bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitral Isthmus Ablation is Feasible, Efficacious, and Safe Using a Remote Robotic Catheter System
Authors: WONG KELVIN C.K. , JONES MICHAEL , WEBB TERENCE , QURESHI NORMAN , BASHIR YAVER , BETTS TIMOTHY R. , RAJAPPAN KIM
Published: June 2013

Background

There are limited data on the use of a remote robotic catheter system (RCS) for mitral isthmus (MI) ablation.

Methods

This single‐center, prospective, matched control study included 45 patients who underwent atrial fibrillation ablation using a remote RCS compared to 45 patients who underwent conventional ablation. All patients had circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), roof, and MI ablation.

Results

There were no significant differences in baseline clinical characteristics. There were no significant differences in MI block (RCS: 44/45 [98%] vs Control: 43/45 [96%], P = 1.0), roof block (RCS: 45/45 [100%] vs Control: 44/45 [98%], P = 1.0), and PVI (RCS: 45/45 [100%] vs Control: 45/45 [100%], P = 1.0). Ablation and procedural times were similar in both arms. Using RCS, mean total MI ablation and procedure times were 13 ± 6 minutes and 23 ± 15 minutes, respectively. Coronary sinus (CS) ablation was significantly less in the RCS arm (48% vs 72%, P = 0.03). It was possible to “drive” the ablation catheter into the distal CS using the RCS in 19/22 (86%) patients. There was a significant trend of reduction in mean MI ablation (P = 0.008) and procedural times (P = 0.004) over the course of the study period. There was a significant reduction in fluoroscopy time in the RNS arm (33 ± 17 minutes vs 49 ± 20 minutes, P = 0.0004).

Conclusion

It is feasible and safe to use a remote RCS for MI ablation, including “driving into the CS.” MI block was achieved in 98% with a significant reduction in the need for CS ablation (48%). There is a short learning curve.
Early therapy with neuraminidase inhibitors for influenza A (H1N1) pdm 2009 infection
Authors: Yamamoto Takehisa , Ihashi Mai , Mizoguchi Yoshimi , Kaneno Hiroshi , Yamamoto Katsusuke , Inoue Yutaka , Kase Tetsuo , Okabe Nobuhiko , Shimotsuji Tsunesuke
Published: June 2013

Background

Neuraminidase inhibitors have been reported to decrease mortality in patients infected with influenza A (H1N1) pdm 2009 (H1N1 pdm09), but it is not clear whether they are effective againstH1N1pdm09 in apparently healthy children.

Methods

The effect of early treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors on 70 otherwise healthy children with possible H1N1 pdm09 (pH1N1pdm09) infection was investigated. The children were simultaneously treated with a neuraminidase inhibitor (oseltamivir or zanamivir) and maoto, a Japanese traditional herbal medicine, which had been reported to be effective against seasonal influenza. Clinical severity was assessed using patient history, namely the worst values for clinical vital signs and laboratory data on admission. After refining these parameters with univariate, decision tree and multiple regression analysis, mean covariance structure equation analysis was used to investigate the association of estimated clinical severity to the selected parameters.

Results

Total path analysis using a Bayesian method indicated that the estimated clinical severity of pH1N1pdm09 was positively associated with maximum body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, duration necessary for defervescence, admission duration and log urinary β2‐microglobulin/creatinine level, and negatively associated with age and the presence and duration of treatment with the neuraminidase inhibitor in the outpatient clinic.

Conclusions

This study provides the first clinical evidence that early treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors in outpatient clinic decreased the estimated clinical severity of pH1N1pdm09 in apparently otherwise healthy pediatric inpatients.
USDA Conservation Practices Increase Carbon Storage and Water Quality Improvement Functions: An Example from Ohio
Authors: Marton John M. , Fennessy M. Siobhan , Craft Christopher B.
Published: June 2013

We compared potential denitrification and phosphorus (P) sorption in restored depressional wetlands, restored riparian buffers, and natural riparian buffers of central Ohio to determine to what extent systems restored under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provide water quality improvement benefits, and to determine which practice is more effective at nutrient retention. We also measured soil nutrient pools (organic C, N, and P) to evaluate the potential for long‐term C sequestration and nutrient accumulation. Depressional wetland soils sorbed twice as much P as riparian soils, but had significantly lower denitrification rates. Phosphorus sorption and denitrification were similar between the restored and natural riparian buffers, although all Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) practices had higher denitrification than agricultural soils. Pools of organic C (2570–3320 g/m2), total N (216–243 g/m2), and total P (60–71 g/m2) were comparable among all three NRCS practices but were greater than nearby agricultural fields and less than natural wetlands in the region. Overall, restored wetlands and restored and natural riparian buffers provide ecosystem services to the landscape that were lost during the conversion to agriculture, but the delivery of services differs among conservation practices, with greater N removal by riparian buffers and greater P removal by wetlands, attributed to differences in landscape position and mineral soil composition. At the landscape, and even global level, wetland and riparian restoration in agricultural landscapes will reintroduce multiple ecosystem services (e.g. C sequestration, water quality improvement, and others) and should be considered in management plans.
Oral health delivery systems for older adults and people with disabilities
Authors: Helgeson Michael , Glassman Paul
Published: June 2013

This article describes new oral health care system models designed to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population of older adults and people with disabilities. These populations are not currently able to access traditional dental offices and clinics to the same degree that younger and much healthier population groups do. So new models proactively target specific community organizations where these high‐risk underserved population groups live, work, go to school, or obtain other health or social services. Collaborative on‐site and clinic‐based teams establish “Virtual Dental Homes” that provide ongoing, year‐round access to oral health services designed to prevent mouth infections, deliver evidence‐based preventive care, and restore infected individuals to stable and sustainable oral health. These new delivery models are beginning to demonstrate better health care delivery, better health outcomes, and the potential to drive down total health care costs for older adults and people with disabilities.
Immunization in End‐Stage Renal Disease: Opportunity to Improve Outcomes
Authors: Soni Ritu , Horowitz Bruce , Unruh Mark
Published: June 2013

Infection is the second most common cause of death in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), following cardiovascular causes. Immunization is a fairly simple, but underutilized, strategy for prevention of infectious morbidity and mortality in patients with kidney failure. It is imperative for nephrologists and primary care providers to have an understanding of immunization as an essential component of preventive healthcare measures in this high‐risk population. Patients with ESRD represent a unique population due to their immunosuppressed state, dialysis‐related exposures and suboptimal response to routine vaccines. While the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) provides guidelines for vaccination of patients with renal disease against Hepatitis B, influenza and pneumococcal disease, the data on immunization against other commonly preventable infectious diseases are lacking. This article reviews the recent evidence on immunization in the ESRD population and synthesizes the related implications for maximizing prevention of infectious diseases in this high‐risk population.
Emotion and Leadership: What Scholarship on Status and Identity Can Tell Us
Authors: Rogalin Christabel L. , Hirshfield Laura E.
Published: June 2013

While leadership and emotion have been described as interrelated by many scholars in disciplines outside of sociology, there is a dearth of sociological literature on the subject. Indeed, within the last thirty years there has been an immense upsurge in the organizational literature on this very topic. While sociologists have not focused as much on leadership and emotions, there are many ways that sociologists can contribute, both empirically and theoretically. In this review our aim is to highlight the existing literatures within sociology that we feel are most valuable in exploring leadership and emotion, specifically, status and identity processes, while also engaging with the more developed literatures in organizations, focusing on the area of emotional regulation and labor.
Citizenship on the Margins: A Critique of Scholarship on Marginalized Women and Community Activism
Authors: Kim Nadia Y.
Published: June 2013

This critical review essay addresses the underappreciation of citizenship inequalities in scholarship on marginalized women’s community activism in the United States. Although both students of citizenship and women’s grassroots resistance argue that neither citizenship nor lived experience is an individual‐level phenomenon or a public issue divorced from private troubles and that politics need not be formal and male, the two literatures do not break bread with each other. I contend that this lack of cross‐pollination owes to our fixation on the hallowed trifecta of race, class, gender intersectionality, but one that has elided the fact that the three have always constituted, and been constituted by, citizenship. Despite the fact that in recent decades immigrant women of color have taken the helm of community campaigns – such as in social reproduction (e.g. schools, churches, health), Environmental Justice, and immigration reform – few scholars mention citizenship and thus few analyze citizenship racism and its ties to other axes of inequality. I critique the existing scholarship by drawing on the contributions of the few works that analyze and intersect citizenship within women’s community resistance struggles. I then point to future research directions to underscore their importance in an age of more exclusionary and draconian citizenship paradigms.
Consumer Responses to the Carbon Labelling of Food: A Real Life Experiment in a Canteen Practice
Authors: Spaargaren Gert , van Koppen C.S.A. (Kris) , Janssen Anke M. , Hendriksen Astrid , Kolfschoten Corine J.
Published: June 2013

The emerging debate on the climate impact of food is expected to result in the carbon labelling of food in the future. As yet, consumer responses to carbon labels are not well researched. A real life experiment was developed to study consumer responses to new carbon labels for food. A ‘light’ and a ‘comprehensive’ carbon labelling regime were stepwise introduced into the food practice of ‘having lunch in a canteen’. The resulting shifts in the behaviour and attitudes of regular canteen visitors were measured with the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Despite their overall positive attitude towards climate change policies, the canteen visitors show clear resistance to some of the changes suggested, especially when new courses of action run counter to the dynamics of the existing routinised practice. Using practice theory as our reference, we discuss the role of information provision next to other policy instruments for facilitating behavioural changes towards low carbon food consumption.
Knowing and the truth: Three histories of Daugo Island, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Goddard Michael
Published: June 2013

Courts of law in Melanesian countries, particularly in the aftermath of the colonial period, have attempted to accommodate ‘custom’. In Papua New Guinea they commonly hear land claims under terms of reference that acknowledge the wide variety of customs among the many ethno‐linguistic groups comprising the nation. A corollary of this liberalism is that, in theory, they admit ‘traditional evidence’ including legends and myths. Yet as courts of law they are required to apply some criteria of proof and to search for the ‘truth’ by examining the ‘facts’. A long‐running land case from Papua New Guinea and its aftermath raises interesting questions about what happens when oral history encounters these legal imperatives, and may help us appreciate why Melanesians often do not regard a court's decision as final.
On the persistence of sharing: Personhood, asymmetrical reciprocity, and demand sharing in the Indigenous Australian domestic moral economy
Authors: Peterson Nicolas
Published: June 2013

This article addresses the persistence of sharing in Indigenous Australian domestic moral economies well after hunting and gathering has stopped being the basis of livelihood, by examining the relationship of demand sharing with the more formalised asymmetrical reciprocity found in both pre and post contact life. Understanding the significance of the more formalized asymmetry in the pre‐contact situation helps shed light on what happens in the post contact situation, and the independence of sharing from the impact of market forces and utilitarian need.
Association of HLA‐G 3′ untranslated region polymorphisms with antibody response against Plasmodium falciparum antigens: preliminary results
Authors: Sabbagh A. , Courtin D. , Milet J. , Massaro J. D. , Castelli E. C. , Migot‐Nabias F. , Favier B. , Rouas‐Freiss N. , Moreau P. , Garcia A. , Donadi E. A.
Published: June 2013

Host and Plasmodium interactions result in highly variable clinical phenotypes, partly explained by the nature and level of anti‐malarial antibody response. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐G can create a tolerogenic environment, allowing parasites to escape from anti‐malarial immunity. We performed a family‐based association study encompassing 483 Sereer individuals (261 children and their parents), and reported two independent signals at the HLA‐G 3′ untranslated region associated with antibody response to specific Plasmodium falciparum blood stage antigens, previously associated with malaria protection: (i) +3010G together with +3142C with total IgG and IgG1 against GLURP and (ii) +3196G with IgG3 against MSP2. While these results require further investigation, they suggest for the first time a role of HLA‐G in the regulation of humoral immune response in malaria.
Arabidopsis CHROMOSOME TRANSMISSION FIDELITY 7 (AtCTF7/ECO1) is required for DNA repair, mitosis and meiosis
Authors: Bolaños‐Villegas Pablo , Yang Xiaohui , Wang Huei‐Jing , Juan Chien‐Ta , Chuang Min‐Hsiang , Makaroff Christopher A. , Jauh Guang‐Yuh
Published: June 2013

The proper transmission of DNA in dividing cells is crucial for the survival of eukaryotic organisms. During cell division, faithful segregation of replicated chromosomes requires their tight attachment, known as sister chromatid cohesion, until anaphase. Sister chromatid cohesion is established during S‐phase in a process requiring an acetyltransferase that in yeast is known as Establishment of cohesion 1 (Eco1). Inactivation of Eco1 typically disrupts chromosome segregation and homologous recombination‐dependent DNA repair in dividing cells, ultimately resulting in lethality. We report here the isolation and detailed characterization of two homozygous T‐DNA insertion mutants for the Arabidopsis thaliana Eco1 homolog, CHROMOSOME TRANSMISSION FIDELITY 7/ESTABLISHMENT OF COHESION 1 (CTF7/ECO1), called ctf7‐1 and ctf7‐2. Mutants exhibited dwarfism, poor anther development and sterility. Analysis of somatic tissues by flow cytometry, scanning electron microscopy and quantitative real‐time PCR identified defects in DNA repair and cell division, including an increase in the area of leaf epidermal cells, an increase in DNA content and the upregulation of genes involved in DNA repair including BRCA1 and PARP2. No significant change was observed in the expression of genes that influence entry into the endocycle. Analysis of meiocytes identified changes in chromosome morphology and defective segregation; the abundance of chromosomal‐bound cohesion subunits was also reduced. Transcript levels for several meiotic genes, including the recombinase genes DMC1 and RAD51C and the S‐phase licensing factor CDC45 were elevated in mutant anthers. Taken together our results demonstrate that Arabidopsis CTF7/ECO1 plays important roles in the preservation of genome integrity and meiosis.
Systematics and biogeography of the arcuate horseshoe bat species complex (Chiroptera, Rhinolophidae)
Authors: Patrick Lorelei E. , McCulloch Eve S. , Ruedas Luis A.
Published: June 2013

The present study sheds light on species delimitation in what has been previously described as Rhinolophus arcuatus, a morphologically conservative bat species complex nominally distributed throughout archipelagic South‐East Asia from New Guinea to Sumatra. Given that rhinolophids tend to be relatively weak fliers, hence have low vagility, we hypothesized that some specimens attributed to R. arcuatus, but originating from geographically disjunct populations, may in fact represent distinct species. To test this hypothesis, we examined specimens attributed to R. arcuatus as well as to other species in the Rhinolophus euryotis species group using both morphological techniques and mitochondrial cytochrome b and control region sequences. Careful morphological analysis reveals heretofore cryptic but nevertheless distinct, species‐level morphological differences among specimens derived from geographically isolated locations. Furthermore, molecular data illuminate the existence of several species‐level sequence divergences among specimens heretofore attributed to R. arcuatus. These analyses similarly suggest the existence of additional species in other South‐East Asian Rhinolophus taxa previously considered monotypic. We suggest at least one description to be undertaken of a previously unrecognized species as well as the elevation of several others from sub‐specific to specific status.
Pressure Sensitivity of HCCI Auto-Ignition Temperature for Oxygenated Reference Fuels
Authors: Truedsson Ida , Tuner Martin , Johansson Bengt , Cannella William
Published: June 2013

The current research focuses on creating a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) fuel index suitable for comparing different fuels for HCCI operation. One way to characterize a fuel is to use the auto-ignition temperature (AIT). The AIT can be extracted from the pressure trace. Another potentially interesting parameter is the amount of low temperature heat release (LTHR) that is closely connected to the ignition properties of the fuel. The purpose of this study was to map the AIT and the amount of LTHR of different oxygenated reference fuels in HCCI combustion at different cylinder pressures. Blends of n-heptane, iso-octane, and ethanol were tested in a cooperative fuels research (CFR) engine with a variable compression ratio. Five different inlet air temperatures ranging from 50 °C to 150 °C were used to achieve different cylinder pressures and the compression ratio was changed accordingly to keep a constant combustion phasing, CA50, of 3 ± 1 deg after top dead center (TDC). The experiments were carried out in lean operation with a constant equivalence ratio of 0.33 and with a constant engine speed of 600 rpm. The amount of ethanol needed to suppress the LTHR from different primary reference fuels (PRFs) was evaluated. The AIT and the amount of LTHR for different combinations of n-heptane, iso-octane, and ethanol were charted.
Flame Structure and Combustion Capability of Non-Premixed Rifled Nozzles
Authors: San Kuo C. , Hsu Hung J. , Yen Shun C.
Published: June 2013

The target of this study is to promote combustion capability using a novel rifled nozzle which was set at the outlet of a conventional (unrifled) combustor. The rifled nozzle was utilized to adjust the flow swirling intensity behind the traditional combustor by changing the number of rifles. The rifle mechanism enhances the turbulence intensity and increases the mixing efficiency between the central-fuel jet and the annular swirled air-jet by modifying the momentum transmission. Specifically, direct photography, Schlieren photography, thermocouples, and a gas analyzer were utilized to document the flame behavior, peak temperature, temperature distribution, combustion capability, and gas-concentration distribution. The experimental results confirm that increasing the number of rifles and the annular swirling air-jet velocity (ua) improves the combustion capability. Five characteristic flame modes—jet-flame, flickering-flame, recirculated-flame, ring-flame and lifted-flame—were obtained using various annular air-jet and central fuel-jet velocities. The total combustion capability (Qtot) increases with the number of rifles and with increasing ua. The Qtot of a 12-rifled nozzle (swirling number (S) = 0.5119) is about 33% higher than that of an unrifled nozzle. In addition, the high swirling intensity induces the low nitric oxide (NO) concentration, and the maximum concentration of NO behind the 12-rifled nozzle (S = 0.5119) is 49% lower than that behind the unrifled nozzle.
Corrugated Truncated Triangular Tabs for Supersonic Jet Control
Authors: Arun Kumar P. , Rathakrishnan E.
Published: June 2013

An experimental investigation has been carried out to assess the effectiveness of truncated triangular tabs, provided with corrugations (semicircular, triangle, and square shapes) all along their edges, capable of shedding small-scale vortices of continuously varying size, in enhancing the mixing of axi-symmetric Mach 2 jet, at different levels of expansion. The performance of all the tabs were found to be effective only in the near-field of the jet at all levels of expansion of the present investigation. Both the semicircular and square corrugated tabs were found to bifurcate the jet, in two parts (lobes), at x/D ≤ 1, than the triangular corrugated tab, at all the nozzle pressure ratios (NPRs) of the present study. Among the controlled jets, the semicircular corrugated tab is found to be the best mixing promoter at NPRs 6 and 7, for the Mach 2 jet. However at NPRs 4, 5 and 8, the mixing promoting performance of uncorrugated tabs is the best; as high as 91% reduction in jet core length is achieved with semicircular corrugations. Therefore, the mixing promoting capability of truncated triangular tabs with semicircular corrugated tab assumes a maximum, around the overexpansion level with adverse pressure gradient of around 10% (corresponding to NPR7). Shadowgraph images reveal, that the waves prevailing in the near-field for the controlled jets are rendered weaker than those of uncontrolled jet.
An Evolutionary Algorithm Based Approach to Design Optimization Using Evidence Theory
Authors: Srivastava Rupesh Kumar , Deb Kalyanmoy , Tulshyan Rupesh
Published: June 2013

For problems involving uncertainties in design variables and parameters, a bi-objective evolutionary algorithm (EA) based approach to design optimization using evidence theory is proposed and implemented in this paper. In addition to a functional objective, a plausibility measure of failure of constraint satisfaction is minimized. Despite some interests in classical optimization literature, this is the first attempt to use evidence theory with an EA. Due to EA's flexibility in modifying its operators, nonrequirement of any gradient, its ability to handle multiple conflicting objectives, and ease of parallelization, evidence-based design optimization using an EA is promising. Results on a test problem and two engineering design problems show that the modified evolutionary multi-objective optimization algorithm is capable of finding a widely distributed trade-off frontier showing different optimal solutions corresponding to different levels of plausibility failure limits. Furthermore, a single-objective evidence-based EA is found to produce better optimal solutions than a previously reported classical optimization algorithm. Furthermore, the use of a graphical processing unit (GPU) based parallel computing platform demonstrates EA's performance enhancement around 160–700 times in implementing plausibility computations. Handling uncertainties of different types are getting increasingly popular in applied optimization studies and this EA based study is promising to be applied in real-world design optimization problems.
A Maneuver Based Design of a Passive-Assist Device for Augmenting Active Joints
Authors: Robert Brown W. , Galip Ulsoy A.
Published: June 2013

This paper describes a novel, general methodology for designing a parallel, passive-assist device to augment an active system using optimization based on a known maneuver of the active system. Implementation of the passive-assist device can result in an improvement in system performance with respect to efficiency, reliability, and/or utility. The methodology is demonstrated with a torsional spring designed to minimize energy consumption of a prototypical unmanned ground vehicle robot arm. Initial results indicate that this procedure can reduce maximum required torque by ~50% and energy consumed by as much as 25%. The proposed method is experimentally verified and compared to other state-of-the-art design approaches.
On Kinematic Mechanism of a Two-Wheel Skateboard: The Essboard
Authors: Wang Tianmiao , Su Baiquan , Kuang Shaolong , Wang Junchen
Published: June 2013

In this paper, we investigate the kinematic mechanism and path planning of a two-caster nonholonomic vehicle (the Essboard) which is a recent variant of skateboards. Different from the most studied Snakeboard, the Essboard consists of a torsion bar and two platforms, each of which contains a pedal and a caster. We study the relationship between the tilt angle of the pedal and the wheel direction of the caster. This relationship clarifies how to control the wheel direction by adjusting the tilt angle. Furthermore, the rotational radius of the Essboard is derived for a given pair of tilt angles of both pedals. The rotational radius of the Essboard is much different to that of other skateboards. Two experiments are conducted to verify the results. These results clarify the kinematic mechanism and lay a solid foundation for further investigation of the Essboard.
Finite Element Modeling of the Contact Geometry and Deformation in Biomechanics Applications1
Authors: Gantoi F. Marina , Brown Michael A. , Shabana Ahmed A.
Published: June 2013

The main contribution of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of using one computational environment for developing accurate geometry as well as performing the analysis of detailed biomechanics models. To this end, the finite element (FE) absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) and multibody system (MBS) algorithms are used in modeling both the contact geometry and ligaments deformations in biomechanics applications. Two ANCF approaches can be used to model the rigid contact surface geometry. In the first approach, fully parameterized ANCF volume elements are converted to surface geometry using parametric relationship that reduces the number of independent coordinate lines. This parametric relationship can be defined analytically or using a spline function representation. In the second approach, an ANCF surface that defines a gradient deficient thin plate element is used. This second approach does not require the use of parametric relations or spline function representations. These two geometric approaches shed light on the generality of and the flexibility offered by the ANCF geometry as compared to computational geometry (CG) methods such as B-splines and NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines). Furthermore, because B-spline and NURBS representations employ a rigid recurrence structure, they are not suited as general analysis tools that capture different types of joint discontinuities. ANCF finite elements, on the other hand, lend themselves easily to geometric description and can additionally be used effectively in the analysis of ligaments, muscles, and soft tissues (LMST), as demonstrated in this paper using the knee joint as an example. In this study, ANCF finite elements are used to define the femur/tibia rigid body contact surface geometry. The same ANCF finite elements are also used to model the MCL and LCL ligament deformations. Two different contact formulations are used in this investigation to predict the femur/tibia contact forces; the elastic contact formulation which allows for penetrations and separations at the contact points, and the constraint contact formulation in which the nonconformal contact conditions are imposed as constraint equations, and as a consequence, no separations or penetrations at the contact points are allowed. For both formulations, the contact surfaces are described in a parametric form using surface parameters that enter into the ANCF finite element geometric description. A set of nonlinear algebraic equations that depend on the surface parameters is developed and used to determine the location of the contact points. These two contact formulations are implemented in a general MBS algorithm that allows for modeling rigid and flexible body dynamics.
Focused Ion Beam Induced Surface Damage Effect on the Mechanical Properties of Silicon Nanowires
Authors: Fujii Tatsuya , Namazu Takahiro , Sudoh Koichi , Sakakihara Shouichi , Inoue Shozo
Published: June 2013

In this paper, the effect of surface damage induced by focused ion beam (FIB) fabrication on the mechanical properties of silicon (Si) nanowires (NWs) was investigated. Uniaxial tensile testing of the NWs was performed using a reusable on-chip tensile test device with 1000 pairs of comb structures working as an electrostatic force actuator, a capacitive displacement sensor, and a force sensor. Si NWs were made from silicon-on-nothing (SON) membranes that were produced by deep reactive ion etching hole fabrication and ultrahigh vacuum annealing. Micro probe manipulation and film deposition functions in a FIB system were used to bond SON membranes to the device's sample stage and then to directly fabricate Si NWs on the device. All the NWs showed brittle fracture in ambient air. The Young's modulus of 57 nm-wide NW was 107.4 GPa, which was increased to 144.2 GPa with increasing the width to 221 nm. The fracture strength ranged from 3.9 GPa to 7.3 GPa. By assuming the thickness of FIB-induced damage layer, the Young's modulus of the layer was estimated to be 96.2 GPa, which was in good agreement with the literature value for amorphous Si.
Age and growth in Myledaphus bipartitus, a Late Cretaceous freshwater guitarfish from Alberta, Canada
Authors: Wilson Alycia E. , Newbrey Michael G. , Brinkman Donald B. , Cook Todd D. , Neuman Andrew G.
Published: June 2013

Myledaphus bipartitus is a Late Cretaceous (75 Ma) freshwater guitarfish, commonly represented by teeth and vertebral centra. The species was first described in 1876, but until now, very little has been known about its ecology and life history. We analyzed the age and growth using 117 fossilized centra (74 hemisectioned) from the Oldman and Dinosaur Park formations of southern Alberta. The resulting estimated maximum age was 16 years. Radial distance (RD) at the estimated asymptotic growth was calculated, and average RD at birth and 3 years were compared with two extant marine species of Rhinobatos (R. productus and R. rhinobatos). Birth ring size ranged from 0.9 to 1.8 mm RD. At age three, centrum RD was between 2.8 and 4.6 mm RD for M. bipartitus and significantly less than R. productus and R. rhinobatos (5.0–6.6 mm RD). Myledaphus approached “asymptotic” growth at 7.8 mm RD in the growth equation. The growth trajectory of Myledaphus had a similar slope to the Rhinobatos species, but with significantly smaller centrum RD. Rhinobatos rhinobatos also outlived Myledaphus by 8 years.
Snag characteristics and dynamics following natural and artificially induced mortality in a managed loblolly pine forest
Authors: Zarnoch Stanley J. , Vukovich Mark A. , Kilgo John C. , Blake John I.
Published: June 2013

A 14-year study of snag characteristics was established in 41- to 44-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands in southeastern USA. During the initial 5.5 years, no stand manipulation or unusually high-mortality events occurred. Afterwards, three treatments were applied consisting of trees thinned and removed, trees felled and not removed, and artificial creation of snags produced by girdling and herbicide injection. The thinned treatments were designed to maintain the same live canopy density as the snag-created treatment, disregarding snags that remained standing. We monitored snag height, diameter, density, volume, and bark percentage; the number of cavities was monitored in natural snags only. During the first 5.5 years, recruitment and loss rates were stable, resulting in a stable snag population. Large snags (≥25 cm diameter) were common, but subcanopy small snags (10 to <25 cm diameter) dominated numerically. Large natural snags survived (90% quantile) significantly longer (6.0–9.4 years) than smaller snags (4.4–6.9 years). Large artificial snags persisted the longest (11.8 years). Cavities in natural snags developed within 3 years following tree death. The mean number of cavities per snag was five times greater in large versus small snags and large snags were more likely to have multiple cavities, emphasizing the importance of mature pine stands for cavity-dependent wildlife species.
ON THE TORUS DEGENERATION OF THE GENUS TWO PARTITION FUNCTION
Authors: HURLEY DONNY , TUITE MICHAEL P.
Published: June 2013

We consider the partition function of a general vertex operator algebra V on a genus two Riemann surface formed by sewing together two tori. We consider the non-trivial degeneration limit where one torus is pinched down to a Riemann sphere and show that the genus one partition function on the degenerate torus is recovered up to an explicit universal V-independent multiplicative factor raised to the power of the central charge.
THE MASS OF THE OPPENHEIMER–SNYDER-BLACK HOLE: ONLY FINITE MASS QUASI-BLACK HOLES
Authors: MITRA ABHAS , SINGH K. K.
Published: June 2013

Oppenheimer and Snyder (OS) in their paper apparently showed the formation of an event horizon [see Eq. (37) in Phys. Rev.56 (1939) 455] for a collapsing homogeneous dust ball of mass M as the circumference radius of the outermost surface, rb → r0 = 2GM/c2 in a proper time [Formula: see text] in the limit of large Schwarzschild time t → ∞. But Eq. (37) was approximated from Eq. (36) whose essential character is ([Formula: see text]) where, at the boundary of the star y = rb/r0 = rbc2/2GM. And since the argument of a logarithmic function cannot be negative, one must have y ≥ 1 or 2GM/rbc2 ≤ 1. This shows that, at least, in this case (i) trapped surfaces are not formed, (ii) if the collapse indeed proceeds upto r = 0, we must have M = 0, and (iii) proper time taken for collapse τ → ∞. Thus, the gravitational mass of OS-black holes (OS-BHs), is unique and equal to zero. In fact, by invoking Birkhoff's theorem, it has been found that the OS collapse is only a fictitious mathematical artifact because it corresponds to a matter density ρ = 0 [Mitra, Astrophys. Space Sci.332 (2011) 43, arXiv:1101.0601]. Further, this is also in agreement with the proof that Schwarzschild BHs have the unique gravitational mass M = 0 [Mitra, J. Math. Phys.50 (2009), arXiv:0904.4754], and they represent asymptotic final state of physical collapse for which entire mass-energy is radiated out [Mitra and Glendenning, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. Lett.404 (2010) L50, arXiv:1003.3518]. Finally this is in agreement with the conclusion that "the discussion of physical behavior of black holes, classical or quantum, is only of academic interest — we wonder whether nature allows gravitational collapse to continue inside the EH at all" [Narlikar and Padmanabhan, Found. Phys.18 (1989) 659, doi:10.1007/BF00734568].
Convergent series for quasi-periodically forced strongly dissipative systems
Authors: Corsi Livia , Feola Roberto , Gentile Guido
Published: June 2013

We study the ordinary differential equation εẍ + ẋ + εg(x) = εf(ωt), with f and g analytic and f quasi-periodic in t with frequency vector ω ∈ ℝd. We show that if there exists c0∈ ℝ such that g(c0) equals the average of f and the first non-zero derivative of g at c0is of odd order 𝔫, then, for ε small enough and under very mild Diophantine conditions on ω, there exists a quasi-periodic solution close to c0, with the same frequency vector as f. In particular if f is a trigonometric polynomial the Diophantine condition on ω can be completely removed. This extends results previously available in the literature for 𝔫 = 1. We also point out that, if 𝔫 = 1 and the first derivative of g at c0is positive, then the quasi-periodic solution is locally unique and attractive.
On the horizontal mean curvature flow for axisymmetric surfaces in the Heisenberg group
Authors: Ferrari Fausto , Liu Qing , Manfredi Juan J.
Published: June 2013

We study the horizontal mean curvature flow in the Heisenberg group by using the level-set method. We prove the uniqueness, existence and stability of axisymmetric viscosity solutions of the level-set equation. An explicit solution is given for the motion starting from a subelliptic sphere. We also give several properties of the level-set method and the mean curvature flow in the Heisenberg group.
APPROXIMATE 3-LIE HOMOMORPHISMS ON LIE ALGEBRA SYSTEMS
Authors: EBADIAN ALI , AGHALARY RASOUL , SHOKRI JAVAD
Published: June 2013

We prove the generalized Hyers–Ulam stability of mapping on normed spaces for the following Jensen functional equation: [Formula: see text] Moreover, we investigate the stability of homomorphisms on normed 3-Lie systems.
SINGULARLY PERTURBED PERIODIC PARABOLIC EQUATIONS WITH ALTERNATING BOUNDARY LAYER TYPE SOLUTIONS IN SPATIALLY TWO-DIMENSIONAL DOMAINS
Authors: VASIL'EVA ADELAIDA B. , KALACHEV LEONID V.
Published: June 2013

In this article, we continue the analysis of a class of singularly perturbed parabolic equations with alternating boundary layer type solutions. For such problems, the degenerate (reduced) equations obtained by setting a small parameter equal to zero correspond to algebraic equations that have several isolated roots. As time increases, solutions of these equations periodically go through two comparatively long lasting stages with fast transitions between these stages. During one of these stages, the solution outside the boundary layer (i.e. the regular part of the asymptotic solution) is close to one of the roots of the degenerate equation. During the other stage, the regular part of the asymptotic solution is close to the other root. Here we discuss some specific features of the solutions' behavior for such problems in certain two-dimensional spatial domains.
Singular limit of a dispersive Navier–Stokes system with an entropy structure
Authors: Levermore C. David , Sun Weiran , Trivisa Konstantina
Published: June 2013

We prove a low Mach number limit for a dispersive fluid system [3] which contains third-order corrections to the compressible Navier–Stokes. We show that the classical solutions to this system in the whole space ℝn converge to classical solutions to ghost-effect systems [7]. Our analysis follows the framework in [4], which is built on the methodology developed by Métivier and Schochet [6] and Alazard [1] for systems up to the second order. The key new ingredient is the application of the entropy structure of the dispersive fluid system. This structure enables us to treat cases not covered in [4] and to simplify the analysis in [4].
A HAMILTONIAN APPROACH TO THE HEAT KERNEL OF A SUBLAPLACIAN ON S2n+1
Authors: GREINER PETER C.
Published: June 2013

The heat kernel for the Cauchy–Riemann subLaplacian on S2n+1 is derived in a manner which is completely analogous to the classical derivation of elliptic heat kernels. This suggests that the classical Hamiltonian construction of elliptic heat kernels, with appropriate modifications, will yield heat kernels for subelliptic operators.
Routes to some 3,6-disubstituted phthalonitriles and examples of phthalocyanines derived therefrom: An overview
Authors: Heeney Martin J. , Al-Raqa Shaya A. , Auger Aurélien , Burnham Paul M. , Cammidge Andrew N. , Chambrier Isabelle , Cook Michael J.
Published: June 2013

The paper reviews a selection of synthetic pathways that provide access to 3,6-disubstituted phthalonitriles, precursors for the synthesis of 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octasubstituted phthalocyanine derivatives. Early routes using Diels–Alder reactions for the synthesis of 3,6-dialkyl, 3,6-dialkoxymethyl, 3,6-dialkenyl and 3,6-diphenylphthalonitriles are appraised. However, the emphasis of the review focuses on the scope and applications of 2,3-dicyanohydroquinone as a starting material for obtaining 3,6-disubstituted phthalonitriles. The earliest example of the use of 2,3-dicyanohydroquinone concerned its O -alkylation to afford 3,6-dialkoxyphthalonitriles. These are immediate precursors to near-infrared absorbing phthalocyanine derivatives. Triflation of 2,3-dicyanohydroquinone extends the scope of the compound for phthalocyanine synthesis; the bis-triflate derivative is susceptible to S N Ar reactions and readily reacts with thiols to provide 3,6-bis(alkylsulfanyl) and 3,6-bis(arylsulfanyl)phthalonitriles. 3,6-Bis(phenylselenyl)phthalonitrile has also been obtained recently from the same precursor. Phthalocyanine derivatives obtained from them typically show a strongly bathochromically shifted Q-band absorption that is particularly sensitive to the central metal ion. The bis-triflate of 2,3-dicyanohydroquinone is also an ideal precursor for participation in cross-coupling reactions. Examples from the University of East Anglia group and elsewhere are presented which show the application of the nickel-catalyzed Negishi coupling reaction using alkylzinc halide derivatives. Yields of 3,6-dialkylphthalonitriles and 3,6-bis(substituted alkyl)phthalonitriles range from ca. 40 to 70%. Direct comparison for one example shows that the yield from the Negishi coupling method is higher than that using the Suzuki coupling protocol. Examples of the preparation of 3,6-diarylphthalonitriles from 2,3-dicyanohydroquinone bis-triflate using the Suzuki coupling reaction are reported with yields of the order of 65–70%. The review also includes a further application of 2,3-dicyanohydroquinone as a precursor to both monobromo and dibromo derivatives of 3,6-dibutoxyphthalonitrile. These compounds provide opportunities for cross-coupling at the brominated sites to provide more complex derivatives with the potential to serve as precursors of highly substituted phthalocyanine derivatives.
Kinesin-2: A Family of Heterotrimeric and Homodimeric Motors with Diverse Intracellular Transport Functions
Authors: Scholey Jonathan M.
Published: June 2013

Kinesin-2 was first purified as a heterotrimeric, anterograde, microtubule-based motor consisting of two distinct kinesin-related subunits and a novel associated protein (KAP) that is currently best known for its role in intraflagellar transport and ciliogenesis. Subsequent work, however, has revealed diversity in the oligomeric state of different kinesin-2 motors owing to the combinatorial heterodimerization of its subunits and the coexistence of both heterotrimeric and homodimeric kinesin-2 motors in some cells. Although the functional significance of the homo- versus heteromeric organization of kinesin-2 motor subunits and the role of KAP remain uncertain, functional studies suggest that cooperation between different types of kinesin-2 motors or between kinesin-2 and a member of a different motor family can generate diverse patterns of anterograde intracellular transport. Moreover, despite being restricted to ciliated eukaryotes, kinesin-2 motors are now known to drive diverse transport events outside cilia. Here, I review the organization, assembly, phylogeny, biological functions, and motility mechanism of this diverse family of intracellular transport motors.
Translating Birdsong: Songbirds as a Model for Basic and Applied Medical Research
Authors: Brainard Michael S. , Doupe Allison J.
Published: June 2013

Songbirds, long of interest to basic neuroscience, have great potential as a model system for translational neuroscience. Songbirds learn their complex vocal behavior in a manner that exemplifies general processes of perceptual and motor skill learning and, more specifically, resembles human speech learning. Song is subserved by circuitry that is specialized for vocal learning and production but that has strong similarities to mammalian brain pathways. The combination of highly quantifiable behavior and discrete neural substrates facilitates understanding links between brain and behavior, both in normal states and in disease. Here we highlight (a) behavioral and mechanistic parallels between birdsong and aspects of speech and social communication, including insights into mirror neurons, the function of auditory feedback, and genes underlying social communication disorders, and (b) contributions of songbirds to understanding cortical-basal ganglia circuit function and dysfunction, including the possibility of harnessing adult neurogenesis for brain repair.
Communication Between Filamentous Pathogens and Plants at the Biotrophic Interface
Authors: Yi Mihwa , Valent Barbara
Published: June 2013

Fungi and oomycetes that colonize living plant tissue form extensive interfaces with plant cells in which the cytoplasm of the microorganism is closely aligned with the host cytoplasm for an extended distance. In all cases, specialized biotrophic hyphae function to hijack host cellular processes across an interfacial zone consisting of a hyphal plasma membrane, a specialized interfacial matrix, and a plant-derived membrane. The interface is the site of active secretion by both players. This cross talk at the interface determines the winner in adversarial relationships and establishes the partnership in mutualistic relationships. Fungi and oomycetes secrete many specialized effector proteins for controlling the host, and they can stimulate remarkable cellular reorganization even in distant plant cells. Breakthroughs in live-cell imaging of fungal and oomycete encounter sites, including live-cell imaging of pathogens secreting fluorescently labeled effector proteins, have led to recent progress in understanding communication across the interface.
(Invited) Through Silicon Via (TSV) Process Using DRIE and Cathode Coupled PECVD
Authors: Kusuda Yutaka , Nonaka Tomoyuki , Motoyama Shin-ichi
Published: June 2013

SAMCO has developed process technology for deep silicon etching (DSE) using the Bosch Process, and depositing insulation film on sidewalls with cathode-coupled, liquid-source PECVD for "via-last" TSV processes. SAMCO’s ICP DRIE system was used for deep silicon etching with excellent anisotropy for TSV applications, and SAMCO’s cathode-coupled PECVD systems feature proprietary technology allowing the deposition of sidewall insulation films with excellent step coverage.
Control of Adhesion Strength and TSV Filling Morphology of Electroless Barrier Layer
Authors: Arima Ryohei , Inoue Fumihiro , Miyake Hiroshi , Shimizu Tomohiro , Shingubara Shoso
Published: June 2013

In this study, we investigated to control adhesion property of the electroless plated barrier layer on SiO2 by addition of saccharin and its deposition profile in a high aspect ratio TSV with inhibitor and saccharin. We achieved high adhesion strength of barrier layer by addition of suitable amount saccharin. Furthermore, we succeeded in the formation of thin continuous electroless barrier layer for a high aspect ratio TSV with addition of both inhibitor and saccharin. The proposed highly adhesive and conformal electroless barrier layer formation would provide a highly reliable all-wet TSV filling process.