18,607 research outputs found
Helping Poor Working Parents Get Ahead: Federal Funds for New State Strategies and Systems
Examines the cost-effectiveness of state job advancement systems and outlines a proposal for federally funding programs that provide more education and training, greater access to better-paying jobs, and more robust financial incentives and supports
A geometric description of the m-cluster categories of type D_n
We show that the m-cluster category of type D_n is equivalent to a certain
geometrically-defined category of arcs in a punctured regular nm-m+1-gon. This
generalises a result of Schiffler for m=1. We use the notion of the mth power
of a translation quiver to realise the m-cluster category in terms of the
cluster category.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure
How the Marsden Fund has failed to achieve its full potential in the ESA panel: evidence of limitations in scope, biased outcomes, and futile applications
We have analysed the scope of proposals funded by the âEarth Sciences and Astronomyâ (ESA) panel of the Marsden Fund for the period 2004 to 2013. The scope of proposals funded is very limited and does not reflect the full remit of the panel: the successful projects fail to encompass the quality and quantity of research being undertaken within the Earth sciences community in New Zealand, and a number of sub-disciplines that seek to address fundamental and important problems within the Earth sciences are largely excluded. Moreover, nearly 50% of the funded proposals for the past decade have been made to just two institutions. To address these limitations, we suggest that: (1) a review is undertaken to examine and widen the scope of the panel to encompass sub-disciplines that demonstrably are never or rarely funded; (2) the composition of panel members be examined and modified to reflect a much wider scope of sub-disciplines within the Earth sciences; and (3) a review of the wide discrepancies in funding distributions on an institutional basis be undertaken. We want to ensure that a more representative range of sub-disciplines, in keeping with modern and realistic definitions of the Earth sciences, is funded through this panel, and so we also recommend the formation of a new panel for âEnvironmental and Earth-system Sciencesâ that could encompass the research involving modern-day processes so that applications in these sub-disciplines are not pointless. In addition, it is clear that a very substantial increase in funding to the Marsden Fund must be sought
Oxometalate-glass composites and thin films
New glass-composites with ion exchange properties have been developed.
Ammonium 12-molybdophosphate (AMP) (ÎÎ4)3ÎĄÎÎżÎ2Ξ4Îż, and ammonium 12-tungstophosphate (AWP) (Nh4)3PW12O40, known for their ion exchange
capabilities, are included either in preformed aerogels with defined pore size, or are
added to sol-gel mixtures during the process of gel formation. Characterization is
carried out by FTIR, Raman and EXAFS spectroscopy. Ion exchange capacities for the
oxometalate precursors are determined for silver and rubidium and are compared to
those of the glass composites. Glass composites show high ion exchange capacity, but
some portion of the metalate complexes leaches from the glass during the procedure.
This is in contrast to thin composite films, which have almost no porosity and do not
show loss of metalate. EXAFS spectroscopy demostrates that the oxometalate
microstructure is maintained in glass composites and that rubidium ions after ion
exchange in glasses occupy similar cation positions as in the precursor compounds
Egg Production in the Boxelder Bug \u3ci\u3eBoisea Trivittata\u3c/i\u3e (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae)
Boxelder bug females emerged from overwintering sites in the spring and rapidly provisioned eggs with yolk materials. Five discrete egg stages were identified based on egg size, protein content, and degree of chorion sclerotization. Females did not accumulate yolk materials into the egg until after melanization was completed, as unmelanized animals rarely possessed even stage 2 eggs. All adult females entering overwintering sites possessed only immature stage eggs (stage 1 and 2). The rate of egg vitellogenesis in the spring was rapid; a major change in numbers of more mature stage eggs (stage 3 and above) in the ovary occurred within approximately 6 days. Most mating pairs recovered in the field (92%, 12/13) possessed ovaries full of eggs in stages 3, 4 or 5. The remaining female contained only immature eggs of stage 1 and 2. This finding indicates that fully provisioned ovaries are not an absolute requirement for mating to occur. The signals that initiate vitellogenesis and control the movement of materials from fat body into eggs are unknown for the boxelder bug
Imaging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging: State of the Art
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a very frequent tumor worldwide. Its incidence is linked to the distribution of liver cirrhosis and viral hepatitis, which are the main risk factors for the development of HCC. For the evaluation of the cirrhotic liver and for the diagnosis of HCC, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) proved to be a robust and reliable tool. In MDCT the diagnosis of HCC can be made based on neovascularization with increased arterial and decreased portal venous supply. With modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), spatial resolution and robustness increased dramatically. Beside the evaluation of neovascularization by means of gadolinium-enhanced early dynamic MRI, the main advantages of MRI are additional information on tissue composition and liver-specific function. With diffusion-weighted imaging or plain T(1)- and T(2)-weighted sequences, different tissue elements like fat, hemorrhage, glycogen, edema and cellular density can be evaluated. Liver-specific contrast agents give insight into the Kupffer cell density or the hepatocellular function. The integration of all these parts into the MR examination allows for a very high detection rate for overt HCC nowadays, although very small HCCs are still a challenge. Moreover, insight into the different stages of hepatocarcinogenesis can be possible with MRI. Despite its limited availability in some countries, it has to be rendered to be the modality of choice for the distinct evaluation of the cirrhotic liver. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base
Epitaxial-strain-induced multiferroicity in SrMnO from first principles
First-principles density-functional calculations reveal a large spin-phonon
coupling in cubic SrMnO, with ferromagnetic ordering producing a polar
instability. Through combination of this coupling with the strain-polarization
coupling characteristic of perovskites, the bulk antiferromagnetic paraelectric
ground state of SrMnO is shown to be driven to a previously unreported
multiferroic ferroelectric-ferromagnetic state by increasing epitaxial strain,
both tensile and compressive. This state has a computed polarization and
estimated Curie temperature above 54 C/cm and 92 K. Large mixed
magnetic-electric-elastic responses are predicted in the vicinity of the phase
boundaries.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl
Liquid transport generated by a flashing field-induced wettability ratchet
We develop and analyze a model for ratchet-driven macroscopic transport of a
continuous phase. The transport relies on a field-induced dewetting-spreading
cycle of a liquid film with a free surface based on a switchable, spatially
asymmetric, periodic interaction of the liquid-gas interface and the substrate.
The concept is exemplified using an evolution equation for a dielectric liquid
film under an inhomogeneous voltage. We analyse the influence of the various
phases of the ratchet cycle on the transport properties. Conditions for maximal
transport and the efficiency of transport under load are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
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