Sample records for establishing exchange bias

  1. Exchange bias mediated by interfacial nanoparticles (invited)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berkowitz, A. E., E-mail: aberk@ucsd.edu; Center for Magnetic Recording Research, University of California, California 92093; Sinha, S. K.

    2015-05-07

    The objective of this study on the iconic exchange-bias bilayer Permalloy/CoO has been to identify those elements of the interfacial microstructure and accompanying magnetic properties that are responsible for the exchange-bias and hysteretic properties of this bilayer. Both epitaxial and polycrystalline samples were examined. X-ray and neutron reflectometry established that there existed an interfacial region, of width ∼1 nm, whose magnetic properties differed from those of Py or CoO. A model was developed for the interfacial microstructure that predicts all the relevant properties of this system; namely; the temperature and Permalloy thickness dependence of the exchange-bias, H{sub EX}, and coercivity, H{submore » C}; the much smaller measured values of H{sub EX} from what was nominally expected; the different behavior of H{sub EX} and H{sub C} in epitaxial and polycrystalline bilayers. A surprising result is that the exchange-bias does not involve direct exchange-coupling between Permalloy and CoO, but rather is mediated by CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles in the interfacial region.« less

  2. New Trends in Magnetic Exchange Bias

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mougin, Alexandra; Mangin, Stéphane; Bobo, Jean-Francois; Loidl, Alois

    2005-05-01

    -of-plane exchange bias, depending on the field cooling direction. This is of particular interest since it allows probing of the three-dimensional spin structure of the AF layer. The interface magnetic configuration is extremely important in the perpendicular geometry, as the short-range exchange coupling competes with a long-range dipolar interaction; the induced uniaxial anisotropy must overcome the demagnetization energy to establish perpendicular anisotropy films. Those new studies are of primary importance for the magnetic media industry as perpendicular recording exhibits potential for strongly increased storage densities. 3. Parameters tuning exchange bias in polycrystalline samples and magnetic configurations: Different parameters can be used to tune the exchange bias coupling in polycrystalline samples similar to those used in devices. Particularly fascinating aspects are the questions of the appearance of exchange bias or coercivity in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet heterostructures, and its relation to magnetic configurations formed on either side of the interface. Several papers report on either growth choices or post preparation treatments that enable tuning of the exchange bias in bilayers. The additional complexity and novel features of the exchange coupled interface make the problem particularly rich. 4. Dynamics and magnetization reversal: Linear response experiments, such as ferromagnetic resonance, have been used with great success to identify interface, surface anisotropies and interlayer exchange in multilayer systems. The exchange bias structure is particularly well suited to study because interface driven changes in the spin wave frequencies in the ferromagnet can be readily related to interlayer exchange and anisotropy parameters associated with the antiferromagnet. Because the exchange bias is intimately connected with details of the magnetization process during reversal and the subsequent formation of hysteresis, considerations of time dependence and

  3. Spontaneous exchange bias formation driven by a structural phase transition in the antiferromagnetic material.

    PubMed

    Migliorini, A; Kuerbanjiang, B; Huminiuc, T; Kepaptsoglou, D; Muñoz, M; Cuñado, J L F; Camarero, J; Aroca, C; Vallejo-Fernández, G; Lazarov, V K; Prieto, J L

    2018-01-01

    Most of the magnetic devices in advanced electronics rely on the exchange bias effect, a magnetic interaction that couples a ferromagnetic and an antiferromagnetic material, resulting in a unidirectional displacement of the ferromagnetic hysteresis loop by an amount called the 'exchange bias field'. Setting and optimizing exchange bias involves cooling through the Néel temperature of the antiferromagnetic material in the presence of a magnetic field. Here we demonstrate an alternative process for the generation of exchange bias. In IrMn/FeCo bilayers, a structural phase transition in the IrMn layer develops at room temperature, exchange biasing the FeCo layer as it propagates. Once the process is completed, the IrMn layer contains very large single-crystal grains, with a large density of structural defects within each grain, which are promoted by the FeCo layer. The magnetic characterization indicates that these structural defects in the antiferromagnetic layer are behind the resulting large value of the exchange bias field and its good thermal stability. This mechanism for establishing the exchange bias in such a system can contribute towards the clarification of fundamental aspects of this exchange interaction.

  4. Controllable exchange bias in Fe/metamagnetic FeRh bilayers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Suzuki, Ippei; Hamasaki, Yosuke; Itoh, Mitsuru

    2014-10-27

    We report the studies of tuning the exchange bias at ferromagnetic Fe/metamagnetic FeRh bilayer interfaces. Fe/FeRh(111) bilayers show exchange bias in the antiferromagnetic state of FeRh while no exchange bias occurs at Fe/FeRh(001) interface. The contrasting results are attributed to the spin configurations of FeRh at the interface, i.e., the uncompensated ferromagnetic spin configuration of FeRh appears exclusively for (111) orientation. The exchange bias disappears as the bilayers are warmed above the antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic transition temperature. The direction of the exchange bias for Fe/FeRh(111) is also found to be perpendicular to the cooling-field direction, in contrast to the commonly observed directionmore » of exchange bias for ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interfaces. In view of these results, the exchange bias in Fe/FeRh bilayers with the (111) crystallographic orientation should be useful for the design of rapid writing technology for magnetic information devices.« less

  5. Dynamic Response of Exchange Bias in Graphene Nanoribbons

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-01-01

    in establishing the GNRs-based spintronic devices. Keywords: Dynamic magnetic properties , exchange bias, training effect, field sweep rate and...transport properties by means of various applied conditions 6, 7 . The discovery 8 of weak ferromagnetism in polymerized C60 has invoked a special...attention to investigate the magnetic properties of carbon- based materials. Graphene is an allotrope of carbon and irradiation of graphene with ions

  6. Interface mixing and its impact on exchange coupling in exchange biased systems

    DOE PAGES

    Manna, P. K.; Skoropata, E.; Ting, Y-W; ...

    2016-10-05

    Exchange bias and interlayer exchange coupling are interface driven phenomena. Since an ideal interface is very challenging to achieve, a clear understanding of the chemical and magnetic natures of interfaces is pivotal to identify their influence on the magnetism. We have chosen Ni 80Fe 20/CoO(t CoO)/Co trilayers as a model system, and identified non-stoichiometric Ni-ferrite and Co-ferrite at the surface and interface, respectively. These ferrites, being ferrimagnets typically, should influence the exchange coupling. But, in our trilayers the interface ferrites were found not to be ferro-or ferri-magnetic; thus having no observable influence on the exchange coupling. Our analysis also revealedmore » that (i) interlayer exchange coupling was present between Ni 80Fe 20 and Co even though the interlayer thickness was significantly larger than expected for this phenomenon to happen, and (ii) the majority of the CoO layer (except some portion near the interface) did not contribute to the observed exchange bias. Here, we also identified that the interlayer exchange coupling and the exchange bias properties were not interdependent.« less

  7. Giant perpendicular exchange bias with antiferromagnetic MnN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zilske, P.; Graulich, D.; Dunz, M.; Meinert, M.

    2017-05-01

    We investigated an out-of-plane exchange bias system that is based on the antiferromagnet MnN. Polycrystalline, highly textured film stacks of Ta/MnN/CoFeB/MgO/Ta were grown on SiOx by (reactive) magnetron sputtering and studied by x-ray diffraction and Kerr magnetometry. Nontrivial modifications of the exchange bias and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were observed as functions of both film thicknesses and field cooling temperatures. In optimized film stacks, a giant perpendicular exchange bias of 3600 Oe and a coercive field of 350 Oe were observed at room temperature. The effective interfacial exchange energy is estimated to be Jeff = 0.24 mJ/m2 and the effective uniaxial anisotropy constant of the antiferromagnet is Keff = 24 kJ/m3. The maximum effective perpendicular anisotropy field of the CoFeB layer is Hani = 3400 Oe. These values are larger than any previously reported values. These results possibly open a route to magnetically stable, exchange biased perpendicularly magnetized spin valves.

  8. Perspectives of voltage control for magnetic exchange bias in multiferroic heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Q.; Zhou, Z.; Sun, N. X.; Liu, M.

    2017-04-01

    Exchange bias, as an internal magnetic bias induced by a ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic exchange coupling, is extremely important in many magnetic applications such as memories, sensors and other devices. Voltage control of exchange bias in multiferroics provides an energy-efficient way to achieve a rapidly 180° deterministic switching of magnetization, which has been considered as a key challenge in realizing next generation of fast, compact and ultra-low power magnetoelectric memories and sensors. Additionally, exchange bias can enhance dynamic magnetoelectric coupling strength in an external-field-free manner. In this paper, we provide a perspective on voltage control of exchange bias in different multiferroic heterostructures. Brief mechanization and related experiments are discussed as well as future trend and challenges that can be overcome by electrically tuning of exchange bias in state-of-the-art magnetoelectric devices.

  9. Exchange bias effect in CoAl2O4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohanty, Prachi; Marik, Sourav; Singh, Ravi P.

    2018-04-01

    Herein, we report the appearance of a significant exchange bias (EB) effect for the highly frustrated spinel material CoAl2O4. It shows a large value of frustration parameter as observed from the dc susceptibility measurements. CoAl2O4 exhibits the exchange bias effect below 8 K when it is cooled in the presence of a magnetic field. Detailed magnetization measurements indicate that the exchange bias properties of this compound are associated with the frustration present in this material.

  10. Manipulation of competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic domains in exchange-biased nanostructures

    DOE PAGES

    Fraile Rodríguez, Arantxa; Basaran, Ali C.; Morales, Rafael; ...

    2015-11-20

    In this work, using photoemission electron microscopy combined with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism we show that a progressive spatial confinement of a ferromagnet (FM), either through thickness variation or laterally via patterning, actively controls the domains of uncompensated spins in the antiferromagnet (AF) in exchange-biased systems. Direct observations of the spin structure in both sides of the FM/AF interface in a model system, Ni/FeF 2, show that the spin structure is determined by the balance between the competing FM and AF magnetic energies. Coexistence of exchange bias domains, with opposite directions, can be established in Ni/FeF 2 bilayers for Nimore » thicknesses below 10 nm. Patterning the Ni/FeF 2 heterostructures with antidots destabilizes the FM state, enhancing the formation of opposite exchange bias domains below a critical antidot separation of the order of a few FeF 2 crystal domains. The results suggest that dimensional confinement of the FM may be used to manipulate the AF spin structure in spintronic devices and ultrahigh-density information storage media. Lastly, the underlying mechanism of the uncompensated AF domain formation in Ni/FeF 2 may be generic to other magnetic systems with complex noncollinear FM/AF spin structures.« less

  11. Ferromagnetic behavior and exchange bias effect in akaganeite nanorods

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tadic, Marin, E-mail: marint@vinca.rs; Milosevic, Irena; Motte, Laurence

    We report ferromagnetic-like properties and exchange bias effect in akaganeite (β-FeOOH) nanorods. They exhibit a Néel temperature T{sub N} = 259 K and ferromagnetic-like hysteresis behavior both below and above T{sub N}. An exchange bias effect is observed below T{sub N} and represents an interesting behavior for akaganeite nanorods. These results are explained on the basis of a core-shell structure in which the core has bulk akaganeite magnetic properties (i.e., antiferromagnetic ordering) while the shell exhibits a disordered spin state. Thus, the nanorods show ferromagnetic properties and an exchange bias effect at the same time, increasing their potential for use in practical applications.

  12. Growth of oxide exchange bias layers

    DOEpatents

    Chaiken, A.; Michel, R.P.

    1998-07-21

    An oxide (NiO, CoO, NiCoO) antiferromagnetic exchange bias layer produced by ion beam sputtering of an oxide target in pure argon (Ar) sputtering gas, with no oxygen gas introduced into the system. Antiferromagnetic oxide layers are used, for example, in magnetoresistive readback heads to shift the hysteresis loops of ferromagnetic films away from the zero field axis. For example, NiO exchange bias layers have been fabricated using ion beam sputtering of an NiO target using Ar ions, with the substrate temperature at 200 C, the ion beam voltage at 1000V and the beam current at 20 mA, with a deposition rate of about 0.2 {angstrom}/sec. The resulting NiO film was amorphous. 4 figs.

  13. Calculations of Exchange Bias in Thin Films with Ferromagnetic/Antiferromagnetic Interfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koon, N. C.

    1997-06-01

    A microscopic explanation of exchange bias in thin films with compensated ferro/antiferromagnetic interfaces is presented. Full micromagnetic calculations show the interfacial exchange coupling to be relatively strong with a perpendicular orientation between the ferro/antiferromagnetic axis directions, similar to the classic ``spin-flop'' state in bulk antiferromagnets. With reasonable parameters the calculations predict bias fields comparable to those observed and provide a possible explanation for both anomalous high field rotational hysteresis and recently discovered ``positive'' exchange bias.

  14. Nature's engineering: Giant magnetic exchange bias > 1T in a natural mineral

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McEnroe, S. A.; Carter-Stiglitz, B.; Harrison, R. J.; Robinson, P.; McCammon, C.

    2006-12-01

    Magnetic exchange bias is a phenomenon whereby the hysteresis loop of a "soft" magnetic phase is shifted along the applied field axis by an amount of exchange due to interaction with a "hard" magnetic phase. Exchange bias is the subject of intense experimental and theoretical investigation because of its widespread technological applications and recent advances in manipulating nanoscale materials. Understanding the physical origin of exchange bias has been hampered, by the general uncertainty in the crystal and magnetic structure of the interface between hard and soft phases. Here we discuss a natural sample that has one of the largest exchange biases ever reported, nearly 1 Tesla (T) in a 1.5 T field and is the first documented example of exchange bias of this magnitude in a natural mineral. We demonstrate that exchange bias in this system is due to the interaction between coherently intergrown magnetic phases, formed through a natural process of phase separation during slow cooling. These extreme properties are found in a sample of titanohematite (15- 19 percent Ti-substitution ) from the 1 Gyr metamorphic rocks of the Modum district, south Norway. Low temperature magnetic measurements demonstrate the nature of the giant exchange bias. Transmission electron microscopy, electron microprobe analyses combined with Mossbauer measurements, at room and low temperature, are used to identify the interacting phases. The titanohematite contain ilmenite lamellae which are mostly sub-unit cell size. Fe-rutile is also present as an intergrowth phase.

  15. Influence of growth conditions on exchange bias of NiMn-based spin valves

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wienecke, Anja; Kruppe, Rahel; Rissing, Lutz

    2015-05-07

    As shown in previous investigations, a correlation between a NiMn-based spin valve's thermal stability and its inherent exchange bias exists, even if the blocking temperature of the antiferromagnet is clearly above the heating temperature and the reason for thermal degradation is mainly diffusion and not the loss of exchange bias. Samples with high exchange bias are thermally more stable than samples with low exchange bias. Those structures promoting a high exchange bias are seemingly the same suppressing thermally induced diffusion processes (A. Wienecke and L. Rissing, “Relationship between thermal stability and layer-stack/structure of NiMn-based GMR systems,” in IEEE Transaction onmore » Magnetic Conference (EMSA 2014)). Many investigations were carried out on the influence of the sputtering parameters as well as the layer thickness on the magnetoresistive effect. The influence of these parameters on the exchange bias and the sample's thermal stability, respectively, was hardly taken into account. The investigation described here concentrates on the last named issue. The focus lies on the influence of the sputtering parameters and layer thickness of the “starting layers” in the stack and the layers forming the (synthetic) antiferromagnet. This paper includes a guideline for the evaluated sputtering conditions and layer thicknesses to realize a high exchange bias and presumably good thermal stability for NiMn-based spin valves with a synthetic antiferromagnet.« less

  16. Enhanced exchange bias in MnN/CoFe bilayers after high-temperature annealing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dunz, M.; Schmalhorst, J.; Meinert, M.

    2018-05-01

    We report an exchange bias of more than 2700 Oe at room temperature in MnN/CoFe bilayers after high-temperature annealing. We studied the dependence of exchange bias on the annealing temperature for different MnN thicknesses in detail and found that samples with tMnN > 32nm show an increase of exchange bias for annealing temperatures higher than TA = 400 °C. Maximum exchange bias values exceeding 2000 Oe with reasonably small coercive fields around 600 Oe are achieved for tMnN = 42, 48 nm. The median blocking temperature of those systems is determined to be 180 °C after initial annealing at TA = 525 °C. X-ray diffraction measurements and Auger depth profiling show that the large increase of exchange bias after high-temperature annealing is accompanied by strong nitrogen diffusion into the Ta buffer layer of the stacks.

  17. Coexisting exchange bias effect and ferroelectricity in geometrically frustrated ZnCr2O4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dey, J. K.; Majumdar, S.; Giri, S.

    2018-06-01

    Concomitant occurrence of exchange bias effect and ferroelectric order is revealed in antiferromagnetic spinel ZnCr2O4. The exchange bias effect is observed below antiferromagnetic Neél temperature (T N) with a reasonable value of exchange bias field ( Oe at 2 K). Intriguingly, the ratio is found unusually high as  ∼2.2, where H C is the coercivity. This indicates that large H C is not always primary for obtaining large exchange bias effect. Ferroelectric order is observed at T N, where non-centrosymmetric magnetic structure with space group associated with the magnetoelectric coupling correlates the ferroelectric order, proposing that, ZnCr2O4 is an improper multiferroic material. Rare occurrence of exchange bias effect and ferroelectric order in ZnCr2O4 attracts the community for fundamental interest and draws special attention in designing new materials for possible electric field control of exchange bias effect.

  18. Thickness dependent exchange bias in martensitic epitaxial Ni-Mn-Sn thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Behler, Anna; Department of Physics, Institute for Solid State Physics, Dresden University of Technology, 01062 Dresden; Teichert, Niclas

    2013-12-15

    A thickness dependent exchange bias in the low temperature martensitic state of epitaxial Ni-Mn-Sn thin films is found. The effect can be retained down to very small thicknesses. For a Ni{sub 50}Mn{sub 32}Sn{sub 18} thin film, which does not undergo a martensitic transformation, no exchange bias is observed. Our results suggest that a significant interplay between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic regions, which is the origin for exchange bias, is only present in the martensite. The finding is supported by ab initio calculations showing that the antiferromagnetic order is stabilized in the phase.

  19. Magnetic exchange bias of more than 1 Tesla in a natural mineral intergrowth.

    PubMed

    McEnroe, Suzanne A; Carter-Stiglitz, Brian; Harrison, Richard J; Robinson, Peter; Fabian, Karl; McCammon, Catherine

    2007-10-01

    Magnetic exchange bias is a phenomenon whereby the hysteresis loop of a 'soft' magnetic phase is shifted by an amount H(E) along the applied field axis owing to its interaction with a 'hard' magnetic phase. Since the discovery of exchange bias fifty years ago, the development of a general theory has been hampered by the uncertain nature of the interfaces between the hard and soft phases, commonly between an antiferromagnetic phase and a ferro- or ferrimagnetic phase. Exchange bias continues to be the subject of investigation because of its technological applications and because it is now possible to manipulate magnetic materials at the nanoscale. Here we present the first documented example of exchange bias of significant magnitude (>1 T) in a natural mineral. We demonstrate that exchange bias in this system is due to the interaction between coherently intergrown magnetic phases formed through a natural process of phase separation during slow cooling over millions of years. Transmission electron microscopy studies show that these intergrowths have a known crystallographic orientation with a known crystallographic structure and that the interfaces are coherent.

  20. Exchange bias in zinc ferrite-FeNiMoB based metallic glass composite thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    R, Lisha; P, Geetha; B, Aravind P.

    2015-06-24

    The Exchange bias phenomenon and methods to manipulate the bias field in a controlled manner are thrust areas in magnetism due to its sophisticated theoretical concepts as well as advanced technological utility in the field of spintronics. The Exchange bias effect is observed as a result of ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic (FM-AFM) exchange interaction, usually observed as a loop shift on field cooling below the Neel temperature of AFM. In the present study, we have chosen zinc ferrite which is a well known antiferromagnet, and FeNiMoB based metallic glass as the ferromagnet. The films were prepared by RF sputtering technique. The thickness andmore » composition was obtained by RBS. The magnetic studies using SQUID VSM indicate exchange bias effect in the system. The effect of thermal annealing on exchange bias effect was studied. The observed exchange bias in the zinc ferrite-FeNiMoB system is not due to FM-AFM coupling but due to spin glass-ferromagnetic interaction.« less

  1. Exchange bias in zinc ferrite-FeNiMoB based metallic glass composite thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    R, Lisha; T, Hysen; P, Geetha; B, Aravind P.; Ojha, S.; Avasthi, D. K.; Ramanujan, R. V.; Anantharaman, M. R.

    2015-06-01

    The Exchange bias phenomenon and methods to manipulate the bias field in a controlled manner are thrust areas in magnetism due to its sophisticated theoretical concepts as well as advanced technological utility in the field of spintronics. The Exchange bias effect is observed as a result of ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic (FM-AFM) exchange interaction, usually observed as a loop shift on field cooling below the Neel temperature of AFM. In the present study, we have chosen zinc ferrite which is a well known antiferromagnet, and FeNiMoB based metallic glass as the ferromagnet. The films were prepared by RF sputtering technique. The thickness and composition was obtained by RBS. The magnetic studies using SQUID VSM indicate exchange bias effect in the system. The effect of thermal annealing on exchange bias effect was studied. The observed exchange bias in the zinc ferrite-FeNiMoB system is not due to FM-AFM coupling but due to spin glass-ferromagnetic interaction.

  2. Exchange Bias in Layered GdBaCo2O5.5 Cobaltite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solin, N. I.; Naumov, S. V.; Telegin, S. V.; Korolev, A. V.

    2017-12-01

    It is established that excess oxygen content δ influences the exchange bias (EB) in layered GdBa-Co2O5 + δ cobaltite. The EB effect arises in p-type (δ > 0.5) cobaltite and disappears in n-type (δ < 0.5) cobaltite. The main parameters of EB in GdBaCo2O5.52(2) polycrystals are determined, including the field and temperature dependences of EB field H EB , blocking temperature T B , exchange coupling energy J i of antiferromagnet-ferromagnet (AFM-FM) interface, and dimensions of FM clusters. The training effect inherent in systems with EB has been studied. The results are explained in terms of exchange interaction between the FM and AFM phases. It is assumed that the EB originates from the coexistence of Co3+ and Co4+ ions that leads to the formation of monodomain FM clusters in the AFM matrix of cobaltite.

  3. Simple full micromagnetic model of exchange bias behavior in ferro/antiferromagnetic layered structures (abstract)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koon, Norman C.

    1997-04-01

    It is shown using full micromagnetic relaxation calculations that exchange bias behavior is predicted for single-crystal ferro/antiferromagnetic layers with a fully compensated interface. The particular example most fully studied has a bcc/bct lattice structure with a fully compensated (110) interface plane. Only bilinear Heisenberg exchange was assumed, with anisotropy only in the antiferromagnet. In spite of the intuitive notion that exchange coupling between a ferromagnet and an antiferromagnet across a fully compensated plane of the antiferromagnet should be zero, we find strong coupling, comparable to the bilinear exchange, with a 90° angle between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic axes of layers far from the interface in absence of an applied field. Even though the 90° coupling has characteristics resembling "biquadratic" exchange, it originates entirely from frustrated bilinear exchange. The development of exchange bias is found to originate from the formation of a domain wall in the antiferromagnet via the strong 90° exchange coupling and pinning of the wall by the magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the antiferromagnet. Because the large demagnetizing factor of the ferromagnet tends to confine its magnetization to the plane, the exchange bias is found to depend mainly on the strength and the symmetry of the in-plane component of anisotropy. Although little effort was made to analyze specific systems, the model reproduces many of the qualitative features observed in real exchange bias systems and gives reasonable semiquantitative estimates for the bias field when exchange and anisotropy values consistent with real systems are used.

  4. Robust isothermal electric control of exchange bias at room temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Binek, Christian

    2011-03-01

    Voltage-controlled spintronics is of particular importance to continue progress in information technology through reduced power consumption, enhanced processing speed, integration density, and functionality in comparison with present day CMOS electronics. Almost all existing and prototypical solid-state spintronic devices rely on tailored interface magnetism, enabling spin-selective transmission or scattering of electrons. Controlling magnetism at thin-film interfaces, preferably by purely electrical means, is a key challenge to better spintronics. Currently, most attempts to electrically control magnetism focus on potentially large magnetoelectric effects of multiferroics. We report on our interest in magnetoelectric Cr 2 O3 (chromia). Robust isothermal electric control of exchange bias is achieved at room temperature in perpendicular anisotropic Cr 2 O3 (0001)/CoPd exchange bias heterostructures. This discovery promises significant implications for potential spintronics. From the perspective of basic science, our finding serves as macroscopic evidence for roughness-insensitive and electrically controllable equilibrium boundary magnetization in magnetoelectric antiferromagnets. The latter evolves at chromia (0001) surfaces and interfaces when chromia is in one of its two degenerate antiferromagnetic single domain states selected via magnetoelectric annealing. Theoretical insight into the boundary magnetization and its role in electrically controlled exchange bias is gained from first-principles calculations and general symmetry arguments. Measurements of spin-resolved ultraviolet photoemission, magnetometry at Cr 2 O3 (0001) surfaces, and detailed investigations of the unique exchange bias properties of Cr 2 O3 (0001)/CoPd including its electric controllability provide macroscopically averaged information about the boundary magnetization of chromia. Laterally resolved X-ray PEEM and temperature dependent MFM reveal detailed microscopic information of the chromia

  5. Dipole-induced exchange bias.

    PubMed

    Torres, Felipe; Morales, Rafael; Schuller, Ivan K; Kiwi, Miguel

    2017-11-09

    The discovery of dipole-induced exchange bias (EB), switching from negative to positive sign, is reported in systems where the antiferromagnet and the ferromagnet are separated by a paramagnetic spacer (AFM-PM-FM). The magnitude and sign of the EB is determined by the cooling field strength and the PM thickness. The same cooling field yields negative EB for thin spacers, and positive EB for thicker ones. The EB decay profile as a function of the spacer thickness, and the change of sign, are attributed to long-ranged dipole coupling. Our model, which accounts quantitatively for the experimental results, ignores the short range interfacial exchange interactions of the usual EB theories. Instead, it retains solely the long range dipole field that allows for the coupling of the FM and AFM across the PM spacer. The experiments allow for novel switching capabilities of long range EB systems, while the theory allows description of the structures where the FM and AFM are not in atomic contact. The results provide a new approach to design novel interacting heterostructures.

  6. Growth of oxide exchange bias layers

    DOEpatents

    Chaiken, Alison; Michel, Richard P.

    1998-01-01

    An oxide (NiO, CoO, NiCoO) antiferromagnetic exchange bias layer produced by ion beam sputtering of an oxide target in pure argon (Ar) sputtering gas, with no oxygen gas introduced into the system. Antiferromagnetic oxide layers are used, for example, in magnetoresistive readback heads to shift the hysteresis loops of ferromagnetic films away from the zero field axis. For example, NiO exchange bia layers have been fabricated using ion beam sputtering of an NiO target using Ar ions, with the substrate temperature at 200.degree. C., the ion beam voltage at 1000V and the beam current at 20 mA, with a deposition rate of about 0.2 .ANG./sec. The resulting NiO film was amorphous.

  7. Study on the occurrence of spontaneously established perpendicular exchange bias in Co{sub 49}Pt{sub 51}/IrMn bilayers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tsai, C. Y.; Lin, K. F.; Hsu, Jen-Hwa, E-mail: jhhsu@phys.ntu.edu.tw

    2014-05-07

    In this study, perpendicular exchange bias (PEB) effect in the as-grown Co{sub 49}Pt{sub 51}/IrMn bilayers was demonstrated at room temperature using single-layered Co{sub 49}Pt{sub 51} alloy thin film as ferromagnetic (FM) layer. Several unusual features were observed in this system, viz.,: (i) the PEB was spontaneously established without any external magnetic field treatments, (ii) single-shifted loops were obtained rather than double-shifted ones, and (iii) the spontaneous PEB effect was accompanied by a reduction in perpendicular coercivity, H{sub c⊥} from 1024 to 632 Oe. The results of x–ray diffraction revealed the formation of IrMn (111) texture. Training effect studies indicate that themore » PEB effect is stable in this system with less than 5% variation in PEB value within 15 repetitive scans. Significant reduction in the PEB effect was found for the CoPt/IrMn films either grown or subjected to post-annealing under external magnetic field (H{sub ind}). The thickness dependence of PEB effect with respect to the FM and antiferromagnetic layers were also investigated and a largest PEB value of 533 Oe was obtained for the sample grown with 3-nm thick CoPt and 10-nm thick IrMn layers. The results of present study thus establish an opportunity to realize PEB effect in the absence of external field during fabrication.« less

  8. Fluoride Thin Films: from Exchange Bias to Multferroicity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Trent A.

    This dissertation concerns research into the growth and characterization fluoride thin films by molecular beam epitaxy. After a discussion of relevant background material and experimental procedures in the first two chapters, we study exchange bias in magnetic multilayers incorporating the uniaxial antiferromagnet FeF2, grown to varying thicknesses, sandwiched between ferromagnetic Co layers with fixed thicknesses of 5 and 20 nm. Several bilayers with only the 20 nm thick Co layer were grown for comparative study. The samples were grown on Al2O3 (112¯0) substrates at room temperature. In-situ RHEED and x-ray diffraction indicated the films were polycrystalline. The films were determined to have low surface and interlayer roughness, as determined by AFM and x-ray reflectivity. After field-cooling to below the Neel temperature of FeF2 in a magnetic field of 1 kOe, magnetic hysteresis loops were measured as a function of temperature. We found that both layers had a negative exchange bias, with the exchange bias of the thinner layer larger than that of the thicker layer. In addition, the coercivity below the blocking temperature TB of the thinner layer was significantly larger than that of the thick layer, even though the coercivity of the two layers was the same for T > TB. The exchange bias effect, manifested by a shift in these hysteresis loops, showed a strong dependence on the thickness of the antiferromagnet. Anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements provided additional insight into the magnetization reversal mechanism within the ferromagnets. The thickness dependent exchange anisotropy of trilayer and bilayer samples is explained by adapting a random field model to the antiferromagnet/ferromagnet interface. Finally, We investigate the temperature dependent growth, as well as the magnetic and ferroelectric properties of thin films of the multiferroic compounds BaMF4, where M = Fe, Co, Ni. The films were grown to thicknesses of 50 or 100 nm on single crystal Al2

  9. Enhancement of exchange bias in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic core-shell nanoparticles through ferromagnetic domain wall formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Rui; Ding, Shilei; Lai, Youfang; Tian, Guang; Yang, Jinbo

    2018-01-01

    The spin configuration in the ferromagnetic part during the magnetization reversal plays a crucial role in the exchange bias effect. Through Monte Carlo simulation, the exchange bias effect in ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic core-shell nanoparticles is investigated. Magnetization reversals in the ferromagnetic core were controlled between the coherent rotation and the domain wall motion by modulating the ferromagnetic domain wall width with parameters of uniaxial anisotropy constant and exchange coupling strength. An anomalous monotonic dependence of exchange bias on the uniaxial anisotropy constant is found in systems with small exchange coupling, showing an obvious violation of classic Meiklejohn-Bean model, while domain walls are found to form close to the interface and propagate in the ferromagnetic core with larger uniaxial anisotropy in both branches of the hysteresis. The asymmetric magnetization reversal with the formation of a spherical domain wall dramatically reduces the coercive field in the ascending branch, leading to the enhancement of the exchange bias. The results provide another degree of freedom to optimize the magnetic properties of magnetic nanoparticles for applications.

  10. Controllable positive exchange bias via redox-driven oxygen migration

    DOE PAGES

    Gilbert, Dustin A.; Olamit, Justin; Dumas, Randy K.; ...

    2016-03-21

    We report that ionic transport in metal/oxide heterostructures offers a highly effective means to tailor material properties via modification of the interfacial characteristics. However, direct observation of ionic motion under buried interfaces and demonstration of its correlation with physical properties has been challenging. Using the strong oxygen affinity of gadolinium, we design a model system of Gd xFe 1-x/NiCoO bilayer films, where the oxygen migration is observed and manifested in a controlled positive exchange bias over a relatively small cooling field range. The exchange bias characteristics are shown to be the result of an interfacial layer of elemental nickel andmore » cobalt, a few nanometres in thickness, whose moments are larger than expected from uncompensated NiCoO moments. This interface layer is attributed to a redox-driven oxygen migration from NiCoO to the gadolinium, during growth or soon after. Ultimately, these results demonstrate an effective path to tailoring the interfacial characteristics and interlayer exchange coupling in metal/oxide heterostructures.« less

  11. Stable target opinion through power-law bias in information exchange

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Datta, Amitava

    2018-04-01

    We study a model of binary decision making when a certain population of agents is initially seeded with two different opinions, "+" and "-," with fractions p1 and p2, respectively, p1+p2=1 . Individuals can reverse their initial opinion only once based on this information exchange. We study this model on a completely connected network, where any pair of agents can exchange information, and a two-dimensional square lattice with periodic boundary conditions, where information exchange is possible only between the nearest neighbors. We propose a model in which each agent maintains two counters of opposite opinions and accepts opinions of other agents with a power-law bias until a threshold is reached, when they fix their final opinion. Our model is inspired by the study of negativity bias and positive-negative asymmetry, which has been known in the psychology literature for a long time. Our model can achieve a stable intermediate mix of positive and negative opinions in a population. In particular, we show that it is possible to achieve close to any fraction p3, 0 ≤p3≤1 , of "-" opinion starting from an initial fraction p1 of "-" opinion by applying a bias through adjusting the power-law exponent of p3.

  12. Stable target opinion through power-law bias in information exchange.

    PubMed

    Datta, Amitava

    2018-04-01

    We study a model of binary decision making when a certain population of agents is initially seeded with two different opinions, "+" and "-," with fractions p_{1} and p_{2}, respectively, p_{1}+p_{2}=1. Individuals can reverse their initial opinion only once based on this information exchange. We study this model on a completely connected network, where any pair of agents can exchange information, and a two-dimensional square lattice with periodic boundary conditions, where information exchange is possible only between the nearest neighbors. We propose a model in which each agent maintains two counters of opposite opinions and accepts opinions of other agents with a power-law bias until a threshold is reached, when they fix their final opinion. Our model is inspired by the study of negativity bias and positive-negative asymmetry, which has been known in the psychology literature for a long time. Our model can achieve a stable intermediate mix of positive and negative opinions in a population. In particular, we show that it is possible to achieve close to any fraction p_{3}, 0≤p_{3}≤1, of "-" opinion starting from an initial fraction p_{1} of "-" opinion by applying a bias through adjusting the power-law exponent of p_{3}.

  13. Cooling field and temperature dependent exchange bias in Gd substituted YFe0.5Cr0.5O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Karan; Mukherjee, K.

    2018-04-01

    We report the results of our investigation of cooling field and temperature dependence of exchange bias on Gd substituted mixed metal oxide YFe0.5Cr0.5O3. A negative exchange bias is observed in the Gd-substituted compounds, in contrast to the positive exchange bias in parent compound, YFe0.5Cr0.5O3 [1]. With the increase in Gd concentration it is noted that the exchange bias decreases. It was noted that the paramagnetic contribution from Gd ions plays the leading role in comparison to the antiferromagnetic type correlations among spins as is observed for the parent compound. Due to magnetic rare earth ion, additional exchange interaction of the form Gd-O-Fe/Cr dominates the magnetic interaction arising due to the transition metal ions, resulting in the reduction in exchange bias value.

  14. Exchange bias in bulk layered hydroxylammonium fluorocobaltate (NH₃OH)₂CoF₄.

    PubMed

    Jagličić, Z; Zentková, M; Mihalik, M; Arnold, Z; Drofenik, M; Kristl, M; Dojer, B; Kasunič, M; Golobič, A; Jagodič, M

    2012-02-08

    The magnetic properties of layered hydroxylammonium fluorocobaltate (NH(3)OH)(2)CoF(4) were investigated by measuring its dc magnetic susceptibility in zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) regimes, its frequency dependent ac susceptibility, its isothermal magnetization curves after ZFC and FC regimes, and its heat capacity. Effects of pressure and magnetic field on magnetic phase transitions were studied by susceptibility and heat capacity measurements, respectively. The system undergoes a magnetic phase transition from a paramagnetic state to a canted antiferromagnetic state exhibiting a weak ferromagnetic behavior at T(C) = 46.5 K and an antiferromagnetic transition at T(N) = 2.9 K. The most spectacular manifestation of the complex magnetic behavior in this system is a shift of the isothermal magnetization hysteresis loop in a temperature range below 20 K after the FC regime-an exchange bias phenomenon. We investigated the exchange bias as a function of the magnetic field during cooling and as a function of temperature. The observed exchange bias was attributed to the large exchange anisotropy which exists due to the quasi-2D structure of the layered (NH(3)OH)(2)CoF(4) material.

  15. Thickness dependence of the exchange bias in epitaxial manganite bilayers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kobrinskii, A. L.; Goldman, A. M.; Varela del Arco, Maria

    Exchange bias has been studied in a series of La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3}/La{sub 1/3}Ca{sub 2/3}MnO{sub 3} bilayers grown on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} substrates by ozone-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy. The high crystalline quality of the samples and interfaces has been verified using high-resolution x-ray diffractometry and Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron-energy-loss spectroscopy. The dependence of exchange bias on the thickness of the antiferromagnetic layer has been investigated. A critical value for the onset of the hysteresis loop shift has been determined. An antiferromagnetic anisotropy constant has been obtained by fitting the results to the generalized Meiklejohn-Bean model.

  16. Antiferromagnetic exchange bias of a ferromagnetic semiconductor by a ferromagnetic metal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Olejnik, K.; Wadley, P.; Haigh, J.

    2009-11-05

    We demonstrate an exchange bias in (Ga,Mn)As induced by antiferromagnetic coupling to a thin overlayer of Fe. Bias fields of up to 240 Oe are observed. Using element-specific x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements, we distinguish an interface layer that is strongly pinned antiferromagnetically to the Fe. The interface layer remains polarized at room temperature.

  17. Spontaneous perpendicular exchange bias effect in L10-MnGa/FeMn bilayers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, X. P.; Lu, J.; Mao, S. W.; Yu, Z. F.; Wei, D. H.; Zhao, J. H.

    2018-01-01

    We report on the spontaneous perpendicular exchange bias effect in as-grown L10-MnGa/FeMn bilayers. An FeMn layer with different thicknesses is introduced as an antiferromagnetic layer to couple with single-crystalline ferromagnetic L10-MnGa, which is epitaxially grown on a GaAs (001) substrate by molecular-beam epitaxy. The perpendicular exchange bias shows a strong dependence on both the thickness of the FeMn layer and the measurement temperature. A large spontaneous perpendicular exchange bias up to 8.9 kOe is achieved in L10-MnGa/FeMn bilayers at 5 K without any external magnetic treatment. The corresponding effective interfacial exchange energy Jeff is estimated to be 1.4 mJ/m2. The spontaneous perpendicular exchange bias effect in the (001) textured L10-MnGa/FeMn bilayers paves the way for spintronic devices based on exchange biased perpendicularly magnetized materials.

  18. Electric field induced reversible 180° magnetization switching through tuning of interfacial exchange bias along magnetic easy-axis in multiferroic laminates.

    PubMed

    Xue, Xu; Zhou, Ziyao; Peng, Bin; Zhu, Mingmin; Zhang, Yijun; Ren, Wei; Ren, Tao; Yang, Xi; Nan, Tianxiang; Sun, Nian X; Liu, Ming

    2015-11-18

    E-field control of interfacial exchange coupling and deterministic switching of magnetization have been demonstrated in two sets of ferromagnetic(FM)/antiferromagnetic(AFM)/ferroelectric(FE) multiferroic heterostructures, including NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT (011) and NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT (011). We designed this experiment to achieve exchange bias tuning along the magnetic easy axis, which is critical for realizing reversible 180° magnetization deterministic switching at zero or small magnetic bias. Strong exchange coupling were established across AFM-FM interfaces, which plays an important role in voltage control of magnetization switching. Through the competition between the E-field induced uniaxial anisotropy in ferromagnetic layer and unidirectional anisotropy in antiferromagnetic layer, the exchange bias was significantly shifted by up to |∆Hex|/Hex = 8% in NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT (011) and 13% in NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT (011). In addition, the square shape of the hysteresis loop, as well as a strong shape tunability of |∆Hex|/Hc = 67.5 ~ 125% in NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT and 30 ~ 38% in NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT were achieved, which lead to a near 180° magnetization switching. Electrical tuning of interfacial exchange coupling in FM/AFM/FE systems paves a new way for realizing magnetoelectric random access memories and other memory technologies.

  19. 45 CFR 155.100 - Establishment of a State Exchange.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... SHOP; or (2) An Exchange that provides only for the establishment of a SHOP. (b) Timing. For plan years... a position to establish and operate only a SHOP for 2014 may elect to establish an Exchange that provides only for the establishment of a SHOP, pursuant to the process in § 155.105(c), (d), and/or (e...

  20. 45 CFR 155.100 - Establishment of a State Exchange.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... SHOP; or (2) An Exchange that provides only for the establishment of a SHOP. (b) Timing. For plan years... a position to establish and operate only a SHOP for 2014 may elect to establish an Exchange that provides only for the establishment of a SHOP, pursuant to the process in § 155.105(c), (d), and/or (e...

  1. Effects of exchange bias on magnetotransport in permalloy kagome artificial spin ice

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Le, B. L.; Rench, D. W.; Misra, R.

    2015-02-01

    We investigate the magnetotransport properties of connected kagome artificial spin ice networks composed of permalloy nanowires. Our data show clear evidence of magnetic switching among the wires, both in the longitudinal and transverse magnetoresistance. An unusual asymmetry with field sweep direction appears at temperatures below about 20 K that appears to be associated with exchange bias resulting from surface oxidation of permalloy, and which disappears in alumina-capped samples. These results demonstrate that exchange bias is a phenomenon that must be considered in understanding the physics of such artificial spin ice systems, and that opens up new possibilities for their control.

  2. Memory effect versus exchange bias for maghemite nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nadeem, K.; Krenn, H.; Szabó, D. V.

    2015-11-01

    We studied the temperature dependence of memory and exchange bias effects and their dependence on each other in maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles by using magnetization studies. Memory effect in zero field cooled process in nanoparticles is a fingerprint of spin-glass behavior which can be due to i) surface disordered spins (surface spin-glass) and/or ii) randomly frozen and interacting nanoparticles core spins (super spin-glass). Temperature region (25-70 K) for measurements has been chosen just below the average blocking temperature (TB=75 K) of the nanoparticles. Memory effect (ME) shows a non-monotonous behavior with temperature. It shows a decreasing trend with decreasing temperature and nearly vanishes below 30 K. However it also decreased again near the blocking temperature of the nanoparticles e.g., 70 K. Exchange bias (EB) in these nanoparticles arises due to core/shell interface interactions. The EB increases sharply below 30 K due to increase in core/shell interactions, while ME starts vanishing below 30 K. We conclude that the core/shell interface interactions or EB have not enhanced the ME but may reduce it in these nanoparticles.

  3. Exchange biased Co3O4 nanowires: A new insight into its magnetic core-shell nature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, S.; Jose, A.; Thanveer, T.; Anantharaman, M. R.

    2017-06-01

    We investigated interfacial exchange coupling effect in nano casted Co3O4 nanowires. Magnetometry measurements indicated that the magnetic response of the wires has two contributions. First one from the core of the wire which has characteristics of a 2D-DAFF(two-dimensional diluted antiferromagnet in a field). The second one is from uncompensated surface spins which get magnetically ordered towards the field direction once field cooled below 25 K. Below 25 K, the net magnetization of the core of the wire gets exchange coupled with the uncompensated surface spins giving rise to exchange bias effect. The unique 2D-DAFF/spin-glass core/shell heterostructure showed a pronounced training effect in the first field cycling itself. The magnitude of exchange bias field showed a maximum at intermediate cooling fields and for the higher cooling field, exchange bias got reduced.

  4. Exchange Bias Optimization by Controlled Oxidation of Cobalt Nanoparticle Films Prepared by Sputter Gas Aggregation

    PubMed Central

    Antón, Ricardo López; González, Juan A.; Andrés, Juan P.; Normile, Peter S.; Canales-Vázquez, Jesús; Muñiz, Pablo; Riveiro, José M.; De Toro, José A.

    2017-01-01

    Porous films of cobalt nanoparticles have been obtained by sputter gas aggregation and controllably oxidized by air annealing at 100 °C for progressively longer times (up to more than 1400 h). The magnetic properties of the samples were monitored during the process, with a focus on the exchange bias field. Air annealing proves to be a convenient way to control the Co/CoO ratio in the samples, allowing the optimization of the exchange bias field to a value above 6 kOe at 5 K. The occurrence of the maximum in the exchange bias field is understood in terms of the density of CoO uncompensated spins and their degree of pinning, with the former reducing and the latter increasing upon the growth of a progressively thicker CoO shell. Vertical shifts exhibited in the magnetization loops are found to correlate qualitatively with the peak in the exchange bias field, while an increase in vertical shift observed for longer oxidation times may be explained by a growing fraction of almost completely oxidized particles. The presence of a hummingbird-like form in magnetization loops can be understood in terms of a combination of hard (biased) and soft (unbiased) components; however, the precise origin of the soft phase is as yet unresolved. PMID:28336895

  5. Exchange Bias Optimization by Controlled Oxidation of Cobalt Nanoparticle Films Prepared by Sputter Gas Aggregation.

    PubMed

    Antón, Ricardo López; González, Juan A; Andrés, Juan P; Normile, Peter S; Canales-Vázquez, Jesús; Muñiz, Pablo; Riveiro, José M; De Toro, José A

    2017-03-11

    Porous films of cobalt nanoparticles have been obtained by sputter gas aggregation and controllably oxidized by air annealing at 100 °C for progressively longer times (up to more than 1400 h). The magnetic properties of the samples were monitored during the process, with a focus on the exchange bias field. Air annealing proves to be a convenient way to control the Co/CoO ratio in the samples, allowing the optimization of the exchange bias field to a value above 6 kOe at 5 K. The occurrence of the maximum in the exchange bias field is understood in terms of the density of CoO uncompensated spins and their degree of pinning, with the former reducing and the latter increasing upon the growth of a progressively thicker CoO shell. Vertical shifts exhibited in the magnetization loops are found to correlate qualitatively with the peak in the exchange bias field, while an increase in vertical shift observed for longer oxidation times may be explained by a growing fraction of almost completely oxidized particles. The presence of a hummingbird-like form in magnetization loops can be understood in terms of a combination of hard (biased) and soft (unbiased) components; however, the precise origin of the soft phase is as yet unresolved.

  6. Electric field induced reversible 180° magnetization switching through tuning of interfacial exchange bias along magnetic easy-axis in multiferroic laminates

    PubMed Central

    Xue, Xu; Zhou, Ziyao; Peng, Bin; Zhu, Mingmin; Zhang, Yijun; Ren, Wei; Ren, Tao; Yang, Xi; Nan, Tianxiang; Sun, Nian X.; Liu, Ming

    2015-01-01

    E-field control of interfacial exchange coupling and deterministic switching of magnetization have been demonstrated in two sets of ferromagnetic(FM)/antiferromagnetic(AFM)/ferroelectric(FE) multiferroic heterostructures, including NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT (011) and NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT (011). We designed this experiment to achieve exchange bias tuning along the magnetic easy axis, which is critical for realizing reversible 180° magnetization deterministic switching at zero or small magnetic bias. Strong exchange coupling were established across AFM-FM interfaces, which plays an important role in voltage control of magnetization switching. Through the competition between the E-field induced uniaxial anisotropy in ferromagnetic layer and unidirectional anisotropy in antiferromagnetic layer, the exchange bias was significantly shifted by up to |∆Hex|/Hex = 8% in NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT (011) and 13% in NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT (011). In addition, the square shape of the hysteresis loop, as well as a strong shape tunability of |∆Hex|/Hc = 67.5 ~ 125% in NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT and 30 ~ 38% in NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT were achieved, which lead to a near 180° magnetization switching. Electrical tuning of interfacial exchange coupling in FM/AFM/FE systems paves a new way for realizing magnetoelectric random access memories and other memory technologies. PMID:26576658

  7. Electric field induced reversible 180° magnetization switching through tuning of interfacial exchange bias along magnetic easy-axis in multiferroic laminates

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xue, Xu; Zhou, Ziyao; Peng, Bin

    2015-11-18

    E-field control of interfacial exchange coupling and deterministic switching of magnetization have been demonstrated in two sets of ferromagnetic(FM)/antiferromagnetic(AFM)/ferroelectric(FE) multiferroic heterostructures, including NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT (011) and NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT (011). We designed this experiment to achieve exchange bias tuning along the magnetic easy axis, which is critical for realizing reversible 180° magnetization deterministic switching at zero or small magnetic bias. Strong exchange coupling were established across AFM-FM interfaces, which plays an important role in voltage control of magnetization switching. Through the competition between the E-field induced uniaxial anisotropy in ferromagnetic layer and unidirectional anisotropy in antiferromagnetic layer, the exchange bias was significantly shiftedmore » by up to |ΔH ex|/H ex=8% in NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT (011) and 13% in NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT (011). In addition, the square shape of the hysteresis loop, as well as a strong shape tunability of |ΔH ex|/H c=67.5~125% in NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT and 30~38% in NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT were achieved, which lead to a near 180° magnetization switching. Lastly, electrical tuning of interfacial exchange coupling in FM/AFM/FE systems paves a new way for realizing magnetoelectric random access memories and other memory technologies.« less

  8. Electric field induced reversible 180° magnetization switching through tuning of interfacial exchange bias along magnetic easy-axis in multiferroic laminates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xue, Xu; Zhou, Ziyao; Peng, Bin; Zhu, Mingmin; Zhang, Yijun; Ren, Wei; Ren, Tao; Yang, Xi; Nan, Tianxiang; Sun, Nian X.; Liu, Ming

    2015-11-01

    E-field control of interfacial exchange coupling and deterministic switching of magnetization have been demonstrated in two sets of ferromagnetic(FM)/antiferromagnetic(AFM)/ferroelectric(FE) multiferroic heterostructures, including NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT (011) and NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT (011). We designed this experiment to achieve exchange bias tuning along the magnetic easy axis, which is critical for realizing reversible 180° magnetization deterministic switching at zero or small magnetic bias. Strong exchange coupling were established across AFM-FM interfaces, which plays an important role in voltage control of magnetization switching. Through the competition between the E-field induced uniaxial anisotropy in ferromagnetic layer and unidirectional anisotropy in antiferromagnetic layer, the exchange bias was significantly shifted by up to |ΔHex|/Hex = 8% in NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT (011) and 13% in NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT (011). In addition, the square shape of the hysteresis loop, as well as a strong shape tunability of |ΔHex|/Hc = 67.5 ~ 125% in NiFe/FeMn/glass/PZN-PT and 30 ~ 38% in NiFe/NiCoO/glass/PZN-PT were achieved, which lead to a near 180° magnetization switching. Electrical tuning of interfacial exchange coupling in FM/AFM/FE systems paves a new way for realizing magnetoelectric random access memories and other memory technologies.

  9. Exchange bias and bistable magneto-resistance states in amorphous TbFeCo thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Xiaopu, E-mail: xl6ba@virginia.edu; Ma, Chung T.; Poon, S. Joseph, E-mail: sjp9x@virginia.edu

    2016-01-04

    Amorphous TbFeCo thin films sputter deposited at room temperature on thermally oxidized Si substrate are found to exhibit strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Atom probe tomography, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping have revealed two nanoscale amorphous phases with different Tb atomic percentages distributed within the amorphous film. Exchange bias accompanied by bistable magneto-resistance states has been uncovered near room temperature by magnetization and magneto-transport measurements. The exchange anisotropy originates from the exchange interaction between the ferrimagnetic and ferromagnetic components corresponding to the two amorphous phases. This study provides a platform for exchange bias and magneto-resistance switchingmore » using single-layer amorphous ferrimagnetic thin films that require no epitaxial growth.« less

  10. Tuning antiferromagnetic exchange interaction for spontaneous exchange bias in MnNiSnSi system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Liyun; Shen, Jianlei; Li, Mengmeng; Wang, Xi; Ma, Li; Zhen, Congmian; Hou, Denglu; Liu, Enke; Wang, Wenhong; Wu, Guangheng

    2017-12-01

    Based on almost all the data from the literature on spontaneous exchange bias (SEB), it is expected that the system will show SEB if it meets two conditions simultaneously: (i) there are the coexistence and competition of antiferromagnetic (AFM) and ferromagnetic (FM) interactions and (ii) AFM interaction should dominate but not be too strong in this competition. In order to verify this view, a systematic study on SEB has been performed in this work. Mn50Ni40Sn10 with strong FM interaction and without SEB is chosen as the mother composition, and the negative chemical pressure is introduced by the substitution of Sn by Si to enhance AFM interaction. It is found that a long-range FM ordering window is closed, and a long-range AFM ordering window is opened. As a result, SEB is triggered and a continuous tuning of the spontaneous exchange bias field (HSEB) from 0 Oe to 1300 Oe has been realized in a Mn50Ni40Sn10-xSix system by the enhanced AFM interaction.

  11. Cooling field and ion-beam bombardment effects on exchange bias behavior in NiFe/(Ni,Fe)O bilayers.

    PubMed

    Lin, K W; Wei, M R; Guo, J Y

    2009-03-01

    The dependence of the cooling field and the ion-beam bombardment on the exchange bias effects in NiFe/(Ni,Fe)O bilayers were investigated. The positive exchange bias was found in the zero-field-cooled (ZFC) process whereas a negative exchange bias occurred in the FC process. The increased exchange field, H(ex) with increasing (Ni,Fe)O thicknesses indicates the thicker the AF (Ni,Fe)O, the stronger the exchange coupling between the NiFe layer and the (Ni,Fe)O layer. In addition, the dependence of the H(ex) (ZFC vs. FC) on the (Ni,Fe)O thicknesses reflects the competition between the applied magnetic field and the (Ni,Fe)O surface layer exchange coupled to the NiFe layer. Further, an unusual oscillating exchange bias was observed in NiFe/(Ni,Fe)O bilayers that results from the surface of the (Ni,Fe)O layer being bombarded with different Ar-ion energies using End-Hall deposition voltages (V(EH)) from 0 to 150 V. The behavior of the H(ex) and the H(c) with the V(EH) is attributed to the surface spin reorientation that is due to moderate ion-beam bombardment effects on the surface of the (Ni,Fe)O layer. Whether the (Ni,Fe)O antiferromagnetic spins are coupled to the NiFe moments antiferromagnetically or ferromagnetically changes the sign of the exchange bias.

  12. Exchange bias for core/shell magnetic nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemos, C. G. O.; Figueiredo, W.; Santos, M.

    2015-09-01

    We study the properties of a finite magnetic system to model a magnetic nanoparticle, which is formed by a reduced number of magnetic dipole moments due to the spin of the atoms. The nanoparticle is of the type core/shell where the shell is formed by spins interacting through an antiferromagnetic exchange coupling while for the spins belonging to the core the coupling is ferromagnetic. The interaction between the spins at the interface core/shell can be either ferro or antiferromagnetic. To describe the states of the spins we used the XY model in which the spins are considered as continuous variables, free to point in any direction of the xy plane. We also consider a magnetocrystalline anisotropy, exchange anisotropy and the Zeeman effect. Our model is studied in a lattice with square symmetry, using the Monte Carlo method along with the Metropolis prescription. The results show that in the absence of an external magnetic field and exchange anisotropy, the system continuously goes to a disordered state from an ordered state at a well defined temperature. In the presence of external magnetic fields the system displays the exchange bias phenomenon, that is, the displacement of the hysteresis loops, due to the introduction of the exchange anisotropy term. However, this displacement depends on the core and shell sizes, as well as on the magnitude of the coupling between the shell and the core moments.

  13. Large exchange bias effect in NiFe2O4/CoO nanocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohan, Rajendra; Prasad Ghosh, Mritunjoy; Mukherjee, Samrat

    2018-03-01

    In this work, we report the exchange bias effect of NiFe2O4/CoO nanocomposites, synthesized via chemical co-precipitation method. Four samples of different particle size ranging from 4 nm to 31 nm were prepared with the annealing temperature varying from 200 °C to 800 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis of all the samples confirmed the presence of cubic spinel phase of Nickel ferrite along with CoO phase without trace of any impurity. Sizes of the particles were studied from transmission electron micrographs and were found to be in agreement with those estimated from x-ray diffraction. Field cooled (FC) hysteresis loops at 5 K revealed an exchange bias (HE) of 2.2 kOe for the sample heated at 200 °C which decreased with the increase of particle size. Exchange bias expectedly vanished at 300 K due to high thermal energy (kBT) and low effective surface anisotropy. M-T curves revealed a blocking temperature of 135 K for the sample with smaller particle size.

  14. Exchange bias of Ni nanoparticles embedded in an antiferromagnetic IrMn matrix.

    PubMed

    Kuerbanjiang, Balati; Wiedwald, Ulf; Haering, Felix; Biskupek, Johannes; Kaiser, Ute; Ziemann, Paul; Herr, Ulrich

    2013-11-15

    The magnetic properties of Ni nanoparticles (Ni-NPs) embedded in an antiferromagnetic IrMn matrix were investigated. The Ni-NPs of 8.4 nm mean diameter were synthesized by inert gas aggregation. In a second processing step, the Ni-NPs were in situ embedded in IrMn films or SiOx films under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. Findings showed that Ni-NPs embedded in IrMn have an exchange bias field HEB = 821 Oe at 10 K, and 50 Oe at 300 K. The extracted value of the exchange energy density is 0.06 mJ m(-2) at 10 K, which is in good accordance with the results from multilayered thin film systems. The Ni-NPs embedded in SiOx did not show exchange bias. As expected for this particle size, they are superparamagnetic at T = 300 K. A direct comparison of the Ni-NPs embedded in IrMn or SiOx reveals an increase of the blocking temperature from 210 K to around 400 K. The coercivity of the Ni-NPs exchange coupled to the IrMn matrix at 10 K is 8 times larger than the value for Ni-NPs embedded in SiOx. We studied time-dependent remanent magnetization at different temperatures. The relaxation behavior is described by a magnetic viscosity model which reflects a rather flat distribution of energy barriers. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of different field cooling processes on the magnetic properties of the embedded Ni-NPs. Exchange bias values fit to model calculations which correlate the contribution of the antiferromagnetic IrMn matrix to its grain size.

  15. Modifying exchange bias effects of Mn/NiFe bilayers by in-situ Ar+ bombardment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Causer, G. L.; Manna, P. K.; Chiu, C.-C.; van Lierop, J.; Ionescu, M.; Lin, K.-W.; Klose, F.

    2017-10-01

    In this work, we present a procedure to modify the exchange bias (EB) properties of antiferromagnetic Mn/ferromagnetic NiFe bilayers by in-situ low energy Ar+ bombardment of the Mn layer during sample deposition. We present structural and magnetic results for unassisted and Ar+ assisted Mn/NiFe bilayers. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction results establish different preferred Mn orientation directions between the two samples as a result of the Ar+ bombardment process. Hysteresis loops taken over several temperatures reveal that samples assisted with Ar+ ions during the Mn layer deposition had suppressed EB properties at low temperature as compared to samples grown without Ar+ assistance.

  16. Temperature dependence of exchange bias in (NiFe/IrMn)n multilayer films studied through static and dynamic techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, Daniel J.; Khanal, Shankar; Khan, Mohammad Asif; Maksymov, Artur; Spinu, Leonard

    2018-05-01

    The in-plane temperature dependence of exchange bias was studied through both dc magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy in a series of [NiFe/IrMn]n multilayer films, where n is the number of layer repetitions. Major hysteresis loops were recorded in the temperature range of 300 K to 2 K to reveal the effect of temperature on the exchange bias in the static regime while temperature-dependent continuous-wave ferromagnetic resonance for frequencies from 3 to 16 GHz was used to determine the exchange bias dynamically. Strong divergence between the values of exchange bias determined using the two different types of measurements as well as a peak in temperature dependence of the resonance linewidth were observed. These results are explained in terms of the slow-relaxer mechanism.

  17. Exchange bias and perpendicular anisotropy study of ultrathin Pt-Co-Pt-IrMn multilayers sputtered on float glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laval, M.; Lüders, U.; Bobo, J. F.

    2007-09-01

    We have prepared ultrathin Pt-Co-Pt-IrMn polycrystalline multilayers on float-glass substrates by DC magnetron sputtering. We have determined the optimal set of thickness for both Pt layers, the Co layer and the IrMn biasing layer so that these samples exhibit at the same time out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy and exchange bias. Kerr microscopy domain structure imaging evidences an increase of nucleation rate accompanied with inhomogeneous magnetic behavior in the case of exchange-biased films compared to Pt-Co-Pt trilayers. Polar hysteresis loops are measured in obliquely applied magnetic field conditions, allowing us to determine both perpendicular anisotropy effective constant Keff and exchange-bias coupling JE, which are significantly different from the ones determined by standard switching field measurements.

  18. Large exchange bias induced by polycrystalline Mn3Ga antiferromagnetic films with controlled layer thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Haokaifeng; Sudoh, Iori; Xu, Ruihan; Si, Wenshuo; Vaz, C. A. F.; Kim, Jun-young; Vallejo-Fernandez, Gonzalo; Hirohata, Atsufumi

    2018-05-01

    Polycrystalline Mn3Ga layers with thickness in the range from 6–20 nm were deposited at room temperature by a high target utilisation sputtering. To investigate the onset of exchange-bias, a ferromagnetic Co0.6Fe0.4 layer (3.3–9 nm thick) capped with 5 nm Ta, were subsequently deposited. X-ray diffraction measurements confirm the presence of Mn3Ga (0 0 0 2) and (0 0 0 4) peaks characteristic of the D019 antiferromagnetic structure. The 6 nm thick Mn3Ga film shows the largest exchange bias of 430 Oe at 120 K with a blocking temperature of 225 K. The blocking temperature is found to decrease with increasing Mn3Ga thickness. These results in combination with x-ray reflectivity measurements confirm that the quality of the Mn3Ga/Co0.6Fe0.4 interface controls the exchange bias, with the sharp interface with the 6-nm-thick Mn3Ga inducing the largest exchange bias. The magneto-crystalline anisotropy for 6 nm thick Mn3Ga thin film sample is calculated to be . Such a binary antiferromagnetic Heusler alloy is compatible with the current memory fabrication process and hence has a great potential for antiferromagnetic spintronics.

  19. Uncoupled surface spin induced exchange bias in α-MnO2 nanowires

    PubMed Central

    Li, Wenxian; Zeng, Rong; Sun, Ziqi; Tian, Dongliang; Dou, Shixue

    2014-01-01

    We have studied the microstructure, surface states, valence fluctuations, magnetic properties, and exchange bias effect in MnO2 nanowires. High purity α-MnO2 rectangular nanowires were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method with microwave-assisted procedures. The microstructure analysis indicates that the nanowires grow in the [0 0 1] direction with the (2 1 0) plane as the surface. Mn3+ and Mn2+ ions are not found in the system by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effective magnetic moment of the manganese ions fits in with the theoretical and experimental values of Mn4+ very well. The uncoupled spins in 3d3 orbitals of the Mn4+ ions in MnO6 octahedra on the rough surface are responsible for the net magnetic moment. Spin glass behavior is observed through magnetic measurements. Furthermore, the exchange bias effect is observed for the first time in pure α-MnO2 phase due to the coupling of the surface spin glass with the antiferromagnetic α-MnO2 matrix. These α-MnO2 nanowires, with a spin-glass-like behavior and with an exchange bias effect excited by the uncoupled surface spins, should therefore inspire further study concerning the origin, theory, and applicability of surface structure induced magnetism in nanostructures. PMID:25319531

  20. Positive exchange-bias and giant vertical hysteretic shift in La0.3Sr0.7FeO3/SrRuO3 bilayers

    PubMed Central

    Rana, Rakesh; Pandey, Parul; Singh, R. P.; Rana, D. S.

    2014-01-01

    The exchange-bias effects in the mosaic epitaxial bilayers of the itinerant ferromagnet (FM) SrRuO3 and the antiferromagnetic (AFM) charge-ordered La0.3Sr0.7FeO3 were investigated. An uncharacteristic low-field positive exchange bias, a cooling-field driven reversal of positive to negative exchange-bias and a layer thickness optimised unusual vertical magnetization shift were all novel facets of exchange bias realized for the first time in magnetic oxides. The successive magnetic training induces a transition from positive to negative exchange bias regime with changes in domain configurations. These observations are well corroborated by the hysteretic loop asymmetries which display the modifications in the AFM spin correlations. These exotic features emphasize the key role of i) mosaic disorder induced subtle interplay of competing AFM-superexchange and FM double exchange at the exchange biased interface and, ii) training induced irrecoverable alterations in the AFM spin structure. PMID:24569516

  1. Effect of shell thickness on the exchange bias blocking temperature and coercivity in Co-CoO core-shell nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, S.; Reethu, K.; Thanveer, T.; Myint, M. T. Z.; Al-Harthi, S. H.

    2017-08-01

    The exchange bias blocking temperature distribution of naturally oxidized Co-CoO core-shell nanoparticles exhibits two distinct signatures. These are associated with the existence of two magnetic entities which are responsible for the temperature dependence of an exchange bias field. One is from the CoO grains which undergo thermally activated magnetization reversal. The other is from the disordered spins at the Co-CoO interface which exhibits spin-glass-like behavior. We investigated the oxide shell thickness dependence of the exchange bias effect. For particles with a 3 nm thick CoO shell, the predominant contribution to the temperature dependence of exchange bias is the interfacial spin-glass layer. On increasing the shell thickness to 4 nm, the contribution from the spin-glass layer decreases, while upholding the antiferromagnetic grain contribution. For samples with a 4 nm CoO shell, the exchange bias training was minimal. On the other hand, 3 nm samples exhibited both the training effect and a peak in coercivity at an intermediate set temperature Ta. This is explained using a magnetic core-shell model including disordered spins at the interface.

  2. The fabrication of ordered arrays of exchange biased Ni/FeF2 nanostructures.

    PubMed

    Kovylina, M; Erekhinsky, M; Morales, R; Schuller, I K; Labarta, A; Batlle, X

    2010-04-30

    The fabrication of ordered arrays of exchange biased Ni/FeF(2) nanostructures by focused ion beam lithography is reported. High quality nano-elements, with controlled removal depth and no significant re-deposition, were carved using small ion beam currents (30 pA), moderate dwell times (1 micros) and repeated passages over the same area. Two types of nanostructures were fabricated: square arrays of circular dots with diameters from 125 +/- 8 to 500 +/- 12 nm and periodicities ranging from 200 +/- 8 to 1000 +/- 12 nm, and square arrays of square antidots (207 +/- 8 nm in edge length) with periodicities ranging from 300 +/- 8 to 1200 +/- 12 nm. The arrays were characterized using scanning ion and electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The effect of the patterning on the exchange bias field (i.e., the shift in the hysteresis loop of ferromagnetic Ni due to proximity to antiferromagnetic FeF(2)) was studied using magneto-transport measurements. These high quality nanostructures offer a unique method to address some of the open questions regarding the microscopic origin of exchange bias. This is not only of major relevance in the fabrication and miniaturization of magnetic devices but it is also one of the important proximity phenomena in nanoscience and materials science.

  3. Spin-Hall Switching of In-plane Exchange Biased Heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mann, Maxwell; Beach, Geoffrey

    The spin Hall effect (SHE) in heavy-metal/ferromagnet bilayers generates a pure transverse spin current from in-plane charge current, allowing for efficient switching of spintronic devices with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Here, we demonstrate that an AFM deposited adjacent to the FM establishes a large in-plane exchange bias field, allowing operation at zero HIP. We sputtered Pt(3nm)/Co(0.9nm)/Ni80Co20O(tAF) stacks at room-temperature in an in-plane magnetic field of 3 kOe. The current-induced effective field was estimated in Hall cross devices by measuring the variation of the out-of-plane switching field as a function of JIP and HIP. The spin torque efficiency, dHSL/dJIP, is measured versus HIP for a sample with tAF =30 nm, and for a control in which NiCoO is replaced by TaOx. In the latter, dHSL/dJIP varied linearly with HIP. In the former, dHSL/dJIP varied nonlinearly with HIP and exhibited an offset indicating nonzero spin torque efficiency with zero HIP. The magnitude of HEB was 600 Oe in-plane.

  4. Implications of room temperature oxidation on crystal structure and exchange bias effect in Co/CoO nanoparticles

    DOE PAGES

    Feygenson, Mikhail; Formo, Eric V.; Freeman, Katherine; ...

    2015-11-02

    In this study, we describe how the exchange bias effect in Co/CoO nanoparticles depends on the size focusing and temperature treatment of precursor Co nanoparticles before oxidation at ambient conditions. By appealing to magnetization, microscopy, neutron and synchrotron x-ray measurements we found that as-synthesized Co nanoparticles readily oxidize in air only after 20 days. The highest exchange bias field of 814 Oe is observed at T = 2K. When the same nanoparticles are centrifuged and annealed at 70 °C in vacuum prior to oxidation, the exchange bias field is increased to 2570 Oe. Annealing of Co nanoparticles in vacuum improvesmore » their crystallinity and prevents complete oxidation, so that Co-core/CoO-shell structure is preserved even after 120 days. The crystal structure of CoO shell in both samples is different from its bulk counterpart. Implications of such distorted CoO shells on exchange bias are discussed. Coating of Co nanoparticles with amorphous silica shell makes them resistant to oxidation, but ultimately modifies the crystal structure of both Co core and SiO 2 shell.« less

  5. Exchange Bias Effects in Iron Oxide-Based Nanoparticle Systems

    DOE PAGES

    Phan, Manh-Huong; Alonso, Javier; Khurshid, Hafsa; ...

    2016-11-23

    The exploration of exchange bias (EB) on the nanoscale provides a novel approach to improving the anisotropic properties of magnetic nanoparticles for prospective applications in nanospintronics and nanomedicine. However, the physical origin of EB is not fully understood. Recent advances in chemical synthesis provide a unique opportunity to explore EB in a variety of iron oxide-based nanostructures ranging from core/shell to hollow and hybrid composite nanoparticles. Experimental and atomistic Monte Carlo studies have shed light on the roles of interface and surface spins in these nanosystems. This review paper aims to provide a thorough understanding of the EB and relatedmore » phenomena in iron oxide-based nanoparticle systems, knowledge of which is essential to tune the anisotropic magnetic properties of exchange-coupled nanoparticle systems for potential applications.« less

  6. Exchange Bias Effects in Iron Oxide-Based Nanoparticle Systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Phan, Manh-Huong; Alonso, Javier; Khurshid, Hafsa

    The exploration of exchange bias (EB) on the nanoscale provides a novel approach to improving the anisotropic properties of magnetic nanoparticles for prospective applications in nanospintronics and nanomedicine. However, the physical origin of EB is not fully understood. Recent advances in chemical synthesis provide a unique opportunity to explore EB in a variety of iron oxide-based nanostructures ranging from core/shell to hollow and hybrid composite nanoparticles. Experimental and atomistic Monte Carlo studies have shed light on the roles of interface and surface spins in these nanosystems. This review paper aims to provide a thorough understanding of the EB and relatedmore » phenomena in iron oxide-based nanoparticle systems, knowledge of which is essential to tune the anisotropic magnetic properties of exchange-coupled nanoparticle systems for potential applications.« less

  7. Exchange Bias Effects in Iron Oxide-Based Nanoparticle Systems

    PubMed Central

    Phan, Manh-Huong; Alonso, Javier; Khurshid, Hafsa; Lampen-Kelley, Paula; Chandra, Sayan; Stojak Repa, Kristen; Nemati, Zohreh; Das, Raja; Iglesias, Óscar; Srikanth, Hariharan

    2016-01-01

    The exploration of exchange bias (EB) on the nanoscale provides a novel approach to improving the anisotropic properties of magnetic nanoparticles for prospective applications in nanospintronics and nanomedicine. However, the physical origin of EB is not fully understood. Recent advances in chemical synthesis provide a unique opportunity to explore EB in a variety of iron oxide-based nanostructures ranging from core/shell to hollow and hybrid composite nanoparticles. Experimental and atomistic Monte Carlo studies have shed light on the roles of interface and surface spins in these nanosystems. This review paper aims to provide a thorough understanding of the EB and related phenomena in iron oxide-based nanoparticle systems, knowledge of which is essential to tune the anisotropic magnetic properties of exchange-coupled nanoparticle systems for potential applications. PMID:28335349

  8. Polarized neutron reflectivity study of a thermally treated MnIr/CoFe exchange bias system.

    PubMed

    Awaji, Naoki; Miyajima, Toyoo; Doi, Shuuichi; Nomura, Kenji

    2010-12-01

    It has recently been found that the exchange bias of a MnIr/CoFe system can be increased significantly by adding a thermal treatment to the bilayer. To reveal the origin of the higher exchange bias, we performed polarized neutron reflectivity measurements at the JRR-3 neutron source. The magnetization vector near the MnIr/CoFe interface for thermally treated samples differed from that for samples without the treatment. We propose a model in which the pinned spin area at the interface is extended due to the increased roughness and atomic interdiffusion that result from the thermal treatment.

  9. Exchange bias effect and glassy-like behavior of EuCrO{sub 3} and CeCrO{sub 3} nano-powders

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Taheri, M., E-mail: maryam.taheri@brocku.ca; Razavi, F. S.; Kremer, R. K.

    2015-09-28

    The magnetic properties of nano-sized EuCrO{sub 3} and CeCrO{sub 3} powders, synthesized by a solution combustion method, were investigated using DC/AC magnetization measurements. An exchange bias effect, magnetization irreversibility and AC susceptibility dispersion in these samples provided evidence for the presence of the spin disorder magnetic phase. The exchange bias phenomenon, which is assigned to the exchange coupling between the glassy-like shell and canted antiferromagnetic core, showed the opposite sign in EuCrO{sub 3} and CeCrO{sub 3} at low temperatures, suggesting different exchange interactions at the interfaces in these compounds. We also observed a sign reversal of exchange bias in CeCrO{submore » 3} at different temperatures.« less

  10. Antisite disorder induced spin glass and exchange bias effect in Nd2NiMnO6 epitaxial thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Amit Kumar; Chauhan, Samta; Chandra, Ramesh

    2017-03-01

    We report the observation of the exchange bias effect and spin glass behaviour at low temperature in a ferromagnetic Nd2NiMnO6 epitaxial thin film. Along with the ferromagnetic transition at ˜194 K, an additional transition is observed at lower temperature (˜55 K) as seen from M-T curves of the sample. A shift in the ac susceptibility peak with frequency has been observed at low temperature, which is a signature of a glassy phase within the sample. The detailed investigation of the memory effect and time dependent magnetic relaxation measurements reveals the presence of a spin glass phase in the Nd2NiMnO6 thin film. The exchange bias effect observed at low temperature in the sample has been associated with an antisite disorder induced spin glass phase, which results in a ferromagnetic/spin glass interface at low temperature. The exchange bias behaviour has been further confirmed by performing cooling field and temperature dependence of exchange bias along with training effect measurements.

  11. The role of the (111) texture on the exchange bias and interlayer coupling effects observed in sputtered NiFe/IrMn/Co trilayers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Castro, I. L.; Nascimento, V. P.; Passamani, E. C.

    2013-05-28

    Magnetic properties of sputtered NiFe/IrMn/Co trilayers grown on different seed layers (Cu or Ta) deposited on Si (100) substrates were investigated by magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance measurements. Exchange bias effect and magnetic spring behavior have been studied by changing the IrMn thickness. As shown by X-ray diffraction, Ta and Cu seed layers provoke different degrees of (111) fcc-texture that directly affect the exchange bias and indirectly modify the exchange spring coupling behavior. Increasing the IrMn thickness, it was observed that the coupling angle between the Co and NiFe ferromagnetic layers increases for the Cu seed system, but it reduces formore » the Ta case. The results were explained considering (i) different anisotropies of the Co and IrMn layers induced by the different degree of the (111) texture and (ii) the distinct exchange bias set at the NiFe/IrMn and IrMn/Co interfaces in both systems. The NiFe and Co interlayer coupling angle is strongly correlated with both exchange bias and exchange magnetic spring phenomena. It was also shown that the highest exchange bias field occurs when an unstressed L1{sub 2} IrMn structure is stabilized.« less

  12. The Effect of Interface Texture on Exchange Biasing in Ni(80)Fe(20)/Ir(20)Mn(80) System.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yuan-Tsung

    2009-01-01

    Exchange-biasing phenomenon can induce an evident unidirectional hysteresis loop shift by spin coupling effect in the ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AFM) interface which can be applied in magnetoresistance random access memory (MRAM) and recording-head applications. However, magnetic properties are the most important to AFM texturing. In this work, top-configuration exchange-biasing NiFe/IrMn(x A) systems have been investigated with three different conditions. From the high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (HR X-TEM) and X-ray diffraction results, we conclude that the IrMn (111) texture plays an important role in exchange-biasing field (H(ex)) and interfacial exchange energy (J(k)). H(ex) and J(k) tend to saturate when the IrMn thickness increases. Moreover, the coercivity (H(c)) dependence on IrMn thickness is explained based on the coupling or decoupling effect between the spins of the NiFe and IrMn layers near the NiFe/IrMn interface. In this work, the optimal values for H(ex) and J(k) are 115 Oe and 0.062 erg/cm(2), respectively.

  13. 45° sign switching of effective exchange bias due to competing anisotropies in fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers.

    PubMed

    Hajiri, T; Yoshida, T; Filianina, M; Jaiswal, S; Borie, B; Asano, H; Zabel, H; Kläui, M

    2017-12-05

    We report an unusual angular-dependent exchange bias effect in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet bilayers, where both ferromagnet and antiferromagnet are epitaxially grown. Numerical model calculations predict an approximately 45° period for the sign switching of the exchange-bias field, depending on the ratio between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and exchange-coupling constant. The switching of the sign is indicative of a competition between a fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the ferromagnet and a unidirectional anisotropy field of the exchange coupling. This predicted unusual angular-dependent exchange bias and its magnetization switching process are confirmed by measurements on fully epitaxial Co 3 FeN/MnN bilayers by longitudinal and transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. These results provide a deeper understanding of the exchange coupling phenomena in fully epitaxial bilayers with tailored materials and open up a complex switching energy landscape engineering by anisotropies.

  14. 45° sign switching of effective exchange bias due to competing anisotropies in fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hajiri, T.; Yoshida, T.; Filianina, M.; Jaiswal, S.; Borie, B.; Asano, H.; Zabel, H.; Kläui, M.

    2018-01-01

    We report an unusual angular-dependent exchange bias effect in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet bilayers, where both ferromagnet and antiferromagnet are epitaxially grown. Numerical model calculations predict an approximately 45° period for the sign switching of the exchange-bias field, depending on the ratio between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and exchange-coupling constant. The switching of the sign is indicative of a competition between a fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the ferromagnet and a unidirectional anisotropy field of the exchange coupling. This predicted unusual angular-dependent exchange bias and its magnetization switching process are confirmed by measurements on fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers by longitudinal and transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. These results provide a deeper understanding of the exchange coupling phenomena in fully epitaxial bilayers with tailored materials and open up a complex switching energy landscape engineering by anisotropies.

  15. Junction Potentials Bias Measurements of Ion Exchange Membrane Permselectivity.

    PubMed

    Kingsbury, Ryan S; Flotron, Sophie; Zhu, Shan; Call, Douglas F; Coronell, Orlando

    2018-04-17

    Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) are versatile materials relevant to a variety of water and waste treatment, energy production, and industrial separation processes. The defining characteristic of IEMs is their ability to selectively allow positive or negative ions to permeate, which is referred to as permselectivity. Measured values of permselectivity that equal unity (corresponding to a perfectly selective membrane) or exceed unity (theoretically impossible) have been reported for cation exchange membranes (CEMs). Such nonphysical results call into question our ability to correctly measure this crucial membrane property. Because weighing errors, temperature, and measurement uncertainty have been shown to not explain these anomalous permselectivity results, we hypothesized that a possible explanation are junction potentials that occur at the tips of reference electrodes. In this work, we tested this hypothesis by comparing permselectivity values obtained from bare Ag/AgCl wire electrodes (which have no junction) to values obtained from single-junction reference electrodes containing two different electrolytes. We show that permselectivity values obtained using reference electrodes with junctions were greater than unity for CEMs. In contrast, electrodes without junctions always produced permselectivities lower than unity. Electrodes with junctions also resulted in artificially low permselectivity values for AEMs compared to electrodes without junctions. Thus, we conclude that junctions in reference electrodes introduce two biases into results in the IEM literature: (i) permselectivity values larger than unity for CEMs and (ii) lower permselectivity values for AEMs compared to those for CEMs. These biases can be avoided by using electrodes without a junction.

  16. Inverse spin Hall and spin rectification effects in NiFe/FeMn exchange-biased thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia, W. J. S.; Seeger, R. L.; da Silva, R. B.; Harres, A.

    2017-11-01

    Materials presenting high spin-orbit coupling are able to convert spin currents in charge currents. The phenomenon, known as inverse spin Hall effect, promises to revolutionize spintronic technology enabling the electrical detection of spin currents. It has been observed in a variety of systems, usually non-magnetic metals. We study the voltage emerging in exchange biased Ta/NiFe/FeMn/Ta thin films near the ferromagnetic resonance. Measured signals are related to both inverse spin Hall and spin rectification effects, and two distinct protocols were employed to separate their contributions.The curve shift due to the exchange bias effect may enable high frequency applications without an external applied magnetic field.

  17. Magnetization reversal of an individual exchange-biased permalloy nanotube

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buchter, A.; Wölbing, R.; Wyss, M.; Kieler, O. F.; Weimann, T.; Kohlmann, J.; Zorin, A. B.; Rüffer, D.; Matteini, F.; Tütüncüoglu, G.; Heimbach, F.; Kleibert, A.; Fontcuberta i Morral, A.; Grundler, D.; Kleiner, R.; Koelle, D.; Poggio, M.

    2015-12-01

    We investigate the magnetization reversal mechanism in an individual permalloy (Py) nanotube (NT) using a hybrid magnetometer consisting of a nanometer-scale SQUID (nanoSQUID) and a cantilever torque sensor. The Py NT is affixed to the tip of a Si cantilever and positioned in order to optimally couple its stray flux into a Nb nanoSQUID. We are thus able to measure both the NT's volume magnetization by dynamic cantilever magnetometry and its stray flux using the nanoSQUID. We observe a training effect and a temperature dependence in the magnetic hysteresis, suggesting an exchange bias. We find a low blocking temperature TB=18 ±2 K, indicating the presence of a thin antiferromagnetic native oxide, as confirmed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy on similar samples. Furthermore, we measure changes in the shape of the magnetic hysteresis as a function of temperature and increased training. These observations show that the presence of a thin exchange-coupled native oxide modifies the magnetization reversal process at low temperatures. Complementary information obtained via cantilever and nanoSQUID magnetometry allows us to conclude that, in the absence of exchange coupling, this reversal process is nucleated at the NT's ends and propagates along its length as predicted by theory.

  18. Kerr microscopy study of exchange-coupled FePt/Fe exchange spring magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussain, Zaineb; Kumar, Dileep; Reddy, V. Raghavendra; Gupta, Ajay

    2017-05-01

    Magnetization reversal and magnetic microstructure of top soft magnetic layer (Fe) in exchange spring coupled L10 FePt/Fe is studied using high resolution Kerr microscopy. With remnant state of the hard magnetic layer (L10 FePt) as initial condition, magnetization loops along with magnetic domains are recorded for the top soft magnetic layer (Fe) using Kerr microscopy. Considerable shifting of Fe layer hysteresis loop from center which is similar to exchange bias phenomena is observed. It is also observed that one can tune the magnitude of hysteresis shift by reaching the remanent state from different saturating fields (HSAT) and also by varying the angle between measuring field and HSAT. The hysteresis loops and magnetic domains of top soft Fe layer demonstrate unambiguously that soft magnetic layer at remanent state in such exchange coupled system is having unidirectional anisotropy. An analogy is drawn and the observations are explained in terms of established model of exchange bias phenomena framed for field-cooled ferromagnetic - antiferromagnetic bilayer systems.

  19. Exchange bias properties of 140 nm-sized dipolarly interacting circular dots with ultrafine IrMn and NiFe layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spizzo, F.; Tamisari, M.; Chinni, F.; Bonfiglioli, E.; Gerardino, A.; Barucca, G.; Bisero, D.; Fin, S.; Del Bianco, L.

    2016-02-01

    We studied the exchange bias effect in an array of IrMn(3 nm)/NiFe(3 nm) circular dots (size 140 nm and center-to-center distance 200 nm, as revealed by microscopy analyses), prepared on a large area (3×3 mm2) by electron beam lithography and lift-off, using dc sputtering deposition. Hysteresis loops were measured by SQUID magnetometer at increasing values of temperature T (in the 5-300 K range) after cooling from 300 K down to 5 K in zero field (ZFC mode) and in a saturating magnetic field (FC mode). The exchange bias effect disappears above T 200 K and, at each temperature, the exchange field HEX measured in ZFC is substantially lower than the FC one. Micromagnetic calculations indicate that, at room temperature, each dot is in high-remanence ground state, but magnetic dipolar interactions establish a low-remanence configuration of the array as a whole. Hence, at low temperature, following the ZFC procedure, the exchange anisotropy in the dot array is averaged out, tending to zero. However, even the FC values of HEX and of the coercivity HC are definitely smaller compared to those measured in a reference continuous film with the same stack configuration (at T=5 K, HEX 90 Oe and HC 180 Oe in the dots and HEX 1270 Oe and HC 860 Oe in the film). Our explanation is based on the proven glassy magnetic nature of the ultrathin IrMn layer, implying the existence of magnetic correlations among the spins, culminating in a collective freezing below T 100 K. We propose, also by the light of micromagnetic simulations, that the small dot size imposes a spatial constraint on the magnetic correlation length among the IrMn spins so that, even at the lowest temperature, their thermal stability, especially at the dot border, is compromised.

  20. Surface and exchange-bias effects in compacted CaMnO3-δ nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Markovich, V.; Fita, I.; Wisniewski, A.; Puzniak, R.; Mogilyansky, D.; Titelman, L.; Vradman, L.; Herskowitz, M.; Gorodetsky, G.

    2008-02-01

    Magnetic properties of compacted 50nm CaMnO3-δ (CMO) nanoparticles have been investigated. Measurements of ac-susceptibility exhibit upon cooling two magnetic transitions at Ttilde 270K accompanied by a small spontaneous magnetic moment and a para-antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at TN˜120K , observed previously in bulk CMO. Asymmetric magnetization hysteresis loops observed in applied magnetic fields H≤90kOe are attributed to an exchange coupling between the antiferromagnetic core and the ferromagnetic (FM) shell of the CMO nanoparticles. This work provides the observation of exchange bias effect in manganite nanoparticles with inverted AFM-core-FM-shell structure, as compared to the typical FM-core-AFM-shell. Effects of surface and exchange anisotropy are also discussed.

  1. Interfacial Ferromagnetism and Exchange Bias in CaRuO3/CaMnO3 Superlattices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, C.; Grutter, A. J.; Gu, M.; Browning, N. D.; Takamura, Y.; Kirby, B. J.; Borchers, J. A.; Kim, J. W.; Fitzsimmons, M. R.; Zhai, X.; Mehta, V. V.; Wong, F. J.; Suzuki, Y.

    2012-11-01

    We have found ferromagnetism in epitaxially grown superlattices of CaRuO3/CaMnO3 that arises in one unit cell at the interface. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy indicate that the difference in magnitude of the Mn valence states between the center of the CaMnO3 layer and the interface region is consistent with double exchange interaction among the Mn ions at the interface. Polarized neutron reflectivity and the CaMnO3 thickness dependence of the exchange bias field together indicate that the interfacial ferromagnetism is only limited to one unit cell of CaMnO3 at each interface. The interfacial moment alternates between the 1μB/interface Mn ion for even CaMnO3 layers and the 0.5μB/interface Mn ion for odd CaMnO3 layers. This modulation, combined with the exchange bias, suggests the presence of a modulating interlayer coupling between neighboring ferromagnetic interfaces via the antiferromagnetic CaMnO3 layers.

  2. Enhanced conformational sampling using replica exchange with concurrent solute scaling and hamiltonian biasing realized in one dimension.

    PubMed

    Yang, Mingjun; Huang, Jing; MacKerell, Alexander D

    2015-06-09

    Replica exchange (REX) is a powerful computational tool for overcoming the quasi-ergodic sampling problem of complex molecular systems. Recently, several multidimensional extensions of this method have been developed to realize exchanges in both temperature and biasing potential space or the use of multiple biasing potentials to improve sampling efficiency. However, increased computational cost due to the multidimensionality of exchanges becomes challenging for use on complex systems under explicit solvent conditions. In this study, we develop a one-dimensional (1D) REX algorithm to concurrently combine the advantages of overall enhanced sampling from Hamiltonian solute scaling and the specific enhancement of collective variables using Hamiltonian biasing potentials. In the present Hamiltonian replica exchange method, termed HREST-BP, Hamiltonian solute scaling is applied to the solute subsystem, and its interactions with the environment to enhance overall conformational transitions and biasing potentials are added along selected collective variables associated with specific conformational transitions, thereby balancing the sampling of different hierarchical degrees of freedom. The two enhanced sampling approaches are implemented concurrently allowing for the use of a small number of replicas (e.g., 6 to 8) in 1D, thus greatly reducing the computational cost in complex system simulations. The present method is applied to conformational sampling of two nitrogen-linked glycans (N-glycans) found on the HIV gp120 envelope protein. Considering the general importance of the conformational sampling problem, HREST-BP represents an efficient procedure for the study of complex saccharides, and, more generally, the method is anticipated to be of general utility for the conformational sampling in a wide range of macromolecular systems.

  3. Current-driven non-linear magnetodynamics in exchange-biased spin valves

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seinige, Heidi; Wang, Cheng; Tsoi, Maxim, E-mail: tsoi@physics.utexas.edu

    2015-05-07

    This work investigates the excitation of parametric resonance in exchange-biased spin valves (EBSVs). Using a mechanical point contact, high density dc and microwave currents were injected into the EBSV sample. Observing the reflected microwave power and the small rectification voltage that develops across the contact allows detecting the current-driven magnetodynamics not only in the bulk sample but originating exclusively from the small contact region. In addition to ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), parametric resonance at twice the natural FMR frequency was observed. In contrast to FMR, this non-linear resonance was excited only in the vicinity of the point contact where current densitiesmore » are high. Power-dependent measurements displayed a typical threshold-like behavior of parametric resonance and a broadening of the instability region with increasing power. Parametric resonance showed a linear shift as a function of applied dc bias which is consistent with the field-like spin-transfer torque induced by current on magnetic moments in EBSV.« less

  4. Multiple antiferromagnet/ferromagnet interfaces as a probe of grain-size-dependent exchange bias in polycrystalline Co/Fe 50Mn 50

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolon, Bruce T.; Haugen, M. A.; Abin-Fuentes, A.; Deneen, J.; Carter, C. B.; Leighton, C.

    2007-02-01

    We have used ferromagnet/antiferromagnet/ferromagnet trilayers and ferromagnet/antiferromagnet multilayers to probe the grain size dependence of exchange bias in polycrystalline Co/Fe 50Mn 50. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show that the Fe 50Mn 50 (FeMn) grain size increases with increasing FeMn thickness in the Co (30 Å)/FeMn system. Hence, in Co(30 Å)/FeMn( tAF Å)/Co(30 Å) trilayers the two Co layers sample different FeMn grain sizes at the two antiferromagnet/ferromagnet interfaces. For FeMn thicknesses above 100 Å, where simple bilayers have a thickness-independent exchange bias, we are therefore able to deduce the influence of FeMn grain size on the exchange bias and coercivity (and their temperature dependence) simply by measuring trilayer and multilayer samples with varying FeMn thicknesses. This can be done while maintaining the (1 1 1) orientation, and with little variation in interface roughness. Increasing the average grain size from 90 to 135 Å results in a fourfold decrease in exchange bias, following an inverse grain size dependence. We interpret the results as being due to a decrease in uncompensated spin density with increasing antiferromagnet grain size, further evidence for the importance of defect-generated uncompensated spins.

  5. Observation of magnetization and exchange bias reversals in NdFe0.5Cr0.5O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharannia, M. P.; De, Santanu; Singh, Ripandeep; Das, A.; Nirmala, R.; Santhosh, P. N.

    2017-05-01

    Polycrystalline NdFe0.5Cr0.5O3 has orthorhombic structure with Pnma space group and is magnetically ordered at room temperature as confirmed by neutron diffraction. The magnetic structure involves CxGyFz type ordering of Fe3+/Cr3+ ions. NdFe0.5Cr0.5O3 shows magnetization reversal and sign reversal of exchange bias at 16 K. Nd3+ moments that get induced by the internal field of |Fe+Cr| sublattice couple antiferromagnetically with the ferromagnetic component of |Fe+Cr| sublattice. Nd3+ moments overcome the |Fe+Cr| moments at 16 K below which the material shows negative magnetization and positive exchange bias.

  6. Exchange bias effect in Au-Fe 3O 4 dumbbell nanoparticles induced by the charge transfer from gold

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Feygenson, Mikhail; Bauer, John C; Gai, Zheng

    2015-08-10

    We have studied the origin of the exchange bias effect in the Au-Fe 3O 4 dumbbell nanoparticles in two samples with different sizes of the Au seed nanoparticles (4.1 and 2.7 nm) and same size of Fe 3O 4 nanoparticles (9.8 nm). The magnetization, small-angle neutron scattering, synchrotron x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscope measurements determined the antiferromagnetic FeO wüstite phase within Fe 3O 4 nanoparticles, originating at the interface with the Au nanoparticles. The interface between antiferromagnetic FeO and ferrimagnetic Fe 3O 4 is giving rise to the exchange bias effect. The strength of the exchange bias fieldsmore » depends on the interfacial area and lattice mismatch between both phases. We propose that the charge transfer from the Au nanoparticles is responsible for a partial reduction of the Fe 3O 4 into FeO phase at the interface with Au nanoparticles. The Au-O bonds are formed across the interface to accommodate an excess of oxygen released during the reduction of magnetite.« less

  7. Exchange bias effect in Au-Fe3O4 dumbbell nanoparticles induced by the charge transfer from gold

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Feygenson, Mikhail; Bauer, John C.; Gai, Zheng

    2015-08-10

    We have studied the origin of the exchange bias effect in the Au-Fe3O4 dumbbell nanoparticles in two samples with different sizes of the Au seed nanoparticles (4.1 and 2.7 nm) and same size of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (9.8 nm). The magnetization, small-angle neutron-scattering, synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and scanning transmission electron microscope measurements determined the antiferromagnetic FeO wustite phase within Fe3O4 nanoparticles, originating at the interface with the Au nanoparticles. The interface between antiferromagnetic FeO and ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 is giving rise to the exchange bias effect. The strength of the exchange bias fields depends on the interfacial area and lattice mismatch betweenmore » both phases. We propose that the charge transfer from the Au nanoparticles is responsible for a partial reduction of the Fe3O4 into the FeO phase at the interface with Au nanoparticles. The Au-O bonds are formed, presumably across the interface to accommodate an excess of oxygen released during the reduction of magnetite« less

  8. Establishing and integrating performance measures : a TPCB peer exchange

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-08-31

    This report highlights key recommendations and noteworthy practices identified at Establishing and Integrating Performance Measures Peer Exchange held on April 27-28, 2015 in Dimondale, Michigan and via video teleconference. This event was spon...

  9. Reversal magnetization, spin reorientation, and exchange bias in YCr O3 doped with praseodymium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Durán, A.; Escamilla, R.; Escudero, R.; Morales, F.; Verdín, E.

    2018-01-01

    Crystal structure, thermal properties, and magnetic properties were studied systematically in Y1 -xP rxCr O3 with 0.0 ≤x ≤0.3 compositions. Magnetic susceptibility and specific-heat measurements show an increase in the antiferromagnetic transition temperature (TN) as Pr is substituted in the Y sites and notable magnetic features are observed below TN. Strong coupling between magnetic and crystalline parameters is observed in a small range of Pr compositions. A small perturbation in the lattice parameters by a Pr ion is sufficient to induce a spin-reorientation transition followed by magnetization reversal to finally induce the exchange-bias effect. The spin-reorientation temperature (TSR) is increased from 35 to 149 K for 0.025 ≤x ≤0.1 compositions. It is found that the Cr spin sublattice rotates continuously from TSR to a new spin configuration at lower temperature. In addition, magnetization reversal is observed at T*˜35 K for x =0.05 up to T*˜63 K for x =0.20 composition. The M -H curves show a negative exchange-bias effect induced by Pr ions, which are observed below 100 K and are more intense at 5 K. At 10 K, the magnetic contribution of the specific heat as well as the ZFC magnetization show the rise of a peak with increasing Pr content. The magnetic anomaly could be associated with the freezing of the Pr magnetic moment randomly distributed at the 4 c crystallographic site. A clear correspondence between spin reorientation, magnetization reversal, and exchange-bias anisotropy with the tilting and octahedral distortion is also discussed.

  10. Exchange biased and closed-flux pseudo spin-valve materials, device applications, and electrical reliability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bae, Seongtae

    Since giant magnetoresistance (GMR) and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) spinvalve effects were developed for the last two decades after discovered, world wide researches on applying these effects for various kinds of solid state active devices has provided a strong impact on challenging new functional micro-magnetoelectronic devices. In particular, recently developed nano-structured magnetic spin-valve thin film materials for spin-electronic devices are now considered as building blocks of state-of-the-art electronic engineering. This research has been concentrated on developing and designing magneto-electronic solid state devices with high thermal and electrical stability using an alpha-Fe 2O3 and NiO oxide anti-ferromagnetic exchange biased GMR bottom spin-valves (BSV), NiFe/Cu/Co and NiFe/Cu/CoFe based closed-flux metallic pseudo spin-valves, and PtMn exchange biased TMR spin-valves. The category covering this research is divided into four main research steps. First is to investigate exchange bias coupling characteristics of alpha-Fe2 O3 and NiO oxide Anti-ferromagnetic materials (AF)/Ferromagnetic (F) layer systems for optimizing exchange biased BSV and to study magnetic properties of various kinds of magnetic thin films including single through multi-layered structures for the fundamental research on NiFe/Cu/Co and NiFe/Cu/CoFe closed-flux metallic pseudo spin-valves. Second is to develop and improve new kinds of BSVs and closed-flux metallic spinvalves by controlling process parameters in terms of crystalline orientation texture of AF and F layers, interfacial surface roughness, grain size (its size distribution), chemical composition, and kinetics of sputtering film growth. Third is to design, to fabricate, and to investigate the magnetic and electrical properties of magneto-electronic devices as well as their applications such as GMR magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), GMR read head, TMR read head, and new kinds of GMR solid state devices, which

  11. Fingerprints of surface magnetism in Cr2O3 based exchange bias heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Xi; Wang, Yi; Binek, Ch.

    2009-03-01

    Magnetoelectric materials experienced a recent revival as promising components of novel spintronic devices [1, 2, 3]. Since the magnetoelectric (ME) effect is relativistically small in traditional antiferromagnetic (AF) compounds like Cr2O3 (max. αzz 4ps/m) and also cross-coupling between ferroic order parameters is typically small in the modern multiferroics, it is a challenge to electrically induce sufficient magnetization required for the envisioned device applications. In exchange bias systems the bias field depends critically on the AF interface magnetization. Hence, a strong relation between the latter and the surface magnetization of the free Cr2O3 pinning layer can be expected. Our recent research indicates that there are surface magnetic phase transitions in free Cr2O3 (111) films accompanying surface structural phase transitions. Well defined AF interface magnetization is initialized through ME annealing to T=20K. Subsequently, the interface magnetization is thermally driven through phase transitions at T=120 and 210K. Their effects on the exchange bias are studied in Cr2O3 (111)/CoPt films with the help of polar Kerr and SQUID magnetometry. [1] P. Borisov et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 117203 (2005). [2] Ch. Binek, B.Doudin, J. Phys. Condens. Matter 17, L39 (2005). [3] R. Ramesh et al. 2007 Nature Materials 6 21. Financial support by NSF through Career DMR-0547887, MRSEC DMR-0820521 and the NRI.

  12. Direct imaging of thermally-activated grain-boundary diffusion in Cu/Co/IrMn/Pt exchange-bias structures using atom-probe tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Letellier, F.; Lechevallier, L.; Lardé, R.; Le Breton, J.-M.; Akmaldinov, K.; Auffret, S.; Dieny, B.; Baltz, V.

    2014-11-01

    Magnetic devices are often subject to thermal processing steps, such as field cooling to set exchange bias and annealing to crystallize amorphous magnetic electrodes. These processing steps may result in interdiffusion and the subsequent deterioration of magnetic properties. In this study, we investigated thermally-activated diffusion in Cu/Co/IrMn/Pt exchange biased polycrystalline thin-film structures using atom probe tomography. Images taken after annealing at 400 °C for 60 min revealed Mn diffusion into Co grains at the Co/IrMn interface and along Pt grain boundaries for the IrMn/Pt stack, i.e., a Harrison type C regime. Annealing at 500 °C showed further Mn diffusion into Co grains. At the IrMn/Pt interface, annealing at 500 °C led to a type B behavior since Mn diffusion was detected both along Pt grain boundaries and also into Pt grains. The deterioration of the films' exchange bias properties upon annealing was correlated to the observed diffusion. In particular, the topmost Pt capping layer thickness turned out to be crucial since a faster deterioration of the exchange bias properties for thicker caps was observed. This is consistent with the idea that Pt acts as a getter for Mn, drawing Mn out of the IrMn layer.

  13. Reversal of spontaneous magnetization and spontaneous exchange bias for Sm1-xYxCrO3: The effect of Y doping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hongguang; Wang, Jianhua; Xie, Liang; Fu, Dexiang; Guo, Yanyan; Li, Yongtao

    2017-11-01

    We report the crystal and electronic structures and magnetic properties of non-magnetic Y3+ ion doped SmCrO3 crystals. Structural distortion and electronic structure variation are caused by cation disorder due to Y doping. Although the spin moment of Sm3+ is diluted by nonmagnetic Y ions, spin reorientation continues to exist, and the temperature-dependent magnetization reversal effect and the spontaneous exchange bias effect under zero field cooling are simultaneously induced below Neel temperature. Significantly, the method of doping promotes the achievement of temperature dependent tunable switching of magnetization and sign of a spontaneous exchange bias from positive to negative. Our work provides more tunable ways to the sign reversal of magnetization and exchange bias, which have potential application in designing magnetic random access memory devices, thermomagnetic switches and spin-valve devices.

  14. Coercivity and Exchange Bias Study of Polycrystalline Hollow Nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bah, Mohamed Alpha

    Magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) have the potential to be useful in a variety of applications such as biomedical instruments, catalysis, sensing, recording information, etc. These nanoparticles exhibit remarkably different properties compared to their bulk counter parts. Synthesis of magnetic NPs with the right morphology, phase, size and surface functionality, as well as their usage for specific applications are challenging in terms of efficiency and safety. Morphology wise, there have been numerous reports on magnetic nanoparticles where morphologies such as core/shell, hollow, solid, etc., have been explored. It has been shown that morphology affects the magnetic response. Achieving the right crystal structure with required morphology and the magnetic behavior of the nanoparticle phases determines the magnetic response of the structure. For example, in the case of core/shell NPs various ferromagnetic (FM), ferrimagnetic (FiM), and antiferromagnetic (AFM) core and shell combinations have been reported. In these cases, interesting and strikingly different features, such as unusually high spin glass transition temperature, large exchange bias, finite size effects, magnetic proximity effects, unusual trend of blocking temperature as function of average crystal size, etc., have been reported. More specifically, the morphology of core/shell nanoparticles provides added degrees of freedom compared to conventional solid magnetic nanoparticles, including variations in the size, phase and material of the core and shell of the particle, etc. which helps enhance their magnetic properties. Similar to traditional core/shell nanoparticles, inverted core/shell having a FiM or FM order above the Curie temperature (TC) of the shell has been reported where the Neel temperature (TN) is comparable with the bulk value and there is nonmonotonic dependence of the coercive field (HC) and exchange bias (HEB) on the core diameter. In addition to the core/shell morphology, nanoparticles with

  15. Presence of glassy state and large exchange bias in nanocrystalline BiFeO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srivastav, Simant Kumar; Johari, Anima; Patel, S. K. S.; Gajbhiye, N. S.

    2017-11-01

    We investigated the static and dynamic aspects of the magnetic properties for single phase nanocrystalline BiFeO3 with average crystallite size of 35 nm. The frequency dependence of the peak is observed in the real part of ac susceptibility χ‧ac vs T measurement and described well by the Vogel-Fulcher law as well as the power law. These analyses indicated the existence of cluster glass state with significant interaction among the spin clusters and results in cluster-glass like cooperative freezing at low temperature. The influence of temperature and magnetic field cooling on the exchange bias effect is investigated. A training effect is also observed. We have reported a significantly high ZFC & FC exchange bias of 200 Oe & 450 Oe at 300 K and 900 Oe & 2100 Oe at 5 K. The obtained results are interpreted in the framework of core-shell model, where the core of the BFO nanoparticles shows antiferromagnetic behavior and surrounded by CG-like ferromagnetic (FM) shell associated to uncompensated surface spins.

  16. Coercivity Enhancement in Exchange Biased Bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leighton, C.

    2001-03-01

    The well-known enhancement in coercivity in ferromagnet / antiferromagnet bilayers has been studied in the model epitaxial system MnF2 / Fe. We have investigated how the coercivity depends on temperature, cooling field, layer thickness and interfacial disorder. In all cases a typical enhancement is observed on cooling below the Neel temperature of the antiferromagnet. However, for the case of positively exchange biased layers we observe an extra coercivity enhancement which occurs when the interface is deliberately driven to a situation of maximum magnetic frustration(C. Leighton, J. Nogues, B.J. Jonsson-Akerman and I.K. Schuller, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 3466 (2000)). This situation is controlled by the magnitude of the cooling field, giving us an external parameter through which we can vary the coercivity. We propose a model where a frustrated interface provides local energy minima which effectively pin domain walls leading to an increase in coercivity. We further examine the ferromagnet thickness dependence of the effect as a probe of the coercive mechanisms(Z. Li and S. Zhang, Phys. Rev. B61 R14897 (2000) ; S. Zhang et al J. Mag. Mag. Mat. 198-199 468 (1999)). Work supported by the US DoE and the NSF.

  17. 45 sign switching of effective exchange bias due to competing anisotropies in fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers.

    PubMed

    Hajiri, Tetsuya; Yoshida, Takuya; Filianina, Mariia; Jaiswal, Samridh; Borie, Benjamin; Asano, H; Zabel, Hartmut; Klaui, Mathias

    2017-11-20

    We report an unusual angular-dependent exchange bias effect in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet bilayers, where both ferromagnet and antiferromagnet are epitaxially grown. Numerical model calculations predict an approximately 45$^\\circ$ period for the sign switching of the exchange-bias field, depending on the ratio between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and exchange-coupling constant. The switching of the sign is indicative of a competition between a fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the ferromagnet and a unidirectional anisotropy field of the exchange coupling. This predicted unusual angular-dependent exchange bias and its magnetization switching process are confirmed by measurements on fully epitaxial Co$_3$FeN/MnN bilayers by longitudinal and transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. These results provide a deeper understanding of the exchange coupling phenomena in fully epitaxial bilayers with tailored materials and open up a complex switching energy landscape engineering by anisotropies. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  18. Risk factors for chronic subdural haematoma formation do not account for the established male bias.

    PubMed

    Marshman, Laurence A G; Manickam, Appukutty; Carter, Danielle

    2015-04-01

    The 'subdural space' is an artefact of inner dural border layer disruption: it is not anatomical but always pathological. A male bias has long been accepted for chronic subdural haematomas (CSDH), and increased male frequencies of trauma and/or alcohol abuse are often cited as likely explanations: however, no study has validated this. We investigated to see which risk factors accounted for the male bias with CSDH. Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. A male bias (M:F 97:58) for CSDH was confirmed in n=155 patients. The largest risk factor for CSDH was cerebral atrophy (M:F 94% vs. 91%): whilst a male bias prevailed in mild-moderate cases (M:F 58% vs. 41%), a female bias prevailed for severe atrophy (F:M 50% vs. 36%) (χ(2)=3.88, P=0.14). Risk factors for atrophy also demonstrated a female bias, some approached statistical significance: atrial fibrillation (P=0.05), stroke/TIA (P=0.06) and diabetes mellitus (P=0.07). There was also a trend for older age in females (F:M 72±13 years vs. 68±15 years, P=0.09). The third largest risk factor, after atrophy and trauma (i.e. anti-coagulant and anti-platelet use) was statistically significantly biased towards females (F:M 50% vs. 33%, P=0.04). No risk factor accounted for the established male bias with CSDH. In particular, a history of trauma (head injury or fall [M:F 50% vs. 57%, P=0.37]), and alcohol abuse (M:F 17% vs. 16%, P=0.89) was remarkably similar between genders. No recognised risk factor for CSDH formation accounted for the established male bias: risk factor trends generally favoured females. In particular, and in contrast to popular belief, a male CSDH bias did not relate to increased male frequencies of trauma and/or alcohol abuse. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Modulated exchange bias in NiFe/CoO/α-Fe2O3 trilayers and NiFe/CoO bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, X.; Lin, K.-W.; Yeh, W.-C.; Desautels, R. D.; van Lierop, J.; Pong, Philip W. T.

    2017-02-01

    While the exchange bias in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic (FM/AF) bilayer and FM1/AF/FM2 trilayer configurations has been widely investigated, the role of an AF2 layer in FM/AF1/AF2 trilayer configurations is still not well understood. In this work, the magnetic properties of NiFe/CoO, NiFe/α-Fe2O3 bilayers, and NiFe/CoO/α-Fe2O3 trilayer were studied comparatively. The microstructure and chemical composition were characterized. Temperature dependent magnetometry reveals increased irreversibility temperature in NiFe/CoO/α-Fe2O3 trilayer compared with NiFe/CoO bilayer. The magnetic hysteresis loops show that the exchange bias (Hex) and coercivity (Hc) depend strongly on the anisotropy of AF layer (CoO, α-Fe2O3 and CoO/α-Fe2O3). Our work shows that the AF1/AF2 interfacial interactions can be used effectively for tuning the exchange bias in FM/AF1/AF2 trilayers.

  20. Equilibrium Ensembles for Insulin Folding from Bias-Exchange Metadynamics.

    PubMed

    Singh, Richa; Bansal, Rohit; Rathore, Anurag Singh; Goel, Gaurav

    2017-04-25

    Earliest events in the aggregation process, such as single molecule reconfiguration, are extremely important and the most difficult to characterize in experiments. To this end, we have used well-tempered bias exchange metadynamics simulations to determine the equilibrium ensembles of an insulin molecule under amyloidogenic conditions of low pH and high temperature. A bin-based clustering method that uses statistics accumulated in bias exchange metadynamics trajectories was employed to construct a detailed thermodynamic and kinetic model of insulin folding. The highest lifetime, lowest free-energy ensemble identified consisted of native conformations adopted by a folded insulin monomer in solution, namely, the R-, the R f -, and the T-states of insulin. The lowest free-energy structure had a root mean square deviation of only 0.15 nm from native x-ray structure. The second longest-lived metastable state was an unfolded, compact monomer with little similarity to the native structure. We have identified three additional long-lived, metastable states from the bin-based model. We then carried out an exhaustive structural characterization of metastable states on the basis of tertiary contact maps and per-residue accessible surface areas. We have also determined the lowest free-energy path between two longest-lived metastable states and confirm earlier findings of non-two-state folding for insulin through a folding intermediate. The ensemble containing the monomeric intermediate retained 58% of native hydrophobic contacts, however, accompanied by a complete loss of native secondary structure. We have discussed the relative importance of nativelike versus nonnative tertiary contacts for the folding transition. We also provide a simple measure to determine the importance of an individual residue for folding transition. Finally, we have compared and contrasted this intermediate with experimental data obtained in spectroscopic, crystallographic, and calorimetric measurements

  1. Self Exchange Bias and Bi-stable Magneto-Resistance States in Amorphous TbFeCo and TbSmFeCo Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Chung; Li, Xiaopu; Lu, Jiwei; Poon, Joseph; Comes, Ryan; Devaraj, Arun; Spurgeon, Steven

    Amorphous ferrimagetic TbFeCo and TbSmFeCo thin films are found to exhibit strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Self exchange bias effect and bi-stable magneto-resistance states are observed near compensation temperature by magnetic hysteresis loop, anomalous Hall effect and transverse magneto-resistance measurements. Atom probe tomography, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping have revealed two nanoscale amorphous phases with different Tb concentration distributed within the amorphous films. The observed exchange anisotropy originates from the exchange interaction between the two nanoscale amorphous phases. Exchange bias effect is used for increasing stability in spin valves and magnetic tunneling junctions. This study opens up a new platform for using amorphous ferrimagnetic thin films that require no epitaxial growth in nanodevices.. The work was supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Grant and the U.S. Department of Energy.

  2. Bias correction in the realized stochastic volatility model for daily volatility on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takaishi, Tetsuya

    2018-06-01

    The realized stochastic volatility model has been introduced to estimate more accurate volatility by using both daily returns and realized volatility. The main advantage of the model is that no special bias-correction factor for the realized volatility is required a priori. Instead, the model introduces a bias-correction parameter responsible for the bias hidden in realized volatility. We empirically investigate the bias-correction parameter for realized volatilities calculated at various sampling frequencies for six stocks on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and then show that the dynamic behavior of the bias-correction parameter as a function of sampling frequency is qualitatively similar to that of the Hansen-Lunde bias-correction factor although their values are substantially different. Under the stochastic diffusion assumption of the return dynamics, we investigate the accuracy of estimated volatilities by examining the standardized returns. We find that while the moments of the standardized returns from low-frequency realized volatilities are consistent with the expectation from the Gaussian variables, the deviation from the expectation becomes considerably large at high frequencies. This indicates that the realized stochastic volatility model itself cannot completely remove bias at high frequencies.

  3. Exchange bias induced by the fully strained La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} dead layers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Xie, Q. Y.; College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210046; Wu, X. S., E-mail: xswu@nju.edu.cn

    A pure compressively strained La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} (LCMO) dead layer grown on (001)-oriented LaAlO{sub 3} substrate can show all the rich phenomenon of large bias field shift, coercive field enhancement, and high blocking temperature. The obtained exchange bias field (∼350 Oe) and the enhanced coercivity of about 1160 Oe at 5 K under 500 Oe cooling field are superior to that have been reported in LCMO-based ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic superlattices or nanoscale systems. Our results clearly demonstrate that the inhomogeneous magnetic dead layer of LCMO can induce a strong exchange bias effect, which may be exploited as a very simple structure for spin-valve device application.

  4. Room temperature exchange bias in multiferroic BiFeO3 nano- and microcrystals with antiferromagnetic core and two-dimensional diluted antiferromagnetic shell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Chuang; Wang, Shou Yu; Liu, Wei Fang; Xu, Xun Ling; Li, Xiu; Zhang, Hong; Gao, Ju; Li, De Jun

    2017-05-01

    Exchange bias (EB) of multiferroics presents many potential opportunities for magnetic devices. However, instead of using low-temperature field cooling in the hysteresis loop measurement, which usually shows an effective approach to obtain obvious EB phenomenon, there are few room temperature EB. In this article, extensive studies on room temperature EB without field cooling were observed in BiFeO3 nano- and microcrystals. Moreover, with increasing size the hysteresis loops shift from horizontal negative exchange bias (NEB) to positive exchange bias (PEB). In order to explain the tunable EB behaviors with size dependence, a phenomenological qualitative model based on the framework of antiferromagnetic (AFM) core-two-dimensional diluted antiferromagnet in a field (2D-DAFF) shell structure was proposed. The training effect (TE) ascertained the validity of model and the presence of unstable magnetic structure using Binek's model. Experimental results show that the tunable EB effect can be explained by the competition of ferromagnetic (FM) exchange coupling and AFM exchange coupling interaction between AFM core and 2D-DAFF shell. Additionally, the local distortion of lattice fringes was observed in hexagonal-shaped BiFeO3 nanocrystals with well-dispersed behavior. The electrical conduction properties agreed well with the space charge-limited conduction mechanism.

  5. Unravelling the tunable exchange bias-like effect in magnetostatically-coupled two dimensional hybrid (hard/soft) composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hierro-Rodriguez, A.; Teixeira, J. M.; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, G.; Rubio, H.; Vélez, M.; Álvarez-Prado, L. M.; Martín, J. I.; Alameda, J. M.

    2015-06-01

    Hybrid 2D hard-soft composites have been fabricated by combining soft (Co73Si27) and hard (NdCo5) magnetic materials with in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic anisotropies, respectively. They have been microstructured in a square lattice of CoSi anti-dots with NdCo dots within the holes. The magnetic properties of the dots allow us to introduce a magnetostatic stray field that can be controlled in direction and sense by their last saturating magnetic field. The magnetostatic interactions between dot and anti-dot layers induce a completely tunable exchange bias-like shift in the system’s hysteresis loops. Two different regimes for this shift are present depending on the lattice parameter of the microstructures. For large parameters, dipolar magnetostatic decay is observed, while for the smaller one, the interaction between the adjacent anti-dot’s characteristic closure domain structures enhances the exchange bias-like effect as clarified by micromagnetic simulations.

  6. Effect of Ir-Mn composition on exchange bias and thermal stability of spin valves with nano-oxide layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Y. F.; Cai, J. W.; Lai, W. Y.; Yu, G. H.

    2008-05-01

    The Ir-Mn bottom-pinned spin valves with nano-oxide layers (NOLs), Ta /Ni81Fe19/Ir-Mn/Co90Fe10/NOL/Co90Fe10/Cu/Co90Fe10/NOL/Ta, were fabricated by dc magnetron sputtering. The magnetoresistance (MR), magnetization, and exchange bias have been studied as a function of Ir-Mn composition and annealing temperature. It was observed that the spin valves with the Ir-Mn layer containing relatively low Mn content (58.9-72.4at.% Mn) show the best thermal endurance. For these samples, the Mn diffusion is effectively hampered by the NOL with a large MR value of about 12.5% even after annealing at 300°C. On the other hand, the exchange bias field of the pinned CoFe layer shows a maximum at Mn content of about 72.4at.%, which is different from the widely adopted composition, Ir-80at.% Mn, optimized from the top-pinned NiFe /Ir-Mn system. Moreover, the blocking temperature of the Ir -Mn/CoFe system with 72.4at.% Mn is higher than that with 80.6at.% Mn. The present results suggest that the Ir -Mn/CoFe pinning system with Mn content at about 72% renders the most favorable exchange bias and the best thermal stability for the bottom-pinned specular spin valves.

  7. COMMENT: Comment on 'Particle size dependent exchange bias and cluster-glass states in LaMn0.7Fe0.3O3 '

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geshev, J.

    2009-02-01

    Thakur et al (2008 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 20 195215) have recently reported magnetization hysteresis loops shifted along the field axis of the cluster-glass compound LaMn0.7Fe0.3O3, attributed there to exchange bias induced at ferromagnetic/spin-glass-like interfaces. The present comment affirms that their results are insufficient for assigning the phenomenon solely to exchange bias since the corresponding field shift, if any, cannot be separated from that of a minor hysteresis loop of a ferromagnet, naturally displaced from the origin.

  8. Optimization of exchange bias in Co/CoO magnetic nanocaps by tuning deposition parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, A.; Tripathi, J.; Ugochukwu, K. C.; Tripathi, S.

    2017-03-01

    In the present work, we report exchange bias tuning by varying thin film deposition parameters such as synthesis method and underlying layer patterning. The patterned substrates for this study were prepared by self-assembly of polystyrene (PS) latex spheres ( 530 nm) on Si (100) substrate. The desired magnetic nanocaps composed of CoO/Co bilayer film on these patterned substrates were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy technique under ultra-high vacuum conditions. For this, a Co layer of 10 nm thickness was deposited on the substrates and then oxidized in-situ to form CoO/Co/PS in-situ oxidized film or ex-situ in ambiance which also gives CoO/Co/PS naturally oxidized film. Simultaneously, reference thin films of Co ( 10 nm) were also prepared on plane Si substrate and similar oxidation treatments were performed on them respectively. The magnetic properties studied using SQUID technique revealed higher exchange bias ( 1736 Oe) in the in-situ oxidized Co/PS film as compared to that in naturally oxidized Co/PS film ( 1544 Oe) and also compared to the reference film. The observed variations in the magnetic properties are explained in terms of surface patterning induced structural changes of the deposited films and different oxidation methods.

  9. An experimental study on the magnetic and exchange bias properties of selected Mn rich Ni-Mn-Ga based Heusler alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albagami, Abdullah Mohamed

    In this Thesis project, an experimental study on the magnetic and exchange bias properties of a series of polycrystalline Ni1.7-xMn1.7+x Ga0.6 alloys have been investigated by x-ray diffraction, dc magnetization, and ac susceptibility measurements. X-ray diffraction measurement showed that all prepared samples have a tetragonal L10 martensitic structure at room temperature. Scanning electron microscopy measurements show that the compounds are single phase. With increasing Mn concentration x, the lattice parameters marginally increases. The temperature dependence of magnetization data show two distinct transitions in the alloys. At lower temperatures, a peak in the data is observed while the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition occurs at higher temperatures. With increasing Mn concentration, the temperature of both transitions increases. Thermomagnetic irreversibility is observed in the magnetization data of all alloys. The ac susceptibility measurements on the materials show the existence of frequency dependence, which suggest that the thermomagnetic irreversibility in the magnetization data is due to the spin glass like ground state in the alloys. The spin glass like ground state with competing magnetic interactions result in the observation of double-shifted hysteresis loop and exchange bias effects in the alloys. The magnitude of the exchange bias field is strongly dependent on the cooling field.

  10. Piezostrain tuning exchange bias mediated by electric field in composite heterostructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Pingping; Zhou, Cai; Wang, Wenqiang; Cao, Cuimei; Yao, Jinli; Jiang, Changjun

    2017-12-01

    The change of unidirectional anisotropy and uniaxial anisotropy field turned by piezostrain in an IrMn/Co/Ta/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 heterostructure with an exchange bias was investigated by ferromagnetic resonance at room temperature. The curve of the magnetic resonance field versus the electric fields showed an asymmetric butterfly-like behavior, which was consistent with the result of strain versus electric field curves. This butterfly-like behavior can be attributed to the piezostrain effect. Specifically, the non-volatile uniaxial anisotropy field and unidirectional anisotropy field behavior under different electric fields induced by piezostrain effect were obtained. Our result is crucial for further application of future multiferroic devices.

  11. Co nanoparticles inserted into a porous carbon amorphous matrix: the role of cooling field and temperature on the exchange bias effect.

    PubMed

    Fernández-García, María Paz; Gorria, Pedro; Sevilla, Marta; Fuertes, Antonio B; Boada, Roberto; Chaboy, Jesús; Aquilanti, Giuliana; Blanco, Jesús A

    2011-01-21

    We report unusual cooling field dependence of the exchange bias in oxide-coated cobalt nanoparticles embedded within the nanopores of a carbon matrix. The size-distribution of the nanoparticles and the exchange bias coupling observed up to about 200 K between the Co-oxide shell (∼3-4 nm) and the ferromagnetic Co-cores (∼4-6 nm) are the key to understand the magnetic properties of this system. The estimated values of the effective anisotropy constant and saturation magnetization obtained from the fit of the zero-field cooling and field cooling magnetization vs. temperature curves agree quite well with those of the bulk fcc-Co.

  12. Free energy surface of an intrinsically disordered protein: comparison between temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics and bias-exchange metadynamics.

    PubMed

    Zerze, Gül H; Miller, Cayla M; Granata, Daniele; Mittal, Jeetain

    2015-06-09

    Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which are expected to be largely unstructured under physiological conditions, make up a large fraction of eukaryotic proteins. Molecular dynamics simulations have been utilized to probe structural characteristics of these proteins, which are not always easily accessible to experiments. However, exploration of the conformational space by brute force molecular dynamics simulations is often limited by short time scales. Present literature provides a number of enhanced sampling methods to explore protein conformational space in molecular simulations more efficiently. In this work, we present a comparison of two enhanced sampling methods: temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics and bias exchange metadynamics. By investigating both the free energy landscape as a function of pertinent order parameters and the per-residue secondary structures of an IDP, namely, human islet amyloid polypeptide, we found that the two methods yield similar results as expected. We also highlight the practical difference between the two methods by describing the path that we followed to obtain both sets of data.

  13. Exchange bias training relaxation in spin glass/ferromagnet bilayers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chi, Xiaodan; Du, An; Rui, Wenbin

    2016-04-25

    A canonical spin glass (SG) FeAu layer is fabricated to couple to a soft ferromagnet (FM) FeNi layer. Below the SG freezing temperature, exchange bias (EB) and training are observed. Training in SG/FM bilayers is insensitive to cooling field and may suppress the EB or change the sign of the EB field from negative to positive at specific temperatures, violating from the simple power-law or the single exponential function derived from the antiferromagnet based systems. In view of the SG nature, we employ a double decay model to distinguish the contributions from the SG bulk and the SG/FM interface tomore » training. Dynamical properties during training under different cooling fields and at different temperatures are discussed, and the nonzero shifting coefficient in the time index as a signature of slowing-down decay for SG based systems is interpreted by means of a modified Monte Carlo Metropolis algorithm.« less

  14. Magnetic and exchange bias properties of YCo thin films and IrMn/YCo bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venkat Narayana, M.; Manivel Raja, M.; Jammalamadaka, S. Narayana

    2018-02-01

    We report on the structural and magnetic properties of YCo thin films and IrMn/YCo bilayers. X-ray diffraction infer that all the films are amorphous in nature. Magnetization versus magnetic field measurements reveal room temperature soft ferromagnetism in all the YCo films. Thin films which were grown at 100 W sputter power with growth rates of 0.677, 0.694 and 0.711 Å/sec show better morphology and composition than 50 W (0.333, 0.444 and 0.277 Å/sec) grown films. Perpendicular exchange bias in as deposited bilayers is evident for IrMn/YCo bilayers. Exchange bias (EB) decreases in case of in plane measurements and enhances for out of plane measurements after perpendicular field annealing. EB is more in case of out of plane direction due to large perpendicular anisotropy in comparison with in plane direction. Above the critical thickness, EB variation is explained on the basis of random field model in the Heisenberg regime, which has been proposed by Malozemoff. Indeed there exists an inverse relationship between EB and IrMn layer thickness. Evidenced vertical shift apart from the horizontal shift for magnetization loops is attributed to frozen magnetic moments in one of the layers at the interface. Present results would prove to be helpful in spintronic device applications.

  15. Effect of pulsed laser irradiation on the structural and the magnetic properties of NiMn/Co exchange bias system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mohanan, Senthilnathan; Diebolder, Rolf; Hibst, Raimund

    2008-04-01

    We report about the influence of pulsed laser irradiation on the structural and magnetic properties of NiMn/Co thin films. Rocking curve measurements showed a significant improvement of the (111) texture of NiMn after laser irradiation which was accompanied by grain growth. We have studied the ordering transition in as-prepared and irradiated (laser fluence of 0.15 J/cm{sup 2}) samples during subsequent annealing. The onset of the fcc to fct phase transformation occurs at 325 deg. C irrespective of laser irradiation. Exchange bias fields for the laser irradiated samples are higher than those of the as-prepared samples. The observed increase in themore » exchange bias field for laser irradiated samples has been attributed to the increased grain size and the improved (111) texture of the NiMn layer after laser irradiation.« less

  16. Enhanced anion exchange for selective sulfate extraction: overcoming the Hofmeister bias.

    PubMed

    Fowler, Christopher J; Haverlock, Tamara J; Moyer, Bruce A; Shriver, James A; Gross, Dustin E; Marquez, Manuel; Sessler, Jonathan L; Hossain, Md Alamgir; Bowman-James, Kristin

    2008-11-05

    In this communication, a new approach to enhancing the efficacy of liquid-liquid anion exchange is demonstrated. It involves the concurrent use of appropriately chosen hydrogen-bond-donating (HBD) anion receptors in combination with a traditional quaternary ammonium extractant. The fluorinated calixpyrroles 1 and 2 and the tetraamide macrocycle 4 were found to be particularly effective receptors. Specifically, their use allowed the extraction of sulfate by tricaprylmethylammonium nitrate to be effected in the presence of excess nitrate. As such, the present work provides a rare demonstration of overcoming the Hofmeister bias in a competitive environment and the first to the authors' knowledge wherein this difficult-to-achieve objective is attained using a neutral HBD-based anion binding agent under conditions of solvent extraction.

  17. Comment on ``Size-dependent scaling of perpendicular exchange bias in magnetic nanostructures''

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baltz, V.; Bollero, A.; Rodmacq, B.; Dieny, B.; Sort, J.

    2008-01-01

    From results at one given temperature (300K) , Malinowski [Phys. Rev. B 75, 012413 (2007)] draw the conclusion that lateral confinement of ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic exchange-biased structures does not enhance thermally activated unpinning of the antiferromagnetic spins, which would thus contrast with a recent report [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 117201 (2005)], as explicitly mentioned in their manuscript. In this Comment, we discuss why such a conclusion might need revision above a “crossover temperature,” as evidenced in the literature. The value of such a crossover temperature certainly depends on the magnetic parameters of each system studied, e.g., anisotropy and exchange stiffness. From the above reasons, and contrary to the statement of Malinowski , we rather think that their results might well agree with the report to which they refer to. In our Comment we notably aim at complementing the conclusion of Malinowski by explaining why some differences between the two studies are observed at one given temperature, and why it might be expected to observe similar trends over a whole range of temperatures.

  18. Triggering of spin-flipping-modulated exchange bias in FeCo nanoparticles by electronic excitation

    PubMed Central

    Sarker, Debalaya; Bhattacharya, Saswata; Srivastava, Pankaj; Ghosh, Santanu

    2016-01-01

    The exchange coupling between ferromagnetic (FM)-antiferromagnetic (AF) interfaces is a key element of modern spintronic devices. We here introduce a new way of triggering exchange bias (EB) in swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiated FeCo-SiO2 films, which is a manifestation of spin-flipping at high irradiation fluence. The elongation of FeCo nanoparticles (NPs) in SiO2 matrix gives rise to perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at intermediate fluence. However, a clear shift in hysteresis loop is evident at the highest fluence. This reveals the existence of an AF exchange pinning domain in the NPs, which is identified not to be oxide shell from XANES analysis. Thermal spike calculations along with first-principles based simulations under the framework of density functional theory (DFT) demonstrate that spin flipping of 3d valence electrons is responsible for formation of these AF domains inside the FM NPs. EXAFS experiments at Fe and Co K-edges further unravel that spin-flipping in highest fluence irradiated film results in reduced bond lengths. The results highlight the possibility of miniaturization of magnetic storage devices by using irradiated NPs instead of conventionally used FM-AF multilayers. PMID:27991552

  19. Synthesis and controllable oxidation of monodisperse cobalt-doped wüstite nanoparticles and their core-shell stability and exchange-bias stabilization.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chih-Jung; Chiang, Ray-Kuang; Kamali, Saeed; Wang, Sue-Lein

    2015-09-14

    Cobalt-doped wüstite (CWT), Co0.33Fe0.67O, nanoparticles were prepared via the thermal decomposition of CoFe2-oleate complexes in organic solvents. A controllable oxidation process was then performed to obtain Co0.33Fe0.67O/CoFe2O4 core-shell structures with different core-to-shell volume ratios and exchange bias properties. The oxidized core-shell samples with a ∼4 nm CoFe2O4 shell showed good resistance to oxygen transmission. Thus, it is inferred that the cobalt ferrite shell provides a better oxidation barrier performance than magnetite in the un-doped case. The hysteresis loops of the oxidized 19 nm samples exhibited a high exchange bias field (H(E)), an enhanced coercivity field (H(C)), and a pronounced vertical shift, thus indicating the presence of a strong exchange bias coupling effect. More importantly, the onset temperature of H(E) was found to be higher than 200 K, which suggests that cobalt doping increases the Néel temperature (T(N)) of the CWT core. In general, the results show that the homogeneous dispersion of Co in iron precursors improves the stability of the final CWT nanoparticles. Moreover, the CoFe2O4 shells formed following oxidation increase the oxidation resistance of the CWT cores and enhance their anisotropy energy.

  20. Enhanced asymmetric magnetization reversal in nanoscale Co/CoO arrays: competition between exchange bias and magnetostatic coupling.

    PubMed

    Girgis, E; Portugal, R D; Loosvelt, H; Van Bael, M J; Gordon, I; Malfait, M; Temst, K; Van Haesendonck, C; Leunissen, L H A; Jonckheere, R

    2003-10-31

    Magnetization reversal was studied in square arrays of square Co/CoO dots with lateral size varying between 200 and 900 nm. While reference nonpatterned Co/CoO films show the typical shift and increased width of the hysteresis loop due to exchange bias, the patterned samples reveal a pronounced size dependence. In particular, an anomaly appears in the upper branch of the magnetization cycle and becomes stronger as the dot size decreases. This anomaly, which is absent at room temperature in the patterned samples, can be understood in terms of a competition between magnetostatic interdot interaction and exchange anisotropy during the magnetic switching process.

  1. Tuning exchange bias by Co doping in Mn₅₀Ni{sub 41–x}Sn₉Co{sub x} melt-spun ribbons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhao, D. W.; Li, G. K.; Wang, S. Q.

    2014-09-14

    In Mn₅₀Ni{sub 41–x}Sn₉Co{sub x} ribbons, the exchange bias field is very sensitive to the Co content. Based on both theoretical and experimental studies, it has been found that with increasing Co content, the pinned phase (ferromagnetic phase) remains almost unchanged while the pinning phase is changed from a canonical spin glass to a cluster spin glass and finally to a ferromagnetic phase. Changing the Co content in Mn₅₀Ni{sub 41–x}Sn₉Co{sub x} alloys has been proven to be an effective way of tuning the magnetic anisotropy and the phase structure of the pinning phase. With different Co contents, a continuous tuning ofmore » the exchange bias field from 345 Oe to 3154 Oe is realized.« less

  2. Interfacial Ferromagnetism and Exchange Bias in CaRuO3/CaMnO3 Superlattices

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-11-07

    microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy indicate that the difference in magnitude of the Mn valence states between the center of the CaMnO3 layer...CaMnO3 thickness dependence of the exchange bias field together indicate that the interfacial 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 13...superlattices of CaRuO3/CaMnO3 that arises in one unit cell at the interface. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss

  3. Training effect of the exchange bias in sputter deposited Fe3O4 thin films with varying thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muhammed Shameem, P. V.; Senthil Kumar, M.

    2018-07-01

    The training effect property of the exchange bias in the reactively sputtered polycrystalline Fe3O4 thin films of varying thicknesses in the range 25-200 nm are studied. Structural studies by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and selected area electron diffraction confirm the formation of single phase Fe3O4. The scanning electron spectroscopy images show that the grains are uniformly distributed. All the samples show clear and consistent exchange bias training behaviour due to the dynamics of the spins at the interface of the ferrimagnetic core and the spin glass-like surface of the grains. The analysis of the training effect data of the exchange bias field HE measured at 2 K by using three different models show that the model based on the relaxation of the frozen and rotatable spin components at the interface gives the best description for all the samples. From this model, it is found that the reversible interface spins relax around 7 times faster than the frozen interface spins at 2 K for all the samples and that their relative relaxation rates are independent of the sample thickness. This constancy show that the relative relaxation rates of the interfacial frozen and rotatable spin components is a material dependent property. The frozen component of the interfacial spins of each sample is found to be dominated at the initial stage of the training. A direct equivalence between the HE and remanence asymmetry ME is observed. Above the spin freezing temperature, the training effect measurements at 75 K show that the HE decreases sharply with successive field cycling as compared to the measurements made at 2 K and the HE vanishes after first few cycles.

  4. Observation of giant exchange bias in bulk Mn50Ni42Sn8 Heusler alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Jyoti; Suresh, K. G.

    2015-02-01

    We report a giant exchange bias (EB) field of 3520 Oe in bulk Mn50Ni42Sn8 Heusler alloy. The low temperature magnetic state of the martensite phase has been studied by DC magnetization and AC susceptibility measurements. Frequency dependence of spin freezing temperature (Tf) on critical slowing down relation and observation of memory effect in zero field cooling mode confirms the super spin glass (SSG) phase at low temperatures. Large EB is attributed to the strong exchange coupling between the SSG clusters formed by small regions of ferromagnetic order embedded in an antiferromagnetic (AFM) matrix. The temperature and cooling field dependence of EB have been studied and related to the change in unidirectional anisotropy at SSG/AFM interface. The training effect also corroborates with the presence of frozen (SSG) moments at the interface and their role in EB.

  5. Effect of the strong coupling on the exchange bias field in IrMn/Py/Ru/Co spin valves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarazona, H. S.; Alayo, W.; Landauro, C. V.; Quispe-Marcatoma, J.

    2018-01-01

    The IrMn/Py/Ru/Co (Py = Ni81Fe19) spin valves have been produced by sputtering deposition and analyzed by magnetization measurements and a theoretical modelling of their exchange interactions, based on the macro-spin model. The Ru thickness was grown between 6 and 22 Å, which is small enough to promote strong indirect coupling between Py and Co. Results of measurements showed a large and gradual change in the shape of hysteresis loops when the Ru thickness was varied. The theoretical analysis, using numerical calculations based on the gradient conjugate method, provides the exchange coupling constants (bilinear and biquadratic), the exchange anisotropy fields and the magnetic anisotropy fields (uniaxial and rotatable). The exchange bias fields of spin valves were compared to that of a IrMn/Py bilayer. We found that the difference between these fields oscillates with Ru thickness in the same manner as the bilinear coupling constants.

  6. Bias against research on gender bias.

    PubMed

    Cislak, Aleksandra; Formanowicz, Magdalena; Saguy, Tamar

    2018-01-01

    The bias against women in academia is a documented phenomenon that has had detrimental consequences, not only for women, but also for the quality of science. First, gender bias in academia affects female scientists, resulting in their underrepresentation in academic institutions, particularly in higher ranks. The second type of gender bias in science relates to some findings applying only to male participants, which produces biased knowledge. Here, we identify a third potentially powerful source of gender bias in academia: the bias against research on gender bias. In a bibliometric investigation covering a broad range of social sciences, we analyzed published articles on gender bias and race bias and established that articles on gender bias are funded less often and published in journals with a lower Impact Factor than articles on comparable instances of social discrimination. This result suggests the possibility of an underappreciation of the phenomenon of gender bias and related research within the academic community. Addressing this meta-bias is crucial for the further examination of gender inequality, which severely affects many women across the world.

  7. Microplasma Jet Synthesis of Ni-Fe Oxide Films for Magnetic Exchange Bias and Electrocatalytic Studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pebley, Andrew Christian

    Ni-Fe oxides have received significant interest from the scientific community because they have attractive magnetic and electrochemical properties for use in next generation data storage and energy conversion technologies. For example, the NiFe2O4/NiO nanogranular system exhibits the exchange bias effect, a magnetic phenomenon occurring at the interface of a ferro- or ferrimagnet (FM or FiM) and an antiferromagnet (AFM), where the AFM acts to increase the magnetic hardness of the corresponding FM or FiM. Additionally, doping of NiO with Fe has resulted in remarkably high catalytic activities for water splitting, a potential clean energy alternative to fossil fuels. A key challenge in implementing these Ni-Fe oxides for magnetic and electrocatalytic applications is the ability to control film morphology, crystallinity, composition, chemical phase, and doping during synthesis. Moreover, how these physiochemical properties effect magnetic and electrochemical behavior in the Ni-Fe oxide system is not fully understood. This dissertation focuses on the development and use of a novel synthesis technique, known as microplasma (MP) jet-based deposition, for the fabrication of biphasic NiFe2O4 (FiM)/NiO (AFM) and Fe-doped NiO nanostructured films for fundamental studies of exchange bias and electrocatalysis, respectively. The goal of this work was to understand how MP operation and deposition conditions (e.g., precursor composition, flux, substrate temperature, and post-deposition heat treatment) influence Ni-Fe oxide growth and film microstructure. Specifically, the role of composition, phase fraction, grain size, temperature, and interfacial density on exchange bias phenomena in NiFe 2O4/NiO nanogranular films was investigated. MP jets were also used to realize metastable Fe-doped NiO films with high surface area to assess how doping affects the electrochemical properties of NiO for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Biphasic NiFe2O4/NiO films of different composition

  8. Enhanced exchange bias and improved ferromagnetic properties in Permalloy-BiFe0.95Co0.05O3 core-shell nanostructures.

    PubMed

    Javed, K; Li, W J; Ali, S S; Shi, D W; Khan, U; Riaz, S; Han, X F

    2015-12-14

    Hybrid core-shell nanostructures consisting of permalloy (Ni80Fe20) and multiferroic(BiFeO3, BFO/BiFe0.95Co0.05O3, BFC) materials were synthesized by a two-step method, based on wet chemical impregnation and subsequent electrodeposition within porous alumina membranes. Structural and magnetic characterizations have been done to investigate doping effect on magnetic properties and exchange bias. The magnetometry analysis revealed significant enhancements of the exchange bias and coercivity in NiFe-BFC core-shell nanostructures as compared with NiFe-BFO core-shell nanostructures. The enhancements can be attributed to the effective reduction of ferromagnet domain sizes between adjacent layers of core-shell structure. It indicates that it is possible to improve properties of multiferroic composites by site-engineering method. Our approach opens a pathway to obtain optimized nanostructured multiferroic composites exhibiting tunable magnetic properties.

  9. Enhanced exchange bias and improved ferromagnetic properties in Permalloy–BiFe0.95Co0.05O3 core–shell nanostructures

    PubMed Central

    Javed, K.; Li, W. J.; Ali, S. S.; Shi, D. W.; Khan, U.; Riaz, S.; Han, X. F.

    2015-01-01

    Hybrid core–shell nanostructures consisting of permalloy (Ni80Fe20) and multiferroic(BiFeO3, BFO/BiFe0.95Co0.05O3, BFC) materials were synthesized by a two-step method, based on wet chemical impregnation and subsequent electrodeposition within porous alumina membranes. Structural and magnetic characterizations have been done to investigate doping effect on magnetic properties and exchange bias. The magnetometry analysis revealed significant enhancements of the exchange bias and coercivity in NiFe-BFC core-shell nanostructures as compared with NiFe-BFO core-shell nanostructures. The enhancements can be attributed to the effective reduction of ferromagnet domain sizes between adjacent layers of core-shell structure. It indicates that it is possible to improve properties of multiferroic composites by site-engineering method. Our approach opens a pathway to obtain optimized nanostructured multiferroic composites exhibiting tunable magnetic properties. PMID:26658956

  10. Disambiguation of Necker cube rotation by monocular and binocular depth cues: Relative effectiveness for establishing long-term bias

    PubMed Central

    Backus, Benjamin T.; Jain, Anshul

    2011-01-01

    The apparent direction of rotation of perceptually bistable wire-frame (Necker) cubes can be conditioned to depend on retinal location by interleaving their presentation with cubes that are disambiguated by depth cues (Haijiang, Saunders, Stone & Backus, 2006; Harrison & Backus, 2010a). The long-term nature of the learned bias is demonstrated by resistance to counter-conditioning on a consecutive day. In previous work, either binocular disparity and occlusion, or a combination of monocular depth cues that included occlusion, internal occlusion, haze, and depth-from-shading, were used to control the rotation direction of disambiguated cubes. Here, we test the relative effectiveness of these two sets of depth cues in establishing the retinal location bias. Both cue sets were highly effective in establishing a perceptual bias on Day 1 as measured by the perceived rotation direction of ambiguous cubes. The effect of counter-conditioning on Day 2, on perceptual outcome for ambiguous cubes, was independent of whether the cue set was the same or different as Day 1. This invariance suggests that a common neural population instantiates the bias for rotation direction, regardless of the cue-set used. However, in a further experiment where only disambiguated cubes were presented on Day 1, perceptual outcome of ambiguous cubes during Day 2 counter-conditioning showed that the monocular-only cue set was in fact more effective than disparity-plus-occlusion for causing long-term learning of the bias. These results can be reconciled if the conditioning effect of Day 1 ambiguous trials in the first experiment is taken into account (Harrison & Backus, 2010b). We suggest that monocular disambiguation leads to stronger bias either because it more strongly activates a single neural population that is necessary for perceiving rotation, or because ambiguous stimuli engage cortical areas that are also engaged by monocularly disambiguated stimuli but not by disparity-disambiguated stimuli

  11. Adaptive Biasing Combined with Hamiltonian Replica Exchange to Improve Umbrella Sampling Free Energy Simulations.

    PubMed

    Zeller, Fabian; Zacharias, Martin

    2014-02-11

    The accurate calculation of potentials of mean force for ligand-receptor binding is one of the most important applications of molecular simulation techniques. Typically, the separation distance between ligand and receptor is chosen as a reaction coordinate along which a PMF can be calculated with the aid of umbrella sampling (US) techniques. In addition, restraints can be applied on the relative position and orientation of the partner molecules to reduce accessible phase space. An approach combining such phase space reduction with flattening of the free energy landscape and configurational exchanges has been developed, which significantly improves the convergence of PMF calculations in comparison with standard umbrella sampling. The free energy surface along the reaction coordinate is smoothened by iteratively adapting biasing potentials corresponding to previously calculated PMFs. Configurations are allowed to exchange between the umbrella simulation windows via the Hamiltonian replica exchange method. The application to a DNA molecule in complex with a minor groove binding ligand indicates significantly improved convergence and complete reversibility of the sampling along the pathway. The calculated binding free energy is in excellent agreement with experimental results. In contrast, the application of standard US resulted in large differences between PMFs calculated for association and dissociation pathways. The approach could be a useful alternative to standard US for computational studies on biomolecular recognition processes.

  12. Exploring the folding free energy landscape of insulin using bias exchange metadynamics.

    PubMed

    Todorova, Nevena; Marinelli, Fabrizio; Piana, Stefano; Yarovsky, Irene

    2009-03-19

    The bias exchange metadynamics (BE-META) technique was applied to investigate the folding mechanism of insulin, one of the most studied and biologically important proteins. The BE-META simulations were performed starting from an extended conformation of chain B of insulin, using only eight replicas and seven reaction coordinates. The folded state, together with the intermediate states along the folding pathway were identified and their free energy was determined. Three main basins were found separated from one another by a large free energy barrier. The characteristic native fold of chain B was observed in one basin, while the other two most populated basins contained "molten-globule" conformations stabilized by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, respectively. Transitions between the three basins occur on the microsecond time scale. The implications and relevance of this finding to the folding mechanisms of insulin were investigated.

  13. Electrical control of exchange bias via oxygen migration across CoO-ZnO nanocomposite barrier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Q.; Yan, S. S.; Xu, J.; Li, S. D.; Zhao, G. X.; Long, Y. Z.; Shen, T. T.; Zhang, K.; Zhang, J.

    2016-12-01

    We proposed a nanocomposite barrier CoO-ZnO for magnetism manipulation in Co/CoO-ZnO/Ag heterojunctions. Both electrical control of magnetism and resistive switching were realized in this junction. An electrical tunable exchange bias of CoO1-v (v denotes O vacancies) on Co films was realized using voltages below 1 volt. The magnetism modulation associated with resistive switching can be attributed to the oxygen ions migration between the insulating CoO1-v layer and the semiconductive ZnO1-v layer, which can cause both ferromagnetic phase and resistance switching of CoO1-v layer.

  14. Influence of nano-oxide layer on the giant magnetoresistance and exchange bias of NiMn/Co/Cu/Co spin valve sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Anoop; Mohanan, Senthilnathan; Kinyanjui, Michael; Chuvilin, Andrey; Kaiser, Ute; Herr, Ulrich

    2010-05-01

    NiMn is an interesting material for achieving a high exchange bias in spin valve systems. We investigated the influence of a nano-oxide layer (NOL) inserted in the pinned Co layer on the magnetotransport properties of NiMn/Co/Cu/Co spin valve sensors. The samples were annealed at 350 °C for 10 min to achieve the antiferromagnetic L10 ordered structure of NiMn. The NOL has been characterized by small angle x-ray reflectivity, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy filtered TEM. The inclusion of the NOL leads to an increase in the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) by 20 % indicating a high degree of specular reflection at the NOL. For NOL positions close to the NiMn/Co interface, a decrease in the exchange bias field (Hex) is observed. The best combination of high GMR value and large Hex was found when the NOL was inserted in the center of the pinned Co layer.

  15. Effect of NiFeCr seed and capping layers on exchange bias and planar Hall voltage response of NiFe/Au/IrMn trilayer structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Talantsev, Artem; Elzwawy, Amir; Kim, CheolGi

    2018-05-01

    Thin films and cross junctions, based on NiFe/Au/IrMn structures, were grown on Ta and NiFeCr seed layers by magnetron sputtering. The effects of substitution of Ta with NiFeCr in seed and capping layers on an exchange bias field are studied. A threefold improvement of the exchange bias value in the structures, grown with NiFeCr seed and capping layers, is demonstrated. The reasons for this effect are discussed. Formation of clusters in the NiFeCr capping layer is proved by atomic force microscopy technique. Ta replacement on NiFeCr in the capping layer results in the enhancement of magnetoresistive response and a reduction of noise.

  16. Magnetic charge distribution and stray field landscape of asymmetric néel walls in a magnetically patterned exchange bias layer system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zingsem, Norbert; Ahrend, Florian; Vock, Silvia; Gottlob, Daniel; Krug, Ingo; Doganay, Hatice; Holzinger, Dennis; Neu, Volker; Ehresmann, Arno

    2017-12-01

    The 3D stray field landscape above an exchange bias layer system with engineered domain walls has been fully characterized by quantitative magnetic force microscopy (qMFM) measurements. This method is based on a complete quantification of the MFM tip’s imaging properties and the subtraction of its contribution from the measured MFM data by deconvolution in Fourier space. The magnetically patterned Ir17Mn83/Co70Fe30-exchange-bias-multilayers have been designed to contain asymmetric head-to-head (hh)/tail-to-tail (tt) Néel walls between domains of different magnetic anisotropies for potential use in guided particle transport. In the current application, qMFM reveals the effective magnetic charge profile on the surface of the sample—with high spatial resolution and in an absolute quantitative manner. These data enable to calculate the magnetostatic potential and the full stray field landscape above the sample surface. It has been successfully tested against: (i) micromagnetic simulations of the magnetization structure of a comparable exchange-bias layer system, (ii) measurements of the magnetization profile across the domain boundary with x-ray photoemission electron microscopy, and (iii) direct stray field measurements obtained by scanning Hall probe microscopy at elevated scan heights. This approach results in a quantitative determination of the stray field landscape at close distances to the sample surface, which will be of importance for remote magnetic particle transport applications in lab-on-a-chip devices. Furthermore, the highly resolving and quantitative MFM approach reveals details of the domain transition across the artificially structured phase boundary, which have to be attributed to a continuous change in the materials parameters across this boundary, rather than an abrupt one.

  17. Induced magnetic structure in exchange-coupled ferro-/antiferromagnet thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morales, Rafael

    2007-03-01

    The most prominent feature observed in exchange-coupled ferromagnetic/ antiferromagnetic (FM/AF) bilayers is the so-called exchange bias field (HEB), i.e. the shift of the hysteresis loop along the magnetic field axis. However the exchange bias phenomenon can induce other interesting effects on the FM. In this talk we show two methods to establish a bi-domain state in the FM, due to the coexistence of domains with opposite sign of HEB [1-3]. Magneto-optical, polarized neutron and soft X-ray measurements show that this lateral structure becomes more complex for low magnetocrystalline anisotropy materials where a spin depth profile is created in the FM due to the exchange coupling with the AF [4-6]. The internal magnetic structure in the AF and its role on exchange bias has also been investigated using FM/AF/FM trilayers. These studies demonstrate that the bulk spin configuration in the AF plays a crucial role in the pinning of uncompensated spins at the interface thus determining the HEB . Supported by the US-DOE, European Marie-Curie-OIF and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. [1] O. Petracic et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 222509 (2005) [2] I. V. Roshchin et al. Europhys. Lett. 71, 297 (2005) [3] J. Olamit et al. Phys. Rev. B 72, 012408 (2005) [4] R. Morales et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 072504 (2006) [5] S. Roy et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 047201 (2005) [6] Z-P. Li et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 217205 (2006)

  18. Disambiguation of Necker cube rotation by monocular and binocular depth cues: relative effectiveness for establishing long-term bias.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Sarah J; Backus, Benjamin T; Jain, Anshul

    2011-05-11

    The apparent direction of rotation of perceptually bistable wire-frame (Necker) cubes can be conditioned to depend on retinal location by interleaving their presentation with cubes that are disambiguated by depth cues (Haijiang, Saunders, Stone, & Backus, 2006; Harrison & Backus, 2010a). The long-term nature of the learned bias is demonstrated by resistance to counter-conditioning on a consecutive day. In previous work, either binocular disparity and occlusion, or a combination of monocular depth cues that included occlusion, internal occlusion, haze, and depth-from-shading, were used to control the rotation direction of disambiguated cubes. Here, we test the relative effectiveness of these two sets of depth cues in establishing the retinal location bias. Both cue sets were highly effective in establishing a perceptual bias on Day 1 as measured by the perceived rotation direction of ambiguous cubes. The effect of counter-conditioning on Day 2, on perceptual outcome for ambiguous cubes, was independent of whether the cue set was the same or different as Day 1. This invariance suggests that a common neural population instantiates the bias for rotation direction, regardless of the cue set used. However, in a further experiment where only disambiguated cubes were presented on Day 1, perceptual outcome of ambiguous cubes during Day 2 counter-conditioning showed that the monocular-only cue set was in fact more effective than disparity-plus-occlusion for causing long-term learning of the bias. These results can be reconciled if the conditioning effect of Day 1 ambiguous trials in the first experiment is taken into account (Harrison & Backus, 2010b). We suggest that monocular disambiguation leads to stronger bias either because it more strongly activates a single neural population that is necessary for perceiving rotation, or because ambiguous stimuli engage cortical areas that are also engaged by monocularly disambiguated stimuli but not by disparity-disambiguated stimuli

  19. Exchange bias mechanism in FM/FM/AF spin valve systems in the presence of random unidirectional anisotropy field at the AF interface: The role played by the interface roughness due to randomness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yüksel, Yusuf

    2018-05-01

    We propose an atomistic model and present Monte Carlo simulation results regarding the influence of FM/AF interface structure on the hysteresis mechanism and exchange bias behavior for a spin valve type FM/FM/AF magnetic junction. We simulate perfectly flat and roughened interface structures both with uncompensated interfacial AF moments. In order to simulate rough interface effect, we introduce the concept of random exchange anisotropy field induced at the interface, and acting on the interface AF spins. Our results yield that different types of the random field distributions of anisotropy field may lead to different behavior of exchange bias.

  20. Temperature dependent exchange bias training effect in single-crystalline BiFeO{sub 3}/Co bilayers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    He, M. C.; You, B.; Tu, H. Q.

    2015-05-07

    Single-crystalline BiFeO{sub 3} (BFO)/Co bilayers were prepared by combined pulsed laser deposition and magnetron sputtering on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. Exchange bias (EB) and accompanying training effect have been studied as a function of temperature (T) between 5 K and 300 K. A non-monotonic exchange field variation with sharp increase below 100 K has been observed. In the meanwhile, strong training effect was recorded when T < 100 K and it weakens monotonically with increasing T up to 300 K. These temperature dependent EB and training effect may be caused by the uncompensated spins in both the interfacial spin-glass (SG) phase at low temperature and the antiferromagneticmore » BFO layer at higher temperature. The low temperature EB training results can be well fitted by a modified Binek's model considering asymmetric changes of the pinning SG spins at the descending and the ascending branches.« less

  1. Probing fast heating in magnetic tunnel junction structures with exchange bias

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papusoi, C.; Sousa, R.; Herault, J.; Prejbeanu, I. L.; Dieny, B.

    2008-10-01

    Heat diffusion in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) having a ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic free layer is investigated. The MTJ is heated by an electric current pulse of power PHP, flowing through the junction in current perpendicular to the plane (CPP) geometry, via Joule heat dissipation in the tunnel barrier. According to a proposed one-dimensional (1D) model of heat diffusion, when an electric voltage is applied to the MTJ, the free layer experiences a transient temperature regime, characterized by an exponential increase of its temperature TAF with a time constant τTR, followed by a steady temperature regime characterized by TAF=TRT+αPHP, where TRT is the room temperature and α is a constant. Magnetic transport measurements of exchange bias HEX acting on the free layer allow the determination of α and τTR. The experimental values of α and τTR are in agreement with those calculated using the 1D model and an estimation of the MTJ thermodynamic parameters based on the Dulong-Petit and Widemann-Franz laws.

  2. Bias-Exchange Metadynamics Simulation of Membrane Permeation of 20 Amino Acids.

    PubMed

    Cao, Zanxia; Bian, Yunqiang; Hu, Guodong; Zhao, Liling; Kong, Zhenzhen; Yang, Yuedong; Wang, Jihua; Zhou, Yaoqi

    2018-03-16

    Thermodynamics of the permeation of amino acids from water to lipid bilayers is an important first step for understanding the mechanism of cell-permeating peptides and the thermodynamics of membrane protein structure and stability. In this work, we employed bias-exchange metadynamics simulations to simulate the membrane permeation of all 20 amino acids from water to the center of a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membrane (consists of 256 lipids) by using both directional and torsion angles for conformational sampling. The overall accuracy for the free energy profiles obtained is supported by significant correlation coefficients (correlation coefficient at 0.5-0.6) between our results and previous experimental or computational studies. The free energy profiles indicated that (1) polar amino acids have larger free energy barriers than nonpolar amino acids; (2) negatively charged amino acids are the most difficult to enter into the membrane; and (3) conformational transitions for many amino acids during membrane crossing is the key for reduced free energy barriers. These results represent the first set of simulated free energy profiles of membrane crossing for all 20 amino acids.

  3. Exchange anisotropy pinning of a standing spin-wave mode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magaraggia, R.; Kennewell, K.; Kostylev, M.; Stamps, R. L.; Ali, M.; Greig, D.; Hickey, B. J.; Marrows, C. H.

    2011-02-01

    Standing spin waves in a thin film are used as sensitive probes of interface pinning induced by an antiferromagnet through exchange anisotropy. Using coplanar waveguide ferromagnetic resonance, pinning of the lowest energy spin-wave thickness mode in Ni80Fe20/Ir25Mn75 exchange-biased bilayers was studied for a range of Ir25Mn75 thicknesses. We show that pinning of the standing mode can be used to amplify, relative to the fundamental resonance, frequency shifts associated with exchange bias. The shifts provide a unique “fingerprint” of the exchange bias and can be interpreted in terms of an effective ferromagnetic film thickness and ferromagnet-antiferromagnet interface anisotropy. Thermal effects are studied for ultrathin antiferromagnetic Ir25Mn75 thicknesses, and the onset of bias is correlated with changes in the pinning fields. The pinning strength magnitude is found to grow with cooling of the sample, while the effective ferromagnetic film thickness simultaneously decreases. These results suggest that exchange bias involves some deformation of magnetic order in the interface region.

  4. Biased thermohaline exchanges with the Arctic across the Iceland-Faroe Ridge in ocean climate models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olsen, S. M.; Hansen, B.; Østerhus, S.; Quadfasel, D.; Valdimarsson, H.

    2016-04-01

    The northern limb of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation and its transport of heat and salt towards the Arctic strongly modulate the climate of the Northern Hemisphere. The presence of warm surface waters prevents ice formation in parts of the Arctic Mediterranean, and ocean heat is directly available for sea-ice melt, while salt transport may be critical for the stability of the exchanges. Through these mechanisms, ocean heat and salt transports play a disproportionally strong role in the climate system, and realistic simulation is a requisite for reliable climate projections. Across the Greenland-Scotland Ridge (GSR) this occurs in three well-defined branches where anomalies in the warm and saline Atlantic inflow across the shallow Iceland-Faroe Ridge (IFR) have been shown to be particularly difficult to simulate in global ocean models. This branch (IF-inflow) carries about 40 % of the total ocean heat transport into the Arctic Mediterranean and is well constrained by observation during the last 2 decades but associated with significant inter-annual fluctuations. The inconsistency between model results and observational data is here explained by the inability of coarse-resolution models to simulate the overflow across the IFR (IF-overflow), which feeds back onto the simulated IF-inflow. In effect, this is reduced in the model to reflect only the net exchange across the IFR. Observational evidence is presented for a substantial and persistent IF-overflow and mechanisms that qualitatively control its intensity. Through this, we explain the main discrepancies between observed and simulated exchange. Our findings rebuild confidence in modelled net exchange across the IFR, but reveal that compensation of model deficiencies here through other exchange branches is not effective. This implies that simulated ocean heat transport to the Arctic is biased low by more than 10 % and associated with a reduced level of variability, while the quality of the simulated salt

  5. The effect of annealing on the MR and exchange bias characteristics in dual spin valve with nano-oxide layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, S. H.; Kang, T.; Kim, H. J.; Kim, K. Y.

    2002-02-01

    We investigated magnetoresistance (MR) and exchange bias properties by annealing in the dual spin valve (SV) with nano-oxide layer (NOL). By analyzing effects of NOL in top and bottom pinned simple SVs, MR enhancement effect of NOL inserted in the bottom pinned layer was higher than that of NOL in the top pinned layer with annealing. By the enhanced specular scattering of electrons by NOL, the MR ratio of dual SV with NOL was increased to 15.5-15.9% with an annealing of 200-250°C. Exchange coupling constant Jex was improved rapidly as 0.13-0.16 erg/cm 2 by annealing in the bottom pinned layer, whereas the effect of annealing was not large in the top pinned layer with Jex of about 0.09-0.116 erg/cm 2.

  6. 45 CFR 155.140 - Establishment of a regional Exchange or subsidiary Exchange.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... requirements of an Exchange consistent with this part; and (2) Meet the following standards for SHOP: (i) Perform the functions of a SHOP for its service area in accordance with subpart H of this part; and (ii) If a State elects to operate its individual market Exchange and SHOP under two governance or...

  7. Contextual modulation of biases in face recognition.

    PubMed

    Felisberti, Fatima Maria; Pavey, Louisa

    2010-09-23

    The ability to recognize the faces of potential cooperators and cheaters is fundamental to social exchanges, given that cooperation for mutual benefit is expected. Studies addressing biases in face recognition have so far proved inconclusive, with reports of biases towards faces of cheaters, biases towards faces of cooperators, or no biases at all. This study attempts to uncover possible causes underlying such discrepancies. Four experiments were designed to investigate biases in face recognition during social exchanges when behavioral descriptors (prosocial, antisocial or neutral) embedded in different scenarios were tagged to faces during memorization. Face recognition, measured as accuracy and response latency, was tested with modified yes-no, forced-choice and recall tasks (N = 174). An enhanced recognition of faces tagged with prosocial descriptors was observed when the encoding scenario involved financial transactions and the rules of the social contract were not explicit (experiments 1 and 2). Such bias was eliminated or attenuated by making participants explicitly aware of "cooperative", "cheating" and "neutral/indifferent" behaviors via a pre-test questionnaire and then adding such tags to behavioral descriptors (experiment 3). Further, in a social judgment scenario with descriptors of salient moral behaviors, recognition of antisocial and prosocial faces was similar, but significantly better than neutral faces (experiment 4). The results highlight the relevance of descriptors and scenarios of social exchange in face recognition, when the frequency of prosocial and antisocial individuals in a group is similar. Recognition biases towards prosocial faces emerged when descriptors did not state the rules of a social contract or the moral status of a behavior, and they point to the existence of broad and flexible cognitive abilities finely tuned to minor changes in social context.

  8. Cyanide Single-Molecule Magnets Exhibiting Solvent Dependent Reversible "On" and "Off" Exchange Bias Behavior.

    PubMed

    Pinkowicz, Dawid; Southerland, Heather I; Avendaño, Carolina; Prosvirin, Andrey; Sanders, Codi; Wernsdorfer, Wolfgang; Pedersen, Kasper S; Dreiser, Jan; Clérac, Rodolphe; Nehrkorn, Joscha; Simeoni, Giovanna G; Schnegg, Alexander; Holldack, Karsten; Dunbar, Kim R

    2015-11-18

    The syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties of four new complex salts, (PPN){[Mn(III)(salphen)(MeOH)]2[M(III)(CN)6]}·7MeOH (Mn2M·7MeOH) (M = Fe, Ru, Os and Co; PPN(+) = bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium cation; H2salphen = N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-diaminobenzene), and a mixed metal Co/Os analogue (PPN){[Mn(III)(salphen)(MeOH)]2[Co(III)0.92Os(III)0.08(CN)6]}·7MeOH were undertaken. It was found that all compounds exhibit switchable single-molecule magnet (SMM) and exchange-bias behavior depending on the interstitial methanol content. The pristine (PPN){[Mn(salphen)(MeOH)]2[Os(CN)6]}·7MeOH (Mn2Os·7MeOH) behaves as an SMM with an effective barrier for the magnetization reversal, (Ueff/kB), of 17.1 K. Upon desolvation, Mn2Os exhibits an increase of Ueff/kB to 42.0 K and an opening of the hysteresis loop observable at 1.8 K. Mn2Os·7MeOH shows also exchange-bias behavior with magnetic hysteresis loops exhibiting a shift in the quantum tunneling to 0.25 T from zero-field. The Fe(III) and Ru(III) analogues were prepared as reference compounds for assessing the effect of the 5d versus 4d and 3d metal ions on the SMM properties. These compounds are also SMMs and exhibit similar effects but with lower energy barriers. These findings underscore the importance of introducing heavy transition elements into SMMs to improve their slow relaxation of the magnetization properties. The (PPN){[Mn(III)(salphen)(MeOH)]2[Co(III)(CN)6]}·7MeOH (Mn2Co·7MeOH) analogue with a diamagnetic Co(III) central atom and the mixed Co/Os (PPN){[Mn(III)(salphen)(MeOH)]2[Co(III)0.92Os(III)0.08(CN)6]}·7MeOH (Mn2Co/Os·7MeOH) "magnetically diluted" system with a 9:1 Co/Os metal ratio were prepared in order to further probe the nature of the energy barrier increase upon desolvation of Mn2Os. In addition, inelastic neutron scattering and frequency-domain Fourier-transform THz electron paramagnetic resonance spectra obtained on Mn2Os·7MeOH and Mn2Os in combination with the magnetic data

  9. Phase coexistence and exchange-bias effect in LiM n2O4 nanorods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, X. K.; Yuan, J. J.; Xie, Y. M.; Yu, Y.; Kuang, F. G.; Yu, H. J.; Zhu, X. R.; Shen, H.

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, the magnetic properties of LiM n2O4 nanorods with an average diameter of ˜100 nm and length of ˜1 μ m are investigated. The temperature dependences of dc and ac susceptibility measurements show that LiM n2O4 nanorods experience multiple magnetic phase transitions upon cooling, i.e., paramagnetic (PM), antiferromagnetic (AFM), canted antiferromagnetic (CAFM), and cluster spin glass (SG). The coexistence between a long-range ordered AFM phase due to a M n4 +-M n4 + interaction and a cluster SG phase originating from frozen AFM clusters at low temperature in LiM n2O4 nanorods is elucidated. Field-cooled hysteresis loops (FC loops) and magnetic training effect (TE) measurements confirm the presence of an exchange-bias (EB) effect in LiM n2O4 nanorods below the Néel temperature (TN˜60 K ) . Furthermore, by analyzing the TE, we conclude that the observed EB effect originates completely from an exchange coupling interaction at the interface between the AFM and cluster SG states. A phenomenological model based on phase coexistence is proposed to interpret the origin of the EB effect below 60 K in the present compound. In turn, the appearance of the EB effect further supports the coexistence of AFM order along with a cluster SG state in LiM n2O4 nanorods.

  10. Solar array/spacecraft biasing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fitzgerald, D. J.

    1981-01-01

    Biasing techniques and their application to the control of spacecraft potential is discussed. Normally when a spacecraft is operated with ion thrusters, the spacecraft will be 10-20 volts negative of the surrounding plasma. This will affect scientific measurements and will allow ions from the charge-exchange plasma to bombard the spacecraft surfaces with a few tens of volts of energy. This condition may not be tolerable. A proper bias system is described that can bring the spacecraft to or near the potential of the surrounding plasma.

  11. Observation of giant exchange bias in bulk Mn{sub 50}Ni{sub 42}Sn{sub 8} Heusler alloy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sharma, Jyoti; Suresh, K. G., E-mail: suresh@iitb.ac.in

    2015-02-16

    We report a giant exchange bias (EB) field of 3520 Oe in bulk Mn{sub 50}Ni{sub 42}Sn{sub 8} Heusler alloy. The low temperature magnetic state of the martensite phase has been studied by DC magnetization and AC susceptibility measurements. Frequency dependence of spin freezing temperature (T{sub f}) on critical slowing down relation and observation of memory effect in zero field cooling mode confirms the super spin glass (SSG) phase at low temperatures. Large EB is attributed to the strong exchange coupling between the SSG clusters formed by small regions of ferromagnetic order embedded in an antiferromagnetic (AFM) matrix. The temperature and coolingmore » field dependence of EB have been studied and related to the change in unidirectional anisotropy at SSG/AFM interface. The training effect also corroborates with the presence of frozen (SSG) moments at the interface and their role in EB.« less

  12. Spin-flop coupling and exchange anisotropy in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Xiao-Yong; Hu, Jing-Guo

    2009-03-01

    By investigating the antiferromagnetic spin configuration, the exchange anisotropy and the interfacial spin-flop coupling in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic (FM/AF) bilayers have been discussed in detail. The results show that there are four possible cases for the AF spins, namely the reversible recovering case, irreversible half-rotating case, irreversible reversing and irreversible half-reversing cases. Moreover, the realization of the cases strongly depends on interface quadratic coupling, interface spin-flop (biquadratic) coupling and AF thickness. The magnetic phase diagram in terms of the AF thickness tAF, the interfacial bilinear coupling J1 and the spin-flop coupling J2 has been constructed. The corresponding critical parameters in which the exchange bias will occur or approach saturation have been also presented. Specially, the small spin-flop exchange coupling may result in an exchange bias without the interfacial bilinear exchange coupling. However, in general, the spin-flop exchange coupling can weaken or eliminate the exchange bias, but always enhances the coercivity greatly.

  13. Exchange coupling and magnetic anisotropy of exchanged-biased quantum tunnelling single-molecule magnet Ni3Mn2 complexes using theoretical methods based on Density Functional Theory.

    PubMed

    Gómez-Coca, Silvia; Ruiz, Eliseo

    2012-03-07

    The magnetic properties of a new family of single-molecule magnet Ni(3)Mn(2) complexes were studied using theoretical methods based on Density Functional Theory (DFT). The first part of this study is devoted to analysing the exchange coupling constants, focusing on the intramolecular as well as the intermolecular interactions. The calculated intramolecular J values were in excellent agreement with the experimental data, which show that all the couplings are ferromagnetic, leading to an S = 7 ground state. The intermolecular interactions were investigated because the two complexes studied do not show tunnelling at zero magnetic field. Usually, this exchange-biased quantum tunnelling is attributed to the presence of intermolecular interactions calculated with the help of theoretical methods. The results indicate the presence of weak intermolecular antiferromagnetic couplings that cannot explain the ferromagnetic value found experimentally for one of the systems. In the second part, the goal is to analyse magnetic anisotropy through the calculation of the zero-field splitting parameters (D and E), using DFT methods including the spin-orbit effect.

  14. Interface spins in polycrystalline FeMn/Fe bilayers with small exchange bias

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pires, M. J. M.

    2018-04-01

    The magnetic moments at the interface between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers play a central role in exchange biased systems, but their behavior is still not completely understood. In this work, the FeMn/Fe interface in polycrystalline thin films has been studied using conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS), magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) and micromagnetic simulations. Samples were prepared with 57Fe layers at two distinct depths in order to probe the interface and bulk behaviors. At the equilibrium, the interface moments are randomly oriented while the bulk of the Fe layer has an in-plane magnetic anisotropy. Several models for the interface and anisotropies of the layers were used in the simulations of spin configurations and hysteresis loops. From the whole set of simulations, one can conclude the direct analysis of hysteresis curves is not enough to infer whether the interface has a configuration with spins tilted out of the film plane at equilibrium since different choices of parameters provide similar curves. The simulations have also shown the occurrence of spin clusters at the interface is compatible with CEMS and MOKE measurements.

  15. Critical thickness investigation of magnetic properties in exchange-coupled bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodríguez-Suárez, R. L.; Vilela-Leão, L. H.; Bueno, T.; Oliveira, A. B.; de Almeida, J. R. L.; Landeros, P.; Rezende, S. M.; Azevedo, A.

    2011-06-01

    We present a systematic investigation of the magnetic properties of two series of polycrystalline ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic bilayers (FM-AF) of Ni81Fe19(10nm)/Ir20Mn80(tAF) grown by dc magnetron sputtering. One series was grown at an oblique angle of 50° and the other one was grown at 0°. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) was used to measure the exchange bias field HE, the rotatable anisotropy field HRA, and the FMR linewidth ΔH as a function of the antiferromagnetic layer thickness tAF. Three relaxation channels due to isotropic Gilbert damping, anisotropic two-magnon scattering, and mosaicity effects are simultaneously distinguished through the angular dependence of the FMR linewidth. In the regime of small IrMn layer thicknesses, not enough to establish the exchange bias anisotropy, the FMR linewidth shows a sharp peak due to the contribution of the two-magnon scattering mechanism. The results presented here are of general importance for understanding the dynamics of magnetization in the FM-AF structures.

  16. 78 FR 33233 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-04

    ... would affect the ability of employers to offer stand-alone pediatric dental coverage in the FF- SHOP... Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans; Small... rule. SUMMARY: This final rule implements provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...

  17. BIAS: Bioinformatics Integrated Application Software.

    PubMed

    Finak, G; Godin, N; Hallett, M; Pepin, F; Rajabi, Z; Srivastava, V; Tang, Z

    2005-04-15

    We introduce a development platform especially tailored to Bioinformatics research and software development. BIAS (Bioinformatics Integrated Application Software) provides the tools necessary for carrying out integrative Bioinformatics research requiring multiple datasets and analysis tools. It follows an object-relational strategy for providing persistent objects, allows third-party tools to be easily incorporated within the system and supports standards and data-exchange protocols common to Bioinformatics. BIAS is an OpenSource project and is freely available to all interested users at http://www.mcb.mcgill.ca/~bias/. This website also contains a paper containing a more detailed description of BIAS and a sample implementation of a Bayesian network approach for the simultaneous prediction of gene regulation events and of mRNA expression from combinations of gene regulation events. hallett@mcb.mcgill.ca.

  18. Establishing and Enriching School-Community Ties in Small Schools. Small Schools Network Information Exchange Number 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of the Northeast & Islands, Andover, MA.

    This information packet contains 14 articles reprinted from various books and journals. Establishing and enriching school-community ties in small schools is the theme for this "Information Exchange Packet," the sixth in a series developed for Small Schools Network members. The articles and their authors are: "Skills in Building Support for…

  19. Tuning the exchange bias in NiFe/Fe-oxide bilayers by way of different Fe-oxide based mixtures made with an ion-beam deposition technique.

    PubMed

    Lin, K W; Kol, P H; Guo, Z Y; Ouyang, H; van Lierop, J

    2007-01-01

    We have investigated the structural and magnetic properties of ion-beam deposited polycrystalline NiFe (25 nm)/Fe-oxide (35 nm) bilayers. A film prepared with an assist beam O2 to Ar gas ratio of 0% during deposition had a bottom layer that consisted of pure b.c.c. Fe (a = 2.87 A) whereas films prepared with 19%O2/Ar and 35%O2/Ar had either Fe3O4 (a = 8.47 angstroms) or alpha-Fe2O3 (a = 5.04 angstroms, c = 13.86 angstroms) bottom layers, respectively. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed a smooth interface between the top nano-columnar NiFe and bottom nano-columnar Fe-oxide layer for all films. At room temperature, the observed coercivity (Hc approximately 25 Oe) for a film prepared with 19% O2/Ar indicates the existence of a magnetically hard ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 phase that is enhancing the plain NiFe (Hc approximately 2 Oe) by way of exchange coupling. A significant amount of exchange bias is observed below 50 K, and at 10 K the size of exchange bias hysteresis loops shift increases with increasing oxygen in the films. Furthermore, the strongest exchange coupling (H(ex) approximately 135 Oe at 10 K) is with alpha-Fe2O3 (35% O2/Ar) as the bottom film layer. This indicates that the pure antiferromagnetic phases work better than ferrimagnetic phases when in contact with ferromagnetic NiFe. H(ex) (T) is well described by an effective AF domain wall energy that creates an exchange field with a (1 - T/T(crit)) temperature dependence. Hc (T) exhibits three distinct regimes of constant temperature that may indicate the existence of different AF spin populations that couple to the FM layer at different temperatures.

  20. High coercivity in large exchange-bias Co/CoO-MgO nano-granular films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ge, Chuan-Nan; Wan, Xian-Gang; Eric, Pellegrin; Hu, Zhi-Wei; Wen-I, Liang; Michael, Bruns; Zou, Wen-Qin; Du, You-Wei

    2015-03-01

    We present a detailed study on the magnetic coercivity of Co/CoO-MgO core-shell systems, which exhibits a large exchange bias due to an increase of the uncompensated spin density at the interface between the CoO shell and the metallic Co core by replacing Co by Mg within the CoO shell. We find a large magnetic coercivity of 7120 Oe around the electrical percolation threshold of the Co/CoO core/shell particles, while samples with a smaller or larger Co metal volume fraction show a considerably smaller coercivity. Thus, this study may lead to a route to improving the magnetic properties of artificial magnetic material in view of potential applications. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2012CB932304), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U1232210, 91122035, 11174124, and 11374137), the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (Grant No. 14KJB140003), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, China.

  1. Magnetic properties of artificially designed magnetic stray field landscapes in laterally confined exchange-bias layers.

    PubMed

    Mitin, D; Kovacs, A; Schrefl, T; Ehresmann, A; Holzinger, D; Albrecht, M

    2018-08-31

    Magnetic stray fields generated by domain walls (DWs) have attracted significant attention as they might be employed for precise positioning and active control of micro- and nano-sized magnetic objects in fluids or in the field of magnonics. The presented work intends to investigate the near-field response of magnetic stray field landscapes above generic types of charged DWs as occurring in thin films with in-plane anisotropy and preferential formation of Néel type DWs when disturbed by external magnetic fields. For this purpose, artificial magnetic stripe domain patterns with three defined domain configurations, i.e. head-to-head (tail-to-tail), head-to-side, and side-by-side, were fabricated via ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning of an exchange-biased IrMn/CoFe bilayer. The magnetic stray field landscapes as well as the local magnetization reversal of the various domain configurations were analyzed in an external magnetic field by scanning magnetoresistive microscopy and compared to micromagnetic simulations.

  2. Exchange bias in multiferroic Ca3Mn2O7 effected by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahlot, Pooja; Jana, Anupam; Awasthi, A. M.

    2018-04-01

    Ruddlesden-Popper manganite Ca3Mn2O7 has been synthesized in single phase orthorhombic structure with Cmcm space group. Temperature dependent magnetization M(T) shows that Ca3Mn2O7 undergoes long range antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition below 123 K, with weak ferromagnetism (WFM) at lower temperatures. Field dependent magnetization M(H) confirms WFM character below ˜110 K in the AFM-base magnetic structure. Detailed analysis of the zero field cooled magnetic hysteresis loops reveals a measurable exchange bias (EB) effect in the sample. EB is attributed to the high anisotropy in the sample and the presence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (D-M) interaction, responsible for the canted interfacial-spins that couple "FM-clusters" with the "AFM-matrix". Temperature dependence of horizontal shifts of the M(H) loops in terms of the coercive fields (Hc±) and vertical shifts in terms of the remnant magnetizations (Mr±) is presented.

  3. Magnetization reversal in epitaxial exchange-biased IrMn/FeGa bilayers with anisotropy geometries controlled by oblique deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yao; Zhan, Qingfeng; Zuo, Zhenghu; Yang, Huali; Zhang, Xiaoshan; Dai, Guohong; Liu, Yiwei; Yu, Ying; Wang, Jun; Wang, Baomin; Li, Run-Wei

    2015-05-01

    We fabricated epitaxial exchange biased (EB) IrMn/FeGa bilayers by oblique deposition and systematically investigated their magnetization reversal. Two different configurations with the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy Ku parallel and perpendicular to the unidirectional anisotropy Ke b were obtained by controlling the orientation of the incident FeGa beam during deposition. A large ratio of Ku/Ke b was obtained by obliquely depositing the FeGa layer to achieve a large Ku while reducing the IrMn thickness to obtain a small Ke b. Besides the previously reported square loops, conventional asymmetrically shaped loops, and one-sided and two-sided two-step loops, unusual asymmetrically shaped loops with a three-step magnetic transition for the descending branch and a two-step transition for the ascending branch and biased three-step loops were observed at various field orientations in the films of both IrMn (tIrMn=1.5 to 20 nm)/FeGa (10 nm) with Ku⊥ Ke b and IrMn (tIrMn≤2 nm)/FeGa (10 nm) with Ku|| Ke b . Considering the geometries of anisotropies, a model based on domain wall nucleation and propagation was employed to quantitatively describe the angular dependent behaviors of IrMn/FeGa bilayers. The biased three-step magnetic switching was predicted to take place when | Ku|> ɛ90°+Ke b , where ɛ90° is the 90° domain wall nucleation energy, and the EB leads to the appearance of the unusual asymmetrically shaped hysteresis loops.

  4. Long-range magnetic interactions and proximity effects in an amorphous exchange-spring magnet

    DOE PAGES

    Magnus, F.; Brooks-Bartlett, M. E.; Moubah, R.; ...

    2016-06-13

    Low-dimensional magnetic heterostructures are a key element of spintronics, where magnetic interactions between different materials often define the functionality of devices. Although some interlayer exchange coupling mechanisms are by now well established, the possibility of direct exchange coupling via proximity-induced magnetization through non-magnetic layers is typically ignored due to the presumed short range of such proximity effects. Here we show that magnetic order can be induced throughout a 40-nm-thick amorphous paramagnetic layer through proximity to ferromagnets, mediating both exchange-spring magnet behaviour and exchange bias. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations show that nearest-neighbour magnetic interactions fall short in describing the observed effectsmore » and long-range magnetic interactions are needed to capture the extent of the induced magnetization. Lastly, the results highlight the importance of considering the range of interactions in low-dimensional heterostructures and how magnetic proximity effects can be used to obtain new functionality.« less

  5. Effect of L1{sub 2} ordering in antiferromagnetic Ir-Mn epitaxial layer on exchange bias of FePd films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chang, Y. C.; Duh, J. G., E-mail: pmami.hsiao@gmail.com, E-mail: lin.yg@nsrrc.org.tw, E-mail: jgd@mx.nthu.edu.tw; Hsiao, S. N., E-mail: pmami.hsiao@gmail.com, E-mail: lin.yg@nsrrc.org.tw, E-mail: jgd@mx.nthu.edu.tw

    2015-05-07

    Two series of samples of single-layer IrMn and IrMn/FePd bilayer films, deposited on a single-crystal MgO substrate at different IrMn deposition temperatures (T{sub s} = 300–700 °C), were investigated using magnetron sputtering. L1{sub 2} ordering was revealed for the 30 nm-thick IrMn epitaxial (001) films with T{sub s} ≥ 400 °C, determined by synchrotron radiation x-ray diffractometry (XRD). XRD results also provide evidence of the epitaxial growth of the IrMn films on MgO substrate. Increasing T{sub s} from 400 to 700 °C monotonically increases the ordering parameter of L1{sub 2} phases from 0.17 to 0.81. An in-plane exchange bias field (H{sub eb}) of 22 Oe is obtained in amore » 10 nm-thick FePd film that is deposited on the disordered IrMn films. As the L1{sub 2} ordering of the IrMn layers increases, the H{sub eb} gradually decreases to 0 Oe, meaning that the exchange bias behavior vanishes. The increased surface roughness, revealed by atomic force microscopy, of the epitaxial IrMn layers with increasing T{sub s} cannot be the main cause of the decrease in H{sub eb} due to the compensated surface spins regardless of the disordered and ordered (001) IrMn layers. The change of antiferromagnetic structure from the A1 to the L1{sub 2} phase was correlated with the evolution of H{sub eb}.« less

  6. Surface Spin Glass Ordering and Exchange Bias in Nanometric Sm0.09Ca0.91MnO3 Manganites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giri, S. K.; Nath, T. K.

    2011-07-01

    We have thoroughly investigated the entire magnetic state of under doped ferromagnetic insulating manganite Sm0.09Ca0.91MnO3 through temperature dependent linear and non-linear ac magnetic susceptibility and magnetization measurements. This ferromagnetic insulating manganite is found to have frequency dependent ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition temperature at around 108 K. Exchange- bias effect are observed in field -cooled magnetic hysteresis loops for this nanoparticle. We have attributed our observation to the formation of ferromagnetic cluster which are formed as a consequence of intrinsic phase separation below certain temperature in this under doped manganites. We have carried out electronic- and magneto-transport measurements to support these observed results.

  7. 47 CFR 63.66 - Closure of or reduction of hours of service at telephone exchanges at military establishments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Closure of or reduction of hours of service at telephone exchanges at military establishments. 63.66 Section 63.66 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES (CONTINUED) EXTENSION OF LINES, NEW LINES, AND DISCONTINUANCE, REDUCTION, OUTAGE AND...

  8. Néel walls between tailored parallel-stripe domains in IrMn/CoFe exchange bias layers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ueltzhöffer, Timo, E-mail: timo.ueltzhoeffer@physik.uni-kassel.de; Schmidt, Christoph; Ehresmann, Arno

    Tailored parallel-stripe magnetic domains with antiparallel magnetizations in adjacent domains along the long stripe axis have been fabricated in an IrMn/CoFe Exchange Bias thin film system by 10 keV He{sup +}-ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning. Domain walls between these domains are of Néel type and asymmetric as they separate domains of different anisotropies. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism asymmetry images were obtained by x-ray photoelectron emission microscopy at the Co/Fe L{sub 3} edges at the synchrotron radiation source BESSY II. They revealed Néel-wall tail widths of 1 μm in agreement with the results of a model that was modified in order to describemore » such walls. Similarly obtained domain core widths show a discrepancy to values estimated from the model, but could be explained by experimental broadening. The rotation senses in adjacent walls were determined, yielding unwinding domain walls with non-interacting walls in this layer system.« less

  9. 41 CFR 301-72.300 - What procedures must we establish to collect unused, partially used, and exchanged tickets?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What procedures must we establish to collect unused, partially used, and exchanged tickets? 301-72.300 Section 301-72.300 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ALLOWANCES AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES 72-AGENCY...

  10. 45 CFR 155.140 - Establishment of a regional Exchange or subsidiary Exchange.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... requirements of an Exchange consistent with this part; and (2) Meet the following standards for SHOP: (i) Perform the functions of a SHOP for its service area in accordance with subpart H of this part; and (ii) Encompass the same geographic area for its regional or subsidiary SHOP and its regional or subsidiary...

  11. 45 CFR 155.140 - Establishment of a regional Exchange or subsidiary Exchange.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... requirements of an Exchange consistent with this part; and (2) Meet the following standards for SHOP: (i) Perform the functions of a SHOP for its service area in accordance with subpart H of this part; and (ii) Encompass the same geographic area for its regional or subsidiary SHOP and its regional or subsidiary...

  12. Hidden multidimensional social structure modeling applied to biased social perception

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maletić, Slobodan; Zhao, Yi

    2018-02-01

    Intricacies of the structure of social relations are realized by representing a collection of overlapping opinions as a simplicial complex, thus building latent multidimensional structures, through which agents are, virtually, moving as they exchange opinions. The influence of opinion space structure on the distribution of opinions is demonstrated by modeling consensus phenomena when the opinion exchange between individuals may be affected by the false consensus effect. The results indicate that in the cases with and without bias, the road toward consensus is influenced by the structure of multidimensional space of opinions, and in the biased case, complete consensus is achieved. The applications of proposed modeling framework can easily be generalized, as they transcend opinion formation modeling.

  13. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; establishment of the multi-state plan program for the Affordable Insurance Exchanges.

    PubMed

    2013-03-11

    The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final regulation establishing the Multi-State Plan Program (MSPP) pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, referred to collectively as the Affordable Care Act. Through contracts with OPM, health insurance issuers will offer at least two multi-State plans (MSPs) on each of the Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges). One of the issuers must be non-profit. Under the law, an MSPP issuer may phase in the States in which it offers coverage over 4 years, but it must offer MSPs on Exchanges in all States and the District of Columbia by the fourth year in which the MSPP issuer participates in the MSPP. This rule aims to balance adhering to the statutory goals of MSPP while aligning its standards to those applying to qualified health plans to promote a level playing field across health plans.

  14. Manipulation of Superparamagnetic Beads on Patterned Exchange-Bias Layer Systems for Biosensing Applications.

    PubMed

    Ehresmann, Arno; Koch, Iris; Holzinger, Dennis

    2015-11-13

    A technology platform based on a remotely controlled and stepwise transport of an array arrangement of superparamagnetic beads (SPB) for efficient molecular uptake, delivery and accumulation in the context of highly specific and sensitive analyte molecule detection for the application in lab-on-a-chip devices is presented. The near-surface transport of SPBs is realized via the dynamic transformation of the SPBs' magnetic potential energy landscape above a magnetically stripe patterned Exchange-Bias (EB) thin film layer systems due to the application of sub-mT external magnetic field pulses. In this concept, the SPB velocity is dramatically influenced by the magnitude and gradient of the magnetic field landscape (MFL) above the magnetically stripe patterned EB substrate, the SPB to substrate distance, the magnetic properties of both the SPBs and the EB layer system, respectively, as well as by the properties of the external magnetic field pulses and the surrounding fluid. The focus of this review is laid on the specific MFL design in EB layer systems via light-ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning (IBMP). A numerical approach is introduced for the theoretical description of the MFL in comparison to experimental characterization via scanning Hall probe microscopy. The SPB transport mechanism will be outlined in terms of the dynamic interplay between the EB substrate's MFL and the pulse scheme of the external magnetic field.

  15. Manipulation of Superparamagnetic Beads on Patterned Exchange-Bias Layer Systems for Biosensing Applications

    PubMed Central

    Ehresmann, Arno; Koch, Iris; Holzinger, Dennis

    2015-01-01

    A technology platform based on a remotely controlled and stepwise transport of an array arrangement of superparamagnetic beads (SPB) for efficient molecular uptake, delivery and accumulation in the context of highly specific and sensitive analyte molecule detection for the application in lab-on-a-chip devices is presented. The near-surface transport of SPBs is realized via the dynamic transformation of the SPBs’ magnetic potential energy landscape above a magnetically stripe patterned Exchange-Bias (EB) thin film layer systems due to the application of sub-mT external magnetic field pulses. In this concept, the SPB velocity is dramatically influenced by the magnitude and gradient of the magnetic field landscape (MFL) above the magnetically stripe patterned EB substrate, the SPB to substrate distance, the magnetic properties of both the SPBs and the EB layer system, respectively, as well as by the properties of the external magnetic field pulses and the surrounding fluid. The focus of this review is laid on the specific MFL design in EB layer systems via light-ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning (IBMP). A numerical approach is introduced for the theoretical description of the MFL in comparison to experimental characterization via scanning Hall probe microscopy. The SPB transport mechanism will be outlined in terms of the dynamic interplay between the EB substrate’s MFL and the pulse scheme of the external magnetic field. PMID:26580625

  16. Brillouin Light Scattering study of the rotatable magnetic anisotropy in exchange biased bilayers of Ni81 Fe19 Ir20 Mn80

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodríguez, Roberto; Oliveira, Alexandre; Estrada, Francisco; Santos, Obed; Azevedo, Antonio; Rezende, Sergio

    It is known that when a ferromagnet (FM) is in atomic contact with an antiferromagnet (AF) the exchange coupling between the FM and AF spins at the interface induces a unidirectional anisotropy in the ferromagnetic film. This effect is known as exchange bias (EB). Despite the large amount of research on this topic there are still several aspects of the EB mechanism that are not well understood. One of this aspects is the origin of the rotatable anisotropy in polycrystalline AFs. By means of Brillouin Light Scattering (BLS) measurements, we investigated the dependence of the rotatable anisotropy field HRA and exchange field HE with the magnitude of the external magnetic field (Ho) in FM/AM bilayers of Ni81Fe19(10nm)/Ir20Mn80(tAF) . We developed an algorithm to numerically fit the in-plane angular dependence of the magnon frequency, at a fixed value of Ho measured by BLS. From the fit parameters we were able to investigate HRA and HE dependency on Ho. The results reveal that HRA value depends on Ho, so we argue that AF grain distribution at the interface is partially modified by the applied field strength. Contrary to this, the relation between HE and Ho is not straightforward, remaining constant at high values of Ho.

  17. Difference between blocking and Néel temperatures in the exchange biased Fe3O4/CoO system.

    PubMed

    van der Zaag, P J; Ijiri, Y; Borchers, J A; Feiner, L F; Wolf, R M; Gaines, J M; Erwin, R W; Verheijen, M A

    2000-06-26

    The blocking temperature T(B) has been determined as a function of the antiferromagnetic layer thickness in the Fe3O4/CoO exchange biased system. For CoO layers thinner than 50 A, T(B) is reduced below the Néel temperature T(N) of bulk CoO (291 K), independent of crystallographic orientation or film substrate ( alpha-Al2O3, SrTiO3, and MgO). Neutron diffraction studies show that T(B) does not track the CoO ordering temperature and, hence, that this reduction in T(B) does not arise from finite-size scaling. Instead, the ordering temperature of the CoO layers is enhanced above the bulk T(N) for layer thicknesses approximately less than or equal to 100 A due to the proximity of magnetic Fe3O4 layers.

  18. Size dependent exchange bias in single-phase Zn0.3Ni0.7Fe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohan, Rajendra; Ghosh, Mritunjoy Prasad; Mukherjee, Samrat

    2018-07-01

    We report the microstructural and magnetic characterization of single phase nanocrystalline partially inverted Zn0.3Ni0.7Fe2O4 mixed spinel ferrite. The samples were annealed at 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C, 800 °C and 1000 °C. X-ray diffraction results indicate phase purity of all the samples and application of Debye- Scherrer yielded a crystallite size variation from 5 nm to 33 nm for the different samples. Magnetic measurements have revealed the freezing of interfacial spins which were the cause of the large horizontal M-H loop shift causing large exchange bias with high anisotropy. The magnetic measurements show a hysteresis loop with high effective anisotropy constant due to highly magnetically disordered surface spin at 5 K.

  19. Spin valves with spin-engineered domain-biasing scheme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Z. Q.; Pan, G.

    2003-06-01

    Synthetic spin-filter spin valves with spin-engineered biasing scheme "sub/Ta/NiFe/IrMn/NiFe/NOL/Cu1/CoFe/Cu2/CoFe/Ru/CoFe/IrMn/Ta" were developed. In the structure, the orthogonal magnetic configuration for biasing and pinning field was obtained by one-step magnetic annealing process by means of spin flop, which eliminated the need for two antiferromagnetic materials with distinctively different blocking temperatures and two-step magnetic annealing as in conventional exchange biasing scheme. The longitudinal domain biasing of spin valves was achieved by using interlayer coupling field through Cu1 spacer. By adjusting the thickness of the Cu1 layer, the interlayer coupling biasing field can provide domain stabilization and was sufficiently strong to constrain the magnetization in coherent rotation. This can prevent Barkhausen noises associated with magnetization reversal. We report here a proof of concept study of such a domain-biasing scheme, which has its important technological applications in nanoscale spin valve and magnetic tunneling junction read heads and other spintronic devices.

  20. Exchange bias effect in L10-ordered FePt and FeCo-based bilayer structure: effect of increasing applied field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Sadhana; Kumar, Dileep; Bhagat, Babli; Choudhary, R. J.; Reddy, V. R.; Gupta, Ajay

    2018-02-01

    The applied magnetic field (H APP) dependence of the exchange bias (EB) is studied in an exchange-coupled thin-film bilayer composed of a hard ferromagnetic FePt layer in the proximity of a soft ferromagnetic FeCo layer. FePt/FeCo structure is deposited in an ultra-high vacuum chamber, where the FePt layer was first annealed at 823 K for 30 min and subsequently cooled to room temperature in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field, H MAX ~ 1.5 kOe to promote L10-ordered hard magnetic phase with magnetic moments aligned in one of the in-plane directions in the FePt layer. In-situ magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements during different stages of bilayer growth and detailed ex-situ superconducting quantum interference device-vibrating sample magnetometer measurements jointly revealed that due to the interplay between exchange coupling at the interface and dipolar energies of the saturated hard FePt layer, a hysteresis loop of FeCo layer shifts along the magnetic field axis. A clear dependence of EB field (H EB) on increasing maximum value of the H APP during the hysteresis loop measurement is understood in terms of the magnetic state of soft and hard magnetic layers, where EB increases with increasing H APP until the hard layer moment remains undisturbed in its remanence state. As soon as the field was sufficient to rotate the spins of the FePt layer, the loop became symmetric with respect to the field axis.

  1. Influence of time dependent longitudinal magnetic fields on the cooling process, exchange bias and magnetization reversal mechanism in FM core/AFM shell nanoparticles: a Monte Carlo study.

    PubMed

    Yüksel, Yusuf; Akıncı, Ümit

    2016-12-07

    Using Monte Carlo simulations, we have investigated the dynamic phase transition properties of magnetic nanoparticles with ferromagnetic core coated by an antiferromagnetic shell structure. Effects of field amplitude and frequency on the thermal dependence of magnetizations, magnetization reversal mechanisms during hysteresis cycles, as well as on the exchange bias and coercive fields have been examined, and the feasibility of applying dynamic magnetic fields on the particle have been discussed for technological and biomedical purposes.

  2. Interfacial magnetism and exchange coupling in BiFeO3-CuO nanocomposite.

    PubMed

    Chakrabarti, Kaushik; Sarkar, Babusona; Ashok, Vishal Dev; Das, Kajari; Chaudhuri, Sheli Sinha; De, S K

    2013-12-20

    Ferromagnetic BiFeO3 nanocrystals of average size 9 nm were used to form a composite with antiferromagnetic CuO nanosheets, with the composition (x)BiFeO3/(100-x)CuO, x = 0, 20, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100. The dispersion of BiFeO3 nanocrystals into the CuO matrix was confirmed by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The ferromagnetic ordering as observed in pure BiFeO3 occurs mainly due to the reduction in the particle size as compared to the wavelength (62 nm) of the spiral modulated spin structure of the bulk BiFeO3. Surface spin disorder of BiFeO3 nanocrystals gives rise to an exponential behavior of magnetization with temperature. Strong magnetic exchange coupling between the BiFeO3 nanocrystal and the CuO matrix induces an interfacial superparamagnetic phase with a blocking temperature of about 80 K. Zero field and field cooled magnetizations are analyzed by a ferromagnetic core and disordered spin shell model. The temperature dependence of the calculated saturation magnetization exhibits three magnetic contributions in three temperature regimes. The BiFeO3/CuO nanocomposites reveal an exchange bias effect below 170 K. The maximum exchange bias field HEB is 1841 Oe for x = 50 at 5 K under field cooling of 50 kOe. The exchange bias coupling results in an increase of coercivity of 1934 Oe at 5 K. Blocked spins within an interfacial region give rise to a remarkable exchange bias effect in the nanocomposite due to strong magnetic exchange coupling between the BiFeO3 nanocrystals and the CuO nanosheets.

  3. Indiana Health Information Exchange

    Cancer.gov

    The Indiana Health Information Exchange is comprised of various Indiana health care institutions, established to help improve patient safety and is recognized as a best practice for health information exchange.

  4. Reentrant spin-glass behavior and bipolar exchange-bias effect in "Sn" substituted cobalt-orthotitanate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nayak, S.; Joshi, D. C.; Krautz, M.; Waske, A.; Eckert, J.; Thota, S.

    2016-01-01

    We report the co-existence of longitudinal ferrimagnetic behavior with Néel temperature TN ˜ 46.1 K and reentrant transverse spin-glass state at 44.05 K in Tin (Sn) doped cobalt-orthotitanate (Co2TiO4). The ferrimagnetic ordering is resulting from different magnetic moments of Co2+ on the A-sites (3.87 μB) and B-sites (5.069 μB). The magnetic compensation temperature (TCOMP) shifts from 31.74 K to 27.1 K when 40 at. % of "Sn4+" substitutes "Ti4+" at B-sites where the bulk-magnetization of two-sublattices balance each other. For T > TN, the dc-magnetic susceptibility (χdc = M/Hdc) fits well with the Néel's expression for the two-sublattice model with antiferromagnetic molecular field constants NBB ˜ 15.44, NAB ˜ 32.01, and NAA ˜ 20.88. The frequency dependence of ac-magnetic susceptibility χac data follows the Vogel-Fulcher law, and the power-law of critical slowing-down with "zν" = 6.01 suggests the existence of spin-clusters (where "z" and "ν" being dynamic critical-exponent and correlation length of critical-exponent, respectively). This system exhibits unusual hysteresis loops with large bipolar exchange-bias effect (HEB ˜ 13.6 kOe at 7 K) after zero-field cooling process from an un-magnetized state, and a dramatic collapse of remanence (MR) and coercive field (HC) across TCOMP. The possible origins of such anomalous characteristics were discussed.

  5. Origin of the enhanced exchange bias in polycrystalline-BiFeO3/Co bilayers by X-ray absorption Spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, J. D.; Yang, W. B.; Kumar, A.; Zhao, H. H.; Lai, Y. J.; Feng, L. S.; Xu, Q. Y.; Zhang, Y. Q.; Du, J.; Li, Q.

    2018-04-01

    Polycrystalline-BiFeO3(BFO)/Co bilayers were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and magnetron sputtering, with fast laser annealing under magnetic field. The enhanced exchange bias (EB) had been found in the BFO/Co bilayers (Appl. Surf. Sci. 367 (2016) 418). In order to reveal the origin of the enhanced EB in the samples, X-ray absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) of Fe 2p, Co 2p and O 1s were performed. The Co 2p XAS indicated the increase of Co oxidation state and the Fe 2p XAS of sample A and B under laser annealing processes showed that crystal field splitting energy decreased and led to the weakening of spin-orbit coupling with the increasing of the laser fluence. It was considered that the appearance of the oxidation state of Co and Fe2+ ions and the existence of the unidirectional anisotropy due to the laser fluence was responsible for the results and also for the enhanced EB.

  6. Estimation of bias with the single-zone assumption in measurement of residential air exchange using the perfluorocarbon tracer gas method.

    PubMed

    Van Ryswyk, K; Wallace, L; Fugler, D; MacNeill, M; Héroux, M È; Gibson, M D; Guernsey, J R; Kindzierski, W; Wheeler, A J

    2015-12-01

    Residential air exchange rates (AERs) are vital in understanding the temporal and spatial drivers of indoor air quality (IAQ). Several methods to quantify AERs have been used in IAQ research, often with the assumption that the home is a single, well-mixed air zone. Since 2005, Health Canada has conducted IAQ studies across Canada in which AERs were measured using the perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) gas method. Emitters and detectors of a single PFT gas were placed on the main floor to estimate a single-zone AER (AER(1z)). In three of these studies, a second set of emitters and detectors were deployed in the basement or second floor in approximately 10% of homes for a two-zone AER estimate (AER(2z)). In total, 287 daily pairs of AER(2z) and AER(1z) estimates were made from 35 homes across three cities. In 87% of the cases, AER(2z) was higher than AER(1z). Overall, the AER(1z) estimates underestimated AER(2z) by approximately 16% (IQR: 5-32%). This underestimate occurred in all cities and seasons and varied in magnitude seasonally, between homes, and daily, indicating that when measuring residential air exchange using a single PFT gas, the assumption of a single well-mixed air zone very likely results in an under prediction of the AER. The results of this study suggest that the long-standing assumption that a home represents a single well-mixed air zone may result in a substantial negative bias in air exchange estimates. Indoor air quality professionals should take this finding into consideration when developing study designs or making decisions related to the recommendation and installation of residential ventilation systems. © 2014 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Indoor Air published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Health Canada.

  7. Spin glass-like properties and exchange bias in La1.5Sr0.5CoIrO6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coutrim, L. T.; Bittar, E. M.; Baggio-Saitovitch, E.; Bufaiçal, L.

    2017-11-01

    In this work we report the synthesis and investigation of magnetic properties of La1.5Sr0.5CoIrO6. Study of temperature dependent magnetization on this double-perovskite compound revealed two anomalies at T ≃ 88 K and T ≃ 68 K, probably related to antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic couplings of Co and Ir ions, respectively. At T ≃ 27 K there is another anomaly, which was confirmed by means of ac magnetic susceptibility measurements to be related to the emergence of a spin glass(SG)-like phase. Magnetization as a function of applied magnetic field measurements revealed exchange bias effect of the same order of magnitude of that found for La1.5Ca0.5CoIrO6 analogue compound. We compare our results for La1.5Sr0.5CoIrO6 with those reported for La1.5Ca0.5CoIrO6, and discuss the magnetic properties of both materials in terms of their structural and electronic properties.

  8. Exchanging Peers to Establish P2P Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akon, Mursalin; Islam, Mohammad Towhidul; Shen, Xuemin(Sherman); Singh, Ajit

    Structure-wise, P2P networks can be divided into two major categories: (1) structured and (2) unstructured. In this chapter, we survey a group of unstructured P2P networks. This group of networks employs a gossip or epidemic protocol to maintain the members of the network and during a gossip, peers exchange a subset of their neighbors with each other. It is reported that this kind of networks are scalable, robust and resilient to severe network failure, at the same time very inexpensive to operate.

  9. Meiotic Crossover Control by Concerted Action of Rad51-Dmc1 in Homolog Template Bias and Robust Homeostatic Regulation

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Chu-Chun; Grubb, Jennifer; Thacker, Drew; Lee, Chih-Ying; Dresser, Michael E.; Hunter, Neil; Bishop, Douglas K.

    2013-01-01

    During meiosis, repair of programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by recombination promotes pairing of homologous chromosomes and their connection by crossovers. Two DNA strand-exchange proteins, Rad51 and Dmc1, are required for meiotic recombination in many organisms. Studies in budding yeast imply that Rad51 acts to regulate Dmc1's strand exchange activity, while its own exchange activity is inhibited. However, in a dmc1 mutant, elimination of inhibitory factor, Hed1, activates Rad51's strand exchange activity and results in high levels of recombination without participation of Dmc1. Here we show that Rad51-mediated meiotic recombination is not subject to regulatory processes associated with high-fidelity chromosome segregation. These include homolog bias, a process that directs strand exchange between homologs rather than sister chromatids. Furthermore, activation of Rad51 does not effectively substitute for Dmc1's chromosome pairing activity, nor does it ensure formation of the obligate crossovers required for accurate homolog segregation. We further show that Dmc1's dominance in promoting strand exchange between homologs involves repression of Rad51's strand-exchange activity. This function of Dmc1 is independent of Hed1, but requires the meiotic kinase, Mek1. Hed1 makes a relatively minor contribution to homolog bias, but nonetheless this is important for normal morphogenesis of synaptonemal complexes and efficient crossing-over especially when DSB numbers are decreased. Super-resolution microscopy shows that Dmc1 also acts to organize discrete complexes of a Mek1 partner protein, Red1, into clusters along lateral elements of synaptonemal complexes; this activity may also contribute to homolog bias. Finally, we show that when interhomolog bias is defective, recombination is buffered by two feedback processes, one that increases the fraction of events that yields crossovers, and a second that we propose involves additional DSB formation in response to

  10. Correcting the bias against interdisciplinary research.

    PubMed

    Shapiro, Ehud

    2014-04-01

    When making decisions about funding and jobs the scientific community should recognise that most of the tools used to evaluate scientific excellence are biased in favour of established disciplines and against interdisciplinary research.

  11. Magnetization switching behavior with competing anisotropies in epitaxial Co3FeN /MnN exchange-coupled bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hajiri, T.; Yoshida, T.; Jaiswal, S.; Filianina, M.; Borie, B.; Ando, H.; Asano, H.; Zabel, H.; Kläui, M.

    2016-11-01

    We report unusual magnetization switching processes and angular-dependent exchange bias effects in fully epitaxial Co3FeN /MnN bilayers, where magnetocrystalline anisotropy and exchange coupling compete, probed by longitudinal and transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) magnetometry. The MOKE loops show multistep jumps corresponding to the nucleation and propagation of 90∘ domain walls in as-grown bilayers. By inducing exchange coupling, we confirm changes of the magnetization switching process due to the unidirectional anisotropy field of the exchange coupling. Taking into account the experimentally obtained values of the fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy, the unidirectional anisotropy field, the exchange-coupling constant, and the uniaxial anisotropy including its direction, the calculated angular-dependent exchange bias reproduces the experimental results. These results demonstrate the essential role of the competition between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and exchange coupling for understanding and tailoring exchange-coupling phenomena usable for engineering switching in fully epitaxial bilayers made of tailored materials.

  12. A self-agency bias in preschoolers' causal inferences

    PubMed Central

    Kushnir, Tamar; Wellman, Henry M.; Gelman, Susan A.

    2013-01-01

    Preschoolers' causal learning from intentional actions – causal interventions – is subject to a self-agency bias. We propose that this bias is evidence-based; it is responsive to causal uncertainty. In the current studies, two causes (one child-controlled, one experimenter-controlled) were associated with one or two effects, first independently, then simultaneously. When initial independent effects were probabilistic, and thus subsequent simultaneous actions were causally ambiguous, children showed a self-agency bias. Children showed no bias when initial effects were deterministic. Further controls establish that children's self-agency bias is not a wholesale preference but rather is influenced by uncertainty in causal evidence. These results demonstrate that children's own experience of action influences their causal learning, and suggest possible benefits in uncertain and ambiguous everyday learning contexts. PMID:19271843

  13. Undercontribution bias in health care spending account decisions.

    PubMed

    Schweitzer, M E; Hershey, J C

    1997-01-01

    Results from this work describe 239 responses to a mailed survey regarding employee benefits decisions at a large eastern university. The primary objective of this work is to test for an undercontribution bias in health care financing decisions. The results establish the existence of an undercontribution bias in both actual employee decisions and hypothetical flexible spending account contribution decisions. We describe this bias within the context of related biases including loss aversion, mental accounting, status quo and omission biases. Surprisingly, we find a significant order effect in this study and posit that preference construction in this context is an active, reference-dependent process. In addition, results from this work demonstrate the endogenous nature of health care flexible spending account expenditures. The results have important implications both for the descriptive framework of and the normative solution to the flexible spending account contribution decision.

  14. Evaluating Predictive Uncertainty of Hyporheic Exchange Modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chow, R.; Bennett, J.; Dugge, J.; Wöhling, T.; Nowak, W.

    2017-12-01

    Hyporheic exchange is the interaction of water between rivers and groundwater, and is difficult to predict. One of the largest contributions to predictive uncertainty for hyporheic fluxes have been attributed to the representation of heterogeneous subsurface properties. This research aims to evaluate which aspect of the subsurface representation - the spatial distribution of hydrofacies or the model for local-scale (within-facies) heterogeneity - most influences the predictive uncertainty. Also, we seek to identify data types that help reduce this uncertainty best. For this investigation, we conduct a modelling study of the Steinlach River meander, in Southwest Germany. The Steinlach River meander is an experimental site established in 2010 to monitor hyporheic exchange at the meander scale. We use HydroGeoSphere, a fully integrated surface water-groundwater model, to model hyporheic exchange and to assess the predictive uncertainty of hyporheic exchange transit times (HETT). A highly parameterized complex model is built and treated as `virtual reality', which is in turn modelled with simpler subsurface parameterization schemes (Figure). Then, we conduct Monte-Carlo simulations with these models to estimate the predictive uncertainty. Results indicate that: Uncertainty in HETT is relatively small for early times and increases with transit times. Uncertainty from local-scale heterogeneity is negligible compared to uncertainty in the hydrofacies distribution. Introducing more data to a poor model structure may reduce predictive variance, but does not reduce predictive bias. Hydraulic head observations alone cannot constrain the uncertainty of HETT, however an estimate of hyporheic exchange flux proves to be more effective at reducing this uncertainty. Figure: Approach for evaluating predictive model uncertainty. A conceptual model is first developed from the field investigations. A complex model (`virtual reality') is then developed based on that conceptual model

  15. Steady-State Density Functional Theory for Finite Bias Conductances.

    PubMed

    Stefanucci, G; Kurth, S

    2015-12-09

    In the framework of density functional theory, a formalism to describe electronic transport in the steady state is proposed which uses the density on the junction and the steady current as basic variables. We prove that, in a finite window around zero bias, there is a one-to-one map between the basic variables and both local potential on as well as bias across the junction. The resulting Kohn-Sham system features two exchange-correlation (xc) potentials, a local xc potential, and an xc contribution to the bias. For weakly coupled junctions the xc potentials exhibit steps in the density-current plane which are shown to be crucial to describe the Coulomb blockade diamonds. At small currents these steps emerge as the equilibrium xc discontinuity bifurcates. The formalism is applied to a model benzene junction, finding perfect agreement with the orthodox theory of Coulomb blockade.

  16. 45 CFR 155.700 - Standards for the establishment of a SHOP.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Standards for the establishment of a SHOP. 155.700... Exchange Functions: Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) § 155.700 Standards for the establishment of a SHOP. (a) General requirement. An Exchange must provide for the establishment of a SHOP that...

  17. Permanent magnet flux-biased magnetic actuator with flux feedback

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Groom, Nelson J. (Inventor)

    1991-01-01

    The invention is a permanent magnet flux-biased magnetic actuator with flux feedback for adjustably suspending an element on a single axis. The magnetic actuator includes a pair of opposing electromagnets and provides bi-directional forces along the single axis to the suspended element. Permanent magnets in flux feedback loops from the opposing electromagnets establish a reference permanent magnet flux-bias to linearize the force characteristics of the electromagnets to extend the linear range of the actuator without the need for continuous bias currents in the electromagnets.

  18. Exchangeability in the case-crossover design

    PubMed Central

    Mittleman, Murray A; Mostofsky, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    In cohort and case-control studies, confounding that arises as a result of differences in the distribution of determinants of the outcome between exposure groups leading to non-exchangeability are addressed by restriction, matching or with statistical models. In case-only studies, this issue is addressed by comparing each individual with his/herself. Although case-only designs use self-matching and only include individuals who develop the outcome of interest, issues of non-exchangeability are identical to those that arise in traditional case-control and cohort studies. In this review, we describe one type of case-only design, the case-crossover design, and discuss how the concept of exchangeability can be used to understand issues of confounding, carryover effects, period effects and selection bias in case-crossover studies. PMID:24756878

  19. Question format shifts bias away from the emphasised response in tests of recognition memory.

    PubMed

    Mill, Ravi D; O'Connor, Akira R

    2014-11-01

    The question asked to interrogate memory has potential to influence response bias at retrieval, yet has not been systematically investigated. According to framing effects in the field of eyewitness testimony, retrieval cueing effects in cognitive psychology and the acquiescence bias in questionnaire responding, the question should establish a confirmatory bias. Conversely, according to findings from the rewarded decision-making literature involving mixed incentives, the question should establish a disconfirmatory bias. Across three experiments (ns=90 [online], 29 [laboratory] and 29 [laboratory]) we demonstrate a disconfirmatory bias - "old?" decreased old responding. This bias is underpinned by a goal-driven mechanism wherein participants seek to maximise emphasised response accuracy at the expense of frequency. Moreover, we demonstrate that disconfirmatory biases can be generated without explicit reference to the goal state. We conclude that subtle aspects of the test environment influence retrieval to a greater extent than has been previously considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Permanent-Magnet Free Biasing of MR Sensors with Tunable Sensitivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Halloran, Sean; Dasilva, Fabio; Pappas, David

    2007-03-01

    Exchange coupling^1 has been previously observed in a trilayer structure of ferromagnet (FM)/non-magnetic/antiferromagnet (AFM) and the exchange bias was found to be a function of the thickness of the buffer layer.^2,3,4 This unique coupling is used as a stabilizing bias for the sense layer with the additional ability to tailor the magnetic gain of the sensor for various applications. The elimination of permanent magnet bias results in the elimination of one patterning and one deposition step. Ruthenium (Ru) is used as the buffer layer and is self aligned with the FM and AFM layers and the thickness is varied to change the slope of the transfer curve in the linear region. Sensor devices are fabricated with a bipolar output, a medium sensitivity, and a wide field range. The results show that this biasing scheme is well suited for barber pole and soft adjacent layer (SAL) anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) stripes used in magnetic field sensors with a FM layer of Permalloy (NiFe) and an AFM layer of Iridium-Manganese (IrMn). Applications include a 256 channel read head used for magnetic forensics. 1N.J. Gokemeijer, T. Ambrose, C.L. Chien, N. Wang and K.K. Fung, J. Appl. Phys. 81 (8), 4999, 15 April 1997. 2W.H. Meiklejohn and C.P. Bean, Phys. Rev. 102, 1413 1956; 105, 904, 1957. 3L. Thomas, A.J. Kellock and S.S.P. Parkin, J. Appl. Phys. 87 (9), 5061, 1 May 2000. 4D. Wang, J. Daughton, C. Nordman, P. Eames and J. Fink, J. Appl. Phys. 99, 2006.

  1. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; establishment of exchanges and qualified health plans; exchange standards for employers. Final rule, Interim final rule.

    PubMed

    2012-03-27

    This final rule will implement the new Affordable Insurance Exchanges ("Exchanges"), consistent with title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, referred to collectively as the Affordable Care Act. The Exchanges will provide competitive marketplaces for individuals and small employers to directly compare available private health insurance options on the basis of price, quality, and other factors. The Exchanges, which will become operational by January 1, 2014, will help enhance competition in the health insurance market, improve choice of affordable health insurance, and give small businesses the same purchasing clout as large businesses.

  2. Attentional bias in math anxiety.

    PubMed

    Rubinsten, Orly; Eidlin, Hili; Wohl, Hadas; Akibli, Orly

    2015-01-01

    Cognitive theory from the field of general anxiety suggests that the tendency to display attentional bias toward negative information results in anxiety. Accordingly, the current study aims to investigate whether attentional bias is involved in math anxiety (MA) as well (i.e., a persistent negative reaction to math). Twenty seven participants (14 with high levels of MA and 13 with low levels of MA) were presented with a novel computerized numerical version of the well established dot probe task. One of six types of prime stimuli, either math related or typically neutral, was presented on one side of a computer screen. The prime was preceded by a probe (either one or two asterisks) that appeared in either the prime or the opposite location. Participants had to discriminate probe identity (one or two asterisks). Math anxious individuals reacted faster when the probe was at the location of the numerical related stimuli. This suggests the existence of attentional bias in MA. That is, for math anxious individuals, the cognitive system selectively favored the processing of emotionally negative information (i.e., math related words). These findings suggest that attentional bias is linked to unduly intense MA symptoms.

  3. Attentional bias in math anxiety

    PubMed Central

    Rubinsten, Orly; Eidlin, Hili; Wohl, Hadas; Akibli, Orly

    2015-01-01

    Cognitive theory from the field of general anxiety suggests that the tendency to display attentional bias toward negative information results in anxiety. Accordingly, the current study aims to investigate whether attentional bias is involved in math anxiety (MA) as well (i.e., a persistent negative reaction to math). Twenty seven participants (14 with high levels of MA and 13 with low levels of MA) were presented with a novel computerized numerical version of the well established dot probe task. One of six types of prime stimuli, either math related or typically neutral, was presented on one side of a computer screen. The prime was preceded by a probe (either one or two asterisks) that appeared in either the prime or the opposite location. Participants had to discriminate probe identity (one or two asterisks). Math anxious individuals reacted faster when the probe was at the location of the numerical related stimuli. This suggests the existence of attentional bias in MA. That is, for math anxious individuals, the cognitive system selectively favored the processing of emotionally negative information (i.e., math related words). These findings suggest that attentional bias is linked to unduly intense MA symptoms. PMID:26528208

  4. Insurance Exchange Marketplace: Implications for Emergency Medicine Practice

    PubMed Central

    Rankey, David S.

    2012-01-01

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires states to establish healthcare insurance exchanges by 2014 to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans. States are required to establish exchanges for small businesses and individuals. A federally operated exchange will be established, and states failing to participate in any other exchanges will be mandated to join the federal exchange. Policymakers and health economists believe that exchanges will improve healthcare at lower cost by promoting competition among insurers and by reducing burdensome transaction costs. Consumers will no longer be isolated from monthly insurance premium costs. Exchanges will increase the number of patients insured with more cost-conscious managed care and high-deductible plans. These insurance plan models have historically undervalued emergency medical services, while also underinsuring patients and limiting their healthcare system access to the emergency department. This paradoxically increases demand for emergency services while decreasing supply. The continual devaluation of emergency medical services by insurance payers will result in inadequate distribution of resources to emergency care, resulting in further emergency department closures, increases in emergency department crowding, and the demise of acute care services provided to families and communities. PMID:22900107

  5. Competing exchange bias and field-induced ferromagnetism in La-doped BaFe O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fita, I.; Wisniewski, A.; Puzniak, R.; Iwanowski, P.; Markovich, V.; Kolesnik, S.; Dabrowski, B.

    2017-04-01

    An exchange bias (EB) effect was observed in mixed valent L axB a1 -xFe O3 (x =0.125 , 0.25, 0.33) perovskites exhibiting the antiferromagnetic (AFM) helical order among F e4 + ions coexisting with the ferromagnetic (FM) cluster phase in the ground state. The L a3 + ions for B a2 + site substitution, associated with increase in number of the AFM coupled F e3 + - F e4 + pairs as well as some F e3 + - F e3 + pairs, leads to strengthening of the AFM phase and consequently to the alteration of the EB characteristics, which depend on level of the La doping x . At low doping x ≤0.25 , an abnormal dependence of the EB field, HEB, on the cooling field, Hcool, was found. The HEB increases rapidly with increasing cooling field at low Hcool, but it falls suddenly at cooling fields higher than 20 kOe, reducing by an order of magnitude at 90 kOe. The suppression of EB is caused by the field-induced increased volume of the FM phase, due to the transformation of the AFM helical spin structure into the FM one. Thus, low-doped L axB a1 -xFe O3 demonstrates a competition of two alternate cooling-field-induced effects, one of which leads to the EB anisotropy and another one to the enhanced ferromagnetism. In contrast, the x =0.33 sample, having a strong AFM constituent, shows no field-induced FM and no drop in the EB field. Accordingly, the HEB vs Hcool dependence was found to be well explained in the framework of a model describing phase-separated AFM-FM systems, namely, the model assuming isolated FM clusters of size ˜4 nm embedded in the AFM matrix.

  6. Hidden Interface Driven Exchange Coupling in Oxide Heterostructures

    DOE PAGES

    Chen, Aiping; Wang, Qiang; Fitzsimmons, Michael R.; ...

    2017-05-02

    In a variety of emergent phenomena have been enabled by interface engineering in complex oxides. The existence of an intrinsic interfacial layer has often been found at oxide heterointerfaces. But, the role of such an interlayerin controlling functionalities is not fully explored. Here, we report the control of the exchange bias (EB) in single-phase manganite thin films with nominallyuniform chemical composition across the interfaces. The sign of EB depends on the magnitude of the cooling field. A pinned layer, confirmed by polarized neutron reflectometry, provides the source of unidirectional anisotropy. The origin of the exchange bias coupling is discussed inmore » terms of magnetic interactions between the interfacial ferromagnetically reduced layer and the bulk ferromagnetic region. The sign of EB is related to the frustration of antiferromagnetic coupling between the ferromagnetic region and the pinned layer. These results shed new light on using oxide interfaces to design functional spintronic devices.« less

  7. Attentional bias modification encourages healthy eating.

    PubMed

    Kakoschke, Naomi; Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

    2014-01-01

    The continual exposure to unhealthy food cues in the environment encourages poor dietary habits, in particular consuming too much fat and sugar, and not enough fruit and vegetables. According to Berridge's (2009) model of food reward, unhealthy eating is a behavioural response to biased attentional processing. The present study used an established attentional bias modification paradigm to discourage the consumption of unhealthy food and instead promote healthy eating. Participants were 146 undergraduate women who were randomly assigned to two groups: one was trained to direct their attention toward pictures of healthy food ('attend healthy' group) and the other toward unhealthy food ('attend unhealthy' group). It was found that participants trained to attend to healthy food cues demonstrated an increased attentional bias for such cues and ate relatively more of the healthy than unhealthy snacks compared to the 'attend unhealthy' group. Theoretically, the results support the postulated link between biased attentional processing and consumption (Berridge, 2009). At a practical level, they offer potential scope for interventions that focus on eating well. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. DNA Strand Exchange and RecA Homologs in Meiosis

    PubMed Central

    Brown, M. Scott; Bishop, Douglas K.

    2015-01-01

    Homology search and DNA strand–exchange reactions are central to homologous recombination in meiosis. During meiosis, these processes are regulated such that the probability of choosing a homolog chromatid as recombination partner is enhanced relative to that of choosing a sister chromatid. This regulatory process occurs as homologous chromosomes pair in preparation for assembly of the synaptonemal complex. Two strand–exchange proteins, Rad51 and Dmc1, cooperate in regulated homology search and strand exchange in most organisms. Here, we summarize studies on the properties of these two proteins and their accessory factors. In addition, we review current models for the assembly of meiotic strand–exchange complexes and the possible mechanisms through which the interhomolog bias of recombination partner choice is achieved. PMID:25475089

  9. Biased but in Doubt: Conflict and Decision Confidence

    PubMed Central

    De Neys, Wim; Cromheeke, Sofie; Osman, Magda

    2011-01-01

    Human reasoning is often biased by intuitive heuristics. A central question is whether the bias results from a failure to detect that the intuitions conflict with traditional normative considerations or from a failure to discard the tempting intuitions. The present study addressed this unresolved debate by using people's decision confidence as a nonverbal index of conflict detection. Participants were asked to indicate how confident they were after solving classic base-rate (Experiment 1) and conjunction fallacy (Experiment 2) problems in which a cued intuitive response could be inconsistent or consistent with the traditional correct response. Results indicated that reasoners showed a clear confidence decrease when they gave an intuitive response that conflicted with the normative response. Contrary to popular belief, this establishes that people seem to acknowledge that their intuitive answers are not fully warranted. Experiment 3 established that younger reasoners did not yet show the confidence decrease, which points to the role of improved bias awareness in our reasoning development. Implications for the long standing debate on human rationality are discussed. PMID:21283574

  10. 45 CFR 155.700 - Standards for the establishment of a SHOP.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Section 155.700 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS EXCHANGE ESTABLISHMENT STANDARDS AND OTHER RELATED STANDARDS UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Exchange Functions: Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) § 155.700 Standards for the establishment...

  11. 45 CFR 155.700 - Standards for the establishment of a SHOP.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Section 155.700 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS EXCHANGE ESTABLISHMENT STANDARDS AND OTHER RELATED STANDARDS UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Exchange Functions: Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) § 155.700 Standards for the establishment...

  12. Control of magnetic direction in multi-layer ferromagnetic devices by bias voltage

    DOEpatents

    You, Chun-Yeol; Bader, Samuel D.

    2001-01-01

    A system for controlling the direction of magnetization of materials comprising a ferromagnetic device with first and second ferromagnetic layers. The ferromagnetic layers are disposed such that they combine to form an interlayer with exchange coupling. An insulating layer and a spacer layer are located between the first and second ferromagnetic layers. A direct bias voltage is applied to the interlayer exchange coupling, causing the direction of magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer to change. This change of magnetization direction occurs in the absence of any applied external magnetic field.

  13. Educators Exchange: A Program Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armstrong, William B.

    The Educators Exchange Program (EEP) was established under a training and educational exchange agreement reached by California's San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) and the republic of Mexico. In the program, the District provided a 4-week technological training program to faculty at Centros de Capacitacion Tecnologica Industrial…

  14. 45 CFR 152.45 - Transition to the exchanges.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Transition to the exchanges. 152.45 Section 152.45...-EXISTING CONDITION INSURANCE PLAN PROGRAM Transition to Exchanges § 152.45 Transition to the exchanges... the Exchanges, established under sections 1311 or 1321 of the Affordable Care Act, to ensure that...

  15. 12 CFR 614.4900 - Foreign exchange.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Cooperatives and Agricultural Credit Banks Financing International Trade § 614.4900 Foreign exchange. (a... international financial activities. The bank's policies should include established guidelines for: (1) Net... Department of the Treasury pertaining to currency exchange activities and international transfers of monetary...

  16. A Behavior-Analytic Account of Cognitive Bias in Clinical Populations

    PubMed Central

    Wray, Alisha M; Freund, Rachel A; Dougher, Michael J

    2009-01-01

    Cognitive bias refers to a well-established finding that individuals who suffer from certain clinical problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, etc.) selectively attend to, remember, and interpret events relevant to their condition. Although a body of literature exists that has tried to examine this phenomenon, most existing explanations are mentalistic and mediational. In this paper we offer a behavior-analytic account of cognitive bias, its development, and how it may contribute to maintenance of clinical problems. This account is based on establishing operations or motivating events, verbal processes, and relational responding. Clinical and future research implications are also discussed. PMID:22478512

  17. Motion-Correlated Flow Distortion and Wave-Induced Biases in Air-Sea Flux Measurements From Ships

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prytherch, J.; Yelland, M. J.; Brooks, I. M.; Tupman, D. J.; Pascal, R. W.; Moat, B. I.; Norris, S. J.

    2016-02-01

    Direct measurements of the turbulent air-sea fluxes of momentum, heat, moisture and gases are often made using sensors mounted on ships. Ship-based turbulent wind measurements are corrected for platform motion using well established techniques, but biases at scales associated with wave and platform motion are often still apparent in the flux measurements. It has been uncertain whether this signal is due to time-varying distortion of the air flow over the platform, or to wind-wave interactions impacting the turbulence. Methods for removing such motion-scale biases from scalar measurements have previously been published but their application to momentum flux measurements remains controversial. Here we use eddy covariance momentum flux measurements obtained onboard RRS James Clark Ross as part of the Waves, Aerosol and Gas Exchange Study (WAGES), a programme of near-continuous measurements using the autonomous AutoFlux system (Yelland et al., 2009). Measurements were made in 2013 in locations throughout the North and South Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, at latitudes ranging from 62°S to 75°N. We show that the measured motion-scale bias has a dependence on the horizontal ship velocity, and that a correction for it reduces the dependence of the measured momentum flux on the orientation of the ship to the wind. We conclude that the bias is due to experimental error, and that time-varying motion-dependent flow distortion is the likely source. Yelland, M., Pascal, R., Taylor, P. and Moat, B.: AutoFlux: an autonomous system for the direct measurement of the air-sea fluxes of CO2, heat and momentum. J. Operation. Oceanogr., 15-23, doi:10.1080/1755876X.2009.11020105, 2009.

  18. Predictability of currency market exchange

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ohira, Toru; Sazuka, Naoya; Marumo, Kouhei; Shimizu, Tokiko; Takayasu, Misako; Takayasu, Hideki

    2002-05-01

    We analyze tick data of yen-dollar exchange with a focus on its up and down movement. We show that there exists a rather particular conditional probability structure with such high frequency data. This result provides us with evidence to question one of the basic assumptions of the traditional market theory, where such bias in high frequency price movements is regarded as not present. We also construct systematically a random walk model reflecting this probability structure.

  19. What drives social in-group biases in face recognition memory? ERP evidence from the own-gender bias

    PubMed Central

    Kemter, Kathleen; Schweinberger, Stefan R.; Wiese, Holger

    2014-01-01

    It is well established that memory is more accurate for own-relative to other-race faces (own-race bias), which has been suggested to result from larger perceptual expertise for own-race faces. Previous studies also demonstrated better memory for own-relative to other-gender faces, which is less likely to result from differences in perceptual expertise, and rather may be related to social in-group vs out-group categorization. We examined neural correlates of the own-gender bias using event-related potentials (ERP). In a recognition memory experiment, both female and male participants remembered faces of their respective own gender more accurately compared with other-gender faces. ERPs during learning yielded significant differences between the subsequent memory effects (subsequently remembered – subsequently forgotten) for own-gender compared with other-gender faces in the occipito-temporal P2 and the central N200, whereas neither later subsequent memory effects nor ERP old/new effects at test reflected a neural correlate of the own-gender bias. We conclude that the own-gender bias is mainly related to study phase processes, which is in line with sociocognitive accounts. PMID:23474824

  20. Interface roughness induced asymmetric magnetic property in sputter-deposited Co/CoO/Co exchange coupled trilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, J.; Sannomiya, T.; Shi, J.; Nakamura, Y.

    2012-04-01

    The effect of interface roughness on magnetic properties of exchange coupled polycrystalline Co/CoO(tAF)/Co trilayers has been investigated by varying antiferromagnetic layer (CoO) thickness. It has been found that the upper CoO/Co interface becomes rougher with increasing CoO layer thickness, resulting in stronger exchange bias of the upper interface than the lower one. The interfacial exchange coupling is strengthened by the increase of defect-generated uncompensated antiferromagnetic spins; such spins form coupling with spins in the Co layer at the interface. As a result, the CoO layer thickness dependence of exchange bias is much enhanced for the upper Co layer. The transition from anisotropic magnetoresistance to isotropic magnetoresistance for the top Co layer has also been found. This could be attributed to the defects, probably partial thin oxide layers, between Co grains in the top Co layer that leads a switch from spin-orbit scattering related magnetoresistance to spin-dependent electron scattering dominated magnetoresistance.

  1. Assessment of human energy exchange: historical overview.

    PubMed

    Heymsfield, S B; Bourgeois, B; Thomas, D M

    2017-03-01

    Energy exchange is fundamental to life and is a cornerstone in the study of human physiology, metabolism and nutrition. A global effort is underway to further our understanding of human energy exchange and its components as a means of establishing the mechanistic underpinnings of the evolving obesity and chronic disease epidemics. The current report establishes a conceptual historical framework for examining the evolution of energy exchange concepts and measurement methods. We review developments taking place over more than 2000 years during which humans endeavored to establish the source of body heat, the 'fire of life'. Major conceptual and methodological advances over the past three centuries have incrementally advanced the field and created the energy exchange paradigm within which we now work. As in the past, innovative experimental ideas and measurement methods are now needed to answer important questions brought to light by the obesity and chronic disease epidemics. Nevertheless, older classical measurement methods based on calorimetry techniques still hold a strong position in the field as many diet and weight-related questions remain unanswered.

  2. Research Review: Attention Bias Modification (ABM)--A Novel Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bar-Haim, Yair

    2010-01-01

    Attention bias modification (ABM) is a newly emerging therapy for anxiety disorders that is rooted in current cognitive models of anxiety and in established experimental data on threat-related attentional biases in anxiety. This review describes the evidence indicating that ABM has the potential to become an enhancing tool for current…

  3. Incomplete offspring sex bias in Australian populations of the butterfly Eurema hecabe

    PubMed Central

    Kemp, D J; Thomson, F E; Edwards, W; Iturbe-Ormaetxe, I

    2017-01-01

    Theory predicts unified sex ratios for most organisms, yet biases may be engendered by selfish genetic elements such as endosymbionts that kill or feminize individuals with male genotypes. Although rare, feminization is established for Wolbachia-infected Eurema butterflies. This paradigm is presently confined to islands in the southern Japanese archipelago, where feminized phenotypes produce viable all-daughter broods. Here, we characterize sex bias for E. hecabe in continental Australia. Starting with 186 wild-caught females, we reared >6000 F1–F3 progeny in pedigree designs that incorporated selective antibiotic treatments. F1 generations expressed a consistent bias across 2 years and populations that was driven by an ~5% incidence of broods comprising ⩾80% daughters. Females from biased lineages continued to overproduce daughters over two generations of outcrossing to wild males. Treatment with antibiotics of differential strength influenced sex ratio only in biased lineages by inducing an equivalent incomplete degree of son overproduction. Brood sex ratios were nevertheless highly variable within lineages and across generations. Intriguingly, the cytogenetic signature of female karyotype was uniformly absent, even among phenotypic females in unbiased lineages. Molecular evidence supported the existence of a single Wolbachia strain at high prevalence, yet this was not clearly linked to brood sex bias. In sum, we establish an inherited, experimentally reversible tendency for incomplete offspring bias. Key features of our findings clearly depart from the Japanese feminization paradigm and highlight the potential for more subtle degrees of sex distortion in arthropods. PMID:27731327

  4. Velocity bias in the distribution of dark matter halos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baldauf, Tobias; Desjacques, Vincent; Seljak, Uroš

    2015-12-01

    The standard formalism for the coevolution of halos and dark matter predicts that any initial halo velocity bias rapidly decays to zero. We argue that, when the purpose is to compute statistics like power spectra etc., the coupling in the momentum conservation equation for the biased tracers must be modified. Our new formulation predicts the constancy in time of any statistical halo velocity bias present in the initial conditions, in agreement with peak theory. We test this prediction by studying the evolution of a conserved halo population in N -body simulations. We establish that the initial simulated halo density and velocity statistics show distinct features of the peak model and, thus, deviate from the simple local Lagrangian bias. We demonstrate, for the first time, that the time evolution of their velocity is in tension with the rapid decay expected in the standard approach.

  5. Effect of interfacial disorder on exchange anisotropy in nickel manganese/nickel epitaxial bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lund, Michael Shane

    dependence of exchange bias on x in Ni1-xMnx/Ni bilayers has been studied. It is found that bilayers with x ˜ 0.58 have a maximum exchange coupling and that the maximum exchange bias is achieved with just a 2 hour anneal at 250 C. This is striking and suggests that the as-deposited Ni 1-xMnx is in the AF phase. Additionally, inverted unannealed bilayers exhibit exchange bias, providing clear evidence for spontaneous magnetic ordering of Ni1-xMnx layer. This is an important find since annealing results in interdiffusion at the AF/F interface, and a subsequent reduction in the exchange bias field, it would be technologically desirable to omit this step entirely.

  6. Interface adjustment and exchange coupling in the IrMn/NiFe system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spizzo, F.; Tamisari, M.; Chinni, F.; Bonfiglioli, E.; Del Bianco, L.

    2017-01-01

    The exchange bias effect was investigated, in the 5-300 K temperature range, in samples of IrMn [100 Å]/NiFe [50 Å] (set A) and in samples with inverted layer-stacking sequence (set B), produced at room temperature by DC magnetron sputtering in a static magnetic field of 400 Oe. The samples of each set differ for the nominal thickness (tCu) of a Cu spacer, grown at the interface between the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic layers, which was varied between 0 and 2 Å. It has been found out that the Cu insertion reduces the values of the exchange field and of the coercivity and can also affect their thermal evolution, depending on the stack configuration. Indeed, the latter also determines a peculiar variation of the exchange bias properties with time, shown and discussed with reference to the samples without Cu of the two sets. The results have been explained considering that, in this system, the exchange coupling mechanism is ruled by the glassy magnetic behavior of the IrMn spins located at the interface with the NiFe layer. Varying the stack configuration and tCu results in a modulation of the structural and magnetic features of the interface, which ultimately affects the spins dynamics of the glassy IrMn interfacial component.

  7. 77 FR 18309 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-27

    ...This final rule will implement the new Affordable Insurance Exchanges (``Exchanges''), consistent with title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, referred to collectively as the Affordable Care Act. The Exchanges will provide competitive marketplaces for individuals and small employers to directly compare available private health insurance options on the basis of price, quality, and other factors. The Exchanges, which will become operational by January 1, 2014, will help enhance competition in the health insurance market, improve choice of affordable health insurance, and give small businesses the same purchasing clout as large businesses.

  8. Optimism Bias in Fans and Sports Reporters.

    PubMed

    Love, Bradley C; Kopeć, Łukasz; Guest, Olivia

    2015-01-01

    People are optimistic about their prospects relative to others. However, existing studies can be difficult to interpret because outcomes are not zero-sum. For example, one person avoiding cancer does not necessitate that another person develops cancer. Ideally, optimism bias would be evaluated within a closed formal system to establish with certainty the extent of the bias and the associated environmental factors, such that optimism bias is demonstrated when a population is internally inconsistent. Accordingly, we asked NFL fans to predict how many games teams they liked and disliked would win in the 2015 season. Fans, like ESPN reporters assigned to cover a team, were overly optimistic about their team's prospects. The opposite pattern was found for teams that fans disliked. Optimism may flourish because year-to-year team results are marked by auto-correlation and regression to the group mean (i.e., good teams stay good, but bad teams improve).

  9. Attention bias to threat faces in severe mood dysregulation.

    PubMed

    Hommer, Rebecca E; Meyer, Allison; Stoddard, Joel; Connolly, Megan E; Mogg, Karin; Bradley, Brendan P; Pine, Daniel S; Leibenluft, Ellen; Brotman, Melissa A

    2014-07-01

    We used a dot-probe paradigm to examine attention bias toward threat (i.e., angry) and happy face stimuli in severe mood dysregulation (SMD) versus healthy comparison (HC) youth. The tendency to allocate attention to threat is well established in anxiety and other disorders of negative affect. SMD is characterized by the negative affect of irritability, and longitudinal studies suggest childhood irritability predicts adult anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is important to study pathophysiologic connections between irritability and anxiety disorders. SMD patients (N = 74) and HC youth (N = 42) completed a visual probe paradigm to assess attention bias to emotional faces. Diagnostic interviews were conducted and measures of irritability and anxiety were obtained in patients. SMD youth differed from HC youth in having a bias toward threatening faces (P < .01). Threat bias was positively correlated with the severity of the SMD syndrome and depressive symptoms; degree of threat bias did not differ between SMD youth with and without co-occurring anxiety disorders or depression. SMD and HC youth did not differ in bias toward or away from happy faces. SMD youth demonstrate an attention bias toward threat, with greater threat bias associated with higher levels of SMD symptom severity. Our findings suggest that irritability may share a pathophysiological link with anxiety and depressive disorders. This finding suggests the value of exploring further whether attention bias modification treatments that are effective for anxiety are also helpful in the treatment of irritability. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Anticipatory versus reactive spatial attentional bias to threat.

    PubMed

    Gladwin, Thomas E; Möbius, Martin; McLoughlin, Shane; Tyndall, Ian

    2018-05-10

    Dot-probe or visual probe tasks (VPTs) are used extensively to measure attentional biases. A novel variant termed the cued VPT (cVPT) was developed to focus on the anticipatory component of attentional bias. This study aimed to establish an anticipatory attentional bias to threat using the cVPT and compare its split-half reliability with a typical dot-probe task. A total of 120 students performed the cVPT task and dot-probe tasks. Essentially, the cVPT uses cues that predict the location of pictorial threatening stimuli, but on trials on which probe stimuli are presented the pictures do not appear. Hence, actual presentation of emotional stimuli did not affect responses. The reliability of the cVPT was higher at most cue-stimulus intervals and was .56 overall. A clear anticipatory attentional bias was found. In conclusion, the cVPT may be of methodological and theoretical interest. Using visually neutral predictive cues may remove sources of noise that negatively impact reliability. Predictive cues are able to bias response selection, suggesting a role of predicted outcomes in automatic processes. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

  11. Development of an establishment scheme for a DGVM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Xiang; Zeng, Xiaodong; Zhu, Jiawen; Shao, Pu

    2016-07-01

    Environmental changes are expected to shift the distribution and abundance of vegetation by determining seedling establishment and success. However, most current ecosystem models only focus on the impacts of abiotic factors on biogeophysics (e.g., global distribution, etc.), ignoring their roles in the population dynamics (e.g., seedling establishment rate, mortality rate, etc.) of ecological communities. Such neglect may lead to biases in ecosystem population dynamics (such as changes in population density for woody species in forest ecosystems) and characteristics. In the present study, a new establishment scheme for introducing soil water as a function rather than a threshold was developed and validated, using version 1.0 of the IAP-DGVM as a test bed. The results showed that soil water in the establishment scheme had a remarkable influence on forest transition zones. Compared with the original scheme, the new scheme significantly improved simulations of tree population density, especially in the peripheral areas of forests and transition zones. Consequently, biases in forest fractional coverage were reduced in approximately 78.8% of the global grid cells. The global simulated areas of tree, shrub, grass and bare soil performed better, where the relative biases were reduced from 34.3% to 4.8%, from 27.6% to 13.1%, from 55.2% to 9.2%, and from 37.6% to 3.6%, respectively. Furthermore, the new scheme had more reasonable dependencies of plant functional types (PFTs) on mean annual precipitation, and described the correct dominant PFTs in the tropical rainforest peripheral areas of the Amazon and central Africa.

  12. Temperature trend biases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venema, Victor; Lindau, Ralf

    2016-04-01

    In an accompanying talk we show that well-homogenized national dataset warm more than temperatures from global collections averaged over the region of common coverage. In this poster we want to present auxiliary work about possible biases in the raw observations and on how well relative statistical homogenization can remove trend biases. There are several possible causes of cooling biases, which have not been studied much. Siting could be an important factor. Urban stations tend to move away from the centre to better locations. Many stations started inside of urban areas and are nowadays more outside. Even for villages the temperature difference between the centre and edge can be 0.5°C. When a city station moves to an airport, which often happened around WWII, this takes the station (largely) out of the urban heat island. During the 20th century the Stevenson screen was established as the dominant thermometer screen. This screen protected the thermometer much better against radiation than earlier designs. Deficits of earlier measurement methods have artificially warmed the temperatures in the 19th century. Newer studies suggest we may have underestimated the size of this bias. Currently we are in a transition to Automatic Weather Stations. The net global effect of this transition is not clear at this moment. Irrigation on average decreases the 2m-temperature by about 1 degree centigrade. At the same time, irrigation has increased significantly during the last century. People preferentially live in irrigated areas and weather stations serve agriculture. Thus it is possible that there is a higher likelihood that weather stations are erected in irrigated areas than elsewhere. In this case irrigation could lead to a spurious cooling trend. In the Parallel Observations Science Team of the International Surface Temperature Initiative (ISTI-POST) we are studying influence of the introduction of Stevenson screens and Automatic Weather Stations using parallel measurements

  13. Adaptively biased molecular dynamics for free energy calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Babin, Volodymyr; Roland, Christopher; Sagui, Celeste

    2008-04-01

    We present an adaptively biased molecular dynamics (ABMD) method for the computation of the free energy surface of a reaction coordinate using nonequilibrium dynamics. The ABMD method belongs to the general category of umbrella sampling methods with an evolving biasing potential and is inspired by the metadynamics method. The ABMD method has several useful features, including a small number of control parameters and an O(t ) numerical cost with molecular dynamics time t. The ABMD method naturally allows for extensions based on multiple walkers and replica exchange, where different replicas can have different temperatures and/or collective variables. This is beneficial not only in terms of the speed and accuracy of a calculation, but also in terms of the amount of useful information that may be obtained from a given simulation. The workings of the ABMD method are illustrated via a study of the folding of the Ace-GGPGGG-Nme peptide in a gaseous and solvated environment.

  14. A regret-induced status-quo bias

    PubMed Central

    Nicolle, A.; Fleming, S.M.; Bach, D.R.; Driver, J.; Dolan, R. J.

    2011-01-01

    A suboptimal bias towards accepting the ‘status-quo’ option in decision-making is well established behaviorally, but the underlying neural mechanisms are less clear. Behavioral evidence suggests the emotion of regret is higher when errors arise from rejection rather than acceptance of a status-quo option. Such asymmetry in the genesis of regret might drive the status-quo bias on subsequent decisions, if indeed erroneous status-quo rejections have a greater neuronal impact than erroneous status-quo acceptances. To test this, we acquired human fMRI data during a difficult perceptual decision task that incorporated a trial-to-trial intrinsic status-quo option, with explicit signaling of outcomes (error or correct). Behaviorally, experienced regret was higher after an erroneous status-quo rejection compared to acceptance. Anterior insula and medial prefrontal cortex showed increased BOLD signal after such status-quo rejection errors. In line with our hypothesis, a similar pattern of signal change predicted acceptance of the status-quo on a subsequent trial. Thus, our data link a regret-induced status-quo bias to error-related activity on the preceding trial. PMID:21368043

  15. Tuning exchange bias in Fe/γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} core-shell nanoparticles: Impacts of interface and surface spins

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Khurshid, Hafsa, E-mail: hkhurshi@usf.edu, E-mail: phanm@usf.edu, E-mail: sharihar@usf.edu; Phan, Manh-Huong, E-mail: hkhurshi@usf.edu, E-mail: phanm@usf.edu, E-mail: sharihar@usf.edu; Mukherjee, Pritish

    A comparative study has been performed of the exchange bias (EB) effect in Fe/γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} core-shell nanoparticles with the same thickness of the γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} shell (∼2 nm) and the diameter of the Fe core varying from 4 nm to 11 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM confirmed the high quality of the core-shell nanostructures. A systematic analysis of magnetization versus magnetic field measurements under zero-field-cooled and field-cooled regimes using the Meiklejohn-Bean model and deconvoluting superparamagnetic and paramagnetic contribution to the total magnetic moment Langevin function shows that there exists a critical particle size (∼10 nm), above which the spinsmore » at the interface between Fe and γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} contribute primarily to the EB, but below which the surface spin effect is dominant. Our finding yields deeper insight into the collective contributions of interface and surface spins to the EB in core-shell nanoparticle systems, knowledge of which is the key to manipulating EB in magnetic nanostructures for spintronics applications.« less

  16. Optimism Bias in Fans and Sports Reporters

    PubMed Central

    Love, Bradley C.

    2015-01-01

    People are optimistic about their prospects relative to others. However, existing studies can be difficult to interpret because outcomes are not zero-sum. For example, one person avoiding cancer does not necessitate that another person develops cancer. Ideally, optimism bias would be evaluated within a closed formal system to establish with certainty the extent of the bias and the associated environmental factors, such that optimism bias is demonstrated when a population is internally inconsistent. Accordingly, we asked NFL fans to predict how many games teams they liked and disliked would win in the 2015 season. Fans, like ESPN reporters assigned to cover a team, were overly optimistic about their team’s prospects. The opposite pattern was found for teams that fans disliked. Optimism may flourish because year-to-year team results are marked by auto-correlation and regression to the group mean (i.e., good teams stay good, but bad teams improve). PMID:26352146

  17. Nonparametric and Semiparametric Regression Estimation for Length-biased Survival Data

    PubMed Central

    Shen, Yu; Ning, Jing; Qin, Jing

    2016-01-01

    For the past several decades, nonparametric and semiparametric modeling for conventional right-censored survival data has been investigated intensively under a noninformative censoring mechanism. However, these methods may not be applicable for analyzing right-censored survival data that arise from prevalent cohorts when the failure times are subject to length-biased sampling. This review article is intended to provide a summary of some newly developed methods as well as established methods for analyzing length-biased data. PMID:27086362

  18. Biased Tests.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Donald Ross

    This paper is concerned with the accusations made by such groups as the Association of Black Psychologists in their call for a moratorium on testing, that standardized tests are biased. A biased test measures one trait in one group of people but a different trait in a second group. Evidence about the amount of bias in tests is thin. Bias must be…

  19. Enhanced Conformational Sampling of N-Glycans in Solution with Replica State Exchange Metadynamics.

    PubMed

    Galvelis, Raimondas; Re, Suyong; Sugita, Yuji

    2017-05-09

    Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of a N-glycan in solution is challenging because of high-energy barriers of the glycosidic linkages, functional group rotational barriers, and numerous intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. In this study, we apply different enhanced conformational sampling approaches, namely, metadynamics (MTD), the replica-exchange MD (REMD), and the recently proposed replica state exchange MTD (RSE-MTD), to a N-glycan in solution and compare the conformational sampling efficiencies of the approaches. MTD helps to cross the high-energy barrier along the ω angle by utilizing a bias potential, but it cannot enhance sampling of the other degrees of freedom. REMD ensures moderate-energy barrier crossings by exchanging temperatures between replicas, while it hardly crosses the barriers along ω. In contrast, RSE-MTD succeeds to cross the high-energy barrier along ω as well as to enhance sampling of the other degrees of freedom. We tested two RSE-MTD schemes: in one scheme, 64 replicas were simulated with the bias potential along ω at different temperatures, while simulations of four replicas were performed with the bias potentials for different CVs at 300 K. In both schemes, one unbiased replica at 300 K was included to compute conformational properties of the glycan. The conformational sampling of the former is better than the other enhanced sampling methods, while the latter shows reasonable performance without spending large computational resources. The latter scheme is likely to be useful when a N-glycan-attached protein is simulated.

  20. FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Magnetic exchange hardening in polycrystalline GdN thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senapati, K.; Fix, T.; Vickers, M. E.; Blamire, M. G.; Barber, Z. H.

    2010-08-01

    We report the observation of intrinsic exchange hardening in polycrystalline GdN thin films grown at room temperature by magnetron sputtering. We find, in addition to the ferromagnetic phase, that a fraction of GdN crystallizes in a structural polymorphic form which orders antiferromagnetically. The relative fraction of these two phases was controlled by varying the relative abundance of reactive species in the sputtering plasma by means of the sputtering power and N2 partial pressure. An exchange bias of ~ 30 Oe was observed at 10 K. The exchange coupling between the ferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic phases resulted in an order of magnitude enhancement in the coercive field in these films.

  1. A Lack of Left Visual Field Bias when Individuals with Autism Process Faces

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dundas, Eva M.; Best, Catherine A.; Minshew, Nancy J.; Strauss, Mark S.

    2012-01-01

    It has been established that typically developing individuals have a bias to attend to facial information in the left visual field (LVF) more than in the right visual field. This bias is thought to arise from the right hemisphere's advantage for processing facial information, with evidence suggesting it to be driven by the configural demands of…

  2. Altering attentional control settings causes persistent biases of visual attention.

    PubMed

    Knight, Helen C; Smith, Daniel T; Knight, David C; Ellison, Amanda

    2016-01-01

    Attentional control settings have an important role in guiding visual behaviour. Previous work within cognitive psychology has found that the deployment of general attentional control settings can be modulated by training. However, research has not yet established whether long-term modifications of one particular type of attentional control setting can be induced. To address this, we investigated persistent alterations to feature search mode, also known as an attentional bias, towards an arbitrary stimulus in healthy participants. Subjects were biased towards the colour green by an information sheet. Attentional bias was assessed using a change detection task. After an interval of either 1 or 2 weeks, participants were then retested on the same change detection task, tested on a different change detection task where colour was irrelevant, or were biased towards an alternative colour. One experiment included trials in which the distractor stimuli (but never the target stimuli) were green. The key finding was that green stimuli in the second task attracted attention, despite this impairing task performance. Furthermore, inducing a second attentional bias did not override the initial bias toward green objects. The attentional bias also persisted for at least two weeks. It is argued that this persistent attentional bias is mediated by a chronic change to participants' attentional control settings, which is aided by long-term representations involving contextual cueing. We speculate that similar changes to attentional control settings and continuous cueing may relate to attentional biases observed in psychopathologies. Targeting these biases may be a productive approach to treatment.

  3. Finite-size effects and magnetic exchange coupling in thin CoO layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ambrose, Thomas Francis

    Finite size effects in CoO have been observed in CoO/SiOsb2 multilayers. The Neel temperatures of the CoO layers, as determined by dc susceptibility measurements, follow a finite-size scaling relation with a shift exponent lambda = 1.55 ± 0.05. This determined exponent is close to the theoretical value for finite size scaling in an Ising system. The value of the zero temperature correlation length has also been determined to be 18A, while antiferromagnetic ordering persists down to a CoO layer thickness of 10A. The properties of exchange biasing have been extensively studied in NiFe/CoO bilayers. The effects of the cooling field (Hsb{FC}), up to 50 kOe, on the resultant exchange field (Hsb{E}) and coercivity (Hsb{C}) have been examined. The value of Hsb{E} increases rapidly at low cooling fields (Hsb{FC} < 1kOe) and levels off for Hsb{FC} larger than 4 kOe. The value of Hsb{C} also depends upon Hsb{FC}, but less sensitively. The bilayer thickness also influences exchange biasing. We find that Hsb{E} varies inversely proprotional to both tsb{FM} and tsb{AF} where tsb{FM} and tsb{AF} are the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layer thickness respectively. Because of the 1/tsb{AF}, the simple picture of interfacial coupling between ferromagnet and antiferromagnet spins appears to be inadequate. The assertion of long range coupling between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers has been verified by the observation of antiferromagnetic exchange coupling across spacer layers in NiFe/NM/CoO trilayers, where NM is a non-magnetic material. Exchange biasing has been observed in trilayers with metallic spacer layers up to 50A thick using Ag, Cu and Au, while no exchange field was observed for insulating spacer layers of any thickness using Alsb2Osb3, SiOsb2 and MgO. The temperature dependence of Hsb{E} and Hsb{C} and the effect of the deposition order have been studied in a series of bilayer (NiFe/CoO and CoO/NiFe) and trilayer (NiFe/CoO/NiFe) films. A profound

  4. The reversal of the spontaneous exchange bias effect and zero-field-cooling magnetization in La1.5Sr0.5Co1-xFexMnO6: the effect of Fe doping.

    PubMed

    Zhang, H G; Xie, L; Liu, X C; Xiong, M X; Cao, L L; Li, Y T

    2017-09-20

    The crystal structure, electronic structure and magnetic properties were systematically studied in a series of Fe-doped La 1.5 Sr 0.5 CoMnO 6 double perovskites. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples are all refined with a rhombohedral (R3[combining macron]c) structure. The parameters a and c continuously increase with increasing Fe doping concentration x. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of the Mn, Co, and Fe 2p core levels, consistent with the soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) spectra of Mn, Co, and Fe L 2,3 edges, indicate that their valence states are Mn 3+ and Mn 4+ , Co 2+ and Co 3+ , and Fe 3+ , respectively. However, relative to samples with x ≤ 0.1, there is an abrupt change of photon energy in the Co- and Fe-2p XAS spectra for x ≥ 0.2, implying the spin state transition is from high to low. In addition, this is further confirmed by a comparison between the calculated effective spin moment from the paramagnetic data and the theoretical value. Interestingly, we demonstrate the reversal of both zero-field-cooling magnetization and the sign switching of the spontaneous exchange bias (SEB) with the doping concentration from magnetic measurements. The magnetization reverses from positive to negative with the temperature decreasing across the compensation temperature at the critical concentration x = 0.2. Meanwhile, the exchange bias field of the SEB reverses from large negative values to positive ones. Our findings allow us to propose that the spin state transition caused by inhomogeneity is considered to play an important role in the reversal of the magnetization and the SEB effect.

  5. 78 FR 17958 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Miami International Securities Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-25

    ..., market making activity on the Exchange, by establishing quoting compliance standards that are reasonable..., market making activity on the Exchange, by establishing quoting compliance standards that are reasonable... Exchange believes that the proposal will not diminish and in fact may increase, market making activity on...

  6. Specificity of interpretation and judgemental biases in social phobia versus depression.

    PubMed

    Voncken, M J; Bögels, S M; Peeters, F

    2007-09-01

    A body of studies shows that social phobia is characterized by content specific interpretation and judgmental biases. That is, they show bias in social situations but not in non-social situations. Comorbid depression, one of the major comorbid disorders in social phobia, might account for these biases in social phobia since depression also is characterized by cognitive distortions in social situations. This study hypothesized that, despite comorbid depression, patients with social phobia would suffer from contentspecific biases. Participants filled out the Interpretation and Judgmental Questionnaire (IJQ) to assess interpretation bias (using open-ended responses and forced-interpretations) and judgmental bias in social and non-social situations. Four groups participated: social phobic patients with high (N=38) and low (N=47) depressive symptoms, depressed patients (N=22) and normal controls (N=33). We found both social phobic groups to interpret social situations more negatively and judge social situations as more threatening than non-social situations relative to depressed patients and normal controls. As expected, depressive symptoms related to increased general interpretation and judgmental biases across social and non-social situations. In contrast to expectations, we did not find these patterns for the open-ended measure of interpretation bias. The content-specific biases for social situations distinguished social phobic patients from depressive patients. This speaks for the importance of establishing the primary diagnosis in patients with mixed depression and social anxiety complaints.

  7. Sympathetic bias.

    PubMed

    Levy, David M; Peart, Sandra J

    2008-06-01

    We wish to deal with investigator bias in a statistical context. We sketch how a textbook solution to the problem of "outliers" which avoids one sort of investigator bias, creates the temptation for another sort. We write down a model of the approbation seeking statistician who is tempted by sympathy for client to violate the disciplinary standards. We give a simple account of one context in which we might expect investigator bias to flourish. Finally, we offer tentative suggestions to deal with the problem of investigator bias which follow from our account. As we have given a very sparse and stylized account of investigator bias, we ask what might be done to overcome this limitation.

  8. Bias modification training can alter approach bias and chocolate consumption.

    PubMed

    Schumacher, Sophie E; Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

    2016-01-01

    Recent evidence has demonstrated that bias modification training has potential to reduce cognitive biases for attractive targets and affect health behaviours. The present study investigated whether cognitive bias modification training could be applied to reduce approach bias for chocolate and affect subsequent chocolate consumption. A sample of 120 women (18-27 years) were randomly assigned to an approach-chocolate condition or avoid-chocolate condition, in which they were trained to approach or avoid pictorial chocolate stimuli, respectively. Training had the predicted effect on approach bias, such that participants trained to approach chocolate demonstrated an increased approach bias to chocolate stimuli whereas participants trained to avoid such stimuli showed a reduced bias. Further, participants trained to avoid chocolate ate significantly less of a chocolate muffin in a subsequent taste test than participants trained to approach chocolate. Theoretically, results provide support for the dual process model's conceptualisation of consumption as being driven by implicit processes such as approach bias. In practice, approach bias modification may be a useful component of interventions designed to curb the consumption of unhealthy foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Field emission from bias-grown diamond thin films in a microwave plasma

    DOEpatents

    Gruen, Dieter M.; Krauss, Alan R.; Ding, Ming Q.; Auciello, Orlando

    2002-01-01

    A method of producing diamond or diamond like films in which a negative bias is established on a substrate with an electrically conductive surface in a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition system. The atmosphere that is subjected to microwave energy includes a source of carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen. The negative bias is maintained on the substrate through both the nucleation and growth phase of the film until the film is continuous. Biases between -100V and -200 are preferred. Carbon sources may be one or more of CH.sub.4, C.sub.2 H.sub.2 other hydrocarbons and fullerenes.

  10. Perceptual other-race training reduces implicit racial bias.

    PubMed

    Lebrecht, Sophie; Pierce, Lara J; Tarr, Michael J; Tanaka, James W

    2009-01-01

    Implicit racial bias denotes socio-cognitive attitudes towards other-race groups that are exempt from conscious awareness. In parallel, other-race faces are more difficult to differentiate relative to own-race faces--the "Other-Race Effect." To examine the relationship between these two biases, we trained Caucasian subjects to better individuate other-race faces and measured implicit racial bias for those faces both before and after training. Two groups of Caucasian subjects were exposed equally to the same African American faces in a training protocol run over 5 sessions. In the individuation condition, subjects learned to discriminate between African American faces. In the categorization condition, subjects learned to categorize faces as African American or not. For both conditions, both pre- and post-training we measured the Other-Race Effect using old-new recognition and implicit racial biases using a novel implicit social measure--the "Affective Lexical Priming Score" (ALPS). Subjects in the individuation condition, but not in the categorization condition, showed improved discrimination of African American faces with training. Concomitantly, subjects in the individuation condition, but not the categorization condition, showed a reduction in their ALPS. Critically, for the individuation condition only, the degree to which an individual subject's ALPS decreased was significantly correlated with the degree of improvement that subject showed in their ability to differentiate African American faces. Our results establish a causal link between the Other-Race Effect and implicit racial bias. We demonstrate that training that ameliorates the perceptual Other-Race Effect also reduces socio-cognitive implicit racial bias. These findings suggest that implicit racial biases are multifaceted, and include malleable perceptual skills that can be modified with relatively little training.

  11. 77 FR 47474 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-08

    ... Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Establish a Rule Regarding Records of Written Complaints for the CBOE... The Exchange proposes to establish a rule regarding records of written complaints that is specific to... Exchange proposes to establish Rule 53.7--CBSX Record of Written Complaints to formally establish a record...

  12. [Attentional bias and emotional suppression in borderline personality disorder].

    PubMed

    Fernando, Silvia Carvalho; Griepenstroh, Julia; Urban, Sabine; Driessen, Martin; Beblo, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Emotion regulation dysfunctions marked by negative affectivity are a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). In addition, patients with BPD show disturbed attentional processes which become particularly apparent in the domain of selective attention when emotional stimuli are presented (negative attentional bias). Assuming that emotion regulation is linked to attentional deployment processes, this study aimed (1) to determine whether a negative attentional bias is established by using film clips of fearful faces and (2) to investigate the association between dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies (emotional suppression) and negative attention bias in BPD. We investigated 18 inpatients with BPD and 18 healthy control participants using the modified version of the fearful face-paradigm to assess the inhibition of emotional stimuli. We also administered self-report emotion regulation questionnaires. Compared to the healthy controls, patients with BPD showed significant longer reaction times during the emotional versus the neutral film stimuli in the modified fearful face-paradigm. With regard to the second hypothesis, we failed to find an association between the negative attentional bias and the habitual use of emotional suppression in BPD. In this study, we could confirm an attentional bias for negative stimuli, using complex, dynamic material. Future studies need to address the impact of confounding variables (e. g. comorbid disorders) on the relationship between maladaptive emotion regulation and selective attentional bias.

  13. Faculty-Exchange Programs Promoting Change: Motivations, Experiences, and Influence of Participants in the Carnegie Mellon University-Portugal Faculty Exchange Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patrício, Maria Teresa; Santos, Patrícia; Loureiro, Paulo Maia; Horta, Hugo

    2018-01-01

    The international mobility of faculty is increasing worldwide. Although studies have considered the experiences of academics abroad, less is known about faculty-exchange programs with policy objectives. This study helps to fill this gap by analyzing a nationwide structured faculty exchange program established by Carnegie Mellon University and…

  14. BIAS: A Regional Management of Underwater Sound in the Baltic Sea.

    PubMed

    Sigray, Peter; Andersson, Mathias; Pajala, Jukka; Laanearu, Janek; Klauson, Aleksander; Tegowski, Jaroslaw; Boethling, Maria; Fischer, Jens; Tougaard, Jakob; Wahlberg, Magnus; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Folegot, Thomas; Matuschek, Rainer; Verfuss, Ursula

    2016-01-01

    Management of the impact of underwater sound is an emerging concern worldwide. Several countries are in the process of implementing regulatory legislations. In Europe, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive was launched in 2008. This framework addresses noise impacts and the recommendation is to deal with it on a regional level. The Baltic Sea is a semienclosed area with nine states bordering the sea. The number of ships is one of the highest in Europe. Furthermore, the number of ships is estimated to double by 2030. Undoubtedly, due to the unbound character of noise, an efficient management of sound in the Baltic Sea must be done on a regional scale. In line with the European Union directive, the Baltic Sea Information on the Acoustic Soundscape (BIAS) project was established to implement Descriptor 11 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in the Baltic Sea region. BIAS will develop tools, standards, and methodologies that will allow for cross-border handling of data and results, measure sound in 40 locations for 1 year, establish a seasonal soundscape map by combining measured sound with advanced three-dimensional modeling, and, finally, establish standards for measuring continuous sound. Results from the first phase of BIAS are presented here, with an emphasis on standards and soundscape mapping as well as the challenges related to regional handling.

  15. What causes the facing-the-viewer bias in biological motion?

    PubMed

    Weech, Séamas; McAdam, Matthew; Kenny, Sophie; Troje, Nikolaus F

    2014-10-13

    Orthographically projected biological motion point-light displays are generally ambiguous with respect to their orientation in depth, yet observers consistently prefer the facing-the-viewer interpretation. There has been discussion as to whether this bias can be attributed to the social relevance of biological motion stimuli or relates to local, low-level stimulus properties. In the present study we address this question. In Experiment 1, we compared the facing-the-viewer bias produced by a series of four stick figures and three human silhouettes that differed in posture, gender, and the presence versus absence of walking motion. Using a paradigm in which we asked observers to indicate the spinning direction of these figures, we found no bias when participants observed silhouettes, whereas a pronounced degree of bias was elicited by most stick figures. We hypothesized that the ambiguous surface normals on the lines and dots that comprise stick figures are prone to a visual bias that assumes surfaces to be convex. The local surface orientations of the occluding contours of silhouettes are unambiguous, and as such the convexity bias does not apply. In Experiment 2, we tested the role of local features in ambiguous surface perception by adding dots to the elbows and knees of silhouettes. We found biases consistent with the facing directions implied by a convex body surface. The results unify a number of findings regarding the facing-the-viewer bias. We conclude that the facing-the-viewer bias is established at the level of surface reconstruction from local image features rather than on a semantic level. © 2014 ARVO.

  16. Epitaxial Growth of Intermetallic MnPt Films on Oxides and Large Exchange Bias

    DOE PAGES

    Liu, Zhiqi; Biegalski, Michael D; Hsu, Mr. S. L.; ...

    2015-11-05

    We achieved a high-quality epitaxial growth of inter­metallic MnPt films on oxides, with potential for multiferroic heterostructure applications. Also, antisite-stabilized spin-flipping induces ferromagnetism in MnPt films, although it is robustly antiferromagnetic in bulk. Moreover, highly ordered antiferromagnetic MnPt films exhibit superiorly large exchange coupling with a ferromagnetic layer.

  17. Examining Explanatory Biases in Young Children's Biological Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Legare, Cristine H.; Gelman, Susan A.

    2014-01-01

    Despite the well-established literature on explanation in early childhood, little is known about what constrains children's explanations. State change and negative outcomes were examined as potential explanatory biases in the domain of naïve biology, extending upon previous work in the domain of naïve physics. In two studies, preschool children…

  18. Negative mood disrupts self- and reward-biases in perceptual matching.

    PubMed

    Sui, Jie; Ohrling, Erik; Humphreys, Glyn W

    2016-01-01

    There are established effects of self- and reward-biases even on simple perceptual matching tasks [Sui, J., He, X., & Humphreys, G. W. (2012). Perceptual effects of social salience: Evidence from self-prioritization effects on perceptual matching. Journal of Experimental Psychology, Human Perception and Performance, 38, 1105-1117]; however we know little about whether these biases can be modulated by particular interventions, and whether the biases then change in the same way. Here we assessed how the biases alter under conditions designed to induce negative mood. We had participants read a list of self-related negative or neutral mood statements [Velten, E. (1968). A laboratory task for induction of mood states. Behavior Research and Therapy, 6, 473-482] and also listen for 10 min to a passage of negative or neutral music, prior to carrying out perceptual matching with shapes associated to personal labels (self or stranger) or reward (£12 or £1). Responses to the self- and high-reward-associated shapes were selectively slower and less sensitive (d') following the negative mood induction procedures, and the decrease in mood correlated with decreases in the reaction time bias across "high saliency" (self and high-reward) stimuli. We suggest that negative mood may decrease self- and reward-biases through reducing attention to salient external stimuli.

  19. Magnetic properties and crystal texture of Co alloy thin films prepared on double bias Cr

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Y.; Lambeth, D. N.; Lee, L.-L.; Laughlin, D. E.

    1993-05-01

    A double layer Cr film structure has been prepared by sputter depositing Cr on single crystal Si substrates first without substrate bias and then with various substrate bias voltages. Without substrate bias, Cr{200} texture grows on Si at room temperature; thus the first Cr layer acts like a seed Cr layer with the {200} texture, and the second Cr layer, prepared with substrate bias, tends to replicate the {200} texture epitaxially. CoCrTa and CoNiCr films prepared on these double Cr underlayers, therefore, tend to have a {112¯0} texture with their c-axes oriented in the plane of the film. At the same time, the bias sputtering of the second Cr layer increases the coercivity of the subsequently deposited magnetic films significantly. Comparison studies of δM curves show that the use of the double Cr underlayers reduces the intergranular exchange interactions. The films prepared on the Si substrates have been compared with the films prepared on canasite and glass substrates. It has also been found that the magnetic properties are similar for films on canasite and on glass.

  20. A Model of Gravity Vector Measurement Noise for Estimating Accelerometer Bias in Gravity Disturbance Compensation.

    PubMed

    Tie, Junbo; Cao, Juliang; Chang, Lubing; Cai, Shaokun; Wu, Meiping; Lian, Junxiang

    2018-03-16

    Compensation of gravity disturbance can improve the precision of inertial navigation, but the effect of compensation will decrease due to the accelerometer bias, and estimation of the accelerometer bias is a crucial issue in gravity disturbance compensation. This paper first investigates the effect of accelerometer bias on gravity disturbance compensation, and the situation in which the accelerometer bias should be estimated is established. The accelerometer bias is estimated from the gravity vector measurement, and a model of measurement noise in gravity vector measurement is built. Based on this model, accelerometer bias is separated from the gravity vector measurement error by the method of least squares. Horizontal gravity disturbances are calculated through EGM2008 spherical harmonic model to build the simulation scene, and the simulation results indicate that precise estimations of the accelerometer bias can be obtained with the proposed method.

  1. A Model of Gravity Vector Measurement Noise for Estimating Accelerometer Bias in Gravity Disturbance Compensation

    PubMed Central

    Cao, Juliang; Cai, Shaokun; Wu, Meiping; Lian, Junxiang

    2018-01-01

    Compensation of gravity disturbance can improve the precision of inertial navigation, but the effect of compensation will decrease due to the accelerometer bias, and estimation of the accelerometer bias is a crucial issue in gravity disturbance compensation. This paper first investigates the effect of accelerometer bias on gravity disturbance compensation, and the situation in which the accelerometer bias should be estimated is established. The accelerometer bias is estimated from the gravity vector measurement, and a model of measurement noise in gravity vector measurement is built. Based on this model, accelerometer bias is separated from the gravity vector measurement error by the method of least squares. Horizontal gravity disturbances are calculated through EGM2008 spherical harmonic model to build the simulation scene, and the simulation results indicate that precise estimations of the accelerometer bias can be obtained with the proposed method. PMID:29547552

  2. Content specificity of attention bias to threat in anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Pergamin-Hight, Lee; Naim, Reut; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H; Bar-Haim, Yair

    2015-02-01

    Despite the established evidence for threat-related attention bias in anxiety, the mechanisms underlying this bias remain unclear. One important unresolved question is whether disorder-congruent threats capture attention to a greater extent than do more general or disorder-incongruent threat stimuli. Evidence for attention bias specificity in anxiety would implicate involvement of previous learning and memory processes in threat-related attention bias, whereas lack of content specificity would point to perturbations in more generic attention processes. Enhanced clarity of mechanism could have clinical implications for the stimuli types used in Attention Bias Modification Treatments (ABMT). Content specificity of threat-related attention bias in anxiety and potential moderators of this effect were investigated. A systematic search identified 37 samples from 29 articles (N=866). Relevant data were extracted based on specific coding rules, and Cohen's d effect size was used to estimate bias specificity effects. The results indicate greater attention bias toward disorder-congruent relative to disorder-incongruent threat stimuli (d=0.28, p<0.0001). This effect was not moderated by age, type of anxiety disorder, visual attention tasks, or type of disorder-incongruent stimuli. No evidence of publication bias was observed. Implications for threat bias in anxiety and ABMT are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Male-biased sex ratios in laboratory rearings of gypsy moth parasitoids

    Treesearch

    Roger W. Fuester; Kenneth S. Swan; Philip B. Taylor; Keith R. Hopper; Paul Ode

    2003-01-01

    Male-biased sex ratios in laboratory colonies of parasitic wasps used in biological control are harmful because they can prevent the establishment of introduced species or hinder commercial production of species used for augmentative control.

  4. A review of studies on ion thruster beam and charge-exchange plasmas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carruth, M. R., Jr.

    1982-01-01

    Various experimental and analytical studies of the primary beam and charge-exchange plasmas of ion thrusters are reviewed. The history of plasma beam research is recounted, emphasizing experiments on beam neutralization, expansion of the beam, and determination of beam parameters such as electron temperature, plasma density, and plasma potential. The development of modern electron bombardment ion thrusters is treated, detailing experimental results. Studies on charge-exchange plasma are discussed, showing results such as the relationship between neutralizer emission current and plasma beam potential, ion energies as a function of neutralizer bias, charge-exchange ion current collected by an axially moving Faraday cup-RPA for 8-cm and 30-cm ion thrusters, beam density and potential data from a 15-cm ion thruster, and charge-exchange ion flow around a 30-cm thruster. A 20-cm thruster electrical configuration is depicted and facility effects are discussed. Finally, plasma modeling is covered in detail for plasma beam and charge-exchange plasma.

  5. Establishing a Federal and State Data Exchange Pilot for Public Health Situational Awareness

    PubMed Central

    Passman, Dina B.; Kite-Powell, Aaron; Spector, Dara; Loschen, Wayne; Harp, Barry; Chern, Aaron; Hamilton, Janet; Eggers, Cary; Lombardo, Joseph

    2013-01-01

    Objective U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) partnered with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), Bureau of Epidemiology, to implement a new process for the unidirectional exchange of electronic medical record (EMR) data when ASPR clinical assets are operational in the state following a disaster or other response event. The purpose of the current work was to automate the exchange of data from the ASPR electronic medical record system EMR-S into the FDOH Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE-FL) system during the 2012 Republican National Convention (RNC). Introduction ASPR deploys clinical assets, including an EMR system, to the ground per state requests during planned and no-notice events. The analysis of patient data collected by deployed federal personnel is an integral part of ASPR and FDOH’s surveillance efforts. However, this surveillance can be hampered by the logistical issues of field work in a post-disaster environment leading to delayed analysis and interpretation of these data to inform decision makers at the federal, state, and local levels. FDOH operates ESSENCE-FL, a multi-tiered, automated, and secure web-based application for analysis and visualization of clinical data. The system is accessible statewide by FDOH staff as well as by hospitals that participate in the system. To improve surveillance ASPR and FDOH engaged in a pilot project whereby EMR data from ASPR would be sent to FDOH in near real-time during the 2012 hurricane season and the 2012 RNC. This project is in direct support of Healthcare Preparedness Capability 6, Information Sharing, and Public Health Preparedness Capability 13, Public Health Surveillance and Epidemiological Investigation. Methods In 2011, FDOH approached ASPR about securely transmitting raw EMR data that could be ingested by ESSENCE-FL during ASPR deployments in the state

  6. Sensitivity and bias under conditions of equal and unequal academic task difficulty.

    PubMed

    Reed, Derek D; Martens, Brian K

    2008-01-01

    We conducted an experimental analysis of children's relative problem-completion rates across two workstations under conditions of equal (Experiment 1) and unequal (Experiment 2) problem difficulty. Results were described using the generalized matching equation and were evaluated for degree of schedule versus stimulus control. Experiment 1 involved a symmetrical choice arrangement in which the children could earn points exchangeable for rewards contingent on correct math problem completion. Points were delivered according to signaled variable-interval schedules at each workstation. For 2 children, relative rates of problem completion appeared to have been controlled by the schedule requirements in effect and matched relative rates of reinforcement, with sensitivity values near 1 and bias values near 0. Experiment 2 involved increasing the difficulty of math problems at one of the workstations. Sensitivity values for all 3 participants were near 1, but a substantial increase in bias toward the easier math problems was observed. This bias was possibly associated with responding at the more difficult workstation coming under stimulus control rather than schedule control.

  7. Semiparametric Bayesian commensurate survival model for post-market medical device surveillance with non-exchangeable historical data.

    PubMed

    Murray, Thomas A; Hobbs, Brian P; Lystig, Theodore C; Carlin, Bradley P

    2014-03-01

    Trial investigators often have a primary interest in the estimation of the survival curve in a population for which there exists acceptable historical information from which to borrow strength. However, borrowing strength from a historical trial that is non-exchangeable with the current trial can result in biased conclusions. In this article we propose a fully Bayesian semiparametric method for the purpose of attenuating bias and increasing efficiency when jointly modeling time-to-event data from two possibly non-exchangeable sources of information. We illustrate the mechanics of our methods by applying them to a pair of post-market surveillance datasets regarding adverse events in persons on dialysis that had either a bare metal or drug-eluting stent implanted during a cardiac revascularization surgery. We finish with a discussion of the advantages and limitations of this approach to evidence synthesis, as well as directions for future work in this area. The article's Supplementary Materials offer simulations to show our procedure's bias, mean squared error, and coverage probability properties in a variety of settings. © 2013, The International Biometric Society.

  8. Genetic recombination induced by DNA double-strand break in bacteriophage T4: nature of the left/right bias.

    PubMed

    Shcherbakov, Victor P; Shcherbakova, Tamara; Plugina, Lidiya; Sizova, Svetlana; Kudryashova, Elena; Granovsky, Igor

    2008-06-01

    The experimental system combining double-strand breaks (DSBs), produced site-specifically by SegC endonuclease, with the famous advantages of the bacteriophage T4 rII mutant recombination analysis was used here to elucidate the origin of the recombination bias on two sides of the DSB, especially pronounced in gene 39 (topoisomerase II) and gene 59 (41-helicase loader) mutants. Three sources were found to contribute to the bias: (1) the SegC endonuclease may remain bound to the end of the broken DNA and thus protect it from exonuclease degradation; (2) in heteroduplex heterozygotes (HHs), arising as the recombinant products in the left-hand crosses, the transcribed strands are of rII mutant phenotype, so they, in contrast to the right-hand HHs, do not produce plaques on the lawn of the lambda-lysogenic host; and (3) the intrinsic polarity of T4 chromosome, reflected in transcription, may be a cause for discrimination of promoter-proximal and promoter-distal DNA sequences. It is shown that the apparent recombination bias does not imply one-sidedness of the DSB repair but just reflects a different depth of the end processing. It is inferred that the cause, underlying the "intrinsic" bias, might be interference between strand exchange and transcription. Topoisomerase and helicase functions are necessary to turn the process in favor of strand exchange. The idea is substantiated that the double-stranded to single-stranded DNA transition edge (not ss-DNA tip) serves as an actual recombinogenic element.

  9. Tuning the Magnetic Properties of Metal Oxide Nanocrystal Heterostructures by Cation Exchange

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    For three types of colloidal magnetic nanocrystals, we demonstrate that postsynthetic cation exchange enables tuning of the nanocrystal’s magnetic properties and achieving characteristics not obtainable by conventional synthetic routes. While the cation exchange procedure, performed in solution phase approach, was restricted so far to chalcogenide based semiconductor nanocrystals, here ferrite-based nanocrystals were subjected to a Fe2+ to Co2+ cation exchange procedure. This allows tracing of the compositional modifications by systematic and detailed magnetic characterization. In homogeneous magnetite nanocrystals and in gold/magnetite core shell nanocrystals the cation exchange increases the coercivity field, the remanence magnetization, as well as the superparamagnetic blocking temperature. For core/shell nanoheterostructures a selective doping of either the shell or predominantly of the core with Co2+ is demonstrated. By applying the cation exchange to FeO/CoFe2O4 core/shell nanocrystals the Neél temperature of the core material is increased and exchange-bias effects are enhanced so that vertical shifts of the hysteresis loops are obtained which are superior to those in any other system. PMID:23362940

  10. The role of cognitive biases in short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy.

    PubMed

    Kramer, Ueli; Ortega, Diana; Ambresin, Gilles; Despland, Jean-Nicolas; de Roten, Yves

    2018-06-01

    The concept of biased thinking - or cognitive biases - is relevant to psychotherapy research and clinical conceptualization, beyond cognitive theories. The present naturalistic study aimed to examine the changes in biased thinking over the course of a short-term dynamic psychotherapy (STDP) and to discover potential links between these changes and symptomatic improvement. This study focuses on 32 self-referred patients consulting for Adjustment Disorder according to DSM-IV-TR. The therapists were experienced psychodynamically oriented psychiatrists and psychotherapists. Coding of cognitive biases (using the Cognitive Errors Rating Scale; CERS) was made by external raters based on transcripts of interviews of psychotherapy; the reliability of these ratings on a randomly chosen 24% of all sessions was established. Based on the Symptom Check List SCL-90-R given before and after, the Reliable Change Index (RCI) was used. The assessment of cognitive errors was done at three time points: early (session 4-7), mid-treatment (session 12-17), and close to the end (after session 20) of the treatment. The results showed that the total frequency of cognitive biases was stable over time (p = .20), which was true both for positive and for negative cognitive biases. In exploring the three main subscales of the CERS, we found a decrease in selective abstraction (p = .02) and an increase in personalization (p = .05). A significant link between RCI scores (outcome) and frequency of positive cognitive biases was found, suggesting that biases towards the positive might have a protective function in psychotherapy. Therapists may be attentive to changes in biased thinking across short-term dynamic psychotherapy for adjustment disorder. Therapists may foster the emergence of positive cognitive biases at mid-treatment for adjustment disorder. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  11. Reversed exchange-bias effect associated with magnetization reversal in the weak ferrimagnet LuF e0.5C r0.5O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fita, I.; Markovich, V.; Moskvin, A. S.; Wisniewski, A.; Puzniak, R.; Iwanowski, P.; Martin, C.; Maignan, A.; Carbonio, Raúl E.; Gutowska, M. U.; Szewczyk, A.; Gorodetsky, G.

    2018-03-01

    The exchange-bias (EB) effect with sign reversal was found in LuF e0.5C r0.5O3 ferrite-chromite, which is a weak ferrimagnet below TN=265 K , exhibiting antiparallel orientation of the ferromagnetic (FM) moments of the Fe and Cr sublattices due to opposite sign of the Fe-Cr Dzyaloshinskii vector, as compared to that of the Fe-Fe and Cr-Cr. The weak FM moments of the studied compound compensate each other at temperature Tcomp=23 0 K , leading to the net magnetic moment reversal and to observed negative magnetization, at moderate applied fields, below Tcomp. Both vertical and horizontal shifts from the origin were gotten in the field-cooled magnetization hysteresis loops. The EB sign was found to be positive below Tcomp and negative above Tcomp, with nonmonotonic dependence on cooling field Hcool. It sharply increases at small values of magnetic fields up to Hcool˜1 kOe , then remains almost unchanged in the range 1-30 kOe and strongly decreases with further increase of Hcool. This unusual behavior results from the competition of various Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions between F e3 + and C r3 + ions.

  12. mb Bias and Regional Magnitude and Yield

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-01

    established bias at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) relative to Semipalatinsk is well reproduced, which is important for moving forward. To avoid the...variations are averaged out. To monitor individual test sites during the testing era, test site corrections were obtained by various means, most notably...across broad areas where earthquakes occur. The station-based technique retains near- site effects that the event-based technique does not, thus, resolving

  13. Chromosome Segregation Is Biased by Kinetochore Size.

    PubMed

    Drpic, Danica; Almeida, Ana C; Aguiar, Paulo; Renda, Fioranna; Damas, Joana; Lewin, Harris A; Larkin, Denis M; Khodjakov, Alexey; Maiato, Helder

    2018-05-07

    Chromosome missegregation during mitosis or meiosis is a hallmark of cancer and the main cause of prenatal death in humans. The gain or loss of specific chromosomes is thought to be random, with cell viability being essentially determined by selection. Several established pathways including centrosome amplification, sister-chromatid cohesion defects, or a compromised spindle assembly checkpoint can lead to chromosome missegregation. However, how specific intrinsic features of the kinetochore-the critical chromosomal interface with spindle microtubules-impact chromosome segregation remains poorly understood. Here we used the unique cytological attributes of female Indian muntjac, the mammal with the lowest known chromosome number (2n = 6), to characterize and track individual chromosomes with distinct kinetochore size throughout mitosis. We show that centromere and kinetochore functional layers scale proportionally with centromere size. Measurement of intra-kinetochore distances, serial-section electron microscopy, and RNAi against key kinetochore proteins confirmed a standard structural and functional organization of the Indian muntjac kinetochores and revealed that microtubule binding capacity scales with kinetochore size. Surprisingly, we found that chromosome segregation in this species is not random. Chromosomes with larger kinetochores bi-oriented more efficiently and showed a 2-fold bias to congress to the equator in a motor-independent manner. Despite robust correction mechanisms during unperturbed mitosis, chromosomes with larger kinetochores were also strongly biased to establish erroneous merotelic attachments and missegregate during anaphase. This bias was impervious to the experimental attenuation of polar ejection forces on chromosome arms by RNAi against the chromokinesin Kif4a. Thus, kinetochore size is an important determinant of chromosome segregation fidelity. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  14. A clock-aided positioning algorithm based on Kalman model of GNSS receiver clock bias

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Lingyao; Li, Zishen; Yuan, Hong

    2017-10-01

    The modeling and forecasting of the receiver clock bias is of practical significance, including the improvement of positioning accuracy, etc. When the clock frequency of the receiver is stable, the model can be established according to the historical clock bias data and the clock bias of the following time can be predicted. For this, we adopted the Kalman model to predict the receiver clock bias based on the calculated clock bias data obtained from the laboratory via sliding mode. Meanwhile, the relevant clock-aided positioning algorithm was presented. The results show that: the Kalman model can be used in practical work; and that under the condition that only 3 satellite signal can be received, this clock-aided positioning results can meet the needs of civilian users, which improves the continuity of positioning in harsh conditions.

  15. SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool for animal studies

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Systematic Reviews (SRs) of experimental animal studies are not yet common practice, but awareness of the merits of conducting such SRs is steadily increasing. As animal intervention studies differ from randomized clinical trials (RCT) in many aspects, the methodology for SRs of clinical trials needs to be adapted and optimized for animal intervention studies. The Cochrane Collaboration developed a Risk of Bias (RoB) tool to establish consistency and avoid discrepancies in assessing the methodological quality of RCTs. A similar initiative is warranted in the field of animal experimentation. Methods We provide an RoB tool for animal intervention studies (SYRCLE’s RoB tool). This tool is based on the Cochrane RoB tool and has been adjusted for aspects of bias that play a specific role in animal intervention studies. To enhance transparency and applicability, we formulated signalling questions to facilitate judgment. Results The resulting RoB tool for animal studies contains 10 entries. These entries are related to selection bias, performance bias, detection bias, attrition bias, reporting bias and other biases. Half these items are in agreement with the items in the Cochrane RoB tool. Most of the variations between the two tools are due to differences in design between RCTs and animal studies. Shortcomings in, or unfamiliarity with, specific aspects of experimental design of animal studies compared to clinical studies also play a role. Conclusions SYRCLE’s RoB tool is an adapted version of the Cochrane RoB tool. Widespread adoption and implementation of this tool will facilitate and improve critical appraisal of evidence from animal studies. This may subsequently enhance the efficiency of translating animal research into clinical practice and increase awareness of the necessity of improving the methodological quality of animal studies. PMID:24667063

  16. Enhanced conformational sampling of carbohydrates by Hamiltonian replica-exchange simulation.

    PubMed

    Mishra, Sushil Kumar; Kara, Mahmut; Zacharias, Martin; Koca, Jaroslav

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge of the structure and conformational flexibility of carbohydrates in an aqueous solvent is important to improving our understanding of how carbohydrates function in biological systems. In this study, we extend a variant of the Hamiltonian replica-exchange molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to improve the conformational sampling of saccharides in an explicit solvent. During the simulations, a biasing potential along the glycosidic-dihedral linkage between the saccharide monomer units in an oligomer is applied at various levels along the replica runs to enable effective transitions between various conformations. One reference replica runs under the control of the original force field. The method was tested on disaccharide structures and further validated on biologically relevant blood group B, Lewis X and Lewis A trisaccharides. The biasing potential-based replica-exchange molecular dynamics (BP-REMD) method provided a significantly improved sampling of relevant conformational states compared with standard continuous MD simulations, with modest computational costs. Thus, the proposed BP-REMD approach adds a new dimension to existing carbohydrate conformational sampling approaches by enhancing conformational sampling in the presence of solvent molecules explicitly at relatively low computational cost.

  17. Are attentional bias and memory bias for negative words causally related?

    PubMed

    Blaut, Agata; Paulewicz, Borysław; Szastok, Marta; Prochwicz, Katarzyna; Koster, Ernst

    2013-09-01

    In cognitive theories of depression, processing biases are assumed to be partly responsible for the onset and maintenance of mood disorders. Despite a wealth of studies examining the relation between depression and individual biases (at the level of attention, interpretation, and memory), little is known about relationships between different biases. The purpose of the present study was to assess if attentional bias is causally related to memory bias. 71 participants were randomly assigned to a control (n = 37) or attentional training group (n = 34). The attentional manipulation was followed by an explicit, intentional memory task during which novel neutral, negative, and positive words were presented. It was found that individuals with elevated depression score trained to orient away from negative words did not display a memory bias for negative words (adjectives) whereas similar individuals displayed this memory bias in the control condition. Generalization of the findings is limited because of the short study time frame and specific nature of the memory task. These results indicate that altering attentional bias can influence elaborative processing of emotional material and that this bias could be one of the causes of mood congruent memory in depression. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Empirical Correction for Differences in Chemical Exchange Rates in Hydrogen Exchange-Mass Spectrometry Measurements.

    PubMed

    Toth, Ronald T; Mills, Brittney J; Joshi, Sangeeta B; Esfandiary, Reza; Bishop, Steven M; Middaugh, C Russell; Volkin, David B; Weis, David D

    2017-09-05

    A barrier to the use of hydrogen exchange-mass spectrometry (HX-MS) in many contexts, especially analytical characterization of various protein therapeutic candidates, is that differences in temperature, pH, ionic strength, buffering agent, or other additives can alter chemical exchange rates, making HX data gathered under differing solution conditions difficult to compare. Here, we present data demonstrating that HX chemical exchange rates can be substantially altered not only by the well-established variables of temperature and pH but also by additives including arginine, guanidine, methionine, and thiocyanate. To compensate for these additive effects, we have developed an empirical method to correct the hydrogen-exchange data for these differences. First, differences in chemical exchange rates are measured by use of an unstructured reporter peptide, YPI. An empirical chemical exchange correction factor, determined by use of the HX data from the reporter peptide, is then applied to the HX measurements obtained from a protein of interest under different solution conditions. We demonstrate that the correction is experimentally sound through simulation and in a proof-of-concept experiment using unstructured peptides under slow-exchange conditions (pD 4.5 at ambient temperature). To illustrate its utility, we applied the correction to HX-MS excipient screening data collected for a pharmaceutically relevant IgG4 mAb being characterized to determine the effects of different formulations on backbone dynamics.

  19. Investigating the 'jumping to conclusions' bias in people with anorexia nervosa.

    PubMed

    McKenna, Gráinne; Fox, John R E; Haddock, Gillian

    2014-09-01

    'Jumping to conclusions' (JTC) is an established reasoning bias in people with psychosis and delusion proneness. Research investigating the JTC bias in other clinical populations remains in its infancy. This study investigated whether individuals with anorexia (AN) displayed the JTC bias compared with healthy controls and, if so, whether the bias was greater in relation to emotionally salient information. The study also investigated whether delusionality was correlated with the JTC bias. JTC was measured using the 'beads task'. Three versions were employed: the standard version and two emotionally salient tasks. Results indicated that a majority (55.6%) of people with AN (n=26) displayed poor insight into their eating disorder beliefs but did not display an elevated JTC compared with healthy controls (n=33) on any task. The level of delusionality in the AN group was not correlated with JTC bias. Findings suggest that although a majority of people with AN demonstrated limited insight, they did not display the JTC bias. This may suggest that poor insight in eating disorders has different characteristics to that found in psychotic disorders, which may suggest that differences are needed in relation to how they are treated using psychological means. However, this was a small study, and study replication is required. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

  20. Hindsight Bias.

    PubMed

    Roese, Neal J; Vohs, Kathleen D

    2012-09-01

    Hindsight bias occurs when people feel that they "knew it all along," that is, when they believe that an event is more predictable after it becomes known than it was before it became known. Hindsight bias embodies any combination of three aspects: memory distortion, beliefs about events' objective likelihoods, or subjective beliefs about one's own prediction abilities. Hindsight bias stems from (a) cognitive inputs (people selectively recall information consistent with what they now know to be true and engage in sensemaking to impose meaning on their own knowledge), (b) metacognitive inputs (the ease with which a past outcome is understood may be misattributed to its assumed prior likelihood), and (c) motivational inputs (people have a need to see the world as orderly and predictable and to avoid being blamed for problems). Consequences of hindsight bias include myopic attention to a single causal understanding of the past (to the neglect of other reasonable explanations) as well as general overconfidence in the certainty of one's judgments. New technologies for visualizing and understanding data sets may have the unintended consequence of heightening hindsight bias, but an intervention that encourages people to consider alternative causal explanations for a given outcome can reduce hindsight bias. © The Author(s) 2012.

  1. The Mediating Effect of Self-Evaluation Bias of Competence on the Relationship between Parental Emotional Support and Children's Academic Functioning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Côté, Sébastien; Bouffard, Thérèse; Vezeau, Carole

    2014-01-01

    Background: It is well established that children's self-evaluation bias of competence is related to the quality of parent-child emotional relationship. Such biases are linked to children's academic functioning and achievement. Links have also been established between the quality of parent-child emotional relationship and children's…

  2. Orthogonal interfacial exchange coupling in GaMnAsP/GaMnAs bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiang; Bac, Seul-Ki; Dong, Sining; Liu, Xinyu; Lee, Sanghoon; Rouvimov, Sergei; Dobrowolska, Margaret; Furdyna, Jacek K.

    2018-05-01

    We carried out a systematic study of magnetic ordering and magnetic interlayer coupling in Ga1-xMnxAs1-yPy/Ga1-xMnxAs bilayers using superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance. Such bilayers are interesting, because the easy axis of the constituent materials are orthogonal. Our results show that the bilayers are strongly exchange-coupled at the interface, that manifests itself in the form of horizontal exchange-bias-like shifts of the hysteresis loops of the Ga1-xMnxAs layer, as observed in field-cooled magnetic measurements.

  3. Positive bias is a defining characteristic of aging to the same extent as declining performance.

    PubMed

    Simón, Teresa; Suengas, Aurora G; Ruiz-Gallego-Largo, Trinidad; Bandrés, Javier

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze whether one of the supposed gains of aging--positive bias--discriminates between young and older participants to the same extent as some of the losses in cognitive performance--recall and source monitoring--that come with age. Two age groups (N = 120)--young (M = 22.08, SD = 3.30) and older (M = 72.78, SD = 6.57)--carried out three tasks with varying levels of difficulty that included recall, recognition, and source monitoring using pictures, faces, and personal descriptors exchanged in a conversation as stimuli. The results of the discriminant analysis performed on 20 dependent variables indicated that six of them were key in discriminating between young and older participants. Younger participants outperformed older participants in recalling pictures, and in recognizing the descriptors exchanged in a conversation, as well as in monitoring their source. Just as important in discriminating between the two groups were the ability to recognize previously seen pictures, the likability rating they produced, and the recognition of faces with positive expressions--all superior in older participants. Thus, variables related to a positive bias--likability ratings and recognition of positive expressions--characterize the differences as a function of age as well as variables related to cognitive performance, such as recall and source monitoring. In addition, the likability ratings evoked by both pictures and faces were also significantly higher in the older participants with better cognitive performance than in those who performed poorly. This effect was not present in younger participants. The results are interpreted within the framework of socioemotional selectivity theory as evidence for a positive bias in old age. The connection between a positive bias and the maintenance of cognitive performance is also discussed.

  4. Eye Movements while Reading Biased Homographs: Effects of Prior Encounter and Biasing Context on Reducing the Subordinate Bias Effect

    PubMed Central

    Leinenger, Mallorie; Rayner, Keith

    2013-01-01

    Readers experience processing difficulties when reading biased homographs preceded by subordinate-biasing contexts. Attempts to overcome this processing deficit have often failed to reduce the subordinate bias effect (SBE). In the present studies, we examined the processing of biased homographs preceded by single-sentence, subordinate-biasing contexts, and varied whether this preceding context contained a prior instance of the homograph or a control word/phrase. Having previously encountered the homograph earlier in the sentence reduced the SBE for the subsequent encounter, while simply instantiating the subordinate meaning produced processing difficulty. We compared these reductions in reading times to differences in processing time between dominant-biased repeated and non-repeated conditions in order to verify that the reductions observed in the subordinate cases did not simply reflect a general repetition benefit. Our results indicate that a strong, subordinate-biasing context can interact during lexical access to overcome the activation from meaning frequency and reduce the SBE during reading. PMID:24073328

  5. Nonlinear effects of locally heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity fields on regional stream-aquifer exchanges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, J.; Winter, C. L.; Wang, Z.

    2015-11-01

    Computational experiments are performed to evaluate the effects of locally heterogeneous conductivity fields on regional exchanges of water between stream and aquifer systems in the Middle Heihe River basin (MHRB) of northwestern China. The effects are found to be nonlinear in the sense that simulated discharges from aquifers to streams are systematically lower than discharges produced by a base model parameterized with relatively coarse effective conductivity. A similar, but weaker, effect is observed for stream leakage. The study is organized around three hypotheses: (H1) small-scale spatial variations of conductivity significantly affect regional exchanges of water between streams and aquifers in river basins, (H2) aggregating small-scale heterogeneities into regional effective parameters systematically biases estimates of stream-aquifer exchanges, and (H3) the biases result from slow paths in groundwater flow that emerge due to small-scale heterogeneities. The hypotheses are evaluated by comparing stream-aquifer fluxes produced by the base model to fluxes simulated using realizations of the MHRB characterized by local (grid-scale) heterogeneity. Levels of local heterogeneity are manipulated as control variables by adjusting coefficients of variation. All models are implemented using the MODFLOW (Modular Three-dimensional Finite-difference Groundwater Flow Model) simulation environment, and the PEST (parameter estimation) tool is used to calibrate effective conductivities defined over 16 zones within the MHRB. The effective parameters are also used as expected values to develop lognormally distributed conductivity (K) fields on local grid scales. Stream-aquifer exchanges are simulated with K fields at both scales and then compared. Results show that the effects of small-scale heterogeneities significantly influence exchanges with simulations based on local-scale heterogeneities always producing discharges that are less than those produced by the base model

  6. Nonlinear effects of locally heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity fields on regional stream-aquifer exchanges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, J.; Winter, C. L.; Wang, Z.

    2015-08-01

    Computational experiments are performed to evaluate the effects of locally heterogeneous conductivity fields on regional exchanges of water between stream and aquifer systems in the Middle Heihe River Basin (MHRB) of northwestern China. The effects are found to be nonlinear in the sense that simulated discharges from aquifers to streams are systematically lower than discharges produced by a base model parameterized with relatively coarse effective conductivity. A similar, but weaker, effect is observed for stream leakage. The study is organized around three hypotheses: (H1) small-scale spatial variations of conductivity significantly affect regional exchanges of water between streams and aquifers in river basins, (H2) aggregating small-scale heterogeneities into regional effective parameters systematically biases estimates of stream-aquifer exchanges, and (H3) the biases result from slow-paths in groundwater flow that emerge due to small-scale heterogeneities. The hypotheses are evaluated by comparing stream-aquifer fluxes produced by the base model to fluxes simulated using realizations of the MHRB characterized by local (grid-scale) heterogeneity. Levels of local heterogeneity are manipulated as control variables by adjusting coefficients of variation. All models are implemented using the MODFLOW simulation environment, and the PEST tool is used to calibrate effective conductivities defined over 16 zones within the MHRB. The effective parameters are also used as expected values to develop log-normally distributed conductivity (K) fields on local grid scales. Stream-aquifer exchanges are simulated with K fields at both scales and then compared. Results show that the effects of small-scale heterogeneities significantly influence exchanges with simulations based on local-scale heterogeneities always producing discharges that are less than those produced by the base model. Although aquifer heterogeneities are uncorrelated at local scales, they appear to induce

  7. 75 FR 45584 - Planning and Establishment of State-Level Exchanges; Request for Comments Regarding Exchange...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-03

    ... Act): (1) Facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans (QHPs); (2) provide for the establishment... Federal government for their State? When will this decision be made? Can planning grants assist in identifying and assessing relevant factors and making this decision? 2. To what extent have States already...

  8. Perpendicular exchange coupling effects in ferrimagnetic TbFeCo/GdFeCo hard/soft structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ke; Wang, Yahong; Ling, Fujin; Xu, Zhan

    2018-04-01

    Bilayers consisting of magnetically hard TbFeCo and soft GdFeCo alloy were fabricated. Exchange-spring and sharp switching in a step-by-step fashion were observed in the TbFeCo/GdFeCo hard/soft bilayers with increasing GdFeCo thickness. A perpendicular exchange bias field of several hundred Oersteds is observed from the shift of minor loops pinned by TbFeCo layer. The perpendicular exchange energy is derived to be in the range of 0.18-0.30 erg/cm2. The exchange energy is shown to increase with the thickness of GdFeCo layer in the bilayers, which can be attributed to the enhanced perpendicular anisotropy of GdFeCo layer in our experimental range.

  9. Eliminating Bias

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn how to eliminate bias from monitoring systems by instituting appropriate installation, operation, and quality assurance procedures. Provides links to download An Operator's Guide to Eliminating Bias in CEM Systems.

  10. Perceptual memory drives learning of retinotopic biases for bistable stimuli.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Aidan P; Leopold, David A; Welchman, Andrew E

    2014-01-01

    The visual system exploits past experience at multiple timescales to resolve perceptual ambiguity in the retinal image. For example, perception of a bistable stimulus can be biased toward one interpretation over another when preceded by a brief presentation of a disambiguated version of the stimulus (positive priming) or through intermittent presentations of the ambiguous stimulus (stabilization). Similarly, prior presentations of unambiguous stimuli can be used to explicitly "train" a long-lasting association between a percept and a retinal location (perceptual association). These phenonema have typically been regarded as independent processes, with short-term biases attributed to perceptual memory and longer-term biases described as associative learning. Here we tested for interactions between these two forms of experience-dependent perceptual bias and demonstrate that short-term processes strongly influence long-term outcomes. We first demonstrate that the establishment of long-term perceptual contingencies does not require explicit training by unambiguous stimuli, but can arise spontaneously during the periodic presentation of brief, ambiguous stimuli. Using rotating Necker cube stimuli, we observed enduring, retinotopically specific perceptual biases that were expressed from the outset and remained stable for up to 40 min, consistent with the known phenomenon of perceptual stabilization. Further, bias was undiminished after a break period of 5 min, but was readily reset by interposed periods of continuous, as opposed to periodic, ambiguous presentation. Taken together, the results demonstrate that perceptual biases can arise naturally and may principally reflect the brain's tendency to favor recent perceptual interpretation at a given retinal location. Further, they suggest that an association between retinal location and perceptual state, rather than a physical stimulus, is sufficient to generate long-term biases in perceptual organization.

  11. Server-Controlled Identity-Based Authenticated Key Exchange

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Hua; Mu, Yi; Zhang, Xiyong; Li, Zhoujun

    We present a threshold identity-based authenticated key exchange protocol that can be applied to an authenticated server-controlled gateway-user key exchange. The objective is to allow a user and a gateway to establish a shared session key with the permission of the back-end servers, while the back-end servers cannot obtain any information about the established session key. Our protocol has potential applications in strong access control of confidential resources. In particular, our protocol possesses the semantic security and demonstrates several highly-desirable security properties such as key privacy and transparency. We prove the security of the protocol based on the Bilinear Diffie-Hellman assumption in the random oracle model.

  12. Social Representation of Intercultural Exchange in an International University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kudo, Kazuhiro

    2016-01-01

    This paper provides an interpretive investigation into the social representation of intercultural exchange at one of the newly established international universities in Japan. The author conducted quasi-structured interviews with 5 staff members and 22 students to gain insight into their perceptions of intercultural exchange and interactions. The…

  13. Wind models for the NSTS ascent trajectory biasing for wind load alleviation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, O. E.; Adelfang, S. I.; Batts, G. W.; Hill, C. K.

    1989-01-01

    New concepts are presented for aerospace vehicle ascent wind profile biasing. The purpose for wind biasing the ascent trajectory is to provide ascent wind loads relief and thus decrease the probability for launch delays due to wind loads exceeding critical limits. Wind biasing trajectories to the profile of monthly mean winds have been widely used for this purpose. The wind profile models presented give additional alternatives for wind biased trajectories. They are derived from the properties of the bivariate normal probability function using the available wind statistical parameters for the launch site. The analytical expressions are presented to permit generalizations. Specific examples are given to illustrate the procedures. The wind profile models can be used to establish the ascent trajectory steering commands to guide the vehicle through the first stage. For the National Space Transportation System (NSTS) program these steering commands are called I-loads.

  14. A Space Commodities Futures Trading Exchange to Grow the Lunar Economy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cahan, B. B. C.

    2017-10-01

    This paper proposes to establish a Space Commodities Futures Trading Exchange in order to define and trade essential commodities that, when traded on an open exchange, improve availability, quality, price discovery, financeability, and equal access.

  15. Audibility and visual biasing in speech perception

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clement, Bart Richard

    Although speech perception has been considered a predominantly auditory phenomenon, large benefits from vision in degraded acoustic conditions suggest integration of audition and vision. More direct evidence of this comes from studies of audiovisual disparity that demonstrate vision can bias and even dominate perception (McGurk & MacDonald, 1976). It has been observed that hearing-impaired listeners demonstrate more visual biasing than normally hearing listeners (Walden et al., 1990). It is argued here that stimulus audibility must be equated across groups before true differences can be established. In the present investigation, effects of visual biasing on perception were examined as audibility was degraded for 12 young normally hearing listeners. Biasing was determined by quantifying the degree to which listener identification functions for a single synthetic auditory /ba-da-ga/ continuum changed across two conditions: (1)an auditory-only listening condition; and (2)an auditory-visual condition in which every item of the continuum was synchronized with visual articulations of the consonant-vowel (CV) tokens /ba/ and /ga/, as spoken by each of two talkers. Audibility was altered by presenting the conditions in quiet and in noise at each of three signal-to- noise (S/N) ratios. For the visual-/ba/ context, large effects of audibility were found. As audibility decreased, visual biasing increased. A large talker effect also was found, with one talker eliciting more biasing than the other. An independent lipreading measure demonstrated that this talker was more visually intelligible than the other. For the visual-/ga/ context, audibility and talker effects were less robust, possibly obscured by strong listener effects, which were characterized by marked differences in perceptual processing patterns among participants. Some demonstrated substantial biasing whereas others demonstrated little, indicating a strong reliance on audition even in severely degraded acoustic

  16. Evidence for Female-Biased Dispersal in the Protandrous Hermaphroditic Asian Seabass, Lates calcarifer

    PubMed Central

    Yue, Gen Hua; Xia, Jun Hong; Liu, Feng; Lin, Grace

    2012-01-01

    Movement of individuals influences individual reproductive success, fitness, genetic diversity and relationships among individuals within populations and gene exchange among populations. Competition between males or females for mating opportunities and/or local resources predicts a female bias in taxa with monogamous mating systems and a male-biased dispersal in polygynous species. In birds and mammals, the patterns of dispersal between sexes are well explored, while dispersal patterns in protandrous hermaphroditic fish species have not been studied. We collected 549 adult individuals of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) from four locations in the South China Sea. To assess the difference in patterns of dispersal between sexes, we genotyped all individuals with 18 microsatellites. Significant genetic differentiation was detected among and within sampling locations. The parameters of population structure (F ST), relatedness (r) and the mean assignment index (mAIC), in combination with data on tagging-recapture, supplied strong evidences for female-biased dispersal in the Asian seabass. This result contradicts our initial hypothesis of no sex difference in dispersal. We suggest that inbreeding avoidance of females, female mate choice under the condition of low mate competition among males, and male resource competition create a female-biased dispersal. The bigger body size of females may be a cause of the female-biased movement. Studies of dispersal using data from DNA markers and tagging-recapture in hermaphroditic fish species could enhance our understanding of patterns of dispersal in fish. PMID:22701591

  17. Evidence for female-biased dispersal in the protandrous hermaphroditic Asian Seabass, Lates calcarifer.

    PubMed

    Yue, Gen Hua; Xia, Jun Hong; Liu, Feng; Lin, Grace

    2012-01-01

    Movement of individuals influences individual reproductive success, fitness, genetic diversity and relationships among individuals within populations and gene exchange among populations. Competition between males or females for mating opportunities and/or local resources predicts a female bias in taxa with monogamous mating systems and a male-biased dispersal in polygynous species. In birds and mammals, the patterns of dispersal between sexes are well explored, while dispersal patterns in protandrous hermaphroditic fish species have not been studied. We collected 549 adult individuals of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) from four locations in the South China Sea. To assess the difference in patterns of dispersal between sexes, we genotyped all individuals with 18 microsatellites. Significant genetic differentiation was detected among and within sampling locations. The parameters of population structure (F(ST)), relatedness (r) and the mean assignment index (mAIC), in combination with data on tagging-recapture, supplied strong evidences for female-biased dispersal in the Asian seabass. This result contradicts our initial hypothesis of no sex difference in dispersal. We suggest that inbreeding avoidance of females, female mate choice under the condition of low mate competition among males, and male resource competition create a female-biased dispersal. The bigger body size of females may be a cause of the female-biased movement. Studies of dispersal using data from DNA markers and tagging-recapture in hermaphroditic fish species could enhance our understanding of patterns of dispersal in fish.

  18. Enhanced Conformational Sampling Using Replica Exchange with Collective-Variable Tempering.

    PubMed

    Gil-Ley, Alejandro; Bussi, Giovanni

    2015-03-10

    The computational study of conformational transitions in RNA and proteins with atomistic molecular dynamics often requires suitable enhanced sampling techniques. We here introduce a novel method where concurrent metadynamics are integrated in a Hamiltonian replica-exchange scheme. The ladder of replicas is built with different strengths of the bias potential exploiting the tunability of well-tempered metadynamics. Using this method, free-energy barriers of individual collective variables are significantly reduced compared with simple force-field scaling. The introduced methodology is flexible and allows adaptive bias potentials to be self-consistently constructed for a large number of simple collective variables, such as distances and dihedral angles. The method is tested on alanine dipeptide and applied to the difficult problem of conformational sampling in a tetranucleotide.

  19. Enhanced Conformational Sampling Using Replica Exchange with Collective-Variable Tempering

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    The computational study of conformational transitions in RNA and proteins with atomistic molecular dynamics often requires suitable enhanced sampling techniques. We here introduce a novel method where concurrent metadynamics are integrated in a Hamiltonian replica-exchange scheme. The ladder of replicas is built with different strengths of the bias potential exploiting the tunability of well-tempered metadynamics. Using this method, free-energy barriers of individual collective variables are significantly reduced compared with simple force-field scaling. The introduced methodology is flexible and allows adaptive bias potentials to be self-consistently constructed for a large number of simple collective variables, such as distances and dihedral angles. The method is tested on alanine dipeptide and applied to the difficult problem of conformational sampling in a tetranucleotide. PMID:25838811

  20. Active Sensor for Microwave Tissue Imaging with Bias-Switched Arrays.

    PubMed

    Foroutan, Farzad; Nikolova, Natalia K

    2018-05-06

    A prototype of a bias-switched active sensor was developed and measured to establish the achievable dynamic range in a new generation of active arrays for microwave tissue imaging. The sensor integrates a printed slot antenna, a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and an active mixer in a single unit, which is sufficiently small to enable inter-sensor separation distance as small as 12 mm. The sensor’s input covers the bandwidth from 3 GHz to 7.5 GHz. Its output intermediate frequency (IF) is 30 MHz. The sensor is controlled by a simple bias-switching circuit, which switches ON and OFF the bias of the LNA and the mixer simultaneously. It was demonstrated experimentally that the dynamic range of the sensor, as determined by its ON and OFF states, is 109 dB and 118 dB at resolution bandwidths of 1 kHz and 100 Hz, respectively.

  1. Expectancy bias mediates the link between social anxiety and memory bias for social evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Caouette, Justin D.; Ruiz, Sarah K.; Lee, Clinton C.; Anbari, Zainab; Schriber, Roberta A.; Guyer, Amanda E.

    2014-01-01

    Social anxiety (SA) involves a multitude of cognitive symptoms related to fear of evaluation, including expectancy and memory biases. We examined whether memory biases are influenced by expectancy biases for social feedback in SA. We hypothesized that, faced with a socially evaluative event, people with higher SA would show a negative expectancy bias for future feedback. Furthermore, we predicted that memory bias for feedback in SA would be mediated by expectancy bias. Ninety-four undergraduate students (55 women, mean age = 19.76 years) underwent a two-visit task that measured expectations about (Visit 1) and memory of (Visit 2) feedback from unknown peers. Results showed that higher levels of SA were associated with negative expectancy bias. An indirect relationship was found between SA and memory bias that was mediated by expectancy bias. The results suggest that expectancy biases are in the causal path from SA to negative memory biases for social evaluation. PMID:25252925

  2. A “Scientific Diversity” Intervention to Reduce Gender Bias in a Sample of Life Scientists

    PubMed Central

    Moss-Racusin, Corinne A.; van der Toorn, Jojanneke; Dovidio, John F.; Brescoll, Victoria L.; Graham, Mark J.; Handelsman, Jo

    2016-01-01

    Mounting experimental evidence suggests that subtle gender biases favoring men contribute to the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including many subfields of the life sciences. However, there are relatively few evaluations of diversity interventions designed to reduce gender biases within the STEM community. Because gender biases distort the meritocratic evaluation and advancement of students, interventions targeting instructors’ biases are particularly needed. We evaluated one such intervention, a workshop called “Scientific Diversity” that was consistent with an established framework guiding the development of diversity interventions designed to reduce biases and was administered to a sample of life science instructors (N = 126) at several sessions of the National Academies Summer Institute for Undergraduate Education held nationwide. Evidence emerged indicating the efficacy of the “Scientific Diversity” workshop, such that participants were more aware of gender bias, expressed less gender bias, and were more willing to engage in actions to reduce gender bias 2 weeks after participating in the intervention compared with 2 weeks before the intervention. Implications for diversity interventions aimed at reducing gender bias and broadening the participation of women in the life sciences are discussed. PMID:27496360

  3. Beyond assembly bias: exploring secondary halo biases for cluster-size haloes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Yao-Yuan; Zentner, Andrew R.; Wechsler, Risa H.

    2018-03-01

    Secondary halo bias, commonly known as `assembly bias', is the dependence of halo clustering on a halo property other than mass. This prediction of the Λ Cold Dark Matter cosmology is essential to modelling the galaxy distribution to high precision and interpreting clustering measurements. As the name suggests, different manifestations of secondary halo bias have been thought to originate from halo assembly histories. We show conclusively that this is incorrect for cluster-size haloes. We present an up-to-date summary of secondary halo biases of high-mass haloes due to various halo properties including concentration, spin, several proxies of assembly history, and subhalo properties. While concentration, spin, and the abundance and radial distribution of subhaloes exhibit significant secondary biases, properties that directly quantify halo assembly history do not. In fact, the entire assembly histories of haloes in pairs are nearly identical to those of isolated haloes. In general, a global correlation between two halo properties does not predict whether or not these two properties exhibit similar secondary biases. For example, assembly history and concentration (or subhalo abundance) are correlated for both paired and isolated haloes, but follow slightly different conditional distributions in these two cases. This results in a secondary halo bias due to concentration (or subhalo abundance), despite the lack of assembly bias in the strict sense for cluster-size haloes. Due to this complexity, caution must be exercised in using any one halo property as a proxy to study the secondary bias due to another property.

  4. States higher in racial bias spend less on disabled medicaid enrollees.

    PubMed

    Leitner, Jordan B; Hehman, Eric; Snowden, Lonnie R

    2018-02-07

    While there is considerable state-by-state variation in Medicaid disability expenditure, little is known about the factors that contribution to this variation. Since Blacks disproportionately benefit from Medicaid disability programs, we aimed to gain insight into whether racial bias towards Blacks is one factor that explains state-by-state variation in Medicaid disability expenditures. We compiled 1,764,927 responses of explicit and implicit racial bias from all 50 states and Washington D.C. to generate estimates of racial bias for each state (or territory). We then used these estimates to predict states' expenditure per disabled Medicaid enrollee. We also examined whether the relationship between racial bias and disabled Medicaid enrollee expenditure might vary according to states' level of income for Whites, income for Blacks, or conservatism. States with more explicit or implicit racial bias spent less per disabled Medicaid enrollee. This correlation was strongest in states where Whites had lower income, Blacks had higher income, or conservatism was high. Accordingly, these results suggest that racial bias might play a role in Medicaid disability expenditure in places where Whites have a lower economic advantage or there is a culture of conservatism. This research established correlations between state-level racial bias and Medicaid disability expenditure. Future research might build upon this work to understand the direction of causality and pathways that might explain these correlations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Chemosensory Communication of Gender Information: Masculinity Bias in Body Odor Perception and Femininity Bias Introduced by Chemosignals During Social Perception.

    PubMed

    Mutic, Smiljana; Moellers, Eileen M; Wiesmann, Martin; Freiherr, Jessica

    2015-01-01

    Human body odor is a source of important social information. In this study, we explore whether the sex of an individual can be established based on smelling axillary odor and whether exposure to male and female odors biases chemosensory and social perception. In a double-blind, pseudo-randomized application, 31 healthy normosmic heterosexual male and female raters were exposed to male and female chemosignals (odor samples of 27 heterosexual donors collected during a cardio workout) and a no odor sample. Recipients rated chemosensory samples on a masculinity-femininity scale and provided intensity, familiarity and pleasantness ratings. Additionally, the modulation of social perception (gender-neutral faces and personality attributes) and affective introspection (mood) by male and female chemosignals was assessed. Male and female axillary odors were rated as rather masculine, regardless of the sex of the donor. As opposed to the masculinity bias in the odor perception, a femininity bias modulating social perception appeared. A facilitated femininity detection in gender-neutral faces and personality attributes in male and female chemosignals appeared. No chemosensory effect on mood of the rater was observed. The results are discussed with regards to the use of male and female chemosignals in affective and social communication.

  6. Mechanism of extracellular ion exchange and binding-site occlusion in the sodium-calcium exchanger

    PubMed Central

    Lee, ChangKeun; Huang, Yihe; Faraldo-Gómez, José D.; Jiang, Youxing

    2016-01-01

    Na+/Ca2+ exchangers utilize the Na+ electrochemical gradient across the plasma membrane to extrude intracellular Ca2+, and play a central role in Ca2+ homeostasis. Here, we elucidate their mechanisms of extracellular ion recognition and exchange through a structural analysis of the exchanger from Methanococcus jannaschii (NCX_Mj) bound to Na+, Ca2+ or Sr2+ in various occupancies and in an apo state. This analysis defines the binding mode and relative affinity of these ions, establishes the structural basis for the anticipated 3Na+:1Ca2+ exchange stoichiometry, and reveals the conformational changes at the onset of the alternating-access transport mechanism. An independent analysis of the dynamics and conformational free-energy landscape of NCX_Mj in different ion-occupancy states, based on enhanced-sampling molecular-dynamics simulations, demonstrates that the crystal structures reflect mechanistically relevant, interconverting conformations. These calculations also reveal the mechanism by which the outward-to-inward transition is controlled by the ion-occupancy state, thereby explaining the emergence of strictly-coupled Na+/Ca2+ antiport. PMID:27183196

  7. Mechanism of extracellular ion exchange and binding-site occlusion in a sodium/calcium exchanger

    DOE PAGES

    Liao, Jun; Marinelli, Fabrizio; Lee, Changkeun; ...

    2016-05-16

    Na +/Ca 2+ exchangers utilize the Na + electrochemical gradient across the plasma membrane to extrude intracellular Ca 2+, and play a central role in Ca 2+ homeostasis. Here, we elucidate their mechanisms of extracellular ion recognition and exchange through a structural analysis of the exchanger from Methanococcus jannaschii (NCX_Mj) bound to Na +, Ca 2+ or Sr 2+ in various occupancies and in an apo state. This analysis defines the binding mode and relative affinity of these ions, establishes the structural basis for the anticipated 3:1Na +/Ca 2+ exchange stoichiometry, and reveals the conformational changes at the onset ofmore » the alternating-access transport mechanism. An independent analysis of the dynamics and conformational free-energy landscape of NCX_Mj in different ion-occupancy states, based on enhanced-sampling molecular-dynamics simulations, demonstrates that the crystal structures reflect mechanistically relevant, interconverting conformations. Lastly, these calculations also reveal the mechanism by which the outward-to-inward transition is controlled by the ion-occupancy state, thereby explaining the emergence of strictly-coupled Na +/Ca 2+ antiport.« less

  8. Reputation offsets trust judgments based on social biases among Airbnb users.

    PubMed

    Abrahao, Bruno; Parigi, Paolo; Gupta, Alok; Cook, Karen S

    2017-09-12

    To provide social exchange on a global level, sharing-economy companies leverage interpersonal trust between their members on a scale unimaginable even a few years ago. A challenge to this mission is the presence of social biases among a large heterogeneous and independent population of users, a factor that hinders the growth of these services. We investigate whether and to what extent a sharing-economy platform can design artificially engineered features, such as reputation systems, to override people's natural tendency to base judgments of trustworthiness on social biases. We focus on the common tendency to trust others who are similar (i.e., homophily) as a source of bias. We test this argument through an online experiment with 8,906 users of Airbnb, a leading hospitality company in the sharing economy. The experiment is based on an interpersonal investment game, in which we vary the characteristics of recipients to study trust through the interplay between homophily and reputation. Our findings show that reputation systems can significantly increase the trust between dissimilar users and that risk aversion has an inverse relationship with trust given high reputation. We also present evidence that our experimental findings are confirmed by analyses of 1 million actual hospitality interactions among users of Airbnb.

  9. Reputation offsets trust judgments based on social biases among Airbnb users

    PubMed Central

    Abrahao, Bruno; Parigi, Paolo; Gupta, Alok; Cook, Karen S.

    2017-01-01

    To provide social exchange on a global level, sharing-economy companies leverage interpersonal trust between their members on a scale unimaginable even a few years ago. A challenge to this mission is the presence of social biases among a large heterogeneous and independent population of users, a factor that hinders the growth of these services. We investigate whether and to what extent a sharing-economy platform can design artificially engineered features, such as reputation systems, to override people’s natural tendency to base judgments of trustworthiness on social biases. We focus on the common tendency to trust others who are similar (i.e., homophily) as a source of bias. We test this argument through an online experiment with 8,906 users of Airbnb, a leading hospitality company in the sharing economy. The experiment is based on an interpersonal investment game, in which we vary the characteristics of recipients to study trust through the interplay between homophily and reputation. Our findings show that reputation systems can significantly increase the trust between dissimilar users and that risk aversion has an inverse relationship with trust given high reputation. We also present evidence that our experimental findings are confirmed by analyses of 1 million actual hospitality interactions among users of Airbnb. PMID:28847948

  10. The effect of ion-exchange purification on the determination of plutonium at the New Brunswick Laboratory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mitchell, W.G.; Spaletto, M.I.; Lewis, K.

    The method of plutonium (Pu) determination at the Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) consists of a combination of ion-exchange purification followed by controlled-potential coulometric analysis (IE/CPC). The present report's purpose is to quantify any detectable Pu loss occurring in the ion-exchange (IE) purification step which would cause a negative bias in the NBL method for Pu analysis. The magnitude of any such loss would be contained within the reproducibility (0.05%) of the IE/CPC method which utilizes a state-of-the-art autocoulometer developed at NBL. When the NBL IE/CPC method is used for Pu analysis, any loss in ion-exchange purification (<0.05%) is confounded with themore » repeatability of the ion-exchange and the precision of the CPC analysis technique (<0.05%). Consequently, to detect a bias in the IE/CPC method due to the IE alone using the IE/CPC method itself requires that many randomized analyses on a single material be performed over time and that statistical analysis of the data be performed. The initial approach described in this report to quantify any IE loss was an independent method, Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry; however, the number of analyses performed was insufficient to assign a statistically significant value to the IE loss (<0.02% of 10 mg samples of Pu). The second method used for quantifying any IE loss of Pu was multiple ion exchanges of the same Pu aliquant; the small number of analyses possible per individual IE together with the column-to-column variability over multiple ion exchanges prevented statistical detection of any loss of <0.05%. 12 refs.« less

  11. Linear Regression Quantile Mapping (RQM) - A new approach to bias correction with consistent quantile trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passow, Christian; Donner, Reik

    2017-04-01

    Quantile mapping (QM) is an established concept that allows to correct systematic biases in multiple quantiles of the distribution of a climatic observable. It shows remarkable results in correcting biases in historical simulations through observational data and outperforms simpler correction methods which relate only to the mean or variance. Since it has been shown that bias correction of future predictions or scenario runs with basic QM can result in misleading trends in the projection, adjusted, trend preserving, versions of QM were introduced in the form of detrended quantile mapping (DQM) and quantile delta mapping (QDM) (Cannon, 2015, 2016). Still, all previous versions and applications of QM based bias correction rely on the assumption of time-independent quantiles over the investigated period, which can be misleading in the context of a changing climate. Here, we propose a novel combination of linear quantile regression (QR) with the classical QM method to introduce a consistent, time-dependent and trend preserving approach of bias correction for historical and future projections. Since QR is a regression method, it is possible to estimate quantiles in the same resolution as the given data and include trends or other dependencies. We demonstrate the performance of the new method of linear regression quantile mapping (RQM) in correcting biases of temperature and precipitation products from historical runs (1959 - 2005) of the COSMO model in climate mode (CCLM) from the Euro-CORDEX ensemble relative to gridded E-OBS data of the same spatial and temporal resolution. A thorough comparison with established bias correction methods highlights the strengths and potential weaknesses of the new RQM approach. References: A.J. Cannon, S.R. Sorbie, T.Q. Murdock: Bias Correction of GCM Precipitation by Quantile Mapping - How Well Do Methods Preserve Changes in Quantiles and Extremes? Journal of Climate, 28, 6038, 2015 A.J. Cannon: Multivariate Bias Correction of Climate

  12. Cognitive debiasing 1: origins of bias and theory of debiasing.

    PubMed

    Croskerry, Pat; Singhal, Geeta; Mamede, Sílvia

    2013-10-01

    Numerous studies have shown that diagnostic failure depends upon a variety of factors. Psychological factors are fundamental in influencing the cognitive performance of the decision maker. In this first of two papers, we discuss the basics of reasoning and the Dual Process Theory (DPT) of decision making. The general properties of the DPT model, as it applies to diagnostic reasoning, are reviewed. A variety of cognitive and affective biases are known to compromise the decision-making process. They mostly appear to originate in the fast intuitive processes of Type 1 that dominate (or drive) decision making. Type 1 processes work well most of the time but they may open the door for biases. Removing or at least mitigating these biases would appear to be an important goal. We will also review the origins of biases. The consensus is that there are two major sources: innate, hard-wired biases that developed in our evolutionary past, and acquired biases established in the course of development and within our working environments. Both are associated with abbreviated decision making in the form of heuristics. Other work suggests that ambient and contextual factors may create high risk situations that dispose decision makers to particular biases. Fatigue, sleep deprivation and cognitive overload appear to be important determinants. The theoretical basis of several approaches towards debiasing is then discussed. All share a common feature that involves a deliberate decoupling from Type 1 intuitive processing and moving to Type 2 analytical processing so that eventually unexamined intuitive judgments can be submitted to verification. This decoupling step appears to be the critical feature of cognitive and affective debiasing.

  13. Cognitive debiasing 1: origins of bias and theory of debiasing

    PubMed Central

    Croskerry, Pat; Singhal, Geeta; Mamede, Sílvia

    2013-01-01

    Numerous studies have shown that diagnostic failure depends upon a variety of factors. Psychological factors are fundamental in influencing the cognitive performance of the decision maker. In this first of two papers, we discuss the basics of reasoning and the Dual Process Theory (DPT) of decision making. The general properties of the DPT model, as it applies to diagnostic reasoning, are reviewed. A variety of cognitive and affective biases are known to compromise the decision-making process. They mostly appear to originate in the fast intuitive processes of Type 1 that dominate (or drive) decision making. Type 1 processes work well most of the time but they may open the door for biases. Removing or at least mitigating these biases would appear to be an important goal. We will also review the origins of biases. The consensus is that there are two major sources: innate, hard-wired biases that developed in our evolutionary past, and acquired biases established in the course of development and within our working environments. Both are associated with abbreviated decision making in the form of heuristics. Other work suggests that ambient and contextual factors may create high risk situations that dispose decision makers to particular biases. Fatigue, sleep deprivation and cognitive overload appear to be important determinants. The theoretical basis of several approaches towards debiasing is then discussed. All share a common feature that involves a deliberate decoupling from Type 1 intuitive processing and moving to Type 2 analytical processing so that eventually unexamined intuitive judgments can be submitted to verification. This decoupling step appears to be the critical feature of cognitive and affective debiasing. PMID:23882089

  14. Maximum Likelihood Estimations and EM Algorithms with Length-biased Data

    PubMed Central

    Qin, Jing; Ning, Jing; Liu, Hao; Shen, Yu

    2012-01-01

    SUMMARY Length-biased sampling has been well recognized in economics, industrial reliability, etiology applications, epidemiological, genetic and cancer screening studies. Length-biased right-censored data have a unique data structure different from traditional survival data. The nonparametric and semiparametric estimations and inference methods for traditional survival data are not directly applicable for length-biased right-censored data. We propose new expectation-maximization algorithms for estimations based on full likelihoods involving infinite dimensional parameters under three settings for length-biased data: estimating nonparametric distribution function, estimating nonparametric hazard function under an increasing failure rate constraint, and jointly estimating baseline hazards function and the covariate coefficients under the Cox proportional hazards model. Extensive empirical simulation studies show that the maximum likelihood estimators perform well with moderate sample sizes and lead to more efficient estimators compared to the estimating equation approaches. The proposed estimates are also more robust to various right-censoring mechanisms. We prove the strong consistency properties of the estimators, and establish the asymptotic normality of the semi-parametric maximum likelihood estimators under the Cox model using modern empirical processes theory. We apply the proposed methods to a prevalent cohort medical study. Supplemental materials are available online. PMID:22323840

  15. Adaptively biased molecular dynamics: An umbrella sampling method with a time-dependent potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Babin, Volodymyr; Karpusenka, Vadzim; Moradi, Mahmoud; Roland, Christopher; Sagui, Celeste

    We discuss an adaptively biased molecular dynamics (ABMD) method for the computation of a free energy surface for a set of reaction coordinates. The ABMD method belongs to the general category of umbrella sampling methods with an evolving biasing potential. It is characterized by a small number of control parameters and an O(t) numerical cost with simulation time t. The method naturally allows for extensions based on multiple walkers and replica exchange mechanism. The workings of the method are illustrated with a number of examples, including sugar puckering, and free energy landscapes for polymethionine and polyproline peptides, and for a short β-turn peptide. ABMD has been implemented into the latest version (Case et al., AMBER 10; University of California: San Francisco, 2008) of the AMBER software package and is freely available to the simulation community.

  16. Health insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: regulatory and design challenges.

    PubMed

    Hoffmann, Stephanie M

    2012-12-01

    Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, all states are required to establish health insurance exchanges, marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can purchase health care coverage. In establishing these exchanges, states must address a range of regulatory and design issues to ensure that their exchanges are sustainable and meet the needs of their populations. The issues include the degree of federal involvement in the management of the exchanges, the overall structure and governance of the exchanges, the requirements for insurance plans to be offered on the exchanges, and the design of the exchanges themselves. Each of these issues will play a crucial role in determining the quality of coverage offered to consumers and how effectively they can access that coverage. Copyright © 2012 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Examining Event-Related Potential (ERP) correlates of decision bias in recognition memory judgments.

    PubMed

    Hill, Holger; Windmann, Sabine

    2014-01-01

    Memory judgments can be based on accurate memory information or on decision bias (the tendency to report that an event is part of episodic memory when one is in fact unsure). Event related potentials (ERP) correlates are important research tools for elucidating the dynamics underlying memory judgments but so far have been established only for investigations of accurate old/new discrimination. To identify the ERP correlates of bias, and observe how these interact with ERP correlates of memory, we conducted three experiments that manipulated decision bias within participants via instructions during recognition memory tests while their ERPs were recorded. In Experiment 1, the bias manipulation was performed between blocks of trials (automatized bias) and compared to trial-by-trial shifts of bias in accord with an external cue (flexibly controlled bias). In Experiment 2, the bias manipulation was performed at two different levels of accurate old/new discrimination as the memory strength of old (studied) items was varied. In Experiment 3, the bias manipulation was added to another, bottom-up driven manipulation of bias induced via familiarity. In the first two Experiments, and in the low familiarity condition of Experiment 3, we found evidence of an early frontocentral ERP component at 320 ms poststimulus (the FN320) that was sensitive to the manipulation of bias via instruction, with more negative amplitudes indexing more liberal bias. By contrast, later during the trial (500-700 ms poststimulus), bias effects interacted with old/new effects across all three experiments. Results suggest that the decision criterion is typically activated early during recognition memory trials, and is integrated with retrieved memory signals and task-specific processing demands later during the trial. More generally, the findings demonstrate how ERPs can help to specify the dynamics of recognition memory processes under top-down and bottom-up controlled retrieval conditions.

  18. Examining Event-Related Potential (ERP) Correlates of Decision Bias in Recognition Memory Judgments

    PubMed Central

    Hill, Holger; Windmann, Sabine

    2014-01-01

    Memory judgments can be based on accurate memory information or on decision bias (the tendency to report that an event is part of episodic memory when one is in fact unsure). Event related potentials (ERP) correlates are important research tools for elucidating the dynamics underlying memory judgments but so far have been established only for investigations of accurate old/new discrimination. To identify the ERP correlates of bias, and observe how these interact with ERP correlates of memory, we conducted three experiments that manipulated decision bias within participants via instructions during recognition memory tests while their ERPs were recorded. In Experiment 1, the bias manipulation was performed between blocks of trials (automatized bias) and compared to trial-by-trial shifts of bias in accord with an external cue (flexibly controlled bias). In Experiment 2, the bias manipulation was performed at two different levels of accurate old/new discrimination as the memory strength of old (studied) items was varied. In Experiment 3, the bias manipulation was added to another, bottom-up driven manipulation of bias induced via familiarity. In the first two Experiments, and in the low familiarity condition of Experiment 3, we found evidence of an early frontocentral ERP component at 320 ms poststimulus (the FN320) that was sensitive to the manipulation of bias via instruction, with more negative amplitudes indexing more liberal bias. By contrast, later during the trial (500–700 ms poststimulus), bias effects interacted with old/new effects across all three experiments. Results suggest that the decision criterion is typically activated early during recognition memory trials, and is integrated with retrieved memory signals and task-specific processing demands later during the trial. More generally, the findings demonstrate how ERPs can help to specify the dynamics of recognition memory processes under top-down and bottom-up controlled retrieval conditions. PMID

  19. 77 FR 46137 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-02

    ...-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To Amend the New York Stock Exchange LLC Price List To Establish Pricing for the... York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'' or ``Exchange'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission...

  20. Queries for Bias Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gordon, Diana F.

    1992-01-01

    Selecting a good bias prior to concept learning can be difficult. Therefore, dynamic bias adjustment is becoming increasingly popular. Current dynamic bias adjustment systems, however, are limited in their ability to identify erroneous assumptions about the relationship between the bias and the target concept. Without proper diagnosis, it is difficult to identify and then remedy faulty assumptions. We have developed an approach that makes these assumptions explicit, actively tests them with queries to an oracle, and adjusts the bias based on the test results.

  1. Beyond assembly bias: exploring secondary halo biases for cluster-size haloes

    DOE PAGES

    Mao, Yao-Yuan; Zentner, Andrew R.; Wechsler, Risa H.

    2017-12-01

    Secondary halo bias, commonly known as ‘assembly bias’, is the dependence of halo clustering on a halo property other than mass. This prediction of the Λ Cold Dark Matter cosmology is essential to modelling the galaxy distribution to high precision and interpreting clustering measurements. As the name suggests, different manifestations of secondary halo bias have been thought to originate from halo assembly histories. We show conclusively that this is incorrect for cluster-size haloes. We present an up-to-date summary of secondary halo biases of high-mass haloes due to various halo properties including concentration, spin, several proxies of assembly history, and subhalomore » properties. While concentration, spin, and the abundance and radial distribution of subhaloes exhibit significant secondary biases, properties that directly quantify halo assembly history do not. In fact, the entire assembly histories of haloes in pairs are nearly identical to those of isolated haloes. In general, a global correlation between two halo properties does not predict whether or not these two properties exhibit similar secondary biases. For example, assembly history and concentration (or subhalo abundance) are correlated for both paired and isolated haloes, but follow slightly different conditional distributions in these two cases. Lastly, this results in a secondary halo bias due to concentration (or subhalo abundance), despite the lack of assembly bias in the strict sense for cluster-size haloes. Due to this complexity, caution must be exercised in using any one halo property as a proxy to study the secondary bias due to another property.« less

  2. Beyond assembly bias: exploring secondary halo biases for cluster-size haloes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mao, Yao-Yuan; Zentner, Andrew R.; Wechsler, Risa H.

    Secondary halo bias, commonly known as ‘assembly bias’, is the dependence of halo clustering on a halo property other than mass. This prediction of the Λ Cold Dark Matter cosmology is essential to modelling the galaxy distribution to high precision and interpreting clustering measurements. As the name suggests, different manifestations of secondary halo bias have been thought to originate from halo assembly histories. We show conclusively that this is incorrect for cluster-size haloes. We present an up-to-date summary of secondary halo biases of high-mass haloes due to various halo properties including concentration, spin, several proxies of assembly history, and subhalomore » properties. While concentration, spin, and the abundance and radial distribution of subhaloes exhibit significant secondary biases, properties that directly quantify halo assembly history do not. In fact, the entire assembly histories of haloes in pairs are nearly identical to those of isolated haloes. In general, a global correlation between two halo properties does not predict whether or not these two properties exhibit similar secondary biases. For example, assembly history and concentration (or subhalo abundance) are correlated for both paired and isolated haloes, but follow slightly different conditional distributions in these two cases. Lastly, this results in a secondary halo bias due to concentration (or subhalo abundance), despite the lack of assembly bias in the strict sense for cluster-size haloes. Due to this complexity, caution must be exercised in using any one halo property as a proxy to study the secondary bias due to another property.« less

  3. Clinicians' implicit ethnic/racial bias and perceptions of care among Black and Latino patients.

    PubMed

    Blair, Irene V; Steiner, John F; Fairclough, Diane L; Hanratty, Rebecca; Price, David W; Hirsh, Holen K; Wright, Leslie A; Bronsert, Michael; Karimkhani, Elhum; Magid, David J; Havranek, Edward P

    2013-01-01

    We investigated whether clinicians' explicit and implicit ethnic/racial bias is related to black and Latino patients' perceptions of their care in established clinical relationships. We administered a telephone survey to 2,908 patients, stratified by ethnicity/race, and randomly selected from the patient panels of 134 clinicians who had previously completed tests of explicit and implicit ethnic/racial bias. Patients completed the Primary Care Assessment Survey, which addressed their clinicians' interpersonal treatment, communication, trust, and contextual knowledge. We created a composite measure of patient-centered care from the 4 subscales. Levels of explicit bias were low among clinicians and unrelated to patients' perceptions. Levels of implicit bias varied among clinicians, and those with greater implicit bias were rated lower in patient-centered care by their black patients as compared with a reference group of white patients (P = .04). Latino patients gave the clinicians lower ratings than did other groups (P <.0001), and this did not depend on the clinicians' implicit bias (P = .98). This is among the first studies to investigate clinicians' implicit bias and communication processes in ongoing clinical relationships. Our findings suggest that clinicians' implicit bias may jeopardize their clinical relationships with black patients, which could have negative effects on other care processes. As such, this finding supports the Institute of Medicine's suggestion that clinician bias may contribute to health disparities. Latinos' overall greater concerns about their clinicians appear to be based on aspects of care other than clinician bias.

  4. Mitigating Evidentiary Bias in Planning and Policy-Making Comment on "Reflective Practice: How the World Bank Explored Its Own Biases?"

    PubMed

    Parkhurst, Justin

    2016-07-20

    The field of cognitive psychology has increasingly provided scientific insights to explore how humans are subject to unconscious sources of evidentiary bias, leading to errors that can affect judgement and decision-making. Increasingly these insights are being applied outside the realm of individual decision-making to the collective arena of policy-making as well. A recent editorial in this journal has particularly lauded the work of the World Bank for undertaking an open and critical reflection on sources of unconscious bias in its own expert staff that could undermine achievement of its key goals. The World Bank case indeed serves as a remarkable case of a global policy-making agency making its own critical reflections transparent for all to see. Yet the recognition that humans are prone to cognitive errors has been known for centuries, and the scientific exploration of such biases provided by cognitive psychology is now well-established. What still remains to be developed, however, is a widespread body of work that can inform efforts to institutionalise strategies to mitigate the multiple sources and forms of evidentiary bias arising within administrative and policy-making environments. Addressing this gap will require a programme of conceptual and empirical work that supports robust development and evaluation of institutional bias mitigation strategies. The cognitive sciences provides a scientific basis on which to proceed, but a critical priority will now be the application of that science to improve policy-making within those agencies taking responsibility for social welfare and development programmes. © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

  5. Recognition memory for hue: Prototypical bias and the role of labeling.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Laura Jane; Heit, Evan

    2017-06-01

    How does the concurrent use of language affect perception and memory for exemplars? Labels cue more general category information than a specific exemplar. Applying labels can affect the resulting memory for an exemplar. Here 3 alternative hypotheses are proposed for the role of labeling an exemplar at encoding: (a) labels distort memory toward the label prototype, (b) labels guide the level of specificity needed in the current context, and (c) labels direct attention to the label's referent among all possible features within a visual scene. University students were shown hues on object silhouettes that they either labeled with basic color categories, made preference judgments about, or indicated the animacy of its category. Experiments 1 and 2 established that there are response shifts toward the category prototype regardless of labeling, showing a pervasive influence of category knowledge on response bias. They also established an effect of labeling whereby labeling decreases the magnitude of shifts. Experiments 3 and 4 investigated the uniqueness and necessity of language in causing the decreased shift-neither of which proved to be the case. Overall, category-relative bias was pervasive and labeling appears to direct attention to the feature resulting in less biased memory. The results highlight that the context at encoding affects how memory is formed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. Interpretation biases in paranoia.

    PubMed

    Savulich, George; Freeman, Daniel; Shergill, Sukhi; Yiend, Jenny

    2015-01-01

    Information in the environment is frequently ambiguous in meaning. Emotional ambiguity, such as the stare of a stranger, or the scream of a child, encompasses possible good or bad emotional consequences. Those with elevated vulnerability to affective disorders tend to interpret such material more negatively than those without, a phenomenon known as "negative interpretation bias." In this study we examined the relationship between vulnerability to psychosis, measured by trait paranoia, and interpretation bias. One set of material permitted broadly positive/negative (valenced) interpretations, while another allowed more or less paranoid interpretations, allowing us to also investigate the content specificity of interpretation biases associated with paranoia. Regression analyses (n=70) revealed that trait paranoia, trait anxiety, and cognitive inflexibility predicted paranoid interpretation bias, whereas trait anxiety and cognitive inflexibility predicted negative interpretation bias. In a group comparison those with high levels of trait paranoia were negatively biased in their interpretations of ambiguous information relative to those with low trait paranoia, and this effect was most pronounced for material directly related to paranoid concerns. Together these data suggest that a negative interpretation bias occurs in those with elevated vulnerability to paranoia, and that this bias may be strongest for material matching paranoid beliefs. We conclude that content-specific biases may be important in the cause and maintenance of paranoid symptoms. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. CGH Short Term Scientist Exchange Program (STSEP)

    Cancer.gov

    STSEP promotes collaborative research between established U.S. and foreign scientists from low, middle, and upper-middle income countries (LMICs) by supporting, in part, exchange visits of cancer researchers between U.S. and foreign laboratories.

  8. Bias in the exchange of arguments: the case of scientists' evaluation of lay viewpoints on GM food.

    PubMed

    Cuppen, Eefje; Hisschemøller, Matthijs; Midden, Cees

    2009-09-01

    Most perspectives on public participation share the notion that dialogues should be open, allowing participants to articulate and evaluate different views and knowledge claims. We hypothesize that participants' evaluation of claims may be biased because participants have a preference for a particular type or source of a claim. This would hamper an open dialogue. We tested the effect of three variables on scientists' evaluation of claims of the general public about GM food: the claim's favorability towards GM food, the phrasing, and the source of the claim. Results are based on a survey-experiment among 73 biotechnology-scientists. Biased processing occurred when scientists evaluated claims. Claims that were corresponding with the attitude of the scientists and that were phrased in a cognitive way were evaluated more positively than claims that were contrasting the attitude of the scientists and that were phrased in an affective way. Contrary to our expectation, scientists evaluated claims of the public more positively than claims of experts.

  9. Beyond attentional bias: a perceptual bias in a dot-probe task.

    PubMed

    Bocanegra, Bruno R; Huijding, Jorg; Zeelenberg, René

    2012-12-01

    Previous dot-probe studies indicate that threat-related face cues induce a bias in spatial attention. Independently of spatial attention, a recent psychophysical study suggests that a bilateral fearful face cue improves low spatial-frequency perception (LSF) and impairs high spatial-frequency perception (HSF). Here, we combine these separate lines of research within a single dot-probe paradigm. We found that a bilateral fearful face cue, compared with a bilateral neutral face cue, speeded up responses to LSF targets and slowed down responses to HSF targets. This finding is important, as it shows that emotional cues in dot-probe tasks not only bias where information is preferentially processed (i.e., an attentional bias in spatial location), but also bias what type of information is preferentially processed (i.e., a perceptual bias in spatial frequency). PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

  10. Avoiding Unintended Bias

    PubMed Central

    VAN RYN, MICHELLE

    2017-01-01

    Research shows that unintentional bias on the part of physicians can influence the way they treat patients from certain racial and ethnic groups. Most physicians are unaware that they hold such biases, which can unknowingly contribute to inequalities in health care delivery. This article explains why a person’s thoughts and behaviors may not align, and provides strategies for preventing implicit biases from interfering with patient care. PMID:27089675

  11. Knowledge Exchange with Sistema Scotland

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allan, Julie; Moran, Nikki; Duffy, Celia; Loening, Gica

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports on a knowledge exchange project, funded by the Scottish Funding Council and undertaken by a group of researchers from three higher education institutions in Scotland and the project partner, Sistema Scotland. This newly established charity is attempting to implement a major programme of social change, developed in Venezuela,…

  12. Chemosensory Communication of Gender Information: Masculinity Bias in Body Odor Perception and Femininity Bias Introduced by Chemosignals During Social Perception

    PubMed Central

    Mutic, Smiljana; Moellers, Eileen M.; Wiesmann, Martin; Freiherr, Jessica

    2016-01-01

    Human body odor is a source of important social information. In this study, we explore whether the sex of an individual can be established based on smelling axillary odor and whether exposure to male and female odors biases chemosensory and social perception. In a double-blind, pseudo-randomized application, 31 healthy normosmic heterosexual male and female raters were exposed to male and female chemosignals (odor samples of 27 heterosexual donors collected during a cardio workout) and a no odor sample. Recipients rated chemosensory samples on a masculinity-femininity scale and provided intensity, familiarity and pleasantness ratings. Additionally, the modulation of social perception (gender-neutral faces and personality attributes) and affective introspection (mood) by male and female chemosignals was assessed. Male and female axillary odors were rated as rather masculine, regardless of the sex of the donor. As opposed to the masculinity bias in the odor perception, a femininity bias modulating social perception appeared. A facilitated femininity detection in gender-neutral faces and personality attributes in male and female chemosignals appeared. No chemosensory effect on mood of the rater was observed. The results are discussed with regards to the use of male and female chemosignals in affective and social communication. PMID:26834656

  13. Expectancy biases in fear and anxiety and their link to biases in attention.

    PubMed

    Aue, Tatjana; Okon-Singer, Hadas

    2015-12-01

    Healthy individuals often exhibit prioritized processing of aversive information, as manifested in enhanced orientation of attention to threatening stimuli compared with neutral items. In contrast to this adaptive behavior, anxious, fearful, and phobic individuals show exaggerated attention biases to threat. In addition, they overestimate the likelihood of encountering their feared stimulus and the severity of the consequences; both are examples of expectancy biases. The co-occurrence of attention and expectancy biases in fear and anxiety raises the question about causal influences. Herein, we summarize findings related to expectancy biases in fear and anxiety, and their association with attention biases. We suggest that evidence calls for more comprehensive research strategies in the investigation of mutual influences between expectancy and attention biases, as well as their combined effects on fear and anxiety. Moreover, both types of bias need to be related to other types of distorted information processing commonly observed in fear and anxiety (e.g., memory and interpretation biases). Finally, we propose new research directions that may be worth considering in developing more effective treatments for anxiety disorders. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Extension Learning Exchange: Lessons from Nicaragua

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Treadwell, Paul; Lachapelle, Paul; Howe, Rod

    2013-01-01

    There is a clear need to support global professional development, international education, and collaborative learning opportunities in Extension. The program described here established an international learning exchange in Nicaragua to lead to global professional development and future international collaboration. The primary lessons and outcomes…

  15. A review of bias flow liners for acoustic damping in gas turbine combustors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lahiri, C.; Bake, F.

    2017-07-01

    The optimized design of bias flow liner is a key element for the development of low emission combustion systems in modern gas turbines and aero-engines. The research of bias flow liners has a fairly long history concerning both the parameter dependencies as well as the methods to model the acoustic behaviour of bias flow liners under the variety of different bias and grazing flow conditions. In order to establish an overview over the state of the art, this paper provides a comprehensive review about the published research on bias flow liners and modelling approaches with an extensive study of the most relevant parameters determining the acoustic behaviour of these liners. The paper starts with a historical description of available investigations aiming on the characterization of the bias flow absorption principle. This chronological compendium is extended by the recent and ongoing developments in this field. In a next step the fundamental acoustic property of bias flow liner in terms of the wall impedance is introduced and the different derivations and formulations of this impedance yielding the different published model descriptions are explained and compared. Finally, a parametric study reveals the most relevant parameters for the acoustic damping behaviour of bias flow liners and how this is reflected by the various model representations. Although the general trend of the investigated acoustic behaviour is captured by the different models fairly well for a certain range of parameters, in the transition region between the resonance dominated and the purely bias flow related regime all models lack the correct damping prediction. This seems to be connected to the proper implementation of the reactance as a function of bias flow Mach number.

  16. Negative magnetization and the sign reversal of exchange bias field in Co(Cr1-xMnx)2O4 (0≤x≤0.6)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Canglong; Yan, Tengyun; Chakrabarti, Chiranjib; Zhang, Run; Chen, Xinghan; Fu, Qingshan; Yuan, Songliu; Barasa, Godfrey Okumu

    2018-03-01

    A series of Co(Cr1-xMnx)2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) ceramic samples have been synthesized by using the sol-gel method. The magnetic properties of the ceramics are experimentally studied through different protocols of dc magnetization measurements. It is found that Mn-doping continuously decreases the total magnetization for x in the range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2 and the net magnetization becomes negative in the range of 0.3 ≤ x ≤ 0.5. The net magnetization reverses and becomes positive upon further increasing x to 0.6. This unusual magnetic phenomenon in the system for x = 0.3-0.5 can be called as negative magnetization. It is regarded as arising from the competition of the two magnetic sublattices at different crystallographic sites. For the sample x = 0.3, the magnetic switching effect near the compensation temperature Tcomp has been studied, and it shows potential applications in the spintronic devices. The magnetic configuration of the sample could be changed under a high magnetic field, and the spin is reoriented at TSR. Both positive and negative exchange bias effects are observed, which are ascribed to the pinning force of uncompensated spins on ferromagnetic moments and the magneto-structural transition, respectively.

  17. Large-scale galaxy bias

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desjacques, Vincent; Jeong, Donghui; Schmidt, Fabian

    2018-02-01

    This review presents a comprehensive overview of galaxy bias, that is, the statistical relation between the distribution of galaxies and matter. We focus on large scales where cosmic density fields are quasi-linear. On these scales, the clustering of galaxies can be described by a perturbative bias expansion, and the complicated physics of galaxy formation is absorbed by a finite set of coefficients of the expansion, called bias parameters. The review begins with a detailed derivation of this very important result, which forms the basis of the rigorous perturbative description of galaxy clustering, under the assumptions of General Relativity and Gaussian, adiabatic initial conditions. Key components of the bias expansion are all leading local gravitational observables, which include the matter density but also tidal fields and their time derivatives. We hence expand the definition of local bias to encompass all these contributions. This derivation is followed by a presentation of the peak-background split in its general form, which elucidates the physical meaning of the bias parameters, and a detailed description of the connection between bias parameters and galaxy statistics. We then review the excursion-set formalism and peak theory which provide predictions for the values of the bias parameters. In the remainder of the review, we consider the generalizations of galaxy bias required in the presence of various types of cosmological physics that go beyond pressureless matter with adiabatic, Gaussian initial conditions: primordial non-Gaussianity, massive neutrinos, baryon-CDM isocurvature perturbations, dark energy, and modified gravity. Finally, we discuss how the description of galaxy bias in the galaxies' rest frame is related to clustering statistics measured from the observed angular positions and redshifts in actual galaxy catalogs.

  18. Don't panic: interpretation bias is predictive of new onsets of panic disorder.

    PubMed

    Woud, Marcella L; Zhang, Xiao Chi; Becker, Eni S; McNally, Richard J; Margraf, Jürgen

    2014-01-01

    Psychological models of panic disorder postulate that interpretation of ambiguous material as threatening is an important maintaining factor for the disorder. However, demonstrations of whether such a bias predicts onset of panic disorder are missing. In the present study, we used data from the Dresden Prediction Study, in which a epidemiologic sample of young German women was tested at two time points approximately 17 months apart, allowing the study of biased interpretation as a potential risk factor. At time point one, participants completed an Interpretation Questionnaire including two types of ambiguous scenarios: panic-related and general threat-related. Analyses revealed that a panic-related interpretation bias predicted onset of panic disorder, even after controlling for two established risk factors: anxiety sensitivity and fear of bodily sensations. This is the first prospective study demonstrating the incremental validity of interpretation bias as a predictor of panic disorder onset. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. The Politics of Affirmation Theory: When Group-Affirmation Leads to Greater Ingroup Bias.

    PubMed

    Ehrlich, Gaven A; Gramzow, Richard H

    2015-08-01

    It has been well established in the literature that affirming the individual self reduces the tendency to exhibit group-favoring biases. The limited research examining group-affirmation and bias, however, is inconclusive. We argue that group-affirmation can exacerbate group-serving biases in certain contexts, and in the current set of studies, we document this phenomenon directly. Unlike self-affirmation, group-affirmation led to greater ingroup-favoring evaluative judgments among political partisans (Experiment 1). This increase in evaluative bias following group-affirmation was moderated by political party identification and was not found among those who affirmed a non-political ingroup (Experiment 2). In addition, the mechanism underlying these findings is explored and interpreted within the theoretical frameworks of self-categorization theory and the multiple self-aspects model (Experiments 2 and 3). The broader implications of our findings for the understanding of social identity and affirmation theory are discussed. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  20. Program of operation for the National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Edwards, Melvin D.

    1977-01-01

    The National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX) has been established as a nationwide program directed at improving access to water and water-related data and disseminating information about the availability of these data throughout the entire water-resources community. NAWDEX is composed of a confederation of water-oriented organizations working together to facilitate the exchange of data and to improve the technology of data handling and transfer. This report is intended to provide guidelines to assure that all member organizations participate equally and that a climate of cooperation and open communication is established among participating members. (Woodard-USGS)

  1. Looking on the bright side: biased attention and the human serotonin transporter gene.

    PubMed

    Fox, Elaine; Ridgewell, Anna; Ashwin, Chris

    2009-05-22

    Humans differ in terms of biased attention for emotional stimuli and these biases can confer differential resilience and vulnerability to emotional disorders. Selective processing of positive emotional information, for example, is associated with enhanced sociability and well-being while a bias for negative material is associated with neuroticism and anxiety. A tendency to selectively avoid negative material might also be associated with mental health and well-being. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying these cognitive phenotypes are currently unknown. Here we show for the first time that allelic variation in the promotor region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is associated with differential biases for positive and negative affective pictures. Individuals homozygous for the long allele (LL) showed a marked bias to selectively process positive affective material alongside selective avoidance of negative affective material. This potentially protective pattern was absent among individuals carrying the short allele (S or SL). Thus, allelic variation on a common genetic polymorphism was associated with the tendency to selectively process positive or negative information. The current study is important in demonstrating a genotype-related alteration in a well-established processing bias, which is a known risk factor in determining both resilience and vulnerability to emotional disorders.

  2. Born at the Wrong Time: Selection Bias in the NHL Draft

    PubMed Central

    Deaner, Robert O.; Lowen, Aaron; Cobley, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    Relative age effects (RAEs) occur when those who are relatively older for their age group are more likely to succeed. RAEs occur reliably in some educational and athletic contexts, yet the causal mechanisms remain unclear. Here we provide the first direct test of one mechanism, selection bias, which can be defined as evaluators granting fewer opportunities to relatively younger individuals than is warranted by their latent ability. Because RAEs are well-established in hockey, we analyzed National Hockey League (NHL) drafts from 1980 to 2006. Compared to those born in the first quarter (i.e., January–March), those born in the third and fourth quarters were drafted more than 40 slots later than their productivity warranted, and they were roughly twice as likely to reach career benchmarks, such as 400 games played or 200 points scored. This selection bias in drafting did not decrease over time, apparently continues to occur, and reduces the playing opportunities of relatively younger players. This bias is remarkable because it is exhibited by professional decision makers evaluating adults in a context where RAEs have been widely publicized. Thus, selection bias based on relative age may be pervasive. PMID:23460902

  3. Attention bias in adults with anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder

    PubMed Central

    Schneier, Franklin R.; Kimeldorf, Marcia B.; Choo, Tse; Steinglass, Joanna E.; Wall, Melanie; Fyer, Abby J.; Simpson, H. Blair

    2016-01-01

    Background Attention bias to threat (selective attention toward threatening stimuli) has been frequently found in anxiety disorder samples, but its distribution both within and beyond this category is unclear. Attention bias has been studied extensively in social anxiety disorder (SAD) but relatively little in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), historically considered an anxiety disorder, or anorexia nervosa (AN), which is often characterized by interpersonal as well as body image/eating fears. Methods Medication-free adults with SAD (n=43), OCD (n=50), or AN (n=30), and healthy control volunteers (HC, n=74) were evaluated for attention bias with an established dot probe task presenting images of angry and neutral faces. Additional outcomes included attention bias variability (ABV), which summarizes fluctuation in attention between vigilance and avoidance, and has been reported to have superior reliability. We hypothesized that attention bias would be elevated in SAD and associated with SAD severity. Results Attention bias in each disorder did not differ from HC, but within the SAD group attention bias correlated significantly with severity of social avoidance. ABV was significantly lower in OCD versus HC, and it correlated positively with severity of OCD symptoms within the OCD group. Conclusions Findings do not support differences from HC in attention bias to threat faces for SAD, OCD, or AN. Within the SAD sample, the association of attention bias with severity of social avoidance is consistent with evidence that attention bias moderates development of social withdrawal. The association of ABV with OCD diagnosis and severity is novel and deserves further study. PMID:27174402

  4. 43 CFR 3436.2-1 - Qualified exchange proponents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... interrupt farming or materially damage the quantity and quality of the water in surface or underground water... Control and Reclamation Act. (b) Exchange proponents bear the burden of establishing their qualifications...

  5. 43 CFR 3436.2-1 - Qualified exchange proponents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... interrupt farming or materially damage the quantity and quality of the water in surface or underground water... Control and Reclamation Act. (b) Exchange proponents bear the burden of establishing their qualifications...

  6. Large-scale galaxy bias

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeong, Donghui; Desjacques, Vincent; Schmidt, Fabian

    2018-01-01

    Here, we briefly introduce the key results of the recent review (arXiv:1611.09787), whose abstract is as following. This review presents a comprehensive overview of galaxy bias, that is, the statistical relation between the distribution of galaxies and matter. We focus on large scales where cosmic density fields are quasi-linear. On these scales, the clustering of galaxies can be described by a perturbative bias expansion, and the complicated physics of galaxy formation is absorbed by a finite set of coefficients of the expansion, called bias parameters. The review begins with a detailed derivation of this very important result, which forms the basis of the rigorous perturbative description of galaxy clustering, under the assumptions of General Relativity and Gaussian, adiabatic initial conditions. Key components of the bias expansion are all leading local gravitational observables, which include the matter density but also tidal fields and their time derivatives. We hence expand the definition of local bias to encompass all these contributions. This derivation is followed by a presentation of the peak-background split in its general form, which elucidates the physical meaning of the bias parameters, and a detailed description of the connection between bias parameters and galaxy (or halo) statistics. We then review the excursion set formalism and peak theory which provide predictions for the values of the bias parameters. In the remainder of the review, we consider the generalizations of galaxy bias required in the presence of various types of cosmological physics that go beyond pressureless matter with adiabatic, Gaussian initial conditions: primordial non-Gaussianity, massive neutrinos, baryon-CDM isocurvature perturbations, dark energy, and modified gravity. Finally, we discuss how the description of galaxy bias in the galaxies' rest frame is related to clustering statistics measured from the observed angular positions and redshifts in actual galaxy catalogs.

  7. 45 CFR 156.1110 - Establishment of patient safety standards for QHP issuers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... STANDARDS RELATED TO EXCHANGES Quality Standards § 156.1110 Establishment of patient safety standards for QHP issuers. (a) Patient safety standards. A QHP issuer that contracts with a hospital with greater... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Establishment of patient safety standards for QHP...

  8. In-Hospital Paternity Establishment and Father Involvement in Fragile Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mincy, Ronald; Garfinkel, Irwin; Nepomnyaschy, Lenna

    2005-01-01

    This article assesses the effectiveness of in-hospital paternity establishment, a federal requirement since 1993. We avoid biases in previous studies by using a national sample of nonmarital births (N= 3,254), by including detailed controls for characteristics of unwed mothers and previously unavailable controls for characteristics of fathers, and…

  9. Selection bias at the heterosexual HIV-1 transmission bottleneck

    PubMed Central

    Carlson, Jonathan M.; Schaefer, Malinda; Monaco, Daniela C.; Batorsky, Rebecca; Claiborne, Daniel T.; Prince, Jessica; Deymier, Martin J.; Ende, Zachary S.; Klatt, Nichole R.; DeZiel, Charles E.; Lin, Tien-Ho; Peng, Jian; Seese, Aaron M.; Shapiro, Roger; Frater, John; Ndung’u, Thumbi; Tang, Jianming; Goepfert, Paul; Gilmour, Jill; Price, Matt A.; Kilembe, William; Heckerman, David; Goulder, Philip J.R.; Allen, Todd M.; Allen, Susan; Hunter, Eric

    2014-01-01

    SUMMARY Introduction Heterosexual HIV-1 transmission is an inefficient process with rates reported at <1% per unprotected sexual exposure. When transmission occurs, systemic infection is typically established by a single genetic variant, taken from the swarm of genetically distinct viruses circulating in the donor. Whether that founder virus represents a chance event or was systematically favored is unclear. Our work has tested a central hypothesis that founder virus selection is biased toward certain genetic characteristics. Rationale If HIV-1 transmission involves selection for viruses with certain favorable characteristics, then such advantages should emerge as statistical biases when viewed across many viral loci in many transmitting partners. We therefore identified 137 Zambian heterosexual transmission pairs, for whom plasma samples were available for both the donor and recipient partner soon after transmission, and compared the viral sequences obtained from each partner to identify features that predicted whether the majority amino acid observed at any particular position in the donor was transmitted. We focused attention on two features: viral genetic characteristics that correlate with viral fitness, and clinical factors that influence transmission. Statistical modeling indicates that the former will be favored for transmission, while the latter will nullify this relative advantage. Results We observed a highly significant selection bias that favors the transmission of amino acids associated with increased fitness. These features included the frequency of the amino acid in the study cohort, the relative advantage of the amino acid with respect to the stability of the protein, and features related to immune escape and compensation. This selection bias was reduced in couples with high risk of transmission. In particular, significantly less selection bias was observed in women and in men with genital inflammation, compared to healthy men, suggesting a more

  10. Enhanced conformational sampling of nucleic acids by a new Hamiltonian replica exchange molecular dynamics approach.

    PubMed

    Curuksu, Jeremy; Zacharias, Martin

    2009-03-14

    Although molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been applied frequently to study flexible molecules, the sampling of conformational states separated by barriers is limited due to currently possible simulation time scales. Replica-exchange (Rex)MD simulations that allow for exchanges between simulations performed at different temperatures (T-RexMD) can achieve improved conformational sampling. However, in the case of T-RexMD the computational demand grows rapidly with system size. A Hamiltonian RexMD method that specifically enhances coupled dihedral angle transitions has been developed. The method employs added biasing potentials as replica parameters that destabilize available dihedral substates and was applied to study coupled dihedral transitions in nucleic acid molecules. The biasing potentials can be either fixed at the beginning of the simulation or optimized during an equilibration phase. The method was extensively tested and compared to conventional MD simulations and T-RexMD simulations on an adenine dinucleotide system and on a DNA abasic site. The biasing potential RexMD method showed improved sampling of conformational substates compared to conventional MD simulations similar to T-RexMD simulations but at a fraction of the computational demand. It is well suited to study systematically the fine structure and dynamics of large nucleic acids under realistic conditions including explicit solvent and ions and can be easily extended to other types of molecules.

  11. No Girls Allowed: Women in Male-Dominated Majors Experience Increased Gender Harassment and Bias.

    PubMed

    Dresden, Brooke E; Dresden, Alexander Y; Ridge, Robert D; Yamawaki, Niwako

    2018-06-01

    The prevalence of gender harassment in male-dominated workforces has been well established, but little is known regarding the experiences of women in male-dominated majors within academia. The current study examines the experiences and gender-related biases of 146 male and female students in male-dominated (MD) and gender-equivalent (GE) majors. This study hypothesizes that men from MD majors, as opposed to GE majors, will exhibit more explicit and implicit bias regarding women in positions of power and authority, resulting in a higher prevalence of gender harassment towards women in MD majors. Results showed that there was no significant difference in self-reported explicit bias against women in positions of power and authority between men from MD and GE majors, but there was significantly more implicit bias among men from MD majors as opposed to GE majors. Additionally, women from MD majors experienced significantly more gender harassment than women from GE majors. Implications of these findings and suggestions to assist those working in education to combat these biases and instances of harassment are discussed.

  12. Attentional bias in smokers: exposure to dynamic smoking cues in contemporary movies.

    PubMed

    Lochbuehler, Kirsten; Voogd, Hubert; Scholte, Ron H J; Engels, Rutger C M E

    2011-04-01

    Research has shown that smokers have an attentional bias for pictorial smoking cues. The objective of the present study was to examine whether smokers also have an attentional bias for dynamic smoking cues in contemporary movies and therefore fixate more quickly, more often and for longer periods of time on dynamic smoking cues than non-smokers. By drawing upon established methods for assessing attentional biases for pictorial cues, we aimed to develop a new method for assessing attentional biases for dynamic smoking cues. We examined smokers' and non-smokers' eye movements while watching a movie clip by using eye-tracking technology. The sample consisted of 16 smoking and 17 non-smoking university students. Our results confirm the results of traditional pictorial attentional bias research. Smokers initially directed their gaze more quickly towards smoking-related cues (p = 0.01), focusing on them more often (p = 0.05) and for a longer duration (p = 0.01) compared with non-smokers. Thus, smoking cues in movies directly affect the attention of smokers. These findings indicate that the effects of dynamic smoking cues, in addition to other environmental smoking cues, need to be taken into account in smoking cessation therapies in order to increase successful smoking cessation and to prevent relapses.

  13. Explication of Interspousal Criticality Bias

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Kristina M.; Smith, David A.; Windle, Chaunce R.

    2009-01-01

    Although bias towards perceiving spousal criticism is related to dysphoria and marital discord (Smith & Peterson, 2008), the bias construct has received insufficient elaboration. We explicated the criticality bias construct by exploring its correlates and incremental validity relative to perceived criticism, marital attributions, and negative affect. 118 couples completed self-report measures and undertook a videotaped discussion task. Signal detection analyses of both spouses’ and outside observers’ ratings of discussions produced bias indices. Criticality bias evidenced a pattern of convergent and discriminant validity mirroring perceived criticism’s (Renshaw, 2008). Bias also provided incremental validity beyond perceived criticism, marital attributions, and negative affect to the prediction of behavior. Bias may be a dysfunctional way to view marital events and a stress generation process. PMID:19286167

  14. Toward a Choice-Based Judgment Bias Task for Horses.

    PubMed

    Hintze, Sara; Roth, Emma; Bachmann, Iris; Würbel, Hanno

    2017-01-01

    Judgment bias tasks for nonhuman animals are promising tools to assess emotional valence as a measure of animal welfare. In view of establishing a valid judgment bias task for horses, the present study aimed to evaluate 2 versions (go/no-go and active choice) of an auditory judgment bias task for horses in terms of acquisition learning and discrimination of ambiguous cues. Five mares and 5 stallions were randomly assigned to the 2 designs and trained for 10 trials per day to acquire different operant responses to a low-frequency tone and a high-frequency tone, respectively. Following acquisition learning, horses were tested on 4 days with 3 ambiguous-tone trials interspersed between the 10 high-tone and low-tone trials. All 5 go/no-go horses but only one active-choice horse successfully learned their task, indicating that it is more difficult to train horses on an active choice task than on a go/no-go task. During testing, however, go/no-go horses did not differentiate between the 3 different ambiguous cues, thereby making the validity of the test results questionable in terms of emotional valence.

  15. Empirical single sample quantification of bias and variance in Q-ball imaging.

    PubMed

    Hainline, Allison E; Nath, Vishwesh; Parvathaneni, Prasanna; Blaber, Justin A; Schilling, Kurt G; Anderson, Adam W; Kang, Hakmook; Landman, Bennett A

    2018-02-06

    The bias and variance of high angular resolution diffusion imaging methods have not been thoroughly explored in the literature and may benefit from the simulation extrapolation (SIMEX) and bootstrap techniques to estimate bias and variance of high angular resolution diffusion imaging metrics. The SIMEX approach is well established in the statistics literature and uses simulation of increasingly noisy data to extrapolate back to a hypothetical case with no noise. The bias of calculated metrics can then be computed by subtracting the SIMEX estimate from the original pointwise measurement. The SIMEX technique has been studied in the context of diffusion imaging to accurately capture the bias in fractional anisotropy measurements in DTI. Herein, we extend the application of SIMEX and bootstrap approaches to characterize bias and variance in metrics obtained from a Q-ball imaging reconstruction of high angular resolution diffusion imaging data. The results demonstrate that SIMEX and bootstrap approaches provide consistent estimates of the bias and variance of generalized fractional anisotropy, respectively. The RMSE for the generalized fractional anisotropy estimates shows a 7% decrease in white matter and an 8% decrease in gray matter when compared with the observed generalized fractional anisotropy estimates. On average, the bootstrap technique results in SD estimates that are approximately 97% of the true variation in white matter, and 86% in gray matter. Both SIMEX and bootstrap methods are flexible, estimate population characteristics based on single scans, and may be extended for bias and variance estimation on a variety of high angular resolution diffusion imaging metrics. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  16. The Rac-specific exchange factors Dock1 and Dock5 are dispensable for the establishment of the glomerular filtration barrier in vivo

    PubMed Central

    Laurin, Mélanie; Dumouchel, Annie; Fukui, Yoshinori; Côté, Jean-François

    2013-01-01

    Podocytes are specialized kidney cells that form the kidney filtration barrier through the connection of their foot processes. Nephrin and Neph family transmembrane molecules at the surface of podocytes interconnect to form a unique type of cell-cell junction, the slit diaphragm, which acts as a molecular sieve. The cytoplasmic tails of Nephrin and Neph mediate cytoskeletal rearrangement that contributes to the maintenance of the filtration barrier. Nephrin and Neph1 orthologs are essential to regulate cell-cell adhesion and Rac-dependent actin rearrangement during Drosophila myoblast fusion. We hypothesized here that molecules regulating myoblast fusion in Drosophila could contribute to signaling downstream of Nephrin and Neph1 in podocytes. We found that Nephrin engagement promoted recruitment of the Rac exchange factor Dock1 to the membrane. Furthermore, Nephrin overexpression led to lamellipodia formation that could be blocked by inhibiting Rac1 activity. We generated in vivo mouse models to investigate whether Dock1 and Dock5 contribute to the formation and maintenance of the kidney filtration barrier. Our results indicate that while Dock1 and Dock5 are expressed in podocytes, their functions are not essential for the development of the glomerular filtration barrier. Furthermore, mice lacking Dock1 were not protected from LPS-induced podocyte effacement. Our data suggest that Dock1 and Dock5 are not the important exchange factors regulating Rac activity during the establishment and maintenance of the glomerular barrier. PMID:24365888

  17. 75 FR 77024 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-10

    ... Bond Trading License for Member Organizations and Establish Bonds Liquidity Providers as a New Market... securities on the Exchange; and (2) establish a new class of NYSE market participants, ``Bonds Liquidity... financial incentives for bringing liquidity to the Exchange's bond market. The purpose of the proposed rule...

  18. Dynamically biased statistical model for the ortho/para conversion in the H2+H3+ --> H3++ H2 reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gómez-Carrasco, Susana; González-Sánchez, Lola; Aguado, Alfredo; Sanz-Sanz, Cristina; Zanchet, Alexandre; Roncero, Octavio

    2012-09-01

    In this work we present a dynamically biased statistical model to describe the evolution of the title reaction from statistical to a more direct mechanism, using quasi-classical trajectories (QCT). The method is based on the one previously proposed by Park and Light [J. Chem. Phys. 126, 044305 (2007), 10.1063/1.2430711]. A recent global potential energy surface is used here to calculate the capture probabilities, instead of the long-range ion-induced dipole interactions. The dynamical constraints are introduced by considering a scrambling matrix which depends on energy and determine the probability of the identity/hop/exchange mechanisms. These probabilities are calculated using QCT. It is found that the high zero-point energy of the fragments is transferred to the rest of the degrees of freedom, what shortens the lifetime of H_5^+ complexes and, as a consequence, the exchange mechanism is produced with lower proportion. The zero-point energy (ZPE) is not properly described in quasi-classical trajectory calculations and an approximation is done in which the initial ZPE of the reactants is reduced in QCT calculations to obtain a new ZPE-biased scrambling matrix. This reduction of the ZPE is explained by the need of correcting the pure classical level number of the H_5^+ complex, as done in classical simulations of unimolecular processes and to get equivalent quantum and classical rate constants using Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory. This matrix allows to obtain a ratio of hop/exchange mechanisms, α(T), in rather good agreement with recent experimental results by Crabtree et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 134, 194311 (2011), 10.1063/1.3587246] at room temperature. At lower temperatures, however, the present simulations predict too high ratios because the biased scrambling matrix is not statistical enough. This demonstrates the importance of applying quantum methods to simulate this reaction at the low temperatures of astrophysical interest.

  19. Evaluation of Life Events in Major Depression: Assessing Negative Emotional Bias.

    PubMed

    Girz, Laura; Driver-Linn, Erin; Miller, Gregory A; Deldin, Patricia J

    2017-05-01

    Overly negative appraisals of negative life events characterize depression but patterns of emotion bias associated with life events in depression are not well understood. The goal of this paper is to determine under which situations emotional responses are stronger than expected given life events and which emotions are biased. Depressed (n = 16) and non-depressed (n = 14) participants (mean age = 41.4 years) wrote about negative life events involving their own actions and inactions, and rated the current emotion elicited by those events. They also rated emotions elicited by someone else's actions and inactions. These ratings were compared with evaluations provided by a second, 'benchmark' group of non-depressed individuals (n = 20) in order to assess the magnitude and direction of possible biased emotional reactions in the two groups. Participants with depression reported greater anger and disgust than expected in response to both actions and inactions, whereas they reported greater guilt, shame, sadness, responsibility and fear than expected in response to inactions. Relative to non-depressed and benchmark participants, depressed participants were overly negative in the evaluation of their own life events, but not the life events of others. A standardized method for establishing emotional bias reveals a pattern of overly negative emotion only in depressed individuals' self-evaluations, and in particular with respect to anger and disgust, lending support to claims that major depressives' evaluations represent negative emotional bias and to clinical interventions that address this bias. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Bias and design in software specifications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Straub, Pablo A.; Zelkowitz, Marvin V.

    1990-01-01

    Implementation bias in a specification is an arbitrary constraint in the solution space. Presented here is a model of bias in software specifications. Bias is defined in terms of the specification process and a classification of the attributes of the software product. Our definition of bias provides insight into both the origin and the consequences of bias. It also shows that bias is relative and essentially unavoidable. Finally, we describe current work on defining a measure of bias, formalizing our model, and relating bias to software defects.

  1. The Life Science Exchange: a case study of a sectoral and sub-sectoral knowledge exchange programme.

    PubMed

    Perkins, Brian Lee; Garlick, Rob; Wren, Jodie; Smart, Jon; Kennedy, Julie; Stephens, Phil; Tudor, Gwyn; Bisson, Jonathan; Ford, David V

    2016-04-27

    Local and national governments have implemented sector-specific policies to support economic development through innovation, entrepreneurship and knowledge exchange. Supported by the Welsh Government through the European Regional Development Fund, The Life Science Exchange® project was created with the aim to increase interaction between stakeholders, to develop more effective knowledge exchange mechanisms, and to stimulate the formation and maintenance of long-term collaborative relationships within the Welsh life sciences ecosystem. The Life Science Exchange allowed participants to interact with other stakeholder communities (clinical, academic, business, governmental), exchange perspectives and discover new opportunities. Six sub-sector focus groups comprising over 200 senior stakeholders from academia, industry, the Welsh Government and National Health Service were established. Over 18 months, each focus group provided input to inform healthcare innovation policy and knowledge mapping exercises of their respective sub-sectors. Collaborative projects identified during the focus groups and stakeholder engagement were further developed through sandpit events and bespoke support. Each sub-sector focus group produced a report outlining the significant strengths and opportunities in their respective areas of focus, made recommendations to overcome any 'system failures', and identified the stakeholder groups which needed to take action. A second outcome was a stakeholder-driven knowledge mapping exercise for each area of focus. Finally, the sandpit events and bespoke support resulted in participants generating more than £1.66 million in grant funding and inward investment. This article outlines four separate outcomes from the Life Science Exchange programme. The Life Science Exchange process has resulted in a multitude of collaborations, projects, inward investment opportunities and special interest group formations, in addition to securing over ten times its own

  2. Magnetization reversal and inverted magnetoresistance of exchange-biased spin valves with a gadolinium layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milyaev, M.; Naumova, L.; Chernyshova, T.; Proglyado, V.; Kamensky, I.; Krinitsina, T.; Ryabukhina, M.; Ustinov, V.

    2017-03-01

    FeMn-based spin valves with a gadolinium layer have been fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The magnetoresistive properties of the spin valves have been investigated at temperatures of 80-293 K. Temperature-induced switching between low- and high-resistance magnetic states has been revealed. Realization of the low- or high-resistance states depends on which magnetic moment dominates in the exchange-coupled Gd/CoFe, of Gd or CoFe. It has been shown that the switching temperature depends on the thickness of the gadolinium layer.

  3. The Likelihood of Injury Among Bias Crimes: An Analysis of General and Specific Bias Types.

    PubMed

    Pezzella, Frank S; Fetzer, Matthew D

    2015-06-18

    In 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Mathew Sheppard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Protection act and thereby extended the list of previously protected classes of victims from actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, disability and sex orientation to gender and gender identity. Over 45 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government now include hate crime statutes that increase penalties when offenders perpetrate hate crimes against protected classes of victims. Penalty enhancement statutes sanction unlawful bias conduct arguably because they result in more severe injuries relative to non-bias conduct. We contend that physical injuries vary by bias type and are not equally injurious. Data on bias crimes was analyzed from the National Incident Based Reporting System. Descriptive patterns of bias crimes were identified by offense type, bias motivation and major and minor injuries. Using Multivariate analyses, we found an escalating trend of violence against racial minorities. Moreover, relative to non-bias crimes, only anti-White and anti-lesbian bias crimes experienced our two prong "animus" criteria of disproportionate prevalence and severity of injury. However, when compared to anti-White bias, anti-Black bias crimes were more prevalent and likely to suffer serious injuries. Implications for hate crime jurisprudence are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. A "Scientific Diversity" Intervention to Reduce Gender Bias in a Sample of Life Scientists.

    PubMed

    Moss-Racusin, Corinne A; van der Toorn, Jojanneke; Dovidio, John F; Brescoll, Victoria L; Graham, Mark J; Handelsman, Jo

    2016-01-01

    Mounting experimental evidence suggests that subtle gender biases favoring men contribute to the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including many subfields of the life sciences. However, there are relatively few evaluations of diversity interventions designed to reduce gender biases within the STEM community. Because gender biases distort the meritocratic evaluation and advancement of students, interventions targeting instructors' biases are particularly needed. We evaluated one such intervention, a workshop called "Scientific Diversity" that was consistent with an established framework guiding the development of diversity interventions designed to reduce biases and was administered to a sample of life science instructors (N = 126) at several sessions of the National Academies Summer Institute for Undergraduate Education held nationwide. Evidence emerged indicating the efficacy of the "Scientific Diversity" workshop, such that participants were more aware of gender bias, expressed less gender bias, and were more willing to engage in actions to reduce gender bias 2 weeks after participating in the intervention compared with 2 weeks before the intervention. Implications for diversity interventions aimed at reducing gender bias and broadening the participation of women in the life sciences are discussed. © 2016 C. A. Moss-Racusin et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  5. Trust and biased memory of transgressions in romantic relationships.

    PubMed

    Luchies, Laura B; Wieselquist, Jennifer; Rusbult, Caryl E; Kumashiro, Madoka; Eastwick, Paul W; Coolsen, Michael K; Finkel, Eli J

    2013-04-01

    Relative to people with low trust in their romantic partner, people with high trust tend to expect that their partner will act in accordance with their interests. Consequently, we suggest, they have the luxury of remembering the past in a way that prioritizes relationship dependence over self-protection. In particular, they tend to exhibit relationship-promoting memory biases regarding transgressions the partner had enacted in the past. In contrast, at the other end of the spectrum, people with low trust in their partner tend to be uncertain about whether their partner will act in accordance with their interests. Consequently, we suggest, they feel compelled to remember the past in a way that prioritizes self-protection over relationship dependence. In particular, they tend to exhibit self-protective memory biases regarding transgressions the partner had enacted in the past. Four longitudinal studies of participants involved in established dating relationships or fledgling romantic relationships demonstrated that the greater a person's trust in their partner, the more positively they tend to remember the number, severity, and consequentiality of their partner's past transgressions-controlling for their initial reports. Such trust-inspired memory bias was partner-specific; it was more reliably evident for recall of the partner's transgressions and forgiveness than for recall of one's own transgressions and forgiveness. Furthermore, neither trust-inspired memory bias nor its partner-specific nature was attributable to potential confounds such as relationship commitment, relationship satisfaction, self-esteem, or attachment orientations.

  6. Thickness dependence of exchange anisotropy for (0 0 1) oriented Mn 89Pt 11/NiFe and Mn 80Ir 20/NiFe bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kume, T.; Yamato, T.; Kato, T.; Tsunashima, S.; Iwata, S.

    2007-03-01

    Antiferromagnetic layer thickness dependences of exchange anisotropy for (0 0 1) oriented Mn 89Pt 11 ( tAF nm)/Ni 80Fe 20 (5 nm) and Mn 80Ir 20 ( tAF nm)/Ni 80Fe 20 (5 nm) were investigated. For Mn 89Pt 11/NiFe, the exchange bias field appeared at tAF⩾5 nm. This critical thickness was found to be thicker than that of Mn 80Ir 20/NiFe ( tAF=3 nm). The thickness dependence of exchange bias field agreed well with that of 1-fold Fourier amplitude estimated from in-plane torque curves. The large coercivity of about 100 Oe was found for Mn 89Pt 11/NiFe at tAF=30 nm compared to that of Mn 80Ir 20/NiFe. The large coercivity in Mn 89Pt 11/NiFe bilayers seems to result from the large 4-fold anisotropy in their torque curve.

  7. Biases in the production and reception of collective knowledge: the case of hindsight bias in Wikipedia.

    PubMed

    Oeberst, Aileen; von der Beck, Ina; D Back, Mitja; Cress, Ulrike; Nestler, Steffen

    2017-04-17

    The Web 2.0 enabled collaboration at an unprecedented level. In one of the flagships of mass collaboration-Wikipedia-a large number of authors socially negotiate the world's largest compendium of knowledge. Several guidelines in Wikipedia restrict contributions to verifiable information from reliable sources to ensure recognized knowledge. Much psychological research demonstrates, however, that individual information processing is biased. This poses the question whether individual biases translate to Wikipedia articles or whether they are prevented by its guidelines. The present research makes use of hindsight bias to examine this question. To this end, we analyzed foresight and hindsight versions of Wikipedia articles regarding a broad variety of events (Study 1). We found the majority of articles not to contain traces of hindsight bias-contrary to prior individual research. However, for a particular category of events-disasters-we found robust evidence for hindsight bias. In a lab experiment (Study 2), we then examined whether individuals' hindsight bias is translated into articles under controlled conditions and tested whether collaborative writing-as present in Wikipedia-affects the resultant bias (vs. individual writing). Finally, we investigated the impact of biased Wikipedia articles on readers (Study 3). As predicted, biased articles elicited a hindsight bias in readers, who had not known of the event previously. Moreover, biased articles also affected individuals who knew about the event already, and who had already developed a hindsight bias: biased articles further increased their hindsight.

  8. Experimental phase diagram of zero-bias conductance peaks in superconductor/semiconductor nanowire devices

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Jun; Yu, Peng; Stenger, John; Hocevar, Moïra; Car, Diana; Plissard, Sébastien R.; Bakkers, Erik P. A. M.; Stanescu, Tudor D.; Frolov, Sergey M.

    2017-01-01

    Topological superconductivity is an exotic state of matter characterized by spinless p-wave Cooper pairing of electrons and by Majorana zero modes at the edges. The first signature of topological superconductivity is a robust zero-bias peak in tunneling conductance. We perform tunneling experiments on semiconductor nanowires (InSb) coupled to superconductors (NbTiN) and establish the zero-bias peak phase in the space of gate voltage and external magnetic field. Our findings are consistent with calculations for a finite-length topological nanowire and provide means for Majorana manipulation as required for braiding and topological quantum bits. PMID:28913432

  9. 77 FR 15826 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Order Approving a Proposed Rule...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-16

    ... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-66576; File No. SR-NYSE-2012-01] Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Order Approving a Proposed Rule Change To Establish an NYBX Immediate-or- Cancel Order March 12, 2012. I. Introduction On January 11, 2012, the New York Stock Exchange LLC (``NYSE'' or ``Exchange'') file...

  10. Analysis of the effect of attachment point bias during large space debris removal using a tethered space tug

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Zhongyi; Di, Jingnan; Cui, Jing

    2017-10-01

    Space debris occupies a valuable orbital resource and is an inevitable and urgent problem, especially for large space debris because of its high risk and the possible crippling effects of a collision. Space debris has attracted much attention in recent years. A tethered system used in an active debris removal scenario is a promising method to de-orbit large debris in a safe manner. In a tethered system, the flexibility of the tether used in debris removal can possibly induce tangling, which is dangerous and should be avoided. In particular, attachment point bias due to capture error can significantly affect the motion of debris relative to the tether and increase the tangling risk. Hence, in this paper, the effect of attachment point bias on the tethered system is studied based on a dynamic model established based on a Newtonian approach. Next, a safety metric of avoiding a tangle when a tether is tensioned with attachment point bias is designed to analyse the tangling risk of the tethered system. Finally, several numerical cases are established and simulated to validate the effects of attachment point bias on a space tethered system.

  11. Dynamically biased statistical model for the ortho/para conversion in the H2 + H3+ → H3+ + H2 reaction.

    PubMed

    Gómez-Carrasco, Susana; González-Sánchez, Lola; Aguado, Alfredo; Sanz-Sanz, Cristina; Zanchet, Alexandre; Roncero, Octavio

    2012-09-07

    In this work we present a dynamically biased statistical model to describe the evolution of the title reaction from statistical to a more direct mechanism, using quasi-classical trajectories (QCT). The method is based on the one previously proposed by Park and Light [J. Chem. Phys. 126, 044305 (2007)]. A recent global potential energy surface is used here to calculate the capture probabilities, instead of the long-range ion-induced dipole interactions. The dynamical constraints are introduced by considering a scrambling matrix which depends on energy and determine the probability of the identity/hop/exchange mechanisms. These probabilities are calculated using QCT. It is found that the high zero-point energy of the fragments is transferred to the rest of the degrees of freedom, what shortens the lifetime of H(5)(+) complexes and, as a consequence, the exchange mechanism is produced with lower proportion. The zero-point energy (ZPE) is not properly described in quasi-classical trajectory calculations and an approximation is done in which the initial ZPE of the reactants is reduced in QCT calculations to obtain a new ZPE-biased scrambling matrix. This reduction of the ZPE is explained by the need of correcting the pure classical level number of the H(5)(+) complex, as done in classical simulations of unimolecular processes and to get equivalent quantum and classical rate constants using Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory. This matrix allows to obtain a ratio of hop/exchange mechanisms, α(T), in rather good agreement with recent experimental results by Crabtree et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 134, 194311 (2011)] at room temperature. At lower temperatures, however, the present simulations predict too high ratios because the biased scrambling matrix is not statistical enough. This demonstrates the importance of applying quantum methods to simulate this reaction at the low temperatures of astrophysical interest.

  12. Obtaining providers' 'buy-in' and establishing effective means of information exchange will be critical to HITECH's success.

    PubMed

    Gold, Marsha R; McLaughlin, Catherine G; Devers, Kelly J; Berenson, Robert A; Bovbjerg, Randall R

    2012-03-01

    In enacting the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress set ambitious goals for the nation to integrate information technology into health care delivery. The provisions called for the electronic exchange of health information and the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology in health care practices and hospitals. We examined the marketplace and regulatory forces that influence HITECH's success and identify outstanding challenges, some beyond the provisions' control. To reach HITECH's goals, providers and patients must be persuaded of the value of health information exchange and support its implementation. Privacy concerns and remaining technical challenges must also be overcome. Achieving HITECH's goals will require well-aligned incentives, both visionary and practical pursuit of exchange infrastructure, and realistic assumptions about how quickly such wholesale change can be accomplished. The use of metrics to show adoption proceeding at a reasonable pace, increased flow of data across parties, and evidence that care is improving, at least in areas with robust systems, will be essential to persuade stakeholders that the initiative is progressing well and warrants continued investment.

  13. 75 FR 13174 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Order Approving...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-18

    ...-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change To Establish Strike Price Intervals and Trading Hours for Options on Index-Linked Securities March 12, 2010. I. Introduction On January 27, 2010, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated (``CBOE...

  14. Magnetization reversal in exchange biased Co/CoO probed with anisotropic magnetoresistance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gredig, Thomas; Krivorotov, Ilya N.; Dahlberg, E. Dan

    2002-05-01

    The magnetization reversal in exchange coupled polycrystalline Co/CoO bilayers has been investigated as a function of CoO thickness using anisotropic magnetoresistance as a probe. The anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) was measured during the magnetization reversal and it was used to determine the orientation of the magnetization. For thin CoO layers large training effects were present; ergo the first hysteresis loop after field cooling was not the same as the second. The magnitude of the observed training was found to decrease with increasing CoO thickness. In the samples where substantial training was observed, the first magnetization reversal was dominated by nucleation of reversed domains. For the reversal from the antiparallel state back to the parallel direction, the AMR is consistent with a rotation process. In thicker CoO films where the training was less, the asymmetry was drastically reduced. A simple model that couples the antiferromagnetic grains to the ferromagnetic layer simulates qualitatively the observed magnetoresistance.

  15. Review of biased solar array - Plasma interaction studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stevens, N. J.

    1981-01-01

    Possible high voltage surface interactions on the Solar Electric Propulsion System (SEPS) are examined, with particular regard for potential effects on SEPS performance. The SEPS is intended for use for geosynchronous and planetary missions, and derives power from deployed solar cell arrays which are susceptible to collecting ions and electrons from the charged and thermal particle environment of space. The charge exchange plasma which provides the thrust force can also enhance the natural charged particle environment and increase interactions between the thrust system and the biased solar array surface. Tests of small arrays have shown that snapover, where current collection becomes proportional to the panel area, can be avoided by larger cell sizes. Arcing is predicted to diminish with larger array sizes, while the problems of efflux environments are noted to be as yet undefined and require further study.

  16. Cognitive Bias in Systems Verification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Larson, Steve

    2012-01-01

    Working definition of cognitive bias: Patterns by which information is sought and interpreted that can lead to systematic errors in decisions. Cognitive bias is used in diverse fields: Economics, Politics, Intelligence, Marketing, to name a few. Attempts to ground cognitive science in physical characteristics of the cognitive apparatus exceed our knowledge. Studies based on correlations; strict cause and effect is difficult to pinpoint. Effects cited in the paper and discussed here have been replicated many times over, and appear sound. Many biases have been described, but it is still unclear whether they are all distinct. There may only be a handful of fundamental biases, which manifest in various ways. Bias can effect system verification in many ways . Overconfidence -> Questionable decisions to deploy. Availability -> Inability to conceive critical tests. Representativeness -> Overinterpretation of results. Positive Test Strategies -> Confirmation bias. Debiasing at individual level very difficult. The potential effect of bias on the verification process can be managed, but not eliminated. Worth considering at key points in the process.

  17. Dynamin-mediated endocytosis is required for tube closure, cell intercalation, and biased apical expansion during epithelial tubulogenesis in the Drosophila ovary

    PubMed Central

    Peters, Nathaniel C.

    2015-01-01

    Most metazoans are able to grow beyond a few hundred cells and to support differentiated tissues because they elaborate multicellular, epithelial tubes that are indispensable for nutrient and gas exchange. To identify and characterize the cellular behaviors and molecular mechanisms required for the morphogenesis of epithelial tubes (i.e., tubulogenesis), we have turned to the D. melanogaster ovary. Here, epithelia surrounding the developing egg chambers first pattern, then form and extend a set of simple, paired, epithelial tubes, the dorsal appendage (DA) tubes, and they create these structures in the absence of cell division or cell death. This genetically tractable system lets us assess the relative contributions that coordinated changes in cell shape, adhesion, orientation, and migration make to basic epithelial tubulogenesis. We find that Dynamin, a conserved regulator of endocytosis and the cytoskeleton, serves a key role in DA tubulogenesis. We demonstrate that Dynamin is required for distinct aspects of DA tubulogenesis: DA-tube closure, DA-tube-cell intercalation, and biased apical-luminal cell expansion. We provide evidence that Dynamin promotes these processes by facilitating endocytosis of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion complexes, and we find that precise levels and sub-cellular distribution of E-Cadherin and specific Integrin subunits impact DA tubulogenesis. Thus, our studies identify novel morphogenetic roles (i.e., tube closure and biased apical expansion), and expand upon established roles (i.e., cell intercalation and adhesion remodeling), for Dynamin in tubulogenesis. PMID:26542010

  18. Publication bias in situ

    PubMed Central

    Phillips, Carl V

    2004-01-01

    Background Publication bias, as typically defined, refers to the decreased likelihood of studies' results being published when they are near the null, not statistically significant, or otherwise "less interesting." But choices about how to analyze the data and which results to report create a publication bias within the published results, a bias I label "publication bias in situ" (PBIS). Discussion PBIS may create much greater bias in the literature than traditionally defined publication bias (the failure to publish any result from a study). The causes of PBIS are well known, consisting of various decisions about reporting that are influenced by the data. But its impact is not generally appreciated, and very little attention is devoted to it. What attention there is consists largely of rules for statistical analysis that are impractical and do not actually reduce the bias in reported estimates. PBIS cannot be reduced by statistical tools because it is not fundamentally a problem of statistics, but rather of non-statistical choices and plain language interpretations. PBIS should be recognized as a phenomenon worthy of study – it is extremely common and probably has a huge impact on results reported in the literature – and there should be greater systematic efforts to identify and reduce it. The paper presents examples, including results of a recent HIV vaccine trial, that show how easily PBIS can have a large impact on reported results, as well as how there can be no simple answer to it. Summary PBIS is a major problem, worthy of substantially more attention than it receives. There are ways to reduce the bias, but they are very seldom employed because they are largely unrecognized. PMID:15296515

  19. Publication bias in situ.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Carl V

    2004-08-05

    Publication bias, as typically defined, refers to the decreased likelihood of studies' results being published when they are near the null, not statistically significant, or otherwise "less interesting." But choices about how to analyze the data and which results to report create a publication bias within the published results, a bias I label "publication bias in situ" (PBIS). PBIS may create much greater bias in the literature than traditionally defined publication bias (the failure to publish any result from a study). The causes of PBIS are well known, consisting of various decisions about reporting that are influenced by the data. But its impact is not generally appreciated, and very little attention is devoted to it. What attention there is consists largely of rules for statistical analysis that are impractical and do not actually reduce the bias in reported estimates. PBIS cannot be reduced by statistical tools because it is not fundamentally a problem of statistics, but rather of non-statistical choices and plain language interpretations. PBIS should be recognized as a phenomenon worthy of study - it is extremely common and probably has a huge impact on results reported in the literature - and there should be greater systematic efforts to identify and reduce it. The paper presents examples, including results of a recent HIV vaccine trial, that show how easily PBIS can have a large impact on reported results, as well as how there can be no simple answer to it. PBIS is a major problem, worthy of substantially more attention than it receives. There are ways to reduce the bias, but they are very seldom employed because they are largely unrecognized.

  20. Manipulating spins of magnetic molecules: Hysteretic behavior with respect to bias voltage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Płomińska, Anna; Misiorny, Maciej; Weymann, Ireneusz

    2018-02-01

    Formation of a magnetic hysteresis loop with respect to a bias voltage is investigated theoretically in a spin-valve device based on a single magnetic molecule. We consider a device consisting of two ferromagnetic electrodes bridged by a carbon nanotube, acting as a quantum dot, to which a spin-anisotropic molecule is exchange-coupled. Such a coupling allows for transfer of angular momentum between the molecule and a spin current flowing through the dot, and thus, for switching orientation of the molecular spin. We demonstrate that this current-induced switching process exhibits a hysteretic behavior with respect to a bias voltage applied to the device. The analysis is carried out with the use of the real-time diagrammatic technique in the lowest-order expansion of the tunnel coupling of the dot to electrodes. The influence of both the intrinsic properties of the spin-valve device (the spin polarization of electrodes and the coupling strength of the molecule to the dot) and those of the molecule itself (magnetic anisotropy and spin relaxation) on the size of the magnetic hysteresis loop is discussed.

  1. Method for removing atomic-model bias in macromolecular crystallography

    DOEpatents

    Terwilliger, Thomas C [Santa Fe, NM

    2006-08-01

    Structure factor bias in an electron density map for an unknown crystallographic structure is minimized by using information in a first electron density map to elicit expected structure factor information. Observed structure factor amplitudes are combined with a starting set of crystallographic phases to form a first set of structure factors. A first electron density map is then derived and features of the first electron density map are identified to obtain expected distributions of electron density. Crystallographic phase probability distributions are established for possible crystallographic phases of reflection k, and the process is repeated as k is indexed through all of the plurality of reflections. An updated electron density map is derived from the crystallographic phase probability distributions for each one of the reflections. The entire process is then iterated to obtain a final set of crystallographic phases with minimum bias from known electron density maps.

  2. Detecting rater bias using a person-fit statistic: a Monte Carlo simulation study.

    PubMed

    Aubin, André-Sébastien; St-Onge, Christina; Renaud, Jean-Sébastien

    2018-04-01

    With the Standards voicing concern for the appropriateness of response processes, we need to explore strategies that would allow us to identify inappropriate rater response processes. Although certain statistics can be used to help detect rater bias, their use is complicated by either a lack of data about their actual power to detect rater bias or the difficulty related to their application in the context of health professions education. This exploratory study aimed to establish the worthiness of pursuing the use of l z to detect rater bias. We conducted a Monte Carlo simulation study to investigate the power of a specific detection statistic, that is: the standardized likelihood l z person-fit statistics (PFS). Our primary outcome was the detection rate of biased raters, namely: raters whom we manipulated into being either stringent (giving lower scores) or lenient (giving higher scores), using the l z statistic while controlling for the number of biased raters in a sample (6 levels) and the rate of bias per rater (6 levels). Overall, stringent raters (M = 0.84, SD = 0.23) were easier to detect than lenient raters (M = 0.31, SD = 0.28). More biased raters were easier to detect then less biased raters (60% bias: 62, SD = 0.37; 10% bias: 43, SD = 0.36). The PFS l z seems to offer an interesting potential to identify biased raters. We observed detection rates as high as 90% for stringent raters, for whom we manipulated more than half their checklist. Although we observed very interesting results, we cannot generalize these results to the use of PFS with estimated item/station parameters or real data. Such studies should be conducted to assess the feasibility of using PFS to identify rater bias.

  3. 75 FR 28845 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; National Stock Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-24

    ... Organizations; National Stock Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change To Establish a Trading... establish a trading halt for individual stocks contained in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (``S&P 500... Exchange proposes to add NSX Rule 11.20B to provide for a trading pause for individual securities for which...

  4. 77 FR 72581 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Establishment of the Multi-State Plan Program for the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-05

    ... least two multi-State plans (MSPs) on each of the Affordable Insurance Exchanges (Exchanges). Under the... issuers to offer at least two multi-State plans (MSPs) on each of the Exchanges in the 50 States and the... Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Establishment of the Multi- State Plan Program for the...

  5. Divided-evolution-based pulse scheme for quantifying exchange processes in proteins: powerful complement to relaxation dispersion experiments.

    PubMed

    Bouvignies, Guillaume; Hansen, D Flemming; Vallurupalli, Pramodh; Kay, Lewis E

    2011-02-16

    A method for quantifying millisecond time scale exchange in proteins is presented based on scaling the rate of chemical exchange using a 2D (15)N, (1)H(N) experiment in which (15)N dwell times are separated by short spin-echo pulse trains. Unlike the popular Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) experiment where the effects of a radio frequency field on measured transverse relaxation rates are quantified, the new approach measures peak positions in spectra that shift as the effective exchange time regime is varied. The utility of the method is established through an analysis of data recorded on an exchanging protein-ligand system for which the exchange parameters have been accurately determined using alternative approaches. Computations establish that a combined analysis of CPMG and peak shift profiles extends the time scale that can be studied to include exchanging systems with highly skewed populations and exchange rates as slow as 20 s(-1).

  6. Intermixing enables strong exchange coupling in nanocomposites: Magnetism through the interfacial ferrite in γ -Fe2O3/NiO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skoropata, E.; Su, T. T.; Ouyang, H.; Freeland, J. W.; van Lierop, J.

    2017-07-01

    γ -Fe2O3 particles, surface modified with NiO crystallites, form a unique nanocomposite that points to how to tune strong interfacial exchange coupling. We find that Ni2 + migrates into the octahedral sites of the γ -Fe2O3 nanoparticle surface, and this NiFe2O4 -like layer permits effective magnetic coupling of Ni and Fe sites that strengthens the interface exchange. A large increase in coercivity coinciding with a loss of exchange bias is achieved by this strong interfacial coupling that results in a Ni2 + moment reversal in the NiO with the γ -Fe2O3 . This work reveals the importance of intermixing in, and possibility to use, such an exchange coupling regime to alter substantially the coercivity and hence control an important property of exchange-coupled nanocomposite magnets.

  7. How and how much does RAD-seq bias genetic diversity estimates?

    PubMed

    Cariou, Marie; Duret, Laurent; Charlat, Sylvain

    2016-11-08

    RAD-seq is a powerful tool, increasingly used in population genomics. However, earlier studies have raised red flags regarding possible biases associated with this technique. In particular, polymorphism on restriction sites results in preferential sampling of closely related haplotypes, so that RAD data tends to underestimate genetic diversity. Here we (1) clarify the theoretical basis of this bias, highlighting the potential confounding effects of population structure and selection, (2) confront predictions to real data from in silico digestion of full genomes and (3) provide a proof of concept toward an ABC-based correction of the RAD-seq bias. Under a neutral and panmictic model, we confirm the previously established relationship between the true polymorphism and its RAD-based estimation, showing a more pronounced bias when polymorphism is high. Using more elaborate models, we show that selection, resulting in heterogeneous levels of polymorphism along the genome, exacerbates the bias and leads to a more pronounced underestimation. On the contrary, spatial genetic structure tends to reduce the bias. We confront the neutral and panmictic model to "ideal" empirical data (in silico RAD-sequencing) using full genomes from natural populations of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the fungus Shizophyllum commune, harbouring respectively moderate and high genetic diversity. In D. melanogaster, predictions fit the model, but the small difference between the true and RAD polymorphism makes this comparison insensitive to deviations from the model. In the highly polymorphic fungus, the model captures a large part of the bias but makes inaccurate predictions. Accordingly, ABC corrections based on this model improve the estimations, albeit with some imprecisions. The RAD-seq underestimation of genetic diversity associated with polymorphism in restriction sites becomes more pronounced when polymorphism is high. In practice, this means that in many systems where

  8. Avoiding treatment bias of REDD+ monitoring by sampling with partial replacement.

    PubMed

    Köhl, Michael; Scott, Charles T; Lister, Andrew J; Demon, Inez; Plugge, Daniel

    2015-12-01

    time. SPR offers the possibility to increase sampling intensity in areas with high degradation intensities or to establish new plots in areas where permanent plots are lost due to deforestation. SPR is also an ideal approach to mitigate concerns about treatment bias.

  9. Room temperature magnetic ordering, enhanced magnetization and exchange bias of GdMnO3 nanoparticles in (GdMnO3)0.70(CoFe2O4)0.30

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitra, A.; Mahapatra, A. S.; Mallick, A.; Chakrabarti, P. K.

    2017-02-01

    Nanoparticles of GdMnO3 (GMO) are prepared by sol-gel method. To enhance the magnetic property and also to obtain the magnetic ordering at room temperature (RT), nanoparticles of GMO are incorporated in the matrix of CoFe2O4 (CFO). Desired crystallographic phases of CFO, GMO and GMO-CFO are confirmed by analyzing X-ray diffractrograms (XRD) using Rietveld method. The average size of nanoparticles and their distribution, crystallographic phase, nanocrystallinity etc. are studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). Magnetic hysteresis loops (M-H) of GMO-CFO under zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) conditions are observed at different temperatures down to 5 K. Magnetization vs. temperature (M-T) under ZFC and FC conditions are also recorded. Interestingly, exchange bias (EB) is found at low temperature which suggests the encapsulation of the ferromagnetic (FM) nanoparticles of GMO by the ferrimagnetic nanoparticles of CFO below 100 K. Enhanced magnetization, EB effect and RT magnetic ordering of GMO-CFO would be interesting for both theoretical and experimental investigations.

  10. Threat bias, not negativity bias, underpins differences in political ideology.

    PubMed

    Lilienfeld, Scott O; Latzman, Robert D

    2014-06-01

    Although disparities in political ideology are rooted partly in dispositional differences, Hibbing et al.'s analysis paints with an overly broad brush. Research on the personality correlates of liberal-conservative differences points not to global differences in negativity bias, but to differences in threat bias, probably emanating from differences in fearfulness. This distinction bears implications for etiological research and persuasion efforts.

  11. The Rebirth of Educational Exchange: Anglo-German University Level Youth Exchange Programmes after the Second World War

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naumann, Cindy

    2007-01-01

    In the early years of the Second World War the British had already begun post-war planning for education in Germany. They expressed a need to re-educate Germans and re-establish personal contacts with German people. One tool conceived to achieve these policy objectives was educational exchange. This paper will examine British educational exchange…

  12. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) show an attentional bias toward conspecifics’ emotions

    PubMed Central

    Kret, Mariska E.; Jaasma, Linda; Bionda, Thomas; Wijnen, Jasper G.

    2016-01-01

    In social animals, the fast detection of group members’ emotional expressions promotes swift and adequate responses, which is crucial for the maintenance of social bonds and ultimately for group survival. The dot-probe task is a well-established paradigm in psychology, measuring emotional attention through reaction times. Humans tend to be biased toward emotional images, especially when the emotion is of a threatening nature. Bonobos have rich, social emotional lives and are known for their soft and friendly character. In the present study, we investigated (i) whether bonobos, similar to humans, have an attentional bias toward emotional scenes compared with conspecifics showing a neutral expression, and (ii) which emotional behaviors attract their attention the most. As predicted, results consistently showed that bonobos’ attention was biased toward the location of the emotional versus neutral scene. Interestingly, their attention was grabbed most by images showing conspecifics such as sexual behavior, yawning, or grooming, and not as much—as is often observed in humans—by signs of distress or aggression. The results suggest that protective and affiliative behaviors are pivotal in bonobo society and therefore attract immediate attention in this species. PMID:26976586

  13. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) show an attentional bias toward conspecifics' emotions.

    PubMed

    Kret, Mariska E; Jaasma, Linda; Bionda, Thomas; Wijnen, Jasper G

    2016-04-05

    In social animals, the fast detection of group members' emotional expressions promotes swift and adequate responses, which is crucial for the maintenance of social bonds and ultimately for group survival. The dot-probe task is a well-established paradigm in psychology, measuring emotional attention through reaction times. Humans tend to be biased toward emotional images, especially when the emotion is of a threatening nature. Bonobos have rich, social emotional lives and are known for their soft and friendly character. In the present study, we investigated (i) whether bonobos, similar to humans, have an attentional bias toward emotional scenes compared with conspecifics showing a neutral expression, and (ii) which emotional behaviors attract their attention the most. As predicted, results consistently showed that bonobos' attention was biased toward the location of the emotional versus neutral scene. Interestingly, their attention was grabbed most by images showing conspecifics such as sexual behavior, yawning, or grooming, and not as much-as is often observed in humans-by signs of distress or aggression. The results suggest that protective and affiliative behaviors are pivotal in bonobo society and therefore attract immediate attention in this species.

  14. Selection bias in rheumatic disease research.

    PubMed

    Choi, Hyon K; Nguyen, Uyen-Sa; Niu, Jingbo; Danaei, Goodarz; Zhang, Yuqing

    2014-07-01

    The identification of modifiable risk factors for the development of rheumatic conditions and their sequelae is crucial for reducing the substantial worldwide burden of these diseases. However, the validity of such research can be threatened by sources of bias, including confounding, measurement and selection biases. In this Review, we discuss potentially major issues of selection bias--a type of bias frequently overshadowed by other bias and feasibility issues, despite being equally or more problematic--in key areas of rheumatic disease research. We present index event bias (a type of selection bias) as one of the potentially unifying reasons behind some unexpected findings, such as the 'risk factor paradox'--a phenomenon exemplified by the discrepant effects of certain risk factors on the development versus the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We also discuss potential selection biases owing to differential loss to follow-up in RA and OA research, as well as those due to the depletion of susceptibles (prevalent user bias) and immortal time bias. The lesson remains that selection bias can be ubiquitous and, therefore, has the potential to lead the field astray. Thus, we conclude with suggestions to help investigators avoid such issues and limit the impact on future rheumatology research.

  15. Good practices for quantitative bias analysis.

    PubMed

    Lash, Timothy L; Fox, Matthew P; MacLehose, Richard F; Maldonado, George; McCandless, Lawrence C; Greenland, Sander

    2014-12-01

    Quantitative bias analysis serves several objectives in epidemiological research. First, it provides a quantitative estimate of the direction, magnitude and uncertainty arising from systematic errors. Second, the acts of identifying sources of systematic error, writing down models to quantify them, assigning values to the bias parameters and interpreting the results combat the human tendency towards overconfidence in research results, syntheses and critiques and the inferences that rest upon them. Finally, by suggesting aspects that dominate uncertainty in a particular research result or topic area, bias analysis can guide efficient allocation of sparse research resources. The fundamental methods of bias analyses have been known for decades, and there have been calls for more widespread use for nearly as long. There was a time when some believed that bias analyses were rarely undertaken because the methods were not widely known and because automated computing tools were not readily available to implement the methods. These shortcomings have been largely resolved. We must, therefore, contemplate other barriers to implementation. One possibility is that practitioners avoid the analyses because they lack confidence in the practice of bias analysis. The purpose of this paper is therefore to describe what we view as good practices for applying quantitative bias analysis to epidemiological data, directed towards those familiar with the methods. We focus on answering questions often posed to those of us who advocate incorporation of bias analysis methods into teaching and research. These include the following. When is bias analysis practical and productive? How does one select the biases that ought to be addressed? How does one select a method to model biases? How does one assign values to the parameters of a bias model? How does one present and interpret a bias analysis?. We hope that our guide to good practices for conducting and presenting bias analyses will encourage

  16. Distinguishing bias from sensitivity effects in multialternative detection tasks.

    PubMed

    Sridharan, Devarajan; Steinmetz, Nicholas A; Moore, Tirin; Knudsen, Eric I

    2014-08-21

    Studies investigating the neural bases of cognitive phenomena increasingly employ multialternative detection tasks that seek to measure the ability to detect a target stimulus or changes in some target feature (e.g., orientation or direction of motion) that could occur at one of many locations. In such tasks, it is essential to distinguish the behavioral and neural correlates of enhanced perceptual sensitivity from those of increased bias for a particular location or choice (choice bias). However, making such a distinction is not possible with established approaches. We present a new signal detection model that decouples the behavioral effects of choice bias from those of perceptual sensitivity in multialternative (change) detection tasks. By formulating the perceptual decision in a multidimensional decision space, our model quantifies the respective contributions of bias and sensitivity to multialternative behavioral choices. With a combination of analytical and numerical approaches, we demonstrate an optimal, one-to-one mapping between model parameters and choice probabilities even for tasks involving arbitrarily large numbers of alternatives. We validated the model with published data from two ternary choice experiments: a target-detection experiment and a length-discrimination experiment. The results of this validation provided novel insights into perceptual processes (sensory noise and competitive interactions) that can accurately and parsimoniously account for observers' behavior in each task. The model will find important application in identifying and interpreting the effects of behavioral manipulations (e.g., cueing attention) or neural perturbations (e.g., stimulation or inactivation) in a variety of multialternative tasks of perception, attention, and decision-making. © 2014 ARVO.

  17. Distinguishing bias from sensitivity effects in multialternative detection tasks

    PubMed Central

    Sridharan, Devarajan; Steinmetz, Nicholas A.; Moore, Tirin; Knudsen, Eric I.

    2014-01-01

    Studies investigating the neural bases of cognitive phenomena increasingly employ multialternative detection tasks that seek to measure the ability to detect a target stimulus or changes in some target feature (e.g., orientation or direction of motion) that could occur at one of many locations. In such tasks, it is essential to distinguish the behavioral and neural correlates of enhanced perceptual sensitivity from those of increased bias for a particular location or choice (choice bias). However, making such a distinction is not possible with established approaches. We present a new signal detection model that decouples the behavioral effects of choice bias from those of perceptual sensitivity in multialternative (change) detection tasks. By formulating the perceptual decision in a multidimensional decision space, our model quantifies the respective contributions of bias and sensitivity to multialternative behavioral choices. With a combination of analytical and numerical approaches, we demonstrate an optimal, one-to-one mapping between model parameters and choice probabilities even for tasks involving arbitrarily large numbers of alternatives. We validated the model with published data from two ternary choice experiments: a target-detection experiment and a length-discrimination experiment. The results of this validation provided novel insights into perceptual processes (sensory noise and competitive interactions) that can accurately and parsimoniously account for observers' behavior in each task. The model will find important application in identifying and interpreting the effects of behavioral manipulations (e.g., cueing attention) or neural perturbations (e.g., stimulation or inactivation) in a variety of multialternative tasks of perception, attention, and decision-making. PMID:25146574

  18. Hindsight bias and outcome bias in the social construction of medical negligence: a review.

    PubMed

    Hugh, Thomas B; Dekker, Sidney W A

    2009-05-01

    Medical negligence has been the subject of much public debate in recent decades. Although the steep increase in the frequency and size of claims against doctors at the end of the last century appears to have plateaued, in Australia at least, medical indemnity costs and consequences are still a matter of concern for doctors, medical defence organisations and governments in most developed countries. Imprecision in the legal definition of negligence opens the possibility that judgments of this issue at several levels may be subject to hindsight and outcome bias. Hindsight bias relates to the probability of an adverse event perceived by a retrospective observer ("I would have known it was going to happen"), while outcome bias is a largely subconscious cognitive distortion produced by the observer's knowledge of the adverse outcome. This review examines the relevant legal, medical, psychological and sociological literature on the operation of these pervasive and universal biases in the retrospective evaluation of adverse events. A finding of medical negligence is essentially an after-the-event social construction and is invariably affected by hindsight bias and knowledge of the adverse outcome. Such biases obviously pose a threat to the fairness of judgments. A number of debiasing strategies have been suggested but are relatively ineffective because of the universality and strength of these biases and the inherent difficulty of concealing from expert witnesses knowledge of the outcome. Education about the effect of the biases is therefore important for lawyers, medical expert witnesses and the judiciary.

  19. Quantum dynamics of a Josephson junction driven cavity mode system in the presence of voltage bias noise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hui; Blencowe, M. P.; Armour, A. D.; Rimberg, A. J.

    2017-09-01

    We give a semiclassical analysis of the average photon number as well as photon number variance (Fano factor F ) for a Josephson junction (JJ) embedded microwave cavity system, where the JJ is subject to a fluctuating (i.e., noisy) bias voltage with finite dc average. Through the ac Josephson effect, the dc voltage bias drives the effectively nonlinear microwave cavity mode into an amplitude squeezed state (F <1 ), as has been established previously [Armour et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 247001 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.247001], but bias noise acts to degrade this squeezing. We find that the sensitivity of the Fano factor to bias voltage noise depends qualitatively on which stable fixed point regime the system is in for the corresponding classical nonlinear steady-state dynamics. Furthermore, we show that the impact of voltage bias noise is most significant when the cavity is excited to states with large average photon number.

  20. State health insurance exchange laws: the first generation.

    PubMed

    Rosenbaum, Sara; Lopez, Nancy; Burke, Taylor; Dorley, Mark

    2012-07-01

    Health insurance exchanges are the centerpiece of the private health insurance reforms included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. As of May 2012, 13 states, together with the District of Columbia, had taken legal action to establish exchanges, through legislation or executive order. State implementing laws are essential to the translation of broad federal policies into specific state and market practices. Overall, the laws in the 14 jurisdictions vary, but they tend to show a common approach of according exchanges much flexibility in how they will operate and what standards they will apply to the insurance products sold. In all states, these "threshold policies" will be followed by policy decisions, expressed through regulations, guidelines, and health plan contracting and performance standards.

  1. A question of separation: disentangling tracer bias and gravitational non-linearity with counts-in-cells statistics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uhlemann, C.; Feix, M.; Codis, S.; Pichon, C.; Bernardeau, F.; L'Huillier, B.; Kim, J.; Hong, S. E.; Laigle, C.; Park, C.; Shin, J.; Pogosyan, D.

    2018-02-01

    Starting from a very accurate model for density-in-cells statistics of dark matter based on large deviation theory, a bias model for the tracer density in spheres is formulated. It adopts a mean bias relation based on a quadratic bias model to relate the log-densities of dark matter to those of mass-weighted dark haloes in real and redshift space. The validity of the parametrized bias model is established using a parametrization-independent extraction of the bias function. This average bias model is then combined with the dark matter PDF, neglecting any scatter around it: it nevertheless yields an excellent model for densities-in-cells statistics of mass tracers that is parametrized in terms of the underlying dark matter variance and three bias parameters. The procedure is validated on measurements of both the one- and two-point statistics of subhalo densities in the state-of-the-art Horizon Run 4 simulation showing excellent agreement for measured dark matter variance and bias parameters. Finally, it is demonstrated that this formalism allows for a joint estimation of the non-linear dark matter variance and the bias parameters using solely the statistics of subhaloes. Having verified that galaxy counts in hydrodynamical simulations sampled on a scale of 10 Mpc h-1 closely resemble those of subhaloes, this work provides important steps towards making theoretical predictions for density-in-cells statistics applicable to upcoming galaxy surveys like Euclid or WFIRST.

  2. Proportional hazards model with varying coefficients for length-biased data.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Feipeng; Chen, Xuerong; Zhou, Yong

    2014-01-01

    Length-biased data arise in many important applications including epidemiological cohort studies, cancer prevention trials and studies of labor economics. Such data are also often subject to right censoring due to loss of follow-up or the end of study. In this paper, we consider a proportional hazards model with varying coefficients for right-censored and length-biased data, which is used to study the interact effect nonlinearly of covariates with an exposure variable. A local estimating equation method is proposed for the unknown coefficients and the intercept function in the model. The asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators are established by using the martingale theory and kernel smoothing techniques. Our simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed estimators have an excellent finite-sample performance. The Channing House data is analyzed to demonstrate the applications of the proposed method.

  3. Bias versus bias: harnessing hindsight to reveal paranormal belief change beyond demand characteristics.

    PubMed

    Kane, Michael J; Core, Tammy J; Hunt, R Reed

    2010-04-01

    Psychological change is difficult to assess, in part because self-reported beliefs and attitudes may be biased or distorted. The present study probed belief change, in an educational context, by using the hindsight bias to counter another bias that generally plagues assessment of subjective change. Although research has indicated that skepticism courses reduce paranormal beliefs, those findings may reflect demand characteristics (biases toward desired, skeptical responses). Our hindsight-bias procedure circumvented demand by asking students, following semester-long skepticism (and control) courses, to recall their precourse levels of paranormal belief. People typically remember themselves as previously thinking, believing, and acting as they do now, so current skepticism should provoke false recollections of previous skepticism. Given true belief change, therefore, skepticism students should have remembered themselves as having been more skeptical than they were. They did, at least about paranormal topics that were covered most extensively in the course. Our findings thus show hindsight to be useful in evaluating cognitive change beyond demand characteristics.

  4. Mathematical theory of exchange-driven growth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Esenturk, Emre

    2018-07-01

    Exchange-driven growth is a process in which pairs of clusters interact by exchanging single unit of mass at a time. The rate of exchange is given by an interaction kernel which depends on the masses of the two interacting clusters. In this paper we establish the fundamental mathematical properties of the mean field rate equations of this process for the first time. We find two different classes of behavior depending on whether is symmetric or not. For the non-symmetric case, we prove global existence and uniqueness of solutions for kernels satisfying . This result is optimal in the sense that we show for a large class of initial conditions and kernels satisfying the solutions cannot exist. On the other hand, for symmetric kernels, we prove global existence of solutions for ( while existence is lost for ( In the intermediate regime we can only show local existence. We conjecture that the intermediate regime exhibits finite-time gelation in accordance with the heuristic results obtained for particular kernels.

  5. Building a city wide service for exchanging needles and syringes.

    PubMed Central

    Gruer, L; Cameron, J; Elliott, L

    1993-01-01

    How best can injecting drug misusers obtain clean injecting equipment in a city where drug injecting is widespread? An exchange service for needles and syringes throughout Glasgow has been established in health centres and clinics in the evening. Over the past four years seven new exchanges have been opened and over 2700 injecting drug misusers have attended. Attendances rose from under 1000 in 1988 to 28,000 in 1992. The exchanges also provide a wide range of other health and social services. Public hostility to the exchanges has abated. During the same period equipment sharing in the city diminished and the observed prevalence of HIV among injecting drug misusers stabilised at around 1%. Images FIG 1 FIG 2 FIG 3 PMID:8518609

  6. Does social distance modulate adults' egocentric biases when reasoning about false beliefs?

    PubMed

    Farrar, Benjamin G; Ostojić, Ljerka

    2018-01-01

    When given privileged information of an object's true location, adults often overestimate the likelihood that a protagonist holding a false belief will search in the correct location for that object. This type of egocentric bias is often labelled the 'curse of knowledge'. Interestingly, the magnitude of this bias may be modulated by the social distance between the perspective taker and target. However, this social distance effect has yet to be fully demonstrated when adults reason about false beliefs. Using a continuous false belief task, we investigated i) whether adults were biased by their own knowledge when reasoning about another's false belief, ii) whether the magnitude of this egocentric bias was modulated by social distance, and iii) whether this social distance effect extended to a heterospecific out-group, namely a dog. To test these hypotheses we conducted three experiments. In Experiment 1 (N = 283), we used an established continuous false belief task, in Experiment 2 (N = 281) we modified this task, and Experiment 3 (N = 744) was a direct replication of Experiment 2. Across these experiments, the curse of knowledge effect was reliably replicated when adults mentalised about an in-group protagonist, and replicated in two of the three studies (Experiments 1 and 3) when adults mentalised about out-group protagonists. In an internal-meta analysis, the curse of knowledge effect was present across all conditions, and there was no effect of social distance. Hence, overall these data are not consistent with the hypothesis that social distance modulates adults' egocentric biases when reasoning about false beliefs. The finding that egocentric biases of a similar magnitude were observed when adults mentalised about an in-group protagonist and a dog suggests that interpersonal dissimilarity is not in itself sufficient to reduce egocentric bias when reasoning about false beliefs.

  7. Conceptual design of a hybrid parallel mechanism for mask exchanging of TMT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jianping; Zhou, Hongfei; Li, Kexuan; Zhou, Zengxiang; Zhai, Chao

    2015-10-01

    Mask exchange system is an important part of the Multi-Object Broadband Imaging Echellette (MOBIE) on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). To solve the problem of stiffness changing with the gravity vector of the mask exchange system in the MOBIE, the hybrid parallel mechanism design method was introduced into the whole research. By using the characteristics of high stiffness and precision of parallel structure, combined with large moving range of serial structure, a conceptual design of a hybrid parallel mask exchange system based on 3-RPS parallel mechanism was presented. According to the position requirements of the MOBIE, the SolidWorks structure model of the hybrid parallel mask exchange robot was established and the appropriate installation position without interfering with the related components and light path in the MOBIE of TMT was analyzed. Simulation results in SolidWorks suggested that 3-RPS parallel platform had good stiffness property in different gravity vector directions. Furthermore, through the research of the mechanism theory, the inverse kinematics solution of the 3-RPS parallel platform was calculated and the mathematical relationship between the attitude angle of moving platform and the angle of ball-hinges on the moving platform was established, in order to analyze the attitude adjustment ability of the hybrid parallel mask exchange robot. The proposed conceptual design has some guiding significance for the design of mask exchange system of the MOBIE on TMT.

  8. The Exchange of Bibliographic Data in Non-Roman Scripts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wellisch, Hans H.

    1980-01-01

    Advocates the use of machine readable codes to accomplish romanization and promote the exchange of bibliographic data. Proposals are presented for transliteration standards, design of machine readable conversion codes, and the establishment of databases. (RAA)

  9. Sequential biases in accumulating evidence

    PubMed Central

    Huggins, Richard; Dogo, Samson Henry

    2015-01-01

    Whilst it is common in clinical trials to use the results of tests at one phase to decide whether to continue to the next phase and to subsequently design the next phase, we show that this can lead to biased results in evidence synthesis. Two new kinds of bias associated with accumulating evidence, termed ‘sequential decision bias’ and ‘sequential design bias’, are identified. Both kinds of bias are the result of making decisions on the usefulness of a new study, or its design, based on the previous studies. Sequential decision bias is determined by the correlation between the value of the current estimated effect and the probability of conducting an additional study. Sequential design bias arises from using the estimated value instead of the clinically relevant value of an effect in sample size calculations. We considered both the fixed‐effect and the random‐effects models of meta‐analysis and demonstrated analytically and by simulations that in both settings the problems due to sequential biases are apparent. According to our simulations, the sequential biases increase with increased heterogeneity. Minimisation of sequential biases arises as a new and important research area necessary for successful evidence‐based approaches to the development of science. © 2015 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:26626562

  10. Neutrophils establish rapid and robust WAVE complex polarity in an actin-dependent fashion.

    PubMed

    Millius, Arthur; Dandekar, Sheel N; Houk, Andrew R; Weiner, Orion D

    2009-02-10

    Asymmetric intracellular signals enable cells to migrate in response to external cues. The multiprotein WAVE (also known as SCAR or WASF) complex activates the actin-nucleating Arp2/3 complex [1-4] and localizes to propagating "waves," which direct actin assembly during neutrophil migration [5, 6]. Here, we observe similar WAVE complex dynamics in other mammalian cells and analyze WAVE complex dynamics during establishment of neutrophil polarity. Earlier models proposed that spatially biased generation [7] or selection of protrusions [8] enables chemotaxis. These models require existing morphological polarity to control protrusions. We show that spatially biased generation and selection of WAVE complex recruitment also occur in morphologically unpolarized neutrophils during development of their first protrusions. Additionally, several mechanisms limit WAVE complex recruitment during polarization and movement: Intrinsic cues restrict WAVE complex distribution during establishment of polarity, and asymmetric intracellular signals constrain it in morphologically polarized cells. External gradients can overcome both intrinsic biases and control WAVE complex localization. After latrunculin-mediated inhibition of actin polymerization, addition and removal of agonist gradients globally recruits and releases the WAVE complex from the membrane. Under these conditions, the WAVE complex no longer polarizes, despite the presence of strong external gradients. Thus, actin polymer and the WAVE complex reciprocally interact during polarization.

  11. Selection bias in rheumatic disease research

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Hyon K.; Nguyen, Uyen-Sa; Niu, Jingbo; Danaei, Goodarz; Zhang, Yuqing

    2014-01-01

    The identification of modifiable risk factors for the development of rheumatic conditions and their sequelae is crucial for reducing the substantial worldwide burden of these diseases. However, the validity of such research can be threatened by sources of bias, including confounding, measurement and selection biases. In this Review, we discuss potentially major issues of selection bias—a type of bias frequently overshadowed by other bias and feasibility issues, despite being equally or more problematic—in key areas of rheumatic disease research. We present index event bias (a type of selection bias) as one of the potentially unifying reasons behind some unexpected findings, such as the ‘risk factor paradox’—a phenomenon exemplified by the discrepant effects of certain risk factors on the development versus the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We also discuss potential selection biases owing to differential loss to follow-up in RA and OA research, as well as those due to the depletion of susceptibles (prevalent user bias) and immortal time bias. The lesson remains that selection bias can be ubiquitous and, therefore, has the potential to lead the field astray. Thus, we conclude with suggestions to help investigators avoid such issues and limit the impact on future rheumatology research. PMID:24686510

  12. Evaluating the reliability of the stream tracer approach to characterize stream-subsurface water exchange

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Harvey, Judson W.; Wagner, Brian J.; Bencala, Kenneth E.

    1996-01-01

    Stream water was locally recharged into shallow groundwater flow paths that returned to the stream (hyporheic exchange) in St. Kevin Gulch, a Rocky Mountain stream in Colorado contaminated by acid mine drainage. Two approaches were used to characterize hyporheic exchange: sub-reach-scale measurement of hydraulic heads and hydraulic conductivity to compute streambed fluxes (hydrometric approach) and reachscale modeling of in-stream solute tracer injections to determine characteristic length and timescales of exchange with storage zones (stream tracer approach). Subsurface data were the standard of comparison used to evaluate the reliability of the stream tracer approach to characterize hyporheic exchange. The reach-averaged hyporheic exchange flux (1.5 mL s−1 m−1), determined by hydrometric methods, was largest when stream base flow was low (10 L s−1); hyporheic exchange persisted when base flow was 10-fold higher, decreasing by approximately 30%. Reliability of the stream tracer approach to detect hyporheic exchange was assessed using first-order uncertainty analysis that considered model parameter sensitivity. The stream tracer approach did not reliably characterize hyporheic exchange at high base flow: the model was apparently more sensitive to exchange with surface water storage zones than with the hyporheic zone. At low base flow the stream tracer approach reliably characterized exchange between the stream and gravel streambed (timescale of hours) but was relatively insensitive to slower exchange with deeper alluvium (timescale of tens of hours) that was detected by subsurface measurements. The stream tracer approach was therefore not equally sensitive to all timescales of hyporheic exchange. We conclude that while the stream tracer approach is an efficient means to characterize surface-subsurface exchange, future studies will need to more routinely consider decreasing sensitivities of tracer methods at higher base flow and a potential bias toward

  13. Toward a synthesis of cognitive biases: how noisy information processing can bias human decision making.

    PubMed

    Hilbert, Martin

    2012-03-01

    A single coherent framework is proposed to synthesize long-standing research on 8 seemingly unrelated cognitive decision-making biases. During the past 6 decades, hundreds of empirical studies have resulted in a variety of rules of thumb that specify how humans systematically deviate from what is normatively expected from their decisions. Several complementary generative mechanisms have been proposed to explain those cognitive biases. Here it is suggested that (at least) 8 of these empirically detected decision-making biases can be produced by simply assuming noisy deviations in the memory-based information processes that convert objective evidence (observations) into subjective estimates (decisions). An integrative framework is presented to show how similar noise-based mechanisms can lead to conservatism, the Bayesian likelihood bias, illusory correlations, biased self-other placement, subadditivity, exaggerated expectation, the confidence bias, and the hard-easy effect. Analytical tools from information theory are used to explore the nature and limitations that characterize such information processes for binary and multiary decision-making exercises. The ensuing synthesis offers formal mathematical definitions of the biases and their underlying generative mechanism, which permits a consolidated analysis of how they are related. This synthesis contributes to the larger goal of creating a coherent picture that explains the relations among the myriad of seemingly unrelated biases and their potential psychological generative mechanisms. Limitations and research questions are discussed.

  14. Estimating Bias Error Distributions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Tian-Shu; Finley, Tom D.

    2001-01-01

    This paper formulates the general methodology for estimating the bias error distribution of a device in a measuring domain from less accurate measurements when a minimal number of standard values (typically two values) are available. A new perspective is that the bias error distribution can be found as a solution of an intrinsic functional equation in a domain. Based on this theory, the scaling- and translation-based methods for determining the bias error distribution arc developed. These methods are virtually applicable to any device as long as the bias error distribution of the device can be sufficiently described by a power series (a polynomial) or a Fourier series in a domain. These methods have been validated through computational simulations and laboratory calibration experiments for a number of different devices.

  15. Sex differences in affective responses to homoerotic stimuli: evidence for an unconscious bias among heterosexual men, but not heterosexual women.

    PubMed

    Mahaffey, Amanda L; Bryan, Angela; Hutchison, Kent E

    2005-10-01

    Antigay bias is a well-documented social problem among heterosexual men, though heterosexual women display a lesser tendency toward this bias. Startle eye blink has been established as a valid measure of the affective component of antigay bias in heterosexual men. In the current study, a sample of 91 heterosexual women and 87 heterosexual men were exposed to a variety of sexual photographic stimuli accompanied by startle probes. Heterosexual men who expressed more bias against gay men using a social distance measure (i.e., discomfort with being in close quarters with a gay man) displayed a startle response consistent with greater negative affect (e.g., fear and disgust) toward gay male stimuli, while those with less self-reported antigay bias did not display a physiological bias against gay men, and none of these men showed a relationship between bias against lesbians and physiological responses while viewing lesbian images. There were no such physiological manifestations of antigay bias in heterosexual women while viewing lesbian or gay male images, even among those who self-reported such bias. It appears that heterosexual women do not tend to have the same affective response toward homosexuals that some heterosexual men experience.

  16. Mood-congruent attention and memory bias in dysphoria: Exploring the coherence among information-processing biases.

    PubMed

    Koster, Ernst H W; De Raedt, Rudi; Leyman, Lemke; De Lissnyder, Evi

    2010-03-01

    Recent studies indicate that depression is characterized by mood-congruent attention bias at later stages of information-processing. Moreover, depression has been associated with enhanced recall of negative information. The present study tested the coherence between attention and memory bias in dysphoria. Stable dysphoric (n = 41) and non-dysphoric (n = 41) undergraduates first performed a spatial cueing task that included negative, positive, and neutral words. Words were presented for 250 ms under conditions that allowed or prevented elaborate processing. Memory for the words presented in the cueing task was tested using incidental free recall. Dysphoric individuals exhibited an attention bias for negative words in the condition that allowed elaborate processing, with the attention bias for negative words predicting free recall of negative words. Results demonstrate the coherence of attention and memory bias in dysphoric individuals and provide suggestions on the influence of attention bias on further processing of negative material. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Male Mutation Bias Is the Main Force Shaping Chromosomal Substitution Rates in Monotreme Mammals

    PubMed Central

    Link, Vivian; Aguilar-Gómez, Diana; Ramírez-Suástegui, Ciro; Hurst, Laurence D.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract In many species, spermatogenesis involves more cell divisions than oogenesis, and the male germline, therefore, accumulates more DNA replication errors, a phenomenon known as male mutation bias. The extent of male mutation bias (α) is estimated by comparing substitution rates of the X, Y, and autosomal chromosomes, as these chromosomes spend different proportions of their time in the germlines of the two sexes. Male mutation bias has been characterized in placental and marsupial mammals as well as birds, but analyses in monotremes failed to detect any such bias. Monotremes are an ancient lineage of egg-laying mammals with distinct biological properties, which include unique germline features. Here, we sought to assess the presence and potential characteristics of male mutation bias in platypus and the short-beaked echidna based on substitution rate analyses of X, Y, and autosomes. We established the presence of moderate male mutation bias in monotremes, corresponding to an α value of 2.12–3.69. Given that it has been unclear what proportion of the variation in substitution rates on the different chromosomal classes is really due to differential number of replications, we analyzed the influence of other confounding forces (selection, replication-timing, etc.) and found that male mutation bias is the main force explaining the between-chromosome classes differences in substitution rates. Finally, we estimated the proportion of variation at the gene level in substitution rates that is owing to replication effects and found that this phenomenon can explain >68% of these variations in monotremes, and in control species, rodents, and primates. PMID:28922870

  18. Stimulus-driven attention, threat bias, and sad bias in youth with a history of an anxiety disorder or depression

    PubMed Central

    Sylvester, Chad M.; Hudziak, James J.; Gaffrey, Michael S.; Barch, Deanna M.; Luby, Joan L.

    2015-01-01

    Attention biases towards threatening and sad stimuli are associated with pediatric anxiety and depression, respectively. The basic cognitive mechanisms associated with attention biases in youth, however, remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that threat bias (selective attention for threatening versus neutral stimuli) but not sad bias relies on stimulus-driven attention. We collected measures of stimulus-driven attention, threat bias, sad bias, and current clinical symptoms in youth with a history of an anxiety disorder and/or depression (ANX/DEP; n=40) as well as healthy controls (HC; n=33). Stimulus-driven attention was measured with a non-emotional spatial orienting task, while threat bias and sad bias were measured at a short time interval (150 ms) with a spatial orienting task using emotional faces and at a longer time interval (500 ms) using a dot-probe task. In ANX/DEP but not HC, early attention bias towards threat was negatively correlated with later attention bias to threat, suggesting that early threat vigilance was associated with later threat avoidance. Across all subjects, stimulus-driven orienting was not correlated with early threat bias but was negatively correlated with later threat bias, indicating that rapid stimulus-driven orienting is linked to later threat avoidance. No parallel relationships were detected for sad bias. Current symptoms of depression but not anxiety were related to decreased stimulus-driven attention. Together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that threat bias but not sad bias relies on stimulus-driven attention. These results inform the design of attention bias modification programs that aim to reverse threat biases and reduce symptoms associated with pediatric anxiety and depression. PMID:25702927

  19. Stimulus-Driven Attention, Threat Bias, and Sad Bias in Youth with a History of an Anxiety Disorder or Depression.

    PubMed

    Sylvester, Chad M; Hudziak, James J; Gaffrey, Michael S; Barch, Deanna M; Luby, Joan L

    2016-02-01

    Attention biases towards threatening and sad stimuli are associated with pediatric anxiety and depression, respectively. The basic cognitive mechanisms associated with attention biases in youth, however, remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that threat bias (selective attention for threatening versus neutral stimuli) but not sad bias relies on stimulus-driven attention. We collected measures of stimulus-driven attention, threat bias, sad bias, and current clinical symptoms in youth with a history of an anxiety disorder and/or depression (ANX/DEP; n = 40) as well as healthy controls (HC; n = 33). Stimulus-driven attention was measured with a non-emotional spatial orienting task, while threat bias and sad bias were measured at a short time interval (150 ms) with a spatial orienting task using emotional faces and at a longer time interval (500 ms) using a dot-probe task. In ANX/DEP but not HC, early attention bias towards threat was negatively correlated with later attention bias to threat, suggesting that early threat vigilance was associated with later threat avoidance. Across all subjects, stimulus-driven orienting was not correlated with early threat bias but was negatively correlated with later threat bias, indicating that rapid stimulus-driven orienting is linked to later threat avoidance. No parallel relationships were detected for sad bias. Current symptoms of depression but not anxiety were related to decreased stimulus-driven attention. Together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that threat bias but not sad bias relies on stimulus-driven attention. These results inform the design of attention bias modification programs that aim to reverse threat biases and reduce symptoms associated with pediatric anxiety and depression.

  20. Unconscious gender bias in fame judgments?

    PubMed

    Buchner, A; Wippich, W

    1996-01-01

    In two experiments the conditions of, and the processes leading to, gender biases in fame judgments were investigated. In Experiment 1, the gender bias was not reduced in a condition that alerted participants to the gender of the names. In Experiment 2, participants' sex-role orientation, but not their gender, was related to the gender bias. The process dissociation procedure was used in both experiments in an attempt to separate conscious and unconscious memory processes contributing to the gender bias. Using L.L. Jacoby's 1991) original measurement model there appeared to be evidence for unconscious influences on the gender bias in fame judgments. Unfortunately, this evidence disappeared when a model was used that takes guessing and, hence, response biases into account, which confirms that measurement models that ignore response biases in the process dissociation procedure may lead to erroneous conclusions.

  1. Dynamic Histogram Analysis To Determine Free Energies and Rates from Biased Simulations.

    PubMed

    Stelzl, Lukas S; Kells, Adam; Rosta, Edina; Hummer, Gerhard

    2017-12-12

    We present an algorithm to calculate free energies and rates from molecular simulations on biased potential energy surfaces. As input, it uses the accumulated times spent in each state or bin of a histogram and counts of transitions between them. Optimal unbiased equilibrium free energies for each of the states/bins are then obtained by maximizing the likelihood of a master equation (i.e., first-order kinetic rate model). The resulting free energies also determine the optimal rate coefficients for transitions between the states or bins on the biased potentials. Unbiased rates can be estimated, e.g., by imposing a linear free energy condition in the likelihood maximization. The resulting "dynamic histogram analysis method extended to detailed balance" (DHAMed) builds on the DHAM method. It is also closely related to the transition-based reweighting analysis method (TRAM) and the discrete TRAM (dTRAM). However, in the continuous-time formulation of DHAMed, the detailed balance constraints are more easily accounted for, resulting in compact expressions amenable to efficient numerical treatment. DHAMed produces accurate free energies in cases where the common weighted-histogram analysis method (WHAM) for umbrella sampling fails because of slow dynamics within the windows. Even in the limit of completely uncorrelated data, where WHAM is optimal in the maximum-likelihood sense, DHAMed results are nearly indistinguishable. We illustrate DHAMed with applications to ion channel conduction, RNA duplex formation, α-helix folding, and rate calculations from accelerated molecular dynamics. DHAMed can also be used to construct Markov state models from biased or replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations. By using binless WHAM formulated as a numerical minimization problem, the bias factors for the individual states can be determined efficiently in a preprocessing step and, if needed, optimized globally afterward.

  2. Biased gene expression in early honeybee larval development

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Female larvae of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) develop into either queens or workers depending on nutrition. This nutritional stimulus triggers different developmental trajectories, resulting in adults that differ from each other in physiology, behaviour and life span. Results To understand how these trajectories are established we have generated a comprehensive atlas of gene expression throughout larval development. We found substantial differences in gene expression between worker and queen-destined larvae at 6 hours after hatching. Some of these early changes in gene expression are maintained throughout larval development, indicating that caste-specific developmental trajectories are established much earlier than previously thought. Within our gene expression data we identified processes that potentially underlie caste differentiation. Queen-destined larvae have higher expression of genes involved in transcription, translation and protein folding early in development with a later switch to genes involved in energy generation. Using RNA interference, we were able to demonstrate that one of these genes, hexamerin 70b, has a role in caste differentiation. Both queen and worker developmental trajectories are associated with the expression of genes that have alternative splice variants, although only a single variant of a gene tends to be differentially expressed in a given caste. Conclusions Our data, based on the biases in gene expression early in development together with published data, supports the idea that caste development in the honeybee consists of two phases; an initial biased phase of development, where larvae can still switch to the other caste by differential feeding, followed by commitment to a particular developmental trajectory. PMID:24350621

  3. Cognitive Bias Modification Training in Adolescents: Effects on Interpretation Biases and Mood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lothmann, Claudia; Holmes, Emily A.; Chan, Stella W. Y.; Lau, Jennifer Y. F.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Negative biases in the interpretation of ambiguous material have been linked to anxiety and mood problems. Accumulating data from adults show that positive and negative interpretation styles can be induced through cognitive bias modification (CBM) paradigms with accompanying changes in mood. Despite the therapeutic potential of…

  4. Unpacking the Evidence of Gender Bias

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fulmer, Connie L.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate gender bias in pre-service principals using the Gender-Leader Implicit Association Test. Analyses of student-learning narratives revealed how students made sense of gender bias (biased or not-biased) and how each reacted to evidence (surprised or not-surprised). Two implications were: (1) the need for…

  5. Biases in GNSS-Data Processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schaer, S. C.; Dach, R.; Lutz, S.; Meindl, M.; Beutler, G.

    2010-12-01

    Within the Global Positioning System (GPS) traditionally different types of pseudo-range measurements (P-code, C/A-code) are available on the first frequency that are tracked by the receivers with different technologies. For that reason, P1-C1 and P1-P2 Differential Code Biases (DCB) need to be considered in a GPS data processing with a mix of different receiver types. Since the Block IIR-M series of GPS satellites also provide C/A-code on the second frequency, P2-C2 DCB need to be added to the list of biases for maintenance. Potential quarter-cycle biases between different phase observables (specifically L2P and L2C) are another issue. When combining GNSS (currently GPS and GLONASS), careful consideration of inter-system biases (ISB) is indispensable, in particular when an adequate combination of individual GLONASS clock correction results from different sources (using, e.g., different software packages) is intended. Facing the GPS and GLONASS modernization programs and the upcoming GNSS, like the European Galileo and the Chinese Compass, an increasing number of types of biases is expected. The Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) is monitoring these GPS and GLONASS related biases for a long time based on RINEX files of the tracking network of the International GNSS Service (IGS) and in the frame of the data processing as one of the global analysis centers of the IGS. Within the presentation we give an overview on the stability of the biases based on the monitoring. Biases derived from different sources are compared. Finally, we give an outlook on the potential handling of such biases with the big variety of signals and systems expected in the future.

  6. Asymmetrical transfer effects of cognitive bias modification: Modifying attention to threat influences interpretation of emotional ambiguity, but not vice versa.

    PubMed

    Bowler, J O; Hoppitt, L; Illingworth, J; Dalgleish, T; Ononaiye, M; Perez-Olivas, G; Mackintosh, B

    2017-03-01

    It is well established that attention bias and interpretation bias each have a key role in the development and continuation of anxiety. How the biases may interact with one another in anxiety is, however, poorly understood. Using cognitive bias modification techniques, the present study examined whether training a more positive interpretation bias or attention bias resulted in transfer of effects to the untrained cognitive domain. Differences in anxiety reactivity to a real-world stressor were also assessed. Ninety-seven first year undergraduates who had self-reported anxiety were allocated to one of four groups: attention bias training (n = 24), interpretation bias training (n = 26), control task training (n = 25) and no training (n = 22). Training was computer-based and comprised eight sessions over four weeks. Baseline and follow-up measures of attention and interpretation bias, anxiety and depression were taken. A significant reduction in threat-related attention bias and an increase in positive interpretation bias occurred in the attention bias training group. The interpretation bias training group did not exhibit a significant change in attention bias, only interpretation bias. The effect of attention bias training on interpretation bias was significant as compared with the two control groups. There were no effects on self-report measures. The extent to which interpretive training can modify attentional processing remains unclear. Findings support the idea that attentional training might have broad cognitive consequences, impacting downstream on interpretive bias. However, they do not fully support a common mechanism hypothesis, as interpretive training did not impact on attentional bias. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  7. 76 FR 5412 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Notice of Filing of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-31

    ...); ISE Semiconductors (BYT); ISE Electronic Trading (DMA); ISE-Revere Natural Gas (FUM); ISE Water (HHO... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-63761; File No. SR-ISE-2011-04] Self-Regulatory Organizations; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change To Establish a...

  8. Adjustment for reporting bias in network meta-analysis of antidepressant trials

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Network meta-analysis (NMA), a generalization of conventional MA, allows for assessing the relative effectiveness of multiple interventions. Reporting bias is a major threat to the validity of MA and NMA. Numerous methods are available to assess the robustness of MA results to reporting bias. We aimed to extend such methods to NMA. Methods We introduced 2 adjustment models for Bayesian NMA. First, we extended a meta-regression model that allows the effect size to depend on its standard error. Second, we used a selection model that estimates the propensity of trial results being published and in which trials with lower propensity are weighted up in the NMA model. Both models rely on the assumption that biases are exchangeable across the network. We applied the models to 2 networks of placebo-controlled trials of 12 antidepressants, with 74 trials in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database but only 51 with published results. NMA and adjustment models were used to estimate the effects of the 12 drugs relative to placebo, the 66 effect sizes for all possible pair-wise comparisons between drugs, probabilities of being the best drug and ranking of drugs. We compared the results from the 2 adjustment models applied to published data and NMAs of published data and NMAs of FDA data, considered as representing the totality of the data. Results Both adjustment models showed reduced estimated effects for the 12 drugs relative to the placebo as compared with NMA of published data. Pair-wise effect sizes between drugs, probabilities of being the best drug and ranking of drugs were modified. Estimated drug effects relative to the placebo from both adjustment models were corrected (i.e., similar to those from NMA of FDA data) for some drugs but not others, which resulted in differences in pair-wise effect sizes between drugs and ranking. Conclusions In this case study, adjustment models showed that NMA of published data was not robust to reporting bias and

  9. Expectancy bias in anxious samples

    PubMed Central

    Cabeleira, Cindy M.; Steinman, Shari A.; Burgess, Melissa M.; Bucks, Romola S.; MacLeod, Colin; Melo, Wilson; Teachman, Bethany A.

    2014-01-01

    While it is well documented that anxious individuals have negative expectations about the future, it is unclear what cognitive processes give rise to this expectancy bias. Two studies are reported that use the Expectancy Task, which is designed to assess expectancy bias and illuminate its basis. This task presents individuals with valenced scenarios (Positive Valence, Negative Valence, or Conflicting Valence), and then evaluates their tendency to expect subsequent future positive relative to negative events. The Expectancy Task was used with low and high trait anxious (Study 1: N = 32) and anxiety sensitive (Study 2: N = 138) individuals. Results suggest that in the context of physical concerns, both high anxious samples display a less positive expectancy bias. In the context of social concerns, high trait anxious individuals display a negative expectancy bias only when negatively valenced information was previously presented. Overall, this suggests that anxious individuals display a less positive expectancy bias, and that the processes that give rise to this bias may vary by type of situation (e.g., social or physical) or anxiety difficulty. PMID:24798678

  10. Gender Bias in Early Childhood Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kovar, Patricia McAfee; Doty, LuEllen

    Noting that both boys and girls suffer because of gender bias in society and in the classroom, this paper examines the roots and consequences of such bias. The paper first provides a historical overview of gender bias and its relation to the prevalent world view. Next, it examines the manifestations of gender bias in the classroom and their…

  11. 75 FR 5157 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing of Amendment No. 1 and Order...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-01

    .... 1, the Exchange: (1) Clarified the Form 19b-4 discussion regarding establishing strike prices for... rules of an exchange not be designed to permit unfair discrimination among customers, issuers, brokers... and among the options exchanges, resulting in better prices and executions for investors. This...

  12. Brayton heat exchange unit development program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morse, C. J.; Richard, C. E.; Duncan, J. D.

    1971-01-01

    A Brayton Heat Exchanger Unit (BHXU), consisting of a recuperator, a heat sink heat exchanger and a gas ducting system, was designed, fabricated, and tested. The design was formulated to provide a high performance unit suitable for use in a long-life Brayton-cycle powerplant. A parametric analysis and design study was performed to establish the optimum component configurations to achieve low weight and size and high reliability, while meeting the requirements of high effectiveness and low pressure drop. Layout studies and detailed mechanical and structural design were performed to obtain a flight-type packaging arrangement. Evaluation testing was conducted from which it is estimated that near-design performance can be expected with the use of He-Xe as the working fluid.

  13. Biased Brownian dynamics for rate constant calculation.

    PubMed

    Zou, G; Skeel, R D; Subramaniam, S

    2000-08-01

    An enhanced sampling method-biased Brownian dynamics-is developed for the calculation of diffusion-limited biomolecular association reaction rates with high energy or entropy barriers. Biased Brownian dynamics introduces a biasing force in addition to the electrostatic force between the reactants, and it associates a probability weight with each trajectory. A simulation loses weight when movement is along the biasing force and gains weight when movement is against the biasing force. The sampling of trajectories is then biased, but the sampling is unbiased when the trajectory outcomes are multiplied by their weights. With a suitable choice of the biasing force, more reacted trajectories are sampled. As a consequence, the variance of the estimate is reduced. In our test case, biased Brownian dynamics gives a sevenfold improvement in central processing unit (CPU) time with the choice of a simple centripetal biasing force.

  14. The phosphatidyl choline exchange properties in the cytosol of Aspergillus niger.

    PubMed

    Audigier-Petit, C; Letoublon, R; Fayet, Y; Got, R; Frot-Coutaz, J

    1986-01-01

    The presence of a PC-binding activity in the cytosol of Aspergillus niger van Tieghem has been established by measuring the reversible exchange of labeled DPC between an adsorbent (celite) and the cytosol. We have shown that this exchange is dependent upon the temperature and the ionic strength and it varies linearly with the protein concentration. This PC-binding activity is able to discriminate between DPC and some other phospholipids.

  15. The mediating effect of self-evaluation bias of competence on the relationship between parental emotional support and children's academic functioning.

    PubMed

    Côté, Sébastien; Bouffard, Thérèse; Vezeau, Carole

    2014-09-01

    It is well established that children's self-evaluation bias of competence is related to the quality of parent-child emotional relationship. Such biases are linked to children's academic functioning and achievement. Links have also been established between the quality of parent-child emotional relationship and children's academic functioning. No study has yet explored how the effects of children's emotional relationship with their parents and children's self-evaluation bias combine to explain their academic functioning. The first goal was to examine whether the quality of parental emotional support reported by both children and parents was related to the children's self-evaluation bias of competence. The second goal was to examine the relationships between children's and parents' reports of emotional support, and children's academic functioning as measured by teachers' report of their motivation, self-regulation of school activities, and academic achievement. The third goal was to determine whether a children's self-evaluation bias mediated the relationship between parental emotional support and academic functioning. In a 2-year longitudinal design, participants were 524 elementary pupils (grades 4 and 5), one of their parents, and their teachers. Our results indicated that a bias in self-evaluation in the first year of the study mediated the relationship between the quality of parental emotional support assessed at the first year and their school functioning evaluated by their teacher 1 year later. The mediational model received clear support when it refers to the emotional support reported by children, but mixed support when reported by parents. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  16. 76 FR 78383 - Connect America Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; Establishing Just and Reasonable...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-16

    ... Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-Cost Universal Service Support; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal... Plan for Our Future; Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-Cost... duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., 445 12th Street SW., Room CY- B402, Washington, DC 20554...

  17. Antipersistent dynamics in kinetic models of wealth exchange

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goswami, Sanchari; Chatterjee, Arnab; Sen, Parongama

    2011-11-01

    We investigate the detailed dynamics of gains and losses made by agents in some kinetic models of wealth exchange. An earlier work suggested that a walk in an abstract gain-loss space can be conceived for the agents. For models in which agents do not save, or save with uniform saving propensity, the walk has diffusive behavior. For the case in which the saving propensity λ is distributed randomly (0≤λ<1), the resultant walk showed a ballistic nature (except at a particular value of λ*≈0.47). Here we consider several other features of the walk with random λ. While some macroscopic properties of this walk are comparable to a biased random walk, at microscopic level, there are gross differences. The difference turns out to be due to an antipersistent tendency toward making a gain (loss) immediately after making a loss (gain). This correlation is in fact present in kinetic models without saving or with uniform saving as well, such that the corresponding walks are not identical to ordinary random walks. In the distributed saving case, antipersistence occurs with a simultaneous overall bias.

  18. Estimation and correction of different flavors of surface observation biases in ensemble Kalman filter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lorente-Plazas, Raquel; Hacker, Josua P.; Collins, Nancy; Lee, Jared A.

    2017-04-01

    complex bias structure in experiments (2) and (3) are more difficult to estimate, but still possible. Estimated the parameter in experiments with unbiased observations results in spatial and temporal parameter variability about zero, and establishes a threshold on the accuracy of the parameter in further experiments. When the observations are biased, the mean parameter value is close to the true bias, but temporal and spatial variability in the parameter estimates is similar to the parameters used when estimating a zero bias in the observations. The distributions are related to other errors in the forecasts, indicating that the parameters are absorbing some of the forecast error from other sources. In this presentation we elucidate the reasons for the resulting parameter estimates, and their variability.

  19. Attention, interpretation, and memory biases in subclinical depression: a proof-of-principle test of the combined cognitive biases hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Everaert, Jonas; Duyck, Wouter; Koster, Ernst H W

    2014-04-01

    Emotional biases in attention, interpretation, and memory are viewed as important cognitive processes underlying symptoms of depression. To date, there is a limited understanding of the interplay among these processing biases. This study tested the dependence of memory on depression-related biases in attention and interpretation. Subclinically depressed and nondepressed participants completed a computerized version of the scrambled sentences test (measuring interpretation bias) while their eye movements were recorded (measuring attention bias). This task was followed by an incidental free recall test of previously constructed interpretations (measuring memory bias). Path analysis revealed a good fit for the model in which selective orienting of attention was associated with interpretation bias, which in turn was associated with a congruent bias in memory. Also, a good fit was observed for a path model in which biases in the maintenance of attention and interpretation were associated with memory bias. Both path models attained a superior fit compared with path models without the theorized functional relations among processing biases. These findings enhance understanding of how mechanisms of attention and interpretation regulate what is remembered. As such, they offer support for the combined cognitive biases hypothesis or the notion that emotionally biased cognitive processes are not isolated mechanisms but instead influence each other. Implications for theoretical models and emotion regulation across the spectrum of depressive symptoms are discussed.

  20. Publication bias in obesity treatment trials?

    PubMed

    Allison, D B; Faith, M S; Gorman, B S

    1996-10-01

    The present investigation examined the extent of publication bias (namely the tendency to publish significant findings and file away non-significant findings) within the obesity treatment literature. Quantitative literature synthesis of four published meta-analyses from the obesity treatment literature. Interventions in these studies included pharmacological, educational, child, and couples treatments. To assess publication bias, several regression procedures (for example weighted least-squares, random-effects multi-level modeling, and robust regression methods) were used to regress effect sizes onto their standard errors, or proxies thereof, within each of the four meta-analysis. A significant positive beta weight in these analyses signified publication bias. There was evidence for publication bias within two of the four published meta-analyses, such that reviews of published studies were likely to overestimate clinical efficacy. The lack of evidence for publication bias within the two other meta-analyses might have been due to insufficient statistical power rather than the absence of selection bias. As in other disciplines, publication bias appears to exist in the obesity treatment literature. Suggestions are offered for managing publication bias once identified or reducing its likelihood in the first place.

  1. Autonomous quantum Maxwell's demon based on two exchange-coupled quantum dots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ptaszyński, Krzysztof

    2018-01-01

    I study an autonomous quantum Maxwell's demon based on two exchange-coupled quantum dots attached to the spin-polarized leads. The principle of operation of the demon is based on the coherent oscillations between the spin states of the system which act as a quantum iSWAP gate. Due to the operation of the iSWAP gate, one of the dots acts as a feedback controller which blocks the transport with the bias in the other dot, thus inducing the electron pumping against the bias; this leads to the locally negative entropy production. Operation of the demon is associated with the information transfer between the dots, which is studied quantitatively by mapping the analyzed setup onto the thermodynamically equivalent auxiliary system. The calculated entropy production in a single subsystem and information flow between the subsystems are shown to obey a local form of the second law of thermodynamics, similar to the one previously derived for classical bipartite systems.

  2. [Biases in the study of prognostic factors].

    PubMed

    Delgado-Rodríguez, M

    1999-01-01

    The main objective is to detail the main biases in the study of prognostic factors. Confounding bias is illustrated with social class, a prognostic factor still discussed. Within selection bias several cases are commented: response bias, specially frequent when the patients of a clinical trial are used; the shortcomings in the formation of an inception cohort; the fallacy of Neyman (bias due to the duration of disease) when the study begins with a cross-sectional study; the selection bias in the treatment of survivors for the different treatment opportunity of those living longer; the bias due to the inclusion of heterogeneous diagnostic groups; and the selection bias due to differential information losses and the use of statistical multivariate procedures. Within the biases during follow-up, an empiric rule to value the impact of the number of losses is given. In information bias the Will Rogers' phenomenon and the usefulness of clinical databases are discussed. Lastly, a recommendation against the use of cutoff points yielded by bivariate analyses to select the variable to be included in multivariate analysis is given.

  3. Measurements of the asymmetric dynamic sheath around a pulse biased sphere immersed in flowing metal plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Hongchen; Anders, André

    2008-08-01

    A long-probe technique was utilized to record the expansion and retreat of the dynamic sheath around a spherical substrate immersed in pulsed cathode arc metal plasma. Positively biased, long cylindrical probes were placed on the side and downstream of a negatively pulsed biased stainless steel sphere of 1 in. (25.4 mm) diameter. The amplitude and width of the negative high voltage pulses (HVPs) were 2 kV, 5 kV, 10 kV, and 2 µs, 4 µs, 10 µs, respectively. The variation of the probe (electron) current during the HVP is a direct measure for the sheath expansion and retreat. Maximum sheath sizes were determined for the different parameters of the HVP. The expected rarefaction zone behind the biased sphere (wake) due to the fast plasma flow was clearly established and quantified.

  4. 78 FR 21661 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Miami International Securities Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-11

    ...-Regulatory Organizations; Miami International Securities Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Establish an Administrative Information Subscriber (AIS) and AIS Port...-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange is...

  5. Charge order suppression, emergence of ferromagnetism and absence of exchange bias effect in Bi0.25Ca0.75MnO3 nanoparticles: Electron paramagnetic resonance and magnetization studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Geetanjali; Bhat, S. V.

    2012-06-01

    We report the results of magnetization and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies on nanoparticles (average diameter ˜ 30 nm) of Bi0.25Ca0.75MnO3 (BCMO) and compare them with the results on bulk BCMO. The nanoparticles were prepared using the nonaqueous sol-gel technique and characterized by XRD and TEM analysis. Magnetization measurements were carried out with a commercial physical property measurement system (PPMS). While the bulk BCMO exhibits a charge ordering transition at ˜230 K and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at ˜130 K, in the nanoparticles, the CO phase is seen to have disappeared and a transition to a ferromagnetic (FM) state is observed at Tc ˜ 120 K. However, interestingly, the exchange bias effect observed in other nanomanganite ferromagnets is absent in BCMO nanoparticles. EPR measurements were carried out in the X-band between 8 and 300 K. Lineshape fitting to a Lorentzian with two terms (accounting for both the clockwise and anticlockwise rotations of the microwave field) was employed to obtain the relevant EPR parameters as functions of temperature. The results confirm the occurrence of ferromagnetism in the nanoparticles of BCMO.

  6. Male Mutation Bias Is the Main Force Shaping Chromosomal Substitution Rates in Monotreme Mammals.

    PubMed

    Link, Vivian; Aguilar-Gómez, Diana; Ramírez-Suástegui, Ciro; Hurst, Laurence D; Cortez, Diego

    2017-09-01

    In many species, spermatogenesis involves more cell divisions than oogenesis, and the male germline, therefore, accumulates more DNA replication errors, a phenomenon known as male mutation bias. The extent of male mutation bias (α) is estimated by comparing substitution rates of the X, Y, and autosomal chromosomes, as these chromosomes spend different proportions of their time in the germlines of the two sexes. Male mutation bias has been characterized in placental and marsupial mammals as well as birds, but analyses in monotremes failed to detect any such bias. Monotremes are an ancient lineage of egg-laying mammals with distinct biological properties, which include unique germline features. Here, we sought to assess the presence and potential characteristics of male mutation bias in platypus and the short-beaked echidna based on substitution rate analyses of X, Y, and autosomes. We established the presence of moderate male mutation bias in monotremes, corresponding to an α value of 2.12-3.69. Given that it has been unclear what proportion of the variation in substitution rates on the different chromosomal classes is really due to differential number of replications, we analyzed the influence of other confounding forces (selection, replication-timing, etc.) and found that male mutation bias is the main force explaining the between-chromosome classes differences in substitution rates. Finally, we estimated the proportion of variation at the gene level in substitution rates that is owing to replication effects and found that this phenomenon can explain >68% of these variations in monotremes, and in control species, rodents, and primates. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  7. Bias-field equalizer for bubble memories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Keefe, G. E.

    1977-01-01

    Magnetoresistive Perm-alloy sensor monitors bias field required to maintain bubble memory. Sensor provides error signal that, in turn, corrects magnitude of bias field. Error signal from sensor can be used to control magnitude of bias field in either auxiliary set of bias-field coils around permanent magnet field, or current in small coils used to remagnetize permanent magnet by infrequent, short, high-current pulse or short sequence of pulses.

  8. HESS Opinions "Should we apply bias correction to global and regional climate model data?"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehret, U.; Zehe, E.; Wulfmeyer, V.; Warrach-Sagi, K.; Liebert, J.

    2012-04-01

    Despite considerable progress in recent years, output of both Global and Regional Circulation Models is still afflicted with biases to a degree that precludes its direct use, especially in climate change impact studies. This is well known, and to overcome this problem bias correction (BC), i.e. the correction of model output towards observations in a post processing step for its subsequent application in climate change impact studies has now become a standard procedure. In this paper we argue that bias correction, which has a considerable influence on the results of impact studies, is not a valid procedure in the way it is currently used: it impairs the advantages of Circulation Models which are based on established physical laws by altering spatiotemporal field consistency, relations among variables and by violating conservation principles. Bias correction largely neglects feedback mechanisms and it is unclear whether bias correction methods are time-invariant under climate change conditions. Applying bias correction increases agreement of Climate Model output with observations in hind casts and hence narrows the uncertainty range of simulations and predictions without, however, providing a satisfactory physical justification. This is in most cases not transparent to the end user. We argue that this masks rather than reduces uncertainty, which may lead to avoidable forejudging of end users and decision makers. We present here a brief overview of state-of-the-art bias correction methods, discuss the related assumptions and implications, draw conclusions on the validity of bias correction and propose ways to cope with biased output of Circulation Models in the short term and how to reduce the bias in the long term. The most promising strategy for improved future Global and Regional Circulation Model simulations is the increase in model resolution to the convection-permitting scale in combination with ensemble predictions based on sophisticated approaches for

  9. Adaptive-numerical-bias metadynamics.

    PubMed

    Khanjari, Neda; Eslami, Hossein; Müller-Plathe, Florian

    2017-12-05

    A metadynamics scheme is presented in which the free energy surface is filled with progressively adding adaptive biasing potentials, obtained from the accumulated probability distribution of the collective variables. Instead of adding Gaussians with assigned height and width in conventional metadynamics method, here we add a more realistic adaptive biasing potential to the Hamiltonian of the system. The shape of the adaptive biasing potential is adjusted on the fly by sampling over the visited states. As the top of the barrier is approached, the biasing potentials become wider. This decreases the problem of trapping the system in the niches, introduced by the addition of Gaussians of fixed height in metadynamics. Our results for the free energy profiles of three test systems show that this method is more accurate and converges more quickly than the conventional metadynamics, and is quite comparable (in accuracy and convergence rate) with the well-tempered metadynamics method. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Introduction to Unconscious Bias

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmelz, Joan T.

    2010-05-01

    We all have biases, and we are (for the most part) unaware of them. In general, men and women BOTH unconsciously devalue the contributions of women. This can have a detrimental effect on grant proposals, job applications, and performance reviews. Sociology is way ahead of astronomy in these studies. When evaluating identical application packages, male and female University psychology professors preferred 2:1 to hire "Brian” over "Karen” as an assistant professor. When evaluating a more experienced record (at the point of promotion to tenure), reservations were expressed four times more often when the name was female. This unconscious bias has a repeated negative effect on Karen's career. This talk will introduce the concept of unconscious bias and also give recommendations on how to address it using an example for a faculty search committee. The process of eliminating unconscious bias begins with awareness, then moves to policy and practice, and ends with accountability.

  11. The influence of social comparison on cognitive bias modification and emotional vulnerability.

    PubMed

    Standage, Helen; Harris, Jemma; Fox, Elaine

    2014-02-01

    The Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) paradigm was devised to test predictions that cognitive biases have a causal influence on emotional status. Increasingly, however, researchers are testing the potential clinical applications of CBM. Although generally successful in reducing emotional vulnerability in clinical populations, the impact of CBM interventions has been somewhat variable. The aim of the current experiment was to investigate whether social comparison processing might be an important moderator of CBM. Healthy participants were presented with 80 valenced scenarios devised to induce a positive or negative interpretative bias. Critically, participants answered a series of questions designed to establish whether they assimilated or contrasted themselves with the valenced descriptions. The induction of an interpretation bias that was congruent with the valence of the training scenarios was successful only for participants who tended to assimilate the valenced scenarios, and not for those participants who tended to evaluate themselves against the scenarios. Furthermore, the predicted influence of CBM on emotional outcomes occurred only for those who had an assimilative rather than evaluative orientation toward CBM training material. Of key importance, results indicated that "evaluators" showed increased emotional vulnerability following positive CBM training. This result has both theoretical and clinical implications in suggesting that the success of CBM is dependent upon the way in which participants socially compare themselves with CBM training material. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  12. Dipeptide frequency/bias analysis identifies conserved sites of nonrandomness shared by cysteine-rich motifs.

    PubMed

    Campion, S R; Ameen, A S; Lai, L; King, J M; Munzenmaier, T N

    2001-08-15

    This report describes the application of a simple computational tool, AAPAIR.TAB, for the systematic analysis of the cysteine-rich EGF, Sushi, and Laminin motif/sequence families at the two-amino acid level. Automated dipeptide frequency/bias analysis detects preferences in the distribution of amino acids in established protein families, by determining which "ordered dipeptides" occur most frequently in comprehensive motif-specific sequence data sets. Graphic display of the dipeptide frequency/bias data revealed family-specific preferences for certain dipeptides, but more importantly detected a shared preference for employment of the ordered dipeptides Gly-Tyr (GY) and Gly-Phe (GF) in all three protein families. The dipeptide Asn-Gly (NG) also exhibited high-frequency and bias in the EGF and Sushi motif families, whereas Asn-Thr (NT) was distinguished in the Laminin family. Evaluation of the distribution of dipeptides identified by frequency/bias analysis subsequently revealed the highly restricted localization of the G(F/Y) and N(G/T) sequence elements at two separate sites of extreme conservation in the consensus sequence of all three sequence families. The similar employment of the high-frequency/bias dipeptides in three distinct protein sequence families was further correlated with the concurrence of these shared molecular determinants at similar positions within the distinctive scaffolds of three structurally divergent, but similarly employed, motif modules.

  13. Exchange field and Hc dependence on the ferromagnetic material in exchange couples with CoO (abstract)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takano, Kentaro; Berkowitz, A. E.

    1997-04-01

    As recording density increases, magnetoresistive (MR) sensors are becoming increasingly important in read heads. NixCo(1-x)O is receiving technological attention for biasing magnetoresistive sensors as a robust alternative to FeMn. The interfacial exchange coupling between a ferromagnetic (FM) layer and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) is observed as an exchange field and an enhanced coercive field of the FM layer. The AFM/FM coupling is sensitive to the interfacial structure and the AFM and FM magnetic parameters. In this work, we deposited various FM layers on similar 300 Å CoO base layers to study the dependence of the FM exchange integral parameter J on the exchange HE and coercive HC fields. CoO was selected as the AFM material because (i) its simple spin and crystal structures facilitate the structural characterization and modeling of its magnetic properties, and (ii) it's modest Néel temperature of 300 K facilitates the use of a superconducting quantum interference device for the magnetic measurements at temperatures ranging from 5 to 400 K. The 300 Å CoO films were reactively sputtered on silicon substrates and capped with various 300 Å FM films, Ni, Co, Fe, and permalloy (Ni81Fe19). The 300 Å CoO base layer films were polycrystalline with columnar grains. The CoO deposition conditions were reproduced to ensure similar structural and magnetic interfacial AF environments. The observed HE temperature dependence cannot be explained by current theoretical models. The temperature dependence of the exchange fields have the common features (i) a blocking temperature Tb=300 K, which corresponds to the bulk Néel temperature of CoO, (ii) a rise in the exchange field with decreasing temperature, (iii) an intermediate temperature region of constant HE (plateau value), and (iv) a second region of linearly increasing HE with decreasing temperatures down to 0 K. The plateau value of the HE decreased inversely with increasing FM magnetization as predicted by theory. The

  14. Noribogaine is a G-protein biased κ-opioid receptor agonist.

    PubMed

    Maillet, Emeline L; Milon, Nicolas; Heghinian, Mari D; Fishback, James; Schürer, Stephan C; Garamszegi, Nandor; Mash, Deborah C

    2015-12-01

    Noribogaine is the long-lived human metabolite of the anti-addictive substance ibogaine. Noribogaine efficaciously reaches the brain with concentrations up to 20 μM after acute therapeutic dose of 40 mg/kg ibogaine in animals. Noribogaine displays atypical opioid-like components in vivo, anti-addictive effects and potent modulatory properties of the tolerance to opiates for which the mode of action remained uncharacterized thus far. Our binding experiments and computational simulations indicate that noribogaine may bind to the orthosteric morphinan binding site of the opioid receptors. Functional activities of noribogaine at G-protein and non G-protein pathways of the mu and kappa opioid receptors were characterized. Noribogaine was a weak mu antagonist with a functional inhibition constants (Ke) of 20 μM at the G-protein and β-arrestin signaling pathways. Conversely, noribogaine was a G-protein biased kappa agonist 75% as efficacious as dynorphin A at stimulating GDP-GTP exchange (EC50=9 μM) but only 12% as efficacious at recruiting β-arrestin, which could contribute to the lack of dysphoric effects of noribogaine. In turn, noribogaine functionally inhibited dynorphin-induced kappa β-arrestin recruitment and was more potent than its G-protein agonistic activity with an IC50 of 1 μM. This biased agonist/antagonist pharmacology is unique to noribogaine in comparison to various other ligands including ibogaine, 18-MC, nalmefene, and 6'-GNTI. We predict noribogaine to promote certain analgesic effects as well as anti-addictive effects at effective concentrations>1 μM in the brain. Because elevated levels of dynorphins are commonly observed and correlated with anxiety, dysphoric effects, and decreased dopaminergic tone, a therapeutically relevant functional inhibition bias to endogenously released dynorphins by noribogaine might be worthy of consideration for treating anxiety and substance related disorders. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier

  15. Treatment with escitalopram improves the attentional bias toward negative facial expressions in patients with major depressive disorders.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Zhenhe; Cao, Suxia; Li, Hengfen; Li, Youhui

    2015-10-01

    We hypothesized that treatment with escitalopram would improve cognitive bias and contribute to the recovery process for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Many previous studies have established that patients with MDD tend to pay selective attention to negative stimuli. The assessment of the level of cognitive bias is regarded as a crucial dimension of treatment outcomes for MDD. To our knowledge, no prior studies have been reported on the effects of treatment with escitalopram on attentional bias in MDD, employing a dot probe task of facial expression. We studied 25 patients with MDD and 25 controls, and used a dot probe task of facial expression to measure cognitive bias. The patients' psychopathologies were rated using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment with escitalopram. All participants performed the facial expression dot probe task. The results revealed that the 8 week escitalopram treatment decreased the HAMD scores. The patients with MDD at baseline exhibited an attentional bias towards negative faces, however, no significant bias toward either negative or happy faces were observed in the controls. After the 8 week escitalopram treatment, no significant bias toward negative faces was observed in the patient group. In conclusion, patients with MDD pay more attention to negative facial expressions, and treatment with escitalopram improves this attentional bias toward negative facial expressions. This is the first study, to our knowledge, on the effects of treatment with escitalopram on attentional bias in patients with MDD that has employed a dot probe task of facial expression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Study of the Dependence on Magnetic Field and Bias Voltage of an AC-Biased TES Microcalorimeter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bandler, Simon

    2011-01-01

    At SRON we are studying the performance of a Goddard Space Flight Center single pixel TES microcalorimeter operated in the AC bias configuration. For x-ray photons at 6keV the AC biased pixel shows a best energy resolution of 3.7eV, which is about a factor of 2 worse than the energy resolution observed in identical DC-biased pixels. To better understand the reasons of this discrepancy, we investigated the detector performance as a function of temperature, bias working point and applied magnetic field. A strong periodic dependence of the detector noise on the TES AC bias voltage is measured. We discuss the results in the framework of the recent weak-link behaviour observed inTES microcalorimeters.

  17. 78 FR 24273 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Order Granting Approval of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-24

    ... Exchange shall establish and maintain procedures and internal controls reasonably designed to adequately... controls designed to protect confidential and proprietary information, which should help ensure that the... that are reasonably designed to prevent trade-throughs and establish, maintain and enforce written...

  18. 78 FR 77736 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-24

    ... may increase, market making activity on the Exchange, by establishing quoting compliance standards... the proposal will not diminish and in fact may increase, market making activity on the Exchange, by... clarification and flexibility does not detract from the overall market making obligations of Market Makers. The...

  19. Attention bias modification training under working memory load increases the magnitude of change in attentional bias.

    PubMed

    Clarke, Patrick J F; Branson, Sonya; Chen, Nigel T M; Van Bockstaele, Bram; Salemink, Elske; MacLeod, Colin; Notebaert, Lies

    2017-12-01

    Attention bias modification (ABM) procedures have shown promise as a therapeutic intervention, however current ABM procedures have proven inconsistent in their ability to reliably achieve the requisite change in attentional bias needed to produce emotional benefits. This highlights the need to better understand the precise task conditions that facilitate the intended change in attention bias in order to realise the therapeutic potential of ABM procedures. Based on the observation that change in attentional bias occurs largely outside conscious awareness, the aim of the current study was to determine if an ABM procedure delivered under conditions likely to preclude explicit awareness of the experimental contingency, via the addition of a working memory load, would contribute to greater change in attentional bias. Bias change was assessed among 122 participants in response to one of four ABM tasks given by the two experimental factors of ABM training procedure delivered either with or without working memory load, and training direction of either attend-negative or avoid-negative. Findings revealed that avoid-negative ABM procedure under working memory load resulted in significantly greater reductions in attentional bias compared to the equivalent no-load condition. The current findings will require replication with clinical samples to determine the utility of the current task for achieving emotional benefits. These present findings are consistent with the position that the addition of a working memory load may facilitate change in attentional bias in response to an ABM training procedure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Differential shift in spatial bias over time depends on observers׳ initial bias: Observer subtypes, or regression to the mean?

    PubMed

    Newman, Daniel P; Loughnane, Gerard M; Abe, Rafael; Zoratti, Marco T R; Martins, Ana C P; van den Bogert, Petra C; Kelly, Simon P; O'Connell, Redmond G; Bellgrove, Mark A

    2014-11-01

    Healthy subjects typically exhibit a subtle bias of visuospatial attention favouring left space that is commonly termed 'pseudoneglect'. This bias is attenuated, or shifted rightwards, with decreasing alertness over time, consistent with theoretical models proposing that pseudoneglect is a result of the right hemisphere׳s dominance in regulating attention. Although this 'time-on-task effect' for spatial bias is observed when averaging across whole samples of healthy participants, Benwell, C. S. Y., Thut, G., Learmonth, G., & Harvey, M. (2013b). Spatial attention: differential shifts in pseudoneglect direction with time-on-task and initial bias support the idea of observer subtypes. Neuropsychologia, 51(13), 2747-2756 recently presented evidence that the direction and magnitude of bias exhibited by the participant early in the task (left biased, no bias, or right biased) were stable traits that predicted the direction of the subsequent time-on-task shift in spatial bias. That is, the spatial bias of participants who were initially left biased shifted in a rightward direction with time, whereas that of participants who were initially right biased shifted in a leftward direction. If valid, the data of Benwell et al. are potentially important and may demand a re-evaluation of current models of the neural networks governing spatial attention. Here we use two novel spatial attention tasks in an attempt to confirm the results of Benwell et al. We show that rather than being indicative of true participant subtypes, these data patterns are likely driven, at least in part, by 'regression towards the mean' arising from the analysis method employed. Although evidence supports the contention that trait-like individual differences in spatial bias exist within the healthy population, no clear evidence is yet available for participant/observer subtypes in the direction of time-on-task shift in spatial biases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Oxo-exchange of gas-phase uranyl, neptunyl, and plutonyl with water and methanol.

    PubMed

    Lucena, Ana F; Odoh, Samuel O; Zhao, Jing; Marçalo, Joaquim; Schreckenbach, Georg; Gibson, John K

    2014-02-17

    A challenge in actinide chemistry is activation of the strong bonds in the actinyl ions, AnO2(+) and AnO2(2+), where An = U, Np, or Pu. Actinyl activation in oxo-exchange with water in solution is well established, but the exchange mechanisms are unknown. Gas-phase actinyl oxo-exchange is a means to probe these processes in detail for simple systems, which are amenable to computational modeling. Gas-phase exchange reactions of UO2(+), NpO2(+), PuO2(+), and UO2(2+) with water and methanol were studied by experiment and density functional theory (DFT); reported for the first time are experimental results for UO2(2+) and for methanol exchange, as well as exchange rate constants. Key findings are faster exchange of UO2(2+) versus UO2(+) and faster exchange with methanol versus water; faster exchange of UO2(+) versus PuO2(+) was quantified. Computed potential energy profiles (PEPs) are in accord with the observed kinetics, validating the utility of DFT to model these exchange processes. The seemingly enigmatic result of faster exchange for uranyl, which has the strongest oxo-bonds, may reflect reduced covalency in uranyl as compared with plutonyl.

  2. Na+/H+ exchange activity in the plasma membrane of Arabidopsis.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Quan-Sheng; Barkla, Bronwyn J; Vera-Estrella, Rosario; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Schumaker, Karen S

    2003-06-01

    In plants, Na+/H+ exchangers in the plasma membrane are critical for growth in high levels of salt, removing toxic Na+ from the cytoplasm by transport out of the cell. The molecular identity of a plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger in Arabidopsis (SOS1) has recently been determined. In this study, immunological analysis provided evidence that SOS1 localizes to the plasma membrane of leaves and roots. To characterize the transport activity of this protein, purified plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from leaves of Arabidopsis. Na+/H+ exchange activity, monitored as the ability of Na to dissipate an established pH gradient, was absent in plants grown without salt. However, exchange activity was induced when plants were grown in 250 mm NaCl and increased with prolonged salt exposure up to 8 d. H+-coupled exchange was specific for Na, because chloride salts of other monovalent cations did not dissipate the pH gradient. Na+/H+ exchange activity was dependent on Na (substrate) concentration, and kinetic analysis indicated that the affinity (apparent Km) of the transporter for Na+ is 22.8 mm. Data from two experimental approaches supports electroneutral exchange (one Na+ exchanged for one proton): (a) no change in membrane potential was measured during the exchange reaction, and (b) Na+/H+ exchange was unaffected by the presence or absence of a membrane potential. Results from this research provide a framework for future studies into the regulation of the plant plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger and its relative contribution to the maintenance of cellular Na+ homeostasis during plant growth in salt.

  3. Without Bias: A Guidebook for Nondiscriminatory Communication.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pickens, Judy E., Ed.; And Others

    This guidebook discusses ways to eliminate various types of discrimination from business communications. Separately authored chapters discuss eliminating racial and ethnic bias; eliminating sexual bias; achieving communication sensitive about handicaps of disabled persons; eliminating bias from visual media; eliminating bias from meetings,…

  4. The picture exchange communication system.

    PubMed

    Bondy, A S; Frost, L A

    1998-01-01

    The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed as a means to teach children with autism and related developmental disabilities a rapidly acquired, self-initiating, functional communication system. Its theoretical roots combine principles from applied behavior analysis and guidelines established within the field of alternative and augmentative communication. This approach has several potential advantages relative to imitation-based strategies (both vocal and gestural) and symbol selection strategies. The system begins with the exchange of simple icons but rapidly builds "sentence" structure. The system also emphasizes developing the request function prior to developing responding to simple questions and commenting. The development of requesting with a sentence structure also permits the rapid development of attributes more traditionally taught within a receptive mode. The relationship between the introduction of PECS and various other behavioral issues (i.e., social approach and behavior management) as well as its relationship to the codevelopment of speech are reviewed.

  5. Investigating the efficacy of attention bias modification in reducing high spider fear: The role of individual differences in initial bias

    PubMed Central

    Fox, Elaine; Zougkou, Konstantina; Ashwin, Chris; Cahill, Shanna

    2015-01-01

    Background and objectives Attention Bias Modification (ABM) targets attention bias (AB) towards threat and is a potential therapeutic intervention for anxiety. The current study investigated whether initial AB (towards or away from spider images) influenced the effectiveness of ABM in spider fear. Methods AB was assessed with an attentional probe task consisting of spider and neutral images presented simultaneously followed by a probe in spider congruent or spider incongruent locations. Response time (RT) differences between spider and neutral trials > 25 ms was considered ‘Bias Toward’ threat. RT difference < - 25 ms was considered ‘Bias Away’ from threat, and a difference between −25 ms and +25 ms was considered ‘No Bias’. Participants were categorized into Initial Bias groups using pre-ABM AB scores calculated at the end of the study. 66 participants' (Bias Toward n = 27, Bias Away n = 18, No Bias n = 21) were randomly assigned to ABM-active training designed to reduce or eliminate a bias toward threat and 61 (Bias Toward n = 17, Bias Away n = 18, No Bias n = 26) to ABM-control. Results ABM-active had the largest impact on those demonstrating an initial Bias Towards spider images in terms of changing AB and reducing Spider Fear Vulnerability, with the Bias Away group experiencing least benefit from ABM. However, all Initial Bias groups benefited equally from active ABM in a Stress Task. Limitations Participants were high spider fearful but not formally diagnosed with a specific phobia. Therefore, results should be confirmed within a clinical population. Conclusions Individual differences in Initial Bias may be an important determinant of ABM efficacy. PMID:26060177

  6. Spatial clustering of dark matter haloes: secondary bias, neighbour bias, and the influence of massive neighbours on halo properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salcedo, Andrés N.; Maller, Ariyeh H.; Berlind, Andreas A.; Sinha, Manodeep; McBride, Cameron K.; Behroozi, Peter S.; Wechsler, Risa H.; Weinberg, David H.

    2018-04-01

    We explore the phenomenon commonly known as halo assembly bias, whereby dark matter haloes of the same mass are found to be more or less clustered when a second halo property is considered, for haloes in the mass range 3.7 × 1011-5.0 × 1013 h-1 M⊙. Using the Large Suite of Dark Matter Simulations (LasDamas) we consider nine commonly used halo properties and find that a clustering bias exists if haloes are binned by mass or by any other halo property. This secondary bias implies that no single halo property encompasses all the spatial clustering information of the halo population. The mean values of some halo properties depend on their halo's distance to a more massive neighbour. Halo samples selected by having high values of one of these properties therefore inherit a neighbour bias such that they are much more likely to be close to a much more massive neighbour. This neighbour bias largely accounts for the secondary bias seen in haloes binned by mass and split by concentration or age. However, haloes binned by other mass-like properties still show a secondary bias even when the neighbour bias is removed. The secondary bias of haloes selected by their spin behaves differently than that for other halo properties, suggesting that the origin of the spin bias is different than of other secondary biases.

  7. Negativity Bias in Dangerous Drivers.

    PubMed

    Chai, Jing; Qu, Weina; Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan; Ge, Yan

    2016-01-01

    The behavioral and cognitive characteristics of dangerous drivers differ significantly from those of safe drivers. However, differences in emotional information processing have seldom been investigated. Previous studies have revealed that drivers with higher anger/anxiety trait scores are more likely to be involved in crashes and that individuals with higher anger traits exhibit stronger negativity biases when processing emotions compared with control groups. However, researchers have not explored the relationship between emotional information processing and driving behavior. In this study, we examined the emotional information processing differences between dangerous drivers and safe drivers. Thirty-eight non-professional drivers were divided into two groups according to the penalty points that they had accrued for traffic violations: 15 drivers with 6 or more points were included in the dangerous driver group, and 23 drivers with 3 or fewer points were included in the safe driver group. The emotional Stroop task was used to measure negativity biases, and both behavioral and electroencephalograph data were recorded. The behavioral results revealed stronger negativity biases in the dangerous drivers than in the safe drivers. The bias score was correlated with self-reported dangerous driving behavior. Drivers with strong negativity biases reported having been involved in mores crashes compared with the less-biased drivers. The event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed that the dangerous drivers exhibited reduced P3 components when responding to negative stimuli, suggesting decreased inhibitory control of information that is task-irrelevant but emotionally salient. The influence of negativity bias provides one possible explanation of the effects of individual differences on dangerous driving behavior and traffic crashes.

  8. Cognitive Biases in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain: A Review of Findings and a Call for Developmental Research.

    PubMed

    Lau, Jennifer Y F; Heathcote, Lauren C; Beale, Sarah; Gray, Suzy; Jacobs, Konrad; Wilkinson, Nick; Crombez, Geert

    2018-06-01

    Cognitive biases that emphasize bodily harm, injury, and illness could play a role in the maintenance of chronic pain by facilitating fear and avoidance. Whereas extensive research has established attention, interpretation, and memory biases in adults with chronic pain, far less is known about these same biases in children and adolescents with pain. Studying cognitive biases in attention, interpretation, and memory in relation to pain occurring in youth is important because youth is a time when pain can first become chronic, and when relationships between cognitive biases and pain outcomes emerge and stabilize. Thus, youth potentially offers a time window for the prevention of chronic pain problems. In this article, we summarize the growing corpus of data that have measured cognitive biases in relation to pediatric pain. We conclude that although biases in attention, interpretation, and memory characterize children and adolescents with varying pain experiences, questions regarding the direction, magnitude, nature, and role of these biases remain. We call for independent extension of cognitive bias research in children and adolescents, using well powered longitudinal studies with wide age ranges and psychometrically sound experimental measures to clarify these findings and any developmental trends in the links between cognitive biases and pain outcomes. This article provides a rationale for the theoretical and practical importance of studying the role of cognitive biases in children and adolescents with chronic pain, which has to date, been relatively understudied. Existing findings are reviewed critically, and recommendations for future research are offered. Copyright © 2018 The American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Seedling establishment of Ferocactus acanthodes in relation to drought

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jordan, P.W.; Nobel, P.S.

    1981-08-01

    The 30 smallest seedlings of Ferocactus acanthodes (Lem.) Britton and Rose (Cactaceae) at a canyon site in the northwestern Sonoran desert averaged 2.5 cm in height. Based on field studies of CO/sub 2/ exchange throughout the year, the estimated time of their germination was late summer 1976. To explan why so little establishment occurred in recent years, the length of lethal drought for seedlings of various ages was calculated from the seedling geometry (volume-to-surface ratio), dehydration tolerance, and transpiration rates. Individual years were identified which had sufficiently long growing seasons relative to the length of the subsequent droughts to allowmore » establishment. Eight of the last 18 y were found to be suitable for establishment of F. acanthodes, the latest year being 1976.« less

  10. Bayesian Analysis for Exponential Random Graph Models Using the Adaptive Exchange Sampler.

    PubMed

    Jin, Ick Hoon; Yuan, Ying; Liang, Faming

    2013-10-01

    Exponential random graph models have been widely used in social network analysis. However, these models are extremely difficult to handle from a statistical viewpoint, because of the intractable normalizing constant and model degeneracy. In this paper, we consider a fully Bayesian analysis for exponential random graph models using the adaptive exchange sampler, which solves the intractable normalizing constant and model degeneracy issues encountered in Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations. The adaptive exchange sampler can be viewed as a MCMC extension of the exchange algorithm, and it generates auxiliary networks via an importance sampling procedure from an auxiliary Markov chain running in parallel. The convergence of this algorithm is established under mild conditions. The adaptive exchange sampler is illustrated using a few social networks, including the Florentine business network, molecule synthetic network, and dolphins network. The results indicate that the adaptive exchange algorithm can produce more accurate estimates than approximate exchange algorithms, while maintaining the same computational efficiency.

  11. Exchange of Standardized Flight Dynamics Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martin-Mur, Tomas J.; Berry, David; Flores-Amaya, Felipe; Folliard, J.; Kiehling, R.; Ogawa, M.; Pallaschke, S.

    2004-01-01

    Spacecraft operations require the knowledge of the vehicle trajectory and attitude and also that of other spacecraft or natural bodies. This knowledge is normally provided by the Flight Dynamics teams of the different space organizations and, as very often spacecraft operations involve more than one organization, this information needs to be exchanged between Agencies. This is why the Navigation Working Group within the CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems), has been instituted with the task of establishing standards for the exchange of Flight Dynamics data. This exchange encompasses trajectory data, attitude data, and tracking data. The Navigation Working Group includes regular members and observers representing the participating Space Agencies. Currently the group includes representatives from CNES, DLR, ESA, NASA and JAXA. This Working Group meets twice per year in order to devise standardized language, methods, and formats for the description and exchange of Navigation data. Early versions of some of these standards have been used to support mutual tracking of ESA and NASA interplanetary spacecraft, especially during the arrival of the 2003 missions to Mars. This paper provides a summary of the activities carried out by the group, briefly outlines the current and envisioned standards, describes the tests and operational activities that have been performed using the standards, and lists and discusses the lessons learned from these activities.

  12. Boundary based on exchange symmetry theory for multilevel simulations. I. Basic theory.

    PubMed

    Shiga, Motoyuki; Masia, Marco

    2013-07-28

    In this paper, we lay the foundations for a new method that allows multilevel simulations of a diffusive system, i.e., a system where a flux of particles through the boundaries might disrupt the primary region. The method is based on the use of flexible restraints that maintain the separation between inner and outer particles. It is shown that, by introducing a bias potential that accounts for the exchange symmetry of the system, the correct statistical distribution is preserved. Using a toy model consisting of non-interacting particles in an asymmetric potential well, we prove that the method is formally exact, and that it could be simplified by considering only up to a couple of particle exchanges without a loss of accuracy. A real-world test is then made by considering a hybrid MM(∗)/MM calculation of cesium ion in water. In this case, the single exchange approximation is sound enough that the results superimpose to the exact solutions. Potential applications of this method to many different hybrid QM/MM systems are discussed, as well as its limitations and strengths in comparison to existing approaches.

  13. Spin-torque diode frequency tuning via soft exchange pinning of both magnetic layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khudorozhkov, A. A.; Skirdkov, P. N.; Zvezdin, K. A.; Vetoshko, P. M.; Popkov, A. F.

    2017-12-01

    A spin-torque diode, which is a magnetic tunnel junction with magnetic layers softly pinned at some tilt to each other, is proposed. The resonance operating frequency of such a dual exchange-pinned spin-torque diode can be significantly higher (up to 9.5 GHz) than that of a traditional free layer spin-torque diode, and, at the same time, the sensitivity remains rather high. Using micromagnetic modeling we show that the maximum microwave sensitivity of the considered diode is reached at the bias current densities slightly below the self-sustained oscillations initiating. The dependence of the resonance frequency and the sensitivity on the angle between pinning exchange fields is presented. Thus, a way of designing spin-torque diode with a given resonance response frequency in the microwave region in the absence of an external magnetic field is proposed.

  14. Publication Bias in Methodological Computational Research.

    PubMed

    Boulesteix, Anne-Laure; Stierle, Veronika; Hapfelmeier, Alexander

    2015-01-01

    The problem of publication bias has long been discussed in research fields such as medicine. There is a consensus that publication bias is a reality and that solutions should be found to reduce it. In methodological computational research, including cancer informatics, publication bias may also be at work. The publication of negative research findings is certainly also a relevant issue, but has attracted very little attention to date. The present paper aims at providing a new formal framework to describe the notion of publication bias in the context of methodological computational research, facilitate and stimulate discussions on this topic, and increase awareness in the scientific community. We report an exemplary pilot study that aims at gaining experiences with the collection and analysis of information on unpublished research efforts with respect to publication bias, and we outline the encountered problems. Based on these experiences, we try to formalize the notion of publication bias.

  15. Is probabilistic bias analysis approximately Bayesian?

    PubMed Central

    MacLehose, Richard F.; Gustafson, Paul

    2011-01-01

    Case-control studies are particularly susceptible to differential exposure misclassification when exposure status is determined following incident case status. Probabilistic bias analysis methods have been developed as ways to adjust standard effect estimates based on the sensitivity and specificity of exposure misclassification. The iterative sampling method advocated in probabilistic bias analysis bears a distinct resemblance to a Bayesian adjustment; however, it is not identical. Furthermore, without a formal theoretical framework (Bayesian or frequentist), the results of a probabilistic bias analysis remain somewhat difficult to interpret. We describe, both theoretically and empirically, the extent to which probabilistic bias analysis can be viewed as approximately Bayesian. While the differences between probabilistic bias analysis and Bayesian approaches to misclassification can be substantial, these situations often involve unrealistic prior specifications and are relatively easy to detect. Outside of these special cases, probabilistic bias analysis and Bayesian approaches to exposure misclassification in case-control studies appear to perform equally well. PMID:22157311

  16. Symmetry as Bias: Rediscovering Special Relativity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lowry, Michael R.

    1992-01-01

    This paper describes a rational reconstruction of Einstein's discovery of special relativity, validated through an implementation: the Erlanger program. Einstein's discovery of special relativity revolutionized both the content of physics and the research strategy used by theoretical physicists. This research strategy entails a mutual bootstrapping process between a hypothesis space for biases, defined through different postulated symmetries of the universe, and a hypothesis space for physical theories. The invariance principle mutually constrains these two spaces. The invariance principle enables detecting when an evolving physical theory becomes inconsistent with its bias, and also when the biases for theories describing different phenomena are inconsistent. Structural properties of the invariance principle facilitate generating a new bias when an inconsistency is detected. After a new bias is generated. this principle facilitates reformulating the old, inconsistent theory by treating the latter as a limiting approximation. The structural properties of the invariance principle can be suitably generalized to other types of biases to enable primal-dual learning.

  17. Anti-Bias Education: Reflections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derman-Sparks, Louise

    2011-01-01

    It is 30 years since NAEYC published "Anti-Bias Curriculum Tools for Empowering Young Children" (Derman-Sparks & ABC Task Force, 1989). Since then, anti-bias education concepts have become part of the early childhood education (ECE) narrative in the United States and many other countries. It has brought a fresh way of thinking about…

  18. Double propensity-score adjustment: A solution to design bias or bias due to incomplete matching.

    PubMed

    Austin, Peter C

    2017-02-01

    Propensity-score matching is frequently used to reduce the effects of confounding when using observational data to estimate the effects of treatments. Matching allows one to estimate the average effect of treatment in the treated. Rosenbaum and Rubin coined the term "bias due to incomplete matching" to describe the bias that can occur when some treated subjects are excluded from the matched sample because no appropriate control subject was available. The presence of incomplete matching raises important questions around the generalizability of estimated treatment effects to the entire population of treated subjects. We describe an analytic solution to address the bias due to incomplete matching. Our method is based on using optimal or nearest neighbor matching, rather than caliper matching (which frequently results in the exclusion of some treated subjects). Within the sample matched on the propensity score, covariate adjustment using the propensity score is then employed to impute missing potential outcomes under lack of treatment for each treated subject. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we found that the proposed method resulted in estimates of treatment effect that were essentially unbiased. This method resulted in decreased bias compared to caliper matching alone and compared to either optimal matching or nearest neighbor matching alone. Caliper matching alone resulted in design bias or bias due to incomplete matching, while optimal matching or nearest neighbor matching alone resulted in bias due to residual confounding. The proposed method also tended to result in estimates with decreased mean squared error compared to when caliper matching was used.

  19. Double propensity-score adjustment: A solution to design bias or bias due to incomplete matching

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Propensity-score matching is frequently used to reduce the effects of confounding when using observational data to estimate the effects of treatments. Matching allows one to estimate the average effect of treatment in the treated. Rosenbaum and Rubin coined the term “bias due to incomplete matching” to describe the bias that can occur when some treated subjects are excluded from the matched sample because no appropriate control subject was available. The presence of incomplete matching raises important questions around the generalizability of estimated treatment effects to the entire population of treated subjects. We describe an analytic solution to address the bias due to incomplete matching. Our method is based on using optimal or nearest neighbor matching, rather than caliper matching (which frequently results in the exclusion of some treated subjects). Within the sample matched on the propensity score, covariate adjustment using the propensity score is then employed to impute missing potential outcomes under lack of treatment for each treated subject. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we found that the proposed method resulted in estimates of treatment effect that were essentially unbiased. This method resulted in decreased bias compared to caliper matching alone and compared to either optimal matching or nearest neighbor matching alone. Caliper matching alone resulted in design bias or bias due to incomplete matching, while optimal matching or nearest neighbor matching alone resulted in bias due to residual confounding. The proposed method also tended to result in estimates with decreased mean squared error compared to when caliper matching was used. PMID:25038071

  20. 77 FR 4604 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-30

    ... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34-66218; File No. SR-NYSE-2012-01] Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change To Establish an NYBX Immediate-or-Cancel Order January 24, 2012. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act'') \\1\\ and Rule 19b-4...

  1. Deterministic photon bias in speckle imaging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beletic, James W.

    1989-01-01

    A method for determining photo bias terms in speckle imaging is presented, and photon bias is shown to be a deterministic quantity that can be calculated without the use of the expectation operator. The quantities obtained are found to be identical to previous results. The present results have extended photon bias calculations to the important case of the bispectrum where photon events are assigned different weights, in which regime the bias is a frequency dependent complex quantity that must be calculated for each frame.

  2. Spatial clustering of dark matter haloes: secondary bias, neighbour bias, and the influence of massive neighbours on halo properties

    DOE PAGES

    Salcedo, Andres N.; Maller, Ariyeh H.; Berlind, Andreas A.; ...

    2018-01-15

    Here, we explore the phenomenon commonly known as halo assembly bias, whereby dark matter haloes of the same mass are found to be more or less clustered when a second halo property is considered, for haloes in the mass range 3.7 × 10 11–5.0 × 10 13 h –1 M ⊙. Using the Large Suite of Dark Matter Simulations (LasDamas) we consider nine commonly used halo properties and find that a clustering bias exists if haloes are binned by mass or by any other halo property. This secondary bias implies that no single halo property encompasses all the spatial clusteringmore » information of the halo population. The mean values of some halo properties depend on their halo's distance to a more massive neighbour. Halo samples selected by having high values of one of these properties therefore inherit a neighbour bias such that they are much more likely to be close to a much more massive neighbour. This neighbour bias largely accounts for the secondary bias seen in haloes binned by mass and split by concentration or age. However, haloes binned by other mass-like properties still show a secondary bias even when the neighbour bias is removed. The secondary bias of haloes selected by their spin behaves differently than that for other halo properties, suggesting that the origin of the spin bias is different than of other secondary biases.« less

  3. Spatial clustering of dark matter haloes: secondary bias, neighbour bias, and the influence of massive neighbours on halo properties

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Salcedo, Andres N.; Maller, Ariyeh H.; Berlind, Andreas A.

    Here, we explore the phenomenon commonly known as halo assembly bias, whereby dark matter haloes of the same mass are found to be more or less clustered when a second halo property is considered, for haloes in the mass range 3.7 × 10 11–5.0 × 10 13 h –1 M ⊙. Using the Large Suite of Dark Matter Simulations (LasDamas) we consider nine commonly used halo properties and find that a clustering bias exists if haloes are binned by mass or by any other halo property. This secondary bias implies that no single halo property encompasses all the spatial clusteringmore » information of the halo population. The mean values of some halo properties depend on their halo's distance to a more massive neighbour. Halo samples selected by having high values of one of these properties therefore inherit a neighbour bias such that they are much more likely to be close to a much more massive neighbour. This neighbour bias largely accounts for the secondary bias seen in haloes binned by mass and split by concentration or age. However, haloes binned by other mass-like properties still show a secondary bias even when the neighbour bias is removed. The secondary bias of haloes selected by their spin behaves differently than that for other halo properties, suggesting that the origin of the spin bias is different than of other secondary biases.« less

  4. 77 FR 3635 - Connect America Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; Establishing Just and Reasonable...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-25

    ...-208; Report No. 2945] Connect America Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-Cost Universal Service Support et al... applicability. Subject: Connect America Fund: A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; Establishing Just and...

  5. 76 FR 2158 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-12

    ... Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change to Establish a $5 Strike Price Program January 6, 2011. Pursuant to... Exchange. The Exchange filed the proposal as a ``non- controversial'' proposed rule change pursuant to... $5 or greater where the strike price is more than $200 in up to five option classes on individual...

  6. 78 FR 39386 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-01

    ... data (``Logical Ports''). Each Logical Port is assigned an access gateway that performs order... Change to Offer and Establish Fees for a New Exchange Service, EdgeRisk Gateways June 25, 2013. Pursuant... Exchange has designated the proposed rule change as it pertains to the fees for EdgeRisk Gateway SM (the...

  7. 78 FR 39395 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGA Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-01

    ... data (``Logical Ports''). Each Logical Port is assigned an access gateway that performs order... Change to Offer and Establish Fees for a New Exchange Service, EdgeRisk Gateways June 25, 2013. Pursuant... Exchange has designated the proposed rule change as it pertains to the fees for EdgeRisk Gateway\\SM\\ (the...

  8. Bias in Mental Testing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jensen, Arthur R.

    The first eight chapters of this book introduce the topic of test bias. The basic issues involved in criticisms of mental tests and arguments about test bias include: (1) variety of tests and test items; (2) scaling of scores and the form of the distribution of abilities in the population; (3) quantification of subpopulation differences; (4)…

  9. Apparent exchange rate for breast cancer characterization.

    PubMed

    Lasič, Samo; Oredsson, Stina; Partridge, Savannah C; Saal, Lao H; Topgaard, Daniel; Nilsson, Markus; Bryskhe, Karin

    2016-05-01

    Although diffusion MRI has shown promise for the characterization of breast cancer, it has low specificity to malignant subtypes. Higher specificity might be achieved if the effects of cell morphology and molecular exchange across cell membranes could be disentangled. The quantification of exchange might thus allow the differentiation of different types of breast cancer cells. Based on differences in diffusion rates between the intra- and extracellular compartments, filter exchange spectroscopy/imaging (FEXSY/FEXI) provides non-invasive quantification of the apparent exchange rate (AXR) of water between the two compartments. To test the feasibility of FEXSY for the differentiation of different breast cancer cells, we performed experiments on several breast epithelial cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, we performed the first in vivo FEXI measurement of water exchange in human breast. In cell suspensions, pulsed gradient spin-echo experiments with large b values and variable pulse duration allow the characterization of the intracellular compartment, whereas FEXSY provides a quantification of AXR. These experiments are very sensitive to the physiological state of cells and can be used to establish reliable protocols for the culture and harvesting of cells. Our results suggest that different breast cancer subtypes can be distinguished on the basis of their AXR values in cell suspensions. Time-resolved measurements allow the monitoring of the physiological state of cells in suspensions over the time-scale of hours, and reveal an abrupt disintegration of the intracellular compartment. In vivo, exchange can be detected in a tumor, whereas, in normal tissue, the exchange rate is outside the range experimentally accessible for FEXI. At present, low signal-to-noise ratio and limited scan time allows the quantification of AXR only in a region of interest of relatively large tumors. © 2016 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Negativity Bias in Dangerous Drivers

    PubMed Central

    Chai, Jing; Qu, Weina; Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan; Ge, Yan

    2016-01-01

    The behavioral and cognitive characteristics of dangerous drivers differ significantly from those of safe drivers. However, differences in emotional information processing have seldom been investigated. Previous studies have revealed that drivers with higher anger/anxiety trait scores are more likely to be involved in crashes and that individuals with higher anger traits exhibit stronger negativity biases when processing emotions compared with control groups. However, researchers have not explored the relationship between emotional information processing and driving behavior. In this study, we examined the emotional information processing differences between dangerous drivers and safe drivers. Thirty-eight non-professional drivers were divided into two groups according to the penalty points that they had accrued for traffic violations: 15 drivers with 6 or more points were included in the dangerous driver group, and 23 drivers with 3 or fewer points were included in the safe driver group. The emotional Stroop task was used to measure negativity biases, and both behavioral and electroencephalograph data were recorded. The behavioral results revealed stronger negativity biases in the dangerous drivers than in the safe drivers. The bias score was correlated with self-reported dangerous driving behavior. Drivers with strong negativity biases reported having been involved in mores crashes compared with the less-biased drivers. The event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed that the dangerous drivers exhibited reduced P3 components when responding to negative stimuli, suggesting decreased inhibitory control of information that is task-irrelevant but emotionally salient. The influence of negativity bias provides one possible explanation of the effects of individual differences on dangerous driving behavior and traffic crashes. PMID:26765225

  11. Gender Bias: Recent Research and Interventions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Jersey Research Bulletin, 1996

    1996-01-01

    This annotated bibliography lists 14 publications about recent research on gender bias and interventions to reduce gender bias in schools. The bibliography is divided into two sections: current research and intervention. The first includes descriptions of studies examining the following topics: gender bias in U.S. schools and its effects;…

  12. Attentional Bias toward Fear-Related Stimuli

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waters, Allison M.; Lipp, Ottmar V.; Spence, Susan H.

    2004-01-01

    Research investigating anxiety-related attentional bias for emotional information in anxious and nonanxious children has been equivocal with regard to whether a bias for fear-related stimuli is unique to anxious children or is common to children in general. Moreover, recent cognitive theories have proposed that an attentional bias for objectively…

  13. Attentional Bias for Exercise-Related Images

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berry, Tanya R.; Spence, John C.; Stolp, Sean M.

    2011-01-01

    This research examined attentional bias toward exercise-related images using a visual probe task. It was hypothesized that more-active participants would display attentional bias toward the exercise-related images. The results showed that men displayed attentional bias for the exercise images. There was a significant interaction of activity level…

  14. Outcome-Reporting Bias in Education Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pigott, Therese D.; Valentine, Jeffrey C.; Polanin, Joshua R.; Williams, Ryan T.; Canada, Dericka D.

    2013-01-01

    Outcome-reporting bias occurs when primary studies do not include information about all outcomes measured in a study. When studies omit findings on important measures, efforts to synthesize the research using systematic review techniques will be biased and interpretations of individual studies will be incomplete. Outcome-reporting bias has been…

  15. Implicit Physician Biases in Periviability Counseling.

    PubMed

    Shapiro, Natasha; Wachtel, Elena V; Bailey, Sean M; Espiritu, Michael M

    2018-06-01

    To assess whether neonatologists show implicit racial and/or socioeconomic biases and whether these are predictive of recommendations at extreme periviability. A nationwide survey using a clinical vignette of a woman in labor at 23 2/7 weeks of gestation asked physicians how likely they were to recommend intensive vs comfort care. Participants were randomized to 1 of 4 versions of the vignette in which racial and socioeconomic stimuli were varied, followed by 2 implicit association tests (IATs). IATs revealed implicit preferences favoring white (mean IAT score = 0.48, P < .001) and greater socioeconomic status (mean IAT score = 0.73, P < .001). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that physicians with implicit bias toward greater socioeconomic status were more likely than those without bias to recommend comfort care when presented with a patient of high socioeconomic status (P = .037). No significant effect was seen for implicit racial bias. Building on previous demonstrations of unconscious racial and socioeconomic biases among physicians and their predictive validity, our results suggest that unconscious socioeconomic bias influences recommendations when counseling at the limits of viability. Physicians who display a negative socioeconomic bias are less likely to recommend resuscitation when counseling women of high socioeconomic status. The influence of implicit socioeconomic bias on recommendations at periviability may influence neonatal healthcare disparities and should be explored in future studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. NMR quantification of diffusional exchange in cell suspensions with relaxation rate differences between intra and extracellular compartments.

    PubMed

    Eriksson, Stefanie; Elbing, Karin; Söderman, Olle; Lindkvist-Petersson, Karin; Topgaard, Daniel; Lasič, Samo

    2017-01-01

    Water transport across cell membranes can be measured non-invasively with diffusion NMR. We present a method to quantify the intracellular lifetime of water in cell suspensions with short transverse relaxation times, T2, and also circumvent the confounding effect of different T2 values in the intra- and extracellular compartments. Filter exchange spectroscopy (FEXSY) is specifically sensitive to exchange between compartments with different apparent diffusivities. Our investigation shows that FEXSY could yield significantly biased results if differences in T2 are not accounted for. To mitigate this problem, we propose combining FEXSY with diffusion-relaxation correlation experiment, which can quantify differences in T2 values in compartments with different diffusivities. Our analysis uses a joint constrained fitting of the two datasets and considers the effects of diffusion, relaxation and exchange in both experiments. The method is demonstrated on yeast cells with and without human aquaporins.

  17. NMR quantification of diffusional exchange in cell suspensions with relaxation rate differences between intra and extracellular compartments

    PubMed Central

    Eriksson, Stefanie; Elbing, Karin; Söderman, Olle; Lindkvist-Petersson, Karin; Topgaard, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    Water transport across cell membranes can be measured non-invasively with diffusion NMR. We present a method to quantify the intracellular lifetime of water in cell suspensions with short transverse relaxation times, T2, and also circumvent the confounding effect of different T2 values in the intra- and extracellular compartments. Filter exchange spectroscopy (FEXSY) is specifically sensitive to exchange between compartments with different apparent diffusivities. Our investigation shows that FEXSY could yield significantly biased results if differences in T2 are not accounted for. To mitigate this problem, we propose combining FEXSY with diffusion-relaxation correlation experiment, which can quantify differences in T2 values in compartments with different diffusivities. Our analysis uses a joint constrained fitting of the two datasets and considers the effects of diffusion, relaxation and exchange in both experiments. The method is demonstrated on yeast cells with and without human aquaporins. PMID:28493928

  18. Simulation study on exchange interaction and unique magnetization near ferromagnetic morphotropic phase boundary.

    PubMed

    Wei, Songrui; Liao, Xiaoqi; Gao, Yipeng; Yang, Sen; Wang, Dong; Song, Xiaoping

    2017-11-08

    Extensive efforts have been made in searching enhanced functionalities near the so-called morphotropic phase boundaries (MPBs) in both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials. Due to the exchange anti-symmetry of the wave function of fermions, it is widely recognized that the exchange interaction plays a critical role in ferromagnetism. As a quantum effect, the exchange interaction is magnitudes larger than electric interaction, leading to a fundamental difference between ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism. In this paper, we establish an energetic model capturing the interplay among the anisotropy energy, magnetostatic energy and the exchange energy to investigate systematically the effects of the exchange energy on the behavior of the ferromagnetic MPB. For the first time, it is found that the exchange energy can narrow the width of MPB region in the composition temperature phase diagram for ferromagnetic MPB systems. As temperature increases, MPB region becomes wider because of the weakening of the exchange interaction. Our simulation results suggest that the exchange energy play a critical role on the unique behavior of ferromagnetic MPB, which is in contrast different from that of ferroelectric MPB.

  19. The tree to the left, the forest to the right: political attitude and perceptual bias.

    PubMed

    Caparos, Serge; Fortier-St-Pierre, Simon; Gosselin, Jérémie; Blanchette, Isabelle; Brisson, Benoit

    2015-01-01

    A prominent model suggests that individuals to the right of the political spectrum are more cognitively rigid and less tolerant of ambiguity than individuals to the left. On the basis of this model, we predicted that a psychological mechanism linked to the resolution of visual ambiguity--perceptual bias--would be linked to political attitude. Perceptual bias causes western individuals to favour a global interpretation when scrutinizing ambiguous hierarchical displays (e.g., alignment of trees) that can be perceived either in terms of their local elements (e.g., several trees) or in terms of their global structure (e.g., a forest). Using three tasks (based on Navon-like hierarchical figures or on the Ebbinghaus illusion), we demonstrate (1) that right-oriented Westerners present a stronger bias towards global perception than left-oriented Westerners and (2) that this stronger bias is linked to higher cognitive rigidity. This study establishes for the first time that political ideology, a high-level construct, is directly reflected in low-level perception. Right- and left-oriented individuals actually see the world differently. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Barriers and facilitators to exchanging health information: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Eden, Karen B; Totten, Annette M; Kassakian, Steven Z; Gorman, Paul N; McDonagh, Marian S; Devine, Beth; Pappas, Miranda; Daeges, Monica; Woods, Susan; Hersh, William R

    2016-04-01

    We conducted a systematic review of studies assessing facilitators and barriers to use of health information exchange (HIE). We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library databases between January 1990 and February 2015 using terms related to HIE. English-language studies that identified barriers and facilitators of actual HIE were included. Data on study design, risk of bias, setting, geographic location, characteristics of the HIE, perceived barriers and facilitators to use were extracted and confirmed. Ten cross-sectional, seven multiple-site case studies, and two before-after studies that included data from several sources (surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations of users) evaluated perceived barriers and facilitators to HIE use. The most commonly cited barriers to HIE use were incomplete information, inefficient workflow, and reports that the exchanged information that did not meet the needs of users. The review identified several facilitators to use. Incomplete patient information was consistently mentioned in the studies conducted in the US but not mentioned in the few studies conducted outside of the US that take a collective approach toward healthcare. Individual patients and practices in the US may exercise the right to participate (or not) in HIE which effects the completeness of patient information available to be exchanged. Workflow structure and user roles are key but understudied. We identified several facilitators in the studies that showed promise in promoting electronic health data exchange: obtaining more complete patient information; thoughtful workflow that folds in HIE; and inclusion of users early in implementation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.