bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
I Some documents relating to the disputed succession to the duchy of Brittany, 1341
Authors: Jones Michael
Published: December 2009

The most important surviving documentation concerning the succession case arising from the death of Duke John III of Brittany in 1341 consists of the arguments put forward in the names of John de Montfort and Charles de Blois (on behalf of his wife Joan de Penthièvre), the two chief contenders for the ducal title, and the procès-verbal of the interrogation of witnesses brought to testify about these arguments. Montfort's case, presenting reasons why Philip VI of France should allow him to do homage for Brittany, can be found in two contemporary copies, first, Archives départementales de la Loire-Atlantique, Nantes, E 6, which is the chief text edited here, and secondly, Archives Nationales, Paris, J 241, no. 44. There is also an abridged Latin version of Montfort's case in another contemporary copy, Archives Nationales J 241, no. 44bis. The arguments of Blois can now be found only in a late sixteenth-century copy, probably made by the celebrated Breton jurist, Bertrand d'Argentré (1519–90). Similarly a transcript or precis of the interrogation can be found only in d'Argentré's notes and in those of the antiquarian and genealogist, André Duchesne (1584–1640), these two manuscripts being respectively Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français, nos. 18697 and 22338. Several copies exist of these documents, the chief amongst them being a copy of Archives Nationales J 241, no. 44 made following a commission issued in the Parlement of Paris on 15 January 1652 and now contained in Bibliothèque Nationale, MS. Nouvelles acquisitions françaises 7270, and another seventeenth-century copy of the same document, now British Museum, Additional Manuscript 30752.
I The Disputed Regency of the Kingdom of Jerusalem 1264/6 and 1268
Authors: Edbury P. W.
Published: December 2009

Of the surviving sources for the internal history of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 1260s, the collection of materials on the regency (bailliage) disputes of 1264 (or 1265 or 1266) and 1268 is among the most important. It helps explain the rise to power of Hugh of Antioch-Lusignan (King Hugh III of Cyprus) and also sheds much light on contemporary legal concepts and procedures.
VII George III and the Southern Department: Some Unprinted Royal Correspondence
Authors: Christie Ian R.
Published: December 2009

The following fragment of George Ill's correspondence once formed part of the archive of Sir Stanier Porten, who served as an undersecretary of state between 1768 and 1782. His papers eventually passed into the possession of the family of Onslow of Ripley Court, Surrey, and were drawn to my attention by a member of that family, Miss Juliana Onslow, later Mackintosh, then a student at University College London. The exact details of how these papers were transmitted to her father, Mr Guy Clevland Onslow, seem to have been lost; but the salient circumstances appear to be, that the Revd. Stanier James Porten, son of the under-secretary, who was rector of Charlwood, Surrey, 1850–1854, was succeeded in that preferment by his son-in-law, the Revd Thomas Burningham, who held it from 1855 till his death in 1883. Burningham was Mr Onslow's maternal grandfather. Of the thirty-five letters of the king in this collection six were addressed to Porten, two to Lord Weymouth, and the remaining twenty-seven to the last of the secretaries of state under whom Porten served, the first Earl of Hillsborough, who was in charge of the southern department from November 1779 till the fall of the North administration in March 1782.
Toward a new information infrastructure in health technology assessment: Communication, design, process, and results
Authors: Neikter Susanna Allgurin , Rehnqvist Nina , Rosén Måns , Dahlgren Helena
Published: December 2009

Objectives: The aim of this study was to facilitate effective internal and external communication of an international network and to explore how to support communication and work processes in health technology assessment (HTA).

Structure and Methods: European network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) connected sixty-four HTA Partner organizations from thirty-three countries. User needs in the different steps of the HTA process were the starting point for developing an information system. A step-wise, interdisciplinary, creative approach was used in developing practical tools.

Results: An Information Platform facilitated the exchange of scientific information between Partners and with external target groups. More than 200 virtual meetings were set up during the project using an e-meeting tool. A Clearinghouse prototype was developed with the intent to offering a single point of access to HTA relevant information. This evolved into a next step not planned from the outset: Developing a running HTA Information System including several Web-based tools to support communication and daily HTA processes. A communication strategy guided the communication effort, focusing on practical tools, creating added value, involving stakeholders, and avoiding duplication of effort.

Conclusions: Modern technology enables a new information infrastructure for HTA. The potential of information and communication technology was used as a strategic tool. Several target groups were represented among the Partners, which supported collaboration and made it easier to identify user needs. A distinctive visual identity made it easier to gain and maintain visibility on a limited budget.
ON RESIDUAL LIFETIMES OF k-OUT-OF-n SYSTEMS WITH NONIDENTICAL COMPONENTS
Authors: Kochar Subhash , Xu Maochao
Published: December 2009

In this article, mixture representations of survival functions of residual lifetimes of k-out-of-n systems are obtained when the components are independent but not necessarily identically distributed. Then we stochastically compare the residual lifetimes of k-out-of-n systems in one- and two-sample problems. In particular, the results extend some results in Li and Zhao [14], Khaledi and Shaked [13], Sadegh [17], Gurler and Bairamov [7] and Navarro, Balakrishnan, and Samaniego [16]. Applications in the proportional hazard rates model are presented as well.
ZIPF AND LERCH LIMIT OF BIRTH AND DEATH PROCESSES
Authors: Klar B. , Parthasarathy P. R. , Henze N.
Published: December 2009

Birth and death processes are useful in a wide range of disciplines from computer networks and telecommunications to chemical kinetics and epidemiology. Data from many different areas such as linguistics, music, or warfare fit Zipf's law surprisingly well. The Lerch distribution generalizes Zipf's law and is applicable in survival and dispersal processes. In this article we construct a birth and death process that converges to the Lerch distribution in the limit as time becomes large, and we investigate the speed of convergence. This is achieved by employing continued fractions. Numerical illustrations are presented through tables and graphs.
Final Document from the Regional Workshop: “The Protection and Safeguard of Cultural Heritage Property of the Church of Latin America and the Caribbean”
Authors: Cordero Jorge A. Sánchez
Published: December 2009

From 29th September to 1st October, a workshop was organized in Mexico City by UNESCO on the theme, “The Protection and Safeguard of Cultural Heritage Property of the Church of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Glutathione half-cell reduction potential and α-tocopherol as viability markers during the prolonged storage of Suaeda maritima seeds
Authors: Seal Charlotte E. , Zammit Rosa , Scott Peter , Flowers Timothy J. , Kranner Ilse
Published: December 2009

Antioxidants protect seeds from oxidative damage during storage, supporting the maintenance of seed viability and the ability to germinate post-storage. No data on antioxidants during long-term storage are available for the seeds of the halophyte Suaeda maritima. Therefore, changes in lipid-soluble antioxidants in the tocopherol family (α-, γ-, δ-tocopherol), were investigated in seeds stored for up to 16 years at 4°C at a seed moisture content of 10–13%, as well as changes in the water-soluble antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and electrolyte leakage. Seed oil content was also measured and determined to be 22%. During the first 3 years of storage, seed viability remained high and the concentration of total tocopherol was stable. Thereafter, both seed viability and α-tocopherol concentration rapidly decreased and electrolyte leakage increased, while γ-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol concentrations did not correlate with seed viability. Although the concentrations of neither GSH nor glutathione disulphide (GSSG) alone were correlated with seed viability, the glutathione half-cell reduction potential (EGSSG/2GSH) was strongly correlated with viability throughout storage and increased before the onset of viability loss. Hence, in this species EGSSG/2GSH appeared to be an ‘early warning’ system preceding viability loss while α-tocopherol concentration changed concomitantly with viability.
FEAR OF JOB LOSS
Authors: Wilson George , Mossakowski Krysia
Published: December 2009

Sociologists have not attempted to explain the causes of higher levels of perceived job insecurity among racial/ethnic minorities than those of Whites in privileged occupations. This study examines two possible explanations for this finding among White, African American, and Latino professionals and managers. The first emphasizes the discrimination-induced, structural marginality experienced by minorities in the workplace (the marginalized-worker perspective), and the second emphasizes learned dispositions—i.e., fatalism and mistrust—that are brought to the workplace (the dispositional perspective). Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and ordered probit regression analyses for both men and women, our findings provide greater support for the marginalized-worker perspective. Results reveal African Americans and Latino men and women have a greater fear of job loss than their White counterparts, regardless of their human capital credentials (e.g., education, work experience) and job/labor market advantages (e.g., job authority, job autonomy, unionized status, favorable market sector). Along these lines, these traditional, stratification-based predictors provide greater insulation from perceived job insecurity for Whites than racial/ethnic minorities. Less support is found for the dispositional perspective: one disposition—fatalism—is associated with greater fear of job loss for African American men and women compared to Whites.
THE RACIAL UNCONSCIOUS OF ASSIMILATION THEORY1
Authors: Jung Moon-Kie
Published: December 2009

In the past two decades, migration scholars have revised and revitalized assimilation theory to study the large and growing numbers of migrants from Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean and their offspring in the United States. Neoclassical and segmented assimilation theories seek to make sense of the current wave of migration that differs in important ways from the last great wave at the turn of the twentieth century and to overcome the conceptual shortcomings of earlier theories of assimilation that it inspired. This article examines some of the central assumptions and arguments of the new theories. In particular, it undertakes a detailed critique of their treatment of race and finds that they variously engage in suspect comparisons to past migration from Europe; read out or misread the qualitatively different historical trajectories of European and non-European migrants; exclude native-born Blacks from the analysis; fail to conceptually account for the key changes that are purported to facilitate “assimilation”; import the dubious concept of the “underclass” to characterize poor urban Blacks and others; laud uncritically the “culture” of migrants; explicitly or implicitly advocate the “assimilation” of migrants; and discount the political potential of “oppositional culture.” Shifting the focus fromdifferencetoinequalityanddomination, the article concludes with a brief proposal for reorienting our theoretical approach, fromassimilationto thepolitics of national belonging.
A Black Man in the White House?
Authors: Parker Christopher S. , Sawyer Mark Q. , Towler Christopher
Published: December 2009

An editorial error was made in the article, “A Black Man in the White House?: The Role of Racism and Patriotism in the 2008 Presidential Election” (Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 193–217).
Group behavioural activation and mindfulness therapy for the well-being of non-clinical adults: a preliminary open trial
Authors: Mazzucchelli Trevor G. , Rees Clare S. , Kane Robert T.
Published: December 2009

Using 16 non-clinical adults from the community, this study examined the effects on well-being of a group intervention consisting of a 4-week behavioural activation component followed by a 3-week mindfulness component, finishing with an integrating closure session. Results from intention-to-treat analyses showed moderate and significant improvements in psychological distress and several indices of well-being after the behavioural activation component. These improvements continued through the mindfulness component of the intervention such that effects were greater after participants had received the complete intervention. Half of the participants reported reliable and clinically significant improvement in the amount of time they felt happy after the intervention and a quarter of participants reported improvement at follow-up. Behavioural activation and mindfulness interventions may provide a useful framework for further research with non-clinical populations who wish to enhance their well-being and learn skills that may protect them against depression and other mental health problems.
A boundary layer model for submarine hydrothermal heat flows at on‐axis and near‐axis regions
Authors: Craft Kathleen L. , Lowell Robert P.
Published: December 2009

Hydrothermal discharge from oceanic crust makes up a significant portion of Earth's overall heat flux. In this paper we investigate two aspects of oceanic hydrothermal heat flux that are not well understood: (1) the relative partitioning of heat flux between high‐temperature and low‐temperature flows at oceanic spreading ridges and (2) hydrothermal behavior of the near‐axis region, where seismic data suggest that a zone of partial melt extends quasi‐vertically into the lower crust at the East Pacific Rise. We apply steady state boundary layer theory to each system by assuming circulation occurs near a hot isothermal wall that laterally transfers heat to and induces convection within an adjacent fluid‐filled medium. We vary the permeability of the medium over a range of 10−14 to 10−10 m2. For model 1 we assume a wall temperature of 150°C, corresponding to a relatively impermeable anhydrite wall within layer 2A extrusives, whereas for model 2 we assume a wall temperature of 800°C that extends to the base of the crust. The boundary layer results for model 1 suggest that diffuse flow makes up 50% or less of the heat output at the ridge axis, which is at the low end of some observations. Should more accurate and complete heat flux data be obtained and indicate that a high fraction of ridge axis heat loss results from diffuse flow, another mechanism in addition to the boundary layer model proposed here may be required. Boundary layer results for near‐axis circulation, model 2, indicate that temperature distributions are in reasonable agreement with those inferred from seismic tomographic studies of the oceanic crust and with other numerical models. For the near‐axis model, results also show that heat transfer in the hydrothermal boundary layer is greater than the input from steady state generation of the oceanic crust by seafloor spreading. This difference in heat input suggests that the width of the partial melt zone may be decreasing with time. Thus, the application of the boundary layer theory to complex hydrothermal processes near oceanic spreading centers provides important insights into key system processes.
Measured and modeled ionospheric densities, temperatures, and winds during the international polar year
Authors: Richards P. G. , Nicolls M. J. , Heinselman C. J. , Sojka J. J. , Holt J. M. , Meier R. R.
Published: December 2009

This paper examines the ability of ionospheric models to reproduce measured electron density, winds, and temperatures during the International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007. The models include the field line interhemispheric plasma (FLIP) model, the international reference ionosphere (IRI) model, and the empirical horizontal neutral wind models (HWM) (HWM93, HWM07). For Poker Flat, Alaska, there is exceptionally good agreement between the FLIP model and measured electron density, winds, and temperatures in equinox and winter. This research shows an interesting post sunset peak in Te from late fall through early spring that is reproduced by the FLIP model. In June and July the FLIP model underestimates the measured peak electron density by a factor of 2. Although both the data and model show evidence of an F1 peak near 150 km in summer, the model F1 peak electron density tends to be larger than the F2 peak electron density and that is not seen in the data. The summer discrepancy is most likely due to incorrect atomic to molecular neutral density ratios. The FLIP model reproduces the Millstone Hill data well throughout 2007. The IRI model agrees well with the electron density data during the day but overestimates the peak electron density and the height of the peak at night. The equivalent winds from the FLIP model and the winds from the HWM93 model agree well with the measured winds. The HWM07 winds are different from the earlier HWM93 winds at Poker Flat and do not agree as well with the data.
Tropical stratospheric aerosol layer from CALIPSO lidar observations
Authors: Vernier J. P. , Pommereau J. P. , Garnier A. , Pelon J. , Larsen N. , Nielsen J. , Christensen T. , Cairo F. , Thomason L. W. , Leblanc T. , McDermid I. S.
Published: December 2009

The evolution of the aerosols in the tropical stratosphere since the beginning of the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) mission in June 2006 is investigated using Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) lidar data. It is shown that the current operational calibration requires adjustment in the tropics. Indeed, on the basis of the assumption of pure Rayleigh scattering between 30 and 34 km the current calibration leads to an average underestimation of the scattering ratio by 6% because of the significant amount of aerosols up to 35 km altitude in the tropics, in contrast to midlatitudes. A better result is obtained by adjusting the calibration to higher altitudes, 36–39 km, where past Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II extinction measurements showed an almost complete absence of aerosols. After recalibration the tropical stratospheric aerosol picture provided by CALIOP during the first 2 years of the mission reveals significant changes in the aerosol concentration associated with different transport processes. In the stratosphere the slow ascent of several volcanic layers and their meridional transport toward the subtropics are very consistent with the Brewer‐Dobson circulation. The near‐zero vertical velocity observed around 20 km during the Northern Hemisphere (NH) summer is in good agreement with radiative heating calculation. In the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL), weak depolarizing particles are observed during land convective periods, particularly intense over South Asia during the monsoon season. Finally, seasonal fast occurrence of apparent clean air in the TTL during the NH winter requires more investigations to understand its origin.
The 20 W sleep‐walkers
Authors: Kováč Ladislav
Published: December 2009

We expend a lot of energy dreaming, both day and night. Ladislav Kováč explains why this is energy well spent and how our desires and dreams can drive us to ever‐greater achievements.
Rate and state variable friction laws: Estimation of model parameters for slip velocity dependence at coseismic slip rates
Authors: Prakash Vikas
Published: December 2009

In the present study plate-impact pressure-shear friction experiments are conducted to study dynamics of high-speed slip at metal-on-metal interfaces. By using a CH tool-steel/Ti–6Al–4V tribo-pair and appropriate selection of the flyer and target plate thicknesses, the experiment has been used to investigate the frictional resistance of sliding interfaces subjected to step changes in slip rates. In order to describe the frictional memory effects a model based on Ruina–Dieterich slip law has been utilized. It is noted that the model parameter a in the range of 0.01–0.25 with characteristic lengths of L=5–7 μm provides a reasonably good fit to the experimental data.
Kinks, chains, and loop groups in the CPn sigma models
Authors: Harland Derek
Published: December 2009

We consider topological solitons in the CPn sigma models in two space dimensions. In particular, we study “kinks,” which are independent of one coordinate up to a rotation of the target space, and “chains,” which are periodic in one coordinate up to a rotation of the target space. Kinks and chains both exhibit constituents, similar to monopoles and calorons in SU(n) Yang–Mills–Higgs and Yang–Mills theories. We examine the constituent structure using Lie algebras.
On anomalous diffusion and the fractional generalized Langevin equation for a harmonic oscillator
Authors: Figueiredo Camargo R. , Capelas de Oliveira E. , Vaz J.
Published: December 2009

The fractional generalized Langevin equation (FGLE) is proposed to discuss the anomalous diffusive behavior of a harmonic oscillator driven by a two-parameter Mittag–Leffler noise. The solution of this FGLE is discussed by means of the Laplace transform methodology and the kernels are presented in terms of the three-parameter Mittag–Leffler functions. Recent results associated with a generalized Langevin equation are recovered.
Anisotropic in-plane strain and transport in epitaxial Nd0.2Sr0.8MnO3 thin films
Authors: Neupane K. P. , Neumeier J. J. , Cohn J. L.
Published: December 2009

The structure, morphology, and electrical properties of epitaxial a-axis-oriented thin films of Nd0.2Sr0.8MnO3 are reported for thicknesses of 10 nm≤t≤150 nm. Films were grown with both tensile and compressive strain on various substrates. It is found that the elongated crystallographic c-axes of the films remain fully strained to the substrates for all thicknesses in both strain states. Relaxation of the a and b axes is observed for t≳65 nm, with films grown under tensile strain developing uniaxial crack arrays (running along the c axis) due to a highly anisotropic thermal expansion. For the latter films, the room-temperature in-plane electrical resistivity anisotropy, ρb/ρc, increases approximately exponentially with increasing film thickness to values of ∼1000 in the thickest films studied. Films under tension have their Néel temperatures enhanced by ≈25 K independent of thickness, consistent with an enhancement in ferromagnetic exchange along their expanded c axes.
Structural and optical analysis of GaAsP/GaP core-shell nanowires
Authors: Mohseni P. K. , Rodrigues A. D. , Galzerani J. C. , Pusep Y. A. , LaPierre R. R.
Published: December 2009

The structural and optical properties of GaAsP/GaP core-shell nanowires grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), and magneto-PL. The effects of surface depletion and compositional variations in the ternary alloy manifested as a redshift in GaAsP PL upon surface passivation, and a decrease in redshift in PL in the presence of a magnetic field due to spatial confinement of carriers.
An alternative treatment of heat flow for charge transport in semiconductor devices
Authors: Grupen Matt
Published: December 2009

A unique thermodynamic model of Fermi gases suitable for semiconductor device simulation is presented. Like other models, such as drift diffusion and hydrodynamics, it employs moments of the Boltzmann transport equation derived using the Fermi–Dirac distribution function. However, unlike other approaches, it replaces the concept of an electron thermal conductivity with the heat capacity of an ideal Fermi gas to determine heat flow. The model is used to simulate a field-effect transistor and show that the external current-voltage characteristics are strong functions of the state space available to the heated Fermi distribution.
Contact configuration modification at carbon nanotube-metal interface during nanowelding
Authors: Song Xiaohui , Liu Sheng , Gan Zhiyin , Yan Han , Ai Ye
Published: December 2009

Contact configuration modification at carbon nanotube (CNT)-metal interface during nanowelding is investigated using molecular dynamics simulation. It is found that the nanowelding could be accomplished at a temperature much lower than the melting point of the metal, during which a side contact structure and core filling nanowires form at the CNT-metal interface. Metal atoms prefer entering into the core to moving along the outer surface of the CNTs. Also, the filling of the metal atoms into the CNT can enhance the local melting of the metal at the interface, which would facilitate the metal atoms wetting on the outer walls and dramatically increasing the contact length.
Stopping power of a buffer gas for laser plasma debris mitigation
Authors: Bleiner Davide , Lippert Thomas
Published: December 2009

The stopping power of a buffer gas against laser-plasma debris is quantitatively assessed by means of visualization techniques. For ablation of planar tin targets in an Ar ambient, an expanding wavefront was visualized, whose translation energy was rapidly reduced within a few millimeters above the target surface. The fastest debris component was along the normal to the target with an initial kinetic energy of 1.1 keV. The buffer gas efficiency changed in a line-of-sight-dependent way, thermalizing more efficiently the on-axis components. The maximum stopping power of the gas buffer was determined as high as 0.4 keV/mm. Due to the reduction in stopping power, nonlinearly with the debris kinetic energy, a gas buffer thickness of 10 mm is required at the studied atmospheric pressure in order to mitigate high energy debris below a fiducial threshold of 0.1 keV.
Probabilistic evaluation of time series models: A comparison of several approaches
Authors: Bröcker Jochen , Engster David , Parlitz Ulrich
Published: December 2009

Several methods are examined which allow to produce forecasts for time series in the form of probability assignments. The necessary concepts are presented, addressing questions such as how to assess the performance of a probabilistic forecast. A particular class of models, cluster weighted models (CWMs), is given particular attention. CWMs, originally proposed for deterministic forecasts, can be employed for probabilistic forecasting with little modification. Two examples are presented. The first involves estimating the state of (numerically simulated) dynamical systems from noise corrupted measurements, a problem also known as filtering. There is an optimal solution to this problem, called the optimal filter, to which the considered time series models are compared. (The optimal filter requires the dynamical equations to be known.) In the second example, we aim at forecasting the chaotic oscillations of an experimental bronze spring system. Both examples demonstrate that the considered time series models, and especially the CWMs, provide useful probabilistic information about the underlying dynamical relations. In particular, they provide more than just an approximation to the conditional mean.
Supersymmetry as a method of obtaining new superintegrable systems with higher order integrals of motion
Authors: Marquette Ian
Published: December 2009

The main result of this article is that we show that from supersymmetry we can generate new superintegrable Hamiltonians. We consider a particular case with a third order integral and apply Mielnik’s construction in supersymmetric quantum mechanics. We obtain a new superintegrable potential separable in Cartesian coordinates with a quadratic and quintic integrals and also one with a quadratic integral and an integral of order of 7. We also construct a superintegrable system written in terms of the fourth Painlevé transcendent with a quadratic integral and an integral of order of 7.
Automatic derivation and evaluation of vibrational coupled cluster theory equations
Authors: Seidler Peter , Christiansen Ove
Published: December 2009

A scheme for automatic derivation and evaluation of the expressions occurring in vibrational coupled cluster theory is introduced. The method is based on a Baker–Campbell–Hausdorff expansion of the similarity transformed Hamiltonian and is general both with respect to the excitation level in the parameter space and the mode coupling level in the Hamiltonian. In addition to deriving general expressions, intermediates that lower the computational scaling are automatically detected. The final equations are then evaluated. Due to the commutator based nature of the algorithm, it is also applicable to the evaluation of quantities needed for response theory. Different aspects of the theory and implementation are illustrated by calculations on model systems. Furthermore, all fundamental excitation energies of ethylene oxide are calculated.
Ultrafast conversions between hydrogen bonded structures in liquid water observed by femtosecond x-ray spectroscopy
Authors: Wen Haidan , Huse Nils , Schoenlein Robert W. , Lindenberg Aaron M.
Published: December 2009

We present the first femtosecond soft x-ray spectroscopy in liquids, enabling the observation of changes in hydrogen bond structures in water via core-hole excitation. The oxygen K-edge of vibrationally excited water is probed with femtosecond soft x-ray pulses, exploiting the relation between different water structures and distinct x-ray spectral features. After excitation of the intramolecular OH stretching vibration, characteristic x-ray absorption changes monitor the conversion of strongly hydrogen-bonded water structures to more disordered structures with weaker hydrogen-bonding described by a single subpicosecond time constant. The latter describes the thermalization time of vibrational excitations and defines the characteristic maximum rate with which nonequilibrium populations of more strongly hydrogen-bonded water structures convert to less-bonded ones. On short time scales, the relaxation of vibrational excitations leads to a transient high-pressure state and a transient absorption spectrum different from that of statically heated water.
Observation of hypersonic phononic crystal effects in porous silicon superlattices
Authors: Parsons L. C. , Andrews G. T.
Published: December 2009

Brillouin light scattering experiments were carried out on porous silicon superlattices with modulation wavelengths in the range 37–167 nm. Phonon frequencies deduced from the Brillouin spectra show good agreement with those obtained from an elastic continuum model for a system with one-dimensional periodicity. Evidence for the existence of a hypersonic phononic bandgap and zone-folded longitudinal acoustic phonons is reported.
Hole-based memory operation in an InAs/GaAs quantum dot heterostructure
Authors: Marent A. , Nowozin T. , Gelze J. , Luckert F. , Bimberg D.
Published: December 2009

We present an InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) memory structure with all-electrical data access which uses holes as charge carriers. Charging and discharging of the QDs are clearly controlled by a gate voltage. The stored information is read-out by a two-dimensional hole gas underneath the QD-layer. Time resolved drain-current-measurements demonstrate the memory operation. Present write times are 80 ns.
Effects of nanowire coalescence on their structural and optical properties on a local scale
Authors: Consonni V. , Knelangen M. , Jahn U. , Trampert A. , Geelhaar L. , Riechert H.
Published: December 2009

The effects of GaN nanowire coalescence have been investigated on a local scale by combining high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging with spatially resolved cathodoluminescence measurements. Coalescence induces the formation of a network of boundary dislocations, above which I1-type basal-plane stacking faults are nucleated. The former contributes to the reduction in the crystalline quality at the bottom of coalesced nanowires while the latter leads to intense excitonic radiative transitions at 3.42 eV in their center. Despite coalescence, the top of coalesced nanowires presents a very high crystalline quality, resulting in strong radiative recombinations of donor bound excitons at 3.47 eV.
Gas sensing properties of single crystalline porous silicon nanowires
Authors: Peng Kui-Qing , Wang Xin , Lee Shuit-Tong
Published: December 2009

We demonstrate that the porous silicon nanowires (SiNWs) prepared by metal-assisted chemical etching method could impart sensitivity of nanowire electrical properties to gaseous nitrogen oxide (NO) at room temperature, thus are suitable for sensing NO and air monitoring. Particularly, the sensors made from the porous SiNWs assembly showed fast response and excellent reversibility to subparts per million NO concentrations. The excellent sensing performance coupled with scalable synthesis of porous SiNWs could open up opportunities in scalable production of sensor chips working at room temperature.
Reconfigurable liquid crystal droplets using a dielectric force
Authors: Ren Hongwen , Lee Seung Hee , Wu Shin Tson
Published: December 2009

Dielectric force-induced shape change of liquid crystal (LC) droplets which are randomly dispersed in a liquid polymer is demonstrated. By applying a sufficiently high voltage, the isolated spherical LC droplets are coalesced to form a planar layer, while the cylindrical LC droplets which make contact on both substrate surfaces cannot be deformed easily. On the contrary, each cylindrical LC droplet functions as a swollen well to unite the adjacent LC droplets. The dynamic behavior for flattening the spherical LC droplets is also studied. Potential applications of these reconfigurable LC droplets for various photonic devices are discussed.
Spectrally condensed turbulence in thin layers
Authors: Xia H. , Shats M. , Falkovich G.
Published: December 2009

We present experimental results on the properties of bounded turbulence in thin fluid layers. In contrast with the theory of two-dimensional (2D) turbulence, the effects of the bottom friction and of the spectral condensation of the turbulence energy are important in our experiment. Here we investigate how these two factors affect statistical moments of turbulent fluctuations. The inverse energy cascade in a bounded turbulent quasi-2D flow leads to the formation of a large coherent vortex (condensate) fed by turbulence. This vortex, depending on its strength, can substantially affect the turbulence statistics, even at small scales. Up to the intermediate strength of the condensate, the velocity moments similar to those in isotropic 2D turbulence are recovered by subtracting the coherent component from the velocity fields. A strong condensate leaves a footprint on the underlying turbulence; it generates stronger non-Gaussianity and reduces the efficiency of the inverse energy cascade. Remarkably, the energy flux in the cascade derived from the third-order structure function using the Kolmogorov flux relation gives physically meaningful values in a broad range of experimental parameters regardless of the condensate strength. This result has important implications for the analysis of the atmospheric wind data in upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.
Dual band terahertz metamaterial absorber: Design, fabrication, and characterization
Authors: Wen Qi-Ye , Zhang Huai-Wu , Xie Yun-Song , Yang Qing-Hui , Liu Ying-Li
Published: December 2009

We report the design, simulation, and measurement of a dual-band metamaterial absorber in the terahertz region. Theoretical and experimental results show that the absorber has two distinct and strong absorption points near 0.45 and 0.92 THz, both which are related to the LC resonance of the metamaterial. The distributions of the power flow and the power loss indicate that the absorber is an excellent electromagnetic wave collector: the wave is first trapped and reinforced in certain specific locations and then completely consumed. This dual-band absorber has applications in many scientific and technological areas.
Single chain contraction and re-expansion of polystyrene sulfonate: A study on its re-entrant condensation at single molecular level
Authors: Jia Pengxiang , Zhao Jiang
Published: December 2009

Single chain conformation of a polyelectrolyte (polystyrene sulfonate, PSS−Na+) during its re-entrant condensation was studied by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) with single molecule sensitivity. The contraction and re-expansion of PSS−Na+ chain were observed with the addition of counterions of different valencies. The formation of aggregation and precipitation of PSS−Na+ and its redissolution were observed in accordance with the chain contraction and re-expansion process for the PSS−Na+ chain upon the addition of trivalent La3+ ion. Chain contraction and re-expansion of the PSS−Na+ chain were also observed with the addition of monovalent Cs+ and divalent Ca2+ ions, under which condition, the re-entrant condensation was not observed. The results demonstrate that the high sensitivity of FCS can really study single PSS−Na+ chain under extremely dilute situation.
Plume composition control in double pulse ultrafast laser ablation of metals
Authors: Amoruso Salvatore , Bruzzese Riccardo , Wang Xuan
Published: December 2009

Ultrafast laser ablation of a metallic target induced by a pair of identical laser pulses temporally delayed from ≈1 to 2000 ps was studied by optical emission spectroscopy, imaging, and ion probe. Our experimental results demonstrate that plume excitation/ionization enhancement or nanoparticles reduction is achieved by properly delaying the two pulses. This possibility of controlling plume composition via an efficient coupling of the energy of the second pulse to the various ablation components produced by the first pulse is of particular interest in the process of material deposition and film growth.
Floral morphogenesis and proliferation in Poa labillardieri (Poaceae)
Authors: Ahmad Nabil M. , Martin Peter M. , Vella John M.
Published: December 2009

Inflorescence and spikelet development in Poa labillardieri Steud. were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Thirteen developmental stages were described in detail, starting with the vegetative shoot apex which was shown to be of the short type (stage zero), followed by a conversion from vegetative to floral meristem at Stage 1 and ending at Stage 12, with a mature panicle consisting of a variable number of florets at anthesis within each spikelet. The occurrence of short-type vegetative apices in this perennial grass adds further support to the view that there is no correlation between life span and the apex type. The branches of the P. labillardieri panicle are formed in acropetal succession; however, it is the upper branches that first bear rudiments of the spikelets, starting at the tip of the branches. In contrast differentiation of florets within each spikelet occurs in acropetal succession, so that the basal floret is farthest advanced and each successively upper floret less advanced. P. labillardieri occasionally produces inflorescences containing spikelets in which some or all of the florets are replaced by a plantlet that is structurally similar to a vegetative tiller. Proliferous development ranged from a situation where all florets were converted to vegetative propagules that can be detached and rooted readily in soil, to cases where proliferation extended only as far as an enlargement of the lemma, with either functional or non-functional sexual organs in its axil. Under greenhouse conditions, there was a shift from occasional cases of partially proliferating spikelets that occur in the wild to complete vigorous proliferation stimulated by unknown factor(s). Departure from the normal sexual pattern took place from early Stage 5 (initiation of spikelet primordial) to late Stage 6 (differentiation of florets).
An assessment of the relationship between tree-ring counts and basal girth of high-altitude populations of Eucalyptus pauciflora (Myrtaceae)
Authors: Rumpff Libby , Cutler Seraphina C. , Thomas Ian , Morgan John W.
Published: December 2009

We investigated the relationship between the number of growth rings (a surrogate for approximate age of stems) and basal girth for Eucalyptus pauciflora (Maiden & Blakely) L.A.S.Johnson & Blaxell. Using basal-girth measurements and growth-ring counts obtained from trees felled on ski slopes at three Victorian alpine ski resorts, as well as seedlings destructively sampled from near the tree line on four summits, we modelled the relationship between growth rings and basal girth by using simple linear and non-linear regression methods. We compared our data to growth-ring–basal-girth data collected from low- and high-altitude E. pauciflora woodland stands in Kosciuszko National Park. The relationship between the number of tree rings and basal girth at Victorian sites was non-linear (growth rings = 3.62 × girth0.63, R2 = 0.96). In general, the Victorian and Kosciuszko datasets were in broad agreement, although caution is required when attempting to estimate the age of trees with >115-cm girth. We suggest that the model we have developed can be combined with dendrological techniques to estimate the age of older trees accurately.
‘Heart Robot’, a public engagement project
Authors: Rocks Claire , Jenkins Sarah , Studley Matthew , McGoran David
Published: December 2009

Heart Robot was a public engagement project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The aim of the project was to challenge cultural perceptions of robots, and to stimulate thought and debate in members of the general public around research in the field of social and emotional robotics. Fusing the traditions of Bunraku puppetry, the technology of animatronics and the field of artificial emotion and social intelligence, Heart Robot presented a series of entertaining, thought-provoking, and moving performances at fourteen events in the south-west region of the UK between May and December 2008. This paper presents a summary of the independent evaluation of the project. Keywords: Robot, Puppet, Public Engagement, Social Robots, Science-art collaboration
The resurgence of ideals of points and the containment problem
Authors: Bocci Cristiano , Harbourne Brian
Published: December 2009

We relate properties of linear systems on

X
X

to the question of when

I
r

I^r

contains

I

(
m
)

I^{(m)}

in the case that

I
I

is the homogeneous ideal of a finite set of distinct points

p
1

,
…
,

p
n

∈

P

2

p_1,\ldots ,p_n\in \mathbf {P}^2

, where

X
X

is the surface obtained by blowing up the points. We obtain complete answers for when

I
r

I^r

contains

I

(
m
)

I^{(m)}

when the points

p
i

p_i

lie on a smooth conic or when the points are general and

n
≤
9

n\le 9

.
Asymptotically constant linear systems
Authors: Behncke Horst
Published: December 2009

The asymptotic integration of a linear system of differential equations

y
′

(
t
)
=
(
A
(
t
)
+
R
(
t
)
)
y
(
t
)

y’(t) = (A(t) + R (t)) y(t)

on the half line is investigated when

A
A

is almost constant with distinct eigenvalues. The difference equation analogue of this equation is also considered.
Applications of Mañé’s 𝐶² connecting lemma
Authors: Hayashi Shuhei
Published: December 2009

We consider a few applications of Mañé’s

C
2

C^2

Connecting Lemma. These are the

C
2

C^2

creation of homoclinic points associated to a basic set (i.e., isolated transitive hyperbolic set), a

C
2

C^2

locally generic criterion to know whether a given point belongs to the stable set of hyperbolic homoclinic classes, and that measurably hyperbolic diffeomorphisms (i.e., having the closure of supports of all invariant measures as a countable union of disjoint basic sets) are

C
2

C^2

generically uniformly hyperbolic diffeomorphisms.
Exact controllability of Galerkin’s approximations of micropolar fluids
Authors: Araruna F. , Chaves-Silva F. , Rojas-Medar M.
Published: December 2009

We consider the nonlinear model describing micropolar fluid in a bounded smooth region of

R

N

(
N
=
2
,
3
)

\mathbb {R}^{N} (N=2,3)

with distributed controls supported in small subset of this domain. Under suitable assumptions on the Galerkin basis, we introduce Galerkin’s approximations for the controllable micropolar fluid system. By using the Hilbert Uniqueness Method in combination with a fixed point argument, we prove the exact controllability result for this finite-dimensional system.
Partition values and central critical values of certain modular 𝐿-functions
Authors: Webb John
Published: December 2009

Let

p
(
n
)

p(n)

denote the number of partitions of a positive number

n
n

, let

ℓ
∈
{
5
,
7
,
11
}

\ell \in \{5,7,11\}

and let

δ
ℓ

\delta _\ell

be the least non-negative residue of

24

−
1

24^{-1}

modulo

ℓ
\ell

. In this paper we prove congruences modulo

ℓ
\ell

between

p
(
ℓ
n
+

δ
ℓ

)

ℓ

\frac {p(\ell n+ \delta _\ell )}{\ell }

and ratios of central critical values of

L
L

-functions associated to twists of certain integer weight newforms. In 1999, Guo and Ono proved analogous results for

13
≤
ℓ
≤
31

13\leq \ell \leq 31

.
Local-global principle for transvection groups
Authors: Bak A. , Basu Rabeya , Rao Ravi
Published: December 2009

In this article we extend the validity of Suslin’s Local-Global Principle for the elementary transvection subgroup of the general linear group GL

n

(
R
)

_n(R)

, the symplectic group Sp

2
n

(
R
)

_{2n}(R)

, and the orthogonal group O

2
n

(
R
)

_{2n}(R)

, where

n
>
2

n > 2

, to a Local-Global Principle for the elementary transvection subgroup of the automorphism group Aut

(
P
)

(P)

of either a projective module

P
P

of global rank

>
0

> 0

and constant local rank

>
2

> 2

, or of a nonsingular symplectic or orthogonal module

P
P

of global hyperbolic rank

>
0

> 0

and constant local hyperbolic rank

>
2

> 2

. In Suslin’s results, the local and global ranks are the same, because he is concerned only with free modules. Our assumption that the global (hyperbolic) rank

>
0

> 0

is used to define the elementary transvection subgroups. We show further that the elementary transvection subgroup ET

(
P
)

(P)

is normal in Aut

(
P
)

(P)

, that ET

(
P
)
=

(P) =

T

(
P
)

(P)

, where the latter denotes the full transvection subgroup of Aut

(
P
)

(P)

, and that the unstable K

1

_1

-group K

1

(

_1(

Aut

(
P
)
)
=

(P)) =

Aut

(
P
)

/

(P)/

ET

(
P
)
=

(P) =

Aut

(
P
)

/

(P)/

T

(
P
)

(P)

is nilpotent by abelian, provided

R
R

has finite stable dimension. The last result extends previous ones of Bak and Hazrat for GL

n

(
R
)

_n(R)

, Sp

2
n

(
R
)

_{2n}(R)

, and O

2
n

(
R
)

_{2n}(R)

.

An important application to the results in the current paper can be found in a preprint of Basu and Rao in which the last two named authors studied the decrease in the injective stabilization of classical modules over a nonsingular affine algebra over perfect C

1

_1

-fields. We refer the reader to that article for more details.