Open Problems in Heavy Quarkonium Physics

Some recent progress and a personal selection of open problems in heavy quarkonium physics (spectroscopy, decay and production) inspired by the activity of the Quarkonium Working Group are reviewed.Comment: Plenary talk presented at the 6th international conference Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum, Villasimius, Italy 21-25 September, 2004; 11 pages, 7 figures, aippro

Can forest management based on natural disturbances maintain ecological resilience?

Given the increasingly global stresses on forests, many ecologists argue that managers must maintain ecological resilience: the capacity of ecosystems to absorb disturbances without undergoing fundamental change. In this review we ask: Can the emerging paradigm of natural-disturbance-based management (NDBM) maintain ecological resilience in managed forests? Applying resilience theory requires careful articulation of the ecosystem state under consideration, the disturbances and stresses that affect the persistence of possible alternative states, and the spatial and temporal scales of management relevance. Implementing NDBM while maintaining resilience means recognizing that (i) biodiversity is important for long-term ecosystem persistence, (ii) natural disturbances play a critical role as a generator of structural and compositional heterogeneity at multiple scales, and (iii) traditional management tends to produce forests more homogeneous than those disturbed naturally and increases the likelihood of unexpected catastrophic change by constraining variation of key environmental processes. NDBM may maintain resilience if silvicultural strategies retain the structures and processes that perpetuate desired states while reducing those that enhance resilience of undesirable states. Such strategies require an understanding of harvesting impacts on slow ecosystem processes, such as seed-bank or nutrient dynamics, which in the long term can lead to ecological surprises by altering the forest's capacity to reorganize after disturbance

Optical Imaging and Spectroscopic Observation of the Galactic Supernova Remnant G85.9-0.6

Optical CCD imaging with H$\alpha$ and [SII] filters and spectroscopic observations of the galactic supernova remnant G85.9-0.6 have been performed for the first time. The CCD image data are taken with the 1.5m Russian-Turkish Telescope (RTT150) at TUBITAK National Observatory (TUG) and spectral data are taken with the Bok 2.3 m telescope on Kitt Peak, AZ. The images are taken with narrow-band interference filters H$\alpha$, [SII] and their continuum. [SII]/H$\alpha$ ratio image is performed. The ratio obtained from [SII]/H$\alpha$ is found to be $\sim$0.42, indicating that the remnant interacts with HII regions. G85.9-0.6 shows diffuse-shell morphology. [SII]$\lambda\lambda 6716/6731$ average flux ratio is calculated from the spectra, and the electron density $N_{e}$ is obtained to be 395 $cm^{-3}$. From [OIII]/H$\beta$ ratio, shock velocity has been estimated, pre-shock density of $n_{c}=14$ $cm^{-3}$, explosion energy of $E=9.2\times10^{50}$ ergs, interstellar extinction of $E(B-V)=0.28$, and neutral hydrogen column density of $N(HI)=1.53\times10^{21}$ $cm^{-2}$ are reported.Comment: 20 pages, 4 tables, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

The Problem of Women and Mathematics

Reviews relevant research to determine the reasons for the limited participation of women in advanced mathematics and related fields. Explores options for improving women's mathematics skills and increasing their participation in related fields

Scanning Electron Microscope Study of Brachysclereids of Pear (Pyrus communis L.)

The external surfaces of pear sclereids commonly are illustrated as covered with apertures. This SEAA investigation of the surface features has shown the surface to have few or no apertures. When the primary wall layer was removed the typical ramiform canal system was obvious. This observation confirms the often-ignored fact that the pitapertures of the secondary wall are not continuous with the primary wall. Hence, they do not show on the surfaces of the intact cell

Long Range Correlations in the Disordered Phase of a Simple Three State Lattice Gas

We investigate the dynamics of a three-state stochastic lattice gas, consisting of holes and two oppositely "charged" species of particles, under the influence of an "electric" field, at zero total charge. Interacting only through an excluded volume constraint, particles can hop to nearest neighbour empty sites. With increasing density and drive, the system orders into a charge-segregated state. Using a combination of Langevin equations and Monte Carlo simulations, we study the steady-state structure factors in the disordered phase where homogeneous configurations are stable against small harmonic perturbations. They show a discontinuity singularity at the origin which in real space leads to an intricate crossover between power laws of different kinds.Comment: 7 RevTeX pages, 1 postscript figure include

Factors for analysing and improving performance of R&D in Malaysian universities

This paper presents a model for analysing and improving performance of R&D in Malaysian universities. There are various general models for R&D analysis, but none is specific for improving the performance of R&D in Malaysian universities. This research attempts to fill a gap in the body of knowledge with regard to developing countries by explicitly focusing on factors that are relevant for analysing and improving R&D performance in Malaysian universities.\ud The project's methodology essentially entails a deductive route to identify and progressively refine the factors that determine R&D performance. It is based on extensive literature study aimed at developing a model that is appropriate for researching and improving R&D in an emerging economy. The paper addresses the development of the model and the research project’s approach. This model will be applied in collecting data from surveys and a number of field studies. The results will be used to improve the model as well as recommending points of improvement for Malaysian universities

Wireless Handheld Computers in the Preclinical Undergraduate Curriculum

This report presents the results of a pilot project using wireless PDAs as teaching tools in an undergraduate medical curriculum. This technology was used to foster a transition from a passive to an interactive learning environment in the classroom and provided a solution for the implementation of computer-based exams for a large class. Wayne State Medical School recently provided model e570 Toshiba PocketPCs® (personal digital assistants or PDAs), network interface cards, and application software developed by CampusMobility® to 20 sophomore medical students. The pilot group of preclinical students used the PDAs to access web-based course content, for communication, scheduling, to participate in interactive teaching sessions, and to complete course evaluations. Another part of this pilot has been to utilize the PDAs for computer-based exams in a wireless environment. Server authentication that restricted access during the exams and a proctoring console to monitor and record the PDA screens will be described in this report. Results of a student satisfaction survey will be present