bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid structure laser based on semiconductor nanowires and a silica microfiber knot cavity
Authors: Yang Qing , Jiang Xiaoshun , Guo Xin , Chen Yuan , Tong Limin
Published: March 2009

We demonstrate a hybrid structure laser consisting of a single or multiple zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires attached to a silica microfiber knot cavity, which is pumped by 355 nm wavelength laser pulses. The laser threshold is lower than 0.2 μJ/pulse. The measured linewidth of the lasing mode is about 0.04 nm. The hybrid structure combines advantages of high gain of semiconductor nanowires and high quality factor of microfiber knot cavities. Additionally, the design offers convenient and efficient approach to both pumping and collection of the semiconductor nanowire lasers.
Enhancement in open circuit voltage induced by deep interface hole traps in polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells
Authors: Zhang Chunfu , Tong S. W. , Zhu Chunxiang , Jiang Changyun , Kang E. T. , Chan D. S. H.
Published: March 2009

A significant increase in open circuit voltage (VOC) is obtained in the polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cell by using the e-beam deposited Al cathode. Compared with the device with the thermal evaporated Al cathode, an obvious enhancement of VOC from 596 to 664 mV is obtained, which makes the overall device power conversion efficiency improved by 12.4% (from 3.79% to 4.26%). Electrical characterizations suggest that the energetic particles in the e-beam deposition induce deep interface hole traps in the poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT), while leaving the fullerene unaffected. The deep trapped holes near the P3HT/cathode interface can induce the image negative charges in the cathode and thus form “dipoles.” These dipoles lead to the lowering of the Al effective work function and cause the enhancement of VOC.
Standing-wave-grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction from polycrystalline multilayers
Authors: Krčmář J. , Holý V. , Vávra I.
Published: March 2009

The intensity of x-ray diffraction from a polycrystalline multilayer in a grazing-incidence scattering geometry is modulated by a standing wave created by the interference of the radiation transmitted through the multilayer stack with the wave field specularly reflected from the superlattice interfaces. This effect is used for the structure investigation of Nb/Si periodic multilayers. The experimental data have been modeled using the distorted-wave Born approximation and a good correspondence with the experiments was achieved, and it was possible to determine the thicknesses of crystalline and amorphous parts of the Nb layers as well as the mean size of the crystallites.
Observation of ultrafast lattice heating using time resolved electron diffraction
Authors: Ligges M. , Rajkovic I. , Zhou P. , Posth O. , Hassel C. , Dumpich G. , von der Linde D.
Published: March 2009

We use ultrafast electron diffraction to study lattice heating of 20nm noble metal films after femtosecond optical excitation with moderate excitation fluences. Using the Debye–Waller effect, the rise times of the lattice temperature were measured to be 1.1ps in copper (5.9mJ∕cm2 incident fluence) and 4.7ps in gold (0.9mJ∕cm2).
Giant reversible magnetocaloric effect in antiferromagnetic GdCo2B2 compound
Authors: Li Lingwei , Nishimura Katsuhiko , Yamane Hiromitsu
Published: March 2009

The magnetocaloric effect of GdCo2B2 was studied by magnetization and heat capacity measurements. A giant reversible magnetocaloric effect has been observed which is related to a field-induced first order metamagnetic transition from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic state. The values of maximum magnetic entropy change (−ΔSMmax) reach 9.3 and 21.5 J kg−1 K−1 for the field change of 2 and 7 T with no obvious hysteresis loss around 25 K, respectively. The corresponding maximum adiabatic temperature changes (ΔTadmax) are evaluated to be 6.7 and 18.9 K. These values are even larger than some of potential magnetic refrigerant materials reported in the same temperature range and also comparable to the room temperature giant magnetocaloric materials. These results indicated that GdCo2B2 could be a promising candidate for magnetic refrigeration at low temperatures.
In-line extreme ultraviolet polarizer with hybrid configuration
Authors: Yang Minghong , Tong Xinling , Sun Yan , Jiang Desheng , Zhou Ciming , Zhang Dongsheng
Published: March 2009

A novel hybrid Au-multilayer-Au in-line extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical polarizer is presented in this paper. Different from all-Mo/Si multilayer EUV polarizer, this polarizer is based on the concept that Au surfaces work as reflecting elements for in-line optics routine, while polarization effect is realized by polarizing multilayer. Simulation shows that the proposed polarizer with 80°-70°-80° angle configuration has about 30% of transmission and 12 eV of bandwidth half maximum, which enables more throughput and broader bandwidth than the all-multilayer one.
Directional photoluminescence enhancement of organic emitters via surface plasmon coupling
Authors: Nien Shou-Yu , Chiu Nan-Fu , Ho Yu-Hsuan , Lee Jiun-Haw , Lin Chii-Wann , Wu Kuang-Chong , Lee Chih-Kung , Lin Jia-Rong , Wei Mao-Kuo , Chiu Tien-Lung
Published: March 2009

In this paper, we had quantitatively investigated the photoluminescence of organic emitter on a Si substrate with periodically corrugated metal thin film experimentally and theoretically. Due to the plasmonic coupling by the metal gratings, 4.3 times and 1.7 times enhancements in optical intensities were observed at specified and full viewing angles at certain wavelengths, respectively. Good agreement of angular-frequency versus in-plane wavevector (ω-k) curves between experiments and calculations were obtained when varying organic materials, metal materials, and grating pitches. Two different metal materials were used, which show slight shift in ω-k curves due to the high sensitivity of the surface plasmon to the relative permittivity.
Two omega method for active thermocouple microscopy
Authors: Thiery Laurent , Gavignet Eric , Cretin Bernard
Published: March 2009

We present a contribution to a new mode of scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) based on the use of thermoelectric junction operating in ac active mode. This is the first alternative to 3ω operating mode of a resistive SThM probe for measuring thermophysical parameters of materials at micro- and nanoscale. Whereas a current at ω frequency generates by Joule effect a 2ω thermal oscillation along the wires, the junction thermoelectric voltage can be measured by means of a differential bridge scheme associated to a lock-in amplifier. A thermal model is presented that confirms measurements performed in different situations with different wire probes. Values of thermal contact conductance of different materials have been extracted and a comparison has been performed between this technique and the resistive 3ω mode.
Vibrational spectra of metal-molecule-metal junctions in electromigrated nanogap electrodes by inelastic electron tunneling
Authors: Song Hyunwook , Kim Youngsang , Ku Jamin , Jang Yun Hee , Jeong Heejun , Lee Takhee
Published: March 2009

We measure the vibrational signatures of metal-molecule-metal junctions formed from 1,8-octanedithiol and 1,4-benzenedithiol incorporated into electromigrated nanogap electrodes using inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS). The junction conductance measured suggests that the IETS spectra have been achieved at the individual molecule level. The IETS spectra provide unambiguous experimental evidence of the existence of the component molecules in the fabricated nanogap electrode testbeds. The intense Au–S stretch peaks elucidate that the thiol anchor group is linked to the broken Au wires during electromigration, thus creating reliable electrical contact to individual molecules.
Symmetry analysis and exact model for the elastic, piezoelectric, and electronic properties of inhomogeneous and strained wurtzite quantum nanostructures
Authors: Even J.
Published: March 2009

A symmetry analysis and a semianalytical exact model are proposed to describe the mechanical, piezoelectric, and electronic properties of strained wurtzite quantum nanostructures with axial symmetry. An expression of the piezoelectric polarization is given as a function of inhomogeneous strains. The three-dimensional 8×8 strained kp Hamiltonian is reduced to two-dimensional using the total angular momentum representation. When the spin-orbit coupling is neglected, the Hamiltonians are reduced to 1×1 and 3×3 Hamiltonians for the states in the S-shell. For all the other shells, the fourfold degeneracy is demonstrated. Simulations are performed for InN/GaN quantum dots.
Field-induced thermal response and irreversible phase transition enthalpy change in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3
Authors: Peräntie J. , Hagberg J. , Uusimäki A. , Jantunen H.
Published: March 2009

In order to determine the enthalpy change in an irreversible field-induced phase transition, the thermal response to an electric field in 0.87Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3−0.13PbTiO3 was measured and dismantled into characteristic dielectric hysteresis, reversible electrocaloric, and irreversible phase transition responses. Below the depolarization temperature Tdp=18 °C, the phase transition enthalpy change increases rapidly to a maximum value of |ΔH|=77 J/kg. Above Tdp, the field-induced thermal response shows a reversible nature with an increased electrocaloric effect. In addition to earlier enthalpy data presented for temperature-induced transitions, this letter provides information on the enthalpy change in a field-induced phase transition of relaxor ferroelectrics.
Observation of bistable resistance memory switching in CuO thin films
Authors: Kim C. H. , Jang Y. H. , Hwang H. J. , Sun Z. H. , Moon H. B. , Cho J. H.
Published: March 2009

We report a bistable resistance switching behavior of CuO thin films. To understand the resistance switching mechanism, we have studied impedance spectroscopy and nanoscale electrical property. From the frequency-dependent impedance properties of CuO thin films in high resistance (ROFF) and low resistance (RON) states, we infer the formation of conducting paths generated by external bias as a possible origin of the bistable resistance states. In addition, the observation of inhomogeneous conducting path using a conducting atomic force microscope is also consistent with our inference.
Strong terahertz radiation from air plasmas generated by an aperture-limited Gaussian pump laser beam
Authors: Peng Xiao-Yu , Li Chun , Chen Min , Toncian Toma , Jung Ralph , Willi Oswald , Li Yu-Tong , Wang Wei-Min , Wang Shou-Jun , Liu Feng , Pukhov Alexander , Sheng Zheng-Ming , Zhang Jie
Published: March 2009

Terahertz radiation generated by focusing the fundamental laser pulse and its second harmonic into ambient air strongly saturates with increasing pump laser energy. We demonstrate a simple method to control the Gaussian pump laser beam to improve the output of terahertz radiation with an adjustable aperture. With the optimal aperture-limited pump laser beams, the terahertz wave amplitudes can be enhanced by more than eight times depending on the pump laser parameters than those of aperture-free cases.
Effect of metal cathode reflectance on the exciton-dissociation efficiency in heterojunction organic solar cells
Authors: Pandey Ajay K. , Shaw Paul E. , Samuel Ifor D. W. , Nunzi Jean-Michel
Published: March 2009

Effects of different cathode metals, such as aluminum, calcium, and silver, and difference in their reflectivity on the photocurrent generation in pentacene-C60 heterojunction solar cell are presented. Using optical transfer matrix calculations, we find that metal reflectivity has a profound impact on the electrical field confinement within the multilayer device structures. Silver as cathode offers better optical-field confinement close to the pentacene-C60 interface over generally preferred aluminum cathode. External quantum efficiency measurements confirm higher exciton dissociation efficiency and high photocurrent generation ability of silver over aluminum cathode making the choice of cathode metal an important parameter in device optimization.
A unified model of nucleation switching
Authors: Nardone M. , Karpov V. G. , Jackson D. C. S. , Karpov I. V.
Published: March 2009

A unified field-induced nucleation model provides a common mechanism for switching in chalcogenide phase change memory and related devices of arbitrary thickness. We employ the model to derive equations for the threshold and holding voltages in terms of material parameters and device thickness, which are in excellent agreement with previous measurements and our data.
A model of interface defect formation in silicon wafer bonding
Authors: Vincent S. , Radu I. , Landru D. , Letertre F. , Rieutord F.
Published: March 2009

A model of the defect formation at the bonding interface upon annealing in silicon wafer bonding is proposed in this paper. It is shown that the formation of the bonding defects depends on the thickness of the silicon oxide at the bonding interface. A mechanism of thermal voids formation is suggested based on the hydrogen solubility in amorphous silicon oxide. The interface gas quantity for various thicknesses of the buried oxide is predicted and good correlation with the experimental data is obtained.
Crystal structure of dimeric cardiac L-type calcium channel regulatory domains bridged by Ca
2+
·calmodulins
Authors: Fallon Jennifer L. , Baker Mariah R. , Xiong Liangwen , Loy Ryan E. , Yang Guojun , Dirksen Robert T. , Hamilton Susan L. , Quiocho Florante A.
Published: March 2009

Voltage-dependent calcium channels (Ca
V
) open in response to changes in membrane potential, but their activity is modulated by Ca
2+
binding to calmodulin (CaM). Structural studies of this family of channels have focused on CaM bound to the IQ motif; however, the minimal differences between structures cannot adequately describe CaM's role in the regulation of these channels. We report a unique crystal structure of a 77-residue fragment of the Ca
V
1.2 α
1
subunit carboxyl terminus, which includes a tandem of the pre-IQ and IQ domains, in complex with Ca
2+
·CaM in 2 distinct binding modes. The structure of the Ca
V
1.2 fragment is an unusual dimer of 2 coiled-coiled pre-IQ regions bridged by 2 Ca
2+
·CaMs interacting with the pre-IQ regions and a canonical Ca
V
1-IQ–Ca
2+
·CaM complex. Native Ca
V
1.2 channels are shown to be a mixture of monomers/dimers and a point mutation in the pre-IQ region predicted to abolish the coiled-coil structure significantly reduces Ca
2+
-dependent inactivation of heterologously expressed Ca
V
1.2 channels.
Electronic and magnetic structures of the postperovskite-type Fe
2
O
3
and implications for planetary magnetic records and deep interiors
Authors: Shim Sang-Heon , Bengtson Amelia , Morgan Dane , Sturhahn Wolfgang , Catalli Krystle , Zhao Jiyong , Lerche Michael , Prakapenka Vitali
Published: March 2009

Recent studies have shown that high pressure (
P
) induces the metallization of the Fe
2+
–O bonding, the destruction of magnetic ordering in Fe, and the high-spin (HS) to low-spin (LS) transition of Fe in silicate and oxide phases at the deep planetary interiors. Hematite (Fe
2
O
3
) is an important magnetic carrier mineral for deciphering planetary magnetism and a proxy for Fe in the planetary interiors. Here, we present synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction combined with ab initio calculations for Fe
2
O
3
revealing the destruction of magnetic ordering at the hematite → Rh
2
O
3
-II type (RhII) transition at 70 GPa and 300 K, and then the revival of magnetic ordering at the RhII → postperovskite (PPv) transition after laser heating at 73 GPa. At the latter transition, at least half of Fe
3+
ions transform from LS to HS and Fe
2
O
3
changes from a semiconductor to a metal. This result demonstrates that some magnetic carrier minerals may experience a complex sequence of magnetic ordering changes during impact rather than a monotonic demagnetization. Also local Fe enrichment at Earth's core-mantle boundary will lead to changes in the electronic structure and spin state of Fe in silicate PPv. If the ultra-low-velocity zones are composed of Fe-enriched silicate PPv and/or the basaltic materials are accumulated at the lowermost mantle, high electrical conductivity of these regions will play an important role for the electromagnetic coupling between the mantle and the core.
Small-molecule screen identifies inhibitors of the neuronal K-Cl cotransporter KCC2
Authors: Delpire Eric , Days Emily , Lewis L. Michelle , Mi Dehui , Kim Kwangho , Lindsley Craig W. , Weaver C. David
Published: March 2009

KCC2, a neuronal-specific K-Cl cotransporter, plays a major role in maintaining intracellular Cl−concentration in neurons below its electrochemical equilibrium potential, thus favoring robust GABA hyperpolarizing or inhibitory responses. The pharmacology of the K-Cl cotransporter is dominated by loop diuretics such as furosemide and bumetanide, molecules used in clinical medicine because they inhibit the loop of Henle Na-K-2Cl cotransporter with much higher affinity. To identify molecules that affect KCC2 activity, we developed a fluorescence-based assay suitable for high-throughput screening (HTS) and used the assay to screen a library of 234,000 small molecules. We identified a large number of molecules that either decrease or increase the activity of the cotransporter. Here, we report the characterization of a small number of inhibitors, some of which inhibit KCC2 activity in the submicomolar range without substantially affecting NKCC1 activity. Using medicinal chemistry, we synthesized a number of variants, tested their effect on KCC2 function, and provide an analysis of structure/activity relationships. We also used one of the compounds to demonstrate competitive inhibition in regard to external [K+] versus noncompetitive inhibition in respect to external [Cl−].
The canonical pathway for selenocysteine insertion is dispensable in
Trypanosomes
Authors: Aeby Eric , Palioura Sotiria , Pusnik Mascha , Marazzi Janine , Lieberman Allyson , Ullu Elisabetta , Söll Dieter , Schneider André
Published: March 2009

The micronutrient selenium is found in proteins as selenocysteine (Sec), the 21st amino acid cotranslationally inserted in response to a UGA codon. In vitro studies in archaea and mouse showed that Sec-tRNA
Sec
formation is a 3-step process starting with serylation of tRNA
Sec
by seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS), phosphorylation of serine to form phosphoserine (Sep)-tRNA
Sec
by phosphoseryl-tRNA
Sec
kinase (PSTK), and conversion to Sec-tRNA
Sec
by Sep-tRNA:Sec-tRNA synthase (SepSecS). However, a complete study of eukaryotic selenoprotein synthesis has been lacking. Here, we present an analysis of Sec-tRNA
Sec
formation in the parasitic protozoon
Trypanosoma brucei
in vivo. Null mutants of either PSTK or SepSecS abolished selenoprotein synthesis, demonstrating the essentiality of both enzymes for Sec-tRNA
Sec
formation. Growth of the 2 knockout strains was not impaired; thus, unlike mammals, trypanosomes do not require selenoproteins for viability. Analysis of conditional RNAi strains showed that SerRS, selenophosphate synthase, and the Sec-specific elongation factor, EFSec, are also essential for selenoprotein synthesis. These results with
T. brucei
imply that eukaryotes have a single pathway of Sec-tRNA
Sec
synthesis that requires Sep-tRNA
Sec
as an intermediate.
Developing a Rubric to Assess Student Learning Outcomes Using a Class Assignment
Authors: Thaler Nicholas , Kazemi Ellie , Huscher Crystal
Published: March 2009

We developed a rubric to assess several of our department's undergraduate student learning outcomes (SLOs). Target SLOs include applications of principles of research methodology, using appropriate statistics, adherence to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, and written communication skills. We randomly sampled 20 percent ( N = 55) of the final written manuscripts from several sections of a research methods course and trained 2 graduate-level raters to use the rubric to score the students' papers. We found statistically significant interrater reliability and convergent validity coefficients. These findings are discussed to encourage the development and evaluation of such rubrics to be used across colleges and universities.
Encouraging Epistemological Exploration: Impacts on Undergraduates' Retention and Application of Course Material
Authors: Adler Jonathan M. , Matthews Elizabeth A.
Published: March 2009

Students bring an intact, if unarticulated, epistemological perspective into the classroom that influences how they receive and process new information. In this study, students who explored a wider range of perspectives had significantly improved learning outcomes as measured in 3 domains: retention of specific content, retention of general themes, and application of the course content to other courses, mass media information, and their sense of self.
‘No Outsiders’: Moving beyond a discourse of tolerance to challenge heteronormativity in primary schools
Authors: DePalma Renée , Atkinson Elizabeth
Published: March 2009

In this paper we describe a UK‐based participatory action research project that looks beyond the discourse of tolerance to investigate and challenge heteronormative processes in primary schools through reflective action research. This 28‐month ESRC‐funded project supports 15 primary teachers working in schools in three regions of the UK to develop action research projects that address lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in their own schools and classrooms. In this paper we will examine how the original principles on which the project design was based have manifested themselves throughout the course of the project, drawing upon examples of classroom practice and reflective discussions among project team members. We will explore how designing intentionally for collective participation has produced spaces for people to do and think in ways that have not only gone beyond what we imagined but have also challenged and sometimes contradicted our own ways of thinking.
Who really leads and manages the curriculum in primary schools? A Hong Kong case‐study
Authors: Chi‐Kin Lee John , Dimmock Clive , Yeung Tai‐Yuen Au
Published: March 2009

Surprisingly little is known about the micro‐leadership and management of the curriculum within schools. This study first applies a purpose‐designed set of research instruments to penetrate the micro‐workings of school decision‐making in curriculum, teaching and learning. Second, it reports the findings from an application of the instruments in six Hong Kong primary schools. In regard to the principal's influence on curriculum, teaching and learning, in four of the six case‐study primary schools, the principal's influence was deemed to be direct. This finding stands in contradistinction to the existing body of evidence – gathered mainly from secondary schools – that emphasises the indirect effect of principal leadership. In regard to the second question, concerning the general patterns of within‐school curriculum decision‐making, leadership and management, there appears to be a high degree of conformity across the six case‐study primary schools.
The implementation of ‘Education for Citizenship’ in schools in Scotland: a research report
Authors: Cowan Elaine M. , McMurtry David C.
Published: March 2009

Changes in society and government have increased concerns of low participation and involvement by people, especially the young, in the political process and decision‐making. As a result, citizenship has become a focus of recent curriculum developments in many countries. In Scotland, ‘Values and Citizenship’ has been made one of the Scottish Executive's national priorities for education and is linked to the major national initiative, ‘Education for Citizenship’. This is seen as encouraging pupils to make informed choices and decisions and to take action, individually and as part of the community. More recently, A curriculum for excellence 3–18 (SEED 2004) placed promoting responsible citizenship at the heart of the curriculum. This article reports on the extent to which a sample of Scottish schools was making progress towards developing education for citizenship, the strategies they developed and the barriers encountered in this implementation. It compares progress and developments in Scotland to the model devised in a longitudinal study for citizenship in England (Ireland et al. 2004, 2006).
The Violence Proneness Scale of the DUSI‐R Predicts Adverse Outcomes Associated with Substance Abuse
Authors: Kirisci Levent , Tarter Ralph , Reynolds Maureen
Published: March 2009

Accuracy of the Violence Proneness Scale (VPS) of the Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI‐R)1 was evaluated in 328 boys for predicting use of illegal drugs, DUI, selling drugs, sexually transmitted disease, car accident while under acute effects of drugs/alcohol, trading drugs for sex, injuries from a fight, and traumatic head injury. Boys were prospectively tracked from age 16 to 19 at which time these outcomes were documented in the interim period. The results demonstrated that the VPS score is a significant predictor of all outcomes. Prediction accuracy ranged between 62%–83%. These findings suggest that the VPS may be useful for identifying youths who are at high risk for using illicit drugs and commonly associated adverse outcomes.
Psychopharmacologic Management of Opioid‐Dependent Women during Pregnancy
Authors: Martin Peter R. , Arria Amelia M. , Fischer Gabriele , Kaltenbach Karol , Heil Sarah H. , Stine Susan M. , Coyle Mara G. , Selby Peter , Jones Hendrée E.
Published: March 2009

Illicit drug use during pregnancy presents complex clinical challenges, including reducing drug use and treating psychiatric disorders. Pharmacologic treatment of psychiatric disorders in a pregnant woman requires an evaluation of the balance between potential clinical benefit and the risk of potential neonatal consequences. This study describes psychiatric symptoms in 111 opioid‐dependent pregnant women and their prescribed psychotropic medications. Hypomania, generalized anxiety disorder and depression were the most common disorders for which psychiatric symptoms were endorsed. Over half of women studied were prescribed some form of psychoactive medication during pregnancy. Pharmacologic vs. non‐pharmacologic treatment approaches in this patient population are discussed.
The tension of elite vs. massified higher education systems: how prospective students perceive public and private universities in Kenya
Authors: Oketch Moses O.
Published: March 2009

This article examines how recent changes, leading to a diversified supply in Kenya's university education system, is reflected in prospective students' aspirations, perceptions and preferences to undertake university education. The results, based on a combination of a convenience and
snowball sampling of settings, within which random samples of final year high school students were selected, reveal that aspiration to undertake university education is high among all social groups, and that state universities are preferred by a majority of the students in spite of the rapid
growth in the number of private universities of acceptable quality. By examining the aspirations of students and college choice, the paper engages the debates around elite vs. massified higher education in Kenya's context.
Internationalisation of undergraduate curricula: The gap between ideas and practice in Japan
Authors: Takagi Hiroyuki
Published: March 2009

The concept of the internationalisation of university curricula is being developed with more complex and critical views emphasising the cultural and social aspects of globalisation as well as its economic and political aspects. Putting these ideas into practice however, is a challenge
to institutions, since that requires fundamental educational change. This study examines the internationalisation of undergraduate curricula from the viewpoint of institution-wide initiatives drawing on case studies of national and private universities in Japan that are active in this process.
Particular attention will be paid to an exploration of the potential gap between the ideas and the practice, and the reasons behind the gap.
Sustaining collegiality through the imperative of interdisciplinary practice
Authors: Hegarty Kathryn
Published: March 2009

Contemporary universities in the developed world face a plethora of increased – and changing – responsibilities. We are the global university, responsible for the production of worker citizens who will be 'prepared' for an extraordinarily diverse set of challenges across
all facets of their lives. Much of our research concentration in the academy necessarily requires a plural, diverse approach to developing the appropriate capabilities for our students. Multidisciplinarity is the simple reality of the professional world. Universities have at their disposal
sophisticated self-aware multidisciplinary practitioners. Or do they? How is multidisciplinarity perceived and understood in university departments and research teams? What are the tangible measures of successful multi-disciplinary practice? Drawing on a cultural studies framework, this paper
will consider the challenges to academic identity and collegiality which reside in the assumed move to multiple ways of knowing in discovery and scholarship. How do we open to, and learn from, each others' disciplinary tools, traditions and epistemologies? How are such collegial approaches
– concrete collegialities – embedded in our starting discipline? What are the understandings and limitations we face in seeking to move to a rich meaningful inter disciplinary practice? I will explore these questions in relation to the UN Decade on Education for Sustainability
and Sustainable Development.
Short article: Phonological neighbourhood spread facilitates lexical decisions
Authors: Yates Mark
Published: March 2009

In visual word recognition, words with many phonological neighbours are processed more rapidly than are those with few neighbours. The research reported here tested whether the distribution of phonological neighbours across phoneme positions influences lexical decisions. The results indicate that participants responded more rapidly to words where all phoneme positions can be changed to form a neighbour than they did to those where only a limited number of phoneme positions can be changed to form a neighbour. It is argued that this distribution effect arises because of differences between the two groups of words in how they overlap with their neighbours.
Some Methodological Issues in Experimental Economics
Authors: Mayo Deborah
Published: March 2009

The growing acceptance and success of experimental economics has increased the interest of researchers in tackling philosophical and methodological challenges to which their work increasingly gives rise. I sketch some general issues that call for the combined expertise of experimental economists and philosophers of science, of experiment, and of inductive-statistical inference and modeling.
Exporting Causal Knowledge in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology
Authors: Mitchell Sandra D.
Published: March 2009

In this article I consider the challenges for exporting causal knowledge raised by complex biological systems. In particular, James Woodward's interventionist approach to causality identified three types of stability in causal explanation: invariance, modularity, and insensitivity. I consider an example of robust degeneracy in genetic regulatory networks and knockout experimental practice to pose methodological and conceptual questions for our understanding of causal explanation in biology.
Structural Realism and the Relationship between the Special Sciences and Physics
Authors: Ladyman James
Published: March 2009

The primacy of physics generates a philosophical problem that the naturalist must solve in order to be entitled to an egalitarian acceptance of the ontological commitments he or she inherits from the special sciences and fundamental physics. The problem is the generalized causal exclusion argument. If there is no genuine causation in the domains of the special sciences but only in fundamental physics then there are grounds for doubting the existence of macroscopic objects and properties, or at least the concreteness of them. The aim of this paper is to show that the causal exclusion problem derives its force from a false dichotomy between Humeanism about causation and a notion of productive or generative causation based on a defunct model of the physical world.
Politics, Method, and Medical Research
Authors: Brown James Robert
Published: March 2009

There is sufficient evidence that intellectual property rights are corrupting medical research. One could respond to this from a moral or from an epistemic point of view. I take the latter route. Often in the sciences factual discoveries lead to new methodological norms. Medical research is an example. Surprisingly, the methodological change required will involve political change. Instead of new regulations aimed at controlling the problem, the outright socialization of research seems called for, for the sake of better science. I appeal to an analogy between socialized medicine and socialized research.
Philosophy of Science: A Subject with a Great Future
Authors: Kourany Janet A.
Published: March 2009

Among philosophers of science nearly a century ago the dominant attitude was that (in Rudolph Carnap's words) philosophy of science was “like science itself, neutral with respect to practical aims, whether they are moral aims for the individual, or political aims for a society.” The dominant attitude today is not much different: our aim is still to articulate scientific rationality, and our understanding of that rationality still excludes the moral and political. I contrast this with the growing entanglements within the sciences of the ethical and the epistemic, and I suggest ways in which philosophers of science can usefully respond.
Norton's Slippery Slope
Authors: Malament David B.
Published: March 2009

In this article, I identify several issues that arise in trying to decide whether Newtonian particle mechanics qualifies as a deterministic theory. I also give a minitutorial on the geometry and dynamical properties of Norton's dome surface. The goal is to better understand how his example works and also to better appreciate just how wonderfully strange it is.
What, if Anything, Is an Evolutionary Novelty?
Authors: Pigliucci Massimo
Published: March 2009

The idea of phenotypic novelty appears throughout the evolutionary literature. Novelties have been defined so broadly as to make the term meaningless and so narrowly as to apply only to a limited number of spectacular structures. Here I examine some of the available definitions of phenotypic novelty and argue that the modern synthesis is ill equipped at explaining novelties. I then discuss three frameworks that may help biologists get a better insight of how novelties arise during evolution but warn that these frameworks should be considered in addition to, and not as potential substitutes of, the modern synthesis.
Resisting Chemical Atomism: Duhem's Argument
Authors: Needham Paul
Published: March 2009

Late nineteenth-century opponents of atomism questioned whether the evidence required any notion of an atom. In this spirit, Duhem developed an account of the import of chemical formulas that is clearly neutral on the atomic question rather than antiatomistic. The argument is supplemented with specific inadequacies of atomic theories of chemical combination and considerably strengthened by the theory of chemical combination provided by thermodynamics. Despite possible counterevidence available at the time, which should have tempered some of Duhem's concluding remarks, there was no atomic theory of chemical combination, which is wholly a product of the twentieth century.
Challenges to the Structural Conception of Chemical Bonding
Authors: Weisberg Michael
Published: March 2009

The covalent bond, a difficult concept to define precisely, plays a central role in chemical predictions, interventions, and explanations. I investigate the structural conception of the covalent bond, which says that bonding is a directional, submolecular region of electron density, located between individual atomic centers and responsible for holding the atoms together. Several approaches to constructing molecular models are considered in order to determine which features of the structural conception of bonding, if any, are robust across these models. Key components of the structural conception are absent in all but the simplest quantum mechanical models of molecular structure, seriously challenging the conception's viability.
Theories, Models, and Equations in Biology: The Heuristic Search for Emergent Simplifications in Neurobiology
Authors: Schaffner Kenneth F.
Published: March 2009

This article considers claims that biology should seek general theories similar to those found in physics but argues for an alternative framework for biological theories as collections of prototypical interlevel models that can be extrapolated by analogy to different organisms. This position is exemplified in the development of the Hodgkin-Huxley giant squid model for action potentials, which uses equations in specialized ways. This model is viewed as an “emergent unifier.” Such unifiers, which require various simplifications, involve the types of heuristics discussed in Wimsatt's writings on reduction, but with a twist. Here, the heuristics are used to generate emergent rather than reductive explanations.
Growth Kinetics of Silicon Carbide Film Prepared by Heating Polystyrene/Si(111)
Authors: Wang Jian-wen , Wang Yu-xia , Chen Zheng , Zou You-ming
Published: March 2009

SiC films were prepared by heating polystyrene/Si(111) in normal pressure argon atmosphere at different temperatures. The films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared absorption measurements. The thicknesses of SiC films were calculated from FTIR spectra. The growth kinetics of the growth process of SiC films were investigated as well. The thicknesses of the SiC films grown for 1 h with increasing growth temperatures have different trends in the three temperature ranges: increasing slowly (12001250 C), increasing quickly (12501270 C), and decreasing (12701300 C). The apparent activation energies of the growth process of SiC films in the three ranges were calculated to be 122.5, 522.5, and 127.5 J/mol respectively. Mechanisms of the different growth processes were discussed. The relation between film thicknesses and growth temperatures indicated that the growth process was a 2D mechanism in the first range and 3D mechanism in the second range. In the third range, the thicknesses of SiC films were decreased by the volatility of Si and C atoms.
Effects of Current on Microcosmic Properties of Catalyst and Reforming of Bio-oil
Authors: Yuan Li-xia , Ye Tong-qi , Gong Fei-yan , Li Quan-xin
Published: March 2009

Highly effective production of hydrogen from bio-oil was achieved by using a low-temperature electrochemical catalytic reforming approach over the conventional Ni-based reforming catalyst (NiO-Al2O3), where an AC electronic current passed through the catalyst bed. The promoting effects of current on the bio-oil reforming were studied. It was found that the performance of the bio-oil reforming was remarkably enhanced by the current which passed through the catalyst. The effects of currents on the microcosmic properties of the catalyst, including the BrunauerEmmettTeller (BET) surface area, pore diameter, pore volume, the size of the crystallites and the reduction level of NiO into Ni, were carefully characterized by BET, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope. The desorption of the thermal electrons from the electrified catalyst was directly observed by the TOF (time of flight) measurements. The mechanism of the electrochemical catalytic reforming of bio-oil is discussed based on the above investigation.
EPR and DFT Study of the Polycyclic Aromatic Radical Cations from Friedel-Crafts Alkylation Reactions
Authors: Wang Tao , Wu An-an , Gao Li-guo , Wang Han-qing
Published: March 2009

Electron paramagnetic resonance and electron-nuclear double resonance methods were used to study the polycyclic aromatic radical cations produced in a Friedel-Crafts alkylating system, with m-xylene, or p-xylene and alkyl chloride. The results indicate that the observed electron paramagnetic resonance spectra are due to polycyclic aromatic radicals formed from the parent hydrocarbons. It is suggested that benzyl halides produced in the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reactions undergo Scholl self-condensation to give polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are converted into corresponding polycyclic aromatic radical cations in the presence of AlCl3. The identification of observed two radicals 2,6-dimethylanthracene and 1,4,5,8-tetramethylanthracene were supported by density functional theory calculations using the B3LYP/631G(d,p)//B3LYP/631G(d) approach. The theoretical coupling constants support the experimental assignment of the observed radicals.
First-principles Study of Electron Transport Through Oligoacenes
Authors: Pan Zhen , Li Qun-xiang , Shi Qin-wei , Wang Xiao-ping
Published: March 2009

The electronic transport properties of oligoacenes sandwiched between two Au(111) surfaces with serial and parrallel configurations were investigeted by using a fully self-consistent nonequilibrium Green's function method combined with density functional calculations. This theoretical results show that the conductivity of oligoacenes with both sandwiched configurations at low bias voltage is mainly determined by the tail of the transmission peak from the perturbed highest occupied molecular orbital. When the molecular length increases, the zero-bias voltage conductance G(0) of oligoacenes with serial configuration neither follows Magoga's exponential law nor displays the even-odd oscillation effect, while the G(0) of the oligoacenes sandwiched with parallel configuration monotonically increases. The reduction of energy gaps, the alignment of the Fermi level, and the spatial distribution of the perturbed molecular orbitals are used to self-consistently explore the transport mechanism through oligoacenes.
Ab initioStudy of the Potential Energy Surface and Product Branching Ratios for Reaction of O(1D) with C2H5Cl
Authors: Song Chong-fu , Tian Zhi-mei , Lib Quan-xin , He Tian-jing
Published: March 2009

The potential energy surface of O(1D)+C2H5Cl reaction was studied using QCISD(T)/6311++G(d,p)//MP2/631G(d,p) method. The calculations reveal an insertion-elimination mechanism. The insertion reaction of O(1D) and C2H5Cl produces two energy-rich intermediates, IM1 and IM2, which subsequently decompose into various products. The calculations of the branching ratios of various products formed through the two intermediates were carried out using RRKM (Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus) theory at the collision energies of 0, 20.9, 41.8, 62.7, 83.6, 104.5, and 125.4 kJ/mol. HCl is the main decomposition product for IM1; CH2OH is the main decomposition product for IM2. Since IM1 is more stable than IM2, HCl is probably the main product of the O(1D)+C2H5Cl reaction.
Pulsed Laser Deposition ZnS Buffer Layers for CIGS Solar Cells
Authors: Luo Pai-feng , Jiang Guo-shun , Zhu Chang-fei
Published: March 2009

Polycrystalline ZnS films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on quartz glass substrates under different growth conditions at different substrate temperatures of 20, 200, 400, and 600 C, which is a suitable alternative to chemical bath deposited (CBD) CdS as a buffer layer in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells. X-ray diffraction studies indicate the films are polycrystalline with zinc-blende structure and they exhibit preferential orientation along the cubic phase -ZnS (111) direction, which conflicts with the conclusion of wurtzite structure by Murali that the ZnS films deposited by pulse plating technique was polycrystalline with wurtzite structure. The Raman spectra of grown films show A1 mode at approximately 350 cm1, generally observed in the cubic phase -ZnS compounds. The planar and the cross-sectional morphology were observed by scanning electron microscopic. The dense, smooth, uniform grains are formed on the quartz glass substrates through PLD technique. The grain size of ZnS deposited by PLD is much smaller than that of CdS by conventional CBD method, which is analyzed as the main reason of detrimental cell performance. The composition of the ZnS films was also measured by X-ray fluorescence. The typical ZnS films obtained in this work are near stoichiometric and only a small amount of S-rich. The energy band gaps at different temperatures were obtained by absorption spectroscopy measurement, which increases from 3.2 eV to 3.7 eV with the increasing of the deposition temperature. ZnS has a wider energy band gap than CdS (2.4 eV), which can enhance the blue response of the photovoltaic cells. These results show the high-quality of these substitute buffer layer materials are prepared through an all-dry technology, which can be used in the manufacture of CIGS thin film solar cells.
Role of the RNA-binding Protein Nrd1 and Pmk1 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase in the Regulation of Myosin mRNA Stability in Fission Yeast
Authors: Satoh Ryosuke , Morita Takahiro , Takada Hirofumi , Kita Ayako , Ishiwata Shunji , Doi Akira , Hagihara Kanako , Taga Atsushi , Matsumura Yasuhiro , Tohda Hideki , Sugiura Reiko
Published: March 2009

Myosin II is an essential component of the actomyosin contractile ring and plays a crucial role in cytokinesis by generating the forces necessary for contraction of the actomyosin ring. Cdc4 is an essential myosin II light chain in fission yeast and is required for cytokinesis. In various eukaryotes, the phosphorylation of myosin is well documented as a primary means of activating myosin II, but little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of Cdc4. Here, we isolated Nrd1, an RNA-binding protein with RNA-recognition motifs, as a multicopy suppressor of cdc4 mutants. Notably, we demonstrated that Nrd1 binds and stabilizes Cdc4 mRNA, thereby suppressing the cytokinesis defects of the cdc4 mutants. Importantly, Pmk1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) directly phosphorylates Nrd1, thereby negatively regulating the binding activity of Nrd1 to Cdc4 mRNA. Consistently, the inactivation of Pmk1 MAPK signaling, as well as Nrd1 overexpression, stabilized the Cdc4 mRNA level, thereby suppressing the cytokinesis defects associated with the cdc4 mutants. In addition, we demonstrated the cell cycle–dependent regulation of Pmk1/Nrd1 signaling. Together, our results indicate that Nrd1 plays a role in the regulation of Cdc4 mRNA stability; moreover, our study is the first to demonstrate the posttranscriptional regulation of myosin expression by MAPK signaling.
The Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 Complex Mediates Activation of TopBP1 by ATM
Authors: Yoo Hae Yong , Kumagai Akiko , Shevchenko Anna , Shevchenko Andrej , Dunphy William G.
Published: March 2009

The activation of ATR-ATRIP in response to double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) depends upon ATM in human cells and Xenopus egg extracts. One important aspect of this dependency involves regulation of TopBP1 by ATM. In Xenopus egg extracts, ATM associates with TopBP1 and thereupon phosphorylates it on S1131. This phosphorylation enhances the capacity of TopBP1 to activate the ATR-ATRIP complex. We show that TopBP1 also interacts with the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 (MRN) complex in egg extracts in a checkpoint-regulated manner. This interaction involves the Nbs1 subunit of the complex. ATM can no longer interact with TopBP1 in Nbs1-depleted egg extracts, which suggests that the MRN complex helps to bridge ATM and TopBP1 together. The association between TopBP1 and Nbs1 involves the first pair of BRCT repeats in TopBP1. In addition, the two tandem BRCT repeats of Nbs1 are required for this binding. Functional studies with mutated forms of TopBP1 and Nbs1 suggested that the BRCT-dependent association of these proteins is critical for a normal checkpoint response to DSBs. These findings suggest that the MRN complex is a crucial mediator in the process whereby ATM promotes the TopBP1-dependent activation of ATR-ATRIP in response to DSBs.