bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adenoma malignum of the uterine cervix: ultrasonographic findings in 11 patients
Authors: Park S. B. , Moon M. H. , Hong S. R. , Lee M. S. , Cho H. C. , Han B. H. , Lim K. T.
Published: September 2011

Objective

To evaluate the ultrasonographic features of adenoma malignum, a minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Methods

Eighteen consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed adenoma malignum were enrolled in this study at two institutions. Preoperative ultrasound examination was performed and the results were available in 11 patients. We analyzed retrospectively the gray‐scale ultrasound findings for the following morphologic characteristics: cervical enlargement, as well as size, location and ultrasonographic characteristics of lesions. In five patients we also evaluated Doppler features with regard to intralesional vascularity.

Results

The cervix was enlarged in 73% (8/11) of cases. The mean greatest tumor diameter was 4.2 (range, 2.5–6.8) cm. In five (45%) cases, the cervix was completely infiltrated by the tumor. At gray‐scale ultrasound examination, three (27%) tumors were multilocular lesions, four (36%) were multilocular lesions with solid components and four (36%) were solid lesions. In the multilocular lesions with or without a solid component, locules tended to be 1 cm or less in average diameter (86%, 6/7 cases) and there tended to be 11–20 in number (57%, 4/7 cases). In most (57%, 4/7) cases the locular fluid was homogeneously hypoechoic. Most (75%, 3/4) solid lesions manifested heterogeneous echogenicity. The five (100%) tumors examined with Doppler manifested moderate or abundant color content on color or power Doppler.

Conclusions

Adenoma malignum can appear sonographically as solid, multilocular and multilocular solid cervical lesions. Awareness of its clinical and ultrasonographic features might improve diagnosis before surgery. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of the Survival Difference Between AJCC 6th and 7th Editions for Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: Fang Wen‐Liang , Huang Kuo‐Hung , Chen Jen‐Hao , Lo Su‐Shin , Hsieh Mao‐Chih , Shen King‐Han , Li Anna Fen‐Yau , Niu Dau‐Ming , Chiou Shih‐Hwa , Wu Chew‐Wun
Published: September 2011

Background

The AJCC 7th edition changes the classification of T‐ and N‐factors and the TNM stage of gastric cancer. We evaluated its prognostic impact.

Methods

From December 1987 to December 2006, a total of 1,380 patients underwent curative surgery for gastric cancer at the Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, with a retrieved lymph node number ≥15. Survival was compared for disease classified according to the AJCC 6th and 7th editions.

Results

There is a significant difference in 5‐year survival between T2 and T3 gastric cancer classified according to the AJCC 7th edition (75.2 vs. 54.9%, p < 0.001), as well as between N1 and N2 (71.4 vs. 44.1%, p < 0.001). Although patients with N3a had a better 5‐year survival than did those with N3b (27.6 vs. 11.3%, p < 0.001), the N3 categories were combined and not applied in the TNM stage in the 7th edition. Multivariate analysis using Cox’s proportional hazards model with a forward logistics regression stepwise procedure demonstrates that age, N category of 6th edition, and T and N categories of 7th edition are independent prognostic factors; however, T category of 6th edition is no longer significant. Furthermore, the discriminative power of survival difference between each TNM stage seems to be comparable between the 6th and 7th editions.

Conclusions

The AJCC 7th edition provides a more stratified survival difference in staging of gastric cancer. Future division of N3a and N3b in the classification of the TNM stage is recommended.
A prospective, multicentre, open-label study to evaluate the effectiveness of aripiprazole in the treatment of a broad range of patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Peuskens J. , Bervoets C. , Kok F. , Delatte B. , Touquet G. , Gillain B. , de Patoul A. , Halkin V. , Loze J.-Y. , Vansteelandt K. , Constant E.
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of 12-week treatment with aripiprazole in a broad range of patients suffering from schizophrenia by using a variety of physicians, caregivers and patients scales.

Subjects and methods

A total of 361 in- or outpatients who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for schizophrenia received open-label aripiprazole (10–30mg per day) in this 12-week, prospective, multicentre, uncontrolled study. The primary endpoint was the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale which measured effectiveness of study medication, including efficacy, safety and tolerability. A variety of physician-, patient- and caregiver-rated parameters were measured to gain a complete view of the effectiveness of aripiprazole.

Results

The effectiveness of aripiprazole treatment was demonstrated in a broad range of schizophrenia patients (CGI-I score of 3.0; 95% confidence interval: 2.8, 3.2: last observation carried forward [LOCF]) as the upper bound of the 95% CI was less than 4 (score of “no change”). Both patient and caregiver PGI-I scores (LOCF: 95% CI: 2.79, 3.09 and, 95% CI: 2.74, 3.17, respectively) corroborate this finding. Aripiprazole had a positive effect on disease severity by study end, as assessed by an increase of the (physician-rated) CGI-S scores, with 57.3% of patients having improved disease, one-third maintaining their condition (30.8%) and 11.3% with worsening symptoms (LOCF). The Investigator Assessment Questionnaire (IAQ) showed a great improvement (>50% of patients). Patients reported significantly improved quality of life and overall, 71% of patients and 67% of caregivers preferred aripiprazole to their previous antipsychotic medication (LOCF; P<0.0001 over time).

Conclusion

Aripiprazole was effective in a broad range of patients with schizophrenia.
Characteristics of Subjects With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder With and Without Antipsychotic Medication – a 10-Year Follow-Up of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Moilanen J. , Haapea M. , Miettunen J. , Jääskeläinen E. , Veijola J. , Isohanni M. , Koponen H.
Published: September 2011

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of non-medicated subjects having schizophrenia spectrum disorder and to study how they differ from medicated subjects in terms of sociodemographic and illness-related variables. We also aim to find the predictors for successful antipsychotic withdrawal.

Methods

Data of 70 subjects with schizophrenic psychoses (mean duration of illness 10.4 years) from the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort were gathered by interview at the age of 34 and from hospital records. The stability of remission was assessed by comparing hospitalization rates between non-medicated and medicated subjects over an 8.7-year additional follow-up period.

Results

Twenty-four (34%) subjects were currently not receiving medication. They were more often males, less often on a disability pension, more often in remission, and had better clinical outcomes. Relapses during the follow-up were equally frequent between non-medicated and medicated subjects (47% vs. 56%). Not having been hospitalised during previous 5 years before the interview predicted long-term successful antipsychotic withdrawal without relapse.

Conclusions

Despite a lack of precise predictors, there might be subgroup of schizophrenia spectrum subjects who do not need permanent antipsychotic medication, and a fewer previous psychiatric treatments may indicate such a subgroup.
Long-term impact of infantile short bowel syndrome on nutritional status and growth
Authors: Olieman Joanne F. , Penning Corine , Spoel Marjolein , IJsselstijn Hanneke , van den Hoonaard Thelma L. , Escher Johanna C. , Bax Nikolaas M. A. , Tibboel Dick
Published: September 2011

Short-term bowel adaptation has been documented, but data on long-term effects are scarce. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term consequences of infantile short bowel syndrome (SBS). A cross-sectional assessment (2005–7) of growth, nutritional status, defecation pattern and health status in individuals with a history of infantile SBS, born between 1975 and 2002, were performed. Data were compared with reference values of healthy controls and presented as means and standard deviations or median and ranges. A total of forty subjects (sixteen male and twenty-four female; mean age 14·8 (sd 6·8) years) had received parenteral nutrition during a median of 110 (range 43–2345) d, following small bowel resection. The mean standard deviation scores (SDS) for weight for height and target height (TH) of the children were normal; mean SDS for height for age was − 0·9 (sd 1·3). The median BMI adults was 19·9 (range 17–26) kg/m2; mean SDS for height for age was − 1·0 (range − 2·5 to 1·5). Height in general was significantly shorter than TH, and 53 % of children and 78 % of adults were below TH range. Most subjects had normal body fat percentage (%BF). SDS for total body bone mineral density were generally normal. The SDS for bone mineral content (BMC) of the children were − 1·0 (sd 1·1). Mean energy intake was 91 % of the estimated average requirements. The frequencies of defecation and bowel complaints of the subjects were significantly higher than in healthy controls. In conclusion, infantile SBS results in shorter stature than was expected from their calculated TH. BMC was lower than reference values, but the subjects had normal weight for height and %BF.
The coordinated motion planning of a dual-arm space robot for target capturing
Authors: Xu Wenfu , Liu Yu , Xu Yangsheng
Published: September 2011

In this paper, autonomous motion control approaches to generate the coordinated motion of a dual-arm space robot for target capturing are presented. Two typical cases are studied: (a) The coordinated dual-arm capturing of a moving target when the base is free-floating; (b) one arm is used for target capturing, and the other for keeping the base fixed inertially. Instead of solving all the variables in a unified differential equation, the solution equation of the first case is simplified into two sub-equations and practical methods are used to solve them. Therefore, the computation loads are largely reduced, and feasible trajectories can be determined. For the second case, we propose to deal with the linear and angular momentums of the system separately. The linear momentum conservation equation is used to design the configuration and the mounted pose of a balance arm to keep the inertial position of the base's center of mass, and the angular momentum conservation equation is used to estimate the desired momentum generated by the reaction wheels for maintaining the inertial attitude of the base. Finally, two typical tasks are simulated. Simulation results verify the corresponding approaches.
Recursive field estimation and tracking for autonomous manipulation
Authors: Jeon Soo
Published: September 2011

Autonomous operation of mechanical systems often requires the ability to detect and locate a particular phenomenon occurring in the surrounding environment. Being implemented to articulated manipulation, such a capability may realize a wide range of applications in autonomous maintenance and repair. This paper presents the sensor-driven task space control of an end-effector that combines the field estimation and the target tracking in an unknown spatial field of interest. The radial basis function network is adopted to model spatial distribution of an environmental phenomenon as a scalar field. Their weight parameters are estimated by a recursive least square method using collective measurements from the on-board sensors mounted to the manipulator. Then the asymptotic source tracking has been achieved by the control law based on the gradient of the estimated field. A new singularity tolerant scheme has been suggested to command the task space control law despite singular configurations. Simulation results using the three-link planar robot and the 6-revolute elbow manipulator are presented to validate the main ideas.
Inferior-type caval vein defect – echocardiographic and surgical description of a large series of patients
Authors: Tomar Munesh , Radhakrishnan Sitaraman , Kaushal Sunil K. , Dagar Kulbhushan S. , Iyer Krishna S. , Shrivastava Savitri
Published: September 2011

Aim

This study was carried out to define the anatomical criteria for the diagnosis of inferior-type caval vein defect and compare the echocardiographic findings with surgical findings.

Methods

The records of 19 patients – 13 male and six female patients in the age group of 18 months to 27 years, who were diagnosed as inferior-type caval vein defect with or without anomalous drainage of right pulmonary vein(s) on echocardiography – were retrospectively reviewed and compared with surgical findings.

Results

Surgical diagnosis of inferior-type caval vein defect was confirmed in 17 of the 19 patients. In two patients, the surgical diagnosis was that of a large fossa ovalis atrial septal defect – confluent defect and fossa ovalis atrial septal defect with deficient inferior rim in one patient each. Surgical diagnosis of anomalous drainage of pulmonary vein(s) was based on the course of the superior rim of the defect in relation to the pulmonary veins. Our echocardiographic impression of the pulmonary veins appearing in its normal position but showing abnormal drainage to right atrium was in agreement with the surgical notes. Discrepancy was found in the number of pulmonary veins draining anomalously. The discordance was related to overdiagnosis of anomalous drainage in all except one, that is, three out of four. In one, only the right lower pulmonary vein was diagnosed to be anomalous, whereas both right upper and lower pulmonary veins were found to be anomalous.

Conclusions

Echocardiography provides definite diagnosis of inferior-type caval vein defect. Inferior caval vein straddling and an intact fossa ovalis are prerequisites for diagnosis. Anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of the right pulmonary veins is very common in our series, although accurate diagnosis of the number of pulmonary veins was not possible in all cases. Multiple views on transthoracic echocardiography starting from the subxiphoid views delineate the morphology accurately. Transoesophageal echocardiography is required only in patients in whom the windows, especially the subxiphoid, are not adequate.
On the Legitimacy of the European Court of Human Rights' Judgments
Authors: Costa Jean-Paul
Published: September 2011

Criticism of the Court – Sources of legitimacy – Interpretation, too wide? – Sharing responsibility – Tensions between court and other authorities: legislatures and courts
The Constitutional Implications of the EU Patent
Authors: Peers Steve
Published: September 2011

Council Decision of March 2011 to authorize enhanced co-operation as regards unitary patent protection – Proposed Regulations implementing enhanced co-operation in this area – Proposed treaty concerning patent litigation – Challenges to the validity of the decision authorizing enhanced co-operation – Incompatibility of the patent litigation treaty with EU law – EU external competence concerning intellectual property and civil jurisdiction issues
Novel developments in SBGN-ED and applications
Authors: Czauderna Tobias , Grafahrend-Belau Eva , Junker Astrid , Hartmann Anja , Klapperstück Matthias , Schreiber Falk
Published: September 2011

Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN, http://sbgn.org) [1] is an emerging standard for graphical representations of biochemical and cellular processes studied in systems biology. Three different views (Process Description, Entity Relationship, and Activity Flow) cover several aspects of the represented processes in different levels of detail. SBGN helps to communicate biological knowledge more efficient and accurate between different research communities in the life sciences. However, to support SBGN, methods and tools for editing, validating, and translating of SBGN maps are necessary.We present methods for these tasks and novel developments in SBGN-ED (www.sbgn-ed.org) [2], a tool which allows to create all three types of SBGN maps from scratch, to validate these maps for syntactical and semantical correctness, to translate maps from the KEGG database into SBGN, and to export SBGN maps into several file and image formats. SBGN-ED is based on VANTED (Visualization and Analysis of NeTworks containing Experimental Data, http://www.vanted.org) [3].As applications of SBGN and SBGN-ED we present furthermore MetaCrop (http://metacrop.ipk-gatersleben.de) [4], a database that summarizes diverse information about metabolic pathways in crop plants, and RIMAS (Regulatory Interaction Maps of Arabidopsis Seed Development, http://rimas.ipk-gatersleben.de) [5], an information portal that provides a comprehensive overview of regulatory pathways and genetic interactions during Arabidopsis embryo and seed development.[1] Le Novère, N. et al. (2009) The Systems Biology Graphical Notation. Nature Biotechnology, 27, 735-741.[2] Czauderna, T., Klukas, C., Schreiber, F. (2010) Editing, validating, and translating of SBGN maps. Bioinformatics, 26 (18), 2340-2341.[3] Junker, B.H., Klukas, C., Schreiber, F. (2006) VANTED: A system for advanced data analysis and visualization in the context of biological networks. BMC Bioinformatics, 7, 109+.[4] Grafahrend-Belau, E., Weise, S., Koschützki, D., Scholz, U., Junker, B.H., Schreiber, F. (2008) MetaCrop - A detailed database of crop plant metabolism. Nucleic Acids Research, 36, D954-D958.[5] Junker, A., Hartmann, A., Schreiber, F., Bäumlein, H. (2010) An engineer's view on regulation of seed development. Trends in Plant Science, 15(6), 303-307.
CellML: current status and future directions
Authors: Nickerson David
Published: September 2011

An overview of the current status of the CellML project and some ideas on where things are heading.
Preparation and applications of novel fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomeric nanocomposites
Authors: Sawada Hideo
Published: September 2011

Fluoroalkanoyl peroxides were applied to the preparation of cross-linked fluorinated oligomeric nanoparticles and fluorinated oligomer/guest molecule nanocomposites.
Genome reversion process of endopolyploidy confers chromosome instability on the descendent diploid cells
Authors: Walen Kirsten H.
Published: September 2011

Endotetraploidy with 4‐chromatid chromosomes divides by a bipolar, 2‐step meiotic‐like division back to diploidy (subcells), which is chiefly achieved by co‐segregation of whole genomes uncoupled from spindle participation. This study shows diploid subcell inheritance of endopolyploid‐division traits: perpendicular division relative to the cytoskeleton axis, dysfunctional centromere/kinetochore regions and whole genomic separations from co‐segregation. The assimilation of these traits into the innate mitotic machinery of the subcells resulted in diploid mitotic divisions that tolerated mild disturbances in cycling progression and in chromosomal distributions. The data were interpreted as demonstrating a blending together of endopolyploid and mitotic division traits with result of an endo‐modified mitosis in subcell propagation. Additionally, chromosomal stickiness caused breakage in anaphase/telophase. The observations are discussed in regard to a potential for slowly developing aneuploidy with increasing genomic complexity, which is widely accepted to be the basic route in tumorigenesis.
Super central configurations of the three-body problem under the inverse integer power law
Authors: Xie Zhifu , Hodge Kenyaita , Henderson Krystolyn , Westbrook Michael
Published: September 2011

In this paper, we consider the problem of central configurations of the n-body problem with the general homogenous potential 1/rα, where α is a positive integer. A configuration q = (q1, q2, ⋅⋅⋅, qn) is called a super central configuration if there exists a positive mass vector m = (m1, ⋅⋅⋅, mn) such that q is a central configuration for m with mi attached to qi and q is also a central configuration for m′, where \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$m^\prime \not=m \hbox{ and } m^\prime$\end{document}m′≠mandm′ is a permutation of m. The main result in this paper is the existence and classifications of super central configurations in the rectilinear three-body problem with general homogenous potential. Our results extend the previous work [Xie, Z., J. Math. Phys. 51, 042902 (2010)]10.1063/1.3345125 from the case in which α = 2 to the case in which α is a positive integer. Descartes’ rule of sign is extensively used in the proof of the main theorem.
Tailoring magnetic orders in (LaFeO3)n–(LaCrO3)n superlattices model
Authors: Zhu Yangyang , Dong Shuai , Zhang Qinfang , Yunoki Seiji , Wang Yonggang , Liu J.-M.
Published: September 2011

Magnetic orders in (LaFeO3)n–(LaCrO3)n superlattices and in the corresponding LaFe0.5Cr0.5O3 are studied by Monte Carlo simulations. Because of the different exchange couplings of Fe–O–Fe, Cr–O–Cr, and Fe–O–Cr, the superlattices show nontrivial magnetic modulations with the stack periods. Our simulations not only reproduce the experimental observation of strong ferromagnetism in the n = 1 superlattice, but also predict other complex antiferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic orders in thicker cases. The possible chemical phase separation in LaFe0.5Cr0.5O3 bulk is also revealed in our simulation.
Four-dimensional ultrasound current source density imaging of a dipole field
Authors: Wang Z. H. , Olafsson R. , Ingram P. , Li Q. , Qin Y. , Witte R. S.
Published: September 2011

Ultrasound current source density imaging (UCSDI) potentially transforms conventional electrical mapping of excitable organs, such as the brain and heart. For this study, we demonstrate volume imaging of a time-varying current field by scanning a focused ultrasound beam and detecting the acoustoelectric (AE) interaction signal. A pair of electrodes produced an alternating current distribution in a special imaging chamber filled with a 0.9% NaCl solution. A pulsed 1 MHz ultrasound beam was scanned near the source and sink, while the AE signal was detected on remote recording electrodes, resulting in time-lapsed volume movies of the alternating current distribution.
Correlation between relaxations and plastic deformation, and elastic model of flow in metallic glasses and glass-forming liquids
Authors: Wang Wei Hua
Published: September 2011

We study the similarity and correlations between relaxations and plastic deformation in metallic glasses (MGs) and MG-forming liquids. It is shown that the microscope plastic events, the initiation and formation of shear bands, and the mechanical yield in MGs where the atomic sites are topologically unstable induced by applied stress, can be treated as the glass to supercooled liquid state transition induced by external shear stress. On the other hand, the glass transition, the primary and secondary relaxations, plastic deformation and yield can be attributed to the free volume increase induced flow, and the flow can be modeled as the activated hopping between the inherent states in the potential energy landscape. We then propose an extended elastic model to describe the flow based on the energy landscape theory. That is, the flow activation energy density is linear proportional to the instantaneous elastic moduli, and the activation energy density ρE is determined to be a simple expression of ρE=1011G+111K. The model indicates that both shear and bulk moduli are critical parameters accounting for both the homogeneous and inhomogeneous flows in MGs and MG-forming liquids. The elastic model is experimentally certified. We show that the elastic perspectives offers a simple scenario for the flow in MGs and MG-forming liquids and are suggestive for understanding the glass transition, plastic deformation, and nature and characteristics of MGs
Intrinsic noise induced resonance in presence of sub-threshold signal in Brusselator
Authors: Dey Supravat , Das Dibyendu , Parmananda P.
Published: September 2011

In a system of non-linear chemical reactions called the Brusselator, we show that intrinsic noise can be regulated to drive it to exhibit resonance in the presence of a sub-threshold signal. The phenomena of periodic stochastic resonance and aperiodic stochastic resonance, hitherto studied mostly with extrinsic noise, is demonstrated here to occur with inherent systemic noise using exact stochastic simulation algorithm due to Gillespie. The role of intrinsic noise in a couple of other phenomena is also discussed.
Alignment of particles in sheared viscoelastic fluids
Authors: Santos de Oliveira I. S. , van den Noort A. , Padding J. T. , den Otter W. K. , Briels W. J.
Published: September 2011

We investigate the shear-induced structure formation of colloidal particles dissolved in non-Newtonian fluids by means of computer simulations. The two investigated visco-elastic fluids are a semi-dilute polymer solution and a worm-like micellar solution. Both shear-thinning fluids contain long flexible chains whose entanglements appear and disappear continually as a result of Brownian motion and the applied shear flow. To reach sufficiently large time and length scales in three-dimensional simulations with up to 96 spherical colloids, we employ the responsive particle dynamics simulation method of modeling each chain as a single soft Brownian particle with slowly evolving inter-particle degrees of freedom accounting for the entanglements. Parameters in the model are chosen such that the simulated rheological properties of the fluids, i.e., the storage and loss moduli and the shear viscosities, are in reasonable agreement with experimental values. Spherical colloids dispersed in both quiescent fluids mix homogeneously. Under shear flow, however, the colloids in the micellar solution align to form strings in the flow direction, whereas the colloids in the polymer solution remain randomly distributed. These observations agree with recent experimental studies of colloids in the bulk of these two liquids.
Simulation of polarization, energy storage, and hysteresis in composite dielectrics containing nonlinear inclusions
Authors: Calame J. P.
Published: September 2011

Finite difference quasi-electrostatic modeling is used to predict the dielectric behavior of composites consisting of spherical inclusions having nonlinear dielectric polarization behavior that are dispersed in a background linear dielectric matrix. The inclusion nonlinearities are parameterized by a hyperbolic tangent model that includes hysteresis. Computations of composite polarization and energy storage versus applied field and inclusion filling fraction are presented for ordered and random geometries. Electric field statistics are investigated with regard to localized intensification in the matrix, which is relevant to breakdown, and with regard to remnant fields in the inclusions, which is associated with hysteresis. Inclusion saturation behavior is found to cause dramatic departures from the predictions of linear theory, resulting in reduced energy storage in the composites and the existence of optimum filling fractions. Considering various competing factors, an energy storage of 10–12 J/cm3 at applied fields of 300–350 V/μm could be feasible in a composite composed of a linear matrix with a dielectric constant of 12 containing volumetric filling fraction 0.3–0.4 of inclusions with a low field dielectric constant of 1200 and a saturation polarization of 0.15 Cm−2. In spite of significant inclusion hysteresis, the composites displayed only minor overall hysteresis behavior, with > 94% recoverable energy being typical, provided the filling fraction was below percolation. With sufficiently high inclusion hysteresis, a bimodal distribution in the polarizations and fields within the inclusions appeared during downswing, manifesting itself as spontaneously organized regions of oppositely aligned polarization that resemble domains.
Electron-hole correlation effects in core-level spectroscopy probed by the resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering map of C60
Authors: Weinhardt L. , Fuchs O. , Batchelor D. , Bär M. , Blum M. , Denlinger J. D. , Yang W. , Schöll A. , Reinert F. , Umbach E. , Heske C.
Published: September 2011

We have employed a unique spectroscopic approach, a resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering (RIXS) map, to identify and separate electron-hole correlation effects in core-level spectroscopy. With this approach, we are able to derive a comprehensive picture of the electronic structure, separating ground state properties (such as the HOMO-LUMO separation) from excited state properties (such as the C 1s core-exciton binding energy of C60). In particular, our approach allows us to determine the difference between core- and valence exciton binding energies in C60 [0.5 (±0.2) eV]. Furthermore, the RIXS map gives detailed insight into the symmetries of the intermediate and final states of the RIXS process.
Etched multimode microfiber knot-type loop interferometer refractive index sensor
Authors: Pal Sudipta Sarkar , Mondal Samir K. , Tiwari Umesh , Swamy P. Venu Gopala , Kumar Manish , Singh Nahar , Bajpai P. P. , Kapur Pawan
Published: September 2011

We propose a novel refractive index sensor based on multimode microfiber knot-type loop (NL) interferometer. The middle portion (∼5 cm) of a 15 cm long multimode fiber is etched in 48% hydrofluoric acid to reduce its diameter to ∼12 μm. A NL of diameter <1 mm is made from the etched fiber. The ends of etched fiber are spliced with single-mode fibers for launching and detecting light from the NL interferometer. The NL introduces path differences to produce interferometric spectra with free spectral range ∼16 nm. The spectrum shifts as the surrounding refractive index of the loop is changed by adding chemicals. We observe the highest sensitivity of the NL interferometer ∼172 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) at a refractive index value 1.370 as obtained experimentally using commonly available chemicals. The design could be used as simple, low cost, and highly sensitive biological and chemical sensor.
LaPO4:Ce,Tb and YVO4:Eu nanophosphors: Luminescence studies in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral range
Authors: Pankratov V. , Popov A. I. , Shirmane L. , Kotlov A. , Feldmann C.
Published: September 2011

Comparative analysis of the luminescent properties of nanocrystalline LaPO4:Ce,Tb and YVO4:Eu luminescent materials with macrocrystalline analogues, commercially produced by Philips, has been performed under excitation by pulsed vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation, ranging from 3.7-40 eV. Special attention was paid to VUV spectral range, which is not reachable with commonly used lamp and laser sources. Our results clearly show distinct difference in the excitation spectra for nano- and macrocrystalline samples, especially at energies, when the spatial separation of electron-hole pairs is comparable with sizes of nanoparticles. Differences in the region of multiplication of the electronic excitations are also demonstrated and discussed.
Electric propulsion using an alternating positive/negative corona discharge configuration composed of wire emitters and wire collector arrays in air
Authors: Kim Chul , Noh Kwang-Chul , Kim Sang-Yoon , Hwang Jungho
Published: September 2011

We present a study on a corona discharge configuration exclusively composed of thin wires that provides maximal thrust performance and a compact unit staging method. The ion and air flow behaviors were experimentally and numerically investigated. The basic characteristics derived from the experiments are reported for three discharge configurations (positive, negative, and positive/negative alternation). The proposed alternating positive/negative configuration enhanced the thrust (5.4 N/m2 of maximum thrust to air flow area ratio) through the ability to achieve compact staging, compared to a previous study. In addition, two useful equations as criteria in the evaluation of the thrust performance were derived.
Phonon coherent resonance and its effect on thermal transport in core-shell nanowires
Authors: Chen Jie , Zhang Gang , Li Baowen
Published: September 2011

We study heat current autocorrelation function and thermal conductivity in core-shell nanowires by using molecular dynamics simulations. Interestingly, a remarkable oscillation effect in heat current autocorrelation function is observed in core-shell NWs, while the same effect is absent in pure silicon nanowires, nanotube structures, and random doped nanowires. Detailed characterizations of the oscillation signal reveal that this intriguing oscillation is caused by the coherent resonance effect of the transverse and longitudinal phonon modes. This phonon resonance results in the localization of the longitudinal modes, which leads to the reduction of thermal conductivity in core-shell nanowires. Our study reveals that a coherent mechanism can be used to tune thermal conductivity in core-shell nanowires.
Holey topological thermoelectrics
Authors: Tretiakov O. A. , Abanov Ar. , Sinova Jairo
Published: September 2011

We study the thermoelectric properties of three-dimensional topological insulators with many holes (or pores) in the bulk. We show that at high density of these holes, the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, can be large due to the contribution of the conducting surfaces and the suppressed phonon thermal conductivity. The maximum efficiency can be tuned by an induced gap in the surface states dispersion through tunneling or external magnetic fields. The large values of ZT, much higher than unity for reasonable parameters, make this system a strong candidate for applications in heat management of nanodevices, especially at low temperatures.
Near-field multiple scattering effects of plasmonic nanospheres embedded into thin-film organic solar cells
Authors: Sha Wei E. I. , Choy Wallace C. H. , Liu Yang G. , Cho Chew Weng
Published: September 2011

We investigate near-field multiple scattering effects of plasmonic nanospheres (NSPs) embedded into organic solar cells (OSCs). When NSPs are embedded into a spacer layer, the near-field scattering from the NSPs shows strong direction-dependent features, which significantly affects the optical absorption. When NSPs are embedded into an active layer, the absorption enhancement is attributed to the interplay between longitudinal and transverse modes supported by the NSP chain. The breakdown of electrostatic scaling law is confirmed by our theoretical model and should be accounted for optical designs of OSCs. The work provides the fundamental physical understanding and design guidelines for plasmonic photovoltaics.
Scintillation of rare earth doped fluoride nanoparticles
Authors: Jacobsohn L. G. , McPherson C. L. , Sprinkle K. B. , Yukihara E. G. , DeVol T. A. , Ballato J.
Published: September 2011

The scintillation response of rare earth (RE) doped core/undoped (multi-)shell fluoride nanoparticles was investigated under x-ray and alpha particle irradiation. A significant enhancement of the scintillation response was observed with increasing shells due: (i) to the passivation of surface quenching defects together with the activation of the REs on the surface of the core nanoparticle after the growth of a shell, and (ii) to the increase of the volume of the nanoparticles. These results are expected to reflect a general aspect of the scintillation process in nanoparticles, and to impact radiation sensing technologies that make use of nanoparticles.
Angular resolved scattering by a nano-textured ZnO/silicon interface
Authors: Schulte M. , Bittkau K. , Jäger K. , Ermes M. , Zeman M. , Pieters B. E.
Published: September 2011

Textured interfaces in thin-film silicon solar cells improve the efficiency by light scattering. A technique to get experimental access to the angular intensity distribution (AID) at textured interfaces of the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and silicon is introduced. Measurements are performed on a sample with polished microcrystalline silicon layer deposited onto a rough TCO layer. The AID determined from the experiment is used to validate the AID obtained by a rigorous solution of Maxwell’s equations. Furthermore, the applicability of other theoretical approaches based on scalar scattering theory and ray tracing is discussed with respect to the solution of Maxwell’s equations.
Superconducting single photon detectors integrated with single flux quantum readout circuits in a cryocooler
Authors: Miki Shigehito , Terai Hirotaka , Yamashita Taro , Makise Kazumasa , Fujiwara Mikio , Sasaki Masahide , Wang Zhen
Published: September 2011

We report the operation of superconducting single photon detectors (SSPDs) with integrated readout electronics based on a single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuit. The SSPDs were connected to a SFQ readout circuit without bias tee in a cryocooler system, and detection efficiencies (DEs) were measured to verify their correct operation. The DE curves matched well with those measured by conventional readout electronics, and the maximum bias current for normal operation was increased. In addition, we confirmed that the SFQ circuit correctly merged the input signals from two SSPDs. SSPDs with a SFQ readout circuit demonstrated a favorable timing jitter of 50 ps.
The Effect of Left-Right Reversal on Film: Watching Kurosawa Reversed
Authors: Bertamini Marco , Bode Carole , Bruno Nicola
Published: September 2011

The mirror reversal of an image is subtly different from the original. Often such change goes unnoticed in pictures, although it can affect preference. For the first time we studied the effect of mirror reversal of feature films. People watched Yojimbo or Sanjuro in a cinema, both classic films by Akira Kurosawa. They knew that this was a study and filled out a questionnaire. On one day Yojimbo was shown in its original orientation, and on another day the film was mirror reversed. Sanjuro was shown reversed on one day and non-reversed on another day. Viewers did not notice the reversal, even when they had seen the film before and considered themselves fans of Kurosawa. We compared this with estimates from a survey. In addition, the question about the use of space (scenography) revealed that although people who had seen the film before gave higher ratings compared with those who had not, this was only true when the film was not reversed.
Laboratory simulations show diabatic heating drives cumulus-cloud evolution and entrainment
Authors: Narasimha Roddam , Diwan Sourabh Suhas , Duvvuri Subrahmanyam , Sreenivas K. R. , Bhat G. S.
Published: September 2011

Clouds are the largest source of uncertainty in climate science, and remain a weak link in modeling tropical circulation. A major challenge is to establish connections between particulate microphysics and macroscale turbulent dynamics in cumulus clouds. Here we address the issue from the latter standpoint. First we show how to create bench-scale flows that reproduce a variety of cumulus-cloud forms (including two genera and three species), and track complete cloud life cycles—e.g., from a “cauliflower” congestus to a dissipating fractus. The flow model used is a transient plume with volumetric diabatic heating scaled dynamically to simulate latent-heat release from phase changes in clouds. Laser-based diagnostics of steady plumes reveal Riehl–Malkus type protected cores. They also show that, unlike the constancy implied by early self-similar plume models, the diabatic heating raises the Taylor entrainment coefficient just above cloud base, depressing it at higher levels. This behavior is consistent with cloud-dilution rates found in recent numerical simulations of steady deep convection, and with aircraft-based observations of homogeneous mixing in clouds. In-cloud diabatic heating thus emerges as the key driver in cloud development, and could well provide a major link between microphysics and cloud-scale dynamics.
Sport, Health, and the Iranian Middle Class in the 1920s and 1930s
Authors: Schayegh Cyrus
Published: September 2011

In the spring of 1939, Tehran's recently Constructed Amjadieh stadium hosted a part of the public celebration of the wedding ceremony of crown prince Mohammad Reza and Princess Fawzieh of Egypt. Several thousand spectators, mostly men and women well-clad in ‘international’ dress, enjoyed a spectacle featuring short presentations of over a dozen so-called ‘new’ and ‘old’ sports such as soccer, acrobatics, andzūrkhānahexercises. Wearing his Boy Scout uniform, Mohammad Reza was present(ed) as the energetic leader of these sportsmen and women and reflectedin personathe hope for a healthy productive nation, while the athletes on the ground below were proving to the Egyptian guests that not only the husband-to-be of Fawzieh, but also many of his countrymen were imbued with the spirit of modern sport and a healthy life.

It was not the first time that the Pahlavis had placed sport at the center of a public celebration. After the crown prince's return from schooling in Switzerland, similar spectacles—although on a smaller scale—had been organized on his birthdays, and he often appeared in public as the leader of the Boy Scout movement, too.
The Differential Effects of Simultaneous and Successive Cueing on the Detection of Bilateral Symmetry in Dot Patterns
Authors: Wenderoth Peter
Published: September 2011

Corballis and Roldan (1975) obtained speeded judgements of whether dot patterns were bilaterally symmetrical about, or translated across, a line. Reaction times (RTs) were ordered V (vertical) > D (diagonal) > H (horizontal) where “>” means faster than. Similar results occurred with blocked axis orientations, suggesting subjects cannot prepare by rotating a mental frame of reference. Blocking trials may have been ineffective because blocking cannot provide incremental benefits over those already provided by axis lines. Four experiments show that the usual axis orientation ordering of V > H > D is markedly attentuated by simultaneous but not successive axis lines. Also, axis cue lines and axis blocking are not equivalent treatments. Instead, unblocked line cues require finite processing time whereas, under blocking, subjects can prepare for the expected orientation. There was no suggestion anywhere of the V > D > H axis ordering that Corballis and Roldan reported. Successive axis line cues may only direct attention to the orientation being cued, but simultaneous line cues may change the stimulus itself, thus providing an additional means of visual processing that facilitates symmetry detection at non-vertical axis orientations.
Low Reliability of Perceptual Priming: Consequences for the Interpretation of Functional Dissociations between Explicit and Implicit Memory
Authors: Meier Beat , Perrig Walter J.
Published: September 2011

In this study, three experiments are presented that investigate the reliability of memory measures. In Experiment 1, the well-known dissociation between explicit (recall, recognition) and implicit memory (picture clarification) as a function of age in a sample of 335 persons aged between 65 and 95 was replicated. Test-retest reliability was significantly lower in implicit than in explicit measures. In Experiment 2, parallel-test reliabilities in a student sample confirmed the finding of Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, the reliability of cued recall and word stem completion was investigated. There were significant priming effects and a dissociation between explicit and implicit memory as a function of levels of processing. However, the reliability of implicit memory measures was again substantially lower than in explicit tests in all test conditions. As a consequence, differential reliabilities of direct and indirect memory tests should be considered as a possible determinant of dissociations between explicit and implicit memory as a function of experimental or quasi-experimental manipulations.
Is There Cross-format Transfer in Implicit Invariance Learning?
Authors: Stadler Michael A. , Warren Justin L. , Lesch Shana L.
Published: September 2011

Three experiments investigated cross-form transfer in the invariance learning paradigm introduced by McGeorge and Burton (1990). The results suggest that the transfer observed by McGeorge and Burton depended on subjects’ ability to use a response strategy discovered by Wright and Burton (1995). When that strategy was denied to subjects (Experiments 1 and 2), no cross-form transfer was observed; when the strategy was made available (Experiment 3), cross-form transfer re-emerged. These results suggest that this form of learning, like many other forms of implicit learning and memory, is hyperspecific.
Effects of Gender Marking in Pronominal Coindexation
Authors: Rigalleau François , Caplan David
Published: September 2011

The naming latency of a pronoun was measured when a single previously presented name in a discourse either agreed or did not agree with the pronoun in gender and person. An effect of agreement was found both under conditions in which subjects were likely to have engaged in strategic processing of the pronoun (Experiment 1) and under conditions in which this was unlikely (Experiment 3). The effect of gender agreement was also investigated when two noun phrases were present in the discourse. The results continued to show an immediate effect of gender agreement (naming latencies increased when a pronoun did not agree with one of two previously presented nouns) under experimental conditions likely to engender strategic processing (Experiment 2). This last effect was not significant under experimental conditions that were not likely to engender strategic processing (Experiment 3). The results are discussed in terms of models of the process of identifying the referent of a pronoun in a discourse.
Implicit and Explicit Memory in Pregnant Women: An Analysis of Data-Driven and Conceptually Driven Processes
Authors: McDowall John , Moriarty Rachel
Published: September 2011

A study by Brindle, Brown, Brown, Griffith, and Turner (1991), reported that pregnant women showed impaired implicit memory (as measured by a stem completion task) in the presence of intact explicit memory. The present study was an attempt to replicate and extend this finding by employing a read/generate encoding manipulation across data-driven (word fragment completion and graphemic cued recall) and conceptually driven (semantic cued recall and category generation) tests. A total of 64 women (32 pregnant) were tested on both data-driven and conceptually driven tasks either directly or indirectly. No differences emerged between pregnant subjects and non-pregnant controls across tasks. Subjects experiencing their first pregnancy did report their memory in the previous 2 weeks as being considerably worse than normal.
Visual and Phonological Codes in Letter and Word Recognition: Evidence from Incremental Priming
Authors: Ziegler Johannes C. , Ferrand Ludovic , Jacobs Arthur M. , Rey Arnaud , Grainger Jonathan
Published: September 2011

Critical issues in letter and word priming were investigated using the novel incremental priming technique. This technique adds a parametric manipulation of prime duration (or prime intensity) to the traditional design of a fast masked priming study. By doing so, additional information on the time course and nature of priming effects can be obtained. In Experiment 1, cross-case letter priming (a-A) was investigated in both alphabetic decision (letter/non-letter classification) and letter naming. In Experiment 2, cross-case word priming was investigated in lexical decision and naming. Whereas letter priming in alphabetic decision was most strongly determined by visual overlap between prime and target, word priming in lexical decision was facilitated by both orthographic and phonological information. Orthographic activation was stronger and occurred earlier than phonological activation. In letter and word naming, in contrast, priming effects were most strongly determined by phonological/articulatory information. Differences and similarities between letter and word recognition are discussed in the light of the incremental priming data.