Polymers Confined between Two Parallel Plane Walls

Single three dimensional polymers confined to a slab, i.e. to the region between two parallel plane walls, are studied by Monte Carlo simulations. They are described by $N$-step walks on a simple cubic lattice confined to the region $1 \le z \le D$. The simulations cover both regions $D > R_F$ (where $R_F \sim N^\nu$ is the Flory radius, with $\nu \approx 0.587$), as well as the cross-over region in between. Chain lengths are up to $N=80,000$, slab widths up to D=120. In order to test the analysis program and to check for finite size corrections, we actually studied three different models: (a) Ordinary random walks (mimicking $\Theta$-polymers); (b) Self-avoiding walks (SAW); and (c) Domb-Joyce walks with the self-repulsion tuned to the point where finite size corrections for free (unrestricted) chains are minimal. For the simulations we employ the pruned-enriched-Rosenbluth method (PERM) with Markovian anticipation. In addition to the partition sum (which gives us a direct estimate of the forces exerted onto the walls), we measure the density profiles of monomers and of end points transverse to the slab, and the radial extent of the chain parallel to the walls. All scaling laws and some of the universal amplitude ratios are compared to theoretical predictions.Comment: 8 pages, 14 figures include

Protecting protected areas in bello: Learning from institutional design and conflict resilience in the Greater Virunga and Kidepo landscapes

It has often been cited that major armed conflicts (>1,000 casualties) afflicted two-thirds (23) of the world’s recognized biodiversity hotspots between 1950 and 2000.1 In 2011, the International Law Commission (ILC) included in its long-term work program Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflict.2 This led to the adoption of twenty-eight Draft Principles, including designation of protected zones where attacks against the environment are prohibited during armed conflict.3 Protected zone designations apply to places of major environmental and cultural importance, requiring that they “[...] shall be protected against any attack, as long as it does not contain a military objective.”4 Most research on armed conflict and protected areas has focused on impacts to wildlife and less on how to protect these natural habitats from the ravages of armed conflict.5 This article highlights some of the gaps in the ILC Draft Principles towards protecting protected zones in bello. It uses transboundary protected areas (TBPAs) formalized through multilateral agreements to illustrate challenges on the ground. TBPAs are internationally designated “[...] protected areas that are ecologically connected across one or more international boundaries [...]” and sometimes even established for their promotion of peace (i.e., Parks for Peace).6 There is little legal research on how to design TBPA agreements for conflict resilience, conflict sensitivity, and ultimately positive peace.7 The research draws from two case studies in Africa’s Great Rift Valley: the Greater Virunga Landscape (GVL) between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda, and the Kidepo Landscape, which forms part of the broader Landscapes for Peace initiative between South Sudan and Uganda. Both suffer from armed conflicts of various types and present two of the only TBPAs in the world that have incorporated environmental peacebuilding into their transboundary agreements.8 The case studies illustrate different approaches to TBPA design and the pros and cons of each modality in the context of conflict resilience and conflict sensitivity. This guides us on how to better protect protected areas in bello, ensuring that protected zones endure on the ground and not just in principle

The competition between syntax and rhythm in iGeneration Taiwanese

This paper addresses the syntactic and rhythmic conditions on prosodic restructuring in iGeneration Taiwanese. The iGeneration, who grew up with an iPhone, or a smartphone, in hand, is loosely referred to people born between 1995 and 2005. The speakers of iGeneration Taiwanese tend to parse them into short fragments, which correspond to smaller phonological phrases. The categorical distinction between lexical and functional projections plays a role in phonological phrasing. Rhythmic restrictions then serve to avoid an oversized phonological phrase. In this paper, I posit a series of alignment and rhythm constraints, and offer an analysis through constraint interaction

Unbounded Pontryagin numbers on nonnegatively curved spin manifolds

We prove that any rational linear combination of Pontryagin numbers that does not factor through the universal elliptic genus is unbounded on connected closed spin manifolds of nonnegative sectional curvature.Comment: 9 pages, final version, to appear in Bulletin London Math. So

A Lens Comparison of Vocational Education and Training in the Beauty Sectors in Taiwan and the UK

A number of studies have highlighted the importance of effective interaction between vocational education and industry in nurturing professionals. A common strategy is to build a partnership between industry and education to ensure that graduates meet the requirements of industry, in preparation for employment. Using a lens comparison approach, which provides the capability to draw on ethnographic experiences, this paper explores and compares the relationship between industry and vocational education in the beauty sectors of Taiwan and the UK. The overall method included observation, informal interviews and documentation analysis. Significant differences were found not only in culture and levels of vocational education structure, but also in the unified standard and levels of skill formation, which are key points in preparing graduates’ confidence and competence. In Taiwan, the lack of a body with responsibility for regulations, the overlapping levels in qualifications and ineffective communication between education and industry have led to beauty graduates lacking confidence in their ability, adversely impacting on their aspirations. Whereas, in the UK, based on a unified structure, the learners’ educational and working experiences are recognised by both education and industry. Findings from this study will be beneficial for curriculum design and individual career development in this field and may also form a broader concept for use in other fields