bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impairment of Rhyme Judgments by Silent and Overt Articulatory Suppression
Authors: Wilding John , White Wendy
Published: September 2011

Two experiments showed that articulating “blah” repeatedly aloud or silently interfered with the speed and accuracy of judging whether pairs of words rhymed. Articulation from another voice affected only accuracy, and foot tapping had no effect. This suggests that it is mainly the articulatory component of articulatory suppression that interferes with this task and that rhyme judgments of words depend on an articulatory code or an acoustic code accessed via articulation.

A third experiment confirmed these effects on speed of judgment, but there were no significant effects on errors in this experiment. Non-verbal use of the articulatory musculature in chewing also slowed performance. Similar results were obtained for word and non-word rhyme judgments, though the latter effects were somewhat weaker. It is argued that the results fail to support the theory that there are different methods of accessing phonology for words or non-words and indicate that access to phonology was via articulation, rather than a means to achieving articulation. If the task incorporated mechanisms employed in normal reading, the results refute suggestions that conversion of print to sound, whether for words or non-words, occurs prior to retrieval of an articulatory code.
Resonance frequency in ferromagnetic superlattices
Authors: Qiu Rong-ke , Huang An-dong , Li Da , Zhang Zhi-dong
Published: September 2011

The resonance frequency in two-layer and three-layer ferromagnetic superlattices is studied, using the Callen's Green function method, the Tyablikov decoupling approximation and the Anderson–Callen decoupling approximation. The effects of interlayer exchange coupling, anisotropy, external magnetic field and temperature on the resonance frequency are investigated. It is found that the resonance frequencies increase with increasing external magnetic field. In a parameter region of the asymmetric system, each sublayer corresponds to its own resonance frequency. The anisotropy of a sublayer affects only the resonance frequency corresponding to this sublayer. The stronger the anisotropy, the higher is the resonance frequency. The interlayer exchange coupling affects only the resonance frequencies belonging to the sublayers connected by it. The stronger the interlayer exchange coupling, the higher are the resonance frequencies. All the resonance frequencies decrease as the reduced temperature increases. The results direct the method to enhance and adjust the resonance frequency of magnetic multilayered materials with a wide band.
Fabrication and analysis of transmission gratings produced by the indirect laser etching technique
Authors: Kiss B , Vass Cs , Heck P , Dombi P , Osvay K
Published: September 2011

The diffraction efficiency of gratings etched into fused silica was measured and modelled. 950, 2120 and 3710 nm period gratings were fabricated with the use of two-beam interferometric laser-induced backside wet etching (TWIN-LIBWE). The spatial distribution of the modulation depth (MD), determined from AFM measurements, followed the spatial intensity distribution of the laser beam throughout the grooved areas. The diffraction efficiency of the fabricated gratings was measured to all allowed diffraction orders at several wavelengths (266, 532 and 654.5 nm). Within the frame of Gsolver code, a model was developed that takes into account the spatial distribution of MD. The computed diffraction efficiencies showed good agreement with the results of measurements.
Microstructure dependence of leakage and resistive switching behaviours in Ce-doped BiFeO3 thin films
Authors: Zhu Xiaojian , Zhuge Fei , Li Mi , Yin Kuibo , Liu Yiwei , Zuo Zhenghu , Chen Bin , Li Run-Wei
Published: September 2011

The leakage current and resistive switching (RS) of Ce-doped BiFeO3 (BCFO) films prepared by the sol–gel method at various annealing temperatures are investigated. With increasing annealing temperature, BCFO changes from an amorphous structure to a crystalline structure, while the leakage current increases due to an increase in the carrier mobility as well as an increase in the oxygen vacancy concentration. Bipolar RS behaviours are observed in BCFO films, which can be attributed to the formation/rupture of metal filaments due to the diffusion of the top electrodes under a bias voltage. With increasing annealing temperature, the forming voltage decreases, while no obvious changes are observed in resistances in both ON and OFF states and programming voltages, demonstrating that the RS occurs in a confined region. The pristine BCFO shows Schottky emission conduction behaviour, while Ohmic conduction and space charge limited conduction dominate in ON and OFF states, respectively.
Experimental characterization of an argon laminar plasma jet at atmospheric pressure
Authors: Langlois-Bertrand Emilie , de Izarra Charles
Published: September 2011

This paper deals with a dc laminar pure argon plasma jet operating at atmospheric pressure in ambient air that was experimentally studied in order to obtain temperature and velocity. Plasma jet temperature was evaluated by optical emission spectroscopy and the plasma jet velocity was determined by various methods using a pressure sensor. It is shown that the maximum plasma jet temperature is 15 000 K and the maximum plasma jet velocity is 250 m s−1 at the plasma jet centre. Finally, a study of the ambient air amount entrained into the plasma jet is presented.
Stabilized antiferroelectric phase in lanthanum-doped (Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3
Authors: Yi Jae Yun , Lee Jung-Kun
Published: September 2011

Phase transition behaviour of La-modified sodium bismuth titanate ceramics [(Na0.5Bi0.5)1−1.5x
V0.5x
La
x
]TiO3 (NBLT) was investigated. The two anomalies in εr(T) and DSC analysis indicated that lower temperature phase transitions below 200 °C became pronounced with La additions. The polarization relaxation of εr(T) and double hysteresis loops showed that the intermediate region between two dielectric anomalies was the antiferroelectric modulated phase. The origin of the modulated antiferroelectric state was discussed in terms of disordering effects of the La ions and cation vacancies. With increasing La content, the long-range symmetry of the dipoles in the ferroelectric phase was disturbed in the intermediate region. The competition between rhombohedral ferroelectric phase and tetragonal paraelectric phase contributed to the formation of a modulated antiferroelectric phase in NBLT ceramics.
Reversible greyscale memory effect of a bent-core liquid crystal
Authors: Hong Zhe , Jin Yan , Lee Ji-Hoon , Yoon Tae-Hoon , Choi E-Joon , Lee Eun-Woo
Published: September 2011

Memory effect of a bent-core liquid crystal (LC) in smectic A phase was studied. The bent-core LC formed spatially distributed domains with different threshold fields, and the domains showed a bistable switching from a planar to a homeotropic state under an electric field across the cell. The fraction of homeotropic domains was gradually increased with stronger electric field, thus an analogue greyscale memory effect was obtained by the relative fraction between the planar and homeotropic domains. The bent-core molecules could be reversibly switched back to the initial planar state by applying an in-plane electric field.
Thermostability of Barley Malt Proteases in Western Canadian Two‐Row Malting Barley
Authors: Rizvi Syed Masood Hasan , Beattie Aaron D. , Rossnagel Brian , Scoles Graham
Published: September 2011

During the malting process, barley is germinated via a carefully controlled procedure so that its components are degraded to sugars, amino acids, and other low molecular weight compounds that can be used for subsequent fermentation. One of the most important of these processes is the hydrolysis of proteins into peptides and amino acids. During seed germination, proteases hydrolyze insoluble reserve proteins into soluble peptides that are subsequently hydrolyzed into free amino acids. During kilning, green malt is initially air dried at 40–60°C, and then the temperature is gradually increased to 85–95°C. Although most proteases are denatured during kilning, the malt contains a small proportion of heat‐stable protease enzymes able to further break down protein in the subsequent mashing process. In this study, protocols were developed and standardized to measure the activity of different proteases. These protocols were then used to study protease thermostability in Canadian two‐row spring malting barley lines. We found a wide range in protease activity under controlled conditions. Upon heat treatment, several lines exhibited significant protease thermostability. These thermostable enzymes were purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephadex columns for further study.
First Report of Orange Rust of Sugarcane Caused by Puccinia kuehnii in Colombia
Authors: Cadavid M. , Ángel J. C. , Victoria J. I.
Published: September 2011

Symptoms of sugarcane orange rust were first observed in July 2010 on sugarcane (interspecific hybrid of Saccharum L. species) cv. CC 01-1884 planted in the La Cabaña Sugar Mill, Puerto Tejada, Colombia. Morphological features of uredinial lesions and urediniospores inspected with an optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy were distinct from common rust of sugarcane caused by Puccinia melanocephala Syd. & P. Syd., revealing spores identical morphologically to those described for the fungus P. kuehnii (Kruger) E. Butler, causal agent of sugarcane orange rust (1,3). Uredinial lesions were orange and distinctly lighter in color than pustules of P. melanocephala. Urediniospores were orange to light cinnamon brown, mostly ovoid to pyriform, variable in size (27.3 to 39.2 × 16.7 to 21.2 μm), with pronounced apical wall and moderately echinulate with spines evenly distributed. Paraphyses, telia, and teliospores were not observed. Species-specific PCR primers designed from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1, ITS2, and 5.8S rDNA regions of P. melanocephala and P. kuehnii were used to differentiate the two species (2). The primers Pm1-F and Pm1-R amplified a 480-bp product from P. melanocepahala DNA in leaf samples with symptoms of common rust. By contrast, the primers Pk1-F and Pk1-R generated a 527-bp product from presumed P. kuehnii DNA in leaf samples with signs of orange rust, confirming the identity as P. kuehnii. The Centro de Investigación de la Caña de Azúcar de Colombia (Cenicaña) started a survey of different cultivars in nurseries and experimental and commercial fields in the Cauca River Valley and collected leaf samples for additional analyses. Experimental cvs. CC 01-1884, CC 01-1866, and CC 01-1305 were found to be highly susceptible to orange rust and were eliminated from regional trials, whereas commercial cvs. CC 85-92 and CC 84-75, the most widely grown cultivars, were resistant. With the discovery of orange rust of sugarcane in Colombia, Cenicaña has incorporated orange rust resistance in the selection and development of new cultivars. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. kuehnii on sugarcane in Colombia. Orange rust has also been reported from the United States, Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Brazil.

References: (1) J. C. Comstock et al. Plant Dis. 92:175, 2008. (2) N. C. Glynn et al. Plant Pathol. 59:703, 2010. (3) E. V. Virtudazo et al. Mycoscience 42:167, 2001.
First Report of Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus in Watermelon in the Palestinian Authority
Authors: Ali-Shtayeh M. S. , Jamous R. M. , Hussein E. Y. , Mallah O. B. , Abu-Zaitoun S. Y.
Published: September 2011

In the summer of 2010, watermelon plants (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) from eight fields surveyed in two districts (Jenin and Qalqilia) in the West Bank of the Palestinian Authority (PA) exhibited typical Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV) symptoms including yellow veining, chlorotic mottling, stunting of young leaves, and reduction of yield. Disease incidence ranged from 8 to 98% and was associated with whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) infestation. In symptomatic leaves of 79 of 215 watermelon plants examined, geminiviral DNA was detected by PCR (3) and rolling circle amplification (RCA) (2). Geminivirus DNA-A and DNA-B component fragments were amplified by PCR using degenerated and specific primers (3). The full-length DNA-A of WmCSV-[PAL] was amplified from field-collected watermelon plants using WAI-XbaI-(v)/WAI-XbaI-(c) primer pair, and the generated PCR product was sequenced (3). A DNA-A fragment (2,017 bp) (GenBank Accession No JN673223) comprising a conserved region of the coat protein (AV1), AC5, AC3, AC1, and AC2 genes, showed 99, 99, 99, 98, 98, and 97% nucleotide identity with sequences of WmCSV isolates from Jordan (GenBank Accession No. EU561237), Israel (LEF201809), Lebanon (HM368371), Sudan (AJ245650), Iran (AJ245652), and Yemen (AJ012081), respectively. The circular genomic DNA-A and DNA-B of WmCSV-[PAL] were amplified from a whitefly-inoculated watermelon plant by RCA (2) and used to inoculate 30 watermelon plants with a nonvacuum gene gun (4). Typical WmCSV symptoms developed in all these plants 4 weeks postinoculation and virus infection was confirmed by PCR. In 2011, WmCSV was detected from the southern and eastern parts of neighboring Jordan (1). The new emergent disease in the PA was detected in all of the surveyed watermelon fields in regions where cucurbits are intensively grown, only a few kilometers east of Israel. This suggests that the introduction of WmCSV to the PA might have occurred through transplant movement between Israel and the PA or through viruliferous whiteflies that moved from infected plants in Israel to neighboring fields in Jenin and Qalqilia districts. This is in accordance with the observation that disease incidence was always associated with high population of B. tabaci. The virus endangers the production of watermelon in the affected areas to the point of becoming the limiting factor of growing watermelon in open fields. To our knowledge, this is the first report of WmCSV infecting cucurbits in the PA.

References: (1) A. Al-Musa et al. Virus Genes 43:79, 2011. (2) H. Jeske. Curr. Topics Microbiol. Immunol. 331:185, 2009. (3) A. Kheyr-Pour et al. Phytopathology 90:629, 2000. (4) S. Sikorskaite et al. J. Virol. Methods 165:320, 2010.
MODELING INFORMALITY FORMALLY: HOUSEHOLDS AND FIRMS
Authors: GALIANI SEBASTIAN , WEINSCHELBAUM FEDERICO
Published: September 2011

Informality is widespread in most developing countries. In Latin America, 50% of salaried employees work informally. Three stylized facts characterize informality: (1) small firms tend to operate informally while large firms tend to operate formally; (2) unskilled workers tend to be informal while skilled ones have formal jobs; (3) ceteris paribus, secondary workers (a worker other than the household head) are less likely to operate formally than primary workers. We develop a model that accounts for all these facts. In our model, both heterogeneous firms and workers have preferences over the sector they operate and choose optimally whether to function formally or informally. There are two labor markets, one formal and the other informal, and both firms and workers act unconstrained in them. By contrast, a prominent feature of the preexisting literature is that workers' decisions play no role in determining the equilibrium of the economy. In our model, policies that reduce the supply of workers in the informal labor market at given wages will increase the level of formality in the economy. This has noteworthy implications for the design of social programs in developing countries. We also show that an increase in the participation of secondary workers would tend to raise the level of informality in the economy. (JEL J24, J33)
Habitually exercising older men do not demonstrate age‐associated vascular endothelial oxidative stress
Authors: Pierce Gary L. , Donato Anthony J. , LaRocca Thomas J. , Eskurza Iratxe , Silver Annemarie E. , Seals Douglas R.
Published: September 2011

We tested the hypothesis that older men who perform habitual aerobic exercise do not demonstrate age‐associated vascular endothelial oxidative stress compared with their sedentary peers. Older exercising men (n = 13, 62 ± 2 years) had higher (P < 0.05) physical activity (79 ± 7 vs. 30 ± 6 MET hours per week) and maximal exercise oxygen consumption (42 ± 1 vs. 29 ± 1 mL kg−1 per minute) vs. sedentary men (n = 28, 63 ± 1 years). Brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of vascular endothelial function, was greater (P < 0.05) in the exercising vs. sedentary older men (6.3 ± 0.5 vs. 4.9 ± 0.4%Δ) and not different than young controls (n = 20, 25 ± 1 years, 7.1 ± 0.5%Δ). In vascular endothelial cells sampled from the brachial artery, nitrotyrosine, a marker of oxidative stress, was 51% lower in the exercising vs. sedentary older men (0.38 ± 0.06 vs. 0.77 ± 0.10 AU). This was associated with lower endothelial expression of the oxidant enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (p47phox subunit, 0.33 ± 0.05 vs. 0.61 ± 0.09 AU) and the redox‐sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) (p65 subunit, 0.36 ± 0.05 vs. 0.72 ± 0.09 AU). Expression of the antioxidant enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD) (0.57 ± 0.13 vs. 0.30 ± 0.04 AU) and activity of endothelium‐bound extracellular SOD were greater (6.4 ± 0.5 vs. 5.0 ± 0.6 U mL−1 per minute) in the exercising men (both P < 0.05), but differences no longer were significant after correcting for adiposity and circulating metabolic factors. Overall, values for the young controls differed with those for the sedentary, but not the exercising older men. Older men who exercise regularly do not demonstrate vascular endothelial oxidative stress, and this may be a key molecular mechanism underlying their reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases.
High Temperature Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Based on Phosphoric Acid PBI Membrane
Authors: Mamlouk M. , Scott K. , Hidayati N.
Published: September 2011

A study of a vapor feed DMFC using PBI loaded with phosphoric acid is reported. The anode catalyst was a Pt-Ru alloy and the cathode Pt, both supported on carbon black. Performance of the fuel cell with low methanol concentrations is reported and in situ measurements of anode and cathode potentials were used to diagnose the fuel cell performance. The influence of temperature, methanol feed concentration, and oxygen pressure are reported. The fuel cell performance was quite low with peak power densities of 12 to 16 mW cm−2 obtained at a temperature of 175 °C, although open circuit potentials of up to 800 mV were achieved. The poor performance was attributed to significant anode polarization due to the presence of phosphate in the catalyst layer and to the influence of methanol crossover on the cathode performance. The performance of the DMFC was found to fall steadily with time over seven days of operation which was associated with an increased cell resistance as measured by ac impedance.
Technical and Economic Evaluation of a Formic Acid/Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Cell System With Pt-M/C as Anode Catalyst
Authors: Sangarunlert W. , Sukchai S. , Pongtornkulpanich A. , Nathakaranakule A. , Luschtinetz T.
Published: September 2011

Cell performance of formic acid/hydrogen peroxide (HCOOH/H2O2) fuel cell, using commercial Pt-Ru/C, and prepared Pt-M/C (M = Ir, Mo, Co, Ag, W, Ni, Sn) bimetallic catalysts as anode catalysts are experimentally investigated and reported in this paper. Corresponding to cell performance, electrocatalytic activity of the system using commercially available and prepared catalysts is evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry technique (LSV). The result shows that the system using 20%Pt-10%Sn/C yields better formic acid oxidation reaction than that of other Pt-M/C bimetallic catalysts, but it is inferior to that of 20%Pt-10%Ru/C commercial catalyst. In addition, the cell performance of HCOOH/H2O2 fuel cell with various catalyst compositions of Pt and Sn content, in portions of 10:20, 15:15, and 20:10, respectively, is also studied. Comparison among those catalysts, 15%Pt-15%Sn/C yields better cell performance than the others. Levelized energy cost (LEC) and sensitivity analysis on LEC are also assessed.
A Higher Casting and Jump Motions Realized by Robots Using Magnetic Brake Cylinder
Authors: Watari Eyri , Tsukagoshi Hideyuki , Kitagawa Ato , Tanaka Takahiro
Published: September 2011

A casting motion or a jumping motion can enhance the traverse ability and agility simultaneously of a mobile robot. This paper describes the development of a novel actuator, based on a pneumatic driving unit, which enables the generation of high-speed motion necessary to realize the motions mentioned above. The proposed actuator, named Magnetic Brake (MB) Cylinder, is composed of a pneumatic cylinder, a permanent magnet, a portable tank, and small valves. The speed of conventional pneumatic cylinders highly depends on the size of the valve which drives it. Since the magnet plays a role to enhance the impulsive release function of pneumatic energy instead of using a big and heavy valve, the pressure inside the cylinder can be kept in high condition, enabling the generation of high velocity with light structure. The height control method of casted objects with the MB Cylinder and its design method are also described in this paper. The analysis of the performance of the MB Cylinder and its simulation method are described for when using the MB Cylinder for both casting motion and jumping motion. After the developed unit is installed on both the casting device and the jumping robot, the validity of the proposed methods is experimentally verified in addition to discussion on its application to rescue operation.
Studies of Swirl Burner Characteristics, Flame Lengths and Relative Pressure Amplitudes
Authors: Valera-Medina A. , Syred N. , Bowen P. , Crayford A.
Published: September 2011

Swirl stabilized combustion is a technology which, for stationary combustion, consumes more than 70 to 80% of the world’s fossil fuels. There have been many reviews of this technology, but there are still many gaps in understanding. This paper focuses on the general characteristics of a 100kW swirl burner, originally designed for poor quality fuels, in terms of flame characteristic, length and pressure fluctuations, to give a relative measure of the propensity of the system to respond to outside perturbations. Studied effects include swirl number, symmetry of the swirl flow system, type of fuel injector and mode of fuel injection. A range of techniques, including High Speed Photography (HSP), Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and fluctuating pressure measurements were used to create flame maps, flame length detail, and relative pressure amplitudes graphs. The results are discussed in the context of potential oscillations and coupling mechanisms including the effect of the precessing vortex core (PVC), recirculation and shear flow instabilities.
Magnetic field of a finite solenoid with a linear permeable core
Authors: Lerner L.
Published: September 2011

The integral form of Ampere’s law applied to an infinitely long solenoid gives a good first approximation to the magnetic field of finite air-cored solenoids with length L to width w ratios (aspect ratios) significantly greater than 1. It is less well known that this approximation requires much larger aspect ratios to be applicable to solenoids whose relative core permeability μr is much greater than that of the surrounding medium. An exact expression is derived for the magnetic field and inductance of a linear permeable core spheroidal solenoid, and an inequality is obtained for the validity of the infinite solenoid approximation. It is demonstrated that the magnetic field and inductance of a spheroidal solenoid with a linear core approximate well with those of a cylindrical solenoid of the same length and width.
Is Newton’s second law really Newton’s?
Authors: Pourciau Bruce
Published: September 2011

When we call the equation f = ma “Newton’s second law,” how much historical truth lies behind us? Many textbooks on introductory physics and classical mechanics claim that the Principia’s second law becomes f = ma, once Newton’s vocabulary has been translated into more familiar terms. But there is nothing in the Principia’s second law about acceleration and nothing about a rate of change. If the Principia’s second law does not assert f = ma, what does it assert, and is there some other axiom or some proposition in the Principia that does assert f = ma? Is there any historical truth behind us when we call f = ma “Newton’s second law”? This article answers these questions.
A first principles derivation of the electromagnetic fields of a point charge in arbitrary motion
Authors: Singal Ashok K.
Published: September 2011

The electromagnetic fields of an accelerated charge are derived from first principles using Coulomb’s law and relativistic transformations. The electric and magnetic fields are derived for the instantaneous rest frame of the accelerated charge, without using Gauss’s law, an approach different from that in the literature. We then calculate the electromagnetic fields for an accelerated charge in non-relativistic motion. The expressions for these fields, supposedly accurate only to first order in the reduced velocity β, yield all terms for the acceleration fields, and are missing only a factor of 1–β2 in the velocity fields. The derivation shows the genesis of various terms in the field expressions when expressed in terms of the time retarded position of the charge. A straightforward transformation from the instantaneous rest frame yields expressions for the electromagnetic fields for a charge with an arbitrary velocity. The field expressions are derived without using Liénard–Wiechert potentials, thereby avoiding the evaluation of spatial and temporal derivatives of these potentials at the retarded time.
Foaming in stout beers
Authors: Lee W. T. , Devereux M. G.
Published: September 2011

We review the differences between bubble formation in champagne and other carbonated drinks, and stout beers which contain a mixture of dissolved nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The presence of dissolved nitrogen in stout beers gives them several properties of interest to connoisseurs and physicists. These remarkable properties come at a price: stout beers do not foam spontaneously and special technology, such as the widgets used in cans, is needed to promote foaming. Nevertheless, the same mechanism, nucleation by gas pockets trapped in cellulose fibers, responsible for foaming in carbonated drinks is active in stout beers, but at an impractically slow rate. This gentle rate of bubble nucleation makes stout beers an excellent model system for investigating the nucleation of gas bubbles. The equipment needed is modest, putting such experiments within reach of undergraduate laboratories. We also consider the suggestion that a widget could be constructed by coating the inside of a beer can with cellulose fibers.
ALL "STATIC" SPHERICALLY SYMMETRIC PERFECT FLUID SOLUTIONS OF EINSTEIN'S EQUATIONS WITH CONSTANT EQUATION OF STATE PARAMETER AND FINITE POLYNOMIAL "MASS FUNCTION"
Authors: SEMİZ İBRAHİM
Published: September 2011

We look for "static" spherically symmetric solutions of Einstein's Equations for perfect fluid source with equation of state p = wρ, for constant w. We consider all four cases compatible with the standard ansatz for the line element, discussed in previous work. For each case, we derive the equation obeyed by the mass function or its analogs. For these equations, we find all finite-polynomial solutions, including possible negative powers.

For the standard case, we find no significantly new solutions, but show that one solution is a static phantom solution, another a black hole-like solution. For the dynamic and/or tachyonic cases we find, among others, dynamic and static tachyonic solutions, a Kantowski–Sachs (KS) class phantom solution, another KS-class solution for dark energy, and a second black hole-like solution.

The black hole-like solutions feature segregated normal and tachyonic matter, consistent with the assertion of previous work. In the first black hole-like solution, tachyonic matter is inside the horizon, in the second, outside.

The static phantom solution, a limit of an old one, is surprising at first, since phantom energy is usually associated with super-exponential expansion. The KS-phantom solution stands out since its "mass function" is a ninth order polynomial.
EXPLOSIVE SOLUTIONS OF STOCHASTIC VISCOELASTIC WAVE EQUATIONS WITH DAMPING
Authors: LIANG FEI , GAO HONGJUN
Published: September 2011

In this paper, a nonlinear stochastic viscoelastic wave equation with linear damping is considered. By an appropriate energy inequality and estimations, we show that the local solution of the stochastic equations will blow up with positive probability or explosive in L2 sense under some sufficient conditions. Moreover, the upper bound of the blow-up time is given.
EXCITEMENT AND SYNCHRONIZATION OF SMALL-WORLD NEURONAL NETWORKS WITH SHORT-TERM SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY
Authors: HAN FANG , WIERCIGROCH MARIAN , FANG JIAN-AN , WANG ZHIJIE
Published: September 2011

Excitement and synchronization of electrically and chemically coupled Newman-Watts (NW) small-world neuronal networks with a short-term synaptic plasticity described by a modified Oja learning rule are investigated. For each type of neuronal network, the variation properties of synaptic weights are examined first. Then the effects of the learning rate, the coupling strength and the shortcut-adding probability on excitement and synchronization of the neuronal network are studied. It is shown that the synaptic learning suppresses the over-excitement, helps synchronization for the electrically coupled network but impairs synchronization for the chemically coupled one. Both the introduction of shortcuts and the increase of the coupling strength improve synchronization and they are helpful in increasing the excitement for the chemically coupled network, but have little effect on the excitement of the electrically coupled one.
A LEMPEL-ZIV COMPLEXITY-BASED NEURAL NETWORK PRUNING ALGORITHM
Authors: AHMED SULTAN UDDIN , SHAHJAHAN MD. , MURASE KAZUYUKI
Published: September 2011

This paper presents a pruning method for artificial neural networks (ANNs) based on the 'Lempel-Ziv complexity' (LZC) measure. We call this method the 'silent pruning algorithm' (SPA). The term 'silent' is used in the sense that SPA prunes ANNs without causing much disturbance during the network training. SPA prunes hidden units during the training process according to their ranks computed from LZC. LZC extracts the number of unique patterns in a time sequence obtained from the output of a hidden unit and a smaller value of LZC indicates higher redundancy of a hidden unit. SPA has a great resemblance to biological brains since it encourages higher complexity during the training process. SPA is similar to, yet different from, existing pruning algorithms. The algorithm has been tested on a number of challenging benchmark problems in machine learning, including cancer, diabetes, heart, card, iris, glass, thyroid, and hepatitis problems. We compared SPA with other pruning algorithms and we found that SPA is better than the 'random deletion algorithm' (RDA) which prunes hidden units randomly. Our experimental results show that SPA can simplify ANNs with good generalization ability.
ON THE INDEX AND ARROW POLYNOMIALS OF PERIDOIC VIRTUAL LINKS
Authors: IM YOUNG HO , LEE SANG YOUL
Published: September 2011

In this paper, we investigate the behaviors of the index polynomial and the arrow polynomial for periodic virtual links. As applications, we give necessary conditions for a given virtual link to have period n in terms of those polynomials, which can be used to estimate the possible periods for a given virtual link with non-trivial index polynomial or non-trivial arrow polynomial.
SWIFT HIGHLIGHTS AND FLARES (BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD?)
Authors: CHINCARINI G. , MARGUTTI R.
Published: September 2011

Swift opened up a new era in the study of gamma-ray burst sources (GRB). Among a variety of discoveries made possible by Swift, here we focus on GRB 090423, the event at z = 8.2 which currently holds the record of the most distant celestial object ever caught by human instrumentation. This GRB allowed us to have a direct look at the early Universe. The central engine activity giving origin to the GRB emission is also discussed starting from the observational findings of an updated GRB X-ray flares catalog.
THE LINK BETWEEN GALAXIES AND DARK MATTER
Authors: MO HOUJUN
Published: September 2011

Given that dark matter is gravitationally dominant in the universe, and that galaxy formation is closely related to dark matter halos, a key first step in understanding galaxy formation and evolution in the CDM paradigm is to quantify the galaxy-halo connection for galaxies of different properties. Here I will present results about the halo/galaxy connection obtained from two different methods. One is based on the conditional luminosity function, which describes the occupation of galaxies in halos of different masses, and the other is based on galaxy systems properly selected to represent dark halos.
FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS FROM BLACK HOLES, NEUTRON STARS AND GAMMA-RAY BURSTS
Authors: RUFFINI REMO
Published: September 2011

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and supernovae (SNe) bring new perspectives to the study of neutron stars and white dwarfs, as well as opening new branches of theoretical physics and astrophysics.
ON THE COSMOLOGICAL SINGULARITY IN GENERAL RELATIVITY
Authors: BELINSKI V.
Published: September 2011

The talk represents a review of the old results and contemporary development on the problem of cosmological singularity.
CONFORMAL GRAVITY AND GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
Authors: FABBRI LUCA , PARANJAPE M. B.
Published: September 2011

We consider monochromatic, plane gravitational waves in a conformally invariant theory of general relativity. We show that the simple, standard ansatz for the metric, usually that which is taken for the linearized theory of these waves, is reducible to the metric of Minkowski spacetime via a sequence of conformal and coordinate transformations. This implies that we have in fact, exact plane wave solutions. However they are simply coordinate/conformal artifacts. As a consequence, they carry no energy.
GRB-SN CONNECTION: CENTRAL ENGINE OF LONG GRBs AND EXPLOSIVE NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
Authors: NAGATAKI SHIGEHIRO
Published: September 2011

I have developed two-dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) code. I have performed numerical simulations of collapsars using these codes and realistic progenitor models. In the GRMHD simulation, it is shown that a jet is launched from the center of the progenitor. We also performed two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations in the context of collapsar model to investigate the explosive nucleosynthesis happened there. It is found that the amount of 56 Ni is very sensitive to the energy deposition rate. This result means that the amount of synthesized 56 Ni can be little even if the total explosion energy is as large as 1052 erg. Thus, some GRBs can associate with faint supernovae. Thus we consider it is quite natural to detect no underlying supernova in some X-ray afterglows.
A TETRAD DESCRIPTION ON THE DIRAC SPIN-ROTATION EFFECT
Authors: PAN Y. Y. , ZHANG C. M. , ZHAO Y. H. , JUN R.
Published: September 2011

Rotation and Dirac spin coupling is described by the tetrad field for a rotating system, where the rotation-spin effect is replaced by an axial torsion-spin. After constructing a rotating tetrad field, we derive the torsion quantities, by which we deal with the torsion-spin coupling.
THE SPIN-UP OF ACCRETING NEUTRON STARS IN BINARY SYSTEMS
Authors: WANG J. , ZHANG C. M. , ZHAO Y. H.
Published: September 2011

In binary systems, the rotation of neutron stars can be spun up by the accreted material, and at the same time the decay of their magnetic fields occur in the accretion phase. As a result, the spin period may arrive at a minimum of about 1.5 ms, corresponding to a bottom value of the magnetic field ~ 108 G. Taking the conditions: (i) initial magnetic field varying from 1011 G to 1013 G while setting period as 100 s, (ii) initial period as 1–100 s at B = 5 × 1012 G , we find that this minimum of spin period seems independent of these initial conditions.
BOUNCE AND INSTANTON SOLUTIONS WITH O(4) SYMMETRY IN CURVED SPACE
Authors: LEE BUM-HOON , LEE WONWOO
Published: September 2011

We study bounce solutions in asymmetric double-well potential and instanton solutions in symmetric double-well potential. These solutions have O(4) symmetry in Euclidean space. Instanton solutions in our system are possible only if gravity is taken into account. From the analysis of the instanton solutions, we propose a new formation mechanism of the dynamical geometry which has the finite size with the exact Z2 symmetry. This article is prepared for the proceedings of 1st Galileo–Xu Guangqi Meeting in Shanghai, China, 26–30 Oct 2009.
REAL-TIME GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE BURST SEARCH FOR MULTI-MESSENGER ASTRONOMY
Authors: CAO JUNWEI , LI JUNWEI
Published: September 2011

Existing observations of the universe mostly come from electromagnetic (EM) waves, representing so-called multi-wavelength astronomy. In order to enable multi-messenger astronomy, direct detection of gravitational waves (GWs) has to be processed in nearly real time. In this work, we discuss algorithm and infrastructure challenges for GW burst (GWB) search to enable multi-messenger astronomy involving GWs. A real-time computing infrastructure for LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) GWB data analysis is presented, using advanced computing technologies.
QUANTUM SQUEEZING IN ADVANCED GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS
Authors: CHUA SHEON , STEFSZKY MICHAEL , MMOW-LOWRY CONOR , BUCHLER BEN C. , MCKENZIE KIRK , SHADDOCK DANIEL A. , LAM PING KOY , MCCLELLAND DAVID E.
Published: September 2011

Second generation ground-based gravitational wave detectors, scheduled to be operating by the middle of this decade, will be limited in sensitivity over much of their detection range by optical quantum noise. As they will be operating at power levels close to the tolerance of the optical components, significant further improvement in sensitivity will require the use of quantum optical techniques such as the injection of squeezed states. In this paper we briefly review squeezing and plans for its implementation into advanced gravitational wave detectors.
CONTROLLING INSTABILITIES IN HIGH OPTICAL POWER INTERFEROMETERS
Authors: FANG QI , ZHAO CHUNNONG , JU LI , BLAIR DAVID G.
Published: September 2011

High optical power is necessary to increase the sensitivity of advanced gravitational wave detectors. However, it will also induce instabilities. In this paper we review the effects caused by high optical power and potential methods to control those instabilities. Some recent experimental results are presented.
THE VIRGO INTERFEROMETER FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTION
Authors: ACCADIA T. , ACERNESE F. , ANTONUCCI F. , ASTONE P. , BALLARDIN G. , BARONE F. , BARSUGLIA M. , BAUER Th. S. , BEKER M. G. , BELLETOILE A. , BIRINDELLI S. , BITOSSI M. , BIZOUARD M. A. , BLOM M. , BOCCARA C. , BONDU F. , BONELLI L. , BONNAND R. , BOSCHI V. , BOSI L. , BOUHOU B. , BRACCINI S. , BRADASCHIA C. , BRILLET A. , BRISSON V. , BUDZYŃSKI R. , BULIK T. , BULTEN H. J. , BUSKULIC D. , BUY C. , CAGNOLI G. , CALLONI E. , CAMPAGNA E. , CANUEL B. , CARBOGNANI F. , CAVALIER F. , CAVALIERI R. , CELLA G. , CESARINI E. , CHASSANDE-MOTTIN E. , CHINCARINI A. , CLEVA F. , COCCIA E. , COLACINO C. N. , COLAS J. , COLLA A. , COLOMBINI M. , CORSI A. , COULON J.-P. , CUOCO E. , D'ANTONIO S. , DATTILO V. , DAVIER M. , DAY R. , ROSA R. DE , DEBRECZENI G. , del PRETE M. , DI FIORE L. , DI LIETO A. , DI PAOLO EMILIO M. , DI VIRGILIO A. , DIETZ A. , DIETZ A. , DRAGO M. , FAFONE V. , FERRANTE I. , FIDECARO F. , FIORI I. , FLAMINIO R. , FOURNIER J.-D. , FRANC J. , FRASCA S. , FRASCONI F. , FREISE A. , GALIMBERTI M. , GAMMAITONI L. , GARUFI F. , GÁSPÁR M. E. , GEMME G. , GENIN E. , GENNAI A. , GIAZOTTO A. , GOUATY R. , GRANATA M. , GREVERIE C. , GUIDI G. M. , HAYAU J.-F. , HEITMANN H. , HELLO P. , HILD S. , HUET D. , JARANOWSKI P. , KOWALSKA I. , KRÓLAK A. , LEROY N. , LETENDRE N. , LI T. G. F. , LORENZINI M. , LORIETTE V. , LOSURDO G. , MAJORANA E. , MAKSIMOVIC I. , MAN N. , MANTOVANI M. , MARCHESONI F. , MARION F. , MARQUE J. , MARTELLI F. , MASSEROT A. , MICHEL C. , MILANO L. , MINENKOV Y. , MOHAN M. , MOREAU J. , MORGADO N. , MORGIA A. , MOSCA S. , MOSCATELLI V. , MOURS B. , NERI I. , NOCERA F. , PAGLIAROLI G. , PALLADINO L. , PALOMBA C. , PAOLETTI F. , PARDI S. , PARISI M. , PASQUALETTI A. , PASSAQUIETI R. , PASSUELLO D. , PERSICHETTI G. , PICHOT M. , PIERGIOVANNI F. , PIETKA M. , PINARD L. , POGGIANI R. , PRATO M. , PRODI G. A. , PUNTURO M. , PUPPO P. , RABELING D. S. , RÁCZ I. , RAPAGNANI P. , RE V. , REGIMBAU T. , RICCI F. , ROBINET F. , ROCCHI A. , ROLLAND L. , ROMANO R. , ROSIŃSKA D. , RUGGI P. , SASSOLAS B. , SENTENAC D. , SPERANDIO L. , STURANI R. , SWINKELS B. , TONCELLI A. , TONELLI M. , TORRE O. , TOURNEFIER E. , TRAVASSO F. , VAJENTE G. , VAN DEN BRAND J. F. J. , VAN DER PUTTEN S. , VASUTH M. , VAVOULIDIS M. , VEDOVATO G. , VERKINDT D. , VETRANO F. , VICERÉ A. , VINET J.-Y. , VOCCA H. , WAS M. , YVERT M.
Published: September 2011

The Virgo interferometer for gravitational wave detection is described. During the commissioning phase that followed the first scientific data taking run an unprecedented sensitivity was obtained in the range 10–60 Hz. Since then an upgrade program has begun, with the aim of increasing the sensitivity, mainly through the introduction of fused silica wires to suspend mirrors and by increasing the Finesse of the Fabry–Perot cavities. Plans until the shutdown for the construction of the Advanced Virgo detector are given as well as the status of the upgrade.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF STELLAR MASS-TO-LIGHT RATIO IN THE LOCAL UNIVERSE
Authors: LI CHENG
Published: September 2011

We have used the final data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to estimate the projected autocorrelation function, wp(rp), for the stellar mass of galaxies, as well as their stellar light in the SDSS five photometric bands. All these quantities are robustly and precisely determined over scales 10h-1 kpc < rp < 30h-1 Mpc . Ratios of wp(rp) between two given wavebands are proportional to the mean color of correlated stars at rp from a randomly chosen star, while the ratio of stellar mass to luminosity autocorrelations measures an analogous mean stellar mass-to-light ratio (M*/L). These measurements provide a precise quantitative characterization of the well-known dependence of stellar populations on environment, which, when combined with accurate luminosity and stellar mass functions, is expected to provide a compact way to constrain Halo Occupation Distribution models that try to represent all the correlations in detail.
PROBE OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN DARK SECTORS ON THE LARGE SCALE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND ANISOTROPIES
Authors: HE JIAN-HUA , WANG BIN
Published: September 2011

In this review, we study the signature of the interaction between dark energy (DE) and dark matter (DM) on the large-scale CMB anisotropies. We find the interaction has significant influence on the late time Integrated Sachs Wolfe effect (ISW). The positive coupling could suppress the low-l part of the power spectra. We also confront the interacting models with WMAP 5-year as well as other data sets. We find that these models are well-fitted and in 1σ range, the constrained coupling between dark sectors can solve the coincidence problem.
Dexmedetomidine Use in the Setting of Cocaine-Induced Hypertensive Emergency and Aortic Dissection: A Novel Indication
Authors: Javed Fahad , Benjo Alexandre Miguel , Reddy Kiran , Shoaib Akram Muhammad , Khan Shahzeb Afsar , Sabharwal Manpreet Singh , Nadkarni Girish , Aziz Emad F. , Herzog Eyal
Published: September 2011

Aortic dissection is a potentially fatal but rare disease characterized by an aortic intimal tear with blood passing into the media creating a false lumen and with resultant high mortality depending on the location of dissection if not aggressively treated. Cocaine users are known to have a higher incidence of aortic dissection. We report here aortic dissection in a patient with cocaine abuse which did not respond to traditional medication regimes used currently in this setting. Worth mentioning is the use of an alpha-2 receptor selective agonist named Dexmedetomidine as a treatment modality to control hypertension in this patient, which is approved only for sedation of intubated and mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care settings and for sedation during invasive procedures. This paper illustrates the practical beneficial role of Dexmedetomidine in controling blood pressure in the settings of cocaine-induced sympathetic surge when other treatment modalities fail.
The N × D‐BMAP/G/1 Queueing Model: Queue Contents and Delay Analysis
Authors: Steyaert Bart , Walraevens Joris , Fiems Dieter , Bruneel Herwig
Published: September 2011

We consider a single‐server discrete‐time queueing system with N sources, where each source is modelled as a correlated Markovian customer arrival process, and the customer service times are generally distributed. We focus on the analysis of the number of customers in the queue, the amount of work in the queue, and the customer delay. For each of these quantities, we will derive an expression for their steady‐state probability generating function, and from these results, we derive closed‐form expressions for key performance measures such as their mean value, variance, and tail distribution. A lot of emphasis is put on finding closed‐form expressions for these quantities that reduce all numerical calculations to an absolute minimum.
Successful Surgical Treatment of Congenital Aortopulmonary Window in an Adult Patient
Authors: Giamberti Alessandro , Abella Raul , Consuegra Llapur Eduardo , Raweh Abdallah , Cirri Silvia , Frigiola Alessandro
Published: September 2011

Congenital aortopulmonary window is a rare inborn cardiac malformation that should be surgically treated as soon as the diagnosis is made usually during infancy. We report a successful surgical treatment of a 23-year-old male patient with a big type III aortopulmonary window.
Real-Time Adaptive Content-Based Synchronization of Multimedia Streams
Authors: Elhajj Imad H. , Bou Dargham Nadine , Xi Ning , Jia Yunyi
Published: September 2011

Traditional synchronization schemes of multimedia applications are based on temporal relationships between inter- and intrastreams. These schemes do not provide good synchronization in the presence of random delay. As a solution, this paper proposes an adaptive content-based synchronization scheme that synchronizes multimedia streams by accounting for content in addition to time. This approach to synchronization is based on the fact that having two streams sampled close in time does not always imply that these streams are close in content. The proposed scheme primary contribution is the synchronization of audio and video streams based on content. The secondary contribution is adapting the frame rate based on content decisions. Testing adaptive content-based and adaptive time-based synchronization algorithms remotely between the American University of Beirut and Michigan State University showed that the proposed method outperforms the traditional synchronization method. Objective and subjective assessment of the received video and audio quality demonstrated that the content-based scheme provides better synchronization and overall quality of multimedia streams. Although demonstrated using a video conference application, the method can be applied to any multimedia streams including nontraditional ones referred to as supermedia like control signals, haptic, and other sensory measurements. In addition, the method can be applied to synchronize more than two streams simultaneously.