bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A pocket of very high suicide rates in a non-violent, egalitarian and cooperative population of South-East Asia
Authors: Jollant F. , Malafosse A. , Docto R. , Macdonald C.
Published: January 2014

Background

Extremely high rates of suicide localized within subgroups of populations where suicide is rare have been reported. We investigated this intriguing observation in a population of South-East Asia, where local culture should theoretically be preventative of suicide.

Method

A team including an anthropologist and a psychiatrist surveyed all cases of suicide that had occurred over 10 years in four isolated regions. A psychological autopsy was carried out comparing each suicide case with two matched control cases.

Results

In a region of 1192 inhabitants, 16 suicides occurred, leading to an annual suicide rate of 134/1 000 00 which is 10 times the rate in the USA or Canada. By contrast, three ethnically similar distant communities showed low to null rates. The gender ratio was three males to one female and two-thirds of cases were aged below 35 years. Methods of suicide were poisoning and hanging and motives mainly included interpersonal discord. The pattern of developmental and clinical risk factors was somewhat different from Western countries, showing no childhood maltreatment, only one case of alcohol/substance abuse and impulsive–aggressive personality but elevated rates of social anxiety. Suicide cases had very high frequencies of second-degree biological relatives who committed suicide.

Conclusions

Our study confirms a persistent phenomenon of high suicide rates restricted to a subgroup of a pre-industrialized population. We hypothesized this might be explained by isolation and endogamy, which may have promoted the selection/amplification of genetic vulnerability factors, or a contagion effect. These findings shed light on suicide from both a singular and a universal perspective, suggesting that particular local conditions may significantly modulate the rate of this complex behavior.
Learning by observation in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Foti F. , Mazzone L. , Menghini D. , De Peppo L. , Federico F. , Postorino V. , Baumgartner E. , Valeri G. , Petrosini L. , Vicari S.
Published: January 2014

Background

Observing another person performing a complex action accelerates the observer's acquisition of the same action and limits the time-consuming process of learning by trial and error. Learning by observation requires specific skills such as attending, imitating and understanding contingencies. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit deficits in these skills.

Method

The performance of 20 ASD children was compared with that of a group of typically developing (TD) children matched for chronological age (CA), IQ and gender on tasks of learning of a visuomotor sequence by observation or by trial and error. Acquiring the correct sequence involved three phases: a detection phase (DP), in which participants discovered the correct sequence and learned how to perform the task; an exercise phase (EP), in which they reproduced the sequence until performance was error free; and an automatization phase (AP), in which by repeating the error-free sequence they became accurate and speedy.

Results

In the DP, ASD children were impaired in detecting a sequence by trial and error only when the task was proposed as first, whereas they were as efficient as TD children in detecting a sequence by observation. In the EP, ASD children were as efficient as TD children. In the AP, ASD children were impaired in automatizing the sequence. Although the positive effect of learning by observation was evident, ASD children made a high number of imitative errors, indicating marked tendencies to hyperimitate.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate the imitative abilities of ASD children although the presence of imitative errors indicates an impairment in the control of imitative behaviours.
Attention-getting skills of deaf children using American Sign Language in a preschool classroom
Authors: LIEBERMAN AMY M.
Published: January 2014

Visual attention is a necessary prerequisite to successful communication in sign language. The current study investigated the development of attention-getting skills in deaf native-signing children during interactions with peers and teachers. Seven deaf children (aged 21–39 months) and five adults were videotaped during classroom activities for approximately 30 hr. Interactions were analyzed in depth to determine how children obtained and maintained attention. Contrary to previous reports, children were found to possess a high level of communicative competence from an early age. Analysis of peer interactions revealed that children used a range of behaviors to obtain attention with peers, including taps, waves, objects, and signs. Initiations were successful approximately 65% of the time. Children followed up failed initiation attempts by repeating the initiation, using a new initiation, or terminating the interaction. Older children engaged in longer and more complex interactions than younger children. Children's early exposure to and proficiency in American Sign Language is proposed as a likely mechanism that facilitated their communicative competence.
Development of a Digital Accident Hotspot Map for ADAS Applications Using Geospatial Methods in GIS
Authors: Ye Hao , Meng Xiaolin , Yang Lei , Anand Suchith
Published: January 2014

Digital maps have a large potential to support safety-related Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) by providing detailed road and environment information. However, one critical attribute – road accident hotspot – is not available from existing digital maps, and is also difficult to derive from practical surveying. This paper provides a Geographical Information Systems (GIS)-based approach for the production of digital hotspot maps, based on a historical accident dataset and geospatial methods in a GIS. In this approach, firstly the Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) method was used to identify hotspot distribution; secondly the Percent Volume Contour (PVC) method was coupled with KDE to extract hotspot patterns; and finally the map layers of hotspot patterns were integrated with classical navigation maps. Following a description for geospatial hotspot production, the derivation of hotspot property data is also discussed. In order to prove this approach, a small-area case study was carried out in the City Centre of Nottingham. The presented results demonstrate that this approach is useful and effective for solving the hotspot creation problem for ADAS, but other future works will be required to improve data effectiveness.
Is serotonin transporter genotype associated with epigenetic susceptibility or vulnerability? Examination of the impact of socioeconomic status risk on African American youth
Authors: Beach Steven R. H. , Brody Gene H. , Lei Man Kit , Kim Sangjin , Cui Juan , Philibert Robert A.
Published: January 2014

We hypothesized that presence of the short allele in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter would moderate the effect of early cumulative socioeconomic status (SES) risk on epigenetic change among African American youth. Contrasting hypotheses regarding the shape of the interaction effect were generated using vulnerability and susceptibility frameworks and applied to data from a sample of 388 African American youth. Early cumulative SES risk assessed at 11–13 years based on parent report interacted with presence of the short allele to predict differential methylation assessed at age 19. Across multiple tests, a differential susceptibility perspective rather than a diathesis–stress framework best fit the data for genes associated with depression, consistently demonstrating greater epigenetic response to early cumulative SES risk among short allele carriers. A pattern consistent with greater impact among short allele carriers also was observed using all cytosine nucleotide–phosphate–guanine nucleotide sites across the genome that were differentially affected by early cumulative SES risk. We conclude that the short allele is associated with increased responsiveness to early cumulative SES risk among African American youth, leading to epigenetic divergence for depression-related genes in response to exposure to heightened SES risk among short allele carriers in a “for better” or “for worse” pattern.
Maternal depressive symptoms and sensitivity are related to young children's facial expression recognition: The Generation R Study
Authors: Székely Eszter , Lucassen Nicole , Tiemeier Henning , Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J. , Van Ijzendoorn Marinus H. , Kok Rianne , Jaddoe Vincent W. V. , Hofman Albert , Verhulst Frank C. , Herba Catherine M.
Published: January 2014

A vast body of literature shows that maternal depression has long-term adverse consequences for children. However, only very few studies have documented the effect of maternal depression on children's ability to process emotional expressions and even fewer incorporated measures of observed maternal sensitivity to further tease apart whether it is the symptoms per se or the associated impact via maternal sensitivity that affects children's developing emotion-processing abilities. In a large community sample of Dutch preschoolers (N= 770), we examined independent and mediated effects of maternal depressive symptoms and sensitivity on children's ability to recognize emotional expressions using a nonverbal and a verbal task paradigm. Maternal depressive symptoms predicted less accurate emotion labeling in children, while maternal sensitivity was associated with more accurate emotion matching, especially for sadness and anger. Maternal sensitivity did not mediate the observed associations between mothers’ depressive symptoms and children's emotion recognition, and effects were similar for boys and girls. Given that maternal depressive symptoms and sensitivity affected nonoverlapping areas of young children's emotion recognition, prevention and intervention efforts should focus on both alleviating maternal depressive symptoms and improving maternal sensitivity at the same time in order to maximize benefit.
The perfect storm? Histiocytoid cardiomyopathy and compound CACNA2D1 and RANGRF mutation in a baby
Authors: Cataldo Stefania , Annoni Giuseppe A. , Marziliano Nicola
Published: January 2014

A female baby suffered from a rare association between histiocytoid cardiomyopathy, left ventricular non-compaction, and Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome causing severe and recurrent arrhythmic storms. Antiarrhythmic drugs, radiofrequency ablation of Purkinje tissue, and sympathetic denervation were ineffective. The implant of a cardiac defibrillator allowed her to survive till heart transplant. Compound mutation of CACNA2D1 and RANGRF genes were found. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive description of the concurrence of these two mutations and histiocytoid cardiomyopathy.
Successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction in a 12-year-old boy with fibromuscular dysplasia: a case report
Authors: Lin Ming-Chih , Lee Wen-Lieng , Fu Yun-Ching
Published: January 2014

Acute myocardial infarction is rarely reported in children. Most of the cases are secondary to congenital anomalies or Kawasaki disease. Coronary artery total occlusion caused by fibromuscular dysplasia has never been reported in young children. Here we report a case of a 12-year-old boy with fibromuscular dysplasia, who underwent successful coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction.
Initial Data on Recollections of Pathways to Inflated Responsibility Beliefs in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Coles Meredith E. , Schofield Casey A. , Nota Jacob A.
Published: January 2014

Background:Despite literature establishing a relationship between maladaptive beliefs and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there are few studies addressing how these beliefs develop. Salkovskis and colleagues (1999) proposed specific domains of childhood experiences leading to heightened beliefs regarding responsibility. Prior studies in students and individuals who just completed treatment for OCD have found support for this theory. However, we are not aware of published data from individuals with current OCD.Aims:This paper presents initial data from adults currently meeting criteria for OCD as well as both anxious and non-anxious controls.Method:Recollections of childhood experiences, current OCD-related beliefs, and OCD symptoms were assessed using self-report measures in 39 individuals seeking treatment for OCD, 36 anxious controls and 39 healthy controls.Results:Initial data suggested that in individuals with OCD, increased reports of childhood exposure to overprotection and experiences where one's actions caused or influenced misfortune were associated with stronger OCD-related beliefs. Further, compared to community controls, individuals with OCD reported more childhood experiences where one's actions caused or influenced misfortune, though they did not differ from anxious controls in childhood responsibility experiences.Conclusions:These initial findings provide minimal support for the proposed model of the development of inflated responsibility beliefs, and highlight the need for research examining the etiology of OCD related beliefs with updated models, larger samples, and ultimately using prospective methods.
ENDOGENOUS ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, NORTH–SOUTH TRADE, AND GROWTH
Authors: Schäfer Andreas , Schneider Maik T.
Published: January 2014

Now that most countries have harmonized intellectual property right (IPR) legislation as a consequence of signing the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), the dispute about the optimal level of IPR protection has shifted toward IPR enforcement. This paper develops an endogenous growth framework with two open economies satisfying the classical North–South assumptions to study (a) the regions' incentives to enforce IPRs in a decentralized game, (b) the desired IPR enforcement of the two regions in negotiation rounds on global harmonization, and (c) the constrained efficient enforcement level. We show how the different solutions relate to each other and how the results depend on the research productivity in the North and the regions' relative market sizes. Although growth rates increase substantially when IPR enforcement is harmonized at the North's desired level, our numerical simulation suggests that the South may also benefit in terms of long-run welfare.
Tests of a dual-system model of speech category learning
Authors: MADDOX W. TODD , CHANDRASEKARAN BHARATH
Published: January 2014

In the visual domain, more than two decades of work has argued for the existence of dual category learning systems. Thereflectivesystem uses working memory in an explicit fashion to develop and test rules for classifying. Thereflexivesystem operates by implicitly associating perception with actions that lead to reinforcement. Dual-system models posit that in learning natural categories, learners initially use the reflective system and with practice, transfer control to the reflexive system. The role of reflective and reflexive systems in second language (L2) speech learning has not been systematically examined. In the study reported in this paper, monolingual native speakers of American English were trained to categorize Mandarin tones produced by multiple speakers. Our computational modeling approach demonstrates that learners use reflective and reflexive strategies during tone category learning. Successful learners use speaker-dependent, reflective analysis early in training and reflexive strategies by the end of training. Our results demonstrate that dual-learning systems are operative in L2 speech learning. Critically, learner strategies directly relate to individual differences in successful category learning.
Policy Paradigm Shift and the Changing Role of the State: The Development of Social Policy in China since 2003
Authors: Ngok King-Lun , Huang Genghua
Published: January 2014

Since 2003 the rapid development of China's social policy has aroused much academic interest. This research places the development of social policy in China's political and economic context, focusing on the changing role of the state in making and implementing social policy. Based on the policy paradigm theory, this article builds up a framework to analyse the shift of social policy paradigms in post-Mao China, examining the changing role of the Chinese state in social welfare and social development. It argues that China's latest round of social policy expansion was driven by the social problems accumulated during the economic reforms, with change triggered by the SARS crisis, and its shape finally determined by the central political leadership led by Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao in a top-down manner.
Public Opinion in Britain towards the Disestablishment of the Church of England
Authors: Clements Ben , Spencer Nick
Published: January 2014

This article provides a detailed empirical assessment of British public opinion on the issue of the disestablishment of the Church of England, one of the most important questions concerning relations between church and state. It uses a nationally representative survey conducted in 2011. It finds that, in socio-structural terms, those more supportive of disestablishment are men, those living in Scotland and those with a degree-level education. In political and ideological terms, Liberal Democrat party identifiers and those with left-wing and liberal policy preferences are more supportive of disestablishment. There are also significant differences on the basis of newspaper readership, withGuardianreaders most supportive. The findings contribute to existing empirical research on this topic and demonstrate the need for further analysis of how religious orientations shape public attitudes on this debate.
Commensalistic institutions and value conflicts: the World Trade Organization and global private food standards
Authors: Botterill Linda Courtenay , Daugbjerg Carsten
Published: January 2014

An important outcome of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations was the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). This was set up to discipline the use of national food safety and animal and plant health regulations and to prevent their emergence as technical barriers to trade. The Agreement privileges free trade and scientific evidence, thus excluding many ethical considerations from the regulations that national governments can enact in relation to production methods in the agri-food chain. Autonomously from the SPS Agreement, a number of global private standard schemes have been developed that have incorporated values rejected by the SPS Agreement. This paper examines the relationship between the Agreement and the private standards and argues that this case highlights a gap in the institutional literature with respect to parallel institutions emergingautonomouslyfrom the primary institution to embody values excluded by the latter. We adopt the term commensalism for these previously undescribed relationships.
Defining and Evaluating Fidelity at the Program Level in Psychosocial Treatments
Authors: Brunk Molly A. , Chapman Jason E. , Schoenwald Sonja K.
Published: January 2014

One challenge to research on the implementation of effective psychosocial treatments is how to define and measure fidelity at the program level. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an approach to defining, measuring, and observing over time fidelity at the program level for Multisystemic Therapy (MST). For this study, program fidelity was conceptualized as a program’s performance on several key areas identified in the literature as contributing to sustainability. A composite index, the MST Program Performance Index (PPI), was developed using data from the MST quality assurance system. The PPI included indicators of treatment adherence, treatment completion, program operations, program capacity, clinical supervisor leadership, and stakeholder relationships. A PPI score was calculated for 496 MST teams every 6 months for a two year period, during which time, the teams served over 25,000 young people. The predictive validity of the PPI score was supported by both client- and team-level outcomes. Specifically, youth treated by teams with lower PPI scores were more likely to be rearrested during their course of treatment. Likewise, teams with lower PPI scores were more likely to close during the time period covered by the study. Analysis of scores over the two year period showed substantial within-team variability in the PPI; however, the scores did not follow a linear pattern of change. In summary, preliminary evidence suggests the PPI may be a useful tool to index program-level fidelity for comparative purposes and as an additional tool for a decision support system.
Exploration-Stage Implementation Variation
Authors: Romney Stephanie , Israel Nathaniel , Zlatevski Danijela
Published: January 2014

The present study examines the effect of agency-level implementation variation on the cost-effectiveness of an evidence-based parent training program (Positive Parenting Program: “Triple P”). Staff from six community-based agencies participated in a five-day training to prepare them to deliver a 12-week Triple P parent training group to caregivers. Prior to the training, administrators and staff from four of the agencies completed a site readiness process intended to prepare them for the implementation demands of successfully delivering the group, while the other two agencies did not complete the process. Following the delivery of each agency’s first Triple P group, the graduation rate and average cost per class graduate were calculated. The average cost-per-graduate was over seven times higher for the two agencies that had not completed the readiness process than for the four completing agencies ($7,811 vs. $1,052). The contrast in costs was due to high participant attrition in the Triple P groups delivered by the two agencies that did not complete the readiness process. The odds of Triple P participants graduating were 12.2 times greater for those in groups run by sites that had completed the readiness process. This differential attrition was not accounted for by between-group differences in participant characteristics at pretest. While the natural design of this study limits the ability to empirically test all alternative explanations, these findings indicate a striking cost savings for sites completing the readiness process and support the thoughtful application of readiness procedures in the early stages of an implementation initiative.
Drawing a high-resolution functional map of adeno-associated virus capsid by massively parallel sequencing
Authors: Adachi Kei , Enoki Tatsuji , Kawano Yasuhiro , Veraz Michael , Nakai Hiroyuki
Published: January 2014

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid engineering is an emerging approach to advance gene therapy. However, a systematic analysis on how each capsid amino acid contributes to multiple functions remains challenging. Here we show proof-of-principle and successful application of a novel approach, termed AAV Barcode-Seq, that allows us to characterize phenotypes of hundreds of different AAV strains in a high-throughput manner and therefore overcomes technical difficulties in the systematic analysis. In this approach, we generate DNA barcode-tagged AAV libraries and determine a spectrum of phenotypes of each AAV strain by Illumina barcode sequencing. By applying this method to AAV capsid mutant libraries tagged with DNA barcodes, we can draw a high-resolution map of AAV capsid amino acids important for the structural integrity and functions including receptor binding, tropism, neutralization and blood clearance. Thus, Barcode-Seq provides a new tool to generate a valuable resource for virus and gene therapy research.
Tetrahydro[5]helicene-based imide dyes with intense fluorescence in both solution and solid state
Authors: Li Meng , Niu Yingli , Zhu Xiaozhang , Peng Qian , Lu Hai-Yan , Xia Andong , Chen Chuan-Feng
Published: January 2014

Tetrahydro[5]helicene-based imide dyes with intense fluorescence and large Stokes shifts in solution and solid state were developed and theoretically investigated.
Hydrogen bonds in the crystal structure of hydrophobic and hydrophilic COOH-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids
Authors: Xuan Xiao-Peng , Chang Liang-Liang , Zhang Heng , Wang Na , Zhao Yang
Published: January 2014

Hydrogen bonds such as the classic O–H⋯X (halide ion) hydrogen bond and the carboxyl group dimer were observed in the crystal structures of hydrophilic and hydrophobic COOH-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids, respectively.
A Mn(ii) coordination framework incorporating the redox-active tris(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)amine ligand (NPy3): electrochemical and spectral properties
Authors: Hua Carol , D'Alessandro Deanna M.
Published: January 2014

Investigation of the electronic and spectral properties of a redox-active Mn2+ coordination framework revealed the accessibility of the oxidised state of the framework upon oxidation.
New materials for tunable plasmonic colloidal nanocrystals
Authors: Comin Alberto , Manna Liberato
Published: January 2014

We present a review on the emerging materials for novel plasmonic colloidal nanocrystals.
Ligand-based molecular recognition and dioxygen splitting: an endo epoxide ending
Authors: Sues Peter E. , Forbes Matthew W. , Lough Alan J. , Morris Robert H.
Published: January 2014

Dioxygen adds selectively at the cleft created by diphenylphosphide and an unsaturated chelating diphosphine on ruthenium to produce an endo epoxide complex.
Optimal topotactic conversion of layered octosilicate to RWR-type zeolite by separating the formation stages of interlayer condensation and elimination of organic guest molecules
Authors: Asakura Yusuke , Osada Shimon , Hosaka Nami , Terasawa Taichi , Kuroda Kazuyuki
Published: January 2014

Separation of two stages of interlayer condensation and elimination of organic guests provides optimal conditions for the formation of RWR-type zeolite.
Photo-transformation of pharmaceutically active compounds in the aqueous environment: a review
Authors: Yan Shuwen , Song Weihua
Published: January 2014

This review summarizes the last 10 years (2003–2013) of studies on the solar or solar-simulated photodegradation of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in aqueous environments.
A low temperature and solvent-free direct chemical synthesis of L10 FePt nanoparticles with size tailoring
Authors: Hu X. C. , Agostinelli E. , Ni C. , Hadjipanayis G. C. , Capobianchi A.
Published: January 2014

High coercivity FePt L10 nanoparticles were prepared by ball-milling in a solvent-free one pot synthesis at low temperature.
Quantitative study of state switching in proteins using a single probe combined with trilinear decomposition
Authors: Zhang Shu-Rong , Wu Hai-Long , Zhang Xi-Hua , Zhai Min , Yu Ru-Qin
Published: January 2014

Excitation–Emission Matrix fluorescence (EEM) signals from the state switching of α-chymotrypsin can be resolved and investigated quantitatively by trilinear decomposition.
Immunotoxicity of nanoparticles: a computational study suggests that CNTs and C60 fullerenes might be recognized as pathogens by Toll-like receptors
Authors: Turabekova M. , Rasulev B. , Theodore M. , Jackman J. , Leszczynska D. , Leszczynski J.
Published: January 2014

Hypothetical model describing interactions of TLRs with nanotube and fullerene is provided to explain inflammatory effect of these nanostructures.
Design of a TiO2 nanosheet/nanoparticle gradient film photoanode and its improved performance for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Wang Wenguang , Zhang Haiyan , Wang Rong , Feng Ming , Chen Yiming
Published: January 2014

The light scattering effect gradually became stronger with increasing content of nanosheets from substrate to surface in the gradient structure.
Fabrication and application of flexible graphene silk composite film electrodes decorated with spiky Pt nanospheres
Authors: Liang Bo , Fang Lu , Hu Yichuan , Yang Guang , Zhu Qin , Ye Xuesong
Published: January 2014

A free-standing graphene silk composite film decorated with spiky Pt nanospheres was prepared and utilized in electrochemical sensor applications.
Highly conductive and flexible polymer composites with improved mechanical and electromagnetic interference shielding performances
Authors: Chen Mengting , Zhang Ling , Duan Shasha , Jing Shilong , Jiang Hao , Luo Meifang , Li Chunzhong
Published: January 2014

A quartz fiber cloth–MWCNT–carbon aerogel–PDMS composite with a very high stable electrical conductivity can meet the demands of next-generation electronics while also protecting them from external forces and EMI.
meta-Chloroperbenzoic acid (mCPBA): a versatile reagent in organic synthesis
Authors: Hussain Hidayat , Al-Harrasi Ahmed , Green Ivan R. , Ahmed Ishtiaq , Abbas Ghulam , Rehman Najeeb Ur
Published: January 2014

This review aims to collect and discuss the synthetic applications ofmeta-chloroperbenzoic acid (mCPBA) over the past few decades.
Aminopolycarboxylic acids as a versatile tool to stabilize ceria nanoparticles – a fundamental model experimentally demonstrated
Authors: Salazar-Sandoval Eric Johansson , Johansson Mats K. G. , Ahniyaz Anwar
Published: January 2014

An extremely stable water dispersion of cerium oxide nanoparticles was prepared by colloidal synthesis, using nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) as a stabilizer.
Growing nano-petals on electrospun micro/nano fibers
Authors: Meng Fanbin , Liu Xiaobo
Published: January 2014

Novel architectures: growing petals on micro/nano fibers were fabricated via combining electrospinning with solvent-induced self-assembly.
Supersonic aerosol-deposited TiO2 photoelectrodes for photoelectrochemical solar water splitting
Authors: Park Jung-Jae , Kim Do-Yeon , Lee Jong-Gun , Cha You-Hong , Swihart Mark T. , Yoon Sam S.
Published: January 2014

The supersonically expanded gas flow accelerating titania particles for the fabrication of a titania thin film as a photoelectrochemical anode.
High sulfur loading composite wrapped by 3D nitrogen-doped graphene as a cathode material for lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Wang Chao , Su Kai , Wan Wang , Guo Hua , Zhou Henghui , Chen Jitao , Zhang Xinxiang , Huang Yunhui
Published: January 2014

A sulfur composite cathode material based on 3D N-doped graphene has a high sulfur content of 87.6 wt% and shows an excellent rate capability and cyclability.
Water-dispersible Fe3O4 nanowires as efficient supports for noble-metal catalysed aqueous reactions
Authors: Jiang Yujiao , Li Guozhu , Li Xiaodi , Lu Shuxiang , Wang Li , Zhang Xiangwen
Published: January 2014

Water-dispersible magnetic Fe3O4 nanowires were synthesized at room temperature by the coprecipitation method using bio-inspired dopamine as a shape-directing surfactant.
Design of graphene-coated hollow mesoporous carbon spheres as high performance electrodes for capacitive deionization
Authors: Wang Hui , Shi Liyi , Yan Tingting , Zhang Jianping , Zhong Qingdong , Zhang Dengsong
Published: January 2014

Graphene-coated hollow mesoporous carbon spheres are rationally designed and originally used as efficient electrode materials for capacitive deionization.
From nature to synthetic systems: shape transformation in soft materials
Authors: Kempaiah Ravindra , Nie Zhihong
Published: January 2014

This review summarizes the latest developments in the shape transformation of thin, sheet-like soft materials.
Human papilloma virus genotyping by surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Authors: Hibbitts Sam , White P. Lewis , Green Julie , McNay Graeme , Graham Duncan , Stevenson Ross
Published: January 2014

The first Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) genotyping assay using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is reported.
Highly efficient one-pot multienzyme (OPME) synthesis of glycans with fluorous-tag assisted purification
Authors: Hwang Joel , Yu Hai , Malekan Hamed , Sugiarto Go , Li Yanhong , Qu Jingyao , Nguyen Van , Wu Dongyuan , Chen Xi
Published: January 2014

Fluorous-tagged glycans with an oligo(ethylene glycol) linker are well tolerated glycosyltransferase substrates for high-yield OPME synthesis and facile FSPE purification of glycans.
Electromigration‐induced degradation around electrode of GaN light‐emitting diode in water vapour
Authors: Chen Hsiang , Chang Hung‐Wei , Shei Shih‐Chang , Hung Sheng‐Hao , Sheu Meng‐Lieh
Published: January 2014

Reverse‐bias operations for a light‐emitting diode can quickly screen the weakness of the device. Electromigration around the electrode on the lateral and vertical directions can be observed by optical microscope images, scanning electron microscope images and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The failure process caused by the electromigration can be revealed by the changes of forward‐bias and reverse‐bias electroluminescence images and the emergence of the reverse‐bias EL may be attributed to the diffusion of gold. Furthermore, the increase of the leakage current may supress the forward‐bias band to band recombination current especially near the metal contact.
Approximating vector quantisation by transformation and scalar quantisation
Authors: Yang Lei , Hao Pengwei , Wu Dapeng
Published: January 2014

Vector quantisation provides better rate‐distortion performance over scalar quantisation even for a random vector with independent dimensions. However, the design and implementation complexity of vector quantisers is much higher than that of scalar quantisers. To reduce the complexity while achieving performance close to optimal vector quantisation or better than scalar quantisation, the authors propose a new quantisation scheme, which consists of transformation and scalar quantisation. The transformation is to decorrelate and raise the dimensionality of the input data, for example, to convert a two‐axis representation in two‐dimensional into a tri‐axis representation; then scalar quantisation is applied to each of the raised dimensions, for example, along three axes. The proposed quantiser is asymptotically optimal/suboptimal for low/high rate quantisation, especially for the quantisation with certain prime number of quantisation levels. The proposed quantiser has O(N2) design complexity, whereas the design complexity of VQ is O(N!), where N is the number of quantisation levels per dimension. The experimental results show that the average bit‐rate achieves 0.4–24.5% lower than restricted/unrestricted polar quantisers and rectangular quantisers for signals of circular and elliptical Gaussian and Laplace distributions. It holds the potential of improving the performance of the existing image and video coding schemes.
New Algorithm for current transformer saturation detection and compensation based on derivatives of secondary currents and Newton's backward difference formulae
Authors: Chothani Nilesh G. , Bhalja Bhavesh R.
Published: January 2014

This study presents a new current transformer (CT) saturation detection and compensation algorithm. The proposed algorithm depends on a saturation detection index (Dn) which is derived by using the derivatives of the current signals and Newton's backward difference formulae. The calculated index is continuously compared with an adaptive threshold (Th) to estimate the start and the end point of CT saturation. A low‐pass first‐order Butterworth filter is used to suppress noise and harmonics which may be present in CT secondary current. The proposed saturation detection algorithm has been tested by considering different values of remanent flux, fault type, fault inception angle, burden resistance, decaying DC component of fault current and noise. At the same time, modified discrete Fourier transforms‐based compensating algorithm has also been proposed to reconstruct the saturated samples. Validation of the proposed scheme is also performed on a developed laboratory prototype. A comparative evaluation of the proposed algorithm is also performed with the existing schemes. A series of test results from the simulation software and the laboratory prototype show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Three‐dimensional optical wireless indoor positioning system using location code map based on power distribution of visible light emitting diode
Authors: Won Yong‐Yuk , Yang Se‐Hoon , Kim Dong‐Hyeon , Han Sang‐Kook
Published: January 2014

A new indoor three‐dimensional (3D) positioning system is proposed based on visible light emitting diode (LED), and is implemented using a location code and a spatial distribution map. Location codes are allocated to each LED as they are transmitted sequentially to the user or object with an optical sensor. Three LEDs form a triangular optical wireless zone, and intensities of the received location codes are unique at all reference points. After the location codes are allocated to the coordinates of all reference points, their spatial distribution map is implemented. The 3D position of a user or object is then obtained using an algorithm based on the spatial distribution map of the location code. A positioning error for a 2D position was measured to be < 3 cm at a physical distance between two adjacent reference points of 5 cm. A 3D positioning error of about 10 cm was observed in the 3D space, with vertical layers at intervals of 10 cm.
Tomsk Polytechnic University cyclotron as a source for neutron based cancer treatment
Authors: Lisin V. A. , Bogdanov A. V. , Golovkov V. M. , Musabaeva L. I. , Sukhikh L. G. , Verigin D. A.
Published: January 2014

In this paper we present our cyclotron based neutron source with average energy 6.3 MeV generated during the 13.6 MeV deuterons interactions with beryllium target, neutron field dosimetry, and dosimetry of attendant gamma fields. We also present application of our neutron source for cancer treatment.
Development of negative ion extractor in the high-power and long-pulse negative ion source for fusion application
Authors: Kashiwagi M. , Umeda N. , Tobari H. , Kojima A. , Yoshida M. , Taniguchi M. , Dairaku M. , Maejima T. , Yamanaka H. , Watanabe K. , Inoue T. , Hanada M.
Published: January 2014

High power and long-pulse negative ion extractor, which is composed of the plasma grid (PG) and the extraction grid (EXG), is newly developed toward the neutral beam injector for heating and current drive of future fusion machines such as ITER, JT-60 Super Advanced and DEMO reactor. The PG is designed to enhance surface production of negative ions efficiently by applying the chamfered aperture. The efficiency of the negative ion production for the discharge power increased by a factor of 1.3 against that of the conventional PG. The EXG is also designed with the thermal analysis to upgrade the cooling capability for the long pulse operation of >1000 s required in ITER. Though the magnetic field for electron suppression is reduced to 0.75 of that in the conventional EXG due to this upgrade, it was experimentally confirmed that the extracted electron current can be suppressed to the allowable level for the long pulse operation. These results show that newly developed extractor has the high potential for the long pulse extraction of the negative ions.
Ion implantation technology and ion sources
Authors: Sugitani Michiro
Published: January 2014

Ion implantation (I/I) technology has been developed with a great economic success of industries of VLSI (Very Large-Scale Integrated circuit) devices. Due to its large flexibility and good controllability, the I/I technology has been assuming various challenging requirements of VLSI evolutions, especially in advanced evolutional characteristics of CMOSFET. Here, reviewing the demands of VLSI manufacturing to the I/I technology, required characteristics of ion implanters, and their ion sources are discussed.
Adsorption of formic acid on rutile TiO2 (110) revisited: An infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory study
Authors: Mattsson A. , Hu Shuanglin , Hermansson K. , Österlund L.
Published: January 2014

Formic acid (HCOOH) adsorption on rutile TiO2 (110) has been studied by s- and p-polarized infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) and spin-polarized density functional theory together with Hubbard U contributions (DFT+U) calculations. To compare with IRRAS spectra, the results from the DFT+U calculations were used to simulate IR spectra by employing a three-layer model, where the adsorbate layer was modelled using Lorentz oscillators with calculated dielectric constants. To account for the experimental observations, four possible formate adsorption geometries were calculated, describing both the perfect (110) surface, and surfaces with defects; either O vacancies or hydroxyls. The majority species seen in IRRAS was confirmed to be the bridging bidentate formate species with associated symmetric and asymmetric frequencies of the ν(OCO) modes measured to be at 1359 cm−1 and 1534 cm−1, respectively. The in-plane δ(C–H) wagging mode of this species couples to both the tangential and the normal component of the incident p-polarized light, which results in absorption and emission bands at 1374 cm−1 and 1388 cm−1. IRRAS spectra measured on surfaces prepared to be either reduced, stoichiometric, or to contain surplus O adatoms, were found to be very similar. By comparisons with computed spectra, it is proposed that in our experiments, formate binds as a minority species to an in-plane Ti5c atom and a hydroxyl, rather than to O vacancy sites, the latter to a large extent being healed even at our UHV conditions. Excellent agreement between calculated and experimental IRRAS spectra is obtained. The results emphasize the importance of protonation and reactive surface hydroxyls – even under UHV conditions – as reactive sites in e.g., catalytic applications.
Nonlinear susceptibilities of interacting polar molecules in the self-consistent field approximation
Authors: Déjardin P. M. , Ladieu F.
Published: January 2014

The nonlinear stationary response of an assembly of long range interacting electric dipoles is calculated via Berne's nonlinear rotational diffusion equation [J. Chem. Phys. 62 1154 (1975)]. Analytical formulas are derived, showing that the behavior of ω and 3ω components of the nonlinear external field response spectra in such polar dielectrics strongly deviates from the Coffey-Paranjape formulas [Proc. R. Ir. Acad., Sect. A 78, 17 (1978)] as the long range dipole-dipole interactions increase, while the linear response remains qualitatively unaffected. By qualitatively comparing with recent experimental measurements on glycerol, it is further demonstrated that nonlinear dielectric response experiments provide a powerful tool for the characterization of short range intermolecular interactions in polar liquids.
Role of internal field and exhaustion in ferroelectric switching
Authors: Viola Giuseppe , Boon Chong Kok , Guiu Frank , John Reece Michael
Published: January 2014

The role of internal field and exhaustion during ferroelectric switching was investigated by studying the dynamics of polarisation switching during the application of static electric fields at different points of the polarization-electric field (P-E) loop of a ferroelectric ceramic (PZT 5A). By simultaneously measuring polarization and strain changes during creep an insight into the evolution of the internal field during polarization switching was obtained. Electric field partial unloading tests were performed to estimate the magnitude of the effective internal field at different points of the P-E loop. Results show that the internal field increases proportionally with polarization reversal. A rate model that includes the effect of thermal fluctuations, internal field and exhaustion of nucleation sites during switching has been developed and applied to fit the polarization creep curves. The fitting of the creep curves in the sub-coercive region suggests that polarization hardening (increasing of internal field) is the mechanism controlling the polarization rate decay. At higher static applied electric fields the mechanism gradually changes and the exhaustion of the available nucleation sites becomes the main process responsible for the creep rate decay.
Influence of the SiO2 interlayer thickness on the density and polarity of charges in Si/SiO2/Al2O3 stacks as studied by optical second-harmonic generation
Authors: Terlinden N. M. , Dingemans G. , Vandalon V. , Bosch R. H. E. C. , Kessels W. M. M.
Published: January 2014

By accurately tuning the SiO2 interlayer thickness the density and polarity of charges in Si/SiO2/Al2O3 stacks can be controlled. We report on the number density, polarity, and physical location of charges present in the stacks as studied by optical second-harmonic generation (SHG). Depending on the SiO2 interlayer thickness (1–150 nm) the effective charge density in the Si/SiO2/Al2O3 stacks ranges from 1013 to 1011 cm−2 for both n- and p-type silicon. The polarity of the charges switches from negative to positive around a SiO2 interlayer thickness of 5–10 nm at which point the effective charge density in the stacks is negligible. This switch in polarity is apparent from spectroscopic, time-dependent, and azimuthal SHG measurements. The observed trends in charge density and polarity can be explained by tunneling of electrons into defect states at the SiO2/Al2O3 interface as well as the presence of fixed and bulk charges at the Si/SiO2 interface and in the SiO2, respectively. This charge mechanism appears to hold generally for Si/SiO2/Al2O3 stacks as similar results were observed for SiO2 films prepared by various techniques.
Hollow metal target magnetron sputter type radio frequency ion source
Authors: Yamada N. , Kasuya T. , Tsubouchi N. , Wada M.
Published: January 2014

A 70 mm diameter 70 mm long compact ion source equipped with a hollow sputtering target has been designed and tested. The hollow sputtering target serves as the radio frequency (RF) plasma excitation electrode at 13.56 MHz. A stable beam of Cu+ has been extracted when Ar was used as the discharge support gas. In the extracted beam, Cu+ had occupied more than 85% of the total ion current. Further increase in Cu+ ions in the beam is anticipated by increasing the RF power and Ar pressure.
Impact of interfacial high-density water layer on accurate estimation of adsorption free energy by Jarzynski's equality
Authors: Zhang Zhisen , Wu Tao , Wang Qi , Pan Haihua , Tang Ruikang
Published: January 2014

The interactions between proteins/peptides and materials are crucial to research and development in many biomedical engineering fields. The energetics of such interactions are key in the evaluation of new proteins/peptides and materials. Much research has recently focused on the quality of free energy profiles by Jarzynski's equality, a widely used equation in biosystems. In the present work, considerable discrepancies were observed between the results obtained by Jarzynski's equality and those derived by umbrella sampling in biomaterial-water model systems. Detailed analyses confirm that such discrepancies turn up only when the target molecule moves in the high-density water layer on a material surface. Then a hybrid scheme was adopted based on this observation. The agreement between the results of the hybrid scheme and umbrella sampling confirms the former observation, which indicates an approach to a fast and accurate estimation of adsorption free energy for large biomaterial interfacial systems.