bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gravitino dark matter with constraints from Higgs boson mass and sneutrino decays
Authors: Roszkowski Leszek , Trojanowski Sebastian , Turzyński Krzysztof , Jedamzik Karsten
Published: March 2013

Abstract

We investigate gravitino dark matter produced thermally at high temperatures and in decays of a long-lived sneutrino. We consider the Non-Universal Higgs Model and a generalized gauge mediation model, and in each case identify sneutrino LOSP regions of the parameter space consistent with the mass of the Higgs-like boson observed at the LHC. We apply relevant collider and cosmological bounds, including constraints from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and from warm dark matter on large scale structures. Generally, we find allowed values of the reheating temperature T

R
below 109 GeV, i.e. somewhat smaller than the values needed for thermal leptogenesis, even with a conservative lower bound of 122 GeV on the Higgs mass. Requiring mass values closer to 126 GeV implies T

R
below 107 GeV and the gravitino mass less than 10 GeV.
Reflux Symptoms and Side Effects Among Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease at Baseline, During Treatment with PPIs, and After Nissen Fundoplication
Authors: Rantanen Tuomo , Kiljander Toni , Salminen Paulina , Ranta Arto , Oksala Niku , Kellokumpu Ilmo
Published: March 2013

Background

There are no prospective studies available on the behavior of extraesophageal and esophageal symptoms and treatment‐related side effects in patients without effective antireflux medication, receiving the most effective antireflux medication, and after laparoscopic fundoplication.

Methods

Extraesophageal and esophageal reflux symptoms and treatment‐related side effects were assessed in 60 patients while they were on no effective antireflux medication (three‐week washout period), after three month of treatment with double‐dose esomeprazole, and 3 months after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. Esophageal and extraesophageal reflux symptoms, rectal flatulence, and bloating were analyzed with the visual analog scale. In addition, dysphagia, rectal flatulence, and bloating were recorded as none, mild, moderate, or severe.

Results

Both extraesophageal and esophageal reflux symptoms decreased after treatment with esomeprazole and were further reduced after fundoplication. Dysphagia and flatulence did not increase from baseline after surgery. Bloating decreased both after treatment with esomeprazole and after fundoplication. In contrast, dysphagia and increased flatus were found more often after surgery than during treatment with esomeprazole. Dysphagia and rectal flatulence were less common during treatment with esomeprazole than at baseline or after surgery.

Conclusions

Both extraesophageal and esophageal reflux symptoms decreased after treatment with esomeprazole and were reduced further after fundoplication. Any treatment‐related side effect was not increased after surgery when compared to baseline. However, compared to esomeprazole there was more dysphagia and flatulence after fundoplication.
Perioperative Fluid Restriction in Major Abdominal Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis of Randomized, Clinical Trials
Authors: Boland Michael R. , Noorani Ayesha , Varty Kevin , Coffey J. Calvin , Agha Riaz , Walsh Stewart R.
Published: March 2013

Background

Fluid management is a fundamental component of surgical care. Recently, there has been considerable interest in perioperative fluid restriction as a method of facilitating recovery following elective major surgery. A number of randomized trials have addressed the issue in various surgical specialities, and a recent meta‐analysis proposed uniform definitions regarding fluid amount as well as examining fluid restriction in patients undergoing colonic resection.

Methods

Medline, Embase, trial registries, conference proceedings, and article reference lists were searched to identify randomized, controlled trials of perioperative fluid restriction versus “standard” perioperative fluid management, as per definitions formulated previously. All of the studies involved patients undergoing colonic resection. The primary outcome measure was postoperative morbidity. Secondary endpoints included mortality, renal failure, time to first flatus, and length of hospital stay. A random effects model was applied.

Results

Seven randomized, controlled trials with a total of 856 patients investigating standard versus restrictive fluid regimes, as denoted by the definitions, were included. Perioperative fluid restriction had no effect on the risk of postoperative complications (OR 0.49 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.2–1.18; P = 0.101). There was no detectable effect on death and fluid restriction did not reduce hospital stay (Pooled weighted mean difference −0.25; 95 % CI 0.72–0.21; P = 0.29).

Conclusions

Perioperative fluid restriction does not significantly reduce the risk of complications following major abdominal surgery. Furthermore, it does not appear to reduce length of hospital stay.
Differences in feeding activity between females and males of Temora longicornis
Authors: Moison Maud , Schmitt François G. , Souissi Sami
Published: March 2013

We have studied experimentally in the laboratory the behavioural responses of females and males of the calanoid copepod Temora longicornis and their encounter probability with the alga Rhodomonas. Both sexes of this calanoid copepod adapted their motion velocity and style of swimming in reaction to the presence of prey. Their mean velocity, as well as the probability of high velocity values, increased in the presence of the algae. Moreover, the time spent in swimming activity increased, reflecting a possible adaptation in order to facilitate encounter with prey. Females were more sensitive to the presence of food: mean velocities showed a 40 % increase for males, from control to food conditions, whereas for females the increase was 240 %. This result was confirmed using several indicators: net‐to‐gross displacement ratio, probability density functions, and symbolic dynamics. This may indicate that female T. longicornis are more attracted by food than males.
FTIR Spectroscpy of Natural Fluorite from Ambadongar, Gujarat
Authors: Singh R. K.
Published: March 2013

The principal aim of this study is to examine the presence of structural water in the form of a hydrous ion (OH–) in fluorites of Ambadongar, Gujarat. Several recent spectroscopic studies indicate that in addition to molecular water in fluid inclusions of fluorite, structurally bound water may occur as H2O and OH species in hydrothermal fluorite. To further clarify this effect, a FTIR study has been carried on hydrothermal fluorite samples from Ambadongar. The analysis were carried out at room temperature as well as 250°C on powdered samples of yellow, blue-green, blue and colourless fluorites. FTIR spectroscopic measurements of all the fluorites show a broad absorption band between 3439-3410 cm-1 corresponding to bond of O-H stretching vibration indicating the presence of structurally bound water in all fluorites. This structural water in variable amount as different hydrous species associated with other impurity may act as an energy absorbent in the crystal and production of colour in fluorites. From field study of fluorite veins the colour was determined as blue and purple, which, are commonly inter layered, followed by white, finally yellow and colourless varieties.
Integrating Remote Sensing and GIS for Identification of Groundwater Prospective Zones in the Narava Basin, Visakhapatnam Region, Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Narendra K. , Rao K. Nageswara , Latha P. Swarna
Published: March 2013

This paper mainly deals with the integrated approach of remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) to delineate groundwater prospective zones in Narava basin, Visakhapatnam region. The various thematic maps generated for delineating groundwater potential zones are geomorphology, geology, lineament density, drainage density, slope and land use/land cover (LULC). Weighted index overlay (WIO) technique is used to investigate a number of choice possibilities and evaluate suitability according to the associated weight of each unit. The integrated map of the area shows different zones of groundwater prospects, viz. very good (18.9% of the area), good (26.4% of the area), moderate (17.1% of the area) and poor (37.6% of the area). The categorization of groundwater potential was in good agreement with the available water column in the basin area.
Variation in Groundwater Levels and Water Quality in Chhatna Block, Bankura District, West Bengal – A GIS Approach
Authors: Nag S. K. , Ghosh P.
Published: March 2013

Ground water levels and quality in Chhatna Block of West Bengal were studied based on different indices for irrigation and drinking purposes. A detailed hydrogeological investigation was carried out to have an overall idea of the aquifer system of the area. The ground water occurs under shallow to moderately deep water table condition. The groundwater is stored mostly in the weathered residuum and fractured - hard rock. Sodium absorption ratio (SAR), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), residual sodium bi-carbonate (RSBC), electrical conductance (EC), magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR) Kelly’s ratio (KR), total hardness (TH), permeability index (PI) were calculated as derived parameters, to investigate the ionic toxicity. From the results of chemical analysis, it was revealed that the values of Sodium Adsorption Ratio indicate that, ground water of the area falls under the category of low sodium hazard. So, there was neither salinity nor toxicity problem of irrigation water, and hence the ground water can safely be used for long-term irrigation. Plotting of analytical results of the groundwater collected from different areas in Piper’s trilinear diagram (1944) indicate that, the waters of the study area fall under fresh and sulphate rich region of the rhombus.
A protocol for a smoke-free mental health facility
Authors: Bittoun Renee , Nynycz Stefan , Ross Debbie , Foley Kerry , Ross Louise
Published: March 2013

It is not uncommon for staff of mental health facilities to have diverging opinions regarding the tobacco use of their patients. Surveys have shown that a significant proportion of staff believe that the smoke free policies are harsh and difficult to implement in health facilities where patient compliance is a matter of serious concern (Lawn, 2004, Wye et al., 2010). Intra-staff disputes and arguments with patients as to how to implement these policies, if at all, occur frequently. This protocol was developed at the request of staff at a mental health facility for HIV AIDS patients afflicted with dementia. Staff were concerned about imminent smoke-free regulations that would impact on their unit.
Atoms for Terror? Nuclear Programs and Non-Catastrophic Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism
Authors: Early Bryan R. , Fuhrmann Matthew , Li Quan
Published: March 2013

Does the diffusion of nuclear programs encourage nuclear and radiological (NR) terrorism? It is argued that a country's vulnerability to NR terrorism grows as the size of its nuclear program increases. The presence of expansive nuclear infrastructure facilitates terrorists’ efforts to steal or acquire nuclear and radiological materials, increases the targets open to attack, and amplifies the potential economic and social-psychological consequences of related terrorist attacks. It is also argued that countries can reduce the likelihood of NR terrorism by improving nuclear security and reducing corruption. An empirical analysis of NR terrorist incidents during 1992–2006 supports for these arguments. The findings offer empirically grounded insights into the future risks of nuclear terrorism, and possible solutions are offered.
Legislative Effects of Electoral Mandates
Authors: Olivella Santiago , Tavits Margit
Published: March 2013

Data has been taken from the Hungarian National Assembly, where the mandate type (single member district (SMD) vs. party list or proportional representation (PR)) changes for a number of legislators each term, to explore whether and how such changes lead to changes in legislators’ voting behavior. When the electoral system under which a legislator was elected changes from PR to SMD, then the rate at which the legislator defects against the party line of voting increases significantly. Contrary to expectations, when the electoral system changes from SMD to PR, there is no significant change in the voting behavior of legislators. Additional robustness tests confirm these results. The lasting influence of reputations and habits may account for the asymmetric results.
Identity of Schizaphis species (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the United Kingdom: are they a threat to crops?
Authors: Kati Amalia , Shufran Kevin A. , Taylor Mark S. , Barjadze Shalva , Eastop Victor F. , Blackman Roger L. , Harrington Richard
Published: March 2013

The greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), is a major pest of cereals in some parts of the world and is of particular concern because it can be resistant to some insecticides and overcome the resistance of crops. In the UK, it has never been found on crops, but two rather little-known and closely-related species (Schizaphis holci and Schizaphis agrostis) are associated with the wild grasses, Holcus lanatus and Agrostis stolonifera. Since 1987, winged (alate) aphids morphologically resembling the greenbug have been found in increasing numbers in 12.2 m high suction-trap samples of the Rothamsted Insect Survey (RIS); hence, studies were undertaken to establish their identity. Clones (=asexual lineages) established from populations collected from H. lanatus in southern England showed strong preference for Holcus over Agrostis and Hordeum in laboratory tests and produced sexual morphs when transferred to short-day conditions, the males being apterous, as expected for S. holci. Multivariate morphometric comparisons of alatae caught in UK RIS suction traps in 2007 and 2011 with named specimens from museum collections, including S. graminum from many countries, indicated that the suction-trapped alatae were mostly S. agrostis and S. holci. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mtDNA obtained from 62 UK specimens from suction-traps had 95.4–100% sequence identity with US specimens of S. graminum. Two of the UK specimens had identical COI sequence to the US sorghum-adapted form of S. graminum, and these specimens also had 100% identity with a 640 bp fragment of nDNA CytC, indicating that this form of S. graminum may already be present in the UK. Present and future economic implications of these results are discussed.
EDITORIAL FOREWORD
Authors: Baron Beth , Pursley Sara
Published: March 2013

This issue marks the launch of a new IJMES cover. While it's not likely to please everyone—some of you may be nostalgic for the old maroon and yellow cover—we have opted for a design that enables the journal to highlight the visual culture of the Middle East. The image on the cover will change with each issue, and it is our hope that authors of articles and roundtable essays will be inspired to submit visual images with their work for consideration as that issue's cover. We thank our partners at Cambridge University Press, Laura Etheredge and Nancy BriggsShearer; IJMES board members, who encouraged us to move forward with a new design; and the MESA directorate, which supported the adoption of a new cover.
TRADING IN POWER: MERCHANTS AND THE STATE IN 19TH-CENTURY EGYPT
Authors: Ghazaleh Pascale
Published: March 2013

In this article, I argue that commercial legislation promulgated and implemented in Egypt during the first half of the 19th century was one of several factors that diminished the effect of merchants’ social networks, reduced merchants’ identity to a purely professional dimension, and made profit dependent upon association with the state. The transformation of merchants’ social roles was not part of a natural evolution toward modernization and the specialized division of labor. Rather, it resulted from interactions between state-building endeavors, pressures from established merchants who sought to parry threats to their position while profiting from new business opportunities, and an influx of merchants from outside the Ottoman sultanate, who could draw neither on personal connections nor on knowledge of local markets but instead had to depend on the protection of the European consulates and the influence of the growing Egyptian state apparatus.
The Maturation of Afghan Historiography
Authors: Tarzi Amin
Published: March 2013

The fate of Afghanistan's written history has been interconnected with the progression and regression of the Afghan state's ability to live with its past as much as with its present. Afghan historiography, in both the official and unofficial versions, has generally sought to “prove” or “disprove” the official versions of Afghanistan's evolving national narrative rather than be, in the words of Edward H. Carr, “a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending dialogue between the present and the past.” Despite unprecedented freedoms of expression and exposure to international methods of research, post-Taliban Afghanistan still seems far from coming to terms with its past. One particular trend continues to haunt the country as it tries to move forward in deconstructing or reinventing its history: official Afghan narratives continue to downplay or ignore the violent and divisive period commencing with the 1973 coup that ended the country's monarchical system.
Elite Pasts and Subaltern Potentialities
Authors: Caron James
Published: March 2013

In narrating Afghanistan's 21st century, future historians might bracket the first decade with the two Bonn conferences of 2001 and 2011: great-power delegates and handpicked elite Afghans meeting to plot Afghanistan's transitional place in the international system. In contrast, Afghan popular and intellectual cultures alike have often voiced alternate histories. For example, Malang Kohistani, a contemporary working-class singer of Kabul's hinterland, sees top-down Afghan integrations into globality not as a fundamentally new construction of institutions that promise prosperity for a nation-state and its people but rather as one more intrusive disruption—in a chain of similar events beginning over 2,000 years ago with Alexander—in everyday people's continuous, bottom-up efforts to ensure their livelihoods, in part through developing horizontally organized trade networks. And indeed it is not only post-2001 statist intervention that has attracted such popular responses, but this is also a longstanding critique among both urban and rural Afghan intellectuals. In some ways Malang Kohistani echoes Malang Jan, the renowned 1950s sharecropper-poet of Jalalabad, as well as various more elite authors.
Maps and Spaces
Authors: Noelle-Karimi Christine
Published: March 2013

Students of Afghan history come up against two sets of academic demarcations and appropriations. First, as Nile Green points out in his introduction to this roundtable, Afghanistan as a field of study tends to fall off the edge of the scholarly traditions associated with the regional denominations of the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia. Second, the tendency to view history through the lens of present-day national entities presents an impediment to historical inquiry and not only in Afghanistan. The attempt to streamline the past to fit a consistent narrative of state-building may serve to foster a national identity, yet it is of little use in gaining a deeper understanding of the political, social, and economic processes at work in a given period.
Defamation Law in Turbulence: Does Israel Need ‘Libel Reform’?
Authors: Gidron Tamar
Published: March 2013

Among the various bills proposing amendments to Israel's Defamation (Prohibition) Law that were presented to the 18th Knesset, the most controversial one is the bill proposing an increase in the caps on statutory damages (without proof of special or general damage). The current NIS 50,000 cap (NIS 100,000 when the publication was intended to cause injury) will be replaced, if the bill is approved, by a NIS 300,000 cap (NIS 600,000 when the publication was intended to cause injury). This proposed massive change has ignited a heated public debate. The bill, according to its proponents, is targeted principally at the media. Its aim is deterrence and even punishment, accomplished by attaching a higher price tag to libellous publications while focusing on remedies and leaving liability tests (including defences) untouched.

I claim that this bill is both unnecessary and detrimental.

Based on case law from the eight-year period 2004–11 on damages awarded by Israeli courts in defamation cases – both damages awarded ‘without proof of damage’ (the plaintiff does not need to prove damage caused by the publication) and damages awarded for ‘general damage’ (some general damage needs to be proved) – I conclude that the spectrum of judicial discretion is sufficiently broad to accommodate any level of deterrence seen fit by the courts in any circumstances. The fact that average damages awards do not reach the statutory caps indicates that, for all practical purposes, legislative intrusion in the manner proposed is erroneous. As to the normative standards the bill strives to convey, I maintain that absent reasonable justifications based on identifiable changes in cultural, social or other circumstances over time, the attempt to change the currently accepted balance between the rights of reputation and freedom of speech in Israeli defamation law in terms of damages awards is also erroneous.

Even if some modification of the current balance between reputation and free speech, as a result of specified changes in circumstances, do indeed appear to be necessary, the particular content, form and measure of this specific bill – which have yet to be examined and assessed – do not seem to provide the right approach to achieve such modifications.
Tissue-type plasminogen activator and plasminogen embedded in casein rule its degradation under physiological situations: manipulation with casein hydrolysate
Authors: Silanikove Nissim , Shapiro Fira , Merin Uzi , Leitner Gabriel
Published: March 2013

The aims of this study were to test the assumption that tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen (PG) are closely associated with the casein micelle and form a functional complex that rules casein degradation. This assumption was essentially verified for bovine milk under conditions wherein the plasmin system was activated by treatment with casein hydrolysate. It was also shown that urokinase-type PA (u-PA), the second type of plasminogen activator present in milk, was not involved in casein degradation. In agreement with previous studies, we show that treatment with casein hydrolysate precipitously reduced mammary secretion, disrupted the tight junction integrity (increase in Na+and decrease in K+concentrations), induced hydrolysis of casein, and activated various elements of the innate and acquired immune system. In the present study, we have identified t-PA as the principal PA, which is responsible for the conversion of PG to plasmin. It was found that t-PA and plasminogen are present in freshly secreted milk (less than 10 min from its secretion), suggesting that they are secreted as a complex by the mammary gland epithelial cells. Further research is needed to provide the direct evidence to verify this concept.
Day-case tonsillectomy for children in Glasgow: the impact of changing indications and deprivation
Authors: Clement W A
Published: March 2013

Objective:

To determine the number of children undergoing tonsillectomy that could have this performed as a day surgery procedure.

Methods:

This paper reports a prospective cohort study, which entailed a comparison of children's eligibility for day-case surgery between 2001 and 2011 and an assessment of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation scores.

Results:

In total, 148 children were enrolled. In 2011, 60 children (42 per cent) were eligible for surgery with same day discharge compared with 27 per cent in 2001. The percentage of children undergoing tonsillectomy for sleep-related breathing disorders or obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome increased from 26 per cent to 55 per cent.

Conclusion:

Eligibility for tonsillectomy with same day discharge has increased. This appears to be related to an increase in the number of children who are able to fulfil the social criteria for same day discharge. The results indicate an association between deprivation and tonsillectomy, particularly surgery carried out for the symptoms of sleep-related breathing disorders or obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome. There has been a significant increase in the percentage of children undergoing tonsillectomy for the indication of sleep-related breathing disorders or obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome.
Quality of life assessment in patients treated for metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
Authors: Wang A Y , Palme C E , Wang J T , Morgan G J , Gebski V , Gilchrist J , Veness M J
Published: March 2013

Background:

Treatment for metastatic cutaneous head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is usually multimodal and associated with morbidity. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of treatment on patients' quality of life.

Method:

Cross-sectional survey of 42 patients (35 men, 7 women) at least 6 months after metastatic cutaneous head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treatment, using two standardised quality of life questionnaires: the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Head and Neck questionnaire and the Facial Disability Index, with statistical analysis to identify potential predictors of outcome.

Results:

Female gender correlated with significantly lower Facial Disability Index physical function scores (p = 0.017). Alcohol consumption correlated with significantly better scores for Functional Assessment social well-being (p = 0.016), general total score (p = 0.041) and overall total score (p = 0.033), and for Facial Disability Index physical function (p = 0.034). Marital status, education, employment, chemotherapy, time from last treatment, parotidectomy and facial nerve sacrifice did not affect quality of life. The commonest patient complaints were dry mouth (76 per cent), altered voice quality and strength (55 per cent), and physical appearance (45 per cent).

Conclusion:

Female gender predicts worse quality of life, while alcohol consumption (versus none) predicted for better quality of life.
Normal and abnormal pulmonary arteriovenous shunting: occurrence and mechanisms
Authors: Hoffman Julien I.E.
Published: March 2013

Severe cyanosis due to pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas occurs often after a bidirectional superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (Glenn operation) and also in some congenital anomalies in which hepatic venous blood bypasses the lungs in the first passage. Relocation of hepatic flow into the lungs usually causes these fistulas to disappear. Similar pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas are observed in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia, and in liver disease (hepatopulmonary syndrome). There is no convincing identification yet of a responsible hepatic factor that produces these lesions. Candidates for such a factor are reviewed, and the possibility of angiotensin or bradykinin contributing to the fistulas is discussed.
Scimitar syndrome and anomalous origin of the circumflex artery from the main pulmonary artery in infancy: a case report
Authors: Marcondes Luciana D. F. , Ghez Olivier , Magee Alan G.
Published: March 2013

We present a neonate with an antenatal diagnosis of Scimitar syndrome and aortic arch hypoplasia. After delivery, computerised tomography scan additionally revealed an anomalous origin of the circumflex coronary artery from the main pulmonary artery. The management of this rare combination is discussed.
Lexical acquisition and semantic space models: Learning the semantics of unknown words
Authors: CHOLAKOV KOSTADIN
Published: March 2013

In recent studies it has been shown that syntax-based semantic space models outperform models in which the context is represented as a bag-of-words in several semantic analysis tasks. This has been generally attributed to the fact that syntax-based models employ corpora that are syntactically annotated by a parser and a computational grammar. However, if the corpora processed contain words which are unknown to the parser and the grammar, a syntax-based model may lose its advantage since the syntactic properties of such words are unavailable. On the other hand, bag-of-words models do not face this issue since they operate on raw, non-annotated corpora and are thus more robust. In this paper, we compare the performance of syntax-based and bag-of-words models when applied to the task of learning the semantics of unknown words. In our experiments, unknown words are considered the words which are not known to the Alpino parser and grammar of Dutch. In our study, the semantics of an unknown word is defined by finding its most similar word incornetto, a Dutch lexico-semantic hierarchy. We show that for unknown words the syntax-based model performs worse than the bag-of-words approach. Furthermore, we show that if we first learn the syntactic properties of unknown words by an appropriate lexical acquisition method, then in fact the syntax-based model does outperform the bag-of-words approach. The conclusion we draw is that, for words unknown to a given grammar, a bag-of-words model is more robust than a syntax-based model. However, the combination of lexical acquisition and syntax-based semantic models is best suited for learning the semantics of unknown words.
Religion, Rational Political Theory, and the 2008 Presidential Election
Authors: Gill Jungyun , DeFronzo James
Published: March 2013

States of the United States differ significantly in terms of politically salient religious culture. But prior to the 2008 presidential election several studies inspired by rational political theory that found that during war time voting districts with high rates of military fatalities were more likely to vote against incumbent candidates and for anti-war candidates failed to control for variation in religious culture. In the present study, multivariate analyses that controlled for local differences in religious culture found that Iraq War military fatalities had an overall positive effect on the difference in the percent of the vote received in the 50 states and the District of Columbia by the anti-war Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in the 2008 election and the pre-war Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore in the 2000 election. Tests for interaction, however, also found that the magnitude and ultimately the direction of this effect were conditioned by religious culture. In states with very high percentages of evangelical Protestants, the military fatality rate actually appeared to have a negative effect.
How to Cite a Sacred Text
Authors: Hassner Ron E.
Published: March 2013

Allusions to holy scriptures and quotes from sacred texts appear in hundreds of political science articles. Yet while we treat other ancient texts with reverence and diligence, we have not extended a similar care to the holy scriptures of the world's religions. Political scientists often refer to biblical events, statements, and turns of phrase but rarely cite them, chapter and verse. They are careless about referencing the precise translation of the holy texts used, tend to cite religious passages out of context, and disregard the role of religious tradition, interpretation, and practice in shaping and reshaping the meaning of holy texts. I offer examples for these trends, provide evidence for their harmful implications and offer guidelines for the appropriate treatment of sacred texts as formal scholarly sources.
Computationally efficient real-time digital predistortion architectures for envelope tracking power amplifiers
Authors: Gilabert Pere L. , Montoro Gabriel
Published: March 2013

This paper presents and discusses two possible real-time digital predistortion (DPD) architectures suitable for envelope tracking (ET) power amplifiers (PAs) oriented at a final computationally efficient implementation in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device. In ET systems, by using a shaping function is possible to modulate the supply voltage according to different criteria. One possibility is to use slower versions of the original RF signal's envelope in order to relax the slew-rate (SR) and bandwidth (BW) requirements of the envelope amplifier (EA) or drain modulator. The nonlinear distortion that arises when performing ET with a supply voltage signal that follows both the original and the slow envelope will be presented, as well as the DPD function capable of compensating for these unwanted effects. Finally, two different approaches for efficiently implementing the DPD functions, a polynomial-based and a look-up table-based, will be discussed.
Non-analytic at the origin, behavioral models for active or passive non-linearity
Authors: Sombrin Jacques
Published: March 2013

Most non-linear behavioral models of amplifiers are based on functions that are analytic at the origin and thus can be replaced by their Taylor series development around this point, e.g. polynomials of the input signal. Chebyshev Transforms can be used to compute the harmonic response of the model to a sine input signal. These responses are polynomials of the input signal amplitude. A second application of the Chebyshev transform to the first harmonic response or radio frequency (RF) characteristic will lend the carriers and intermodulation (IM) products for a two-carrier input signal, again polynomials. An important class of non-analytic non-linear behavior encountered in practice, such as hard limiters and detectors are either empirically treated or only approximated by an analytic function such as the hyperbolic tangent. This work proposes to generalize the polynomial non-linearity theory by adding non-analytic at the origin functions that, like polynomials, are invariant elements of the Chebyshev Transform. Devices modeled with these non-analytic at the origin functions exhibit intermodulation behavior significantly different from that of classical polynomial models, giving theoretical foundation to a number of important unexplained practical measurement observations.
Biopedagogy
Authors: Kováč Ladislav
Published: March 2013

The world is changing fast and teachers are struggling to familiarize children and young people with the norms and values of society. Biopedagogy—the biology behind pedagogy approaches—might provide some insights and guidance.
Functional Outcomes, Morbidity, Mortality, and Fracture Healing in 58 Consecutive Patients with Geriatric Odontoid Fracture Treated with Cervical Collar or Posterior Fusion
Authors: Molinari William J. , Molinari Robert W. , Khera Oner A. , Gruhn William L.
Published: March 2013

Controversy exists as to the most effective management option for elderly patients with type II odontoid fractures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate outcomes associated with rigid cervical collar and posterior fusion surgery. Patients with ≥ 50% odontoid displacement were treated with posterior fusion surgery including C1–2 (PSF group, n = 25, average age = 80 years). Patients with < 50% odontoid displacement were treated with a rigid cervical collar for 12 weeks (collar group, n = 33, average age = 83 years). These inhomogeneous groups were followed for an average of 14 months. Fracture healing rates were higher in the operative group (28% versus 6%). Neck Disability Index scores were slightly lower in the nonoperative group (13 versus 18.3, p = 0.23). Analogue pain scores were also slightly lower in the nonoperative group (1.3 versus 1.9, p = 0.26). The mortality rate was 12.5% in the collar group and 20% in the operative group. Complications were higher in the operative group (24% versus 6%). Rates of type II odontoid facture healing and stability appear to be higher in geriatric patients treated with posterior fusion surgery. Fracture healing and stability did not correlate with improved outcomes with respect to levels of pain, function, and satisfaction. Mortality and complication rates are lower in those patients with lesser-displaced fractures who are treated with a cervical collar and early mobilization.
A second-order unconstrained optimization method for canonical-ensemble density-functional methods
Authors: Nygaard Cecilie R. , Olsen Jeppe
Published: March 2013

A second order converging method of ensemble optimization (SOEO) in the framework of Kohn-Sham Density-Functional Theory is presented, where the energy is minimized with respect to an ensemble density matrix. It is general in the sense that the number of fractionally occupied orbitals is not predefined, but rather it is optimized by the algorithm. SOEO is a second order Newton-Raphson method of optimization, where both the form of the orbitals and the occupation numbers are optimized simultaneously. To keep the occupation numbers between zero and two, a set of occupation angles is defined, from which the occupation numbers are expressed as trigonometric functions. The total number of electrons is controlled by a built-in second order restriction of the Newton-Raphson equations, which can be deactivated in the case of a grand-canonical ensemble (where the total number of electrons is allowed to change). To test the optimization method, dissociation curves for diatomic carbon are produced using different functionals for the exchange-correlation energy. These curves show that SOEO favors symmetry broken pure-state solutions when using functionals with exact exchange such as Hartree-Fock and Becke three-parameter Lee-Yang-Parr. This is explained by an unphysical contribution to the exact exchange energy from interactions between fractional occupations. For functionals without exact exchange, such as local density approximation or Becke Lee-Yang-Parr, ensemble solutions are favored at interatomic distances larger than the equilibrium distance. Calculations on the chromium dimer are also discussed. They show that SOEO is able to converge to ensemble solutions for systems that are more complicated than diatomic carbon.
A gas-jet transport and catcher technique for on-line production of radioactive ion beams using an electron cyclotron resonance ion-source
Authors: Naik V. , Chakrabarti A. , Bhattacharjee M. , Karmakar P. , Bandyopadhyay A. , Bhattacharjee S. , Dechoudhury S. , Mondal M. , Pandey H. K. , Lavanyakumar D. , Mandi T. K. , Dutta D. P. , Kundu Roy T. , Bhowmick D. , Sanyal D. , Srivastava S. C. L. , Ray A. , Ali Md. S.
Published: March 2013

Radioactive ion beams (RIB) have been produced on-line, using a gas-jet recoil transport coupled Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion-source at the VECC-RIB facility. Radioactive atoms/molecules carried through the gas-jet were stopped in a catcher placed inside the ECR plasma chamber. A skimmer has been used to remove bulk of the carrier gas at the ECR entrance. The diffusion of atoms/molecules through the catcher has been verified off-line using stable isotopes and on-line through transmission of radioactive reaction products. Beams of 14O (71 s), 42K (12.4 h), 43K (22.2 h), and 41Ar (1.8 h) have been produced by bombarding nitrogen and argon gas targets with proton and alpha particle beams from the K130 cyclotron at VECC. Typical measured intensity of RIB at the separator focal plane is found to be a few times 103 particles per second (pps). About 3.2 × 103 pps of 1.4 MeV 14O RIB has been measured after acceleration through a radiofrequency quadrupole linac. The details of the gas-jet coupled ECR ion-source and RIB production experiments are presented along with the plans for the future.
Ultraviolet photodissociation of OCS: Product energy and angular distributions
Authors: McBane G. C. , Schmidt J. A. , Johnson M. S. , Schinke R.
Published: March 2013

The ultraviolet photodissociation of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) was studied using three-dimensional potential energy surfaces and both quantum mechanical dynamics calculations and classical trajectory calculations including surface hopping. The transition dipole moment functions used in an earlier study [J. A. Schmidt, M. S. Johnson, G. C. McBane, and R. Schinke, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 054313 (2012)10.1063/1.4739756] were improved with more extensive treatment of excited electronic states. The new functions indicate a much larger contribution from the 1 1A″ state (1Σ− in linear OCS) than was found in the previous work. The new transition dipole functions yield absorption spectra that agree with experimental data just as well as the earlier ones. The previously reported potential energy surfaces were also empirically modified in the region far from linearity. The resulting product state distributions Pv, j, angular anisotropy parameters β(j), and carbon monoxide rotational alignment parameters \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$A_0^{(2)}(j)$\end{document}A0(2)(j) agree reasonably well with the experimental results, while those computed from the earlier transition dipole and potential energy functions do not. The higher-j peak in the bimodal rotational distribution is shown to arise from nonadiabatic transitions from state 2 1A′ to the OCS ground state late in the dissociation.
Electronic transition dipole moments and dipole oscillator strengths within Fock-space multi-reference coupled cluster framework: An efficient and novel approach
Authors: Bhattacharya Debarati , Vaval Nayana , Pal Sourav
Published: March 2013

Within the Fock-space multi-reference coupled cluster framework, we have evaluated the electronic transition dipole moments, which determine absorption intensities. These depend on matrix elements between two different wave functions (e.g., ground state to the excited state). We present two different ways, to calculate these transition moments. In the first method, we construct the ground and excited state wave functions with the normal exponential ansatz of Fock-space coupled cluster method and then calculate the relevant off-diagonal matrix elements. In the second approach, we linearize the exponential form of the wave operator which will generate the left vector, by use of Lagrangian formulation. The right vector is obtained from the exponential ansatz. In order to relate the transition moments to oscillator strengths, excitation energies need to be evaluated. The excitation energies are obtained from the Fock-space multi-reference framework. The transition dipole moments of the ground to a few excited states, together with the oscillator strengths of a few molecules, are presented.
Coupling a Knudsen reactor with the short lived radioactive tracer 13N for atmospheric chemistry studies
Authors: Schreiber S. , Kerbrat M. , Huthwelker T. , Birrer M. , Ammann M.
Published: March 2013

A Knudsen cell flow reactor was coupled to an online gas phase source of the short-lived radioactive tracer 13N to study the adsorption of nitrogen oxides on ice at temperatures relevant for the upper troposphere. This novel approach has several benefits over the conventional coupling of a Knudsen cell with a mass spectrometer. Experiments at lower partial pressures close to atmospheric conditions are possible. The uptake to the substrate is a direct observable of the experiment. Operation of the experiment in continuous or pulse mode allows to retrieve steady state uptake kinetics and more details of adsorption and desorption kinetics.
An explanation of the differences in diffusivity of the components of the metallic glass Pd43Cu27Ni10P20
Authors: Ngai K. L. , Capaccioli S.
Published: March 2013

Bartsch et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 195901 (2010)10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.195901] reported measurements of the diffusivities of different components of the multi-component bulk metallic glass Pd43Cu27Ni10P20. The diffusion of the largest Pd and the smallest P was found to be drastically different. The Stokes-Einstein relation breaks down when considering the P constituent atom, while the relation is obeyed by the Pd atom over 14 orders of magnitude of change in Pd diffusivity. This difference in behavior of Pd and P poses a problem challenging for explanation. With the assist of a recent finding in metallic glasses that the β-relaxation and the diffusion of the smallest component are closely related processes by Yu et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 095508 (2012)10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.095508], we use the Coupling Model to explain the observed difference between P and Pd quantitatively. The same model also explains the correlation between property of the β-relaxation with fragility found in the family of (CexLa1-x)68Al10Cu20Co2 with 0 ≤ x ≤ 1.
Janus fluid with fixed patch orientations: Theory and simulations
Authors: Maestre Miguel Ángel G. , Fantoni Riccardo , Giacometti Achille , Santos Andrés
Published: March 2013

We study thermophysical properties of a Janus fluid with constrained orientations, using analytical techniques and numerical simulations. The Janus character is modeled by means of a Kern–Frenkel potential where each sphere has one hemisphere of square-well and the other of hard-sphere character. The orientational constraint is enforced by assuming that each hemisphere can only point either North or South with equal probability. The analytical approach hinges on a mapping of the above Janus fluid onto a binary mixture interacting via a “quasi” isotropic potential. The anisotropic nature of the original Kern–Frenkel potential is reflected by the asymmetry in the interactions occurring between the unlike components of the mixture. A rational-function approximation extending the corresponding symmetric case is obtained in the sticky limit, where the square-well becomes infinitely narrow and deep, and allows a fully analytical approach. Notwithstanding the rather drastic approximations in the analytical theory, this is shown to provide a rather precise estimate of the structural and thermodynamical properties of the original Janus fluid.
Magnetic orders and electronic structure in LaMnO3/SrTiO3 superlattices
Authors: Liu H. M. , Ma C. Y. , Zhou P. X. , Dong S. , Liu J.-M.
Published: March 2013

The magnetic properties and electronic structure of (LaMnO3)n/(SrTiO3)m superlattices are investigated using the full-scale first principles density functional theory calculations in order to reveal the magnetic ground state and transport of the thin LaMnO3 layers sandwiched by relatively thick SrTiO3 layers. The LaMnO3 layer in the superlattices favors the ferromagnetic metallic state rather than the A-type antiferromagnetic insulator. It is revealed that the strain and asymmetric chemical environment may induce tiny magnetic moment to Ti ions of the SrTiO3 layer near the interface. The possible mechanism for these phenomena is discussed.
Auto-Bäcklund transformations for a differential-delay equation
Authors: Gordoa Pilar R. , Pickering Andrew
Published: March 2013

Discrete Painlevé equations have, over recent years, generated much interest. One property of such equations that is considered to be particularly important is the existence of auto-Bäcklund transformations, that is, mappings between solutions of the equation in question, usually involving changes in the values of parameters appearing as coefficients. We have recently presented extensions of discrete Painlevé equations to equations involving derivatives as well as shifts in the independent variable. Here we show how auto-Bäcklund transformations can also be constructed for such differential-delay equations. We emphasise that this is the first time that an auto-Bäcklund transformation has been given for a differential-delay equation.