bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Squashed entanglement in infinite dimensions
Authors: Shirokov M. E.
Published: March 2016

We analyse two possible definitions of the squashed entanglement in an infinite-dimensional bipartite system: direct translation of the finite-dimensional definition and its universal extension. It is shown that the both definitions produce the same lower semicontinuous entanglement measure possessing all basis properties of the squashed entanglement on the set of states having at least one finite marginal entropy. It is also shown that the second definition gives an adequate lower semicontinuous extension of this measure to all states of the infinite-dimensional bipartite system. A general condition relating continuity of the squashed entanglement to continuity of the quantum mutual information is proved and its corollaries are considered. Continuity bound for the squashed entanglement under the energy constraint on one subsystem is obtained by using the tight continuity bound for quantum conditional mutual information (proved in the Appendix by using Winter’s technique). It is shown that the same continuity bound is valid for the entanglement of formation. As a result the asymptotic continuity of the both entanglement measures under the energy constraint on one subsystem is proved.
Effect of a novel nonlinearity, viz., electron temperature dependence of electron-ion recombination on electromagnetic wave. Plasma interaction: Nonlinear propagation in the E-layer
Authors: Sodha Mahendra Singh , Mishra Rashmi , Srivastava Sweta
Published: March 2016

In this paper, we consider the nonlinearity in the propagation of electromagnetic (e.m.) waves in a plasma caused by the electron temperature dependence of the coefficient of recombination of electrons with ions; specifically, the ionospheric E layer has been investigated. The enhancement in electron temperature by an intense electromagnetic wave causes reduction of the electron-ion recombination coefficient and thereby enhancement of electron density, the electron collision frequency also gets enhanced. The equations for number and energy balance of electrons and the wave equation have been used to predict the dependence of electron density/collision frequency and the nonlinear refractive index and absorption coefficient on αE02 (proportional to wave irradiance). The dependence of the propagation parameters on αE02 has been used to investigate the nonlinear electromagnetic wave propagation in the ionosphere. The study concludes that the electron temperature dependence of the recombination coefficient should be considered in all analyses of nonlinear plasma-e.m. wave interaction.
Measurement and analysis of electron-neutral collision frequency in the calibrated cutoff probe
Authors: You K. H. , You S. J. , Kim D. W. , Na B. K. , Seo B. H. , Kim J. H. , Chang H. Y.
Published: March 2016

As collisions between electrons and neutral particles constitute one of the most representative physical phenomena in weakly ionized plasma, the electron-neutral (e-n) collision frequency is a very important plasma parameter as regards understanding the physics of this material. In this paper, we measured the e-n collision frequency in the plasma using a calibrated cutoff-probe. A highly accurate reactance spectrum of the plasma/cutoff-probe system, which is expected based on previous cutoff-probe circuit simulations [Kim et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 131502 (2011)], is obtained using the calibrated cutoff-probe method, and the e-n collision frequency is calculated based on the cutoff-probe circuit model together with the high-frequency conductance model. The measured e-n collision frequency (by the calibrated cutoff-probe method) is compared and analyzed with that obtained using a Langmuir probe, with the latter being calculated from the measured electron-energy distribution functions, in wide range of gas pressure.
On the generation of double layers from ion- and electron-acoustic instabilities
Authors: Fu Xiangrong , Cowee Misa M. , Gary S. Peter , Winske Dan
Published: March 2016

A plasma double layer (DL) is a nonlinear electrostatic structure that carries a uni-polar electric field parallel to the background magnetic field due to local charge separation. Past studies showed that DLs observed in space plasmas are mostly associated with the ion acoustic instability. Recent Van Allen Probes observations of parallel electric field structures traveling much faster than the ion acoustic speed have motivated a computational study to test the hypothesis that a new type of DLs—electron acoustic DLs—generated from the electron acoustic instability are responsible for these electric fields. Nonlinear particle-in-cell simulations yield negative results, i.e., the hypothetical electron acoustic DLs cannot be formed in a way similar to ion acoustic DLs. Linear theory analysis and the simulations show that the frequencies of electron acoustic waves are too high for ions to respond and maintain charge separation required by DLs. However, our results do show that local density perturbations in a two-electron-component plasma can result in unipolar-like electric field structures that propagate at the electron thermal speed, suggesting another potential explanation for the observations.
Hybrid simulations of magnetic reconnection with kinetic ions and fluid electron pressure anisotropy
Authors: Le A. , Daughton W. , Karimabadi H. , Egedal J.
Published: March 2016

We present the first hybrid simulations with kinetic ions and recently developed equations of state for the electron fluid appropriate for reconnection with a guide field. The equations of state account for the main anisotropy of the electron pressure tensor. Magnetic reconnection is studied in two systems, an initially force-free current sheet and a Harris sheet. The hybrid model with the equations of state is compared to two other models, hybrid simulations with isothermal electrons and fully kinetic simulations. Including the anisotropic equations of state in the hybrid model provides a better match to the fully kinetic model. In agreement with fully kinetic results, the main feature captured is the formation of an electron current sheet that extends several ion inertial lengths. This electron current sheet modifies the Hall magnetic field structure near the X-line, and it is not observed in the standard hybrid model with isotropic electrons. The saturated reconnection rate in this regime nevertheless remains similar in all three models. Implications for global modeling are discussed.
Hydrodynamic description of an unmagnetized plasma with multiple ion species. I. General formulation
Authors: Simakov Andrei N. , Molvig Kim
Published: March 2016

A generalization of the Braginskii ion fluid description [S. I. Braginskii, Sov. Phys. - JETP 6, 358 (1958)] to the case of an unmagnetized collisional plasma with multiple ion species is presented. An asymptotic expansion in the ion Knudsen number is used to derive the individual ion species continuity, as well as the total ion mass density, momentum, and energy evolution equations accurate through the second order. Expressions for the individual ion species drift velocities with respect to the center of mass reference frame, as well as for the total ion heat flux and viscosity, which are required to close the fluid equations, are evaluated in terms of the first-order corrections to the lowest order Maxwellian ion velocity distribution functions. A variational formulation for evaluating such corrections and its relation to the plasma entropy are presented. Employing trial functions for the corrections, written in terms of expansions in generalized Laguerre polynomials, and maximizing the resulting functionals produce two systems of linear equations (for “vector” and “tensor” portions of the corrections) for the expansion coefficients. A general matrix formulation of the linear systems as well as expressions for the resulting transport fluxes are presented in forms convenient for numerical implementation. The general formulation is employed in Paper II [A. N. Simakov and K. Molvig, Phys. Plasmas 23, 032116 (2016)] to evaluate the individual ion drift velocities and the total ion heat flux and viscosity for specific cases of two and three ion species plasmas.
Influence of micro- and macro-processes on the high-order harmonic generation in laser-produced plasma
Authors: Ganeev R. A.
Published: March 2016

We compare the resonance-induced enhancement of single harmonic and the quasi-phase-matching-induced enhancement of the group of harmonics during propagation of the tunable mid-infrared femtosecond pulses through the perforated laser-produced indium plasma. We show that the enhancement of harmonics using the macro-process of quasi-phase-matching is comparable with the one using micro-process of resonantly enhanced harmonic. These studies show that joint implementation of the two methods of the increase of harmonic yield could be a useful tool for generation of strong short-wavelength radiation in different spectral regions. We compare these effects in indium, as well as in other plasmas.
Determination of neutral temperature using fiber Bragg grating sensor in capacitively coupled argon plasmas
Authors: Han Dao-Man , Liu Zi-Geng , Liu Yong-Xin , Zhang Xin-Pu , Gao Fei , Peng Wei , Wang You-Nian
Published: March 2016

Neutral temperature Tg in capacitively coupled argon plasmas was measured by using a fiber Bragg grating sensor. The measurement of Tg is based on the thermal equilibrium process between the sensor and neutral gases, which is found to become fast upon increasing pressure, due to enhanced heat conduction. Additionally, Tg was found to increase with increasing high frequency power due to enhancive collisions with charged particles. It is also observed that Tg exhibits a significant gradient in space, ranging from 10 to 120 °C higher than room temperature for the conditions investigated. In addition, the spatial profiles of Tg at different pressures generally resemble those of the Ar+ density ni, measured with a floating double probe. The neutral gas is mainly heated via elastic collisions with ions in the sheath region followed by heat conduction among neutrals.
Communication: The formation of CHe2+ by radiative association
Authors: Zicler E. , Bacchus-Montabonel M.-C. , Pauzat F. , Chaquin P. , Ellinger Y.
Published: March 2016

The detection of ArH+ has revived the interest in the search for noble gas containing species. Despite helium being the second most abundant element in the universe (He/H ∼ 1/10), it has never been observed in any other form than that of a neutral/ionized atom in the interstellar medium. Because He is the “most noble” gas, its non-observation as part of neutral molecular systems is understandable. It is more surprising for charged species, especially HeH+ whose spectral signatures are well documented in the laboratory. The purpose of this work was to find a simple positive ion containing He, and likely to be observed as an alternative to undetected HeH+. Among the HeX2+ diatomics formed with first row atoms, we focused on X = C because of both its relative abundance and the magnitude of its ionization potentials with respect to He. The formation of CHe2+ by radiative association is the center of this study. The question was addressed by means of numerical simulations using high level ab initio calculations of the CHe2+ potential surface, followed by a quantum chemical determination of the rate coefficients for the corresponding radiative association in the range of 10 to 1000K. The radiative association path shows a potential well deep enough to accommodate 20 vibrational levels, and no barrier to oppose the reaction. The rate coefficient varies from ∼4.5 × 10−20 cm3s−1 to ∼2.5 × 10−22 cm3s−1 for the temperatures considered. The present study suggests that the existence of this species has to be searched for mainly in highly irradiated regions.
View factor modeling of sputter-deposition on micron-scale-architectured surfaces exposed to plasma
Authors: Huerta C. E. , Matlock T. S. , Wirz R. E.
Published: March 2016

The sputter-deposition on surfaces exposed to plasma plays an important role in the erosion behavior and overall performance of a wide range of plasma devices. Plasma models in the low density, low energy plasma regime typically neglect micron-scale surface feature effects on the net sputter yield and erosion rate. The model discussed in this paper captures such surface architecture effects via a computationally efficient view factor model. The model compares well with experimental measurements of argon ion sputter yield from a nickel surface with a triangle wave geometry with peak heights in the hundreds of microns range. Further analysis with the model shows that increasing the surface pitch angle beyond about 45° can lead to significant decreases in the normalized net sputter yield for all simulated ion incident energies (i.e., 75, 100, 200, and 400 eV) for both smooth and roughened surfaces. At higher incident energies, smooth triangular surfaces exhibit a nonmonotonic trend in the normalized net sputter yield with surface pitch angle with a maximum yield above unity over a range of intermediate angles. The resulting increased erosion rate occurs because increased sputter yield due to the local ion incidence angle outweighs increased deposition due to the sputterant angular distribution. The model also compares well with experimentally observed radial expansion of protuberances (measuring tens of microns) in a nano-rod field exposed to an argon beam. The model captures the coalescence of sputterants at the protuberance sites and accurately illustrates the structure's expansion due to deposition from surrounding sputtering surfaces; these capabilities will be used for future studies into more complex surface architectures.
Hydrogen diffusion and segregation during solid phase epitaxial regrowth of preamorphized Si
Authors: Mastromatteo M. , Johnson B. C. , De Salvador D. , Napolitani E. , McCallum J. C. , Carnera A.
Published: March 2016

The redistribution of hydrogen during solid phase epitaxial regrowth (SPER) of preamorphized silicon has been experimentally investigated, modeled, and simulated for different H concentrations and temperatures. H was introduced by H implantation and/or infiltration from the sample surface during partial thermal anneals in air in the 520–620 °C temperature range. We characterized the time evolution of the H redistribution by secondary ion mass spectrometry and time resolved reflectivity. The good agreement between all experimental data and the simulations by means of full rate equation numerical calculations allows the quantitative assessment of all the phenomena involved: in-diffusion from annealing atmosphere and the H effect on the SPER rate. We describe the temperature dependence of microscopic segregation of H at the amorphous/crystal (a-c) interface. Only a fraction of H atoms pushed by the a-c interface can be incorporated into the crystal bulk. We propose an energetic scheme of H redistribution in amorphous Si. The segregation of H at the a-c interface is also considered for (110) and (111) orientated substrates. Our description can also be applied to other material systems in which redistribution of impurities during a solid-solid phase transition occurs.
Büttiker probes for dissipative phonon quantum transport in semiconductor nanostructures
Authors: Miao K. , Sadasivam S. , Charles J. , Klimeck G. , Fisher T. S. , Kubis T.
Published: March 2016

Theoretical prediction of phonon transport in modern semiconductor nanodevices requires atomic resolution of device features and quantum transport models covering coherent and incoherent effects. The nonequilibrium Green's function method is known to serve this purpose well but is numerically expensive in simulating incoherent scattering processes. This work extends the efficient Büttiker probe approach widely used in electron transport to phonons and considers salient implications of the method. Different scattering mechanisms such as impurity, boundary, and Umklapp scattering are included, and the method is shown to reproduce the experimental thermal conductivity of bulk Si and Ge over a wide temperature range. Temperature jumps at the lead/device interface are captured in the quasi-ballistic transport regime consistent with results from the Boltzmann transport equation. Results of this method in Si/Ge heterojunctions illustrate the impact of atomic relaxation on the thermal interface conductance and the importance of inelastic scattering to activate high-energy channels for phonon transport. The resultant phonon transport model is capable of predicting the thermal performance in the heterostructure efficiently.
Intrinsic defect-mediated conduction and resistive switching in multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films epitaxially grown on SrRuO3 bottom electrodes
Authors: Lee Ji Hye , Jeon Ji Hoon , Yoon Chansoo , Lee Sangik , Kim Yeon Soo , Oh Tae Joon , Kim Young Heon , Park Jinsu , Song Tae Kwon , Park Bae Ho
Published: March 2016

We report the impact of intrinsic defects in epitaxial BiFeO3 films on charge conduction and resistive switching of Pt/BiFeO3/SrRuO3 capacitors, although the BiFeO3 films show very similar ferroelectric domain types probed by piezoresponse force microscopy. Capacitors with p-type Bi-deficient and n-type Bi-rich BiFeO3 films exhibit switchable diode and conventional bipolar resistive switching behaviors, respectively. Both the capacitors show good retention properties with a high ON/OFF ratio of >100 in Bi-deficient films and that of >1000 in Bi-rich films. The present investigation advances considerably understanding of interface control through defect engineering of BiFeO3 thin films for non-volatile memory application.
Effect of additional elements on compositional modulated atomic layered structure of hexagonal Co80Pt20 alloy films with superlattice diffraction
Authors: Hinata Shintaro , Yamane Akira , Saito Shin
Published: March 2016

The effect of additional element on compositionally modulated atomic layered structure of hexagonal Co80Pt20 alloy films with superlattice diffraction was investigated. In this study it is found that the addition of Cr or W element to Co80Pt20 alloy film shows less deterioration of hcp stacking structure and compositionally modulated atomic layer stacking structure as compared to Si or Zr or Ti with Ku of around 1.4 or 1.0 × 107 erg/cm3 at 5 at.% addition. Furthermore, for O2 addition of O2 ≥ 5.0 × 10−3 Pa to CoPt alloy, compositionally modulated atomic layer stacking structure will be deteriorated with enhancement of formation of hcp stacking structure which leads higher Ku of 1.0 × 107 erg/cm3.
Size and speed of the working stroke of cardiac myosin in situ
Authors: Caremani Marco , Pinzauti Francesca , Reconditi Massimo , Piazzesi Gabriella , Stienen Ger J. M. , Lombardi Vincenzo , Linari Marco
Published: March 2016

Significance

To our knowledge, this paper represents a major advancement in the physiology and pathophysiology of the heart as it gives the first quantitative description of the working stroke of the motor protein cardiac myosin II. The experiments demonstrate that our sarcomere-level mechanical methods on trabeculae have the full potential for the in situ investigation of cardiomyopathy-causing mutations in cardiac myosin and tests on specific therapeutic interventions.
Gender Differences in the Assessment and Manifestation of Psychopathy: Results From a Multicenter Study in Forensic Psychiatric Patients
Authors: de Vogel Vivienne , Lancel Marike
Published: March 2016

Gender differences were explored in PCL-R codings and the manifestation of psychopathy in 197 female and 197 male patients admitted between 1984 and 2013 to one of four Dutch forensic psychiatric hospitals. Four groups were compared with respect to criminological characteristics, historical violence risk factors and psychiatric characteristics including incidents during treatment. The lowered PCL-R cut-off score of 23 as applied in the Female Additional Manual (FAM; de Vogel, de Vries Robbé, van Kalmthout, & Place, 2012 ) was used to define women with psychopathy. The four groups were: (1) women without psychopathy (PCL-R < 23), (2) women with psychopathy (PCL-R ≥ 23), (3) men without psychopathy (PCL-R < 30), and (4) men with psychopathy (PCL-R ≥ 30). Overall, it was found that women and men with psychopathy show multiple similarities in their personal and criminal histories, but there were also several gender differences. Women with psychopathy compared to men with psychopathy committed more fraud, offended more often out of relational frustration, were more often diagnosed with the Borderline Personality Disorder, and showed less physical violence, but more manipulative and self-destructive behavior during treatment. Overall, women obtained lower scores on the PCL-R than men. Predictive validity of the PCL-R for physical violence during treatment was good for men and moderate for women. When verbal violence was included in the definition of violence, the predictive validity of the PCL-R was good for both the female and male sample. Implications of this study for forensic practice are discussed and several directions for future research are provided.
Low-Intensity, Stocker-Based Channel Catfish Culture
Authors: Green Bartholomew W , Engle Carole R , Lochmann Rebecca , Phillips Harold
Published: March 2016

Low-intensity production of Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus is characterized by low stocking rates, low installed aeration capacity, and no automated dissolved oxygen monitoring. Two studies conducted in nine 0.25-acre ponds quantified production characteristics of stocker Channel Catfish stocked for low-intensity food-fish production in single- or multiple-batch culture. In the multiple-batch study, 0.5-lb stockers (carryover fish) were stocked at 4,500 fish/acre and 0.044-lb fingerlings at 6,000 fish/acre. Stockers were grown to mean individual weights of 1.25, 1.75, or 2.25 lb. In the single-batch study, 0.5-lb stockers were stocked at 3,500, 4,500, and 5,500 fish/acre. All fish were fed a feed containing 32% protein daily to apparent satiation. Ponds were harvested in October and fish were weighed. Growth of carryover fish and understock (fingerlings) in multiple-batch culture was linear and growth-curve slopes did not differ significantly. Carryover fish size-class distributions differed significantly among target weights and progressively shifted towards larger size-classes as target weight increased. Stocking rate affected Channel Catfish growth and yield significantly in single-batch culture. Fish stocked at 3,500 fish/acre grew faster than fish at the higher stocking rates. Mean final weight decreased linearly and gross and net yields increased linearly with increased stocking rate. Size-class distributions differed significantly among stocking rates, and the 3,500-fish/acre size-class distribution was shifted towards larger fish compared with those at the other two stocking rates. By early to mid-July, ponds stocked in the spring with 0.5-lb stockers contained biomasses of market-size fish suitable for partial harvest, and at least 22% of the carryover fish exceeded the lower size limit for the processing plant. If fish larger than 1.5 lb are desired, the data indicated partial harvest should be delayed until August. None of the fish harvested exceeded the processors’ preferred size ranges (1.25–4.00 lb/fish). In summary, larger Channel Catfish can be produced successfully using low-intensity, single- or multiple-batch culture.
Tension on JAM-A activates RhoA via GEF-H1 and p115 RhoGEF
Authors: Scott David W. , Tolbert Caitlin E. , Burridge Keith
Published: March 2016

Junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A) is a broadly expressed adhesion molecule that regulates cell–cell contacts and facilitates leukocyte transendothelial migration. The latter occurs through interactions with the integrin LFA-1. Although we understand much about JAM-A, little is known regarding the protein’s role in mechanotransduction or as a modulator of RhoA signaling. We found that tension imposed on JAM-A activates RhoA, which leads to increased cell stiffness. Activation of RhoA in this system depends on PI3K-mediated activation of GEF-H1 and p115 RhoGEF. These two GEFs are further regulated by FAK/ERK and Src family kinases, respectively. Finally, we show that phosphorylation of JAM-A at Ser-284 is required for RhoA activation in response to tension. These data demonstrate a direct role of JAM-A in mechanosignaling and control of RhoA and implicate Src family kinases in the regulation of p115 RhoGEF.
LS-GKM: a new gkm-SVM for large-scale datasets
Authors: Lee Dongwon
Published: March 2016

Summary: gkm-SVM is a sequence-based method for predicting and detecting the regulatory vocabulary encoded in functional DNA elements, and is a commonly used tool for studying gene regulatory mechanisms. Here we introduce new software, LS-GKM, which removes several limitations of our previous releases, enabling training on much larger scale (LS) datasets. LS-GKM also provides additional advanced gapped k-mer based kernel functions. With these improvements, LS-GKM achieves considerably higher accuracy than the original gkm-SVM.

Availability and implementation: C/C ++ source codes and related scripts are freely available from http://github.com/Dongwon-Lee/lsgkm/, and supported on Linux and Mac OS X.

Contact:  dwlee@jhu.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Size matters: fishing less and yielding more in smaller-scale fisheries
Authors: de Melo Alves Damasio Ludmila , Lopes Priscila Fabiana Macedo , Pennino Maria Grazia , Carvalho Adriana Rosa , Sumaila Ussif Rashid
Published: March 2016

Several factors influence catches and the sustainability of fisheries, and such factors might be different depending on the scale on which fisheries work. We investigated the existence of possible subdivisions within small-scale fisheries (SSF) themselves, regarding their economic performance and relative social and environmental impacts to understand which categories of these two types of fleets are best positioned to support sustainability. By doing so, we investigated if it is a good strategy for SSF to aim to grow towards larger scales. We obtained economic and ecological data from landing samplings and information on technological efficiency of this fleet, using a northeastern Brazilian state as a case study. We defined a cut-off point to separate the SSF into two categories of boats, according to their size and gear. We compared their cpue and the factors affecting it within each category; we also compared economic (number of boats, number of landings, jobs, gears, catch, travel time and total time of the fishery, revenues, costs, profits, revenue per unit of effort, and profit per unit of effort) and ecological factors (vulnerability of species caught) between the two categories. We found that small boats spent less time fishing and employed comparatively more people per landed value and catch. The cpue and profits of small boats were also higher. Both large and small boats exploit species with the same overall vulnerability. Therefore, being smaller, even within the SSF category, seems to be a more advantageous social and economic strategy for guaranteeing higher catches and more employment opportunities per catch. These findings need to be taken into account when defining new policies, such as the distribution of subsidies that support or not the sustainable use of fishery resources.
The fisheries history of small pelagics in the Northern Mediterranean
Authors: Van Beveren Elisabeth , Fromentin Jean-Marc , Rouyer Tristan , Bonhommeau Sylvain , Brosset Pablo , Saraux Claire
Published: March 2016

Since 2007, the biomass of sardine and anchovy in the NW Mediterranean has remained persistently low, whereas the biomass of the commercially low-valued sprat has exploded. Also, simultaneous decreases in condition, size, and/or age of these populations were observed. Altogether, this resulted in a drop in landings of small pelagics. To understand the amplitude of these events and to provide a baseline scenario against which current changes can be compared, we compiled exceptionally long landing series (1865–2013) of sardine, anchovy, and mackerel for different subregions of the southern French coast. We characterized the fluctuations of these landings and compared these with environmental drivers (sea surface temperature, Rhône river discharge, North Atlantic Oscillation, Western Mediterranean Oscillation—WeMO, and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation—AMO), using different time-series analyses. We also collated historical data to infer qualitative changes in fishing effort over time. A fishing effort related increase in landings was observed around 1962 for all three species, although current sardine landings have dropped below levels observed before this period. Sardine and anchovy landings were, respectively, positively and negatively related to the AMO index and anchovy landings were also positively related to the WeMO. We finished by discussing the potential role of the environmental variables and fishing on long-term fishery landings trends.
Object-finding skill created by repeated reward experience
Authors: Ghazizadeh Ali , Griggs Whitney , Hikosaka Okihide
Published: March 2016

For most animals, survival depends on rapid detection of rewarding objects, but search for an object surrounded by many others is known to be difficult and time consuming. However, there is neuronal evidence for robust and rapid differentiation of objects based on their reward history in primates (Hikosaka et al., 2014). We hypothesized that such robust coding should support efficient search for high-value objects, similar to a pop-out mechanism. To test this hypothesis, we let subjects (n=4, macaque monkeys) view a large number of complex objects with consistently biased rewards with variable training durations (1, 5 or >30days). Following training, subjects searched for a high-value object (Good) among a variable number of low-value objects (Bad). Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that Good objects were accurately and quickly targeted, often by a single and direct saccade with a very short latency (<200ms). The dependence of search times on display size reduced significantly with longer reward training, giving rise to a more efficient search (40ms/item to 16ms/item). This object-finding skill showed a large capacity for value-biased objects and was maintained in the long-term memory with no interference from reward learning with other objects. Such object-finding skill, particularly its large capacity and its long term retention, would be crucial for maximizing rewards and biological fitness throughout life where many objects are experienced continuously and/or intermittently.

Significance Statement

Visual objects that have become associated with reward in the past, can grab our attention even when we are not looking for them. Here, we show that this powerful attentional mechanism serves an important biological purpose: it allows one to quickly find valuable objects regardless of the number of other visual distractors present. Efficient search has long been thought to be primarily limited to objects with certain visually conspicuities (Wolfe and Horowitz, 2004). Our result shows that long-term and consistently biased reward can achieve search efficiencies that are independent of object visual features. This search efficiency is highly scalable as it develops for a large number of objects with no apparent interference between objects and is maintained in long-term memory.
Combating corruption in six Asian countries: a comparative analysis
Authors: Quah Jon S.T.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare the experiences of the six Asian countries covered in this special issue and explain their different levels of effectiveness in combating corruption.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper analyses the policy contexts in these countries, their perceived extent and causes of corruption, and evaluates the effectiveness of their anti-corruption agencies (ACAs).

Findings

– Brunei Darussalam is less corrupt because it is the smallest, least populated and richest country, without being embroiled in conflict compared to the other five larger countries, which are more populous but poorer and adversely affected by conflict. The Sultan’s political will in combating corruption is reflected in the better staffed and funded Anti-Corruption Bureau, which has prosecuted and convicted more corrupt offenders. By contrast, the lack of political will of the governments in the other five countries is manifested in their ineffective ACAs, which are not independent, lack capacity and resources, and are used against political opponents.

Originality/value

– This paper will be useful for those scholars, policy-makers and anti-corruption practitioners interested in how effective these six Asian countries are in combating corruption and the reasons for their different levels of effectiveness.
Jeffrey Pfeffer: stop selling leadership malarkey
Authors: Leavy Brian
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– For insights into the debate between consultants who advocate authentic, character-based leadership and those that believe leadership is primarily an exercise of political power, S
&
L interviewed Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time.

Design/methodology/approach

– Professor Pfeffer believes “By any measure or set of relevant measures, the leadership industry has failed and continues to do so.” The interviewer asks him why he reached this conclusion and what implications this has for practitioners.

Findings

– Simply put, leaders need to be true to what others need from them, not to how they may be feeling.

Practical implications

– Professor Pfeffer offers a reminder of the enduring functionality of political skills and acumen in the workplace, which many adherents of the “inspirational leadership” approach don’t seem to want to embrace.

Originality/value

– Professor Pfeffer offers a no-holds-barred account of the intersection of modern workplace realities and self-interested leadership.
Commentary on “Can active support improve job satisfaction?”
Authors: Deveau Roy
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Rhodes and Toogood’s article on the possible relationship between Active Support training and staff job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– Rhodes and Toogood unusually and importantly include outcomes for both frontline staff and service users following an Active Support intervention. This commentary builds upon this approach by drawing on ideas recently raised by Deveau and McGill (2015).

Findings

– A number of important themes are identified including the mutuality of direct support staff (DSS) and service user experience, the significance of considering both the formal and informal aspects of organisational culture and the value of employing a complexity theory perspective.

Originality/value

– Effective public services require an understanding of the factors influencing the behaviour of public service staff. In intellectual disability services, positive outcomes can only be obtained through a broader appreciation of the drivers of DSS behaviour, especially the roles played by culture and leadership.
Cavitation Erosion Resistance of Sputter-Deposited Cr3Si Film on Stainless Steel
Authors: Jiang Shuyun , Ding Hongqin , Xu Jiang
Published: March 2016

In this technical brief, a Cr3Si nanocrystalline film was deposited on 304 stainless steel (SS) substrate using a double glow discharge plasma technique. The film was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy, nanohardness tester, and scratch tester. The as-deposited film with a thickness of 5 μm consisted of A15 structured Cr3Si phase with an average grain size of 8 nm. The hardness values of the film were determined to be 26 GPa, which was ten times greater than 304 SS. A self-designed ultrasonic vibration cavitation erosion apparatus was employed to evaluate the cavitation erosion resistance of the Cr3Si film. The results showed that after cavitation tests of 30 hrs, the erosion mass loss of the film was only 60% of that for 304 SS substrate. SEM observation of the erosion surfaces indicated that the surface damage degree of the Cr3Si film is significantly less than that of 304 SS.
Tribological Behavior of Wheel–Rail Contact Under Different Contaminants Using Pin-On-Disk Methodology
Authors: Khalladi A. , Elleuch K.
Published: March 2016

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of contaminants on the tribological behavior of wheel–rail contact. Sand, phosphate, sulfur, and cement were the studied contaminants identified after a Tunisian railway expertise. All friction tests under different contaminants were conducted using pin-on-disk machine, maintaining the same sliding velocity and Hertzian pressure, respectively, at 0.1 m/s and 1000 MPa. All results were compared with reference of two configuration contacts: wheel tread-rail head (clean dry condition) and wheel flange-rail gauge (clean lubricated condition). The main findings of this study could be listed as follows. First, with reference to clean and dry condition tests, sand and cement showed a higher adhesion than phosphate and sulfur. Second, all contaminants increased the adhesion coefficient with reference to clean and lubricated conditions. Third, sulfur generated the lowest energy-wear coefficient yielding a mild wear. Fourth, sand, cement, and phosphate generated a higher energy-wear coefficient yielding an abrasive wear. Finally, the highest energy-wear coefficient was obtained with sand.
Numerical Investigation of Heat and Mass Transfer During the Desorption Process of a LaNi5–H2 Reactor
Authors: Bouzgarrou Fatma , Askri Faouzi , Ben Nasrallah S.
Published: March 2016

In this paper, coupled heat and mass transfer during the desorption process of a metal–hydrogen reactor (LaNi5–H2) is numerically investigated. To predict the dynamic behavior of this reactor, a new algorithm based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is proposed as a potential solver. Based on this algorithm, a computer code is developed using fortran 90. This algorithm is validated successfully by comparison with experimental data reported in the literature and results obtained by finite volume method (FVM). Using the developed code, the time–space evolutions of the temperature and the hydride density within the reactor are presented. In addition, the effect of some parameters (applied pressure, heating temperature, and overall heat transfer coefficient) on the dynamic behavior of the reactor is evaluated. Compared to the FVM, the proposed algorithm presents simple implementation on a computer and with reduced CPU time.
Molecular Characterization of Human Atypical Sorbitol-Fermenting Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli O157 Reveals High Diversity
Authors: Kossow Annelene , Zhang Wenlan , Bielaszewska Martina , Rhode Sophie , Hansen Kevin , Fruth Angelika , Rüter Christian , Karch Helge , Mellmann Alexander
Published: March 2016

Alongside the well-characterized enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EHEC) O157:H7, serogroup O157 comprises sorbitol-fermenting typical and atypical enteropathogenic
E. coli
(EPEC/aEPEC) strains that carry the intimin-encoding gene
eae
but not Shiga toxin-encoding genes (
stx
). Since little is known about these pathogens, we characterized 30 clinical isolates from patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or uncomplicated diarrhea with respect to their flagellin gene (
fliC
) type and multilocus sequence type (MLST). Moreover, we applied whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to determine the phylogenetic relationship with other
eae
-positive EHEC serotypes and the composition of the
rfb
O157 region.
fliC
typing resulted in five
fliC
types (H7, H16, H34, H39, and H45). Isolates of each
fliC
type shared a unique ST. In comparison to the 42 HUS-associated
E. coli
(HUSEC) strains, only the
stx
-negative isolates with
fliC
H7 shared their ST with EHEC O157:H7/H
−
strains. With the exception of one O157:H
−

fliC
H16

isolate, HUS was exclusively associated with
fliC
H7. WGS corroborated the separation of the
fliC
H7 isolates, which were closely related to the EHEC O157:H7/H
−
isolates, and the diverse group of isolates exhibiting different
fliC
types, indicating independent evolution of the different serotypes. This was also supported by the heterogeneity within the
rfb
O157 region that exhibited extensive recombinations. The genotypic subtypes and distribution of clinical symptoms suggested that the
stx
-negative O157 strains with
fliC
H7 were originally EHEC strains that lost
stx
. The remaining isolates form a distinct and diverse group of atypical EPEC isolates that do not possess the full spectrum of virulence genes, underlining the importance of identifying the H antigen for clinical risk assessment.
The Search for Violacein-Producing Microbes to Combat
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
: A Collaborative Research Project between Secondary School and College Research Students
Authors: Agate Larra , Beam Deborah , Bucci Collen , Dukashin Yegor , Jo’Beh Raneem , O’Brien Kelsey , Jude Brooke A.
Published: March 2016

In this citizen science–aided, college laboratory–based microbiology research project, secondary school students collaborate with college research students on an investigation centered around bacterial species in the local watershed. This study specifically investigated the prevalence of violacein-producing bacterial isolates, as violacein has been demonstrated as a potential bioremediation treatment for outbreaks of the worldwide invasive chytrid,
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
(
Bd
). The impact of this invasion has been linked to widespread amphibian decline, and tracking of the spread of
Bd
is currently ongoing. Secondary school students participated in this research project by sterilely collecting water samples from a local watershed, documenting the samples, and completing the initial sample plating in a BSL1 environment. In the second phase of this project, trained college students working in courses and as research assistants in the academic year and summer term in a BSL2 laboratory facility were able to use physiological, biochemical, and molecular techniques to further identify individual isolates as well as characterize their properties. Collaboration between these learning spaces provides an increased interest in the community for environmentally relevant research projects and allows for an expansion of the research team to increase study robustness. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
More of an Art than a Science: Using Microbial DNA Sequences to Compose Music
Authors: Larsen Peter E.
Published: March 2016

Bacteria are everywhere. Microbial ecology is emerging as a critical field for understanding the relationships between these ubiquitous bacterial communities, the environment, and human health. Next generation DNA sequencing technology provides us a powerful tool to indirectly observe the communities by sequencing and analyzing all of the bacterial DNA present in an environment. The results of the DNA sequencing experiments can generate gigabytes to terabytes of information, however, making it difficult for the citizen scientist to grasp and the educator to convey this data. Here, we present a method for interpreting massive amounts of microbial ecology data as musical performances, easily generated on any computer and using only commonly available or freely available software and the ‘Microbial Bebop’ algorithm. Using this approach, citizen scientists and biology educators can sonify complex data in a fun and interactive format, making it easier to communicate both the importance and the excitement of exploring the planet earth’s largest ecosystem.
Current Approaches in Implementing Citizen Science in the Classroom
Authors: Shah Harsh R. , Martinez Luis R.
Published: March 2016

Citizen science involves a partnership between inexperienced volunteers and trained scientists engaging in research. In addition to its obvious benefit of accelerating data collection, citizen science has an unexplored role in the classroom, from K–12 schools to higher education. With recent studies showing a weakening in scientific competency of American students, incorporating citizen science initiatives in the curriculum provides a means to address deficiencies in a fragmented educational system. The integration of traditional and innovative pedagogical methods to reform our educational system is therefore imperative in order to provide practical experiences in scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving for school-age individuals. Citizen science can be used to emphasize the recognition and use of systematic approaches to solve problems affecting the community.
Elements of Success in Chicago Botanic Garden’s Science Career Continuum
Authors: Johnson Katherine A.
Published: March 2016

The Science Career Continuum at the Chicago Botanic Garden is a model program for successfully encouraging youth from diverse backgrounds into STEM careers. This program has shown that when students are given an opportunity to participate in real scientific research under the mentorship of a caring professional over multiple years, they are more likely to go to college and pursue STEM careers than their peers. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Real Life Science with Dandelions and Project BudBurst
Authors: Johnson Katherine A.
Published: March 2016

Project BudBurst is a national citizen-science project that tracks bloom times and other phenological data for plants across the country. Data from Project BudBurst are being used to measure the effects of climate change. Students can participate in this project by watching any of the plants on the list, including the common dandelion, which makes the program easy and accessible to everyone. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
Using Citizen Science to Engage Introductory Students: From Streams to the Solar System
Authors: Cardamone Carolin , Lobel Lisa
Published: March 2016

We present two examples of citizen science learning activities, with discussion of how these activities align with teaching strategies shown to increase retention of under-represented minorities and improve learning for all students in science. For introductory science students from diverse backgrounds, citizen science provides a unique hands-on opportunity to engage students in the process of scientific discovery and to contribute to real science through their curriculum. These tools also increase engagement of science majors and address the current national priority of increasing student retention in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.