Quarkonium production via recombination

The contrast between model predictions for the transverse momentum spectra of J/Psi observed in Au-Au collisions at RHIC is extended to include effects of nuclear absorption. We find that the difference between initial production and recombination is enhanced in the most central collisions. Models utilizing a combination of these sources may eventually be able to place constraints on their relative magnitudes.Comment: Based on invited plenary talk at the 2nd International Conference on Hard and Electromagnetic Probes of High-Energy Nuclear Collisions, Asilomar, CA, June 9-16, 2006, to be published in Nucl. Phys.

Preliminary Results for LP VPE X-Ray Detectors

Thick epitaxial layers have been grown using Low Pressure Vapour Phase Epitaxy techniques with low free carrier concentrations . This type of material is attractive as a medium for X-ray detection, because of its high conversion efficiency for X-rays in the medically interesting energy range.Comment: 4 pages. PS file only - original in WORD. Also available at http://ppewww.ph.gla.ac.uk/preprints/97/07

Nutrient characterisation of river inflow into the estuaries of the Gouritz Water Management Area, South Africa

This study provides an overview of the nutrient status of river inflow into the estuaries within the Gouritz Water Management Area (WMA) of South Africa. Riverine inputs are a major source of macronutrients to estuaries and the adjacent coastal environments. Long-term water quality monitoring data (dissolved inorganic nitrogen, i.e. DIN; and dissolved inorganic phosphorus, i.e. DIP), collected by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), were used to assess historical trends of river nutrient inflow within the Gouritz WMA. The results indicate that DIP concentrations exceeded the eutrophic limits for aquatic ecosystems (DWA) in 50% of the catchments assessed. Anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, wastewater  discharge, urbanisation, and afforestation were significant factors  influencing nutrient levels within these rivers. For the majority of the river systems (approx. 80%) there was no significant correlation (P > 0.05) between inorganic nutrient levels and freshwater inflow from the  catchments. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) data (DWA) were assessed to explore the reasons for this ‘disconnect’ between freshwater inflow and inorganic nutrient levels. Results indicate that the Gwaing (267.73 kg·d-1 DIN; 77.46 kg·d-1 DIP), Goukou (49.71 kg·d-1 DIN; 17.38 kg·d-1 DIP), Knysna (41.77 kg·d-1 DIN; 13.92 kg·d-1 DIP) and Hartenbos (37.73 kg·d-1 DIN; 21.39 kg·d-1 DIP) systems received the highest daily loads from WWTPs. The Gwaing and Hartenbos estuaries would be most vulnerable to increased nutrient loading because of their small size and prolonged periods of mouth closure. The study highlights the importance of water quality monitoring of river inflows into coastal ecosystems, as it is needed to assess pollution trends and identify management priorities.Keywords: Water quality, eutrophication, inorganic nutrients, wastewater discharge

TERCEIRIZAÇÃO NA EDUCAÇÃO: PERSPECTIVAS SOBRE O PROJETO DE REGULAMENTAÇÃO DOS SERVIÇOS TERCEIRIZADOS

A partir da aprovação do projeto de lei 4330/04 na câmara dos deputados, o qual propõe a regulamentação dos serviços terceirizados no Brasil, desenvolve-se a discussão acerca dos possíveis impactos deste projeto às relações trabalhistas contemporâneas. A partir dos fundamentos da valorização da força de trabalho no regime capitalista, investiga-se e analisa-se os principais argumentos de alguns estudiosos sobre esta temática, frente à terceirização, confrontando-os com o posicionamento dos gestores educacionais entrevistados. Nota-se, no decorrer do estudo, que a posição dos gestores, em geral, é fundada em uma lógica mercadológica, sendo que sua visão se norteia pelos interesses da organização, o que conflita com a avaliação dos especialistas da área trabalhistas e de estudos sociais, analisados, os quais, sobretudo, tem sua posição consolidada pelos impactos que a proposta de terceirização acarretaria nos trabalhadores, submetendo-os à precariedade, informalidade e baixa remuneração de suas funções, e no serviço/produto entregue aos consumidores

Recent results on GaAs detectors - 137

The present understanding of the charge collection in GaAs detectors with respect to the materials used and its processing are discussed. The radiation induced degradation of the charge collection efficiency and the leakage current of the detectors are summarised. The status of strip and pixel detectors for the ATLAS experiment are reported along with the latest results from GaAs X-ray detectors for non-high energy physics applications.Comment: 7 pages. 4 postscript figures + 1 postscript preprint logo + 1 LaTeX file + 1 style file. Also available at http://ppewww.ph.gla.ac.uk/preprints/97/05

\epsilon-regularity for systems involving non-local, antisymmetric operators

We prove an epsilon-regularity theorem for critical and super-critical systems with a non-local antisymmetric operator on the right-hand side. These systems contain as special cases, Euler-Lagrange equations of conformally invariant variational functionals as Rivi\`ere treated them, and also Euler-Lagrange equations of fractional harmonic maps introduced by Da Lio-Rivi\`ere. In particular, the arguments presented here give new and uniform proofs of the regularity results by Rivi\`ere, Rivi\`ere-Struwe, Da-Lio-Rivi\`ere, and also the integrability results by Sharp-Topping and Sharp, not discriminating between the classical local, and the non-local situations

The positive soundscape project : a synthesis of results from many disciplines

This paper takes an overall view of ongoing findings from the Positive Soundscape Project, a large inter-disciplinary soundscapes study which is nearing completion. Qualitative fieldwork (soundwalks and focus groups) and lab-based listening tests have revealed that two key dimensions of the emotional response are calmness and vibrancy. In the lab these factors explain nearly 80% of the variance in listener response. Physiological validation is being sought using fMRI measurements, and these have so far shown significant differences in the response of the brain to affective and neutral soundscapes. A conceptual framework which links the key soundscape components and which could be used for future design is outlined. Metrics are suggested for some perceptual scales and possibilities for soundscape synthesis for design and user engagement are discussed, as are the applications of the results to future research and environmental noise policy