bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individual Differences in Susceptibility to the McGurk Effect: Links With Lipreading and Detecting Audiovisual Incongruity
Authors: Strand Julia , Cooperman Allison , Rowe Jonathon , Simenstad Andrea
Published: October 2014

Purpose

Prior studies (e.g., Nath & Beauchamp, 2012) report large individual variability in the extent to which participants are susceptible to the McGurk effect, a prominent audiovisual (AV) speech illusion. The current study evaluated whether susceptibility to the McGurk effect (MGS) is related to lipreading skill and whether multiple measures of MGS that have been used previously are correlated. In addition, it evaluated the test–retest reliability of individual differences in MGS.

Method

Seventy-three college-age participants completed 2 tasks measuring MGS and 3 measures of lipreading skill. Fifty-eight participants returned for a 2nd session (approximately 2 months later) in which MGS was tested again.

Results

The current study demonstrated that MGS shows high test–retest reliability and is correlated with some measures of lipreading skill. In addition, susceptibility measures derived from identification tasks were moderately related to the ability to detect instances of AV incongruity.

Conclusions

Although MGS is often cited as a demonstration of AV integration, the results suggest that perceiving the illusion depends in part on individual differences in lipreading skill and detecting AV incongruity. Therefore, individual differences in susceptibility to the illusion are not solely attributable to individual differences in AV integration ability.
Enhanced performance of quantum dot solar cells based on type II quantum dots
Authors: Xu Feng , Yang Xiao-Guang , Luo Shuai , Lv Zun-Ren , Yang Tao
Published: October 2014

The characteristics of quantum dot solar cells (QDSCs) based on type II QDs are investigated theoretically. Based on a drift-diffusion model, we obtained a much higher open circuit voltage (Voc) as well as conversion efficiency in a type II QDSC, compared to type I QDSCs. The improved Voc and efficiency are mainly attributed to the much longer Auger recombination lifetime in type II QDs. Moreover, the influence of the carrier lifetime on devices' performance is discussed and clarified. In addition, an explicit criterion to determine the role of quantum dots in solar cells is put forward.
Calculation of the spatial resolution in two-photon absorption spectroscopy applied to plasma diagnosis
Authors: Garcia-Lechuga M. , Fuentes L. M. , Grützmacher K. , Pérez C. , de la Rosa M. I.
Published: October 2014

We report a detailed characterization of the spatial resolution provided by two-photon absorption spectroscopy suited for plasma diagnosis via the 1S-2S transition of atomic hydrogen for optogalvanic detection and laser induced fluorescence (LIF). A precise knowledge of the spatial resolution is crucial for a correct interpretation of measurements, if the plasma parameters to be analysed undergo strong spatial variations. The present study is based on a novel approach which provides a reliable and realistic determination of the spatial resolution. Measured irradiance distribution of laser beam waists in the overlap volume, provided by a high resolution UV camera, are employed to resolve coupled rate equations accounting for two-photon excitation, fluorescence decay and ionization. The resulting three-dimensional yield distributions reveal in detail the spatial resolution for optogalvanic and LIF detection and related saturation due to depletion. Two-photon absorption profiles broader than the Fourier transform-limited laser bandwidth are also incorporated in the calculations. The approach allows an accurate analysis of the spatial resolution present in recent and future measurements.
Vapor-transport growth of high optical quality WSe2 monolayers
Authors: Clark Genevieve , Wu Sanfeng , Rivera Pasqual , Finney Joseph , Nguyen Paul , Cobden David H. , Xu Xiaodong
Published: October 2014

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides are atomically thin direct-gap semiconductors that show a variety of novel electronic and optical properties with an optically accessible valley degree of freedom. While they are ideal materials for developing optical-driven valleytronics, the restrictions of exfoliated samples have limited exploration of their potential. Here, we present a physical vapor transport growth method for triangular WSe2 sheets of up to 30 μm in edge length on insulating SiO2 substrates. Characterization using atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy reveals that they are uniform, monolayer crystals. Low temperature photoluminescence shows well resolved and electrically tunable excitonic features similar to those in exfoliated samples, with substantial valley polarization and valley coherence. The monolayers grown using this method are therefore of high enough optical quality for routine use in the investigation of optoelectronics and valleytronics.
Theoretical study of the ammonia nitridation rate on an Fe (100) surface: A combined density functional theory and kinetic Monte Carlo study
Authors: Yeo Sang Chul , Lo Yu Chieh , Li Ju , Lee Hyuck Mo
Published: October 2014

Ammonia (NH3) nitridation on an Fe surface was studied by combining density functional theory (DFT) and kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) calculations. A DFT calculation was performed to obtain the energy barriers (Eb) of the relevant elementary processes. The full mechanism of the exact reaction path was divided into five steps (adsorption, dissociation, surface migration, penetration, and diffusion) on an Fe (100) surface pre-covered with nitrogen. The energy barrier (Eb) depended on the N surface coverage. The DFT results were subsequently employed as a database for the kMC simulations. We then evaluated the NH3 nitridation rate on the N pre-covered Fe surface. To determine the conditions necessary for a rapid NH3 nitridation rate, the eight reaction events were considered in the kMC simulations: adsorption, desorption, dissociation, reverse dissociation, surface migration, penetration, reverse penetration, and diffusion. This study provides a real-time-scale simulation of NH3 nitridation influenced by nitrogen surface coverage that allowed us to theoretically determine a nitrogen coverage (0.56 ML) suitable for rapid NH3 nitridation. In this way, we were able to reveal the coverage dependence of the nitridation reaction using the combined DFT and kMC simulations.
A molecular Debye-Hückel approach to the reorganization energy of electron transfer reactions in an electric cell
Authors: Xiao Tiejun , Song Xueyu
Published: October 2014

Electron transfer near an electrode immersed in ionic fluids is studied using the linear response approximation, namely, mean value of the vertical energy gap can be used to evaluate the reorganization energy, and hence any linear response model that can treat Coulomb interactions successfully can be used for the reorganization energy calculation. Specifically, a molecular Debye-Hückel theory is used to calculate the reorganization energy of electron transfer reactions in an electric cell. Applications to electron transfer near an electrode in molten salts show that the reorganization energies from our molecular Debye-Hückel theory agree well with the results from MD simulations.
Practical aspects of Kelvin-probe force microscopy at solid/liquid interfaces in various liquid media
Authors: Umeda Ken-ichi , Kobayashi Kei , Oyabu Noriaki , Hirata Yoshiki , Matsushige Kazumi , Yamada Hirofumi
Published: October 2014

The distributions of surface charges or surface potentials on biological molecules and electrodes are directly related to various biological functions and ionic adsorptions, respectively. Electrostatic force microscopy and Kelvin-probe force microscopy (KFM) are useful scanning probe techniques that can map local surface charges and potentials. Here, we report the measurement and analysis of the electrostatic and capacitive forces on the cantilever tip induced by application of an alternating voltage in order to discuss the feasibility of measuring the surface charge or potential distribution at solid/liquid interfaces in various liquid media. The results presented here suggest that a nanometer-scale surface charge or potential measurement by the conventional voltage modulation techniques is only possible under ambient conditions and in a non-polar medium and is difficult in an aqueous solution. Practically, the electrostatic force versus dc voltage curve in water does not include the minimum, which is used for the surface potential compensation. This is because the cantilever oscillation induced by the electrostatic force acting on the tip apex is overwhelmed by the parasitic oscillation induced by the electrostatic force acting on the entire cantilever as well as the surface stress effect. We both experimentally and theoretically discuss the factors which cause difficulties in application of the voltage modulation techniques in the aqueous solutions and present some criteria for local surface charge and potential measurements by circumventing these problems.
Anti-site disorder and improved functionality of Mn2NiX (X = Al, Ga, In, Sn) inverse Heusler alloys
Authors: Paul Souvik , Kundu Ashis , Sanyal Biplab , Ghosh Subhradip
Published: October 2014

Recent first-principles calculations have predicted Mn2NiX (X = Al, Ga, In, Sn) alloys to be magnetic shape memory alloys. Moreover, experiments on Mn2NiGa and Mn2NiSn suggest that the alloys deviate from the perfect inverse Heusler arrangement and that there is chemical disorder at the sublattices with tetrahedral symmetry. In this work, we investigate the effects of such chemical disorder on phase stabilities and magnetic properties using first-principles electronic structure methods. We find that except Mn2NiAl, all other alloys show signatures of martensitic transformations in presence of anti-site disorder at the sublattices with tetrahedral symmetry. This improves the possibilities of realizing martensitic transformations at relatively low fields and the possibilities of obtaining significantly large inverse magneto-caloric effects, in comparison to perfect inverse Heusler arrangement of atoms. We analyze the origin of such improvements in functional properties by investigating electronic structures and magnetic exchange interactions.
Optimization of angle of inclination of the hybrid photovoltaic-thermal solar collector using particle swarm optimization algorithm
Authors: Tabet I. , Touafek K. , Bellel N. , Bouarroudj N. , Khelifa A. , Adouane M.
Published: October 2014

In this paper, a mathematical model is used to determine the solar radiation incident on an inclined surface and the optimum slope angles for each month, season, and year are calculated for solar hybrid collectors. We recommend on how the collected energy can be increased by varying the tilt angle. First, we esteem the global solar radiation on a horizontal surface of a thermal photovoltaic hybrid collector (PVT) for a clear sky. The data set of the solar radiation at Ghardaïa (Algeria) measured during 2013 was used to analyze the models of global solar radiation estimation. The models of performance are evaluated by using the coefficient of correlation (R2), the absolute average error skew (mean absolute error, MABE), average quadratic error (mean square error RMSE), the percentage of the average error (MPE), and the percentage of average absolute error. Then the anisotropic and isotropic models that provide the most accurate estimation of the total solar radiation has been used to determine the optimum collector slope. Particle swarm optimization method was applied to obtain the tilt angle setting of the tilt angle of PVT collector. The objective was to improve the efficiency of PVT collector. The results show that these models used are very well designed. The coefficient of correlation (R2) varies from 0. 90 to 0. 99. For the percentage of errors of prediction (MABE and RMSE) lowered by 0.1, it is observed also that the angle of inclination of PVT collector takes different values during the year and that the collector received more solar energy compared to collector without optimal angle.
Thermal conductivity of carbon dioxide from non-equilibrium molecular dynamics: A systematic study of several common force fields
Authors: Trinh Thuat T. , Vlugt Thijs J. H. , Kjelstrup Signe
Published: October 2014

We report a systematic investigation of the thermal conductivity of various three-site models of carbon dioxide (CO2) using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics in the temperature range 300–1000 K and for pressures up to 200 MPa. A direct comparison with experimental data is made. Three popular CO2 force fields (MSM, EPM2, and TraPPE) and two flexible models (based on EPM2) were investigated. All rigid force fields accurately predict the equation of state for carbon dioxide for the given range of variables. They can also reproduce the thermal conductivity of CO2 at room temperature and predict a decrease of the thermal conductivity with increasing temperature. At high temperatures, the rigid models underestimate the thermal conductivity.
High-performance thermoelectric minerals: Colusites Cu26V2M6S32 (M = Ge, Sn)
Authors: Suekuni Koichiro , Kim Fiseong S. , Nishiate Hirotaka , Ohta Michihiro , Tanaka Hiromi I. , Takabatake Toshiro
Published: October 2014

We report thermoelectric (TE) properties of dense samples of colusites Cu26V2M6S32 (M = Ge, Sn), most of which are composed of earth-abundant elements; Cu and S. The combination of p-type metallic conduction and large thermopowers greater than 200 μV/K leads to high TE power factors of 0.61 and 0.48 mW/K2 m at 663 K for M = Ge and Sn samples, respectively. Furthermore, the lattice thermal conductivity is smaller than 0.6 W/Km over the temperature range from 350 K to 663 K due to the structural complexity. As a consequence, the values of dimensionless TE figure of merit ZT for M = Ge and Sn reach 0.73 and 0.56 at 663 K, respectively. Thus, the colusites are promising candidates for environmental friendly TE materials usable in the range of 500–700 K.
Absolute CF2 density and gas temperature measurements by absorption spectroscopy in dual-frequency capacitively coupled CF4/Ar plasmas
Authors: Liu Wen-Yao , Xu Yong , Liu Yong-Xin , Peng Fei , Gong Fa-Ping , Li Xiao-Song , Zhu Ai-Min , Wang You-Nian
Published: October 2014

Broadband ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy has been used to determine the CF2 radical density in dual-frequency capacitively coupled CF4/Ar plasmas, using the CF2 Ã1B1←X̃1A1 system of absorption spectrum. The rotational temperature of ground state CF2 and excited state CF was also estimated by using Ã1B1←X̃1A1 system and B2Δ−X2Π system, respectively. The translational gas temperature was deduced from the Doppler width of the Ar*(3P2) and Ar*(3P0) metastable atoms absorption line by using the tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The rotational temperatures of the excited state CF are about 100 K higher than those of ground state CF2, and about 200 K higher than the translational gas temperatures. The dependences of the radical CF2 density, electron density, electron temperature, rotational temperature, and gas temperature on the high frequency power and pressure have been analyzed. Furthermore, the production and loss mechanisms of CF2 radical and the gas heating mechanisms have also been discussed.
Observation of a high-energy tail in ion energy distribution in the cylindrical Hall thruster plasma
Authors: Lim Youbong , Kim Holak , Choe Wonho , Lee Seung Hun , Seon Jongho , Lee Hae June
Published: October 2014

A novel method is presented to determine populations and ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) of individual ion species having different charge states in an ion beam from the measured spectrum of an E × B probe. The inversion of the problem is performed by adopting the iterative Tikhonov regularization method with the characteristic matrices obtained from the calculated ion trajectories. In a cylindrical Hall thruster plasma, an excellent agreement is observed between the IEDFs by an E × B probe and those by a retarding potential analyzer. The existence of a high-energy tail in the IEDF is found to be mainly due to singly charged Xe ions, and is interpreted in terms of non-linear ion acceleration.
Point vortices on the hyperbolic plane
Authors: Montaldi James , Nava-Gaxiola Citlalitl
Published: October 2014

We investigate the dynamical system of point vortices on the hyperboloid. This system has non-compact symmetry SL(2, R) and a coadjoint equivariant momentum map. The relative equilibrium conditions are found and the trajectories of relative equilibria with non-zero momentum value are described. We also provide the classification of relative equilibria and the stability criteria for a number of cases, focusing on 2 and 3 vortices. Unlike the system on the sphere, this system has relative equilibria with non-compact momentum isotropy subgroup, and these are used to illustrate the different stability types of relative equilibria.
Time-resolved spatial distribution of plasma in the ablation of a Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 target by 25 ns KrF ultraviolet laser
Authors: Lagrange J. F. , Hermann J. , Wolfman J. , Motret O.
Published: October 2014

We performed radially and longitudinally time-resolved plasma analysis during pulsed laser deposition of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films. The plasma is shown to be optically thick and strongly non-uniform during the early expansion phase and the resonance line Ba II (455.4 nm) is strongly self-reversed during this time. Plasma temperature and electron density were obtained by comparing experimental emission spectra with the spectral radiance computed for a non-uniform plasma in local thermal equilibrium.
Magnetic domain imaging in L1 ordered FePt thin films with in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy
Authors: Mallick Sougata , Bedanta Subhankar , Seki Takeshi , Takanashi Koki
Published: October 2014

Epitaxial FePt thin films with various thicknesses, having in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, have been prepared at different deposition temperatures using sputtering technique. L10 ordering in the FePt thin film leads to very large uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy increases with the increase in film thickness and deposition temperature. Domain imaging performed by Magneto-optic Kerr microscopy with a longitudinal geometry suggests that the domain structure and magnetization reversal process strongly depend on the film thickness and the deposition temperature. For the films deposited at a certain temperature, there exists a critical thickness where the coercive and saturation fields show maxima.
Measurements of the volt-ampere characteristics and the breakdown voltages of direct-current helium and hydrogen discharges in microgaps
Authors: Klas M. , Matejčik Š. , Radjenović B. , Radmilović-Radjenović M.
Published: October 2014

The discharge phenomena for micro meter gap sizes include many interesting problems from engineering and physical perspectives. In this paper, the authors deal with the experimental and theoretical results of the breakdown voltage and current-voltage characteristics of the direct-current helium and hydrogen discharges. The measurements were performed at a constant pressure of around one atmosphere, while varying the gap size between two parallel plane tungsten electrodes between 1 μm and 100 μm. From the measured breakdown voltage curves, the effective yields and the ionization coefficients were derived for both gases. Present data for the ionization coefficients correlate with the data obtained for the breakdown voltage curves measured for fixed 100 μm interelectrode separation. The current-voltage characteristics were plotted for the various gap sizes illustrating the role of the field emission effects in the microgaps. Based on the Fowler-Nordheim theory, the enhancement factors were determined. The gap spacing dependence of the field emission current can be explained by the introduction of two ideas, the first being a space charge effect by emitted electrons, and the second a change in the breakdown mechanism. Experimental results, presented here, demonstrate that Townsend phenomenology breaks down when field emission becomes the key mechanism affecting the breakdown and deforming the left hand side of the breakdown voltage curves.
Switch isotropic/anisotropic wettability via dual-scale rods
Authors: He Yang , Jiang Chengyu , Wang Shengkun , Ma Zhibo , Yuan Weizheng
Published: October 2014

It is the first time to demonstrate the comparison of isotropic/anisotropic wettability between dual-scale micro-nano-rods and single-scale micro-rods. Inspired by the natural structures of rice leaf, a series of micro-nano-rods and micro-rods with different geometric parameters were fabricated using micro-fabrication technology. Experimental measured apparent contact angles and advancing and receding contact angles from orthogonal orientations were characterized. The difference of contact angles from orthogonal orientation on dual-scale rods was much smaller than those on single-scale rods in both static and dynamic situation. It indicated that the dual-scale micro-nano-rods showed isotropic wettability, while single-scale micro-rods showed anisotropic wettability. The switch of isotropic/anisotropic wettability could be illustrated by different wetting state and contact line moving. It offers a facial way to switch isotropic/anisotropic wettability of the surface via dual-scale or single-scale structure.
Characterization of gold nanoparticle films: Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with image analysis, and atomic force microscopy
Authors: Lansåker Pia C. , Hallén Anders , Niklasson Gunnar A. , Granqvist Claes G.
Published: October 2014

Gold nanoparticle films are of interest in several branches of science and technology, and accurate sample characterization is needed but technically demanding. We prepared such films by DC magnetron sputtering and recorded their mass thickness by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The geometric thickness dg—from the substrate to the tops of the nanoparticles—was obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with image analysis as well as by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The various techniques yielded an internally consistent characterization of the films. In particular, very similar results for dg were obtained by SEM with image analysis and by AFM.
Growth of silicon quantum dots by oxidation of the silicon nanocrystals embedded within silicon carbide matrix
Authors: Kole Arindam , Chaudhuri Partha
Published: October 2014

A moderately low temperature (≤800 °C) thermal processing technique has been described for the growth of the silicon quantum dots (Si-QD) within microcrystalline silicon carbide (μc-SiC:H) dielectric thin films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) process. The nanocrystalline silicon grains (nc-Si) present in the as deposited films were initially enhanced by aluminium induced crystallization (AIC) method in vacuum at a temperature of Tv = 525 °C. The samples were then stepwise annealed at different temperatures Ta in air ambient. Analysis of the films by FTIR and XPS reveal a rearrangement of the μc-SiC:H network has taken place with a significant surface oxidation of the nc-Si domains upon annealing in air. The nc-Si grain size (DXRD) as calculated from the XRD peak widths using Scherrer formula was found to decrease from 7 nm to 4 nm with increase in Ta from 250 °C to 800 °C. A core shell like structure with the nc-Si as the core and the surface oxide layer as the shell can clearly describe the situation. The results indicate that with the increase of the annealing temperature in air the oxide shell layer becomes thicker and the nc-Si cores become smaller until their size reduced to the order of the Si-QDs. Quantum confinement effect due to the SiO covered nc-Si grains of size about 4 nm resulted in a photoluminescence peak due to the Si QDs with peak energy at 1.8 eV.
Optical properties of metamaterial serpentine metal electrodes
Authors: Han Sang Eon , Clark Samuel M.
Published: October 2014

We develop a model to describe the optical properties of periodic surpentine structures in the metamaterial regime. The structures are essentially transparent to infrared radiation and would be useful for transparent electrodes. The model predictions for the absorptance and the reflectance of the serpentine structures show a good agreement with numerical calculations of Maxwell’s equations. Our model reveals that the absorptance of the serpentine structures is determined by the self-inductance and the reflectance is affected by both the self-inductance and the effective conductivity. The effective conductivity is shown to be a dominant effect to reduce reflection.
Fabrication and characterization of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 p-channel thin film transistors
Authors: Zhu Xiaobo , Liu C. W.
Published: October 2014

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film transistors are demonstrated with the on-off ratio of ∼103 and the saturation hole mobility of 1.8 cm2/V-s. Due to the high hole concentration (∼5 × 1017 cm−3), the channel needs to be etched to turn off for the accumulation mode operation. The Cu(In,Ga)Se2 film after etching reveals a larger mobility, and a narrower (112) X-ray diffraction line than the original thick layer, indicating the better crystallinity of the initial growth as compared to the subsequent Cu(In,Ga)Se2 layer. Both the hole concentration and the saturation mobility increase with the decreasing Cu/(In + Ga) ratio probably due to the effect of Cu vacancies.
Instability of the Perceived World While Watching 3D Stereoscopic Imagery: A likely Source of Motion Sickness Symptoms
Authors: Hwang Alex D. , Peli Eli
Published: October 2014

Watching 3D content using a stereoscopic display may cause various discomforting symptoms, including eye strain, blurred vision, double vision, and motion sickness. Numerous studies have reported motion-sickness-like symptoms during stereoscopic viewing, but no causal linkage between specific aspects of the presentation and the induced discomfort has been explicitly proposed. Here, we describe several causes, in which stereoscopic capture, display, and viewing differ from natural viewing resulting in static and, importantly, dynamic distortions that conflict with the expected stability and rigidity of the real world. This analysis provides a basis for suggested changes to display systems that may alleviate the symptoms, and suggestions for future studies to determine the relative contribution of the various effects to the unpleasant symptoms.
The Carinthian Slovene Question in the Light of Recent German Austrian Scholarship∗
Authors: Barker Thomas M.
Published: October 2014

Carinthia's nationality struggle has raged more or less unabated since 1848. Until roughly two decades ago there was a relative dearth of secondary materials that one might regard as scholarly in any sense of the word. Polemics—admittedly of some value as a special kind of source material—predominated. Indeed emotional overtones still creep into serious studies. On balance, however, recent work in both Yugoslavia and Austria may be characterized as objective, solid, and methodologically innovative. While articles and books published in the former country are no less significant than those emanating from the latter, only titles that have appeared in German can be reviewed here.
History Teaching in Austria and Carinthia: A Slovene Perspective∗
Authors: Moritsch Andreas
Published: October 2014

It is no secret to us history instructors that for some years now there has been a growing sense of uneasiness in our discipline on the part of pupils and students and of helplessness on the part of teachers. Pupils and students repeatedly ask what, after all, is history good for, whether what they are learning is really relevant to their lives, and whether the study of history should not be more than memorizing sterile facts for the purpose of getting grades. Paradoxically, teachers can discern a continuing and in fact ever increasing interest in history. At the same time, we cannot help but notice that the mode of questioning by the younger generation has become different as have the problems that have come with social change.
Czech and Slovak Humanism∗
Authors: Zacek Joseph F.
Published: October 2014

Let me open with two caveats. First, given the very brief length dictated for this treatment of Czech and Slovak humanisms, I have chosen to concentrate on their main lines of development and on their primary — i.e., literary — aspect. Second, domestic humanism has received comparatively little attention from Czech and Slovak historians to date. The former have been occupied primarily with the great national-religious revolt, the Hussite Reformation, with which European humanism coalesces when it reaches Bohemia and Moravia. And Slovak historians are still doing basic research into much of their nation's past.
World of Delusions and Disillusions: The National Minorities of Poland During World War II∗
Authors: Wynot Edward D.
Published: October 2014

Perhaps no country in Eastern Europe suffered the human, material, and psychological devastation that Poland experienced during nearly six long years of war and occupation. Caught initially between Soviet Communism and German Nazism, and eventually falling completely under the yoke of the latter, the country became the target of ruthless attempts to impose these totalitarian systems on the hapless vanquished population. Without dismissing the sufferings of the ethnic Poles, this paper will focus on the fortunes of the key ethnoreligious minority groups in prewar Poland — the Germans, Belorussians, Ukrainians, and Jews. It will attempt to portray not only the relationship between the occupying powers and the individual minorities, but also the relationships among those population segments in the face of a concerted challenge to their very existence.
Restoring the Associability of a Pre-Exposed CS by a Surprising Event
Authors: Hall Geoffrey , Pearce John M.
Published: October 2014

Three experiments are reported which use rats and the conditioned suppression technique. The first two confirmed a previous finding that prior exposure to a stimulus predicting a weak shock retards further learning when this same stimulus is subsequently used to signal a stronger shock. They further showed that this loss of stimulus associability could be attenuated by inserting trials on which the stimulus was presented alone in the absence of shock before the phase of training with the stronger shock. Experiment III demonstrated that, for animals given prior exposure to two stimuli, the insertion of nonreinforced trials with one of the stimuli will restore the associability only of that stimulus. These results are taken to show that a surprising event (the omission of an expected shock) can restore the associability of a pre-exposed conditioned stimulus.
Loss of Associability by a Conditioned Inhibitor
Authors: Pearce John M. , Nicholas D. J. , Dickinson Anthony
Published: October 2014

In each of three experiments two groups of rats received inhibitory conditioning to one stimulus. Prior to a test phase of excitatory conditioning to this stimulus, one group was repeatedly exposed to the inhibitory stimulus by itself while the other group received no such exposure. Excitatory conditioning occurred most slowly in the group which received the exposure training. The first experiment indicated that this difference was not due to the exposure treatment enhancing the inhibitory properties of the stimulus. The results of Experiment III confirmed this conclusion and also indicated that the differences between the two groups during testing were due to differences in the associability of the inhibitory stimulus.
Higher-Order Conditioning and Sensory Preconditioning of a Taste Aversion with an Exteroceptive CS1
Authors: Archer Trevor , Sjödén Per-Olow
Published: October 2014

An exteroceptive stimulus compound (context) was employed as CS1 in higherorder conditioning (H-OC, Experiments I and II), and sensory preconditioning (SPC, Experiment III) of a saccharin (CS2) aversion in rats. The results indicated that aversions were established with the H-OC as well as with the SPC procedures. Stimulus generalization and first-order conditioning explanations were ruled out by appropriate controls. A CS1-extinction period, performed prior to testing, did not affect the H-OC aversion, whereas it reduced the SPC aversion at least partially. These findings imply that interoceptive (taste, nausea) and exteroceptive stimuli (context) are readily associable in rats. Implications of the resemblance between the SPC procedure and long-delay taste-aversion learning are discussed.
Reciprocal Overshadowing in Flavour-Aversion Learning
Authors: Bond Nigel W.
Published: October 2014

The present experiments were concerned with the overshadowing by a novel flavour which preceded the pairing of a target flavour and toxicosis. This effect was demonstrated in Experiment I as was reciprocal overshadowing by a novel flavour which was interpolated between the target flavour and illness. Experiment 2 indicated that such overshadowing only occurred if the novel flavour was presented immediately prior to the target flavour; an interval of 10 min between the two abolished the effect. Experiment 3 indicated that the failure to observe overshadowing with a delay of 10 min between the two flavours was not due to a lack of association between the interfering flavour and illness. These data were interpreted as demonstrating that the introduction of the interfering flavour on the training day resulted in a perceptual generalisation decrement and a subsequent reduction in the aversion displayed to the target flavour.
Stimulus Range Effects in Temporal Bisection by Humans
Authors: Wearden J.H. , Ferrara A.
Published: October 2014

Two experiments with human subjects, using short-duration tones as stimuli to be judged, investigated the effect of the range of the stimulus set on temporal bisection performance. In Experiment 1, six groups of subjects were tested on a temporal bisection task, where each stimulus had to be classified as “short” or “long”. For three groups, the difference between the longest (L) and shortest (S) durations in the to-be-bisected stimulus set was kept constant at 400 msec, and the L / S ratio was varied over values of 5:1 and 2:1. For three other groups, the L/S ratio was kept constant at 4:1 but the L-S difference varied from 300 to 600 msec. The bisection point (the stimulus value resulting in 50% “long” responses) was located closer to the arithmetic mean of L and S than the geometric mean for all groups except that for which the L / S ratio was 2:1, in which case geometric mean bisection was found. In Experiment 2, stimuli were spaced between L and S either linearly or logarithmically, and the L / S ratio took values of either 2:1 or 19:1. Geometric mean bisection was found in both cases when the L / S ratio was 2:1, but effects of stimulus spacing were found only when the L / S ratio was 19:1. Overall, the results supported a previous conjecture that the L / S ratio used in a bisection task played a critical role in determining the behaviour obtained. A theoretical model of bisection advanced by Wearden (1991) dealt appropriately with bisection point shifts discussed above but encountered difficulties with stimulus spacing effects.
Conditioned Inhibition in a Multiple Category Learning Task
Authors: O'Boyle Elizabeth A. , Boutton Mark E.
Published: October 2014

Four experiments investigated inhibition that might arise in a task in which cues are associated with more than one outcome. In each experiment, human subjects played a game called “Clues and Culprits” in which they were asked to judge the predictive strength of clues that had been associated with culprits in a series of hypothetical crimes. In a two-outcome version of the familiar conditioned inhibition paradigm (A+, AX-), one clue was paired with one culprit on its own, but it was paired with a second culprit when it was combined with a second clue (A-1, AX-2). According to the delta rule, X should acquire inhibition for the first culprit; it should also acquire more inhibition than a differential cue merely associated with a second culprit (e.g. A-1, X-2). Inhibition was found with both procedures. However, the amount of inhibition did not differ between them, suggesting that mere association with a second outcome was sufficient to inhibit performance based on the first. Other data suggested the presence of cue competition. Also, when a cue associated with one culprit was paired with a second culprit on other trials, there was little evidence of unlearning of the first association.
Evaluating a New Paradigm for Comparing Surface Disinfection in Clinical Practice
Authors: Carling Philip C. , Perkins Jennifer , Ferguson JoAnn , Thomasser Anita
Published: October 2014

Background.

Despite an increasing understanding of the importance of near-patient surfaces in the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens, there remains a need to define the relative clinical effectiveness of disinfection interventions

Design.

A serial 2-phase evaluation of the clinical effectiveness of 2 surface disinfectants.

Setting.

A general acute care hospital.

Methods.

A unique system for quantifying bioburden reduction while monitoring the possible impact of differences in cleaning thoroughness was used to compare the clinical effectiveness of a traditional quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) and a novel peracetic acid/hydrogen peroxide disinfectant (ND) as part of terminal room cleaning.

Results.

As a result of QAC cleaning, 93 (40%) of 237 cleaned surfaces confirmed by fluorescent marker (DAZO) removal were found to have complete removal of aerobic bioburden. During the ND phase of the study, bioburden was removed from 211 (77%) of 274 cleaned surfaces. Because there was no difference in the thoroughness of cleaning with either disinfectant (65.3% and 66.4%), the significant (P > .0001) difference in bioburden reduction can be attributed to better cleaning efficacy with the ND.

Conclusions.

In the context of the study design, the ND was 1.93 times more effective in removing bacterial burden than the QAC (P > .0001). Furthermore, the study design represents a new research paradigm in which 2 interventions can be compared by concomitantly and objectively analyzing both the product and process variables in a manner that can be used to define the relative effectiveness of all disinfection cleaning interventions.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2014;35(11):1349–1355
On Technological Change in Crop Yields
Authors: Tolhurst Tor N. , Ker Alan P.
Published: October 2014

Technological changes in agriculture tend to alter the mass associated with segments or components of the yield distribution as opposed to simply shifting the entire distribution upwards. We propose modeling crop yields using mixtures with embedded trend functions to account for potentially different rates of technological change in different components of the yield distribution. By doing so we can test some interesting and previously untested hypotheses about the data generating process of yields. For example: (1) is the rate of technological change equivalent across components, and (2) are the probabilities of components constant over time? Our results—technological change is not equivalent across components and probabilities tend not to have changed significantly over time—have implications for modeling yields. We find estimated conditional yield densities are quite different when unique trend functions are embedded inside the mixture components versus estimating the same mixture with detrended data. Also, we prove different rates of technological change in different components lead to nonconstant variance with respect to time (i.e., heteroscedasticity). We present two applications of the proposed yield model. The first application considers climate determinants of component membership, where our results are consistent with the literature for climate determinants of yields. The second application compares the proposed yield model to USDA's current rating methodology for area‐yield crop insurance contracts and finds the proposed model may lead to more accurate rates.
FungiFun2: a comprehensive online resource for systematic analysis of gene lists from fungal species
Authors: Priebe Steffen , Kreisel Christian , Horn Fabian , Guthke Reinhard , Linde Jörg
Published: October 2014

Summary : Systematically extracting biological meaning from omics data is a major challenge in systems biology. Enrichment analysis is often used to identify characteristic patterns in candidate lists. FungiFun is a user-friendly Web tool for functional enrichment analysis of fungal genes and proteins. The novel tool FungiFun2 uses a completely revised data management system and thus allows enrichment analysis for 298 currently available fungal strains published in standard databases. FungiFun2 offers a modern Web interface and creates interactive tables, charts and figures, which users can directly manipulate to their needs.

Availability and implementation: FungiFun2, examples and tutorials are publicly available at https://elbe.hki-jena.de/fungifun/ .

Contact : steffen.priebe@hki-jena.de or joerg.linde@hki-jena.de
Population status and threats to Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) in South and Western Australia
Authors: Lavers Jennifer L.
Published: October 2014

Seabirds are considered reliable indicators of the marine environment due to their reliance on ocean-based resources and position at the top of the marine foodweb. The status of the world's bird populations have deteriorated over the past 20 years with seabirds declining faster than any other bird group. For some seabird species, a lack of data or synthesis of available data limits our ability to detect changes in population trends and gain insight into the condition of the surrounding marine environment. The Flesh-footed Shearwater (FFSH; Puffinus carneipes) exemplifies this with demographic and count data either absent or outdated for most breeding islands. Results of a survey of 20 FFSH breeding islands in South and Western Australia during 2011–2014, and a synthesis of all available data indicate the current global population is substantially smaller than previously thought, comprising no more than 74 000 breeding pairs. While much of the reduction in numbers is due to outdated burrow counts which are shown to be a poor measure of population size in this species, there is evidence of a decline in numbers on at least six islands that account for ∼40% of the world's population. A review of novel and existing data on FFSH breeding habits (burrow occupancy and density), concurrent threats, and population size in South and Western Australia are presented here along with priorities for management of this declining marine predator.
A development of ecological risk screening with an application to fisheries off SW England
Authors: Cotter John , Lart William , de Rozarieux Nathan , Kingston Al , Caslake Richard , Le Quesne Will , Jennings Simon , Caveen Alex , Brown Mary
Published: October 2014

A development of the ecological risk screening (ERS) technique, scale intensity and consequence analysis (SICA), is described and application to the varied fisheries and ecosystem off the southwest of England on behalf of an industry steering group (SG) is summarized. The purpose was to prioritize ecological risks systematically and consistently in relation to policy goals agreed by the SG. Scientists listed and advised on ecosystem components, their units (individual species, stocks, habitats, or communities) and attributes, as well as agents of change in the SW, their activities, and generalized effects relevant to the policy goals. A working group (WG) of fishers, fishery observers, technical advisors, and marine scientists paired each unit with the activity thought most likely to impact the most sensitive policy goal, then scored risk according to defined rules spatially, temporally, and as intensity and duration of effects. The geometric mean of the four scores, slightly adjusted for unscored factors if necessary, was the relative impact score (RIS). With this standardized method, the main aspects of risk were considered separately and independently, thereby assisting objective prioritization. Nineteen unit–activity pairs were listed as priority risks (RIS >3) in the SW region during a 2-d meeting that fully exploited the wide range of information and experience available at the WG. Socio-economics was not considered. The ERS for the SW was designed to be compatible with other similar ERSs that might be carried out for neighbouring marine regions. ERS can minimize extra monitoring needed for ecosystem management and, in principle, collaborating non-fishery agents of change could be included. By engaging all stakeholders in the setting of initial priorities for action and by assembling all available sources of information, ERS offers a useful starting point for holistic ecosystem management.
How is Food Political? Market, State, and Knowledge
Authors: Herring Ronald J.
Published: October 2014

A political economy of food is, somewhat ironically, especially dependent on politics of ideas. Food as commodity certainly exhibits familiar forces of contention in political economy—the relative weights of interests contesting boundaries between state and market—but generates a distinctive politics for interrelated reasons. First, the urgency of food provisioning reflects biological necessity, not mere preference. Consequently, production and distribution animate a politics of security, rights, and social justice, and thereby special potential for collective action and contentious politics. Second, food engages deeply held cultural norms and ethical standards that transcend the politics of interest characteristic of less charged commodities. Finally, a looming sense of crisis and uncertainty in sustainability of global food production has made technical discourses dependent on expertise and science more indispensable but simultaneously more contentious—and transnational in scope. Expertise looms ever larger but has not depoliticized the production, consumption, and distribution of food.
Model-Based Science and the Ethics of Ongoing Treatment Negotiation
Authors: Heinrichs Douglas W.
Published: October 2014

Current thinking in medical ethics posits that treatment decisions should result from negotiation between clinician and patient as autonomous agents. However the view of science that underlies most thinking about evidence in medicine encourages the belief that in principle optimal evi-dence-based judgment as to best treatments can be reached by the clinician apart from such ne-gotiation, reducing negotiation to a sham process. A model-based notion of science, derived from a naturalistic philosophy of science, argues that the process of predicting optimal treatment re-quires consideration of a patient’s goals, and thus requires ongoing negotiations with the patient. Hence values are integral to the scientific process, not something extra-scientific that must be reconciled with it. From this perspective the clinician’s activity becomes one with scientific method rather than an ill-defined, and typically undervalued, art.
Patient Responsibilities in a Psychiatric Healing Project
Authors: Waring Duff R.
Published: October 2014

Recovery from a major mental disorder is a psychiatric healing project that takes work. Patients have both other- and self-regarding responsibilities for doing this work. The former are responsibilities the patient has to the psychiatrist, such as collaborating in the formulation of a treatment plan. The latter are responsibilities the patient has to herself, such as learning to manage her own care. The healing project begins as the patient develops an alliance with the psychiatrist. It becomes less dependent as the patient develops a stronger alliance with herself and works at recovery on her own. This independent work becomes the patient’s project of self-regarding care. It reflects efforts to manage treatment and restore self-unity that the patient is responsible for making on his own behalf. The patient’s responsible efforts can involve the cultivation of virtues that are contextual to the healing project.