Wigner crystal in snaked nanochannels

We study properties of Wigner crystal in snaked nanochannels and show that they are characterized by conducting sliding phase at low charge densities and insulating pinned phase emerging above a certain critical charge density. The transition between these phases has a devil's staircase structure typical for the Aubry transition in dynamical maps and the Frenkel-Kontorova model. We discuss implications of this phenomenon for charge density waves in quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors and for supercapacitors in nanopore materials.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figs, research at http://www.quantware.ups-tlse.f

The effects of an experimental programme to support students’ autonomy on the overt behaviours of physical education teachers

Although the benefits of autonomy supportive behaviours are now well established in the literature, very few studies have attempted to train teachers to offer a greater autonomy support to their students. In fact, none of these studies has been carried out in physical education (PE). The purpose of this study is to test the effects of an autonomy-supportive training on overt behaviours of teaching among PE teachers. The experimental group included two PE teachers who were first educated on the benefits of an autonomy supportive style and then followed an individualised guidance programme during the 8 lessons of a teaching cycle. Their behaviours were observed and rated along 3 categories (i.e., autonomy supportive, neutral and controlling) and were subsequently compared to those of three teachers who formed the control condition. The results showed that teachers in the experimental group used more autonomy supportive and neutral behaviours than those in the control group, but no difference emerged in relation to controlling behaviours. We discuss the implications for schools of our findings

Towards the first linkage map of the Didymella rabiei genome.

A genetic map was developed for the ascomycete Didymella rabiei (Kovachevski) v. Arx (anamorph: Ascochyta rabiei Pass. Labr.), the causal agent of Ascochyta blight in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The map was generated with 77 F1 progeny derived from crossing an isolate from the U.S.A. and an isolate from Syria. A total of 232 DAF (DNA AmplificationFingerprinting) primers and 37 STMS (Sequence-Tagged Microsatellite Site) primer pairs were tested for polymorphism between the parental isolates; 50 markers were mapped, 36 DAFs and 14 STMSs. These markers cover 261.4cM in ten linkage groups. Nineteen markers remained unlinked. Significant deviation from the expected 1:1 segregation ratios was observed for only two markers (Prob. of x2 <0.05). The implications of our results on ploidy level of the asexual spores are discussed

Long-term and transgenerational effects of cryopreservation on rabbit embryos

The short-term effects of cryopreservation and embryo transfer are well documented (reduced embryo viability, changes in pattern expression), but little is known about their long-term effects. We examined the possibility that embryo vitrification and transfer in rabbit could have an impact on the long-term reproductive physiology of the offspring and whether these phenotypes could be transferred to the progeny. Vitrified rabbit embryos were warmed and transferred to recipient females (F0). The offspring of the F0 generation were the F1 generation (cryopreserved animals). Females from F1 generation offspring were bred to F1 males to generate an F2 generation. In addition, two counterpart groups of noncryopreserved animals were bred and housed simultaneously to F1 and F2 generations (CF1 and CF2, respectively). The reproductive traits studied in all studied groups were litter size (LS), number born alive at birth (BA), and postnatal survival at Day 28 (number of weaned/number born alive expressed as percentage). The reproductive traits were analyzed using Bayesian methodology. Features of the estimated marginal posterior distributions of the differences between F1 and their counterparts (F1 - CF1) and between F2 and their counterparts (F2 - CF2) in reproductive characters found that vitrification and transfer procedures cause a consistent increase in LS and BA between F1 and CF1 females (more than 1.4 kits in LS and more than 1.3 BA) and also between F2 and CF2 females (0.96 kits in LS and 0.94 BA). We concluded that embryo cryopreservation and transfer procedures have long-term effects on derived female reproduction (F1 females) and transgenerational effects on female F1 offspring (F2 females).Lavara García, R.; Baselga Izquierdo, M.; Marco Jiménez, F.; Vicente Antón, JS. (2014). Long-term and transgenerational effects of cryopreservation on rabbit embryos. Theriogenology. 81(7):988-992. doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.01.030S98899281

Science-Technology-Society (STS): a new paradigm in Science Education

publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticleChanges in the past two decades of goals for science education in schools have induced new orientations in science education worldwide. One of the emerging complementary approaches was the science-technology-society (STS) movement. STS has been called the current megatrend in science education. Others have called it a paradigm shift for the field of science education. The success of science education reform depends on teachers' ability to integrate the philosophy and practices of current programs of science education reform with their existing philosophy. Thus, when considering the STS approach to science education, teacher beliefs about STS implementation require attention. Without this attention, negative beliefs concerning STS implementation and inquiry learning could defeat the reform movements emphasizing STS. This article argues the role of STS in science education and the importance of considering science teachers' beliefs about STS in implementing significant reforms in science education

Voting on sustainable transport: communication and governance challenges in Greater Manchester's ‘congestion charge’ referendum

In December 2008, the Greater Manchester electorate voted to reject a £3 billion package of transport measures that would have included investment in the conurbation's bus, tram and rail networks and walking and cycling infrastructure, together with, and partially funded by, the introduction of a congestion charge. The proposals followed a successful bid to the UK Government Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). High levels of car use present challenges to cities, and the TIF bid can be seen as an attempt to address these by promoting and facilitating a modal shift. The paper reflects on the debates surrounding the proposals, which led to a referendum. In particular, it explores the challenges of communicating complex, controversial plans in a fragmented and contested political arena

Measurement of the View the tt production cross-section using eμ events with b-tagged jets in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper describes a measurement of the inclusive top quark pair production cross-section (σtt¯) with a data sample of 3.2 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV, collected in 2015 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. This measurement uses events with an opposite-charge electron–muon pair in the final state. Jets containing b-quarks are tagged using an algorithm based on track impact parameters and reconstructed secondary vertices. The numbers of events with exactly one and exactly two b-tagged jets are counted and used to determine simultaneously σtt¯ and the efficiency to reconstruct and b-tag a jet from a top quark decay, thereby minimising the associated systematic uncertainties. The cross-section is measured to be: σtt¯ = 818 ± 8 (stat) ± 27 (syst) ± 19 (lumi) ± 12 (beam) pb, where the four uncertainties arise from data statistics, experimental and theoretical systematic effects, the integrated luminosity and the LHC beam energy, giving a total relative uncertainty of 4.4%. The result is consistent with theoretical QCD calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order. A fiducial measurement corresponding to the experimental acceptance of the leptons is also presented

Search for TeV-scale gravity signatures in high-mass final states with leptons and jets with the ATLAS detector at sqrt [ s ] = 13TeV

A search for physics beyond the Standard Model, in final states with at least one high transverse momentum charged lepton (electron or muon) and two additional high transverse momentum leptons or jets, is performed using 3.2 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 at √s = 13 TeV. The upper end of the distribution of the scalar sum of the transverse momenta of leptons and jets is sensitive to the production of high-mass objects. No excess of events beyond Standard Model predictions is observed. Exclusion limits are set for models of microscopic black holes with two to six extra dimensions

The performance of the jet trigger for the ATLAS detector during 2011 data taking

The performance of the jet trigger for the ATLAS detector at the LHC during the 2011 data taking period is described. During 2011 the LHC provided proton–proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and heavy ion collisions with a 2.76 TeV per nucleon–nucleon collision energy. The ATLAS trigger is a three level system designed to reduce the rate of events from the 40 MHz nominal maximum bunch crossing rate to the approximate 400 Hz which can be written to offline storage. The ATLAS jet trigger is the primary means for the online selection of events containing jets. Events are accepted by the trigger if they contain one or more jets above some transverse energy threshold. During 2011 data taking the jet trigger was fully efficient for jets with transverse energy above 25 GeV for triggers seeded randomly at Level 1. For triggers which require a jet to be identified at each of the three trigger levels, full efficiency is reached for offline jets with transverse energy above 60 GeV. Jets reconstructed in the final trigger level and corresponding to offline jets with transverse energy greater than 60 GeV, are reconstructed with a resolution in transverse energy with respect to offline jets, of better than 4 % in the central region and better than 2.5 % in the forward direction