bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relations Among Detection of Syllable Stress, Speech Abnormalities, and Communicative Ability in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Kargas Niko , López Beatriz , Morris Paul , Reddy Vasudevi
Published: March 2016

Purpose

To date, the literature on perception of affective, pragmatic, and grammatical prosody abilities in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been sparse and contradictory. It is interesting to note that the primary perception of syllable stress within the word structure, which is crucial for all prosody functions, remains relatively unexplored in ASD. Thus, in the current study, we explored syllable stress perception sensitivity and its relationship to speech production abnormalities and communicative ability in adults with ASD.

Method

A same–different syllable stress perception task using pairs of identical 4-syllable words was delivered to 42 adults with/without high-functioning ASD, matched for age, to investigate primary speech perception ability in ASD. Speech production and communicative ability in ASD was measured using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (Lord et al., 2000).

Results

As predicted, the results showed that adults with ASD were less sensitive in making judgments about syllable stress relative to controls. Also, partial correlations revealed a key association of speech production abnormalities with stress perception sensitivity, rather than communicative ability.

Conclusions

Our findings provide empirical evidence for deficits on primary syllable stress perception in ASD and its role on sociocommunicative difficulties. This information could facilitate the development of effective interventions for speech and language therapy and social communication.
Evaluating the energy efficiency of software defined‐based cloud radio access networks
Authors: Alhumaima Raad S. , Al‐Raweshidy Hamed S.
Published: March 2016

Densifying the communications network and integrating innovative technologies leads to increased power consumption (PC), along with increased signalling and degraded scalability. The latter can be mitigated by using software defined networks, while cloud radio access network (C‐RAN) reduces the PC. Since evaluating and improving the PC is an important key success factor for the upcoming fifth generations, a reliable power model (PM) is required. This study proposes a componentised, linear and parameterised PM, and explores the individual components relevant for PC analysis, particularly for software defined C‐RAN (SDC‐RAN) architecture. The model quantifies the energy efficiency (EE) by capturing the PC of individual components, and measures the amount of PC in the network. Cooling and total PC of C‐RAN and SDC‐RAN for different parameters such as varying numbers of antennas and different system's bandwidth share has also been considered. The results show that SDC‐RAN increases the total PC by about 20% compared with C‐RAN. Additionally, the study shows the results of modelling the participating core network's control plane unit's PC along with establishing the accuracy of the components and the parameterised models.
The Development of a Universally Accepted Sacral Fracture Classification: A Survey of AOSpine and AOTrauma Members
Authors: Schroeder Gregory D. , Kurd Mark F. , Kepler Christopher K. , Krieg James C. , Wilson Jefferson R. , Kleweno Conor P. , Firoozabadi Reza , Bellabarba Carlo , Kandizoria Frank , Schnake Klause J. , Rajesekaran S. , Dvorak Marcel F. , Chapman Jens R. , Vialle Luiz R. , Oner F. C. , Vaccaro Alexander R.
Published: March 2016

Study Design

Survey study.

Objective

To determine the global perspective on controversial aspects of sacral fracture classifications.

Methods

While developing the AOSpine Sacral Injury Classification System, a survey was sent to all members of AOSpine and AOTrauma. The survey asked four yes-or-no questions to help determine the best way to handle controversial aspects of sacral fractures in future classifications. Chi-square tests were initially used to compare surgeons’ answers to the four key questions of the survey, and then the data was modeled through multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 474 surgeons answered all questions in the survey. Overall 86.9% of respondents felt that the proposed hierarchical nature of injuries was appropriate, and 77.8% of respondents agreed that that the risk of neurologic injury is highest in a vertical fracture through the foramen. Almost 80% of respondents felt that the separation of injuries based on the integrity of L5–S1 facet was appropriate, and 83.8% of surgeons agreed that a nondisplaced sacral U fracture is a clinically relevant entity.

Conclusion

This study determines the global perspective on controversial areas in the injury patterns of sacral fractures and demonstrates that the development of a comprehensive and universally accepted sacral classification is possible.
Alternate current magnetic property characterization of nonstoichiometric zinc ferrite nanocrystals for inductor fabrication via a solution based process
Authors: Yun Hongseok , Kim Jungkwun , Paik Taejong , Meng Lingyao , Jo Pil Sung , Kikkawa James M. , Kagan Cherie R. , Allen Mark G. , Murray Christopher B.
Published: March 2016

We investigate the ac magnetic behavior of solution processable, non-stoichiometric zinc ferrite nanocrystals with a series of sizes and zinc concentrations. Nearly monodisperse ZnxFe3−xO4 nanocrystals (x = 0–0.25) with an average size ranging from 7.4 nm to 13.8 nm are synthesized by using a solvothermal method. All the nanocrystals are in a superparamagnetic state at 300 K, which is confirmed by Superconductive Quantum Interference Device magnetometry. Due to the doping of non-magnetic Zn2+ into A site of ferrite, the saturation magnetization of nanocrystals increases as the size and Zn concentration increases. The ac magnetic permeability measurements at radio frequencies reveal that the real part of the magnetic permeability of similarly sized ferrite nanocrystals can be enhanced by almost twofold as the Zn2+ doping level increases from 0 to 0.25. The integration of 12.3 nm Zn0.25Fe2.75O4 nanocrystals into a toroidal inductor and a solenoid inductor prepared via a simple solution cast process yields a higher quality factors than air core inductors with the same geometries up to 5 MHz and 9 MHz, respectively, which is in the regime of the switching frequencies for the advanced integrated power converters.
A spherical cavity model for quadrupolar dielectrics
Authors: Dimitrova Iglika M. , Slavchov Radomir I. , Ivanov Tzanko , Mosbach Sebastian
Published: March 2016

The dielectric properties of a fluid composed of molecules possessing both dipole and quadrupole moments are studied based on a model of the Onsager type (molecule in the centre of a spherical cavity). The dielectric permittivity ε and the macroscopic quadrupole polarizability αQ of the fluid are related to the basic molecular characteristics (molecular dipole, polarizability, quadrupole, quadrupolarizability). The effect of αQ is to increase the reaction field, to bring forth reaction field gradient, to decrease the cavity field, and to bring forth cavity field gradient. The effects from the quadrupole terms are significant in the case of small cavity size in a non-polar liquid. The quadrupoles in the medium are shown to have a small but measurable effect on the dielectric permittivity of several liquids (Ar, Kr, Xe, CH4, N2, CO2, CS2, C6H6, H2O, CH3OH). The theory is used to calculate the macroscopic quadrupolarizabilities of these fluids as functions of pressure and temperature. The cavity radii are also determined for these liquids, and it is shown that they are functions of density only. This extension of Onsager’s theory will be important for non-polar solutions (fuel, crude oil, liquid CO2), especially at increased pressures.
Stochastic behavior of nanoscale dielectric wall buckling
Authors: Friedman Lawrence H. , Levin Igor , Cook Robert F.
Published: March 2016

The random buckling patterns of nanoscale dielectric walls are analyzed using a nonlinear multi-scale stochastic method that combines experimental measurements with simulations. The dielectric walls, approximately 200 nm tall and 20 nm wide, consist of compliant, low dielectric constant (low-k) fins capped with stiff, compressively stressed TiN lines that provide the driving force for buckling. The deflections of the buckled lines exhibit sinusoidal pseudoperiodicity with amplitude fluctuation and phase decorrelation arising from stochastic variations in wall geometry, properties, and stress state at length scales shorter than the characteristic deflection wavelength of about 1000 nm. The buckling patterns are analyzed and modeled at two length scales: a longer scale (up to 5000 nm) that treats randomness as a longer-scale measurable quantity, and a shorter-scale (down to 20 nm) that treats buckling as a deterministic phenomenon. Statistical simulation is used to join the two length scales. Through this approach, the buckling model is validated and material properties and stress states are inferred. In particular, the stress state of TiN lines in three different systems is determined, along with the elastic moduli of low-k fins and the amplitudes of the small-scale random fluctuations in wall properties—all in the as-processed state. The important case of stochastic effects giving rise to buckling in a deterministically sub-critical buckling state is demonstrated. The nonlinear multiscale stochastic analysis provides guidance for design of low-k structures with acceptable buckling behavior and serves as a template for how randomness that is common to nanoscale phenomena might be measured and analyzed in other contexts.
In situ measurements of plasma properties during gas-condensation of Cu nanoparticles
Authors: Koten M. A. , Voeller S. A. , Patterson M. M. , Shield J. E.
Published: March 2016

Since the mean, standard deviation, and modality of nanoparticle size distributions can vary greatly between similar input conditions (e.g., power and gas flow rate), plasma diagnostics were carried out in situ using a double-sided, planar Langmuir probe to determine the effect the plasma has on the heating of clusters and their final size distributions. The formation of Cu nanoparticles was analyzed using cluster-plasma physics, which relates the processes of condensation and evaporation to internal plasma properties (e.g., electron temperature and density). Monitoring these plasma properties while depositing Cu nanoparticles with different size distributions revealed a negative correlation between average particle size and electron temperature. Furthermore, the modality of the size distributions also correlated with the modality of the electron energy distributions. It was found that the maximum cluster temperature reached during plasma heating and the material's evaporation point regulates the growth process inside the plasma. In the case of Cu, size distributions with average sizes of 8.2, 17.3, and 24.9 nm in diameter were monitored with the Langmuir probe, and from the measurements made, the cluster temperatures for each deposition were calculated to be 1028, 1009, and 863 K. These values are then compared with the onset evaporation temperature of particles of this size, which was estimated to be 1059, 1068, and 1071 K. Thus, when the cluster temperature is too close to the evaporation temperature, less particle growth occurs, resulting in the formation of smaller particles.
Degradation mechanism of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite materials upon exposure to humid air
Authors: Shirayama Masaki , Kato Masato , Miyadera Tetsuhiko , Sugita Takeshi , Fujiseki Takemasa , Hara Shota , Kadowaki Hideyuki , Murata Daisuke , Chikamatsu Masayuki , Fujiwara Hiroyuki
Published: March 2016

Low stability of organic-inorganic perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) solar cells in humid air environments is a serious drawback which could limit practical application of this material severely. In this study, from real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization, the degradation mechanism of ultra-smooth CH3NH3PbI3 layers prepared by a laser evaporation technique is studied. We present evidence that the CH3NH3PbI3 degradation in humid air proceeds by two competing reactions of (i) the PbI2 formation by the desorption of CH3NH3I species and (ii) the generation of a CH3NH3PbI3 hydrate phase by H2O incorporation. In particular, rapid phase change occurs in the near-surface region and the CH3NH3PbI3 layer thickness reduces rapidly in the initial 1 h air exposure even at a low relative humidity of 40%. After the prolonged air exposure, the CH3NH3PbI3 layer is converted completely to hexagonal platelet PbI2/hydrate crystals that have a distinct atomic-scale multilayer structure with a period of 0.65 ± 0.05 nm. We find that conventional x-ray diffraction and optical characterization in the visible region, used commonly in earlier works, are quite insensitive to the surface phase change. Based on results obtained in this work, we discuss the degradation mechanism of CH3NH3PbI3 in humid air.
Electrical probe characteristic recovery by measuring only one time-dependent parameter
Authors: Costin C. , Popa G. , Anita V.
Published: March 2016

Two straightforward methods for recovering the current-voltage characteristic of an electrical probe are proposed. Basically, they consist of replacing the usual power supply from the probe circuit with a capacitor which can be charged or discharged by the probe current drained from the plasma. The experiment requires the registration of only one time-dependent electrical parameter, either the probe current or the probe voltage. The corresponding time-dependence of the second parameter, the probe voltage, or the probe current, respectively, can be calculated using an integral or a differential relation and the current-voltage characteristic of the probe can be obtained.
Regularly arranged indium islands on glass/molybdenum substrates upon femtosecond laser and physical vapor deposition processing
Authors: Ringleb F. , Eylers K. , Teubner Th. , Boeck T. , Symietz C. , Bonse J. , Andree S. , Krüger J. , Heidmann B. , Schmid M. , Lux-Steiner M.
Published: March 2016

A bottom-up approach is presented for the production of arrays of indium islands on a molybdenum layer on glass, which can serve as micro-sized precursors for indium compounds such as copper-indium-gallium-diselenide used in photovoltaics. Femtosecond laser ablation of glass and a subsequent deposition of a molybdenum film or direct laser processing of the molybdenum film both allow the preferential nucleation and growth of indium islands at the predefined locations in a following indium-based physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. A proper choice of laser and deposition parameters ensures the controlled growth of indium islands exclusively at the laser ablated spots. Based on a statistical analysis, these results are compared to the non-structured molybdenum surface, leading to randomly grown indium islands after PVD.
Derivation of instanton rate theory from first principles
Authors: Richardson Jeremy O.
Published: March 2016

Instanton rate theory is used to study tunneling events in a wide range of systems including low-temperature chemical reactions. Despite many successful applications, the method has never been obtained from first principles, relying instead on the “Im F” premise. In this paper, the same expression for the rate of barrier penetration at finite temperature is rederived from quantum scattering theory [W. H. Miller, S. D. Schwartz, and J. W. Tromp, J. Chem. Phys. 79, 4889 (1983)] using a semiclassical Green’s function formalism. This justifies the instanton approach and provides a route to deriving the rate of other processes.
Modeling of the L-shell copper X-pinch plasma produced by the compact generator of Ecole polytechnique using pattern recognition
Authors: Larour Jean , Aranchuk Leonid E. , Danisman Yusuf , Eleyan Alaa , Yilmaz M. Fatih
Published: March 2016

Principal component analysis is applied and compared with the line ratios of special Ne-like transitions for investigating the electron beam effects on the L-shell Cu synthetic spectra. The database for the principal component extraction is created over a non Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (non-LTE) collisional radiative L-shell Copper model. The extracted principal components are used as a database for Artificial Neural Network in order to estimate the plasma electron temperature, density, and beam fractions from a representative time-integrated spatially resolved L-shell Cu X-pinch plasma spectrum. The spectrum is produced by the explosion of 25-μm Cu wires on a compact LC (40 kV, 200 kA, and 200 ns) generator. The modeled plasma electron temperatures are about Te ∼ 150 eV and Ne = 5 × 1019 cm−3 in the presence of the fraction of the beams with f ∼ 0.05 and a centered energy of ∼10 keV.
Non-linear dielectric signatures of entropy changes in liquids subject to time dependent electric fields
Authors: Richert Ranko
Published: March 2016

A model of non-linear dielectric polarization is studied in which the field induced entropy change is the source of polarization dependent retardation time constants. Numerical solutions for the susceptibilities of the system are obtained for parameters that represent the dynamic and thermodynamic behavior of glycerol. The calculations for high amplitude sinusoidal fields show a significant enhancement of the steady state loss for frequencies below that of the low field loss peak. Also at relatively low frequencies, the third harmonic susceptibility spectrum shows a “hump,” i.e., a maximum, with an amplitude that increases with decreasing temperature. Both of these non-linear effects are consistent with experimental evidence. While such features have been used to conclude on a temperature dependent number of dynamically correlated particles, Ncorr, the present result demonstrates that the third harmonic susceptibility display a peak with an amplitude that tracks the variation of the activation energy in a model that does not involve dynamical correlations or spatial scales.
Composition, microstructures and ferrimagnetic properties of Bi-modified LiZnTiMn ferrites for LTCC application
Authors: Jia Lijun , Zhao Yuanpei , Xie Fei , Li Qiang , Li Yuanxun , Liu Cheng , Zhang Huaiwu
Published: March 2016

The effects of Bi modification on the microstructural development and gyromagnetic properties of low-temperature sintered ferrites with composition of Li0.42Zn0.27Ti0.11Mn0.1Fe2.1−xBixO4 (x = 0.0-0.1) have been studied in order to adapt the development of low-temperature cofired ceramics technology (LTCC) and produce gyromagnetic devices with a multilayer process. In the present work, a pure spinel phase can be formed with a sintering temperature ranging from 880°C to 900°C, which allows them to be co-fired with silver. We found that Bi3+ ions could enter into the ferrite lattice, which enhanced the grain growth and densification during sintering due to the activation of the lattice. Results show that the modifying of x = 0.003 cannot only double saturation induction but also drastically reduce ferromagnetic resonance line width at 9.3 GHz, indicating that Bi modification is a good approach for lowing the sintering temperature of LiZnTiMn ferrites.
Atomic resolution strain analysis in highly textured FePt thin films
Authors: Wicht S. , Wee S. H. , Hellwig O. , Mehta V. , Jain S. , Weller D. , Rellinghaus B.
Published: March 2016

In this work, we present a detailed investigation of FePt-substrate interfaces and their influence towards the microstructural and magnetic configurations of the resulting metallic films. Discontinuous FePt films of roughly 15 nm thickness are deposited at 750 °C on MgO, MgAl2O4, SrTiO3, and (La,Sr)(Al,Ta)O3 single-crystalline substrates. All of these films mainly show out-of-plane textured FePt islands; however, fractions of L12 and in-plane oriented crystals are observed for the films on substrates with reduced lattice mismatch. Reduced easy axis coercivities and enhanced hard axis remanence values affirm this observation. Moreover, quantitative high-resolution transmission electron microscope analysis reveals that the reduced lattice mismatch results in a decreased density of dislocations, especially misfit dislocations, at the FePt-substrate interface. To further extend the research, carbon-doped FePt+32%C films are deposited on single-crystalline and sputtered MgO at 750 °C and 650 °C, respectively, to characterize the influence of a segregating media and reduced grain size. A comparison to the pure FePt sample reveals that the presence of seed layer grain boundaries leads to an increased fraction of in-plane oriented material, while the density of misfit dislocations solely depends on the degree of lattice mismatch.
Disruption of crystalline structure of Sn3.5Ag induced by electric current
Authors: Huang Han-Chie , Lin Kwang-Lung , Wu Albert T.
Published: March 2016

This study presented the disruption of the Sn and Ag3Sn lattice structures of Sn3.5Ag solder induced by electric current at 5–7 × 103 A/cm2 with a high resolution transmission electron microscope investigation and electron diffraction analysis. The electric current stressing induced a high degree of strain on the alloy, as estimated from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) peak shift of the current stressed specimen. The XRD peak intensity of the Sn matrix and the Ag3Sn intermetallic compound diminished to nearly undetectable after 2 h of current stressing. The electric current stressing gave rise to a high dislocation density of up to 1017/m2. The grain morphology of the Sn matrix became invisible after prolonged current stressing as a result of the coalescence of dislocations.
Multiwall carbon nanotube microcavity arrays
Authors: Ahmed Rajib , Rifat Ahmmed A. , Yetisen Ali K. , Dai Qing , Yun Seok Hyun , Butt Haider
Published: March 2016

Periodic highly dense multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) arrays can act as photonic materials exhibiting band gaps in the visible regime and beyond terahertz range. MWCNT arrays in square arrangement for nanoscale lattice constants can be configured as a microcavity with predictable resonance frequencies. Here, computational analyses of compact square microcavities (≈0.8 × 0.8 μm2) in MWCNT arrays were demonstrated to obtain enhanced quality factors (≈170–180) and narrow-band resonance peaks. Cavity resonances were rationally designed and optimized (nanotube geometry and cavity size) with finite element method. Series (1 × 2 and 1 × 3) and parallel (2 × 1 and 3 × 1) combinations of microcavities were modeled and resonance modes were analyzed. Higher order MWCNT microcavities showed enhanced resonance modes, which were red shifted with increasing Q-factors. Parallel microcavity geometries were also optimized to obtain narrow-band tunable filtering in low-loss communication windows (810, 1336, and 1558 nm). Compact series and parallel MWCNT microcavity arrays may have applications in optical filters and miniaturized optical communication devices.
Normal and anomalous plasmonic lattice modes of gold nanodisk arrays in inhomogeneous media
Authors: Sadeghi S. M. , Wing W. J. , Campbell Q.
Published: March 2016

We study plasmonic lattice modes in two dimensional arrays of large metallic nanodisks in strongly inhomogeneous environments with controlled dielectric asymmetries. This is done within the two limits of positive (air/substrate) and negative (Si/substrate) asymmetries. In the former, the nanodisks are exposed to air, while in the latter, they are fully embedded in a dielectric material with a refractive index much higher than that of the glass substrate (Si). Our results show that in the air/substrate limit, the arrays can mainly support two distinct visible and infrared peaks associated with the optical coupling of multipolar plasmonic resonances of nanodisks in air and substrate (normal modes). As the nanodisks are gradually embedded in Si, i.e., going from the positive to negative asymmetry limit, the visible peak undergoes more than 200 nm red shift without significant mode degradation. Our results show that as this transition happens, a third peak (anomalous mode) becomes dominant. The amplitude and wavelength of this peak increase quadratically with the thickness of the Si layer, indicating formation of a unique collective mode. We study the impact of this mode on the emission semiconductor quantum dots, demonstrating they become much brighter as the result of the long-reach plasmonic fields of the nanodisks when the arrays are in this mode.
Magnetic properties and coercivity mechanism of Sm1-xPrxCo5 (x=0-0.6) nanoflakes prepared by surfactant-assisted ball milling
Authors: Xu M. L. , Yue M. , Wu Q. , Li Y. Q. , Lu Q. M.
Published: March 2016

Sm1-xPrxCo5 (x=0-0.6) nanoflakes with CaCu5 structure were successfully prepared by surfactant-assisted high-energy ball milling (SAHEBM). The crystal structure and magnetic properties of Sm1-xPrxCo5 (x=0-0.6) nanoflakes were studied by X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometer. Effects of Pr addition on the structure, magnetic properties and coercivity mechanism of Sm1-xPrxCo5 nanoflakes were systematically investigated. XRD results show that all the nanoflakes have a hexagonal CaCu5-type (Sm, Pr)1Co5 main phase and the (Sm, Pr)2Co7 impurity phase, and all of the samples exhibit a strong (00l) texture after magnetic alignment. As the Pr content increases, remanence firstly increases, then slightly reduced, while anisotropy field (HA) and Hci of decrease monotonically. Maximum energy product [(BH)max] of the flakes increases first, peaks at 24.4 MGOe with Pr content of x = 0.4, then drops again. Magnetization behavior analysis indicate that the coercivity mechanism is mainly controlled by inhomogeneous domain wall pinning, and the pinning strength weakens with the increased Pr content, suggesting the great influence of HA on the coercivity of flakes.
Disruptive effect of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction on the magnetic memory cell performance
Authors: Sampaio J. , Khvalkovskiy A. V. , Kuteifan M. , Cubukcu M. , Apalkov D. , Lomakin V. , Cros V. , Reyren N.
Published: March 2016

In order to increase the thermal stability of a magnetic random access memory cell, materials with high spin-orbit interaction are often introduced in the storage layer. As a side effect, a strong Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) may arise in such systems. Here, we investigate the impact of DMI on the magnetic cell performance, using micromagnetic simulations. We find that DMI strongly promotes non-uniform magnetization states and non-uniform switching modes of the magnetic layer. It appears to be detrimental for both the thermal stability of the cell and its switching current, leading to considerable deterioration of the cell performance even for a moderate DMI amplitude.
Quasiperiodic air hole arrays for broadband and omnidirectional suppression of reflection
Authors: Patra Anuradha , Ravishankar Ajith P. , Nagarajan Arvind , Maurya Somendu , Achanta Venu Gopal
Published: March 2016

Surfaces patterned with quasi-periodic array of sub-wavelength air holes have been studied for their effectiveness in suppressing air-substrate reflection in the wavelength range of 450–1350 nm. Superlattice structures formed by superposing two different quasiperiodic arrays with 450 nm deep holes showed reflectance of ∼2% (compared to 6% for unpatterned substrate) for all measured incidence angles up to 50° and also show very weak polarization dependence. Dense k-space of quasiperiodic array along with the graded index offered by tapered holes provide broadband, polarization independent, and omnidirectional antireflection property.
Experimental detection of high-order or fractional orbital angular momentum of light based on a robust mode converter
Authors: Zhou Jie , Zhang Wuhong , Chen Lixiang
Published: March 2016

Based on our constructed robust π/2 mode converter, we report a concise yet high-efficient experiment to realize the detection of both high-order and fractional orbital angular momentum (OAM). The π/2 mode converter that consists of a pair of cylindrical lens is actually not new. However, our experiment shows clearly its excellent robustness, as we have detected the high-order OAM numbers up to ℓ=100 carried by standard Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes. The observed patterns of two-dimensional optical lattices indicate that the radial index p of LG beams can be straightforwardly inferred as well. The versatility of the converter is also manifested by input modified LG beams carrying tunable fractional OAM, where we observe the output lattices exhibiting an interesting evolvement from Hermite-Gaussian mode HGm,0 to its adjacent HGm+1,0. Numeric simulations based on OAM eigen-mode decomposition support the experimental results. Our demonstration has potential in both classical and quantum information applications where high OAM modes are needed.
On trapping mechanisms at oxide-traps in Al2O3/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors
Authors: Bisi D. , Chan S. H. , Liu X. , Yeluri R. , Keller S. , Meneghini M. , Meneghesso G. , Zanoni E. , Mishra U. K.
Published: March 2016

By means of combined current-voltage and capacitance-voltage sweep and transient measurements, we present the effects of forward-bias stress and charge trapping mechanisms at oxide traps in Al2O3/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors grown in-situ by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Two main current-voltage regimes have been identified: a low-field regime characterized by low gate-current and low flat-band voltage instabilities, and a high-field regime triggered for oxide field greater than 3.3 MV/cm and characterized by the onset of parasitic leakage current and positive flat-band shift. In the low-voltage regime, gate current transients convey stress/relaxation kinetics based on a power-law, suggesting that tunneling trapping mechanisms occur at near-interface traps aligned with the GaN conduction-band minimum. In the high-voltage regime, devices experience parasitic conduction mechanisms and enhanced charge-trapping at oxide-traps revealed by very slow recovery transients.
Magnetic and structural properties of Mn-Ga thin films
Authors: Zhao Siqian , Suzuki Takao
Published: March 2016

A systematic experimental work has been conducted to understand the magnetic properties of Mn-Ga thin films. Multilayer structured thin films of [MnGa 2 nm/Mn x nm]×25 (x = 0.2∼3.5, which corresponds to Mn at%56∼86) were sputter-deposited onto silica glass substrates, followed by annealing in vacuum. It is found that the magnetic properties strongly depend on x. For x = 0.5, the high magnetization values are found, where the nanocrystalline L10 structure is present. The samples with x = 2.0-3.0 exhibit the coercivity Hc higher than 10 kOe at room temperature where the nanocrystalline D022 structures are found to form. The correlation between the magnetic anisotropy constant K and saturation magnetization Ms is also discussed. The nth power dependence of magnetic anisotropy constant K on Ms is found, where the values of n are 7.8 and 1.9 for x = 0.5 and 2.5, respectively. The present result of the power dependence of n equals about 8 for the L10 MnGa suggests that the magnetic anisotropy in a nanocrystalline L10 MnGa phase is much different from the ordered FePt phase. On the other hand, the power dependence of the D022 nanocrystalline phase suggests the two-ion mechanism.
Critical phenomena in ferromagnetic antidot lattices
Authors: Zivieri R.
Published: March 2016

In this paper a quantitative theoretical formulation of the critical behavior of soft mode frequencies as a function of an applied magnetic field in two-dimensional Permalloy square antidot lattices in the nanometric range is given according to micromagnetic simulations and simple analytical calculations. The degree of softening of the two lowest-frequency modes, namely the edge mode and the fundamental mode, corresponding to the field interval around the critical magnetic field, can be expressed via numerical exponents. For the antidot lattices studied we have found that: a) the ratio between the critical magnetic field and the in-plane geometric aspect ratio and (b) the ratio between the numerical exponents of the frequency power laws of the fundamental mode and of the edge mode do not depend on the geometry. The above definitions could be extended to other types of in-plane magnetized periodic magnetic systems exhibiting soft-mode dynamics and a fourfold anisotropy.
Differentiating Male and Female Intimate Partner Homicide Perpetrators: A Study of Social, Criminological and Clinical Factors
Authors: Caman Shilan , Howner Katarina , Kristiansson Marianne , Sturup Joakim
Published: March 2016

It is recognized that the majority of intimate partner homicide (IPH) victims are female; simultaneously, when females do commit homicide, they are more likely to perpetrate against an intimate partner. To date, there are only a few studies that discuss IPH across gender, leading to a gap of knowledge with regard to gender aspects of perpetration. The present nationwide study has a retrospective design, based on registries of all female ( n = 9) and stratified male ( n = 36) IPH committed in Sweden between 2007 and 2009. Our study suggests that female perpetrators are more likely to be unemployed, to have suffered from a substance abuse disorder at some point in life and to have been victimized by the victim. In other words, scrutiny of these characteristics reveals that females who commit partner-related homicides are qualitatively and clinically different from their male counterparts. Furthermore, the prevailing feature of intoxication in connection to the crime, both in male and female perpetrators, indicates that perpetrators might benefit from elements of substance abuse treatment in interventions targeting partner violence.
Effects of Family, Feeding Frequency, and Alternate Food Type on Body Size and Survival of Hatchery-Produced and Wild-Caught Lake Sturgeon Larvae
Authors: Bauman John M , Woodward Brittany M , Baker Edward A , Marsh Terence L , Scribner Kim T
Published: March 2016

Studies that evaluate the effects of different feeding strategies (e.g., feeding frequency and food type) on larval fish growth and survival are important for aquaculture productivity. We quantified the effects of common feeding strategies on the growth and survival of larval Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens. At 30 d after initiation of exogenous feeding, the TL and body weight of larvae reared under a treatment regime of three feedings per day (TL [mean ± SE] = 46.83 ± 0.43 mm; body weight = 0.41 ± 0.01 g) were significantly greater than those of fish reared under a regime of 12 feedings per day (TL = 45.73 ± 0.54 mm; body weight = 0.39 ± 0.02 g). Alternate food type and family were documented to have significant effects on the body weight of hatchery-produced larvae at 14 d postexogenous feeding: body weight was significantly greater for larvae that were fed brine shrimp Artemia spp. (family 1 [mean ± SE]: 0.31 ± 0.004 g; family 2: 0.35 ± 0.006 g) than for larvae that received formulated food (family 1: 0.06 ± 0.006 g; family 2: 0.08 ± 0.014 g). Furthermore, alternate food type had a significant effect on the survival of hatchery-produced larvae at 14 d postexogenous feeding, as survival was greater for larvae that were fed Artemia (97.0 ± 3.0%) than for those that were given formulated food (34.0 ± 7.0%). In addition, alternate food type had significant effects on the body weight and survival of wild-caught Lake Sturgeon larvae, with both variables being greater for fish that received Artemia (body weight [mean ± SE] = 0.41 ± 0.02 g; survival = 94.0 ± 2.0%) than for fish that were given formulated food (body weight = 0.03 ± 0.01 g; survival = 17.0 ± 6.0%). Our results provide guidance to direct feeding strategies that can be used to develop standard operating procedures for the culture of Lake Sturgeon, a species of conservation concern.
First results of the use of a continuously flowing lithium limiter in high performance discharges in the EAST device
Authors: Hu J.S. , Zuo G.Z. , Ren J. , Yang Q.X. , Chen Z.X. , Xu H. , Zakharov L.E. , Maingi R. , Gentile C. , Meng X.C. , Sun Z. , Xu W. , Chen Y. , Fan D. , Yan N. , Duan Y.M. , Yang Z.D. , Zhao H.L. , Song Y.T. , Zhang X.D. , Wan B.N. , Li J.G.
Published: March 2016

As an alternative choice of solid plasma facing components (PFCs), flowing liquid lithium can serve as a limiter or divertor PFC and offers a self-healing surface with acceptable heat removal and good impurity control. Such a system could improve plasma performance, and therefore be attractive for future fusion devices. Recently, a continuously flowing liquid lithium (FLiLi) limiter has been successfully designed and tested in the EAST superconducting tokamak. A circulating lithium layer with a thickness of  <0.1 mm and a flow rate ~2 cm3 s−1 was achieved. A novel in-vessel electro-magnetic pump, working with the toroidal magnetic field of the EAST device, was reliable to control the lithium flow speed. The flowing liquid limiter was found to be fully compatible with various plasma scenarios, including high confinement mode plasmas heated by lower hybrid waves or by neutral beam injection. It was also found that the controllable lithium emission from the limiter was beneficial for the reduction of recycling and impurities, for the reduction of divertor heat flux, and in certain cases, for the improvement of plasma stored energy, which bodes well application for the use of flowing liquid lithium PFCs in future fusion devices.
Comparison of H-mode plasmas in JET-ILW and JET-C with and without nitrogen seeding
Authors: Jaervinen A.E. , Giroud C. , Groth M. , Belo P. , Brezinsek S. , Beurskens M. , Corrigan G. , Devaux S. , Drewelow P. , Harting D. , Huber A. , Jachmich S. , Lawson K. , Lipschultz B. , Maddison G. , Maggi C. , Marchetto C. , Marsen S. , Matthews G.F. , Meigs A.G. , Moulton D. , Sieglin B. , Stamp M.F. , Wiesen S.
Published: March 2016

In high confinement mode, highly shaped plasmas with edge localized modes in JET, and for heating power of 15–17 MW, the edge fluid code EDGE2D-EIRENE predicts transition to detachment assisted by nitrogen at the low field side (LFS) target when more than 50% of the power crossing the separatrix between ELMs is radiated in the divertor chamber, i.e. ~4 MW. This is observed both in the ITER-like wall (JET-ILW) and in the carbon wall (JET-C) configurations and is consistent with experimental observations within their uncertainty. In these conditions, peak heat fluxes below 1 MW m−2 are measured at the LFS target and predicted for both wall configurations. When the JET-C configuration is replaced with the JET-ILW, a factor of two reduction in the divertor radiated power and 25–50% increase in the peak and total power deposited to the LFS divertor plate is predicted by EDGE2D-EIRENE for unseeded plasmas similar to experimental observations. At the detachment threshold, EDGE2D-EIRENE shows that nitrogen radiates more than 80% of the total divertor radiation in JET-ILW with beryllium contributing less than a few %. With JET-C, nitrogen radiates more than 70% with carbon providing less than 20% of the total radiation. Therefore, the lower intrinsic divertor radiation with JET-ILW is compensated by stronger nitrogen radiation contribution in simulations leading to detachment at similar total divertor radiation fractions. 20–100% higher deuterium molecular fraction in the divertor recycling fluxes is predicted with light JET-C materials when compared to heavy tungsten. EDGE2D-EIRENE simulations indicate that the stronger molecular contribution can reduce the divertor peak power deposition in high recycling conditions by 10–20% due to enhanced power dissipation by molecular interaction.
Evaluating the benefits and risks of species-transformation provisions in multispecies IFQ fisheries with joint production
Authors: Woods Pamela J. , Holland Daniel S. , Punt André E.
Published: March 2016

Species-transformation provisions allow fishers to convert quota of one species to that of another species at prescribed conversion rates. These provisions, along with other catch-quota balancing mechanisms, are meant to aid fishers in matching available quota to actual catch so that incentives to discard are reduced. In this paper, we use a bioeconomic model to examine how species-transformation provisions affect sustainability and profitability of a multispecies fishery. We base parameterization of the model loosely on management of the Icelandic demersal fishery, which currently employs one of the broadest implementations of species transformations. To represent fisher behaviour in each year, effort is allocated among two or three métiers, such that total profit for that year is maximized. Each métier represents a combination of three species’ catchability rates that define which species are targeted by each métier and how independent a species’ catch rate is from that of other species. Assumptions regarding the degree to which fishers can target specific species by shifting effort between métiers, as well as how relative profitability among métiers varies, are paramount to understanding more generally how fishing regulations such as species transformations can be expected to change fishing patterns. This constraint depends not only on how strongly associated species catches are within a métier but also on relative species abundance and what alternate métiers are available.
Reirradiation using robotic image-guided stereotactic radiotherapy of recurrent head and neck cancer
Authors: Yamazaki Hideya , Ogita Mikio , Himei Kengo , Nakamura Satoaki , Suzuki Gen , Yoshida Ken , Kotsuma Tadayuki , Yoshioka Yasuo
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the prognosis for patients with head and neck cancer after reirradiation using Cyberknife stereotactic body irradiation with special focus on mucosal ulceration. We conducted a retrospective multi-institutional review of 107 patients with previously irradiated head and neck cancer. The median follow-up time for all patients was 15 months, and the 2-year overall survival rate was 35%. Significant prognostic factors for overall survival were primary site (nasopharynx versus other sites), presence of ulceration, and PTV volume. Detailed analysis of ulceration showed a lower response rate (28%) in the ulceration (+) group than the ulceration (−) group (63%; P = 0.0045). The 2-year overall survival rates were 8% in the ulceration (+) group and 42.7% ( P = 0.0001) in the ulceration (−) group, respectively. We recorded 22 severe toxicities, including 11 patients with carotid blow-out syndrome (CBOS), which was fatal in 9 patients. CBOS occurred in 6 patients with ulceration (6/25; 24%), and 5 patients experienced CBOS without ulceration (5/82; 6%; P =0.027). In conclusion, ulceration is an important prognostic factor, not only for adverse events but also for survival after reirradiation using CyberKnife.
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for T3 and T4N0M0 non–small cell lung cancer
Authors: Eriguchi Takahisa , Takeda Atsuya , Sanuki Naoko , Nishimura Shuichi , Takagawa Yoshiaki , Enomoto Tatsuji , Saeki Noriyuki , Yashiro Kae , Mizuno Tomikazu , Aoki Yousuke , Oku Yohei , Yokosuka Tetsuya , Shigematsu Naoyuki
Published: March 2016

To evaluate the outcomes and feasibility of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for cT3 and cT4N0M0 non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 25 patients with localized primary NSCLC diagnosed as cT3 or cT4N0M0, given SBRT between May 2005 and July 2013, were analyzed. All patients had inoperable tumors. The major reasons for tumors being unresectable were insufficient respiratory function for curative resection, advanced age (>80 years old) or technically inoperable due to invasion into critical organs. The median patient age was 79 years (range; 60–86). The median follow-up duration was 25 months (range: 5–100 months). The 2-year overall survival rates for T3 and T4 were 57% and 69%, respectively. The 2-year local control rates for T3 and T4 were 91% and 68%, respectively. As for toxicities, Grade 0–1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 radiation pneumonitis occurred in 23, 1 and 1 patient, respectively. No other acute or symptomatic late toxicities were reported. Thirteen patients who had no local, mediastinal or intrapulmonary progression at one year after SBRT underwent pulmonary function testing. The median variation in pre-SBRT and post-SBRT forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) values was –0.1 (–0.8–0.8). This variation was not statistically significant ( P = 0.56). Forced vital capacity (FVC), vital capacity (VC), %VC and %FEV1 also showed no significant differences. SBRT for cT3 and cT4N0M0 NSCLC was both effective and feasible. Considering the favorable survival and low morbidity rate, SBRT is a potential treatment option for cT3 and cT4N0M0 NSCLC.
Relic DNA is abundant in soil and obscures estimates of soil microbial diversity
Authors: Carini Paul , Marsden Patrick J. , Leff Jonathan W. , Morgan Emily E. , Strickland Michael S. , Fierer Noah
Published: March 2016

It is implicitly assumed that the microbial DNA recovered from soil originates from living cells. However, because relic DNA (DNA from dead cells) can persist in soil for weeks to years, it could impact DNA-based analyses of microbial diversity. We examined a wide range of soils and found that, on average, 40% of prokaryotic and fungal DNA was derived from the relic DNA pool. Relic DNA inflated the observed prokaryotic and fungal diversity by as much as 55%, and caused misestimation of taxon abundances, including taxa integral to key ecosystem processes. These findings imply that relic DNA can obscure treatment effects, spatiotemporal patterns, and relationships between taxa and environmental conditions. Moreover, relic DNA may represent a historical record of microbes formerly living in soil.

One Sentence Summary

Soils can harbor substantial amounts of DNA from dead microbial cells; this ‘relic’ DNA inflates estimates of microbial diversity and obscures assessments of community structure.
Improved Placement of Multi-Mapping Small RNAs
Authors: Johnson Nathan R. , Yeoh Jonathan M. , Coruh Ceyda , Axtell Michael J.
Published: March 2016

High-throughput sequencing of small RNAs (sRNA-seq) is a popular method used to discover and annotate microRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and Piwi-associated RNAs (piRNAs). One of the key steps in sRNA-seq data analysis is alignment to a reference genome. sRNA-seq libraries often have a high proportion of reads which align to multiple genomic locations, which makes determining their true origins difficult. Commonly used sRNA-seq alignment methods result in either very low precision (choosing an alignment at random) or sensitivity (ignoring multi-mapping reads). Here, we describe and test an sRNA-seq alignment strategy that uses local genomic context to guide decisions on proper placements of multi-mapped sRNA-seq reads. Tests using simulated sRNA-seq data demonstrated that this local-weighting method outperforms other alignment strategies using three different plant genomes. Experimental analyses with real sRNA-seq data also indicate superior performance of local-weighting methods for both plant miRNAs and heterochromatic siRNAs. The local-weighting methods we have developed are implemented as part of the sRNA-seq analysis program ShortStack, which is freely available under a general public license. Improved genome alignments of sRNA-seq data should increase the quality of downstream analyses and genome annotation efforts.