bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health‐care use and cost in dementia caregivers: Longitudinal results from the Predictors Caregiver Study
Authors: Zhu Carolyn W. , Scarmeas Nikolaos , Ornstein Katherine , Albert Marilyn , Brandt Jason , Blacker Deborah , Sano Mary , Stern Yaakov
Published: March 2014

Objective

To examine the effects of caregiver and patient characteristics on caregivers' medical care use and cost.

Methods

One hundred forty‐seven caregiver/patient dyads were followed annually for 6 years in three academic Alzheimer's disease centers in the United States. Logistic, negative binomial, and generalized linear mixed models were used to examine overall effects of caregiver/patient characteristics on caregivers' hospitalizations, doctor visits, outpatient tests and procedures, and prescription and over‐the‐counter medications.

Results

Patients' comorbid conditions and dependence were associated with increased health‐care use and costs of caregivers. Increases in caregiver depressive symptoms are associated with increases in multiple domains of caregivers' health‐care use and costs.

Discussion

Findings suggest expanding our focus on dementia patients to include family caregivers to obtain a fuller picture of effects of caregiving. Primary care providers should integrate caregivers' needs in health‐care planning and delivery. Clinical interventions that treat patients and caregivers as a whole will likely achieve the greatest beneficial effects.
A case of complete atrioventricular block: The use of magnetic resonance imaging conditional pacemakers for diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis
Authors: Miwa Yosuke , Soejima Kyoko , Sato Toshiaki , Maeda Akiko , Ueda Akiko , Miyakoshi Mutsumi , Hoshida Kyoko , Higuchi Satoshi , Matsushita Noriko , Nagaoka Mika , Momose Yuichi , Kanaya Mitsuhiro , Yoshino Hideaki
Published: March 2014

A 50‐year‐old man presented to the emergency department with repeated episodes of faintness and exertional dyspnea, and was found to have an atrioventricular (AV) block. Chest radiography and transthoracic echocardiography results were normal, without any evidence of heart failure, wall motion abnormalities, interventricular septum thinning, or bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. A temporary pacemaker was implanted, followed by a permanent pacemaker. Chest computed tomography with contrast enhancement did not show abnormalities, including patent coronary arteries, lymph node adenopathy, and pulmonary abnormalities. Thus, an MRI conditional dual chamber pacemaker and leads were implanted. Six weeks following the implant, a cardiac MRI was performed to test for cardiac sarcoidosis. Although cine imaging showed normal left and right ventricular function, late gadolinium enhancement demonstrated multiple enhanced uptakes. Based on the results of the cardiac MRI, PET, and gallium scintigraphy, the most likely diagnosis was cardiac sarcoidosis. Although no abnormal findings were found on physical examination, blood work, chest radiography, and transthoracic echocardiogram, multiple regions of delayed enhancement were observed in the cardiac MRI. Thus, MRI conditional pacemakers are a useful tool for diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis and early therapeutic intervention.
Acquired Manus Valgus: A Difficult Problem with a Simple Solution
Authors: Rustagi Ashish , Aggarwal Aditya N. , Gulati Divesh , Jain Anuj , Jajodia Nitesh
Published: March 2014

Acquired manus valgus or acquired radial-club hand deformity of the wrist is an uncommon entity. Pathological destruction of the distal radius, following infection, trauma, or tumorous conditions in the paediatric population, often leads to radial shortening, ulnar lengthening and angulation, distal radioulnar joint dislocation, and radial deviation of the wrist. We report a case of acquired manus valgus treated by centralisation of the ulna on the wrist. At the 2-year follow-up, the patient had a functional, stable, and cosmetically acceptable wrist, with radiographic evidence of ulnocarpal fusion. It is an easy to perform, cost-effective surgery.
The Judge and the Sacred: Notes for a Comparative History of Western and Chinese Judicial Cultures
Authors: Jacob Robert
Published: March 2014

The present paper reviews some conclusions deriving from a series of works by a historian of medieval Western law and justice who has applied comparative analysis to the Chinese world. It points to the distance between the two civilizations, in terms of the concept of a “debt of justice” owed by the state, the autonomy of the judicial power, and judicial ethics. It opens a debate on the cultural elements that define the judicial truth-making process in various legal systems.
Dispersion in the large-deviation regime. Part 2. Cellular flow at large Péclet number
Authors: Haynes P. H. , Vanneste J.
Published: March 2014

A standard model for the study of scalar dispersion through the combined effect of advection and molecular diffusion is a two-dimensional periodic flow with closed streamlines inside periodic cells. Over long time scales, the dispersion of a scalar released in this flow can be characterized by an effective diffusivity that is a factor$\mathit{Pe}^{1/2}$larger than molecular diffusivity when the Péclet number$\mathit{Pe}$is large. Here we provide a more complete description of dispersion in this regime by applying the large-deviation theory developed in Part 1 of this paper. Specifically, we derive approximations to the rate function governing the scalar concentration at large time$t$by carrying out an asymptotic analysis of the relevant family of eigenvalue problems. We identify two asymptotic regimes and, for each, make predictions for the rate function and spatial structure of the scalar. Regime I applies to distances$|\boldsymbol {x}|$from the scalar release point that satisfy$|\boldsymbol {x}|= O(\mathit{Pe}^{1/4} t)$. The concentration in this regime is isotropic at large scales, is uniform along streamlines within each cell, and varies rapidly in boundary layers surrounding the separatrices between adjacent cells. The results of homogenization theory, yielding the$O(\mathit{Pe}^{1/2})$effective diffusivity, are recovered from our analysis in the limit$|\boldsymbol {x}|\ll \mathit{Pe}^{1/4} t$. Regime II applies when$|\boldsymbol {x}|=O(\mathit{Pe}\, t/{\rm log}\, \mathit{Pe})$and is characterized by an anisotropic concentration distribution that is localized around the separatrices. A novel feature of this regime is the crucial role played by the dynamics near the hyperbolic stagnation points. A consequence is that in part of the regime the dispersion can be interpreted as resulting from a random walk on the lattice of stagnation points. The two regimes overlap so that our asymptotic results describe the scalar concentration over a large range of distances$|\boldsymbol {x}|$. They are verified against numerical solutions of the family of eigenvalue problems yielding the rate function.
Spanwise reflection symmetry breaking and turbulence control: plane Couette flow
Authors: Chagelishvili G. , Khujadze G. , Foysi H. , Oberlack M.
Published: March 2014

We propose and analyse a new strategy of shear flow turbulence control that can be realized by the following steps: (i) imposing specially designed seed velocity perturbations, which are non-symmetric in the spanwise direction, at the walls of a flow; (ii) the configuration of the latter ensures a gain of shear flow energy and the breaking of turbulence spanwise reflection symmetry: this leads to the generation of spanwise mean flow; (iii) that changes the self-sustained dynamics of turbulence and results in a considerable reduction of the turbulence level and the production of turbulent kinetic energy. In fact, by this strategy the shear flow transient growth mechanism is activated and the formed spanwise mean flow is an intrinsic, nonlinear composition of the controlled turbulence and not directly introduced in the system. In the present paper, a weak near-wall volume forcing is designed to impose the velocity perturbations with required characteristics in the flow. The efficiency of the proposed scheme has been demonstrated by direct numerical simulation using plane Couette flow as a representative example. A promising result was obtained: after a careful parameter selection, the forcing reduces the turbulence kinetic energy and its production by up to one-third. The strategy can be naturally applied to other wall-bounded flows, e.g. channel and boundary-layer flows. Of course, the considered volume force is theoretical and hypothetical. Nevertheless, it helps to gain knowledge concerning the design of the seed velocity field that is necessary to be imposed in the flow to achieve a significant reduction of the turbulent kinetic energy. This is convincing with regard to a new control strategy, which could be based on specially constructed blowing/suction or riblets, by employing the insight gained by the comprehension of the results obtained using the investigated methodology in this paper.
Offsetting obstacles of any shape for robot motion planning
Authors: Laskar Md Nasir Uddin , Viet Hoang Huu , Choi Seung Yoon , Ahmed Ishtiaq , Lee Sungyoung , Chung Tae Choong
Published: March 2014

We present an algorithm for offsetting the workspace obstacles of a circular robot. Our method has two major steps: It finds the raw offset curve for both lines and circular arcs, and then removes the global invalid loops to find the final offset. To generate the raw offset curve and remove global invalid loops, O(n) and O((n+k)log m) computational times are needed respectively, where n is the number of vertices in the original polygon, k is the number of self-intersections and m is the number of segments in the raw offset curve, where m ≤ n. Any local invalid loops are removed before generating the raw offset curve by invoking a pair-wise intersection detection test (PIDT). In the PIDT, two intersecting entities are checked immediately after they are computed, and if the test is positive, portions of the intersecting segments are removed. Our method works for conventional polygons as well as the polygons that contain circular arcs. Our algorithm is simple and very fast, as each sub-process of the algorithm can be completed in linear time except the last one, which is nearly linear. Therefore, the overall complexity of the algorithm is nearly linear. By applying our simple and efficient approach, offsetting obstacles of any shape make it possible to construct a configuration space that ensures optimized motion planning.
Hobbes on the International Rule of Law
Authors: Dyzenhaus David
Published: March 2014

Perhaps the most influential passage on the rule of law in international law comes from chapter 13 of Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan. In the course of describing the miserable condition of mankind in the state of nature, Hobbes remarks to readers who might be skeptical that such a state ever existed that they need only look to international relations—the relations between independent states—to observe one:

But though there had never been any time, wherein particular men were in a condition of warre one against another; yet in all times, Kings, and Persons of Soveraigne authority, because of their Independency, are in continuall jealousies, and in the state and posture of Gladiators; having their weapons pointing, and their eyes fixed on one another; that is, their Forts, Garrisons, and Guns upon the Frontiers of their Kingdomes; and continuall Spyes upon their neighbours; which is a posture of War.
International Law and the Mediation of Culture
Authors: Reus-Smit Christian
Published: March 2014

When international relations scholars think about international law they either ignore culture or offer highly deterministic accounts of its role. For the majority of scholars, international law is a rational construction, an institutional solution to the problem of order in an anarchical system, a body of rules and practices that reflect the contending interests and capabilities of major states. Issues of culture barely rate a mention. For others, culture is the deep foundation of international law, the structuring “mentality” that gives law its form and content. International law, from this perspective, is a Western cultural artifact, globalized through centuries of imperialism and hegemony. These contrasting views lead to different expectations about the future of international law in today's culturally diverse international order. For rationalists, law's fate will be determined by the shifting configuration of interests that accompany new functional challenges and great power transitions. For the more culturally attuned, there are two possibilities. One is that functional utility will replace culture as law's foundation. International law may well be a Western cultural artifact, but “rational buy-in” will sustain it in a multicultural world. The other, more pessimistic, expectation is that the rule of international law will be fundamentally undermined by cultural diversity, particularly as rising non-Western powers articulate and promote markedly different cultural norms and values.
Drones and the International Rule of Law
Authors: Brooks Rosa
Published: March 2014

The international rule of law hinges on the existence of a shared lexicon accepted by states and other actors in the international system. With no independent judicial system capable of determining (and enforcing) the meaning of words and concepts, states must develop shared interpretations of the law and the concepts and terms it relies on, and be willing (mostly) to abide by those shared interpretations. When such shared interpretations exist, key aspects of the rule of law can be present even in the absence of an international judicial system; state behavior can be reasonably predictable, nonarbitrary, and transparent; and accountability can also be possible, albeit mainly through nonjudicial mechanisms.
Improving Signal to Noise in Labeled Biological Specimens Using Energy-Filtered TEM of Sections with a Drift Correction Strategy and a Direct Detection Device
Authors: Ramachandra Ranjan , Bouwer James C. , Mackey Mason R. , Bushong Eric , Peltier Steven T. , Xuong Nguyen-Huu , Ellisman Mark H.
Published: March 2014

Energy filtered transmission electron microscopy techniques are regularly used to build elemental maps of spatially distributed nanoparticles in materials and biological specimens. When working with thick biological sections, electron energy loss spectroscopy techniques involving core-loss electrons often require exposures exceeding several minutes to provide sufficient signal to noise. Image quality with these long exposures is often compromised by specimen drift, which results in blurring and reduced resolution. To mitigate drift artifacts, a series of short exposure images can be acquired, aligned, and merged to form a single image. For samples where the target elements have extremely low signal yields, the use of charge coupled device (CCD)-based detectors for this purpose can be problematic. At short acquisition times, the images produced by CCDs can be noisy and may contain fixed pattern artifacts that impact subsequent correlative alignment. Here we report on the use of direct electron detection devices (DDD’s) to increase the signal to noise as compared with CCD’s. A 3× improvement in signal is reported with a DDD versus a comparably formatted CCD, with equivalent dose on each detector. With the fast rolling-readout design of the DDD, the duty cycle provides a major benefit, as there is no dead time between successive frames.
Anglican Stories: Bible, Liturgy and Church
Authors: McGowan Andrew
Published: March 2014

While Anglicans differ on many issues, they share not only a common history but a common interest in telling and retelling it. Essays in the present issue exemplify the concentration of these stories on three areas: the Bible, Liturgy and the Church itself. Historical or systematic attempts to define Anglicanism founder if attempts to identify essential elements are too prescriptive; but the shared reality and reflection on it constitute a characteristic form of Anglican theological practice.
Classification of small UAVs and birds by micro-Doppler signatures
Authors: Molchanov Pavlo , Harmanny Ronny I.A. , de Wit Jaco J.M. , Egiazarian Karen , Astola Jaakko
Published: March 2014

The popularity of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasing. Therefore, the importance of security systems able to detect and classify them is increasing as well. In this paper, we propose a new approach for UAVs classification using continuous wave radar or high pulse repetition frequency (PRF) pulse radars. We consider all steps of processing required to make a decision out of the raw radar data. Before the classification, the micro-Doppler signature is filtered and aligned to compensate the Doppler shift caused by the target's body motion. Then, classification features are extracted from the micro-Doppler signature in order to represent information about class at a lower dimension space. Eigenpairs extracted from the correlation matrix of the signature are used as informative features for classification. The proposed approach is verified on real radar measurements collected with X-band radar. Planes, quadrocopter, helicopters, and stationary rotors as well as birds are considered for classification. Moreover, a possibility of distinguishing different number of rotors is considered. The obtained results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. It provides the capability of correct classification with a probability of around 92%.
Microglia is a Key Player in the Reduction of Stroke Damage Promoted by the New Antithrombotic Agent Ticagrelor
Authors: Gelosa Paolo , Lecca Davide , Fumagalli Marta , Wypych Dorota , Pignieri Alice , Cimino Mauro , Verderio Claudia , Enerbäck Malin , Nikookhesal Elham , Tremoli Elena , Abbracchio Maria P , Sironi Luigi
Published: March 2014

The ADP-responsive P2Y12 receptor is expressed on both platelets and microglia. Clinical data show that ticagrelor, a direct-acting, reversibly binding P2Y12-receptor antagonist, reduces total cardiovascular events, including stroke. In our present study, we investigated the expression of P2Y12 receptors and the effects of ticagrelor on brain injury in Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). Rats were treated per os with ticagrelor 3 mg/kg or vehicle at 10 minutes, 22, and 36 hours after MCAo and killed after 48 hours. Immunofluorescence analysis showed an ischemia-related modulation of the P2Y12 receptor, which is constitutively expressed in Iba1+ resting microglia. After MCAo, activated microglia was mainly concentrated around the lesion, with fewer cells present inside the ischemic core. Ticagrelor significantly attenuated the evolution of ischemic damage—evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 2, 24, and 48 hours after MCAo—, the number of infiltrating cells expressing the microglia/monocyte marker ED-1, the cerebral expression of proinflammatory mediators (interleukin 1 (IL-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)) and the associated neurologic impairment. In transgenic fluorescent reporter CX3CR1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) mice, 72 hours after MCAo, ticagrelor markedly reduced GFP+ microglia and both early and late infiltrating blood-borne cells. Finally, in primary cultured microglia, ticagrelor fully inhibited ADP-induced Chemotaxis ( P<0.01). Our results show that ticagrelor is protective against ischemia-induced cerebral injury and this effect is mediated, at least partly, by inhibition of P2Y12-mediated microglia activation and Chemotaxis.
Vascular Action as the Primary Mechanism of Cognitive Effects of Cholinergic, CNS-Acting Drugs, a Rat phMRI BOLD Study
Authors: Kocsis Pál , Gyertyán István , Éles János , Laszy Judit , Hegedüs Nikolett , Gajári Dávid , Deli Levente , Pozsgay Zsófia , Dávid Szabolcs , Tihanyi Károly
Published: March 2014

Concordant results of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral tests prove that some non-blood-brain barrier-penetrating drugs produce robust central nervous system (CNS) effects. The anticholinergic scopolamine interferes with learning when tested in rats, which coincides with a negative blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) change in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) as demonstrated by fMRI. The peripherally acting butylscopolamine also evokes a learning deficit in a water-labyrinth test and provokes a negative BOLD signal in the PFC. Donepezil—a highly CNS-penetrating Cholinesterase inhibitor—prevents the negative BOLD and cognitive deficits regardless whether the provoking agent is scopolamine or butylscopolamine. Interestingly, the non-BBB-penetrating Cholinesterase inhibitor neostigmine also prevents or substantially inhibits those cognitive and fMRI changes. Intact cerebral blood flow and optimal metabolism are crucial for the normal functioning of neurons and other cells in the brain. Drugs that are not BBB penetrating yet act on the CNS highlight the importance of unimpaired circulation, and point to the cerebral vasculature as a primary target for drug action in diseases where impaired circulation and consequently suboptimal energy metabolism are followed by upstream pathologic events.
The effects of CTAB concentration on the properties of electrodeposited cadmium telluride films
Authors: Li Qian , Fu Wuyou , Mu Yannan , Zhang Wenjiao , Lv Pin , Zhou Liying , Yang Haibin , Chi Kailin , Yang Lihua
Published: March 2014

The effects of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) concentrations on the properties of electrochemically deposited cadmium telluride films have been investigated using SEM, EDX, XRD and photoelectrochemical measurements.
Can agitation determine the polymorphs of calcium carbonate during the decomposition of calcium bicarbonate?
Authors: Jiang Jiuxin , Zhang Ying , Xu Dongdong , Liu Jianing
Published: March 2014

Free of external disturbance, Ca2+ ions stack in the (0001) faces in the mode of (a), corresponding to thermodynamically least stable vaterite phase. To maximally reduce coulomb repulsion under external agitation, one Ca2+ ion moves up and the other moves down for one third of interplanar crystal spacing (b), corresponding to the stable calcite phase.
Na2HPO4-modified NaY nanocrystallites: efficient catalyst for acrylic acid production through lactic acid dehydration
Authors: Zhang Junfeng , Zhao Yuling , Feng Xinzhen , Pan Min , Zhao Jing , Ji Weijie , Au Chak-Tong
Published: March 2014

An acrylic acid yield of 74.3% and a formation rate of 12.0 mmol gcat−1 h−1 have been achieved at 340 °C by lactic acid dehydration over Na2HPO4-modified NaY nanocrystallites (NaY-n) due to appropriate surface acidity together with the unique structural features of NaY-n.
Facile synthesis of chitosan-capped ZnS quantum dots as an eco-friendly fluorescence sensor for rapid determination of bisphenol A in water and plastic samples
Authors: Cao Xianyi , Shen Fei , Zhang Minwei , Bie Jiaxin , Liu Xin , Luo Yeli , Guo Jiajia , Sun Chunyan
Published: March 2014

Quantitative detection of BPA in water and plastic samples was developed based on fluorescence quenching of eco-friendly chitosan-capped ZnS QDs.
LaFeO3-based nanopowders prepared by a soft–hard templating approach: the effect of silica texture
Authors: Deganello Francesca , Testa Maria Luisa , La Parola Valeria , Longo Alessandro , Tavares Ana C.
Published: March 2014

Amorphous, HMS and SBA-15 silicas were used to prepare LaFeO3-based perovskite nanopowders with high surface area and porosity by a combined soft–hard templating (SHT) approach. Amorphous La and Fe silicates play an important role in the templating process.
Fluorescent aggregates of hetero-oligophenylene derivative as “no quenching” probe for detection of picric acid at femtogram level
Authors: Kaur Sharanjeet , Bhalla Vandana , Vij Varun , Kumar Manoj
Published: March 2014

Fluorescent aggregates of hetero oligophenylene derivative3serve as “no quenching” probes for the detection of picric acid (PA) in aqueous media.
Design of molecular beacons: 3′ couple quenchers improve fluorogenic properties of a probe in real-time PCR assay
Authors: Ryazantsev Dmitry Y. , Kvach Maksim V. , Tsybulsky Dmitry A. , Prokhorenko Igor A. , Stepanova Irina A. , Martynenko Yury V. , Gontarev Sergey V. , Shmanai Vadim V. , Zavriev Sergey K. , Korshun Vladimir A.
Published: March 2014

Fluorescent properties of molecular beacons with two dyes or two quenchers in real-time PCR are reported.
Designing nanoparticle carriers for enhanced drug efficacy in photodynamic therapy
Authors: Chu Zhiqin , Zhang Silu , Yin Chun , Lin Ge , Li Quan
Published: March 2014

The current work revealed how the design parameters of nanocarriers affect the drug efficacy in photodynamic therapy.
Chemically robust fluoroalkyl phthalocyanine–oligonucleotide bioconjugates and their GRP78 oncogene photocleavage activity
Authors: Patel Pradeepkumar , Patel Hemantbhai H. , Borland Emily , Gorun Sergiu M. , Sabatino David
Published: March 2014

The first representative of functionalized fluoroalkyl phthalocyanines, F48H7(COOH)PcZn, is reported.
Axially chiral BODIPYs
Authors: Lerrick Reinner I. , Winstanley Thomas P. L. , Haggerty Karen , Wills Corinne , Clegg William , Harrington Ross W. , Bultinck Patrick , Herrebout Wouter , Benniston Andrew C. , Hall Michael J.
Published: March 2014

The synthesis and resolution of a class of chiral organic fluorophores, axially chiral 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacenes (Ax*-BODIPY), is described. Ax*-BODIPYs were prepared through a modular synthesis, resolved by preparative chiral HPLC and absolute stereochemistry assigned by ECD.
New frontiers in hybrid materials: noble metal nanoparticles – supramolecular gel systems
Authors: Cametti Massimo , Džolić Zoran
Published: March 2014

Recent developments in hybrid materials composed of noble metal nanoparticles and supramolecular gels are reviewed, with particular emphasis on synthetic procedures, characterization and potential applications.
The rational design of a highly sensitive and selective fluorogenic probe for detecting nitric oxide
Authors: Ma Sufang , Fang De-Cai , Ning Baoming , Li Minfeng , He Lan , Gong Bing
Published: March 2014

A small-molecule fluorogenic probe for nitric oxide (NO) detection based on a new switching mechanism is developedviaa rational design.
Study of the local structure and oxidation state of iron in complex oxide catalysts for propylene ammoxidation
Authors: Wu Li-bin , Wu Liang-hua , Yang Wei-min , Frenkel Anatoly I.
Published: March 2014

A combination of X-ray absorption, Raman and UV-visible spectroscopy reveals the competing redox reactions during the deactivation of Fe-based complex catalysts.
Ferrocene as a scaffold for effective bifunctional amine–thiourea organocatalysts
Authors: Yao Wei , Chen Ming , Liu Xueying , Jiang Ru , Zhang Shengyong , Chen Weiping
Published: March 2014

This work demonstrates that ferrocene could be an excellent scaffold for chiral organocatalysts.
Improving the photoelectrochemical activity of La5Ti2CuS5O7 for hydrogen evolution by particle transfer and doping
Authors: Liu Jingyuan , Hisatomi Takashi , Ma Guijun , Iwanaga Aki , Minegishi Tsutomu , Moriya Yosuke , Katayama Masao , Kubota Jun , Domen Kazunari
Published: March 2014

p-Type doped La5Ti2CuS5O7 photoelectrodes fabricated by particle transfer generate photocathodic current at +0.88 V vs. RHE in photoelectrochemical water splitting.
Operando electron magnetic measurements of Li-ion batteries
Authors: Gershinsky Gregory , Bar Elad , Monconduit Laure , Zitoun David
Published: March 2014

Operandomeasurements of electron magnetism provide microscopic and quantitative data on the amorphous Fe nanostructures formed during cycling of a Li-ion battery based on a FeSb2electrode.
Sorption behavior of heavy metals on poorly crystalline manganese oxides: roles of water conditions and light
Authors: Kim Eun-Ju , Kim Jungwon , Choi Sung-Chan , Chang Yoon-Seok
Published: March 2014

This study investigated Cu(ii) uptake and release in a poorly crystalline δ-MnO2 system based on mechanisms of aggregation and photoinduced dissolution.
A GPU-accelerated immersive audio-visual framework for interaction with molecular dynamics using consumer depth sensors
Authors: Glowacki David R. , O'Connor Michael , Calabró Gaetano , Price James , Tew Philip , Mitchell Thomas , Hyde Joseph , Tew David P. , Coughtrie David J. , McIntosh-Smith Simon
Published: March 2014

With advances in computational power, the rapidly growing role of computational/simulation methodologies in the physical sciences, and the development of new human–computer interaction technologies, the field of interactive molecular dynamics seems destined to expand. In this paper, we describe and benchmark the software algorithms and hardware setup for carrying out interactive molecular dynamics utilizing an array of consumer depth sensors. The system works by interpreting the human form as an energy landscape, and superimposing this landscape on a molecular dynamics simulation to chaperone the motion of the simulated atoms, affecting both graphics and sonified simulation data. GPU acceleration has been key to achieving our target of 60 frames per second (FPS), giving an extremely fluid interactive experience. GPU acceleration has also allowed us to scale the system for use in immersive 360° spaces with an array of up to ten depth sensors, allowing several users to simultaneously chaperone the dynamics. The flexibility of our platform for carrying out molecular dynamics simulations has been considerably enhanced by wrappers that facilitate fast communication with a portable selection of GPU-accelerated molecular force evaluation routines. In this paper, we describe a 360° atmospheric molecular dynamics simulation we have run in a chemistry/physics education context. We also describe initial tests in which users have been able to chaperone the dynamics of 10-alanine peptide embedded in an explicit water solvent. Using this system, both expert and novice users have been able to accelerate peptide rare event dynamics by 3–4 orders of magnitude.
Hierarchically porous AlPO-5-based microspheres as heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles via [3+2] cycloaddition
Authors: Kong Dan , Liu Yanyan , Zhang Juan , Li Hongbian , Wang Xiangyu , Liu Guangyu , Li Baojun , Xu Zheng
Published: March 2014

W-containing AlPO-5 microspheres were effective catalyst for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles by [3+2] cycloaddition.
Highly active and stable Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalysts selectively deposited with CeO2 for CO methanation
Authors: Liu Qing , Gao Jiajian , Zhang Meiju , Li Huifang , Gu Fangna , Xu Guangwen , Zhong Ziyi , Su Fabing
Published: March 2014

CeO2-decorated Ni/γ-Al2O3 exhibited high activity, coking- and sintering-resistance for CO methanation because CeO2 selectively deposited on the surface of NiO.
Stretchable all-solid-state supercapacitor with wavy shaped polyaniline/graphene electrode
Authors: Xie Yizhu , Liu Yan , Zhao Yuda , Tsang Yuen Hong , Lau Shu Ping , Huang Haitao , Chai Yang
Published: March 2014

Wavy shaped PANI/graphene electrodes enable stretchable all-solid-state supercapacitors to maintain high electrochemical capacitance and mechanical strength simutaneously.
Energy level alignment of polythiophene/ZnO hybrid solar cells
Authors: Feng W. , Rangan S. , Cao Y. , Galoppini E. , Bartynski R. A. , Garfunkel E.
Published: March 2014

A change in the interface dipole lowers the polythiophene energy levels, increasing both theoretical and actual Voc of polythiophene/ZnO photovoltaics.
Multifunctional foams derived from poly(melamine formaldehyde) as recyclable oil absorbents
Authors: Yang Yu , Deng Yonghong , Tong Zhen , Wang Chaoyang
Published: March 2014

Ultralight, fire-resistant, and compressible foams as recyclable oil absorbents are facilely prepared from cheap melamine resins.
A solvothermal strategy: one-step in situ synthesis of self-assembled 3D graphene-based composites with enhanced lithium storage capacity
Authors: Ma Jingjing , Wang Jiulin , He Yu-Shi , Liao Xiao-Zhen , Chen Jun , Wang Jia-Zhao , Yuan Tao , Ma Zi-Feng
Published: March 2014

A facile and controllable solvothermal strategy has been developed to synthesize three-dimensional graphene-based monoliths for Li-ion batteries.
Self assembly of plasmonic core–satellite nano-assemblies mediated by hyperbranched polymer linkers
Authors: Dey Priyanka , Zhu Shaoli , Thurecht Kristofer J. , Fredericks Peter M. , Blakey Idriss
Published: March 2014

The morphology of plasmonic nano-assemblies has a direct influence on optical properties, such as localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity.
In Crohn's disease fibrosis-reduced expression of the miR-29 family enhances collagen expression in intestinal fibroblasts
Authors: Nijhuis Anke , Biancheri Paolo , Lewis Amy , Bishop Cleo L. , Giuffrida Paolo , Chan Christopher , Feakins Roger , Poulsom Richard , Di Sabatino Antonio , Corazza Gino Roberto , MacDonald Thomas T. , Lindsay James O. , Silver Andrew R.
Published: March 2014

Intestinal fibrosis with stricture formation is a complication of CD (Crohn's disease) that may mandate surgical resection. Accurate biomarkers that reflect the relative contribution of fibrosis to an individual stricture are an unmet need in managing patients with CD. The miRNA-29 (miR-29) family has been implicated in cardiac, hepatic and pulmonary fibrosis. In the present study, we investigated the expression of miR-29a, miR-29b and miR-29c in mucosa overlying a stricture in CD patients (SCD) paired with mucosa from non-strictured areas (NSCD). There was significant down-regulation of the miR-29 family in mucosa overlying SCD compared with mucosa overlying NSCD. miR-29b showed the largest fold-decrease and was selected for functional analysis. Overexpression of miR-29b in CD fibroblasts led to a down-regulation of collagen I and III transcripts and collagen III protein, but did not alter MMP (matrix metalloproteinase)-3, MMP-12 and TIMP (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase)-1 production. TGF (transforming growth factor)-β1 up-regulated collagen I and III transcripts and collagen III protein as a consequence of the down-regulation of miR-29b, and TGF-β1-induced collagen expression was reversed by exogenous overexpression of miR-29b. Furthermore, serum levels of miR-29 were lower in patients with stricturing disease compared with those without. These findings implicate the miR-29 family in the pathogenesis of intestinal fibrosis in CD and provide impetus for the further evaluation of the miR-29 family as biomarkers.
Edge skip intra coding method for depth coding
Authors: Ma Xiang , Huo Junyan , Yang Xu , Ren Guangliang
Published: March 2014

An efficient intra coding method is presented for depth coding, namely edge skip. In the proposed method, the depth edge macro‐block (MB) is skipped without coding. At the decoder side, the edge MB is reconstructed with the reference samples of the adjacent left and above lines, and the associated partitioning information. The partitioning information is derived from the co‐located area in the corresponding reconstructed texture image by a k‐means clustering. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves the coding efficiency both objectively and subjectively.
Compact ultra‐wideband diversity antenna with a floating parasitic digitated decoupling structure
Authors: Khan Muhammad Saeed , Capobianco Antonio‐Daniele , Najam Ali Imran , Shoaib Imran , Autizi Elena , Shafique Muhammad Farhan
Published: March 2014

A compact planar ultra‐wideband (UWB) multiple‐input–multiple‐output antenna array with two radiating elements is proposed in this work. Elements separation is kept at 5.5 mm and the isolation is achieved with a floating parasitic decoupling structure not known for UWB diversity antennas previously. The antenna system performs very well over the entire UWB frequency range of 3.1–10.6 GHz. The mutual coupling between the radiating elements is below −20 dB in most of the band. The decoupling structure is investigated in detail and the diversity analysis of the antenna in Rayleigh fading environment for indoor and outdoor propagations is also presented by computing envelope correlation coefficients. The proposed antenna array measures 33 × 45.5 mm2 only and it is suitable for handheld devices, personal digital assistant (PDA)s, next generation home entertainment systems and robots.
Raman spectroscopy as polyvalent alternative for water pollution detection
Authors: Durickovic Ivana , Marchetti Mario
Published: March 2014

Human activities are, more or less directly, responsible for increasing pollution in running waters, making this an important issue over the last decades and the ones to come. Many documents define a legal frame on the water pollutants underlying the importance of the surveillance of their presence in the environment. The difficulty in the surveillance of these products is due to the great diversity of the pollutant families, leading to the necessity to use several analytical techniques. This study shows the relevance of using Raman spectrometry for the detection and the quantification of several major pollutant families in an aqueous media such as drugs, pesticides or salts coming from fertilisers.
Terahertz absorption characteristics of nickel–chromium film in a microbolometer focal plane array
Authors: Gou Jun , Jiang Yadong , Wang Jun
Published: March 2014

Nickel–chromium (NiCr) thin film acted as a terahertz (THz) absorption layer in uncooled infrared (IR) microbolometers operated in the THz spectral range. Nanoscale NiCr thin films with different thicknesses were deposited on the diaphragms of 320 × 240 IR focal plane arrays (IRFPAs). The experiments suggested that the THz absorption of NiCr film increased with the increased frequency. Absorption for a lower frequency decreased whereas that for a higher frequency increased with the decreased film thickness. Optimised absorption for different spectral ranges was achieved by adjusting the NiCr film thickness. A 30 nm NiCr film provided the largest absorption in 0.5–1.5 THz whereas an 8 nm NiCr film showed the greatest contribution in 2–2.5 THz. The THz absorption characteristics of the pixel membrane structure in the IRFPAs coupled with a thin metallic film were modelled and analysed. A good agreement was obtained between the calculations and the measurements.
Digital signal processing for velocity measurements in dynamical material's behaviour studies
Authors: Devlaminck Julien , Luc Jérôme , Chanal Pierre-Yves
Published: March 2014

In this work, we describe different configurations of optical fiber interferometers (types Michelson and Mach-Zehnder) used to measure velocities during dynamical material's behaviour studies. We detail the algorithms of processing developed and optimized to improve the performance of these interferometers especially in terms of time and frequency resolutions. Three methods of analysis of interferometric signals were studied. For Michelson interferometers, the time-frequency analysis of signals by Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) is compared to a time-frequency analysis by Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT). The results have shown that the CWT was more suitable than the STFT for signals with low signal-to-noise, and low velocity and high acceleration areas. For Mach-Zehnder interferometers, the measurement is carried out by analyzing the phase shift between three interferometric signals (Triature processing). These three methods of digital signal processing were evaluated, their measurement uncertainties estimated, and their restrictions or operational limitations specified from experimental results performed on a pulsed power machine.
A multi-level single-bit data storage device
Authors: Bickel Jessica E. , Khan Mina , Aidala Katherine E.
Published: March 2014

One method to increase bit density in magnetic memory devices is to use larger structures that have multiple states in which to encode information rather than the typical two state system. A ferromagnetic nanoring with multiple domain walls that annihilate at different applied magnetic fields could serve as such a bit. This paper examines the formation and annihilation of four 360° domain walls (DWs) using micromagnetic simulations. To create the walls, one can apply circular magnetic fields to asymmetric nanoring structures. Nanorings with circular notches on a centered elliptical hole enable the formation of stable DWs in specific locations with known characteristics. By considering the impacts of both domain wall length and topological winding number on domain wall energy, one can create a nanostructure with four stable domain walls that annihilate at different applied magnetic fields. With two stable vortex configurations, such nanorings could theoretically encode up to ten different states.
Localized overlap algorithm for unexpanded dispersion energies
Authors: Rob Fazle , Misquitta Alston J. , Podeszwa Rafał , Szalewicz Krzysztof
Published: March 2014

First-principles-based, linearly scaling algorithm has been developed for calculations of dispersion energies from frequency-dependent density susceptibility (FDDS) functions with account of charge-overlap effects. The transition densities in FDDSs are fitted by a set of auxiliary atom-centered functions. The terms in the dispersion energy expression involving products of such functions are computed using either the unexpanded (exact) formula or from inexpensive asymptotic expansions, depending on the location of these functions relative to the dimer configuration. This approach leads to significant savings of computational resources. In particular, for a dimer consisting of two elongated monomers with 81 atoms each in a head-to-head configuration, the most favorable case for our algorithm, a 43-fold speedup has been achieved while the approximate dispersion energy differs by less than 1% from that computed using the standard unexpanded approach. In contrast, the dispersion energy computed from the distributed asymptotic expansion differs by dozens of percent in the van der Waals minimum region. A further increase of the size of each monomer would result in only small increased costs since all the additional terms would be computed from the asymptotic expansion.
Effect of FePt on resonant behaviour of a near field transducer for high areal density heat assisted magnetic recording
Authors: Hussain Sajid , Bhatia Charanjit S. , Yang Hyunsoo , Danner Aaron J.
Published: March 2014

This paper presents an experimental study of the effect of magnetic media on the resonant behavior of nano-apertures which are used as near-field transducers in near-field applications. Transmission spectra through C-shaped nano-apertures with and without a magnetic medium in the near-field were measured. A significant shift in the resonant wavelength of the C-apertures was predicted by simulations and subsequently observed experimentally. The resonant wavelength shift depends on the thickness of the magnetic medium and starts to saturate as the magnetic medium becomes thicker. Near-field intensity simulations illustrate dimensional parameter requirements for C-aperture design when a magnetic storage medium is placed within the near field.
Excitons in a quasi-one-dimensional quantum nanorod under a strong electric field
Authors: Lyo S. K.
Published: March 2014

The response of an exciton in the ground and first excited states to a strong DC electric field is studied in a quasi-one-dimensional nano quantum well (i.e., nanorod) bounded by high symmetric barriers by studying the energy, the oscillator strength, the root-mean-square (RMS) average of the electron-hole (e-h) separation, and the average positions of the electron and the hole. The interplaying effect between the barrier confinement, e-h attraction, and the field-induced e-h separation for exciton binding is examined. We find that, for a long nanorod, the exciton energy, as well as, the oscillator strength drops abruptly as a function of the field near the exciton-dissociation field while the RMS average of the e-h separation rises rapidly. For shorter rods, the transition is more gradual due to the combined effect of the confinement and the long-range e-h interaction. A strong field is shown to transform the optically-inactive first excited state into an optically-active state in the field range between the dissociation field of the ground state and that of the first excited level. We also find that, in the ground state, the (lighter) electron is dragged by the (heavier) hole below the dissociation field. The dependence of the above mentioned properties on the rod length is also investigated for varying fields. The results are compared with those obtained for the rods with parabolic confinement.
Magnetic structures of FeTiO3-Fe2O3 solid solution thin films studied by soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and ab initio multiplet calculations
Authors: Hojo H. , Fujita K. , Ikeno H. , Matoba T. , Mizoguchi T. , Tanaka I. , Nakamura T. , Takeda Y. , Okane T. , Tanaka K.
Published: March 2014

The solid solutions between ilmenite (FeTiO3) and hematite (α-Fe2O3) have recently attracted considerable attention as a spintronic material due to their interesting magnetic and electrical properties. In this study, the electronic and magnetic structures of epitaxially grown 0.6FeTiO3·0.4Fe2O3 solid solution thin films were investigated by combining x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) for two different crystallographic projections, and first-principles theoretical calculations. The Fe L-edge XANES and XMCD spectra reveal that Fe is in the mixed-valent Fe2+–Fe3+ states while Fe2+ ions are mainly responsible for the magnetization. Moreover, the experimental Fe L-edge XANES and XMCD spectra change depending on the incident x-ray directions, and the theoretical spectra explain such spectral features. We also find a large orbital magnetic moment, which can originate the magnetic anisotropy of this system. On the other hand, although the valence state of Ti was interpreted to be 4+ from the Ti L-edge XANES, XMCD signals indicate that some electrons are present in the Ti-3d orbital, which are coupled antiparallel to the magnetic moment of Fe2+ ions.
Standing electromagnetic solitons in hot ultra-relativistic electron-positron plasmas
Authors: Heidari E. , Aslaninejad M. , Eshraghi H. , Rajaee L.
Published: March 2014

Using a one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model, we investigate standing relativistic bright solitons in hot electron-positron plasmas. The positron dynamics is taken into account. A set of nonlinear coupled differential equations describing the evolution of electromagnetic waves in fully relativistic two-fluid plasma is derived analytically and solved numerically. As a necessary condition for the existence of standing solitons the system should be relativistic. For the case of ultra-relativistic plasma, we investigate non-drifting bright solitary waves. Detailed discussions of the acceptable solutions are presented. New single hump non-trivial symmetric solutions for the scalar potential were found, and single and multi-nodal symmetric and anti-symmetric solutions for the vector potential are presented. It is shown that for a fixed value of the fluid velocity excited modes with more zeros in the profile of the vector potential show a higher magnitude for the scalar potential. An increase in the plasma fluid velocity also increases the magnitude of the scalar potential. Furthermore, the Hamiltonian and the first integral of the system are given.