bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WHOSE IMPARTIALITY? AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF VEILED STAKEHOLDERS, INVOLVED SPECTATORS AND DETACHED OBSERVERS
Authors: Aguiar Fernando , Becker Alice , Miller Luis
Published: July 2013

We present an experiment designed to investigate three different mechanisms to achieve impartiality in distributive justice. We consider a first-person procedure, inspired by the Rawlsian veil of ignorance, and two third-party procedures, an involved spectator and a detached observer. First-person veiled stakeholders and involved spectators are affected by an initially unfair distribution that, in the stakeholders’ case, is to be redressed. We find substantial differences in the redressing task. Detached observers propose significantly fairer redistributions than veiled stakeholders or involved spectators. Risk preferences partly explain why veiled stakeholders propose less egalitarian redistributions. Surprisingly, involved spectators, who are informed about their position in society, tend to favour stakeholders holding the same position as they do after the initial distribution.
MORAL CLEANSING AND MORAL LICENSES: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE
Authors: Brañas-Garza Pablo , Bucheli Marisa , Paz Espinosa María , García-Muñoz Teresa
Published: July 2013

Research on moral cleansing and moral self-licensing has introduced dynamic considerations in the theory of moral behaviour. Past bad actions trigger negative feelings that make people more likely to engage in future moral behaviour to offset them. Symmetrically, past good deeds favour a positive self-perception that creates licensing effects, leading people to engage in behaviour that is less likely to be moral. In short, a deviation from a ‘normal state of being’ is balanced with a subsequent action that compensates the prior behaviour. We model the decision of an individual trying to reach the optimal level of moral self-worth over time and show that under certain conditions the optimal sequence of actions follows a regular pattern which combines good and bad actions. To explore this phenomenon we conduct an economic experiment where subjects play a sequence of giving decisions (dictator games). We find that donations in the previous period affect present decisions and the sign is negative: participants' behaviour in every round is negatively correlated to what they did in the past. Hence donations over time seem to be the result of a regular pattern of self-regulation: moral licensing (being selfish after altruistic) and cleansing (altruistic after selfish).
Wrong Kind of Reasons and Consequences
Authors: ROWLAND RACH-COSKER
Published: July 2013

In a recent issue of Utilitas Gerald Lang provided an appealing new solution to the Wrong Kind of Reason problem for the buck-passing account of value. In subsequent issues Jonas Olson and John Brunero have provided objections to Lang's solution. I argue that Brunero's objection is not a problem for Lang's solution, and that a revised version of Lang's solution avoids Olson's objections. I conclude that we can solve the Wrong Kind of Reason problem, and that the wrong kind of reasons for pro-attitudes are reasons that would not still be reasons for pro-attitudes if it were not for the additional consequences of having those pro-attitudes.
Sample size for detecting transgenic plants using inverse binomial group testing with dilution effect
Authors: Montesinos-López Osval Antonio , Montesinos-López Abelardo , Crossa José , Eskridge Kent
Published: July 2013

In this study we developed a sample size procedure for estimating the proportion of genetically modified plants (adventitious presence of unwanted transgenic plants, AP) under inverse negative binomial group testing sampling, which guarantees that exactlyrpositive pools will be present in the sample. To achieve this aim, pools are drawn one by one until the sample containsrpositive pools. The use of group testing produces significant savings because groups that contain several units (plants) are analysed without having to inspect individual plants. However, when using group testing we need to consider an appropriate pool size (k) because if thekindividuals that form a pool are mixed and homogenized, the AP will be diluted. This effect increases with the size of the pool; it may also decrease the AP concentration in the pool below the laboratory test detection limit (d), thereby increasing the number of false negatives. The method proposed in this study determines the required sample size considering the dilution effect and guarantees narrow confidence intervals. In addition, we derived the maximum likelihood estimator ofpand an exact confidence interval (CI) under negative binomial pool testing considering the detection limit of the laboratory test,d, and the concentration of AP per unit (c). Simulated data were created and tables presented showing different potential scenarios that a researcher may encounter. We also provide an R program that can be used to create other scenarios.
Forbidden Subgraphs Generating Almost the Same Sets
Authors: FUJITA SHINYA , FURUYA MICHITAKA , OZEKI KENTA
Published: July 2013

Let$\mathcal{H}$be a set of connected graphs. A graphGis said to be$\mathcal{H}$-free ifGdoes not contain any element of$\mathcal{H}$as an induced subgraph. Let$\mathcal{F}_{k}(\mathcal{H})$be the set ofk-connected$\mathcal{H}$-free graphs. When we study the relationship between forbidden subgraphs and a certain graph property, we often allow a finite exceptional set of graphs. But if the symmetric difference of$\mathcal{F}_{k}(\mathcal{H}_{1})$and$\mathcal{F}_{k}(\mathcal{H}_{2})$is finite and we allow a finite number of exceptions, no graph property can distinguish them. Motivated by this observation, we study when we obtain a finite symmetric difference. In this paper, our main aim is the following. If$|\mathcal{H}|\leq 3$and the symmetric difference of$\mathcal{F}_{1}(\{H\})$and$\mathcal{F}_{1}(\mathcal{H})$is finite, then either$H\in \mathcal{H}$or$|\mathcal{H}|=3$andH=C3. Furthermore, we prove that if the symmetric difference of$\mathcal{F}_{k}(\{H_{1}\})$and$\mathcal{F}_{k}(\{H_{2}\})$is finite, thenH1=H2.
Widening Participation in Electroacoustic Music: The EARS 2 pedagogical initiatives
Authors: Landy Leigh , Hall Richard , Uwins Mike
Published: July 2013

This articles sketches the history, vision and implementation of the ElectroAcoustic Resource Site 2 (www.ears2.dmu.ac.uk), also known as the EARS pedagogical site. EARS 2 was originally intended to act as a miniature version of the original EARS site (www.ears.dmu.ac.uk), created specifically for young people, thus a site introducing vocabulary and relevant publications. However, after careful consideration, it proved much more valuable to create an entire pedagogical environment introducing primarily, although not exclusively, children aged 11 to 14 to electroacoustic music in terms of its concepts, repertoire and creative practice. The Compose with Sounds software (www.cws.dmu.ac.uk) package has been specifically developed for this initiative and is introduced in this article along with the EARS 2 project. The contextual discussion focuses on the issue of making innovative music accessible to inexperienced audiences, and includes a discussion of the project goal of enhancing learning through technology behind this new initiative.
For a Didactical Approach to Electroacoustic Musics: The example of Metallics by Yan Maresz
Authors: Terrien Pascal
Published: July 2013

This paper observes the conditions of reception and understanding of music using the theoretical concepts of learning (Chevallard 1985; Brousseau 1998) adapted to the teaching of these various musics (Terrien 2006). We verify, in the light of an epistemological questioning, the nature of electroacoustic music, and if the didactic transposition (Verret 1975; Chevallard 1985) applied to Yan Maresz's Metallics allows us to understand the phenomena of music (listening, intention-reception: issues of perception and interpretation), and identify issues of language. Our contribution is a tool for reflection on a teaching approach that relies on new teaching methods in the teaching of this music.
Live Electronics in Practice: Approaches to training professional performers
Authors: Bullock Jamie , Coccioli Lamberto , Dooley James , Michailidis Tychonas
Published: July 2013

Teaching live electronic music techniques to instrumental performers presents some interesting challenges. Whilst most higher music education institutions provide opportunities for composers to explore computer-based techniques for live audio processing, it is rare for performers to receive any formal training in live electronic music as part of their study. The first experience of live electronics for many performers is during final preparation for a concert. If a performer is to give a convincing musical interpretation ‘with’ and not simply ‘into’ the electronics, significant insight and preparation are required. At Birmingham Conservatoire we explored two distinct methods for teaching live electronics to performers between 2010 and 2012: training workshops aimed at groups of professional performers, and a curriculum pilot project aimed at augmenting undergraduate instrumental lessons. In this paper we present the details of these training methods followed by the qualitative results of specific case studies and a post-training survey. We discuss the survey results in the context of tacit knowledge gained through delivery of these programmes, and finally suggest recommendations and possibilities for future research.
PUBLICITY, PRIVACY, AND RELIGIOUS TOLERATION IN HOBBES'SLEVIATHAN
Authors: ABIZADEH ARASH
Published: July 2013

What motivated an absolutist Erastian who rejected religious freedom, defended uniform public worship, and deemed the public expression of disagreement a catalyst for war to endorse a movement known to history as the champion of toleration, religion's freedom from coercion, and separation of church and state? At least three factors motivated Hobbes's 1651 endorsement of Independency: the Erastianism of Cromwellian Independency, the influence of thepolitiquetradition, and, paradoxically, the contribution of early modern practices of toleration to maintaining the public sphere's religious uniformity. The third factor illustrates how a key function of the emerging private sphere in the early modern period was to protect uniformity, rather than diversity; it also shows that what was novel was not so much the public/private distinction itself, but the separation of two previously conflated dimensions of publicity—visibility and representativeness—that enabled early modern Europeans to envisage modes of worship out in the open, yet still private.
THE FRENCH RECEPTION OFVÖLKERPSYCHOLOGIEAND THE ORIGINS OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
Authors: KLAUTKE EGBERT
Published: July 2013

This article reconstructs French readings and debates of German approaches toVölkerpsychologie. Irrespective of its academic credentials,Völkerpsychologiewas a symptomatic approach during a transformative period in German, and indeed European, intellectual history: based on the idea of progress—both scientific and moral—and on the belief in the primordial importance of theVolk, it represented the mindset of “ascendant liberalism” in an almost pure form. The relevance and importance ofVölkerpsychologiecan be gauged from a list of scholars and intellectuals who discussed its merits as well as its problems. Moreover, the reception ofVölkerpsychologiewas not restricted to German academics: it was in France where central elements ofVölkerpsychologiehad the most profound effect on scholars who tried to establish a social science. Some of the best-known French academics and intellectuals of the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries—Théodule Ribot, Célestin Bouglé, Ernest Renan, Alfred Fouillée, Emile Durkheim, and Marcel Mauss—commented extensively on the works of Moritz Lazarus, Heymann Steinthal and Wilhelm Wundt, and developed their concepts of a “social science” that would reach beyond traditional philosophy, philology and history in a close dialogue with their German colleagues. HenceVölkerpsychologiewas not a German oddity, but an integral part of the debates that led to the establishing of the modern social sciences, as its French reception shows.
Previously unknown and highly divergent ssDNA viruses populate the oceans
Authors: Labonté Jessica M , Suttle Curtis A
Published: July 2013

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses are economically important pathogens of plants and animals, and are widespread in oceans; yet, the diversity and evolutionary relationships among marine ssDNA viruses remain largely unknown. Here we present the results from a metagenomic study of composite samples from temperate (Saanich Inlet, 11 samples; Strait of Georgia, 85 samples) and subtropical (46 samples, Gulf of Mexico) seawater. Most sequences (84%) had no evident similarity to sequenced viruses. In total, 608 putative complete genomes of ssDNA viruses were assembled, almost doubling the number of ssDNA viral genomes in databases. These comprised 129 genetically distinct groups, each represented by at least one complete genome that had no recognizable similarity to each other or to other virus sequences. Given that the seven recognized families of ssDNA viruses have considerable sequence homology within them, this suggests that many of these genetic groups may represent new viral families. Moreover, nearly 70% of the sequences were similar to one of these genomes, indicating that most of the sequences could be assigned to a genetically distinct group. Most sequences fell within 11 well-defined gene groups, each sharing a common gene. Some of these encoded putative replication and coat proteins that had similarity to sequences from viruses infecting eukaryotes, suggesting that these were likely from viruses infecting eukaryotic phytoplankton and zooplankton.
Bacterial structures and ecosystem functions in glaciated floodplains: contemporary states and potential future shifts
Authors: Freimann Remo , Bürgmann Helmut , Findlay Stuart E G , Robinson Christopher T
Published: July 2013

Glaciated alpine floodplains are responding quickly to climate change through shrinking ice masses. Given the expected future changes in their physicochemical environment, we anticipated variable shifts in structure and ecosystem functioning of hyporheic microbial communities in proglacial alpine streams, depending on present community characteristics and landscape structures. We examined microbial structure and functioning during different hydrologic periods in glacial (kryal) streams and, as contrasting systems, groundwater-fed (krenal) streams. Three catchments were chosen to cover an array of landscape features, including interconnected lakes, differences in local geology and degree of deglaciation. Community structure was assessed by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis and microbial function by potential enzyme activities. We found each catchment to contain a distinct bacterial community structure and different degrees of separation in structure and functioning that were linked to the physicochemical properties of the waters within each catchment. Bacterial communities showed high functional plasticity, although achieved by different strategies in each system. Typical kryal communities showed a strong linkage of structure and function that indicated a major prevalence of specialists, whereas krenal sediments were dominated by generalists. With the rapid retreat of glaciers and therefore altered ecohydrological characteristics, lotic microbial structure and functioning are likely to change substantially in proglacial floodplains in the future. The trajectory of these changes will vary depending on contemporary bacterial community characteristics and landscape structures that ultimately determine the sustainability of ecosystem functioning.
Residual stress relief due to fatigue in tetragonal lead zirconate titanate ceramics
Authors: Hall D. A. , Mori T. , Comyn T. P. , Ringgaard E. , Wright J. P.
Published: July 2013

High energy synchrotron XRD was employed to determine the lattice strain ε{111} and diffraction peak intensity ratio R{200} in tetragonal PZT ceramics, both in the virgin poled state and after a bipolar fatigue experiment. It was shown that the occurrence of microstructural damage during fatigue was accompanied by a reduction in the gradient of the ε{111}–cos2 ψ plot, indicating a reduction in the level of residual stress due to poling. In contrast, the fraction of oriented 90° ferroelectric domains, quantified in terms of R{200}, was not affected significantly by fatigue. The change in residual stress due to fatigue is interpreted in terms of a change in the average elastic stiffness of the polycrystalline matrix due to the presence of inter-granular microcracks.
X-ray microbeam three-dimensional topography for dislocation strain-field analysis of 4H-SiC
Authors: Tanuma R. , Mori D. , Kamata I. , Tsuchida H.
Published: July 2013

This paper describes the strain-field analysis of threading edge dislocations (TEDs) and basal-plane dislocations (BPDs) in 4H-SiC using x-ray microbeam three-dimensional (3D) topography. This 3D topography enables quantitative strain-field analysis, which measures images of effective misorientations (Δω maps) around the dislocations. A deformation-matrix-based simulation algorithm is developed to theoretically evaluate the Δω mapping. Systematic linear calculations can provide simulated Δω maps (Δωsim maps) of dislocations with different Burgers vectors, directions, and reflection vectors for the desired cross-sections. For TEDs and BPDs, Δω maps are compared with Δωsim maps, and their excellent correlation is demonstrated. Two types of asymmetric reflections, high- and low-angle incidence types, are compared. Strain analyses are also conducted to investigate BPD-TED conversion near an epilayer/substrate interface in 4H-SiC.
Spontaneous ZnO nanowire formation during oxidation of Cu-Zn alloy
Authors: Yuan Lu , Wang Chao , Cai Rongsheng , Wang Yiqian , Zhou Guangwen
Published: July 2013

A combination of electron microscopy and in-situ x-ray diffraction is employed to study the thermal oxidation of brass (Cu0.7Zn0.3 alloy) in order to elucidate the mechanism of one-dimensional growth of ZnO nanostructures. Oxidation of the brass alloy results in the growth of a ZnO overlayer with ZnO nanowire formation on the ZnO layer. Increasing the oxidation temperature thickens the ZnO overlayer while suppressing ZnO nanowire formation on the top, which provides clear evidence that the formation of ZnO nanowires is related to a stress-driven mechanism that involves accumulation of compressive stress generated from the ZnO/Cu-Zn interfacial reaction and relaxation of the compressive stress by outward grain-boundary diffusion of Zn.
Orbital optimized double-hybrid density functionals
Authors: Peverati Roberto , Head-Gordon Martin
Published: July 2013

This paper advocates development of a new class of double-hybrid (DH) density functionals where the energy is fully orbital optimized (OO) in presence of all correlation, rather than using a final non-iterative second order perturbative correction. The resulting OO-DH functionals resolve a number of artifacts associated with conventional DH functionals, such as first derivative discontinuities. To illustrate the possibilities, two non-empirical OO-DH functionals are obtained from existing DH functionals based on PBE: OO-PBE0-DH and OO-PBE0-2. Both functionals share the same functional form, with parameters determined on the basis of different physical considerations. The new functionals are tested on a variety of bonded, non-bonded and symmetry-breaking problems.
Dissipation of alignment in CO2 gas: A comparison between ab initio predictions and experiments
Authors: Hartmann J.-M. , Boulet C. , Vieillard T. , Chaussard F. , Billard F. , Faucher O. , Lavorel B.
Published: July 2013

We present comparisons between measurements and ab initio calculations of the dissipation of the nonadiabatic laser-induced alignment in pure CO2 and CO2-He gas mixtures. The experiments were made for pressures between 2 and 20 bars at 295 K by using short non-resonant linearly polarized laser pulses for alignment and probe. The calculations are carried, free of any adjusted parameter, using refined intermolecular potentials and a requantized Classical Molecular Dynamics Simulations approach presented previously but not yet confronted to experiments. The results demonstrate that the model accurately reproduces the decays with time of both the transient revivals and “permanent” component of the alignment. The significant differences observed between the behaviors resulting from CO2-CO2 and CO2-He collisions are also well predicted by the model.
Protein electron transfer: Dynamics and statistics
Authors: Matyushov Dmitry V.
Published: July 2013

Electron transfer between redox proteins participating in energy chains of biology is required to proceed with high energetic efficiency, minimizing losses of redox energy to heat. Within the standard models of electron transfer, this requirement, combined with the need for unidirectional (preferably activationless) transitions, is translated into the need to minimize the reorganization energy of electron transfer. This design program is, however, unrealistic for proteins whose active sites are typically positioned close to the polar and flexible protein-water interface to allow inter-protein electron tunneling. The high flexibility of the interfacial region makes both the hydration water and the surface protein layer act as highly polar solvents. The reorganization energy, as measured by fluctuations, is not minimized, but rather maximized in this region. Natural systems in fact utilize the broad breadth of interfacial electrostatic fluctuations, but in the ways not anticipated by the standard models based on equilibrium thermodynamics. The combination of the broad spectrum of static fluctuations with their dispersive dynamics offers the mechanism of dynamical freezing (ergodicity breaking) of subsets of nuclear modes on the time of reaction/residence of the electron at a redox cofactor. The separation of time-scales of nuclear modes coupled to electron transfer allows dynamical freezing. In particular, the separation between the relaxation time of electro-elastic fluctuations of the interface and the time of conformational transitions of the protein caused by changing redox state results in dynamical freezing of the latter for sufficiently fast electron transfer. The observable consequence of this dynamical freezing is significantly different reorganization energies describing the curvature at the bottom of electron-transfer free energy surfaces (large) and the distance between their minima (Stokes shift, small). The ratio of the two reorganization energies establishes the parameter by which the energetic efficiency of protein electron transfer is increased relative to the standard expectations, thus minimizing losses of energy to heat. Energetically efficient electron transfer occurs in a chain of conformationally quenched cofactors and is characterized by flattened free energy surfaces, reminiscent of the flat and rugged landscape at the stability basin of a folded protein.
Initial reduction of the NiO(100) surface in hydrogen
Authors: Xu Qiang , Cheah Singfoong , Zhao Yufeng
Published: July 2013

The reduction of NiO in hydrogen, a reaction with many industrial applications, has not received sufficient attention from theoretical standpoint because the complexity of the material properties and the process present considerable computational challenges. We report here the results of a systematic study on the hydrogen reduction of an ideal NiO(100) surface that produces a water molecule and an NiO(100) surface with an oxygen vacancy, using the Hubbard U corrected density functional theory method, with some of the key results verified by the hybrid density functional method. The major findings are: (1) the O vacancy in the NiO(100) surface slab is stabilized in the subsurface layer, although the vacancy is likely to remain on the outermost surface layer because the barrier for O vacancy migration from the surface to the second layer is as high as 3.02 eV; (2) regarding the energetics of hydrogen interaction with the ideal NiO(100) surface, water formation, and concomitant reduction of NiO is favored at higher H coverage even though surface hydrogenation is energetically more favorable than water formation at lower H coverage; (3) kinetically, the pull-off of the surface oxygen atom and simultaneous activation of the nearby Ni atoms play key roles in hydrogen reduction of NiO(100); and (4) a dual role of hydrogen is revealed as both a reactant and a mediator, which reduces the maximum kinetic barrier from 2.41 eV to 1.86 eV.
Vibrational spectra of light and heavy water with application to neutron cross section calculations
Authors: Damian J. I. Marquez , Malaspina D. C. , Granada J. R.
Published: July 2013

The design of nuclear reactors and neutron moderators require a good representation of the interaction of low energy (E < 1 eV) neutrons with hydrogen and deuterium containing materials. These models are based on the dynamics of the material, represented by its vibrational spectrum. In this paper, we show calculations of the frequency spectrum for light and heavy water at room temperature using two flexible point charge potentials: SPC-MPG and TIP4P/2005f. The results are compared with experimental measurements, with emphasis on inelastic neutron scattering data. Finally, the resulting spectra are applied to calculation of neutron scattering cross sections for these materials, which were found to be a significant improvement over library data.
Surface morphology evolution of m-plane (11¯00) GaN during molecular beam epitaxy growth: Impact of Ga/N ratio, miscut direction, and growth temperature
Authors: Shao Jiayi , Tang Liang , Edmunds Colin , Gardner Geoff , Malis Oana , Manfra Michael
Published: July 2013

We present a systematic study of morphology evolution of [11¯00] m-plane GaN grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on free-standing m-plane substrates with small miscut angles towards the –c [0001¯] and +c [0001] directions under various gallium to nitrogen (Ga/N) ratios at substrate temperatures T = 720 °C and T = 740 °C. The miscut direction, Ga/N ratio, and growth temperature are all shown to have a dramatic impact on morphology. The observed dependence on miscut direction supports the notion of strong anisotropy in the gallium adatom diffusion barrier and growth kinetics. We demonstrate that precise control of Ga/N ratio and substrate temperature yields atomically smooth morphology on substrates oriented towards +c [0001] as well as the more commonly studied –c [0001¯] miscut substrates.
Ramp compression of iron to 273 GPa
Authors: Wang Jue , Smith Raymond F. , Eggert Jon H. , Braun Dave G. , Boehly Thomas R. , Reed Patterson J. , Celliers Peter M. , Jeanloz Raymond , Collins Gilbert W. , Duffy Thomas S.
Published: July 2013

Multiple thickness Fe foils were ramp compressed over several nanoseconds to pressure conditions relevant to the Earth's core. Using wave-profile analysis, the sound speed and the stress-density response were determined to a peak longitudinal stress of 273 GPa. The measured stress-density states lie between shock compression and 300-K static data, and are consistent with relatively low temperatures being achieved in these experiments. Phase transitions generally display time-dependent material response and generate a growing shock. We demonstrate for the first time that a low-pressure phase transformation (α-Fe to ε-Fe) can be overdriven by an initial steady shock to avoid both the time-dependent response and the growing shock that has previously limited ramp-wave-loading experiments. In addition, the initial steady shock pre-compresses the Fe and allows different thermodynamic compression paths to be explored.
Optimal design of nano-scale surface light trapping structures for enhancing light absorption in thin film photovoltaics
Authors: Il Yeo Chan , Min Song Young , Jun Jang Sung , Tak Lee Yong
Published: July 2013

We present the effect of nanophotonic light trapping structures on optical absorption enhancement of crystalline silicon thin film solar cells, based on a rigorous coupled-wave analysis method. The calculation involves three different structures (i.e., hole, inverted-cone, and inverted-paraboloid), which are commonly applied on the top surface of thin film solar cells. Systematical calculation results in terms of geometrical parameters reveal sweet spots (i.e., optimum geometric structure) to obtain the highest cell efficiency for each structure, which provide a design guideline in thin film photovoltaic devices.
Fatigue and failure responses of lead zirconate titanate multilayer actuator under unipolar high-field electric cycling
Authors: Zeng Fan Wen , Wang Hong , Lin Hua-Tay
Published: July 2013

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) multilayer actuators with an interdigital electrode design were studied under high electric fields (3 and 6 kV/mm) in a unipolar cycling mode. A 100 Hz sine wave was used in cycling. Five specimens tested under 6 kV/mm failed from 3.8 × 105 to 7 × 105 cycles, whereas three other specimens tested under 3 kV/mm were found to be still functional after 108 cycles. Variations in piezoelectric and dielectric responses of the tested specimens were observed during the fatigue test, depending on the measuring and cycling conditions. Selected fatigued and damaged actuators were characterized using an impedance analyzer or small signal measurement. Furthermore, involved fatigue and failure mechanisms were investigated using scanning acoustic microscope and scanning electron microscope. The extensive cracks and porous regions were revealed across the PZT layers on the cross sections of a failed actuator. The results from this study have demonstrated that the high-field cycling can accelerate the fatigue of PZT stacks as long as the partial discharge is controlled. The small signal measurement can also be integrated into the large signal measurement to characterize the fatigue response of PZT stacks in a more comprehensive basis. The former can further serve as an experimental method to test and monitor the behavior of PZT stacks.
Assessment of the impact of renewable energy and energy efficiency policies on the Macedonian energy sector development
Authors: Taseska-Gjorgievska V. , Dedinec A. , Markovska N. , Kanevce G. , Goldstein G. , Pye S.
Published: July 2013

The main goal of this paper is to examine and quantify how the development of the energy system in Macedonia could be influenced by policies and programs that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, in terms of energy security and diversification, economic competitiveness, and CO2 mitigation. For this purpose, the MARKAL-Macedonia national energy planning model was used. These policies are explored by comparing a reference (business-as-usual) development of energy system with three alternative policy scenarios: (1) Renewable Energy (RE) Scenario—introducing a renewable energy target by 2020 in line with that proposed by the Energy Community; (2) Energy Efficiency (EE) Scenario—exploring the range of energy efficiency measures that are the most cost-effective means to meet national targets aimed at reducing final energy consumption; and (3) Combined RE and EE Scenario—a combination of supply-side and demand-side approaches that examine the resulting synergies of these policy goals. For each scenario, the implications of least-cost investment options for new capacity builds, investment spending requirements, electricity prices, fuel expenditures, and carbon dioxide emissions were assessed. The analyses have shown that even under the Reference scenario, the reliance on electricity import will be reduced, as a result of increased gas import. The RE scenario further reduces the overall import by 3% while the EE scenario by 12%. Total discounted costs of the energy system in the Reference scenario is estimated to nearly €36 billion, with investment of €3.773 billion for 2.803 GW of new electricity generation capacity needed to meet the increased demand by 2030. The proposed RE target increases the cost of the energy system only by 0.13%, due to the availability of additional renewables, particularly hydro, biomass, and biofuels. The combination of the policies that promote increased energy efficiency will decrease the discounted energy system costs of 0.24% (€87 million net present value). The baseline evolution of the energy system results in 59% increase of CO2 emissions over the planning horizon. The analyzed RE and EE policies show strong synergies with a move to a lower carbon economy, resulting in cumulative CO2 emissions reduction of 3.7% triggered by an overall drop in consumption and less use of fossil fuels.
Sr and Mn co-doped LaCuSO: A wide band gap oxide diluted magnetic semiconductor with TC around 200 K
Authors: Yang Xiaojun , Li Yuke , Shen Chenyi , Si Bingqi , Sun Yunlei , Tao Qian , Cao Guanghan , Xu Zhuan , Zhang Fuchun
Published: July 2013

Here we report the synthesis of a bulk oxide diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) system La1−xSrxCu0.925Mn0.075SO (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1). As a wide band gap p-type oxide semiconductor, LaCuSO satisfies all the conditions forecasted theoretically to be a room temperature DMS. The Curie temperature (TC) is around 200 K as x ≥ 0.05, which is among the highest TC record of known bulk DMS materials up to now. The system provides a rare example of oxide DMS system with p-type conduction, which is important for formation of high temperature spintronic devices.
Experimental verification of supercoupling and cloaking using mu-near-zero materials based on a waveguide
Authors: Feng Ma Hui , Hui Shi Jin , Cheng Qiang , Jun Cui Tie
Published: July 2013

We theoretically analyze and experimentally demonstrate a waveguide supercoupler and invisibility cloak using anisotropic mu-near-zero (AMNZ) material. Generally, when two waveguides are connected by an abrupt transition, the electromagnetic waves will be scattered by propagating through the abruption with significant loss. When the abrupt transition is filled with the designed AMNZ material whose permeability is zero along the propagating direction, however, we show that the scattering loss will vanish and a total transmission is achieved. Based on the above principle, we also realize a directive invisibility cloak in the waveguide. The AMNZ supercoupler and the cloak are designed, fabricated, and measured, showing good performance.
Ultrafast graphene-based broadband THz detector
Authors: Mittendorff Martin , Winnerl Stephan , Kamann Josef , Eroms Jonathan , Weiss Dieter , Schneider Harald , Helm Manfred
Published: July 2013

We present an ultrafast graphene-based detector, working in the THz range at room temperature. A logarithmic-periodic antenna is coupled to a graphene flake that is produced by exfoliation on SiO2. The detector was characterized with the free-electron laser FELBE for wavelengths from 8 μm to 220 μm. The detector rise time is 50 ps in the wavelength range from 30 μm to 220 μm. Autocorrelation measurements exploiting the nonlinear photocurrent response at high intensities reveal an intrinsic response time below 10 ps. This detector has a high potential for characterizing temporal overlaps, e.g., in two-color pump-probe experiments.
Rotating-frame nuclear magnetic resonance study of the distinct dynamics of hydrogen donors in ZnO
Authors: Kue Park Jun , Won Lee Kyu , Eui Lee Cheol
Published: July 2013

The rotating-frame spin-lattice relaxation of two types of the hydrogen donors was well distinguished in the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance measurements in a sol-gel prepared ZnO system, providing a unique opportunity to study the distinct proton dynamics. Our study indicates interconversion of the interstitial H (Hi). The population of the mobile Hi showed decrease above ∼370 K, apparently being trapping into the oxygen vacancies resulting in the more stable oxygen-substitutional H (HO). The activation barrier for migration of Hi and the binding energy of HO were found to be 0.27 eV and 0.51 eV, respectively.
Effect of co-adsorption dye on the electrode interface (Ru complex/TiO2) of dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Honda M. , Yanagida M. , Han L.
Published: July 2013

The co-adsorption interface structure of isothiocyanate (R-N=C=S) in N719 dye was investigated using a system of N719 alone and an N719 + D131 co-adsorption system. The sulfur core level (S 1s) and sulfur K absorption edge (S K-edge) were examined in detail using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), respectively. The S 1s XPS spectra revealed that the binding energies were shifted approximately 9 eV higher in N719 alone because of interactions between the R-N=C=S of N719 and nanocrystalline TiO2. However, this strong interaction disappeared in the N719 + D131 co-adsorption system. Comparing the S K-edge NEXAFS spectra against the case of N719 alone revealed that the resonance adsorption peak at 2483 eV, which was attributed to an interaction between sulfur and the substrate, did not appear in the N719 + D131 co-adsorption system. This peak was observed under oblique incidence, but was almost indiscernible under normal incidence. These results indicate that the interface structure of sulfur atoms that strongly interacts with nanocrystalline TiO2 substrate changes to become non-interacting in the N719 + D131 co-adsorption system. We conclude that the co-adsorption dye has the unique property of inhibiting strong interactions between the S atom in the R-N=C=S group of the N719 dye and the nanocrystalline TiO2 surface.
Beyond World Risk Society? A Critique of Ulrich Beck's World Risk Society Thesis as a Framework for Understanding Risk Associated with Human Activity in Outer Space
Authors: Ormrod James S
Published: July 2013

This paper examines the risks generated by human activity in outer space, exploring the possibility of extending Ulrich Beck's ‘world risk society’ thesis beyond the globe. Through the use of three case studies looking at (1) the use of nuclear power in space missions, (2) the proliferation of space debris, and (3) proposed space solutions to environmental problems, it argues for the usefulness of some of Beck's concepts whilst providing a critique of some of his central theoretical assumptions. In particular, the inadequacies of Beck's accounts of economic power and subjectivity are highlighted throughout the paper, and used to suggest that Beck's optimism about the emergence of a cosmopolitan public sphere is misplaced. The paper finishes by arguing that Beck's understanding of a ‘reinvention of politics’ based on the intrusion of risk into everyday life cannot cope with the kinds of risk discussed in the paper. It concludes that it is only through greater recognition of the depth of the economic and psychic structures at work that the politics of risk in outer space can be challenged.
The Big World in the Small: Layered Dynamics of Meaning-Making in the Everyday
Authors: Bendiner-Viani Gabrielle
Published: July 2013

This paper proposes a framework for understanding what novelist Georges Perec has called “the rest” that we live through, the qualities of experience and meaning-making in everyday, in-between spaces, and the ways in which people make sense of the big world through the small. The work explores how common neighborhood places are essential to people's lives, and its framework of “layered dynamics” suggests ways of understanding an individual epistemology of everyday place. The paper grapples with what Doreen Massey has called a “global sense of the local” and how the meanings we make in our most common places relate to our understanding of the larger world, as well as the reciprocal process by which place helps shape us. Drawing on environmental psychology and differing theoretical conceptions of the individual, as well as innovative methods involving neighborhood tours and photographs with residents of a small neighborhood in Oakland, California, this work explores how, through emergent and often conflicting experiences, the everyday physical world around us derives a variety of individual significances. This paper suggests that these spaces are crucial for study and concern, not only for environmental psychologists and geographers but also for planners. The framework proposed here is a range of dynamic and emergent layers that let us understand the complexity of what neighborhoods are really for: as the sites where individual and place meanings are made through a reciprocal dynamic process.
Increased prostaglandin E2–EP2 signalling in cumulus cells of female mice sired by males with the Y-chromosome long-arm deletion
Authors: Kotarska Katarzyna , Lenartowicz Małgorzata , Przybyło Małgorzata , Gołas Aniela , Styrna Józefa
Published: July 2013

Cumuli oophori surrounding ovulated oocytes of B10.BR(Ydel) females (sired by males with the Y-chromosome long-arm deletion) are more resistant to hyaluronidase digestion than cumuli oophori around eggs of genetically identical females but sired by males with the intact Y chromosome (B10.BR). This has been interpreted as a result of differences in paternal genome imprinting, which females of both groups inherit from their fathers. The following study shows that it is not hyaluronan, but rather excessive protein concentration, that makes the cumulus extracellular matrix of B10.BR(Ydel) oocytes more resistant to enzymatic treatment. It was revealed, additionally, that cumulus cells around ovulating oocytes of B10.BR(Ydel) females display higher surface accumulation of prostaglandin EP2 subtype receptors and higher expression of the Ptgs2 gene (encoding a rate-limiting enzyme of prostaglandin E2 synthesis) in relation to the cells of control B10.BR females. The expression levels of the prostaglandin-dependent Tnfaip6 and Ccl2 genes were also altered in B10.BR(Ydel) cumulus cells in a manner indicating increased prostaglandin signalling. The study provides further evidence for the divergence in reproductive phenotypes between B10.BR and B10.BR(Ydel) female mice. It supports the hypothesis that genes of the Y-chromosome long arm may be involved in establishment of epigenetic marks in X-bearing spermatozoa.
Pathological hypertrophy amelioration by PRAS40-mediated inhibition of mTORC1
Authors: Völkers Mirko , Toko Haruhiro , Doroudgar Shirin , Din Shabana , Quijada Pearl , Joyo Anya Y. , Ornelas Luis , Joyo Eri , Thuerauf Donna J. , Konstandin Mathias H. , Gude Natalie , Glembotski Christopher C. , Sussman Mark A.
Published: July 2013

Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), necessary for cellular growth, is regulated by intracellular signaling mediating inhibition of mTORC1 activation. Among mTORC1 regulatory binding partners, the role of Proline Rich AKT Substrate of 40 kDa (PRAS40) in controlling mTORC1 activity and cellular growth in response to pathological and physiological stress in the heart has never been addressed. This report shows PRAS40 is regulated by AKT in cardiomyocytes and that AKT-driven phosphorylation relieves the inhibitory function of PRAS40. PRAS40 overexpression in vitro blocks mTORC1 in cardiomyocytes and decreases pathological growth. Cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression in vivo blunts pathological remodeling after pressure overload and preserves cardiac function. Inhibition of mTORC1 by PRAS40 preferentially promotes protective mTORC2 signaling in chronic diseased myocardium. In contrast, strong PRAS40 phosphorylation by AKT allows for physiological hypertrophy both in vitro and in vivo, whereas cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of a PRAS40 mutant lacking capacity for AKT-phosphorylation inhibits physiological growth in vivo, demonstrating that AKT-mediated PRAS40 phosphorylation is necessary for induction of physiological hypertrophy. Therefore, PRAS40 phosphorylation acts as a molecular switch allowing mTORC1 activation during physiological growth, opening up unique possibilities for therapeutic regulation of the mTORC1 complex to mitigate pathologic myocardial hypertrophy by PRAS40.
Universal fractal scaling in stream chemistry and its implications for solute transport and water quality trend detection
Authors: Kirchner James W. , Neal Colin
Published: July 2013

The chemical dynamics of lakes and streams affect their suitability as aquatic habitats and as water supplies for human needs. Because water quality is typically monitored only weekly or monthly, however, the higher-frequency dynamics of stream chemistry have remained largely invisible. To illuminate a wider spectrum of water quality dynamics, rainfall and streamflow were sampled in two headwater catchments at Plynlimon, Wales, at 7-h intervals for 1–2 y and weekly for over two decades, and were analyzed for 45 solutes spanning the periodic table from H
+
to U. Here we show that in streamflow, all 45 of these solutes, including nutrients, trace elements, and toxic metals, exhibit fractal 1/
f
α
scaling on time scales from hours to decades (α = 1.05 ± 0.15, mean ± SD). We show that this fractal scaling can arise through dispersion of random chemical inputs distributed across a catchment. These 1/
f
time series are non–self-averaging: monthly, yearly, or decadal averages are approximately as variable, one from the next, as individual measurements taken hours or days apart, defying naive statistical expectations. (By contrast, stream discharge itself is nonfractal, and self-averaging on time scales of months and longer.) In the solute time series, statistically significant trends arise much more frequently, on all time scales, than one would expect from conventional
t
statistics. However, these same trends are poor predictors of future trends—much poorer than one would expect from their calculated uncertainties. Our results illustrate how 1/
f
time series pose fundamental challenges to trend analysis and change detection in environmental systems.