On Shimura curves in the Schottky locus

We show that a given rational Shimura curve Y with strictly maximal Higgs field in the moduli space of g-dimensional abelian varieties does not generically intersect the Schottky locus for large g. We achieve this by using a result of Viehweg and Zuo which says that if Y parameterizes a family of curves of genus g, then the corresponding family of Jacobians is isogenous over Y to the g-fold product of a modular family of elliptic curves. After reducing the situation from the field of complex numbers to a finite field, we will see, combining the Weil and Sato-Tate conjectures, that this is impossible for large genus g.Comment: 23 pages, shortened version of my PhD thesi

Punishing parents: a study of family hardship in Australian sentencing

Historically, sentencing courts have found it appropriate to take into account the impact of an offender's sentence upon their dependants. This mitigating factor in sentencing has been described as 'family hardship'. However, in Australia family hardship is a controversial sentencing factor with some sentencing judges denying that it is a mitigating factor at all. This dissertation is a study of the family hardship as a mitigating sentencing factor and a study of the sentencing principle that has developed in respect to this sentencing factor up to the landmark decision in Markovic v The Queen (2010) 200 A Crim R 510. The overall purpose of this dissertation has been to trace the way that courts have approached family hardship and to contribute to current knowledge. The research for this dissertation involved a study of the case law on family hardship within Australia. This consisted of a series of jurisdictionally based studies of sentencing remarks and appellate judgments to reveal how judicial officers have approached family hardship at sentencing. Drawing upon an extensive and systematic analysis of the case law, this dissertation sheds light upon the practical operation of common law, including where there has been legislative enactment of sentencing factors, and presents a critical analysis of the operation and development of Australian sentencing principles. The dissertation first outlines the Australian sentencing landscape before looking at the tensions that have arisen in respect to this contentious sentencing factor. In addition to an extensive and unique review of Australian state and territory jurisprudence on family hardship the dissertation also draws upon secondary research literature to contextualise these tensions. This dissertation also presents the results of a study into federal sentencing practices on family hardship. These results are examined alongside state and territory sentencing practices and the original research conducted for this dissertation. The findings presented define and develop a new agenda for research on mitigating factors, sentencing principles and Australian federal sentencing laws and practice

On Shimura curves in the Schottky locus

We show that a given rational Shimura curve U in the moduli space of principally polarized abelian varieties Ag,1 can only lie in the closure of the Schottky locus Mg for finitely many genera g. We achieve this by using a result of Viehweg and Zuo which says that the corresponding families of Jacobians parameterized by U have to be isogenous to the g-fold product of a modular family of elliptic curves. Reducing the situation to characteristic p, we will see that the genus of such families is bounded where the bound depends only on the cardinality of the bad locus

Can changes in soil properties in organic banana production suppress fusarium wilt?

Organic agriculture promotes disease suppression through healthy soils by increasing biological activity and diversity through the application of organic fertilizers and increasing organic inputs. Fusarium wilt of bananas (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense) (Foc), also known as Panama disease, has been a devastating disease throughout the world. So far, no fungicides or cultural measures have been found that control Foc sufficiently. The aim of this research was to assess whether organic-based farming systems were more resilient than inorganic farming systems to soil borne diseases, in particular Fusarium wilts. A survey was conducted comparing five organic and five conventional banana plantations at paired sites in north Queensland, Australia. Soil samples were collected and analysed for chemical, physical and biological soil health indicators. Disease development of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomatoes and Foc in bananas were studied in pot trials to pursue clues for identifying Fusarium suppressive soil traits. Organic soils from the survey showed higher microbial activity and lower disease symptom expression (both with tomatoes and bananas) than conventional soils. In the survey, nematode diversity and soil sulphate content were recurring indicators in all experiments showing close correlations to pathogen growth, disease expression and plant health. Organic soils were lower in plant-parasitic nematodes and sulphate sulphur levels and higher in nematode diversity, labile soil C and microbial indicators. Soil conduciveness or suppression of Foc appeared to be largely governed by competition for carbon. Measurement of soil microbial enzyme activity, nematode community structure and diversity and possibly sulphate sulphur seem to provide a relatively reliable indicator for general disease suppression. Differences between organic and conventional agriculture cannot be related to single management practices, but may be linked to synergies among system components

Integrasi Pembelajaran Kanji dengan Pembelajaran Sakubun untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Menulis

Research aims to find the influence of strategies used in intermediate kanji learning, i.e. in a more applicative class using kanji, on middle kanji and composition class (sakubun). Research viewed and compared the influence of students\u27 mark in Intermediate Kanji with their mark in Sakubun. The questionnaire used in this research was the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) consisting of 50 questions associated with types of strategy to learn kanji. The result obtained using T-test and correlation test was the students\u27 mark in kanji affected their mark in Sakubun. The relationship is the higher mark in kanji, the higher mark in Sakubun. As a conclusion, student essay writing ability is affected by the numbers of kanji remembered and used by students

Climatology of near-surface wind speed from observational, reanalysis and high-resolution regional climate model data over the Tibetan Plateau

As near-surface wind speed plays a role in regulating surface evaporation and thus the hydrological cycle, it is crucial to explore its spatio-temporal characteristics. However, in-situ measurements are scarce over the Tibetan Plateau, limiting the understanding of wind speed climate across this high-elevation region. This study explores the climatology of near-surface wind speed over the Tibetan Plateau by using for the frst time homogenized observations together with reanalysis products and regional climate model simulations. Measuring stations across the center and the west of the plateau are at higher elevations and display higher mean and standard deviation, confrming that wind speed increases with increasing altitude. By exploring wind characteristics with a focus on seasonal cycle through cluster analysis, three regions of distinct wind regimes can be identifed: (1) the central Tibetan Plateau, characterized by high elevation; (2) the eastern and the peripheral areas of the plateau; and (3) the Qaidam basin, a topographic depression strongly infuenced by the blocking efect of the surrounding mountainous terrain. Notably, the ERA5 reanalysis, with its improvements in horizontal, vertical, and temporal spacing, model physics and data assimilation, demonstrates closer agreement to the measured wind conditions than its predecessor ERA-Interim. It successfully reproduces the three identifed wind regimes. However, the newest ERA5-Land product does not show improvements compared to ERA5, most likely because they share most of the parametrizations. Furthermore, the two dynamical downscalings of ERA5 analyzed here fail to capture the observed wind statistics and exhibit notable biases and discrepancies also when investigating the diurnal variations. Consequently, these high-resolution downscaling products do not show add value in reproducing the observed climatology of wind speed compared to ERA5 over the Tibetan Plateau

Mesoscale convective systems in the third pole region: Characteristics, mechanisms and impact on precipitation

The climate system of the Third Pole region, including the (TP) and its surroundings, is highly sensitive to global warming. Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are understood to be a vital component of this climate system. Driven by the monsoon circulation, surface heating, and large-scale and local moisture supply, they frequently occur during summer and mostly over the central and eastern TP as well as in the downstream regions. Further, MCSs have been highlighted as important contributors to total precipitation as they are efficient rain producers affecting water availability (seasonal precipitation) and potential flood risk (extreme precipitation) in the densely populated downstream regions. The availability of multi-decadal satellite observations and high-resolution climate model datasets has made it possible to study the role of MCSs in the under-observed TP water balance. However, the usage of different methods for MCS identification and the different focuses on specific subregions currently hamper a systematic and consistent assessment of the role played by MCSs and their impact on precipitation over the TP headwaters and its downstream regions. Here, we review observational and model studies of MCSs in the TP region within a common framework to elucidate their main characteristics, underlying mechanisms, and impact on seasonal and extreme precipitation. We also identify major knowledge gaps and provide suggestions on how these can be addressed using recently published high-resolution model datasets. Three important identified knowledge gaps are 1) the feedback of MCSs to other components of the TP climate system, 2) the impact of the changing climate on future MCS characteristics, and 3) the basin-scale assessment of flood and drought risks associated with changes in MCS frequency and intensity. A particularly promising tool to address these knowledge gaps are convection-permitting climate simulations. Therefore, the systematic evaluation of existing historical convection-permitting climate simulations over the TP is an urgent requirement for reliable future climate change assessments

Performance studies of the CMS strip tracker before installation

Peer reviewe

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

Peer reviewe

Description and performance of track and primary-vertex reconstruction with the CMS tracker

A description is provided of the software algorithms developed for the CMS tracker both for reconstructing charged-particle trajectories in proton-proton interactions and for using the resulting tracks to estimate the positions of the LHC luminous region and individual primary-interaction vertices. Despite the very hostile environment at the LHC, the performance obtained with these algorithms is found to be excellent. For tbar t events under typical 2011 pileup conditions, the average track-reconstruction efficiency for promptly-produced charged particles with transverse momenta of pT > 0.9GeV is 94% for pseudorapidities of |η| < 0.9 and 85% for 0.9 < |η| < 2.5. The inefficiency is caused mainly by hadrons that undergo nuclear interactions in the tracker material. For isolated muons, the corresponding efficiencies are essentially 100%. For isolated muons of pT = 100GeV emitted at |η| < 1.4, the resolutions are approximately 2.8% in pT, and respectively, 10μm and 30μm in the transverse and longitudinal impact parameters. The position resolution achieved for reconstructed primary vertices that correspond to interesting pp collisions is 10–12μm in each of the three spatial dimensions. The tracking and vertexing software is fast and flexible, and easily adaptable to other functions, such as fast tracking for the trigger, or dedicated tracking for electrons that takes into account bremsstrahlung