bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in Permeability and in Mechanical Properties of Layer-by-Layer Films Made from Poly(allylamine) and Montmorillonite Postmodified upon Reaction with Dopamine
Authors: Ball Vincent , Apaydin Kadir , Laachachi Abdelghani , Toniazzo Valérie , Ruch David
Published: September 2012

Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films present a versatile surface functionalization method allowing to address many applications. These coatings suffer; however, from weak mechanical properties this problem can be addressed by the regular incorporation of clays in the layering process. To allow for an even better control of a whole set of film properties, among them their thermal stability, their stability in water, and their impermeability to anions, we postmodify (PAH-MMT)n films with polydopamine, by putting the pristine PEM films in contact with an oxygenated dopamine solution. This straightforward treatment allows to totally suppress the diffusion of hexacyanoferrate anions in the films and affects significantly its mechanical properties even, if the distribution of polydopamine through the film thickness is not yet known.
Reduced postpartum hemorrhage after implementation of active management of the third stage of labor in rural Honduras
Authors: Low Lisa Kane , Bailey Joanne Motino , Sacks Emma , Robles Chayla , Medina Lilian
Published: September 2012

Objective

To assess outcomes after auxiliary nurses were trained and given resources to use active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL) for all women giving birth in a low‐resource, low‐risk, rural, public birth center setting in northern rural Honduras.

Methods

Auxiliary nurses received training on estimation of blood loss before the preintervention phase of the study (July 2004 through April 2005) and AMTSL, including use of intramuscular oxytocin, and estimation of blood loss prior to the intervention phase (July 2007 through June 2008). Preintervention and intervention data on use of oxytocin, blood loss postpartum, hemorrhage rates, and management interventions were collected and compared.

Results

After nurses received training on AMTSL using intramuscular oxytocin, the use of intramuscular oxytocin during the third stage of labor increased from 63.8% to 96.5%. Postpartum hemorrhage rates decreased from 14.8% to 5.9% (P = 0.001). Use of intrapartum oxytocin, which can have adverse effects, also increased: from 6.1% to 22.7% (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Training auxiliary nurses to perform AMTSL using oxytocin in this birth center setting was effective in reducing the rate of postpartum hemorrhage; however, increased use of intrapartum oxytocin may be an unintended outcome of the increased accessibility of oxytocin.
MicroRNA-130b and microRNA-374b mediate the effect of maternal dietary protein on offspring lipid metabolism in Meishan pigs
Authors: Pan Shifeng , Zheng Yating , Zhao Ruqian , Yang Xiaojing
Published: September 2012

To investigate whether the effect of maternal dietary protein on offspring lipid metabolism is mediated by microRNA (miRNA), fourteen Meishan sows were fed either low-protein (LP, half of standard protein (SP) level,n7) or SP (n7) diets throughout gestation and lactation periods. PPAR-γ and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-β (C/EBP-β) protein expression was evaluated. The expression of miRNA predicted to directly target PPAR-γ and C/EBP-β in the subcutaneous fat of offspring at weaning age was determined, and the functions of these potential miRNA were verified. The results showed that piglet body weight and back fat thickness were significantly decreased in the LP group compared with the SP group (P< 0·05). The protein level of PPAR-γ was significantly decreased and C/EBP-β protein expression was also decreased, though not significantly (P= 0·056), in the subcutaneous fat of the LP group. Furthermore, miRNA expression analysis showed that miR-130b, targeting the PPAR-γ 3′-untranslated region (UTR), and miR-374b, targeting the C/EBP-β 3′-UTR, were significantly increased in the LP group compared with the SP group; other candidate regulatory miRNA were expressed similarly in both groups. Dual luciferase activity assay results indicated that miR-130b directly recognised and bound to the 3′-UTR of PPAR-γ and thereby suppressed PPAR-γ gene expression. Similar results were found for miR-374b and the 3′-UTR of C/EBP-β. The present study showed that miR-130b and miR-374b are involved in the effect of maternal dietary protein on offspring lipid metabolism in pigs. These results shed new light on our understanding of the maternal effect on offspring lipid deposition.
BIRTH SPACING AND CHILD MORTALITY: AN ANALYSIS OF PROSPECTIVE DATA FROM THE NAIROBI URBAN HEALTH AND DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM
Authors: FOTSO JEAN CHRISTOPHE , CLELAND JOHN , MBERU BLESSING , MUTUA MICHAEL , ELUNGATA PATRICIA
Published: September 2012

The majority of studies of the birth spacing–child survival relationship rely on retrospective data, which are vulnerable to errors that might bias results. The relationship is re-assessed using prospective data on 13,502 children born in two Nairobi slums between 2003 and 2009. Nearly 48% were first births. Among the remainder, short preceding intervals are common: 20% of second and higher order births were delivered within 24 months of an elder sibling, including 9% with a very short preceding interval of less than 18 months. After adjustment for potential confounders, the length of the preceding birth interval is a major determinant of infant and early childhood mortality. In infancy, a preceding birth interval of less than 18 months is associated with a two-fold increase in mortality risks (compared with lengthened intervals of 36 months or longer), while an interval of 18–23 months is associated with an increase of 18%. During the early childhood period, children born within 18 months of an elder sibling are more than twice as likely to die as those born after an interval of 36 months or more. Only 592 children experienced the birth of a younger sibling within 20 months; their second-year mortality was about twice as high as that of other children. These results support the findings based on retrospective data.
To germinate or not to germinate: a question of dormancy relief not germination stimulation
Authors: Finch-Savage William E. , Footitt Steven
Published: September 2012

A common understanding of the control of germination through dormancy is essential for effective communication between seed scientists whether they are ecologists, physiologists or molecular biologists. Vleeshouwerset al.(1995) realized that barriers between disciplines limited progress and through insightful conclusions in their paper ‘Redefining seed dormancy: an attempt to integrate physiology and ecology’, they did much to overcome these barriers at that time. However, times move on, understanding develops, and now there is a case for ‘Redefining seed dormancy as an integration of physiology, ecology and molecular biology’. Finch-Savage and Leubner-Metzger (2006) had this in mind when they extended and re-interpreted the definition of dormancy proposed by Vleeshouwerset al.(1995), by considering dormancy as a having a number of layers that must be removed, with the final layer of dormancy being synonymous with the stimulation/induction of germination.
Managing a traumatic ventricular septal defect with atrial septal defect occluder device
Authors: Alidoosti Mohammad , Hoseini Seyed K. , Shafiee Akbar
Published: September 2012

Traumatic ventricular septal defects are rare complications of blunt and penetrating chest trauma. Patients are usually referred because of shock or cardiac tamponade. Focusing on the critical condition of the patient leads to missing the presence of traumatic ventricular septal defects. In this case report, we introduce a patient with a large traumatic ventricular septal defect, which was diagnosed 40 days after a penetrating cardiac trauma and was finally treated with transcatheter closure.
Successful MitraClipTM implantation in a 15-year-old patient with multiple prior cardiac surgeries
Authors: Gorenflo Matthias , Katus Hugo A. , Bekeredjian Raffi
Published: September 2012

Percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair using the MitraClipTM has not been used in children. The patient in this reported case was a 15-year-old male adolescent who presented postnatally with severe aortic valve stenosis and dysplasia of the mitral valve. The boy underwent surgical valvuloplasty at the age of 3 months and an aortoventriculoplasty with three re-operations. At the age of 15 years, he developed severe mitral valve regurgitation. Owing to high surgical risks, a MitraClipTM was implanted with a reduction of mitral regurgitation from grade 4+ to 2+, translating into a rapid clinical improvement.
Controlling erosion in the Missouri River Basin
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: September 2012

The most pervasive conservation concern in the vast 510,000 square mile Missouri River basin in the western United States is excessive rates of wind erosion during dry periods, though conservation efforts can help control erosion, according to a 30 August report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Conservation Effects Assessment Project. During some dry years, rates of wind erosion—which include nitrogen and phosphorus losses—can be higher than 4 tons per acre on 12% and higher than 2 tons per acre on 20% of the approximately 148,000 square miles of cultivated cropland, notes the report Assessment of the Effects of Conservation Practices on Cultivated Cropland in the Missouri River Basin. Between 2003 and 2006, conservation practices, including reducing tillage and building terraces, yielded about a 75% reduction in sediment runoff and phosphorus loss and a 68% reduction in nitrogen loss, according to the report. About 15 million acres in the region—18% of cultivated cropland—are considered to have either a high or moderate level of need for conservation treatment, and efforts in those areas in particular could result in additional reductions in sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen loss, the report states.
Identifying and prioritizing phenological data products and tools
Authors: Enquist Carolyn A. F. , Rosemartin Alyssa , Schwartz Mark D.
Published: September 2012

USA National Phenology Network Research Coordination Network Meeting; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 22–23 May 2012 Phenology is the study of reoccurring life cycle events in plants and animals, such as bird migrations, emergence from hibernation, flowering, and carbon cycling. Changes in the timing of phenological events are widely recognized as indicators of the effects of climate change on ecosystems. Phenological data can be used to inform wildlife management, wildfire and pollen forecasting, and the planning of events such as the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Until recently, collection of phenological data using standardized methods was relatively rare, limiting their use in science, management, and decision making.
Plasmaspheric hiss amplification mechanisms identified
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: September 2012

Over the past 3 decades the hypothesis that chorus waves—a form of highintensity plasma wave often found in the outer magnetosphere—evolve into plasmaspheric hiss in the plasmasphere has grown in prominence. Plasmaspheric hiss is a form of low‐frequency radio wave that is often observed in the regions within the plasmasphere that have high plasma densities. Plasmaspheric hiss is important in that the hiss waves interact with highenergy electrons in Earth's geomagnetic field, carving out a swath between the inner and outer Van Allen radiation belts to form the “slot region,” a relative safe zone with minimized radiation hazard. Though modeled simulations of plasmaspheric hiss formation from chorus waves have been able to reproduce the major properties of observed hiss, they often underestimate hiss intensity by 10–20 decibels. Drawing on observations from the planet's dayside made using NASA's Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellite, Chen et al. examine two mechanisms that could make up for this shortfall.
Global CO2storage potential of self‐sealing marine sedimentary strata
Authors: Eccles Jordan K. , Pratson Lincoln
Published: September 2012

One potential way to geologically sequester captured CO2 emissions is to inject them below the seafloor into marine sedimentary strata where pressures and temperatures would trap the CO2through “self‐sealing” gravitational and hydrate‐formation mechanisms. Here we map out the worldwide distribution and thicknesses of such self‐sealing strata using a comprehensive, global dataset of deep‐sea sediment cores in combination with digital grids of ocean floor heat flow, bathymetry, and sediment thickness. Based on our mapping, we estimate that the total bulk sediment volume of self‐sealing strata is 63 million cubic kilometers, 0.8–1.4 km3 (or ∼1.3–2.7%) of which are sands with intrinsic permeability suitable for storing CO2. This is enough storage capacity to hold between 1,260–28,500 gigatonnes of CO2, or about 40–1,000 y of total global CO2 emissions. However, the storage capacity is unevenly distributed where it lies within the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the world's largest CO2 emitting economies. The United States and India respectively release 16% and 62% of their annual CO2emissions (or 1 Bt/y and 800 Mt/y) within 500 km of self‐sealing sands located in their EEZs, while only 6% of the annual emissions from China and the European Union (or 330 Mt/y and 250 Mt/y, respectively) occur within this distance.
Comparison of bounce‐averaged quasi‐linear diffusion coefficients for parallel propagating whistler mode waves with test particle simulations
Authors: Tao Xin , Bortnik Jacob , Albert Jay M. , Thorne Richard M.
Published: September 2012

Quasi‐linear bounce‐averaged diffusion coefficients for interactions between electrons and parallel propagating whistler waves in a dipole field are compared with test particle simulations. We solve equations of motion for a large number of electrons interacting with waves with a Gaussian distribution of wave power. For broadband and small amplitude waves, which are assumed by the quasi‐linear analysis, our test particle simulation results agree well with quasi‐linear theory predictions. We then demonstrate the effect of the wave amplitude on diffusion coefficients. We show that as the amplitude increases, the bounce‐averaged quasi‐linear diffusion coefficients become invalid. Critical wave amplitudes for the breakdown of the bounce‐averaged diffusion coefficients for a range of energies and pitch angles are calculated for the set of wave parameters we used. Finally, we investigate the effect of wave bandwidth on bounce‐averaged diffusion coefficients. Consistent with a previous theoretical prediction, bounce‐averaged quasi‐linear diffusion coefficients are still valid for narrowband waves, as long as the wave amplitude is small. When the amplitude of the narrowband wavefield increases, nonlinear effects such as phase‐bunching and trapping become dominant and correspondingly quasi‐linear theory becomes invalid. Our results demonstrate the validity of applying quasi‐linear theory to interactions between electrons and small amplitude plasma waves in the radiation belt.
Changing controls on oceanic radiocarbon: New insights on shallow‐to‐deep ocean exchange and anthropogenic CO2 uptake
Authors: Graven H. D. , Gruber N. , Key R. , Khatiwala S. , Giraud X.
Published: September 2012

The injection of radiocarbon (14C) into the atmosphere by nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s has provided a powerful tracer to investigate ocean physical and chemical processes. While the oceanic uptake of bomb‐derived 14C was primarily controlled by air‐sea exchange in the early decades after the bomb spike, we demonstrate that changes in oceanic 14C are now primarily controlled by shallow‐to‐deep ocean exchange, i.e., the same mechanism that governs anthropogenic CO2 uptake. This is a result of accumulated bomb 14C uptake that has rapidly decreased the air‐sea gradient of 14C/C (Δ14C) and shifted the main reservoir of bomb 14C from the atmosphere to the upper ocean. The air‐sea Δ14C gradient, reduced further by fossil fuel dilution, is now weaker than before weapons testing in most regions. Oceanic 14C, and particularly its temporal change, can now be used to study the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2. We examine observed changes in oceanic Δ14C between the WOCE/SAVE (1988–1995) and the CLIVAR (2001–2007) eras and simulations with two ocean general circulation models, the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) and the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean Model (ECCO). Observed oceanic Δ14C and its changes between the 1980s–90s and 2000s indicate that shallow‐to‐deep exchange is too efficient in ECCO and too sluggish in CCSM. These findings suggest that mean global oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2 between 1990 and 2007 is bounded by the ECCO‐based estimate of 2.3 Pg C yr−1 and the CCSM‐based estimate of 1.7 Pg C yr−1.
The role of wind on the detachment of low salinity water in the Changjiang Estuary in summer
Authors: Xuan Ji‐Liang , Huang Daji , Zhou Feng , Zhu Xiao‐Hua , Fan Xiaopeng
Published: September 2012

Two detachment processes of low salinity water (LSW) in the Changjiang Estuary in July 2006, and the role of wind on detaching the LSW in particular, are explored with a three‐dimensional numerical model. The real‐case simulation and the sensitivity experiments results show that wind plays a crucial role in the detachment events and is highlighted in three aspects. First, wind is the most important dynamic factor in the two detachment processes of the LSW. Wind mixing, wind‐driven northward current and wind‐induced upwelling are three driving forces on detaching the LSW, which increase the salinity in the upper layer in the detachment region along the 30 m isobath and separate the offshore LSW from the nearshore main body of LSW. The diagnostic analysis further indicates that the increase of salinity in the detachment region is mainly due to northward current which transports high salinity water from the south. Second, a critical wind speed, namely a southeasterly wind above 8.0 m/s, is found to be related to the timing of the detachment events. A sensitivity experiment further confirms this critical wind speed and no detachment occurs when the wind speed is below 8.0 m/s. Third, the southwesterly wind plays a key role in the magnitude of the spatial size of the detached LSW. Before the detachment occurs, a persistent southwesterly wind induces northeastward expansion of the LSW and consequently forms larger LSW offshore after detachment, which is verified by another sensitivity experiment with modified wind direction.
Synthesis of precursors and macrocycle analogs of aerucyclamides as anti-trypanosomal agents
Authors: Peña Stella , Scarone Laura , Medeiros Andrea , Manta Eduardo , Comini Marcelo , Serra Gloria
Published: September 2012

Macrocycle analogs and key fragments of aerucyclamides were obtained and evaluated against Trypanosoma brucei brucei.
Defective valyl-tRNA synthetase hampers the mitochondrial respiratory chain in Neurospora crassa
Authors: Duarte Margarida , Videira Arnaldo
Published: September 2012

Respiratory chain deficiency can result from alterations in mitochondrial and/or cytosolic protein synthesis due to the dual genetic origin of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. In the present paper we report a point mutation (D750G) in the bifunctional VARS (valyl-tRNA synthetase) of the fungus Neurospora crassa, associated with a temperature-sensitive phenotype. Analysis of the mutant strain revealed decreased steady-state levels of VARS and a clear reduction in the rate of mitochondrial protein synthesis. We observed a robust induction of the mitochondrial alternative oxidase with a concomitant decrease in the canonical respiratory pathway, namely in cytochrome b and aa3 content. Furthermore, the mutant strain accumulates the peripheral arm of complex I and depicts decreased levels of complexes III and IV, consistent with severe impairment of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The phenotypic alterations of the mutant strain are observed at the permissive growth temperature and exacerbated upon increase of the temperature. Surprisingly, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities were similar in the wild-type and mutant strains, whereas mitochondrial activities for succinate dehydrogenase and alternative NADH dehydrogenases were increased in the mutant strain, suggesting that the VARSD−G mutation does not affect overall cytosolic protein synthesis. Expression of the wild-type vars gene rescues all of the mutant phenotypes, indicating that the VARSD−G mutation is a loss-of-function mutation that results in a combined respiratory chain deficiency.
Suppression of spurious mode oscillation in mega-watt 77-GHz gyrotron as a high quality probe beam source for the collective Thomson scattering in LHD
Authors: Ogasawara S. , Kubo S. , Nishiura M. , Tatematsu Y. , Saito T. , Tanaka K. , Shimozuma T. , Yoshimura Y. , Igami H. , Takahashi H. , Ito S. , Takita Y. , Kobayashi S. , Mizuno Y. , Okada K. , Minami R. , Kariya T. , Imai T.
Published: September 2012

Collective Thomson scattering (CTS) diagnostic requires a strong probing beam to diagnose a bulk and fast ion distribution function in fusion plasmas. A mega-watt gyrotron for electron cyclotron resonance heating is used as a probing beam in the large helical device. Spurious mode oscillations are often observed during the turning on/off phase of the modulation. The frequency spectra of the 77-GHz gyrotron output power have been measured, and then one of the spurious modes, which interferes with the CTS receiver system, is identified as the TE17,6 mode at the frequency of 74.7 GHz. The mode competition calculation indicates that the increase of the magnetic field strength at the gyrotron resonator can avoid such a spurious mode and excite only the main TE18,6 mode. The spurious radiation at the 74.7 GHz is experimentally demonstrated to be suppressed in the stronger magnetic field than that optimized for the high-power operation.
The water hexamer: Three-body interactions, structures, energetics, and OH-stretch spectroscopy at finite temperature
Authors: Tainter C. J. , Skinner J. L.
Published: September 2012

Using a newly developed and recently parameterized classical empirical simulation model for water that involves explicit three-body interactions, we determine the eleven most stable isomers of the water hexamer. We find that the lowest energy isomer is one of the cage structures, in agreement with far-IR and microwave experiments. The energy ordering for the binding energies is cage > glove > book > bag > chair > boat > chaise, and energies relative to the cage are in good agreement with CCSD(T) calculations. The three-body contributions to the cage, book, and chair are also in reasonable agreement with CCSD(T) results. The energy of each isomer results from a delicate balance involving the number of hydrogen bonds, the strain of these hydrogen bonds, and cooperative and anti-cooperative three-body interactions, whose contribution we can understand simply from the form of the three-body interactions in the simulation model. Oxygen-oxygen distances in the cage and book isomers are in good agreement with microwave experiments. Hydrogen-bond distances depend on both donor and acceptor, which can again be understood from the three-body model. Fully anharmonic OH-stretch spectra are calculated for these low-energy structures, and compared with shifted harmonic results from ab initio and density functional theory calculations. Replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations were performed from 40 to 194 K, which show that the cage isomer has the lowest free energy from 0 to 70 K, and the book isomer has the lowest free energy from 70 to 194 K. OH-stretch spectra were calculated between 40 and 194 K, and results at 40, 63, and 79 K were compared to recent experiments, leading to re-assignment of the peaks in the experimental spectra. We calculate local OH-stretch cumulative spectral densities for different donor-acceptor types and compare to analogous results for liquid water.
Fluctuation estimates for sub-quadratic gradient field actions
Authors: Brydges David , Spencer Thomas
Published: September 2012

In this article we estimate fluctuations of the scalar field ϕ for a special class of sub-quadratic actions which grow like |∇ϕ|2α,  0 < α < 1. In particular if α = 1/2 we show that in three dimensions \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\langle e^{\gamma \phi _0}\rangle$\end{document}⟨eγϕ0⟩ is bounded for γ small. For each edge (jk) we introduce an auxiliary field \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$t_{jk} \in \mathbb R$\end{document}tjk∈R to express the action as a superposition of Gaussian free fields. The effective action which arises from integrating over the Gaussian field is shown to be convex in t. The Brascamp-Lieb inequality is then applied to obtain the desired estimates on a nonuniformly elliptic Green's function.
Multi-scale multireference configuration interaction calculations for large systems using localized orbitals: Partition in zones
Authors: Chang Cristian , Calzado Carmen J. , Amor Nadia Ben , Marin Jose Sanchez , Maynau Daniel
Published: September 2012

A new multireference configuration interaction method using localised orbitals is proposed, in which a molecular system is divided into regions of unequal importance. The advantage of dealing with local orbitals, i.e., the possibility to neglect long range interaction is enhanced. Indeed, while in the zone of the molecule where the important phenomena occur, the interaction cut off may be as small as necessary to get relevant results, in the most part of the system it can be taken rather large, so that results of good quality may be obtained at a lower cost. The method is tested on several systems. In one of them, the definition of the various regions is not based on topological considerations, but on the nature, σ or π, of the localised orbitals, which puts in evidence the generality of the approach.
High efficiency and high photo-stability zinc-phthalocyanine based planar heterojunction solar cells with a double interfacial layer
Authors: Kim Tae-Min , Whan Kim Ji , Shim Hyun-Sub , Kim Jang-Joo
Published: September 2012

The use of CuI and MoO3 as a double interfacial layer between indium tin oxide (ITO) and a zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) layer improves the power conversion efficiency (ηp) and the photo-stability at the same time in ZnPc based solar cells. Insertion of CuI without MoO3 increased ηp more than 2 times to 3.3%. However, the photo-stability is lowered even further due to diffusion of Cu. Insertion of the MoO3 layer between the ITO and CuI prevents the diffusion of Cu under UV illumination to achieve the improved photo-stability and ηp.
An adaptive weighted ensemble procedure for efficient computation of free energies and first passage rates
Authors: Bhatt Divesh , Bahar Ivet
Published: September 2012

We introduce an adaptive weighted-ensemble procedure (aWEP) for efficient and accurate evaluation of first-passage rates between states for two-state systems. The basic idea that distinguishes aWEP from conventional weighted-ensemble (WE) methodology is the division of the configuration space into smaller regions and equilibration of the trajectories within each region upon adaptive partitioning of the regions themselves into small grids. The equilibrated conditional/transition probabilities between each pair of regions lead to the determination of populations of the regions and the first-passage times between regions, which in turn are combined to evaluate the first passage times for the forward and backward transitions between the two states. The application of the procedure to a non-trivial coarse–grained model of a 70-residue calcium binding domain of calmodulin is shown to efficiently yield information on the equilibrium probabilities of the two states as well as their first passage times. Notably, the new procedure is significantly more efficient than the canonical implementation of the WE procedure, and this improvement becomes even more significant at low temperatures.
Scaling of average sending time on weighted Koch networks
Authors: Dai Meifeng , Liu Jie
Published: September 2012

Random walks on weighted complex networks, especially scale-free networks, have attracted considerable interest in the past. But the efficiency of a hub sending information on scale-free small-world networks has been addressed less. In this paper, we study random walks on a class of weighted Koch networks with scaling factor 0 < r ⩽ 1. We derive some basic properties for random walks on the weighted Koch networks, based on which we calculate analytically the average sending time (AST) defined as the average of mean first-passage times (MFPTs) from a hub node to all other nodes, excluding the hub itself. The obtained result displays that for 0 < r < 1 in large networks the AST grows as a power-law function of the network order with the exponent, represented by \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\log _{4}\frac{3r+1}{r}$\end{document}log43r+1r, and for r = 1 in large networks the AST grows with network order as N ln N, which is larger than the linear scaling of the average receiving time defined as the average of MFPTs for random walks to a given hub node averaged over all starting points.
Discovery of strange kinetics in bulk material: Correlated dipoles in CaCu3Ti4O12
Authors: Awasthi A. M. , Kumar Jitender
Published: September 2012

Dielectric spectroscopy of CaCu3Ti4O12 was performed spanning broad ranges of temperature (10–300 K) and frequency (0.5 Hz–2 MHz). We attribute the permittivity step-fall to the evolution of Kirkwood-Fröehlich dipole-correlations, reducing the moment-density due to anti-parallel orienting dipoles, with decreasing temperature. Unambiguous sub-Arrhenic dispersion of the associated loss-peak reveals the prime role of strange kinetics, used to describe nonlinearity-governed meso-confined/fractal systems, witnessed here for the first time in a bulk material. Effective energy-scale is seen to follow the thermal evolution of the moment density, and the maidenly estimated correlation-length achieves mesoscopic scale below ∼100 K. Temperature dependence of correlations reveals emergence of a new, parallel-dipole-orientation branch below 85 K. Novel features observed define a crossover temperature window connecting the single-dipoles regime and the correlated moments. We suggest a fractal-like self-similar configuration of Ca/Cu-rich sub-phases; resultant heterogeneity endowing CaCu3Ti4O12 its peculiar electrical behaviour.
High permittivity 0.9Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.1PbTiO3 relaxor thin films for high-value, wide-temperature capacitor applications
Authors: Zhu Xiaohong , Defaÿ Emmanuel , Le Rhun Gwenaël , Aïd Marc , Xu Yunhui , Zhang Qiang , Xiao Yunjun , Gao Haobin , Liang Dayun , Zhu Jiliang , Zhu Jianguo , Xiao Dingquan
Published: September 2012

High permittivity 0.9Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.1PbTiO3 (PMNT) relaxor thin films with a nearly pure perovskite structure as well as a dense and uniform microstructure have been prepared on Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-buffered platinized silicon substrates by sol-gel method. Interestingly, the PMNT thin film exhibits high dielectric permittivity, εr ∼ 1200, and high dielectric tunability, ∼70% under a moderate E = 333 kV/cm, over a wide temperature range. These results are explained in terms of a relaxor behavior of the PMNT film. Moreover, the leakage current density of the PMNT thin film is reasonably low, roughly 5.2 × 10−6 A/cm2 at an electric field intensity of 400 kV/cm. As the dc electric field increases, the leakage current mechanism is transformed from ohmic law to Fowler–Nordheim tunneling mechanism. All the results obtained indicate that the PMNT relaxor thin film is a good candidate for high-value, wide-temperature capacitor applications.
Mass Spectrometry of Cyclopentadienylideneketene: Differentiation of Isomeric Ion Structures by Means of Ion/Molecule Reactions
Authors: Gerbaux Pascal , Wentrup Curt
Published: September 2012

The nature of the m/z 104 ions formed by loss of CO2 or Ph-O-NCO from the molecular ions of phthalic anhydride, N-phenoxyphthalimide, and N-phenoxyisophthalimide was investigated by means of ion/molecule reactions with acetone. This allows a clear-cut differentiation of the so-obtained ions from the isomeric molecular ions of cyclopentadienylideneketene. The different intrinsic chemical reactivities of ionized cyclopentadienylideneketene and its distonoid isomer towards neutral acetone were investigated on a large-scale hybrid mass spectrometer and confirmed by density functional theory calculations.
CRF01_AE dominates the HIV-1 epidemic in Indonesia
Authors: Merati Tuti Parwati , Ryan Claire E. , Spelmen Tim , Wirawan Dewa N. , Bakta I. Made , Otto Brad , Oelrichs Robert B. , Crowe Suzanne M.
Published: September 2012

Background: The HIV epidemic in Indonesia remains concentrated in vulnerable populations, namely injecting drug users (IDUs), commercial sex workers (CSWs) and men who have sex with men (MSM). We aimed to determine the HIV-1 subtypes present in Indonesia and to establish the extent of the viral overlap between individuals with different risk factors. Methods: Venous blood samples were collected from HIV-positive individuals primarily from sexually transmissible infection clinics and drug rehabilitation centres in Bali and Jakarta, and applied to filter paper. A polymerase chain reaction-based assay designed to amplify a 330-bp region of the HIV-1 envelope was used to determine HIV-1 subtype result and to perform phylogenetic analysis. Results: Of the 175 individuals recruited to the study, a subtype result was obtained for 108 (62%). Four subtypes were found to exist in the population, CRF01_AE (n = 96, 88.9%), B (n = 10, 9.3%), C (n = 1, 0.9%) and G (n = 1, 0.9%). Of these 108 individuals, 65 (60%) were IDUs, and the remaining 40% were CSWs, MSM, transgender individuals, people with multiple sexual partners or those with no obvious risk factor. CRF01_AE was found to be more common among IDUs with 100% of individuals infected with this subtype. Subtype B was more common among MSM and CSWs (P = <0.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed a lack of viral segregation between risk groups. Conclusions: In Indonesia, CRF01_AE continues to dominate the HIV epidemic, although HIV subtype B is responsible for a significant number of sexually acquired infections.
Forensic deliberations on ‘purposeful metaphor’
Authors: Charteris-Black Jonathan
Published: September 2012

The concept of ‘purposeful metaphor’ is proposed as an alternative to ‘deliberate metaphor’ (Steen, 2008) in providing a theory of metaphor in discourse and communication. The case for ‘purposeful metaphor’ is framed within a discussion of intentionality in a murder trial. It is argued that ‘deliberateness’ originates in epistemologies based in language use, but is not valid for epistemologies that distinguish between conscious and unconscious thought process; in literary studies it is known as the ‘intentional fallacy’. However, considerations of intention are relevant in critical metaphor analysis that seeks insight into the social and political motivation of metaphor. Insights from Speech Act Theory and rhetorical theory suggest that ‘deliberate metaphor’ could be modified to ‘purposeful metaphor’ because we conceptualise ‘purpose’ in terms of a SOURCE (or idea), a PATH (or rhetorical plan) to realise a GOAL (or rhetorical outcome). ‘Purposeful metaphor’ therefore integrates the source (or idea behind) path, (or rhetorical plan), and goal, (or rhetorical outcome) of metaphor, while ‘deliberate metaphor’ only profiles its inception. Illustrations are given of how ‘purposeful metaphor’ contributes to an explanation of metaphor use in political and legal discourse, and other persuasive genres. Linguistic evidence for purposefulness is in the interaction between textually complex use of metaphor and contextual features such as political purpose or describing medical conditions.
A journey towards employment
Authors: Woodhams Jay Michael
Published: September 2012

Metaphor plays a prominent role in political rhetoric, often used to simplify complex issues and encourage familiarity with various topics (Mio, 1997). Its persuasive and manipulative uses in political discourse are also well documented (Charteris-Black, 2005). Studies of political discourse based on Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) Conceptual Metaphor Theory are numerous; however, little metaphor research has been completed in the New Zealand political context. Theexploratory study outlined in this paper addresses this need through an investigation of the metaphorical representation of social welfare and its beneficiaries in New Zealand political discourse. A corpus of texts is collected and analysed using the Metaphor Identification Procedure(MIP) (Pragglejaz Group, 2007), and corpus-wide patterns are refined into a systematic metaphor framework (Cameron, 2008). Journeymetaphors, being the most frequent example of figurative language identified, are held to be central to the language of reform in New Zealand, supported primarily by metaphorsof mobility and health. The goal of the Government’s reform journey is identified as a state of employment, and barriers to arrival at this destination are framed as mobility and health issues. Such metaphorsare considered discriminatory, portraying beneficiaries and the social welfare system in a particularly negative light.
The Greek state and the plaster cast
Authors: Tsakona Villy
Published: September 2012

The study investigates the main aspects and the ideological function of the state is a sick person metaphor which was frequently used in the public speeches of the Greek dictator George Papadopoulos and which became emblematic of his regime. A specific variation of the metaphorical imagery, namely the state is a sick person in a plaster cast, has contributed to the creation ofan idiom in Greek, signifying state or other repression and deprivation of civil rights. The idiom seems to be employed nowadays to refer to the current political situation in Greece, after the loan agreement between the Greek state, the IMF, the ECB, and the European Commission. The data examined consists of the public speeches by the leaders of the regime, as well as the Corpus of Greek Texts and recent media texts.
Translation studies at a cross-roads
Authors: Bassnet Susan
Published: September 2012

This article is an account of the personal journey of one writer, from her first encounters in the 1970s with fellow scholars sharing an interest in translation and a sense of frustration at the anti-translation prejudices of many colleagues working in literature or linguistics at that time. The article traces the gradual rise of translation studies as an important field in its own right, but raises questions about the present state of the discipline, arguing that as translation studies has become more established, so it is failing to challenge orthodoxies and risks being left behind by the more innovative and exciting research now emerging from within world literature, postcolonialism, and cultural memory studies. I suggest that translation studies has reached a cross-roads and needs to reach out to other disciplines, taking advantage of what is being hailed by some as a translational turn within the humanities in general.
More spoken or more translated?
Authors: Shlesinger Miriam , Ordan Noam
Published: September 2012

Since the early 1990s, with the advance of computerized corpora, translation scholars have been using corpus-based methodologies to look into the possible existence of overriding patterns (tentatively described as universals or as laws) in translated texts. The application of such methodologies to interpreted texts has been much slower in developing than in the case of translated ones, but significant progress has been made in recent years. After presenting the fundamental methodological hurdles—and advantages—of working on machine-readable (transcribed) oral corpora, we present and discuss several recent studies using cross-modal comparisons, and examine the viability of using interpreted outputs to explore the features that set simultaneous interpreting apart from other forms of translation. We then set out to test the hypothesis that modality may exert a stronger effect than ontology—i.e. that being oral (vs. written) is a more powerful influence than being translated (vs. original).
The city in translation
Authors: Simon Sherry
Published: September 2012

In the spirit of the ‘enlargement’ of the field proposed byTymoczko(2007), this article argues for the city as an object of translation studies. All cities are multilingual, but for some language relations have particularly intense historical and cultural significance. Translation studies can illuminate the nature and effects of these interactions. The cities of Central Europe and in particular Czernowitz offer rich case studies. A thorough investigation of translational culture between 1880 and 1939 can help to provide a nuanced understanding of the nature of literary relations which prevailed before the violence of World War II.
Barriers to technical terms in translation
Authors: Talebinejad M. Reza , Dastjerdi Hossein Vahid , Mahmoodi Ra'na
Published: September 2012

The present study investigates the frequency of use of neologisms (new terms) coined by the Academy of Persian (Farsi) Language and Literature (APLL) for foreign technical words, compared to borrowings from foreign languages in the translations of scientific and technical documents. It also seeks to find a relationship between familiarity with APLL-coined terms and their frequency of occurrence in translations of such literature. To achieve these goals, fifty-five PhD students of nine disciplines in humanities, medicine, technology, engineering and basic sciences were randomly selected. Then, nine technical texts, each including twenty technical terms followed by a twenty multiple-choice item test, along with a familiarity questionnaire based on the same twenty terms were given to the participants of each discipline with the aim to elicit the data required. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Spearman's Correlation Coefficient were applied to analyze the data. The results indicated a significant difference between the frequency of APLL-coined terms and that of borrowings (Z = −5.140, Sig = .000). In addition, a positive correlation was obtained between familiarity with APLL-coined terms and their frequency in the translation of technical texts (r = .593, p.05). In fact, as the familiarity with APLL-coined terms increased, so did their frequency. These findings are suggestive enough for APLL and similar organizations as well as for language planners to increase the frequency of use of their coined terms either by enhancing their familiarity rate (i.e. the ease with which coined terms are recognized) by users or by naturalizing neologisms (i.e. enhancing their familiarity rate) in any way possible, thereby encouraging users to employ them further in their writings and translations.
Automatic taxonomy extraction for specialized domains using distributional semantics
Authors: Nazar Rogelio , Vivaldi Jorge , Wanner Leo
Published: September 2012

This article explores a statistical, language-independent methodology for the construction of taxonomies of specialized domains from noisy corpora. In contrast to proposals that exploit linguistic information by searching for lexico-syntactic patterns that tend to express the hypernymy relation, our methodology relies entirely upon the distributional semantics of terms as captured by their lexical co-occurrence in large scale corpora. In a first stage, we analyze the syntagmatic relations of terms that serve as seeds of the taxonomy to be constructed and we obtain, thus, the first batch of hypernym candidate terms for our seed terms. In a second stage, we analyze the paradigmatic relations of the terms by inspecting which terms show a prominent frequency of co-occurrence with the terms that, as we found in the previous stage, are syntagmatically related to our seed terms — which allows us to refine the first batch of hypernym candidate terms and obtain new ones. In a third and final stage, we build a taxonomy from the obtained hypernym candidate lists, exploiting the asymmetric statistic association between terms that is characteristic of the hypernymy relation.
Concepts for monofunctional accounting dictionaries
Authors: Bergenholtz Henning
Published: September 2012

Most scholars — and in this regard there is no big difference between specialised lexicographers or terminographers — do not subscribe to the thesis elaborated in this paper, namely that a dictionary is a tool, and that a good tool is a tool conceived for a specific function that satisfies the needs of a particular user group in a specific user situation. In the light of this thesis, it is not important to discuss whether it is better for a dictionary to have, for example, an alphabetic or a systematic macrostructure. The real question is: How can one tailor a tool to the specific information needs of a given user group in such a way that these users can gain quick access to the data they need? Like with any other tool, the best solution is a monofunctional tool. In the case of lexicography, that would be a monofunctional dictionary. Such a dictionary differs from most general and specialised language dictionaries, which are normally constructed as polyfunctional tools which attempt to help solve a range of cognitive and communicative problems. Taking one database as the point of departure, I will discuss the concept of this database and of 23 different Danish, English and Spanish accounting dictionaries.
Propuesta de estructura definicional terminográfica en OntoTerm®
Authors: Garcia de Quesada Mercedes , Fuertes Olivera Pedro A. , Montero Martínez Silvia
Published: September 2012

This article describes a framework for definitional analysis that presents definitions as dynamic entities encompassing both conceptual relations, following a category template pattern, and its formalization in the terminological definitional structure. The definitional analysis accounts for various levels of complexity, depending on how detailed the understanding is or needs to be in a specific contextual situation. We are presently using this methodology in a research project called OncoTerm. One of the objectives of this project is to elaborate a bilingual terminological database, whose conceptual structure is an extension of an existing resource, the Mikrokosmos Ontology. In our termbase, medical concepts are organized in categories represented by templates, which are systematically applied to all category numbers. The application of the template to more specific concepts generates values that show the inheritance of knowledge structures within a specialized domain. The definitional information within each term entry is thus totally coherent with the information regarding other terms within the same conceptual category. This approach leads to the specification of a language of terminographic definition, which is concise, consistent and applicable not only to the domain of oncology, but to other medical domains and other languages.