Recent high-magnetic-field studies of unusual groundstates in quasi-two-dimensional crystalline organic metals and superconductors

After a brief introduction to crystalline organic superconductors and metals, we shall describe two recently-observed exotic phases that occur only in high magnetic fields. The first involves measurements of the non-linear electrical resistance of single crystals of the charge-density-wave (CDW) system (Per)$_2$Au(mnt)$_2$ in static magnetic fields of up to 45 T and temperatures as low as 25 mK. The presence of a fully gapped CDW state with typical CDW electrodynamics at fields higher that the Pauli paramagnetic limit of 34 T suggests the existence of a modulated CDW phase analogous to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state. Secondly, measurements of the Hall potential of single crystals of $\alpha$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$KHg(SCN)$_4$, made using a variant of the Corbino geometry in quasistatic magnetic fields, show persistent current effects that are similar to those observed in conventional superconductors. The longevity of the currents, large Hall angle, flux quantization and confinement of the reactive component of the Hall potential to the edge of the sample are all consistent with the realization of a new state of matter in CDW systems with significant orbital quantization effects in strong magnetic fields.Comment: SNS 2004 Conference presentatio

Multiregional and Intertemporal Age Modelling Via GEMPACK

The past few years have seen increasing use of multiregional and intertemporal (that is, forward-looking) applied general equilibrium (AGE) models. These models share the characteristic of rapidly expanding dimensions. Because multilateral trade models increase in size with the square of the number of regions and intertemporal models increase in proportion to the number of time periods, they can be very difficult to solve purely because of their size. This paper considers three recent models of these kinds, namely, GTAP, the Global Trade Analysis Project's multiregional model of the world; MRES, a multiregional forecasting model of Australia; and ORANI-INT, an intertemporal model of the Austredian economy. Each of these has been implemented using the GEMPACK suite of general-purpose economic modelling software. In this paper we discuss features of GEMPACK which are especially relevant for multiregional and/or intertemporal models. These include an automatic facility to condense models to a manageable size; separation of theory, data, and closure/shocks; automatic creation of updated (that is, post-simulation) data flies; and a solver that is well suited to intertemporal models with substantial elements of forward-looking behaviour. Each feature is illustrated via references to one or more of the three models mentioned above

Strong electronic correlations in superconducting organic charge transfer salts

We review the role of strong electronic correlations in quasi--two-dimensional organic charge transfer salts such as (BEDT-TTF)$_2X$, (BETS)$_2Y$ and $\beta'$-[Pd(dmit)$_2$]$_2Z$. We begin by defining minimal models for these materials. It is necessary to identify two classes of material: the first class is strongly dimerised and is described by a half-filled Hubbard model; the second class is not strongly dimerised and is described by a quarter filled extended Hubbard model. We argue that these models capture the essential physics of these materials. We explore the phase diagram of the half-filled quasi--two-dimensional organic charge transfer salts, focusing on the metallic and superconducting phases. We review work showing that the metallic phase, which has both Fermi liquid and `bad metal' regimes, is described both quantitatively and qualitatively by dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). The phenomenology of the superconducting state is still a matter of contention. We critically review the experimental situation, focusing on the key experimental results that may distinguish between rival theories of superconductivity, particularly probes of the pairing symmetry and measurements of the superfluid stiffness. We then discuss some strongly correlated theories of superconductivity, in particular, the resonating valence bond (RVB) theory of superconductivity. We conclude by discussing some of the major challenges currently facing the field.Comment: A review: 52 pages; 10 fig

Post-disaster tourism: building resilience through community-led approaches in the aftermath of the 2011 disasters in Japan

Post-disaster tourism is often perceived as a form of Dark Tourism associated with death, loss and destruction. In Japan, the term Dark Tourism has gained prominence following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. This paper focuses on a community-led approach to post-disaster tourism development, initiated in the coastal area of Minamisanriku and labelled by the locals Blue Tourism. From its inception Blue Tourism incorporated non-dark activities which concentrated on the beauty of nature, social and environmental sustainability and the development of an enriched tourist experience. Its co-creational ethos helped transform some of the negative narratives of loss associated with Dark Tourism into positive accounts of communal renewal and hope. The paper highlights the limitations of Dark Tourism to post-disaster recovery and contributes new insights to the community-based tourism literature. We argue that Blue Tourism is not a type of Dark Tourism but a form of resilience which builds around local place-based practices and traditional community knowledge. Consequently, it is capable of achieving sustainable disaster recovery and tourist satisfaction simultaneously

Tissue magnetic susceptibility mapping as a marker of tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is connected to a number of other neurodegenerative conditions, known collectively as 'tauopathies', by the presence of aggregated tau protein in the brain. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in AD are associated with tau pathology and both the breakdown of axonal sheaths in white matter tracts and excess iron accumulation grey matter brain regions. Despite the identification of myelin and iron concentration as major sources of contrast in quantitative susceptibility maps of the brain, the sensitivity of this technique to tau pathology has yet to be explored. In this study, we perform Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) and T2* mapping in the rTg4510, a mouse model of tauopathy, both in vivo and ex vivo. Significant correlations were observed between histological measures of myelin content and both mean regional magnetic susceptibility and T2* values. These results suggest that magnetic susceptibility is sensitive to tissue myelin concentrations across different regions of the brain. Differences in magnetic susceptibility were detected in the corpus callosum, striatum, hippocampus and thalamus of the rTg4510 mice relative to wild type controls. The concentration of neurofibrillary tangles was found to be low to intermediate in these brain regions indicating that QSM may be a useful biomarker for early stage detection of tau pathology in neurodegenerative diseases

A multilevel neo-institutional analysis of infection prevention and control in English hospitals: coerced safety culture change?

Despite committed policy, regulative and professional efforts on healthcare safety, little is known about how such macro-interventions permeate organisations and shape culture over time. Informed by neo-institutional theory, we examined how inter-organisational influences shaped safety practices and inter-subjective meanings following efforts for coerced culture change. We traced macro-influences from 2000 to 2015 in infection prevention and control (IPC). Safety perceptions and meanings were inductively analysed from 130 in-depth qualitative interviews with senior- and middle-level managers from 30 English hospitals. A total of 869 institutional interventions were identified; 69% had a regulative component. In this context of forced implementation of safety practices, staff experienced inherent tensions concerning the scope of safety, their ability to be open and prioritisation of external mandates over local need. These tensions stemmed from conflicts among three co-existing institutional logics prevalent in the NHS. In response to requests for change, staff flexibly drew from a repertoire of cognitive, material and symbolic resources within and outside their organisations. They crafted 'strategies of action', guided by a situated assessment of first-hand practice experiences complementing collective evaluations of interventions such as 'pragmatic', 'sensible' and also 'legitimate'. Macro-institutional forces exerted influence either directly on individuals or indirectly by enriching the organisational cultural repertoire

BASS. XXXV. The MBH-σ* Relation of 105 Month Swift-BAT Type 1 AGNs

We present two independent measurements of stellar velocity dispersions (sigma(star)) from the Ca II H+K lambda 3969, 3934 and Mg I b lambda 5183, 5172, 5167 region (3880-5550 angstrom) and the calcium triplet region (8350-8750 angstrom) for 173 hard X-ray-selected Type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs; z <= 0.08) from the 105 month Swift-BAT catalog. We construct one of the largest samples of local Type 1 AGNs that have both single-epoch virial black hole mass (M-BH) estimates and sigma(star) measurements obtained from high spectral resolution data, allowing us to test the usage of such methods for supermassive black hole studies. We find that the two independent sigma(star) measurements are highly consistent with each other, with an average offset of only 0.002 +/- 0.001 dex. Comparing M-BH estimates based on broad emission lines and stellar velocity dispersion measurements, we find that the former is systematically lower by approximate to 0.12 dex. Consequently, Eddington ratios estimated through broad-line MBH determinations are similarly biased (but in the opposite way). We argue that the discrepancy is driven by extinction in the broad-line region. We also find an anticorrelation between the offset from the M-BH-sigma(star) relation and the Eddington ratio. Our sample of Type 1 AGNs shows a shallower M-BH-sigma(star) relation (with a power-law exponent of approximate to 3.5) compared with that of inactive galaxies (with a power-law exponent of approximate to 4.5), confirming earlier results obtained from smaller samples

BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey XXVII: Scattered X-Ray Radiation in Obscured Active Galactic Nuclei

Accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs), also known as active galactic nuclei (AGN), are generally surrounded by large amounts of gas and dust. This surrounding material reprocesses the primary X-ray emission produced close to the SMBH and gives rise to several components in the broadband X-ray spectra of AGN, including a power-law possibly associated with Thomson-scattered radiation. In this work, we study the properties of this scattered component for a sample of 386 hard-X-ray-selected, nearby ($z \sim 0.03$) obscured AGN from the 70-month Swift/BAT catalog. We investigate how the fraction of Thomson-scattered radiation correlates with different physical properties of AGN, such as line-of-sight column density, X-ray luminosity, black hole mass, and Eddington ratio. We find a significant negative correlation between the scattering fraction and the column density. Based on a large number of spectral simulations, we exclude the possibility that this anti-correlation is due to degeneracies between the parameters. The negative correlation also persists when considering different ranges of luminosity, black hole mass, and Eddington ratio. We discuss how this correlation might be either due to the angle dependence of the Thomson cross-section or to more obscured sources having a higher covering factor of the torus. We also find a positive correlation between the scattering fraction and the ratio of [OIII] $\lambda$5007 to X-ray luminosity. This result is consistent with previous studies and suggests that the Thomson-scattered component is associated with the narrow-line region.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 18 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, 1 equatio