bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utility of multi‐channel surface electromyography in assessment of focal hand dystonia
Authors: Sivadasan Ajith , Sanjay M. , Alexander Mathew , Devasahayam Suresh R. , Srinivasa Babu K.
Published: December 2012

Introduction

Surface electromyography (SEMG) allows objective assessment and guides selection of appropriate treatment in focal hand dystonia (FHD).

Methods

Sixteen‐channel SEMG obtained during different phases of a writing task was used to study timing, activation patterns, and spread of muscle contractions in FHD compared with normal controls. Customized software was developed to acquire and analyze EMG signals.

Results

SEMG of FHD subjects (20) showed “early onset” during motor imagery, rapid proximal muscle recruitment, agonist‐antagonist co‐contraction involving proximal muscle groups, “delayed offset” after stopping writing, higher rectified mean amplitudes, and mirror activity in contralateral limb compared with controls (16). Muscle activation latencies were heterogenous in FHD.

Conclusions

Anticipation, delayed relaxation, and mirror EMG activation were noted in FHD. A clear pattern of muscle activation cannot be ascertained. Multi‐channel SEMG can aid in objective assessment of temporal‐spatial distribution of activity and can refine targeted therapies like chemodenervation and biofeedback. Muscle Nerve 48: 415–422, 2013
WEB‐spline based mesh‐free finite element analysis for the heat equation and the time‐dependent Navier–Stokes equation: A survey
Authors: Chaudhary Sudhakar , Srinivas Kumar V.V.K.
Published: December 2012

In this article, we give some numerical techniques and error estimates using web‐spline based mesh‐free finite element method for the heat equation and the time‐dependent Navier–Stokes equations on bounded domains. The web‐spline method uses weighted extended B‐splines on a regular grid as basis functions and does not require any grid generation. We demonstrate the method by providing numerical results for the Poisson's and stationary Stokes equation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2013
An association of craniopharyngioma in Turner syndrome
Authors: Farooque Aqeel , Atapattu Navoda , Amarasena Sujeewa , Högler Wolfgang , English Martin W. , Kirk Jeremy M.W.
Published: December 2012

Turner syndrome (TS) (approximately 1:5,000 births) and craniopharyngioma (CP) (1:50,000 children) are both rare conditions. We present three cases of TS with CP, an association not previously described. Visual failure, poor growth or headache led to MRI diagnosis of CP. Whilst two had evidence of hypopituitarism at diagnosis of CP, they all developed hypopituitarism following surgical debulking. Two required radiotherapy due to regrowth. Whether CP and TS share a similar aetiology is unknown. Clinicians need to be aware of this association, and should perform urgent MRI scanning in TS patients with headache, visual impairment or clinical/biochemical evidence of hypopituitarism. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: E7–E9. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: Nursing discipline
Authors: Landier Wendy , Leonard Marcia , Ruccione Kathleen S.
Published: December 2012

Integration of the nursing discipline within cooperative groups conducting pediatric oncology clinical trials provides unique opportunities to maximize nursing's contribution to clinical care, and to pursue research questions that extend beyond cure of disease to address important gaps in knowledge surrounding the illness experience. Key areas of importance to the advancement of the nursing discipline's scientific knowledge are understanding the effective delivery of patient/family education, and reducing illness‐related distress, both of which are integral to facilitating parental/child coping with the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer, and to promoting resilience and well‐being of pediatric oncology patients and their families. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 1031–1036. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: Behavioral science
Authors: Noll Robert B. , Patel Sunita K. , Embry Leanne , Hardy Kristina K. , Pelletier Wendy , Annett Robert D. , Patenaude Andrea , Lown E. Anne , Sands Stephen A. , Barakat Lamia P. ,   On behalf of the COG Behavioral Sciences Committee
Published: December 2012

Behavioral science has long played a central role in pediatric oncology clinical service and research. Early work focused on symptom relief related to side effects of chemotherapy and pain management related to invasive medical procedures. As survival rates improved, the focused has shifted to examination of the psychosocial impact, during and after treatment, of pediatric cancer and its treatment on children and their families. The success of the clinical trials networks related to survivorship highlights an even more critical role in numerous domains of psychosocial research and care. Within the cooperative group setting, the field of behavioral science includes psychologists, social workers, physicians, nurses, and parent advisors. The research agenda of this group of experts needs to focus on utilization of psychometrically robust measures to evaluate the impact of treatment on children with cancer and their families during and after treatment ends. Over the next 5 years, the field of behavioral science will need to develop and implement initiatives to expand use of standardized neurocognitive and behavior batteries; increase assessment of neurocognition using technology; early identification of at‐risk children/families; establish standards for evidence‐based psychosocial care; and leverage linkages with the broader behavioral health pediatric oncology community to translate empirically supported research clinical trials care to practice. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 1048–1054. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: Rare tumors
Authors: Rodriguez‐Galindo Carlos , Krailo Mark , Frazier Lindsay , Chintagumpala Murali , Amatruda James , Katzenstein Howard , Malogolowkin Marcio , Spector Logan , Pashankar Farzana , Meyers Rebecka , Tomlinson Gail ,   on behalf of the COG Rare Tumors Disease Committee
Published: December 2012

In the US, approximately 2,000 children are diagnosed with rare cancers each year, with 5‐year survival ranging from <20% for children with advanced carcinomas to >95% for children with intraocular retinoblastoma or localized germ cell tumors. During the last years, 12 clinical studies have been successfully completed in children with retinoblastoma, liver tumors, germ cell tumors, and infrequent malignancies, including therapeutic, epidemiologic, and biologic studies. Current efforts are centered in the development of large international collaborations to consolidate evidence‐based definitions and risk stratifications that will support international Phase 3 clinical trials in germ cell tumors, hepatoblastoma, and other rare cancers. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 1016–1021. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enzyme‐immobilized reactors for rapid and efficient sample preparation in MS‐based proteomic studies
Authors: Yamaguchi Hiroshi , Miyazaki Masaya
Published: December 2012

Proteolysis is a key step in proteomic studies integrated with MS analysis but the conventional method of in‐solution digestion is limited by time‐consuming procedures and low sensitivity. Furthermore, obtaining reliable peptide maps and meaningful sequence data using MS analysis requires not only the separation of the digested peptides but also strictly defined proteolysis conditions. Recently, various immobilized‐enzyme reactors have been developed for highly efficient proteolysis in MS‐based proteomic analysis. This review focuses on the proteolysis step using protease‐immobilized reactors and rapid analysis of protein sequences. We describe the preparation of enzyme reactors by several techniques and protein digestion under unusual conditions. Analysis of posttranslational modifications by enzyme reactors prepared using our immobilization method is presented as a model application. Analysis systems using immobilized‐enzyme reactors are expected to become useful tools for proteomic studies and diverse applications in biotechnology.
Characterization of disease‐associated N‐linked glycoproteins
Authors: Tian Yuan , Zhang Hui
Published: December 2012

N‐linked glycoproteins play important roles in biological processes, including cell‐to‐cell recognition, growth, differentiation, and programmed cell death. Specific N‐linked glycoprotein changes are associated with disease progression and identification of these N‐linked glycoproteins has potential for use in disease diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatments. In this review, we summarize common strategies for N‐linked glycoprotein characterization and applications of these strategies to identification of glycoprotein changes associated with disease states. We also review the N‐linked glycoproteins altered in diseases such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. Although assays for these glycoproteins have potential clinical utility, research is needed to translate these glycoproteins to clinical biomarkers.
Polymeric phthalates: Potential nonmigratory macromolecular plasticizers
Authors: Braslau Rebecca , Schäffner Friederike , Earla Aruna
Published: December 2012

The synthesis of 4‐vinyl‐1,2‐phthalate esters via Suzuki coupling is described, followed by nitroxide‐mediated polymerization to prepare short homopolymers (degree of polymerization [DP] = 10–40, polydispersity index [PDI] = 1.1–1.3). Random copolymers with n‐butyl acrylate (NBA) were prepared. Copolymers rich in phthalate ester residues of medium lengths (DP = 16–48, PDI = 1.2–1.8) and of shorter lengths (DP = 8–17, PDI = 1.2–1.3) were prepared. Copolymers rich in NBA residues were also prepared (DP = 13–19, PDI = 1.2–1.3). All polymers were oily liquids, with glass transitions temperatures undetected between 75 and −40 °C, indicating these polymeric phthalates hold promise as potential nonmigratory phthalate plasticizers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013
Copolymerization of ethylene with 1,1‐disubstituted olefins catalyzed by ansa‐(fluorenyl)(cyclododecylamido)dimethyltitanium complexes
Authors: Nakayama Yuushou , Sogo Yuuichi , Cai Zhengguo , Shiono Takeshi
Published: December 2012

A series of titanium complexes with ansa‐(fluorenyl)(cyclododecylamido) ligands, Me2Si(η3‐R)(N‐c‐C12H23)TiMe2 [R = fluorenyl (5), 2,7‐tBu2fluorenyl (6), 3,6‐tBu2fluorenyl (7)], was synthesized. The crystal structure of complex 6 revealed η3‐coordination of the fluorenyl moiety to the metal. Upon activation with trialkylaluminum‐free modified methylaluminoxane, complexes 5–7 as well as the corresponding tBu amide complexes, Me2Si(η3‐R)(NtBu)TiMe2 [R = fluorenyl (2), 2,7‐tBu2fluorenyl (3), 3,6‐tBu2fluorenyl (4)], were adopted as the catalysts for the copolymerization of ethylene (E) and isobutylene (IB). Among these complexes, complex 6 was found to achieve the highest IB incorporation to produce alternating E‐IB copolymers. Complex 6 system also achieved copolymerization of E and limonene. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013
Convenient synthesis of cyclic carbonates from CO2 and epoxides by simple secondary and primary ammonium iodides as metal‐free catalysts under mild conditions and its application to synthesis of polymer bearing cyclic carbonate moiety
Authors: Aoyagi Naoto , Furusho Yoshio , Endo Takeshi
Published: December 2012

Hydroiodides of secondary and primary amines effectively catalyzed the reaction of carbon dioxide and epoxides under mild conditions such as ordinary pressure and ambient temperature, to obtain the corresponding five‐membered cyclic carbonates in moderate to high yields. Detailed investigation showed that the catalytic activity was highly affected by the counter anions of the ammonium salts; the iodides catalyzed efficiently the carbonate‐forming reactions, whereas the bromide and chloride counterparts exhibited almost no catalysis. We also revealed that two important factors on the amine moieties that affected the catalytic reactions. First, the catalytic activity increased with increasing bulkiness of the substituents on the ammonium nitrogen atoms. Second, the catalysis became more efficient as the parent amines become more basic. Dicyclohexylammonium iodide was the best catalyst among the ammonium salts investigated in this study. As an application of this reaction system, we synthesized homo‐ and copolymers bearing epoxide pendant groups as substrates, which were converted with high efficiency into the corresponding homo‐ and copolymers bearing cyclic carbonate pendant groups under 1 atm at 45 °C. All polymers were easily purified simply by precipitation in water, and were isolated in high yields (>95%). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013
Structure of polymer and particle aggregates in hydrogel composites
Authors: Berts Ida , Gerelli Yuri , Hilborn Jöns , Rennie Adrian R.
Published: December 2012

Knowledge of the structure of a biomaterial is usually vital to control its function. This article provides a structural characterization of a hyaluronan scaffold that has demonstrated good biocompatibility and is used to induce bone regeneration. Hyaluronan hydrogels are appealing materials that can function as a matrix to incorporate both organic and inorganic substances to enhance tissue growth. Because of the intrinsic properties of this swollen matrix, one needs a very sensitive technique that can be applied in situ to determine the organization of the polymers in a gel. Small‐angle neutron scattering is used to determine the characteristics of the inhomogeneous structure of the hydrogel both with and without added particles. The results are interpreted using models of structure with two length scales that are beyond the traditional picture of homogeneous gels. The observed structure and the dimensions can explain the previously reported rheological properties of gels containing different amount of polymers. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles added to the gel are frozen in the gel matrix. We are able to determine the distribution and shape of these particles as they aggregate around the polymer chains. We have also concluded, in this case, that the particle structure is concentration independent. Information about the nanostructure for an applicable biomaterial guides the formulation, preparation, and use that should lead to further understanding of its exploitation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013
Prediction of Amine‐Based Liquid Rocket Propellant Shelf Life
Authors: Mohammadi Kaveh , Gorji Mahmoud
Published: December 2012

The storage stability of amine based rocket fuel called Samine was studied over 9 months for the first time. It was found that storage stability significantly depends on fuel oxidation with the air trapped in the storage tanks. A reduction of the triethylamine concentration from 50.2 % (wt) to less than 48 % was taken as the end of shelf life of the propellant. After obtaining experimental data from accelerated storage stability tests, the shelf life of Samine was estimated using the Arrhenius equation. According to the kinetic studies, the oxidation reaction of fuel was a zero order reaction and the shelf lives of Samine in stainless‐steel tanks at 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C were obtained to be 5.7, 3.7, and 2.4 years, respectively. Additionally, it was observed that for long time storage of amine based fuels like Samine it is better to use stainless‐steel or aluminum tanks, which are charged with an inert gas like nitrogen.
Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA): A novel modulator of p38 for proliferation, migration, and survival in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Zhang Yiming , Guo Zhenghui , Du Tao , Chen Jieqing , Wang Wei , Xu Kewei , Lin Tianxin , Huang Hai
Published: December 2012

BACKGROUND

Regulated activation of p38 is crucial for cell proliferation, survival, and metabolism. Our previous studies had showed that prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) can facilitate the proliferation, migration, survival of the LNCaP prostate cancer cell line, but the mechanisms are poorly defined.

METHODS

Our LNCaP cells had been stably transfected with lentivirus‐mediated shRNA for PSMA silencing in previous study. We first testify the efficacy of PSMA knockdown in our LNCaP cell line. Then using this PSMA (−) LNCaP cell line, we compared the expression of PSMA and P‐p38 by Western blotting among groups. Furthermore, we also performed immunofluorescence to confirm the change of P‐p38 in cells. Then, cell viability and migration were measured by cell counting kit‐8 reagent and Transwell analysis respectively. Flow cytometry was employed to evaluate cell survival.

RESULTS

After silencing the expression of PSMA, the level of the phospho‐p38 (P‐p38) decreased approximate 40% compared with the blank and NC groups (P < 0.05). When the cells were incubated with SB203582 (p38 inhibitor), the P‐p38 in three groups was at low level and no difference among groups (P > 0.05). Then the results of immunofluorescence further proved the relationship between PSMA and P‐p38. Decrease of cell viability, migration, and survival was observed upon PSMA silencing. SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK pathway, also reduced proliferation, migration, and survival of LNCaP cells.

CONCLUSION

These data suggests PSMA may stimulate prostate cancer cells proliferation, migration and survival through p38 MAPK pathway, revealing a novel mechanism for PSMA playing positive role on LNCaP cells. Prostate 73: 835–841, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improving the contribution of climate model information to decision making: the value and demands of robust decision frameworks
Authors: Weaver Christopher P. , Lempert Robert J. , Brown Casey , Hall John A. , Revell David , Sarewitz Daniel
Published: December 2012

In this paper, we review the need for, use of, and demands on climate modeling to support so‐called ‘robust’ decision frameworks, in the context of improving the contribution of climate information to effective decision making. Such frameworks seek to identify policy vulnerabilities under deep uncertainty about the future and propose strategies for minimizing regret in the event of broken assumptions. We argue that currently there is a severe underutilization of climate models as tools for supporting decision making, and that this is slowing progress in developing informed adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change. This underutilization stems from two root causes, about which there is a growing body of literature: one, a widespread, but limiting, conception that the usefulness of climate models in planning begins and ends with regional‐scale predictions of multidecadal climate change; two, the general failure so far to incorporate learning from the decision and social sciences into climate‐related decision support in key sectors. We further argue that addressing these root causes will require expanding the conception of climate models; not simply as prediction machines within ‘predict‐then‐act’ decision frameworks, but as scenario generators, sources of insight into complex system behavior, and aids to critical thinking within robust decision frameworks. Such a shift, however, would have implications for how users perceive and use information from climate models and, ultimately, the types of information they will demand from these models—and thus for the types of simulations and numerical experiments that will have the most value for informing decision making. WIREs Clim Change 2013, 4:39–60. doi: 10.1002/wcc.202

This article is categorized under:

Climate Models and Modeling > Knowledge Generation with Models

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Institutions for Adaptation
Pregnancy after in vitro fertilization in a liver transplant patient
Authors: Choi Janet M. , Mahany Erica B. , Sauer Mark V.
Published: December 2012

We present the case of a liver transplant patient who conceived following assisted reproduction and experienced a normal pregnancy with a good outcome. This case illustrates that, in select cases and with multidisciplinary effort, women may undergo ovarian hyperstimulation and egg retrieval following liver transplant without undue risk or complications.
Sodium tungstate activates glycogen synthesis through a non‐canonical mechanism involving G‐proteins
Authors: Zafra Delia , Nocito Laura , Domínguez Jorge , Guinovart Joan J.
Published: December 2012

Tungstate treatment ameliorates experimental diabetes by increasing liver glycogen deposition through an as yet unidentified mechanism. The signalling mechanism of tungstate was studied in CHOIR cells and primary cultured hepatocytes. This compound exerted its pro‐glycogenic effects through a new G‐protein‐dependent and Tyr‐Kinase Receptor‐independent mechanism. Chemical or genetic disruption of G‐protein signalling prevented the activation of the Ras/ERK cascade and the downstream induction of glycogen synthesis caused by tungstate. Thus, these findings unveil a novel non‐canonical signalling pathway that leads to the activation of glycogen synthesis and that could be exploited as an approach to treat diabetes.
Biomolecule delivery into canola protoplasts by centrifuging cells with microbubbles
Authors: He Chuan , Gu Quanrong , Huang Min , Xing James , Chen Jie
Published: December 2012

We have successfully delivered FITC and FITC‐Dextran (70, 250 kDa) into canola protoplasts by centrifuging cells with different amounts of microbubbles at variable centrifuge speed. The efficiency is around 90%, while cell viability remains high. Confocal microscopy images show that both FITC and FITC‐Dextran are scattered inside the cytoplasm and the cell nucleus. Pores are observed on canola protoplast cell membranes and cell walls when centrifuged with microbubbles, while the membrane of cells centrifuged alone remain intact and smooth. We hypothesize that the collision between the microbubbles and cells or the bursting of microbubbles are the main reasons for the formation of these pores. Biomaterials can diffuse into the cells once the pathway is created.
Adherens junctions as targets of microorganisms: A focus on Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Costa Angela Margarida , Leite Marina , Seruca Raquel , Figueiredo Ceu
Published: December 2012

Mucosal epithelia are targeted by several microorganisms as a way of adhesion, internalization, and/or exploitation of the host properties to induce disease. Helicobacter pylori are worldwide prevalent bacteria that colonize the human stomach. Persistent infection of the gastric mucosa with H. pylori and concurrent chronic gastritis are risk factors for ulcer disease and gastric carcinoma. Therefore, interactions at the H. pylori–epithelial interface are important to understand the pathogenesis of these bacteria and the host responses that contribute to disease development. Here, we provide an overview of the interactions between microorganisms and the adherens junctions with an emphasis on H. pylori.
Effect of Stress Concentration on Laminated Plates
Authors: Sayyad A. S. , Ghugal Y. M.
Published: December 2012

This paper deals with the problem of stress distribution in orthotropic and laminated plates subjected to central concentrated load. An equivalent single layer trigonometric shear deformation theory taking into account transverse shear deformation effect as well as transverse normal strain effect is used to obtain in-plane normal and transverse shear stresses through the thickness of plate. Governing equations and boundary conditions of the theory are obtained using the principle of virtual work. A simply supported plate with central concentrated load is considered for the numerical analysis. Anomalous behavior of inplane normal and transverse shear stresses is observed due to effect of stress concentration compared to classical plate theory and first order shear deformation theory.
Introduction
Authors: PROKOPOVYCH MARKIAN
Published: December 2012

Eastern Europe has recently received much attention from scholars irrespective of diverse focus and specialization, and the special section of this distinguished journal is yet another proof that the region remains an extraordinarily interesting place for research and analysis. Scholarly interests have, however, often been related to the emergence, establishment and eventual demise of state socialism in this heterogeneous place, the horrors of World War II and the profound transformations that swept through its many old-new countries during recent decades. The predominance of political, social and intellectual history, as well as sociology and political science, and scholarly interpretations of the condition of modernity in Eastern Europe come therefore as little surprise. This methodological apparatus at hand, significant aspects of the region's development during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have sometimes been overlooked, while others appeared teleological. Within the traditions of both Western and Eastern European academia, the region has until recently been perceived as having followed a very distinct, special path to modernity characterized in a variety of ways as arrested development,Sonderwegand backwardness. At the same time, the profound change that occurred in these diverse territories as part of a European and in fact global process of modernization during the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries has often not been given its true significance in relation to its later historical development. An array of recent post-colonialist responses that have fundamentally reshaped the history of the modern ‘Third World’ have touched Eastern Europe only in passing, Hence, an occasional intellectual indecisiveness as to how to analyse the region's development in a greater historical context, as is immediately evident in the diversity of names ascribed to its supposedly different geographical areas – Eastern Europe, East Central Europe, Central Europe,Mitteleuropaand South-East Europe, to name but a few – each with their own political and ideological bias.
Pushing the Agenda: Presidential Leadership in U.S. Lawmaking, 1953–2004. By Matthew N. Beckmann
Authors: Green Matthew N.
Published: December 2012

Pushing the Agenda: Presidential Leadership in U.S. Lawmaking, 1953–2004. By Matthew N. Beckmann. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 194p. $99.00 cloth, $26.99 paper.

The American president is many things. He serves as the head of state, chief of his political party, manager of the national bureaucracy, commander of the armed forces, and even (to some at least) a moral leader of the country. But one of the most important roles of the president is legislative leader: setting the nation's policy agenda, proposing new bills, and steering key initiatives through Congress. The central nature of that role is evidenced by our tendency to think of past presidents in terms of their trademark policy proposals, be it Harry “Fair Deal” Truman or Ronald Reagan's “Reaganomics.”
Response to Wendy Pearlman's review of Nonviolent Revolutions: Civil Resistance in the Late 20th Century
Authors: Nepstad Sharon Erickson
Published: December 2012

The study of nonviolent civil resistance is now in vogue. The American Political Science Association gave its best book award this year to Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, authors of Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. Additionally, in the last few years, there have been an unprecedented number of academic books, edited volumes, and journal special issues published on this topic, largely due to interest generated by the Arab Spring uprisings and the “color revolutions” in post-communist regions.
Whither Russia? Autocracy Is Here for Now, but Is It Here to Stay?
Authors: Stoner Kathryn
Published: December 2012

Judging from some of the titles of recent books on Russia—for example, Richard Sakwa's The Crisis of Russian Democracy, Gulnaz Sharafutdinova's Political Consequences of Crony Capitalism inside Russia, and Tom Remington's The Politics of Inequality in Russia—all is not well 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Corruption abounds, and state institutions are weak where they should be strong or strong where they should be weak. Under Vladimir Putin, democracy has deteriorated since the heady early days of the 1990s, and the negative externalities of Russia's rocky economic transition—especially privatization—have made it so that social inequality permeates postcommunist society.
Neoliberalism, Race, and the American Welfare State
Authors: Hanson Russell L.
Published: December 2012

Disciplining the Poor: Neoliberal Paternalism and the Persistent Power of Race. By Joe Soss, Richard C. Fording, and Sanford F. Schram. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011. 368p. $75.00 cloth, $25.00 paper.

It is more than 15 years since the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act was passed in 1996, famously described by then-President Bill Clinton as “the end of welfare as we know it.” In Disciplining the Poor, Joe Soss, Richard Fording, and Sanford Schram analyze recent changes in US welfare policy as reflections of broader transformations of the “governance” of poverty, arguing that these transformations represent a new form of “neoliberal paternalism” in which race continues to be an important element. In this symposium, a diverse group of political scientists working on welfare issues have been asked to critically assess the book's account and to comment more broadly on the importance of the “governance of poverty” to the future of American politics.—Jeffrey C. Isaac, Editor
More of the Same
Authors: Waroquier Laurent , Klein Olivier
Published: December 2012

We suggest that temporal stability in the frequency of stereotype-consistent behavior can be used to estimate whether this behavior reflects internal stable dispositions (i.e., stereotype-consistent traits) shared within the group rather than other factors. Based on this reasoning, we expect that people may be more likely to judge a target group in stereotypical ways when the percentage of members of this group performing the stereotype-consistent behavior is stable rather than when the trend has been increasing or decreasing up to the present. This hypothesis was applied to the perceived endorsement of Flemish nationalism in Belgium. The main hypothesis was confirmed. The effect of temporal trend on stereotyping was mediated by an indicator of perceived group homogeneity.
Detailed simulation of morphodynamics: 1. Hydrodynamic model
Authors: Nabi M. , de Vriend H. J. , Mosselman E. , Sloff C. J. , Shimizu Y.
Published: December 2012

We present a three‐dimensional high‐resolution hydrodynamic model for unsteady incompressible flow over an evolving bed topography. This is achieved by using a multilevel Cartesian grid technique that allows the grid to be refined in high‐gradient regions and in the vicinity of the river bed. The grid can be locally refined and adapted to the bed geometry, managing the Cartesian grid cells and faces using a hierarchical tree data approach. A ghost‐cell immersed‐boundary technique is applied to cells intersecting the bed topography. The governing equations have been discretized using a finite‐volume method on a staggered grid, conserving second‐order accuracy in time and space. The solution advances in time using the fractional step approach. Large‐eddy simulation is used as turbulence closure. We validate the model against several experiments and other results from literature. Model results for Stokes flow around a cylinder in the vicinity of a moving wall agree well with Wannier's analytical solution. At higher Reynolds numbers, computed trailing bubble length, separation angle, and drag coefficient compare favorably with experimental and previous computational results. Results for the flow over two‐ and three‐dimensional dunes agree well with published data, including a fair reproduction of recirculation zones, horse‐shoe structures, and boiling effects. This shows that the model is suitable for being used as a hydrodynamic submodel in the high‐resolution modeling of sediment transport and formation and evolution of subaqueous ripples and dunes.
The BH3 mimetic ABT-263 synergizes with the MEK1/2 inhibitor selumetinib/AZD6244 to promote BIM-dependent tumour cell death and inhibit acquired resistance
Authors: Sale Matthew J. , Cook Simon J.
Published: December 2012

Tumour cells typically exhibit a G1 cell cycle arrest in response to the MEK1/2 [mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) kinase 1/2] inhibitor selumetinib, but do not die, and thus they acquire resistance. In the present study we examined the effect of combining selumetinib with the BH3 [BCL2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) homology domain 3]-mimetic BCL2 inhibitor ABT-263. Although either drug alone caused little tumour cell death, the two agents combined to cause substantial caspase-dependent cell death and inhibit long-term clonogenic survival of colorectal cancer and melanoma cell lines with BRAFV600E or RAS mutations. This cell death absolutely required BAX (BCL2-associated X protein) and was inhibited by RNAi (RNA interference)-mediated knockdown of BIM (BCL2-interacting mediator of cell death) in the BRAFV600E-positive COLO205 cell line. When colorectal cancer cell lines were treated with selumetinib plus ABT-263 we observed a striking reduction in the incidence of cells emerging with acquired resistance to selumetinib. Similar results were observed when we combined ABT-263 with the BRAFV600E-selective inhibitor PLX4720, but only in cells expressing BRAFV600E. Finally, cancer cells in which acquired resistance to selumetinib arises through BRAFV600E amplification remained sensitive to ABT-263, whereas selumetinib-resistant HCT116 cells (KRASG13D amplification) were cross-resistant to ABT-263. Thus the combination of a BCL2 inhibitor and an ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor is synthetic lethal in ERK1/2-addicted tumour cells, delays the onset of acquired resistance and in some cases overcomes acquired resistance to selumetinib.
Taming the low-lying electronic states of FeH
Authors: DeYonker Nathan J. , Allen Wesley D.
Published: December 2012

The low-lying electronic states (X 4Δ, A 4Π, a 6Δ, b 6Π) of the iron monohydride radical, which are especially troublesome for electronic structure theory, have been successfully described using a focal point analysis (FPA) approach that conjoined a correlation-consistent family of basis sets up to aug-cc-pwCV5Z-DK with high-order coupled cluster theory through hextuple (CCSDTQPH) excitations. Adiabatic excitation energies (T0) and spectroscopic constants (re, r0, Be, B0, $\overline D$D¯e, ωe, v0, αe, ωexe) were extrapolated to the valence complete basis set Douglas-Kroll (DK) aug-cc-pwCV∞Z-DK CCSDT level of theory, and additional treatments accounted for higher-order valence electron correlation, core correlation, spin-orbit coupling, and the diagonal Born-Oppenheimer correction. The purely ab initio FPA approach yields the following T0 results (in eV) for the lowest spin-orbit components of each electronic state: 0 (X 4Δ) < 0.132 (A 4Π) < 0.190 (a 6Δ) < 0.444 (b 6Π). The computed anharmonic fundamental vibrational frequencies (v0) for the 4,6Δ electronic states are within 3 cm−1 of experiment and provide reliable predictions for the 4,6Π states. With the cc-pVDZ basis set, even CCSDTQPH energies give an incorrect ground state of FeH, highlighting the importance of combining high-order electron correlation treatments with robust basis sets when studying transition-metal radicals. The FPA computations provide D0 = 1.86 eV (42.9 kcal mol−1) for the 0 K dissociation energy of FeH and $\Delta _f H_{298}^ \circ$ΔfH298∘ [FeH(g)] = 107.7 kcal mol−1 for the enthalpy of formation at room temperature. Despite sizable multireference character in the quartet states, high-order single-reference coupled cluster computations improve the spectroscopic parameters over previous multireference theoretical studies; for example, the X 4Δ → A 4Π and a 6Δ → b 6Π transition energies are reproduced to 0.012 and 0.002 eV, respectively, while the error for the problematic X 4Δ → a 6Δ intercombination excitation is reduced from at least 0.17 eV to about 0.04 eV.
Strain mapping with nm-scale resolution for the silicon-on-insulator generation of semiconductor devices by advanced electron microscopy
Authors: Cooper David , Denneulin Thibaud , Barnes Jean-Paul , Hartmann Jean-Michel , Hutin Louis , Le Royer Cyrille , Béché Armand , Rouvière Jean-Luc
Published: December 2012

Strain engineering in the conduction channel is a cost effective method of boosting the performance in state-of-the-art semiconductor devices. However, given the small dimensions of these devices, it is difficult to quantitatively measure the strain with the required spatial resolution. Three different transmission electron microscopy techniques, high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, dark field electron holography, and nanobeam electron diffraction have been applied to measure the strain in simple bulk and SOI calibration specimens. These techniques are then applied to different gate length SiGe SOI pFET devices in order to measure the strain in the conduction channel. For these devices, improved spatial resolution is required, and strain maps with spatial resolutions as good as 1 nm have been achieved. Finally, we discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of using these three different techniques when used for strain measurement.
Understanding the resistive switching characteristics and mechanism in active SiOx-based resistive switching memory
Authors: Chang Yao-Feng , Chen Pai-Yu , Fowler Burt , Chen Yen-Ting , Xue Fei , Wang Yanzhen , Zhou Fei , Lee Jack C.
Published: December 2012

The resistive switching characteristics and mechanism in active SiOx-based resistive switching memory have been investigated by using a simple TaN/SiO2/n++ Si-substrate test structure. Controlling the oxygen content in SiOx layer not only improved device yield but also stabilized electrical switching characteristics. The current transport behavior in high- and low-resistance states, thickness effect in SiOx layer, device area effect, and multilevel effect by controlling compliance current limitation and stopped voltage values have been studied. The results indicate that resistive switching occurs in a localized region along a filament, rather than uniformly throughout the bulk. A general current flow model for nonpolar SiOx-based resistive switching memory has been proposed, which provides a simple physical concept to describe the resistive switching behavior and provides additional insights into optimization of resistive switching memory devices.
Non-invasive optoacoustic probing of the density and stiffness of single biological cells
Authors: Dehoux T. , Audoin B.
Published: December 2012

Recently, the coherent generation of GHz acoustic waves using ultrashort laser pulses has demonstrated the ability to probe the sound velocity in vegetal cells and in cell-mimicking soft micro-objects with micrometer resolution, opening tremendous potentialities for single-cell biology. However, manipulating biological media in physiological conditions is often a technical challenge when using a laser-based setup. In this article, we present a new opto-acoustic bio-transducer composed of a thin metal film sputtered on a transparent heat sink that allows reducing importantly the laser-induced cellular stresses, and offers a wide variety of optical configurations. In particular, by exploiting the acoustic reflection coefficient at the sample-transducer interface and the photoacoustic interaction inside the transparent sample, the density and compressibility of the sample can be probed simultaneously. Using an ad hoc signal analysis based on Hilbert and wavelet transforms, these quantities are measured accurately for a reference fluid. Similar analysis performed in a single vegetal cell also suggests high sensitivity to the state of the transducer-cell interface, and notably to the presence of the plasma membrane that encloses the cell vacuole.
Effect of low-Raman window position on correlated photon-pair generation in a chalcogenide Ge11.5As24Se64.5 nanowire
Authors: He J. , Xiong C. , Clark A. S. , Collins M. J. , Gai X. , Choi D.-Y. , Madden S. J. , Luther-Davies B. , Eggleton B. J.
Published: December 2012

We investigated correlated photon-pair generation via spontaneous four-wave mixing in an integrated chalcogenide Ge11.5As24Se64.5 photonic nanowire. The coincidence to accidental ratio, a key measurement for the quality of correlated photon-pair sources, was measured to be only 0.4 when the photon pairs were generated at 1.9 THz detuning from the pump frequency due to high spontaneous Raman noise in this regime. However, the existence of a characteristic low-Raman window at around 5.1 THz in this material's Raman spectrum and dispersion engineering of the nanowire allowed us to generate photon pairs with a coincidence to accidental ratio of 4.5, more than 10 times higher than the 1.9 THz case. Through comparing the results with those achieved in chalcogenide As2S3 waveguides which also exhibit a low Raman-window but at a larger detuning of 7.4 THz, we find that the position of the characteristic low-Raman window plays an important role on reducing spontaneous Raman noise because the phonon population is higher at smaller detuning. Therefore the ultimate solution for Raman noise reduction in Ge11.5As24Se64.5 is to generate photon pairs outside the Raman gain band at more than 10 THz detuning.
Frequency-dependent magnetotransport phenomena in a hybrid Fe/SiO2/p-Si structure
Authors: Volkov N. V. , Tarasov A. S. , Eremin E. V. , Eremin A. V. , Varnakov S. N. , Ovchinnikov S. G.
Published: December 2012

We report the large magnetoimpedance effect in a hybrid Fe/SiO2/p-Si structure with the Schottky barrier. The pronounced effect of magnetic field on the real and imaginary parts of the impedance has been found at temperatures 25–100 K in two relatively narrow frequency ranges around 1 kHz and 100 MHz. The observed frequency-dependent magnetotransport effect is related to the presence of localized “magnetic” states near the SiO2/p-Si interface. In these states, two different recharging processes with different relaxation times are implemented. One process is capture-emission of carriers that involves the interface levels and the valence band; the other is the electron tunneling between the ferromagnetic electrode and the interface states through SiO2 potential barrier. In the first case, the applied magnetic field shifts energy levels of the surface states relative to the valence band, which changes recharging characteristic times. In the second case, the magnetic field governs the spin-dependent tunneling of carriers through the potential barrier. The “magnetic” interface states originate, most likely, from the formation of the centers that contain Fe ions, which can easily diffuse through the SiO2 layer.
Cavity ring down spectroscopy with 5 × 10−13 cm−1 sensitivity
Authors: Kassi Samir , Campargue Alain
Published: December 2012

The ultimate sensitivity performances obtained with a continuous wave-cavity ring down spectroscopy setup in the near infrared are investigated. At fixed frequency, the noise of the photodetector is found to be the main limitation and the best limit of detection (about 10−11 cm−1) is reached after a 10 s averaging. We show that long term baseline fluctuations can be efficiently averaged over several days allowing us to reach a detection limit as low as 5 × 10−13 cm−1. The achieved sensitivity is illustrated on narrow spectral intervals where the weakest lines detected so far by absorption spectroscopy are observed: (i) ultra-weak transitions of the a1Δg(0)−X 3Σg−(1) hot band of 16O2 near 1.58 μm and (ii) first detection of an electric quadrupole transition in the second overtone band of nitrogen (14N2) near 1.44 μm.
Photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio study of boron-carbon mixed clusters: CB9− and C2B8−
Authors: Galeev Timur R. , Li Wei-Li , Romanescu Constantin , Černušák Ivan , Wang Lai-Sheng , Boldyrev Alexander I.
Published: December 2012

We performed a joint photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio study of two carbon-doped boron clusters, CB9− and C2B8−. Unbiased computational searches revealed similar global minimum structures for both clusters. The comparison of the experimentally observed and theoretically calculated vertical detachment energies revealed that only the global minimum structure is responsible for the experimental spectra of CB9−, whereas the two lowest-lying isomers of C2B8− contribute to the experimental spectra. The planar “distorted wheel” type structures with a single inner boron atom found for CB9− and C2B8− are different from the quasi-planar structure of B10−, which consists of two inner atoms and eight peripheral boron atoms. The adaptive natural density partitioning chemical bonding analysis revealed that CB9− and C2B8 clusters exhibit π aromaticity and σ antiaromaticity, which is consistent with their planar distorted structures.
Propagation and decay of low temperature plasma packets in arrays of dielectric microchannels
Authors: Cho J. H. , Park S.-J. , Eden J. G.
Published: December 2012

Propagation of ionization waves in an atmospheric pressure, rare gas background has been observed in arrays of parallel microchannels fabricated in nanostructured alumina (Al2O3). Propelled by the accumulation of charge on the microchannel wall, packets of low temperature, nonequilibrium plasma propagate at a uniform velocity of ∼20 km-s−1 in 230 μm wide, 3.5 cm long channels flanked by Al electrodes buried in the Al2O3 wall. Temporally and spatially resolved images of the microchannel plasmas show the ionization wave to have a mean length of ∼5.2 mm and the dominant mechanism for volumetric electron loss to be dissociative recombination.
Simultaneous iron gettering and passivation of p-type monocrystalline silicon using a negatively charged aluminum-doped dielectric
Authors: Das Arnab , Rohatgi Ajeet
Published: December 2012

Rapid gettering of iron from p-type c-Si has been achieved using a negatively charged spin-on Al-doped glass. After a 10 min oxidation to cure the Al-doped glass, >99% of Fe can be gettered from silicon wafers. This is comparable to, and under some processing conditions better than, the efficiency of conventional POCl3 gettering. In the same short oxidation step, the Al-doped glass also passivates p-Si surfaces with surface recombination velocities of 100 cm/s and 10 600 cm/s achieved for surface doping of 6 × 1015 cm−3 and 4 × 1019 cm−3, respectively. These passivation results are comparable to those achieved with thermal SiO2 layers.
Temperature dependence of spin lifetime of conduction electrons in bulk germanium
Authors: Guite Chinkhanlun , Venkataraman V.
Published: December 2012

Optically generated spin polarized electrons in bulk n-type Ge samples have been detected by using a radio-frequency modulation technique. Using the Hanle effect in an external magnetic field, the spin lifetime was measured as a function of temperature in the range 90 K to 180 K. The lifetime decreases with increasing temperature from ∼5 ns at 100 K to ∼2 ns at 180 K. We show that the temperature dependence is consistent with the Elliott-Yafet spin relaxation mechanism [R. J. Elliot, Phys. Rev. 96, 266 (1954)].
Graphene-based ferromagnetic superconductors
Authors: Vahid Hosseini Mir , Zareyan Malek
Published: December 2012

We propose a graphene-based model for realizing a special type of gapless condensate by pairing of electron-like (n) carriers of a Dirac cone conduction band with hole-like (p) carriers of a Dirac valance band. This condensate can be realized by ferromagnetic superconductivity in monolayer graphene. The p-n condensate dominates the zero temperature phase diagram at low levels of doping and high exchange fields. We find that p-n pairing with p+ip-wave symmetry presents a stable condensate phase, which can cover the phase diagram up to surprisingly strong exchange fields.