bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Application of a Multisite Rainfall Stochastic Downscaling Framework for Climate Change Impact Assessment
Authors: Mehrotra R. , Sharma Ashish
Published: July 2010

The coarse resolution of general circulation models (GCMs) necessitates use of downscaling approaches for transfer of GCM output to finer spatial resolutions for climate change impact assessment studies. This paper presents a stochastic downscaling framework for simulation of multisite daily rainfall occurrences and amounts that strive to maintain persistence attributes that are consistent with the observed record. At site, rainfall occurrences are modeled using a modified Markov model that modifies the transition probabilities of an assumed Markov order 1 rainfall occurrence process using exogenous atmospheric variables and aggregated rainfall attributes designed to provide longer‐term persistence. At site rainfall amounts on wet days are modeled using a nonparametric kernel density simulator conditional on previous time step rainfall and selected atmospheric variables. The spatial dependence across the rainfall occurrence and amounts is maintained through spatially correlated random numbers and atmospheric variables that are common across the stations used. The proposed framework is developed using the current climate (years 1960–2002) reanalysis data and rainfall records at a network of 45 rain gauges near Sydney, Australia, while atmospheric variable simulations of the CSIRO Mk3.0 GCM (corresponding to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) B1, A1B and A2 emission scenarios) are used for downscaling of rainfall for the current and future (year 2070) climate conditions. Results of the study indicate wetter autumn and summer and drier spring and winter conditions over the region in a warmer climate. The best estimates of annual rainfall project little change in the number of wet days and slight increase (2% in 2070) in the rainfall amount. An increase (about 4%) in daily rainfall intensity (rain per wet day) is estimated in year 2070. Changes in rainfall intensity, wet and dry spells, and rainfall amount in wet spells suggest that the future rainfall regime will have longer dry spells interrupted by heavier rainfall events.
Special Presentation: Walling Receives 2008 Hydrologic Sciences Award
Authors: Wilson John L. , Walling Desmond E.
Published: July 2010

Desmond E. Walling was formally presented with the 2008 Hydrologic Sciences Award at the Atmospheric Sciences, Biogeosciences, and Hydrology joint reception during the 2009 Joint Assembly, held 24–27 May 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The award is for outstanding contributions to the science of hydrology.
Intermittent multidecadal‐to‐centennial fluctuations dominate global temperature evolution over the last millennium
Authors: Zanchettin Davide , Rubino Angelo , Jungclaus Johann H.
Published: July 2010

Observed climate time series covering several centuries are often characterized by fluctuations on multidecadal‐to‐centennial timescales. These are not homogeneously distributed in time: Instead, they appear within irregularly intermittent temporal intervals, whose irregular duration varies, in general, with the signal fluctuation frequency. A similar irregularly intermittent, frequency‐dependent appearance of energetic fluctuations is found in long‐term Earth system model integrations, consisting of a multi‐millennia control experiment (i.e., an unforced simulation) and forced simulations covering the last millennium. Here, for the first time, we investigate the long‐term relative importance of internal and externally‐driven variability and their possible interferences on Global Surface Temperature (GST). Multidecadal GST fluctuations are mostly associated to internal variability. Externally‐forced perturbations acting predominantly on centennial timescales tend to overwhelm such variability and to enhance O(∼200 years) GST fluctuations. Externally‐forced perturbations tend also to correspond to major changes in the coherency among internal climate processes, and among them and GST.
First in‐situ analysis of dust devil tracks on Earth and their comparison with tracks on Mars
Authors: Reiss D. , Raack J. , Rossi A. P. , Di Achille G. , Hiesinger H.
Published: July 2010

In this study we report about the first in‐situ analysis of terrestrial dust devil tracks (DDTs) observed in the Turpan depression desert in northwestern China. Passages of active dust devils remove a thin layer of fine grained material (< ∼63 μm), cleaning the upper surface of coarse sands (0.5–1 mm). This erosional process changes the photometric properties of the upper surface causing the albedo differences within the track to the surroundings. Measurements imply that a removal of an equivalent layer thickness of ∼2 μm is sufficient to form the dark dust devil tracks. Our terrestrial results are in agreement with the mechanism proposed by Greeley et al. (2005) for the formation of DDTs on Mars.
Mapping Brain Function Using a 30-Day Interval between Baseline and Activation: A Novel Arterial Spin Labeling fMRI Approach
Authors: Borogovac Ajna , Habeck Christian , Small Scott A , Asllani Iris
Published: July 2010

By comparing hemodynamic signals acquired immediately before and during activation, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is well suited for mapping acute changes in brain function. However, it remains unclear whether fMRI can map functional changes over longer periods. Here, we address this issue by empirically testing the feasibility of arterial spin labeling (ASL) fMRI to detect changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) with baseline and task separated by 1 month. To increase the sensitivity of the method, we applied an algorithm that yielded flow density (CBFd) images that were independent of tissue content. To increase the accuracy, we developed a technique that generated arterial transit time at each voxel, independently. Results showed that activation changes in CBFd during the same session were statistically the same as across 30 days. The activation CBFd on day-30 was 34% (motor) and 25% (visual) higher than the respective baselines of 83 and 107 mL/100 g/min obtained on day-1. Furthermore, the signal-to-noise ratio of the CBFd measurement was 2.1 and 2.9 times higher than that of the conventional CBF for within-subject and across-subjects comparisons, respectively ( n=9 healthy young subjects). Taken together, these results indicate that CBFd measure could be better suited than net CBF to map long-term changes in brain function.
The New Woman and ‘The Dusky Strand’: The Place of Feminism and Women's Literature in Early Jamaican Nationalism
Authors: Rosenberg Leah
Published: July 2010

This essay analyzes the prominent role played by first wave feminism and by women writers between 1898-1903 as the Jamaica Times articulated a broad-based, middle class nationalism and launched a campaign to establish a Jamaican national literature. Largely overlooked, this archival material is significant because it suggests a subtle yet significant modification of anglophone Caribbean feminist, literary and nationalist historiography: first wave feminism was not introduced to Jamaica exclusively through black nationalist organizations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, but rather, it emerged in a broader phenomenon of respectable, middle class nationalism, encompassing the overlapping projects of Jamaican nationalism and Pan Africanism. Thus, it becomes clear that first wave feminism, including white women writers, played a key but brief role in the formation of the middle class nationalism that would later dominate Jamaica's transition to independence. During the first five years of publication of the Jamaica Times, women wrote a significant proportion of the short stories published. However, they became marginalized as black folk culture became the defining symbol of national authenticity. The marginalization of middle class women writers reflects a broader pattern. In adopting first wave feminism from Britain and the United States, Jamaican nationalists reproduced colonial race and class dynamics that established an unbridgeable divide between middle class women, who served as ‘ladies bountiful,’ and the usually darker-skinned compatriots to whom they ministered. This class division continued to limit feminist activism in Jamaica throughout the first and second waves.
Resisting Heteronormativity/Resisting Recolonisation: Affective Bonds between Indigenous Women in Southern Africa and the Difference(S) of Postcolonial Feminist History
Authors: Spurlin William J
Published: July 2010

This article recognises that any attempt to theorise the first wave globally must specify the use of the term ‘global’, so as not to elide the specificity of local differences, and must critically account for how feminist struggles among postcolonial, indigenous women are intertwined with a resistance to a history of colonialism and racial domination. While more than a demand for equal access to the symbolic order on the basis of gender alone, Western feminists must study carefully the cultural and gender implications of work by indigenous women in postcolonial contexts which do not easily fit into familiar theoretical paradigms that mimic the development of Western feminism, given the heterosexist biases of Western feminism historically. To what extent does the very form of historicisation of feminist struggles in the West repeat the colonising gesture when attempting to historicise the struggles of women in postcolonial contexts where the three waves of feminism as an organising framework, however loosely constructed, are transplanted to locations where they did not emerge historically? Through an examination of feminist work coming out of southern Africa, the article argues how attention to affective and erotic bonds between women in Lesotho provides a critical response to the heterosexist biases of African cultural nationalism, as well as to the colonising tendencies of feminist and queer enquiry in the West that do not account for the primacy of the performativity of sexual expression rather than its discursive naming as a precise sexual identity. The article concludes by asking for a reconceptualisation of the temporality of feminism not limited to its periodisation in the West, but informed by the specificities of feminist struggles locally and globally, including erotic autonomy as a viable praxis of decolonisation and a heightened self-reflexivity about the imperialist gestures guiding the production of (feminist) history and scholarship.
‘Door Bitches of Club Feminism’?: Academia and Feminist Competency
Authors: Simic Zora
Published: July 2010

‘Feminist competency’ is a nascent term that has been identified in three general critiques of contemporary feminism that emerged in the course of research for The Great Feminist Denial (2008), a book on feminist debates in Australia that I co-authored with Monica Dux. The first critique highlights the importance of feminist knowledge, typically generated through the academy, to feminist identification. The second posits a perceived lack of feminist competency as an obstacle to feminist affiliation. The third assessment insists that spokespeople for feminism should be sufficiently competent. Using these responses to feminism as a starting point, combined with a reflection on my own framing as an academic feminist in the public sphere, I make a case for the potential value of ‘feminist competency’ as a means to assess the impact of academic feminism, in Australia and elsewhere.
‘Post-Feminism’ in the Legal Academy?
Authors: Thornton Margaret
Published: July 2010

Against the background of the political swing from social liberalism to neo-liberalism in Australia, this paper considers the discomfiting relationship between feminism and the legal academy over the last three decades. It briefly traces the trajectory of the liaison, the course of the brief affair, the parting of the ways and the cold shoulder. In considering the reasons for the retreat from feminism, it is suggested that it has been engineered by neo-liberalism through the market's deployment of third-wave feminism, particularly the popular manifestation of girlpower. The focus on promotion of the self, consumerism, free choice and sexuality has deflected attention away from collective harms. Girlpower has also facilitated a revival of gendered binarisms on the social script, which does not bode well for the future of women in the legal profession. The proposition is illustrated by reference to the representation of women's breasts on the cover of a law students’ magazine containing articles on sexed crime.
Current-perpendicular-to-plane spin transport properties of CoFe alloys: Spin diffusion length and scattering asymmetry
Authors: Ahn C. , Shin K.-H. , Loloee R. , Bass J. , Pratt W. P.
Published: July 2010

From measurements of the current-perpendicular-to-plane magnetoresistance of magnetic multilayers and exchange-biased spin-valves combining the ferromagnetic (F) alloys Co50Fe50 and Co70Fe30 with the nonmagnetic metal Cu, we extract values of the bulk scattering asymmetry, βF, the spin-diffusion length, lsfF, the interface scattering asymmetry, γF/Cu, and twice the enhanced specific resistance, 2ARF/Cu∗. The parameters of the two alloys lie within mutual uncertainties of each other. The values of βF∼0.88 are unusually large, those of lsfF∼10 nm are moderate and consistent with values for other F-alloys, and those of 2ARF/Cu∗∼0.6 fΩ m2 and γF/Cu∼0.6 are both less than those for Co/Cu. We do not need to include any spin-flipping at the F/Cu interfaces to fit our data.
Fluctuations in induced charge introduced by Te inclusions within CdZnTe radiation detectors
Authors: Bale Derek S.
Published: July 2010

Recently, homogenization theory based on a multiple-scale perturbation of the electron transport equation has been used to derive a mathematical framework for modeling the excess charge lost to Te inclusions within radiation detectors based on semi-insulating cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe). In that theory, the heterogeneous material is mathematically replaced by a homogenized CdZnTe crystal whose effective electron attenuation length incorporates the additional uniform electron trapping caused by the inclusions. In this paper, the homogenization theory is extended to incorporate fluctuations in the induced charge (i.e., charge collection nonuniformities) introduced by the random position and size distributions of a noncorrelated population of small (i.e, <20 μm) Te inclusions. Analysis of the effective parameters derived within the homogenized framework is used to develop a probability distribution of effective electron attenuation lengths, and therefore effective mobility-lifetime products, as a function of both the position and size distribution of Te inclusions. Example distributions are detailed for the case of an exponential size distribution at various number densities. Further, it is demonstrated that the inclusion-induced material nonuniformities derived in this paper can be numerically sampled efficiently, making them applicable to Monte Carlo device simulation of realistic CdZnTe detectors. Simulated charge induction maps and pulse-height spectra are presented and compared to recently published measurements.
Maximum caliber inference of nonequilibrium processes
Authors: Otten Moritz , Stock Gerhard
Published: July 2010

Thirty years ago, Jaynes suggested a general theoretical approach to nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, called maximum caliber (MaxCal) [Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 31, 579 (1980)]. MaxCal is a variational principle for dynamics in the same spirit that maximum entropy is a variational principle for equilibrium statistical mechanics. Motivated by the success of maximum entropy inference methods for equilibrium problems, in this work the MaxCal formulation is applied to the inference of nonequilibrium processes. That is, given some time-dependent observables of a dynamical process, one constructs a model that reproduces these input data and moreover, predicts the underlying dynamics of the system. For example, the observables could be some time-resolved measurements of the folding of a protein, which are described by a few-state model of the free energy landscape of the system. MaxCal then calculates the probabilities of an ensemble of trajectories such that on average the data are reproduced. From this probability distribution, any dynamical quantity of the system can be calculated, including population probabilities, fluxes, or waiting time distributions. After briefly reviewing the formalism, the practical numerical implementation of MaxCal in the case of an inference problem is discussed. Adopting various few-state models of increasing complexity, it is demonstrated that the MaxCal principle indeed works as a practical method of inference: The scheme is fairly robust and yields correct results as long as the input data are sufficient. As the method is unbiased and general, it can deal with any kind of time dependency such as oscillatory transients and multitime decays.
Manipulation of uncompensated moments in trained exchange bias system
Authors: Paul Amitesh , Teichert Anke
Published: July 2010

In an exchange coupled trained antiferromagnet (AF)–ferromagnet (FM) system, we could directly manipulate the uncompensated moments in the AF—resulting in inducing a magnetism within the AF layer. This is made possible by applying an in-plane magnetic field perpendicular to the cooling field HFC. Depth-sensitive polarized neutron scattering experiments in specular and off-specular mode have revealed that this interfacial manipulation could neither restore the untrained state nor could it reinduce the initial asymmetry in magnetization reversal. Our results demonstrate an initiative toward user defined exchange-coupled interfaces for the future.
Temperature dependence of binary and ternary recombination of D3+ ions with electrons
Authors: Kotrík T. , Dohnal P. , Korolov I. , Plašil R. , Roučka Š. , Glosík J. , Greene Chris H. , Kokoouline V.
Published: July 2010

Flowing and stationary afterglow experiments were performed to study the recombination of D3+ ions with electrons at temperatures from 77 to 300 K. A linear dependence of apparent (effective) binary recombination rate coefficients on the pressure of the helium buffer gas was observed. Binary (D3++e−) and ternary (D3++e−+He) recombination rate coefficients were derived. The obtained binary rate coefficient agrees with recent theoretical values for dissociative recombination of D3+. We describe the observed ternary process by a mechanism with two rate determining steps. In the first step, a rotationally excited long-lived neutral D3∗ is formed in D3+−e− collisions. As the second step, the D3∗ collides with a helium atom that prevents autoionization of D3∗. We calculate lifetimes of D3∗ formed from ortho-, para-, or metastates of D3+ and use the lifetimes to calculate ternary recombination rate coefficients.
Rotational state specific dissociation dynamics of D2O via the C̃ electronic state
Authors: Cheng Yuan , Cheng Lina , Guo Qing , Yuan Kaijun , Dai Dongxu , Wang Xiuyan , Dixon Richard N. , Yang Xueming
Published: July 2010

The rotational state resolved photodissociation dynamics of D2O via the C̃ state has been investigated using the D-atom Rydberg “tagging” time-of-flight technique, with a tunable vacuum ultraviolet photolysis light source. The photodissociation action spectrum of the D2O C̃←X̃ (3pz←1b1) band has been recorded. The linewidths of rotational transitions have been determined by the Lorentzian profile simulation. Product kinetic energy distributions and angular distributions for individual rotational lines have been measured. From these distributions, the internal state distributions of the OD radical product as well as the state resolved angular anisotropy parameters for each rotational transition have been obtained. The dramatic variation of the OD product state distributions from different rotational excitations has been observed. These results suggest that there are two distinctive coupling channels from the C̃ state to the lower electronic states: homogenous electronic coupling to the Ã(B11) state, resulting in a vibrationally hot OD(X Π2) product and Coriolis-type coupling between the C̃(B11) state and the B̃(A11) state. Through the second mechanism, OD(X Π2) as well as OD(A ∑2+) products are produced. The OD(X Π2) products are mainly populated in the vibrationally cold but extremely rotationally excited states. The comparison between the D2O and H2O results illustrates that the C̃(B11)→B̃(A11) pathway is relatively larger in the D2O photodissociation as a consequence of the isotopic effect.
Calculation of anharmonic OH phonon dispersion curves for the Mg(OH)2 crystal
Authors: Mitev Pavlin D. , Hermansson Kersti , Briels Wim J.
Published: July 2010

Anharmonic OH phonon dispersion curves have been calculated for the Mg(OH)2 crystal. A crystal Hamiltonian was set up for the vibrational problem, where the coordinates consists of the bond lengths of two hydroxide ions in the central unit cell. Its two-dimensional potential energy surface was constructed from first principle calculations within the density functional theory approximation. Dispersion curves were calculated by diagonalizing the Hamiltonian in a basis of singly excited crystal functions. The single particle functions used to construct the crystal states were taken from a Morse oscillator basis set. These well chosen functions made it possible to restrict calculations to include only very few functions, which greatly contributed to a transparent presentation of the underlying theory. All calculations could be done analytically except for the calculation of a few integrals. We have compared our results with those of a series of harmonic lattice dynamics calculations and have found that the anharmonicity shifts the IR and Raman dispersion curves downward appreciably and slightly changes the energy differences between both curves. From an analysis of the harmonic results we conclude that incorporating the coupling between OH stretching motion and the motion of their centers of mass will appreciably change the overall features of the dispersion curves. Extension of the anharmonic model along these lines will cause no problem to the theoretical approach presented in this paper.
The MaPLE device of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics: Construction and its plasma aspects
Authors: Pal Rabindranath , Biswas Subir , Basu Subhasis , Chattopadhyay Monobir , Basu Debjyoti , Chaudhuri Manis
Published: July 2010

The Magnetized Plasma Linear Experimental (MaPLE) device is a low cost laboratory plasma device at Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics fabricated in-house with the primary aim of studying basic plasma physics phenomena such as plasma instabilities, wave propagation, and their nonlinear behavior in magnetized plasma regime in a controlled manner. The machine is specially designed to be a versatile laboratory device that can provide a number of magnetic and electric scenario to facilitate such studies. A total of 36 number of 20-turn magnet coils, designed such as to allow easy handling, is capable of producing a uniform, dc magnetic field of about 0.35 T inside the plasma chamber of diameter 0.30 m. Support structure of the coils is planned in an innovative way facilitating straightforward fabrication and easy positioning of the coils. Further special feature lies in the arrangement of the spacers between the coils that can be maneuvered rather easily to create different magnetic configurations. Various methods of plasma production can be suitably utilized according to the experimental needs at either end of the vacuum vessel. In the present paper, characteristics of a steady state plasma generated by electron cyclotron resonance method using 2.45 GHz microwave power are presented. Scans using simple probe drives revealed that a uniform and long plasma column having electron density ∼3–5×1010 cm−3 and temperature ∼7–10 eV, is formed in the center of the plasma chamber which is suitable for wave launching experiments.
Quantum chemical topology study on the electronic structure of cis- and trans-FONO
Authors: Berski Slawomir , Latajka Zdzislaw , Gordon Agnieszka J.
Published: July 2010

The electronic structure of cis- and trans-FONO has been studied using topological analysis of the electron localization function at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ computational level. In cis-FONO with “normal” FO bond length (1.428–1.441 Å), a protocovalent FO bonding has been found. The central NO bond is “drained off” with the electron density (0.40e and 0.42e) and the terminal NO bond resembles an electron-rich single bond (2.13e–2.14e). The F⋯ONO form with a long F⋯O bond (1.719 and 1.696 Å) has a diradical character and consists of F and NO2 subunits without clear indications of the covalent bond in the F⋯O region.
A high-temperature high-pressure calorimeter for determining heats of solution up to 623 K
Authors: Djamali Essmaiil , Turner Peter J. , Murray Richard C. , Cobble James W.
Published: July 2010

A high-temperature high-pressure isoperibol calorimeter for determining the heats of solution and reaction of very dilute substances in water (10−4 m) at temperatures up to 623 K is described. The energies of vaporization of water at steam saturation pressure were measured as a function of temperature and the results agree with the corresponding values from steam tables to better than 0.08±0.18%. The novelties of the present instrument relative to flow type heat capacity calorimeters are that measurements can be made at orders of magnitude lower concentrations and that measurement of heat of reaction involving solids or gases or in the presence of high concentrations of supporting electrolytes, acids, and bases is possible. Furthermore, the advantage of using enthalpy data over heat capacity data for calculations of the standard state Gibbs free energies of electrolytes is that the experimental heat data of this research need only be integrated once to derive higher temperature free energy data from lower temperatures. The derived heat capacities can be used mathematically to obtain free energies by double integration. However, the resulting errors are much smaller than if experimental aqueous heat capacities were used for the integrations.
Gigaohm resistance membrane seals with stealth probe electrodes
Authors: Verma Piyush , Melosh Nicholas A.
Published: July 2010

Direct electrical access into the cell interior is required for low-noise recording of ion channel activity, yet conventional patch clamp techniques are destructive, leading to rapid cell death, while on-chip devices have poor seal resistances. Here we report chip-based nanoscale electrodes that nondestructively incorporate into biological membranes. These consist of a metallic post with a hydrophobic band that mimics transmembrane proteins, driving insertion into the lipid membrane and forming a tight seal at the electrode-membrane interface. We demonstrate spontaneous gigaohm seals with an average seal resistance of 3.8±1.9 GΩ using red blood cells, and show the nanoband is the key attribute for high resistances.
Rectification in three-terminal graphene junctions
Authors: Jacobsen A. , Shorubalko I. , Maag L. , Sennhauser U. , Ensslin K.
Published: July 2010

Nonlinear electrical properties of graphene-based three-terminal nanojunctions are presented. Intrinsic rectification of voltage is observed up to room temperature. The sign and the efficiency of the rectification can be tuned by a gate. Changing the charge carrier type from holes to electrons results in a change in the rectification sign. At a bias <20 mV and at a temperature below 4.2 K the sign and the efficiency of the rectification are governed by universal conductance fluctuations.
Synthesis, optical properties, and superlattice structure of Cu(I)-doped CdS nanocrystals
Authors: Tang Aiwei , Yi Luoxin , Han Wei , Teng Feng , Wang Yongsheng , Hou Yanbing , Gao Mingyuan
Published: July 2010

High quality Cu(I)-doped CdS [CdS:Cu(I)] nanocrystals were synthesized by thermolysis of metal acetylacetonate complexes in n-dodecanethiol. The optical emission of the doped nanocrystals was observed to change from surface trap-dominant emission to Cu(I)-dominant emission with respect to the reaction time and the doping levels of Cu(I) ions in CdS particles. The maximum photoluminescence quantum yields of the CdS:Cu(I) nanocrystals could reach 15.8%. More interestingly, these doped nanocrystals could self-assemble into highly ordered superlattices depending on the doping levels of the Cu(I) ions. A possible explanation for the formation of the CdS:Cu(I) nanocrystal superlattices is dipole–dipole interactions between the adjacent nanocrystals.
Interaction of vacuum ultraviolet light with a low-k organosilicate glass film in the presence of NH3
Authors: Behera Swayambhu , Lee Joe , Gaddam Sneha , Pokharel Sundari , Wilks Justin , Pasquale Frank , Graves David , Kelber Jeffry A.
Published: July 2010

In situ x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and ex situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize effects on organosilicate films of 147 nm irradiation in the presence of 10−4 Torr NH3. XPS and FTIR data indicate SiO and SiC bond scission, with nitridation only at Si sites. Photoirradiation causes the surface layer to become enriched in sp2 carbon. FTIR spectra of silanol formation upon exposure to ambient indicate reactive sites in the bulk have lifetimes of up to six days. XPS data indicate lifetimes of ∼minutes for surface states. Nitrogen uptake passivates with longer exposure times, indicating surface densification.
Exchangeable self-curable liquid gate dielectric embedded field effect transistor
Authors: Han Jin-Woo , Ahn Jae-Hyuk , Lee Jeong Oen , Yoon Jun-Bo , Choi Yang-Kyu
Published: July 2010

A traditional solid-state gate dielectric is replaced with a liquid-state gate dielectric. Whereas the traps are immobile and localized in the silicon dioxide, the fluidity of oil allows the redistribution of traps. The resistance to a stress induced leakage and dielectric breakdown is enhanced. The trapped charges induced by hot-carrier injection are removed when the damaged oil is exchanged. Furthermore, a transistor that suffers radiation damage is revived by an exchangeable gate dielectric. This capability has potential application in radio astronomy, biomedical imaging, and nuclear industry. The reconfigurable oil can also serve as a coolant to alleviate heat concentration of transistor.
Extraction of low-frequency noise in contact resistance of organic field-effect transistors
Authors: Xu Y. , Minari T. , Tsukagoshi K. , Gwoziecki R. , Coppard R. , Balestra F. , Chroboczek J. A. , Ghibaudo G.
Published: July 2010

The power spectral density of low-frequency noise in contact resistance, SRsd, of organic transistors is evaluated by the transfer-line method. The obtained gate-voltage dependent SRsd is then normalized by the square of contact resistance, which is extracted from dc current-voltage (I-V) measurements. After normalization, slightly variable and nearly constant SRsd/Rsd2 with respect to gate voltage are obtained in the range 10−7–10−6 μm/Hz at 20 Hz in p-type and n-type devices, respectively. This method proves suitable to investigate separately the origin of the noise sources in channel as well as in contact region.
Room temperature Mott metal-insulator transition and its systematic control in Sm1−xCaxNiO3 thin films
Authors: Xiang P.-H. , Asanuma S. , Yamada H. , Inoue I. H. , Akoh H. , Sawa A.
Published: July 2010

We report an epitaxial growth and electronic transport properties of Ca-doped SmNiO3 (Sm1−xCaxNiO3, 0≤x≤0.1) thin films deposited on (001)-oriented LaAlO3 substrates by the pulsed laser deposition method. Due to strong electron correlations of the Sm1−xCaxNiO3 films, the Mott metal-insulator (MI) transition appears around 370 K, which decreases to room temperature only by the 1%–2% Ca doping, and dramatically shifts to lower temperatures by increasing the Ca content. For x≥0.1, the film reveals metallic conductivity down to the lowest temperature measured. In the insulating phase of x<0.04, we observe another resistivity anomaly around 200 K corresponding to an antiferromagnetic ordering of the Ni sublattice of SmNiO3 matrix. A complete electronic phase diagram of the Sm1−xCaxNiO3 thin film is unveiled by this work.
Enhancement of the spin entropy in NaxCo2O4 by Ni doping
Authors: Tang Guodong , Yang Teng , Xu Xiaonong , Tang Chipui , Qiu Li , Zhang Zhidong , Lv Liya , Wang Zhihe , Du Youwei
Published: July 2010

The effects of Ni doping on the spin entropy in NaxCo2O4 (x=1.2) has been carefully studied. A strong magnetic-field suppression of the thermopower indicates the emergence of large spin-entropy effect. The magnetothermopower increases with increasing Ni doping level, suggesting that Ni doping improves the spin entropy of NaxCo2O4. Based on analysis of x-ray absorption spectra, we propose a spin-entropy competition mechanism to explain well the spin-entropy enhancement.
Investigation of dominant effect on efficiency droop in InGaN light emitting device
Authors: Kim Kyu Sang , Kim Jin Ha , Park Young Min , Jung Su Jin , Park Yong Jo , Cho S. N.
Published: July 2010

To understand a major effect on efficiency droop, radiative characteristics of InGaN laser diodes (LDs) of emission wavelength of ∼445 nm are studied at subthreshold levels for different active structures; (1) InGaN single quantum well (SQW), (2) double quantum wells (DQWs) with Si-doped barrier, and (3) DQWs with undoped barrier. For InGaN LDs with DQWs, the absolute radiative efficiency is most dominant for the case of undoped barrier, and least for the case of Si-doped barrier. The efficiency droop in InGaN LDs with DQWs, regardless of the doping condition of barriers, is typical of reported InGaN light emitting devices, whereas for the InGaN LD with SQW, the efficiency droop is significantly improved for all current density levels due to the least polarization field of InGaN QW.
An investigation into the ecological requirements and niche partitioning of Pterostylidinae (Orchidaceae) species
Authors: Janes Jasmine K. , Steane Dorothy A. , Vaillancourt René E.
Published: July 2010

The in situ management of many orchid species is problematic because individual species’ ecology and habitat requirements are poorly understood. Here, the requirements of nine Pterostylis species are investigated for the first time. Individual species’ abundances were recorded from 35 sites and correlated with known environmental and climatic variables using canonical correspondence analysis to determine which variables may explain species distribution. Altitude, aspect, drainage, precipitation, radiation, temperature and moisture index were identified as important variables that influence distribution patterns. The positioning of several members of the Pterostylis longifolia species complex in ordination space was poorly resolved, as was the relationship between Pterostylis pedoglossa and Pterostylis parviflora. Distinct ecological partitioning was evident among the remaining three species. This study has identified important environmental variables that can be assessed in the field and assist in the detection of suitable habitat for orchid translocations.
Soil seedbank composition and dynamics across alpine summits in south-eastern Australia
Authors: Venn Susanna E. , Morgan John W.
Published: July 2010

Alpine soil seedbanks are generally regarded as small and unimportant to regeneration. Here, we investigate for the first time the composition of the readily germinable soil seedbank across alpine summits in south-eastern Australia. We aimed to compare the species in the seedbank with the standing vegetation, show seasonal variations in seedbank composition and identify regeneration strategies of alpine seedbank species. By using standard glasshouse and cold-stratification germination techniques, the germinable soil seedbank across the study region was found to comprise 39 species from 25 families, with species from the Asteraceae the most common. Persistent seedbanks were found across all eight alpine summits (1668–1970 m), comparable in seed density (150 ± 27 to 1330 ± 294 per m2) with those of other alpine areas in the northern and southern hemispheres. The density of germinable seeds varied widely among sites and between collection times (autumn, spring) and there were no trends in seed density with altitude. The qualitative and quantitative similarity between the seedbank species and the standing vegetation was low. Correlations between the proportions of species in regeneration categories (from obligate seeders, through to vegetative regenerators) in the standing vegetation and the seedbank were also poor. Our results indicate a divergence between the species in the current standing vegetation and those present in the readily germinable soil seed bank. The current patterns and predominance of seed-regenerating species in the seedbank indicate that these species may have an important role to play in regulating and contributing to future changes in the vegetation assemblage.
Seed ecology of the invasive woody plant African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata): implications for management and restoration
Authors: Cuneo Peter , Offord Catherine A. , Leishman Michelle R.
Published: July 2010

Knowledege of the seed ecology of invasive exotic species, including soil seedbank dynamics, is essential to understanding key factors in successful invasion and in identifying management opportunities. African Olive, Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata, is an exotic invasive woody plant in Hawaii, Norfolk Island and eastern Australia, and is now well established in the Cumberland Plain region of western Sydney, Australia. In the present study, the key aspects of the seed ecology of African Olive were determined for populations in western Sydney. Extracted seed germinated at a wide range of temperatures, consistent with tolerance of a wide range of climatic conditions. A seed-burial experiment indicated a slow decrease in viability down to 70.3% during the first year, followed by a rapid decline down to 14.7% in the second year. Probit analysis indicated that under field conditions, seed persistence in the soil was ~29 months (2.4 years). In situ germination was low (3.3%) and did not occur until the mechanical constriction of the endocarp was released through decomposition. The woody seed endocarp was found to be permeable to water, indicating that physical dormancy was not imposed by providing a barrier to water uptake. Within its invasive range, African Olive produces abundant seed. However, the rapid loss of viability of soil-stored seed results in a narrow window of opportunity for germination. The short persistence of seed in the soil may provide an opportunity for managers to achieve control of African Olive once mature plants are removed.
Arabidopsis resistance protein SNC1 activates immune responses through association with a transcriptional corepressor
Authors: Zhu Zhaohai , Xu Fang , Zhang Yaxi , Cheng Yu Ti , Wiermer Marcel , Li Xin , Zhang Yuelin
Published: July 2010

In both plants and animals, nucleotide-binding (NB) domain and leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing proteins (NLR) function as sensors of pathogen-derived molecules and trigger immune responses. Although NLR resistance (R) proteins were first reported as plant immune receptors more than 15 years ago, how these proteins activate downstream defense responses is still unclear. Here we report that the Toll-like/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR)-NB-LRR R protein, suppressor of
npr1-1
, constitutive 1 (SNC1) functions through its associated protein, Topless-related 1 (TPR1). Knocking out
TPR1
and its close homologs compromises immunity mediated by SNC1 and several other TIR-NB-LRR–type R proteins, whereas overexpression of
TPR1
constitutively activates SNC1-mediated immune responses. TPR1 functions as a transcriptional corepressor and associates with histone deacetylase 19 in vivo. Among the target genes of TPR1 are
Defense no Death 1
(
DND1
) and
Defense no Death 2
(
DND2
), two known negative regulators of immunity that are repressed during pathogen infection, suggesting that TPR1 activates R protein-mediated immune responses through repression of negative regulators.
An Analysis of the Impact of Research and Development on Productivity Using Bayesian Model Averaging with a Reversible Jump Algorithm
Authors: Balcombe Kelvin , Rapsomanikis George
Published: July 2010

A Bayesian model averaging approach to the estimation of lag structures is introduced and applied to assess the impact of (R&D) on agricultural productivity in the United States from 1889 to 1990. Lag and structural break coefficients are estimated using a reversible jump algorithm that traverses the model space. In addition to producing estimates and standard deviations for the coefficients, the probability that a given lag (or break) enters the model is estimated. The approach is extended to select models populated with gamma distributed lags of different frequencies. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that R&D positively drives productivity. Gamma lags are found to retain their usefulness in imposing a plausible structure on lag coefficients, and their role is enhanced through the use of model averaging.
Alchemy in Eden: Entrepreneurialism, Branding, and Food Marketing in the United States, 1880–1920
Authors: Lonier Terri
Published: July 2010

Through an investigation into the origins of American food marketing, this dissertation reveals how branding—specifically, the centennial brands Quaker Oats, Coca-Cola, and Crisco—came to underpin much of today's market-driven economy. In a manner akin to alchemy, the entrepreneurs behind these three firms recognized the inherent value of an agricultural Eden, then found ways to convert common, low-cost agricultural goods—oats, sugar, and cottonseed oil—into appealing, high-revenue branded food products. In the process, these ventures devised new demand-driven business models that exploited technology and communications advances, enabling them to tap a nascent consumer culture. Their pioneering efforts generated unprecedented profits, laid the foundation for iconic billion-dollar brands, and fundamentally changed how Americans make daily food choices.
The Business Side of General Practice
Authors: Locke Chris
Published: July 2010

This article covers the following aspects of the business side of general practice: the different ways in which practices are funded, depending on the nature of their contracts with their Primary Care Organization, and the constituent lements of those contracts; how practices operate as differently constituted business entities; how financial considerations affect the delivery of services; the responsibilities of GPs as employers and how general practice is affected by a changing and increasingly competitive market environment.
Working Overseas after Training in the UK
Authors: Marshall Ian
Published: July 2010

It has been a slog but it was worth it. You have done the training and passed the examination. Some of you will know exactly what you want to do now and where you want to work but others may not be sure or perhaps you just want to have the equivalent of a professional gap year and take some time out. Travel and experiencing other cultures and traditions have attractions for many but can be costly. Combining work with travel can solve that problem.
What Next after GP Training?
Authors: Simon Chantal
Published: July 2010

You have spent at least 5 years as a junior doctor before graduating as a fully fledged GP. Most potential GPs go into GP training with the vision of a future as a GP partner, running a business and maintaining high-quality care with continuity for practice patients. Is this the reality in modern general practice?
The Health of Doctors
Authors: Holden John
Published: July 2010

Few things are more challenging or indeed more flattering than being consulted by another doctor about their health. After 25 years' practice, this still makes me, and probably all GPs, anxious. I also visit GPs whose performance is giving concern and they frequently have health issues contributing to their difficulties. We all need to be aware of the main evidence on this subject so that we can best care for this group of atypical patients with particular needs.
Leadership for GPs
Authors: Wilkie Veronica
Published: July 2010

In 2009, the Medical Leadership Curriculum (MLC), based on the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF), was presented as the first shared curriculum across all medical specialties in the UK to the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB). Since then, all the Medical Royal Colleges have been reviewing their own specialty curricula to integrate the MLC and working with Postgraduate Deaneries to determine how this part of the curriculum can be delivered. This article gives a summary of how the MLCF was developed, what it is and how general practice Associates-in-Training can develop their own skills further.
The Medical Bag
Authors: Hogg David , Lunan Robert
Published: July 2010

Buying the equipment for your medical bag is an important—and potentially expensive—necessity for your career in general practice. In this article we outline some of the things to consider to ensure that your kit is reliable and cost-effective. Being prepared will enable you to react to the more common medical scenarios that you will face outside your practice and stay within the guidance of the General Medical Council.
Money Matters
Authors: Simon Chantal
Published: July 2010

When I first qualified as a fully-fledged GP and started practising as a GP Partner, the tax system and accounting was a mystery to me. It was a steep learning curve. In this article, with the help of an experienced medical accountant, I aim to provide a basic guide to unravel the mysteries of the private finances of a GP.
REVIEW: Oat and Rye β‐Glucan: Properties and Function
Authors: Wood Peter J.
Published: July 2010

Over the years, the β‐glucan of oats and barley has been the subject of study either because of the importance of the cholesterol‐lowering potential to health claims (FDA 1997, 2005) or, in the case of barley, because of the role of β‐glucan and β‐glucan‐rich endosperm cell walls in malting and brewing. β‐Glucan is also present in rye and in much lesser amounts in wheat. The most striking difference in these latter two sources is the difficulty in extractability; alkali rather than water is required for significant release from the cell walls. This review will discuss physicochemical properties of oat and rye β‐glucan and, where information allows, relate these to physiological effects. Viscosity, or more generally rheology, plays a central role in discussions of cereal β‐glucan functionality and physiological effects and will be the focus of this review.