bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From English to Banglish: Loanwords as opportunities and barriers?
Authors: Mostafa Massrura , Jamila Marium
Published: May 2012

As a mother tongue English is the second most spoken language in the world. Chinese is the first, but English is far more widely spoken around the world. ‘Today English is spoken or written, with varying levels of fluency, by a third of the world's population’ (Crystal, 2010: 8). It has been accepted as the most common means for international communication worldwide. Hence, it occupies a special position as the international language of communication in almost all the countries of the world. Before 1971 in Bangladesh, English was used as a second language. It was first introduced when the country was a part of India when British imperialists mandated the teaching of English in 1835 throughout India. After its introduction in the curriculum, English consolidated its position as the language of the ruling class. It became the most important subject of study in the curriculum. Its dominance increased when it replaced Persian as the official and court language in 1837 and even further in 1844 when Lord Harding announced that Indians who had received an education in English would receive preference in all government appointments. However, towards the end of the British rule, a reaction arose against English education and the use of English generally. With the departure of the British rulers in 1947, English lost its earlier prominence and prestige. During the Pakistan period, when Bangladesh became a part of Pakistan (1947–1971), English retained its position as an essential subject of study. Learning English was still considered indispensable for social, intercultural and international communication, educational advancement, professional success and progress in life. In independent Bangladesh, English occupies the place of being the most important foreign language. It is taught and learned as a compulsory subject alongside Bangla, the first language, from the primary level up to the highest level of study.
Four grammatical features of Saudi English
Authors: Al-Rawi Maather
Published: May 2012

Saudi English (also called ‘Arabicised-English’ by Al-Shurafa, 2009) is probably one of the least studied varieties among the ‘New Englishes’. This paper aims to provide an introduction to the main syntactic features of the variety. In order to do this I will use the list of features discernible in varieties of English world-wide as ascertained by two scholars working actively on the typology of the different Englishes, Kortmann & Szmrecsanyi (2004). They use the term ‘angloversals’ for recurrent non-standard features widely found in English across the globe. This paper investigates three such ‘angloversal’ features which I believe to be widespread in Saudi Arabia: (a) #57: deletion ofbe; (b) #17: irregular use of articles; and (c) #53: invariant present tense forms due to zero marking for the third person singular (Kortmann & Szmrecsanyi 2004: 1146–7). This article also aims to study the effects of the Arabic substrate on the variety of English spoken in Saudi Arabia. The occurrence of the features is investigated among different strata in the society.
Potential words in English: examples from morphological processes in Nigerian English
Authors: Owolabi Dare
Published: May 2012

It is now common knowledge that the English language has become part of Nigeria's linguistic family, albeit as a second language that has been ‘home-grown…adapted and tamed to suit the Nigerian environment’ (Adegbija, 2004: 19). Summarizing Alamin A. Mazrui (2004), Akere (2006: 9) describes this domestication as ‘the transformation of English as an alien medium, to make it respond to local imagery, figures of speech, sound patterns and the general cultural milieu of the region’. This has been the practice of many writers where English is the colonial masters' language and is now adopted as a second language, but with ‘local colour’, as noted by Emenyonu (2006: xi). This dynamic and creative variety has helped Nigerians express their world view in a more international medium. In addition, there are more ‘pragmatic’ sub-varieties, including what Omolewa (1979: 14–15) calls ‘working English’. This is, however, different from the widespread Pidgin English, which continues to serve as the linguistic bridge across the linguistic Babel of Nigeria. While Pidgin is greatly influenced by the immediate local languages, thus making uniformity difficult to achieve, the emerging Nigerian English (henceforth NE) is not as heavily dependent on indigenous local languages. According to Igboanusi (2002: 4), ‘NE has its origin in British English, and the lexicon of NE has therefore shown a strong British influence.’ In other words, while Pidgin is common among the uneducated and spoken by the educated when necessary, NE is spoken by the educated and the level of education determines the variety of NE used by individuals. NE should be seen as an autonomous variety, showing acceptable departures from the rules of standard diction, pronunciation and grammar. The contact of English with indigenous languages in Nigeria is bound to lead to greater deviation from the standard in the future. Since Nigeria has one of the largest populations of speakers of English as a second language in the world (Akere, 2009; Jowitt, 2009), this is bound to have implications for English as a global language.
Congruences for convolutions of Hilbert modular forms
Authors: WARD THOMAS
Published: May 2012

Let f be a primitive, cuspidal Hilbert modular form of parallel weight. We investigate the Rankin convolution L-values L(f,g,s), where g is a theta-lift modular form corresponding to a finite-order character. We prove weak forms of Kato's ‘false Tate curve’ congruences for these values, of the form predicted by conjectures in non-commmutative Iwasawa theory.
Hepatitis C prevalence in injecting drug users in Europe, 1990–2007: impact of study recruitment setting
Authors: RONDY M. , WIESSING L. , HUTCHINSON S. J. , MATHEÏ C. , MATHIS F. , MRAVCIK V. , NORDEN L. , ROSIŃSKA M. , SCUTELNICIUC O. , SULIGOI B. , VALLEJO F. , VAN VEEN M. , KRETZSCHMAR M.
Published: May 2012

Monitoring injecting drug users' (IDUs) health is challenging because IDUs form a difficult to reach population. We examined the impact of recruitment setting on hepatitis C prevalence. Individual datasets from 12 studies were merged. Predictors of HCV positivity were sought through a multilevel analysis using a mixed-effects logistic model, with study identifier as random intercept. HCV prevalence ranged from 21% to 86% across the studies. Overall, HCV prevalence was higher in IDUs recruited in drug treatment centres compared to those recruited in low-threshold settings (74% and 42%, respectively, P < 0·001). Recruitment setting remained significantly associated with HCV prevalence after adjustment for duration of injecting and recent injection (adjusted odds ratio 0·7, 95% confidence interval 0·6–0·8, P = 0·05). Recruitment setting may have an impact on HCV prevalence estimates of IDUs in Europe. Assessing the impact of mixed recruitment strategies, including respondent-driven sampling, on HCV prevalence estimates, would be valuable.
Nationwide surveillance study of human astrovirus infections in an Italian paediatric population
Authors: DE GRAZIA S. , MARTELLA V. , CHIRONNA M. , BONURA F. , TUMMOLO F. , CALDERARO A. , MOSCHIDOU P. , GIAMMANCO G. M. , MEDICI M. C.
Published: May 2012

The study investigated the genetic diversity of human astroviruses (HAstVs) detected in children hospitalized with gastroenteritis in Italy in 2008–2009. A total of 1321 faecal samples were collected in Parma (northern Italy), Bari (southern Italy), and Palermo (Sicily) and screened for the presence of HAstVs. RT–PCR amplification of a portion at the 5′-end of ORF2 allowed the detection of HAstVs in 3·95% of the patients. Four different genotypes (HAstV-1, HAstV-2, HAstV-4, HAstV-5) were found to be circulating during the study period, with HAstV-1 being the predominant type. Interestingly, a novel lineage, proposed as HAstV-2d, was found to have emerged in Parma in 2009. Investigating the genetic variability of HAstVs will be important for understanding the epidemiological trends and evolution of these viruses.
Arctic and Antarctic four-month oscillations detected from Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A measurements
Authors: Qin Z. , Zou X. , Weng F.
Published: May 2012

Satellite microwave measurements can penetrate through clouds and therefore provide unique information of surface and near-surface temperatures and surface emissivity. In this study, the brightness temperatures from NOAA-15 Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) are used to analyse the surface temperature variation in the Arctic and Antarctic regions during the past 13 years from 1998–2010. The data from four AMSU-A channels sensitive to surface are analysed with wavelet and Fourier spectrum techniques. A very pronounced maximum is noticed in the period range centred around four months. Application of a statistical significance test confirms that it is a dominant mode of variability over polar regions besides the annual and semi-annual oscillations in the data. No evidence of this feature could be found in middle and low latitudes. The four-month oscillation is 90° out of phase at the Arctic and Antarctic, with the Arctic four-month oscillation reaching its maximum in the beginning of March, July and November and the Antarctic four-month oscillation in the middle of April, August and December. The intensity of the four-month oscillation varies interannually. The years with pronounced four-month oscillation were 2002–03, 2005–06 and 2008–09. The strongest year for the Arctic and Antarctic four-month oscillations occurred in 2005–06 and 2008–09, respectively. The sign of four-month oscillation is also found in the surface skin temperatures and two-metre air temperatures from ERA-Interim reanalysis, with strongest signal in 2005–06 when this oscillation is strongest in the data. It is hypothesized that the Arctic and Antarctic four-month oscillations are a combined result of unique features of solar radiative forcing and snow/sea ice formation and metamorphosis.
Pandemic Influenza Extension Areas in an Urban Pediatric Hospital
Authors: Charney Rachel L. , Armbrecht Eric S. , Kennedy Brian R. , Flood Robert G.
Published: May 2012

Introduction The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic created a surge of patients with low-acuity influenza-like-illness (ILI) to hospital Emergency Departments (EDs). The development and results of a tiered surge plan to care for these patients at a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) were studied.

Hypothesis/Problem By providing standard assessment and treatment algorithms within physically separate ILI Extension Areas, it was hypothesized that patient care could be streamlined and the quality of care maintained.

Methods Hospital administrators created the tiered H1N1 surge plan within the framework of the existing emergency operations plan (EOP). After the initial expansion of space and staff utilization within the existing PED footprint, ILI Extension Areas were opened and staffed by non-ED physicians and nursing to provide care rapidly for ILI patients after Registered Nurse (RN) screening. Volumes, length of stay (LOS), left without being seen (LWBS) rates, patient satisfaction, and costs were tracked and measured.

Results Significantly elevated volumes of patients were seen in the months of September and October of 2009 (42.0% and 32.7% increase over 2008). During this time, 612 patients were triaged to the ILI Extension Areas. The LOS was similar to that experienced in prior years. The LWBS rates in September (4.8%) and October (3.4%) were slightly elevated over the 2009 yearly average (3.2%), but remained lower than during a prior, high-volume month. Satisfaction, measured as patients’ “likelihood to recommend,” remained within the range observed during other parts of the year. Cost estimates indicate favorable financial performance for the institution.

Conclusion The tiered surge response plan represented a success in managing large volumes of low-acuity patients during an extended period of time. This design can be utilized effectively in the future during times of patient surge.
Disaster Metrics: A Proposed Quantitative Model for Benchmarking Prehospital Medical Response in Trauma-Related Multiple Casualty Events
Authors: Bayram Jamil D. , Zuabi Shawki
Published: May 2012

Introduction

Quantitative benchmarking of trauma-related prehospital response for Multiple Casualty Events (MCE) is complicated by major difficulties due to the simultaneous occurrences of multiple prehospital activities.

Hypothesis/Problem

Attempts to quantify the various components of prehospital medical response in MCE have fallen short of a comprehensive model. The objective of this study was to model the principal parameters necessary to quantitatively benchmark the prehospital medical response in trauma-related MCE.

Methods

A two-step approach was adopted for the methodology of this study: an extensive literature search was performed, followed by prehospital system quantitative modeling. Studies on prehospital medical response to trauma injuries were used as the framework for the proposed model. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) triage categories (T1-T4) were used for the study.

Results

Two parameters, the Injury to Patient Contact Interval (IPCI) and Injury to Hospital Interval (IHI), were identified and proposed as the principal determinants of the medical prehospital response in trauma-related MCE. IHI is the time interval from the occurrence of injury to the completion of transfer of care of critical (T1) and moderate (T2) patients. The IHI for each casualty is compared to the Maximum Time Allowed described in the literature (golden hour for T1 and Friedrich's time for T2). In addition, the medical rescue factor (R) was identified as the overall indicator for the prehospital medical performance for T1 and T2, and a numerical value of one (R = 1) was proposed to be the quantitative benchmark.

Conclusion

A new quantitative model for benchmarking prehospital response to MCE in trauma-related MCE is proposed. Prospective studies of this model are needed to validate its applicability.

Bayram J, Zuabi S. Disaster metrics: a proposed quantitative model for benchmarking prehospital medical response in trauma-related multiple casualty events.Prehosp Disaster Med.2012;27(2):-7.
Disaster Metrics: Quantification of Acute Medical Disasters in Trauma-Related Multiple Casualty Events through Modeling of the Acute Medical Severity Index
Authors: Bayram Jamil D. , Zuabi Shawki
Published: May 2012

Introduction

The interaction between the acute medical consequences of a Multiple Casualty Event (MCE) and the total medical capacity of the community affected determines if the event amounts to an acute medical disaster.

Hypothesis/Problem

There is a need for a comprehensive quantitative model in MCE that would account for both prehospital and hospital-based acute medical systems, leading to the quantification of acute medical disasters. Such a proposed model needs to be flexible enough in its application to accommodatea prioriestimation as part of the decision-making process anda posteriorievaluation for total quality management purposes.

Methods

The concept proposed by de Boer et al in 1989, along with the disaster metrics quantitative models proposed by Bayram et al on hospital surge capacity and prehospital medical response, were used as theoretical frameworks for a new comprehensive model, taking into account both prehospital and hospital systems, in order to quantify acute medical disasters.

Results

A quantitative model called the Acute Medical Severity Index (AMSI) was developed. AMSI is the proportion of the Acute Medical Burden (AMB) resulting from the event, compared to the Total Medical Capacity (TMC) of the community affected; AMSI = AMB/TMC. In this model, AMB is defined as the sum of critical (T1) and moderate (T2) casualties caused by the event, while TMC is a function of the Total Hospital Capacity (THC) and the medical rescue factor (R) accounting for the hospital-based and prehospital medical systems, respectively. Qualitatively, the authors define acute medical disaster as “a state after any type of Multiple Casualty Event where the Acute Medical Burden (AMB) exceeds the Total Medical Capacity (TMC) of the community affected.” Quantitatively, an acute medical disaster has an AMSI value of more than one (AMB / TMC > 1). An acute medical incident has an AMSI value of less than one, without the need for medical surge. An acute medical emergency has an AMSI value of less than one with utilization of surge capacity (prehospital or hospital-based). An acute medical crisis has an AMSI value between 0.9 and 1, approaching the threshold for an actual medical disaster.

Conclusion

A novel quantitative taxonomy in MCE has been proposed by modeling the Acute Medical Severity Index (AMSI). This model accounts for both hospital and prehospital systems, and quantifies acute medical disasters. Prospective applications of various components of this model are encouraged to further verify its applicability and validity.

Bayram JD, Zuabi S. Disaster metrics: quantification of acute medical disasters in trauma-related multiple casualty events through modeling of the Acute Medical Severity Index.Prehosp Disaster Med.2012;27(2):1-6.
A Public Health Enforcement Initiative to Combat Underage Drinking Using Emergency Medical Services Call Data
Authors: Lemkin Daniel L. , Bond Michael C. , Alves Donald W. , Bissell Richard A.
Published: May 2012

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine whether Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records can identify bars that serve a disproportionate number of minors, and if government officials will use this data to direct underage drinker enforcement efforts.

Methods

Emergency Medical Services call logs to all bars in the study area were cross-referenced with a local hospital's records. The records of patients with alcohol-related complaints were analyzed. Outlier bars were identified, and presented to government officials who completed a survey to assess if this information would prompt new enforcement efforts.

Results

Emergency Medical Services responded to 149 establishments during the study period. Eighty-four responses were distributed across six bars, and 78 were matched with the hospital's records. Fifty-one patients, 18 (35%) of whom were underage, were treated for alcohol intoxication, with 46% of the cases originating from four bars. Government officials found the information useful, and planned to initiate new operations based on the information.

Conclusions

Alcohol consumption by minors can lead to life-long abuse, with high personal, financial, and societal costs. Emergency Medical Services response data and hospital records can be used to identify bars that allow underage drinking, which is useful in directing law enforcement efforts.

Lemkin DL, Bond MC, Alves DW, Bissell RA. A public health enforcement initiative to combat underage drinking using emergency medical services call data. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(2):1-5.
Portable Handheld Ultrasound in Austere Environments: Use in the Haiti Disaster
Authors: Shorter Meghan , Macias Darryl J.
Published: May 2012

Introduction

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, resulting in 222,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries. Three weeks after the initial quake, the New Mexico Disaster Medical Assistance Team (NM DMAT-1) was deployed to Haiti for ongoing medical relief. During this deployment, a portable handheld ultrasound machine was tested for usefulness in aiding with patient care decisions.

Objective

The utility of portable ultrasound to help with triage and patient management decisions in a major disaster setting was evaluated.

Methods

Retrospective observational non-blinded images were obtained on 51 patients voluntarily presenting to the Gheskio Field clinic at Port-au-Prince. Ultrasound was used for evaluation of undifferentiated hypotension, torso trauma, pregnancy, non-traumatic abdominal pain, deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and dyspnea-chest pain, as well as for assisting with procedures. Scans were obtained using a Signos personal handheld ultrasound machine with images stored on a microSD card. Qualitative data were reviewed to identify whether ultrasound influenced management decisions, and results were categorized in terms of percent of scans that influenced management.

Results

Fifty-one ultrasound scans on 50 patients were performed, with 35% interpreted as positive, 41% as negative, and 24% as equivocal. The highest yields of information were for abdominal ultrasound and ultrasound related to pregnancy. Ultrasound influenced decisions on patient care in 70% of scans. Most of these decisions were reflected in the clinician's confidence in discharging a patient with or without non-emergent follow-up.

Conclusion

The use of a handheld portable ultrasound machine was effective for patient management decisions in resource-poor settings, and decreased the need to triage selected patients to higher levels of care. Ultrasound was very useful for evaluation of non-traumatic abdominal pain. Dynamic capability is necessary for ultrasound evaluation of undifferentiated hypotension and cardiac and lung examinations. Ultrasound also was useful for guidance during procedural applications, and for aiding in the diagnosis of parasitic diseases.

Shorter M, Macias D. Portable handheld ultrasound in austere environments: use in the Haiti disaster. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(2):1-6.
Singular and plural functions for functional logic programming
Authors: RIESCO ADRIÁN , RODRÍGUEZ-HORTALÁ JUAN
Published: May 2012

Modern functional logic programming (FLP) languages use non-terminating and non-confluent constructor systems (CSs) as programs in order to define non-strict and non-deterministic functions. Two semantic alternatives have been usually considered for parameter passing with this kind of functions: call-time choice and run-time choice. While the former is the standard choice of modern FLP languages, the latter lacks some basic properties – mainly compositionality – that have prevented its use in practical FLP systems. Traditionally it has been considered that call-time choice induces a singular denotational semantics, while run-time choice induces a plural semantics. We have discovered that this latter identification is wrong when pattern matching is involved, and thus in this paper we propose two novel compositional plural semantics for CSs that are different from run-time choice.

We investigate the basic properties of our plural semantics – compositionality, polarity, and monotonicity for substitutions, and a restricted form of the bubbling property for CSs – and the relation between them and to previous proposals, concluding that these semantics form a hierarchy in the sense of set inclusion of the set of values computed by them. Besides, we have identified a class of programs characterized by a simple syntactic criterion for which the proposed plural semantics behave the same, and a program transformation that can be used to simulate one of the proposed plural semantics by term rewriting. At the practical level, we study how to use the new expressive capabilities of these semantics for improving the declarative flavor of programs. As call-time choice is the standard semantics for FLP, it still remains the best option for many common programming patterns. Therefore, we propose a language that combines call-time choice and our plural semantics, which we have implemented in the Maude system. The resulting interpreter is then employed to develop and test several significant examples showing the capabilities of the combined semantics.
Interdisziplinäre S3-Leitlinien für substanzbezogene Störungen
Authors: Hoch Eva , Batra Anil , Mann Karl
Published: May 2012

Hintergrund: Im Jahr 2006 wurde erstmals eine deutsche evidenzbasierte Leitlinie für substanzbezogene Störungen veröffentlicht. Seitdem hat sich der Kenntnisstand bezüglich des Screenings, der Diagnostik und der Therapie von Suchterkrankungen verbessert. Ziel: Das aktuellste, internationale Wissen über evidenzbasierte Interventionen für alkohol- und tabakbezogenen Störungen soll zusammengefasst, Empfehlungen für die Praxis sollen abgeleitet und abgestimmt werden. Methode: Um Leitlinien der methodischen Qualität S3 im Rahmen der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wissenschaftlich Medizinischer Fachgesellschaften (AWMF) zu entwickeln, erfolgt 1.) eine systematische Recherche, Auswahl und methodische Bewertung der internationalen Literatur, 2.) eine strukturierte Konsensfindung und 3.) die interdisziplinäre und repräsentative Beteiligung von über 50 Fachgesellschaften, Berufs-, Betroffenen- und Angehörigenverbänden sowie 70 Fachexperten. Ergebnisse: Die Fertigstellung der beiden S3-Leitlinien „Alkohol“ und „Tabak“ ist für das Jahr 2013 geplant. Danach sollen weitere substanzspezifische Leitlinien entwickelt werden. Alle Leitlinien sollen in regelmäßigem Abstand überarbeitet werden, um die Aktualität der klinischen Empfehlungen zu garantieren. Schlussfolgerungen: Die S3-Leitlinien sollen Therapeuten, Betroffenen und Angehörigen eine Entscheidungshilfe bei der Behandlung von Abhängigkeitserkrankungen zur Verfügung stellen.
Elterliche Alkoholprobleme: Kognitionen der Kinder und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten
Authors: Moesgen Diana , Schulz Wolfgang , Klein Michael
Published: May 2012

Fragestellung: Das erhöhte Risiko von Kindern und Jugendlichen aus alkoholbelasteten Familien psychische Auffälligkeiten zu entwickeln, kann unter anderem durch dysfunktionale Kognitionen mit bedingt sein. Ob sich betroffene Kinder und Jugendliche hinsichtlich kognitiver Muster von unbelasteten Kinder und Jugendliche unterscheiden und ob diese kognitiven Muster eine Bedeutung für das Auftreten psychischer Auffälligkeiten besitzen, ist Gegenstand der vorliegenden Studie. Methodik: Die Querschnittsstudie mit Kontrollgruppendesign beruht auf einer Fragebogenerhebung bei 72 Kindern und Jugendlichen aus alkoholbelasteten Familien und 109 unbelasteten Kindern und Jugendlichen. Ergebnisse: Dysfunktionale Denkmuster sind nicht unbedingt typisch für betroffene Kinder und Jugendliche. Dennoch hängen in dieser Gruppe kognitive Muster mit einer psychischen Symptombelastung zusammen. Dies ist jedoch auch bei unbelasteten Kindern und Jugendlichen der Fall. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Bearbeitung negativer kognitiver Muster kann sowohl in der selektiven als auch in der universellen Prävention sinnvoll sein. Weitere Forschungsarbeiten sind notwendig, um spezifische Gedankenmuster von Kindern und Jugendlichen aus alkoholbelasteten Familien zu identifizieren.
Simultaneous three‐dimensional variational assimilation of surface fine particulate matter and MODIS aerosol optical depth
Authors: Schwartz Craig S. , Liu Zhiquan , Lin Hui‐Chuan , McKeen Stuart A.
Published: May 2012

Total 550 nm aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors and surface fine particulate matter (PM2.5) observations were assimilated with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) three‐dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation (DA) system. Parallel experiments assimilated AOD and surface PM2.5observations both individually and simultaneously. New 3DVAR aerosol analyses were produced every 6 h between 0000 UTC 01 June and 1800 UTC 14 July 2010 over a domain encompassing the continental United States. The analyses initialized Weather Research and Forecasting‐Chemistry (WRF‐Chem) model forecasts. Assimilating AOD, either alone or in conjunction with PM2.5 observations, produced better AOD forecasts than a control experiment that did not perform DA. Additionally, individual assimilation of both AOD and PM2.5 improved surface PM2.5 forecasts compared to when no DA occurred. However, the best PM2.5 forecasts were produced when both AOD and PM2.5 were assimilated. Considering the goodness of both AOD and PM2.5 forecasts, the results unequivocally show that concurrent DA of PM2.5 and AOD observations produced the best overall forecasts, illustrating how simultaneous DA of different aerosol observations can work synergistically to improve aerosol forecasts.
Possible impact of the autumnal North Pacific SST and November AO on the East Asian winter temperature
Authors: Kim Hae‐Jeong , Ahn Joong‐Bae
Published: May 2012

This study investigates the effects of the North Pacific sea surface temperature (NP SST) anomalies on the East Asian winter temperature (TEA), and the relationship between the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and NP SST anomalies in association with TEA. Time‐lagged correlation analysis revealed that the third mode of the September–October–November (SON) mean NP SST (“SON SST 3rd mode”) and the AO index for November (“Nov AO”) are closely related to TEA, and further that the first and second modes of NP SST are associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Pacific North America (PNA) patterns, respectively. This study reveals that when the SON SST 3rd mode and Nov AO have a positive (negative) phase, the intensity of the Siberian High weakens (strengthens), which in turn weakens (strengthens) the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM), resulting in a warm (cold) winter in East Asia. Our results suggest that the North Pacific Ocean signals influence the AO, which is one of the most pronounced Northern Hemispheric atmospheric global patterns. Such an influence in turn governs the continental‐scale circulation over Siberia and affects the subsequent local climate variation over the East Asia regions.
Extended geomagnetic storm forecast ahead of available solar wind measurements
Authors: Podladchikova T. V. , Petrukovich A. A.
Published: May 2012

We develop a technique to predict geomagnetic storm magnitudes (peak Dst values) several hours in advance using the first indications of extreme solar wind conditions, as well as an assumption of constant driving function V Bs. For larger storms with clear V Bs jump we predict lower and upper limits of expected peak Dst. For smaller storms and storms with gradually increasing V Bs we predict Dst several hours ahead. The data from 1995–2010 were used to design the technique. The actual advance time of reliable forecasts (before the peak value is reached) is on average 5–6 hours, illustrating the realistic horizon of such “constant input” assumption. Larger storms are developing faster and thus are better predicted. False warnings (predictions more than 25% larger than the actual peak) occur in about 10% of events. The algorithm is implemented in real‐time in Space Research Institute, Moscow (www.spaceweather.ru).
Safety Profile of Bone Marrow Mononuclear Stem Cells in the Rehabilitation of Patients with Posttraumatic Facial Nerve Paralysis—A Novel Modality (Phase One Trial)
Authors: Aggarwal Sushil Kumar , Gupta Ashok Kumar , Modi Manish , Gupta Rijuneeta , Marwaha Neelam
Published: May 2012

Objectives The objectives of this study were to study the safety profile and role of mononuclear stem cells in the rehabilitation of posttraumatic facial nerve paralysis not improving with conventional treatment.

Study Design This is a prospective nonrandomized controlled trial.

Study Setting This study is conducted at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh between July, 2007 and December, 2008.

Patients We included eight patients of either sex aged between 18 and 60 years of posttraumatic facial nerve paralysis not improving with conventional treatment presented to PGIMER, Chandigarh between July 2007 and December 2008.

Methods All patients underwent preoperative electroneuronography (ENoG), clinical photography, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) temporal bone. All patients then underwent facial nerve decompression and stem cell implantation. Stem cells processing was done in well-equipped bone marrow laboratory. Postoperatively, all patients underwent repeat ENoG and clinical photography at 3 and 6 months to assess for objective and clinical improvement. Clinical improvement was graded according to modified House–Brackmann grading system.

Intervention Done All patients of posttraumatic facial nerve paralysis who were not improving with conventional surgical treatment were subjected to facial nerve decompression and stem cell implantation.

Main Outcome Measures All patients who were subjected to stem cell implantation were followed up for 6 months to assess for any adverse effects of stem cell therapy on human beings; no adverse effects were seen in any of our patients after more than 6 months of follow-up.

Results Majority of the patients were male, with motor vehicle accidents as the most common cause of injury in our series. Majority had longitudinal fractures on HRCT temporal bone. The significant improvement in ENoG amplitude was seen between preoperative and postoperative amplitudes on involved side which was statistically significant (0.041). Clinical improvement seen was statistically significant both for eye closure (p < 0.010) and for deviation of angle of mouth (p < 0.008) at 6-month follow-up in 85% of our patients, far better than the results of previous conventional surgeries.

Conclusion Stem cell therapy can be used safely in human beings without any adverse effects on humans, and it appears to be a promising modality for rehabilitation of patients with posttraumatic facial nerve paralysis not improving with conventional surgical treatment but few more clinical series are required for validation.
Effect of multiplicative noise on least-squares parameter estimation with applications to the atomic force microscope
Authors: Sader John E. , Hughes Barry D. , Sanelli Julian A. , Bieske Evan J.
Published: May 2012

Measurement of the power spectral density of (stochastic) Brownian fluctuations of micro- and nano-devices is used frequently to gain insight into their mechanistic properties. Noise is always present in these measurements and can directly influence any parameter estimation obtained through a least-squares analysis. Importantly, measurements of the spectral density of stationary random signals, such as Brownian motion, inherently contain multiplicative noise. In this article, we theoretically analyze the impact of multiplicative noise on fit parameters extracted using a least-squares analysis. A general analysis is presented that is valid for any fit function with any number of fit parameters. This yields closed-form expressions for the expected value and variance in the fit parameters and provides a rigorous theoretical framework for a priori determination of the effect of measurement uncertainty. The theory is demonstrated and validated through Monte Carlo simulation of synthetic data and by comparison to power spectral density measurements of the Brownian fluctuations of an atomic force microscope cantilever – analytical formulas for the uncertainty in the fitted resonant frequency and quality factor are presented. The results of this study demonstrate that precise measurements of fit parameters in the presence of noise are inherently problematic – individual measurements of the power spectral density are capable of yielding fit parameters that are many standard deviations away from the mean, with finite probability. This is of direct relevance to a host of applications in measurement science, including those connected with the atomic force microscope.
Energy harvesting from a standing wave thermoacoustic-piezoelectric resonator
Authors: Smoker J. , Nouh M. , Aldraihem O. , Baz A.
Published: May 2012

In this paper, a one-dimensional thermoacoustic-piezoelectric (TAP) resonator is developed to convert thermal energy, such as solar or waste heat energy, directly into electrical energy. The thermal energy is utilized to generate a steep temperature gradient along a porous stack which is optimally sized and placed near one end of the resonator. At a specific threshold of the temperature gradient, self-sustained acoustic waves are generated inside the resonator. The resulting pressure fluctuations excite a piezoelectric diaphragm, placed at the opposite end of the resonator, which converts the acoustic energy directly into electrical energy without the need for any moving components. The theoretical performance characteristics of this class of thermoacoustic-piezoelectric resonators are predicted using the Design Environment for Low-amplitude Thermoacoustic Energy Conversion Software. These characteristics are validated experimentally on a small prototype of the system. Particular emphasis is placed on monitoring the temperature field using infrared camera, the flow field using particle image velocimetry, the acoustic field using an array of microphones, and the energy conversion efficiency. Comparisons between the theoretical predictions and the experimental results are also presented. The developed theoretical and experimental techniques can be invaluable tools in the design of TAP resonators for harvesting thermal energy in areas far from the power grid such as nomadic communities and desert regions for light, agricultural, air conditioning, and communication applications.
Lattice dynamics and broad-band dielectric properties of the KTaO3 ceramics
Authors: Glinšek Sebastjan , Nuzhnyy Dmitry , Petzelt Jan , Malič Barbara , Kamba Stanislav , Bovtun Viktor , Kempa Martin , Skoromets Volodymyr , Kužel Petr , Gregora Ivan , Kosec Marija
Published: May 2012

High-density KTaO3 ceramics were synthesized and studied by means of microwave, terahertz, infrared, and Raman spectroscopies. The results were analyzed together with recently published radio-frequency data. [S. Glinšek et al., J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 94, 1368 (2011)] Three polar modes expected for the cubic structure were observed. As in single crystals, the lowest-frequency TO1 mode (soft mode) strongly softens on cooling, while the TO2 and TO4 mode frequencies do not change with temperature. The permittivity does not show any significant dispersion below the soft mode frequency and its value in the kHz and GHz range is mainly given by the intrinsic polar lattice modes contribution. The soft mode frequency agrees with the values found in single crystals; this indicates a negligible influence of the grain boundaries on the dielectric response in KTaO3 unlike in other ferroelectric or incipient ferroelectric perovskite ceramics.
A comparative study of ultraviolet photoconductivity relaxation in zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by different techniques
Authors: Yadav Harish Kumar , Gupta Vinay
Published: May 2012

Photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin films deposited by three different techniques namely rf diode sputtering, rf magnetron sputtering, and electrophoretic deposition has been investigated in the metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) configuration. A significant variation in the crystallinity, surface morphology, and photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin film with change in growth kinetics suggest that the presence of defect centers and their density govern the photodetector relaxation properties. A relatively low density of traps compared to the true quantum yield is found very crucial for the realization of practical ZnO thin film based ultraviolet (UV) photodetector.
Aharonov-Bohm effect in an electron-hole graphene ring system
Authors: Smirnov D. , Schmidt H. , Haug R. J.
Published: May 2012

Aharonov-Bohm oscillations are observed in a graphene quantum ring with a topgate covering one arm of the ring. As graphene is a gapless semiconductor, this geometry allows to study not only the quantum interference of electrons with electrons or holes with holes, but also the unique situation of quantum interference between electrons and holes. The period and amplitude of the observed Aharonov-Bohm oscillations are independent of the sign of the applied gate voltage showing the equivalence between unipolar and dipolar interferences.
Theory and simulation of anisotropic pair correlations in ferrofluids in magnetic fields
Authors: Elfimova Ekaterina A. , Ivanov Alexey O. , Camp Philip J.
Published: May 2012

Anisotropic pair correlations in ferrofluids exposed to magnetic fields are studied using a combination of statistical-mechanical theory and computer simulations. A simple dipolar hard-sphere model of the magnetic colloidal particles is studied in detail. A virial-expansion theory is constructed for the pair distribution function (PDF) which depends not only on the length of the pair separation vector, but also on its orientation with respect to the field. A detailed comparison is made between the theoretical predictions and accurate simulation data, and it is found that the theory works well for realistic values of the dipolar coupling constant (λ = 1), volume fraction (φ ⩽ 0.1), and magnetic field strength. The structure factor is computed for wavevectors either parallel or perpendicular to the field. The comparison between theory and simulation is generally very good with realistic ferrofluid parameters. For both the PDF and the structure factor, there are some deviations between theory and simulation at uncommonly high dipolar coupling constants, and with very strong magnetic fields. In particular, the theory is less successful at predicting the behavior of the structure factors at very low wavevectors, and perpendicular Gaussian density fluctuations arising from strongly correlated pairs of magnetic particles. Overall, though, the theory provides reliable predictions for the nature and degree of pair correlations in ferrofluids in magnetic fields, and hence should be of use in the design of functional magnetic materials.
Full-dimensional quantum dynamics study of exchange processes for the D + H2O and D + HOD reactions
Authors: Fu Bina , Zhang Dong H.
Published: May 2012

The exchange processes of D + H2O and D + HOD reactions are studied using initial state-selected time-dependent wave packet approach in full dimension. The total reaction probabilities for different partial waves, together with the integral cross sections, are obtained both by the centrifugal sudden (CS) approximation and exact coupled-channel (CC) calculations, for the H2O(HOD) reactant initially in the ground rovibrational state. In the CC calculations, small resonance peaks in the reaction probabilities and quick diminishing of the resonance peaks with the increase of total angular momenta J do not lead to clear step-like features just above the threshold in the cross sections for the title reactions, which are different in other isotopically substituted reactions where the hydrogen atom was included as the reactant instead of the deuterium atom [B. Fu, Y. Zhou, and D. H. Zhang, Chem. Sci. 3, 270 (2012)10.1039/c1sc00684c; B. Fu and D. H. Zhang, J. Phys. Chem. A 116, 820 (2012)10.1021/jp211096q]. It is interesting that the shape resonance-induced features resulting from the reaction tunneling are significantly diminished accordingly in the reactions of the deuterium atom and H2O or HOD, owing to the weaker tunneling capability of the reagent deuterium atom in the title reactions than the reagent hydrogen atom in other reactions. In the CS calculations, the resonance peaks persist in many partial waves but cannot survive the partial-wave summations. The cross sections for the D′ + H2O → D′OH + H and D′ + HOD → D′OD + H reactions are substantially larger than those for the D′ + HOD → HOD′ + D reaction, indicating that the D′/H exchange reactions are much more favored than the D′/D exchange.
Relaxor behaviour of K0.5Bi0.5TiO3-BiScO3 ceramics
Authors: Kruea-In Chatchai , Rujijanagul Gobwute , Zhu Fang Yuan , Milne Steven J.
Published: May 2012

Dielectric properties of (1 − x)K0.5Bi0.5TiO3 − xBiScO3 ceramics have been studied for compositions x ≤ 0.5. Single-phase solid solutions occurred for compositions x < 0.25. A frequency-dependent dielectric relaxation was observed, consistent with relaxor behaviour. This gave rise to a relatively stable dielectric permittivity at high temperatures, for example, ɛr = 2880% ± 3%, between temperatures of 500 and 700 K (1 kHz) for composition x = 0.15. This consistency in relative permittivity occurs at higher temperatures than for other lead-free dielectrics. Parameters from Vogel-Fulcher analysis are compared to other relaxors.
Color control through plasmonic metal gratings
Authors: Vincenti M. A. , Grande M. , de Ceglia D. , Stomeo T. , Petruzzelli V. , De Vittorio M. , Scalora M. , D’Orazio A.
Published: May 2012

We experimentally demonstrate the color tuning abilities of two-dimensional periodic arrays of gold nano-patches on silicon substrate. We observe that changes in the geometrical parameters of the array can shift significantly the plasmonic resonance that occurs at the edge of the plasmonic band gap. Experimental proof of this shift is provided by the observation of an important change in the color of the diffracted field. Calculations of the diffracted spectra match the observed color changes very well and provide an efficient means for the design of sensing platforms based on color observation.
Anomalous phase change characteristics in Fe-Te materials
Authors: Fu X. T. , Song W. D. , Ho H. W. , Ji R. , Wang L. , Hong M. H.
Published: May 2012

Phase change materials have become significantly attractive due to its unique characteristics for its extensive applications. In this paper, a kind of phase change material, which consists of Fe and Te components, is developed. The crystallization temperature of the Fe-Te materials is 180 °C for Fe1.19Te and can be adjusted by the Fe/Te ratio. High-speed phase change in the Fe-Te materials has been demonstrated by nanosecond laser irradiation. Comparing to conventional phase change materials, the Fe-Te materials exhibit an anomalous optical property that has higher reflectivity at amorphous than crystalline state, which is useful for data storage design.
Indium incorporation and emission properties of nonpolar and semipolar InGaN quantum wells
Authors: Zhao Yuji , Yan Qimin , Huang Chia-Yen , Huang Shih-Chieh , Shan Hsu Po , Tanaka Shinichi , Pan Chih-Chien , Kawaguchi Yoshinobu , Fujito Kenji , Van de Walle Chris G. , Speck James S. , DenBaars Steven P. , Nakamura Shuji , Feezell Daniel
Published: May 2012

We report indium incorporation properties on various nonpolar and semipolar free-standing GaN substrates. Electroluminescence characterization and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicate that the semipolar (202¯1¯) and (112¯2) planes have the highest indium incorporation rate among the studied planes. We also show that both indium composition and polarization-related electric fields impact the emission wavelength of the quantum wells (QWs). The different magnitudes and directions of the polarization-related electric fields for each orientation result in different potential profiles for the various semipolar and nonpolar QWs, leading to different emission wavelengths at a given indium composition.
Taming the thermal emissivity of metals: A metamaterial approach
Authors: Mattiucci N. , D’Aguanno G. , Alù A. , Argyropoulos C. , Foreman J. V. , Bloemer M. J.
Published: May 2012

We demonstrate the possibility of realizing temporally coherent, wide-angle, thermal radiation sources based on the metamaterial properties of metallic gratings. In contrast to other approaches, we do not rely on the excitation of surface waves such as phonon-polaritons, plasmon-polaritons, or guided mode resonances along the grating, nor on the absorption resonances of extremely shallow metallic grating. Instead, we exploit the effective bulk properties of a thick metallic grating below the first diffraction order. We analytically model this physical mechanism of temporally coherent thermal emission based on localized bulk resonances in the grating. We validate our theoretical predictions with full-wave numerical simulations.