bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Catalytic Synthesis and Photoluminescence Property of Cluster-Like CdSiO3 Nanowire Arrays
Authors: Shi Jianfeng , Jiang Yang , Li Guohua , Wang Chun , Li Nan
Published: November 2008

Cluster-like cadmium silicate (CdSiO3) nanowire arrays on Si substrate have been synthesized via a self-catalytic growth using a modified vapor-phase evaporation method. XRD and HRTEM analyses indicated that the CdSiO3 nanowire had a monoclinic single-crystal structure.
The growth mechanism of the cluster-like nanowire array is proposed as vapor-liquid-solid mechanism, in which lower melting point Cd serves as the catalyst. The PL measurements revealed the strong photoluminescence peaks in the purple region of 358–476 nm due to the self-activated luminescence,
which was different from those of CdSiO3 bulk powder.
In Situ Synthesis of Shape-Selective Gold Nanocrystals Using Oligopeptide Template: Effect of Various Reaction Parameters
Authors: Si Satyabrata , Dinda Enakshi , Mandal Tarun K.
Published: November 2008

An oligopeptide with a free amino group at the N-terminus and a redox active tryptophan residue at the C-terminus was used to synthesize gold nanocrystals of different shapes. The concentration ratio of peptide to HAuCl4 has a significant effect on the shape of the formed
nanocrystals and the polyhedral gold nanocrystals are mainly formed at higher such ratio. The effect of medium pH and reaction temperature on the shape of the formed gold nanocrystals has also been investigated. However, an oligopeptide with blocked amino group with tert-butyloxycarbonyl group
resulted only spherical gold nanocrystals along with some aggregated structures. A probable mechanism for the formation of polyhedral gold nanocrystals has been described, which indicate the presence of multiple anchoring sites in the peptide molecules is mainly responsible for this type of
crystal growth. The formed nanocrystals were well characterized by various experimental techniques like, UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction.
Fabrication and Characterization of Aluminum Nitride/Boron Nitride Nanocomposites by Carbothermal Reduction and Nitridation of Aluminum Borate Powders
Authors: Kusunose Takafumi , Sakayanagi Nobuaki , Sekino Tohru , Ando Yoichi
Published: November 2008

In order to fabricate aluminum nitride/boron nitride (AlN/BN) nanocomposites by pressureless sintering, the present study investigated the synthesis of AlN-BN nanocomposite powders by carbothermal reduction and nitridation of aluminum borate powders. Homogeneous mixtures of alumina
(Al2O3), boric acid (H3BO3), and carbon powder were used to synthesize AlN/BN nanocomposite powders containing 10 and 20 vol% BN. Aluminum borate was produced by reacting Al2O3 and B2O3 above 800 °C,
and AlN and turbostratic BN (t-BN) were produced by reacting aluminum borate with carbon powder and nitrogen gas at 1500 °C. Carbothermal reduction followed by nitridation yielded an AlN/BN nanocomposite powder composed of nanosized AlN and t-BN. By pressureless sintering nanocomposite
AlN/BN powders containing 5 wt% Y2O3, AlN/BN nanocomposites were obtained without compromising the high thermal conductivity and high hardness.
Two-Photon Excited Ultraviolet Photoluminescence of Zinc Oxide Nanorods
Authors: Zhu Guangping , Xu Chunxiang , Zhu Jing , Lu Changgui , Cui Yiping , Sun Xiaowei
Published: November 2008

High density zinc oxide nanorods with uniform size were synthesized on (100) silicon substrate by vapor-phase transport method. The scanning electron microscopy images reveal that the nanorods have an average diameter of about 400 nm. The X-ray diffraction pattern demonstrates the wurtzite
crystalline structure of the ZnO nanorods growing along [0001] direction. The single-photon excited photoluminescence presents a strong ultraviolet emission band at 394 nm and a weak visible emission band at 600 nm. When the ZnO nanorods were respectively pumped by various wavelength lasers
from 520 nm to 700 nm, two-photon excited ultraviolet photoluminescence was observed. The dependence of the two-photon excited photoluminescence intensity on the excitation wavelength and power was investigated in detail.
The Synthesis of High Molecular Weight Partially Hydrolysed Poly(vinyl alcohol) Grades Suitable for Nanoparticle Fabrication
Authors: Chana Jasminder , Forbes Ben , Jones Stuart Allen
Published: November 2008

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a highly versatile synthetic polymer that is formed by full or partial hydrolysis of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). A wide range of PVA partially hydrolysed grades are commercially available, but the amphiphilic grades of the polymer (30–60% hydrolysis),
which probably the most interesting in terms of drug delivery, are not readily available. As a consequence few studies have assessed the application of low hydrolysis PVA polymers to form nanocarriers. The aims of this study were to synthesise amphiphilic grades of PVA on a laboratory scale,
analyse their chemical properties and determine whether these grades could be used to form nanoparticles. PVA 30%, PVA 40%, PVA 50% and PVA 60% were synthesised via direct saponification of PVAc. All grades of PVA synthesised had degrees of hydrolysis close to those predicted from the stoichiometry
of the saponification reaction. The PVA grades displayed <1.5% batch to batch variability (n = 3) in terms of percentage hydrolysis, demonstrating the manufacture process was both reproducible and predictable. Analysis of the polymer characteristics using 13C nuclear magnetic
resonance and differential scanning calorimetry revealed that all PVA grades contained block distributions (i.e., η < 1) of vinyl alcohol monomers (η ranged from 0.33–0.45) with a high probability of adjacency calculated for the hydroxylated units (POH
ranged 0.926–0.931). All the grades of PVA formed nanoparticles using a precipitation technique with a trend towards smaller particle size with increasing degree of PVA hydrolysis; PVA 30% resulted in significantly larger nanoparticles (225 nm) compared to PVA 40–60% (137–174
nm).
Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on Si Substrate Using Fe Catalyst Produced by Pulsed Laser Deposition
Authors: Krishnamurthy S. , Donnelly T. , McEvoy N. , Blau W. , Lunney J. G. , Teh A. S. , Teo K. B. K. T. , Milne W. I.
Published: November 2008

We report the growth of carbon nanotubes on the size controlled iron catalytic nanoparticles. The nanotubes were grown by thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) in the temperature range 600–850 °C. The Fe films were deposited on silicon by pulsed laser deposition in vacuum.
Atomic force microscopy measurements were performed on the catalytic nanoparticles. The topography of the catalytic nanoparticles shows the homogenous distribution of Fe catalyst. We observe the nanotubes are produced only at temperatures between 650 and 800 °C, and within this narrow
temperature regime the yield of nanotubes reaches a maximum around 750 °C and then declines. Raman measurements illustrate a high G/D peak ratio indicating good nanotube quality. By further defining the size of the catalyst the diameter of these carbon nanotubes can be controlled.
Pulsed Laser Deposition of Nanoporous Cobalt Thin Films
Authors: Jin Chunming , Nori Sudhakar , Wei Wei , Aggarwal Ravi , Kumar Dhananjay , Narayan Roger J.
Published: November 2008

Nanoporous cobalt thin films were deposited on anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes at room temperature using pulsed laser deposition. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the nanoporous cobalt thin films retained the monodisperse pore size and high porosity of the anodized
aluminum oxide substrates. Temperature- and field-dependent magnetic data obtained between 10 K and 350 K showed large hysteresis behavior in these materials. The increase of coercivity values was larger for nanoporous cobalt thin films than for multilayered cobalt/alumina thin films. The
average diameter of the cobalt nanograins in the nanoporous cobalt thin films was estimated to be ∼5 nm for blocking temperatures near room temperature. These results suggest that pulsed laser deposition may be used to fabricate nanoporous magnetic materials with unusual properties for
biosensing, drug delivery, data storage, and other technological applications.
A Facile Route for the Synthesis of Poly(N-vinylcarbazole)/Manganese Sulphide Quantum Dots Nanocomposites with Enhanced Optical Properties
Authors: Moloto Nosipho , Ray Suprakas Sinha , Moloto Makwena Justice
Published: November 2008

This communication describes a facile route for the synthesis of manganese sulphide (MnS) quantum dots (QDs) contained in poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PNVC) nanocomposites. MnS QDs were synthesized using the single-source precursor method by thermolysing tetramethylthiuram disulfide
manganese complex in hexadecylamine (HDA). Two different methods were used for the synthesis of MnS QD incorporated PNVC nanocomposites. The first method entailed the stirring of a mixture of MnS QDs and PNVC in chloroform (CHCl3) at room temperature and the second method was the
refluxing of MnS QDs and PNVC solution in CHCl3 at an elevated temperature. A field emission electron microscope (FESEM) study revealed that the dispersion of MnS QDs in a PNVC matrix was improved in the case of nanocomposites prepared by the second method. The optical properties
of pure PNVC were significantly altered for the case of nanocomposite prepared by the second route.
Horizontally-Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Sapphire
Authors: Ago Hiroki , Ishigami Naoki , Imamoto Kenta , Suzuki Tomoko , Ikeda Ken-Ichi , Tsuji Masaharu , Ikuta Tatsuya , Takahashi Koji
Published: November 2008

Recently, we discovered the horizontally-aligned growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on R- and A-plane sapphire substrates, which we call "atomic arrangement-programmed growth (AAP growth)." This is a unique method because the growth direction of SWCNTs is determined by
the crystallographic direction of the sapphire surface. In this paper, we report on the characterization of the aligned SWCNTs by polarized Raman and electron transport measurements, and on the effect of the step/terrace structure formed on sapphire surface. These results may open up a possibility
of creating the artificial SWCNT network, which can be applied to high-performance electronics.
A Tight-Binding Grand Canonical Monte Carlo Study of the Catalytic Growth of Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Amara H. , Bichara C. , Ducastelle F.
Published: November 2008

The nucleation of carbon nanotubes on small nickel clusters is studied using a tight binding model coupled to grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. This technique follows the conditions of the synthesis of carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition. The possible formation of a
carbon cap on the catalyst particle is studied as a function of the carbon chemical potential, for particles of different size, either crystalline or disordered. We show that these parameters strongly influence the structure of the cap/particle interface which in turn will have a strong effect
on the control of the structure of the nanotube. In particular, we discuss the presence of carbon on surface or in subsurface layers.
Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Synthesis: A Direct Comparison of Laser Ablation and Carbon Arc Routes
Authors: Bystrzejewski M. , Rümmeli M. H. , Lange H. , Huczko A. , Baranowski P. , Gemming T. , Pichler T.
Published: November 2008

Carbon arc and chemical vapor deposition are at present the most efficient methods for mass production of single-walled carbon nanotubes. However, laser ablation is renowned for high quality nanotubes with narrow diameter distributions and hence is also of great interest. The aim of
this work was to compare both the carbon arc and laser ablation techniques with respect to the quality and relative yield of the produced SWCNTs. For this comparative study we used Fe as the catalyst, which is known not to be very active in laser ablation. However, we show this is not the
case when H2 is included in the reaction. The reactions for both synthesis routes were carried out in a N2–H2 (95–5% vol.) atmosphere. The same homogenous carbon rods with different iron contents, between 1 and 5 at.% were used as the carbon feedstock
and catalyst supply in both synthesis routes. Additionally, two types of carbon rods containing 1 at.% Fe with different graphitization degrees were also investigated. In the arc-discharge case, the low-graphitized electrode produced a web-like product rich in SWCNTs, while the high-graphitized
carbon rods yielded soot containing carbon-encapsulated iron nanocrystallites, amorphous carbon nanoparticles, and surprisingly a small fraction of SWCNTs. With laser ablation synthesis, the Fe content and the reactor temperature significantly influenced the SWCNTs yield. Carbon arc plasma
diagnostics were also performed. By using optical emission and Absorption spectroscopy the plasma temperature, C2 and CN radical content in the arc zone were determined.
Plasma-Assembled Carbon Nanotubes: Electric Field–Related Effects
Authors: Levchenko I. , Ostrikov K. , Keidar M.
Published: November 2008

The paper presents results of comparative investigation of carbon nanotubes growth processes in dense low-temperature plasma and on substrate surface. Hybrid/Monte-Carlo numerical simulations were used to demonstrate the differences in the ion fluxes, growth rates and kinetics of adsorbed
atoms re-distribution on substrate and nanotubes surfaces. We show that the plasma parameters significantly affect the nanotubes growth kinetics. We demonstrate that the growth rates of the nanotubes in plasma and on surface can differ by three orders, and the specific fluxes to the nanotube
in the plasma can exceed the flux to surface-grown nanotube by six orders. We also show that the metal catalyst used for the nanotubes production on surface and in arc is a subject to very different conditions and this may be a key factor for the nanotube growth mode. The obtained dependencies
for the ion fluxes to the nanotubes and nanotubes growth rates on the plasma parameters may be useful for selection of the production methods.
Computational Studies of Small Carbon and Iron-Carbon Systems Relevant to Carbon Nanotube Growth
Authors: Duan Haiming , Rosén Arne , Harutyunyan Avetik , Curtarolo Stefano , Bolton Kim
Published: November 2008

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that dimers and longer carbon strings are more stable than individual atoms on Fe(111) surfaces. It is therefore necessary to consider the formation of these species on the metal surfaces and their effect on the mechanism of single-walled
nanotube (SWNT) growth. The good agreement between the trends (energies and structures) obtained using DFT and those based on the Brenner and AIREBO models indicate that these analytic models provide adequate descriptions of the supported carbon systems needed for valid molecular dynamics
simulations of SWNT growth. In contrast, the AIREBO model provides a better description of the relative energies for isolated carbon species, and this model is preferred over the Brenner potential when simulating SWNT growth in the absence of metal particles. However, the PM3 semiempirical
model appears to provide an even better description for these systems and, given sufficient computer resources, direct dynamics methods based on this model may be preferred.
Laser-Based Diagnostics Applied to the Study of BN Nanotubes Synthesis
Authors: Cau M. , Dorval N. , Attal-Trétout B. , Cochon J. L. , Cao B. , Bresson L. , Jaffrennou P. , Silly M. , Loiseau A. , Obraztsova E. D.
Published: November 2008

The boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) synthesis, using CO2-laser vaporization of a BN target under nitrogen gas, is investigated by UV-laser induced fluorescence (LIF) of the vapor phase and UV-Rayleigh scattering (RS) of the gas-suspended nanoparticles. The LIF signal from
B atoms is mainly detected in the 1.5 mm-thick region above the BN target. It originates from a boron-rich vapor region confined near the hot boron droplet formed at the target surface. Then, recombination between hot boron and N2 gas occurs through a fast condensation process as
revealed by both the depletion of B atoms from the vapor phase and the RS signal arising from the grown BN nanoparticles. Fluorescence spectra exhibit a strong peak at 250 nm due to boron fluorescence and mainly to nanoparticles Rayleigh scattering. A narrow peak is observed at 210 nm and
a broader peak at 189 nm. These bands are tentatively assigned to fluorescence or photoluminescence (PL) from gaseous or solid BN species respectively since both gas and solid phases coexist in the plume due to the rapid cooling process. Two very weak bands occur at 308 nm and 350 nm. They
are related to PL of defects bands from BN nanostructures on the basis of ex situ PL spectra of h-BN crystallites and multi-wall BNNTs. Detection of oxygen impurities is shown feasible through LIF from BO radical which is detected just above the BN target evaporated under vacuum pressure
(∼1 mbar). An optical diagnosticstrategy is demonstrated from these first in situ observations during BNNTs synthesis.
Growth Mechanism and Internal Structure of Vertically Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Einarsson Erik , Kadowaki Masayuki , Ogura Kazuaki , Okawa Jun , Xiang Rong , Zhang Zhengyi , Yamamoto Takahisa , Ikuhara Yuichi , Maruyama Shigeo
Published: November 2008

An in situ optical absorbance technique was used to monitor the growth of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-SWNTs) at various temperatures and pressures. The effects of the growth temperature and ethanol pressure on the initial growth rate and catalyst lifetime
were investigated. It was found that the ideal pressure for VA-SWNT synthesis changes with the growth temperature, shifting toward higher pressure as the growth temperature increases. It was also found that the growth reaction is first-order below this ideal pressure. Additionally, the internal
structure of the VA-SWNT film was observed at different depths into the film by transmission electron microscopy. The absence of large bundles was confirmed, and little change in the structure was observed to a depth of approximately 1 μm.
Selective Diameter Control of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in the Gas-Phase Synthesis
Authors: Saito Takeshi , Ohshima Satoshi , Okazaki Toshiya , Ohmori Shigekazu , Yumura Motoo , Iijima Sumio
Published: November 2008

A novel approach for selective diameter control of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is performed in the gas-phase growth using two kinds of carbon sources with different decomposition properties; the one carbon source (1st carbon source) is the organic solvent which is difficult
to decompose in the reactor and the another carbon source (2nd carbon source) is facile to decompose. The diameter distributions of SWNTs synthesized with various conditions of the flow rate of the 2nd carbon source were investigated by resonant Raman scattering, optical absorption, and photoluminescence
(PL) mapping measurements. It was found that increasing the flow rate of the ethylene tends to decrease the diameter of synthesized SWNTs, probably due to the earlier nucleation of SWNTs induced by the ethylene addition. The controlling the flow rate of the ethylene used as a 2nd carbon source
can selectively tune the diameter distribution of SWNTs in our growth system.
The Role of the Substrate Surface Morphology and Water in Growth of Vertically Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Pint Cary , Pheasant Sean , Nicholas Nolan , Horton Charles , Hauge Robert
Published: November 2008

Growth of high quality, vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (carpets) is achieved using a rapid insertion hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HF-CVD) technique. The effect of the substrate morphology on growth is explored by comparing carpets grown on epitaxially polished
MgO substrates to those grown on "as-cut," macroscopically rough MgO substrates. Depending on the substrate morphology, we observe differences in both the overall carpet morphology as well as the diameter distribution of nanotubes grown in the carpet based on optical measurements. In addition,
we explore the role of water in the growth of carpets on MgO and the conventional Al2O3 coated Si substrates. We find that the addition of a small amount of water is beneficial to the growth rates of the SWNT carpets, enhancing the growth rates by up to eight times.
Improving Estimates of Heavy and Extreme Precipitation Using Daily Records from European Rain Gauges
Authors: Zolina Olga , Simmer Clemens , Belyaev Konstantin , Kapala Alice , Gulev Sergey
Published: November 2008

The long-term variability in heavy precipitation characteristics over Europe for the period 1950–2000 is analyzed using high-quality daily records of rain gauge measurements from the European Climate Assessment (ECA) dataset. To improve the accuracy of heavy precipitation estimates, the authors suggest estimating the fractional contribution of very wet days to total precipitation from the probability distribution of daily precipitation than from the raw data, as it is adopted for the widely used R95tot precipitation index. This is feasible under the assumption that daily precipitation follows an analytical distribution like the gamma probability density function (PDF). The extended index R95tt based on the gamma PDF is compared to the classical R95tot index. The authors find that R95tt is more stable, especially when precipitation extremes are estimated from the limited number of wet days of seasonal and monthly time series. When annual daily time series are analyzed, linear trends in R95tt and R95tot are qualitatively consistent; both hint at a growing occurrence of extreme precipitation of up to 3% decade−1 in central western Europe and in south European Russia, with a somewhat more evident trend pattern for the R95tt index. Linear trends estimated for individual seasons, however, exhibit pronounced differences when derived from both indices. In particular, in winter, R95tt clearly reveals an increasing occurrence of extreme precipitation in western European Russia (up to 4% decade−1), while during summer, a downward tendency in the fractional contribution of very wet days is found in central western Europe. The new index also allows for a better association of European extreme precipitation with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index by showing a more consistent spatial correlation pattern and higher correlation levels compared to R95tot.
Turbulence, Acoustic Backscatter, and Pelagic Nekton in Monterey Bay
Authors: Gregg Michael C. , Horne John K.
Published: November 2008

During August 2006 aggregations of nekton, most likely small fish, intersected microstructure survey lines in Monterey Bay, California, providing an opportunity to examine biologically generated mixing. Some aggregations filled the water column, 80 m deep, and extended 100–200 m along the survey track. Others were half that size, and some were much smaller. Acoustic energy backscattered from the aggregations was measured with a calibrated echosounder and yielded volume backscattering strength Sv values of −80 to −60 dB re 1 m−1.

Turbulent dissipation rates ε were 10−6–10−5 W kg−1 in the more intense aggregations. Within these, ε was much more uniform than turbulence measured outside the aggregations and varied with Sυ. Three similar aggregations contributed half of the average ε in 142 profiles taken along a 5-km-long survey line during a 12.5-h tidal cycle.

Turbulence within aggregations differed markedly from that outside in the following three ways: (i) Thorpe scales, that is, root-mean-square overturning lengths, were much smaller than Ozmidov scales, LOZ ≡ (ε/N 3)1/2, the upper limit for overturns limited by stratification. (ii) Spectra of small-scale shear matched the universal shape only in the viscous high-wavenumber rolloff. At lower wavenumbers, the shear spectra had slopes closer to k1 than to the k1/3 Kolmogorov slope with a corresponding velocity spectra peak near 8 cpm. (iii) Temperature gradient spectra matched portions of the universal Batchelor spectrum that could be resolved, but their magnitudes were smaller than those in turbulence produced by flow instabilities. Average mixing efficiency Γ was 0.0022 within aggregations, compared with 0.23 outside. This 100-fold decrease in efficiency compensates for a 100-fold increase in ε to produce no net change in diapycnal diffusivity Kρ. Because the composition and behavior of the aggregations were not confirmed—that is, whether the nekton had regular spacing and swimming patterns characterizing schools—it is not possible to know whether one or many turbulent states were sampled within aggregations. If these observations are representative, mixing in aggregations may be more interesting than it is important, but the data are too few for definitive conclusions.
The Overamplification of Gravity Waves in Numerical Solutions to Flow over Topography
Authors: Reinecke Patrick A. , Durran Dale
Published: November 2008

The tendency of high-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to overpredict the strength of vertically propagating mountain waves is explored. Discrete analytic mountain-wave solutions are presented for the classical problem of cross-mountain flow in an atmosphere with constant wind speed and stability. Time-dependent linear numerical solutions are also obtained for more realistic atmospheric structures. On one hand, using second-order-accurate finite differences on an Arakawa C grid to model nonhydrostatic flow over what might be supposed to be an adequately resolved 8Δx-wide mountain can lead to an overamplification of the standing mountain wave by 30%–40%. On the other hand, the same finite-difference scheme underestimates the wave amplitude in hydrostatic flow over an 8Δx-wide mountain. Increasing the accuracy of the advection scheme to the fourth order significantly reduces the numerical errors associated with both the hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic discrete solutions. The Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) model is used to generate two 70-member ensemble simulations of a mountain-wave event during the Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment. It is shown that switching from second-order advection to fourth-order advection leads to as much as a 20 m s−1 decrease in vertical velocity on the lee side of the Sierra Nevada, and that the weaker fourth-order solutions are more consistent with observations.
Intermarriage and Immigrant Integration in Sweden
Authors: Dribe Martin , Lundh Christer
Published: November 2008

In this article, we explore marital exogamy (especially intermarriage between immigrants and natives) among 39 different immigrant groups using cross-sectional registry data for the total immigrant populations in Sweden in 2003. Immigrants who are better educated, who spend a longer time in Sweden before marriage and live outside the bigger cities are more likely to be married to natives. Controlling for age at immigration, education, time between immigration and marriage, settlement size and the relative size of the immigrant group of the opposite sex, immigrants from Western Europe (excluding Finland) and the United States are more likely to be married to natives than are other immigrants. We also analyse the link between intermarriage and economic integration, with the results indicating a strong association between intermarriage and economic integration in terms of employment and income. Immigrants married to natives are more likely to be employed, and also to have higher individual and household income.
Sight-Singing Scores of High School Choristers with Extensive Training in Movable Solfège Syllables and Curwen Hand Signs
Authors: McClung Alan C.
Published: November 2008

Randomly chosen high school choristers with extensive training in solfège syllables and Curwen hand signs ( N = 38) are asked to sight-sing two melodies, one while using Curwen hand signs and the other without. Out of a perfect score of 16, the mean score with hand signs was 10.37 ( SD = 4.23), and without hand signs, 10.84 ( SD = 3.96). A repeated-measures ANOVA revealed no statistically significant difference, F(1, 37) = .573, p = .454. These findings support the results of five earlier studies; however, because earlier studies were limited to students who were minimally trained in movable solfège syllables and Curwen hand signs, this study expands the knowledge base. Relationships between performance scores and instrumental experience, class grade, sight-singing experience, and hand sign experience were also examined. A pedagogical strategy for linking Curwen hand signs with students' preferred modes of learning (especially the kinesthetic mode) is recommended.
American Folk Songs for Children
Authors: Watts Sarah H. , Campbell Patricia Shehan
Published: November 2008

American composer Ruth Crawford Seeger grew into the role of music educator as a consummate musician with a deep interest in connecting children to their American musical heritage. This article examines the contributions of Ruth Crawford Seeger to American music education, principally through examination of primary and secondary sources and review of her published works. While historical in some of its methodological procedures, it is even more so a biographical study of a composer who was consumed with a passion to preserve and transmit American heritage music to children. Her life in music as pianist, music intellectual, and composer notwithstanding, this research draws attention to her work in the selection, transcription, and placement of songs from the vast collections of the Lomax family into published works for use with children in schools. The authors examine the legacy of Ruth Crawford Seeger as an educator, with particular emphasis on the manner in which music of the people was masterfully transcribed from recordings and prepared for children and their teachers in schools and preschools.
College and Community Choir Member Experiences in a Collaborative Intergenerational Performance Project
Authors: Conway Colleen , Hodgman Thomas M.
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the experiences of college and community choir members in a collaborative intergenerational performance project. Data included an initial focus group interview with college choir participants ( n = 8), an initial focus group interview with community chorus participants ( n = 8); collaborative intergenerational performance project journals from college choir and community chorus participants ( n = 16); postproject individual interviews with each participant ( n = 16); and the teacher—researcher's personal log of collaborative intergenerational performance project interactions. According to the analysis, perceived positive outcomes of the project included participants' heightened performance experience, a better understanding of others, and no signs of an age barrier. Challenges identified were related to the importance of preparation for collaboration and issues regarding placement of singers in the ensemble.
Predicting Performance Impacts due to Resolution Changes in Parallel Simulations
Authors: Rao Dhananjai M. , Wilsey Philip A.
Published: November 2008

Multi-resolution models are often used to accelerate simulation-based analysis without significantly impacting the fidelity of the simulations. We have developed a web-enabled, component-based, multi-resolution modeling and Time Warp synchronized parallel simulation environment called WESE (Web-Enabled Simulation Environment). WESE uses a methodology called Dynamic Component Substitution (DCS) to enable abstractions or refinements to a given model. However, effectively utilizing abstractions, whether they are DCS-based or not, is a complex and time-consuming task. The complexity arises because not all abstractions improve simulation performance due to a myriad of factors related to model characteristics, synchronization protocol overheads and simulation-platform configuration. The overheads involved in identifying optimal model resolution have been exacerbating effective use of multi-resolution simulations, including our DCS-based approach. In an endeavor to minimize the time taken to identify performance impacts of resolution changes, this study proposes a DCS Performance Prediction Methodology (DCSPPM). It predicts simulation performance changes due to DCS transformations via static analysis of the model. Static analysis uses platform-specific performance characteristics of components constituting the model. DCSPPM yields quantitative estimates of performance impacts which are used by the modeler to select appropriate transformations. This article presents DCSPPM, its implementation in WESE and its empirical evaluation. The inferences drawn from the experiments prove that DCSPPM estimates have errors of less than 5% for a variety of models. Furthermore, DCSPPM executes orders of magnitude faster than corresponding shortest test simulations. Note that applicability of DCSPPM is not restricted to WESE but can be extended to other Time Warp synchronized simulators.
Using Access Patterns to Analyze the Performance of Optimistic Synchronization Algorithms in Simulations of MAS
Authors: Lees Michael , Logan Brian , Theodoropoulos Georgios
Published: November 2008

We present a detailed analysis of the performance of the Decision Theoretic Read Delay (DTRD) optimistic synchronization algorithm for simulations of multi-agent systems (MAS). We develop an abstract characterization of the access patterns found in MAS simulations based on the simulation's degree of coupling and skew. Using this characterization, we generated stereotypical test cases which we used to compare the performance of the DTRD algorithm with that of Time Warp and time windows. To determine if the test cases reliably predict performance in a real agent simulation, we compared the predictions made by the test cases with performance results from the Boids agent simulation benchmark for a range of simulation parameters. The results indicate that the test cases are useful predictors of performance in real agent simulations, that DTRD adapts to the mixtures of coupling cases found in real agent simulations and is capable of tracking changes in coupling during the simulation.
Writing dreaming
Authors: Garnier Marie-Dominique
Published: November 2008

What's in a name? Do names dream? Freud's `science of dreams' and its exploration of dreams in terms of a syntax of rebuses rather than as images implies that dreaming and writing must, at some point, cross paths. Some dreams, however, precipitate insistent and resistant patterns of writing which, like Freud's dream of Irma's injection, leave writing at a loss — lost for words in the face of aporetic moments such as Freud's (much-gazed at) `navel' of dreams. This study proposes to navigate through the navel of dream writing, by reconnecting Freud's work to Fliess, his former friend and colleague, and to the resistant poetics of `fleecing' — a non-orthogonal, anti-textual approach to writing. The science of dreams becomes, from this angle, an uncanny space where science and chance interact and exchange positions.
The Difficulties of Hobbes Interpretation
Authors: Baumgold Deborah
Published: November 2008

Idiosyncrasies of Hobbes's composition process, together with a paucity of reliable autobiographical materials and the norms of seventeenth-century manuscript production, render interpretation of his political theory particularly difficult and contentious. These difficulties are surveyed here under three headings: (1) the process of “serial” composition (meaning the production of multiple, often expanded, versions of a work), which was common in the period; (2) the relationship between Hobbes's three political-theory texts— the Elements of Law, De Cive, and Leviathan, which is basic to defining the textual embodiment of his theory, and controversial; and (3) his method of writing. I argue that Hobbes's composition process undercut his intention to produce a deductive, logical theory of politics and opened the door to inconsistency and muddle in his arguments.
Selling the Public on Probation: Beyond the Bib
Authors: Maruna Shadd , King Anna
Published: November 2008

With the release of the Casey Report, Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime (Casey, 2008), improving public confidence in criminal justice work, and community penalties in particular, has become a central concern for the British Government. Among the other suggestions for improving public confidence in community interventions is to require those doing community service work to wear fluorescent bibs identifying themselves as `offenders'. In this article, we review what is known about public opinion regarding community penalties, and discuss two possible routes to changing these attitudes: one is cognitive and the other is emotive. We review the research evidence on both, and discuss the likelihood of either being successful. We conclude by returning to the context of the Casey Report and assessing the likelihood that the Casey proposals will be successful on the basis of the evidence reviewed.
Changing public attitudes to crime and punishment — Building confidence in community penalties
Authors: Allen Rob
Published: November 2008

This article analyses lessons from a range of initiatives aimed at increasing public and sentencers' confidence in community sentences over the last five years. In particular it addresses the question of what more could be done to boost confidence in a way which contributes more directly to the replacement of short terms of imprisonment by community sentences.
The Social Context of School Success for Latino Middle School Students
Authors: Woolley Michael E. , Kol Kelli L. , Bowen Gary L.
Published: November 2008

Youth's social relationships at school and at home have been shown to predict a wide variety of school outcomes, such as behavior at school and academic performance. Specifically, relationships with teachers, parents, and peers have all been shown to affect student performance. The current study utilized data collected from 848 Latino middle school students to examine direct and indirect linkages of students' relationships with teachers, parents, and friends with student outcomes. Structural equation models revealed that teacher support was associated with both student behavior and satisfaction with school and was indirectly associated with time spent on homework and grades. Parental support, friend support, friends' school behavior, and parental monitoring of educational issues were directly associated with student reports of teacher support and were indirectly linked to school behavior and satisfaction. Friend behavior at school also showed a significant direct association with student behavior, and parental education monitoring directly predicted student satisfaction with school. Directions for future research and implications for school policy and programming are discussed.
A Randomized Study of Scleroderma Health State Values: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words, and Quite a Few Utilities
Authors: Khanna Dinesh , Kaplan Robert M. , Eckman Mark H. , Hays Ron D. , Leonard Anthony C. , Ginsburg Shaari S. , Tsevat Joel
Published: November 2008

Objective. Assigning utilities to hypothetical health states requires that the health states be described in adequate detail, but there is no agreement on exactly how health states should be described. We assess utilities from the general public for health states common in scleroderma (SSc) by describing the health states in writing alone v. with photographs of patients with SSc. Methods. Subjects rated several SSc health states on a 0 to 100 rating scale (RS) and completed computer-assisted time tradeoff (TTO; range, 0.0— 1.0) and standard gamble (SG; range, 0.0— 1.0) assessments. Half of the subjects were assigned to be shown photographs of patients with SSc health states in addition to written health state descriptions, whereas the other half were given only the written descriptions. Results. Of the 213 participants, 133 (62%) were female, 138 (65%) were Caucasian, and 62 (29%) were African American. Median RS, TTO, and SG scores for 5 SSc health states ranged from 20 to 70, 0.28 to 0.94, and 0.50 to 0.90, respectively. In bivariate analyses, showing pictures was associated with lower RS scores for 2 of 5 health states and lower SG values for all 5 health states (P < 0:05 for comparison of pictures v. no pictures), but with no difference in TTO values. Multivariable analyses revealed negative associations between pictures and SG valuations for the 3 most severe SSc health states (R2 range, 0.04— 0.08). Conclusion. Adding pictures of people with SSc to written health state descriptions can affect valuations of SSc health states, although the effect differs by valuation measurement method and by health state severity.
Decision Making in the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change
Authors: Prochaska James O.
Published: November 2008

Decision making is an integral part of the transtheoretical model of behavior change. Stage of change represents a temporal dimension for behavior change and has been the key dimension for integrating principles and processes of change from across leading theories of psychotherapy and behavior change. The decision-making variables representing the pros and cons of changing have been found to have systematic relationships across the stages of change for 50 health-related behaviors. Implications of these patterns of relationships are discussed in the context of helping patients make more effective decisions to decrease health risk behaviors and increase health-enhancing behaviors.
Peer Review in Publication: Factors Associated with the Full-Length Publication of Studies Presented in Abstract Form at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Medical Decision Making
Authors: Greenberg Dan , Wacht Oren , Pliskin Joseph S.
Published: November 2008

Background : Many studies are presented at scientific meetings and are summarized in abstract form prior to their full-length publication. Publication rates of these studies may be an indicator in judging their quality. Objectives: To determine the rate at which studies reported in an abstract form are subsequently published in full length and identify factors associated with publication success. Methods : All abstracts presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of SMDM in October 2003 were reviewed and assessed for subsequent publication in peer-reviewed journals through December 31, 2007. For each abstract we recorded the presenting author's affiliation, presentation mode, and country of origin. For published articles, we recorded the publication date, type of journal, and the journal's impact factor. We calculated the mean and median time from conference presentation to publication using a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Results : Of 239 presented abstracts, 64 (27%) were subsequently published in full-length, including 39% of podium, and 20% of poster presentations (P = 0.002). Mean and median times from presentation to publication were 20.5 and 19.0 months, respectively. There was no significant difference in mean publication lag for podium and poster presentations. Conclusions : A significant proportion of studies presented at the SMDM meeting are not published in full length. This failure to publish is substantially higher as compared with findings from other medical and biomedical meetings. A further study is needed to explore the reasons for this low publication rate and to compare the fate of SMDM meeting abstracts to those of similar conferences.
The Global Pollen Database in biogeographical and palaeoclimatic studies
Authors: Gajewski K.
Published: November 2008

The Global Pollen Database is an example of a successful data synthesis effort that has uses for biogeographical and climate change studies. Results are of interest in many fields of physical geography. Continental-scale maps of past conditions have been used in data-model comparison studies. Time series, developed by averaging quantitative reconstructions from many sites, have indicated that millennial-scale climate variability has affected the vegetation of Europe and North America during the Holocene. Major transitions in the vegetation of Europe and North America occurred at the same time, suggesting the overriding climate effect on the vegetation of both continents. The database can also be used to test biogeographical hypotheses, as several examples illustrate, without the need for collecting new data. Hundreds of studies over the past 50 years show that pollen analysis is more precise than frequently acknowledged: vegetation responds rapidly to climate variations, changes in vegetation are spatially coherent and the taxonomic resolution available in the database is greater than frequently acknowledged. The availability of a public, freely available database enables different analyses to be performed on the same data, thereby ensuring that results are not dependent on methodology.
Very-high-resolution mapping of river-immersed topography by remote sensing
Authors: Feurer Denis , Bailly Jean-Stéphane , Puech Christian , Le Coarer Yann , Viau Alain A.
Published: November 2008

Remote sensing has been used to map river bathymetry for several decades. Non-contact methods are necessary in several cases: inaccessible rivers, large-scale depth mapping, very shallow rivers. The remote sensing techniques used for river bathymetry are reviewed. Frequently, these techniques have been developed for marine environment and have then been transposed to riverine environments. These techniques can be divided into two types: active remote sensing, such as ground penetrating radar and bathymetric lidar; or passive remote sensing, such as through-water photogrammetry and radiometric models. This last technique — which consists of finding a logarithmic relationship between river depth and image values — appears to be the most used. Fewer references exist for the other techniques, but lidar is an emerging technique. For each depth measurement method, we detail the physical principles and then a review of the results obtained in the field. This review shows a lack of data for very shallow rivers, where a very high spatial resolution is needed. Moreover, the cost related to aerial image acquisition is often huge. Hence we propose an application of two techniques, radiometric models and through-water photogrammetry, with very- high-resolution passive optical imagery, light platforms, and off-the-shelf cameras. We show that, in the case of the radiometric models, measurement is possible with a spatial filtering of about 1 m and a homogeneous river bottom. In contrast, with through-water photogrammetry, fine ground resolution and bottom textures are necessary.
Socio-Cultural Influence on Group Therapy Leadership Style
Authors: Taha Mohamed , Mahfouz Refaat , Arafa Magdy
Published: November 2008

The main author of this article had the opportunity to witness, to observe and to be trained in two different styles of group therapy leadership over the past few years: A more directive, prescriptive and active style that was developed in Egypt and is considered as the traditional Egyptian style of conducting dynamic therapy groups (Egyptian Integrative Dynamic Model) and a less directive, more descriptive and passive style that was developed in the UK and is considered as the traditional style of leading dynamic therapy groups within the British National Health Service (British Group Analysis). The article tries to investigate the socio-cultural factors that favoured adopting the more directive, prescriptive and active format in the Egyptian model although it revolves around the same object–relations theoretical core as the British one. This might stimulate an interesting discussion on the relativity of psychotherapy concepts, processes and aims among different cultures.