bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The emergence of a learning progression in middle school chemistry
Authors: Johnson Philip , Tymms Peter
Published: July 2011

Previously, a small scale, interview‐based, 3‐year longitudinal study (ages 11–14) in one school had suggested a learning progression related to the concept of a substance. This article presents the results of a large‐scale, cross‐sectional study which used Rasch modeling to test the hypothesis of the learning progression. Data were collected from 4,450 students, aged 11–14, across 30 secondary schools in England using a computer‐based assessment instrument. The construction of the items was informed by the research literature on students' understanding in chemistry. One hundred seventy‐six fixed response items, in three formats, involving the use of video and animation were developed. Scored dichotomously, overall, the data show a good fit to the Rasch model. Item difficulties have a high degree of invariance across ability, schools, gender, and year group. Conceptually, when items are placed in order of difficulty, a coherent progression of ideas emerges which matches the expectations from the longitudinal study. The learning progression is presented. Independent, nationally standardized data allow tentative projection of student performance to the wider population in England. Implications for research and curriculum design are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 849–877, 2011
A structural equation model of conceptual change in physics
Authors: Taasoobshirazi Gita , Sinatra Gale M.
Published: July 2011

A model of conceptual change in physics was tested on introductory‐level, college physics students. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesized relationships among variables linked to conceptual change in physics including an approach goal orientation, need for cognition, motivation, and course grade. Conceptual change in physics was determined using gains from pre‐ to post‐administration of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Results indicated that need for cognition and approach goals had a significant influence on motivation. Motivation influenced change scores on the FCI both directly, and indirectly, through course grade. Finally, course grade directly influenced conceptual change. The implications of these findings for future research and developing students' conceptual change in physics are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 901–918, 2011
A competency‐based approach to preparing staff as recreation and youth development leaders
Authors: Barcelona Robert J. , Hurd Amy R. , Bruggeman Jennifer A.
Published: July 2011

Youth are often the primary group for parks and recreation organizations, yet recreation professionals are often not adequately prepared in the principles and practices of youth development. Similarly, youth workers outside the recreation field often lack information on basic recreation program design and activity leadership.
African American Women Voters: Review Article
Authors: Kaba Amadu Jacky
Published: July 2011

This article reviews a book written by Lisa Nikol Nealy entitled: African American Women Voters: Racializing Religiosity, Political Consciousness and Progressive Political Action in U.S. Presidential Elections from 1964 Through 2008 (2009). I extracted the following themes from the book: (1) the importance and influence of the Black church or religious organizations and their leaders on the level of political participation of African Americans, especially Black women in the United States; (2) that Black and White gentile European Americans are experiencing two racial religiosities, which is reflected in the voting booth during national elections; (3) that relative to their Black male counterparts and members of other racial groups, Black women have made enormous contributions to U.S. politics especially in voting trends from the 1960s to present; and (4) there continues to be a serious division between Black and White American females, a division which is rooted in religious and racial histories of the two groups.
Bipolar Transurethral Resection of Prostate: Current Status in the Management of Bladder Outflow Obstruction
Authors: Bolgeri M. , Naji S. , Sahai A. , Anjum F. , Madaan S. , Sriprasad S. , Dickinson I.
Published: July 2011

Monopolar transurethral resection of prostate has been the preferred surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Even in modern series there are significant risks such as haemorrhage requiring transfusion and TUR syndrome, although their incidence is lower than previously. Over the last decade or so newer technologies have emerged that have proven to be at least equivalent to monopolar TURP. Bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate in normal saline is a potentially safer option to monopolar resection but with equivalent efficacy in the medium term. This is supported by 2 recent meta-analyses. This review describes the technology, efficacy and safety profile of bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate.
Reprint of “The developing oligodendrocyte: key cellular target in brain injury in the premature infant”
Authors: Volpe Joseph J. , Kinney Hannah C. , Jensen Frances E. , Rosenberg Paul A.
Published: July 2011

Brain injury in the premature infant, a problem of enormous importance, is associated with a high risk of neurodevelopmental disability. The major type of injury involves cerebral white matter and the principal cellular target is the developing oligodendrocyte. The specific phase of the oligodendroglial lineage affected has been defined from study of both human brain and experimental models. This premyelinating cell (pre‐OL) is vulnerable because of a series of maturation‐dependent events. The pathogenesis of pre‐OL injury relates to operation of two upstream mechanisms, hypoxia‐ischemia and systemic infection/inflammation, both of which are common occurrences in premature infants. The focus of this review and of our research over the past 15–20 years has been the cellular and molecular bases for the maturation‐dependent vulnerability of the pre‐OL to the action of the two upstream mechanisms. Three downstream mechanisms have been identified, i.e., microglial activation, excitotoxicity and free radical attack. The work in both experimental models and human brain has identified a remarkable confluence of maturation‐dependent factors that render the pre‐OL so exquisitely vulnerable to these downstream mechanisms. Most importantly, elucidation of these factors has led to delineation of a series of potential therapeutic interventions, which in experimental models show marked protective properties. The critical next step, i.e., clinical trials in the living infant, is now on the horizon.
Reprint of “Early testosterone modulated sex differences in behavioral outcome following neonatal hypoxia ischemia in rats”
Authors: Hill C.A. , Threlkeld S.W. , Fitch R.H.
Published: July 2011

Hypoxia ischemia (HI; reduced blood oxygenation and/or flow to the brain) represents one of the most common injuries for both term and preterm/very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. These children experience elevated incidence of cognitive and/or sensory processing disabilities, including language based learning disabilities. Clinical data also indicate more substantial long‐term deficits for HI injured male babies as compared to HI injured females. Previously, we reported significant deficits in rapid auditory processing and spatial learning in male rats with postnatal day 1 (P1), P7, or P10 HI injury. We also showed sex differences in HI injured animals, with more severe deficits in males as compared to females. Given these findings, combined with extant clinical data, the current study sought to assess a putative role for perinatal testosterone in modulating behavioral outcome following early hypoxic‐ischemic injury in rats. Male, female, and testosterone‐propionate (TP) treated females were subjected to P7 HI or sham surgery, and subsequently (P30+) underwent a battery of auditory testing and water maze assessment. Results confirm previous reports of sex differences following HI, and add new findings of significantly worse performance in TP‐treated HI females compared to vehicle treated HI females. Post mortem anatomic analyses showed consistent effects, with significant brain weight decreases seen in HI male and TP‐treated HI females but not female HI or sham groups. Further neuromorphometric analysis of brain structures showed that HI male animals exhibited increased pathology relative to HI females as reflected in ventricular enlargement. Findings suggest that neonatal testosterone may act to enhance the deleterious consequences of early HI brain injury, as measured by both neuropathology and behavior.
Clinical Telerehabilitation: Applications for Physiatrists
Authors: Gregory Patricia , Alexander Joshua , Satinsky Jennifer
Published: July 2011

Telemedicine offers an innovative approach to increase access to rehabilitation medicine services for patients who live in areas where physiatrists are scarce or absent. This article reviews the current status of telerehabilitation services delivered through real‐time videoconferencing to provide support, assessment, and interventions to individuals with impairments or disabilities. A literature review demonstrates various uses of telerehabilitation by physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, audiologists, recreational therapists, neuropsychologists, nurses, other physician specialists, and physiatrists. We also provide more in‐depth examples of 2 current programs that involve physiatrists: One furnishes telerehabilitation services to adult stroke survivors, and the other addresses the special health care needs of children with developmental disabilities. We discuss the benefits of using telemedicine via real‐time videoconferencing to care for individuals with disabilities, outline the challenges of successfully implementing a physiatric telerehabilitation program, and finish with a list of potential applications for physiatrists interested in incorporating telemedicine into their practice. Further investigation of the use of telehealth technologies to deliver physiatric services, care coordination, and education is needed. We recommend that our professional societies develop and publish guidelines to facilitate development and use of telerehabilitation technologies to increase access to physiatric services.
Squatting After Primary Unilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Pilot Study Examining Differences Between Genders
Authors: Rossi Mark D. , Eberle Thomas , Roche Martin , Wong Marlon L. , Waggoner Matthew R. , Blake Robert , Burwell Brooke , Baxter Amy
Published: July 2011

Objective

To compare the weight bearing of men and women during standing and squatting after knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis.

Design

Two‐group, single‐surgeon study with patients selected consecutively through a sample of convenience. Patients evaluated at first outpatient rehabilitation visit and at discharge from outpatient services.

Setting

Outpatient orthopedic institute.

Participants

Seventeen women (average age, 71 years) and 16 men (69 years) who underwent primary unilateral knee replacement for osteoarthritis.

Main Outcome Measurements

Percentage of body weight placed over the surgical limb during standing and during 30° and 60° squats.

Results

The men placed a greater percentage of body weight over the surgical limb during the 30° and 60° squats, both at the initial visit and at discharge. Both women and men had similar improvements with all dependent measurements.

Conclusion

The magnitude of change for women and men was similar, yet percentage of body weight placed over the surgical limb in women was less than in men at the initial visit and did not match that in their male counterparts by discharge.
Iodine concentration of organic and conventional milk: implications for iodine intake
Authors: Bath Sarah C. , Button Suzanne , Rayman Margaret P.
Published: July 2011

Iodine is required for adequate thyroid hormone production, which is essential for brain development, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. Milk is the principal source of iodine in UK diets, and while small studies in Europe have shown organic milk to have a lower iodine concentration than conventional milk, no such study has been conducted in Britain. In view of the increasing popularity of organic milk in the UK, we aimed to compare the iodine concentration of retail organic and conventional milk and to evaluate regional influences in iodine levels. Samples of organic milk (n 92) and conventional milk (n 80), purchased from retail outlets in sixteen areas of the UK (southern England, Wales and Northern Ireland), were analysed for iodine using inductively coupled plasma MS. The region of origin of the milk was determined from information on the label. Organic milk was 42·1 % lower in iodine content than conventional milk (median iodine concentration 144·5 v. 249·5 ng/g; P < 0·001). There was no difference in the iodine concentration of either conventional or organic milk by area of purchase. However, a difference was seen in iodine concentration of organic milk by region of origin (P < 0·001). The lower iodine concentration of organic milk has public-health implications, particularly in view of emerging evidence of iodine deficiency in UK population sub-groups, including pregnant women. Individuals who choose organic milk should be aware that their iodine intake may be compromised and should ensure adequate iodine intake from alternative sources.
Up-regulation of intestinal type 1 taste receptor 3 and sodium glucose luminal transporter-1 expression and increased sucrose intake in mice lacking gut microbiota
Authors: Swartz T. D. , Duca F. A. , de Wouters T. , Sakar Y. , Covasa M.
Published: July 2011

The chemosensory components shared by both lingual and intestinal epithelium play a critical role in food consumption and the regulation of intestinal functions. In addition to nutrient signals, other luminal contents, including micro-organisms, are important in signalling across the gastrointestinal mucosa and initiating changes in digestive functions. A potential role of gut microbiota in influencing food intake, energy homeostasis and weight gain has been suggested. However, whether gut microbiota modulates the expression of nutrient-responsive receptors and transporters, leading to altered food consumption, is unknown. Thus, we examined the preference for nutritive (sucrose) and non-nutritive (saccharin) sweet solutions in germ-free (GF, C57BL/6J) mice compared with conventional (CV, C57BL/6J) control mice using a two-bottle preference test. Then, we quantified mRNA and protein expression of the sweet signalling protein type 1 taste receptor 3 (T1R3) and α-gustducin and Na glucose luminal transporter-1 (SGLT-1) of the intestinal epithelium of both CV and GF mice. Additionally, we measured gene expression of T1R2, T1R3 and α-gustducin in the lingual epithelium. We found that, while the preference for sucrose was similar between the groups, GF mice consumed more of the high concentration (8 %) of sucrose solution than CV mice. There was no difference in either the intake of or the preference for saccharin. GF mice expressed significantly more T1R3 and SGLT-1 mRNA and protein in the intestinal epithelium compared with CV mice; however, lingual taste receptor mRNA expression was similar between the groups. We conclude that the absence of intestinal microbiota alters the expression of sweet taste receptors and GLUT in the proximal small intestine, which is associated with increased consumption of nutritive sweet solutions.
White-matter abnormalities in the right posterior hemisphere in generalized anxiety disorder: a diffusion imaging study
Authors: Brambilla P. , Como G. , Isola M. , Taboga F. , Zuliani R. , Goljevscek S. , Ragogna M. , Brondani G. , Baiano M. , Perini L. , Ferro A. , Bazzocchi M. , Zuiani C. , Balestrieri M.
Published: July 2011

Background

Prior imaging studies have shown structural, functional and biochemical impairments in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), particularly in the right hemisphere. In this study we investigated, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the white-matter microstructure organization in GAD.

Method

A total of 12 patients with DSM-IV GAD and 15 matched healthy controls underwent a magnetic resonance imaging session of diffusion weighted imaging, exploring white-matter water molecules by the means of apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs). Regions of interests were placed in the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes and in the splenium and genu of the corpus callosum, bilaterally.

Results

ADC measures were significantly greater in patients with GAD in the right splenium and right parietal cortex compared with healthy controls (p⩽0.002). No significant correlations between ADCs and age or clinical variables were found.

Conclusions

We provide evidence that GAD is associated with disrupted white-matter coherence of posterior right hemisphere regions, which may partly sustain the impaired cognitive regulation of anxiety. Future diffusion imaging investigations are expected to better elucidate the communication between the parietal cortex and other right hemisphere regions in sustaining the cognitive processing of social and emotional stimuli in patients with GAD.
Predictors of cosmetic surgery and its effects on psychological factors and mental health: a population-based follow-up study among Norwegian females
Authors: von Soest T. , Kvalem I. L. , Wichstrøm L.
Published: July 2011

Background

There is limited information about psychological predictors of cosmetic surgery and how cosmetic surgery influences subsequent changes in mental health and overall appearance satisfaction. To date, there is a lack of studies examining this issue, whereby representative population samples are assessed at an age before cosmetic surgery is typically conducted and followed up after such surgery has commonly been performed.

Method

We obtained data from a survey study following 1597 adolescent females from a representative Norwegian sample over a 13-year period. Participants provided information on cosmetic surgery, appearance satisfaction, mental health, risky sexual behavior, drug use and conduct problems at two time-points (overall response rate 67%).

Results

Of all participants, 78 (4.9%) reported having undergone cosmetic surgery, of whom 71 were operated on during the course of the study and seven before the first data collection. Symptoms of depression and anxiety [odds ratio (OR) 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–2.57] and a history of deliberate self-harm (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.46–5.68), parasuicide (OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.53–7.08) and illicit drug use (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.07–5.82) predicted prospective cosmetic surgery. Moreover, those who underwent surgery during the course of the study experienced a greater increase than other females in symptoms of depression and anxiety (t=2.07, p=0.04) and eating problems (t=2.71, p<0.01). Patients' use of alcohol also increased more than among non-patients (t=2.47, p=0.01).

Conclusions

A series of mental health symptoms predict cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery does not in turn seem to alleviate such mental health problems.
Change in psychosocial functioning and depressive symptoms during acute-phase cognitive therapy for depression
Authors: Dunn T. W. , Vittengl J. R. , Clark L. A. , Carmody T. , Thase M. E. , Jarrett R. B.
Published: July 2011

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent, is recurrent, and impairs people's work, relationships and leisure. Acute-phase treatments improve psychosocial impairment associated with MDD, but how these improvements occur is unclear. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that reductions in depressive symptoms exceed, precede and predict improvements in psychosocial functioning.

Method

Patients with recurrent MDD (n=523; 68% women, 81% Caucasian, mean age 42 years) received acute-phase cognitive therapy (CT). We measured functioning and symptom severity with the Social Adjustment Scale – Self-Report (SAS-SR), Range of Impaired Functioning Tool (RIFT), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) and Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology – Self-Report (IDS-SR). We tested cross-lagged correlations between functioning and symptoms measured at baseline and the beginning, middle and end of acute-phase CT.

Results

Pre- to post-treatment improvement in psychosocial functioning and depressive symptoms was large and intercorrelated. Depressive symptoms improved more and sooner than did psychosocial functioning. However, among four assessments across the course of treatment, improvements in functioning more strongly predicted later improvement in symptoms than vice versa.

Conclusions

Improvements in psychosocial functioning and depressive symptoms correlate substantially during acute-phase CT, and improvements in functioning may play a role in subsequent symptom reduction during acute-phase CT.
Demography of colonisation and the ageing population: population profiles and mortality in Swedish Sápmi, 1750–1900
Authors: KARLSSON LENA
Published: July 2011

This paper examines population trends, age-specific death rates and causes of death for the elderly Sami and settlers during the colonisation era (between 1750 and 1900). The source material is a set of data files from the Demographic Data Base (DDB) at Umeå University that covers parish records from three different parishes. Early in the colonisation period (1750–1840) the Sami had a lower proportion of the elderly population (⩾60 years old), compared to the non-Sami and the rest of Sweden. At the end of the colonisation period (1841–1900), the proportion of elderly Sami increased and was above the proportion of elderly non-Sami and more similar to the rest of Sweden. The analysis also reveals that the differences in mortality rates among the elderly Sami and their non-Sami counterparts diminished during the entire colonisation era (1750–1900), mainly because of an increased infant mortality among the non-Sami. Rather than ethnic differences in causes of death, the results show larger differences between the parishes. The study can conclude that the Sami population's mortality declined, the health improved, and the Sami advanced more rapidly in the model of epidemiologic transition, a milestone not yet reached by other indigenous people around the world.
Second-first language acquisition: analysis of expressive language skills in a sample of girls adopted from China
Authors: TAN TONY XING , LOKER TROY , DEDRICK ROBERT F. , MARFO KOFI
Published: July 2011

In this study we investigated adopted Chinese girls' expressive English language outcomes in relation to their age at adoption, chronological age, length of exposure to English and developmental risk status at the time of adoption. Vocabulary and phrase utterance data on 318 girls were collected from the adoptive mothers using the Language Development Survey (LDS) (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000). The girls, aged 18–35 months (M=26·2 months, SD=4·9 months), were adopted at ages ranging from 6·8 to 24 months (M=12·6 months, SD=3·1 months), and had been exposed to English for periods ranging from 1·6 to 27·6 months (M=13·7, SD=5·7). Findings suggest that vocabulary and mean length of phrase scores were negatively correlated with age at adoption but positively correlated with chronological age and length of exposure to English. Developmental risk status at the time of adoption was not correlated with language outcomes. The gap between their expressive language and that of same-age girls from the US normative sample was wider for children aged 18–23 months but was closed for children aged 30–35 months. About 16% of the children met the LDS criteria for delays in vocabulary and 17% met the LDS criteria for delays in mean length of phrase. Speech/language interventions were received by 33·3% of the children with delays in vocabulary and 25% with delays in phrase.
An outbreak of sheep rabies in Shanxi province, China
Authors: ZHU Y. , ZHANG G. , SHAO M. , LEI Y. , JIANG Y. , TU C.
Published: July 2011

This study describes an outbreak of rabies in a flock of 110 sheep in Yangqu county, Shanxi province, China, in 2010. The flock, housed in a cave being used as a sheepfold, was attacked by a rabid dog, which resulted in 36 deaths over the following 2 days from the crushing and trampling caused by panic, and some 15 further deaths from rabies 2 weeks later. Rabies in the sheep was confirmed by the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and RT–PCR. Rabies virus was isolated from the index dog brain and its N gene was partially sequenced (nucleotides 77-880). Results showed that the canine isolate (SXTYD01) was rabies virus with the N gene fragment 100% identical to that of the virus isolated from rabid sheep. This is the first confirmed sheep rabies outbreak in China. The clinical presentation of the disease is also described.
Evaluating interventions againstSalmonellain broiler chickens: applying synthesis research in support of quantitative exposure assessment
Authors: BUCHER O. , FAZIL A. , RAJIĆ A. , FARRAR A. , WILLS R. , McEWEN S. A.
Published: July 2011

A scoping study and systematic review-meta-analyses (SR-MAs) were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of various interventions forSalmonellain broiler chicken, from grow-out farm to secondary processing. The resulting information was used to inform a quantitative exposure assessment (QEA) comparing various control options within the context of broiler chicken production in Ontario, Canada. Multiple scenarios, including use of two separate on-farm interventions (CF3 competitive exclusion culture and a 2% lactose water additive), a package of processing interventions (a sodium hydroxide scald water disinfectant, a chlorinated post-evisceration spray, a trisodium phosphate pre-chill spray and chlorinated immersion chilling) a package consisting of these farm and processing interventions and a hypothetical scenario (reductions in between-flock prevalence and post-transport concentration), were simulated and compared to a baseline scenario. The package of on-farm and processing interventions was the most effective in achieving relative reductions (compared to baseline with no interventions) in the concentration and prevalence ofSalmonellaby the end of chilling ranging from 89·94% to 99·87% and 43·88% to 87·78%, respectively. Contaminated carcasses entering defeathering, reductions in concentration due to scalding and post-evisceration washing, and the potential for cross-contamination during chilling had the largest influence on the model outcomes under the current assumptions. Scoping study provided a transparent process for mapping out and selecting promising interventions, while SR-MA was useful for generating more precise and robust intervention effect estimates for QEA. Realization of the full potential of these methods was hampered by low methodological soundness and reporting of primary research in this area.
Modelling meningococcal meningitis in the African meningitis belt
Authors: IRVING T. J. , BLYUSS K. B. , COLIJN C. , TROTTER C. L.
Published: July 2011

Meningococcal meningitis is a major public health problem in a large area of sub-Saharan Africa known as the meningitis belt. Disease incidence increases every dry season, before dying out with the first rains of the year. Large epidemics, which can kill tens of thousands of people, occur frequently but unpredictably every 6–14 years. It has been suggested that these patterns may be attributable to complex interactions between the bacteria, human hosts and the environment. We used deterministic compartmental models to investigate how well simple model structures with seasonal forcing were able to qualitatively capture these patterns of disease. We showed that the complex and irregular timing of epidemics could be caused by the interaction of temporary immunity conferred by carriage of the bacteria together with seasonal changes in the transmissibility of infection. This suggests that population immunity is an important factor to include in models attempting to predict meningitis epidemics.
Contextual hypotheses and semantics of logic programs
Authors: MARTIN ÉRIC A.
Published: July 2011

Logic programming has developed as a rich field, built over a logical substratum whose main constituent is a nonclassical form of negation, sometimes coexisting with classical negation. The field has seen the advent of a number of alternative semantics, with Kripke–Kleene semantics, the well-founded semantics, the stable model semantics, and the answer-set semantics standing out as the most successful. We show that all aforementioned semantics are particular cases of a generic semantics, in a framework where classical negation is the unique form of negation and where the literals in the bodies of the rules can be ‘marked’ to indicate that they can be the targets of hypotheses. A particular semantics then amounts to choosing a particular marking scheme and choosing a particular set of hypotheses. When a literal belongs to the chosen set of hypotheses, all marked occurrences of that literal in the body of a rule are assumed to be true, whereas the occurrences of that literal that have not been marked in the body of the rule are to be derived in order to contribute to the firing of the rule. Hence the notion of hypothetical reasoning that is presented in this framework is not based on making global assumptions, but more subtly on making local, contextual assumptions, taking effect as indicated by the chosen marking scheme on the basis of the chosen set of hypotheses. Our approach offers a unified view on the various semantics proposed in logic programming, classical in that only classical negation is used, and links the semantics of logic programs to mechanisms that endow rule-based systems with the power to harness hypothetical reasoning.
Corruption of parameter behavior and regionalization by model and forcing data errors: A Bayesian example using the SNOW17 model
Authors: He Minxue , Hogue Terri S. , Franz Kristie J. , Margulis Steven A. , Vrugt Jasper A.
Published: July 2011

The current study evaluates the impacts of various sources of uncertainty involved in hydrologic modeling on parameter behavior and regionalization utilizing different Bayesian likelihood functions and the Differential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) algorithm. The developed likelihood functions differ in their underlying assumptions and treatment of error sources. We apply the developed method to a snow accumulation and ablation model (National Weather Service SNOW17) and generate parameter ensembles to predict snow water equivalent (SWE). Observational data include precipitation and air temperature forcing along with SWE measurements from 24 sites with diverse hydroclimatic characteristics. A multiple linear regression model is used to construct regionalization relationships between model parameters and site characteristics. Results indicate that model structural uncertainty has the largest influence on SNOW17 parameter behavior. Precipitation uncertainty is the second largest source of uncertainty, showing greater impact at wetter sites. Measurement uncertainty in SWE tends to have little impact on the final model parameters and resulting SWE predictions. Considering all sources of uncertainty, parameters related to air temperature and snowfall fraction exhibit the strongest correlations to site characteristics. Parameters related to the length of the melting period also show high correlation to site characteristics. Finally, model structural uncertainty and precipitation uncertainty dramatically alter parameter regionalization relationships in comparison to cases where only uncertainty in model parameters or output measurements is considered. Our results demonstrate that accurate treatment of forcing, parameter, model structural, and calibration data errors is critical for deriving robust regionalization relationships.
Categorization of Synaesthesia
Authors: Rogowska Aleksandra
Published: July 2011

This article is an attempt to synthesize the current knowledge about synaesthesia from many fields such as literature, arts, multimedia, medicine, or psychology. The main goal of this paper is to classify various types and forms of synaesthesia. Besides developmental synaesthesia being likely to play a crucial role in developing cognitive functions (constitutional or neonatal synaesthesia) there are types of synaesthesia acquired during adulthood (e.g., phantom or artificial synaesthesia), momentary synaesthesia triggered temporarily in people who do not show signs of synaesthesia every day (e.g., virtual, narcotic, or posthypnotic synaesthesia), and associational synaesthesia which, semantically speaking, refers to some universal sense relations (e.g., literary, artistic, and multimedia synaesthesia). There is a hypothesis that every kind of synaesthesia holds a different function—compensatory or integrative. It was suggested that synaesthesia can be described in one dimension, showing the intensity of this phenomenon. The stronger types of synaesthesia are: semantic, conceptual, intermodal, synthetic, comprehensive, external and bidirectional. The weaker types of synaesthesia are: sensory, perceptual, intramodal, analytic, partial, internal and unidirectional. There are huge individual differences in the manner that synaesthesia presents itself. By including a classification of kinds, types, and forms of synaesthesia into future experimental research will ensure a better understanding of the nature of this phenomenon, its mechanisms and the role that it plays in developing cognitive processes.
Agenda of the “BioSharing workshop - Unifying Bio-Resources Descriptors”
Authors: Sansone Susanna-Assunta , Rocca-Serra Philippe , Gaudet Pascale , Field Dawn
Published: July 2011

Organized by members of the BioSharing initiative (www.biosharing.org) and the International Society for Biocuration (ISB, www.biocurator.org), this workshop brought together developers, curators, journal editors and researchers to discuss the growing number of (closely related efforts) developing to catalogues of tools, databases, related data and publications.The focus on the workshop was a strawman uniform system for describing these bio-resources (www.biodbcore.org), in particular, indicating in a consistent manner which community-defined standards (minimal information checklists, terminologies and exchange formats) they implement (www.biosharing.org/standards).Location: ISMB/ECCB, Vienna.Date: July 18th, 2011.
Vertically aligned carbon based varactors
Authors: Ghavanini Farzan A. , Enoksson Peter , Bengtsson Stefan , Lundgren Per
Published: July 2011

This paper gives an assessment of vertically aligned carbon based varactors and validates their potential for future applications. The varactors discussed here are nanoelectromechanical devices which are based on either vertically aligned carbon nanofibers or vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays. A generic analytical model for parallel plate nanoelectromechanical varactors based on previous works is developed and is used to formulate a universal expression for their voltage-capacitance relation. Specific expressions for the nanofiber based and the nanotube based varactors are then derived separately from the generic model. This paper also provides a detailed review on the fabrication of carbon based varactors and pays special attention to the challenges in realizing such devices. Finally, the performance of the carbon based varactor is assessed in accordance with four criteria: the static capacitance, the tuning ratio, the quality factor, and the operating voltage. Although the reported performance is still far inferior to other varactor technologies, our prognosis which stems from the analytical model shows a promise of a high quality factor as well as a potential for high power handling for carbon based varactors.
Effect of incomplete ionization for the description of highly aluminum-doped silicon
Authors: Rüdiger Marc , Rauer Michael , Schmiga Christian , Hermle Martin
Published: July 2011

In this study we present an advanced method for precise modeling of highly aluminum-doped p+  silicon, leading to excellent agreement of numerical and experimental data within a broad range. We analyze the influence of different recombination mechanisms on the saturation current densities of Al-doped Si surfaces for different Al profiles. Lateral doping inhomogeneities and the effect of incomplete ionization have been examined in detail. We demonstrate that incomplete ionization affects the profile characteristics significantly and, therefore, has to be accounted for in accurate modeling of highly Al-doped silicon.
Spherical nanoindentation study of the deformation micromechanisms of LiTaO3 single crystals
Authors: Anasori B. , Sickafus K. E. , Usov I. O. , Barsoum M. W.
Published: July 2011

Herein, spherical nanoindentation (NI) was used to investigate the room temperature deformation behavior of C-plane LiTaO3 single crystals loaded along the [0001] direction as a function of ion irradiation. When the NI load-displacement curves of 3 different nanoindenter radii (1.4 μm, 5 μm, and 21 μm) were converted to NI stress-strain curves, good agreement between them was found. The surface first deforms elastically – with a Young’s modulus of 205 ± 5 GPa, calculated from the stiffness versus contact radii curves and 207 ± 3 GPa measured using a Berkovich tip – and then plastically deforms at ≈ 6 GPa. Repeated loading into the same location results in large, reproducible, fully reversible, nested hysteresis loops attributed to the formation of incipient kink bands (IKBs). The latter are coaxial fully reversible dislocation loops that spontaneously shrink when the load is removed. The IKBs most probably nucleate within the (101−2) twins that form near the surface. The sharper radii resulted in twin nucleation at lower stresses. The changes in the reversible loops’ shape and areas can be related to the width of the twins that form. The latter were proportional to the nanoindenter tip radii and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and by the fact that larger threshold stresses were needed for IKB nucleation with the smaller tip sizes. No effect of irradiation was observed on the NI response, presumably because of the mildness of the irradiation damage.
Bandgap reduction responsible for the improved thermoelectric performance of bulk polycrystalline In2–xCuxSe3 (x = 0−0.2)
Authors: Cui Jiaolin , Liu Xianglian , Zhang Xiaojun , Li Yiyun , Deng Yuan
Published: July 2011

α-In2Se3 is of large bandgap (∼1.4 eV) semiconductor and its structure is based on two-layer hexagonally packed arrays of selenium atoms with 1/3 of the sites of indium atoms being empty. Here we report a bandgap Eg reduction due mainly to the formation of a Cu2Se slab in the host In2Se3, which is responsible for the remarkable improvement of thermoelectric performance of bulk polycrystalline In2−xCuxSe3 (x = 0.1–0.2). When x = 0.2 the dimensionless figure of merit ZT and power factor were increased by a factor of 2 and 3, respectively, at 846 K if compared to those of Cu-free In2Se3. Interestingly, an incorporation of Cu into the lattice of In2Se3 results in a change in morphology from amorphouslike structure represented by In2Se3 to a visible polycrystalline form attributed to partial crystallization of the structure. This change enhances lattice thermal conductivities κL over the very low values of In2Se3. However, the enhancement is only moderate because of the effective scattering of phonons in the polycrystalline nanostructure.
Thermo-optical control of dielectric loaded plasmonic racetrack resonators
Authors: Hassan K. , Weeber J.-C. , Markey L. , Dereux A.
Published: July 2011

The optical properties of racetrack shaped dielectric loaded surface plasmon polariton resonators are studied experimentally for various radius, interaction lengths, and separation gaps between the resonator and the bus waveguide. Using radiation leakage microscopy, their power transmission spectra is recorded over the telecom frequency range and modeled by a notch filter made of a lossy bus waveguide coupled to a lossy resonator. For a typical separation gap around 250 nm, the optimum critical coupling condition is determined by a radius of 6 μm and an interaction length of 2.5 μm. Extinction ratios of the order of -30 dB are reported for resonators featuring quality factors that are found to be of the order of 110. The static thermo-optical control of such racetrack resonators produces a blueshift of the resonance frequency that can be as large as 4.5 nm for a temperature increase of 75 K. Extinction ratio of the order of 9 dB can be achieved between hot and cold states.
Electrophoretic separation of neurotransmitters on a polystyrene nano-sphere/polystyrene sulphonate coated poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannel
Authors: Zhao Jinjin , Zhang Qianli , Yang Huijuan , Tu Yifeng
Published: July 2011

In this paper, a poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip with amperometric detector was developed for the electrophoretic separation and determination of neurotransmitters. For increasing the separation efficiency, the microchannel is modified by polystyrene sulphonate/polystyrene nano-sphere self-assembly coating. A stable electro-osmotic flow (EOF) and higher separation efficiency are obtained in proposed modified microchannel. Under optimized conditions, dopamine, epinephrine, catechol, and serotonin are acceptably baseline separated in this 3.5 cm length separation channel with the theoretical plate number from 4.6 × 104 to 2.1 × 105 per meter and resolution from 1.29 to 12.5. The practicability of proposed microchip is validated by the recovery test with cerebrospinal fluid as real sample which resulted from 91.7% to 106.5%.
A detailed analysis of current-voltage characteristics of Au/perylene-monoimide/n-Si Schottky barrier diodes over a wide temperature range
Authors: Yüksel Ö. F. , Kuş M. , Şimşir N. , Şafak H. , Şahin M. , Yenel E.
Published: July 2011

The current-voltage characteristics of Au/perylene-monoimide (PMI)/n-Si Schottky device have been investigated at a wide temperature range between 75 and 300 K in detail. The measured current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the device show a good rectification behavior at all temperatures. The electronic parameters such as the ideality factor and the barrier height are determined from the experimental data using standard current-voltage analysis method and also temperature dependence of these parameters is analyzed. In addition to the standard analysis, using the Cheung and Cheung method, the series resistance and some other electrical properties are calculated for the device, and a good agreement is obtained between relevant diode parameters. It was observed that Au/PMI/n-Si Schottky diodes exhibit space charge limited (SCL) conduction at all temperatures. Therefore, we have analyzed this SCL current mechanism in more detail. From this analysis, several electronic parameters related with the SCL mechanism are determined, and it is found that Poole-Frenkel effect is dominant in reverse bias.
Decomposition pathways in age hardening of Ti-Al-N films
Authors: Rachbauer R. , Massl S. , Stergar E. , Holec D. , Kiener D. , Keckes J. , Patscheider J. , Stiefel M. , Leitner H. , Mayrhofer P. H.
Published: July 2011

The ability to increase the thermal stability of protective coatings under work load gives rise to scientific and industrial interest in age hardening of complex nitride coating systems such as ceramic-like Ti1−xAlxN. However, the decomposition pathway of these systems from single-phase cubic to the thermodynamically stable binary nitrides (cubic TiN and wurtzite AlN), which are essential for age hardening, are not yet fully understood. In particular, the role of decomposition kinetics still requires more detailed investigation. In the present work, the combined effect of annealing time and temperature upon the nano-structural development of Ti0.46Al0.54N thin films is studied, with a thermal exposure of either 1 min or 120 min in 100 °C steps from 500 °C to 1400 °C. The impact of chemical changes at the atomic scale on the development of micro-strain and mechanical properties is studied by post-annealing investigations using X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, 3D-atom probe tomography and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results clearly demonstrate that the spinodal decomposition process, triggering the increase of micro-strain and hardness, although taking place throughout the entire volume, is enhanced at high diffusivity paths such as grain or column boundaries and followed within the grains. Ab initio calculations further show that the early stages of wurtzite AlN precipitation are connected with increased strain formation, which is in excellent agreement with experimental observations.
Highly efficient semitransparent tandem organic solar cells with complementary absorber materials
Authors: Meiss Jan , Menke Torben , Leo Karl , Uhrich Christian , Gnehr Wolf-Michael , Sonntag Stefan , Pfeiffer Martin , Riede Moritz
Published: July 2011

We present highly efficient, semitransparent small molecule organic solar cells. The devices employ an indium tin oxide-free top contact, consisting of thin metal films. An additional organic layer is used to enhance light outcoupling. The solar cell incorporates two stacked subcells, each containing a donor:acceptor bulk heterojunction. The two subcells have complementary absorbers, with separate blue (C60), red (fluorinated zinc phthalocyanine), and green (dicyanovinyl oligothiophene derivative) absorbing molecules. A power conversion efficiency of 4.9 ± 0.2% is obtained for the device having an average transmission of 24% in the visible range.
Bend-imitating models of abruptly bent electron waveguides
Authors: Vakhnenko Oleksiy O.
Published: July 2011

The fundamentals of bend-imitating approach regarding the one-electron quantum mechanics in abruptly bent ideal electron waveguides are given. In general, the theory allows to model each particular circularlike bend of a continuous quantum wire as some effective multichannel scatterer being pointlike in longitudinal direction. Its scattering ability is determined by the bending angle, mean bending radius, lateral coordinate (or coordinates) in wire cross section, time (or electronic energy), and possibly by the applied magnetic field. In an equivalent formulation, the theory gives rise to rather simple matching rules for the electron wave function and its longitudinal derivative affecting only the straight parts of a wire and thereby permitting to bypass a detailed quantum mechanical consideration of elbow domains. The proposed technique is applicable for the analytical investigation of spectral and transport electronic properties related to the ideal abruptly bent 3D wirelike structures of fixed cross section and is adaptable to the 2D wirelike structures as well as to the wirelike structures subjected to the magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of wire bending. In the framework of bend-imitating approach, the investigation of electron scattering in a singly bent 2D quantum wire and a doubly bent 2D quantum wire with S-like bend has been made and the explicit dependences of transmission and reflection coefficients on geometrical parameters of respective structure as well as on electron energy have been obtained. The total suppression of mixing between the scattering channels of S-like bent quantum wire is predicted.