Groups which do not admit ghosts

A ghost in the stable module category of a group G is a map between representations of G that is invisible to Tate cohomology. We show that the only non-trivial finite p-groups whose stable module categories have no non-trivial ghosts are the cyclic groups of order 2 and 3. We compare this to the situation in the derived category of a commutative ring. We also determine for which groups G the second power of the Jacobson radical of kG is stably isomorphic to a suspension of k.Comment: 9 pages, improved exposition and fixed several typos, to appear in the Proceedings of the AM

The generating hypothesis for the stable module category of a pp-group

Freyd's generating hypothesis, interpreted in the stable module category of a finite p-group G, is the statement that a map between finite-dimensional kG-modules factors through a projective if the induced map on Tate cohomology is trivial. We show that Freyd's generating hypothesis holds for a non-trivial finite p-group G if and only if G is either C_2 or C_3. We also give various conditions which are equivalent to the generating hypothesis.Comment: 6 pages, fixed minor typos, to appear in J. Algebr

The concept of social pharmacy

The 13th International Social Pharmacy Workshop will be held in Malta in July 2004. The Social Pharmacy Workshops are international conferences for research in social and behavioural pharmacy. Meetings are held every second year and participation has grown steadily since the first Workshop was held in Helsinki, Finland, in 1980. Following the successful 2002 conference in Sydney, Australia, the 2004 meeting in Malta will be the first one held in the Mediterranean area!peer-reviewe

Universality classes and crossover behaviors in non-Abelian directed sandpiles

We study universality classes and crossover behaviors in non-Abelian directed sandpile models, in terms of the metastable pattern analysis. The non-Abelian property induces spatially correlated metastable patterns, characterized by the algebraic decay of the grain density along the propagation direction of an avalanche. Crossover scaling behaviors are observed in the grain density due to the interplay between the toppling randomness and the parity of the threshold value. In the presence of such crossovers, we show that the broadness of the grain distribution plays a crucial role in resolving the ambiguity of the universality class. Finally, we claim that the metastable pattern analysis is important as much as the conventional analysis of avalanche dynamics.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 1 table; published in PRE as the full paper of PRL v101, 218001 (2008

Transitions in non-conserving models of Self-Organized Criticality

We investigate a random--neighbours version of the two dimensional non-conserving earthquake model of Olami, Feder and Christensen [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 68}, 1244 (1992)]. We show both analytically and numerically that criticality can be expected even in the presence of dissipation. As the critical level of conservation, $\alpha_c$, is approached, the cut--off of the avalanche size distribution scales as $\xi\sim(\alpha_c-\alpha)^{-3/2}$. The transition from non-SOC to SOC behaviour is controlled by the average branching ratio $\sigma$ of an avalanche, which can thus be regarded as an order parameter of the system. The relevance of the results are discussed in connection to the nearest-neighbours OFC model (in particular we analyse the relevance of synchronization in the latter).Comment: 8 pages in latex format; 5 figures available upon reques

An assessment of two decades of contaminant monitoring in the Nation’s Coastal Zone.

Executive Summary: Information found in this report covers the years 1986 through 2005. Mussel Watch began monitoring a suite of trace metals and organic contaminants such as DDT, PCBs and PAHs. Through time additional chemicals were added, and today approximately 140 analytes are monitored. The Mussel Watch Program is the longest running estuarine and coastal pollutant monitoring effort conducted in the United States that is national in scope each year. Hundreds of scientific journal articles and technical reports based on Mussel Watch data have been written; however, this report is the first that presents local, regional and national findings across all years in a Quick Reference format, suitable for use by policy makers, scientists, resource managers and the general public. Pollution often starts at the local scale where high concentrations point to a specific source of contamination, yet some contaminants such as PCBs are atmospherically transported across regional and national scales, resulting in contamination far from their origin. Findings presented here showed few national trends for trace metals and decreasing trends for most organic contaminants; however, a wide variety of trends, both increasing and decreasing, emerge at regional and local levels. For most organic contaminants, trends have resulted from state and federal regulation. The highest concentrations for both metal and organic contaminants are found near urban and industrial areas. In addition to monitoring throughout the nation’s coastal shores and Great Lakes, Mussel Watch samples are stored in a specimen bank so that trends can be determined retrospectively for new and emerging contaminants of concern. For example, there is heightened awareness of a group of flame retardants that are finding their way into the marine environment. These compounds, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are now being studied using historic samples from the specimen bank and current samples to determine their spatial distribution. We will continue to use this kind of investigation to assess new contaminant threats. We hope you find this document to be valuable, and that you continue to look towards the Mussel Watch Program for information on the condition of your coastal waters. (PDF contains 118 pages