bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alternatives to key factor analyses for assessing the population dynamics of Hypera postica (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Authors: Zahiri Babak , Fathipour Yaghoub , Khanjani Mohammad , Moharramipour Saeid , Zalucki Myron Philip
Published: September 2013

Key factors are those causes that are most responsible for the observed changes in population density between generations. Stage‐frequency of alfalfa weevil was modeled using Manly‐1997 model. Multiple decrement life table parameters from an 8 year‐field study were analyzed using traditional and λ contribution methods. In traditional method, the key factor was determined as kLII, the death of period‐two larvae from all mortality factors, whereas in λ contribution method, the key factor was determined as b2&3, oviposition rate of females per square meter. These differences result directly from the sensitivity of the population growth rate, λ, to variation of both k and b in various stages of the weevil. Among all mortality factors, only kLI‐Z, the death of period‐one larvae from the entomopathogenic fungus, Zoophthora phytonomi (Arthur) Batko (Zygomycetes: Entomophthoraceae), kLII and kLII‐Z, the death of period‐two larvae from Z. phytonomi, acted in a density dependent fashion. Remaining factors were independent of population densities affected. Using λ contribution method, life table approach still remains a major way of studying the dynamics of field populations for applied ecologists and population managers.
Positionen zivilgesellschaftlicher Akteure und von Parteien zu Wettbewerb im Gesundheitswesen
Authors: Brünger Martin , Grube Maike , Buttmann Nina
Published: September 2013

Einleitung

Eine zentrale Rolle in der gesundheitspolitischen Auseinandersetzung spielen Ausmaß und Ausgestaltung des Wettbewerbs im Gesundheitssystem. Schwerpunkt dieses Artikels ist die Darstellung der unterschiedlichen Standpunkte von Parteien und zivilgesellschaftlichen Akteuren zum Systemwettbewerb zwischen Gesetzlicher (GKV) und Privater Krankenversicherung (PKV) im dualen Krankenversicherungssystem.
Gesundheitsökonomisches Zentrum Berlin (Berlin HECOR)
Authors: Busse Reinhard , Siegel Martin , Sundmacher Leonie , die Mitglieder des Gesundheitsökonomischen Zentrums Berlin (
Published: September 2013

Einleitung

Seit Juli 2012 befasst sich das Gesundheitsökonomische Zentrum Berlin (BerlinHECOR) mit der Entwicklung, Organisation und Implementierung einer umfassenden Leistungsmessung und -rechnung anhand der Kriterien Bevölkerungsgesundheit, Ungleichheiten in Gesundheit und Versorgung, Effizienz der Versorgung und Responsiveness für das deutsche Gesundheitssystem. Das Ziel ist, eine transparente Leistungserfassung des deutschen Gesundheitssystems als Basis evidenzbasierter Gesundheitspolitik anzubieten.
Transforming ‘The Red Beast’ Within Through Mindfulness and Therapeutic Storytelling: A Case Study
Authors: Burrows Leigh
Published: September 2013

The case is presented of a professional learning project through which a school counsellor was assisted in her work with a child who she admitted ‘rattled her cage’ due to his complex needs and behaviours and the effect these had on her and the other children in her social skills group. As a result of a combination of mindfulness and therapeutic storytelling the child was able to gain an insight into his behaviour, which helped him feel a new sense of calm, safety and belonging. While the story of ‘The Red Beast’ provided the therapeutic content, the counsellor's transmission of mindfulness into the story telling space allowed it to be absorbed as wisdom to be drawn upon later by him and the other children in the group. This case demonstrates that school counsellors can benefit from professional development in mindfulness practice that supports them to become more attuned to the needs of vulnerable children through becoming more aware of their own emotional energies. It also shows that a therapeutic story's effectiveness can be enhanced if the teller is mindful of the right moment, manner and context in which to tell it.
Did that Professional Education about Mental Health Promotion Make Any Difference? Early Childhood Educators’ Reflections upon Changes in Their Knowledge and Practices
Authors: Askell-Williams Helen , Murray-Harvey Rosalind
Published: September 2013

Educators are at the heart of educational reforms, such as the introduction of mental health promotion initiatives into early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Good quality implementation of reforms requires educators to engage in high quality professional learning: If educators have not had opportunities to gain appropriate knowledge and expertise, new initiatives may be poorly implemented and may consequently achieve limited outcomes. This article reports ECEC educators’ perspectives about the impact on their knowledge and practices of the professional education component of the KidsMatter mental health promotion initiative. Educators from 111 ECEC services across Australia contributed a range of types of data, including questionnaires about their knowledge and self-efficacy, feedback about each professional education session, and photo stories about their changed professional practices. Participants indicated that their professional learning led to changed practices in areas such as interpreting children's behaviours, interacting with children, approaching parents, and collaborating with colleagues. Participants’ photo stories illustrate how professional education that focuses on content, active learning, coherence, and collaboration can positively influence knowledge and practices. However, if such gains are to last beyond relatively highly resourced start-up phases of initiatives, professional education needs to integrate with, and draw from, the ongoing availability of other professionals such as guidance and counselling staff, who have complementary knowledge and expertise; be recognised and embedded as a core component of ECEC educators’ roles and their workplace practices; and be culturally and contextually situated. Staff accounts of the impact of their professional learning on their practices can highlight to policy-makers the practical outcomes of strong investments in professional education. Awareness by other professions of the affordances and constraints faced by ECEC educators may contribute to interdisciplinary synergies among the range of professions involved in mental health promotion in educational settings.
Mesolithic and Neolithic Human Remains from Foxhole Cave, Gower, South Wales
Authors: Schulting Rick , Fibiger Linda , Macphail Richard , McLaughlin Rowan , Murray Emily , Price Catherine , Walker Elizabeth A
Published: September 2013

This paper presents an overview of the results of two brief excavation seasons (2008 and 2010) at Foxhole Cave, Gower, south Wales, placing them into the wider context of mid-Holocene Britain. No prehistoric pottery was found and the few pieces of worked flint recovered are diagnostic of the Mesolithic period. Typically for the Carboniferous limestone caves of Gower, bone was well preserved, however, and though much of the material in the heavily disturbed upper metre or so of the deposits was modern sheep and rabbit, scattered fragments representing the remains of at least six humans were also recovered, of which two have been directly radiocarbon-dated using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS 14C) to the Late Mesolithic and two to the earlier Neolithic (the remaining two providing Romano-British and medieval dates). Their associated stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values indicate a significant difference in diet between the two periods (contrary to the results from an earlier excavation in 1997), with marine foods contributing around half of the protein for the Mesolithic individuals and little or none for the Neolithic individuals. The new results are consistent with those from Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire, some 30km to the west. The floor of the cave has still not been reached at around 2m depth; limited investigation of the lowermost levels has yielded a Pleistocene fauna (including reindeer, aurochs or bison and collared lemming) with dates back to approx 33,500 cal bc, though with no definite evidence for human activity so far. A small, dark-stained fragment of human cranium was recovered from what may be pre-Holocene levels, but this failed to produce sufficient collagen for dating. In addition to a marked dietary shift, the combined stable isotope and dating programme provides further support for an equally striking temporal gap of some two millennia between the Mesolithic and Neolithic use of caves for burial.
Life before the Minster: the Social Dynamics of Monastic Foundation at Anglo-Saxon Lyminge, Kent
Authors: Thomas Gabor
Published: September 2013

Anglo-Saxon monastic archaeology has been constrained by the limited scale of past investigations and their overriding emphasis on core buildings. This paper draws upon the results of an ongoing campaign of archaeological research that is redressing the balance through an ambitious programme of open-area excavation at Lyminge, Kent, the site of a royal double monastery founded in the seventh centuryad. The results of five completed fieldwork seasons are assessed and contextualised in a narrative sequence emphasising the dynamic character of Lyminge as an Anglo-Saxon monastic settlement. In so doing, the study brings into sharp focus how early medieval monasteries were emplaced in the landscape, with specific reference to Anglo-Saxon Kent, a regional context offering key insights into how the process of monastic foundation redefined antecedent central places of long-standing politico-religious significance and social action.
Delivering Bodies unto Waters: A Late Bronze Age Mid-Stream Midden Settlement and Iron Age Ritual Complex in the Fens
Authors: Evans Christopher
Published: September 2013

This paper describes a Late Bronze Age midden settlement and a later Iron Age ritual complex on Godwin Ridge, a sand ridge that formerly lay mid-stream within the lower reaches of the River Great Ouse, in the Cambridgeshire fens. Numerous ritual deposits and significant quantities of human remains were recovered; some of the latter show signs of having been modified or dismembered. The ritual focus of the ridge was a riverside platform; associated with this was an important assemblage of wetland bird bone. The paper explores the implications of these practices and compares the finds to those from neighbouring and regional later prehistoric settlements, including those with major bird bone assemblages. The ridge-end's findings clearly resonate with human remains retrieved from other watery contexts, such as those associated with the River Thames. The evidence suggests that Godwin Ridge was, during the later Iron Age, a major site for mortuary rites involving riverine interment.
The use of pasture trees by birds in a tropical montane landscape in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Authors: Sheldon Kimberly S. , Nadkarni Nalini M.
Published: September 2013

Conversion of forests to agricultural land may require many bird species to use resources in fragmented landscapes in order to persist. Pasture trees can make agricultural landscapes more hospitable for birds, but we do not know what factors promote bird visitation to pasture trees. Bird use of 26 focal trees of a common pasture species, Sapium glandulosum (Euphorbiaceae), was examined in three pastures in a montane landscape in Costa Rica to understand factors influencing bird visitation. Bird visits were analysed in relation to pasture tree size, distance from forest edge, degree of isolation and epiphyte load. Foraging resources (epiphyte or tree substrate) were also measured. From May–July 2012, 52 bird species from 20 families were recorded from 926 unique visits. Bird visitation was best explained by tree size, degree of isolation and epiphyte load such that larger, more isolated trees with higher epiphyte loads attracted more birds. Birds preferred food resources from focal trees (51% of visits) rather than their epiphytes (5% of visits). The results corroborate previous findings that mature pasture trees, even when isolated, may contribute more to species persistence than smaller trees.
Risk of adverse pregnancy outcome in women exposed to livestock: a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort
Authors: NIELSEN S. Y. , HENRIKSEN T. B. , HJØLLUND N. H. , MØLBAK K. , ANDERSEN A. M. N.
Published: September 2013

Maternal infection in pregnancy is a known risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcome, and a number of zoonotic pathogens may constitute a risk to pregnant women and their fetuses. With animal contact as a proxy for the risk of zoonotic infection, this study aimed to evaluate pregnancy outcome in women with self-reported occupational or domestic contact with livestock compared to pregnant women without such contact. The Danish National Birth Cohort collected information on pregnancy outcome from 100 418 pregnant women (1996–2002) from which three study populations with occupational and/or domestic exposure to livestock and a reference group of women with no animal contact was sampled. Outcome measures were miscarriage, very preterm birth (before gestational week 32), preterm birth (before 37 gestational weeks), small for gestational age (SGA), and perinatal death. Adverse reproductive outcomes were assessed in four different exposure groups of women with occupational or domestic exposure to livestock with no association found between exposure to livestock and miscarriage, preterm birth, SGA or perinatal death. These findings should diminish general occupational health concerns for pregnant women with exposures to a range of different farm animals.
Pharmacogenetics of mood disorders: what clinicians need to know
Authors: Laje Gonzalo
Published: September 2013

Pharmacogenetics brought the promise of matching individuals with treatments that would be efficacious while minimizing adverse events. This has been long needed in psychiatry, where treatment options have been empirical and treatment choices have been made largely based on clinical judgment. The efficacy and tolerability of antidepressants, the most common drugs used in mood disorders, have been widely studied in pharmacogenetics. Genetic association studies have been reported for pharmacokinetic genes such as the CYP450 isoenzymes or MDR1, and pharmacodynamic genes such as the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) or the serotonin 2A receptor (HTR2A). However, despite the large number of reports, clinically useful predictors are still scarce for antidepressant monotherapy. Pharmacogenetic predictors of efficacy for mood stabilizers such as lithium and anticonvulsants have not had a dissimilar fate, and clinically meaningful markers are yet to emerge. The lack of consistent results may be in part due to small samples of heterogeneous populations and lack of consensus on phenotype definitions. Current pharmacogenetic recommendations include testing for HLA-B*1502 when using carbamazepine in Asian ancestry populations to prevent Stevens–Johnson syndrome, CYP2D6 genotypes when using pimozide, and CYP2D6 in polypharmacy to minimize drug interactions. This review, which is aimed at clinicians, lays the basis for understanding strengths and weaknesses of pharmacogenetic studies and outlines current clinical uses of these biomarkers.
Mechanism of action of dextromethorphan/quinidine: comparison with ketamine
Authors: Stahl Stephen M.
Published: September 2013

ISSUE:Reports of rapid-onset but short-duration antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant mood disorders after intravenous administration of ketamine have prompted efforts to find an agent with ketamine's properties that can be administered orally in repeated doses in order to sustain that action. One candidate for this is dextromethorphan, and here the pharmacologic mechanism of action is compared and contrasted with that of ketamine.
From Riches to Rags: how new clothes for the dead become old robes for monks
Authors: LANGER RITA
Published: September 2013

The process whereby existing rituals are taken up and re-envisaged is a well known phenomenon in ritual studies. The offering of a piece of white of cloth to the officiating monks during the Theravāda Buddhist funeral ceremony provides a particularly good example. This custom originates in pre-Buddhist funerary rituals, which included the symbolic covering of the dead body with a new, uncut piece of white cloth intended as a new garment for the deceased, but which was afterwards donated to the officiating priests. The present article examines how in the Buddhist funeral the donation of the cloth came to be associated with the monks’ ascetic practice of making their robes from discarded rags (paṃsukūla). A comparison of the lists of “rags” in the Theravāda and Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinayas and in theVisuddhimaggaandVimuttimagga, alongside a historical exploration of the attitude of the Buddhist laity towards monks who adopted ascetic practices, sheds new light on the significance of thepaṃsukūlaoffering. Further, the manner in which an old pre-existing ritual is accommodated within a different conceptual framework provides a clear instance of the primacy of ritual continuity over ritual meaning.
Overweight and obesity in young Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese migrants of the second generation in the Netherlands
Authors: Dijkshoorn Henriëtte , Nicolaou Mary , Ujcic-Voortman Joanne K , Schouten Gea M , Bouwman-Notenboom Arianne J , Berns Mary PH , Verhoeff Arnoud P
Published: September 2013

Objective

To examine differences in overweight and obesity of second-generation Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese migrants v. first-generation migrants and the ethnic Dutch. We also studied the influence of sociodemographic factors on this association.

Design

Data were collected in 2008 in a cross-sectional postal and online health survey.

Setting

Four major Dutch cities.

Subjects

In the survey 42 686 residents aged 16 years and over participated. Data from Dutch (n 3615) and second/first-generation Surinamese (n 230/139), Turkish (n 203/241) and Moroccan (n 172/187) participants aged 16–34 years were analysed using logistic regression with overweight (BMI ≥ 25·0 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30·0 kg/m2) as dependent variables. BMI was calculated from self-reported body height and weight. Sociodemographic variables included sex, age, marital status, educational level, employment status and financial situation.

Results

After controlling for age, overweight (including obesity) was more prevalent in most second-generation migrant subgroups compared with the Dutch population, except for Moroccan men. Obesity rates among second-generation migrant men were similar to those among the Dutch. Second-generation migrant women were more often obese than Dutch women. Ethnic differences were partly explained by the lower educational level of second-generation migrants. Differences in overweight between second- and first-generation migrants were only found among Moroccan and Surinamese men.

Conclusions

We did not find a converging trend for the overweight and obesity prevalence from second-generation migrants towards the Dutch host population. Therefore, preventive interventions should also focus on second-generation migrants to stop the obesity epidemic.
From a conceptual framework to an operational approach for managing grassland functional diversity to obtain targeted ecosystem services: Case studies from French mountains
Authors: Duru M. , Jouany C. , Le Roux X. , Navas M.L. , Cruz P.
Published: September 2013

Research to understand and manage ecosystems to supply services has recently spurred a functional view of their biodiversity. In particular, approaches based on functional traits rather than species diversity are increasingly used to reflect interactions between organisms and their environment. These approaches bring a functional perspective to the study of community structure responses to disturbances and resources, and of their effects on ecosystem functioning and services. From an academic perspective, we propose a conceptual framework based on species functional traits to better infer how grassland management practices (fertilization, defoliation regime) along with abiotic factors influence plant, animal and microbial community composition and a range of services in grassland ecosystems. The core of the framework relies on combinations of plant functional traits and associated microbial features that specifically respond to environmental and management factors and influence ecosystem services. To overcome stakeholders’ difficulty in applying the concept of functional traits, we propose an operational approach implying the mapping of plant communities distributed into five plant functional types (PFTs). The approach was used for fields in grassland-based livestock farms from two French grassland networks. We evaluated its ability to predict a range of services including forage provision and non-market services according to environmental and management drivers. PFT-based plant community composition predicted forage services reasonably well but responded weakly to environmental gradients. To cope with the observed limitations of current predictive approaches, we suggest including soil microbial functional types and adaptive management rather than using a prescriptive scheme.
Impact of corn residue on yield of cool-season crops
Authors: Anderson Randy L.
Published: September 2013

Synergy between dry pea and corn can reduce the density of corn needed for optimum yield. Lower crop density may accrue an additional benefit, as after-harvest residues of corn lying on the soil surface can reduce yield of crops planted the next year. This study evaluated impact of corn residue levels on growth and yield of three cool-season crops in no-till. Corn was grown at two densities, 52,000 and 73,000 plants ha−1, leading to after-harvest residue levels designated as low and high residue. Residue quantity on the soil surface differed by 21%. Controls were included for each residue level by burying residue with tillage. Spring wheat, dry pea and red clover were planted the following year. Grain yield of spring wheat and dry pea and forage yield of red clover were reduced 13–33% by residue on the soil surface. However, yield of cool-season crops were 10–18% higher in the low-residue treatment compared with high residue. Furthermore, yield loss because of weed interference in spring wheat and red clover was greater with high residue. Of the three crops, spring wheat was the least affected by corn residue on the soil surface. One contributing factor to lower yield with high residue was reduced crop seedling establishment. Producers may be able to reduce the negative impact of corn residue on following crops in no-till systems by using synergistic crop sequences in the rotation.
Genetic Variation in Cytokine-Related Genes and Migraine Susceptibility
Authors: Stuart Shani , Maher Bridget H. , Sutherland Heidi , Benton Miles , Rodriguez Astrid , Lea Rod A. , Haupt Larisa M. , Griffiths Lyn R.
Published: September 2013

Migraine is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as being one of the top 20 most debilitating diseases. According to the neurovascular hypothesis, neuroinflammation may promote the activation and sensitisation of meningeal nociceptors, inducing the persistent throbbing headache characterized in migraine. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene cluster, made up of TNFα, lymphotoxin α (LTA), and lymphotoxin β (LTB), has been implicated to influence the intensity and duration of local inflammation. It is thought that sterile inflammation mediated by LTA, LTB, and TNFα contributes to threshold brain excitability, propagation of neuronal hyperexcitability and thus initiation and maintenance of a migraine attack. Previous studies have investigated variants within the TNF gene cluster region in relation to migraine susceptibility, with largely conflicting results. The aim of this study was to expand on previous research and utilize a large case-control cohort and range of variants within the TNF gene cluster to investigate the role of the TNF gene cluster in migraine. Nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected for investigation as follows: rs1800683, rs2229094, rs2009658, rs2071590, rs2239704, rs909253, rs1800630, rs1800629, and rs3093664. No significant association with migraine susceptibility was found for any of the SNPs tested, with further testing according to migraine subtype and gender also showing no association for disease risk. Haplotype analysis showed that none of the tested haplotypes were significantly associated with migraine.
Entwicklung von Situational Judgment Tests
Authors: Muck Peter M.
Published: September 2013

Situational Judgment Tests (SJT) werden als psychologische Testverfahren zu Personalauswahlzwecken seit Anfang der 90er-Jahre vermehrt erforscht. Als Simulationsverfahren mit konstruktorientierter Erfassungsmethode zeichnen sie sich durch psychometrische Fundiertheit und kriteriumsorientierte Validität aus. Allerdings gleicht kaum ein SJT einem anderen. Dies liegt zum einen daran, dass sie üblicherweise im Hinblick auf spezifische Anforderungen entwickelt werden und somit aus Inhalten bestehen, die auf die jeweilige Situation bezogen sind. Ein weiterer Grund hierfür ist, dass in jedem SJT-Konstruktionsschritt (Generierung von Itemstamm und zugehörigen Antwortmöglichkeiten, Bestimmung der Effektivität der Antwortmöglichkeiten, Festlegung von Antwortformat und Scoring) unterschiedliche Vorgehensweisen existieren. In diesem Beitrag wird deshalb die Vielfalt der Möglichkeiten bei der Entwicklung von SJT dargestellt und eingeordnet. Dabei wird auf konzeptionelle Überlegungen und wenn möglich auf empirische Befunde zurückgegriffen, die bei der Entwicklung von SJT Berücksichtigung finden sollten.
“Role of the B-cell receptor and the microenvironment in chronic lymphocytic leukemia’’
Authors: Oppezzo P , Dighiero G
Published: September 2013

Despite significant progress in treatment, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains an incurable disease. Advances have been made to understand the molecular pathogenesis underlying CLL progression and treatment resistance. We here review the available evidences concerning the role of the B-cell receptor (BCR) and the tumor microenvironment interactions in CLL pathogenesis. Antigen likely has a key role in the selection of the tumoral clone, the mutational status of immunoglobulin genes is a strong prognostic predictor and BCR signaling has been postulated to have a role for CLL trafficking and interaction with the stromal microenvironment. There is also important evidence, favoring a role for the microenvironment in CLL pathogenesis. Most, if not all, proliferative events occur in the lymph nodes and bone marrow, where leukemic cells receive through microenvironment interactions survival signals aiming to avoid apoptosis and acquire favorable tumoral growing conditions. In addition, the tumoral microenvironment appears to be the site where the acquisition of additional genetic lesions in the clone occur, which should greatly influence clinical outcome. The advent of new tyrosine kinase inhibitors which seem to be able to modulate microenvironment interactions and circumvent the p53 deletion have generated significant promise by raising the possibility that they could provide significant progress in disease treatment.
UPLC-MS/MS determination and pharmacokinetic study of 26-OH-panaxadiol in rat plasma
Authors: Lin Meiyu , Gao Hongmei , Liu Jinping , Han Liu , Zhang Qinghe , Li Pingya
Published: September 2013

A sensitive and rapid analytical method based on UPLC-MS/MS was developed and fully validated for the determination of 26-OH-panaxadiol in rat plasma. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats after a single intragastric administration of 15 mg kg−1 26-OH-panaxadiol for the first time.
Low-temperature magnetic characterization of optimum and etch-damaged in-plane magnetic tunnel junctions
Authors: Kan Jimmy J. , Lee Kangho , Gottwald Matthias , Kang Seung H. , Fullerton Eric E.
Published: September 2013

We describe low-temperature characterization of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) patterned by reactive ion etching for spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory. Magnetotransport measurements of typical MTJs show increasing tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and larger coercive fields as temperature is decreased down to 10 K. However, MTJs selected from the high-resistance population of an MTJ array exhibit stable intermediate magnetic states when measured at low temperature and show TMR roll-off below 100 K. These non-ideal low-temperature behaviors arise from edge damage during the etch process and can have negative impacts on thermal stability of the MTJs.
Correlation of ion dynamics with characteristic length scales and network structural units in bismuth borate glasses
Authors: Shaw A. , Ghosh A.
Published: September 2013

Ion dynamics in lithium bismuth borate conducting glasses have been reported in wide composition and temperature ranges. The activation energy for the dc conduction has been analysed using Anderson-Stuart model and a correlation between the dc conductivity and the doorway radius has been predicted. The characteristic length scales for ion dynamics, such as mean square displacement and spatial extent of sub-diffusive motion of lithium ions have been determined from the ac conductivity and dielectric spectra, respectively. A direct connection between the ion dynamics and the characteristic length scales and the network structural units have been established.
High-frequency acoustic modes in an ionic liquid
Authors: Ribeiro Mauro C. C.
Published: September 2013

High-frequency collective dynamics of the ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, [C6C1im]Br, has been investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Time correlation functions of mass current fluctuations were calculated for several wavevectors and the dispersion curves of excitations, ω(k), for longitudinal and transverse acoustic sound modes were obtained at different temperatures and pressures. Two different thermodynamic states have the same high-frequency sound velocity irrespective of the temperature provided that both have the same density. Partial time correlation functions of mass currents were calculated for the atoms belonging to the polar or the non-polar domains resulting from the heterogeneous structure of [C6C1im]Br. The partial correlation functions indicate that the polar domains are stiffer than the non-polar domains of the simulated ionic liquid.
The renormalization group according to Balaban. II. Large fields
Authors: Dimock J.
Published: September 2013

This is an expository account of Balaban's approach to the renormalization group. The method is illustrated with a treatment of the ultraviolet problem for the scalar ϕ4 model on a toroidal lattice in dimension d = 3. In this paper we control the large field contribution to the partition function.
Space group symmetry applied to SCF calculations with periodic boundary conditions and Gaussian orbitals
Authors: Rusakov Alexander A. , Frisch Michael J. , Scuseria Gustavo E.
Published: September 2013

Space group symmetry is exploited and implemented in density functional calculations of extended systems with periodic boundary conditions. Our scheme for reducing the number of two-electron integrals employs the entire set of operations of the space group, including glide plains and screw axes. Speedups observed for the Fock matrix formation in simple 3D systems range from 2X to 9X for the near field Coulomb part and from 3X to 8X for the Hartree–Fock-type exchange, the slowest steps of the procedure, thus leading to a substantial reduction of the computational time. The relatively small speedup factors in special cases are attributed to the highly symmetric positions atoms occupy in crystals, including the ones tested here, as well as to the choice of the smallest possible unit cells. For quasi-1D systems with most atoms staying invariant only under identity, the speedup factors often exceed one order of magnitude reaching almost 70X (near-field Coulomb) and 57X (HFx) for the largest tested (16,7) single-walled nanotube with 278 symmetry operations.
Freezing point and solid-liquid interfacial free energy of Stockmayer dipolar fluids: A molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Wang Jun , Apte Pankaj A. , Morris James R. , Zeng Xiao Cheng
Published: September 2013

Stockmayer fluids are a prototype model system for dipolar fluids. We have computed the freezing temperatures of Stockmayer fluids at zero pressure using three different molecular-dynamics simulation methods, namely, the superheating-undercooling method, the constant-pressure and constant-temperature two-phase coexistence method, and the constant-pressure and constant-enthalpy two-phase coexistence method. The best estimate of the freezing temperature (in reduced unit) for the Stockmayer (SM) fluid with the dimensionless dipole moment $\mu ^* = 1,\;\sqrt 2,\;\sqrt 3$μ*=1,2,3 is 0.656 ± 0.001, 0.726 ± 0.002, and 0.835 ± 0.005, respectively. The freezing temperature increases with the dipolar strength. Moreover, for the first time, the solid-liquid interfacial free energies γ of the fcc (111), (110), and (100) interfaces are computed using two independent methods, namely, the cleaving-wall method and the interfacial fluctuation method. Both methods predict that the interfacial free energy increases with the dipole moment. Although the interfacial fluctuation method suggests a weaker interfacial anisotropy, particularly for strongly dipolar SM fluids, both methods predicted the same trend of interfacial anisotropy, i.e., γ100 > γ110 > γ111.
On the influence of hydrated imidazolium-based ionic liquid on protein structure stability: A molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Shao Qiang
Published: September 2013

The structure stability of three α-helix bundle (the B domain of protein A) in an imidazolium-based ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIM-Cl)) is studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Consistent with previous experiments, the present simulation results show that the native structure of the protein is consistently stabilized in BMIM-Cl solutions with different concentrations. It is observed that BMIM+ cations have a strong tendency to accumulate on protein surface whereas Cl− anions are expelled from protein. BMIM+ cations cannot only have electrostatic interactions with the carbonyl groups on backbone and the carboxylate groups on negatively charged side chains, but also have hydrophobic interactions with the side chains of non-polar residues. In the meanwhile, the accumulation of large-size BMIM+ cations on protein surface could remove the surrounding water molecules, reduce the hydrogen bonding from water to protein, and thus stabilize the backbone hydrogen bonds. In summary, the present study could improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism of the impact of water-miscible ionic liquid on protein structure.
Synergistic behavior of glycine betaine-urea mixture: A molecular dynamics study
Authors: Kumar Narendra , Kishore Nand
Published: September 2013

Glycine betaine (GB) is one of the most important osmolyte which is known to stabilize proteins as well as counteract the denaturing effect of urea. There have been many studies indicating protein stabilization and counteraction of the effect of urea by GB. However, the exact mechanism of counteraction is still debated and is of important research interest. In this study, distribution functions, hydrogen bonds, and energetics were analysed to understand different interactions between GB and urea, and their solvation properties in presence of each other. The results show that in the GB-urea mixture, GB acted as a stronger osmolyte and urea became a weaker denaturing agent than its individual counterparts. The increase in the solvation of urea and GB in GB-urea mixture and their mutual interactions through hydrogen bonding and coulombic energy resulted in more involvement of GB and urea with solvent as well as with themselves. This might result in the increase of the exclusion of GB from protein surface and decrease in the protein–urea interactions in the mixture. This synergistic behavior might be the prime reason for the counteraction of denaturing effect of urea by GB.
Fabry-Pérot interferometry for long range displacement sensing
Authors: Thurner Klaus , Braun Pierre-François , Karrai Khaled
Published: September 2013

We investigate different optical configurations of a low-finesse Fabry-Pérot interferometer used for displacement sensing. The different configurations of the Fabry-Pérot cavity are selected in order to achieve large measurement ranges and angular alignment tolerances and to make the interferometer applicable for targets of various reflectivity ranges. The possible working ranges and angular alignment tolerances are characterized with respect to the interference contrast which is a measure for the signal quality. The use of a confocal arrangement enables a measurement range of up to about 0.4 m, or to work with an angular tolerance of more than \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\rm \pm 0.2^{\circ }$\end{document}±0.2∘. In order to predict the optical response of arbitrary configurations of the Fabry-Pérot interferometer, we introduce a simulation method based on the Airy formula and the fiber optic coupling efficiency.
Fabrication of highly L1-ordered FePt thin films by low-temperature rapid thermal annealing
Authors: Mizuguchi M. , Sakurada T. , Tashiro T. Y. , Sato K. , Konno T. J. , Takanashi K.
Published: September 2013

Highly L10-ordered FePt thin films with a strong (001) texture were successfully fabricated on amorphous substrates simply by co-sputtering and rapid thermal annealing at a low temperature of 400 °C. The morphology of FePt thin films depended strongly on the heating rate, changing from a continuous structure with an atomically flat surface to an island-like structure. The change of the morphology resulted in a drastic increase of coercivity, indicating that the magnetization process could be controlled by the heating condition. This fabrication method of ordered FePt thin films is favorable in view of the compatibility for a practical device fabrication process.
When is a quantum cellular automaton (QCA) a quantum lattice gas automaton (QLGA)?
Authors: Shakeel Asif , Love Peter J.
Published: September 2013

Quantum cellular automata (QCA) are models of quantum computation of particular interest from the point of view of quantum simulation. Quantum lattice gas automata (QLGA - equivalently partitioned quantum cellular automata) represent an interesting subclass of QCA. QLGA have been more deeply analyzed than QCA, whereas general QCA are likely to capture a wider range of quantum behavior. Discriminating between QLGA and QCA is therefore an important question. In spite of much prior work, classifying which QCA are QLGA has remained an open problem. In the present paper we establish necessary and sufficient conditions for unbounded, finite QCA (finitely many active cells in a quiescent background) to be QLGA. We define a local condition that classifies those QCA that are QLGA, and we show that there are QCA that are not QLGA. We use a number of tools from functional analysis of separable Hilbert spaces and representation theory of associative algebras that enable us to treat QCA on finite but unbounded configurations in full detail.
Bi-stable energy harvesting based on a simply supported piezoelectric buckled beam
Authors: Xu Chundong , Liang Zhu , Ren Bo , Di Wenning , Luo Haosu , Wang Dong , Wang Kailing , Chen Zhifang
Published: September 2013

Bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester has been found as a promising structure for vibration energy harvesting. This paper presents a high performance and simple structure bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester based on simply supported piezoelectric buckled beam. The potential energy function is established theoretically, and electrical properties of the device under different axial compressive displacements, excitation frequencies, and accelerations are investigated systematically. Experimental results demonstrate that the output properties and bandwidth of the bi-stable nonlinear energy harvester under harmonic mechanical excitation are improved dramatically compared with the traditional linear energy harvester. The device demonstrates the potential in energy harvesting application to low-power portable electronics and wireless sensor nodes.
Persistent photoconductivity in oxygen deficient YBa2Cu3O7−δ/La2/3Ca1/3MnO3−x superlattices grown by pulsed laser deposition
Authors: Kawashima Kazuhiro , Soltan Soltan , Logvenov Gennady , Habermeier Hanns-Ulrich
Published: September 2013

We report a large persistent photoconductivity (PPC) in oxygen-reduced YBa2Cu3O7−δ/La2/3Ca1/3MnO3−x (YBCO/LCMO) superlattices (SLs) grown by pulsed laser deposition that scales with oxygen deficiency and is similar to that observed in single layer YBa2Cu3O7−δ films. These results contradict the previous observations, where in sputtered bilayer samples only a transient photoconductivity was found. We argue that the PPC effect in superlattices is caused by the PPC effect due to YBa2Cu3O7−δ layers with limited charge transfer to La2/3Ca1/3MnO3−x. The discrepancy arises from the different permeability of charges across the interface and sheds light on the sensitivity of oxide interface properties to details of their preparation.
Tunnel conductance spectroscopy via harmonic generation in a hybrid capacitor device
Authors: Appelbaum Ian
Published: September 2013

I address the measurement of density of states within and beyond the superconducting gap in tunnel-coupled finite-size nanostructures using a capacitive method. Third-harmonic generation is used to yield the full differential conductance spectrum without destruction of the low dimensionality otherwise induced by intimate ohmic coupling to an electrode. The method is particularly relevant to attempts to discern the presence of the fragile Majorana fermion quasiparticle at the end of spin-orbit-coupled nanowires in appropriate magnetic field conditions by their signature mid-gap density of states.
Decomposition kinetics of silicon oxide layers on silicon substrates during annealing in vacuum
Authors: Enta Y. , Nagai T. , Yoshida T. , Ujiie N. , Nakazawa H.
Published: September 2013

Thermal decomposition of silicon oxide layers (5–20 nm in thickness) on silicon substrates has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The obtained microscopic images reveal that silicon atoms necessary for the oxide decomposition are supplied to the thick oxide layer at the sidewall of voids, which are formed by inhomogeneous oxide decomposition. We also show that the shape of the voids depends on the surface orientation of the silicon substrates, and silicon nanostructures are formed inside the voids owing to annealing/cooling cycles. The detailed observation of the silicon nanostructures indicates that one of the triggers of initial void formation is the difference in thermal expansion of silicon and silicon oxide.
Multiple Dirac points and perfect transmission in graphene with a dimerlike potential
Authors: Zhang Rui-Li , Gao Han-Tian , Zhou Yu , Fan Ren-Hao , Qi Dong-Xiang , Peng Ru-Wen , Huang Run-Sheng , Wang Mu
Published: September 2013

In this work, we investigate electronic band structures and transport properties in dimerlike graphene superlattices (DGSLs), where the modulated potentials of square barrier A and well B on graphene are arranged as S(m) = (AB)m(BA)m. Here m is the repeated number of units. It is found that the mirror symmetry of the potential distribution on graphene can induce extra Dirac points (DPs), which originates from the dimerlike positional correlations in the system. The induced DPs, which are exactly located at the energy corresponding to zero averaged wave number, do not exist in the periodic graphene superlattices of (AB)m. The number and the position of DPs in the zero averaged wave number gap of DGSL can be manipulated. Correspondingly, multiple perfect transmissions are observed at the resonant modes. Moreover, the conductance for DGSL presents extra resonant peaks accompanying with the emergence of the induced DPs. The investigations may have potential applications in graphene-based electronic devices.
A method to measure cellular adhesion utilizing a polymer micro-cantilever
Authors: Gaitas Angelo , Malhotra Ricky , Pienta Kenneth
Published: September 2013

In the present study we engineered a micro-machined polyimide cantilever with an embedded sensing element to investigate cellular adhesion, in terms of its relative ability to stick to a cross-linker, 3,3′-dithiobis[sulfosuccinimidylpropionate], coated on the cantilever surface. To achieve this objective, we investigated adhesive properties of three human prostate cancer cell lines, namely, a bone metastasis derived human prostate cancer cell line (PC3), a brain metastasis derived human prostate cancer cell line (DU145), and a subclone of PC3 (PC3-EMT14). We found that PC3-EMT14, which displays a mesenchymal phenotype, has the least adhesion compared to PC3 and DU145, which exhibit an epithelial phenotype.
Optical modulation of terahertz behavior in silicon with structured surfaces
Authors: Wu Xiaojun , Pan Xuecong , Quan Baogang , Wang Li
Published: September 2013

Optically modulated terahertz (THz) transmittance through Si with various resistivities, in particular the high-resistivity samples with a structured surface showing nanosized pillars or split-ring resonators (SRRs), was investigated. The samples with nanosized pillars display an increased transmittance and an accordingly reduced modulation depth. With SRRs on the surface, strongly selective modulation can be realized at the resonant frequencies where the transmittance is vanishingly small, whereas at the non-resonant frequencies, where the transmittance is large, the modulation depth is much greater. These results demonstrate an alternative route for the modulation of THz wave in the all-optical devices.
Emission factors of biodiesel combustion in industrial boiler: A comparison to fossil fuel
Authors: Komariah L. N. , Arita S. , Novia  , Wirawan S. S. , Yazid M.
Published: September 2013

Boiler is one of industrial facilities, which has energy intensive in producing steam or hot water, through fuel combustion. The large use of industrial boilers contributes to large emission. Emission factor is one of the most common methods to quantify emissions from combustion appliances such as boilers. As the biodiesel is an alternative fuel that has great potential to reduce emissions, it can be potentially used as boiler fuel. In this study, biodiesel combustion emission factor is determined through fuel analysis and direct measurements (stack sampling). A series of test was performed on a fire tube boiler, in which pressure of 3 bar, using palm biodiesel and its blend with petrodiesel in a variety of composition of biodiesel of 10%, 20%, and 30%. It is known that SO2 and CO emission factors in biodiesel combustion in boiler was significantly lower than petrodiesel, while CO2 and NOx emission factors tend to higher. Inconsistently, the stack sampling data showed that the emission of CO and CO2 was higher than petrodiesel, instead NOx emission of biodiesel combustion was 10% and 27% lower than petrodiesel.