bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stimulation of phenolic metabolism by silicon contributes to rice resistance to sheath blight
Authors: Zhang Guoliang , Cui Yixiang , Ding Xiuwen , Dai Qigen
Published: February 2013

Sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a major disease of rice worldwide. Silicon (Si) can enhance rice resistance to sheath blight, but the relation with phenolic metabolism is poorly known. Two rice cultivars with different levels of resistance to R. solani (resistant Teqing and susceptible Ningjing 1) were studied to determine the effects of Si on disease intensity (rated from 0 to 9) and the involvement of phenolic compounds in disease resistance. Variation in the concentrations of phenolics (including total soluble phenolics, flavonoids, and lignin) and in the activities of defense‐related enzymes polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL) in rice leaf sheaths was investigated. The results show that Si application reduced sheath‐blight disease ratings of Ningjing 1 and Teqing by 2.96 and 0.65, respectively. In uninoculated plants, Si application alone had no significant effects on the concentrations of phenolic compounds or on the activities of PPO and PAL. In inoculated plants, Si application increased phenolics concentrations and PPO and PAL activities only in the susceptible cultivar Ningjing 1. We conclude that Si‐induced enhancement of phenolic metabolism contributed to the improved resistance of rice to sheath blight in the sensitive cultivar.
Formation and decay of ethylenethiourea (ETU) in soil and water under tropical conditions
Authors: Elizabeth Ruiz Suárez Luz , Geissen Violette , Jarquín Sánchez Aarón , Castro Chan Ricardo A. , Bello‐Mendoza Ricardo
Published: February 2013

Mancozeb is a fungicide frequently used in tropical countries. It rapidly decomposes into ethylenethiourea (ETU), a more stable and toxic metabolite than mancozeb that is, therefore, regarded as a pollutant of concern. The objective was to study ETU formation and decay kinetics in soil and water under tropical conditions in order to assess its potential for accumulation. Batch experiments, spiked with either mancozeb or ETU, were carried out under natural (= active) as well as tyndallized conditions. In active soils, dissipation of ETU occurred significantly faster (half‐life 1.5 h) than in tyndallized soils (half‐life time 28 h). In water under natural and sterile conditions, decay was slower than in soils with an ETU half‐life time of 115 and 99 h, respectively. Microbial activity was seen to play an important role in ETU dissipation in soil. However, in water nonbiological processes seem to be more important in the breakdown of the molecule, with hydrolysis being the most probable decay mechanism. Decay of both mancozeb and ETU was found to occur more rapidly than previously reported. The high humidity and temperatures under the simulated humid tropical conditions, and higher microbial activity, lead to more rapid decay of these molecules than under other conditions. Nevertheless, a concentration of 1.29 mg ETU L–1 was still observed 8 d after adding mancozeb (20.83 mg L–1) to water under humid tropical conditions. These results suggest that, in comparable regions in the humid tropics, it is unlikely that ETU would accumulate in soil but it represents a potential risk for accumulation in water bodies.
Risk, Fitness to Practice, and Disabled Health Care Students
Authors: Walker Stuart , Dearnley Christine , Hargreaves Janet , Walker Elizabeth A.
Published: February 2013

The United Kingdom Equality Act of 2010 poses challenges to regulators, educators, and employers to ensure that disabled people are not excluded from health care professions on the basis of their impairment. Professional bodies must also anticipate the needs of disabled people and facilitate inclusion.

In this article, we discuss some of the current tensions that exist between U.K. antidiscrimination legislation and the professional and statutory regulatory bodies that govern registration of health and social care practitioners in the United Kingdom. We present research that used a mixed methods approach to explore the tensions between higher education and placement providers in the health sector.

Disabled students and health professionals engaged in semistructured interviews, and a survey explored the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of professional staff from a range of disciplines and institutions. Findings suggest that the negative feelings disabled students report are also evident in responses from health care professionals.

Notions of risk emerge as a key issue from the data. We discuss whether the risk is perceived or actual and develop models to challenge existing preconceptions about the risk posed by disabled students when training as health care professionals. Finally, we suggest that while work clearly needs to be done in this area, some of this work can be addressed through the development of an inclusive curriculum for all health care practitioners. This article proposes an educational model of risk with which to guide this process.
Repressive translational control in germ cells
Authors: Lai Fangfang , King Mary Lou
Published: February 2013

The earliest stages of embryonic development in many animals proceed without zygotic transcription. Genetic control is executed by maternally inherited mRNAs that are under translational control. To set aside the future germ cell lineage, it is pivotal to both exert translational regulation of maternal germline mRNAs and to repress maternal signals in those same cells that drive somatic cell‐fate determination. Here we review repressive translational regulation in the germline from the perspective of the conserved RNA binding proteins Pumilio and Nanos, and discuss common themes that have emerged. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 80:665–676, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An unexplored ethical issue in clinical research: Disclosure of individual findings in the Creando Posibilidades [creating possibilities] study
Authors: Stein Karen Farchaus , Keller Colleen , Fishstrom Astrid
Published: February 2013

Individual disclosure refers to the presumptive ethical responsibility of an investigator to communicate to a study participant information that was collected as a part of a research study protocol and is specific to the individual. Currently, there are no federal regulatory guidelines specifying the conditions and management of disclosure of health‐related individual‐specific information. In this report, the authors discuss the challenges associated with individual disclosure in the context of a longitudinal descriptive study. Arguments favoring disclosure and those challenging disclosure as a general ethical duty are presented. Finally, strategies for addressing individual disclosure are discussed using a research exemplar in which risk behaviors related to health outcomes were measured. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 36:311–319, 2013
Temperature‐sensitive PVDF hollow fiber membrane fabricated at different air gap lengths
Authors: Shen Xiang , Zhao Yiping , Feng Xia , Zhang Qiang , Chen Li
Published: February 2013

This article describes preparation of temperature‐sensitive poly(vinylidene fluoride) hollow fiber membranes using the dry‐wet spinning technique and investigates effects of air gap length on the structures and performances. In spinning these hollow fibers, N,N‐dimethyl formamide and poly(ethylene glycol) (10,000) were used as the solvent and pore‐forming agent, respectively. The prepared fiber membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, pore size measurement, filtration experiments of pure water flux, and solutes with different molecular weights. The fiber membranes exhibit a quite asymmetric structures consisting of double skin layers situated on the fiber walls, two finger‐like layers near skin layers as well as macrovoids and sponge‐like structures at the center of the fiber cross‐sections. Remarkable changes of pure water flux and retention of solute are observed around 32°C, indicating an excellent temperature‐sensitive permeability. As the air gap length increases, the pore size of fiber membrane decreases, which results in decrease of pure water flux and allows small molecules to permeate through the fiber membrane. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 53:2519–2526, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Charge‐transfer complex coupled between polymer and H‐aggregate molecular crystals
Authors: Zhang Xinping , Dou Fei , Liu Hongmei
Published: February 2013

Crystal needles of N,N′‐bis(1‐ethylpropyl)‐3,4,9,10‐perylenebis(dicarboximide) (EPPTC) are produced through p‐stacking and are embedded in the thin film of poly(9,9‐din‐hexylfluorenyl‐2,7‐diyl) (PFO) when the blend solution of EPPTC and PFO in p‐xylene is spin‐coated onto a glass substrate. Charge transfer (CT) complex is resolved from the spectroscopic response of the blend film, which is generated only when the PFO molecules are excited. Thus, the PFO molecules are specified as donors and the H‐aggregated EPPTC as acceptors in the formation of CT state (CTS). The emission resulting from the CTS in the red is further recognized by its much longer lifetime than both the intrinsic emission of the individual EPPTC molecules and that of their pure aggregates. Near‐field analysis verifies that the CTS form on the boundary between the PFO and the crystal phases. The CT exciton forms by bounding the hole left on HOMO of the donor (PFO) and the indirectly transferred electron to the H‐aggregate state of EPPTC, which transits back to the ground state by emitting a photon at about 650 nm. This introduces special physics in the heterojunctions that are coupled with the H‐aggregates and mechanisms important for the design of organic photovoltaic devices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013
The looping constant of Zd
Authors: Levine Lionel , Peres Yuval
Published: February 2013

The looping constant is the expected number of neighbors of the origin that lie on the infinite loop‐erased random walk in . Poghosyan, Priezzhev, and Ruelle, and independently, Kenyon and Wilson, proved recently that . We consider the infinite volume limits as of three different statistics: (1) The expected length of the cycle in a uniform spanning unicycle of G; (2) The expected density of a uniform recurrent state of the abelian sandpile model on G; and (3) The ratio of the number of spanning unicycles of G to the number of rooted spanning trees of G. We show that all three limits are rational functions of the looping constant . In the case of , their respective values are 8, and . © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 45, 1–13, 2014
l‐dopa‐induced dyskinesias in unilateral 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned rats are not modified by excitotoxic lesion of the entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata
Authors: Gago Belén , Marin Concepció , Rodríguez‐Oroz María C. , Obeso José A.
Published: February 2013

l‐Dopa‐induced dyskinesias (LIDs) are a troublesome complication in Parkinson's disease after long‐term therapy and a major reason for surgical treatment. LIDs are effectively eliminated by surgery. We aimed to reproduce such effect in the 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA)‐lesioned rat model. Single or combined lesions with quinolinic acid were caused in the entopeduncular nucleus (EP) and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) on 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA)‐lesioned rats treated for 3 weeks with l‐Dopa (6 mg/kg plus 15 mg/kg benserazide, i.p.). l‐Dopa administration was continued for a further week following the lesion and abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) scored at the end of treatment. Neither the individual lesions of the EP and SNr nor the combined lesions had any antidyskinetic effect nor decreased the total number of rotations. These results suggest that excitotoxic lesions of neurons bodies of the output nuclei of the basal ganglia, which destroy cell bodies and spare fibers of passage, do not induce a beneficial reduction of dyskinesias in contrast to thermolytic lesions in humans (which provokes a complete tissue destruction), thus supporting the possibility that other nuclei or systems might be involved in the antidyskinetic effect of pallidotomy. Synapse 67:407–414, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tree-level lepton universality violation in the presence of sterile neutrinos: impact for R

K
and R

π
Authors: Abada A. , Das D. , Teixeira A. M. , Vicente A. , Weiland C.
Published: February 2013

Abstract

We consider a tree-level enhancement to the violation of lepton flavour universality in light meson decays arising from modified Wℓν couplings in the standard model minimally extended by sterile neutrinos. Due to the presence of additional mixings between the active (left-handed) neutrinos and the new sterile states, the deviation from unitarity of the leptonic mixing matrix intervening in charged currents might lead to a tree-level enhancement of R

P
= Γ(P → eν)/Γ(P → μν), with P = K, π. We illustrate these enhancements in the case of the inverse seesaw model, showing that one can saturate the current experimental bounds on Δr

K
(and Δr

π
), while in agreement with the different experimental and observational constraints.
Impact of Obesity on Early Surgical and Oncologic Outcomes after Total Gastrectomy with “Over‐D1” Lymphadenectomy for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Pata Giacomo , Solaini Leonardo , Roncali Stefano , Pasini Mario , Ragni Fulvio
Published: February 2013

Introduction

The purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of body mass index (BMI) on perioperative and pathologic outcomes after total gastrectomy with “over‐D1” dissection for gastric cancer.

Methods

Data on 161 patients undergoing total gastrectomy between 2005 and 2011 were reviewed. Patients were grouped into three categories by BMI: BMI < 25 kg/m2 (63 normal‐weight patients; 39.1 %), BMI ≥ 25–<30 kg/m2 (73 overweight patients; 45.3 %), and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (25 obese patients; 15.6 %) and matched for the analysis of perioperative and cancer‐related outcomes.

Results

Operative time was longer for obese patients. Medical (mainly pulmonary) and surgical (mainly bleeding and wound infection) complications occurred more frequently in overweight/obese subjects. However, they were mostly managed conservatively (grade I–II in the Clavien‐Dindo classification). The overall postoperative mortality was 0.9 %. Multivariate analysis identified the American Society of Anesthesiologists score and splenectomy, but not obesity, as independent risk factors for postoperative complications. The median number of lymph nodes retrieved differed significantly from group to group: obese 21 (IQR 18–26), versus overweight 24, versus normal weight 28 (p = 0.031). No difference was found in lymph node ratio and cancer‐related parameters.

Conclusions

Obese patients with operable gastric cancer can be candidates for standard extensive surgical resection, provided that pre‐existing co‐morbidities and potential intraoperative and postoperative complications are considered.
COMPLETE SPACELIKE SUBMANIFOLDS IN DE SITTER SPACES WITH
Authors: LIU JIANCHENG , ZHANG JINGJING
Published: February 2013

In this paper, we give a classification of spacelike submanifolds with parallel normalised mean curvature vector field and linear relation$R= aH+ b$of the normalised scalar curvature$R$and the mean curvature$H$in the de Sitter space${ S}_{p}^{n+ p} (c)$.
Join the dots: A musical interlude in the evolution of language?
Authors: TALLERMAN MAGGIE
Published: February 2013

This review article examines the major premises concerning the evolution of language offered in Tecumseh Fitch'sThe Evolution of Language(2010). Various aspects of Fitch's argumentation are disputed, specifically including the idea that language was preceded in evolution by a musical protolanguage stage in which there were no words, but which instead exhibited a prosodic, meaningless ‘bare phonology’. According to Fitch, this putative stage in language evolution also laid the foundations for syntax, providing musical phrases which were subsequently filled by meaningful words. Counterarguments to these ideas are presented, and an alternative, word-based model of protolanguage is defended.
The hyperarticulation hypothesis of infant-directed speech
Authors: CRISTIA ALEJANDRINA , SEIDL AMANDA
Published: February 2013

Typically, the point vowels [i,ɑ,u] are acoustically more peripheral in infant-directed speech (IDS) compared to adult-directed speech (ADS). If caregivers seek to highlight lexically relevant contrasts in IDS, then two sounds that are contrastive should become more distinct, whereas two sounds that are surface realizations of the same underlying sound category should not. To test this prediction, vowels that are phonemically contrastive ([i–ɪ] and [eɪ–ε]), vowels that map onto the same underlying category ([æ–] and [ε–]), and the point vowels [i,ɑ,u] were elicited in IDS and ADS by American English mothers of two age groups of infants (four- and eleven-month-olds). As in other work, point vowels were produced in more peripheral positions in IDS compared to ADS. However, there was little evidence of hyperarticulation per se (e.g. [i–ɪ] washypoarticulated). We suggest that across-the-board lexically based hyperarticulation is not a necessary feature of IDS.
Microscopy Analysis of Pyramid Formation Evolution with Ultra-Low Concentrated Na2CO3/NaHCO3 Solution on (100) Si for Solar Cell Application
Authors: Montesdeoca-Santana Amada , Orive Alejandro González , Creus Alberto Hernández , González-Díaz Benjamín , Borchert Dietmar , Guerrero-Lemus Ricardo
Published: February 2013

An analysis of the nucleation mechanism of pyramids formed in (100) silicon in Na2CO3/NaHCO3 solution has been carried out. This texturization process of silicon by means of Na2CO3/NaHCO3 solutions is of special interest because it can be applied to the silicon solar cell industry to texture solar cell surfaces to decrease the front reflection and enhance light trapping in the cells. For this purpose, two microscopy techniques—scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy—have been used to study the different stages of pyramidal nucleation and formation. The different aspects and factors involved in the texturization process require different analysis conditions and microscopy resolution. Tracing the transformation of determined surface areas and structures has been achieved, contributing clarification of the mechanism of pyramid nucleation in Na2CO3/NaHCO3 solutions.
Random Dieudonné modules, random -divisible groups, and random curves over finite fields
Authors: Cais Bryden , Ellenberg Jordan S. , Zureick-Brown David
Published: February 2013

We describe a probability distribution on isomorphism classes of principally quasi-polarized $p$-divisible groups over a finite field $k$ of characteristic $p$ which can reasonably be thought of as a ‘uniform distribution’, and we compute the distribution of various statistics ($p$-corank, $a$-number, etc.) of $p$-divisible groups drawn from this distribution. It is then natural to ask to what extent the $p$-divisible groups attached to a randomly chosen hyperelliptic curve (respectively, curve; respectively, abelian variety) over $k$ are uniformly distributed in this sense. This heuristic is analogous to conjectures of Cohen–Lenstra type for $\text{char~} k\not = p$, in which case the random $p$-divisible group is defined by a random matrix recording the action of Frobenius. Extensive numerical investigation reveals some cases of agreement with the heuristic and some interesting discrepancies. For example, plane curves over ${\mathbf{F} }_{3} $ appear substantially less likely to be ordinary than hyperelliptic curves over ${\mathbf{F} }_{3} $.
Distribution of Monoamine Oxidase Proteins in Human Brain: Implications for Brain Imaging Studies
Authors: Tong Junchao , Meyer Jeffrey H , Furukawa Yoshiaki , Boileau Isabelle , Chang Li-Jan , Wilson Alan A , Houle Sylvain
Published: February 2013

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of monoamine oxidases (MAO-A: [11C]harmine, [11C]clorgyline, and [11C]befloxatone; MAO-B: [11C]deprenyl-D2) has been actively pursued given clinical importance of MAOs in human neuropsychiatric disorders. However, it is unknown how well PET outcome measures for the different radiotracers are quantitatively related to actual MAO protein levels. We measured regional distribution ( n = 38) and developmental/aging changes (21 hours to 99 years) of both MAOs by quantitative immunoblotting in autopsied normal human brain. MAO-A was more abundant than MAO-B in infants, which was reversed as MAO-B levels increased faster before 1 year and, unlike MAO-A, kept increasing steadily to senescence. In adults, regional protein levels of both MAOs were positively and proportionally correlated with literature postmortem data of MAO activities and binding densities. With the exception of [11C]befloxatone (binding potential (BP), r = 0.61, P = 0.15), correlations between regional PET outcome measures of binding in the literature and MAO protein levels were good ( P < 0.01) for [11C]harmine (distribution volume, r = 0.86), [11C]clorgyline (λk3, r = 0.82), and [11C]deprenyl-D2 (λk3 or modified Patlak slope, r = 0.78 to 0.87), supporting validity of the latter imaging measures. However, compared with in vitro data, the latter PET measures underestimated regional contrast by ~2-fold. Further studies are needed to address cause of the in vivo vs. in vitro nonproportionality.
An efficient route for the synthesis of phosphorus–selenium macro-heterocycles
Authors: Hua Guoxiong , Slawin Alexandra M. Z. , Randall Rebecca A. M. , Cordes David B. , Crawford L. Ellis , Bühl Michael , Woollins J. Derek
Published: February 2013

[PhP(Se)(μ-Se)]2 (Woollins' reagent, WR) with disodium alkenyl-diols and dibromoalkanes are able to construct a series of unusual nine- to fifteen-membered organoselenophosphorus macrocycles bearing the O–P–Se–Cn–Se–P–O linkage or the O–P–Se–Cn–O–P–Se linkage.
Gaussian-based multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree: A two-layer approach. I. Theory
Authors: Römer S. , Ruckenbauer M. , Burghardt I.
Published: February 2013

We describe a novel two-layer variant of the Gaussian-based multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree (G-MCTDH) approach which improves on the performance and convergence properties of quantum propagation based on variationally evolving frozen Gaussians (FGs). While the standard scheme uses factorizable multi-dimensional FGs, the present approach combines these into flexible, MCTDH-like single-particle functions. At the same time, the expensive variational evolution of the Gaussian parameters is reduced to low-dimensional subspaces. As a result, the novel scheme significantly alleviates the current bottleneck to accurate propagation in G-MCTDH and its variational multiconfigurational Gaussian (vMCG) variant. Since the first-layer single-particle functions are chosen to be orthogonal, the present approach can be straightforwardly combined with existing multi-layer MCTDH schemes.
Spectroscopy of isolated PTCDA molecules on the KCl(100) surface: Vibrational spectra and azimuthal orientation
Authors: Müller Mathias , Paulheim Alexander , Marquardt Christian , Sokolowski Moritz
Published: February 2013

Small amounts of the model molecule perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (PTCDA) were vacuum deposited on epitaxial KCl films on Ag(100). The use of a low substrate temperature (20 K) during deposition hampered molecular diffusion resulting in isolated monomers on the surface. Fluorescence and fluorescence excitation spectroscopy performed on these monomers yielded highly resolved spectra with narrow lines corresponding to individual vibronic modes. This high resolution in our spectra is caused by a very small inhomogeneous broadening due to well-defined adsorption sites of the molecule on the substrate. Indeed, by polarization dependent fluorescence spectroscopy we show that the flat-lying molecules exhibit a preferred azimuthal orientation on the surface, the long molecular axis being oriented along the [011] or the equivalent $[0\bar{1}1]$[01¯1] direction of the substrate. Furthermore, the high resolution in the spectra allowed a detailed analysis of the vibronic modes. The vibrational modes of the adsorbed molecule are very similar to those of the free PTCDA molecule, but due to the presence of the substrate additional low energy modes which are relevant for the full understanding of the spectra couple to the transition.
The change of microstructure and thermal properties in ion irradiated carbon nanotube mats as a function of ion penetration depth
Authors: Aitkaliyeva A. , Shao L.
Published: February 2013

A stack of three carbon nanotube (CNT) mats was irradiated with 3 MeV He ions. The change in structural and thermal properties of individual mats as a function of ion penetration depth was characterized using electron microscopy and laser flash techniques. Ion irradiation can enhance thermal conductivity of the mats by introducing inter-tube displacements, which improve phonon transport across adjacent nanotubes. The enhancement, however, is reduced at higher damage levels due to the increasing phonon-defect scattering within the tubes. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using ion irradiation to manipulate thermal transport in carbon nanotubes.
On the origin of bistability in the Stage 2 of the Huang-Ferrell model of the MAPK signaling
Authors: Hadač O. , Schreiber I. , Přibyl M.
Published: February 2013

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are important signal transducing enzymes, unique to eukaryotes, that are involved in many pathways of cellular regulation. Successive phosphorylation cascades mediated by MAPKs serve as sensitive switches initiating various cellular processes. Apart from this basic feature, the underlying reaction network is capable of displaying other nonlinear phenomena including bistable steady states and hysteresis as well as periodic oscillations. We show that from the mechanistic point of view, bistability is a consequence of interaction between single and double phosphorylation/dephosphorylation pathways in a Stage 2 subsystem of the Huang-Ferrell model. Within this subsystem we uncover the core subnetwork obtained by systematic reduction relying on the methods of stoichiometric network analysis. For the core model we show that there is either one stable steady state or three steady states of which two are stable and point out the role of interplay between the single and double phosphorylation subnetworks in generating bistability.
A fully covariant information-theoretic ultraviolet cutoff for scalar fields in expanding Friedmann Robertson Walker spacetimes
Authors: Kempf A. , Chatwin-Davies A. , Martin R. T. W.
Published: February 2013

While a natural ultraviolet cutoff, presumably at the Planck length, is widely assumed to exist in nature, it is nontrivial to implement a minimum length scale covariantly. This is because the presence of a fixed minimum length needs to be reconciled with the ability of Lorentz transformations to contract lengths. In this paper, we implement a fully covariant Planck scale cutoff by cutting off the spectrum of the d’Alembertian. In this scenario, consistent with Lorentz contractions, wavelengths that are arbitrarily smaller than the Planck length continue to exist. However, the dynamics of modes of wavelengths that are significantly smaller than the Planck length possess a very small bandwidth. This has the effect of freezing the dynamics of such modes. While both wavelengths and bandwidths are frame dependent, Lorentz contraction and time dilation conspire to make the freezing of modes of trans-Planckian wavelengths covariant. In particular, we show that this ultraviolet cutoff can be implemented covariantly also in curved spacetimes. We focus on Friedmann Robertson Walker spacetimes and their much-discussed trans-Planckian question: The physical wavelength of each comoving mode was smaller than the Planck scale at sufficiently early times. What was the mode's dynamics then? Here, we show that in the presence of the covariant UV cutoff, the dynamical bandwidth of a comoving mode is essentially zero up until its physical wavelength starts exceeding the Planck length. In particular, we show that under general assumptions, the number of dynamical degrees of freedom of each comoving mode all the way up to some arbitrary finite time is actually finite. Our results also open the way to calculating the impact of this natural UV cutoff on inflationary predictions for the cosmic microwave background.
Effect of microwave plasma treatment on silicon dioxide films grown by atomic layer deposition at low temperature
Authors: Tanimura T. , Watanabe Y. , Sato Y. , Kabe Y. , Hirota Y.
Published: February 2013

The effects of microwave plasma treatments on the physical and electrical characteristics of silicon dioxide films are discussed. Plasma treatments significantly improve the characteristics at low temperatures. Differences in the type of inert gas, O2 partial pressure, and total pressure cause differences in the plasma energy and active species concentrations, which affect reduction in the impurity concentrations, generation of dangling bonds, and effective working depth of the plasma. The changes in the electrical characteristics of the plasma-treated oxide films are consistent with those in the physical characteristics. The plasma conditions that result in the best improvements are determined.
Iso-structural phase transition in YMnO3 nanosized particles
Authors: Tripathi Saurabh , Petkov Valeri
Published: February 2013

Structure studies on multiferroic YMnO3 particles with size varying between 467 ± 42 nm (bulk) and 28 ± 3 nm was carried out using high-energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction. Analysis of the diffraction data reveals that when the particles size decreases to about 121 nm an iso-structural phase transition takes place. The transition is accompanied by a substantial change in the unit cell volume and the ratio (c/a) of the parameters of the hexagonal lattice of YMnO3. The phase transition is similar to the one reported in bulk YMnO3 heated to temperatures of about 920 K. In this letter, we argue that the phase transition in nanosized YMnO3 is of an order-disorder type.
Shock response of a model structured nanofoam of Cu
Authors: Zhao F. P. , An Q. , Li B. , Wu H. A. , Goddard W. A. , Luo S. N.
Published: February 2013

Using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate shock response of a model Cu nanofoam with cylindrical voids and a high initial porosity (50% theoretical density), including elastic and plastic deformation, Hugoniot states, shock-induced melting, partial or complete void collapse, nanojetting, and hotspot formation. The elastic-plastic and overtaking shocks are observed at different shock strengths. The simulated Hugoniot states can be described with a modified, power-law P−α (pressure–porosity) model, and agree with shock experiments on Cu powders, as well as the compacted Hugoniot predicted with the Grüneisen equation of state. Shock-induced melting shows no clear signs of bulk premelting or superheating. Voids collapse via plastic flow nucleated from voids, and the exact processes are shock strength dependent. With increasing shock strengths, void collapse transits from the “geometrical” mode (collapse of a void is dominated by crystallography and void geometry and can be different from that of one another) to “hydrodynamic” mode (collapse of a void is similar to one another); the collapse may be achieved predominantly by flow along the {111} slip planes, by way of alternating compression and tension zones, by means of transverse flows, via forward and transverse flows, or through forward nanojetting. The internal jetting induces pronounced shock front roughening, leading to internal hotspot formation and sizable high speed jets on atomically flat free surfaces.
Formulation for volume flowrate induced by vortex rings, through circular orifice of arbitrary section profile
Authors: Cho Chi-Hoon , Lee Duck-Joo
Published: February 2013

A new theoretical formulation that relates the volume flowrate to the vorticity distribution for the circular orifice of an arbitrary section profile is presented. The formulation is based on axisymmetric potential theory involving Green's function of Stokes’ streamfunction. The results showed that the volume flowrate through the orifice opening can be separated into potential and vortical portions, and the kernel of the vortical portion is the homogeneous streamfunction of the orifice. The formulation for the thin circular orifice was verified by comparing analytical solutions.
Anomalous Hall effect and magnetoresistance behavior in Co/Pd1−xAgx multilayers
Authors: Guo Z. B. , Mi W. B. , Manchon A. , Li J. Q. , Zhang B. , Barba P. G. , Zhang X. X.
Published: February 2013

In this paper, we report anomalous Hall effect (AHE) correlated with the magnetoresistance behavior in [Co/Pd1−xAgx]n multilayers. For the multilayers with n = 6, the increase in Ag content from x = 0 to 0.52 induces the change in AHE sign from negative surface scattering-dominated AHE to positive interface scattering-dominated AHE, which is accompanied with the transition from anisotropy magnetoresistance (AMR) dominated transport to giant magnetoresistance (GMR) dominated transport. For n = 80, scaling analysis with Rs∝ρxxγ yields γ ∼ 3.44 for x = 0.52 which presents GMR-type transport, in contrast to γ ∼ 5.7 for x = 0 which presents AMR-type transport.
Multi-layered dielectric cladding plasmonic microdisk resonator filter and coupler
Authors: Han Cheng Bo , Lan Yung-Chiang
Published: February 2013

This work develops the plasmonic microdisk filter/coupler, whose effectiveness is evaluated by finite-difference time-domain simulation and theoretical analyses. Multi-layer dielectric cladding is used to prevent the scattering of surface plasmons (SPs) from a silver microdisk. This method allows devices that efficiently perform filter/coupler functions to be developed. The resonant conditions and the effective refractive index of bounded SP modes on the microdisk are determined herein. The waveguide-to-microdisk distance barely influences the resonant wavelength but it is inversely related to the bandwidth. These findings are consistent with predictions made using the typical ring resonator model.
The influence of a Pb surfactant on the magnetism of dilute Si1–xMnx films
Authors: Kahwaji S. , Bowman W. , Robertson M. D. , Monchesky T. L.
Published: February 2013

We investigated the effect of Pb surfactant on the growth mode and magnetism of dilute Si1−xMnx thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We find that the nanocolumns that form in Pb-free samples are paramagnetic with a small saturation moment that drops with increasing Mn concentration. On the contrary, samples grown with 2 monolayers of Pb contain MnSi1.7 nanorods that lie in the plane of the films. Although the saturation moment of these samples also drops rapidly with increasing Mn concentration, it is as high as 0.65 μB/Mn. At the lowest Mn concentration (x = 0.5%), the samples grown with a Pb surfactant exhibit two ferromagnetic transitions at the Curie temperatures TC1≈40 K and TC2>400 K. While the transition at TC1 is consistent with the Curie temperature of bulk MnSi1.7 crystals, TC2 is possibly due to a second phase resulting from Mn in the Si matrix.
Sn and Nb modified ultrafine Ti-based bulk alloys with high-strength and enhanced ductility
Authors: Cao G. H. , Schneider R. , Gerthsen D. , Chulist R. , Schaarschuch R. , Oertel C.-G. , Skrotzki W.
Published: February 2013

Sn and Nb modified ultrafine eutectic Ti−Fe alloys with high strength and plasticity prepared by cold crucible levitation melting were tested in compression at room temperature. (Ti70.5Fe29.5)93.15Sn3.85Nb3 alloy exhibited an ultimate compressive strength of 2.36 GPa at 15% plastic strain. Electron microscopy revealed that lamellar structures in Ti70.5Fe29.5 alloy could be tailored by the addition of Sn and Nb to obtain a globular structure. The microstructural refinement, morphology of phase constituents, and their relationships to the mechanical properties are discussed.
Absence of phase transitions in an oxygen stoichiometric cobaltite, YBaCo4O7
Authors: Nithya R. , Kumary T. Geetha , Ravindran T. R.
Published: February 2013

Polycrystalline YBaCo4O7 compounds are synthesized by solid state reaction in air atmosphere. X-ray powder diffraction at room temperature indicates its single phase nature. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data shows distortions in bond lengths in the cobalt-oxygen tetrahedra. Electrical resistivity of YBaCo4O7 suggests a variable range hopping type of conductivity from 80 K up to room temperature. Raman scattering spectra exhibit several broad phonon modes at ambient temperature. Raman spectroscopic measurements are carried out as a function of temperature to look for any structural phase transitions from 80 to 823 K. Raman scattering results show no phase transitions, supporting low temperature conductivity measurements. From temperature variation of Raman spectra, it is found that the structure is stable in the temperature range of present study.
Formalization of linking information in the FrameNet lexicon
Authors: Gotsoulia Voula
Published: February 2013

The paper presents a novel approach to formalization of linking information in the FrameNet lexicon and to acquisition of a principled syntax-semantics interface, suitable for generalizing over combinatorial properties (valences) of predicators. Focusing on verbs that denote ‘notions’, it adopts an entailment-based view of the concept of semantic role, proposing representations of verbal arguments based on semantically primitive, grammatically relevant properties, entailed by the meaning of predicators (lexical entailments). Such generic meaning components abstract over various semantic relations which humans tend to express systematically through language. A limited set of prototypical role-like concepts can be used for modeling the linking properties of a wide range of verbs, in a well-ordered fashion.

In a preliminary study, frame-semantic representations of a set of notion verbs are mapped onto lexical entailment representations, in a portion of the FrameNet corpora. From the annotated data set, associations of semantic and grammatical categories are extracted and are formally rendered in entailment-based classes called Lexicalization Types (L-Types). L-Types are speciﬁed in terms of combinations of entailed properties, encoding distinctive predicate-argument structure patterns. A small number of L-Types is shown to readily abstract over the valence patterns of verbs classiﬁed in a variety of FrameNet frames. The latter are not systematically connected for purposes of linking. Valence generalizations in the FrameNet lexicon are acquired through appropriate frame-to-frame relations forming the frame hierarchy. L-Types can be represented as abstract, non-lexicalized frames specifying linking constraints. Mappings between L-Types and more speciﬁc frames can be encoded by means of a new frame relation modeling the syntax-semantics interface. Such a relation would simplify the current picture of the frame hierarchy by essentially decoupling purely lexical semantic information from information pertaining to linking.
Arab authors in Israel writing in Hebrew
Authors: Shakour Adel
Published: February 2013

This article reports on the phenomenon of Arab authors in Israel writing in Hebrew. “Writing in Hebrew” refers to literary works originally written in Hebrew or translated from Arabic to Hebrew. The article examines the status of Arabic for Israeli Arabs, the scale of the phenomenon of writing in Hebrew, the bilingual literary works of Arab authors in Israel, and Israeli society’s acceptance of Arab authors writing in Hebrew.

Some ten Arab novelists are currently writing in Hebrew in Israel, an apparently growing trend among Arab authors. The choice of these Arab authors to write in Hebrew is a conscious aesthetic choice and a reflection of their natural gift for writing and mastery of Hebrew. The ten writers are: Anton Shammas, Naim Araidi, Sayed Kashua, Atallah Mansour, Jurays Ṭannūs, Muhammad Ghanaim, Osama Abu-Ghosh, Odeh Basharat, Ayman Siksik, and Salman Natur.
Narratives, connections and social change
Authors: Squire Corinne
Published: February 2013

In this article, I suggest that narratives’ importance for social change may be understood by examining specific elements of narrative syntax — key rhetorical tropes within stories, and story genres. I argue that these stylistic elements generate social connections that themselves support and stimulate social change. I use Young’s (2006) theorisation of responsibility and global justice in terms of connection, to suggest how narratives may support or generate progressive social change. I then examine narrative tropes and genres of similarisation and familiarisation at work in narratives produced around the HIV pandemic, and the limits of those tropes and genres for supporting and catalysing social change.
The backdrop of Serbian statehoods: Morphing faces of the National Assembly in Belgrade
Authors: Conley Tanja Damljanović
Published: February 2013

The mixture of neo-Renaissance and neo-Classical forms of the National Assembly in Belgrade was to become a visual paradigm of the democratic course and national sovereignty of the Kingdom of Serbia, affirming the status of this newly born nation-state in nineteenth-century Europe. Yet, the interpretation of political messages associated with the building's nineteenth-century architectural features is still in progress. The aim of this paper is to explore how the image of the National Assembly developed into the visual repository of different ideological connotations depending on the character of public events being organized, in the building or in the space in front of it either to support state ideologies or to fight against them. In addition to ideological settings of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this research will focus on political meetings and public gatherings of the post-WWII state constructs, from the socialist federation of Marshal Tito to the more recent emanations of Serbian statehood. Along with analyzing the architectural forms of the building serving in different political contexts, this discussion will illuminate the appropriation of space in front of the building by examining the overall staging of public events which have become embedded in the contrasting layers of a collective memory associated with the same image: the National Assembly as the backdrop.
Slavery in Brazil
Authors: Reis João José , Klein Herbert S.
Published: February 2013

This article examines African slavery in Brazil, a topic and country that have produced such a rich historiography, much of it regionally based. The emergence of black movements in the 1970s and 1980s may be counted as one of the key influences behind much of what is being written about slavery in Brazil today. Black movements not only showed that racial democracy was an unfulfilled ideal but also dethroned the idea that Afro-Brazilians were not able to organize and mobilize themselves, not able to be agents of history. After the rise of the new black movement, Afro-Brazilians would never be the same; nor would the historiography of slavery, even though that connection has yet to become apparent to many historians.
Positive Psychology Applications
Authors: Linley P. Alex , Joseph Stephen , Maltby John , Harrington Susan , Wood Alex M.
Published: February 2013

Applied positive psychology is concerned with facilitating good lives and enabling people to be at their best. It is as much an approach as a particular domain of inquiry. As shown throughout this chapter, positive psychology has applications that span almost every area of applied psychology and beyond. In clinical psychology, counseling and psychotherapy, applied positive psychology builds on the traditions of humanistic psychology and Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy. It challenges the dominant assumptions of the medical model and promotes a dimensional, rather than dichotomous, understanding of mental health and mental illness. Beyond the alleviation of psychopathology, applied positive psychology has also seen the development of specific happiness-increase interventions, including counting one's blessings, using signature strengths, and paying a gratitude visit. In education, applied positive psychology has been used to promote flow in the classroom, as well as harnessing children's strengths to aid their learning and development. Forensic applications of positive psychology are represented by the good lives model of offender management, which focuses on the adaptive satisfaction of human needs. In Industrial Organizational (I/O) psychology, positive psychology applications are represented throughout work on transformational leadership, employee engagement, positive organizational scholarship, positive organizational behavior, appreciative inquiry, and strengths-based organization. In society, more broadly, applied positive psychology is shown to influence the development of life coaching and the practice of executive coaching, while population approaches are being explored in relation to epidemiology and the promotion of social well-being. Having reviewed these diverse areas, the chapter then goes on to consider the theoretical basis for applied positive psychology; the questions of who should apply positive psychology, as well as where and how; and whether positive psychology applications could be universally relevant. The chapter concludes by considering what the future of applied positive psychology may hold and suggesting that the discipline has the potential to impact positively on people throughout the world.
Widening the Diagnostic Focus: A Case for Including Human Strengths and Environmental Resources
Authors: Wright Beatrice A. , Lopez Shane J.
Published: February 2013

In positive psychology, we must challenge a common error of professional psychology, today: making diagnostic, treatment, and policy decisions primarily on deficiencies of the person instead of giving serious consideration to “deficits” and “strengths” of both person and environment. This mission may seem disheartening in that it requires greater rather than less cognitive complexity. Yet this multifaceted focus is crucial if two system concepts—whole person and behavior as a function of person in interaction with environment—are to betaken seriously (Lewin, 1935 ). Practice and research that fall short of attending to this person-environment interaction does a disservice to remedial possibilities and personal integrity. We have divided this chapter into two parts. In the first part, we present enlightening concepts together with supporting research. In the second part, we apply the insights gained to professional practice and research and make specific recommendations regarding each of the issues raised.
Aging Well in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Williamson Gail M. , Christie Juliette
Published: February 2013

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of adults over the age of 65 are physically and psychologically healthy. They are not cognitively deficient, socially isolated, or lonely, nor do they drain society's resources. They are aging well, and to the extent that they are able to engage in valued activities, they will continue to do so. A key component of adapting to growing older is the ability to maintain the sense of personal control that can be threatened by normal aging processes. The Activity Restriction Model of Depressed Affect proposes that to age successfully is to maintain physical and cognitive functioning via engagement in personally meaningful activities. Indeed, activity restriction—or the inability to continue normal activities that often follows stressful life events such as debilitating illness—is a major factor in poorer mental health outcomes. Potential contributors to activity restriction and depression are identified. Interventions to reduce activity restriction in older adults should focus on promoting manageable activities, taking into consideration individual differences in functional, psychological, and social resources.