Opto-Mechanical Chaotic Behaviour of Micron-Scaled On-Chip Resonators

Opto-mechanical vibration of an on-chip oscillator is experimentally excited by radiation-pressure nonlinearity to a regime where oscillation is chaotic. Period-doubling and broad power spectra are measured in spherical and toroidal-resonators

Compositional modulation in AlxGa1−xAs epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on the (111) facets of grooves in a nonplanar substrate

We report the first observation of a lateral junction formed in an alloy due to an abrupt transition from segregated to random AlGaAs alloy compositions. Al0.25Ga0.75As epilayers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on [011-bar] oriented grooves in a nonplanar (100) GaAs substrate. A quasi-periodic modulation of the aluminum concentration occurs spontaneously in material grown on the (111) facets of the groove, with a period of 50–70 Å along the [111] direction. The compositional modulation is associated with a reduction of the band gap by 130 meV, with respect to the random alloy. While segregation of the AlGaAs alloy has been seen previously, this is the first observation of segregation of AlGaAs grown on a (111) surface. The compositional modulation terminates abruptly at the boundaries of the (111) facet, forming abrupt lateral junctions in the AlGaAs layers grown on a groove

Nanometer scale wire structures fabricated by diffusion-induced selective disordering of a GaAs(AlGaAs) quantum well

A shallow zinc diffusion technique is used to selectively disorder a GaAs quantum well creating nanometer scale wire structures. Spectrally resolved cathodoluminescence images of the structures are presented as well as local spectra of cathodoluminescence emission from the structures. Blue shifting of the luminescence from the wire structures is observed

Uplift and subsidence associated with the great Aceh-Andaman earthquake of 2004

Rupture of the Sunda megathrust on 26 December 2004 produced broad regions of uplift and subsidence. We define the pivot line separating these regions as a first step in defining the lateral extent and the downdip limit of rupture during that great M_w ≈ 9.2 earthquake. In the region of the Andaman and Nicobar islands we rely exclusively on the interpretation of satellite imagery and a tidal model. At the southern limit of the great rupture we rely principally on field measurements of emerged coral microatolls. Uplift extends from the middle of Simeulue Island, Sumatra, at ~2.5°N, to Preparis Island, Myanmar (Burma), at ~14.9°N. Thus the rupture is ~1600 km long. The distance from the pivot line to the trench varies appreciably. The northern and western Andaman Islands rose, whereas the southern and eastern portion of the islands subsided. The Nicobar Islands and the west coast of Aceh province, Sumatra, subsided. Tilt at the southern end of the rupture is steep; the distance from 1.5 m of uplift to the pivot line is just 60 km. Our method of using satellite imagery to recognize changes in elevation relative to sea surface height and of using a tidal model to place quantitative bounds on coseismic uplift or subsidence is a novel approach that can be adapted to other forms of remote sensing and can be applied to other subduction zones in tropical regions

Examining The Perceptions Of Brand Images Regarding Competing MBA Programs

In today’s economic environment, it is crucial to create a strong, consistent brand image within a graduate business program. This study examines the perceptions that students at Southeastern Louisiana University hold about its MBA program and the MBA programs of its main competitors. A focus group was conducted to indentify competitors and factors used to compare MBA programs. A questionnaire was designed and distributed and the results were analyzed using perceptual maps

Vortex ring refraction at large Froude numbers

We have experimentally studied the impact of an initially planar axisymmetric vortex ring, incident at an oblique angle, upon a gravity-induced interface separating two fluids of differing densities. After impact, the vortex ring was found to exhibit a variety of subsequent trajectories, which we organize according to both the incidence angle, $\theta_i$, and the interface strength, defined as the ratio of the Atwood and Froude numbers, $A/F$. For grazing incidence angles ($\theta_i \gtrsim 70$ deg.) vortices either penetrate or reflect from the interface, depending on whether the interface is weak or strong. In some cases, reflected vortices execute damped oscillations before finally disintegrating. For smaller incidence angles ($\theta_i \lesssim 70$ deg.) vortices penetrate the interface. When there is a strong interface, these vortices are observed to curve back up toward the interface. When there is a weak interface, these vortices are observed to refract downward, away from the interface. The critical interface strength below which vortex ring refraction is observed is given by $\log_{10}{(A/F)}= -2.38 \pm 0.05$.Comment: 26 pages, 11 figures; Submitted to Physical Review

Development of active, nanoparticle, antimicrobial technologies for muscle-based packaging applications

Fresh and processed muscle-based foods are highly perishable food products and packaging plays a crucial role in providing containment so that the full effect of preservation can be achieved through the provision of shelf-life extension. Conventional packaging materials and systems have served the industry well, however, greater demands are being placed upon industrial packaging formats owing to the movement of muscle-based products to increasingly distant markets, as well as increased customer demands for longer product shelf-life and storage capability. Consequently, conventional packaging materials and systems will have to evolve to meet these challenges. This review presents some of the new strategies that have been developed by employing novel nanotechnological concepts which have demonstrated some promise in significantly extending the shelf-life of muscle-based foods by providing commercially-applicable, antimicrobially-active, smart packaging solutions. The primary focus of this paper is applied to subject aspects, such as; material chemistries employed, forming methods utilised, interactions of the packaging functionalities including nanomaterials employed with polymer substrates and how such materials ultimately affect microbes. In order that such materials become industrially feasible, it is important that safe, stable and commercially-viable packaging materials are shown to be producible and effective in order to gain public acceptance, legislative approval and industrial adoption

A test of cognitive mediation in a 12-month physical activity workplace intervention: does it explain behaviour change in women?

Background: Attempts to demonstrate the efficacy of interventions aimed at increasing physical activity (PA) have been mixed. Further, studies are seldom designed in a manner that facilitates the understanding of how or why a treatment is effective or ineffective and PA intervention designs should be guided by a heavier reliance upon behavioral theory. The use of a mediating variable framework offers a systematic methodological approach to testing the role of theory, and could also identify the effectiveness of specific intervention components. The primary purpose of this paper was to test the mediating role that cognitive constructs may have played in regards to the positive effect that a workplace behavioral intervention had on leisure-time PA for women. A subsidiary purpose was to examine the cross-sectional relationships of these cognitive constructs with PA behavior. Methods: The Physical Activity Workplace Study was a randomized controlled trial which compared the effects of stage-matched and standard print materials upon self-reported leisure-time PA, within a workplace sample at 6 and 12-months. In this secondary analysis we examined the mediation effects of 14 psychosocial constructs across 3 major social-cognitive theories which were operationalized for the intervention materials and measured at baseline, 6 and 12-months. We examined change in PA and change in the psychological constructs employing a mediation strategy proposed by Baron and Kenny for: (1) the first 6-months (i.e., initial change), (2) the second 6-months (i.e., delayed change), and (3) the entire 12-months (overall change) of the study on 323 women (n = 213 control/standard materials group; n = 110 stage-matched materials group). Results: Of the 14 constructs and 42 tests (including initial, delayed and overall change) two positive results were identified (i.e., overall change in pros, initial change in experiential powerful intervention approaches processes), with very small effect sizes. However, these mediating results were eliminated after adjusting for the multiple statistical tests. Conclusions: The intervention did not change these mediators in any substantive way, and show a similar pattern to prior research where interventions generally do not result in a change in mediation of behavior change. It is important to report mediation results in randomized controlled trials whether the findings are null or positive. Future studies may wish to focus on more detailed dose-response issues between mediators and behavior, the inclusion of moderators that could affect individual change, or different mediator constructs at higher levels of measurement specificity. Continued work on innovative and more powerful PA intervention approaches are needed

In vitro cytotoxicity of water soluble silver (Ag) nanoparticles on HaCat and A549 cell lines

The wide range of applications of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in commercial products, including food packaging, has encouraged researchers to come up with novel preparation methods for the production of these robust materials. The methods resulting in the formation of NPs for such commercial applications clearly demand a good accounting of their toxicity aspects to humans as well as the environment. We herein present a chemical preparation method for the production of size- and shape-defined AgNPs and investigate the impact of these nanoparticles on HaCat and A549 cell lines. Findings show that lung cells (A549) are more sensitive than skin cells (HaCat) to Ag induced toxicity, evident by the significantly (p<0.05) reduced LC50 for all NPs under study. The current investigation showed that the extent of surface capping agent (citrate) and size influenced the cell toxicity, where a lesser surface coverage (zeta potential, ζ, -27.7 mV) and smaller size (~17 nm) enhanced the toxicity compared to comparatively bigger particles (~39 nm) with higher surface coverage (ζ, -47.3 mV). The size- and shape-defined particles such as triangles which have proven useful for many applications, due to their high energy/high field edges, were found to be less toxic against biological cell lines and therefore may have potential to be used in food packaging applications as reservoirs of silver ions. A striking difference in cell line toxicity within such a small size window clearly demonstrates the vital roles played by the smaller size, difference in shape and lesser surface coverage in defining a higher passive cell membrane diffusion followed by silver dissolution inside cell cytoplasm increasing cytotoxicity

Type II Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) Is Required for Circadian Pperiod Determination in Arabidopsis Thaliana

Posttranslational modification is an important element in circadian clock function from cyanobacteria through plants and mammals. For example, a number of key clock components are phosphorylated and thereby marked for subsequent ubiquitination and degradation. Through forward genetic analysis we demonstrate that protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5; At4g31120) is a critical determinant of circadian period in Arabidopsis. PRMT5 is coregulated with a set of 1,253 genes that shows alterations in phase of expression in response to entrainment to thermocycles versus photocycles in constant temperature. PRMT5 encodes a type II protein arginine methyltransferase that catalyzes the symmetric dimethylation of arginine residues (Rsme2). Rsme2 modification has been observed in many taxa, and targets include histones, components of the transcription complex, and components of the spliceosome. Neither arginine methylation nor PRMT5 has been implicated previously in circadian clock function, but the period lengthening associated with mutational disruption of prmt5 indicates that Rsme2 is a decoration important for the Arabidopsis clock and possibly for clocks in general