1,100 research outputs found
Electronic shell and supershell structure in graphene flakes
We use a simple tight-binding (TB) model to study electronic properties of
free graphene flakes. Valence electrons of triangular graphene flakes show a
shell and supershell structure which follows an analytical expression derived
from the solution of the wave equation for triangular cavity. However, the
solution has different selection rules for triangles with armchair and zigzag
edges, and roughly 40000 atoms are needed to see clearly the first supershell
oscillation. In the case of spherical flakes, the edge states of the zigzag
regions dominate the shell structure which is thus sensitive to the flake
diameter and center. A potential well that is made with external gates cannot
have true bound states in graphene due to the zero energy band gap. However, it
can cause strong resonances in the conduction band.Comment: Presented in the ISSPIC-14 conference, Valladolid, September 200
Finnish Energy Policy in Transition
This open access book examines the role of citizens in sustainable energy transitions across Europe. It explores energy problem framing, policy approaches and practical responses to the challenge of securing clean, affordable and sustainable energy for all citizens, focusing on households as the main unit of analysis. The book revolves around ten contributions that each summarise national trends, socio-material characteristics, and policy responses to contemporary energy issues affecting householders in different countries, and provides good practice examples for designing and implementing sustainable energy initiatives. Prominent concerns include reducing carbon emissions, energy poverty, sustainable consumption, governance, practices, innovations and sustainable lifestyles. The opening and closing contributions consider European level energy policy, dominant and alternative problem framings and similarities and differences between European countries in relation to reducing household energy use. Overall, the book is a valuable resource for researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and others interested in sustainable energy perspectives. In Finland, energy policy is in transition towards integrating energy projects in broader sustainability, liveability and innovation contexts. While energy saving has been pursued for decades, it is now part of a broader tendency in urban planning to promote sustainable lifestyles. Transition manifests in local actorsâ redistribution of power, challenging conventional ways of infrastructure development, forging new networks, and seeking novel solutions. The experimental case presented in the chapter, Smart Kalasatama, shows that local governments are close to citizens and, therefore, can infuence the conditions for sustainable consumption and quality of life. Although they have an important role in energy policy, they still might lack the resources, expertise and the power to innovate, to evaluate projects, and in particular, to scale up innovative practices.Non peer reviewe
Developing LCA-based benchmarks for sustainable consumption - for and with users
This article presents the development process of a consumer-oriented, illustrative benchmarking tool enabling consumers to use the results of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) to make informed decisions. Active and environmentally conscious consumers and environmental communicators were identified as key target groups for this type of information. A brochure presenting the benchmarking tool was developed as an participatory, iterative process involving consumer focus groups, stakeholder workshops and questionnaire-based feedback. In addition to learning what works and what does not, detailed suggestions on improved wording and figures were obtained, as well as a wealth of ideas for future applications
Worse health-related quality of life, impaired functioning and psychiatric comorbidities are associated with excess mortality in patients with severe chronic pain
Background Severe chronic pain that interferes with daily activities is associated with an increased risk of mortality. We assessed the overall mortality of tertiary chronic pain patients in comparison with the general population, with a special aim to analyse the association of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its dimensions with the risk of death. Methods In this prospective observational follow-up study, patients with non-cancer chronic pain attended an outpatient multidisciplinary pain management (MPM) episode in a tertiary pain clinic in 2004-2012 and were followed until May 2019. Mortality between the patients and the general population was compared with standardized mortality ratios (SMR) in different age groups. Causes of death and comorbidities were compared among the deceased. Association of mortality and HRQoL and its dimensions, measured with the 15D instrument, was studied with Cox proportional hazards model. Results During a mean of 10.4-year follow-up of 1498 patients, 296 died. The SMR in the youngest age group (18-49 years) was significantly higher than that of the general population: 2.6 for males and 2.9 for females. Even elderly females (60-69 years) had elevated mortality (SMR 2.3). Low baseline HRQoL at the time of MPM, as well as poor ratings in the psychosocial dimensions of HRQoL, was associated with an increased risk of death. Conclusions Our results support the role of HRQoL measurement by a validated instrument such as the 15D in capturing both the physical and the psychological symptom burden, and consequently, an elevated risk of death, in patients with chronic pain. Significance Severe chronic pain is associated with elevated mortality. In patients in chronic pain under 50 years old, the mortality was 2.5-3 times higher than in the general population. Psychological distress appears to contribute to the increased mortality. Regular follow-up by health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measurement could be useful in identifying patients in chronic pain who are in need of intensive symptom management and to prevent early death.Peer reviewe
Edge-dependent selection rules in magic triangular graphene flakes
The electronic shell and supershell structure of triangular graphene quantum
dots has been studied using density functional and tight-binding methods. The
density functional calculations demonstrate that the electronic structure close
to the Fermi energy is correctly described with a simple tight-binding model
where only the p_z orbitals perpendicular to the graphene layer are included.
The results show that (i) both at the bottom and at the top of the p_z band a
supershell structure similar to that of free electrons confined in a triangular
cavity is seen, (ii) close to the Fermi level the shell structure is that of
free massless particles, (iii) triangles with armchair edges show an additional
sequence of levels ('ghost states') absent for triangles with zigzag edges
while the latter exhibit edge states, and (iv) the observed shell structure is
rather insensitive to the edge roughness
Electronic structure of triangular, hexagonal and round graphene flakes near the Fermi level
The electronic shell structure of triangular, hexagonal and round graphene
quantum dots (flakes) near the Fermi level has been studied using a
tight-binding method. The results show that close to the Fermi level the shell
structure of a triangular flake is that of free massless particles, and that
triangles with an armchair edge show an additional sequence of levels ("ghost
states"). These levels result from the graphene band structure and the plane
wave solution of the wave equation, and they are absent for triangles with an
zigzag edge. All zigzag triangles exhibit a prominent edge state at the Fermi
level, and few low-energy conduction electron states occur both in triangular
and hexagonal flakes due to symmetry reasons. Armchair triangles can be used as
building blocks for other types of flakes that support the ghost states. Edge
roughness has only a small effect on the level structure of the triangular
flakes, but the effect is considerably enhanced in the other types of flakes.
In round flakes, the states near the Fermi level depend strongly on the flake
radius, and they are always localized on the zigzag parts of the edge
Bridging the gap between policy and science in assessing the health status of marine ecosystems
Human activities, both established and emerging, increasingly affect the provision of marine ecosystem services that deliver societal and economic benefits. Monitoring the status of marine ecosystems and determining how human activities change their capacity to sustain benefits for society requires an evidence-based Integrated Ecosystem Assessment approach that incorporates knowledge of ecosystem functioning and services). Although, there are diverse methods to assess the status of individual ecosystem components, none assesses the health of marine ecosystems holistically, integrating information from multiple ecosystem components. Similarly, while acknowledging the availability of several methods to measure single pressures and assess their impacts, evaluation of cumulative effects of multiple pressures remains scarce. Therefore, an integrative assessment requires us to first understand the response of marine ecosystems to human activities and their pressures and then develop innovative, cost-effective monitoring tools that enable collection of data to assess the health status of large marine areas. Conceptually, combining this knowledge of effective monitoring methods with cost-benefit analyses will help identify appropriate management measures to improve environmental status economically and efficiently. The European project DEVOTES (DEVelopment Of innovative Tools for understanding marine biodiversity and assessing good Environmental Status) specifically addressed t hese topics in order to support policy makers and managers in implementing the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Here, we synthesize our main innovative findings, placing these within the context of recent wider research, and identifying gaps and the major future challenges
Isostatic equilibrium in spherical coordinates and implications for crustal thickness on the Moon, Mars, Enceladus, and elsewhere
Isostatic equilibrium is commonly defined as the state achieved when there
are no lateral gradients in hydrostatic pressure, and thus no lateral flow, at
depth within the lower viscosity mantle that underlies a planetary body's outer
crust. In a constant-gravity Cartesian framework, this definition is equivalent
to the requirement that columns of equal width contain equal masses. Here we
show, however, that this equivalence breaks down when the spherical geometry of
the problem is taken into account. Imposing the "equal masses" requirement in a
spherical geometry, as is commonly done in the literature, leads to significant
lateral pressure gradients along internal equipotential surfaces, and thus
corresponds to a state of disequilibrium. Compared with the "equal pressures"
model we present here, the "equal masses" model always overestimates the
compensation depth--by ~27% in the case of the lunar highlands and by nearly a
factor of two in the case of Enceladus.Comment: 23 pages of text; 3 figures; accepted for publication in GR
- âŠ