bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WOx resistive memory elements for scaled Flash memories
Authors: Ghalamestani S. Gorji , Goux L. , Díaz-Droguett D.E. , Wouters D. , Lisoni J. G.
Published: September 2011

We investigated the resistive switching behavior of WOx films. WOx was obtained from the thermal oxidation of W thin layers. The parameters under investigation were the influence of the temperature (450-500 °C) and time (30-220 s) used to obtain the WOx on the resistive switching characteristics of Si\W\WOx\Metal_electrode ReRAM cells. The metal top electrodes (TE) tested were Pt, Ni, Cu and Au. The elemental composition and microstructure of the samples were characterized by means of elastic recoil detection analysis (ERD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR).

Electrical measurement of the WOx-based memory elements revealed bipolar and unipolar switching and this depended upon the oxidation conditions and TE selected. Indeed, switching events were observed in WOx samples obtained either at 450 °C or 500 °C in time windows of 180-200 s and 30-60 s, respectively. Pt and Au TE promoted bipolar switching while unipolar behavior was observed with Ni TE only; no switching events were observed with Cu TE. Good switching characteristics seems not related to the overall thickness, crystallinity and composition of the oxide, but on the W6+/W5+ ratio present on the WOx surface, surface in contact with the TE material. Interestingly, W6+/W5+ ratio can be tuned through the oxidation conditions, showing a path for optimizing the properties of the WOx-based ReRAM cells.
A Survey of Metal Oxides and Top Electrodes for Resistive Memory Devices
Authors: Bishop S.M. , Briggs B.D. , Leedy K.D. , Addepalli S. , Cady N.C.
Published: September 2011

Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) resistive switching devices are being pursued for a number of applications, including non-volatile memory and high density/low power computing. Reported resistive switching devices vary greatly in the choice of metal oxide and electrode material. Importantly, the choice of both the metal oxide and electrode material can have significant impact on device performance, their ability to switch, and the mode of switching (unipolar, bipolar, nonpolar) that results. In this study, three metal oxides (Cu2O, HfOx, and TiOx) were deposited onto copper bottom electrodes (BEs). Four different top electrode (TE) materials (Ni, Au, Al, and Pt) were then fabricated on the various metal oxides to form MIM structures. Devices were then characterized electrically to determine switching performance and behavior. Our results show that the metal TE plays a large role in determining whether or not the MIM structure will switch resistively and what mode of switching (unipolar, bipolar, or non-polar) is observed.
Improving the tribological properties of DLC (Fullerene-like) films grown by ECR-CVD with metal nanoparticles incorporation
Authors: Pardo Ainhoa , Gómez-Aleixandre Cristina
Published: September 2011

Thin Me-DLC films with different metal contents have been deposited by ECR-CVD (Electron Cyclotron Resonance Chemical Vapour Deposition). Before the growth process, metal nanoparticles were scattered over the substrate surface by dipping it into a dispersion previously sonicated. The concentration of the dispersion (150, 300, 500 and 5000 ppm) controls the metal content into the carbon coating. The morphology of the deposited samples was analysed by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). The metal content in the carbon films has been evaluated by SIMS (Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy). The incorporation of low amounts of metal nanoparticles into the hard carbon coating produces an outstanding improvement in the durability of the layer, as detected by pin-on-disc tests. For an optimum chromium content of 300 ppm of nanoparticles in the dispersion, the grown layer exhibits a noteworthy higher wear resistance respect to that of the DLC reference film. More precisely, in this case, the Cr-DLC coating undergoes ten times longer wear process than the reference DLC coating. However, it is important to indicate that in samples grown using more concentrated dispersions (> 300 ppm), a rapid deterioration of the coating is produced and short lifetimes have been detected, attributed to the large contribution of metal to the transfer layer.
Selective Seeding and Growth of Nanocrystalline CVD Diamond on Non-Diamond Substrates
Authors: Pobedinskas P. , Janssens S.D. , Hernando J. , Wagner P. , Nesládek M. , Haenen K.
Published: September 2011

A study is presented on nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) growth on different substrates, including silicon with and without different metallic interlayers, on aluminum nitride (AlN), and on a Si/AlN-based cantilever. It is shown that non-diamond substrate treatment prior to NCD growth is important for achieving high nucleation densities. AFM measurements reveal that an additional Si surface pretreatment with hydrogen plasma increases the nucleation density by a factor of four. A similar effect was indirectly demonstrated with acidic pretreatment of AlN. In both cases it is believed that the surface roughening is the key factor for explaining this phenomenon.
Control of Nanocrystalline Silicon Growth Phase and Deposition Rate through Voltage Waveform Tailoring during PECVD
Authors: Johnson E.V. , Pouliquen S. , Delattre P.A. , Booth J.P.
Published: September 2011

The use of Voltage Waveform Tailoring (VWT) – that is the use of non-sinusoidal waveforms with a period equivalent to RF frequencies – is shown to be effective in modifying the electric field distribution in a parallel plate, capacitively coupled laboratory plasma deposition reactor, and thus in changing the growth mode of silicon thin films from amorphous to nanocrystalline. The use of the VWT technique allows one to decouple the power injected into the plasma from the ion-bombardment energy at the film surface without changing any other deposition parameters, such as pressure or gas mixture. Material results are presented for an H2/SiH4 gas composition. A “peaks” type waveform increases the ion-bombardment energy at the RF electrode and reduces it at the substrate, resulting in more nanocrystalline growth. The use of a “valleys”-type waveform has the opposite effect, and results in more amorphous growth. We show the dependence of the process on silane dilution and pressure, including results on changes to the deposition rate when changing the excitation voltage waveform.
Imaging Upconversion from NaYF4:Er:Yb Nanoparticles on Au and Ag Nanostructured Substrates
Authors: Zhong Lanlan , Luu QuocAnh , Paudel Hari P. , Bayat Khadijeh , Baroughi Mahdi Farrokh , May P. Stanley , Smith Steve
Published: September 2011

Near-infrared-to-visible upconversion materials have many promising applications, including use in luminescent solar concentrators, in next-generation displays, and as biological labels. NaYF4 nano-particles doped with Yb and Er exhibit efficient upconversion and are easily deployed in these applications. It is known that a rough metal surface may increase the yield of fluorescence of a nearby fluorophore, by local field enhancement due to plasmonic resonances, and by modification of the radiative rate(s) of the fluorophore. Thus, properly chosen metallic nanostructures can potentially increase the upconversion efficiency of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles, yet the optimal design of these nanostructures is still an active area of research. In our experiments, we use a spectroscopic imaging system to study the upconversion efficiency of NaYF4: Er3+/ Yb3+ through spatially-resolved upconversion spectra, using a custom-built scanning confocal microscope system with infra-red excitation, and wide-field fluorescence imaging. We present spectrally-resolved upconversion images of NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles on plasmonic substrates, including silver nanowires and patterned substrates of gold and silver, which show localized regions (∼ 1μm) of relatively stronger intensity and modified upconversion spectra, and compare these to wide-field fluorescence images of samples with and without plasmonic substrates.
Natureza desumana: desmesuras do mundo ao homem
Authors: Costa Luis Artur , Dutra Daniel , Fonseca Tania Mara Galli
Published: September 2011

O presente artigo propõe-se a erigir um conceito de natureza imanente e paradoxal que dê sustento às práticas da psicologia social de desnaturalização das configurações sociais. A partir da problematização da natureza em autores fundamentais da filosofia, Aristóteles e Rousseau, elabora-se uma nova concepção de natureza desnaturada e livre das amarras das representações essencialistas e totalizantes do humanismo clássico e iluminista. Afirmando outra possibilidade de homem e humanidade para além da clausura de sua própria representação ideal e analítica, o conceito de natureza aqui erigido impede o esvaziamento das práticas de desnaturalização em slogan, ao fornecer para essa prática um substrato ontoepistêmico adequado às suas desmesuras ao humano. Abre-se então a possibilidade de operar conceitos fluidos como o de subjetivação e devir ao invés do de identidade e estado.
Envolvimento de docentes-gestores com o trabalho no contexto universitário
Authors: Kanan Lilia Aparecida , Zanelli José Carlos
Published: September 2011

Caracterizar o envolvimento de docentes-gestores com o trabalho no contexto universitário constituiu objetivo deste estudo. A pesquisa, de caráter qualitativo com enfoque exploratório e descritivo, teve a recorrência como procedimento associado à técnica de entrevistas. Os participantes, docentes-gestores de universidades de Santa Catarina, destacam que seu trabalho representa oportunidade de realização pessoal e de exercício de seu potencial e talento; há valor, sentido e importância para si e para a sociedade a ele associados. De forma geral os docentes-gestores não se percebem preparados suficientemente para as atividades de gestão do curso. As relações de poder, a hierarquia, o formalismo, a centralização da autoridade, os esquemas de controle, as poucas ou inexistentes oportunidades de avaliação e feedback da atuação são alguns aspectos que obstaculizam possibilidades de maior envolvimento.
Redução de danos e saúde pública: construções alternativas à política global de "guerra às drogas"
Authors: Passos Eduardo Henrique , Souza Tadeu Paula
Published: September 2011

A Redução de Danos (RD) vem se consolidando como um importante movimento nacional, impulsionando a construção de uma política de drogas democrática. Neste artigo destacaremos o modo como a RD se constituiu frente aos embates com as forças totalitárias da política global de "guerra às drogas". Enfocaremos tanto aspectos internacionais quanto aspectos nacionais que confluíram para a construção de uma política antidrogas. É dentro desse cenário político que a RD vem se consolidando como uma outra política de drogas possível. Analisaremos como a inclusão dos usuários de drogas em arranjos coletivos de gestão é uma importante direção clínica e política do movimento da RD, definindo uma nova proposta de atenção em saúde. A partir desses espaços coletivos de cuidado, os usuários de drogas puderam tecer uma rede nacional de cooperação e de produção de uma luta comum.
Aplicabilidade dos limites da velocidade do ar para efeito de conforto térmico em climas quentes e úmidos
Authors: Candido Christhina , Lamberts Roberto , Bittencourt Leonardo , Dear Richard de
Published: September 2011

Este trabalho discute os limites dados para a velocidade do ar pelas normas ASHRAE 55 (2004) e ISO 7730 (2005). Para tal, realizou-se uma análise comparativa entre os valores-limite para a velocidade do ar definidos por essas normas e as respostas dos usuários em relação à preferência e aceitabilidade do movimento do ar obtidas em experimentos de campo realizados em Maceió/AL. Resultados indicam que ambas as normas especificam valores para a velocidade do ar inferiores aos desejados pelos usuários. Os resultados da preferência do movimento do ar indicam que significativa percentagem dos usuários demanda "maior movimento do ar". Quando associada às respostas da aceitabilidade do movimento do ar, a insatisfação dos usuários ficou mais evidente, assim como a demanda por maior velocidade do ar. O mesmo movimento de ar, considerado como inaceitável em climas frios e temperados, é desejado pelos usuários em climas úmidos. Nesse contexto, a aplicabilidade de limites máximos para a velocidade do ar provenientes de estudos com características climáticas diferentes deve ser evitada. Tais limites devem vir de resultados de experimentos de campo em ambientes naturalmente ventilados, onde os usuários possam utilizar de oportunidades adaptativas para reestabelecer o conforto térmico. Futuras normas brasileiras devem focar em tais questões, visando limites de velocidade que correspondam à expectativa dos usuários em climas quentes e úmidos.
Avaliação de conforto térmico em ambientes cirúrgicos utilizando método de Fanger e temperaturas equivalentes
Authors: Felix Victor Barbosa , Moura Danilo de , Pereira Marcelo Luiz , Tribess Arlindo
Published: September 2011

Em ambientes cirúrgicos as condições de conforto térmico precisam ser as melhores possíveis para que o cirurgião e a equipe médica trabalhem em ambientes cirúrgicos as condições de conforto térmico precisam ser as melhores possíveis para que o cirurgião e a equipe médica trabalhem em condições favoráveis para o sucesso do procedimento cirúrgico. Neste trabalho são avaliadas condições de conforto térmico em salas cirúrgicas utilizando o método de Fanger e temperaturas equivalentes. Foram realizadas medições de variáveis ambientais e avaliações subjetivas baseadas em questionários. A aplicação do método de Fanger mostrou-se adequada na avaliação de condições de conforto térmico em salas cirúrgicas, embora seja necessário cuidado especial em sua utilização e na análise dos resultados. Paralelamente, resultados de estudo comparativo com trabalhos de outros autores mostraram valores praticamente iguais de temperaturas equivalentes de conforto térmico, em torno de 22 oC, para todos os membros da equipe cirúrgica. Esse resultado é particularmente útil para avaliar diferentes condições ambientais e pessoais em propiciar condições adequadas de conforto térmico aos diferentes membros da equipe cirúrgica.
Avaliação de desempenho do processo de orçamento: estudo de caso em uma obra de construção civil
Authors: Azevedo Rogério Cabral , Ensslin Leonardo , Lacerda Rogério Tadeu de Oliveira , França Lisiane Anderson , González Cindy Johanna Ibarra , Jungles Antônio Edésio , Ensslin Sandra Rolim
Published: September 2011

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo propor um modelo para avaliar o processo de orçamentação na construção civil. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter exploratório, baseada em um estudo de caso realizado em uma construtora brasileira. Como instrumento de intervenção foi utilizada a Metodologia Multicritério de Apoio à Decisão Construtivista (MCDA-C), a qual permitiu identificar, organizar, mensurar e integrar os fatores necessários e suficientes, quando da avaliação de um orçamento, segundo a percepção do decisor em questão. O trabalho faz uma revisão de literatura sobre avaliação de desempenho e o gerenciamento de projetos no contexto de obras de construção civil. É apresentado o desenvolvimento do modelo construído para apoio à decisão, o qual permitiu ao gerente de engenharia avaliar o desempenho de um orçamento, identificando os fatores que causam desvios, a fim de eliminar ou minimizar suas causas, além de servir de base para propostas de melhorias no processo de orçamentação.
Five Drivers Shifting the Paradigm from Product-Focused Transfusion Practice to Patient Blood Management
Authors: Hofmann Axel , Farmer Shannon , Shander Aryeh
Published: September 2011

The objective of this paper is to introduce clinicians and health care professionals to the concept of patient blood management (PBM) and to explain the difference between PBM and the concept of “appropriate use” of blood products. The five reasons why modern health systems need to shift from product-focused transfusion practice to PBM are also presented. These are: the aging population with a leveraged demand for blood products opposed to a shrinking donor base; the growing awareness that transfusion is a complex service involving many different cost centers within a hospital and representing a multiple of the blood product cost; the continuous effort to protect blood pools from known, new, or re-emerging pathogens while facing uncertainty over their potentially long silent carrier states; the emerging evidence that transfusion is an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes; and finally, a lack of evidence for benefit of transfusion for the vast majority of recipients.
Optimum swimming pathways of fish spawning migrations in rivers
Authors: McElroy Brandon , DeLonay Aaron , Jacobson Robert
Published: September 2011

Fishes that swim upstream in rivers to spawn must navigate complex fluvial velocity fields to arrive at their ultimate locations. One hypothesis with substantial implications is that fish traverse pathways that minimize their energy expenditure during migration. Here we present the methodological and theoretical developments necessary to test this and similar hypotheses. First, a cost function is derived for upstream migration that relates work done by a fish to swimming drag. The energetic cost scales with the cube of a fish's relative velocity integrated along its path. By normalizing to the energy requirements of holding a position in the slowest waters at the path's origin, a cost function is derived that depends only on the physical environment and not on specifics of individual fish. Then, as an example, we demonstrate the analysis of a migration pathway of a telemetrically tracked pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the Missouri River (USA). The actual pathway cost is lower than 105 random paths through the surveyed reach and is consistent with the optimization hypothesis. The implication—subject to more extensive validation—is that reproductive success in managed rivers could be increased through manipulation of reservoir releases or channel morphology to increase abundance of lower‐cost migration pathways.
Reading-Related Skills, Reading Achievement, and Inattention: A Correlational Study
Authors: Grigorenko Elena L. , Kornev Aleksandr N. , Rakhlin Natalia , Krivulskaya Suzanna
Published: September 2011

Here we investigated the psychological texture of a literacy-related disability, specific reading disability (SRD, also referred to as dyslexia), as it is manifested in Russian and defined in the Russian Federation. Specifically, we attempted to understand the emerging properties of this deficit among 96 students in grades 2 and 3 (38 girls and 58 boys, aged 7.90–10.42 years, mean = 8.87, SD = 0.56) attending a public primary school in St. Petersburg, Russia. Based on the linguistic properties of the Russian language, we designed a literacy-skills assessment battery that incorporates both internationally common (i.e., the traditional IQ-achievement discrepancy-based) and Russia-specific (i.e., typology-based) approaches to identifying reading difficulties in emergent readers. In addition, we measured children’s levels of general intelligence, inattention, and hyperactivity (i.e., the symptomatology related to attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, ADHD). Multi-trait-multi-method methodology was employed in that data were collected both from teachers and students for multiple reading-related processes, using both self-report and maximum performance assessments. The results are interpreted in terms of the convergence (and lack of such) between the common and country/language-specific approaches to the identification of reading difficulties, and the relevance of the general level of intelligence to diagnosing specific reading difficulties in Russian and in Russia.
Effects of Elicited Emotions on Cognitive Functioning of Preschool Children With Different Types of Temperament
Authors: Blau Rivka , Klein Pnina S.
Published: September 2011

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of elicited positive and negative emotions on cognitive functioning of preschool children with different temperament types. Emotions were elicited through presentations of video clips before children were asked to perform a series of cognitive tasks. Eliciting positive emotions generated an overall enhancement in children’s cognitive functioning, independent of their temperament. However, specific temperamental characteristics were found to be significantly related to specific cognitive functions. For example, following elicitation of positive emotions, children who were rated high on Attention Shifting performed less well on a “Gestalt Closure” task, whereas performance of children who were rated low on the same subscale was enhanced. Significant differences were found regarding the effect of eliciting emotions on children who rated intermediate as compared with those who rated high or low on several temperamental subscales. These findings are discussed within the contexts of self- and emotion-regulation.
Macro and microelements in bottled and tap waters of Serbia
Authors: Petrovic Tanja , Zlokolica-Mandic Milena , Veljkovic Nebojsa , Papic Petar , Poznanovic Maja , Stojkovic Jana , Magazinovic Sava
Published: September 2011

Comparative analysis between bottled and tap waters as well as its comparison
with current Serbian regulations, European Union Directives and World Health
Organization standard are shown in this paper. Thirteen bottled waters and
fourteen tap waters from the territory of Serbia were analyzed in the
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) laboratory in
Berlin, for the purpose of the ?Geochemistry of European Bottled Water?
project conducted by EuroGeo Survey Geochemistry (EGS). Macrocomponents
(main cations and anions) of ground waters usually reflect on
lithogeochemistry of the aquifer, while microcomponents indicate the
circulation of ground water through the different lithological environment.
Analyzed bottled waters could be classified as those with low mineral
content (M<500 mg/L) if HCO3 anion and Ca and Mg cations were the prevailing
ones, or mineral (M>500 mg/L) with prevailing HCO3 anion and Na cation.
Waters with low mineral content were mainly from limestone and dolomite,
while mineral waters mainly originated from magmatic and metamorphic rocks.
Higher content of Cs, Li, Ge, Rb and F in bottled waters indicates the
importance of the magmatic intrusions influence on their chemical
composition. In some waters higher content of B, I, NH4, as well as of Tl
and W has been observed which can be attributed to water?s circulation
through different lithological complexes. Tap water was mostly obtained from
groundwater (from Neogen and alluvial aquifers and karst springs) with rest
being those of rivers and surface accumulations. Tap waters from Central
Serbia were with low mineral content, with prevailing HCO3 anion and Ca and
Mg cations, while waters from Vojvodina, the northern province of Serbia,
were with higher mineralization, HCO3-Na. Chemical analyses of the sampled
tap waters showed good quality, with exception of waters from the cities of
Senta and Zrenjanin in Vojvodina. High values of B (1170 and 895 g/L), As
(20.9 and 71.9 g/l), Na (208 and 275 mg/L), as well as EC (715 and 928 S/cm)
have been registered in these waters.
Special Items: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Johnson Peter M. , Lopez Thomas J. , Sanchez Juan Manuel
Published: September 2011

SYNOPSIS

We provide a comprehensive analysis of special items and the characteristics of the firms that recognize them. Our analysis reveals that the temporal frequency, magnitude, and persistence of special items has increased significantly in the last 30 years, and that such increases are primarily driven by negative special items. More recently, however, our evidence is consistent with both a decline in frequency and magnitude of negative special items. On the other hand, we find that the frequency of reporting of positive special items, which remained relatively constant through 2002, has increased in more recent years. We also find strong evidence that subsequent special item reporting is an increasing function of the frequency of “prior” special item reporting. Using a random subsample of firms reporting special items, we document that 22 percent of the amounts reported in Compustat do not reconcile with the amounts reported on the firms' actual financial statements. Our comprehensive analysis should be of interest to regulators, academics, and managers interested in the implications of special items on firm-related consequences such as future earnings and firm value. Our examination can also serve as a catalyst for researchers interested in extending this important area of inquiry.
Accounting for Revenues: A Framework for Standard Setting
Authors:   American Accounting Association's Financial Accounting Standards Committee (AAA FASC):, Ohlson James A. , Penman Stephen H. , Biondi Yuri , Bloomfield Robert J. , Glover Jonathan C. , Jamal Karim , Tsujiyama Eiko
Published: September 2011

SYNOPSIS

This paper proposes an accounting for revenues as an alternative to the proposals currently being aired by the FASB and IASB. Existing revenue recognition rules are vague, resulting in messy application, so the Boards are seeking a remedy. However, their proposals replace the traditional criteria—revenue is recognized when it is both “realized or realizable” and “earned”—with similarly vague notions that require both the identification of a “performance obligation” and the “satisfaction” of a performance obligation. Our framework aims for the concreteness that yields practical accounting solutions. It has two features. First, revenue is recognized when a customer makes a payment or a firm commitment to pay. Second, revenue recognition and profit recognition are combined, with profit recognition determined on the basis of objective criteria about the resolution of uncertainty under a contract, and then conservatively so. Two alternative approaches are offered: the complete contract method (where profit is recognized only on the termination of a contract) and the profit margin method (where a profit margin is applied to recognized revenues throughout the contract as the contract profit margin becomes clear. The latter requires resolution of uncertainty, so the completed contract method is the default.
CFO/CEO-Board Social Ties, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Earnings Management
Authors: Krishnan Gopal V. , Raman K. K. , Yang Ke , Yu Wei
Published: September 2011

SYNOPSIS

Prior research suggests that the efficacy of a formally independent member of the board of directors could be undermined by social ties with the CEO. In this study, we examine the relation between CFO/CEO-board social ties and earnings management over the 2000–2007 time period. Our results suggest that CFOs/CEOs picked more socially connected directors in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) time period (possibly as a way out of the mandated independence requirements). Our results also suggest a positive relation between CFO/CEO-board social ties and earnings management. Still, the increase in managerial/board risk aversion since SOX appears to have negated the effect of social ties on earnings management in the post-SOX period. Board independence and financial reporting quality remain topics of ongoing interest. The study is important in advancing our understanding of the role of social ties in earnings management.
The structure and representation of n-ary algebras of DNA recombination
Authors: Sverchkov Sergei
Published: September 2011

In this paper we investigate the structure and representation of n-ary algebras arising from DNA recombination, where n is a number of DNA segments participating in recombination. Our methods involve a generalization of the Jordan formalization of observables in quantum mechanics in n-ary splicing algebras. It is proved that every identity satisfied by n-ary DNA recombination, with no restriction on the degree, is a consequence of n-ary commutativity and a single n-ary identity of the degree 3n-2. It solves the well-known open problem in the theory of n-ary intermolecular recombination.
One-fibered ideals in 2-dimensional rational singularities that can be desingularized by blowing up the unique maximal ideal
Authors: Lierde Veronique
Published: September 2011

Let (R;m) be a 2-dimensional rational singularity with algebraically closed residue field and whose associated graded ring is an integrally closed domain. Göhner has shown that for every prime divisor v of R, there exists a unique one-fibered complete m-primary ideal A
v in R with unique Rees valuation v and such that any complete m-primary ideal with unique Rees valuation v, is a power of A
v. We show that for v ≠ ordR, A
v is the inverse transform of a simple complete ideal in an immediate quadratic transform of R, if and only if the degree coefficient d(A
v; v) is 1. We then give a criterion for R to be regular.
Specific T-cell Activation in an Unspecific T-cell Repertoire
Authors: Van Den Berg Hugo A. , Molina-París Carmen , Sewell Andrew K.
Published: September 2011

T-cells are a vital type of white blood cell that circulate around our bodies, scanning for cellular abnormalities and infections. They recognise disease-associated antigens via a surface receptor called the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR). If there were a specific TCR for every single antigen, no mammal could possibly contain all the T-cells it needs. This is clearly absurd and suggests that T-cell recognition must, to the contrary, be highly degenerate. Yet highly promiscuous TCRs would appear to be equally impossible: they are bound to recognise self as well as non-self antigens. We review how contributions from mathematical analysis have helped to resolve the paradox of the promiscuous TCR. Combined experimental and theoretical work shows that TCR degeneracy is essentially dynamical in nature, and that the T-cell can differentially adjust its functional sensitivity to the salient epitope, “tuning up” sensitivity to the antigen associated with disease and “tuning down” sensitivity to antigens associated with healthy conditions. This paradigm of continual modulation affords the TCR repertoire, despite its limited numerical diversity, the flexibility to respond to almost any antigenic challenge while avoiding autoimmunity.
Late-Holocene climate evolution at the WAIS Divide site, West Antarctica: bubble number-density estimates
Authors: Fegyveresi J.M. , Alley R.B. , Spencer M.K. , Fitzpatrick J.J. , Steig E.J. , White J.W.C. , McConnell J.R. , Taylor K.C.
Published: September 2011

A surface cooling of ∼1.7°C occurred over the ∼two millennia prior to ∼1700 CE at the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) Divide site, based on trends in observed bubble number-density of samples from the WDC06A ice core, and on an independently constructed accumulation-rate history using annual-layer dating corrected for density variations and thinning from ice flow. Density increase and grain growth in polar firn are both controlled by temperature and accumulation rate, and the integrated effects are recorded in the number-density of bubbles as the firn changes to ice. Number-density is conserved in bubbly ice following pore close-off, allowing reconstruction of either paleotemperature or paleo-accumulation rate if the other is known. A quantitative late-Holocene paleoclimate reconstruction is presented for West Antarctica using data obtained from the WAIS Divide WDC06A ice core and a steady-state bubble number-density model. The resultant temperature history agrees closely with independent reconstructions based on stable-isotopic ratios of ice. The ∼1.7°C cooling trend observed is consistent with a decrease in Antarctic summer duration from changing orbital obliquity, although it remains possible that elevation change at the site contributed part of the signal. Accumulation rate and temperature dropped together, broadly consistent with control by saturation vapor pressure.
Sublimation and surface energy budget of Taylor Glacier, Antarctica
Authors: Bliss Andrew K. , Cuffey Kurt M. , Kavanaugh Jeffrey L.
Published: September 2011

Taylor Glacier, an outlet of the East Antarctic ice sheet, flows through the Transantarctic Mountains and terminates in the Dry Valleys. Understanding how this glacier fluctuates is important for studies of glacial geology, paleoclimate, ice dynamics and ecology. Sublimation is the primary mass-loss process for most of the glacier. Four years of specific balance measurements from the ablation zone show sublimation rates up to 40 cm a−1. We used data from an array of weather stations as inputs to a model for latent heat flux and hence sublimation rate. Calculated and measured ablation rates agree to within uncertainties, indicating that wind speed and vapour pressure gradient (a function of temperature and humidity) are the governing variables, as expected from theory. Measurements and model results together allowed us to examine the spatial and temporal variations of sublimation on the glacier. On average, sublimation is about two times faster in summer than winter. Rapid sublimation occurs during storms and katabatic wind events, but such periods contribute less to the annual total than do slow, persistent losses. Spatially, sublimation reaches a maximum midway along the glacier, where descending surface air currents are focused by the topography of the aptly named tributary, Windy Gully.
Variability of basal melt beneath the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf, West Antarctica
Authors: Bindschadler Robert , Vaughan David G. , Vornberger Patricia
Published: September 2011

Observations from satellite and airborne platforms are combined with model calculations to infer the nature and efficiency of basal melting of the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf, West Antarctica, by ocean waters. Satellite imagery shows surface features that suggest ice-shelf-wide changes to the ocean’s influence on the ice shelf as the grounding line retreated. Longitudinal profiles of ice surface and bottom elevations are analyzed to reveal a spatially dependent pattern of basal melt with an annual melt flux of 40.5 Gt a−1. One profile captures a persistent set of surface waves that correlates with quasi-annual variations of atmospheric forcing of Amundsen Sea circulation patterns, establishing a direct connection between atmospheric variability and sub-ice-shelf melting. Ice surface troughs are hydrostatically compensated by ice-bottom voids up to 150 m deep. Voids form dynamically at the grounding line, triggered by enhanced melting when warmer-than-average water arrives. Subsequent enlargement of the voids is thermally inefficient (4% or less) compared with an overall melting efficiency beneath the ice shelf of 22%. Residual warm water is believed to cause three persistent polynyas at the ice-shelf front seen in Landsat imagery. Landsat thermal imagery confirms the occurrence of warm water at the same locations.
On Representation in Information Theory
Authors: Brenner Joseph E.
Published: September 2011

Semiotics is widely applied in theories of information. Following the original triadic characterization of reality by Peirce, the linguistic processes involved in information—production, transmission, reception, and understanding—would all appear to be interpretable in terms of signs and their relations to their objects. Perhaps the most important of these relations is that of the representation-one, entity, standing for or representing some other. For example, an index—one of the three major kinds of signs—is said to represent something by being directly related to its object. My position, however, is that the concept of symbolic representations having such roles in information, as intermediaries, is fraught with the same difficulties as in representational theories of mind. I have proposed an extension of logic to complex real phenomena, including mind and information (Logic in Reality; LIR), most recently at the 4th International Conference on the Foundations of Information Science (Beijing, August, 2010). LIR provides explanations for the evolution of complex processes, including information, that do not require any entities other than the processes themselves. In this paper, I discuss the limitations of the standard relation of representation. I argue that more realistic pictures of informational systems can be provided by reference to information as an energetic process, following the categorial ontology of LIR. This approach enables naïve, anti-realist conceptions of anti-representationalism to be avoided, and enables an approach to both information and meaning in the same novel logical framework.
Synthesis and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Mechanisms of Bis(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl) Ether, a Potential Marine Bromophenol α-Glucosidase Inhibitor
Authors: Liu Ming , Zhang Wei , Wei Jianteng , Lin Xiukun
Published: September 2011

Bis(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl) ether (BDDE), derived from the marine algae, is a potential α-glucosidase inhibitor for type 2 diabetes treatment. In the present study, a synthetic route was established as a valid approach to obtain BDDE. Fluorescence spectra, circular dichroism spectra and molecular docking methods were employed to elucidate the inhibitory mechanisms of BDDE against α-glucosidase. The results showed that BDDE could be prepared effectively and efficiently with the established synthetic methods. Synthetic BDDE bound with α-glucosidase and induced minor conformational changes of the enzyme. The docking results indicated the interaction between BDDE and α-glucosidase was driven by both hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonds. The docked BDDE molecule was completely buried in the α-glucosidase binding pocket with part of the molecule reaching the catalytic center and overlapping with the position of glucose, and the rest of the molecule extending towards protein surface. This study provides useful information for the understanding of the BDDE-α-glucosidase interaction and for the development of novel α-glucosidase inhibitors.
A Real-Time Capable Software-Defined Receiver Using GPU for Adaptive Anti-Jam GPS Sensors
Authors: Seo Jiwon , Chen Yu-Hsuan , De Lorenzo David S. , Lo Sherman , Enge Per , Akos Dennis , Lee Jiyun
Published: September 2011

Due to their weak received signal power, Global Positioning System (GPS) signals are vulnerable to radio frequency interference. Adaptive beam and null steering of the gain pattern of a GPS antenna array can significantly increase the resistance of GPS sensors to signal interference and jamming. Since adaptive array processing requires intensive computational power, beamsteering GPS receivers were usually implemented using hardware such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). However, a software implementation using general-purpose processors is much more desirable because of its flexibility and cost effectiveness. This paper presents a GPS software-defined radio (SDR) with adaptive beamsteering capability for anti-jam applications. The GPS SDR design is based on an optimized desktop parallel processing architecture using a quad-core Central Processing Unit (CPU) coupled with a new generation Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) having massively parallel processors. This GPS SDR demonstrates sufficient computational capability to support a four-element antenna array and future GPS L5 signal processing in real time. After providing the details of our design and optimization schemes for future GPU-based GPS SDR developments, the jamming resistance of our GPS SDR under synthetic wideband jamming is presented. Since the GPS SDR uses commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and processors, it can be easily adopted in civil GPS applications requiring anti-jam capabilities.
Activated Sludge and Other Aerobic Suspended Culture Processes
Authors: Moretti Charles J. , Das Dipesh , Kistner Brian T. , Gullicks Harvey , Hung Yung-Tse
Published: September 2011

A review of the literature published in 2008, 2009 and 2010 relating to activated sludge treatment of wastewater is presented. The review considers information on the topics of modeling and kinetics; process microbiology; nitrogen and phosphorus removal; treatment and effects of xenobiotics; oxygen transfer; and solids separation.
Local Korfball versus Global Basketball: a Study of the Relationship between Sports' Rule-Making and Dissemination
Authors: van Bottenburg Maarten , Vermeulen Jeroen
Published: September 2011

Korfball contre basket-ball : les liens entre la fabrication des règles et la diffusion Dans cet article, l'auteur se demande pourquoi, bien que ces deux sports soient étroitement liés et fortement comparables, le korfball est resté un sport local, soumis à la moquerie et à la dérision dans son pays d'origine, alors que le basketball a connu un essor mondial et prestigieux qui fascine les populations. En répondant à la question, cette étude a l'intention de donner une vision plus approfondie de la relation entre les règles fondamentales des sports et leurs dissémination et signification différentielles. On en conclut que les lois ont leur importance mais ne déterminent pas la diffusion d'un sport. Le peuple s'en charge. Et le contexte social aussi. Ainsi, les explications concernant les différences de diffusion des sports ne doivent pas être cherchées dans leurs propriétés intrinsèques statiques, mais dans leurs caractéristiques sociales dynamiques.
Pourquoi les Taïwanais jouent-ils au baseball ? Étude diachronique d'une diffusion réussie
Authors: Soldani Jérôme
Published: September 2011

Le baseball est introduit à Taiwan au tournant du xxe siècle, lorsque l'île est gouvernée par les Japonais. La pratique rencontre un écho particulièrement favorable qui doit beaucoup aux affinités entre ses propriétés formelles et les conceptions locales de l'espace, du temps et de l'action individuelle et collective. Ce sport est également associé aux représentations de la modernité liées à la période japonaise. Après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Taiwan passe sous la coupe des nationalistes chinois qui s'y replient. Le baseball devient le porte-étendard d'un État en manque de reconnaissance internationale, mais aussi la fabrique et la vitrine d'un ordre moral confucéen promu par le pouvoir, et étroitement lié au rapport au corps des individus et à la Nation.
Analyse comparative Maroc-Tunisie du cadre institutionnel de la RSE dans les PME
Authors: Labaronne Daniel , Gana-Oueslati Emna
Published: September 2011

Résumé Nous mettons en parallèle, au Maroc et en Tunisie, les leviers institutionnels internationaux puis nationaux d’encouragement des pratiques en matière de développement durable (DD) et de responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RSE). Nous examinons, d’une part, les forces qui poussent certains dirigeants de PME marocaines et tunisiennes à s’engager dans une politique de RSE (valeur et éthique personnelle du manager, pression de la maison mère et des donneurs d’ordres), d’autre part, les freins qui empêchent l’adhésion à cette démarche (faiblesse des ressources, vulnérabilité économique, manque d’informations, insuffisance de personnel qualifié, cadre réglementaire défaillant). Nous observons que si les dispositifs internationaux sont similaires pour les deux pays, le Maroc a un cadre institutionnel national plus axé sur la RSE et la Tunisie plus orienté vers le DD.
La gestion de l'urgence dans les PME au Maroc : perceptions et pratiques de gestion
Authors: Abaaoukide Kamar , Bentaleb Chafik
Published: September 2011

Résumé Avec la mondialisation de l’économie, la notion de l’urgence est devenue omniprésente au sein des entreprises en favorisant l’installation d’un mode exclusif basé sur l’immédiateté et l’instantanéité. Deux explications à la fois économique et technologique légitiment la montée en puissance de la notion de l’urgence (Aubert [2003]). La première est liée au changement du mode de la régulation contrôlée par l’Etat à une régulation basée plutôt sur la logique du marché. La deuxième est la révolution du domaine de l’information par la fusion des télécommunications et de l’informatique. L’urgence à travers l’exigence de la réactivité et le refus de différer la mise en œuvre de l’action vers l’avenir implique la suprématie du temps présent. Elle fait de l’immédiateté un besoin d’action face aux nouvelles contraintes économiques. Cette recherche rappelle les concepts inhérents à la notion de l’urgence et présente les premiers résultats de l’étude qualitative sur cette notion menée auprès des dirigeants marocains.
Self-Initiated Health Behaviors Following a Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Morgan Gillian H. , Garand Linda I. , Lingler Jennifer H.
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this study was to characterize the health-related activities that individuals self-initiate after being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Fifty-three people with MCI were queried regarding health-related activity changes made as a direct result of the MCI diagnosis, excluding activities that they were performing prior to their diagnosis or that were formally recommended by a clinician. Qualitative description was used to analyze responses. Most (62%) participants reported initiating one or more health-related activities. The activities fell into three distinct categories: behaviors that were symptom driven (e.g., cognitive exercises), health promoting (e.g., dietary changes), or general increases in activity level. Activities reported by this sample encompassed many practices for which evidence of a potential impact on the clinical course of MCI is limited. However, these findings provide insight into the kinds of interventions that may be most attractive to those living with an MCI diagnosis.
Delivering Key Graduate Attributes via Teams Working in Virtual Space
Authors: Brodie Lyn
Published: September 2011

Transferable skills are gaining an increasing emphasis in engineering education. The skills of teamwork, communication, self directed learning and problem solving feature in most of the accrediting agencies criteria. This paper is a case study of a course which uses Problem Based Learning method to deliver key transferable skills to engineering students studying via distance education The students use a range of communication systems including a Learning Management System which offers synchronous and asynchronous communications to work in a team where there is no face to face contact between either the team members or with the supervising academic. The teams solve open ended, contextualised engineering problems. These teams form a learning community which scaffolds individual and team learning goals. Results from a longitudinal study show that students significantly increase their teamwork, communication, problem solving and self directed learning skills. These are key graduate attributes now required by professional accreditation bodies. In addition specific theoretical and technical skills and knowledge are learnt and applied to new problems.