Grid diagram for singular links

In this paper, we define the set of singular grid diagrams $\mathcal{SG}$ which provides a unified description for singular links, singular Legendrian links, singular transverse links, and singular braids. We also classify the complete set of all equivalence relations on $\mathcal{SG}$ which induce the bijection onto each singular object. This is an extension of the known result of Ng-Thurston for non-singular links and braids.Comment: 33 pages, 34 figure

Union responses to subcontracted workers : a comparative study of the English and Korean health sectors

The research presented in this thesis is a study of union responses to subcontracted labour in England and Korea. Subcontracting leads to separation of employers, and places existing union structures and resources, and traditional collective bargaining systems under strain. A study of union representation in relation to subcontracted workers is important because it can address how unions deal with more complex employment relationships. This also helps explore which factors contribute to patterns of union responses. This research conducted a comparative study of eight branches of the largest unions in the English and Korean health sectors with different institutional settings. This employed qualitative case studies using fifty-three semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis. Evidence showed that typical responses between the two varied, but there were also two outlying cases in Korea, showing similar responses to those in England. Differences in the institutional contexts of the source of restructuring, legal regulations, collective bargaining systems and union structures explained why English union branches adopted more inclusive strategies toward subcontracted workers than those in Korea. However, empirical evidence showed that union responses were also influenced by some non-institutional factors such as branch leadership, the attitude of the represented and effective working with allies in the community. Despite the importance of institutions in shaping union responses, they are not sufficient alone to explain variations in union responses and it is necessary to consider an integrated approach considering both institutional and non-institutional factors in a single analytical framework. This study contributes to the field of comparative industrial relations research in three ways. First, it extends the scope of research on union responses to contingent workers by investigating responses to subcontracted workers. Second, it goes beyond classifying union responses by presenting their underlying dynamics. Third, it challenges existing ways of conducting comparative industrial relations studies predicated upon the staple proposition that ‘institutions matter’, highlighting the importance of an integrated approach

Pulsed Laser Deposition of Rocksalt Magnetic Binary Oxides

Here we systematically explore the use of pulsed laser deposition technique (PLD) to grow three basic oxides that have rocksalt structure but different chemical stability in the ambient atmosphere: NiO (stable), MnO (metastable) and EuO (unstable). By tuning laser fluence, an epitaxial single-phase nickel oxide thin-film growth can be achieved in a wide range of temperatures from 10 to 750 {\deg}C. At the lowest growth temperature, the out-of-plane strain raises to 1.5%, which is five times bigger than that in a NiO film grown at 750 {\deg}C. MnO thin films that had long-range ordered were successfully deposited on the MgO substrates after appropriate tuning of deposition parameters. The growth of MnO phase was strongly influenced by substrate temperature and laser fluence. EuO films with satisfactory quality were deposited by PLD after oxygen availability had been minimized. Synthesis of EuO thin films at rather low growth temperature prevented thermally-driven lattice relaxation and allowed growth of strained films. Overall, PLD was a quick and reliable method to grow binary oxides with rocksalt structure in high quality that can satisfy requirements for applications and for basic research