A Molecular Platinum Cluster Junction: A Single-Molecule Switch

We present a theoretical study of the electronic transport through single-molecule junctions incorporating a Pt6 metal cluster bound within an organic framework. We show that the insertion of this molecule between a pair of electrodes leads to a fully atomically engineered nano-metallic device with high conductance at the Fermi level and two sequential high on/off switching states. The origin of this property can be traced back to the existence of a HOMO which consists of two degenerate and asymmetric orbitals, lying close in energy to the Fermi level of the metallic leads. Their degeneracy is broken when the molecule is contacted to the leads, giving rise to two resonances which become pinned close to the Fermi level and display destructive interference.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Reprinted (adapted) with permission from J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135 (6), 2052. Copyright 2013 American Chemical Societ

Arch Stiffness Does Not Determine Running Economy in Recreational Runners

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Smuts of Small Grain and Their Control

This publication discusses smuts of wheat, oats, and barley, as well as barley stripe. It includes information on formaldehyde, copper carbonate, Ceresan (ethyl mercury phosphate dust), and hot water treatments for small grains

Dynactin-dependent cortical dynein and spherical spindle shape correlate temporally with meiotic spindle rotation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Oocyte meiotic spindles orient with one pole juxtaposed to the cortex to facilitate extrusion of chromosomes into polar bodies. In Caenorhabditis elegans, these acentriolar spindles initially orient parallel to the cortex and then rotate to the perpendicular orientation. To understand the mechanism of spindle rotation, we characterized events that correlated temporally with rotation, including shortening of the spindle in the pole-to pole axis, which resulted in a nearly spherical spindle at rotation. By analyzing large spindles of polyploid C. elegans and a related nematode species, we found that spindle rotation initiated at a defined spherical shape rather than at a defined spindle length. In addition, dynein accumulated on the cortex just before rotation, and microtubules grew from the spindle with plus ends outward during rotation. Dynactin depletion prevented accumulation of dynein on the cortex and prevented spindle rotation independently of effects on spindle shape. These results support a cortical pulling model in which spindle shape might facilitate rotation because a sphere can rotate without deforming the adjacent elastic cytoplasm. We also present evidence that activation of spindle rotation is promoted by dephosphorylation of the basic domain of p150 dynactin

Unbiased Global Optimization of Lennard-Jones Clusters for N <= 201 by Conformational Space Annealing Method

We apply the conformational space annealing (CSA) method to the Lennard-Jones clusters and find all known lowest energy configurations up to 201 atoms, without using extra information of the problem such as the structures of the known global energy minima. In addition, the robustness of the algorithm with respect to the randomness of initial conditions of the problem is demonstrated by ten successful independent runs up to 183 atoms. Our results indicate that the CSA method is a general and yet efficient global optimization algorithm applicable to many systems.Comment: revtex, 4 pages, 2 figures. Physical Review Letters, in pres

Who am I? Autobiographical retrieval improves access to self-concepts

It is considered that an individual's current self-concept plays a crucial role in guiding the retrieval of autobiographical memory. Using a novel fluency paradigm, the present research examined whether or not the reverse is also true, that is, does memory retrieval influence the description of the conceptual self? Specifically, this study examined the effect of prior autobiographical reverie on the subsequent retrieval of stored self-concepts. Participants wrote a description of a personally relevant memory or a control topic (of no relevance to the self), following which they had 60 seconds to generate as many self-defining statements as possible, each beginning with I am. Participants engaging in autobiographical retrieval generated significantly more statements than those in the control condition, suggesting that autobiographical retrieval increased access to self-concepts. Type of statement also varied according to group. Participants in the autobiographical memory condition were more likely to conceptualise themselves in relation to their psychological traits, and this was replicated in a second experiment conducted online. Findings support the idea that self and episodic memory are highly related constructs, and are discussed in relation to implications for individuals with autobiographical memory deficits

Good images, effective messages? Working with students and educators on academic practice understanding

Work at Northumbria University has focussed on activity that extends opportunities for students to engage directly with the skills development necessary for sound academic practice. This has included highly visual campaigns on the "Plagiarism trap", providing access to Turnitin plagiarism detection software, guides and sessions to highlight use of associated referencing tools. Sessions on a variety of topics, such as supporting study skills and reading originality reports, have been provided for students on taught, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. This provision has included students working on collaborative partners' sites and also those on research programmes. Alongside the activities with students, "designing out" approaches have been embedded in staff development within the educator community at Northumbria. Formative use of Turnitin is integrated throughout programmes and academic practice development is formally recognised within the University Learning and Teaching Strategy's focus on information literacy. This article outlines and reviews these activities in a critical institutional context and evaluates responses from a variety of students and educators to determine how effective these measures have been

Unequal relationships in high and low power distance societies: a comparative study of tutor - student role relations in Britain and China

This study investigated people's conceptions of an unequal role relationship in two different types of society: a high power distance society and a low power distance society. The study focuses on the role relationship of tutor and student. British and Chinese tutors and postgraduate students completed a questionnaire that probed their conceptions of degrees of power differential and social distance/closeness in this role relationship. ANOVA results yielded a significant nationality effect for both aspects. Chinese respondents judged the relationship to be closer and to have a greater power differential than did British respondents. Written comments on the questionnaire and interviews with 9 Chinese academics who had experienced both British and Chinese academic environments supported the statistical findings and indicated that there are fundamental ideological differences associated with the differing conceptions. The results are discussed in relation to Western and Asian concepts of leadership and differing perspectives on the compatibility/incompatibility of power and distance/closeness