bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
II—Excavations at Sparta, 1906: § 11.—The Roman Baths. (Arapissa.)
Authors: Wace Alan J. B.
Published: October 2013

On the road from new Sparta to Magoula the most noticeable remains of the ancient city are the extensive brick ruins called ‘Arapissa,’ from the localization here of a legend common in all parts of Greece of a negress or a negro guarding buried treasure. Since so large a building, if it existed in the time of Pausanias, is not likely to have been omitted by him in his description of the city, it was decided to test this site to determine its nature and date. Accordingly from April 20th to the 30th twenty-five men were employed digging round the walls visible above the surface, and sinking trial-pits in other parts to obtain some idea of the plan. Owing to the apparent want of symmetry and to the loose nature of the soil, which was full of rubble, the work proved more difficult and dangerous than had been anticipated.
Byzantine Pottery from Sparta
Authors: Dawkins R. M. , Droop J. P.
Published: October 2013

In the course of the excavations carried on by the School from 1906 to 1910 at Sparta, a considerable quantity was found of the mediæval glazed pottery that is usually called Byzantine. As specimens of this fabric are not common in museums, and its date and general relations are still matters of some doubt, it seems desirable to publish all the pieces of any interest as material for further study, although the writers of this paper have no claim to speak as experts on the subject. The fragments were found in the numerous trial pits that were made on and around the Acropolis, and were especially abundant outside the east end of the Late Roman fortifications. The exactly similar ware from Pergamon and Constantinople now in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum at Berlin is there officially ascribed to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and other pieces from old Cairo in the same museum of very similar make, to the eleventh and twelfth. Two almost complete bowls from Pergamon, on the other hand, plainly of our classes I and III, are assigned by W. Altmann to ‘the first centuries of Byzantine art’ The position in which the sherds were found at Sparta gives some slight indication as to date in the form of a probable terminus ante quem, for the building of the fortress of Misithra, or Mistrá, by Guillaume de Villehardouin, in the middle of the thirteenth century, was quickly followed by the decay of the Byzantine city situated round the Acropolis of Sparta.
Genoese Heraldry and Inscriptions at Amastra
Authors: Hasluck F. W.
Published: October 2013

The town of Amastra (anc. Amastris, med. Samastro), one of the most important of the ancient Greek colonies on the Euxine, and later a Genoese trading-post, lies on the neck and landward slopes of a steep peninsula forming a safe harbour on either side. The peninsula is connected by a bridge with an adjacent island, on which are a few houses still protected on the harbour side by the mediaeval town-wall. The bridge is defended on either side by a gate-tower, and the city proper and castle, which are on the peninsula, retain their lofty walls and towers, built of squared blocks evidently plundered from Roman ruins (Fig. 1). Despite this plundering and the recent construction of the new road (still unfinished in 1910) to Bartin, extensive ancient remains still survive above ground on the mainland opposite the town, notably the large Roman building of brick and opus reticulatum called the Bezestein, two columns of a temple or mausoleum, many built tombs, and considerable remains of masonry embankment and vaulting about the stream which debouches into the smaller (W.) harbour. Saving the change of ownership, the place has altered but little since Clavijo's description in 1404:—

‘The town of Samastro belongs to the Genoese, and is near the sea…. on a very high hill. Opposite this hill, but more inland, there is another on which the town is built; and from one hill to another there is a great arch, like a bridge, by which people pass, and it has two gates, one at each end.
Depopulation in the Aegean Islands and the Turkish Conquest
Authors: Hasluck F. W.
Published: October 2013

Antonio Di Millo is the author of an Isolario of which several copies have come down to us. Of these, two dated respectively (A) 1587 and (B) 1591 are preserved in the British Museum and a third (C) of 1590 in the Marciana at Venice. Two other copies, cited by Uzielli as existing at the Paris Bibliothèque Nationale, and the Biblioteca Municipale at Venice, seem to be no longer known at the libraries in question.

The greater part of the text of the work consists of practical directions for navigators and traders, including generally a note on the population, and occasionally on the staple products of the island under discussion. The rare notes on local history are, as will be seen, of some value. The text of the three copies shews considerable variations, many notes being peculiar to each. The B.M. (A) and Marciana copies seem to be autograph: in the B.M. (B) this is true only of the maps.

The author is mentioned as Antonius Meliensis by Leunclavius, who met him acting as pilot on a ship returning from Constantinople in 1585: this shows that he was actively engaged in his profession shortly before the first compilation of his Isolario and the note in (C) on Patmos shews that he was quite up to date in 1590. Millo is said by Leunclavius to have been a native of Melos and Greek by parentage.
Note On Two Zakro Sealings
Authors: Hogarth D. G.
Published: October 2013

1. I Published a large number of clay sealings found in 1901 in a house of Late Minoan I. period at Zakro, Crete, in the Journal of Hellenic Studies (xxii. p. 76), with photographs of casts made in Candia from the different types. A representative set of duplicate sealings was afterwards presented to me by the Cretan Government and placed in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. When I became Keeper of this Museum some years later, I had these sealings recleaned and re-cast, and so obtained a clearer view of one type (No. 10 on p. 78 of the original publication). As it has some features of interest of which I was unaware previously, I republish it here.

I had described it, from collation of thirty imperfectly cleaned impressions of the type, as ‘A female in long bell-skirt with hands on breast, opposed to a figure with cap and long mantle (?) from neck to feet.’ This description was wrong in several particulars. The female figure on the impression is moving to the left, and has one hand on her right breast, the other on her three-fold girdle. It is impossible to determine whether her face is turned full to the front or is seen in profile one way or the other. She is followed, not opposed, by another figure in peaked cap, cloak hanging loosely from the neck to the hips, and long round skirt. This figure, (perhaps male) bears over its left shoulder a long-handled axe.
I.—Excavations at Sparta, 1909: § 3.—The Pottery
Authors: Droop J. P.
Published: October 2013

Not only were more good vases produced by the further excavation of the sanctuary of Orthia in 1909, but much has also been done since the last report was written, in the matter of fitting together, restoring, and photographing those already found, so that it is now possible to proceed with a fuller publication of the Laconian style than could be made a year ago.
Monuments of the Gattelusi
Authors: Hasluck F. W.
Published: October 2013

Professor Hopf left unfinished at his death a projected work which would have filled a marked gap in our knowledge of the Latin dynasties of the Archipelago—the history of Lesbos and its dependencies under the Gattelusi of Genoa. The possessions of the Gattelusi in their fullest extent included Lesbos, the Thracian islands of Thasos, Lemnos, Samothrace, and Imbros, and the mainland towns of Phocaea (Foggia Vecchia) in Ionia and Aenos in Thrace. The Frankish monuments of the islands had already been adequately chronicled by Professor Conze, but the mainland dependencies remained, from this point of view, unexplored. In the course therefore, of cursory visits to Aenos and Phocaea in 1908, I took notes and photographs of the few surviving monuments, supplementing these researches by visits to Mytilene and Lemnos.
The Palaikastro Hymn of the Kouretes
Authors: Bosanquet R. C.
Published: October 2013

The inscribed fragments here published were discovered in the third season of the excavations at Palaikastro. We knew already that a Hellenic temple had stood on the site of the Minoan town. The building itself had been destroyed, but architectural terracottas, bronze shields, and other votive offerings were found near the surface in sufficient numbers to indicate its position, while a bed of ashes fixed that of the altar. The finding among its scattered débris of a Hymn addressed to Zeus of Dikte furnished a welcome identification. It left no doubt that our temple was the temple of Diktaean Zeus which is several times mentioned in the famous award of the Magnesian Arbitrators in the frontier dispute between Itanos and Hierapytna, and that the plain of Palaikastro was the Heleia which both cities claimed.
The Hymn of the Kouretes
Authors: Murray Gilbert
Published: October 2013

Square brackets denote conjectural restorations. S denotes the stone; B Professor Bosanquet, to whose copies and photographs of the inscription I owe all my knowledge of it.
Semi-classical bound states of Schrödinger equations
Authors: SCHECHTER M. , ZOU W.
Published: October 2013

We study the existence of semi-classical bound states of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation\begin{linenomath}$$ -\varepsilon^2\Delta u+V(x)u=f(u),\quad x\in {\bf R}^N,$$\end{linenomath}whereN≥ 3;, ϵ is a positive parameter;V:RN→ [0, ∞) satisfies some suitable assumptions. We study two cases: iffis asymptotically linear, i.e., if lim|t| → ∞f(t)/t=constant, then we get positive solutions. Iffis superlinear andf(u)=|u|p−2u+|u|q−2u, 2* >p>q> 2, we obtain the existence of multiple sign-changing semi-classical bound states with information on the estimates of the energies, the Morse indices and the number of nodal domains. For this purpose, we establish a mountain cliff theorem without the compactness condition and apply a new sign-changing critical point theorem.
The status ofhwætin Old English
Authors: WALKDEN GEORGE
Published: October 2013

It is commonly held that Old Englishhwæt, well known within Anglo-Saxon studies as the first word of the epic poemBeowulf, can be ‘used as an adv[erb]. or interj[ection]. Why, what! ah!’ (Bosworth & Toller 1898, s.v.hwæt, 1) as well as the neuter singular of the interrogative pronounhwā‘what’. In this article I challenge the view thathwætcan have the status of an interjection (i.e. be outside the clause that it precedes). I present evidence from Old English and Old Saxon constituent order which suggests thathwætis unlikely to be extra-clausal. Data is drawn from the Old EnglishBede, Ælfric'sLives of Saintsand the Old SaxonHeliand. In all three texts the verb appears later in clauses preceded byhwætthan is normal in root clauses (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.0001 in both cases). Ifhwætaffects the constituent order of the clause it precedes, then it cannot be truly clause-external. I argue that it ishwætcombined with the clause that follows it that delivers the interpretive effect of exclamation, nothwætalone. The structure ofhwæt-clauses is sketched following Rett's (2008) analysis of exclamatives. I conclude that Old Englishhwæt(as well as its Old Saxon cognate) was not an interjection but an underspecifiedwh-pronoun introducing an exclamative clause.
“Earthly Angels”? A qualitative study of the domiciliary care worker role in meeting the needs of families caring for those dying at home
Authors: Percival John , Lasseter Gemma , Purdy Sarah , Wye Lesley
Published: October 2013

Objective:

Relatively little attention has been paid to optimum ways in which community-based care services can support family caregivers in the context of end-of-life care at home. This paper addresses such concerns by focusing on the services provided by domiciliary care workers.

Method:

We draw on qualitative formal interviews with 42 family members, 1 patient, and 6 staff, as well as observation sessions and informal interviews with additional family caregivers and staff, to examine the aspects of domiciliary care perceived to be of most value. In particular, we compare and contrast family caregivers' experience of the support provided by generic domiciliary care workers with that of a team of specialist domiciliary care workers.

Results:

Our findings show that specialist domiciliary care workers had sufficient time and expertise to meet family caregivers' physical and emotional needs in sensitive, proactive, and family-centered ways, and that these attributes were not so prominent in the services received from generic domiciliary care workers.

Significance of results:

The availability to families of targeted support from an appropriately trained and carefully monitored team of specialist domiciliary care workers, able to operate flexibly and with staff consistency, appears to be an important foundation on which to build greater confidence in the reality of a good death at home.
Applying a palliative care approach in residential care: Effects on nurse assistants' work situation
Authors: Beck Ingela , Jakobsson Ulf , Edberg Anna-Karin
Published: October 2013

Objectives:

The aim was to investigate the effects of an intervention that applies a palliative care approach in residential care upon nurse assistants' level of strain, job satisfaction, and view of leadership.

Method:

A quasi-experimental, pretest and posttest design was used. Study circles with workshops involving nurse assistants (n = 75) and their superiors (n = 9) focusing on emotional and existential issues in palliative care were evaluated using a questionnaire answered by the nurse assistants at baseline (November 2009), post-intervention (May 2010), and six-month follow-up (November 2010) in comparison with controls (n = 110).

Results:

Directly after the intervention, the job satisfaction of the nurse assistants decreased and they perceived the leadership more negatively than before the intervention. Six months later, strain as a result of criticism from residents and their superiors and having difficulty in balancing emotional involvement had decreased.

Significance of results:

The intervention initially seemed to decrease the well-being of the nurse assistants, which could be the result of their increased awareness of the residents' and relatives' needs, in combination with limited support. More emphasis should be placed on the role of leadership when implementing changes in practice.
A brief course of cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of misophonia: a case example
Authors: Bernstein Rosemary E. , Angell Karyn L. , Dehle Crystal M.
Published: October 2013

Misophonia is a condition of unknown cause characterized by atypically intense negative physiological and emotional reactions to hearing certain sounds – most often those associated with oral functions. Individuals with misophonia often report high levels of psychological distress and avoidance behaviours that seriously compromise their occupational and social functioning. As of yet, no effective treatment of misophonia has been identified, and health care providers often struggle when they encounter clients who have it. This case report describes the assessment, case formulation, and treatment of a client with misophonia using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and serves as an initial contribution to the evidence base for the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of misophonia.
Activated carbons derived from coconut shells as high energy density cathode material for Li-ion capacitors
Authors: Jain Akshay , Aravindan Vanchiappan , Jayaraman Sundaramurthy , Kumar Palaniswamy Suresh , Balasubramanian Rajasekhar , Ramakrishna Seeram , Madhavi Srinivasan , Srinivasan M. P.
Published: October 2013

In this manuscript, a dramatic increase in the energy density of ~ 69 Wh kg−1 and an extraordinary cycleability ~ 2000 cycles of the Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors (Li-HEC) is achieved by employing tailored activated carbon (AC) of ~ 60% mesoporosity derived from coconut shells (CS). The AC is obtained by both physical and chemical hydrothermal carbonization activation process and compared to the commercial AC powders (CAC) in terms of the supercapacitance performance in single electrode configuration vs. Li. The Li-HEC is fabricated with commercially available Li4Ti5O12 anode and the coconut shell derived AC as cathode in non-aqueous medium. The present research provides a new routine for the development of high energy density Li-HEC that employs a mesoporous carbonaceous electrode derived from bio-mass precursors.
Early signalling events of autophagy
Authors: Gallagher Laura E. , Chan Edmond Y.W.
Published: October 2013

Autophagy is a conserved cellular degradative process important for cellular homoeostasis and survival. An early committal step during the initiation of autophagy requires the actions of a protein kinase called ATG1 (autophagy gene 1). In mammalian cells, ATG1 is represented by ULK1 (uncoordinated-51-like kinase 1), which relies on its essential regulatory cofactors mATG13, FIP200 (focal adhesion kinase family-interacting protein 200 kDa) and ATG101. Much evidence indicates that mTORC1 [mechanistic (also known as mammalian) target of rapamycin complex 1] signals downstream to the ULK1 complex to negatively regulate autophagy. In this chapter, we discuss our understanding on how the mTORC1–ULK1 signalling axis drives the initial steps of autophagy induction. We conclude with a summary of our growing appreciation of the additional cellular pathways that interconnect with the core mTORC1–ULK1 signalling module.
Omegasomes: PI3P platforms that manufacture autophagosomes
Authors: Roberts Rebecca , Ktistakis Nicholas T.
Published: October 2013

Autophagy is a conserved survival pathway, which cells and tissues will activate during times of stress. It is characterized by the formation of double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes inside the cytoplasm. The molecular mechanisms and the signalling components involved require specific control to ensure correct activation. The present chapter describes the formation of autophagosomes from within omegasomes, newly identified membrane compartments enriched in PI3P (phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate) that serve as platforms for the formation of at least some autophagosomes. We discuss the signalling events required to nucleate the formation of omegasomes as well as the protein complexes involved.
Autophagy and ageing: implications for age-related neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Carroll Bernadette , Hewitt Graeme , Korolchuk Viktor I.
Published: October 2013

Autophagy is a process of lysosome-dependent intracellular degradation that participates in the liberation of resources including amino acids and energy to maintain homoeostasis. Autophagy is particularly important in stress conditions such as nutrient starvation and any perturbation in the ability of the cell to activate or regulate autophagy can lead to cellular dysfunction and disease. An area of intense research interest is the role and indeed the fate of autophagy during cellular and organismal ageing. Age-related disorders are associated with increased cellular stress and assault including DNA damage, reduced energy availability, protein aggregation and accumulation of damaged organelles. A reduction in autophagy activity has been observed in a number of ageing models and its up-regulation via pharmacological and genetic methods can alleviate age-related pathologies. In particular, autophagy induction can enhance clearance of toxic intracellular waste associated with neurodegenerative diseases and has been comprehensively demonstrated to improve lifespan in yeast, worms, flies, rodents and primates. The situation, however, has been complicated by the identification that autophagy up-regulation can also occur during ageing. Indeed, in certain situations, reduced autophagosome induction may actually provide benefits to ageing cells. Future studies will undoubtedly improve our understanding of exactly how the multiple signals that are integrated to control appropriate autophagy activity change during ageing, what affect this has on autophagy and to what extent autophagy contributes to age-associated pathologies. Identification of mechanisms that influence a healthy lifespan is of economic, medical and social importance in our ‘ageing’ world.
K-shell emission trends from 60 to 130 cm/μs stainless steel implosions
Authors: Ampleford D. J. , Jennings C. A. , Jones B. , Hansen S. B. , Cuneo M. E. , Coverdale C. A. , Jones M. C. , Flanagan T. M. , Savage M. , Stygar W. A. , Lopez M. R. , Apruzese J. P. , Thornhill J. W. , Giuliani J. L. , Maron Y.
Published: October 2013

Recent experiments at the 20 MA Z Accelerator have demonstrated, for the first time, implosion velocities up to 110–130 cm/μs in imploding stainless steel wire arrays. These velocities, the largest inferred in a magnetically driven implosion, lead to ion densities of 2 × 1020 cm−3 with electron temperatures of ∼5 keV. These plasma conditions have resulted in significant increases in the K-shell radiated output of 5–10 keV photons, radiating powers of >30 TW and yields >80 kJ, making it the brightest laboratory x-ray source in this spectral region. These values represent a doubling of the peak power and a 30% increase in the yield relative to previous studies. The experiments also included wire arrays with slower implosions, which were observed to have lower temperatures and reduced K-shell output. These colder pinches, however, radiated 260 TW in the soft x-ray region, making them one of the brightest soft x-ray sources available.
Note: Compact optical fiber coupler for diamond anvil high pressure cells
Authors: Pugh E.
Published: October 2013

A compact optical fiber coupler has been developed to allow transmission of light through an optical fiber to and from the high pressure region of a diamond anvil high pressure cell. Despite its small size the coupler has focusing adjustments and optics, which allows the light to be focused precisely on the sample within the pressure cell. The coupler is suitable for a wide range of optical measurements and particularly for high pressure measurements at low temperatures in cryostats with no optical windows. The use of the coupler to determine the pressure in a diamond anvil cell at 1.2 K using the ruby fluorescence spectra of ruby is demonstrated. The small size of the coupler and its construction out of nonmagnetic beryllium copper makes it suitable for use in high magnetic fields and for magnetization experiments.
Computational kinetic study of chemotactic cell migration
Authors: Song Jihwan , Kim Dongchoul
Published: October 2013

The interaction between the cell and the substrate is the most prominent feature of the crawling cell. Here, a three-dimensional dynamic chemotaxis model for a crawling cell is proposed based on the diffuse interface description. From the computational analysis, the interfacial effect on the chemotactic migration is systematically analyzed with respect to an energetic and kinetic view. Quantitative information about the interfacial effect on the chemotactic migration is provided with a suggested correlation coefficient that defines the relation between the surface tension and the adhesion strength. Moreover, the analyzed kinetic effect elucidates the chemotactic migration of cells on morphologically patterned substrates. The developed approach provides considerably reliable information for the effective experimental control of crawling cells with the condition of a substrate.
Generalizations of the Heisenberg and Schrödinger uncertainty relations
Authors: Dou Yan-Ni , Du Hong-Ke
Published: October 2013

In this paper, releasing the restriction on operators which are self-adjoint, we propose a Heisenberg-type uncertainty relation and a Schrödinger-type uncertainty relation with any pair of operators on a Hilbert space. A generalization of Luo's theorem [S. Luo, “Heisenberg uncertainty relation for mixed states,” Phys. Rev. A 72, 042110 (2005)] is investigated.
Photo effects at the Schottky interface in extraordinary optoconductance
Authors: Tran L. C. , Werner F. M. , Newaz A. K. M. , Solin S. A.
Published: October 2013

Non-uniform optical illuminations near the Schottky interface of Ti/GaAs metal-semiconductor hybrid (MSH) structures induce local photovoltages transverse and lateral to the interface. In these VLSI-compatible, room temperature optical sensors, the optical response of the MSH resistance is directly linked to the Schottky barrier behavior. In order to correlate the interface behavior with the overall heterostructure behavior, quantities such as transverse photovoltage, lateral photovoltage, and resistance are all recorded as a function of laser spot location. The interface's photovoltaic dependence on intensity is consistent with a MSH in which quantum efficiency is independent of optical intensity.
Implementation of an operator intervention system for remote control of the RIKEN 28 GHz superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source
Authors: Uchiyama A. , Furukawa K. , Higurashi Y. , Nakagawa T.
Published: October 2013

The control system for the RIKEN 28 GHz superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source (28 GHz SC-ECRIS) consists of a distributed control system based on the experimental physics and industrial control system. To maintain the beam quality for the long beam-service time at the radioactive isotope beam factory, beam tuning to prevent subtle changes in the 28 GHz SC-ECRIS conditions is required. Once this is achieved, it should then be possible to check conditions and operate the ion source at any time. We have designed a web-based operational interface to remotely control the ion source, but for access and control from several locations, suitable access security, policies, and methods are required. We thus implemented an operator intervention system that makes it possible to safely access the network externally with the permission of on-site accelerator operators in the control room.
On the determination of the limit cycles using the harmonic balance method
Authors: Giné Jaume
Published: October 2013

Several methods have been developed to search for limit cycles or bifurcation curves of nonlinear differential equations. Recently, some non-perturbative methods have been proposed. However, the majority of these methods are based on the so-called harmonic balance method. In this paper, we will see how to use the harmonic balance method to obtain information of the number, period, and form of the limit cycles of certain nonlinear equations. The method also gives a sequence of algebraic approximations of the limit cycles. We will also compare our results with other non-perturbative methods. The results can be generalized to other nonlinear differential equations.
Robust carrier formation process in low-band gap organic photovoltaics
Authors: Yonezawa Kouhei , Kamioka Hayato , Yasuda Takeshi , Han Liyuan , Moritomo Yutaka
Published: October 2013

By means of femto-second time-resolved spectroscopy, we investigated the carrier formation process against film morphology and temperature (T) in highly-efficient organic photovoltaic, poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′] dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b] thiophenediyl]] (PTB7)/[6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) solar cells. We found that the carrier formation efficiency (ϕCF) from an absorbed photon is nearly independent of the film morphology, indicating that the internal quantum efficiency (ϕIQ) is mainly governed by the carrier transfer efficiency (ϕCT) to the electrodes. The activation energy (Ea=0.5–0.8 meV) of ϕCF is significantly low, which suggests an extended charge-transfer state around the PTB7/PC70BM interface.
Lower limits to metal-semiconductor contact resistance: Theoretical models and experimental data
Authors: Baraskar Ashish , Gossard A. C. , Rodwell Mark J. W.
Published: October 2013

We calculate the minimum feasible contact resistivity to n-type and p-type In0.53Ga0.47As, InAs, GaAs, GaSb, InP, and InSb. The calculations consider image force lowering and assume either parabolic or non-parabolic energy dispersion in the semiconductor; their results are compared with recent experimental data. Among significant results, the measured contact resistivity to n-In0.53Ga0.47As at a carrier concentration of 5 × 1019 cm−3 is only 2.3:1 higher than that calculated assuming a 0.2 eV barrier potential, and the measured contact resistivity is only 9.0:1 larger than the Landauer quantum conductivity limit at this carrier concentration. These results indicate that, with the surface preparation procedures presently employed, surface contamination does not markedly increase the interface resistance, and that the transmission coefficient for carriers crossing the interface exceeds 10%.
Modeling stress development and hydrogen diffusion in plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition silicon nitride films submitted to thermal cycles
Authors: Morin Pierre Francois , Pelletier Bertrand , Laffosse Elise , Plantier Lise
Published: October 2013

We conducted isochronal stress hysteresis measurements coupled with thermal desorption spectroscopy on silicon nitride thin films obtained by performing plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition on (001) silicon wafers. Above the deposition temperature, we observed irreversible stress build-up in parallel to substantial hydrogen effusion out of the films. We confirmed that the hydrogen dissociation and stress build-up can be modeled with similar kinetic equations. The hydrogen dissociation and stress development activation energies as well as the hydrogen diffusion coefficients were determined by fitting the experimental data with solutions to the kinetics and Fickian diffusion equations obtained with the finite difference method. A first order correlation was found between the hydrogen diffusion coefficients calculated between 400 and 800 °C and the silicon nitride film density.
Study of the effects of a transverse magnetic field on radio frequency argon discharges by two-dimensional particle-in-cell-Monte-Carlo collision simulations
Authors: Fan Yu , Zou Ying , Sun Jizhong , Stirner Thomas , Wang Dezhen
Published: October 2013

The influence of an applied magnetic field on plasma-related devices has a wide range of applications. Its effects on a plasma have been studied for years; however, there are still many issues that are not understood well. This paper reports a detailed kinetic study with the two-dimension-in-space and three-dimension-in-velocity particle-in-cell plus Monte Carlo collision method on the role of E×B drift in a capacitive argon discharge, similar to the experiment of You et al. [Thin Solid Films 519, 6981 (2011)]. The parameters chosen in the present study for the external magnetic field are in a range common to many applications. Two basic configurations of the magnetic field are analyzed in detail: the magnetic field direction parallel to the electrode with or without a gradient. With an extensive parametric study, we give detailed influences of the drift on the collective behaviors of the plasma along a two-dimensional domain, which cannot be represented by a 1 spatial and 3 velocity dimensions model. By analyzing the results of the simulations, the occurring collisionless heating mechanism is explained well.
Effects of the resistivity profile on the formation of a reversed configuration and single helicity states in compressible simulations of the reversed-field pinch
Authors: Onofri M. , Malara F.
Published: October 2013

Compressible magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the reversed-field pinch (RFP) are presented. Previous simulations of the RFP, including density and pressure evolution, showed that a stationary state with a reversed toroidal magnetic field could not be obtained, contrary to the results produced with numerical codes neglecting density and pressure dynamics. The simulations described in the present paper show that including density and pressure evolution, a stationary RFP configuration can be obtained if the resistivity has a radial profile steeply increasing close to the wall. Such resistivity profile is more realistic than a uniform resistivity, since the temperature at the wall is lower than in the plasma core.
Nonlinear dynamics of particles excited by an electric curtain
Authors: Myers Owen D. , Wu Junru , Marshall Jeffrey S.
Published: October 2013

The use of the electric curtain (EC) has been proposed for manipulation and control of particles in various applications. The EC studied in this paper is called the 2-phase EC, which consists of a series of long parallel electrodes embedded in a thin dielectric surface. The EC is driven by an oscillating electric potential of a sinusoidal form where the phase difference of the electric potential between neighboring electrodes is 180°. We investigate the one- and two-dimensional nonlinear dynamics of a particle in an EC field. The form of the dimensionless equations of motion is codimension two, where the dimensionless control parameters are the interaction amplitude (A) and damping coefficient (β). Our focus on the one-dimensional EC is primarily on a case of fixed β and relatively small A, which is characteristic of typical experimental conditions. We study the nonlinear behaviors of the one-dimensional EC through the analysis of bifurcations of fixed points in the Poincaré sections. We analyze these bifurcations by using Floquet theory to determine the stability of the limit cycles associated with the fixed points in the Poincaré sections. Some of the bifurcations lead to chaotic trajectories where we then determine the strength of chaos in phase space by calculating the largest Lyapunov exponent. In the study of the two-dimensional EC, we independently look at bifurcation diagrams of variations in A with fixed β and variations in β with fixed A. Under certain values of β and A, we find that no stable trajectories above the surface exists; such chaotic trajectories are described by a chaotic (strange) attractor, for which the largest Lyapunov exponent is found. We show the well-known stable oscillations between two electrodes come into existence for variations in A and the transitions between several distinct regimes of stable motion for variations in β.
Enhancement of photocurrent of poly(3-hexylthiophene)/n-type Si diodes by incorporating the reduced graphene oxide sheets
Authors: Lin Yow-Jon , Chin Yi-Min
Published: October 2013

In this study, the effect of the incorporation of the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets into poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) on photocurrent in the RGO-doped P3HT/n-type Si diode was examined. Photocurrent proportional to RGO doping was observed. Charge detrapping phenomena are studied through time domain measurement for P3HT-based thin-film transistors. Results revealed that RGO influences the photoresponse by increasing the number of the trapped electrons in RGO as well as providing additional holes that serve to reduce the photocurrent time constant. High responsivity thus originates from efficient light absorption and carrier collection.
Y chromosome in Turner syndrome: detection of hidden mosaicism and the report of a rare X;Y translocation case
Authors: Bispo Adriana Valéria Sales , Burégio-Frota Pollyanna , Oliveira dos Santos Luana , Leal Gabriela Ferraz , Duarte Andrea Rezende , Araújo Jacqueline , Cavalcante da Silva Vanessa , Muniz Maria Tereza Cartaxo , Liehr Thomas , Santos Neide
Published: October 2013

Turner syndrome (TS) is a common genetic disorder in females associated with the absence of complete or parts of a second sex chromosome. In 5–12% of patients, mosaicism for a cell line with a normal or structurally abnormal Y chromosome is identified. The presence of Y-chromosome material is of medical importance because it results in an increased risk of developing gonadal tumours and virilisation. Molecular study and fluorescence in situ hybridisation approaches were used to study 74 Brazilian TS patients in order to determine the frequency of hidden Y-chromosome mosaicism, and to infer the potential risk of developing malignancies. Additionally, we describe one TS girl with a very uncommon karyotype 46,X,der(X)t(X;Y)(p22.3?2;q11.23) comprising a partial monosomy of Xp22.3?2 together with a partial monosomy of Yq11.23. The presence of cryptic Y-chromosome-specific sequences was detected in 2.7% of the cases. All patients with Y-chromosome-positive sequences showed normal female genitalia with no signs of virilisation. Indeed, the clinical data from Y-chromosome-positive patients was very similar to those with Y-negative results. Therefore, we recommend that the search for hidden Y-chromosome mosaicism should be carried out in all TS cases and not be limited to virilised patients or carriers of a specific karyotype.
National models for making and legitimating elites
Authors: Bauer Michel , Bertin-Mourot Bénédicte
Published: October 2013

The apparent triumph of economic rationality, the globalization of firms and the construction of the European Union all suggest that the ways of making top leaders in big German, British and French companies should be converging since these firms must cope with the same constraints. This argument, however appealing, overlooks the social dimension of the making of elites. A comparison of the heads of the 200 biggest British, French and German firms brings to light three contrasting national models for producing legitimate authority and thus sheds light on three quite different types of business elites. This is a far cry from a single European model, far indeed given that each of these three models for the making of a business elite has roots in each country’s historical and social ‘logics’. This fact endows these models with stability and makes it quite hard for a European model to even gradually emerge.
Managing money in British and Swedish households
Authors: Roman Christine , Vogler Carolyn
Published: October 2013

Using data from two large-scale surveys, this article compares methods of money management within households in two countries with different levels of women’s economic dependency and different ideologies of breadwinning, namely Britain and Sweden. The results show that while the joint pool was similar in both countries in being associated with the most egalitarian patterns of control over and access to money, Swedish couples using other allocative systems were characterised by more egalitarian financial practices than their British counterparts. We then go on to explore the main predictors of money management in the two countries, showing that while previous research has tended to focus on women’s economic contribution to the household, ideologies or discourses also play a crucial role in contributing to the handling of money within marriage. In both countries the most egalitarian method of money management was associated with women contributing a significant proportion of total household income (relative to the man) and with ideologies or discourses of co-provision. We therefore conclude that resource and cultural theories need to be treated less as alternative explanations and more as complementary trends, since economic and cultural factors are interrelated and reinforce each other in broadly similar ways in the two countries.
Outcomes and Predictors of Mortality and Stroke after On-Pump and Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Octogenarians
Authors: Raja Shahzad G. , Shah Jaymin , Navaratnarajah Manoraj , Amin Fouad , Amrani Mohamed
Published: October 2013

Objective

Octogenarians, as the fastest growing stratum of the population and with the highest prevalence of coronary artery disease, are being increasingly referred for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The general perception is that the presence of comorbidities and the propensity for neurological injury expose them to a higher risk for mortality and morbidity after conventional on-pump CABG, and therefore, off-pump CABG should be preferentially offered to octogenarians to improve outcomes. This study evaluates the in-hospital outcomes and predictors of mortality and stroke in octogenarians undergoing on- and off-pump CABG at our institution.

Methods

From January 2000 to December 2010, a total of 290 octogenarians underwent off-pump (n = 217) and on-pump (n = 73) CABG. Their data were prospectively entered into the cardiac surgery database (Patients Analysis & Tracking System; Dendrite Clinical Systems, Ltd, Oxford, England, United Kingdom) and analyzed retrospectively. Outcome measures included in-hospital mortality, major complications, and length of stay. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of combined outcome of in-hospital mortality and stroke.

Results

The mean ± SD age of the patients was 82 ± 2.0 years. Preoperative demographics were similar for the on-pump and off-pump groups. The patients who underwent off-pump CABG had a lower number of distal anastomoses performed compared with the patients who underwent on-pump CABG [mean difference, 0.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.02–0.4; P = 0.03]. However, the ratio of grafts (received/needed) was the same in both groups. In-hospital mortality for the entire cohort was 7.2%, with no significant difference between the groups for death (6.0% vs 11.0%; P = 0.08), stroke (2.8% vs 2.8%; P = 1.0), other major complications, and length of hospital stay. Independent predictors of combined outcome identified from the multiple logistic model included heart failure [odds ratio (OR), 4.4; 95% CI, 1.5–13.0; P = 0.008], diabetes (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.0–6.0; P = 0.046), nitrate infusion (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1–8.0; P = 0.04), postoperative renal failure requiring hemofiltration (OR, 8.6; 95% CI, 3.5–21.1; P < 0.001), and postoperative ventricular arrhythmias (OR, 7.3; 95% CI, 1.9–27.8; P = 0.009).

Conclusions

Both on-pump and off-pump CABG are reasonable revascularization strategies in octogenarians. Careful patient selection and individualized treatment decisions can minimize postoperative mortality and morbidity in octogenarians undergoing on- and off-pump CABG.
Assessment of a New Type I Endoleak Repair Technique Using an Anchoring Device
Authors: Tuan Pham Minh , Ohtake Hiroshi , Ryuta Seguchi , Watanabe Go
Published: October 2013

Objective

Type I endoleaks are one of the most frequent and life-threatening complications of thoracic endovascular aortic repair. This study aimed to assess the use of suture-anchoring devices for repairing type I endoleaks.

Methods

The descending aortic aneurysm model (saccular type) was made by side-to-end anastomosis to a Dacron graft. A Matsui-Kitamura stent graft was deployed to create a proximal type I endoleak. Approximately 5 mm above the upper rim of the anastomosis, the aorta was punctured by the pistol of the suture-anchoring device with a T-shaped bar under fluoroscopy. Sutures were applied until angiography showed the absence of a type I endoleak. During the process, two pressure measurements were used to perform continuous assessments of aortic pressure and intra-aneurysm sac pressure.

Results

A mean ± SD of 5 ± 1 anchoring shots were used to eliminate type I endoleaks. The device performed well, and no complications were observed. The mean ± SD intrasac pressures before stent graft deployment, during endoleak maintenance, and after repair were 118 ± 5, 61 ± 4, and 26 ± 5 mm Hg, respectively. The postrepair pressure was significantly decreased ( P < 0.001; Student t test).

Conclusions

Despite some anatomic and clinical limitations identified during the experiments, the effectiveness of the suture-anchoring device was confirmed. Further improvement of the device will soon lead to its use as a less invasive endoleak repair procedure.
Thirty-Five Day Impella 5.0 Support via Right Axillary Side Graft Cannulation for Acute Cardiogenic Shock
Authors: Castillo-Sang Mario A , Prasad Sunil M. , Singh Jasvindar , Ewald Gregory A. , Silvestry Scott C.
Published: October 2013

We describe the use of an Impella 5.0 for mechanical support in acute cardiogenic shock after an acute myocardial infarction. A 61-year-old man with a history of severe coronary artery disease who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with ischemic cardiomyopathy presented with cardiogenic shock after an ST-elevation myocardial infarction. An Impella Recover LP 5.0 (Abiomed, Danvers, MA USA) was inserted via a right axillary side graft, using transesophageal echocardiographic and fluoroscopic guidance. The patient remained in the intensive care unit, where he required a tracheostomy to beweaned off the ventilator. He required renal replacement therapy with subsequent complete recovery. His Impella support was weaned, and on postoperative day 35, the device was removed. The patient developed axillary thrombosis the morning after removal, requiring thrombectomy. Discharge echocardiogram showed mild left ventricular enlargement with global hypokinesis and left ventricular ejection fraction of 25%. The Impella 5.0 device can safely and effectively be used in the long-term support of cardiogenic shock.
Ex Vivo Pneumostasis Evaluation of a Variable-Height Staple Design
Authors: Contini Elizabeth , Godek Marisha L. , Whiffen Jennifer M. , Bronson Dwight G.
Published: October 2013

Objective

This study examined the effect of using a variable-height staple construct containing three rows of staples with heights of 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 mm (staple leg length, medial to lateral) versus standard three-row single-height staplers (with staple heights of either 3.5 or 4.8 mm) for pneumostasis in healthy porcine and canine lung parenchyma to determine whether a single stapler that uses variable staple heights could perform as well as, or better than, existing single-height stapling devices. The work presented here used healthy animal tissues, in lieu of diseased tissue, which is extremely difficult to obtain and quantify.

Methods

Briefly, fresh explanted porcine and canine trachea-lung blocs were used for all testing. Tissue thicknesses were measured with a custom-design spring-loaded caliper before stapling with control and test articles to ensure that the tissue was of “appropriate” thickness for the stapler size (staple height) selected (per manufacturer's instructions for use). All tissue measurements were comparable across each area of lung tested, and both test and control devices were fired into the same tissue thicknesses. After stapling, the lungs were submerged in water, insufflated, checked for air leaks at four discrete (increasing) pressures, and scored using a predetermined scale. Statistical analysis was performed for n = 26 (3.5-mm staples), n = 29 (4.8-mm staples), and n = 26 or 29 (paired to the standard group) for the variable-height stapler (3.0-, 3.5-, and 4.0-mm staples).

Results

The results demonstrated that the test article comprising three rows of variable-height staples provided comparable pneumostasis with the standard three-row single-height staplers (with staple heights of either 3.5 or 4.8 mm) under the test conditions described.

Conclusions

A novel test article containing three rows of staples with heights of 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 mm (variable-height stapler) showed promising results when compared with standard commercially available single-height staplers, performing as well as or better than the standard single-height staplers. This work demonstrates important first steps to proving equivalent device performance, which might facilitate the use of a variable-height stapler in place of multiple single-height staplers.