bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture treatment for feline multifocal intervertebral disc disease
Authors: Choi Keum Hwa , Hill Sara A.
Published: February 2009

A 14-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was admitted to the Veterinary Medical Center, University of Minnesota for evaluation of severe hind limb ataxia, atrophy and paresis. Diagnosis based on physical examination, neurological assessment and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was multifocal intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) with dorsal disc protrusion throughout the thoracic and cranial lumbar spine. The Oriental Medicine (OM) diagnosis (pattern identification) was painful obstruction (Bi) syndrome caused by phlegm-heat accumulation with blood stagnation in the spine. High dose prednisolone therapy (1.25 mg/kg PO, once daily) initially did not show any significant improvement in clinical signs. The cat was then treated with several modes of acupuncture treatment including dry needle acupuncture, electro-acupuncture and scalp acupuncture along with Tui-Na (hand manipulation in OM) and physical therapy. Significant improvements in mobility, proprioception and spinal posture were noticed and the cat was able to rise, walk and run 4 months after starting acupuncture treatments. This is the first case report of feline IVDD with multiple sites of disc compression which was successfully treated with several modes of acupuncture treatment.
A qualitative study of high‐reputation plant managers: Political skill and successful outcomes
Authors: Smith Anne D. , Plowman Donde Ashmos , Duchon Dennis , Quinn Amber M.
Published: February 2009

There has been little systematic study of what plant managers actually do on a day‐to‐day basis that accounts for their success in achieving organizational outcomes. In our field interviews and observations of high‐reputation plant managers from 11 manufacturing plants, we found that effective political skill enabled them to influence subordinates in ways that contributed positively to organizational outcomes. Political skill is an interpersonal style that combines social astuteness with the ability to relate well, and otherwise demonstrate situationally appropriate behavior in an engaging way that inspires confidence, trust, and genuiness [Ferris, G.R., Perrewé, P.L., Anthony, W.P., Gilmore, D.C., 2000. Political skill at work. Organizational Dynamics 28 (4), 25–37]. We observed that effective plant managers possessed a configuration of dispositional traits (self‐motivation, sense of humility, and affability), systematically employed interpersonal behaviors (creating accountability, leading by example, and developing trust), and focused on managerial processes (stretch goals, influencing and learning from below, and empowering direct reports). By juxtaposing the political skill and power literatures, we propose a theory of plant manager effectiveness as a combination of political skill and the use of unobtrusive and systemic power to achieve both affective and substantive outcomes.
Discovery of epitopes for targeting the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) with antibodies
Authors: Rockberg Johan , Schwenk Jochen M. , Uhlén Mathias
Published: February 2009

Antibodies have become valuable therapeutic agents for targeting of extracellular proteins in various diseases, including cancer, autoimmunity and cardiovascular disorders. For breast cancer, antibodies targeting the human HER2 have been shown to result in cell growth inhibition both in vitro and in patients with breast tumors. There is evidence to suggest that targeting multiple HER2 epitopes may result in increased growth inhibition making it interesting to find antibodies targeting new epitopes. Here, we report on a new scheme to discover antibodies directed to new epitopes using the extracellular domain of the HER2 as a model. Polyclonal antibodies were generated using recombinant protein fragments and affinity purified fractions of the antibodies were functionally characterized and precisely epitope mapped using bacterial surface display. Polyclonal antibodies towards a 127 amino acid recombinant protein fragment spanning between domains II and III of the HER2 were shown to bind to human ductal carcinoma cell line BT474 resulting in growth inhibition. Affinity purification demonstrated that antibodies to two separate regions from the N‐ and C‐terminal end of the fragment exhibited the growth inhibition. Epitope mapping of the C‐terminal antibodies revealed a 25 amino acid region (LPESFDGDPASNTAPLQPEQLQVF) with two distinct epitopes mediating efficient growth inhibition. The results suggest that antibodies directed towards this region of domain III of the HER2, distinct from the well‐known monoclonal antibodies trastuzumab and pertuzumab, bind to the HER2 on living cells and exhibit growth inhibition. The work describes a new strategy to develop antibodies directed to non‐overlapping epitopes and shows a path of pursuit to explore the epitope space of a target protein.
Predictive Value of the Disorders of Consciousness Scale (DOCS)
Authors: Pape Theresa Louise‐Bender , Tang Charlene , Guernon Ann , Lundgren Sandra , Blahnik Melanie , Wei Yongliang , Querubin Melanie , Zollman Felise , Soneru Ileana
Published: February 2009

Objective

To examine the predictive validity of measures of neurobehavioral change derived from the Disorders of Consciousness Scale (DOCS) for predicting return to consciousness 4, 8, and 12 months after severe brain injury (BI).

Design

Prospective observational predictive validity study

Setting

Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and postrehabilitation residence

Participants

A total of 113 persons with a mean age of 38 ± 17.8 years who were unconscious for >28 days consecutively after severe BI; 73% (83/113) with traumatic BI and 27% (30/113) with other BI.

Independent Variables

Baseline DOCS, DOCS average, change from baseline DOCS to subsequent DOCS (DOCS2, DOCS3, DOCS4, DOCS5, DOCS6), and injury type (traumatic BI vs. other BI)

Main Outcome Measure

Time to consciousness at 4, 8, and 12 months after injury

Results

When controlling for injury type, the DOCS average as well as DOCS change between the first and second DOCS (DOCS1‐2), first and fifth DOCS (DOCS1‐5) and first and last DOCS (DOCStotalchg) significantly (P≤ .05) contributed to predicting recovery and lack of recovery of consciousness at 4, 8, and/or 12 months after injury. DOCS1‐5 manifested the most balanced accuracy in predictions, where predicting recovery of consciousness is accurate 87% of the time and predicting lack of recovery of consciousness is accurate 88% of the time.

Conclusion

For persons with prolonged disorders of consciousness, the findings indicate that evidence‐based prognostication for individual patients is possible. The implications for research are that the DOCS can be used as a meaningful, reliable, and valid primary outcome to measure treatment effects in clinical trials. The evidence indicates further that DOCS measures merit inclusion in future research that aims to develop multivariate prognostication models.
Our electric automotive future: CO2 savings through a disruptive technology
Authors: Barkenbus Jack
Published: February 2009

The transition from oil to electricity for personal transportation is underway with virtually every automaker now seeking to produce an electrical automobile, of some form, under its brand. The pace of this transition, however, is dependent upon both technical and institutional changes. Electricity has the opportunity to play both a disruptive role in transportation and a transformational role in renewable energy, to the benefit of moderating climate change. In transportation, electricity can be both a cleaner and cheaper fuel than petroleum. Moreover, automobile batteries can play a pivotal role in enhancing the use of renewable energies in our daily lives. Development of the full potential of this transformation awaits the formulation of an innovative and clever business plan or value package that integrates the automobile industry with a changing electricity sector.
Conservation, discontinuous time, and causal continuity
Authors: YANG ERIC TIMOTHY
Published: February 2009

William Vallicella poses a dilemma for continuous-creation accounts of conservation, which he attempts to solve by conjoining presentism and four-dimensionalism. I claim that presentist four-dimensionalism fails to appreciate the real problem behind continuous creation and persistence, which is a presumption of the discontinuity of time. I will argue that if we assume that time is discontinuous, then, (1) presentist four-dimensionalism cannot alone account for persistence, and (2) created entities are also not in clear need of conservation in Vallicella's solution. Lastly, I conclude by suggesting that the worry over persistence for continuous creation is a problem only if persistence requires causal continuity.
Absolutely continuous invariant measures for non-uniformly expanding maps
Authors: HU HUYI , VAIENTI SANDRO
Published: February 2009

For a large class of non-uniformly expanding maps of ℝm, with indifferent fixed points and unbounded distortion and that are non-necessarily Markovian, we construct an absolutely continuous invariant measure. We extend previously used techniques for expanding maps on quasi-Hölder spaces to our case. We give general conditions and provide examples to which our results apply.
A concentration inequality for interval maps with an indifferent fixed point
Authors: CHAZOTTES J.-R. , COLLET P. , REDIG F. , VERBITSKIY E.
Published: February 2009

For a map of the unit interval with an indifferent fixed point, we prove an upper bound for the variance of all observables of n variables, K:[0,1]n→ℝ, which are separately Lipschitz. The proof is based on coupling and decay of correlation properties of the map. We also present applications of this inequality to the almost-sure central limit theorem, the kernel density estimation, the empirical measure and the periodogram.
Open maps between shift spaces
Authors: JUNG UIJIN
Published: February 2009

Given a code from a shift space to an irreducible sofic shift, any two of the three conditions—open, constant-to-one and (right or left) closing—imply the third. If the range is not sofic, then the same result holds when bi-closingness replaces closingness. Properties of open mappings between shift spaces are investigated in detail. In particular, we show that a closing open (or constant-to-one) extension preserves the structure of a sofic shift.
Renewal-type limit theorem for continued fractions with even partial quotients
Authors: CELLAROSI FRANCESCO
Published: February 2009

We prove the existence of the limiting distribution for the sequence of denominators generated by continued fraction expansions with even partial quotients, which were introduced by Schweiger [Continued fractions with odd and even partial quotients. Arbeitsberichte Math. Institut Universtät Salzburg4 (1982), 59–70; On the approximation by continues fractions with odd and even partial quotients. Arbeitsberichte Math. Institut Universtät Salzburg1–2 (1984), 105–114] and studied also by Kraaikamp and Lopes [The theta group and the continued fraction expansion with even partial quotients. Geom. Dedicata59(3) (1996), 293–333]. Our main result is proven following the strategy used by Sinai and Ulcigrai [Renewal-type limit theorem for the Gauss map and continued fractions. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.28 (2008), 643–655] in their proof of a similar renewal-type theorem for Euclidean continued fraction expansions and the Gauss map. The main steps in our proof are the construction of a natural extension of a Gauss-like map and the proof of mixing of a related special flow.
Lower semicontinuity of attractors for non-autonomous dynamical systems
Authors: CARVALHO ALEXANDRE N. , LANGA JOSÉ A. , ROBINSON JAMES C.
Published: February 2009

This paper is concerned with the lower semicontinuity of attractors for semilinear non-autonomous differential equations in Banach spaces. We require the unperturbed attractor to be given as the union of unstable manifolds of time-dependent hyperbolic solutions, generalizing previous results valid only for gradient-like systems in which the hyperbolic solutions are equilibria. The tools employed are a study of the continuity of the local unstable manifolds of the hyperbolic solutions and results on the continuity of the exponential dichotomy of the linearization around each of these solutions.
Dimensional characteristics of invariant measures for circle diffeomorphisms
Authors: SADOVSKAYA VICTORIA
Published: February 2009

We consider pointwise, box, and Hausdorff dimensions of invariant measures for circle diffeomorphisms. We discuss the cases of rational, Diophantine, and Liouville rotation numbers. Our main result is that for any Liouville number τ there exists a C∞ circle diffeomorphism with rotation number τ such that the pointwise and box dimensions of its unique invariant measure do not exist. Moreover, the lower pointwise and lower box dimensions can equal any value 0≤β≤1.
Theorem of Sternberg–Chen modulo the central manifold for Banach spaces
Authors: RAYSKIN VICTORIA
Published: February 2009

We consider C∞-diffeomorphisms on a Banach space with a fixed point 0 and linear part L. Suppose that these diffeomorphisms have C∞ non-contracting and non-expanding invariant manifolds, and formally conjugate along their intersection (the center). We prove that they admit local C∞ conjugation. In particular, subject to non-resonance conditions, there exists a local C∞ linearization of the diffeomorphisms. It also follows that a family of germs with a hyperbolic linear part admits a C∞ linearization, which has C∞ dependence on the parameter of the linearizing family. The results are proved under the assumption that the Banach space allows a special extension of the maps. We discuss corresponding properties of Banach spaces. The proofs of this paper are based on the technique, developed in the works of Belitskii [Funct. Anal. Appl.18 (1984), 238–239; Funct. Anal. Appl.8 (1974), 338–339].
On the a.s. convergence of the one-sided ergodic Hilbert transform
Authors: CUNY CHRISTOPHE
Published: February 2009

We show that for T a Dunford–Schwartz operator on a σ-finite measure space (X,Σ,μ) and f∈L1(X,μ), whenever the one-sided ergodic Hilbert transform ∑ n≥1(Tnf/n) converges in norm, it converges μ-a.s. A similar result is obtained for any positive contraction of some fixed Lp(X,Σ,μ), p>1. Applying our result to the case where T is the (unitary) operator induced by a measure-preserving (invertible) transformation, we obtain a positive answer to a question of Gaposhkin.
Assessing the effects of temperature on dengue transmission
Authors: YANG H. M. , MACORIS M. L. G. , GALVANI K. C. , ANDRIGHETTI M. T. M. , WANDERLEY D. M. V.
Published: February 2009

The incidence of dengue infection, a vector-borne disease transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, shows clear dependence on seasonal variation. Based on the quantification method that furnishes the size of the A. aegypti population in terms of the estimated entomological parameters for different temperatures, we assessed the risk of dengue outbreaks. The persistence and severity of epidemics can be assessed by the basic reproduction number R0, which varies with temperature. The expression for R0 obtained from ‘true’ and ‘pseudo’ mass action laws for dengue infection is discussed.
On the use of fungicides in ecological seed burial studies
Authors: Mitschunas Nadine , Filser Juliane , Wagner Markus
Published: February 2009

Evidence for effects of saprophytic fungi on buried seed demography is usually obtained from studies involving the simultaneous burial of fungicide-treated seeds and of untreated seeds. However, any potential influence of fungicide treatment on seed dormancy levels is generally ignored in these studies. Also, some studies assume that a combination of several fungicidal compounds provides better protection against a broader range of fungi, ignoring chemical interactions that may potentially occur between different compounds. To investigate these issues, we carried out a 6-month burial experiment using seeds ofAnthriscus sylvestris(L.) Hoffm.,Centaurea nigraL. andDaucus carotaL., and three substrates differing in organic matter content. Three fungicidal compounds, captan, iprodione and mancozeb, were applied alone and in combination, including an untreated control. All fungicidal compounds and combinations thereof provided protection against fungal-induced seed mortality and, except for a low efficacy of iprodione in protecting seeds ofAnthriscus, there were no pronounced differences in seed mortality between different fungicide treatments. Captan temporarily inhibited germination inCentaurea, whereas a similar inhibition inDaucusseeds caused by mancozeb was more long lasting, suggesting an induction of secondary dormancy. Organic matter content had only a negligible influence on these results. Our results suggest that the basic conclusions from most seed burial studies are robust with respect to their choice of fungicide. We conclude by discussing further implications of our findings for the design and interpretation of seed burial studies.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW: CURRENT AND INHERENT CHALLENGES
Authors: Sassòli Marco
Published: February 2009

The implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL) is confronted with many challenges. Some of them are inherent since IHL applies to armed conflicts: a situation must be classified before IHL can be applied. Existing implementation mechanisms either do not function at all or have their limits. In certain conflicts, such as asymmetric conflicts, and with regard to certain players, such as armed groups, it is particularly difficult to obtain respect of IHL. Beyond that, there is a perhaps even more dangerous challenge in perception.

The gap between the burgeoning promises of protection by the law made by doctrine, jurisprudence and sometimes even by States, and the systematic non-respect of that law, which (in the author's view wrongly) transpires from the media and NGO reports, undermines the credibility of the law and the willingness to respect it. The author advocates ways to reduce this gap.
THE LAW OF OCCUPATION REVISITED: THE BEGINNING OF AN OCCUPATION
Authors: Zwanenburg Marten
Published: February 2009

This article discusses the criteria for establishing the beginning of an occupation. To this end, it analyzes the wording and drafting history of IHL instruments as well as international case law. It also looks at the influence of human rights law, in particular the notion of “jurisdiction” as used in the ICCPR and the ECHR, on the concept of occupation. Given that the IHL instruments on occupation were drafted some time ago, the impact of a number of technological developments in military affairs on the criteria for the beginning of occupation are discussed. The article concludes that the core of the concept of occupation consists of a negative and a positive element. The negative element is that the indigenous authorities of the occupied territory have been rendered incapable of functioning publicly. The positive element is expressed in Article 42 of the Hague Regulations as the requirement that the territory ‘is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army’.
EPISTEMOLOGIES OF TIME AND METRE IN THE LONG EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Authors: GRANT ROGER MATHEW
Published: February 2009

Wilhelm Seidel was the first to regard Johann Philipp Kirnberger’s reformulation of metre in Die Kunst des reinen Satzes in der Musik as a watershed moment in the history of music theory. As we consider Kirnberger’s innovation and importance in regard to his break with the past, we might examine more closely the conditions that made his re-imagining of metre possible. Kirnberger’s vital treatise participated in a broad epistemological shift in the conception of time. Changing metaphysical notions of time, along with technological developments such as the mechanical clock and the marine chronometer, helped to reshape a wider public’s notion of temporal passage. Alongside these developments, the nature of metre and tempo in music underwent continual revision. This article will explore the impact of shifting temporal conceptualizations on metre in the eighteenth century.
THE COMPOSER, THE SURGEON, HIS WIFE AND HER POEMS: HAYDN AND THE ANATOMY OF THE ENGLISH CANZONETTA
Authors: DAY-O’CONNELL SARAH
Published: February 2009

This article examines the household of John Hunter, a London surgeon, and Anne Hunter, a poet, and its relevance for Haydn’s collaboration with Anne – the two sets of English Canzonettas (1794–1795). I interpret canzonettas by Haydn and several of his London contemporaries as artefacts of a context in which music and anatomy were pursued not only under the same roof but by the same people, who participated in shared discourses, medical and musical, regarding the nature of femininity. This perspective reveals ways in which John partook of his wife’s world, asserting the artful and beautiful of dissection and anatomy, and suggests new significance for aspects of the Haydn–Hunter canzonettas, especially their references to body parts, sighs, symptoms and death.
Is it not time for health economists to rethink equity and access?
Authors: MOONEY GAVIN
Published: February 2009

This article considers two key issues in health economics regarding the question of equity. First, why have health economists not resolved better the issue of what are equity and access? Second, the paper draws attention to the relative lack of analyses of equity concerns outside of health care. The question of whose values should prevail in equity is also addressed. On the first issue, there is an obsession with quantification in economics with the result that in analysing equity, in practice often ‘use’ has been substituted for ‘access’. The problem of defining access has thereby been by-passed. This has taken the pressure off trying to research access per se. Second, what is meant by equity and access are in part culturally determined. The continued efforts of health economists to treat equity as some universal construct are misplaced. The lack of effort on the part of health economists to look at equity more broadly than health care equity is concerning. Certainly, to be pursued in practice, equity in both health and health care need a shift in resources, which will be opposed by those who exercise power over decision making in health care and in society more generally. Currently health economists’ analyses say all too little about power and property rights in health care and in society. It is argued that the relevant citizens or communities which a health service serves are best placed to judge the access barriers they face and their relative heights. A useful definition of equity established by a citizens’ jury in Perth, Australia is used to exemplify this point. It is concluded that the often all too simplistic equity goals adopted in health economics (and sometimes public health discourse) need to be challenged. For health economists, there is a need for more of us to get involved in the issues around inequalities, class and power and the impact of these on health.
Access to health care services – an English policy perspective
Authors: GODDARD MARIA
Published: February 2009

The English government has given a commitment to improving access to health care services for particular groups perceived as being under-served, or served inappropriately, by existing services. In this article four examples of policies aimed at improving access are considered: enhancing the supply of services to under-served areas, changing the organization of services, setting targets to improve access, and empowering people to make choices. Policies aimed at improving access will work only if they address the source of inequities, which means identifying the key barriers to access and these barriers are unlikely to be uniform across sectors, services, and groups of people. Evidence on the success of these four types of intervention in terms of influencing access and equity of access is discussed, borrowing some concepts from the sociological literature that enable us to understand the importance of how barriers to access may arise for different services and different population groups. It is clear that some policies may not work as well as we would hope, or may even exacerbate inequities of access, because they fail to recognize the source of the particular barriers faced by some groups.
Neurobiologische Korrelate der Psychotherapie bei Depression
Authors: Jauch-Chara Kamila , Hohagen Fritz
Published: February 2009

Die Psychotherapie spielt eine bedeutende Rolle in der Therapie der Depression. Trotz dieser Tatsache ist bis heute, insbesondere im Vergleich zur Pharmakotherapie, wenig über die ihr zugrunde liegenden neurobiologischen Mechanismen bekannt. In diesem Übersichtsartikel stellen wir den derzeitigen Wissensstand über die im Anschluss an eine Psychotherapie feststellbaren peripheren und zentralen endokrinen sowie funktionellen Veränderungen dar.
Leistet voreiliges Schlussfolgern einen Beitrag zur Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung von Wahn?
Authors: Ziegler Michael , Rief Winfried , Lincoln Tania M.
Published: February 2009

Aus zahlreichen Untersuchungen geht hervor, dass Personen mit Wahn in verschiedener Hinsicht zu voreiligen Schlussfolgerungen (Jumping to Conclusions; JTC) neigen. Angeregt durch eine erste Studie von Huq, Garety und Hemsley (1988) wurde dies zuletzt häufig im Rahmen eines probabilistischen Paradigmas untersucht. In dieser Arbeit werden die Resultate aus den entsprechenden 25 Untersuchungen zusammengefasst, wobei zunächst geklärt wird, unter welchen Bedingungen Personen mit Wahn am stärksten zu voreiligen Schlussfolgerungen neigen. Ferner wird der bisher offenen Frage nachgegangen, ob JTC ursächlich oder aufrecht erhaltend an wahnhafter Symptomatik beteiligt sein könnte. Aus der Zusammenfassung der Studien geht hervor, dass JTC bei Personen mit Wahn vor allem dann auftritt, wenn es den Probanden selbst überlassen wird, die Menge gesammelter Information zu bestimmen. Dagegen sind die Unterschiede zwischen Probanden mit und ohne Wahn kleiner, wenn sie bei fest vorgegebener Informationsmenge lediglich um Wahrscheinlichkeitsangaben gebeten werden. Damit scheint JTC nicht auf Unterschiede im probabilistischen Denken zurückzuführen zu sein. JTC kovariiert mit dem Ausmaß aktueller wahnhafter Symptomatik. Dies legt die Annahme eines in erster Linie aufrechterhaltenden Einflusses voreiligen Schließens auf wahnhafte Überzeugungen nahe. Es liegen jedoch auch Hinweise auf eine mögliche ursächliche Beteiligung vor.
A CCM simulation of the breakup of the Antarctic polar vortex in the years 1980–2004 under the CCMVal scenarios
Authors: Akiyoshi H. , Zhou L. B. , Yamashita Y. , Sakamoto K. , Yoshiki M. , Nagashima T. , Takahashi M. , Kurokawa J. , Takigawa M. , Imamura T.
Published: February 2009

The changes in breakup time of the Antarctic polar vortex in the years 1980–2004 are examined using the output of chemistry climate model (CCM) calculations, data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) Reanalysis, and data from the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis (ERA40). The CCM used in this study is from the Center for Climate System Research/National Institute for Environmental Studies (CCSR/NIES). The CCM calculations are performed with the two ensemble members for REF1 scenario of the chemistry climate model validation (CCMVal) and the one ensemble member for the REF2 scenario. CCM simulates the development of the ozone hole from 1982 to 2000, as observed with a total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS), although the year‐to‐year variation is different from the observation owing to the internal variability of CCM and the ozone decreasing trends of CCM ozone in the two ensemble members of REF1 are underestimated. The trends in temperature and zonal mean zonal wind are analyzed and compared with the observations. There is consistency among the trends in zonal mean temperature, zonal mean zonal wind, and total ozone, but they differ among the ensemble members and observations. The diabatic heating rates and Eliassen‐Palm flux fields are investigated in order to explain the differences. A delay trend in the breakup time of the Antarctic polar vortex is obtained for the period of 1980–1999 in the NCEP/NCAR and ERA40 data. A similar trend is also obtained from the CCM simulations, with statistical significance in one ensemble member of REF1 and REF2. Because the trends of the observations in the EP flux from the troposphere and its deposition in the lower stratosphere are consistent with an advanced breakup date of the polar vortex and because the trends of the CCM simulations are very small, it is likely that the Antarctic ozone depletion had some effect on the delay during the period 1980–1999. From 2000 to 2004, the NCEP/NCAR data show a large variation in breakup time, which makes the delay trend much less important. It is likely that the large variation in wave flux masked the effects of the ozone loss during that period. The two ensemble members of the REF1 simulation do not show such a dramatic change in the trend for the period 2000–2004, whereas REF2 shows a change in the trend for that period.
Cause of the widening of the tropical belt since 1958
Authors: Lu Jian , Deser Clara , Reichler Thomas
Published: February 2009

Previous studies have shown that the width of the tropical belt has been increasing since at least the late 1970s based on a variety of metrics. One such metric, the frequency of occurrence of a high‐altitude tropopause characteristic of the tropics, is used here to show that the observed widening of the tropics can be accurately replicated by an atmospheric general circulation model forced by the observed evolution of global SST and sea ice distributions as well as the direct radiative effects from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Contrasting this simulation with one forced by the observed SST and sea ice distributions alone reveals that the widening trend can be attributed entirely to direct radiative forcing, in particular those related to greenhouse gases and stratospheric ozone depletion. SST forcing causes no significant change in the width of the tropics, and even a contraction in some seasons.
Boiling Lake of Dominica, West Indies: High‐temperature volcanic crater lake dynamics
Authors: Fournier N. , Witham F. , Moreau‐Fournier M. , Bardou L.
Published: February 2009

The Boiling Lake of Dominica has exhibited stable high‐temperature behavior for at least 150 a. This stability is punctuated by occasional crises involving rapid filling and draining of the lake and changes in water temperature. The most recent such crisis occurred in December 2004 to April 2005. Using the results of previous theoretical and experimental work on analogue models, we present a combined thermal, hydrological, and fluid mechanical model of the Boiling Lake. This reveals that the lake appears to be suspended above the local water table by a constant supply of rising steam bubbles sourced from the boiling of groundwater near an igneous intrusion. The bubbles condense in the Boiling Lake, maintaining the temperature at ∼90°C. The geometry of the lake‐conduit system provides a mechanism for instability, with a denser liquid lake overlying a bubbly fractured permeable conduit. Following a sufficiently large perturbation, the whole lake rapidly drains until the surface is at the local water table level. The persistent gas supply then reinitiates filling. We propose that local seismic activity may have caused shock nucleation of bubbles within the conduit and triggered the instability of the Boiling Lake.
Rainfall retrieval over the ocean with spaceborne W‐band radar
Authors: Haynes John M. , L'Ecuyer Tristan S. , Stephens Graeme L. , Miller Steven D. , Mitrescu Cristian , Wood Norman B. , Tanelli Simone
Published: February 2009

A method for retrieving precipitation over the ocean using spaceborne W‐band (94 GHz) radar is introduced and applied to the CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar. The method is most applicable to stratiform‐type precipitation. Measurements of radar backscatter from the ocean surface are combined with information about surface wind speed and sea surface temperature to derive the path‐integrated attenuation through precipitating cloud systems. The scattering and extinction characteristics of raindrops are modeled using a combination of Mie theory (for raindrops) and the discrete dipole approximation (for ice crystals and melting snow), and a model of the melting layer is implemented to represent the transition between ice and liquid water. Backward Monte Carlo modeling is used to model multiple scattering from precipitating hydrometeors between the radar and ocean surface, which is shown to be significant for precipitation rates exceeding 3–5 mm h−1, particularly when precipitating ice is present. An uncertainty analysis is presented and the algorithm is applied to near‐global CloudSat observations and compared with other near‐global precipitation sources. In the tropics, CloudSat tends to underestimate the heaviest precipitation. It is found that in the middle latitudes, however, CloudSat observes precipitation more often and with greater resulting accumulation than other spaceborne sensors.
Interannual variations in Earth's reflectance 1999–2007
Authors: Pallé E. , Goode P. R. , Montañés‐Rodríguez P.
Published: February 2009

The overall reflectance of sunlight from Earth is a fundamental parameter for climate studies. Recently, measurements of earthshine were used to find large decadal variability in Earth's reflectance of sunlight. However, the results did not seem consistent with contemporaneous independent albedo measurements from the low Earth orbit satellite, Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), which showed a weak, opposing trend. Now more data for both are available, all sets have been either reanalyzed (earthshine) or recalibrated (CERES), and they present consistent results. Albedo data are also available from the recently released International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project flux data (FD) product. Earthshine and FD analyses show contemporaneous and climatologically significant increases in the Earth's reflectance from the outset of our earthshine measurements beginning in late 1998 roughly until mid‐2000. After that and to date, all three show a roughly constant terrestrial albedo, except for the FD data in the most recent years. Using satellite cloud data and Earth reflectance models, we also show that the decadal‐scale changes in Earth's reflectance measured by earthshine are reliable and are caused by changes in the properties of clouds rather than any spurious signal, such as changes in the Sun‐Earth‐Moon geometry.
Methylmercury dynamics at the upland‐peatland interface: Topographic and hydrogeochemical controls
Authors: Mitchell Carl P. J. , Branfireun Brian A. , Kolka Randall K.
Published: February 2009

Peatlands are important environments for the transformation of atmospherically deposited inorganic mercury into the bioaccumulative form, methylmercury (MeHg), which may accumulate in downstream aquatic biota, particularly in fish. In recent research, it was suggested that MeHg production and/or accumulation “hot spots” at the upland‐peatland interface were the result of upland fluxes of sulfate and labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into the peatland margin. Along the upland‐peatland interface, spatial heterogeneity of “hot spots” was thought to be a result of variations in upland hydrologic interaction with the peatland margin. This hypothesis was tested in this study. Pore water MeHg, sulfate, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were compared in peatland plots at the base of both topographically concave and linear upland subcatcments in Minnesota. Subcatchment contributing areas were 3–8 times larger in the peatland plots adjacent to areas of concave upland topography. Peat pore water MeHg concentrations were significantly higher in these plots. Fluxes of water, sulfate, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the upland hillslope into the peatland margin were also generally much larger than those from below areas of concave upland topography. Taken together, these results suggest that watershed geomorphology plays an important role in controlling chemical fluxes into peatland margins and consequently MeHg production and accumulation. It may thus be possible to delineate areas of high MeHg production and/or accumulation in certain watersheds by using high‐resolution topographic data. The resulting MeHg “hot spots” may be important for locally foraging biota and for downstream loading, especially in the spring and fall.
Sex Differences in Minocycline-Induced Neuroprotection after Experimental Stroke
Authors: Li Jun , McCullough Louise D
Published: February 2009

Minocycline is neuroprotective in clinical and experimental stroke studies, due in part to its ability to inhibit poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Previous preclinical data have shown that interference with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase signaling leads to sex-specific neuroprotection, reducing stroke injury only in males. In this study, we show that minocycline is ineffective at reducing ischemic damage in females after middle cerebral artery occlusion, likely due to effects on poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase signaling. Clinical trials must consider possible sex differences in the response to neuroprotective agents, if we hope to translate promising therapies to stroke patients of both sexes.
Characterization of two distinct binding modes between syntaxin 4 and Munc18c
Authors: Aran Veronica , Brandie Fiona M. , Boyd Alasdair R. , Kantidakis Theodoros , Rideout Elizabeth J. , Kelly Sharon M. , Gould Gwyn W. , Bryant Nia J.
Published: February 2009

Interaction of SM (Sec1/Munc18) proteins with their cognate syntaxins represents an important regulatory mechanism of SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein-attachment protein receptor)-mediated membrane fusion. Understanding the conserved mechanisms by which SM proteins function in this process has proved challenging, largely due to an apparent lack of conservation of binding mechanisms between different SM–syntaxin pairs. In the present study, we have identified a hitherto uncharacterized mode of binding between syntaxin 4 and Munc18c that is independent of the binding mode shown previously to utilize the N-terminal peptide of syntaxin 4. Our data demonstrate that syntaxin 4 and Munc18c interact via two distinct modes of binding, analogous to those employed by syntaxin 1a–Munc18a and syntaxin 16–Vps45p (vacuolar protein sorting 45). These data support the notion that all syntaxin/SM proteins bind using conserved mechanisms, and pave the way for the formulation of unifying hypotheses of SM protein function.
Rotational friction of single-wall carbon nanotubes in liquid suspension
Authors: Zimmermann Frank M. , Shan Jerry W.
Published: February 2009

The hydrodynamics of single-wall carbon nanotubes rotated in liquid suspension by an external electric field was experimentally investigated with laser polarimetry and compared with theoretical predictions. The measured rates of change of the nematic order parameter were largely consistent with theoretical predictions based on classical, no-slip hydrodynamics. This implies that, despite the nanotubes’ diameter approaching the size of the solvent molecules and the reduced resistance previously reported for internal flow through carbon nanotubes, classical continuum hydrodynamics holds approximately for external flow about individual single-wall carbon nanotubes in liquids.
Enhanced magnetization of CuCr2O4 thin films by substrate-induced strain
Authors: Iwata Jodi M. , Chopdekar Rajesh V. , Wong Franklin J. , Nelson-Cheeseman Brittany B. , Arenholz Elke , Suzuki Yuri
Published: February 2009

The first synthesis of epitaxial spinel CuCr2O4 thin films is reported, which exhibit enhanced magnetization in excess of 200% of the accepted bulk value when grown on single-crystal (110) MgAl2O4 substrates. Bulk CuCr2O4 is a ferrimagnetic insulator with a low net magnetic moment of 0.5μB due to its tetragonal unit cell with a c∕a ratio of 1.29 and frustrated moment configuration. It is shown that through epitaxial growth and substrate-induced strain, it is possible to enhance the magnetization of these films by reducing the tetragonality of its unit cell which, in turn, effectively decreases magnetic moment frustration allowing for a greater net moment.
Fe–Ta–C soft underlayer for double-layered perpendicular recording media
Authors: Perumal A. , Takahashi Y. K. , Hono K.
Published: February 2009

We report the investigation of microstructure, magnetic domain structure, and magnetic properties of Fe–Ta–C thin films for the application of soft underlayer (SUL) of perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) media. As-deposited Fe80Ta8C12 film showed an amorphous structure with low saturation magnetization (MS∼600emu∕cc) and high coercivity (HC∼18Oe), while the optimally annealed (⩽500°C) films exhibited high value of MS (∼1350emu∕cc) and low HC (∼0.3Oe). The magnetic domain structures and their correlation with the microstructures suggest that the refinement of the average α-Fe grain size below 15nm and the magnetic properties of the intergranular residual amorphous matrix are very important in obtaining improved soft magnetic properties. These results indicate that Fe–Ta–C films would be a suitable candidate for SUL of FePt PMR media, for which the annealing for L10 ordering is essential.
Sagnac interferometric switch utilizing Faraday rotation
Authors: Kemmet Sasha , Mina Mani , Weber Robert J.
Published: February 2009

In this paper, a novel fiber-based, magneto-optic switch based on a Sagnac interferometer is presented. Experimental results at 1550nm are reported and device performance such as extinction ratio for both single-mode and multi-mode fiber is presented. The performance is modeled using an analytical model which includes reflections at magneto-optic interfaces. The paper examines ways to improve the extinction ratio and the performance of the Sagnac configuration.
Magnetic entropy change and refrigerant capacity in GdFeAl compound
Authors: Dong Q. Y. , Shen B. G. , Chen J. , Shen J. , Zhang H. W. , Sun J. R.
Published: February 2009

Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect of GdFeAl compound have been investigated. The small saturated magnetization of GdFeAl compound is caused by the antiferromagnetic coupling between the magnetic moments of Gd and Fe atoms. A second-order magnetic phase transition is confirmed around 265K. The maximum magnetic entropy change for GdFeAl compound is 3.7Jkg−1K−1 under the field change of 0–5T. However, a large refrigerant capacity of 420Jkg−1 is obtained, which is due to the large full width at half peak of the magnetic entropy change versus temperature curve in GdFeAl compound.
A semiclassical model for the calculation of nonadiabatic transition probabilities for classically forbidden transitions
Authors: Dang Phuong-Thanh , Herman Michael F.
Published: February 2009

A semiclassical surface hopping model is presented for the calculation of nonadiabatic transition probabilities for the case in which the avoided crossing point is in the classically forbidden regions. The exact potentials and coupling are replaced with simple functional forms that are fitted to the values, evaluated at the turning point in the classical motion, of the Born–Oppenheimer potentials, the nonadiabatic coupling, and their first few derivatives. For the one-dimensional model considered, reasonably accurate results for transition probabilities are obtained down to around 10−10. The possible extension of this model to many dimensional problems is discussed. The fact that the model requires only information at the turning point, a point that the trajectories encounter would be a significant advantage in many dimensional problems over Landau–Zener type models, which require information at the avoided crossing seam, which is in the forbidden region where the trajectories do not go.
Clean superconducting In nanowires encapsulated within insulating ZnS nanotubes
Authors: Sheet Goutam , Gautam Ujjal K. , Thakur Ajay D. , Hirata Kazuto , Bando Yoshio , Nakayama Tomonobu
Published: February 2009

We have synthesized indium (In) nanowires in pure form and large scale, encapsulated within insulating ZnS nanotubes, and examined the intrinsic superconductivity in one-dimensional limit. We demonstrate that the property of the superconducting nanowires encapsulated within insulating nanotubes can be controlled down to diameters much smaller than the characteristic lengths. The critical temperature and critical magnetic field of the one-dimensional In nanowires are not affected down to a diameter of 40 nm, almost 10% of the coherence length of bulk In. This study further suggests that superconducting interconnects, with controlled physical properties, in nanocircuits could be achieved by such encapsulation.
Compensation and carrier trapping in indium-doped CdTe: Contributions from an important near-mid-gap donor
Authors: Babentsov V. , Franc J. , James R. B.
Published: February 2009

We report on the recharging of the neutral state of a deep-donor layer that increases the efficiency of charge collection in detector-grade CdTe:In. Measurements with photoinduced current transient spectroscopy and thermoelectric effect spectroscopy revealed positively charged energy level at EC−0.65 eV. Photoluminescence measurements identified this level being responsible for the 0.68 eV emission band. Its positive charge is converted into a neutral one by the upward displacement of Fermi level. We discuss the nature of this deep defect based on the latest ab initio calculations.
Thermally induced light leakage in in-plane-switching liquid crystal displays
Authors: Hsu Jy-Shan , Lin Yi-Hsin , Lin Hung-Chun , Yang Kei-Hsiung
Published: February 2009

In this paper, we report the thermally induced light leakage in in-plane-switching liquid crystal displays (IPS LCDs) that have a built-in small-angle deviation (<4 deg) between the polarization axis of a polarizer and the rubbing directions for liquid crystal (LC) alignment. We have found that the thermally induced light leakage depends strongly on the phase retardation which is a function of cell gap, wavelength, and birefringence of LCs used in the IPS LC cells. In addition, we have measured the light leakage of vertically aligned LC cells, which is independent of temperature and the deviation angle. A temperature-scanning method is proposed to reduce the light leakage of the IPS LCDs.
High field density-functional-theory based Monte Carlo: 4H-SiC impact ionization and velocity saturation
Authors: Akturk Akin , Goldsman Neil , Potbhare Siddharth , Lelis Aivars
Published: February 2009

We present 4H-SiC electron and hole Monte Carlo transport calculations that are obtained using the density functional theory (DFT) calculated conduction and valence band density-of-states (DOS) curves. The transport properties include room temperature average electron-hole velocities, energies, and impact ionization rates as functions of applied fields, as well as mobilities. This is achieved employing detailed DFT-DOS curves, which obviate the need to consider electron-hole energy dispersion details that are generally calculated using the empirical pseudopotential method. Thus the proposed method facilitates fast computations of carrier-phonon and semiclassical field-carrier interactions, and the relevant field-dependent averages. Specifically, our calculated average electron velocities peak at 1.6×107 cm/s for 0.2 MV/cm field bias, and the simulated electron ionization coefficients match well with experimental data in the 3–5 MV/cm range. To obtain similar averages for 4H-SiC’s holes, we resolve the hole transport semiclassically in conjunction with hole-phonon couplings, but also include additional quantum tunnelinglike effects to determine experiment corroborated ionization rates. Our calculated average hole velocities saturate at roughly 1×107 cm/s after 0.5 MV/cm. Further, the hole ionization coefficients, which are considerably higher than the electron ionization coefficients, match with experimental data for a wide range of field values ≥2 MV/cm.