxides, nitro groups, and amino groups into s-heptazine.
Self-assembly of nanostructured block copolymer nanoparticles
Authors: Jin Zhaoxia , Fan Hailong
Published: October 2014

In this highlight, we discuss the self-assembly of block copolymer (BCP) nanoparticles.
Low lattice thermal conductivity in Pb5Bi6Se14, Pb3Bi2S6, and PbBi2S4: promising thermoelectric materials in the cannizzarite, lillianite, and galenobismuthite homologous series
Authors: Ohta Michihiro , Chung Duck Young , Kunii Masaru , Kanatzidis Mercouri G.
Published: October 2014

We demonstrate a notable power factor and an extremely low lattice thermal conductivity in Pb5Bi6Se14 (cannizzarite homolog), Pb3Bi2S6 (lillianite homolog), and PbBi2S4 (galenobismuthite homolog).
Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of charge reversal photoresponsive quinoline tethered mesoporous silica for targeted drug delivery
Authors: Karthik S. , Jana Avijit , Saha Biswajit , Kalyani B. Krishna , Ghosh Sudip Kumar , Zhao Yanli , Singh N. D. Pradeep
Published: October 2014

We developed excellent charge reversal photoresponsive nanoparticles for targeted delivery of the anticancer drug chlorambucil.
Plasmonic-enhanced polymer photovoltaic cells based on Au nanoparticles with wide absorption spectra of 300–1000 nm
Authors: Zhang Yupei , Hao Jingyu , Li Xue , Chen Shufen , Wang Lianhui , Li Xingao , Huang Wei
Published: October 2014

Mixed Au nanoparticles (NPs) with wide absorption spectra of 300–1000 nm and three absorption peaks of 520, 600, and 770 nm are assembled onto the ITO anode in polymer solar cells to significantly improve the power conversion efficiency and short-circuit current by factors of 24.2% and 18.6%.
Cellular and molecular actions of CCN2/CTGF and its role under physiological and pathological conditions
Authors: Kubota Satoshi , Takigawa Masaharu
Published: October 2014

CCN family protein 2 (CCN2), also widely known as connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), is one of the founding members of the CCN family of matricellular proteins. Extensive investigation on CCN2 over decades has revealed the novel molecular action and functional properties of this unique signalling modulator. By its interaction with multiple molecular counterparts, CCN2 yields highly diverse and context-dependent biological outcomes in a variety of microenvironments. Nowadays, CCN2 is recognized to conduct the harmonized development of relevant tissues, such as cartilage and bone, in the skeletal system, by manipulating extracellular signalling molecules involved therein by acting as a hub through a web. However, on the other hand, CCN2 occasionally plays profound roles in major human biological disorders, including fibrosis and malignancies in major organs and tissues, by modulating the actions of key molecules involved in these clinical entities. In this review, the physiological and pathological roles of this unique protein are comprehensively summarized from a molecular network-based viewpoint of CCN2 functionalities.
Slot dipole antenna with single‐ and dual‐band tuning characteristic
Authors: Idris I.H. , Hamid M.R. , Jamaluddin M.H. , Rahim M.K.A. , Kelly J.
Published: October 2014

A slot dipole antenna with a reconfigurable operating frequency is presented. The antenna comprises two pairs of slot arms. Each arm incorporates a number of varactor diodes. The antenna is capable of operating in single‐band or dual‐band mode. In each case, the location of these bands can be altered by varying the voltage applied to the varactor diodes. The antenna can be tuned over a wide frequency range, namely 1.5–4.5 GHz (i.e. a ratio of 3:1). The antenna is potentially useful for cognitive radio application, particularly in a small base station or access point terminal.
Nanothermal characterization of amorphous and crystalline phases in chalcogenide thin films with scanning thermal microscopy
Authors: Bosse J. L. , Timofeeva M. , Tovee P. D. , Robinson B. J. , Huey B. D. , Kolosov O. V.
Published: October 2014

The thermal properties of amorphous and crystalline phases in chalcogenide phase change materials (PCM) play a key role in device performance for non-volatile random-access memory. Here, we report the nanothermal morphology of amorphous and crystalline phases in laser pulsed GeTe and Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films by scanning thermal microscopy (SThM). By SThM measurements and quantitative finite element analysis simulations of two film thicknesses, the PCM thermal conductivities and thermal boundary conductances between the PCM and SThM probe are independently estimated for the amorphous and crystalline phase of each stoichiometry.
Design and implementation of a multiaxial loading capability during heating on an engineering neutron diffractometer
Authors: Benafan O. , Padula S. A. , Skorpenske H. D. , An K. , Vaidyanathan R.
Published: October 2014

A gripping capability was designed, implemented, and tested for in situ neutron diffraction measurements during multiaxial loading and heating on the VULCAN engineering materials diffractometer at the spallation neutron source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The proposed capability allowed for the acquisition of neutron spectra during tension, compression, torsion, and/or complex loading paths at elevated temperatures. The design consisted of age-hardened, Inconel® 718 grips with direct attachment to the existing MTS load frame having axial and torsional capacities of 100 kN and 400 N·m, respectively. Internal cooling passages were incorporated into the gripping system for fast cooling rates during high temperature experiments up to ∼1000 K. The specimen mounting couplers combined a threaded and hexed end-connection for ease of sample installation/removal without introducing any unwanted loads. Instrumentation of this capability is documented in this work along with various performance parameters. The gripping system was utilized to investigate deformation in NiTi shape memory alloys under various loading/control modes (e.g., isothermal, isobaric, and cyclic), and preliminary results are presented. The measurements facilitated the quantification of the texture, internal strain, and phase fraction evolution in NiTi shape memory alloys under various loading/control modes.
Rate effect in the fracture of rubbers and chemically cross-linked gels
Authors: Tanaka Fumihiko
Published: October 2014

Stationary crack propagation in rubbers and chemically cross-linked gels is studied by a new molecular theory of fracture in polymer networks. The fracture energy G (energy required to create a unit free surface by fracture) as a function of the crack velocity V is shown to obey, when measured in the unit of νlkBT, a master curve as a function of the dimensionless velocity 2tan θV/lβ0(T), where ν is the number density of the network chains, T is absolute temperature, θ is the angle of the crack tip, l is the mean distance between the adjacent cross-links, and β0(T) is the scission rate of the chains. The slope of the master curve in logarithmic scale depends on the nature of chain rupture; it takes a small value 0.16–0.2 in the low velocity region, and exhibits a crossover to the three times larger value 0.5–0.6 in the high velocity region. The ultimate strength G0 as defined by the fracture energy in the limit of zero crack velocity is obtained as a function of the molecular weight of the network chain, the bond energy, and temperature. The theoretical model is applied specifically to peeling and tearing experiments of rubbers and gels to study how the velocity affects the fracture energy in different geometry of network breakage. All results are qualitatively compared with the data reported in the literature.
Efficient on-the-fly ab initio semiclassical method for computing time-resolved nonadiabatic electronic spectra with surface hopping or Ehrenfest dynamics
Authors: Zimmermann Tomáš , Vaníček Jiří
Published: October 2014

We derive a somewhat crude, yet very efficient semiclassical approximation for computing nonadiabatic spectra. The resulting method, which is a generalization of the multiple-surface dephasing representation, includes quantum effects through interference of mixed quantum-classical trajectories and through quantum treatment of the collective electronic degree of freedom. The method requires very little computational effort beyond the fewest-switches surface hopping or Ehrenfest locally mean-field dynamics and is very easy to implement. The proposed approximation is tested by computing the absorption and time-resolved stimulated emission spectra of pyrazine using the four-dimensional three-surface model which allows for comparison with the numerically exact quantum spectra. As expected, the multiple-surface dephasing representation is not suitable for high-resolution linear spectra, yet it seems to capture all the important features of pump-probe spectra. Finally, the method is combined with on-the-fly ab initio evaluation of the electronic structure (i.e., energies, forces, electric-dipole, and nonadiabatic couplings) in order to compute fully dimensional nonadiabatic spectra of pyrazine without approximations inherent to analytical, including vibronic-coupling models. The Appendix provides derivations of perturbative expressions for linear and pump-probe spectra of arbitrary mixed states and for arbitrary laser pulse shapes.
Flow control of a circular cylinder by using an attached flexible filament
Authors: Wu J. , Qiu Y. L. , Shu C. , Zhao N.
Published: October 2014

The flow control of a circular cylinder by using a flexible filament has been numerically investigated in this work. The cylinder is either fixed or elastically mounted, and the filament is attached to the base of the cylinder. Its leading end is fixed and its trailing end is free to flap. To execute the numerical simulation and deal with the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) of the filament as well, an improved immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM) is presented. As compared to the conventional IB-LBM for handling the FSI of a filament, the current method can incorporate the mass effect of the filament and no user-defined spring parameter is needed to calculate the interaction force on the filament. After validating the employed method, the effects of the filament on the flow control of the cylinder are systematically examined by varying the bending coefficient (Kb) and length (L) of the filament. The laminar flow with a Reynolds number of 150 is considered in this study. Based on the numerical results obtained, it is found that the fluctuation of lift force and vortex shedding of a fixed cylinder and the vortex-induced vibration of an elastically mounted cylinder can be suppressed efficiently.
Role of structural factors in formation of chiral magnetic soliton lattice in Cr1/3NbS2
Authors: Volkova L. M. , Marinin D. V.
Published: October 2014

The sign and strength of magnetic interactions not only between nearest neighbors, but also for longer-range neighbors in the Cr1/3NbS2 intercalation compound have been calculated on the basis of structural data. It has been found that left-handed spin helices in Cr1/3NbS2 are formed from strength-dominant at low temperatures antiferromagnetic (AFM) interactions between triangular planes of Cr3+ ions through the plane of just one of two crystallographically equivalent diagonals of side faces of embedded into each other trigonal prisms building up the crystal lattice of magnetic Cr3+ ions. These helices are oriented along the c axis and packed into two-dimensional triangular lattices in planes perpendicular to these helices directions and lay one upon each other with a displacement. The competition of the above AFM helices with weaker inter-helix AFM interactions could promote the emergence of a long-period helical spin structure. One can assume that in this case, the role of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction consists of final ordering and stabilization of chiral spin helices into a chiral magnetic soliton lattice. The possibility of emergence of solitons in M1/3NbX2 and M1/3TaX2 (M = Cr, V, Ti, Rh, Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn; X = S and Se) intercalate compounds has been examined. Two important factors caused by the crystal structure (predominant chiral magnetic helices and their competition with weaker inter-helix interactions not destructing the system quasi-one-dimensional character) can be used for the crystal chemistry search of solitons.
Role of W and Mn for reliable 1X nanometer-node ultra-large-scale integration Cu interconnects proved by atom probe tomography
Authors: Shima K. , Tu Y. , Takamizawa H. , Shimizu H. , Shimizu Y. , Momose T. , Inoue K. , Nagai Y. , Shimogaki Y.
Published: October 2014

We used atom probe tomography (APT) to study the use of a Cu(Mn) as a seed layer of Cu, and a Co(W) single-layer as reliable Cu diffusion barriers for future interconnects in ultra-large-scale integration. The use of Co(W) layer enhances adhesion of Cu to prevent electromigration and stress-induced voiding failures. The use of Cu(Mn) as seed layer may enhance the diffusion barrier performance of Co(W) by stuffing the Cu diffusion pass with Mn. APT was used to visualize the distribution of W and Mn in three dimensions with sub-nanometer resolution. W was found to segregate at the grain boundaries of Co, which prevents diffusion of Cu via the grain boundaries. Mn was found to diffuse from the Cu(Mn) layer to Co(W) layer and selectively segregate at the Co(W) grain boundaries with W, reinforcing the barrier properties of Co(W) layer. Hence, a Co(W) barrier coupled with a Cu(Mn) seed layer can form a sufficient diffusion barrier with film that is less than 2.0-nm-thick. The diffusion barrier behavior was preserved following a 1-h annealing at 400 °C. The underlayer of the Cu interconnects requires a large adhesion strength with the Cu, as well as low electrical resistivity. The use of Co(W) has previously been shown to satisfy these requirements, and addition of Mn is not expected to deteriorate these properties.
The effect of holes in the dispersion relation of propagative surface plasmon modes of nanoperforated semitransparent metallic films
Authors: Kekesi R. , Meneses-Rodríguez D. , García-Pérez F. , González M. U. , García-Martín A. , Cebollada A. , Armelles G.
Published: October 2014

We have analysed the effect that holes have on the properties of propagative surface plasmon modes in semitransparent nanoperforated Au films. The modes have been excited in Kretschmann configuration. Contrary to continuous films, where only one mode is excited, two modes are observed in Au nanohole array. The origin of this different behavior is discussed using effective optical properties for the nanoperforated films. The presence of the holes affects the effective optical constants of the membranes in two ways: it changes the contribution of the free electrons, and it gives rise to a localized transition due to a hole induced plasmon resonance. This localized transition interacts with the propagative surface plasmon modes, originating the two detected modes.
Large magneto-electric effects in hexagonal La0.7Ba0.3MnO3-BaTiO3 solid solutions and magneto-electric coupling mechanism discussion
Authors: Fu Qiuyun , Zhou Ling , Zhou Dongxiang , Miao Ling , Chen Chi , Xue Fei
Published: October 2014

The solid solutions of La0.7Ba0.3MnO3-BaTiO3 were first prepared by a solid state method. The XRD showed that the solid solutions formed when the BaTiO3 transformed from tetragonal to hexagonal phase with sintering temperature increasing. The samples with hexagonal phase exhibited relative large magneto-electric effects. For the sample sintered at 1475 °C, the measured maximum magneto-electric coefficient was 48.6 mV/cmOe, obtained at a frequency of 30 kHz. The first-principles calculations indicated that the magnetic-electric coupling was attributed to the off-centering of Mn ions in coplanar octahedrons in the hexagonal phase. The present results suggest a new candidate for a room temperature multiferroic material with magneto-electric effects.
Life signal detection using an on-chip split-ring based solid state microwave sensor
Authors: Tang H. J. , Kaur S. , Fu L. , Yao B. M. , Li X. , Gong H. M. , Gui Y. S. , Hu C.-M.
Published: October 2014

A technique for measuring the amplitude and frequency of breathing and heartbeat has been developed using an on-chip solid state sensor integrating a semiconductor microwave sensor and a split ring operating at a resonance frequency of 4.2 GHz. This technique allows the lock-in amplifier to make real-time measurements, analogous to measurements taken by a vector network analyser through an antenna, but with the advantage of being portable and having a user friendly DC output. The effectiveness of this approach is shown by performing several experiments to determine the breathing and heartbeat frequency with and without the presence of an obstacle between the test subject and the microwave sensor and transducer. The experimental results demonstrate the high sensitivity and large dynamic range over which the proposed system can be used for practical applications.
Jetted mixtures of particle suspensions and resins
Authors: Hoath S. D. , Hsiao W.-K. , Hutchings I. M. , Tuladhar T. R.
Published: October 2014

Drop-on-demand (DoD) ink-jetting of hard particle suspensions with volume fraction Φ ∼ 0.25 has been surveyed using 1000 ultra-high speed videos as a function of particle size (d90 = 0.8—3.6 μm), with added 2 wt. % acrylic (250 kDa) or 0.5 wt. % cellulose (370 kDa) resin, and also compared with Newtonian analogues. Jet break-off times from 80 μm diameter nozzles were insensitive (120 ± 10 μs) to particle size, and resin jet break-off times were not significantly altered by >30 wt. % added particles. Different particle size grades can be jetted equally well in practice, while resin content effectively controls DoD break-off times.
Analysis of a transmission mode scanning microwave microscope for subsurface imaging at the nanoscale
Authors: Oladipo A. O. , Lucibello A. , Kasper M. , Lavdas S. , Sardi G. M. , Proietti E. , Kienberger F. , Marcelli R. , Panoiu N. C.
Published: October 2014

We present a comprehensive analysis of the imaging characteristics of a scanning microwave microscopy (SMM) system operated in the transmission mode. In particular, we use rigorous three-dimensional finite-element simulations to investigate the effect of varying the permittivity and depth of sub-surface constituents of samples, on the scattering parameters of probes made of a metallic nano-tip attached to a cantilever. Our results prove that one can achieve enhanced imaging sensitivity in the transmission mode SMM (TM-SMM) configuration, from twofold to as much as 5× increase, as compared to that attainable in the widely used reflection mode SMM operation. In addition, we demonstrate that the phase of the S21-parameter is much more sensitive to changes of the system parameters as compared to its magnitude, the scattering parameters being affected the most by variations in the conductivity of the substrate. Our analysis is validated by a good qualitative agreement between our modeling results and experimental data. These results suggest that TM-SMM systems can be used as highly efficient imaging tools with new functionalities, findings which could have important implications to the development of improved experimental imaging techniques.
Determination of heterojunction band offsets between CdS bulk and PbS quantum dots using photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Bhandari Khagendra P. , Choi Hyekyoung , Jeong Sohee , Mahabaduge Hasitha , Ellingson Randy J.
Published: October 2014

Photoelectron spectroscopy was used to measure the energy discontinuity in the valence band (ΔEV) of a CdS/PbS quantum dot (QD) heterojunction for which the PbS QD layer was deposited using solution based layer-by-layer dip coating method on top of RF magnetron sputtered CdS. A value of ΔEV = 1.73 eV was obtained using the Cd 3d and Pb 4f energy levels as references. Given the band gap energies of the CdS and PbS-QD layers, the conduction band offset ΔEC was determined to be 0.71 eV.
Thermoelectric transport properties of Bi–Te based thin films on strained polyimide substrates
Authors: Chen Pei-Ju , Liao Chien-Neng
Published: October 2014

Effect of stress on lattice defect concentration and thermoelectric properties of Bi–Te based thin films is investigated. Both Bi–Sb–Te and Bi–Se–Te films were individually sputtered on a stretched polyimide (PI) substrate and annealed at elevated temperature. With the PI strain varying from 0% to 10%, the carrier concentration increases triple times for the Bi–Sb–Te films and decreases by 35% for the Bi–Se–Te films. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity are also found to vary monotonically with PI strain. A stress-mediated Te vacancy formation mechanism is proposed to explain the changes of thermoelectric properties of Bi–Te films on strained PI substrates.
MoS2 nanoribbons as promising thermoelectric materials
Authors: Fan D. D. , Liu H. J. , Cheng L. , Jiang P. H. , Shi J. , Tang X. F.
Published: October 2014

The thermoelectric properties of MoS2 armchair nanoribbons with different width are studied by using first-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory, where the relaxation time is predicted from deformation potential theory. Due to the dangling bonds at the armchair edge, there is obvious structure reconstruction of the nanoribbons which plays an important role in governing the electronic and transport properties. The investigated armchair nanoribbons are found to be semiconducting with indirect gaps, which exhibit interesting width-dependent oscillation behavior. The smaller gap of nanoribbon with width N = 4 (Here, N represents the number of dimer lines or zigzag chains across the ribbon width) leads to a much larger electrical conductivity at 300 K, which outweighs the relatively larger electronic thermal conductivity when compared with those of N = 5, 6. As a result, the ZT values can be optimized to 3.4 (p-type) and 2.5 (n-type) at room temperature, which significantly exceed the performance of most laboratory results reported in the literature.