Investigation of mass graves in the Churchyard of St. Gertrude’s, Riga, Latvia

What determines the magnitude of attentional capture by deviant sound events? We combined the cross-modal oddballdistraction paradigm with sequence learning to address this question. Participants responded to visual targets, eachpreceded by tones that formed a repetitive cross-trial standard sequence. In Experiment 1, with the standard tone sequence…-660-440-660-880-… Hz, either the 440 Hz or the 880 Hz standard was occasionally replaced by one of two deviant tones(220 Hz and 1100 Hz), that either differed slightly (by 220 Hz) or markedly (by 660 Hz) from the replaced standard. InExperiment 2, with the standard tone sequence …-220-660-440-660-880-660-1100-… Hz, the 440 Hz and the 880 Hzstandard was occasionally replaced by either a 220 Hz or a 1100 Hz pattern deviant. In both experiments, a high-pitchdeviant was more captivating when it replaced a low-pitch standard, and a low-pitch deviant was more captivating when itreplaced a high-pitch standard. These results indicate that the magnitude of attentional capture by deviant sound eventsdepends on the discrepancy between the deviant event and the expected event, not on perceived local change

Dipotassium 4,4′-(hexane-3,4-di­yl)bis­(benzene­sulfonate) dihydrate

The anion of the title compound, also called sygethin dihydrate, 2K+·C18H20O6S2 2−·2H2O, has crystallographic inversion symmetry. The K+ cation is surrounded by eight O atoms in a distorted cubic coordination geometry, forming extended K—O—S networks. There are also O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

Development of Mullite and Cordierite Crystalline Phases in Ceramics from Mixed Compositions

Development of ceramics with the prevailing mullite or cordierite crystalline phases is greatly dependent on the raw materials used. The purpose of this research is to examine the process of mullite and cordierite development from mixed compositions formed from precursors of the natural raw materials (illite clay, dolomite) and synthetic additives - MgO, γAl2O3 , K2CO3 to ensure the stoichiometry of intended crystalline phases. It is shown that the addition of 8.7 wt.% of illite clay to the stoichiometric composition of γAl2O3 and amorphous SiO2 promotes the densification of samples at the temperature of 12800C and also the development of mullite as the only crystalline phase. The addition of 4.5 and 15 wt.% of illite clay leads to the development of the secondary phases – cristobalite and corundum. The dominant morphology of mullite crystals is prismatic (pillar), also mullite of prismatic shapes flattened in direction of the y-axis and crystals of corundum and cristobalite of the imperfect nature can be observed, particulary, when the illite clay additive is of 15 wt.%. For the development of the cordierite phase in starting compositions along with the synthetic compounds (MgO, K2CO3, Al2O3), the quartz sand and equivalent addition of illite clay and dolomite precursors of 4.5-18.4 wt.% were introduced. It is verified that the addition of 4.5-8.2 wt.% of illite clay and dolomite at the temperature of 13000C results in the development of perfect-shaped crystalline cordierite (or cordierite and spinels). If the additive of mineral raw materials, each of them in starting cordierite compositions, exceeds 14 wt.%, the development of the secondary phases - forsterite and anorthite- results

Phase Formation and Structure of Mullite-Alumina-Zirconia and Spinel- Enstatite Ceramics Developed from Synthetic and Mineral Raw Materials

New dense and porous ceramics are developed using two formulation approaches. These are ceramics with remarkable content of mullite, corundum and ZrO2 - tetragonal and monoclinic in crystalline phase and porous (average size of pores up to 150-350μm) spinel-enstatite/forsterite ceramics. To promote the phase development by high-temperature synthesis of these ceramics the mineral raw materials – illite clay and illite clay together with dolomite are used. Bulk density for mullite (corundum) – zirconia ceramics is increased by equal addition of illite clay (8.2 wt.%) as well as ZrO2 and especially ZrO2 +Y2O3 to starting mullite mixtures. Contrary the addition of different kind and amount of illite clay together with dolomite trends to formation of spinel – enstatite (forsterite) ceramics and decrease the bulk density to the value up to 0.35 g/cm3. The XRD results indicate that ZrO2 monoclinic/tetragonal incorporation in mullite (corundum) structure realizes through the liquid phase. Development of the spinel MgAl2O4 and enstatite MgSiO3 crystalline phases along with the sufficient amount of glassy phase in microstructure and even distributed pores are proper for spinel-enstatite (forsterite) ceramic samples

Optical properties of thin metal films with nanohole arrays on porous alumina–aluminum structures

Enhanced plasmonic attenuation of reflection is observed in a gold–alumina–aluminum multilayer system near the interferometric anti-reflection condition.</p

Radiolysis of Slightly Overstoichiometric Lithium Orthosilicate Pebbles

: One of the technological problems of a fusion reactor is the change in composition and structure of ceramic breeder (Li4SiO4 or Li2TiO3 pebbles) during long-term operation. Changes in the composition and structure of the Li4SiO4 ceramic pebbles at fast electron irradiation (E = 5 MeV, dose rate up to 88 MGy•h-1, absorbed dose up to 10.6 GGy) at 543-573 K were investigated in this study. Overstoichiometric (2.5 weight % of additional SiO2) lithium orthosilicate pebbles were fabricated by a melt-spraying process (Schott AG, Mainz, Germany). Three types of pebbles with different annealing time, diameter and grain size were investigated: pebbles annealed at 1073 K 1h (diameter <50 µm, grain size 1 µm), annealed at 1173 K 128 h (diameter <50 µm, grain size 8 µm) and pebbles annealed at 1243 K 168 h diameter 500 µm, grain size 10µm). Products of radiolysis were investigated by means of FTIR and XRD, TSL and ESR spectroscopy were used for detection of radiation defects. Additional phases were observed in the small pebbles after the irradiation up to 10.6 GGy by means of FTIR and XRD methods. The traces of LiOH, Li2CO3, Li2SiO3 and Li6Si2O7 were identified. The lines of SiO43- (HC2) and SiO33-(E’) ion radicals were observed in ESR spectra for all three samples, but F+ centres was observed only in ESR spectra of pebbles annealed at 1073 K 1h. For all three types of pebbles four maxima were observed in TSL glow curves, but in the optical spectra wide band at 3.5 eV. Comparison of obtained date for investigated pebbles allow to say that the sample #3 (pebbles annealed at 1243 K 168 h with diameters of 500 µm and a grain size of 10µm) have higher radiation stability as the other tw