bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Belief and Unbelief: Two sides of a Coin
Authors: Davie Grace
Published: August 2013

It is widely recognised that the process of secularisation takes place differently in different parts of the world. Less often appreciated is the wide variety of ‘secularities’ (and indeed of ‘secularisms’) that emerge as a result. This article will look at this question systematically, and will try to identify at least some of the factors that must be taken into account if we are to understand unbelief as well as belief. In so doing it builds on the author's earlier work relating to patterns of religion in modern Europe.1
Approximate ordinary differential equations for the optimal exercise boundaries of American put and call options
Authors: RODRIGO MARIANITO R.
Published: August 2013

We revisit the American put and call option valuation problems. We derive analytical formulas for the option prices and approximate ordinary differential equations for the optimal exercise boundaries. Numerical simulations yield accurate option prices and comparable computational speeds when benchmarked against the binomial method for calculating option prices. Our approach is based on the Mellin transform and an adaptation of the Kármán–Pohlausen technique for boundary layers in fluid mechanics.
Emergency Nursing Staff Dispatch: Sensitivity and Specificity in Detecting Prehospital Need for Physician Interventions During Ambulance Transport in Rovigo Emergency Ambulance Service, Italy
Authors: Leopardi Marco , Sommacampagna Marco
Published: August 2013

Introduction

In Italy, administration of medications or advanced procedures dictates the prehospital presence of a physician to initiate treatment. Nursing staff is often used as dispatchers in Italian emergency medical ambulance services. There is little data about nursing dispatch performance in detecting high-acuity patients who need prehospital medications and procedures.

Objective

To determine the ability of a dispatch center staffed by emergency ambulance nurses to detect prehospital need for physician interventions in the context of a semi-rural area Emergency Medical Services system.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 53,606 calls from the Rovigo Emergency Ambulance Services’ database was undertaken. Physician prehospital interventions were defined as the administration of medications or procedures (advanced airway management and ventilation, pneumothorax decompression, fluid replacement therapy, external defibrillation, cardioversion and pacing). The dispatch codes (assigned by a subjective decision-making process as Red, Yellow, or Green) of all transported prehospital patient calls were matched with an out-of-hospital triage system staffed by clinicians to determine the number of correctly identified prehospital need of physician interventions. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated.

Results

The sensitivity of subjective experience-based nursing dispatch in detecting the need for physician interventions was 78.0% (95% CI, 76.9%-79.1%), with a PPV of 36.6% (95% CI, 35.8%-37.5%). Specificity was 83.8% (95% CI: 83.4%-84.1%), with an NPV of 96.9% (95% CI, 96.8%-97.1%).

Conclusion

A dispatch center staffed by nurses with six years of experience and three months of training correctly identified when not to send a doctor to the scene in the absence of need for physician interventions, using a subjective decision-making process. The nurses staffing the dispatch center also worked in the field. Dispatch center staff were not able to predict when there was no need for physician interventions in high-acuity dispatch code patients, resulting in an over-triage and use of emergency physicians on scene.

LeopardiM, SommacampagnaM.Emergency nursing staff dispatch: sensitivity and specificity in detecting prehospital need for physician interventions during ambulance transport in Rovigo Emergency Ambulance Service, Italy. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(5):1-6.
A Value-at-Risk framework for longevity trend risk ‐ Abstract of the London discussion
Authors: Richards Stephen
Published: August 2013

This abstract relates to the following paper:

RichardsS. J., CurrieI. D. and RitchieG. P.A Value-at-Risk framework for longevity trend risk.British Actuarial Journal, doi:10.1017/S1357321712000451
A Value-at-Risk framework for longevity trend risk ‐ Abstract of the Edinburgh discussion
Authors: Richards Stephen
Published: August 2013

This abstract relates to the following paper:

RichardsS. J., CurrieI. D. and RitchieG. P.A Value-at-Risk framework for longevity trend risk.British Actuarial Journal, doi:10.1017/S1357321712000342
Tubule Density and Diameter in Coronal Dentin from Primary and Permanent Human Teeth
Authors: Lenzi Tathiane L. , Guglielmi Camila de Almeida B. , Arana-Chavez Victor E. , Raggio Daniela P.
Published: August 2013

This study compared dentinal tubule density and diameter of human primary and permanent teeth at different depths of the coronal dentin. Crowns of eight primary second molars and eight permanent third molars were serially sectioned into three disks of ~0.5 mm thickness (superficial, middle, and deep layers), perpendicular to the long axis. Tubule density and diameter were evaluated in 2,000× and 3,000× magnifications by scanning electron microscopy. Data obtained were subjected to two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test (α = 0.05). Tubule density was greater in primary teeth compared with permanent ones, regardless of depth (primary: 124,329 ± 43,594 mm2; permanent: 45,972 ± 21,098 mm2). In general, the tubule density increased as the dentin depth increased, except to the superficial and middle layers from permanent teeth. Tubule diameter was larger in the dentin layer close to the pulp chamber (superficial: 2.4 ± 0.07 μm; middle: 3.70 ± 0.06 μm; deep: 4.28 ± 0.04 μm). No difference was observed between primary (3.48 ± 0.81 μm) and permanent teeth (3.47 ± 0.73 μm). The tubule diameter increases as the dentin depth increases for primary and permanent teeth; however, the tubule density is higher in primary teeth.
Taxonomically and functionally diverse microbial communities in deep crystalline rocks of the Fennoscandian shield
Authors: Nyyssönen Mari , Hultman Jenni , Ahonen Lasse , Kukkonen Ilmo , Paulin Lars , Laine Pia , Itävaara Merja , Auvinen Petri
Published: August 2013

Microbial life in the nutrient-limited and low-permeability continental crystalline crust is abundant but remains relatively unexplored. Using high-throughput sequencing to assess the 16S rRNA gene diversity, we found diverse bacterial and archaeal communities along a 2516-m-deep drill hole in continental crystalline crust in Outokumpu, Finland. These communities varied at different sampling depths in response to prevailing lithology and hydrogeochemistry. Further analysis by shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed variable carbon and nutrient utilization strategies as well as specific functional and physiological adaptations uniquely associated with specific environmental conditions. Altogether, our results show that predominant geological and hydrogeochemical conditions, including the existence and connectivity of fracture systems and the low amounts of available energy, have a key role in controlling microbial ecology and evolution in the nutrient and energy-poor deep crustal biosphere.
Yield estimation model for lithography hotspot distortions
Authors: Gómez S. , Moll F.
Published: August 2013

A yield formulation model to estimate the amount of lithography distortion expected in a printed layout is proposed. The yield formulation relates the probability of non‐failure of a lithography hotspot with the yield loss. The application of the yield model is demonstrated for three different layout configurations showing that unidimensional designs may improve manufacturing yield.
Hardware‐circuit‐based diagnosis method for open‐switch faults in inverters
Authors: An Q.T. , Sun L. , Sun L.Z.
Published: August 2013

The theory, design, implementation and experimental validation of a hardware‐circuit‐based diagnosis method for open‐switch faults in voltage source inverters are discussed. Operating states of the inverter under both healthy and faulty conditions are analysed. The estimated voltages can be achieved as pre‐fault voltages by means of the switching function model of the inverter under a normal condition. Then, the error voltages between the estimated ones and measured ones can be used to detect faults. To achieve reliable diagnosis, the design employs both the amplitude limit and the duration limit to filter the error voltages so as to eliminate effects of the deadtimes and the switching processes of power devices. The proposed method is validated by experiments.
Soil moisture inversion from polarimetric SAR data using three‐scale model
Authors: Yan J. , Li Y. , Yin Q. , Hong W.
Published: August 2013

First, a polarimetric three‐scale scattering model, including a large‐scale‐slope‐induced polarisation orientation angle shift, a moderate‐scale orientation angle disturbance and a small‐scale Bragg resonance, to describe the polarimetric coherence matrix for a sloped rough surface is introduced. Then, a look‐up table is created to demonstrate the relations between polarimetric scattering coefficients and the dielectric constant varying with different terrain slopes. Finally, a look‐up‐table‐based inversion method is developed and airborne AgriSAR 2006 data for a sloped bare soil area are chosen to validate the inversion.
Fast image segmentation by convex minimisation and split Bregman method
Authors: Li W.B. , Song S.H. , Luo F.
Published: August 2013

A convex minimisation model for image segmentation is proposed. The basic idea of this model is that objects will be detected automatically if background is removed. The local information of every pixel is used to make the model applicable to images with intensity inhomogeneity. Also, by using a convex approximation of the Heaviside function, the convex energy function of the proposed model is obtained. Then it is minimised by applying the split Bregman method, which is a fast technique to obtain the global minimiser. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model is powerful in efficiency and accuracy.
Experimental characterisations of thin film transmission line losses
Authors: Kim D. , Kim H. , Eo Y.
Published: August 2013

New frequency‐variant losses of planar thin film transmission lines are experimentally investigated in a broad frequency range. The frequency‐variant transmission line parameters are accurately determined in the measured frequency band (i.e. from 40 MHz to 50 GHz). Then, it is shown that there are three critical frequencies that characterise the loss mechanism of thin film transmission lines. The conventional skin‐effect model is not accurate in thin and fine transmission lines.
Multiscale complex network constructed from chaotic time series
Authors: Sun J.C.
Published: August 2013

Complex networks play a significant role in modern complex systems sciences in that they allow for the quantitative analysis of the structural properties of systems composed of different interacting entities. Recently, intensive efforts have been made to apply network‐based concepts also for the analysis of time series. In this reported work, multiscale complex networks from the chaotic time series are constructed by a decomposition strategy. Since different components exist in the time series, it was found that the constructed network inherits the multiscale properties of the time series in its structure. For example, periodic series and noisy series convert into regular networks and random networks, respectively. A novel method for the chaotic time series analysis is provided.
Phased array antenna with ultra‐low sidelobes
Authors: Mohammed J.R.
Published: August 2013

An innovative technique for obtaining ultra‐low sidelobes pattern in a phased array is proposed. This technique involves the addition of two external edge elements which together produce an interferometer pattern used for cancellation of sidelobes. To obtain optimum cancellation of the sidelobes, the sidelobe structure of the original array must be designed to exactly match with that of the interferometer pattern.
Frequency/voltage conversion circuit for alternating current electrogravimetry
Authors: Vazquez‐Uzal D. , Gabrielli C. , Perrot H. , Rodriguez‐Pardo L. , Rose D. , Sel O.
Published: August 2013

A frequency/voltage conversion circuit for alternating current electrogravimetric measurements based on quartz crystal microbalance oscillators is proposed. This circuit improves the sensitivity and the bandwidth of the conversion systems proposed until now. Static and dynamic calibration results of the circuit are reported. These results prove its reliability for alternating current‐electrogravimetric measurements and will allow the development of new applications in various electrochemical fields.
Applications of Barker coded infrared imaging method for characterisation of glass fibre reinforced plastic materials
Authors: Dua G. , Mulaveesala R.
Published: August 2013

Among various widely used thermal non‐destructive testing methods, non‐stationary thermal non‐destructive testing modalities have proved to be an indispensable approach for the inspection and evaluation of various solid materials. These techniques facilitate the use of low peak power heat sources in a moderate time compared with the conventional widely used pulsed and sinusoidal modulated (lock‐in) thermographic techniques. In this reported work, Barker non‐stationary excitation followed by Hilbert transform‐based matched filtering for the detection of subsurface features lying deep inside a glass fibre‐reinforced plastic test sample is incorporated. Results obtained from this pulse compression approach are less affected by random noise generated inside the test sample during experimentation as well as the variations of surface emissivity over the test sample. A comparison has been carried out among the amplitude, time delay and phase images obtained for the experimentally matched filter data.
Efficient fuzzy‐controlled and hybrid entropy coding strategy lossless ECG encoder VLSI design for wireless body sensor networks
Authors: Chen S.‐L. , Luo G.‐A. , Lin T.‐L.
Published: August 2013

An efficient VLSI design of a lossless electrocardiogram (ECG) encoder is proposed for wireless body sensor networks. To save wireless transmission power, a novel lossless encoding algorithm had been created for ECG signal compression. The proposed algorithm consists of a novel adaptive predictor based on fuzzy decision control, and a novel hybrid entropy encoder including both a two‐stage Huffman and a Golomb‐Rice coding. The VLSI architecture contains only 2.71 K gate counts and its core area is 33 929 μm2 synthesized by a 0.18 μm CMOS process. Moreover, this design can be operated at 100 MHz processing rate by consuming only 30 μW. It achieves an average compression rate of 2.56 for the MIT‐BIH arrhythmia database. Compared with previous low‐complexity and high‐performance lossless ECG encoder studies, this design has a higher compression rate, lower power consumption and lower hardware cost than other VLSI designs.
Optimal beamforming in spectrum sharing cognitive non‐regenerative multi‐relay networks
Authors: Feng R. , Li Q. , Zhang Q. , Qin J.
Published: August 2013

An optimal beamforming design for spectrum sharing cognitive non‐regenerative multi‐relay networks that maximises the signal‐to‐noise ratio of the secondary user subject to the total transmit power constraint at the relays and the interference power constraint at the primary user is proposed. In the power‐limited regime and the interference‐limited regime, closed‐form beamformers can be found. While in the intermediate operating regime, the beamforming problem is first transformed to a convex semidefinite programming (SDP) via rank‐one relaxation and Charnes‐Cooper transformation, and then the optimal beamformers are found by applying the rank‐one decomposition theorem to the solution of the established SDP. Simulation results show that the proposed solution performs better than existing schemes.
Robust localisation algorithm for solving neighbour position ambiguity
Authors: Zhang Xuefei , Cui Qimei , Shi Yulong , Tao Xiaofeng
Published: August 2013

Localisation error due to sensitivity to position ambiguity, with respect to some neighbouring nodes, is a major problem in wireless localisation. To solve this problem, the tangent linear approximation (TLA) for the nonlinear localisation model is derived, contributing to incorporating the effect of the neighbours’ position ambiguity into belief propagation (BP) localisation. Theoretical analysis and numerical results indicate that the TLA‐BP algorithm can acquire higher accuracy and convergence probability compared with other typical methods.
Switching‐based variable step‐size approach for partial update LMS algorithms
Authors: Chien Y.‐R. , Tseng W.‐J.
Published: August 2013

A switching‐based variable step‐size approach for partial update least‐mean‐square (LMS) algorithms is proposed. During the initial stage, the errors are dominated by the mismatch between the tap weights of the adaptive filter and its ideal weights. In this reported work, the error signals are correlated with the linear interpolated error signals to gain a large step‐size; on the other hand, during the steady state, the errors mainly come from the additive noise. Therefore, the correlation is switched to the other mode so that the effect of noise can be eliminated. This can be done by correlating the error signals with a delayed version of the error signals, hence a small step‐size is obtained during the late stages. Simulation results show that when only a half of all taps are updated in one iteration, the proposed method significantly enhances the convergence rate, especially for the ‘data independent’ partial update LMS algorithms.
Study of graphene field‐effect transistors under electrostatic discharge stresses
Authors: Dong Shurong , Zhong Lei , Zeng Jie , Guo Wei , Li Hongwei , Wang Jun , Guo Zhiguang , Liou Juin J.
Published: August 2013

Graphene field‐effect transistors (GFETs) are characterised for the first time under electrostatic discharge stresses. The GFETs are measured from the transmission line pulsing (TLP) tester and very fast TLP (VFTLP) tester. The turn‐on behaviour influenced by back gate voltage is investigated. The I–V curve of the GFETs shows no characteristic of snapback from TLP or VFTLP measurement.
Strip‐fed tapered slot antenna with enhanced impedance bandwidth from 0.57 to 35 GHz
Authors: Lin F. , Jiao Y.‐C. , Zhang Z.
Published: August 2013

A wideband strip‐fed tapered slot antenna (TSA) for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)/antenna measurements is presented. The proposed TSA consists of a full‐shielded feeding transition from a SSMA‐connector to a bilateral slotline and a pair of logarithmically tapered arms. An irregular slotline cavity is used for wideband impedance matching. The whole feeding structure is an all 50 Ω design without any multi‐section impedance transformers that deteriorates the voltage standing wave ratio of the antenna. Also, the SSMA‐to‐strip transition is fully shielded to avoid undesired radiation loss. Experiments show that the antenna has an extremely wide operating bandwidth and can be applied to EMC/antenna measurements.
Frequency selective surface with wideband quasi‐elliptic bandpass response
Authors: Pelletti C. , Bianconi G. , Mittra R. , Shen Z.
Published: August 2013

A frequency selective surface with a new type of three‐dimensional element which produces a quasi‐elliptic bandpass response is presented. The element exhibits an elliptic bandpass response with a −3 dB bandwidth (BW/f0) of ∼ 70%, where f0 is the centre frequency. The design has been adapted to a form that can be conveniently fabricated by utilising printed technology. The measured results for the frequency response show good agreement with those predicted via numerical simulations.
1 V CMOS current references for wide‐temperature range applications
Authors: Calvo B. , Azcona C. , Medrano N. , Celma S.
Published: August 2013

Two new low‐voltage micropower first‐order temperature‐compensated CMOS current references are presented. To achieve compact architectures able to operate under low voltage with low power consumption, the references are based on the simplest approach of cross‐coupled current mirrors, and compensation is obtained by introducing a temperature‐dependent current mirror ratio. Results for 0.18 µm CMOS implementations show that the proposed 1 μA references operate with supplies down to 1 V showing temperature drifts below 231 ppm/°C over a (from –40 to 120°C) range.
Compact green design structure of distributed amplifier for 10–30 GHz UWB wireless receivers
Authors: Yeh Chin‐I , Feng Wu‐Shiung , Chen Chia‐Hsun
Published: August 2013

Presented is a new compact green design structure of distributed amplifiers in series with a common‐source circuit to reduce power‐dissipation and noise figure and increase gain‐bandwidth. Fabricated in a 90 nm CMOS standard process, the integrated circuit prototype achieves a unity‐gain cutoff frequency of 42 GHz and a gain of 8.4 dB, with a gain flatness of ± 1 dB over the bandwidth of 10–30 GHz. The noise figures are between 3.9 and 5.2 dB from 10 to 30 GHz of power consumption, and the current of the distributed amplifier is 11.13 mW, and 18.5 mA at 0.6 V supply voltage, respectively. The analytical, simulated and measured results are mutually consistent.
Simple spectrum sensing techniques based on cyclostationarity detection in cognitive radio networks
Authors: Narieda S. , Kageyama T.
Published: August 2013

A novel cyclostationarity‐detection‐based simple spectrum sensing technique of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals for cognitive radio networks is presented. The presented techniques do not require any reference tables to compute a cyclic autocorrelation function. The presented results are compared with the conventional results. Although these are found to be almost equal, the presented techniques have a lower hardware cost than the conventional techniques.
Design of efficient rectenna with vertical ground‐walls for RF energy harvesting
Authors: Moon J.I. , Cho I.K. , Kim S.M. , Jung Y.‐B.
Published: August 2013

The design of an efficient rectenna with vertical ground‐walls for RF energy harvesting is proposed. The proposed rectenna is composed of the broadband dipole‐type antenna and the rectangular ground plane with two vertical ground‐walls. Especially, the vertical ground‐walls are designed to suppress and harvest the back‐lobe of the main radiator without the disturbances of the main radiator's electrical performance. The back‐lobe of the proposed rectenna is significantly reduced to 8.4 dB and the amount of the harvesting energy is approximately 1.74% of the original input power. This rectenna has an advantage of simple design which helps to harvest RF energy from high‐gain antennas.
Influence of defective elements on performance of frequency selective surfaces
Authors: Turki B.M. , Parker E.A. , Batchelor J.C. , Ziai M.A. , Sanchez‐Romaguera V. , Yeates S.G.
Published: August 2013

The performances of frequency selective surface arrays in which some of the conducting elements at randomly chosen locations were absent or defective are described. The aim was to assess the proportion of defects that can be tolerated when low‐cost fabrication techniques are employed.
Decoherence reduces thermal energy loss in graphene quantum dots
Authors: Jaeger H. M. , Green J. R. , Prezhdo O. V.
Published: August 2013

Intraband splitting energies in graphene quantum dots are on the order of the fundamental phonon energies, creating a single-phonon relaxation pathway. Yet, charge carrier thermalization is slow. Our time-domain, ab initio computations demonstrate that the slow rate of electronic relaxation is due to quantum decoherence. The relaxation through the discrete states occurs on a 30 ps timescale. Electron-hole recombination takes place within 660 ps, two orders of magnitude slower than a coherent mechanism. Disorder introduced by structural variations around the edge expedites coherence loss, increasing the lifetimes of excited charge carriers in graphene quantum dots.
Graded contractions of the Gell-Mann graded $sl(3,\mathbb {C})$sl(3,C)
Authors: Hrivnák Jiří , Novotný Petr
Published: August 2013

The Gell-Mann grading, one of the four gradings of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\operatorname{sl}(3,\mathbb {C})$\end{document}sl(3,C) that cannot be further refined, is considered as the initial grading for the graded contraction procedure. Using the symmetries of the Gell-Mann grading, the system of contraction equations is reduced and solved. Each non-trivial solution of this system determines a Lie algebra which is not isomorphic to the original algebra \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\operatorname{sl}(3,\mathbb {C})$\end{document}sl(3,C). The resulting 53 contracted algebras are divided into two classes — the first is represented by the algebras which are also continuous Inönü–Wigner contractions, the second is formed by the discrete graded contractions.
Generating functionals and Lagrangian partial differential equations
Authors: Vankerschaver Joris , Liao Cuicui , Leok Melvin
Published: August 2013

The main goal of this paper is to derive an alternative characterization of the multisymplectic form formula for classical field theories using the geometry of the space of boundary values. We review the concept of Type-I/II generating functionals defined on the space of boundary data of a Lagrangian field theory. On the Lagrangian side, we define an analogue of Jacobi's solution to the Hamilton–Jacobi equation for field theories, and we show that by taking variational derivatives of this functional, we obtain an isotropic submanifold of the space of Cauchy data, described by the so-called multisymplectic form formula. As an example of the latter, we show that Lorentz's reciprocity principle in electromagnetism is a particular instance of the multisymplectic form formula. We also define a Hamiltonian analogue of Jacobi's solution, and we show that this functional is a Type-II generating functional. We finish the paper by defining a similar framework of generating functions for discrete field theories, and we show that for the linear wave equation, we recover the multisymplectic conservation law of Bridges.
Effect of subdominant species on the evolution of intense primary beam in a low energy beam transport line
Authors: Sing Babu P. , Goswami A. , Pandit V. S.
Published: August 2013

The dynamics of space-charge-dominated multispecies beam with different distributions has been studied in a solenoid based low energy beam transport line using a particle-in-cell simulation method. Results are presented in wide parameter regimes covering emittance dominated as well as space charge dominated multispecies beams consisting of p, H2+, and H3+ beams. Simulation shows the formation of hollow distribution of H2+ and H3+ beams around the desired proton beam and separation is more distinct as the fraction of proton is increased. The hollow formation is almost independent of combination of H2+ and H3+ beams, once the fraction of proton beam is fixed. The emittance growth of proton is found to increase sharply in the space-charge-dominated regime and is more in the cases where proton fraction is low.
Study of interatomic Coulombic decay of Ne(H2O)n (n = 1,3) clusters using equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method
Authors: Ghosh Aryya , Pal Sourav , Vaval Nayana
Published: August 2013

Interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) is an efficient and ultrafast radiationless decay mechanism which can be initiated by removal of an electron from the inner-valence shell of an atom or molecule. Generally, the ICD mechanism is prevailed in weakly bound clusters. A very promising approach, known as CAP/EOM-CC, consists of the combination of complex absorbing potential (CAP) with the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-CC) method, is applied for the first time to study the nature of the ICD mechanism. We have applied this technique to determine the lifetime of an auto-ionized, inner-valence excited state of the NeH2O, Ne(H2O)2, and Ne(H2O)3 systems. The lifetime is found to be very short and decreases significantly with the number of neighboring water molecules.
Effective tight-binding models for excitons in branched conjugated molecules
Authors: Li Hao , Malinin Sergey V. , Tretiak Sergei , Chernyak Vladimir Y.
Published: August 2013

Effective tight-binding models have been introduced to describe vertical electronic excitations in branched conjugated molecules. The excited-state electronic structure is characterized by quantum particles (excitons) that reside on an irregular lattice (graph) that reflects the molecular structure. The methodology allows for the exciton spectra and energy-dependent exciton scattering matrices to be described in terms of a small number of lattice parameters which can be obtained from quantum-chemical computations using the exciton scattering approach as a tool. We illustrate the tight-binding model approach using the time-dependent Hartree-Fock computations in phenylacetylene oligomers. The on-site energies and hopping constants have been identified from the exciton dispersion and scattering matrices. In particular, resonant, as well as bound states, are reproduced for a symmetric quadruple branching center. The capability of the tight-binding model approach to describe the exciton-phonon coupling and energetic disorder in large branched conjugated molecules is briefly discussed.
Lead free heterogeneous multilayers with giant magneto electric coupling for microelectronics/microelectromechanical systems applications
Authors: Nair Swapna S. , Pookat Geetha , Saravanan Venkata , Anantharaman M. R.
Published: August 2013

Lead free magneto electrics with a strong sub resonant (broad frequency range) magneto electric coupling coefficient (MECC) is the goal of the day which can revolutionise the microelectronics and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry. We report giant resonant MECC in lead free nanograined Barium Titanate–CoFe (Alloy)-Barium Titanate [BTO-CoFe-BTO] sandwiched thin films. The resonant MECC values obtained here are the highest values recorded in thin films/multilayers. Sub-resonant MECC values are quite comparable to the highest MECC reported in 2-2 layered structures. MECC got enhanced by two orders at a low frequency resonance. The results show the potential of these thin films for transducer, magnetic field assisted energy harvesters, switching devices, and storage applications. Some possible device integration techniques are also discussed.
Observation of Ω mode electron heating in dusty argon radio frequency discharges
Authors: Killer Carsten , Bandelow Gunnar , Matyash Konstantin , Schneider Ralf , Melzer André
Published: August 2013

The time-resolved emission of argon atoms in a dusty plasma has been measured with phase-resolved optical emission spectroscopy using an intensified charge-coupled device camera. For that purpose, three-dimensional dust clouds have been confined in a capacitively coupled rf argon discharge with the help of thermophoretic levitation. While electrons are exclusively heated by the expanding sheath (α mode) in the dust-free case, electron heating takes place in the entire plasma bulk when the discharge volume is filled with dust particles. Such a behavior is known as Ω mode, first observed in electronegative plasmas. Furthermore, particle-in-cell simulations have been carried out, which reproduce the trends of the experimental findings. These simulations support previous numerical models showing that the enhanced atomic emission in the plasma can be attributed to a bulk electric field, which is mainly caused by the reduced electrical conductivity due to electron depletion.
The structure and properties of (aluminum, oxygen) defect complexes in silicon
Authors: Shi Tingting , Yin Wan-Jian , Wu Yelong , Al-Jassim Mowafak , Yan Yanfa
Published: August 2013

The atomic structure and electronic properties of aluminum (Al)-related defect complexes in silicon (Si) are investigated using first-principles calculations. Individual substitutional Al (AlSi), interstitial Al (Ali) and their possible complex configurations with oxygen (O) atoms are studied. We find a unique stable complex configuration consisting of an Ali and an oxygen dimer, Ali-2Oi, which introduces deep levels in the band gap of Si. The formation energies of the Ali-2Oi complexes could be lower than that of individual Ali atoms under oxygen-rich conditions. The formation of Ali-2Oi complexes may explain the experimental observation that the coexistence of Al and O results in reduced carrier lifetime in Si wafers.
Interface properties of Ga(As,P)/(In,Ga)As strained multiple quantum well structures
Authors: Samberg Joshua P. , Alipour Hamideh M. , Bradshaw Geoffrey K. , Zachary Carlin C. , Colter Peter C. , LeBeau James M. , El-Masry N. A. , Bedair Salah M.
Published: August 2013

(In,Ga)As/Ga(As,P) multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with GaAs interface layers have been characterized with photoluminescence (PL) and high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). By growing (In,Ga)As/Ga(As,P) MQWs with asymmetric GaAs interfacial layers, we found that phosphorus carry-over had a profound effect on the absorption edge of the (In,Ga)As wells. Evidence for this phosphorus was initially determined via PL and then definitively proven through STEM and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. We show that the phosphorus carry-over can be prevented with sufficiently thick GaAs transition layers. Preliminary results for GaAs p-i-n solar cells utilizing the improved MQWs are presented.
Crystal domain growth driven by nanometric phase separation in perfect surface crystallization
Authors: Takahashi Yoshihiro , Yamaoka Kazuki , Yamazaki Yoshiki , Miyazaki Takamichi , Fujiwara Takumi
Published: August 2013

Phase separation often makes glass structure inhomogeneous. Nevertheless, a uniform texture consisting of single-crystal domains has been found by crystallization in nonstoichiometric glass, i.e., perfect surface-crystallization (PSC). Although the PSC is probably caused by evolution of SiO2-rich amorphous nanoparasites on the domain, its mechanism has not been understood yet. In this study, we examined an early-stage of PSC in a strontium-titanosilicate glass by means of nanoscopic observations. It was demonstrated that the binodal-like nanometric phase-separation and crystal-growth of fresnoite-type phase occur simultaneously at the crystal interface. It was strongly suggested that the PSC process is driven by the phase separation.
Influence of in-situ annealing ambient on p-type conduction in dual ion beam sputtered Sb-doped ZnO thin films
Authors: Pandey Sushil Kumar , Kumar Pandey Saurabh , Awasthi Vishnu , Gupta M. , Deshpande U. P. , Mukherjee Shaibal
Published: August 2013

Sb-doped ZnO (SZO) films were deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates by dual ion beam sputtering deposition system and subsequently annealed in-situ in vacuum and in various proportions of O2/(O2 + N2)% from 0% (N2) to 100% (O2). Hall measurements established all SZO films were p-type, as was also confirmed by typical diode-like rectifying current-voltage characteristics from p-ZnO/n-ZnO homojunction. SZO films annealed in O2 ambient exhibited higher hole concentration as compared with films annealed in vacuum or N2 ambient. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis confirmed that Sb5+ states were more preferable in comparison to Sb3+ states for acceptor-like SbZn-2VZn complex formation in SZO films.
Shapes Displayed with Durations in the Microsecond Range Do Not Obey Bloch's Law of Temporal Summation
Authors: Greene Ernest , Ogden R. Todd
Published: August 2013

Shape patterns were displayed with simultaneous brief flashes from a light-emitting diode array. Flash durations in the microsecond range and luminous intensities were adjusted to vary the degree of successful shape recognition. Four experiments were conducted to test whether Bloch's law would apply in this task. Bloch's law holds that for very brief flashes the perceptual threshold is determined by the total number of photons being delivered, i.e., there is reciprocity of intensity and duration. The present results did not find that effectiveness of flashes was based on the total quantity of photons, as predicted by Bloch's law. Additionally, the evidence points to a visual mechanism that has ultra-high temporal precision that either registers the rate of photon flux or the duration of flashes.
Coordination Assemblies of CoII, NiII, ZnII, and CuII with 3,3′,4,4′-Biphenyltetracarboxylic Acid and Three Positional Isomeric Ligands
Authors: Luo Wei , Yao Di , Li Haiye , Huang Fuping , Yu Qing , Bian Hedong
Published: August 2013

Eight different complexes with three positional isomeric dipyridyl ligands (3,3′-Hbpt, 3,4′-Hbpt, and 4,4′-Hbpt) (here, 3,3′-Hbpt = 1H-3,5-bis(3-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole, 3,4′-Hbpt = 1H-3-(3-pyridyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole, and 4,4′-Hbpt = 1H-3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole), as well as 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid (H4bptc), namely, {[M(bptc)0.5(3,3′-Hbpt)(H2O)2]·H2O}n (M = Co (1), M = Ni (2)), {[Zn2(bptc)(3,3′-Hbpt)2]·3H2O}n (3), [Co(bptc)0.5(3,4′-Hbpt)(H2O)]n (4), [Ni(bptc)0.5(3,4′-Hbpt)2(H2O)2]n (5), {[Cu(bptc)0.5(3,4′-Hbpt)(H2O)]·H2O}n (6), and {[M(bptc)0.5(4,4′-Hbpt)2(H2O)]·4H2O}n (M = Co (7), and Ni (8)) were synthesised and characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystallographic analysis demonstrates that bptc influences the MII (M = Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) ions to form 2D layers, which are further connected via the isomeric bpt connectors, leading to many types of coordination polymers, such as 2D layers(for 1–3, 5), 3D four-connected nets with a short Schläfli symbol of (64.82) (for 4, 6), and 3D four-connected nets with a short Schläfli symbol of (64.82)(5.63.72)0.5 (for 7–8). This work demonstrates that the isomeric effects of the bpt ligands influence the construction of these frameworks. The thermal stability of complexes 1–6 was investigated.
Temperature-Driven and Reversible Assembly of Homopolyelectrolytes Derived from Suitably Designed Ionic Liquids in Water
Authors: Kohno Yuki , Deguchi Yuki , Inoue Naomi , Ohno Hiroyuki
Published: August 2013

Polycationic-type homopolymers derived from polymerisable ionic liquids with adequate hydrophobicity were prepared to form spherical nanoparticles in water that changed their diameter as a function of temperature. The diameter change was attributed to a temperature-sensitive and reversible lower critical solution temperature-type phase change of the polymers in water.
Seed bank dynamics of Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd. and its encroachment potential in sub-humid grasslands of eastern Australia
Authors: Erkovan H. Ibrahim , Clarke Peter J. , Whalley Ralph D. B.
Published: August 2013

Shrub encroachment involves abiotic and biotic factors that regulate demographic factors influencing seed production, storage, germination, and subsequent recruitment. In the rangelands of semi-arid and arid Australia, the thorny acacia, Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd., is apparently encroaching into grasslands and changing the structure, composition, and functioning of native grasslands. The potential for A. farnesiana to expand rapidly in response to changes in land use was examined by quantifying the reproductive output, dispersal, seed-bank density, and germination of seeds of A. farnesiana. Even in the absence of high grazing pressure, low numbers of seeds were produced and these were mainly locally dispersed, although long-distance dispersal via floods could occur. Pre-dispersal seed predation is likely to reduce the seed output, and despite strong physical seed dormancy, soil-stored seed banks were not large. Seed dormancy is broken by scarification but not strongly synergistically with fire or by fire alone, and fire may have a small effect on recruitment. Hence, pulse recruitment seems unlikely given the match between seedling densities and seed-bank density. These patterns suggest that A. farnesiana is unlikely to encroach rapidly into grasslands unless there is widespread landscape disturbance that triggers broad-scale dispersal, such as floods, and or physical scarification of seed.
Pre-wildfire fuel reduction treatments result in more resilient forest structure a decade after wildfire
Authors: Stevens-Rumann Camille , Shive Kristen , Fulé Peter , Sieg Carolyn H.
Published: August 2013

Increasing size and severity of wildfires have led to an interest in the effectiveness of forest fuels treatments on reducing fire severity and post-wildfire fuels. Our objective was to contrast stand structure and surface fuel loadings on treated and untreated sites within the 2002 Rodeo–Chediski Fire area. Data from 140 plots on seven paired treated–untreated sites indicated that pre-wildfire treatments reduced fire severity compared with untreated sites. In 2011, coarse woody debris loading (woody material>7.62cm in diameter) was 257% higher and fine woody debris (woody material<7.62cm) was 152% higher on untreated sites than on treated sites. Yet, in spite of higher levels of coarse woody debris on untreated sites, loadings did not exceed recommended ranges based on published literature and many treated sites fell below recommendations. By 2011, basal area and stand density on treated sites and stand density on untreated sites met management guidelines for ponderosa pine forests, but untreated sites had basal areas well below recommendations. Snags declined over this period and only three plots had snags that met minimum size and density requirements for wildlife habitat by 2011. The effects of pre-wildfire treatments are long-lasting and contribute to changes in both overstorey and understorey fuel complexes.
Marine turtle nest depredation by feral pigs (Sus scrofa) on the Western Cape York Peninsula, Australia: implications for management
Authors: Whytlaw Poppy A. , Edwards Will , Congdon Bradley C.
Published: August 2013

Context
The west coast of the Cape York Peninsula (CYP) is a major nesting ground for three species of threatened marine turtle, namely, the flatback (Natator depressus), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and hawksbill (Eretemochelys imbricata). Marine turtle nests in this area experience high rates of depredation and unpublished data from numerous studies have suggested that feral pigs are responsible for most nest losses.

Aims
The aim of the present study was to identify the relative magnitude of nest mortality associated with physical processes versus depredation and to distinguishing between two possible pig depredation scenarios.

Methods
We documented laying and mortality patterns on Pennefarther Beach (CYP) over a 49-day period in 2007. We partitioned mortality into components attributable to beach erosion, inundation and depredation and also assessed the relative magnitude of depredation associated with different nest predators. We used these data to test whether the temporal and spatial pattern of pig depredation was random with respect to patterns of nest availability.

Key results
The overall level of nest mortality was 40.2%. Depredation was responsible for 93% of nest losses. Pig predation was high, accounting for 89.6% of all mortality. Depredation occurred equally across nests of all three turtle species. Although nests were laid uniformly in both time and space, pig depredation was significantly clustered.

Conclusions
Depredation by feral pigs was the principal cause of turtle nest mortality in the present study. The pattern of nest destruction was consistent with the occurrence of pig depredation by single individuals in discrete feeding areas.

Implications
Current feral pig management involves aerial shooting. This is effective at removing large numbers of animals over large areas. However, aerial shooting is also expensive. Our results suggest that targeted monitoring and eradication of locally active individuals depredating nests may better manage pig impacts, specifically those on turtle nests.
Extensive diversity in circadian regulation of plasma lipids and evidence for different circadian metabolic phenotypes in humans
Authors: Chua Eric Chern-Pin , Shui Guanghou , Lee Ivan Tian-Guang , Lau Pauline , Tan Luuan-Chin , Yeo Sing-Chen , Lam Buu Duyen , Bulchand Sarada , Summers Scott A. , Puvanendran Kathiravelu , Rozen Steven G. , Wenk Markus R. , Gooley Joshua J.
Published: August 2013

The circadian system regulates daily rhythms in lipid metabolism and adipose tissue function. Although disruption of circadian clock function is associated with negative cardiometabolic end points, very little is known about interindividual variation in circadian-regulated metabolic pathways. Here, we used targeted lipidomics-based approaches to profile the time course of 263 lipids in blood plasma in 20 healthy individuals. Over a span of 28 h, blood was collected every 4 h and plasma lipids were analyzed by HPLC/MS. Across subjects, about 13% of lipid metabolites showed circadian variation. Rhythmicity spanned all metabolite classes examined, suggesting widespread circadian control of lipid-mediated energy storage, transport, and signaling. Intersubject agreement for lipids identified as rhythmic was only about 20%, however, and the timing of lipid rhythms ranged up to 12 h apart between individuals. Healthy subjects therefore showed substantial variation in the timing and strength of rhythms across different lipid species. Strong interindividual differences were also observed for rhythms of blood glucose and insulin, but not cortisol. Using consensus clustering with iterative feature selection, subjects clustered into different groups based on strength of rhythmicity for a subset of triglycerides and phosphatidylcholines, suggesting that there are different circadian metabolic phenotypes in the general population. These results have potential implications for lipid metabolism disorders linked to circadian clock disruption.
Stapled α−helical peptide drug development: A potent dual inhibitor of MDM2 and MDMX for p53-dependent cancer therapy
Authors: Chang Yong S. , Graves Bradford , Guerlavais Vincent , Tovar Christian , Packman Kathryn , To Kwong-Him , Olson Karen A. , Kesavan Kamala , Gangurde Pranoti , Mukherjee Aditi , Baker Theresa , Darlak Krzysztof , Elkin Carl , Filipovic Zoran , Qureshi Farooq Z. , Cai Hongliang , Berry Pamela , Feyfant Eric , Shi Xiangguo E. , Horstick James , Annis D. Allen , Manning Anthony M. , Fotouhi Nader , Nash Huw , Vassilev Lyubomir T. , Sawyer Tomi K.
Published: August 2013

Significance

Stapled α−helical peptides have emerged as a promising new modality for a wide range of therapeutic targets. Here, we describe the development of a stapled α−helical peptide lead molecule for the treatment of cancers that possess the intact p53 tumor suppressor protein but are resistant to drug therapy because of the overexpression of inhibitory proteins MDM2 and MDMX. The molecule ATSP-7041 is a highly potent dual inhibitor of both MDM2 and MDMX that is shown to effectively reactivate the p53 tumor suppressor pathway in a mechanism-dependent manner in p53-positive cancers in vitro and in vivo.