Monitoring the process of formation of ZnO from ZnO2 using in situ combined XRD/XAS technique

Use of in situ combined X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy for the study of the thermal decomposition of zinc peroxide to zinc oxide is reported here. Comparison of data extracted from both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) with thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) enabled us to follow the nature of the conversion of ZnO2 to ZnO. A temperature range between 230 and 350oC appears to show a very poorly crystalline ZnO is formed prior to the formation of ordered ZnO material. Both the decrease in white line intensity in the Zn K-edge XANES and resulting lower coordination numbers estimated from analysis of Zn K-edge data of ZnO heated at 500oC, in comparison to bulk ZnO, suggest that that the ZnO produced by this method has significant defects in the system

The Anthropomorphic Application of Gender Stereotypes to Horses

Gender stereotypes shape human social interaction, often to the detriment of women and those who do not comply with normative expectations of gender. So far, little research has assessed the extent to which people apply gender stereotypes to animals, and the implications this may have for individuals and groups, particularly female animals. The current study investigated survey respondents’ preference for horses to perform in different sport and leisure practices, based solely on ideas about the sex of the animal. An anonymous online survey explored the preferences of riders for mares, geldings and stallions for dressage, show-jumping and trail-riding, and reasons for their choice. A total of 1032 responses were received. Geldings were the preferred choice, being perceived as safe and reliable, followed by stallions who were valued for their supposed power, presence and good looks. Overall, mares were the least popular choice, and were discussed in ambivalent terms reflecting broad gender stereotypes which depict females as moody, flighty and unpredictable. Respondents appeared to draw on gender stereotypes to make judgements about horses and justify their choices. The anthropomorphic application of gender stereotypes to animals may have negative consequences for female animals, shaping human-animal interactions and expectations

Unconventional magnetism in all-carbon nanofoam

We report production of nanostructured carbon foam by a high-repetition-rate, high-power laser ablation of glassy carbon in Ar atmosphere. A combination of characterization techniques revealed that the system contains both sp2 and sp3 bonded carbon atoms. The material is a novel form of carbon in which graphite-like sheets fill space at very low density due to strong hyperbolic curvature, as proposed for ?schwarzite?. The foam exhibits ferromagnetic-like behaviour up to 90 K, with a narrow hysteresis curve and a high saturation magnetization. Such magnetic properties are very unusual for a carbon allotrope. Detailed analysis excludes impurities as the origin of the magnetic signal. We postulate that localized unpaired spins occur because of topological and bonding defects associated with the sheet curvature, and that these spins are stabilized due to the steric protection offered by the convoluted sheets.Comment: 14 pages, including 2 tables and 7 figs. Submitted to Phys Rev B 10 September 200

Measuring Masculinity in Men With Chronic Disease

© The Author(s) 2019. The Masculinity in Chronic Disease Inventory (MCD-I) is a new measure of internalized masculine beliefs previously validated in the context of prostate cancer. The present study assessed the validity of the MCD-I in men with other chronic diseases to explore its potential for wider application. A cross-sectional survey of 633 men aged 47–93 years old (M = 68 years), of whom 68% reported ≥2 chronic conditions, was conducted. Measures included the MCD-I and Erectile Function. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed followed by tests for discriminant validity. A five-factor structure was confirmed that explained 60% of the variance, with good to excellent reliabilities (α = 0.68–0.93) for the domains of Optimistic Action, Sexual Importance/Priority, Family Responsibilities, Emotional Self-Reliance, and Strength/Fitness. The MCD-I is a valid measure of internalized masculine beliefs for men with chronic disease that appears sensitive to age and to sexual health. The tailoring of health services for men can be guided by MCD-I outcomes to ensure gender-sensitized men’s health interventions

High Performance Processors for Space Environments: A Subproject of the NASA Exploration Missions Systems Directorate "Radiation Hardened Electronics for Space Environments" Technology Development Program

Implementation of challenging Exploration Systems Missions Directorate objectives and strategies can be constrained by onboard computing capabilities and power efficiencies. The Radiation Hardened Electronics for Space Environments (RHESE) High Performance Processors for Space Environments project will address this challenge by significantly advancing the sustained throughput and processing efficiency of high-per$ormance radiation-hardened processors, targeting delivery of products by the end of FY12

Magnetic tight-binding and the iron-chromium enthalpy anomaly

We describe a self consistent magnetic tight-binding theory based in an expansion of the Hohenberg-Kohn density functional to second order, about a non spin polarised reference density. We show how a first order expansion about a density having a trial input magnetic moment leads to the Stoner--Slater rigid band model. We employ a simple set of tight-binding parameters that accurately describes electronic structure and energetics, and show these to be transferable between first row transition metals and their alloys. We make a number of calculations of the electronic structure of dilute Cr impurities in Fe which we compare with results using the local spin density approximation. The rigid band model provides a powerful means for interpreting complex magnetic configurations in alloys; using this approach we are able to advance a simple and readily understood explanation for the observed anomaly in the enthalpy of mixing.Comment: Submitted to Phys Rev

Satellite-Derived Distributions, Inventories and Fluxes of Dissolved and Particulate Organic Matter Along the Northeastern U.S. Continental Margin

Estuaries and the coastal ocean experience a high degree of variability in the composition and concentration of particulate and dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a consequence of riverine and estuarine fluxes of terrigenous DOM, sediments, detritus and nutrients into coastal waters and associated phytoplankton blooms. Our approach integrates biogeochemical measurements, optical properties and remote sensing to examine the distributions and inventories of organic carbon in the U.S. Middle Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Maine. Algorithms developed to retrieve colored DOM (CDOM), Dissolved (DOC) and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) from NASA's MODIS-Aqua and SeaWiFS satellite sensors are applied to quantify the distributions and inventories of DOC and POC. Horizontal fluxes of DOC and POC from the continental margin to the open ocean are estimated from SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua distributions of DOC and POC and horizontal divergence fluxes obtained from the Northeastern North Atlantic ROMS model. SeaWiFS and MODIS imagery reveal the importance of estuarine outflow to the export of CDOM and DOC to the coastal ocean and a net community production of DOC on the shelf

Use of small specimen creep data in component life management: a review

Small specimen creep testing techniques are novel mechanical test techniques that have been developed over the past 25 years. They mainly include the sub-size uniaxial test, the small punch creep test, the impression creep test, the small ring creep test and the two-bar creep test. This paper outlines the current methods in practice for data interpretation as well as the state-of-the-art procedures for conducting the tests. Case studies for the use of impression creep testing and material strength ranking of creep resistant steels are reviewed along with the requirement for the standardisation of the impression creep test method. A database of small specimen creep testing is required to prove the validity of the tests

Virtual Compton Scattering and the Generalized Polarizabilities of the Proton at Q\u3csup\u3e2\u3c/sup\u3e = 0.92 and 1.76 GeV\u3csup\u3e2\u3c/sup\u3e

Virtual Compton scattering (VCS) on the proton has been studied at the Jefferson Laboratory using the exclusive photon electroproduction reaction ep → epγ. This paper gives a detailed account of the analysis which has led to the determination of the structure functions PLL − PTT/ε and PLT and the electric and magnetic generalized polarizabilities (GPs) αE(Q2)and βM(Q2) at values of the four-momentum transfer squared Q2 = 0.92 and 1.76 GeV2. These data, together with the results of VCS experiments at lower momenta, help building a coherent picture of the electric and magnetic GPs of the proton over the full measured Q2 range and point to their nontrivial behavior