Short--range impurity in the vicinity of a saddle point and the levitation of the 2D delocalized states in a magnetic field

The effect of a short--range impurity on the transmission through a saddle--point potential for an electron, moving in a strong magnetic field, is studied. It is demonstrated that for a random position of an impurity and random sign of its potential the impurity--induced mixing of the Landau levels diminishes {\em on average} the transmission coefficient. This results in an upward shift (levitation) of the energy position of the delocalized state in a smooth potential. The magnitude of the shift is estimated. It increases with decreasing magnetic field $B$ as $B^{-4}$.Comment: LaTeX, 20 page

A consideration of the challenges involved in supervising international masters students

This paper explores the challenges facing supervisors of international postgraduate students at the dissertation stage of the masters programme. The central problems of time pressure, language difficulties, a lack of critical analysis and a prevalence of personal problems among international students are discussed. This paper makes recommendations for the improvement of language and critical thinking skills, and questions the future policy of language requirements at HE for international Masters students

Language and anxiety: an ethnographic study of international postgraduate students

This paper presents some findings from an ethnographic study of international postgraduate students at a university in the South of England, which involved interviews and participant observation over a twelve-month academic year. One of the major themes that emerged from this research was students’ anxiety over their level of English language. Although all students entered their course with a minimum level of IELTS 6, the majority felt disadvantaged by particularly poor spoken English, and suffered feelings of anxiety, shame and inferiority. Low self-confidence meant that they felt ill-equipped to engage in class discussion and in social interaction which used English as the medium of communication. A common reaction to stress caused by language problems was to retreat into monoethnic communication with students from the same country, further inhibiting progress in language. Whilst some linguistic progress was made by nearly all students during the academic sojourn, the anxiety suffered by students in the initial stage must not be underestimated, and appropriate support systems must be put in place to alleviate their distress

Quantum Hall - insulator transitions in lattice models with strong disorder

We report results of numerical studies of the integer quantum Hall effect in a tight binding model on a two-dimensional square lattice with non-interacting electrons, in the presence of a random potential as well as a uniform magnetic field applied perpendicular to the lattice. We consider field magnitudes such that the area per flux quantum is commensurate with the lattice structure. Topological properties of the single electron wave functions are used to identify current carrying states that are responsible for the quantized Hall conductance. We study the interplay between the magnetic field and the disorder, and find a universal pattern with which the current carrying states are destroyed by increasing disorder strength, and the system driven into an insulating state. We also discuss how to interpolate results of lattice models to the continuum limit. The relationship to previous theoretical and experimental studies of quantum Hall-insulator transitions in strongly disordered systems at low magnetic fields is discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure

A Composite Fermion Hofstader Problem: Partially Polarized Density Wave States in the 2/5 FQHE

It is well-known that the 2/5 state is unpolarized at zero Zeeman energy, while it is fully polarized at large Zeeman energies. A novel state with charge/spin density wave order for Composite Fermions is proposed to exist at intermediate values of the Zeeman coupling for 2/5. This state has half the maximum possible polarization, and can be extended to other incompressible fractions. A Hartree-Fock calculation based on the new approach for all fractional quantum Hall states developed by R.Shankar and the author is used to demonstrate the stability of this state to single-particle excitations, and compute gaps. We compare our results with a very recent experiment which shows direct evidence for the existence of such a state, and also with more indirect evidence from past experiments.Comment: One reference added, minor clarifying change

Cell cycle times of short-term cultures of brain cancers as predictors of survival

Tumour cytokinetics estimated in vivo as potential doubling times (Tpot values) have been found to range in a variety of human cancers from 2 days to several weeks and are often related to clinical outcome. We have previously developed a method to estimate culture cycle times of short-term cultures of surgical material for several tumour types and found, surprisingly, that their range was similar to that reported for Tpot values. As Tpot is recognised as important prognostic variable in cancer, we wished to determine whether culture cycle times had clinical significance. Brain tumour material obtained at surgery from 70 patients with glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma and metastatic melanoma was cultured for 7 days on 96-well plates, coated with agarose to prevent proliferation of fibroblasts. Culture cycle times were estimated from relative 3H-thymidine incorporation in the presence and absence of cell division. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of culture cycle times of ⩽10 days and >10 days and patient survival was compared. For patients with brain cancers of all types, median survival for the ⩽10-day and >10-day groups were 5.1 and 12.5 months, respectively (P=0.0009). For 42 patients with glioblastoma, the corresponding values were 6.5 and 9.0 months, respectively (P=0.03). Lower grade gliomas had longer median culture cycle times (16 days) than those of medulloblastomas (9.9 days), glioblastomas (9.8 days) or melanomas (6.7 days). We conclude that culture cycle times determined using short-term cultures of surgical material from brain tumours correlate with patient survival. Tumour cells thus appear to preserve important cytokinetic characteristics when transferred to culture

Measurements of iodine monoxide at a semi polluted coastal location

Point source measurements of IO by laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy were made at a semi-polluted coastal location during the Reactive Halogens in the Marine Boundary Layer (RHaMBLe) campaign in September 2006. The site, on the NW French coast in Roscoff, was characterised by extensive intertidal macroalgae beds which were exposed at low tide. The closest known iodine active macroalgae beds were at least 300 m from the measurement point. From 20 days of measurements, IO was observed above the instrument limit of detection on 14 days, of which a clear diurnal profile was observed on 11 days. The maximum IO mixing ratio was 30.0 pptv (10 s integration period) during the day, amongst the highest concentrations ever observed in the atmosphere, and 1–2 pptv during the night. IO concentrations were strongly dependent on tidal height, the intensity of solar irradiation and meteorological conditions. An intercomparison of IO measurements made using point source and spatially averaged DOAS instruments confirms the presence of hot-spots of IO caused by an inhomogeneous distribution of macroalgae. The co-incident, point source measurement of IO and ultra fine particles (2.5 nm≥<i>d</i>≥10 nm) displayed a strong correlation, providing evidence that IO is involved in the production pathway of ultra fine particles at coastal locations. Finally, a modelling study shows that high IO concentrations which are likely to be produced in a macrolagae rich environment can significantly perturb the concentrations of OH and HO<sub>2</sub> radicals. The effect of IO on HO<sub>x</sub> is reduced as NO<sub>x</sub> concentrations increase

‘Medusa head ataxia’: the expanding spectrum of Purkinje cell antibodies in autoimmune cerebellar ataxia. Part 3: Anti-Yo/CDR2, anti-Nb/AP3B2, PCA-2, anti-Tr/DNER, other antibodies, diagnostic pitfalls, summary and outlook

Serological testing for anti-neural autoantibodies is important in patients presenting with idiopathic cerebellar ataxia, since these autoantibodies may indicate cancer, determine treatment and predict prognosis. While some of them target nuclear antigens present in all or most CNS neurons (e.g. anti-Hu, anti-Ri), others more specifically target antigens present in the cytoplasm or plasma membrane of Purkinje cells (PC). In this series of articles, we provide a detailed review of the clinical and paraclinical features, oncological, therapeutic and prognostic implications, pathogenetic relevance, and differential laboratory diagnosis of the 12 most common PC autoantibodies (often referred to as ‘Medusa head antibodies’ due to their characteristic somatodendritic binding pattern when tested by immunohistochemistry). To assist immunologists and neurologists in diagnosing these disorders, typical high-resolution immunohistochemical images of all 12 reactivities are presented, diagnostic pitfalls discussed and all currently available assays reviewed. Of note, most of these antibodies target antigens involved in the mGluR1/calcium pathway essential for PC function and survival. Many of the antigens also play a role in spinocerebellar ataxia. Part 1 focuses on anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1-, anti-Homer protein homolog 3-, anti-Sj/inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor- and anti-carbonic anhydrase-related protein VIII-associated autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (ACA); part 2 covers anti-protein kinase C gamma-, anti-glutamate receptor delta-2-, anti-Ca/RhoGTPase-activating protein 26- and anti-voltage-gated calcium channel-associated ACA; and part 3 reviews the current knowledge on anti-Tr/delta notch-like epidermal growth factor-related receptor-, anti-Nb/AP3B2-, anti-Yo/cerebellar degeneration-related protein 2- and Purkinje cell antibody 2-associated ACA, discusses differential diagnostic aspects and provides a summary and outlook

Corrigendum to "Overview: oxidant and particle photochemical processes above a south-east Asian tropical rainforest (the OP3 project): introduction, rationale, location characteristics and tools" published in Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 169–199, 2010

Author(s): Hewitt, CN; Lee, JD; MacKenzie, AR; Barkley, MP; Carslaw, N; Carver, GD; Chappell, NA; Coe, H; Collier, C; Commane, R; Davies, F; Davison, B; DiCarlo, P; Di Marco, CF; Dorsey, JR; Edwards, PM; Evans, MJ; Fowler, D; Furneaux, KL; Gallagher, M; Guenther, A; Heard, DE; Helfter, C; Hopkins, J; Ingham, T; Irwin, M; Jones, C; Karunaharan, A; Langford, B; Lewis, AC; Lim, SF; MacDonald, SM; Mahajan, AS; Malpass, S; McFiggans, G; Mills, G; Misztal, P; Moller, S; Monks, PS; Nemitz, E; Nicolas-Perea, V; Oetjen, H; Oram, DE; Palmer, PI; Phillips, GJ; Pike, R; Plane, JMC; Pugh, T; Pyle, JA; Reeves, CE; Robinson, NH; Stewart, D; Stone, D; Whalley, LK; Yang,